38 weeks.

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 17lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Maternity clothes, yes.  In public. Everyday. Non-maternity clothes, yes.  At home - not appropriate for public.  My non-maternity t-shirts and tanks are honestly the funniest thing you have ever seen. Its totally fine- its' hot, I'm very pregnant and I'm comfortable.

Sleep: Much to my surprise, very, very well most nights. I can complain about 1-2 nights a week. 

Best moment this week:  Seeing our baby boy in 3D we hadn't seen that since our 18 week gender ultrasound. Boy how incredible it is to have such technology in the world. My heart about leaped from my chest and I was ready to bring him into the world right that second. 

Lots of frustrations have been tied up with all this extra testing each week. We have had 3 ultrasounds for fluid checks in 8 days and while I love every opportunity to get to see this little guy, it has been super stressful on David and I each appointment is like holding your breath waiting for the moment to pass and while our doctor says everything is looking great, its still disheartening to have to be doing all of this so frequently. We are so grateful for both have jobs that are flexible so that we can do all these extra tests and work around schedules. We know that this is important and we are extra grateful for a medical team that is ensuring our baby is in the best of health, but darn it little man-GET HERE already! You are giving us a run for our money already.

Cravings:  I'm back on a sandwich kick and I've been indulging in it all to be quit honest because I know here in a few dayS this momma will NOT, I repeat will NOT be eating all them carbs!!

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, swelling, and just down right uncomfortable. Add in the heat, the swelling, and the inability to move around so well and well I'd rather just not even move... Although we have been getting in some extra pool time a few days here and there, and for those few hours I almost forget I'm pregnant. Even little boy enjoys the pool.

Looking forward to: We have been spending lots of time together just soaking up these last few days with each other before we become a family of three or should I say 5, I mean our dogs are our family too! We have been making excuses to just go get ice cream or just longer strolls around the yard and I am enjoying every moment in anticipation of having our little one with us so very SOON!

..I am mostly just dying to meet our little guy.  Eeeep - its like Christmas morning!  

Baby Shower

Enjoy some pictures from our sweet boy's baby shower. David and I were so very blessed by so many of you this day. We are so excited to be able to bring our little guy into a world where we have so many loving friends and family who love and support us and who we know will be there for him as well. What a beautiful gift to give him, not just presents but your presence in ours and his life. We are forever thankful.

Goodness I love him!

Photography by a.n.d lifestyle

37 weeks + a baby boy update

I still cannot believe how quickly time has flown by since finding out we were expecting on a random Saturday in October.

God chuckled at my own plans for this last year and breathed life + reality into our hopes for a baby.

Here we are.  I'm in the last weeks or days.  Thats right, weeks..or days. 

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain: 17 pounds (until I step on the scale Thursday)

Maternity clothes? Like I've mentioned time and time again - my all time favorite pregnancy wardrobe staple has been a maxi skirt, you just can't beat the comfort and the coolness. 

Sleep: Finding comfort has been really interesting this last month, but honestly I am sleeping really well.  I am getting into bed about 10pm and sleep until at least 4am before I wake to use the bathroom. I do wake up pretty sore though. 

Best moment this week: We got to peek in on our growing baby boy today and that is always a sweet treat! More on that below.

Miss Anything? Nada

Cravings:  I have zero desire for food right now. I don't feel the sensation of being hungry at all whatsoever. This baby boy is taking up all my space and my appetite, too. Choboni yogurt, fruit, ice cream and cereal have been my go to. 

Symptoms: Heavy belly.  Exhaustion.  The usual. 

Looking forward to: Meeting our sweet boy.  We are so ready.  I mean, really ready.  Nursery is done- his space is just precious and I cannot wait to share.  Baby items that we lacked have been purchased.  Bags are pretty much packed besides those last minute grab quick items.

BABY BOY UPDATE

He is 6 pounds of baby squishy-ness with the sweetest cheeks and lips. He is head down as he has been since 22 weeks and is sitting low. He has however dropped from the 64th percentile to the 53rd percentile (still in average range though). His amniotic fluid is much lower than our doctor would like to see. We already had a doctor appointment for Thursday so we are now having a Non Stress Test on Thursday as well where they will hook me up to a monitor for a 1/2 hour to an hour to monitor his movement and we will have another check of fluid on Friday with another ultrasound. If his fluid goes any lower from now until Friday it is possible that they will induce labor. 

I have been praying for the last nine months to not have to be induced or a c-section and I feel like this is the Lords way of preparing me for his ways and his plan, not mine. We have total faith in our doctor and most importantly the Lord. Please pray for our sweet boy in the next few days and for us! When the sonographer left the room and said she needed to call our doctor to see what he wanted to do I immediately looked at David and said "we can't have a baby today, I'm not ready." But in reality we are ready, at least as ready as we can be. Eek! We really are so ready to meet you baby boy.

36 weeks.

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain: 17 lbs, I feel I'm up 100 lbs at this point though. I'm feeling SUPER large lately.

Maternity clothes? Nothing fits this bump unless it has side-ruching.  I try to fit into regular tees and tanks, but its laughable and clearly only acceptable at home.

Sleep: Yep. I sleep so good until I wake up having to go to the bathroom and then I'm cursing myself because I was sleeping so good and I don't want to get up out of bed. I am sleeping like a ROCK. It may have to do with me staying up a little later because of the beautiful daylight, before I was in bed by 9:30-10 and now I'm stretching it out a little longer. HA!

Best moment this week: Getting ONE more thing check off the before baby checklist-a new kitchen floor. I think it may even have to be the last thing because the other items on the list are kinda big projects that I'm not sure I want to get into so close to our little boy getting here.

Miss Anything? The usual: tummy sleeping, being heartburn-less..and basically fitting into my regular clothes with ease, and just being comfortable in the sitting, standing, lying position.

Cravings:  Nothing really new from the normal of the last 35 weeks. The Dunkin cravings are almost constant, I woke up this morning wanting a blueberry iced tea. I'm settling on making blueberry muffins instead today. I also want everything on the grill. David is the master grill chef for Summers and he started a raised bed garden this year and we have lettuce growing like crazy so we have been eating lots of chicken on the grill with salad or anything that you can add lettuce to. 

Symptoms: Not much to complain about really. The swelling has really hit this week. I had to take my rings off and flip flops are about all that fit my feet, good thing its SUMMER!  If thats all I've got- I'll take it.  Braxton Hicks are becoming more regular.  We've gotten to the point where his sudden movements will promote a BH. Little man is running out of room and his movements just hurt at this point.

Looking forward to: Just weeks away from his arrival. We have another ultrasound on Monday, the last time we will see him before he is here! EEK!! Now- we just have to wait for this sweet baby boy to get here and this momma is SUPER anxious for him to be here  with us!

Little mans first Liberty shirt from his Aunt Rhiannon since his momma and 2 of his Aunties went there!

New kitchen floor, not that he will care, but it was on the list to be done before he was here.

Loving like Jesus and my thoughts on Orlando.

"Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you."

-Casting Crowns

I found myself alone in church this morning, not even my husband-the pastor was there, when this song came on in the sanctuary where I was sitting having my breakfast. Life as church planters, or anyone in ministry for that matter, is exhausting and it's mostly an emotional exhaustion. Don't get me wrong I am in no way complaining. I wholeheartedly believe that the Lord has given us this burden for purpose and for reason and I 100% disagree with the statement that "God doesn't give us more than we can handle" because He does! Not to make much of us but to make much of HIM.

Sometimes my human nature takes over on Saturday night and Sunday morning and Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, and well... you get the picture, with total frustration with people and ministry and just daily tasks that I lose sight of the ONE and only thing I was ever called to do and that is to LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS.

There have been few times where I have felt the Lord speak to my heart ever so powerfully(and oh how I pray you have felt this even if ONCE in your life) and this was one of them-yesterday morning. My heart was terribly convicted and yet so passionately on fire.  I sat in the front row trying to eat my breakfast when finally I gave up and threw my pregnant self on my knees and prayed the lyrics of this sweet song like I had never heard it before even though I have heard it a thousand and one times before.

I remember super early on in our ministry I was fresh out of Bible college when we began planting our church and I felt like I was equipped to do so much. I had taken Philosophy 104, 201, Theology 104, 201, 202, Survey of Biblical Literature, Survey of Youth Ministries, Evangelism 101, Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Creation Studies, Christian Counseling, Counseling Woman(I checked my transcripts for these), all this to say I thought I was ready for ministry. 

The Lord has quickly showed me that I didn't need any of that, have I used it? Sure. But not nearly as much as I thought I would have. Have I loved them(those in our congregation and community) like Jesus? Sure, but not nearly as much as I should of/be.
I have one main call in my life and that is to LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS, and carry them to HIM because I don't need all the answers and I don't need all those fancy religious classes.

My only thoughts regarding the Orlando nightclub tragedy:

The way to battle this kind of evil is to overcome it with love according to Jesus who, by the way, would be smack in the middle of Orlando if he was still walking around down here, attending to wounds and souls and beloved hearts. Put your arms around your friends and family members and speak love and solidarity and presence and hope into their lives. 

35 weeks.

How far along? 35 weeks + a couple days because this post is kinda late this week, but for good reason.

Total weight gain: 17 pounds

Maternity clothes? maxi skirts and tank tops - the equivalent to pajamas in pregnancy life, but easier to get away with while in public. 

Sleep: I have really good nights of sleep and some lousy ones, mostly good though. Every since being married I've been an early riser and its these few weeks before baby that I'm wishing I wasn't because I could use the extra sleep time now I know it! *heres to having a baby who is a good sleeper*

Best moment this week: This weekend was my baby shower,s o that for sure was the best momentS of the week! David and I couldn't get over all the LOVE that was shown to us and more importantly our sweet little guy! We cannot wait for you all to meet him! Heck, we can't wait to meet him!

Miss Anything? I am SO ready to sleep on my tummy again. Have I said that already? Probably. Now more than ever I am appreciating how much more comfortable I am to sleep on my tummy!

Cravings:  Nothing new from the normal, except I've been wanting iced coffee. I think it has a lot to do with this gorgeous weather and I'm trying to tame that caffeine craving. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Symptoms:  I've been having a hard time finding a comfortable way to sit/lay/sleep- baby feet up in my ribs, or if I lay on the couch for too long I literally cannot get up. Its a sorry sight especially when your trying to get off the couch and there are two yellow labs under your feet, that refuse to move. Heartburn is still here, there was almost a prize at my baby shower for who had some in their purse. Nesting is also in full swing...I think. I've always been an OCD cleaner, We have a phrase in the Douthitt household and my husband can quote it "everything has a place" I feel like that is the first piece of wisdom I want to pass down to my child LOL. Deciphering between my normal OCD self and the nesting phase is difficult, David said there is no difference, besides baby stuff is thrown into the mix.

Looking forward to: Someone  asked me just yesterday if I was nervous and I had to stop and think if I actually was and I guess I can say not yet.... I am too focused on getting everything ready which is my plan these next two weeks. Getting all his things put away and making sure we have everything. David has been on me about a hospital bag since the weekend, so that is on the list too. I am sure once all of those things are ready and in place then I might get nervous but then again I never once felt nervous on my wedding day or leading up to it. I tend to get nervous over little things and not so stressed about bigger things..who knows.