Waaaaay Overdue

So as you can see my desire to blog for Carissa has only been a partial success. And..... I'm sure this is a sign of things to come :-). I am now 36 weeks and the last month and a half has been very difficult. Without getting all technical I have a pelvic disorder that causes a lot of pain and basically inhibits my ability to walk. Most days it's all I can do to work so when I get home I'm pretty much useless. Michael has been such a huge help. Caleb and I would be in big trouble without him.

Here are some pictures of her room. I created the quilt on ETSY. I picked out the fabrics and a lady sewed it together. I love how it turned out.

Here are a couple pictures of the belly. Once again this is another thing I have not done well at documenting! The first one is today at 36 weeks and the second is a few weeks ago. If you are thinking...."you're not very big"...you are right. We had a recent ultrasound though and she looks to be healthy and growing....just small.

Carissa:

Although I did not document this pregnancy like I did your brother's it does not mean I have thought about you any less. Your father and I chose your name because it is a version of the Greek word grace from the Bible. The grace that Jesus showed us captivated our hearts and we pray it will captivate yours. We look forward to holding you soon.

Father

Thank you for the gift of pregnancy. Thank you for the blessing of children. My life has forever been changed. I pray you continue to form me into a mother that teaches her children to seek You first. Please be with us and remind us of your presence as we transition to a house of four.

It's A Girl

So I'm super late making this post given I've known for like a month... but....IT'S A GIRL! Just like last time with Caleb the ultrasound is so amazing. It makes it even more real getting to see her and watching her move around in there. It's also fun because I get to do some shopping for girl clothes...which are so much cuter than boy clothes! For me knowing the sex greatly helps me connect to the baby and I love that I can call her by name....(drumroll please)....Carissa.

I've been feeling much better the last few weeks no more nausea, less headaches, and the usual heartburn. I started feeling her move much earlier than I did with Caleb but now she is kicking and punching and Michael has got to feel her a few times too!

She was also in a wedding (I was 16 weeks with Caleb) and this time I was 21 weeks. It was my sister's wedding and she got married in Mexico. It was so beautiful. This was our first time leaving Caleb (6 days) and it was difficult but very worth it. We needed some time to refocus on each other and prepare for our new addition. Enjoy the pics below!

Baby Number Two

So this week I started thinking about how I needed to print out my blogs for Caleb's baby book so he could read one day. And then I realized...the second one won't have such a cool gift. I started thinking about how my mom worked so hard on my baby book and my poor sister was lucky to get a few pictures in it. I know that life with two children is going to be very hectic, especially since much of my time is outside of my home. So I decided that there is a good chance my second child's baby book will not be great either but at least until he/she gets here I have the time to write about this pregnancy.

I went back to read about my first trimester with Caleb and I wrote very little about how I felt. I wanted to compare the two but unfortunately all I have is my memory. I remember with Caleb I was nauseous all the time. Unfortunately that has not been much different with the second. However with this one I get very intense waves that practically incapacitate me. For example one day at work I had a client in the waiting room and instead of going to get her I am laying on my desk in my office trying to fight the urge to vomit! Also around 4pm everyday I have been getting a very strong wave of nausea. This is poor timing because it makes deciding what to cook for dinner very difficult. One other very unfortunate part of this pregnancy has been the headaches. I have struggled with headaches for many years but when I was pregnant with Caleb I didn't have any. However with this baby it has been terrible. I have a theory about this but will let you know after we find out the sex :-)

Although I was nervous the first time about being a mother I feel like I'm more nervous about having two children. At first I was scared because I didn't think I could love another child as much. However as this pregnancy progresses I can already tell I have plenty of room in my heart for two or more. However as much as we love Caleb he was a challenging baby and is turning into a very spirited toddler. My mom continues to say "there is no way you will have two the same", and I know most people don't, but there is always a chance we could. So I continue to pray that God will give me and Michael what we need to be good parents to two children despite their temperaments.

God we are so excited for this blessing of a second child. It comes with a different set of worries and fears. We pray you would remind us that you are The Good Father and you love us perfectly. You use our personalities and temperaments for your glory. Help us to love and nurture our children the way you do us.