22 wks!

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.

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!

18 wks and counting...

17wks 5days...

Well as most of you know by now I was released from bedrest at 16wks...yay! So that explains why I havent updated the blog in a little over a week and a half. Freedom has been great and I feel amazing. I think I am finally starting to hit what they call the "honeymoon" stage of pregnancy. This is truly an amazing experience and I am so thankful for every single day. Its so strange because I am really showing now but I still tell Andrew I dont feel like I look that pregnant. He just looks at me like I'm crazy, but I guess when its your body the growth is so slow that it sneaks up on you. I promise to take another picture at 18 wks so everyone can see what I'm talking about:) Ok now some updates on the baby...we went to the Dr. last week and the heartrate was 160 which apparently is normal even though it sounds really high. We recently read on babycenter.com that the baby will double in size from week 16 to 20. This week it is the size and weight of a turnip but by 20 weeks it will be as long as a banana! That is so insane! We go for our big ultrasound on March 1st. Thats when they check all the sizes and shapes of everything from its head, to its heart, to its toes. That is also when they will tell us what we are having!!! We have an educated guess, but we will have to wait to see if we are right or not. We are still just so amazed at this miracle it is so crazy. And for me being pregnant has really made me feel closer not just to Andrew but to Jonas as well. Its like I can imagine what it must have been like to carry him. I think if anything pregnancy has made me more appreciative of adoption. Since we are in the middle of our second adoption its crazy how often I think about both babies. I think about what the biological one is doing in there and I wonder what our future adopted one is doing also. It sounds cheesy but I really do feel as if I am carrying twins of sorts. It really is hard to explain how the experiences feel so similar. I often wonder if our waiting child is conceived yet or is already born, and I often think when I am at the doctor I wonder if our new birthmother is going through the same things. I wonder if while she is at the doctor she thinks about us as much as I think about her when we are there. For anyone who has adopted I am sure that you can relate, and for those of you who havent adopted I hope I have explained it as well as possible. This is truly the most amazing experience of my life. I know that some people think that adopting and being pregnant at the same time sounds crazy but I would never have it another way...its just so magical in so many ways. God is so good and I am really humbled at the blessings he has given our family.

15 wks and growing!

Well today marks the 15wk mark! We are still so amazed at how God works. According to babycenter.com the baby is the size of an apple this week. An apple, isn't that crazy! I know he/she will be getting a lot bigger in the coming months, but right now an apple seems really big to me. Plus, I feel really big. I feel like in the last two weeks I have gone from a slight bump to a full out prego belly. I know I know its only just begun, but it is really hard to imagine my body morphing so much. There are numerous times a day/week depending when I say to andrew " I dont really look pregnant today do I?" He then usually tells me to turn sideways and ask him again. Its just so weird because I have moments where I feel huge but most of the time I feel normal until I catch a glimpse of myself and I'm like "That is so crazy I really am pregnant." Its so weird. Also this week, they say if I shine a flashlight at my belly the baby will see it and move away from it. This seems pointless though since shining a flashlight in someones face is both rude and intrusive, and because I can't feel it move anyways. I am so happy that we are going strong though. In fact, in five weeks or so we should be able to find out what it is...again how exciting. Jonas is still telling us he wants a sister and even has a name he's fond of, but we aren't spilling the beans until we know what it is and have agreed on a name for sure. I am still on bedrest for another weeks and a half or so and will hopefull be off it by 16.5 wks. So please keep praying and keep hoping! We have still not heard anything from the adoption front. It is beginning to look more and more like these babies want to come at the same time. We are just so excited and so blessed...we are just more and more amazed by God with every passing day!

This baby is grounded...

Andrew and I have already discussed it and we have decided that when this baby gets here it is going to be grounded for at least the first year of its life. Just when we think everything is about to return back to normal...normal seems to elude us. This week it all started last thursday. My bleeding had finally stopped and the doctors gave me the green light to go on our Mid-Winter Retreat with our 7th and 8th graders. I got really excited and other than needing frequent naps, the weekend was wonderful. We had a great time with the kids, Jonas had a great time with his friend Hope and her family, and we spent the entire day Monday resting up. Jonas was acting a little under the weather but nothing major. Monday night we had a friend bring us dinner (thanks again Christine) and everything seemed headed toward normal. That was until about nine o'clock. I went to the bathroom and passed a pretty big clot, which mildly alarmed me. Soon though I started feeling a little sick at my stomach but after a couple of hours it passed. When Tuesday morning came I called the doctors and told them about the clot so they could put it in my chart. However, they seemed more than mildly alarmed and told me to come in immediately for an ultrasound. An hour (and another 5 yrs off my life; again this baby is grounded) later we found out everything is perfectly normal and apparently the clot was the last hoorah because they think the tear has even healed...yay! So we went home elated and sporting pictures of our "lemon-sized baby." I was told to go back on bed rest until 16wks but everything was great! A few hours after we got home Andrew started feeling sick and as it turns out got the worst case of the stomach flu in our house. He was up all night and is still recovering. He's actually not even going to church tonight so he must feel pretty horrible. Hopefully soon we will be able to find whatever normal we can. As for Jonas he is at a friends because neither of his parents can care for him, but he doesn't seem to mind:) He's getting all kinds of attention and special outings. He should be home soon and it will be family nap time. I will leave you with some absolutely priceless pics of our new baby:)

14wks...let the second trimester begin...

Well we have officially made it to the second trimester. You may be like me and naively think that the second trimester begins at 12 weeks but no in fact they don't consider you second trimester until 14 wks. Who knew? This is just one of the detailed facts I have learned since becoming pregnant, but who cares we finally made it!!! I feel so much more confident and am starting to really accept the fact that there really is a baby in there. In fact I experienced my first belly touch today. I still think I just look like one of those high school girls that wears their pants to tight and ends up with a slightly prego belly on top, but Andrew assures me that no it is too round to be considered a muffin top. (He's so sweet) Anyways back to the belly touch...it happened at the dentist's office today I followed the tech to the room and she got me just before I sat down. She put her hand firmly on my stomach and said "What's this?"(I'm pretty confident she had inside info from my chart) I never really understood how unnerving it is to have a stranger touch your stomach (especially when its poking out a bit). I know this is only going to get worse, and for those of you who know I'm not too fond of touching this should be a challenge. It's kind of funny though how people who normally would never just reach out and touch a strangers stomach will feel compelled to once they know you are pregnant:) I think it will maybe be better once I can feel the baby move, but right now it just feels like they are touching my pooching belly...not cool.

Anyways in other news the tear seems to be healing (my symptoms have gone away) maybe they will do an ultrasound to confirm that for sure, until then I have another 2 wks of the modified bed rest. However they did clear me to go on our Junior high retreat this weekend as long as I promise to rest and take care of myself which of course is my number one priority. It will be nice to get out of the house though...I can hardly wait. Everyone else is doing great. I could not ask for a more understanding and patient husband. Andrew has just been incredible! Jonas is doing good also. He had his first dentist appointment today and he did really great. I had to sit in the chair with him but he let them clean and even floss his teeth. I was so proud. He is so excited about a sibling. He always says he wants a sister so we will see.

There is no news on the adoption front, but we did tell our social worker about the pregnancy and she was really excited. Hopefully the adoption will go through soon. I am feeling myself growing impatient as the weeks go on, but all in Gods time which is always perfect. This is just such an exciting journey I am trying to remind myself to enjoy the steps along the way and not to look too far ahead. I think thats easier said than done but its another lesson I am happy to learn.

13 wks! (first belly pic)