What's for Dinner?

Not sure about the wisdom of this, but we're having Taco Soup for Conny, from Melanie. :) I'm not questioning the widsom of it because it isn't a super-yummy, super-easy recipe, but because I have these two terribly nasty canker sores from biting the inside of my mouth last week. Yuck. And MOST of the ingredients in this soup are tomatoes. I normally love tomatoes. In fact, they've been a huge part of my cravings this pregnancy, but tomatoes and canker sores don't often mix. We'll see what happens...

Another thing...I've got a dentist appt. tomorrow, and the last week or so of brushing hasn't been quality near those awful sores. I feel bad for my dentist. I'm also just now questioning why I just told you all of that. Hmmmm....well, either way, you really should try this recipe. And you might enjoy it a little more than Iwill if you don't have canker sores. :/

Small-Town-Central-Iowa-CULTURE-SHOCK

I had a photoshoot about 30 miles north of us today (a 3 month shoot with the sweetest little boy!!) and on the way home, I had a hankerin' for a Coke. So, I stopped at the McD's in town before I left and got a li'l kiddie meal w/ a Coke and a toy for Josefine. I guess I'd forgotten just how SMALL a small Coke is! Before I was halfway done with the fries, the Coke was gone...bummer! I couldn't possibly finish my fries without Coke. Well, at least that's what my pregnant brain was telling me. :)

It was then, I realized I was going the wrong way. Usually, that's disappointing, but this time, I was relieved to have to turn around and pass McD's again. I was entertaining the idea of getting another small Coke. Well, in my absent-mindedness, I missed the exit for the ONLY town in the area that has a McD's. I was doomed. 30 minutes left on the road, 1/2 a bag of fries and 4 chicken nuggets, and NO COKE. I called Jim and asked if there was a place to stop for a Coke in the next town I'd be entering before getting home. He assured me there was not. Deep down, I know this tiny town through which I was passing didn't even have a gas station, why would it have ANYthing else?

As I was passing through, I saw a sign that said "business district." Perfect! So, I followed the sign and found...well, nothing more than a bunch of dilapidated buildings and two guys talking by their pickups. So, I stopped and rolled down my window. The guys approached me and asked what they could do to help.

"I know this sounds really dumb," I introduced, "But, I'm looking for a Coke."

One of the men looked as though he were thinking really hard. Seriously? He finally answered "Well, there's a vending machine around the..." then he paused.

"Wait," he continued. "Do you mean a real Coca-COLA?"

I thought to myself, "ummm, yeah...that's why I said COKE." But, instead answered, "Yep, a real Coca-cola."

His reply. "You're not gonna find one of those in this town."

You're kidding, right? Wow...I must be well, experiencing small-town-central-Iowa-culture-shock!

First, apparently around here a 'coke' is the general term for 'pop' or in other cases, 'soda'. And second...not a Coke (the brand) to be found in an entire TOWN!

Not sure how our conversation ended, but he did suggest that maybe the bar would have something, so I thanked him for helping and found my way back to the main road out of town.

On the way out of town meant that I would be passing the bar. How in the WORLD could a BAR be a temptation for ME? Well, it was. I really, really, really wanted a Coke. When I passed the bar, I saw that there were two entrances. One said...well, "bar" on the door and the other door said "Pizza Pick-Ups". I figured I couldn't possibly get into an awkward situation if I went to the Pizza Pick-Up door. So, I did. Desperate for Coke.

No one was there...but, someone came over from the "other" side of the building and asked what they could help me with. I told them I was looking for a Coke.

"Sure!" the man chimed. "Just come on over here!"

Great.

Well, I followed him into a little place that didn't look like a bar at all. It looked like a little sit- down restaurant. There were two guys eating lunch and a nice lady at the counter who kindly got me a fountain Coke (just what I was looking for!) and bid me a good day. That was it? No, smoke-filled room with beer-drinking brawlers? Ok, then. I can handle that. One would think that a small town bar would be just that...well, I did anyway. And I'd never want to say I went into a small town bar either...because the one in OUR small town is NOT like that at all. Not sure how to interpret all of this...or how to feel about it, necessarily...

But, I got my Coke. It was a happy ending, at least.

"Bacon" Made Me Cry

It's 9:30pm.

About an hour ago, I got home from a Bible Study on gratefulness...a great study and made me think hard about a lot of things. Jim asked me how the study went, so I told him, and I added about sixty bajillion extra thoughts I'd been having the past few days about the topic of gratefulness, my reaction to "not traveling" lately...my thoughts about feeling as though I'm half "home" and half not, and the struggle therein. Basically, I spilled my missionary wife guts out to him. He listened sweetly. He nodded and said "uh, huh" and indicated that he understood. Then, when I was finally out of breath I asked the common "know what I mean?" question. It was right then I had this incredible craving for bacon. "Jim...I want bacon." Then, I burst into tears. He gave me hug. The sweetest, most understanding, loving hug...and now, he's on his way to the nearest grocery store to pick up some bacon for me.

What a guy. I am so blessed...and so grateful for husband with a listening ear and willing servants heart...to fetch me bacon at 9:30pm.

Excited to announce...

...that we're going to have a BABY!

That's right! I said BABY! B-A-B-Y!

:) It seems that this blog has turned into an update on our latest baby news...hehe...sorry! But, I'll try better to post more of what's going on in other areas of life as well.

Lately, we've been traveling like MAD...hence the lack of posts. And I've been so tired lately and feeling much more nauseated than I did with Josefine, and I've been working on oodles of photos ...and traveling (that one requires being mentioned twice).

We've been blessed, though. I have no complaints! Every twist and turn in life has run right into a blessing! We are so thankful for such a loving God!

Oh, yeah...and I'm due May 4. :) Yeeeeeee!

An Ode to Lessons Learned

On Tuesday night, I joined my dear MIL as she attended a meeting for a local writing club. At first I was going because I wanted to spend some time with her, doing the things she liked and it was only a bonus that I enjoy a little writing myself. As it turned out, I was challenged and inspired. They were sharing their "odes" from the previous assigment, and I was privileged to be able to hear some of their work, especially my MIL's ode...it was my favorite. I decided that I would go home and write an ode, too.

Lately, the Lord has brought our miscarriage to mind through circumstances in lives of loved ones, and I remember the lessons He taught me as He carried me through that difficult time. So, I wanted to write my ode (which, I learned is often in the form of a poem) to the lessons I learned.

-----

An Ode to Lessons Learned

October would bring a joy to us,
baby #2.
Our hearts were filled with eagerness
but some fear and nervousness, too.

See Josefine was only
A fresh, young 9 month old.
And here, we would be welcoming
A new little one to hold?

Could I question God’s plan in this?
Could I trust Him to provide?
For the strength to give more sleepless nights,
I needed to survive.

But a Mother’s heart is born to give
And I knew that God would bless.
All I needed to do was trust,
And believe that His way is best.

Soon my fears gave way to joy,
eager to meet this one, so small.
Already my heart was part of this dream
And my flesh, part of this miracle.

But one day there was a trickle of blood,
A sign that something was wrong.
I prayed that this might be a fluke,
And it wouldn’t continue for long.

God seemed to have a different plan
And the bleeding continued for days.
Again I questioned if this could be
part of His perfect way.

The doctor told us that there was
“99% chance”
that this pregnancy wouldn’t work;
there was no way it could advance.

Then, I looked to God’s Word for guidance,
Sought His wisdom and His peace.
And realized that whatever the outcome,
His love for me would never cease.

But hope still lingered and faith was strong
That maybe…our baby could be alive.
I prayed with tears that the statistics were wrong.
Could this little one survive?

It struck me that prayer is a delicate thing,
You trust and yet you ask
For something that your heart so desires
For a life that would last.

March was the month that brought the answer,
we officially said good-bye
To hopes of an October baby.
Relief mingled with sadness, our mixed reply.

It wasn’t long before I saw
That what would really last
Was knowing that it was God’s goodness
That harbored me in the past.

His love would bring me comfort now,
Just as it had before,
When the storms of life would throw me down,
Leaving an open door...

To build my faith upon His Word
And believe that through all the pain,
He never will leave, nor forsake;
My loss is His glory’s gain.

Faith & Understanding

Hello friends,

Thank you ever so much for your continued prayers over the weeks.

Last week, we miscarried. God has been so good through it...so gentle and merciful. So loving. We have been surrounded with loving people and uplifted in prayer. God's word has been a comfort over and over, and the peace that passes understanding has been evident. We praise God for this peace, that only HE can give through times like this.

I've learned to be thankful during a time that doesn't seem natural to be thankful. Again, it's not of me, but of God. His strength has been made perfect in my weakness and all the glory goes to Him!

We were priveleged to spend a week at a Missions Conference in Albert Lea, MN last week. God knew it was exactly what we needed. The spiritual encouragement and daily time together in God's word, focusing on living for HIS glory was such a blessing.

Now that we're home again, back to the grind, I find it a bit more difficult to focus...to be motivated to take the next step of the day. BUT, God is still a very present help in trouble, and I'm praying for the strength to rely on Him, even during the day to day goings on of life.

Again, thank you all for praying. It's been a tremendous help and blessing. We are confident that God has done what was best for us and our baby. We trust His goodness and love and although, there are times I seek answers to the "WHY's", I realize that I don't need to know, but I just to trust.

During yesterday morning's sermon, Pastor preached from Mark 8 about the disciples on the boat with Jesus, fretting because they forgot the bread. Even after they had seen Jesus provide food TWICE for a multitude of people...their unbelief caused them to lose focus on who Jesus is, and instead, they focused on themselves, their reasoning, their inabilities, etc. And, their unbelief caused a lack of understanding. Something Pastor said really stuck out to me at that point. Faith proceeds knowledge and understanding. How can we even hope to understand what God is doing if we don't trust Him first? And, will I, like the disciples, forget what God has done for me already, and respond to life's circumstances like He's never provided before? God forbid. I pray I would let the lessons of this experience linger throughout my lifetime, and that God would receive the glory...

Faith Without Words

Faith, I've realized these past 3 weeks, is exhausting. I mean, I've had to excercise faith for a certain circumstance before, and everyday, we live by faith. But, lately...I've been taken to a completely new level of faith. Like...faith bootcamp...or something. It's strenuous.

Perhaps I can look back to other trying times in my Christian experience, and realize how it was physically tiring to go through that...actually, I can...and I shouldn't be surprised, but it's been so long...and here I am again, in the thick of it. Thankful for the blessing it is...causing me to need God...to lean on Him. Oh, and I'm so thankful I have Him to lean on. He knows my frame, that it is dust. I need Him when I'm so, so, very tired...and even more so when I think I'm strong!

At the beginning of this new journey of faith, I thought "Hey, this isn't so bad...I mean, faith is faith...you trust God." I knew that in my mind, but my spirit would soon catch up and feel the rigor of hardcore, constant faith. After two weeks had passed. Two weeks of waiting, praying, wondering, hoping...I was feeling the drag. My body wanted to collapse sometimes. I was sleeping in more, napping more and ready to go to bed sooner. Not to mention, my body probably has been going through some phyical and exhausting changes as well...on top of the spiritual battle.

My prayer life has changed. I feel drained after praying, physically drained. I feel like I can't "shout" out my plea loud enough, I can't ask too much. I realize what David meant when He asked God in the Psalms if He could hear his plea? At times I would think...well, of course He hears...He's GOD! But, I also knew that it's a human plea...it's desperation for God to hear...to be connected to Him. I could argue that point, and understand it..but it's become much more real to me now.

By the end of the day, my brain can't even focus enough to know the words to speak when I pray. I just...pray...without words. REALLY excercising faith...without words.

At times like that, I'm tempted to feel like I'm praying incompetently. But, I'm not. I'm reminded of this passage...especially the verse in bold. But, oh, does this whole passage touch my heart in so many ways.

Romans 8:18-28

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

It's Already March?

I'm so bummed. I didn't even realize it was March 1st yesterday...and we missed celebrating Josefine's 8 mo! Since there was no 29th of February, there was no 8mo-on-the-dot celebration, so I hadn't decided yet if I wanted to celebrate on the 28th or the 1st of March. Welp...guess that decision is made. We'll celebrate today! :) Josefine is 8 mos! I'd call this an extended celebration!

In other Baby News...we're still waiting and praying. I have another appointment on Thursday. I have yet to schedule it, but Doc wanted me to come in on Thursday or next Tuesday, and since we're going to be in MN for a Missions Conf. that week, I won't be able to go on Tuesday. I would have liked to wait a bit longer than a week from the last appt. but, this is what God clearly wants...so, Thursday, it is!

Also...I've been thinking about "Miracle Babies" and it hit me the other day, that we are surrounded by them! With all the millions of things that need to go right (scientifically and medically) for there to be a healthy human being, EVERY single one of us is a real miracle. Some days, I think it's amazing that I've survived these past 28 years, with all that could go wrong. Obviously, God can supercede science and medicine. And knowing that brings so much comfort and peace.

I look at Josefine and I think..."here, we're pleading God for a miracle, and look at the one He has already given us." Not that I'm still NOT pleading for God to protect and give this baby life, but, wow...to sit here and ponder what He HAS given us. I can barely wrap my mind around it, and I'm left overwhelmingly thankful.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,

to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."

Colossians 3:15

Still God

I was running a WalMart errand today when I saw a friend from back home (the growing up "back home"). She has been encouraging me with sweet notes since I've started sharing the pregnancy experience and all it's questions. When I saw her, she graciously offered to be a listening ear if I ever needed it. She shared her stories of similar experience. We chit-chatted and then said our "good-byes."

And, while sitting in the car, munching on my Super Potato Ole's before heading into the store, it hit me. Perhaps it was the beautiful music on NPR that aided. Or maybe it was just exhaustion, emotions and hormones. Or, all of the above (most likely). I wasn't quite an emotional wreck, but I would choke up every now and again (thankfully not on a Potato Ole)...thinking, wondering, hoping, praying.

"God, am I supposed to go through this?" Of course, the answer is "Yes." Everything has it's purpose.

And thoughts of both extremes, a miracle baby or a miscarriage, came flooding through my mind...and I could cry at the thought of both!

And I began thinking of this song, "You are Still God." And I remembered...that whatever happens, God is STILL God. He will not change through this...He, thankfully, will change me. I thought of this verse, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

Thank you, God...that YOU will always be the same...and the giver of all good gifts.

Not in Despair

The ultrasound was today. This was also the orginal appointment for my OB workup. But, because there was no sign of baby in the ultrasound, Doc decided against the regular appt. and said we can either wait, or do a D&C. Again, we're waiting. We were disappointed, of course, but not in despair. God is STILL good. God is ALWAYS good. We're basically in the same position we were this past week. Waiting and praying...hoping and relying. So, strangely, I don't feel a sinking feeling, but that we just have to keep pressing on, trusting God, until one thing or the other happens...it's exhausting, but stregnthening all at once.

One of my friends commented on my Facebook that she's praying for us and that she understands we must be struggling. Yes. This IS a stuggle. A struggle that, I'm sure, will bring glory to God and build our faith. Priceless gifts from God.

Here was my response to her.

"It is hard...but perhaps not as hard as it may be if there is a miscarriage. Right now, I'm just taking things in stride. Keeping life normal. Doing all the regular things. Not letting this be a source of depression...not letting the fear or worries linger, but relying on the strength of the Lord, and trying to remain joyful through all the waiting. No doubt, there have been tears...and deep moments of desperate cries to God. Thank you so much for praying...my heart is encouraged just knowing that. ♥"

I can still only imagine the deep pain and grief that will come with a miscarriage. I'm on the brink of it daily. I've said before, that as soon as you see that "positive" sign on the pregnancy test, you're attached, physically, emotionally, and mentally to this life that is in you. Separation (even at birth...I know...strange, but I did have an "empty" feeling -no pun intended - when Josefine was no longer ACTUALLY a physical part of me) is NEVER, EVER easy, no matter what stage.

I've been thinking about this verse today.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Thank you for your continued prayers and labor of faith with me. I'm so overwhelmingly grateful.

How Do I Pray?

Last night, Jim and I had a really good discussion on prayer. We looked up some verses and really enjoyed our time in God's word together...passages like Matthew's Sermon on the Mount..."ask and it shall be given"..."God gives good gifts" (reading it together brought tears to our eyes) and Jame's, "ask in faith, without doubt" and Christ's example of prayer in the garden, "take this cup from me...Your will, not mine be done."

I was kind of perplexed about how to pray specifically that God would give our baby health and strength, and yet...I wanted to pray for His will, too. My mind was having a hard time wrapping around the thought. I almost felt like I couldn't pray specifically if I was to pray for God's will, which could be anything. This study in God's word revealed that praying specifically is good...and praying for God's will is good, too. BOTH are what he wants us to do. That's exactly how Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

We also talked about crisis, and how it brings us exactly where God wants us to be...it's not wrong to admit that...it's human that we respond that way. It'd be nice if I were obedient and desperate for God just because I'm SUPPOSED to be...but, I know myself better than that...and so does God. If this didn't rock our world...what would? On the other hand, we also discussed that really...there IS a crisis...a DAILY crisis in our hearts. Satan vying for our attention...a constant spiritual battle that supercedes ANY physical, worldy crisis. A crisis that is really even bigger than what we're experiencing today. The crisis in our hearts should be what drags us to God daily...our DAILY crisis. Even when everything is peachy from the world's point of view, I HAVE to recognize my need for deep, intimate fellowship with God on a very regular basis. I have to be desperate to thrive spiritually. As desperate as I am for this baby to thrive physically. Intense stuff, I know. But, oh...so amazing, true and beautiful!

I'm so thankful that God is using this time in our lives...even during the unknown...to draw us closer to Himself. God is already using this baby in amazing ways. I pray that someday, he'll know just how God used him to bring Mama and Papa to their knees, humbly recognizing our need for Him and for His power in our lives. I pray that the work God is doing through this baby will not stop...that perhaps as a child...and as an adult he will still be used to point people to God. That is the prayer of my heart...

Your will be done, Father.

Please Pray with Us

Doc says there is a high chance of miscarriage with this pregnancy.
We found out several weeks ago that we were going to have a baby in October. We're waiting on God now. We opted out of the D&C and we're going to let God do whatever He chooses. It could be a few days or weeks before we see any evidence of confirmed miscarriage. Or, it could be a few days or weeks before we see any evidence of a healthy pregnancy. It's all in HIS hands, and we're trusting Him..."strengthened with all might, according to HIS glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." Colossians 1:11 Please pray with us!

I'm thankful for so many things right now:

1. God's Word for sure. It's been amazing to be reassured of God's power, love and soveriegnty through His words.

2. The ability to bring my burdens before the Lord through prayer.

3. A loving and supportive husband.

4. A wonderful, knowledgeable and personable Doctor.

5. A beautiful little girl to love on...she brings joy to this home even when we're feeling down.

And of course...the list could go on. But, for now, I'll leave this post as is. I've got a few errands to run.

Pregnancy Diaries: Welcome Josefine!

She's Here!

Josefine Adelaide Engle

June 29

5:17 pm

7 pounds 15.7 ounces

2o inches long

Another random piece of information for the curious at heart:

I overheard the nurse telling Dr. that her umbilical cord was 44 cm long. And I just couldn't resist including that in Josefine's stats. I mean, seriously, it's been her lifeline for, like, 9 mos!

Anyway...on a more serious note.

It's been nearly 2 weeks now since she was born...just haven't found the time to blog. Most of my time is spent feeding, changing, adjusting, healing, etc. You get the picture. It's been a whirlwind, let me tell you. It's hard to believe she's really ours! But, the "new normal" (as Nurse Kristy would say) of it all is finally settling in. It's humbling. Truly. My prayer life has encountered a whole new level of desperation and dependance on God. I haven't felt such a need for His wisdom and guidance since...well, since my decision to trust Him for my salvation.

We are already praying this way for our little girl - that she would see her need for Jesus Christ as her Savior. But, we are also praying that she would sleep well, eat well, and grow strong physically, emotionally and spiritually. Pray with us along these lines. We need it! We're all learning here (all 3 of us)!

Oh, and if you're interested I have a blog set up for Josefine now, too. It's called "Everyday Josefine" and it will include a picture and short caption everyday about life with Josefine. I need to play catch-up first. I have almost 2 weeks of pictures and captions to post. "Everyday Josefine" is mainly a blog for our far away family and friends to get to see and stay up-to-date with our little Josefine. But, all are welcome, of course!

Pregnancy Diaries: Us 'R Babies

I just took advantage of some super-sweet deals at Babies 'R Us. Picked up 3 for $20 packages of Newborn Diapers. Good deal. And when Jim came home for lunch, he observed that the Diapers are good up to 10 pounds. He said with a Southern Twang (not sure why he used that accent), "They'll hold up to 10 pounds until we have to change 'er..." :D Bahahahaaaaa....Jim made another funny.

On another note, I also picked up our Pack 'n Play AND the swing that matches (from the Graco Utopia Collection)! Woo! (We already have the stroller/travel system.) All because I waited (amazingly) and saved up (more amazing) for the Pack 'n Play...a few weeks ago I had enough money saved up from photoshoots and babysitting that I could get the Pack 'n Play, but never made it to Babies 'R' Us to pick it up. In the meantime, I got a few emails informing me of some super good deals...and one of them was $15 off the VERY Pack 'n Play I wanted and 15% off ANY Pack 'n Play in the store! So, with all I had saved up, I was able to get both the Pack 'n Play AND the swing (which was also $15 off this weekend). I felt SO stinkin' awesome about it, I stopped by Krispy Kreme on the way home and got a dozen doughnuts, plus one for the road. A Baker's Dozen.

Oh, and to boot, the swing mobile has owls on it! I'm using owls as the decor for Josefine's room (or corner of the room!) and verses from the Bible about wisdom. Here are pictures of my "Inspirations for Josefine's Room."

Pregnancy Diaries: Scary Dudes and Bananas

I took a detour on the way home from Gina's tonight (we hung out w/ her niece Emma and played dress up!) I stopped at the beloved 24 hour Hy-Vee to pick up some veggie oil for another round of delish out-of-the-box muffins and, after parking in "my" spot (Reserved for New or Expecting Mothers spot, which seems to always be open - thank you for being honest customers at Hy-Vee), I half waddled, half walked up to the entrance of the store. (Man, was that just the LONGEST run-on sentence EVER or what?)

As I neared the automatic door, (which I appreciate more and more lately when my hubby's not around to do Door Duty for me) this scary dude with a low brimmed gray hat wondered out and basically brushed up against my shoulder. Ok, ok, he didn't exactly touch me, but he was WAY in my bubble and I felt quite alarmed by his closeness. And that was it. I know, not a very good climax to my story, huh? It just got me thinking about what I would do if he did decide to steal my purse and run or kidnap me or something. I'm not super paranoid, but I did take a women's self-defense class once and one of the lessons was about preparing yourself mentally for what you might do in a situation like that, which will make it more likely that you'll respond quickly and ward of any Scary Dude. So, in mentally preparing myself for such a time as that, I imagined this as I was walking into the store:

My keys are already conveniently in my hand, ready to strike, so I knock him in the nose with my keys and stun him, then elbow him in the gut, bringing him to the ground. I give him a little kick to the ribs and pull him by his collar into the entrance of the store where everyone is in awe at this pregnant woman bringing this criminal under her control. I beam while I turn him over to the managers and dust off my hands. I hear sirens and smile contentedly while I make my way to the Baking aisle to fetch my Vegetable Oil. The End.

After imagining all of that, how could I be afraid? Ha!

I think that class paid off. ;)

Now, onto the Banana part of my Hy-Vee Adventure

I still haven't lost my insatiable desire for fruit. Since the beginning of my and Josefine's journey together, it's all that's ever really satisfied. Mmmm, fruit. It all started at Gina's when her sister Jenn gave their one-year-old a banana to gnaw on. But, I was hooked at Hy-Vee when, as I was on my way out with my veggie oil, I noticed, from a distance, someone checking out with a beautiful bunch of perfectly yellow bananas. "Tempting," I thought. "But, I can wait." Just then a woman walked by in a bright yellow shirt and printed on the front of it was the word "BANANAS." I'm not kidding you. That pretty much did it for me. I swung a sharp left and found myself in the produce section skimming out the perfect bunch of bananas for me and Josefine. I am enjoying one of those bananas as I type. Now, this got me to thinking. Hy-Vee is one of my favorite places to shop. I know they aren't the super-cheapest in town, but they have some seriously friendly hello-sayin' people that work there...and oh, yes...the parking spot. But, they must have some kind of marketing thing going on where they send their associates onto the floor wearing hypnotizing t-shirts. Like maybe a green tie-dyed shirt that says in big letters on it "WATERMELON!" or a plain white t-shirt that says "MILK and EGGS!" If that wasn't their plan, they should do it. I would work with at least one of their customers. Yours truly.

Pregnancy Diaries: A New Game for Josefine!

About 3 weeks ago, I read that you could hear baby's heartbeat w/ the aid of a stethescope. Faintly, but true. So, Jim and I thought it'd be fun to purchase an affordable ($14 at Wally World) stethescope to have yet another way to hear what's goin' on in Josefine's little space.

So, we got the stethescope, placed it on my belly with just a little pressure to get rid of some of the outside noises. We found, through this, that Josefine likes to play a little game with us...wherever we put the stethescope (or any pressure for that matter) she pushes up RIGHT against that very place. We'll move the stethescope to another part of my belly, and again, without fail, she pushes up in that place as well! My theory is, she's got good aim and likes to play...but, then again she could just be thinking "Get outta my space, will ya?!"

Looking for proof... ;)

Pregnancy Diaries: My New Favorite Thing About Being Pregnant

Need I say more?

I must admit, I've taken advantage of this little perk since...oh...8 weeks! ;) But, lemme tell ya, it's been VERY handy as Josefine gets bigger. Thank you, Hy-Vee!

Pregnancy Diaries: Jim and Josefine bond

So, I was reading pregnancy stuffs the other day and came across an interesting fact about week 25 (which is where Josefine and I are in this journey...well, technically, if you want to get down to business, she's only 23, but who's counting?). Did you know that around this time in pregnancy you can HEAR the baby's heartbeat if you put your ear up against your tummy!? Ok, really...how many of us could bend our ears to our abdomens if we WEREN'T pregnant??? Yeah, I know. BUT, I was able to put Jim up to it.

Jim put his ear (his good ear, mind you) against my tummy, right about where I said I could feel Josefine rolling around. He said he could hear a "swoosh, swoosh" and a "thump" when she kicked (or elbowed) him in the ear! Then, he said he could hear a faint pitter patter of her little heart. He "bu-bu-bu-bupped" the sound of it outloud and I put my fingers up to my neck to check my pulse. Was he hearing my heartbeat or Josefine's? That was the Big Question. But, his mimicking of what he heard was nearly twice as fast as my own heartrate, which Dr. says is what baby's heartbeat usually is. So, we deduced, it was Josefine!

What a great experience for Jim...especially since he's been on the outside for the whole time. He got to experience something that I physically couldn't! So...where can I find a stethescope???

Pregnancy Diaries: Josefine's High Chair

Ok, so this product is amazing...we haven't technically tried it out yet. Josefine still has some time left inside her Mama. BUT, I think it's soooo practical and functional and BEAUTIFUL to boot!

Click on Jim and the AMAZING high chair to see more photos of the Assembly Adventure! :) We are THRILLED about this purchase (Thanks to dear Grandma and Grandpa for their thoughtful monetary gift that allowed us to even consider it!) and we can't wait to use it. In fact, I have a friend w/ a little 1 year old coming over tomorrow...she can test drive this new puppy. *sigh* Isn't it just dreamy????

Pregnancy Diaries: JOSEFINE's New Favorite Candy (23 weeks)

Let me tell ya...those Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs...she loves 'em. ;)