Amazed

There are a couple of things I've been meaning to share about for a few days and haven't gotten around to it. I think it's really important to give God the praise and glory when He amazes us in our daily lives and I have not done this much recently, so here it is...

First of all, I love the way He shows Himself through the Body of Christ. I was so humbled last week when I was blessed by the love of Christ shown through my pastor's wife. She and her husband have tried in the past to have kids of their own, but to no avail. I have often wondered how she can stand to see so many women around her having babies left and right with the greatest of ease. I was overwhelmed when I told her I had felt the baby kick because she didn't just respond with polite congratulations or a forced smile--she was genuinely thrilled for me! I have never seen a better example of the attribute of love in 1 Corinthians--Love does not envy. I know that she did not come by this love by her own merit, but by the Holy Spirit doing a mighty work in her--Praise God.

Secondly, I received an urgent prayer request the other night for a young woman who has already suffered three miscarriages and was bleeding and cramping at eleven weeks of pregnancy. I called another friend who knows the pain of that kind of loss, and we just prayed our little hearts out for C. and her little baby. The whole time, I just knew everything was going to be okay. My friend called me back about an hour later and said C. and her baby were just fine--the baby had a strong heartbeat and was moving around like crazy! I am so thankful! Please pray for C. and her baby over the next several days as her spotting has continued and it is a very stressful time for her. She did have another ultrasound today and everything continues to look great!

And finally, I was in a car accident on Monday and just cannot thank God enough for keeping me and Baby safe. I got to see the baby through ultrasound today and he/she is looking beautiful and healthy, moving gracefully and heart beating strong. I pray that someday that little heart will know the Lord and be amazed by all that He does, all that He has done from conception to gray hairs and old age! Are you amazed?

Getting My Kicks

The baby kicked me this morning! It was like a little thump from inside my lower belly--amazing! Now Jon keeps talking to the baby bump trying to get the baby to do it again, but so far it hasn't happened when he can feel it.

Fingerprints

I get an email update from whattoexpect.com every week which tells me how the baby is developing and gives tips for a comfortable and safe pregnancy. I am always so excited to read the emails on fetal development week by week, but this week was especially sweet. I found out that by the end of this week of pregnancy, the baby has eyelashes, eyebrows, hair, is gaining body fat, and has fingerprints!! Fingerprints! Can you believe that? The baby is approximately the size of a woman's open hand and yet it already has fingerprints--a stamp of individuality. It just made me wonder what my child will be like--what unique blend of looks and personalities and gifts will make him/her an individual. What an amazing proof of God's hand in our lives, that from such an early age there is already nobody else like this child....knit together...special....unique....precious.

On another note, please join me in praying for two young women who very lately lost their tiny little ones to miscarriage--a grief some of us know all too well. One is Katy, and I understand this baby was her first. The other is Allison, and though she has another child, this is her second miscarriage. I well remember the grief and pain in seeing pregnant women everywhere when I least wanted to see them. It is never far from my mind and I pray God will always allow me to have compassion for others even while I rejoice in new life. He gives and takes away...blessed be His Name.

Tickin' Right Along

I dropped by my doctor's office this morning and he let me listen to the baby's heartbeat--what a great sound to start the day with! Everything looks good and we'll find out if Baby Brokaw is a Lily or a Benjamin on October 13 when we have our 3D ultrasound. Pray for patience--five weeks is a long time to wait. But in the meantime, Dr. Tadvick says to feel free to come by and hear the heartbeat if I get scared sometime. Thanks for all your prayers and much love to you all!

Too much drama for baby mama!

So my sister got married on Monday. She decided to tell us today. She also decided to break some news about my cousin and his fiance which he will break to his mom tomorrow. My stomach is cramping up--it's too much stress. I'm counting the hours until I can drop by my doctor's office to hear the baby's heartbeat (I'm thinking, the minute they open Monday morning!). Oh, and just as I started to get used to the policies and procedures at my new school, the superintendent broke the news Friday afternoon that he is replacing my principle. So here we go again--for the third time I will ask permission for the same days off!!! And I will get to know a new boss. Too much at once! Pray for me!

Nursery

We have great friends! This weekend Shanna, Trish, Trey, Meg, and Charles fixed up the baby's room for us and it looks amazing! They brought tools and expertise and energy. They gave up a lot of their time. Trish and Trey even drove all the way from Lubbock to do this. They did it in two days. Jon finished touching up yesterday and now all I need is baby furniture!! It is my favorite room in the house. I just keep walking in there for no reason--just to look at it again. I will love rocking my little one in there and reading to him or her. Jon and my friends worked so hard on Labor Day weekend to get this done for me and I think I worked for about an hour total--I didn't even make brownies! I am so appreciative that they do not resent me for my laziness. My dad said it's a good thing I wasn't a pregnant woman in the pioneer days when no one would have let me get by with just lazing around the house when there was work to be done in the garden and chickens to kill and pluck and cook for dinner! So I'm just going to add this to the things I'm thanking God for: Thanks be to God for putting me in the twenty-first century with air conditioning, grocery stores, boneless skinless chicken breasts, Amazon.com, people who understand the fatigue of pregnancy, and the American Medical Association! I am thankful for Lowes, where I can get any color of paint mixed in about three minutes. And I am thankful for Birdseye frozen steamable brussels sprouts which I am now going to fix for myself in the microwave oven that I am also very thankful for!