Some new pics!

I finally got around to taking some new pictures and, wow, have I changed. I feel a lot bigger than I look, trust me. Somewhat surprisingly, the growing part has been a lot of fun. Maybe the "puffy face" doesn't thrill me, but knowing it's primarily water retention is helpful. This, too, shall pass, and all those kicks and hiccups, rolls and nudges, more than make up for the uncomfortable feelings. Anyway, the pictures:

This is one we took at 30 weeksThis is a progression - 14 weeks to 30 weeksThis is from the shower the ladies at my home church in Shoreline WA threw for us

And this is my dear man. The baby shower had a Dairy Farm theme (it was adorable!) so we had to capture a shot of him holding the entryway sign. What fun!

Did I mention I'm feeling hiccup now? At first it was like a tiny tic-tic-tic in my groin, but now it's a full fleged bump-bump-bump. Amazing it can get so much stronger in so little time. Levi's growth amazes me also. Even since we had our baby shower in early March his movements have become stronger. I've even been woken up from a dead sleep by his rolls and jabs. ok, admittedly, I wake up many many times a night, but usually not because he's moving. Usually I wake up because I have to move and (unlike my pre-pregnancy body) I can't move this belly around without being fully awake.

So, at 31 weeks I have very few complaints about this whole process. Sure, I get a lot less sleep, I'm in the bathroom a lot, and I do get unreasonably crabby at times, but I'll take those things any day over the bed-rest that some are being relegated to. We are so blessed both to be enjoying a normal pregnancy, and to be expecting a healthy little one. Thank you for all your prayers!

I never thought I'd be the one heading off to childbirthing class.

That was for people who were really far along in their pregnancy, that was where they practiced their "hee hee whooo, hee hee whoo..." and actually prepared to GIVE BIRTH.

Are you kidding? I'm still at least a year away from that process right?

Wrong. 9 weeks.



Ok, so off we go to learn how to "breath our way through the pain" (I don't know what HE has to breath through but I'm told we "do this together") and prepare ourselves for the ultimate parenting experience. Wish me luck

Pretty Punny

I'm having an atrocious time waking up this morning. Could be the lack of coffee, or sleep for that matter, but the resulting headache is really doing me in. For what it's worth I thought I'd start my day with a little humor - Puns for the somewhat-intelligent mind. Enjoy.


1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.......He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an.......optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a...........weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other,.......'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger........then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

In love - still

I remember right before Jonathan and I got married there were a bunch of people who said things like "you know, the first year really is the hardest" and still others who would advise us "the first year is your honeymoon, after that marriage gets difficult". I'd have to say, none of those comments have seemed to apply to us.

I'm sure that some around us must think we're frustratingly mushy. I'm sure some must think "Hey, Get a room!" as we smooch in the hallway in passing at work. It's also possible that people wonder if our affection for one another is manufactured for public effect, pretended in public and abandoned once we're alone. I have a serious confession to make: we are hopelessly in love, and we still act like "newlyweds" despite our 3 years of marriage. Oh, and no, I'm not embarrassed by the hallway smirkers.

So why does this come up now? well, I'm sure my dear husband's thoughtful valentines day actions may have jogged my memory, but in reality my thoughts are more a response to a movie he any I watched just recently. have you seen the movie Fireproof? If not, you should rent it, it's well worth the watching (despite some particularly corny moments) and even more well worth it is the book it inspired, titled "Love Dare". Click, check it out, give me your thoughts.

This book, along with the ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS floral arrangement pictured below were my husband's thoughtful gifts to me for valentines day. To anyone who ever wondered, yes, I got a GREAT catch!

Further Proof...

...that some camera angles are kinder than others.

(nearly 25 weeks)

After sleep, and a good cup of coffee

Isn't it funny how even a decent night's rest and a cup of coffee can brighten the darndest of weeks? I sure think so. After receiving these two such gifts Jonathan took some good bump pictures of me and I've posted them below for your enjoyment.

Sad to say, the navel ring is now gone as is my toe ring (which I think disappointed me more). My midwife warned me that my feet may begin to swell soon and I may not be able to get it off if I don't act quickly. Below is the progression from week 14 to week 24. I know weeks 20 and 24+ don't look like a huge change but I'm convinced that's just the angle of the camera. Levi has grown, I've grown, and it's possible I've grown more "up" than "out" over the past 4+ weeks. Breathing and eating has become quite a bit harder so I imagine there's less room overall in there.
Oh, and yet another interesting factoid: my stomach muscles have recently begun to split. Did you know they were supposed to do that during pregnancy? I sure didn't, and believe me it's more than a little disconcerting. It feels like I did a bunch of sit-ups - only I didn't. Apparently this is yet another way the body makes room for baby AND more space for stomach, intestines, etc... I don't know where those things are right now, but sometimes I swear I hear my stomach growling in my arm-pit.

Hope you've enjoyed the photo update, before long there will be a a little one to post newborn photos of too and won't that be fun?! less than 16 weeks now, I can hardly wait!

A Frustrating Week

I wish I had some big news to report but honestly things are just moving along as usual for us Hnebraska Hnoskos. In hindsight I guess I've been a bit more on edge lately (oh gee, why could that be?) on account of slowly becoming more and more uncomfortable. We've also had an onslaught of unexpected expenses in the past WEEK that have really made us angry, but those things aside, life hasn't changed much.

So, what's baby up to now? well at well over a pound, Levi is quite active (as he has been for a while now) and his weight, along with all the water he brings with him, is becoming quite a challenge to cope with. Sleeping, specifically, has been a challenge lately - or should I say sleeping comfortably. Eating is a bit troublesome too as I feel I don't have nearly as much room anymore.

If I could give one piece of advice to the not-yet-mothers (or the past mothers for that matter) among you I would suggest you refrain from commenting on the size and shape of your pregnant friends. While it may appear as though this is the ONE time when it is appropriate to say "Wow, you sure have grown!" rest assured, it won't always be received well. I didn't expect to become so sensitive but as a few well-meaning souls have asked "how many are in there" I have begun to resent such a change in size, and have therefore begun unnecessarily scrutinizing myself. No good. So, please well meaning people, lay off.

I contemplated posting a new photo of my ever-growing bump, but after looking at the pictures I currently have on my camera, I've decided none of them are very flattering. I'll have Jonathan try again tonight to catch some better ones but, all in all, I'm frustrated with how my other-than-belly is collecting water and such. All normal pregnancy symptoms for my second trimester body (nearing the end of that trimester to boot), and yet a bit disconcerting for someone like me. Bear with me, I'll get some good shots before this is all over with, some good shots I feel good about.

As for all of you asking whether or not we've got everything ready for baby, the answer is, quite frankly, no. We bought a rocking chair, we were given a nice crib by a family here who was finished with theirs, we found a dresser on Craig's list and that's about it. My sister gave me some baby clothes from her son and I think we'll have to wait until after our shower in Seattle to see what else we need to buy.

Speaking of buy... I find myself COMPLETELY overwhelmed with the amount of money that babies cost before they're even born. Clothes, diapers, car seats, strollers... none of it is cheap. We'll need to learn to be more frugal than we already are if we are to keep up in this economy, that's for certain. This might be compounded in my mind based on the car repair we need to have done today ($500) or the pre-baby medical bills that seem to pile up. Either way, I'm convinced no one ever feels like they have enough money, even when they have more than enough, so I should probably quit whining and strategize a way for us to fit this all into our budget. It's just such a big stressor.

Please keep in prayer this week my sister, who lost her husband to a mountain climbing accident just a couple of weeks ago in Argentina. She and her son are devastated, as would be expected. Please also remember my grandmother who is currently recovering from the un-scheduled triple bypass surgery she had yesterday.

I could continue to vent about all the little things that have been building up on my nerves lately but what am I doing complaining? here I am, a healthy mother to be, living in a great country with freedom. I have it better than so many I know (those in persecution, those who can't have their own children, those whose financial situation is more than perilous...) and I really should just be praising God for his goodness towards us. Just needed to get a few things off my chest I guess.


- Melissa