Lima!

Well I had another Lima Bean appt yesterday. Things went pretty well. I have to have a follow-up blood test next week just to check a couple of things that seemed a little questionable, but I'm praying it's nothing. If need be, I'll give you an update.

Now on to more exciting things... what's going on with Lima Bean?

How far along? 25 weeks... 15ish to go!

Total weight gain/loss? Gained 16 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Still wearing normal "bum" clothes (t-shirts, pj pants, and such) but everything else is maternity.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep? Sleeping is officially getting a little more unusual. Boo! I still sleep on my stomach a bit, but I have to really twist my stomach to the side. I bought a side sleeper pillow yesterday with a handy dandy Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon (the best coupons ever) because I noticed I needed a little more neck support. I'm hoping that will encourage more side sleeping.

Best moment last month? Showing off my maternity bathing suit? Haha :) No, really, I enjoyed floating in the ocean... I loved the feeling of weightlessness.

Movement? Big time. The movements are getting more intense. Apparently she likes to sit really low and that has made exercising slightly challenging. I have pretty strong pressure in my lower abdomen when walking/attempting a brief jog.

Food cravings? Fruits and juices are still my go to treat. (Lima just kicked so she must agree!) I also enjoy mustard, honey roasted peanuts, and fried okra (not together). At this very moment, chocolate pudding sounds tasty.

Gender? Still a baby girl!

Lima Bean's size: According to my book, Lima should be the size of an eggplant... about 9.5 inches and weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs.

Labor signs? Nope.

Belly button in/out? Out and rather pokey.... not to mention slightly off-centered. (I won't judge if I notice you staring at my belly button next time we meet!)

What I miss: I miss sleeping totally on my stomach and moving around with ease (aka - not being able to bounce up stairs or bend over without a slight grunt) :)

What I am looking forward to: Finding a doctor in Colorado Springs. Holding my precious little baby girl for the first time.

Most recent baby purchase: I purchased my cloth diaper set (Thank you, Gran!!!!). Now we're all set on diapers.

Milestones: I completed my first baby book - "On Becoming Babywise - Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep." 

A few from the beach.

Hi.

I thought I'd drop a quick note to say hi.

Be on the lookout for a few new posts coming... I have my next preggo appt tomorrow, so I'll be doing my monthly update on Lima Bean. Also, I have a few projects to work on before Lima Bean arrives, so I thought I'd share those with you.

Now, just because I'm missing Andrew and wishing he was here....

Abiding in the Word

"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory."

1 Timothy 3:16

Abiding in the Word.

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Hebrews 12:14

Greetings from St. George Island! I'm here with the whole Fowler family sans my husband. It's been a great trip. Family time is so wonderful and I'm soaking up the minutes before we move in September.

Ok that's all for now. As my late great grandmother always said, "Best of luck to ya!"

Weekend Getaway.

During my week-long stay in Arizona, Andrew and I planned a quick getaway to Sedona and the Grand Canyon for Sunday and Monday. It was spectacular!

Our adventure started Sunday morning... early. 

On the road, we saw incredible cacti and other beautiful sights.

We made it to Sedona, where we planned to spend the day exploring.

We did lots of hiking.

After being talked into a 2 hour sales pitch where a company tried to sell us a vacation home, we received a free 2 hour jeep tour through the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. It was a wee bit bumpy, but Lima Bean made it ok. It was quite comical, actually, and Andrew and I had a blast.

Firebird Rock

AJ on the jeep checking out Merry-Go-Round Rock

Agave blooms

 We made it to the top of the cliffs - 7000 ft. It was breathtaking.

AJ doing his absolute favorite thing... finding the furthermost edge and hanging off. Crazy kid.

Apparently a car got a little carried away with speed and flew off the side of the cliff! Yikes.

In front of our jeep.

The jeep tour was definitely worth our time listening to the sales pitch. We spent the night in Sedona, and got up and out by 7 am for a couple more hikes before we hit the road to the Grand Canyon.

First off... Fay's Canyon.

Fay's Canyon is directly behind AJ's left shoulder - you can see the gap between the big rocks.

Better view of the gap.

AJ holding up the canyon - so buff.

After we hiked to Fay's Canyon, we went to the Devil's Bridge. It was another hike up, but worth the climb! 

This isn't the Devil's Bridge, but I thought the rock formation was really cool. I spy AJ.

The Devil's Bridge.

 Well we just couldn't get close enough for AJ... we had to touch the Devil's Bridge... so up we climbed!

After we made it up the climb, AJ went straight out to the bridge. If you notice what looks like bushes growing just below Andrew to the left, that's actually a big gap and HUGE drop.

AJ, Lima Bean, and me on the middle of Devil's Bridge - approx 8 ft wide. Spooky!

After our two morning hikes, we grabbed some BBQ sandwiches, and were on our way to the Grand Canyon!!

When we made it to the GC, we went straight to the edge for a first look... here was our first view...

AJ soaking it up.

Our first family pic at the GC.

We didn't have much of a plan for our time at the Grand Canyon besides to walk the rim and make a smidge of a descent down. Here are a few pictures from our time.

Part of the trail we took down into the canyon - Bright Angel Trail

On the Bright Angel Trail

After we spent some time hiking and exploring, we hopped in our car and made the Desert View Drive - about 25 miles with pull-outs along the rim of the Canyon to see different views.

We saw a few bucks that were still in velvet... it's the first time I've ever seen it

See the "velvet" on his antlers?

Beautiful view of the Colorado River

The Desert View Drive was one of Andrew's favorite parts because it was less crowded and we were able to do exactly what he loves to do... get deathly close to the edge :)

Hey out there!

See how far away he was???

We decided to try for some self-portraits... we hung the camera on a bush and this is what we got :)

And then on to a more abstract self portrait... the shadow.

It looks like Andrew has a scepter in his hand... I'm pretty sure that was a cactus that decided to jump in the pic.

The sun was starting to fade.

Our final photo at the Grand Canyon.

 Our time at the GC ended at the Watchtower close to the east entrance of the park. Although the actual watchtower was rather anti-climatic, it was a nice way to end the day.

We headed back to Phoenix as the sun was setting and the world was getting still.

Our peaceful (long) ride home.

Well there you have it folks - our adventure filled, 36-hour trip through AZ with memories I will treasure forever.