He Loves Us...

We had two great services yesterday at New Life...I keep thinking back on the song HOW HE LOVES. I am truly thankful that no matter what I do wrong, God's grace, mercy and love is unfailing. I love the line in this song that says, "If grace is an ocean we're all sinking." I hope you are encouraged as I am to know about the unfailing love of God. When we beat ourselves up for our mistakes, or when we allow the devil to torment us with the past, God says I still love you. Our past mistakes are covered under the blood and thrown into the "sea of forgetfullness" (Micah 7:19, Isaiah 43:25). Only our own flesh can dwell on these things.

I want to do my best to show God the appreciation I have for his love and salvation. We were created to worship and please Him, not ourselves. I pray we understand how important it is that we set aside true dedicated time to give God our full attention. Because of who He is we should humble ourselves in His presence everyday.

Lemon to Orange...

I must start with an apology for not keeping my word last week. I promised that I would blog and never followed through....I feel terrible about that, (biggest fan). This is also why I am dead tired and staying up to finish this week's blog tonight. Last week was busy, I went and visited my bff in Bossier, and had a long drive home on Thursday. Next thing I know its Easter weekend packed with errands, church, family, and no free time to sit down and be creative with my blog. This week an expected yet unexpected miracle happened. Baby Laura (from New Life, who has been in Houston with an enlarged heart) received a heart yesterday and went through a successful heart transplant surgery last night. It all happened so fast...we jumped in the car this morning, drove to Houston, visited with the Mains/Morgans, drove back to Nana and Grandpa's and I am now dead tired, yet thankful for this comfy bed that Grandpa has sacrificed, as well as the miracle that has taken place in Laura's situation!.....so I must combine last week and this week in one fabulously amazing post. OHHH the pressure...

Last week was pretty uneventful, as far as pregnancy goes...I'm still not showing very much. I stopped at Mimi's boutique (in clearview mall) to look at Keesha's stuff. (ps..Keesha has gotten a contract with the owner and is now selling her K Collection's accessories in Mimi's!!! Congrats to her! go check it out people) So I go in to throw her name around, let the owner know she's one of my best friends and that I am only looking to purchase her stuff..hehe...this sparks up a convo of how I am prego and due in September....seriously, she didn't believe me. I had to tell her I wasn't lying about 5 times. People look at me like I'm a liar.. maybe not that dramatic, but its awkward when I'm introduced, "This is my neighbor Leisha", to someone and the second statement is "she's in her second trimester!!"......random person I have just met ***blank stare*** "REALLY?!?!"

Week 14: Baby is 3.4 inches weighing 1.5oz, about the size of a lemon.

This week your baby's well defined face can also make expressions

like a squint or a frown. Some babies may even start growing hair on the head or on the face, such as eye brows. If your baby is a girl her eggs will have already developed inside her ovaries. If your having a boy, his prostate gland is developing. Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop.

As week 15 is just beginning, I really don't have much to go on...but I do know that something is going on in there. I have been having minor uncomfortable feelings. Baby Parker is growing as well as my uterus. It's moving on up, so I've been experiencing these new adjustments. Tonight I did get quite irritated (hence the multiple tweets) as I did some research. I happened to stumble upon some photos of miscarriages, very sad, but phenomenal to see the development of a fetus...which IS a BABY/HUMAN BEING/ CREATION OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD...just in case there was any confusion...this then lead me to some photos of abortions. I am literally sickened at what takes place...I won't get into details, and *I will say if you have had an abortion in your past God obviously forgives and you can be/are taken care of by mercy, grace, and covered by the blood. I am in no way directing this to any personal situations.* As Christians we just need to be aware that these things are taking place around us and we should not sit quietly as an agenda is being pushed...all because we are scared to be mocked, ridiculed, or persecuted. It's going to happen whether we keep our mouths shut or we STAND UP FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. Notice this clever quote shockingly made by the now elected President of the United States of America..(it disgusts me!)

Week 15: Baby is 4.0 inches weighing 2.5 oz, about the size of a naval orange.

The hair on your baby's head is growing in and the follicles will make pigment if your baby has dark hair. Around the body, there is a fine hair (lanugo) to protect against being constantly exposed to amniotic fluid. Your baby's skin is thin and nearly translucent and if you were to take a look inside your womb you'd see small blood vessels forming underneath the skin. Some babies may even be starting to suck their thumb around this time. Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably cant feel the movements just yet.

Thanks for reading this incredibly long post :)

Things are Peachy Keen

Hello second trimester, hello energy, hello food and cravings......all of these things are coming my way. This means I have survived 1/3 of this journey! What an accomplishment, and if you don't know me you would never be able to tell how hard I've been working, growing a baby and all. My so called baby bump is still next to nothing and can usually be confused for a full tummy. I am thankful that I've made it this far and still managing to fit into my very own cute clothes. Saddened I will be the day I have to choose between the frumpy pink shirt, frumpy green shirt, or the frumpy shirt with stripes...I say "Design cuter maternity clothes people!"

Lately my food aversions haven't been that bad. I can actually cook a meal and eat it without being disgusted. I figured I need to get myself in the habit of cooking every night that I possibly can. This will be good for mommy and daddy's health (and bank account), as well as baby's. I put together a menu of things I am capable of cooking so that I can rotate every week night. This sounds like a great and simple idea, but if you know anything about our calendar/schedule, it will be very difficult to make this routine. So I simply ask that you keep me accountable to this mission!! I might even share a recipe here and there :)

Baby Info: Baby's size is 2.9 inches and it weighs 81 oz. This is about the size of a peach.

Up until now, your baby's head has been proportionally larger than the rest of the body. But around this time your baby's body will start to catch up and grow more proportional to the head.

If you could peek inside your womb, you could see your baby's motor skills starting to work. Your baby is able to move and flex the arms and legs, but you won't be able to feel this movement until later.

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy.

Baby Parker's Heartbeat

Yesterday was my second doc appointment and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! As a birthday gift, I planned the day around my mommy...

We went to lunch along with Alex and Meeley (that's what I wanna call her now since my dream)...did I not tell you about my dream?!?! I will in a sec....so anyway, Lunch with mommy, Alex, and Meeley, then we all headed to Touro for my appointment. Needless to say, sweet Amelia, who happens to be the best baby ever, stole the show. All nurses were goo gooing and gaa gaaing over her. She is teething and had a fever, yet still managed to smile and flirt with some guy that was in the office :)

As we all made our way to the back I decided it would be best if I go to the restroom...so I stand in line (hehe, room full of pregos/one bathroom= patience). When I come out the bathroom the nurse is like, "do you have your sample?"...uhhhhhhh I say, "I was

supposed to pee in a cup??!?!!?!" lol..DUH! As we both laughed I simply reminded her that I have never done this before and I promise she would get it next visit!! Something she can look forward too....

Sooo...Me, Mommy, Meeley and Alex are waiting, Amelia still stealing attention, and finally the time comes to hear the baby's heartbeat, yay! I didn't really know what to expect. To my surprise I have not been emotional about this process at all. I thought for sure I'd be the mommy who cried every time we saw or heard anything BABY...but I have not shed a tear! Dr. Von Almen came in and did the Doppler thing. Everyone says it'll sound like a choo choo train, but really and truly, IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRAIN...with a chugga, chugga choo choo and all! As you can hear on the video, it is very fast and doc says.."sounds like a girl!"Hope you enjoy the experience :)

ps...about that dream....the extremely shortened version is that I had a little girl and for whatever reason named her Amelia...well my niece is named Amelia, so we called my daughter Meeley so there would be no confusion..Crazy!

Sugar Plum

This is week 12, but before we begin I would like to give a shout out to one of my blog's biggest fans @DanielleCox...hehe...found out last night that she reads my blog more than my own hubs. I love that people enjoy reading about my weekly issues, because I love writing about my weekly issues :)

So todays lesson: "Pregnancy brain"

Basically what this means is when you get prego....you start to loose it. Technically "Pregnancy brain is a condition that affects expectant mothers, usually during the first and third trimesters. Sometimes known as placenta brain or baby brain drain, the condition is usually characterized by short term memory loss or forgetfulness. Some medical experts say that pregnancybrain is a myth, but evidence shows that many women have experienced this condition. Studies linking

memory and pregnancy are limited, and their results have been irregular. However, pregnant women have claimed to experience frustration while trying to remember the most simple everyday tasks. Some working women who are pregnant have become emotionally distressed becausepregnancy brain has rendered them unable to work effectively."

Now my experiences have been a little more light hearted and humorous than stressful...stuff like telling someone I'd have something done by tomorrow and completely forgetting like 10 minutes after I've said those words...--grocery shopping with Derek (whose fav meal is zatarains jambalaya) I go to pick up some boxes and see a new box, different pic on it. Making a small scene I say, "what! they changed there recipe. Aw man!" only to have my hubby point out the bright yellow section that says "great new look, same great taste!". This was followed by me hysterically laughing at myself until I began to cry therefore making my small scene a huge one and prolly embarrassing Derek hehe.---Scheduling an entire worship service around a musician who was on schedule, but had to go out of town, only to remember after everything was said

and done that she would be going out of town the following week...however my most recent and comical moment occurred yesterday in Target.

My mother in law and I were shopping to pass some time. I decided to go pick out my mommy a birthday card. We get to the card aisle and Dottie asks me, "So how old will your mom be?"...I think a minute and very surely I'm like, "she'll be 39"...thinking to myself omgosh my mom's almost 40, we get to throw her a big party next year........interrupting my grand thought of partying, I hear.."39!! that means she was only 14 when she had you!".....What!! no!! she's not going to be 39 she'll be 45..................I think. Yikes! major, major brain issues. then I couldn't figure it out.."well she was born in '64", I say...oh well the point is her birthday is Saturday...(Happy Bday Mommy)

So I will say....I can only speak from my own experiences, but so far plenty of pregnancy symptoms are truly, truly not exaggerated. Hope you everyone learned the lesson today...I'm going crazy and don't tell me anything important unless I'm writing it down!! :)

Baby Info: This week baby is 2.1 inches, weighing .49 oz. This is about the size of a plum. The features on your baby's face are becoming more defined. The eyes have moved towards

the front of the face and the chin and nose have taken more shape. Your baby's tiny fingernails are now well formed on fingers that will soon be able to open and close. In your baby's brain, synapses are rapidly growing.

Got the lime, still no coconuts...

Day 1 of week 11...only three more weeks til I'm out of the first trimester! I'm excited about next week, we are going to district conference and get to see some of our close friends for the first time since we found out I'm prego. I'm still not showing much at all, but maybe by next week I'll have a lil something to show off...they say that baby will double in size by next week!

For this post I would like to brag on my hubby, or my baby daddy as i now like to say hehehehehe. I couldn't ask for a better man, to be married to, have children with, and grow old with. Our child is going to have the best daddy in the world [besides my daddy :)] He is soooo helpful and considerate of how I am feeling, it is truly a blessing to have him! Now enough of that mushy gushy stuff.....on to fun baby details.

Week 11: Baby is 1.6 inches weighing approx. .25 oz...the size of a lime.

This week your baby is officially developed enough to be called a fetus. The good news is that the most critical part of your baby's organ system development is over. Your baby will grow very rapidly and will double in size by next week. On your baby's head, the ears are moving to the side of the head. Reproductive organs are becoming more distinguished.

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming--setting up a significantly more attractive future.

Inside your body, your uterus is starting to get to be too big to fit in your pelvic area and will begin to rise up into your abdomen over the next few weeks.

Anyone who knows I am my father's daughter, should know what came to mind when I read "your baby is the size of a lime"....Thankfully now that there is a little one on the way, I have the excuse and perfect reason to watch amazing stuff like this!...

Prune and very prune we will have a bundle of joy..

All credit for that title goes to my baby daddy :) Yes, you heard right, my baby's a prune (1.2 inches and approx. .14 oz.) here is my weekly update...the tenth week marks the beginning of a critical period in your baby's development when all the vital organs have formed and are beginning to function. Your baby is also growing tiny nails on the fingers and toes as well as tiny buds for teeth. With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

Here's where I'm at 10 weeks in...feeling pretty good, still very tired alot of the time. Only two major concerns on my mind at this point. CONCERN #1- if I'm having a difficult time sleeping now because I can't get comfy, HOW IN THE WORLD am I going to make it in the later months. ahhh!! this worries me...simply because I do adore my sleep time.

CONCERN #2-

Somebody is seriously very, very, extremely, very, very, attached to their mommy. They say dogs can sense when something changes in their environment, and I must say I think Maggie knows that something is up. If this is even possible, she has become more attached to me in the past few weeks. Following me everywhere I go (including to the bathroom..we make that trip alot lately), "protecting" me while I'm taking a bath (she doesn't let Chloe or Gizmo in), sleeping soooo close to my head that all I breath in is white fluff...it's quite amazing how much my lil puppy loves me...however this is why I am concerned. What happens when baby comes?? Will she be the dog who is jealous and would like nothing more than to eat the newest member of the household....oooooorrr will she be the compassionate dog who is loving and nurtures the baby as if it were her own. I'm hoping for the latter. I guess we shall see....If we have issues I can always call Cesar Millan!