5 Things I've Been Enjoying

 

1. The flowers and beauty all over our lovely neighborhood

 

2. The lingering of spring. At 24 weeks pregnant, I'll take every mild day I can get!

 

 

3. Dinner on the deck with my handsome husband. We love our little apartment!

 

 

4. 3D ultrasound pictures of our Little Man. Doesn't he have a cute little nose?

 

 

 

5. A gorgeous bouquet the amazing Eric surprised me with when I came home from visiting my family!

 

What are you enjoying today?

8 Months: a learning!

 

Today Eric and I celebrate 8 months of marriage! Just a blip in time, should God see fit to give us decades, yet every day seems like a reason to celebrate since we know it is His grace that prospers our union. We know it's not of us that we can say the last 8 months have been beautiful, glorious, delightful, exciting, wonderful, etc. Sure there have been hard days, and moments when we miscommunicate, sin against each other, or just plain wonder how to do this "marriage thing." But the general pattern has been one of "happily ever after," and we're so thankful for the ways our Savior has taught us and covered over our sinfulness!

 

As I was pondering lessons learned over the last months, I confess I thought, "Why share anything? We're so inexperienced, and there are so many who know so much more!" But in the end,  I realized that we who are in Christ are here to encourage each other, so even if the following thought was one you learned decades ago, perhaps we can inspire you once again!

 

I decided to pick one key learning from amongst many: one I need to live out every single day!

 

• Speak encouraging words to your spouse, no matter what you "feel."

Now I'm not saying you should lie to them, or avoid addressing issues or struggles, but it seems key and so Biblical to encourage them in the Word and also to choose to see good in them to build up.

 

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." ~Ephesians 4:29

 

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God"

 ~ Colossians 3:17

 

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

~1 Thessalonians 5:11

A couple of fabulous results I've noticed when Eric and I seek to encourage each other and speak words that build up and don't tear down?

 

1. We both become more excited and motivated to run our race as Christians better.
2. It encourages humility as we focus on each other's good traits rather than our own.
3. We feel safe with each other as we know we will both seek to use words that give life to the other and don't mock or destroy.
4. We feel closer together and more eager to spend time together.
5. The more we look for ways to encourage each other, the more we see to encourage.

I'm so thankful God has given me these months with Eric, and I hope and pray our marriage becomes more and more every day a reflection of Christ and His church!

The Boston Marathon

A quick blast from the recent past: the Monday after Easter, I got to experience the Boston Marathon for the first time (Important note: as a spectator, not a runner!). Eric's family graciously included me in their trip to the event. They consistently love me as one of the family, which I so appreciate!

Between blankets, chairs, snacks, and a packed lunch, we were well-equipped to stay for several hours. At first the road was empty, but soon some incredible people came up and over the hill. This first wave may have impressed me the most: those with various disabilities, some with missing limbs-but all determined to reach the finish line. I couldn't help wondering: am I that persevering in my spiritual race?  

Eric's mom, sister, and brother.

As the other waves of runners passed, we had a great time cheering ourselves hoarse to encourage them. The little ones even handed out juicy orange slices to refresh runners on their way. It was incredible to think how far these participants had already come, and fun bringing a smile to their weary faces by simple words of encouragement!

 

These adorable kiddos passed out orange slices and cheered as loudly as the rest of us.!

 

It was a fun adventure to get to witness this world-famous race, and special to get to do so with my new family! Perhaps next year I'll be attending with my 6 month old son...wow!

A Trip "Home"

Oksana enjoying a DQ treat before Zhenya's cello recital

I've just returned from a delightful, 11 day trip to visit my family-for the first time since our October marriage! It's rather difficult and certainly not wallet-friendly to travel from our home to theirs, but thanks to my parent's generosity, it became possible to do so!

 

Eric was able to travel with me and spend the weekend as well as Memorial Day in the Midwest. It was such fun to travel with him, and to celebrate the graduation of 2 siblings and the birthday of 1 more while he was there. It felt odd but right visiting my parent's home with my husband!

 

Sadly, on Tuesday, he had to head back to work, while I got to stay for another week with my family. I'll be honest, it was exceedingly, excruciatingly (am I conveying my point well enough?) hard to separate from Eric for the first time since our marriage 8 months ago, but I was thankful he was willing to let me have the time with my family. I definitely enjoyed the opportunity!

 

We played games, went for walks, baked brownies, read aloud, talked, laughed, and just lived life together. On top of that were a few special treats: Zhenya's cello recital, breakfast with John, and a surprise baby shower!

 

I took shamefully few pictures, but thoroughly enjoyed the time with all my siblings: there may be a lot of them, but they each have their own unique personality and special talents, and it was so fun to catch up with them after so many months!

Here's a sneak peek...more to come!

Last but not least was a fun maternity shoot with my mother, who has diligently honed her photography skills over the last few years in a way that puts me to shame and blesses me all at once! We had a blast trying out different locations, laughing over awkward poses, and capturing this sweet season as God knits together the little life inside me.

 

18 Weeks (and 5 days)

The one time it's somehow okay to share pictures of your belly...so why not? 

How big is baby? Nearly 6 inches long and weighing about 8-1/2 ounces: comparable to an heirloom tomato.

How I'm feeling: Again, generally pretty well! I've been dizzy a bit, but apparently that's quite normal as my blood pressure drops a bit this trimester. It's enjoyable to feel like myself, just with a bit of a belly! 

Weight Gain: About 8 lbs total.

Maternity clothes: my most-used piece is the stretch "BeBand" from Target: a soft stretchy band that goes over my jeans waistband, allowing me to wear my jeans even when I can't button them anymore.

Sleep: Full of strange dreams, but otherwise good!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been hungry so much this week, so I've really been trying to direct necessary "munchies" to healthy ideas, like grapes, carrots, or apples.

Movement: Oh yes. It still feels like popcorn popping, but I'm loving the reminders of the little person inside me. Eric can't wait to feel movement as well!

Best Moment of the week:  Brand new ultrasound pictures-and the ultrasound itself. It was absolutely amazing to see our baby again today, to hear that everything "looks perfect," and to see the Little Squirmer bumping around!

What I'm looking forward to: Telling our families the gender of our baby in the next week or so. Yes, we know, and no we can't say yet!

The Best Kind of Addition

Well, it seems to be high time to share with the blogging world what many of my readers know already:

 

 

Eric and I are expecting a little one in 22.5 weeks! To save you doing the math, Baby is expected to arrive (hopefully!) around September 27.

I'm definitely feeling "rounded" at 17 weeks!

Eric and I are so thankful and excited! I guess I'll jump right in with the seeming trend and answer a few questions about this week (17 weeks).

 

 

How big is baby? About the size of an onion (but much cuter!), Baby is around 5.1 inches long and weighs a whopping 5.9 ounces.

 



How I'm feeling: generally, great! I'm savoring these days of feeling pretty much myself right now. I have some aches and pains here and there, and an occasional dose of morning sickness, but my energy level is definitely higher and I am loving getting out in the spring weather!

Weight gain: it feels funny to discuss this with the online world, but hey, maybe it's good accountability! I had gained about 4 lbs as of my last appointment, but that was 3 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure it's gone up since then. Honestly that has been hard to accept at times and I'd love to keep on the healthy side, but it can get hard when I feel like a starving maniac!

Maternity clothes: Not really. My mom graciously got me some wonderful clothes, but while I can still fit into regular clothes, I'm enjoying it! I do wear dresses and skirts a lot as they are more comfortable.

Stretch marks: Not that I can tell!

Sleep: I'm generally sleeping very well, although I have some nights where I'll suddenly be wide awake at 1am and don't go back to sleep for an hour or so. I haven't had to get up in the night though and feel comfortable, which is nice.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Eggs have been a favorite lately. Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs-you name it, I like it! I've also been loving lemonade or lemons in my water, as well as the occasional urge for celery.

Movement: Yes!! Probably the best part of the last 10 days or so has been feeling little bubbling popping motions that are most definitely from our munchkin. On Easter Sunday, I had to remind myself to concentrate on the sermon as Baby was dancing up a storm. That movement is so precious, reassuring, and somehow bonding. I know it gets uncomfortable later on, but even then I hope to relish it as a sign that my child is alive and well.

What I’m loving: Popsugar Fitness workout videos! They make me feel energized and somehow less huge.

Symptoms: Round ligament pain, some lower back pain, some nausea.

Exercise: Strength training/cardio videos inside, and walks/jogs outside whenever possible. I feel so much better when I do exercise.

What I’m looking forward to: Our ultrasound next week!!

Best moment of the week: More than one moment, but I'm so thankful for the times Eric puts his arms around me and tells me that he loves the changes happening in my body as I become a mommy. It means so much to have him cherish me no matter what!

Mood: Every once in a while I have a weepy day, but generally pretty normal and happy! I'm trying to "set my mind on things above" (Colossians 3:1) on the long days at home.

Tornado in October? Our wedding rehearsal

Although my sweet mother has graciously posted quite a few pictures from our wedding (5 months ago), I'm finally getting around to sharing a few pictures along with my "point of view."

October 4, 2013, dawned bright, crisp, and clear. I remember it felt so surreal to wake up and think, "Tomorrow I'm getting married!" However, I didn't linger in bed to ponder this. Eric and I were going on a breakfast date!


Look at that smile!

A few months before, a friend had advised us to take a short time the day before our wedding to just be together-to lay aside the many details and remember what our wedding day was really about. We were thankful our parents supported us in this, and so we escaped to Panera for a blissful interlude. We enjoyed sitting in a quiet corner, praying, talking and laughing together.

Our dads had some plan up their sleeves...the front of the tshirts said "father of thing 1" and "father of thing 2."

When we returned, my family and a few friends gathered for family devotions. The normalcy and intentional focus on Christ was so refreshing and sweet to me. Then, my mom and sister treated me...to a manicure and pedicure! I felt so pampered and spoiled and loved the time with them, and I was so amazed by all the sweet people bustling around to make the next day possible.

 

The rest of the day passed in a speedy blur, and before we knew it, we were arriving at the church for the rehearsal. Our wedding rehearsal! The reality was really hitting me, and Eric and I were thrilled...and perhaps a bit distracted? Anyway, everyone was very patient with us and the rehearsal went well.

A bit of excitement came at the end, however, when a tornado warning sent all of us (about 60 people) into the cramped basement of the old church. It seemed a bit strange and unexpected, considering the time of year, but thankfully the warning was soon over and we were able to head to the rehearsal dinner!

Eric's parents pulled together an absolutely lovely dinner in a turn of the century mansion a few minutes from the church. The beamed ceilings and spacious rooms set an elegant atmosphere, and the food was both fun and delicious.