Two things:
Just so you know, as I type this, Roman is watching The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's, the Veggie Tales version of the story of the Prodigal Son. Pretty entertaining.
I am currently taking a few minutes to sit with my feet up, as they are starting to look a little bit like Shrek's feet. (Not that they are getting green, but huge and puffy would be an accurate description.) Attractive.
Now, for the actual content of the post. Get ready...
I have started going to my prenatal appointments once a week, which is exciting. Last week I was dilated to 3 cm so I'll be excited to see where I am this week. I was at 4 cm for about 2 weeks with Roman, so it may or may not mean anything about Judah coming soon. At least it's less work for me to do later. :)
On Sunday, the high schoolers at GLORY (the youth group I help with at our church) threw me a surprise baby shower! I was VERY surprised. It was super fun! They were so cute and bought lots of lion-themed gifts for Judah (see Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). I LOVED it!
**Just FYI...I started writing this post on Friday morning. It is now Saturday afternoon. As soon as Roman's video was done, it became imperative that I read "Where the Wild Things Are". IMMEDIATELY. I, of course, was happy to be of assistance in such a dire emergency. :)
Anyway, it has taken me this long to get back to writing the post, so I'll just pick up where we left off...
I did have my appointment yesterday afternoon (still dilated to 3, everything is still looking good), and finished all of our pre-admission paperwork at the hospital, so I think we are ready to go. Inevitably, there will be more paperwork when we get there...social security card? birth certificate? who thinks about all of the paperwork?? :)
Joe surprised me with a fun "last date before baby" last night night. It was awesome. First of all, I love surprises, so when I called him on my way home from Ames to see what the plans were for the evening, and he told me Mary was at our house to watch Roman, I couldn't stop smiling. I am so blessed. We went to Fuji and had some delicious sushi and entrees. Then we went to Burgie's for some coffee and some riveting rounds of Checkers and Yahtzee. I Haven't played either of those games for about 10 years, but I'm proud to say that I dominated.
Then we stopped at Wal-Mart for oreos and milk, and then Redbox for Bride Wars and Transporter 3, and headed home to watch the movies with Mary and Tony (as Joe remembers from my pregnancy with Roman, I don't do well in Movie theater chairs while 9 months pregnant. We almost had to leave the theater during Spiderman 3 because I had to get up and walk around about 4 times.) Sorry, babe! :)
The weekend isn't going to slow down much. We have graduation parties, birthday parties, small group, and more. I'm glad to stay busy instead of sitting around thinking about and waiting for Judah to arrive. We'll keep you posted! God bless your weekend!!
5.13.2009
They Just Keep Comin'...
Today as Roman was climbing up onto a chair, his shoe slid off of his foot. He picked up the shoe, looked at me and said "You lost your foot".
Priceless.
Priceless.
5.12.2009
Profound...but Still a Two Year Old :)
Yesterday as I sat on the couch and watched Roman playing with some of his toys, he started in on a very interesting little converstaion with himself.
"gospel"
more playing
"Holy gospel"
he continued picking small toys out of his basket and rolling them around in his hands. you could tell he was rolling the words around in his head trying to figure out how he had heard them all used together.
"church. gospel of the church"
deep in thought
"the holy gospel of the church"
I sat there and smiled to myself. I was so filled with joy, recalling al the times I have prayed that the gospel would always be in his mind, on his lips, and in his heart.
What a blessing this boy is. And he GETS it. He's not even 2, but he KNOWS. I sat and prayed for the millionth time that he would grow to be a Godly man, someone who desires nothing more than to know, love, and serve the one true God. I want him to be passionate about his faith.
"gospel of church...and eat donuts."
and that's when I burst out laughing! He really does get it. I trust that he IS growing into a Godly man - I see it in him more and more each day.
But, come on, Mom, let's keep in mind that he's still a toddler boy. :) He is amazing.
"gospel"
more playing
"Holy gospel"
he continued picking small toys out of his basket and rolling them around in his hands. you could tell he was rolling the words around in his head trying to figure out how he had heard them all used together.
"church. gospel of the church"
deep in thought
"the holy gospel of the church"
I sat there and smiled to myself. I was so filled with joy, recalling al the times I have prayed that the gospel would always be in his mind, on his lips, and in his heart.
What a blessing this boy is. And he GETS it. He's not even 2, but he KNOWS. I sat and prayed for the millionth time that he would grow to be a Godly man, someone who desires nothing more than to know, love, and serve the one true God. I want him to be passionate about his faith.
"gospel of church...and eat donuts."
and that's when I burst out laughing! He really does get it. I trust that he IS growing into a Godly man - I see it in him more and more each day.
But, come on, Mom, let's keep in mind that he's still a toddler boy. :) He is amazing.
5.11.2009
Naptime and Forgiveness Go Hand in Hand
So, as I mentioned in the last couple of posts, Roman is doing pretty well sleeping in his bed. Although, it is still taking several tries to actually get to him to lay down and sleep. This is not a surprise to me (or to any of you, I imagine). :)
Today as I heard him creep out into the hallway for the 5th time, I was getting a little impatient. I found him peering around the door jam from his room, and as soon as he saw me, he ran back to his bed.
We have just been doing our best to be calm and consistent. We tell him gently the first time that it's time to rest and help him back into bed, and then continue with more seriousness, and finally no verbal (since what he desires is the social interaction) - just putting him back in bed.
So, I followed him into his room and sternly told him (for the 5th time) "Roman, it is time to rest. Get into your bed."
He jumped up and layed his head down on his pillow and said "I forgive you. Fanks. (Thanks)".
I had to leave the room so I wouldn't start laughing. It was too cute. :)
Today as I heard him creep out into the hallway for the 5th time, I was getting a little impatient. I found him peering around the door jam from his room, and as soon as he saw me, he ran back to his bed.
We have just been doing our best to be calm and consistent. We tell him gently the first time that it's time to rest and help him back into bed, and then continue with more seriousness, and finally no verbal (since what he desires is the social interaction) - just putting him back in bed.
So, I followed him into his room and sternly told him (for the 5th time) "Roman, it is time to rest. Get into your bed."
He jumped up and layed his head down on his pillow and said "I forgive you. Fanks. (Thanks)".
I had to leave the room so I wouldn't start laughing. It was too cute. :)
5.09.2009
Another Amazing Mom Tribute
Also from Joyce...one of the most phenomenal moms I know.
Invisible Mother.....It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it t o me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work
they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by
the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there..'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.Great Job, MOM!Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did. The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. This is beautiful and makes a ton of sense. To all the wonderful mothers out there.~I am in much debt to my invisible Mother.
Invisible Mother.....It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it t o me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work
they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by
the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there..'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.Great Job, MOM!Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did. The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. This is beautiful and makes a ton of sense. To all the wonderful mothers out there.~I am in much debt to my invisible Mother.
Before I was a Mom...
Joyce sent me this in an e-mail today...so perfect. :)
Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom, I
never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom
Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom, I
never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom
5.07.2009
One month from today...
If only our computer was working correctly (I am using Tony's right now), I could show you that Judah is getting ginormous and that he is "supposed" to arrive one month from today. Obviously, he will arrive when he and God are darn well ready for his debut. :) But, roughly, one month. I can't believe how fast it has gone.
I am not yet to that point where I don't want to be pregnant anymore. That will come in a couple of weeks, I'm sure, but I am still really enjoying it. For most women, there are only a few times in life where you get to feel a baby move inside of you. I feel so honored that I get to experience this little life before the rest of the world sees him. At the same time, I can't wait for you to see him because I know you'll love himas much almost as much as I do.
I am getting to the point, though, where I am not sleeping as well, and I get a little irritated at having to pee approximately every 24 minutes. Still, so so worth it.
I am not yet to that point where I don't want to be pregnant anymore. That will come in a couple of weeks, I'm sure, but I am still really enjoying it. For most women, there are only a few times in life where you get to feel a baby move inside of you. I feel so honored that I get to experience this little life before the rest of the world sees him. At the same time, I can't wait for you to see him because I know you'll love him
I am getting to the point, though, where I am not sleeping as well, and I get a little irritated at having to pee approximately every 24 minutes. Still, so so worth it.
----------
We took Roman to the zoo again the other day and he had a BLAST. So, we have re-started the never-ending zoo conversation. He will be happy to tell you that he "fed mamas" (llamas), and saw "fishies swim in the water".----------
Roman is doing pretty well adjusting to his "big boy" bed. He still tries to get up about 7 times before he actually falls asleep, and he sometimes wakes up, comes into our room, stands at the foot of the bed, and says "hi mommy. hi daddy. eat breakfast. pway wif toys." at 5:30 AM. I do fine getting up with him at 7... but 5:30??? How did I get up that early when I worked in Des Moines??? Praise God he is sleeping through the night though!! I imagine the transtion could have been a lot worse.
-----------
There are still several things on my "list" to get done before Judah is born, but we are really making progress. I actually feel like it's getting shorter. Joe and Tony got the garage cleaned out the other day (HOORAY!!) and several of the other small things. They are A-mazing.
----------
Joe keeps having reoccuring "nightmares" that he wakes up covered in amniotic fluid because my water broke in bed. This makes me laugh hysterically because, somehow, he thinks that water breaking = similar to drowning in a tidal wave of fluid. Suzee was kind enough to remind him the other night that it's more like spilling a drink. Which should = not scary enough to make you have nightmares.
----------
Anyway, I feel like I had more exciting things to share when I started writing this post, but apparently that is not the case. My apologies. I am sure I will have more, equally unexciting, things to share with you as pregnancy progresses and labor and delivery draw nearer. :)
In the mean time, God is good!
In the mean time, God is good!
Psalm 100:3-5
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations
his faithfulness continues through all generations
5.01.2009
Another Random List
1. It only took me two hours to get Roman to nap in his "big boy" bed today.
2. He is now sleeping peacefully...and talking in his sleep.
3. I am speaking at a high school lock in this weekend. My topic is "Freedom in Christ". I am super excited! I could probably talk about that for approximately 7 hours, but that probably wouldn't be very motivating to 16 year olds...or anyone. Please pray for my words to be those of the Lord and for them to touch the hearts of the teens attending.
4. Joe is cleaning out the garage right now! One more thing to check off the list...notice how I am not doing anything on my list right now. Nice.
5. We made this delicious pasta last night for Bible study. I highly recommend it. Super easy, too!
6. Roman and I built a fort yesterday because it has still been too wet to play outside. We had a blast...Elmo and Curious George even joined us for some fun story time.
7. If you haven't read this post on the Stuff Christians Like blog, you NEED to. I almost missed out. Thanks for the heads up, Monica!
8. My sister-in-law, Theresa, is getting confirmed on May 14th! She asked me several months ago if I would be her sponsor. I was SO honored and I am super excited for her. Unfortunately, that is 3 weeks before my due date and therefore, I am not allowed to fly to South Carolina! :( I am really sad, but please join me in praying for her as she continues to grow in her relationship with Christ!
9. Only 5 weeks until Judah!
10. I can't think of anything else exciting...not that the other nine had you on the edge of your seat. ;)
2. He is now sleeping peacefully...and talking in his sleep.
3. I am speaking at a high school lock in this weekend. My topic is "Freedom in Christ". I am super excited! I could probably talk about that for approximately 7 hours, but that probably wouldn't be very motivating to 16 year olds...or anyone. Please pray for my words to be those of the Lord and for them to touch the hearts of the teens attending.
4. Joe is cleaning out the garage right now! One more thing to check off the list...notice how I am not doing anything on my list right now. Nice.
5. We made this delicious pasta last night for Bible study. I highly recommend it. Super easy, too!
6. Roman and I built a fort yesterday because it has still been too wet to play outside. We had a blast...Elmo and Curious George even joined us for some fun story time.
7. If you haven't read this post on the Stuff Christians Like blog, you NEED to. I almost missed out. Thanks for the heads up, Monica!
8. My sister-in-law, Theresa, is getting confirmed on May 14th! She asked me several months ago if I would be her sponsor. I was SO honored and I am super excited for her. Unfortunately, that is 3 weeks before my due date and therefore, I am not allowed to fly to South Carolina! :( I am really sad, but please join me in praying for her as she continues to grow in her relationship with Christ!
9. Only 5 weeks until Judah!
10. I can't think of anything else exciting...not that the other nine had you on the edge of your seat. ;)
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