Growing Ghoens: Week 32 Bump Date

You know what 32 weeks means!? We're EIGHT months pregnant, y'all!!

Holy SMOKIES! Everyone keeps telling me that things are going to start slowing down anytime now, but your dad & I both feel like time is still FLYING by!

Baby girl, how do YOU feel in there? Apparently you have your eyes open all the time, see light & are starting to pack on a bit of fat!! I can't wait to smooch your cheeks, arms, legs, hands, belly & feet!!

Alright. So week 32 kicked off on Easter SUNDAY, which was super special. We celebrated serving our risen, LIVING Savior with our friends in Tennessee by going to church together & then enjoying a really beautiful brunch.

This is just a SMALL snap shot of the tasty spread we partook in!

A couple days after we came home from our TN trip, we had the honor of attending a graduation ceremony for a couple of our friends who are now officially co-workers of Nate. Although we only got to be near them for a short season, I'm so grateful for the special friendships we've been able to create & the moments we've had to soak up together.

You know who you are - we love you guys SO much, are praying for this next adventure ahead of your families & hope our paths cross again down the road!! GOOD LUCK you guys!

Then - we went to see our midwife again. Everything sounds//looks like we're right on track & we've only got one more bi-weekly appointment before we start going weekly. WHAT!?

Side note.. do you know how grateful I am that (1) this guy has been available to go to every appointment with me (2) he WANTS to go - even when I try to tell him he doesn't necessarily need to. It means so much to me that he wants to be as involved as he is. I don't know what I'd do without his unwavering support.

Love you, tots! You're going to be.. no, you ARE the best papa bear!

I have to tell you guys..

Baby girl DEFINITELY has my taste buds, from what I can tell so far.

Mexican 5 times & breakfast daily, plus anytime I could squeeze it in besides during the mornings.. these are our two favorite food groups!!

See this belly, you guys!? We're POPPING more & more each week..

Little girl & I have been cranking out our workouts, like normal, & are HALFWAY through this push phase of Chalene Extreme. I can still handle the heavy weights, but my squats definitely aren't as deep as they were before. My belly catches my thighs pretty early on the way down now. So wild!

Not letting anything stop us though..

We're in this until the end, right girl? Doing our very best with every bodily change that comes our way as you grow big & strong!

Baby G, your fur sisters LOVE being in your room now. They like to smell everything we put in there.. and I think they MIGHT be a little jealous of all the cool toys we put in there. Tannyn, the spotted one, actually has been taking little naps beside your crib when I accidentally leave the door to your room open. It melts my heart because I'm pretty sure you two are going to be best buds!

OH! You know what else?

Momma's breast pump came in this week.

Talk about OVERWHELMING pulling out each item & having no clue how to use them!! I actually face-timed with your aunt Lauren so she could tell me what each piece was!

Thanks, sis, for calming me down & sharing your knowledge with me.

At the end of the week, mama & papa bear decided to spend some time outside!

 We know that things will be very different once you join us, so we're making time for a few of our hobbies now!! I can't wait for you to be big enough to do these things with us though. I was thinking about one day getting to strap you to my chest when we go on hikes, sitting with you under a tent on the beach & playing in the sand or holding you one day when we go out on the water.

Your daddy & I LOVE adventures - I have no doubt that you will be one of our greatest!!

After our time outdoors, we treated ourselves to some FRESH, tasty seafood. I've been cravings some crab & shrimp for a while now, so we finally made it happen.

It was such a WONDERFUL week, little one.

Even though I'm tired. Even though I'm getting pretty uncomfortable (achy back & ribs galore).. I still cherish ALL of your kicks, wiggles & squirms. I love you so much, little pumpkin!!

We'll see you in a few weeks!

Growing Ghoens: Week 31 Bump Date

31 WEEKS

We're giving God praise as always for all He's done & continues to do in our lives, but we're offering up some EXTRA gratitude & glory to Him this week for some wonderful news we received from a specialist we've been seeing for our sweet girl.

Here is a post I shared on Facebook April 11th, the day after our last visit with a local perinatal specialist.

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"This pregnancy has been amazing.. anddd also very hard all at the same time.

I'm sure m a n y of you know the anxieties & fears of the possible results that come with the amazing tests available to expectant parents. Modern medicine & technology is wonderful.. but can also be scary, ya know?

That, combined with the fear I've had to battle post miscarriage, has made these past almost 8 months an ongoing opportunity to trust in the Lord & draw near to Him. He's taught + reminded me so much of His character.. and has reminded me of my call to faithfulness & obedience no matter the circumstances.

I'll share more later on, probably on my blog, about the ongoing visits & tests we've been having done since week 20 with a local perinatal specialist... Not to blast our business over the internet, but to hopefully COMFORT other expectant parents going brought something similar.

Today though.. I'm giving God the glory & HUGE huge praise for an appointment we've been waiting 11 weeks, 2 labs & 3 ultrasounds for.

And the fact that we FINALLY got to see this sweet baby girl's face.

I don't know what I ever did to deserve to be your momma, sweet girl. But I'm so grateful God has chosen to entrust your daddy & I with one of His little lambs.. YOU 💕

Thank you, Jesus for these answered prayers!"

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After about 11+ weeks of fighting fear, tests, ultrasounds & lots of waiting, we were able to lay to rest 3 fairly large concerns about our little one this week.

When we first embarked into this season of seeing a perinatal specialist a few months ago, I got some wonderful advice from a friend that ended up ultimately pointing me to a scripture that I've held onto closely ever since.

She encouraged me to remember that these doctors are trying to make predictions & draw conclusions on a MASTERPIECE that (1) isn't complete yet (2) they didn't create.

This seemed like common sense, but I NEEDED the reminder!!

No one knows this sweet girl better than her heavenly Father who CREATED this work of art. Who knitted her together in the womb. Who already knows the number of hairs on her head. Who has completely written her story + sees her fully formed, when we can only see the here & now.

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I set you apart.

Jim Elliott (an incredible man of God) once said, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know WHO holds the future." While we still won't know anything for certain until this little one makes her official appearance, we're so grateful that God is slowly revealing things about her to us in HIS time. We're just trusting Him, continually surrendering her life to Jesus & walking in obedience as we wait.

So squeal with me for a moment over this precious girl's FIRST allllmost full face shot! Without a doubt, she favors her daddy already. Ah, I'm dying over that nose and her mouth.. which was sucking on her hand at the time.

Sweet pea, we are so in love with you!!

Although there is absolutely NO way to top that wonderful news, here is a peek into the rest of week 31 :)

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As always, I've been keeping up with my workout routine, making sure I provide this baby the most healthy environment to grow in & strengthen myself to deliver + care for her the best I can.

Monday marked the start of another 30 day block called the push phase in this same program I've been doing called "Chalene Extreme." The focus of these next 30 days is to decrease repetitions of each movement, while increasing the amount of weight I use.

I absolutely LOVE it!! The challenge, the routines, the trainer, the convenience, the change of pace.. all of it!!

It's been a fun challenge seeing what I can do on a daily basis to continue growing stronger as my body continues to change & force me sometimes to get creative. I enjoy this program so much that I even kept up with my first week of these workouts while we travelled to TN!

* PS: speaking of beachbody. This was an exciting week for my #GracefullyBalanced team! We welcomed one of my younger sisters to the girl-boss family, congratulated one coach on her first rank advancements as she begins to mentor new coaches & recognized another NEW coach on some huge milestones she reached in her first month of business. To read more, click HERE to visit my Facebook page. FYI: Gracefully Balanced is always looking for new gals to link arms with for mentorship. If you'd like more information, simply email me at lindseykollar@yahoo.com !*

Speaking of travel.

On Thursday, we made the trek to a small part of Eastern Tennessee, an hour outside of Knoxville, to spend a few days with our long-time friends. Nate & I soaked up EVERY moment together, realizing that this was more than likely our last trip as a twosome! (SURREAL moment #4312!)

We spent SO much time outside enjoying the beautiful weather - doing our devotionals on the back porch, sitting on the front porch to look at wildlife + play with our friend's baby, eating outside, laying on the hammock, hiking at Ijams in Knoxville & taking our pups on walks down to the lake.

It was absolutely beautiful!

We can't wait to share with y'all about how we kicked off week 32//month EIGHT on Resurrection Day (easter)!!

Thank you to all of our sweet followers who check in every single week on our little family & have walked this journey with us of #GrowingGhoens

Until next week..

BLESSINGS

Growing Ghoens: Week 30 Bump Date

Here we are.. at week 30!!

Where has the time gone, little one?

Although it seems to be absolutely flying by, I'm told that this last little stretch will start to crawl as we anxiously await your arrival.. & as you get BIG//I get huge. I guess we'll see!

So what were we up to this week?

Well for starters, we officially finished the first 30 day block (called BURN) of Chalene Extreme. This is the weight training program that I started 5 weeks ago! After a rocky first week from missing two workouts & fully recommitting week two, I'm happy to say that we rocked it out STRAIGHT through the rest of the time & didn't miss a beat.

We got in every workout!

DESPITE the ever changing body.

Despite traveling to DC & being in a hotel.

Despite having company.

Despite all the days I felt too tired.

Gosh, is that a rewarding feeling!! I always tell my new clients to stick it out & grasp onto the vision of what it will feel like to FINISH. Holding onto that is what helps keep the fire lit within on the days that life is trying to dim your potential.

Shout out to the Gracefully Balanced monthly accountability groups that helped keep me motivate enough to finish as well! You ladies mean more to me than you know!! This tribe is the best!!

{ Want to know more about my monthly virtual groups? Email me at lindseykollar@yahoo.com! }

We're also in that "stage" of pregnancy that I'm hungry ALL the time. I can't eat huge meals because of the lack of space, but you better believe this girl is eating now every two hours or even less sometimes. I've been trying to find lots of healthy options to avoid guilty-binging & excessive weight gain. No "eating for two" or "I'll just work it off later" excuses over here.

So here's a glimpse of what I ate this week.. NOT including my weekend splurge at my shower + family lunch on Sunday. Don't worry, there's still an 80/20 balance going on, y'all!

Breakfast (protein pancakes + eggs)

BIG salads

Fruit salad (strawberries + kiwi is my JAM)

This delicious oaxaca bowl from a local healthy restaurant called "freshii."

PS: There's a little bed of kale & brown rice underneath all of those toppings. Need to figure out how to make this at home!!

OH! And I took some time to meal prep on Monday. I made 12 meals in about an hour.. turkey burgers with a squash, zucchini & mushroom mix + asian chicken with broccoli & roasted carrots. SO SO good & saved me many times from getting hungry!

During our 30 week checkin at the OB's office, we got to meet a third midwife who was SUCH a doll. While we missed our normal provider, it's nice meeting the other women who could potentially be on call depending on which day you decide to come, sweetie. We're measuring on track & you're head down for now!! We'll see if you stay that way :)

Momma has officially gained about 18 pounds & everyone seems to be really happy with where we're at!

Overall this week, we were mostly hunkered down in the home office.. finalizing our April accountability group, planning our month out, welcoming 2 new coaches to the Gracefully Balanced team & prepping for an exciting new push group I was working to be selected for. At the end of the week's hustle, it was BABY SHOWER time though!!

My mom & oldest sister threw the sweetest brunch shower for us complete with miniature pancake stacks, fruit/yogurt parfaits & a breakfast burrito bar. It was so special & we were beyond blessed by all of our friends who attended & those who sent us something special from afar!

Little girl, you are LOVED!

While we still have SO much to do in these next ten(ish) weeks & are going to hustle to knock it all out, I'm determined to soak up all of these precious moments.

The last few weeks of having you close to me in this way & all to myself.

The last few weeks of your daddy putting his hand on my belly in the mornings to feel you wake me up.

The last few nights we stay up to talk about life once you're here & the moments we just sit in your room in wonder.

The last few weekends of your daddy & I being alone with just your fur sisters.

This season we've been in for the past 8+ years together has been so very special. This time I've had all alone with your daddy (even while we were waiting for you) I would never ever change.

But we're ready for this next adventure.

We're ready for you to join us.

And we're ready to see what God has in store for all of us moving forward!

So here's to single digit week countdowns (unless of course you come late.. and you better believe we're all betting on certain dates! So make your momma a winner! ha).

We love you, sweet girl!

Growing Ghoens: Week 29 Bump Date

Week TWENTY-NINE kicked off while we were still away as a family in DC.

The purpose of our trip away was to lay my grandparents to rest in Arlington. The service while we were there was absolutely beautiful & a memorable experience that I will never forget. It was amazing to see both my grandfather & grandmother honored as patriots.. they sacrificed SO much over the course of their lives for our country.

Before & after the ceremony though we did lots of activities together as a family including lunches & dinners at some awesome restaurants, Smithsonian trips, checking out the Supreme Court, visiting the Holocaust museum & spending the evening hours in each other's rooms hanging out!

Right after the memorial service.

Our AMAZING dinners at Founder Farmers!!

Touristy photos with my parents.

Having my morning shake & working out in our room. Thanks to Beachbody on Demand's all access membership, I was able to stream my workout straight to my room! No missing a beat in my Chalene Extreme program!

The rooftop view from our hotel where we had take out for dinner one night!

 

Entertaining ourselves while we were stuck on the train one night for an hour and a half!

Our flight adventures coming home. Surprise surprise. We were ALL obsessed with my niece Finley!!

The day after we got home from our trip, we hustled to prep our house for some guests!! We unpacked, cleaned & grocery shopped like crazy people. Within 24 hours, Jeff, Uli & Aspen arrived to spend the weekend with us after missing them for 4 months!

We made a trip down to the beach.

Had a Saturday morning family run/bike ride!

Watched some final four basketball.

Took them to our FAVE breakfast joint down here (the Donut Hole).

Then said "see you soon" until we go see them for Easter!

We also wrapped up week 29 with our first BABY SHOWER!! This fun, thoughtful, coed shower was hosted by a couple of gals from my discipleship group. The couples from our small group & church really loved on us & blessed our baby girl!

Big thanks to Hollen & Taylor for a special night.

Mexican food + red velvet doughnuts + a couple competitive games.

Y'all know me so well!!

Here's to week THIRTY coming up.. stay tuned :)

Before we know it, our sweet girl will be here!!