99 to go...

So I am very much a countdown person... I just looked at my baby countdown, and I am now less than 100 days away from meeting my precious little one. I can't believe that... Time is flying by. I have no complaints for this pregnancy, it's been going great. But I am so excited to meet my little girl. I just hope in the days we have left, I can get everything ready.
There hasn't been much else going on. Today is the last day of summer school, so I get about a week off of work. Then back to preplanning, then school starts on August 18th. But I only work 2 days a week, so I'm excited. The other days, I'll be a housewife. Waahoo!!!
Well, pregnancy wise, everything is going great! Baby is growing, which means I am growing, a lot! I've noticed that I am getting more tired easier. I've been getting 7-8 hours of sleep, but that's not enough. Other than that, she's been getting a bit more active, which I love!
Mike has been busy with work, and art work. He's been getting a lot of art comissions and whatnots.. It stresses both of us out a bit cause he's so busy, but the Lord has been faithful in providing us with extra income. And I love seeing Mike paint again. He is so great at it!

Nathan's birthday!

Birthday boy!

Owen mops the house for Nana

Ellie joined in the festivities!
Owen was so cute, he found a straw, put it on an empty can of soda and "drank" from it...
Ok, I look awful in this picture, but Mike's face is priceless!

16 years flew by

Today is my "little" brother's birthday. Happy 16th birthday Nathan!!!! I cannot believe that it's been that long. I still remember 16 years ago, praying for my mom as she went to the hospital. My sister and I stayed with my grandfather... It's so vivid in my mind. I remember the first time I saw him, he was such a chunky baby
(9.9 lbs). Now he's a teenager, so scary how fast time goes by. He has grown so much, he's way taller than me. So I can't call him my little brother anymore. lol I am so thankful for him, and I hope that in the years to come, I can be more than just a sister to him.
On Saturday I spent the day with Nathan.. I picked him up and brought him back to my house and we made his favorite dessert. Well, it was my first time making it without my mom and it didn't come out the way it was supposed to. But Nathan still liked it and ate it... Then Mike and I just spent the day with him, we took him to a bookstore and bought him his birthday present. We let him choose a book he wanted. He chose an Arabic book so he can learn the language. lol Then we took him back home where there was dinner and a birthday cake waiting for him. We celebrated his birthday on Saturday because the grown up that he is, he's working today.

I have pictures, which if you know Nathan, is rare! I will post it when I get home!

Yikes!

This is my first pregnancy, so I don't know what's normal or not. But I am having a freak out moment (more like a day) because the nursery is not ready. The walls are painted, but nothing else is done. We don't have furniture, diapers, drapes, all the plans I have for that room, hasn't even been started. I am getting stressed. Then I look at the calendar and I have less than 16 weeks to get my stuff together. Oh, I don't even have the hospital bag put together, or the cameras ready. AAAHHHH This is so nerve wrecking!! Is it always like this???
Grandpa Sam came over and worked on the nursery.

Freshly painted!

24 Weeks

My latest thoughts

I was just sitting here thinking about how much my life will change after November. It will no longer be Mike and I. We'll be a family, with a baby. It is so exciting to think about it!
It feels like I waited so long to have a baby. For years, I longed to be a mommy. But the time was never right. It was very hard and sometimes painful to see everyone around me have babies. I kept wondering when it would be my turn... Through a series of events that I will not get into, we couldn't plan to start our family. Something always came up. Finances, jobs, migraine issues, they all stopped us. Then one day everything just fell in place and we were able to start trying. And the Lord blessed us, we got pregnant on our first try. There was no more waiting for me. But it all had to happen in God's timing. It's amzing to look back and see how perfect God's timing really is. And how He ALWAYS takes care of us. Now, we have about 16 more weeks (yikes) till we become parents and my latest worry was whether or not I'd be able to fulfill my dream of being a stay at home mom. But God took care of that too! I'll only be working 2 days of the week, and Mike will be home with the baby on those days... Then I get to be home the other 5 days taking care of my baby and husband, like I have always wanted to. I am so excited to see what else God has in store for us. He has been so faithful in showing us that His timing is perfect, not my own. I love looking back in my life, even just the past year, and seeing evidence that He is at work! God is so awesome! I love that He has control of my life and that I don't have to worry about a thing.

My latest creation

I have a friend's birthday dinner to go to today. I made her card and gift bag to match. I like it!!! Here are some pics!

Happy News

Well, after months of prayer and searching, Mike and I decided it would be best not to put our daughter in daycare after she's born. Both of us feel very strongly that she should be at home with her parents. So, although my dream of being a stay at home mom has not come true, it kind of has. Instead of teaching full time next school year, I'll be teaching 2 days a week. I won't be teaching any specific grades, I'll be the art teacher. lol So I'll only be working 2 days a week, the rest of those days, I"ll be home. God has been so good and faithful in guiding us through this difficult decision. And I think it will be a little hard to leave S for those 2 days, it's better than having to leave her full time. I am very happy with this decision and I can't ask God for anything more. By the way, those 2 days I'll be working, S will be at home with her daddy. His work schedule has him on 4 days, 10 hour shifts, so he's able to stay home 3 days (Sunday being one of those days). So S will always be home with one of her parents. Isn't that great?!?! My boss has been so incredible through all this, and she even let me pick which 2 days I could teach. It's just been really cool to see God at work through all this.
Thank you very much for your prayers.

Confusions...

When the school year ended, we were told that the school would have childcare provided for the employees children. Now, I don't like the idea of putting my sweet baby in daycare, but I knew I had no choice. And I was ok with it because there would only be a total of 4 babies, and one of my co-workers would be taking care of them. Well, last week we found out that the childcare can no longer be provided. Long story short, we have no childcare for the baby and no desire to put her in daycare with strangers. So now Mike and I are trying to figure out what's best for our family and our baby. We really wanted me to be able to stay home, at least part time. So we would really appreciate your prayers as we try to decide what God has for us in regards to this matter.

For happier news, we have an answer to prayers. For a while now, we'd been praying that God would bless Mike's art and allow him to make extra money from that. Well, we haven't really marketed his art in a while. But in a matter of a month or so, he's had several people call him for comissioned art work. And there is an art gallery that is representing him now. We didn't do anything other than pray. Isn't that awesome?!?! He's got some shows coming towards the end of the year. He will also have a painting in a show next month. We're very excited to see God at work with his art. It has been completely a God thing, and it's awesome to see His hand at work.

23 weeks

Well, today I am at 23 weeks. S has been moving around a lot lately... She likes to punch me whenever the cat is sitting on my belly. :o) The big news?! I cut 10 inches off my hair... Aaahhhh, I donated it to locks of love. :o)
Before haircut!

After haircut...

What have I done?!?!?!

So, due to the fact that Riley was really hot, and shedding everywhere, I convinced my hubby to cut his hair. We decided we could groom him ourselves. This is a border collie mix, who like his mommy, has really thick hair. So it took us an hour, and he behaved so well. He really was a good boy. If he had a mirror, he would've run off. lol We butchered his beautiful red hair. When we were done, I wanted to cry. His full tail was gone, the shiny red coat, gone! I'm just so thankful it will grow back, and I can't wait. I'm getting used to it now, but last night when I saw him finished, I wanted to cry. I ruined my poor dog. He seems very content and happy that he's no longer hot and itchy, and he's still cute. But I miss his red hair... If he could talk, He'd say "What have you morons done to me?!?!"

Riley before we shaved his fur.

Riley after we got done

Another view....

All the hair he lost.

Plans for baby

Well, 1 year ago, when we bought our house, one of the 3 bedrooms became Mike's "studio". When he moved in there, I told him that someday it would be the baby's room. At that time, we had no idea when that would happen. So here we are,
5 1/2 months pregnant, and the room is still occupied. lol My wonderful father came and turned half of our garage into a studio for Mike. It's not done yet, but it's functional. A 2 day project, turned into 5 days, which took about 3 weeks... So yesterday Mike started moving his stuff out of the house and into his new studio. Before yesterday, the room, which I call ground zero, was a mess. You couldn't even see the floors. Now, well, it's still a mess, but there's less stuff in there. lol I hope that by the end of the week the room will be cleared out. Then comes the next step, taking out the awful wall paper someone put in that room. Argh! Then we'll paint. I say we, like I'm doing anything. Hahaha! Anyways, the plan is to have the bottom of the walls pink, and Mike is painting a mural on the top of the walls... I cannot wait to see it started. We're still looking around for furniture, but I'm pretty sure I know what I want. I never knew baby stuff would be so complicated, but it's fun! I cannot believe that I'm 1/2 through this pregnancy. Time sure is flying!

Encouragement

I have been a bit down lately because certain things are not working out "my way"... It seems I never learn my lesson, everything is perfect in God's timing. And there is enough evidence in my life to prove that!
I always read this Psalm when I am down, I love it and it helps me so much because it helps me remember to reach to God and that He has always been there for me:

Psalm 143
Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
1Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
3For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is appalled within me.
5I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
6I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.
7Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
9Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.
10Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11For the sake of Your name, O LORD,revive me
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.