I read this verse in a Mommy-to-be journal that my mom gave me for Christmas. It was in a section about preparing your heart as you enter into mommyhood. I really liked it, and thought that in many situations I need to be reminded that God knows all my secrets. :)
Psalm 44:21 NIV
"Would not God have discovered it, since He knows the secrets of the heart?"
Here's an updated picture of me and Carter that we took last Friday. Carter is measuring close to two weeks ahead of schedule right now. That could be because he had an early growth spurt, or he could be a big boy. We will see as time gets closer. We are both healthy and doing well. Last Monday, we went in for an ultrasound and fetal echocardiogram. At this point, Carter's heart looks fantastic, and there is no reason to do further testing right now. We doubt anything will be needed later besides the normal close listening with the stethoscope that the pediatrician will do. He's getting stronger every day playing all kinds of games inside of me. Daddy says he's practicing running the bases. :) We are about to begin purchasing furniture and getting the nursery started. It will not be elaborate right now since we are moving at the first of August (not away-just into a rent house). But, when there are pictures to post, I will get those up! We are getting even more excited and anxiously awaiting to hold him. It's definitely beginning to feel close now. Sometimes scary, but mostly exciting. We love this new adventure!
Here's a little look into my mind as I think about my little boy:
Will he have blue eyes?
Will he have blonde hair or red? (Both grandmothers are red headed)
Will he look more like Taylor or more like me?
What will his smile look like?
What will his laugh sound like?
What will be his favorite color?
Will he have his daddy's AMAZING musical ear?
Musically, will he be an instrumentalist? A vocalist? Or both?
Academically, will learning come easily for him or will he have to work harder for success?
Will he like to read?
What of my positive qualities will he inherit?
What of my negative qualities will he inherit?
What will he want to do when he grows up?
Will he be a fussy baby with happy times or a happy baby with fussy times?
Will he take quickly to nursing and following a schedule?
What will he do that makes us laugh?
Will he be a good traveler making it easy to visit grandparents in Lubbock and Albuquerque?
Will he be long and skinny for years and years like his mom and dad-making it difficult to find pants that fit :) ?
What will his little boy self be most fascinated with: cars, planes, dinosaurs, baseball, football, etc?
Where will we see his creativity the most?
I could go on and on and on. There's all kinds of more serious questions as well, but I was dreaming about these today. I can't wait to meet my little guy!
I'm currently working to discipline myself to read through the Bible this year. I have a One Year Bible that is passages from the OT, NT, Psalms, and Proverbs every day. It helps get through the tedious parts of the OT. This passage in Psalms was part of one of the early days, and I just really wanted to spend some time with it. There is a fantastic song based off of this passage that we actually used in our wedding. I am looking forward to reading through this and meditating on this passage the next couple weeks so that I can carry it even closer to my heart during this big time season change in our life.
Psalm 3:3 NIV
"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."
I'm just a little past halfway. Besides being exhausted most of the time, I feel pretty good. I'm able to get stuff done in little spurts around resting, and I'm very thankful for that. We are busy trying to get registered for what we need, putting money away to buy the nursery furniture, and all the other plans that have to be made to welcome a child into the home!
Carter is moving around like crazy. Taylor has felt him once. He doesn't always kick hard enough to be felt on the outside, even though I can feel him often! Taylor is really looking forward to when Carter will move a lot while Taylor talks or sings to him. Shouldn't be too long now!
That's just a quick, simple update. And, here's my 21 weeks, 1 day picture:
This weekend was the Regional Rally for Premier Designs-the company I sell jewelry for. It's so much more than selling jewelry, and maybe in another post I will describe more about the amazing opportunity Premier is in my life. But, this post is about my memory work. Each year at Regional Rally a Bible verse is announced to be the verse of the year for the company. Just a little over a month ago, Premier lost one of its co-founders, Joan Horner. It was decided that for 2011, in honor of Joan, her favorite verse would be used for the 2011 Verse of the Year. This verse is what I have chosen for the next two weeks to spend time meditating on and memorizing.
Psalm 34:1,3
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be on my lips. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together."
There are two main things recently that have been running through my head. I really believe these two lessons I've been learning during my pregnancy will transfer into motherhood. Hmmm...wonder if God designs it that way. :)
1. Take it one day at a time! When my morning sickness hit me halfway through week 5, it literally knocked me flat out of nowhere. One minute I was fine, and the next I was sick, sick. I quickly learned not to over plan. One day at a time was very important. Some days I could get up and do something, but some days I couldn't. I had to quit worrying over what wasn't happening and focus on what was happening. Something tells me that one day at a time plus the patience that comes with that will be very important as a mother.
2. Rest when I can! Being pregnant for me means that I sleep--A LOT! Because of a blood disorder that I have, I did not get a massive relief of fatigue once I hit my 2nd trimester. I've also learned that if I try to ignore I have a blood disorder and need to rest, then I feel sick like my 1st trimester all over again. So, I have to honor my body's need for rest so that I'm taking care of me and the baby to the best of my ability. I can only imagine how important this will be especially right at the beginning. I will be a better mom and wife if I rest often at the beginning when sleep is so sporadic. This will also go hand in hand with taking it one day at a time.
