Spell check! :)

First paragraph... "chance" not "change"!

Third paragraph... "rearing" not "raring"!


SORRY! I am really attempting to do better. Sean gets rather amused/horrified at my
blogging posts at times. :)

Feel free to correct as you see fit in regard to the rest of the post!

Update... and ramblings!

Well, I missed my change to beat Kelley Collins!!! :( Oh well! No, I am so excited for her that her little one was born. Babies seem to be flying from all corners! It is a wonderful time, and I am so happy for you guys who live close to enjoy each other's little ones and see them grow. For the rest of us... blogging will have to suffice! :(

As everyone knows, I do quite a bit of violin teaching. I believe my private student number is up to about 20 + at the moment. I plan to take only two weeks off from my teaching schedule when the baby is born!?! We shall see how it goes. Since everyone I know seems to be running late according to their birthing date, I have a recital planned for the 6'th and am even "planning" on teaching my students from Indianapolis on the 10'th, granted they are traveling here! Anyhow, I am straying from the topic. I have just now fully realized what a blessing it is for kids to grow up with Christian parents who raise them in a godly manner (I know I am a little slow), after having taught the kids that I am currently instructing. Not that each parent doesn't love their child and strongly desire to bring them up well, but there is a difference between a parent whose goals are Godly development and one who does thing only because that is what is socially best for their child. I was contemplating these thoughts after an unusually rough day yesterday, and thought... What is their goal? Why should the child not throw a tantrum? What end benefit is there? For those of us who know Christ, we can point our covenant children to the Word and teach them that they must in all things glorify God. They can in turn see the love that He displays to us in all things throughout the day. But... what about these other children? It is indeed difficult to minister to them, and I would covet your prayers as I attempt to do so.

Not that I am the one strongly desiring a "ton" of kids :), but it is exciting even more so to me to watch those parents whose kids are well-behaved, thoughtful, polite, obedient, etc. What an encouragement and how it increases my appreciation for those parents of small/large families who have done such a wonderful job of raring godly offspring!!! I can only hope to emulate such examples.

Now on to some photos which were not exactly taken for the enjoyment of the public, I had just gotten back from the gym, my hair is a bit mussed, and ... Well, they speak for themselves, but I can't believe how large I have gotten!!! AND these were taken a few days ago!!! :) Enjoy!



Side -on


Front-on

Who's right!?!

Well, I went to the gym today despite the internal groanings of discouragement which whispered, "you need to rest; just stay in bed a little longer." Anyhow, I found a few of the comments somewhat amusing. As the weeks of pregnancy have turned to months (which are beginning to feel like years :), the bigger the eyes become of my fellow gym members. So, enjoy from first to last....

1) An acquaintance, Michael, who I usually attempt to hide from, commented that certain work-out machines I employed were just like "pushing" and that I really should just go home. This was after having exercised for a period of 3 min!?! Really! I honestly would have a serious complex by now after all of the times he rolls his eyes at me and tells me how large I have become! :) I just laugh at him. One would think that he has a degree in birthing babies and has had many himself. [You have to get the picture in your head of a big African American, who has had a stroke which causes him to look like he is strutting more than usual, shaved head, and not quite a handle bar mustache!] In no uncertain terms, Michael is confident that I will make my labor that much harder!!!

2) Just after that... a woman tells me how easy all of this exercise will make things... ( I am getting confused!)

3) A guy I don't know who apparently remembers me due to my weekly growth, tells me he gets more and more scared every time I show up in the weight room.

4) The last guy, again who seems to take notice of my size, says, "Noooo, you gotta be kiddin' me. There's no way you've grown that much. What'd you do; blow something up in there? You were small last week and now you are .... well, you must have stuck something in there! "
(Take into consideration the inner-city accent along with the slightly louder, let-the-whole-gym-know tone of voice!)

Anyhow, I was going to get a new photo and post it along with these comments, but didn't get a chance. So, you will never know... perhaps, I am really that much bigger this week!?! :)

Short and Encouraging!

Sean and I were able to attend an OPC church yesterday evening, and I was blessed to hear a sermon on divorce! Though it covered the ins and outs of divorce and when it is sanctioned, there was one point in particular that really encouraged me!!! The pastor was mentioning that two people who are believers are Biblically required to work things out when presented with an unseemly insurmountable difficulty! Moreover, he mentioned that really any issue that arises is really not just "his" or "her" area in life to fix, but "ours." He addressed the fact that problems do arise and that after marriage they become the other spouse's as well. If we acknowledge our "one-ness" in all things we are then able to look upon them in a much better light! For example, I might always leave my shoes lying around (which drives Sean crazy). He would not approach this as merely MY problem but OUR problem that we together must work out. From this perspective, Sean is then able to think more rationally and even have more patience, knowing that, though I am the one causing the mess under foot, he would not insist on perfection immediately from himself nor would he loose patience with himself... AND he might even see fit to condone a behaviour from himself if conceding that there really were more important things with which to deal! (Now I am sure that do much worse things that annoy him... but, you will just have to be content with this as an example. AND I am doing better... !!! )

Laughs and ... one more question!?!

Ok... So, I do not know how much you guys enjoy listening to talk show hosts... But, I find
myself listening rather frequently on my way to work as the ride is not really long enough to
absorb any other more edifying choices. Two stories shared today on the Rush program I found quite amusing:

1) It seems that a school located on Madison St. (I don't remember the particulars.) thought it would be cute as well intellectually-wise to name their brand-new public school after our fourth president. Please forgive me for not knowing exactly what grades were covered, but let's just say for the story's sake that is was a middle school... the name was: James A. Madison Middle School. Unfortunately, upon the opening people began to realize that the president did not even have a middle name! :) OOPS! No one seemed to know how the middle initial came to be.

2) There is an Asian elementary school who was interviewing children for pre-school.... There were restrictions placed on the hopeful applicants... any child who desired to be accepted must have a found head/face!!! LOL! (Dear me! I would never pass!!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the question, and I will make it short.... For those who have slings, sorry..., what particular kind do you like best. I think that I will attempt to make mine as Rebecca so kindly suggested and gave patterns for... BUT, I cannot even begin to know which one to make: padded, pocketed, etc. There seems to be way too many options, and how would I know which one is best!?!

Requesting Information

From those of you who have experience or an opinion... Please feel free to post a reply. Sean and I are looking through possible carrying options. We tend to prefer the top example of a sling, but... I wasn't sure if anyone had any preferences or advice. Of course, I am a little reluctant to pay the 56 dollars for the top Maya brand... couldn't one just make one easily enough???

~Doctor's Visit~

No,... I am not posting pics this time... wonders never cease. However, I was just going to give a brief update on the baby. I got to see the male doctor in my medical care group (who seems sooooo nice and has 8 children of his own!), and he was quite encouraging. I guess, though I feel rather large, I am right on target. My stomach is measuring exactly 35 centimeters to match my 35 week mark as of today (They do measure in centimeters, right? Well, I just measured with a not-so-helpful tape that only does inches, and it is certainly some smaller increment!!! ) He said that "Charis" seems to be right on target. He was even impressed that I actually had gained some weight, even if it was only two pounds! I guess, unknown to me as I had not been paying attention, I had registered exactly the same weight for last three doctor's visits -- which spanned over the last 2+ months. Of course, I think I gained quickly at the beginning. So, I think that this was a good thing not to continue weight gain at the same rate. :) Charis' heart rate was the normal 150-155. So,... all is well, Lord willing!

Last Week!

I was so excited to arrive home after a very long day of teaching to find that two rather large boxes had arrived from an unexpected source. I dear couple who attended the Free Church conference (the denomination Sean and I are a part of), decided to mail us clothes, diapers, wipes, and other various items. I was shocked by their generosity! Apparently these were just a "few" things since they had not been able to buy girl clothes in the past only having had boys!




I just marvel at the ways in which God sees fit to bless our family. Sean and I really have not been required to purchase anything which has been wonderful considering the state of our bank account! :) Ok... it is not that desperate, but since the church is not going too well here at the moment, we have been relying predominantly/entirely on my income. (My studio size just recently has gone up to 21 students, I think. I am praying all will go smoothly and that I will be able to return to my teaching very quickly after the arrival of the baby!!! )

Anyhow, I simply loved all of the clothes sent to me, and I was just reminded of how we, as God's children, really do not have to worry about anything. He will provide, even when we do not necessarily ask!

One last photo which is not about baby clothes. My nephew, Thomas, decided to accompany his Dad up to a wedding in OH that we all attended last Friday evening. I was teaching when they arrived on Thursday, but enjoyed the time we spent together Friday morning and early afternoon, building castles out of my pathetic attempts to create toys out of board games (Sequence), making cookies with Thomas, and etc. We even took some of our baked goodies to our land lady who was quite impressed by Thomas' abilities. :) (I just think that it is refreshing for people not accustomed to small, well-behaved children to meet them every once in a while. AND definitely a reminder to us moms or soon-to-be-moms of how even the seemingly "little, unrealized tasks" we do every day or even when we sit for other people's children can be a blessing to those around us and may create even an opportunity to share God's plan of redemption and His grace to us!)