Yummy Thumb

Toby's been working on discovering his hands for the past few days but they've been a little elusive...until now! This morning, I let him play in his bouncy chair behind my computer chair and heard a loud sucking sound. Afraid he was gagging or something equally horrible, I whipped around only to find him sucking his thumb. It's getting time for his morning nap, and he just soothed himself right to sleep. His Grandpa (the dentist) won't be so thrilled, but we'll work to make sure the thumb sucking isn't a habit. ^_^ I caught a little video of the moment - sorry for the light quality, I didn't want to disrupt him by turning on the overhead light.


It's been a joy to watch Toby grow and learn new things. I feel as if I'm getting to conquer the new world with him. When he smiles and "talks" to me, it's like there's nothing else that needs to be done but sit and play with him. Which is why not a lot gets done around my house right now. Haha!

With the advent season upon us (already!), it's been neat to have an infant in my arms everyday, reminding me of baby Jesus. I remember thinking last Christmas, when my friend Sari was 8 months pregnant with her own little boy, how amazing it would be to feel like Mary did before she gave birth to Jesus...especially right at Christmas. Now, I've had the experience of anticipating my firstborn son's birth and I get to marvel at his growth and think about how Jesus, born human just like us, went through the same growth experiences. I wonder if Mary ran to tell Joseph when Jesus smiled at her for the first time, or when he sucked his thumb, or if the two of them devoted time to just sitting with baby Jesus on their laps cooing at each other. We forget that Jesus was really a human baby, since we usually think of Him as an adult, beginning His ministry on earth and dying to give us salvation. But He went through the same milestones as my Toby...awesome!

The downside of looking at my own son and being reminded of Jesus is the follow-up reminder than my precious baby is still human. That means that my smiling, adorable little boy has a sinful nature in him that will turn him into a lying or angry person someday. It makes me want to cry to think that. But then I'm immediately reminded of the beauty of salvation. That baby Jesus grew up to be mine and my son's savior, to replace our horrible sinful selves with God's righteousness. It's beyond incredible to have that glorious reminder in front of me every day. For me, this advent season is one of new awareness of God's love for us and how wonderful the gospel is. I'm excited to celebrate that this Christmas with my expanding family.

I hope your advent season has begun with a beautiful start, beginning with a time to be thankful for the many blessings we've been given in our families, homes, and lives.

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Measurements

By the way, for those who are curious, here's the "official" change in Toby's measurements from birth to 2 months:

Birth:
Weight - 7 lbs 10 oz
Length - 20.5 in

2 months:
Weight - 12 lb 1 oz
Length - 24 in

So, basically, we have a 2-month old who fits wonderfully into his 3-month clothing except for the length. And of course it's winter when we're trying to use all the cute 3-month footie sleepers he's got. =( Fortunately, a lot of them are longish and not too constricting for him. But I'm thinking we'll need to move up to 6 months after his next growth spurt, whenever that is. Such a big boy now!!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Getting Shot Hurts!

Today I had to do one of the hardest things of my life (thus far)...hold down my precious, but wailing, son while he received his first set of shots. Three of them!! Ouch. =( Fortunately, this wasn't the nurse's first time around the block and she had all three done and the band-aids (Tweety Bird and Puddy Tat...we were hoping for racecars or something more manly) on before he could finish his first long wail. After that, he quieted down and slept on the way home and during his nap like normal. After the nap, it was business as usual. He's become such a smiley, happy baby and today was no different. But Mama sure remembers the trauma and is not looking forward to a repeat performance in two months for his next set of boosters. I wonder, does he in his traumatized state associate me with the pain? I hate to think this is doing lasting damage...I doubt it does (I don't remember my shots and, to hear the story, it was a pretty miserable experience for all involved) but not knowing kinda hurts me a little. OK, we won't dwell on that anymore. Toby's asleep and seems to be doing fine. We'll see if tomorrow morning is just as good.

I'm also working on getting our photos uploaded from Thanksgiving - and a few from before - so here's a taste of our holiday season:

Look at these new shoes! (Thanks again to Dad's Brazilian dentist friend for the sneakers)

Toby loves to watch the helicopter on his bumper pad...we're thinking it might take off if we don't watch carefully enough!

Toby's generous with his smiles, especially when he's a "Toby Burrito" in Dad's lap (Toby still loves to be swaddled and it keeps him warm)

Toby was all decked out in his Thanksgiving finest (Thanks to Nana for the outfit)!

And finally, here we have the whole Chambers clan (at the Biltmore Hotel fountain), including Nana, Granddad, and Uncle Jeff

We don't have an eventful rest of the week planned. Just sort of chilling out around the house. I'd love to take Toby to Zoolights one evening...maybe next Monday when J.Paul doesn't have class. Not sure how much he'd appreciate it now, but Mom and Dad would enjoy the evening out looking at the lights. =)

Have a great night!
Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Giving Thanks!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever!" Ps 107:1

Every time I sit down at the computer with the thought of updating this blog (cuz we have a gazillion photos that haven't made it on here), I have the thought "what am I doing? I have just a few moments of peace...quick! get something done!" But today, this is my something to get done. (BTW, I also have the thought "wait a minute, it's 3 in the morning! what am I doing at the computer?" when I'm here after Toby's finished his early morning snack.)

Yesterday, Toby was officially 2 months old. Part of me feels like I have whiplash from how quickly those 2 months flew; the other part is wondering how he could only have been here 2 months when it feels like forever. I suppose that's just the way growing up works, especially once you have children along to speed the process. In his first nine weeks of life, Toby will have had grandparents collectively here for half that. We're so thankful for a family that loves us and has been so eager to expand that love to include him. Though, I sometimes wonder if love doesn't shift just a little rather than expand so much...J.Paul and I realize people only want to Skype us because they'll see Toby. No worries, we won't be going crazy and pouring out our woes on the psychiatrist's couch due to neglect. ^_^ Anyway, here's some photos from Toby's visits with family (in chronological order so you can see how much he's grown!):
Week 1 with Grandma and Grandpa:

Week 2 with Nana and Granddad:

Week 5/6 with Grandma and Grandpa:

We'll look forward to posting Week 9 pictures with Nana and Granddad from our Thanksgiving visit once we collect all the pictures and get them loaded on the computer.

You can still check out more photos of Toby at our Picasa album (link here), though I confess we haven't done as good a job of taking photos and keeping it updated as we should. Life just gets rolling and *poof* another week is gone.

We love our little man and are extremely thankful for the blessing he has already been to our family. In Pastor Tim's sermon this past Sunday, he spoke about how we often look at life and proudly observe all that we have done rather than standing back and being thankful instead for what the Lord has done (since we're pretty incapable of doing much on our own). I've known that children are a gift from God, but it is pretty easy to get wrapped up in the "we" of it all (I gave birth, we provide a home and necessities, we hold and love him, we wake up in the middle of the night with him, etc). Today, on Toby's first Thanksgiving, I'm letting go of the "we" and letting my heart be truly thankful for the Lord's blessings.

May you have a beautiful Thanksgiving with those you love and be thankful most for all that the Lord has blessed you with.

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Gone in the Blink of an Eye

Quick, while the little man sleeps! Can you believe it's been nearly THREE WEEKS since I last updated this blog? Well, maybe you can, but I'm having a hard time reconciling the length (19 whole days?!) with the amount of...well, life...that's happened since. Unfortunately, Toby doesn't sleep quite as long as I'd like, so this post won't be able to capture everything we've done, seen, experienced, etc (like I could even do that), but we'll give it a go.

I'll skip the minutiae of our labor experience and just hit the highlights. My water started leaking at 11:05 PM Thursday the 23rd (way to be almost on time, Tobin) and we went to hang out at the OB triage for a while. Feels like I was in the triage area waiting to be admitted longer than the birth took...but they took care of me and it was relatively quiet allowing us to get some rest. Once admitted, the Dr found that I was no further dilated or effaced than I had been since my very first check over two weeks previously. But since my water was broken, Tobin was destined to arrive within 24 hours. I was induced using some sort of medicine (not Pitocin) that was to take up to 12 hours to be effective. Whelp, Toby and I got into gear and were up to 4 cm within 45 minutes. I got my epidural about 30 minutes after that (already to 6 cm) and life got MUCH better. ^_^ J.Paul and I actually got about an hour of rest before my Dr checked again and I was at 9.5 cm and almost feeling ready to push. Tobin screamed into the world - literally, the kid has a good set of lungs - at 10:05 AM (5.5 hours of labor from induction to delivery, praise the Lord). J.Paul followed him while we was cleaned, vaccinated, and weighed, then I got to hold my precious little boy. Here are a few pics from the morning:

We're so thankful for the amazing hospital staff (we highly recommend Banner Good Samaritan, for any Phoenix ladies) and, of course, to our loving God, who gave us a perfect little Tobin and a swift delivery and recovery.

Now, I hear Toby starting to wake up, so I'll post more later. You can still see our photos online at our Picasa website (link here). Thanks for following us!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Welcome Tobin James!

No time to write a really good post, but for all you avid "Growing Up Fast" followers - Tobin James is here!!! He arrived at 10:05 AM on Friday, Sept 24 (just a day behind schedule...though my water did break on his due date). He weighed in at 7 lb 10 oz and measured 20.5 inches long. Labor went extremely quickly, for which I am so thankful. Had third degree tearing, but the doctor stitched me up and I'm healing fine. Will add more details later, but wanted to let you know that you can see some of our pictures on our Picasa site (link here). We've taken a gazillion more, so keep watching the album for updates.

Before signing off, THANK YOU for completely bathing us in prayer these last nine months and during the labor experience. God's face was truly shining upon us and we know we can't even fathom how richly He has blessed us with friends like you. We love you all.

Love in Christ ~ Valerie AND TOBIN!!

Bump photos

As I was going through my photos for the beautiful Cali shots (see post below), I found these two that have never been previously released to the world. Many are asking for more recent baby bump (err...baby "mountain") views, so here ya go!

37 weeks:

39 weeks:

And here's J.Paul and I off to support the ASU Sun Devils at their opening football game on Sept 4 (to which I was given 2 free tickets for being "on staff" at the University). Yay for teaching summer school! Note: Cali refuses to wear any ASU gear...perhaps she's a closet UA Wildcats fan?

Looking forward to posting Tobin pictures in the not-too-distant future...though we may wind up having 40 week and 41 week photos on here if he's dead set on taking his time! ^_^

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Photos of my first "baby"

With all the attention Tobin receives on this blog (and he's not even here yet!), I thought I'd give my first "baby", Cali, a little of the spotlight. Here are some cute pictures I've caught of her in the last few weeks. ^_^ She likes Tobin's stuff!


Love my sweet kitty!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Eviction Notice

Two weeks ago, I gave Tobin his two weeks' notice and today, he gets an eviction warning. Poor kid's going to be born with a bad credit score! I had another doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning and was told there's been no change since my appointment last Monday (still about 1 cm dilated). That was pretty discouraging, but I have to continue to remind myself that God's timing is much better than my own. In the meantime, I've been able to keep swimming and have taken advantage of the time to just rest. I like taking baths and naps, both of which could be in scarce supply as soon as Tobin joins us.

I did talk with my doctor about the potential for induction. She said we'll talk more seriously about it at my next appointment (next Tuesday...let's hope I'm not keeping it), but that I'm not ready yet at this point. Given the option of going through a 2-day induction labor ordeal with the distinct possibility of requiring a c-section at the end of it versus enjoying my time at home and just waiting on nature...I think I'll take the latter, thank you very much. But the doctor doesn't want us going too long past due, so that'll be something to think about if we do get to next Tuesday uneventfully. J.Paul still says his guess is this Saturday, so we'll see. At least there are some good football games on Saturday, which will either help keep me occupied in labor or at home as I distract myself from the fact that my little boy is late. ^_^

Not much else going on at the Chambers' house, since I'd already cleared the calendar for the week. We'll keep everyone posted if there are any changes!!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

The Waiting Game

Well, we've just crossed into week 39 today and are still waiting on Tobin to decide that he's ready to join us. Since he's now the size of a watermelon (therefore, I am at least the size of a watermelon), he's feeling pretty cramped. Last night he tried out some dance moves that may have worked for him in the past, but the restricted space caused major interruption. But he sure did keep trying, causing me some big discomfort. When he finally quieted down, we decided he was the cause of my pangs and didn't make a false trip to the hospital. Settle down, little guy, we're gonna get you out soon enough.

My family has put together a collection of guesses for Tobin's birth date, weight, and size. Sad to say, the first date passed uneventfully yesterday. The next two guesses are both for Saturday (mine being one of them), followed by a guess for just about every day until the 26th. The only date left off the poll? The 23rd, the kiddo's actually due date. I've read that about 5% of women actually do give birth on their due dates. My family seems to think Tobin and I just aren't part of that punctual few. The last birth date guess is October 2...which is just plain mean. ^_^ But with my luck (and aforementioned lack of punctuality) it could just happen. Eh, that gives me more days of floating around in the ASU pool and taking lovely baths with my new Bath & Body Works lavender vanilla bubble bath.

I'm a sucker for trivia, so I thought I'd share some of the random baby info I learned from a BabyCenter.com article:

• The most popular day for babies to make their entrance is now Wednesday. (This is the first year since at least 1990 that Tuesday wasn't the biggest birth day.) There were 15.4 percent more births on Wednesday than on the average day. Sunday is the slowest day, with 35.1 fewer births than average. The fact that far fewer babies were born on the weekend may be influenced partly by scheduled labor induction and c-sections, according to the CDC. But vaginal births also occur less often on the weekend.
• More newborns arrive during the late summer and early fall months of July, August, and September than any other time of the year. In 2006 (earliest data year), August hosted the most U.S. baby births.
• Over the last three decades, women have been waiting longer to start having children. In 1970, the average age for a first-time mother was about 21. In 2005, the average age of first-time moms when they gave birth was 25.2. In 2006, it dropped a bit for the first time since this stat was first measured in 1968 – to 25. (OK, now I just feel old)
• Number of stay-at-home moms in 2008: 5.3 million
• First-time moms' work status during and after pregnancy, 2001 to 2003:
  Percentage of first-timers who worked during their pregnancy: 67 percent. By contrast, between 1961 and 1965, 44 percent of first-time moms worked while they were pregnant.
  Percentage who worked during the month before they gave birth: 80 percent. By contrast, between 1961 and 1965, 35 percent of first-time moms worked during the last month of pregnancy.
  Percentage who were working by the sixth month after they gave birth: 55 percent. By contrast, in the early 1960s, the percentage for first-timers was 14 percent.
• In 2006, about one-third of pregnant women were outside the weight guidelines for healthy pregnancy, with 13 percent of moms gaining less than 16 pounds and 21 percent gaining over 40 pounds. (Unless Tobin holds on for another month, I'm in the guidelines - woohoo!)
• With about 1,049 male babies for every 1,000 female babies in 2006, boys are keeping the edge in a ratio that's stayed about the same over the past 60 years

Just thought you'd enjoy those...or at least find a few of them mildly interesting. Check out the article linked above if you want more for your future appearance on Jeopardy.

And now, Tobin and I need some lunch. He's keeping me on a pretty regular eating cycle these days (as in, regularly eating all the time) and, what can I say? Toby needs!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Graceful Rainbows

I see a rainbow just about everyday. When I swim at ASU in the mornings (they have the best pool and I'll miss my morning swims horribly after Toby's born), they have the sprinklers on to cool down the water. Yes, the sprinklers are annoying because they spray water in my face while I'm trying to kickboard, BUT they also make beautiful rainbows with the morning sun. Since I have nothing but time to myself for deep thoughts while I float along, I often remember the childhood story of Noah and the first rainbow God gave him after the flood.

Genesis 9:8-16
⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

¹² And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Last night at Excel, our church's student ministry, we asked the students what one thing was that they've learned about God in the past year. There were enough students answering so that I didn't share, but I couldn't help but think back to how I've felt these last 9 months - from finding out that we were going to have a baby, seeing that we're having a boy, feeling him move around inside me, to being so ready to meet him soon. All these crazy emotions have been rooted in further understanding that God is sovereign. Sovereign means being able to make and keep the kind of promise that He made to Noah. But there is one other not-so-small thing...God is also constantly showing me that I am the worst of sinners. Just thinking about how I've let my emotions run away with me lately or how terrified I am to have a child grow up and copy me brings so much evidence against me. And yet, my God is merciful and lavishly gives me His grace. The same mercy and grace He shows the world with His rainbow - He doesn't want to destroy us, He wants to love us immeasurably.

So tomorrow morning, when I see the rainbows in the sprinkler (assuming Toby doesn't try and come tonight ^_^), I'll be reminded of what a grace-full God I have and be joyful.

Love in Christ, and may you see many rainbows ~ Valerie

Hello, Desi!

My previous post is all about my baby shower, because it was special enough to deserve its own story (that, and there were a lot of pictures!). But this is the supplemental post about the entire day of my shower, which wound up being more exciting than we'd bargained for.

If you recall, I've mentioned a few times about how we were looking to sell our car and purchase a Honda CR-V. Well, Friday afternoon I stumbled across a new listing on cars.com for a 2008 CR-V at a local dealership with very low miles for an unbelievable price. Since I couldn't get it out of my mind, J.Paul humored me by going on Saturday morning to "just look" at the car...we thought that surely there was something wrong (a smokers vehicle or something) to make the price so low. Turns out, the dealership was just trying to get people in the door and the car was pretty near perfect. J.Paul had taken his mom with him (since it was only going to be a short trip ^_^) and they did the test drive and everything, then started talking about purchase and trade-in numbers. While I went to get my hair fixed for the shower (I'm growing it long for Locks of Love and had a hard time finding a nice style other than the standard ponytail), J.Paul kept calling and texting to keep me up to speed on the negotiations. About 10 minutes before I needed to leave my house for the shower, J.Paul got them to where we wanted them. But since I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to make a decision, the salesman let J.Paul take the 'new' car (because J.Paul's poor mom had been hanging around during the haggling and needed to get to the shower!) as long as we returned it that evening. He left it with me so I could test-drive it home. I loved it (and the extra trunk room to store the gifts was very useful)!

We looked over the car at the house and tried out both the infant and slightly-older-than-infant carseats to see how we liked the fit. Since the older carseat was a gift from my dad's sisters, we actually did take a couple pictures of the car to send out:

We went back to the dealership that evening and signed all the paperwork to welcome a new car into the family. I was a little sad to part with Shelly, my RX-8, but it was made so much easier because I really do like the new vehicle. Now I don't have to haul myself up out of the low-riding sports seats and we don't have to deal with the maintenance that Shelly was going to be requiring soon. Peace of mind can be worth quite a lot, especially since we're adding a Tobin to the family very soon as well!

If you can't tell from the pictures, the CR-V is a desert green color, and so we have named her "Desi". I'm so grateful and continuously amazed at how good God is to His children. Swapping out a vehicle seems like such a small thing when you think about all that goes on under the Lord's care, but He brought us just the right replacement at the perfect time...and in our budget. Thank you, God!

Well, we're getting close to the final countdown for Tobin's arrival. Two and a half weeks until his due date...but I'm hoping he'll come a little sooner. We'll post any news as soon as we find out ourselves!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Showered with Love

Yes, I'm finally posting about my baby shower, which was last weekend. Two friends from our church small group - Peggy and Taylor - did a beautiful job with everything and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a lunch affair with a DIY salad spread and cupcakes - yummy! Peggy had the shower in her home and she's a phenomenal decorator. The theme followed Tobin's room decorations: Things that go. Check out the banquet table!
After lunch, we played a couple of games. For the first, you had to examine a chocolate bar that had been smeared in the bottom of a diaper to figure out what kind it was. The winner, Libby (one of my friends from school), got them all right. I only got one out of the six...maybe it's a good thing I'm not good at dissecting diaper contents? For the second game, Peggy had frozen little plastic babies (like in Mardi Gras cakes) in cups of water and the first person to get the baby out won. It was some pretty stiff competition and the girls got very creative!


The girls were so generous in giving us clothes, toys, and other goodies for Tobin. Here are a few 'gift' pictures, including a picture of the baby quilt that J.Paul's mom made:



Here are a few more pictures of all my friends, my moms, and the wonderful hostesses...no comments on my large size, please!


There are several more pictures on my Picasa website for you to look at if you'd like.
Thank you, Taylor and Peggy, for the beautiful shower and the great memories!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Bring it On

This is the third of my "catch up" posts; unfortunately, with my "pregnancy brain" (which I think is just the result of a general lack of sleep) I can't really remember all the little things I've done in the last month. Which brings me to the conclusion that, if I can't remember it, you probably don't care to read about it. And so we move on.

I made my last pre-baby trip to San Diego with J.Paul's family (and as-good-as-family friends) the first weekend of August. This was completely against my Dr's orders, since she "grounded" me at 32 weeks. Anybody else surprised I broke the rules? I was when we first contemplated the trip, but we had short flights and a hospital 10 minutes away in case of emergencies, so we went for it. Fortunately, Tobin did not decide to become a California baby that weekend! We had such a fabulous time - walked on the beach each morning, hung out on Coronado Island, and just spend some good time with family. So relaxing and fun - it was hard to leave after the weekend was over, especially since the next big thing I have to look forward to involves a lot of work.

We also took our childbirth class at the hospital a couple weekends ago. It was just one Saturday class with lots of powerpoint slides, some videos, and a tour of the L&D ward. We didn't do any "HEE-HEE-HOO" breathing techniques or have to watch too much in the way of disgusting birth videos...pretty well done on the whole. The tour was the most helpful part, I think, but also maybe the most scary. We stood there and looked at a delivery room, one of which we'll actually be using in the next month. Whoa. Fortunately, the hospital is very nice...even have an uncomfortable couch for J.Paul to sleep on in the room. And who said hospitals don't come with all the amenities? J.Paul did a little further education of his own and attended Daddy Boot Camp last Weds. That's a true man - one who's not afraid to learn how to change diapers or get information on the benefits of breastfeeding. Sounded like he learned a lot...wonder why they don't have Boot Camp for Moms? Guess they figure trial and error will work just as well. Or maybe there really is a magic "Motherhood Manual" that gets automatically downloaded to the female brain just after delivery. Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for.

For those who've lost count, as even I sometimes do, I'll be at 36 weeks on Thursday. Tobin's been in the melon weight range the last several weeks...guess it really is true that pregnant women are carrying watermelons around. As of my Dr's appointment yesterday, I've gained 30 pounds since my first visit in February. That's pretty average, but I was really hoping for 30 pounds total rather than hitting that mark with 4 weeks to go. Sadly, ice cream has been my downfall in these hot summer months. Though I have been spending a couple hours at the ASU gym most mornings walking and swimming (swimming is the pregnant woman's best friend...though the maternity swimsuit is not) and doing prenatal yoga each Monday night. Gotta eat some ice cream to replenish lost calories, right? And don't get me started on how much calcium is recommended in the maternity diet. I know, I know...it's all excuses. But boy does the ice cream taste yummy.

Also with the 36 week mark comes the much-increased potential for me to be "Mom" very soon. My Dr has a policy of allowing labor beginning at 36 weeks. So if Tobin decides that this Thursday is "Labor Day"...mommyhood here I come. But we're really hoping that won't happen because my baby shower is this weekend and J.Paul's out of town (back to Pennsylvania) all next week. So, hold your horses, Tobin, the world's not quite ready for you yet. I guarantee, though, that I'm ready for him as soon as J.Paul gets back into town - this last month of pregnancy must be designed for soon-to-be mothers to get so irritated with their bodies (think giant whale meets one big, throbbing nerve ending for me) that the prospect of having to be a baby's lifeline just isn't as scary anymore. Pain is relative, I suppose, and the pain of having to deal nonstop with a baby is getting relatively smaller by the day!

I know this post is ridiculously long (hey, it is my catch up post), but you need to see Tobin's new room! We've got it mostly set up, minus a few little things and some of the decorations - too cute! And Cali (my kitty - see one of my previous posts) loves the glider chair, especially when J.Paul or I are rocking in it. Fortunately, she's not too keen on the crib, so I'm not terribly worried about her deciding to join Tobin during his "cat naps". (Ha ha)
J.Paul's mom used an extra set of the crib bedding to make the curtains and has since made some adorable wall hangings and a baby quilt. I haven't seen the quilt yet - that's one of my surprises for this weekend! The room's theme is "Things that Go", so it's got cars, trucks, planes, boats, etc. I'm really hoping my little baby boy doesn't wind up being a girl (hey, ultrasound mistakes happen) because redecorating would be a pain. And I don't want to encourage my daughter to be a construction worker or truck driver from birth, so the cars and trucks would have to go. That's an interesting thought - I wonder if baby bedding makes a difference in a child's desire to be in one profession or another? Hmm...better start calling around to see if anyone carries bedding with dollar signs and calculators for my future accountant...

As I mentioned at the very beginning, I haven't been sleeping very well these days. My brain is just too busy thinking about all the world's (OK, just my) problems. And they aren't really problems, per se, just things to keep me occupied. Like selling our car. We've decided that we need to sell Shelly, my RX-8, before she gets too many more miles on her. But of course, no dealership will give us close to a fair price for her...so we're doing it the hard way - selling her ourselves! I feel constantly glued to my email in case someone responds to my online ads, and I'm also keeping an eye out for good Honda CR-Vs (our chosen replacement) so we can get a move on once my car sells. I have to remember that God is faithful in even the smallest, silliest things (like trying to sell a car) and that all will work according to the best timing.

OK, next time I start out to write a catch-up post, I'll just put it in a Word Document and have it published. Seriously, this is like writing a book. Or I should just remember to write more often. That's what I'll do. Uh huh. We'll see. But at least I'll have baby shower pictures after this weekend. Keep watch for those!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Catchin' Up - Part 2

If you're just joining me, you may want to start on the "Part 1" post of my great adventure catch-up. But that's entirely your choice - if you want to walk on the wild side, go ahead, read out of order.

After Vegas, but before my next trip, I had to endure my glucose tolerance test. I'd heard about it, mostly about drinking the "orange soda", but was still pretty nervous about having blood drawn and what it might mean if they found some diabetes indicators. Fortunately, the orange drink went down pretty well (though drinking all that sugar on an empty stomach really gave Tobin something to move about) and the nurse was able to get all the needlework done pretty quickly. You'll also be happy to know that I cleared the test with flying colors. Is it sad that the best part for me about "passing" the test wasn't that I didn't have diabetes complications, but that I wouldn't have to go through the 3-hour follow-up test? I'm a terrible mother already. My reward for being so brave at the doctor's office was a McDonalds cheeseburger meal and a pregnancy massage, given to me by my in-laws as my birthday gift (the massage was the gift...definitely not the cheeseburger). Ahh...bravery has it's benefits.

The day after my doctor's appointment, I flew up to Grand Forks AFB, ND to visit my friend Amber and her two girls. The oldest is 3-year old Ayla (who very much likes to dress up in her pretty dress) and the youngest is 3-month old Constance (who is the smiliest baby I've ever met). Since they're both adorable, you have to see some of my pictures:

How cute are they? I have to confess, though, that watching Amber handle a toddler and a baby gave me serious pause in thinking about how close together I might want to have my own children. Amber is a fabulous mother and Ayla is extremely polite and well-behaved, but there are still those temper-tantrum moments or times when naps just don't work out like you'd want them to. I know I shouldn't borrow trouble from the future, but it is something to think about.

I came home from North Dakota, took a weekend to do laundry and take a breather, then flew out to Georgia to visit my extended family. I've been so excited about the Georgia trip, it's a little hard to believe it's over already. My brother flew over from San Antonio, my mom flew down from Wash DC to be there, and her brother's family (with three of my cousins) came to see us as well (nearly a family reunion, minus my dad and J.Paul). Here was my greeting upon arriving at my grandparents' house...aren't my cousins creative?

Notice "Tobin the Tank Engine" to the left. Love it! It was pretty hard to leave Georgia this time. Not that it's ever easy to say goodbye to your family, and it should have been a smidge easier, knowing that I'll be seeing them again in November when they come to visit Tobin. But it was really hard to leave the place I've known from the perspective of "the grandchild" all my life with the knowledge that the next time I visit, I'll be someone's mom. Growing up is tough sometimes, mostly I think because of the extra responsibility. And there's still that sense that I'm losing my freedom to be selfish and do what I want, when I want. Maybe Tobin and I can get in sync quickly and he'll agree with me most of the time. "Tobin needs" is a great excuse for everything (trust me, I've used it extensively the last 7 months).

And so I'm home, though my adventures don't end here. No sir, watch for Part 3 of this tale (perhaps it will be a trilogy - move over Lord of the Rings) at a later time.

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Catchin' Up - Part 1

While the saying "no news is good news" may be true, it sure is boring. And so I apologize to all my cyberspace friends for disappearing from the blog world for over a month! Catching up on all my latest adventures has been a little overwhelming for me to think about so I've done the only logical thing - procrastinate. But no more of that...let's get started!

When you last heard from me, I thought (oh so innocently) that I was as big as a house. Well, if that was the case, then I'm upgrading to mansion status at this point. And it only gets bigger from here! Oh boy. I was also in the process of wrapping up my summer class at ASU. The last week went fairly smoothly and my class grades were, overall, pretty decent. The final exam grades were rough, but, being the nice teacher I am, the students got a major curve. And then I posted the final grades and sent them along to their next accounting adventures. *sigh* and *tear* Saying goodbye is tough. Good thing I'm not called to be an elementary teacher. I'd be a crying mess at the end of the school year! Of course, I won't be dealing with pregnancy hormones at the end of each year like I was at the end of the summer course. Thank goodness!

Once school was out, I hit the road. Seriously...July was the "month of the traveler". J.Paul and I went to Las Vegas for a weekend to enjoy our last pre-baby anniversary trip together. We actually observed a lot of kiddos while we were walking around the Strip and have agreed that Vegas just isn't a place we want to take our children. Seems a little incongruous to see a massive carseat/travel system parked next to a craps table. I'm just sayin'. There were a lot of families at the pool while we were hanging out there. That is kind of fun - some of those hotels have amazing pool setups. We stayed at a small Harrah's property next to the Flamingo and, since our place didn't have a pool, we got admission to the Flamingo pool instead. That was a really fun day. The pool had these shelves off some of the sides so you could sit in the shallow water and just enjoy being a little wet in the warm weather. As we walked up to the pool to pick our chairs, I spotted another mama-to-be on one of the shelves and two empty lounge chairs next to her. Being the stalker I am (though I usually limit my habits to Facebook), I claimed the chairs and struck up a conversation. And so we met Kathy and Keith, a really neat couple from Dallas, who became our pool buddies for the rest of the day. Kathy's due with her second (a little girl) just a week after Tobin's "scheduled" to arrive and had lots of great advice and fun stories to share. Yay for new friends! We got some funny looks from others during the day - it's like we were a rare animal in the jungle (I guess you don't see many obviously pregnant women trotting around Vegas) and observers made the great discovery of finding TWO of us...together. *GASP* ^_^ A third actually came over to our general area of the pool later in the day, but didn't show any interest in joining our pack. She preferred to run solo, I suppose. The other really neat thing about Vegas was our room diagonal from the Bellagio. We could see the fountain shows from our window and, if there weren't some crazy nut banging on a makeshift drum or randomly (and badly) strumming a guitar for spare change beneath us, we could hear the music as well. That was really cool! The fountains "perform" every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 at night, so we saw a ton of shows. Those fountains are one of my favorite things about Vegas and it was a treat to be able to enjoy them in the privacy (and air conditioned-coolness!) of my hotel room rather than jostle for position outside in front of them. Altogether, we had a fabulous time and didn't really want to come home so soon. But I had to get back and get everything together for my next adventure. More to come on that in the next post!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

PS. If you ever do go to Vegas, look for the "Buffet of Buffets" special. For $35 a person, you get unlimited 24-hour access to any of the 7 Harrah's buffets. We timed it so we got 4 meals out of the deal (about $9 a meal in Vegas - unheard of!) and ate some fabulous food. Definitely worth it...especially if you're pregnant and having weird cravings for roasted lamb in cream gravy, crab legs covered in peanut butter, or something equally off-the-wall. Not that I desired any of those things, I'm just passing along the information. My downfall was the dessert buffets. It's a miracle I didn't gain 5 pounds that day.

Thankful for the Little Things

Sometimes (OK, a lot of times) I have to remind myself that I should be thankful for the little things. J.Paul would be happy to tell you that I'm a complainer. Well, maybe he wouldn't be happy to tell you, but if you threatened him with torture, you might be able to drag it out of him. Seriously though, I do complain too much.

Just before I decided to update my blog tonight, I was mentally complaining about my nausea, sore ribs, and this (extremely) wiggly little thing inside my abdomen. Tobin is a MOVER in the evenings, but it could also be that he's at the perfect size right now where he has just enough room to move around. Anyway, I have to continuously remind myself that his movement means that he's alive. I'm so blessed to have had a fairly mild pregnancy thus far, besides the greater blessing of even having made it to the beginning of my third trimester. Now that the initial wonder of pregnancy has worn off into a daily routine, I can't lose sight of the gift of life and the miracle that I get to be a part of.

And to keep reminding myself that this miracle is REALLY happening, I have to look no further than just inside my front door. With J.Paul out of town, the FedEx delivery guy was kind enough to lug both Tobin's crib and changing table boxes into the house for me. But that's as far as they go until we take down the guest bed that's hogging Tobin's room. Which may or may not happen in the near future. Though I suppose it depends on how you define "near". Tobin makes his debut in two and a half months - that's starting to sound pretty near to me!

School is done this Friday! This is cause for alternating feelings of happiness and sadness. The sadness mostly comes from not knowing when I'll get to teach another class - I really do love that job. Again, something else to be thankful for - God's provision in showing me a new career path at just the right time. Once school is out, I'll take the next few weeks to do some traveling. J.Paul and I are thinking about a short getaway either to Sedona, AZ or to Vegas for a belated anniversary trip, then I spend a few days in North Dakota with my friend Amber and her two munchkins, and then I get to hang out with my grandparents and mom in Georgia for a week! After that, I might settle down...with just a side weekend trip to San Diego in early August if Tobin's arrival doesn't appear imminent. Gotta get out of this desert heat and take advantage of what travel flexibility I still have!

All this excitement and thankfulness has worn me out. Or maybe it's the pregnancy thing again. Either way, my bed is calling very loudly and I think I should go spend some quality time with my pillows.

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Move it Like This

Given Tobin's propensity for motion these days, I can only hope that he doesn't come out showing these kinds of moves... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKgaw4gtxFw&feature=player_embedded. All that's missing is the lampshade ^_^

We're feeling pretty good this week. No 26-week picture to post; I choose to make comparisons over longer periods than just one week. Otherwise, it might just be too depressing to see how fast my stomach starts to proceed me. My poor students are having to scoot their chairs further and further in when I try to squeeze behind them. That classroom was not designed for a pregnant woman to have access to all student seats.

Sadly, J.Paul has abandoned me for the week. Well, not abandoned, exactly. He's gone today through Thursday for our church's youth camp in California. I SO wish I were there with them (because summer camp is always awesome!), but I couldn't just ask for a replacement teacher for a whole week of my class when there're only 5 weeks total. It's kind of lonely around the house by myself, especially in the evenings. Then again, I do get the whole bed to myself - mwahaha.

I keep mentioning school - funny how a job can take over your thoughts so much. And it's sad that this job only lasts 2 more weeks. Meeting every day for longer periods has made it easy to get to know my students, as opposed to a 50-minute meeting twice a week in the regular semester. There are a few challenging students to deal with, but for the most part, the class is full of sweethearts. I received the first bribe offering of my education career - one student offered a donut for a better exam grade. Oh please, like one donut will do it for me. Hello - eating for two here! Just kidding, I'd never succumb to a donut bribe...though I might have reconsidered for two weeks of Dunkin Donuts coconut coffee. Again, joking. But some of those students should spend less energy trying to find ways of getting out of a bad exam grade and refocus on earning a better grade to begin with. Ah well, at least it's exciting!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Big Mama

It's been awhile since Toby was the size of an ear of corn or a mango - we've moved on to a rutabaga (don't everyone go measure the one that's sure to be on your kitchen counters all at once, now) and the 1.5 pound mark. He'll be growing pretty quickly from now on and, by default, I suppose I will be too. And to start marking the changes coming more and more quickly, we're finally starting the "stand awkwardly in one place and look huge" pictures. So here's Valerie and Tobin at 25 weeks (please keep in mind that it's a Saturday so I'm not lookin' my Sunday best).



Many of you will notice the umbrella in the corner. We still live in Phoenix, so I'll give you a guess as to how many times we've needed that particular instrument since moving here...ZERO. In fact, we overjoyously celebrated a high temp in the low 90's today since we've been rocking the triple digits for a few weeks now. And let me tell you, being pregnant feels like I'm carrying a portable space heater in front of myself. Just in case you were wondering.

In spite of the heat, I've been feeling pretty good. Had some scary continuous cramping last Friday, but the Dr said to first try drinking more water before we did anything else. Lo and behold, poor Toby was dehydrated. It's hard to remember to drink as much water as I should, especially in the mornings when I'm constantly moving around for class, but I'm doing the best I can. It's rewarding to feel him move around when he's happy and hydrated, so that's pretty good incentive. Poor kid - I can barely keep plants watered and alive and now I'm responsible for watering another human?? Guess this is just one of the first ways habits will have to change!

And the reason I haven't been blogging lately is my "part-time" summer teaching job. Don't get me wrong - I am SO GRATEFUL that God blessed me with the opportunity to plan and teach freshmen accounting at ASU this month. It's a huge resume-booster and even better experience to use as a push-off for a career in education. But it's definitely no part-time job, usually requiring 8+ hours a day. And I'm not even having to design much of my own materials. Thankfully, I was offered the June session rather than July because I'm not sure I would have had enough energy to try and tackle this at 6-7 months pregnant. I'm also thankful for the ability to realize my limitations. When I think ahead to the Spring semester, I arrogantly thought I would be ready (with a 3-month old to consider) to take on 3 courses, which is the full 9 hours allowed an adjunct professor. Because of this summer course, I realize that immersing myself in that much would probably not be best for myself or my expanded family...I want to be able to give Tobin more time than just tired scraps at the end of the day, which is what J.Paul has wound up with the last couple weeks more often than not. Lots to think about - thank you, Lord, for the ability to see the bigger picture before I buried myself by taking on too much in January.

One other big thing we're considering right now is whether or not we should trade my car for a "family-friendly" vehicle. This isn't easy for me; "Shelly" (my Phantom Blue Mazda RX-8) has been my dream car and a ton of fun to drive. The young, crazy adult part of me isn't wild about giving up the fun for a sedan. But then the practical side (come on, you knew I had one...I'm an accountant) said a sedan would be better for carting around a baby. We're looking into it, watching for a great deal on a used Honda or Toyota. I hate my practical side sometimes.

Keep watching as we keep growing. Only three more months till Tobin's debut. Seems like so long and, yet, it's coming up fast!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

A Big Week for Baby

My "here's what's going on this week in your pregnancy" email just arrived and I had to share. Tobin is 23 weeks and is just tipping the scales at 1 pound. Yay! We've reached the 1-pounder mark! In case you were on the edge of your seat, that's about the size of a large mango. We're working on a pretty good fruit salad with all the sizes Tobin's going through.

Even better news is that he can feel me dance. So crank up the music, baby, we're gonna get movin'! No, not really. It's not much fun to dance when you're carrying about 15 extra pounds of miscellaneous body bits. Are we sure Tobin's just one pound?!?

And the best news of all, Tobin can hear and become accustomed to external noises. So that means he's going to come out thinking Cali is his mother (because she does so much talking during the day) and he'll be scared to death of the vacuum cleaner because I never use it. I mean, he'll love the vacuum, because I'm going to use the one my parents just got me all the time. ^_^ In fact, I think I'll go do that now. Vroom vroom, Tobin!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Deep thoughts

A few new mothers told me that they would, at times, forget that they were pregnant. Since I was still suffering through the 1st trimester when I heard that, I politely smiled and nodded but was really thinking "you've got to be kidding me". Really, who could forget the discomfort...much less the extra bulk. But, alas, it's true. When I'm just around the house, reading or playing with Cali, I have had occasions where I totally forget what's going on inside me. Or how much life will be changing in just 4 more months. But then I feel Tobin starting up his gymnastics or I walk by a mirror and get an abrupt reminder. It's a good one though...4 months seems like a long, long time to wait to meet our boy. Remind me of that later, please, when I want to send him back where he came from!

J.Paul received a book, Point Man, from my dad the other weekend and suggested I read one of the chapters about raising a child. It made me think more on how we're called as parents to raise children, specifically about how we have to demonstrate the role of father/mother, husband/wife, and man/woman to the little people learning from us. It seems like a lot of people use Ephesians 5:21-33 in wedding ceremonies - we did - but then forget to reflect on the words after marriage becomes a routine. Thinking on how Tobin will learn about God and how people relate to each other and the world made me go back to these verses. Will Tobin see me submitting to J.Paul's leadership as the head of our household? Will he then see us submitting to the Lord's leadership in all aspects of our lives? I so easily get caught up in thinking about how strong I am, how competent in making my own decisions, how marketable my skills are to earn money for more than just necessities...but these are traps that cause me to forget about submission. Hard to submit when you're trying to power the engine! There's no way to address my problem of self-reliance other than training my eyes on God and asking Him to both humble me and show His own glory.

Something else that's been on my mind is how necessary it will be for us to show Tobin the importance of the church. J.Paul and I work with our church's youth group and we're making some pretty big changes in the fall to do more toward encouraging youth to attend "big church" with their families. Seeing how few students participate in corporate worship, really how few students even regularly attend church functions at all, brings home the point that our children won't make church a priority until parents show them the importance of meeting together with the body of Christ. It's easy now to point fingers at parents without thinking about my own heart on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings, even before we have to get a child up and ready to go. Tobin will be watching everything (and probably doing a fair amount of eavesdropping on mom and dad), so showing evidence of my desire to be with other Christians in worship and growth will be important as he learns to appreciate the church and make it an integral part of his own life.

This was a weighty post, but I guess that's what happens when I have too much time on my hands to think! Next week, I begin teaching my 5-week summer session and imagine there will be much less free time for pondering the mysteries of life. Instead, my head will be filled with accounting theories and how best to communicate them to my students in order for them to gain some sort of understanding! I know, I know...I'm nuts. ^_^

Love in Christ ~ Valerie

Check, check, and...check

I would hazard a guess and say that everyone loves a sense of accomplishment. Maybe not as much as I do, but everyone has to. There's something almost magical about surveying recent history and seeing how many things have been marked off the mental (or written, as the case may be) "to-do" list. And don't think you don't have a "to-do" list...you just may not love yours quite as much as I do.

This past weekend, I graduated- give that one a ginormous check mark. Grad school is over, at least until I decide to pursue a Ph.D. It was a nice feeling, though a little anticlimactic. Here I left my job last year to shift careers and now the first big step is over. There weren't any balloons falling from the skies or golden sparkles revealing a fairy-tale door for me to step through to my future...but there were bagpipes. Can't forget the bagpipes. Apparently, Arizona State's business school has a local pipe and drum corps play during the processional every year. Since I missed out on an undergraduate ceremony, I'm so glad I went to my commencement and caught them this year. Just about made the whole school year worth it! And for those who want proof that I graduated, or for those who are waiting to see the famous "baby bump" photo, here it is!

OK, so it's entirely possible I stole the cap and have a (small) pillow stuffed under my shirt, but that's less believable than me actually graduating as a pregnant lady, right? Plus, it was pretty hot that morning, and I wouldn't have gone to the trouble just to fool you. Trust me.

The other big check mark goes to my new baby registry. My awesome mom was able to stay in Phoenix a few extra days with me and get me rolling on the nursery/kiddo planning. Thank you, Mom! Babies R Us probably wouldn't have known how to handle my ignorance if I had been on my own! It was a tiring process, but so nice to have the initial registry out of the way. I had NO idea babies needed so much stuff. Now we can just make changes as the whim strikes us (or when J.Paul vetoes some of my many cute blanket choices). And, of course, now we wait on Tobin to come join the family and enjoy some of the goodies we've picked out for him!! Hurry up, Tobin!

Love in Christ (the giver of all things, including accomplishments) ~ Valerie

Comfort and Joy

Yes, I do realize it's not Christmas yet (or anywhere near, actually), but can you really appreciate comfort and joy too much? I'm grateful for both those things right now. Everyone said the 2nd trimester would be way better than the first...and, thank you, God...it is. It's like God programmed our bodies to have a breather between the more difficult 1st and 3rd trimesters. Sort of a lull that says "congratulations, you've made it this far" combined with "you have no idea what I've got in store for you next". Ah well. A pastor once said that you're either going through a storm or coming up on one. I'll enjoy the break for now, thank you very much.

I've been very good and haven't bought Toby any of the cute outfits that seem to be throwing themselves in front of my line of sight everywhere I go. J.Paul is mildly appreciative, but doubtful that my self-control will last the rest of this pregnancy. But if there are any cute maroon football outfits (or, by some miracle, an A&M outfit in a clearance bin at the Phoenix mall), I'm getting one. Our little guy will be just in time for football season, so he needs to be properly attired. And for you Texans reading this - a UT outfit is not acceptable.

Speaking of clothing, I had a moment of self-pity this morning when I decided to try on my bathing suit to see if it might fit for our TA pool party on Friday. Oh dear...note to self, don't do that again until next summer. It was almost traumatic, but then I laughed and moved on. I mean, who really feels good in a bathing suit anyway? At least I have a good excuse this year. I'll just spare anyone else the sight and stick with wind shorts and a t-shirt.

Have a blessed week, my friends!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie & Tobin

Coasting Along

The last few days, I've sat down several times to write a new blog post, but always decided that there wasn't anything important enough to say that would justify bumping Tobin's picture down from the top of the page. There still isn't really, but the funny thing about blogging is that, after awhile, it becomes comfortable enough that you just miss it if you don't get on and say something about what's on your mind.

School's wrapping up pretty nicely and I finished teaching my TA class last Friday (their final exam was last night, but we didn't have morning classes all week). That's left me a lot more free time on my hands to do...well, whatever I want. Our TV's been broken a couple weeks now and, though it's frustrating not to be able to watch the Suns crush the Spurs (sorry, had to throw that in) in my own home, it's been a disguised blessing not to have a mindless sinkhole to just fall into every spare minute while I'm home. You'd think I'd have taken advantage of all this free time to be productive in planning evening meals and catching up on housework (as if you can really "catch up"), but no. I've got a new time taker - the Internet. It's amazing what you can find out there. Did you know the IRS employee tax manual has instructions for collecting taxes after a nuclear war? I know you're happy to hear that you'll still be able to contribute to our country's best efforts at mindless spending, in spite of mass destruction...I sure was. And another - McDonald's is the world's largest distributor in toys (though Santa Clara County, CA is working to change that http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/27/business/la-fi-happy-meals-20100427). Anyway, I have lots more if you're interested. Or you could find them yourselves when you're bored.

We had small group (Bible study) last night and I LOVE the time spent growing with the other young women in our group. Most are mothers of young children, so I always learn a lot of practical stuff from them. One mother has been reading the book "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free", which I've had on my "to-read" list (and my bookshelf) for a while now. I pulled it down this morning and read the section on children, surprised at how many of the lies I've bought into. It's a dangerous position to be in when we don't carefully think through the ideas the world throws at us and match them up with the gospel and instructions God has given us, whether the ideas are about children, marriage, or even about God Himself. The thought of being responsible (no, accountable) for the way we instruct our children should drive us to the Bible for our own instructions. And yet, we seek answers on the Internet, crazy humans that we are. Colossians 1:15-23 proclaims the ultimate supremacy of Christ, and we really think some mommy message board is going to give us better guidance?!?

Speaking of mommy message boards, the Internet has it's fair share of them and I confess that my new Internet preoccupation has taken me across a few. There was one forum discussing whether or not you should "stimulate" an unborn baby with books, music, etc to give them a jump start on life. That sounded dumb to me even as I just typed it...a jump start on life just by reading nursery rhymes and playing Mozart. How far ahead will that really put you? Then I also read in my "Your Baby's Development this Week" newsletter that Tobin can possibly hear and recognize my voice now. So for the next 20 weeks (or thereabouts), I have a captive audience. Put that together with the whole "jump start" idea and I started thinking about the words Tobin will hear me say over and over before he's even born. Cali (my pet, in case you missed the post from a couple weeks ago) is just a cat, but she recognizes her name and a few key words (like "treat") just from our repetition of them. Would Tobin also recognize important words from me saying them often enough before he's born? I'm not sure, but that in itself was a conviction. If I want my child to grow up with the understanding of who Jesus is, shouldn't he be hearing that name over and over from me even now? Maybe it makes no real difference to Tobin right now, but it's something for me to be mindful of.

Alright, Tobin's picture is now WAY down on the page, because Mom got a little carried away in her posting. Nothing new about that, for those of you who know much I like to chatter. Have a beautiful weekend!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie & Tobin

We Welcome You to Munchkin Land

We had our first ultrasound on Friday and finally got to see baby C! Poor thing looked a little trapped, since movement is pretty restricted right now. But he kept his hands up and even gave us this picture...I'm going to interpret it as a wave from my kiddo. You know, just sayin' Howdy.



In case you didn't just catch it, we did choose to go ahead and find out that we're having a BOY! I'm not sure how anyone can stand to go through an ultrasound and not be dying to know whether it's a boy or a girl. It was hard enough for me to wait while the technician worked her way from head to feet. Anyway, we'll be naming the little guy Tobin James and can't WAIT to meet him in September. The tech couldn't really say much about his development, but we could see the lobes of his brain, his spine, and all four chambers of his heart pumping away. Not to mention the kicking legs and waving arms. It was an indescribably amazing experience to see my baby living inside me...really living, not just lying there like the gray blob I feared we'd be viewing. I admit it, I cried, and now I'm not sure I'm too happy about having to wait 4 1/2 more months just to hold him. Such a precious thing, being used by God to bring another child into our world. My mother in law treated me to a fabulous massage a couple months ago, and my masseuse gave me the following quote from Erma Bombeck - "If I had my life to live over... Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle." While I don't think this is quite true, because God enables us to share in His miracles when we share His gospel, it is definitely one of His granted privileges to be a mother-in-the-making. Remind me of that in another couple months when the Phoenix summer temperatures hit and I'm complaining!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie & Tobin