In awe of God's amazing blessing @ 27 weeks.
We have come a long way since the last post! I am now 31 weeks pregnant and so much has happened in the last few months. This is going to be a big update filled with lots of pictures, just to warn you :]
I will start us off shortly after the last post.
Basically, the second trimester was the best time of my life (the 3rd isn't over yet!). I have never felt healthier, hungrier or more beautiful in my life. This was the time that my little baby bump grew into a belly and it was evident that my little man was definitely in my tummy and was getting bigger everyday! Even though we were no longer in my first trimester, I never took for granted that my baby was in God's hands. I sometimes found myself not wanting to get attached because if something were to happen, I didn't know if my heart could take it. With each appointment and ultrasound I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard his heartbeat, which was always strong, saw his squirmy body on the screen and got reassurance from my doctor that everything looked normal. Never in my life was I so happy to hear the words normal.
I eventually lost my fear of the unknown and instead just released my worries up to God and allowed myself to just treasure every moment of my pregnancy. I am so glad I did.
Around 14 weeks we went to have the ultrasound that would tell us if we were having a boy or a girl. Matt's parents, brothers, grandma and my mom all went with us and we all waited and watched the flat screen TV in anticipation. The ultrasound went on for about 5 minutes before the technician zoomed in on the baby's private region. She pointed to his little "peanut" and said, "It looks like you're having a boy!" I didn't see anyone's reaction because I instantly started crying tears of joy. I don't know why but knowing the gender of my baby made it more real, that this was all really happening and I was able to bond with him more. Matt and I hugged each other and I continued crying and so did he. It really was pure bliss.
Here are the pictures from the ultrasound from that day.
The back of Fenix and he is also waving Hello.
Posing with his arm bent and his fist is resting on his cheek.
It's a BOY!
When we found out it was a boy we told our families we would be naming him Fenix Vincent. I have a different/unique name and as frustrating as it is when people say/spell my name wrong (which is all the time) I love that not many people have my name. We wanted something different but nothing crazy. I loved the name Fenix and Matt picked out the spelling. His middle name Vincent is after my grandfather on my mother's side. I know if he were here, he would be so proud.
Around this time this is what my bump looked like.
The next couple weeks flew by and my little bump got bigger and bigger. I anxiously awaited the one thing I was looking forward to while pregnant: feeling the baby move! At around 16 weeks (when a lot of websites say you may be able to feel the baby) any movement, I thought, could be the baby. Most people said, "You will definitely know when the baby kicks". Well on Mother's Day my family and I celebrated by going to the Cannery and enjoyed lobster tails, potatoes au gratin and delicious dessert. I love the restaurant because it's right on the harbor and you get a great view. Matt and I spent the evening watching his favorite, Star Wars. Half way through the movie I felt a strong POP and it made me yell out WHOA! Matt looked at me and I told him, "I just felt the baby kick!" Of course it would happen during Star Wars. Matt was definitely proud of his boy.
My husband and I, stuffed, on Mother's Day.
My sister, momma and I. Oh and Fenix too!
A few days after Mother's Day we got the results from our anatomy ultrasound. Around 20 weeks I went to our hospital and they did a full scan of the baby's entire body and organs. I was really amazed at all they could see considering he was so tiny. We also got lots of pictures and a dvd of the little guy. The technician was really nice and assured us that everything looked normal and the baby was measuring a few days earlier than his due date. We went to our OB/GYN appointment and the Dr. said everything looked perfect. No down syndrome. No cleft lip. Just normal. I was so relieved to hear those words again. And I also got a photo shoot of my little man.
Fenix's profile at 19 weeks.
Fenix facing us. Those little round circles are his fists.
He was hiding his face with his arm and hand.
Baby feet. Need I say more.
Here are some pictures of my growing bump.
Around 26 weeks Matt and I got some upsetting news. The baby is perfectly fine and it has nothing to do with him but it definitely put a huge wrench in a lot of our plans that were already made. It is so hard to not be stressed out when certain situations arise and I literally could not allow myself to stress because it is so not good for Fenix. We have done everything we could to solve one of the issues and to this day it is still not resolved. It's more frustrating because it is out of our control and the person taking care of it is not following up with us and doesn't seem to think our situation is urgent enough and is taking their sweet time with it. To say I am livid is putting it mildly because it's not just about me, it's about ensuring Fenix gets the proper care he deserves. You don't want to mess with a soon to be mama bear. Trust me.
On a happier note...
Since we found out we were pregnant the one event we were both looking forward to was getting a 3D/4D ultrasound. I know a lot of people don't like them because they say their babies look bizarre, etc. but we aren't one of those couples, so hush. Around 28 weeks we had the ultrasound done and we were amazed at all the things we saw our little bird doing. He smiled, grimaced, opened his eyes, yawned and curled his toes. We didn't get as many pictures of his face as we wanted because he was using his umbilical cord as a blanket and was holding it the whole time. We got a ton of pictures and a few profile shots in regular 2D and it is blatantly clear that he has Matt's nose.
I am convinced that Fenix is going to just look just like Matt... but a brown version:]
Hugging his umbilical cord.
That right there is a smile !!
I picture these little feetsies every time he kicks me. They sure do look chubby!
My generous and oh sweet friend Marge took our maternity pictures and they came out absolutely amazing. I am going to be using some of these pictures and putting them in the baby's nursery and some will be displayed at my baby shower, which is in just a few weeks.
"It's good to be in love.."
This is my absolute favorite. My husband is a hunk!
Love, love this picture.
My little family!!
Molly stealing all the attention as usual.
My baby girl and I.
About a week ago we finished majority of the nursery. We still have pictures to hang, wall decals to add and our glider is on it's way. Matt did everything of course and I can't take any credit, other than bringing him water when he needed it :]
It really warmed my heart to see how much pride Matt took in preparing the nursery, from painting to assembling furniture, I could see so much love in his face, that he was doing this for his boy, his son. I can't tell you how excited I am to see Fenix and Matt together. I know that Fenix is going to have the best daddy that is going to love him unconditionally and be there for him no matter what.
I of course am obsessed with anything involving trees and woodland creatures, especially owls. This bedding/accessory set could not have been more perfect. The best part was we bought everything for half off.
We only have 60 days until his due date.
60!
Two months!
I can't say it enough but I absolutely love being pregnant. It really is such a blessing to be able to become pregnant and that is something I never have taken for granted. Sure there are some minor discomforts not including all the physical changes your body goes through but regardless of what issues I face, I would do it over again in a heartbeat. Plus I, unlike a lot of women, don't see my weight gain as me getting fat. I am right on track in the weight department, I have gained 20 lbs. so far and I have 9 weeks left. Even with that weight I feel more beautiful than I ever have. Plus it is always nice to get a confidence boost from my hubby when he tells me everyday that I am beautiful. I love him.
God is so good and He has truly blessed me with more than I could ever imagine. I stand in awe of all He has done and I could never repay Him for all the joy He has brought in my life. All I can do is be a servant to Him and live my life in a way that makes Him proud.
