19 weeks and feeling great!

Well I thought since our update last time included just a little bit on our pregnancy, and we've have some questions/request, I'd give another update. Today marks 19 weeks. That's almost through the fifth month :O holy smokes that's more than half way! I'm feeling great! I'm starting to notice that exercise is becoming a little more difficult aerobically, and my belly is getting bigger but other than that I'm feeling normal. In-fact things are feeling more normal than they did in the first semester, but we'll get to that in a few.

19 weeks today looking plump, as John says. 

So how did we figure we might be pregnant if we didn't think we could have kids. Well it took longer than some if you're really paying attention, but not too long. Basically my stomach had been bothering me for over a week but it was right after I walked for my master's and at the end of the school year. Life was stressful with teaching and jobs were very uncertain. My teaching position had been cut and I didn't see a lot of hope at the time in regards of teaching for the next year. I was also slightly bored from being done with school and drinking a lot of soda and eating a lot of sugar. So between stress and tons of junk food, I thought my stomach was pissed at me and misbehaving to get back. There was even one time that I remember specifically where we took a friend out to dinner for watching the dogs and thinking that the food simply didn't sit well and that I ate too much, because I felt SO Full and really not that great. A few times we even made jokes about having a baby because my stomach had been acting up. It never felt like a flu though and I never got sick. I decided to lay off the junk for a few days and try to have more fun to see if that would help, but honestly it didn't. We continued to make minor jokes and I started to take a few precautions like avoiding raw fish and soda completely just in case, but never really thought to test. After 8 years of nothing and being told pregnancy wasn't possible, we had stopped paying attention to mother nature and literally written the idea off. Then finally one night john's coworker had given us some treats that he wanted us to try and I wanted to try it without worrying. I hesitated, but while John was on the phone, just left and went to the store. I came back with a test thinking that I could just clear my mind about it all and move on with normal life. SURPRISE the test was positive and both of us, jaws open, flopped down in the bathroom going "holy shit" and in shock. I had just ran a six mile trail run an hour or so prior and thinking about the last few weeks. By this time school had ended and summer had begun. I had started working the docks and it was rainy and cold. I had been drinking 1-2 large coffees a day and not paying attention to what I ate at all. We couldn't believe it! We immediately started going through the fridge and medicine cabinet saying "no more of this" "more of this" "start taking this". The next day at work, after I had already left, John was so cute and surprised me with a large cup of homemade hot chocolate at the dock since I couldn't have coffee. Although we were pretty shocked we immediately started taking action to give our baby the best chance and help me have a good pregnancy.

The first trimester
Throughout the first trimester I was very tired! I stopped drinking caffeine completely and quickly started realizing how many things had egg yolks, more sugar, and other foods to avoid in them. At first I tried to push through the fatigue, but after doing a little research I started giving in and take almost daily naps. I was very tired and couldn't doing anything about it, and everything says you should rest when tired, so naps became necessary. Other than fatigue, a heightened sense of smell and having a slightly upset stomach at times, I really didn't have too many symptoms. I have learned that pregnancy brain is NOT a myth and that sometimes the thought or task that should come to the brain simply doesn't and when you look like an airhead enough times you blame it on the pregnancy brain. I haven't gotten sick once, knock on wood, and the weird food cravings and crazy hormones have been nonexistent. Let's hope that continues :)

I ran a few more times, but never felt great doing so. I experienced heartburn for the first time in my life and pretty short winded. So I decided to stick to hikes and walks. I've continued to do yoga regularly just stuck to prenatal yoga to keep things safe and prepare for the baby. After a few weeks I took up swimming again and haven't looked back since. I feel great swimming and continue to do laps and water aerobics two to four days a week. A friend told me about a class that she attends and I LOVE it. The teacher is great and it's not your grandma's water aerobics class. Everyone in the class is young, the teacher is young (not to mention a few months postpartum) and she makes us work! It's awesome! I love that I can still be active and healthy for myself and our little one.

I discovered an awesome book while mom and dad were in town called "Yoga Mama Yoga Baby". I've enjoyed it for the breathing and stretching exercises to keep my healthy and feeling great. It also has some good recipes and what to expect during each month and trimester. I look forward to reading and referring back to it. Pinterest has become more fun and helpful than it even was before and I've added "Fit Pregnancy" and "Yoga Journal" to my list of regular reads.

Like we stated above, we're well into the second trimester, but that'll have to wait till later. We're having a great journey and glad you could be here to share it with us. Here's what we have of my first trimester belly...

8 weeks

13 weeks

9 weeks

BIG Update!

Wow it's been too long since I've updated this. I promise this will be a good one and worth your read! Summer is about over, the days are quickly getting shorter, and the academic year has begun. A lot has changed, in a good way, since some of you last heard from us. John no longer works for the mine. We decided that it wasn't the best place for him to be and an opportunity to work for the gun shop full time pretty much put a kaboosh on the cost analyst job. So he's been working as the business manager for the shop all summer and continues to love it! The tourist season has kept him and the other guys quite busy, working 6-7 days a week, and brightening lots of customers days with new firearms, bows, and machine gun time. John does all of the bookkeeping for the business so he's able to use his great skills and enjoy the accounting side of things. He's learning a lot about smaller businesses and we have both gained a greater appreciation for small local business.

Em helped out a little over the summer by selling tours on the docks in-between summer school. She taught P.E. for a summer program through the school district. Between that, the docks, the pool, and hiking she stayed busy enough, but not too busy. She spends a lot of time hanging out at the shop to visit John and the others and just to hang out. John got her into archery this summer so that she could learn to shoot bow and take advantage of the great range here in Juneau. Not to mention she's not shooting rifle or pistol right now. She's still has a lot to learn, but has enjoyed it more than she thought she would.

July 4th, John's dad came to visit and we got to take him all over Juneau. We went on some beautiful hikes, fishing, and sight seeing. August was an even busier month for the two of us. Summer school ended, however we had visitors from the beginning to just last week. We had an excellent time and loved having Em's parents and our friend Todd from Nevada in town. We got to take them to Tracy Arms and see whales, bears and huge glaciers caving. We also took them hiking all over and even saw some black bears up close while they fished for salmon. We did a lot of fishing with Todd; he and John caught a few great salmon that we are excited to get back soon. Hal still wins with his first catch though; he caught a starfish right off the bat lol, but don't worry he threw it back :)

Two redneck boys livin in a man's world, so they think ;)

At the top of Mount Juneau soaking it all in, and resting :)

What an adventure! Over 3,500 feet elevation climb from sea level.

Rainbow over Herbert Glacier!

So now it's September, the school year has begun and normal life (as we know it) proceeds. Em is working as a paraprofessional at a middle school in a Developmental Education Classroom. She's bummed to not be teaching, but excited to be working with the students she is. She gets to go to the pool and help with adaptive PE every day for at least one of the students and at times two or three of them during the school day. It turns out this year is a good year for her to be less busy and have less stress. She is taking two early childhood classes online to expand her credentials, but she still won't be nearly as busy as she is used to being.

But for the biggest update and change this year, and why less stress is good as well as why she got into archery, we have an announcement for everyone! Some of you already know, but many of you don't. John and I recently found out that we are going to have a baby! No we're not adopting another dog or cat, we are actually pregnant with a two legged human child. Can't believe it? Neither did we. After 8 years of understanding that we couldn't have kids and writing the idea off, we were surprised to find out that we were pregnant. Em was so shocked that she took another test 3 days later and another (from another company) a few days after that just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. We went to the doctor to find out we were 7 weeks pregnant with our little peanut and skyped our parents a few days later. Both of whom are SO excited and dying to know what it is. We are now a healthy 18 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday) and both doing great. Keep your eyes out for more specific updates, but for now we wanted to let all of our friends know that we are actually going to have a baby! John is going to have a little hunter by his side and Em can't wait to have her yogi and swimming partner ;) We have gotten over much of the shock and begun the practical planning side of things, however we still often shake our heads and go "I can't believe we're actually talking about this" or "wow this is actually happening". So now well into the second trimester the excitement grows and the adjustments begin. We talk to the puppies and TJ all of the time about having a baby and let them get close. We are starting to rearrange the house and bring in a few babyish items to begin the transition period for all five of us. You'll have to stay tuned for more updates :) For now we are happy to finally share the news with everyone and look forward to sharing more updates with you!

The first test 

 9 weeks, celebrating with a hike to the glacier :)

 Our little seven week peanut!

 15 weeks at the top of Mount Juneau. That was a heck of a hike and we had to keep taking breaks to make sure my heart rate didn't get too high. Totally worth it thought!

Our little family of four and a half :) in front of Herbert Glacier at 14 weeks. 10 mile walk round trip!

Happy Human Parents to be!

Turns out I was probably pregnant when I walked for my master's :D

18 weeks and SHOWING in my new rocking chair from daddy John and Mr. Moose from Grandma Janey ;)