blessed beyond measure

One of the best side effects of pregnancy is the intense drive to create order in your world. The non-pregnant me is, though ashamedly, an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of person. Hence the condition of our closets, shelves, dressers, etc., and thus an outlet for my nesting. It's borderline obsessive. Over the last several weeks, I have done a lot of cleaning out of things. It's been therapeutic. I may not be able to control my child at the moment, but I can throw stuff away. Goodbye, medicines that expired in 2008. Goodbye, spices that have been in the kitchen cabinet since our wedding day. Goodbye, old faded bathing suit that I would only ever fit into again in my wildest dreams. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Hello, place for everything and everything in its place. Maybe we really don't need to add a room onto the house just for stuff. Nope, if a room gets added onto this house, it will be my very own Claire Huxtable, soundproof, deadbolted, foot massager room. I won...

So we have just over six weeks until the big arrival. I'm slightly overwhelmed. Oddly enough, not overwhelmed about six weeks from now, but about all that must happen between now and then. It must be the second child syndrome. Pretty much the only preparation I have done for Baby Dolphin is to get my FMLA paperwork in order and wash a couple loads of baby clothes. Nursery...still a guest room. Baby supplies & toys...somewhere packed away in the basement, hopefully not too musty but likely with a generous dusting of soot. Car seat...um...where did we put that? By this point last time, Trey's room was complete, closet bursting with all-new Dreft-fresh clothes, blankets, sheets, etc. All the toys and equipment were cleaned and set up. Feeding supplies disinfected. Just waiting. Sometimes I'd go into his room, sit in the rocking chair, and try to imagine what it would be like when Trey came. Yeah, not so much this time. The irony is not lost. That for the first p...

This past weekend, Trey and I continued our tradition of staying with my folks while Brandon was away at a basketball coach's clinic. While we missed Brandon, of course, we had such a fun and relaxing time together. This post could just as easily have been called "Playground weekend", as Trey was spoiled privileged to visit the playground on Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning during nursery time, and Sunday night. Jumping Peek a boo! Trying to eat pinecones with Dudley Poppop! You made it through the tunnel! Sliding The fam, taking a walk to the beach area of the park Big buddy and little buddy taking in the view Cracking up, throwing sand into the lake (and all over himself) Looking for fish with Giga A rare quiet moment Thank you, Lord, for our precious family.

The outdoors, and the weather to spend time there, have been Trey's saving grace lately. He is going through an angry phase, and I use the word "phase" with as much faith as I can drum up, in hopes that meanness is not some new, permanent dimension to his personality. About the only thing guaranteed to keep the boy happy is to play outside. Bubbles, slide, swings, baseball, golf... Anything and everything. Today was a low-maintenance outdoor play day. The simpler the activity, the better. I used sidewalk chalk to create a winding road of letters for Trey to ride his tricycle on. He goes around and around, so proud of himself every time he finishes the alphabet. Picking "dan-du-wines". These are meant to be shaken violently, and ideally you should position yourself so that the stuff blows back in your face. Collecting old walnuts to throw into the bushes. He likes throwing things. Chasing butterflies, sometimes so fast and crazy that you get dizzy and fall...

I am 31 weeks along, and went for my 30-week checkup yesterday. They did another ultrasound to check the position of the placenta, which has corrected itself. Good news. The ultrasound technician puts the scanner on my belly, and there is Baby Dolphin. Here is the conversation: Technician : Hmm. Me : What does that mean? Technician : Do you have a history of big babies? Me : There was just one before this one. He was big in comparison to me. Scan, scan, scan... Technician : Boy, he's got a noggin on him. Scan, stop, head measurement appears on screen Me : Right there, where it says 33 weeks 5 days, does that mean his head is measuring at 33 weeks and 5 days? Technician : Yep! (Giggles) Nice. So then I go for my weight and blood pressure check, where the nurse (who was one of my primary nurses during my pregnancy with Trey) greets me with, "Got another big one in there, don't you?" Then when the doctor comes into the room to see me, her first words are, "You...

Oh, if only we had a dollar for every time that question came out of Trey's mouth over the last few days. With Brandon on spring break last week, we took off for a long weekend in Williamsburg, our first and last vacation for just the three of us. Trey entertained us throughout the whole trip by asking this question, on average, once every 20 seconds or so. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and went for a "walk around the neighborhood", as Trey put it. No money spent for tours, but it was so nice to walk the streets of colonial Williamsburg. So simple, so peaceful, so old. I absolutely love that place. Trey was not the world's happiest stroller-rider, so we found a big field he could run around in. When later asked what he saw while walking "around the neighborhood", the only thing he mentioned was "horse poop". For a special treat on Thursday night, since she was only a short drive away, Whitney came up to have dinner with us. Trey was sooooo...

What a week it has been. It was back to "normal" for us after the drama blitz, and it honestly took us the whole week to recover. Sleep, the house and other responsibilities, and Trey's routine had all taken a backseat for a while, and as much as we loved being part of the drama, it was nice to be home. We did attempt to do Holy Week activities with Trey each day. And it was pretty neat. He did a good job of paying attention for short spans. Above all, we just wanted to make sure Trey knew that Jesus is what makes this time special. Not eggs or bunnies or what little candy he can have. Here is how we celebrated Holy Week: Monday : In reference to the Triumphal Entry, we cut leaves off one of our houseplants, waved them in the air, and shouted, "Hosanna! Jesus is king!" This was by far Trey's favorite of the activities, and we repeated it several times through the week. Tuesday : In reference to the clearing of the temple, we did some much needed clea...

At Christmastime, part of the decor in Trey's room is a wooden nativity set. It has been a neat toy to play with (occasionally there are earthquakes in Bethlehem and we have to rebuild the stable, much to Trey's delight). It has also served as a visual enhancement to teaching Trey about the Christmas story. A few times this past Christmas, as Trey was playing with the nativity set, he would take the Baby Jesus, rub it against his cheek and say, "Baby Jesus, it's alright." Sweet, right? But more than that. Ever since Trey was born, I have thought much about Jesus' mother. There are times when Trey does something funny or learns something new, I wonder if Jesus ever did something similar, and what Mary thought about it. Motherhood is universal, after all, and I just have a feeling that she experienced many of the same emotions, hopes, and even self-based frustrations that I do. For despite God's promises regarding Jesus' life, He was still human, still h...