Well I am 22 wks this week and you would think that I would be getting used to the idea that I am actually pregnant, but it still surprises me at times. I just said this morning "isn't it so weird that this is actually happening." It just feels like an awesome dream. I love every second of being pregnant...yes even the sick ones because I would rather be sick and get to experience this awesome miracle than to never be able to. So the last month has held many things in the life of baby Arp. We had our big 20 wk appointment and we found out we are having a GIRL!!! 
We are beyond excited! Its weird though because for some reason we always felt she was a girl. I guess there is something to intuition after all. From all signs she is mostly healthy. They did find a small spot on her left kidney that they think is external renal pelvis. Two things we have learned from this: one- this condition is something that will probably not affect her at all. In fact, many people live with it and don't know they have it. However, it does make her unique...which with parents like us it was bound to happen sometime:) and two-apparently everyone's kidney has a pelvis...who knew? So all in all if something had to be not quite right its a good one to pick. This also means we get to have more ultrasounds which is exciting. So we will probably have more pictures of her before she gets here then we have of Jonas this whole last year:) (we are really bad about taking pictures) Let's see also in the last four weeks she has gone from the size of bell pepper to a butter nut squash and she now weighs as much as a bag of chips...I'm getting hungry. I can also feel her every MOVE! I have waited my whole life to fell this and it is so worth it. I am actually sad that I won't be able to feel it once she is born. But its almost like I can already see her personality through her movements. For instance, if there is a loud noise or if I eat something she likes/hates she moves like crazy and lets me know! We have also picked a name for her Ainsley Drew Arp...we love it and it is so cute to hear Jonas say it.
We are beyond excited! Its weird though because for some reason we always felt she was a girl. I guess there is something to intuition after all. From all signs she is mostly healthy. They did find a small spot on her left kidney that they think is external renal pelvis. Two things we have learned from this: one- this condition is something that will probably not affect her at all. In fact, many people live with it and don't know they have it. However, it does make her unique...which with parents like us it was bound to happen sometime:) and two-apparently everyone's kidney has a pelvis...who knew? So all in all if something had to be not quite right its a good one to pick. This also means we get to have more ultrasounds which is exciting. So we will probably have more pictures of her before she gets here then we have of Jonas this whole last year:) (we are really bad about taking pictures) Let's see also in the last four weeks she has gone from the size of bell pepper to a butter nut squash and she now weighs as much as a bag of chips...I'm getting hungry. I can also feel her every MOVE! I have waited my whole life to fell this and it is so worth it. I am actually sad that I won't be able to feel it once she is born. But its almost like I can already see her personality through her movements. For instance, if there is a loud noise or if I eat something she likes/hates she moves like crazy and lets me know! We have also picked a name for her Ainsley Drew Arp...we love it and it is so cute to hear Jonas say it.In other news, I started school and will be done in another week or so. (they were only 5 wk classes thank goodness)
We are also going on vacation in about another week. We are going to stay with our friends Nanner and Vern in Lakeland, FL. While we are there we are going to take Jonas to Disney. I think we are just as excited as Jonas to see him take it all in. We did the whole give a day get a day volunteer program with Disney to get free tickets for Andrew and I, so all we have to pay for is Jonas...isn't that awesome? We even scheduled ourselves to start off the day by having breakfast with Goofy...Jonas is going to freak!
He also gets to ride an airplane, which he hasn't stopped talking about since we told him. While we are there my mom will be in Tampa so we get to hang out with her and we get to see our friends Paul and Jennifer too! I really cannot wait!
Jonas is growing like a weed. His new favorite thing to do is say that things are "cool." Its really cute. He has also started to love playing dress up...I even caught him in my heels one day:) In the car, he loves listening to Billy Holiday and doing "jazz hands"...its a little disturbing, but still cute. He just says the funniest things all the time..like today I wore a skirt and he said are you going dancing mom? Where does he come up with these things...and yes he does call us mom and dad like he's 17 or something.
Andrew is great...a little under the weather right now, but good. He is constantly trying to feel Ainsley move, but everytime he tries she stops moving. We think he is a calming influence on her. She already has him wrapped around her finger...he is really in for it!
so overall the Arps are great...we are in the midst of a miracle and a really sunny period in our lives. We intend on cherishing all these moments we are being blessed with....God is just incredible and we are daily humbled by his love!
