The next 5 weeks

Really, I am tired of posting the weekly "what's going on with baby and mom" stuff, as I am sure people are tired of seeing it on the blog. So, here's the last 5 weeks, all in one post. We know what will be happening, and I don't have to post it again. Niiice. And really, no need to leave comments of "Halleluia" or anything like that! HA!

The Final Five:
Week 35 (3/30-4/5)
Baby: Your baby measures about 20.25 inches from head to toe and weighs more than 5.5 pounds. Lungs are almost fully developed, but if born now the baby would probably be put in an incubator. It still doesn't have enough fat deposits beneath its skin to keep warm outside your womb.

Week 36 (4/6-4/12)
Baby: Your baby measures about 20.7 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6 pounds. The baby may drop lower in your abdomen, usually assuming the head-down position after having frequently assumed other positions during early pregnancy. The brain has been developing rapidly, and your baby is practicing blinking.

Week 37 (4/13-4/19)
Baby: Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs almost 6.5 pounds. Baby is getting rounder every day, and skin is getting pinker and losing its wrinkly appearance. Baby's head is usually positioned down into the pelvis by now.

Week 38 (4/20-4/26)
Baby: Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6.8 pounds. Most of the baby's downy hair, lanugo, and whitish coating, vernix, is disappearing. Your baby is getting its antibodies from you to protect against illness. Baby's growth is slowing, but fat cells under skin get plumper for life outside the womb. Almost ready for birth, your baby would do well if born now.

Week 39 (4/27-5/3)
Baby: Your baby is about 21.5 inches long from head to toe and weighs a little more than 7 pounds. Toenails and fingernails have grown to tips of toes and fingers. Muscles of your baby's arms and legs are strong, and he's practicing lung movements. Baby's head has dropped into the mother's pelvis if he's head-down, which allows you to breathe a little easier.

Week 40 (5/4: due date)
Baby: Your baby's length is about 21.5 inches from head to toe and it weighs about 7.5 pounds. Boys often tend to weigh a little more than girls. Reflexes are coordinated so the baby can blink, close his eyes, turn his head, grasp firmly and respond to sounds, light and touch. More lanugo falls out, but some may remain at birth on shoulders, folds of skin and backs of ears.

Little Princess

Little Princess
Originally uploaded by chelled.

Saturday, my lovely friend Natalie hosted a small baby shower for me. Oh my word, it was great fun. There was definitely a lot of laughter and silliness, but what else could we expect from a group of girls?

Natalie had them doing some great games too. For the first one, they had to measure out toilet paper that they thought would wrap perfectly around my belly. My friend Missy got it perfect! I was so impressed. Some others? Well, they were a little over zealous in the amount they tore off, but even that was cause for giggles. The game that brought the most laughs though? They held paper plates on their heads and attempted to draw a baby. I could not stop laughing. Once time was up, I had to determine the winner, and let me tell you, I saw quite the "artwork!" I was close to tears from laughing so hard, it was fabulous.

They blessed us beyond measure too. It makes my heart smile that so many friends are excited for us and are helping us provide for our baby. What a blessing it is! To know there are people who are supporting us and praying for us means so much.

But anyway, for all the pictures, head over to flickr. And, enjoy.

He stood up

From page 80 of Beth Moore's Bible study, "Living Beyond Yourself." :

We have already learned from our study that the fruit of the Spirit is the supernatural outcome of being filled wtih the Spirit. Therefore, all the qualities of the fruit were expressed in Stephen. Considering only what we have learned thus far, can you even imagine him as he stood before his accusers demonstrating a heart overflowing with agape (love or charity) and a face illuminated with chara (joy, rejoicing, gladness, enjoyment, bliss)? What was the source of his joy?

"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). Stephen saw Christ, not sitting but standing on behalf of the first of many who would willingly lay down their lives for the cause of Christ. Surely, that day Stephen discovered his glorious Lord in ways he never dreamed, and the result was a joy which transcended the grave! His joy provided strength not only to live for Christ - but also to die for Christ.

Yesterday in Bible study, we were discussing this week's lesson: JOY. It was such a wonderful study, and so encouraging. One lady brought up the section above and stated, "Most times, we read Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father. But here, he stands and welcomes Stephen in." What a beautiful picture that brought to me! When his beloved comes home, Christ stands up, with arms open wide, to welcome them in. I thought of Mamo, Camden, Andy's dad (whom I never got to meet), Peggy, and many others, and the fact that Christ stood for them as they entered Heaven. That is powerful, it is beautiful, and leaves me in such awe of the Lord.

He loves us so much, that He stands up for us; he does not remain seated as we enter his presence. Isn't that incredible? Prior to yesterday, I had not noticed that small piece of scripture, and what a picture I was missing.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." That is enough for me to live in the fullness of his joy, of knowing he not only rejoices over me and delights in me, but when I leave this earth, he will stand up to greet me.

Think about it. When you are truly excited to see someone, you jump up, rush to meet them, and wrap them in your arms. You wouldn't just sit, passively look over and say, "Oh, hey, glad you came." NO! We get up and rush towards them. Well friends, that is what Christ does with us! Does that not make your heart leap? What a deep, passionate love he has for us, and I am so thankful, so thankful, he is revealing to me just how deeply he loves me. No, this world cannot steal my joy away, nor can any circumstance, because my joy lies in the arms of Christ, who stands for me.

Who is more giving?

My husband forwarded me this article today concerning the difference in giving between conservatives and liberals. I found it very interesting.

Quote: "If support for a policy that does not exist ... substitutes for private charity, the needy are left worse off than before. It is one of the bitterest ironies of liberal politics today that political opinions are apparently taking the place of help for others."

Go on, click over and read the article, which has the research to support it, for yourself.

What's your personality?

My wonderful friend over at New Beginnings posted a great link to a personality test similar to the Myers-Briggs test. It takes no time at all, and is quite fun.

For the test go to: http://similarminds.com/jung.html

Once you have taken the test (it's quick), let me know what your results are. It will be interesting to see similarities and differences. I took it twice, you know, to make sure (ha) and here are my results:

ESFJ: Extroverted Sensing Feeling Judging

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

Further description: does not like being alone, thinks life has purpose/meaning, organized, values organized religion, outgoing, social, does not like strange people/things - likely intolerant of differences, open, easy to read, dislikes science fiction, values relationships and families over intellectual pursuits, group oriented, follows the rules, affectionate, planner, regular, orderly, clean, finisher, religious, consults others before acting, content, positive, loves getting massages, complimentary, dutiful, loving, considerate, altruistic

The only part I HIGHLY disagree with is being intolerant of differences because I LOVE diversity. Oh well, close enough.

Want sleep, need sleep

Oh to sleep, that is all I really wanted last night! But no, it seems the uncomfortable phase of pregnancy is closing in on me. Gotta love the sciatic nerve being pinched, poked, and prodded in order to prevent any position from being comfortable!

And just to confirm, I went to webmd, and came across this:
Lower backaches are very common in pregnancy, especially if you have been on your feet for any length of time. When your uterus presses against the sciatic nerve, you will notice a sharp pain down your bottom and leg. Pressure on other nerves may create a tingling, pins-and-needles feeling in your hands and feet.

I was awake before 5am, long before I am usually up. But, rather than toss and turn and scream out in pain, I chose to just get out of bed so my dear husband was not disturbed. I am trying to maintain some level of pleasantness here. As some folks have told me, this is just going to help me prepare for the lack of sleep once baby girl arrives. Maybe so, but how about a 2 week adjustment phase and not 6?!?! That would be nice.

Today is definitely going to be a Spark day!

Hopefully, sometime this afternoon, when I lay down on the couch, the aches and pains will be at a minimum and I will be able to nap a bit. We'll see. Baby girl seems to have kicked it into high gear lately with her squirming and moving. Yep, she might be like me after all. That's.just.great.

Prayers Needed

My friend over at Faith that Holds the Pieces Together wrote the following on her blog:

Tonight at 8:00pm Buffalo time my dads wife was taken into surgery to remove a large tumor on her ovaries, spots from her pancreas, and have a full hysterectomy. The surgery was to take anywhere from 3-12 hours and the Dr. came out with in the first hour to let my dad know the cancer had spread through out her body and that there isn't much they could do. Please pray for my dad and Carla and ask everyone you know to pray. We believe that God can perform a miracle in this situation so please join with us as we lift her up in prayer. My family has been hit really hard this last couple of weeks with issues of cancer and it is scary and sad but we have faith in God who is bigger than us. Thank you I will try and update as we know what the next steps are. As of right now she has to recover from being cut open and just the thought that nothing could be done really stinks. Thank you so much for your prayers. This is not about me but pray that it will be obvious what I need to do as far as going and being with my dad or waiting a couple of days.

Please be in prayer for this family. Thank you! And, feel free to hop on over to her blog to offer words of encouragement and prayers!

6 weeks left...HOORAY!!!

Only 6 weeks left, hooray! Yes, I am ready for this part of the journey to end, not that it has been hard or complete misery, but really, let's move on to the next phase! Plus, I am ready to get back into real workouts that leave me breathless because of their difficulty rather than the fact there's a baby foot jammed up next to my lungs. Ah well, I'm thankful for every moment, for every kick, for every muscle ache and cramp because we are both healthy and everything is going well. I'm thankful that God has chosen this time for us to have a child, to bring a daughter into our family. I'm thankful that we get to learn more about Him, ourselves, one another, and this little one. All in all, it is good.

Week 34
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.

Mom-to-be: Your uterus hardens and contracts as practice for labor, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, but you may not feel them yet. Your pelvis has expanded and may ache, especially at the back. Uterus is pushed hard against your lower ribs and your rib cage may be sore, and your navel is probably pushing out as a result of your abdomen being stretched.

Happy Easter

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
"And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things. (Luke 23:33-48)

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? "He is not here, but He has risen Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. (Luke 24:1-9)

A day outside

Pink
Originally uploaded by chelled.

It is absolutely gorgeous today, and I took full advantage of it. I headed out to a botanical garden to spend some time in the sunshine and to take some pictures. A friend also advised me to do some things by myself before the baby arrives, and this was the perfect choice! The sun was bright, the wind was blowing gently, and I got there before all the crowds. It was the perfect way to spend my time today. For all the pictures, head over to flickr.

Come on, guess it

Click here to enter your guess. And really, if you have read this blog at all, the sex of the baby is a no brainer....so everyone should get that right!

I found this fun little game on this blog, so thanks for the tip my blog friend!

Scanning Party

Our first Christmas
Originally uploaded by chelled.

Today, I finally finished our wedding album. That's right, after almost five years of marriage, it is finally done. I'm just a bit late. HA! Anyway, I came across a lot of other loose pictures and decided to scan them. The one in this post is from our first Christmas together, and we had so much fun taking those pictures!

After 30 minutes of scanning pictures, I realized a lot of them had the negatives so I took all the negatives to the store to be put onto a cd. Why do it here when they can do it in mass? Come on, it took me FIVE YEARS to complete our photo album, how long do you think it would have taken me to scan a bunch of pictures? Sheesh, we don't have that much time with the baby coming and all.....

Six Word Memoir

Everyone has a story. Can you tell yours in six words? Submit yours to be considered for SMITH's next six-word memoir book. The first book, Not Quite What I Was Planning, is out now.

A friend informed me of this, and I, well, of course I am going to do this. What is your 6 word memoir? Leave it in my comments, or let me know it's on your blog!

Attempt 1:
Living, learning, growing, changing, press repeat.


Attempt 2:
Question, wonder, trip, fall, get up


Attempt 3:
Pray, read, believe, become, share, love


Attempt 4:
Walk or run just keep going

Wear your green

This week in baby news

Seven more weeks, seven more weeks....doin' a happy dance, seven more weeks! Whew, we might make it after all. Soon, no more kicks in the ribs, no more feeling like there is an alien scooting along in my belly. No more having to pee every hour! To say I am looking forward to this, is just a bit of an undestatment. Although, this is the easiest part of raising a child, so I should really just enjoy it. There are days I wonder how long this little one is because it feels like she's wrapped around the majority of my torso. Good grief, curl up into that fetal position already! Nope, she must be like Momma because she's stretching out and moving as much as possible. But really, seven more weeks, seven more weeks....doin' a happy dance, seven more weeks!

Week 33
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. The fetus will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed.

Mom-to-be: The uterus is about 5.2 inches above your navel, and you've gained between 22 and 28 pounds. Of the pound a week you're gaining now, roughly half is going to your baby.

The second surprise in one week

Cute cakes
Originally uploaded by chelled.

My Thursday morning Bible study crew decided to do a luncheon yesterday. In fact, it was planned from the beginning of the study. Little did I know that these women were going to turn it into a surprise baby shower for me. And yes, I was very surprised!

One of the women thought I knew because I actually chose to wear something other than sweats (they were dirty), and had my camera with me. At one point she asked, "You just decided to bring your camera?" I told her the luncheon was a great opportunity to take some pictures since I don't think it's appropriate during the study. Too funny! Well, I am glad I had it with me yesterday. Too bad there is no picture of my surprised look as they informed me what was going on! Oh well.

Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of all the women, which is a bummer. But don't worry, I'll get you my prettys!!! That is twice in one week I have been caught totally off guard and extremely blessed. Thanks for helping us provide for our child!

*For the rest of the pictures, click here.

A night of singing and praising

Last night, our church had the great honor of hearing the Watoto Children's Choir. Oh my goodness, what a blessing these sweet children were!

Here's a little background on these kids: In Africa, there are over 60 million orphaned and vulnerable children (HIV/AIDS, conflict, disability, street children). These staggering numbers will have impact on a family, community, and a nation’s future. In Uganda, the future for many of these children will be changed through the work of Watoto.

Raising the next generation of Ugandan leaders is our number one focus. It is our mission, our purpose, our passion. We place these parentless children in families where unconditional love, spiritual discipleship, care and nurture, and the meeting of their physical needs takes place. These children will grow up to be change agents for Uganda. If these children are equipped with essential moral values and life skills they truly can live lives of significance and lasting impact. (Watoto Model)

These children praised the Lord with a reckless abandon that was refreshing, encouraging, and absolutely beautiful. Each child spoke, telling us his or her name, age, and what he or she plans to do in the future. It was wonderful. These kids have lost parents, have seen humankind at its worst, yet they still praise. And boy do they praise.

They sing and speak of God's goodness and faithfulness with sincerity and passion. And it made me wonder why Americans are so unable to do the same. In this "land of plenty" have we become so self-absorbed, so materialistic that we are unable to see God's value? In the eyes of most, the Watoto children have so little. But, truth be told, they have found true riches, and we are so very, very poor. We could learn so much from these kids.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap (Psalm 113:7)

For more pics, check out my flickr photos.
To learn more about how you can help the Watoto children, click here.

Sunshiney Day

The sun has finally decided to make its appearance in our part of the world. Oh boy, am I loving it! After the random snow we had Saturday, it is nice to go outside, without a coat, and feel the sun's warmth. Yesterday, I met a friend and her precious children at the park, which was loads of fun. Those two little ones are so funny! Even when her son face planted after going tummy first down a slide, we had a great time. And don't worry, he was fine except for the dirt in his mouth.

This afternoon, I will venture out for a walk. Catch some rays, get some exercise, it is a win win situation really. Hopefully my little girl will refrain from jumping on my bladder during that time, but we shall see. Off to enjoy the sunshine now!

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)

Update on Leslie

For those of you who have been praying for Leslie, here is an update for you (the following are just tid bits of the post, for the full post, please click here):

12:30 local time. Dr. Vandevender just stopped in to "check out" for the evening. They're all done. Leslie is in recovery, responsive, slightly mobile... and quite the piece of work, from what they're telling us. The bone was significantly worse than they were expecting, apparently.

Herein lies one of our prayer requests moving foreward: They're monitoring the stabilization and development of this network of blood vessels in her "new" forehead, making sure that she heals up and everything starts acting as it should. If it doesn't, they'll have to take her back into the OR to correct it. We're praying against this possibility.

But in my shortsightedness that comes with the chaos of these moments, perhaps my loudest prayer tonight is for Leslie's comfort. I just want her to have peace of mind... that "senseless peace" we keep talking about. I want her to have no pain. I want her to be able to sleep. To not be afraid if she wakes up alone in the middle of the night. And so-on.

Please continue praying for them, and letting them know you are!

My wonderful send-off

This picture proves I have been instructing a bunch of looney tunes every Monday night. This evening was my last fitness class to teach until after the baby is born. So, as a farewell, the women stuffed pink balloons under their shirts, where they remained the entire class. Needless to say, I could not stop laughing for the duration of class. Oh these women are funny. They were also kind enough to load us up with gifts. What precious women they are, and so thoughtful! One more reason I love what I do, they are incredible human beings.

Thanks for caring for us so well ladies!

8 weeks left, yippee, 8 weeks left...

I cannot believe it, only 8 weeks until our due date! Oh my word! It seems so close, and yet, it seems so far away. It's true! We are more and more ready to meet our little girl and be able to look her in the eyes. And then, when she's up late at night crying, we'll be wondering why we were so anxious in the first place. Oh well. Tomorrow I go in for a doctor's appointment, which should not take long at all. After tomorrow, I will be going every other week. Yep, definitely a sign the time is drawing near.

Week 32
Baby: Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin (yay, she's getting fat on her bones!). Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing.

Mom-to-be: Although you've only been seeing the doctor monthly, now you'll probably start seeing your practitioner every two weeks until the last month, when you'll probably switch to weekly visits. You may continue to get backaches and leg cramps (you ain't lyin!).

Tip of the Week: You might be carrying differently from others at the same stage of pregnancy. Whether you're carrying higher or lower, bigger or smaller, wider or more compact depends on the size and position of baby, your body type and how much weight you've gained. For more comfort, drink plenty of fluids (because, you know, I don't pee enough already), elevate your legs when sitting, lie on your left side and wear support stockings.

Monday's Prayer Request

For all of you prayer warriors, and even if you are not, please lift up this family in prayer tomorrow. The comments being left for this family are definitely encouraging them, so please keep it up. Leslie's surgery is tomorrow so please be praying for her, the doctors, and her family as they go through the procedure, recovery, and whatever God has laid out for them.

Thanks.

Here is a small part of their most recent post:
It is estimated to be a 7 hour surgery. Please be praying for my family as they wait those long hours in the waiting room. I definitely have the easy part there! Of course there are many other things to pray for as I am sure you know. Right now I am tired and I am going to go spend some last minutes with TJ before he goes to bed. (He just blew me a kiss while going upstairs and said, "See you after my bath, Mommy!") He is such a gift. --"Not This Again," Leslie's Journey

Sweet Fellowship

What a wonderful wonderful day. First of all, Bible class and church were incredible. So much to learn and absorb I tell you, I love it! My husband and one of the elders are doing a phenomenal job teaching a class on Hebrews, and today's class was certainly no exception. Whew, it was good!

After church, we headed home and my friend Tirsah came over so we could head to a baby shower together. The baby shower was for our friend Christine, and it was great to celebrate her and her baby!

Actually, Christine is due two weeks before I am, which is comical in and of itself. I still remember going to her first doctor's appointment with her, knowing I was pregnant but vowing to say nothing because number one, I was there to support her since her husband was out of town, and number two, my husband and I decided we wanted to tell the two of them at the same time. The reactions on their faces the night we did tell them was so completely priceless, and a moment I will never forget.

I told Christine a while ago, we would have to take a picture standing belly to belly, sometime in March or April, when our bellies would be sticking out. So today, we did just that. Tirsah was clearly going for a candid shot because we got no warning the picture was about to be taken. Oh well, more fun memories for us. It is so sweet to be sharing this journey with a friend, and one who lives so close by!

As Tirsah was dropping me off, my friend Tracye pulled up. My my my, the time of sweet fellowship just did not end! It was so good to sit and talk to her, to hear what the past few months have been like for her and what God is doing in her life. Our time together certainly left my heart smiling! It has been a long time since we have been able to get together and just talk, and tonight was such a blessing.

This entire weekend has been one filled with wonderful fellowship and moments of truly connecting with friends. I am one blessed girl, that is for sure. What beautiful, incredible friends God has placed in my life! Thank you thank you thank you; I know I am so completely unworthy of it all.

Four hour phone call

Yes, that is right, I, the girl who typically does not like talking on the phone, just spent four hours on it. What in the world was I doing? Well, it is all because I have finally contacted a friend of mine from high school. Actually, we became quite close our first year of college since we both stayed home that year for school. Amanda was the one I was always with, you know, if you saw one of us, the other was close by. In fact, we both have brown hair, green eyes, and freckles, so I am sure most thought we were related. To be honest, it felt like we were at times.

I transferred my second year of college, became more absorbed with myself, and she and I lost touch. It has been over 12 years since I have spoken to her! Thanks to the wonders of the internet, we located one another. And today? We spent four hours talking and laughing, and sharing the ups and downs life has brought us, just like before. It certainly did not feel like so much time had passed since I last spoke with her, a definite sign this friendship is a gift in my life!

And the four hours? It felt like we were on the phone for about 30 minutes. Amanda is a great girl, someone whom I have missed over the years, and now I am incredibly grateful I know how to reach her. What a great way to spend a cold snowy day!

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)

I thank my God every time I remember you. (Philippians 1:3)

Our Winter Wonderland...in March

Snowing in March
Originally uploaded by chelled.

See this picture? This is what we woke up to today, March 8th! INSANE! I think our area got a couple of inches, which is really crazy because that usually never happens. I am sure the school kids are mad this didn't happen yesterday to get them out of school, but there will probably be many little ones out building snowfamilies and such. Us? We'll be staying inside where it's nice and warm. Besides, Andy is making pancakes for us this morning. Yumm.

Fun with friends

Jessica, Me, Amy
Originally uploaded by chelled.

Thursday morning Bible study is in full swing, and boy oh boy is it good. For any of you ladies who have not done Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself - The Fruits of the Spirit," I highly recommend it. It is incredible!

Today after our study, I convinced my lovely friends, Jessica and Amy, to join me for lunch. They are both incredible women, and so much fun to be around. Amy took some convincing because she had errands to run, but I promised her we wouldn't keep her there all afternoon. Oops, I lied. We were there over 2 hours I think, but I promise it felt like an hour at the most.

As expected, I loved my time with these two. We laughed, shared, and had a great time of fellowship with one another. Thanks for joining me ladies, you made my afternoon one filled with joy and laughter!!!

As I look at this picture, it makes me laugh because this was taken in the fall, before the belly and hair started growing so much. It seems like so long ago, but of course, it was really only a few months ago. The thing that hasn't changed? The blessings one either side of me.

Continue Praying

A few days ago, I posted about a woman named Leslie whose family is asking for lots of prayers. The other day, they posted this:

Surgery has been scheduled for Monday morning. Please pour on the prayers - pass the word.

Please be praying for this family, the doctors, and everyone surrounding them. To read their story, go to Leslie's Journey. And while you are there, please leave a comment, prayer, or a little encouragement.

Sweet Gifts

Last night at F3, two lovely ladies brought me baby gifts. Both women are so precious and sweet, and their gifts? Well, see for yourself....so very cute!

When I got home, I showed them to Andy. He looked at the gifts, looked at me, and said, "Give me my baby! I want her now!" I laughed at him and reminded him she was not ready yet, still had things like her lungs to fully develop before she could come out. He sulked, but agreed to wait. Silly, silly boy.

Rank It

Rankrz.com the online community of people powered rankings, is having a ranking contest, with cash prizes! Here is what you need to do:

1. Go to About Rankrz
2. Post your version of any or all of the following rankings at rankrz.com:
The best blog marketing tools
The best blog widgets
The best musicians

Did you win? Winners will be announced around the end of March 2008.

And just so you know what is going on, here's the lowdown on the contest...where you could win $100!
Evaluation criteria:
* Whether you wrote about this contest in your blog
* Popularity, measured by # of ranking marks and # of visitors
* Rankrz admin team evaluation. As the ranking topics are by nature informative, usefulness will be important.
* How fully you used the features of rankrz.
* Extra points, if you gave us good feedback. Use ‘Best improvement ideas for rankrz.com’, or email us.

Prize
- We will select one winner per topic. If you applied for all three, you have a chance to be the winner in all three.
- The winner will be awarded $100 in cash. You should be able to receive the money via Paypal.

Others
* Using your existing blog posts is perfectly fine. It is your content.
* Do not copy others’ contents. Your rankings should be your contents.
* In your profile, you should enter your blog address.

It all sounds pretty easy. So, when you are sitting at your computer, wondering what to do to whittle time away, head on over and get involved in this contest. Besides, wouldn't you like to have a few extra dollars in your pocket?

Make a ranking and win $100 cash!

One Day Benefit Concert

Last night, our church hosted a "One Day" benefit concert to aid those affected by the tornadoes that came through a few weeks ago. A box of food or a gift card was all that was required to get in, which was pretty nice. The night's host was Vince Gill, and Amy Grant, Tommy Simms, and Sammy Sylvester all sang. It was a wonderful evening, very laid back and for a purpose. All the performers were informal, and wonderful to listen to!

In addition to their performances, various tornado victims spoke. To hear their stories of having a tornado come through their homes and completely destroy them was quite humbling. It is truly amazing some of these people even survived at all.

Nine to go

The countdown is really on now, only 9 weeks until the expected due date of our little one! WOW! However, a friend of ours informed us he doesn't think it will be that long, we'll see.

Since yesterday, she has had her foot up in my ribs on the right side. Nice little girl, nice. Everyone told me, "Just push down on her, she'll move." They are so very wrong. She must be stubborn, very stubborn...wonder where she gets it from?!?! Ha ha ha. Such is life. Besides, I would rather feel her there then wonder if she is moving at all. Early this morning, I could feel her in two different places. I suppose she is working on her punch-kick combinations or something. Hopefully the last few weeks will fly right by.

Week 31

Baby: Your baby measures about 18 inches long from head to toe and weighs about 3.5 pounds. Rather than hearing vibrations, baby's nerve endings in his ears are connected now so that he can hear distinct sounds, like familiar voices and music.

Mom-to-be: Your uterus now fills a large part of your abdomen, and you've probably gained between 21 and 27 pounds. You're probably feeling increasing excitement and anxiousness about the birth -- it won't be long now.

Tip for the Week: Practice your breathing and relaxation exercises

An "Ah-Ha" Moment

The other day I posted a few little gems I picked up during my Thursday morning Bible study. That morning, I had gotten an email from a friend whose husband is having an affair and is now being cruel, and heard of yet another couple dealing with the same thing. My mind was spinning. "What the heck is going on?!?!" Too many marriages are being attacked in this way, and I hate it. As I was telling Andy about some of these situations, all I could say was, "Why? Why? Why? It makes no sense at all!" And off I went to Bible study.

My mind was still spinning, still confused as to why some will choose that avenue rather than face the problems within themselves and within their own marriage. And then, we started the video portion of our study. One thing Beth Moore said really stood out, "An unsatisfied soul is a stronghold waiting to happen." Oh, that makes sense. The soul that is unsatisfied goes out searching for something, anything in which to satisfy it. That.makes.sense. She went on to talk about the fact we are made to be full ("Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" Eph. 5:18), but we have become a society that tries to "fill up" with stuff, with things that will not last. We are bombarded with all the new things we must have, the latest fashions, gizmos, and gadgets. But you know what? Those will still leave us empty, and as Beth Moore stated, "Few conditions place us at greater risk than emptiness." We are putting "stuff" in the place of the Spirit and in place of people. No wonder so many are so miserable.

Although my heart grieves, greatly, for the circumstances I am hearing about, for the friend who has become so hardened in his heart, I am not wondering as much as to why. I only pray that, at some point, they will realize that the things they are chasing after will only leave them emptier than before. And more importantly, that their souls become satisfied with the One who loves them the most.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. -- Proverbs 13:12

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. -- (Psalm 90:14)