Saturday, December 31, 2016

Finding Contentment in 2017

It is so ironic that THIS popped up on my timehop today. On this day 5 years ago the Lord put this verse on my heart, and I woke up this morning with this same verse (& post) burning in my mind. I’ve had so many messages pop into my head over the past year and I always want to blog about them, but when I don’t do it right away I rarely get around to it. So, I decided seeing this was a nudge that I needed to write this out- NOW.

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I truly believe so many issues stem from a lack of contentment…living beyond our means (which = more debt/bondage/stress), feelings of unhappiness or inadequacy, jealousy, comparison, and most importantly, a lack of PEACE. I truly believe peace and contentment go hand in hand.

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There is a huge difference in contentment and complacency. Honestly, I have struggled with finding the balance. If anything right now, I am working on being less complacent. I am very content! Does that mean life is perfect? NO, of course not. But I am so thankful the Lord has given me such a spirit of contentment over the past couple of years. It is something I have prayed for, and the Lord has answered, so I wanted to share a little of my mindset on this journey.

There is nothing wrong with wanting more for your family or having big goals and dreams, but I believe the ones the Lord places in our hearts only come after contentment. If we lack contentment, wanting more is typically more about greed and materialism (& that is not from God.) And I am not just talking about financially. This can be in many areas- our spiritual walk, ministry, our marriage, families/raising children, our physical health, serving in our community, our home. Many of the verses do specifically address the love of money because I think the Lord knew this would be a struggle for many. (Although just to clarify- it says the LOVE of money itself is the root of all kinds of evil. Money itself is not evil. It takes money to live, to run our churches, to support ministries & charities…money is necessary.)

I also love Hebrews 13:5. I remember being in elementary or middle school and one of my mentors taught me to memorize that verse by singing it to the tune of “Wheels on the Bus” and it has stuck with me all these years.

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I see both ends of the spectrum- some people who are so busy chasing money that they are never content & are lacking peace…and people who think wanting and working for MORE for your future/family is greedy or materialistic, so they tend to err on the side of laziness or complacency. Bottom line: People who have more have an opportunity to give more. Does that mean everyone will? No. Some of the most generous people are ones who don’t have anything. So can you imagine if those people had MUCH to give? On the flip side, there are lots of wealthy people who are extremely generous!!! (A middle class mindset is one that thinks the rich aren’t doing enough. I remember reading a story where a very wealthy man was embarrassed about driving an expensive car. I’m sure people judged him for that! But in reality, that car vs.the amount of money he earned in a year was comparable to what most people spend on a daily latte compared to their yearly salary. Most of us would never consider that perspective! Or the fact that this particular man GIVES away millions and millions of dollars every year to support ministries and charities.)Money can be used for good or evil, so the more money we have in the hands of good, godly people, the more that money can be used for GOOD! Reading Dave Ramsey’s book The Legacy Journey really helped me undo some negative thinking I had about wealthy people and money in general (from a Biblical perspective), so it may be worth picking up if you haven’t read it yet. It is an excellent follow up to the Total Money Makeover & to start thinking ahead if you’re making your way through his 7 baby steps.

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There are SO many Scriptures about working hard as if working for the Lord. I think it’s important to find something you’re passionate about & you enjoy, something that is a good use of your time, talent, & resources, finding a purpose to drive you that is bigger than just a paycheck, and then giving that “job” to the Lord and not allowing it to become an idol in your life. It is possible to be content with what you have while working for more.

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And like I said, this isn’t all about money necessarily. I have found that today’s society sends the message to “be comfortable in your own skin” and “love yourself.” Here’s the thing. While we must be learn to be content with the "Unchangeables," we should still strive to take the best possible care of our temples. Of our families. Of our homes. The world’s message gives us the message that we have a license to live without discipline on the basis that we are “loving ourselves,” when in fact the opposite is true.

So, back to finding contentment.

I think it’s important to know what the Bible says about being content. It commands us to be content. It tells us that godliness with contentment are great gain. If this is an area where you struggle, memorize these verses and begin praying for the Lord to help you in this area and change your heart. He is SO FAITHFUL to answer prayers when we genuinely seek Him and desire change that will draw us closer to Him/make us look more like Christ.

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Studying the Word of God & fervent prayer are the solution to pretty much any issue in our life, so it is always best to start there.

There are also some practical things we can do that will help too though.

Finding Contentment:

  • starts with a GRATEFUL spirit. When you are so, so thankful & “give thanks in all things” as we are called to do, you instantly feel happier, are more pleasant to be around, and are less likely to complain. Gratitude is a habit, which means we can become more thankful. I have found that most people assume they’re a grateful person, but never stop to consider if their thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions actually reflect that. For most of us, God has been WAY better to us than we deserve! I know that I am so beyond thankful for his grace and mercy in my life, so I want my attitude to be a reflection of a grateful heart. Be thankful for the roof over your head, the food in your belly, the bed to sleep in, the clothes on your back, your health, your friends and family, your senses, for waking up today…there is just SO much to be grateful for! I know I don’t have to tell you that, but sometimes it is a nice reminder to consciously THANK the Lord for both the little and big blessings in our life. Daily.
  • starts with the right mindset. Perspective is HUGE! If we choose to focus on what we do have, our blessings, & the good in others, it will completely reshape how we approach everything.

           You will become a more content person…quickly.

  • means choosing to be genuinely happy for others & celebrating their wins. When you see someone who has lost weight, bought a bigger house or newer car, has on a cute outfit, whose children are very well behaved and respectful, who cooks delicious meals for her family, who has a gift in a certain area, who gets a promotion, who achieves a big goal, whose husband seems to spoil her…how do you feel? Do you feel jealous? Do you think “I wish that would happen to me!” or maybe think of  reasons that other person got lucky? Do you make excuses why that can’t be you? I have found the best way to approach this is to genuinely compliment others & extend congratulations. It is so rewarding to be able to be  GENUINELY happy when I see something good happen for someone else. If someone has a quality or gift I admire, or they do something BIG (or even small), or accomplish something, or are excited about something, I try to verbally (or through written word- a comment, text, note, etc.) let them know I recognize that and I am happy for them. And I choose not to allow any feelings of jealousy or envy to even creep into my mind. Isn’t it amazing that we have control over that? That’s why we are commanded to “take our thoughts captive, making them obedient to Christ.”
  • means protecting yourself. To be honest, we don’t go shopping very often (if at all) and don’t really watch t.v. I try to stay off Pinterest. I’m not saying you can’t ever go anywhere or look at anything & to completely shelter yourself. (That would be ridiculous!) But, if you know going to the mall is going to cause you to overspend…or watching a certain thing on t.v. is going to cause you to covet…or being around a certain group of people leads to discontentment…choose to simply NOT do those things. Also, begin to pray for discipline! You can have the discipline to go to Target and ONLY get what is on your list, despite what all the memes say. (Ha!) Really though…
  • comes through surrounding yourself with others who are content. Not lazy or complacent. Just content. Find friends who challenge you to BECOME more, think BIGGER, work HARDER, DREAM more, GIVE more, & stretch yourself. God created us for GROWTH! But there is a balance. We have a couple of people in our lives like this (not many, but a few) and we are so thankful for their wisdom and example.It is so very true that you become like the people you surround yourself around (whether you like it or not), so choose wisely.

There is so much JOY & peace in being content. Praying 2017 is a year of finding true contentment!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Baby Butler #3 is 33 Weeks!

Growth: Your Growing Baby: Your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 17 inches. She weighs about 4 1/2 pounds and gains about eight ounces every week. Your baby has probably moved to the head-down position and may descend into your pelvis at any time in the next six weeks and begin to press into your cervix. (from fitpregnancy.com)

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Weight/Baby Bump: Yesterday was my first day back totally on the clean eating train and it felt SO good. I ate wayyyy to many treats over the holidays because I baked a TON! (I did give lots of it away too.) I’m going to back off the baking and comfort food for a while now that the holidays are over. I am still up about 23 lbs.

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These are the only “bump pics” I took this week (from Christmas day). You can see the outline of my sweet support belt/suspenders. Ha!

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Sleep: Uhhhh the leg cramps! I woke up a few different nights in the last two weeks at about 3:30 am with cramps in my calves. I tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake Jonathan, so I just went downstairs and drank some water or Rehydrate, ate a banana, and stretched it out. Other than that still just the normal tossing and turning back and forth and lots of popping coming from my pelvis when I do. Your joints are DEFINITELY looser the third time around when you have them pretty close.

Movement: Still a wild man! Normally I take tons of baths during pregnancy, but since we’ve been living in rentals I’ve been sticking to showers. I finally took a bath last night & he was going CRAZY! Both of the other boys did that too. (It’s not too hot or anything…I think they just love being in the water.) You can very visibly see him moving from the outside now. My dad got to see it on Christmas and I recorded one of the craziest videos the other night of wild man Beau!

Appointments: I had an appointment last week (12/20). My blood pressure was 107/57 & baby’s heart rate was in the 140s I think. I mentioned about my pelvic pain and was excited that she actually recommended chiropractic. (I planned to do that anyway of course.) I actually had the appointment with the new chiropractors later that same day, and they are very knowledgeable/thorough, certified in Webster technique, & explained everything very well. It helped my lower back (pelvis) a TON and I cannot wait to go back this week. I am a big time believer in chiropractic anyway, but especially during pregnancy, & I love going to someone who specializes specifically in that area.

My next appointment is next week. I don’t even have enough appointments left to meet all of the providers (boo!), so praying someone I know will be on call when the time comes.

Work Outs: I only went to the gym a few times over the last 2 weeks, but I was pretty active most days. I was super lazy on Christmas day and sat most of the day + took a serious 2 hour afternoon nap. I guess that’s what gave me all the energy for nesting the next day!

Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: Baby Beau received his first gift from our friend Marissa!So cute!!

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Goals: I accomplished everything on my to-do list and more on Monday, so goals for the rest of the week- take 2 yoga classes, have someone over for dinner, go to the bank, get a few blog posts out, help a few more folks prepare to get started on the huge ALL IN challenge kicking off on January 2nd.

Thoughts: NESTING!! On Monday I washed, folded, and put away all the laundry, washed and put away the dishes, washed all of the linens in the whole house (changed everyone’s sheets & even washed the comforters, rugs and a shower curtain!), vacuumed every room in the entire house, swept and mopped the kitchen, hand scrubbed all of the bathrooms (toilets, floors, sinks & mirrors), put away all of the Christmas decorations, dusted, put away/organized all of the boys’ Christmas gifts, made 3 homemade meals from scratch, went to the grocery store, bathed both boys, and filled Jonathan’s truck up with gas.

Praying that God directs us where to go for delivery. We can choose between two hospitals. We are currently living closer to the new one, so will most likely end up there. But, there are a few things still keeping me from committing 100% to delivering there.

Also, I don’t really want to do a shower, but I would love, love, love for our friends to say a prayer for Beau and for us as our “gift.” I believe in the power of prayer and know the Lord hears them. We truly covet the prayers & that is the very best thing I can think of to ask for! We have all the baby stuff & boy clothes we need anyway…just gotta go dig those bad boys out of storage (or even better, find our next home to buy soon & unpack everything there!).

Prayers for Beau: Praying he comes in the Lord’s perfect timing and that I’ll know exactly when to go to the hospital to welcome him into the world. Praying for the staff who will help us deliver him and take care of us/him during his first couple of days on the earth. Praying he continues to develop physically- all of his organs (brain, heart, lungs, stomach, etc.) and that he is positioned perfectly (his head, the cord, etc.) for a smooth vaginal delivery. Praying for his breathing to be strong, for his immune system to be strengthened, for his sugar levels to be normal, and for him to wait to go to the bathroom until he is delivered. Praying that all of his systems function properly- digestive, circulatory, nervous, respiratory, urinary, reproductive. Isn’t it so AWESOME how God works out every sweet detail? Praying for his skin, his bones, his vision & hearing. Praying he nurses well & sleeps well. Praying he is a HAPPY, easy baby like his brothers have been. Praying he fits perfectly into our family and always knows how very LOVED he is, first and foremost by our Savior, but also by me and his daddy and the rest of our family. He is a gift and a blessing! Praying for his unique personality, strengths, and gifts and that we foster those in him. Praying Luke 2:52 over him – that he will grow in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man just as Jesus did. Praying he is a LIGHT to others. Praying blessings, protection, empowerment, and anointing over him and his life. Praying he is a strong man of God and a champion for the Lord. Praying he loves the Lord, our God, with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Comparison:

Jase: IMG_2898

Kade: IMG_6657

Monday, December 19, 2016

Baby Butler #3 is 31 Weeks

Growth: “This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.”

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Weight/Baby Bump: I started wearing my belly support band more consistently this week and it definitely helps take some of the pressure off. The torpedo…it’s kind of like a shelf without any support, so that puts a lot of pressure at the bottom of my belly. (If you carry like I do, it’s definitely worth investing in one.) I think I’ve gained about 23-24 lbs, which is a few pounds more than I had gained at this point with Jase & Kade (I was right around 20 with both).

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Gender: Sweet little fella! Baby Beau. I cannot wait for a precious new baby to love on! #boymom

Sleep: Sleeping okay. I toss & turn from side to side a good bit & get up to potty if I drink too much water too late.

Movement: He always gets super wild after I drink some tart cherry juice before bed! Also having a good bit of Braxton Hicks, but nothing consistent of course.

Appointments: No appointments this past week (except a dental cleaning), but I go next week & will see a new practitioner. I feel like I just went to the doctor- seems so crazy I’m already going every two weeks and it’ll be every week before I know it. Our practice just merged with another and moved to a different office, so I’m excited to see the new facilities.

Work Outs: I have never been one to feel the need to “take it easy” during pregnancy, and honestly it has always seemed kinda whiny to me when people act like pregnancy is some kind of ailment. (I mean, I’m not lifting heavy, moving furniture, or running marathons or anything, but I like to stay active and for the most part continue with what I’ve always done.) Well, I finally overdid it. On Tuesday of this week I cleaned my whole house- swept, mopped, cleaned bathrooms (including scrubbing floors), vacuumed the whole upstairs and downstairs, and washed all the linens. (Nothing new. I like to clean and do this often, just maybe not all in the same day.) I carried Kade around a good bit. (He IS walking well finally- praise the Lord! But I still carry him in public & up and down stairs.) I cooked supper. Did the dishes. I went to the gym that evening with Jon and did a pretty solid workout (squats, lunges, deadlifts, & upper body work etc. all with light weight). Wrapped a few presents I’ve been meaning to wrap. And the next day I could barely walk. Not like out of soreness from the workout, but I was having so much pain in my pelvis (both front and back) that it literally hurt to walk. I had to waddle & even that was uncomfortable. I could barely carry Kade. It hurt something fierce to walk up stairs, get in and out of the car, push a stroller, or stand on one leg to put my pants on. I was in tears by the time Jon got home Wednesday evening, and that is saying a lot because I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I am not one to “self diagnose,” but I felt pretty confident after doing some research that I had SPR (symphisis pubic disorder) or PPD (during pregnancy. We prayed together that night, and after getting in bed early & doing some stretches, I woke up feeling MUCH better on Thursday! SO thankful!! We were nervous about how Jonathan would be able to finish this house we’re fixing up if I couldn’t take care of things at home…and it might sound dramatic, but if the pain had kept up the way it was on Wednesday, there is no way I’d be able to do it. I’m still not totally convinced I don’t have a slight case of SPD because I hear clicking in my pelvis when I flip from side to side in the bed, and it’s a little uncomfortable standing on one leg at a time. I am pretty certain what I thought was back pain I’ve mentioned (bottom left of my back side) is actually my pelvis. There aren’t really any implications or concerns for labor, but I definitely will take it easier in these final weeks. I plan to remain active, but I will for sure be more intentional about resting and not overdoing it. So, I haven’t worked out any more this week yet, but I’ll probably get back to some light workouts next week.

What I’m Reading: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth (seriously has me so excited for labor/delivery!), The Magic of Thinking Big (listening on Audible), & just started The Power of Other. Also just finished The Power of a Transformed Wife (HIGHLY recommend!) written by my friend Lori.

Goals: Yoga. Get some stuff out of storage for the baby. Finish (um, start really) Christmas shopping. Send out Christmas cards when they come in.

Thoughts: I decided I am going to step up my mental game this week. There is so much power in our words and thoughts. When people have been asking me how I feel, I always respond that I feel good but I am much more tired this pregnancy. Not going to do that anymore…Back to being annoyingly positive!

Comparison:

Jase: [IMG_2787%255B3%255D.jpg]

Kade: [photo%25201%2520%252815%2529%255B5%255D.jpg]

Thursday, December 8, 2016

“My 75” Boards

Did you know that statistics show you are 80% more likely to accomplish a goal if it is written down? The first step is obviously dreaming it up, and then there is significance in writing it down where you can see it…but the most important part is the ACTION that follows. Keeping it in front of you encourages you to take small (or big) consistent action steps towards that goal, because “what you focus on and measure gets done."

We have talked about this, thought on it, and prayed through these...& Jonathan and I finally completed this project together in September. It's our family's #my75 list. (And it was a blast!) This is a fun variation of a vision board. We completed one with cutouts from magazines & different stickers back in August too. Loved it!

I like that this one is so specific and several of them are tied to a time-frame. There are some short term, some long term, some individual, some family goals...but all things we are striving towards. You can't hit a target that doesn't exist, so here are some of our targets.

We have already started! We challenged several other families to do this too, and it has been SO neat to see people peeling off sticky notes as a family. (We would love to see your boards as well, so this would make a great family night or date night project.)

Here is our original board.

A few fell off during our move, and there are a few more we  realized we needed to make more specific and add a time frame. Since originally creating the board towards the end of September, we have crossed 7 off of our list and are making major progress towards a few more. Exciting!!

So FYI, this was totally not my brain child and I absolutely do not get the credit. But, I wanted to pass along some of the info for those of you who have asked about it and are considering making one for yourself or your family.

What you need:

  • poster board
  • sticky notes
  • sharpie

(The different color sticky notes did not have any special meaning for us, although you could definitely color coordinate them if you want.)

Questions to Ponder/Brainstorm:

1. If I gave you $10,000 cash and you HAD to spend it on yourself, what would you use it for? (Don’t get tangled up in the logistics. It can be several things. They can total $10,000. They can EACH be $10,000. Just whatever! One thing we put, for example, was lasik for Jon. Another was an enclosed trailer. We’ve crossed the trailer off and I’m calling about lasik tomorrow!)

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*This one was challenging for me, but don’t worry…we’ll get to “others” later! So enjoy!

2. What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Physically? Financially? Spiritually? Professionally? In your relationships?

3. What places do you want to visit? Local? Day trip? Big vacation? Overseas?

4. What do you want to do for others? (This was definitely the easiest one for me & probably is for many of us!)

5. What do you want for your kids/spouse/family?

6. What activities do you want to do within the next year? (Monthly Date nights? Run a 5K? GREAT time to start thinking about this with 2017 rapidly approaching!)

7. If you are married or have children, leave hem 5 post- its each (or more) & involve them in your board. I especially think this is cool if your kiddos are a little bit older. How cool for them to see you set goals, duplicate that, & have the sense of accomplishment of achieving them? It encourages them to think long-term, think about ways to serve others, etc.

So here’s how we did it. We started brainstorming our responses to those questions in early September and it took us a couple of weeks to come up with 75 different things. Once we had 75, we wrote each one on a sticky note and stuck it to the poster board. Simple as that!

There are no set number of responses you need for each question. There are no right/wrong answers. There is nothing too big, too small, or too far-fetched. You can do an individual board OR a family board. And you can absolutely think outside the box of these questions. These are just prompts to get you thinking! These can be a range of short-term, long-term, small, big, personal, family, etc. Be creative, just think about things you want to accomplish and are willing for work toward making a reality. I would encourage you to make some of the them very attainable and some of them stretch your thinking and belief. There is serious power in the mental victory of accomplishing a goal. A win is a WIN, no matter how big or small. When you are achieve one, you are more motivated to work towards more! (Again, you can do it however you want. Leave the sticky notes on there & check/x them off with a date as you accomplish them…or tear them off and throw them in the trash….or add new sticky notes in their place. Whatever makes you tick!

We have ours hanging in our office and look at it every day. We have posted it on social media because I like the accountability and sharing the idea with others (because we love to celebrate their family wins, see where their hearts are, etc.), but you can totally do it and keep it private as well. It’s YOUR #my75 board.

Can’t wait to see those of you who decide to create one start living out the dreams the Lord has stirred in your heart!

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Baby Butler #3 is 30 Weeks

Growth: I had an appointment on 12/5 and my midwife guessed around 2 lbs & 10 oz. Babycenter.com says “Your baby is about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will shrink as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision – which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)”

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Weight/Baby Bump: I’ve gained about 19 lbs which puts me right on track for a 28-30 lb weight gain total. That’s about where I was with both other boys. I don’t obsess over it, but I do try to eat healthy to nourish my little fella…& I do eat some kind of sweet little treat every day too. I think Baby Beau just had a growth spurt though because I had some painful round ligament pain about a week ago and my belly definitely looked bigger the next day. I don’t think it was my imagination? Here are a few bump pics from the last month since I did a terrible job getting weekly updates posted.

24 weeks:

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25 weeks:

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27 weeks:

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28 weeks:

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29 weeks:

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30 weeks:

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I can’t eat too much at a time because my belly gets SO full very quickly, so I eat small meals often throughout the day. Focusing on plenty of protein, veggies, & good healthy fats.

Gender: Sweet little fella! Baby Beau.

Maternity Clothes: Wellllll, most of my stuff is packed up in boxes since we’ve been renting, so I feel like I wear the same few outfits all the time. Y’all, i’s amazing how LITTLE we actually need. (Most of us…myself included, even  have WAY too many clothes!) And not gonna lie, I’m kind of enjoying being a “minimalist.” But, I never look very cute, and I’m definitely going to have to dig some stuff out as it gets colder. For now I have two pairs of maternity jeans, two or three pairs of dress pants (that are still packed up right now), one pair of maternity tights, and one pair of maternity workout pants. I have a few tops that I alternate. I want to order more workout pants.

Sleep: I’m sleeping okay. I toss and turn from side to side a lot & my hips are kind of achy. I know they prefer for you to sleep on your left side because “because your liver is on the right side of your abdomen, lying on your left side helps keep the uterus off that large organ. Sleeping on the left side also improves circulation to the heart and allows for the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus, and kidneys” (babycenter.com), but I’m back and forth a good bit. I don’t worry about rolling to my back because I can barely breathe when I lay flat on my back. Sometimes I can feel my pelvis popping so I’ve been trying to go to the chiropractor to keep everything in line. I also try to drink 1/2 c of organic tart cherry juice before bed when I remember because it’s the most natural remedy I’ve found to help me regulate sleep.

I’ve also been waking up about 5:30 am every day. My boys sleep till 8:30 (sometimes even 9), so I would prefer to sleep a little later. But, I can’t really complain because I’m pretty certain it’s just an answered prayer. I have been praying the Lord would help me become an early riser so I can do my Bible study in the mornings before the boys get up.

Favorite foods: oatmeal (quick cooking oats) with some Snickerdoodle shake powder, hot chocolate protein shake, salads (the kind in the bags from the grocery store that come with toppings and dressing), boiled eggs, french onion soup, pancakes from Cracker Barrel, homemade chicken noodle soup with bone broth, Greek salad from Zoe’s (I love the potato salad in the bottom too!), apples (I haven’t been able to find any good ones since we moved away from Whole Foods/Earth Fare), cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toast with Greek yogurt and cinnamon mixed on top, scrambled eggs with ketchup/salsa/avocado, pecans.

Cravings: french onion soup, oranges, and shortbread cookies! Also, white chocolate peppermint (after sampling a little white chocolate peppermint pretzel at the store the other day). SUPER thankful the shakes made a comeback just in time, because otherwise I probably would have chosen an unhealthy option.

Movement: I mean….whoa. This little dude is hands down the strongest yet! Jonathan doesn’t really love to feel the movement, so I always ask random people to feel when he gets crazy. Sorry if you’re one of the lucky ones in the vicinity! Ha! I’m having Braxton Hicks like crazy too. Sometimes his movements take my breath away.

Appointments: I had an appointment on 11/23, and from now on I go every 2 weeks….which means it’s gettin REAL, folks. My blood pressure was 106/63 and I’m measuring right on target. (It amazes me every time because I LOOK further along when I stand up.) Good strong heartbeat! I took my glucose test (I was reallly glad to see they removed the BVO and food dyes from the glucose drink!) and passed. I was honestly a little worried because my numbers were borderline with Kade, but my sugar was 125 and the cutoff is 140, so I was good. I had my iron checked and it was a 12, so good there. (I take Coreplex with Iron and also eat an iron-rich diet.) They also gave me the Rhogham. I truly feel like the Lord has delivered me from my fear of needles, but for some reason I got a little worked up for this one. I laid on my side to get the injection into my hip/hiney & I got super, super hot. I know my face was flushed and I could feel myself sweating. I didn’t think I was going to pass out (and I never have), but I did sit there for a few minutes afterwards to get myself together before standing up. I felt so ridiculous and I don’t even know why that happened. I decided to opt out of the DTap & flu shot.

I had another appointment on 12/5 (I started typing this a couple weeks ago, just now getting around to posting)and everything went great. Good strong heartbeat, great movement from the baby, and measuring right now. I actually weighed a pound less for some reason, but probably just because I hadn’t eaten lunch and just went to the bathroom. My blood pressure was 96/62. I asked if that was too low, but my BP typically runs a little low and I feel fine, so they weren’t worried about it. I am going to work on upping my fluids though and adding some Pink Himalayan salt to my food. (I’m in a habit of not ever salting anything, but I know that kind is good for you.) She also encouraged me to start wearing my support belt again because the way I carry these boys puts a lot of pressure on my lower abdomen/pelvis. She described it as a shelf without any support, which makes a lot of sense. I just got my super sexy support suspender belt back from Chels & I’m excited to start rockin it again. It does make a big difference!

Next appointment will be in a new building & our practice is combining with another. I am praying now that I will be able to be delivered by someone I know well and already have an established relationship with. I’m pretty open minded, but I definitely have my preferences.

Accomplishments: We chose a name! Beau Michael Butler. Beau means “handsome” and Michael means “"who is like God?" I have liked the name Beau since before we had Jase, and Michael is my dad/brother/nephew’s middle name. I am not necessarily naming him after my brother (although I do think it is a sweet way to honor him)…I honestly just like the name and the way it sounds with Beau. I was thinking it in my head for weeks but was scared to say anything to Jonathan or my parents because I didn’t know if they’d think it was weird. One day out of the blue when we were talking about names, Jonathan asked me if I wanted to name him Beau Michael. YEP! I was so excited to tell him that’s EXACTLY what I had been thinking. I asked my parents if that was okay with them too just to be respectful and they both said yes.

Best Pregnancy Moment This Month: Well, I DON’T love when people say things like “oh my gosh, how much longer? I bet you’re ready!” No, I actually have 2 more months and I feel fine. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone just complimented pregnant women, and instead of talking about how full my hands are going to be, talking about how blessed we are? Every time someone says “Wow, you’re really going to have your hands full!” I respond with “Yep, definitely, but my heart is even fuller.” Maybe cheesy, but I am just so thankful and I think it’s important for people to see that perspective. We did this on purpose.

But, every once in a while someone will be really sweet. I’ve run into a couple of sweet & encouraging ladies at the grocery store.

But hands down my favorite moment this month was one day when I was taking Jase to the church nursery and he said “Bye mom, be careful, love you Mom.” Then he ran back over and said “Hey mom, one more thing…” and hugged my leg and lifted my shirt to kiss my belly. I’m pretty sure I melted into a puddle. Hands down my favorite pregnancy moment. He also asks to pray for Baby Beau every night.

Work Outs: I am officially at 47 workouts, so I have about more 53 more workouts to hit my goal of 100 before baby. I don’t like to set goals and not achieve them, but this is one time I’m not totally stressing because I know for sure I’ve hit way more than 100 workouts total the whole pregnancy (I just started counting late). Still going for it though! I want to make as many of them YOGA as possible, and I’m also counting walks. We joined an awesome gym called OneLife when we were staying in Cumming, and it was AMAZING. We went all the time! We are at a new gym now, and the classes aren’t quite as good I don’t think, so I’ve been lifting light weight, rowing, and walking on the treadmill. I may try swimming if I can find a maternity bathing suit somewhere because this gym has an indoor pool. I really enjoy working out when I’m pregnant because it gives me a great energy boost, helps me sleep better, helps my mood, and helps me stay in shape to keep up with the other Butler boys.

Goals: YOGA. More stretching. More regular chiropractor visits. More water. Start praying specifically through some of the prayers written in Supernatural Childbirth. Continue to pray for his development and birth (love the book Expecting: Praying for Your Child's Development- Body & Soul.)

Thoughts: Hitting week 30 always makes it feel so REAL and so CLOSE! Maybe because we are in single digits of weeks away till we meet our new blessing. I cannot believe we are only 9 weeks away…I feel like it has FLOWN by! I’m totally enjoying it and soaking up time with my babies, so no rush though. I think I’m one of the few who doesn’t feel miserable and desperate to get the baby out towards the end of pregnancy.

I have turned into an introvert! I think it’s just a pregnancy thing for me, but I turn into an anti-social homebody later in pregnancy. (Maybe it’s a form of nesting?) I literally have to pump myself up to talk on the phone or be around others. (Once I do, I always enjoy it though.) I know that sounds kinda weird (and hopefully not too rude), and it’s a little bit embarrassing even admitting that, but it’s the truth. I am honestly having a hard time even texting people back right now. Even social media feels “too social” for me and I think I spend about 10-15 minutes total a day on it. Actually, I would LOVE to just get off of it all together but it’s not a great time to do that, so I just hop on, comment on a few things I see, and post pics or quotes. So if you’re my friend, please know it’s me, not you…and thank you for loving me through it! I genuinely mean that.

And God has a sense of humor too, because as much as I would prefer to keep to myself right now, I have never in my life had more strangers talk to me! It’s the boys- they spark conversation wherever we go. Kade is so friendly that he smiles at everyone, and lots of people want to know what this next baby is. I love to see everyone’s response when I tell them I’m having my 3rd boy!

My scalp is SO dry! I need to do a coconut oil treatment. I got some new shampoo and conditioner that is pretty chemical-free/non-toxic, so I’m not sure if it’s that or if it’s the pregnancy hormones, but it is crazy dry.

I’m always exhausted by the time I put the boys down for the night. I have really wanted to blog & read more, respond to more emails, and work our business a bit more than I have been… but by the time I take care of what I need to get done in a day, I’m just wiped. That means there are some things I’m having to put on the back burner that I’d rather not, but I know to listen to my body. I’m not sure if I feel more tired because I’m chasing two little ones now instead of just one…or if it’s because I’m a little older (31, still young, but older than before) this pregnancy…but I could really use a nap every single day. Idon’t get to take one as often as I’d like, but it makes such a difference when I do.

My lower back (left side specifically, more of my upper glute) has been hurting since the end of September. I have never had back pain with pregnancy, but it is annoying. Kade really just started walking really well within the last couple of weeks, so I still carry him a lot & I’m wondering if that’s it? I’m not sure if I tweaked something or if it’s just this big ole belly. The chiropractor has told me both times my sacrum feels a little twisted which is probably the issue (and I would guess is happening while I’m sleeping).

Starting to think through some of the logistics of life with 3 littles. Whew! God is faithful and I have no doubt we’ll be leaning on Him to help us navigate the waters. Isn’t that exactly what He wants, too? Pure dependence on Him?

I truly LOVE being pregnant, and I know it is a tremendous blessing & responsibility.  I am so thankful for this sweet baby and cannot wait to see the man he grows into. I can’t wait to meet him and be his mama!

Comparison:

Jase:  IMG_2647

Kade: [IMG_6342%255B1%255D.jpg]

Beau: image