Christmas is Coming!!

I'm really excited for Christmas this year because my sister Amanda is going to be here most of the month of December staying with us and when we were little, it was always her and I and would get the most excited together about everything and have the most fun around Christmas.

I remember after my mom died and we moved in with my Dad, me and Amanda went and got our own little Christmas tree at the lot and took it up to our room and decorated it and put our little gifts around it. It really brightened up our room and made it special up there! (See pic)

This past year has been the most spiritually awakening year of my life and we as a family have really been through a lot. When Christmas time comes around and we get to spend more time together, it makes me so grateful and happy that we have each other and so much love. Christmas this year just seems extra special and I don't want to forget the greatest gift we've ever been given and the reason we celebrate it: Jesus.

My Thankfuls

Like every other year, I have SOOOOOOOO many things to be thankful for. Here are a few:

• I have life growing inside of me!
• My baby boy is three years old and strong and healthy and such a joy to us!
• My husband. We've been through so much together and through it all have come out deeper in love.
• PEACE within- I've experienced true peace this year
• My large family. Where would I be without the support system that my family provides and the love that we have for each other? I think daily how lucky I am to not only come from such a big family, but one that is loving, caring and would do anything for anyone.
• A warm house to live in
• Our jobs
• The food we have to eat
• This country that I am so blessed to be born in
• The relationships I've made this year in my church family
• My brother Mark. I'm so thankful he's back and him and his kids are a part of our lives again
• God. The peace He gives me every day. The joy that I only find in Him. Knowing that with Him I never have to worry about a thing and that He has me in the palm of His hand and loves me unconditionally.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV).

I had my second doctor appointment two days ago so of course they had to weigh me. I was holding my breath because I knew I had gained some weight because of how much I had been eating. I read that you technically at this stage only need about 300 extra calories a day but I definitely had been eating more then that. Then on top of it, I have been so tired so I felt like I was laying down most days and hardly even moving! Well, sure enough, I had gained 4 pounds in one month! I thought that was too much!

The good news is that my first trimester is almost over and I'm already starting to feel less nauseous and I do feel like I'm getting a little bit of energy back as well. So the last few days I've cut back and have really just tried to go back to listening to what my body is calling for and nothing more. I also want to start getting in some more activity in my day too and I have lists of things that I want to try to get done during my second trimester before I get too big. I'm going to start eating smaller amounts again because I noticed just in the last few weeks I had started eating way bigger amounts then I needed for sure. I'm way excited though because I got to hear the heart beat again and everything is right on schedule! I get to find out what the sex is 3 weeks from today and I can't WAIT!!

My Pregnancy Challenge

I am ten weeks along right now so in two more weeks I will be ending my first trimester. I have really been trying hard most days to still listen to my body and wait until I'm hungry but it has been really hard to let my stomach empty completely out because the second I even start to feel slightly hungry, I also start getting really nauseated and super weak. If I stay a little ahead of the game and eat something small and light before I start getting hungry then I don't get that way. I don't want to gain a bunch of weight this pregnancy and I don't think my body needs to since I'm already about 30 pounds overweight so I really want to keep things in check and listen to what my body needs.

It wasn't this way with my first pregnancy at all and I never even got sick so it's definitely different this time. All the books are saying that usually after the first trimester the sickness goes away so I'm really hoping for that so that I can go back to just waiting for true hunger. I know if I just listen to what my body needs throughout this pregnancy and continue to eat small amounts I shouldn't have to worry about gaining a lot of weight. That is my challenge right now. I will still apply everything I've learned through Weighdown while pregnant and the great thing is is because it's not a diet of any sort, I still can.