It's Baby Time

I think it's safe to say I'm officially 'nesting'. We're so excited to get this baby in our hands that it's hard for me to think of anything else. I've rearranged and organized the house at least 10 times (not that there's really all that much house to organize :) I've washed clothes and blankets and all the necessities are in their place. We've bought a baby bath tub and a hamper for dirty diapers. I've packed my hospital bag. Twice. I've read all there is to read about labor and delivery and breastfeeding, yet I still find myself reading more. My goodness, it is indeed a time like no other in my life. At times I'm of course beside myself excited. At times I feel so completely out of control that it's hard to grasp. Praise God, He's the one in control. Do you ever look at your life and think "Wow, I really thought I would be so much older, so much more mature when I fill in the blank." Get married, move away from home, get a real job, have kids, etc. I thought to myself the other day that this just doesn't seem real. I've always dreamed of having my own family but I always thought I'd be "better" ya know? I mean I never thought I'd have kids until I was like 24. Then it hit me, I'll be 24 in March! Time flies and the Lord takes us through each stage of life that we think we aren't prepared for. He's taught me (and is still teaching me) how to be a wife and He'll equip me to be a mother. I'm thankful to rest in His sovereignty in these last days of pregnancy.

Just for a little update, I'm 37 weeks pregnant today. That's considered full term! Baby Boy's due date is February 24. Any guesses on when he'll actually come? I've thought this whole time that he'll probably be late. But if another Filipino tells me how low he's gotten and how it will be any day now, I may admit myself into the hospital for precautions ha! But really, Filipinos know a lot about pregnancy, labor, etc. Women here have a lot of babies! I'm thankful for their knowledge and advice (most days :)  But we did go to the doctor today and her prediction is that he'll be here in 2 weeks. 2 weeks!!! Of course that's just a guess and I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it's hard!  Maybe he'll at least wait until his Lola/Nana (my mom) is here.

We've already handed off some of the ministries we're a part of here and Josh will continue a few that I'll step back on. The Lord's timing in our ministry here was really gracious. We didn't hand anything over that we didn't feel like was ready and we're thankful for that. Nonetheless, as things have slowed down for me I wanted to share with you all a little of my daily activities lately. 

 

These little clothes have been my recent labor of love. And let me tell you, washing clothes here is actual labor. 

 

Seeing them hanging on the line was a pretty good reward, though. How cute are those little outfits? 

 

Thank you Mama and Mrs. Annette for sending these 'dress up' clothes :) 

 

We pray the little boy who wears these will love the Lord with all his heart. 

 

One of my favorites :) 

 

While I sort of detest this picture, my husband is right that my mom will be glad he took it. 

 

Again, not my best picture moment, but I love the rocker I'm sitting in. Josh and our friend Kletz brought it over from our neighbor's house for me to use for the rest of our time here. I can't wait to rock our sweet baby here. 

 

And these little devils are my latest nightmare. I'm excited about cloth diapering. I really am. I love what they save our planet our and our pocketbook. But holy moly they've taken a lot of my time already. From learning about how to use them, sorting through the jargon of knowing which ones to buy, and washing these crazy things 5 times before they become absorbent, I feel like I might be ministering to cloth diapers for the next few years of my life. Maybe I'll write a blog about diapers another time. 

 

At least they're cute :) 

I want to end this blog by sharing some ways you can pray for our family as our son's birth day draws near. These are things we are praying for ourselves and we would love your partnership in prayer. 

• Pray for a natural, healthy, and safe delivery. 
• Pray for my doctor to be in town. I really feel comfortable with her and pray that she's not on call in another province (she sometimes is). 
• Pray for a healthy mama and baby.
• Pray for clear communication (language and other cultural gaps) between us, the nurses, and the doctor. 
• Pray for the Lord to equip us as new parents.