Friday, August 21, 2009

What a Miracle!

The past eight months have been such an amazing experience for us! Everything I have read, everything I have experienced as this baby has grown inside of me, has brought me closer and closer to God. Reading about how the baby is developing each week, how his fingernails and toenails are growing, how his hair grows, when his heart starts beating, how he practices breathing, how his internal organs develop - it is amazing. And then, to feel him move, to feel the hiccups and kicks and somersaults, to see my entire stomach move and quiver - there are no words to describe how that feels. And, to read and experience how my body is changing to accomodate him, from increased blood volume to the growing uterus to everything that will occus during labor and delivery...wow! I experience all of this, and am just in awe of God. He created us this way, He is knitting this little baby together in me, He is causing my body to respond the way it needs to for this little guy. He is amazing! And, all the overwhelming love I feel for this little guy is just a fraction of what God feels for him and for me and for every one of his children out there. Our God is an amazing God!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Community

I love community. I think the wonderful people God places in our lives are among the most precious gifts he gives us. To have people to have fun with, live life with, turn to when you need help, celebrate the good times, offer advice...I just can't imagine life without them. Why the focus on community right now? Because this week a good friend in my community really helped me out.

I love being pregnant. I really do. Despite some of the unfortunate side effects, I love having this little guy grow inside of me, I love feeling him move and kick and hiccup. But, sometimes the exhaustion and hormones get the best of me, which is what happened this week. I was feeling tired and down, I was being hard on myself for not being more productive and getting things checked off of my to-do list. It was rough. I was tempted to cry myself into a nap, but decided a better approach would be to call a good friend who has been through all this before. She picked up the phone and asked how I was and I burst into tears immediately. I couldn't even talk. And she was AWESOME! She talked to me, understood what I was going through. She offered advice and sympathized all at the same time. She didn't make me feel inadequate, or that I was wasting her time during a busy day. She asked me questions and told me about her experiences, she totally turned my entire day around. And, she called me again the next day to ask if I was doing better.

What would we do without friends like that? I love my husband, but he has never been pregnant so can't understand what I am going through. I love God and know He is there for me, but sometimes it is nice to have a physical voice to hear you out and talk back. I am blessed beyond belief to have such great people in my life and I thank God for them. I hope I get the opportunity to return the favor!