Believe with us!

Sorry that there are not any new pictures of me to go along with this post, but this is a slightly different update...

Baby Girl is BREECH (head up, rear end down) and in a jack-knifed position (folded over forwards with her feet up by her head) - this is not good! If she stays in this position and does not turn in the next 3 weeks, I have to have an automatic C-section. My midwife said there are a few more techniques that we can try to get her to turn, but she doesn't think it will happen since she's so scrunched in there already. And since I've been preparing for a natural, vaginal birth, this is not exactly how I would like things to take place. I realize that I cannot control how this birth will happen and of course we will do what's healthy for Baby, but please believe with us and ask the Lord to turn her! I'd love for the doctors and midwives to be shocked at how big God really is and how He can do the impossible!

The jack-knife position is a little scary too...not because it's hurting her, but because she has been in this position for every sonogram I've had since 20 weeks. I don't know if she changes positions and then goes back to that one or not; I feel her moving around, but can't really tell what anything is besides her head and back. Last night, I woke up at 3 am terrified that there was something wrong with her legs...like maybe she CAN'T bend them and that's why she's always in that position and that's why she won't turn. My fears of the unknown and a possible disability were overwhelming. I spent a good hour in prayer and battle before my heart was again at peace. Everyone keeps telling me that maybe she's just flexible and that they're sure everything is fine...well, yes, there are far worse things that could be wrong, but I want to believe God for her perfect health! I don't want to settle for just assuming that things will be fine.

The Lord has definitely been teaching me about faith over this pregnancy...real faith...not just the kind that knows in your head, but the real, gritty kind that fills your gut and leaves you feeling absolutely secure in the character of God. I've been up and down and all over the place, but God is so gracious and patient with me as I learn to progressively trust Him and believe that He is growing my meager faith. I know that things may turn out very differently than I imagine, but please believe with us for the following things...

1. That Baby Girl would turn and be in a head-down, posterior position
2. That we would be able to have a natural, vaginal birth
3. That Baby Girl would be healthy, whole and without disability
4. That I would have the courage and grace to face whatever comes; that I would trust the Lord and His plans for me; that my faith would be stretched as I believe for things that are not yet seen

Thank you my friends! I am so grateful to know that I can post this and that people all over the country will pray for my family! I am so blessed!

only 7 more weeks!

My sister-in-law and my parents both called me yesterday and threatened to put embarrassing photos on the web if I did not post something today. So here's a photo taken last week (32 weeks) in our back walkway by the garden...which was more like a jungle until Sheila (Ron's mom) came and cleaned it up for us. Now we can see the lovely tomatoes and melons that are growing!

I only have 3 more weeks of work left and only 7 more weeks until my due date - it's very surreal and difficult to wrap my mind around. And although I'm sad to leave High Point and 963 Missions because I love the people I work with, I am very excited for this new adventure!

For the many of you who've asked, no, I haven't even started on the nursery yet. We have some people staying with us indefinitely, so sometime after that, we'll paint and decorate. We've got the supplies ready to go, but it will be a bit longer before we begin. Surprisingly, I'm not freaking out about it :)

More to come later...

26 weeks...or 6 months for the layperson

Since my sister, Angie, and sister-in-law, Kristin, have been bugging me to update my blog for some time now, I thought I would do a quick post so you all can see how my belly is growing. Angie and Kristin will still not be happy though, since this picture was taken by them at my St. Louis baby shower last weekend. Oh well, it's the best I can do for now!

Quick update - today (27 weeks) we entered our 7th month and the 3rd trimester! And as the baby gifts arrive and our guest room is increasingly looking like a storage unit, the fact that we will soon have a baby girl is becoming more and more real. I'll catch Ron looking at my stomach with amazement and then he says, "whoa...we're going to have a baby!" Yes babe...hence the basketball under my clothes! He's been able to feel the baby move for a few weeks now, but the other night, he actually SAW my stomach moving around (maybe her head or foot rolling and poking) and THAT was truly amazing - what a miracle!

It's a....hmm...and other miracles

So it's been a busy couple of weeks for Little G...

Here is a picture of our 11 week sonogram! It might be hard to tell, but in the circle to the right, there's a head and body and arms and legs. Like his or her dad, the baby appears to be taking it easy and lounging in my stomach. Hopefully, this laid back attitude will carry right on through after he or she is born. We all know we don't need another high-strung person around this house...and I'm definitely not talking about Ron!

I think the thing sticking up near his or her stomach/legs is the umbilical cord or maybe a leg...but of course Ron's reaction when he saw the picture was, "Whoa! Is that his thingy?" Yeah, um...that would be a little ambitious even if we did know the sex :)

That day, I also got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! Ron was not able to be there because he had meetings, but my friend Kelly was visiting from Texas and she came to be my support. It was amazing and I'm so glad that a good friend got to share that experience with me!

Then last night, Ron and I went to "Meet the Midwives" at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the place where I will hopefully deliver. Not only was it informative, but we watched this video of women laboring through natural childbirth. It was a short video and I started tearing up within the first minute. By the time the babies were actually born - a mere 6 minutes later in the video - I was crying and so was Ron! It's official: we're both softies and we'll both cry when Little G finally makes an appearance. It was strange, I've seen several childbirths before in health class or sex education and never ever reacted that way. But when I realized that Ron and I would be doing that in just a few short months (God willing), it hit me that we would be participating in a miracle! Thank you Lord for how you let us be a part of the extraordinary!