3TT

Why hello there! It was brought to my attention recently that it's been awhile since I've blogged and I guess I didn't realize it'd be so long! I didn't mean to get so behind, but that's what happens when life gets busy I guess. :)

All is well - VERY well - here. Work has been busy, personal life has been busier, getting in full nesting mode and chipping away at our baby to-do list.

So without further ado, here is today's 3TT.

3 Things I'm Thankful/Excited For:
1. My friends, family, and husband who made my birthday this past weekend so special - namely my amazing girlfriends who threw me the best baby shower on Sunday. I'll do a post dedicated to that soon, but it was quite the event and I felt so special and loved. Also my parents, who came over Saturday night (Tyge was out of town) to bring me dinner and presents and celebrate with me! Lastly, when Tyge got home on Sunday night we got to celebrate and he had an big surprise birthday present (Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag!) and a sweet card for me. Overall, it was a great birthday weekend I felt so thankful for those in my life who took the time to celebrate and make me feel special!

Poor Mia...

Beautiful friends and wonderful hosts

My hunny surprised me!

2. God's timing - even when I think timing of things are bad or don't fit MY schedule, God continues to show me that His timing is perfect, every time.

3. Heading up North for the 4th on Friday - a yearly tradition since meeting Tyge. We'll be spending several days with his family, in the sun and having fun, on Swan Lake. It's our last 4th sans kid, so I'm going to take advantage of the days to relax in the sun and nap in the hammock! :)

3 Things I'm Praying For:
1. Two friends who have baby related appointments/issues this week - it pains me to know anyone going through infant loss or struggles and while I know there's really nothing I can do to help, I do know prayer is powerful and effective.

2. A new and exciting and still somewhat scary decision Tyge and I made this weekend - will post more on it later, but I'm still praying for a few things that surround this decision.

3. Petrie, of course! As we're nearing the home stretch here, I find my prayers more specific to what kind of baby he/she will be, for happiness for him/her once they get here, for Tyge and I as newbie parents that we don't mess up too bad, etc. It's incredible to think we'll get to meet them in two short months!!!

Florida Babymoon

Okay, so I really don't like the term "babymoon" but I suppose that's what you can call Tyge and my time last week in lovely Fort Myers Beach, FL! We shockingly had Memorial Day weekend free and a few days of PTO to burn (not like I'll be out for 3 months of anything haha) so we decided a few months ago to take a mini-vacation together - the last one before our lives change!

We left early last Wednesday morning and stayed in FL through Sunday afternoon returning home late Sunday night, so had Memorial Day here. It was just an awesome time together relaxing on the beach, taking walks together, seeing the sights, eating good food, eating a lot of ice cream, and just enjoying each other's company before our world is about to be rocked.

Getting in around 2 PM, Wednesday was spent getting settled into our condo, including stocking up on some groceries so we could eat breakfasts on the balcony and make lunches to save some $$. We walked around the cute town of Fort Myers Beach including the Times Square and Pier area, relaxed on the beach a bit, then napped and ate dinner overlooking the Bay. I started my mission of having seafood at every meal by enjoying some delicious coconut shrimp - so good!

Thursday morning we took the island trolley to Lover's Key State Park, which was beautiful and a LOT of walking. We probably walked 5 miles so I was pretty tired by the time we were done. Lots of pretty sights to see and it was nice and quiet, but really hot so I was ready to eat and chill on the beach when we got back. We had amazing shrimp po'boys back in town then hit the beach again. I had the Hunger Games trilogy to keep me busy so all I wanted to do was read! Naptime again, then dinner on the beach before sunset (which was blocked by buildings) where I had macadamia encrusted grouper. The walk back to the hotel from dinner was over a mile, but we walked on the white sand beach at dark and got to look at the stars and hear the ocean (okay, and stop for ice cream halfway through) so it went fast!

Friday was the day Tyge was most looking forward to - Gator Tour day! We were picked up at 8 AM and joined a group of 7 people for trip to the Everglades. It was an hour drive, where we learned about the history of the Everglades and what we'd be doing that day. We started with a swamp buggy tour (basically an elevated open air school bus that goes through water and on land), took a drive in the wild to see gators, stopped at a roadside attraction and held reptiles, had lunch, then an airboat ride, then headed back. We got lots of great pictures!

We took a looong nap when we got back, then woke up to an awesome storm a'brewin. We sat on the beach watching the clouds for awhile, then had a late sushi (nothing raw for me!) dinner in the Times Square area, followed enjoying ice cream while listening to a band they had playing outside.

After Friday's excitement, Saturday was pure beach day! Tyge walked the beach and took pictures while I laid out and read all day. When we'd get hot, we'd float around in the ocean a bit - the water was so blue and nice - to cool off. We considered renting a sailboat but it was getting pretty windy, so the rental guy advised us against it since we're not expert sailors - we saw one capsize the next day so I'm glad we didn't do it! Saturday night was out "fancy dinner night" at a place called Fresh Catch that I'd heard great things about. We had sunset time reservations on the beach, but literally the MINUTE we got there a storm came rolling in it rained hard for 30 minutes, so everyone had to move inside. We sat at the bar and waited for our table, and ended up sitting inside once the sun had set. I was a little bummed that we didn't get to see one good sunset or get one good picture of the two of us - oh well! Food was really good, I had lobster mac and cheese - as good as it sounds.

Crazy wind = crazy hair!

On our last day we went to a local breakfast shop famous for homemade biscuit sandwiches and cinnamon rolls, and were NOT disappointed - they were so good! I had really wanted to check out Sanibel (the next island over from FMB) before we left as I remembered vacationing there as a kid, so we rented a moped for two hours and headed over the causeway. Picture us on a two person moped, Tyge driving and my big ol' pregnant belly pressing into his back as I rode behind, only able to go about 35 MPH (speed limit 55) due to the weight on the poor bike - we must have been a sight! We made it the 8 miles to Sanibel and had time to hop off the bike for an ice cream stop (what else?!) and to poke around the island a bit, before heading back. After we returned the bike we had a last few hours on the beach, and it was really windy and cloudy which was perfect for reading. We drug the beach chairs right along the ocean and read and napped off an on until we had to shower up and leave for the airport late afternoon.

I am really glad we were able to get away, just us two, before Petrie comes. We kept talking about how this was our last vacation before we have a KID and that reality really struck us! We both got to see him/her move around in my belly for the first time, and it's just hitting us that we only have a few months left before we meet this little person that we already love so much. Sure, now that I'm back I'm thinking about the to-do list and all we have to get done before August, but while we were away, all I could do was focus on how excited I am to become a parent with Tyge and meet this little baby. Sometimes it takes getting away to gain perspective on what's important. I know Petrie won't care if his/her nursery is 100% done, if we have the garage organized, if we have the money we want in savings, or if I've read every book on parenting there is - s/he'll have a mom and dad that love him/her more than anything in the world, and that's all that matters.

28 weeks

Sooo I skipped a few weeks...

Due Date: August 24, 2012
How far along: 28 weeks - 3rd trimester! The Home Stretch!
The Bump:

Total weight loss/gain: +10 since the early first tri, so +1 overall - more to come, I can feel it :)

Workouts: We walked MILES each day last weekend on vacay in FL (along with laying on the beach and eating a lot of ice cream) and I had a nice walk tonight. Still haven't lifted weights like I thought I would...oops...

Baby items purchased: More nursery items here and there, no baby essentials yet. But I did get the registry completed!

Sleep: Not super...getting up to pee often, and hard to get comfortable despite my Snoogle pillow. Oh and middle of the night leg cramps are the newest thing to wake  - super fun for me AND Tyge as it scares the crap out of him when I wake up crying out in pain, haha!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Symptoms: Leg cramps, and some mild stomach cramping, and the usual fatigue. Overall, feeling pretty good - it's been an easy pregnancy so far, thank the Lord!

Food cravings: Ice cream, bagels, apples, most anything sounds good right now.

Maternity clothes: Yup, wearing and loving them!

Stretch marks: No

Gender ideas: Tyge is 52% sure it's a girl, I'm 51% sure it's a boy. One of us is right!

Movement: This little one is busy! I feel movement constantly which is so cool, and Tyge can not only feel but we can SEE Petrie moving around in there! I was using my belly as a book prop when reading on the beach, and the book would move whenever Petrie would kick/punch - it was so neat to watch!

Labor Signs: Not yet, thank goodness!

Miss anything: Not being so hormonal and crying at the drop of a hat...oh wait, I did that pre-pregnancy too! :-p

Best moment this week: We spent past of last week and weekend in Fort Myers Beach, FL as a "babymoon" getaway and had a great time together. Blog post to come!

Looking forward to: A "getting things done" day with my mom tomorrow - putting the wall decal up, hitting Ikea for some nursery items, girl time!

What would have been

Today, May 21st, would have been my due date with baby #1. I think that's a date that will forever be burned in my mind - it's kind of hard to forget. I still vividly remember the excitement of the day I told Tyge we were having a baby, and all the plans I started to make right away for a May baby. Unfortunately, I also remember the pain I felt when I miscarried and realized we wouldn't be having that May baby that we already loved and had started to plan for.

I'd be lying if I said the fact that I'm 6 months pregnant now doesn't help ease the pain of today. Petrie #2 is in NO way a replacement for our first baby, but knowing that we'll soon have this baby to hold in our arms and not just in our hearts is comforting. I honestly can't imagine how I'd feel if we were still trying to conceive or had a second miscarriage and KNOW we're so blessed to have this current healthy pregnancy. I pray for my friends who are trying to conceive every day - infant loss/infertility is such a tough thing to go through and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

So today isn't really a day of sadness or mourning for me, more just reflecting and wondering what would have been. Would that baby have been a boy or girl? Would they have looked like me or Tyge? I do know we'll meet them in heaven someday and find out for ourselves, which also brings comfort. I also know that God had a reason and plan for that baby not to be born, and for us to have our Petrie soon instead. I'm sure when we hold him/her in our arms in 3 months we won't be able to imagine life without them, which wouldn't be possible if we had that first baby.

Most people have to wait years or their whole lifetime to understand God's reasons and plans for bad things happening in their life. For some reason, God was so gracious to Tyge and me and revealed that reason to us within months. I don't fully know if the mission trip was the one and only reason for the first baby loss, but if that was it, then that's enough for me! After a tragedy, many people have to just have faith that God knows what He's doing and live with that, but it was so clear to me that we couldn't have gone on the Puebla trip had we still been pregnant with baby #1. It was a life changing, incredible experience (THAT I STILL NEED TO FINISH BLOGGING ABOUT!!!) and I can't imagine having not gone.

In the days following the miscarriage, before any reasons were revealed to me, two verses that brought me comfort were these: 

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the pans I have for you" declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, pans to give you hope and a future."

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

They helped at the time, and I can now so clearly see that God has a larger plan for our family that we can even imagine. So though I do wonder today what would have been, I am more excited than ever for what is to come - I KNOW with certainty that it is better than anything I would have planned on my own!

I love me a deal...

If you know me, you know I love making lists. And researching items before buying. AND Craigslist! So begins the story of how we got my dream stroller for $200 off!!!

Apparently there are a million strollers out there in a thousand different categories, with a hundred variations of each one. I began stroller research really early on the the first pregnancy (something about strollers is so interesting to me!), so had already done much of it and hadn't really done anything more this time around. Reading reviews and watching videos are much different than actually pushing around a stroller, so recently Tyge and I had a fun baby day date on Grand Avenue and visited Baby Grand to do just that. Based on my previous research, I had narrowed my stroller choices down to the UppaBaby Vista, Bumbleride Indie, Baby Jogger City Elite, and the every popular BOB.

When we got there, we were able to rule out the UppaBaby right away because we decided we really wanted a triwheel model that we can do light jogging with and also use as an everyday stroller.

Tyge really wanted the BOB because, well, it is the top-dawg of running strollers. I really liked the Indie because it had some great stroller features as well as the ability to job, whereas I felt the BOB was too sporty for us me. We also really liked the BabyJogger, but in the end Tyge agreed with me that the Indie was the prefect hybrid between a jogger and an everyday stroller with some awesome features.

Baby Grand is only selling the 2012 models now and nothing has changed from 2011 to 2012, except they actually took out a few accessories but kept the price the same. Because of that, I really wanted a 2011 model. They did have one 2011 in the color I wanted, but before committing to buy there, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check out my beloved Craigslist to see if there were any used ones out there, and at what price.

Lo and behold, I found a listing for the exact model we wanted at a local boutique - they were selling their floor model at $200 OFF!!! It seemed to good to be true, so I went over my lunch break to check it out and it was indeed, exactly what I wanted. The floor model was in pristine condition, never used outside, and 40% off what Baby Grand was asking - easy decision! So check that off The List - stroller bought!

The beautiful Bumbleride Indie!

3TT

Wow, it's been a long time since I've done a 3TT or blogged in general! I have a lot going on right now, which would lead one to believe I have a lot to say or blog about, but I haven't spent as much time chronicling it as I would like. Something to work on ...We're starting to paint and do things in the nursery this weekend, so that should be something to blog about! :)

Three Things I'm Thankful/Excited for:

1. Boating season is officially open! Tyge and I had a lovely date last night on the boat, complete with dinner from Good Earth that he so thoughtfully picked up. And cake, to belatedly celebrate Mother's Day. We were out there for a few hours, just enjoying the sunshine and each other's company and it was just awesome. I look forward to hopefully many more weeknights and weekends of boating this summer before Petrie comes!

Keely loooved getting out last night!

2. Petrie's kicks and punches - he/she is moving and grooving around all day, and it's so neat to feel the little person. Tyge finally got to feel a kick from the outside last week and I was so glad he finally got to participate in that way. I don't take this pregnancy for granted for one second, and am so grateful for every little movement.

3. Our upcoming "Babymoon" (even though I hate that term) to Fort Myers - really looking forward to spending a few days away with my hunny before the baby comes with no to-do list, no work, no social obligations, just us. Our last trip alone before things change in a big (but good!) way!

Three Things I'm Praying For:

1. Tyge's leg - he is running the Tough Mudder this weekend (basically a half marathon with 28 crazy obstacles) with bad shin splints. The last training run he did a few weeks ago hurt his leg so badly that he couldn't walk for days after. He's been training so hard and I know it means a lot to him to do this race, so I'm praying that his leg holds out and he can finish, and not be in too much pain or do permanent damage after.

2. Some work stress for Tyge and myself - nothing major, but just things I'm praying about. Going with that is just managing all we have to "do" between work, baby prep, social things, etc. Again, all good things, it's just a bit overwhelming at times.

3. Continued health and growth for Petrie.

New each morning

We all have them, and yesterday was a bad day for me. I won't go into details, but stress of certain things plus pregnancy hormones = a very bad day. I could sense myself believing Satan's lies throughout the day that I wasn't good enough, even though I KNOW my identity is in Christ and not my job or anything else! One of my awesome coworkers could tell I was having a tough time so sent me this reminder over IM: 

Hang in there. Your identity is not what anyone says about you on any given day. Your Identity is Christ's daughter, saved and redeemed by his grace. That is who you are, what matters, and what is important every day, good days or bad. Does not make the circumstances any easier, but it's truth. Try to remember that when you are being told, or made to feel you're doing a bad job.

Wow. I took a few moments after reading that and prayed as I renounced the lies I was feeling. I also texted some prayer warriors and felt peace as I was covered in prayer. Tyge was out of town so I got to talk to him on the phone about my crappy day, but I didn't vent to or lean on him as much as I would have had he been home, and I learned a valuable lesson.

I so often go to Tyge/family/friends to vent/talk/cry before (and in some cases even in place of!) going to God. For some reason having someone tangible to listen to and verbally agree with me is easier and more instantly gratifying than taking it to God and "waiting" on His wisdom, guidance, and comfort. So because Tyge wasn't there last night to listen to me whine :) I spent a lot of time in prayer, talking to God. Okay, and to Keely.

I went to bed feeling peace and calm, and woke up feeling the same way. This morning I had a 7 AM dentist appointment and was honestly a bit nervous as I've only ever had one cavity and didn't react so well to the Novocaine and drilling, but I was feeling good about it today. As soon as I got there, the dentist took a look in my mouth and said that it was such a small cavity that he didn't need to drill, and only needed to put some sealant on the side of my tooth! The whole process took a few minutes and I was done. I went to the front to pay what I thought was going to be around $150 (what insurance quoted me) and the receptionist said the Dr. did it no charge - I was good to go.

I got to my car and just thanked God - his mercy, grace, and love is amazing! After such a tough day yesterday, I cried out to Him and He showed me His love in a real, tangible way. Since I was done earlier than I thought I was able to get an iced (decaf!) coffee and spend some time in the Word. I read Lamentations 3:22-23:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

These words hit me as so true - only God could take the emotions of a pregnant woman and through His compassion, give her peace and make her feel loved. Today I chose joy over my circumstances and you know what? The things that happened weren't necessarily any better, but I chose to not let anything steal my joy or believe any lies, and it was a good day.

Praise God for his mercies that are new each morning!

Our lake one morning last summer