Man... that was a bad case of Mexican... ha ha... ahh! Can you believe we're having a baby? The reality is, er, very real now. :) I still am loving pregnancy. There are little things here and there that are tough - mainly leg cramps, but with enough bananas (potassium), calf massages (man, my hubby is AWESOME), and warm baths (relaxing on a number of levels), it's all good!

I'm 32 weeks now. It's getting very close. I've been thinking lately how much carrying a child is like the X-files. Yes, the X-files. I've never seen that actual show, but I mean the supernatural coming alive in a real tangible way - in a SCI-FI way. Watching my belly roll, feeling the baby's hiccups, and knowing that eyelids, hair, the brain, etc. are all forming is just such an extraordinary and WILD experience. It's hard for me to believe that this is how God made it to work. There are some things that I've done with my body - like the mini-marathon, tennis teams, showchoir, dance and gymnastics. I can think of times where I "pushed" my body and was proud when I crossed the finish line or won a match and thought that was cool to see what the body was capable of. But, nothing compares to this experience. I'm very aware lately that there are many that struggle with being able to get pregnant, and I cherish this experience and don't take it for granted b/c I know it is a true gift. I'm thankful that for some reason God allowed me to experience it...

Hi friends... here is a pic that my mom-in-law Tammy took at our last appt. It was so great to have her there with us and to all hear the heartbeat together! My mom joined us the appt before. It's so fun to experience this with our families. I was fortunate to get time with Stephen (my bro) this weekend and he was saying that he's getting so excited for the baby to come and we were talking about what he would be called - he's thinking full name for this exciting event... "Uncle Stephen William". :) I think it will be so cool to see our parents especially when the baby is born b/c it will be in a sense reliving a part of our own birth experience - what it was like when they were first parents. (... except for the fact that they will skip the discipline and move to the spoiling; grandparents should be renamed "de-programmers" from what I've seen in friends' lives...) I'm so thankful that we live nearby so much family and so many amazing friends for this experience. With the decision we went back and forth with to move, I really couldn't be happier that we were able to be here for this time. It's been absolutely amazing to have such awesome time with the people we love. I started my new position as a worship leader at Grace Community Church in Noblesville (http://www.gracecc.org/) 3 weeks ago - I LOVE it! The people are great - staff and congregation. I feel like this beautiful community has embraced our upcoming parenthood and loved us well in the process of joining them. It's exciting to meet the various childrens' pastors and know how our baby will be cared for with them in creative ways. More a little later...

Here I am... belly growing! We went on vacation last weekend to Jeff's grandparents lakehouse with the Smiths and the Daughertys. What fun! You can see Jeff getting practice with Waverley D - he's a natural! :)

Childbirth Prep

Jeff and I attended our very first Childbirth Preparation class tonight. We are totally prepared now… not. It was awesome though – our teacher was great and we enjoyed meeting the people in our class and had time to get to know some of them a little bit. They were all married couples, 12 couples total, (a huge rarity from what I’ve heard that all would be married couples). We were thankful and comforted to hear both the excitement and the fears that each couple has and to share this journey together.

I’ve really enjoyed being pregnant. I find myself constantly marveling at the wonder of being able to carry a child. Today we went to swim laps at the A.U. pool – this is such a saving grace for me. I love getting in the water and feeling my body lighten and feeling the baby’s little kicks here and there. I love thinking about the instinctual way that God made my body to endure (and enjoy) these months and to see the amazing way that the body knows what to do. I love the quiet time in the pool where I think about what it means to have the beautiful gift that God saw fit to choose us to bring life into the world.
Often times when I start thinking about the “stuff of life”, I am reminded of songs that have really hit me. For this instance, I’ll turn to the great prophet… John Mayer.

The Heart of Life
“Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
I know it won’t all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good”

I love the words and message of this song. I enjoy the idea especially relative to preparing for a new baby and thinking about how amidst the difficulties in the world and in our individual lives, love can spur new life. God’s love and our love for each other can allow something as miraculous as a precious new baby to come to be. I delight in thinking that because of love, and only love, life continues… and that is good.

Like I said, I LOVE being pregnant! Waking and falling asleep to the pitter-patter of a newborn in my belly is UH-MAZING! Knowing that I share this experience and bring this baby into the world with the man of my dreams is also a remarkable gift. Watching my belly grow (rapidly now) is pretty darn cool (and a little weird at times). It’s so astounding to survey God’s majesty as He creates.

Yo homes, smell ya’ later…
J & S & baby MCL

Our little kicker

Our little baby started kicking this week - woohoo! Just about every morning Jeff drums on my belly and tells the baby to start kicking. A few days ago, he/she did!!! It has been the most amazing feeling in the world this week to experience this...

Baby McLaughlin is approximately the size of a large banana. :) We had our 20-week "anatomy" appointment last week - how exciting! The baby weighs 11 oz. and is about 7 inches long. We watched our baby kick and wiggle as he/she was assessed - 2 kidneys, 4 chambers of the heart, 2 brain hemispheres, a spine, fingers, toes... all of the measurements were perfect. While we can't put our trust in technology, this was a huge relief and blessing that all is going so well. We feel immense gratitude for this miracle!

At the close of our ultrasound appointment and upon Jeff's asking, Cindy, our ultrasound tech, said she knew if it was a boy or girl. That was crazy that she knows and we don't!!! But, we are glad to be surprised still and excited to wait it out - she's not writing it down anywhere and she won't let us change our mind either. :)

Our visit to the doc was great too - have I mentioned in every post how much I love our doctor? She's been great and we feel so comfortable with her. I'm feeling really good about our decision to "go natural" still. We are exploring the options of doulas who are in with the doctor (a doula is a non-medical assistant who provides physical, emotional and informational support during labor, more specifically natural childbirth). I've heard great responses from friends that have gone this route.

In other news... we finished the bathroom... almost. :) There are always those little things that sneak up on ya' - a couple of tiles to replace, some rewiring of the light, etc. We're close though. On to the nursery? Who knows?

Love to you all,

J, S, & baby

Hi everyone... we are now approaching 20 weeks - halfway! Baby is about the size of a small zucchini - ahhhh!!! It's so hard to believe! I feel great. It's been a really enjoyable experience - most days I find myself saying "no way, there's a baby in there?" - it's normally when I catch myself in the mirror and I look more and more oddly shaped. :)

Jeff is working hard at a bathroom redo. In our effort to prepare for the nursery, we've had a home overhaul... thinking about the nursery meant we had to clean that room out first. That meant finding a place for that stuff, which meant first cleaning out the garage, which meant frequent trips to Goodwill/The Christian Center. Then thinking about colors, etc. meant thinking about registering... all of this to say... he's now redone his drum room, ripped apart and put back together our bathroom, painted here and there, we got a new fridge, etc., etc., etc. This baby triggered Extreme Home Makeover. He gets to "tinker" and I love watching his excitement about the baby and get to do things at home that allow him to prepare and provide for "it" too.

YES, we are still planning to be surprised! This is so fun to not know what the baby is... except when I'm out shopping and have to restrain myself from buying any baby clothes. If you know anything about our families, you know that we'll have no shortage of clothes coming once we do find out if it's a boy or girl. I'm thinking our baby may me just a little spoiled. :) Jeff and I do think that it's a girl though...

Well, this coming Thurs we have our appointment where we get to study the anatomy of the baby - see the brain, heart chambers, spine, etc. This process has required constant trust that God cares more about him/her than even we do. I haven't really been worried (somewhat surprisingly since it's such a major deal!!!), but I have a peace resting in that comfort.

Some days for me are harder than others as far as a changing body goes. If someone says, "you look cute" at the sight of my new "bump", I sometimes want to say "well, you haven't seen me naked." Awkward. Somedays, I marvel at the miracle my body is going through and some days I struggle to feel "pretty". I'm thankful for such a loving husband that verbalizes sweet encouragement in this area.

Well, thank you for your continued prayers... now I'm off to help re-tile the bathroom floor.

Love,
J,S, & Baby McL

PS - here is some info on what's going on with baby's development...

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.