Week 23 Baby Bump: Q&A

Alright, week 23 and I'm feeling pretty good most of the time! Mark finally felt Joelle move last night, it was the first time that he was patient enough to sit there for a few minutes and wait for her to kick! But he did feel her, and he was like "Woah, what was that?!" It was just a soft kick while we were laying in bed...I'm still waiting for him to feel one of her whammy kicks. Those usually happen after I finish eating. We've had Mother's Day, and Father's Day, and two baby showers! It's been so fun being able to celebrate our little Joelle.

So anyways, here we go...!

1.  Are you having morning sickness? Never. It is gone 100%. Hallelujah!
2. How is the fatigue? I wake up really tired and crabby. I would encourage most people to not talk to me until I have at least eaten breakfast. On rare days I wake up feeling refreshed, but generally speaking I wake up a lot during the night so I'm just pretty tired!
3. Frequent potty breaks? Yes, but it is getting less frequent (or should I say, I have learned how to hold it for longer periods of time!)
4. Sense of smell? There are only a few things that still gross me out, one of which is the smell of the toilet (clean or dirty, makes no difference).  
5. What are your cravings? Cereal. Lots and lots of cereal.
6. What makes you most nauseas? Fish and veggies like asparagus.
7. Do you have heartburn? Oh yeah! It was getting really really bad, so now I've started taking Prilosec everyday and that seems to have helped a lot.
8. Have you been moody? Kinda...I think I would describe it more like being annoyed. People annoy me.
9. Have you been crying a lot? Lately I only cry when I start to really think about the fact that Joelle is growing, and I can feel her, and that she is a real person!
10. Weight gain/loss? The scale is showing a 13 lbs increase (but I still like to remind myself that I lost 8 lbs to begin with!).
11. Do you have an innie or an outie? Innie...but it's starting to get stretched really tight.
12. Any stretch marks? Nope.
13. Have you felt the baby move? Oh yeah, it's almost constant! She feels like a huge fish flopping around, and she frequently kicks up really high on my ribs. Most of the time it seems that her head is down very low on my left side, and her feet are up really high on my right side. I'll feel her body making big movements down low and at the same time her feet will be kicking my ribs (but it doesn't hurt, yet!).
14. Have you made your first baby purchase? We've started to buy things here and there, but really most of the stuff has come in the form of gifts! Her closet is almost full already.
15. Do you think it will be a boy or a girl? She's still a girl.
16. Who will be the baby's favorite person? I think it will be a tie between Daddy and Melinda.
17. Who will spoil the baby the most? My mom. Definitely. And it's already started too!
18. What has been the most fun about being pregnant? Right now I'm just really enjoying feeling her move all the time!
19. What has been the most surprising? That I haven't gained more weight! I thought that if I ever got pregnant I would be one of those that just end up looking fat, but so far my body hasn't changed too much except my expanding belly!
20. What have you liked the most/least about your first/second/third trimester? I love feeling her move all the time. It is getting more and more real all the time. What have I like the least? Bleeding, congested nose and not sleeping well. Not too many complaints!

 
Here's a look at my current cereal collection:

 
 And, let's not forget, Mark graduated with his Bachelor's degree!

 
 

Death, Inspiration, & Creating Your Destiny

Mark is off camping tonight, so I'm just sitting here with my dog and a big bowl of Thin Mint ice cream, reflecting on the things in my life that inspire me...and more importantly, the people who inspire me.

This weekend Mark and I have the privilege of attending the funeral of Mark's co-worker, Phil Nauahi. Phil was, and is, an amazing person with such a positive outlook on life. Even throughout his 18 year long battle with cancer he continued to live with the perspective that you should live each day to the fullest. Phil created his own happiness.

Now, I'm going to add a disclaimer: I did not get permission from the following friends to talk about them on my blog. But I just hope they won't mind :)

I love inspirational people! When going through trials I love to have other people to look up to...when trying to improve myself I love to see someone else who is setting a good example for me...I just love seeing people who go after their dreams, no matter how big or small they may be.

For me, my dreams include building a family and using my talents to help support my family. Of course along with "building a family" Mark and I also have the desire to foster and adopt, or at the very least to have some kind of positive impact on children in need. Over the years my outlook on life has changed from wishing wishing wishing that this/that/the other thing was different/better/etc. to embracing what I have now (although admittedly, I am not perfect and always have room for improvement).

One friend of mine has been a great example to me while Mark and I have struggled to build our family. Liz has a beautiful, adopted, multi-racial family. She showed Mark and I great kindness, even though she barely knew us, by dropping off a sweet note and plate of treats on a particularly difficult Mother's Day. A perfect example of her thoughtfulness. She is inspirational to me. And I love that her family doesn't "match"...something that I hope to one day see in my own family. She inspires me to continue in our fight to complete our family.

Something else that I'm always trying to improve upon - my health and overall wellness. My friend Amy is a superb example of health. She dedicated herself 110% and has transformed her body into the prime example of strong and beautiful. She is a fitness competitor, fitness model, and a fitness and nutrition blogger (most recently for BodyRockTV). She sets goals for her self and SHE ACHIEVES them. Her dedication is inspiring.

And you know what else? Not only is she succeeding with her fitness goals, but she is also succeeding in her desire to become a graphic designer. Recently landing a job with CBS, and she even has an awesome etsy shop (looking for birthday invitations, birth announcements, or wedding invitations? check it out: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperTalesCustom?page=1). This girl goes after her dreams, and I love it. She is the owner of her destiny.

Of course I certainly cannot talk about people who inspire me without talking about my husband. He is humble and extremely service-minded. I wish I was more like him! He is also dedicated. After 7 long years, working full-time, taking on all the responsibilities of a husband, and working through his own personal trials, he has earned his Bachelor's degree! And because he is never content unless he is progressing, he will be starting his Master's degree program in two weeks. He always gives 100%, he is always willing to give up his own time to help someone else, and he is always trying to improve himself. He inspires me to be a better person.

All of these people create their own destinies. I want to be like these people! I think it is so important to have purpose in your life, no matter what it is. Find your purpose! Find your inspiration! Become an inspiration! Take charge of your life and you can create your own destiny. Everyday I'm working to create my own destiny (but it's never easy, so I'm happy to have people like you to keep me going!). Live with no regrets, you will be happier :)