26 Weeks

Now that I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, I've decided to do a weekly update. Since week 12, I've been posting a weekly photo on Instagram, but with my failing memory, I'd like to further document the remainder of my first pregnancy on the blog. When my BFF Nicole was pregnant, I enjoyed following her weekly blog update. It's hard to believe that her beautiful Ellie is almost a year old! I feel like I keep saying this, but time really flies and Little M will be here before I know it.

How far long? 26 weeks
Baby size? about 14.02 inches and 2 pounds
Total weight gain? 12 pounds {confession - I've probably gained just a bit more. I keep forgetting to replace the battery in our scale at home!}

Maternity clothes? Yes, even though I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothes {i.e. by using the rubber band/hair tie method with my jeans/shorts}. I do have one pair of maternity jeans from H&M, which are for the weekends. I'll be buying another pair, because they are incredibly comfortable. For work, I have a maternity skirt, pair of pants {trousers for UK friends} and some dresses. Most of my pre-pregnancy work dresses and casual shirts still fit but are becoming snug. I doubt they'll last much longer.

Sleep? I have been sleeping well for a few hours at a time. When I do wake up, it's usually because of back pain, and once I get comfortable again, I quickly fall asleep. My pregnancy pillow has been helpful too.

Best moment(s) this week? Feeling Little M move around on my train ride home from work. Makes for a more enjoyable commute. :)

Miss anything? Cider!

Movement? Yes, even though Little M seems to be more relaxed at night. He's been moving more during the day. 

Food Cravings? Sushi! I liked sushi before and have been craving it a lot since the beginning of this pregnancy. Please don't worry - I've only eaten cooked fish. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope - not since week 12. 

Gender? Boy!!!

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding ring on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy {unless I have to stand the majority of my train ride, which is rare}

Looking forward to? Jeff coming home from Slovakia on Thursday!!

I haven't even met him yet, and my sweet boy has already been such a blessing in my life! I know I sound like a broken record, but it's so wonderfully true. There is so much joy with every move he makes and thinking of him brings a huge smile to my face. It's difficult at times not to get too anxious because I really want him here now. I rest in God's timing being best and look forward to the day Little M arrives!

Christmas Time Was Here...

Happiness and cheer! Oh, there was a lot of both this past Christmas because my sister, brother, brother-in-law and cousin stayed with me and Jeff for 2 weeks. It was their first visit to London and even their first time across the Atlantic! We showed them in and around London and went on a mini European holiday. I enjoyed their visit so much, and I was very sad to see them leave for the States. The experiences we had together were great and very memorable. And with too many stories, I'll just finish this post with some photos of our incredible time together.

Jacob, me, Bec and Philip in South Bank by the Thames on their arrival day.

Near the London Eye.

Outside of Westminster Hall for the Parliament tour.

Best seats on the bus for their first double-decker ride.

Champagne Afternoon Tea {for one - I was a day shy of being 8 weeks along} at The Wolseley.

Bec and I in the central square of Brussels, known as the Grand Place or Grote Markt.

The best Belgian waffle topped with Nutella and strawberries.

Manneken Pis or Little man Pee or the real crass 'Pissing Boy' in Brussels.

Ten Boom family home in Haarlem, Holland.

Me inside the 'hiding place' in Corrie ten Boom's room.

Waiting to enter the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Statue of Anne Frank outside of the museum.

The Berliner Dom {Berlin Cathedral}.

The Alte Nationalgalerie {Old National Gallery} in Berlin.

The Brandenburg Gate.

Berlin Wall line.

Remnants of the Berlin Wall.

Standing over Hitler's bunker.

Holocaust Memorial

Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin Christmas Market

Humboldt University of Berlin, where outside in the public square, Bebelplatz, the Nazi regime burned around 20,000 books written by who they labeled "degenerates" and opposers of the regime.

A memorial to the book burning set into the Bebelplatz.

The ridiculously funny seating arrangement from Frankfurt to Paris.

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial just outside of Luxembourg City.

General Patton's grave inside the cemetery.

Visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Jeff, me and Kyle outside of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The Eiffel Tower at night - what an experience to have with these two!

Entrance to La Cambe German war cemetery near Bayeux, France.

The Day After Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving was the first day I found out about Little M. Jeff had been on a two week work trip in Vienna and was coming home late that night. While he was away, the day before after work, I met some softball friends at a pub in Barnes for a 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner. It was a nice evening, but for some reason, I had a feeling that I should buy a pregnancy test. There was no other prompt to do so besides this feeling. It was late when I got home that night, so the next day after work, I bought two tests. I've never been so nervous/excited. When the first test was positive, I just stared at it in disbelief. Having always desired to be a Mom, and imagining this moment, I figured I would be 'joyfully bawling' to put in mildly. My response was calm, yet as equally, if not more, joyful. That's when I took the second test, and again, another positive. My heart was soaring. Even now, I'm so thankful for the blessing Little M has been in our lives. Really, there are no words.

Now, I had a few hours to wait before Jeff arrived home. Once he walked in, it was even harder to act normal. I just wanted to burst! Since we didn't see each other on Thanksgiving Day, and there was much to celebrate, I surprised him with my feeble attempt of a home cooked, Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't the best, but he was still complimentary. Once it was time for pecan pie, I brought out the evidence and told Jeff about the beyond wonderful news. His reaction was similar to mine - calm but very excited. Our conversation the rest of the night didn't stray far from our Little M.

Thanksgiving 2013 at The Red Lion in Barnes.

Montgomery 'day after Thanksgiving' dinner.

November 11, 2013 - an incredible day.

Now it was time for us to figure out when we'd share the news with our families and then friends. Originally, we wanted to wait until I was 12 weeks, but we figured this news would be a great Christmas gift for both our parents. Jeff and I picked out two Willow Tree Grandmother figurines and had each one shipped to our Moms. Due to Grandmother being displayed on the packing slip {even though each gift was marked on the website as a gift} the surprise came a bit shy of Christmas. It wasn't how we planned it {nice reminder of how we aren't in control} but it all worked out well. With Bec, Bud, Jacob {my cousin} and Kyle coming to London for 2 weeks at Christmas time, Jeff and I decided to wait and tell them on Christmas Day, even though they arrived a few days before. They were all shocked but so very excited {the news was in their Christmas crackers}. It was extremely special to share the news with them in person. With our families now knowing about Little M, they were all sworn to secrecy until the 7th of January, when I was 10 weeks along. We then announced it on Facebook and have been talking about Little M ever since!

I didn't start taking photos of 'the bump' until I was at 12 weeks. I didn't see much physical change before then. The first trimester did bring on an almost constant state of nausea and severe headaches, both which were completely worth going through. I'm glad though that all stayed behind me once week 13 rolled around. Other than minor back pain, I've been feeling great and am enjoying my regained energy. Here are some photos I've captured from the past weeks.

Little M's Announcement

A frumpy, 6 week Santa for the Santa Run 10k.

12 weeks

15 weeks

17 weeks

 

18 weeks

19 weeks

The exciting and yet somewhat confusing reveal - Little M is a boy!

20 weeks

Little M's shower at Frost Baptist Church.

21 weeks

22 weeks

24 weeks

Most recent photo - 25 weeks

Little M at 13 weeks

Little M at 19 weeks

With our family growing, Jeff and I were blessed to already have a signed lease for a larger home. We really enjoyed living near Wimbledon, but were looking for a change of scenery and more space. We found the perfect place in an area of Hampton, which is just on the outskirts of south-west London. It's a 2 bed and 1 bath house {half of a Victorian home}, complete with front and back gardens, and it's dog-friendly. The neighborhood is more serene, and while our commute is just over an hour one way, we prefer coming home to more space and quieter streets. We moved into our new home just over a week before Christmas, which was perfect with our families arriving.