Hospitals and Ultrasounds. Long Post :)

Well, I am sitting around the house on this Friday afternoon, resting. To make a long story short, I had a bad virus that left me dehydrated and in the hospital. They gave me several bags of fluids (6 or 7, I lost count), enough to make me float away. I went in early Tuesday morning and came home yesterday around lunch. Now, I am just tired! Thankfully, everything is perfectly fine with me and the baby. Still a strong heartbeat and very active. I've just recently been able to feel it.

In fact, I felt distinct movements from the baby while I was laying in the hospital with nothing to do. Little kicks and punches that usually happen when I am real still. Last night, while I was on the couch, I actually felt the kick as my hand was laying on top of my stomach! What an amazing feeling and a wonderful reminder that life really is growing inside of me. What started out as a bundle of cells is now this tiny human that Joe and I cannot wait to see! Of course, I made Joe feel too, but the baby was being stubborn when I wanted to show Joe. Imagine. Me, having a stubborn child. Hmm :)

Backing up a little...

I went to the doctor on August 6th for my appointment. We did the usual routine stuff and scheduled blood work for the next day. I don't know what possessed me to bring up my weight, but I did. And I got scolded a little bit. It is unnecessary to disclose that information, but I was not a happy camper. In fact, I had no more questions after that. I gained more weight than they would have liked. That's all I could stand to hear. But, I did get an unexpected surprise at the end. They said I could have an ultrasound done that day--didn't have to, but I could. They said they would try to see if we had a girl or a boy growing in there. I was ecstatic! I was on the doctor's heels about to go out the door with her when she turned and said, "Someone will be right back to get you." I was a little over eager :) Anyways, I went and had the ultrasound, secretly hoping they couldn't tell because I was the only one there. I really wanted Joe to be there when they told me. And God must have been listening because Baby Sapp was sleeping away and no attempt to move the little one worked. The heartbeat was strong and sound and all the walking at school that day must have rocked the baby to sleep. So, I got my ultrasound pictures and soared home on Cloud 9. It was so amazing to see the baby again. So much has changed since that first ultrasound. We go again on September 3rd to find out the sex of Baby Sapp! I am sure that I won't be delayed in posting that! I have wanted to know since I found out I was pregnant! :)

Have a blessed day! We will be in touch again soon!

Love, The Sapps

A Few Pictures...

This is one cheesy shot, but it was taken the night we found out I was pregnant. We were so excited! (May 19, 2009)

This is my belly at 8 weeks. Not much going on there. A little bump. (June 10, 2009)


9 weeks - Not much change.

At nine weeks, I decided I was going to do pictures more by the month than the week, because nothing was really changing from week to week--at least not very noticeably.

These next couple of pictures were taken today. I am 14 weeks today and a true "bump" is visible.

That's it for now! Hope it's not too much and that you enjoy!
We'll post more later!

-The Sapps

13 1/2 weeks and counting... :)

Ok. So, it takes me forever to update this thing. I'm really trying to be better. We have a lot going on these days. My last doctor's appointment was on July 7th. I had to have a physical, a little blood work, and of course they checked the baby's heartbeat. I got a little nervous because it took her longer than I thought necessary to find it. It's so strange. I know there is a baby growing inside of me, but I can't feel it. Yet. So when she was having a little trouble finding the heartbeat, I was worried. But she did find it, thank goodness! 161 beats per minute. Nice and strong. My belly is definitely starting to round out. I have a little bump :) And, despite feeling completely exhausted, everything is progressing very well. I have not been sick really, just a little nausea from time to time. I feel truly blessed to feel as good as I do. We should find out the sex of the baby in September. We can't wait!

Also, school is starting very soon. I have new teacher orientation on July 29th and then pre-planning the rest of that week and two days the next. Then, the kids will arrive. I am so nervous but eager to start working. It's been quite a while! So, a lot of new things coming my way this year. My next appointment is August 6th. Not much else to report at the moment.

Until next time.

The Sapps

Words of Encouragement, Something to Think About...

"The Lord has done great things for us and our hearts are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

You only get just one time around
You only get one shot at this
One chance, to find out
The one thing that you don't wanna miss
One day when it's all said and done
I hope you see that it was enough, this
One ride, one try, one life...
To love....

Three's Company

After waiting for what feels like forever, we finally have a new family member on the way I have prayed for this day so often that it is truly hard to believe it has finally arrived. Joe and I went to our first pre-natal doctor's appointment today. All reports were great! The baby is 1.4 cm long, with a healthy heartbeat of 160 bpm. I am officially 8 weeks as of Wednesday, June 10. My due date is January 20, 2010. Hearing his/her heartbeat for the first time today was an amazing and wonderful experience. I am in awe of the creation of life right inside of me! We are officially excited! :) We just pray now that God continues to watch over us and for the continued health of Baby S. What a blessing! Yay!

(This is one of the ultrasound pictures. Along the bottom shows how fast his/her heart is beating. I got a little teary eyed when I heard it for the first time. Simply Amazing.)

(This was my favorite picture from the ultrasound. I can make out his/her little body and I just melt.)

This has been a truly blessed day. We have been given one of God's greatest gifts. We cannot wait to meet him/her. We still have several weeks to go (around 32 to be exact) but we are beyond excited!

Thanks for all of your support. We'll keep you posted!

Love, The Sapps

Weims.

I gave Joe a Weimaraner almost 4 years ago for Christmas. (It was the same Christmas we got engaged and definitely one of the best.) Joe named him Luda and we absolutely love him. He is a wonderfully goofy, loyal, clumsy, very large dog. I adopted a Labrador/Bulldog mix from the Humane Society in Moultrie in the summer of '07. Her name is Lady. Or Lady Bell. Or actually, now, I just call her Bella. She was a bit like "Marley" (from Marley and Me). Destructive, hyper, impossible. But she has grown into the best dog. I just wanted to introduce the rest of our little family. Now, we would love to have another Weim. They really are the greatest dogs.

January 2006 - 8-9 Weeks Old

January 2009

Lady (Bella) the day I brought her home. (2007)

Bella - Christmas 2008

Ghost Town, Being Happy Where You Are, and Working on Anger

"We just get the one life, you know. Just one. You can't live someone else's or think it's more important just because it's more dramatic. What happens matters. May be only to us, but it matters."

This quote was taken from the movie Ghost Town and I love it. So often our concerns are trivialized because we have this mindset that someone else has hurt more, been through more, or even accomplished more. While it is almost always true, our own lives and concerns should not be discarded as mediocre in comparison to someone else's. As humans, I believe that we need to know that our pain or joy is important to others without it being compared to others. I am so guilty of looking at what I don't have and what others do have. It is a constant challenge for me to just be myself, to take what I have and be satisfied.


In a sermon I heard once, he said "be happy where you are." Don't misunderstand. I feel incredibly blessed. I love my family, I love my husband and the life we have built and are continuing to build, I have my faith. But there is always this internal battle that I fight with myself to be satisfied. I want to be the person who says God's grace is sufficient. Yet, it feels like I fall into the rhythm of the world so easily; entangled by the standards defined by the world, not by Christ.


Joe and I began reading through and completing the dares in the book The Love Dare. We started only a couple of days ago, but I see so many issues within myself. It is so easy to blame someone else for the way we feel or act. One of the things that the book talked about that really stepped on my toes was anger. One question asked "Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly?" If I am honest, the answer to that question is yes. Lately, I do get angry a lot more than I used. I usually have an excuse for why. But what I am beginning to understand is that anger is an easy reaction because patience takes a lot of self control. It is so much easier to be angry. But anger eats away at spirit, as well as moments in life that we'll never get back.

"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." Proverbs 14:29
"Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." James 1:19

With that in mind, I hope to continue running the race, gaining patience, losing anger, and learning how to be a better servant of Christ and a better wife.