Update: 14 weeks, 4 days

I feel like I have been on a blogging hiatus lately and considering that I am going back to work (blerg) on Thursday my posts may be a little shorter and farther in between for a little while. August thru September are pretty exhausting in the life of a school teacher. So, my apologies, but I promise if there is any news, good or bad, I will put it on the blog as soon as I possibly can.

Where to start......

Gurt. There should have been a statewide staffing a week ago, but we haven't received a list which makes me think that probably the staffing is today. So be in prayer as we again wait to be signed up for potential Gurts. My friend Gail, from work, told me the neatest thing the other day. She talked about how she knew that God has created Tad and Gurt especially for Ryland and I, but she also talked about how God was getting Tad and Gurt ready for EACH OTHER. I have always compartmentalized the two. It made me cry, the thought of how God creates our siblings as a gift of love for us. I thought of Ryland's aunts. One who is a Tad and one who is a Gurt. They are best friends regardless of who gave birth to them. I also thought of Lane, Jilian, Hilary and Hayden. Ryland and I have irreplaceable, wonderful siblings that God blessed us with. We have such great relationships and I am so excited to watch my kids play together, laugh together, have inside jokes and maybe even get in trouble. Just another little blessing that I look forward to.

Tad. Tad has finally decided to be nice to Mommy. The second trimester has been great so far. I am amazed at how quickly my belly has grown, now that I have stopped vomiting everyday. I am still nauseated here and there but it is much much better. Even the headaches and nosebleeds have relaxed. Which for a psycho worry wort like myself, I start thinking crazy thoughts like "Ohmygosh! I am feeling too good- something must be wrong!" I know that it is NORMAL to feel good at this point but it is a constant struggle with myself. In faith, I am choosing to believe that Tad is good and happy and getting big. I look obviously pregnant all of a sudden. My secret is out even more than it was before. I have never had a belly like this before. I am in fat-girl denial right now. I really should be leaning toward maternity clothes but I just keep rubber-band tricking all my old pants, squashing them onto myself. I will be in full panel maternity clothes land in no time I'm sure, so I will be vain until my pant start digging into my chub.

Joia Gardner. Ryland's sister Jilian is pregnant also. She is due about 6 weeks ahead of me. All of Ryland's family (minus the Arkansas crew- we missed you!) gathered at his Grandma Mary's house Friday night to witness a cake cutting. Jilian and Jonathan went to the doctor Thursday to find out the sex of their baby. They asked the doctor not to tell them, but instead to write it inside a card and seal it in an envelope. They took the envelope to a bakery and asked them to bake a cake that had either a pink inside for a girl and a blue inside for a boy. They were expecting blue - after all the pencil test predicted blue and Jilian's pregnancy has been very different this time. Jilian cut the cake and pulled out a PINK piece. SO Tad and Gurt will have another sweet baby girl cousin in December. Her name will be Joia (pronounced Joy-uh). Hope I am spelling it right, Jil. Congratulations. We are thrilled for Jaisa the sequel.

Gifts. I got my first two baby gifts yesterday. The first one came at church via my friend Cindy B. she told me that she saw it at Target and had to get it, and after she got it decided that it was too cute and couldn't wait to give it to me. I opened the bag and she had bought a pink onesie that had guitars all over it. I LOVED it. If Tad is a girl I am sure there will be pictures with Daddy and his guitar. The second gift was from Flo, Shannon, Donna and Lynn- the teachers from school on my team. They bought me green burp cloths, a soft green polka dotted blanket and a Baby Einstein "Wake-Up/ Goodnight" CD for the nursery. Again, I LOVED it! I got a few gifts in my previous pregnancies, but I have long since packed those away and honestly, I have been a little afraid to get those out. There are a lot of hard memories attached to those. They represent loss in many ways. But, after my doctor's appointment tomorrow, I am bravely going to take them out and let myself feel whatever I need to feel. And then I am going to look at them as symbols of the future, and symbols of God's faithfulness and provision. I am going to believe that a baby will wear those soon.

Dr. K tomorrow- I have my next appointment tomorrow. As always, my nerves get a little fragile right before a visit. I have NO reason at all to suspect bad news. I am ready to receive all good news, but fear just gets me sometimes. I know that I am guilty of listening to that voice of doubt that whispers in my ear, I know that it is not the voice of God. I just don't quite know how to tell it to shut up! Please keep me and Ry in your prayers as we head in tomorrow for our next monthly check-up. We are also hoping that Dr. K will tell us the sex of the baby. All of my baby books say that you can see the sex at 12-13 weeks and I am almost 15 weeks. I know Dr. K will be able to see it, I just don't know if he will tell me. It is still a little risky to tell this early, but I am chomping at the bits! We'll see. I'll tell you one thing- there will be no cake party. I won't be able to wait 5 minutes before shouting it from a mountain top. Jilian and Jon have an amazing amount of restraint that I do NOT have. So stay tuned.

Back to School. I go back to work on Thursday. Again I have a few worries. I haven't been in the district all that long, and have mad some pretty major medical issues in the last two years between 3 miscarriages, one stomach flu and one regular flu. I only have enough sick leave for ONE maternity leave this year, but I do have disability that kicks in after sick days but I don't know if it covers adoptions. I know we will be fine financially, but it is scary. I am also not thrilled to be away from my class that long. I know that my kids will have a great certified sub that will take good care of everything, but I feel like I am letting people down. I never would have planned to get 2 kids in a year, and if I had tried to, it would never happen that way! - but God planned that for me, so I know it is better than any plan I could make on my own. Pray for my future students and their parents, they they will be flexible and understanding of my unique position. ON A POSITIVE NOTE: I had my most difficult class of my career last year. I just got my test scores back. I had 100% of my students pass the state test in reading. I only had 2 students not pass in math. The test scores were also the best of my career. I felt like I had won the lottery! God has shown me several times the impact that I have had on that group. I would be happy to share those things in person, they would reveal too much personal info in this platform, but God has proven again that my classroom is part of my ministry and I am ready to get back.

Love to you all! Goodbye to Summer.

Mindy