Much Has Happened...More Will Happen

Yes, yes. It's finally here. A long awaited update -- that may or may not include everything I've been wanting to share. My brain's not working on all levels at the moment, but I'm tired of not posting!

Maryland Details

We signed the lease and sent it back last week, so the apartment is officially ours. I've asked our friend Angie who lives there to take a picture of the outside of our unit so we can at least see that part before we arrive to move in. I'm still excited to only have one tub to clean!

Matt officially chose one of the 9 jobs he interviewed for. We're just waiting on the official offer letter now.

All other Maryland details are on hold because, well...we need to have a baby before we move any farther along.

Pregnancy Details

Speaking of having a baby, one week is all that's left. It is so strange to know how many days I have left to have a big belly, one child to care for, and no surgery to recover from. And how many nights I have left of only getting up once for a bathroom break.

Physically, my hips/back have actually improved quite a bit the past week or so. I can actually walk without pain -- amazing! I do find myself waddling a little more, but that's because of my belly and not pain. My biggest problem has been hellfire & brimstone indigestion. Yowsa! I've never had it this bad, but I have finally figured out that if I kind of graze all day it will stay mostly controlled. I also figured out Tums don't work.

Emotionally, I'm excited about Elijah's arrival and all the newness he will bring to our family (too many aspects to list)! I'm incredibly relieved every time I remember my mom is coming on Sunday -- if it weren't for her being here, I know I would be very anxious about many things. I get that "All is well and will be well" peace. And I can NOT wait to see her and Judah interact because he's so grown up compared to last time they were together! Oh yeah, I made her a Bible cover and got her a travel Bible to read on the plane. :-)



I think the only issue I'm having emotionally stems from a spiritual issue. I can't remember a time when I expected a battle to be coming and knew exactly what it was I had to face before it actually happened. I failed the anger/jealousy battle way too many times in Judah's early days when it came to having to get up several times a night to nurse him. I was mad that Matt got more restful sleep than I, jealous that he got to sleep "so much." A silly thing to be angry and jealous over, but we all have our vices. Even to this day, I have such a struggle on mornings when he isn't up and out of bed at the same time I am. It all boils down to selfishness and a lack of love in serving my early-rising son and non-morning-person husband. I don't want to fail again, but I know I will. But, by God's grace, maybe I won't fail quite as much as I did with Judah. I don't WANT to face this battle, but it can not be avoided. Elijah is coming! And praise God, I have been through it before and know that children do eventually sleep through the night. And Jim has said something very profound the past two Sundays, "What God requires, He supplies." God requires love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control...all of which I am keenly aware need to be present in my roles as wife and mother. He REQUIRES them -- but He also promises to SUPPLY them. I should expect Him to keep His promise, and then I need to pursue it with my whole heart. Thank you, Jim!

You can pray for that coming battle, and also pray for tomorrow night's Bible study. Not only is it my turn to lead, but the ladies are giving Kristin and I a little baby shower. It will be tough, and Cindy said there will be tears between Kristin and I. I found out last week after an intimate conversation with a few ladies that I have not been alone in my awkward burden. I have no idea exactly what God has planned for tomorrow night. I'm not sure I'm prepared for it, but it is time for all of us to openly celebrate our pregnancies and God's plans for each of us. Samuel and Elijah are both precious and created by Hand. It matters not when God has chosen to bring each of them back to Himself. But that doesn't mean we don't need God's grace and strength for the mixed joy/sadness surrounding Samuel's birth. Our ladies are in for a roller coaster over the next few weeks as Elijah is to arrive July 31st and Samuel on August 15th. Pray for everything and everyone involved -- that should keep you on your knees for hours.

Vehicle Details

As Matt likes to say, when we have a life change...we like to change it all! Our Honda dealership in town recently had some good buys available. After a few trips there, much discussion and seeking for wisdom, and 5 hours of decision-making/paperwork, we traded in our beloved Accord for a Pilot! I got a little emotional when the deal was done and I glanced out the window to our Accord. That car was exactly what I had always wanted, even down to the year. It was our first "official" car purchase as a married couple. We drove across the country in that car. We brought our first child home in it. But, as Matt pointed out, our family is changing and therefore our needs are as well. Mind you, I was in support of the decision 100%. But you know how women can be sentiMENTAL and all. ;-) I LOVE the Pilot! Other people can actually ride with us now, whereas with two carseats in the back of the Accord...well, let's just say not even Matt's hips would fit back there. The Pilot can seat 8 people total, and the third row can fold down flat for ample storage space. It's white with gray cloth interior. Funny thing, when we were looking for our Accord, we dreamed of getting a Pilot...and that was in 2004. Now we have a 2004 Pilot! It's all wheel drive which will be good for MD winters. It's SO easy to get Judah in and out of his carseat now -- a HUGE plus for me! Sweet all around. I told Autumn that I don't feel like I look like an SUV woman, that I always thought I'd be a minivan woman. She readily agreed and said she was the opposite. To which I readily agreed. :-P But hopefully I'll look more like an SUV mom as time passes. Maybe when I'm not trying to climb in with a 9 month belly??



One flub with the car is that our salesman, James Bond (I kid you not!), said it had a 6-disc changer. It doesn't. So we were going to work with him and get one installed. That wasn't going to work. So James said he'd get an MP3 adapter installed. Well, apparently you can only get an IPod adapter...which we don't have/want. We ended up with a cash settlement -- and drove from the dealership straight across the street to Kohls for a little shopping spree. :-D Matt was able to get some dress-casual clothes for his new job, and we found two sets of adorable and roomy PJ's for Judah. Matt went back later and surprised me with two purple throw pillows for our couch. That desire has been a LONG-standing one! He done good!



Judah Details

He's not the kid any of you knew. He runs, chatters up a storm, feeds himself 99% of the time, is a climbing daredevil, pushes heavier objects around, shows signs of a good short term memory, comprehends many commands and questions, and much more! He says "bye" WHILE waving and yesterday started clearly saying "outside." His top incisor teeth are still trying to punch through, should be any day now. He still hates mashed potatoes (weirdo), and we found out tonight that he doesn't like sweet tea (that's my boy!). He pooped in the bathtub for the first (and hopefully only) time today. He's got no idea what's coming next week and is gonna have quite the awakening when another baby comes home to stay...permanently. Our biggest milestone lately -- HE DOESN'T CRY WHEN WE LEAVE HIM IN NURSERY!!! I can't tell you how long we have waited and prayed for this time to come. It's just been over the last few Sundays. But yesterday, Matt said Judah just ran off to play with toys when Matt put him down. When I arrived to get him, Judah was playing contentedly in a corner...and his blankie was carelessly thrown on the floor elsewhere. That was shocking! But, praise the Lord for one less thing to distract us from paying attention to the sermon!






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I'm pretty sure there was a lot more I've been wanting to post, mostly small details. But they all escape me now. At least I got the big categories down. Hopefully, I can get back to shorter, more frequent posts starting this week. I've been tied up with Bible study and that secret project I started but can't post about yet. That will culminate on Sunday. Soooo excited!!! Now that I mention it, I think I'll go work on it some more. G'night!