Big Boy?

In the last 3 weeks or so, our baby has been making his presence known. (Yes, we are having a boy! And no I couldn't be patient and wait to find out.) I really didn't have much of a tummy for quite awhile with the really bad morning sickness I experienced, and then all of the sudden, here is my child:

Well meaning people stop, stare and say, "HOW far along are you?" "Man, that's going to be a big baby". And I'll be honest, sometimes I worry. Am I going to have a huge baby? My mother in law's first was over 10 pounds, and my mom had one over 11 pounds, so large babies have come from both sides. But, in both cases, they had great births, and have told me that those births were some of their easiest. This is good news since we're planning a home birth with a midwife. I think what's been so different about this guy is that for so long, I was pretty small, and then boom, my belly popped out.
An "expert" I read comforted me a little: Shorter women, (me) and those who have short torsos, (very much me) tend to show pregnancy more because there's less vertical room for their baby to fill.
So, there you have it. Poor kid has nowhere else to go. Basketball belly here I come!

It's also very strange to be growing a belly that I can't control, hehe. I have been pretty physically fit most of my life thus far, and getting the "yikes, that baby must be getting huge" looks gets to me sometimes.

A few days ago I was walking in the workout room, and a co-worker stopped in and let me know that no amount of working out would get rid of my tummy!:-) How true!:-) I have found though that working out helps my legs and back tremendously. My legs get stiff from sitting at work all day--a workout makes them feel much better.

If you saw my diet, (very nutritious if you disregard the occasional pizza craving I have) and saw the fact that I workout just about every day for at least 30 minutes, 1 hour a day if I do pilates for preggo mommas, then you'd know that I'm doing everything I can to grow a healthy kid. If he's huge, then so be it;) It won't be because I downed twinkies and ding dongs all day, hehe!

All this talk of my large belly makes me especially thankful for compliments. I wanted to hug two ladies the other day... One told me that I looked just great, and the other said that I'm small for 5 months along!! hehe, made my day:)

When we had our ultra sound, (very exciting by the way) the lady told us that the baby is actually a very average size at this point, just that there's a lot of water around him, which is just fine and dandy.

Anyhow, I guess what I'm realizing is that all women carry babies differently, they will all be different sizes and that's just peachy. A growing belly is just kind of a conversation piece and people somehow feel very comfortable commenting on it. The important thing is that at the end of all of this, Lord willing, we'll have a brand new son, wow.

When we saw him on the ultrasound it was truly amazing. We caught him yawning hugely and he moved around almost constantly. His little legs kicked all of the time and his hands moved constantly, too. The nurse said that he was a good boy and posed for all of the shots, hehe. We could see his little heart beating...so awesome. Just in the last few days I've felt him kicking me off and on. A few nights ago Peter was able to feel a little kick, *giggle*

All things considered I do feel very well. My back does bug me here and there and my stiff legs annoy me. I also find it funny to feel hungry most of the time, but have so little space in which to put food. I've found that grazing works best for me.

So, there you have the pregnancy update.

In other news...

We help Jeremy and Jessica move this Saturday. That'll be a big change for our little Winchester neighborhood. We're glad though that God is providing a new opportunity for them down there. They will be missed though.

Have a great day! And if you happen to be pregnant and reading this, you look lovely! And what's more, you're carrying a tiny life that God has allowed there. What a blessing!

Julie

Harpers Ferry:)

Part of my family came out for Thanksgiving and one of the days they were here we visited Harper's Ferry, WV. Here are some snapshots for your enjoyment.


Ha! Caught the photographer on camera rather than off!

My little siblings showing off their prairie strength.

Judy gently letting us know that trash out here smells as bad as trash in Illinois.

Ha! Caught her again!

"I whistle a happy tune".

Mom, looking cute perched on a rock ledge.

Once again showing off that good 'ol Illinois strength.

Now, just relaxin'.

Judy.

Mom and dad out for a stroll on the town.

Wowsers, that's three times I caught her:)

Little bro's Jed and Jeff loving the day in the sunshine.

It was a great visit. After they left our house seemed so quiet! But, it was a joy to have them out and we look forward to seeing them soon.

In other news, the baby is really starting let its presence be known. I'll have to put up some pics. The change in just a few weeks in pretty amazing.

My amazing man...

When we first moved into our house, we thought, "wouldn't it be nice to put a dishwasher in the hole there by the backdoor?"

Well, hooray, the project is done. My brothers helped us with the electricity and water stuff, (thanks guys!) and Peter just finished boxing it all in over the weekend.

In other exciting news, Peter has a new love. Well, that's what I've been calling it. We got his Christmas gift early because hunting season is here and he wanted to get some deer. He tried it out yesterday with is dad, and good times were had by all.

Showing off all three of his guns, hehe. What a man:) Love you baby!

and...

A few more shots of baby LaRock...

Daddy showing off his tummy, hehe~

Oh, the mockery!

Yummy Chicken

Here's a yummy chicken recipe.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, (from about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Chicken, cut into 6 pieces
(about 4 pounds. You can cut a whole chicken, and save the back and neck for another time, or purchase precut meat. The best pieces are the thighs/drumsticks and breasts.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest.
In a 9x13 baking dish whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to blend. Whisk in the oil. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for a least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roast the chicken uncovered until just cooked through, about 45 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Carefully pour the cooking liquid into a small, heavy saucepan and spoon off the excess oil from atop the cooking liquid. Boil until the liquid reduces by about half and thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle parsley and lemon zest over the chicken and serve. If the chicken gets too dark during roasting, cover it with aluminum foil, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes of roasting.

This has been my favorite chicken lately. I love savory and tangy food and this chicken is delicious!

shots of the belly:)

Here are some shots of my belly. Baby LaRock is now 16.5 weeks old. In the last 2 to 3 weeks I've noticed a lot of growing/stretching going on. I've also got my appetite back! I've been working out regularly which has really been good for my back and just our general well being;)

My midwife strongly encourages eating well while preggo, and I agree with her. I don't mind healthy eating, but I do like for it to taste good. I've found some great recipes lately, and hope to begin posting some of them. I'm still not eating as much as some would recommend, but I think the baby is happy and growing!

Peter has an interview for another job on Tuesday, so if you think of it, say a prayer that it goes well, and that we'll know whether or not it's right for our family.

yay!

I finally figured out how to put up links. Ha, it's really easy, but I just hadn't taken much time to figure it out.

So, yes, if you have a blog, I'd love to put a link up, just let me know.

The baby has been pretty good lately. We had a few rough days this week, but I'm feeling better today. My back is seriously getting sore from being in bed as much as I have been. I have started to work out a bit, and I'm sure that will help.

I'm really thrilled to have most of my family coming here for Thanksgiving. I'm already making plans and figuring out what I'll cook while their here, hehe. I love hosting, and more than that, I've really been missing my family. It'll be so fun to have them. Life is so different now that so many of us are grown and busy adults. It's not like it was when we Coles could be all together every holiday season.

I admit: I am sentimental when it comes to the holiday season.

Have a great day!

~J

Does it sound like a train or a herd of horses?

"Train!" Was Peter's emphatic reply.
But, in truth no one's sure we won't deny.
The midwife smiled as I giggled with glee
at this sound that we heard from in my tum-my.

It was quick and healthy and so very alive!
Through this sickness I know I can survive!
There is a child in my tummy, we heard it last night
And it was so exciting, it was so very right.

For now we'll wonder, horse or train?
But, in truth happy we'll remain
For we are blessed already to know
That our baby's heart is strong and will grow.

Note: That pic is not of our baby, but we are moving through week 12!

Thoughts from my 1st anniversary...

Dinner out is only a good idea if one feels well enough to stay at the restaurant and eat it...thankfully we were able to take Peter some dinner to go.

Eating together at home, while I lay curled up on the couch is romantic too...

My aunt's cake still tastes good 1-year later...

My husband was a doll to do the dishes again while I remained curled up on the couch...

Even when I fell asleep around 7:40pm trying my hardest not to throw up, I still felt my husband's love and thanked God for it...

I felt his love when I groggily woke up 45 min or so later and he rushed over to me and offered to get whatever I needed...

Yes, not the anniversary I would have dreamed of, and yet, the reality of life. Romance, like the kind read about in books and viewed in movies is wonderful, but I have come to appreciate the day to day romancing and care God gave me in my husband one-year and a day ago.

I love you, Peter!

One year ago

One year ago I married the sweetest, most gentle, loving, caring and kind person I've ever met.

Since then, we've both been sick here and there, we've both been hurt once or twice, we've both gotten tired and angry on occasion, but we always take care of each other, and we always go to sleep loving each other.

We know each other much better than we did a year ago.

We hardly ever do anything without each other. We like it that way. Someone teased me the other day about how if I was going to play ultimate frisbee I'd have to quit touching Julie for a few minutes. He meant it as a compliment, and it was :)

I'm so blessed that God brought Julie into my life. I'm thankful that she brough with her a loving and godly family, and I can't wait to live another year with her.

--------------------------------------
What's new:
Looks like Julie may finally be over her morning sickness!
Playing lots of tennis with Jeremy and Joseph, mainly. Only vague idea of what I'm doing.

What isn't new:

Julie is beautiful
Lucy is adorable, talking a lot in strange language
I'm still looking for a job :)

"Kid Larock"

is determined to make his/her mommy sick most of the time! But, we're thrilled to announce that yes, we have a little one due at the end of April, 2009.

I am counting down the days until the first trimester is over, hoping very much that I feel "great" for the second one.

Right now my diet is basically:
Watermelon
Applesauce
Toast/bagel sometimes
Baked potatoes (at least one a day)
Toasted cheese
Tea
Pasta with pasta sauce, (that can contain nothing that tastes like meat)
Other juicy fruits sometimes
Juice-sometimes
and Pickles! I seriously think this kid is a boy with the whole pickle deal:-) I think the salt is what attracts me to them.

Each of these items is eaten just a bit at a time.

I was really shocked at this change in my appetite. I love food and I love spicy and interesting food. Apparently my preggo tummy does not. This new diet has helped me trim several unwanted pounds in readiness for a bunch of new kiddo pounds:-)

Peter's been amazing. I didn't get out of bed much at all on Saturday and he sweetly kept at the household chores and brought me food as I could stomach it!

Yesterday I was able to do some cleaning and I was so thankful to be able to do something! It's been hard for me to not feel like doing anything. I tend to always be busy with some task. Ah well. As my mom explained, obviously my body needs the rest.

There you have it.

We'll keep you updated.

Julie

Pray for the Bullock family...

One of my dear, dear friends lost her mother yesterday. Her mother, Esther, has been battling cancer for 5-years, and yesterday she went home to be with Jesus.

Hannah and I met back in 2002 during TeenPact, D.C. We roomed together and became very close friends. We've kept in touch since then even as life has changed so much for both of us. We both kinda met and fell for our men around the same time. She spent part of last year in China ministering. That's where she met Dan Lee. She married in November, and is now expecting their first child. Hannah has always been an example to me of someone who walks with the Lord. She knows him and she clings to Him as I'm sure she is doing now. Hannah has 2 brothers and 2 sisters, (the youngest is only 5; I remember when she was born!)

I loved the visit I had with her family down in Georgia. Her mom was a precious and hospitable woman. She loved Jesus, and her precious family. She was a great home maker. She had beautiful gardens, and was an awesome cook.
It's amazing, really--I only met her once that I can remember, but even that meeting had an impact on my life.

I am so very sad for Hannah and the others who are left here to grieve this painful loss, but I'm also filled with joy knowing that yesterday Esther had the thrill of looking her Savior in the eyes! Wow!

God speed the day when we can all look with wonder and awe into the eyes of the One who gave His life for us.

still around

Just wanted to stop and in say hi. We have some fun summer pictures and activities to tell you all about, and I promise that they are coming soon.
We've added some new furniture to our cute little place and I do want to put up some pictures. I've also been growing some veggies and such on our back porch in pots, and I am thrilled that they are doing so well! The storm last night injured my healthy tomato plants a bit, but they will pull through I think.

We both had birthdays this summer. We went to DC on Julie's birthday to visit Hannah, who was up from Georgia. We also stopped and saw Prince Caspian, the movie. On Peter's birthday we hung out with the LaRock clan in Stephens City. The mini golf, batting cages and dinner were fun and exciting, but the most exciting event would have to have been the go -cart crash! Thankfully the slick pavement was to blame and nobody was hurt:-)

Catch you later!

P and J

The random guy, and what he was up to...

On my wedding day several things stand out in my mind, but I will only mention one for now. The music was softly playing, my knees were knocking, and the church doors were just about to swing open to reveal my Pete at the other end of the aisle. The moment came, and dad squeezed my arm and we began to walk. All of the sudden, this random, blond guy that I had never seen before, stands up an takes a picture of us. The tranquility of the moment was over, and then I began wonder who he was. I started telling myself, "look for Pete...", but thoughts of "who was the guy?" kept crowding out that thought.

Now I know who he was! He was a friend of another photographer who kindly stepped in the help out. I have a bunch of pictures from him, yay! Some of them are a little dark, but here are a few for your enjoyment.

For the obligatory update: Currently, Peter is in Iowa, and I'm here in Virginia. We had a huge storm come through on Wednesday. It was bad enough to send the staff here to the basement. The power was knocked out and didn't come back on until sometime Late on Thursday or early this morning. Happily for me, I was able, after running Peter to Dulles, to head home and give our house a much needed spring clean!

Also, over Memorial Day weekend, we headed to Illy for my sister Jane's wedding. I do have some pictures, but my camera is daid, and so don't have them up here just yet:) She was a lovely bride:-)





gotta have that first kiss shot...























awww, my mother and grandmother...in Mary Kay that is....

Crowing!

In the world of my Mary Kay unit, when someone does something awesome and extra, either they get to crow for themselves, or others crow about what they did.

I get to crow about my awesome husband!!

Check it out:



Yep, pretty spiffy. Here he is looking proud and super cute.





He worked on this project while Erica and I went to MK career conference in Baltimore. Gotta be honest, I wasn't really thrilled about going, but it turned out to be a great weekend. Lots of inspiration. Heh, there are those who think I won't do well at Mary Kay, and that's alright. I'm still gonna do the best I can. What's wrong with trying hard to accomplish something, right? If it means down the road that I can leave my 9 to 5 and become a mommy, then it's worth it. That is most of my motivation; that and Peter, who keeps encouraging me to stick with it.

Here we are. There were 3000 women there!



Hope you all have a great day!

Julie for P&J