and counting! Can’t believe we are already at 16 weeks! The second trimester is defiantly going by faster than the first. Like I mentioned before, I am loving having more energy (I still enjoy an occasional nap and am trying to get to bed by 10:30, but I don’t feel like I am dragging all day). I also feel at a better place emotionally- I have a clearer (for the most part) mind and am able to think about the future and be excited about it instead of overwhelmed. We are enjoying watching my belly grow and am entertained by some of my Chinese friends at school who like to comment on my growing size daily– its going to be awesome when my ankles start swelling and my cheeks fill out… I am sure they will be pointing it out! 🙂

*saw this on someone else’s blog & thought it would be fun to start doing it myself

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: about 5 lbs or so… give or take… I actually never weighed myself right before I got pregnant, so it’s a guess

Maternity clothes? Not yet

Stretch marks? None so far!

Sleep: started sleeping with a pillow between my legs to get used to it… and I get up at about 6:30 or 7 EVERY morning for the bathroom!

Best moment this week: Talking to Chase about possibly having Jord take pictures during the birth of our baby and looking over at him with tears a glistening in his eyes… I asked him what he was thinking about and he said about holding our baby one day!

Miss Anything? Just my liking for Arab food… it makes eating out here a lot harder since that is about all there is to eat if I don’t want to cook!

Movement: I think I have felt little flutters- kind of like bubbles or little mouse feet running in my tummy- this week!! I know it seems early, but I really do feel like I have felt them every evening for the past few days… amazing feeling!

Food cravings: fruit smoothies, meat, eggs

Anything making you queasy or sick: Arab food still

Gender: ?? we find out in 1 ½ weeks!

Labor Signs: Nope- way too early for that!

Symptoms: stretching pains in my stomach as it grows, headaches, and heartburn if I wait to eat at night

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and thankful at the moment! … but maybe I should have Chase answer this one 😉

Looking forward to: feeling more movements and finding out if we are going to have a boy or girl!! Which means I can start thinking more about the nursery!

I have an exciting announcement before I end this post…

Our little McNugget is going to have another cousin just 2 months younger!! My sister Brooke is pregnant again!! She is due sometime at the end of November. We are so excited for them and feel blessed to be on this journey with them. As many of you know, my sister has another sweet baby girl dancing in heaven right now (for 5 months now)- there is not a day that goes by that she (or any of us) don’t think about sweet Blair, but we are thankful that the Lord chose to bless them with another child so quickly. It is going to be an exciting, long, scary 9 months for them, but I know that with the Lord’s strength and your prayers they will look back at it as a blessed time when they are holding their little miracle. Please join us in prayer for them. Check out her blog for updates and to read about the beauitful journey that the Lord is taking them on turning ashes into beauty. I am so proud of them and their faith.

p.s. I can’t tell you how excited I am that our babies will get to have cousins so close in age- practically twins! I know they will be living an ocean apart, but I am confident they will be bff!

“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!” 1 Chronicles 16:10