Finally... some movement!!

This week I am 18 weeks pregnant with our sweet baby, and I am finally starting to feel some movement!! Praise the LORD! After losing our baby in August to a miscarriage, I haven't allowed myself to get too attached to this baby yet. I think I've just been scared that something might go wrong and I guess deep down I wanted to try to spare myself the heartache I experienced last time. However, any mother would agree with me that once you feel that little flutter in your tummy, there's no turning back! The connection between mother and baby is so very cool and I just love knowing that I am the only person in the whole world that will every know what it feels like to feel my baby from the inside. I'm completely in love with this little person (who is now over 1/2 a pound in weight and 6 inches from crown to rump) that's growing inside of me. :)

I am also very humbled that the Lord has chosen to bless us with another baby. I guess as more and more people around me are starting their own families, I'm becoming more aware of what a blessing healthy pregnancies, babies and children are. Over the past year, I have had a precious friend who unexplainably lost her sweet 9 week old to SIDS, another who's one month old baby was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, one who's baby was born 5 weeks early and is in the NICU due to loss of oxygen to his brain causing him not to be able to respond, and another very close friend who is going through a miscarriage as we speak. It's so hard to understand why our God, who is so good, would allow these awful things happen. This is where our faith comes in- "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1). I am choosing to trust that God is good! He's better than anything that we can imagine and I know that He has a plan for us (Jer 29:11). We can't see the big picture, but Praise Jesus HE CAN!! Again, I have found myself thanking the Lord for allowing me to experience the loss of a miscarriage. I know it sounds completely crazy, but knowing the loss of a baby and praying for my sweet friends who are facing huge trials has helped me to truly savor every step of the way with this pregnancy. It's also made me so very grateful for the two healthy babies that I have.

"Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name"
-Matt Redman "Blessed Be Your Name"