Blog

16 May 2012

Realize

Don't you guys love those moments in life where you get all philosophical and life just starts throwing these deep thoughts your way? Maybe it's the island fever lifting, but that's how I've felt the last several days. Having time to sit in silence while Noah naps and Josh is in class have led me to some great conclusions and certain realizations. I've realized that my baby is, isn't so much a baby anymore. I'm sure most of you probably already knew that. But it took a trip to Target through … [Read more...]

15 May 2012

12 Week Baby Bump

By Courtney 15 Comments

How far along: 12 weeks 2 days! Bye, bye first Trimester (depending on which date you go by...in which case I'm going by the date of my LMP)! How big is the baby: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have … [Read more...]

10 May 2012

11 Week Baby Update

By Courtney 13 Comments

How far along: 11 weeks 2 days How big is the baby: Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more … [Read more...]

09 May 2012

Reflection & Appreciation

By Courtney 4 Comments

I know I've been a little MIA the last week and a half. And as much as I hate when people start blog posts off with the whole, "I'm sorry I haven't been around..." spill, it's the truth. I hate when I'm missing from my little online space. Something about being able to put onto my computer screen everything that's going on seems to relieve some tension and make me feel better. Things have been busy, to say the least. Morning sickness has mostly subsided, but I'm still super tired by the end … [Read more...]

25 Apr 2012

How Much a Heart Can Hold

By Courtney 12 Comments

I'm already amazed at how much I've grown to love this tiny little baby growing inside me. I know that she (or he...I'm just using the general she terminology) is no bigger than an olive right now and wouldn't even fit fully in the palm of my hand, but knowing that this little person is going to be (and already is) a part of our family fills my heart with a love that I didn't even know I had in me. I knew when I was pregnant with Noah that my heart could handle how much love I had for him … [Read more...]

24 Apr 2012

Week 9 Bump Update

By Courtney 6 Comments

How far along: 9 weeks 2 days How big is the baby: She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be … [Read more...]

17 Apr 2012

5 Essential Elements of a Great Blog Design

By Courtney 6 Comments

Aside from questions regarding photography and editing, most emails that come my way are about blog design. How I started my business, what advice I could recommend for people interested in designing (or redesigning) their own blog, and requests to do reviews and critiques for other sites. I added Site Critiques and Consultation to my list of services, but there seem to more people interested in what they can do to improve the look of their own sites as opposed to those who want to hire out … [Read more...]

16 Apr 2012

8 Week Bump Report

By Courtney 16 Comments

I went back and forth on how I was going to do the weekly bump reports, but I love the format that Ashley uses for hers. So...I'm stealing it. :) I think it offers a pretty good look at what each week of pregnancy is like, so this is the general format I will use every week. I've added in a couple of questions at the bottom pertaining to Little Man and how he does with the pregnancy, so I can keep track of that, too. How far along: 8 weeks How big is the baby: Baby is the size of a Kidney … [Read more...]

12 Apr 2012

When Other Things Matter

By Courtney 8 Comments

I had an entirely different post prepared for today. Had a post about how full of love and excitement my heart has been these last few weeks. And then we had a situation arise here on Kodiak that changed our day a little bit. I'm sure some of you saw the news. That there were two US Coast Guardsmen who were shot and killed here on Kodiak Island. The first murder in 11 years. Two men with families. With wives. With children. Two families whose entire lives were shattered in a … [Read more...]

10 Apr 2012

The Details of Baby #2

By Courtney 25 Comments

First of all, I want to thank everyone for their kind words, emails, and comments yesterday at our family's announcement. Knowing that so many of you have been thinking about us and praying for our family over this last year mean more to us than you will ever know. It has been a long year, but finally having that positive and knowing that this little baby will be joining our family in November makes every bit of that wait worth it. Several of you emailed/facebooked/tweeted me questions about … [Read more...]