HELLO BABY || 25 WEEKS

weight gain: STILL at the 15{ish}lb mark. I think I've gained a pound or two since my last update, which I'm thankful for!

morning sickness/tiredness: the past couple weeks have been pretty tiring for me. We've been just going constantly. My mom is finishing up every day radiation tomorrow, and I think I will be able to be a little more rested after that. 

cravings: PIZZA. all I've been wanting lately is pizza. And then pickles and cantaloupe and orange juice. taco's are usually good too, if I don't have anything else on hand. Oh, and ice cream sandwiches! 

movement: Still not been able to feel much on the outside, although Josh was able to feel some kicks yesterday. Late last night I could feel several pretty good kicks on the outside too -that was a first because its usually only a couple very light kicks.

other stuff: I'm starting to get a cold, and I'm praying it doesn't get too bad. I've been having a lot more trouble with my eyes lately- everything is blurry, even with my glasses on... which is kind of weird{but I've heard its normal}. I feel like I need more room in my belly because everything is getting squished... and at the same time I feel like I really popped out the past couple weeks...

Hello Baby || 23 weeks

weight gain: I'm at the 15{ish}lb mark, but I've been stuck here for the past 5 weeks... In one way its a relief, since I gained pretty fast to start, but its also got me slightly worried. My midwife didn't say anything though, and I'm measuring right on{to the day}, so I guess I'm good.

morning sickness: Ironically I think my body is slightly different than most... I've actually had more nauseousness in the 2nd trimester than I did in the first. But thankfully its usually around when I head to bed, and hasn't interfered with anything!

cravings: Still haven't had much of an appetite, but when I do, I love all things spicy. Like my hubby's homemade salsa made into queso. I've also been going for spam sandwhiches{although it sounds absolutely disgusting at the moment} and donuts! caramel apples{which we've been getting in abundance thanks to my sister working at a apple orchard} are really good too!

movement: After a few weeks of feeling practically nothing{which had me quite worried to be honest}, Little Abigail is back to kicking pretty good multiple times a day. My midwife told me that I would probably feel even more, but the placenta is currently cushioning a lot of movement. Josh and my sister were both able to feel some tiny kicks this week! =)

other stuff: I'm thinking about setting up a chiropractor appointment soon... My back is bothering me a bit, and I can't seem to get it to crack anymore... :( 

quite often I have a strong urge to just walk. thankfully we've been able to fit it in a few times. 

my feet have been swelling a little bit, but I've also been on my feet quite a lot lately.

when cancer knocks on your door|| my mama's story

this is Part 1 of a series that I will be writing about every other week until my mom has beat the beast of breast cancer! I will try to keep details up to date as well as share my thoughts about the whole thing! Please keep her in your prayers! XX H

About 2 months ago in a random phone call my mom mentioned she had a doctors appointment. When I unsuspectingly asked what it was for her answer was a quick "oh just a check up". Red flags immediately went up in my mind. Mom and I have always been open about things like that, and her answer definitely let me know that something was wrong...

I was able to get some answers out of her in that phone call.

she had found 2 lumps, and she was going to get them checked out. It wasn't necessarily serious, but deep down I knew it wasn't good.

In the slew of doctors appointments that followed, she found out that she did indeed have Stage 2 breast cancer, but thankfully it has not spread to anything other than her lymph nodes! A team of doctors and nurses were assigned her case and after a little deliberation set in motion a plan of action.

a fast plan of action, as one lump was slightly smaller than a golf ball, and the other marble sized.

Since then she has gone through 3 treatments of chemo. She continue with that until the end of June when they will reassess the situation and proceed from there.

Thankfully her latest results are that the lumps are shrinking!

Her white blood cell count has been extremely low since the first chemo, which makes her super susceptible to catching any kind of sickness. Because of that she has had to stay away from people most of the time, unless it is on her day with the highest count. This means only occasional getting out of the house> no church since people go whether they're sick or not and only occasional quick trips to the store if absolutely necessary.

 It has also meant the constant use of hand sanitizer and disinfectant, continuously taking lots extra vitamins, and consistently wiping down everything anyone touches{doorknobs, faucets, counters, cups, etc} not just for her, but for all of the rest of us!

She has been keeping busy with lots of craft projects and music lessons, and she never really slows down other than the 3 + 4th days after her chemo. She has also been having tons of fun finding new scarves and trying out different ways to wear them!