Christmas Pictures

The amazing Alex from Alexandra Marie Photography took pictures of us for our 2014 Christmas card. She is truly and amazing photographer and even though my girls were not cooperating I loved loved loved our pictures. 

Antonella Week 12

 

Antonella is almost 3 months old already! Time has gone by so fast, I feel like just yesterday she was born. She is such an amazing baby girl. She sleeps 7 hrs at night wakes up, eats, gets changed and burped and sleeps for another 3 hrs. So at night time she is a doll! Naps during the day however are a different story, she fights them so much she ends up exhausted and a little cranky, and then she starts sucking her thumb and she puts herself to sleep. She is so much fun, I love spending my days with her just getting to know more and more about her. 

Baby Luehmann - Week 4

So everything I've read suggests I keep a journal, and I figured since most of my family and oldest friends live far far away I could make my journal public on the blog. 

My weight and waist size will start at 0 and add as I start growing. I am not sure I'll be so comfortable putting my weight in here once I am huge, so that's a good start. The picture is of the first day of week 5 but I'll write about the previous week. Here is my first entry.

Week 4

Weight - 0 Pounds

Waist - 0 Inches

Cravings: Potatoes, particularly mashed potatoes from Parkhouse Eatery in University Heights.

Dislikes: Red meat yuck

I've been making an effort to eat every four hours. I carry all organic trail mix bags with me and also baby carrot bags and munch on them every four hours. I've noticed that if I don't do that I get nausea. I have also been drinking tons of water, which is unusual for me, I am shooting for 70 oz per day and I have been meeting that goal almost every day. I want to start drinking 100 oz a day by the time I hot 3 months and 130 oz a day once I hit my 3rd trimester. The benefits of water are just so many and they are so incredible that I must drink my water daily. 

I also started taking prenatal vitamins and B vitamins. I pair them with my regular E vitamins and Betacarotene. They don't make me sick or anything so tat has been wonderful. Actually the prenatal vitamins help me with my energy, I've noticed I get a little bit more energy as soon as I take them.  I also started rubbing Almond oil on my body right after I shower, and I love the scent of it so that's a plus.

I haven't been feeling sick or that much pregnant aside from the obsession with potatoes and the fact that I get really really tired at random times. 

There is a little bit of heartburn taking place when I eat heavy meals, and I have noticed it takes a bit too long to go away. I have been avoiding food that might be really hard to digest, but it's a bit difficult at times, on Thursday we decided to make cheese fondue, how can I say no to loads of cheese with bread and veggies? 

I have been reading a lot and I have a lot of questions that friends and family have been answering. I am being more emotional than normal, I will cry if Caleb answers a question in a tone that seems harsh, and he just apologizes and hugs me even though he is not being mean. 

At the beginning of the week I was feeling some cramps and it made me a bit nervous but we visited a doctor really quick at Planned Parenthood and they said they were normal. So we started the process to apply to Medi-Cal since we don't have insurance.

After being at the Medi-Cal office for 4 and a half hours they took our paperwork and asked us to come back after lunch. We did as they said and then we got called soon after that. We got approved thank God but I have to bring some paperwork we were missing. All pregnancy related medical expenses will be covered and they have the option of birthing centers!! It's such a blessing, God just provides in amazing ways.

Well that's week 4 in a nutshell. On we go to week 5!

The ups and downs

With the exception of 5 days, my husband and I have been together every day for the last 27 months. It feels like so much longer, and yet it feels like it’s been just a few weeks since we got married. There is still so much to learn, so much to see, so much to enjoy. But as much as we are still rookies in this marriage business, he has managed to learn a few things about me, and I have learned a lot from him and about him. 

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the living room of our house staring into the void and mouthing words so softly he couldn’t hear what was being said. He now knows that means I am going over scenarios that are either too overwhelming or too insane for me to share with him. He also knows now he needs to stop me so I don’t go crazy with all the thinking. So he asked me what I was pondering about with a smirk on his face. 

-You know how people say life is a roller coaster? – I said 

- Hmm what do you mean exactly 

- Well, they say it has ups and downs and we have to go through both. If we are on an ‘up’ then we must be ready for a 'down'. If we are on a 'down' we must be encouraged knowing an 'up' is coming. 

- Ok 

- Well, I am concerned about that. I have been on an up for the last 3+ years and I love my life. Does that mean we are up for a 'down'? Are we overdue for a 'down'? 

- {laughter, laughter, laughter} Honey, from the outside our life surely doesn’t look like an 'up'. We have a very limited income, you have been having migraine headaches, we live in a tiny little place built a hundred years ago, I am allergic to something but we don’t know what it is, we have no insurance, you were supposed to be 6 months pregnant, my computer is breaking, shall I keep going?... We just choose to enjoy where we are. In reality we probably are on our way to an upper 'up'. 

Isn't my husband just the most encouraging man ever? He is absolutely right, our life surely doesn't look like an 'up' but I feel like I have the best life in the world, I really do. 

See when the apostle Paul said rejoice in the Lord always in Philippians 4:4 he surely didn’t mean all things would be fun and exciting, and 'ups' that everyone rejoices in. He meant our outlook in life had to be one that regardless of the situation we would choose joy because we knew our Father is good. I can’t say my joy comes from me being awesome, that would be ridiculous. The only reason I feel like I am at the top of the roller coaster is because of God’s grace. 

I can’t choose joy by myself; the circumstances surrounding my life could surely overwhelm me and fill me with sadness. Some days I do think about my baby, and those days I cry, sometimes I lay in bed with headaches and those days I cry. But then the Holy Spirit whispers in my ear ‘For I know the plans I have for you plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ And He reminds me who my Father is. 

In Philippians 4 we find where joy really comes from 

• Philippians 4:1 – …stand firm in the Lord 
• Philippians 4:2 – …agree in the lord 
• Philippians 4:4 - …rejoice in the Lord

Joy comes from the Lord, and whatever your circumstance I believe you can live a life full of 'ups' and joy. Today I pray for all of those out there that are in a 'down', I pray the Lord will help them change their perspective. I pray they will get the revelation of who God is, and they will comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the Love of Christ for them.