Jude's new talent...

While I'm thinking of it, I wanted to share with you how amazingly talented my husband is! Since we're working on putting our backyard together, he got inspired to carve a tiki. He researched it online a little bit, got a palm tree to work with from the landfill, and borrowed some tools, and in TWO days had this amazing tiki, all finished. I think it's awesome! We're thinking about maybe renting a booth at our local farmers market, and showing off his work. Let me know what you think! Here are some pictures of Jude's tiki, taken by Will Parris (www.parris-studios.com)... This tiki, is approximately 3 1/2 feet tall, 16 inches across in diameter, and weighs a whole lot!
we'll be taking orders, if you're interested!

Joshua King, 4D Ultrasound

I'm SO glad we decided to get the 4D ultrasound! It was so amazing! Our baby boy is so precious, and I just think he's the cutest baby I've ever seen! I can totally see Jude in him, and i love that he has chubby cheeks! It was so fun, and I definitely recommend it to all expectant parents. We went to First Look Sonogram in Redondo Beach. It was such a beautiful day, and it is literally RIGHT by the ocean. I really wanted to bring our camera with us, to capture the day, but we ran out of the house, forgetting the camera... bummer. But we got so many cute pictures of our baby boy! I loved every second of it! He was moving pretty constantly, and always had his hands at his mouth and ears. He even brought his little foot up to his mouth as well. He was swallowing and sucking his thumb too! ADORABLE! It's so amazing what you can see! Even the umbilical chord and placenta! So, without further ado... Here's Joshua!

Sausage Toes

Well, this week... I've had to wear flip flops to work, because my feet are too swollen to fit into my shoes comfortably! eek! Can you believe it? I swear, my toes look like sausages, and last night, when I put my foot on the floor, my toes didn't touch the ground! hahaha! So funny to me!

This week went by fast for me, which I always like... because I really look forward to sleeping in on Saturdays. And I know that sleeping in won't be an option pretty soon.

I'm getting really excited for my baby showers, I still can't really believe that they are going to be for me! So surreal! Everyone asks me if I'm anxious for the baby to be here etc... and honestly, no. I'm not anxious for that at all... I'm really enjoying being pregnant, and being able to experience all of his movement and stuff like that. When he's here I'm going to have to share him with everybody else! I think I'm really going to miss being able to feel the baby move, because I love that so much. Most moms that I talk to say the same thing... they miss feeling them move. However, I have had day dreams about laying on my stomach! ha! I do miss that very much!

I changed up my profile, since we are having a boy, I thought that the pink background should probably be replaced with something more 'boy.' :)

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

I have the cutest Husband...

I just love this picture! We were at the Parris', hanging out, and Jude was telling everybody how he could hear inside my belly by putting his ear up to it. So Will brought out their stethoscope... and of course, being the fabulous photographer that he is, Will got this on camera! Just wanted to share with everybody, because I think it's so cute! This is the belly at 29 weeks.

I love you Jude :)

30 weeks!!

Holy Cow! Only 10 more weeks to go (if that)! Last week, Jude and I were driving somewhere, and he said, 'so you're 30 weeks this Sunday right?' And I said, 'yep! doesn't that sound big?' and he thought about it for a second, and replied, 'sure does.' Ha! It is INSANE to think about what the next couple of months has in store for us. It's exciting and nerve racking at the same time. I think I said this before, but every week that goes by I feel better and better about the heath and safety of our baby. I finally sent in my paperwork to St. Jude to pre-register, and we can go take a tour any time now. Lamaze class hasn't been decided upon yet... it's kind of expensive, and honestly we just don't know if it's worth it. I guess the only reason I wanted to take it was because of the experience, and I just feel a little ignorant when it comes to all of that stuff... but we'll see. Jude and I are going to talk about it tonight.

I scheduled my 4D ultrasound appointment!! I am really excited about it! It's set for next Sunday. I'll be 31 weeks, and they said the VERY latest to get one done is at 32 weeks, just because the baby is too smashed inside by then to be able to get any good pictures. The package we're getting comes with a DVD, and we get to pick the song to put on it! We'll have to come up with something good. It's so exciting to get a glimpse of what he looks like!

Easter was fun, and hot! We went to my sister's house for Easter, and my mom and sister put together a really cute little basket for Joshua! And I colored an egg for him as well. When we got home, I took pictures of it. I was bummed, because I got a cute outfit for Easter, and after i changed (because I was sweating) I realized that we didn't take a picture :( So sad... i guess i could put the outfit on again... but you know, it's just not the same. Oh well.

It's really fun now, because I'm obviously pregnant, so everyone is friendly! Almost everywhere we go, somebody asks me what I'm having, or when I'm due. It's a lot of fun.

Only about 5 more weeks of work! How exciting is THAT!? I'm really looking forward to being able to be at home, and not feel so uncomfortable at work or in work clothes. It'll be very nice! By then Tyquon will be out from under our care as well, which will also be nice for me to just focus on the baby and that task at hand. It has been a VERY long 3 months, and we have another very long month ahead of us. But I'm really hoping that something good comes from all this. I hope that down the road, I can look back and see some benefit to this situation. Who knows, maybe we learned something? :)

Next week we are going to Monterey, which I'm really looking forward to! It'll be nice to get away for a long weekend!

Anyway, I wish I had more pictures to post, but I don't :) Sorry!

Hawaiian Blues

So, I'm just here at work, sitting at my desk... listening to "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz (if you haven't heard it, it's amazing!), and feeling so sad that I'm not on vacation! ha! Not only am I not on vacation, but it's going to be a very long time for us to take another vacation to Hawaii, seeing as our bundle of joy will be here in approximately 10 1/2 weeks! The song by Jason Mraz really reminds me of Hawaii, and being on vacation... and plus, I was looking at my photos, and found pictures from our Hawaiian vacation last July. So much fun, and so relaxing... and my skin wasn't breaking out like crazy!! I'm so glad that Jude and I were able to go on vacation about once a year before we had a baby. We had a great time together, anywhere we went! And I am looking forward to Monterey at the beginning of April! That will be TONS of fun... I'll just be humongous! :)

Here are some fun photos... taken by none other, than Will Parris:

There's a funny story behind this one... So Serious... :)

This one makes me laugh :)

It's so weird to see pictures of myself before pregnancy. And how I love taking vacations!

Yesterday, Jude and I stayed home from work... and it was so nice to just be the two of us. We went out to breakfast, and just hung out for a while! I had forgotten how much I miss that. When we got home, Jude had to study, so I started hanging things up in our bedroom (Jude painted our bedroom while I was at the women's retreat... what a sweetie!) and organizing more stuff that we had stacked in the baby's room. There's still a lot to do, but at least now I feel like I'm making some kind of progress. I'm really looking forward to it just being the two of us again... for about a month anyway, before Joshua decides to join us! I'm so looking forward to being parents with Jude... I know it's not always going to be easy, but I'm definitely looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. I can't wait to see what Joshua looks like, and it is SO amazing to me that we made him, with God's help of course ;) I just think it's miraculous.

Anyway, that's all for now!

Hello Belly, Goodbye Feet

I can't tell you the last time I've seen my feet while standing up.... ha! It's so weird! Some friends of mine got me a 'belly book' for my birthday, and it says 'hello belly, goodbye feet' on the cover. Very appropriate don't you think? I'm now at 29 weeks, and every week that goes by, I feel better and better about making it through the whole pregnancy. It's so scary to think of how many things can actually go wrong, that I have no control over.

I'm feeling more and more uncomfortable, especially at work... where I have to sit pretty much all day. Today especially, I took a couple breaks to just get up and walk around outside, because my back was killing me. I know it's only going to get worse, so I better just suck it up! But, because I sit still all day, I feel Joshua move around SO much. I've really noticed it in the last week or so, he's a mover and a shaker for sure! I love that I get to experience this, and I'm the only one that gets to! One night last week, Jude pressed his ear against my belly, to see if he could hear anything... he was SO excited and amazed! It kind of made me jealous that I can't bend my ear down to my stomach! He said he heard swooshing, and it was like someone swimming. It was really cute to see how excited he got about it. He's going to be such a great dad. We're looking forward to the 4D ultrasound too! I think that will be so fun to see what he looks like in there :)

I've pretty much lost my ankles, which my friend Jessica is THRILLED about! :) Only because I made fun of her non-existent ankles when we went to Hawaii with them last summer. So i guess you could say I deserve it! I've been getting charlie horses in my leg muscles like crazy too! Even now, when I flex my foot, my muscles are sore. So strange! I remember reading a while back on baby center, and they said that's common, because I'm carrying around so much extra weight. That's not fun to wake up to in the middle of the night... let me tell you! I've been taking a double dose of iron supplements, and I was really worried about constipation... however, I think it's actually having the opposite effect on me! Sorry if that's too much information, but it's true! Oh, the joys of pregnancy! :)

Here's a picture of my friend Angela and me at the women's retreat! Give me your feedback on what you think about my hair! I'm 28 weeks in this photo :)

A little while ago, I was moving around my belly, and when I stopped, he kicked me! And that happened twice! So cute! I giggled to myself! He's probably trying to tell me to knock it off :)

Alright, thanks for reading!

Love,
Sarah

The Home Stretch

Thanks again to all of you who sent me emails or text messages yesterday. I always feel a sense of relief when the day is over... not sure why, I guess there are a lot of reasons. But honestly, thank you.

I am officially in my THIRD trimester! My baby center email said: "You're in the home stretch!" 84 days to go. I had my doctor appointment this morning. I had to wait actually because she was called and had to deliver a baby. It's so strange to think that it will be ME pretty soon that she'll need to leave the office for. still hasn't sunk in completely I guess. Good thing I had 'The Glass Castle" with me, so I just read while I waited. I gained 4 pounds, which i was happy about... seeing as I've been eating girl scout cookies like CRAZY! And one of my emails from baby center, said that i should probably expect to gain about a pound of week from here on out... so as I see it, I'm on schedule! I love the freedom of being able to eat whatever I want! Might as well 'live it up' while I can! My belly measured at 31cm and his heart rate was at 140... perfect. When she measured my belly, she said: "Your husband is really tall right?" and I said, "yep, with red hair..." and she said: "Well, you just might have a big baby!" That is not quite what I wanted to hear! Jude was of course, very happy when I shared that bit of news with him. He obviously doesn't have to birth him. ugh! ha! I told her about my friends experience with an incompetent cervix, and how it really scares me. She told me that, unfortunately, unless it happened to me, there would be no way of knowing before hand. She said, since you've made it this far, your baby would survive, so not to worry. So that kind of gave me some relief... but it's still scary!

I had my first experience with 'braxton hicks' contractions this past weekend. The doctor confirmed that they were, in fact, braxton hicks. My stomach gets rock hard, and it feels uncomfortable. Never really painful, just uncomfortable. I just have to make sure they're not coming regularly, apparently more than 6 per hour is bad. And, a full bladder can cause contractions as well... who knew?

My friends have noticed that I have a waddle to my walk... and even I notice it now! I've also heard that I don't look pregnant from behind... so that's good news as well! ha! Everyone is so kind! Last night, Jude told me that I'm the most beautiful pregnant woman he's ever seen. And as my heart melted, I hugged him so tight! I'm so lucky. I find myself falling more and more in love with him as our journey continues. Becoming 'parents-to-be' has been such an amazing experience, and I can't help but assume that it only gets better from here.

The women's retreat went very well! I was very happy with the outcome, and I hope everyone had a great time. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't mind planning next years... :)

Alrighty, that's all I have for now!

Love, Sarah

P.S We booked our Babymoon vacation, and I'm SO excited!!

Another Year Has Gone By

Well, today is the day... the dreaded and most tragic March 11th. Today, four years ago, my little brother left us and entered in the gates of heaven. I always think of the Tyrone Wells song "When All is Said and Done" and he talks about when he's 'going home' and crossing the bridge of death alone, he will fix his eyes, on the one that's waiting at the other side, his old friend with countless others there beside... it must have been an amazing experience for Josh. It's a strange feeling I have about the whole situation... I'm genuinely happy for my brother, I mean, he's in paradise. No more worry or doubt or pain, and he's happy and busy doing the things that he always loved to do... and I believe he just can't get enough of worshiping and praising our Father in heaven. And at the same time, my selfish nature wants him back here with us because I miss him so much. I miss hanging out with him, and laughing with him (or at him), and just feeling comfortable and safe in our close relationship, and feeling like nothing could ever change that. I was robbed, and 'it's not fair.' I think too much about myself don't I? I have learned to accept that it's something I will never understand, and that's ok. I don't know why God allowed this to happen, and I hate that it did. I rest in the fact that he is ok... and he is happy... and he wouldn't want to come back here! It's sucks for those of us who were left behind, in every way, but when I really think about HIS well being, I find some peace in that. Right now, it doesn't help to think about the 'good' that has come out of this situation. It feels like the huge loss i feel, doesn't measure up to the amount of good that has happened because of it... if that's makes sense. And it doesn't feel like it will EVER measure up. A very dear friend, Heather Williams spoke this last weekend at the women's retreat, and she said that she's buried a lot of people, and she said she really enjoys funerals for Christians, and it almost makes her a little jealous. I can relate to that.

This morning I was so tired, blast the time change... and so I got up and was getting ready for work, and when I realized today was March 11th, I looked at the clock, and it was 8:20am, just about the same time that Josh was pronounced dead. It gave me the chills, and brought me back to that morning/day when my life changed forever.

Thanks to all of those people who pray and think about us today, it means a lot. And it's a shame if you didn't get the chance to meet my brother... you would have liked him.

I love you so very much Josh, and I wish you were here to see my belly grow with the newest addition to the family... Jude's and my son, and your nephew.

Lots going on

Well, this weekend has finally come! The women's retreat. I know that when Sunday afternoon rolls around, I will be SO relieved that it's over. I have planned this whole thing, so I'm REALLY hoping everything goes smoothly and comes off without a hitch. Thank goodness my job allows for a lot of 'free time' so i was able to put most everything together at work... and I had a ton of help from several women from our church, THANK YOU! I just can't help but feel a bit nervous. And going away for the weekend makes me nervous anyway, because I really miss my hubby!

Yesterday, a friend of ours delivered her baby boy early in the morning. However, she was only 20 weeks pregnant, so the baby did not survive being out of the womb. His name is Brennan Michael White, and it literally breaks my heart. I seriously can NOT imagine what that feels like or all the emotions that come along with something so horrific. Especially being pregnant... my heart aches for her loss. I'm not going to lie, it also makes me VERY nervous about my pregnancy. My next doctor appointment is next week, so hopefully she'll be able to set my mind at ease... or at least somewhat at ease. After the first trimester, I felt like i was in 'the clear' because miscarriage statistics go way down after the first twelve weeks... but I guess nothing is guaranteed, and if anybody should know that... I guess it should be me. My thoughts and prayers go out to the parents.

March is a hard month anyway. March 11 is the day I lost my dear brother. It has been four years since I last saw and talked to him. In some ways it feels like yesterday, and at the same time, feels like a life time ago. I miss him terribly...and that's putting it mildly. A friend of mine said something to me the other day that made me smile, and I had never thought of it this way before... she said: 'it's so cool to think that Josh already knows your son.' And i guess that's true... and very cool. Kyla and my mom came to have lunch with me last week when i was under the weather, and Kyla said: 'Sarah, did you know we have two Josh's now? One is in heaven, and we miss him, and one is in your tummy!' She always asks me how Joshua is doing, and that she's excited to meet him. Gosh that kid... I can't help but get tears in my eyes every time she talks about Josh.

We are having an open house on the 11th around 6pm, at my parents house. We're all just going to hang out and anyone is welcome to join us. It's nice to know and see the people that still love and cherish Josh, and his memory.

Little Joshua is moving around quite a bit. I had my glucose test on Tuesday, and after drinking that sugary drink, he was doing somersaults inside my belly! I got a call from the doctor saying that everything turned out great, but my iron level is still a bit low, so I need to start taking supplements twice a day. I was brushing my teeth in a white (semi-snug) tank top... of course there aren't many shirts that aren't 'snug' anymore! anyway... and I was looking at my stomach in the mirror, and I couldn't help but smile! It's so crazy how my body has transformed... it's such a miracle. Amazing how God created us isn't it? I'm 28 weeks on Sunday... the end of my second trimester! INSANE. I'm starting to get a little nervous about the whole delivering process... yikes! I can't believe it's going to be ME having to go through all that.

Jude is so amazing... and I love him SO much. I'm so excited to be parents together, and raise our kids. I just get all warm and fuzzy when I think about how lucky I am to have him as my husband.

OK, that's all for now :) talk about a roller coaster of emotion huh?