1st trimester... check!

Hello blog-o-world!  It's so nice to see you again... it's been too long!  After I documented my parents' visit, things got a little crazy around here.  My grandpa passed away (still miss you every day, Gpa..) and mourning such a big loss so far away from home really drained me emotionally.  And THEN... we found out we were pregnant!  Just two weeks after my grandpa passed, we were staring at a positive pregnancy test.  Surreal.  It was one of those moments of overwhelming emotion--I was still recovering and working through the sadness of my grandpa's death, yet at the same time I was overjoyed at this new life that was now inside of me.  It was a moment I will never forget-- where I felt His comforting presence in the depths of my heart saying, "See, my child? I make all things new."  With one life gone, a new one was just beginning.  God's perfect timing and complete sovereignty never ceases to amaze me.

And so, fast forward a couple of months--passed the morning sickness, the headaches, the fatigue, the burping, the ever-changing emotions--and I find myself turning the corner and entering my 2nd trimester! And as ready as I am to move on to happier and healthier days, I did manage to take a few pics during my 1st trimester that I didn't want to leave out!

You can't really tell from the pic, but I am indeed holding 3 positive pregnancy tests :)  All different brands, too.  My cautious slightly-OCD-self just HAD to make sure, so I ran out and bought 3 different tests.  (Hey! You never can trust these Thai knock-off brands!)

*Funny story related to this: This was our first month "trying" to have a baby and Steven was worried that I would get my hopes up every month and be disappointed if it didn't happen.  So, he sat me down one night and told me that he thought I should wait to take a pregnancy test.  He was concerned that his overly emotional, excited, can't-sleep-before-Christmas-morning wife wouldn't be able to handle the ups and downs of a negative test.  So, I gently nodded at his request, thanked him for being protective of my heart and then snuck up stairs to take a pregnancy test.  (I still have a lot of growing to do in the "listen to your husband" category...)  Not 5 minutes later, I come hopping down the stairs with a positive pregnancy test dancing around the dining room table where Steven was working.  He just looked up at me with a smile on his face, shaking his head and saying, "I knew you wouldn't wait!"  I later told him that I had good intentions to take his advice, but that I just couldn't ignore my "motherly intuition".  :)  He forgave me and after he got over the shock of it all, we celebrated! :)

Week 5 belly shot... *aka* "Before Lauren gets fat"

How we told people that we were pregnant!  We've got a "bun in the oven"!

*Another funny story: We told most of our family on Skype that we were pregnant using this same corny idea.  I would tell them that I had something baking that I wanted to show them.  So, we'd bring the computer over to the oven and pull out the bun and wait for their reactions.  Best reaction of all?  My grandma :)  (Did you expect anyone else?)  The conversation went something like this:

Grandma: "Well what is it?  OH! Is that a bagel?"

Me: "Nope, its a bun!"

Grandma: "A bun? Oh, how fun!  How did you make it?"

Me: (insert awkward silence...)

Grandma: "Well, did you use yeast?  Will you teach me how you made it?"

Me: (insert more awkward silence...)

Grandma: (not noticing my awkward silences at all) "And why are you baking just one?"

Me: "Well, I can probably only handle one at a time..."

Grandma: "Well, what kind of bun is it?"

Steven: "Um... I guess you could say it's half German/half Japanese?"

Grandma: "I've never heard of that combination before!  Sounds yummy!"

Steven: (getting tired of dancing around the subject) "Hey grandma, have you ever heard the expression 'We have a bun in the oven?'"

Grandma: "Well, yes."

Me & Steven: (waiting...looking at each other...awkward silence...)

Grandma: "OH, YOU DIDN'T!!!"

Me & Steven: (laughing)

Grandma: "Oh STEVEN!  YOU didn't!!!!!" 

I love how you can always count on Grandma Yuki for a fabulous reaction :)

We also went over and told the Hambrices that we were pregnant.  They thought I was taking a family picture of them, but little did they know I just wanted to record their reactions... :)  Here's the video!

Last week we went in for our first ultrasound and saw baby Sauder moving all around!  I was a little nervous going into our appointment because I was still unsure if there was actually a baby in me.  (I had this fear that it was all in my head...)  But sure enough, there definitely is a baby in there :)

I had to go in 3 different times because the baby was too active to get a good reading/recording.  The technician laughed and she told us that we have a very stubborn and hyper baby :)  

Dinner (at 10PM!) after our ultrasound!

And lastly, the recording of the ultrasound.  It's really long, but you can see baby Sauder wave at 2:40!

Steven and I are so excited (mixed with a little bit of nervousness!) about our little babe due at the end of November.  We'll sure have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!  We praise God for keeping our baby healthy and for allowing us to share in the joy of being soon-to-be parents!