twenty-six

During my 25th week of pregnancy...

During my 26th week of pregnancy...

And now, at 26 weeks complete!

Baby and I had a doctor's appointment yesterday! But it was the not so fun one where they make you drink that sugar juice and get your blood drawn. Also, where they, apparently, give you the tetanus/pertussis shot that hurts! Like hell! (Pardon my french, but my left arm is still sore so I'm a little bitter about it.) The juice wasn't so bad, tasted just like orange soda and was only a little dixie cup amount. All that sugar did not settle well in my tummy, though, and left me feeling like I was going to get sick! Which I almost did when she gave me that shot... Went white in the face and almost fell out of my chair! Have I ever mentioned that I hate going to the doctors? The blood draw wasn't too bad. They were testing for diabetes and anemia and had to take some extra for some tests I had done in Idaho at my first appointment (if I want to deliver in that hospital, even though they have those tests on file, they have to actually perform the tests there), but the guy was really nice and it was over quickly.

On a happier note, I got to hear his heart beat! Only for a short bit, but there it was, beating away as fast as could be, inside my belly... What a crazy thing this all is, pregnancy. I am making a human being inside of me. A human being! Will I ever get used to this? It's all such a miracle...

Annnd I've gained weight. Which is good, yes, the best reason to gain weight, ever! But knowing that doesn't make stepping on the scale any easier. Woof. I'm only a couple pounds behind what they usually recommend now, so I'm pretty much all caught up and am going to have to start being more careful about my weight gain so I don't overdue it! (Does this mean no more maple bars?!)

My belly button better not be an indication of when this baby is done because I've still got plenty of weeks left and it is poking out of whatever I wear! It has been for awhile but there is officially no hiding it. It's also kinda fun, though, because that means there's no hiding my belly anymore :) No matter what I wear, I look pregnant! I love when people ask me about my bump at work! When I'm due, is it a boy or a girl... He's not even here yet and I could talk about him all day!

Baby is still rolling and kicking constantly, which I LOVE until he starts kicking my ribs! (Something I apparently used to do to my mom. Payback?) I have yet to feel any hiccups which could be starting anytime! I have, however, felt a few contractions. Good 'ol braxton hicks. They say they can start as early as 20 weeks and the first set of mine hit me at about 22. I've had them twice since. Luckily not at work...yet! They never last for long and have only managed to bring tears to my eyes once (mostly because it was the first time and I was slightly terrified at what was happening!). I'm hoping they stay this sparse through the rest of my pregnancy!

The back pain has officially hit! And I hate to complain because I know it will only get worse! It really isn't that bad... Just super annoying. Bending down at work all the time doesn't help, either. I'm slowly adding more pillows to the bed to try and fix the problem. Also trying to not take up so much room I push Stephen out of it ;)

I've started to add a few notes and pictures to Uriah's baby book... Looked into tours of the labor and delivery center... I know a lot still has to happen before February arrives, but with all that we have going on, I just know the time will fly by! One more trimester left?! Ahhh! :)

weekend with the parents {day 2}

(Yes, there's a finger in this photo. It was raining and we didn't want to ask her to take another!)

Due to our late night on Saturday, we opted to go to the 11:00 church service on Sunday, which Stephen and I rarely do due to his studying, but the extra couple hours of sleep were greatly appreciated by this pregnant lady and her babe. It was another amazing sermon (one I'm sure you'll be reading about later this week). Jeff and Sherri really enjoyed themselves, too, which I was happy to hear because being the pastor and pastor's wife of an incredible church of their own, they can be understandably biased when it comes to attending other churches. I know Stephen and I compare every church we attend to Friends and always find something that makes it just not good enough, not quite as good as Friends... But we truly love our church home here in Seattle and I'm happy we got to share a Sunday of that with Stephen's parents :)

After church we took Jeff and Sherri to Qdoba and introduced them to the Taco Bell upgrade (the Wall family usually gets lunch at Taco Bell after church on Sunday in Fairbanks, an old Wall family tradition the boys have continued on with their wives). We headed home, and after a much needed nap (I can't seem to get enough sleep!), the four of us got some hot coffee and cookies and hopped on a bus for down town! We walked our way through the main drag of shops and meandered our way through the Pike Place Market, stopping, of course, for dried fruit and doughnuts! We showed Jeff and Sherri the gum wall, the view of the water, the first Starbucks... And all that other stuff that's down town Seattle ;)

We came back to our house for a game of Ticket to Ride (Stephen's favorite game!) and more talking, before they loaded up their bags and started their trek home! We are so happy they were able to hang out with us for the weekend (thank you for coming!) and stay in our home! We loved getting to show them around and share our new lives with them :) We love you two and can't wait to see you next month!

weekend with the parents {day 1}

Jeff and Sherri got into Seattle late Friday night, and of course, we were thrilled to see them! (Ps, late, means like ten.) After showing them our apartment and catching up, the four of us headed to bed before our busy Saturday!
In the morning, we took the long way to campus past the water (Lake Washington). It was sunny and beautiful out, but cold! Jeff and Sherri had just spent a long weekend in Florida and were heading back to Fairbanks on Sunday night, so I told them they couldn't complain about the weather ;) We got to show them the hospital and the Health Sciences building where Stephen has his classes, along with the rest of the gorgeous campus. We made our way to the Ave for some Pho noodle soup lunch, Cafe Alegro for some peppermint mocha's, and to the U-Village shopping district where I work for some retail therapy. And then to home, where we put our feet up and rested, talking some more before we got ready for our evening!

The Broadway production of Wicked came to Seattle and we decided it would be a fun thing to do with Stephen's visiting parents! Not something they can do in Fairbanks... Our friends Ben and Amanda went for her birthday earlier in the week and raved about it, and I've heard from many friends in high school and college that it's incredible, so we were looking forward to it! But not only did Ben and Amanda recommend the play, they also told us about the Wicked lottery. Two hours before the show, you can go down and enter your name for a chance to win two front row tickets for $25 each (nose bleeds were going for $117 the night of the show!) Because we had watched their daughter while they were at the show, Ben and Amanda offered to put their names in the drawing for us so we'd have 6 chances to win, and we needed two of our names to be drawn. Lucky for us, Amanda's name was the second drawn, and mine the fourth! Out of nine names drawn! (Couldn't thank the Head's enough for coming to help us out! We wouldn't have been able to go had they not come! Thank you, thank you, thank you!) Since we had two hours before the show started, we walked the couple blocks into down town for some yummy grub and beers (for those of us not carrying a baby...) and then walked our way to the front row of the Paramount Theatre and fell in love with Wicked! Actually, to say we loved it was and understatement. It was amazing. Incredible. I've seen The Lion King (actually on Broadway in New York!) and The Beauty and the Beast (with Stephen in Anchorage), but Wicked became my new favorite. The music, the singing, the costumes, the acting, the story line... Uriah kicked and rolled every time Elphaba (the "wicked" witch) sang, but GAlinda was personally my favorite! I would recommend it to anyone and I would see it again in a heartbeat!

Saturday was a late night getting home for us (and by late this time I mean midnight), but we loved our busy day with Stephen's parents!

uriah

He may not be here yet, but I find Christmas as the perfect excuse to do some baby boy shopping :)

1. The basics. Uriah's current wardrobe consists of nothing but preppy little baby Gap clothes, and while if I could have my way that would be all he ever wore, apparently babies spit up and poop and stuff ...who knew?! ;) And having a bunch of basic onesies and sleepers and sweats and socks is sounding pretty necessary. (Gap.com)
2. Our little February babe is going to be needing some hats and all the little animal ones are my very favorite! His first trip to the beach to visit Nana and his big trip to Alaska in March will call for some warm weather gear and I just can't get enough of these hats! (Gap.com)
3. We plan on making our child as nerdy as us (don't worry, he'll be wearing glasses before you know it) and would like to start him young on all the classics. These baby version of adult books are too lovely to pass up.  (Diapers.com)
4. Though he'll be too little to play with these blocks when he first arrives, someday he'll find them fascinating while building castles and learning how to spell, and in the meantime I would like to use them for decorations in his nursery :) (Amazon.com)
5. And of course outfits like these that his momma just can't get enough of! Just like daddy, seriously! (Gap.com)
6. But I need to stop buying the stores out of their newborn and 0-3 month sizes and start buying for further down the road because before I know it, and I'm sure, sooner than I want, he'll be in 3-6 month clothes and then 6-12 and it already makes me sad to think about it... But just a few months after he's born the weather will start to warm up and we'll be needing some shorts and not so heavy jackets and big boy sizes. (Gap.com & Oldnavy.com)
7. Baby's first toys. While he already has a load of stuffed animals (thanks to his mother's obsession in all things cuddly and cute) they're all about the size he himself will be for the first few months and I'm thinking something smaller and infant approved would be good. (Amazon.com)

allison

1. Boots! Yes, I have a hoard of them in my closet already, but 5 out of the 6 are cowboy boots and I think it's time to start branching out. (Though, while looking for boots online I kept going back to them... It's a lost cause.) Something tall and something brown. (Stevemadden.com)
2. Statement necklaces! I have a few and I'm always trying not to wear them too often because they're so noticeable/memorable. Though they might not be the best idea with a baby on the way who will pull and chew them to his hearts desire, I can't help but want them, anyway. (Anthropolgie.com)
3. Yes. I desperately want the Friends series dvds. To watch while Stephen's studying, while I'm feeding baby, on my slow mornings off work... I love, love, love this show and am thoroughly surprised I don't already own the series! (Amazon.com)
4. I do not want maternity clothes for Christmas. Nor do I want things I can wear now and after the baby comes, because my usual style isn't large and loose tops. Frumpy. But a long black cardigan is something I need now and later. And the robe? Well it just looks really comfortable. (Gap.com)
5. I have always wanted to read Pride and Prejudice because it's a favorite movie of mine and I've heard nothing but good things about the book. Now that I've seen the BBC original Pride and Prejudice (Yes, all 6 something hours of it), I want to read it all the more. (Amazon.com)
6. Because I can't really ask for clothes (and I always ask for clothes) I'll take shoes! These moccasins are super cute and look super comfy and miiiight be meant to be worn as slippers but could easily be paired with anything in my wardrobe for a quick and easy on the go look. (Gap.com)
7. It doesn't get unbearably cold here in Seattle but I have a thing for scarves and have wanted a slouchy hat for awhile. These two came into work a few days ago in every color and it's been so tempting not to snatch them up! (Gap.com)
8. (Not pictured) A camera. A nice one. A black one. I know nothing about cameras so I'm going to be turning to my mom for help, but I do know that I want one with awesome zoom and fast shudder speed that will make me look like a better photographer than I really am ;)
9. (Also not pictured because I forgot I was in need of it 'til just now) My very favorite perfume from Victoria Secret, Heavenly. Love the stuff!

stephen

1. Pants. The man needs pants. He's practically running around in his underwear, people! (Ok, not really. Well, only by choice. And just around the house.) Dress pants, khaki pants, demin, cords... He has about four pairs that actually fit him in length and I think we need to increase that number, don't you? (All of the above from Gap.com)
2. We're looking to have ourselves a fine little library someday, "that smells of leather bound books and rich mahogany"... We want all our favorite book series in hardback and these are the only two left on our list! (Amazon.com)
3. Frames. And not the kind I have hanging all over our walls. (Though he does want one of those for his desk!) Stephen's had his current glasses for awhile and he's looking to replace them with something a little bigger and something black. These were my two favorites that I found wondering around Pinterest, today. (warbyparker.com)
4. Shoes. No, he's not running around barefoot, but he is in need of some new running shoes, as well as your everyday ones like some slip on Vans, canvas "boots", or some casual oxford style. (Nike.com and Gap.com)
5. These are things I want him to want for Christmas. Accessories! He usually doesn't wear ties unless he's dressing up for the hospital, but this tweed tie can be played up or down and I just know how perfect it would look with those red khakis above and his white button up for a date night, and with his brown slacks for the hospital. (Gap.com)
6. The basics. He doesn't know he's in need of some fun stripe and argyle socks, but he is. He is very aware of his need for some white undershirts, though. They've been on our list for some time now. Sadly, we have made it to the store for everything but... (Gap.com and JcPenny.com)
7. (Not pictured) A computer case for his new half-birthday macbook pro. All things technology are his favorite, but he's already got so many gadgets he's just asking for their accessories ;)

baby bump

In my 23rd week of pregnancy when my mom and sister came to visit, we did a little belly photo-shoot (as we always do when mom comes to town!) To add to the insane amount of photos already hanging on our walls, to show Uriah someday and remember when he was so little and still in my belly, and maybe for a Christmas card... I'm so happy we had her take them! We couldn't be more than pleased with them, mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for doing this for us! (I really don't want to forget what Seattle looks like in the fall, either! It was a beautiful day!)

We love you little baby bump, and can't wait to meet you!

"Yes! ...Him, too."

This Sunday in church was my first Sunday volunteering in the nursery! 22 crying babies, and I loved every minute of it! :) I didn't get a chance to hear the sermon, though, since Stephen is studying for his final tomorrow, we decided to bail on the second service. (Though Stephen tells me the sermon was really good, just like all the others!) So I thought I would share with you last Sunday's sermon, which coincides so well with the election going on and, sadly, all the hate and judgement that comes with it.

Pastor Richard was speaking on our views of others. Who and how we judge... He told us a story about a hippie, if you will. A true Seattle-ite, liberal, peace loving, recycling, antiwar, pro-gay, bike riding, green, Jesus follower, "hippie". And into this man's church walks a US General, in all his uniform get up and perfect posture and buzzed head, and stands in the row next to him and starts to praise God through worship. And the liberal just screams "Nooo!" in his head! "I don't want to be affiliated with this man who goes against everything I believe!" But he's in the same church as you... He can't go against everything you believe... And that's when the gospel says "Yes! ...Him, too."

You can't judge a person based on one of their elements. You see the drunk, or the liar, or the Democrat, or the man who cheated on his wife, or the porn addict... But whatever you see, you don't see the whole story. You don't see the person. The Christian. The Christ follower. You don't see what lead them to drink or steal or cheat. It's not our job to "fix" people, to make sure they have it all together. Lord knows I can't go around pointing fingers because my hands sure aren't clean! That's Christ's job! "You preach Christ and let Him do the transformation". Jesus meets you where you are, just as he did you and me. Accept that about others! Yeah, he cheated on his wife, but Christ might use that to bring that man to Him, to change him and help him. Yeah, he's a drunk, but maybe Christ will use one drunk night to change that man's life! No matter who it is or how they live their life or what their political believes are, they want Christ, too. Isn't that enough?

In a lot of situations (like all the political rants on Facebook)... "You are so certain he's wrong, because he's so certain he's right." But in that regards, you are embodying everything you said you don't like about him! It's not your job, nor your place, to judge others or try and change them to be like you. "Love your neighbor." That's all God commands of you. You don't have to admit that he's right or argue back or even agree with him! But you do have to love him. Let Christ shine through you and love others with the kind of love He shows you. If you have Christ in common, what else really matters?

And how much easier is it to walk around being happy all the time and smiling at people and showing them love and grace, than to be judging them and questioning them and trying to fix them...?! ;) And maybe none of this has even made sense... (Reading through it just now I contemplated starting all over and then thought how my Sunday nap would be further away if I took the time to do that and thought better of it.) All I know is that it is not our responsibility to judge others. (And thank goodness for that!) It is only our responsibility as followers of Jesus to preach the gospel through our actions and love others with the love of Christ, no matter the person or their situation.

I also know that Stephen's doing a pretty good job of the loving thing today... He's come out of his study three times now to tell me he loves me, bring me water and Halloween candy, tell me how happy he is that I'm going to be the mother of his children... All the while wearing this gorgeous new sweater we got him from Gap that I am in love with, making him all sorts of irresistible ;)