Blake and I are getting very excited about our anatomy scan next Thursday!! It's the day we will get to see Baby Ball's spine and brain and we pray that he/she is growing into a healthy little person. We also hope that we'll get to see if this baby is a boy or a girl. Everyone says your connection with the baby grows so much more after you know if it's a he or a she. We are looking forward to calling it by its name and praying for the little boy or girl that God has blessed us with to raise.
As we ate dinner Monday night, I asked Blake what he thought his favorite part about being a parent would be. I already had an answer, and I had a hunch what his might be - which was, of course, how much he is looking forward to teaching our children things. About the world, about God, about music. My answer was similar - I am looking forward to watching our children experience life. Watching them smile out of pure joy, watching them (this is so sad!) experience heartbreak, watching them grow into people with dreams and hopes. But before I answered, I said, "Well, the obvious answer is watching our child accept salvation and learn to love and serve God."
In our household, I would hope that would go without saying. Obviously Blake and I are eager to teach our children about the Lord and we desperately want to see them come to salvation, be baptized, and live lives of service to Him.
And that process starts now. Through our prayers, through surrounding our baby with Scripture, through our own relationships with our Savior.
This means that I already have to let go of my child and relinquish him or her to our Father. I have to trust in His sovereign plans for Baby Ball. He has already created this child in His image and He has already laid forth the path our child will take. We just need to do our part in steering this baby towards God's calling.
And today, the reality of God's love hit me through a random quote from George McDonald (mentor to C.S. Lewis) I found on Pinterest (go figure!). Not just for our baby, but for me, for Blake, for you, for your family. That He thought of us, He formed us, He planned for us, and He gave us Life. Just to know that He thought of me reminds me of just how deeply He loves me. Just to know that He formed this baby reminds me of how much He loves our child - even more than we already could.
Whatever it is that God has created this little one to be, I pray that God will give us the wisdom as parents to guide him or her to that life He has ordained. It is the biggest challenge in life I can possibly imagine, but I know He will guide me all the way.
"I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest and most precious thing in all thinking." - George MacDonald
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." - Jeremiah 1:5
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Life in Heaven
"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." ~ Revelation 21:22-23
I like this little life I have here on earth, but imagining living an eternal life of worship and service in Heaven makes me very excited. Yesterday, Dr. McKee's sermon was on just that - life in Heaven. There are lots of different ideas about what Heaven will be like. The Bible tells us about its opulence and grandeur, and many people look forward to reveling in its beauty. The Bible tells us about the others who are there, and many anticipate reuniting with their loved ones. The Bible tells us about rewards and crowns, and many daydream about what jewels they will receive.
But when you read verses like Revelation 21:22-23, the reminder that God himself will be our treasure is hard to miss. He will be our reward, and we will live to worship and serve him forever. How amazing is that? Heaven will be majestic because of the glory of God, not because of its gates of pearl or streets of gold or the Saints or the Angels. It will be beautiful simply because God is there.
A little glimpse of Heaven is a great way to start the week! :)
I like this little life I have here on earth, but imagining living an eternal life of worship and service in Heaven makes me very excited. Yesterday, Dr. McKee's sermon was on just that - life in Heaven. There are lots of different ideas about what Heaven will be like. The Bible tells us about its opulence and grandeur, and many people look forward to reveling in its beauty. The Bible tells us about the others who are there, and many anticipate reuniting with their loved ones. The Bible tells us about rewards and crowns, and many daydream about what jewels they will receive.
But when you read verses like Revelation 21:22-23, the reminder that God himself will be our treasure is hard to miss. He will be our reward, and we will live to worship and serve him forever. How amazing is that? Heaven will be majestic because of the glory of God, not because of its gates of pearl or streets of gold or the Saints or the Angels. It will be beautiful simply because God is there.
A little glimpse of Heaven is a great way to start the week! :)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Baby Ball: 15 Weeks
Our appointment was just over an hour ago and I CAN NOT WAIT to post this update because I am just SO excited! It took the nurse less than a minute to find the heartbeat on the Doppler, and Baby Ball's heartbeat was going strong at 148 bpm and it was, as usual, the most beautiful sound I have ever heard!! And we get to go back in THREE SHORT WEEKS for the anatomy scan! I am excited to see Baby Ball's development and, of course, to (hopefully) find out if it's a he or a she!
It's been an interesting four weeks as I've transitioned from the first trimester to the second, and here are a few notable events during the past month (prepare yourself for an unprecedented amount of exclamation marks):
- Morning sickness has practically disappeared! I started feeling better around week 12, and have only had small, short bouts of nausea since. Some days I still need Zofran, but I just start out with taking a half tablet and it usually does the trick! I also have a lot more energy and have been MUCH more active than in weeks 7-12!
- The absence of morning sickness has meant that I've gained back 2 of the 7 pounds I lost! I can eat BEEF again! (Hallelujah, praise the Lord!) Other foods that have made a comeback: apples, bananas, yogurt, lettuce (hellllooooo, salad!), and COFFEE (1/2 caff). The one lingering aversion I have is pork chops! So strange.
- I'm still wearing my regular clothes, although sometimes I have to wear a Bella Band with my pants. A lot of my pants and skirts were actually loose, so now I am just growing into them! I think my stomach has grown about 3-4 inches, but I didn't measure it before pregnancy so I'm really not sure, but it's definitely rounded out much more than usual.
- We've decided on names and nursery themes for each gender. Most everyone still thinks it's a boy. I thought it was a girl for a while because I kept having dreams it was a girl, but now I'm not so sure!
- My back has been hurting a lot. I have scoliosis in two places and the addition of belly weight plus strange sleeping positions is putting pressure in all the wrong places!
- We got our first baby item! Blake's mom got us a Fisher Price baby swing from a friend who was getting rid of it - and she got it for quite a steal! Blake and I have already tested it and listened to all the little songs and watched it swing! Just six more months and there will be a tiny baby enjoying it!!
- This past Sunday I was writing in my journal during church and noticed that I dated the page "1-29-13" instead of "7-29-12". Haha! BB's due date is 1-27-13. I looked back in my journal and realized I'd been doing it the past few days!! I guess I am excited about January!
That's about it for Week 15! We are just gliding along and trying to soak up every moment of pregnancy. Hopefully my next post will include the words "he" or "she" instead of "it" and a new ultrasound picture! Blake will also start his last semester of classes for his PhD program in just a few weeks. This is an exciting time because we know that the end is drawing near! Thanks for checking in on Baby Ball's development. We can't wait for the next appointment!
It's been an interesting four weeks as I've transitioned from the first trimester to the second, and here are a few notable events during the past month (prepare yourself for an unprecedented amount of exclamation marks):
- Morning sickness has practically disappeared! I started feeling better around week 12, and have only had small, short bouts of nausea since. Some days I still need Zofran, but I just start out with taking a half tablet and it usually does the trick! I also have a lot more energy and have been MUCH more active than in weeks 7-12!
- The absence of morning sickness has meant that I've gained back 2 of the 7 pounds I lost! I can eat BEEF again! (Hallelujah, praise the Lord!) Other foods that have made a comeback: apples, bananas, yogurt, lettuce (hellllooooo, salad!), and COFFEE (1/2 caff). The one lingering aversion I have is pork chops! So strange.
- Some of the things I've been highly interested in eating lately: a bacon cheeseburger, apples and cheddar cheese wrapped in a tortilla, lots of yogurt and milk, spicy food, junk food (maybe for the calories??).
- I'm still wearing my regular clothes, although sometimes I have to wear a Bella Band with my pants. A lot of my pants and skirts were actually loose, so now I am just growing into them! I think my stomach has grown about 3-4 inches, but I didn't measure it before pregnancy so I'm really not sure, but it's definitely rounded out much more than usual.
A little bump at 14 weeks.
- We've decided on names and nursery themes for each gender. Most everyone still thinks it's a boy. I thought it was a girl for a while because I kept having dreams it was a girl, but now I'm not so sure!
- My back has been hurting a lot. I have scoliosis in two places and the addition of belly weight plus strange sleeping positions is putting pressure in all the wrong places!
- We got our first baby item! Blake's mom got us a Fisher Price baby swing from a friend who was getting rid of it - and she got it for quite a steal! Blake and I have already tested it and listened to all the little songs and watched it swing! Just six more months and there will be a tiny baby enjoying it!!
- This past Sunday I was writing in my journal during church and noticed that I dated the page "1-29-13" instead of "7-29-12". Haha! BB's due date is 1-27-13. I looked back in my journal and realized I'd been doing it the past few days!! I guess I am excited about January!
That's about it for Week 15! We are just gliding along and trying to soak up every moment of pregnancy. Hopefully my next post will include the words "he" or "she" instead of "it" and a new ultrasound picture! Blake will also start his last semester of classes for his PhD program in just a few weeks. This is an exciting time because we know that the end is drawing near! Thanks for checking in on Baby Ball's development. We can't wait for the next appointment!
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