Oh my Gosh SLEEEEEP!

Guys. I am tired today. Wiped. Out.

Brady made me lunch, and I could barely press my fork thru through the food. Today is apparently a day to draaaaag. Good thing we did the tail end of our grocery shopping yesterday, because today would not have been the day, and Brady is back to work tomorrow for the week. It had to be yesterday.

Once the little boys went down for their nap, Brady sent me upstairs to hide and rest. I’m currently watching a rerun of one of the Duggars having a baby on YouTube. I would’ve blogged earlier, but my arms were SO tired, I couldn’t imagine lifting them up to the keyboard.

I’m not making this up. Today, I am physically exhausted. I can’t imagine doing anything extra today. And I’m thankful I don’t have to 🙂 With that being said, though, typing feels like “extra” right now, so back to my show I go!

Praying for more energy tomorrow!!

Surprise Plans on Canada Day!

I texted Jerilee yesterday, just to chat and see what she was busy with that day, like every other day. The conversation began completely innocently, and ended with unexpected evening plans. Jerilee lovingly offered to come hang in our house and care for the sleeping littles so Brady and I could go on a date, and go watch the fireworks! While seeing the fireworks doesn’t make or break my year, it was SO FUN to get out of the house just Brady and I, and go be part of an event that only comes along once a year. We jumped at the offer, obviously.

First, we spent our evening with my parents. They had invited us over for a wiener roast, so we headed over in the late afternoon. The kids played in the yard and spread out the toys VERY well while the rest of us visited and got some food together for supper. It was a total success!

Just for reference, Solomon ate a whole hot dog (as in a wiener and a bun), a good sized bowl of strawberries, and a cookie. The only kid who out-ate him was Dekker. Laela and Rowan stopped at half a hot dog. Crazy kids. Solly also ate a large handful of dirt out of a flowerbed, so even more protein!

We got the kids home pretty close to their usual bedtime, and everyone was nice and tired, and went down fairly smoothly. Jerilee showed up right around 8:00pm and we left shortly thereafter. We stopped to 7eleven and bought bad snacks to bring along with us. I’ve got to say, to anyone who likes to buy the bottles iced teas, the Pure Leaf raspberry one is unbelievable. It genuinely tastes like fresh raspberries as opposed to frozen or candied or whatever else. It was amazing.

We got a pretty decent parking spot, considering the size of our vehicle, and hauled our blanket and snacks to the park. We chose a spot on the hill, snuggled up in our blanket, and read all of the pregnancy apps on Brady’s phone to pass the time. I took them all off of my phone after my miscarriage, but I don’t think Brady did. He was perhaps a tad more level headed than I was. Either way, we like to read them together anyway.

Finally, the fireworks began! They went for a solid half hour, complete with the kid beside us screaming “Canada rocks!” over and over, and the guy in front of us who yelled “Ho!” every time a new firework showed up or surprised him. Haha! You’ve got to have those people, right?

It was a great show! The finale pounded in my chest LOUDLY, and really closed it off with a bang!

We followed the crowd out of the park and slowly made our way to the van. Leaving is always the most chaotic part of the evening, but we intentionally parked somewhat far away so it wouldn’t be as bad leaving. And it wasn’t. All was well.

It was SUCH a lovely night away. We could hold hands, and take our time, and eat candy without having to share! We could sit quietly and just rest with each other, and didn’t have to entertain anyone else. It was freeing and special. While I really love to be with my kids, and I don’t feel like we’re suffering hard without ample amounts of dates, I am so thankful we got an evening away.

Thank you, Jerilee, ever so much for offering us a date 💗 It was SUCH an amazing gift!

Expecting the Best: 9 Weeks

I feel mildly scandalous posting about my pregnancy on a day when most people would likely be posting about Canada Day (or at least Canadians would be) but I’m just a tad more interested in talking about the little papoose. Hopefully no one objects 😉 I guess, if you do, you don’t have to read! Isn’t that freeing? Haha! Aaaaanyway…

Onto my second entry in the series!

Comparisons/Size: The fun little comparison chart I’m liking this time around compares the baby’s size to that of a pecan! Beyond that, I’m kind of useless to you in this category. I don’t weigh myself on the regular, and I don’t care to measure my stomach, haha! I know my starting weight so I’ll keep you in the loop along the way when I do gain some, but it will not be weekly. Who really cares, though. I’ve gained completely different amounts in each pregnancy, and all the kids are great 😉 so I say again, who cares?

How am I feeling mentally: With my sickness kicking it up a notch (we’ll talk about that in a minute) my nerves have eased a little bit. I would not feel this consistently ill for no reason. I have found some confidence in that, though of course, not 100%. But it helps. Usually my first trimester is filled with nerves and I struggle pretty bad with sleep, but my nausea pills help put me to sleep, which is also helpful towards my mental health. I can tell, I am far less reasonable and far more nervous when I haven’t slept well.

How am I feeling physically: Physically, I have felt better, haha! I’m so thankful for the medication I can take, because it really takes the edge off. I was anticipating updating about this, because earlier this week, I was feeling like my meds had completely taken away my sickness! But I’m pretty sure that was just a good moment 😉 I eat pretty much every couple of hours, sometimes more, and if I don’t, I really feel it. I get SO nauseous and wiped out, and very very shaky. Its hard, honestly :/ It sucks to feel so sick so consistently. I feel unreliable and lazy, but I know its all for a good cause. These days, I know that while I’m sitting still, staring past everyone, completely zoned in my own little world, my body is racing around, working like crazy to build a whole person!! So its allowed to be tired. I can keep all of this at bay with regular eating, thankfully. Doesn’t help with the chills though. Brrrrr!!

Writing it all out is good, actually. My physical struggles are actually helping my mental health! Win!

Appointments: Nope. Still nothing new to report. I said last time that I would be booking another ultrasound soon (I have the requisition on my island and everything) but I’m kind of hanging onto it until I feel I need it more, you know? I’m hoping to book it this week, though.

Buys/Wish List: I’ve resisted up to this point! I’m thinking, though, I want to buy a new, BIG water bottle soon. I have one thats kind of small and I don’t like the spout on it very much. I’d like one with a straw. Maybe even just one of those BIG clear Starbucks cups with a straw. I’ve seen water bottles that have measurements and times on them, so they kind of dictate that you should have drank up to that line by whatever o’clock. I would LOVE one like that but I have no idea where to find such a thing locally, or even for a decent price. But I can safely say I do NOT drink enough water. So I should buy something like that sooner than later.

How are the other kids feeling about the whole things?: Not too much has changed in this area. Everyone is still happy. Dekker brought the baby up this week over breakfast. First, he told me he really wants the baby to be a girl. Then, he suggested the baby name “Beaver.” Laela and Rowan jumped in with their full support on the name he had chosen, and they all tried to convince me it was a beautiful name. I asked if anyone had any other ideas. “Girl Love” was suggested. I thanked them for their input, and told them to keep thinking about names, and that I LOVED that they were excited about the baby. But for the record, we will not be naming our baby either of those names…

The BEST thing about being pregnant this week: I think the best thing about being pregnant this week was the fact that I felt optimistic, and hopeful. To me, that speaks of all of the people who are lifting us up in prayer, and that God is here. I know there is no guarantee ever in pregnancy. EVER. And I know myself, and I should be anxious. But at the moment, I’m not. I’m thankful for my discomfort and symptoms reminding me that the baby is growing and developing, and I can feel less fear and more gratefulness and excitement. The BEST thing about this week is the peace I’ve been feeling.

Anything else? Uuummm…I bought non-alcoholic radler. I haven’t tasted it yet, so I guess this doesn’t count for much, but wish me luck! It would be such a fun surprise if it was delicious! My hopes are definitely higher than my expectations.

Pictures: I had to run upstairs to take one before I started writing today’s post. I even put jeans back on! You’re welcome.

I definitely do not have a baby bump yet, but things are changing, anyway. Its all still soft and bloaty, but it counts. This looks like baby bloat, which I’m thankful for. It does good things for my heart, too, to see that I already have something to show for my pregnancy. I never show so early, except I did with Theo. I was worried that, for some reason, I wouldn’t show early this time, and I would maybe feel like I made my Theo bump up or something. But I didn’t. Its a nice reminder that he was with us, even for that short time 🙂 Very much another little family member. One I still miss dreadfully. I would be about eight months pregnant right now had he lived.

All in all, I liked this week. I’m so happy to be nine whole weeks pregnant! While time is positively inching by, I’m thankful for every day that I’ve been able to be pregnant. Summer has come, and will likely go way sooner than I imagine. And then we’ll be settling into a new routine with Dekker going to school full time, and Laela starting preschool. And as soon as we get all comfortable and settled, it’ll be Christmas. And SO SOON after Christmas, it’ll be our turn. I try so hard not to look too far ahead, but its hard some days. I wish I didn’t have to be so far away, but I can wait. ❤️

Sleeping and Not Sleeping

In the last couple of weeks, nausea has hit me harder than ever before, and I’ve been taking medication full time to keep it at bay. Conveniently, the double dose I take before bed has a delicious drowsy effect, and I’m out to lunch within twenty minutes of taking it. Its a nice system for the time being.

Last night was a bit different, though. While I fell asleep quite easily, I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. That part isn’t uncommon, lol! But then I took a sip of water, and normally, I have no problem rolling over and going back to bed. But last night, I couldn’t. I was drowsy, though. Ok, let’s be real. I was solidly disoriented. It was better than laying wide awake in bed for hours, but I dozed in and out for what felt like forever. I believe I got up to pee four times, which is NOT common. I just could not get back to sleep.

Until I did, obviously, and I have no idea when it happened, but I was zonked. I don’t remember Brady leaving for work, or hearing the kids at all. I was toast.

Needless to stay, I woke up pretty hard and had a difficult time dragging my sorry butt out of bed. But, it happened, after a while. The kids were happy and friendly, and the big kids got breakfast all set up so all I had to do was pour the milk. Once I had zombied my way through that, I went to microwave my morning coffee. I was in desperate need of a pick me up. I took my nausea meds and sipped my coffee a bit.

And of all days for my coffee not to sit well, today ended up being the day. I could’ve cried, honestly. While I sat still and drank my coffee so slowly, my gag reflex fought back hard. So I didn’t barf, but clearly, I lost the fight. I could barely manage to eat anything in the morning, and I was really shaky because of it. I finally found something I could eat without heaving – cinnamon toast crunch – and ever so slowly, I stopped shaking, and seemed to level off a bit. Who knew the answer would be pure sugar? Lol!

Thank goodness, Brady is anticipating being home sooner than later. Its always such a treat when a house finishes up faster than anticipated! Until then, though, I’m going to lay still on this recliner, shamelessly, while my little ones sleep and my big ones watch Charlie Brown again.

The Grad Curcuit

Last year, my interest in makeup application was growing immensely, and my skill was improving more than I had ever really expected. Looking back now, I don’t know why I was so nervous to take the Makeup Artistry course I did, but I’m so thankful that I did! It taught me some more “correct” application techniques and a lot of general rules that I didn’t know. Basically, makeup theory. I’m so thankful I learned all of that. Face shapes, the color wheel, how to choose the right foundation, all of the little but important details! However, the biggest thing that I learned from the course was that makeup is artistry. Its more than just rules, and its a place to be creative! I learned that, despite the trends and styles floating around, you do what you want to do, and be confident in it. That was the best lesson, because I really did gain confidence. I wear last years eyebrows proudly, haha! And I highlight my chin even though its pointy. Honestly, I highlight it because its pointy, and I like it that way!

When I took this course, we were encouraged to think ahead and consider where we wanted to end up, and how this course was going to help. Where was it going to get me? The other girls wanted to work in salons, or sell makeup with some education under their belt. I was the only one without a big direction in mind. I said I just really loved playing with makeup, and wanted to be a go-to for people in my town, whether for a party, a date, just for fun, some time away from home, etc. I remember saying “Maybe when I’m really confident, I’ll try to get in on the grad circuit.”

That was last fall, and today, I made up two beautiful girls (and one of their lovely mamas) in preparation for their graduation ceremonies this evening!! I’ll admit that I was sweating up a storm by the end of it, but it happened, and it happened well! Everyone left happy and polished, and I felt confident as I sent them on their way. If I can be so bold, I think everything turned out very well! Success all around.

I’m SO thankful that people have been willing to put their trust in me in the last couple of months, and I’ve gained quite a bit more experience under my belt. I feel much more capable, and I think it showed today. I didn’t even feel very nervous! That says a lot. I truly enjoyed my work today 🙂

Now to go upstairs and do my eyes. With only the basics on, I’m feeling a tad underdone 😉

Yesterday Was Extra Fun

I had a brief moment of panic when WordPress congratulated me on my five years of blogging today. Did I get the date wrong??? But no, it was congratulating me for yesterday. Don’t ask me why. Better late than never, WordPress!

On top of that anniversary yesterday, the day itself was quite exciting! Firstly, it was Dekker’s last day of kindergarten!! While he’s  grown to really enjoy school, and make lots of friends, and learn a lot, he would always rather be at home 🙂 So he is thrilled that he has all summer off! Just for fun, here’s a side by side of Dekker’s first and last days of school.

He’s really loving the long hair, which I’m totally thrilled about 🙂 Looking great, Dekker!!

His siblings were also really happy to have him home for good 🙂 We had talked about it a lot so everyone was excited when it finally happened.

Ok, let’s be honest. Laela wasn’t quite as pumped. But Rowan was!

It was adorable.

While that part of the day was very exciting and happy, the evening promised to be even better!! My parents came around 6:00, and our friends arrived to pick Brady and I up to go on a double date! We go on dates so rarely, and double dates are even less often. But there was NO way around this one!!

Walk Off the Earth was in town!!!

Of course I have absolutely no pictures or videos of the show, because it was just way too entertaining and I didn’t want to miss a thing. It seemed to be over so fast, even though we stood in a crowd of people the entire time, and that wears on a body! Seriously though, any hype you may or may not have heard about how amazing that show was is ALL TRUE. I can’t imagine a single person being disappointed with anything about the show. How Sarah Blackwell can sing with such power behind it when she is that pregnant is really saying something!! I feel like her lung capacity would have to be smaller than average at this point, but you would never have known!! They are all so very talented.

Bonus of the night: We took a really good selfie!! When does everyone in a group selfie actually look good??

Bonus bonus: On the way back to our vehicle, we saw a ton of baby bunnies!! Tiny little grey fluffy things just racing around the parking lot! They were super sweet!! Oh, and bonus bonus bonus, the parking lot’s ticket dispenser was out of order, so free parking super close to the concert!!

SO MANY BONUSES!

It was a real winner of a day, honestly. My parents fed the kids and put them to bed, so I know the littles had a good evening as well 🙂 Seems like it was happy all around! I hope you all had happy days as well.

FIVE YEARS?!?!

I can’t say I ever thought I’d make it to this point, but today marks FIVE YEARS since I began “The Daily Hailey!”

When I started my blog up, I made a point not to look too far ahead. Posting daily was a pretty sizeable undertaking, and I didn’t know how long I’d last. But five years later, its simply part of my routine, and only getting easier, honestly. I like my blog more now, and I enjoy putting a bit more planning into it, and writing more intentionally. I want to record memories here, but I also want you who read to be at least semi-entertained from time to time. I feel like my writing has changed a bit over time, but hopefully in a good way. This blog has been nothing but GOOD for me.

I’ve learned the value of being open with people, and that while you can never please everyone, there is a way to politely co-exist and support each other, even if you’re not 100% on the same page. I’ve learned a LOT in the last year, and I hope at least some of you have seen a bit of a shift here. Its been a big year. I’m so thankful to have had so many of you guys along for the ride.

Just to continue along with my keeping of record, I feel like I should note that I make ZERO income from this blog, hahaha! I have no idea how people monetize blogs 🤷‍♀️ Lol! I’ve tried to look into it but as far as I can see, its WAY easier to make money off of a blog in the states than it is in Canada. So I’ll continue to not worry about that and just go what I enjoy doing, which is writing in my grossly imperfect casual way. Maybe if I tried to be a bigger deal, I’d have to write more formally, which I am suuuper no good at, as this very sentence displays. 😂 I hope everyone can handle my run on sentences, and sentence fragments. And starting sentences with conjunctions 😉 See what I did there?

I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I am SO happy that I made it this far with the blog!! I never would have thought I’d blog daily for FIVE WHOLE YEARS! If I made it this many years, I have no idea when I’ll actually stop writing it. I love a good round number, and the next one is five years away, so…..

Thank you all SO MUCH for being loyal readers and friends and supporters of our family. I’m constantly blown away by how many people I’ve connected with (or reconnected with) through this blog. It started as an outlet for me to feel like I was getting some adult conversation (even if it was with myself) when I was at home with my one baby boy. Its grown into a place for me to learn and grow and ask questions and debate things out. I’ve made friends and, to be fair, lost a couple. I’ve been able to reach out and at least try to help others, and many people have reached out in support of our family as well. So much has happened in the last five years, and while there have definitely been hurdles, I’m so glad I have it all on record.

Five years, guys!! Thats a LONG time!! Who’s in for the next five? ✋

Last Time We Tried to Name a Baby

This morning, over breakfast, Dekker started talking about what we should name this baby. His favorite topic when it comes to baby talk. It never goes too far, though. Since he doesn’t know a ton of different names, he doesn’t have a lot of suggestions to offer.

Except today, he threw one out there. “How about Beaver,” he said. “Isn’t that a beautiful name?”

I had a good laugh to myself (and also to a number of people who I texted it to) but eventually, I told him that I simply loved that he was clearly thinking about names a lot, and that I was happy he was making suggestions. Keep them coming, bud, because we are most definitely not naming the baby “Beaver.”

It reminded me of the last time we tried to name a baby. It was in the three-ish weeks after we told the kids about Theo, but before we knew he wasn’t coming to stay. I was sitting in the living room, reading through literally every single name in a baby book, throwing out anything I even remotely liked, hadn’t heard before, or thought was worth a laugh. Brady was in the kitchen, pulling out some chicken for supper. The kids were running around us, playing in the living room and coloring in the dining room. It was a relaxed afternoon. The conversation went on for quite a while, until finally Dekker politely interrupted it to ask why Brady and I were naming the chicken. We had a HUGE laugh, and explained to him that we were trying to come up with a name for the baby in my tummy. That seemed to make a lot more sense to him, and he went back to coloring. But seriously 😂 How confusing must that have been for him?

We settled on Theo’s name after we lost him. I struggled hard with knowing what to call him, since we had no top contender boys name at all yet, and nothing had naturally come to mind. We finally settled on Theo. “God’s gift.” He really was. I wish Theo could have stayed with us and joined our family in a more tangible way. But I am thankful that he was with us as long as he was. I learned a lot from suffering through our miscarriage, and the loss we suffered. I learned that grief and peace can be in the same place together. I also learned more about how I want my family to look and grow. Many of my perspectives have changed, and for that, I’m so thankful I had the chance to carry Theo when I did, even though he didn’t end up being able to stay. Better to have loved and lost, right?

It has been good to think about him today. I don’t anticipate I’ll ever just feel ok about losing him, but healing continues. To God be the glory, always!

Thanks for Stopping By!

It was nice to see so many of you read the first entry in my blog series! Please don’t hesitate to ask questions along the way or message me with ideas or even criticisms. I can take it 😉 I want you guys to enjoy reading along as much as I enjoy writing it all down.

We had a very full afternoon and evening with family yesterday, and opted to have a home day today. We got the kids up after a nice deep sleep and got set up for a waffle feed. It hadn’t even crossed my mind, but I quickly hopped on the phone and called my parents to invite them. They had already had breakfast, but we decided to just shift our plans a little bit and pushed waffles to lunchtime rather. It worked out really really well.

I’ve been feeling decently healthy so far this morning, so I’ve put through a couple loads of laundry and even managed to eat a nice big lunch with everyone. This time around, while I’m definitely more nauseated than usual, I’m more likely able to eat sweet things rather than salty, which made waffles a safe bet. My parents also offered to bring a container of strawberries with them. Brady fried up some bacon and put coffee on. It was a really really yummy lunch.

Now, my parents have headed home, our little boys are sleeping, and the big kids are watching the Charlie Brown movie, which they are weirdly enthralled with recently. They have never had a movie that they wanted to watch every single day until this movie, but they just love this one! Its actually a pretty perfect afternoon. Nice and quiet and relaxed. My body is tired, and there’s a big week ahead! A great week, don’t get me wrong! I’m so excited about all of it 🙂 But it’ll be busy, and I need some rest to get through it well.

Enjoy the last day of your weekend! LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL BEFORE SUMMER!

Expecting the Best: 8 Weeks

Welcome to my first ever blog series!! I’m pretty excited about it. Part of me really wants to doubt myself and believe that I won’t follow through with it, but heck, I’ve been blogging for just shy of five years and haven’t missed one yet, so I’m hopeful it’ll be fine 😉 I went back and forth on names for the series, trying to play off the names of the days of the week. Fertile Friday. Sunday Bun-day. Stuff like that. While those were witty, I like the title I settled on better. Expecting the Best. Because I really am. I desire very much to stay positive as I go forward into another pregnancy.

Each Saturday, I’ll post about the past week, and likely answer the same questions. There will obviously be some flow and change in that, as some weeks will likely be more eventful than others. I’m also thinking that I might do a full week of gender predicting wive’s tales later on, just for fun. I always love those videos on YouTube, sod hopefully a photo blog post is almost as fun.

Without further ado, I’ll kick off with the questions for my seventh week of pregnancy!

Comparison/size: Being 8 weeks on the money, baby’s size is compared to a little square Lego brick. As in the one with four nubbins. Though apparently my uterus is the size of a grapefruit!! I have no bump to show for it (save for the super bloating that just kicked off this week) so I’m not sure where that grapefruit is tucked, but I’m glad its in there!

How am I feeling mentally: I feel ok. Better than I thought I would, honestly. I’ll go for another ultrasound soon, though. We didn’t find out Theo had passed away until around 11 weeks, but he passed at 8 weeks. I can’t help but wonder if I would’ve seen his heartbeat had we had an early ultrasound that time around. So call me crazy, but I feel a very real need to see his beating heart again after that 8 week mark. I have the most understanding doctor. She gets it. I’ll say again, though, my mental health is in better shape than I thought it would be. I don’t spend all day expecting my baby to die. I’m happy and excited, and while anxiety is present, its decent far back in there, and peace is further ahead.

How am I feeling physically: I feel sicker than I’ve ever felt in pregnancy! For the first time, I am actively taking the full doses of nausea medication that was offered to me. Could I get by without it? Sure. But the constant sick feeling is so so hard, and even on medication, I gag and dry heave often. There. I just did it, because I’m talking about it. It doesn’t take much. Not too much specifically sets it off, thankfully. Brewing coffee is probably the worst. Eggs are a close second. But everything else is fine. I’m a picky eater at the moment, but haven’t barfed yet! *knocks on wood* Beyond nausea, I’m pretty sure my boobs are trying to kill me. If they’re going to grow, I wish they just would, and then be done with it! But I’ll leave it at that. Oh, and I have the shakes. It comes and goes, and I don’t much care for it. That one is completely new to me. I’ve never been so shaky in any other pregnancy.

Any appointments recently?: I had one prenatal a while back. It was pretty uneventful. My doctor wasn’t available, but we actually were able to see the student doctor that had been through our pregnancy with Solly with us! It was a reassuring appointment. I’m really looking forward to more along the way. I know that sounds silly. Most people hate going to the doctor, especially so regularly during a pregnancy, but I really like it. I like my doctor, I like being able to ask my questions and talk about my emotions with her. I always leave feeling excited and uplifted. Another three weeks or so until my next appt.

Buys/Wish List: I have practiced restraint so far! No baby buys yet at all!! Though I could, easily!! Haha! If we’re being real here, I pretty much exclusively wear maternity clothes all the time now. I never even really try between pregnancies to get into regular clothes. Maternity clothes, specifically jeans, are WAY comfier. But my nicest pair of dark jeans got a snag in them 🙁 So I’m keeping my eyes open for a good sale at the Gap, because I have my eye on a pair there that will replace those ones and feel oh so nice! So thats probably at the top of the list, but I’m not in any rush, being that its summer…

How are the other kids feeling about the whole thing?: The kids are stoked 🙂 They talk a lot about the baby in my tummy. They often speculate whether its a boy or a girl, and the most common conversation they start is about naming the baby. Their top contender is “Lovey.” Which is just about the most adorable idea ever. I’m totally on board. Their second option is “Rowan.” I tell them we already have a Rowan, but they argue back that they like Rowan, so they want another. I get where they’re coming from.

The BEST thing about being pregnant this week: I can safely say that my favourite part of being pregnant this week was getting to share the news with you guys!!! If you didn’t notice, I didn’t put an actual announcement on Facebook, but just on the blog. I’m 100% comfortable with people finding out; I’m not at all hoping to keep it a secret. But this way, you loyal blog readers found out first, and other people are finding out gradually, which I’m kind of enjoying! Almost every day, someone has either commented or messaged me excitedly about it, and I’ve gotten to gush and celebrate all over again. Its so nice 🙂 I’ve enjoyed SO MUCH the support you’ve all offered our family as we navigate through all of the emotions of another journey through pregnancy! We are SO fortunate and happy and blessed, but also very nervous and anxious. There is a lot to process and take in, and I haven’t been made to feel silly or petty or judged. Not even once. THAT has felt like the best part of this last week for me, hands down.

Anything else?: Mmmmm…not off the top of my head. Anything else you guys want to know?

Pictures: Bear with me here, haha! I took a “belly picture” quite quickly after getting a positive test. Its not great, but it was an attempt at being positive, anticipating a successful pregnancy, and wanting to track my size from the very beginning. It was a bit of a shocker to see my body this way, since I had showed by 8 weeks with Theo, and in this picture right around 4 weeks, there was no bump to see. It was a bit sad. But, nonetheless, here is my freshly pregnant picture.

And now, four weeks later, its not a lot different, but I am definitely bloated! Haha! Its not as though anyone would see me and guess I’m pregnant, but something is definitely brewing in there!

Hahaha! Looking at them like this now, I just look a little thicker. Lol! I’m happy with it 🙂 I just hope I keep growing and changing because the baby keeps growing. This is some weird deja vu that I don’t much care for, but I’m trying to embrace it and keep rolling. I’m thankful for every moment I get to be pregnant.

Alright, guys, I think thats it for my first chapter of my first series! Did I miss anything? Do you have any other questions? Anything you’d like to hear about in the future? Feel free to ask, public or private doesn’t matter. I’m really excited to keep record of this pregnancy this way 🙂 I know there will be some repetition because inevitably I’ll talk about at least some of these things during the other days of the week, but I’ll try to keep the overlap to a minimum.

Enjoy your Saturday! I’m looking forward to hopefully a bit more sun and a bit less wind than usual. We can trust the Saskatchewan weather forecast. I mean, they’re basically always right!! 😉