Christmas 2010

Picture Joy Christmas

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Days 28-30

I am thankful for...

Awesome weather for traveling for Thanksgiving and a sleepy boy who slept the whole way to my parent's house from Cannon Falls!

My NEW Mary Kay Team Member! I am thankful for a company that gives us the opportunity to make extra income while making new friends, enjoying time with family and putting God first!

30 days full of things to be thankful for!

*Writing for 30 days about what I am thankful for really helps me remember how truly blessed I am! Thank you God for everything you have given me!

Days 23-27

I am thankful for...

Caffeine...to help me stay awake.

My birthday...yep it sounds selfish...but hey it's a day were people go above and beyond for me and make me feel so special. Plus I get tons of FREE stuff!

Thanksgiving...a time to be thankful and eat lots of great food, while visiting with lots of family.

Computers...it gives me a way to communicate with friends and family who are not close by. Just a few examples...I have a friend in Ecuador I can email and get her Missionary updates. Elijah Skypes his grandparents and uncle.

Black Friday...but not really for the deals (I mean that's great also)...more for the fact that it is a tradition my sister, brother and I have done for 3 years. We enjoy our tradition and this year reminisced on the way home about our old homes. Good bonding time!

Days 20-22

I am thankful for...

Cheap gym memberships that allow me to workout (which I have not done in a long time...obviously) and stay within our budget!

My baby brother, Leighton, who turned 19 on Sunday! I feel like he helped prepare me to be a good, protective mom...because I am very protective of him! And yes Leighton, I always will be! :) Love you!



Coupons. I get a coupon high when I save money! I am grateful that stores have coupons for us to save money on the things we need!! (**Side Note: I got a 10lb Turkey for $4.21 with a coupon)

Days 18 and 19

I am thankful for a husband who is willing to get up at 5am with me when I have to feed our son! I am thankful that he lets me go back to bed while he stays up with him until he is ready for the next feeding at 6-630am.

I am thankful for Fridays! Josh has Fridays off and lately we spend them as a family. I am thankful for Family Fridays!

Day 17

On Day 17 I am thankful for MOPS. I am thankful for my MOPS table! I am thankful for the relationships I am building with these women. It is great to have a new set of women to build relationships with and be able to go to when I have questions about mommyhood!

Days 14-16

I am thankful for...

the relationships I still have with three amazing college friends! (Yes I still have relationship with more than three...but these three are extra special). I will forever cherish these relationships. We have seen each other through tears, joy, and laughter. We have lived together, played together, and prayed together! I am thankful for Bekah, Jen and Michelle!



laughter...and the joy it brings to ones hear. I love laughing and I love hearing others laugh. I love the little cooing laughter that comes from Elijah! I love laughing over a funny movie, a good joke, and a good time.

love...the love Josh and I have after 5 years of marriage. The love we have for Elijah. The love between our family members and friends! Most important the love that God has for us all.

Day 12 and 13

I am thankful for a wedding anniversary, because it means I am married to someone I love and who loves me!



I am thankful for surprises! Today I received two in the mail...one a Caribou gift card because I blogged about the JBF sale this fall, and the second surprise...I got paid for going to a CPR class for a couple hours (and the class was paid for)!!

Day 11

Today, Day 11, I am thankful for the "extras." Today I was able to do a taste test for a company that paid me $30 for 30 minutes of my time...to EAT! It was such a blessing to have this opportunity because tomorrow is our 5 year wedding anniversary and now we can have a little extra to spend when we go out!

Day 10

Today I am very thankful for naps. Naps that both Elijah and I can enjoy! Snuggling with my little boy while catching up on sleep is always wonderful!

A Month of Thanksgiving...Day 1-9

Last night I started thinking about Thanksgiving and all that I am thankful for. Then I wondered what the definition of Thanksgiving was...well according to Wikipedia.

The meaning of Thanksgiving (according to Wikipedia): Thanksgiving is a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships.

A holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed...

How often do we take Thanksgiving as just "another holiday" where we can eat, see family and watch football? This Thanksgiving I want it to be more. So for the month of November it is my goal to acknowledge something I am grateful for every day of the month. I know I am a little behind since it is the 9th, so I will start with 9 things today and pick up tomorrow.

As you read my blog each day this month I challenge you to really think about what you are thankful for.

I am thankful for...

1. God and the fact that He sent His Son to die for us.
2. Josh and our almost 5 years of marriage. For the great husband and father he is.
3. My son, Elijah Patrick, without him I wouldn't know how deep a mother's love really goes. Also for the joy he brings into our life!
4. My family and for their outpouring support physically, mentally, emotionally and definitely at times financially.
5. My In-laws who are amazing and such a blessing in our lives.
6. My friends who have supported me during hard times and happy times. For the relationships that have with held during rocky times and moves across the country.
7. My church family(Grace Fellowship) and the blessing that they are to my family and for the love and support they give us in our walk with God.
8. Generosity. So many have shown us generosity over the years both financially and physically.
9. Another day. Thankful that God has given me yet another day to be here on earth to love my family, friends and continue on with the purpose He has for me.

What are you thankful for??

Love Like Our Father

I got up in the middle of the night to feed Elijah. As I rocked him back to sleep I couldn't help but think about how perfect he is. All his small, delicate features just perfect. I thought about how much I loved him and would do anything for him. Now of course he isn't the "perfect" baby, I mean he doesn't sleep through the night and he has pooped and peed on me, but to me, his mother, he is still perfect!

As I thought about this concept I wondered if that is how God, our Heavenly Father, feels. I mean, we are by no means perfect, we screw up on a daily basis, and yet God still loves us. God sent his perfect son to die for us. God continually loves us, He continually wants to have a relationship with us and He continually gives us His all despite all that we put Him through.

Just imagine what He must feel when we are faithful, loving, and obeying. I imagine He feels like a proud parent.

I am so glad God taught me a lesson on love using my son in the middle of night!

The Questions...

My dear friend Emily recently tagged me in her blog:
But the winking of an eye. The purpose...to answer the eight questions she listed at the bottom of her most recent blog. So here they are...

{1} Have you accomplished any of your childhood dreams? If so, which?
I would like to think that I am on my way to kind of accomplishing one. I always wanted to be a photographer. I even job shadowed at a school, but went a different route when it came to school. Now I am taking pictures for people and getting paid. I am by no means a professional yet...but like to think of myself as getting better!

{2} All-time favorite CD?
Confession Time: My FAVORITE is Shania Twain's Greatest Hits! Bring on the country!

{3} What is your favorite character from a book?
I don't think I have just one favorite character from any book, however I always fall in love with the characters in Karen Kingsbury books.

{4} Do you remember the moment you realized you were an adult? What were you doing and when was it?
I don't remember the exact moment, but I do remember many moments though when I have to "be the adult" in the situation and make sure students are where they need to be or doing what they should be doing. The most recent "moment" would be the day I had a baby...yep that puts in you the adult category real fast.

{5} Where is your happy place?
My happy place is with family...whether it is Josh and I in Mexico or up at my grandparent's farm...where there is family, I'm happy!

{6} What is your favorite time of day, and why?
At this stage of my life...bedtime! I miss sleep! But I also love snuggling my baby to sleep.

{7} What was your favorite cartoon when you were little?
I clearly remember watching the Smurfs and the Jetson's. I guess I will have to go with one of those two.

{8} What is your weirdest quirk?
My weirdest quirk...I don't really know. Josh could probably list some for me. Well I LOVE things organized, like with labels, but I am also messy!

Well there you have it, some new facts about me!

Now I get to tag people and their wonderful blogs and give them eight questions to answer. So here it goes, I tag...

1. Bert: FTM- Wow, I Am A Mom
2. Jess: La joie de vivre!!
3. Chelsea: The Simple Life
4. Liz: Where the sidewalk ends
5. Brianna: From My Fingertips

The questions to answer are...

1. What is your current job? And is what you always wanted to do?
2. What is one day of your life you wish you could relive?
3. What brings you joy?
4. What three words do you hope people use to describe you?
5. What is the last movie you saw?
6. What is the purpose behind your blog?
7. Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions?
8. What are you most thankful for?

JBF Sale

Blog for a cause...the cause...trying to win a FREE CARIBOU GIFT CARD!!

JBF, Just Between Friends, is an awesome way to get items for your children at a discounted rate! JBF is a huge indoor garage sale for baby/children's items! I went to the JBF Sale both in the spring and fall! In the spring I was a first time mom (pregnant at the time) and was able to go to the Early Sale, before it was open to the public! This fall I went on Saturday which is the half price sale. I got Elijah some get outfits for 6 months at half price!

I highly recommend checking out this sale at least once during your children's lives! I mean who doesn't want a deal!?

Elijah's "Labor Day" Story

Friday (9/3) started the beginning of what I think was "early labor" for me. Friday I had been having contractions more constantly...but not regular enough to time. They were also stronger then they had been, but still nothing to write home about! So we went about our Friday...had a few students and my sister/brother-in-law over for a bonfire. We ate way too much and laughed hard! The boys wanted to try and scare my water into breaking...didn't work! So Friday came and went.

Saturday I was still about the same with contractions. We went to Anderson's for dinner and Bert and I went for a walk (2nd or 3rd walk of the day)...trying to induce labor. Nothing.

Sunday came and by this point the contractions were definitely different and stronger, at points kind of taking my breath away. I told Josh to go to church, but that I was staying home. I had called my mom to tell her what was up. Kelsey and I convinced her to come down because I felt it would be happening in the next day or two and she had those days off, so might as well sit around with us waiting for it to happen. By early Sunday evening Josh, my mom, Kelsey, Mark and I were all sitting around...waiting! Well actually the boys went and got a video camera for us and a new TV for Mark while us girls watched "Letters to God." (GREAT MOVIE!) Finally we were all tired and ready for bed so Kelsey, Mark and my mom headed to The Baker's for the night and Josh and I headed to bed to watch a little Seinfeld.

Well I started having a few harder contractions. Josh was being supportive and rubbing my lower back with a tennis ball. Then he rolled over and went to bed. Literally seconds later (Josh already dead asleep) a really bad contraction hit me...and it hit my back hard! As I was in pain and in the fetal position, wondering why Josh wasn't being supportive (he is still sleeping), I felt my water break. [I should reference that I prayed God would allow my water to break so I would know when it was real] I thought I calmly got up and said "ahh my water just broke." This small sentence made Josh jump out of bed, grab his phone and start dialing. I asked him who he was calling and he said he didn't know and hung up. He said he was trying to call the hospital, but it looked like he had called Mark instead and hung up on him. Mark called back and asked what was going on so Josh told him my water broke. I then told Josh I would call the hospital. As I was getting ready to leave for the hospital Josh was throwing in a load of laundry, starting the dishwasher and cleaning up the living room. Finally we headed to the hospital!

We arrive, park in the ER parking since it was almost midnight and head in. They send you to one room to get checked and then on to your delivery room. I was having major back labor and ended up sick to my stomach as soon as we got there. Well the nurse took her sweet time coming to check me and I had not dilated anymore than I had a 1 1/2 weeks earlier! Yuck...stuck at 2cm. Well they sent us on to our next room. There I labored away with back labor and kept asking when I could get my epidural. The nurse must have been sick of me asking because she went to see if I could get it early and thankfully they said yes...so at 3 cms I got the drugs! Thank you God!! I believe this was around 2:30am.

The laboring continued until 8:40am when I said "I need to push." I thought the nurse was in there but Josh said she had just left and that they had just checked me and I wasn't quite there yet. Well I told him I needed to push now and to get the nurse. He told me to calm down...so what did I do?? I looked at him and then pushed my nurse button! The nurse came back, I told her I needed to push and she checked me at 8:45am (even though I don't think she believed me either). Well I knew what was up and yes I was finally ready! 8:50am began the pushing process. They had me push without the doctor present at first...a little nerve racking! Also the nurse had to step out of the room for a minute, just leaving me and Josh alone and she told me I could keep pushing...is she crazy!?

When the doctor did arrive he was not alone. There were 2 doctors, 1 resident and 4 nurses in the room!

The delivery process is not something anyone can describe to you. It's just mind blowing! Josh was very supportive, counting backwards the whole time! All I knew was that I did NOT want to be in pushing mode for hours so I was getting this baby out and fast...and that's what I did! At 9:33am Elijah Patrick entered our world!



Elijah was whisked away to the corner with the nurses (I believe 3 nurses were taking care of him) and I just had to watch from a distance. His umbilical cord had been around his neck so they had to get that cut off and get him breathing right way. There were some complications during the labor...I had spiked a fever, had high blood pressure and a high heart rate. This caused Elijah to have a high heart rate as well. Since I had all that going on they thought I might have an infection which could also get passed on to Elijah so they had to treat him as though he had an infection. He was placed in the Special Care Nursery for 36 hours. We were only allowed to see him in the Nursery. Josh was able to go to the Nursery with him right away but I had to be able to walk before I could go. I didn't get to see him until 2:30pm! He was perfect! Both Elijah and myself were cleared of the infection! Elijah did have to have treatment for it until they got his blood work back 48 hours later.



Our little boy weighed in at 7lbs 4oz, 21 inches long and had brown hair!

Savings

I am very excited about two of my latest savings that I just had to share!

1. The first one was at Cub Foods. They have a coupon for $1.99 off your first pound of Red, Green or Purple Grapes. (The coupon is in the store) Well because at our Cub everyone takes 1/2 bags and splits up bags of grapes there were smaller bags of grapes...which I don't mind because Josh doesn't eat them! So I found a bag that weighed just over a pound and ended up paying $.13 (YEP 13 cents) for just over a pound of red grapes!!



2. The second coupon was for Target. Right now Target has Pepsi products (including Mountain Dew, Dr.Pepper, Sierra Mist, and a few others) on sale for $1.99 a 12 pk. Well if you go to Target's website and go to the bottom of the website and click coupons, then go to page 15 of the coupons. There is a coupon for $1.00 off a 12 pk of Mountain Dew! Needless to say I got a 12 pk of Mountain Dew for $.99!!



I LOVE a good deal!

Simplifying and Saving

As our income is about to decrease to one (just Josh's) I realize there are things I need to do/change in order to help us simplify and save. Just because I am not contributing financially does not mean I can't do things to stretch our income.

We have never been really great with our money (spending what we wanted, when we wanted), but we are working on changing that! We want to make sure that we can pay off debt, save money, and still provide for our needs (key word: needs).



I have been inspired by friends who do a lot of home cooking (making baby food, cooking a month a head and freezing, and cooking from scratch). I have also been inspired by some great blogs. Blogs of those who are in the same place we are...trying to get out of debt and blogs of those who have been here and are now debt free!

With the help of these friends and blogs I plan to help our family get out of debt, save money, and live life a little more green. By green I mean doing things like making gifts, reusing things, making homemade things, and recycling.

I plan on blogging about our struggles, savings, and the journey of it all.

In case you are interested here are a few of the blogs that I have come to love:

Carrie's Pocket Your Dollars
Angela's Grocery Shrink
Chelsea's The Old Simple Life

Let me know your thoughts, comments, or if you have a blog that you love!

Laughs

Kids say the darndest things...
Here are a few comments I have gotten from the children at the center where I work.

This one was said once I started showing. I had been in the classroom for over an hour and we were eating snack, when I stood up the child said...
"Wow you are really full!"

"I thought you had the baby already." (while looking at my large belly)

"Can you feel the baby kick?"

"Will you name him after me?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to come out because he likes being in your warm belly."

"I thought he was coming out yesterday?"



Well it's not just kids saying the darndest things...here are some comments from the brave adults who dare to go there.

A mom: "Wow you are pregnant, when are you due"
Me: "tomorrow"
mom: "and you are still working??"

Gas Station guy: "Have you been to the doctor lately...because I think you are pregnant." (that was today)

Customer at Babies R Us: "When are you due?"
Me: "Wednesday" (this was on Monday)
I love seeing people's reactions when I say I am due this week...so much fun!

Cashier at Target: "When are you due?"
Me: "Sept. 1st" (this was the 25th)
Then I told her we were going to the State Fair the next day (26th) and she asked if I was taking a wheelchair!


Most comments don't bug me, and most are quite entertaining, especially those from the children at the center. However, the ones that do drive me crazy...

"You must be so uncomfortable." (this said to me while it's 95+ degrees outside and I am in NO air conditioning). Well duh!

Countdown...

Well the count down is on...5 days until my due date! Now I know that most first time pregnancies go late (according to my Doctor) so I am not expecting to go early and I am actually feeling very well right now, except for the annoying cold I have, so at this point I am okay with it.

I had my 39 week appointment today and where is what we found out:

1. I am 1 cm dialted.
2. I am 90 effaced.
3. The baby's head is very, very low (which is great)!
4. I didn't gain too much weight at the State Fair! ha ha!
5. If I haven't gone into labor before the 3rd (my due date is the 1st) they will most likely start the induction process at my next appointment, which is the 3rd.

Here are some other updates on our life:

1. I worked a few days this last week (covering lunch breaks) and have one more day on the schedule for next Tuesday.

2. Josh performed another wedding this past weekend at the Carlson Parkway Towers for Elise Austad and Rocky Rigney and it was a beautiful outdoor wedding! The dog was the ring bearer...so cute!

3. Our amazing friends, Jon and Emily Lemmon, who now live in San Diego, CA were here this week and we enjoyed spending so much time with them!! Jon stayed with us a few days until Emily got here and the guys golfed the days away! Emily and I got amazing Deluxe Pedicures at Nails Touch in Brooklyn Park! I highly recommended this place to everyone!



4. We enjoyed a day at the State Fair yesterday. We went with Kelsey and Mark. We lasted four hours! I ate the following: Grilled Chicken Casear Wrap (something healthy), Hawaiian Shaved Ice (my favorite), Deep Fried Snickers Bar (tradition), Cheese Curds, Cotton Candy on a stick, and a Diet Coke! And yes I did pretty much eat that all by myself in those four hours! I did also try Kelsey and Mark's Garlic Fries, Josh's lemonade and Kelsey's Root beer.

I will try and update a little more over the next few days and things change!

36 Weeks

Wow where has the last 36 weeks of our lives gone?? I can not believe that I have my 36 week appointment tomorrow! I will actually be 36 weeks and 2 days at the appointment. My appointments are also now every Friday in August and into the first week of September unless this baby decides to come before that!

I am so excited to meet our little boy, to see what he looks like, to hold him in my arms, and to finally say his name out loud! :) Yes we do have his name, we actually have had it for a LONG time, but are keeping it a secret!

Here are a few updates since I blogged last...7 weeks ago!

*Nursery is coming along...crib is getting put together tomorrow night!
*2 loads of baby clothes are washed...several more loads of laundry to go!
*Birth Classes are underway...only one left. I have really enjoyed our classes! I went to the first one without Josh (who was in the wilderness with about 20 10th graders)but he has been able to go to the other one and will be attending the last one as well.
*I only have a few weeks of work left! I am technically done August 20th, but will probably work a few days the next week, depending on how I am feeling.
*I am registered for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) for the fall! Crazy to think I will now be at that next stage of life.

We did have one little scare about 2 weeks back. I was working and we had bike day, so we had all the children in the center outside riding bikes. Myself and another teacher were standing on one sideline watching some of the children ride their bikes when a schoolager (who wasn't paying attention) ran into me with his handlebars...hitting me right in the side of my baby bump. It was definitely startling and did hurt. My director suggested I call my doctor and see what they said. I called the nurse and she wanted me to come in right away to get looked at. Work was super supportive and let me leave right away. When I got to my appointment they hooked me up to a Fetal Monitor and an Ultrasound Monitor since I was starting to have some Braxton Hick contractions. Everything was okay...our little one started moving and the contractions were nothing to be concerned about! Thank you to those of you who said a prayer for us as we went in.

I will try and blog a little more over the next 4 weeks as they will surely bring us new emotions and trials!

29 Weeks

Here is a sneak preview of two of the pictures our friend Rachel Saarela took of us last night in our pregnancy photo shoot!







Today I am 29 weeks along! The doctors said this baby could come between 37-41 weeks. So I could have 8-12 weeks left! The baby is the size of a Butternut Squash, weighing roughly 2.5 pounds and just over 15 inches long! Not much else to update on the baby side.

I do however have some prayer requests!

1. Pray for Josh as he heads to Guatemala City, Guatemala on Saturday with 6 other leaders and 20 students for just over a week.
2. Pray that baby and I will be okay while he is gone!
3. Pray for our car situations...one car broken down (estimate $1900 to fix) and the other car, mini van, has over 220,000 miles and no air conditioning! Which makes me one hot and sweaty pregnant lady!
4. Pray for my energy level to stay up while I am back to working full-time...especially when I am in the toddler room!

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Today is my last day at 27 weeks and of being in my Second Trimester! Everyone says raising children goes fast...but boy has this pregnancy gone by fast!

I thought I would share some of my good, bad, and uglies during pregnancy as I have had them thus far!

The Good:
*The pregnancy test saying positive after many, many negatives!!
*Losing 7 pounds during weeks 8-11 thanks to my craving of fruit and veggies
*Finding out it was a boy...and picking our son's name!!
*Hearing the heart beat for the first time
*Josh feeling his son kick for the first time
*Feeling the daily movement of my son
*Buying some new clothes
*Getting lots of compliments
*Everyone being so helpful


The Bad:
*Lack of Sleep: hard to always get comfy and up 2-3 times for the bathroom
*Feeling annoyed for NO reason at random times
*Braxton Hicks: They didn't hurt, but made my back ache...causing discomfort
*Having to get use to people touching my belly...being that I was overweight before getting pregnant it's a self conscious thing! (I am past feeling self conscious now)


The Ugly
*Throwing up...but only about five times...so still can't really complain
*Smells making me feel nauseous
*Being overly emotional/irrational one time and Josh calling me "an overly emotional pregnant woman." (I still think I had a good reason, but whatever)

I have very much enjoyed being pregnant thus far! I am sure the Third Trimester will bring new challenges especially during the hot summer months, but I am ready to embrace them as they come.

Where did the time go??

Today is already June 1st, 2010! Where has the time gone?? I was always told that once I got older time would go by faster, and they were right!

Tomorrow I will be 27 weeks...only 13 weeks until my due date! What a scary and exciting thought! It sends some panic waves through me to realize that I have much to do on my "before baby comes" to do list, but more panic to realize that this baby will no longer be inside me, but in this crazy, unpredictable world waiting for me to take care of him!!

I have been in child care my entire life in some way, shape and form...from babysitting to nannying to working in an Early Childhood Center, so you would think that I would be the most prepared person for raising a child...but with those children I do what their parents tell me to do and send them home at the end of the day...my little guy will be here for the next 18 years of his life! We will just truck on through the process with God by our side directing our steps as parents!

On a different note...here are just some random update in our lives:

1. My sister, Kelsey Rose, graduated from Northwestern College with a degree in Early Childhood Education.
2. My baby brother, Leighton Alex, graduated from Staples Motley High School.
3. Josh's sister, Amalia Elisabeth, graduates this Friday from high school.
4. We continue to make small changes and updates to our house...a never ending process.
5. I will start back up full-time at the Early Childhood Center (Bright Horizons) this summer...well with hopes of only working 4 days a week.
6. Josh will be taking a group to Guatemala City, Guatemala for 10 days in June!
7. Josh has been feeling our little guy kick more and more!
8. We do have a name picked out and YES we are keeping it a secret! :)

Baby Boy Christenson

Today was my 20 week doctor's appointment! We were able to see our beautiful, active baby on the screen for about 30 minutes!
HE was rolling over, showing off his spine and definitely showed us HE is a BOY!!!

He is measuring two days early (but they will keep my due date at Sept. 1st as of now) and weighed in at 12oz. His heart rate is 156 bpm! I have another appointment on Friday to get all the results!

Thank you for the prayers! ~Daphne, Josh and Baby Boy Christenson

Baby Pictures

Here are the first two ultrasound pictures we had taken! I was 8 weeks and 2 days! We could not hear the heartbeat but saw our baby's chest going up and down and they told us the heartbeat was 174bpm.

Baby Update

Just a quick update...

I had another appointment on Tuesday (March 16th). It was a last minute appointment because they forgot to schedule me! I didn't realize I needed to be seen every four weeks! We went in and had my weight checked (she said it was perfect...clearly she just meant how much I have gained/not gained...not my actual weight), blood pressure 110/70, and the baby's heart beat was 140bpm. I am convinced we are having a boy...not sure why, just a gut feeling! Guess we will see in 4 weeks!

Currently I am 16 weeks and 2 days and the baby is the size of an avocado!

Pregnancy

I have family and friends who have gone through the pregnancy thing before me and have heard their stories about how you feel, what you feel and all the other jazz that goes with it. However, it still doesn't completely prepare you for what you body does!

The first two weeks I lost five pounds because I couldn't eat a full meal...I had to snack all day every day! I never knew I could feel so hungry ALL the time! This baby is the size of a medium shrimp...where is all the food going?? It's just amazing to me that I still need to eat every few hours or I start to feel overly hungry! As far as cravings go...I craved certain foods before I was pregnant so it's hard to tell for sure what are pregnancy cravings! Here are a few things I have found myself or the baby wanting: pickles, Josh's hamburger (I ate over half of it when he went to the bathroom), McDonald's fries, LOTS of fruit, and Salt and Vinegar chips (Pringles).

I can also see the "pregnancy brain" kicking in already! Yikes! I thought that was suppose to happen later on in the pregnancy! It's amazing how easily I can forget things.

The other major pregnancy thing is just how tired I am all the time...even when I sleep in until 10 a.m.! Everyone says my energy should be coming back soon since I will be 14 weeks tomorrow! Let's hope so because March is a super busy month for us!

My next doctor appointment is scheduled for April 14th. At that appointment we will have another ultra sound where they take a bunch of measurements to make sure the baby is growing well. We will also find out if my due date is accurate and we can find out the gender! We do plan to find out the gender...as long as they can tell for sure that it is a girl or boy! If they are questioning it, we will wait! :)

This is all just so surreal to me...still! I can't believe there is a baby growing inside of me. God does amazing things!

Friendship

Today as I went to visit two of my friends it made me realize how precious and valuable friendship really is. As we caught up and chatted about life I couldn't help but think of how many times I have taken friendships for granted!

To all my friends:

Thank you for supporting me throughout the years,
Thank you for the prayers you have sent my way,
Thank you for the tears we have shared during good times and bad,
Thank you for the advice that was given,
Thank you for the love you have shown me when I didn't always deserve it,
Thank you for being my friend through it all!

Dear Sweet Baby,

Dear Sweet Baby,

Today we saw you during the ultrasound! We saw your little chest going up and down and up and down. It brought your dad to tears! We are so excited that God has chosen us to be your parents! We are thrilled, nervous, and so filled with joy that on September 1st, 2010 you will enter this world and into our lives!

We love you and pray for you each and every day! Love, Mommy

Miracles...

God is still performing miracles today! Want proof??

I have never had a normal menstrual cycle. I don't ovulate normal like most women...some months I don't ovulate at all.

So Josh and I went to see my doctor about fertility medication (because I had been off Birth Control before for a year...with no luck of getting pregnant) and he started me on Provera (medication to force a period) and then I was suppose to take Chlomid (fertility medication) once the Provera worked. Well the Provera didn't work and after 26 days I could call the doctor and see what was the next step. He told me to take a pregnancy test before we could move on. I will admit I was annoyed because why would he make me take a pregnancy test when I took one Dec.17th (day before my apt with him the first time with negative results) and I had not gotten my period.

Well I went on with my day and several hours later stopped at Target to get a test...went home, took the test and cleaned the bathroom while I waited. Three minutes later I picked up the test, looked at it and was about to throw it away...when the word read "pregnant"...WHAT??? I gasped in shock so loud that Josh came running to see what was wrong. Slightly shaking and teary eyed I showed Josh the test and said...it says I'm pregnant! Josh replied..."are you sure? do you have another one?" I said yes...but seriously could not force myself to go again...I had to wait over an hour! When I finally took another test it said the same thing! We were shocked, slightly in denial, and overjoyed! I called the nurse and we made my first appointment!!

At my first appointment they didn't think I was very far along because I had gotten a negative pregnancy test on Dec. 17th. My Nurse Practitioner also could not do an ultrasound that day because she didn't schedule it, so we had to wait until morning. Yikes the waiting!! But 10:45am finally came and we were able to have our first ultrasound!! We saw our baby on the screen! We saw the chest going up and down from the heart beat! We could not hear the heart beat but we did see that it was 174bpm. We also found out that I was 8 weeks 2 days (as of Jan. 22nd) and due September 1st, 2010! And to much of Josh's disappointment we did only see one baby (he has been praying for twins).

Friday we were able to hear our baby's heart beat. It was 150bmp. The doctor told us if we believe the old wives tale it could be a boy...guess we will see! I am 12 weeks and 4 days today!

So after being told my chance of having a baby without fertility medication was slim and that I would only have a 30% chance of getting pregnant ON fertility medication God decided to show the doctors that He is bigger than science and medications and He does still perform miracles!

Baby Christenson, our miracle, will be arriving September 1st, 2010!!

Job Update

Just to give everyone a brief update...I was passed on for the position of Medical Receptionist at the Dermatologist office. It was very hard to hear...but I know God has a plan. Other opportunities have come up with a little babysitting here and there, and still subbing at Bright Horizons and in the Anoka School District...so I will continue on that path until God leads me elsewhere. Thank you for your prayers throughout this journey.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Job Search

God has a way of dropping things in our lap!

A couple weeks ago Drew, a friend of Josh's from Crown, sent him an email that his wife, Alissa, had passed on to him...meant for me! It was about a job as a Medical Receptionist at a Dermatologist office! I hadn't even been thinking about looking at the moment because I love working at Bright Horizons. However, financially it would be a major blessing!! So after much prayer I decided to see what happened if I applied. I applied, went in for an interview and am still in consideration. I go in for a second interview either late this week or early the following week! I haven't been telling a lot of people because if I didn't get considered for a second interview I would have to tell so many people that I didn't get it and would probably feel bad about it all over again! However, since I am being considered for a second interview I could use more people praying!! Please pray that God's will be played out here!

Life is hard...

*Disclaimer: This blog is a personal post about my infertility...if that makes you uncomfortable please stop reading this one. However, for those of you that keep asking when we are having kids...here is the story. Please do not feel offended while reading my blog if you are pregnant, have a baby, or are able to get pregnant just by looking at your husband! :) The only intention of this blog is to share my story.

Life is hard...and I believe it's hard for a reason. God wants us to depend on Him with everything that we are and have and if life is easy we don't depend on Him.


"My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." Psalm 62:7

About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)* and at times it makes things hard. I know that God has given me this issue because He wants me to depend on Him, but there are times I just want him to take it away (PCOS is not curable...but is treatable).


*PCOS is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.

PCOS has made it "impossible" for me to get pregnant without using fertility drugs. After a consultation with my doctor he decided to put me on Provera (a drug to induce a period...which in turn should make me ovulate) because I do not get a regular period or ovulate on my own. After being on that for 10 days I should have a period...then I can start taking the fertility drug for 5 days. I will repeat this for 6 months with only a 30% chance of getting pregnant.

I have finished the 10 days of Provera and now sit and wait for my period...I have only 3 more days of waiting before they determine it has not worked which will result in another doctor appointment. There are days that I wonder where God is in all this. But I have to remember that this is His plan...even if I don't like it. There is a reason God is having Josh and I go through the tests, the drugs, the appointments, the waiting and the frustration...we just don't know the reason yet.

Our hope is in you Lord...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

A Box of Chocolates

To quote Forest Gump: " My momma always said, Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Sometimes I just think of that quote as a funny, catchy line, but when I really started to think about what it could mean, it hit home. Life is like a box of chocolates...because you don't know what God is going to give you next.

As I sat at a table with relatives and this plate of chocolates in front of me I had no idea what I would be biting into if I dared to take one because there was no box and no label to tell me what was inside. Life is like that plate without a box or label to let us know what each bite of life will give us.

That is why we must have faith...faith that God will see us through each bite of chocolate.