tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47695726407752460702024-02-18T21:49:03.927-08:00Our Newlywed Adventures in the Nation's CapitolKaty Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-16104531604987522152016-05-26T20:35:00.001-07:002016-05-26T20:35:35.820-07:002 months!Almost 3 months in to this whole mommy thing and I think you can already see how these monthly updates are going to be.... LATE each month. Sorry, not sorry - I am crazy busy with moving, unpacking, studying, her doctors appointments and keeping this little love bug happy and healthy.<br />
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So, just a few weeks late....Anne Douglas turned 2 months on May 4th (which also happens to be the birthday of my favorite youngest sister!) I weighed her on a borrowed infant scale on that date and she was about 10 pounds...FINALLY in the double digits - and we fought for every single ounce of that.<br />
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Month 2 was much more fun and easier than Month 1. Our strict nursing schedule loosened up a little bit, plus baby girl was only getting up once a night (and was sleeping through the night shortly after 2 months yay!) So, both baby and mama were happier and better rested and I feel I had more time to just enjoy being Annie D's mommy rather than obsessing over if she was eating enough!<br />
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Plus, we got to see more and more of baby girl's sweet personality this past month - so far, she is friendly, generally happy, a little bit silly, down to earth - BUT when she is angry, she will let you know. She has a temper - it doesn't come out over every small thing, but it does come out sometimes! (She is just opinionated) She also has a stubborn streak, particularly when eating-- when she is done eating, she pinches her little lips closed tightly and you can't get her to finish. Or, if you give her a bottle when she wants to nurse, she will refuse - or nurse when she wants a bottle, she will refuse. She is rarely mean about it, just determined in what she wants and doesn't want.<br />
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This month, Annie D started noticing things around her a bit more - especially items that hang like mobiles or toys. It is so much fun watching her take in the world! She also has crazy woman hair most of the time - as it grows longer, it sticks up and I have basically given up on brushing it. Luckily we think her crazy hair is adorable!! Her older cousins, Jack and Gil, visited again and she was just mesmerized by having older kids around! She has 5 older cousins and I think she is going to adore them all!<br />
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Sweet girl had to start wearing a harness/brace during her second month for (correctable) hip problems. We had a rough few days of adjustment - but she quickly adjusted. She is pretty flexible. It has restricted some of her wardrobe options, but no worries, we accessorize with bows! She wears the brace 23 hours a day and after a couple months, she will move to part time wear and then eventually she will quit wearing it at all. We think she is pretty cute in the harness and I call her "tiny tim."<br />
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Her dislikes: wearing her brace, the first nap of the day and eating right before bed. <br />
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BUT - she loves more things than she hates! LOVES: breakfast, the mobile on her mammaroo swing, mommy singing to her, SMILING, being held high on daddy's shoulder, strolling, riding in the car and when we let her fall asleep in our arms.<br />
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Daddy calls her "lil' bit" or "lil' nugget" and I call her "sweet pea" or "little love bug."<br />
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I get sad each morning thinking that she is one day older - and yet, each day she gets more fun! She changes drastically week by week and it's fun to see her little personality and appearance form. We love our sweet girl to the moon and back and are so grateful to be her parents!<br />
<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-18555940494180974742016-05-06T19:59:00.000-07:002016-05-06T19:59:24.151-07:00One MonthFor the record, I do not plan on being a "mommy blogger" - I have a baby and will talk about her but I hope I still write about other subjects as well. But, many of the next few posts will be about motherhood and my daughter as I catch up after nearly 2 months of inactivity. So, if babies aren't your thing, I totally understand- then check back in a couple weeks :)<br />
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Anne Douglas turned one month old on April 4th. She was FINALLY past birth weight - 8 pounds 8.5 ounces at her 4 week appointment - and close to 22 inches long. Despite being a little chunky monkey at her birth, Annie D is not a big eater at all. When she is hungry, she will gulp down the milk, but only if she is very hungry. She doesn't seem to be one of those babies that eat for fun...and often she will get "enough" to take the hunger away, but no more. <br />
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At one month, she was still in newborn diapers and mostly newborn clothes. After a couple weeks of feeding on demand, we moved into a 2 hour feeding schedule (to encourage my milk supply and encourage her weight gain). At night, she usually was getting up twice to feed.<br />
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Anne Douglas' first month went by so slowly - and so quickly all at once! I must admit, that first month was much harder than I had expected- I was weak from surgery and blood loss and we had nursing setbacks and weight gain issues - but by the end of the month, we had started to find our groove - AND were able to drop our crazy intense every 2 hour nurse and pump schedule. This gave me more time to enjoy being AD's mommy instead of just feeding her or worrying about feeding her all day long.<br />
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The first part of the month, she was mostly sleeping and eating but by week 3 or 4, we started seeing glimpses of her personality. She is sweet and seem mostly relaxed and happy (and we are grateful for this temperament) - however, when she does get mad, she is very angry! She is also extremely observant, taking it all in!<br />
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Anne Douglas enjoyed visits from her Bella, Aunt Marley and Uncle Bech (and cousins Jack and Gil), Gran and Papa Sug, Aunt Kimmie and Aunt Beth and Aunt Annie - as well as many friends!<br />
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She also took her first stroll through the cherry blossoms and celebrated her first Easter!<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Our little "Annie D" loves her Mammaroo, paci, bath time, being held high on Daddy's chest, being held while you are standing (don't dare sit down she will know it), her little lamb that plays music and her rock and play. She dislikes late afternoon, being cold when she gets out of the bath.</span></div>
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Even one month in, I can't imagine life without this little girl - and I can't remember not knowing what she looks like! My days are tiring but so blessed. I am often glad for a little sleep and "me" time (without a baby attached) each evening and yet when she wakes up in the morning, I find myself saying "I missed you!"Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-21612753877515081002016-05-01T19:43:00.001-07:002016-05-01T19:43:53.092-07:00Just PeachySo, for those of you who aren't my facebook friends, a few weeks ago we announced that Miss Anne Douglas is going to be a Georgia Peach....and she is most excited about being able to attend SEC football games (as you can see, her gear is ready!)<br />
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Thats right folks, we are moving to the ATL, Hot-lanta, A-town. We decided that having a baby wasn't a big enough life change so we should add a new city, job change, short stint in stay at home mommyhood and a bar exam to the mix. What can I say? We like to keep in interesting!!<br />
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We always planned on moving back south EVENTUALLY- in a few years, maybe. Then when we decided to have a baby, we begin to talk about moving in a year. Dave always liked the idea of moving early, but I was less keen on it - particularly while we were pregnant and my doctors were in DC and I had great insurance, etc. We would at least be staying here until AD was born! So, when he brought up applying for a firm in Atlanta (which turned into interviewing with a few firms in atlanta) when I was 39 weeks pregnant, I said sure. I mean, with just beginning to look, surely we wouldn't be moving so soon right? It would just be the start of our search - but one of the jobs turned out to be a great fit for Dave - and it seemed that moving right after baby would be the best possible time for me (if you must have a gap in your resume, why not make it an extended maternity leave....) and so after much prayer and discussion - and some negotiating on how soon we could get down there, Dave accepted the job. We are CRAZY. As I said, why not take on one more life change? GO BIG OR GO HOME right???<br />
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I will be honest--- Atlanta, while a nice place to live, was not my first choice. I had always hoped we would move to Birmingham - a city I love that is a good size, familiar to me, not far from home and perfectly situated between Auburn, Oxford and Starkville (priorities!!) But after we did some research over the past 6 months, it seemed Atlanta had more opportunities for us. Plus it has the added benefit of being near family (Dave's sister and her family live in the area). In fact, I believe years ago, I said "I will never live in Atlanta" (no offence Atlanta citizens, the metro area is just so large that I thought I would stay away) - but God had different plans than me! And, surprisingly, I am getting excited about it! This move will provide us with a chance to lay down some roots, buy a home, see friends and family more often - and personally, for me, the opportunity to spend a few more months at home with my sweet girl!<br />
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We have really enjoyed DC. I always wanted to live here - and I always wanted to work at BGR. Now, I have done both. Leaving this city will be bittersweet. But, in all honesty, DC never felt like home in the same way that Jackson did. I have friends here, but the city is transitional and we are constantly saying goodbye. Also, we want to buy a house in the near future -- and as we have been saving the past few years and "browsing", we realized that in DC, we would either overspend when buying a house - or have to purchase a small condo. Finally, while we love adventure and are fine living away from home, we are both very family oriented and wanted to live a little closer to home so that our kids could grow up seeing grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, etc a bit more often.<br />
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So, if I have been a bad blogger for awhile, its due to a new baby AND packing...and I will likely be a bit busy for the next few weeks so give me grace if the posts are few and far between, although I promise to try.<br />
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<b><u>Prayers...</u></b> please say a prayer for us as we move, particularly for me. The move is a bit scarier when you are the one moving without a job. I will be studying for a bar exam and eventually looking for a new job all at once, plus I will be staying at home in a city where I only know a few people. So please say a prayer for open doors, community and friendships, trust that this is the right decision and a smooth easy transition! And come see us in Atlanta friends :)Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-21713540496706032772016-04-15T18:58:00.001-07:002016-04-15T18:58:17.227-07:00**Meeting our girl**I apologize for the delay, but as you can imagine, we have been quite busy!! Our sweet girl, Anne Douglas, was born on March 4th at 9 am. She was 8 pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches long - and she has the most beautiful head full of hair. We are smitten and so thankful for this little gift.<br />
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I am not a big "birth story" person. I think sometimes they are way more descriptive than they should be for social media. So, I will give you a "clean" version of our birth story - no talk of centimeters!<br />
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If you know me well, you know that my biggest birth fear was not a c section -- my biggest fear was an induction. I trust doctors and knew that sometimes a section is the healthiest way for the baby to arrive so I was prepared for a planned section if needed. But, having heard so many horror stories of inductions being painful and unproductive and resulting in a section, my prayer throughout my 3rd trimester was not to be induced. However, in the end, that's the path God had in plan for us -- I still can't say I am happy about it, but I am grateful that it was His plan and not mine.<br />
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Anne Douglas was measuring average and maybe even a little small until third trimester. At 36 weeks, they warned us she could be large - and at 39.5, they believed she was already nearing 9 pounds. I was showing signs of progress so we hoped I would go into labor already. Also, I was a good candidate for a successful induction (according to my doctors), so we scheduled an induction for 40.5 weeks and prayed that it wasn't needed and/or that it would be successful. I shared this date with a few friends and family - but didn't announce it to the world. Additionally, since we were full term and had experienced losses in the past, one of my doctors phrased it well: "let's not risk it. let's get a healthy baby here." Every day she was in there was a chance something could happen - and we wanted to bring home a happy healthy baby.<br />
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I did everything to induce labor- eat pineapple, walk long distances for weeks before labor, run stairs, bounce on the birthing ball, eat eggplant, foot massages, etc. A lot of these caused contractions but did not lead to labor. Meanwhile, I had spent the last several weeks of pregnancy getting bigger and bigger - and not in the "traditional" sense. My legs and feet looked like they belonged on a 400 pound woman. None of my shoes fit but I managed to "stuff" my feet into one pair of shoes. There were weeks where I "gained" 4 pounds (of water weight). I also had dizziness and fatigue. My doctors checked me for pre-eclampsia which I did not have and we chalked it up to just being incredibly unlucky to have such extreme swelling and fatigue. WELL -- It turns out that I had pretty severe anemia that we didn't catch. This anemia ended up causing some complications with labor, breastfeeding, etc. If I could do this over again, the main thing I would do differently is treat the anemia and see if labor went differently.<br />
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We checked into the hospital on a Wednesday night -- I made the mistake of not eating before we went in, assuming that we could pick up subway at the hospital since I wasn't starting pitocin until 4 am the next morning. (which meant I started labor famished and didn't get to eat until Friday evening, this is a big deal when you are almost 41 weeks preggo haha) In my gut, I felt induction might fail but I tried to go in hopeful, arming myself with other women's success stories and the fact that I was such a "good candidate".<br />
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On Thursday, we started Pitocin - and I walked around the delivery ward, bounced on the ball and eventually had my water broken. We upped the Pitocin - then backed off - then upped it again twice, hoping to get my body into labor. I definitely labored -- but my body never actually went into labor. It just did not respond to the pitocin. Anne Douglas did not struggle with the Pitocin like some babies do -- no dropped heart rate - in fact, it was the opposite: I could tell a contraction was coming by watching her heart rate on the monitor. It always got a little higher right before a contraction hit. I held off on the epidural in hopes of speeding up labor - but finally after I was in a lot of pain at midnight, I opted for the epidural so I could sleep until the morning - all while having regular contractions. This was our last shot at getting into labor - and I knew there was a chance that it would not work. But, in the morning I would either be pushing or having surgery, so I needed rest. When I woke up the next morning, my doctor checked me again and there had been no more progress over the night. I didn't even question her - it was clear at this point that labor was not working, so I looked at her and said "So I guess this means that we need to prep for a c section." If I had progressed at all, I would have wanted to continue with labor - but no progress overnight made it pretty clear for me.<br />
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The doctor turned off the medicine and gave me time to cry, pray, talk to Dave and call my mom and sister who were at home for the night. We let my body rest for a couple hours before surgery- but two hours is not quite enough time to come to terms with things going so differently than you had hoped. I always knew a failed induction was a real possibility but I think to get through labor, I had to always tell myself that it was going to succeed. Everyone kept trying to cheer me up, asking me if I was so excited to meet my daughter, and my response was "Yes- but I am kindof irritated with her." And that was the truth - she wouldn't drop and I was PISSED. All that work and Miss Stubborn just wanted to chill inside me a bit longer. <br />
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After receiving some more medicine, they wheeled me back. I was crying and shaking (yay medicine) and nervous. I was so grateful that Dave was in the room with me, able to sit by me and hold my hand and calm me down. The c-section didn't take long - and before long, they were handing over a beautiful baby with a head full of dark hair. Dave says that my demeanor completely changed then - I had been so upset, but now I was just so happy and grateful she was here. After she was weighed and measured and checked by the doctors and nurses, Dave was able to bring her over to me and I finally was able to meet my daughter. Sadly, I couldn't really "hold her" due to my constant shaking - so Dave held her next to me and we were able to spend a few minutes together before being wheeled to recovery. Also, one of my favorite things is that one of the sweet nurses grabbed our camera and started taking pictures. I love those pictures- they show the moment we became a family, even if it didn't happen as I hoped.<br />
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Once we were in the room, I had to quit shaking and then was finally able to hold her and nurse her. My rule was that no one but Dave could hold her before I did - and my mom and sister were kind enough to wait. Meeting her was hands down, one of the best moments of my life - even if it didn't go as planned. She was amazingly alert and was eager to look at us and nurse. <br />
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The rest of the day and the next morning, I was very dizzy, shaky and weak. I was often nervous to hold AD because I didn't want to drop her. I thought this was a result of the medicine- but it turns out I had a large blood loss during the surgery (probably as a result of the 24+ worth hours of pitocin) which took anemia and made it even more severe. We discussed transfusion to help fix the levels more quickly and decided against it (a decision I sometimes still regret as I later struggled with milk supply issues resulting from anemia). Because of my tendency to dizziness and weakness, I was nervous to be home alone with baby girl for awhile - but thankfully I had my mother with me and then my mother in law, so by the time it was just AD and me, I was no longer so weak. I am thankful for their help - and although my levels are still low, they are the high end of low (thanks to the very HIGH IRON diet my mom put me on).<br />
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This birth - and honestly, this entire journey to have Anne Douglas went so differently than I would have planned in several ways. But, after having lost a baby last February, I am just grateful she is here and healthy. Birth is just one day (or 2 in my case) - and being a mom is a lifetime!<br />
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Due to the long induction and a few complications for both AD and me, we stayed in the hospital for 5 days but finally took our baby girl home in grand fashion -wearing a new daygown with mommy's baby bonnet and booties made by her great great grandmother. We are loving life as a family of three!</div>
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<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-44553773327859707632016-02-28T05:27:00.001-08:002016-02-28T05:27:52.038-08:00HELLO DUE DATE: 40 week updateWell, hello due date. I really hoped that by the time you arrived, I would be (a little) smaller with a cute fat bundle of joy in my arms - but my stubborn daughter had other plans???? (She gets it from her daddy....)<br />
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I am hoping she is a rule follower like her mamma and decides to arrive today since that's the day she was told to arrive. or at least by tomorrow, LEAP DAY (which would be an awesome birthday)<br />
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<b><u>How I am feeling..........</u></b></div>
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Everyone keeps asking how I am feeling --- ughh, I am feeling every bit of 40 weeks of pregnant! Sore, crampy, some contractions, can't sleep, swollen, etc. and GRUMPY!<br />
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I also am just a bit down (as in cried in the doctor's office Friday - its okay, I am sure that they have very pregnant emotional ladies cry all the time ha) because I am incredibly swollen and really wanted a February baby (and have 2 more days to have one) Last February 's loss was so tough for us, it just felt like having a baby this February would be redemptive. But, on a positive note, March has a prettier birth stone...... so maybe AD just wants a blue stone instead of a purple one???? (BLUE is a better color....)<br />
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And since lots of people have told me she will be late (sometimes unsolicited), I really really had the goal of proving everyone wrong. All the walking and bouncing on the yoga ball has helped me progress - but not there yet. Hopeful soon! I am accepting that my plans might not work out - but if not, we will just wait to meet her on her eviction date.<br />
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<b><u>Eviction date</u></b></div>
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To our surprise, at our 36 week appointment, they predicted that baby girl is a bit on the fluffy side - and we can't wait to see her sweet fat little cheeks - but every day she spends "on the inside" is another ounce I have to try to push out. So, we do hope she comes soon. Plus we just really want to meet her!!! She has as an "eviction date" scheduled so we do have an end date - but my prayer is that she arrives on her own.<br />
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My mom arrives tomorrow - which I keep telling AD so hopefully she decides to arrives then! If not, we have several days of walking, movies, pedicures, etc planned.<br />
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I really had hoped not to induce - I am scared of induction the way some ladies are scared of c sections. However, I really trust my physicians and want what is best for AD so if induction is the way to go, I will put on my big girl (maternity) panties and deal with it. We pray that this little girl arrives on her own - and that if she doesn't, we can be at peace about it.<br />
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<b><u>The good news...</u></b></div>
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Whether she comes on her own or is encouraged out on her induction date, she will be here soon. Hurry up baby girl - we are so so so excited to meet you!! You are already so so so loved!</div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-19195289405311844232016-02-22T14:21:00.002-08:002016-02-22T14:21:43.136-08:00"I think I can, I think I can" -- 39 week update!Updates to our blog have been sparse lately. I have been busy wrapping things up at work before maternity leave, getting the final things ready for Anne Douglas, enjoying a few last date nights with Dave - and honestly, sometimes sitting on the couch watching TV when I am just too tired to do anything else!! Hopefully after baby arrives and we settle into a new normal, I will be back up to writing.<br />
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I mentioned in my last pregnancy post (36 weeks) that I would try to post weekly until baby girl arrives--- well that was a lie, sorry. But hey, a 39 week update, yay for me!<br />
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Today I am 39 weeks, 1 day - we had a good apt today (although it did not reveal any clues to when baby will arrive) and have an ultrasound on Wednesday to see how big she is and when we should schedule an induction date.<br />
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<b>Here is a 39 week bump shot</b></div>
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39 weeks at Mt Vernon - trying to walk this baby out and enjoy a little history on our rare warm winter day this weekend!</div>
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<b>Some pictures from the past few weeks....</b></div>
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37 weeks - after Dave and I spent an hour making laps at the mall trying to get ready for labor (too cold to walk outside!)</div>
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38 week Valentine date to Botanic Garden</div>
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38 week volunteer shift for JLW</div>
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8 weeks v 39 weeks - same dress, much different belly</div>
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We are eagerly awaiting baby girl - due SUNDAY so hopefully she will arrive within the next week, although she most likely has until around 41 weeks before we take her out by force. Her car seat is in, her nursery is *mostly* finished, her clothes are washed and her bag is packed. Now, she just needs to decide to show up. And, yes, I realize that I have a good chance of her arriving late since she is a first baby. I feel this is a fact that every single person feels the need to tell me. I am aware, I even will say "she will probably be late" but goodness, I get up hoping every single day that today is the day --- AND I am starting to try some of the "induction" methods - long walks, bouncing on the yoga ball, massage, etc. I might as well be proactive right? Worst case scenerio - I took a few long walks and got a massage and still had to be induced. SO the best thing to say to a 38-39 week pregnant lady: Oh wow, you are almost there, any day now! She will be here before you know it! (Also, it never hurts to tell me that I look great! haha)<br />
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I am in the weekly appointment stage - so lots of time with my doctors. My body is starting to prep for labor some, but it doesn't appear to be happening at lightening speed. So I am not expecting a baby tomorrow but maybe in a week would be nice!<br />
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I am feeling okay, all things considering. I am cramping and sore, extremely swollen, use the restroom every 5 minutes and sleeping maybe 4 hours at night. So yes, uncomfortable and irritable - but not in severe severe pain, etc. I don't have much energy so trying to motivate myself to "nest" and "clean house" before baby's arrival is hard. A little at a time - and if its not done, its not done. I doubt she notices an unmopped kitchen floor, anyways.<br />
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I am still working - and am trying to decide what day this week I will start "working from home" and when I will stop all together -- I would like to make it to the end, but its hard because I do not know when the end is! If she is late or we schedule an induction or section then I would likely take the 2-3 days before labor off. I just don't want to waste all of my maternity leave sitting at home waiting on baby.<br />
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My current least favorite symptom is severe SWELLING. Seriously, I feel like Violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I have 3 pairs of shoes that fit because my feet and legs are so swollen. I had a foot massage last week which helped (afterwards, my feet looked like I weighed 300, not 400 pounds so we will call it progress) but now I need another one. Weight gain has suddenly sky rocketed --I went from a healthy/lower steady weight gain to a lot really quickly. Its mostly water but still, nothing is more disheartening than working so hard to keep your weight gain down only to have it jump really high in the last few weeks of pregnancy. I try to remind myself that it's worth it and that so many women would love to be 39 weeks and uncomfortable, so how can I complain too much?<br />
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One of the most frustrating things about this stage of pregnancy is that I am constantly looking for "signs" of impending labor - and goodness, ANYTHING could be a sign - for example.......<br />
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<li>swelling - well, apparently you retain water right before birth</li>
<li>weight gain/weight loss - some ladies claim to pack it on the week before the birth (swelling) and some claim they start to lose it - so either way, you can "think" labor is coming</li>
<li>cramps - this is your body getting ready for contractions!</li>
<li>back pain - the beginning of back labor!</li>
<li>a desire to nest - must be because she is on her way!</li>
<li>a desire to rest - well my body needs to rest up because of her impending arrival!</li>
<li>an active baby - she must be pushing her way down!</li>
<li>fewer movements - baby is resting up for delivery, I read that babies are less active right before birth....</li>
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The truth is, all of these things - swelling, cramps, back pain - do indeed mean that baby girl will be arriving soon, but it doesn't mean she will be arriving tomorrow! So, I try not to get "too excited" when I have a long day of cramping. All it means for me is that I am cramping and sometime in the next 2 weeks I will have a baby.</div>
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But, one of the best things about this stage of pregnancy is she is SO ACTIVE. Although I occasionally wish she would "simmer down" haha! I LOVE feeling her sweet those sweet strong kicks and realizing is soon I won't have that privilege. For 9 months, for good and bad, she has been mostly mine - and soon I have to share her (In fact, my biggest reason to not want to have a c-section is that I don't want Dave to get to hold her first, I want to get to hold her! ha!) I know that soon I will have her in my arms but I won't feel her every movement. (This might make me a bit more comfortable but I will miss her little dance parties in my belly!) Also, I love walking into her nursery and knowing that SOON she will be home. Or obsessing about whether or not she will have hair for all her hairbows, ha!</div>
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I am hoping that my next update includes a birth announcement - but sadly, it may include complaining and a 40 week belly picture :) Fingers crossed friends - home stretch. Our daughter will be here soon, praise the Lord!</div>
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Prayers are appreciated - for a safe delivery, healthy baby and healthy mommy! Also, we are praying we don't have to have a section and hopefully not an induction - but know that if that's what's needed when the time comes, then we are in good hands! I am so thankful to have an all powerful God, doctors I trust and a husband that has my best interest at heart as I know labor can be unpredictable.</div>
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<b><i>Oh and for those who care about my metro seat obsession.... </i></b></div>
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<b><u>#Metrogate</u></b><br />
Mostly my metro rides have been quite nice - people offer me seats left and right. I HATE being this big, but it turns out that a large preggo belly and swollen legs have some perks. I did have one elderly woman snap at me the other day. I was being pushed from behind (as often happens while entering a crowded metro) and I barely bumped into her. I turned to my side to say I was sorry and before I could, she had sighed at me and snapped at me. I have the most metro problems with elderly folks - I guess they think we are fighting for the same prime metro seat real estate? I have no clue...<br />
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<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-61389706672375428792016-02-01T13:41:00.003-08:002016-02-01T13:41:54.731-08:00It's FEBRUARY: 36 weeks update<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">36 weeks - as in 9 months, folks. Less than 4 weeks til her due date! CRAZY. In the next few weeks, I will probably update weekly - until you know, she arrives!</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><u style="line-height: 24.64px;">SEATGATE 2015/2016</u><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">: Still getting plenty of seats. I even had an elderly lady defend my "pregnant" honor. The other day, when I got on, there were several available seats. I unknowingly sat down in one in an area meant for people who need seats (ie, handicapped, elderly, very pregnant...) which technically I fall into the "need seats" category. Within a few stops, there were no more available seats. I was playing on my phone when an able bodied gray haired (but not elderly) man tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a sign behind me. I was confused and he pointed again so I turned and looked above and saw the sign said the seats were for those who needed it. He did not say please or excuse me can I have this seat, he was just demanding and self entitled. Although I felt I was probably in the intended category, I am able to stand so I started to get up and move- but the elderly woman next to me grabbed my arm and said, "Excuse me, but she's pregnant." The angry gray haired man just looked at me and I told the woman "thank you but I can stand---" and she once again said, "She's pregnant, it's not safe for her to be standing and tossed around." And so the grumpy man moved along and demanded a seat from someone else.</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">Yay for good people on the metro - and guess what? She was southern, no surprise there. Of course, had someone really needed my seat, I would gladly give it up to him or her. Also, I would have given up my seat to this man to avoid any scene. But, how demanding and entitled??? He was NOT southern, not at all.</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">36 weeks- countdown til baby girl is here! Here is a pic of our girl at Garth last night!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">35 weeks in a Blizzard </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Baby girl is the size of some type of lettuce (romaine, swiss chard, etc) depending on which "chart" you look at. According to these charts, she is hovering around 5.75-6 pounds and 18.75 inches long. But, when we go in for our appointment tomorrow, maybe we find out more specific measurements.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">Yes - and Dave's sweatshirts. I am a total FATTY now. I am totally in that BIG stage of pregnancy - oh and the start to swell a lot phase. So MATERNITY clothing only - and more specifically, maternity clothes that are looser or larger on me are great! (or stretchy!) My cute maternity "skinny" pants are often not an option anymore.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not well at all. And Dave recently pointed out that I always breathe so loudly and get up a lot so he doesn't sleep too well either. I guess we are both being prepped for baby girl's arrival and those sleepless nights - although honestly, I wish we could "prep" by having LOTS of sleep!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes!! Girl seems to be moving more - which makes me think she is in no hurry to get out as I think one of the signs of impending labor is less movement. To be fair, she may not be moving more than she was in the past - she may just be bigger so Dave and I can feel stronger movements. As of the last appointment (34.5 weeks), baby girl is head down - so we are praying she stays that way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WORKING ON AD'S NURSERY! My sister came and helped organize AD's closet and hang a few pictures and wash clothes - so that was great, because although I could do it by myself, she is much better at organizing. There is a point of organizing where it's messier than it is clean, and that is where I fall apart. But Marley can handle that part! Also Dave and I worked on the nursery this weekend - we still have a couple more weekends of work but we are close!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hand washing her smocked newborn daygowns. That sounds so silly- but its true. During the snowstorm, I hand washed her NB gowns and bonnet and I was so giddy thinking that she will soon be here and wearing those clothes!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hearing she was still head down! (Way to go, girl!!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">IT IS FEBRUARY!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still don't like meat very much.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Moscow Mules, White Wine, Sushi</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving to the weekly appointments (36-40) - I know these appointments are not supposedly that fun, but to me, it signifies the end. Plus, maybe we can find out "progress" each week!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Putting the final touches on her nursery over the next week or two. Her bedding should be arriving this week (Thanks Bella!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finishing packing my hospital suitcase and having it by the door. Let's be honest - AD's suitcase has been packed (mostly) because well patty gowns, bows and smocked dresses are WAY more fun to pack than "loose clothes" for a "post baby" body haha.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoying our last few moments as a family of two.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">AD attended her first concert last night- GARTH! She moved around a lot so she must love music like her daddy! He said "That's my girl."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">36 weeks - home stretch. I know 36 weeks is not full term and I would prefer she bake in there a bit longer - but I feel like 36+ weeks is a safe normal time to arrive, so I feel comfortable knowing that if she starts to arrive anytime soon, we are in the "normal" zone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Pregnancy Symptoms:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;"> Weight gain, achy hips and lower back, constant bathroom trips, lots of leg cramps, INSOMNIA, ribs hurt. Also, I am now very swollen. I am trying my best to drink a lot of lemon water and eat healthy because I don't want anything to make me swell more.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">I recently have had to to start pushing myself off my seat with my hands - like an old lady. Cant wait to be able to move like I used to again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: magenta;">A sweet baby GIRL!!! </span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ughh, can this be the part of pregnancy where I QUIT telling you my weight gain? It's higher than I would like - and some of that has been recent. My body was not gaining a lot and then BAM overnight I put on some weight this week. (I will get an official number tomorrow but my guess is 25+) I think a lot of the recent weight gain is swelling but even so, I was motivated to return to healthy eating habits (after about a month off) so I went shopping and have a kitchen full of healthy snacks and meals - hoping this keeps my number down. But what I really want to eat is CEREAL.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sweet baby girl, we will meet you this month! Your daddy and I are super excited and spend ridiculous amounts of time talking about how ready we are to meet you. You were prayed for and wanted and you will finally be here. Keep growing strong but know that a week or two early is fine by us! We will be waiting!</b></span></div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-60954762925829187272016-01-05T09:20:00.002-08:002016-01-05T09:22:23.902-08:002016: Psuedo-Resolutions, Goals and Prayers2016 is going to start out fairly BIG- we are having a baby in February- which may make elaborate goals a bit too tough of a commitment for the coming year. I mean, I will be too focused on keeping another human being alive, fed and dressed. Plus, let's all be honest with ourselves - a new year usually brings very specific GOALS that aren't always obtainable. I often have new years ambitions - and sometimes I follow through (run a half marathon, lose weight, cook more, etc) but generally, I do better with small goals - ie, last spring I committed to train for and run a 10k and I did - or this Christmas, I committed to staying on budget (-ish) for Christmas and I came within $25 dollars!<br />
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So, no lofty specific goals from me this January - but I can't let this new year sneak up on me without sharing some general goals, hopes, dreams, etc. 2015 was filled with ups and downs - and no doubt, 2016 will include the same - BUT, there is something about a new year - a fresh clean slate, pages of a book that have no tears or regrets or pain written on it yet....another chance for God to do big things in our lives and through our lives! I can't help but start this year hopeful - for we serve a POWERFUL Lord who can work in our lives in huge ways!<br />
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Here are my spiritual, relational, financial and health goals or guidelines for 2016. As you see, no specific plans, numbers or timelines - just goals of improvement in these 4 categories. Over the course of a year, I will fail and improve in these areas at various times but my hope and prayer is that at the end of the year, I will see overall improvement and growth in each area.<br />
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<b><u>SPIRITUAL GOALS</u></b></div>
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(1) GIVE IT A YEAR: PRAYING THROUGH 2016</div>
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I want prayer to be a big part of my life this year. I want to document requests and struggles and confessions so I can see how God is answering in both big and small ways, to see how He is molding and growing me. I want to hope and believe that <a href="http://theblazingcenter.com/2016/01/our-god-is-over-the-top-so-raise-your-expectations-then-raise-them-again.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBlazingCenter+%28The+Blazing+Center%29">God can answer in over the top ways</a> and pray for myself and others with this kind of boldness!<br />
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Personally, there are a few things in my life that I just want to see changed - circumstances, relationships, sinful struggles, etc. I know you can all relate! And I have lived long enough to know that some change will happen simply by time and prayer. <br />
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Years ago, God placed a little personal motto on my heart - "Give it a year" and I have clung to that phrase ever since. I can do a year. It's long enough to see change happen, but not so long that it can be daunting. And, so when waiting and hoping for answered prayers- be it a spouse, a baby, a job change, relationships, finances, etc, I often tell myself that in a year, things could be better. So, in 2016, I commit to give it a year, to dedicate the next 12 months to faithfully praying - and to seeing how God chooses to act - and how He grows me in the process.<br />
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(2) READ THE (CHILDREN'S) BIBLE TO ANNE DOUGLAS</div>
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I know she will be too young to comprehend a lot of what we read - but I want scripture and prayer time to become a parenting habit. I look back at my life and do not remember a time when scripture reading, worship and prayer were not a part of my life. I am grateful that my parents started with Bible study even before I could comprehend - and this year, I want to start that with our daughter.<br />
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<b><u>RELATIONAL GOALS</u></b></div>
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(1) IMPROVE MY MARRIAGE </div>
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Dave and I are very happy together, but like most couples, we bicker and criticize and fail to show grace at times. We both have areas where we can and should improve. This year will be filled with lots of crazy good changes - and some of these changes might add stress to our relationship. So, my goal is to still take time to focus on Dave - and to work on ways that I can love and serve him better. I do not want to forget to work on my marriage just because I am working at motherhood.<br />
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(2) GIVE OURSELVES GRACE IN PARENTING</div>
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Being mommy and daddy will be so new to us - and we will fail just as many times as we succeed. I have lots of parenting goals - a happy well balanced baby, a child that sleeps through the night, breastfeeding, etc. But the reality is that babies can't be controlled - and parents are humans that will fail and learn and figure out better ways. So, my prayer is that we can give ourselves a little grace as we learn!<br />
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<b><u>FINANCIAL GOALS</u></b></div>
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(1) SAVINGS AND BUDGETING</div>
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Dave and I have worked hard to save a decent amount of money over the past couple years- but we could always do better with our finances- especially with our budget! (we don't necessarily overspend, but we don't always stick to a budget). My financial goals for 2016 is to keep saving (even if it's less because of baby expenses, just putting a little away each month helps) and budget better.<br />
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(2) TITHING</div>
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Confession: We are not the best at tithing. This stems from the fact that we moved right after we got married and were not members at a church (and still aren't) so we mostly just gave our tithes monthly to various ministries and missionaries instead - with an occasional donation to the church. I think this was fine for awhile, but the reality is that we are now invested in a local church and are involved in their programs and ministries - and need to be giving monthly to a church (members or not). So as we learn to budget better this year, I want to add tithing to the church into our budget.<br />
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<b><u>HEALTH GOALS</u></b></div>
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(1) LOSE THE BABY WEIGHT</div>
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Goodness, it couldn't be a new years resolution post without including some talk on weight and health right? In case you haven't noticed, I have put on some weight over the past year (ha!) - and after AD arrives and we settle into our new life, I would like to get back in shape and lose as much of the weight as I can.<br />
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(2) RUNNING</div>
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Over the past several years, I have become a runner - not a terribly fast runner, but a runner just the same. I quit for awhile, but managed to pick it up last spring and train for 10K with my friend. Soon after the 10k, I became pregnant and sick and quit running. So, post baby, I want to pick it up again - train for a 5k, then maybe a longer race. Picking small running goals like races helps me stick to it!<br />
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(3) SCHEDULE BETTER</div>
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I am not sure where this goal "fits" in so I am including it in the health category. Two things have become abundantly clear to me as I read about parenting and think about how we will both work full time, raise a baby, keep up with other activities, etc: (1) some commitments and fun things will get cut and (2) we will have to become schedule people (this will be harder for Dave than me as he goes with the flow a lot more than me!) I am not sure what our schedule will look like - but we will have to work together with a plan of when things like gym time, baby, etc happen in relation to AD's eating and sleeping schedule.</div>
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Well, there you have it, folks - my "general" goals for 2016. I hope I succeed at improvement in all areas, but I am realistic so if I improve in half of them, I will be happy! What are your goals for 2016? Something big and specific? (run a marathon or save 10,000 dollars, etc) or general areas of improvement like me?</div>
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!</div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-81650123295756645992016-01-04T14:28:00.000-08:002016-01-04T14:28:03.546-08:0032 Weeks!<div align="center" style="line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">I can't believe I am 32+ weeks pregnant. Seriously, we are under 2 months until baby girl is here. CRAZY. It seems like it has gone slowly and quickly all at once. Likewise, when I think of all we have left to do - 7-8 weeks seems like not enough time to get it done - and at the same time, how can we wait that much longer?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><u>SEATGATE 2015/2016</u>: This is my "golden" time. I look like I am with child- ain't no doubt about it. There is no passing glance of "Is she just chubby?" or "Maybe she ate a big lunch" I am clearly pregnant - and I would say, clearly very pregnant. So, bring it on, winter metro rides: I am CERTAIN to have several seat offers. In fact, I was offered a seat TWICE this morning. Laugh all you want - but there are few perks to being big, achy and swollen - so let me have my small joys, okay?</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">32 weeks as of this past weekend!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">This picture was taken on Bourbon Street before the Sugar Bowl because my sister and I thought it would be hilarious to take a picture of a very preggo women on one of America's most notorious party streets. (Its okay if you think this is silly - pregnancy humor is not for everyone!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">31.5 weeks (maternity photos in Mississippi)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">29 weeks (bridesmaid duties)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"> Baby Size:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Baby girl is 3.75 pounds - the size of a spaghetti squash. (yum, I love spaghetti squash) She is almost 17 inches long. Baby girl will gain about a half pound a week now as she fattens up for delivery!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Nope, not really....haha, this is a joke question at this point right?? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Eh- not fabulous, but that's too be expected. I consider it preparation for sleepless nights during the first year of motherhood.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Movement:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes!! Lots - although baby girl is still pretty stubborn, so if I tell you she is kicking and you place your hand on my stomach, she will immediately stop. I think she senses the pressure so she stops. I am convinced that she does this intentionally - which makes her brilliant or difficult or possibly both. This frustrated my family - and it frustrates Dave- although I think if you are willing to sit with your hand on my belly for awhile, you will catch her. </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She has also been flipping around a lot which is occasionally uncomfortable but is a good thing as the doctor believes that she is finally head down instead of transverse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Best Moment of the Past 4 weeks:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmmm... baby showers, reaching the less than 2 month mark, metro seats (I am sorry, my best moments are sometimes lame)</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweets. Cereal. Fruit. good Salads. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Food Aversions:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still don't like meat very much.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">What I Miss:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Wine and sushi.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting stuff done!! December was crazy - 3 showers, Christmas, a wedding, parties, travel. January is my get ready for baby months!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE lists so this week I am making a huge "baby to do" list - and we are crossing items off every weekend: decorating the nursery, taking our birthing class (all day Sunday), calling my insurance company, washing and sorting her clothes (and buying anything we still need), finding a newborn photographer, etc. I feel a bit overwhelmed with all we have left to do- but I think as we accomplish a few things each weekend, I will feel a bit more ready. Also, as Dave says - so long as we have a few clothes and a crib, we could make do if she came early and we weren't ready. But, you know how we ladies are - I want her to come home to a decorated nursery with her clothes neatly put up!!.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, I am also looking forward to LOTS of time this month with Dave before I have to share him with another little lady. Plus lots of movies and eating at restaurants. Date night every weekend haha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">AD attended her first College Football Game (yay REBELS) and celebrated her first Christmas. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and pregnancy-wise - she is now head down (stay that way please) and some would consider her 8 months (32 weeks!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Pregnancy Symptoms:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;"> Weight gain, achy hips and lower back, constant bathroom trips, lots of leg cramps - AND my newest symptom: feeling like I am bruised in my upper ribs - or like someone kicked me in ribs. The doctor said that my body is just running out of room for my organs - which, you know, is a perfectly reasonable explanation but also made me feel like I must be as big as a cow if there is so much baby and fat in me that my kidney or gall bladder is starting to feel squished. Pregnancy is so sexy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: magenta;">A sweet baby GIRL!!! </span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the Dr's office, 19 pounds. According to my calculations, 21 pounds - but you know what, lets just go ahead and say that doctors know more than I do and call it 19! My biggest accomplishment of the past 4 weeks is that I lost a pound between my 30 week and 32 week appointments. It's funny the things I count as successes now....also, I am sure I will make up for it with a big ole gain at my next appointment!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sweet baby girl, we are counting down and SO SO excited. I keep thinking about who you will be- will you be quiet and sweet or outspoken and brave? Prissy or a tomboy? Athletic or artsy? Silly or serious? And, goodness, with our mixture of family genes, will you be blonde or brunette? (Also, please have hair because I really want to put bows in your hair!) Honestly, based on who your parents are - you will *probably* be strong willed (like me) and stubborn (like daddy) -- which may get you into some trouble but would make you quite the leader! </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Also, know that you are very loved. You were very spoiled over the past month with showers and Christmas. I think your Bella bought you every smocked dress that Remember Nguyen had so you will be very well dressed! Keep growing strong - and please know that we would gladly welcome you at 38 or 39 weeks, so you know, keep that in mind when deciding your birth date....</b></span></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-34329338899942254632015-12-22T08:03:00.001-08:002015-12-22T08:08:07.646-08:00Emmanuel for the Weary<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">“O rest beside the weary road, and hear
the angels sing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This year ends mostly on good notes - a merry Mississippi
Christmas trip ahead of us with plenty of time spent with friends, family and
the world's most adorable nieces and nephews; solid jobs; a sweet baby girl on
the way and so much to be grateful for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Many years, I have limped into Christmas
and the New Year, far far more fragile than I am now, full of brokenness,
longing and hopelessness. I am comfortable with that- I know how to celebrate
Advent in the midst of pain and times of waiting. This year is different - it ends with mostly
joy and hope and blessings, but as I have struggled through December, I
realized that this year ends in praise, but it also ends in exhaustion. I am
learning how to celebrate the Savior’s coming with a weary soul and body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Part of that exhaustion is my fault - over
committing, trying to do too much (specifically too much for a 30 week pregnant
woman!) and part of that exhaustion is that the road to these blessings has not
been easy. I walked through really hard times this year – with Emmanuel
by my side- and now that I have survived, I am worn out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Celebrating and rejoicing in God's
goodness to us in the past year does not undo the fact that many tears were
cried and much heartache was felt in 2015. Seeing God redeem and restore is
lovely and such an honor to witness, but fresh scars still remain on our
hearts. Work, relationships, licensing exams, family (or rather growing our
family) has not made for an easy year. A happy one, yes, but an easy one,
not at all. Dave feels it too – after months of holding each other up and trying
our best to courageously fight through lives battles, we are far more grumpy
with each other and life this December than we were last year and we seem to be
more sickly and insulated than our normal selves. We aren't hurting, per
se. We aren't hopeless. Just the opposite – we are joyful and
thankful for our many blessings. But, we
are just plum worn out – and the exhaustion shows – with worn out bodies, in
sickness and colds that won’t go away, in harsh words and baggy circles under
our eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And, so I limp into
Christmas in a different way – not in a “still in the trenches” type a way, not
in a hopeless way – but in a weary and worn out way. This year, “Emmanuel” ( “God with us”) means
something different to me. I have experienced
an Emmanuel who helps me through hard roads or strengthens me in the
waiting. I know the Emmanuel who undeservedly
blesses me. And, this season, I am
finding that this Emmanuel is also with me in recovery. Just as he walked me through hard times, He
will hold my hand as I heal and rest and find strength again. He is my rest –
and He came to offer us ultimate healing and rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This year I am coming to
the manger weary – and there I will find rest that only a Savior can grant me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">"Come to me, all
you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.</span>”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-11291031957524615552015-12-14T07:53:00.001-08:002015-12-14T07:53:12.842-08:00Nor Does He Sleep<div class="MsoNormal">
I love the good truth found in hymns. Don’t get me wrong, this traditional Presbyterian
girl can enjoy a good praise song, but the heavy meaning found in hymn lyrics
always stirs my heart to think deeper and worship. And, so, during Christmas, I definitely enjoy
the carols and Christian songs more than the other catchy holiday pop tunes.
Music can subtly slip truth into our hearts and minds while we are mindlessly humming
along – so listening to Christmas carols on my daily metro rides not only gets
me in “the holiday spirit” – it also reminds me of my Savior and His overwhelming love and
faithfulness for His people.</div>
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Some of my all time favorite Christmas carol lyrics are: </div>
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<i>And in despair I bowed my head</i></div>
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<i>“There is no peace on earth,” I said,</i></div>
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<i>“For hate is strong and mocks the song</i></div>
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<i>Of peace on earth, good will to men.”</i></div>
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<i>The pealed the bells more loud
and deep; <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>“God is not dead nor doth (does) He
sleep;<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i> The wrong shall fail, the right prevail <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>With peace on earth, good will to
men.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I am a fairly black and white thinker – and my heart LOVES justice
(both personally and for others).
Feeling like I or someone I loved was treated unfairly hurts me
deeply. Forgiveness (without apology or recognition) comes hard for me (and is constantly my biggest confession: Lord help me forgive) Maybe it is my personality or my
legal background or a little bit of
self-righteousness, but the way I long for this broken world to be healed is
through a “righting” of wrongs – apologies, healed relationships, acknowledged wrongs,
correction or punishment of unfair treatment, seeing those who are "right" succeed, etc.</div>
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So, this year, my heart (like many of your hearts, probably) has been
heavy. Such brokenness, such wrongs, coming at us from every corner (we can’t
blame just liberals or conservatives or Christians or Muslims or blacks or
whites for this) Terrorist attacks. Racism. Mass Shootings. Refugees. Purposeful attacks on
conservatives. Christians acting hatefully. Muslims acting hatefully. Awful
presidential choices. Selective concern for others. A PC agenda. And the list goes on and on…..</div>
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So many problems, so much brokenness, so few answers. In this fallen world, justice is not always
realized as quickly as we hope – or in exactly in the ways we wish. And, if we are honest, in a world full of
sinners, as one area finally sees some justice, a new area of hate and
discrimination and loss will emerge.
HE will OVERCOME this broken world, but for now, the weight
of the brokenness and hurt seems overwhelming.</div>
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Usually, Advent is so personal for me – a time of waiting with hope for
the Lord, His coming and the ways He personally is faithful to me here on
earth. But, this Advent season, more
than any other in recent history, I take comfort in God’s coming on a more
general level – that He sees every single hurting person in this world and His
birth, resurrection, healing and second coming is for all types of people. While it often seems this world progressively
gets worse, we serve a God who does not sleep, who is watching and working and
can and will overcome in HIS timing.</div>
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A baby born in the manger was the beginning of the end for Satan and
this broken world. Christmas and Advent
are the ultimate picture of hope and grace, but for those like me who long for
a world untouched by sin, loss and injustice, the Christmas story is also the
ultimate act of justice! We wait
patiently for ultimate justice – but God enables us to be a part of restorative
and redemptive justice here on earth through our ministry and outreach to others. This Advent season, my focus is on justice –
longing for it, praying for it and searching for ways to be a part of it. Maybe the HOPE of the ADVENT season can be seen through His people and how they love others and fight for justice in this BROKEN world.</div>
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<b><i><span style="background: #FDFEFF; color: #001320; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">John 16:23 “….In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have OVERCOME the world."</span><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="background: rgb(253, 254, 255);"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Psalm 121: 4 "Indeed, He who watches over </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Israel</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> will neither SLUMBER nor SLEEP."</span></span></span></i></b></div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-84646918475230502902015-12-04T11:35:00.002-08:002015-12-04T11:48:59.311-08:00Pregnancy Update: 7 months!<div align="center" style="line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">I can't believe it's time for another 4 week update. Time has flown this past month - I am sure travel and holidays helped the days pass quickly! I can't believe we are already at the 7(ish) month mark and will meet our daughter in about 2-3 months. CRAZY. Still so much to do!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">SEATGATE 2015: For those who know me well, you know my biggest pregnancy goal was to be offered seats on the metro. I consider a metro seat to be the Ultimate Preggo Perk. I had some early luck a few weeks ago(2 seats offered in the span of 1 week), but since then, I have had no more success. Rude, rude, rude. Especially when you sit AND stare at my large belly. Folks, you can hate on my home state of Mississippi all you want, but this lack of chivalry would not happen in the hospitality state. Not that Mississippi has a metro, but if it did, pregnant ladies would be offered those seats.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">How Far Along: </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">28 weeks (approximately 7 months) this weekend!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">25.5 weeks - 2 working girls!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">26 weeks at Falling Water</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">27 weeks at the Atlantic Shore</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At 28 weeks, baby girl weighs in somewhere between 2.25 and 2.5 pounds and is 14-15 inches long and is the size of an eggplant (Dave wishes that the food comparisons were things that he likes to eat - like, today, your baby is the size of a NY Strip, etc...)</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes - and now that it's holiday season, I will be rocking cocktail maternity dresses...so lets hope lace and fancy fabrics distracts from the bump haha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Not sleeping well, thanks to multiple bathroom trips, leg cramps, aches and pains in my back and hips. It's getting where Dave, me, my belly and the body pillow don't all fit in the double bed very easily. I already made Dave promise that next pregnancy, we must have a queen or king bed haha! I still fall asleep fairly easily so if I can make myself go to bed earlier, I tend to get more ZZZs.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes! And finally, during the past 4 weeks, Dave has begun to feel her. Little girl is kicking a lot. She shifted down lower which made it easier to feel her - PLUS, she is bigger so her taps are a bit stronger. Love those sweet kicks. As a mama, the past 6 or so weeks have been a lot more comforting as I know she is okay because I can feel her moving around.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dave feeling her kick! Crossing into 3rd trimester!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweets. Cereal. Fruit. good Salads. </span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Baby girl is still not a big lover of meat. I mean, I eat it, but I sure don't crave it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Decorating the nursery! Most of the furniture is up and we are starting to order prints and mom and I are looking at fabrics. Also, we have a month of showers so I look forward to celebrating Anne Douglas all month!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">Booked a daycare. Put up Furniture. Daddy felt her kick. Toured the hospital.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">AD's milestones: THIRD TRIMESTER!! She is now better at breathing and experiencing hiccups and coughs. She is starting to fatten up for birth and this process will happen over the next 8-12 weeks - so she is a skinny version of what she will look like on delivery day! Her lungs are maturing, she can hear voices and may be starting to recognize mine. Eyebrows and Eyelashes are visible. Baby can even dream now (although what is she dreaming about? She has no idea what the world looks like....)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"> Weight gain, achy hips and lower back, constant bathroom trips, and lots of leg cramps (3 last night...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: magenta;">A sweet baby GIRL!!! </span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Between 17 and 18 pounds! Four weeks ago, it was 12-13 pounds but I predicted that we were hitting a growth spurt. Looks like I was right as we gained about 5 pounds in 4 weeks. I try to eat healthy most of the time even if I am eating more, but I find that it doesn't matter too much. If I eat junky food or healthy food, I gain the same amount!! At least the meat and veggies and oatmeal are keeping her healthy!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To compare, here is how much I have grown in 8 weeks - about 9 pounds and a LOT of inches haha. Oh and I gained a severe preggo face. I may not like the aches and pains associated with being bigger, but it is nice to look clearly pregnant. I don't think many people look at me and think "too many donuts or baby?" anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20 weeks v. 28 weeks</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sweet baby girl, we can't wait to meet you and get to know your unique personality!!! Keep growing big and strong and we will see you soon! Also, if you would like to not stand on Mommy's bladder, that would be nice too :)</b></span></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-6877912209188769622015-12-02T13:44:00.002-08:002015-12-02T14:06:18.567-08:00Far as the curse is found<div class="MsoNormal">
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<o:p> </o:p>“No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the
ground; He comes to make His blessings
flow, <b>Far as the curse is found</b>.”</div>
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This past year was hard- yet so, so good. I am grateful for both- truly, I am. Some
advent seasons follow easy happy blessed years full of rest and joy- and some years are
hard, weary years where you slowly craw into the holiday season and new
year. Years of great blessing make
rejoicing easy but don't help me to properly long and wait during advent – and years of
longing match perfectly with the waiting season of advent but make me work
harder to find joy during the holiday season. But, this year, I have known both
grief and rejoicing– reminding me of my incredible need for a Savior, my
longing for Heaven in the midst of a broken world, and of God’s unmerited
kindness displayed upon me. The
Christmas carol rings true in my life – <i style="font-weight: bold;">He has definitely made His blessings flow in
my life far as the curse is found.</i> And the curse and the blessing is making me daily more like Him.</div>
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There are two sweet new ornaments on our tree this December, announcing
two sweet babies – one that I gave to my husband last December to announce our
first pregnancy and baby, and one given to me by mother this year announcing
our sweet daughter’s quick approaching arrival.
I refuse to take the first one down – because that ornament is just as
much a part of our story – and the story of Advent as the second ornament. (This is not the first time I have realized <a href="http://20somethingjacksonian.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-new-and-glorious-morn.html">loss</a>
during the “most wonderful time of the year” and each loss has made Advent all
the sweeter in my life) In fact, I can’t think of a better time of year to
remember those we love and have lost than Advent – a time when a perfect Savior
<a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2014/12/showing-up-in-darkness.html">came as a baby into our mess </a>to save us from death and destruction. I can celebrate both babies this year because
of the sweet baby in the manger that was the beginning of the end for this broken,
hard world and the ever-reaching curse of death and sin.</div>
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You see,<b><u> ADVENT is the BLESSING found amidst the CURSE</u></b>. God’s people waited for their Savior to
arrive (and He did so in a way far different than was expected) – and we, too,
await our Savior’s return, the ultimate blessing for a hurting world. In the
meantime, we live in the present with broken marriages, sickness and disease,
singleness and childlessness, poverty, abuse and death. Many of our lives are filled with numerous
blessings – yet some years, the good gifts seem fewer and further apart. And, even
among the blessings, we muddle through the ramifications of sin’s curse day in
and day out. </div>
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But, then Advent comes – and amidst the curse, we get to set
aside a few weeks in December to hope and long for the awaited return of our King, the one
who comes to make all sad things untrue.
<b><i>It is when sin’s curse is most strongly felt that we most desperately
need the blessing of Advent and the realization of our ultimate blessing.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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And, sometimes, by God’s good kindness on our lives, we get
to experience blessings and redemption among the curse even here on earth. I should be holding a baby this Christmas
morning and friends, the curse's sting will be real and painful, but thanks to the Lord’s
sweet mercy on me, I will be bigger than Santa Claus at 8 months pregnant,
enjoying the promise and hope of a baby on her way. The baby in the manger allows us to not only have
ultimate HOPE - but hope even now, in the middle of disappointment and despair
and loss. My prayer is that you see God’s
little blessings this season just as much (or hopefully more) than you realize
sin’s curse. There is pain, but oh, there is joy also!</div>
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Blessings flowing – both now and in eternity. The curse’s reach may be far, but because
of Advent and the beginning of the end for Satan, <b><i>“sin’s curse has lost its
grip on (us).” </i></b> The world's long awaited Savior has come - and will come again! </div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-11784373558632061952015-12-01T12:49:00.000-08:002015-12-01T12:49:57.072-08:00Thanksgiving for TwoWhen you grow up in a large family, the idea of spending any holiday without a table full of opinionated, loud, laughing, sometimes bickering siblings seems a bit lonely. (I know that some of you are thinking, what an AWFUL way to spend the holiday....but for me, it seems perfect) <br />
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Despite not being at home for the past 2 turkey days, we have celebrated with plenty of company - the first year, hosting 12 people including my sister, brother in law and nephew - and last year, seeing the Macy's parade before celebrating with friends in NYC. And, this year, goodness, we tried to make it a full Thanksgiving table. We had plans to visit my sister in Vermont that fell through - and we invited people over (but most were already heading home...) and so we finally accepted that it would be a "just the two of us" holiday celebration.<br />
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I was a bit mopey about this for awhile - but then I had an attitude adjustment. So many people are alone on holidays - or overseas protecting us or serving on the mission field. So many people recently lost a loved one or may be spending their holiday in a hospital or are going through a divorce or waiting to meet the right man or woman. A lot of people face Thanksgiving with heartache and longing and disappointment weighing them down, making a day of thanks and praise a hard task. And yet, here I am- a sweet husband, a longed for baby on the way, family and friends back home worth missing, enough money and food and necessities - plus a year where I have witnessed God's faithfulness in many ways.<br />
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And, so, fresh new outlook in place, we decided to make the best of our little holiday for two (or two and a half!). And, you know what? It wasn't so bad! Dave is my favorite person to spend time with - and I got to spend the day (and the 4 day break) with him! At the end of the day, we both agreed that we prefer busy crazy holidays packed with families and friends - but the alternative was not so bad!<br />
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We were both fortunate enough to get off work early on Wednesday so we spent the evening watching a movie, going for a short walk to Trader Joe's and watching Netflix. I also cooked our Thanksgiving pie and cinnamon rolls for the next morning. I have always wanted to try Pioneer Woman's homemade cinnamon roll recipe - and a holiday was the perfect excuse to bake them. The recipe makes several pans, so I cut it in half - and it still made a few pans - so we have a few weekend breakfasts ready to go in our freezer. It's like the holiday treat that will keep on giving - all December long!<br />
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As you can see, my rolls weren't all even as the proper mechanics of cinnamon roll folding was learned through the process - but goodness did they taste good!</div>
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We woke up and watched the parade while eating homemade cinnamon rolls and drinking hot cocoa. We then went to see a matinee, "Mockingjay Part 2." We watched a holiday movie and slowly finished cooking our mostly "nontraditional" Thanksgiving Dinner. At dinner, we went through our "Thankfulness" jar - stuffed full of little notes about the things we had been thankful for all month long - and we talked about the holidays, our blessings and what we were looking forward to in the coming year.<br />
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Our thankfulness jar (packed full), yummy steak dinner, pie and movie date!</div>
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We ended the evening with a little online Black Friday shopping, a holiday movie and a piece of pie! It was truly a happy day - full of thankfulness and time together.<br />
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<b><u>What we ate:</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Breakfast: <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/cinammon_rolls_/">Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls</a> (cooked the night before and reheated in the oven the next morning)</li>
<li>Lunch: popcorn at the movies (yep, classy folks)</li>
<li>Dinner: Steak (with a marinade I looked up online and can't remember where I found it. I had planned to make the steaks without a marinade - but Dave decided that he wanted a marinade last minute, so we were limited to the ingredients I had on hand, luckily it turned out well!), rolls, my mother in law's potato casserole, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html">Alton Brown's baked mac and cheese</a>, sauteed zucchini (one serving as it was for me, only)</li>
<li>Dessert: <a href="http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/chocolate-smores-pie/">s'mores chocolate pie</a></li>
</ul>
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<b><u>How to handle "Thanksgiving for Two"</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Accept that it will be "non-traditional" but still make it special. </b>Obviously, with just two people, a big Turkey was going to be out of the question. So instead of a small turkey breast, we decided to splurge on steaks. Also, as mentioned above, I have been wanting to try this cinnamon roll recipe for awhile and this was a perfect day to do it!</li>
<li><b>Don't overcook. </b> I cut all the recipes in half - and even just sauteed one zucchini for myself. I knew we did not want to eat leftovers for days.</li>
<li><b>Decide which "staples" you have to have - and which you can do without. </b> This was especially necessary for me because I have a picky eater for a husband so staples like sweet potato casserole, a hearty fall salad, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie would only be eaten by me. So, I narrowed it down to staple dishes we both liked - potato casserole and mac and cheese (both holiday staples) and added a veggie for me. Zucchini was the simplest veggie to add because I had it on hand and I could literally just saute it and throw it on the table. Also, Dave dislikes traditional holiday pies so I decided to try a chocolate pie recipe I found online. A few traditional dishes and a few not so traditional dishes.</li>
<li><b>Use this as an opportunity to start a new tradition or at least do something different. </b> Cinnamon rolls, the thankfulness jar, and mid-day movie - all new to us. If we do Thanksgiving alone again next year, some of these new celebrations may stick!</li>
<li><b>Do celebrate. </b>Celebrating for one or two can seem like a waste of time, but truthfully, it's your holiday just like it's anyone else's holiday and you should celebrate, even if just in a small way! Go out to eat, cook a small holiday brunch, run in a local "turkey trot", order a meal from "Blue Apron", etc, etc. It is a holiday and even without a crowd, it can be a happy day!</li>
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We followed up the holiday with a little weekend get away to Chincoteague, VA - a cute little town (with wild ponies and a beach) Unfortunately, due to it being the off season, most of the restaurants and attractions were closed but we still enjoyed exploring, a little hiking (or waddling), hot tub-ing (legs only for me sadly) and football watching! <br />
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wild ponies and cute husband!</div>
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Annie D and me - celebrating the beginning of 3rd trimester at the beach!</div>
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Praise God from whom all blessings flow!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kpLUDuPRjBk2ar7wKU83epkS67LtVOjwctLy867c1fbFjOQeOaLlmhljcb1qFn1e9zc1H1vKjsucovUT9faDgl6kcZtgIN2cWRT60O9SI7y9opYGaOPka-02X3So-9lC8KBQ1JsNtNw/s1600/hot+tub.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kpLUDuPRjBk2ar7wKU83epkS67LtVOjwctLy867c1fbFjOQeOaLlmhljcb1qFn1e9zc1H1vKjsucovUT9faDgl6kcZtgIN2cWRT60O9SI7y9opYGaOPka-02X3So-9lC8KBQ1JsNtNw/s320/hot+tub.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />Hot Tub-ing and beer drinking!</div>
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This year has been a mixture of really hard and really good. In the course of a year, we have rejoiced, mourned, waited and rejoiced again. So, I am thankful for a God that sprinkles good in with the bad and who gently walks us through life's trials while blessing us daily with far more than we deserve. I realize that this holiday season is not as happy for everyone. For those that are thanking God through tears, loss, heartache and long periods of waiting and unanswered prayers, know that I admire you so much. For those going through the motions of thankfulness even when their heart does not feel like praising, you are examples to us all - of faithfully serving and trusting and thanking a good God even when your life does not seem full of blessings. It is easy for me to praise with a husband and baby and enough food and money. I realize that it is much harder to thank Him when the ring finger remains naked, the womb is barren, the cupboard is empty or a loved one's missing presence is greatly felt. It is my prayer that your obedience is honored - and that through this Holiday season, you will feel hope and sense God's goodness daily.<br />
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<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-34735436636607460322015-11-19T12:45:00.003-08:002015-11-19T12:52:36.860-08:00The Problem with Tragedy<i><b>I rarely post anything politically motivated, BUT today, I have to speak up......</b></i><br />
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In the past week, we have witnessed many lives lost at the hands of Islamic extremists. Lives of different nationalities, races, cultures, backgrounds and religions. There has been so much innocent death and loss in the matter of hours or days. In some ways, our world has united - showing solidarity in the face of evil, showing a sense of courage and resolve in the face of fear - but in some ways, tragedy has only split us more.<br />
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What is it about tragedy that digs up our nastiness? Is it that we are scared and hurting? Or is it that we turn tragedy into our own little soapbox? The world is hurting and yet we are fighting each other more than we are fighting those that commit evil acts. Social media allows us to both unite together in the face of tragedy (Parisian pictures, articles on Beruit, offers of prayer and peace, etc) and at the same time, attack each other from the comfort of our couch by taking one statement, one view and assuming the worst in other's statements and beliefs and comments.<br />
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This is a problem that both sides are guilty of - liberals and conservatives - making tragedy into a catalyst for our own agenda, hurling attacks at anyone who has a differing view. How sad that we can't just mourn loss without creating sides.<br />
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In the matter of one short week, I have seen racist and derogatory comments against Muslims AND also witnessed the unfair accusation that those who are anti-ISIS are bigots who hate Muslims (news flash: being against one group does not make one against an entire religion.) I have friends who have been more upset about possible backlash against the local Muslim community than they were about the victims of terrorism. <br />
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There has been a disproportionate focus on Paris while overlooking other atrocities - but, at the same time, there has also been a plethora of self righteous attacks shaming people for mourning Paris (because they didn't properly mourn Beruit or other non-western attacks). While we, as a society, need to be more aware of all lives that are being lost, why are we making others feel guilty for mourning Paris?<br />
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I have seen people who attack Christians CONSTANTLY for their beliefs suddenly play the "Christian" card and claim that their perspective on immigration and refugee policy is Christlike and those who disagree are failing at their faith. At the same time, Christians are attacking each other. Those opposed to allowing refugees into America accuse those who sympathize with Syrian refugees and want to open our country's "gates" to them as overly emotional, wanting to make themselves feel good, etc. Christians on the other side are calling out fellow believers who are worried about refugees coming to the states, claiming that they are ignoring Biblical principles on loving foreigners, etc.<br />
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And, probably the silliest thing I have seen is the Christmas story being compared to the refugee crisis. The story was about Christ, it was not making a political statement. Mary and Joseph were turned away from the inn (and directed to a stable) because there was no room for them in the inn (due to increased travel during the census) - not because they were unwanted refugees. Goodness, there are enough applicable biblical principles without having to manipulate the advent story into a policy position.<br />
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Why the bickering? Can't someone be anti-ISIS AND anti Muslim discrimination? Can we not protect the rights of those who practice Islam while still mourning the victims? Can we discuss other tragedies that weren't as "hot" in the media without shaming people for mourning an iconic city (and one similar enough to our own "Western" cities that many Americans lost their sense of security?) Isn't there a way to highlight other atrocities without downplaying the Parisian tragedy? Does it have to be a competition? Yes Arab lives matter, but don't European lives matter too? Can we have discussions about the Syrian refugee crisis without taking an all or nothing approach? Can we recognize that with the exception of a few truly racist hateful people, most of us (believers and unbelievers) mourn for these people and their circumstances - yet disagree with how to handle it? Can we not attack each other as too emotional and sympathetic - or too uncaring and scared- and realize that proper policy will require compassion AND pragmatic thinking?<br />
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And for goodness sake, for those who bash Christians year round on any and every political issue, please stop playing the "be a good Christian" card- because goodness knows, when Christians are "good Christians", you disagree with their positions. And, please, please please quit misrepresenting our advent story. There are plenty of refugee examples to use without making one up.<br />
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Essentially, let's stop making other people's tragedies about us, our own political agendas, our own self-righteous views. Let's recognize that other caring concerned people have different views than us - and we may disagree with them and we may have to discuss and debate these important issues, but we don't have to attack. Can we agree to not get our kicks off making ourselves feel "more righteous", "less bigoted", "more knowledgeable", "more practical", "less overly emotional", "more Christian" etc. than others? And can we agree to take a deep breath before attacking someone on social media? If we wouldn't say it aloud to a person's face, why will we say it in a public social forum?<br />
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There is a lot of evil in the world at the moment - let's not add to it. The terrorists obtain one more victory if we turn against each other too.<br />
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(This serves as a reminder to myself as well....)<br />
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<b><i>"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." - Proverbs 12:18</i></b></div>
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<b><i>"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know hos you ought to answer each person." - Colossians 4:6</i></b></div>
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<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-85546017469756696822015-11-13T12:57:00.001-08:002015-11-13T12:57:27.839-08:00Friday Loves<br />
It's FRIDAY - who is ready for a weekend? My weekend is full of socializing, volunteering, relaxing and breaking out the Christmas decor. Go ahead and judge away, but since we always head to Mississippi for a good long trip during the second half of December, I pull our stuff out early - my decorations have to be up 4-5 weeks for me to believe its worth the time of pulling them out!! Plus, not to be all scroogy- but I think I may pack up Christmas decor before we leave for the south so I do not have to worry about it when I get back.<br />
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Here are some things I am loving on Friday.....<br />
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<b>1. Santa's Bag App</b></div>
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One of these years, I plan on being responsible and starting a holiday fund in January, but unfortunately, that was not this year. However, I am trying to stay on budget or near budget with Christmas (I love buying others gifts and I tend to justify overspending on nephews and nieces and parents etc....) So, this year I downloaded the "Santa's Bag" app for my iphone - and it has changed how I Christmas shop. I set an overall budget and then individual budgets for my recipients. Under each person, I can mark what I buy, what I am thinking of buying, how much it cost, and then check each person off as complete when done. I am able to see how much I have spent in my total budget and how much I spend on each individual person - including if I was under or over their individual budget. This helps me plan accordingly and encourages me to take the time to look for good sales. For example, I recently watched the toy sales and found the exact gift I was planning on buying one of my nieces for $15 off - so that's $15 in "extra money" I have in case I go over on someone else (which I will inevitably do...) Jury is still out on whether this keeps me entirely on budget - but so far, so good.<br />
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<b>2. Williams Sonoma Quinoa with toasted pecans and dried cranberries</b></div>
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You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/quinoa-with-dried-cranberries-and-toasted-pecans.html">here</a>. I LOVE this dish and have made it several times. Basically, anything with nuts and berries makes me happy (I must have been a small forest animal in a different life....) I made a huge batch for our small group supper club last night and we had a low turnout due to work, travel and sickness - so lots of leftovers. But honestly, I am kindof happy because I can eat this all weekend long. (side note: this preggo adds a few more pecans than suggested....)<br />
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<b>3. Non Maternity clothing</b></div>
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The other day, while returning a maternity sweater to Old Navy, I picked up a cute vest (one size up instead of maternity sized because some days I just want something NON-maternityish you know? I have a maternity vest which is cute but a bit long and bulky) And today, since it's Friday and a bit more casual, I wore my new vest to work with skinny tan maternity pants, boots, a maternity chambray top and a tortoise shell necklace. And dare I say, I almost felt cute? Besides the stretchy band at the top of my pants and the fact that the shirt was loose with you know, a baby underneath....it was a normal outfit. So here is my "make me happy" outfit...forgive me if you see some version of this often this fall/winter.<br />
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(sidenote: maternity clothes are not so bad in 2015. I definitely have some of the drawstring loose tops, but a lot of the items are quite cute - just a bit more limited in selection, so I really can't complain - BUT still, this $17 dollar green vest has made my week...)<br />
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<b>4. Blanket Scarves</b></div>
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I also picked up this cute blanket scarf. It's adorable and warm and makes me happy. Only problem is that I now need someone to come to my house and show me how to wear it.....<br />
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<b>5. REIGN</b></div>
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Dave and I love finding a good show to binge watch together - and our newest pick is Reign about Mary, Queen of Scots. It's got history, action, mystery, romance - and of course, lovely costumes. Something for both of us!</div>
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<b>6. Encouraging articles</b></div>
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I love words - and I love words that encourage and uplift and relate. So I had to share these meaningful words I found in an article titled <a href="http://www.boundless.org/blog/singleness-suffering-and-christian-hope/">Singleness, Suffering and Christian Hope</a>. It's so true - I could have written this article (although not nearly as eloquently!) In fact, I wrote something <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2013/09/singleness-not-distant-memory.html">similar</a> a couple years ago. The pain of waiting for a spouse can be incredibly hard and often undermined by married friends, family and church leaders. (Thankfully, if you are like me, you had excellent company!) The bittersweet reality is that you excitedly celebrate every wedding, every baby, every special moment for friends and family while you wait for your own milestones to celebrate. You rock babies and silently pray that one day you will have your own. You spend holidays without a spouse, wondering if you will always be the single adult child that goes home. Even now, happily married, I remember that the waiting wasn't always easy. So, I was so touched by the tender way in which this man writes about his wife's and his years of waiting and suffering.<br />
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<i>"Although our suffering (related to singleness, anyway) officially ended that night, every minute of heartache now served to make our present joy greater and fuller than if we had never suffered. Our suffering wasn’t merely being erased or compensated for. Instead, God was somehow using our suffering to enlarge and perfect our joy.</i><br />
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<i>To us, that moment was a picture of our ultimate Christian hope: Ours is the only faith that would dare use a barbaric device like the cross as a symbol of triumph. God is not only with us in our suffering, as He proved at the cross, but He will transform our suffering, as He proved at the resurrection.</i><br />
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<i>Lisa and I have never been happier than we were on our wedding day. But even the very best day of life on earth is only a foretaste — a dim hint — of what it will feel like when we finally meet the Lord.</i><br />
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<i>If you are a Christian who is struggling with singleness, I am praying for your suffering to end. I don’t know how and when it will end, but I can absolutely guarantee that God will one day end it with a resurrection. I love the way Teresa of Avila put it: “The first moment in our Savior’s arms will make the most miserable earthly life seem like a single night in a bad hotel.”</i><br />
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<i>As I finished this article at 1:30 in the morning, I looked over at my sleeping wife. I thought about all the nights she went to bed lonely. The scars are still there. But like the scars that remained on Jesus’ resurrection body, their meaning has been converted from shame to glory.</i><br />
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<i>Tears filled my eyes as I leaned over and kissed Lisa on the cheek and remembered, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4, ESV). Thank God we didn’t meet when we were 21. Thank God He didn’t “spare” us from suffering. My tears of joy were only possible because, in our suffering, we had shed so many tears of sadness."</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 29.25px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span>I have friends that are still waiting- for husbands, for babies, for healing in their families, etc- and I am still waiting with them, praying for those future happy endings and milestones - and I can't wait to rejoice with them the way they have kindly rejoiced with me. But, even when those answered prayers come, I will also be grateful for a God that uses years of brokenness to make the answered prayers all the more beautiful.<br />
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<b>7. "Just Because" Flowers</b></div>
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I have felt particularly pregnant and big and sore this week (um, and whiney....) - and my sweet DH sent me the sweetest card and flowers. telling me how thankful he was for me. We aren't usually random gifts and flowers type of people (except for birthdays and holidays, etc) which made the gesture all the more sweet. Goodness, I am a lucky gal.<br />
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Happy Friday all! Just 2 weeks (less actually) until Thanksgiving! November really is a wonderful month, right? The weather is not too bad yet but the holiday spirit is in the air! I hope you spend all weekend doing things you love with people you love! Or doing nothing, just because you can!Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-84374914979235408482015-11-09T08:41:00.001-08:002015-11-09T08:45:34.220-08:006 months!<div align="center" style="line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>As promised, I am keeping up with posts every 4 weeks - that's probably about as much "baby talk" as you folks want to hear! And as much baby talk as I want to give.</b></span><br />
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<b style="color: orange; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;">Yesterday we hit 24 weeks, and I have <strike>two </strike><u>three </u><strike>very important</strike> <u>not at all </u></b><b style="color: orange; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"><u>important</u> thoughts:</b></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. How am I 6 months pregnant?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. How am I only 6 months pregnant!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Why do we call 24 weeks "6 months" because months don't have 28 days so in reality, I am a week or two shy of 6 months right?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It seems AD should be here - and yet it seems we are NOWHERE READY for our baby girl's arrival.... but we are making progress! </b></span><b style="color: orange; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;">In the past 4 weeks, we reserved a hospital tour, booked our birthing class (Dave is being bribed to attend the all day class with Buffalo Wild Wings), pre-registered at the hospital, called a daycare, spoke to my insurance provider about how we add the baby afterwards, bought a lot of the nursery furniture. Oh, and I ready one parenting book!</b></div>
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<b style="color: orange; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;">And we've spent plenty of time talking to our little girl - I am pretty sure she thinks we are weird, but she is stuck with us! I daily announce that I wish she was already here - but that is a lie. I would like a little more time to prep and a little more time to enjoy having her daddy all to myself! Plus we want her to arrive when she is healthy and plump!</b></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>And here is what AD and I have been looking like recently. Unfortunately, she refuses to give me a cute "out in front" bump which is sad :( I thought my longer waist would be an asset in pregnancy, keeping her from having to wrap around me like babies do a short waisted mommies. But, nope, just because she has plenty of space doesn't stop her from laying side to side and making me look wide! She LOVES spreading out!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Here are some extra pics of Little Miss on weeks 21-23. (See 24 week bump pic above) She is starting to really make her presence known!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">21 weeks</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: cyan; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">22 weeks</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>23 weeks</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">How Far Along: </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">24 weeks (6 months) as of this past weekend </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"> Baby Size:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At 24 weeks, baby is the size of a 12.5 inch ear of corn and weighs 1.3 pounds. (1.3 pound gain for baby, 13 pound gain for mommy - seems fair)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Maternity Clothes:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes - basically all my clothes (except for a few loose shirts, sweats and tights, why buy maternity tights when I can just buy a size bigger?)</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, this past week I did some online shopping for a maternity formal dress to wear as a bridesmaid next month. I am ordering 3 and trying them on - surely one will work. The dresses are all lovely (maternity clothing has come a long way from when my mom was pregnant with me...) but even so, let me tell you, your choices for gold sparkly maternity formalwear are limited. Apparently not many 30 week pregnant ladies walk around in gold sequins...which makes no sense to me. I am creating life here so I, of all people, should be allowed to wear sequins :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Not sleeping well, feeling some aches and pains when I wake up in the morning. BUT I ordered a maternity pillow this weekend which I am unrealistically expecting to change my world!! We have a double bed so imagine Dave, me, my belly and a large pillow in the bed at 9 months preggo. This will be fun - thank goodness for a guest bed!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Movement, yes- and I've felt a few kicks, although not externally yet so Dave can't feel them. (a) according to the doc, the way the baby and other pregnancy essentials are tucked into my body make it harder to feel her kick and (b) I think that so far, she is more of a squirmer than a kicker....</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally realizing that I was feeling kicks! </span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;">Buying nursery furniture! Reaching Viability!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still not a huge fan of eggs/some meats/ some spices - although I can eat a whole lot more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Pregnancy Symptoms:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"> Weight gain, aches and pains, acne (they say girls steal their mom's beauty....clearly, that was not true for my mom :) but it seems to be true for me!), itchy skin, hungry and hard time sleeping</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: magenta;">A sweet baby GIRL!!! </span></u></b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the record, Annie D LOVES to keep showing us that she is indeed, still a girl at appointments! Ha, we love to be reassured as we have already started planning for a daughter - BUT still, a modesty talk needs to happen.... At 20 weeks, she refused to show us all of her vital organs (we had to return for another ultrasound at 22 weeks) - yet she made sure she flashed us! (and then flashed us again at 22 weeks!) We get it, AD, you are a girl and we are so thrilled - now, cross your legs please!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Between 12 and 13 pounds this morning. I feel like I am about to gain several pounds though - as I think baby girl is hitting another growth spurt. Starting this weekend, I feel like I could eat everything in my kitchen and in yours!</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I will update on baby girl again in 4 weeks - at which time she will have experienced her first Thanksgiving AND have entered her third trimester!</b></span></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-51699548439324950402015-11-05T09:02:00.001-08:002015-11-05T09:06:37.599-08:00October Book ReviewsHappy Fall Y'all - or if you live on the east coast right now, happy 70 degree days! We have been enjoying a warm front, highest November temps in years! This doesn't go along with pumpkins and scarves and boot weather - but no complaints from this southern gal. I fear winter weather so I will be grateful for any remaining "hot" days we have left. Plus, the cool air is returning this weekend - just in time for holiday season to start!<br />
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I have been diving into some great books so far this fall, so here are a few reviews. As you may remember, <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/10/fall-reading-list.html">my goal was to read 6 books during October and November</a> and I so far, I have read 4 books and have started a few others.<br />
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<b>Book: The Sh*t No One Tells You: a Guide to Surviving your Baby's First Year by Dawn Dais</b></div>
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<b>Rating: 3 stars</b></div>
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I thought that this would be the best parenting book to start off with - it's funny, full of jokes, introducing me to some of the stresses of motherhood without overwhelming me. But, honestly, the book was just okay. It made me laugh at first, but by the end, it wasn't that funny. The joke remained the same throughout the book - kids are demanding little boogers who wear you out. True - and this story line can give you a good laugh- but by the end, the joke was old. Also, although she did offer encouragement throughout the book - apparently, kids are quite adorable and loving too which makes up for being up all night and having blowout diapers and stealing your memory and ability to form complete sentences - but the level of joking and complaining without too much advice had me scared! I know some of the other "more serious" baby books - on sleep and eating schedules, etc might stress me out - but I think I feel less anxious about life changes when I go in with a plan. The book wasn't bad - just not right for me at this moment. I think if I were to read this when Anne Douglas is 3 months old, I will probably relate and have my own war stories. What I did really like about the book - the company. A lot of moms weighed in on their own experiences - and it seems that everyone feels overwhelmed during that first year or two - so when I start to stress, at least I know I am normal!</div>
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<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Little Women Letters </span>by Gabrielle Donnelly</b></div>
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<b>Rating: 5 stars</b></div>
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I loved this book. I kept debating between 4.5 and 5 stars. In the end, I caved on 5 even though I know it likely won't be on your top 5-10 books of all time list. But, for me, an avid <i>Little Women </i>fan, I adored it. The premise is that these 3 sisters are Jo's great grandchildren - and one of the sisters finds her letters in the attic and slowly gets to know her off beat, opinionated but lovable aunt. You can see how each of the sister favors one of the 3 living March sisters - Jo, Meg and Amy - and I fell in love with this sweet family (past and present). As a young girl, when I first read <i>Little Women</i>, I so related to Jo and felt like I discovered a piece of myself in her. (I guess that makes my other two sisters Meg and Amy which actually the descriptions fit them fairly well ) So watching how the main character in <i>The Little Women Letters</i> discovered her unique Aunt - and a bit of herself- made me relate to Jo all over again.</div>
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<b>Prayer </b>by Tim Keller</div>
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Rating: 4.5 stars</div>
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This has been our small group book this fall - and I have loved it. It's pretty intense - and doesn't read like an easy flow encouraging devo, but more like a textbook. Tim Keller shares a few of his own views - but mostly summarizes and lays out what centuries of theologians have said about Prayer. It is a practical book - laying out formats and plans to improve your prayer life. It is a book I will need to go through again, pulling out tips on meditation and the structure of prayer, trying out different formats in my prayer life. There is a lot to take in, and I know that I probably missed some during my first read! Even so, I already feel that this wise teaching has improved my prayer life.</div>
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This book is not an easy read and it's definitely not a "read in one day" type of book, but it is worthwhile and will help you understand the purpose of prayer and ways to properly pray.</div>
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<b>For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards</b> by Jen Hatmaker</div>
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Rating: 3 stars</div>
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I mostly liked this book. Jen is real and easy to relate to and has you laughing and saying AMEN at the same time. Also, I feel like her religious and social views are a lot like mine - conservative in certain areas, but a bit more moderate. She realizes that some of the things we equate with Christianity in our upper middle class white world just isn't true of the Gospel.</div>
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My one gripe - was her chapter on difficult people. She classifies difficult people into two categories - those you can cut out of your life (friends, acquaintances, etc) and those whom you are stuck with so you draw boundaries (relatives). I am 100 percent in support of drawing boundaries and limiting contact with those who are too critical, emotionally manipulative, etc. We have to protect ourselves so that we can properly take care of ourselves and our other relationships. However, I do not believe we are excused from loving and befriending difficult people. In fact, I think that Christians should be those reaching out to those that are hard to love! In fact, in later chapters, Jen talks about loving the prickly outsiders at church! So, it seems that even in her life she takes on a few "broken toys" (as my dad calls them). When I look at my own life, I have mutual giving friendships AND friendships where I have to draw boundaries (either literally or personally) and where I won't ever get back as much as I put in. I hope that Christ can help me show HIS love to these difficult people. And, in all honesty, I am sure I have been the difficult friend before (or I will be in the future). So my take on her advice - draw some boundaries and don't surround yourself with only difficult people (and definitely don't let people abuse you all the time...) but keep showing God's kindness to those who need it the most. We are all difficult people and God chose to love us when we were unlovable - doing that to hard people in our lives will hopefully reveal the same truth to them: God loves them, despite the mess and hardness and unkind personalities!</div>
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The second part of this chapter talked about loving difficult people you can't get away from - ie, family. And I actually agreed with most of her advice here but I cringed when she used one of her children as an example. (note, not saying at times, all of my children are difficult and here is how I draw boundaries). That poor sweet child - being singled out as the "difficult one" in the family. At some point, he or she will read this book and realize that mom was talking about him. Also, family and friends will read this book and be able to single out which child is the "hard one." I just don't think it's fair to negatively portray your child like that to the world. It's one thing to complain to friends and family about the terrible twos or whine about the troubled teen years, but let's be good advocates of our kids. I want my daughter to feel safe in knowing mom isn't sharing all her mistakes and dirty secrets to the world via a blog or book or whatever. (This is a topic I am starting to think about as I enter motherhood - just like I don't air out all my dirty laundry with Dave on this blog - you know, despite his picky eating haha - I don't want to talk too poorly about my kids as they age too. That's not fair to them)<br />
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And what counts as the difficult kid? The reality is that this child of Jen's may be the difficult one today and in five years, it may be a different kid. That's family - we are all difficult at times. But, oh how my heart hurt for this little child - it's horrible to feel like you are the "hard kid" in your family - especially when your mom made it clear earlier in the chapter that you should cut loose "difficult people" unless they are unavoidable family members. Maybe I am super emotional (thank you pregnancy) or maybe I relate because at times I felt like I was seen as the "difficult child" (although thankfully my parents did not publish that fact in a book) but what a burden for that child to be known as and treated as "the difficult kid in the family."<br />
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That being said, the rest of the book was entertaining and enjoyable - so don't let my opinion stop you from reading it! However, let me know what you think on the "difficult people" chapter.</div>
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<b><u>Here are the remaining books to choose from. I wonder which book I will choose next!</u></b></div>
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<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><strike><b>The Sh*t No One Tells You: a Guide to Surviving your Baby's First Year</b> by Dawn Dais</strike></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting</b> by Pamela Druckerman</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>Trim Health Mama </b>by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>His Needs, Her Needs for Parents</b> by Willard F. Harley, Jr.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>some type of baby sleep book</b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><strike><b>The Little Women Letters</b> by Gabrielle Donnelly</strike></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>A Paris Apartment</b> by Michelle Gable</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>Big Little Lies</b> by Liane Moriarty</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>China Rich Girlfriend</b> by Kevin Kwan</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>The Rosie Effect</b> by Graeme Simsion</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><b>Nice is Just a Place in France</b> by the Betches</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><strike><b>Prayer </b>by Tim Keller</strike></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #033c78; font-family: "vollkorn";"><span style="font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 21.56px;"><strike><b>For the Love</b> by Jen Hatmaker</strike></span></span></li>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-52960534334942802382015-10-29T14:57:00.002-07:002015-11-06T10:26:02.102-08:00Loving Others Through Loss<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<b>The past couple weeks, in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (Oct 15th), I</b><br />
<b>have written a few posts about pregnancy loss - starting with observance of the day <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/10/october-15th.html">here </a>and advice</b><br />
<b>for those going through the loss <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/10/surviving-loss.html">here</a>.</b></div>
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<b>I am wrapping up this little mini-series with advice for those loving on women (and men) who have</b><br />
<b>lost unborn children. I had several friends and family members that loved me so well during this</b><br />
<b>time (and even now!) and a few who disappointed me a bit (but like I said in my last post, this is a</b><br />
<b>time to show grace as many people have no idea what to say!) </b></div>
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<b>I think it is great to have an idea how to minister to this group of people. It may not be something</b><br />
<b>you ever face, but it is likely something that someone you know will face (1 in 4 women). Mainly,</b><br />
<b>remember that this is a loss and respond as you would in other life losses.</b></div>
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<b>Tragedy like miscarriages either leave us feeling incredibly lonely or incredibly loved. As</b><br />
<b>believers, lets be the type of people who meet people in their brokenness and help them through!</b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b> Let
them grieve.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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To you, it may just be a lost pregnancy or a disappointing
break, but to your friend, it’s a lost child,
the death of someone she loved dearly.
Expecting her to bounce back immediately really diminishes her pain and
makes her feel like her loss is not something she is allowed to mourn. So, let her grieve and grieve how she needs –
whether that’s with you by her side, or by herself – just knowing you are a
phone call away.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Grieve their baby.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The best thing someone can say to a mamma who lost their
baby is that their baby will be missed. I knew so many people were grieving <i>for</i> me, but what touched me the most was
when friends or families grieved <i>with</i>
me. When people die, many family and
friends miss and remember them. This is not the case with unborn children. No one really knows them yet so few people
miss their little lives. So, if you are
a close friend or family member to someone who lost a baby, let them know that
you will miss that child. My sister was
great about telling me how she missed this baby. My sweet nephew was unhappy that the baby had
to go to heaven because he wanted him/her here. And hearing how others missed
our little Baby R warmed my heart. It’s good to know that your child – even
your 12 week in utero child – is missed, loved and wanted.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Say something. Seriously, say anything. And say it more than
once.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I had a lot of wonderful people say amazing encouraging
things to me after my miscarriage – and I had a lot of people say the wrong
thing. I may have cringed at their words
and tried to show grace, but the fact that they said anything at all meant the
world. What hurt me most were those who knew
and said nothing. They may have avoided the topic out of
selfishness and avoidance of awkwardness. Or, most likely they simply avoided
the topic because they were fearful they would say something wrong. But, to me,
it came across as not thinking my loss was worth acknowledging. </div>
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So be willing to say something – and hopefully talk about it
more than once. I appreciated the
friends who would check in with me every now and then and ask how I was
doing. At first, people are concerned
but like any other loss, life moves on while you are still hurting. I can
remember being overwhelmed by loss and the stress of trying to get pregnant again
and just praying please someone ask me about it. At lunch, at brunch, via text,
I just felt like I was drowning with pressure and sorrow and if someone would
just ask me about it and really care what my answer was, I might not feel so alone.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Say anything – but if you can, avoid the
wrong things. Particularly anything that implies that the baby wasn’t “right”.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As I mentioned, most women who go through pregnancy loss are
pretty gracious when you say the wrong thing because they get that it’s a hard
topic and appreciate you trying. But, try avoiding phrases like “at least you
can get pregnant” or “you’ll be pregnant again soon, no worries” or “the baby
probably had a problem.” That last
comment, particularly, please avoid it.
I’ve read the statistics. I know the
chances are that my baby was chromosomally abnormal in some way, but I don’t
need you to tell me that or to ask me if my fetus appeared deformed when I saw
it because deformity or no deformity, I love my baby and wanted him or her to
live. I didn’t sigh and think, thank goodness we avoided a problem child.</div>
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As I said, I generally saw the intention behind all these
comments. People are trying to offer encouragement – so if you make a mistake
in what you say, that’s fine. I probably make a mistake in what I say to you
during tragedy. Let’s show each other grace and see people’s hearts, not their
words. But, at the same time, if you can, try to say encouraging things like “I
don’t know what to say, but I am here” and “I am sorry for your loss, your baby
will be missed” etc.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Make meals<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is a very practical way to serve a family who has lost a
baby. We often think of meals as being a
gift we give new mothers or those who have lost a family member, but so many
situations in life call for this hospitable “meet their needs” type of blessing. Obviously, this can’t always be done because
you may not know about a pregnancy loss immediately, but if you do, offer a
meal. If you can’t cook one, pick one up.
I was in a lot of physical pain – and on top of that, I was an emotional
mess. My mom, grandmother and sister all
ordered meals for me. A church friend
brought us a meal. Our entire week was
covered. I didn’t have to grocery shop,
meal plan, cook or clean a bunch of dishes. I could come home from work and cry
or sleep or take a shower or watch tv. </div>
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Receiving meals blessed me two fold – (1) it met a practical
need – literally giving me my daily bread and (2) it made me feel others saw
our loss as real – because we all know that meals are made for big deal events.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Be willing to be uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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If you are a close friend, be willing to be uncomfortable in
a couple different ways. First, be
willing to be uncomfortable talking about death and babies and pregnancy and
loss. Be willing to endure silence or
rambling or tears. These aren’t easy topics and it may not always be fun to
discuss. These conversations may involve
real tears, deep hurt and no clear answers.</div>
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Second, if you are a very close friend, there’s a possibility that you will need to
be willing to be uncomfortable to talk about gory facts. I certainly won’t go
into details about miscarriage here on the world wide web. But, delivering a dead fetus is not a pretty
process – it’s messy and painful – while at the same time, very private.
Afterwards, you feel like you experienced a trauma and have no one willing to
acknowledge or discuss it. About a month
after the miscarriage, my friend gave me the biggest gift. She was in town for
the weekend and over lunch, asked how I was feeling. I gave her a pat answer
(assuming this was what she wanted) but she kept pushing – and asked the hard
questions, the messy questions, about bleeding and pain and the whole horrible
process of delivering a dead child. She
wanted details about what I had been through – and genuinely looked distraught
as I told her. The strange thing was as
I left that very hard conversation, I was not crying or upset, I felt a bit
more free. I had been holding on to all
these horrible details of our little one’s death and she had taken on a bit of
the burden for me. She had acknowledged that miscarriage is more than just a
word, but an actual painful process.
This obviously is not a role for everyone to play. I don’t want every
casual acquaintance asking me such personal questions, but having one of my
best friends enter into my world and hear about this unpleasantness was such a
gift. And if someone very close to you has suffered a miscarriage, you might
need to be willing to hear pieces of her messy story.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Remember important dates.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Anniversaries aren’t always happy dates – this is a reality
we all know. (IE, the date of a divorce, the date a relative died, etc) This applies to miscarriage too – due dates,
the date the baby died, mother’s day can all be difficult (although I will be
the first to admit that mother’s day was surprisingly not that hard for me –
because well, quite honestly, I’ve never experienced this date as a mother so I
had nothing to compare it to….) So recognize those dates and give these women a
little extra love on tough days. It means the world when people acknowledge
those dates with a quick text, etc.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Be willing to discuss infant loss publicly.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Many women who suffer miscarriage feel shame about it – which makes no sense because it’s not their
fault and they did nothing wrong. I
think this reason for shame is that it’s seen as a topic too dirty to talk
about. Few people discuss it. 1 in 4
women will suffer a miscarriage in their lifetimes (this doesn’t even include
number of men experiencing this loss) – so this subject should be an open
one. People jump to any type of cancer
or diabetes or heart disease awareness campaign. They change their facebook pictures
to rainbow colored after court decisions. We all support so many causes – and are
willing to discuss and campaign and remember important issues and dates. So, at
the same time, be willing to discuss miscarriage in a way where others feel
safe to share their stories.</div>
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<b>9. Pray (for them) and with them.</b></div>
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Obviously, prayer - and knowing someone is praying for you - is an extreme comfort to anyone facing tragedy. So, offer to pray for your friends facing pregnancy loss - and keep praying!</div>
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<b>Miscarriage is hard on couples, but it also gives us an excellent opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to "comfort others as Christ comforts us." (2 Cor. 1:4) </b></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-25935342956092598842015-10-21T14:02:00.001-07:002015-10-21T14:05:05.096-07:00Surviving Loss<a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/10/october-15th.html">As I mentioned last week,</a> I plan to do a few posts on miscarriage for those who have faced it - and those who, sadly, will face it in the future. For the first 6 months post miscarriage, I did not want to be open at all about this - and I felt alone in my battle. But, there is no reason for shame or hiding, it's not a secret sin - or something even that unique that no one would understand. Many women (1 in 4) do understand - and it serves us well to talk about this issue.<br />
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When you lose a baby, it's often a silent pain - only you and your spouse and possibly your family miss that little one. Others may grieve for you, but they can't really grieve your child. It feels like every other person who dies has friends and co workers and families and teachers that miss his or her presence. Not unborn babies. No one else really had the chance to love our baby yet except for us, so we were often mourning alone. I think the loneliness is what makes a miscarriage so tough. Almost all other forms of grief are both communal and personal - but with a baby lost before birth, the whole process is almost entirely isolated and personal.<br />
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I still miss our little one daily. Remembering this little life helps me to be grateful for my time as mommy to sweet Baby R, rather than just mourn what time I don't get. Time and prayer and God's sweet comfort and grace have helped ease this pain -but, making it through those first few months can be lonely and painful so I am sharing some of the things that worked best for me.<br />
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<b><u>Surviving the first months after a miscarriage</u></b></div>
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<b>1. Grieve</b></div>
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The first piece of advice I have seems so practical - grieve, and grieve how you feel is best. It may be that you cry in the shower or go for long runs and pray or talk about your baby a lot or spend time praying and keeping the whole situation to yourself until you are ready to talk. Grieve however you need to- but do grieve. Just because society often overlooks miscarriage doesn't mean you should. Take time to mourn that sweet baby.<br />
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<b>2. Realize that your husband doesn't grieve the same way you do.</b></div>
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A friend gave me this advice and it was probably the best post-loss advice I received. Dave missed our child and mourned, but it wasn't in the same way I did. His body didn't go through the process of loss that mine did - and he did not feel the same sense of failure and shame that I did. Also, because he is such a good husband, his main concern was me and making sure I was okay. Dave mourned our baby, but he wasn't going to cry daily like I did. So, realize that men and women grieve differently. (Also, check on your husband and ask how you can care for his hurting heart too)<br />
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<b>3. Let your body heal.</b></div>
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My miscarriage occured later than most losses, so my healing process probably took longer than most. But, no matter how early or late your loss occurs, your body will need time to repair. Prepare yourself! I was not prepared to ache for weeks or have numerous appointments to have my hormone levels checked as they slowly fell back into not-pregnant range. Your body has just been through a mini-trauma, so take it easy for awhile. Take a day off work if you need to. Spend your weekends on the couch. Go to bed early. Also, it might be worth taking a couple months off trying to conceive. I did not - and I regret that. We had two chemical pregnancies following our loss - my poor tired body was trying to get pregnant but it wasn't quite back to par. I was so convinced that the only way to feel better was to be pregnant again, but I wish I had just let my body heal so I could avoid that frustration and extra hurt - and so maybe I could have lost a little first trimester weight I had gained with our baby.<br />
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<b>4. Share with a few close friends.</b></div>
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So many women do not share about their miscarriages - and part of that is because it's not considered polite conversation. Maybe you don't want to share with everyone, but do find a few friends or family members who you can trust and let them know. Talk to a counselor or pastor if that's easier. This way, you have people praying for you and checking on you. I had precious ladies checking on me often - and just knowing that they saw my hurt and recognized this life made the process a little less lonely.<br />
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<b>5. Protect your heart.</b></div>
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One thing I have learned with past hurt is that some people can't be trusted with your pain. If you are talking about your loss with someone who is not supportive or doesn't seem to understand the gravity of it, then don't keep sharing with them. If your heart is not safe, protect it. (and also a good reminder to us to all be the type of people who are a safe place for our friends) These people may be selfish - or they may just be clueless on what to say, but your sweet heart is facing enough pain at the moment - so don't subject it to any more hurt or rejection.<br />
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<b>6. Honor your baby.</b></div>
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I think that the fact that we don't have pictures, a burial site or even know the gender of our lost one will always be hard. But, we did find ways to commemorate our baby - a framed bible verse, saved ultrasound photos, a copy of the announcement card we were about to send, a necklace. Picking a small way to remember your baby helps you feel like the child is not forgotten.<br />
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<b>7. Expect that EVERYONE you know to end up pregnant or have a baby in the few months post-loss</b>.</div>
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I say this jokingly, of course....but there is some truth to it. I am sure that I was just hyper aware of babies and pregnancies but it seemed everyone I knew was announcing their pregnancy last spring and even if I was happy for them, the reality of others having a child while we lost ours still stung. So, prepare yourself for the fact that life goes on - and others will be announcing pregnancies. Also, protect your heart and do what you need to do to get through this - step away from facebook, have a good cry and margarita after baby showers, skip a baby shower and send a gift if you have to! Realize that you can be happy for others and sad for yourself at the same time, but give yourself the grace to grieve.<br />
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<b>8. Pick a goal, any goal.</b></div>
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After miscarriage, you spend a lot of your time grieving - or obsessing about getting pregnant again. So, pick a goal or a hobby or plan a vacation. I decided to train for a 10k with a friend. It gave me a goal, forced me to be healthy, made me get out of the house and socialize and brightened my spirits (endorphins, sunny weather!) Focusing on something other than pregnancy and loss can help you feel a bit more like yourself again. Wanting to be a mother was my big part of who I was last spring, but it wasn't the only thing about me - running, planning our vacations and spending time with friends helped me enjoy other pieces of myself.<br />
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<b>9. Give grace.</b></div>
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People don't know what to say - or they say the wrong things. (For the record, it's worse to say nothing at all!) If people are trying, give them grace. Chances are that you have failed to say the right thing before. If people aren't trying, still try and give grace. These may not be the friends and family you can trust your heart with (see above suggestion to protect your heart) but the truth is, they probably don't mean to be hurtful. Recognize that sometimes when people don't know what to say, they say nothing - which may be the easy way out, but its not malicious.<br />
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<b>10. Prepare yourself for the fact that not everyone will take this loss seriously.</b></div>
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The harsh reality is that a lot of people barely recognize pregnancy loss. They support all sorts of causes and awareness campaigns - but they don't really recognize your lost one as a baby. I think once I accepted that, I was less upset by it. I just expected that there would be friends who I had mourned break ups with and loved through really hard times who just wouldn't get the pain I was going through. (and thankfully, you can also find friends who are amazingly supportive - find your safe place there!)<br />
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<b>11. Run into the Savior's arms.</b></div>
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I dove into prayer, journaling and scripture reading after we lost the baby. It was good for me to see how God answered small prayers along the way. I prayed for my hormone levels to drop. I prayed for my cycle to return. I prayed for healing and comfort and days to get better. I prayed for a new pregnancy. And often, I just poured my heart out - to a God that was not afraid of my unpleasantness. In the midst of a miscarriage, it feels like no one wants to deal with your messy heart - but we have a God who climbs into the mess with you. The silver lining to pain is that it can drive you into the arms of your Savior. I often times hope people will be the ones that get me through hard times, but the reality is that our Father is the best place to turn with our pain - especially the pain of a lost baby. He, too, knew the pain of losing a child - and that Son is the only reason I could have hope for seeing this baby again.<br />
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<b>12. Speak Positively about the Future</b></div>
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After miscarriage, most women are mourning two things - their lost baby and their lost sense of security in pregnancy. While grieving her baby, a woman's heart is anxious, wondering if she will ever have another shot at motherhood and if so, will this new pregnancy be okay? (this worry is especially true if it is your first pregnancy and you don't have kiddos at home, reaffirming the fact that yes, you can and will have babies) The reality is that most women who have a miscarriage go on to have a child. Statistics overwhelmingly show that women who miscarry have excellent odds at having healthy babies! So, go ahead and think hopefully about the future. That future pregnancy will come with its own set of fears but the good news is that you most likely will be pregnant again. So, talk positively to yourself- you can't undo the pain of this pregnancy, but you can be comforted by the fact that you most likely can and will have babies!</div>
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Losing a child is so hard - and so unrecognized, so for those walking through this, my heart aches for you. I hope these suggestions help - but if they don't, find your own way of surviving! But, know this - you will survive - and you will always celebrate this little one. However, we serve a God who specializes in bringing beauty from pain!</div>
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Other posts about miscarriage can be found <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/09/baby-r-rest-of-story.html">here </a>and <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/10/october-15th.html">here</a>.</div>
Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-86294275028549647302015-10-16T08:22:00.001-07:002015-10-16T11:01:08.415-07:00Cover me in FALLFall is officially here! And I am loving this cooler weather! I am glad that this is the part of pregnancy where I feel great - so I can enjoy all the fun this season has to offer - hikes, a mountain getaway, lunch break walks - and a trip to Gettysburg this weekend.<br />
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But - one complaint: my cute fall wear is a bit limited. I will be ordering a maternity puffer vest and I have a few maternity cord pants - but the truth is no pair of boots or blanket scarf can "flatter" or "hide" this bump, ha. Although, no worries - I will be trying to look at least a little cute and fallish (for the time being)!</div>
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Here is what I am loving for fall - some will work with my current figure- and some won't work as well, but even so, I am enjoying browsing!</div>
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<b>(1) BARRINGTON TOTES</b></div>
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My sister introduced me to this website, <a href="https://www.barringtongifts.com/">Barrington Gifts</a> and I am in LOVE. I love these bags and purses. The St. Anne tote is on my Christmas list. These two prints are my current favorites (especially the animal print) but there are so many cute prints to choose from! They also have some lovely leather bags.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dyDdoxxv4B9SJFD3m8a6qiXvCs3aNdiVTvOO_WRE4sKgAdbTIRkARZMLLyKNXZU-2s-WxFzf5mZsbkIxaiNLwMfJun5zQC-FdLn1ZkuuSBtLq5ljveiXdfowvv4Uf3vs7YQM1So5Fh4/s1600/Barrington+Gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dyDdoxxv4B9SJFD3m8a6qiXvCs3aNdiVTvOO_WRE4sKgAdbTIRkARZMLLyKNXZU-2s-WxFzf5mZsbkIxaiNLwMfJun5zQC-FdLn1ZkuuSBtLq5ljveiXdfowvv4Uf3vs7YQM1So5Fh4/s320/Barrington+Gifts.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>(2) BLANKET SCARFS</b></div>
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I know, I am late to the game - at first, I was not a fan, but the more styles and "weights" I see, I really like them - and now want one! I think I used to believe they were BULKY and HEAVY but this first one does not look to heavy!</div>
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In love with this scarf - if you see something similar anywhere, please tell me!!</div>
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UPDATE: Since posting this, I have been informed that the picture (from Pinterest) came from <a href="http://www.southerncurlsandpearls.com/2015/09/blanket-scarf-fall-outfit.html">this blog post</a>, I feel I should give credit to where credit is due - plus this blog looks super cute and I can't wait to follow! You should check her out too - and sadly, this scarf is sold out!)</div>
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<b>(3) FRINGE BOOTS</b></div>
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Seriously, in LOVE with these - I may have to track them down. When asked if I was too old for them, my mom said they might be too tall for a mom- so I will have to think about it. So, if you see a pair like this - minimal fringe, light brown color, but a little shorter - please tell me! </div>
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<b>(4) QUILTED VESTS</b></div>
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This trend does not seem to be leaving - and I, for one, am grateful. (or has this trend passed and I am just holding on to it? If so, please don't tell me....) In fact, I am about to order myself a maternity vest. (Super cool, I know...)</div>
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<b>(5) UTILITY VEST/JACKET</b></div>
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I am really LOVING the utility vest/jacket look. In fact, I may purchase a non-maternity piece and wear it open over the "belly" so that I can still wear it post-delivery. I would hate to waste money on a military pregnancy vest that probably won't still be in style when I have my next kid.</div>
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(bonus points for you if you noticed this picture ALSO includes a Barrington Tote!)</div>
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<b>(6) THE STATEMENT CARDI</b></div>
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I have to admit, I LOVE the longer cardi look - but when worn over my big booty sometimes makes me look big - however, I have a couple springtime longer cardigans that are cute, so I think if you look hard, you can find the right long sweater for your body. Plus, as for maternity wear this winter, I am hoping that I already look big, so a big sweater can't do too much to add "bulk" haha. </div>
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I have picked this long cardigan out at Old Navy Maternity and may order soon. It could be a fun fall addition to spice up my maternity clothing options.</div>
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<b>(7) CAMEL COLORED EVERYTHING!!</b></div>
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I love camel in the fall- but sadly own very little of it (I have a camel wool coat and that may be it) Although I love camel sweaters, I probably won't be buying one this year - unless it's a cheap maternity sweater on sale. (My rules for maternity shopping: cheap or on sale, no need to spend a lot on temporary clothing - UNLESS it's a dress for a special occasion - so this means most of the time, my color choices are limited to what's on sale...)</div>
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<b>(8) DUCK BOOTS</b></div>
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I love LL Bean duck boots - and the moccasin version as well. I have no idea why I love duck boots so much - maybe because I live where it's cold and wet now? Maybe because my husband is a hunter? Who knows?? and I honestly have no idea when I would ever buy myself a pair because 130+ is way too much for me to spend on "weekend" boots - maybe I will watch the after Christmas sales? They are perfect weekend, cold wet weather shoes!</div>
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A cute plaid shirt, sweater, skinny jeans and duck boots - SCREAMS fall too me! LOVE!</div>
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<b>(9) PLAID</b></div>
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This will always be on my fall list, even when it's not trendy - this preppy girl LOVES some plaid. I have a couple checked collared maternity shirts - but I may have to buy a plaid one too - since my flannel plaid shirt for sure won't be fitting this winter. Luckily, plaid is everywhere during the fall - so you can spend a lot or a little, depending on quality and brand. </div>
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Old Navy Maternity Plaid - nothing fancy, but could get the job done for a season. Also, currently, only $19 :)</div>
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ALSO, the #1 Fall Style I will not be participating in - flared jeans. A) My sister gave me a few pairs of maternity jeans so I feel no need to buy news ones and B) Extra weight on the middle and extra fabric on the bottom of my legs too? This seems like a huge disaster!</div>
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So, that's what I am daydreaming about for my fall wardrobe this weekend - what about you? Any must haves? Any new trends you love or hate? Do you go for the trends or stick to the fall staples - cozy sweaters, cords and plaids?</div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-20893564324148877752015-10-15T14:47:00.002-07:002015-10-16T11:01:28.630-07:00October 15thOctober 15th is National Pregnancy and Infancy Loss Awareness Day. Tonight, at 7 pm, many will participate in remembrance ceremonies - and even more will light a candle at home in remembrance of their lost children. There wasn't a big ceremony in my region - which makes me a bit sad as I never really had a memorial or service for our Baby R - and we will be at small group during the designated lighting time - but when I get home, I do plan on lighting a candle for our son or daughter and praising the Lord for all 12 weeks of that little life.<br />
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I also thought that in honor of this remembrance day, I would do a few blog posts on pregnancy loss- a topic I have been hesitant to touch upon - because it seems taboo and I am scared of judgment from others for "over-sharing." Also, I don't want to suddenly take up "miscarriage" as my cause. I have had enough causes in my life - and honestly, at the ripe ole age of 31, I want my causes to be Jesus and people. I want to share about miscarriage so that hurting women don't feel alone and so that others know how to respond - BUT, I also don't want to ever present miscarriage as the greatest loss one can face. Often times, when we take up a cause and demand so passionately that our hurts be noticed, we miss the many broken hearts surrounding us. It's a broken world and you may not have experienced a miscarriage, but you might be facing divorce, unplanned singleness, illness, job loss, marriage problems, sick children, loneliness, discrimination, addiction, infertility, broken families and so many other painful situations. Let's see each other's deep hurts and not compete for which broken pieces of our lives deserve more attention. And let's love each other through those hurts and help one another see Jesus through our tears.<br />
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<i><u>So over the next week, I will talk about making it through a miscarriage and how to support and love someone going through pregnancy loss.</u></i><br />
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But, today, I just wanted to say: If you have lost a child recently (or in the past), my heart goes out to you. You are a mother in every sense of the word and have every right to mourn. Know that I see your pain and I hurt for you. Know that our Savior sees your pain too - and came, died and rose again so that you will one day never face such pain again!<br />
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Also, I feel like October 15th should celebrate all of those who have lost little lives or are waiting for little lives. If you have faced infertility, are in the long adoption waiting game, are longing for a husband and children, or feel your chance at children has passed, you are in my heart and prayers today too. There are different ways to mourn lost babies and the lost hope of babies - whether it's an empty nursery, another negative pregnancy test or a ring-less finger.<br />
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To our sweet Baby R - We miss you so much and think of you daily! You will always be our first little love. We take comfort in knowing that you are in a place with no more tears. Like King David said about his lost son, you cannot come to us, but one day, dear child, we will come to you. (2 Samuel 12:23) Oh, and guess what? You have a sister!<br />
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Finally, I just wanted to post this article by <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-baby-given-to-women-who-miscarry">Gospel Coalition</a>- the best article I have read about miscarriage - probably because it points the reader to the Gospel, which is the only real comfort in life. I wanted to share a few excerpts today because it is far more encouraging than anything I could ever say.<br />
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<i><b>“I will surely multiply your pain in childbirth,” God said to Eve as he delivered her specific punishment, and again, “In <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">pain</span> you shall bring forth children” (<a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Gen. 3.16" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Gen.%203.16" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gen. 3:16</a>). How personally this aspect of the curse is felt by those, like myself, who’ve lost babies in the womb. For us, the pain God decreed for the female sex isn’t confined to the terrifying yet passing moments of childbirth—later compensated with the blessing of a baby to love and cherish. No, for us the physical pain of childbearing is followed only by the aching horrors of a cradle that will never be filled. In the case of miscarriage, the curse inherited from Eve robs women of the fruit of the womb <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">entirely</span>.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>And yet this particular manifestation of the curse is only a small portion of the suffering humanity experiences as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. After addressing Eve, God turned to Adam and explained that their bodies would now begin to decay, eventually returning to the dust from which they came rather than living in unhindered fellowship with their Creator forever.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Since that day, death has been the enemy of every single person to walk this earth. Pain and suffering are common experiences for each of us, as our bodies groan under the devastating effects of the fall. This is why the apostle Paul said our bodies are “wasting away” (<a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="2 Cor. 4.16" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Cor.%204.16" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2 Cor. 4:16</a>) and awaiting their coming redemption (<a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Rom. 8.23" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rom.%208.23" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rom. 8:23</a>). Though the worst consequence of the fall was certainly spiritual death (outside of salvation in Christ), there were also painful and fatal implications for our physical bodies.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Every human’s DNA has been compromised as a result of sin—our material bodies are broken at a foundational level. Not even the smallest, most helpless of our race—those yet to be born—are immune from the pull of death’s cold and unmerciful grip.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>When a woman experiences a miscarriage, then, she isn’t simply suffering a random “pregnancy loss.” She’s experiencing, in stark reality, the extreme depths of our fallenness as a human race. She’s partaking bitterly of the inheritance purchased for us by our first parents; she’s experiencing the horrid wages of sin, which is death (<a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Rom. 6.23" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rom.%206.23" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rom. 6:23</a>).</b></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But sin and death and loss isn't the end of the story.....</span></span></div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">For we know that in that same garden where Adam and Eve received the curse that led to the existence of tragedies like miscarriage, </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">they also received a promise</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">. It was the promise of a Serpent-Crusher. God, being rich in mercy and abounding in steadfast love, didn’t leave humanity without hope on that terrible day. He assured Adam and Eve that a man would be born into their world who would defeat the snake and reverse the curse (</span><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Gen. 3.15" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Gen.%203.15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gen. 3:15</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">). He would be the second </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">and better</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"> Adam—living in perfect obedience where the first had not, and then dying a death he wouldn’t deserve. He would be the perfect substitute for fallen men and women. He would bring life where once there was only death (</span><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="1 Cor. 15.45" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20Cor.%2015.45" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">1 Cor. 15:45</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">).</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;"><i><b>By the power of God the Spirit, Mary’s womb bore the God the Son. He entered this world on a mission to save sinners and to conquer death. And in everything he succeeded.</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, finally....</span></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">There is hope for the woman who has miscarried since a baby was given to her more than 2,000 years ago. He lived for her, he died for her, and he will return for her. And on that final day he “will wipe away every tear from [her] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [will] have passed away” (</span><a class="rtBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Rev. 21.4" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rev.%2021.4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #79ae4a; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rev. 21:4</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.4px;">).</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;">So, on October 15th, we can have hope, because we do have a Savior that will overcome pain and loss! So light a candle tonight and remember your baby or the babies that other have lost - and know that we serve a King who has CONQUERED death!!</span></span>Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-66837775205364295872015-10-14T06:22:00.000-07:002015-10-14T06:24:38.964-07:00LIVING ON A PRAYER: the halfway point (weeks 17-20)<div align="center" style="line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">As I previously told you, no weekly updates from me, ha - maybe I will update more often closer to the end when we are on baby watch! Instead, here is an update on weeks 17-20! Little miss Anne Douglas did lots of growing - and although she is making mommy fatter, she is not making me so sick anymore - so, we will consider it a fair trade. We have started looking at nursery items and called a local daycare which we plan to visit next week</span></b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="color: orange;">! It's crazy to think that in 20 weeks or less, we will be a family of 3!</span></b><br />
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18 weeks!</div>
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20 weeks!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">How Far Along: </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">20.5 weeks - over half way there!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"> Baby Size:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24.64px;">At 20 weeks, Annie D is the size of a small cantaloupe or a banana (depending on which fruit you prefer) - 10 inches from head to heal and almost 11 ounces!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes - I still have a few non-maternity tops and dresses that I mix in (mostly a size too big, bought that way to function during early pregnancy) But, mostly, it is maternity clothing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Sleep:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Not too bad. I wake up some, but not too much yet.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Movement:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">I feel like I have felt a couple taps but I still don't know for sure. Once it's clear, I know I will go, "oh, so that's what has been happening..." I have an anterior placenta which means it's on the front, blocking me from feeling baby girl's kicks so strongly. Most people start feeling kicks in this time frame though - so I feel like it will be soon, even if I am a little on the late side. Can't wait!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Best Moment The Past 20 weeks:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">No more morning sickness - and very few food aversions. It is nice to eat a bigger variety of food again! And, I have a clear bump now, not just chubs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">We had our anatomy scan yesterday - baby girl is growing right on time and has all her parts - but she has a big booty (girl gets it honest though - takes after mommy!) We couldn't get a good view of her heart because little miss stubborn wouldn't flip over, so we will have another ultrasound in 2 weeks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Food Cravings:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Sushi (preferably the raw items I can't have....), some sweets, light popcorn, occasionally salad (I don't know if this a craving per se or just an item that I am glad to welcome back into my diet again!)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can eat a little of most of my previous aversions -- a little spice, a little mexican, a little eggs, a little seafood. They may not still be my favorites but no huge aversions at the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">What I Miss:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Wine and sushi.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Starting the nursery! Enjoying our last few "just the two of us" moments. We are thrilled to be parents - but the reality of losing all our time together is starting to hit me.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Milestones:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">"Oh we're halfway there, oo-oh, living on a prayer"</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Pregnancy Symptoms:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;"> ITCHY SKIN! Round ligament pain, acne, occasional trouble sleeping, some swelling (my face is suddenly huge)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24.64px;">Also, the past 4 weeks have been a growth spurt. I was hungry ALL the time! But, I try to pack healthy snacks and meals at work so I don't eat junk all day. I went from being up just a few pounds to being up almost 10. I hope this slows down! But, weeks 16-20 are huge for baby girl and her development so I am glad she is growing as she needs to be!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Gender:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="background: white; color: magenta;">A sweet baby GIRL!!! </span></u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Weight Gain:</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">9 pounds. My goal was to only gain 6 pounds at the halfway point - so obviously, I get a big F. But, to be fair, at almost 16 weeks, when i made this goal, I was only up 4 pounds so it seemed reasonable - but baby girl hit a growth spurt. However, I asked the doctor about my gain and she said it's right on track, so I won't worry much and keep eating as healthy as I can manage.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-24455317173821400012015-10-08T13:06:00.003-07:002015-10-08T13:07:00.091-07:002015 Fall Reading ListWho is excited it's fall? ME, ME, ME!! I will openly admit that I have a glass half empty approach to Fall. I mean, on the one hand, I LOVE FALL. I love the leaves and the pleasant weather and the pumpkins and sweaters and apple picking and decor and yummy soups and pastries. Oh, and of course, I love the football. (Okay, so I really love most everything about fall - except pumpkin spice lattes, those drinks are nasty with a capital N) But, I also start to get nervous when fall comes around - because we all know which season follows fall...nasty, cold, dreary winter. Truthfully, winter isn't always bad. I mean, there's Christmas and Mardi Gras - and this year, there's Annie D's upcoming birth day. (20 more weeks - or less - but, who is counting? haha) But a few months of cold wet weather is a bit depressing. However, I am TRYING my best not to let me fear of winter rob me of the joy of fall. (probably a good lesson for life too, not just the seasons...)<br />
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One thing I am VERY excited about is diving into a few news books. Good books and cozy sweaters and warm banked goods go together like white on rice. I envision myself curling up with a good book by a toasty fire with a blanket or sweater and pumpkin candle and hot cocoa or warm homemade treats! You know, imagine me in a pinterest picture...</div>
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In reality, we don't have a fireplace and although I love the idea of a cozy knit blanket and cup of cocoa, this will be what a lot of my reading looks like... (Thank you, Lord, for KINDLES)</div>
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But truthfully, what better way to survive your commute than a good book? Am I right?</div>
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Anyways, <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/09/late-summer-book-reviews.html">I read a lot of books during the 4 months I called summer</a>, but now, my morning sickness is gone, I am travelling less - and my "fall time frame" is a bit shorter (just 2 months) so my list is a little shorter this time. I hope to read 6 books over the next 2 months - and just like last time, I will try to enjoy a book from each of my 4 categories: parenting and marriage, fiction, sequels and nonfiction. The categories are a bit more broad this time - but hey, it's 2 months, so I can't over commit!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's my FALL 2015 READING LIST:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Parenting/Home/Marriage:</u> books to guide me in being a mom and wife (including a book on healthy eating during pregnancy)</span><br />
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<b>The Sh*t No One Tells You: a Guide to Surviving your Baby's First Year</b> by Dawn Dais</div>
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Basically, I woke up the other day and realized that I was halfway done with my pregnancy and had done NO PREP work. The first trimester (and part of the second trimester as well), I was just surviving! The first half of the second trimester, I was celebrating feeling well again. But goodness, only 20 weeks (or less) to get ready for little AD?? Time to get busy - starting with reading books. This one seems perfect - I want to know the nitty gritty on parenting a newborn- ups and downs and surprises!</div>
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting </b>by Pamela Druckerman</div>
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I am about to be a mom and I love all things French - so this must be the perfect book for me. Plus, it has been rave about - so of course I need to read!</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Trim Healthy Mama</b> </span>by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison</div>
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I have a general understanding of this eating plan -- healthy carbs, proteins and fats, very little sugar - and ideally, you pair your carbs, proteins and fats together a certain way. You can do this diet intensely to lose weight - or a more gentle version to stay healthy during pregnancy. The past few weeks (and the first couple weeks pre-morning sickness), I have *loosely* followed this plan, so maybe followed it 50 percent? I felt it was time to actually read the book and try to follow it a bit more rigidly. Although, by rigidly, I meat 75 percent. The reality is that I am STARVING and sometimes going to eat CAKE or PIZZA --haha, but the rest of the time, I can eat healthy. I don't want to deprive myself - as I am not dieting - just limit myself to not always "splurge" in the excuse of pregnancy! I don't want to be HUGE - and also, I want to stay pretty healthy to help with delivery, swelling, etc. Hopefully, once I finish this book (about 50 pages in so far), I can form a game plan for the second half of pregnancy!</div>
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<b>His Needs, Her Needs for Parents </b>by Willard F. Harley, Jr.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ITQ7iDE1NW4uobXvnRbNQIeYrcH2PidD34eUCpPhDPpN_wDUZP37qStLnXG-3QZqPiQUHn3CPZG7Kf2fNeh8Aawclu_YhP43k_PXbHbQqrw2TI8tqIcmX6Ozne-HLSXNDkbgpgcQ4Sg/s1600/needs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ITQ7iDE1NW4uobXvnRbNQIeYrcH2PidD34eUCpPhDPpN_wDUZP37qStLnXG-3QZqPiQUHn3CPZG7Kf2fNeh8Aawclu_YhP43k_PXbHbQqrw2TI8tqIcmX6Ozne-HLSXNDkbgpgcQ4Sg/s320/needs.JPG" width="206" /></a></div>
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I am so thrilled about our sweet baby girl on the way. Dave and I can't wait to be parents! But, a part of me is sad to see our "just the two of us" stage of life coming to an end (or an end for the next few decades ha!) Moving far away during the beginning of our marriage truly taught us to rely on each other and be the best of friends. We bicker and irritate each other, but we didn't have the luxury of staying mad at one another because we needed each other! I know our relationship will change as we have children, but I am interested in finding ways to fight for it to still be good, possibly even better. </div>
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<b>Some type of baby sleeping book (TBD)</b></div>
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Dave works. I work. We don't have moms nearby. Please, Lord, let our baby be the type of child that can sleep train or get on some kind of schedule! There are several sleeping advice books, so I have no idea which one I will read. Honestly, I will probably read a few theories and find what works for us. But, seriously, please baby girl, be a good sleeper!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Fiction:</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>you know, the fun books. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>The Little Women Letters</b> </span>by Gabrielle Donnelly</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr14SvboX_fyYwq4FPqPx1TDs5bHavOOVJlV_Bv8iWcFINSCTSbNtdGqCAp_OuxYlKbAj4ZnidVZ0TOA0Ed4upppRNiDhG5FRB0kxmztIngY3J-C6dMeCS1CbleVa1zd5JyiQMS1l5L3w/s1600/little-women-letters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr14SvboX_fyYwq4FPqPx1TDs5bHavOOVJlV_Bv8iWcFINSCTSbNtdGqCAp_OuxYlKbAj4ZnidVZ0TOA0Ed4upppRNiDhG5FRB0kxmztIngY3J-C6dMeCS1CbleVa1zd5JyiQMS1l5L3w/s320/little-women-letters.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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I love <i>Little Women</i> - it was one of my favorite childhood books (on the same level as the <i>Chronicles of Narnia </i>for me which is a HUGE compliment to Miss Louisa May Alcott). I loved Jo - and always related to how she felt different and awkward in her family and in the world. I admired her passion, desire for justice, and spunkiness. So, when I found out there was a book about her great grand-daughters living in London who discover her letters in the attic, I knew I would have to dive in. Confession: I read this book already (on the plane to and from Mississippi this weekend) and I loved it!!!</div>
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<b>A Paris Apartment </b>by Michelle Gable</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYXPAzxJ0G4e8Y4iLCAWztsAIKvwVJTLWE-M2N8rv-egOPeGHqk6jO3so3rOi0_5fXNM8TpiT_DN8p4BiZL2H1X6bPKKPMLfbzl-EXf_ET8CP6wAbqW3203IBszsEyyXWYnObMLvwKP8/s1600/paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYXPAzxJ0G4e8Y4iLCAWztsAIKvwVJTLWE-M2N8rv-egOPeGHqk6jO3so3rOi0_5fXNM8TpiT_DN8p4BiZL2H1X6bPKKPMLfbzl-EXf_ET8CP6wAbqW3203IBszsEyyXWYnObMLvwKP8/s320/paris.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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This book was on my list for the summer- but I never got to it. A co-worker just shared how she knocked it out in one day because it was so good, so I knew I had to eventually get to it. Maybe I will tackle it this fall!</div>
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<b>Big Little Lies </b>by Liane Moriarty</div>
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Likewise, this book was also on my summer reading list. It is written by the author of <i>What Alice Forgot</i> which is a book that I really enjoyed. So, hopefully, I am able to read it soon!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Sequels:</u> follow ups to books I enjoyed this summer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>China Rich Girlfriend</b> </span>by Kevin Kwan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaHk-icEBh5rXBCPmcgoHtC05tZyJ4KYdoVzp2xLVgO0Nkbej2eYoRFW_irH6r2mthWV3Jngr2ff3yEGiQaDXaiwD9ISHBIB-vFAMXpKTpkE4K6xzalJnUGKShnW97yf99z5j3LO5GAE/s1600/china+rich+girlfriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaHk-icEBh5rXBCPmcgoHtC05tZyJ4KYdoVzp2xLVgO0Nkbej2eYoRFW_irH6r2mthWV3Jngr2ff3yEGiQaDXaiwD9ISHBIB-vFAMXpKTpkE4K6xzalJnUGKShnW97yf99z5j3LO5GAE/s1600/china+rich+girlfriend.jpg" /></a></div>
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If you remember, I read the first book this summer for book club (<i>Crazy Rich Asians</i>) and it was entertaining fluff - set in Asia which made it all the more interesting! This is the sequel - and I can't wait to dive in!</div>
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<b>The Rosie Effect</b> by Graeme Simsion</div>
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The first book, <i>The Rosie Project</i>, was also a summer read for me - and I loved the quirky characters and sweet love story. I felt like the book also had a happy upbeat message among a lot of the trash or negativity we read these days - you can't choose who you fall in love with and sometimes that person may not be "perfect on paper". I know I will enjoy this sequel!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Non-Fiction:</u> religious, self help or good ole fashion snarky humor (while dispensing life advice!)</span><br />
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<b>Nice is Just a Place in France</b> by the Betches</div>
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This is probably not a book I would have picked out for myself - but it is our book club pick for October, so I look forward to diving in. Some practical advice mixed with a little humor and sarcasm - I think I will enjoy! (I love my book club - the theme is best sellers - so it ranges from sassy books like this one, to biographies like <i>Unbroken </i>to beach reads to acclaimed literary works like <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i>. ALWAYS a good variety, and definitely not too serious!) </div>
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<b>Prayer </b>by Tim Keller</div>
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This book is mandatory - as it is our small group study book for the fall. I am already enjoying it! I love Tim Keller - and I love how this book seems to be a summary of what other great Christian heroes say about prayer (and what the Bible says about prayer) - rather than his personal opinions. Dave thinks it is a bit dry, like a lecture, but I am nerdy and love reading the theological and historical points!</div>
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<b>For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards</b> by Jen Hatmaker</div>
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I love Jen Hatmaker - but only recently started following her, so I have not read very much of her work. Everyone is speaking highly of this book - and I think the topics of Grace and high standards (with myself and others) is something I could really relate to - and probably feel convicted by. Plus, the book was already on the family Kindle account. (Thanks mom)</div>
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<b>So, there it is - my book list for fall. Here's hoping that my list motivates me to keep up my reading habit - even with visitors and a couple fun getaways planned and Saturday football! There are so many good options on this list that I don't know which book to start next!</b></div>
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<b>What about you? Any books you have read this fall that you love? Any books you are planning to read?</b></div>
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<b>***If you like this list, you can read my 2015 Summer Reading list <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/06/summertime-means-fewer-meetings-tons-of.html">here </a>(final list with all my additions <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2015/09/late-summer-book-reviews.html">here</a>) and the 2014 Summer Reading List <a href="http://daveandkatyindc.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-2014-summer-reading-list.html">here</a>.</b></div>
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Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4769572640775246070.post-34045345398436354702015-10-01T06:23:00.001-07:002015-10-01T07:46:36.701-07:00Little Daily JoysIt's midweek and work has been crazy - the type of crazy where I have worked in the evenings and on the weekend and during lunch. And it feels like I have worked a lot and am meeting all that is required of me- YET everyone seems grouchy <i>(which is probably because they have worked a lot too but always makes me stress like I have done something wrong!!) </i>On top of that, I am at that lovely stage of pregnancy where you start to grow a lot and I HATE watching the scale go up and my belly expand!<i> (I, obviously, want baby to grow - but truthfully, I wish I could keep her fairly small until the last month and she could do all the major weight gain THEN haha)</i> We are in the process of making Christmas plans which is always stressful <i>(why can't we live in a Christmas version of groundhog day so we can spend the holidays with each family and no one sacrifices any of their traditions?) </i> And, yesterday, a picture fell off the wall at night knocking a vase over while we slept - leaving watermarked wood for me to find in the morning <i>(any tips for dealing with that??)</i><br />
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So - life has had a few *minor* frustrations - but let's be honest, nothing horrible - just the hum drum and stress of each week. With rainy weather and lack of sleep<i> (Thank you, dear daughter!)</i>, it's easy to be grumpy if I don't remind myself of the MANY MANY little joys in my life. Yesterday, popular blogger, Kelly at <a href="http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2015/09/joy-bombs.html">Kelly's Korner</a>, wrote about the things that bring her joy and I thought I would join in!!<br />
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<b><u>Things that bring me JOY today.....</u></b></div>
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(1) Coming home to this sweet guy! Neither one of us had a meeting or obligation last night and I was super excited for a lazy night to cook breakfast for dinner (almond flour pancakes and bacon --it's my go to pregnancy meal) and curl up in front of the TV with him!<br />
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(2) our sweet LITTLE GIRL!! I keep having to pinch myself because - eek, I am having a daughter!! Although I ADORE my nephews, our family needs a little pink! SO --I was not so secretly hoping for a girl -- and I am over the moon thrilled that R2 is a little lady! Even though she sometimes makes me sick - and she's making me fat, each day I can't help be smile that she is all ours and is own her way!<br />
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(3) my sweet MISSISSIPPI friends. This weekend, I am heading to Mississippi for my friend, Claire's bachelorette! I am ecstatic that I get to celebrate her upcoming nuptials and that I get to do so with all my favorites. I love DC and the wonderful friends I have made here, but a huge piece of my heart misses the great friends I had back home. I always feel rejuvenated and full after I spend time with them!<br />
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(4) OXFORD, MS! Oxford is one of my FAVORITE towns - so many fun memories (and a few bad ones: law school finals, yuck!) I haven't been to Oxford since we moved to DC. Luckily, that's where the celebratory weekend is - and I can't wait to see sweet friends and enjoy all the good food, shopping and wondering around this picture perfect town! (Maybe Annie D will end up with some new Rebel gear!)<br />
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(5) OLE MISS REBELS ARE #3. Woohoo, now if we can just keep winning!<br />
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(6) DATE NIGHTS! During first trimester, Dave and I spent so many evenings at home, watching TV and going to bed early. Summer usually includes a lot of baseball games, morning walks, restaurants and our favorite, OUTDOOR MOVIES (we didn't see one single outdoor movie this summer!) So, this weekend, when we decided to go to a Friday night movie, I felt like I was in the land of the living - plans, on a Friday night? woohoo! We saw The Intern which is super cute and I highly recommend it!<br />
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(7) FALL. Leaves are turning and the air is cooler. Fall is here! There are pumpkins and mums everywhere! We are going apple picking in a couple weeks and Halloween candy fills the grocery store aisles. My current favorite thing about fall is that boots still fit you even when you are pregnant!!!<br />
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(8) New TV. Okay, this makes me a boring person right - but I was excited to have some new TV shows/new seasons starting in September!<br />
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(9) Good books and my KINDLE!! I just started a wonderful book on the metro yesterday. I love that Kindle and the Kindle phone app allows me to read anywhere - even on boring metro rides!<br />
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(10) Baby Clothes. I have hardly bought anything, just a few items in France. But, I am having so much fun looking up darling outfits for Anne Douglas! Aren't little girl clothes just the cutest things ever?<br />
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See, I found 10 things that bring me JOY - some major (baby girl!) and some minor (good tv shows) - in a matter of a few minutes! What about you? What is bringing you JOY today??? And if life is feeling stressful, how can you take a few minutes to enjoy one of these things that bring you so much happiness?<br />
<br />Katy Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01077428356394241435noreply@blogger.com1