26 Weeks and Getting Ready for Christmas

 

I get weekly pregnancy updates emailed to me that usually include some reference to the size of a baby at each week and what symptoms might be included. Today it said something about week 26 being the last week of the second trimester! It also acknowledged that some consider week 27 the last, but either way you spin it, this baby is coming.

And while I am eager with anticipation to meet this little peanut (and find out if it's a boy or girl!), I am acutely aware that there are roughly a million things left to do to prepare for his or her arrival. Construction planned for the house has placed nursery nesting on hold as it will make some changes to that space. We have a solid name for a boy chosen and two first name options for a girl but can't decide on a middle name. And don't even get me started on choosing godparents. . . 

But even with our long to-do list and feelings of not being quite ready, I know that what needs to get done will and all the pieces will slowly fall into place. 

Are you ever really "ready", anyway?

  

Lately Christmas preparations and Advent practices have been at the front of my mind. I'm still trying to decide if I'm using them as a distraction from the speed at which this babe is growing. The intentionally slow pace of the Advent season doesn't seem to be slowing down my expanding belly and I'm still trying to fathom how it can possibly get any bigger. But with each kick and stretch this tiny person does inside of me, I am filled with awe and wonder and joyful hope.

Tis the season, I suppose.

Being pregnant this time of year naturally has me reflecting on Mary being pregnant with Jesus. (And how in the world she rode on a donkey while being that far along in her pregnancy. No thank you.) I'm working on a post to share some of that reflection and hope to have it ready soon. 

(It's about being pregnant during Advent, not riding a donkey.) 

Sweater | Skirt | Booties | Hair Clip | Bracelet | Rosary Bracelet

(Linking to similar items)

I'm still working on embracing this new body of mine and figuring out how to dress it outside of the leggings and sweatshirts I've been wearing around the house. For workdays, I've been trying to stay semi-stylish without breaking the bank in buying a whole new wardrobe. 

I have gotten a few pieces of maternity gear over these 26 weeks (my Blanqi leggings are probably my favorite), but I've also been able to adapt clothes that I already had hanging in my closet. Thank goodness for oversized sweaters and stretch skirts, amiright?

I bought this skirt over two years ago from the Loft outlet and wear it all the time. In the summer I add a tank or blouse and sandals and in the fall or winter tights, sweaters and booties make it work. It's near the top of my list for Christmas Mass options this year - partly because I don't have many options that fit and partly because I love it so much ;)

Do you know what you're wearing for Christmas yet? Any mamas out there with clever ideas for inexpensive maternity looks? I'm all ears.

Peace,

Sarah

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23 Weeks Pregnant - Trying to Embrace Change

I had Mike take these pictures of me last week in efforts to better document this growing babe of ours. Those 5ish photos previously shared on Instagram are just about the only ones I've had taken during these 23 (well now about 24) weeks of pregnancy.

Overall, my pregnancy has been relatively easy. I've had all the "normal" symptoms at all the "typical" times and thankfully they have been very mild. Some morning sickness the first trimester, but never any vomiting. Some heartburn the past few weeks, but rarely bad enough to grab the antacids.

I've been incredibly lucky.

Poncho | Sweater | Leggings | Shoes | Earrings

What has been the hardest part, is something I've struggled with since I was little: body-image.

Changes to my body while pregnant were obviously to be expected, but I don't think I realized how quickly old wounds and warped mindsets would return as soon as things began to look and feel different.

It's been a wild ride.

But as I'm adjusting and getting over the shock of those initial negative feelings, I'm finding myself wishing I had been documenting this process from the beginning.

There are about 20 weeks of this pregnancy that I all but refused to document and I can never have that time back or look through images that articulate how amazing my body and the changes it had made to grow a human are.

And with that in mind, and also knowing how much blogging (aka forcibly sharing photos of myself) in the past helped with my self-esteem (as weird as that might seem), I plan to start sharing outfit posts again.

I'm not yet sure how frequently. And let's be real, the wardrobe has been drastically reduced as the bump has grown. But forcing myself in front of the camera, instead of my preferred placement behind it, helps me to see the difference between a photo of me being bad and the way I look being bad.

(I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but I also don't know that it has to.)

All of this is not to say that I snapped my fingers and am suddenly feeling amazing about how I look 5 months pregnant. Or that I don't have bouts of fear knowing that there's still about 16 weeks of changes and growth to go.

It's something I am wrestling with daily and something I have an amazing community of friends and prayer warriors helping to carry me through. (You ladies know who you are <3 )

But I don't want to look back at this experience and be upset that I let fear and negativity have the upper hand. I cannot wait to hold this sweet little babe of ours, but I don't want to wish away this time either.

There's a balance waiting to be found and I'm hopeful that with some intentionality, I can come close to finding it.

I suppose we'll see.

(On a lighter note, having M means I don't necessarily have to be that weird girl posing for photos with her tripod. . . ah, marriage.)

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If you've made it to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me. I will forever be grateful for this little corner of the internet where I can share my heart, whether there's someone on the other end reading or not.

(Though sometimes I would prefer not lol. Being vulnerable is hard.)

Peace,
Sarah

PS here's a blooper for posterity's sake

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2019 Advent-ures

I. Love. Advent.

I've probably shared it before (if not here than definitely on Instagram) that Advent is my favorite liturgical season and possibly my favorite time of the year.

(Wreath DIY can be found HERE in the Advent-ure post from 2015.)

There is something so incredible about preparing for Christ's birth while already knowing that Jesus has come. That beautiful tension of the already, but not yet, is a mystery that I love leaning into and journeying with as I anticipate the coming of Emmanuel - my favorite name for Jesus.

God is with us, friends. Maybe not always in the flashiest, most clear of ways, but God is here and what a gift the Incarnation is to the world.

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This year, to prepare for Christmas (cue Godspell music), my plan is to do the following:

1) Read and journal through this year's Blessed is She Advent AND Christmas Devotional. 

I had the privilege of contributing to this year's book with the rest of the team and am so excited to dive into stories of family as we reflect on "All the Generations - From Genesis to You".

If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you can still purchase one from the Blessed is She shop. The digital download might be the way to go if you want to start right away, but you could wait for a hard copy too.

(Cyber Monday there will be a site-wide sale of 25% off!)

2) Read the Gospel of Luke.

The book club I am a part of decided to read this book of Scripture for December with the intention of reading a chapter each day from Dec 1 - 24 (Christmas Eve) since there are 24 chapters. I also ordered two commentaries on Luke from Amazon ( 1 | 2 ) in hopes of digging a little deeper because I'm a Theology nerd lol

3) Recite the St. Andrew Christmas Novena with Michael each day. 

I've done this for the past 3 years or so and always find helpful in prayerfully entering into the season. Here's a post Blessed is She shared last year about it if you're interested. It's never too late to start!

Erica from Be A Heart designed this gorgeous print of the prayer. It's sold out now, but there are a ton of other beautiful pieces in her shop, and maybe it will be restocked in the future :)

4) Do a sort of "Reverse Advent Calendar" with Michael.

Each day of Advent, M and I plan to choose something from our closet to donate to a local charity. So often the Christmas/Advent season focuses on getting and we are looking for small ways to remind us of our call to give. Our hope is that this will just be a starting point. There are so many other ways to support our brothers and sisters in need, but we need to begin somewhere.

(I'm not sure if this is even how you are supposed to do one, but this is our plan.)

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As with most of my planning, I am flexible and open to changes and adjustments. Sometimes multiple to-do's shrink to one solid one. Other times I have found something else I like and decide to add it partly through the season.

No matter how this particular Advent turns out, my one hope is to remain focused on the reason for the season (as absolutely cheesy as that sounds).

God is with us friends.

I pray we all are able to notice this more during this season of Advent and the rest of the year too.

Peace,
Sarah

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The Proposal

Y'all, I get married this month.

No matter how many times I say it, or type it, or think it, it just doesn’t seem real!

Between our engagement last June, planning a wedding across states, a move home to Ohio (way sooner than anticipated) and a new job, life has been a little crazy. There has been so much going on, and weirdly enough, now that we are in the home stretch I think I am finally starting to catch my breath. Maybe all of the to-do’s or done? Or maybe I’m forgetting something on the list? Either way, there is a welcome change of pace happening right now, and I am not going to fight it.

Now that I am starting to slow my roll and have a moment to think, I wanted to write down Michael and my engagement story. Partly to share with you, but also to have it documented before I forget all of the details.

So let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? It will be short and sweet and it will answer the often asked question about the duck costume ;)

The Proposal

My mom, sister, and nephew flew to Connecticut for a mini vacation to visit me and celebrate my mom’s 50^th. Michael and I had already discussed engagement, I knew he had the ring, I knew he had asked my parents’ permission, and I knew he was going to ask that summer. What I did not, was when it would happen.

I suspected he would ask while my family was in town. In fact, I was pretty certain of it and had my nails prepped and ready just in case. (If you couldn’t tell from the above paragraph, I don’t like being surprised lol.)

Days came and went, as did seemingly opportune moments and picturesque scenes. The last day of their trip was the only day I was sure it would not be: my mom’s birthday. It was pretty much the only day during the entire summer that I assumed I didn’t need to be at the ready.

I’m sure you’re all super shocked to read that I was wrong.

June 26, 2018

I really don’t remember what we did for the first part of the day on June 26^th. I remember messaging my friend, Michelle, for the name of the Italian restaurant she recommended a while back. (I would later find out that Michael also messaged her about the restaurant and made his own reservations thinking I had forgotten. He collected the information before I did and did a great job playing dumb when I said I had gotten the name of it. Michelle also played along and practiced some serious restraint by not showing up to see the proposal happen. I told her I would not have put two and two together - and based on how the rest of the evening went, I stand by my statement that I would have been oblivious.)

I also remember wanting to wear jeans to dinner and my sister insisting I put in a little more effort for mom’s birthday. She also offered to do my hair and makeup which should have been a big clue, but like I said, I was positive it wasn’t happening that day. I remember being slightly suspicious when after I was ready she forced me to take off my watch, but by the time we were at dinner, I had already forgotten.

Dinner

When we arrived at Arezzo's (highly recommend if you’re near Westport, CT), and after a little confusion regarding the double reservation (again, I had no clue), we were seated outside in the beautiful weather. We ordered a bottle of white wine for the table and decided on our meals. (I don’t remember what everyone chose, but I had the gnocchi and it was amazing.)

After we finished dinner, my sister announced she had to go change Mason. He was 16 months old, so this was normal.

What was not normal, was when she came back to the table with him dressed in a duck costume. You might be thinking, “Surely you knew something was up at this point,” and my answer would be, “nope!” My thought process basically went, “Oh, he must have had a blowout. Weird that all you had was this Halloween costume in your bag…”

… and then I saw the ring box in my tiny nephew’s hands. (I’m actually tearing up thinking about this now.)

Michael took my hand and started saying the sweetest things in front of my mom and sister. At one point he took the ring from Mason and, as you can imagine, the babe did not like that. To compromise, he took out the ring and gave back the box and continued his speech, which at that point had caught the attention of neighboring tables (crying babies tend to do that lol).

M finished his sweet words, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said “yes!” and everyone around us clapped and clinked their glasses as he slid the ring on my finger and we shared our first kiss as an engaged couple. The restaurant brought us champagne and our dessert and we finished our meal on cloud 9 with multiple “congratulations” from kind strangers who’d witnessed our special moment.

Even as I type this out, it still feel like a dream. As cliché as it sounds, we are truly blessed.

The Duck Costume

The most frequent question we get when we tell people the story or show them the photos is about the duck costume. If I’m being honest, I didn’t understand the significance either until Michael explained it.

The first year and a half of our relationship was spent long distance and somewhere along the way, for a reason neither of us remember, we started sending pictures of ducks we saw in the wild to each other. It was an odd but cute way to let the other know that we were thinking them even when we couldn’t be together. It just became a thing.

Once M moved to Connecticut, the need to send pictures of ducks didn’t exist anymore, so we hadn’t sent any in months – hens why I completely forgot about it.

Apparently when he was talking about the proposal with my sister, his original plan was for him to dress up as a duck, to which she politely suggested to have the baby wear the costume instead…

And for that, Bethany, I will forever be grateful.

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We are so overjoyed to begin this next chapter of our lives and are so grateful for all of your kind words and prayers. They mean the world <3 

Peace,
Sarah

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Blessed Conversations - Misericordia

Blessed is She just released their newest Blessed Conversation Study, Misericordia, on the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy (more of my favorite things!). The study follows the examples of 12 Catholic saints - 11 lay women (meaning not nuns or sisters) and 1 religious (a sister whose name you can probably guess even if you aren't Catholic 😉). It was written by 4 of our amazing writers and designed by the incredible Erica Campbell of Be A Heart Design! There are 12 sessions (one for each amazing woman) in this beautifully bound book which is different from the individual studies we have released in the past. 

My copy arrived this weekend and It 👏🏼 Is 👏🏼 Gorgeous! ⠀
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Y'all, I LOVE learning about the saints. I know that sounds sales-pitchy (and I am using affiliate links), but in all seriousness, next to Scripture, reading about the lives of the saints is my favorite way to grow deeper in my faith. Hearing about their unique experiences and devotion to God inspires me to learn and be more - to seek the magis for any of you Ignatian friends out there 😉 ⠀
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I cannot wait to dive in and learn about women of God I have never heard of and deepen my love for those I already hold dear - oh hey, Dorothy Day! 🙌🏼⠀
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The studies can be completed alone, but are so much more fun with a friend or small group whether in person or virtually. I've done one with a group of friends spread throughout the country and it was such a joy! If you have any questions or are in the Cleveland area and want to take a look in person, let me know! You know I love spreading the #BISsisterhood ♥️⠀

Get your own copy of Misericordia HERE ♥️
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(Photos by the lovely Katie Waldow)


Peace,
Sarah

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Reflections After a Month Back in Ohio

I've been back in Ohio just over a month and it still feels unreal. Maybe it will take being here longer than a summer vacation timeline, but my mind hasn't quite grasped the fact that this is home.

I'm home.

Sure, there is more settling in to do. M and I are working on various projects in his (soon to be our) house whenever we have free time. I'm enjoying living with my college roommate once again and all of the joy being near old friends has brought.

My new job is exciting and filled with so much potential. Some days seem slower than others, but there's been tangible growth even in this short amount of time and I can't wait to see how the Spirit moves.

In the same breath of feeling at home and reconnecting with this community, I miss Connecticut. I miss my friends there. I miss working in a space with more than one other person and clearly knowing the steps I needed to take to be successful in that role. I miss my little apartment and my cat, who is keeping M company until I move in this summer.

It's this weird tension that I constantly find myself in - enjoying what I have, longing for what was, and excitedly anticipating what is yet to come. All the feelings. All the emotions. And all the gratitude for the grace of abundance I can't help but see in it all.

I took some photos of my apartment before I moved out. I have learned that I am not the person who can turn a space into a home instantly, but rather I add to it slowly and steadily until it feels right. I'd finally made it to that point in CT and now I get to begin again in OH. In some ways it's frustrating to have to start over, but in another sense it's exciting.

There's newness and possibility and I am resting in that space, in my new life here, dreaming with God about all the blessings to come.

Peace,
Sarah

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Currently January

Y'all, I move this weekend. I seriously can't believe it. I've been so productive the past few days home and am so thankful I decided to spend them getting things set in CT instead of taking the extra week in OH. I've been cleaning, packing, reading, working out and even blogging. Let's keep this energy up, shall we.

Seriously though. Can I bottle it somehow? Work starts again tomorrow morning and I am already dreading that alarm.

I'm a little late to the game but still wanted to join in on Anne's "Currently" link-up this month. It's a great way to get some creativity flowing and even begin some of those to-do lists.

Choosing - joy. Actively, intentionally, and radically. I've been noticing how my body, mind and spirit are affected in certain situations and certain conversations. Rather than giving into negative thoughts and patterns, I am choosing to find joy in all things and to remove myself from those environments that simply do not bear fruit or bring light into my heart. Easier said than done, but the ever-present optimist in me is hopeful.

Tidying - my whole apartment. The movers are coming on Friday and after a final deep clean once everything is gone, I am officially moving! It has been a lot of work, but I will say it finally forced me to sit down and organize boxes and bins that have accumulated in the past 3 years and even from before that in previous homes.


Resolving - to not wait until New Years Day or a specific date to start chasing my dreams and goals. I posted a little bit about this on January 1st and hope to continue striving to make today and every day the best it can be - all for the greater glory of God (AMDG)

Refreshing - /reseting my focus on the wedding planning. We've had the majority of the big items checked off of our list since late summer/early fall which is such a blessing considering how much of my time and energy the new job, move and just life in the midst of it all has taken. I've been fortunate with the ease of it all (definitely a consolation and affirmation that this is the right move), but adding wedding planning on top of everything would have been overwhelming. Now that other things are in place, we can refocus on our special day and lifetime to come.

Exploring - possible Honeymoon destinations. As with most of the wedding planning, I am super indecisive/ happy with just about anything, so this has been interesting. I'd love to go someplace new to me, but would also love to show M around some of my favorite destinations. We are pretty active and love exploring, couldn't do more than a day or two on a beach, and hope to go abroad. Any and all suggestions are welcome!


So what about you, friend? What are you up to this month? How is your January shaping up? I'd love to hear!

Peace,

Sarah

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