Baby Countdown

We are officially in the double-digits people.

And baby is growing like crazy.  You see that Pilot Butte mound in front of my face?  That's my belly.  Sometimes I pathetically waddle through the house and Mitchell stops what he's doing, looks down at the bell, chuckles to himself, and walks away.  

I'm also starting to have issues with my work outfits too.  Luckily, I wear an apron all day so no one can see my undershirt popping out beneath my buttons.  One of the bussers I work with points out to me every time we work together, 

"Oh Yessica... Mucho, MUCHO gorda Yessica."

Thank you, Lupe.  I love you too.

To keep myself from getting anxious about labor and delivery I've begun compiling a list of different ideas/scenarios to think about during the contractions.  Who knows, I might be in too much pain to actually concentrate on a single thought, but with sports and stuff growing up it was always more a psychological thing than a physical thing for me.

"MY CONTRACTION HAPPY PLACES"

1.  Imagine you're a war hero P.O.W. being tortured and you won't give up your secrets.  'Merica.
2.  Imagine eating Pizza Mondo at the beach with a wombat
3. If you do this, you will win $1,000,000!!
4. Nine months of pregnancy over!  No more feeling like a whale!
5. Imagine transferring this pain to someone you really don't like. 
6. Baby cuddles!  So many cuddles coming up!
7. Cruciatus curse from Harry Potter.  "CRUCIO!"  ... Get that wand outta ma' face!
8. One more down, 314 contractions to go (give or take).
9. Remember that I was once sitting on the bed in my PJs relaxing and writing this list down without any pain or contractions... Be in that moment.

Just to name a few... I have about 100 of these thoughts written down.

Also, I chopped off my hair.  Driving 45 minutes in the car while pregnant with no A.C. makes a person do things.

And lastly, does anyone else who is or has ever been pregnant find themselves with the itching urge to color on their stomachs?  I just can't help myself.  The beautiful, fresh, round canvas claws at my imagination and demands to be heard!

I am so excited for this little guy.  I could go through all the emotions I am constantly experiencing thinking about him coming into our lives, but more than anything there is just this overwhelming feeling of love.  I don't know how God is able to program us like this, where we would automatically do anything for this tiny spirit that we haven't even met yet.  I can not wait to finally meet little Trekker.  It is going to be such an amazing adventure.  Ninety-nine days to go...

So Close To Half Way Done

I don't want to drive people nuts with my baby crazies, so I'm trying to limit my preggo posts to special occasions.  Special occasions like, oh, I don't know, maybe my HALF WAY MARK!!!

The reality truly set in when I finally figured the math . . . One week from tomorrow I will officially be 20 weeks along.  I find myself constantly researching the Googles in desperate need of ways to contain my excitement for Beh-beh Bee.  I have found that my favorite thing to do is read about other expecting mothers in the same giddy boat as me so we can cyber giggle and "LoL" together about the new transition slowly making its grand entrance into our lives.

With that in mind, this entry is about all my highlights over the past four and a half months.

I have LOVED every second of pregnancy so far, I confess, to a very creepy level.  It's probably abnormal to be grinning from ear to ear while you're hovering over the toilet because of morning sickness.  But every upchucked Cheerio has reminded me that this is really happening and that I finally get to have this baby.

The spicy and salty cravings have been unstoppable.  I eat like a hobbit now.  There's second breakfast and elevensies, first dinner and another supper later in the evening.  I think it makes Mitchell uncomfortable.  

The other day he was singing LOVE SHACK and changed the lyrics to something he found to be more appropriate.  

"I've got me a Chrysler, it's as big as a whale, and its name is my wife..."

Thanks sweetheart.

January              February              March              April

Most people liken their baby to the size to a fruit or a vegetable.  I have found it's a little more interesting to compare it to something it could fight with fair odds of winning, like a lady bug or a Lego.  Right now I would probably put my money on a successful TKO against a newborn guinea pig.  

At least the alien baby phase is over and it's starting to look more human.  This was from about 10 weeks ago...

The flutters are getting stronger.  It feels like a carousel spinning round and round in my stomach or random pieces of popping popcorn.  I have noticed that baby is most active when I'm at work, walking back and forth, or when I'm playing the piano.  And that makes me SO HAPPY.  We may have a music lover!

To sum everything up, this has been such a wonderful adventure.  Today I'm going in for an appointment and I'm trying to brainstorm how to bribe the doctor into letting us find out the gender a week early.  I've narrowed it down to Krispy Kreme Donuts or homemade cookies.  Cross your fingers she can be swayed easily, because these old wives' tales are just NOT CUTTING IT for me.

A video posted by Jesse Blackburn (@jessebee53) on Apr 30, 2015 at 1:18pm PDT

Happy Birthday Mitchell

This year, in celebration of the husband's birth, I posted every hour to Facebook a glorious image of Mitchell accompanied by a personal quote I've recorded from him over the past 6 1/2 years. Please enjoy!

"You can learn a lot from a Mitchell."

(HALF ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT)

"Would you shut that heater off? I'm over here sweatin' like a space pig."

"How do I turn your face off?"

"Well, heck.  I lied to get a new Lego set.  What are you gonna do about it?!"

"On a scale of one to REALLY FAT, how would you rate yourself?"

"Wouldn't it be fun to release 100 pigmy goats in here right now?"
(Whispered to me from the back row of stake conference in the church building)

PHONE CONVERSATION:
Jesse: "Hi Sweetie!"
Mitch: "Well, hello there... Ha heh heh heh!"
Jesse: "... You have a mustache, don't you?"
Mitch: "Guilty."

"Honey, you're about as helpful as a monkey with a permanent marker."

(HALF ASLEEP)
"Just so you're aware, the right side of my robot has missile launchers... and they do work."

"Go to bed, Bartok... You ugly, little bat."

"Don't worry, we'll have cute babies, babe. Hopefully they don't have your moose face though."

... Just love that guy

How Can I Prepare To Establish A Christlike Home?

Get this week's lesson here.

• Divide the class into groups, and divide Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk “For Peace at Home” among the groups. Ask the groups to study their sections of the talk, looking for descriptions or characteristics of a Christ-centered home. Invite them to share what they find by drawing pictures of what a Christ-centered home is like. What can the young women do to help their homes be more Christ-centered now? How can they prepare to establish Christ-centered homes in the future?

Here's a simple outline of a home I made for the girls to draw their pictures.  Download a copy here.

For my visual aid I had a framed picture of Joseph Franklin Brickley's "They Did Not Doubt" and shared the story of the stripling warriors.

https://history.lds.org/media/ac-2009-02-076-wca0179?lang=eng#1

The Book of Mormon offers important lessons to families.  The account of the stripling warriors demonstrates the power of faith as it is passed from parent to child:  "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; . . yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God wold deliver them' (Alma 56:47).  This painting depicts a mother with her two stripling warrior sons, bidding them farewell as they leave to fight for the liberty of their people.  It represents the moment when every child must leave home and face the challenges of life.

I tried to emphasize to the girls that when they become mothers, Heavenly Father will one day be putting special spirits into their hands and trusting them to nurture their children physically as well as spiritually.  What an honor it will be to be given that trust to raise them carefully in a spiritual atmosphere.

Let Your Light So Shine

High fives for awesome mutual activities!  We had a blast with the young women!  The theme for the night was about letting the light of Christ inside of you shine for others to see.

Each girl took a turn standing still outside in the darkness while my hubby ran around them with a lit sparkler to get these pictures.  He ended up doing A LOT of running around.  Thanks sweetie!  You are the best!  Sorry if you're sore now.

Each young woman is so beautiful and their light shines outwardly.  I know it.  I know the people around them recognize that light everyday.  And I encourage us all to seek out that light and let it shine.