Sweet Rotundness

I remember being pregnant the first time. I subscribed to numerous websites that kept me updated daily on how big the baby was and what my body was going through and soon to go through. I sat in front of a computer quite a bit, so I got to fully experience and be aware of multiple bathroom breaks, hours of conversations revolving around being a mom soon, a sedentary life coupled with eating anything and everything I wanted, which, no surprise, led to weight gain, swelling and stinky feet.

Every little movement was noticed, every new physical and emotional feeling was discussed and every bulge was noted and embraced with pride.

Fast forward 5 years, two healthy and active kids running around, and a third pregnancy. I'll admit, it's been harder just finding the time to remember that I am pregnant.

My diet, on an average day, consists of left over peanut butter and jelly sandwich crust. My sleep usually plays second fiddle to whoever or whatever is pressing for that night. My activity level is so frequent that when the Dr. asks me to recall if there have been 10 baby movements within any 2-hr. stretch of time per day, I look at him and ask, "I know this baby is moving, but you're asking me to count it now?"

I couldn't tell you what baby parts developed at what week, how big the baby is now or even what his name will be.

Awful. Just awful.

There is no way around it though, really. This would be the reason why so many people have bought into the idea of birth order's significance. I certainly have.

There is good news in all of this...

It took 3 pregnancies to finally figure out the difference between a kick and a contraction. :)
It took 3 pregnancies to not obsess on the health of our baby. God is in control.
It took 3 pregnancies to realize my sweet rotundness and the benefits of...

thicker hair (coming from a fine, thin-haired person, this is a big deal)...

My belly over-powering my 'junk in the trunk'...

And the belly popper to signify this baby has cooked long enough, that's been popped for months now.

Each pregnancy has had it's ups and downs, and it makes me sad I haven't had the opportunity to really relish in this last one. The last time my body will ever go through the miraculous transformation of growing another life. The last time I'll feel the stretches, kicks, twists and turns of another precious gift I have yet to meet. The last time I'll wonder what his little face will look like or what his personality will be.

So my plan is to embrace these last few weeks, as much as I can. Sure, it is much more uncomfortable this time around and harder because of the level of activity that is demanded of me now. I plan to embrace the strong thick fingernails, the wedding band not fitting without hand lotion applied first, the mandatory pedicures because I can't reach my feet, people rubbing my tummy and me reminding my little ones about what it will be like when this baby comes and that they'll always be important and loved, no matter what.

Only 3 1/2 weeks to go until due date. Let the final stages of embracing begin.

Church Chicks!

Check out this website. A friend of mine I grew up with, and her mom, have started this business. It was too cute not to share and pass along!



Good luck Ronda & Jessica!

Visit to Homosassa

We took a visit to Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park about 2 1/2 years ago. Nathan was there, in utero. :) It was enough of an enjoyable trip we decided to go back this Spring, before it got hot and I got too large and uncomfortable. It is a terrific-ly kid-friendly park and relatively cheap to get in. I highly recommend it!Poor guy, it's difficult to get a shot of him from the front because he's allergic to the camera. So, here's Nathan's back side.
And might I add a cute little back side, tags sticking out and all! Sometimes, before mommy can get some sewing accomplished, the only solution is to roll the top band of the pants down to create more bulk for "staying up" power. All I can say is, "Enjoy your pants being loose son. It won't be like that forever."
A view from the dock.
A view from the aquarium.I remember when my legs used to look like toothpicks. I had to roll my pants down also.But, I don't worry about that anymore. My pants roll down all by themselves. Usually until I'm flashing someone the gut shot.This is what happens most of the time. These are the official pictures taken of me on the trip. Marvelous material to work with.Silliness.A view from the Fish Bowl, a floating underwater observatory.And Lu. Have you heard about Lu? Here's his story...

The hippopotamus named Lucifer first came to the Homosassa Springs Attraction in 1964 as part of Ivan Tors Animal Actors. Lucifer, or Lu for short, is now one of the park's longest residents. He celebrated his 50th birthday in 2010. Why, you may ask, is an African species found at a Florida park with all native wildlife? Well, Lu has lived here all his life. He was a big movie star when Homosassa was an exotic animal park. Local residents took a special liking to Lu and often visited him between his many movies. When the Park went to strictly native species, Lu was bound for a transfer. You can imagine the demand for a 6,000 pound hippopotamus is not particularly high. When the locals caught wind of the intended transfer they put up a fight to keep Lu here. Needless to say, their voices were heard by signing a petition, and Lu was granted honorary state citizenship by the late governor Lawton Chiles.The Lu feeding show.Katherine enjoying a nice view of the feeding.Lu is full. He politely excuses himself from the feeding, backs up to his special spot along the bridge wall, proceeds to empty his bowels while his tail rapidly swishes back and forth and flings "poo from Lu" approximately 15-20 feet in all directions. Thank goodness the ranger was there to warn the innocent bystanders.Lu stinks.On to view other animals. Flamingos.Well, hello there, Mr. Regal!This bear looks like he's spotted food wrapped up in a 2 1/2 year old blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy. That's it, we're moving on!
Another perfect example of how different our children are.
The herpetarium.I have fond childhood memories of our trips to State Parks. We'd usually end up at a lake, river or springs because of my father's love of the water. I've inherited that same love of water. It's the reason I chose my unusual wedding band. It's possible my parents were only trying to save money by taking us to the discounted parks located nearby. Regardless, what they did do was instill in me a love for the area I grew up in.

I absolutely love this area. The short distance to the beach, the stunningly beautiful springs and rivers flowing from them, the forested areas, the abundance of lakes, rolling pasture land and one of my favorites (although, I'm not a horse person), the breathtakingly beautiful horse farms lined with black 4-board fence and oak trees. I think this area is beautiful and because of my many adventures seeing the natural beauty, I desire to preserve it for my kids and grandchildren. Hopefully our trips to the local natural attractions will do the same for them. Roller coasters and theme parks were the only thing on my mind growing up, but now I truly appreciate my exposure to what God created here for us to enjoy.

Check out Homosassa's website for yourself. It's a fabulous and inexpensive day trip for the family.

A little help

Prayer Request

Family & Friends:

This Friday, exactly 1 month before my due date, I have a 6-hour National Exam to take down in Kissimmee. It is to pursue my license in Surveying and Mapping. Of the requirements needed for the license, I have the 4-year degree, the 4 years of experience and have passed 3 of the 4 exams, this exam being the last one to pass.

Only one minor problem: I’m not sure this is where God is leading me.

My prayer request is not that I pass this exam, but that His will be done. I’m desperately seeking clarity on my future occupation once kids are older and it’s difficult to not be able to recognize whether or not to pursue Surveying.

I’m no longer ashamed of not passing. My desire is to know what and where He will have me serving Him, bettering myself and my family. I’d appreciate any and all prayers you could muster on my behalf.

Sincerely,
~Kelle



This was an email I just sent out.

Sound desperate?

It should. Because I am.

I am craving an answer.



I just Googled, "What does the Bible say about asking for prayer" because I am tempted to feel very weak and dependent when asking others to pray for me. But one of the headings that the search returned was, "What does the Bible say about Unanswered Prayer." Well, maybe that IS the answer. It's just unanswered right now.

It goes on to say that there could be several possible reasons for there being no answer:

1. I didn't believe I could get what I asked for. ("Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing." 1 Timothy 2:8)
2. I asked for the wrong reasons. ("When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3)
3. God knows that what I've asked for is not what's best for me. (" ...Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
4. I expect something I have no right to receive because I am not in the right relationship with the one I am asking. ("If God only gives redemption, forgiveness, wisdom and prudence to his children by adoption through Jesus Christ then some of the lesser good things may also be reserved for his adopted children." Ephesians 1:5-8)
   

Heavy stuff.



Bottom line is this:
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15



I don't know where I am. I'm not sure if I truly believed I could get an answer, or if I asked for the wrong reasons, or if waiting is what's best, or if I'm truly in the right relationship to even be so bold as to ask.

What I am sure of is "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

The answer I've so desperately been craving very well might be to . . . . . .

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wait.

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For this exercise in writing has caused me to ... "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Son, I apologize

Son, this post is dedicated to you.

(My Nathan son. As of right now, my only son living outside of the womb.)

Sometimes you leave me no choice. Your toddler cuteness overrides any level of sanity I may have when taking pictures of you. I know, I know, I'm supposed to be fostering any and all developments you may have into manhood. But frankly, manhood doesn't lend itself to being very "cute."

So I'm stranded at a crossroads: do I take those embarrassing pictures of my adorable son, while his innocence is so unmistakable or do I do my best to tuck those pictures away in my failing memory for the sake of saving any amount of respectability he might wish to retain?

Well, you and I both know the answer to that.

So here goes...

You, 2 1/2 years old, wearing your sister's pink fuzzy boots, pushing a bubble lawn mower.

It just doesn't get any cuter son, I'm sorry. One day, when your voice is deep and your face must be shaved regularly, you'll know that these days are long gone. There will be no fear of your manhood being compromised because it is well established. But until then, I apologize. I love you more than you'll ever know and I cherish these days of your cuteness, BTS (before the stubble).

Love,
~Mama

Practical Angels

I'll admit it, there was about a 2-week period I was ready to send my children back to where they came from. It seemed the arguing, fighting, cattiness, kicking, biting, hair-pulling, whining, not-sleeping and crankiness would never end. But thankfully, the good Lord stepped in and decided to give me a sabbatical in real tough kid-raising by transforming our children into practical angels. I'm sure ALL the work was done on them, not me or my attitude by any means; regardless they have been pure joys to be around.

I know, I'm not supposed to say anything, much less write it out, for fear of jinxing the good-behavior streak working on our behalf but, too many times I feel I write about how they're not behaving the way they should. Their actions have been so remarkably different, I feel a lovingly/motherly duty to not only praise them in person (which I have been doing A LOT), but to also write it down for the Blog Book.

So, you heard it straight from the horse's mouth: our children have been marvelous little creatures to be around and I've enjoyed every minute with them. Even when one of them gets a little sideways, I seem to have crazy amounts of patience to deal with it and help them work through it. Like I said, I'm sure it's all them, and nothing was being worked on in my heart.

I know my friends and family members sure heard enough of my mouth during our rough patch and I'm sure a majority of them were praying for my sanity and our kid's well-being. Whatever the answer, because I'll truly never know the extent of my loved ones' prayers for my family, I am thankful.

And I am reminded: "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God..." Romans 8:28 NLT