Highlights

       

We are now 27 weeks pregnant with our beautiful little girl! Next week we are going in for possibly our last ultrasound before she arrives. It is hard to believe it has already been almost 10 weeks since our last ultrasound when we learned we were having a little girl- a moment that will not soon be forggotten. Realizing that we were actually going to be parents to a little human was not an emotion that can easily be described with words. Discovering that we were going to be parenting a little girl took that reality to a whole new level. As I started dreaming of hair bows, frills, and tutus, Alex began planning his strategy for dealing with potential dates and boys of interested as she gets older. 

                       Charlotte at 18 weeks                              Our Gender Reveal picture at 18 Weeks

         

              This past summer has been filled with first time experiences for me such as my first trip to a Six Flag's park with Alex's family (Not that I could ride anything, but the adventure was fun non-the-less), and going on a Whale Watch out at sea. One of the most unusual but invigorating experiences of the summer was the 10 days we had a Japanese exchange student stay with us. We learned so much about Japan and his culture, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and being a part of exposing him to some fun American experiences. We also enjoyed the summer in Bar Harbor, exploring the scenic beaches and ocean outlooks, to walking the crazy tourist ridden sidewalks of the downtown strip.

        Alex worked (and continues too) work very hard, long weeks! But he seems to enjoy working with the people of Bar Harbor for the most part, and gives a great tour of the town on the carriage rides. I ended up being given permission by my doctor to work, and I was instantly hired as a babysitter by an incredible family with two beautiful children who ran a bed and breakfast in town. The Ivy Manor Inn is one of the most beautiful Inns I have ever seen, and the owner equally passionate and caring hosts. After a few days, I ended up taking a second position as a hostess in their restaurant as well. I was blessed with an incredible family who bent over backwards and tailored the positions I worked to meet my physical struggles. I have never met any family so gracious and forgiving! It was a blessing to be working at the time that I was, for not a few days afterwards, Alex was out of work for a knee injury. With the extra income we just made it through the month! God always provides, as He proves again and again to us.

    In September I was given the opportunity to go down to New York for a baby shower and to visit with friends and family! My Aunts came up from Pennsylvania with my little cousins, whom I hadn't had the opportunity of seeing for well over a year. My talented Aunt Jenny made a beautiful cake for my baby shower! It was one of the most stunning cakes I have ever seen! The baby shower had a huge turnout. I was so overwhelmed by all of the love and celebrating of this beautiful new life growing inside of me. I know there were still several who weren't able to make it to the shower, but I have never been so assured by the friendships God has blessed me with over the years! I can't wait for our daughter to grow up meeting and having relationships with all of these incredible people! 

Alex and I were truly blessed by all of the gifts and we can't wait to share pictures of our little one using each and everything that was given to her with so much love and well wishes! I wish I had more pictures from the shower, but unfortunately I don't at this time! But see how gorgeous this cake was!! 

I had so much fun spending time with my Mom and Dad and my 6 incredibly fun siblings. I got to go shopping with my sister, and my mom. I got to spend time catching up with the little ones! And I got to celebrate my littlest sisters 10th birthday and my brothers 17th birthday while I was there! I also got to spend several days visiting with some of my best friends! I also had the first sleep over I have had in many, many years! Funny to think that in just a few months I'll be a mother and delegating sleep overs for our little girl as she gets older.

            As much as I loved seeing all my friends and going home for a long weeks, it was the first time I've been away from Alex since we've been married. Pregnancy does a lot to a woman, and having a husband to share all the worries, aches and pains, and nightmares with is a small comfort to a hormone raging individual. Needless to say, I missed him more than I thought possible. We are both fairly certain that neither of us will be up to another long week away from each other like that for a long while. On the bright side, I've never been more excited to see him by the time we were finally together again! I am pretty sure we slept holding hands that night. :)

           On the topic of strange things pregnancy does to a woman, one of the most embarrassing experiences I have had so far has been the occasional incident of wetting my pants. Over the last week I've had far more little accidents than I ever thought possible for a grown woman. That is one symptom I did not expect from this pregnancy! I haven't had as many cravings as I thought I would. My biggest cravings have been Maple smoked bacon, Lasagna, Locally made Maple Popcorn and cinnamon donuts. I am also not as hungry as I thought I would be. More often than naught, unless food is brought up I forget to eat. My dreams have definitely taken a turn for the worst. Vivid doesn't even come close to describing the intesity of my dreams. Pregnancy can be the only possible explanation.

       Over-all the pregnancy itself has been so easy! I love being pregnant, I love watching my belly grow. I love the fact that Charlotte flips and summersaults as soon as she hears her daddies voice. I love the fact that I can't sleep through a night because she dances her best in the stillness of early morning. I love that I never had morning sickness, and my acid reflux has gotten so much better instead of worse like we anticipated. I have only had more and more energy so far. (I know this won't last, but I'll take it while I can.) I can't wait to hold her in my arms when she arrives!

      On another note, while the pregnancy itself has been easy on me, it has triggered other problems that I have had in the past. I have had multiple seizure like episodes, which have become worse and more frequent as the pregnancy has progressed. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to work, drive, or commit to anything due to the irregularity and severity of these episodes. We are in the process of working with a specialist to diagnose and treat my case, and we pray that this problem is resolved and treated quickly. There are many things that could potential be effected by these episodes, but we are trusting God with it, and we know that He will take care of Charlie Ann and I.

      Not being able to work or do much outside of the house, has left me much time to read, write, and craft! My first big project was to make a rag quilt for Charlotte's nursery. I love how easy and fun it was and I can't wait to wrap her up in it! I am continuing to try to keep myself busy, combatting my depression and loneliness. So far I have been blessed with an uplifting week!

     

     Two of our biggest concerns coming into this winter has been finding a place to stay, and Alex being able to bring enough income into take care of us while I'm unable to work. God has gone so far above and beyond to provide for us, and we are learning that we just have to move forward trusting that He will provide and expect to be amazed again and again. Monday evening we met with a sweet gentleman with a SantaClause beard about renting a house he built many years ago that has been sitting empty.  When we met with him and asked about a security deposit (which has been our greatest struggle financially) he so graciously told us we didn't need to put down a security deposit because he trusted us. The house is set back in the woods, with a Maine coast charm. Inside exposed wood floors and beams brought back memories of the log cabins in Colorado that Alex has been so familiar with while growing up. The one bed room home is so much larger than we expected and has all of the amenities we need, including a washer and dryer! The only downfall and concern we have is dealing with the expense of heat. The rent is the most inexpensive we have found for what we are getting, and we are trusting that God is going to provide just what we need to get through this winter! We can't wait to move in to our new home within the next month!

                 Alex has also been given a second job that will become full-time with over-time the day after his position ends on the farm. We have just been blown away again and again as we watch God provide and answer our prayers! We know that as we approach the day when our baby comes into this world that our life is going to change dramatically, but neither one of us can wait to see where God is going to continue leading us as a family. We never thought we would be where we are today, so we anxiously look forward to seeing where God is leading us now.


We thank you all for your prayers and support! We miss all of our dear friends and family from New York and we look forward to sharing the joy that God is bringing into our lives!

Love to all,
Leah