He knows our needs

I received an email yesterday from someone I have not been in contact with for almost 7 years!  My junior year of college I went to Botswana, Africa and one of the girls there that helped with the incoming missionaries was in college herself and was a very important part of our team!  She and I got to know one another over those 3 weeks and kept in touch for quite a while after that.  She came to the states and while she was here she was able to come and stay with us!  All this to say,  when I saw her name on my email I was surprised to tears!  

She has been on quite a journey since I last was in touch with her and is now living in China, learning to speak Chinese fluently and teaching English!  Our first two email correspondences have been such an encouragement to me!  I complain and feel down about being "far" from home and she is living on a totally different continent and finding her contentment and satisfaction in the Lord.

This got me thinking.  I have had 2 other people that have surfaced from my past in this last year as well.  One of them is not someone that I have been "best" friends with in the past but kept in touch with through our home church and mutual friends. She has really been an encouragement to me just calling and checking in, sending snail mail, etc.  

Also, I had a good friend from church throughout middle school and maybe the beginning of high school?  I can't even remember!  She and her family moved away and we did not do to well keeping in touch.  I did keep up with her on facebook and realize that she too went to nursing school and also worked in ICU!  She contacted me via facebook message a few months ago and shared about the past few years in her life. God's plan unfolding in her life has been a blessing to me as well.  It's so easy to feel down and out about where you are in life but when I find myself focusing on the positive, praying for others, and realizing what I have to be thankful for it changes my perspective and attitude.

I know that God has used these people this past year for a specific purpose.  It has brought me joy from the beginning.  The first spontaneous email, pictures of their families and their lives, unexpected gifts in the mail, the joy of praying for them and seeing God work in their lives and realizing there is more to my day to day than myself!  

God is good and He knows our needs!

Getting Crafty

I have wanted a sewing machine for quite a while and got one from my mom and dad for my birthday! Just in time to make some simple baby things for Harpin.  So, here are some of my attempts!  I tried to make a boppy cover too, but that was a major fail:) 

 

 



 

How far along: 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? for sure!

 

Stretch Marks? Nope

Sleep: Still sleeping pretty good with the normal 1-2x a night potty break.

 

Best Moment this week: Getting called of from work on my third night shift!  Much needed rest.

Also, cooked 5 meals ito put n the freezer for after Harpin is born.

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Missing anything? sleeping on my belly, not waking to use the potty and sushi still!

Movement: Yes, and loving every minute of it.

Food Cravings: mostly things I can't have..sushi, sashimi tuna, etc.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope...Thankful!

Belly button in or out? sadly, it's out enough to see:(

Have you started to show yet? most definetely!

Gender: GIRL:)

Labor signs: Not the first. 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced at my appointment today.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy

Looking forward to:  Just excited about getting closer to meeting our baby girl!

Comparison at 34 weeks

I always see people put up pictures to compare how they looked during pregnancy and especially with a boy and girl. 

The one on the left is 34 weeks with Riggs and the one on the right is 34 weeks with Harpin.  It's crazy how I feel exactly the same this time as I did with Riggs.  Thankfully, the aweful carpal tunnel I had with Riggs has not set in and so I really am symptom free other than just the normal tired from carrying around 17 extra pounds!  I am SO thankful! 

 I really don't think I look that different other than Riggs seems to be making himself known a little more out front?  What do you think?

I am so thankful to get to experience carrying a life and I can't wait to meet our little blessing!

34 weeks

I CANNOT believe that my due date is only 6 weeks away and that soon we could be saying "any day now!" I definetely do not feel ready, although we have pretty much everything we NEED.  I would have to say that I slightly type A:) and like to have all my ducks in a row just waiting on the moment and I don't feel like I have come to that point.  But, we are more than excited to meet our sweet baby girl! 

How far along: 34 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 17 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? for sure!

 

Stretch Marks? Nope

 

Sleep: Still sleeping pretty good with the normal 1-2x a night potty break.

  

Best Moment this week: A 40 degree sun shiny day that we got to get outside and play:)

 

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

 

Missing anything?  sleeping on my belly, not waking to use the potty and sushi still!

 

Movement:  Yes, and loving every minute of it.

 

Food Cravings:  mostly things I can't have..sushi, sashimi tuna, etc.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nope...Thankful!

 

Belly button in or out?  sadly, it's out enough to see:(

 

Have you started to show yet?  most definetely!

 

Gender: GIRL:)

 

Labor signs: Not the first.

 

Wedding rings on or off?  On

 

Happy or Moody most of the time?  Happy

 

Looking forward to:  Finishing little things for her nursery and a big trip to babies r us for last little items for little miss:)