40 Weeks with Baby Brother

I How far along? 39 weeks 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +28 lbs (18 this pregnancy, +10 from Naomi)

Maternity clothes? Yes mostly. So thankful the weather is cooling off and I can wear my warmer maternity clothes.

Stretch marks? Those red dots are expanding and I have a few more than last time. The are on the sides of my belly, above my hips.

Sleep: Not awesome, again. I have trouble with back and hip pain and restless legs are coming back. Thankfully I have been able to fall back to sleep pretty quickly when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Miss Anything? Running! I stopped running at 37 weeks because Noah fell sick and couldn't walk and we were taking it easy, by the time I started up again 2 weeks later, my doctor told me I shouldn't run because of the time I'd had off and how far along I was.

Movement: He is moving consistently, not a crazy active baby though (a lot like his big brother).

Food cravings: Anything other than most veggies.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Veggies!

Have you started to show yet: Yes, at 2 days shy of my due date, I am def looking pregnant. Although I still get "you don't look like you're about to pop!!" comments almost daily. These are not hurtful, but I don't know how to respond, so it's awkward. Also it's a little frustrating because when you DO look about to pop people are extra nice to you and sympathetic, but I am mostly ignored if there is another pregnant person in the vicinity.

Gender: Baby Brother!!

Labor Signs: Not really :-(. I found out last Friday at my appointment that they will induce labor this coming Monday if he hasn't already come on his own because of my history of stillbirth with Naomi. So we are praying praying he comes beforehand! I was 3 cm and 50% effaced today at my appt, and Doctor said there's a 50/50 chance he could come before Monday, haha...not super helpful. Truly doing our best to rest and know it is completely in God's hands. 

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Starting to get more moody, which I am apologetic for. I am uncomfortable and trying not to be anxious about the induction. God is able! Also my mom has been here the past week which has been wonderful and such a help!

Size of Baby: I don't even know...I'm guessing around 8 lbs, similar to his brother (Noah was 7 lbs 14.5 oz at birth at 41 weeks).

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): Just walking each day, some days more than others, trying to get this guy to come out!

How about Big Brother?  

He is actually just waking up from his nap now so this will be short, but one of my favorite things he has done here and there is run around the house saying "come out little brother! Want to meet you!" He is loving going outside constantly and especially playing on the new fort his dada built him in the back yard with swings and a slide and big platform! He also asks for "dada hammer" all day long and loves to hammer everything in sight.

37 Weeks with Baby Brother

I How far along? 36 weeks 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: +25 lbs (15 this pregnancy, +10 from Naomi)

Maternity clothes? Yes mostly. Some bigger t-shirts and I have a couple pairs of shorts that aren't maternity, but have a stretchier waist, so they work.

Stretch marks? Red "dots" on the tops of the stretch marks I gained with Noah, indicating the skin is stretching around there again this time. Thankfully I only had a couple with him, but I didn't notice them til after he arrived, so there could be more hiding.

Sleep: Not so good still. It is extra hard because I end up keeping Jimmy awake with all my tossing and turning and he needs his sleep too, of course. I am not struggling quite as much with restless legs, PTL, but I do have a lot of pain in my pelvis after being on my side, so I roll partly to my back and then have lower back pain, so I spend the night going back and forth. I am also struggling to shut my brain off! I keep wanting little guy to be here and get too excited to sleep, even though I'm exhausted.

Miss Anything? Sleep and Noah being able to sit comfortably on my lap, but otherwise going strong.

Movement: I've found that days I run in the morning he doesn't move a whole lot. If I take a day off from running, he is a crazy person and moves all over all day long!

Food cravings: Sweets and comfort foods. I pretty much am wanting to eat all hours I'm awake.

Anything making you queasy or sick: for some reason I have an aversion to vegetables now like I did in the first trimester. I will try to make myself eat some greens and it is the nastiest thing to me! So weird!

Have you started to show yet: Yes, i think I look 8+ months pregnant now, but I actually get more comments about how small my belly is whenever people ask. I am not complaining, he is just wedged in real deep.

Gender: Baby Brother!!

Labor Signs: not really, I'd like them to hold off til my mom gets here on the 16th, but any time immediately after that would be great! I will say I've had some cramping and BH contractions the past couple days that have been uncomfortable, but definitely not impending labor. I was dilated 1 cm at my 36 week appt (which I was with Noah as well).

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy and very grateful for the life God has given me, I truly love where we are as a family and can't wait for this little guy to get here! That being said, I have a much harder time controlling my mood swings than I should and that is just hard on everyone. This is still true, and I am only getting more and more excited for our buddy's arrival. It is hard for me to just be content and rest in each day as God brings it, but I am trying!

Size of Baby: he was 5 lbs 1 oz at 33 weeks and measuring 6 lbs 12 oz at our ultrasound this morning!!

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): I am starting to ease off a little as I have a lot of pelvic pain after I run and pool is closed temporarily. Sat: off Sun: off Mon: off Tues: ran 3.1 miles at Y Wed: Ran 3.6 miles at Y Thurs: Ran 3 miles at Y, Fri or Sat: Hoping to run 4 miles with Noah if it isn't too hot.

How about Big Brother?  

Noah continues to be a joy and a blessing at a week shy of 20 mos. We got him a new "glider" bike yesterday that he is still a little small for, but is starting to get the hang of. He LOVES his dada so much and it is wonderful! Jimmy and Noah have so much fun together, and right now I feel like I can only observe because of being tired and sore, but soon, Lord willing, the 4 of us will be galavanting together! Noah is speaking in sentences sometimes 5 words long and continues to amaze us with his intelligence! These little people learn so much so fast! We are working on memorizing John 3:16, and so far have "for God so loved the world." We so desire and pray that he would love Jesus with his whole heart and it is sweet to hear him repeat Scripture and pray. He has been completely obsessed with listening to music 24 hours a day. He wakes up and immediately says "Music!" We'll say "how was your night/nap?" He'll say "Music!" Until we bring him in to the living room and turn the music on. When he doesn't like a song he'll say "different music" and when a song ends, he'll say "bye bye music!" And my favorite is when it's a live recording and there's clapping at the end, he'll pause whatever he's doing and say "yaaaaay music!" We like to dance together to "Faithful" by Daniel Renstrom and Noah has started to request and sing the word "Faithful." I could go on and on, obviously. I just want to have a record of these sweet memories with our big brother!

Bump at 36&6:

33 Weeks with Baby Brother

 How far along? 32 wks 6 days.

Total weight gain/loss: +23 lbs (13 this pregnancy, +10 from Naomi)

Maternity clothes? Yes mostly. Some bigger t-shirts and I have a couple pairs of shorts that aren't maternity, but have a stretchier waist, so they work.

Stretch marks? Not yet, but can tell the couple I ended up with from Noah are "flaring up" (?)

Sleep: Not so good. It is extra hard because I end up keeping Jimmy awake with all my tossing and turning and he needs his sleep too, of course. I have pretty bad restless legs most nights and they can keep me up for 2-3 hours :(. Some nights I also have a hard time breathing, so the combo is really no fun.

Miss Anything? Yes. I miss it not being in the 90°s and super humid constantly! But, praise the Lord, it looks like we're getting a little bit of a break this week.

Movement: This little boy is moving a lot these days, which is wonderful. He gets the hiccups pretty much everyday and sometimes jabs some body part out so you can feel it, like a lump on the side of my belly. Really fun for me :).

Food cravings: Sweets and comfort foods. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think I am more sensitive to smells right now, so if there is a yucky smell, it seems worse to me than it actually is, but nothing that really makes me nauseated.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, more people commenting on my belly and asking when I'm due :).

Gender: Baby Brother!!

Labor Signs: No, and I want them to hold off for now, but if they could show up in a few weeks and not wait forevs like they did with Noah, I would be very appreciative.

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy and very grateful for the life God has given me, I truly love where we are as a family and can't wait for this little guy to get here! That being said, I have a much harder time controlling my mood swings than I should and that is just hard on everyone.

Size of Baby: 17+ inches and 4-5 lbs!! Can't believe it!

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): Mon: Ran 4 miles with Noah, Tues: off, Wed: Ran 4.1 at Y, Thurs: Ran 4.1 at Y, Fri: Swam 1600 yards at Y, Sat: Ran 5 miles with Noah.

How about Big Brother?  

Oh my goodness, I love that little guy so much! He is becoming more and more social. He seems to LOVE going to The Y now and says "Hi! hi! hi!" to all the childcare workers whenever we go. He loves to run around and be tickled and tries to "jump!" but can't get off the ground yet. He has learned to climb on the coffee table and talks all the time about "go on table! Up high!" which we let him do because it is amazingly entertaining. He said "I love you, mama" the other day and says "I love you, dada" too. It is the sweetest. He LOVES the toddler pool at the Y and tries to make friends with all the other kids while running around in the water. He has also almost figured out how to blow bubbles in the water! He speaks mostly in sentences, which amazes us and is really adorable. We just love our little man and can't wait to introduce him to his baby brother!!

Bump Pic:

27 Weeks with Baby Brother

How far along? 26 weeks 5 days (at my appointment today I learned that my doctor hadn't officially changed my due date to September 30 in my paperwork, so we are going by September 26.)

Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs (11 this pregnancy, +10 from Naomi)

Maternity clothes? Yep yep - and if you have any you want to send my way, please do! It is HOT here and I am uncomfortable in everything, but don't have many maternity clothes and they are expensive things!

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL! Pulled out the Cocoa Butter the other day to start the prevention.

Sleep: Usually very good, but I have been congested (again!) the last couple of nights and have had a lot of lower back pain, so a little less good right now.

Miss Anything? Cooler days of Spring, haha!  But not much right now, just so wanting to meet our sweet boy!

Movement: He doesn't move quite as often right now, but he still makes himself known a few times a day and it is really great.  So much fun!

Food cravings: Sometimes doughnuts.  Always desserts.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really! Ptl feeling good!

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I feel like I look like I did when I was 30 weeks with Noah/BigBro!

Gender: Baby Brother!!

Labor Signs: Oh no, sir!

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am quite happy! But I do get tired more easily and every once in a while have a silly mood swing.

Size of Baby: About 9 inches and 2 lbs!

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): Thurs: Ran 3.5 miles at the Y, Friday: off, Saturday: Ran 4 miles on Neuse River Trail, Sunday: Ran 3 miles from home, Monday: Swam 1600 yds at the Y, Tuesday: Ran 4.15 miles at the Y, Wednesday: Walked 2 miles at Shelley Lake + 50 min Prenatal DVD

How about Big Brother?  Noah is so so sweet and he is such a joy to parent!  Of course, he has his moments of disobedience because he was born with a sin nature, but he is learning and growing leaps and bounds every day!  He LOVES playing with friends and says their names over and over when he knows he is going to see them.  He does well at the nursery at church and the Y and says "thank you" and "Bye bye" to the workers when we pick him up.  He says tons of words at this point and is starting on sentences! Right now they are short "Bye Bye/Night Night Dada/Lyla/Daniel/insert friend's name" and "Park? Play?"My favorite word to hear him say (other than Mama) is "Applesauce" because it is adorable.  He LOVES books and will pretty much read Hop On Pop to you himself.  He will also ask for books by name and retrieve the correct book if you ask him to get a certain one. He recognizes Mickey everywhere somehow and "Deorge" (Curious George).  He is also great with shapes, especially "Kircle" and will point out circles on everything.  When I get out my guitar he excitedly says "'tar!" and when we ask what he wants to sing he almost always says "ABCs!" and then he wants to sing "Bababa" (Ba Ba Black Sheep).  He also asks for "Big!" (My God is So Big) and "Beep beep beep!" (Wheels on the Bus). I feel like he does something new every day and it never ceases to amaze me.  He is such a gift from God and I can not wait for him to meet his baby brother (he also loves to pat my belly and say "Hi, baby! Hi, baby!").

Sorry, still no pic.  I will try to take one and update soon!

23 Weeks with Baby Brother!

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +20 lbs (10 this pregnancy, +10 from Naomi/HeavenGirl)

Maternity clothes? Yep yep

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL!

Sleep: Pretty good!  I am usually up once to pee, and that's not bad at all!

Miss Anything? Prob fitting into clothes and feeling comfortable in my skin.

Movement: Yes, this boy moves SO much and it is a blessing from the Lord for that reassurance.  He is very strong already and I feel him pretty consistently every day.

Food cravings: Nothing too crazy, but today I want all the terrible comfort foods.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really! Ptl feeling good!

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I feel like I look like I did when I was 30 weeks with Noah/BigBro!

Gender: Baby Brother!!

Labor Signs: Oh no, sir!

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am quite happy! But I do get tired more easily and every once in a while have a silly mood swing.

Size of Baby: About 8 inches and 1.2 lbs!

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): I will have to check back on my Garmin for last Thurs - I think I ran 4 miles Thurs, swam 1200 yrds Fri, Ran 5 miles Sat, off Sunday, 1 hr Muscle Class at Y Monday, walked 1.25 Tuesday...hoping to run 4 miles today for National Running Day!

Sorry, no pic yet.  My computer is incredibly slow, so I dread trying to get on and update, which is why it has been so far in between, and dealing with pictures is just another blah on top of that.  Apologetic!

16 Week Update - Baby #3

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Okay, so here is the deal with this section for this pregnancy - I gained 10 lbs with HeavenGirl and never lost the weight, so I started pregnancy #3 roughly 10 lbs heavier than I was with BigBro pre pregnancy.  I am using my BigBro pre pregnancy weight as my starting weight and hoping to curb weight gain since I started out so much heavier...make sense?  So right now I am going to say my weight gain is 11lbs, even though I have actually only gained 1-2 lbs this pregnancy alone. I am trying (not really that hard) to maintain this weight until at least 20 weeks, to be on a healthier track.  By "trying" I am running some and not really watching what I eat at all.

Maternity clothes? I guess...I am really in-between and feel large in everything truthfully.  When baby belly is actually looking baby-bellyish, this will get better.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL!

Sleep: Pretty good!  I am usually up once to pee, and that's not bad at all!

Best moment this week: I just love hanging out with BigBro all day everyday.  He is a sweet sweet boy and I cherish our times together.  Even better are the times when WBH comes home.  I love him and miss him very much while he is working.  So the best moments have been him walking in the door every evening :).

Miss Anything? Prob fitting into clothes and feeling comfortable in my skin.

Movement: Not yet, hopefully just a few more weeks!  It will be extra reassuring when baby is big enough to feel consistently,

Food cravings: Today - sweets.  But it varies and nothing really crazy now that I'm out of nausea trimester.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really! Ptl feeling so much better (than weeks 5-13).

Have you started to show yet: Nope, just extra pudge that can kind of look like a baby bump in the right outfit.

Gender: Find out in 2 weeks!!

Labor Signs: Oh no, sir!

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am quite happy! But I do get tired more easily and every once in a while have a silly mood swing.

Size of Baby: About the size of an avocado - roughly 4.5 inches and 3.5 oz.

Exercise this week (this is for my own accountability): Ran a mile, walked a mile with BigBro Sunday, Ran 2 miles with BigBro Monday, ran 2.75 with BigBro Tuesday, Ran 2 with BigBro Wednesday.  All about 10:30 min/mile.

Baby bump Selfie:

Expecting #3, Part 2

It was recommended we wait at least 3 months before trying to get pregnant again.  It also just so happened that all of the Fall Holidays and Christmas came about in those three months.  I was somewhat of an emotional basket case, but not as much as you might expect.  The first 2 months I couldn't really imagine having another baby, I just wanted to have HeavenGirl and I knew that getting pregnant again would not fix the pain of our loss.  Like anyone going through grief (and I've been here a time or two at this point in my life), there were clear, really good days, and completely cloudy, not-so-good days.  When it came time to "try" again, however, we were absolutely ready for another baby.  Not to "get over" the loss of HeavenGirl, but because we were even more excited about the idea of pregnancy and having another sweet life entrusted to us.  We realized how much and how deeply we loved our babies and that we were called to have more! Praise God!

We got pregnant the first month we tried, and we absolutely know how undeserving we are of that blessing.  We have many friends that are struggling and have struggled with infertility and we do not take our ability to conceive for granted.  We are flat on our face in awe of such grace.

This time we scheduled an appointment with the prenatal nurse for 6 weeks and saw our doctor at 8 weeks.  At 8 weeks, all looked good! We were amazed and grateful.  And our due date? Sep 30th.  Remember how I told you to remember that date from last time? Yes. This baby's due date is the exact anniversary of the day we found out HeavenGirl had died.  This is not a coincidence, and there is nothing we could have done to plan to have this exact due date.  Again, we are floored at God's mercy.

We had another appt at 10 weeks for my peace of mind, and then a heart beat check at 14 weeks.  So far, so good! I have a doppler (that a sweet organization is lending to me because of our history of loss) so I can listen to baby's heartbeat whenever I want.  It is reassuring to have this ability, but we know that the Doppler does not keep baby alive.

So now I am 16 weeks along! Our next appointment is on April 30 for our 18 week anatomy scan ultrasound. We are so excited!

We're often asked how we are doing emotionally with this pregnancy after our loss.  I am grateful to say that we are very peaceful 95% of the time.  We know that this life is in God's hands, not ours or the doctor's, and we trust that, whatever the outcome, it is good. Of course, about every 3 weeks there will be a hard day where one of us especially misses HeavenGirl and is nervous about the future, and on those days I run head on into the grief and by the morning, it has passed. Probably the hardest is seeing so many pregnant friends that have such a bubbly, joyful innocence about pregnancy - they have never lost and so, why should they think it's a possibility?  They shouldn't dwell on that, for sure! It is selfishly hard because I want that innocence back, and it may never come.  But that is okay, I still deeply cherish the life that is growing!

Expecting #3, Part 1

I recently read through all of my pregnancy updates with BigBro and it got me thinking about a few things-

1.  I really like being able to look back and see the progression that led to our sweet sweet BigBro.
2. Wow! I really left that on a cliff hanger and need to at LEAST post his birth story for a finale sometime.  AND
3. I wish I had recorded along the way for our HeavenGirl. 

So now that we are expecting our third baby at the end of September, I want to start posting some updates to cherish for later seasons.

Why "Part 1?"

Some of you (if any ever read this) may not have even known we were expecting a baby before this one and others know of our loss and want to know what happened.  The "what happened" will be addressed here, and a follow-up post about how we are doing this time around and my current weekly progress will be posted separately.

Here is the story, told as briefly as possible, about our HeavenGirl.

We were absolutely not trying to get pregnant when I took the pregnancy test that informed us that yes, 4.5 months after our BigBro was born, we were expecting another baby blessing.  We were still overjoyed and trusted that children truly truly are a good gift from God. I waited a while to go to the doctor because, hey, I'd been through all of that like 5 days ago...okay, like a year ago.  Everything was going well, I was active, not spotting, had morning sickness that passed by the 2nd trimester, nothing super eventful.  I finally decided to make an appointment when I was about what I thought was 15 weeks along (I never had my period, but guessed based on my morning sickness).  Doctor and ultrasound tech confirmed that I was, indeed, 15.5 weeks and all looked great - they could even tell we were having a girl(!) already and our anatomy scan at 18 weeks confirmed that we definitely were!  Everything looked great at the 18 week appointment and we went on our way with our next appointment scheduled for Sep 30 (remember that date) at 22 weeks. 

I felt HeavenGirl kick quite a bit over the next couple weeks - we moved into our first home, I ramped up my running, cleaned and painted our new home quite a bit, played with BigBro and WBH constantly.  I stopped feeling HeavenGirl around 20 weeks, but wasn't concerned because I hadn't felt BigBro consistently until after 23 weeks or so (both babies had anterior placentas). 

The night before our 22 week check up, I told WBH that I was slightly nervous about the appointment the next day, but had no good reason to be.  He asked if I wanted him to come along (we were so chill about appts at this point because we'd beed to so many in the past year and a half) and I said no, that it would be silly for him to miss work for a quick heart beat check.

I had 9 month old  BigBro in tow at the 22 week check up and as we strolled into the office, the nurse handed me a paper and said, "This is for your glucose test at your next appointment." I was secretly excited, knowing glucose testing means I am that much closer to meeting my little girl! Dr. Groff came in, had me hop up on the chair, and gelled me up for the heartbeat check.  After searching for a couple minutes without finding a heartbeat, she said we should just have an ultrasound instead of fishing around any longer.  I immediately texted WBH (who left work and came to the office), my mom, and a close friend I had been in touch with that morning.  BigBro and I headed to the fancy ultrasound room and the sweet Tech looked at HeavenGirl on the screen while we waited for Dr. Groff to come in. As soon as she got in, she said "No heartbeat?" And I burst into tears.  WBH showed up not long after and we were given our options for how to proceed to deliver our sweet, precious, dead baby girl.

The next 24 hours was long and hard as we spent the night in the hospital, waiting and waiting to deliver our baby.  The nurses were sweet, but we just wanted the whole thing to be over.  There is nothing like waiting for the pains of labor to deliver a child you will never meet on this side of Heaven.  I won't go into more details because I don't want to cry right now and I do have them written down in a personal journal, but know that we did deliver our sweet HeavenGirl the following afternoon (Oct 1st) and God is good.  We rejoice, knowing that she is not at all sad to be missing life with us here, she is with our Savior in perfect peace! She never knew the suffering of this world and we praise God for that, even though we miss her so so much. 

For those that wonder what went wrong - we don't really know.  It seemed that her umbilical cord was pinched right where it met her belly button, but we aren't sure why.  Our doctors have said there is no reason to suspect that this will happen again in a future pregnancy, and that is really all we have. We trust that is how God created her - to have fulfilled her purpose for His glory by only 22 weeks in the womb.  She is an amazing girl!

36 Week Update!

How far along? 36 Weeks, 2 days!

Total weight gain/loss: I am not completely sure, but I think I'm up 25lbs.

Maternity clothes? Mostly, but still wearing my running tights and capris and some t-shirts.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL!

Sleep: Getting to be less good - I seem to only be able to sleep on my left side, but then I wake up aching with all the pressure on that side (and of course have to pee every time) and have a hard time falling back to sleep.  I am grateful that I am only mildly uncomfortable because I know many others at this point are in lots of pain when it comes to sleeping.

Best moment this week: We have some very exciting weeks ahead! But for this week - we had a fun time packing toys with our small group for a mission trip to Kenya that a group from church is taking.  We also had a great time at my work Christmas party and just getting to hang out with WBH is great.

Miss Anything? I think just not having to pee all. the. time.

Movement: He is really moving a lot and I can tell he is getting bigger and bigger because the movements are so big!  He is also capable of waking me up at night with a jab in the ribs - which, even though it is somewhat painful, doesn't bother me because it means he is strong and growing.  He's also been getting the hiccups quite a bit in there, which is really cute :).

Food cravings: I just want all food pretty much.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Actually no...feeling good!

Have you started to show yet: Yes!

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: Nothing so far - hopefully very soon!

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy! But I do get tired more easily.

Size of Baby: Counting from his estimated weight at 32ish weeks, he may be as heavy as 6.5 lbs! Not a clue about how long he is at this point.

Looking forward to: Baby showers today and tomorrow, lots of Christmas celebrations, and meeting this little man!!

And just for general Jones household news: We had a wonderful trip to Vermont for Thanksgiving!  The weather was much more bearable than I was expecting and we even hiked one day and ran the next and didn't freeze to death! It was great to see my mom and brothers and their ladies and mom's small group.  I can't wait to be reunited with family again. This month, WBH and I are excited to celebrate Christmas with both our workplaces, our small group family, and WBH's family.  We are also getting ready to pack up and move in mid-January (yep, just after baby is born).  It is a crazy and exciting time!

Hey!  This week it's not a selfie!

36 wks, 2 days
I understand that in this picture I am, in fact,
barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen.  It's cool.

33 Week Update!

Sorry I did not update last week! I thought about it briefly, but naturally things are getting busier this time of year and I find that I want to sleep if I ever have an extended amount of time free during the day - so I probably napped instead ;-).

How far along? 33 Weeks! Less than 50 days til little boy's due date!

Total weight gain/loss: I am not completely sure, but I am guessing between 20 and 22 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes, when they are clean!  I am trying to not have to buy an entire wardrobe, so I wear WBH's tees if I can or leave the bottom buttons of my coat undone, haha.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL!

Sleep: Some good nights and some less good...I am DEF taking more naps now! (same) Also, we just got some delicious flannel sheets and I sleep MUCH better on them for some reason,

Best moment this week: LOTS of "best" moments. Had an ultrasound at dr appt on Tuesday and Dr said it was "Just beautiful!" Placenta has moved up (it was down at 20 weeks, so they wanted to recheck at 32), baby's head is down (though I guess he could still flip?), and heart rate was great!

Miss Anything? I just stopped being able to bend over without baby getting all in my ribs.  A couple days ago I was shaving and noticed that I physically could not bend over to reach my legs properly because there was a solid mass there!

Movement: Yes! More and more and I try to cherish every one :).

Food cravings: Doughnuts. For real.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Actually no...feeling good!

Have you started to show yet: Yes! Though I can still hide it with a hoodie or baggy enough shirt.

Gender: Tiny boy!

Labor Signs: I have experienced a few Braxton-Hicks contractions, but not actually anything related to labor yet.

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy most of the time, but ANYTHING can make me cry and I get frustrated way more easily...this is actually getting a little better though too :).

Size of Baby: They estimated he is 4 lbs 13 oz at the Dr. on Tuesday!  Wow! Almost 5 lbs!  They didn't do a length measurement, but most sites say he would be about 17 inches now. Crazy!

Looking forward to: Right now I am REALLY looking forward to going to VT for Thanksgiving and seeing my mom and brothers and sister-in-law.

And just for general Jones household news: I have the best husband in the whole world.  He is so patient and understanding and loving and makes me feel beautiful even when I know that I have kind of a weirdly distorted body right now.  He works hard at work and still helps so much with cleaning and cooking and taking care of our home.  I am so incredibly blessed to have him and thank Jesus every single day for such a wonderful (and super handsome) man!

Here is my bathroom selfie/bump picture for LAST week.  I will probably take one later today for this week and add it, but am too lazy right now:

32 weeks (11/7/13)

31 Week Update!

How far along? 31 weeks! 2 more months!

Total weight gain/loss: +17 lbs. Little bit less than before, I think just exercising a little bit more and being slightly more conscious of what I'm eating has contributed to this.  Don't worry, I am absolutely not trying to lose weight ;-).

Maternity clothes? Yes yes yes. They are so much more comfy and flattering!

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL!

Sleep: Some good nights and some less good...I am DEF taking more naps now!

Best moment this week: LOTS of "best" moments.  Baby's heart beat was good at doctor's appt, hangin' out with WBH, feeling good enough to run a few days this week, started our birthing class on Monday!

Miss Anything? Not a whole lot really...maybe fitting into some of my clothes.

Movement: Yes! I love feeling him move more and more and become stronger.  My favorite is when he kinda squirms around (vs. prodding).

Food cravings: Sandwiches!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Actually no...feeling good!

Have you started to show yet: Yes! I think I must have "popped out" this week because starting last Saturday EVERY customer I had asked when I was due, and yesterday I went for a walk and passed a lady at a bus stop that said "That looks like it could be a boy!  You workin' it, ain't you?!"  Hahaha, it is great!

Gender: Little mister!

Labor Signs: Nothing now.

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy most of the time, but ANYTHING can make me cry and I get frustrated way more easily...this is actually getting a little better though too :).

Size of Baby: A little over 16 inches and around 3.3 lbs!

Looking forward to: Right now I am REALLY looking forward to going to VT for Thanksgiving and seeing my mom and brothers and sister-in-law.  Also I was going to say Christmas music, but I have been feeling SO Christmassy recently that I broke it out earlier this week :).

Here is my bathroom selfie/bump picture for this week:

31 Weeks! Headin' out for some exercise on a beautiful day!

Just for contrast - this was 21 wks

30 Week Update!

How far along? 30 Weeks!  10ish left to go.

Total weight gain/loss: +20 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Same as last time...Still wearing my stretchy exercise pants, but even some of them cut into my tummy.  Shirts are getting too tight.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL.

Sleep: Actually only up to pee once a night now, but it takes me a very long time to fall asleep once I've gotten up.

Best moment this week: WBH and I watching my belly move all crazy as baby is getting bigger.

Miss Anything? I get a little jealous of people training for marathons and look forward to training for the Rock N Roll Raleigh Half with my hubby after baby boy is born!

Movement: Yes! He actually kicked/punched my right ribs hard enough earlier this week that it made me jump and let out a yelp.

Food cravings: Kinda craving more sweets (this could just be the weather though).

Anything making you queasy or sick: DEFINITELY more sensitive to how things smell.  If I over extend myself I get really overheated and dizzy (back achy too). Workin' on that.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, more now I think. I have had three customers comment about my pregnant belly without thinking twice, so that makes me feel like I look more pregnant and less just fat.

Gender: Baby boy!

Labor Signs: Nothing now.

Belly Button in or out? Still so far in.

Wedding rings on or off? On and I just got them cleaned, so they look extra pretty :).

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy most of the time, but ANYTHING can make me cry and I get frustrated way more easily. :-/

Size of Baby: About 16 inches and about 3 lbs! Can't believe it!

Looking forward to: Still all of those things from before, but even more wanting to meet this baby!

Here is my bathroom selfie/bump picture for this week:

29 wks 6 days (Sorry it's kinda hard to see)

Confessing an Anxious Heart

Over the past week (or more) I have been convicted about my general attitude toward many things.  Although I am abundantly blessed and have so much to be thankful for beyond what I could have ever dreamed, I find myself complaining or being easily frustrated and angered.  As much as I would love to blame it on the pregnancy hormones, I know this is not the character I was called to have regardless of what my hormones are doing.  Honestly, most of my anxiety comes from a lack of intentional time with Jesus and self-discipline.  I am called to love others (ALL others) deeply and selflessly, to serve, to be self-controlled, and to  "be anxious about nothing." These are traits that have not defined me as of late, and I am confessing this because I don't want the pattern to continue.

Having intentional time alone with the Lord the last few days, writing in my journal, and setting goals to help in the self-discipline areas that I struggle with has been so refreshing for my soul.  Instead of getting easily angered at a difficult customer or frustrated and overwhelmed with busyness at work, I am able to start off the day looking forward to the time I have with my amazing coworkers and meeting new friends on the fit stool.  I find that I am less on edge at home and can let things blow over before they start - whereas I had really been struggling to just relax and trust how much WBH loves me and our baby. My desire is to continue engaging in these quiet times and putting into practice what I know to be true, even when my silly, irrational emotions are trying to tell me otherwise.

I am truly blessed beyond measure.  I am so in love with my Savior, and so in love with my husband (I still count down the hours 'til I get to see him again each day).  I am grateful for a wonderful job with supportive and hilarious coworkers that make each day fun.  I am thankful for the life that is kicking in my belly right now. Our church body and life class has been one of the biggest, most surprising blessings of all in these last 9 months of our new marriage.  I am even thankful for the overcast weather we have been enjoying for about a week and a half now - it makes me feel cozy and Fall-like, and mixed with our pumpkin spice candle, it is beyond peaceful.

So this is not a baby bump update or really any post of insight, just me being transparent and throwing some thoughts out there as a nice gentlemen paints our front door and probably 131 spiders are crawling into our home (another reason I am grateful for my husband ;-) ).

28 Week Update!

So a few months back, I had posted on Thursdays and said I was X number of weeks, 6 days...I was wrong.  I actually "age up" on Thursdays, so I was actually up to the next week by those posts.  So that means today I am...

How far along? 27 weeks 6 days - YAY third trimester!

Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs (I think I am still here, haven't weighed myself in a few days.  Doctor's appt on Tuesday will get us up to date).

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah.  Still wearing my stretchy exercise pants, but even some of them cut into my tummy.  Shirts are getting too tight.  I am SO excited that the weather is cooling down so I can wear Fall clothes and not be dying of heat - I gave up shorts a while ago.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL.

Sleep: Same same - up to pee several times and sleep is definitely not as restful.

Best moment this week: I have been running a little bit! Just 2-3 miles here and there (maybe 3-4 times in a week), and averaging about a 10:40 pace, but I will take it!  My belly below belly button is usually sore afterward, but I am always glad when I've gotten out there!

Miss Anything? I get a little jealous of people training for marathons and look forward to training for the Rock N Roll Raleigh Half with my hubby after baby boy is born!

Movement: Yes! He's getting more predictable and I feel him more often, which is fun.  I still think he is pretty chill in there, just prodding at me here and there - and then every once in a while he goes bananas and kicks and punches real fast all over for a few minutes.  This makes me and WBH giggle.

Food cravings: I just eat like a lot...a lot.

Anything making you queasy or sick: DEFINITELY more sensitive to how things smell.  If I over extend myself I get really overheated and dizzy (back achy too). Workin' on that.

Have you started to show yet: I think so!  But still don't think folks that don't know me would guess I was pregnant.  It's a little awkward with some of my customers when they ask how much I run and I say "Not a whole lot since I've been pregnant-" and they respond, "Oh, you're pregnant? Cool..." and look me up and down.  I want to just say, "Yes! I am six and a half months pregnant, that's why my gut is stickin' out while I bend down to tie your shoes."

Gender: Little man!

Labor Signs: No no no. (I did have a dream I went into labor though.)

Belly Button in or out? In, and will probably stay that way.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy most of the time, but ANYTHING can make me cry and I get frustrated way more easily. :-/

Size of Baby: About 14.9 inches and about 2.25 lbs! He's growin'!

Looking forward to: SO SO much!  I will post below...

Here is my bathroom selfie/bump picture for this week:

In other Jones Family News:

WBH and I are just having a great time bein' in love and being thankful for SO many blessings that God has granted us.  WBH is the BEST (obviously, that's what the 'B' stands for).  I am so grateful for the way he loves me and BabyJ and takes care of us.  He is such a hard worker and is also really really handsome. He starts a new job on Monday that we are so excited about!  Our friends just had a healthy little boy last night and we can't wait to meet him and love on them. Next weekend we are going camping with our Life Class and the State Fair comes to town!  We are going to Vermont for Thanksgiving - I have not been to VT for Thanksgiving in years and years...I think 2007 was the last year I got to go.  We can't wait to share that time with family and friends up there!  Not long after that, we will celebrate Christmas with WBH's family in NC and then it's time for the little one to arrive just after New Year's!

This is such a whirlwind-of-wonderful-things season and we certainly have so much to be thankful for!

25 Week Update!

Remember how I said I would be back to update sooner last time?  Whoops.  SO apologetic.  We are now at 25 weeks and 4 days! Here's what's going on...

How far along? 25 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs (that's what not a whole lot of exercise and eating as your heart desires gets you ;-) ).

Maternity clothes? Definitely way more comfortable and more flattering, but can still wear my jeans with the rubberband trick and most of my shirts.

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL. HowEVs, I did notice the skin on my tummy feeling tight the other day - it's gone away now, but I wonder if that's just the beginning...

Sleep: Peeing a lot, but not as achy in the abdomen.

Best moment this week: Heard baby's heartbeat again on Tuesday- still strong!  HE is also kickin' a whole lot more and all over the place!

Miss Anything? I get a little jealous of people training for marathons and look forward to training for the Rock N Roll Raleigh Half with my hubby after baby boy is born!

Movement: Yes! He's getting more predictable and I feel him more often, which is fun.

Food cravings: I just eat like a lot.

Anything making you queasy or sick: More sensitive to how things smell.  If I over extend myself I get really overheated and dizzy (back achy too). Workin' on that.

Have you started to show yet: I think so!  But still don't think folks that don't know me would guess I was pregnant.

Gender: BABY BOY!!!

Labor Signs: No no no.

Belly Button in or out? In, and will probably stay that way.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am happy most of the time, but ANYTHING can make me cry and I get frustrated way more easily. :-/

Size of Baby: About 14 inches and about 1.7 lbs! Once again, twice as heavy as last post! (This is for week 26, which is technically 3 days away, so subtract a lil from both of those numbers)

Looking forward to: All things Fall!!

Here are my bathroom selfies/bump pictures for this week:

25 weeks!

25 wks 2 days

25 wks 4 days

Okay, I will TRY to be more consistent in posting, I promise!

21 Week Update!

Well...once again, we are a day shy of 21 weeks, but away we go:

How far along? 20 weeks 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: +10 lbs (dealin' with it).

Maternity clothes? Same as last time for the most part - not quite big enough to fill out maternity clothes, but very uncomfortable in regular clothes (especially bras :-( ).

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL.

Sleep: Not very great - still getting up to pee constantly and the last few nights my abdomen has been pretty achy...belly growing??

Best moment this week: Seeing this little one's cute face and learning that he or she is healthy and all is still well on Tuesday!  Heart rate was about 157 bpm.

Miss Anything? Being able to run without have to pee the. entire. time.

Movement: Yes! WBH and I BOTH felt the baby at 18 weeks 1 day! Such a blessing.  The movement is still not super consistent, and we found out at the doctor that it's because I have an anterior placenta- which means baby kicks the placenta instead of me most of the time.

Food cravings: Mostly salty foods (except for CTC at breakfast, but...like that's even new).

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just if I don't eat regularly.  Otherwise good (huge blessing).

Have you started to show yet: Maybe a little bit, people that know me notice, but not obvious that I am pregnant if you do not already know (just looks like my tummy/boobs/thighs are larger).

Gender: Don't know yet!  We had the ultrasound Tuesday, but are having a Gender Reveal Party of Sunday!

Labor Signs: No no no.

Belly Button in or out? In, and will probably stay that way. Although I am amazed that it is actually a little bit shallower.  Crazy times!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy happy, 'cept if I'm stressed about work.

Size of Baby: About 10.5 inches and about 12 ounces. Hello, twice as heavy as last post!

Looking forward to: Finding out if we're having a boy or girl on Sunday!

Here are my bathroom selfies/bump pictures for this week:

I feel like I look more pregnant from this angle.

I will be back sooner this time to update after the reveal!  Everyone asks me what I think we're having, and I have honestly not had a clue, so today I decided I think we're having a boy just so I can have an answer.  What do you think??

17 Week Update!

...Well, technically I am 16 weeks and 6 days, but assuming nothing crazy happens between today and tomorow, we'll go ahead and call this the 17 week Bump Update:

How far along? 16 weeks 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: +5 lbs (I will be honest and say this is super difficult and frustrating for me - I have a hard time curbing my cravings, and though I have started to exercise regularly again, I just feel huge.  Much of this is due to the fact that I gained about 5+ lbs before getting pregnant, and weight is something I've struggled with for a long time.)

Maternity clothes? Kind of...I can wear normal shirts fine, but most pants just cut into my fat and look really rough.  Feeling cute and not just large is a struggle (See weight gain section).

Stretch marks? Not yet. PTL.

Sleep: Not very great - still getting up to pee constantly, but I have found if I manage to fall asleep on my side, I don't wake up as often.

Best moment this week: Hearing BabyJ's heartbeat at the doctor on Tuesday!  About 156 bpm.

Miss Anything? Being able to run without using run/walk intervals and riding bikes with WBH.

Movement: A couple times I've felt a little nudge that I am pretty sure is baby, but I don't feel confident enough to truly say that I've felt him/her move yet.

Food cravings: Good club sandwiches. Oh snap, I really want one of those right. now.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not eating frequently enough, otherwise I think I'm past the worst of it!!

Have you started to show yet: Husband says I am, but I think I'm just putting weight on from eating more than I ought.

Gender: Don't know yet!  We will find out in 4ish weeks (Aug 20)!

Labor Signs: No no no.

Belly Button in or out? In, and will probably stay that way.  I feel like I have an endless inny.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy, 'cept if I'm stressed about work.

Size of Baby: 5 inches and almost 6 ounces! About the size of an onion.

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby kick for real and finding out if we're having a boy or girl!

Here are my bathroom selfies/bump pictures for this week:

Forgive the super awkward almost smile

Seriously not intending to make duck lips here

Making up for previous awkward smile and duck lips

That's all for now!  Sometime I will talk about day-to-day living in the Jones's household, but now I really need to try and find something around here that will taste somewhat like a delicious turkey club sandwich.

Five Months With The WBH...and the little one on the way!

Well, amazingly, it has been three months since I last posted, and yet again, there is SO much to share, but I will try to make all the long stories short (and if you know me, you know how hard this is).

I'll start with the 5 month marriage update -

Truthfully, much of this is the same as it was three months ago.  I still have the World's Best Husband and am grateful for every day with him. I never get tired of our life together and there is nothing I would rather do more than spend all of my minutes doing any and everything with him.  He is my best friend and the hardest worker I know.  He takes care of the tiny/creepy centipedes and spiders and honors me with sweet words and kisses.   It's great.  I love him.

 Exactly two months ago (April 26), I was feeling pretty weird all day long, and even though I didn't think this could really be the case, I grabbed a pregnancy test and took it as soon as I got home.  WBH and I were going out to a Sound Of Music Sing-a-long (I know, he's the greatest!) that night, so after I, ahem, peed on the stick, I ran around the house to grab everything for the picnic.  I came back after the obligatory two minutes to see what it said, and my mind. was. blown. I raced to pick WBH up at work and told him the news.  He claims he knew WELL before the test, but even if I thought it was a possibility, I definitely did not think it would be the case.  

We did a little celebrating, but were cautious.  I've had so many friends miscarry in the first trimester, so I was actually a little doubtful that there was really a baby in there. I waited to call the doctor for two weeks.  Finally we booked an appointment, and at that first appointment at about 6.5 weeks they did a few tests and then we talked to a nurse - nothing too crazy, but it was exciting.  Two weeks later we went back and got to see the little baby and hear his/her heartbeat!  This was an amazing thing!  I did not expect the baby to look like a baby at all and he/she totally did -squirming around and everything.

Baby J - 8 wks 4 days

It was at this appointment that we learned I had actually ovulated a week early.  So the answer to that question everyone wants to ask, but might not, is no, we were not planning to get pregnant at this time, but God's plans are much bigger than ours and we are grateful for His perfect timing.

I was feeling pretty miserable until the last week - not throwing up, but nauseated constantly.  WBH was AMAZING, as usual, and took such good care of me - making me breakfast before I got out of bed, being patient through my constant groanings, rubbing my back, taking me to whatever food sounded appealing at whatever time. Sweet sweet man, I would not have made it without him!  Weeks 6-11.5 will not be missed, this I can say with confidence.

And here we are!  I am 12 weeks, 5 days now and the little one is growing and healthy and kicking up a storm (I can't feel it, but we saw it yesterday at our 12 week appointment).  We know that children are a blessing and are amazed that God would entrust us with this life! Praise the Lord.

Baby J - 12 wks 4 days

How far along? 12 weeks 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +2 lbs

Maternity clothes? My wonderful mom-in-law bought me some maternity clothes and I will wear a maternity shirt and shorts here and there.  I don't really need them, but they do feel more comfortable (and maternity shirt is much more flattering on my stupidly large boobs these days).

Stretch marks? Nothing that I haven't had since puberty ;-)

Sleep: This has been no good since before we knew I was pregnant!  I am up peeing an average of 4 times a night.

Best moment this week: Seeing BabyJ kickin' me at the ultrasound yesterday and hearing the heart beat again!  So active!  Definitely WBH's child :).

Miss Anything? Every once in a while if WBH has a beer it smells freakishly good to me.

Movement: We know he or she is moving quite a bit, but not feeling anything yet!  Little while longer.

Food cravings: Beef, grits and lemonade...I usually won't get anything but water at restaurants, and now I pretty much always get lemonade when we go out.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Some smells, and if I go more than two hours without eating I am down for the count (not really sure what that phrase means).

Have you started to show yet: Not really.  I have some pudge in my stomach, but I think it's mostly from bloat/not being able to exercise the last several weeks.

Gender: Don't know yet!  We will find out in 8 weeks!

Labor Signs: No no no.

Belly Button in or out? In, and will probably stay that way.  I feel like I have an endless inny.

Wedding rings on or off? On - fingers feel the same right now.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Half and half, more easily irritated, but I am a very happy lady right now.

Size of Baby: About the size of a lime! A little over 2 inches head to rump, about half an ounce.

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby kick and Fall!

12 wks 3 days along!

Baby J is due January 2nd, 2014!  

Two Months with the WBH

Two months ago I married a man who immediately became the World's Best Husband. I know we're still new at this marriage-thing, but I enjoy taking in everyday with my man.  I was granted a precious gift in WBH and my hope is to show him how aware of that I am everyday.  This is a man who loves me like no one else, plays with me, cares for me, cares for others, works hard and diligently at everything he does, takes care of our home, has big strong muscles to accomplish tasks that my not-as-strong muscles can't even try, surprises me with service, calms me with his patience, encourages, trusts, fights, and provides.  He is strong, but his heart is gentle. He can do everything on his own, but showers me with applaud when I do something for him.

I could not ask for a more wonderful man to share life with.

I never want him to leave in the mornings and I count down the hours until we get to be together again.  I look forward to every. single. thing. I get to experience with him.  He's the most handsome man on the planet AND he makes me feel like I'm the prettiest.

We are aware that we are newlyweds and the future will hold unknown, difficult times, but I just wanted you all to know that we are loving life together so far and we are not waiting in anticipation for the ugly times.  We are taking one treasured day at a time and praising the Lord for such an amazing gift.

Here's to all the two-month-versaries to come!

A Year In Review

It has been almost a year since I posted in this blog, and what a year it has been! Okay...last post was Easter time 2012 and my dad had just passed away and my big brother had just married his now wife of almost a year.  Let's get a quick run down of life since then...

May 2012

-Turned 25

-Ran Marathon #2 (took my dad's place in the Pittsburgh marathon with Mom and Uncle)

Mom and I the day before the marathon

-Ran into super cute guy from college who I hadn't seen in probably 4 years

-Little bro got engaged!

-Moved into adorable townhouse with two great girls

June 2012

-One year at FF!

-Started dating super cute guy from college

July 2012

-Little Bro got married! Zero to two sisters in 4 months

Little Bro and his wife!

-Super cute guy from college met fam in VT at little bro's wedding                                    

SCGFC and I before little bro's wedding

August 2012

-Really into SCGFC

-Lots of training program-type things went on for work

-Mon Chu Chu got MARRIED

The BEAUTIFUL Mon Chu Chu and I at her WEDDING

September 2012

-SCGFC PROPOSED! I said yes!!!

October, November, December - pretty much a blur as we prepared for the wedding.  We visited family in Charlotte, celebrated Thanksgiving, I went to VT for Christmas, and brought in 2013 at shaHEEN's house in NC.

SCGFC and I getting ready for Ridgewood Turkey Trot

January 2013

-Married SCGFC!!

-Honeymooned in San Francisco

-Moved into new home

-Last name is now SUPER easy to spell and pronounce

February 2013

-Joined a new, wonderful Life Class at church

-Lots going on at work

-SCGFC is actually the World's Best Husband

March 2013

-AM finally came home!

-One year anniversary of dad's death

-WBH and I are continuing to set up our home and loving every minute of it!

And here we are!  I know that most people find blogs without pictures unbearable, so I will post better pictures here!  WBH actually has a phone that takes decent pictures, so I will have to wait for a day that he is home and can get those guys up for you.

In all, it has been a crazywonderful year.  What a story! And even more, a testament to grace.  I hope to be able to keep you - mostly my mom :) - updated on what's going on in the Jones household and how God is blessing us daily.

Fight the good fight. One day at a time.