Looking Ahead...

It has been awhile since I have actually sat down and wrote a post about life and everything going on with Jon and I. Let me just start by saying that last year was awesome - definitely one for the books! Jon and I grew so much closer together as we went on a few trips, found out that we are expecting our first child, and as we finished school at the same time. I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful guy - he constantly makes me want to be better and more selfless. Jon is going to be one heck of a dad, I cannot wait to see him with our little guy - it gets me emotional just thinking about it! Below is a picture recapping how our year went....Jazz games, silly moments, hot dates, Seattle, Missouri, announcing our pregnancy, and preparing for our little guy! Of course family and friends made our year so much happier and we have been so blessed by all of their love and support!  

If you haven't been able to tell from all of my posts and such....I am pretty stinking excited for our little guy to join us! I am super anxious and it is all I can think about lately. 

Even before I was pregnant I knew that I wanted to have all of our babies naturally. Now at 9 + months pregnant, I still feel the same way. My plan is to have our little guy naturally but I am also open to an epidural or anything else that will help get our little guy here safely.  

With my mind and thoughts set on having this baby naturally, I have read many things and have looked into a lot of techniques and such that will help me accomplish this desire. Again...keep in mind if it comes down to it and I am just dying in pain and am exhausted I might just resort to an epidural but the plan is to go natural. I think it is important to be open to whatever may come! As I have been preparing and studying, my all time favorite read has been this book...... The Gift of Giving Life

No matter what your birth plan is....natural, epidural, c-section....READ THIS BOOK! I always feel such peace and comfort after I read this. This book focuses on empowering women and connecting birth and motherhood with the gospel. Here are just a few thoughts from this book that I have loved and read over and over again.....

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

"The power of love can provide the ability for a mother to endure as she gives life to another."

"Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to angels." - President David O. McKay

"Cast they burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." Psalms 55:22

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out all fear." 1 John 4:18  

"My mother always viewed birth as a rite of passage, a spiritual transition, an initiation into a new realm. She firmly believes that a woman must put her blood, sweat, and tears on the line for the child she is birthing; it is an opportunity to demonstrate that she has the strength to be a mother. It is not a time to avoid pain, because motherhood is painful at times. It is not a time to seek comfort, because motherhood is not comfortable. It is not a time to shrink back, because motherhood requires that a woman reach deep inside her soul and show what she really stands for. It is in birth, my mother taught me, that a woman must show her trust in herself, her trust in God, and be consciously involved in a deliberate act of creation by giving her heart, might, mind, and strength to what is before her." pg. 253

There are so many other thoughts and stories that this book provides that I just love...please do yourself a favor and read it! 

I know that I cannot give birth to this baby naturally alone. That is why I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have of my Heavenly Father. He is going to be there right by my side through it all and he knows exactly what I can and cannot handle. I am also just so thankful for my sweet husband and his love and support and also the support from our family and friends. I know I am not alone in this!

Alrighty I will get off of the giving birth naturally kick now and fill you in on other details! 

Jon and I have two names that we love for our little guy. We plan to just wait until we see him to decide which one we will use! It will either be baby boy P or baby boy H :) For some reason it has been so hard for us to come up with a boy name that we are 100% sure about. But we do love both of these names - so we will just have to wait and see which name suits him better!

In other news...Jon and I are both DONE with school!!! Jon will more than likely return to school in a few years to get his Administrators Certificate but we are seriously done for awhile and don't see ourselves returning to school anytime soon! Since we are done, this means that Jon is starting to send out applications!! We love where we are right now and ideally we would like to stay in our sweet little town but who knows what will come our way. 

Big and wonderful things are coming our way this year and we are so excited!

Our Little Guy's Nursery

Baby Wilkey's room has easily become my favorite room in our apartment! Jon and I have loved putting it together and we are pretty proud of how everything turned out and the deals that we were able to find! I wanted his room to be pretty simple with neutral colors and we decided to go with a woodland creatures type of theme. The first thing we found for our nursery was our crib. It was on sale at Kmart for $100 so we couldn't pass up on the deal! It isn't my favorite crib but the price was hard to beat! The super cute bedding was made by my talented mom! I just love her and the bedding she made - so cute!

We got our rocking chair from KSL for $20. It was a dark brown color but Jon put in a lot of hours to get it looking the way it is now! We first thought it would look nice if it were a light gray color so we painted it gray. Once we were done painting it we hated it - so sweet Jon sanded the heck out of it and stained it. Now we love it and are never getting rid of it haha. My mom and I made the cute polka dot cushion.

The little night stand by the rocking chair we got at the DI for $4!!!! We just fixed it up a little with some stain and paint! The lamp we already had. :)

Next up is Baby Wilkey's huge teddy bear named George and a sweet little seat for our guy when he gets to be a bit bigger! My mom and dad found this cute chair at a yard sale and they fixed up for us and bought us the big teddy bear. My dad named him George and said that he is just saving the seat for our little dude when he is big enough to sit in it!

Jon found this cute toy chest at the DI for $6. We cleaned it out, primed it, and painted it gray. So cute! 

Above the toy chest, I got three spice racks from Ikea and stained them - now they are bookshelves! ($12)

I do plan to put something above the crib...but I am not too sure what it will be yet! Maybe a banner with baby boy's name on it?

Jon is super proud of this dresser - as he should be! We found it on KSL for $30. It was such a good deal because one of the big drawers was missing. I looked on Pinterest for ideas on how to fix it up so it didn't look so ghetto with a missing drawer and I found the idea to just take out another drawer and replace the space with baskets. We got the baskets at Thai Pan for $12 total. Jon and his sweet sister Jenny primed the dresser and painted it this gray color and then we got knobs from hobby lobby to finish it off. (knobs were about $10).

This three tiered fruit stand might just be my new favorite thing in our nursery. Jon's brother drew my name for Christmas and this is what I asked for. I am so happy with it! I found the idea on Pinterest and you can get these from Hobby Lobby!

The only thing our nursery is missing now is our sweet little boy. I cannot wait for him to get here!

37 weeks 2 days

How far along: 37 weeks and 2 days along....on the homestretch!!!

Total weight gain: I am definitely gaining weight steadily and I am surprisingly thankful for that. To me that means that the little babe is gaining weight as well and that all is going well in that tummy of mine! I have gained about 27 pounds now.

Maternity clothes: Lately I have made the switch to leggings and Jon's t-shirts - why didn't I wear either of these things sooner?!

Sleep: Sleep continues to be a struggle for me at night but that's okay because now I can take naps like no other during the day. Haha - seriously though I have way to much time on my hands right now!

Best moment this week: I really enjoy going to our doctor's appointments. It is so comforting to hear our little guys' heartbeat and I love hearing how our babe is doing and what to expect in upcoming weeks/days....

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach, running/normal exercise, my clothes, getting out of bed easily, walking up my stairs to get to our apartment without running out of breath (seriously you guys it's a struggle and it's only 8 steps!!!!)

Movement: This little dude likes to move around - he is super active! At every doctor's appointment he moves like crazy and it is always hard for our doctor to get an accurate heart rate! This is one thing I am really going to miss once our little guy joins us. Feeling him move has really brought me so much joy and I already feel so connected to him! 

Food cravings: Milk...like always...more specifically chocolate milk! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: The last few weeks I have struggled with acid reflux - which has been really sad for me because I have to decrease the amount of milk I drink and spicy foods that I eat. Not fun!

Baby bump: My belly is looking more and more like a big beach ball - it's pretty great! I'm measuring right on for my due date and the little dude is just curled up right in my belly.  

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy for sure! But I still get emotional real quick over little things and I am getting more and more emotional thinking about seeing baby Wilkey here in just days! I can't wait to hold him, give him loves, and see hottie Jon with him. 

Looking forward to: Baby Wilkey getting here! I am definitely getting pretty anxious over here! 

30 weeks 3 days

How far along: 30 weeks and 3 days along! Third trimester! 

Total weight gain: just hit 20 pounds! 

Maternity clothes: Loving maternity shirts! Especially Motherhood Maternity tees. They were a steal of a deal! $5 each! I also still have lots of shirts that work with my little bump but maternity pants are a must! Or with a few of my pre-pregnancy jeans I have just been using a rubber band to hold them up and that has worked out for me so far! 

Sleep: Sleep has been a struggle for me! I have a few restless and uncomfortable nights in a row and then I have one night when I sleep like a baby and then I go right back to the restless and uncomfortable nights. I am thankful for those nights when I sleep like a baby, those nights are definitely needed in my life right now!  

Best moment this week: I'm still on a high from my baby shower this last weekend. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who support and love my little family!

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach and running/normal exercise.

Movement: There has been lots of movement in there! It is becoming very regular, but it has changed from when I first started to feel him move. Before it felt like kicks but now I can feel his body and limbs moving around in there. The space is getting smaller and smaller for him so I am just feeling more and more! 

Food cravings: Milk and steak! Kind of an expensive craving! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still nothing really...although in the 2nd grade classroom I am in right now there are some smelly little kiddos who make me want to go throw up! It's so sad that they are smelly, but it definitely doesn't help that I can smell things like no other!

Baby bump: It's rounding and sticking out more! I seriously love my baby bump. It's not that I think it is cute (even though I do think it is cute some days), it's just proof that I am going to be a mom and that my sweet little boy is growing inside of me. Is that weird? 

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy but I definitely get emotional real quick over little things! 

Looking forward to: Graduating from school in less than a month! After that I feel like I can fully focus on our little guy. Ultimately I am just so excited for January 23rd to get here so I can hold baby boy Wilkey.

Oh Baby...

I am not sure anything could have prepared me for the ups and downs of pregnancy. Each person experiences this miracle in different ways and we all face our own particular challenges and find joy and comfort in a variety of things and ways. Holy cow have I learned the truth of this while being pregnant. I have definitely gained a much stronger testimony in knowing that our Heavenly Father knows and loves us and He doesn't give us anything that we cannot handle.

Let me begin by saying that I have truly loved being pregnant. But lets be honest...there are days when I am just so uncomfortable, anxious, and nervous, it's hard to be happy and remember what this is all about.

I want to remember the good and the bad from this pregnancy so here's the dirty details first...

- There is always something to worry about. First trimester you worry about having a miscarriage; second trimester you worry about the health of your babe, your own health, actually giving birth to the babe, fears of breast feeding, and so much more; and I am sure the worries will continue on in the third trimester once I get there.

- Peeing....all....the....time. Seriously though, last night I got up 4 times to go to the bathroom - enough said!

- Aches and pains. This has not been awful but definitely not comfortable.

- Financial worries....bleh!

- Getting a new wardrobe and still finding that even with cute new maternity clothes I still just want to walk around in the baggiest and not so flattering pieces of clothing.

- Exhaustion...the best feeling in the world is when I get to lay down in bed at night next to Jonny boy.

- Sneaky toots. Let's just say I could die from embarrassment.

- Smelling everything. As a student teacher this one has really gotten to me - there are so many smells going on in the schools! Ew!


Ok...I am done with the bad. Let me just say again that I have loved being pregnant. I can deal with all of the above because I know that in the end, Jon and I will welcome our sweet little boy into the world and nothing else will matter besides our little family. I am truly just so excited for him to be here already!

Although the list is shorter, there are definitely more perks to pregnancy than not...

- Long/strong hair and nails. I have loved and hated this. I love love love that my hair has been growing faster and it is stronger. But my nails...holy cow do they grow fast! I feel like I am clipping them twice a week!

- Complexion. Before I got pregnant, I was on Accutane for one month and this might have a part in my complexion, but I think a bigger part is being pregnant. Seriously my face has never been so clear.

- Feeling him move and experiencing that with Jon. This is my favorite. I love feeling our little guy moving around in my belly. Feeling him wiggle in there just makes everything seem so real and I feel so connected to him. Sure, sometimes he punches/kicks my bladder and ribs but that's ok - if anything it makes me laugh. I am just thankful that I can consistently feel him move a little everyday.

- Preparing. I have loved getting his nursery ready and just preparing for our future with this new addition to our family. It is a little stressful, but it is also very exciting.

- The "I'm pregnant" excuse (sometimes said aloud but most of the time it is implied). I think it is sometimes so silly when people use excuses to get out of things. With that said...I cannot say that I have not used the "I'm pregnant" excuse while being pregnant. Why not live it up and use it to your advantage?

- Making connections with others. I feel like since I have been pregnant I have gotten a lot closer to family members and just others in the community. Expecting a baby gives you a lot to talk about and it makes you much more opinionated!

25 Weeks Along

Life is so wonderful. (27 weeks along now :))

It's a BOY!

We found out that we are having a little boy!!! We could not be happier. I was really nervous for this appointment because I just want our little one to be healthy and for everything to be peachy and great! And he is healthy and everything was just so peachy and happy! After this appointment, Jon and I could not stop smiling! I cannot wait to meet this little boy in January but for now I am just trying to relax and enjoy being pregnant. :) 

Look at his cute little profile! Love him!!!

How far along: 20 weeks and 3 days along (HALF WAY!)

Total weight gain: a little over 6 lbs....I think. I have not weighed myself in awhile....it's probably like 10 lbs now haha.

Maternity clothes: I am starting to wear maternity clothes here and there....my pre-pregnancy pants and skirts are slowly becoming unbearable! 

Sleep: I'm still waiting for a big energy boost in the 2nd trimester....I don't think it's going to come. But I must say that when I am sleeping....I am OUT! Well, until I have to get up to go to the bathroom :)

Best moment this week: continually feeling our little guy move around and I am starting to feel him kick here and there! It has been fun having my baby bump get bigger too!

Miss anything: I am super content :)

Movement: I believe there has been some movement in my belly! It started with this little tingling feeling but lately it has felt like more. I feel like I can feel our little one kicking just barely! 

Food cravings: Lately I have been craving jalapenos and spicy foods. But I also drink a lot of milk and love ice cream! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really...just those times when I haven't ate anything in a little while.

Baby bump: It's there and it's growing!

Gender: BOY

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy but I definitely get emotional real quick over little things! 

Looking forward to: going to bed every night :) I started student teaching so that + work + being pregnant has really been tiring!

Hopefully in the next post I'll post some pictures of the start of our nursery and my baby bump! Stay tuned! :)

This is Really Happening!

It is starting to sink in...I am pregnant. Jess Wilkey is with child. Man, I am going to have a baby!!! I am so excited for January to get here so that Jon and I can meet this little one! This next year is going to be a big one for us. Both Jon and I graduate in December - this fall Jon will be busy with his internship and I will be student teaching! So in 4 months we are going to be graduates! I will finally graduate with my bachelors and my hottie Jon with his Masters. It has been a long time coming that is for sure! Jon will be applying for jobs this fall so come January we could be moving, Jon could be starting up a new for real job, and we will most definitely be welcoming a little babe into our family. Things could get crazy! Life is such an adventure, isn't it?

Here is a little survey I took about how things are going for me in the 2nd trimester!

How far along: 16 weeks and 4 days!

Total weight gain: about 4 lbs so far...I feel like this number is due to triple because I am always hungry and eating something and the babe is growing!

Maternity clothes: I haven't busted out any maternity clothes yet. So far my clothes have been just fine! Except for last Sunday I discovered that I no longer fit into most of my skirts! But anyways...my mom got me a really cute shirt and a couple of sweaters and I also found some really good deals on a pair of pants and few shirts that will help me as I dress up for student teaching. I probably need to keep buying things here and there!

Sleep: Sleep has definitely been the biggest struggle for me. I have been getting up to go to the bathroom 1-3 times each night! It has definitely gotten better though as I have been in the 2nd trimester because I am always exhausted and can usually fall asleep pretty quickly. Also! I have a Snoogle...I have heard others say not to waste your money on this but I love love love this pillow!!

Best moment this week: The other day while I was opening at work I think I felt our sweet little babe move for the first time. I felt this little flutter in my belly on and off for a little while. This may just be in my head because I am so excited to start feeling the kicks and movement in there but I have never felt anything like that before so it is easy to assume that it is little baby Wilkey! Keep it coming little one!

Miss anything: Sleep, cold lunch meat, and my energy. :) I am not complaining though!

Movement: See above :)

Food cravings: Nothing in particular...my cravings change every 10 minutes so it's always something new!

Anything making you queasy or sick: If I haven't eaten for awhile I start to feel a little queasy.

Baby bump: It's definitely starting to make its' appearance! I feel like I'm at that stage though when people are on the fence about asking if you are pregnant or not because you really might have just put on a few pounds. It's a baby! :)

Gender: We find out on the 28th of this month! 16 days! Jon and I both think it is going to be a boy. I even had a dream the other night that we had a boy and I just keep getting these impressions and feelings that there is a sweet little boy growing inside of me.

Happy or moody most of the time: Most definitely happy. Although....work is becoming really hard and tiring for me so whenever I work I find that those are the days that I am the most moody. Good news though! My last day at that job will be the 21st of this month! 9 days away!

Looking forward to: Seeing our sweet little babe in our big ultrasound appointment coming up this month and of course finding out the gender. I loved seeing our baby in the first ultrasound so I am so excited to see our babe again all grown at the half way mark. :) What do you think...boy or girl?

Up to Date Now! 14 Weeks and 4 Days Along!

This could possibly be a long one! So much has happened! First things first...we FINALLY told family and the world our news!!

At the beginning of July my family took a trip out to Missouri to visit Tyler, Michelle, and Cal. Jon and I thought that this would be the perfect time to tell my family because everyone would be together and then we decided that it would be even funner to wait a couple of days while we are there to tell them on the 4th of July. So we made plans to hand out these pop-its to all of my family!

I was so anxious all week to tell my family our big news. A few times I caught myself from saying things like, "I wish I knew if our baby was going to be a boy or a girl" or "at our first appointment..."  - the secret definitely got harder to keep as we got closer to telling! But the morning we told my family, I woke up and for some reason I got really nervous - I think it is mainly because it was a secret that just Jon and I had kept together and it was fun talking about it with only him and whispering fun things to each other about our little babe. (Don't get me wrong - it is also very fun to talk about our up and coming little Wilkey to everyone else too!) But back to the story! As we were eating breakfast everyone was in and out of the room so I kept waiting until everyone was in the same general area and finally that happened!! I told everyone that we had brought fireworks for everyone and then I went and grabbed them and started handing them out to my family. 

I handed the first one out to my mom because I wanted her to be the first to know and then just went around the room. Sadly though my mom did not have her reading glasses on so she ran to the bedroom to grab her glasses while asking me over and over again, "what does it say? Jessica read it to me!" Haha by the time she got back everyone else was up and hugging Jon and I. Tyler and Michelle were probably the first to actually read the pop-its and understand what it said - their reaction was one that I will always remember. Both Tyler and Michelle read it, gasped, and said "What! No Way! Congratulations!" and then they jumped up and ran to give me a hug. At that point I was shaking and crying like a little baby. Geesh, it was so fun to finally tell family!

A week after the 4th we got to tell Jon's family the big news and it was just as fun! I love having the big news out there but it is also kind of bittersweet - I'd love to tell family all over again just because everyone was so happy and excited! Anyways at this point Jon's sister Rachel was about the leave for her mission and his other sister Lizzy and her hubby decided to have a family BBQ since a lot of family would be in town for the weekend - so this was our chance to tell Jon's family! We got Rachel a little gift for her mission and we also got Jon's parents a gift to "help them get through the next year and half." For his parents we got them a framed picture of one of our ultrasound pictures and up at the top I wrote, Coming January 2016.

Jon and I planned to tell his family when everyone got to the house but some things came up (I will expand on this a little later! :)) and we ended up telling his family near the end of the night when everyone was about to leave. It was so fun, everyone was gathered around in the kitchen and Jon handed Rachel her gift first and then the other to his mom. When his mom opened the gift she was so surprised, she squealed, and ran over to give Jon and I a hug. Jon's siblings were a little confused for a split second until they saw the picture as well and then they all ran over to give us a hug too. Lots of tears were shed and everyone was just so excited. Telling families made this even more real to me - I love it! 

I really wish I would have video taped the reactions we received from both families. Jon and I are truly blessed to have such amazing and supportive families.    

Here's how we told the world!!!

ICE ICE BABY! :) 

In other news....

We just recently had our 2nd appointment this week! I love going to my appointments - I am always reassured that everything is going well and it just reminds me more and more that this is really happening! We were able to hear our sweet babe's heartbeat at this quick appointment. I was surprised to find out that I actually lost a pound...the doctor was pretty witty and said "that's probably something I wouldn't go out and tell other expecting moms in the waiting room!" Haha. I thought for sure that I had gained a few pounds , I am eating so much more and I rarely exercise. I guess the pounds will come as the days go on! I was really hoping that they would do another ultrasound, but they didn't - our doctor talked with us about options for testing and then we listened to the baby's heartbeat. Our sweet little baby Wilkey has a strong heartbeat that I could listen to all day long! It was pretty loud too, the doctor even said, "it sounds like your little baby is galloping inside of you!" Haha. At our next appointment we find out if we are having a sweet little girl or boy. What do you think? :)    

I will post a picture in the next post - I have got to document this little bump I am getting!

First Appointment...10 Weeks and 2 Days Along!

I am in love you guys....

Today we heard our sweet little babes' heart beat and got to see him/her squirming around inside of me. Holy cow...I am really going to be a momma! Seriously today was the best, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. The past few weeks I have been so anxious and scared to see our little one and find out if he/she is healthy or not. I feel so comforted and happy..... :)

I have had such a good first trimester. My mom had told me before that she really enjoyed pregnancy and it was not too bad for her - I was thinking that her experience would skip right over me - but I really have lucked out! - knock on wood! - Lately my biggest issue is sleeping. If I could get one good nights rest one of these days in the near future I would be extremely happy. I feel like I fall asleep for about 3 hours and then I wake up to go to the bathroom and then the night is shot from there on out. I have the hardest time getting comfortable and staying comfortable! Any tips anybody?

Besides being sleep deprived, the first trimester has been pretty peachy. I am dying to tell family and friends that we are pregnant though. Especially now that we have the ultrasound pictures! We do have plans to tell family. Details will come soon :)

Anyways here I am at 8 weeks and then at 10...no difference! :)

8 Weeks

10 Weeks

Today I am 10 weeks and 2 days along. Almost to the 2nd trimester! Time is flying by! :) :) :)

At 4 Weeks and 4 Days Along

So I found out that I was pregnant exactly one week ago! I still can't believe it! Yesterday I took another pregnancy test just to confirm AGAIN that I am pregnant. Haha, I don't know how many tests it will take for me to truly believe that this is happening. But it is happening and this last week I have started to feel some symptoms (I think!)....

1. I am hungry all the time! My stomach is constantly growling and if I don't eat then I start to feel like I am going to throw up and I get light headed and dizzy. It has been a little different but nothing too extreme that I can't handle.

2. I am exhausted....all the time!! By 3 I am done. Enough said....

3. Even though I am exhausted I have been having a hard time falling asleep. My legs and arms ache and I just can't get comfortable...isn't that supposed to happen later on in pregnancy? Maybe I just need to work out more!?

I am so excited to be a Mother. I have loved having this little poppy seed inside of me and thinking about the future. Even though I am excited, I am also really nervous and hesitant. Thoughts of losing this little baby keep flooding my mind and I hate it! Why can't I just be at ease with knowing that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me and that everything will work out? I do believe that everything will work out, I just don't want my heart to be broken. I am just way too excited and hopeful that in January 2016 Jon and I will become parents. I guess for now I should just work on being happy and enjoy pregnancy now.

By the way....we scheduled our first doctor's appointment a couple of days ago too. We will be meeting him on June 29th. That's a little over 10 weeks! I have a feeling that it is going to be a looonnnnggg 5 weeks until that appointment. Wish us luck!