Peace on Earth

Merry Christmas!

Lately...

OK - So I'm not great at this whole blog thing. Sorry! I will attempt to catch you up over the past 2 months.

First, Matt graduated college!!!! Yahoo!! Can I just say that it has been a long time coming and we are BOTH so excited about the extra free time. :) We threw a graduation party for him and packed our house with friends and family. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to prove it even happened. But, we do now have a very expensive piece of paper hanging on our wall to represent his achievement.

Next, we headed up to Seattle for a church planting conference. It was a good trip, but we were really busy the whole time with the conference so we didn't get a big chance to "sightsee." We did go down to Tacoma, which is a really neat town. We were looking at it as a potential place to plant the church, and after we got back to Temple it is now officially the place where we're going to plant. I also finally got to see Mt. Rainier - it is no longer a legend. When we were flying back home it was a clear day (imagine that!) and we were able to see both Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens from the plane. Now that was awesome!

In October I was busy getting ready for our church's Fall Festival. It was on the 25th and we had a great time! I dressed up as a karate master (you know, because of all the kicking going on in my belly) and Matt was a construction worker. Of course, everyone was asking him if he was Joe the Plumber. I guess it can be confusing... I don't have a picture of us to post, but let me tell you - we were cute!

On actual Halloween night we had a pumpkin carving party at our good friends' house - Casey & Sarah. There was a prize for most creative food dishes - and we won! :)

Our "Mummy Coffin Cake" and "Sausage Bugs."
Now, here we are in November. I will offically be in my third trimester on Friday. WHOA! Time has flown. I have a feeling that time will start to slow down soon, though. I am starting to get the aches & pains of pregnancy. I definitely have a hard time turning over at night, and getting out of bed in the morning is a pain. Parker is an active little fella, but that doesn't bother me one bit. Just lets me know that he's OK. Baby shower time is now upon us, and we have been working hard to get his room completely cleared out so that we have somewhere to put the new stuff that will be coming in.

Here's the latest pic of me at 27 weeks.

So, I cannot promise that I will be better at blogging, but I will try...

CardioSplash

Yes folks, I am the newest member of CardioSplash at the TC pool. I started going on Monday after work and I love it! I also love that it is called CardioSplash. SO much cooler than Water Aerobics. :) I decided that I didn't want to be a sloth for all of my pregnancy (despite my body trying to convince me otherwise), so I signed up. I am pretty sure that I'm the youngest in the class, but all the ladies in there are so sweet and already know my name and the fact that I'm pregnant. I feel like the "special" kid in class, though. Whenever we start doing an exercise, the instructor will always yell, "Harder! But not you Erin!"

What satisfies you?

I think I could watch this video over and over again. There is so much in it that resonates in my soul.

About 4 weeks ago I was sitting on my bed on a Saturday afternoon. I looked down, and I was covered in blood. And the first thing I thought was, we lost this baby, too. I ran to the bathroom while yelling across the house to Matt. After a quick call to one of my nurse friends, we were in the car on the way to the hospital. We were silent for a little bit, but then I asked Matt to pray. He prayed to God, pleading for the safety of our baby, but also telling God that we loved Him and trusted Him. After he was done, I said that if losing this baby is what God has in store for us, then it's what we want. And then I wondered, where in the world did that come from?

We arrived at the hospital and were taken into the same room where we had our second ultrasound in November and made the decision there to have a D & C. I was a scared of history repeating itself. Yet, there was this peace inside my soul that I knew whatever happens, God is the same. And as John Piper put it, God is enough. He is big enough to take care of whatever is going on, even if taking care of it means that I lose my baby.

The good news is that the baby is OK and we will find out more about my low-lying placenta in the weeks to come. But the better news is that God is in control and I am not. I still feel this anxiousness rise up in me from time to time. But I try to bring myself back to that day 4 weeks ago and to feel the boldness that was in my heart and the peace in my soul.

I pray that I will strive daily to find satisfaction in the only thing that is for sure - God. That regardless of what happens with this baby, with my life in general, that I will be able to make God look glorious.

The Picture Game

Okay everyone, it's time for a new "get to know your friends" post! I was tagged by Bethany. Here are the rules: Take all the pictures right away (no cleaning up first!!!), and then tag three friends to do it too!

1. Favorite Destination:
DISNEY WORLD!! I love that place! This was actually a hard question, but Disney World can always put a smile on my face. :)

2. Self-Portrait

3. What the Kids Are Doing

Well, Lizzie is relaxing. She is a big fan of laying around. :)

Baby Dugan is chillaxin' in the belly. Which, by the way, looks HUMONGOUS in this picture. I hope it's just the angle and the fact that I'm wearing a striped shirt.

4. My Closet

Well, today is your lucky day. Matt and I were bitten by a productive bug on Sunday afternoon and went through my whole wardrobe. I got rid of 3 huge bags of clothes, purses, and shoes. Also, I packed up some clothes that I won't be able to fit into until after Baby Dugan makes an entrance.

5. The Laundry Room

Looks like I need to put up some towels. But, other than that, pretty impressive. Definitely not the norm.

6. The Refrigerator

OK, this is a bit embarassing. If you need drinks or condiments, we got you covered. Other than that...

7. Favorite Room in the House

I like our living room a lot. It's definitely where we spend most of our waking hours when we are home. Lizzie loves the chair in the corner. Matt and I usually get to share the couch. :)

8. The Bathroom

OK, you're not gonna see the master bathroom right now. It's a little lived in. But here's our pink guest bathroom. You can usually count on that one to be clean.

9. The Kitchen Sink

We have dirty dishes, but they're all in the dishwasher.

10. Favorite Shoes

Here's my reliable, go with anything, wedges. Notice they are exactly the same, just one pair in black and one pair in brown. When you find something you like, you gotta stick with it, right?

Fun stuff! Now I'm tagging: Sarah, Becky, and Sara!

Remember, no cleaning up before you take the pictures!!!

Un-bloggy

I am really awful at this whole blog thing. I look at everyone's blogs at least once a day, but then I look at mine, and say, "Eh, maybe later." The energy to think of something fun, witty, or interesting to write about seems to escape me...daily.

But, here's a recap of life lately:

I am going to be 16 weeks pregnant on Friday. Whoa nelly! The pregnancy has been fairly normal except for one little hiccup a couple of weeks ago. Basically, I began bleeding and Matt and I rushed to the hospital. The good news: The baby is fine. We actually got to see it and it looks so different from the last ultrasound. It's little legs and arms were moving all around. It was such a relief. The bad news: My placenta is right on top of my cervix. There is a fairly good chance it will move to where it's supposed to be, but if it doesn't I will be dealing with placenta previa. Read: More bleeding, Bedrest, Possible preterm labor, C-section. So, please pray that my placenta will move up to its correct spot so that we can avoid all of those "fun issues."

My next visit to the doctor is in about 2 1/2 weeks (Sept. 5th). That's where we'll find out what we're having and also see what my placenta has done. Anyone who has been brave enough to guess what we're having says a boy. I have no idea one way or another. And, honestly, don't care. I just want this baby to be healthy. I know, that is so cliche. But also, so true.

I already have a plan for 2 more blogs, so be on the lookout. Bethany tagged me for a picture blog, which I plan to do tomorrow on my day off. Also, through the whole "hiccup" a couple of weeks ago God was doing some cool stuff in my heart. And I want to share a little more about that.

But, for now, can anyone believe how many times I typed the word placenta in this blog? Pregnancy seems to throw modesty out the window. :)

Preteen Camp

Well, I just got back from Preteen Camp on Thursday. We went to Highland Lakes Encampment in Spicewood, Texas. It was nice going there because I am very familiar with the place. Not a lot has changed since my high school years. The dorm situation is always fun - sharing 3 showers with 30 girls. I felt like such an adult, waking up early to take a shower so that I can just lay in bed as the girls scramble for a place in the shower line. I remember my mom doing that when she would go to camp as a sponsor. And I was the kid who didn't get out of bed until the last minute, begging for one more minute of sleep. :)

Even though I went to a lot of camps growing up, I never went to Preteen Camp. It was a surprise to me when I found out that the kids could never go anywhere alone. Wanna go to the gift shop? I have to come with you. Forgot your shirt down by the lake, down the hill we just walked up? I have to go back with you. Running late for breakfast? I have to wait with you. So fun... Also, I don't know that preteeners (3rd - 6th graders) have quite figured out how to shower to actually clean yourself. By the end of the week, our dorm smelled nasty! I was more than willing to share my body spray with any and all that asked - and even some who didn't.

Even though there were some things I had to get used to, it is always a blessing to watch young kids hear things for the first time that you have always taken for granted. The Bible stories are new and fresh, the challenges aren't old and tired. I really felt like the things we talked about in Bible Study and Church Group Time were impactful and exciting.

Personally, I was really nervous about going since I was only 11 weeks pregnant and still dealing with nausea and tiredness. I prayed for energy and a non-queasy belly. The Lord really answered my prayer and I felt like I could keep up and was able to attend almost every activity. Such a blessing! However, these past two days I think are making up for that time. I have felt the most sick I've felt since the beginning. Oh well - I am home and it is much easier to deal with here.

One more thing...

So....I forgot one more picture from this Summer. Yes, we are pregnant! It was definitely a surprise, but we found out right before our first baby's due date came around. God's timing is always perfect.

Last Tuesday we were able to see our baby and hear the heartbeat. We were so scared and nervous, but we knew that God's plan is always bigger and better. So we held on to that truth (through tears) and were blessed to see our baby. The due date is February 6th, 2009.

Please pray for us as we enjoy this journey. :)

Pictures

Here's some pictures from the first half of Summer 2008:

On May 24th I turned 26 years old. Yikes! I am creeping slowly to 30 and it is kind of freaking me out. Anyways, Matt, my wonderful husband, made me breakfast in bed and Lizzie begged for some love. :)

Over Memorial Day weekend we went to San Antonio to celebrate our 4th anniversary/my 26th birthday. We had a great time - but it was super crowded!



As you can see from above, I chopped off my hair for a summer "do." It has been so nice with all of the hot weather to have hair off of my neck and back. Also, Matt was a groomsman in Josh & Stephanie Stewart's wedding the last weekend of May.


The very next weekend, Matt and I were part of the wedding party in Scott & Jamie Snyder's wedding. It was a beautiful outside wedding and it was good to see Scott & Jamie finally married! (after 8 years of dating)



The next weekend I headed up to Ft. Worth for our annual Roommate Weekend. It was a great trip. We went to the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens, the Water Gardens, and of course, Sam Moon! :) I love that Carly, Jen, and I still are such good friends and still enjoy hanging out with each other.



After VBS was all over, I took a week off from work to "recharge." During that week I headed up to Houston to visit Kevin, Becky, and Laurel. We took Laurel swimming, went to an Astros game, and practiced sitting up. It was good to see Laurel and see how big she has gotten.

Oops!

Yikes! I have been awful at this whole blogging thing. I am sitting here on the other side of VBS now, so hopefully I will have more time (and motivation) to blog.

So much has happened since I last wrote. I chopped all my hair off, was in a wedding, had a roommate weekend in Ft. Worth, and survived Vacation Bible School!

Also, on June 20th, Matt and I mourned the loss of our first baby. I had a miscarriage in November, but it's due date was June 20th. It is such a weird thing to think about. I wonder how completely different our lives would be right now if I had not miscarried. I also know that God is in control and His plan is so much better...

I have all of next week off just to relax, so hopefully pictures will be coming soon!

First Post

So, I've decided to start my own blog. Lately, there are a lot of things that have crossed my mind, and I've thought: "Hey! I should blog about that!" Of course, here I am now, with my own blog, and not much to say.

Things are crazy right now. Vacation Bible School is a little over 3 weeks away and I've been waking up early every morning going through every little detail. I hate being that way, but I know the constant chatter in my mind won't go away until June 27th.

I've been looking at my schedule for summer and one word for it is: overwhelming. When looking at the calendar I can't help but think that the summer is going to fly by, whether I'm ready for it to or not. Of course, I can do without the heat. But, there is something about summer, even being out of school, that just screams, "Freedom!"

So, we'll see where this blog goes from here. I am famous for being a bad communicator. However, I'd love to be better, so this is my attempt.