"Showering Her With Love"

This past weekend I got to enjoy a special time with close family, friends, church members, and coworkers in celebrating the expected arrival of my firstborn baby girl, Juliana. Although it wasn't a surprise since I knew about it, I was surprised that 2 of my sisters were able to make it! I was so excited. Everyone was full of joy and showered my girl with much needed necessities and the cutest little outfits! It definitely meant the world to me for everyone to come together and enjoy the games, the food, and creating everlasting memories. My mom did a great job with all the planning and the decorating. I'm so happy to have a mom like her and hope I can be just as good a mom to my little girl.

Here are some photos from my baby shower. 

                                 

Share your thoughts and excitement of how you felt for your baby shower and how it all turned out below! I'd love to hear them. 

Passing with flying colors

I've hit 34 weeks yesterday and I am just counting down the weeks (6 more! Unless I go early) until I can finally meet this little person that I've grown so attached to these past few months. After the last 2 weeks, I have been blessed to know that my baby girl is doing just fine. She is going to be petite in size but she's developing just fine. The last ultrasound I did along with a stress test and my baby passed 10/10. She passed her test with flying colors! Her heart, lungs, and physical movements are strong and they've cleared her of all concerns they had. God is extremely good! I also passed my glucose test and started to gain the weight I should be gaining. It's amazing how excited you can get to gain weight for once in your life!

The position of my baby girl is head down and she'll hopefully last in my belly until she reaches full term. I have been placed on partial bed rest which I really cant complain because my body sure does need the rest after coming home from work.

Symptoms this week:

Fatigue- So tired and exhausted. I definitely have no energy and rely on my husband to help with simple household chores. Especially with the added pressure in my pelvis since my baby dropped, its hard to be on my feet for too long.

Insomnia- Its hard getting comfortable in bed and trying to fall asleep no matter how exhausted I can be. Its plain torture actually!

Heartburn- Usually only happens at night which is another reason why it's so hard for me to fall asleep. Drinking a warm glass of milk usually helps.

Nausea- Surprisingly, this annoying symptom came back. Its not as bad as during my first trimester, but it's there.

Pelvic Pressure/Pain- Due to the added pressure of my baby after dropping low. If I'm sitting or standing for too long, I can feel the added pressure which then eventually turns to mild pain. Laying down on my side is my only relief.

I must say, the first and third trimesters are not my favorite. A lot of discomforting symptoms to deal with and you kind of just feel hopeless and in the hands of everyone around you. But I must say, it will all be worth it in the next few weeks!

Upcoming Events:

This weekend is MY BABY SHOWER! So excited!

Pregnancy Scares

I know every pregnancy is different. For all of us that are pregnant with baby number one, it's kind of hard to relate to anything. It's like you're a deer caught in the headlights not knowing what's the norm or what to expect.

I reached 32 weeks today. Hip hip hooray! I had my bi weekly checkup and was given the scare of my life when the Doula checked the position of my little girl and realized her head was already positioned low down in my pelvis. No wonder I've had low back pain this week! 

When measuring my belly size, I had lost circumference measurements by two sizes since Jules was so low. This concerned her but because I had no other symptoms of preterm labor, she thought I'd be fine. She wanted me to do an ultrasound to get the actual measurements of Jules to make sure she's making weight and growing properly. I already had one scheduled for other reasons in the next couple of weeks so she let me go.

I ended up leaving and started heading to work to get a call from the nurse manager! She tells me she's looking over the measurements of my visit and my past numbers and it concerned her and wants me to do a stat (immediate) ultrasound right now! So I automatically start freaking out! As I'm heading to the ER, I'm thinking the worse. "What if they find the baby in distress?" Or "what if it's all my fault that she's not gaining weight due to my nutrition?" "What if I end up going preterm?"  All these questions racing through my mind! It was the scariest thing I had to deal with yet. 

Long story short, they found that Jules is weighing in lower than most at this stage but she's growing and developing on point. They think she's just petite and going to be a very skinny and tall beautiful girl. But to make sure, they want to do a repeat in 2 weeks! (Which I already had one scheduled anyway.)

I finally got out the hospital around 6 and went straight to TGIF to eat since I was literally starved all day! I think it should be against the law to withhold food from a pregnant women. From all the excitement, my stress, and my starvation, I think I would of needed a bed overnight because by 6, I literally felt like I was going to pass out! Thank God that everything was fine and that Jules just wanted some special attention today. 

She sure got it!

Here are some photos from my ultrasound today:

Julie's face (above) and profile (below)

"The Soul Mate Blues"

I have met so many people that I overhear talking about their marriages. The verdict of what I hear is always that they, mostly men, are very unhappy in their marriage. I've heard them call their spouse names and try to get the single men to not wed EVER! They tell them: "If you don't marry the 'right' one, you'll be miserable. So just don't do it." Or they'll say, "Don't do it, look at me. Wait until you know for a fact that you found your soul mate." 

I'd of course always chime in and try to uplift the heavy thoughts on marriage with throwing out the positives. For starters, I say, not everyone is unhappy in their marriages. And even if you are, it's up to the 2 individuals to change that around. It won't change by sitting around complaining about it. They usually laugh off my comments and tell me that I'm a newlywed and pregnant with my first so life is good in my marriage right now, but sooner or later, my husband and I will have a different story.

These ideas saddened me so much, I had to write a blog about it and get out my viewpoints on this subject. The main thing I'd like to address is the comment on the 'Soul Mate.' There seems to be this idea that there is a "perfect" person for you somewhere out there in the world, and it is our duty to go out and find this one person or we will never find true love and happiness. I use to believe this until one day I researched it on my own. Where did this idea come from? I'll tell you, its another fable brought up by Greek mythology. Its not biblical at all! 

In Plato's Symposium (385- 380 BC), the origin was told. Zeus created a bi-gender human until one day he decided to separate them and create male and female in his wrath of jealousy. This caused the fit puzzle to be scrambled into pieces causing them to long and to want their partner desperately. Thus creating the "soul mate" concept. Interesting huh? I thought so. 
So how did this become a huge part in the American concept of love? Who knows. I have a thought, and I know I am not alone in this. I believe this idea grew so big because it gave people an excuse for a divorce. If they're unhappy, they can go divorce their spouse, and go out and find their true soul mate. 

I am a Christian. And when I got married, there were so many scriptures read on marriage and love
that have become the foundation of my marriage. The way God describes marriage, shows us the idea of two different people becoming one! In a way, making them soul mates. 

I read this in an article on gotquestions.org: "a marriage may not be as unified and joyous as a couple wishes it to be. A husband and wife may not have the physical, emotional, and spiritual unity that they desire but even in this instance, the husband and wife are still soul mates. A couple in this situation needs to work on true "soul mate" intimacy. By obeying what the bible teaches about marriage (and love), a couple can develop the intimacy, love, and commitment that being "one flesh" soul mate entails. If married, you are married to your soul mate."

I could not agree anymore. The outcome of a marriage is on YOU. Even if your marriage is not all you would like it to be, it is still within God's sovereign will and plan. He has a purpose with things in your life that may not make sense right now. And it is up to you to seek HIM and have HIM direct your life and your marriage. Divorcing someone because they aren't your definition of a "soul mate" is claiming that God makes mistakes and that HE does not have the capability to turn your marriage around into a harmonious one. (I do believe there are exceptions to divorce which the bible confirms- but that is another topic altogether)

My last thoughts: Being a soul mate is a verb. Just as love is a verb. These two things are actions. And with action comes great responsibility on the individual. It's a constant thing to work on daily. My husband and I work hard on this and pray that we never give up hope on these things or on each other. It's important for any woman to have these things established with their spouse first before bringing in an innocent child. My husband and I want our marriage to be the greatest example of love, commitment, and trust for our precious baby girl so that one day, she too, will become a true soul mate and make her husband the happiest man alive.