This week is our ten month anniversary! That is getting dangerously close to a year! In honor of this great event, I have another quote I like about marriage to share:
¨Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage.¨
How true! How many people get married only to end the marriage mere months later, because they are ¨incompatible¨? Isn´t that incredible? There is almost nothing in life that gives you great rewards and sucess right away, yet we want our marriage to be story book perfect from day one.
We have been married for 10 months and I am amazed to think that there are many marriages (especially in Hollywood) that have lasted less time than ours! I really feel like I am just starting to get the hang of this! I am still learning every single day. I think about the times that I have struggled and I realize how much I would have missed out on if I had given up on our marriage. If the person you married was worth marrying when you married him, I think he´s probably still worth being married to.
So here´s to being married longer than most movie stars, and experiencing many blessings and much happiness because of it!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Week 44: Thanksgiving! (week 13 of pregnancy)
I am a domestic goddess. Just so you know.
I made a Thanksgiving feast fit for a king all by myself! (I did call my mom for instructions on making the chicken...I made a whole chicken instead of a turkey because it seemed more practical for so few people.) I made the chicken with stuffing, macaroni and cheese (homemade of course), carrots, corn, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread, rice (am I still in Ecuador), pudding, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. I also planned a craft activity for everyone to teach them about Thanksgiving. We made turkies. I also put Jairo in charge of some worship songs for thanking God on the acoustic guitar. All in all it was me, Jairo, Jairo´s mom, Jairo´s neice, and two friends who attended, and I must say, it was great.
But the best part? Before the big day, Jairo expressed his disapproval of Thanksgiving to me, telling me that he felt it was just an excuse to eat a lot. I wasn´t sure how to respond to that since it really is an excuse to eat a lot, but to me it is much more than that. I watched his interest grow as he saw me basically never leave the kitchen for two days, and urged me to rest although he seemed to be impressed. But the best part was after dinner. We were getting ready for bed and he said, ¨You know, for next Thanksgiving we should...¨ and I said...¨Wait, NEXT Thanksgiving? I thought it was just a waste of time!¨ ¨I think I changed my mind,¨ he replied. ¨But next year we´ll get a turkey and invite a lot more friends!¨
I made a Thanksgiving feast fit for a king all by myself! (I did call my mom for instructions on making the chicken...I made a whole chicken instead of a turkey because it seemed more practical for so few people.) I made the chicken with stuffing, macaroni and cheese (homemade of course), carrots, corn, stuffed mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread, rice (am I still in Ecuador), pudding, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. I also planned a craft activity for everyone to teach them about Thanksgiving. We made turkies. I also put Jairo in charge of some worship songs for thanking God on the acoustic guitar. All in all it was me, Jairo, Jairo´s mom, Jairo´s neice, and two friends who attended, and I must say, it was great.
But the best part? Before the big day, Jairo expressed his disapproval of Thanksgiving to me, telling me that he felt it was just an excuse to eat a lot. I wasn´t sure how to respond to that since it really is an excuse to eat a lot, but to me it is much more than that. I watched his interest grow as he saw me basically never leave the kitchen for two days, and urged me to rest although he seemed to be impressed. But the best part was after dinner. We were getting ready for bed and he said, ¨You know, for next Thanksgiving we should...¨ and I said...¨Wait, NEXT Thanksgiving? I thought it was just a waste of time!¨ ¨I think I changed my mind,¨ he replied. ¨But next year we´ll get a turkey and invite a lot more friends!¨
Week 44: Yet more reasons to love Ecuador! (week 13 of pregnancy)
My parents sent me a package for Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited about it, because my mom mentioned that she included some things that I had asked for so that I can make a Thanksgiving dinner. (Thanksgiving is an American holiday, so here in Ecuador they don´t celebrate it. It will be Jairo´s first!)
We got to customs to get the package, which normally costs $1. There was a long line, and we watched as one by one everyone left the customs office angry and fighting with the employees. We both started to get nervous. It was finally our turn, and Jairo went in to get the package. A little time passed and then he emerged, no package, and angry face on. Uh-oh.
Apparently customs has a new rule they did not feel the need to tell anyone about. If the package is under 8 pounds, it only costs a dollar. How much did my package weigh? Like 8.2 pounds. How much was it going to cost us to get the package out? $70.
What???
Well, we had to pay it. I´m sure that the whole package was worth way less than $70. But after I cried about it (the angry kind of crying...if you´re like me you know what I mean) I opened the box and I felt like I was in a visa commercial. Thanksgiving in Ecuador? Priceless!
We got to customs to get the package, which normally costs $1. There was a long line, and we watched as one by one everyone left the customs office angry and fighting with the employees. We both started to get nervous. It was finally our turn, and Jairo went in to get the package. A little time passed and then he emerged, no package, and angry face on. Uh-oh.
Apparently customs has a new rule they did not feel the need to tell anyone about. If the package is under 8 pounds, it only costs a dollar. How much did my package weigh? Like 8.2 pounds. How much was it going to cost us to get the package out? $70.
What???
Well, we had to pay it. I´m sure that the whole package was worth way less than $70. But after I cried about it (the angry kind of crying...if you´re like me you know what I mean) I opened the box and I felt like I was in a visa commercial. Thanksgiving in Ecuador? Priceless!
Week 43: Just like clockwork (week 12 of pregnancy)
Well, I didn´t believe my doctor when she told me that right around this week I would stop feeling nausea. It has been so long that I really thought it might never go away. But I can honestly say that while I do still feel nausea once in a while, and while rice definitely still makes me gag, I am feeling much better!
It´s funny to me that pregnancy for most women is so similar. I talk with my pregnant friends a lot and we are all going through the same kinds of things. It´s comforting to know that so many women have gone through the same things, and lived to tell the story! Ok, that´s an exaggeration, but still, it´s nice to know that you´re not alone.
Sometimes I joke to Jairo that God should have made women lay eggs instead of having to be pregnant for nine months and then give birth. It sure would be easier! Just pop that baby under a heat lamp for a few months and presto! Out comes your precious little bundle of joy! But I think pregnancy really is God´s way of preparing a woman for motherhood. It´s the first step out of our own selfishness, the first step towards being willing to suffer for someone else, the first step toward be willing to lose sleep, the first step toward learning to control those crazy emotions...I think it´s completely necessary. As difficult as pregnancy and labor are, I know motherhood will be a whole new challenge at a much higher stakes level. So while I can´t say that pregnancy for me has been as glowing and joyful as everyone says it is, I´m thankful for this time that God is preparing me to be a better mother. I just hope the second trimester is nice, like they say!!
It´s funny to me that pregnancy for most women is so similar. I talk with my pregnant friends a lot and we are all going through the same kinds of things. It´s comforting to know that so many women have gone through the same things, and lived to tell the story! Ok, that´s an exaggeration, but still, it´s nice to know that you´re not alone.
Sometimes I joke to Jairo that God should have made women lay eggs instead of having to be pregnant for nine months and then give birth. It sure would be easier! Just pop that baby under a heat lamp for a few months and presto! Out comes your precious little bundle of joy! But I think pregnancy really is God´s way of preparing a woman for motherhood. It´s the first step out of our own selfishness, the first step towards being willing to suffer for someone else, the first step toward be willing to lose sleep, the first step toward learning to control those crazy emotions...I think it´s completely necessary. As difficult as pregnancy and labor are, I know motherhood will be a whole new challenge at a much higher stakes level. So while I can´t say that pregnancy for me has been as glowing and joyful as everyone says it is, I´m thankful for this time that God is preparing me to be a better mother. I just hope the second trimester is nice, like they say!!
Week 42: It´s not official until it´s facebook official...(week 11 of pregnancy)
So technically my first trimester is not over yet, but I couldn´t wait any longer. I had to tell people about the pregnancy. It is just to hard not to share it with my friends, especially since I have quite a few friends who are due around the same time as I am!
Another one of my pregnant friends was the first to notice the news, just minutes after I posted it. Then followed tons of comments ranging from shock to congratulations, and I felt excited!! This is what I had been waiting for! Sharing the news with my friends so they can share in my happiness and excitement!
Even though I´m in Ecuador, I try to stay connected with my friends back home. It´s hard because our lives move in such different directions and in many ways we´ve become very different. But I think a real friendship has nothing to do with any of that. You can have a real friend who you see once a year (or less!), who lives a life completely opposite yours, and maybe has very little in common with you, but the important thing is that you love each other! As long as you have that, your friendship can overcome any other difficulties that present themselves.
So, to all my friends, I just want to say thank you for your friendship, I love you all very much, and no matter the distance or differences between us, you can count on me!
Another one of my pregnant friends was the first to notice the news, just minutes after I posted it. Then followed tons of comments ranging from shock to congratulations, and I felt excited!! This is what I had been waiting for! Sharing the news with my friends so they can share in my happiness and excitement!
Even though I´m in Ecuador, I try to stay connected with my friends back home. It´s hard because our lives move in such different directions and in many ways we´ve become very different. But I think a real friendship has nothing to do with any of that. You can have a real friend who you see once a year (or less!), who lives a life completely opposite yours, and maybe has very little in common with you, but the important thing is that you love each other! As long as you have that, your friendship can overcome any other difficulties that present themselves.
So, to all my friends, I just want to say thank you for your friendship, I love you all very much, and no matter the distance or differences between us, you can count on me!
Week 42: Why I love Ecuador (week 11 of pregnancy)
There is a drought in Ecuador right now. Ecuador counts on a rainy season each year, which they call winter, and this year it has simply not come. Aside from the obvious implications of a drought and the problems it brings, there´s a fun one that I didn´t know about. Ecuador is powered not by power plants but by water! They harness the power of the many rivers in Ecuador which, while very politically correct, is a little inconvenient when there is a DROUGHT.
So, the solution to this problem is that throughout the whole country, your power is cut for four hours a day. This is to save on water consumption and thus not lose power completely. But you know, we are without power for four hours a day, and the time of day varies depending on the schedule. It´s not so bad in the middle of the day when there is sunlight...mostly just an inconvenience. But it´s a little frustrating when you get home from church at 10pm and flick on the light only to discover that there is no power, and you left the candles in the kitchen at the other end of the apartment. That´s just dangerous, especially when your husband likes to leave his shoes out in the middle of the floor precisely for moments like these when you can´t see a thing and are just praying you don´t trip over anything on the way to the kitchen.
I´m not sure how long this will go on, but I´m guessing it will be until we get tons and tons of rain. So, note to self: Keep candles by the front door. And matches, too!
So, the solution to this problem is that throughout the whole country, your power is cut for four hours a day. This is to save on water consumption and thus not lose power completely. But you know, we are without power for four hours a day, and the time of day varies depending on the schedule. It´s not so bad in the middle of the day when there is sunlight...mostly just an inconvenience. But it´s a little frustrating when you get home from church at 10pm and flick on the light only to discover that there is no power, and you left the candles in the kitchen at the other end of the apartment. That´s just dangerous, especially when your husband likes to leave his shoes out in the middle of the floor precisely for moments like these when you can´t see a thing and are just praying you don´t trip over anything on the way to the kitchen.
I´m not sure how long this will go on, but I´m guessing it will be until we get tons and tons of rain. So, note to self: Keep candles by the front door. And matches, too!
Week 41: The purpose of this life (week 10 of pregnancy)
I was listening to a sermon by Cash Luna online and I really liked what he said. He asked this question: ¨If the only reason for this life is to get to heaven, then why didn´t you die as soon as you accepted Christ as your savior?¨
God is certainly going to reward us with Heaven, that´s a guarantee, but that isn´t the reason that you and I are here on this earth. We´re here to work for the Kingdom. I think of it this way. Salvation is not by works, but by faith. Salvation translates into going to Heaven, of course, so basically we don´t earn it...it´s built into the deal. Basically, when we become God´s workers, we get a built in retirement plan. But the quality of the plan is based on the investment we put in now. In other words, if I live my whole life as a Christian and do the minimum for the Kingdom, I go to Heaven, and that will be great! But the more I invest in the Kingdom now, the better my retirement plan. It´s nice to retire to a little cottage with a little back yard, but it´s much nicer to retire to a mansion on 100 acres, right?
So maybe we are missing the point a little bit if we think that the whole idea of being Christians is to get to Heaven. That´s really just the starting point. And if you´re curious about what the best thing to do for the Kingdom is, I think it is telling as many people as you can whenever you can about the gift God has given you. We have the best news in the world, and we should be telling others about it so they can use this life as an investment, too. We need to learn to invest our time in things that have value for the Kingdom, and when we do that, we´ll find that Jesus wasn´t kidding when He said that this life is meant to be an abundant one!
God is certainly going to reward us with Heaven, that´s a guarantee, but that isn´t the reason that you and I are here on this earth. We´re here to work for the Kingdom. I think of it this way. Salvation is not by works, but by faith. Salvation translates into going to Heaven, of course, so basically we don´t earn it...it´s built into the deal. Basically, when we become God´s workers, we get a built in retirement plan. But the quality of the plan is based on the investment we put in now. In other words, if I live my whole life as a Christian and do the minimum for the Kingdom, I go to Heaven, and that will be great! But the more I invest in the Kingdom now, the better my retirement plan. It´s nice to retire to a little cottage with a little back yard, but it´s much nicer to retire to a mansion on 100 acres, right?
So maybe we are missing the point a little bit if we think that the whole idea of being Christians is to get to Heaven. That´s really just the starting point. And if you´re curious about what the best thing to do for the Kingdom is, I think it is telling as many people as you can whenever you can about the gift God has given you. We have the best news in the world, and we should be telling others about it so they can use this life as an investment, too. We need to learn to invest our time in things that have value for the Kingdom, and when we do that, we´ll find that Jesus wasn´t kidding when He said that this life is meant to be an abundant one!
Week 40: Thank Heaven for husbands (week 9 of pregnancy)
I just want to tell the world (or at least those of you who read my blog) that I thank God for my husband! Today I was thinking about single and teenage moms, who have to go through pregnancy and motherhood alone, and I feel extremely blessed to have a husband who supports and takes care of me.
To be honest, these days I am feeling like a complete loser in the wife department. I sleep all the time, and when I´m awake I just want to throw up. My diet consists of saltines and water, and I can´t even cook normal food for my husband because the smell of rice (a meal requirement in Ecuador) makes me want to vomit. Literally. My cleaning is to a bare minimum as I move sluggishly around the apartment trying to organize the most obvious parts of the house, and I´m really very little good for conversations, what with the mood swings and all.
Still, despite all this, my husband has very dutifully taken care of me (and himself, and the apartment) without so much as a complaint. He actually does it with a smile. And while he really has no idea where things go, and therefore I will have to reorganize the house once this phase of pregnancy passes, I can´t complain because he does it all to help me.
So if any of you out there have husbands like mine, who let you have a few off days without so much as a complaint and who help you when you need it just out of the goodness of their hearts, then take a moment and thank them. And then thank God for them. And then, if you´re pregnant, go ahead and take a nap.
To be honest, these days I am feeling like a complete loser in the wife department. I sleep all the time, and when I´m awake I just want to throw up. My diet consists of saltines and water, and I can´t even cook normal food for my husband because the smell of rice (a meal requirement in Ecuador) makes me want to vomit. Literally. My cleaning is to a bare minimum as I move sluggishly around the apartment trying to organize the most obvious parts of the house, and I´m really very little good for conversations, what with the mood swings and all.
Still, despite all this, my husband has very dutifully taken care of me (and himself, and the apartment) without so much as a complaint. He actually does it with a smile. And while he really has no idea where things go, and therefore I will have to reorganize the house once this phase of pregnancy passes, I can´t complain because he does it all to help me.
So if any of you out there have husbands like mine, who let you have a few off days without so much as a complaint and who help you when you need it just out of the goodness of their hearts, then take a moment and thank them. And then thank God for them. And then, if you´re pregnant, go ahead and take a nap.
Week 39: Nine months married (week 8 of pregnancy)
This week marked our nine month anniversary! Time goes by so quickly! I can´t believe we have been married for almost a year!
I read this quote recently and I like it a lot:
¨In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage.¨
I think every married couple could easily find a million reasons not to stay together. It´s not hard. What´s hard is waking up each day and remembering exactly why you want to be married! Some days it´s easy...like on your anniversary when you feel all warm and fuzzy. But some days it´s difficult, like when you run into some kind of crisis. On good days it´s easy to remember why you fell in love with that person, and why you still love them. It was their laugh, maybe, or their romantic side. Maybe it was their sense of humor or maybe some quality in them that you admired. But what about when your prince charming turns into a regular man, and those marriage-worthy qualities seem far away?
As a Christian woman, my last resort is always a simple reminder of what the Bible says. God hates divorce. He hates it! Why? Because when two people get married, it isn´t the pastor or the government who marries them, it´s God! The bond of marriage is supernatural. Who am I to even consider breaking that bond?
But here´s another thought, something I´ve learned in these nine months. When he seems the least attractive to you, when all those charming qualities you love about him are nowhere to be found, and you are wondering what happened to that guy you dated, look in the mirror. Are you the girl he dated? Do you still try to look your best? Do you still try to be on your best behavior with him? I´ve found that my husband´s behavior is often (although not always) a direct reflection of my behavior towards him, and if I change my behavior, his is sure to follow suit. In marriage we are like sponges of our partners, and whatever mood we set they are sure to soak up. So my thought is this, that I, as a godly wife, should be setting the tone in my home before my husband even gets here. I need to spend time with God, and spend time getting my heart right so that my husband comes home to a calm, peaceful home instead of coming home to find me annoyed, aggravated, stressed, etc. It´s easier said than done I suppose, but not nearly as difficult as our selfishness wants us to believe!
I read this quote recently and I like it a lot:
¨In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage.¨
I think every married couple could easily find a million reasons not to stay together. It´s not hard. What´s hard is waking up each day and remembering exactly why you want to be married! Some days it´s easy...like on your anniversary when you feel all warm and fuzzy. But some days it´s difficult, like when you run into some kind of crisis. On good days it´s easy to remember why you fell in love with that person, and why you still love them. It was their laugh, maybe, or their romantic side. Maybe it was their sense of humor or maybe some quality in them that you admired. But what about when your prince charming turns into a regular man, and those marriage-worthy qualities seem far away?
As a Christian woman, my last resort is always a simple reminder of what the Bible says. God hates divorce. He hates it! Why? Because when two people get married, it isn´t the pastor or the government who marries them, it´s God! The bond of marriage is supernatural. Who am I to even consider breaking that bond?
But here´s another thought, something I´ve learned in these nine months. When he seems the least attractive to you, when all those charming qualities you love about him are nowhere to be found, and you are wondering what happened to that guy you dated, look in the mirror. Are you the girl he dated? Do you still try to look your best? Do you still try to be on your best behavior with him? I´ve found that my husband´s behavior is often (although not always) a direct reflection of my behavior towards him, and if I change my behavior, his is sure to follow suit. In marriage we are like sponges of our partners, and whatever mood we set they are sure to soak up. So my thought is this, that I, as a godly wife, should be setting the tone in my home before my husband even gets here. I need to spend time with God, and spend time getting my heart right so that my husband comes home to a calm, peaceful home instead of coming home to find me annoyed, aggravated, stressed, etc. It´s easier said than done I suppose, but not nearly as difficult as our selfishness wants us to believe!
Week 38: Partial Bedrest (week 7 of pregnancy)
I have been having some cramping, probably normal stretching of the uterus and all that, but the doctor has ordered me to partial bedrest for now. I can still do things around the house, but not very much, and I can´t really go anywhere. I´m pretty disappointed because I didn´t get to go to the vigilia at church and I don´t get to help out with the ministry. I am helping with the things I can do at home, but I really miss being a part of everything. I also feel like I´m really not doing a very good job of supporting by husband, but he assures me that the best way I can help him is to take care of myself and the baby. Still, I´m not liking this bedrest thing too much. Hopefully it will not last too long! Until then, maybe I will take advantage of the time to myself and catch up on my reading!
Week 38: Cash Luna (week 7 of pregnancy)
The cat is out of the bag. This week Cash Luna came to Ecuador. He´s a famous preacher from Guatemala, I believe, and he was here for two nights preaching. The event was free and we decided to go with a few friends on the second night.
Right outside of the auditorium were some people selling refreshments, so I asked Jairo to buy me a water. Not two feet away was the entrance to the auditorium, and as we walked in the usher stopped me and said I could not take the water into the auditorium. I stood there for a second with a blank look on my face. Then why are you selling these things here??? I wanted to ask him, but the words didn´t come out. What I said was, very calmly, I´m pregnant and I need to have the water with me. (It didn´t occur to me just then that our friends did not know I was pregnant. hmm.) Then we walked another 10 feet and another usher stopped me. A little more annoyed this time, I said the same thing to him. He stood there thinking for a minute and then decided to let me pass. Another 10 feet or so and there is another usher, this time a woman. She stops me too, and now I have reached my limit for patience. With tears in my eyes I explain to her that she will not touch my water because I am pregnant and I need it! She says not to get angry and just to please remember to throw away the bottle after the event. (I realized later that I forgot to throw it away. Oops.)
It wasn´t until we sat down that I realized that at least one of our friends was close enough to me in line to have heard me announce three times that I was pregnant. Oops. Well, after the event Jairo took our friends aside and told them the news, since I really left him no option, and asked them to keep it a secret for a little while until we were ready to announce it. They were all very excited and assured us that they wouldn´t tell anyone. I guess we´ll find out if that´s true or not!
The event itself was really cool. I had never been to anything like it, but you could just feel God´s presence in that place as Cash Luna spoke. He seems like a really neat person. After the event we went out to eat at KFC and got to have a really good conversation with our friends about God and their Christian lives, which was really special. I wish we would have gone to both nights!
Right outside of the auditorium were some people selling refreshments, so I asked Jairo to buy me a water. Not two feet away was the entrance to the auditorium, and as we walked in the usher stopped me and said I could not take the water into the auditorium. I stood there for a second with a blank look on my face. Then why are you selling these things here??? I wanted to ask him, but the words didn´t come out. What I said was, very calmly, I´m pregnant and I need to have the water with me. (It didn´t occur to me just then that our friends did not know I was pregnant. hmm.) Then we walked another 10 feet and another usher stopped me. A little more annoyed this time, I said the same thing to him. He stood there thinking for a minute and then decided to let me pass. Another 10 feet or so and there is another usher, this time a woman. She stops me too, and now I have reached my limit for patience. With tears in my eyes I explain to her that she will not touch my water because I am pregnant and I need it! She says not to get angry and just to please remember to throw away the bottle after the event. (I realized later that I forgot to throw it away. Oops.)
It wasn´t until we sat down that I realized that at least one of our friends was close enough to me in line to have heard me announce three times that I was pregnant. Oops. Well, after the event Jairo took our friends aside and told them the news, since I really left him no option, and asked them to keep it a secret for a little while until we were ready to announce it. They were all very excited and assured us that they wouldn´t tell anyone. I guess we´ll find out if that´s true or not!
The event itself was really cool. I had never been to anything like it, but you could just feel God´s presence in that place as Cash Luna spoke. He seems like a really neat person. After the event we went out to eat at KFC and got to have a really good conversation with our friends about God and their Christian lives, which was really special. I wish we would have gone to both nights!
Week 37: Telling the family (week 6 of pregnancy)
This week when my parents called me, I was almost bursting with the news about the baby. I had already waited a week to tell them, since my brother came home from Afghanistan last week. Still, I let the conversation roll on normally for a while before giving the news. Until I really just could take it anymore, that is.
Jairo and I decided to only tell our immediate families about the pregnancy until the end of the first trimester, just to be on the safe side. It´s my first pregnancy so we really don´t know what to expect.
My parents were very happy, although I think they were also a little worried since I live so far away and they didn´t really expect us to have a baby this soon. Who did? But more than anything else, they were happy and supportive, and it was just another reminder that this baby is going to be born into more love than it will know what to do with!
We told Jairo´s parents too, and they were shocked but also happy and supportive, just like my parents. I think it helps everyone to be more at ease seeing how God has provided for us and how we have grown together as a couple. At this point I might be the most worried one of all of us!
Once the novelty of being pregnant wears off, you come into this whole new set of fears, and worry about things that you never would have even thought about before. Your whole perspective changes. There´s so much to worry about! I decided to compartmentalize those fears by trimester, so right now I am only worrying about things related to this stage of pregnancy. I am trying not to worry at all, but since that seems impossible I at least want to worry about less than I was worrying about before!
I think about the deal I made with God about this baby and despite all the fears and worries, I know that God has formed this life inside of me for a reason, and He has a great purpose for this baby´s life. I just need to trust that the One who formed this life will continue forming it until the day when it´s time to bring this baby into the world!
Jairo and I decided to only tell our immediate families about the pregnancy until the end of the first trimester, just to be on the safe side. It´s my first pregnancy so we really don´t know what to expect.
My parents were very happy, although I think they were also a little worried since I live so far away and they didn´t really expect us to have a baby this soon. Who did? But more than anything else, they were happy and supportive, and it was just another reminder that this baby is going to be born into more love than it will know what to do with!
We told Jairo´s parents too, and they were shocked but also happy and supportive, just like my parents. I think it helps everyone to be more at ease seeing how God has provided for us and how we have grown together as a couple. At this point I might be the most worried one of all of us!
Once the novelty of being pregnant wears off, you come into this whole new set of fears, and worry about things that you never would have even thought about before. Your whole perspective changes. There´s so much to worry about! I decided to compartmentalize those fears by trimester, so right now I am only worrying about things related to this stage of pregnancy. I am trying not to worry at all, but since that seems impossible I at least want to worry about less than I was worrying about before!
I think about the deal I made with God about this baby and despite all the fears and worries, I know that God has formed this life inside of me for a reason, and He has a great purpose for this baby´s life. I just need to trust that the One who formed this life will continue forming it until the day when it´s time to bring this baby into the world!
Week 37: The joys of pregnancy (week 6 of pregnancy)
Well, now that I am into the first trimester, I´m beginning to experience those lovely early pregnancy symptoms...especially nausea and exhaustion. I did not know it was possible to feel this tired! It´s crazy...I have to take several naps just to get through a day. Before I was pregnant I could not have napped if I wanted to. I was just not able to sleep during the day. Now I am not able to stay awake!!
Still, that´s not too bad. Sleeping is actually pretty nice. But the nausea, now that is something I could really do without. I am pretty accustomed to being sick, but this is just terrible. I feel terrible all the time. And have you heard that pregnant women are especially sensitive to smells and some smells can make them throw up? Well, I cannot stand the smell of rice! And in case you didn´t know, in Ecuador, all they eat is rice! At every meal! I can´t even cook rice.
I just hope I´m one of the lucky ones whose nausea eases up after the first trimester! God, give me strength!! It will all be worth it in May when the baby is born!
Still, that´s not too bad. Sleeping is actually pretty nice. But the nausea, now that is something I could really do without. I am pretty accustomed to being sick, but this is just terrible. I feel terrible all the time. And have you heard that pregnant women are especially sensitive to smells and some smells can make them throw up? Well, I cannot stand the smell of rice! And in case you didn´t know, in Ecuador, all they eat is rice! At every meal! I can´t even cook rice.
I just hope I´m one of the lucky ones whose nausea eases up after the first trimester! God, give me strength!! It will all be worth it in May when the baby is born!
Week 36: Welcome Home! (Week 5 of pregnancy)
The moment I have been praying for finally arrived this week. My brother Nick finally came home from Afghanistan! Proof that God is faithful and takes good care of his children, I got to talk to my brother for the first time in a very long time, and see pictures on facebook of his homecoming. I would have loved to be there!
I decided to wait until next week to tell my parents about the baby. I didn´t want to steal my brother´s thunder. After all, I was so excited that he was finally home, finally safe. He deserved to have all the spotlight, even if he didn´t want it! He is a hero, he is my brother, and he is finally home!!
On my list of answered prayers, there appear many things, big and small. My dad getting back into the ministry, this pregnancy, my new bookshelf, and now, another thing to add to my list...something I have waited patiently for and something I have prayed faithfully for, too. My brother is home safe, and I can rest just a little more soundly tonight knowing that he is surrounded by the many people who love him...and far away on another continent, I am thinking of him, too. Welcome home, Nick!
I decided to wait until next week to tell my parents about the baby. I didn´t want to steal my brother´s thunder. After all, I was so excited that he was finally home, finally safe. He deserved to have all the spotlight, even if he didn´t want it! He is a hero, he is my brother, and he is finally home!!
On my list of answered prayers, there appear many things, big and small. My dad getting back into the ministry, this pregnancy, my new bookshelf, and now, another thing to add to my list...something I have waited patiently for and something I have prayed faithfully for, too. My brother is home safe, and I can rest just a little more soundly tonight knowing that he is surrounded by the many people who love him...and far away on another continent, I am thinking of him, too. Welcome home, Nick!
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