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these are the wonderful women who threw me a shower in portland (one of the many that i have had since i have been pregnant; i am spoiled for sure).........it was truly wonderful. my mom, casey's mom, danielle - three very important women in my life, were able to be there. thank you for travelling so far, taking time out of your busy schedules to share the evening with me. thank you, annie and katie, for putting it together, for making it such a special evening. thank you, friends, for showering me, not only with gifts, but with your hearts. i am a blessed woman.
i am reminded daily that the baby i carry is a miracle. i was chatting with a friend yesterday, and she saw her good friend give birth to a beautiful little boy, and the thing she kept thinking was "today is a momentous day, for a new life has come into the world." i think about our own momentous day, when God will work this miracle of labor in my body, and produce from that a new person who has been growing inside me, a new life that He created. a person He has chosen for casey and i to care for, mentor, and love love love. it is a miracle, truly.
it is a miracle to share a pregnancy so similar with amy (dear, long time friend, sister, whatever). we have found out that our due dates (according to our ultrasounds) are exactly the same, we have each experienced the same minor complications, like anemia and low lying placentas, and, amy is carrying a boy and we think we are too (although, if you are a little dolly, baby, we will joyously welcome you and shower you in pink). i see God ordaining this experience for us to share, to journey together, perhaps for no other reason but companionship and someone who understands.
the female body, how it works and nourishes a life, how it delivers that life, is truly miraculous. i have been reading this book about birth, written by a women who has had much influence in the midwifery model of care and have marvelled at her research about labor, the things she has seen the female body accomplish. she made one statement to the effect of "God did not create randomly or without design." i marvel at God, at this unique, amazing, incredibly bizarre process.
tomorrow marks the last day of our stretch of company. danielle came, and i do believe the time passed too quickly (although i am sure she enjoys being back in her city, her stomping grounds). after too many years of quick lunches or a fast coffee together, it was fun to have days, endless conversations, and spontaneous laughter sessions together. i saw how friendships change over seasons, over years and maturity and growth. i cherish the times that danielle and i spent in laughter fits in her pink room in high school and late night cravings during sleep overs. but i treasure learning from my friend, hearing her perspective on life and how it has shaped her. i treasure that although separated by much distance and time and even very different personalities and lifestyles, God has given me a friend in her. love you, friend.
and my sweet mom.... she has spent the last five days serving casey and i. first by coming to my baby shower and blessing me in prayer, then by making us snacks and dinners and picking up our laundry. and, most of all, by painting our living room. dad, she didn't even get any paint in her hair. as i get nearer to my own journey of becoming a mom, i understand and appreciate my own. she selflessly gives, nurtures, cares, and gives some more. what examples i have in both of my mothers. what legacies to follow.
it has been a whirlwind the last three weeks. but i feel casey and i have walked away from it blessed. blessed by the relationships in our lives and blessed to give of our home and our space. may our home be an extension of love and peace. and, may it always provide an excuse for us to go out for dinner.....
i feel like that is all casey and i do for the month between memorial day and the end of june. our anniversary was the end of may, and both of our birthdays are in june.
yesterday was casey's birthday, and we have celebrated the last four years together. i celebrate the man he is in my life. i celebrate his friendship and how he is my best friend, the one i would choose in any line up or for any occasion. i celebrate the idea of him as father - how he will devote himself to being the best dad, example, and mentor he can be. i celebrate his victories and failures, knowing they have made him who is. i celebrate the idea of a long future, a family, a devotion shared for years and years to come.
thank you, casey. may you feel celebrated, adored, blessed.
i love you.
of pregnancy. today i am at 29 weeks, and four days, well into my third trimester. it is hard to believe that in almost ten weeks, casey and i will have a son or daughter, a new addition to our little family. it is hard to believe that we will begin this entirely new journey with so many new things to learn and process and share. yesterday i had an appointment with my midwives, and as they pushed around on my growing belly, they were able to identify the placement of the head, the back, the butt, and the feet. i am still in awe of God's amazing work in creating life, in his plan to place that inside women's body.
pregnancy details:
the pregnancy has been going great. i felt really good during the second trimester, mostly enjoying the interaction with the little one in there. casey is wonderful, and continues to rub my belly when i get uncomfortable or when the baby is kicking. this picture is of me at the coast with the ladies from the office. i was at 26 weeks, so, have grown since then.
more belly to come.
we had such a good time with ty and amy, not to mention all the wonderful places we went to eat. there were many excursions, including a trip to saturday market and a drive along the scenic columbia gorge highway to view the waterfalls. we had countless conversations about missions and babies and composting and our churches.
how refreshing to be with old friends and share new joys. we love you guys... come back soon so ben and little schilperoort can meet.
tonight, our friends ty and amy arrive from texas. we are so excited to have our first guests, to learn what it looks like to host in our new home and create that space of blessing for them. and, i am excited to compare bellies with amy; we are just a week apart in pregnancy, so, i am sure there will be many stories of what our bodies have decided to do and how they have decided to transform in the last few weeks.
after ty and amy leave, danielle (my best friend from texas) arrives, and then my mama. a house full of guests to truly "warm" it up. what fun!
