"Home Free" is an article I read this week from our denomination's monthly publication called "The Banner". I feel as though the author reached inside my heart and wrote exactly how I feel about being a stay-at-home parent. (Except for the part about his living in Canada and receiving 60% of his income to care for his children. Wouldn't that be nice!) Please read it for yourself! So many mothers gripe about how difficult it is to be a stay at home mom and how much we have to put up with...Sure, some days are difficult but I experience so much joy in being home with Cora that I am continually thankful that I don't have to drop her off in someone else's care each day or juggle her between Brad and I more than we already do. I think being home with her is the best job I could have at this point in my life. Did I say how thankful I am to be home with her (and our coming son)?
I tried to find a few favorite quotes from the article but almost every sentence rings true with my emotions and my experience of motherhood. The author ends the essay this way: "To be attentive to the practical, to put a small child first, and to try seeing the familiar with them as “new every morning” are happy disciplines. God is truly in the details. I want to savor this time of simplicity, for it will slip away like a summer day on the beach."
So true, so true.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs
My musical repetoire has really been missing the psalms and hymns the last number of years. I love many of the contemporary worship songs that are created currently, but I miss some of the hymns I grew up singing. Am I sounding like an old fogie? I guess I long for balance and there hasn't been much lately. I'm going to make an effort to refresh my memory of some of the solid hymns of the faith that sing God's praises, comfort His people and point us in the direction of the cross.
We've been singing songs each night with Cora after meal-time and reading the children's bible. She loves this habit so it really makes it enjoyable for all three of us. She knows: Jesus Loves Me*, God is so Good, Amen*, Deep and Wide, Jesus Loves the little Children* and we've recently introduced Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man. *These are her favorites that she often requests.
What are your favorite children's bible songs?
We've been singing songs each night with Cora after meal-time and reading the children's bible. She loves this habit so it really makes it enjoyable for all three of us. She knows: Jesus Loves Me*, God is so Good, Amen*, Deep and Wide, Jesus Loves the little Children* and we've recently introduced Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man. *These are her favorites that she often requests.
What are your favorite children's bible songs?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Baby Boy is on his way!
Here are some pictures of the ultrasound. They are not very good, but if you've seen a few before you may be able to pick out what you're looking at.
Almost a month ago we had the mid-pregnancy ultrasound to check the health and growth of our baby and it's home in my womb. It's amazing all that the ultrasound can check and I enjoyed having our OB doing the ultrasound rather than a tech. She searched all around and looked at different body parts: ribs, spine, stomach, head, heart. She was able to show us that it looks healthy in every way that she is able to see from the outside. I remember her also saying that we can't see everything possible but what she was able to check looked healthy so no concerns at this point. She also checked the location and size of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby, and the umbilical cord. She was able to see the two tubes inside the cord and it also looked healthy. What a blessing to have these technological abilities! It was so fascinating to witness the medical mind of our doctor at work, and so exciting to see our baby moving around. Another part of the ultrasound is measuring the baby's growth. She is able to take measurements of the head circumference, the waist circumference, and the length of the femur. (Maybe something else, too.) All of these are calculated to give an approximate due date and the baby's growth matches where he should be for our expected date of arrival: September 15, 2009.
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That's right, I said: HE! After doing all of the important stuff first, Dr. B. searched around -at our request - to determine the sex of our baby. It didn't take long and she said "You had better start thinking of boy names!" I was absolutely elated and giggles bubbled out of me with the surprising news! I think I was really preparing myself to hear that it would be another girl. If you've heard Brad's story, you know why. Of course, I would have been happy if it was a girl, too, but I would have been less surprised! Brad didn't react nearly as outwardly as I did, but I could see he was beaming. I know he's loved having a little girl and Cora adores her daddy. She loves helping daddy outside as much as a 2 year old can and they tickle and play wrestle constantly. But I often wonder what goes through Brad's mind as he imagines having a little boy now.
I know I wonder about the same new baby things: what kind of temperament will this child have as a baby, and then as a toddler? what color hair and eyes will he have? Those sorts of things. But now I also wonder about how having a boy will be different than a girl? How will Cora and "Baby-brodder" (baby brother) get along as he grows and is able to play with her? What kind of boy will he be?
I pray for the same new baby things: health, growth, a safe delivery, and a peaceful transition into our home for all of us. But knowing that he is a boy I also pray specifically for him to become a godly man, to see his daddy's love for God and family and emulate that as he grows up.
It's interesting to me the different experience of being pregnant the first time compared to the second. We didn't find out Cora's gender until she was born and loved having the surprise on her birthday. But looking back at my labor and delivery with her, I was so exhausted by the time she was born I didn't have much energy to experience much emotion over the surprise that she was a girl (when I was 90% sure it would be a boy!). It was so fun to be fully rested when we received the news that this one is a boy because I experienced the surprise with full emotion, not exhaustion.
Baby Boy has been moving around a lot - mostly in the evening while I'm reading before going to bed. It may be that that's when I'm finally resting enough to feel him. I have been feeling great, too! Besides a few annoyances that pregnancy brings all is very well and I'm so thankful. I know the third trimester is right around the corner (I'm about 22 weeks out of 40 right now) along with the intense summer heat, so I'm thankful for each comfortable day at a time!
Almost a month ago we had the mid-pregnancy ultrasound to check the health and growth of our baby and it's home in my womb. It's amazing all that the ultrasound can check and I enjoyed having our OB doing the ultrasound rather than a tech. She searched all around and looked at different body parts: ribs, spine, stomach, head, heart. She was able to show us that it looks healthy in every way that she is able to see from the outside. I remember her also saying that we can't see everything possible but what she was able to check looked healthy so no concerns at this point. She also checked the location and size of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby, and the umbilical cord. She was able to see the two tubes inside the cord and it also looked healthy. What a blessing to have these technological abilities! It was so fascinating to witness the medical mind of our doctor at work, and so exciting to see our baby moving around. Another part of the ultrasound is measuring the baby's growth. She is able to take measurements of the head circumference, the waist circumference, and the length of the femur. (Maybe something else, too.) All of these are calculated to give an approximate due date and the baby's growth matches where he should be for our expected date of arrival: September 15, 2009.
>
That's right, I said: HE! After doing all of the important stuff first, Dr. B. searched around -at our request - to determine the sex of our baby. It didn't take long and she said "You had better start thinking of boy names!" I was absolutely elated and giggles bubbled out of me with the surprising news! I think I was really preparing myself to hear that it would be another girl. If you've heard Brad's story, you know why. Of course, I would have been happy if it was a girl, too, but I would have been less surprised! Brad didn't react nearly as outwardly as I did, but I could see he was beaming. I know he's loved having a little girl and Cora adores her daddy. She loves helping daddy outside as much as a 2 year old can and they tickle and play wrestle constantly. But I often wonder what goes through Brad's mind as he imagines having a little boy now.
I know I wonder about the same new baby things: what kind of temperament will this child have as a baby, and then as a toddler? what color hair and eyes will he have? Those sorts of things. But now I also wonder about how having a boy will be different than a girl? How will Cora and "Baby-brodder" (baby brother) get along as he grows and is able to play with her? What kind of boy will he be?
I pray for the same new baby things: health, growth, a safe delivery, and a peaceful transition into our home for all of us. But knowing that he is a boy I also pray specifically for him to become a godly man, to see his daddy's love for God and family and emulate that as he grows up.
It's interesting to me the different experience of being pregnant the first time compared to the second. We didn't find out Cora's gender until she was born and loved having the surprise on her birthday. But looking back at my labor and delivery with her, I was so exhausted by the time she was born I didn't have much energy to experience much emotion over the surprise that she was a girl (when I was 90% sure it would be a boy!). It was so fun to be fully rested when we received the news that this one is a boy because I experienced the surprise with full emotion, not exhaustion.
Baby Boy has been moving around a lot - mostly in the evening while I'm reading before going to bed. It may be that that's when I'm finally resting enough to feel him. I have been feeling great, too! Besides a few annoyances that pregnancy brings all is very well and I'm so thankful. I know the third trimester is right around the corner (I'm about 22 weeks out of 40 right now) along with the intense summer heat, so I'm thankful for each comfortable day at a time!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Going private soon
I want to warn everybody that in a couple weeks I will be changing this to a private blog. The address will stay the same but you will need to be invited/accepted by me in order to have access to read the blog. With all the personal information I post on this blog I want to know who is reading it, rather than leaving it open to any one in the world to read with out my knowing it. I feel it's the cyber-equivalent of locking the doors to my house when I'm gone or sleeping, and closing the drapes and blinds when it's dark outside so that anybody walking by on the street can't just look in on what's happening in our home. This is to keep strangers out.
Once it turns private you will need to ask permission and once it's been granted you can return to the blog whenever you wish. If you use Google reader you don't even have to re-log-in each time.
A few blogs that I follow recently have done this and I think it's a good idea, but I didn't want you to be shocked when it happens.
Once it turns private you will need to ask permission and once it's been granted you can return to the blog whenever you wish. If you use Google reader you don't even have to re-log-in each time.
A few blogs that I follow recently have done this and I think it's a good idea, but I didn't want you to be shocked when it happens.
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