Photo by Charla Storey Photography

We are sitting here at 39 weeks, patiently waiting for our baby boy to make his appearance in the world. If I thought I had a rush of thoughts and emotions at 8 weeks of pregnancy, I'd tell my old self to hang on because I haven't seen nothing yet. I'd also let myself know that every bit of exhaustion or food aversion I had then would so be worth it because being pregnant is one of the most amazing experiences I could ever have. It's inexplainable, really. 

The connection Baby W and I have made over these past 9 months is a bond that nobody else can relate to and it has become ever so sweet. Between the kicks, flutters and hiccups (he has a lot of those), I almost feel like we have our own language. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was hit with the thought that I'd never be alone again- literally there was a little heartbeat with me at all times! But truly, I have loved toting him everywhere on our trips, daily Target runs, working big weddings, and special dates with Daddy. 

The biggest and most notable part of pregnancy is seeing the change in my body- it is absolutely incredible! I even find myself waking up, feeling this baby bump, and thinking to myself, "Wow, my body is so cool!" Just to comprehend a life growing, nourishing, and preparing inside my belly is beyond my grasp. It's clear evidence of our magnificent Creator and how He carefully made us to be useful for doing good things. It is striking to believe He has trusted me in carrying His masterpiece. 

This journey has been so beautiful and as much as I am ready to meet our newest family member, I know I'm going to miss this. And frankly, I'm pretty nervous for the next part of pregnancy-labor. It is surely unknown territory and I do not do well with unfamiliar. I do know I am my mother's daughter, and I know she gave birth by herself (yes, she labored and pushed alone because my dad was doing an interview on the other side of the refugee camp and didn't know) to one of my brothers. So when my dad returned, there she was holding a baby. I understand how crazy that story sounds, but she did it! I'll just have to remember that God has the most perfect timing and His plan is always perfect. 

Hello friends, I know it's been awhile, I feel as if Texas wedding season has taken me by the storm! The days are half as long and the sun is already setting by the time I get out to run the rest of my errands. I probably say this more often than not, but gosh how time flies! It's already the 23- week mark in our pregnancy, a bit over half way! The last few months of my life have been a whirlwind of feelings both physically and emotionally, and I can only imagine there will be so much more to come. I've already started picking up on things that I've learned so far and there are a few that weigh heavy on my heart:

Have a Mommy Tribe

I've always found it important to build a group of people around you that are your people, your "tribe". These are the ones that you can count on for anything at anytime. Not just for good or fun moments, but the times you're in the pit of hell and they will come and sit there with you, for you. As you grow and develop, these people will interchange, but you start to learn how to discern who should stay on the outskirts, and who is part of your core. In addition to these people, it's wise to have a set of other moms who you trust for advice. They may not be a part of your core tribe, but are there for the moments of tough heart-shaping and guidance not only for the little one, but for your own self too. 

This lady here is my sister in law and a big part of my Mommy Tribe :) 

Rest is Real

Ever notice when a child is downright fussy and has awful temper tantrums? It's not because he is having bad behavior or difficult to deal with, it's because he's either tired or hungry. Rest and nutritional health are such valuable fuels to our everyday function and most often neglected- I'm talking to you, business owners! I don't know what I imagined my life to be like being pregnant and then a mommy, but I just assumed I could do it all and play the juggling game. Except, I can't. Being pregnant takes real energy and I can imagine raising a little one takes twice that. I've been exhausted all over lately and it's affected every single aspect of my life. This pregnancy has opened my eyes to accepting that it is ok to slow down and stop embracing the busy. God designed our bodies to need to rest, let's not mess with the blueprint. 

Grandparents are Treasures

Today marks a heavy milestone on my heart: the day we lost my joyful hearted mom. It's been 2 years and so much as happened since. I always miss my parents, but growing their little grand-boy has only made the grief more apparent. It saddens my heart for my little ones to never get to meet their Ong Ngoai + Ba Ngoai (grandpa and grandma in Vietnamese), but I will promise to make sure they know who they are and how their legacy is ever so strong. Going through this pregnancy without having my Mummy is probably the hardest thing I've had to experience since she's been gone. As a girl, you rely on Mom for all sorts of things as she is there for it all. I have lots of questions about things I wish I could ask her, or wish I could learn her way of doing certain things, but I'm going to have to do my best here and thankfully my sweet, sweet in-laws are beyond support for me. 

Love on Your Spouse

As our sweet little boy is growing (and moving!) my heart continues to grow and shape for his arrival. It's almost as if every waking moment, and sometimes even during sleep, you think about the baby and all the things you'll need to do to prepare for his arrival. I'll have to say it's fairly easy to forget about the most important part of this whole process: the marriage. You get caught up in all of the appointments, planning, shopping- you name it, but one must remember there are only a few months left with just the two of you so cherish every second and make sure to show how much you treasure each other. A joyful marriage is key to a joyful family. 

I can only imagine what the next few months have in store for us as he's shaping out and growing more and more. I've read that he already has developed his facial features and just needs to gain more fat to fill it out. The whole process God designed is simply amazing. Oh, how I can't wait to love on that little face! 

Photography by Dyan Kethley | Adorable Models: Charlotte + Esther Nguyen 

It's been quite a few months here at Wedfully Yours HQ. Needless to say a trimester of adjusting, planning, and heart preparation for our world to change. We're so excited. We're excited for Baby Whitten to make his debut and for us to take on this task to shepherd him.

We've also been so blessed to have such a strong and large support from our family and friends, it's been so helpful to us! With all the excitement and support, I want to be able to involve those who are interested in following alongside in this journey so I thought I'd make a few baby-centered entries. (I promise just a few, we'd still like to keep a few things between us.) I always feel like when I get asked questions on different occasions, I can never get the exact answer I'd like to get out because there's just so much to say! So here goes:

How are you feeling? 

The biggest obstacle I had with my first trimester was fatigue. I was constantly tired/sleepy and found it hard to complete my daily routine of work (and I like my routine!) so that was tough to manage. I did not have actual "morning sickness", I better described it as an all day hangover that would come and go. Thankfully, I've been feeling lots of relief from these symptoms so hang in there, it does get better!

Have you had any cravings?

I have not had any cravings, actually I had big food aversions. Nothing seemed to taste good, I even made mentions that I would prefer a feeding tube... haha! There was a week where I did want steak (which Adam had no opposition to) and I felt really alive when I had red meat, which probably meant that I needed iron. I have completely stopped drinking coffee, which I used to live off of everyday. Not because I'm avoiding for pregnancy safety, my doctor has actually given me a green light to eat anything I want (more on that later) but because it does not sound good at all, gasp! Good news is along with my returning energy, my appetite is coming back so I'm excited for food to taste good again. 

Were you guys trying?

 This is a more private question, just like "When are you guys going to have kids?"  ;)  and asked not as often as the first 2, but still asked. Since I do like to keep transparency, I decided to go ahead and share something else that not many talk about. To be clear, Adam and I wouldn't have gotten married if we were not ready for children. In today's times we get to do more family planning, but as we are all adults here, we understand children can happen especially when married. With that said, we did want to wait a little bit. I have always loved children and wanted to be a mother, it was just in my nature, but it's always nice to just be two as we get ourselves established. 

When Adam told me in April that he was "ready" to grow our family, we felt it was time to take the next step in our story. I was more prepared for a battle, an obstacle to cross, considering we've dealt with so much in our young marriage and we are pros at dealing with adversities. What I was not prepared for was for God to answer so quickly. When the test came back positive, I was not excited at all. (Yikes, I can't believe I actually typed that.) I imagined myself to be gushing with joy, but instead I was scared, nervous, and almost wanted to take my prayer back. I was scared of how my life was going to change, how my social life was going to be interrupted, and mostly how my business and career was going to fall down the drain. It was so silly. I know this is not the common thing to share, but I want for anyone else who might feel or have felt this way, IT'S OK! I shared my fears with many other moms and mentors and they assured me I was not the only one to ever feel this way. It IS something to have mixed emotions about. It's life changing!

In those first few weeks, you may not have any symptoms and obviously not showing, so it doesn't quite feel "real". I will say, that when you get to see and hear the heartbeat for the first time, there's a whole new rush of emotions. That day I really felt God working in my heart and softening it to truly love His little creation He's trusted me with. Friends, it's an indescribably incredible feeling.

And as for this guy here, he takes care of me in ways I could not imagine being cared for. I knew I married a solid man, but in these past few weeks he's shown me so much more. I feel 100% of confidence having him lead our family. With these changes in my body and the symptoms that come along with it, I can tend to be slightly less graceful at times, but thankfully he has plenty of grace to cover us both! He has been the biggest supporter in every single step and as this is new to me, it's just as new to him but we're learning together and I'm grateful for this time we have to fortify our marriage even more. 

For my sisters who are trying and have not been able to experience His fruit, please remember you are not forgotten. His timing and His plan is never perfect for us but perfect for Him and that is the peace we can have.  

Mother's Day. A day of so much celebration for motherhood, yet a day of grief for many out of motherhood. I'm going to be transparent here and say that I feel as "out" of motherhood as I can be at this point in my life, but I will say that I am at peace with that being where God has me right now. More transparency- I don't always feel that peace! If today is one of those days you don't quite feel the content, here's to all my sisters in need of a little lift:

To the ones who have lost their mothers: This I relate to the most, as I know how painful today can be watching so many others get to spend the day with their moms and shower her with appreciation. You can celebrate today too as you remember your mom and the love she poured over you. I also encourage you to embrace the moms who are still with us today and let them know how much they are cherished. God bless these women who step in and fill in for our mothers who have gone to heaven!

To the ones who have lost children: For those in this category, my most sincerest prayers for your aching hearts. I cannot imagine the pain you feel everyday nonetheless what today specifically celebrates. Rejoice that they are dancing with Jesus in heaven and that  you will see them one day again. Big hugs to you. 

To those are soon to be mothers: I'm so excited for you and the journey you'll take. I pray for the little ones growing in your bellies to not just grow to be physically strong and healthy, but to have solid, God-fearing hearts. I can only imagine the rush of feelings you may have- anxiety, excitement, nervousness, the list goes on I'm sure. As I don't know from personal experience, but from many observations, you can never be fully prepared. You can never have it all figured out by the time he or she is born. You just have to trust in the instincts you were given. 

To those who hope to be mothers one day: I can relate to this feeling as well. You may be longing to be with child, or it may not be right now but hope to become a mother someday. Either way, I pray for patience and peace as you prepare your hearts for His plan. It can be a long road and sometimes seem hopeless, but I urge you to remain faithful- there is purpose to everything! In the meantime, love on your husbands and reinforce your marriages, that is the main foundation to any family. 

To the fur moms: You aren't forgotten! You are equally as important and should celebrate today with all the other moms. We have just as much responsibility- bathing, feeding, potty accidents, cuddles, exercising, disciplining, it's a lot of work! If those pups and kitties had thumbs, they would be covering your homes with all sorts of cards and flowers letting you know how much they appreciate your big hearts. Instead, the kisses and wagging tails will have to suffice :)

Cheers to all of you women for sharing your love with us and for being selfless time and time again. You're the real MVPs!