33 Weeks

This was my first week back at school and although it was a great week, I told Pete I was going to have to go shopping for some seriously comfortable shoes to make it on my feet for the remaining month and a half. :)

Amelia and Eli

A little while back I posted about our trip to Amelia Island to see Eli and Amelia. In that post I mentioned that it was one of our most memorable trips with them but I did not go into any details. Well, this is the follow-up post on that trip. First, I need to give a little background information. Amelia and Eli got married five years ago and about three years after that they decided to start a family. After not being able to get pregnant they ended up at a fertility specialist who after a very short time, told them that the only way they were going to have a baby was through in vitro. Eli and Amelia left the office feeling overwhelmed and a little surprised that the doctor had made that determination so quickly. They decided to wait on the in vitro and began praying that the Lord would give them a peace about how they should proceed. When we were with them a couple of weeks ago, they had been praying about if and when they should go forward with the procedure, for about six months. One day while we were with them, Amelia told me that she had not been feeling well for a couple of days. She said she would feel hungry and then when she would start to eat she couldn't eat very much. I said, a little jokingly, "well maybe you are pregnant." The next morning she came into the room and said, "Grace, I was just dumping out a casserole and I almost threw up". I said "gross, how old was the casserole?" She said, "It wasn't old at all, that's the weird part." I said "you need to take a pregnancy test." Eli had just gone to the store for breakfast supplies so Amelia called him and told him to pick up a pregnancy test. (A small side note, Eli did some bargaining with the guy on the pregnancy test price :). ) When Eli got home Amelia went straight to the bathroom, I was watching TV and the boys were playing a computer game. Two minutes later Amelia poked her head out of her room and silently summoned me in. When I got to her bathroom she was staring at the test. I looked down and saw a very clear pink cross. We looked at each other in amazement and I said, "Amel, you are pregnant honey!) She was in pure shock. She went out to Eli and told him to come to their room. When she showed him the test he was speechless. Neither one of them could believe what they were seeing. I went out and got Pete and told him that her test had been positive. We all huddled in their bedroom, Pete reassuring Amelia that if the test had a plus then that was a 99.9% positive result. Eli could not quiet smiling and Amelia was in denial. We had to look up the reasons for false positive results just to make sure she had done nothing that could have skewed the test, she had not. If the test were not enough confirmation, the next morning as we were getting ready for church Amelia threw up two times. She went to the doctor the next week and was told that she was indeed 8 weeks pregnant and was able to see an ultrasound of their little tadpole. God is so good and he never ceases to amaze us! It was such an amazing and exciting trip, and Pete and I were so blessed to be a part of their little miracle. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of baby Rowe in March!!!

The night before, neither one of them expecting that in about 12 hours their lives were going to change forever and that the prayers of so many people were about to be answered.

Right after Amelia showed Eli the test.

She took another test about 20 minutes later to make sure it produced the same results...it did.

A very happy but completely astonished soon to be mama.

Eli could not be smiling any bigger if he tried. You can tell that Amelia is still a little reserved on her own joy.

I of course, was completely convinced and ecstatic, and also wishing I had finished applying my make-up before taking this picture!

Amelia explaining to Eli what they were looking at. Please note her facial expression.

The four soon to be parents. Later that day we were talking about the amazement of the situation and how fun it was that Amelia and I got to be pregnant at the same time. We realized that although they would not be born in the same year, our children would be in the same grade at school. We had often said that we want to have our children close together. Amelia and Eli started trying to conceive a couple of years before Pete and I were ready and Amelia use to joke that the Lord was waiting on us to allow them to get pregnant... maybe she was right!

Phil's Visit

Our friend Phil came to visit us for the week and we had such a good time. We went to a baseball game, Pete and Phil went kayaking and fishing, they played golf, went to Naples beach, tilled the garden, played some music, and did a lot of haning out. It was so nice to have friend in town for a couple of days and we were very thankful to Phil for making the nine hour drive down to stay with us.

32 weeks/ 8 months

The glucose test came back negative, Praise the Lord!!! When we went in for our appt. this week, our Dr. said that everything looked good, the baby had turned from head down to head up but, that we did not need to worry about the positioning until around the 36th week. While we were talking to him he received a page from the emergency room. After leaving, Pete and I both agreed that hearing the pager made us feel nerves as we thought about the fact that in just a few short weeks he would be getting a page about us!

31 Weeks

Two weeks ago I had to get a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. When I went for my appt. on Wednesday Dr. Shah told me that my levels were 134 when they should have been below 130. I had a small cry in the car on the way home and then made my appt. at the lab for a three hour glucose tolerance test for the next day. When I got to the lab at 9:30 they informed me that I would have to stay there for the entire three hours and that they would be drawing my blood every hour. I was initially a little annoyed that I was going to have to wait in the lab for the entire morning but as I was walking back to the waiting room after my first blood draw, the nurse told me I could wait in one of the rooms if I wanted to. In this small room was a huge overstuffed leather recliner. I very comfortably sat in the private room and read my book for the remaining three hours only to be interrupted for a drawing. It was actually a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. I will hopefully be able to fine out the results tomorrow.

Thank you Don and Delores!!

Don and Delores wanted to get us a glider for our baby gift. I have been looking on Craig's list trying to find one that we liked for a reasonable price. Yesterday we found the perfect chair and we picked it up last night. This in now my absolute favorite place in the whole house! A couple of months ago Pete built me the most amazing library and it quickly became my favorite room in the house( I am so blessed to have such a talented husband). We put the glider in the library, and now it takes all of my will power to not sit in the glider and read all day. Don and Delores, thank you so much for giving us such a practical and wonderful gift. We are looking forward to many hours in that chair loving your new grand baby!

Our beautiful new glider and ottoman.

The view of the library when sitting in the chair.

30 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can not believe we are in our 30th week. From now on we will be able to count down the number of weeks on our hands, until we meet our precious baby!!!! I am LOVING being pregnant! I love feeling and watching this little miracle move around inside of me. This morning we laid in bed and watched my stomach move from one side to the other. I am so thankful and humbled that the Lord has given us this baby and allowed me to be the one to carry him/her (I am really starting to think it is a girl). Thank you for your continuous prayers and encouraging words!

Blair and Cole

The day after we returned from GA, Blair and Cole drove down to Fort Myers to spend a couple of days with us. On Wednesday Blair took me to Babies-R-Us to give me a crash course on baby supplies. She also labored over a list of necessities for the baby, me, and the hospital trip. That night we made pizza and hung out at the house. Thursday we went for a picnic at Centennial Park. We had such a good time being together and watching Cole and all of his hilarious shenanigans. Cole's favorite thing in the world is balls and he is constantly throwing them, kicking them, and swinging at them with his spatula golf club. He is a very smart and funny little boy and Pete and I were so grateful that they made the trip down to see us.

Blair is my second wonderful friend who I have the privilege of being pregnant with at the same time. Her little boy Will, is due in December. I am looking forward to having children two months apart.

29 Weeks (and 9 weeks)

While we were with Lis, I insisted on taking my 29 week belly shot with her as she is 9 weeks pregnant herself. It is so awesome to get to be pregers at the same time as your very best friend. In fact, I get to be pregnant at the same time as three of my best friends, how amazing is that?

Batusics and Collier Trip

A couple of days after returning from Amelia Island we decided to visit the Batusics and Colliers. We had an amazing trip spending time with everyone and of course laughing continuously. We stayed at Phil and Mary Anne's beautiful home with their two hilarious dogs, Rock and Bella. Thursday night we ate dinner with Phil and Mary while John, Lis and the boys were at their grandparents birthday party. After dinner we went to John and Melissa's and played the game "Things". Friday John and Mary went to work, Pete and Phil played Frisbee golf, and Lis and I went to a couple of consignment sales. That night we went to dinner at the Virgina Highlands and then back to the house for another game of "Things". Saturday we decided to drive to a national park to spend the day, but the ridiculous amount of traffic in Helen detoured us back to a small lake near the house. Unfortunately we were unable to find the lake and after several hours of driving, ended up back at John and Melissa's pool to swim. That night we made dinner and played games. Sunday we went to church, took naps, and ate dinner. Whenever we are with these four we end up laughing hysterically most of the time and making wonderful memories.

Andrew
Jacob
Phil, Jacob, Pete and Andrew. Andrew and Pete hit it off and after we left Meliss told me that Andrew kept saying, "Where's Pete?"

Lis and Mary

The morning we left, after a delicious breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls.

Amelia Island

We went to Amelia Island to visit Amelia and Eli. We had one of the most wonderful and memorable trips we have ever had with them. We spent a lot of time at the beach, we drove the boat over to GA for dinner, we went bike riding, and spent a lot of time hanging out together.

After dinner in GA with JB and Robina
There are no words

At the restaurant in GA

A super happy Eli and Amelia

Eli's famous Peanut butter and Chocolate shakes

The boys going out to surf

Me, hiding from the sun. Amazingly I still managed to get sunburned even though I did not come out from under the umbrella except to swim.

Amelia, the sun lover