37 weeks

So I am 37 weeks! My doctor said that I am free to have the baby anytime now. Whoa...I'm not quite that ready! I still have January 9th in my mind. Alas, if he decides to come early, I'm assured that everything will be okay.

It's neat being so far along in pregnancy around Christmas. I have reflected more on Mary this year. I cannot imagine riding on the back of a donkey to Bethlehem being so pregnant. We watched The Nativity the other night and I must say that I have a new respect for Mary. Unlike Mary, I will relax for 4 days this weekend in the comfort of my own home and cannot WAIT!!

Baby Showers

St. Louis Shower


I have had three baby showers & Ben had one. The girls from our small group threw me a tea shower. While I was in St. Louis in early November, my mom & sister-in-law also had one with close family and friends.

While I was in St. Louis, Ben went home to Washington & his family had a shower for he & his sister, Shannon, who is also expecting

My work had a shower for me last week with a sports theme. Below are a few pics. We got our travel system and many other much needed items. Ben spent some time last weekend figuring out the carseat!











Our baby is already very blessed by many people who care about him.

Thankfulness

Some things I'm thankful for:

*my wonderful husband
*our new son which we get to meet in a few weeks!
*family & friends
*being able to spend this Thanksgiving with my parents
*a job I love
*my fun cat, Beren
*church community
*that I can worship God freely
and so so much more...

My cup runneth over!

Our cat, Beren

I never cared for cats growing up & I never desired one. Ben, however, grew up with cats and wanted one of his own. So, after much discussion, we decided to adopt a kitten our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.

I must admit that Beren is the most adorable cat! He loves to play fetch with anything from crumpled paper and hairbands, to the plastic ring from the milk gallon! He also loves to lay on his back and stretch. He has to be the longest cat I've ever known!

We have been told Beren is a mancoon cat. Characteristics typically include a large, fluffy tail (that looks like a racoon tail), hair sticking out from the ears, and very gentle mannered. He definitely fits all of these and more!

I'm a little concerned about how he'll react with the baby so I've started letting him "explore" the baby's room now that we have started turning it into a nursery. I figure the more he sniffs around and gets used to the baby stuff, the better he'll adjust. It will be interesting to see his reaction to a small baby that cries all the time and steals his attention!

No offense to other cat(s) but I still don't care much for them. I just happen to absolutely LOVE my cat & think he's rather swell. :)

Fall in the Midwest

I spent a week recently in St. Louis for the Navigator Staff conference. I stayed a few days extra & spent time with family & friends. My sister-in-law & mom threw me a baby shower as well. I had such a great time visitng everyone. I enjoyed the Navigator conference, but was pretty wiped out by the end - long days + pregnant = exhaustion!

I was very excited that the leaves had not all fallen from the trees so I decided to drive through Creve Coeur Park & take a few pictures. The Aspen trees in Colorado are goregous this time of year but doesn't compare to the array of colors of fall in the midwest.

Fall Football

I love Saturdays in the fall! I enjoy waking up and turning on ESPN College Gameday. Ben & I try to go every Saturday to the local Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer on the Buckeyes with about 50 other OSU fans. Even a 10 ft Brutus makes an appearance!



This year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes, but due to the wild upsets this year, somehow OSU is currently on top! Hopefully they can hold on to the top but that would mean a Championship game on or around Jan. 9th (my due date). Now that would be wild...

GO BUCKEYES!!!

28 weeks!

I am now in my third trimester & still feel fine despite some mild indigestion here and there. We started working on the baby's room this weekend so it's becoming more "real" now. We're getting more anxious to meet our little guy!

New Mexico

We spent last weekend in New Mexico for an early anniversary weekend. It was a lot of fun just hanging out and exploring a bit of the southwest.

We spent one day walking around historic downtown Santa Fe. Many of the buildings have been around since the early 1600's. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US! The Spanish were there way before it ever became a state. We also spent a day in Roswell, checking out the hoopla surrounding the alleged Roswell "incident".

All in all we enjoyed our time together - just the 2 of us. It was our last mini vacation before the baby.

St. Francis Cathedral


Downtown Santa Fe Plaza


Enjoying Music in the Plaza




Dinner at Sunset

23 weeks

I am now 23 weeks along & he is definitely growing! Of all the changes my body is going through none has amazed me more than the fact that my belly button is getting wider & I can see that there is an end to it! I still feel great & am enjoying the little movements coming from inside my belly!

Charlie's Home!

Well, Charlie was found yesterday afternoon & returned safely to Petropolis! The couple who found him will be rewarded tonight at Charlie's homecoming party. One thing is for sure, nothing can match the free publicity surrounding Charlie's disappearance. Here's another clip. The story even made it on Channel 9 in Denver!

Charlie the missing Tortoise

My brother, Brad, works for a pet place in St. Louis, Petropolis. They have an African Tortoise that has it's own sanctuary in the store and roams free most of the time. Earlier this week, he walked out and kept going. They have organized search parties around Chesterfield & there is now a reward for poor lost Charlie. My brother and the owner, Dr. Shifano, have been on numerous newstations around St. Louis. Here is an article with a clip from one newstation.

Hopefully Charlie is found soon...

It's a.......

BOY!!!!

Everything is right on schedule for a due date of Jan. 9th. There was one slight abnormality with the ultrasound, though. The kidneys are a bit swollen. They say this is very common among growing babies, especially boys. If the baby's urine is not released properly it can create swelling. They say it will most likely go away as the baby grows, but it will require another ultrasound at 28 wks.
Now to decide on a name, colors, etc.

My growing belly

Well, I'm nearly 20 weeks along now & beginning to show! One more week until we find out if it's a boy or girl! We're getting very anxious!

Weekend in the Mountains

Ben & I spent the weekend in the Colorado wilderness. We hiked at Mueller State Park while enjoying the serenity & spectacular views. We also camped in Pike National Forest, enjoying a relaxing evening around the campfire. It was absolutely wonderful to not have an agenda. We read, played cards & talked about our baby. Overall, we enjoyed the freedom to take off into the mountains, just us. We also dreamed about the times we will spend in the future camping with our family.

Family Reunion

We hosted Ben's annual family reunion this year! We had a great time showing everyone around Colorado Springs. We had a private tour of the Glen Eyrie castle, spent an evening at the Flying W Ranch, strolled through Garden of the Gods, visited the wonderful sites at the Royal Gorge & much more!

New Mexico

My parents visited last weekend & we went to Taos, New Mexico for the weekend. It is such a neat town. Every building was adobe style. There are no signs on building, only signposts by the road. It is hard to find something you are looking for, but so neat that everything sticks to the old adobe style.

We strolled through the shops, town, & restaurants. We visited Taos Pueblo which is a very old Indian town. They say it's been in existence for over 1,000 years! There are only about 100 people that still live there even though it has no running water or electricity. We also visited the Rio Grande Gorge.

It was great to have my parents here and spend time with them!

BIG 3-0!

So, I turned 30 a week ago! It still is very bizarre to think that I am 30. More weird to say, "I'm 30". I used to think 30 was so old! And here I am...

As with all birthdays, I started thinking about the upcoming year and what it might hold. Not only is this year a big milestone, but the most life changing event will take place...motherhood. This no doubt frightens me beyond words. I started reading a book on the first year & what to do if this or that happens & began to feel utterly overwhelmed & unprepared for this. For those who know me, I am a planner. I like to know all the possibilities of what can happen in a situation & feel comfort in knowing that I have an answer or solution. But with a child I know there will be so many unexpected & fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants moments that I cringe just thinking about it. It will no doubt be good for me in many ways. It will bring some spontaneity into my life & it will force me to trust God more than I can imagine. And so, let the journey begin...

I'm sure a year or two yrs from now I will look back & think 30 sounds young. :)

Sky Sox Game

Our small group went to a minor league game last Saturday night. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox played the Fresno Grizzlies. All I have to say is, it's just not the same as the Majors...

Our baby!

My 10 wk appointment was yesterday & everything looks great! The doctor tried to listen to the heartbeat with the doppler machine but found nothing. So, he brought in the ultrasound machine & we got to see the baby! We could even see the heartbeat in motion!

Before this appt, I'd convince myself that I wasn't really pregnant since I didn't feel anything. After seeing the baby, though, everything is much more real. It was such an overwhelming moment. I was glad Ben was able to be there & we were able to experience that moment together. Only 2 more months & we get to find out whether it is a boy or girl!

OH BABY!!!

BIG NEWS...
We are expecting our first child in January! I am approaching my 10th week & so far feel great. Many days I even forget I'm pregnant because I don't feel much different. My clothes are just now starting to feel snug. It still seems a bit surreal. I had to take 3 pregnancy tests to convince myself that I was pregnant. Ben was convinced after just one. Needless to say we are very excited about this new journey into parenthood. More updates to come!

Senor Padre!

I can't help but look at this picture of my dad & smile!

FINISHED!!

We finished our floors this weekend!! We are SO glad it is done & I'm SO pleased with how they look! YEA, Ben!

Meet me in St. Louis...

Last weekend I went home to St. Louis for two great events...

My friend, Brandi's wedding. Brandi & I have known each other since we were 8. We grew up playing tennis together until I moved away our sophomore year. It was fun to be a part of her wedding & catch up with some classmates I had not seen since I was 15.

My niece Addyson's 3rd birthday party. We went to a fun place, called Pump It Up . It's hard to believe it has been 3 yrs since I got the call in the middle of the night to say that she couldn't wait 2 more months & decided to come early! She is super fun & cute! See for yourself...

Training

In the midst of our home renovations, I've been squeezing in some training. Up until last week, I mainly did 3 mile runs 3x's/wk with a long 5 mile run on the weekend. Now, I am doing 5 miles runs 3x's/wk & a long 7 mile run on the weekend. I'm very excited at the progress! Only 47 more days to go!

I'm excited to see how far I can go while in St. Louis the first weekend in May. The lower altitude mixed with flats roads will no doubt be a welcome relief!

Are we crazy?!?!? Day Three & Four

Well, Ben worked really hard again Saturday & Sunday to finish the floors. There are 2 rows next to the fireplace that still need finished as well as the baseboards but other than that, it is done & looks great!

There are no more DIY projects planned for us anytime soon! We're ready to have our weekends free to enjoy the outdoors! I will post some more pictures when it is completely done but this should give you an idea.

Sadness

This week I was very saddened by two significant events. The senseless shootings at Virginia Tech & the killings of three Christian men in Turkey. As I'm sure you've heard about the VT incident, these other killings may be news to you.

The Christians were found bound and beaten, with their throats slit. Two of the men are Turkish nationals & one was German. My heart aches. I spent a year of my life in this country, reaching out to the Turks. These men worked at a book publishing company associated with the same organization I was a part of while there.

One of the men that was killed used to live in the city where I lived, Izmir. He recently moved to Malatya to spread the gospel in the eastern part of Turkey. Back in 2000 this same man was jailed for "insulting" Mohammed & Islam in Izmir. Of course this couldn't have been further from the truth. He was simply handing out bibles to those who requested one. Since no witnesses could be found who would agree & stick to the lies of authorities, the case was dropped.

Turkey is a country that is 99% Muslim. Although there are some freedoms to share the gospel & attend church, some people will do anything to stop Christianity from spreading. Although this is an extereme case & doesn't happen often, it confirms that there are still those who will stop at nothing to ensure that the gospel does not spread.

To read more about this horrible event, click here

Please join me in praying for:

1. Those who labor in Turkey for the Lord: for their protection, and for open doors to share God's love and Gospel in the aftermath of these atrocities.

2. The Turkish church: as it bears the loss of these dear brothers and key leaders, and continues to bear persecution

3. The families of the victims

Are we crazy?!?!? Day Two

Ben worked really hard today & finished the dining room! It looks great! I didn't help much. I just worked on other odd jobs around the house.

'Til next weekend...