I have no idea if this word exists (just for the record, it does NOT appear in The American Heritage College Dictionary that graces my bookshelf!) but my husband coined it a couple weeks ago.  I thought it hilarious and very fitting.

These are a few of the “guessology remarks” we have heard during our six months of being pregnant:

“Lots of nausea means it is a boy” followed a few days later by,

“Lots of nausea means it is a girl!” (how can it be both???)

“Nausea late in the pregnancy means your baby girl will have lots of hair” (I guess we will have to wait and see about that!)

“If your belly is like a basketball and all out front of you, it is a boy, if it is shaped more rounded to the sides, it is a girl”  (Opps, I am carrying like a “boy” but two rather graphic ultrasounds show a very obvious girl!)

“For sure, if your baby is that active, it is a boy!” (again, opps, we must have an unusual girl?!)

I find much amusement in all the guessology that surrounds pregnancy.  I have decided no one really knows because every pregnancy, the way I figure it, is unique, with every baby being unique and every woman being very unique.  But I continue to enjoy everyone’s ideas.  Like I said, it amuses me and I like being amused!

Ultrasound #2 on Monday was a precautionary event after a little scare on Friday and yet another visit to the hospital ER.  I am wondering if we will manage to stay out of that waiting room for anything longer than two weeks in a row.  But praise God, all is well, girly’s heartbeat was perfect and her karate moves never lessened for even one hour.  I felt, in a new way, the many prayers being offered on her behalf on Friday and am so grateful for those of you who are so faithfully lifting us before the throne of Grace.  Please don’t stop!

No job breakthrough, but we are confident it will happen soon.  God showed us once again how He is taking care of us by blessing us with a large, anonymous gift last weekend from someone in our church family.  It was sobering, and very humbling, as many of them are also unemployed.  We have no idea who blessed us, so just pray God will bless “them” as they have blessed us. 

We are learning much about being cheerful receivers these days.  When our turn comes to be cheerful givers, may we never hesitate to step right forward and give generously.

“Lord, today I do not have many financial resources to give, but I have so many other ways to bless others.  Give me a giving heart and spirit.  Please teach me how to pass on the blessings You have literally poured over our lives.  Amen.”

A very special and belated birthday greeting to my precious dad (Nov 29).  We love you, Dad R. and thank God for the example and rich blessing you are in our lives.  You are a true man of God, whose authenticity we treasure.  May the next year be full of blessing and joy over your life.  Thousands of miles separate us, but you are forever close in our hearts and prayers.

E and I had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner together today.  Just us 3.  As we shared with each other what we are most grateful for, Girly girl reminded us she is present, too, by kicking rather insistently.  Maybe she enjoys American Thanksgiving dinner as much as her mommy?  Or may she just already knows we rate her at the top of our list of things we thank our heavenly Father for.

I woke up with so many things on my mind that I am grateful for I was a little overwhelmed.  I narrowed it down to the top three things: my Lord, my husband and best friend, and my tiny, unborn daughter.  I am, among women, MOST BLESSED.

Two songs are going through my head today.

"Give thanks with a grateful heart.  Give thanks to the Holy One.  Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His son..."

"Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done!"

It is good to stop, reflect and recommit to a life of gratitude.  How I want my life to be characterized, among other things, by a thankful heart.

Baby Love is a GIRL!!!

We are absolutely thrilled, of course, and so excited to meet the little girl God has blessed our family with.

The ultrasound showed a perfectly formed, healthy, ACTIVE (I am not making all this up about the child never holding still!) baby who did not want, under any circumstances, to let us see her face!  The doctor called her a shy, timid, little girl and I had to chuckle.  Imagine E or I producing a timid, shy child?  Her little heart is beating away happily and everything looks fantastic.  The dr. says her size and weight confirm our due date the first week of March.

Here's some interesting family facts E and I think fascinating about the baby gender thing:

This will be the first baby girl born in the S_____family in 40 years!  They are right when they say the S's only produce boys, so I guess my family genes won out this time.

Both of my parents are firstborns and our little girl will be the fourth generation of firstborn GIRLS.  With the exception of one uncle, all my aunts and uncles had girls first.  Several of my cousins have had girls first.  Just interesting!

I am just so glad God knows exactly what we have need of and is sending us exactly that.  Pray for us as we prepare now and pray for wisdom to raise this little girl to be a mighty woman of God.

We are glad we can now narrow the name list down to just girl names.  That helps us so much!  We want a name that is easily pronounced in both languages and doesn't sound real different in either Portuguese or English.  Yes, not the easiest task in the world, because to top it off the meaning is very important to us, too.  Will keep you posted on that one.