This Isn't Easy

I'm 28 weeks pregnant, in the 3rd trimester, and feeling somewhat whale-like. I can't believe my belly is going to continue to grow for roughly 12 more weeks.  Whereas I definitely want Henry to keep growing, I'd like to personally stop growing. 

At our check-up on Wednesday, we found out Henry is/was head down, and I'm measuring great. I only gained 2.5 pounds from 23 to 27 weeks. Before you give me a high five, I got a stomach virus that severely impacted my weight gain this past month. Nonetheless, I felt victorious, but I'm expecting a depressing number next month. 

That's my pregnancy update.

A few weeks ago, Adam and I went to Babies R Us to register because my cheerleaders were throwing me a shower. We were kind of following the guide they gave us, kind of not. At least when we were registering for our wedding, we had a general idea of what we wanted and needed. But we've never done this parenting thing before, so we just did our best. 

As we've talked through what we've felt like we need for this baby, we both have been trying to keep things to a minimum. We don't want oodles and oodles of baby stuff. We aren't going to go buy new furniture for him. We're not going to go crazy on his nursery. Not because we don't want to but because we just don't know how much longer we'll be here. And accumulating a lot of stuff is just more stuff for us to either get rid of or pack up and move. 

Adam sat down in a chair at the store and had a moment with me. This feeling of Seattle not being home is getting old. Knowing that we want to leave sometime soon makes staying filled with tension. As badly as Adam wants to have a house and a place that is definitely ours, we don't want that place to be here. 

We miss our friends. We miss our families. We miss being known. I've been reflecting on why certain aspects of life have seemed harder than before. Pursuing Jesus alongside of others seems easier. Engaging the community around me seems easier when I'm doing it with others who are driven by the same desire to see Jesus's reign known here on Earth. Believing in faith with others is life giving and contagious. 

And that's just not the world we live in right now. But it can be.

Since we're going to be moving this summer, we're probably going to move churches in hopes of gaining community that is more contextual for us. We want people we can do life with while we're here. We're not giving up yet!!

On a positive note, we're so excited to see our boy (at the end of July!). I really want to see his sweet face and hold him. I want to kiss his cheeks and pinch his booty. I'm curious if he'll be as active outside of my belly as he is inside. Because the kid moves SO. MUCH. I cannot wait to see Adam with his son. I think I might dissolve into a puddle as I watch him hold his boy. 

Also. The boy has a name. It will remain a secret until he arrives, but it's nice that we've finally agreed on something. 

Here's some pictures of our recent trip to the Tulip Festival just an hour north of where we live.

It was kind of insane!! The colors were amazing, and tulips were EVERYWHERE! 

And...I'm 28 weeks pregnant.

25 Weeks and Living Large

It's kind of crazy to us that Henry could be here in 15 weeks. We are no where near ready. I still have an entire quarter of school to finish. And we only have Memorial Day off between now and the last day of school. This is the long haul, not the home stretch, people.

[insert: I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.]

The last week of February, Adam and I were out and about doing errands. We were talking about when and how and where we were going to move. We were searching for housing that would allow me to not work full time and possibly not even work part time. But housing out here is very expensive. It didn't look possible. 

Realistically, I was going to have to bring in money somehow. A mom suggested I start an in-home daycare, but honestly, that sounded awful. And in what home would this be possible?? I told Adam that I was believing for something to come up- like a full basement apartment that someone wanted to rent us for super cheap. I was just trusting that God was going to make a way for us. Adam said that he knew God was capable of doing that, but more than likely, he was going to need to figure this out. And the way in which he was praying about this situation reflected that assumption. 

The. Next. Day. a mom of one of my girls said she'd been praying and it dawned on her that she should let us live in their apartment over their storage unit. She let me know it wasn't ideal for a few reasons, but she'd let us live there rent free. We'd just have to pay utilities. 

I stood there wide-eyed, with my mouth hanging slightly open as she explained it to me. I kept thinking of Adam's comment, and I couldn't wait to tell him. 

Without making this the longest post ever, God answered above and beyond what we were even hoping for. This is a stand alone property; it's not connected to the main house at all. Their property is quite large, so there's a HUGE yard. They have a big old dog that Adam is super excited about sharing. Did I mention there's no rent and no contract?? 

As previously mentioned, there are some disadvantages. Though a spacious apartment, there's not 2 distinct bedrooms- but I do have some open space to work with. So, a mom of a different girl on my team, who is an interior designer, is going to go look at the space with me this weekend to help me figure out a way to create a room for Henry. I'm not sure there's even room for a crib, but I'm not too worried about it at this point. 

We're really excited and thankful, yet again, for the way God provided this for us. And because we'll be living rent free, I won't be working at all next year...just coaching. Which I'll technically get paid for, but I assure you that they don't dish out the big bucks for me to coach their cheerleaders. 

Letting my principal know I would not be returning next year was very bittersweet. I'm so, so, SO happy that I get to be home with Henry, but I will miss my little guys. I know that it's a privilege to have 26 preschoolers entrusted into my care. I know that getting to love them and teach them is a unique opportunity. I'm confident that I'll miss our Bible discussions the most.  

As I was sitting on the floor with one of my little girls today, she was talking about how excited she was for summer because my baby would come out. She said with eager anticipation, "You're going to be a mom this summer!" I smiled at her and told her I was excited too. She proceeded to ask if I would still teach her class after I was a mom. I tried dodging the question by explaining that it would be summer and no one would be at school. The smart girl knew what she was asking though. She continued to push, asking if I'd be the teacher when everyone came back to school after summer. I told her I wouldn't be the teacher anymore. She quickly gave me the stink eye and said, "I don't want you to be a mom anymore!" 

My job can be extremely exhausting and frustrating. But I love who I spend my days with. I'm hoping to squeeze every ounce of fun that I can out of the next 9 weeks.