Baby Bump Update

Here is the 25-week baby bump shot...
 
Yep, I definitely "popped!"

Feeling Good, but Big
I continue to count my blessings with how well I've felt throughout my pregnancy.  Lately I've been feeling more of the uncomfortable things that come along with my belly being big.  Things like not being able to bend down easily (I have to go sideways now) to pick something up or tie my shoes; things like the stretching that my skin is doing in order to expand with Callie (luckily no stretchmarks...yet); things like the fact that my belly button is disappearing and it seems like I can actually feel it going away (stretching).  But seriously, I'll take these things any day because I know of the miracle that God is doing in my womb right now.  And I know that many women want this feeling, but can't have it.  So I definitely count it all as a blessing!

Health Stuff
- I survived my glucose test!  Don't have the results yet, but I'm happy to have that test behind me (although, it wasn't as bad as I had worked it up in my mind to be--thankfully)
- Cal continues to be active and move around a lot.  Ben can finally feel the movements now, so he's happy about that!  We have another ultrasound this week--pumped to see how she's progressing! 
- I also start my prenatal yoga class this week and I'm super pumped about that!  I loved yoga for the few years that I took, and am happy to get back into it--especially now that I need to be in tip-top shape for labor!  I'm interested to see the poses that we'll be doing now that bellies are more of an obstacle. ;)

A Connection
Throughout my pregnancy, I've felt a more emotional connection to Eden's birthmother (and all birthmothers).  I can't even fathom the painful decisions that a birthmother has to encounter, but now that I'm experiencing a pregnancy of my own, I feel more connected to what they feel as their child is growing in their womb.  As we started the education portion of our own adoption journey, I began to truly respect birthmothers.  That respect is now at an entire new level. 


Happy Referral-versary to Us!

One year ago today, our lives were forever changed by this little face...















On December 22, 2010, we got the call that every adoptive parent longs for, dreams about, and prays for--our referral call!  And ours came just in time for Christmas!

We were completely elated--and shocked--that we got the call when we did.  If you've followed our story, you know that it was because we were open to a child with an infectious disease (specifically HIV) that we got matched with precious Edeneku.  And you also know the miracle that God worked in her little body to completely free her from ANY disease! 

NOTE: you can click on the "Our Journey to Eden" tab to the right if you want to get the whole story.

These were the pictures that sustained us until we got to see her for the first time in person on March 15th. 

Sweet baby girl, we love you SO much and can't imagine our lives without you!!







Click here if you want to see the original referral post.

Updated Baby Bump

We did an impromptu maternity photo shoot at my family's farm in Louisiana over Thanksgiving break (my youngest sister is a photographer).  Here is one of our favorite shots...
 
OK, so that's obviously just a joke.  What can I say?  We're a bit "different."  heehee!

Here is the real 20 week baby bump shot...
 
"Bean" has a Name!
At our 20-week ultrasound, we found out that we're having another GIRL!  She's measuring a bit petite (which I certainly don't mind!!) and is healthy.  Her name is Callie Jeanne Huss.  The first name is a variation of Ben's sports hero, Cal Ripken Jr.  The middle name is Ben's grandmother's name.  We'll likely call her all kinds of nicknames...Cal, Callie Jeanne, CJ, Callie, Callie Bean...the options are endless!  We are super-excited to have another little girl around the house sometime in late April!

A Gymnast, Perhaps?
I'm now 22 weeks along and Miss Callie seems to be a little gymnast!  She keeps me up at night sometimes with her acrobatics.  And we're pretty sure that she's not a fan of loud movie theater sounds (maybe the bass?).  We went on a date the other night and she didn't calm down until the movie was over.  I hope the poor thing wasn't scared that entire time!  I did my best to muffle the sounds (piling coats on top of my belly, etc.), but I'm not sure that helped at all.  It's such a weird feeling, but I'm counting it as one of the many blessings of this pregnancy--there is LIFE inside my womb--how cool is that?!

Stretching and Growing
I'm starting to feel the pains of my muscles stretching, and I'm sure the lovely stretch marks on my skin won't be too far away. ;)  My doctor says I'm right on track with weight gain, etc. so that's good.  Sometimes I feel like my weight gain has got to be crazy, but then she weighs me and it's not much at all.  Whew!  I'm blessed to have a hubby who constantly tells me how beautiful my growing body is (and he actually means it!).  Again, I'm counting my blessings. 

And how is Eden?
I'm way overdue for an Eden blog post, so that's next on tap.  She's doing GREAT!  We are incredibly blessed with our baby girl--who is growing up right before our eyes!  Stay tuned...

The Baby Bump

This is for all of my out-of-town girlfriends and sisters...

The 15 week baby bump (supposedly Bean is the size of an apple this week)
 


Funny Story
On Sunday afternoon, as I was trying to take a snooze (nap while Eden's napping, right?!), Bean decided to get the hiccups and keep me awake.  At first I thought I was just feeling my own pulse (you know how you can sometimes feel it in weird places).  Then I realized it couldn't be my pulse unless something was really wrong with me--teehee!  I knew it was too early for me to feel any sort of kicking, etc. from Bean, so I checked the all-knowing internet to see what it could be.  Sure enough, it mentioned that I could likely feel jerking movements if Bean got the hiccups.  Mystery solved, but it still kept me awake.  Just felt too weird for me to sleep...but it was really cool to feel the baby!

My Health
I continue to feel very blessed that I have had an uneventful pregnancy thus far.  Due to my crazy aversion (read: fear) of needles, I'm glad I haven't had to be poked any more than what a "normal" pregnant woman has to be.  I am dreading the glucose test (can't remember when that will take place, but I'm dreading it nonetheless).  I'm not really dreading it because I'm worried about the results.  It's the idea of downing a nasty "beverage" in a short amount of time that has me completely grossed out.  You see, I don't drink many beverages other than water, so even the idea of having to drink a soda would gross me out.  I just keep reminding myself of the millions of other pregnant women who survive it...so I'm sure I will, too. ;)

An Amazing Realization
Maternity pants are freekin' awesome!  I've just started wearing them (thanks to friends who are letting me borrow their maternity wardrobe--I'm so blessed!) and they have changed my life.  All I can think of is how awesome this Thanksgiving meal will be now that I'll be wearing "stretchy pants" like this!  (But unlike Joey on "Friends," I'm wearing them for legitimate reasons.)  Oh, and it's been a great self-esteem boost to be wearing pants two sizes smaller than my normal pants.  Thank you to the makers of maternity gear for sizing them like that!

Expansion

It's time to share with the blog world...Team Huss is expanding again! This time biologically--Lauren is pregnant
















Eden will be a big sister sometime around April 21st (same timeframe that we came home with her this year)! We are very excited that God is continuing to bless our family with children!

First photo of "Baby Bean" at 8/9 weeks...
Now at 14 weeks, Bean is currently the size of a lemon (says the internet), and the baby bump is definitely showing.  Lauren has been blessed to have an uneventful pregnancy thus far.  Please pray for continued health of both her and Bean. 

Some questions you might have...with some answers...

Was this planned?
Yes. Once we were home and settled with Eden, we began praying that God would give us clarity on how long to try to get pregnant or when to start our next adoption process. We are blessed that God gave us such a clear answer so quickly! No medication of any sort was required for Lauren to get pregnant.

But I thought y'all adopted because you couldn't get pregnant?
Actually, that is NOT the reason we adopted. While we had certainly been trying to get pregnant back in 2009, our choice to adopt was that we clearly felt God calling us to adopt. The fact that we weren't pregnant certainly helped us in saying "yes" to that calling, but we still knew that having biological children was not out of the picture for us.

Will you adopt again?
Yes. We both feel strongly that we will adopt in the future. The when and where are uncertain at this time, but we're certain that we'll adopt again.

Thanks so much for all of your love and support! We'll keep everyone posted on our progress!

Hero?

I really, really, really like this post.  One of the comments we get a lot is that we "did such a good thing" by adopting Eden.  Or we're "such good people" for adopting Eden.  Are we heroes?  Nope.  We just did what God told us to do.  It's as simple as that.  And He gets ALL of the glory for it.

Eden Recap: months 10-12 of life; months 3-5 home

Ummm, so we’ve been a bit busy around here (like all parents) and we’ve neglected Eden’s scrapbook installments.  Oh well—at least we haven’t neglected her!  So here’s a catch-up post…

Physical/Medical
You’re still a petite little girl, teetering around 17 pounds and 29 inches tall.  You’re as healthy as can be and you’re long and lean!  And EVERYONE comments on how beautiful you are.  

Your skin is soft, your fingers are long, and you have a total of 6 teeth now (you added 2 on the bottom and 2 on the top).
 

Temperament
You are still a very content, happy, smart, and playful baby.  That’s the other thing that EVERYONE comments on.  We know we are blessed!
 

You definitely test your boundaries on things and don’t like to be told “no” (who does?), but you’re responding to our discipline attempts fairly well.  Our biggest challenge is keeping you out of the dog food bowl!

Development
You started crawling in full effect during your 10th month.  You are fast! 


During your 12th month, you have become very interested in walking.  You pull up on everything and are trying to stand on your own.  You’re very good at plopping down on your rear end instead of falling on your back/head, so that makes it easier!
 

During a recent trip to Minnesota, you learned how to climb stairs and we’re working with you on how to come back down properly (on your tummy; NOT head first).  In the meantime, we keep the baby gate up!  

Communication
You talk (babble) a lot!  It’s sweet to listen to you talk and we wonder what you are saying.  You’ve recently started saying “Mama” a LOT (you used to only say it every now and then).  When Mama walks in a room, you reach your arm out (it actually looks like you’re doing a Hitler gesture—oops!) and you say “Mama!”  Makes Mama VERY happy!  Poor Daddy…  

You still love to make sounds with your mouth…clicking with your tongue, motorboat with your lips, etc.  And you love to clap your hands!

Food
You love your solid food!  You are not a picky eater at all.  Solid foods are much easier (and cheaper), so we’re happy you’ve got enough teeth to chew!  Bananas and carrots are certainly favorites, but you’ll eat anything we put in front of you.
 

You are drinking through a straw now.  It only took one day of “training” before you got the hang of it!  For now we’re only giving you water in your straw cups, but soon you’ll graduate to milk (instead of formula) and we’ll try juice eventually.

You crack us up with your faces!  This is the face you make when you try something sour.  Believe it or not, you still go back for a second taste!   


Sleep
Praise the Lord for sleep!  You’re consistently sleeping through the night now (and have been for a few months).  If you do wake up at night, it’s because you don’t feel well (which isn’t often).  We’ve recently transitioned you to one afternoon nap instead of a morning and afternoon nap.  We did this because you were taking a while to go down for your naps, then you’d only sleep for an hour or so.  With the one nap a day, you definitely sleep longer (2 – 2 ½ hours). 

You still love being in either of our slings.  Daddy’s sling is particularly magical for those times you need to sleep when we’re out and about! 



Some Quirks
You crack us up with some of your little “quirks”…

You are very expressive with your eyebrows!  Here’s one of your favorite “looks”:

 



You recently started making a face when we take out a camera, so this is your “cheese” face:


 



You’ve forgotten that you know how to roll over from your back to your tummy.  It’s hilarious.  You get stuck like a beetle on it’s back!

You love to eat paper!  I guess we’ll have to change your nickname from “little bird” to “little goat!”

You are super cute when you stick your pointer finger into your paci:



Some Firsts
You had some “firsts” during this time of your life…

First time at the beach (you loved eating the sand!):

 



First 4-wheeler ride:

 



First jet ski ride:


First NFL football game (Vikings vs Texans):


First time meeting your great-grandmothers (in Minnesota):