"You're gonna need a pair of really good running shoes!"

I can't believe it has taken me so long to update this blog. I feel like this pregnancy is flying by and before I know it my son will be in this house. My countdown says that in 94 days my sweet Elijah will be here. 94?! That is not very many. I want to take time now and update everyone on the last few months.

I'm almost 27 weeks and will then be, according to some charts, in my seventh month and third trimester of this pregnancy. That seems so hard to believe. So far, God has really blessed me in making my pregnancy symptoms minimal. The morning sickness lasted through most of the summer and ended by the time school started, picking up again around 20 weeks. I'm pretty tired by the end of the day but I work with incredible people that have helped me out so much. I've got some circulation problems. My feet will go to sleep while I'm walking somewhere or they will cramp up and freeze in random positions until I stretch them back out.

For me the worst two parts of this pregnancy so far would be the sleeping or lack thereof and the impetigo. I haven't slept well since the beginning. I lose feeling in my hips or my shoulder or sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with pretty terrible heartburn. Elijah also likes to stay up pretty late but Jesse helps out with that by talking to him and keeping him up right before bedtime, ensuring a long night sleep for baby. I caught impetigo from one of my darlings a few months ago and I think it was the most painful thing I have ever endured (so far!).

As far as food goes, I haven't been super hungry like I thought I would be. I fought with salad for a while at the beginning but I can happily eat it now. No crazy cravings except for an awesome day when I turned to Jesse in the car and told him I needed curly fries and pineapple as soon as possible. I have definitely eaten a lot of pineapple so far. I also really love apple juice. Thank God for potato chips and chocolate covered pretzels that got me through the first few weeks.

At my last appointment the doctor had trouble finding his heartbeat because my son was doing so many flips. She told me that I was going to need some new running shoes because he was so high energy. I could have told her that! At first I could only feel tiny movements that felt like popcorn popping in my stomach. Now I can feel huge kicks and flips. I can see them on the outside of my stomach and Jesse can as well. Elijah loves listening to music and me playing the piano but mostly he loves listening to his daddy talk to him. My next appointment is on New Years Eve and I have to do the amazing glucose test again. The drink wasn't so bad. It's the finger prick I dread. Why does that hurt so much? Then the appointments start happening every two weeks.

Sometimes I feel bad for telling someone how tired I am, or how much my back aches. I do not ever want to seem as if I am complaining about this pregnancy. Every moment, good or bad is an incredible blessing that I never thought I would be able to experience. Every day I woke up nauseous I praised God that my child was growing more and more. I am thankful for every sleepless night and each and every cramp. I will be the first one to say that being pregnant is not glamorous. It is not picture perfect or easy by any means BUT it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I love our little boy so much. He means the world to me and his dad. I can't wait to meet him and introduce him to all the people that already love him.

I have been playing Christmas music in my classroom since August and everyone laughs at that but for me, every day feels like Christmas. Now that the holiday season is finally here, I am so reminded of an awesome Heavenly Father that loves me and my son enough to send His own son to earth to redeem and save us.

I know that the next few months are going to be tough and then I can't even imagine what life will be like when he gets here but I am excited beyond words for all of it.