Bump Updates + Maternity Shoot

Our dear little son is 35 weeks in womb age! I can't believe how fast this thing has flown by, it seems like only yesterday since we were squealing at a positive pregnancy test. Here are some updates:

1. We have maternity pictures! My sister Hope took them for us, scroll down to see her amazing photography!

2.  I look like a pregnant repairman. Yep, I bought a pregnacy belt. This little guy sticks our so far and I have been having so much pressure when I walk that I gave in a few weeks ago and went to Motherhood Maternity. I love it!! Seriously am so thankful I just jumped on it. I really notice a difference when I use it and when I forget.

3. I still think I rock at TRX. I feel like a super star because I am still able to "beat" the 60-year-olds in my class. I love the total body workout and the sweat, I just can't do any single-leg isolation. I wish I wish I could swim but my boy flipped from head down to transverse at 32 weeks (then back to head down three days later) so I am nervous as all heck to get in the water.  Maybe I will try it, he likes it when I am in the hot tub and in the bath so we will see.

4. I got mad props from my midwife. She was very pleased that I know exactly where our little dude is hanging out inside me. I can feel his back, butt, legs, and feet thanks to the belly mapping techniques my friend Steph turned me onto. As I am typing I can tell he is in the LOT position, same one he has been in since 33ish weeks. My baby has his back leaning into my left, he is head down, and he is facing my right hip and kicking my upper right abdomen!

5. Our home visit it next week! Our midwife, her partner midwife, and their student midwife are all coming to our home next Tuesday (unless someone else goes into labor) to have our home visit! They will make sure we have all the supplies on our list and familiarize themselves with our little home. We need to do a trial run of our birth pool before they come, so this weekend I get a FULL sized bath to soak in! I am super excited about the possibility of a big bath, I might just leave the pool up and use it to take a few baths where my belly doesn't protrude up out of the water.

On to our maternity photo shoot!! My sister Hope has a busy photography business, and did I mention she is only 19? She is amazing and I am so blessed to have such an awesome sister who is willing to put up with my silly poses. She goes to school in Santa Barbara if anyone ever wants to support her business and get some rockin' photos. Here is her facebook page if you like what you see and what to see more of her amazing work! Photos by Hope Photography are copyrighted 2013.

 

Thankfulness

During this season I wanted to take some time to think about a few things in my life for which I am truly thankful. I might have missed the blogging boat on Thanksgiving but I say better late than never!

Friends 
I am so thankful for my friends who celebrated my baby shower with me. There were people from multiple stages in my life who took the time to shower me with so much love. My mom and sisters traveled via plane and train, my childhood friend Robin and her mom traveled from Seattle, John's family drove from Orange county, and so many more girls who live in San Diego came as well! I am so thankful for my friends Stephanie and Danielle who threw the shower for me and put so much time and dedication to making the day AMAZING. I truly feel blessed!

My mom and sisters

Me and Robin

Everyone decorated onsies and bibs!

Beautiful leaders

Gifts

All pregnant!

The beautiful hosts

My beautiful in-laws and nephew

Loved the decor

 Family
I had such an amazing time with my family this Thanksgiving in Cayucos, just north of Cal poly SLO. My parents rented a house close to the beach and we had a blast playing cranium, cards, eating way too much great food, and playing on the beach. Some of the fam even decided to try out surfing in the freezing ocean! My mom and sister are both gluten-free and dairy-free and our Thanksgiving dinner was perfect because I could eat pretty much everything! Can you say bacon-garlic brussels sprouts? Mmmm.

We exchanged Christmas gifts and it was so fun to give and receive! For the third year in a row my family has done alternative gifts. The rules are that you can't buy anything that has a price tag on it. You may regift, repourpose, create, or score at a garage sale or thrift store.  I love it! My mom made us a baby quilt for our little guy that I can't stop ogling over and admiring. One of the things we made for my family (among other items) was a mobility peanut since pretty much everyone is an athlete in my family and gets tight backs.

Beautiful sunset

The quilt my mom made

The surfers! Hope, David, Hannah, Aunt Jenna, Elena the exchange student who lives with my parents

Another beautiful sunset

Me and Hope

The only warm spot to watch the sunset with Aunt Jenna

The Hubby
I am so thankful for my husband and I can't believe I get to spend each and every day with him! He has been such a help during my pregnancy and is always checking in with me to see how I am doing. The thing I am most thankful for is the closeness and connection we have developed over the past five years of marriage. It sure hasn't been easy and most of it has been hard work to fight for our marriage and for our time together to be meaningful. The past three evenings we have had such amazing conversations about the tough stuff that we are experiencing surrounding the idea of bringing a new little baby into our family. True vulnerability is raw, not very pretty, and exposing but OH SO WORTH IT. I am so thankful for John and his willingness to initiate a deepening of our relationship. We are able to let down our guards with each other and expose our true selves. We are excited about this little guy but also mourning the loss of our "two-ness" and the fact that things are going to be different.

The other thing I am so thankful for is the playfulness we have! I bought mistletoe and it cracks me up to see John standing under it with a big grin when I come in from another room. Laughter is the glue when things might not be going as smoothly as we had hoped.

This is a sneak peek of out maternity shoot, a gift from my sister Hope!

Season of Rest

 

I deeply desire for these next few weeks before our son makes his debut into the world to be restful and peaceful. Help me, this is hard!

Today in yoga I was reminded how busy I can get with things that will not make a lasting impact on my soul. I tend to run around from place to place and miss the opportunities to be quiet and still. I had a hard time catching my breath and S-L-O-W-I-N-G down to be fully present when we started the class. after about 10 minutes of panic I was finally able to breath deeply and invite myself into a place of peace. It was so relaxing to be able to move with my breath and remind myself to fully engage with my body. I feel like this day at yoga has been a metaphor for how I feel EVERY day.

Who knew resting could be such hard work? I feel like there are a million things to do before this little dude comes and yet I want to enjoy these last few weeks before John and I become a family of three. Balancing everything is tough! Quietness and stillness are what I crave and I hope that I can be reminded that God desires rest for me more than I might desire it myself. He takes pleasure in watching me rest and be still. 

On another note I was so blessed this weekend to have family and friends travel near and far for my baby shower! I will post more on that in a few days, but here are a few teaser pictures of the weekend of fun-filled celebration! 

10 Things About Pregancy that Surprised Me

Don't we all wish we were the glowing, beautiful pregnant woman who only gained 7lbs of baby, had no symptoms, and had the perfect dream pregnancy? Ha! Every woman will experience different challenges and body changes during pregnancy, I just wish I had know some of the unique things that would happen to me before I started experiencing them! I knew about morning sickness and didn't get it so I thought I was in the clear. I wasn't abnormally tired and I haven't had too many problems falling asleep like I heard so many women talk about. Yet these next few things really surprised me about my pregnancy. Hope you get a laugh, some insight, or can tell a preggo friend they aren't crazy!


1.  You might pee yourself

This has happened to my twice. Yep. Once in the morning when I got out of bed and the other time when I was clearing my throat doing dishes. Just a few drops came out but I couldn't believe it! I thought this would happen after I give birth! Apparently the expanding uterus puts pressure on the bladder and the position of your baby can add some too. Baby Sorenson loves to be transverse (sideways) right now so the peeing myself thing only happens when he squirms into a head down position. Eeek! He is supposed to be head down by 36 weeks so I might have 4+ weeks of this ahead of me.


2. Spider veins

This is a picture of my actual leg, and I still wear shorts and rock a bikini. It doesn't really bother me that my legs look freakishly strange, like Frankenstein. I started getting spider veins on the back of my right leg and on the bottom of my right shin around week 23. They freaked me out! Of course I became a google doctor when I looked up what could be causing them and thought I had a liver disease or maybe a blood disorder. Nope! With an increase in blood volume comes all sorts of great things, this included. My midwife suggested I apply Butcher's Broom Cream daily and this has helped slow their spread and growth.


3. Clothes Suck

I have never disliked putting on a cute outfit until now. Maternity clothes are fine but never fit quite as perfectly as my old time favorites. Wearing a ruched maternity tank top itches my sides, pants that go over the belly make me itchy, and pants that go under the belly are uncomfortable. I ditched bras around week 16 for padded sports bras. Ahhhh, free the ta-tas. At this point I would like to be naked or partially naked all the time. I know its not acceptable to go out of the house like this and I desperately envy the National Geographic women who bare it all and their culture says its cool and dandy. I am excited to be able to wear my old clothes and things with buttons once again!

4. Your child will have a personality in the womb

Our son is definitely not a show off. I think he is rather shy. Whenever he is moving and grooving and I have someone try to feel my belly he stops. Its like he knows I am trying to make him into a circus act. He also kicks harder when John touches my belly than when I am just lying down. I swear he is trying to kick in Morse code. He calms down when I talk to him and gets excited when worship music is playing (specifically at church). He is a very good listener (so far!) because I will tell him to more off of my right ligament or something and he will move his body totally to the left! Such a mama's boy already. Nobody ever told me they have such character!

5.  Itchy Belly

My belly is itchy, oh soooo itchy in the afternoon! I don't have stretch marks (yet) on my belly but man does it itch if I don't apply my homemade concoction. It is worse with the over-the-belly maternity clothes. Read back to number 3, I am considering boycotting clothing. I try not to scratch but sometimes I sneak one here and there. I am really thankful I made this homemade belly butter because it relieves the itching instantly and its supposed to prevent and heal stretch marks. John steals it for his dry and cracked hands and it works wonders.

6. Relaxin

I was shocked when I dropped more glasses than I have in my life, I bumped into every possible wall in our house, when I put the cooking spray in the fridge, when I didn't poop for a day, how I suddenly became a yoga goddess with all of my new-found flexibility, and when I had a bad a spell of heartburn for a few days. Oh yeah and when I got super bad sciatica for three weeks. The hormone to thank? RELAXIN. Relaxin helps your ligaments stretch and make room for your baby. With this can come clumsiness, back pain, greater flexibility, slower digestion, forgetfulness, and heartburn.

7. Your Boobies are Freaks of Nature

First they got tender. Then they got bigger. Next they got darker. Lastly they erupted in stretch marks overnight. Literally overnight! I woke up and thought I had a rash where my sports bra sits. It didn't go away after a few days and upon closer inspection I realized I had bright red stretch marks on the underside. I now apply my belly butter to help them heal but I know I will get more when my milk comes in. I heard about stretch marks when your milk comes in but nobody told me it could happen before your baby was born!At least you get a great rack out of the whole ordeal.

8. You drink water like its going to dry up

On the plane yesterday I thought I was going to have a panic attack when I realized I ran out of water and the fasten seat belt sign was on. I have always been a huge fan of staying hydrated and all that good jazz but now I drink more water than I ever have in my life. Your body is creating a ton more blood and fluid, and you need water to make that happen. I probably drink about 160 ounces of water a day compared to my usual 75-100 ounces pre-baby. I can't get enough water these days!

9. You look like a giraffe 

My face looks like I have giraffe spots. I guess it goes with my height. I thought I had some sort of skin issue when my cheeks started developing what looked like big, light freckles. Apparently this is referred to as the “Mask of pregnancy”or melasma and it causes splotchy spots to appear on your face.  When you become pregnant your body produces more hormones, which causes an increase in your pigmentation. I never knew that about 50% of pregnant women show some signs of the “mask of pregnancy”! I wear 50 spf every day otherwise mine could be a lot worse and way darker.

10. Shaving Sucks 

I hate shaving now. I only do my legs about once a week and am reminded of my tapering swimming days when I would go months without shaving for a big swim meet. Shaving started to be a huge hassle when I was about 25 weeks and my belly got in the way of my arm and bending over. I started to sit in the bathtub with a few inches of water and this has helped a ton with my attitude towards shaving. I hate waxing my legs so I might turn into a cave woman before you know it. If I shave my legs for you you know you are special.

Alive and Powerful

This has been such an amazing weekend. Advocare Ladies Alive was such a fun-filled weekend!

It all started out with Fitness Friday, let by the beautiful Jodi Mamula. I volunteered at registration and got to welcome all of the beautiful ladies coming to work out with us. It was so fun to watch women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ability levels have a blast working out together! God made everyone unique and I am so glad I got to watch everyone have a blast feeling good in their own skin.

Working out and feeling fabulous

Me and Taylor the workout champ!

Me and the beautiful Isa

Transformation from the 24 Day Challenge

Something that I am really excited to share is my before and after pictures of my 24 Day Challenge results from 2010. I lost 10.5 body inches, 4 inches off my waist, and 3lbs. When I submitted the pictures I couldn't believe how different I looked! My tummy and face completely changed and I cleared up so many digestive issues.  I am so thankful I have Advocare products during this pregnancy to help me put on HEALTHY weight in the right places. 20+ Lbs. heavier than before I was pregnant and my face looks better still than before Advocare! 

The event was AMAZING. Imagine 1,100+ women at La Costa Resort and Spa getting poured into by phenomenal leaders to go out and impact their families and communities. About half of the women there pursue Advocare as a business opportunity and the other half came to have a blast and leadership poured into them. 

Jodi Mamula, beautiful leader and champion!

You had to be there  to understand how this event impacts women. No recap I could give could express the level of transformation and impact this event had on the ladies who attended. I will try my best to express what hit me and landed on my heart this weekend. Here are some quotes from some of the the ladies who spoke. I wrote them down in my journal and chewed on them a bit. Such awesome Advocare leaders!

"Our life is made on a series of decisions" -Judy Ikard

This was something that I resonated with because I want to be able to look back on my life and say "I am proud of the decisions I made".  I love the slight edge principal and want to be able to make the right small decisions on a consistent basis to achieve the goals and dreams I have for my life!

"Commitment without a plan is only a good feeling" -Judy Ikard

I love commitment. I love being able to say "I will be there!", "I will totally do that!", "I'm all in, you can count on me!" and then after a while without a plan in place, no action is taken and my commitment looks like a great wish instead of a reality. I didn't get married without a plan in place for how John and I were going to stick with that commitment and grow in love and relationship. We planned to join a married community group, do marriage enrichment courses, and spend time on vacation investing on our relationship. Why should I expect a plan-less commitment to succeed?

"Fear will keep you in mediocrity. Stop acting according to how you feel because fear is false." Jeniffer Bishop

I never feel like getting out of bed. Yet I do because I have things I need to get done. We do things we don't feel like doing every day. Especially with our business there are days I don't feel like talking to someone new or sharing my story with a person who is desperate for a change. I let fear and anxiety get in the way of their brighter future. When I stop to think about how my fear is holding others back from experiencing freedom I can see the mediocrity creeping in. Average is never something I aspire to be! I desire greatness. I desire to step out of the feelings of fear and into a life of greater impact!

If you knew who you really were, you would be in awe of yourself. Isn't it time you stepped into your power? Today what would courage have you do? -Kristi McGihon

God created each of us uniquely. If I really knew who I was in Christ I would be in shock and awe. I am ready to step into that knowledge and step into the power that He was given me to be ME. It takes courage to do this and I am excited to step into a place of bravery. Only I have been called to be who I am. Nobody can be that for me. I am called to change people's lives according to how I am made.

"You have two options. The pain of regret or the pain of discipline" -Christine Baker 
WHOA.  This one hit me like a ton of bricks. Discipline is not something I get excited about, but when I look ahead to what a life without discipline will look like I KNOW the pain of regret will be present. I want to look back without painful regret. I want to change people's lives and be changed in the process. I desire to be disciplined in the actions I take to share the message of hope with others because my freedom is freeing to others.

"Accept and obey your strengths. People are waiting for YOU to live in your strengths" -Jodi Mamula 
The most important thing I took away from Ladies Alive was Jodi's message. I realized that I am not living and operating in my strengths. I took Strength's Finders  for the second time about a year ago and have not taken the time to understand my strengths and how I can operate in them better. Jodi shared her journey embracing her strengths after trying to act and operate like other people did in their strengths. I find myself having strength envy and connected with this a lot. The team I lead and the people whose lives I impact are waiting for me to live in my strengths. 

Jodi and I are going to meet later this week to go over my strengths. She is going to help me learn how I can better access how God has created me so that I can use my strengths to pour into our Advocare business. I am super excited for this but there is a part of me that is fearful of who I really am. I am almost scared of the potential God has created within me. What if I really am powerful beyond measure? What if being brave  in my strengths changes everything? What if it is painful to let go of my old self? Stay tuned for more on this, I have a feeling God is going to take me on quite the journey.  

Photo booth fun with the girls!

 

Our room at La Costa Resort!

My ladies! Melissa, Me, Jessie, KT, and Taylor