30 weeks with 10 more to Go

Wow, I have gotten behind in my blogging. But hopefully once the baby comes I can use this to keep everybody posted on how he is doing!

I am now about 30 weeks along in my pregnancy which means only about 10 more. I can't believe that in 2 months my life will change forever. I know this child will teach me about my own selfishness and show me how to depend on God more than ever. I try to imagine what it will be like to hold this bundle of joy in my arms and know he is my flesh and blood and I just can't wrap my mind around it.

Today we went to the doctor for my Diabetes test and for another ultra sound. I had heard horror stories of how the drink they use to test you blood was so awful. I did not think it was that bad, but if you know me, you know I like sugar. Well anyways some time went by and I went back for my ultrasound to check my uterus. Once she finished looking at the baby I was like oh no, I don't feel so good. I think if I had stood up at that moment I would have passed out. But thankfully I didn't!! It was quite a weird feeling though. And also my placenta has moved up with the baby so a natural birth should be in order now.

Once again I am amazed with God's grace and goodness to me during this pregnancy. As I have all these worries and fears about delivery, being a mom, and supporting a child God always comes to the rescue and calms my fears. I am so thankful that there is someone bigger than me out there controlling all of life's issues.

Oh yeah, we got to see a pretty good view of Baby Ackley's face today in the ultrasound, it was so cute. The technician doing the ultrasound said he had nice round checks. I am sure he will be a chubby baby. I can't wait to meet you little Peanut Ackley!!

A testimony of Love

Two weeks ago today a wonderful guy named Marc Holton passed away. While he left this planet I am certain that he is in Heaven now, a far better place than this earth we call home. It's just hard to understand why God would take a guy so young with so much potential? I found myself asking "Why God?" when I found out the terrible news. While I can't understand God's plan in all of this, as I am sure many others can't as well, I can take comfort in the fact that HE is God and I am not. To us, death is such a terrible thing (and it is don't get me wrong), but in reality for believers in Christ Jesus they get to go home and see their Maker...what a wonderful thing that is.

When we went to Marc's memorial on Sunday I was still in shock that a friend, young person my age was being laid to rest. As the service progressed God's presence was evident. The words spoken about Marc--how he touched so many lives, made so many people smile, and shared Christ's Love with so many around him, was an incredible testimony to the Love Marc had for Christ. I believe this is the legacy Marc Holton would have wanted to leave here on earth, although I am sure he hadn't planned on leaving quite so early.

Marc- I know that God was glorified through your life, and death. I know we will see your big smile again one day. I will miss your big laugh and playing rook with you at camp, although I am sure we will have a lot of time for that in Heaven. :) I know God said to you when you entered Heaven "Well done my good and faithful servant." And I am saying the same thing--your life inspired me to live and love a better life.

See ya later!

The sad things in life...

As I read all these books about pregnancy I see the importance of getting good prenatal care, eating healthy, and taking your prenatal vitamins. Which brings me to think about my 7th grade student who is 13…. she is a couple months ahead of me. I am guessing she will probably have her baby in March or April. Can you imagine…being thirteen and getting ready to have a baby? I am having a hard time imagining how this will all work out at 25 and I have a husband. This poor young girl hardly ever comes to school, sleeps when she comes and lives in one of the worst projects in Winston-Salem. I wonder if she is getting the good prenatal care all pregnant women deserve?

On another non-pregnancy note we just found out my 83 year old grandfather has Alzheimer’s. We knew he had been losing his memory for a while now, but he has finally seen a doctor that has announced the news. My grandfather’s reaction to the doctor’s statement is “I am not brain dead, that doctor said I am brain dead.” My grandfather I guess thinks nothing is wrong with him, but his short-term memory is defiantly going. He always has to ask my grandmother what day it is and he has been getting up at 12 midnight thinking it is time to start his day.

Recently he has been taking medication for his Alzheimer, but the doctor told him he could not drive…what??? He could not understand why he couldn’t drive. He said without being able to drive he could not go to work on the farm and he might as well die. This is a man who for 83 years has worked—physically on golf courses as the superintendent, and on my cousins’ farm for everyday of his life, probably at least 12 hours a day. This man defines himself by his work.

What is hardest for me…is not that he doesn’t know who I am—I am sure that will come, but is to see him suffer. He cries at night because he knows he is losing it. My grandmother is a great woman and she has stood beside papaw for 60 long years, but she is suffering. My mom, (who is also a lot like her father) a tough, strong woman is suffering. It’s hard to see those you love so much struggle, and feel so much pain that they don’t know what to do.

Life is a crazy thing...

Well this is our first blog…and I guess it is also more of a journal as well! We figured this would be another outlet to keep up with people…and just another thing to waste time on. ☺

Life has been going well, with a lot of ups and downs, but it wouldn’t make for a fun ride if it weren’t that way. At the beginning of the school year I sat in my principal’s office and discussed the upcoming school year. He asked about how Steven was doing in seminary and how our life was going. (He is a very caring and personable guy.) We proceeded to talk about children and us having them one day while I casually mentioned “Oh that’s a long way off for us.” Little did I know that I was probably already pregnant!! A couple months later I told my principal, “I need to talk with you for a minute,” I went on to tell him how life was a funny thing and that I spoke too soon about not having children for a while. I told him I was going to be a mom and that fortunately it would be happening around June 12th (school gets out June 6th)!!

So anyways, the news is true if you have or haven’t heard it! Steven and I are excepting a precious baby in June 2008. I am sorry if we could not tell you in person, but with technology these days there is no telling how fast news spreads!!

We are super excited to add this new joy and blessing to our lives, but also scared to death at the same time. I know God will provide for all our needs, but it is scary to think of all the “how’s!”

I am now a little over 12 weeks, almost done with the first trimester, Yay! And fortunately for me I feel like I am not the average pregnant woman, being that I have literally had no morning sickness. Thanks God! Just a little nausea and a lot of tiredness, so I am extremely thankful for that! In January we should be able to know the sex of our baby and that will be another crazy milestone.

Enough for now!