Dear Starbucks Guy, good job.

A few weeks ago, I was able to 'get away' on a Saturday morning to Starbucks.

I ordered my drink: low fat white chocolate mocha, no whip, for those who care.

I found the perfect table in the corner.

When I entered I had noticed a college age guy sitting a table reading his Bible. I was encouraged seeing a young guy reading his Bible.  I get my drink and have a seat facing the door and the rest of the store.  After about 10 minutes an older guy comes in and its apparent that they are going to meet over coffee.  I noticed because 1. the store was small and 2. their voices carried.  I'm TOTALLY ease-dropping, but its hard not to because of the 2 reasons already mentioned.  I get the idea that they don't really know each other, but I thought, 'Cool, maybe they are meeting to start some Bible study or something'.

Well, not quite.

They chit chat for a few minutes about 'this and that' and then the guy, I deduced is a Dad, asks the college guy why he wanted to meet.

The college guy proceeds to ask the Dad if he can date his daughter, Justine!  

I WAS SO ENTHRALLED!!!!!!!

I DEFINITELY CONTINUED TO EASE-DROP, HOW COULD YOU NOT!

They continued to discuss the guy dating this dad's daughter.  The dad asked some good questions and so did the college guy.  My favorite was the college guy asking the dad, "What would it look like to you for me to date your daughter?"!!!!!!

The dad gave his permission and they continued to discussed dating and marriage.

I had to leave, but I left SO ENCOURAGED!

This scene is not unfamiliar to me or Neil or many of our friends.

This kind of interaction is practiced in our church and very much encouraged.

Neil called my dad when we started dating to get his permission and to communicate he wasn't dating me flippantly.  It really impressed, and confused, my dad.

I was so encouraged to see another young guy seek to be upfront and communicate with the dad of the girl he is interested in.  I would want and expect the same for any guy who would want to date Natalie.

I wanted so much to go over and commend both men, but I thought that would be creepy and give away that I was ease-dropping, but like I said I could help but overhear.

I also couldn't help walk away excited for and praying for this young man who gets to pursue a young girl he thinks he would like to marry.

Justine, if you read this (which you won't of course) I hope you said yes to this guy.

Trying

Today is a 'trying' day.

On the outside I'm 'trying' to make it look great and it honestly mostly is fine.

I'm 'trying' to ignore the construction going on at my parent's house.  I'm 'trying' to pretend that Natalie can nap through the construction, and she might be currently.  I'm 'trying' to not FREAK OUT that today could be a hard napping day for her.  I'm 'trying' to not FREAK OUT that she has already missed a nap because we got lunch with a dear friend, which I don't regret.  I'm 'trying' to not FREAK OUT about the possibility of her not sleeping well tonight since today was off schedule.  I'm 'trying' not to be self-centered, but the battle is proving to be very 'trying'.  I'm 'trying' to be thankful because there really is plenty to be thankful for today.  I'm 'trying' to remember God's faithfulness in past 'trying' days. I'm 'trying' to stop my mind from throwing a pity party because there is not reason for a pity party.  I'm 'trying' to fight for faith and peace in the Lord and not in my understanding or in the peace of an easy day. I'm 'trying' to remember that I'm not alone even though I feel alone in parenting today.  I'm 'trying' to not just wish the days away till Neil comes home.

Today is a 'trying' day.

5 months!

Natalie is 5 months old now!!!!

I'm guessing she is a good 14lbs, but I have no idea about length.  

She still needs 6 feedings in 24hours and is still sleeping through the night!  We've had some 'seasons' where she will wake up around 3-3:30 and whine/cry until we(Neil) give her a paci.  I can only link it to bad naps.  I've tried to drop her last nap of the day, but I think she still just needs 4 naps right now.  I don't think I was very good at figuring out how to change her schedule, so I've backed off and am just going to wait and see how things go from here.  We also tried to break her of the swaddle, but I chickened out after 1 1/2 days.  She actually did WAY BETTER than we expected, but she definitely wasn't getting good rest and just looked SO pitiful!  I'm obsessive about sleep so I decided to keep swaddling her for now.  She still doesn't roll over, which is why we still swaddle, and she doesn't seem interested in learning.  Oh well.  She does seem interested in sitting up!  When I lay her on the boppy to feed her she cranes her neck inward straining to sit up, it looks like she is trying to do 'baby crunches' before I feed her.  So funny!  She can prop sit pretty well and can also sit in her bumbo pretty well.  I think she is definitely our daughter because it seems that she is social in that she wants to see whats going on, but doesn't have to be center of attention.  It seems like she will enjoy participating, but won't be the one leading the way, which is exactly like Neil and me!  We get very mixed reactions to who she looks more like, but the consensus is that she looks most like Neil.  I agree, but there are times where I think I'm looking at my baby picture come to life! 

Below is a cherished video from Memorial Day with Neil's family

 Natalie with her Grandad laughing at her Aunt Olivia,

I LOVE LOVE LOVE HER LAUGH!

 

3-4 months

I only have a second, but I SO MUCH want to update about Natalie.  She is 4 months now!  She is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!  She has been since she was 12 weeks, so its pretty much the 'new normal' which is SO nice!  I finally feel like myself again and this helps SO much with enjoying Natalie and caring for Neil and her.  She is definitely a 'morning girl' and is always so smiley and happy when we come to get her up and she is already awake.  A few mornings she will be content in her crib just squealing and cooing, its really sweet to hear even at 6:30 in the morning.  She is VERY smiley and loves to squeal and laugh! We are so entertained at trying to get her to laugh and just listen to her "talk".  We have traveled with her a few times and it's been a little crazy since she doesn't love her car seat and doesn't adjust to new places very well.  Hopefully she will go out of this!  At her 4 month check up she weighed 13.3lbs and was 24 1/4 inches. She is 50% for both weight and height and only 10% for head circumference!  No wonder Neil thinks every other baby has a huge head!  It's because Natalie's is so small!!!!!  She has only rolled over once and it wasn't intentional.  I'm practicing with her but she doesn't seem real interested so I try not to stress over it.  She LOVES LOVES LOVES to stand on her legs and "walk".  She gets the biggest grin and seems SO proud of herself.  So fun!  In the past month I've really started to enjoy motherhood and settle into a little more, though I'm aware things change so much and there is constant resettling, but for now things are good.  I feel good physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and I'm thankful to be over the post-partum.  It was tough, but I'm aware of God's faithfulness in that time!  Well, to finish here are a few pictures from the last month and a video of our 'Morning Girl'!


3 months in her Bumbo!








Easter!

Nana and Papa John in Kentucky!

 

video of our 'Morning girl'

10 weeks!

Here are some latest pictures of our sweet girl. The first one was taken yesterday after she received her 2 month vaccines. I was really nervous about how she would react to them, but things went MUCH better than I expected. I expected her to cry for 3-hours straight and that I would be calling the hospital or somewhere about it. She was fussy and sleepy and just not her 'self'. I love this picture of her so small in Neil's arms.

The second is Natalie with her Aunt Olivia. I am SO glad I was able to catch this picture with Natalie smiling! Olivia is the first person she has smiled at other than Neil and I!

The third is another 'lucky' shot at her smiling. She has been smiling for a few weeks now and we LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It can be tricky to capture because once she sees the camera her attention is fixated on it and you can't get to do smile anymore!
She is most smiley in the mornings and seems to be a morning person like her daddy. Which is good since I'm not and one of us needs to be in a good mood to start our day!
In a few weeks we will be traveling up to KY with her to see some family for the weekend. Please pray! I had hoped to not travel until she was sleeping through the night, but this opportunity came up and we thought it best to go ahead and try it.

At her 2 month checkup she weighed 10.5 lbs and 22'' long. She's a short lady like her momma! She isn't sleeping through the night yet and averages 5 hours at a time. Her doctor said she was too young to sleep through the night right now so I'm just going with it. I have been able to stretch her 6 or 6.5 at times and will try to continue to do this when she is feeling well. I really had NO clue you had to train a baby to sleep! I hope she will naturally go longer on her own, but she might not and Neil and I are prepared to help her if we need to, just waiting for the right time to do it.

We are starting cloth diapers tomorrow! Fingers crossed that we like them!

Well that's all I have time for now! Thanks for loving us!
p.s. I think Natalie just exploded in her diaper...

7 weeks update

My sweet lady is 7 weeks old today!
It is hard to believe that she has grown from this:
to this:


Things are going well this week and I am trying to soak up these newborn days as much as possible because soon they will pass. She is becoming more alert and we are finding some rhythm to our days. She eats every 3-4 hours and can have awake time for up to 1 1/2 hours. She is still in newborn clothes, but sometimes we pretend that they are too big and put her in 0-3month clothes because there are more of them, they are cuter than white onesies, and we wouldn't be able to leave the house otherwise. I think she can go 4 1/2 - 5 hours at night right now, but its hard to tell because she had a growth spurt last week and it was a ROUGH week! She is getting stronger with tummy time and it is fun to watch her hold her head up. She still loves staring around and LOVES LOVES LOVES looking at lights! She can still be fussy in the evenings, but it is hit and miss and we don't know if we've missed something or if she's just fussy. I tried her in a carrier last week and she didn't hate it! I am hoping we can use it more consistently in the future. I have started putting her in the nursey at church and she is doing well. I was called this past Sunday because it was time for her to eat, but otherwise she has handled being in there well, since she is usually asleep when she goes in. I also handle it well and think it is a really good time for the both of us. Neil also kept her Friday night while I went to a Women's Retreat at church. He fed her a bottle, which she will take (PRAISE THE LORD!), and put her to bed. I am still breastfeeding, but I do admit it is a submission issue for now. I want there to be joy and contentment with it, but it is a struggle. It has nothing to do with her, its me and my thoughts towards breastfeeding. I have learned that I am a WRECK when I don't get sleep, case in point I was a WRECK last week because of her growth spurt and I had people slightly concerned for me. My 6 week checkup went well and I continue to respect and adore my doctor. I wish he could be my doctor for everything! He was so encouraging to care for me emotionally and even encourage Neil and I in our marriage and communication! How refreshing to receive that kind of counsel in a doctor's office! I am slowly getting out and about with her, though most days it isn't worth the effort. We are still getting meals for another week so I know I will have to be more brave and bite the bullet soon. I love these moments and I can't wait to share more sometime in the future!

Here are some other sweet moments from the last few weeks:

sleepy smiles visit from great grandparents visit from Papa John and Nana

visit from Grandmama and Granddaddy C and Aunt Olivia

Our Little Lady

Introducing our sweet little Natalie Jane Williams!
Born on January 3, 2012 at 10:52pm (2 days early)
She is 4 weeks old today and we love her so much!

This is a picture right after she was born. It might be from a camera phone or my parent's camera because yes, we forgot our camera. We are 'those people' who forget their camera to record life altering events. Of course when your contractions go from 5 mins. to 3 mins. in less than 30 minutes, your water breaks and your still at home, it is a little difficult to remember things like that, let alone how to get to the hospital.
Active labor was 6 hours long and once at the hospital they said I would 'go really fast'. I didn't really believe them but of course they are the professionals and I'm not.
I was able to deliver naturally and I'm really thankful for the experience. I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my doctor and loved all my nurses and my experience at our hospital.

I will admit that I DID NOT LOVE the first week and a half or so at home. I was NOT prepared for the hormones, nursing, and a crying newborn. I really struggled with 'baby blues' those first several days and only felt despair and frustration. Praise the Lord that Neil was home for 2 weeks because I really wonder if I would have made it. However, I also experienced the kindness of the Lord to lead me in his word and through Neil.

I do NOT want to forget these things:
-Neil helping me try to nurse Natalie (even the late nights)
-Neil encouraging me in his sleep- 'Your doing great babe...' (uh, thanks Neil, I'm just laying here...)
-Neil reading scripture to me while I nursed Natalie (esp. helpful in the middle of the night)
-Neil playing and singing hymns and worship music while I nursed Natalie (also esp. helpful in the middle of the night)
-Natalie snuggling up in my chest and sticking up butt up in the air after she ate and fell asleep. (STILL MY FAVORITE!)

ok, this is all I have time for and I didn't really have time for it, but I wanted to write it all down and share.
Thanks for being excited or nosy about our family!

37 1/2 week update

I had planned to post pictures today of my last two showers, but I forgot the cord for the camera to upload the photos. Maybe sometime before Natalie gets here I'll be able to do that.

Just a quick update on the last few weeks of pregnancy!
At the doctor last week he said I was 50% effaced but no dilation.
This week was the same. NO changes.
I am actually relieved that there weren't any changes this week since we plan on traveling for Christmas, just an hour away, and I don't want to be paranoid or preoccupied wondering if I'm about to go into labor. So now, NO WORRIES! I still haven't had any contractions, not even Braxton Hicks.

It has been interesting to get the question, "So, are you over being pregnant yet"? To which I say, "No. Actually I'm not." I still feel pretty good and comfortable and am able to be active. I'm really thankful the pregnancy as been so easy and low key, but I'm aware that at any point I could become, 'over it'. I don't think its wrong when pregnant women feel that way, I just haven't experienced it, yet and hopefully I won't.

I have developed, however, carpal tunnel in my hands. SO RANDOM! It is the weirdest feeling for your fingertips to be numb and your finger joints sore. Gives me more compassion on those who deal with arthritis, though what I'm experiencing is very mild and will go away after Natalie is born. I also have had mild swelling in my ankles but only if I've been on my feet all day. And last, I experienced heartburn over the weekend for the first time ever-or at least in a REALLY REALLY long time! It was the weirdest thing, but I think it is mostly diet related with pregnancy effecting it some. It's just SO hard to stay away from cheese!

Please know I'm not complaining, but just sharing about where I'm at in the pregnancy. These small discomforts have been a good opportunity for me to choose to not complain out loud or in my heart, but choose joy and contentment away from my circumstances. It is such a good opportunity for me to grow in the Lord and I don't want to miss it!

I hope everyone has a joyous Christmas celebrating Christ!
I'll keep you updated unless Natalie comes while we are out of town!

Glucose and Local Celebrities

Yesterday I had a bizarre encounter at the doctor's office.
First, I was there for 3 hours because I failed my glucose test on Monday. I had to go in and drink this sugary drink and then they drew blood on the hour for 3 hours. I had passed the very first test a few months ago, but failed the second test on Monday which is why they did the 3 hour yesterday. I've heard HORRIBLE things about the glucose test, but honestly I really didn't mind. The drink wasn't that bad and I was able to get my 'Thank You' cards done from my baby showers. I really do believe that it was the Lord who would give me contentment for that time. It could be easy for me to fall into the temptation to complain because most everyone else I've talked to that has had to do the test gave it such a negative light. By God's grace it was never a big deal to me and I was able to enjoy the time I had, although I'll say I'm still not a fan of giving blood samples.

Anyway, my bizarre encounter:
I was waiting the final 5-10 minutes of my 3 hours before giving my last blood sample, when a mom, at least upper high school age daughter, and husband walk in. The mom is a middle aged pregnant mom and is pretty far along in her pregnancy. Okay, no big deal. WELL, then behind them comes this CAMERA CREW in with some small cameras! I notice then that the mom has a microphone and battery pack on her and they are all talking excitedly about what is going on. I'm thinking- WHAT IS GOING ON!? Is this some piece for the local news? Why? I'm trying NOT to listen, but that is impossible when you are the only other person in the waiting room with all this commotion! The camera guy starts filming the family's interactions and the daughter is excited to be a the appointment with them because she hopes to find out the gender of the baby since he/she will be the 19th baby!

WAIT, WHAT!?

Well, the nurse calls them back into the office just as it's time for me to go give my final blood sample. They are ahead of me filming this whole interaction as they walk back into the office and they see the doctor in the hallway. They proceed to talk with him about how things are going, meanwhile I'm stuck behind them and can't get to the lab to do my final blood sample! And it is a time sensitive blood drawing so they have to take a sample on the hour for the 3 hours. I DID NOT want to have to get stuck more than necessary because I couldn't get through! It was SO bizarre to be stuck waiting and watching this interaction and filming, but I really wasn't trying to be nosy at all! I was just trying to do my thing and leave! The nurse could see me through the crowd, but neither of us could get to each other! She was able to come to the window and tell me about a back door I could come through. Okay, great. I meet the nurse at the back door and she said, "You know who that is don't you?" Nope, not a clue. She said, "The Bates family, you haven't heard of them." Nope. To which she gave me the 'WHAT? YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE BATES FAMILY!?' look. She said, "You of the Dugger's don't you?" Oh yeah, I know about them. "Well, the Bates' are a local family and they are pregnant with their 19th child and they are starting a show about them!" OH, WOW, that's cool.

Well, I was done with my test but needed to use the restroom before I left. There was someone in the restroom, but as I approached she came out. It was the MOM! She was SO sweet and funny as commented on my belly and how small and cute I was pregnant. I asked her how far along she was and she said, "Well, I look like I'm 5 weeks past due, but I have 9 weeks left." To which I thought, sweet lady you are pregnant with your 19th I think its okay if you look bigger than me. (which she really didn't look that big to me.) And then we parted ways.

It was SO bizarre! But I was encouraged by their excitement and eagerness over any life that the Lord would bless them to carry. Of course, I googled them and I was encouraged by their blog which I've (hopefully) linked above.

Just wanted to share about my recent adventures!

One Hand Countdown!

Tomorrow we begin 35 weeks with Natalie!!!!!!
That means you can count how many weeks I have left on ONE HAND!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm trying not to lose it with excitement and anxiety!
My thoughts lately:
"There is SO much left to do before she arrives! How will I have time to do it all"?
"What if she comes EARLY!!!! She won't come early. Most first babies come late. Surely, she won't come early. There have been NO signs of early labor or pre term labor. I haven't even had Braxton Hicks contractions. SURELY SHE WON'T COME EARLY! But, maybe she will and HOW FUN WILL THAT BE!"
"Do I rush to do all my projects now and risk sitting around bored waiting and waiting for her to come or do I space it out and just finish them sometime after she's here..."
"Where will I be when I go into labor? What will it feel like? How will I know?"
"I HOPE I'M NOT IN A PUBLIC PLACE WHEN MY WATER BREAKS!!!!!"
"What if I go into labor while we are at Neil's family's for Christmas? Do we try to drive back? It's only an hour, surely we'd make it back... right?"
"What will she look like?" "Will she have curly, red hair? Please, to satisfy everyone elses' desires, let her have curly, red hair!"
"I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO GET HERE!!!"


So, to say the least my mind has been VERY FULL of thoughts and errands, yet I feel like I don't have the time to put my thoughts together or run my errands! Hopefully next week I can start tackling my "To-Do Before Natalie" Lists.
Yes lists is plural.

Other than feeling like I have SO much to do and NO time to do it, I'm doing really well. I wake up a little achy and my back usually hurts by the end of the day, and I'm fighting a sinus/cold thing I got from Neil this weekend, but these are SO MINOR compared to what others experience. Pregnancy has still been VERY easy and I'm still amazed and humbled that it has been this way. I don't desire it and really believe it is evidence of God's grace on me. I feel like I deserve to be sick and have problems as a 'punishment' for not 'waiting well' all last year as we struggled with getting pregnant. I know this isn't the Gospel and that God does NOT punish his children, yet pours grace upon grace on them even in discipline. But I can struggle with that thought at times.
Since I'm almost eight months pregnant, I feel HUGE!!!!!!!! I look HUGE!!!!!!!!! I saw a picture of myself from the baby shower this past weekend and was AMAZED! I had no idea! How can I get any bigger?! I haven't gained too much wait, but I guess because I'm short it just doesn't have anywhere to go!

I'll keep you posted as we continue to count down till we see our sweet Natalie!

Thanksgiving Shower

Here is a little teaser for where we are at with Natalie's room!
We are slowly but surely moving along with getting things together and I'm excited about the ideas I have for decorating, now just to find the time to sit down and sort out my brain to know where to start first!

This weekend, along with Thanksgiving festivities, we had a baby shower at my parent's house. It was a "small", if you count just over 20 people small, family shower. It was a sweet time to see family and to celebrate Natalie with them. Here are a few highlights:



Yummy food table



Fancy Baby Cake


Table decor'



Fortune Cooke Party favors
that say:

"Thank you for sharing my special day" Natalie Jane Williams

Here's a sample of the fun, sweet gifts Natalie received

Sweet family to celebrate with!

I promise more people were there, but I'm too tired right now to load the pictures. We have one more baby shower this weekend with Neil's family and I am looking forward to celebrating with them! Hopefully there will be pictures to share!

Bitter Sweet

This weekend I had my first Baby Shower and it was PERFECT! The ladies in our small group at church threw it for me and invited family, out of town friends from college, and friends here in town. I was so blessed and overwhelmed with so much love, encouragement, excitement, and support! Natalie was ALSO blessed with lots of great clothes and books! My friend, Melanie, had the great idea of asking for people to give a copy of their favorite childhood book and write on the inside cover instead of giving cards. Neil and I were both SO excited to receive so many great books for Natalie. Now I'm definitely praying that she will be a reader and a learner!

Here are some highlights from the shower:

sweet baby booties made by Grandmama (Neil's mom)

best friends from college (minus Brittany who couldn't make it)
Fun fact: We each have a baby right now! (4 of us pregnant and Liz with 2 1/2 month old baby John!) I will cherish this picture!



Left picture: Grandmama, Aunt Claire, and Aunt Olivia
Right picture: my Aunt Wendy, Natalie's Great Aunt

This shower was also on a somewhat bittersweet day as well. It was on Nov. 5th, the 5 year anniversary of my mom's death. I really miss her and know that she would have LOVED this shower and would have LOVED Natalie so well. I miss talking with her about being pregnant and asking her questions about parenting. I know we would not agree on everything, but she and my dad did so many things well that I want to model in my parenting.

Here is a picture of her at one of her baby showers when she was pregnant with me:


My mom stayed so small when she was pregnant with me! She only gained 15 pounds!!!!! My dad says you really couldn't tell she was pregnant till like the last two months. I haven't stayed quite that small thanks so inheriting my dad's sweet tooth, but I have stayed in the healthy range of weight gain so I'm satisfied. This picture of me isn't great, but I loved that you could see my baby belly pretty clearly.

Here are two last pictures:


Left picture: 30 weeks
Right picture: 31 weeks
Somehow I look smaller in the 31 week picture. Maybe because it is a maternity shirt and the 3o week picture is a regular shirt???

4 and counting...

This past Saturday was Neil and my's 4 year dating anniversary! Clarification: We have been together 4 years. 1 1/2 years dating and almost 2 1/2 married!!!! October 15th is a big deal to us. It is the day that he took me out on a our second date, but first date that started our relationship and he asked me if he could pursue me towards marriage!!!!!! Neil was so sweet to celebrate this day in style! For about a month or so now he had some 'secret date' planned for that day, but I wasn't sure what he had up his sleeve. It is an amazing feat that I didn't try to pry it out of him, because I love surprises, but can't wait for the surprise if I know there is one.

I loved our date on Saturday even though most of it was 'low key'.
We got all dressed up:
and went to Lowe's.

Yes, the hardware store. And Yes, I was PUMPED to go.
We were all dressed up in Lowe's buying blinds, a fire extinguisher for our kitchen, and paint samples for Natalie's room.
My favorite part of Lowe's was buying the blinds and paint samples, Neil was excited about the fire extinguisher-more for him than for me.
I have been wanting new blinds since we moved in the house and now seemed like an appropriate time to get them since we are about to start on Natalie's room AND I had a gift card from my birthday to use there.

So, after getting all dressed up and going to Lowe's it was DINNER TIME! Probably the thing I love most about our dates is that we eat out at a restaurant. I just really enjoy eating out and being able to order food I'd like without having to make it! Anyway, so Neil drives across town to take me to Brazeiros, a Brazilian Steakhouse where we live. FANCY FANCY FANCY FANCY FANCY!!!!!



He had made reservations for us at this specific restaurant because we went to Brazil on a mission trip with our college ministry our last summer of college. When the 'sparks' solidified for us. While we were in Brazil we ate at this kind of restaurant and we were excited to see that one had opened in our town!

This was definitely a splurg for us as our budget isn't fancy friendly and we aren't big meat eaters, but it was SO FUN to reminisce about Brazil, get dressed up, and enjoy the experience and atmosphere of the restaurant. It is definitely a neat experience if you ever go, because you get a little circle on your table that has a red side and a green side. Whenever you want meat you flip the card to the green side and guys come around with HUGE sword-like skewers with meat on them and ask if you'd like some. We had lamb, sirloin, chicken, and filet mignon (MY FAVORITE). They serve all different kinds of meat, cuts of meat, and different ways it is cooked. When you don't want any more meat you flip the card to the red side and they don't come by until you flip the card again. They also serve sides:
caramelized bananas, garlic mashed potatoes, crispy polenta (think fancy french fry) and cheese bread- which smelled and tasted just like the kind we had in Brazil! We also ordered dessert (which we RARELY do at a restaurant) and it was SO tasty. I finished it last night. Just talking about the food is making my mouth water and I'm not a big meat eater! The atmosphere is very fancy,but there were plenty of people there in jeans and casual clothes. Neil and I loved being able to talk with each other and hear each other because the music wasn't too loud- which turns Neil off to most restaurants.

After the restaurant we went back home and watched a movie and just chilled out.
IT WAS WONDERFUL!
He said that he felt a little insecure that there wasn't 'more' to the date and that part of the date was going to Lowe's and then watching a movie at home. Then he realized, "Wait, I think those are things she wants to do and is excited to do!"

I just wanted to brag on my husband a little bit because since he is a 'saver' and can be pretty budget conscious, he let those things go in order to celebrate a special day for us and not let money be a hindrance or decision maker in his plans. I realized probably a year ago that I feel so loved when we can do fun, 'splurg' like things every now and then and money doesn't have to be a factor- in a wise way. I kept thanking him over and over the last few days because of how special it was to me that he did this!

I'm Losing It!

While this title can be true on so many different levels in my life, what I really am talking about is my belly button! It is slowly making its descent out and it has been funny to see the progression. I imagine I'll just wake up one day and it will be gone completely!

The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy! I am in the middle of my 27th week and about to officially start the THIRD TRIMESTER! THE END IS NEARING!
I'm trying to not hyperventilate as I think about and type this out. I have definitely had all the mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety about having Natalie actually here in the flesh! So much will change and while I know it will only be for the good there can still be the mixed emotions of sadness about it not being "just Neil and I" any longer. This is a "FOREVER CHANGE", not just a season, but a REALLY LONG season that I know will be filled with so much joy, but also will be hard as well. Please don't think I'm not excited about my daughter because I am and I DREAM about her being here and taking care of her and learning who she is, but I'm also becoming aware of the big transitions ahead.

We FINALLY had our Yard Sale this past weekend and it went really well. We were both pleased with the results AND we were able to take what didn't sale to a local donation center THAT AFTERNOON. So NOTHING came back into the house! It is SO exciting to see SPACE in Natalie's room so that we can start making it Natalie's room! I'm so excited to get started!

In closing here are a few pictures from the last few weeks:

25-ish weeks

I can't see my shoes anymore!

27 weeks!

"... neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord"

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

I know I just wrote a light-hearted post about my pregnancy, but I don't feel light-hearted today.

Today I'm really sad for someone close to me and struggling to understand God's ways.
She found out yesterday that she lost her baby. Her long-awaited, much prayed for, years trying for baby. We all were convinced that this baby, her baby, was a miracle baby and therefore wouldn't be taken away. God had FINALLY allowed her to conceive so he definitely wouldn't take the baby away. He wasn't suppose to do this. He was suppose to let her have this baby. This doctor's visit was suppose to be a good one where afterward we could FINALLY shout from the mountain tops about His miracle. Why would God take away a miracle, his miracle?

I just don't understand.
I am reeling with confusion, anger, and sadness over lost hopes that were beginning to glimmer with possibility.

Then the Spirit gently leads me and reminds me of Isaiah 55:8-9. The Spirit reveals to me that I have been leaning on my own understanding and assuming God to to work like I expect him to work, but that isn't the case today. I know God is Sovereign and I NEED God to be Sovereign over my life, her life, and all of life. I know God wrote and numbered her baby's days perfectly from the beginning of time. He knew when we didn't know that he would take her baby 3 weeks ago, but that she wouldn't find out till yesterday. He knew and said it was best this way. I have to and need to yield to God's ways and thoughts because I need them right now to get through this and do anything I can to help her get through this.

Through my sadness I am glad that his truth remains firm and I am holding on to it, but I am also still just sad over all that was taken yesterday from this life.

Table for Two

It's happened! My belly has become a table for two! Neil was amazed when he saw me resting my cup of milk on my belly while I ate my cookies the other night. Hey, whatever works, right? I think it is rather convenient and can't wait till the "table" gets bigger!

I start 25 weeks tomorrow! I have been feeling Natalie move more and more and even am woken up some nights/early mornings with her kicks and rolls! I think I may have an early bird on my hands- just like her daddy. I am not an early bird so it will be interesting to see what takes place! I went shopping last week with my Mother-in-law and two of my sisters-in-law and bought Natalie MANY cute items. I was so excited and felt like I got a pretty good deal on some good quality clothes. I fell in love with the Carter's store! I became obsessed with shopping for Natalie about two weeks ago, but held off till I went with the family last week. I'm sure there is a good chance we will get many cute items from other people, but I began to worry that she wouldn't have some "essentials" that I would like for her to have, such as pants. She will be a winter baby and I became sad at the thought that her poor legs would freeze because no one bought her pants! Plus, I became anal about her having certain kinds that I wanted her have: colors and material that I can mix and match. I'm sure it was all for naught, but I think my "mommy mode" kicked in and I wanted to take care of her and have fun picking out certain things for her that I know I like because its all about me, right?

We go to the doctor on Monday and I start the blood sugar tests. I remember being the doctor's office with other pregnant women who were there for their test and I remember thinking, wow, 20-something weeks seems SO far away, they are almost done with their pregnancy! That's where I'm at right now, but it doesn't seem like I'm that far!!! Well, I think that is all I have for now.

Nesting Season

Well, its official. I've entered the Nesting Season of my pregnancy!!!! Actually I entered it a few weeks ago, but I've been so busy I haven't been able to write about it. The urge to organize and clean areas of our house, especially Natalie's room, washed over me like a tidal wave! It was/is a major transition for me because I'm NOT a big organizing/cleaning buff, just ask friends who have lived with me, and my husband. I like things to be clean, but I may not notice that things need to be cleaned until they are pretty messy or cluttered. I think I have gotten better since being married and life has settled down, but I'm still not inclined towards cleaning and organizing. So this new found inclination/ slight obsession with organizing is shocking for me and the tricky thing is that I can't really clean and organize Natalie's room yet because we need to have a yard sale first! We are scheduled to have a yard sale Oct. 1st so until then- when all junk/treasure will be gone from our home and her room- I am at a stand still and trying not to go crazy! I've been trying to do the little bit that I can and Neil has been SUPER helpful and willing to do things with me.

A few weeks ago, we spent part of our Friday night on a project that I had been too overwhelmed to finish. Do you remember when Neil cut down all those branches with poison ivy on them because I wanted to make a twig frame... Yeah, well the frame still hadn't happened, but we had new, poison ivy free twigs. Neil mentioned doing that project and so we tag-teamed it and finished it in an hour!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT and I had so much fun doing it with Neil. Here is the result!
This is in our laundry room- random place except that it's where we come into our house from the garage every day. p.s. Did I tell you guys we re-painted the laundry room- FINALLY! I like it much better now!

Next, we hung a painting that I have just painted in an oil painting class I took in July and August. A lady from my church teaches oil painting in her home once a week and I started taking classes and really enjoyed it! I hope to take the class again once we save up some more money for it. Neil has been really sweet and encouraging about the painting and was eager to hang it up in our living room! We hung it up this past week and he has been enjoying it since.

Last, but not least is a picture of the chaos in Natalie's room that I can't wait to get under control!!!!! (Actually it's one view of the room, there is a little more chaos behind the door and I didn't have time to get a picture of it.)

Wish us luck on getting everything cleaned out before January!

Enjoying the Unthinkable

The title of this post probably sounds WAY deeper than I actually mean but I did enjoy the unthinkable recently and thought it would be worthy to share.

Last week Neil and I went CAMPING with his family at the lake for 'vacation'. For those of you that somehow don't know, I was 20 weeks pregnant. PREGNANT AND CAMPING. Can those two words safely and realistically be in the same sentence? Well, I am happy to say, "YES THEY CAN!". I am NOT a 'camper', but Neil is and his family use to go to the lake EVERY year until he was in college. We planned to start up the tradition again this year before we found out I was pregnant. After finding out I was pregnant and then realizing that we were going CAMPING IN AUGUST I became VERY anxious and fearful. "Can you even go camping while you are pregnant?" "Is it safe for me to sleep on the ground?" "What if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?" "Where there be snakes! I HATE SNAKES!" "Will I get too hot from the heat and pass out or DIE?" These questions would plague me for several weeks. I would wake up in the middle of the night- to pee- and then not be able to sleep again because my mind would ponder and worry over these concerns. Neil was great at not making me feel dumb for having these concerns, praying for me to not fear, and reassuring me he was aware that I was pregnant and that he would do what was in his control to make things safe and comfortable for me, but he couldn't fix everything before we got there.

The day to leave arrives and with the assurance of a inflatable mattress for me and a fan we are off! Now to clarify we were car camping so we were at a nice site that had electricity but yes we slept in a tent. As soon as we got there I realized that I wasn't roughing it in the woods and that I could do this and have done this before, minus the pregnant factor. Our site was beside his parents and his aunt and uncle and right on the lake. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! We had such a great time the whole weekend and it was SO relaxing!!!! Not one of my fears was ever confirmed and instead I felt the faithfulness of the Lord. It wasn't too hot while we were there and there was usually some kind of nice breeze from the lake. I felt the freedom that anytime I did feel kind of sick I could go lay down and rest in his grandparent's AIR CONDITIONED camper. I never had to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and I slept really well with the help of ear plugs. Also, NO SNAKE SIGHTINGS! The time with his family was so nice and low key. We went out on the boat, sat by the lake, swam in the lake, and sat by the campsite. We played games, read, talked, and just relaxed. This trip actually made me EAGER, YES I SAID EAGER, to go camping again! I'm not sure if we will or not since I will only become MORE pregnant from now on, but I think Neil may have FINALLY broken me into camping. SSSSHHHH, don't let him know I said that...

Here are some pictures:

the view from our campsite

Neil and his cousin, Daniel, doing some karate stuff.
I walked away when I heard Daniel say, ..."and this is where I could dislocated your shoulder..."
Oh okay, that's neat Daniel...

Family Photo

20 WEEKS!

How I really feel sometimes

My VERY favorite photo from the whole trip.
Neil, his brother Nathan, and their almost 82 year old Granddaddy tubing!!!!
Such a cherished memory
I LOVE GRANDDADDY.