Ultrasounds and Parenting Classes...what a week!

This week has been quite a busy one...again. It started off with my doctor's appointment on Monday along with "lactation" class that night. My mom went to the doctor's with me. All is looking good. I hadn't gained a pound, which was good considering the last visit I had gained 6! That was more than I had gained during any other time, even when I was coming once a month. Going to a workshop where they pamper you and you eat out every meal of the day for a week is sure to put on some pounds I guess. Anyway, I go back to the doctor on the 27th for him to check me, then it's every week from there. I'm getting VERY excited about that. That night my mom and I went to the breastfeeding class. It was very informative. Sadly, they showed a video from 1982 that was way too much for me to see. I was glad Jared didn't go to that class. I was blushing and I'm a woman! Maybe I'm just modest...whatever. Afterwards I felt a lot better about being able to go back to work and transition into being a mom at the same time as being a teacher. I still have a lot of questions and concerns about the transition, but I know a lot of those will be answered once Sam gets here and we can actually bond with each other. I'm sooo ready for that. We have 4 weeks and 2 days until Sam's estimated arrival. I'm just ready for that little guy to be here. Monday was a long day by the time we got out of the doctor's office, ate supper, then got home from class.

Tuesday was going to be yet another busy day. My sister had come in to come to the ultrasounds with my mom and I on Tuesday. These were not official ultrasounds. My mom's secretary at work is going to LIT to learn how to be an ultrasound tech. She had asked if I would be interested in letting them practice doing ultrasounds on me as part of their grade a couple of months ago but this just worked out that we finally got to do it. Free ultrasounds? Hello!!! Of course I would do that. I love seeing Sam's pictures...we've had many photo ops already. We get there and I'm so excited b/c I haven't seen Sam since he's been this big. Apparently neither had the girls. None of them had ever done an ultrasound on a baby that far along. It was so cool. Because he was so big we had to look at him a section at a time. The girls would say, "Wow! He's really big!" or "You really are all baby. He's squished up in there!" When you're short, there's really not a whole lot of room where a baby can go. The whole screen was just one part of his body. We looked at his brain...which is looking good. They measured his head, which is really big and makes me really nervous. Then they looked at his tummy. We could see his bladder and his heart. I was so surprised at how clear everything was. Not only could you see his heart, but you could also see like the sections of it. All these little squiggly things moving around...(sorry to health professionals who know the official terms). He is still a boy, which is really good at this point in the game. Then we moved to his legs. They were all squished up into my ribs...which I already knew. They've been there for a long time! I was almost 35 weeks when I went and Sam was measuring 37 weeks at 5.2 lbs. They even "determined" my due date to be August 2, which is a long way off from August 21. We'll know more after I go to the doctor on the 27th. My biggest fear is that the doctor will say, "He's not going anywhere for a while."

Saturday, Jared and I went to childbirth class. I was really hesitant about the video during that class. We sat on the back row, of course, and thankfully the couples who sat on the front row had their heads strategically placed so we weren't too scarred. Now, I know some of you might be saying..."Elizabeth, that's the miracle of life! It's beautiful." I know about the miracle. I don't want to SEE the miracle, certainly not from someone I don't even know. Lucky for us we got to see it twice! Once with a lady who delivered naturally (no meds) and once with a lady who had an epidural first. Even with the video and the obnoxious couple sitting beside us who talked through the entire day it was very beneficial. We got a lot of practical questions answered and I think Jared and I both feel as prepared as we can be at this point.

I'm praying through the events that will transpire on the day Sam comes into this world. I know that things might not go according to my plan, and I need to be ready to handle that. Jared has been preaching a series this month called "In God We Trust". All month he's been challenging our faith. This morning he talked about faith and fear being polar opposites. Fear paralyzes and faith motivates. God is worthy of my trust so I am going to trust in Him that everything will work out according to His plan, His timing, and His leading. I prayed that this morning and I believe it. I'm so thankful that God is a God that we can trust. He loves us and has our best in mind. Sometimes we don't always see that. We don't always understand His ways or His plans, but the important part is just to trust. He is worthy of that. During my "nesting" phase, the Lord has been teaching me a lot about that. I've just got to learn to trust him with my family, my insecurities, my fears, everything. I'm so glad God speaks to me in a whisper, then gives me the time I need to process and digest it. He doesn't scream or demand me to change. He just corrects me in love then gently waits for me to see my situation through His eyes. How I so desire to have the heart of God as a mom, wife, sister, daughter, teacher, servant. Lord, teach me to be more like you.

~Elizabeth