The ABC's of Pregnancy...

A - Anticipation
Anticipation of a new season in our lives. Anticipation of the next stretch mark. Anticipation of the next meal (because we are hungry a lot!). Lots & lots of anticipation.

B - Bailey Buns
Bailey’s life is truly going to change. She will no longer be the queen of her domain but will continue to fall down the totem pole. Sorry Bailey Buns!

C - Crib
Our crib is a reminder of God’s goodness & provision in our lives. It was given to us through the generosity of good friends. And it was a true God-inspired moment for both Matt & I. (That will have to be another blog post at another time)

D - Daddy One of the things I am most excited about is watching Matt become a Daddy. He is a true man of love, strength, peace, commitment, worship, & integrity. And for that, I am one lucky mama.

E - Elijah NAME #1: We have had 2 girls’ names for years but could never agree on a boy’s name. The day we found out we were having a boy, we were having lunch together. As Matt was praying for the meal, the name “Eli” just popped into my head. I was hesitant in mentioning it because I figured that Matt wouldn’t like it. (After all, we’d been working on names for quite some time now & had nothing). But to my surprise, he did like it! From that point on, we continued to feel God’s confirmation that he was to be an Elijah. He’s got a big name to live up to!

F - Family No family is perfect, & neither is this world. But despite all our imperfections & quirks, God is still working in us to build a beautiful family unit.

G -Gift cards! Where would we be without the many friends & family who showered us with blessings?! Because of the generosity of others, we have been able to get everything we need! Elijah is one lucky kid.

H - Home As most of you know, we’ll have children anywhere on this planet, if that is God’s plan for us. But, after the difficult journey it took us to get here, we are thankful for HOME. I’m thankful to have my family & friends nearby to walk with me in this journey. Thankful for places like Target where I can do all of my baby shopping in one place. And especially thankful to have a doctor & hospital staff who all speak my native language. HOME is a good place to be right now.

I - I can't think of anything So since this list is rather long, here’s a reading break for you. Enjoy…

J - Joe NAME #2: Elijah’s middle name is Joe. This is after my great-uncle, who passed away shortly after we returned home from Mexico. There are only so many words I can use to describe Uncle Joe & none of them truly worthy. And because of that, Elijah has an even BIGGER name to live up to. Uncle Joe, your legacy will live on in our children. And we look forward to the day when we get to dance with you in heaven.

K - Kiss I really like to kiss Matt. It’s comforting & warm. And makes me happy (as it should for all married couples). We are going to be as intentional as possible that we don’t lose our time together. After all, baby wouldn’t be here without that time!

L - Love God, may You fill our home with an outpouring love. And may that love already fill Elijah, even before his arrival.

M - Miracle Elijah is a miracle. We faced a number of fertility challenges along the way. But 22 months later, God provided this little boy. And we have truly faced every day since then in gratitude for him. God must have amazing plans ahead!

N – Nighttime Routine

N - Nighttime Routine Prepare 4 pillows. Take deep breath. Climb into bed. Move legs (with arms) to appropriate locations. Take any breath that is left. Roll over. Close eyes. Sleep (for ~26 minutes). Take deep breath. Lift body (with your now amazing upper body strength) to roll out of bed. Go to bathroom. Repeat 6-8 times throughout the night.

O - OB We have the best OB there is. He’s the same doctor who delivered all 3 of my nephews. He is about 60 years old (though he looks about 40) & has delivered more than 18,000 babies. And he loves his job. And he treats every new baby as if it’s his very first. Good ol’ Dr. Li.

P - Pickles Yes, the rumor is true. Pickles are a pregnant woman’s favorite. I will take any kind of pickle, any place, any time. Sometimes a pickle is the only solution.

Q - Queasy Considering the health issues I normally have, I really can’t complain about my pregnancy. Up until these past few weeks, I have been fairly comfortable. But queasiness is a part of any pregnancy, whether you feel fabulous or not! Saltines were a staple there for a while. But it’s all worth it in the end!

R - [Babies] R' [Us] Our new hangout. We’ve definitely spent some quality time in our local Babies R’ Us in the past few weeks, & are likely to spend a lot more time there in the near future.

S - Symptoms So many new symptoms. Swelling à slippers (swelling is so large I have to wear slippers), sciatic nerve pain, sitting/standing (or the inability to), etc…But I hear it’s all worth it in the end!

T - Thankfulness We have a lot of things to be thankful for this year! Just read this list!

U - the Unknown Self-explanatory! We have no idea what we’re getting into!

V - Vincent NAME #3: Yep, Elijah’s going to be a Vincent. He’ll probably be a miniature Matt running around, mischievous & “spirited.” He’ll have a quiet but bold stature about him, & people will listen to him when he speaks. Now, if he’s anything like me…let’s just not think about that!

W - Worth the Wait Elijah, you will always be worth the wait. Yes, even when you are two, three, & then again at thirteen. Just remind me I said this.

X - Xmas For the past 3 Christmas’s, I have struggled with not being pregnant. Hurt even, because I didn’t understand why this was so hard for us. And though we never really wanted a holiday baby, I feel that maybe it’s God’s reminder to me of His perfect timing, His provision, & His miracles. So from here on out, we will always celebrate our holiday baby, remembering all that God has done for us.

Y - You're almost done! One more to read. Thanks for enduring through the ABC’s of Pregnancy with me! And if you thought this was long, try 9 long months of it!

Z - Zoo animals ...jungle theme. But zoo animals are also in the jungle, right? Elijah’s corner (yes he has a corner, not a bedroom) is beautifully decorated with his jungle-themed bedding.

That’s all for now. Maybe in a few days or weeks, I’ll have the ABC’s of Newborns!