My lovely baby bump, check it out...

Here you go! It has been awhile since I have had a good belly shot on here... these were taken a couple of weeks ago (I was 22 weeks at the time!) You can tell I have made quite a bit of progress in the 10 weeks since my last belly shot!! I need to take one more soon... I am amazed at how much bigger I am even now from these pictures!!! I think I am growing literally everyday!




I guess growing every day is no surprise as I seem to be hungry ALL the time! I even wake up HUNGRY! It is silly for anyone to ever ask a pregnant woman in her second trimester, "are you hungry?" The answer will ALWAYS be yes!! We went to a birthday party this past weekend for a friend and I seriously camped out by the food table for hours. I couldn't stop! So, I am petrified to see what the scale says at my next appointment on Wednesday! I seriously feel like I have gained a ton of weight since my last appointment! The worst part is my underwear seems to be shrinking (that can be the only logical explanation!) I just don't get it!! As one of the chapters in my "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" says, if this baby is in my stomach, why is my butt so big?!? It is an interesting phenomenon. I guess I could feel a lot better about this weight gain if the growth were soley in my belly. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case right now! So, I fear the scale! I also fear the blood pressure cuff too... that could be interesting! Just when you think things might start to subside too, everything gets NUTTY all over again!

All in all, as I wrap up week 24, I have to say that I am truly loving being pregnant! I actually find myself thinking about how excited I am to do this all over again. I know, I know, I am probably putting the cart before the horse, so to speak but I am really enjoying things right now. The most exciting thing is that Pip has become much more active. At least I can FEEL more movement now than before. Some days is is fairly constant. Just two weeks ago, Will and laid in bed for a long while on Sunday morning just feeling Pip move around. It was a VERY active morning. It was also the first time that Will really felt any good flips or kicks. It was pretty exciting. Now, we can lie on the couch at night and watch my stomach bounce around. It is really crazy. Sometimes it is so hard to believe that there is a little person in there... a little person made up of me and Will! It is such an overwhelming and wonderful experience. I find it hard to describe. So, there you have it! My reflections on 24 weeks of this crazy rollercoaster.... I guess all I can say is that I feel really very blessed to even be on this ride in the first place!

Little People, the Milkman and the American Dream

So, I am going to try and squeeze in another post here while I can (even though I REALLY should be working right now!!!) There is just so much going on and I want to get some stuff down before things get too busy again!

As I mentioned in the last post, there is so much happening for us right now! This year has been so incredible! It is funny because before we started this year, we set out 3 goals for ourselves: a baby, getting Will's business off the ground and a house. We had been pleasantly surprised that we were moving ahead so quickly with two of the three. Obviously we were quite excited when we found out about Pip back in February. It was also pretty amazing to see Will's summer calendar book up quickly with weddings and portraits galore. I never dreamed that we would actually be three for three by the end of the year... turns out, we most likely will be!

Last week, we went into escrow on a very little house in La Habra! I fell in love with it almost immediately. It is a small, two bedroom, one bath and is an older home (built in 1937) and is really well-suited for that era, which we suppose was full of little people and milkmen as the shower is way too small to house anyone larger than 6' (thank goodness Will is JUST about that tall... could be comical when my parents come to visit though. I keep envisioning the scene in Elf where Buddy is showering in the elf-sized shower... that will be my 6'8" dad in our new bathroom! Even so, it has a ton of charm... everything from the little white picket fence to the front porch and hardwood floors were completely enchanting to me. We were also impressed by the large backyard (so we could always add on someday). One of my favorite features is the little door in the kitchen that has another door to the outside wall... in it, a glass milk bottle as well as a little dial you can turn to let the milkman know exactly how much milk you need for the coming week. It is adorable and I hope the current owner leaves the milkjug for us! We hope to close escrow on the 10th or so (which, will be rough since we are supposed to be on our "babymoon" in Maui that week! ) It is all happening VERY fast but we are so excited. I am particularly excited to think that we are going to have a HOME of our own. I can already envision Pip's (USC) room... Pip learning to crawl around on the hardwood floors, playing outside on the nice big lawn with our dog (yeah, eventually we WILL have a dog!!!) or even spending lazy summer afternoons on the front porch (which is BEGGING for a porch swing) drinking lemondade while Pip plays in the sprinklers... it is all very Norman Rockwell, I know but it gets me through the STRESS of this home buying process!
It is pretty crazy because every time I feel like there is an end to the tunnel with my current stressors, something new pops up!! We are just really looking forward to getting through FAM JAM (my HUGE work project right now) and then closing on this house... I can't wait to celebrate with my virgin Pina Colada in Maui! Aloooooooooha!! :)

And now, what you all have been waiting for, pictures of our new home (can't you just see it all decked out for Christmas?!?! I can!!!!)

The Big Day

Hello again! It has been SO long since I posted! Things are going well here in pregnancy-ville, although, I have to admit that life is incredibly hectic! Let me see where we are at...

Well, on May 30th, we finally got to THE BIG DAY--- Ultrasound day! We were so excited to see Pip moving around in there! I was particularly looking forward to it because I started to experience REALLY bad pains in my side just two days before we were scheduled for our ultrasound. I was actually quite worried by them. They were so painful that I could barely walk! I started to notice them in the evening and then woke up around 3AM in a ton of pain. Will woke up too and we debated for a long time about whether or not we should go to the ER. I thought they might be "round ligament stretching pains" which happen because your belly is starting to really grow (which mine CERTAINLY is!) and the ligaments that support your growing uterus begin to stretch and can be painful. The problem was that everything I read indicated that such pains really only lasted a second or two and were triggered when you moved. I seemed to have them even when I was lying in bed in a fairly neutral position. Eventually, I was able to fall asleep (on my side with a pillow between my legs) and then felt a bit better in the morning.

That afternoon, however, they came back so I called the nurses line. They assured me that it did, indeed, sound like round-ligament stretching and that I could try warm or cool compress and take some Tylenol to try and manage the pains. I wish I had known what to expect with these! I guess not every woman has them but these were really bad and they caused quite a bit of concern. I spent a lot of time trying to feel Pip just to make sure that our little bean was still moving around and happy in there!!

By the time our ultrasound appointment arrived, I was feeling quite a bit better and it was nothing but reassuring to finally really SEE Pip again. Will was not allowed to go in with me at first (something about how they needed to get the "official" pictures taken first for the doctor and THEN we could play... of course, Daddy wasn't very happy about this but he did very well!) My ultrasound tech was very nice. SHe immediately commented on how active our baby is (I told her that he/she takes after dad!!) She mentioned this several times so that is a little worrisome :) But she also said that really active babies often means that they will be strong and healthy babies, so that is a good thing! She also commented on the size of Pip's legs and arms! She said this baby is going to be very tall (wonder where that would come from?!?!) At first, Pip was turned head down and backside up, which made it difficult to get good pictures (this is also what made it so difficult to get the heartbeat last time!!) She tried to do a few things to get Pip to turn around but baby refused. At that point, she referred to Pip as stubborn (again, not sure WHERE that would come from!!) So, she had me run to the restroom to see if that would get Pip to move... sure enough, when she tried again, we could see Pip had turned around and was MUCH more photogenic :) Before she got Will, I could see Pip hanging out and sucking his/her thumb. It was so cute!!

When Will came in, we got to spend several minutes just watching Pip and she took a couple of really good shots. This ultrasound maching was MUCH clearer than the last one. We made sure to tell her right away that we had no interest in finding out the sex and she did a good job of keeping that from us.

Here are a couple of our favorites:




At one point, she also said, "Oh look! Your baby is giving you the peace sign" Will and I both looked at each other and told her it wasn't the "peace" sign, it was the USC Victory sign!! She tried to capture it but the picture didn't turn out so great. All in all, it was a very exciting day!

I am having trouble believing that I turn 24 weeks tomorrow. It just doesn't seem possible! I remember being 6 weeks and feeling like every week was taking an absolute eternity... now, I wish I could slow time down a bit because I feel to busy to truly ENJOY this process of being pregnant. It is so odd! There is a lot going on with the Parris clan right now, which contributes to the craziness, but I will have to save that for another post :)

Off to eat (again!)

Happy Mother's Day... to me :)

So, last Sunday was Mother's Day! I know I am not official yet, BUT I do think that I should get SOME recognition for the fact that I am carrying around a little human being in my tummy. So, since they do not yet have a "Human Incubator Day," I gladly relished in the numerous wishes I received last week to "have a happy mother's day!!" For the first time, I got "Mother's Day" gifts. One from my mother in law (a beautiful diamond heart necklace and some yummy, very clean smelling soap and lotion, which is really nice since I still can't really wear my old perfume... I think it is too strong or too closely associated with morning sickness memories for me or something!!!) Anyway, I also got a rose bush from my mom that we can plant in order to commemorate Pip's life. It is neat to think that when Pip turns one, it should be producing a beautiful pink rose called "the Mother's Rose." It will look like this:

In any event, I thought it was a VERY sweet gift and I hope beyond hope that I don't manage to kill it (as I suspect I may already have!! If there is one thing I did not inherit from my mother, it is her green thumb!) I also got a card from Pip (via Will) urging me to go to Glen Ivy... twist my arm :) They do offer Maternity Massages there... I am so excited!! We also got my first official "Mother's Day" picture take at church (Will took all of the photos this year... this is a "not so official" one that makes me laugh!

All in all, Mother's Day was pretty great (the presents are fun!) but it is also a good time for me to really process the fact that I am going to be someone's MOM!!! It is almost as though that has NOT sunk in with me quite yet. For the rest of my life, I may not even be known as Jessica anymore but more so as "Pip's Mom." It is nutty! It makes me think a lot about my own mom. WARNING-This is about to get a bit setimental and mushy so, if you are not the type, please feel free to stop reading here :)

I guess I am beginning to realize how much I want to be like my mom with Pip. Sure, there are some things I will do differently but, on the whole, I think I was so lucky to grow up with the parents that I had. I got to see my mom this weekend in Sacramento for my sister-in-law's shower (another post, I am sure!) and it was so nice to just chat with her. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was sitting in the airport waiting to leave and just talking with my mom as we stared out over the tarmac and drank our starbucks together. I asked lots of questions... mostly about childbirth. What it was like for her, etc. I also asked questions about who SHE thought I was more like, her or dad. Although I am DEFINITELY my father's daughter, there are some traits of my mom's that I have inherited. I know there are times when I say something (especially like when I yell at the TV during a sports game or the way I talk to the kids at church) when I stop and think to myself, "I AM my mother!!" It is odd! I also think I got some of her creativity and love of order (all things that seem to have kicked in later in life). Like my mom, I really enjoy being around kids and feel like serving them is part of who I am.

There are some things about my mom I have NOT inherited, however. Many are things I would like to work on or really want to emulate better.... For example, I am not as gracious as my mom. I don't have the patience she does with people that clearly annoy me. My mom seems to be one of the most forgiving women that I know. Also, I don't think you can beat her hospitality. I know plenty of people that open up their home to others, but nobody does it like my mom! It isn't a show or a chance to show the world how close she is to Martha Stewart (which, she is!! We have been eating cornish game hens since I was in jr. high and we have always had one of the nicest yards around... that is my mom!!) but rather just a chance to invite someone into our world. Even holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving are not exclusive to the Young family... my mom will invite over nearly anyone who needs a place to go. She is also really good and getting gifts and cards into the mail, ON TIME! Something I am pitiful at accomplishing!!

Another thing I love about my mom... HER love of the holidays (another trait thatI have inherited). She goes after the holidays with gusto. Our house is always decorated from floor to ceiling but never overdone. She values tradition and the spirit of the day. She manages to take in the holidays and forget the commercial hype. I love that about her.

She is always put together. I don't think she EVER goes out of the house without makeup (which I admire about her!) She makes my friends feel comfortable and her family feel loved. She gives and probably sacrifices for us more than I will ever completely know or understand. She taught us early on how to love Jesus not just by TELLING us about Him but showing us how to be more like Him. She loves and cares about people. She sticks up for the people she cares about but isn't afraid to tell you when she thinks YOU might be in the wrong (a quality I HATED in high school but have now come to appreciate). She seeks harmony and peace in her home and with her friends. She is and has been a great mother. In so many ways, I want to be more like her.

So often, I think Pip is a girl... and it scares the daylights out of me! It will be fun at first, frilly dresses and tea parties. But then I think about 15 years from now and I am PARALYZED with fear. Today, however, I let my imagination drift past 15 years, onto 20 or even 30 years from now and I had to smile. I figure if I can be a mom like mine has been and my daughter is someday asking ME questions about life and childbirth as she anticipates starting a family of her own, as we stare out over the tarmac drinking coffee together, I cannot imagine any other kind of success in my life greater than that. And maybe, just maybe, she will reflect back and think to herself that she wants to be a lot like me (and like her grandma!) too as she starts her family. And then I think that having a little girl might not be so bad afterall.

Our Child- the Troublemaker...

It is official... our child takes after his/her dad (although, some might argue it is mom that is being imitated, but I will stick with the former :) I know it has been a while since I have blogged and a lot has happened in the past several weeks... one event seems to stick out in my mind though as pivotal and flat-out frightening. It all started at my 20 week appointment...

...everything was going great. I weighed in (+11 lbs since my first appointment. I wanted to be at 10 but it is close enough, I suppose!) Then, we started discussing my AFP test (a test that detects chromosonal abnormalities that I was hesitant to take because I had heard a lot about false positives and I really didn't think it would change much anyway, but we took anyway) and that all of that had come out normal... all was going very well. Then, Lynn tried to find the heartbeat. It wasn't any different than the first two times when she found it swishing right away. EXCEPT this time, it was silent. There were occassional swishes (that usually indicate kicks or movement) but nothing that resembled a heart beat. Lynn kept trying and I asked her if she was worried. Not yet was her reply. She kept looks and pressing on my belly but we couldn't get it. She mentioned that everything else looked right on schedule for 20 weeks but the fact that it took so long to find it was a little troubling. After several grouling minutes, she decided to whisk us into the ultrasound room. I wasn't sure what to think. Part of me was certain everything was fine... afterall, I had been feeling Pip move around for weeks now (and getting more and more sure of what felt like kicking versus rolling, etc.) but then part of me could not help but be concerned. I began to worry that maybe I had been making it all up, or that it had all been in my head. I just remember lying down on that table and praying that we would not see a lifeless little being on the screen next to me. I could not even imagine the horror. Will was so good throughout the whole thing. He held my hand, kissed my forehead and tried to reassure me that everything was going to be just fine. I am SO glad that he was there.

In just moments, Lynn had lubed up my belly and stuck the wand on it. Right away she said "Well, there's your baby!" My first question was "where is the heartbeat?" After just a second, we saw it. A beautiful four-chamber heart just beating away. I was so relieved and so overwhelmed at the sight of my child that I didn't even know what to think. It was all so unbelievable! We weren't even supposed to have an ultrasound for another week or two and here we were, SEEING Pip for the very first time. It was amazing!

It turns out Pip was hiding behind my placenta and seems to be doing just fine. Lynn was great and let us look for quite awhile before putting the wand away. Unfortunately, there was no way to take pictures on that machine but, of course, Pip's daddy ALWAYS has his camera on him so he was able to get some shots of Pip's big moment. The hardest part was probably when Lynn asked us if we were certain that we didn't want to know Pip's gender. Part of me was dying to find out. I asked her if she could tell and she coyly said no but I get the impression she could (could this mean blue in our future?) But I am certain that if we can get through the NEXT ultrasound (our official one on the 30th) then we may be able to stick with the plan.
We all did agree at this point that Pip is, indeed, a trouble maker!! Even Lynn called Pip a brat. Will and I could not agree more. He/she already gave us quite a scare and a brief glimpse into how scary this parenting thing is really going to be. Since Thursday, I spend more time than ever thinking about this baby. Maybe it has to do with finally SEEING Pip or maybe it is just the realization that I am so emotionally invested in this little being already. Either way, I have a feeling parenthood is going to be just like Thursday was... a mix of the most amazing and miraculous things I have ever been a part of in my life. Both terrifying and wonderful.

Of course, the day was well documented... here are some quick shots (that you can also find on the parris-studios blog as well) so that you can get a feel for the big day. Enjoy :)

I'm so Rumbly, in my Tumbly...

This post was actually written last Friday... sorry it has taken so long to publish :)

So much happens these days within just a couple of weeks! I am feeling MUCH better than I have been. Nausea is much less frequent and chocolate and I are back to being the pals we once were. For all of a week or so, I guess I was actually feeling like me again... just plain old Jessica! That didn't last long though. I'm into a new phase... the feeling phase!

I have been feeling "flutters" for the past couple of weeks but most people usually discount those as "gas." Weird gas, I would say. But yesterday was different. After eating a big lunch and then sitting at my desk, I felt almost as though my bladder was full but without the pain or pressure to pee. I began to realize that it was my uterus that was feeling stretched out. Then that stretchy feeling moved to the left, then back to the right. It is almost like when you rub your knuckles up against your opposite open hand. It happened again last night after Will and I walked to Cheesecake Factory for dinner (we are trying to walk more and we had a gift card to use-win, win, win). It was that same distinct stretching and moving feeling. Then it started again today around mid-morning. I have to say, it is truly amazing. I know I will tire of it eventually (and be sick of the kicking someday) but, for now, I love it! It makes this all seem so much more REAL and less in my head!!

We had our 16 week appointment last week. It was... uneventful! It is amazing how quickly those trips go now. Pee in a cup, take your blood pressure, feel around your belly, listen to the sweet swishing of Pip's heartbeat, ask any questions we might have... then, done. I asked many of my questions that came up after being at Suzanne's birth. Many of my concerns were alleviated. However, I did learn that my midwife doesn't seem all that keen on pursuing a "natural" childbirth. I guess I should have known that. She wasn't discouraging but she certainly doesn't have the same view of it as I do. Our definitions were even very different... for her, Suzanne's birth was "Natural" because Emily was delivered through a "natural" orifice. In any event, I still think she is going to be supportive of this decision. I think it was just a tad bit disappointing to come to this realization.
As always, my artsy husband was there to document the day... here it is in pictures :) Enjoy!


Here is me... pre-appt (with a little belly :))



The drill... blood pressure and doppler (peeing in a cup pictures tastefully withheld ;))

What kind of world are we living in?

I guess it is hard NOT to address what happened yesterday at Va Tech. It is hard not to think about how 32 young kids lost their lives and over what?! More than anything, as a soon-to-be mom, it is hard not to think about the kind of world that my child will be growing up in. It is a very scary prospect. Being bombarded with the images of horror, I find that the quiet of the morning has given me some time to ponder and process it all a little more. For that, I am grateful.

Some of my processing time came in staff meeting this morning. The question was this: do we address what has happened in Virginia this week in service? It seems unnatural not to touch on it. At times like this, people question how a loving and just God could allow such atrocities to occur. It is mind boggling (or mind-bottling, if you are a Chas Michael Michaels fan) how a good God would let such things happen. I guess it is that whole "problem of evil" debate all over again. Somehow, I think we HAVE to address it, not just because it is such a public issue, but also because it is such a personal issue. It hurts because it hits close to home. In every church, in every city and in every pew, people are dealing with pain. People lose loved ones, suffer from emotional traumas, live with constant lack of fulfillment in their lives. It comes in different ways and in different forms but we all experience it. So, why wouldn't we talk about it? Why wouldn't we wrestle with God? Why can't we be angry with him for the world that we live in? I think in most churches, that is taboo. I am glad it isn't here.

I guess this is my theory (and, remember, I am just a lowly lay person, really! I have never been to Bible College or really studied theology... so, I could just be popping off. BUT, it is MY blog. If you disagree, start your own :) As I said from the beginning, I never assumed anyone would be interested in what I have to say about anything... why should that change now?!?! Just let me type and process... thanks!) So, here it goes...You cannot have victory without a battle. In other words, I don't know that we could fully experience the amazing good of our God without the juxtaposition against the cruelty of this world. You can call it yin and yang, good vs. evil... whatever you like. But I think it is true. I have been thinking a lot today about the Va Tech community. My gut tells me that it is not a place of horror and fear today. Sure, there may be traces of that, but I think at the heart of it all, at the epicenter, there is grief and pain but there is also a surreal sense of comfort and peace. I think that is often the way of things. I think back to the shooting within the Amish community this past year. I know so many people were mesmerized by their peace about the situation and their ability to forgive. I think that the reality is that we were finally shown a community that was able to name it for what it was: a peace that surpasses all human understanding. I also think back to the time just after 9/11. I remember that sense of loss and pain... not just for those people in New York but for me too. There was such a loss of innocence. A feeling that the world we live in will forever be changed. But I also remember feeling an odd sense of calm and a new thread of dependence on other people in my community and on a God would could not only sustain me and our nation but also heal us. I just hope and pray that my little theory is right and that the same can be said for the people of Blacksburg, VA today.

So, what does any of this have to do with Pip? Quite a bit, I suppose. In the last 24 hours, I have visited the usually baby center message boards and a common thread is that many expectant moms worry about the world their kids will grow up in. I guess I know that this world is sometimes horrifying. That there is evil that roams free and justice does not always prevail. I suppose that I also know that there IS good in this world. That people CAN have a positive impact on other people and that we serve a God whose heart breaks for the pain we endure. I guess I just want to teach Pip to be that second kind of person, the person whose heart breaks at the things that break the heart of God. That Pip becomes the kind of person that wants to enact change in this world, to BE the hands and feet of Jesus, whether that means serving the poor and disenfranchised people on the other side of the world or just carrying the groceries for the little old lady at the market. I want Pip to know that he/she is a part of the story of God. That Pip has a calling and a purpose; to BE Jesus to people cause Pip may be the only Jesus that people ever see. I suppose that is a very tall task but I think it is doable. And if even a few people in this world want to do the same, then I KNOW that this world will be a better place than it is today.
As Jesus said: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done... on EARTH as it is in heaven.

Maybe I am theologically whacked, but thinking about it this way makes it easier for me to sleep at night. It also makes it easier for me to serve a God that I know is about mercy, love and compassion. I know he is present in the pain. And I know, today, he is holding Blacksburg, Virginia tightly to his chest.