Mornings

A few things I noticed about mornings this morning:

• Speed limits are apparently not in effect before 6 AM.
• Before the sun rises, it's dark. No, like really dark. I'm guessing because there is no moonlight so early in the AM.
• I am reminded of the "freshness" of the day. The beauty is that this happens each and every morning whether or not I am up and about to experience it.
• For me, there is something special about being up extra early for no "special" reason. I am not headed to the airport. I am not trying to get a parking spot for a 1/2 marathon or Mud Run. I am going to work for a weekly prayer meeting. This morning I was early than usual as I dropped Lena off at work for an early client meeting. Normally, I would not arrive so early.
• Parents - is this preparation for when our child arrives?

7 1/2 Months

Some people have told me that I'm barely showing. I think it has a lot to do with what I typically wear. Most of my tops are not even maternity shirts. They're just loose fitting shirts I'm hoping to get some wear out of after the baby is born.

So I bought a new shirt with a more snug fit. In addition it has horizontal stripes. There's nothing like horizontal stripes to alter the look of any body shape. Here I am at 7 1/2 months (30 weeks). 10 more weeks to go!

The baby is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. She continues to be very active!

My Favorite Blog

At church, we’re going through a series called 40 Days of Love. We’re learning how to love and as we do that, we define what true love is. In our small group we talked about how the word “love” is not to be used loosely or just thrown around for just anything. That said, I can’t say I love this blog, but I truly, truly do enjoy it.

This blog makes me laugh every time. It has great pictures and hilarious text to accompany it. Whenever I need a pick me up or a break from work, I check out this blog. It never fails to disappoint. I don’t think I find it amusing because I make desserts. I think anyone would get a kick out of it. Let me know if I’m wrong…

http://www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

- Lena

What will the baby look like?

I find myself often wondering what our baby will look like. We know the gender, so now I just want to know what she will look like. So much so that I've had some crazy dreams about it (one even included Barrack Obama... don't ask!). I dug up a couple of our baby pictures. From the looks of them, our baby will definitely have some big cheeks! Everything else I guess is left to the imagination...for the next three months.


- Lena

27-Week Check-Up

We had another check-up at the doctor today. After the nurse checked my vitals -- weight and blood pressure -- we had to wait a bit for the doctor to come. The baby started to kick and it felt a lot more uncomfortable than usual. I even laid down on the exam table to try and relieve the discomfort. When the doctor arrived, she checked the size of my uterus (right on track!) and then the baby's heartbeat. It was then that we realized that baby girl had her first case of the hiccups. It was cute, but pretty uncomfortable -- they were rhythmic jumps/jabs that made my belly shake. It only lasted a couple minutes and then subsided. She had the hiccups again later that day after I ate lunch. Supposedly the hiccups will be a regular thing from here on out.

Development Update: The baby should weigh almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, the baby's brain is very active.

Playing nice

Okay, we're having iBook battery issues. It is good for less than 1hr. No warning from 50% to 0% and it just shuts down. That being said, this is a 2nd attempt to type this. I have less creativity and patience to write it again.

So I was observing my wife and our friend Stacy playing nice while divvying up some donated baby clothes. They had a huge pile between them. One at a time, she would pick up an outfit, hold it high for both to see, each would comment, then as she was folding it she would place it in her "to keep" or "not to keep" pile. It was amazing!

I was wondering what it would be like if I were to be sorting though say gift cards to food joints with a guy friend. First, I don't think there would be such a situation as I'd likely go through a stack myself and then say, "Here, you want these [scraps]?" But if we were to sit down together, I think it'd go something like this....

I would be frantically searching for the best food places. If I were to be questioned when grabbing a favorite, I'd say something like, "Oh, you're allergic to the food they serve here." Or, "Yeah, this would be too spicy for you." And when we'd both grab a mutually enjoyable one, we'd resort to arm wrestling or some type of video game competition to earn the right to keep it. Overall, nothing like what I witnessed.

I think I should learn something from witnessing that interaction between Lena and Stacy, but I'm still simply amazed.

What's in the water at Irvine?

We opened a Saddleback Church campus in Irvine, CA this past Easter (March 2008). Saddleback Church has become "one church with many locations." Derek was brought on as the director of small groups and ministry. It is a perfect blend of his past few years of experience at Saddleback. He started out as an intern on the small groups team and then was part of the ministry team for one year. The all-star team at Irvine also consists of a campus pastor, youth director and children's director. Part-time staff includes a worship leader and a team associate.

Shortly after the team was assembled, each married male staff member announced that his wife was pregnant! Not long after, we all found out that we're having girls! The first to arrive is baby Kerr (campus pastor) at the end of September, then our baby in mid-December, and then the Galarza (youth director) baby at the end of December. I hope the church nursery is ready for them!

We're all first time parents! It's going to be a great ride.
























- Lena

Random post on Twizzlers

Twizzlers... I think this is the best-tasting brand of licorice. Red Vines have nothing over Twizzlers.

Flavors

1. Strawberry - the best for mass consumption. It tastes good and doesn't grow old.
   
2. Cherry - never tried it. And I think this was the orginal. I don't recall seeing it in the stores. Strawberry seems to be quite abundant.
   
3. Chocolate - the best in small amounts sporadically eaten. It can get overwhelming if you eat it three days in a row during a camping trip. (If going on a camping trip, see #1)
   
4. Fire - this is a new one I saw during a recent grocery store trip. The taste is, as Hell's Kitchen Chef Gordon Ramsey would say, "spot on!" I love spicy hot food. Not mustard wasabi horseradish-based-hot, but spicy hot flavor. It is the texture that doesn't do it for me. It is comprised of several strands of licorice (remniscent of the licorice rope). It is maybe a bit too soft to chew (gets caught in my teeth). There is just something I like better about the bite into a Strawberry Twizzler (see #1). Is it because it is slightly stiffer? More waxy? I cannot describe it. And I do not prefer to pull my licorice apart as if it is string cheese. I'll stick with Hot Tamales, thanks!

- Derek

Baby Bump Progress

I had plans to keep a picture progress of my growing baby bump but never actually got around to it. I'm now at 6 months! I actually have very few pics of myself pregnant, nontheless a profile picture for each month. Below is a photo we took at the wedding. I had to place my hand in a strategic place so that you could actually see the bump. Don't get me wrong, the bump is big and growing, but the dress hides it well. I think people could only tell I was pregnant if I was walking and the dress pressed up against me. I met one woman at the wedding. When I told her we've been married for a little more than two years, she asked if we had any plans of starting a family soon.

As for the baby, she is (in the words of babycenter.com) just over a pound and about a foot long from head to toe. Her brain is growing quickly and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent.

She seems pretty strong...or hyperactive. I'm hoping she's just strong. Derek says it feels like she's trying to bust out of my belly. I picture her body slamming up against the walls that surround her. I definitely don't feel just a little foot or hand. It's crazy to see my belly shake and move when she's active.

We can't seem to agree on any names yet. For now, she's our "baby girl."

~ Lena

A Labor Day Celebration

We just got back from our friends' wedding. The service was worshipful, fun and touching. Derek got to know the bride and groom, Nicole and Steve, during his internship at Saddleback. Derek served in the Singles Ministry with Nicole. I started getting to know Steve when he became the MC for our wedding reception (he did a great job!). Nicole has been my hairdresser for more than two years. I always love a good haircut, but moreso spending that one hour with her in fellowship. We went to Steve's house for dinner one night when they first started dating. It was neat to hear what he was going through when he first became interested in her to now celebrating with them at their wedding.

For me, I enjoy weddings not only as a time to celebrate with friends, but also because they're a reminder of the vows we took and the biblical view of marriage. I loved how Pastor Rick prayed at the reception not only for the bride and groom, but for all the married couples in attendance.

With 500+ people, the reception was an opportunity for us to hang out with people we hadn't seen in awhile. We had a great time and I think the couple did a fabulous job creating a really nice and personal wedding. I had the pleasure of making them their wedding cake. It kept me busy all weekend, but I enjoyed making it for them. Here are a few pics from the evening:

Pastor Rick giving Steve a high-5 after seeing Nicole come down the aisle.


One of the many funny moments.


Mr. & Mrs. Steve Komanapalli


The wedding cake


Some friends from the Singles Ministry we haven't seen in awhile


Derek and I