Meet Miss Jones

Two weeks ago, Mr. Jones was accepted as a volunteer Financial Counselor for CAP (Christians Against Poverty). It’s an incredible organization, one that allows us to help people who are in financial need while also sharing the gospel with them: the good news that Christ died to pay our debt and give us eternal freedom. We are looking forward to seeing how Caleb will be used, as well as how it will help connect us to people in the community.

To start, though, he had to complete three days of intense training. The training was at the CAP headquarters in Bradford, England (about 4 hours away). Charlie and I figured we’d tag along and see what Northern England was like. We took a whole day to drive up, and stopped in Manchester to take a break from the drive. There’s a giant mall there called the Trafford Centre and the food court was EPIC. It felt like we were in a Disney theme park or something. It’s funny, because while we tend to enjoy indoor shopping more here (due to not having to worry about the weather and it being easy to push Charlie around in the stroller), we don’t really buy anything. Consumer goods (clothing, shoes, etc) are much more expensive here, and just knowing how cheap they are in the States makes it hard to pay the prices. I know eventually we’ll need things, but for now we’re holding out until we make a trip back to the US (after which I know we’ll return with full suitcases).

Heading out of Manchester was a bit crazy, because we hadn’t realized that there was a huge football (soccer) match between Manchester and Manchester United. It was funny seeing people on Facebook talking about the match later after knowing we had driven right by the stadium. We arrived at our hotel fairly late, and got an American guilty pleasure — Pizza Hut. Definitely not healthy but pizza is pretty much the perfect eat-in-your-hotel-room food.

I had planned to do quite a bit of exploring over the next few days with Charlie, but we both were feeling pretty under the weather with this sore throat/coughing bug that has been going around. We did, however, make it to the National Media Museum, which was pretty cool. Charlie slept the entire time and I enjoyed looking at a giant exhibit on Bollywood, as well as learning more about the history of British radio and television. There are so many shows I had never heard of, but lots that I had, and it was neat to see how the history of the BBC compared with what I know of American television.

Bradford is home to a large Indian population, so they’re known for having some of the best curry in the country. We got takeaway from Omar Khan’s (which looked lovely to eat at, but Charlie wasn’t up for hanging out) and it was incredibly delicious. Bradford also has some really lovely historic buildings that are still being used for shops, like a Waterstone’s book store that looked like it was straight off the set of a Harry Potter movie.

On our last day there, I hung out for some of the training and then headed over to the Texure Yarn Shop. It was like yarn heaven…so big, so much yarn — they even had a cozy sitting area in the back with shelves full of knitting books and patterns. I’m sure I could have spent all day in there, but Charlie slept just long enough for me to ogle all of the yarn and pick out three skeins of super soft green that will soon become his own sweater.

The one spot I’d hoped to see but didn’t was Saltaire. It’s the home of Salts Mill, an old mill that snow full of little shops and a beautiful art gallery. It’s a bit outside of town, though, and though we’d planned to stop on our way out of town, it was super rainy and we were ready to head back to Wales. If we’re ever back in the area, though, I definitely plan to go check it out.

All in all, it was a fun trip, and we enjoyed seeing a new part of England. Our hearts are definitely in Wales, though. Just crossing back over into the mountains, I felt like we were “home” again. It’s crazy still to think that this is our home, but it is. Slowly, as one day stacks on to the back of another, we are settling in.

My handsome husband, in front of a castle.

So we’re here. In Wales. I can’t believe I’m just now writing this, but things have been pretty nonstop. Moving to a foreign country can keep you quite busy, especially when there’s a baby involved! Even simple things like moving in and putting our mountain of IKEA furniture together take twice as long as they used to, since one of us is hanging out with Charlie.

We’ve been here for about six weeks — it’s hard to believe it’s already April! We are thankful for it, though, because the snow has melted (yes, we  had snow last week!) and the sun is out. We know our hot Florida summers will be nowhere to be found, but we are excited to do lots of exploring as the mountain air warms up a bit.

The view from our bedroom window just two weeks ago.

Mr. Jones and I have both been hit with sinus bugs (blerg), but I’m on the mend and Caleb is no longer coughing every ten seconds. We hadn’t thought about the fact that all of our immunities are no good here! We will be hand-washing, citrus-intaking fools while our bodies get used to this new environment, and hopefully we can keep from catching every virus that goes around. Charlie, thankfully, is healthy as ever. He had his first GP (general doctor) appointment this morning and she called him an “applesauce baby” (I guess that’s kind of like a US “Gerber Baby”). She also jokingly tried to steal him and said she’s never seen a baby so happy and full of energy at his age!

My “9 to 5″

I am starting to adjust to what daily life looks like here. It’s funny, too, because I’m also just now starting to adjust to being a full-time stay at home mom. We had so many things to do before we left the States, and nothing was consistent, that it just wasn’t something that I had to deal with. I love it already, and running our household/raising Charlie is what I want to be doing more than anything else. But I also know that it is a slow process when you’re a new mom in a new place. It takes time to build routines and friendships, and it is harder than normal being away from all of your family and friends. Thankfully, technology has been a huge blessing. Through the magic of iMessage (and thanks to the fact that most of my friends/family have iPhones), I can text as easily as I did before. We’ve had a blast using FaceTime and Skype to catch up with people, and I can share plenty of photos of Charlie via Instagram and Facebook.

FaceTime is fun with this chunky guy.

Social Media is a double-edged sword though. Though it can be wonderful, it can also steal our time so easily. I want my focus to be on my family and on “real life” more than on the world inside my little black box. To help keep things balanced, our family is going to start doing a “Social Media Sabbatical” on the first weekend of every month. I got the idea from Lara Casey (I’m a little obsessed with her Making Things Happen series right now) and I think it’s very necessary. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Speaking of goal setting, it’s something I’m working on a lot this week. April is, in a way, our January — it’s the beginning of a new season and the beginning of a solid routine in a set place (something we haven’t had for quite some time). One of my goals is to blog more, and to take the pressure off of what a blog post needs to be. I’ve talked about this before, but I feel like I’ve never kept up with it the way I want to. I want this to be a place where my friends and family can keep track of what we’re up to; where I can share and record things that happen in our family; where I have zero pressure to be anything but exactly what I am. So, new season, new goal, and we’ll see what happens.

Finally, a few photos of life here lately!

Coffee breaks are very frequent here. Charlie, you’ve got a while before you hit this stuff!

Lovely cafe in Cowbridge where we ate with some friends from church.

Happy Easter from Charlie! His Great-Grandma got him the sweet blue sweater and he loves it.

We stayed with friends for the first few weeks here and they had llamas outside their kitchen window!

Charlie may have been born in Florida, but he’s okay with the cold.

How far along? 37 weeks

How big is baby? As big as a watermelon.

Total weight gain: +25.5lbs

Maternity Clothes? Still nothing new. I’ve definitely got a “uniform” now — stretchy jeans and a maternity shirt, possibly with boots if it’s chilly. I have some really cute dresses but with all the fog and chill that’s been hanging around lately, I’m just sticking with jeans.

Stretch marks? Nada.

Sleep: Pretty decent. Getting out of bed, on the other hand, is not very fun.

Movement: Plenty of movement, mostly rolling and random kicks. He’s pretty consistently in the same place, with his feet on my right and his back on the left (still head down, yay).

Food cravings: I was at the town center the other day and finally fulfilled a craving I’ve been having for a few weeks — an Auntie Anne’s original soft pretzel. So good. I grew up having these as a treat whenever we would visit my Grandma in Lancaster, so they’re extra special for me.

What I miss: Putting on pants and shoes without it being an ordeal. Ugh.

What I am looking forward to: Finishing off some more little projects for Charlie’s “corner.” I found the perfect little dresser, in Caleb’s grandma’s garage, no less! She wasn’t using it, so I sanded it and and painted it a nice kelly green. It looks perfect in our room, and now I want to make a bunting banner with his name on it to hang above the dresser. I also need to cover the piece of foam I found to use as a diaper changing pad.

Milestones: Full term! Wow, is it really 37 weeks? I can hardly believe it. It’s crazy to think that he could show up any day now…or not for another four or five weeks. In my head, I feel like he definitely won’t come before next weekend, but it’s still totally possible. I also have plenty to keep me busy, in case he decides he wants to keep hanging out for another month.

Oh, and THIS: So apparently I’ve been having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions and had no idea. I always thought he was just tensing up and pushing out, but when my midwife was measuring me at our appointment this week (right after I’d said I hadn’t been having any Braxton Hicks), she said, “Oh! You’re having one right now. Feel how your stomach is all tensed up? Wait 30-40 seconds and it will relax again.” Sure enough, it went back to normal after 30 seconds. Now that I know what they feel like, I’m having them all the time…not that it means anything, but it’s nice to know my uterus is starting to practice for the birth!

How far along? 36 weeks

How big is baby? The size of a small watermelon!

Total weight gain: +25lbs

Maternity Clothes? Nothing new, and I’m hoping to avoid buying anything else. Now it’s time to keep an eye out for sales on nursing tanks, cute button-down PJs and all that fun post-pregnancy stuff.

Stretch marks? Still no! I’m really thinking one will show up any day now.

Sleep: Doing better. I know it will probably just keep going back and forth, but the past two weeks have been pretty solid.

Movement: It depends on the day, but he’s kept up being pretty active. Last night I looked down and it looked like there were waves going acros my stomach — he was going nuts! Most of the time it’s subtle but firm shifts, but every now and then he does decide it’s dance party time.

Food cravings: I managed to keep the sugar fairly limited on Thanksgiving (it helped that things were pretty laid back), but I actually haven’t had any big cravings recently. I’m sure one will pop up soon, but we’ve been super busy and I think that’s kept me from getting fixated on a specific food.

What I miss: Laying on my stomach. I’ve pretty much always slept on my side, so I don’t care at night, but I really, really miss laying on my stomach to read or use the computer in bed. I know it will probably still be a while before I can comfortably do that, but man, I can’t wait.

What I am looking forward to: Getting all of the baby stuff put away and organized in the new place. We moved in to our temporary vacation rental yesterday, and we’re almost completely settled in — but I still need to find a small dresser or bookshelf to put in his “corner” in our room (and to keep his things in). I’m hoping I can find one at a yard sale or thrift shop in the next week, and then get his corner all set up.

Milestones: 36 weeks isn’t so much of a milestone to me as it’s the precursor to 37 weeks, which is full term. Which means I could only have one more week to get things done…or five. You know, just a month up in the air. I should have all of the major stuff done by then, but there are lots of little craft/knitting things I’d still like to work on. Still, I’ll take an earlier arrival over extra time. :)

Oh, and THIS: I’ve started to get a few of the “You look like you’re about to pop!” comments, which I really don’t mind — but I’m wondering how much bigger he’ll get and if I’ll hear any really crazy offhand remarks soon…

Both top and bottom photos, left: me; right: Mr. Jones

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! Because of the holidays, I’m not doing my weekly update. Instead, I thought I’d share some baby pictures of me and Mr. Jones. It’s funny how much we look alike, and I can’t wait to see if the Wee Baby Jones takes after us.

I hope you had a lovely holiday celebrating with friends and family, and are set to enjoy the rest of the weekend!

A little preview from our maternity shoot this week. Hopefully I’ll have a full post up next week with our favorite photos! 

How far along? 34 weeks

How big is baby? Apparently we’re still on cantaloupe, but now he’s the size of a LARGE cantaloupe.

Total weight gain: +24lbs

Maternity Clothes? Still cold weather, still lots of layering and boots and whatnot.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Ugh. The tide may be turning, because the last two nights of sleep have not been fun. Granted, at least I’m not having straight up insomnia, but no matter what position I’m in, I just can’t seem to get comfortable. I’m at the point of waking up at least once to go use the restroom, and then finding a sleep-worthy position after that is challenging once again. I’m really hoping this is just a phase, but I have a feeling my sleep quality is just going to stay on a downward spiral.

Movement: He’s been rolling around a lot this week, and there has been plenty of elbow and foot and knee pokes. His position seems to be shifting just a bit, but he still really likes to bunch up on my right side.

Food cravings: The random food cravings seem to be popping up much more frequently, and I’m having to work harder on avoiding impulse sugar. Thanksgiving will be especially is tricky, since I want to eat things like, oh, an entire mixing bowl of banana pudding.

What I miss: Sleeping well. See above.

What I am looking forward to: Enjoying the holidays next week. Since I don’t have a clue what our Christmas will be like (new baby? labor? still being hugely pregnant?), I plan on taking full enjoyment in watching the parade, seeing family, and doing lots of holiday things!

Milestones: 34 weeks is a big milestone for being past much of the pre-term labor issues. While we don’t want the Wee Baby Jones to get any ideas about heading out just yet, if he does make an early appearance, he should still be reasonably healthy and not have to spend too much additional time in the hospital. It’s nice to know that pretty much all he’s doing over the next month and a half is getting fatter and working on maturing his lungs.

Oh, and THIS: I started going to the chiropractor this week, and it’s been wonderful. My hips already feel a good bit better, and it’s nice knowing that everything is getting set straight to hopefully make the birth process a little easier.

How far along? 33 weeks

How big is baby? As big as a cantaloupe!

Total weight gain: +22 lbs (yes, apparently two of the pounds I gained last week were purely Halloween-treat induced)

Maternity Clothes? This week the weather decided to get nice and freezing (well, freezing for Florida), and dressing for the cold is definitely more difficult. There are more things to layer, which means more items of clothing that need to fit. Thankfully, it’s supposed to warm up again, and I will admit that in the mean time, it’s been nice to feel a little fall-ish.

Stretch marks? Nada.

Sleep: Decent. Waking up with lots of sore joints in the morning, though, which is not fun.

Movement: Pretty much the same.

Food cravings: Watermelon. Have I mentioned watermelon? I buy a quarter of one every week and cut it up, then eat the delicious chunks throughout the week. I’m pretty sure I could snack on it all day long (really, I could live off of watermelon and raspberries).

What I miss: Energy. Naps have gone from being a luxury to a necessity, and getting up after a nice nap is one of the hardest moments of the day.

What I am looking forward to: Moving in to our temporary little home for December and January. We don’t get to move in to the vacation rental until December 1st, but I’m so excited to decorate a little for Christmas, get all our baby stuff set up and washed and folded, and just do a little bit of nesting. It will also mean that I’ll only have a month (or so) left before he arrives!

Milestones: The Wee Baby Jones is devouring calcium like mad right now while his bones are getting harder. Which means I need to eat lots of ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and milkshakes. Yep, I can handle that.

Oh, and THIS: Putting on shoes while pregnant: super difficult. Putting on boots while pregnant: 500 times harder.

How far along? 32 weeks

How big is baby? The size of a honeydew melon (about 3.75lbs)

Total weight gain: +24 lbs

Maternity Clothes? I got my new shirt and dress from Old Navy and was pretty stoked that they fit perfectly. Next Saturday, Mr. Jones and I are doing our “official” maternity shoot with my brother-in-law Josh (who has so kindly been shooting my weekly photos), so I’m happy to have a dress I feel comfortable in.

Stretch marks? Still nope. I know they’re coming, but the longer they decide to wait, the better.

Sleep: Still sleeping well. I’ve had a reoccurrence of super vivid dreams, which has been both entertaining and a bit scary.

Movement: Forget subtle — maybe it’s all the Halloween-related treats I’ve been eating, but the pokes and jabs have multiplied this past week, and sometimes I think the boy never sleeps. Which, yes, I do realize is prep for all the non-sleeping I’ll be doing very very soon.

Food cravings: No specific cravings this week, but I certainly made up for my grain-free diet. Ugh. Thanks to Halloween parties and an influx of goodies just hanging around, I have more than satisfied my sweet tooth. I have a few weeks before Thanksgiving, so hopefully I can tone down the sugar and carbs again for a bit before the full holiday food craziness breaks loose. Moderation, it’s all about moderation.

What I miss: Not bumping in to things. My stomach keeps poking out further and further, and I’m just not used to it. Thankfully I haven’t actually knocked over a grocery store display or anything, but I have definitely been running in to everything from people to tables.

What I am looking forward to: Going to an NFL game on Sunday! Josh got tickets for Mr. Jones and I to go see the Jags play the Detroit Lions (yay for my hometown team), and it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a game. The weather is getting back to being comfortable (rather than chilly), so it should be a lot of fun. I’m just hoping we don’t have to climb too many stairs…

Milestones: Wee Baby Jones now has temperature recognition, which means if I put something extra warm (or cold) on my stomach, he’ll notice and respond. I haven’t tested him yet, but it’s nice to know that all of his senses are falling into place.

Oh, and THIS: I’m actually pretty shocked at the lack of random comments/unsolicited advice from strangers. I guess I’d just read so many other people’s experiences with strange comments that I was prepared for them to start at some point–but they haven’t. For the most part, any interaction with cashiers, etc, typically goes like this:

Random Person: “Aw, when are you due?”
Me: December 25th.
Random Person: “Ahh, Christmas baby!” (I honestly have yet to get ANY response other than this.)
Me: Yup, it’s a possibility.

I’m guessing as I get bigger, the comments might start to get a little more varied, but nothing so far. And I certainly don’t mind!

How far along? 31 weeks

How big is baby? As big as a bag of oranges (although that’s a little vague to me — how big of a bag? How many oranges?)

Total weight gain: +21 lbs

Maternity Clothes? I finally ordered a maxi dress from Old Navy (hopefully it will work for our shoot next week) as well as another comfy tshirt. I really love coupon codes, especially when I can apply them to sale items. Hooray for saving money!

Stretch marks? Nada.

Sleep: Pretty good lately. I think I’m finally understanding the pattern — my stomach grows, sleep stinks, then my body gets used to everything and I have a nice week or so of semi-normal sleep…then my stomach grows again, and it all starts over.

Movement: Still lots of movement, although now it’s a little more subtle (most of the time). Every once in a while my entire stomach starts visibly moving around, but for the most part it seems like he’s just slowly shifting back and forth.

Food cravings: Black Cherry ice cream. Oh man. We went to four different stores last weekend trying to fine plain ole black cherry, but all I could find were crazy blends that had streaks of fudge or chunks of chocolate. Not the same. I grew up with black cherry ice cream as one of my favorite flavors, but apparently it’s much more common in the north. I was overjoyed when I finally found some, at a little ice cream shop in the historic downtown, and savored every single bite. There’s nothing like getting the exact thing you’ve been craving and having it taste just as delicious as you imagined it would.

What I miss: Not having random days where everything just feels like it takes a ton of work. For the most part, I’m pretty comfortable, but certain days, man. Everything just seems like it takes five times as much effort (and time) as it normally does.

What I am looking forward to: Tonight’s Halloween party! Mr. Jones and I are dressing up as ninjas (with Charlie being the ultimate ninja, since no one can actually see him). It should be a lot of fun, and I’m excited about seeing all of the fun costumes and hanging out with everyone.

Milestones: Almost all of the major developmental milestones have happened by this point, so now the Wee Baby Jones is just getting fat and happy. Hopefully not toooo fat, but his main job for the next 8 to 10 weeks will be building up fat and getting ready for the outside world.

Oh, and THIS: So for those of you following along, yes, it is the end of October and we haven’t had any updates on our Sponsor Licence approval. The UK is still backed up with their applications, and it’s looking like we probably won’t hear anything until December. Which means (barring something absolutely crazy happening), the Wee Baby Jones will be born here in the US. We aren’t dropping any firm dates at this point, but if everything goes well and we’re reasonably comfortable and healthy, we’ll probably be heading to Wales once he’s around 6-8 weeks old. So, late winter-ish. It’s taken some adjusting, but we are completely at peace with the timing that God has for us, and we’re looking forward to enjoying the benefits of being around friends and family during this new time in our lives. We’re so grateful for all of the prayers that many of you have been sending our way, and we know that they’re a big part of helping us stay flexible and keeping anxieties away.

How far along? 30 weeks

How big is baby? As big as a large head of lettuce (seems to me a head of cabbage would be bigger, but whatever)

Total weight gain: +21 lbs

Maternity Clothes? No luck at the thrift stores last weekend, but now that it’s cooling off a little here, I’m hoping to be able to add a jacket or two into the mix. Never mind that I can’t actually zip or button them…

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: I’ve had a few nights of waking up feeling super sore (my left leg in particular is not a fan of sleeping), but also a few nights of really good sleep. It’s funny to me how much it varies, even when my routine is exactly the same.

Movement: He’s stepped it up a notch or two. A few days ago he was jammin’ from the early afternoon straight through to when I went to bed. I guess he’s getting his wiggles out as much as possible now that his little space is going to get smaller and smaller (as he gets fatter and fatter).

Food cravings: It’s funny that I wrote about carb cravings last week, because the day after my last post I read this great book called Wheat Belly and decided to try two weeks without any wheat. Tomorrow will be one week and I’m really proud of Mr. Jones and myself for making it with zero wheat in our diets. One more week to go, and then I’m definitely taking a break to enjoy some waffles (but we’ll still stay low-gluten pretty consistently). Oh, and no — I’m not trying to lose weight. But the engineered wheat that is grown now is much different from the wheat of a few generations ago, and it can raise your blood sugar as much as a candy bar. Since I have Insulin Resistance, cutting out/lowering my intake of modern wheat is really beneficial, and will hopefully help me avoid getting Type 2 Diabetes.

What I miss: Getting in and out of cars without it being a major effort. Granted, we’ve got a pickup truck, but it’s a pretty low one. I’m starting to think I need to throw a portable step stool in the back of the truck!

What I am looking forward to: The end! Haha — I know, I still have a good 8 to 12 weeks before his arrival, but I have two friends who are about to give birth any day now, and I’ll admit I’m a bit jealous. Honestly, this pregnancy has been pretty easy and I’ve really been enjoying it…but I’m looking forward to meeting this little guy!

Milestones: The kid is growing. As in, I woke up Tuesday morning feeling significantly larger than when I’d gone to bed on Monday night. I know the third trimester can mean lots of quick growth, but I don’t know that I thought it would be that noticeable. I was sitting at the kitchen table last night and when I leaned forward a bit, my stomach was actually resting on my legs! Super weird.

Oh, and THIS: According to my midwife, the Wee Baby Jones is officially head down! He could still switch positions if he wanted to, but typically if they’re head down at this point, they’ll stay that way. I’m a bit relieved and hoping that he decides there’s no reason to turn any other direction.