Friday, January 25, 2013
Peepee Teepees
Wow, I've had a lot more time to write on this thing lately! It's kind of fun. I'm here to present to you my latest crafty obsession; Peepee Teepees. I saw these online and really wanted to buy some. It's a commonly known fact that babies, and especially baby boys, tend to sprinkle at unfortunate times while you are changing them. The Peepee Teepee is meant to keep spontaneous fountains to a minimum allowing for easy clean up and less clothing changes for mama. Genius, right?! After looking more closely at them I realized I don't need to buy one, because I can totally make them myself! I found this easy tutorial and went to town, making 8 of them so far!
The inside fabric is from a nice soft receiving blanket that was a duplicate and I didn't mind chopping up :)
So cute! It's a nice rewarding project because it takes maybe 10 minutes to complete, and you can use all those random scrap fabrics you have laying around. I plan on keeping some with me in the diaper bag at all times and a bunch on hand at his changing table so I'll probably make a few more :) The things you can get done when you're too sick to do much else! I love it!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Rest
Here's the spot I've camped out at over the last few days. As silly as it may seem, it's brought me joy to have all those colors and patterns on that black couch. It's the little things in life right?
Yuck. Being sick is no fun at all. I can't remember feeling this bad in a long time. Partly it might be because I've never had a cold while being 9 months pregnant before. :) Hey, there's a first time for everything! One perk to this forceful respite was that I re-read the book Redeeming Love in a matter of a few days. What a good book! I rented it from the library in hopes of reading it once baby came and I had loads of down time, but the down time came before the baby so I dove right in! What a beautiful story of God's passionate love for us! This time around, I tried to put myself in the main character's, (Angel, a prostitute since age 8 who is given the chance at a new life by a loving man) shoes. There are so many times where she questions a love that expects nothing in return, a love that forgives and doesn't punish, and a love that is willing to lay down one's life for the sake of another. Her circumstances in life showed her that this love could not exist, so she hardened herself and ran away from a good and beautiful thing in order to protect herself. I've never done any of these things to the extreme she goes to, but in my relationship with the Lord I do tend to carry my baggage and see myself as an unworthy recipient of unceasing love. I do not approach his throne boldly like my legal position before Him gives me the ability to do. Instead, I look at the process of sanctification going on inside and say "I'm still unclean. This part of me isn't ready yet. There's no way you could love this area in my heart." What I must continue to remember is that He sees my heart. He sees that longing inside of me to be more like Him, even if it's small. He sees the end from the beginning and knows where I've come from and where I'm going. I am by no means a finished product, but my position as daughter of the King and as the bride of Christ are fixed and set as long as my heart stays for Him. The cross was enough. He made a way and now it's my turn to respond. I pray that all of my days I live in the truth and the reality of Christ's finished work on the cross, and give Him the only response found worthy; a life set apart for simple and pure devotion to Jesus. Read the book if you haven't!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Relaxation
I'm currently fighting a real nasty cold that I'm hoping and praying goes away before baby-Paurus decides to make his debut. Through the urging of a friend, I discovered the beauty of taking nice warm baths while being pregnant. It is so lovely! This evening I wasn't feeling up to much with my scratchy sore throat, sniffily nose, and pounding headache, so I lit lots of candles, turned on a sermon and got real cozy in the bath tub. My sister in law sent me some awesome smelling honey-almond bath salts and I always add a little lavender bubble bath because I can't go without the bubbles. Even if you're not pregnant, I highly suggest taking baths every once in a while. It does wonders :)
Oh and in case any of you were wondering, yes, it was my due date this past Sunday. I still feel like he's pretty content where he's at so I have no clue when he'll make his appearance. We are very excited to meet this little guy and see his precious face.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Nesting Glimpse
I think it's time I give a major shout out to my dear mama. She is so kind to me! I can be a bit picky with baby stuff and was having a hard time finding things that fit my budget and style. So, let me give you a list of all the things she is CUSTOM-MAKING for me and her future lil grandson: 2 crib sheets, 2 changing pad covers, a boppy pillow cover, 3 windows worth of curtains in his room and another 3 in ours!!!! This woman is amazing and I can't thank her enough. Did you know it would have cost us over $300 to put up black-out curtains (since we are awake at night and sleep during the day) in both rooms if we would have bought them from the store?! To show her our gratitude, maybe we could name our son after her. That would be real original; a boy named Sue. :)
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Pregnancy, Contentment, and Thanksgiving
Our culture has greatly lost it's value on life over the last few decades. Some of this can be attributed to the spiritual atmosphere created when millions of babies are being aborted in our midst, and laws are passed to legalize this action. Some of the loss of the value of life is affected by our culture's insatiable hunger for comfort. Children can cause discomfort (cost money, take away free time, lack of sleep, minimizes social life etc.) and so the general trend over the last years is to have very few children and much later in life. That's not really what I'm here to talk about, but it does set the stage and give a backdrop for the things I've been pondering.
Pregnancy seems to carry such a negative tone. At some points throughout these last 9 months, I've almost felt like people don't know how to talk about pregnancy unless it's in a complaining or negative way. It's almost like "word vomit." The comments and questions start spilling out of their mouth before they even think about it. This is men and women included. How did we get to this point? How did the incredible season of carrying a precious life inside your body become such a 'buzz word'? I think the view on life that I explained earlier plays a huge part in that, but I also think we pregnant women must share in the blame.
Pregnancy does not give us a free pass for complaint.
There, I said it. I know for some people that may be really hard to swallow, because, of course, there are so many seemingly justifiable reasons for grumbling during that 9 month period. There are trying moments emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually with pregnancy. It's not easy! There are lists of symptoms that may or may not affect you that seem to go on forever. And then of course, it all comes to a climax in the beautiful long awaited birth, which is one of the most meaningful and special moments of your life, and also one of the most painful. Trust me, I understand all of that. However, death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prv. 18:21) It matters so much how we talk about things. Not only for the benefit and edification of the listener, but also for ourselves. James 3:3-5 " When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts." We can change our circumstances, to a degree, by how we talk about them. I'm not trying to say "Just fake it till you make it," I think that's poor advice most of the time. What I'm saying, is that we can choose what we focus on when we respond to people, and our outlook on our circumstances will align accordingly. For example, over the last few weeks the common question or comment I receive from people goes something like this, "Aren't you just so ready to not be pregnant any more?" or "I bet you can't wait to be done." These people mean well in their asking, but it does come with a distinct flavor of pregnancy being a miserable thing that one should eagerly anticipate the end of. So, now I get to choose how I respond. Of course there are some perks about not being pregnant that I look forward to, but am I going to let those desires consume me and cause me to finish out my pregnancy in misery and increased emotional suffering? No way! I calmly tell people, that I want my baby boy to come whenever he's ready and I'm willing to wait as long as that takes. That change in perspective makes a world of difference and I truly do mean that when I say it.
Complaint gives Satan a window to allow bitterness and discontentment flood into every area of our lives. Thanksgiving is our means to fight against this onslaught and believe it or not, it's for our own benefit!
There is so much to be thankful for! I have the humbling privilege of carrying a life inside of me. There is a miracle going on in my body for 9 months and I can't help but praise God as I learn about all the intricate ways he made our bodies to function. My body is reacting perfectly to the changes that are going on inside of me. Yes, I may not like all of those reactions, but they are what enables my womb to sustain life! God made this process and it is beautiful! And this complex and elaborate method isn't the only thing to marvel at. That is my son being formed in there! My son! What a precious gift! I would do anything for his benefit. There isn't a price too large to pay for this little man who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. And, of course, there are some women who desperately desire to have children and are unable to. I can't imagine the pain that they must feel. I must be all the more grateful that I am able to bear children and thank God for this opportunity.
I've enjoyed being pregnant as a whole and hope that other girls who haven't yet embarked on the journey of motherhood feel encouraged and less afraid about it because of the way I carry myself and communicate about this season. It is a gloriously beautiful adventure and I hope to say that for each child I carry.
NOTE
To be clear: My intention in writing this post was to address 2 issues: one of them being the battle between complaint and thanksgiving and how that affects our circumstances, and the other being the value of life/pregnancy. I want to make it clear that I in no way assume that people who have had children later on in life, or who have only had one or two kids have a "lesser value" on life. I mentioned those two scenarios as a trend that some have gotten into only because they see children as a nuisance or a hindrance. Family's circumstances or the will of God could mean they wait longer to have children or that they stop after only one child. There is nothing wrong with waiting or with having a smaller family, my concern was the thought process and the motives behind that choice. Also, I want to reiterate that my stance about complaint and thanksgiving in the midst of any hard situation does not negate, belittle or invalidate the challenge that the person is facing. I'm not saying that you shouldn't feel frustrated by tough symptoms or even that you shouldn't look forward to your situation being over. I'm merely challenging us (myself included) to choose to be thankful in every circumstance, even when everything around you seems to go against it. Thanksgiving is a hard choice, but so worth it.
Pregnancy seems to carry such a negative tone. At some points throughout these last 9 months, I've almost felt like people don't know how to talk about pregnancy unless it's in a complaining or negative way. It's almost like "word vomit." The comments and questions start spilling out of their mouth before they even think about it. This is men and women included. How did we get to this point? How did the incredible season of carrying a precious life inside your body become such a 'buzz word'? I think the view on life that I explained earlier plays a huge part in that, but I also think we pregnant women must share in the blame.
Pregnancy does not give us a free pass for complaint.
There, I said it. I know for some people that may be really hard to swallow, because, of course, there are so many seemingly justifiable reasons for grumbling during that 9 month period. There are trying moments emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually with pregnancy. It's not easy! There are lists of symptoms that may or may not affect you that seem to go on forever. And then of course, it all comes to a climax in the beautiful long awaited birth, which is one of the most meaningful and special moments of your life, and also one of the most painful. Trust me, I understand all of that. However, death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prv. 18:21) It matters so much how we talk about things. Not only for the benefit and edification of the listener, but also for ourselves. James 3:3-5 " When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts." We can change our circumstances, to a degree, by how we talk about them. I'm not trying to say "Just fake it till you make it," I think that's poor advice most of the time. What I'm saying, is that we can choose what we focus on when we respond to people, and our outlook on our circumstances will align accordingly. For example, over the last few weeks the common question or comment I receive from people goes something like this, "Aren't you just so ready to not be pregnant any more?" or "I bet you can't wait to be done." These people mean well in their asking, but it does come with a distinct flavor of pregnancy being a miserable thing that one should eagerly anticipate the end of. So, now I get to choose how I respond. Of course there are some perks about not being pregnant that I look forward to, but am I going to let those desires consume me and cause me to finish out my pregnancy in misery and increased emotional suffering? No way! I calmly tell people, that I want my baby boy to come whenever he's ready and I'm willing to wait as long as that takes. That change in perspective makes a world of difference and I truly do mean that when I say it.
Complaint gives Satan a window to allow bitterness and discontentment flood into every area of our lives. Thanksgiving is our means to fight against this onslaught and believe it or not, it's for our own benefit!
There is so much to be thankful for! I have the humbling privilege of carrying a life inside of me. There is a miracle going on in my body for 9 months and I can't help but praise God as I learn about all the intricate ways he made our bodies to function. My body is reacting perfectly to the changes that are going on inside of me. Yes, I may not like all of those reactions, but they are what enables my womb to sustain life! God made this process and it is beautiful! And this complex and elaborate method isn't the only thing to marvel at. That is my son being formed in there! My son! What a precious gift! I would do anything for his benefit. There isn't a price too large to pay for this little man who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. And, of course, there are some women who desperately desire to have children and are unable to. I can't imagine the pain that they must feel. I must be all the more grateful that I am able to bear children and thank God for this opportunity.
I've enjoyed being pregnant as a whole and hope that other girls who haven't yet embarked on the journey of motherhood feel encouraged and less afraid about it because of the way I carry myself and communicate about this season. It is a gloriously beautiful adventure and I hope to say that for each child I carry.
NOTE
To be clear: My intention in writing this post was to address 2 issues: one of them being the battle between complaint and thanksgiving and how that affects our circumstances, and the other being the value of life/pregnancy. I want to make it clear that I in no way assume that people who have had children later on in life, or who have only had one or two kids have a "lesser value" on life. I mentioned those two scenarios as a trend that some have gotten into only because they see children as a nuisance or a hindrance. Family's circumstances or the will of God could mean they wait longer to have children or that they stop after only one child. There is nothing wrong with waiting or with having a smaller family, my concern was the thought process and the motives behind that choice. Also, I want to reiterate that my stance about complaint and thanksgiving in the midst of any hard situation does not negate, belittle or invalidate the challenge that the person is facing. I'm not saying that you shouldn't feel frustrated by tough symptoms or even that you shouldn't look forward to your situation being over. I'm merely challenging us (myself included) to choose to be thankful in every circumstance, even when everything around you seems to go against it. Thanksgiving is a hard choice, but so worth it.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Maternity Shoot
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
38 weeks
Can you believe I'm at 38 weeks? I sure can't! Time is flying by and we are so excited. I have a feeling this little guy is going to come late and I'm perfectly fine with that. We're still working on gathering our last odds and ends and making his little room just right, so I'm ok with him taking his time in arriving. I'm definitely feeling a little less energetic and a little more round, but for the most part I'm doing great! We're both eagerly anticipating meeting our son and holding him in our arms for the first time.
A friend of ours offered to take some maternity shots of us this weekend and we jumped at the chance. I'm glad I'll have these photos to look back on and show our little guy when he's older. So far I've only seen a sneak peak of the photos and I'll be getting the rest this weekend. Check out her photography blog here.
I was inspired by my friend Noelle's blog post about fun baby things and decided to take a few pictures of my favorite things our little dude has so far.
Baby things are so cute! The top 2 were made by Jake's talented aunt and I'm sooo excited to see our little one in that adorable pea pod sweater. Next are two of my newborn cloth diapers. They are so itty bitty! And after that is a cute little giraffe rattle that my photography friend who did our photos made for me. Lastly, a fun little teether I found on etsy made by a girl in Estonia. I know little baby-P could care less about all this stuff, but I'm tickled by it all :)
I've had a lot of reality check moments in the last few weeks about the new journey Jake and I are about to embark on. Parenthood. Wow. This is such a big deal! God's been teaching me lately about the fear of the Lord and I'm discovering it's the only way to parent. Last night we hosted our first home group for the internship that just started at Gateway. We had 10 interns in our little living room and we went around sharing our testimonies. At the end of the evening I was struck by one of the reoccurring themes in everyone's story. At some point, almost every person (there was one girl who didn't) mentioned something about their parents and what they didn't do right. Yikes! That makes me tremble! God has made me a steward of this little life inside of me and I will have to give an account before the Lord about how I parented. He's not asking me to be a perfect parent, because sadly, (and thankfully) only He is! But what He is asking is that I raise my child in the fear of the Lord. I must surrender to His Lordship daily. I must ask Him for help. I must be quick to repent and ask for forgiveness (from Him and my child) when I mess up. I must be yielded to the leadership of the Holy Spirit (give Him the right-away). I hope and pray and will continue to contend that my son has an "uneventful" testimony. I pray that he will walk with the Lord like Enoch, and be set apart at a young age like Josiah and Daniel all the days of his life. I pray that he will be a forerunner, proclaiming the coming of Jesus, like John the baptizer, and an intimate lover of Jesus like John the apostle. I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit is schooling me in the fear of the Lord in this season. He's reminding me again and again that the God of the universe is watching me intently. He is overjoyed and excited to reward my small acts of obedience and humility when I stand before Him on that Day, but He also will remember the moments that I react in the flesh and in selfishness if I do not repent. His grace is sufficient and will fuel me to live without compromise to the end. Lord help me!
I was inspired by my friend Noelle's blog post about fun baby things and decided to take a few pictures of my favorite things our little dude has so far.
I've had a lot of reality check moments in the last few weeks about the new journey Jake and I are about to embark on. Parenthood. Wow. This is such a big deal! God's been teaching me lately about the fear of the Lord and I'm discovering it's the only way to parent. Last night we hosted our first home group for the internship that just started at Gateway. We had 10 interns in our little living room and we went around sharing our testimonies. At the end of the evening I was struck by one of the reoccurring themes in everyone's story. At some point, almost every person (there was one girl who didn't) mentioned something about their parents and what they didn't do right. Yikes! That makes me tremble! God has made me a steward of this little life inside of me and I will have to give an account before the Lord about how I parented. He's not asking me to be a perfect parent, because sadly, (and thankfully) only He is! But what He is asking is that I raise my child in the fear of the Lord. I must surrender to His Lordship daily. I must ask Him for help. I must be quick to repent and ask for forgiveness (from Him and my child) when I mess up. I must be yielded to the leadership of the Holy Spirit (give Him the right-away). I hope and pray and will continue to contend that my son has an "uneventful" testimony. I pray that he will walk with the Lord like Enoch, and be set apart at a young age like Josiah and Daniel all the days of his life. I pray that he will be a forerunner, proclaiming the coming of Jesus, like John the baptizer, and an intimate lover of Jesus like John the apostle. I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit is schooling me in the fear of the Lord in this season. He's reminding me again and again that the God of the universe is watching me intently. He is overjoyed and excited to reward my small acts of obedience and humility when I stand before Him on that Day, but He also will remember the moments that I react in the flesh and in selfishness if I do not repent. His grace is sufficient and will fuel me to live without compromise to the end. Lord help me!
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