March Marks the Spot

March, 2011, marks the spot for activity, fellowship, and exhaustion. The month is all wrapped up and I am beyond tired. Maybe due to the fact that I am in my 35th week of pregnancy and chasing after a curious one year old. Also, this month brought both travel and a household of guests. I loved opening our door to our two visitors, my mother-in-law and best friend.
Karen (or Nona, as she is called by her grandkids) joined us at home after we all met up for a weekend trip in North Carolina. (I can't believe I live within driving distance to North Carolina! Crazy!) We had a blast watching my brother-in-law Trent play baseball for his college team, as well as catching up on some quality family time. While Karen visited, we took a day trip to New York City. It was so cool to see the sights again!

My best friend since I was 12, Maria, sacrificed her spring break to visit our crazy home and to help change diapers and organize closets. We have always had so much fun together, and this visit was no exception. Rafferty loved having her around, too!
My baby boy turned one year old this month. Surreal? You bet. We celebrated with a fun party of friends, dinner, and cake. I had a lot of fun being a birthday-party-mommy for the first time. I chose a color theme of red, yellow, and green for the decorating. Only after the streamers were hanging did I realize our apartment looked like a tribute to Jamaica . . . oh well. :) The cake proved to be my loftiest challenge as I am quite unexperienced in the whole cake arena, but I was pleased with the overall outcome of my first birthday cake.

Rafferty had his first taste of sugar and no surprise, loved it! Unsure of how to tackle the massive thing, he went for it face first after a few finger-fulls of frosting.

Dustin and I gave him his first piano as his gift. The little Mozart composes something new for our enjoyment every day. The party was a special time to celebrate my beautiful son's first year. Dustin and I are finding so much joy from being his parents. Rafferty is truly a delight.

Our second baby is stretching his (or her) limbs and taking up every bit of available space inside of me. I am often finding myself with a poor attitude, complaining about how uncomfortable I am. I can't breathe, I'm fat, I'm itchy, I'm tired, I'm fat, I can't sleep, I'm fat. You know, the common complaints. Just to shut up and give thanks for the gift of pregnancy is becoming difficult for me. I pray I can enjoy these last weeks and be quick to rejoice rather than have a disgruntled heart.

Disciplines, particularly my daily reading, has been the hardest thing to maintain throughout this action-packed month. I would love to write summaries of the two books I've completed, but to be honest, I've only partially completed both of them. I hate that I didn't reach my goal, but I will not beat myself up over it, as long as I keep going.

March marks the last month I knew I wouldn't be having a baby. Oh boy. (Or girl!) Time to turn on the "Rocky" soundtrack and get pumped!

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A Blessed February

February, the month of love. I love my husband, my sweet baby boy, my growing belly, and my family. I love my faithful friends and the unexpected. February gave me a good dose of each of these things. Reflecting on a month gone by sincerely moves me to worship God. He is full of love, showering me with undeserved good things.
It is only fitting to dedicate the month of love to Chipotle, the restaurant that makes our hearts overflow with affection. Dustin's business card was displayed as a "winner" for a free burrito on a special night the restaurant hosted for the university. We enjoy nights out as a family of three while we can. My unborn baby's first word will be "guacamole".
I am so thankful for a healthy, and can I say beautiful son! He is learning and growing so much these days, it is often hard to keep up with him. His favorite activity is reading "Clifford Visits the Farm". He "reads" it to himself, flipping the pages and speaking his own language. Dustin and I take turns reading it as well, and we have mastered our "clucks", "moos", and "baas".
February brought a new baby! Not mine, thankfully, but my big sister Rachel's. She beautifully delivered her second son, Aaron Isaac, on February 22. Although I participated in the birth via speaker phone, I desperately longed to be a part of the excitement in person. I told Dustin how I wanted to be there with my sister, mom, and new little baby so badly. So my wonderful husband sent Rafferty and I on a plane the next day for a spontaneous trip to Iowa. I was blessed indeed by quality time with the people I treasure. I soaked up the company of my two best friends, Maria and Kim. My life has been shaped and made rich by these two women. I am so thankful for their friendship.

My sister makes perfect babies. Little Aaron is tiny with a precious cry. His big brother, Adam, is possibly one of the sweetest toddlers I've known. He'll do great with his new addition. I was blessed by the time spent with my sister. Sisters are gifts! It is hard to be so far away from mine, and I love any face time I can get.
Yes, I know, let's all point and laugh at the pregnant lady eating the giant pickle. I didn't consider the humor of this situation until strangers at the Amish market literally stopped, pointed, and laughed . . . I just wanted a pickle! Here at about 31 weeks pregnant, I am entering the "holy cow, I am huge" stage. Baby Dos is growing beautifully. As best as I can remember, the karate and tap dancing are much more forceful this time around. Is this a foreboding sign as to my baby's personality? I don't have to wait too long to find out!

I loved this past month. I pray my whole self may be overwhelmed with the love Christ first showed me.

February Reads:

The Ministry of Motherhood

by Sally Clarkson

Sally Clarkson challenged me beyond my heart for motherhood in this book. She looked deeply into the relationship between Jesus and his disciples, how he taught them and lived with them. Focusing so intently into the ministry of Jesus stirred me up . . . I was truly shaken and left wanting a deeper relationship with my Lord. How important to study the gospels! She shared how her own dedication to mothering has been shaped by Jesus' ministry, and the blessings that have resulted from her faithful application of the gospel to her children's daily lives. I will re-read this book and recommend it to any mother who desires the gospel to be the center of both her life, and the lives of her family.

The Maker's Diet

by Jordan Rubin

I am greatly enjoying the world of natural health. It has become an area where I want to soak up as much good knowledge as possible. I believe it will bless my family with good health through my homemaking responsibilities. Ultimately, I believe God cares how we treat our bodies and our approach to food. I want to please him in all things, even with how I eat and care for my physical body. The Maker's Diet uses the Bible as a rule book for how we should approach food and health. To sum up my reading experience, I found it very interesting and informative. It is certainly a solid resource for me regarding natural health, one I am glad to have invested time in. However, I found the "diet" part of this book to be extreme. Jordan makes the assumption that if you are reading his book, you'll probably be ready to commit to these big changes and make some radical commitments to living by The Maker's Diet. Personally, the changes I make need to be baby steps, one at a time. If I want any changes to stick, I cannot overwhelm myself with huge sacrifices and turning all of my family's dietary habits upside down. The more I learn, the more responsible I am for making the appropriate changes to better my health. Picking and choosing one reasonable application of newly gleaned wisdom at a time is my game plan. The Maker's Diet overwhelmed me, to be quiet honest. But I will gladly pick it back up from time to time as I am ready for my next baby step toward living a natural and healthy life.

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