Baby at the Beach- 19 weeks

I can't wait to blog about my experiences in Goa this last week, but I'll save those for another post.
Today I wanted to get up our 19 week pics. (since we are almost 20 weeks)

My friend Andrea took some pictures for me since I was away from Hubby on Tuesday.

Here's a picture of me and my friend Lindsey. She's a dear friend who has gone through this whole overseas process with us. She and her hubby are expecting little Wyatt Taylor the day we are flying back to the states. I'm praying like crazy that he'll make his debut early.

 Lil Futt's first visit to the beach! 

After getting home on Wednesday night, we had our "level 2 scans" done Thursday Morning.
It was overwhelming to see our baby's brain, 4 chambered heart, kidneys, bladder, spine, etc. It's just amazing!!! The Doctor says the baby is doing great and everything is measuring perfectly.
Look at these sweet toes!!!

The picture right beside the toes would be the one to tell us the sex of the baby. We've watched the video of the ultrasound multiple times and think we have a guess.... But does anybody else want to take a guess?
Our Doctor says she knows, but wouldn't tell us. Oh well, it was worth a shot to see if she'd let it slip.

18 is My Favorite Number

Is it weird to have a favorite number? I picked 18 as my favorite back in the day of my short lived basketball and softball careers. (bless it) Honestly, I think the only reason I picked it was because of my big sis. You see, 18 was her favorite number, so naturally we know why it became mine!

Speaking of 18, we've made it to week 18 in the pregnancy! Our lil Futt is the size of a sweet potato this week, which means my belly is showing more and more every day.

It's always fun to wake up in the mornings and : A. remember that I'm pregnant  B. check out the size of the growing belly. In fact, one day this last week Joe wrote on my belly "My baby" and drew an arrow to directly under my belly button. Guess that's just in case I woke up and forgot point A! Thanks Hubby :)

I had my Hubby join me in the belly pics this week.

He's going to be such an amazing Daddy!

17 and counting

This week has been really fun! About 4 days ago I started feeling Lil' Futt move consistently. I had felt a few little wiggles before, but now I definitely know what it is and it makes me laugh every time! I also feel like my belly has popped out there a little this week.

Our Lil' Futt is the size of an onion or turnip - not very cute comparisons, but I guess it's just for the size so I'll deal with it - and little bones are starting to form this week!

We went to our Doctor on Monday for a regular check up. We didn't do an ultrasound this time, but we got to hear the sweet little heartbeat! It was a short visit, and everything seemed normal - PTL!!!  In the mean time, we are anxiously awaiting the 28th when we'll get to go back for our "level 2 scans" and get to see our baby again.
I've been a little sad that we won't get to find out the sex of the baby at our next (19 week) appointment. But I keep telling myself that will give us something to look forward to in January! As if there isn't enough excitement planned for that month already...

oh and just because I think it's funny...
1. I'm still craving fried chicken all the time. Let's just say that I'm keeping KFC in business over here :)
2. I woke up from a nap the other day dreaming of and craving crunchy beef tacos from Taco Bell. (which is funny because I'm a hard core Taco John's fan!)
3. My mom was asked by a friend the other day if I'd continue my healthy eating habits in the States (because we are much more healthy over here for the most part). My response, filled with laughter, "nope! I've got too many cravings to fill! "

Here is What's Been Brewing

In our hometown, we could easily surround ourselves with fellow Followers. I know that the percentage of Believers in our hometown is not 100%, but it was very easy for me to fool myself into thinking that.  I could comfortably surround myself with Believers whenever I wanted.  Looking back, I can see that this lead me to taking for granted the benefits and encouragement found in the Body.

Here on this side of the globe, in the mega-city we call home, the percentages aren't quite as high and it's a little harder to fill our circles with Believers.  If we really tried, we could go days or weeks without laying eyes on another person who believes the message that God's Son is the true way to salvation.

This makes the friendships we do have with local Followers so sweet and special. The other night we were able to get together in a local coffee shop for a time of worship. At one point, there were Indian, Korean, and Nigerian believers all belting out God of This City. While they were singing I quietly sat and thanked God for the glimpse of what Glory will be like someday. I get oh so excited just thinking about it!

With all of this is mind, here are some things I've learned in the last 18 months: Never take for granted the time you have with your brothers and sisters in faith. Never take for granted the opportunities for corporate worship. And never pass up an opportunity to share the best part of your life with those that haven't heard.

We truly can't wait to see you all in few months. It will be so sweet to spend time catching up on the last couple of years. More than that, it will be sweet to worship with our Faith Family again.

Fifteen and Sixteen

15 weeks

Last Tuesday (oops, I'm a little behind) we made it to week 15 in the pregnancy.

We loved going to the Dr. while Beth and Lar were here. We were able to get a sweet profile of our little one and hear his/her heartbeat on the doppler. It still amazes me that this little one is dancing all over the place and I can't feel a thing! (There have been a couple times where I think I might have felt movement, but I'm not sure... it still seems a little early)

This is our sweet Doctor.

(I have candy shoved in my cheek for the picture. perfect)

We were also were very proud to show off the Women's Care Center to my sis. Being in the medical field, she can now go home and reassure the rest of our families that we are getting wonderful care over here. In fact, we're getting spoiled with all these ultrasounds, extra blood tests, and frequent appointments that are so common here :)

14 weeks and 2 days

Beth tried to see if she could identify the sex of the baby on the ultrasound, but she said it was a little too early to tell. Oh well, it was worth a shot right!

And besides an embarrassing episode of losing my breakfast on the metro, I've felt like a new woman! I only took one nap the entire time my sis was in town. Guess I'm in that "honeymoon" trimester I've read so much about.

Today is the 16 week mark for our little one!

16 weeks

I've been blessed by a bag of maternity clothes, pregnancy books, and a fun calendar to keep track of this pregnancy. And this week received a package especially for our lil foot from our friend Kelsi! Holding those little tiny clothes gives me butterflies and gets me really excited for March. Aren't they sweet?!

I am so thankful for the love and support of friends and family. Can't wait to hug you all in person!

Goodbyes

We said our goodbyes last night, and have begun our return to "normal" life today. Thankfully the goodbyes were a little easier this time around. Maybe because it was our 4th time to say them in the last 2 years. Or maybe it was because they were followed with "see you 3 months". But without a doubt it was because we had so many people praying for us!

Before they came, I made a list of all the things I wanted to get to do with them while they were visiting. Thankfully, due to good health, perfect weather, and tons of time, we completed the list about 2 hours before taking them to the airport! We crammed everyday full of touristy things, yummy food, and lots of laughter!

It's fun to look back at pictures taken of the four of us at Beth and Lar's wedding 7 years ago. Little did we know 7 years later we'd all be in India posing together for more of the same goofy pics! It's fun to think where we might be snapping pics in the future.

Here are just a few more pics from Beth and Lar's visit to India:

I told you we laughed a lot!

The weather was perfect!

I love Lar's face in this one!

We've been encouraged, refreshed, and refocused with their visit. We've made unforgettable memories.

Now it's time to finish these next few months well.