Um, the skirt that fit me two weeks ago no longer fits!

 Pregnancy- Week 11
BabyCenter.com update:
"Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.
She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming."

Well when I think about figs I cant help but think of my mentor Joyce. Joyce was assigned as my mentor three years ago. We have a wonderful relationship and she still returns weekly to my school to check on me or bring me treats. I am not sure there is another mentor quite as amazing and loving as her. I feel so blessed to have her in my life. So, why do I think of Joyce when figs are mentioned? Well, Joyce fed me my first ever fig! First in a jam spread on brie cheese- AMAZING and then fresh fig. If you have never tasted a sweet ripe fig you need to! Thank you Joyce for taking such good care of me and for expanding my taste pallet! 

A fig is almost the size of an Easter Egg...

This year for Easter we had to Wojcik family with us. (Including: Judi, Chris, Andrew, James, and Sarah) We did the traditional Easter events like going to church, dying Easter eggs, (Yes Grandmolly, I missed you!) went on an egg hunt, and of course grilled hot dogs on the grill for dinner. Okay so the hot dogs were not tradition but the weather was just perfect! Easter was a wonderful day to celebrate Jesus' resurrection into heaven!

Romans 1:4-5
And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

This yeah, just like years in the past we did silk tie eggs! They are amazingly beautiful!
Here is how to do it: 



Materials and ToolsSmall- to medium-size raw eggs
Glass or enamel pot
Silk ties, blouses, or boxers, cut into pieces large enough to cover an egg
White sheets (or pillowcases or old tablecloths), cut into pieces to cover silk-wrapped eggs
Twist ties
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
Warm water
Vegetable oil
Paper towels
Tongs or spoon
Silk Tie Easter Eggs How-To
1. Cut silk into a square (or a piece) large enough to wrap around a raw egg.
2. Wrap a raw egg with a piece of silk, making sure the printed side of the material is facing the egg. Silk can still be used if it doesn't fit perfectly around egg.
3. Place the silk-wrapped egg in a piece of white sheet, pillowcase, or old tablecloth and secure tightly with a twist-tie.
4. Place the egg(s) in an enamel or glass pot. Fill pot with water to cover eggs completely. Then, add three tablespoons of white vinegar.
5. Bring water to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 20 minutes (longer if you plan on eating the eggs).
6. Remove eggs from water with tongs or spoon and let cool.
7. Remove silk from cooled egg.
8. For shiny eggs, wipe with vegetable oil after completing step 7.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/silk-tie-easter-eggs

Two Digits!

 

Call me crazy, but a kumquat is kinda big. 

Can you tell I was throwing up hours earlier?

BabyCenter.com update:
Week 10 of Pregnancy  
"Though he's about the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long,— and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development.
He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy."

Sarah (little sister) and I were in the grocery store today when we spotted kumquats! We just had to snap a picture! Sarah is the cutest with here baby niece or nephew. She loves Baby Wojcik with a real love! We spent the last week together and she is always asking me how I feel and if my tummy was hurting. She sticks up for me and even tells me to rest. Sarah even insisted on coming to the doctor with me to have my blood drawn. She sat in the chair next to me and watched everything and was not weirded out one bit! I discovered Sarah's true talent this past week though. Sarah happens to be the most amazing baby shopper. A few days ago she marched me into Kmart and gave me a stroller demonstration complete with color analysis and wheel workings. She is a precious person to have in our lives and we love her dearly and am so excited to someday call her Aunt Sav!

Two more weeks left in the First Trimester...

"I am familiar with all of your ways." Psalm 139: 3

Update from BabyCenter.com:
Week 9 of Pregnancy
"Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth.Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct."

"I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all of your ways." Psalm 139: 1-3

Been day dreaming (and night dreaming for that matter) about Baby Wojcik. Last night I dreampt that it was a baby boy, which is weird because this whole time I have been saying that I think its a girl. (And PS Ashley VB you were in my dream last night and you had a baby girl! Crazy!) Who knows! Its in God's hands. A fun brain journey that I have been going on lately is realizing that the same massive and awesome God who created me, also created the baby inside of me. I love reading about the truths of our creator and how he loves us so much. Baby Wojcik is moving (even though I cant feel it) and our God knows when the baby moves! So cool! He is familiar with all of our ways.

I am excited for double digits next week!

A heartbeat lights up the screen!

 

"For you were made in my image"

Genesis 1:27

Here is our baby! I know, it doesn't look like much. I jokingly call it "my blob." Meeting the real baby inside of me on the ultrasound monitor was a very special moment. I will never forget holding Mike's hand and watching the heartbeat light up the screen. It truly looks like a light bulb lighting up with every beat. I felt the presence of God in the room holding our hands as well. He has created this baby and it warms my heart to know that the baby (like us) is created in the image of our Heavenly Father. When I think about this truth, tears come to my eyes.

The baby looked perfect and measured to be 7 weeks instead of 8. The doctor said that this was normal and not to worry one bit. She said my uterus was nice and round, a perfect shape for the baby, and for some reason hearing this made me feel good. They were not able to get my prenatal blood results because 2 nurses and 1 doctor were not able to stick me. 4 needle holes and a few bruises later we left with Baby Wojcik's first pictures in hand and hearts overwhelmed with emotions of joy.

We have eyelids!

Here is the BabyCenter.com update:
Pregnancy - Week 8 
"New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it."

 

So, if you think I am showing you are wrong... I've just got some chub. But, I figured I should take a "before" shot so here it is.  My jeans are still fitting fine. I know this will not last for long. I do however, have great fashion advisers with pregnancy clothing. I feel so blessed to have three preggers friends around me. I love you Jenny, Shelly, and Michelle. As I mentioned before, God has provided an amazing community here in VA.

We went to the doctor this week and I am going to save that update for another post. Ill give you a hint though... it made my heart go thumpity thump with the realization of this sweet sweet kidney bean inside of me.

Angels can look like strangers...

Week 8 of Pregnancy:
Lets talk about morning sickness for a brief moment.
I have a little story to tell you about how angels can come in the form of strangers.

Earlier this week I was having an abnormally rough go of morning sickness. I did everything in my power to pray it away, to snack it away, to cool shower it away, and to sip water it away. Nothing was breaking this batch of morning sickness. The morning passed and it was now time for me to start walking to school, or else the kids would be teacher-less. So, I gathered my lunch box, purse, and laptop and headed to school. With each step I prayed for Jesus to comfort my tummy. I was concentrating really hard and then out of no where I started throwing up in the middle of a strangers yard. I had thrown all my bags down, and my lunch spilled all over the sidewalk, I had only managed to grab half of my hair and I had not buttoned my coat. If only I had 6 arms! (I have a feeling that the wish for more arms will happen again in the future.) Anyway! I stood hunched over in a strangers lawn "watering" her grass and crying hysterically. And then... this woman came out of her house, gathered all my stuff, and pulled me into her home. Keep in mind I was still heaving, and balling as she tugged me in.
She quickly prepared a warm cloth for me and asked me what else I needed. I managed to get out "I'm pregnant" through my tears. She joyfully showed interest and wanted to comfort me, she knew this was morning sickness. She was such a sweet sweet woman who was my angel that morning. I started to control my tears and dust myself off. I know that this woman introduced herself more than once but I still have no clue what her name is. She invited me to stop by whenever I needed and she was very sincere in her offer. I left feeling, well, still morning sick, but happy to have found a little angel in a complete stranger.
I left and went to school and somehow was not late for the students. I sent myself to the nurse to double check how I was doing. It was hard because the kids want hugs and love and the last thing that I want is to be touched after throwing up. And then, to top it all off, I had to teach private parts and sex ed- PERFECT! Sigh, I got through the day and will never forget the kindness of the woman I met today.

Mike was just telling me a story of a woman who fell over in the metro station yesterday. She cut her leg pretty bad because she fell down the escalator and there was a pool of blood. Mike ran over to hit the emergency button while another man caught her fall. All the others around just looked, and walked away to carry on their days. Two people in the entire place actually acted when someone was in need. How many times in this world is suffering ignored because it is not convenient or doesn't fit into our schedule?

Reminds me of Jesus and how he ALWAYS had time to heal the sick, mend the wounded, and bring life to the lifeless.

Thank you stranger, today you exemplified that empathy is not enough.

 

Here is a random iron foot, just because. I guess the moral could be, don't step on people. Instead, do you're best to carry them (?)

I felt weird eating a blueberry...

Baby Wojcik is 7 weeks! Below is the development from BabyCenter.com
"The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry."

In week 7  I can feel the fatigue starting to set in. I also feel a little weird with food. Nothing really sounds good to eat. I feel gurgly in the morning but manage to snack on crackers and water until I feel up to eating something for real. Smells are starting to set in and its opening up a whole new world. I find myself calling my mom often with questions like "is this normal?" "am I crazy?" and "can you please pray?"

Gretchen blessed us this week by coming over and cooking an amazing meal. I literally just sat on my butt. She even did the dishes, which she knows is the way to get to my heart. I cant help but remember a few years ago when Mike and I first moved to the DC metro area. I remember talking about a baby and thinking NO WAY because we would be doing it alone. It is so amazing to see how God has provided us with such a great community to love, support, and grow with. He is good!

Mike had his first softball game this week. He played the pitcher. He made the most amazing out at home plate and the team one by one point. So, I like to say that Mike won the game with his out at home plate. I love watching him play softball. I just wish it wasn't so cold out on the field. This week for his team I made blueberry muffins (note the size of the baby in week 7) and the team loved them. I chose blueberry because the team color is blue. As I said above though, I felt weird eating a blueberry.

I had to look up what a Lentil was

Baby is now 6 weeks old! Below is the development update from BabyCenter.com
"This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil."

I have been feeling alright since I beat the sinus infection. I am still having the ailments listed in my last post. Sore breasts, gruffy stomach. (Feels weird to say breast, but whatever!) A new thing that started more this week are my emotions! Welcome to a whole new world of feelings. I go from anxiety to excitement in five seconds or less and back again. I have been trying to take those thoughts captive and give them to the Lord right away. I know that He has us in the palm of His hand.

If you know me, then you know that I have.. well... as my father puts it, a nose that gives me character. One night Mike decided to pray that the baby would have my nose. I told him that I liked his nose better and would not pray in agreement to that. Then, that evening Mike and I read the development post together. And, the day that Mike prayed for the baby's nose was the day that the actual nose started to develop. He is so sneaky!

Wait, if Mike and I are One, would that make us a family of Two?

Our little sesame seed!
Here is some valuable information from BabyCenter.com about our little one!

"Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human."

In Week 5 I had a serious sinus infection. I visited our physician and was encouraged to try to avoid antibiotics and to tough it out. I had five straight days of fevers, but with some help from Mike, I was able to shake this sinus infection in about a week. Surprisingly, this is about how long it takes me to shake even with the antibiotics. In regards to pregnancy, I can defiantly tell that things are different with my body. My tender breasts wake me up at night, I am the pickiest of eaters, and I just feel different. 


Excited for week 6...

Our Family of 2 is Growing to 3!

A few weeks ago we discovered we were pregnant!
Finding this news out was so exciting and surprising.
The sneaky baby inside me case was solved when I developed a sinus infection. I felt horrible and knew that I needed to take some serious cold medicine. Then, I remembered a friend of mine reminding me to always take a pregnancy test (just in case) prior to taking the meds. So, I provided the liquids and Mike did the chemistry set also known as a pregnancy test. I was in bed with a fever at that point. He stayed and looked at the test for a few moments and then walked out of the room.
Something led me to get up out of bed, waddle to the counter to check it out myself. I yelled out at once "Uh, Mike... come here. Check this out." He came over and said, "What is that?" I wasn't sure what to say. It was the faintest pink line in the world.  I got on the computer immediately to figure out what in the world that was about. We decided to take another test...and.. got an even fainter result, if that is even possible. So we prayed and went to sleep in hopes that the morning pee would be more potent. I woke up to my mind saying "test... test... teeesstt....test..."  I woke Mike up and again provided the liquid for the chemistry experiment. The chemist added the proper portions to the test and now there were definitely two lines. I was still in shock and disbelief. So, we got the real deal test- the digital clear test. He administered the test and within seconds it said "PREGNANT!"" (Well the test really didn't have an exclamation point.  And it wasn't in all caps either.)
We were (and are) pregnant! At that moment Mike grabbed me, hugged me, and danced around. I stood there smiling with a whirl wind of emotions pouring through me. Even though its been two weeks, at times I still feel that whirl wind of emotions but God is faithful and He is good and I am looking forward to this journey. Happy to be traveling with my Main Man, and my right hand man! And who knows... maybe there's another little man (or woman) inside of me....