Friday, January 30, 2009

19 Weeks :D

Wow, well... things are amazing. I've had no bleeding or spotting in over a month and my belly is starting to look like a pregnant belly. I feel pretty fantastic.

Even with feeling fantastic, I still have that worry in the back of my mind, "will my water break today?" Especailly the last few weeks. Obviously it's understandable... my water broke at 18 weeks in the first pregnancy... so, nothing irrational really.

Every Wednesday for the past 4 weeks I've had a Perinatal appointment to watch my cervix closely. The Dr's say everything looks great. This past week we were scheduled to take measurements on the baby as well. This was an appointment I had been really anxious for. In my first pregnancy, my water broke before we were able to discover the sex of the baby. I felt robbed... so, this time, the anticipation had been really high.

First, I will tell you that I've felt very strongly that this baby is a girl. I even call the baby her and she when I talk about her. I've been doing it for a while now. So, the appointment on Wednesday was a lot of fun. Steve went with me... so it was the first time he got to see the baby in real time. The ultrasound technician measured everything on the baby; leg bones, arm bones, darks spots in the brain, eye sockets, heart chambers, lungs, kidneys... everything. Discovering the baby's sex was a little difficult. The baby's legs were in a kneeling position, hiding vital parts. The technician was pushing all over my belly trying to get the baby to move. Finally, there was a small glimpse... "see those little white lines, you have a girl". I'm thinking, I don't see it, but ok. So, we are having a girl!
It's a GIRL, It's a GIRL, It's a GIRL!!!

Monday, January 19, 2009

The Next Chapter

For the past 4 years, Steve has been working as a Private Security Contractor. When we first started out, we thought it would be something that we would be involved in for no more than 2 years. It's strange how things work out some times. The OTHER plan has always been for Steve to get on the Police Department. Here in Reno, it's almost next to impossible... it just takes so long, and they drop people like crazy.

Well, the past few months, we have been praying about what the next career move for Steve should be. It really surprised me, but as we have prayed about it, we have felt the peace of the spirit. Only thing is, I almost don't want to tell anyone because it's one of those things that people have big reactions to.

So, this is what we are planning. The contract that Steve is currently on officially ended in March. To keep him from being unemployed for too long, give us the opportunity to save more money, and enable Steve to be here for the baby when it's born, we have gotten the contract extended till the end of May. That's about 5 weeks before the baby will arrive. At some point between now and June, Steve is going to Re-enlist into the National Guard and attend Special Forces (SF) Training. He will be stationed in a unit in Draper, Utah (no, we are not moving to Utah). SF training is located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is any where between 42 weeks to 18 months long, depending on different training requirements. It is a PCS (permanent change of Station) move, so we will be moving to Ft. Bragg for the duration of his training (probably no earlier than August). After he is done, we will be moving back here to Reno.

So, yeah,
that is the plan.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

"For my soul delighteth in the scriptures"

This morning I finished reading the Old Testament through for the second time. I was hoping to finish yesterday, but I don't think one day off really makes that much of a difference. It took me 3 years or so to do it.. mostly because I would go through phases, (like we all do), where I either didn't want to read from the OT any more or even read scriptures at all. The first time I did it, I had read the entire standard works in 1yr and 3mo.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I became determined to finish this reading of the OT. I had just finished the challenge my Home Teacher gave me to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, and I think I just wanted to keep going with something. I love the OT. I can honestly say that it's my favorite book of scripture after the BOM. I find it funny when people say they hate it or don't like it, because I think to myself, you don't know what your missing! There is so much in the OT. I will say that it's a lot of dry reading... and there are a lot of times when I think to myself, "how many more chapters in this book?" I think that is just because there is so much in it that we do not understand. But really, it's eloquent. It's teachings have the same theme as all the other books of scriptures; love, humility, charity, purity. Of all the things I've learned from reading the OT, the thing that stands out most is how much our Heavenly Father and Savior love us and how merciful they are, even when we turn away.
I'm excited that we will be starting the Doctrine & Covenants study in Mormon Doctrine this year. It's funny how when you start something or are about to finish it, you get excited or anxious. But when your in the middle... you just want it to be over with. Why is that? How do you get to the point like Nephi where all of it is a delight? (2 Neph 4:15) I love that scripture in Alma that says... "the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28). I love the scriptures... and sometimes I love to read them. How do you get to the point where you ALWAYS love reading them?