Pregnant with waiting for God's best.

 

My daughter is two months old now.. However I've had this post on my heart for a while now because ever since I experienced my last pregnancy with Liya I've had such a heart for pregnant moms. Especially with kids already.. 

When that clear blue pregnancy test confirmed "Pregnant" and the five ones after that made it official. I was so excited. Words couldn't even express. I was laughing, crying, daydreaming and I couldn't wait to actually show my  baby bump!

I'd sit around thinking about how small the baby is right now. I thought about how tiny her fingers and toes were. And then about a week later I remembered what pregnancy actually felt like.

I did.. I forgot what pregnancy felt like... Either that or my pregnancy with Evelynne was a walk in the park compared to my pregnancy with Liya. But considering I lost over thirty pounds puking my everything out with Evelynne.. I somehow doubt that. 

About a week after I found out I was pregnant I already started feeling tired and so sick. I wanted to know who on earth decided that eggs could be food and what were they thinking?! 

I found myself hugging the toilet several times a day. Not  washing my hair for five days and sleeping in the same clothes as long as I could because I didn't even have the energy to change or wash clothes for that matter.

Then you hit the second trimester.. You're still super tired however food went from being your worst enemy to your best friend.. And then you find yourself wanting Chick fil a, Five guys and Mexican food all in one sitting. And other then having to pee every five minutes things are going great. 

And finally the third Trimester. You're huge and you feel like a whale. At least I did. And you want to sleep all the time and you just want to be done.You're tired, wobbly, swollen, achy and that pregnancy tired brain is worse than a lack of sleep brain.

And then you finally know why you went through with pregnancy.

It is amazing how 7 pounds and 12 ounces can change your life. And how seeing that cute little beauty and holding her for the first time makes all those times of sleepless nights, uncomfortably, and all those times you couldn't even keep a cracker down worth it.

Experiencing this pregnancy while going through a season of waiting for the life and purpose God has put our family on this earth for  has helped me see pregnancy in a new light and could even relate it together.

Carrying a baby is a lot like carrying a purpose . . .It's like holding a dream. A calling and waiting for it to come to pass.

 It’s not  easy. It's painful and sometimes it makes us feel really sick to our stomachs. 

At times the load feels too heavy to carry and sometimes we can’t even see where we are going anymore thanks to the fact that we no longer can  see our feet and honestly, my sense of direction is so horrible when I'm pregnant.

However, It's during that time when we think to ourselves that we just can't make it. When the enemy tries to feed us lies telling us "All this hard work is for nothing"  And "All this will end out badly with disappointment and broken hearts" And it's when we think that we can  no longer do this, that we realize we can.

We live to fight another day, another month and months after that. God guides the way. Giving us His rest, His comfort and His strength. Our days turn into weeks.. Weeks turn into months... and before you know it our purpose grows and our labor produces harvest.

And finally we're holding that blessing. That promise. And we're finding that it was all very worth it!

I know quite a bit of you are pregnant now. And maybe some of you are carrying a burden, or waiting for the promise and the calling God has placed upon your life like my husband and I are. 

We are in the process of being released to be in full time Ministry. Yep, that means we'll be saying goodbye to the cop life and doing Ministry together as a family. We've been waiting for a while now however, I feel it in my heart that we're getting closer and closer to that time when God says "Now" and provides. 

It certainly is a pain waiting isn't? We just want it handed to us. And it feels like the pain is going to last forever. But this shall pass. Because that's what God promises.

It's not going to be easy. When you're running for the great stuff the process getting there is never a walk in the park. But it takes hard work and sometimes the hardest thing to do is wait. 

You're going to have days when you're done and you don't want to go any further and you just want to give up and stay in bed.. But you can't. You gotta fight for that blessing. You can do this because God has given you what it takes to do so. He has given you Himself and All He is.

So on days when you don't feel like you can take the pain of pregnancy/life/waiting practice confidence. Practice boldness and hold out your arms. They might feel empty today but later in God's perfect timing the seed you have sown today in your hard labor will bare much fruit and God's gonna hand you the blessing and babe, It's gonna rock your universe!

“Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning!”

Psalm 30:5

My Maternity Photos

These were all taken by yours truly! I regretfully say that I barely got any cute maternity photos out of this pregnancy due to my husband working crazy and horrible hours and thankfully that will all be over soon. However, I treasure these photos that I did get. I love them so much and I'm glad the ones of Evelynne aren't blurry.. for the most part. ;)

Lets have coffee.

It really has been a while since I've just poured my heart out on here.. It's been pretty chilly in December so what better place to go then out for coffee??

If we were having some Starbucks coffee together, I'd order a grande (maybe venti?) white peppermint Mocha and one of those cute little snowman cookies! Those little delights look almost too pretty to eat but they're way to delicious to resist.

I would ask how your weekend went? And if you've finished your Christmas shopping?

I would encourage you not to stress about getting everything done and making sure everything looks perfect. I would encourage you not to stress out about financial things and just do what you can.

I would tell you that even if Leon and I did have the money to go completely overboard with Evelynne for Christmas as in spending hundreds of dollars on her alone I honestly don't think we would. Leon and I have agreed to buy all of our children one thing they want, one thing they need, something to wear and something to read. I have such a desire to teach Evelynne to serve so I really want to focus on serving with her this Christmas season and every day for that matter. Even if it's just handing cookies to our neighbors.

I would tell you that I'm so excited for this new chapter in life we're in! Our season of being a family of three is coming to an end and shortly (just a couple weeks) we'll be a family of four! I feel so ready and yet, so not ready. I feel like I was much more prepared with Evelynne in fact, I had my hospital bag packed two months before Evelynne's due date and I have yet to still pack my hospital back and I'm due in two weeks... But hey, I did pack the diaper back and our house is officially baby ready! Evelynne loves putting her baby in the baby swing. I'm so excited to see her in Big sister action.

I would tell you that yesterday was one of the greatest days of my life as I got to witness my amazing husband Leon become a licensed Pastor.  I always knew I'd be a Pastors Wifey and It's been prophesied over him since he was a child. Soon he'll be able to be a Pastor at the Church full time and I will gladly kiss the police badge goodbye! I'm ready to minister as a family and speaking life into peoples lives. We're ready to pick up our crosses and follow Him whose love is captivating. I'm so excited that we'll be able to be a real family soon and Evelynne and Liya will be able to spend time with there daddy more that twenty four hours a week if that. 


I would tell you that this coming year I finally want to start my "Little Beloved" Business. I'll be starting out small and work my way up and it's so exciting. I'll be crocheting kid scarves and as the business gets bigger I'll probably add more merchandise. And to make it even more exciting I plan on using some of the money to start a ministry of blessing young moms/parents. Such as surprising an exhausted new mom with a Starbucks gift card, new parents with take out gift cards, and just randomly dropping diapers off their house. I'd also love to start a mommy group. 2015 is a good year to start! I would say now but we only have a few more weeks to go of 2014 *gasp! And honestly, these days have not been super productive.

If I were having coffee with you I would tell you that I've felt so dry lately.. Like I'm in a desert dry land. I've felt this way on and off through out my whole pregnancy and I've often wondered why? I know it's an attack of the devil however, I'm believing that it's going to cause me to have a new and even stronger hunger for Christ that will light a flame brighter than I have ever carried.. There's been a lot of worship music playing at my house because I refuse to go by the way I feel and it's much easier to stay in the presence when worship is on. I know this is only for a season and I'll come out so much stronger.

This is what I would tell you if I were having coffee with you. What would you tell me?

Surviving Morning sickness when you have a toddler.

Okay, so here I am at 32 weeks and I'm still dealing with morning sickness! Thankfully it's just in the morning and it's definitely not as bad as the first trimester throwing up everywhere sickness however, I just hate feeling nauseous and it's even harder when you have a toddler who is constantly depending on you for their every need and desire. Okie dokie!    Thankfully, I really believe Evelynne has a sense when I'm not feeling good and sometimes I really believe she takes it easy on me. I love my girl, However, it doesn't make it easier because as a mama I have responsibilities and when I feel like I'm doing them to the best of my abilities I take it way harder on myself then I probably should.   Here are some tips and advice that I have learned to take and has seriously helped me in my 32 weeks of pregnancy. I really hope they help!   Plan A. Call Grandma!!//  Both Grandma's in Evelynne's life are super involved with her and it's even better that both of them are my best friends. I know without a doubt I can always call them and they'll always be there for me. However, they're also both working Grandmas so when they can't take Evelynne for the day I know without a doubt that I have plenty of  lifesavers who would be happy to take my cutie pie. Which leads me to my second.
Receive help as much as possible// It's so important for you to get as much rest as possible. So when friends or family members that you trust offer to take your little ones off your hands for a few hours or even a day I'd recommend you take them up on that offer  and get as much rest as possible and if you can, catch up on cleaning. You honestly don't know when you'll have another opportunity to do so.
Nap when they nap// Toddlers are exhausting! So having 24/7 morning sickness on top of that.. Can words even describe? Whether you're a clean freak or not my advice to you is to make it a priority to nap when they nap. Leave the dishes in the sink, don't worry about the laundry and if you must do it when they wake up. You need the rest more then a clean house. You're family needs you to rest too!!    Simple activities// Morning sickness for me was 24/7. I was throwing up constantly. Could barely keep food or even water down and couldn't even move from the couch without feeling like I was going to fall over. So, obviously taking Evelynne on walks was not an option so we had to think of some fun activities for her to do while I could sit and watch her and still be somewhat involved. I had morning sickness during the Spring and Summer so Evelynne's main activity was playing in her pool where I could sit with her. Also coloring, And letting her play on the back porch to get some outside time in.   Reach out// This is one of the  most important things for me! This was something I know I didn't do as often as possible and should have. When you're feeling sick or depressed or extreme Mommy guilt you really need to reach out to someone who's been there. Let them speak life over you, come over and help you, and pray over you. It's so so important.    Listen to the Bible// Because reading it is out of the question.. At least it was for me. However, getting in it daily is so so important! So I recommend listening to it. It even made me feel better at times and if not physically Spiritually for sure! Even sermons help.  

How do you survive those dreaded sick days with your children?  Check out the other mama's blogs for their tips.  And be sure to link up with us below if you also have a post on this topic. 

In the difficulty of motherhood, it's so important to find other mamas to relate to.  Toddlers can be a handful and leave you wondering what to do next.  This series is here to help you navigate through toddlerhood while being able to relate to other mamas going through the same thing.  We may not always know what we are doing but we give it our best shot anyway.  Come back each week to check out our new topic and read along with the other hosts of our One Year and Beyond series!  

The Not Quite Military Wife// Like a Morning Cup of Coffee//  Meet the Sullivan's

 From Here to Eternity//  Pig and Dac//   Everyday Love

A Cowboy's Life// Life of Faith//  Foxy's Domestic Side//  My Delicious Adventure

Oct 2:     Toddler Diaper Bag Essentials 

Oct 9:     Learning to love your post-pregnancy body

Oct 16:   Busy Toddler Activities

Oct 23:   Keeping in Shape While Caring for a Toddler

Oct 30:   Sick Day Tips

Nov 6:    How to Not Lose Your Patience with your Toddler

Nov 13:  Favorite Toddler Outings

An InLinkz Link-up

You're a dad again!

I had it all planned out.  I was going to plan some huge way of telling Leon he was going to be a dad again. It was totally going to be pinterest worthy! However, do you know what happened?? Creativity left my mind even before I knew I was pregnant. I couldn't think of a thing and to be honest the motivation wasn't there.

However, I believe the completely random, non romantic way I told Leon created a memory that will last a lifetime. After all our relationship is about 98%  of randomness and I will take the blame that most of that is my fault. But it's true! We are King and Queen random. I take care of the random sayings and Leon takes care of the random break dancing in the middle of the kitchen floor when we cook. Anywho, enough randomness.

I sat there for hours while Leon was sleeping trying to think of a way to tell him. A cute, funny, romantic way that would last in our hearts forever. But then patience had reached it's end and I could no longer wait. I am great at keeping secrets for someone else but when it comes to keeping my own... Lets just say I have no secrets ha! So I went up stairs to find my husband sleeping in the bed, I woke him up with Pizza and this is how the conversation went.

Me: Guess what?! You're going to be a dad again!

Leon: What?

Me: I'm pregnant!

Leon: Who's Pregnant?

Me: I am.

And then Leon says something completely random about being a monkey's uncle or something like that.
He obviously wasn't fully awake. But after he ate his pizza had some time to think about what I said and after I took another pregnancy test to make it official. He was so full of joy!

The day my life changed forever... again.

                              

 Just like with Evelynne I had a feeling this pregnancy was coming. I didn't know when and I didn't even know how considering Leon works nights and I'm with Evelynne during the day. I'm convinced something must have happened when we passed each other by ;)

I'm gonna start out this post by saying God is such an amazing God! He gives us so many reasons not to worry about things and He gives us so many reasons why we should rely on Him and trust Him in all things. And I wonder why it's so hard for us sometimes to trust in The One who has and will never fail or disappoint us?

This journey Leon and I have been on when it comes to getting married at the age of twenty with no money and barely a job, to getting pregnant three months later, and finding out I'm pregnant now has been a journey where we have needed to fully rely on God. And during this journey I am learning more and more that relying on Him isn't a burden to Him but instead a pleasure. He loves supplying for His children their every need and desire. And even though I know these things without a doubt being an over thinker can still cause me to worry about things. Especially when the enemy tries to fill my mind with the complete nightmares he thinks my future should be..  But to this day Leon and I are hanging tightly to the hope and prosperous future God said it will be!

About a year before Leon and I got married God gave me a dream of our daughter Evelynne. Where I got to meet her as an infant. To this day I still remember pictures of that dream like I just had it and that dream gave me the hope and excitement that I was going to be a mama to a beautiful baby girl.

The first February we were married almost three months after Marriage I started receiving dreams and visions of her again. I remember one  very clearly of a baby and a word over her was "Faith". I was freaking out a bit inside because I had no idea what was going on. But God quickly laid it on mine and Leon's heart that I was pregnant and He wanted us to remember to have faith because all of her needs will be provided for.

With this baby the same thing happened. In about late March I had a vision that I was in the bathroom and I looked down to see the positive pregnant sign on the test. I couldn't help but start crying and soon after I ran into Evelynne's room to tell her she was going to be a big sister.

Now getting pregnant again and having two kids close in age was my dream. I desire for all of my children to grow up close in age so they could be buddies. But I honestly didn't see a reality in that. For one Leon's night shift schedule didn't make it look possible to start "trying" and two we're still not exactly where we want to be financially.

And God knew that those things would be heavy on my heart so He encouraged me by planting this on my heart.


                               
God encouraged me to dream bigger this year, to dream fearlessly, and to dream without letting anyone else have effect on where I feel led to go. And my dream is to be a stay at home mama. In fact I know that's my calling and anointing. And I believe God wants me to do it fearlessly and confidently knowing that all of the needs that come with this shall be provided for. Because Motherhood is a ministry when you do it for the glory of God.

 Around Easter I started feeling sick. I thought maybe I was starting to get sick or something because I honestly didn't think it could be morning sickness. I had taken a test a week or so prior so being pregnant was the last thing on my mind plus I didn't think I could have morning sickness so soon even if I was pregnant but my mother said with hopefulness that it's definitely possible. So I decided if I didn't get my period by my Birthday (May 1st) I'd take a pregnancy test.

The 24th of April came around and I honestly couldn't wait any longer. I had to know and didn't think that six days would make a difference. Plus I was late anyways so I thought why not?

I didn't even have to wait five seconds for it to come up. I looked up, looked down and there it was "Pregnant".  I couldn't help but to just start crying with joy. Thanking God once again for blessing us with another child.  Afterwards I ran into Evelynne's room, lifted her up and told her she was going to be a big sister! Then I all of a sudden realized this all looked familiar. Thanks God!

I still can hardly believe that I will be holding this new blessing in December! And by Christmas I will be loving on two of my babies.

 

Baby #2 Ten week update

Wow am I really doing this? Am I really writing my second baby's update? I'm so blessed over the moon that God has blessed us with another little one and even though I'm exhausted all the time I couldn't be more excited to experience another life growing inside of me. 


 Baby States! 
How along: 12 weeks.

 Baby's size:   2 in  |  5 cm

Weight: 0.5 oz  
  Doctor’s Appointment: We had our first doctors appointment and sonogram a week few weeks ago. Being there brought back so many memories of when I was pregnant with Evelynne. We're going to have to get a baby sitter for E for our future appointments because she is not a fan of the docs. She freaked out every time as soon as we went into the room. Our next one is in June sometime.

Movement: I've felt a lot of flutters recently. It's so nice to experience that feeling again. With Evelynne I didn't feel a thing until I hit my twenty weeks.

 Maternity Clothes: My jeans are starting to get a little snug so I'll probably be taking out the maternity clothes soon.
  
Symptoms I have: I'm still dealing with some morning sickness and I'm puking on and off. Mainly I've just been so extremely tired.  I literally feel like I'm running a five mile marathon every day.

 Best moment of the week: Every single day!! Leon's six day vacation started and I have been loving it. He's been cleaning, washing and helping with Evie along with going out to get my cravings.

Food cravings: Ugh food has been my enemy lately! Mainly because it's so confusing. Lately it has been the Strawberry poppyseed Chicken salad from Panera Bread along with their frozen Lemonade. But who knows what I'll want tomorrow.

  Foods I've been staying away from: Ugh pretty much everything.
 Gender: Guess!!
Due date: December 13, 2014.

A huge announcement.. AHHH!!! =D

We are so so excited beyond comparison that God has blessed us with another perfect gift!
I will have some more exciting posts in the future so make sure to stick around :)

Also, if you noticed I've been a bit distant on this here blog it's true.. I haven't been blogging as much as I normally do because I've  been so tired and well, going through the first trimester with a loving energetic one and a half year old can be crazy. But we're having fun! haha. Pray for me friends.

Welcome to our family sweet baby! I'm so excited to kiss that sweet face of yours and welcome you with open arms.

Becoming a mother// Guest post by Beka.

  Hello loves! Today I have a special treat for you coming from one of my friends Beka! I'm so excited to have her here today and share with you some things she has to say from her new experience of entering the world of motherhood.
                                                                
Hello ladies! My name's Beka, and I blog over at The Castilles. I am very honored to be featured on Like A Morning Cup Of Coffee today. I often enjoy reading her posts on marriage, motherhood, and Godly femininity. She's someone I would love to sit down with over coffee! Thanks for letting me take over your blog for the day, Heather!!

 My husband Sean and I got married last August and we just found out this February that we're expecting our first! After some initial shock (and three pregnancy tests), we let it sink in and praised the Lord for the gift of life he placed inside me. I'm young - only 19 - and both marriage and motherhood are happening for me at an age when most girls are in college, starting internships, or studying abroad. Even though I know full well that marriage & motherhood at a young age was exactly what God had best planned for me, the lies of the culture around me still creep in... It whispers, "you're wasting your life". It mocks, "you're not ready for this." It degrades, "there's other women who would have done better at this than you." It lies, "you're weak, God isn't strong enough to hold you." So often I fall into the temptation to believe these lies and I grow disheartened: Oh my goodness! I'm having a baby! Nothing's going to be the same again! I can't handle these changes! God, surely you could have chosen someone else for this task of motherhood. I'm clearly not cut-out for this. I choose to fret instead of looking at my growing belly with overwhelming joy. I choose to feel regret instead of peace in holding my husband's strong hand. I choose to worry about the disapproving looks of others who scoff and think I'm too young - instead of rejoicing that the Lord is sanctifying me in such a unique way! I dwell on the opportunities I won't have instead of noticing all the open doors that a life of stay-at-home motherhood is going to offer me. Do you see how easy it is to view a change in circumstances, such as impending motherhood, as a threat to the comfortable life you've grown accustomed to? As Christian women, we ought to see these changes as a sign that the Lord loves us and loves to teach us new things! God desires to be glorified in our lives...but how can he be glorified if we fret and worry over what He calls blessings? Over what He calls good things? May we view changes such as these with JOY and run after them with reckless abandon!
                                 
                             
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To a Beautiful pregnant mama.

First off  where is the water you pregnant mamas are drinking?  I wanna drink haha! These last few weeks I've had the pleasure of finding out many of my friends are pregnant Bloggers and non bloggers and   one of my very good friends that I met in my neighborhood.  plus my sister's due with my niece in April. So to celebrate I thought I would share with you a post that I had written a while ago on my old blog when my dear friend Sarah was just about to give birth to her precious girl Selah.

So to all of you pregnant mamas. This one's for you!! And for all you mamas and non mamas who have strongly caught the baby fever... Lets talk!

If I were having coffee with you today, I would give you this HUGE awkward hug that none Pregers and Pregers are known to give each other. I'd ask you "How are you doing and feeling"  I'd also ask you if you had any amazing sonogram pictures to show me.. I'd even treat you to some Decaf coffee with a pastry. :)

Evelynne's Sonogram picture.

If I were having coffee with you, I'd tell you how beautiful you looked even if you were wearing sweats. Because that new momma glow looks radiant on you!

I would tell you how excited I am about your pregnancy and how I've been praying for you. And that I can't wait to see what God has planned for this precious life that He's created inside you!

Me at 39 weeks

 I would ask how you were feeling knowing that your day is coming up real soon? Sooner than you even realize. The day you will be holding this little life that you have carried. It's so exciting!

I would ask you if you've had any crazy dreams yet? And than I would fill you in and tell you about my crazy dreams when I was pregnant. The crazy dream when my Grandmother was Pregnant, and the dream of when Panera Bread wouldn't give me my food because they said it wasn't mine.. When I knew it was!!.. (That dream even made me wake up mad!) It's so funny what pregnancy does to you.

 
 If I were having coffee with you, I would tell you not to worry about anything. Sometimes it's hard to not be afraid or to worry when you have a little life that you love and adore to protect.

There's so many things the enemy tries to fill our heads with just so that we will live in fear. But I will remind you that perfect love casts out fear and that Jesus gave us that perfect love when He died on the cross for us! So that we will be made whole. I would tell you that God has major plans for this youngster of yours and don't let the enemy tell you otherwise.

I would tell you that your baby is created to live and declare the works of The Lord. And that your little blessing is beautifully and wonderfully made with nothing missing and nothing lacking.

I would tell you that Jesus is with you every  step of the way and that there is nothing to be feared.


I would tell you to brace yourself because once you hold your sweet child in your arms. Your life will never be the same!