Now that we’re almost halfway through this little babe cookin’ (seriously, how the heck has it already been 19 weeks?!) I figured it might just be time to hop back on the blogging game and give a little life update. So in case you didn’t know, the hubs & I are having a BABY. Yep, sweet little Baby Cristy will be here in the beginning of March and we are just simply overjoyed by this little miracle that is quickly taking over our hearts.
Before even getting married, we’d really prayed that the Lord would give us just at least a year to become established in our marriage as just the two of us before we brought a baby into the mix. It was a trying but sweet, sweet year full of so much growth, love and joy to finally be together, in the same place after years of long distance. Well a year in, we decided to take the leap and see if it was the right time. Which, realistically, the right time never really exists, but God was so good to us and has blessed us abundantly with this pregnancy and the timing of it all is really just a representation of God’s goodness and sweetness through it all. Sure, I could’ve done without the all day nausea I experienced (and sometimes still experience from time to time) but if that’s about the worst we’ve had to deal with so far, I’d say we’re in good shape.
Baby C has been healthy with a strong, little heartbeat at every doctors appointment and this soon-to-be mama is feeling pretty darn good as well. Though some days it still just doesn’t feel real yet! Besides my expanding waistline and the occasional backache, I’d say life seems pretty normal most days…other than the fact that the countdown to meeting this little babe is ticking away way faster than I ever could have imagined.
I always knew I wanted to be a mom. It’s something I’ve realized over the past few years with even more intensity as I’ve often found it hard to find passion in my work and found so much more joy in serving and loving my family….(I mean who doesn’t?!) But really, you can’t quite tell people at job interviews that your dream job is to be a mom, not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that, but I’ve just gotten some funny looks in the past. But really, I can’t think of a better title out there (besides Mrs. Cristy — because that’s a pretty awesome one, too.)
So as I sit here making to-do lists, adding the cutest little baby things to our registry and counting down the days until we meet our little one, I’m just overwhelmed with a deep sense of gratitude that Josh and I get this opportunity to experience this miracle of growing a baby. And seriously y’all, it is nothing short of a miracle….I mean growing a baby is no joke. The fact that this tiny little person grows from the size of something nearly microscopic to a full on baby in only nine months is CRAZY. God really designed this whole thing in such an awe-inspiring way and I’m purely amazed by it all every time I find myself thinking about it.
Week 19
Due Date: March 10th
Baby C is as big as a: Mango
The Bump: Pretty sure it’s at least 80% food baby in most pictures, but it’s starting to pop a little!
Feeling: Really good! My new pregnancy pillow is proving to be a lifesaver for my sleep. (File this under….things I never though’t I’d say…ha!)
Craving: Hot Barbecue Wings from BW’s (seriously, ask Josh….)
Food Aversions: Still so grossed out by broccoli.
Wearing: Anything and everything loose & flowy and officially not wearing any pre-pregnancy jeans. (Thank you Jesus for Madewell maternity jeans. Amen.)
Buying: A new mattress — HALLELUJAH.
Working on: Baby C’s registry! And holy moly…..there are waaaaay too many choices out there.
Looking forward to: Nursery shopping in a few weeks & finding out if Baby C is a boy or a girl on November 8th!
That’s all for now sweet friends! Sending love from up North,
It’s pretty amazing all that can happen in a year. A little over a year ago, I was packing up my little apartment in Seattle, planning the last-minute details of a wedding, finalizing dress fittings and preparing for my world to be completely overturned (in the best way) by all of the things that were about to change; my last name, my zip code & my heart. Now, as I sit at home in my cozy apartment just outside Fargo, North Dakota….I can’t help but realize that really nothing about my life looks the same as it used to. And y’all, that’s a great thing. Some days, it’s a hard thing, but really most days, it’s a wonderful, incredible, amazing thing.
I’ll be honest with you, this year has been no walk in the park. It’s been trying, humbling, frustrating and just plain hard at times. It’s been sleepless nights, buckets of tears, loneliness & hard times. (Stick with me….the light is coming.) So why do I share this? Because friends, it is so, so, so easy to think that everyone else has it all together when we feel like we’re crumbling inside. It’s so easy to look at other people’s lives and spin up a story about how much better things are for them. (Been there, done that.) But most of the time, this is never the reality of it all.
Friends, I share all of this and I hope it doesn’t make me sound like a Debby Downer. That is so far from what I’m after here. I love my husband deeply, I cherish this life that I am blessed with and I am so, so grateful for everything I have. But I’ve just gotta be real with y’all….life is tough! And I hope if nothing else, this encourages you that it’s okay to sometimes feel stuck in the difficult, trying and hard moments. It’s okay to struggle through life and feel just so imperfect. Because ya know what?
Sending love from up North,