Dear Little Girl, Our days together, in this intimate relationship of pregnancy, are drawing to a close. As difficult as it has been to carry you, I am certain that I will miss (even grieve) your nearness. Over these months I have described many times the challenges of being pregnant. It is a hard, hard […]
Advent Waiting: Mine and Mary’s
In December 2013, I wrote about Advent and shared my confession of our own season of waiting. I thought it appropriate to revisit that post as I await the birth of our long-awaited child. From “Advent: a Reminder to Wake Up“ The difficulty is in this time of liminal space (as described by Richard Rohr) in […]
Baby Girl’s Bedroom
Dear Baby Girl, We are as prepared as we can be for your arrival. The task lists are completed, and we know that the next step is jumping into parenthood head first, ready or not. Before you join us on the outside, along with the sleepless, glorious, craziness that is sure to accompany you, I thought I’d […]
Niagara on the Lake
Kevin and I travel a lot. We have many church conferences and training trips and spiritual retreats and family get-togethers and a myriad of other obligations. We’re used to packing our bags, loading the car, and getting to our destination with time to spare. It’s almost a challenge, then, to change our mindset to “vacation […]
Our Church
One of my friends sent me a birthday text that included encouragement of what I’d “accomplished” in my 30 years. She listed “several flourished ministries” and I stopped dead in my tracks, thanking God for the privilege of being a part of his Kingdom Work. Last Sunday we were excited to attend our former church […]
The Glory Days
Pregnancy has been a different journey than I could have anticipated. Those first two trimesters were not very enjoyable. I dealt with body image issues, weight gain, nausea, acid reflux, physical limitations, shortness of breath, exhaustion, and finding a whole new wardrobe. I didn’t enjoy any of that. Little Girl wasn’t moving noticeably which meant my […]
Always Aware
My dear, sweet girl, There is so much about pregnancy that no amount of research or real-talk with friends can prepare you for. I knew you would kick and squirm now and then. I had seen pictures or videos of the baby’s movements in mother’s belly. But I never imagined how incredible your motions would feel […]
Thirty Week Update
Here we are, Baby Girl, 30 weeks into our mother-daughter relationship. This 7th month has been – by far – my favorite. I have started taking prescription meds for the heartburn which is a medical blessing. I look unquestionably pregnant and don’t yet feel like a blimp. My energy level and emotions have been well-balanced. […]
On belly shirts
First of all, Daughter of Mine, I can only hope that you have my innate desire to never wear a belly shirt no matter how in style they are. (Seriously, how are belly shirts allowed to be in style again?) Secondly, I find it ironically hilarious how many shirts I was certain would fit me throughout pregnancy. “These are […]
The Unspoken Club
As our little girl’s due date looms closer and closer, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of preparation and the questions of inquiring minds…but it’s impossible to forget where we were just months ago. In March I was truly believing that God might be calling us to childlessness. My identity was steeped in infertility, […]