The Heart of a Servant

I've always viewed the concept of a servant's heart as someone who gladly gives freely of their time, talents and resources with no expectations of anything in return.  It's not a character quality that I think many people aspire to cultivate.  Honestly, who wants to always be giving?  It's exhausting and not very rewarding, but it is a quality that I think our society could benefit more from.  Our generation is full of people who only look out for themselves and believe they're entitled to privileges they never deserved.

Yet, I somehow managed to be blessed with a husband who exhibits the epitome of the servant's heart.  How in the world did I get so blessed?  Throughout our marriage he has constantly astounded me with his willingness and joyfulness in helping me with anything and everything.  It humbles me and has definitely helped me to reevaluate my perspective on how I need to adjust my attitude when I grumble over completing tasks or fulfilling a request.  I have a long ways to go before I'll ever have the attitude he has.

And being pregnant, his servant's heart has been even more prevalent.  There's never a day that goes by that he isn't stepping in and helping me or trying to alleviate my discomforts.  Even though he can't feel my aches and pains, he sympathizes with me and never plays down what I'm experiencing.  I could list a hundred examples and go on and on about the ways he's exhibited this quality of having a servant's heart, but I'll spare you all the mushy details.

I hope that some day I will be able to exhibit this quality as well as J does.  Thankfully, I have him as a partner, and he is constantly helping me to grow as a person, so it certainly is attainable.  As the Bible states "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27.17) 

Thanks J for having such a beautiful heart of a servant!

Showered by Friends

Two weeks after my first shower, my sweet friends threw me a shower.  My family loves traveling overseas...we've gotten Jason hooked on it, and this guy will undoubtedly get to join us on our travels as he grows up.  So, Payton, Andrea and Natalie threw a cute "Around the World" shower for my little man. All the appetizers were different foods from around the world and we played a fun game learning traditions that other cultures have for newborn babies.

It meant so much to have my dearest friends there and to have friends that spent their time and resources to throw a lovely shower!  Thank you all so much!

8 Month Bumpdate!

How far along? 35 weeks!  I'm having this little guy... NEXT month!  I can't believe it!
Baby is a: Precious little boy!!
Size of the Little One? He's the size of a large cantaloupe, weighs about 5.5 pounds and is about 18 inches long!!
Total weight gain/loss: Nearly 24 pounds.  I'm pretty happy that I've stayed right in the recommended range!  Now here's to hoping it all melts right off after he gets here!
Maternity clothes?  Yes.  Thanks to my mother who took me on a ridiculously awesome shopping spree last month, I've got a good wardrobe going on.  Although, now that it's gotten cold, I'll still find those one-off winter pieces that I love in the back of my closet, so I've been wearing those too.  You know, like sweat pants and hoodies and oversized sweaters.
Stretch marks? Clearly this was a pipe dream.  I must not have inherited all of my mother's lovely genes because they came, and with a vengeance!  I never thought stretch marks could hurt, but these sting!!  :(  Been using the cocoa butter lotion and oils to hopefully just minimize their damage.
Symptoms:  Back pain! Mild acid reflux on the occasional day.  Stretch marks.  Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions coupled with shortness of breath. Achy Hips if I'm on my feet too long.  While the first two trimesters were absolutely uneventful, I've definitely had it a little tougher this trimester.  But, I can't complain too much as I'm sure it could be way worse.
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well!  I have the occasional night where I randomly wake up and can't fall back asleep, but I can still sleep like a rock. Although it's not fun trying to roll over and get into a comfortable position.
Miss Anything?  Moving with ease.  I feel like I have to be deliberate with all my moves.  Jason's constantly pushing me out of bed or pulling me out of chairs.  It takes me like a minute to get up if I'm sitting on the floor.  And I'm not very fond of the Corvette right now as it's not easy to get in and out! 
Movement:  So much movement!  This guy loves to slither around, poke and prod and punch and kick!  He loves sticking feet in my ribs and making my belly lop-sided by sticking his butt out as far as he can.  And he loves hiccuping! There's no rest with him! :)
Food cravings:  Not a single thing! 
Anything making to you queasy or sick:  Nope!
Have you started to show yet:  Undoubtedly.  Definitely forget it's there sometimes and accidentally bump people or walls with it. 
Belly Button in or out? It's flat.  Glad it never became an outie!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!
Looking forward to: This precious little man's arrival!  I cannot wait to hold him and see his little face and watch his Daddy hold him.
Best Moment? Celebrating little man's impending arrival with my dear family and friends at the baby showers.  It's so wonderful knowing that Jason and I have a great support system around us as we start this new chapter of our lives.

Getting Our Pose On!

A couple Saturdays ago, my brother's family, and J and I headed out to snap some pictures.  They needed some new family photos and I figured I should get in a couple maternity pictures.  So, I took their pictures and my sister-in-law, Lessye, took ours!

After being so used to being behind the camera, it was definitely a little weird to be in front of it.  But it was fun and I'm so glad we got to capture a piece of this journey we're on! Thanks Lessye for being our photographer!

Blessings in the Form of a Shower

Grandma Cam, who has already done an incredible job of spoiling our little man who has yet to come, went even further, this past Saturday, and outdid herself!  With the help of my sister-in-love, Lessye and dear family friend, Maria, my mom threw me a gorgeous shower!  These three ladies managed to overwhelm me with all their attention to detail.  From the theme, to the party favors, to the appetizers, to the decorations, everything was put together beautifully. 

And on top of all that, I could not have been more thankful for all the ladies that came and helped celebrate our baby's impending arrival!  Ladies drove in from all over Oklahoma and it meant so much to have them all there.  After opening gifts, all the ladies went around and shared their best advice for this first-time-mom and it was so great to hear their nuggets of wisdom.  I truly felt blessed in so many ways and it was encouraging to know that Jason and I have a supportive "village" to help us as we navigate this new chapter of our lives.

 

7 Month Bumpdate!

How far along? 28 weeks!  We're in the third trimester and time is really starting to fly by!  Can't believe he's going to be here soon!
Baby is a: Precious little boy!!
Size of the Little One? He's the size of a head of cauliflower, weighs about 2.5 pounds and is about 16 inches long!!
Total weight gain/loss: About 12 pounds.  Hoping I don't pack on the pounds in this last trimester!
Maternity clothes?  Yes...for the most part.  90% of my tops are still normal tops, but I'm slowly adding maternity tops into the rotation.
Stretch marks?  None, so far. 
Symptoms:  Back pain!  The weight and awkwardness of the belly is not helping me to have good posture so I end up having an achy back by the end of the day.
Sleep: So far, so good.  Other than the whole trying to settle in and get comfortable routine, I can sleep pretty well.
Miss Anything?  Being able to move easily!  It takes more effort to bend over, turn around and reach stuff! 
Movement:  He definitely knows how to be a wiggle worm.  Some days he's pretty calm, but there are other days where he is kicking and punching like he's warming up for kickboxing or something.  Some nights, we'll lay there and just watch my belly move, he can get pretty crazy!
Food cravings:  Not a single thing!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope!
Have you started to show yet:  Yes!  He had a growth spurt this past month, so there's no denying the belly!
Belly Button in or out? In, but it's getting close to flat!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!
Looking forward to: Celebrating baby's impending arrival with dear family and friends at the baby showers my mom and sweet friend, Payton are throwing.
Best Moment? When little mister was crammed in one side of my belly and Jason gave him a push and told him to move over, and then he did!  Even though I haven't had any problems throughout this pregnancy so far, Jason's been taking great care of me and I love that he kisses my belly and talks to our baby!