Weekend Splurge, Baby Shower, Princess Party, Valentine's Day, Fire Station

Emotionally and physically-It's been a very busy month. This post will focus on the physical, fun parts.

As for the emotional, it's been mostly positive as well, just unexpected and undesired.
There will be another time and place for a post that will share this tremendous learning experience our family is blessed to endure and grow from.
In the meantime, please keep us, Sydney, and our baby in your prayers. Thank you. :)

*First things first: San Antonio Weekend Trip

Scott's a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. He's not currently active duty, but will be for one month each year until Medical School is finished and then when he is doing his Medical Residency, He will be considered Active Duty (as a Doctor at a military medical center on Base). A group of med students doing this scholarship program through the Army went to San Antonio to get a tour of San Antonio Military Medical Center at Ft. Sam Houston the first weekend in February.

The first night we were there, we stayed at an average hotel on base. After Scott was done with his hospital tour and meeting doctors Saturday morning, our REAL vacation started! It was way fun to be on base and get a little taste of that, but we were mostly looking forward to the awesome hotel we stayed at the 2nd night, which was on the Riverwalk itself, had free dinner and breakfast (good, hot food too) and free popcorn and soda all afternoon and evening long down in the lobby. Sweetest hook up ever. We were on the very top floor of the high-rise, alone with only a couple other rooms, where the workout area and the rooftop pool/spa was located as well. We had a suite, so we had our own room and Syd slept out on the pull out couch so we could put her to bed and still watch a movie and stay up and eat our free popcorn. :) It was definitely a splurge, but we can afford that once a year for one night only :). Maybe once we're out of medical school we'll be able to afford two nights in a row in a hotel like that!! -haha. It felt like a REAL vacation, not just a visit, somewhere, like it normally is. I liked how short and sweet it was too.

The Alamo

Random Guinness World Records museum 

right by The Alamo.

We were way entertained by just the entrance,

but, of course, never made it past the ticket booth :). 

We are all about free entertainment.

Can you believe there is a man who is REALLY this tall?

Out of control.

2. Baby Shower brunch

The weekend after the San Antonio trip,

I hosted, along with a few friends,

a baby shower for my friend Teri 

who is having a baby boy mid March. 

It was really fun to do - and kept me busy for several days! 

A fun kind of busy. :)

This was my pride and joy.

A diaper cake seemed more feminine and I

wanted to make something out of diapers that screamed "Boy."

Thank you youtube video instructions!

The cow is Syd's, but I took that pic before I bought the monkey and wrapped it.

Tag: Lizzy :)

Tag: Lisset :)

Tag: Whitney

Thank you so much LIZZY, WHITNEY, SHANNON and LISSET

for all of your HELP!

You girls were awesome.

 Guess-The-Melted-Candybar-In-The-Diaper

Game.

My Favorite!

Congratulations Teri!!!

3. PRINCESS Party!! :)

Less than an hour after the last person left from the shower, 

I helped Syd get all dressed up pretty like a princess

(after a morning of hard, rough playing with daddy

and her  !) and we went to her friend Lydia's

3rd Birthday Party. 

It was a really cute theme and way fun for the girls to get 

all sparkly and make-up-E and be princesses.

4. Valentine's Day

Sydney had a little Valentine's exchange

with our friends from our playgroup from church.

It was really fun and cute! I LOVE doing this kind of thing with Syd.

It gets me sooo excited for helping out with her future school events and parties.

This kid cracked me UP!!!
He was eating a pink frosting cupcake (unavoidable color frosting for this occasion), and it looked like lipstick application gone bad. Soo funny.

The Goods.

So excited!!!

I actually made this 3 days after Valentine's day,

but if we weren't gone all day in Houston, I may have been able to pull it off.

Strawberry Glace'. 

My FaVoRiTe!!!

*Scott and I had the pleasure of going to the LDS Houston Temple on Valentine's day-

A nice 7 hour outing that included lots of driving, the temple, and a short dinner on our

way back to pick up Syd. 

I can think of no better way to have spent Valentine's Day than at the temple with my husband.

:)

5. Fire Station

Play group this week was a fun one. A tour of the Galveston Firestation :).

Sneak Peak into future field trips with Syd.

I love this kind of stuff!!

So fun!!

Love these girls

and those kids!

And then there were FOUR... :)

Our

FAMILY

will be

growing

2 FEET

this August

2013

:)

In reality, 

those 2 feet are already growing, 

and I've seen them about 3 times now

through ultrasound. :)

Due date is August 20th :)

Do you remember that tiny little prayer of Sydney's that I posted at the beginning of December?

I wrote nothing else, 

just the best replication of Sydney's prayer from night

that I could recall with Scott's help. 

During that prayer, 

Scott and I were just cracking up (silently and...reverently? of course), 

because it was just too cute and so funny- the way kids' minds work, and how precious, pure and innocent they are. 

That is why I recorded her prayer. To remember that. 

I am brought back to her prayer (<--Click there to read it) that night because

she thanked Heavenly Father a couple of times 

"for baby."

2 days later, we found out that we were at long last,

pregnant again.

We announced the 2nd pregnancy in a creative way like we did with Sydney's. But because my 2nd pregnancy didn't last, I was hesitant. 

We still told our families just as early because we wanted their support and mostly their prayers that this pregnancy would "hold on." We didn't make a big announcement of it, mostly just told everyone on our own time, as it came up, one by one. And that's how I started telling my friends too- just in conversation. 

I just recently posted it to FB.

It was slightly depressing not being able to be fully confident in it.

I felt bad (on behalf of this child) that I didn't feel comfortable announcing in a fun, and creative way. I felt bad, and guilty for not having a full amount of faith that this pregnancy would last.

There is still a small percentage of that "risk" that I before felt was so high. But I am less and less hesitant with each day that passes and I would say that more so than not, I am confident now. :)

3 months down, and i've heard the heartbeat  and seen the baby on a few different occasions, moving, heart beating. That has been comforting, but I think what's been most comforting is the "Disheartening Effects of Pregnancy." 

Confused???

So was I....but

now it all makes sense. 

And I have found

complete comfort in it. 

I keep a more personal journal, in my daily scripture study journal. Here is my entry from back in December, just days after finding out about this 3rd pregnancy:

Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012
I’ve really been thinking hard since last night about the word “disheartening” in reguards to pregnancy and trying to make sense of it in a positive way- in a way that doesn’t end in the loss of another pregnancy. Scott gave me a preisthood blessing last night that was very discouraging to me. It wasn’t the typical positive, everything is going to be fine and you will be blessed for all to go smoothly-kind of a blessing. He kept mentioning that I would be blessed with patience, that I will find peace and comfort in the disheartening effects of pregnancy. He said through the gift of discernment that I’d be able to understand what Heavenly Father is trying to tell me. H e blessed me to understand that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. It wasn’t very dissimilar from the blessing Scott gave me just before I found out I had miscarried. Anyway, it was the least comforting blessing I’ve ever gotten. I was crying through the entire thing and was so confused and let down and sad the short rest of the evening until we fell asleep. I woke up in a similar, down way. I woke up early and went running inside the gym since it was a cold morning. The tv show that was on when I got on the treadmill was about pregnancies and babies and their families. The first, being triplets. It made me feel better to see some positive story of pregnancy. I have felt better since then, almost normal, but still, a lot LESS EXCITED. I feel like I should just be counting down the hours until I start to bleed. Or what if there is defect the baby has once it’s born? I don’t know what that blessing meant last night, I’m trying to “discern” it for myself and as I do, I find myself trying to think of positive meanings in it. Maybe the disheartining times of pregancy are when I’m moody, when I’m impatient with Sydney, whem I’m feeling sick or uncomfortable. Maybe pregnancy will be worse for me this time. I sure hope it’s the latter and nothing worse. I have a dr. appointment on Thursday for the baby- Just my first prenatal. THey will check my levels and hopefully I will have good news. We definitely aren’t telling anyone (except Michelle bc she knows everything..) and when/if we do get to tell, it won’t be until we are in town at Christmas time-which in only a couple weeks away. By then I will be 7 or 8 weeks along. That’s more than I made it to last time- I was just a day shy of being 6 weeks when I miscarried back in June.

HERE is what I learned, and how I have found comfort and peace in the disheartening times of pregnancy-NOT during, but literally in, or beacause of, the disheartening times of pregnancy...

(again, an entry from my personal scripture study journal)

Thursday, December 13, 2012
There is something very cool I learned about faith when listening to a recent General Conference talk: When we FEAR, we are UNDERMINING our FAITH in GOD. That is to say, we don’t completely trust Him or have faith in His plan. Of COURSE I COMPLETELY trust him- SOOOOO as long as I’m doing MY best to be righteous, no matter what is goin on in my life, I can know that it is for my good and NOT FEAR, KNOWING, not fearing, that GOD KNOWS BEST.

That being said, I would like to study faith today:

-Luke 12:  28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
-THIS RELATES to me and my fear with this pregnancy. My Fear has definitely diminished as it did from when Scott gave me that blessing and I felt so scared afterward. Heavenly Father is trying to make me practice my FAITH in Him, that EVEN IF things are going to turn out fine, He is not always going to just tell me in a blessing. I need to have FAITH in that without being TOLD like I was with Sydney's pregnacy. 

Heavenly father told me in the blessing that through the gift of discernment, I would beable to know what He was telling me.

Immediately following the blessing, I felt like I was being told I was going to miscarry again. NOW, I am beginning to realize, or discern what He was really trying to tell me.

I think He wants me to practice my FAITH in HIM without seeking a blessing in which I’m told “all will go smoothly.” I can’t be that spoiled everytime, I guess, right? “Disheartening” times in pregnancy are those times in which I worry, about me, about the baby, about anything related, but He blessed me to feel comfort and peace and I think I’m blessed to feel those things THROUGH my FAITH! NOT by being straight up TOLD that all will be ok. My FAITH that all WILL be ok (no matter the outcome), and because I know that, I’m comoforted when something comes up or when I’m sick or when something isn’t perfect. This is SO much better than just KNOWING. I feel like I”m accomplishing something and becoming a better person. THANKS HEAVENLY FATHER!!!!! :):):):):):):):):):)
Hearing this scripture (below) was a good start to learning this, and being told twice, two days in a row now:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the word giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” - John 14:27

*Also, If I wouldn’t have had my scripture study today, or yesterday for that matter, I wouldn’t be able to figure out this knowledge and feel at peace and feel accomplished and everthing else I feel after this great revelation. I COULD still be in the dark, be extra anxious, worried, and filled with fear like I was...but I’m NOT.

Since December 11th and 13th, when I wrote those two journal entries, I have experienced almost 2 months of consistent "morning" sickness. This pregnancy has been quite different, a lot more sickness, tiredness, short of breath-ness, etc. and all of that a lot earlier on. I experienced next to none of this until the last month or so of Sydney's pregnancy. 

THESE "DISHEARTENING" or discouraging, painful, or annoying symptoms are comforting to me BECAUSE IT MEANS 

I'M STILL PREGNANT!!!! 

And THAT is how I find comfort IN the disheartening times of pregnancy. 

God is so awesome! 

The knowledge I gain through  Him through scripture study and prayer is so awesome! 

I don't know how people live without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I'm so grateful for the truth I've been blessed with and for my testimony- to KNOW, and experience it's truth. 

All I have to do is seek it, and live it, and I am blessed by it.