Month: September 2016

So long Second Trimester!

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WOW! I don’t even know where to begin. This second trimester has been packed with so many fun and exciting memories. I have truly loved every minute of pregnancy and have no complaints (…so far 😉 ). Each week brings new joys and new developments for baby, and I’m cherishing the days one by one. I’ve never been an overly emotional, or overly anxious person and pregnancy hasn’t changed that. I feel calm and at peace that everything is moving along just as it should…because why worry about things I can’t control?? My mom has been a great example for me as a woman of faith…and I grew up with this verse as a constant reminder in our home:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”  -Matthew 6:25-27

Worrying never accomplishes anything; and so I’ve continued to hold tight to this verse during pregnancy.

When we left off after the first trimester, Kendrick and I had just moved into our new apartment. We started the second trimester with a trip to Lake Tahoe to celebrate Kendrick’s 33rd birthday. We did not know the gender at this point but I wrote in my journal about a dream I had that I thought it was a boy. Little did I know that in a few short weeks we would know for sure!!

Week 14

  • Baby is the size of a lemon
  • His neck is getting longer and he is no longer slouched
  • He is sprouting hair and his eyebrows are filling in
  • The roof of his mouth is developing
  • His digestive system has started working, and his intestines are now producing meconium (waste)

Week 15

  • Baby is the size of an orange
  • Baby’s ears are positioned on the sides of his head and his eyes are moving from side of the head to front of the face…(he is no longer an alien!)
  • I’m definitely eating for two…

angie-eating

Week 16

  • Baby is the size of an avoado
  • His facial muscles are developing and he can now frown and squint
  • His eyes are working and can perceive light (although his lids are still sealed)
  • Baby can hear my voice!

Week 17

  • We find out baby is a BOY!
  • He is the size of a turnip
  • Baby’s heartbeat is beating twice as fast as mine
  • His fingerprints are forming
  • We travel to South Carolina to visit my in-laws and meet our nephew!
Week 18
  • Still enjoying vacation in South Carolina, my sister-in-law takes gender reveal photos for us
  • Baby can yawn and hiccup
  • His nervous system is maturing

family

Week 19

  • He is the size of a mango
  • I’m starting to browse nursery furniture
  • The vernix develops protecting his skin from the amniotic fluid

Week 20

  • We are half-way there!
  • He is the size of a small cantaloupe
  • I feel baby kick for the first time!  (while watching The Bachelorette…hehe)
  • He weighs as much as a coconut
  • His eyes can finally open

Week 21

  • Baby is the size of a banana! (his dad’s favorite fruit)
  • He is sleeping 14 hours a day and can taste the foods I eat
  • Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles – explains why I have started to feel him kicking!

Week 22

  • Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash
  • My momma comes into town!
  • He now weighs 1 pound
  • His grip, vision, and hearing are getting stronger
  • We make a trip up to wine country to celebrate my mom’s 50th birthday!

angie-and-k-napa

castle

Week 23

  • He is the size of a papaya
  • Capillaries and lung cells begin their maturation process so baby can breathe
  • Keratin is being added to his skin cells
  • Skin has a red hue- due to developing veins and arteries
  • My dad comes into town!
  • Kendrick has a dream of being at Disneyworld with our little boy…in his dream his hair is black and his eyes are dark and Kendrick said he looked like me and had my smile  🙂

Week 24

  • We are back in Tahoe for summer vacation!
  • Baby is the size of an ear of corn
  • His face is almost fully formed
  • Baby’s brain cells have matured enough to develop conscious thought and most likely memory
  • I go stand-up paddle boarding on the lake

angie-paddle

 

family-pic

Week 25

  • Baby is the size of a rutabaga (an ugly looking turnip)
  • He is SUPER active
  • Kendrick and I go to Babies R Us to browse some strollers and gliders for the nursery
  • Baby is about 13 inches long- longer than a ruler!
  • Baby is packing on the fat
  • His nostrils are opening- he’s not taking in air yet, just “breathing” amniotic fluid

Week 26

  • He is the size of an eggplant
  • We (or should I say Kendrick) sets up his crib!
  • He weighs 2 pounds
  • He can open his eyes!
  • His eyelashes are growing in
  • Teeny tiny fingernails have arrived

Week 27

  • He is the size of a cucumber
  • We’ve made it to the end of the second trimester…and I’m in total nesting mode! No resting for this momma; I’ve been cleaning out baby’s closet, organizing his things and hanging those precious clothes
  • Sept. 9th-Kendrick hears his heartbeat through my tummy!
  • Baby grows an entire inch this week alone

 

I feel so incredibly blessed to be entering this third and final stage. It’s been an amazing process and as I’ve been writing and looking back on his development, it is a total miracle for sure!

In just 3 short months our little man will be here…I’m thinking this Christmas will be my favorite yet ❤

Here’s a look back at the growing bump :

week-15-23-collage

week-24-27-collage

 

 

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success Challenge

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yogaI was listening to comedian Ali Wong last weekend, and she said, “You know you’re getting older when your Kindle library is full of self-help books.”

Umm, GUILTY! That is totally me right now. For the past year, Kendrick and I have been committed to reading self-development books together. It seems like every week I find another Amazon box on our doorstep, with that telltale rectangular shape only meaning one thing…Kendrick has ordered another book.

It started out as a challenge of his last summer…to read 50 self-development books in one year. The more he shared with me, the more I could see how excited he was about what he was learning. I started reading the books too, and that’s when it became really fun, because we were able to discuss the material together.

Reading together this past year has been one of the most beneficial things for our marriage. We’ve not only been able to grow as individuals, but we’ve been able to grow together as a couple. As we move into parenthood, I believe 100% that this is preparing us for that journey. We could read all the parenting and baby books out there, but if we weren’t taking care of ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually first, then it would be pretty hard to put what we were reading into practice. Children learn by example, and I want to set the best example for my children as I can. The best way to prepare myself for that is by educating and aligning myself first. If they witness us taking care of ourselves in these 3 categories, then they will be more likely to carry out the same actions themselves.

Kendrick and I recently finished reading Deepak Chopra’s “The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success”. It was a quick, easy read with a lot of great takeaways. Personally, my favorite law was The Law of Giving which we’ve implemented at our personal training studio, Studio K-Fit.  One of the things Deepak says is that, “If you want affluence; give affluence. If you want money; give money. If you want love; give love.” My thinking growing up was that, “Once I become financially successful, THEN I can give more to others.” Instead of realizing that I was already incredibly blessed, I thought I had to have an extraordinary amount of money before I could make a difference. Ever since starting the Rowing For Meals initiative a couple years ago (you can read my blog post on that here), Kendrick and I have witnessed so many more blessings pour out than we could have ever imagined. We went from sponsoring the meals on our own, to having our clients match the meals with us! What a true testament to Deepak’s words.

If you haven’t read this book, I highly suggest picking it up.

I have a little challenge for you to kick-off September. I will be participating in this challenge myself, and want to encourage you to put one of these 7 laws into practice starting today!

September 1– The Law of Pure Potentiality

  • Practice non-judgment today. Begin your day with the statement, “Today I shall judge nothing that occurs” and through-out the day remind yourself not to judge.

September 2– The Law of Giving

  • Today, give a gift to one person you will encounter; this could be a compliment or a flower.  If someone gives you a gift, gratefully receive it. Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation and love.

September 3– The Law of Karma

  • Today, perform a random act of kindness. Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. Showing others happiness and success ensures the flow of happiness and success to you.

September 4– The Law of Least Effort

  • Practice acceptance today. “Today I will accept people, situations, events, and circumstances as they occur. I will take responsibility for my situation and for all those events I see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything, including myself.”

September 5– The Law of Intention and Desire

  • Today, make a list of all your desires. Carry this list with you wherever you go. Look at it before you go to sleep at night. Finally, surrender your desires and trust that when things don’t go your way, there is a plan much greater than you could have ever imagined.

September 6– The Law of Detachment

  • Today, commit yourself to detachment. Allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be as they are. Do not rigidly impose your idea of how things should be. Do not force solutions on problems. Participate in everything with detached involvement.

September 7– The Law of Dharma (aka Purpose in Life)

  • Today, make a list of your unique talents. Then, ask yourself, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” You have a purpose on this earth, and your unique talents are meant to be shared with humanity.

 

What’s your favorite self-help book? We’re always looking for new recommendations! Feel free to share in the comments below 😉