Life Update

So, this month is a busy one, and this first weekend is no exception! Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am sitting here in bed composing this blog while my wonderful husband updates our budget before we go to sleep. I cannot help but consider how grateful I am for the servant's heart he has for our family. He spends his days at work, patiently dealing with difficult customers and learning his role as a manager (which is itself an ongoing learning experience), then he comes home to play with a joyful daughter that we both could not be more delighted to have, and after dinner he spends his evening encouraging me and making sure I am thriving as a Christian, as a wife and as a mommy.

Tomorrow, we will enjoy our church and then spend the afternoon with our family finding out the gender for baby number 2 so we can start calling them by name and tell AJ she will have a little brother or sister instead of having to keep saying "sibling" because it is driving us crazy! LOL We are so excited to find out! My mom finally found (on Etsy) a big sister onesie for 6-9mos size... I guess there is not enough of a market for mass producers to make them for kiddos under the age of 1 hehe. We will be posting a layout photo with her and our ultrasound photos for the reveal, so keep an eye out.

AJ is doing so well this week! She is adjusting nicely into a new schedule, playing hard, standing up all over the place, and eating lots of solids - well twice a day - (along with 4 bottles a day!). She is growing up right before my eyes and it is such an incredible blessing to sift through photos of her and see how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. I cannot wait to see how she grows into a little girl, but I already know these stages are going to pass by so fast, I don't want to rush through them. 

On the gluttony front, I am still struggling with food intake and staying healthy, but this past week I have walked A LOT and given myself every excuse to keep up with my steps goals. I know that real health starts in the kitchen on what I choose to put into my body, but this is a lifelong struggle, so changes and habits are not going to change overnight. However, I can tell you that because I have been walking, choices have been getting better and I feel a lot better throughout the day and the next when I have achieved my goals. 

As far as the pregnancy itself goes, I cannot complain. I am starting to notice more movement, so I'm not forgetting that I am pregnant anymore. LOL I love feeling #2 move around and cause flutters in my tummy. I am feeling really good and this has been an awesome week. I cannot wait to celebrate Mother's Day tomorrow and enjoy hubby's day off! 

Love, 

Jessy 

Numbers 6:24-25

20 Weeks

So many people wonder if this pregnancy is different than my last. To be quite honest, I still have days where I forget that I'm pregnant because I am really busy - teaching and training and watching out for a mobile now 7 month old hahahaha.

I can tell you that there was not a lot of morning sickness, though, I didn't really have time to be hurling in the bathroom since I am home all day with a baby who needs constant supervision. I started feeling #2 move around this week, which is about 2 weeks sooner than I felt AJ. She was pretty chill and the only thing I was feeling was her shift in sleeping positions (which she still does). As far as I can tell, this pregnancy is going pretty well. There has not been any major events, I can feel our little one moving, each visit there baby has shown signs of growth and a strong heartbeat, and we are pretty happy parents.

In the spirit of embracing the bump, I will share that I have started gaining weight again because these last couple weeks have been rough and schedules have eluded me. To confess, food has been my comfort and a poor choice at that. I have still been determined to walk, though the hard work is cancelled out once I am home and the only steps I take are between the couch and the kitchen. It has only been a 5 pound gain in the last 3 weeks, so I am confident that even if I cannot lose it, I can maintain it (through grace, prayer, and hard work). I can say, though, that the gain has not been overwhelming in its discouragement and I am much more comfortable in my own skin than I was a year ago waiting for AJ.

Please keep us in your prayers that I would set a good example for my daughter and remember the importance of having a healthy diet no matter what stage of life or season I may be in.

Seven Months

AJ turned 7 months yesterday! She is a mover and a shaker, she began crawling just about 2-3 weeks ago and is not content in any one spot. Nor is she content just to crawl! It has not taken her long to build the strength to pull herself up and maneuver her way around the room (holding on tight, of course).

Pulling herself up on bouncers, chairs, coffee tables, entertainment centers, bookshelves, and couches, she is one determined little peanut! Mommy did not even realize there was that much stuff to pull up on! We are in trouble...

Teething to no end, there have been little signs of actual teeth coming through. Combining that with growth spurts have interrupted naps and nighttime sleep. Thankfully, at night, daddy is able to comfort her and she goes back to sleep quite easily. However, the shortened naps have been something mommy frequently must discern: do we rock back to sleep or start playing without starting a new bottle? Mostly it has been the latter, she is not accustomed to being rocked to sleep often, which is a huge blessing for all of us. AJ is such a good baby, and we are very blessed to be able to watch her grow.

Some of her favorite things include:
*Standing up, using whatever means necessary
*Trying to climb (fortunately for mommy, we are having a frustrating go of that!)
*Eating solids, trying new foods (mostly fruits and veggies)
*Emptying out the diaper bag (it's no fun playing with the toys that are just lying around ;))
*Finding every nook and cranny that daddy and mommy do not want me in :)

We have one adventurous little girl, but I cannot wait to see how she grows. I love taking her to the park and putting her in the baby swings (not much else we can do besides lay out a blanket to crawl off of). It is so much fun to think of all the things we will have the privilege of teaching her, it is also such an amazing blessing to take our time (even though it seems to slip by faster than we realize) soaking in this season of infancy.

An Update on Hubby

I have spent so much time on here giving baby updates and sharing my own struggles with weight and other issues. I realize, though, that I have failed to share marital updates and how my hubby is. 

PJ has been a little stressed at work, lately. It has been a bit of a whirlwind these last couple of months with his performance review, an offer to move stores and the potential loss of one of his strongest technicians. His review went well, and I was so proud to hear that his store is progressing so well as one of the leading stores in the High Desert.

His boss offered him a different store in the same area which is also underperforming (worse than where his current store was). He hoped PJ would take over to help improve it and follow a similar career path as his manager. That is, clean up store after store until they are ready to bring him up to a corporate level. He politely declined the position, honestly sharing that he did not have the desire to follow the same career path. It was difficult, as it would have come with a pay raise, but it was just as far if not a little farther away from home and was open later hours. We like the store he is at now because his other staff member likes the closing shift and PJ has days 99% of the time. There would be no scheduling guarantees at the other store. Along with the relief of keeping his daytime work schedule, PJ is excited to remain with his current team and see more growth where he is.

One of the most dependable technicians was considering leaving PJ's store. It would have been a big loss, since he was one of the few who could work multiple stations proficiently. With another job lined up and a plan to leave soon, hubby set to work on finding a replacement, along with another part timer to cover call outs and vacations. With the process in motion, the district manager reached out to the tech and convinced him to stay. In addition, he is still allowing PJ to hire another part timer and request backup from neighboring stores so the area has a floater tech. Hubby has enjoyed conducting his first interviews and it has been a good experience for growth. 

In other news, hubby shared that it has been difficult to find sufficient fellowship outside of Sunday mornings due to work. I have no doubt many of my own friends' husbands feel this way. I am extremely blessed to have my weekly women's study, times to meet up with my friends during the week, and the opportunity to catch up on Sunday mornings. It is hard for us to do weekends with friends, as PJ is in a retail pharmacy, and his days off are Sunday and Thursday. 

It is fortunate, though, that there a few close friends of his from church who also have odd hours. Hubby was able to join them in an early morning study on Thursdays. Please be praying for a rich time of fellowship and encouragement. I am so excited for him to have this time to spend in God's Word with godly men. 

Thank you for your prayers and love for our family! 

Love, Jessy. 

Baby Number 2

I did not exactly "embrace the bump" with AJ. I will be honest, I was ashamed and embarrassed by the fact that I was already overweight and I never really felt like I looked pregnant with her. It was like I continued to get wider and I was jealous of all those mamas with cute little bumps that were adorably distinguishable. All that to say, I really do wish I had taken more bump photos to see the physical progression of her growth. 

This time around, I'm embracing my little one and all the bodily changes they're causing. I am a little more confident with number 2 since I'm a little seasoned now haha Also, I'm simply in a better place. Before this pregnancy started, I was walking 4-5 days a week and already working on changing my diet. I'm 17 weeks today and I'm actually still losing weight. It definitely has (or has not) helped that we were all ridiculously sick multiple times and just under 2 weeks ago I had my braces put on and I'm still adjusting. 

Well, I'm back to my honeymoon weight, which is still far from my goal. However, I am embracing this bump and all the bodily discomforts he or she is causing me :) 

Happy Monday, everyone!

Love, Jessy 

6 Months Old

AJ is now 6 months old and she is an incredibly independent child! Still stubborn, but not as deliberate about it, she is eating solids and LOVES them! Now that she moves around a lot more, she has a greater appetite, so feeding times are not as dreaded for mommy :)

6 Months:
*Very much enjoys eating baby food and strawberries
*Loves tummy time, uses to plank and swim
*Wants to crawl, but can't quite figure out how to coordinate arm and leg movement at the same time
*Loves to stand up and browse about
*Teething and chewing on everything, no teeth yet, though
*Enjoys trying to see if the yellow stuffed Peep is an actual marshmallow - it's not
*Thinks she's older than she is, displayed in her refusal to be held - especially like a baby!

One of my favorite memories is watching her try to crawl. She got up on her hands and feet, as if she were planking, and started doing mountain climbers. From there, she dropped her hips down and pushed herself up to look at me. I smiled at her, and she dropped down instantly and began kicking her legs as fast as she could, she looked like she was trying to swim! I was talking to daddy on the phone during his lunch and apologized that I couldn't get a video because every time I pull up video, she just stares at me blankly. His words were incredibly encouraging and I will never forget them, because they help me through the tough days, "That's okay, my love, as long as you treasure all these things in your heart, it's enough for me to hear you tell me about it."

PJ's favorite day was when he came home from work and I was feeding her in the bedroom. She was taking a break and I called him in to say hi and give her hugs. He came to the doorway, I told her, "Say hi to daddy!." She beamed over at him and squealed with delight! It was so precious.

5 Months Old

Yesterday, our daughter turned 5 months old. AJ is such a precious baby, and I am humbled every time we go out and friends, family, and even strangers go on about how adorable she is. I am also very grateful for the mesh of her features. I was sincerely convinced that she would look more like her daddy: with the color of her eyes, the shape of her eyebrows, the darker skin color she had when she was smaller, and other things. However, the shape of her eyes, her nose, her mouth, and her feet definitely point to the fact that she is my little one, too :) Her skin is also getting lighter as time goes by, and her hair seems a lighter brown, too.

PJ and I have learned a lot as parents: we do not know anything! And the Lord has humbled us both at every turn - just when we think we have it down, AJ changes it up on us. The growth spurts and teething have been rapid this last month. It seemed like she went from size 3mos to 3-6mos overnight! One morning, we went to put on her sleeper, and she was too long! Toes were pushing through the feet and the neckline was being pulled to her chest o.0

It has been difficult for us to spend some time alone. We are happy to report that her last feeding is around 5pm/6pm and she goes down at 8pm. This gives us a solid hour in bed before we go to sleep to talk and catch up with one another about our days. I am also grateful that PJ is able to call me during his lunches, it makes for a fun midday break.

AJ's favorites:
*Rolling over: both ways and both directions!
*Getting "scared" and laughing hysterically: she loves it when we shock her a little, she waits for us to pop open our eyes and say "Boo!" >D
*Biting: EVERYTHING
*Waking up early from naps for extra play time!
*Taking her sweet time finishing her milk: pretty sure she enjoys taunting mommy and daddy lol

I guess that's it for now. Thanks for enjoying life with us!