We heard it.
We heard the heartbeat.
It was everything we thought it would be. It was more.
It's miraculous. It's our baby.
God's precious gift to us.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Knocked Up and Out On Bourbon Street
The Mr. and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary in the wonderful city of New Orleans. Oh how we love NOLA!
What we love most about NOLA is the music. Food is a close second. The truth is that we could feast on the sounds of NOLA without ever getting our fill. We crave the music that comes from Preservation Hall like I used to crave chocolate. (Pregnancy has changed my taste buds quite a bit. lol)
We stayed at a somewhat small yet contemporary boutique hotel just outside of the French Quarter. It was perfect. We were just outside enough that the nightlife didn't prevent us from sleeping peacefully, but close enough to be able to get to the action within minutes.
The action. Oh yes. Let's talk about the action.
Let's talk about the bars, crazily costumed people, and well, that's probably all I could mention. Heck. That's all I can remember. lol!
Anyhow, let's get back to the point. There was action, but we were in no shape or fashion apart of it. Some of it was for lack of want-to. Mostly, it was my ability to stay up late. I felt like I was beyond exhausted, stretching myself greatly - straining even. The truth was that it was 9:00pm.
Yea, it was that pitiful. Pregnancy ruins nightlife. Well, at least that type of nightlife. ;)
I decided to come up with some tips for those ladies who are knocked up and out on the town. Some I learned the hard way, so take note.
1. Wear something comfy.
Everyone talks about the baby bump. There are all kind of dreamy notions of what that will be like, but before the baby bump comes the baby bloat. In the morning you can look just like your pre-pregnant self, but by late night you look 6 months pregnant. That's the bloat. Dress for the bloat when you go out. Invest in a Bella Band if need be. Wear a dress. Do what you need to be comfy all night long. It WILL be worth it.
2. Drink carefully.
Do NOT drink alcohol. Period. Plan a "mocktail" ahead of time that you can order at any bar you go to. My drink of choice was ginger ale with a splash of orange juice. It was great to have something "special" to drink even though I couldn't have my usual beverage. Thirdly, don't drink too much water or your mocktail. Bar bathrooms are a gamble at best. Bourbon street bathrooms were downright traumatizing.
3. Grab a snack.
Grabbing a snack can help to keep your blood sugar levels stable and help to keep morning sickness at bay. You probably already know that morning sickness can strike at anytime. If not, you'll discover that soon.
4. Do take a nap earlier that day.
A daytime nap can do wonders for nightlife. Your date will thank you for being able to stay out past 9:00pm.
5. Don't stay out too late.
Drunk people antics are no where as hilarious as they seem after one drink. Trust me on this one ;)
On our last night there, I FINALLY got it. I wore a dress that I felt great AND comfortable in. I ordered my ginger ale and orange juice. We strolled down Frenchmen Street enjoying the best music that NOLA has to offer and even spotted a late night art market. We ended our night at a respectable 1:00am-ish.
My daytime nap definitely paid off.
It was lovely.
What we love most about NOLA is the music. Food is a close second. The truth is that we could feast on the sounds of NOLA without ever getting our fill. We crave the music that comes from Preservation Hall like I used to crave chocolate. (Pregnancy has changed my taste buds quite a bit. lol)
We stayed at a somewhat small yet contemporary boutique hotel just outside of the French Quarter. It was perfect. We were just outside enough that the nightlife didn't prevent us from sleeping peacefully, but close enough to be able to get to the action within minutes.
The action. Oh yes. Let's talk about the action.
Let's talk about the bars, crazily costumed people, and well, that's probably all I could mention. Heck. That's all I can remember. lol!
Anyhow, let's get back to the point. There was action, but we were in no shape or fashion apart of it. Some of it was for lack of want-to. Mostly, it was my ability to stay up late. I felt like I was beyond exhausted, stretching myself greatly - straining even. The truth was that it was 9:00pm.
Yea, it was that pitiful. Pregnancy ruins nightlife. Well, at least that type of nightlife. ;)
I decided to come up with some tips for those ladies who are knocked up and out on the town. Some I learned the hard way, so take note.
1. Wear something comfy.
Everyone talks about the baby bump. There are all kind of dreamy notions of what that will be like, but before the baby bump comes the baby bloat. In the morning you can look just like your pre-pregnant self, but by late night you look 6 months pregnant. That's the bloat. Dress for the bloat when you go out. Invest in a Bella Band if need be. Wear a dress. Do what you need to be comfy all night long. It WILL be worth it.
2. Drink carefully.
Do NOT drink alcohol. Period. Plan a "mocktail" ahead of time that you can order at any bar you go to. My drink of choice was ginger ale with a splash of orange juice. It was great to have something "special" to drink even though I couldn't have my usual beverage. Thirdly, don't drink too much water or your mocktail. Bar bathrooms are a gamble at best. Bourbon street bathrooms were downright traumatizing.
3. Grab a snack.
Grabbing a snack can help to keep your blood sugar levels stable and help to keep morning sickness at bay. You probably already know that morning sickness can strike at anytime. If not, you'll discover that soon.
4. Do take a nap earlier that day.
A daytime nap can do wonders for nightlife. Your date will thank you for being able to stay out past 9:00pm.
5. Don't stay out too late.
Drunk people antics are no where as hilarious as they seem after one drink. Trust me on this one ;)
On our last night there, I FINALLY got it. I wore a dress that I felt great AND comfortable in. I ordered my ginger ale and orange juice. We strolled down Frenchmen Street enjoying the best music that NOLA has to offer and even spotted a late night art market. We ended our night at a respectable 1:00am-ish.
My daytime nap definitely paid off.
It was lovely.
Knocked Up and Out on the Town
TheMr.'s best friend was having a birthday get together the other night.
He doesn't know that I'm knocked up, none of his friends know that I am knocked up.
Thus the start of an interesting evening. Part one of the night was dinner. No problemo. I ordered a DELICIOUS veggie flat bread sandwich with a side salad. Perfection. I drank water, and it was okay, most everyone did. There was humorous conversation littered with a few debates and topped with the Olympics. Great company. Great food.
No problemo, indeed.
Then we were off to downtown Orlando, hours from where we live mind you. It was late. Anytime is late nowadays. Oh I was sleepy.
Everyone ordered their adult beverage and I snuck out to another bar in the place to order a cocktail of my own, a mommy drink.
Actually, it was quite good. I had a ginger ale that was topped off with orange juice. I was craving a water topped with orange juice, but that would have been a bit too obvious, don'tcha think?
It was interesting. The music was loud. The smells were pungent, and every time I saw a young person (which was many times) I shuddered at the thought of our child growing up to dress like that, talk like that, look like that, or even smell like that.
Yea, I felt old. I felt old because we were among the oldest there. I felt old because there was a little one in my belly. A tiny one. A little itty bitty one. An orange seed.
But hey, little orange seed learned a little something that day, maybe. It may be a little uncomfortable. It may be a little out of your way, but do your best to be there for the ones you love.
It was a good night. <3
He doesn't know that I'm knocked up, none of his friends know that I am knocked up.
Thus the start of an interesting evening. Part one of the night was dinner. No problemo. I ordered a DELICIOUS veggie flat bread sandwich with a side salad. Perfection. I drank water, and it was okay, most everyone did. There was humorous conversation littered with a few debates and topped with the Olympics. Great company. Great food.
No problemo, indeed.
Then we were off to downtown Orlando, hours from where we live mind you. It was late. Anytime is late nowadays. Oh I was sleepy.
Everyone ordered their adult beverage and I snuck out to another bar in the place to order a cocktail of my own, a mommy drink.
Actually, it was quite good. I had a ginger ale that was topped off with orange juice. I was craving a water topped with orange juice, but that would have been a bit too obvious, don'tcha think?
It was interesting. The music was loud. The smells were pungent, and every time I saw a young person (which was many times) I shuddered at the thought of our child growing up to dress like that, talk like that, look like that, or even smell like that.
Yea, I felt old. I felt old because we were among the oldest there. I felt old because there was a little one in my belly. A tiny one. A little itty bitty one. An orange seed.
But hey, little orange seed learned a little something that day, maybe. It may be a little uncomfortable. It may be a little out of your way, but do your best to be there for the ones you love.
It was a good night. <3
Not Feeling It.
I don't feel pregnant right now. I feel tired. I feel moody.
but not pregnant, nope.
I don't feel pregnant at all right now.
Part of me wonders if this is some sort of maternal instinct kicking in notifying me that my baby is not okay. Yet all of me knows, that this is when I trust.
Trust is not a feeling. Faith is brings substance to the unseen.
Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief.
Pregnant with a Promise
Today, I am 8 weeks pregnant. It's been an interesting 8 weeks. In other words, there are things that you don't know, that you won't know. And that's okay.
What you can know is this. I'm not scared anymore. nope. God has promised us a little baby this time around. As humbling as this reality is, we receive that promise confidently.
So that's where I am today, at the place of thankfulness and promise.
It's such a beautiful place to be.
What you can know is this. I'm not scared anymore. nope. God has promised us a little baby this time around. As humbling as this reality is, we receive that promise confidently.
So that's where I am today, at the place of thankfulness and promise.
It's such a beautiful place to be.
Communion for Two.
This past Sunday, we had communion at church. We do this in remembrance of how Christ bled and died for our sins so we can have victory, so we could be saved.
Communion is always a big deal for me. It's a time of reflection and repentance. It's also a time of restoration. God offers healing, and I wholeheartedly accept it for my all my innermost scares.
This Sunday, it was taken for two.
I shed a few tears I thought about that promise of healing, and thought about our little bitty orange seed. I may not "know" yet what may come, but God does. He holds our little orange seed and calls him/her by name. He has a plan and a purpose for our child.
I accept the deliverance from fear, and I receive and accept life; the life He has planned for us.
I choose life.
Communion is always a big deal for me. It's a time of reflection and repentance. It's also a time of restoration. God offers healing, and I wholeheartedly accept it for my all my innermost scares.
This Sunday, it was taken for two.
I shed a few tears I thought about that promise of healing, and thought about our little bitty orange seed. I may not "know" yet what may come, but God does. He holds our little orange seed and calls him/her by name. He has a plan and a purpose for our child.
I accept the deliverance from fear, and I receive and accept life; the life He has planned for us.
I choose life.
It may be a baby.
When trying to conceive, you long to see that second line on that wonderful stick. It takes a dreadful 2 weeks to get to the point before you can even test, but once you are there you know.
You finally get to know whether or not you and your Mr. are expecting.
Who cares what happens next because all you care about is knowing. But what happens when you don't, know that is. When something that is so joyful still feels so fleeting and slightly out of reach?
Let me explain.
I'm pregnant.
TheMr. and I are expecting our first child in April of 2013 and oh I couldn't tell you how happy I am...yet scared. We have told immediate family and they are elated. It's so wonderful. humbling. exciting. scary.
I shudder at the thought of disappointing them with news of a non viable pregnancy. This is a low part of my day. It isn't my constant fear, but when it hits....it hits.
Get thee behind me satan.
I decided that I was going to put these thoughts, opinions, and emotions out there. The 12 week wait is a long one, and part of me believes this is my personal boot camp.
Either I will learn to trust God, or I will live in fear.
Lord, I believe please help my unbelief.
I choose freedom. I choose peace.
This won't be made public until the second trimester. If something "goes wrong", they may never be made public, not too sure I could handle doing that. Weird, right? But right now, I'm writing this for me. I am hormonal, tired, and slightly queasy so it may not make sense at times, but that's okay.
This is real, uncut, and unprettified.
And oh yea, I'll be 5 weeks tomorrow.
Five down (almost). Seven more to go.
You finally get to know whether or not you and your Mr. are expecting.
Who cares what happens next because all you care about is knowing. But what happens when you don't, know that is. When something that is so joyful still feels so fleeting and slightly out of reach?
Let me explain.
I'm pregnant.
TheMr. and I are expecting our first child in April of 2013 and oh I couldn't tell you how happy I am...yet scared. We have told immediate family and they are elated. It's so wonderful. humbling. exciting. scary.
I shudder at the thought of disappointing them with news of a non viable pregnancy. This is a low part of my day. It isn't my constant fear, but when it hits....it hits.
Get thee behind me satan.
I decided that I was going to put these thoughts, opinions, and emotions out there. The 12 week wait is a long one, and part of me believes this is my personal boot camp.
Either I will learn to trust God, or I will live in fear.
Lord, I believe please help my unbelief.
I choose freedom. I choose peace.
This won't be made public until the second trimester. If something "goes wrong", they may never be made public, not too sure I could handle doing that. Weird, right? But right now, I'm writing this for me. I am hormonal, tired, and slightly queasy so it may not make sense at times, but that's okay.
This is real, uncut, and unprettified.
And oh yea, I'll be 5 weeks tomorrow.
Five down (almost). Seven more to go.
The funny thing is...
I was pregnant when I wrote my last post. I just didn't know it yet.
What I attempted to do what write blogs journaling the 12 weeks of keeping it a secret and then posting them once it was considered safe to do so.
I kind of followed through.
Kinda.
Stay tuned.
What I attempted to do what write blogs journaling the 12 weeks of keeping it a secret and then posting them once it was considered safe to do so.
I kind of followed through.
Kinda.
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)