Half Baked!

Hello friends!

Lots of people have been asking how we are doing lately... I must apologize that we haven't updated you all sooner.

It's been an exciting time in the Jewell household. We got to celebrate Mother's Day by witnessing the wedding of my beautiful sister in law. That was a nice little getaway to Virginia. We had a blast with the family and we truly couldn't have found anyone better for her to marry. We can see so many fun adventures in their future. There's nothing more beautiful than witnessing such love.

Otherwise, we have spent every minute of our free time working on our house. We finally got our hardwood floors installed and now have the wonderful job of cleaning and putting the house back together, one room down... all of the rest to go.

The hardwood is turning out beautifully. Hubby has done an amazing job. I've helped as much as I can... although I felt like I should have been doing more, we both still try to be super careful, given our past pregnancy history.

I have managed a few fun projects for our little man in between home improvement sessions, including revamping a baby bouncer and customizing a onesie :) I can't wait to get started on the big projects like working on his room!

For the most part, things have gone really well, minus one bad week that included a stomach virus and a hospital stay... but Caleb is STRONG! I'm happy to say he is doing wonderful.

He and I have both had quite a bit of growth in the last few weeks! I'm also happy to say we have passed the halfway mark! Today we are 20 weeks and 5 days.

The last picture here is from today's appointment, as you can see... we have one stubborn little man. He refused to turn over to give us a good picture so he owes me some cooperation so we can get a good 3D shot at our next visit!

As for me... well... I've had a growth spurt.

Caleb is definitely his father's son, all I want lately is sweets... chocolate... ice cream... oreos... so not me! We finally found some equal ground with sweet apples, that's more my style. As long as he is growing and I can stay healthy for him, I give in to the cravings quite a bit.

I began feeling movements very early, it was exciting... now the kicks are to the point where you can see my stomach jump when he kicks really hard. He finally kicked hard enough for Daddy to feel, it's amazing. Every feeling is amazing. Every day is surreal.

Our checkup today was great! He is weighing in at 15oz (almost a pound already!!). We only saw two minor things that will be watched in the future. Caleb has a little bit of a fluid collection in one of his kidneys, not enough to be concerned... not enough to even be considered hydronephrosis or to think there is any sort of blockage in his urinary tract, just enough to be noticeable. Mommy has a low lying placenta, which means it's a little close to my cervix. Again not enough to be concerned, just to be watched. It's likely that neither of these will be an issue. I'm not concerned in the least. We've come so far...

Some days, I still can't believe we have made it this far. I cannot wait until the day we get to hold this child in our arms... look into his eyes... feel his skin... hear his cries. That's the dream. A dream that is closer to becoming a reality every day. I believe in this miracle. Not one day goes by that I don't thank God for every second, every movement, every beautiful day.

Sure, I have the normal pregnancy aches and pains, but I truly can't complain. We've gone through hell to get here and I refuse to take a second of it for granted. I tell him all the time I love him... I sing to him... there's a few particular songs I think he prefers, the ones he always kicks to. I feel like we have our own little language to each other. Feeling subtle movements feels like my own little secret when I'm doing other things, little reminders that he's there... growing... thriving.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. I feel so blessed to be able to share this with you.

A few people have questioned why I don't update on Facebook very much. I do on occasion, but I don't post many ultrasounds or bump pictures and there is a reason for this. I have befriended so many women who are still struggling, I remember the ache of seeing such things ALL OF THE TIME. So although I do post things on occasion, I definitely don't share them weekly unless I'm asked. I know what they would give to be in our shoes, and it is one little thing I can do to protect them from hurt... to help just a little... to still stand with them and for them. To show them even in our joy, I stand by their side in their pain. They are never alone. I know they are happy for us, and they celebrate the milestones when we do post, I just feel called to keep being their support.

Please keep your prayers coming! 135 days to go! Come on October!

All glory and praise to our amazing Lord!! I cannot give enough thanks and praise for everything He has done in our life!