Tulip Girl

Okay, so I have a few minutes now. Really, I have a lot of minutes. I have purposefully been resting a lot. I try to be pretty up beat about things on my blog, but every once in a while a little less sunny realness has got to come through. I'm putting myself on self imposed bed rest. With my last two pregnancies, when I started having any spotting, I could just take a good nap and it stopped. So I'm finally realizing that means I need to be on somewhat bed rest so I don't do that at all. Then I talked to my mom today. She is concerned because I did have some spotting on Friday morning. I went and took a nap directly after Dan left I slept from eight-thirty to one in the afternoon. I've never done that in my life. When I talked to my mom today, she explained to me that she was on complete bed rest her entire pregnancy because of spotting. I either didn't know that or I think most likely forgot that info. She was also on bed rest for two weeks with my bro...

Next Thursday is our next ultra sound. We should be seven weeks. I admit during this particular time, I am really trying my hardest to keep my mind distracted while still resting. I've got a few Bible verses I am depending on. I will write them later. I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know that I'm still here. My sis, Michelle called and noticed I hadn't blogged in a while. It does look like we will be moving to Raleigh so we have a lot to do coming up. I'm not looking to packing, but I don't mind adventure. I will sure miss all my friends and church here. More later.

Today we had our first ultra sound. Our baby is actually six weeks tomorrow. So every Tuesday I can post the next weeks picture or Monday night..anyway, I am excited to know that we are one week ahead of schedule. We also have a heart beat already! I am so excited! We are scheduled for another ultra sound again next Thursday, July 3 and again on July 10. The next two ultra sounds will tell us more. Our babies have not yet made it past the six week marker. They get that big and stop growing. So of course, this is going to be on my mind all week. This will be a great opportunity to work on making my requests known to the Lord and in all my ways trust Him and not lean on my own understanding. :) I am just so excited. I can't believe we saw that barely there heart beat. The baby is just so little. I can't believe how fast they grow at this stage. Whoow! Okay, thanks for all your prayer. I'll be keeping the pregnancy updated on the blog of course.

Like many others, I've always wondered what I would do if I had an island and made it my own country. Well a man living on a 2.5 acre island of of Scotland declared his little island independent from the crown citing some 15th century dowry, agreement thing. To read article, click here . What would you do if you had your own island and could declare it and independent country?

So far during my pregnancy I find it hard to stay awake in the afternoon but if I do sleep, then it is hard to sleep at night. I'm a particular light sleeper and pregnancy makes me even more so. I'm afraid I will spend the whole pregnancy in the guest bedroom (Dan would go, but I like the firmer mattress). I don't like naps either. I never feel better when I wake up. I feel drugged and cranky afterwards. Mmmh. One thing I love to do is go on pregnancy websites so if you have any other than babycenter (which generally has had the same article for the last two years, okay some new) I would love them. Having already been through this stage twice, I'm looking for a fresh site to browse. I've yawned enough through this, I think I will go outside.

One thing I left out of my weekend was that I gave Dan probably the coolest present for Father's Day. I am four weeks pregnant! I went to the doctor today and they confirmed it with there own test. I had so prayed that I would be pregnant for Father's Day. I was so excited to give Dan the test that said pregnant. Of course I had my blood drawn for tests today. I will go back again on Thursday to get my beta levels tested again to make sure the are progressing at a good rate. We will have our first ultra sound Monday and another one on July 10 which will put us at seven weeks. I am looking forward to that. Dan will be able to be at both ultra sounds scheduled so far. We are choosing to be excited and optimistic as my sister Michelle said. I don't want to dwell on worry stuff. Anxious, bad. Excitement good. The only symptoms I have are light cramping and tired a little more than normal. I am taking enough folic acid, calcium and a bunch of other stuff to give an ele...

This has been a very good weekend. A friend of ours, Steven, came over Saturday and helped Dan transfer the rest of our mulch pile to our church. It appeared that they really enjoyed themselves. I went out to Sonic with them during their break. It was a really good time and I am very happy to have the mulch along with the debris they hauled off the the dump all gone. Thanks Steven! Sunday morning, Dan and I helped make breakfast for the early service. That was a lot of fun. It was rather rewarding to see all those people enjoying the breakfast after helping to make it. I sat in on another Bible study today that I will be facilitating the next two weeks. I really like those ladies. I can't wait to lead their next two Sunday Schools. All the babies in the Baby dedication today were just too cute. Matt and Jacqueline's daughter Adellyne (sp?) was very curious and looking all over. I got the impression she won't be to shy. Cody's little brown eyes are just capt...

As Dan continues on in Raleigh, I am continuing my job search in Richmond. It was difficult at first but since there is not a for sure move in our future, only a possibility, I have decided normalcy for my own well being is necessary. If I wait around for the final decision without continuing on like normal, I think I would go bonkers. In the last two days alone, I've applied for ten jobs, six handwritten out, the rest were through the internet. Erin helped me find the internet ones. Thanks Erin! I have seven saved on Career Builders to apply to tomorrow. I would have applied to them today, but I am doing individual cover letters for each and after a while, my brain can't concentrate on them any more. So, tomorrow, I will apply to seven more. I think I must be truly neurotic. I have decided to stop taking my basal body temperatures every morning. I literally will wake up an hour before to two hours before and then wake up every twenty minutes looking at the clock. At t...

This weekend has been just awesome. I have had a couple conversations with people that have had God's finger prints all over them. I had a divine appointment where I was in the right place at the right time for God to use me and I can't tell you how much I needed that right now. Even though circumstances are a still not where I want them to be, I realize that God has them right where He wants them to be for our good and for Him to be glorified. Tonight I facilitated a discussion with the youth group girls about God's sovereignty. Listening to them open up and share made my heart just swell with love for them. I could truly see the precious daughters that God sees when He looks at them. I know God has a plan in whether we will stay in Richmond or move to Raleigh but since I can only see Richmond right now, I see so many things here, so much possibility for fruitful action, soil ready to be seeded and others ready for harvest. God has also opened Dan's and my eyes...

In six days the Arizona State University Child Development Center will not just be ending for the school year but permanently. I can't tell you what that means not just for me but for all the amazing women who had the privilege of teaching there. I just talked to Kathy, the director. I feel in my heart that the ending of this wonderful preschool is like watching a loved one passing on. I walked the passage from being a child to being an adult in those walls. Along with those children, I learned valuable life lessons that carried me forward. I never found a place quite like the CDC, full of life and diversity. I had the privilege of seeing socially anxious children, children bursting with energy, and several children with disabilities bloom like wild flowers right before my eyes. They taught me as much as I taught them. There were fellow teachers who became close friends that God used to shape my very character. If influence left a finger print, theirs would be some of the d...

It seems about the time I think I have made it to a high place in my journey, I realize I am already headed towards another steap incline or back down into another valley. I celebrate when God has another victory over my sin nature and I find myself in the very next breath smarting from the bruise of yet another shackle. I wonder, as anxiousness overtakes me, does God see how faulty I am, how when faced with the opportunity to follow Him, I am a wayward toddler running in the opposite direction? I desire to follow Him and yet here I am having to reach for His hand to draw me to Him once again. I am comforted by the quote, "...Always go forward along the path of obedience as far as you know to until I intervene, even if it seems to be leading you where you fear I could never mean you to go..." by Hannah Hurnard in Hinds Feet on High Places . As I face the uncertainty of the future, social expectations, financial needs, and empty arms where two wee ones should be, I am re...

I am thankful today for; 1. Being in a country we can openly share what we believe whether it be our faith or our feelings about our president without fear of death. 2. The things that stress me out do not include where my next meal will come from, whether or not my next step will be on a land mine or whether I will survive todays local suicide bombing. 3. I am thankful my God loves me, doesn't condemn me for not being perfect, sees me as worth dieing for and proved it by doing just that 4. I am thankful for new friends and seasoned friends. 5. I am thankful for cheap long distance, e-mails and blogs to keep in close contact with my family and friends. "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ~Epicurus, Greek philosopher