11 weeks

Ok, so technically I'm not 11 weeks until tomorrow, but I have some time right now to blog, so I figured I would go ahead!  Everything is going well in the Bohanan house.  We spent a wonderful Valentine's Day together---Shawn went the extra mile for me this year:)  He cut out cute little paper hearts and dangled them from the chandelier above our kitchen table, bought me the most beautiful flowers, wrote me a sweet card, got me the new twilight movie, and got me a fancy sleep shirt!  We watched our movie together and had such a great time.

As for pregnancy, everything is trudging along.  I'm crying a whole lot more than usual, so I'm guessing my hormones are raging!  Most days I can't really figure out what I want to eat until I see something in front of my face that looks good.  It's causing a problem since we try to plan out our menu for the week!  I guess my belly is growing a little... I haven't started to take any photos yet because I don't think the change is significant enough to post.  Since I'm almost out of my 1st trimester, I might   post belly pics around week 13.  Keep praying for us that Charlie and I would be healthy- that the little baby would be developing well and keeping safe.  Pray also that I won't drive Shawn absolutely nuts:)  We love you all!

Jaclyn & Charlie

9 Weeks!

Pregnancy is really getting under way--next week we'll be in the double digits. That's when it gets SERIOUS.  Shawn and I are still extremely excited to meet our little munch.    Even though I want Charleigh to be a girl, I believe I have a little baby boy Charlie in my belly.  We have done various "Old Wives Tales"  and all of them have pointed towards a boy.  Now I know these things are just silly and for fun, but I also have a gut feeling- and most moms are correct with their intuition.  Because of the way our ultrasound schedule is set up, we won't be finding out the gender until 21 weeks.  That's a whole big long time from now.  But, I guess we'll see then if my gut is right:)  If not, I'm happy to be wrong!  I would love a little girl just as much!
   My pants are getting tighter--they still fit, but they're not as comfortable as they once were.  I can already see changes in my face (aka it's getting fat) and my fingers have already begun swelling.  This past weekend I went out and bought a replacement wedding band to wear for the time being.  My wedding rings were already a little tight, so even the slightest change has made them uncomfortable!  I haven't been craving much, but I have noticed that I don't have a taste for sweets for the most part (at least like I did before), and I really enjoy pizza and ethnic food.  Today I really wanted sushi for a bit, but I better get used to not eating that.  I'm also on the fence about chicken (wait. except wings!), but I'm loving some beef!  I could go for a nice juicy Ribeye steak...although all the joy would be SUCKED out of it because I would have to get it well-done and who wants a steak like that? (well, besides my dad?)
   The sickness has seemed to slow down for the most part, but there are mornings when I just feel like I can't bear to get out of bed and go to work.  I do though, because we need the money...haha.  I will be so glad when I'm at home with Charlie/ey and Shawn is off making the bacon.
    Hubs has been a God-send throughout this pregnancy.  He has been so helpful with the housework and with meal preparation.  I still try to do as much as I can when I'm feeling up to par, but am really thankful that my sweet Shawn knows what it means to love his wife like Christ loves the Church.  Pregnancy is tough for the woman, but don't let anyone tell you that the husband doesn't take part in the suffering (and joy for that matter).  But Shawn has been bearing his responsibilities so well and making me such a happy wife.
  Hopefully within the next couple of months we will be finding out where we will be placed for Shawn's fellowship.  If you would like to pray with us, we really desire to be placed in Augusta, GA, so we can be right near his parents in North Augusta, and only a hop, skip, and jump away from mine.  (Having family close-by and having  built-in baby-sitters would be AWESOME!)Ultimately, we want the Lord's will above all, so just join us in asking God to reveal where He would have us go and that we will be satisfied with our placement.
  Another big deal is that God sent me a friend at work:)  He knew exactly what this pregnant woman needed!  Tabitha speaks English (with a strong southern accent...she's American), she's a sweet girl, around my age, and very friendly and chatty.  She's also very creative and loves to antique.  I've been enjoying getting to know her and having someone to eat lunch with!  Praise the Lord for Him sending me someone my way to make my days more bearable and enjoyable.
   Well, that's it for now.  This weekend we're hopefully making the trek to North Augusta to visit Shawn's parents for the weekend.  I'm hoping it's a pretty weekend so perhaps we can take a ride on the Pontoon boat:) Y'all have a great week! Keep praying for our little family---especially little Charlie as he or she develops!

----love,
   Jaclyn & Charlie
 

7 Weeks, 3 days (ultrasound!!)

Wow. Yesterday your daddy and I went to the doctor for our 1st prenatal visit.  We got to see you for the 1st time and hear your heartbeat.  I teared up and your daddy was grinning so wide.  Our ultrasound lady said that everything looked good and that your heartbeat was going at 138bpm. She said that's great!  Your Gigi says that the old wives tale is that if the heartbeat is in the 130s you're most likely a boy--guess we'll wait and see!  I don't care if you are a boy or a girl- there's so many good things to enjoy about each.  (Although I did dream that you were a boy and looked exactly like your daddy when he was a baby).  The charts say that you're going to be due on my birthday, September 11th.  But, you're measuring about 3 days later than that.  She said it's nothing to worry about:)  The doctor's haven't given me my official due date yet, but it might stay on my birthday.  We can't wait to meet you!  Until then, grow strong and healthy, my little munch.  We pray for you every day.

-Mommy

7 Weeks

Baby is growing! From what I've read, the little munch has doubled in size this week.  The experts say my little one is about the size of a blueberry.  And guess what? He or she is growing hands and feet as we speak:) I'm feeling ok off and on....I still am battling with a little nausea (but I'm told it could be a lot worse!) and the dizziness hasn't really subsided yet.  I hope that my body will adjust soon so I don't have to spend the rest of my pregnancy feeling like I've just been round and round in a Gravitron.
  Shawn and I are excited this week because my first appointment is on Thursday.  Which, most likely is the day everyone will be finding out about our big news!  We're praying that everything will go well and that the baby will be developing right on schedule.  I'm still dealing with anxiety off and on with all the hormones and natural things to worry about.  But, I was reminded this morning during my devotional that God is Faithful and He is working out everything for His glory.  I know that this "everything" includes my pregnancy as well.
   When the little munch becomes "facebook official," I will publish these blog entries for the whole world to enjoy.  I hope that at least a few people will help me along the way by praying for us in this new journey.  It's a scary thing for new moms- I'm sure those who are moms already understand this feeling.  But anyway, keep reading and please encourage and pray as you see fit:) Love, Jaclyn & Charlee (ie)...not sure of spelling yet ;)

6 weeks

So, baby Charlee (or babys, whichever) is growing!  I read that Charlee is officially the size of a lentil bean.  That's tiny-but definitely bigger than the poppy seed size it started out to be!  It's amazing how something so small inside my body can make me feel so gross!!  This morning I had a nasty case of sickness, so I called into work and told them I would be an hour or two late.  I got some more rest and then headed in.  My head is still spinning, but at least I don't have to be on my feet like I did when I worked at Chick-fil-A.  One benefit of not working there, I guess.  We are so excited about spilling the beans next week.  If all goes well, I'll be able to post my sonogram photo here on this blog and on Facebook!  A lot of my family already knows and a few very close friends, but I'm really excited about telling my cousins, grandparents, and my Chick-fil-A crew:)   I actually can't believe I've kept it a secret from anyone, really.  Shawn says I'm pretty lousy at keeping this a secret, but I think I'm doing pretty good for me!
  The anxiety that I'm dealing with is still very real.  But since things have been going well so far, it's really helped me.  I also have a lot of encouragement from my honey, Shawn.  He is a rock- always confident that God is doing amazing things.  I'm continuing to study the Word and seeking comfort in the Scripture.  If you have anything that would be of benefit for me to read or listen to, I'd love it.
   I'm already brainstorming about nurseries, cloth diapering, natural foods, and our future house.  I can't believe I have to wait 14 more weeks until I find out if our little munch is a boy or a girl.  I've been thinking about our future first lake trip with Charlee and the Bohanan grandparents, our first Christmas at Ghee Ghee and Poppy's house, traveling to Disney World together on our debt free trip...so many good things to look forward to!  I hear that time flies, but for me it seems to be dragging on;)
   Shawn is already prepping Jericho that he's going to be neglected by me for a long time....it made me sad to hear that!  Jericho is really great with kids, so hopefully we'll all still have lots of fun together.
   I guess I'll start posting pregnancy photos around week 8 or 9.  I'm not a teeny tiny girl, so I'm thinking I won't start really showing until further along into the pregnancy.  I'm brainstorming ideas about what kind of photos I wanna do, so get ready!!

5 Weeks, 6 days

  So my little munch is growing pretty fast! I read that by week 5 my baby's heart has already started beating.  Can that be true? Baby's the size of an orange seed and has a heart already?! God is amazing.  Honestly I've been experiencing a lot of anxiety over the past 2 weeks already.  I guess every mom worries about the possibilities that could occur during her pregnancy.  The only way that I've found to battle these times of anxiety has been to pray, read, and meditate on Scripture.  I realize that God is good and He is directing my family's path in the way that is pleasing to Him and will honor Him most.
  I've been feeling sick off and on- all-day nausea, dizziness, lethargy...  I also had to go visit a neurologist because the whole right side of my body, especially my face, has been tingling, tight, and kind of achy.  That was pretty scary, but the doc did lots of tests on me and thinks what I'm suffering from is some sort of migraine.  I think he's wrong- I think my hormones are just jacked up from being pregnant and my body is trying to adjust now that my oxygen and blood are hard at work keeping a baby alive and growing.
   Shawn and I have had some laughs over my moodiness (it hasn't been too extreme yet), and certainly have laughed about my hyper-sensitive sense of smell and weird food aversions and cravings.

So far the list of my aversions is as follows:

      1. Pickles
      2.  Cheez-Its
      3. Sharp cheddar cheese

The list of my cravings are:

      1.  Greek yogurt
      2.  Colby-Jack Cheese
      3.  Water
      4.  Mexican food- fajitas :)
     
So far, i'm kind of on the fence about chicken/poultry, but I have a feeling that it's going to be an aversion here in a little bit...

Shawn has been praying that I would be able to enjoy my pregnancy.  So far, I really have.  Let's be honest, the sickness and fatigue hasn't been awesome, but it's a good sign that my munchkin is developing well.  I've enjoyed seeing Shawn become accustomed to the idea of being a daddy, and I've also enjoyed the pampering that he's given me so far!
  If I could ask you to pray for anything pray that baby Charlee would be developing on schedule and that he or she would be very healthy.  Also, pray that my health would be ok and that Shawn and I would continue to love each other with the love of Christ throughout pregnancy and parenthood:)

Thanks!!

A teeny tiny surprise:)

2012- Year of the BABY!!

Shawn and I just experienced one of life's few precious moments.  We found out on January 4th that we're expecting a new addition to our family!  This addition to our family is not the 4 legged-furry kind- it's the cooing, crying, eating, pooping, giggling kind! I guess our family blog is going to become a pregnancy blog for 9 months, but I'm sure some of you are ok with that!  I've heard that you can have your blogs made into photo albums, so I really want to record everything that has been going on.
  On January 4th, I was at work and I was feeling exceptionally bloated, tired, and I had some other lady issues I was dealing with ;)  When I got home from work, I was exhausted!  We sat down to watch and movie and eat dinner- I convinced Shawn to watch "Bird on a Wire" with Mel Gibson and Goldie Haun.  The whole day I had wanted to take a pregnancy test, but I was trying to talk myself into waiting at least another week so the test would be more accurate.  But while we were watching the movie, I got up to take a potty break...and if you know me, you know I'm bad at waiting.  I can't wait to give presents, I can't wait for Christmas, I can't wait to share good news, I can't wait for vacation...and the list goes on!  So,  I said to myself, ah, might as well try. It's probably not gonna show this early anyway, but why not?  So, I did the deed, waited for about 30 seconds and BAM! Pregnant!  haha!!! NO WAY!! Those were my exact words. (I bought the digital kind so there was NO confusion.)  I took 2 steps to rush and tell Shawn, briefly considered figuring out some cute way to tell him, and decided, who am I kidding? I'm never gonna be able to wait.  So went into the living room, flashed that awesome pregnancy test and Shawn was so happy!  He said "I'm gonna be a daddy!"
   Let me tell you, the past few days have been a whirlwind of emotions.  I went from fairly unconcerned about my physical health to being incredibly worried about every little thing I am feeling.  I can't eat without thinking about what I'm feeding my child.  My spare time is being spent perusing the internet looking for nursery decor, learning about pregnancy, and talking to Shawn about future plans.
  I've already been experiencing the typical 1st trimester pregnancy.  I've been nauseated, tired, sensitive...  I'm sure that the further along I get into the 1st trimester, the worse these symptoms are gonna be!
  Shawn is such an excited daddy.  He has been just like I thought he would be- involved, sensitive, interested, caring....many men could learn a thing or two from my husband.  The day after we found out about little Charlee, I came home to a present underneath our tree (yes, we still have our tree up).  What was it?  Two books: "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and the companion pregnancy journal that goes along with it.  Then, Shawn went out to buy me some gingerale for the nausea, and he came home with all sorts of "pregnancy superfoods" that are known to be vital in the development of babies in the womb:)  My honey has cleaned my house, cooked for me, and been so wonderful!  I'm very blessed.
   Our first doctor's visit is on January 26th.  Let me tell you, I cannot wait to see my little munchkin for the 1st time and to hear his or her heart beat (maybe there will be 2 heart beats to hear!...here's hoping!)  It's a long time for a new mom to wait, but until then, I'm going to be praying for our little one that God would form and care for Charlee.  I read today about worry because unfortunately it has been plaguing me already---but I was reminded of a couple of things:  1.  I can't add a single minute to my life (or my child's) by worrying 2.  God feeds the ravens, clothes the lilys, and watches the sparrows--so He's DEFINITELY watching over us 3.  I shouldn't be anxious, but rather pray- because God will grant me peace.
  More to come later, but rejoice with us at this new little life the Lord has brought us, and also for the new phase of life we're entering.

          Love,
   Jaclyn, Shawn, Charlee, and don't forget Jericho...