A Shocking Surprise only God can Give

God is truly amazing isn't He? Since I accepted  Christ into my life over 7 years ago I have come to realize just how in control of my life He is. I get so much peace and joy from knowing this. With both of my pregnancies I always kept a journal documenting everything from the size of my bump to how I was feeling. It has been great fun going back and reading these journals and reliving the precious moments of pregnancy and birth. After giving birth to Daphne almost 14 months ago I was unsure if that would be my last baby. I didn't know our plans and of course I did not know God's. But here I am getting ready to begin my 3rd pregnancy journal. The overwhelming emotions I have felt since finding out about this "surprise" pregnancy have slowly been replaced with excitement, joy, and a sense of calm as I know this is ultimately God's plan for us. He chose Jeff and I again to be parents to another precious child .  We have been chosen to help teach and guide another child towards Christ. What a blessing that is! If also a bit scary!

My biggest bump yet at this week!

10 weeks with Daphne. A bump...but not as noticeable!

10 weeks with Jude...pretty much no bump!!

                                                    
The Story of Discovering our 3rd Pregancy

I knew I was pregnant several days before taking a test. The same first symptom I have had with previous pregnancies reappeared; hunger! I just cannot get enough to eat throughout the day. I still cannot eat a ton at one time but I'm hungry almost every hour it seems. From there nausea sets in if I'm not eating enough. My next symptoms we're exhaustion and shortness of breath. I knew without a doubt that I was pregnant. So November 16th I took my pregnancy test and sure enough I am expecting my third! I was a day short of 7 weeks pregnant surprisingly. It took us so long to realize it because my cycles had been on the very long side for months. Apparently this cycle was normal. :)

I made an appointment with Doctor Ott for December 9th before leaving on our Polar Express trip. During the weeks leading up to that moment we kept quiet waiting to see our first ultrasound. Each week I became a little more nauseous and exhausted than before. Late afternoons and evenings seemed to be the worst for me. I struggled to get up off the couch at all (could be having two little ones running around all day causing the even more extreme fatigue)! Once again I can't stand the thought of cooking and the smell of meat is just awful. There is also something about sweet potatoes...anything sweet potato...disgusting!! Right now I like to stick to pretty dry and starchy food. Salads and apples are okay too and going out to eat doesn't bother me at all. This pregnancy has been a bit more frustrating as I cannot have milk due to Daphne's milk allergy. Makes it difficult for me to find simple meals for us to have as a family. Aside from just being tired and my belly not feeling right, I cannot complain too much about the 1st trimester thus far.

First Appointment

We left Jude with a friend for our first ultrasound as we knew his big mouth would spread the word pretty quickly! :) At this time we have only told my sister and a few close friends. We are surprising family at Christmas so keeping mum is important! The excitement of seeing your baby through an ultrasound never fades. Watching our little firecracker actually move and hearing the heartbeat was just perfect! At 154 beats per minute, it is definitely lower than the first two. However Daphne's first heartbeat at 179 was at 8 weeks instead of 10. Jude's first heartbeat was also close to 170 at 14 weeks. So inclusion, the heartbeat myth for gender has currently proved nothing for us! :) The most shocking news during this ultrasound was that the baby was actually measuring 10 weeks and 1 day. I honestly thought I was 8 weeks at the most. Blood work all went well as did our first meeting with Dr. Ott. In 8 short weeks we get our first anatomy scan and can decide if we want to know the gender. I'm feeling like it is a boy....but we will see!

Jude and Daphne

Oh these two keep me so busy!! Jude is in preschool two days a week and he loves it so much. He is learning  more about Jesus and His love for us and it just melts my heart! Our little man turns 4 on Christmas. So hard to believe that I began this journal over 4 years ago! Jude is obsessed with John Deere, anything automotive, fixing things with daddy, and music. He loves to sing so we will be starting Kindermusik again in January. He is such a smart boy and is actually learning to like art. As a big brother he is learning. He can be very helpful and loving towards Daphne (when he's not jealous :)).

Daphne is growing up so quickly. She will be 14 months old on Friday already. She is walking and getting into everything!! You cannot turn your back for a second with her. In a matter of 15 minutes the other day she managed to dump her plate of pizza for the dog, Kasey, and then empty a bag of marshmallows for her too! Daphne loves to play and is very intentional when doing so. Like her brother, she enjoys being outside, taking baths, and eating. She has quite the little attitude at times and can be overly dramatic!! She is also going to begin Kindermusik in January and hopefully this will help her with learning basic social skills.

With Christmas right around the corner, I have been trying to enjoy the holidays with my little ones despite how I have been feeling. So far we've had some Christmas parties, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, rode the Polar Express, and met Santa. The next week provides us with even more fun! Jude fully understands Santa now and is just thrilled to know he is coming. Even more exciting is that he is understanding the Christmas story too. He truly gets that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, and this is where I want all of our hearts to be when we celebrate every year. And just think....we will have 3 little ones to celebrate with next year!

I have to mention quickly before ending today, that Jeff has been great as always. It's been tough as he has been working a lot since finding out we are expecting. I've been moody and sick and not easy to deal with. He has done his best to help me out especially with the kids and never makes me feel bad because I can't handle making a meal and need to be in bed by 9 p.m. He's truly a fantastic guy :).

How far along? 10 weeks

Size of baby? Our little firecracker is currently the size of a strawberry.

Total weight gain: That's debatable as I wasn't 100% sure on my starting weight, but we are going with 2 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Nope. Still wearing all my same clothes although my bump is quite visible.

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat and watching sugar baby move. The Polar Express trip was a great time too.

Symptoms: queasiness, fatigue, allergies, food aversions

Sleep: Sleep is pretty good as long as Daphne sleeps through the night. Sometimes I do wake up nauseous/hungry or unable to breathe due to allergies.

Miss Anything? Having energy to keep up with my kiddos!

Food cravings: None actually. My first food craving was of course Mexican just like the first two pregnancies.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Feeling hungry makes me queasy. The thought of cooking sets my belly off. I find meat and sweet potatoes gross!

Gender: Just our little firecracker!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am tired which can make me moody, but I am actually happy on the inside!

Looking forward to: Jude's birthday party, my birthday, and Christmas. My next appointment is January 5th for just a check-up.