31 weeks

There are some weeks where I don't feel I have grown that much, and then other weeks when I can tell a bigger difference.  This was one of the "bigger difference" weeks.  I can definately tell that baby girl is getting bigger! 

63 days to go...

Kohl Children's Museam

Judah and I recently had an outing at the Kohl Children's Museam with our friends Amy and Leah.  There were lots of fun things for the kids to do, and they really had a great time exploring all the "areas" that they had.  There was a pretend grocery store, a veterinary clinic, a library, a music area, a water area, and tons more.  Here are some pictures of our day!

At the "grocery" store in the produce section...

 Judah didn't seem to understand the concept of only taking one item.

 He proceeded to take all the milk and put it in our cart.

 Judah with his friend Leah in the water section.

 This was his favorite activity-splashing water.

 Approaching the drum cautiously...

now we're having fun! 

 In the "makeup" area...

 which we decided to call "war paint"!

Leah with her makeup on!

Mr. Builder

Judah recently struck an interest in stacking his small blocks.  I am hoping that this is the start of many years of building with blocks.  Oh, and yes, he is wearing a sweater and a diaper around the house....sometimes, that's how we roll.

 Admiring his accomplishment...

 Taking a bow after he has finished....or trying a handstand?

   

Baby Bump

Here was the highlight of my day...he cracks me up!  I showed him how to put the ball under his shirt, and he thought it was hilarious.

The Home Stretch

This is the point of the pregnancy that I call "the home stretch"-30 weeks!  Woohoo!  It's hard to believe that there are only 10 short weeks left. 

I am starting to feel that I am further along, with some minor aches and pains, but overall I still feel pretty good.  Baby girl is now around 3 pounds, about the size of a head of a cabbage!  It is so funny to think that it took 30 weeks for her to get to 3 pounds, but in the next 10 weeks she will (most likely) more than double her weight....pretty amazing stuff.      
 

Unplanned

My third book of the year is finished!  I really never would have guessed that reading would become my new pastime.  I have come to the conclusion that maybe I am trying to read as much as I can before the baby comes, because I know my priorities and time will shift a bit when she is here.

This book is the personal telling of a former Planned Parenthood leader’s journey from one side of the pro-choice/pro-life “fence” to the other.  I wanted to read this book because the pro-choice/pro-life topic is an area that I have been passionate about for many years.  Simply put, this was an interesting, good read, but I know that it may not be for everyone, particularly if this is not a topic of interest to you.  That being said, I think that issues of life and death should indeed hold some weight in the life of a Christian.  I think that this book offers a unique perspective from someone who has truly believed in and lived out both pro-abortion and pro-life beliefs.  For me, some of the underlying messages of this book were: the foolishness of worldly thinking, the transforming power of God who is bigger than any lie, God’s work behind the scenes of our life and His bigger unseen plan, and the power of persistent prayer. 

Don't Make Me Count To Three!

So, I have officially finished my second book of 2011….I’m on a roll! 

I would categorize this as an instructional parenting book from a Biblical perspective.  I am in NO WAY an expert on this topic, but out of the handful of Christian parenting books I have read, this would be at the top of the list.  I would say that this book is one of the more comprehensive as well as practical books I have come across so far. I always find that I am left with more questions after I read a book like this, but, in my opinion, this book does a fantastic job presenting both Biblical foundations for parenting as well as practical ways to go about applying those principles in everyday life with your children. 

Ginger Plowman makes some wonderful points about parenting your child’s heart, not merely their actions.  She comes from the (Biblical) perspective that all behaviors are linked to a particular attitude of the heart and, “when you help your child to understand what is in his heart, you are teaching him to evaluate his own motives, which will help to quip him for his walk with Christ as he grows into an adult.” (p. 36)  She also touches on topics such as developing “heart probing skills”, how to give “Biblical reproof”, managing a manipulative child, guidelines for discipline, using the “put off” and “put on” principle when training your child, and more.  I would highly recommend this book to any Christian parent who has a desire to learn more about reaching the heart of their child through correction and discipline.  This is a book that I will definitely have to read a couple (or few) more times to really get (and remember) the information and practical tips, but I don’t mind-I need all the help I can get!

Excerpt:

“…God has entrusted us to prepare the hearts of our children for the Savior.  We are tools used by God to whittle away the calluses of the heart, keeping the heart tender and inclined to obedience.  When we call our children to obey us we are preparing them to obey Jesus, which is our ultimate goal.” (p. 75)

-Ginger Plowman            

The Hiding Place

I decided to write a brief review and thoughts on some of the books I choose to read for 2011.  I thought that this would be good accountability for me to actually write about what I am learning as I read, and I also thought that it couldn’t hurt to share these books with others in the event that they are looking for a good book, too (for all five of you who read this blog). :)  So, I am happy to report that I have actually finished my first book of the year!  I don’t expect to keep up this pace, but I just couldn’t put this one down!

I would categorize this book as an inspirational biography, and I consider this book a must-read for any Christian at any stage in their walk of faith.  In a nutshell, this is a retelling of Corrie ten Boom’s life and experience, specifically during the Holocaust in the late 1930s and early 1940s.  This book, for me, was about God’s faithfulness to His people during a one of the biggest times of tragedy and darkness this world has seen.  It gave me a fresh and new perspective on trusting God, His bigger unseen plan, remaining faithful to Him in even the darkest of times, and His power to help one love when love is not possible.  It challenged my faith on a very real level.  Do I believe that God is bigger than anything?  Would I seek to obey Him in any and all circumstances?  Would I believe His way is better even when all common sense would say otherwise?  Would I trust Him to help me love my persecutors and see them as He sees them?  These were just some of the questions and challenges that I experienced while reading this book.  And through these, I was reminded in a new way that God’s light shines brightest in the darkest of circumstances. 

Excerpt:

"Love.  How did one show it?  How could God Himself show truth and love at the same time in a world like this?  By dying.  The answer stood out for me sharper and chillier than it ever had before that night: the shape of a Cross etched on the history of the world."

-Corrie ten Boom

Looking Forward

I’m a little late on this post, but (as many will understand) parenting a toddler sometimes prevents things from getting done when I would like them to.  As “they” say, better late than never, right?  So, I have been thinking about what things I am looking forward to in 2011. I really don’t always take time to think about things like this.  As a matter of fact, this may be the first year that I actively sat down and decided to really think about it and write it down.  I found that the more I thought about it, the more I found things that I didn’t realize I am looking forward to.  And it’s not just what I am looking forward to, but what I am trusting God to do in my life.  Here are my top five (in no particular order):

1. Having a baby-  This is a biggie for 2011!  Adding another child to our family will change us forever, and although I know that there will be many challenges with this new “addition”, I also know that this baby will bring far more joy and smiles to our family.  I am also looking forward to having a daughter!  This will be yet another new experience for us, but one that we look forward to with utmost joy. 

2. Judah turning 2- Now, admittedly this is bitter-sweet for me, because every time I think about Judah turning 2, it reminds me that time is going faster and faster, and the moments we have with him as a little boy are getting shorter.  That being said, I do look forward to the celebration that his birthday truly will be.  We celebrate that God has given us a sweet little boy.  We celebrate that God has blessed us with him another year.  I really do look forward to, not only his 2^nd birthday, but another year of being his "mama". 

3. Deepening friendships- I think this is an area that I am trusting God for in 2011.  I already feel so truly blessed to be surrounded by sweet friendships.  They have encouraged me, enriched my life, given me great advice and support, as well as been there to help out in a pinch.  I believe that we were made for relationships, and I have been the recipient of so many blessings as a result of great friendships.  I  am trusting God to take my friendships deepr this year, and I look forward to new areas of growth in my life as a result!   

4.  Reading more books (and watching less tv)-  This is as close as I am going to get to a New Year's “resolution”.  I have so many great books lying around that I want to start reading.  Reading is one of those things for me-I don’t realize how much I like it until I start reading a book again.  I am happy to report that I have already started my first book of the year (Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place), and I am already on page 80, so I’m plugging full steam ahead on this one.    

5.  The unknown- I know this sounds funny to write when talking about things that I look forward to, but there is part of me that loves the unknown.  I know the unknown can be scary, because, well, it's unknown.  But it is also promising; I believe that God has great things in store for me and my family-things I have no idea about.  I love that.  I love that I don’t know, and I am totally okay with not knowing because I serve a God who does know.  I have things to look forward to that I don’t even know about yet!  How cool is that?    

Plugging Along

Here are some progressive pregnancy pics so far.  I cannot promise that I will be posting these throughout my pregnancy (we'll see how bloated I get), but here they are for now.  It is so hard to believe that I am 27 weeks already!

20 weeks

 23 weeks

 25 weeks

 27 weeks