Simply Life: 21 Weeks Pregnant and more

I am now 21 1/2 weeks pregnant! It sure feels like the time is flying by this time around. That is a good thing I think! It's strange. I am looking forward to the arrival of this baby a lot more than last time around, I think because I know and have experienced it once before and know the joy of a baby. Before I had Adalyn I had no real exposure to babies and had no idea what to expect. This time I find myself looking back at photos of when Adalyn was smaller remembering the cuteness and cuddles and holding new babies makes me want to hold mine all the more. There is also a lot more apprehension as I remember the sleepless nights and wonder how on earth I'm going to survive without a million naps and sleeping in, which won't be happening with a 2 year old around.

Dressed up for a wedding at 21 weeks.

In a lot of ways this pregnancy feels a lot different than Adalyn, but in many ways similar. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm living a different kind of life this time around. I was quite sick with Adalyn (eg. like puking 5-6 times a day) and I only really stopped puking at about 20 weeks. This time around I was only sick for maybe a month and only throwing up 2-3 times a day. It seemed more manageable this time and maybe that is because I knew how to cope with it better and was able to do so because I was at home not at work. (Taking naps, resting often and frequent snacks helped A LOT!) I have been feeling much better for a couple of weeks now and am beginning to get my energy back too. I made an amazing discovery today that should be helpful too. haha

The last couple of days I've felt very discouraged about my energy levels. I felt so slow and lethargic and I wanted to be doing things, getting out and exercising, but just felt blah. I knew part of the reason was probably because I wasn't drinking enough water, but it's just so hard for me to do that. Today I filled a pitcher with water (approx. 8 cups) and determined I would not drink anything else until that pitcher was gone. I finished it by lunch time!! And I feel SO good today! It's 2:30 and I've already been climbing trees trimming dead branches, cleaned them all up, I mowed a good chunk of the lawn, ran around with Adalyn, and dusted and cleaned up our bedrooms. I didn't feel like I had to make myself do anything, I felt like doing it and had fun, and it was 30 C out today. And I'm not napping now! So that's my amazing discovery. DRINK WATER! haha So profound I know.

We had our ultrasound last week and the baby was quite active and doing well. I defiantly feel that this one moves around more than Adalyn did at this point of pregnancy. I wasn't sure whether it was just because I noticed it more because I know what it feels like, or if it was actually true.

Also another amazing discovery I made the other day that has been quite encouraging to me is this blog...
http://www.frenchpressmornings.com/p/encouraging-wednesdays.html

She has some beautiful artwork with verses you can print out to put up around the house. I've been setting them as my desktop background on my computer and have been very encouraged so far. It gives me a verse to think on and meditate on during the day. I think the biggest thing for me is that I am a visual learner so to have it written up pretty helps me get the words better.

I also downloaded a weekly cleaning list from her blog and am excited about that too. I'm on Day 2 of following it and I already feel so much better about the cleanliness of my house. I'm hoping that it will help me maintain cleanliness rather than let it get so dirty and then do a major cleaning. I'm usually pretty good about tidying up, but the cleaning part I usually skip out on. haha. That's why when you come over my house might look clean, but it's really just lazy tidying. :) There. I let you in on my secret.

We've been trying to go out for more bike rides lately. I made a goal to exercise at least 20 min. (preferably more...) 3 times a week. I was in really good shape right before I got pregnant and I don't want to lose it all. :( I really wanted to keep running, but because I felt so sick at the beginning I gave up running for about 2 months and when I tried again I was quite discouraged with my regression so my mid-wife encouraged me just to start small again. I LOVE going for walks/runs and being on the road in summer, but it's just been a bit harder this summer. Adalyn doesn't do walks very well anymore. She doesn't like to stay in the stroller so a 2 mile walk that would take me a certain amount of time turns into a 1 mile walk in the same amount of time. I could go in the evenings after she's in bed and Mark is home, but I've been tired in the evenings and that is when Mark is around so I don't like to always be leaving for an hour for my walk. So we've been doing bike rides! Adalyn loves the bike cart and I can go for 40min or an hour and she's happy the whole time. It's a good workout too, pulling the cart on the gravel roads and I can go during the morning or afternoon when I have energy.

It's hard to believe summer is almost over. I was walking the other day soaking in the sunset, the hazy sky from the harvesters, the golden fields, the crickets and grasshoppers chirping and realizing how much I love every season. I absolutely love the season we're in right now, but I look forward to the leaves changing color, the smell of the crisp fall air, the pumpkins, and everything else about fall too. God has made one as well as the other to enjoy! I love that we are able to experience all of this in Canada.

And now for some random things...
Lately whenever I ask Adalyn to smile for the camera this is what she gives me...