BIG NEWS

So for those of you who dont know,we are moving back to north pole.December is our last month in fairbanks.My parents offered to let us rent their apartmartment,above the garage next door to them,and the offer came at just the right time.Josh and i feel that it is a huge blessing from the Lord,right when we needed it most.

Alot has happened recently to encourage this decision.I wont share all the details,but its going to benefit us alot.Living in fairbanks has been really nice while it lasted,but we both feel its time to move on.its going to be a temporary situation,but it will get us through the winter,and spring,(until josh has a better job)which was going to be a tough time,and we werent sure hw we were gonna make it.

Josh is starting the police academy in febuary,just a few weeks before the baby is due,and he'll be out of work for three months until he finishes.then with the baby coming,and me quitting my job this month,it just kinda worked out.i wont be needing to drive to town every day for work, and my mom will be right next door if i need her to help me when i have the baby,since josh will be in school,and unable to take time off.

Our landlord in fairbanks raised our rent unexpectedly last month,and it came at the worst possible time,because josh STILL hasnt gotten the raise hes been promised all year,and we had just topped ourselves off with medical bills that we're trying like crazy to get paid off.it seems like they never end.between my back problems and his weird zombie rot diseases,anyways...you get the point.and then im quitting my job at the end of december,so thats even less income.

the point is,were getting a beautiful two bedroom apartment thats comperable in size to the one were in,and saving a ton of money,and have much nicer neighbors!(: hehehe
and im gonna get to show off all my cute baby outfits to my mom everyday when i get her dressed up all cute!im actually really excited to be back in north pole especially for spring and summer...its so much prettier out there,and at least we can go outside without the fear of being shot or mugged or whatever.

the part im not excited about is moving.in the dead of winter.in the next three weeks.being 7 month pregnant.with a bad back.etc...i hate moving.and im gonna miss our apartment.its been such a nice cozy first home.but i know itll be worth it.if i can make it through the move.josh said he'll do everything,but just setting up a house is a ton of work.and alot of it just might not get done till after the baby comes.

the best benefit of all...IM GONNA HAVE A WASHER AND DRYER(: YESSS!!!!!!!!

so anyways,yall pray for us,weve got alot going on right now,and even though were know the Lord is in it,making big decisions is always scary.Change is good.Scary.but good.

Happy Tuesday

Well,Josh's parents and Grandma made it to town safe and sound yesterday,and Jenn cooked us all dinner last night at their house.She made a lovely sourkraut roast with potatoes and carrots, her yummy yeast rolls,which are gonna be the death of the family,and a salad.It was a nice family gathering,but we didnt stay out long cause everybody was so tired.

Antia brought me two adorable pinks baby outfits and a super soft pink baby blanket for my little sea monkey...who is kicking like crazy as i type...she doesnt like it when to laptop pokes my tummy...she gets all feisty if you poke her...(:

Today ive managed to get most of my thanksgiving cooking done.We're all pitching in on the big family meal at mom and dads house so that nobody has to do too much work by themselves. I made Velveeta mashed potatoes,and they're all ready to heat up in a casserole dish,and then I made two batches of spelt rolls.Jenn and Natasha are making rolls too,so we should have enough rolls to feed an army.but you can never have too many rolls,cuz you need leftovers!!!(: Plus we all make different kinds,so its nice to have variety. So my rolls are in the freezer and ready to go, and so are the cookies that jonny and davy helped me make,that we plan on serving(maybe forcefeeding,theyre kinda scary) to the grandparents on thanksgiving(:

The only thing i have left to work on is my Eggnog Cheesecake,which hopefully i can get done tomorrow after work.everythings coming together nicely,im really looking forward to thursday!

Right now im working on finishing my laundry for the week,most of which was done yesterday, and all i have left to do today is go to the gym.yay!it should be a nice relaxing evening with just me and the hubby at home,which im looking forward to amidst all the holiday crazinesss(:

Im gonna make mooseburgers for dinner which is real easy,and my house is all clean already. How nice.anyways....i guess i better be off...im totally procrastinating on the gym today,thats probly why im posting about stuff that i usually dont...so off i go...talk to you all tomorrow!!!

27 weeks

You’ve made it to the final trimester now, only 10 weeks to go! Your baby now weighs about 2 pounds and is about 14 inches long. They look like a fully formed baby at this point, only smaller and very thin. Survival, if born now, is around the 85% chance rate. Baby will go through another growth spurt now and may have predictable periods of sleep now.
The ears are covered the waxy substance called vernix which may muffle the sounds that they hear. Some experts believe that babies begin to dream at week 28, because the brain is so very active now. Brain tissue is developing rapidly.
It’s possible to hear the baby’s heartbeat by just placing an ear on your abdomen at this point! Lungs have developed enough that they could function outside of the womb and the central nervous system is well formed.
Amniotic fluid and the absence of fat on your baby’s body makes their skin appear wrinkly at this time. Baby will continue to fill out after they are born and begin to gain newborn weight

FRIDAY

IM SO EXCITED THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE!!!I MADE A PROMISE THAT I WOULDNT EAT SUGAR TLL THANKSGIVING DAY,AND SO FAR IVE KEPT IT...ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT...MY WEIGHT WAS STARTING TO CLIMB TOO FAST FOR MY LIKING, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE HELPING,BACAUSE ITS GOIN BACK DOWN.

SO COME THANKSGIVING,THE GLOVES ARE OFF.I CANT WAIT TO HAVE ME SOME PUMPKIN PIE!!!

IM GOING TO MAKE AN EGGNOG CHEESECAKE I FOUND IN THE TASTE OF HOME MAGAZINE,AND MAN IS IT PRETTY!!!I HOPE IT TASTES AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS!!!

TONIGHT MIKE AND KASS ARE COMING OVER FOR A GAME NIGHT...JOSH IS GONNA MAKE US HOMADE CHEESESTEAKS FOR DINNER SO IM KINDA OFF THE HOOKS FOR DINNER(: YAY ME!!!AND IM NOT WORKING TODAY,ITS BEEN REAL SLOW AT WORK,SO MY ONLY GOAL IS TO GET MY HOUSE IN ORDER FOR OUR HOLIDAY COMPANY,WHO SHOULD BE ARRIVING ON SUNDAY NIGHT.(THE IN-LAWS)

WELL GUYS,I HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY FRIDAY,OR WHATS LEFT OF IT,FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOURS AHEAD ME(: SMILES FROM ANG!!!

THANKFULNESS

Isnt it so much easier to be discontent than it is to be thankful?it seems to come so naturally,the worldly way of thinking,"if only i had this,id be happy.""If only i had what she had,id be content."

I know its not thanksgiving yet,but i think its silly to wait for one particular holiday to practice thanksgiving.Paul admonished us..."for I have learned in whatsoever state i am,therewith to be content." Im pretty sure he wasnt just in a good mood here,and so he felt content.This verse implies that it didnt come naturally.Im convinced that if we practice thankfulness,on a daily basis,that contentment and joy will be ours.And practice make perfect!!!(:

In my devotion today,I read that Joy begins with contentment.ive been kinda feeling sorry for myself lately,because i feel fat,im discouraged about my sister,i hate the cold and darkness,etc.

But this morning ive determined to be thankful for all the wonderful things in my life,and im already smiling,and its not even light out yet!!!(:

Im so thankful for my wonderful God,because no matter how far from Him i stray,hes always there waiting for me to come back,and He is never unfaithful.isnt it nice to have such a solid Rock in your life?

Im so thankful for my hardworking husband,who,no matter how much he hates his job,and how unfairly he gets treated at work,gets up everyday and goes back out there to provide for me and our little one.Im so thankful that he comes home to me every night,and that he wants to,and is content to be here.

Im so thankful for my baby,even though shes making me fat,and uncomfortable,and sometimes i can hardly breathe or sleep.I cant wait to meet her in Febuary,and im so thankful that shes healthy and ive made it this far!!!

Im thankful for my parents,and i wish i had acted more grateful to them when i was younger. Im just beginning to realize how wise and loving they really are,and were,despite being convinced when i was younger that they were just trying to run my life and make me miserable.Im so thankful that they protected me from the world,and taught me how to make good choices.Im still learning from them everyday.Its all starting to make sense(:

This post is long enogh.I hope everybody will practice Thankfulness and Contentment with me today,and just see if it doesnt make a difference in your outlook and attitude.Love you all!!!

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,...and be ye thankful."Colossians 3;15

26 WEEKS!!!

Your baby now weighs about 2 pounds and is about 13 inches long. You’ve reached the end of your second trimester and now time may seem to crawl along as you wait through these final weeks. Just remember that soon you will have a new little one to hold and love!
This week the eyes are opening and beginning to blink. Before now, the eyes have been sealed shut so that they can continue to develop the retina. Baby’s eye color, depending on their coloring and ethnic background, may be dark or brown, or they could be grayish blue. Depending on your baby their eyes may change colors during the first few months after birth. Eyelashes are growing now, as is the hair on their head.
Taste buds are continuing to develop and they are improving their sucking and swallowing motions. Brain waves become stronger this week, which affects the vision and hearing. The smooth brain is now forming grooves and valleys.
The bronchial tract develops this week and the lungs are growing. If your baby were born now, it would have an 85% chance of survival, but the lungs are still very immature. Little boy’s testes have completely descended at this point and although your baby is rapidly putting fat on their body, the skin is still very thin and the veins are visible.

6 MONTH BABY BELLY PICTURES

HOLIDAY COOKIES!!!

Were all excited about the upcoming Holidays...Jonny and Davy helped me make some cookies for our big family get-together on thanksgiving...we made Christmas mice cookies that actually taste more like truffles,and then we painted up some sugar cookies that really sparked some creativity...

not a spoon went unlicked...not a grain of sugar went unconsumed...(:

a very tired auntie ang pretending like she was in charge(:

i loved this picture so much i had to post it twice(: not really it was an accident and i couldnt get it off once it was posted...oh well(:

25 WEEKS ALONG-only 15 weeks to go!!!(:

OUR LITTLE SEA MONKEY ISNT QUITE SO LITTLE ANYMORE...AT 13 AND A HALF INCHES,SHES PACKIN ON WEIGHT LIKE CRAZY...SHE IS ALMOST A POUND AND A HALF,AND BY THE END OF THE SECOND TRIMESTER(3 WEEKS AWAY),WILL BE OVER TWO POUNDS!!!(:

The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
Your baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
Her swallowing reflexes are developing.
Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).

24 weeks for amber

our girl at 20 weeks... doesnt she look so snuggly?(:

i tried to take a self portrait for amber,as you can see im not very good at it.i had a doc. appointment on monday,everything is going really well,and i only gained one pound this month,so my midwife was very pleased with me...so am i,it was a small miracle since i was on vacation(: sorry bek,i guess my food snobbery paid off after all(: anyways,i should have cleaned my room before i took this(: oh well...

24 weeks pregnant

Uterus: The top of your uterus is now an inch or so above your belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball.
Tase Buds: Your baby's taste buds are developing now.
Lungs: Your baby's lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produse surfactant, a substance that helps air sacs inflate easily.
Skin: Your skin may be feeling a bit itchy as it stretches. Keeping it well moisturized may help.

Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.
Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.
Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.
Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
This week your baby is officially considered viable.
Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!