She's dropped!

Good news from the doc yesterday! It looks like our little miss Mulder is heads down and is dropping into position! Yay! I had a feeling she had dropped some, just by comparing my profile pics. But, it's always nice to hear it from the doctor :) My cervix has thinned 50% with no dilation yet. I'm right at 36 weeks now, with nothing holding this baby back except maybe a few more weeks. Everything is looking great!

36 weeks

On another note....I had to take my wedding ring off yesterday :( . I woke up 2 days ago and my hands were puffy from a humid night's rest. My finger had a slight purple tint to it in the morning, yikes! I had to wait until evening again and a good rinse under cold water, but was finally able to wrench it off. I find myself fingering for that familiar accessory on my finger only to find it missing every time. Sad day...but only a few weeks left.

My goals this week are to pack the hospital bag, find a pediatrician, and get that car seat in the car properly....she'll be here before we know it!

Anniversaries, cousins, and baseball

Baseball is America's past-time you say? How about anniversaries?? We had so much fun at the local White Caps game last night celebrating 4 years together. Better yet, we joined Greg's cousin Beth and her husband Dan in celebrating THEIR 5 year anniversary! In fact, I remember attending their wedding very well. You see...after the reception, Greg drove me out to the beach that night and proposed among the dune grass....we were married almost exactly 1 year later. Sweet times indeed.

So here's to anniversaries, cousins, and baseball! Oh, and Greg did catch a foul ball for me too :) Then after I snapped a pic, he gave it to an adorable, bright blue-eyed, 6 year old girl instead...such a softy :)

34 weeks

Four and counting!

To my tall, dark and HANDSOME hunk of a husband Greg,

It's amazing we have been married for 4 years now! Some days it feel like just yesterday I was slipping into the gown of my dreams and then staring down that aisle only to see your beaming smile :).

Each year that has passed has brought on new challenges; life, and family, and our personal lives have tested us for sure. But, we have never stopped loving each other during those times. We have looked to God for counsel, and WOW has he been answering prayers left and right!

Thanks for being such a rock for me this past year, even when you didn't feel like it. You keep me so grounded! I really respect how you handle our finances, your commitment to AMST, your commitment to church and youth group, and your relationship with our Lord.

Now let's enjoy our last anniversary before a certain little munchkin comes knocking on our bedroom door in the middle of the night...maybe for the next 18+ years! ;)

All my love, Shay

honeymoon in Mexico...and Greg looking Mexican with that tan! :)

Baby Shower!

My first official baby shower over the weekend...

fabulous food.

generous gifts.

hilarious people. fun games.

heartfelt prayers.

tears of joy. good memories.

Thank you everyone for such a special day! Baby thanks you too...she just kicked :)

Use it...

I was blessed by this devotion and wanted to share it.


My Struggles are About Him
by: Max Lucado

What about your struggles? Is there any chance, any possibility, that you have been selected to struggle for God's glory? Have you "been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29)?

Here is a clue. Do your prayers seem to be unanswered? What you request and what you receive aren't matching up? Don't think God is not listening. Indeed he is. He may have higher plans.

Here is another. Are people strengthened by your struggles? A friend of mine can answer yes. His cancer was consuming more than his body; it was eating away at his faith. Unanswered petitions perplexed him.Well-meaning Christians confused him. "If you have faith," they said, "you will be healed."

No healing came. Just more chemo, nausea, and questions. He assumed the fault was a small faith. I suggested another answer. "It's not about you," I told him. "Your hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. Your faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God's song."
Oh, that you could have seen the relief on his face. To know that he hadn't failed God and God hadn't failed him--this made all the difference. Seeing his sickness in the scope of God's sovereign plan gave his condition a sense of dignity. He accepted his cancer as an assignment from heaven: a missionary to the cancer ward.

A week later I saw him again. "I reflected God," he said, smiling through a thin face, "to the nurse, the doctors, my friends. Who knows who needed to see God, but I did my best to make him seen."

Bingo. His cancer paraded the power of Jesus down the Main Street of his world.
God will use whatever he wants to display his glory. Heavens and stars. History and nations. People and problems.

Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God.

Through your problems and mine, may God be seen.

Recent happenings!

Since my last post, quite a lot has been going on! We went camping with Greg's family over the 4th of July out at Gun Lake. (Funny name, but the lake is actually shaped like a gun...weird huh?) It was so fun spending time with all Greg's cousins, aunts and uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents. This year the cousins thought it would be fun to create a mini triathlon, which turned out to be quite a riot! I joked that I would compete in the bike, float, and walk preggo triathlon. But, I did end up doing the 4 mile bike and 1/2 mile walk portions with the others. We had opening ceremonies with a special speech from Uncle Chuck out by the lake, followed by award ceremonies at the finish line where the aunts draped a yogurt lid attached by a paperclip to a candy necklace around the first place winner (stellar performance Elliot!) Mom M. and I were awarded the oldest and youngest competitor award with candy pacifiers (very appropriate don't you think?). Next year I am bringing my A game to this new tradition!

Some beach time...

The start of the race...

Elliot's crowning moment :)

Glowing with enthusiasm over our coveted ring pops...

Next we went up north to visit my lovely Lauren and her husband Dave for the following weekend. It happened to fall on only the biggest day of the year for small-town Weidman... Weidman Daze!! OK, this is pretty much your stereotypical po dunk small town festival. They have a small parade with mostly firetrucks and tractors, a small firework show, and the classic festival activities including tractor pulls, craft shows, and a dunk tank. The highlight was watching Greg and Dave compete in a fireman water hose contest where they had to push this tank across a wire using the power from the hose. It pretty much turned into a water fight....boys. Geesh.

In front of Lauren's recent house update....love that fireplace!

What a talented husband she has :)

32 weeks...

Thirty

Well, I feel like I'm finally in the homestretch...officially 30 weeks today! It feels so good knowing there's only 10 weeks left (or less hopefully)! Here's a few pics I forgot to post along the way...

27.5 weeks

29 weeks

30 weeks!

My legs have definitely started swelling more...even at the beginning of the day sometimes. And the veins continue to worsen. But, I have learned how to camouflage and wear lots of long dresses and skirts to avoid the stares. I have a normal check up appointment Thursday, and after that I will go every 2 weeks. I still feel pretty relaxed. No nightmares of birthing yet. No dreams of ugly babies. Not too much anxieties really. But, I am anticipating the 2 month push where you feel like you have so much to do in so little time. We still need to paint the baby room and move all the furniture in. But, for now I'm doing pretty good. However, ask me in 2 weeks, and I may suddenly feel overwhelmed. We'll see...