faith, hope, & love

I've been trying to focus on enjoying every single moment of this pregnancy. The love I have for my unborn son is indescribable. I never knew I could love somebody I've never met this much.
Secretly, I've been hoping that Elliot will be inspired by the love I have for him- that it will fuel him to get bigger and stronger. He has a long road ahead of him.
According to my high risk OB, the average gastroschisis baby is in the NICU for 2-3 months. I already know that those will probably be the hardest months of my life. I've been researching, reading others' stories, trying to prepare myself. But really, what parent is ever ready to see their newborn son in so much pain, hooked up to so many machines and wires?
When I start to feel overwhelmed by worry and doubt, I turn to comforting bible verses, like the ones below. Ultimately, Elliot's life is in God's hands. I trust him.
All I can do now is have faith, hope, and love.

"For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is open to everyone who knocks." (Luke 11:10)

"The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 2911)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28-30)

best news ever!

My husband's commander gave him permission to stay the WHOLE TIME Elliot is in the NICU! We've both been operating under the assumption that he would have to head back to Korea about two weeks after he was born, so this is such great news. It will be so much better having my husband by my side during such a rough time.
Things really seem to be looking up for my little family of three.
Hopefully, this little boy will cooperate and wait until Aaron gets here, on December 14th, to make his grand entrance. I'll be 37 weeks then.

Click click click? :)

Can I have your attention, please?

It's time for the big announcement. :)
We're having... a BOY!!
I was finally able to tell my husband the news this morning! The first thing he said was, "I knew it!" We are both so incredibly excited.
Everything seems so much more real now that I know I have a son. It's wonderful!
We decided on his name almost immediately:
Our little man's name is Elliot Reid


Elliot sucking his thumb.


Yup, definitely A BOY! (The large mass/cloud next to his left thigh is the exposed bowel from his gastroschisis.)


One of his teensy little feet :)

An update :)

My appointment today at the office of Maternal-Fetal Medicine was wonderful. Watching your own child play with his/her toes and suck his/her thumb in utero is... utterly amazing. And so are the words "perfectly healthy" and "thriving".
Peanut's heartbeat was 143. Perfect. He/she more than DOUBLED in size and weight since last time, which is great. However, Peanut is currently at the 15th percentile for his/her gestational age. But other than being tiny, and of course the gastroschisis (which he/she seems to be completely oblvious about), THE BABY IS PERFECT!
I know the gender!
And I honestly wasn't expecting to be able to find out, since they couldn't tell at my last two ultrasounds. When I heard those three words, "It's a _____", I was ecstatic. Over the moon. Suddenly, I have this all new connection to my child. I can soon call him/her by a REAL NAME, not just Peanut.
But I'm waiting for my husband to call me (the time difference from the US to South Korea is really strange), so I can't post it until tomorrow.
So for now, what are your guesses? BOY or GIRL?

Ultrasound today!!

Today is my second appointment in Grand Rapids. I will be meeting with my team of specialists again, and having another level II/3D ultrasound.
I CANNOT WAIT to see Peanut again! :)
And I'm hoping to have a few questions answered.
You'll get a full update later.

The best thing since sliced cheese!

I've been looking for the perfect baby bedding since before I even knew I was pregnant. No kidding. There are tons of different options out there- but most of them are too "cutesy" and "baby-ish" for me. So when I first discovered DwellStudio, I was in love. I was not, however, in love with their prices.
If you have modern, expensive tastes (like I do)- I found something that you should definitely check out.

It's called DwellStudio for Target. The very same designer that I fell in love with makes a line just for Target- and the bedding is JUST as cute, but 1/4 the price.
I actually found bedding in the Target line that I liked more than at Dwell Studio's main website! In fact, I went ahead and purchased the "Hippo" bedding set (pictured above) and matching accessories on the spot.
Here are two other designs that I liked. Click on the pictures to see the whole collection.


Thanks to Joy from Joy's Laughter for suggesting it! :)

23 weeks

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb."

How far along? 23 weeks
Baby’s Size: 11" in length and weighing over a pound (as much as a large mango)
Total Weight Gain: I'll find out at my appointment Thursday.
Maternity Clothes: Absolutely! I ordered a bunch of new maternity tops and leggings for fall, in fact.
Gender: MIGHT be able to find out on Thursday- but since this little one has already managed to evade us at two other ultrasounds, I'm trying not to get my hopes up TOO high.
Movement: This baby is a night owl. He/she takes after mommy!
Sleep: Actually, a little better this week.
Symptoms: Nothing new to report, other than a rapidly dissapearing belly button.
Best Moments this week: I was able to talk to my husband online for several hours this week. It was wonderful!
Food Aversions: Ham Steak *shudder*
Food Cravings: Macaroni and Cheese
What I miss: Being able to easily paint my toenails. I'm in desperate need of a pedicure.
What I am Looking forward to: The day after tomorrow, I have another appointment with my specialists, and another Level II/3D ultrasound. I can't WAIT to see Peanut again!!
Milestones: Officially in the sixth month of this pregnancy now. Time's flying by!

We're #73 now! :) And on the third page.

A letter to Peanut

Dear Peanut,
My favorite part of each day is laying in bed, with my eyes closed and a hand on my stomach, feeling you move. Last night, you kicked like crazy. I love how you dance the nights away, and how you're so blissfully unaware of your condition.
Keep dancing and growing, little one!
Love,
Mommy

DSLR suggestions?

I need a new camera. Badly.
I'd really like to get a DSLR, but there are SO MANY out there...
it's just overwhelming.
Any suggestions?

Improvising at it's best.

We're spending the day at the beautiful city of Traverse City, Michigan today- and unfortunately, it's cold and rainy. Even worse- my new maternity clothes haven't showed up in the mail yet. Left with no other choice, I improvised. I combined a pair of leggings, a blue sundress, and a white cardigan- and NONE of these are maternity.
The bump is getting pretty big, these days!