Live blogging

Just wanted to mention that I am considering "live blogging" the birth of our little one. If you haven't heard of the concept, it just means that I (and Joe) would periodically post updates throughout the day or night. (Now remember, we have dial-up, so it won't be much.)

I've read two other live blogged births and loved knowing what was going on. One of my favorites is from a great site that I subscribe to--girltalk. They recently live blogged the birth of Nicole's daughter Tori and had previously chronicled Janelle's birth of Callie.

So anyway, we'll see if I'm really up to it at the time, but right now that's the plan!

First fruits

Yes, that's right, we're enjoying the first "fruits" of our vegetable garden. Yesterday, we had squash and today Joe and the boys picked several meals of beans. Even Joseph tried to eat his beans at dinner tonight since he said, "I picked that one." David loves green beans and ate his happily--both this afternoon, uncooked, while I was snapping them and tonight at supper.

Joe also fertilized everything and planted a few more tomato plants. We have aphids pretty badly and are going to have to spray soon.

38 weeks

Much to the surprise of the greeter at Wal-Mart, I still have 2 weeks to go. Here is a picture from tonight--one of 2 taken by my dear hubby as opposed to the 40 that I took of myself last time before I got it right.

Sunday Hymn

Joe preached this morning in Lewisville, MS at a historic church built in the 1850s. The building was beautiful, as was the fellowship with the saints there.
Returning to our home church this evening, we sang the following hymn--one of Joe's favorites from our time at FPC in Jackson. You'll recognize the final stanza as what we commonly sing as the doxology, but the whole song is instructive and a fine evening hymn of the church.

All Praise to Thee, my God, this night
by Thomas Ken

All praise to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the judgment day.

O may my soul on Thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.

When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.

O when shall I, in endless day,
For ever chase dark sleep away,
And hymns divine with angels sing,
All praise to thee, eternal King?

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Sunday Hymn

Take My Life and Let it Be
by Frances R. Havergal

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Bits and pieces

Still struggling with issues at church, but we have already seen God's goodness, mercy, and unexpected work.

On the pregnancy front, I was marveling at how good I felt last week and this week is another story, unfortunately. But, we are in the final stretch now and that is exciting!

Will and I traveled to Jackson yesterday for an appointment with an orthopedist about his legs. For now, the dr. just suggested getting him some good support shoes and so I ordered some New Balances for him this morning. We'll see if that seems to help.

Edited to add (thanks, Katie): Oops, forgot that I hadn't written about Will yet. What I first noticed about a month ago was that one of his knees seemed to bend in when he was standing. He also started falling and hurting his knees--talking about them bending or poppping--and then he would limp badly or refuse to walk (which means it was significant pain; he's usually pretty rough and tumble). Children are naturally "knock-knee-ed" (even the dr. used this term) and then grow out of it, but Will is more than normally so. The orthopedist said that he also had pronated feet and that his hips rotated in too. All of these things are connected and interrelated, and that is what the shoes are supposed to help. The dr. said he also might have a problem with his meniscus, but couldn't tell for sure.

We are generally a Keds-in-the-winter, plain, brown leather buckle sandals-in-the-summer sort of family, and so it would be nice if some more supportive shoes would help. The problem is (as I found out while shopping today online) not many small kids shoes come with the kinds of support and stability that will help. Anything under a size 10.5 in New Balance is an infant shoe with nothing fancy about it. In recommending that we buy Will some New Balance shoes, I think that the dr. was thinking about how you can find great adult shoes with stability features as he wears NB himself. And I bet he often recommends them to his adult patients as a first step in trying to help.

My MIL and SIL are coming for the weekend and I am working today to try to get some extra meals in the freezer for when the baby comes. I have a few now and I know that I will wish I had many more!

We still haven't made final determinations for a name for this little one. We're pretty settled on our girl's name since we've had it for 4 years, but are still wavering on a boy's name. We are thinking about doing a non-family name, but aren't sure since the other boys all have family names for people that we love and admire. I guess we'd better talk about it more and soon!

Car seats and 911

Today I faced the extreme of an issue that has bothered me time and time again since we moved to Mississippi. The boys and I were waiting in the car for Joe while he was in the movie store picking out a "man movie" after a very strenuous day of manual labor all day Saturday. The small sedan next two me had 5 small children ages 3-6 in the back seat and an adult in the passenger seat. Then, the other adult returned to the car with 2 more children! One of whom became #6 in the back and the other who sat in the driver's seat with the driver. It was at this point that I was itching to call the police, but waited for Joe to get back to double check with him. (Sometimes I am more gung-ho about these things than he would want me to be).

He said it was fine if I called and so we drove a few aisles away, took down the cars make, model, and license plate, and parked to call the police. Imagine my surprise upon dialing 911 when I got a message saying that this number could not be dialed from this phone!

I had always assumed that even though we live in a small town, the cellular service would be linked locally to allow the use of 911, but that does not seem to be so. Joe is going to call on Monday to figure this out and in the meantime we are going to program his phone with the appropriate numbers. So, I pass this on as a caution...check to see what your cellular company's policy is on 911 and find out if it will work for you. Fortunately, we learned about all of this in a non-emergency situation.

As for the seven small children not even buckled in, I hope they were okay. And I'm sure that I'll have many more opportunities to be a concerned citizen in the future.

35 weeks and counting

I just spent a ridiculous amount of my boys' nap time trying to snap a cute pregnant picture of myself. Adjusting angles, flash or no flash, how much to zoom, and the addition of a little make-up--I finally found one that I am comfortable posting for all to see. :)

And to pre-answer the obvious comments (that I have heard a time or two at church or Wal-mart)
....yes, I do carry my babies "all in front"
....no, it is not a basketball under my shirt.
....yes, the baby is very low.
....yes, I do realize that I look like I am about to pop.
....I have 5 more weeks to go!
....yes, I will actually get bigger between now and then.
....and finally, I feel great...which means it is probably going to be 5 weeks.

Sunday Hymn

This evening, we had Communion at church and sang this as the preparatory song. (Although only verses 1, 2, and 6 are included in our hymnal, not the original 11.)

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
by Ber­nard of Clair­vaux

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.