17 weeks-Turning Turnip Green

There is a scene in the Bourne Identity, where Jason Bourne is explaining to Marie about the weird senses he is picking up in the diner. (I looked it up.)


Jason Bourne: I come in here, and the first thing I'm doing is I'm catching the sightlines and looking for an exit. 
Marie: I see the exit sign, too, I'm not worried. I mean, you were shot. People do all kinds of weird and amazing stuff when they are scared. 
Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? 


I can relate...


Christen: I walk into any room, and the first thing I do is check for the exit. I can tell how many trashcans are in the room that I could throw up in a moment's notice. I can tell you which people around me look like they would be helpful if I were to get sick and which ones could jump out of the way the fastest. I know the best person to ask for a ginger ale, and I can walk 3 flights of stairs before my nausea starts up again. Now why would I know that?

I am 17 and 1/2 weeks pregnant (the baby is the size of a turnip...not very glamorous), and well into my second trimester. I want to say that I feel great and that my second trimester is full of energy and no more sickness. That is still not the case. Everything that my pregnancy app is telling me i should be feeling right now isn't happening. 


This morning, as I was pulling into church, I noticed the banana I was eating tasted a little strange. I parked, got out of my car and puked on the ground next to my car. I walked about 10 more feet and puked in a bush. I believe the geese that inhabit our church property were laughing at me 2 bushes over. Thankfully, I don't THINK anyone saw me. 


I am continually impressed with the pregnant women I hear about who can throw up and bounce right back into whatever they are doing. I'm not there yet. I require a make up change and a 2 hour nap.


On another note, I went to the doctor last week for a check up. I got to hear the heartbeat. It was solid and steady. On June 3, Richard and I will find out the sex of the baby. I can't wait to see the baby again.


I have also bought a few baby things recently, a high chair and a bouncy seat at a yard sale, and a really cute sailor dress at the thrift store. I don't know if I am having a girl, but the dress was so precious and only $3. I couldn't pass that up.


Even with all the sickness, I am loving being pregnant. I love planning and preparing for this baby, and I am praying that I can be the kind of mother that God wants me to be. 

Buns, Covets and Flittles

Happy Mother's Day! Many friends have wished me a Happy "first Mother's Day", but I don't feel like it will truly be my FIRST until I am holding a little one. Even still, I am honored to be a "soon to be" mother...and I don't mind the cards and attention (Let's be honest!).

Wow. I'm way behind on this here. So much has happened the the past MONTH...That's way too long. I'm sorry to report so much in one, but I wanted to get everyone caught up. Hold on to your butts!

I had a fabulous 13 week ultrasound on April 22. The tech was trying to measure but the baby moved, kicked, rolled and punched A LOT! At one point the tech just laughed and said "Where are you going?!" to the baby because he/she was dodging in and out. This of course made me laugh so then the poor ultrasound tech had to start over.  I have decided that the baby is DEFINITELY mine because he/she loves working out and/ or showing off.

What a beautiful baby! :)

I love the hand! "Hey!"

Because all went well, I felt it was finally time to announce to the world that I was having a baby. So I posted this picture on Facebook and let everyone figure it out.

Now I am approaching 16 weeks (on Wednesday). The beginning of my second trimester has been rough. During participating in the Atlanta Passion Play, I had come down with an awesome sinus infection. After enduring a week and a half of misery, I finally went to the doctor who gave me some antibiotics, and even still, I was super cautious about how much Sudafed and allergy medicine I took. I drank water and Gatorade like it was going out of style; mainly for my throat and in hopes of flushing the sickness out. That just made me pee MORE. Awesome. Also, the infection caused me to puke quite a few times. I didn't throw up AT ALL during my first trimester, even with the intense nausea. I tried my mom's method of talking myself out of it, but this sinus infection totally won! Hopefully I am finally passed that and can begin to enjoy the energy and less morning sickness.

This past week, Richard and I got to go on our "Just Us Vacation." When we got married, our friends, the Fishers, told us to always try to get away alone once a year. And we have made it a tradition. We had big hopes for our "Just Us Vacay" this year that included a roadtrip down the California coast. However, that was BEFORE we found out we were pregnant. We decided to save the money, and enjoy some relaxation at Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed in a beautiful high rise condo owned by my wonderful relatives. The condo overlooked the beach, so each morning I could watch the ocean and read and pray. It was a great time for Richard and I to rest and enjoy each other's company.

In the past few weeks I have noticed that my "cravings" have turned into "covets". Instead of craving random foods or strange combinations with pickles, I just want what someone else is having. If I see someone enjoying a snack, I want that....and will covet it all day. If I see a billboard, magazine ad, or commercial, I am enticed to go get that thing (or send Richard). I have even read a few people's FB status of what they were making for a meal, and decided I needed that thing. This morning I read a friend was making pancakes with strawberries for their mother's day breakfast. Guess what Richard is making me for Mother's Day Dinner? Mmm.  

I will say that bacon is the only constant. I can eat that every meal everyday! So now I believe that my child will be very much like Aunt Lala, who can eat a pound of bacon in one sitting.

The first part of your pregnancy, the baby seems to be more of a "theory" because you are only recognizing the symptoms and changes. AND you have to remind yourself that you aren't just getting fat...someONE is growing inside you. Then there is a flittle!  A tap tap! I have to be paying attention or I get it confused with a gas bubble or hunger pains.  I am beginning to notice the flittles when I lay flat on my back. And then I am just in awe! Having a baby is TRULY miraculous. I am amazed at what God is doing inside me!

Praise the Lord!