growing...

Happy Monday :o) I have been slacking on my belly shots, eek. Been very overwhelmed recently, this growing a baby is hard work! But very rewarding :o) Baby Maverick and I were showered with love last week in Atlanta, which I will indulge more about in my next post. It was a fabulous time and I was spoiled to be surrounded by many of my favorite people, a huge thanks to Ashley & Lindsey for throwing such an incredible event!

24 weeks~ pardon the frontal shot!

tubing down the Gunpowder River

25 weeks

26 weeks!

How Far Along?: 26 weeks

Total Weight Gain: I weighed 141 at my appointment last Monday, so minus my clothes, probably around 15 pounds

Any Baby Preparations? Thanks to the graciousness of my family and friends, Mav has soo many adorable goodies & necessities from the baby shower :o) I can't wait to get everything organized in his nursery! Matt & I ordered his stroller and infant car seat today, so with diapers and his little bassinet (portable Fisher Price Rock N Play, lol), we have the bases covered in case he comes early. My mind is at ease!

Clothing Situation: Empire waist dresses and workout clothes, or flowy shirts with my fitted maternity capris and shorts. 

Any Appointments? I had my delayed 24 week appointment last week, and won't go back again until July 16th. I do however have to go and drink the yummy sugary stuff and get my blood drawn to check for gestational diabetes  on Wednesday, I am dragging Matt with me, haha.

Bodily Changes: Little man is active! And belly is growing bigger each day. Its getting harder to lean over and do simple things, like cleaning/feeding cats/etc.

Sleep: It varies, some nights I will sleep so hard, and others I feel like I get up every hour to pee. Taking the good with the bad!

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Seeing my friends in Atlanta :o) And having 2 off days with Matt. It also melts my heart when Omaha or Ducky lie on my belly. They make bread of Maverick and it cracks me up!

Movement: At night when I lay down I swear he does cartwheels. But during the day while I am moving I think I have become accustomed to his stirrings, so I don't notice them as much

Food Cravings: Nothing really crazy still. I do indulge in sparkling water everyday :o)

Anything Making You Queasy? Brushing my tongue makes me gag, lol

Gender: BOY!!!

Mood: Tired. Overwhelmed. Emotional. Remaining positive but the littlest things push me over the edge.

Looking forward to: Resting this week and the west coast trip next week!

A Legacy

I have been prolonging this post since I returned from my trip, mulling over the perfect words to capture a woman of such beauty and integrity, grace and love. This incredible woman was my grandma :o) And yet all along I had found just the way to describe her, remember her, and honor her...and I'm thankful that they are not my own words. They are far greater, and have stood as a legacy for all women to strive for throughout the test of time. My grandma was, and always will be, the Proverbs 31 woman.

A wife of noble character who can find? 
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value. 
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands. 
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy. 
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I can't tell you how many times I have read this chapter and studied this strong woman depicted in the bible. During the past week, this is what came to my mind as we celebrated her life, her essence, and her legacy. And what a ride she had :o) Maija was a woman that just exuded beauty and love, everyone around her couldn't help but be charmed by her accent, her demeanor, her jewels(!), and her genuine zest for life. She was a lover of all things wonderful...the arts, music, flowers, books, vibrant colors, fragrances, food, entertaining, traveling, shopping, her beloved family, friends, and pets. She was a creator, a lover, a chef, a fabulous hostess, an artist, a mother, a grandmother, aunt, a giver, and most importantly, a woman of God. Her faith was as strong as an ox, and carried her through the difficult times in her life that led her to be a woman of such beauty and strength. This is what emanated the most when you encountered her. Her love and trust in Him. And it was Him who carried her home. 

My grandma lived one of the most rich and full lives that could have been lived. And that is what we celebrated. Yes, the pain was there and it stung to think that we did not have her beauty and grace to surround us anymore. To lead us to be the best versions of ourselves. Her presence was heavily missed as we talked, laughed, cried, and held each other in her stunning home. Her home that resonates her beauty and love for life, each picture, painting, and artifact telling a story of her and my grandpa's journey. We were all comforted by Him in knowing that she was safe, she was no longer in pain, she was no longer suffering. She was so ready to go be with her precious Father, and we were so thankful to know that she went swiftly and in her own private, selfless way. When I got the call from my mom that she had gone to heaven, I literally breathed a sigh of relief. And I say that with the relief and peace that only God can bring in losing a loved one. After battling ALS for over a year, she was ready. And to say that she battled is an understatement. Although you are never truly ready to let go of someone that you love so dearly, we all knew that it was God's perfect timing. We had prayed for that perfect timing during the last few days. And He answered and continues to answer so many of our cries.

 

I miss her so much. It hurts to think about so I try not to. But I will never be able to look at something beautiful without thinking of her, so I better get used to it :o) There are so many things I could say, so many memories I could revisit, but this post would go on endlessly. I know she is shaking her finger at me right now as I tear up! She was always so strong. I'm sad that Maverick will not be able to meet her. But I am so thankful and fortunate for the time that we spent together, because every moment was beautifully orchestrated and perfectly special. 

I hope and pray that I can be half the woman that she was, and share in her rock solid faith. Throughout the pain, I am comforted in a way that can only be described as God's amazing grace. He is so faithful. Please pray for those who have loved and miss her dearly to continue to be comforted and covered with His peace. She is smiling down on us, and loving every second of being in heaven :o) I love you, Grandma. You live on in every good and perfect gift from above. 

give me strength to trust You more

Bless the lord oh my soul Oh my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before Oh my soul
I worship you holy name

The sun comes up Its a new day dawning
Its time to sing your song again
What ever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the lord oh my soul Oh my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before Oh my soul
I worship your holy name

You're rich in love and you're slow to anger
Your name is great and your heart is kind
For all your goodness i will keep on singing
10,000 reasons for my heart to find

Bless the lord oh my soul Oh my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before Oh my soul
I worship your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Soon my soul will sing your praise un-ending
10,000 years and there forever more

Bless the lord oh my soul Oh my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before Oh my soul
I worship your holy name Sing like never before
Oh my soul I worship your holy name

~10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman

heavy heart

I am trying to distract myself from life's realities so here I go on this week's catch-up review :o)

22 weeks

23 weeks on Siesta Beach :o)

I am officially 24 weeks as of yesterday, which means we only have 3 months left until we meet our little angel :D I will definitely do a 24 week post this weekend at some point and take a picture amidst all of the fun we have coming up over the next few days.

We had a fabulous trip to Tampa/St. Pete/Sarasota, and I even got to sneak in a quick stop to Atlanta while returning north. I flew into Tampa last Thursday morning and picked Matt up at the hotel to head down to our house, which we hadn't seen since March. It was wonderful to be "home" and it was beautifully clean thanks to my mom who had visited a few weeks prior and done a scrub down (since Matt was the last one to leave, lol). We went to the beach in the late afternoon and even though it was overcast, we still had a great time. We topped off the day with dinner at the Lobster Pot and a visit over to our incredible neighbors to say hi. It was great to sleep in our own bed even though it felt very lonely at the house without the furbabies!

Friday, we headed back up to St. Pete and it turned out to be a rainy, lazy day. But this was perfect to catch up on emails and rebook my flight back to Baltimore since I had gotten word from my precious Lindsey that she had been selected to be on Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids, and we would be shooting on Tuesday. It ended up working perfectly because I was able to fly into Atlanta on Monday night and just delay my trip home by a day. I was very excited to be able to see my girlfriends on such short notice! That night I went to the game with my family, and we it was so wonderful to see them. I hadn't seen my dad since mid-March, we shared a huge helmet of nachos to make up for lost time, lol.

The weekend was gorgeous, and I was able to get some pool time at the Vinoy pool, which is one of my favorite places to be. Since it was a day game on Saturday we were able to get dinner with my family which was a special treat. I got my hair done on Sunday (I'm blond again!...it was 2 months overdue, lol) and then I picked Matt up at the Trop to again head down to Sarasota since he had another off day on Monday (we were spoiled this trip!) We had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Madfish Grill, and relaxed at home on the couch with a movie. Monday we went to brunch at another fave, Sun Garden on Siesta Key, and relaxed on the beach for an hour before heading back home. Then it was time to head back up to Tampa to catch our night flights. It was a crazy-traveling weekend but well worth it!

I made it safely to Atlanta and my Lil P was able to pick me up at the airport :o) I crashed at Ashley & David's and we woke up bright and early to a home made breakfast by Chef Duncan! It was just what we needed for the long day ahead. We got to Bridals by Lori by 7:45 and it was so wonderful to see all of the girls :o) We had a blast during the day picking out a dress, with lots of laughter and fun memories. I had not seen Ashley or Lindsey since our New Years party, so seeing them was amazing. I am continuously in awe by my witty, intelligent, loving friends! It was too quick of a trip and I flew back to Baltimore that night and was welcomed by Omaha & Ducky at the door. Thankfully I get to return next weekend for my first baby shower, which is a whole other post of love and gratitude!

All of Lindsey's beautiful maids :o)

Wednesday, I picked up Millie bright and early at boarding and I was so excited to see my little girl. She is like a wiggle worm when I pick her up, haha. She was searching high and low for Matt when we got home, its always very hard on her with long roadtrips. This one was 12 days and she was more than ready to give him some puppy loving! I was able to volunteer that afternoon at the Maryland Food Bank with other O's wives and staff, which is always a humbling, rewarding experience. I spent yesterday cleaning, grocery shopping, working out, purging the email box and preparing for Matt to get home last night. 3 am arrivals are no fun, but we had a great morning and it is so wonderful for him to be home again.

This weekend is the Orioles Food Drive, so I will be heading off to work the opening gates tonight asking for donations/perishable goods, yippee! We have lots of wonderful friends coming in town for the games/visiting so it should be a great next few days. While I knew I had to re-cap of the past week and a half, I have a lot on my mind and will post about it later (call it a coping mechanism, if you will). If you could please just keep my Grandma and family in your prayers, that would mean so much. We also heard devastating news last night that our friends' 2 year old son's heart stopped beating. He is in ICU right now and his little heart has resumed, but he is not breathing on his own. They are an incredible family and such disciples of God. It has been incredible to see the outpouring of support and prayer that has wrapped around them right now. Please keep them in your thoughts over the next few hours/days. I will post again soon with updates, love you all. :o)