Lamaze, Hurt Heart and Counting Baby Kicks . . .

Corey and I started Lamaze this week. I haven’t quite figured out what I think about it, except we seem to be the oldest in the class – BIG SURPRISE! My doula, Heidi, just finished taking her childbirth education classes and is helping with our group, so that is fun to have her in there. From what I can tell after just the first night is that this is the first baby for all of the other mom’s in the class and two of the other dad’s seem to have other children. It makes for some very interesting questions! These are questions I probably had 22 years ago, but don’t remember wondering about today. One thing I did pick up on is that every other couple in our class has an innocence about them that I wish I could get back. They all seem so busy getting ready for their babies, buying things, decorating rooms, making plans . . . and I feel like I’m stuck in limbo. Waiting for 27 weeks to come and go. Wondering if I will even feel ready after that. Hoping that this feeling of panic will stop that comes over me every time I don’t feel them move for a couple hours. Wishing I could be hooked up to an ultrasound machine 24/7. But, we plug away. Day after day we get closer to November. Day after day we rely on God for our strength. And day after day Corey and I have each other.

 This week my heart has gotten hurt. I’m not going in to details, but if you could pray for me, my attitude and my convictions and standing up for the truth and what I believe to be right. I’d really appreciate it.

 Kick counting is something totally new to me. They didn’t have such a thing when I was pregnant with Justen and Taylor (at least that I had heard of), and typically it starts around week 28 of pregnancy, so I didn’t even get a chance to do it with Calleigh either. BUT, I am much more informed this time, reading everything I can get my hands on and soaking up any information I can to ensure that these two precious little ones come in to this world crying and breathing. So, kick counting it is. Like I said, it typically starts at 28 weeks, but being the over-protective momma that I’ve been lately we started a bit early. We are currently at 23 ½ weeks, so I do keep in mind that their kicking habits have not totally become predictable enough, but I have noticed enough of a pattern in the post week or so to start. Brayden always kicks me down low every morning after breakfast. I just sit at my desk and feel him. (Well, I work at the same time!) Payzleigh consistently kicks me up high in the middle of the night, especially when I lay on my right side trying to find a comfortable position. If I lay just far enough on her head she’ll squirm around until I back up a bit. BOTH of them kick the left middle part of my tummy at the same time every evening. All four of their feet are right there together, so when they get each other going it’s like Indian leg wrestling going on inside of me. I do feel them at other times during the day, but these are just a couple of patterns I’ve figured out lately!


 Here are my pictures from my doctor’s appointment last week on July 25th, my next one is not until August 15th! At this appointment Brayden is weighing 1 lb. exactly, and Payzleigh is weighing 1 lb. 1 oz., so they pretty much doubled in a month since my last appointment! They are both growing and gaining perfectly, and it was so much fun to see their personalities on the screen again!

Love and Peace to All!