learning thankfulness

These past few weeks I feel like God has been teaching me a lot about contentment. I was so thankful to have the spring break week to be able to get the apartment ready for baby Juan's arrival. However, the next week when everything was done and ready I was completely restless. That combined with new pregnancy symptoms since Juan dropped (such as swollen feet pictured below) caused me to really want to be done with pregnancy. Each day for about a week was such a battle for joy. Many days I cried (the pregnancy hormones returned) and I had to choose to be thankful for little things. However, since last Thursday I have felt much different. God has been helping me to really enjoy each day. A friend at church on Sunday, reminded me to cherish each day I wake up and remember that I got to sleep through the night. I am thankful that God is patient with me to have a good attitude and helping me to see all that I have to be thankful for. Yesterday I got to go on a walk with Jon and was so excited to be out in the warm weather and enjoy a walk with my husband, maybe one of the last ones alone for a while. Speaking of Jon, we finally got some pictures together.... here they are.

Jon really likes this one...

I think I am going to regret having this picture in here... but here are the swollen feet.

is it nesting if its planned?

So, in baby class we learned that one of the signs of labor coming soon is that the mom goes into hyper-active mode and starts cleaning everything and getting ready for the baby to come. This past week while the Grand View students were on spring break I organized ALL of the baby stuff and reorganized our apartment to make room for everything. Jon says it doesn't count as nesting because I have been planning this week for a month or two... I guess we will see soon.

Here is our version of a nursery - the pack and play.

I decided to try out sewing and went to Carla's parents house to use their sewing machine. Carla and I had fun trying to sew and use the machine. We were able to make a few burp cloths. Here's one. I was so excited to actually be able to make something. Thanks Carla for letting me use the machine!

I had to throw this picture in the blog somewhere because I love it so much! Allie decided to put a basketball underneath my maternity sweatshirt - its perfect because the belly's almost look exactly the same! Love you Allie!

des moines baby shower

A few weeks ago the girls in Des Moines hosted a baby shower for baby Juan. I was so thankful to have the support of everyone from church show up. The Grand View girls also made me feel so excited for how loved our son will be. I can't express how wonderful it is to know that Juan is going to have so many people surrounding him as he grows up and "showering" him with God's love.

The set-up from the shower was awesome... I was most impressed with the cupcakes that the VanderSchel women made. Here's a picture of them.

Just as I was thankful for the church family, Jon, Juan and I were blessed by our family that weekend. Sandy and my daddy came up from KC on Saturday and Grandma Maurer and Jon's mama came down from Minnesota Saturday and Sunday. We loved seeing them all! Anne was going to come down too but plans changed and she couldn't because she had to work. We missed seeing her but were glad that she wanted too! Then yesterday, my family surprised me again and we got to see my mama, Mandy, Sandy and Tyler for the day. We really loved getting to see them! Then props to Mandy - they drove home during the random snowfall and it took them 7 hours to get home!

While Jon's family was here they surprised us by taking us out to get a rocker recliner to have for little Juan! We love it and couldn't be more thankful for their generosity. Here is a picture of Jon enjoying the new lazyboy.

being pregnant during an (almost) record breaking des moines winter

Since the beginning of the pregnancy adventure I have heard from people time and time again, how lucky I am to be pregnant during the winter and not the summer. At first, I agreed. Little did we know that this winter would be the winter of all winters and that we would have at least four inches of snow on the ground from the beginning of december until the first week of march. So, as I waddled and baby stepped around snow and ice for three months I began to think that it would be far better to be pregnant in the summer. I dreamed of flowing skirts instead of constrained pants, of flip flops instead of struggling to put on snow boots five times a day, of being able to take walks outside to exercise instead of looking like a dork in the wellness center doing laps around the shortest track ever... but then the first week of march hit and the snow began to melt, the sun began to shine and it was 35 degrees (the first time since winter began)! I had to laugh at myself as I was driving around with my windows cracked because I was too hot in my car because of the sun and the "nice" weather. After a few nights of having difficulty falling asleep because I was too hot because it was now in the thirties I realized that maybe all along everyone was right. I have been pretty lucky to be pregnant in the winter, even a Des Moines winter.

On a side note... not everything in Des Moines has fared well during the winter. During the first week of March when everything was melting and we all began to rejoice because Spring was getting close, the garage at the house that my parents rent out to Grand View students collapsed! Here is a picture of Natalie showing off the damage of the winter.

pictures!

This is at the baby shower in Kansas City that my cousin Lisa and Aunt Loretta had for me. I am so thankful for all of the great gifts we got! I keep getting amazed at how family and friends surround you during such a big time in your life to help you get started.

My little sister Sandy made this quilt - I am so impressed! I am sure Juan is going to love it. Mandy also got Juan a great gift, a Kansas Jayhawks sweatshirt and football jersey! Juan is going to be decked out between all of the Jayhawks, Vikings, Twins and Gophers apparel!

My friend Rachel and I! Rachey and I have been good friends since high school and we have gotten to enjoy being pregnant at the same time! She is due early this month! Good luck Rachey, I love you!