Feeling Peachy!

Hello Friends!  Happy Sunday to you.  I'm going to attempt to write a "pregnancy post" each week from now on.  I'm thirteen weeks (and five days) pregnant today; and feeling pretty swell!  Our baby is the size of a peach.  I'm thankful for friends who have borrowed a few maternity "musts" to me; especially the bella band (thanks Amber!).  My pants are definitely getting a little snug around the stomach these days. 

I have been loving the scent of Aveda's Rosemary Mint Shampoo.  I only have the "travel size" but I've been savoring every wash :).  I have also loved the scent of lavender.  Right now we have Bath and Body Works "Fresh Lavender" soap in our bathroom.  Both aromas are so refreshing and clean.

Here's "the bump" from week 13

Goodnight all!  I'm off to use my new "firm" pillow for side sleepers (I used to be a stomach sleeper) :). 

Love,

Jen

P.S. With all this talk of peaches I had to make a smoothie this morning, that recipe is on the horizon.



A Week(+) of Sunshine: Day Seven

San Juan, Puerto Rico: another cloudy day to play

The boys had fun playing frisbee

 and doing handstands

a few joyful jumping pictures

 Gemma wrote a song.

Josh pretended he was a lifeguard :) (with much influence from me).

Even though the beach was closed on account of the weather, we still had a splended time!

A few photos from Old San Juan

 Josh and I sipped hot chocolate as we left the lovely city of San Juan.

Closet Clean-Out

I was inspired to organize and simplify this weekend after speaking with my teaching friends Angela and Sue.  They were telling me about a man who felt convicted that he only needed 100 personal things.  He even put pencil to paper and created a list.  These 100 things did not include "family" items like: cooking necessities, furniture, etc...He felt great freedom in simplifying his "stuff".  Well, I didn't whittle my things down to 100 but I did clean out my closet!  

As I was digging through old sweaters and skirts I realized I hadn't done this for awhile.  A lot of the items I had hung onto because I thought "I might wear this again someday".  This time, I asked myself, "Have I worn this in the last year?".  If the answer was "no" it got folded up and put in a brown bag.  I ended up having three bags full of "stuff" adding up to a whopping 55 items!  I was a little shocked at how much clothing came out of my little closet!  I feel very free.  I think this was a good way God has shown me to hold my "stuff" more loosely.  We really don't need that much after all.  I'm hoping to go through my closet again (when I get the energy) and give it a second look through. 

P.s. Friends and family are welcome to stop by and browse through the brown bags before I donate my things to Salvation Army :). 

This Monday Morning

Good morning friends!  Today is a "no school" day.  I am currently at Panera enjoying a whole wheat bagel and a delicious mango smoothie (ahh...even though it is gray outside the taste of mango gives me hope for spring).

I love mornings spent at coffee shops.  Today I brought: my Bible, journal, computer, and report cards with me.  I hope it will be a productive morning before my dentist appointment at 11:30.  I wish you all a lovely Monday morning!  I may be back later if my "to do" list gets done :).

-Jen

p.s. I will leave you with a "belly bump" picture from this weekend :)

  

wishing for one more slice...

Josh requested chocolate turtle cake for his birthday this weekend.  Luckily, Cafe Latte has a matchless recipe available on-line.  I'd highly recommend this one for special occasions, Sunday gatherings, or those chocolate cravings.  Enjoy!

What a Cutie!

Today I am offically twelve weeks pregnant!  The baby is about the size of a clementine "cutie".  I thought about this as I opened my lunch today and unpeeled my clementine.  I can't believe the baby is that big already!

Yesterday I had a very special day with my mom and sister.  We did some shopping at the thrift store (I found some great maternity clothes!) and had a delicious lunch at the cheesecake factory.

They best part is that they accompanied me to my prenatal appointment and we all were able to listen to the baby's heartbeat!  I praise God for the little life inside of me.  We recorded the heartbeat for Josh so he could hear the little one too.  He said "it was music to my ears".

26 Memories

Josh's 26th Birthday was yesterday.  We celebrated with family at our house.  The guys helped Josh work on finishing the basement and the girls cooked up a storm in the kitchen.  The house was filled with the smells of good food and the sounds of laughter and good times.  I wanted to take a moment and look back on life and recall the four and half years Josh and I have been married.  I wanted to take time to remember my wonderful husband.  Looking back my mind is flooded with thousands of pictures that each have a story.  Here are just a few (26) memories that came to mind...

26 memories for you on your birthday
26. the day you asked me to marry you in parking spot v-8 (after your softball game)
25. your face when you saw me in my wedding dress for the first time
25. our crackerbox apartment on Holly Ave.: We had quite a few arguements while cooking in our 2 X 4   kitchen but I think we learned how to fight fair and we learned to forgive faster.
24. long walks on Summit Avenue (and the occasional stop at the Grand Old Creamery)
23. training for the the 10 mile race together
22. ministering in India with you
21. moving into our Huron Blvd. apartment and fighting off bedbugs from the tenants before us
20. slow-dancing in our living room
19. making tator tots at 2am for a study break
18. your internship at Medtronic and the amazing heart tools you worked with
17. Christmas Conferences in Atlanta, Chicago, and Milwaukee
16. fall walks along the riverside
15. the night you told me you felt called to move into Phillips
14. Tuesdays' new recipes night
13. you accepting the job at Graco
12. buying our first home
11. gutting our first home
10. fixing up our first home
9. trying to fit 30+ people in our living room for small group
8. fourth of July's at Wolf Lake
7. Caribbean vacations with your family
6. my kindergartners meeting "Mr. Jacobs" for the first time
5. winter weekends away at the cabin
4. walks along the greenway and drinking ice tea
3. eating outside at La Grolla and enjoying the first warm day of spring
2. the first night Jemimah moved in
1. looking at the pregnancy test with you and realizing we were going to be parents

Sunny News!

Before I get to the sunshine let me start with a story.  It all started the evening before Thanksgiving.  We were staying at my parents house.  I hadn't been feeling very well the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving so I waited for Josh to get home and took a pregnancy test "just in case".  I couldn't believe my eyes when the "two blue lines" showed up instantly.  I told Josh to "quick get the box"! so we could double check our results.  Sure enough...I was pregnant!

I was crying and laughing at the same time.  We were overjoyed as the idea of having a baby sunk in.  We decided to wait to tell our parents until Thanksgiving.  We had time to talk with each other and pray that evening.  Before going back downstairs to the family I wiped my tear-stained face and tried to act "normal".  It was pretty difficult but we managed to fool them for one night :). 

Thanksgiving Day I asked my family to play a game of Scrabble with us.  My family (dad especially) loves Scrabble.  Dad had to go dowstairs halfway through the game to put more wood on the fire; mom went with to help.  It was the perfect opportunity for me to write our special news on the gameboard.

Mom and dad were so funny; at first they were arguing about the placement of the word on the board!  Then they realized what the words said and they were so excited.  Justine rushed downstairs (I begged her to play but I couldnt talk her into it :) ) and we all celebrated this new life.

Next up, the Jacobs:

We were talking about vacation plans (we were going on a family cruise in December) when Josh asked his parents if there would be room for "one more" in our cabin.  They looked a little confused at first but then Mike said "you mean for a little one"?  We all hugged and shared in the excitement.  Britta and Ben couldn't make it home for Thanksgiving so we video-chatted with them to inform them they were going to be an auntie and uncle.  We shared the news with Beth and Jordan by writing in the snow with blue food coloring (a childhood tradition at the Jacobs').

We feel so blessed to have family and friends in our lives to share in these special moments.  We are thankful for their endless love and support and are eager to begin this new stage of life with them.

Since Thanksgiving, I have been feeling alright.  I had a little bit of nausea in the first few weeks and was tired but those symptoms have gotten better as I am now approaching my 12th week of pregnancy.  I am looking forward to Monday when I go in for my 12 week appointment.  My sister and mom are coming with me and we (God willing) will hear the baby's heart beat!  God's grace has been more than sufficient for me throughout pregnancy and I am trusting in Him for continued strength, peace, joy, and rest. 

A Week(+) of Sunshine: Day Six

St. Thomas was our next destination.  The day was gray (I love overcast days!) with muted splashes of color.  We took a ferry to St. John's and spent most of the day at Caneel Bay. 

On the Ferry

Caneel Bay

Boys being boys...