Vegas, baby!

Vegas was so different this time around. For one, I spent most of my time in the room (good thing rooms at the Aria are awesome). The casinos were too smokey for the baby. I also ended up sleeping like at 10 PM most nights or napping mid-day. Again, all first for me.

The best part of Vegas was being able to tell not only my uncle and cousin who flew in from New York, but it was to finally share the news with my dad. His reaction was priceless! We were all in the room and Mike and Jay starting pouring drinks (skinny pirates) for everyone. As they raised their glasses for a toast, Mike said -- "Wait -- before we toast, we have to let you know what we're toasting about. " He then looked at me and I said, "Dad -- you're going to be a grandfather! I'm pregnant!" My dad was so surprised with the news that he almost spilled his drink. His legs went straight up in the air (he almost fell off the chair I think!) and his eyes instantly welled up with tears! He hugged me and confessed that he's been waiting for a long time now on his grandkid. He never mentioned it to me before, but apparently, he has been secretly hoping for us to get pregnant =) ... the rest of the weekend was spent with him pampering me and the baby -- making sure we were well fed and fully rested. The day after we told him the good news, he admitted to us that they couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about the baby. Jay even joked that we might name the kid "Teodoro Jr." or "TJ" for short!

The ride to and from Vegas wasn't too bad. We ended up having to stop a few times to pee, but otherwise, it was a great weekend with my family.

Daddy putting things into motion ...

I'm overjoyed with pride right now! Yesterday, my hubby was offered a new job!!! He has been interviewing for quite some time now trying to get a better paying job that will help us set up the life that we want for us and the baby. He's worked so hard to try to make things work for us and we're so blessed to be given this opportunity to make those things happen. Since we found out we were pregnant, we've been going crazy thinking about where we're going to live, which schools are ranked the best for our kids, etc. etc. I know that him getting offered this job (which pays significantly more than his current job) will help put his anxieties and worries at ease. It feels like God is literally lining up our dominos for us and everything seems to be falling into place.

I'm grateful to have such a responsible husband who wants nothing more than to be able to provide of his family. He truly deserves this new opportunity and I have no doubt that he will flourish in his new environment. God is truly GOOD!!!

Putting things into perspective

The other day, I got news from a very good friend that they're baby may not be as healthy as they had hoped. For some reason, the doctor couldn't see the baby very well during the ultrasound and he ordered a 4D ultrasound to make sure the baby is ok. She then had to give authorization for additional tests that would check if the baby had any cardiac disorders, down syndrome, or other abnormalities. I'm sure the doctor just wants to take some extra precautions, but it's still a very scary situation to have to go through. As a parent, all you want is for you child to be healthy. Suddenly, dreams of how handsome/beautiful he/she will be, how smart, how athletic, or how successful seems almost silly when you really put things into perspective. The creation and development of a human life is so extremely complicated that sometimes people take that for granted. They assume that no glitches will occur during the development process. People sometimes forget that they call it a "miracle" for a reason and miracles shouldn't be counted on happening 100% of the time.

While I have faith that God will provide for my friends (and even for us should we be put in a similar situation one day) and that His plan is the best plan, it' s still a scary process. It's definitely a test of one's faith ... to just leave it all to God ... to leave the health of your baby to God ... to trust that God has equipped you with the strength, with the heart and with the patience to raise a child with special needs. I'm trying my best to stay positive for both my friend and me and to just continue to pray, pray and pray for our babies' health and development. Prayer is a powerful, powerful thing and I know it's the best thing I can do right now.

We went to the Wednesday Novena at Holy Trinity tonight to say our extra prayers and to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. It was nice to come back to that church to do our usual Wednesday thing (we havent' been back there for quite some time). I definitely felt more at peace about everything afterwords ...

It's funny how God works sometimes. Maybe He wants my friend (and me in a vicarious way) to go through this process of uncertainty so that we can always remember how much of a miracle the growing baby in our bellys truly are ... the are not just "normal" things that happen to everyone ... they are truly MIRACLES that we have been blessed with that should be constantly cherished and thanked for.

P.P. MONSTER

For some reason, I've had to pee the MOST TIMES today than the past days. I've literally have had to go to the restroom every 15 minutes!! Yes, I'm drinking more water, but not to the extent where I should be running to pee every 15 minutes. I'm starting to think my co-workers suspect I have diarrhea or something! Hahaha!

My mom cooked corned beef for me (actually, for the baby) today. She wants to make sure I'm eating well =) ... I had some for lunch and brought the rest home for Mike and Bryan (and me!). The funny thing is, for the FIRST TIME EVER, I didn't pick out the peas!!! Since I've been introduced to Filipino corned beef (which was probably around 1 years old) I've ALWAYS picked out the peas. Why??? Because peas SUCK. Sure they're decorative, but they don't really taste good (or maybe its the texture I don't like). Anyway, I've been extremely anti-pea for the longest time and today, when I ate the corned beef for lunch, I ate them ALL!!! I figure I should try to eat as many green things as I can for the baby. All it took was for that one mental adjustment, and all of a sudden, I'm all about peas!!! I was laughing at myself ... even Mike was shocked at dinner when he saw me eating the peas (he doesn't eat peas either!). I also ate a bowl of steamed broccoli and asparagus. Again, a first for me!! I NEVER eat vegetables that aren't in a salad. I've certainly have NEVER eaten a whole broccoli (I usually just eat the bits that break off in pasta that aren't worth removing). I heard it was good for you, so I took it down. And you know what? It was actually pretty good!!! Now I know why Jeric loves broccoli so much =) ...

I'm really proud of myself for making the conscious choice to get on the veggie train. I've said for years that once I get pregnant I'll definitely start eating my veggies, but of course, I wasn't always sure I'd listen to myself. I'm glad that every part of my (mind, body and soul) wants nothing more than for this baby to be as healthy and strong as possible and that I'm able to make adjustments and changes to my once stubborn appetite =)

Glowing?

So the most random thing happened at work today. The nurse paralegal at work came by to talk to me about work stuff when she suddenly cut herself off mid-sentence and asked, "Are you pregnant?? There's something different about you ... you look like you're glowing or something". I was pretty shocked when she said this because when I told my friend Bing (who is also a nurse) that I was pregnant, she said she noticed the last time she saw me that I looked different. She said there's a certain look to someone who's body is going through a major change in progesterone. She said most people wouldn't notice, but for medical professionals, it's pretty easy to detect. So when the nurse paralegal asked me point blank, I was pretty surprised. I have no idea how my face looked like, but all I could manage to say was, "Um ... no, I'm not. It's probably because I don't have a migraine today and since I had a migraine every day last week, I feel like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders or errr. .. head." I'm not sure if she bought my story, but she just looked at me, smiled and dropped the subject altogether.
I spent the rest of the day grazing on the fruit, salad and protein rich snacks that my hubby packed for me. He said he's going to pack a snack bag for me every day to make sure the baby is eating well =) ... again, just another reason why I'm super blessed. I have the best.husband.ever!!!

Telling my family

Finally getting the chance to tell my family the good news felt WONDERFUL! It was so hard to keep the baby a secret the past three days! Initially, we were going to tell my mom, Jay, Jeric and Christian at the CPK fundraiser for the Cathedral. However, after mass, Mike pulled me aside and suggested that we tell them in front of the Virgin Mary (it's the spot we always visit and pray after each mass). He thought it would be fitting to tell her before the Blessed Mother. Penticost mass was great -- to hear about the holy spirit being a part of our everyday lives was a great reminder on an additional source of inspiration and guidance we can turn to aside from Jesus and His Mother.
So after we all finished praying, I gathered them all around me by talking about the logistics on where to have lunch. After that was squared away, I then said, "Mike and I also wanted to let everyone know that WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!" The happiness on my mom's face was amazing and she quickly hugged me and started crying. I, of course, followed suit ... and then Jay started crying!!! It was overwhelming to feel how happy they all were for us ... this baby of ours is one lucky person to be part of such a loving and supportive family.
We then told them the whole story -- about our generic brand pregnancy test mishap to how difficult it's been to hide it from everyone. We were all overjoyed and couldn't stop talking about how blessed we are. My mom made sure to remind me how lucky Mike and I were that we were able to conceive relatively easily. A lot of couples don't have that luxury.
Lunch at CPK was filled with questions about what the baby might possibly look like ... what names would be nice ... etc, etc. They made sure to feed me like crazy (salad, pizza, etc.) and at the end of the meal, Jay asked, "So -- do you want a milkshake???"
I went to bed that night more at peace and more complete that my family now knew about the baby. I can't wait to tell my dad, Tito Ton and JP this coming Memorial weekend and then Tita Bot, Tito Charlie when they get back from Vancouver!

White lies at the wedding ...

I finally found a suitable dress to wear at the wedding (along with some other dresses that I can wear to work; for some reason, I'm very anti-pants right now thanks to the bloating!).

The wedding was beautiful -- very emotional and the bride & groom are perfect for each other. Then came time for the reception ... the reception led to a series of white lies for Mike and I. It was harder to keep our secret under wraps at the wedding than it was at the rehearsal dinner.

1. There was an open bar. I kept trying to site my migraine medication for why I couldn't partake in the mojitos everyone seemed to be having, but I was sensing they were starting to doubt my excuse =)

2. I ordered a steak. Initially, I told Mike that pregnant women couldn't eat medium-rare meat (it's the only way I eat steaks/burgers). I guess he misinterpreted that as "pregnant women can't eat red meat" in general. So when I stepped away from the table to pee (again) and the server brought us our 2 steaks, Mike immediately said, "My wife ordered chicken, not steak." His friend Sevan ordered chicken and suggested that he can switch with me instead. I guess Mike told them that I wasn't much of a meat eater, so that switching would be a good idea. When I got back to the table and saw the chicken I said, "Oh -- I ordered steak" Mike kept saying, "Are you sure? I don't think you did. YOu got the chicken." To which I said, "No -- I never order chicken. I always order steak" (I really wanted the steak at this point and I noticed that it was cooked well, not medium rare so I knew I could eat it). So Sevan asked if I wanted to switch and I said, "Sure! Thanks -- I'm totally a meat eater!" Sevan's wife looked surprised and said, "That's funny! Mike just told us you totally weren't a meat eater!" Both Mike and I blushed, laughed it off and said nothing. Hahahaha ... we totally suck at this lying thing!!

3. Dancing. People who know Mike and I know that we love to dance. So when people told us to get on the dance floor and shake it, it was odd that Mike and I only did a very sublte two-step. It was the most restrained dancing ever!! I don't even think we were dancing to the beat anymore. We were just kind of dancing side-to-side in slow motion! Hahaha ... we were laughing at how funny we must have looked. To make it worse, the entire wedding party started to do Irish clogging -- which is like river dancing aka jumping up and down -- and Mike and I couldn't participate! I ended up doing this lame "can-can" thing with my leg with no hop or jump to it and decided to call it a day and just head home.

There was a point in the evening when we were kind of tired of being so secretive (it's so hard to keep such wonderful news under wraps!!) and Mike wanted to just announce to the table that we were pregnant. However, again, we didn't want to take away from Mike and Christine's wedding, so we opted to keep mum about it for a little longer.

Before we went to sleep that night, Mike put his ear to my stomach and swore he heard a "swish" noise ... he said it was like a fish tank!!! I can't wait to tell my family about the baby tomorrow at church! It's been so hard keeping this from them!

Week 6 Symptoms ...

Here's more good info from Whattoexpect.com:

Week 6 Pregnancy Symptoms
Frequent urination: You’re eating for two and peeing for two these days, thanks to your kidneys, which are getting more efficient about ridding your body of waste (yours and your growing baby-to-be’s). You can blame your uterus too, which is putting pressure on your bladder now. To make sure you empty it all out (and save yourself another trip to the bathroom in ten minutes), lean forward when you pee. Then, when you think you’re done, pee again. (Might as well try — you’re there anyway!)

Fatigue: Building that baby (and the life support your growing fetus needs) is hard work, so it’s no wonder you feel exhausted. Listen to your body — if it’s screaming at you to take a break, then take five! But do fit in some exercise: Take a walk or a yoga class; the endorphins you release will lift your mood and help you sleep better. Just don’t overdo!

Breast tenderness and changes: No, it’s not your imagination — your nipples are sticking out more than usual. They may be tender too (so definitely warn your partner about what feels good to the touch and what doesn’t). Why the luscious look these days? All the better to see you with, my dear! Your body is gearing up to breastfeed, and the darker areolas (the skin around the nipples) turn your nipples into a bull’s-eye for your newborn, whose eyesight at birth won’t be very good.

Nausea and vomiting: Whether you are experiencing slight queasiness or hurling breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or all three), look on the bright side. (Though admittedly it’s hard to look at the bright side when your view is the porcelain goddess!) Women who experience some nausea are significantly less likely to miscarry than those who don’t. Combat queasiness by eating small snacks that combine protein and complex carbs — cheese and multigrain crackers, yogurt and granola, whatever your stomach can stomach.

Heartburn and indigestion: Here’s the not-so-great news — the chances of getting through the next nine months heartburn-free are nearly zero. That’s because the muscle at the top of the stomach that usually prevents digestive juices from backing up relaxes. But here's better news: you can minimize the symptoms if you don't rush through your meals and avoid clothes that constrict your belly.

Bloating: Blame the progesterone that’s coursing through your body as you read this —this delightful hormone is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, but it also is responsible for your puff mommy-to-be look. Eat lots of fiber and drink plenty of water to avoid getting constipated, which can aggravate bloating.

Increased sense of smell: Now that you’re pregnant, you’ve got a bloodhound’s keen nose. You can smell your coworker’s lunch from across the room, the cologne your office-mate is wearing, and someone’s dirty sneakers (all at the same time!). What’s the deal with your supersensitive sniffer? Blame your hormones again. If your nose is making the queasies worse, surround yourself with some scents that may make you feel better (if there are any). Some to try: mint, ginger, and lemon.


** I know I'm definitely feeling the bloating, breast tenderness, frequent urination and increased sense of smell. We'll see how quickly the other ones follow!!

Wardrobe malfunction!

Today is my first day back to work since we found out the "news" ... It was casual Friday, so I was glad I would get to wear my jeans to work. Little did I know that my jeans would be a little too snug already!!! It's not that I've gained that much weight, it's just that I feel extremely bloated. Like a baby that needs to be burped or something ... so it's causing my jeans to not fit properly. I was trying to rock them unbuttoned all day, but it was a little obvious with my blouse =/ ... I also still have a horrible migraine (going on day 5 now) and I can't take anything for it anymore, so I guess I'll just have to tough it out for baby =) ...

I find myself talking alot to the baby ... as I stepped out of the elevator this morning, I said, "Ok baby -- we're at work now. Hope we have a good day today!". It's kind of weird to refer to "me" as a "we" but I must say it has a nice ring to it.

I started work early today so that I can leave at 4:30 to attend Mike and Christine's wedding rehearsal dinner in Westlake Village. I couldn't wait for 4:30 to come because my head was driving me crazy. I ended up telling my closest co-worker Toni the good news. She cried!!! I was going to keep it a secret until at least 3 months, but I needed an ally here at work to help me out. I'm really glad I told her becuase it was nice to have someone who knew. She was so happy for me and Mike and kept making sure I was drinking my water and eating the right food.

4:30 finally came and Mike picked me up with his friend Sevan. I ended up napping most of the way becuase my head felt like it was going to explode. The rehearsal dinner was great and it was the first time I couldn't have wine/alcohol. His friends kept wondering why and I used my migraine medication as a reason for not having any wine. Initially, Mike was about to pour me a glass until her remembered last minute that I couldn't have any =) ...

Mike stayed over to be there early for the groom the next day so I ended up driving home solo. When I got home, I started to try on some dresses for the wedding. To my surprise and dismay, none of them fit!!! Again, the bloating was causing clothes not to cooperate =/ ... I couldn't go to the wedding naked, so I told myself I'd have to look for something Saturday morning.

I went to bed that night for the first time not feeling alone. Usually, when Mike is out of town, it takes me a while to fall asleep becuase I feel alone and I start thinking about all kinds of stuff. Tonite however, I felt completely at peace ... I really felt like there were two of us on that bed and it was a wonderful feeling. It just reminded me again that I will be forever connected to Mike and this child of ours. Suddenly, the headache and the bloating didn't seem to matter anymore. I had someone growing inside of me and I was willing to go through anything to make sure baby grows and develops and is always wrapped in my love.

Babyface

I've been looking through various websites, and according to them, this is what's going on inside my body this week:

Week 6 of Pregnancy
Your baby's face is taking shape, which is something sweet to think about as you race to the toilet to pee yet again.
Your Baby in Week 6 of Pregnancy
You might be coping with full-blown pregnancy symptoms (sorry), but there's plenty of good news too. Your baby's jaw, cheeks, chin, eyes, ears, and nose are beginning to form what will eventually become one adorable face. In addition, her kidneys, liver, and lungs are developing, and her heart is now beating 80 times a minute (and getting faster every day). All this and she's still no bigger than the length of a nail head (about a quarter of an inch) from crown to rump!

Your Body in Week 6 of Pregnancy
Your body may not yet have changed on the outside, but there's a lot happening on the inside. For one thing, the pregnancy hormone hCG is causing an increase of blood flow to your pelvic area, and your kidneys are becoming more efficient at ridding your body of waste; add to that the fact that your growing uterus is beginning to push down on your bladder and you've got a perfect (pee) storm. What else is going on in there? Bloating, queasiness, and cravings (or food aversions).

Bee is for BABY!!!

6 weeks ....
It's hard to describe the feeling that takes over once you get news that your entire life has changed in that single moment ... to describe the feeling of hearing that you are no longer living for yourself both physically and metaphorically ... to describe the feeling of realizing that a REAL MIRACLE has taken place in your OWN little body ... that God has actually deemed you special enough, strong enough, worthy enough of caring for someone else's life on earth and the thereafter ... Words seem so juvenile ... so incredibly unworthy to even begin to describe a tiny iota of the bliss and joy and fear and gratitude and weakness and strength and overwhelmingness that succombs not only your body, but your soul. And while words certainly don't do any of what I'm going through right now any kind of justice, I figure I'd at least make a feeble attempt to document this special moment in my life. So ... here it goes ...
To be perfectly honest, I was almost 100% sure that the doctor would tell me I wasn't pregnant. Until, of course, she said that I was, in fact, PREGNANT!!!

Background: I was supposed to get my period on May 6 or 7th ... right before our trip to Cancun to celebrate our 2nd year anniversary. May 6th rolled by ... and I thought, "I guess I'm starting on the 7th then and will end up still on my period in Cancun for a couple of days ...". May 7th came and went and still no visit from Aunt Flo. I started worrying a little bit because 1) I'm not usually more than 1 day late and 2) I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the "margaritas" and other alcoholic beverages that came with our all-inclusive package. Not that I'm a drunk or anything, but I was looking forward to un-winding from a very stressful last few months of work by sipping on a pina colada beachside =) ...

I decided to tell the hubby that we should get a pregnancy test just in case. I wanted peace of mind either way. So we go to Walgreens and end up getting the "Walgreens" brand since it's on sale and it comes with a bonus test =) ...

I didn't realize I'd be so nervous when I was awaiting the results, but I really was! All these thoughts about how much our lives would change (in a good way, of course ... but very, very different!) came in a flurry. After the longest 3 minutes ever, I asked the hubby to check the results. The magic stick said "Not Pregnant". So pina coladas were now back on the agenda and I assumed I'd end up getting my period sometime during our one-week stay in Cancun.

Three days and quite a few pina coladas / mango daquiris / mango margaritas (in retrospect, I'm so glad that the hotel bartender skimped on the alcohol on all of my drinks ... I didn't even taste any nor did I feel buzzed/drunk at any point in time -- phew!!) and still no sign of Aunt Flo, I decided to take another test. Again, "Not Pregnant" flashed on the screen. I figured I must have synched up with my co-worker's schedule. She wasn't due until the end of the month.

14 days after my period was supposed to start, I started feel ling a little antsy about the whole thing. I wanted to get more tests (from Costco this time ... buy brand name in bulk and not the generic version) but the hubby convinced me that it would be more cost effective if I just went to the doctor instead of buy a bunch of tests and end up going to the doctor to get final confirmation anyway. So I made an appointment on Wednesday to come in on Thursday (plus, I had a terrible migraine that was bothering me since Monday so I figured I'd get that checked out as well) ...

I met with Dr. Yeung on Thursday morning ... she had me pee in a cup, came back, and had the most poker face face I've ever seen. No emotion at all; it was so hard to read her. I concluded that since she didn't burst in the door yelling "congratulations" that it was probably another negative result. She asked me if I had taken a home pregnancy test first and I told her I had taken 2 actually, and both said "Not Pregnant". Dr. Yeung paused for a moment and said, "Really? Because ours said POSITIVE!!!" It took me a couple of seconds to understand that POSITIVE = PREGNANT ... I looked at her and yelled, "What???!!!! Really!!!! Shut up!" I started breathing pretty hard and kept asking her, "Really??? Really???" She kept nodding and nodding and congratulating me. I asked her why I got 2 negative results ... she said I either tested too early or the tests I took were defective (damn Walgreens brand!!!). I mentioned the light drinking that occurred in Cancun and she assured me that everything would be ok.

She said I was 6 weeks along ... and that the baby would be due on January 11, 2011!!! 1/11/11!!!! I was beyond shocked ... me? 6 weeks pregnant??? There was an actual "somebody" growing in me???? Dr. Yeung snapped me out of my stupor and handed me names of OB/GYNs that she recommended. She advised to continue taking the prenatal vitamins we discussed (when I first mentioned to Dr. Yeung that we were open to having a baby this year, she suggested I start taking prenatal vitamins so that when I did get pregnant, the baby would have a nice and healthy "home") and to make an appointment with an OB.
I left that office bursting to tell Mike the good news ... before I could blurt anything out, I saw him with a friend of his from the gym. They were just chit-chatting so I had to play it cool for a few minutes. When the guy finally left, Mike hopped into the car, looked at me attentively and said, "Well? ...." I looked at him, smiled and said, "Looks like you're gonna be a DADDY!!!" He let a quick breath escape and said, "I knew it!!! I knew there was a bun in that oven!!" and hugged and kissed me saying he was so happy ...

The next few minutes were filled with mostly silence. I think we were both shocked and the fact that we were going to be someone's mom and did hadn't fully set in yet ... we just sat there in the car for a few more minutes taking it all in. After we gathered our composure and I told my work that I wouldn't be coming in (how efficient could I possibly be with this kind of news!?!), Mike said, "Let's go home!!! I am going to make you and baby the biggest and best brunch ever!"
Sure enough, we got home and he whipped out a cheese and sour cream omelet (extra points for the sour cream!), bacon and extra fluffy pancakes. He didn't want me to do anything but relax and get ready to eat. It was so cute watching him buzzing around the kitchen trying to put stuff together for me and the baby. He was so excited to feed us =) ...

The food came out great and we got to talking about whether or not we were going to tell people right away. I told him I couldn't not tell our family and close friends ... that I know most people choose to wait after 3 months (when the chance of miscarriage greatly decreases) but that I would rather have people start praying for the baby as soon as possible instead of waiting for weeks and weeks ... so Mike sent out an email to our family members inviting them to Pentecost mass followed by lunch afterwards. We figured we would tell everyone at the same time. Unfortunately, we forgot that both his parents and Tita Bot and Tito Charlie would be going out of town that weekend. So we figured we'd tell his parents that evening (on our way to our friend's birthday celebration and we'd tell my family on Sunday.

As we arrived at his parent's place in Woodland Hills later that day, we were both excited and nervous. We talked at length about Mike's career plans ... after about 20 minutes or so of "stalling" Mike turned to me and said, "Oh -- we also wanted to tell you guys something .... ". I froze, put my salad fork down, looked at them and said, "Looks like you guys are going to be grandparents!!!" Again, silence. It took them a while to realize what I just announced and his mom looked at me and said "Does that mean you're pregnant???!!!" "Yup!!" I said. Isabelle said, "That's sooo cool!" and Dad said, "Congratulations!!".

It was great to finally tell some of our family the good news. I made them promise not to call my mom since she would find out on Sunday. Mike's mom vowed to keep it a secret but asked if it was ok to at least tell her sisters about it. Dad cracked a joke and said, "Don't worry -- she'll tell everyone not to tell anyone!" We also reminded them no Facebook posts!! Hahaha ...
We then went to our friend's place for a birthday celebration and we were so very tempted to spill the beans, but we didn't want to take away from her special day =). I saw Mike playing with their almost-2-year-old son Noah and I could tell how excited Mike was that one day soon, he'll finally get to have a little guy or girl to play with ...

We ended the evening just reveling in the good news we received that day. From the car ride home to the last moments before sleep fell upon us, all we kept thinking and talking about was our special little blessing growing inside. Mike kept his hand on my stomach for a very long time as we envisioned our new life with the baby =) ...

It's amazing how God works. Just this past April at Nights of Discipleship, I was talking about the "fear" I have sometimes of being a parent and being a vessel for the baby for nine months ... I told my faith-sharing group that while I was afraid, I knew I just had to continue to pray about it and trust that the Lord knows what' He's doing with our life. If He thinks it's time, it will be time. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the Lord has blessed Michael and I with a human life to nurture, to love, to teach ... what an honor He has bestowed upon us. While I still have some jitters and nerves floating around, I know that I have to trust and let God's miracle inside of me to change me as a woman, as a person. I've thought about this day for a long time and words escape me right now as to how extremely blessed and happy I am that I've been given this beautiful opportunity to be a mother.

I'm hoping I can continue to document the next nine months and even after the birth so that I can fully capture and share this wonderful time in Michael and mine's lives.
Thank you, Lord, for this amazing blessing. I have no doubt that Michael will be the best father and I know I will try with everything I have to be the kind of mother this little baby deserves!