I Get To Be The One

This week was the first full week "on the clock" at my new job. The first couple of days were painful, literally, because of my back still bothering me. The pain had greatly decreased by Sunday but flared up again on Tuesday from me continually lifting the children. Come Wednesday morning, I decided to get back into my stretching routine. (If you knew me in college, you would know that I worked out every day and yoga was a huge part of that. It was such a stress reliever!) After 5 months of hardly doing a thing as far as "working out", I pulled out my yoga mat. I found a series of stretches on Pinterest that were supposed to ease back pain, so I figured I would give them a try. What a difference they have made! I do them three times a day: when I first wake up, right before I leave for work, and right before bed. Here they are if you're interested:

One other item that has been on my mind a lot this week goes along with the song posted below. It's called 'I Get To Be The One' by JJ Heller, one of my favorite artists. Her music is soothing and most of it is written for her two daughters. This song talks about how special she felt as a soon-to-be-mom again. How she gets to be the one that is privileged to be the mother. It brings tears to my eyes no matter how many times I listen to it. I get to be the one for Titus.  

How has Titus been growing this week? He is about 11 1/2 inches long and weights just over 3/4 lb. His facial characteristics are more apparent now. Tooth buds have formed under the gums. He is a lot more active and I am beginning to seem and feel his kicks.

What food cravings do you have? Pita chips and kettle popcorn.

What food aversions do you have? Has not changed since last week.

How can you pray for us? Continue to pray that my pain may subside. Since my job requires a lot of bending over and picking up small children, it is a great day when there is no pain. For Ryan to find a pastoral position. Continuing great health and growth for our Little Man. And that Ryan and I would find some time for each other, since right now that consists of tired nights and Sunday evenings.

{Titus 3:4-8}

Meet Titus!

IT'S A BOY! On Monday we had our "big" ultrasound to find out the gender of our Little One as well as make sure he is developing "normally".  The appointment was an hour and a half of checking out our Little One.  The first thing we found out was that we are going to have a Little Man, which we are more than ecstatic about! We had wanted an older brother to look after any other ones that we may be blessed with in the future. Our Little Man was hiding his handsome face the entire appointment. So they sent us out and brought us back in after 10 minutes to see if he would stop playing hide-and-seek with us. Of all the pictures that were taken, we got three picture of his detailed face.

How did we choose Titus as the name? Ryan and I had wanted a name that was not typical, but was still easy for anyone to spell. We had already chosen 2 names for a boy or girl and the middle names were chosen based on our parent's middle names (which just so happened to be the same!).  We also wanted a manly sounding name. Once we found out we were having a Little Man, Ryan decided to go with Titus. Titus means "title of honor" and Charles means "manly". Doesn't get much more manly than that! The ironic thing about the name chosen is that I was reading through Titus during the month that I had gotten pregnant but still didn't know. I was looking back on my journal and found this out. What were the chances! The book of Titus is such a great reminder of God's redemption for us through His righteousness. Now I can personally be daily reminded of this with our own Titus.

How has Titus been growing this week? Up to this 20 week mark Titus has developed all his fingers and toes with fingernails. He is about 10 1/4 inches long and weighs about 3/4 lb (about the size of a banana). He is developing strong muscles and is punching and kicking like a little karate kid. His eyebrows and eyelashes have finished developing. His brain has developed to the point that he is able to have wake and sleep cycles.
What food aversions do you have? Still not the biggest fan of buttered popcorn and "uncovered meat" such as plain chicken thighs. Oh, and chocolate. Not too many aversions at this point, but I seem to always be drawn away from food that isn't good for you (which I will not complain about).

What food craving do you have? McDonald's french fries, that is the only "bad" food that I could eat all day, every day. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is always a classic any time of day. Veggie and fruit trays with their accompanying dips (except for celery and pineapple). Homemade chocolate chip cookies. All things salty: kettle popcorn, pita chips, potato chips, pretzels, and the list goes on.

How can you pray for us? I don't usually do this but I'm asking for prayers for myself. I had an emergency trip to the doctor yesterday because I was in so much pain that I was crying curled up on a chair while at work (pathetic, I know!). I usually just fight through it but not this time! Titus, our Little Man, is just fine. However, I have to wait until Monday to find out what is wrong with me and if there is anything I can do to fix or manage the pain. Please pray that my back and side pains die down or even dissolve completely. It hurts to lay down, bend over, or turn my back in either direction. I work 6 days a week and cannot take time off, so it would be nice for some relief. That you in advance for your prayers! Continue to pray for Ryan as he sends out his resume to churches.

Meet Titus Charles Duffy!