26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks! 3 more months!

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs

Maternity clothes: Have still only bought one pair of jeans for myself. Wearing a few hand-me-downs!

Stretch marks? None

Sleep? Still sleeping pretty good! I haven't had to wake up during the night to pee...once...the whole time I've been pregnant...crazy, I know!

Miss Anything? Not having to watch my sugar!

Movement: Hence, the picture!

Food cravings? Stuff I can't have

Anything making you sick or queasy? Nope

Gender: Girl

Symptoms: Ribs, headaches are back, can't make it through one worship song without feeling DEAD!

Labor signs? No!

Belly button in or out? Flat as a pancake!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy this week :)

Worst moment this week: Being paranoid to take my glucose test tomorrow :-/

Best moment this week: We had a student raising money for his Jamaica missions trip take our maternity pics...I will share those soon! Thanks, Parks :)

Looking forward to: Eating every single thing at Thanksgiving. Judge me hard.

Baby info: She's now the size of an eggplant! She's soaking up antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes! (hopefully inheriting from her daddy!)

Wage War wk 3

I have loved this series at Pursuit! It ranks pretty high up there on my favorites list! It's been all about practical reasons to live in Victory over sin and satan. Last night, Hux taught on the significance of the mind and how our thoughts dictate everything! Satan cannot have our hearts so he tries to control our minds! Here's a catch-up if you missed it.

We've also been taking questions from students during this series and been answering them before the message. Last night, we answered. "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Here was the answer:

http://www.truthproject.cc/videos/if-god-exists-why-do-bad-things-happen

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

• We can have victory if we think right!
• Your mind is not a trash can. Don't let people throw garbage in it. What goes in WILL come out!
• What you think determines how you feel which determines how you act! 
• We are so focused on the size of our problems that we lose sight of the size of our God!
• God wants our minds to be fixated on things that matter, and PEOPLE matter!

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

• Change occurs when we take control of our thoughts!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8

• Pure thinking leads to pure living!
• When you a sew a thought, you reap an action. When you sew a habit, you'll reap a destiny.  

"You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

 Last night, Pursuit saw 175 students, 9 new guests, and 1 rededication!! Celebrate!

25 weeks

Excuse the weird lighting and rough appearance. It was a long weekend!! Haha!

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs. {insert the "deer-in-headlights" look}

Maternity clothes: A few... I'll need a few more just basic tanks 'n such!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Sleeping good lately!

Miss Anything? Feeling normal and not caring what I eat

Movement: Yes. She doesn't like me to fall asleep easily.

Food cravings? Just the things I can't have. Haha!

Anything making you sick or queasy? No

Gender: girl :)

Symptoms: Still just achy! 

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? How about just "weird". 

Wedding rings on or off? On. Hopefully they'll stay there!

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Worst moment this week: Just feeling out of breath all the time and feeling like I can't do the things I want for being tired!

Best moment this week: My sis is a Mrs!!

Looking forward to: Putting up Christmas decorations...yes, I'm one of "those"! They're going up 

soon!

Baby info: Brooklynn measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pound. She's enjoying her new sense of equilibrium (at the expense of mine. I can't stay on my feet...haha) She now knows which way is up and which is down. She's growing more fat and hair (which, if she's anything like her parents, she will be quite hairy)

Wage War

Last week we began a new series at Pursuit, Wage War. This series is all about how to declare war against satan and sin and live our lives in victory! Last week was also busy so I wasn't able to post so I'll combine weeks 1 & 2 today :)

We kicked off week 1 discussing WHO we need to wage war against -- being satan. He's real but he isn't all-powerful, all-knowing, or everyone at once. 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." 

Ephesians 6:12

• Christianity isn't a playground -- it's a battleground! 
• You're either on God's team or on satan's team. You can't play both teams. It's one or the other!
• We can be overtaken by temptation because we flirt too often with the enemy!
• God doesn't send anyone to hell. We send ourselves there!
• If God loves you, the enemy hates you.
• Satan HAS to have permission from God for everything he does!
• The enemy lost when Jesus rose from the grave!!
• If you're lost, satan will try everything to keep you that way!
• God has given us the ultimate authority over satan! ("I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." Luke 10:19)
• Heaven isn't for people that are scared of hell -- it's for people who LOVE JESUS!

Last week we saw 182 students, 17 new guests, & 3 REDEDICATIONS!

Week 2 we were challenged to not only dress our outsides but our insides! It's more important to dress our hearts (spiritually) before leaving the house every day than worrying so much about our outward appearances!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Ephesians 6:10-13

• We set ourselves up for defeat when God & I don't meet!
• God's word is for direction AND protection.
• If we want to walk in victory, we have to spend time with the one who won the victory!
• God's more interested in WHO you're becoming than what you look like.
• Some of us dress our outsides but never dress our insides. Dress your heart!
• We have to combat the devil's LIES with God's TRUTHS (Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7)
• God's word (the sword) wasn't meant to cut people down, but set people free!
• It's hard to stand before men without first kneeling before God.
• When you're inconsistent, He will seem distant.
• The enemy likes to make strong men weak. God likes to make weak men strong!
• It's not the amount of our strength, but the source of our strength that makes a difference! We can't battle satan in our own strength but only in God's strength!
• If the enemy doesn't take a day off...why would we?
• We can't go to war without our battle equipment or our armor!

Last night We saw 197 students, 18 new guests, & 1 SALVATION! Celebrate!

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks...16 more!

Total weight gain/loss: I don't know... 10 + the Zaxby's meal I just had

Maternity clothes: Just a few

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep? So-so

Miss Anything? Not having to watch what I eat! :-/

Movement: The whole rolling thing makes me queasy! I might as well get on a roller coaster!

Food cravings? This week I've been a grilled cheese/pizza gal

Anything making you sick or queasy? No

Gender: Girl :)

Symptoms: Let's just say lying on the floor is so much more comfortable than sitting on the couch. What the heck. Sciatic nerve and rib drama.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still hanging in there

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Worst moment this week: Just the aches and shooting pains everywhere!

Best moment this week: I finally got off my rear and registered for this little one. I figured she may need some things ;) Thanks Casey & Ginny... I'd have been totally l-o-s-t without ya'll! We also bought the crib and put it together...it only took three attempts but since it was Saturday and we were determined to put it together in front of the football games, we failed to realize it wouldn't fit through the bedroom door. So, on the fourth try, we got it in the bedroom! #rookieparents

Looking forward to: My sister's getting married SATURDAY!

Baby info: She's the size of a cantaloupe. Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque and it's got a new pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed. Now is the time to where IF she were to be born now she COULD survive (but we're praying she'll stay in there for now!)

23 weeks down!

Get used to seeing this chalkboard in different areas of the room. There's no telling where it'll end up! Right now, there's stuff everywhere! Haha!

How far along? 23 weeks down 17 to go!

Total weight gain/loss: IDK 10+ maybe

Maternity clothes: A few here and there

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep? Sleeping pretty good once I find a position to sleep in!

Miss Anything? Being able to breathe

Movement: She's crazy :-O

Food cravings? No "cravings" really but lately I love the BBQ or soup n' sandwiches. 

Anything making you sick or queasy? Those halloween costumes with the baby coming out of the stomach...puke city.

Gender: Girl

Symptoms: Really achy ribs, short of breath, heart.burn, and a few headaches this week

Labor signs? No though I did have an awful sharp cramp that about sent me spinning this week...but it went away pretty fast.

Belly button in or out? It wants out, haha!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy but too much drama to deal with lately. Welcome to student ministry! Drama + Pregnant girl = no bueno

Worst moment this week: ^^

Best moment this week: Getting stuff together for my sister's WEDDING in two weeks! 

Looking forward to: Getting away for the wedding & Filling up the nursery!

Baby info: She's the size of a grapefruit and is forming nipples, yeah...nipples. Her face is fully formed just needs some fat. She can hear loud noises (like the dogs barking outside our apartment at 3am. I'm telling you, people, Brooklynn ain't happy and neither is this Mama.

Fall Lusting

I'm going to do a two-parter here when it comes to things I'm lusting over for Fall and then things I'm lusting over for baby girl. You can say there's going to be a lot of sinning going on here. Haha. Since baby girl isn't here yet, I might as well put myself first while I can. Haha, that sounded bad. Anywho, here are the things I'm lusting over for this season!

1. Vests & Booties: I'm thinking that being pregnant is going to clearly work in my advantage this year. Normally, I'm always cold. My husband calls me "cold-blooded". Obviously, I'm not so cold this year {yet} so I'm thinking more times than not I'll just throw on a vest as opposed to my eskimo coat to go out. One perk of pregnancy. I also am determined to dress cute while I have the energy to do so, so booties will keep my feet warmer than flats and they'll give this short girl some height because though pumpkins are cute around the house, they're not so cute to look like. 

2&3. Plaid: I hope plaid never goes out of style. It's a go-to. I'm completely loving the way that you can mix & match plaid with other textures and patterns. It adds a more casual feel to a more dressy piece. And this girl ain't dressy. Which leads to the next one...

4. Casual comfy: If I had to describe my style it would be "laid back yet put together". Chunky sweaters with a cute graphic tee and a statement necklace is my deal. I basically live in leggings and baggy sweaters anyways. I try to get away with it during the Summer time around the house, too,  though it doesn't always work out. 

5. Harem pants: Though I don't own a pair of these, my mom does and they're so cute. It goes along with my laid back yet put together style. I'm not sure how a pregnant girl would rock these, but I'm tempted to try. To balance out the baggy pants, just add a fitted top, some booties with a heel, and you're good!

6&7. Light makeup and a bold nail/lip: Sorry Kardashians, but this year's Fashion Week set the stage for a clean face and eye added with a bold lip. Though I'm a hardcore mascara girl at heart, this would guarantee a faster getting ready approach to your day!

8. Nails: Nails have strayed away from being trendy. What I mean is; anything goes in the Fall. If you want a bright metallic pink nail or a matte black nail, it's okay to go for it! 

As far as home trends go: burlap, lanterns, pumpkins...basically, cozy.

Happy Fall Ya'll,