moved...

check out the new stuff going on at:
http://littlejohnbigadventures.blogspot.com/
I created a new site to be one of those SB momma advocates. So follow me there from now on. Thanks!

The end is in sight!

Well, today puts us at 36 weeks. This means that I will be full term next Sunday with the baby's due date coming up in 4 weeks. So far my total weight-gain is 20 pounds and I am feeling it!


Matthew cannot wait. He is convinced that the baby should just come already. I, on the other hand, am not feeling quite as ambitious. Don't get me wrong or anything because I am certainly done with this whole pregnancy thing. I want to be able to tie my shoes without losing my breath, run, and have control of my bed time. I would also love having the little man in my arms; however, I am convinced that the earlier he comes, the more work it will be for me making sub-plans. So even though things are busy and exhausting while being pregnant, I am convinced it is easier to manage with him inside instead of out.

No, I am sorry, we still don't have a name. We originally put it off because we just didn't want to deal with the stress of making a choice and dealing with the repercussions (especially if we changed our minds partway through). Now, we simply just can't decide. It is kind of like being on a Merry-go-Round. I have several ideas that I keep rotating through, but I am just waiting for the ride to stop spinning so I can get off with just one selected. The ride still hasn't stopped spinning even though I am sure my fare has already been used up. Maybe I need to consider new options?

Deadlines are piling up, and there is eminent and drastic change looming in my immediate future. It is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. Yet, it always leaves me in awe to consider the hand that the Lord plays in my life. There are rough patches where I choose to weather my storm alone, but they are surpassed in my memory by the times when I feel His guiding hand leading me along. I am so thankful that I can turn to that peace - that He knows my need and situation so perfectly.

Truth be told...

I have to admit that I stopped keeping things up-to-date on here because I was afraid of being obnoxious. However, whether it was real or fake, I had several complaints about my lack of posting baby bump photos. So here we are at week 29. We are so excited to be finally in the third trimester. The end of waiting is finally in sight!

For all of you who will be pregnant sometime in the future, make sure you get good advice before doing your initial glucose screening. I had to take the real test yesterday and it completely wiped me out. The initial test could have been thrown by what I had eaten during the day...like that Lindt truffle or the chocolate milk I couldn't resist. After failing, I was asked to go through the more extensive testing. This involved fasting for 10-12 hours and hanging out in the hospital waiting room from 7am to 11am to get my blood drawn every hour after drinking the overly sugary drink. We came home, ate, slept, and then I failed at trying to feel normal for the next 5 hours. Hopefully, the results will be good this time though.

Our little man moves so much! Today in church me and two other sisters were completely distracted from the lesson because my stomach was contorting so much. I couldn't resist laughing, and they were able to see the movements from as far as two seats over.

Other than my rant about the glucose test things are going really well for us. My students love their new class pets: leopard geckos. They named them Squirmy and Spartacus and take turns caring for them on the weekends. Matthew and I enjoyed firing my little pistol and a Tommy gun after mudding in the Jeep on our Monday off. Matthew is continually trudging through the mess of interviews and resumes while staying on top of school. And I just try to get extra sleep whenever possible. As cliche as it may be, life is good!

Just to prove how time has flown, check out our diminishing paper chain!The above chain has become THIS chain!

24 weeks

Matthew and I now laugh at the change that is slowly occurring in the pictures. I am finally gaining more pregnancy pounds which is somewhat of a relief and somewhat of a hassle.


We are looking forward to this Christmas break, so that we can spend time with family. This is going to be a short post, but I will be sure to add fun info from the break shortly!
ciao!

Mouse!

We had our 20 week ultrasound right before the Thanksgiving holiday, so we were able to share the good news in person with my family and over the phone on the drive with Matthew's.

Unfortunately, the whole experience was rushed because they were squeezing our appointment in early, but we were just so thankful for their flexibility. After measuring the major body parts, examining the skull and spine, listening to all 4 chambers of the heart beating, and tracking the digestive system, they told us that everything seemed normal and on track for our due date. We then took a look to find out that we are having a little BOY! It was all so amazing! He had his hands and feet all up towards his face and it made this whole pregnancy-thing seem so much more real. Even though when you see other peoples' ultrasound pictures they look like ink blot tests designed for psychologists, being in the actual room with the nurse made him real in those images.

Of course, the first question we get after telling someone we are expecting a boy is "Oh, what are you naming him?" Now we have our list of possibilities, but we enjoy having time to think it over and find one that seems to settle with us before announcing it. So to dodge the question our response naturally is, "We are naming him Moose! And Sandee so cleverly came up with the spelling - M-O-U-S-E. So unique right?" Bronco Mendenhall is named after a horse, so we can have a Moose. I have a hard time admitting that I was trying to be funny about the spelling and didn't even realize that I had actually spelled the name of a rodent. Oh well, I just can't help how clever I am when I am pregnant...hehe.

We are now at 22 weeks and the little guy is certainly getting bigger and creating more room for himself in my stomach.

Matthew can now feel him move too; however, he is less than excited about the fact that it feels like a fish flopping around on the edge of my gut. He seems convinced that the little guy is going to cause some damage to my insides with all of that flipping. I am trying to wean him off of calling our baby my "belly monster." Oh well, I guess it still makes me laugh too :)

20 Weeks

Three weeks have passed since my last post and picture, and there are definite changes happening now. I have finally discovered the true beauty behind my maternity pants, and started wondering what in the world I am going to wear to church that will be comfortable and warm.

We are looking forward to our ultrasound, and it seems like it can't happen soon enough. Even though the baby's arrival is forever away, it is certainly fun to have something so exciting to look forward to down the road. We had two ward friends tell us today their pregnancy news and I just can't seem to get enough of it.

First "bump" Update

So most people probably start this process a lot earlier, but not much has changed in my stomach in the last 4 months. I have gained some weight; however, I seem to be hiding things well. To be quite honest we have waited so long to tell people because we have just been afraid things could be going wrong since there wasn't much change. We have been to the doctor's twice and things are reporting normal though.
Needless to say we are beyond excited about starting our little family. That little heartbeat has not ceased to amaze me.