I don´t know if this is true of all or many pregnant women, but lately I have personally found that I have two instincts warring inside of me all day long. First, there is the nesting instinct. (Jairo loves to tell me I´m nesting, mostly because he loves to laugh at the idea of me making a nest for our new baby.) This instinct is powerful, and if ignored leads to extreme restlessness. It is, of course, the so-called ¨burst of energy¨ in the weeks before labor that prompts a woman to do things ranging from normal to insane in order to get ready for baby. Now, what alphabetizing the contents of the fridge or sweeping ten times a day has to do with preparation for a baby, I have no idea, but the instinct is there nonetheless. Apparently this instinct exists in all female mammals. For example, a female rabbit will tear out her own fur in order to line a nest for her little ones before they are born. I have not yet torn out my hair for nest-making purposes, although for other reasons I am tempted once in a while. But that´s another story.
The other instinct, however, is that of self-preservation. This is the instinct that tells you to just take it easy. It´s the one screaming at you that nine months pregnant is not the time to be on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor with a toothbrush. It´s that little voice that says, ¨Why in the world did you think you could climb up onto a chair and reach that box at the very top of the closet to organize it at 6am??¨ Interestingly enough, this particular little voice sounds a lot like my husband. Not to mention all of the literal voices telling you, ¨Get some rest! Save your energy for the big day!¨ etc. I like how people think that energy is something you can save up, like there is some kind of bank somewhere that is going to give me dividends if I invest my energy for one month leading up to labor. If that really worked, women would do exactly that...they would do nothing but stay in bed for a month and then on the day of labor they would push that baby out so fast with the saved up energy and interest that labor would be a walk in the park.
Still, the self-preservation instinct is also a motherly instinct, because as a pregnant woman you become more and more aware that taking care of a child begins long before birth. Poor choices in pregnancy can lead to problems for mom and baby, so it does pay to be prudent.
Well, obviously, these two instincts are often in direct contradiction of each other, which makes for a confused mommy-to-be. And believe me, what with the surging hormones and the forgetfullness, mommy was already confused. So what is a pregnant girl to do?
Today, for example, I have a whole list of things I want to accomplish. The majority of them are not baby related at all, mostly because everything that I can do for now has been done a hundred times. I don´t know how else I can organize the baby clothes, or how many times I can take out the stroller and practice folding, unfolding, etc. My doctor has no desire to see me until week 37, so I don´t have much hope on the horizon for new baby-related activities at least until then.
One of the things on my list is to work on Jairo´s birthday present. The project itself is not difficult, but I know better than to trust my fluctuating energy levels, so I am trying to do it little by little. Jairo left early this morning, so my big plan today was to get up when he left and start in on the project right away. Well, I did get up when he left, thanks in large part to the construction my neighbors have going on which apparently involves a lot of hammers, but I did not work on the gift. I ate, first of all, because there was just no avoiding that. These days I am hungry even when I´m full, so eating small meals and snacks all day long is pretty much a custom around here. (In my defense, most of these foods are fruits and veggies, since I try not to keep junk food in the house...out of sight, out of mind!) Well, I ate, and I fed the rabbits, since I thought it only fair that we all eat together. Then, since I was still so tired that I couldn´t see straight, I came back to bed, but thanks to the neighbors could not sleep. I then decided to check my email and was delighted to see that several friends had written me, which is always a nice pick-me-up when one lives on another continent. So I spent some time replying to them and then decided that I would write this blog entry. Not exactly the productive morning I had planned, but my self-preservation instinct is basking in the glory of its victory.
So, now I am faced with the following options: I can work on the project in the two hours or so that I have left until my husband comes home, I can do all of the other things on my list until my husband comes home, or I can sleep...the hammering seems to have died down for the time being. I´m really leaning towards sleeping. (Listen to the sound of cheering coming from the self-preservation crowd!) I mean, you never know...maybe I will earn some kind of interest on resting...It can´t hurt to try, right?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Week 66: Fifteen Months Married (Week 35 of pregnancy)
We actually had our fifteen month anniversary last week, but we celebrated it today. We always like to do something special every 24th, even if it´s just something small like getting ice cream. This month we decided in advance that we were going to get a movie to watch at home and make fried fish with rice and patacones (fried plantains). That´s why we waited until today to celebrate, in order to have enough time.
I was thinking today about the beauty of living every day life with someone that you love. I was also thinking about the importance of laughter as an ingredient in that daily life. Lately I have noticed that Jairo and I have spent a lot of our time making each other laugh, and I think there is a direct correlation between that and how nice our marriage has been lately. Of course, there are always ups and downs, but I feel like lately we have been doing really well. It´s surprising, too, because our stress level is really high these days. My pregnancy is quickly approaching its big day, and that brings with it lots of stress as we try to get ready for baby, and getting ready involves so much more than just shopping! There are so many emotional aspects, for example. And in my case, the hormones currently surging through my body at record levels only add to the stress of that preparation as worries often turn in to tears. That, in turn, adds to Jairo´s stress level, while he is also dealing with all of those outside stressors of the ministry and of providing for his family.
Still, with all those things to stress about, when we are together, there is calm and genuine happiness that in other, less stressful times was not present. I think the key is laughter. Of course, there are many other important ingredients. But I think when you realize that your spouse is your teammate, and you are both trying to get to the same place in life, that´s a good common ground to let some things slide and just be silly once in a while.
I think it´s also good to tell each other once in a while why you appreciate one another. The other day Jairo and I were talking and I was expressing my feelings that being a wife, and soon a mother, is great, but sometimes has me feeling like I am on the sidelines while Jairo gets all of the action, so to speak. Jairo seemed genuinely surprised by this and started telling me how important what I do as a wife is for him to be able to minister. He told me, ¨I could not do anything that I do now if it weren´t for what you do here in our home and what you do to help me.¨ I replied that of course he could, to which he responded, ¨No, really, I couldn´t do any of it.¨ He went on to list all of the things I do for him on a daily basis and their importance to him, which I had never even begun to think of as important until now. So my point is that it doesn´t hurt to share those things once in a while, because we never really know what we mean to others if they don´t express that to us.
But to be honest, I am really thinking that laughter is the key ingredient to all of this. I have mentioned before that one thing I really love about Jairo is that he will do anything, and I mean anything, to make me laugh when I am sad. His specialty in my saddest moments when nothing else works is an impression of Steve Erkel. It gets me every time. On the other hand, when I want to make him laugh I do all kinds of crazy dances, which always makes him laugh, no matter what. It has become about 100 times more effective since my belly became a planet and I look that much more ridiculous. We love to laugh with each other and at each other, and I think that those moments are what make the hard times worth putting up with.
Although a close second would be this: Today after our celebration we were both on our respective computers doing our respective work and feeling contented to be close together, working in silence. He closed his computer, signaling that it was about time for him to get ready for church, and so I left what I was doing and we just laid there together for a minute and cuddled, and I thought, this right here is exactly why I got married. Two minutes of holding the whole world in your arms and none of the other silly things in life seem to have much significance.
Here´s to fifteen months of learning to laugh and learning to appreciate the simple moments in life! Soon we will be learning all over again when our little one comes...I have a feeling that those first few months are going to require even more sense of humor!
I was thinking today about the beauty of living every day life with someone that you love. I was also thinking about the importance of laughter as an ingredient in that daily life. Lately I have noticed that Jairo and I have spent a lot of our time making each other laugh, and I think there is a direct correlation between that and how nice our marriage has been lately. Of course, there are always ups and downs, but I feel like lately we have been doing really well. It´s surprising, too, because our stress level is really high these days. My pregnancy is quickly approaching its big day, and that brings with it lots of stress as we try to get ready for baby, and getting ready involves so much more than just shopping! There are so many emotional aspects, for example. And in my case, the hormones currently surging through my body at record levels only add to the stress of that preparation as worries often turn in to tears. That, in turn, adds to Jairo´s stress level, while he is also dealing with all of those outside stressors of the ministry and of providing for his family.
Still, with all those things to stress about, when we are together, there is calm and genuine happiness that in other, less stressful times was not present. I think the key is laughter. Of course, there are many other important ingredients. But I think when you realize that your spouse is your teammate, and you are both trying to get to the same place in life, that´s a good common ground to let some things slide and just be silly once in a while.
I think it´s also good to tell each other once in a while why you appreciate one another. The other day Jairo and I were talking and I was expressing my feelings that being a wife, and soon a mother, is great, but sometimes has me feeling like I am on the sidelines while Jairo gets all of the action, so to speak. Jairo seemed genuinely surprised by this and started telling me how important what I do as a wife is for him to be able to minister. He told me, ¨I could not do anything that I do now if it weren´t for what you do here in our home and what you do to help me.¨ I replied that of course he could, to which he responded, ¨No, really, I couldn´t do any of it.¨ He went on to list all of the things I do for him on a daily basis and their importance to him, which I had never even begun to think of as important until now. So my point is that it doesn´t hurt to share those things once in a while, because we never really know what we mean to others if they don´t express that to us.
But to be honest, I am really thinking that laughter is the key ingredient to all of this. I have mentioned before that one thing I really love about Jairo is that he will do anything, and I mean anything, to make me laugh when I am sad. His specialty in my saddest moments when nothing else works is an impression of Steve Erkel. It gets me every time. On the other hand, when I want to make him laugh I do all kinds of crazy dances, which always makes him laugh, no matter what. It has become about 100 times more effective since my belly became a planet and I look that much more ridiculous. We love to laugh with each other and at each other, and I think that those moments are what make the hard times worth putting up with.
Although a close second would be this: Today after our celebration we were both on our respective computers doing our respective work and feeling contented to be close together, working in silence. He closed his computer, signaling that it was about time for him to get ready for church, and so I left what I was doing and we just laid there together for a minute and cuddled, and I thought, this right here is exactly why I got married. Two minutes of holding the whole world in your arms and none of the other silly things in life seem to have much significance.
Here´s to fifteen months of learning to laugh and learning to appreciate the simple moments in life! Soon we will be learning all over again when our little one comes...I have a feeling that those first few months are going to require even more sense of humor!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Week 65: A miracle week (week 34 of pregnancy)
Okay, miracle is a strong word. But something must have happened that I was unaware of. (At this point in my pregnancy, that doesn´t really surprise me.) My husband is always very caring and responsible, as well as affectionate, but once we got married and got so busy, I noticed a decline in his romantic gestures. Once I got pregnant, he got even busier because I was no longer around to help him, so the trend continued.
Now, I´m not saying my husband is never romantic or never does anything sweet. He does. He does a lot of very thoughtful things, one of my favorites of which is when he goes grocery shopping for me and brings me home all kinds of surprises. This week I commented to him that he never buys me flowers anymore. I think these comments are usually fueled by tv commercials and things of that nature, and are never really serious complaints. It´s more like I see it on tv and say, ¨Hey, that reminds me...¨ Jairo knows enough to know that those kinds of comments are usually just me being random, so neither of us pay to much attention to those moments. Which is why it surprised me that the next day when he got home from grocery shopping bearing many yummy treats for me as always, he also came home with a bouquet of roses! White and red roses, since he knows how much I love white roses.
Now, that was romantic gesture enough to last me a while. I´m really not that demanding when it comes to things like that...just once in a while I like to know that those feelings are still there. So I was all set. Then this morning someone called us at 7am, and afterwards I couldn´t get back to sleep. I really hate when people call before noon. It´s just so hard to get good sleep these days, and I wake up all the time to go to the bathroom, change positions, eat, etc. that I like to have the freedom to get some sleep. I can probably forgive anyone who calls after 10am, depending on the night I had, but 7am was enough to give me some violent day dreams. Jairo couldn´t get back to sleep later, so he got up. I heard him in the kitchen and wondered absentmindedly what he was up to as I tried hopelessly to force myself into REM. Then in comes Jairo to serve me breakfast in bed! As if that were not enough, he goes back to the kitchen and washes the dishes. All of the dishes. There were a lot of dishes.
Now, I´m not sure if I did something good without realizing it, or maybe the planets are all aligned (although I think that supposedly is going to usher in the apocalypse, so maybe not) or what happened, but I could really get used to this! I´m trying to think of a good way to return the favor, factoring in my lifestyle of forced rest...I´m not sure what kind of gesture I will come up with, I think he definitely deserves something special after all of these nice things he´s doing for me! I think I´ll try to get some sleep first, though.
Now, I´m not saying my husband is never romantic or never does anything sweet. He does. He does a lot of very thoughtful things, one of my favorites of which is when he goes grocery shopping for me and brings me home all kinds of surprises. This week I commented to him that he never buys me flowers anymore. I think these comments are usually fueled by tv commercials and things of that nature, and are never really serious complaints. It´s more like I see it on tv and say, ¨Hey, that reminds me...¨ Jairo knows enough to know that those kinds of comments are usually just me being random, so neither of us pay to much attention to those moments. Which is why it surprised me that the next day when he got home from grocery shopping bearing many yummy treats for me as always, he also came home with a bouquet of roses! White and red roses, since he knows how much I love white roses.
Now, that was romantic gesture enough to last me a while. I´m really not that demanding when it comes to things like that...just once in a while I like to know that those feelings are still there. So I was all set. Then this morning someone called us at 7am, and afterwards I couldn´t get back to sleep. I really hate when people call before noon. It´s just so hard to get good sleep these days, and I wake up all the time to go to the bathroom, change positions, eat, etc. that I like to have the freedom to get some sleep. I can probably forgive anyone who calls after 10am, depending on the night I had, but 7am was enough to give me some violent day dreams. Jairo couldn´t get back to sleep later, so he got up. I heard him in the kitchen and wondered absentmindedly what he was up to as I tried hopelessly to force myself into REM. Then in comes Jairo to serve me breakfast in bed! As if that were not enough, he goes back to the kitchen and washes the dishes. All of the dishes. There were a lot of dishes.
Now, I´m not sure if I did something good without realizing it, or maybe the planets are all aligned (although I think that supposedly is going to usher in the apocalypse, so maybe not) or what happened, but I could really get used to this! I´m trying to think of a good way to return the favor, factoring in my lifestyle of forced rest...I´m not sure what kind of gesture I will come up with, I think he definitely deserves something special after all of these nice things he´s doing for me! I think I´ll try to get some sleep first, though.
Week 65: The big mystery...solved! (week 34 of pregnancy)
We have been waiting patiently for another chance to see our little one, but my doctor is of the philosophy that ultrasounds are unnecessary except at 5 and 9 months. I personally believe they are justifiable at least once a week, because I just love seeing that little person in there! Still, I have waited and waited.
My mom wanted us to try to find out the sex of the baby before she sent out the shower invitations, so we decided to go ahead and get an ultrasound on our own. I have been pretty sure this baby is a boy since the beginning of my pregnancy, which means that I´ve had that idea for about 8 months! Imagine my surprise when the doctor told us that it´s a girl!
¨Are you sure?¨ I asked him, stunned.
¨Yep.¨
¨Like, really sure?¨
¨Yep.¨
A girl! What a surprise! My mom is ecstatic...apparently she has lots of friends who have had girl babies, so she´s probably tearing into the baby clothes as we speak.
To be honest, I wasn´t sure what to feel. In the beginning, even before I got pregnant, I wanted a girl first. Mostly to be sure I get at least one. After all, what mom doesn´t want a daughter. Still, 8 months thinking you are having a boy makes it an adjustment when you find out how long you´ve been wrong!
Jairo wasn´t actually surprised. Sometimes it drives me crazy how calm he is about this pregnancy. I sit here and worry about labor, the baby, life once baby is born, and Jairo´s just thrilled to be a dad. I think his approach is better, but I seem to be incapable of not worrying. Maybe it´s because during pregnancy and labor dad is more of a spectator, until baby is actually born. But anyway, I was really surprised. We haven´t even thought about girl names.
Still, the idea of all those adorable pink things is starting to get me excited. I can´t help but shake the feeling that maybe the ultrasound is wrong, so I´m still buying mostly neutral things for now, but my mother-in-law already started on the dress to bring our little girl home in. I joked to Jairo that he better be ready to run to the store to pick something up in case it´s a boy, though!
My mom wanted us to try to find out the sex of the baby before she sent out the shower invitations, so we decided to go ahead and get an ultrasound on our own. I have been pretty sure this baby is a boy since the beginning of my pregnancy, which means that I´ve had that idea for about 8 months! Imagine my surprise when the doctor told us that it´s a girl!
¨Are you sure?¨ I asked him, stunned.
¨Yep.¨
¨Like, really sure?¨
¨Yep.¨
A girl! What a surprise! My mom is ecstatic...apparently she has lots of friends who have had girl babies, so she´s probably tearing into the baby clothes as we speak.
To be honest, I wasn´t sure what to feel. In the beginning, even before I got pregnant, I wanted a girl first. Mostly to be sure I get at least one. After all, what mom doesn´t want a daughter. Still, 8 months thinking you are having a boy makes it an adjustment when you find out how long you´ve been wrong!
Jairo wasn´t actually surprised. Sometimes it drives me crazy how calm he is about this pregnancy. I sit here and worry about labor, the baby, life once baby is born, and Jairo´s just thrilled to be a dad. I think his approach is better, but I seem to be incapable of not worrying. Maybe it´s because during pregnancy and labor dad is more of a spectator, until baby is actually born. But anyway, I was really surprised. We haven´t even thought about girl names.
Still, the idea of all those adorable pink things is starting to get me excited. I can´t help but shake the feeling that maybe the ultrasound is wrong, so I´m still buying mostly neutral things for now, but my mother-in-law already started on the dress to bring our little girl home in. I joked to Jairo that he better be ready to run to the store to pick something up in case it´s a boy, though!
Week 64: Is resting more even possible at this point? (week 33 of pregnancy)
Well, I went to the doctor for my monthly checkup only to be told that I needed to rest more. Apparently my blood pressure is a little high.
Rest more? More? Is that even a possibility?
Okay, I know it is possible because I´ve heard the bedrest horror stories, but come on. I was not exactly accepting the idea of rest with much enthusiasm before. And now I need more rest? What do I even do in a day besides house chores and this blog? All of my current activities are pretty inactive ones tailored to this idea of getting rest, highly encouraged by my doctor and my husband. I work on different ministry things on the computer, so besides an impending case of carpal tunnel I think that´s fine. I sometimes sew, but that I do sitting down. I make bracelets and other crafty things, again, sitting down. My chores are limited to what my husband thinks is appropriate based on his idea of resting, so I only do the easy things like cooking and washing dishes. I wash the clothes, for example, but Jairo hangs them up on the line. So really, more rest?
The only thing I really get to do every day that is not resting is go on a walk with Jairo around the neighborhood. Even that I don´t get to do every day, because Jairo won´t take me if I´ve been complaining of pain or contractions, for example. I know he´s just trying to take care me and the baby, but it still annoys me how much everyone treats me like I´m so breakable! Okay, maybe I am a little fragile at this point, but I just don´t think we should exaggerate the fact.
This is one of those cases where I have to submit to my doctor (and husband...enforcer of my doctor´s commands) for the good of the baby if not for myself. The reality is that I cannot take care of the baby if I don´t take care of me, because we are so interconnected. So, while it generally involves much sighing and rolling of the eyes, and occasionally a few tears when I have to miss out on activities I enjoy, I do try to rest. After all, resting will never be as easy as it is now! Soon I will have a little one to look after, and once I´ve recovered from labor no one will be encouraging me to rest! Still, I think baby and I are going to have the habit of taking long walks and getting out of the house. Hopefully baby agrees.
Rest more? More? Is that even a possibility?
Okay, I know it is possible because I´ve heard the bedrest horror stories, but come on. I was not exactly accepting the idea of rest with much enthusiasm before. And now I need more rest? What do I even do in a day besides house chores and this blog? All of my current activities are pretty inactive ones tailored to this idea of getting rest, highly encouraged by my doctor and my husband. I work on different ministry things on the computer, so besides an impending case of carpal tunnel I think that´s fine. I sometimes sew, but that I do sitting down. I make bracelets and other crafty things, again, sitting down. My chores are limited to what my husband thinks is appropriate based on his idea of resting, so I only do the easy things like cooking and washing dishes. I wash the clothes, for example, but Jairo hangs them up on the line. So really, more rest?
The only thing I really get to do every day that is not resting is go on a walk with Jairo around the neighborhood. Even that I don´t get to do every day, because Jairo won´t take me if I´ve been complaining of pain or contractions, for example. I know he´s just trying to take care me and the baby, but it still annoys me how much everyone treats me like I´m so breakable! Okay, maybe I am a little fragile at this point, but I just don´t think we should exaggerate the fact.
This is one of those cases where I have to submit to my doctor (and husband...enforcer of my doctor´s commands) for the good of the baby if not for myself. The reality is that I cannot take care of the baby if I don´t take care of me, because we are so interconnected. So, while it generally involves much sighing and rolling of the eyes, and occasionally a few tears when I have to miss out on activities I enjoy, I do try to rest. After all, resting will never be as easy as it is now! Soon I will have a little one to look after, and once I´ve recovered from labor no one will be encouraging me to rest! Still, I think baby and I are going to have the habit of taking long walks and getting out of the house. Hopefully baby agrees.
Week 64: It´s that time again...more reasons why I love Ecuador (week 33 of pregnancy)
I´m going to add yet another item to my list of why I love this country: Landslides.
My husband was supposed to come back to Quito on Tuesday morning, but thanks to all the rain we´ve been getting there was a landslide and the road was closed. There´s only one way from Puyo to Quito (except the one that goes in a huge circle and takes a million years), so that means we just had to wait it out until the road crew got the landslide cleared up.
Well, eventually he did get home, on Wednesday morning, and he didn´t come empty-handed. He brought me a shelf that his dad made us (which Jairo designed, of course) and a crib set for the baby which his mom made, in green, which is my favorite color. He also bought me more thread for making bracelets and he brought our laptop which has been in Puyo at the computer doctor for about 10 years...or so it seems.
Still, the best part of him coming home was just having him home! It was a long couple of days without him, and such a relief to have him here, going about all his normal activities. Life is back to normal! It seems like it was good for him to get away from the business of all his responsibilities here and hang out with friends and family. I know he would have liked for me to go with him were it possible, but I think it was better for him this way. I really was fine here, although I didn´t enjoy the experience too much, and he was able to do whatever he wanted without worrying about me for a few days, which I think was probably a relief. He did seem a little disappointed that he didn´t get to play more soccer, but I don´t think he would ever really reach a point where he had played ¨enough¨, so all in all I think he had a good time. Now he´s home, so maybe I will finally get some of that rest everyone keeps telling me about!
My husband was supposed to come back to Quito on Tuesday morning, but thanks to all the rain we´ve been getting there was a landslide and the road was closed. There´s only one way from Puyo to Quito (except the one that goes in a huge circle and takes a million years), so that means we just had to wait it out until the road crew got the landslide cleared up.
Well, eventually he did get home, on Wednesday morning, and he didn´t come empty-handed. He brought me a shelf that his dad made us (which Jairo designed, of course) and a crib set for the baby which his mom made, in green, which is my favorite color. He also bought me more thread for making bracelets and he brought our laptop which has been in Puyo at the computer doctor for about 10 years...or so it seems.
Still, the best part of him coming home was just having him home! It was a long couple of days without him, and such a relief to have him here, going about all his normal activities. Life is back to normal! It seems like it was good for him to get away from the business of all his responsibilities here and hang out with friends and family. I know he would have liked for me to go with him were it possible, but I think it was better for him this way. I really was fine here, although I didn´t enjoy the experience too much, and he was able to do whatever he wanted without worrying about me for a few days, which I think was probably a relief. He did seem a little disappointed that he didn´t get to play more soccer, but I don´t think he would ever really reach a point where he had played ¨enough¨, so all in all I think he had a good time. Now he´s home, so maybe I will finally get some of that rest everyone keeps telling me about!
Week 63: Home alone (week 32 of pregnancy)
Today Jairo left for Puyo. He´ll be there for about 3 or 4 days. I would have gone with him, but since I am eight months pregnant and the trip is five hours by bus with no rests and no bathrooms, and Puyo is hot and humid, which will probably not complement my growing body too well, I will stay home. Jairo stocked the fridge and got me a few movies to watch, and being a ¨list person¨ as I am, I made a list of things to do while he´s gone, but I´m still really not looking forward to the time alone.
I think it´s a good lesson for me…Trusting God 101. Being a natural worrier, and being pregnant on top of that, I have another little list that I have not written down, but it exists all the same. It´s the list of what could go wrong. There have been landslides between Quito and Puyo recently, so Jairo´s trip is not exactly safe. It could be delayed, due to closed roads, and who knows when he´ll be home? It´s raining really hard, so he could have some kind of accident because of the bad weather—after all, those bus drivers are not exactly careful. On my end, I could have any number of pregnancy related problems, not to mention the unlikely but possible prospects of being robbed or some kind of natural disaster (they say Quito is due for an earthquake). Not to mention with my current lack of balance, I could slip in the shower and be stuck there for days until Jairo gets home and helps me up!
Okay, so I realize that this kind of worrying is a little silly. But more than that, I´ve realized that this kind of worrying is completely unbiblical. Jesus specifically commands us not to worry, because the truth that is so difficult for our human minds to grasp is that everything, absolutely everything, is under God´s control.
I think a lot about that verse that says that true love casts out fear, because fear comes from a belief that there is some eminent punishment just waiting to fall on us. That´s a paraphrase, but the idea comes down to what we really believe about God. If God is all-powerful, loving, good, and always works everything for our good, what is there really to fear? If God has ordained it, won´t He get us through it, whether it seems to us good or bad? And if He has promised to always do good to us and that He will never leave us, why should we fear? Doesn´t God love my husband much more than I do? And doesn´t He know what is best? And doesn´t He also love my unborn child even more than I do? And doesn´t He count my own life as dear to Him as well? Is He not able to protect and care for us?
Yet here I am, trying very hard not to go over my mental disaster list in the hours following Jairo´s departure. I guess it´s one of those things that´s easier said than done. This is just another one of those times that Joshua 1:9 creeps back into my mind: ¨Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.¨ Memorizing this verse was probably the best investment of 5 minutes of my whole life! We know that whatever God calls us to do, whether big or small, He will give us what we need to carry out the task. In my case, for example, there are some Oreos in my cabinet just waiting to offer me some moral support!
I think it´s a good lesson for me…Trusting God 101. Being a natural worrier, and being pregnant on top of that, I have another little list that I have not written down, but it exists all the same. It´s the list of what could go wrong. There have been landslides between Quito and Puyo recently, so Jairo´s trip is not exactly safe. It could be delayed, due to closed roads, and who knows when he´ll be home? It´s raining really hard, so he could have some kind of accident because of the bad weather—after all, those bus drivers are not exactly careful. On my end, I could have any number of pregnancy related problems, not to mention the unlikely but possible prospects of being robbed or some kind of natural disaster (they say Quito is due for an earthquake). Not to mention with my current lack of balance, I could slip in the shower and be stuck there for days until Jairo gets home and helps me up!
Okay, so I realize that this kind of worrying is a little silly. But more than that, I´ve realized that this kind of worrying is completely unbiblical. Jesus specifically commands us not to worry, because the truth that is so difficult for our human minds to grasp is that everything, absolutely everything, is under God´s control.
I think a lot about that verse that says that true love casts out fear, because fear comes from a belief that there is some eminent punishment just waiting to fall on us. That´s a paraphrase, but the idea comes down to what we really believe about God. If God is all-powerful, loving, good, and always works everything for our good, what is there really to fear? If God has ordained it, won´t He get us through it, whether it seems to us good or bad? And if He has promised to always do good to us and that He will never leave us, why should we fear? Doesn´t God love my husband much more than I do? And doesn´t He know what is best? And doesn´t He also love my unborn child even more than I do? And doesn´t He count my own life as dear to Him as well? Is He not able to protect and care for us?
Yet here I am, trying very hard not to go over my mental disaster list in the hours following Jairo´s departure. I guess it´s one of those things that´s easier said than done. This is just another one of those times that Joshua 1:9 creeps back into my mind: ¨Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.¨ Memorizing this verse was probably the best investment of 5 minutes of my whole life! We know that whatever God calls us to do, whether big or small, He will give us what we need to carry out the task. In my case, for example, there are some Oreos in my cabinet just waiting to offer me some moral support!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Week 63: Nesting (week 32 of pregnancy)
I was trying to explain the idea of nesting to Jairo. He thought the terminology was hilarious, the idea of me making a nest. It came up because I am pretty sure I have officially started nesting. I decided to use this energy to be creative, mainly by making bracelets and learning to knit. The knitting hasn´t taken too well yet, but I am not giving up. My mother-in-law will be here in just a month or so and I have already let her know that she will be giving me lessons!
Jairo was skeptical of my ability to weave bracelets, so he bought me a couple of embroidery threads (ever the supportive husband!) and said I should give it a try first. I made him several (all in the same colors since I didn´t have many options) and he was impressed that I actually knew what I was doing, so he got me some more colors. A vote of confidence from Jairo always looks like this; once he has seen good results he becomes an investor.
I also decided to institute family meal time. One meal every day we sit down at the table, no TV, no distractions, and eat and talk like humans. Jairo agreed, although switching off the TV seems to cause him some pain. He´ll get over it. It´s nice to sit down together, and we´ve had some interesting conversations, so I would say the idea is an overall success.
I did get out once this week with Jairo. We went to see Alice in Wonderland with some friends. It was Jairo´s first 3D movie, so it was fun to get to go with him. One of our friends bought the snacks, including nachos, so I was pretty happy. I´m always amazed at how much these things wear me out, but Jairo keeps reminding me that that is exactly why I have been sent to rest. Still, it was worth feeling a little queasy and exhausted afterwards, because it was really fun! It was probably my last movie theater visit for a long time, so I soaked it up!
All in all it has been a good week so far, although I am not looking forward to the end of the week when Jairo leaves for Puyo and I stay here in Quito. There´s no way I can make the trip at this point, but I´m not looking forward to being here alone for a few days. Still, I think it´s important for him to go see his family, because once the baby is born it will be harder to travel for a while. So for now I am focusing on this half of the week and picking out colors for bracelets to make while Jairo is gone. At least I will get to be productive!
Jairo was skeptical of my ability to weave bracelets, so he bought me a couple of embroidery threads (ever the supportive husband!) and said I should give it a try first. I made him several (all in the same colors since I didn´t have many options) and he was impressed that I actually knew what I was doing, so he got me some more colors. A vote of confidence from Jairo always looks like this; once he has seen good results he becomes an investor.
I also decided to institute family meal time. One meal every day we sit down at the table, no TV, no distractions, and eat and talk like humans. Jairo agreed, although switching off the TV seems to cause him some pain. He´ll get over it. It´s nice to sit down together, and we´ve had some interesting conversations, so I would say the idea is an overall success.
I did get out once this week with Jairo. We went to see Alice in Wonderland with some friends. It was Jairo´s first 3D movie, so it was fun to get to go with him. One of our friends bought the snacks, including nachos, so I was pretty happy. I´m always amazed at how much these things wear me out, but Jairo keeps reminding me that that is exactly why I have been sent to rest. Still, it was worth feeling a little queasy and exhausted afterwards, because it was really fun! It was probably my last movie theater visit for a long time, so I soaked it up!
All in all it has been a good week so far, although I am not looking forward to the end of the week when Jairo leaves for Puyo and I stay here in Quito. There´s no way I can make the trip at this point, but I´m not looking forward to being here alone for a few days. Still, I think it´s important for him to go see his family, because once the baby is born it will be harder to travel for a while. So for now I am focusing on this half of the week and picking out colors for bracelets to make while Jairo is gone. At least I will get to be productive!
Week 62: Good Friday (week 31 of pregnancy)
This week we celebrated Good Friday with a special service at church, and Jairo asked me to sing a special song with him during the service. I was pretty excited about it because it has been I while since I have gotten to sing with him (all that ¨resting¨, you know) and I really like the song we sang, too. Jairo also gave one of the messages (there are 7 on Good Friday!! But short ones...) and that´s always fun to watch because he´s so good at it.
The service was a difficult one for me. It was just too long and I am just too pregnant. Still, it was a really nice service. I just got some crazy contractions and we had to move back the special a little, which was no problem since Jairo is the worship leader, so no one even knew. I wasn´t sure I´d be able to breath enough to sing because of the contractions, but they went away. After that I was pretty tired, though, and I was relieved when we finally got home.
I had a friend of ours film the song with our new camera that some friends of ours sent to us. I was pretty excited about that because our camera broke quite a while ago and I haven´t been able to take any pregnancy pictures, which really made me sad. It was funny to watch the video and see that big belly in action!
I´m really looking forward to getting back into the things I did before, like being part of the worship team. Things like this service really remind me how much I miss it. I know it might be a while because even after the baby is born I won´t be able to just jump into everything again at once, but the idea of being able to be a part of it again is pretty exciting! Who knows, in a few years maybe our little addition will join us in music! Wouldn´t that be fun!
The service was a difficult one for me. It was just too long and I am just too pregnant. Still, it was a really nice service. I just got some crazy contractions and we had to move back the special a little, which was no problem since Jairo is the worship leader, so no one even knew. I wasn´t sure I´d be able to breath enough to sing because of the contractions, but they went away. After that I was pretty tired, though, and I was relieved when we finally got home.
I had a friend of ours film the song with our new camera that some friends of ours sent to us. I was pretty excited about that because our camera broke quite a while ago and I haven´t been able to take any pregnancy pictures, which really made me sad. It was funny to watch the video and see that big belly in action!
I´m really looking forward to getting back into the things I did before, like being part of the worship team. Things like this service really remind me how much I miss it. I know it might be a while because even after the baby is born I won´t be able to just jump into everything again at once, but the idea of being able to be a part of it again is pretty exciting! Who knows, in a few years maybe our little addition will join us in music! Wouldn´t that be fun!
Week 61: Other random occurences this week...(week 30 of pregnancy)
I can think of two things worth reporting from this week, besides our anniversary, of course. The first is that Jairo has begun teaching an evangelism class to the youth, something we´ve been wanting to do for a long time. It´s always so exciting to take another step in the ministry and see God come through again and again. He has about 6 students so far, and the class is going really well. The goal is to train them and then begin weekly outreach activities, so hopefully I will get to join in on that once baby is born and I am recovered!
The other notable event of this week was the first appearance of braxton hicks contractions. To be honest, the first one scared me half to death. I had read about them, of course, but it´s something else to feel them...especially when they are generally described as ¨painless¨, which was not my experience! It wasn´t a terribly painful experience, but it was more painful than painless...if that makes any sense!
I guess this can only be a reminder that, ready or not, in a few weeks I will be thrust into labor, completely independent of my will. My body is beginning its preparations. The window of opportunity for the birth is huge, up to two weeks before and two weeks after the projected due date. You´d think that science could do better than that! I´m hoping for baby to come a little early, but then I suppose most moms probably do. Who wants to be pregnant for more than 40 weeks?? Only God knows, and I am trying to put everything in His hands and focus on those few things I can do in the meantime. I suppose I ought to get that hospital bag packed!
The other notable event of this week was the first appearance of braxton hicks contractions. To be honest, the first one scared me half to death. I had read about them, of course, but it´s something else to feel them...especially when they are generally described as ¨painless¨, which was not my experience! It wasn´t a terribly painful experience, but it was more painful than painless...if that makes any sense!
I guess this can only be a reminder that, ready or not, in a few weeks I will be thrust into labor, completely independent of my will. My body is beginning its preparations. The window of opportunity for the birth is huge, up to two weeks before and two weeks after the projected due date. You´d think that science could do better than that! I´m hoping for baby to come a little early, but then I suppose most moms probably do. Who wants to be pregnant for more than 40 weeks?? Only God knows, and I am trying to put everything in His hands and focus on those few things I can do in the meantime. I suppose I ought to get that hospital bag packed!
Week 61: 14 months married (week 30 of pregnancy)
This week is another anniversary--14 months! Time sure is moving along quickly! This month I can´t say I have any deep marriage insight to share, I am just feeling blessed as I have another reminder of God´s faithfulness in sustaining this marriage. He is the one who led us to each other, He is the one who formed the bond between us, He is the one who bound us together in marriage and He is the one who gives us the strength and love to continue building our life together.
There is still nothing that comes close to the feeling of waking up next to the person you love, realizing that God has allowed you another day to love each other and enjoy each other´s company. Add to that the joy of waking up each day to feel our little one kicking and knowing that soon we will have reason to let even more love and joy into our home, and there is pretty much nothing that can top the life we have these days. God is faithful, and the good work He began in us He will bring to completion. Meanwhile, I feel thankful once again to have someone who I love and who loves me, and to be able to celebrate another anniversary, remembering why we decided to marry each other in the first place.
There is still nothing that comes close to the feeling of waking up next to the person you love, realizing that God has allowed you another day to love each other and enjoy each other´s company. Add to that the joy of waking up each day to feel our little one kicking and knowing that soon we will have reason to let even more love and joy into our home, and there is pretty much nothing that can top the life we have these days. God is faithful, and the good work He began in us He will bring to completion. Meanwhile, I feel thankful once again to have someone who I love and who loves me, and to be able to celebrate another anniversary, remembering why we decided to marry each other in the first place.
Week 60: My birthday week! (week 29 of pregnancy)
This week is my birthday week! The festivities actually started on the last day of week 59, but I figured it would be better to record it all together.
Actually, the festivities started off on a sad note. The day before my birthday, Jairo woke me up with the news that Patas, our littlest bunny, had died. Apparently she somehow got stuck in some part of the cage, but we´re still not really sure what happened. Well, the fact that she was my favorite and also the tiniest of the three combined with pregnancy hormones made for a really rough morning. I cried for hours while Jairo was at church, while I was supposed to be, you guessed it, resting. I brought the other little bunny, Rabo, inside and put him in the bathroom (for lack of anywhere else to put him) because I was so terrified that something might happen to him too. Orejas is huge and could never get stuck in any part of the cage, so I let her stay where she was. Finally I decided to get up and straighten the house, since I wasn´t actually resting but crying, and that calmed me down a little. There was very little food in the house, so I called Jairo after he got out of church to ask him if he wanted me to meet him at the market. He said he would pick up a few things and be home later, and I should just ¨rest¨.
He took a while to come home and had bought very few things, which surprised me. I didn´t take too much notice of it, though. He told me to get ready to go out and we would buy a few things at the store by our house, and then he started straightening up the house. (Yet another thing I should have noticed as strange, but did not...either thanks to my emotional stupor or my pregnant cluelessness.) I accepted this idea with no thought at all and got ready to go out. I suggested that we go to a restaurant because I was pretty hungry, but Jairo assured me that there was nowhere open right now (which I bought, although it was ridiculous!) and we would buy me a snack and he would cook. (Sold!) He was acting a little weird with some random phone calls to our friend who lives close by us, which annoyed me, but I still really thought nothing of it. I was focused on that snack he promised me.
When we got home I stopped, stunned, at the rabbit cage (where Jairo had replaced Rabo before we left, assuring me that he would be fine). There was little black bunny in the cage. My first thought was that the whole thing about Patas dying had been some cruel joke (I didn´t go out to see the body or anything...I can´t even handle things like that), but then I realized that this particular black bunny was much, much tinier, like a little baby bunny, and had different fur. I stood there like an idiot, not really understanding at all until Jairo said, ¨Happy birthday! I got you a new bunny! Do you want to hold her?¨ I started to cry a little bit, but those few happy tears, not the sad, mourning tears I had cried earlier, and said ¨YES!¨ She was absolutely adorable! I had never seen such a small bunny before, and she cuddled right up to me as I held her. We took her inside and I sat on the couch, only half-noticing that there was a backpack and a jacket there that were not there before and did not belong to us. I was in some other far away bunny land, and Jairo seemed pleased to see me so happy, especially after seeing me so sad in the morning. He only let me sit there for a few seconds and then said to follow him, and when I did (totally in my own world) I almost peed my pants when a kitchen full of people shouted ¨Surprise!!¨ Only then did I notice the balloons and streamers. I´m sure a few more of those happy tears came out, because I was beyond words happy at this point, and took a seat as everyone went around the circle saying their birthday wishes to me. Then is was my turn to talk and I thanked everyone for coming and for being my friends, all the while clutching my tiny little baby bunny. Then (finally) they brought out the food. Jairo had bought enough Chinese for everyone and two ice cream cakes. Could this day get any better?
Our friends stuck around for a movie before heading out, and it was really a great day. I couldn´t stop admiring my little bunny, who lives inside in a box until she gets big enough to join the others. I am way too traumatized to put her in the cage just yet.
A few days later Jairo took me up north to get donuts, frappuccinos and read books at the bookstore, which, besides a party with my friends, was the other birthday wish I had expressed for this year. So I got everything I wanted for my birthday, plus a tiny baby bunny!
I can´t believe I´m 23. When I was little I always thought I would get married at 23, so I guess I´m ahead of the curve on that one since I´m already married and pregnant. I will be a mom at 23! I can´t believe I was married at 21, and now I´m already 23! The time passes so quickly! Still, I´m way younger than Jairo who will turn 30 in May, so I´m cool with it. Plus, I don´t really mind getting older if I get to have such a great time having a birthday!
Actually, the festivities started off on a sad note. The day before my birthday, Jairo woke me up with the news that Patas, our littlest bunny, had died. Apparently she somehow got stuck in some part of the cage, but we´re still not really sure what happened. Well, the fact that she was my favorite and also the tiniest of the three combined with pregnancy hormones made for a really rough morning. I cried for hours while Jairo was at church, while I was supposed to be, you guessed it, resting. I brought the other little bunny, Rabo, inside and put him in the bathroom (for lack of anywhere else to put him) because I was so terrified that something might happen to him too. Orejas is huge and could never get stuck in any part of the cage, so I let her stay where she was. Finally I decided to get up and straighten the house, since I wasn´t actually resting but crying, and that calmed me down a little. There was very little food in the house, so I called Jairo after he got out of church to ask him if he wanted me to meet him at the market. He said he would pick up a few things and be home later, and I should just ¨rest¨.
He took a while to come home and had bought very few things, which surprised me. I didn´t take too much notice of it, though. He told me to get ready to go out and we would buy a few things at the store by our house, and then he started straightening up the house. (Yet another thing I should have noticed as strange, but did not...either thanks to my emotional stupor or my pregnant cluelessness.) I accepted this idea with no thought at all and got ready to go out. I suggested that we go to a restaurant because I was pretty hungry, but Jairo assured me that there was nowhere open right now (which I bought, although it was ridiculous!) and we would buy me a snack and he would cook. (Sold!) He was acting a little weird with some random phone calls to our friend who lives close by us, which annoyed me, but I still really thought nothing of it. I was focused on that snack he promised me.
When we got home I stopped, stunned, at the rabbit cage (where Jairo had replaced Rabo before we left, assuring me that he would be fine). There was little black bunny in the cage. My first thought was that the whole thing about Patas dying had been some cruel joke (I didn´t go out to see the body or anything...I can´t even handle things like that), but then I realized that this particular black bunny was much, much tinier, like a little baby bunny, and had different fur. I stood there like an idiot, not really understanding at all until Jairo said, ¨Happy birthday! I got you a new bunny! Do you want to hold her?¨ I started to cry a little bit, but those few happy tears, not the sad, mourning tears I had cried earlier, and said ¨YES!¨ She was absolutely adorable! I had never seen such a small bunny before, and she cuddled right up to me as I held her. We took her inside and I sat on the couch, only half-noticing that there was a backpack and a jacket there that were not there before and did not belong to us. I was in some other far away bunny land, and Jairo seemed pleased to see me so happy, especially after seeing me so sad in the morning. He only let me sit there for a few seconds and then said to follow him, and when I did (totally in my own world) I almost peed my pants when a kitchen full of people shouted ¨Surprise!!¨ Only then did I notice the balloons and streamers. I´m sure a few more of those happy tears came out, because I was beyond words happy at this point, and took a seat as everyone went around the circle saying their birthday wishes to me. Then is was my turn to talk and I thanked everyone for coming and for being my friends, all the while clutching my tiny little baby bunny. Then (finally) they brought out the food. Jairo had bought enough Chinese for everyone and two ice cream cakes. Could this day get any better?
Our friends stuck around for a movie before heading out, and it was really a great day. I couldn´t stop admiring my little bunny, who lives inside in a box until she gets big enough to join the others. I am way too traumatized to put her in the cage just yet.
A few days later Jairo took me up north to get donuts, frappuccinos and read books at the bookstore, which, besides a party with my friends, was the other birthday wish I had expressed for this year. So I got everything I wanted for my birthday, plus a tiny baby bunny!
I can´t believe I´m 23. When I was little I always thought I would get married at 23, so I guess I´m ahead of the curve on that one since I´m already married and pregnant. I will be a mom at 23! I can´t believe I was married at 21, and now I´m already 23! The time passes so quickly! Still, I´m way younger than Jairo who will turn 30 in May, so I´m cool with it. Plus, I don´t really mind getting older if I get to have such a great time having a birthday!
Week 59: Hormones and getting creative (week 28 of pregnancy)
This has been an interesting week. I would say my hormonal low was the day I decided to try on my wedding dress. I´m seven months pregnant. What exactly was I expecting. Jairo laughed when he came home to find me in my wedding dress and veil, wedding dress not laced up, of course, sitting on the bed, lost in my thoughts.
What was I thinking about? Who knows. I was remembering my wedding of course, and admiring my wedding dress which is even prettier than I remembered. So much has changed since that day, and so much is about to change again. I guess those were more or less the kinds of thoughts running through my mind. Along with a resolution to go jogging with my husband as soon as I´m able. I want to be able to lace this baby up again.
The high point was Dia de la Mujer, or Women´s Day, when Jairo took me out for ice cream. He took me to a new place that opened up close to home and I got the two scoops of ice cream with pineapple and strawberries...an excellent choice. I suppose this kind of thing doesn´t encourage the quick lacing up of my wedding dress, but it does raise those hormones to more stable levels, so I´ll call it a wash.
My productivity took a new turn this week as I decided to try out a pattern I found online for making a baby gown out of an old t-shirt. (Baby gowns are for sleeping, and not necessarily for a girl or boy in particular). I used one of Jairo´s old t-shirts and sewed one up while he was gone. When he came home and saw the gown he donated more t-shirts to me. Apparently he was impressed. (See, he is very supportive of all my little projects!) I was pretty impressed myself. It had been a while since I sewed, so it was fun to take it up again. I think I´ll see what other patterns are out there.
I have to say, I´m in a slump in some sense. I feel like this pregnancy will never be over, and like I´ve been pregnant FOREVER. I´m getting more uncomfortable now that my belly is growing, and the days seem to just drag on. Still, I know in my head that I should be thankful for these days, the last for a long time that I will have to myself. Still, I think having the baby, with all its challenges and trials, will be such a relief. This pregnancy has been difficult especially because the doctor has been strict with me about the resting thing, which makes for a more isolated pregnancy than normal. I´m looking forward to the days of getting out and about again like I used to, even if I am teathered to a stroller!!
What was I thinking about? Who knows. I was remembering my wedding of course, and admiring my wedding dress which is even prettier than I remembered. So much has changed since that day, and so much is about to change again. I guess those were more or less the kinds of thoughts running through my mind. Along with a resolution to go jogging with my husband as soon as I´m able. I want to be able to lace this baby up again.
The high point was Dia de la Mujer, or Women´s Day, when Jairo took me out for ice cream. He took me to a new place that opened up close to home and I got the two scoops of ice cream with pineapple and strawberries...an excellent choice. I suppose this kind of thing doesn´t encourage the quick lacing up of my wedding dress, but it does raise those hormones to more stable levels, so I´ll call it a wash.
My productivity took a new turn this week as I decided to try out a pattern I found online for making a baby gown out of an old t-shirt. (Baby gowns are for sleeping, and not necessarily for a girl or boy in particular). I used one of Jairo´s old t-shirts and sewed one up while he was gone. When he came home and saw the gown he donated more t-shirts to me. Apparently he was impressed. (See, he is very supportive of all my little projects!) I was pretty impressed myself. It had been a while since I sewed, so it was fun to take it up again. I think I´ll see what other patterns are out there.
I have to say, I´m in a slump in some sense. I feel like this pregnancy will never be over, and like I´ve been pregnant FOREVER. I´m getting more uncomfortable now that my belly is growing, and the days seem to just drag on. Still, I know in my head that I should be thankful for these days, the last for a long time that I will have to myself. Still, I think having the baby, with all its challenges and trials, will be such a relief. This pregnancy has been difficult especially because the doctor has been strict with me about the resting thing, which makes for a more isolated pregnancy than normal. I´m looking forward to the days of getting out and about again like I used to, even if I am teathered to a stroller!!
Week 58: Children´s Revolution (week 27 of pregnancy)
This week I started planning for our new project for Revolution Ministries...it looks like in a few months we might finally be working with children!! I am working on the planning for a year, and I already finished several months worth. The program is an after school program for public school kids that would meet once a week. Each week there will be a Bible lesson, a snack, a craft, a game and a song (all of which I am planning for each month!! It´s a lot of work!). We are currently looking into working in school in the outskirts of Quito, which is where many poor families attend small, poorly-funded schools. These kids usually have to walk home from school each day and stay alone in an empty house all afternoon until their parents get home from work. We want to help give these kids the love and attention that they can´t get at home, and help them understand the Father´s love for them. Our goal is to have everything in place by the beginning of the next school year, at the end of August. It´s not as far away as it seems!
I feel good about being so productive this week. I just decided that I might as well use the quiet time to its full potential while I can, as I understand that once this baby arrives I will have considerably less quiet time to take advantage of! I really like planning and developing lessons and curriculum, so in some way the time off is a blessing so that I can help get things ready for the next step of the ministry. Plus I don´t feel as useless!
Please pray for this project, because we have wanted to work with kids for a long time, and we are really excited! God is opening doors and showing us new and exciting ways we can serve Him, and all of these things need lots of prayer in order to go from dream to reality! If God wants to do it, He will make a way!
I feel good about being so productive this week. I just decided that I might as well use the quiet time to its full potential while I can, as I understand that once this baby arrives I will have considerably less quiet time to take advantage of! I really like planning and developing lessons and curriculum, so in some way the time off is a blessing so that I can help get things ready for the next step of the ministry. Plus I don´t feel as useless!
Please pray for this project, because we have wanted to work with kids for a long time, and we are really excited! God is opening doors and showing us new and exciting ways we can serve Him, and all of these things need lots of prayer in order to go from dream to reality! If God wants to do it, He will make a way!
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