We’re officially over half way there! I’m 5 1/2 months pregnant and have finally started showing. It’s been a little crazy because I started getting a little bump around 4 1/2 months, but it’s cold here and most of my winter clothes are pretty loose fitting so unless you really looked at my stomach you couldn’t tell I was growing a person! *I have to attribute the late arriving bump to the fact that I had climbed Mt. Rainier 2 months before I got pregnant, so my body was already in pretty peak physical condition 🙂

At first I thought it was kind of cool that my bump wasn’t that obvious, but now my mindset has changed. My body is changing is so many weird ways and I want everyone to know it’s because I’m pregnant! My entire front from boobs to belly is growing outward. I broke down and bought my first pair of maternity pants (their awesome) and a few shirts. I get out of breath so easily it’s ridiculous but if no one can see the baby bump it just makes me look lazy and out of shape haha. Also, another fun fact is I can feel our baby moving inside of me every day – such a crazy feeling!!

If you press your hand firmly against my stomach you can feel her kick or move around. One night last week, I was laying on the couch pressing my stomach in different areas to see if I could feel movement with my hand. I waited for a while and then felt her move. Excited, I asked Brice to come feel. He delicately placed his hand on my stomach barely touching my skin. When I said, ‘you have to push down a bit to feel her’, he replied with, ‘I don’t want to crowd her space!’ Bless his heart!

Finally, he pressed down a little harder and felt her move. It was awesome! I was so happy to share the flutters and movements I’ve been feeling with Brice. I’m reminded daily that I’m growing a person because I can feel her constantly moving around in there – and the fact that my normal pants don’t fit without being unbuttoned/unzipped hehe 😉 Sometimes my thoughts and conversation are dominated by something related to the babes because I can’t escape it! She’s almost always on my mind.

When Brice made the comment – “I don’t want to crowd her space” it got me thinking. I have so many thoughts and ambitions about what our daughter will enjoy doing, the personality she will have, and the God she will believe in. I think daydreaming is fun, but can also be a bit nerve wrecking when I realize she might want to pursue something I know nothing about i.e. ballet or pink glitter. Because I’m reminded daily that there’s life inside of me, I’m making a conscious effort not to ‘crowd her space’ every time I feel her move.

We will teach her what it means to be strong, honest, loving, humble, full of grace, adventurous, kind, and so much more. We will also teach her to be open-minded, to make wise decisions, and to understand the true meaning of community and love. We’ll teach her why we love the God that we do, why we believe the way we do, and why we love people the way we do. We’ll share our motivation behind every decision we make – to live a life on mission to friends, family, and those we haven’t met yet and to share with them the amazing love that we have found in Christ and how they can experience it as well. It will be up to her to decide if she agrees with and wants to follow in our footsteps. We’re called to teach our children and that we will do. I’m excited to see how she will choose to live and to learn her own unique motivations.

When I found out we were having a little girl, I was a bit nervous thinking ‘crap – what if she’s like me?’ The more I think about it – She will be her own unique little person hopefully with a passion for life. If she’s a little bit like me and a little bit like Brice – I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world.

– Beka