Update on pregnancy

Well, I've been feeling all sorts of new things happening to my body these days. I mostly still feel tired and wish I could take naps more often. I have been experiencing lower back pain for the first time ever! I can't sit or lay in the same position for very long before I need to readjust or put a pillow behind me for support.

I've been feeling more emotional these days too. Most of the time I think I handle things pretty well, but sometimes, out of nowhere, I'll just feel too frustrated or overwhelmed and start to cry. I cry for about 1/2 hour-1 hour sometimes just to get it all out of my system.

Steven has been WONDERFUL through this whole pregnancy. I truly am blessed with an amazing husband who loves and cares for me in every way I need, and sometimes don't know that I need. I just can't thank the Lord enough for blessing me with this man!

I'm starting to feel that I just can't work a full 40 hour work-week any longer. My current job will allow me to work 30 hours a week and still keep my health insurance (vision coverage.) So, I've been contemplating when it will be necessary for me to make that switch and what that will look like. Either shorter days everyday, or full days and take one more day off during the week. We'll see.

We have another doctors appointment this Friday and they will go over the results and measurements of our ultrasound with us. I might ask the doctor for written approval of my working shorter hours to take to my employer. Hopefully that will alleviate some of the dialog and just get it approved faster.

We have started looking into nursery themes and registry items! That's been fun and a little challenging for us to agree on. My great friend Kari is going to go with me to some stores and help me register for the things that really matter and educate me on the things that most people don't end up needing or using.

I've also started putting together the guest lists for baby showers. My mom's friend Brenda has offered to host me a shower and my friends Alicia and Jill have offered to host a shower for Clovis Hills peeps! I am very blessed to have such great friends who want to honor me and the baby!

Other than all that - I am enjoying being able to feel my son move around inside me and we really enjoy being able to pray for him by name now. It's defiantly feeling more real now and we love it!

It's a BOY!!!

Hello All,
well - we found out yesterday at our BIG ultrasound appointment that we're expecting a BOY!!!

Here's a picture of the "money shot."

More to come, but wanted to share the news! Thanks for your continued prayers for us.

Here is a link to more photos on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94212&id=583982705&l=573ef8b385

Baby Estes - 12 Weeks!

We went to Kaiser yesterday for our 12 week appointment to see Baby Estes! It was so exciting to see that it has grown SO much in 4 weeks since the last time we saw it. It defiantly looks like a baby now. We saw its head, arms, legs and torso and butt. We saw the two hemispheres of the brain too. We saw and heard its little heart beating again...strong! The baby is about 3 inches long now and about the size of an apricot, only not completely round. And it weighs about 1 oz.!

It was quite the wiggler which was SO fun to see! Here are some pictures.

Here is the baby's face on the left. Sort of looks like an alien, but it's OUR alien!

Here is the back of the baby's head on the left and its butt is on the lower right.

Here is the back of the baby's head on the left and its butt on the upper right. Sort of like its twisting its torso.

Our next appointment is two weeks before Christmas and won't be an ultrasound. (I'm very sad about this.) We had thought we could find out the gender at that time, but looks like we'll have to wait until the beginning of January instead. Oh well.

I had thought that by knowing if it was a boy or a girl would help me start to bond with the baby more. But since it's not going to happen until later, I'll have to trust that God will help me bond in other ways. I am just thankful that the baby is continuing to grow at a healthy rate and that I have stayed healthy too.

I haven't had any major "morning sickness" which has been SUCH a blessing! My only really bothersome symptom has been exhaustion. For about a good month or two I had to come home from work and get directly in bed for a nap. It was hard to stay awake at work and sometimes I even used my 1/2 hour lunch break for a nap in my car! I am pleased to say that even though I haven't had a nap in a week now, I'm still tired, but not as bad.

I have been struggling as to when to buy my first maternity clothes. I'm down to about two or three pairs of pants that I can still wear. (Sometimes with the button UNdone, but still getting away with it.) I will probably have to bite the bullet and get at least one or two pairs of maternity pants pretty soon. But that is to be expected I guess.

We are constantly amazed and thankful for all the changes happening to my body because of this little one. We are excited for its development and thrilled when we get to see it on screen. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. We'll keep you updated!

!!!NEWS!!!

So, once again I have dropped off the face of the Earth and neglected my blogging. But we have WONDERFUL NEWS...we're expecting!!! I'm 10 weeks along now and Baby Estes is due to arrive in the middle of May 2010!!!
Here is our most recent ultrasound picture at 8 weeks. We have another appointment in about two weeks and hopefully will be able to see a more defined figure of the baby.

It is so amazing to feel the new changes in my body and yes, to even enjoy the spurts of sickness or discomfort knowing that this is something we've prayed for. We would appreciate your prayers as we progress in this pregnancy and await our precious little one! God is good, and we are SO thankful!

News!

Wow, I just realized I haven't blogged in a while! Well, our lives have been so full to joy this summer. We moved into our first home last weekend and I have been blessed with a new job! The Lord is awesome and I am SO enjoying seeing Him work in our lives. I am also excited to report that I have also lost a total of 26 pounds since the begining of April and am looking forward to the next 20 pounds!.

Our 5 Year Anniversary!

Thank you LORD for blessing me with 5 years of marriage to Steven Estes. I have strived to be the Godly wife you have called me to be. To be supporting and encouraging, to pray for him daily (sometimes more,) to protect and honor him and to LOVE him unconditionally! I look forward to what the next 5, 10, even 50 years will bring us!

Steven and I spent our anniversary date at the Clovis Farmer's Market with our good friends, the Alejo's! We had a great time taking part in our town's culture and festivities and best of all, being together!

The Mr. and Mrs.


Steven eating some of Fresno State University's premium ice cream!
(Ray and Alicia Alejo in the back right.)


Logan Alejo (Ray and Alicia's 3-year-old.)