Feeling Blessed

With Thanksgiving just 2 days away, and people posting and talking about all the things they are thankful for, I have to say, this year I definitely have the most the be thankful for than any year before.  Obviously, I am so excited that we were blessed with getting pregnant with our baby girl.  Words cannot express all the emotions I am going through, how in love I am with her already, how crazy every movement feels.  And I am so thankful to have married the perfect person to enjoy this journey with.  I feel that we are closer and stronger than ever, and it solidifies that we truly belong together. 

I have to admit though, it's easy to be thankful and appreciative when everything is going well or as expected.  But what about when things don't go as planned?  What happens when life throws you a curveball or two?  The people who keep going, or even thrive, in the face of obstacles, they are my heroes.  They are the people who remind me that my "problems" are not really problems after all.  We create our environment, we decide what is going to break us, and what we can overcome. 

When I started this blog, it was sort of my "anti-Facebook" way of sharing our story, so that only the people that truly cared and were interested in our lives would continue to read about it and be a part of it.  But I'm not completely anti-Facebook, and this is one reason why.  I have met a lot of people through school, work, and my many athletic endeavors, from running marathons and triathlons with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to my time as an amateur kickboxer with Unlimited MMA.  It was through the kickboxing circuit that I became Facebook friends with Gordon.  I would see his occasional posts, "like" or comment on a few, but that was the extent of our communication.  Then recently he posted a link to his family's personal blog, Heart of Maia, and I was forever changed by my relationship with him.  I read the blog from the beginning, and could not stop crying the entire time.  I read how they had a wonderful, healthy boy, and what a great kid he has become.  Then they got pregnant again, only to lose her 47 minutes after being born.  And then they got pregnant with Maia, who has already had open heart procedures done, and she's not even 3 months old yet.  Some were tears of sadness, but mostly they were tears of inspiration, because the strength that this family has with all that they have endured, and continue to go through, is truly inspiring.  I encourage you to read it, and also to donate if you can. 

In this time of being thankful, I am thankful for my baby, for my husband, for our new home, for our families, for our friends, and for everyone we have met along the way, because you never know who will make that kind of impact on your life.  Thank you Gordon, Rizza, Marcus, Marissa (my new angel in heaven), and Maia for showing the world what it truly means to live every moment to it's fullest, and to have strength and love no matter what.

Half Way There!!

We have officially made the 1/2 way point on our journey together, and then some!  In about 18 weeks we get to meet our li'l cupcake.  I think for the first time I am finally feeling the pressure to get everything ready for her arrival.  We are in the process of picking out furniture for the nursery, and have already picked out the paint colors we will need.  Now it's time to get started.

The first half of this pregnancy seemed to take forever!  I guess it was all the nerves of this being my first pregnancy, hoping that nothing goes wrong in those first delicate weeks, waiting for all the prenatal testing to come out okay, waiting to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.  But now that everything seems to be going smoothly, and we know our princess is on her way, this past month has flown by.  So I know it's time to kick into high gear with the decorating and preparations.  Add that to the holiday season in full swing, and I'm feeling a little anxious that I may not get it all done.  But, I've never been one to back down from a challenge, so I say "bring it on!" :)

We also decided to expand our family even sooner than expected.  Meet Dexter, we adopted him from Animal Rescue Recon on October 27th.  He is a 1 year old Miniature Pinscher, and we think chihuahua mix.  He has some anxiety issues, but has made a lot of progress in our home.  We think he has been a great addition so far, and will be best buddies with our li'l girl.  I'm still trying to convince Kama to let us add one more dog, keep checking back to see what happens.  

Some updates from the last 3 weeks:

• I am feeling baby girl move...a lot.  I actually said on the last post that I hadn't felt her, but I was feeling flutters and didn't realize it was her.  Now that I feel her more often, and know what it is, I think I started feeling her around the 18 week mark.  She is actually moving as I type this :)
• I got my first leg cramp this morning (a common occurrence in pregnancy), and had to wake up Kama to help stretch out my calf.  Oh man did that hurt!  Note to self: may want to reconsider that whole natural birth business 
• 7lbs of baby weight so far.  It's amazing how your body prepares for this miracle.
• Still no food cravings or aversions, I keep counting my blessings that I have had an easy pregnancy.

Well, that is all I have for now.  Until next time!