1st doctor visit

Monday morning we had our first visit with the new doctor. I am very happy with Dr. Irwin's helpful staff and friendliness! They were very focused on making sure all of our questions get answered...which is what they are supposed to be focused on! When we went in for the exam, since it looked on paper that we were right at ten weeks, the doctor began by listening for the baby's heartbeat. It was very nerve-wracking, because he hunted around for what felt like an eternity trying to find that little heartbeat. Without that heartbeat, the only proof I had thus far of being pregnant is my home pregnancy test and the obvious lack of cycle. A lot of what-ifs entered my mind in those few minutes as the doctor searched. He gave up on simply hearing the heartbeat and switched to the sonogram machine to find it...which was much quicker and with much releif, we got to see our tiny baby...whom we weren't supposed to get to see till another visit or two! Little Springstead does indeed have a healthy heartbeat, and we were told that it does look by size and everything to be exactly 10weeks, and everything appears to be going just fine. Praise God! Since this was not the scheduled sonogram, we didn't get any pictures of it. Honestly, it wasn't very clear anyhow...so for now rejoice with us that there is a healthy little baby being formed in our family and mark your calenders for April! The “due date” is April 19th.

Recently we have.....

(written sunday september 13th, 2009)

shopped for and found a new (previously leased) sofa! (we've been without our own comfortable living room for a couple of months now. It immediately became simpler to unpack the rest of our things now that I had a vision for what our living room would look like. I moved furniture to proper locations on Wednesday, the sofa was delivered on Thursday (another benefit of buying from a furniture store instead of getting something from a yard sale or thrift store is that we didnt have to move it..and not having a truck or friends that we know have a truck...that came as a huge benefit!) and I was able to hang some of our pictures on Friday! It finally feels comfortable in our living room! Mike and I are both slouching on the couch now...while he studies and I write this entry. It is so NICE to have space to be comfortable in our home!
The past week also brought a lot less of the fatigue i'd been feeling (which helped the room-arranging along greatly!) The last time I took a long nap (like i'd started to think would be the trend for the rest of my pregnancy) was last sunday! I've mostly stopped feeling so queasy too, my friend jennifer elliot suggested that I take the prenatal vitamins before bed to sleep through the nausea. Seems to be working a lot better. Is till have some bouts with feeling icky...but not as long and not as frequent.
Speaking of pregnancy...we got our insurance all lined up and I have my first doctor appointment next monday! Those weeks of waiting and not knowing how long we'd hbave to keep waiting were difficult...but thankfully, everything seemed to be going normally as far as we could tell. I mean, God's been doing this baby-growing thing for centuries....He doesn't really NEED a doctor to tell me He's doing in correctly this time. Trust trust trust.
I'm about 9 weeks along now...and will be 10 weeks when we get to go to the doctor. Isn't that the age the choose-life people said those baby-footprint pins were supposed to represent? And the little plastic babies they had too? It makes me smile to realize that the little springstead is that detailed already. Eyelids and fingers and toes and beginnings of fingernails....and so much more going on in there! God is not a procrastinator. If I were making this thing on my own, a lot of those little details might accidentally get skipped or at least put off till the night before the due date. Glad i'm not doing this on my own! (our poor child would never survive!) I love you, little springstead!

swbts (“swibbits”) ..so far

class taking:
though not “the student” in our family, I have started a few classes. I'm temporarily/permanently a member of the handbells group. Temporary...because if/when I get a job, odds are I wont be able to rehearse with the group anymore on tuesday and thursday afternoons. Permanent...because the director likes me so much, she hopes i'd still be able to ring concerts with the practices we've already had behind us...even after I get hoped-for job.
I'm also in the “wife of the equipping minister” class. A class which meets on tuesday nights geared toward new ministry student's wives. It covers many aspects of being in a ministry family...from personal relationship and time with God...to caring for your family...to hosting church family....and on and on. It is taught by the school president's wife. I really feel as though I “get” her (she's more organized than me!). And I also feel very blessed to be able to learn from her life experiences. We have to give a 3-5 minute presentation about something I know how to do and how it relates to ministry life. I'm thinking of doing it on rearranging furniture, actually. Its something i've used a lot when I really want to change my home but cant afford to buy new things. It also helps when you're moving to a new place....so you know where the big furniture goes before you get there...so it doesn't have to be moved around with all the other unpacking. Totally helpful for students wives in small spaces with small budgets! (thanks mom, for teaching me about graph paper models!)
I had also intended to join the Masters Chorale as a community member...but they meet on Monday nights...and so far every monday night for the past 2 or 3 weeks i've been feeling kind of yucky with pregnancy stuff...so mike's had to join that without me. i'm okay with it. I'd rather start off this way, instead of getting into the group, paying for music, and then finding myself not feeling up to concerts down the way.
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church hunting
last night there was a fair on campus to introduce new students and their families to several area churches. Free chic-fil-a and a lot of information about churches..which is good, because in our three weekends here, we have honestly run out of churches we could find on our own! Its not that there is a shortage of churches, it just feels like they are a little more hidden around here. I'm glad to be armed with some information on some of these before we enter their doors. Maybe I wont be so full of questions as we visit these...and can pay more attention to what is actually going on...instead of wondering if its even an SBC church and what sort of activities they have and so on.
Tomorrow night at the RAC (recreation and activities center...aka..the gym) there is a meet and greet sort of thing with swbts members of an area reformed sbc church which a friend of mine (from handbells) is a part of. I've got the most information on their church...probably because holly gave me a big handful of their stuff as soon as she saw me at the fair:) i'm particularly interested in meeting this congregation,. That little presbyterian part of me is very interested in it! We'll see, through.
People at the different church booths kept asking us “what are you looking for in a church?” and my answer is simply “the place where God wants us.” can't think of any better reply...because that's it. Truth in teaching and practice is a must...but size is variable. Music style is variable...as long as its where God wants us. Honestly, I have to be careful not to let those personal preferences get in the way of what God might be leading us to. I don't want to just be comfortable someplace...i want us to be challenged to be a bit uncomfortable if it is necessary to be in God's will.

33 weeks and counting

it's been two weeks now since we found out about our little springstead. i'm about 7 weeks along, by our calculations. (we haven't gone to a docotor yet, because we're waiting to hear about our insurance approval.) In just two weeks i've already had so many adjustments to make regarding how I plan my days and how I eat. I can't just say “i'm going to the store and to run these errands tomorrow” because I have no idea if i'll feel up to all of that when the day actually comes. I've had to learn to make tentative plans, and leave room for rest before classes or other commitments. This alone has been a huge change for my list-making mentality. I'm used to being able to schedule my life and accomplish my list and then some on a good day. Now its a good day if I get one thing on the list done. I've started making lists of things to do if I have a good day...or a good hour. I see it as very good training for when I actually have the little springstead in the outside world to fit into my plans. With a baby I might not always get my lists completed, but learning now to rejoice in a little accomplishment will help that not come as a shock in 7 or 8 months. (Mom, you're a list maker...tell me how you adjusted to this!)
i'm also being reminded of lists I should be making...like if I had been writing down everything I eat and how I feel everyday...i'd know if what I eat for breakfast has a bearing on how well I feel the rest of the day. I'm testing that theory now. I had a good day today...so eggs will be considered “good.” cereal is iffy..because I had cereal yesterday and felt awful most of the day. I have had more good days then awful...so that's promising.
I started writing letters to the baby....explaining where we are in life now and just before finding out about him/her. I don't know if its something they will ever want to read, but it will at least be a good record for me....a clear telling of this chapter of our lives.
its amazing to think about just the little ideas and glimpses of what this childs life will be like with us and as they grow into adults. i often find myself looking down at my not-yet-growing belly and saying "i love you, little baby."