25 Weeks 1 Day: Another Mommy Meltdown

No, this meltdown wasn't over the health of my baby or any crazy notions that I have that she will suddenly disappear. This meltdown was completely logical and tear-worthy. It was over my pants!

I walked into the closet yesterday, pulled a pair of jean shorts off the top shelf, and proceeded to put them on (something I did about three weeks ago with no trouble whatsoever, with room to spare actually). I stepped into them and pulled them up over my hips with no reason to suspect what was about to happen next. I grabbed each side and pulled them toward each other in preparation to fasten the button . . . but they didn't even come close to being able to be buttoned, as in one side does not touch the other.

I threw that wretched pair of no-good shorts on the floor, grabbed a more reliable pair, and sobbed while I put them on and finished dressing.

"What's the matter?" my husband questions after witnessing the closet tantrum.

"Nothing! I'm fine," I cry, pretty sure I'll have to resort to wearing my nightgown to work when school starts in a month.

"Baby. What. Is. Wrong?" he insists.

"My pants don't fit!" More tears. And a little bit of snot.

He laughs at my total pregnancy moment. I don't find the same humor in it that he does. I know. It sounds totally obvious that I would outgrow my pants when I am just a few days shy of being six months pregnant, but for me, I guess I just didn't see it coming. I never wore maternity clothes with Gabriel. Partly because I was pregnant in the winter and had more things that just fit me without resorting to maternity clothes, and partly (mostly) because he went 10 weeks early and it was my first pregnancy.

What to do? What to do? (sigh)

Matthew 6:25 (NIV) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"

He is a Mighty Warrior

All I did was type that blog post title and my eyes are brimming with tears. "Gabriel's Blankets" ministry is just another way God is showing me in 2011 that He does hear us and answer our prayers if we are faithful and wait on Him. This little ministry started out just a few months ago as a small group of women knitting and crocheting (some of whom, including me, who did not even know how to do it) to give blankets to newborns at our local hospital. Gabriel and these generous women have now donated blankets to babies at Methodist Hospital in Henderson, KY and Owensboro Mercy Health System in Owensboro, KY. Plus, I have 28 blankets and matching hats that I am getting ready to deliver to the perinatal bereavement programs at The Women's Hospital at Deaconess Gateway in Newburgh, IN and St. Mary's Medical Center in Evansville, IN for the angel babies like Gabriel. Oh, there's more. This week, Gabriel's Blankets gave a blanket to a young woman who fell 100 feet off a cliff at The Garden of the Gods and survived. We also gave one to her seven year old daughter who saw it happen. PLUS Gabriel's Blankets is donating 50 30"x32" lap blankets to the residents of Henderson Manor nursing home for Christmas.

That's amazing, isn't it? I am so proud of my son. I wanted so badly for Gabriel's life to matter. I wanted people to remember him and to miss him. That's a tall order considering that only a handful of people even got a chance to meet him. But God is good to me, and he created this ministry in my son's memory and his son's name. Pretty great, huh? Every one of the blankets donated (39 in June!) have Gabriel's name on them and heartfelt prayers attached to them. My little boy is a mighty warrior for God's kingdom, just like I hoped he would be.

***You guessed it! It will take a lot of yarn to make 50 lap blankets. If you feel led, Gabriel would really appreciate your donations of yarn, gift cards to buy yarn, or 30" x 32" blankets if you want to make one.

First Assembly of God

c/o Gabriel's Blankets

2208 Hwy 60 East

Henderson, KY 42420

23 Weeks 2 Days: Sugar Rush!

I wish I would have taken a picture of this cupcake, but my focus was only on eating it. So, here's the closest thing I found online:

It was a Triple Chocolate Cupcake from The Fresh Market in Evansville, IN. My sister got it for the baby (wink, wink) as a "Phew! We're done registering for baby gifts. Now, let's go collapse on the couch with some well-deserved chocolate!" treat. It was a humongous chocolate cupcake with chocolate filling and a very thick layer of rich chocolate frosting sprinkled with chocolate chips. Oh. My. Goodness. Did Baby Girl get a sugar rush! She was up all evening moving and kicking and just couldn't stop!

The registering. Oh, the registering. How fun! How exciting! How exhausting! My sister, my nine year old niece, and I spent the perfect day registering and having the fun we've been waiting so long to have. We went to JoAnn Fabrics and chose fabric and ribbons to decorate the nursery. My sister is making the bedding and curtains. We went to Lowe's and selected coordinating paint colors. We visited Michael's and got nursery accessories and baby shower decorations. Finally, we registered for all the baby essentials (and some wants) at Wal-Mart and Babies-R-Us.

A few of our selections for our pink and green "Garden Party" nursery:

Baskets for nursery necessities like diapers, wipes, ointment, and HAIR BOWS.

 Baby shower accessories--flower cupcake papers, butterfly sprinkles, and IT'S A GIRL confetti and candy.

Nursery embellishments

Butterfly nursery craft projects

Garden stakes that we'll take apart and make wall hangings

Nursery fabric, sewing pattern, ribbons, and paint samples. Oh yeah! We're going PINK!

My 9 year old niece Sydney testing out Baby Girl's new bouncer with her babydoll

Sydney giving Aunt Bonnie a much-needed lesson in diapering and dressing the baby

22 Weeks 2 Days: She's Got the Wiggles!

She wiggles all the time--never sits still. It's hilarious. Sometimes I just sit and watch my belly rippling and jerking, and I just crack up laughing at her! It's such a funny, ticklish feeling. It's a feeling I've never felt before.

It dawned on me a few nights ago why this feeling inside of me amazes me so much, why it feels so new. Yes, Gabriel moved a lot; he moved a lot for a baby who was never supposed to move much. It was my first pregnancy, so I didn't know any better. Every move he made astonished me. And rightfully so. He was incredible, but he didn't have the wiggles like baby sister. In fact, he never moved out of his completely breech facing mommy position. From the very beginning to the very end, he stayed that way. There were plenty of kicks and jabs, just no wiggling. He stayed put.

Baby girl, on the other hand, must be all over the place in there. She's a busy girl! I sit here, and I can feel her squirming and playing and loving life. Kicks and jabs, too, but lots of movement and changing of positions. I wish I could describe the feeling, but I know most of you mommies know and have been praying that I could know, too.

Now, here's to praying that, when the time is right, she wiggles into a head down position just like a good girl.