“Chase After the Dream”

“…And know we got each other, that’s what’s up.  ‘Cause you can’t keep the ground from shaking, no matter how hard you try.  You can’t keep the sunsets from fading.  You gotta treat your life like you’re jumping off a rope swing, baby, ’cause the whole thing’s really just a shot in the dark.  You gotta love like there’s no such thing as a broken heart.”    -Old Dominion, No Such Thing As A Broken Heart.

Well I suppose it is time for an update!  April has been a great month so far!  For starters, it’s raining right now!!!

Rain is a good thing!  King Farms, which includes my dear husband, Will, has been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY planting corn, soybeans and rice.  Planting Season 2017 has definitely started!  Really it started several weeks ago- which also means they are going full speed.  So far things have really been going smoothly and they are right on track with where they want to be- however, a good rain is something they were most certainly waiting on, and here it is!  I truly have a love-hate relationship with rain- as it means Will gets some much needed time off, and I get to see him, but I sure did hate it when I had to drive for Sysco, and even now during the week-since it means I can’t take my little class outside to play!

Last week my sister had a birthday on April 12 and Friday, the 14th was Will’s 29th birthday!!!  Now, I whole-heartedly believe in BIRTHDAY WEEK, so every day from Sunday thru Saturday, Will got a little treat each day for Birthday Week!  The theme I picked, for the most part, was new running accessories- new shorts, a sweat band, and compression things for his calves.  In case you haven’t noticed- Will and I have both run and have run in races before, but Will has really been keeping up with it and actually ran two marathons while he was 28!  His other little goodies included a card, Reese’s eggs, and of course he had to get a “daddy gift” from me and the baby!

I REALLY wish I could have found the outfit on the right with ducks on it, because Will is much more of a duck hunter- oh well!

For his birthday dinner, Will has been dying to go back to a restaurant in Clarksdale, Mississippi we found maybe last year?  It’s called Ramon’s, and is such a little hole-in-the-wall, but has some of the best fried shrimp! The onion rings are also pretty incredible!  It was a great night out!

 

As for baby updates, April 7th was our most recent visit with the doctor!  This was our big anatomy appointment.  The anatomy appointment usually takes place around the 20th week of pregnancy/midway.  Our sweet baby is still a sweet little girl!  She and I both seem to be doing just fine!  Her birthday is still measuring to fall within the dates of August 21-August 25!  My Dad’s birthday is August 22, so I’m placing my bet for that day!  She weighed roughly 13oz at that appointment and looked healthy!  Our ultrasound tech, Kelly, gave us many pictures to take home, and we love her for that!  Some of our favorites include:

It’s amazing to see her so clearly already!  Her little features are already so distinct.  (I was 20 weeks, 4 days at this appointment.)

Some more of our favorites:

The picture on the left is not her hand near her nose- that would be her foot!  Her hand is what you see directly below it, holding her leg way up there!  She likes to stay pretty balled up.  The picture on the top right is obviously her profile, and the bottom right shows both of her feet, both of her hands, and her head!  Needless say, we are still incredibly excited and thankful to have made it this far.  Each day gets a little easier to stay more and more positive, and I try to really focus on that feeling as much as possible. As of today (22 weeks exactly), I have gained back what I lost, and am also up an additional 4.3lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight- so she is most certainly growing and so am I!  I’m pretty sure a good chunk of this weight has gone STRAIGHT to my tummy!  My little class at school seems so amazed by the fact there is a baby in my belly and they LOVE to hug me (which is a-okay by me- Will and my Mom both know I’m a hugger too!)  I’m also fairly certain all this weight has gone to my belly because I’m pretty sure my belly button is not far from wanting to become out “outie” instead of an “innie”- that’s going to be a little strange!

Some of the best quotes I have gotten from kids at school:

“Mrs. Amy, how do you get your shirt on with a baby in there?”

“Mrs. Amy, can we see your baby?  Why can’t we see her yet?  Do you get to see her?” (Because they have asked so much, I did take a picture to show them- and one child said “Oh, that’s just so sweet!”  Made my heart so happy!)

“Mrs. Amy, good thing it’s not a boy- they make you gain weight!”

“Mrs. Amy, I think God put a baby in your belly!”  (If only they truly knew how much I have prayed about this baby- this one made me tear up a little the first time I heard it!)

As for names- we have not completely decided on one yet, but hopefully will soon!!

However, she is going to be a farm girl- so when we got the second confirmation at this last appointment that she was still a girl, we decided she needed a pair of overalls for the farm dates she and I will take to see Will on the farm…. (Of course, coordinating hair bows were a necessity!)

Last, but not least, one of my most favorite, and most meaningful outfits we have found:

Yes, I realize we will probably get a million different outfits, accessories and more for this sweet little girl, and most people tell you not to buy these things because of that, but that’s okay with me- I’ll just dress her up in all of it.  I have waited a LONG time to be able to pick out things like this, and have walked past these sections in stores hoping I would one day get the chance to buy something for my baby girl or boy, and now that I do, I’m buying these things- it’s one of the most fun things to pick out for a baby, (for me at least) so I’m buying the outfits that I just really love!  Plus, there is a never ending selection of clothes and bows that I most certainly haven’t bought, and would still be incredibly happy, excited, and thankful to get!  The more, the merrier! =)

I suppose that’s all for the update now!  Have a wonderful night!  Will is home early thanks to this rain, so we will be watching a movie and having an early dinner!