30-Week Check-Up

I took Caleb with me to my doctor's appointment today, so I'm tired. :-) The nurse asked how old he was and then said, "Wow, you have your hands full." Yep, thanks for noticing!

Everything is still looking good. I didn't gain any weight, again, but the doctor isn't concerned because my belly is measuring well (32 cm) and the baby's heart rate is very good (140). She said I'll probably come out of this pregnancy feeling better than I went in--YAY for me! She does expect me to gain weight at the end, though, which I'm fine with since I'm still at -6 pounds for this pregnancy at 30 weeks pregnant.

Oh, and I passed my gestational diabetes testing with flying colors so I don't have to endure the 3-hour test!!!

I guess that's about it. Things are pretty routine now; I'm going every two weeks for the next 6 weeks and then every week. She said we might be able to schedule my surgery at my next visit, so I'm looking forward to getting some things nailed down and schedules synchronized.

*I hesitated to post this, but our little family is really going to need some prayers soon. Justin's going overseas for a month very soon. (I have really good neighbors, two dogs, and an alarm system, so crazy people stay back!) He was gone for most of my first pregnancy, but I didn't have a toddler to take care of back then! Would you say a prayer for us during the month of August? And please pray that this baby does not decide to come early because his daddy just wouldn't make it back in time!*

THE Name

We finally decided on the baby's name.

Levi

I was actually kind of surprised none of you suggested it when I asked for suggestions. It fits all the criteria (one that can't be shortened, means something significant, is not trendy, isn't the name of someone either of us has bad memories of, and it's a Biblical name).

And, no, we don't have a middle name yet. :-)

Am I On Candid Camera?

The same day the baby book incident happened, so did all of these things:

1) closed Caleb's hand in the van door, the crying of both of us ensued
2) dropped ice cream on the front seat of the new car while rescuing Caleb, more crying (I cried because I was tired and hormonal and Caleb cried because I was crying)
3) as I'm changing Caleb's diaper and talking to my sister on the phone, heard Caleb saying, "dirty diaper" as he was wiping his poop-covered hand on the wall behind the changing table
4) cleaned up an entire glass of lemonade Caleb dumped on the living room carpet

all in a day's work for a mommy, right?

I asked Justin to bring home dinner that night because I really couldn't take any more. :-)

...and what's the fascination with kids and the dog's food & water bowls? I can't keep Caleb out of them if the laundry room door is open. He wants to put things in the water (like dog food or himself) or throw dog food everywhere.

Trip to the Library (or What Was I Thinking!)

This morning, after laying on the couch for an unknown amount of time trying to recover from a poor night's sleep, I told Caleb it was time to go to the library. I needed to pick up a couple of books on preparing for a c-section that I had requested, and I wanted to get him a few books as well. "Let's go read some books at the library!!" We were both excited at the prospect of getting out of the house and staying in the air-conditioning.

I had visions of reading and sitting and quietness and reading and bonding and reading in my head as we drove the few miles to the library. It must be the pregnancy-induced mental craziness that made me think any of those things might happen. Anyone who's spent, oh, two seconds with my almost 22-month-old could have given me a big whack on the forehead for even envisioning such peace and tranquility.

So.

I underestimated the pandemonium that is the children's section of the library before noon in the middle of the summer. I'm so naive.

I spent the 30 or so minutes we were at the library chasing Caleb and trying to keep all the books on the shelves on the shelves. The three most exciting things to him were 1) the balloon behind the desk (oh.the.obsession.with.balloons!!), 2) the soccer ball sitting atop of the shelf of sports books, and 3) the turtle pillows in the back corner. When we found the turtle pillows, I was just glad to have a moment where I wasn't trying to pry him off a shelf or run faster than him to prevent any mishaps. You can see that the visions of reading and bonding and peace were dismissed as soon as we opened the library door.

I tried to walk him back over to the board books and attemp to find a few books that would interest him, but he would have no part of that. He wanted to touch all the babies and play with the toys other kids were playing with.

I decided that was enough, um, reading, and quickly grabbed a Thomas train book on our way to the reservation shelves. I found the two books I had requested and then attempted to wrangle Caleb into STANDING.IN.LINE for 5 or 50 minutes (what's the difference when you're almost two years old?).

I'll just hold to the fact that it's good for him to even be exposed to the library, right?

Reading? Maybe another day.

The Fruit of the Spirit

I'm humbled that someone nominated this blog to receive The Fruit of the Spirit graphic.

Trish at An Ordinary Life Artist says this about the graphic: "There are many blogger and non-bloggers alike who have agreed to partner with me in recognizing and honoring those whose writings, postings and lives exemplify how God works in and through His people. When we recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit resides within us. It is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in our lives ~ but He has also given us the honor and the duty of recognizing the fruit in other believers."

This girl (and this blog) are definitely a work in progress...God is refining me every single day. I'm honored that you choose to come here and see what He's doing in our lives.

I'm so blessed.

Belly Pic-29 Weeks

17 weeks:

29 weeks:

I had Justin take another picture of me yesterday. They don't do justice to how big my belly is getting. The shirt and skirt I'm wearing sort of hide things.

Signs

Joy asked what kind of signs we have around our house. I love having Scripture on the walls to encourage our family and anyone else who comes into our house. I'm hoping to have a friend of mine paint a Scripture on the nursery wall later this summer (once we actually get the room painted!).

These two hang above our cabinets in the kitchen:



This one is on the wall beside our dinner table:


On a shelf in our entryway:


By the computer, above our "The Voice of the Martyrs Prayer Map":

Breathe, breathe, breathe

Like a good mother of a first child, I have spent a lot of time and energy making sure that Caleb's baby book is up-to-date, complete with pictures, progress sheets from the doctor, and lots of handwritten milestones and anecdotes. Just the other day I recorded his last two teeth that broke through and updated a few other things. I gave myself a little pat on the back for being so on top of things and imagined the day when I would pass that book on to Caleb to look back on when he has his own children, as my mom and Justin's mom did for us.

Caleb walks in the room a few minutes ago saying, "happened, mommy?" holding the "4 Month Check-up" sheet that had been taped into his baby book.

I scurried to the living room where I had left the baby book safely tucked into the coffee table cubby hole to find this:


*sigh*

Thankfully, he didn't rip apart the actual pages of the book or remove any photos. I've learned that if Caleb says, "happened?" he has broken something and can't for the life of him figure out why it now won't work.

After that pat on the back, I should have put that book in a very special place where little toddler hands can't reach. Lesson learned.

San Antonio Trip

We went to San Antonio this past weekend and met up with some of Justin's family we had not seen in a long time. Here are a few pictures:

Caleb with his new suitcase that Mimi (Justin's mom) gave him. He was SO.EXCITED.TO.HAVE.HIS.OWN.SUITCASE!!! I keep telling him he's going to have to "carry his own weight" when the baby gets here, so this just helps things along! ;-) I can't tell you how happy he is to have a suitcase with a basketball on it. Sheer joy. And watching him pull it through the hotel lobby all by himself was priceless.

Caleb and Daddy feeding the dolphins at Sea World. By the time Caleb decided it might be okay to reach down and touch one, they were gone because so was the food. :-) He loved seeing all the fish!

Caleb and his cousin, Landrye (with their daddies) at the Riverwalk. She and my niece, Ava, are about 5 days apart. I would say that bow couldn't be any bigger, but it really could. ;-)

Daddy, Caleb, and Mimi at the Riverwalk:

Caleb had a good time at Sea World, and he LOVED that Shamu jumped up and touched a ball during the show. He was still talking about it 2 days later. We had a good time, ate some good Mexican food (and some not-so-good!), and enjoyed spending time with Justin's side of the family. Now if we can just get Caleb to remember which of Justin's brothers is Uncle Scott and which one is Uncle Josh, we'll be good.

Honoring Your Husband

Several of the blogs I read are taking part in the Honor Your Husband Challenge. I'm not "officially" participating, but reading their posts has definitely made me think about our marriage, and, mainly, my attitude about certain things.

I have a BAD attitude about what time Justin gets home from work. BAD attitude. I have mastered the whole "pity me because I'm pregnant, have a toddler to take care of, need to have dinner ready, and want to eat at 6:00 sharp" thing down to an art form. It's sad, really.

I've been harboring a lot of bitterness about this for some time now. I sometimes treat Justin like it's his fault that his job is really stressful, he's in charge of 20+ people, and there are deadlines to meet. (I'm definitely not living up to that part in our vows where I said I would serve him with patience and love. Patience really is my weakness.)

And don't get me started on how I feel when other people's husbands are home in time to help with prepping dinner or to take care of the kids while dinner is being made. Bitter comes to mind.

So, I really need to work on this. It doesn't do me any good to be bitter about it or get angry with Justin when he's not home when I want him to be home. It's the way things are, and I can't change the facts. I can, however, change my attitude, which needs a serious adjustment.

I'll be working on my attitude and actually being an encouragement and support to Justin instead of being bitter and counting the number of hours he's been gone.

That and actually going to the grocery store and cooking dinner several nights in a row for a change.

A Royal Priesthood

Much-needed inspiration and motivation for today's mothering tasks...

“But you are… a royal priesthood…that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Ann writes today at Christian Women Online:

"So a mother consciously chooses to live out her priesthood as a believer, so that her children might be taught ‘divine things.’ As the Old Testament priest’s days carefully stepped to the beat of His expressed laws, so the New Testament everyday priest thoughtfully orders her days to the divine rhythms of Father’s heart. While the Old Testament High Priest wore the apron-like ephod, the New Testament ministering mother wears apron and holy habits. Holy habits of communing with God, reading and memorizing His Word, prayer, fasting, service, worship. Holy habits of putting on the garment of Christ (Gal 3:27 NEB).

The domestic priest cannot forcibly dress her children in holy habits, for these are not outward mantles of routines and checklists, but the interior attire of the heart. One can only clothe one’s own soul. What is a mother to do? She can faithfully adorn herself with her own ardor for Christ, her own daily, holy habits stirring the desires of her children, all the while thoughtfully laying out threads for young souls to take up in their own life’s tapestry. She prays and fasts and sings hymns and serves and loves and meditates on Scripture before her children. Then she creates space, stillness and opportunity for her children to also enter in. She lives so that each child feeds not on her devotionals, prayers or worship, but from his or her own. She kneels beside her child and helps him gather his own spiritual food with his own hands, rather than simply eating from hers."

May my own daily, holy habits stir the desires of my children to know and love Him.

Read the full article here.

He's All Boy, Part I

"Momma, I have bug!" He loves bugs and is not scared of them. His mother may be. A little.

In Detroit last month, we were in a nature park of sorts when Caleb promptly bent down next to a turtle and attempted to pick it up. Talk about heart attack. Me and the turtle. He didn't care one bit that the turtle was hissing at him. My brother-in-law commented that it was a pretty big turtle. The man has seriously not been in Texas enough because the turtle was maybe 6 inches across and that is small by our standards. Nonetheless, it was big enough to make me freak out a little and wonder why God thought I could handle boys. I don't have a brother and my sister was (is) so scared of bugs you could throw a piece of dark yarn her way and she'd run off screaming. Not that that ever happened. I'm just saying one could do that. (God knew what he was doing giving her a girl because she is SERIOUSLY scared of bugs!).

Justin's been reading Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and I just got a book called That's My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character by Rick Johnson. Both books make the point that moms can be overprotective when it comes to boys because we are much more likely to value safety and security over adventure. I can already see that's true in the way that Justin and I parent. But, as both books point out, boys have to be able to be adventurous in order to gain a sense of masculinity. If I want my boys to grow up to be men who protect their own families, I have to give them some space to be boys in the growing-up years. I definitely need to work on that!

Inspired by My Friend

Last Friday was Malachi's Memorial Service. It was the most faith-filled memorial service I think I have ever witnessed. My friend, Kerri, is amazing, as many of you already know from keeping up with Malachi's CarePage, and the faith she and Ben have displayed through all of this truly inspires me. I am amazed at their ability to comfort and encourage others through their pain.

I have a book by Anne Graham Lotz called Daily Light, which is a collection of Scriptures with a similar theme for each day of the year. I don't always read it every day, but I am often amazed at how relevant the Scriptures for the day apply to my life or something going on around me. Here are the Scriptures for June 19, the day Malachi went to be with Jesus:

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. Now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 1 Peter 5:10, John 16:33)

I think many have wondered why Ben and Kerri have had to suffer this pain and trial. I know I have wondered that. But I also know that they don't wonder that; they don't question that God brought Malachi here for the purpose of spreading His love and message to everyone he came into contact with. Through this fight, so many have been blessed and encouraged by the love of Christ that exudes from this family. Malachi's short life has inspired me to be a better Christian, a better friend, a better wife, and a better mother.

Several times a day, I see Malachi's picture on my refrigerator, and it always makes me pause because he and Caleb were only 6 weeks apart in age. It reminds me that we're not promised even one more day with the people that we love. Why God chose Malachi and not Caleb, I'll never know, but it makes me hug Caleb a little tighter, be more patient with his "toddler-ness," and want him to know Jesus more than anything in the world. And the way he'll come to know Him is if his mommy and daddy are showing Jesus to him and everyone around them.

Last week, I saw this poem at Shannon's blog. A father was searching for the words to the poem because he had recently lost his son and wanted to put the poem on his stone. It made me think of Malachi.

We only see a little of the ocean
A few miles distance from the rocky shore;
But oh! out there beyond - beyond the eye's horizon
There's more - there's more.

We only see a little of God's loving,
A few rich treasures from his mighty store;
But oh! out there beyond - beyond our life's horizon
There's more - there's more.
-Author Unknown

There is SO MUCH MORE to our lives than what we see! :-)

Ben and Kerri, you may never know the impact your faith has had on so many people, including us. It's impossible to look at the two of you and not see Jesus. We are forever grateful for the example you have shown.

Contests!

5 Minutes for Mom is having a July 4th Giveaway extravaganza. Lots of cool stuff to be won...go check it out.


Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is having a summer sling giveaway; it's a Solarveil sling by KimzKreations.

The "Mommer"

"Mommer" is what Caleb calls his pacifier. Yes, he's 21 months old and we still let him have a pacifier (only when he sleeps). Before I had kids this was one of those "things" my children would NEVER do. A child walking around with a pacifier! Hmph. Well, as we all know, having children promptly kicks you off your high horse about any of these types of issues. I know the experts say they shouldn't have a pacifier past 15 months...blah, blah, blah. I know.

Part of the problem is that Caleb doesn't have anything else that he's attached to. I have put the same stuffed animals and blanket in his bed almost since his birth. He could care less about any of them. He's not attached to any sort of "lovey." Except the "mommer."

We have no idea why he started calling it a "mommer." We have always called it a pacifier or a paci, but he has affectionately named it his "mommer." Maybe because it sounds like "mommy" and he loves his mommy so much and she is so comforting to him. Yeah, we'll go with that.

I got pregnant when Caleb was 15 months old, the last possible date at which the experts say a pacifier should be used. And, as has been well-documented on this blog, the next 5 months I was practically incapacitated with nausea and vomiting. We decided this period of time was NOT the appropriate time to try and take away the pacifier because I just couldn't deal with that and the nausea, too. We needed to retain all sense of comfort and normalcy that we could since mommy wasn't at her best during those months.

So. We've reached that time where we're overdue to get rid of the thing and he's terribly attached to it. We want it gone before the baby gets here and he tries to steal the baby's pacifier for his own.

I expect there to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the loss of the "mommer." I know some kids get rid of it themselves or never grow very attached to it at all. Caled came out of the womb with a suck blister on his wrist. The nurses asked me as soon as they could if we might permit Caleb to have a pacifier. Once I had nursed him a couple of times, I agreed, and everyone (especially Caleb) was a lot happier. It's always been his comfort.

I'll let you know how it goes.

(And, for the record, because I always feel like I'm defending the fact that Caleb still has a pacifier, mostly to myself because it's been drilled into my head that he shouldn't still have it, kids who are thumb-suckers go way past 15 months. I'm just sayin', no judgments.)

In Memory of Malachi

from his parents:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day--and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Malachi Thomas Schaefer did just that. He fought the good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith. Now on the 19th day of June, 2007 he quietly passed on to receive his crown of righteousness. We thank you all for your prayers as Malachi fought his battle against AML. Please keep praying for our family as we endure his loss."

This blog will remain silent as we mourn with our friends the loss of their precious baby. Please continue to pray for Malachi's parents, Ben and Kerri, and his sister, Emily.

Pray for Malachi

Please pray for Malachi. He's still fighting a bacterial infection and is now in ICU.

from his parents:
""The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?...For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:1, 5).

These words describe where we are right now. The Lord is keeping Malachi safe in His dwelling, hiding him in the shelter of His tabernacle and going to set Malachi HIGH upon His rock! Thank each of you for focusing us on our Lord and his promise to accomplish the perfect plan.

Malachi is not dong well at all from the look of things. He is extremely bloated and resting all of the time. Around 2:00 pm he was intabated(sp?) and now a machine is breathing for him so he can rest. He is completely sedated and being given pain medicine. He had a CT scan of his throat area and the scan showed major mucositis. Thankfully a tube was in place before a major problem arose and Malachi could not breath. Right now he is getting a new PICC type line placed in his leg and a spinal tap is being preformed. He is on major antibiotics, fluids, and pain meds. He does not look like himself but the fight is still there. No matter what happens we know that the Lord is holding Malachi in the palm of his hand and has placed just the right people to carry out His perfect plan."

Doctor's Orders

I had my check-up today, which lasted WAY longer than normal because my doctor got called into an emergency c-section right after they called me back! We were the ones making everyone wait 2 years ago, so I didn't mind so much.

I didn't gain any weight this month, so that's still a -7 overall. She's not worried and said I'll gain it eventually after my body recovers from all the months of losing. The baby is growing well and everything else looks good.

I hurt my back sometime last week and have been having bad spasms off and on since then. She ordered me to get a pregnancy massage. Bummer, huh? Actually, she said I'll probably need more than one for them to work out the kinks. I can't argue with that!

Tree Musings

"Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."

~Psalm 1:1-3

sorry for the fuzzy picture

Please Say a Prayer

I posted about Malachi back in January, and his mom, Kerri, comments here often. Malachi has finished his chemo treatments now, but he has a bacterial infection that his body is having a hard time fighting off. Would you please say a prayer for him today? There is a team of doctors that are trying to figure out how to go about treating this, and they are giving him morphine for the pain. His little body has been through so much already; please pray for his complete healing.

The glory of children

"Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father." ~Proverbs 17:6

There is almost no greater joy to me than to know that my boys will grow up with Justin as their father. A man of integrity and strong conviction, a man with a tender heart, a man well-respected by others, a man with more patience in his little finger than I possess in my whole body. A man who loves his wife and is not afraid to show it.

I love you, babe, and am honored to be walking this parenthood journey right beside you.


"Lord, I pray that my husband will inspire his children to honor him as their father so that their lives will be long and blessed. May the spiritual inheritance he passes on to them be one rich in the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Enable him to model clearly a walk of submission to Your laws. May he delight in his children and long to grow them up Your way. Being a good father is something he wants very much. I pray that You would give him the desire of his heart." ~from The Power of a Praying Wife

"Whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." ~Proverbs 3:12

Sling Contest

There are so many cool baby slings out there, and there's a contest here to win a $75 gift certificate to MamaKanga. I would love to have a stretchy pouch or a wrap for this next baby. I know he'll be carried much more than Caleb was since I have a little one to run after all day.

Check out the contest here and stop by MamaKanga to see all the beautiful baby gear.

This Means War!

Yesterday, Caleb and I were out in the yard playing while Justin was mowing the grass. Caleb looks across the street at our neighbor's house, where they have a small LSU flag in their yard and says, "Go Tigers!" I'm thinking, "what did he just say??" and "where did he learn that?" Then it occurred to me that while babysitting Caleb (graciously and I'm very thankful!), our neighbor taught him to say "Go Tigers!" :-|

Our neighbors graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU), the Tigers. Justin and I, as most of you know, graduated from Texas A&M University, the Aggies.



Apparently, as the story goes, there was so much Aggie stuff in our house that Shelley felt it needed something else. Like a toddler saying, "Go Tigers!" We told our neighbor that when their 6-week-old little boy is able to talk, it's war.


Just a little good-natured neighborhood rivalry. :-)

Impressed

Wednesday night, Justin and I attended a team-building dinner for his group at work and their spouses. The guest speaker for the night was one of the founders of the company, who told us a little about the history of why they decided to start an engineering company in the late 80s when lots of companies were folding because of the oil and gas crisis. He said their vision for the company was always based on the concept of servant leadership. At this point, I'm thinking "Wow. I've never heard anyone outside of a church talk about servant leadership." He even quoted Philippians 2:2-4.

I was quite impressed! He said that as employees of this company, you should be looking at how you can serve your co-workers, vendors, clients, etc. I was especially amazed when someone asked a question about why the company had been so successful through the oil and gas crisis and he replied, "It was God."

I came away with a new appreciation for the company that Justin works for, and an appreciation for these men that have held to their values (something he also talked a lot about) in the fast-paced corporate world, even when no one else around them has done so. And God gets all the glory.

Quite impressive, don't you think?

You Won't Be Sorry

For those of you hounding me to update Caleb's blog, click over there to see an awesome picture of him! You won't be sorry you did.

Busy

Things around here are busy, as you can tell from the lack of posting lately. Caleb's suffering from a little virus. I had to take him and Justin to the doctor on Saturday morning (Justin also has been suffering from a weird virus that attacked the muscles in his arms and made them really weak. He's much better and getting stronger every day). Mommy finally gets to feeling better and everyone else gets sick!

Justin and I have a dinner to go to tomorrow night at his work for employees and spouses. No kids. So, I have to find someone to watch Caleb for a few hours. These are the times I wish we had family close because I know my mom and Justin's mom would jump at the chance for us to drop Caleb off for a few hours. *sigh* Most of our friends have more than one child at this point, so it gets trickier to find someone who is not busy with their own family life when I need a babysitter. My favorite babysitter is getting married next month and moving to Arkansas, so she's a little busy with all that.

GiBee commented on my last post that I should be pregnant more often because it "agrees with me." I just had someone at church tell me that on Sunday night. And during my last pregnancy more than one person said it, too. I agree...I look better pregnant than I do not pregnant because pregnancy is the only time I can't seem to gain any weight! My face is thin, and I love it! :-) I feel that same way about being pregnant more often and would have a bunch of kids (my husband and my family are cringing right now because they know how many kids I've said I wanted!), except that I'm not sure I could be as sick as I've been with this one and take care of more than one child. At my last appointment, my doctor said she didn't know how I'd been taking care of a little one feeling like I have been. I've had lots of help; that's the only way!

Caleb and I just started a "mommy and me" swim class last week. It's good for us to get out of the house, and for me to get a little exercise in the process. He HATED it. He pretty much screamed his head off the entire time. Probably because he was getting sick and his mommy didn't know it yet. They sing fun songs and play with toys in the water, so I'm hoping he warms up to it this week. It's fun for us to do something like this together because pretty soon we won't have that luxury when mommy is nursing a newborn.

I'm also helping with our church's VBS next week. I'm doing a little enrichment booth on prayer that the kids will spend about 8 minutes in (there are about 15 booths that they will visit in between the lessons and crafts). If y'all have any bright ideas on how to talk to kids entering Kindergarten through 6th grade about prayer, send them my way. I taught high school and don't yet have kids in elementary school, so I'm not really sure how to go about it. (They will be studying about Jonah, Daniel, David & Goliath, Esther, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in their lessons, so I want to tie in a little of what they've already learned or will by the end of the week.)

In Order to Please My Mother

Family picture at the Detroit Zoo

My mom has been hounding my sister and I to update our blogs, so here it is. :-)

Our trip to Detroit was good. Caleb did exceptionally well on the plane both times, despite being confined to our laps for 2 1/2 hours and being delayed in the airport for an hour and a half on the way out there.

The rest of the time his body was invaded by some alien child. He was CLINGY to his daddy and me the WHOLE time. He wouldn't even let his Mimi take him outside to swing while I took a shower...for a whole week. I guess we really had him out of his comfort zone, being in a totally new place and wreaking havoc on his schedule (up too late at night, sleeping in the same room with mom and dad, and little or no naps).

It was so great, however, to spend time with hubby's family! We only get to see them a few times a year, and we had not visited his brother in Detroit in 3 years. I didn't have a brother growing up, so I've adopted hubby's brothers as my own. Any girl they want to marry will have to get through me first and I am PICKY and protective! ;-)

So, to the part my mom really wants to see,the pictures.

Caleb doing his favorite thing as of late, swinging ("Mommy, wing more! wing more! wing more!")

Sporting his new Cookie Monster and Elmo bibs from Mimi:


Daddy and Caleb at Greenfield Village (in the Henry Ford Center complex):


Caleb "talking" on the phone. He always wants to talk to whomever I'm talking to, and sometimes he holds things up to the phone for them to see. :-)


Daddy and Caleb at the monkey exhibit (can you tell who was taking the pictures?):


I think that's about long enough for now. I'm feeling MUCH better these days; it seems 22 weeks was the magic number this time around! I'll try to remember to take another belly pic soon. Strangers are asking me when I'm due, so I know I've gotten bigger. Still no weight gain to speak of, besides the two pounds, but the baby is moving a lot and having a good old time in my belly. It seems he has the same schedule as his older brother did in utero...wake up just as mom wants to go to sleep and kick her.

I hear Caleb on the monitor saying, "poo poo diaper," so I'd better go check and see if it's a false alarm or not. I hope so. ;-)

22-Week Check-up and Ultrasound

I had my check-up and ultrasound today. Good news...I gained 2 pounds! The doctor said this is the first time she's seen me that I haven't had major ketones on my urine test, a sign of hyperemesis. She thinks we've turned the corner. Thank the Lord!

The ultrasound confirmed we are definitely having a boy! He looks great and was really playing around for us. In the picture below, you can see him punching his mommy. ;-) (He's lying on his back, his head is on the right side, and his arm is extended.)


This is a picture of his whole body; again, his head is to the right and he's lying on his back:


And here's a picture of his face. These pictures always freak me out a little because you just see the skeleton of the face, but here it is anyway. :-) That's an arm or shoulder right below his face. (Turn your head to the side to see it!)


Well, we're getting on a plane tomorrow morning. Lots to do before then! Caleb is excited to see his Mimi, Grandad, and Uncle Josh (and so are we!). I'll be back here in about a week.

7 Degrees of Randomness

GiBee tagged me for the 7 Random things meme because she said, and I quote, "she's pregnant and has nothing better to do but lay on the couch eating bonbons (HA!)." When Shalee tagged me, she just said I was slow. Apparently this is "pick on the pregnant girl" meme. :-) So, I got off my duff and decided to get this done. Here goes:

1) I hate the Geico commercials with the cavemen.

2) They annoy me to no end. Especially the one where the guy is looking at the sign in the airport and says, "4 feet by 5 feet, I'm looking right at it." It's annoying because the sign is not 4'x5'...that would be almost square. The sign is a rectangle and is more like 3'x5' or 4'x8'. I'm just sayin'.

3) Hubby swears I should have been a math major because I go off about that commercial every time it comes on. I CANNOT believe ABC has decided to make a whole show about these stupid, bitter cavemen.

4) My house looks like a bomb went off in every room. Seriously. Caleb can really do a number on a clean room. It takes all my energy to get one room straightened, and then the bomb goes off again.

5) In other news, we're taking a vacation next week to Michigan where we get to see hubby's middle brother, his mom, and his dad. Exciting times, people!

6) The only part about that I'm not looking forward to is the 3-hour plane ride with a 20-month-old who doesn't like to sit still. Hello portable DVD player!

7) The nausea pills have made a re-appearance. I'm tired of not feeling well. I'm 21 weeks pregnant, for crying out loud. Even though I still haven't gained weight, I'm not losing anymore, which is good. And the baby is moving A LOT. Also good.

So, I don't have the brain power to think of 7 people to tag for this, so consider yourself tagged if you're reading it. If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your answer in the comments.

Also, this is totally random (shocking, I know), but I think my Mom needs to start a blog. Not that she has time with taking care of her 85-year-old mother, working a part-time job, keeping up with my Dad, and trying to visit her grandkids in her spare time, but I think she has some great stuff she could tell. Ok, I'm done.

I Made a Menu!

I haven't cooked more than one meal a week in probably months, so this is a big deal. The nausea is under control finally, but I still feel like I'm in the first trimester where smells and foods really bother me. I never know what's going to sound good until the exact moment I need to eat. But Justin and Caleb need me to get organized and at least plan some meals for them. ;-) Now, if I can muster up the strength and all else necessary to get myself to the grocery store, we'll be doing great!!

I was inspired by Stephanie, who just had a baby a week ago, has two older children, and planned out all their meals this week. I decided with just one child at home, I could at least make a menu!

Wed.
B-cinnamon toast, applesauce
L-ham sandwiches, grapes
D-chicken pot pie

Thurs.
B-waffles, bananas
L-fish sticks, pears
D-chicken and rice bake

Fri.
B-oatmeal, bagels
L-grilled cheese, oranges
D-taco soup (maybe chicken for Caleb)

Sat.
B-French toast, fruit
L-sandwiches
D-pizza for Caleb and sitter (J and I are going to a baseball game)

Sun.
B-cereal
L-out
D-Life Group

Mon.
B-cereal, fruit
L-PB&J sandwiches
D-lasagna

Tues.
B-cinnamon toast, fruit
L-chicken nuggets
D-chicken can-can (from Quick Cooking)

Wed.
B-bagels
L-at the airport
D-in Michigan with family

Happy Mother's Day

No man is poor who has had a godly mother. ~Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

I am so blessed. I have an incredible mother. One who did not confuse trying to be my friend when I was growing up with actually parenting me. Now that I am older and raising my own child(ren), she is one of my best friends. She's one of the first people I call when I have something to say. I cherish this time.

She has been a lifeline during both of my pregnancies. When I was pregnant with Caleb, Justin was living and working away from home and she came to live with me during the last two months just in case I needed anything. She's always willing to take care of me when I'm sick and make numerous trips to the grocery store for remedies the nurses say might help.

I don't know what I'd do without her.

I love you, Mom, and thank God for you.

Mom with Caleb a few days after he was born.

Looking Up

I hate to be overly optimistic, but I haven't had to take a nausea pill today, and I've kept down two normal-sized meals. That's definitely a vast improvement over the last couple of weeks. I even drove today (the first time since Saturday) so Caleb and I could go to Target and buy our neighbors a baby gift. And I'm cooking them dinner tomorrow, so you know things are better around here. It's about time.

I've been listening to this song a lot lately. I love it. I feel like God has been holding my life in His hands lately, and I've just been laying there. I'm so grateful. Enjoy.

A baby brother for Caleb

That's right...it's a boy!

My official ultrasound isn't scheduled until May 22, in which I will make them verify that information, but when I went to the hospital last week they did an ultrasound. My sister was with me since Justin was on a plane and my parents had not arrived yet. The technician asked me if I knew the sex of the baby. I told her I didn't. She asked me if I wanted to know, and I said, "Yes and no. My husband is not here and he would kill me if I found out before he did." (Wasn't that sweet of me? I think I showed a lot of restraint, don't you?) So she printed out a picture, and my sister sealed it in an envelope so we could open it when Justin returned last Saturday. My sister knew the whole time and was sworn to secrecy. My dad tried hard to coax it out of her, but she held the info tight.

I really thought it was a girl (as did the rest of my family) because this pregnancy has been so different than my last one. But, it is obviously a boy. We're excited that Caleb will have a brother so close in age to him. He's already saying "baby budder," although he has no idea what it means. It's cute.

So now we're discussing names. It's not easy. We had a really hard time deciding on Caleb's name, and both times I've had several girl names that I really liked. And I'm really picky. I prefer one that can't be shortened, means something significant, is not trendy, isn't the name of someone either of us has bad memories of, and I'm partial to Biblical names. So, with those criteria, feel free to suggest a name. :-)

A Little Humor

I was looking through my email today and found this interesting one from a former student.

Hi Ms. *****. This is Calderon, and I was sending you this message because I got arrested today, and I wanted to see if Officer Cox brought you my paper. I have the rough draft with me, but I can turn it in when I come back to school. I was suspended. Thank You.

The police officer had indeed brought me the assigned paper. It was quite the paradox...a student being arrested for not being very responsible but making sure the police officer gave his teacher the assignment on time.

Teaching high school brought many interesting moments my way. I'm not eager to return to the public school classroom, but it was exciting. :-)

One day this won't be a pregnancy blog...

This blog has been hijacked by a very sick pregnant girl. I'm hoping she's replaced by a very happy, able to eat anything she wants pregnant girl soon. :-)

I haven't had internet access at my parent's house for days now because of the weather, hence the lack of posting. Which could also be attributed to the nausea. And taking care of Caleb, who's been sick. All have prevented me from updating you guys since I got out of the hospital.

I'm staying with my parents this week while Justin's out of the country. Saturday and Sunday were still pretty bad days; I could only keep cereal down. I called the doctor on Monday and they said I could take the nausea pills every 4-6 hours instead of the recommended 8 because they weren't working at all. Right now I'm just functioning from nausea pill to nausea pill. I don't dare skip one yet. I'm still not able to eat much and nothing really sounds good. I'm eating a lot of cereal still and popsicles. I try to eat some fruit and other healthy stuff as I think I feel like it, but I usually don't get very far. I ruled out going to restaurants since every time I do, I lose my dinner in the bathroom. I'd rather take my chances in the privacy of my own home. :-)

We had to take Caleb to the doctor here on Monday because he wouldn't eat (he would just cry when he put food in his mouth) and wouldn't sleep. This momma and his Grandma were/are very tired from waking up multiple times a night with him! He has a really bad case of thrush. He's doing a lot better with the medicine they gave him and is finally sleeping through the night again. If it's not one thing it's 20 around here! (the dog is sick, too. *sigh*)

So, pretty much all I can think about these days is keeping Caleb occupied (which is easier said than done since it's been raining for days and he can't go outside) and trying to force any amount of food down my throat (and pray it stays there).

I hope one day soon to be back to "normal" and talking about something other than being sick. I know y'all are tired of hearing it, but this blog is functioning as my pregnancy journal for now. In a couple of years when I decide I want another child, I can look back at these posts and decide if that's really what I want to do! I told Justin when I was pregnant with Caleb that if we had any more children, they would have to come from his body. I now remember why I said that, and I wasn't nearly as sick that time as I am this time (and it ended about 6 weeks ago with Caleb!). I'm sure I'll conveniently forget all of this in the months to come; that mommy amnesia is pretty strong once you're holding your baby in your arms! ;-)

Until then, I have 2 1/2 more hours before the next nausea pill and Caleb is laying quietly in his bed, so I'm off to lay on the couch!

(Oh, I'm feeling the baby move a lot these days! It's finally big enough for me to feel the movements, and that is definitely a blessing!)

Home

Thanks for all your prayers! And thanks, Holly, for keeping Caleb for me at the last minute; you're a great friend!!

I just got home from the hospital (it's 8:30pm). They put me on IV fluids and gave me a couple of shots of Zofran in the IV to help with the nausea. I do feel better...thank goodness. They ran some blood work and did an ultrasound just to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with my placenta. Everything was fine, and I got an early peek at the baby!! :-)

I wasn't able to eat much at the hospital, but I was able to keep some food down, so that's an improvement! They put me on a new nausea medicine that melts on my tongue because I kept throwing up the other one.

It's been a crazy day. My poor husband is somewhere over the Pacific Ocean praying for me and probably worrying himself silly.

I'm off to bed early tonight, and hoping that tomorrow is nausea-free. :-)

Please Pray

I can't stop throwing up. My sister is taking Justin to the airport right now because he's leaving for Singapore today. I told God I couldn't do this today. I did sleep last night, but I've been throwing up since last night and I haven't had anything on my stomach since yesterday.

Please, please pray that this goes away or they can figure out what's wrong. I just can't do this much longer. My doctor's office opens in a few minutes, so I'm going to give them a call.

Update: I'm headed to the hospital for IV fluids once my sister gets back from the airport.

Guess Who's Coming To Visit

My sister! She, Kurt, and Ava are on their way to our house right now!!! Kurt is working here for a few days, and Kimberly and Ava get to hang out with us. I'm so excited!!! I'll be sure to get some good pics of Caleb and his sweet cousin.

17-week check-up

Well, my doctor is officially concerned about my weight loss. I lost 3 pounds since my last visit, and at almost 18 weeks, that's not good. She's checking my thyroid levels again (I have hypothyroidism) because if they bounce around, that can make me nauseous (apparently). She also said people with a history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can have some acid reflux issues, so she wants me to take a Pepcid AC before every meal to help minimize the acid. I hope it helps!

On a happier note, the baby's heart rate is good and my belly is growing like it should. Everything with the baby is good so far. My next appointment is May 22, which will be my ultrasound and we'll find out if we're having a girl or a boy. We haven't even discussed names yet. Actually, I should be more clear. I keep trying to bring it up, but Justin doesn't want to talk about names yet. When we had Caleb, we had a girl's name and a boy's name picked out before the ultrasound. Justin thought we were having a girl (which was news to me) and really liked our girl name. When we found out we were having a boy, he couldn't live with the name we had picked out. So, I guess he's just trying to be safe and decide on a name after we have it firm in our minds whether we're expecting a son or a daughter. I can live with that. :-)

And So I Thought It Was Over...

Apparently when I wrote on my pregnancy calendar last week, "nausea gone," someone was laughing because that definitely would not be the end of it. Yesterday was B.A.D. Maybe my body thought I had some toxins that needed to be purged. I'm pretty sure we accomplished that. I have a check-up today, so we'll see what the doctor says. At some point I need to start gaining weight; so far I have only lost (almost 20 pounds in the last 4 months). I know some women experience nausea throughout pregnancy and many have it much worse than I do, so it could be much worse.

I have medicine for nausea, but I don't take it often because I don't feel nauseous until there is food in front of me or in my mouth. I usually start eating normal meals and end up with a bowl of cereal, which is the only thing that always goes down well. The food aversions are still very strong. When I was pregnant with Caleb, I felt bad until about 13 weeks and then magically I had energy and could eat whatever I wanted without feeling sick.

Yesterday, thankfully, my dad was in town and was able to come over until Justin could get home from work. What a husband I have...he cancelled a meeting and came home mid-morning to take care of me! He also did all the dishes and took Caleb out to dinner so I could rest some more. I couldn't ask for anything more!

I'm ready to start feeling better so I can make the trip to see my niece. My sister reminded me that I haven't seen her since she was 5 weeks old, and she's 13 weeks now. I'm kind of a sorry excuse for an aunt right now!

Here's a picture we took on Saturday. It's not a great shot, but it's my first belly pic for this pregnancy.


If you compare that to this horrid picture we took in Hawaii in December (where I was showing off the souvenir mud from our lovely hike), you can tell how much weight I've lost, especially in my face.


My sister, who for at least the last ten years has weighed less than me, let me borrow some of her maternity clothes (the ones that were the right season) At the beginning of this pregnancy, I couldn't fit into a single pair of her pants because they were too small, but since I have this nifty weight-loss plan, they are fitting great.

Scheduling My Child

I am feeling better, if you couldn't tell by the increase in posting around here! :-) Thank you for your prayers and calls and emails. I'm still not where I was in my second trimester with Caleb, but things are definitely looking up! That is a GOOD thing.

I was reading an old post of Katherine's today, which she linked to in this current post. It's about scheduling toddlers. I have fought this so hard. I feel pressure to get Caleb involved in gymnastics and swim class already. Sure it would be fun and it would get us out of the house, but I really hesitate to start scheduling activities for him already. He's only 19 months old, for pete's sake. AND, we're about to add a baby to the family, which would curtail all scheduled activities while mommy recovers and we all adjust to the new addition.

Am I alone in thinking we can start too early with the scheduling? I know gymnastics classes are harmless, but when does it stop?

I just want to enjoy my baby while he's a baby. We can play gymnastics in the living room...Caleb does every single day. We can play soccer in the back yard and be creative at the kitchen table (eating play-doh is the new favorite thing around here). Hey, we can even go for a walk down to the pond and feed the ducks. (Now that mommy's feeling better!)

I know not everybody feels this way. We all have different approaches to parenting. I just want to enjoy this time that Caleb is young and not be stressed out from trying to make it to this or that activity. On time. With a toddler.

Thoughts, anyone? (I'll step down off my soap box now.)

A Few Recent Pictures

The snow at Easter. This was just the beginning, but I can't believe it was so cold!


Caleb in the bluebonnets the weekend before Easter. Something was really funny!

At Daddy's work egg hunt. Caleb was much more interested in the bsketball they gave him than the egg hunt.

Dad's Surgery *Updated*

My Dad is having surgery today. Back in August, he had surgery to remove a tumor from behind his ear drum for the second time in 4 years. The surgery was extensive and they had to remove his hearing bones(s) in the process. As a result, he has had no hearing in his left ear since then. Today he is having surgery to rebuild the ear canal and replace the hearing bone(s). After a lifetime of ear/hearing problems and several serious surgeries, our prayer is that Dad's hearing returns to better than his normal and the tumor never returns.

He sure would love to hear every word his grandson says.

Would you say a prayer for him today?

Update: Thanks for praying! Dad's surgery went well. They did not have to do the radical procedure since the tumor had not grown back, and they were able to rebuild part of one hearing bone and put in a prosthetic for the other one. His hearing should be better today and get progressively better over the next 4 weeks. We sure hope so!

Birthday Meme

I was tagged by Carol to do this fun birthday meme.

The rules are:

1) Go to Wikipedia
2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.
3) List three events that happened on your birthday
4) List two important birthdays and one death
5) One holiday or observance (if any)
6) Tag 5 other bloggers to complete

December 2

EVENTS:

1. 1942 - Manhattan Project: A team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
2. 1954 - Red Scare: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
3. 1976 - Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
4. 1982 - Michael Jackson's album, Thriller, is released.
5. 2001 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

BIRTHDAYS:
1. 1973 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavian-born tennis player
2. 1978 - Nelly Furtado, Canadian singer and songwriter

DEATH:
1. 1986 - Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born actor, musician, band leader, and composer (b. 1917)

HOLIDAY:
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery - United Nations

I learned so many cool things that happened on my birthday.

I'm tagging:
My sister, because she needs more to do!
Lisa, and anyone else who wants to play along.

It's pretty interesting to see what has happened on the day of your birth!

A Sweet Friend

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with a sweet friend of mine for about an hour at my house. I asked her to come over and talk because I was in need of some encouragement. She's got about 12 years on me and 14+ years of parenting 3 kids, and I needed to hear from someone who's been in the "trenches" with small ones and has come out on the other side. I admire this friend so much because of her devotion to God's Word and her sweet spirit.

She cut right to the point and said, "How can I help you?" What a blessing. She listenened to me recount all I've been feeling lately (physical and otherwise), and offered great advice. Everything she said was something I already knew, but I needed to hear it all again. (Actually it's stuff you've all been saying, too, but it helps to have someone face-to-face saying, "It's OKAY! You're not SuperMom and Caleb will survive all of this!")

This morning that same friend emailed me and said she could go to the grocery store for me today if I needed that.

I love this friend because I know that she will always ask me if I've been in God's Word. She will always be encouraging to me and love on me and be straight with me.

Thank you all for your amazing support. God has been sending people to this blog to encourage me and pray for me, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. As much as I hate to ask for help, I've needed it lately.

I may be one of the last people to find out Beth Moore and her daughter, Amanda, have a blog, but I've been so blessed by what they've written there. Yesterday, Beth posted about being a young mom and the power of other moms in her life. It's worth a read.

Quick Update

Well, things here are about the same. Some days I feel pretty good, and other days, like yesterday, Justin has to come home early because I'm sick and laying on the couch all day. The sweet girls from our Life Group at church are bringing us dinner every other day this week and next, which is a HUGE blessing. Poor Caleb wants to be outside all the time but his mommy doesn't feel like it. He wants me to put on his shoes and then says, "bye bye," which means, "let's go outside now."

In other news, we spent Easter at my parent's house in central Texas where it snowed 2 inches and knocked the power out over night. I've never had an Easter quite like that! I'll post some pictures whenever my mom emails them to me from her camera (hint, hint). I have never seen so much snow in Texas; the flakes were enormous, and the next day the trees and fields were all covered. It was beautiful! (strange, but beautiful)

I'm trying to get back to doing a Bible study regularly. Now that Caleb only takes one nap a day, I have to decide what to do during his naptime...rest, take a shower, or do my Bible study. If I got up earlier, all this would take care of itself, but I can't seem to make that happen. We'll see.

In the meantime, if you have any super easy recipes, feel free to share. If and when I ever make it back to the grocery store, I'll start cooking for us again!

Sick Still

I thought my "morning" sickness was getting better, but instead it has gotten worse. I'm staying with my parents this week so they can help me with Caleb. Over the weekend I was pretty sick, so they came and picked us up. The doctor has called me in some medication, and I hope to be feeling better soon. The nurse said it makes you really sleepy, so they recommend that you have help...it's a good thing I do!

I hope to be back around soon.

A Must-Read!

Katherine at Raising Five has a great post today for moms who are dealing with the adjustment of adding another child to the mix! I'll be there in a few months and I know I'll need to remember her words!

Here's a sample of her wise advice: "If some things have to be put on the back burner for a while, they will eventually work their way to the front. You don't have to solve everything right here, right now. Let people help you, even if their "help" seems harder than doing it yourself. Take some naps. Deal with the big siblings as best you can, but don't stress. They're not leaving home any time soon. Some acting up is expected with a new baby around, so don't take it as a personal affront to your parenting ability."

Go over and see what other great things she has to say!

12-Week Check-Up

I went to the doctor this morning and everything looks good. The baby's heartbeat was strong (once they actually found it, and, no, I actually didn't freak out!). I lost 4 pounds since my last visit, which concerned the nurse until I told her that was totally normal for me in my first trimester (I lost 8 pounds in the first 3 months with Caleb). It's a bonus to feeling yucky for so long. ;-)

Once I feel better, my doctor wants me to start a walking program and eat as healthy as possible.

Resurrection

I've been in a "spiritual dry spell" and/or "funk" for some time now, which may or may not be due to the raging hormones of this pregnancy.

I've heard this song several times on the radio, and today I realized why I love it so much. Because this is how I'm feeling.

I'm at a loss for words, there's nothing to say
I sit in silence wondering what led me to this place
How did my heart become so lifeless and cold
Where did the passion go?

When all my efforts seem like chasing wind
I've used up all my strength and there's nothing left to give
I've lost the feeling and I'm numb to the core
I can't fake it anymore.

chorus:
Here I am at the end I'm in need of resurrection
Only You can take this empty shell and raise it from the dead
What I've lost to the world what seems far beyond redemption
You can take the pieces in Your hand and make me whole again, again

Resurrection by Nicol Sponberg

I've been in the car twice today, and both times this song was on. I don't think it's a coincidence.

Things I've Learned Recently

• A little boy who misses his daddy will become very clingy to his mommy.
• A second pregnancy can be much different emotionally than the first one.
• My Aggies are not as invincible in basketball as we'd all like them to be. *sigh*
• Having family around to help with Caleb and cooking is a wonderful rare treat!
• My body seems to like the look of being pregnant and has decided that at almost 3 months pregnant I should look like I'm 6 months pregnant. I'm leaning toward the fact that I'm carrying twins, but I'm pretty sure that's not true. :-)
• There's no joy like a toddler who says, "uh joo." (translation: love you)
• Taking care of said super cute toddler while growing another child inside my body is not an easy thing.
• If you have a septic tank (which my parents do) and it rains A LOT you might not be able to take a shower or flush the toilets for quite some time.
• Driving around my hometown where there are fields and cows and OPEN LAND is so refreshing...quite a break from the concrete jungle of the big city!
• If I forget to mention "GaGa" (Grandma) in Caleb's nightly prayer, he'll remind me.