New Pictures...

I joked with Kyle that he's going to be quite the professional photographer by the time we have the baby...

Can you believe it?~

It's so hard to believe that I'm already 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Only 100 more days till my maternity leave. Time sure has flown by quickly, and for those of you who have seen me lately, you know, I'm definitely popping out. At first I was worried because it's seemed as though my belly button was going to pop out early but it has since flattened out. Yippee! I'm starting to read more children's books to my students so the baby will be surrounded by words. I think the fact that I teach language arts will be a bonus for the little one. My students told me today that they hope our little one's first words are "Skippyjon Jones." If you haven't read this book, you need to... hilarious!! 

It's so amazing to feel her little movements all day long. When she's asleep I find myself wanting to gently press on my belly to wake her up. I feel this amazing connection with her when she moving around and exploring what little space that she has. It's so hard to believe she has room to survive in there all cramped in a ball. No wonder I feel her stretching so much. Kyle and I were talking the other day and we find it hard to believe that anyone who has been pregnant or witnessed a birth could deny that God exists. Who else could've created a little being that grows so intricately in the "belly" of a woman, a little being that breathes water for nine months and then when disconnected from the umbilical cord, begins to breathe air. From what my book says, all the babies organs are formed and are now taking the time to grow and develop. This little one growing inside me truly is a gift from God. 

I'm going to have Kyle take some 23 week pictures today, so I'll post again soon. 

Love~

Alissa

President's Weekend

Well, I have to admit that I thourougly enjoyed having Monday and Tuesday off this week. It was so wonderful to sleep in, relax, and spend time with friends I haven't seen in a while. Saturday, Kyle and I spent the day relaxing, in fact, I didn't get out of bed and shower until around 4! Mostly because we weren't going anywhere and I was enjoying feeling our little baby girl kick and move around inside my ever growing belly. She has really become a very active little one and sometimes, if I'm really relaxed, you can see my belly move when she moves or kickes. So amazing!! It's so hard to believe that God has created this little being and that she's growing inside of me. I'm doing the best I can to get my excercise in, but let me tell you, it's hard because I get winded fast! =)

On Sunday, Kyle and I went to Mariner's with Doug and Jan. We went for the first time 3 weeks ago and enjoyed it and we are hoping to get more involved in a couples group. We would really like to meet other married couples and couples with young children. I feel that the messages at Mariners have spoken to me a great deal lately. I've even had the opportunity to share what I've learned with others to encourage them. That's such a wonderful feeling, not only to be spiritually fed, but feel that the Lord is using you to feed others. After church we spent the day at the beach house, napping, and relaxing in the sun. I'm glad we had the opportunity to do that since it's been gloomy here for the last 2 days and they are expecting rain through Sunday!! I feel like I live in Oregon!

Monday was a fabulous day. I had lunch and walked around with my friend Stephanie and her 9 month old, Jaden. He's getting so big!! Pretty soon, he'll have a little playmate. We went to Irvine Spectrum, had lunch at Corner Bakery and walked the entire mall, browsing and talking. It was beautiful out and it was so nice to get out of the house. I really enjoy spending time with Stephanie and Jaden, and Steph is always giving me great baby advice about things we'll need to register for. She also understands that my baby girl is not going to wear only pink!! After leaving Stephanie's company I recieve a call from and old friend and one of my bridesmaids, who I haven't seen in years. It was so great to catch up with her and hear about what God is doing in her life. She is getting married in July, so if you remember, please pray for marriage blessings and wedding planning blessings too.

Kyle and I are going to be heading to Tennessee in March (for my b'day) to look at houses. We are really seeking God about this next chapter of our life. I feel that God is calling us to seek him constantly, praying for 7 clear, spiritual signs, in the next 7 weeks about what he is calling us to do. We are in a transition stage, but I fully believe God has a big plan for our lives and is making sure that we are looking to Him as our guide. Please be praying with us for these next 7 weeks.

Love~
Alissa

Pregnancy Pictures - 22 Weeks

Here are some new pictures that Kyle took of me last night. We're 22 weeks pregnant! Well I guess I should say I'm 22 weeks pregnant. On Valentines Day Kyle and I were relaxing and our little baby girl started kicking in my tummy. She was kicking so hard we could see my tummy move a little bit. Kyle was able to feel the baby for the first time! It was so much fun! So far I've only gained 10lbs, which the doctor says is completely fine. Both myself and the baby are healthy and doing well.

New baby clothes

Baby girl clothes are so much fun to shop for. While Kyle and I couldn't resist picking up a few things here and there, we've also had friends give us some adorable baby clothes. Last night Kyle and I were at Old Navy checking out Old Navy clothes and the baby clothes were 40% off. We picked up a couple cute pieces.



This is a cute dress that our friends Brad and Joy Wilson bought us. So adorable!!

Puppy Sitting

Last week Kyle and I puppy sat for some friends of ours while they were on a short trip to Orlando, FL. We had so much fun spending the week being "pretend" parents. Gia is a miniature cocker spaniel with the most adorable sad eyes we've ever seen. It was hard to be strict parents to her while she was here because she would look at us with those big blue eyes, and tilt her head to the side. So adorable!! I do have to say that it was very tiring getting up earlier than usual to make sure Gia got her morning walk before and after she was fed, that I got my breakfast, and was able to get ready for work. Gia left on Tuesday night and we miss her already! Here are some pictures.


Here she is napping with me on the couch

Hang time with Alissa and Gia

Gia sitting like a queen on our sofa pillow

Gia waiting for permission to eat her treat

Who can resist those eyes?

A Long Awaited Smile

I can safely say that I'm done with my Master's as my grades were posted online. Overall, I received a 4/4 on my paper and an A in the class. YEAH!! I also got an email from my professor this week asking if they can use my paper as an example on the APU website for the Master's Thesis class. Of course I said YES!!

It's so wonderful to finally be done with this chapter of my life. Kyle and I were talking and we realized that I've been trying to finish my credential and master's since 4 months after we got married, 3 1/2 years ago! It's crazy to think about how fast time goes by. While I want to get my Ed.d at some point, I'm ready to take a break for a while and focus on nesting as we await the arrival of our little one.

Speaking of our little one... she has begun kicking away several times a day, especially when I'm trying to relax. I'm convinced she's trying out her little dance moves and gearing up for her ice skating career. I, on the other hand, am popping out like crazy, even my belly button is starting to rebel against the growth. Kyle thinks it's cute, but I'm really not sure how I feel about my belly button popping out.

This week Kyle and I are puppy sitting for some friends so I'll be posting pictures of our adventures with our new little puppy pal Gia. She is so adorable!! We're excited!

More soon. Love,
Alissa