Show and Tell Friday
On this Show and Tell Friday, I wanted to share with you a picture of my paternal grandparents. They are both deceased, now, but they truly meant the world to me. Both of them really helped to shape my life. My Grandmother, who we called Grandmom, was a spunky German lady, who always said the funniest, outlandish things. My Grandfather, whom we called Pop, was 100% Irish, and he was a gentle and quiet man. They always cracked me up the way they would tease each other. She would lecture him about how much he scared her, when he fell asleep with a toothpick in his mouth. She would ramble on to him for about 20 minutes about "just how dangerous that was". After she "cleared her chest", he would turn to her and say, "Did you say something, Mary?" She would throw up her hands in the air, acting all exasperated. It was just too cute and funny. (This happened every weekend I went to visit them.)
My Grandmom was one of the most influential people in my life. She was never too busy to read to me, or to teach me how to cross stitch. It was in her kitchen that I learned the most about cooking. When I spent the night at her house, she was just devastated if I did not want a full course meal for breakfast. So, I generally acquiesced to her wish for spoiling me in that way. :) She always took the time to listen and she loved to tell stories to me, from her youth. She always told me that I was a lot like her, and that I should have been born in her era. She truly was a best friend of mine. From her, I have learned so much, but especially to be lavish with the time we spend with little ones. Even though I was so young, she was never too busy to spend time with me. For that, I always will be grateful. For more Show and Tell Fridays, visit Kelli.

Baby's Position
For all of you dear mama's who are in your third trimester, it is very important that you find out as much as you can about your baby's position. With my first two children, all that I cared about was whether the baby was head down or feet down. I figured that as long as the baby's head was down, then there would be smooth sailing after that. But there is so much more to it than that. A baby who is head first, yet "sunny side up" or posterior, can cause excrutiating back labor for a mother. This is because a posterior baby's spine rubs up against his mama's spine, causing much pain. Also, posterior babies often take much longer to deliver, as they take longer to get through the birth canal. (A wider part of their head has to come through) So what do you do if you have a posterior baby? Often, they will turn themselves before labor. That is one reason why it is so important to wait on God's timetable for birthing, because baby often gets into the correct birthing position, right before labor starts. My midwife told me a few weeks ago that my baby is right occiput anterior. You can see a picture here for all of the possible fetal positions. Many midwives can tell baby's position just by palpating the uterus. (feeling the uterus) Many doctors no longer practice this art, but if you have any worries, an ultrasound can show baby's exact position. If your baby is in a posterior, transverse, or breech position, it is often possible to get the baby to move into a proper position prior to birth. For a helpful websites with a lot of great techniques, visit the Spinning Babies website.

38 weeks!

Tomorrow, I will be 38 weeks and I can hardly wait to hold my little bundle of joy! Just a bit ago, we got back from my appointment with my midwife. (Though she is an hour away, at least we can go for evening appointments.) The appointment went well. I am 133 pounds, and by measuring my fundal height, she can tell that the baby has grown in the past week and a half. She was very excited about that, as the baby was measuring on the smaller side. My babies tend to wait till the last few weeks to really start putting on the weight. Maybe that is why they like to stay nestled inside my womb for so long. :) Another great thing is that my hemoglobin levels went up! About two weeks ago, I was 9.2 . Now, I am 10.2 . Ideally, I can get up to about 11, but I am very happy that I am no longer considered anemic. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray that my iron levels will remain above 10.
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I am so excited for the sweet Morris family. They are a very dear Christian family, who lost their precious boy back in January. They have been through so many trials, this year, and I rejoice with them that the Lord is forming a new precious life inside of Mrs. Morris. She is expecting her 14th blessing! If you get a chance, I am sure they would love it if you would stop by their blog and say congrats!
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I was "window shopping" at a Waterbirth site, when I was amazed at the price of this product. It looks ever so handy and I love the concept, but I could not imagine paying $35 for 3 feet of rope and some vinyl! If you are squatting while you push, and hubby is squatting across from you, you can simply hold his hands for the same helpful effect.
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My midwife only had one other client who was due near the beginning of July. She gave birth last Friday, so there shouldn't be any reason that I cannot have my midwife at the birth. One interesting thing to note is that this Saturday will be a full moon! My midwife says that this causes many ladies to go into labor. Many hospitals fill up with every full moon! I won't hold my breath that this might be me, because my littles always seem to like to stay all bundled up in their mama for at least a few days after they are due. To check a really cool website about the phases of the moon, go here. Have any of you dear ladies every delivered when it was a full moon? I find that how the moon affects our bodies is a really fascinating thing!

Scripture Meditations for Labor
As I have mentioned a few times, I have been working on making a little booklet of scriptures to meditate on, when I am in labor. I think it is a wonderful experience to go through the Bible and let God lead you to the verses He chooses for your labor. I hope mine are helpful to you, as well. I am still collecting more verses, but I decided to post these now, as I never seem to find enough. The first one is the one that Jesus really laid upon my heart for this labor.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)

"Pray without ceasing." - I Thessalonians 5:17

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18


"Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." - I Timothy 2:15


"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."- 2 Timothy 1:7


"The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." - I John 4:18

"Blessed are they who put their trust in Him." -Psalm 2:12

"Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to come forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy God." - Isaiah 66:9

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed." - Psalm 28:7-8

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." -Romans 8:18

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."- 2 Corinthians 12:9

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."-Phil 4:13

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." - Phil 2:5-8

"Set your affection on things above, not on things of this earth."- Colossians 3:2

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." -2 Peter 5:7

"I have gotten a man from the Lord." -Genesis 4:1

"I Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord." -Psalm 27:14

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."- I John 3:16

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." - Psalm 34:19

As I am sure that I have mentioned before, God has really been leading me to reflect on water, for this birth. In my Bradley classes, we are taught proper relaxation methods, for labor. Whenever I am supposed to think of a relaxing place, I always think of the beach. I try to smell the salt water, hear the sea gulls, and feel the warm sun beating down on me. In theory, you are supposed to focus on your special place during each contraction, while your sweetie is giving you a message. (This is just one technique, out of many, that we have learned.) Every time I try envisioning being somewhere else, I always come back to wanting to think about the beach. I am very grateful that (God willing), I will be able to labor some, and hopefully, to give birth in the water. My inflatable pool for laboring in, might not be as lovely as Bermuda, but it will do! ( he he) Though it is not as common of a practice in America, waterbirth is very common in many other countries. Wouldn't a water birth be such a gentler entrance into the world, than the often used forceps or vacuum extractor? They used forceps when my daughter was born, and she was bruised and got jaundice as a result of it.A mother's skin and perineal tissues can stretch so much better in the water. I pray that more American hospitals will let women labor and birth in tubs. As Dr.Sears says in The Birth Book, isn't $5 worth of water in the tub a much better investment, than a $1500 epidural? Have a joyful day in Him!
Coastal View Print by Sung Kim available from www.art.com

Menu Plan Monday and Our Weekend

Stephen bought our children a swingset, last week, and he has been diligently assembling it, ever since. He put the fort together, so far. He also bought them an inflatable pool, so they could have their own "waterslide". Lily and Stevie are so blessed to have a father who works so hard to bring his children joy.
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By the way, if you haven't done so, please enter a guess about my baby's stats, if you get the chance. It is fun to see what will happen. Thanks to all those who have taken the time to enter a guess!
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Menu Plan Monday

Monday-June 25th- Hubby is making a special linguine dinner

Tuesday-June 26th- Kielbasa Casserole

Wednesday- June 27- Cook Dinner for the whole extended family- Sloppy Joes and Fries

Thursday- June 28- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Friday-June 29th- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- June 30th- Beef Burritos

For more menu plans, visit Laura. Have a most blessed week!

Let the fun begin....
My birth pool arrived yesterday. Thanks be to God that I did not go into labor without it! Sometimes I am anxious about hoping to birth soon, but I know it is best to just leave it in His perfect Hands! Actually, it is kind of nice if I go into labor near my due date, because hopefully I will continue dilating (painlessly) over the next few weeks. I like being at as high of a dilation number as possible, before labor starts. (When I was having Stevie, I got to about 6 painlessly, before labor even started.) Ever since I started praying for that, God has so faithfully heard my prayer. One recommendation that a friend told me is to be specific in your requests before the Lord regarding birth. We often just pray that "all will go well". But I find that being specific is very important. No desire of your heart is too small for the Loving God who created you. Thank you dear friends, for your prayers on my behalf. You are all a true blessing in my life.

Free Children's Books at Barnes and Noble
For parents of rising 1st-6th graders, Barnes and Noble is having a great summer reading program. Simply record a list of 8 books your child has read, this summer, here, and your child can select a free book. Each child can get a total of 2 free books with this program, this summer. For the website regarding all the details, go here. My littles are just a tad too young yet, but I am looking forward to doing this with Lily, maybe next summer. This really is such a great idea. I hope that you are having a joyful weekend.

Show and Tell Friday: Alice in Bibleland Books
Around our house, we absolutely Alice in Bibleland books. We purchased a few used before, and dear Hubby ended up purchasing (from Ebay) the entire set for our children for Christmas. The picture shows about half of our collection. We love reading to our children primarily from the Bible, and we try to follow up with one of these, afterwords. They are written in poem format, so they are really fun to read and they do a great job at summarizing that particular story. These are true blessings in our home, which we truly enjoy. Because of these tremendous books, my dear daughter, Lily, can tell me so many things about each Bible story which they contain. This is simply priceless and precious to me! For more Show and Tell Fridays, visit Kelli's Blog. Have a joyful day!

Two Christ Centered Birth Stories
I have been so edified by two birth stories, which were both posted today, by two Christian ladies. They both went through quite a bit during their labors, and though it was difficult, they trusted in Christ during their labors. They were able to birth without pain medications, even though they were in the hospital. (To me, it is harder to go unmedicated in the hospital, due to all of the machines which tie you down, and having to usually be flat on your back. I always struggled so, to give birth naturally in the hospital, and I ultimately always wound up begging for pain meds, once I was near/in transition. I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who has birthed naturally, anywhere. But I find it particularly amazing in a hospital setting.) Both stories have so encouraged me, as I will give birth within the next few weeks. They have encouraged me that He is truly everything I need in birth. Crystal's birth story is here and Jennifer's birth story is here. One of the most important tools, which I am putting together for my baby's birth, are laminated notecards with Bible verses, for the Lord to carry me through. I first heard of this idea from Crystal, when she answered my questions about natural birthing, here. During the hard contractions, she focused on Bible verses. I am so blessed by her encouragement and example.

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, Which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -I Corinthians 6:19-20

**(This is one of my favorite verses to ponder because it reminds us that we are solely Christ's. Once we became His children, we must surrender it all to Him, even the physical pains of labor. If we are bearing the children He sends us, for His Honor and Glory, then we must surrender our body and soul to Him, even in the birthing act. He is so faithful. He will never fail us.)

A Summer Rose from my Garden, Wishing you cheer!
God arranged to have this gorgeous rose bloom in my garden, on this first day of Summer. Dear Hubby recently planted it, and we were unsure of it's color, till it bloomed, today. What a delight God's Creation is! Have a blessed day!
"Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made summer and winter." -Psalm 74:17

Basket of Comforts
This is a little sneak peek into my "basket of comforts" for my labor day! So far, I have included in, some super cozy slipper socks, a soothing corn pack for backaches, a massage ball, some lavender massage lotion, some bible verses on cards, and some chapstick. I am hoping to add to my basket a cd with hymns for relaxation, and maybe a movie which I will save to watch for the beginning stages of labor. (If I feel like watching it, which I highly doubt.) I may also add some hard candies, which I have heard can be comforting to suck on during labor. I don't know if that would help me either, since with both of my previous labors, I vomit almost constantly. We will just have to see. But it is very helpful to have a variety of items right at your fingertips, just in case any of them might come in handy. My Bradley teacher said that socks are a must. She has heard of several laboring women who feel hot all over their bodies, except their feet feel ice cold! It has always been winter when I went into labor before, so I felt pretty cold all over. I am not sure if I will want socks on in July, but I am glad to have them right there, just in case. Have a blessed evening!

37 weeks!
I am excited to be 37 weeks, today! I am really trying to take these last few weeks very seriously in getting my body ready for the birth. I am hoping to dilate as high as I can, painlessly, like last time. (I was around 6-7 cm. when I went to the hospital.) My two key ingredients, which helped me to attain that, (besides much prayer) was walking and red raspberry leaf tea. I am thoroughly convinced that nothing helps a woman to dilate and to prepare for the birth, than walking. Basically, what I have found to be true is that the more one walks during pregnancy (especially the last few weeks) the faster her labor will be. When I was expecting Lily, I was also working full-time, so I was very worn out at the end of the day. The last month or so, I was so fatigued, that I just slept most of the day. This translated to a very long and painful labor, which lasted for 33 hours. When I became pregnant with Stevie, I vowed to myself that I would not let myself suffer needlessly like that again. So I drank a lot of Red Raspberry leaf tea, and I walked and walked, nearly till my shoes were worn out. The last two weeks before I went into labor, I walked 2-3 hours per evening. My dear hubby was my faithful coach, who just kept pushing me along. He did not want to see me going through hours and hours of labor, fruitlessly. My labor with Stevie, from first contraction till the time I pushed him out was five hours. I was simply amazed. The main difference is that I did not really have the slow moving pre-labor stage with Stevie. My contractions were strong and intense from the get-go. Walking has a way of helping your baby to properly get into position, to descend, and to help in dilation. Red Raspberry leaf tea is what Cherokee women have used for centuries in preparing their uteri for birth. They normally just squat down, push the baby out, and go back to working in the fields. Red Raspberry leaf helps to tone your uterus. Basically, you are helping your uterine muscles to work more effectively. Recently, I read a birth story about a woman who felt that she was doing a lousy job pushing out her baby. She gave a few weak pushes, but because she had been drinking so much Red Raspberry Leaf tea, she felt her uterus push the baby out very effectively. This was very encouraging to me! In addition to walking a lot and drinking tea, I need to continue doing the exercises that I have learned in my Bradley class. (pelvic rocks and kegels) I also need to be more consistent in practicing relaxation , every day. I am so grateful for this time that I have left to prepare for the birth of this precious blessing. I am grateful that I am allowed to wait for God's time for my precious baby's birth.
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Babies
A dear blogger, Jennifer, just gave birth to her fourth baby boy, yesterday. She is living proof of how powerful walking is, because a few days ago, she posted that she walked around her mall so many times, till she almost could not take any more steps. Well, this dearie was dilated at 9 cm. by the time she went to the hospital! Talk about effective dilating!
Please pray for Crystal, who is going into the hospital, to start being induced, at 8 p.m., tonight.

Who ever thought Birth Supplies could be exciting?
This is my birth kit, which I ordered from Precious Arrows. We received it about a month ago. It has all the main items needed for my birth, and it is so fun to look through it.
My midwife has also given me a list of other items that I need for the birth. I keep the birth kit, and the other items in two clear tubs, which I will also need for the birth. (They are needed for laundry and such.) Afterwords, they are getting scrubbed and will be used for storage. So far, this holds paper towels, hydrogen peroxide, shower curtain liner (to protect the floor when we use the birth pool), a minnow net (for fishing "ickies" out of the birth pool), and Vitamin E capsules. I am also going to put a fresh newborn diaper in there, as well as several receiving blankets. Last night, I ordered This pool for birthing. I am hoping and praying that it comes in time, since it is coming from California.I am usually overdue, so there should be no problem. My midwife said that she actually prefers a smaller pool like the one I ordered, rather than the large one she rents out, since that one is too deep. She said that too many big pools get filled too high, and baby has a hard time being on mama's chest.She said that she almost always has to dump out some water from the big pool. This pool, with shipping was $30. If I had rented the one from my midwife, it would have been $100. So, I saved $70, and I get to keep it for the children to swim in, afterwords. (After a thorough cleansing, of course.)
My home visit from my midwife and doula went really well, this past Friday. It was the first time that I met my doula, and she is a sweet girl. She plans on being a midwife after graduating high school. Her mama had 4 homebirths, and she was her doula for the last birth.She is incredibly knowledgeable on many facets about birth!
I was thrilled when my midwife told me that my baby is in the proper position, ROA, or Right Occiput Anterior. (Baby is head down, and facing towards my back.) If one's baby is facing sunny side up, or Posterior, you will probably have a lot of back labor, which never is fun. I have been praying for so long that my baby be anterior, and God faithfully heard my plea.
One of the best things that my midwife told me is that she actually prefers it when one of her clients goes into labor in the middle of the night. That way, her children won't pester her about where she is going, and if they can go with her. She also likes the roads being clear of most traffic. I could never imagine a doctor telling his patient that he would prefer that she wake him up in the middle of the night. What a blessing!

Menu Plan Monday
My children enjoy getting their physical education time, by chasing Gracie around the circle around our living room, kitchen, and dining room. It is great having a pup who almost has as much energy as they do!

This is a picture of the yummy lasagna that we enjoyed for supper, last Friday. The recipe is very delicious, and you can find it here. I have made it several times, and it is very simple, yet scrumptious. Definite comfort food!

We enjoyed a nice Father's Day breakfast together. We had French Toast, juicy strawberries, and orange juice. One wonderful benefit of our church service being in the afternoon, is that we can enjoy a lovely brunch together on Sunday mornings!

Menu Plan Monday
Monday- Hamburgers and Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Tuesday- Breakfast foods (hashbrown casserole ( made with white sauce), eggs, bacon, pancakes)
Wednesday- off- Sister-in-law is cooking for the whole family
Thursday-Beef Burritos (37 week visit with midwife, eat and go!)
Friday- Homemade Pizza
Saturday- Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo
Sunday- Mexican Rice Casserole

I usually plan my menus two weeks at a time, on the 1st and 15th of the month. This helps because those are our two paydays. To make things a bit easier on myself, I try to make homemade pizza once a week, and I allot one night a week for breakfast foods. There is a lot of variety that I can use in both of those areas, so it should not be boring. Examples to liven up pizza night: Barbecue Chicken pizza or a Vegetable pizza. Make your own breadsticks or cinnamon sticks. There is such an ample amount of breakfast foods to make, such as: hashbrown casserole, eggs, pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Grits, Cream of Wheat, fresh fruit, bacon, and sausage. For more menu plans, visit Laura.

Need a Good Laugh?
Stevie put his laundry away, yesterday, and he thought that his daddy's shorts were his. I told him to try them on to see if they fit. He believed that they fit just fine.
Lily was wearing her ballerina outfit underneath, so needless to say, she looks a bit chubby here.
It's a good life.

Edifying Words
In my Bible reading time, I recently finished reading through Proverbs. There is always so much there to chew and digest! One thing that really touched me on this read through, was Proverbs 10:21, "The lips of the righteous feed many." Wow! This brought me to think about how can I, as a Christian, feed others with my lips? I must fill my heart with His Word, The Bread of Life, and speak of Him to others. By my very speech, others should be thoroughly convinced that I belong to Him. But so often, this tongue and mouth, which God has given to me, is used for my own sinfulness, rather than for His Glory. I must cry out to Him all day long to purify my heart and tongue of the bad things, so that He may pour Himself out into me. That is the only way that I can reflect Him to my husband, children, and others. In our Sunday worship services, we have been studying the book of James for quite some time. There is definitely ample material there regarding using one's tongue for His Glory. There are so many convicting verses there, but one in particular was James 3:10, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." I want to use my tongue solely for His Glory. I belong to Him, so why should I use any part of my body for sinfulness? Only by His Precious Grace can I have a sweet victory in Jesus.

36 Weeks!
Tomorrow, I am officially 36 weeks. My little sweet Lily decided to be with her mama, when I took a picture of myself. She is such a dollbaby. She could not fall asleep at naptime, so she just pet the dog till I got up, about a half hour later. Then, she cheerfully helped me clean the bathrooms and was getting ready to make cookies with me. Stevie was still taking his afternoon nap. He is such a sweet little man.
I ask for your prayers that our insurance will reimburse our expenses towards the birth. We are paying the sum total to the midwife in a few days. (We have paid almost all of it, so far.) Because she is considered out of network, we have to pay a lot! Ultimately, we are not sure if insurance will pay anything towards her, because we are not sure if she has a special medical code which they require. (an ICD-9 code) We found all this out because we submitted the claim for our Bradley Childbirth classes, which the insurance company told me that they accepted. But because my instructor is not a medical professional, and does not have an ICD-9 code, they will not cover our classes. Having a healthy baby in the comfort of one's own home is well worth any price, so we are trying to be accepting of whatever the results are of whether we will be reimbursed or not.
This week, I have also been considering more fully, having a water birth. A friend at church has had about 5 homebirths, and she said that having water to labor in is worth $1000 to her. She never tears when she births in water. (My midwife charges $100 to rent the Aqua Doula, but I already told her no about that to try to save a little money.) So I truly believe that God led me to a cheaper alternative. I was reading one of my favorite home birth websites, Birth Junkie and I read what she put here about birthing pools. Check out some of the benefits that she has posted regarding water birth. She said that she has heard that the inexpensive ones from K-Mart and Walmart work just as well as the expensive ones. You can normally find these for about $15- $20. I don't know for sure if I will ultimately birth in it (though it sounds nice), but having it on hand in case I feel like I need some warm water to relax in, sounds great to me. (Even if it is just used during the labor portion, and not the birth itself.) In my Bradley classes, I have seen several births on video, and a few of them were water births. It seems like a very peaceful way to birth. Whenever I practice relaxing, I always envision the beach and being in the water. So this would just naturally follow for me to birth in water. I used to be afraid of the baby being born into water. But he/she will still have the umbilical cord attached, and has been swimming in fluid for 9 months at that point. It is very natural.
I have been feeling well, overall, just a bit tired in the afternoon. I try to get a nap for at least a little bit each afternoon, or I really feel fatigued. I have continued working to get my iron up to a higher level. My midwife is supposed to test my hemoglobin levels again, this Friday, when she comes over for my 36 week check up. I am excited about meeting my doula. I am nesting like crazy, though I start that near the beginning of pregnancy, and it comes on quite intensely at the end of pregnancy. My birth kit has been here for several weeks now. I ordered it from a Christian family, who live here in North Carolina. Their website is Precious Arrows. It is so exciting to see the supplies that will be used during my sweet baby's arrival. This is a very exciting time. I am so grateful for all of you dear sisters in Christ and for your prayers and concern about the baby and I.Have a blessed evening.

Menu Plan Monday and Pictures
Lily and Stevie's cousin, Jewel, spent the night at our house last Tuesday night. She and Lily are great friends!
Our dog, Gracie, is definitely getting more used to us! She loves her little bed.
Stevie with his "wild man" hair do at the Beach, on Friday. We had a lot of fun at the beach on our anniversary. I became a lobster, as usual, and then we went home! It was so relaxing to swim in the ocean; the weather was beautiful.

Meal Plan
Monday~ June 11~ Breakfast foods (muffins, hashbrown casserole, eggs, French Toast, etc.)
Tuesday~ June 12~ Thai Peanut Noodle
Wednesday~ June 13~off~ Dinner with extended family
Thursday~ June 14th~ Amish Skillet
Friday~June 15th~ Lasagna and homemade bread (Make enough for midwife and doula. That is the day that I am having my 36th week, home visit.)
Saturday~ June 16th~ Homemade Pizza
Sunday~June 17th~ Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (Church Fellowship meal)
For more meal plans, visit Laura.

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I would appreciate prayers for a dear lady, Julie, at my church, who just had an emergency c-section on Friday. Supposedly, when her water was broken, the umbilical cord was pulled down, and someone had to hold it in place till a c-section could be done. The c-section was done so rapidly that the drugs did not kick in yet to keep her from feeling her incision. So the poor dear really suffered a lot. Her son, Joshua, was rushed to another hospital in this state, because his bilirubin levels are not good. Also, her husband is overseas, serving in the military, so I am sure his heart aches to be with his wife and child at this time. Thank you for your prayers on their behalf. I hope your day is blessed.

5 Wonderful Years as One!


This Friday, June 8th, my hubby and I will celebrate 5 joyful years of marriage. I am so blessed that God led me to marry the most wonderful man for me! Marrying at the young age of 21 was one of the best things we ever did. I believe that the truth of Proverbs 5:18 is important, "rejoice with the wife of thy youth." If we had waited till a prudent time in the eyes of the world, I would have been Stephen's "wife of old age." he he. Also, we were counseled quite a bit by others to wait to have children till we had been married for at least a few years. This was also one of the best things that we never listened to. We both desired to embrace all the children which God so graciously sends us. We believe Psalm 127:3, where it says "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward." God blessed us with our darling "honeymoon baby", Lily Marie.She was born 9 months and a day after our wedding. We never wanted to wonder what blessings He had for us, that we might refuse.We are so blessed that in these five short years, He has sent three precious children into our lives. We are shaped daily by them. They are our joy and hope for the future. We desire to raise Godly warriors for Christ!
Our wedding theme was Ruth 1:16, "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest; I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" This was especially true for us, because Stephen was the one who led me to the Lord. He helped me to understand which beliefs of mine were biblical or unbiblical. Many people who I had been my friends were so devastated that I was a Christian. My husband's family became my family. (They were Christians.) I will always be eternally grateful that no matter how stubborn I was, that Stephen led me to the Lord. It took much diligence and prayer on his part, but he never gave up. I am so grateful for everyday that I get to cherish being married to my sweetheart. He gives of himself everyday to lovingly provide for his household. He is such a tremendous father to our blessings. One of my greatest praises to our Lord in eternity shall be for His Mercies in sending me such a wonderfully loving husband. Blessings!

Diapers
Help....I'm becoming a crunchy mama and I can't stop. I have mainly steered clear of cloth diapers because of my ignorance regarding how to use them, and because of the cost. Not that disposables are cheap either, but I can afford $12.00 a month towards Stevie's diapers, rather than the initial $10 per cloth diaper. My main two pet peeves with cloth diapers were their bulkiness and how you needed to buy so many different sizes. This past Saturday, my Bradley teacher was showing our class a really incredible cloth diaper from Mother Ease. To my amazement, using it produced no bulkiness, and these fit babies from 8-35 pounds. Stevie only weighs about 30 pounds, so even at almost 2 1/2 years old, he still could wear them. (He is quite a challenge to potty train, lately.) It would definitely be easier to pay the big bucks for diapers which should last until a child is completely potty trained. My teacher swears that she is one of the laziest people on earth, yet she loves cloth diapering. I can already see how addictive it can be. If you have any experience in cloth diapering, I would love to hear your recommendations. I would also love to hear where you find the best cloth diaper deals. Blessings!
Image from allposters.com

Menu Plan Monday

Monday- June 4- Spaghetti, Bread, Salad


Tuesday- June 5th- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole (My mother-in-law's yummy recipe)


Wednesday- June 6th- off- Dinner with Extended Family


Thursday-June 7th- Homemade Pepperoni Pizza


Friday-June 8th- Hubby's and my Fifth anniversary!!!! We are going out!


Saturday-June 9th- Chicken stir fry and brown rice


Sunday- June 10th- Hamburgers and Homemade Mac and Cheese

For more menu plans, visit Laura.

Living Encouragements of Faith
The best way to grow in Christ is to constantly soak up His Word. I am always amazed by so many wonderful heroes of the faith, such as Noah, Abraham, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Joseph, Elisabeth, Mary, John, Paul, and a myriad of others. I am also so grateful for current living heroes of the faith. I stand in awe of the power of God when He reaches down and transforms a modern life into His Image. Sometimes this modern world seems incongruous with living biblically. But when we do see a person in this world, who resonates Christ, it is that much more stunning.
As a new Christian about six years ago, I had some trouble letting go of certain doctrines which I had learned from Catholicism and from the world. I started working at a Christian day care, and I had to agree to teach according to that Church's constitution. One precept in the constitution bothered me to no end. It stated that the "Earth was created in 6- 24 hour days". I signed the papers, but thought that it was nonsense to believe such a thing. Within a few weeks, I was watching tv, and I watched this captivating Australian talk about (of all things) creationism. He showed how this Biblical truth was the reality, in an incredible way. Rather than being a dry and boring preacher type, I found this man absolutely hilarious. He preached solid Bible truths in a profoundly interesting way. This man is Ken Ham, the founder of Answers in Genesis. I was immediately impressed by these truths, and I ordered materials from his exceptional company, which have really given me a passion for the truths of creationism. Isn't it amazing how God can reach right in and teach you exactly what you need to know, through His servants? Ken Ham is Australian, and he felt called to come to America as a missionary. It seems weird that America would need missionaries, when there are so many supposed Christians here. But Ken Ham has been God's tool for revival in America in many ways. He shows that unless you believe what the Bible says from the first verse to the last verse, you believe in vain. He recently opened the Creation Museum, which unbelievers have really scoffed at. If you feel like you would like to be more solidified in your beliefs about creation and other relevant issues, I encourage you wholeheartedly to shop here. They have so many wonderful materials to help you raise up children who believe what the Bible says, from cover to cover. I am so blessed that God has taught me so much through Ken Ham.

New Sandbox
Lily and Stevie got a new sandbox today... and I guess you can tell what their favorite part about it is.... THE BOX!

Oops! I was trying to take another shot of them, and by the time my camera captured the moment, down they went. By the way, they are ok.... they thought falling was fun. Have a great weekend!

Show and Tell Friday
Happy first day of June, dear friends! I wanted to share with you my little Irish cottage, which my aunt and uncle gave me last year, for my big 25th birthday. I have absolutely always adored Ireland and I am proud of my Irish heritage. (I am around 50% Irish) One of my very favorite movies is The Quiet Man mainly because it is very funny and because of the breathtaking Ireland scenery.This little cottage reminds me a bit of the house in The Quiet Man. Thank you so much for taking the time to look at one of my little treasures. To see other lovely "show and tell" items, visit Kelli.