6 months pregnant!!

I'm not even sure it's possible!! Can I really be 6 months pregnant? It's crazy to think so. When you keep track of pregnance via weeks, you don't really think about months the same way. 24 weeks seemed like no big deal until someone said, "Oh, 6 months!" And then I realized how very quickly this whole experience is going...

Here's me at just under 24 weeks.



I love this yellow shirt even though it makes Jackson look like a small sunshine. :)

Here's the baby bumb skin...



I'm really enjoying this part of pregnancy. I don't feel very big, but feel pregnant. My energy is back some...I always say that I'm not sure I'm less tired, just that I've figured out how to deal with it...I pace myself better, that sort of thing. I'm still able to do all the things I need to (some with a little more effort, of course).

We've started calling baby by his name, which is a very cool thing. Andrew likes to make Jackson kick me, and he's able to feel him moving around a lot more. It's nice because it helps Andrew form that attachment with him too. Rachel gets to feel him a lot too. She also has this really annoying habit of creating a "Jackson earthquake." It sounds funny, but makes me pee my pants a little if she catches me off guard. Isn't that awesome?! :)

I didn't really realize how pregnancy would be such a blessing for me though. I'm looking forward to parenthood part, but I'm also really enjoying being pregnant. I can drink milk, which used to irritate my stomach. I'm enjoying pizza more than ever...I also really feel like God is using pregancy to help me realize how powerless I am and how much he actually does take care of me. My anxiety issues that creep up every now and then are quickly beaten down (without medicine!), and I feel a new sense of dependency and joy in that feeling.

I'm sure I'll get to the uncomfortable stage eventually and change my mind about how wonderful being pregnant is, but for now, it's perfect.

Last weekend, we took these pictures. Me and my fabulously wonderful and oh so very helpful friend Jenn. She is a couple of months ahead of me...32 weeks.





We're making headway preparing for Jackson's arrival. We've picked out his bedding and started registering (at Target and BabiesRUs). It's fun, but overwhelming. We've still got a lot to do, but so far, we've got time...

What's in a name?

Well, I say...a lot!!



Long before Andrew and I started talking about trying to have a baby, we discussed the importance of names. We like strong names that can be both cute and dignified...something you can call an infant, but something respectable enough to be an appropriate job interview introduction. Both of our parents did a great job naming all of us, and those names are significant in some way. To Andrew and I, it is most important that names honor our families and their legacies in order to instill in our kids a sense of identity. We discussed naming baby boy Christmas Eve, and we found it a lot easier than we feared. We tried making lists and swapping them, but our lists were fairly short, and we found it harder to talk about a first name without talking about it with a middle name. We even considered having two middle names to accomodate our wishes. Towards the end of the listing (and discussing), I had us both write our top three full names down. Our first and second were the exact same, so we feel like it's pretty "meant to be."



That being said, we've decided to name our first boy: Jackson Ford Purvis.



Jackson: This summer, Andrew and I had an extra trip together returning home from MO. Long story short, Andrew's brothers Grant and Justin missed their flight home from our (now) annual family Tybee Island trip. We got stuck in terrible traffic. When you drive with just two of you on not much sleep, conversation is a must for safety...somehow, we started talking about names. We didn't even discuss girl names in any serious form...mostly talking about girl names we hated (the list was long). We talked about the naming process and how important it was to us and names we liked for various reasons. Jackson was the top of the list then, and this baby has been Jackson to me really since we knew we were pregnant. I didn't know for sure that he was a boy until earlier this month, but for some reason, he felt like a Jackson to me. When we discussed other first names, it felt awkward to me... Jackson is also a family name. Andrew's great great great Uncle was named Andrew Jackson Purvis. He was an Oregon Trail wagon master, known for his courage and daring ways amidst especially harsh conditions.



Ford: Andrew's maternal grandfather (Merle Ford Prewett, called Ford) was in the army during WW2. A mail carrier intitially and a mechanic by trade (he had to drive a car without lights at night and fix his own vehicle to avoid being killed while distributing highly sensitive documents all over Europe), he was thrust into an infantry role at the Battle of the Bulge. Part of the reason Andrew joined the army (and, therefore, moved to GA) had a lot to do with the inspiration from his grandfather's military career.



Because our baby boy won't be born in an easy time, and he may have to fight for his rights of freedom in some capacity, we wanted to instill in our son that mentalty...from his father, his grandfather, and his distant uncle. To honor that legacy, we decided to name him Jackson Ford Purvis.

Our prayer for him is that he has the strength and wisdom necessary to fulfill God's calling in his life, whatever that may mean.

Two households, both alike in dignity...

That's a Shakespeare shout out for those of you didn't know...

The longer I am married, the longer I realize a certain truth. Married women are a part of two households, not one. And while I'll always belong to the family of my childhood, my heart belongs to my husband and the new family we're building.

I grew up in a great family...and I never knew how great it was until I got older. My parents weren't perfect, but we always had good food on the table, lovely clothes on our backs, and all the love and support a child could want. I don't think Rachel or I ever had a dance performance that my Mom didn't attend until college when she went to my brother's games and my Dad came to watch me dance at UGA. My parents attended every award ceremony I was invited to. They made it possible for me to achieve my dreams and always truly believed I could do anything I put my mind to. My Dad edited every essay I wrote, and my Mom would stay up with me while I worked on homework or a project late. Even as an adult, I realize that I still have that same level of support and encouragement. My Dad is always able to help us with financial needs (no, he doesn't just give us money), and my Mom even came over one weekend to help me clean my house because I needed four hands instead of two. But my parents never spoiled us (well, Josh might be a little rotten)... We were taught how to tithe our money and shop sales even when we had the money. We were taught the joy of giving instead of receiving and of putting others before ourselves. We were taught the value of hardwork, even if we then complained it was slave labor. We were given everything we needed, but we we were taught a lot about how to be decent human beings. And as I learn more about others and their family dynamics, I thank God every day for the parents and siblings he blessed me with...

Then, I got married. And one thing I truly love about our marriage is how much we truly (honestly and sincerely) adore each other's families. Not many people can say that. Although our childhoods were very different, our core values instilled in us by our parents are the same. Now, I belong to that family too, and it has brought me even more joy over the last few years. I feel connections with my inlaws that feel as though they've been there forever.

When I first met Andrew, I knew that he ultimately wanted to find his way back to be closer to his family and have a career in politics serving in his home sate. He asked me on our first date how I would like decorating the Governor's mansion. I shouldn't be surprised that he increasingly talks of moving "home." He's not just talking that way for selfish reasons, although he feels bad that he isn't able to help his aging parents in their financial and physical struggles. More than that, he feels burdened in his heart to go to graduate school and run for office.

I believe that women have different roles in marriage, but ultimately should support their husband's calling. That being said, I realize that my "new" family may cause me to leave the place I've called home my whole life. I don't mean that literally, I guess, although it could take me away from here physically. And though I don't want to "leave," I know in my heart that God may take us elsewhere, and I have to learn to find peace in that. I guess I start by openly talking about it (which I used to not be able to do). The thought of moving away from my parents and family makes me sick to my stomach a lot of times, but I believe more and more that God had called me to be Andrew's wife and to take care of his children, which means I may one day move to Missouri.

There, I said it. It wasn't easy, but it's true.

Is that too heavy to talk about a week before Christmas? :)

It's a boy!!

Today, we went to my 20 week appointment and learned that baby is a boy!! They asked us if we wanted to know gender, and it's a good thing we did. We have a great picture of his package. He had those legs spread eagle the whole time. Rachel came with us and she saw it before they even told us...if you can read those things, it's pretty obvious. I guess he was proud and ready to show us. He's a Purvis already!! We go to see his perfectly functioning kidneys, the four chambers of his little heart, his belly, his spine, even his sweet little face (which looked a little alien-like, for sure). While I was looking forward to finding out if "it" was a girl or boy, I was also fairly anxious about this appointment...if something is wrong, you often see it then, so fears abound...I feel blessed to say all is well. :)

Andrew and I secretly hoped for a boy, so we are super excited. :) To say that I'm having a son and not just a baby makes the whole experience feel all the more real. And that's actually a little scary too...we have so much to do before the end of April. Let's hope we get it all done...

19 1/2 weeks!!

As requested...here's me at 19 1/2 weeks. I'm definitely looking pregnant, which is better than looking fat! :)

I still feel really good...I get tired easily, but I can't complain. I'm still avoiding chicken, but more out of fear that it'll make me feel sick than because I actually have an aversion to it.

We go back to the doctor on Thursday and can finally stop calling Baby Purvis "it." :)

I'm going to ask my students to vote on Wednesday and see how close people are in their guesses...

the nature of things...

So, you can always tell when the holidays are approaching if you watch commercials (aka advertisements for cars, jewelry, and electronic devices). Now, I love the holiday season (not so much the cold), so I'm not bashing that at all...just to be clear. :)

Today, I watched a commercial about how a one stop holiday shopping trip for a family would prevent all the headache (biting, fighting, etc.) of the holiday season. I'm sorry...why do people bite and fight anyways during the holiday season? Oh...because gifts are clearly the most important thing, right? And clearly people don't control their own actions, right? Instead, they are controlled by something (anything) else.

I resent that. I think retail and the like created the whole problem in the first place, so why are they so wonderful for fixing the problem?

Isn't this something wrong with our society? Isn't the holiday season supposed to be about celebrating the blessings in life (salvation, family, health, etc.)?

Gifts are an expression of love, but not the only one. Maybe if people would focus their attention on thanking God for giving His only son to us (which we so do not deserve) and spending time with our families and friends (which we so often take for granted) we wouldn't need some advertisement for some gift to make it through the season.

C'mon, people...

Priorities

In life, there are things we do because we have to, and there are things we do because we want to. Obviously, you have to pay the electric bill, or you won't have lights. That means work is something that you have to do. I'm not complaining about responsibility at all because my parents always taught me the reality of it, and it's not something new to me. However, I do sometimes struggle...

The other day, I found myself tired and overly stressed (which is harmful to the body in so many ways). When I listed off my items of stress to Drew, I became more and more annoyed with myself because those were things that need to be done eventually, yes, but they aren't necessarily the most important things in my life. I needed to do laundry and work on some grading. I needed a nap and had to go to class instead. Little things like that...just a lot of them.

So, why is it so hard to push those things out of your head and keep things in perspective? And how do you do it? Thoughts welcome... :)