The Week Before Christmas & {Pregnancy Week 21}

Far warning: This is a rather long post!

How far along: 21 weeks, baby is the size of a banana, 10.5 inches

Total weight gain: Somewhere around 9 pounds

Maternity clothes: Same as last time, though I do have a few maternity shirts I'm wearing now.

Stretch marks: Nope 

Sleep: Not anywhere as tired as I had been. Mornings are harder for me now though :)

Movement: Kicking even harder :) She surprises me with a really hard kick sometimes and she'll do it about 3 times just to make sure I felt it :)

Every time I feel her move I'm reminded of the miracle growing inside me and am amazed at God's grace and in the way he is has and is forming this little one. 

Food cravings: Can't say that I've had many cravings this week, but I will say that it has been extremely difficult not to eat all the cookies I baked this past week...okay not all of them but my favorites.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not eating is still pretty much the only thing that makes me feel sick, and getting up too quickly in the mornings.

Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Gender: Girl!

Favorite moment this week: Sleeping fireside :)

I love this poem:

Christmas Fire

We sit and watch the flames leap high,
And hear the crackling fire.
So wrapped up in the love we share,
We're living our desire.

This Christmas night the love we have,
Is precious and alive.
There's no place I would rather be,
Than here with you beside.

The only light that shines around,
Leaps from the fireplace.
And I can see the little shadows,
Dancing on your face.

Just sitting here in front of it,
With you the world seems right.
The snow is falling softly outside,
On this Christmas night.

I wrap my arms around you,
And we smile and reminisce,
Of all the Christmas nights we've had,
So beautiful like this.

I think about the Christmas,
I surprised you with a ring,
And then we planned our wedding,
And we married in the spring.

I think of our first Christmas,
That first year you were my wife.
In the little home we had,
When we started our new life.

We didn't have much money,
But we didn't even care.
We had each other and that's all,
We wanted then and there.

I think about the Christmas,
When the baby came along.
The decorations and the tree,
And playing Christmas songs.

I think about the Christmas times,
The house was full of guests.
The joyous times we always shared,
At Christmas were the best.

I think about the Christmas,
When our last child finally parted.
Again it was just you and I,
Just like when we had started.

So many Christmas nights we've had,
So different every year.
But always filled with love and laughter,
Full of Christmas cheer.

But now my love it's you and I,
This Christmas night again.
And now we sit and reminisce,
Of Christmas time back then.

I gaze into your lovely eyes,
And see your smiling face.
And feel your love just radiate,
Encompassing this place.

As I feel the warmth from you,
And feel your inner glow.
As we sit and reminisce,
There's something you should know.

Of all the Christmas nights we've had,
And there have been a few.
They all have been so special,
Because they were spent with you.

So on this Christmas night,
As we enjoy the Christmas fire.
And sit and watch the dancing flames,
While they keep getting higher.

Just to be here with you,
And to feel you close to me.
Is all I ever really wanted,
Christmas night to be.

All the joy and all the love,
Expressed this time of year.
Is magnified a thousand times,
For me because you're here.

You are my life and happiness,
You are the very reason.
You're the one who makes this such,
A joyous Christmas season.

So as we sit and watch the fire,
Change to a different hue.
My Christmas night is so complete,
Because I'm here with you.


James A. Kisner

Looking forward to: This little project...

Some pictures from our week and a few recipes too!

Love getting fresh veggies from Lee's farm each week! Luke's dad has been bringing us a bag each week and each week there is something different in the bag. Somehow it makes figuring out what to have for dinner or a side dish much easier because I can just figure out what to make based on what I have instead of figuring out something and then going to the store to get it. 

^ These are some of Luke's and my favorite cookies!! I originally got the recipe from my neighbor when she used to bring them over to our house around Christmas. They are so simple, but oh so yummy (if you like mint chocolate that is)!!

Andes Mint Cookie Recipe

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 package of Andes Mints

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and crumbled Andes Mints together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes. Don't cook any longer than that! They will flatten a bit and have a more crinkled looked once they cool for a few minutes. That's it!!

I use Wilton's Class Buttercream Icing for frosting. Out of every recipe I've tried, this one works the best and it stiff enough to keep shape but not too hard on your hands: http://www.wilton.com/recipe/class-buttercream-icing-stiff-consistency

Some more Christmas pictures!!

Christmas Festivities & {Pregnancy Week 20}

This week marks the beginning of my Christmas preparations. It's only two weeks away now!! And, there's so much to be done!

I love watching this clip and the simplicity of it. It is so joyful and comforting, and might I say a breath of fresh air to be reminded of what really matters this holiday season and what it's all about. I think so much stress comes this time of year from expectations, from things that don't really matter in the end if it's not being done in celebration of the birth of our Savior. I'm speaking to myself here :) I put many expectations on myself. For me reading/hearing this story this month has put me at rest.

A few fun things to get done this week...print out Christmas pictures (which I LOVE and can't wait to share on here...just one for now :D), assemble the Christmas cards, send them out, a cookie baking marathon, assembly of cookie boxes, and delivering them with Luke this weekend.

The not so fun stuff... Cleaning out the refrigerator that has decided to stop working like a regular refrigerator should. Still in the process of deciding if we should get a new one or try to fix this one... But for now that means not a lot of grocery shopping :/...stink.

Okay so on to baby :)... I am now 20 weeks along (half way!!) and baby is now the size of a small cantaloupe. We had one of those earlier this week but ate it before I could snap a picture of it ^_^! It seems like lately she likes bouncing on my bladder...ah!

 I'm loving this adorable little stuffed toy we got in the mail from Luke's grandma! It is so sweet!

Ps. Is anyone else excited about this coming out this weekend?!

{Pregnancy Week 19}

How far along: 19 weeks, baby is the size of a large grapefruit

Total weight gain: 6 pounds or so

Maternity clothes: Belly band so I can still wear my jeans. Most of my regular shirts are looking ridiculous as they are too tight. I love my stretchy tshirts right now. Not quite ready for maternity shirts.  

I purchased my belly band a few weeks ago, and because of that have been able to wear my jeans. Previously, I could only wear my yoga pants and gym shorts, as anything tight on my stomach made me feel so sick!! Thank goodness, most of that nausea has gone away!

Stretch marks: Nope! I've been using Palmer's lotion everyday since week 5.

Sleep: So ready to crash by evening time. Get up once a night at either exactly 4 or 5 to use the bathroom.

Best moment of this week: Having our first ultrasound, by a friend and photography client of mine! 

Seeing the baby for the first time. She was all curled up and hiding from us :)

Finding out the gender :) Baby girl!

I think she's sucking her thumb in this first one.

Miss anything: Wine, normal hormones, and lots of energy

Movement: Lots of movement the last few days. Daddy has felt baby move and we were able to sit and watch my belly move all around last night. She was most certainly doing flips in there.

She wakes me up in the mornings, is active right after I eat, and right before bed. I LOVE it!!

Food cravings: Grape fruit and frozen grapes! And Chipotle....but I'm not sure if that counts since I craved that before my pregnancy too ;)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not eating.... ;) The smell of the stove....mostly because that's what made me want to gag when I was super sick and the thought of it still hasn't left me. 

Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Gender: Girl!

Happy or moody most of the time: This past week I would have to say a mixture of happy and emotional. Being pregnant and this holiday season being the first one not living at home, is an interesting mix that I didn't think would effect me as much. But that's not to say Luke and I didn't have a wonderful Thanksgiving with both sides of our family.

Looking forward to: Christmas pictures and holiday baking :)