Monday, April 25, 2011

18 weeks

I'm 18 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 18 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby B is the size of a sweet potato!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 18 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Still Fit in some regular clothers, but maternity clothes are so much more comfortable!Gender: GIRL!!!!
Movement: I've been feeling the baby a lot more lately!
Sleep: I'm so tired and most nights I sleep pretty good unless I have contractions
What I miss: Life outside of bedrest
Cravings: Cereal (eat it for breakfast everyday and sometimes for dinner too!)
Symptoms: Right now fatigue, weight gain (boo!,) and intermittent contractions
Best Moment this week: Having my wonderful friends come visit! Thanks Mary, Heather, and Allison!!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Ressurection Buns

I'm linking up to GOODE TIME GIRLS http://goodetimegirls.blogspot.com/2010/03/resurrection-buns.html for a fantastic idea that you could do with your young children.

These are so much fun to make with your kids, even if they are a little too young to understand the meaning. I love Easter. The deviled eggs. The yummy food. And hiding eggs. SO. MUCH.FUN.
Happy Easter!
INGREDIENTS:



Cresent Rolls



Melted Butter



Large Marshmallows



Cinnamon sugar


Give each child a triangle shape of the crescent roll. The triangle shape is to represent the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in. Read Matthew 27:57-61 1. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus. 2. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming. 3. Dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body. 4.Wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death. 5.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb - pretend like it was three days!) 6. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)
Now read Matthew 28:5-8 Explain: At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw an angel, who told them not to be afraid. No one had taken Jesus' body, but He Had risen from the dead! The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what they had seen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were so excited, they ran all the way home to tell the disciples the good news! He is risen from the dead! After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus' appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell. And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them.
Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." However, we will only obey God if we listen to the Holy Spirit our helper. He enables believers in Jesus to do the right thing. It is important that we read the Bible (God's Word) because one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us obey God is by reminding us of what He says to us in His Word. God's Spirit will never go against his Word. In fact, when we read God's Word, we are listening to the Holy Spirit.
Of course, you won't always do the right thing; the Bible says this ) 1 John 1:5-10). But that is why we need to continue to confess our sins knowing that God forgives us, based on what Jesus did on the cross.


Chase absolutely loved making these! He did not fully understand what each step represented, but as he gets older this can be something he looks forward to doing and when he gets what it represents it will be an amazing day!

Happy Easter!!!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

BOY OR GIRL???

I just had my 17 week ultrasound and appointment. Everything is going smoothly. I am definitely eager to be off from bed rest, but still have a long way to go. I have been getting ultrasounds every 2 weeks to check my cervix/cerclage as well as the baby. Matt could not make it to my appointment today so we had the ultrasound tech check the sex of the baby and she concealed it in a sealed envelope. When I got home I entrusted the envelope to Steph (our nanny) who agreed to make us a special gender reveal cake. The cake was either to be pink or blue depending on if it is a girl or boy. She baked the cake and iced it in white icing with cute Easter decorations since Easter is right around the corner. I had to wait all day long for Matt to get home from work before we could slice into that cake and find out if we are having a boy or girl. As soon as he got home we called our parents and sisters and sliced in. The cake was PINK, which means we are having a baby girl!!!!! I'm so excited and cannot wait to start planning the nursery and finding all of the cute outfits.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 17 Weeks
Size of baby:
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 17 lbs. so far. That's a pound a week!!!
Maternity Clothes: Still can squeeze into some regular clothes, but maternity pants are much more comfy
Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!
Movement: feeling some kicks and flutters here and there
Sleep: I have been sleeping much better now that I only get up once to pee 
What I miss: going out in public, shopping, seeing everyone
Cravings: nothing in particular, but I've been eating well!!
Symptoms: contractions here and there, hence the bed rest
Best Moment this week: Finding out we are having a GIRL!!!!