13 weeks 3 days

Praise the Good Lord for the end of morning sickness.

Starting last Sunday I have felt increasingly better over the week. It's so good to enjoy the taste of food again. When you're on top of your game, you take for granted the simplicity of hunger and feeding that hunger with all the splendid varieties of tasty foods. Now that I'm over that hurdle, I just need my energy to kick back into gear.

On Valentine's day Jason and I went to our second prenatal appointment. We had our first ultrasound and it was the first time we got to hear baby's heartbeat. [161 bpm strong.] The appointment was the First Trimester Screening - in which they test my blood and, by ultrasound, measure the fat behind the neck of the baby. The results can unveil any chromosomal abnormalities or cardiac disorders. Suffice to say that I'm SO thankful that everything is looking perfectly healthy for #2 thus far!

I have to comment on the ultrasound. I didn't get the 1st tri screen with Acacia so seeing such a tiny little baby was amazing for Jason and me. Only about two inches long, yet fully in tact with fingers & toes, our little baby was sucking on it's fingers, moving it's mouth open & closed, curling in it's feet to stretch it's back. I could literally feel my heart melt with adoration as I watched.

Baby is about the size of a peach now and steadily growing. So is my waistline.

I can no longer wear my regular jeans comfortably. For now I'm stuck wearing either lounge pants, dress pants, or leggings. I'm not big enough to fit into my maternity pants; and quite honestly, I'm not anxious to wear most of those ugly things anyway. Being twiggly skinny does have its disadvantages. Even at my ripe 8 months (with Acacia) my belly filled the waist, but my legs resembled those of a 12 year old wearing Junior pants. Not so cute... and kind of awkward.

On my last, physical note, I am reminded why they call it our "bust."

Because I am literally busting out of the seams here, people.

          Well, tonight it was the button.
                  At dinner. With [male] guests over.
                          I'm still trying to figure out how long my shirt was open...

10 weeks, 1 day

Well, I thought that my morning sickness was easing off after starting a regimen of 50mg B6 and 4 ginger root extract vitamins per day. Unfortunately, some meals are just nearly impossible to swallow down. On the fortunate side, it is a good sign that the baby is still in there thriving! In only two weeks we get to have our first ultrasound and finally hear that sweet, rapid, lub-dub of the heart beating. I figure -- hope. plead. --  at that point, "Good riddance, morning sickness! You're no longer needed here!"

I'm on this kick to decorate my house. I'm creating all these plans for my bedroom, the babies' bedroom, blank walls around the house... The pitiful thing is, I can't even get the laundry taken care of. It's a great accomplishment to get the 3-day pile of dishes done. Anyone wanna be my free housemaid? Just for a few more weeks; til this sickness passes???


I don't understand how mothers of many children do it. They are supermoms. Admirable.

I... am not.

Once I'm over the hurdles of first trimester, I'm going to try to get on top of everything. Clean the bathrooms... sweep and mop the floor.... vacuum... dust... clean out all the spills in the fridge -- how did they even get there!? Until then, I'll accomplish whatever I can in a day - dishes, maybe - restful naps, chewing my food and keeping it down, entertaining and feeding my husband and Acacia.

Bring it; next-two-weeks-of-morning sickness!

number two

[[[ I think I may have an excellent excuse for not posting since the first of December. ]]]

As Christmas was drawing near, I was exhausted with trying to get everything done. But nearing the Holiday, hunger mounted onto that exhaustion. By the 23rd of December, it was pretty obvious what the "problem" was. I took a test to confirm what we already knew.

If you would have asked me anytime before Christmas when I wanted to have another baby, I would have told you - with much emphasis - that "I'm not ready. Maybe in the fall we'll try, for sake of Acacia having a sibling close in age. But if it were only up to me, I don't even want to consider getting pregnant for another two years."

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are My ways your ways," declares the LORD.     

Isaiah 55:8

That night I stayed up late, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Sometime past midnight,  I laughed out loud when it occurred to me that there was only one opportunity for this little baby to be. And the Lord saw fit to make it. We testify of the Lord's sovereign timing.

The Legistics: I will be 9 weeks tomorrow. Baby is due August 24th. I am nauseous every waking moment of the day. I want to be asleep every moment I'm awake.

I am still in the risk period for something to happen to the baby, so please keep us in your prayers. Also, I have not announced anything on Facebook (yet), so please don't leave me a giant 'congrats' on my page ;) Here, your comments are welcomed, of course. I will probably be putting something in my FB status at the end of the week.

Thanks for being my friends and following my posts.

Well, I'm off to take my afternoon nap!

more than music

Worship is what we were created for. This is the final end of all existence - the worship of God. God created the universe so that it would display the worth of His glory. And He created us so that we would see this glory and reflect it by knowing and loving it - with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.  The church needs to build a common vision of what worship is and what she is gathering to do on Sunday morning and scattering to do on Monday morning. 

                                        John Piper      

Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it.

Harold Best

 IT IS A WAY OF LIFE

de-lish.

Thanksgiving was a success.

I burnt the stuffing

     Completely cooked the yams backwards

          Sprayed turkey juice all over

But, in the end, everything turned out perfectly.

Actually, I should say exceptional.

I even had room for pumpkin pie!

..... and then another helping of the meal after my second pie slice. shhhhh - don't tell.

P.S. Those recipes I followed were great:  Mr. Turkey turned out plump & juicy and the stuffing was the best I have ever tasted. Ummm.... let's minus the rolls; they weren't such a hit. Better luck next year.

gobble gobble

I can hardly wait to gobble down all the glorious flavors of Thanksgiving this Thursday! Not to mention, enjoying the wonderful company of family.

This yeah I am hosting TG at my house... which lands the responsibility of the turkey.... on ME.

dun dun dun

I've asked around & researched and decided I will be using this site for my basic guide for the bird.

As for the stuffing... I stumbled upon a recipe that sounds amazing

I'll also be dishing up some marshmallow yams (just like momma makes 'em) and possibly some homemade dinner rolls - maybe these

My [absolutely lovely] sister-in-law and her mother are in charge of the swiss medley, baked macaroni, and perfect mashed potatoes; along with apple and pumpkin pie.

YUM.

I'm hungry already.

tempted

After Jesus is baptized by John at the Jordan River, he is led by the Spirit into the wilderness. At the end of forty days of praying and fasting, the Messiah was then tempted by the Enemy.

There are three temptations that we read which he offered to Jesus: turning the stones to bread [lust of the flesh], his (Satan's) authority over the world [lust of the eyes], and defying God's will [pride of life]. In response to each, Jesus quotes scripture; and the Enemy departs.

[Though I am by no means proud to say this...] I've often regarded this passage as fallacious; 

of course He resisted and was victorious -- He's GOD.

How on earth am I supposed to relate to that?

On Sunday, October 31st. that all changed. A floodgate of light was opened that gave me complete understanding. And it was so simple.

In order for temptation to be a temptation it has to be a temptation

Pastor Eric gave a simple analogy: at the grocery store, he has...

never been tempted to over indulge on asparagus.... but it is temptation to walk down the icecream aisle... indulge, be a glutton. 

Because [Christ] was human there was an aspect of these temptations that looked good to him, where it got his attention.    

Wow. Why didn't anyone ever just tell that to me before?

Now I can truly agree that Christ is not only a "model to follow.... [but] a Savior to rely upon."

Yes, He was 100% deity... but [and O! what a glorious mystery it is] 100% human.

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid to those who are tempted.                         Hebrews 2:17-18 4:14-16

I shouldn't undermine the Word of God. 

To listen to the message for yourself, click HERE.  Search for October 31, 2010; the passage is Luke 3:21-4:15

Resist the devil and he will flee from you