20 weeks

20 weeks...4 1/2 months...a lot to process...

20 weeks ago, I had no idea that God had someone ready to be formed inside of me.  Mike was just arriving home from 7 months in Afghanistan and we were "open" to the possibility of starting our family, you know...thinking it might take a little while.  But, God had us on the accelerated program!

• Around 15 weeks ago (week 5), I discovered that I was pregnant and told Mike that weekend when we were together.
• Around 13 weeks ago (week 7), I started having the "wonderful" symptoms of pregnancy.
• Just 12 weeks ago (week 8), we got our first glimpse of this baby!  Barely more than a little heartbeat, but we got to hear that too!  Wonderful sounds to nervous but excited first-time parents.

• Finally around 8 weeks ago (week 12), I started liking food again and not having to take naps EVERY day at 2pm.  And, we got to hear that wonderful heartbeat again!
• Around 3 weeks ago (week 17), we had another appointment - this time with our new doctor in Virginia who had wonderful news of a strong heartbeat again and that we would be able to have another ultrasound/sonogram in the next week or so.
• Finally, 1 week ago (week 19), we finally got another peak inside.  Instead of just a little "bean" of a heartbeat, we got to see the heart with all 4 chambers, a face, arms, legs, kidneys and other internal organs...and well, the knowledge that we are having a baby BOY!  It was amazing to see his features already and that he had his hands in his mouth at times and was MOVING like crazy (but this may be attributed to a little Cherry Coke that I had for lunch before the appointment)!

And now, 20 weeks into this, we now know we are having a boy and have named him and know he was created to be in our family at this time.  And, that God has known him before he was even formed (Jeremiah 1:5).  What an amazing thought!

The next 20 weeks will, I'm sure, be much different from the first 20 weeks.  BUT, how amazing to know that in 20 weeks (give or take!) we will get to see this baby boy in real life...no ultrasound pictures needed!