So many people have told me that pregnancy will fly for everyone but me. Well, I’m here to say that it has gone faster than I can blink! Every week I just think to myself, “How in the world are we already at [enter week]?” A couple weeks ago I officially entered the third trimester, and that about gave me a heart attack. I also saw a post that was reminding everyone that the Houston Marathon is just 12 weeks away. That race is 1 week after my due date… that means we have 11 weeks to go before this baby comes! That just seems unreal. 2 1/2 more months. I’m also aware that 2 of those weeks are holiday weeks (Thanksgiving and Christmas), so I’m trying to stay ahead of the game as far as preparation goes, since those weeks will be out of the picture in terms of getting stuff done.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced is being mentally and spiritually prepared. Shocker, right? I feel that as a natural do-er, I lean towards getting all the “stuff” done, and often neglect my spiritual and emotional well-being. It seems God is always reminding me to slow down and rest in Him, and it seems I’m always fighting to believe that spending significant time reading/studying etc is not wasting time. Anyone else struggle with that? I know you’re not supposed to actually admit that as a Christian, but that is my battle, almost every day. It was before I was pregnant, and I know it won’t magically disappear once this baby comes. I need to often recite scripture to myself to remind myself that time with Him is more valuable than an entire day of crossing items off my to-do list. It’s not just with God, though. I do the same with people. I literally have to consciously remember that time spent with people is worth while… many times worth more than all the stuff I need to do. I am the worst at initiating hang-outs, and if I’m honest, I don’t even think about it majority of the time. I think a lot about things…. I like being “productive” and “accomplishing tasks”. When I do hang out with people, I am making a point to be and enjoy the things that really matter, while letting all the stuff sit for a while longer. I know it’s worth it, but it’s work! I’m so thankful for the people in my life that know this and love me anyway. They also are good about initiating hang outs because they know I am terrible at it. I so appreciate that.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your life when you get cluttered with whatever it is in your world? What do you do to combat that? One relevant thing I’ve done is decided it’s ok that my posts are becoming less and less. If I can invest in real relationships over having a new post on time every other week, I’ll take it. That’s a hard choice for me (that might seem silly), but it’s something I know is so very worth it, and I won’t regret later on.

A couple weeks ago, my sis-in-law threw us a baby shower with the help of my lifelong friend, Jenna. They did such a wonderful job, and we are so thankful for everyone who made it to the shower and prayed over us! It also relieved so much for me mentally, as my overwhelming list of things we need for the baby before he comes was cut down drastically. We’re now getting the last major things together, which includes a dresser so I can have a place to put his endless piles of tiny clothes! I’ll definitely post pictures once it’s all ready. Can’t promise that will be very soon, though. His room is a mess.

how adorable is this hanging art that Micah from Blue Giraffe Art Works made for me??

the lovely hostesses!

29 Week Update:

How Far Along: 29 weeks

Maternity Clothes?: Still about 40% of the time

Stretch Marks: Not yet!

Sleep: I sleep hard, but it’s difficult falling asleep. I feel like I’ve inherited some sort of restless leg syndrome.

Best Moment of This Week: We’re celebrating our anniversary early, and we went to see Peter Pan 360 yesterday! Really wonderful show. We were so blown away by it!

Miss Anything: Just feeling like a normal person in general. Also looking forward to sleeping on my back and stomach again.

Movement: Constantly. He likes to squirm more than kick now. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have bruised ribs by the end of this pregnancy.

Food Cravings: French fries!

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: I started taking an iron supplement, which I think is giving me a stomach ache every once in a while. Nothing too bad, though.

Have You Started to Show Yet?: It’s all out there.

Gender: Baby Boy!

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?: Mostly happy. Just don’t make jokes about how I’ve really “let myself go” when it’s 5:45a. Not funny anytime, especially that early.

Looking Forward To: Meeting this squirmy little guy!

Boy! 

Well, if you haven’t yet followed my update on Facebook or Instagram like 4 weeks ago, here’s the official news! We are so ecstatic about this little guy, and are super thrilled to meet him! He still remains nameless, as choosing a name for your kid is a lot harder than it would seem. You can be praying that his name becomes clear soon!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated, which kinda testifies to my crazy schedule lately. BUT, I want to share with you some photos from our super fun gender reveal party! Side note: it’s kind of hilarious when you tell anyone over 40 about your gender reveal party. That just wasn’t a thing before our generation, and most of our parents didn’t even find out whether they were having a boy or girl until delivery day. I’ve received lots of strange looks, confused comments, and some amazingly funny remarks concerning our party. One sweet lady asked me if I’m throwing a party to celebrate Caitlyn Jenner. This lady was like 70. I was impressed that she made that kind of association.

I have to say that my dear friend Jamie is a rockstar. I had this idea for a reveal party months ago, and while I was at a fitness conference in Dallas, she just ran with some ideas and turned this party into a most adorable celebration! Also, I do have to mention that I love throwing parties (if you didn’t know that already). There have been a few people that have rolled their eyes at me, and assumed that I’m just trying to make a huge, unnecessary deal out of my kid. If planning parties was a stressful thing to me, believe me, I would not have even thought about it. My husband and I plan 3 events a month for our residents in our apartment community, and it is a joy. This is just something God put in me, and it doesn’t matter what it is… I love a good party. In fact, I love parties even more when I get to throw them for someone else, because I have issues with a ton of attention being on me at once. Jamie is kind of the same way, and so she made this day elaborate and fabulous. I am very thankful for her. :)

People asked me after the reveal if I was shocked. Honestly, not so much. I had a feeling the entire time that it was a boy, and there was really no way for me to feel that way. I just knew! It was such an exciting moment, but not surprising. :) Ryan, on the other hand, straight up ran away from me immediately after popping the confetti balloon and pranced around the room, ending on the floor making snow angels in the blue sea of paper. You could say he was a little surprised.

It was so fun to be able to have my parents in town for that weekend! We don’t get to see each other often since they live in Florida, and I really do wish I could share more of my pregnancy with all my family members. It was such a gift that they were able to fly in for the weekend, and we had a great time helping them soak in as much of Houston as they could during their short visit. My mom is making plans to stay with us for a couple weeks after the baby comes, which really gives this daughter a form of comfort entering a whole new phase of life.

Since that party we’ve had another appointment, and babe is growing right on track! He is super active, and literally kicks me at least once every hour of the day. That anterior placenta thing is supposed to make his kicks more subtle, which kinda scares me with how not-subtle he has been. My favorite times with him are early in the morning, right when I wake up (which is about 4:45/5a since I’m usually at the gym by 5:45). He’s most active at that time, and I feel connected to him in the quietness of the morning as I just lay and feel him move around. I do hope this doesn’t mean he’s a morning person, though I am enjoying it right now.

25 Week Update:

How Far Along: 25 weeks

Maternity Clothes?: About 40% of the time

Stretch Marks: Not yet!

Sleep: It’s off and on. Some nights great, some not so great. The earlier I go to bed, the better.

Best Moment of This Week: Honestly? Sleeping til 8a on Sunday. Haha.

Miss Anything: My pre-pregnant body. Go ahead a judge me. I feel like a sumo wrestler. I’ll stomp on you.

Movement: Oh yes. He especially likes to kick my bladder (thanks, kid).

Food Cravings: Fall breads (pumpkin, banana, pecan). But let’s be real… that always happens around this time of year.

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Not really!

Have You Started to Show Yet?: Yes. Even people I don’t know now know that I’m pregnant. Which is better than them not being too sure.

Gender: Baby Boy!

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?: Mostly happy. Just really tired by noon every day.

Looking Forward To: The holidays! I know that’s a little ways away, but I LOVE this time of year!