No good...

...will come of this. This grin is way too cheeky. Thought I.

I was right. I plucked bits and pieces of leaves out of my scarf, hair and neck for several minutes after this grinning little lady approached me that autumn-y afternoon.

But it certainly made her a happy little lady.

And that's good. Very good.

One more

Another shot from her 2 month photos. Just because. 

Have a happy day!

Emma > 2 mths

"I just can't believe I have a sister". 

It's something I overhear Hadassah say every now and then. The greatness of this little blessing is still a wonder for the big sister, and I love that. 

The moment Hadassah first came in to meet Emma after she was born was such a great moment. She was all smiles and so eager. But hearing some stories afterward made me wish I could've been in two places at once! As it happens, my parents, sister, niece and her friend, and Hadassah were all eating supper together, waiting for the news. When I texted my sister, she read aloud to everyone that "she's here!" and apparently Hadassah made a beeline for the door and was out in the hallway before anyone could blink an eye. 

That's my girl! So excited about her sister. Loving her long before she even met her. And, two months later, she's still loving her with all her might. We are so blessed to see it! Check her out:

This time around she was a stinker! She is a very, very smiley baby. But she refused to crack a grin for both attempts. The shot above was the closet I got! That's ok, though. She's rather cute, regardless. 

What's happened this month?

>> She's packed on a couple of pounds! 12 lbs 2 oz at her last app't.

>> This has been the month of the eyelashes. They've grown and are lovely and long.

>> Bubbles. She blows them. A lot! Along with some drool...

>> She does this absolutely adorable thing where she snuggles her nose and face into my shoulder when I'm holding her. Like she's trying to burrow in and get cozy. Oh, I melt. 

>> The kid is practically sitting up on her own! She is so strong. 

>> She's made new friends. The toys that hangs off of her car seat handle. They chat. Mostly one sided, but cute. 

It's exciting watching her grow and noticing her notice the world around her. Can't wait to see what's next...

My Most Favorite Season

Crisp air resulting in warm sweaters.

Brilliant colors resulting in awe sent heavenward.

Apples resulting in apple crisp. Mmm. 

Foggy mornings.

Brand new slippers.

Amazing blue skies.

Or drizzly rain.

I love autumn! Especially October. Thus the quote on our chalkboard:

And so the only logical conclusion would be that when autumn rolls around, I enjoy surrounding us with it inside as well. Here are some scenes from our home this fall:

Dead/dying mums and all! 

My chevron wreath made its way out of the attic first. Then an after school stop at a local road-side stand and we came home with pumpkins, ghords and mums, which were then scattered around our home. And in the final stage, my Silhouette and I had fun printing out a quote on vinyl to embellish our above-the-mantel canvas print. It took a couple of weeks to get up there in its entirety and in the meantime, that made for a great conversation piece!

Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature has been saving up all year for the grand finale. 

Lauren DeStefano

Yesterday was just beautiful, and I asked my husband if he would like to enjoy a fall walk with me and Emma. And Gus. That dog thoroughly enjoyed himself! A layer of leaves everywhere adds a whole new level of smells. Me? I loved it too!

 

According to my weather app, this is supposed to be one lovely weekend. Can't wait to thoroughly enjoy my most favorite season!! Hope you do too!!

Happy x 2

Happy Thanksgiving to you & you & you. 

(picture me nodding to each and everyone of you like Friedrich in The Sound of Musics "So Long, Farewell") 

I hope you & you & you had a wonderful day!

&

Happy Anniversary to the man I married 9 years ago today. He's pretty awesome. It's such a blessing to be his wife! 

I do believe I promised pictures...

I'm truly not quite sure how it's been over a month since I mentioned that Emma made her appearance! Her arrival has kept me busy in the best kind of way and apparently while I've been pausing to delight in snuggles and coos, the world around me keeps moving! 

And, as household duties beckoned to me yesterday, I discovered that dust bunnies keep growing. 

In the meantime, yes, I have been snapping pictures and am here to share a few with you now. This shot is from the quick morning photoshoot I had, week 2, where I pulled her baby announcement pic from. I'll share the announcement with you soon, but the snail mail version was just placed in the mailbox and I think it only right that the recipients have fun opening it first! 

This little girl has been such a good baby! Combine that with the fact that she's our second, making me far more relaxed, and we have been given the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy this newborn stage. 

She really is daddy's girl - I just love watching him snag her from me because "You're hogging her! My turn!" And Hadassah still loves her "little sisy" to bits, constantly asking to give hugs and kisses because "I just can't resist!" She absolutely loves holding her and keeping an eye on her for me when I'm busy cooking or getting ready for the day. The best part? Emma absolutely loves her back. It's amazing to notice, but she knows when Hadassah is around and chats, coos and interacts as best as a 1 month old can. It'll be so fun to watch the two of them as Emma becomes more and more engaging and interactive!! 

Perhaps not so fun when Emma can steal toys and get into her big sisters stuff...but that's awhile away yet. :) 

From the dimples in her fingers, to her alert blue eyes...from the wake-up stretches every morning, to the content face she makes when she gets swaddled for bed...from the perfect little toes to the head of sometimes cah-razy hair...we kinda like this kid! She is such a blessing - God has given us such joy and we are so thankful to Him for this gift!!! There are so many quiet moments through out the day that I just stare at her with a smile and a prayer of praise in my heart - and I marvel at God's timing, His wisdom...His grace. 

<<< >>>

ps: If you're interested in life-as-it-happens pictures of Emma, Hadassah, and our life in general, check out the ever-revolving photo stream via Instagram by following sparrowjoyjen or by checking them out on the left of this blog.  I may not put a ton of pictures on the blog since Instragram is just so handy-dandy! (who says handy-dandy?!?!)

pps: I've been slowly decorating for fall and loving it! I'll be blogging about it soon...!

Grade 1

Whether or not it was a good idea to go to school this past Tuesday was a toss up for Hadassah. If she goes, she'll see her friends and meet her new teacher, discover a new classroom and enter the school not through the Kindergarten door, but through the main door with the rest of the grades. 

But if she stays...there's Emma.

Such a hard decision, I completely understood! It took a little chat or two, but she woke up that morning eager to go. And when she came home? "Mom, my first day was great!" 

Phew! 

And she's loved every day since. 

Here's hoping that lasts all year long! Happy Saturday everyone!

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

She arrived Thursday, August 28 @ 5:32pm, weighing 7lb 15oz.

She arrived healthy, adorable and much loved.

She arrived as a wonderful blessing to parents entirely dependent on her Heavenly Father.

She arrived!

Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise your glorious Name. 1 Chr 29:13

Emma Grace

(more pictures to follow... :)

No more tangles, No more tears

No more "Mom's got a hairbrush" fears.

Back to school, along with baby on its way, has me happily crossing things off of to-do lists.

Diapers bought, crib ready, onesies cleaned and ready to go, hospital bag packed.

School clothes bought, new shoes ready, lunch bag cleaned and ready to go, backpack packed...

...and hair cut!

Along with the release of Tangled, my daughter's desire to have really long hair developed. And so her hair was allowed to grow...and it grew and grew. But oh, what an ordeal! When the hairbrush came out, daddy started to cringe, because the tears! The yelps! The drama! Finally, we sat down with her and said "Listen...". A scroll through Pinterest resulted in some haircuts that she was warming up to, and yesterday, away we went. 

Before:

Aaaaaand, after:

This is one relieved mom, because she was wonderful through the haircut and she really likes the results! Now, her biggest giggle and thrill is the fact that "No one will recognize me at school, mom!!" 

She also was thrilled to wake up this morning, run a brush through her hair, and not have any pain!!! I, too, will absolutely appreciate the lack of tears and all that hair brushing entailed. Especially as there are few things to check off my "baby's coming" to-do list before the little one makes an appearance. They'll provide lots of their own tears, so if I can eliminate others.... ;) 

Oh, this girl. Love 'er!

Listen to This!

There was a mountain waiting for me in the basement this morning. A mountain, I tell ya! Of clean, delicious smelling articles of clothing with one thing in common: Wrinkles. 

I used to have this great habit of listening to something I'd classify as "edifying" while I ironed. During our early married life, ironing and dishes (minus a dishwasher) were two slots of time where I tried to multi-task with radio programs or sermons, since they are completely mindless chores. Perhaps it was the addition of a toddler to our household where that habit slipped (being asked a zillion questions while ironing made it much less of a mindless task!), but slip it did. Somewhere along the line, Revive Our Hearts was replaced with the Keith & Kristen Getty station on Pandora, or another favorite, 100 Instrumental Hymns. 

So this morning as I set up the ironing board and gazed at the pile before me, Hadassah settled into playing with Playmobil. Quietly. And it occurred to me that I could get back into a good habit! Plus, it didn't hurt for Hadassah to hear it in the background of her play, either. Out came my phone, straight to the podcasts and Revive Our Hearts. As I scrolled through the past few days to find out when a series started, I was so excited to discover that they are in the process of re-playing her Joshua series. This was a long series I listened to years ago and learned a lot from. I remember telling Tim that it was such a blessing to learn from her in depth study on Joshua as a character. And now? I get to hear it all over again. So excited about this, folks!! 

Just in case you have a pile of ironing and no toddler to pre-occupy your mind, perhaps you'd like to listen too. This link should take you to the first one of the series on August 1st. Have a listen! I hope you'll find it as edifying as I did way back then, and hope to again this time around. 

On Random Things

This post goes out to Annalee, who is persistent in reminding me that it's time to write something. Thanks Annalee, for patiently waiting. Here you go. 

Summer
How's yours been? Over here, it's been a mix of:

> flying by & moving slow
> pleasant relaxation & hard work
> hot & delightfully cool
> vacation & "back to real life"
> preparing & procrastinating
> impulsive moments & routine order

But despite these mixes, maybe even because of them, it's been lovely. This is our very first summer with a defined time frame - between the last and first days of school. From what I gather, some people love this and some people aren't big fans. So far, I'm enjoying it. It forces me to take advantage of having Hadassah home all day everyday. Play dates and trips, but also lazy stretches at home with reading, bowls of ice cream and goofing off...

Vacation

I have full intentions of writing a separate blog post to show you some pictures - my favorites were from our foggy beach walk - so I won't go into it much. Just want to say that it's incredible how fast they go! Sometimes they feel so needed. You wait and wait and eagerly anticipate and can long for Day 1 to arrive. And you enjoy it so much when it finally comes! We spent a full 3 weeks between camping, family and home and ended it relaxed and thankful. Vacations can be such a blessing for families! But...it's over already! Which is fine and all. Life needs to go on. But, wow. 3 weeks later and it feels like vacation was in the distant past! Crazy. Yet quite ok. :) 

Being Pregnant

This cool weather stretch we're encountering? No complaints from me!!! haha!! We have one month left before we have the pleasure of meeting this kicking, squirming and hiccuping baby. I can't wait! And I can wait. All at the same time. The 4 trips to the bathroom per night is getting old...but soon I'll be making 4 trips to the crib at night to feed a crying babe. The extreme tiredness followed by the extreme energy to get certain things done before the baby comes is getting old...but soon I'll be extremely tired followed by, well, extreme tiredness. I want to meet this cute bundle of joy! But I want to savor the last weeks ever of just the three of us. 

It's such a blessing to know that God has all things timed for His glory and our good and that we can trust Him and rest in Him and His plan. So while I'm eager to hold our newest family member in my arms, I'm content to be right where we are and find joy in being here. And thankful that beyond your average "I'm pregnant and not everything is lovely all the time" things, all is well and I cannot complain! 

Tomatoes
Can I just say that right now, during the tomato ripening season, I am so thankful I'm the only one in my family who enjoys tomatoes? My cherry tomato plant is producing the most delicious balls of red goodness and I don't have to share! Mmmm.

Being Crafty
You know what I love? Having an afternoon where housework, baking, etc., is all caught up. Work is still there, but it has been worked on and can wait for a bit. And an impulsive thought strikes. "Hmm, you've had that same scrapbook paper as a frame mat for months, maybe it's time for a change!" Or "The mantel - it's been like that for awhile now. Clearing it off and starting fresh sounds fun." Or " You, Mr. Lanturn, need a turn on the hutch for awhile...what can I replace your bookshelf location with?"

I just love those times. In the geekiest way. Please, someone tell me I'm not the only one.

Random Blog Posts
Did you know that sometimes I write blog posts in my sleep? You'd probably never guess it, seeing as I am a sporadic blogger. But being pregnant has resulted in some pretty crazy dreams and a few times, I've actually thought "I should write a blog post about this" in my dream. Of course, I'll wake up and remember the dream for 5 minutes but not again as I move into my day. Anyway - just thought I'd let you know what I could fill many, many random blog posts. If only I could actually type in my sleep!

Enjoy your day!

Kindergarten: Check!

A mere week ago, it seems, Hadassah was off to school for the very first time. Since her first day of Kindergarten she's been delighted. With her teacher, with her classmates, with the overall school experience. She's skipped out of our car and on to conquer a new school day two times a week for the past school year, and yesterday she skipped for the last time. 

To the Kindergarten door, anyway.

What a fun thing to witness - a summary of your daughter's school year recited in song, memory work, poems and even a play! Tim and I thoroughly enjoyed Hadassah's Kindergarten Graduation, despite all that it meant. (she's done?! already?! how time flies!!) 

The three girls that made up her senior kindergarten class were so excited. Their morning started off with a rehearsal for the program, and then they helped to set up for when family and friends arrived. They, along with their JK classmate, sang their sweet little hearts out, recited for all to hear and even put on "Three Billy Goats Gruff". 

And then it was diploma time!

And then? Then it was family picture time.

Congratulations Hadassah! We know what a blessing it is that you've graduated from Kindergarten in a school that proclaims God as King - and pray that you will always know that blessing too! We praise Him for this day, as we do every day with you.

One Crazy Night

The story that you are about to hear doesn't even get close to the craziness of Kerri's crazy day. But for 3am...it still made it to the crazy meter.

Think with me of the delicious deep sleep that happens well past midnight. And then, add the sound of your dog scrambling to get out of his bed one room over, knocking his head on something and scratching up the floors as his legs can't seem to propel him forward fast enough. No barks. No whines. Just dog chaos. Like something woke him up with a start and he's not quite sure if it was real or not. And then, one short minute later, quiet. Panic over. 

You're awake now, right? But why in the world is your dog looking at you like "What?! Why'd you get up? There's nothing going on!" After a quick check to see that Hadassah was ok, I pointed Gus back in the direction of his bed, where he got in and laid his head down like all was normal. Yet I was suspicious. Something wasn't right. Why would he do such a thing? 

And as I stand in our bedroom doorway, glancing with leery eyes toward our stairs, calling to Tim that perhaps he should get up to see if there was something Gus heard that set him off, I see it. Silhouetted against the small bathroom window. An intruder. 

No wonder Gus freaked out! Something was in our house! And now, I was freaking out. Although silently. No, this intruder was not human. (big sigh of relief) But what was it? Was it a bat? We are, unfortunately, experienced in the world of bats now. But experience told me this was way too big to be a bat. It must be a squirrel. But no! If that's a squirrel, then it's a mutant squirrel because that tail is way too long and skinny. Phew. That eliminated a skunk too. 

It was time to be brave. I leaned in and flicked the light on, quickly stepping back.

Well hello. Cat. And how did you get in our house?!

And now imagine the feeling of immense relief followed by an onslaught of fear. Because this cat? This poor cat was petrified! Gus must've given him the scare of his life when he wandered into Hadassah's room, and now he was panicking. He flew from our window, across the floor to the counter where he managed to turn on a tap in his haste. That propelled him forward, flying into our shower. Once there, he apparently thought climbing on our frog pod was a great means of escape - a thought short lived as the frog pod detached itself and bath toys, shampoo and body wash came crashing down along with the now insane cat. 

With Gus locked in our bedroom and Hadassah safely tucked away behind her closed door, I see that Tim is near and I hand over the job of getting the cat out of the bathroom to him. With a warning that he might want a sweater on in case the cat gets his claws out. I ran downstairs and opened all doors wide, and a minute later a ball of grey and white fir dashed out the front door. 

Whew! That was an intense 6 minutes! Our hearts still raced as we crawled into bed. And our discussion turned to how we must never forget to close that crack in the screen door that was left open during the day for Gus' in-and-out pleasure. 

Ever.

Again.

Take Four

Oh hello there.

I did it again, you say? Went over a month, postless?

True.

Isn't it amazing how time zooms on by? Before you know it, it's summer out there, you're rounding the corner into third trimester, school is almost done and vacation is on the horizon. At least, that's what it feels like for me. Oh, and your feet and ankles start swelling. So not pretty. 

By the way, this is what happens when your daughter asks to use your phone to take pictures and you reply with "You may take 4 pictures. And only 4." (Because you know if you give her free reign, your phone will be full in a matter of minutes!) I loved discovering these a few days later...

Other recent news? After hour upon hour of planning and getting ready, The Amazing Race took place last Saturday and WOW was it fun! Tiring, busy, but so great. Thanks racers!! If you're on Facebook, head over to EbenEzer Christian School's page to see pics. Our house happened to be one of the PitStops, where one team member from each team had to count the field stones on the two pillars at the front of our porch. SO humorous to sit back and watch/listen. Apparently not to amusing if you were the counter! But we never said it wouldn't be challenging... 

We were able to raise $1015 plus the back of a pick-up full of food for Outreach for Hunger - I'd call that a great day! Again - thank you racers, organizers and donors!!! 

By the way - there's a print on its way to Etsy that might make a great Father's Day gift. To appear this week! 

Also. I really love what Emily Henderson and her crew did with this cat rescue makeover. I'm not a cat person, but I sure do love that tree and the yarn balls and the MEOW and the overall look. And that's my random thought of the day.

Would you like to know what's up next on this blog? I'm about to take pictures of my office for you. In it's dusty, in need of a sweep, messy state. There have been many hours spent in here the last few weeks. Between design requests and Amazing Race prep, me and my office chair have had a great relationship. But with working in here a lot, has come a strong desire to do some tweaking. A lot of re-organizing of the closet and shelves, but also a bit of finishing touches. Two days ago I placed my first online IKEA order and can't wait for the stuff to come in so I can attempt to make my closet far more logical and organized than it is now. IKEA, please deliver early!! 

So stay tuned for embarrassing pictures of how my office looks post-busyness. And? Have a great day!

The Amazing Race - Outreach for Hunger Edition

Hadassah has been attending a small, local Christian school this year - the very same small, local Christian school I attended from Gr. 1-8. A bizarre concept? Yes. A blessing? Absolutely. 

Sometime between the first day of dropping her off at school in amazement that we're there in our lives, and now, I was asked to join the Public Relations committee. I said yup, sure. And so far, I've been thoroughly enjoying it. Because what fun there is to be had! A school newsletter to redesign, invitations to layout...and...an AMAZING RACE TO ORGANIZE!!!!!! 

Folks! I love me a great event to organize. And this one? It's been FUN! I get giddy as I think about pit stop locations. I clap my hands like a school girl when I hear a concept for a twist or turn. I giggle when I picture the teammates I've convinced to sign up, doing the task they're supposed to do at certain locations I drive by everyday. Oh, it makes me a happy lady.

A happy lady indeed! 

And you know what's pretty spectacular? Our small, local, EbenEzer Christian school is hosting an event that will benefit a local charity, Outreach for Hunger. I get to have fun organizing. The contestants get to have fun racing. But food and money will be handed over to our local Outreach for Hunger with the prayer that it will be a blessing to someone who needs it. We're so abundantly blessed, and we have this opportunity to share this abundance plus enjoy communion of saints plus have fun. 

Love it.

So. Big question: You doing anything May 31st? That's the big day. 

I do have one problem with this event, though, I must admit. You see, there's no way that I can be at all of the pit stops at the same time. It's beyond my physical limits. But how I'd love to be there at every stop, every clue, every task and watch and laugh and jump and down like a silly. 

Oh the fun. 

If you'd like more information, please feel free to contact me! Leave a comment or shoot me an email - tjbergsma[at]gmail[dot]com. 

Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Alleluia!

This past Thursday Tim and I had the privilege of hearing our daughter sing for the first time in her school's Easter Program. It was such a lovely evening and it brought me back to when I was the one standing up there singing on the very same steps at the front of the church. The next morning we joined our church family for a Good Friday service and tonight, in addition to our two regular services, we hope to join with them again for an Easter hymn sing. 

It's such a blessing to be able to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of our precious Savior with the church family He's placed us in at this time. I hope and pray that your weekend is filled with awe for our Wonderful Redeemer.

Swiss Chalet Sauce

Someday when this son or daughter rapidly growing inside me is old enough to eat solids, I'm going to put before him or her a plate full of french fries from Swiss Chalet with a side of their oh-so-yummy Chalet sauce and say "go at it". And I'm going to watch. Carefully. Will they love it? Or hate it? 

Because yesterday's reaction was passionate, to say the least. Talk about making his or her presence known! The wee little Bergsma kicked up a storm - allowing me to feel them for the first time - after I thoroughly enjoyed what might become a new "must" on my food list. 

I know, I know. They don't actually taste it. But I can pretend. :)

And today I heard the sweetest sound at my doctor's appointment - a strong, steady heartbeat. 

Two wonderful signs that all is well. Two days in a row. Two gifts from the Maker and Keeper of this little one.  Two reasons to smile. Two reasons to praise. 

Come to think of it, I do believe I have a package or two of the Chalet sauce mix......

(picture me bolting from my office on my way to the kitchen for an afternoon snack ;)

Have a great weekend my friends! 

No Matter...

It was so nice outside we were sure we could smell spring on its way. And it felt so good to take a great deep breath of it! Then...snow. 

Thankfully, despite the crazy amounts of snow and cold we've had this winter, I still enjoyed the fresh beauty of the crisp whiteness that fell outside our windows Wednesday. Plus, there was the knowledge that spring really truly is right around the corner now. Still, it was more snow. And I needed a bit of...hope! Out came the chalk and a quick scroll through google for a spring quote. 

When you wander into our little hallway at the back of our house, you'll be greeted with this quote full of hope and expectation:

Hope for warm sun, rain boots and dirt under your fingernails. Expectation for the change of seasons God commands in His good and perfect time. Can't wait to see where I planted those daffodil bulbs last fall - I completely forget!

To & From

To school? Hadassah piped in from the backseat to say it was foggy. And I had to agree, it certainly looked like it was foggy out this morning! But it was, in fact, a snow shower blasting through town with suddenness and fury. We couldn't see to the end of the road and the snowflakes were so teensy tiny that it made for a dense whirl of what looked like...fog! 

From school? There was no sweet piping from the backseat as this trip to school was to drop her off. But if Hadassah was back there, she probably would've told me it was too bright out. Gone was the snow shower, replaced with a bright blue sky and sunshine. Oh, the sunshine! It was delightful! It made me smile the whole way home. 

How awesome God is for creating creation to remind us of Him. The bright sun shining all around town after such an intense snow shower made me so...happy! Witnessing the change and feeling the thankfulness for that sun. Just imagine how incredible it will be when Jesus returns and there will be no more "fog", just Son! If our happiness over a beautiful sunshine can be so delightful, oh how glorious it will be to bask in the light of His Son. 

Can't wait! 

Perhaps it comes with getting older (I turned 31 yesterday...) but I more and more look forward to the life God promises to all those who believe in Him as their Savior. Eternal life. With Him. He is an amazing God for promising us such a blessing when we absolutely do not deserve any such thing. 

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Delightfully Good News to Share

Some local residents might've noticed my husband making a 7-11 run last Saturday evening. In the midst of snow and dark and shivering conditions, my husband braved the winter weather to bring home something just for me. With chattering lips he burst through our door and thrust the cold cup into my hands and said "Here, take it, my fingers are numb!" 

That first sip was delightful. Delicious. Just what I wanted needed. 

And do you know what he picked up for me yesterday while he was out? And do you know what I swung by to grab on my way home from doing groceries today? Can you guess what was purchased several times in the past few weeks? 

Tim Horton's frozen raspberry lemonade will do. In a pinch. And when I'm home and have no desire to leave the house and no husband home to beg and plead to go on my behalf, I have whipped out our Magic Bullet to make numerous smoothies. 

All in the middle of a frightfully cold winter, no less! 

My only concern is: Will the wee little one growing away inside of me have a food aversion to Slurpee's and never be able to enjoy them with me when they're old enough to share? Because even when I'm not pregnant, I do love a good Slurpee and appreciate Slurpee drinking company. 

Catch that? Yes indeed, I am expecting. See? Delightfully good news! I'm pleasantly curious as to God's timing (adoption and all...) but I'm so thankful for this gift of new life!!! Tearfully thankful. And fully trusting God's plan for us. Lord willing, come the end of August, Hadassah will become a big sister in a way we weren't sure would ever happen again!

Yay! 

So besides the Slurpee cravings, how else do I know? Well...

... I put Hadassah to bed and then go to bed myself. Not every night. But often!

... Mac & Cheese is back on our menu, rather regularly. But it has to be No Name brand. Not just any no name brand, but No Name brand, in the yellow box.  Because Kraft? Just doesn't cut it.

... My husband has to eat the sub I just warmed up for him awfully quickly because once it comes out of the microwave boy does it smell!!

... And so does any meat, with the exception of chicken. Oh the nausea! 

... As a general rule, (you know - when I'm not pregnant) I detest naps. I can never nap for the suggested 20 minutes, but always end up sleeping for at least an hour followed by 2 - 3 hours to wake up followed by much tossing and turning at night to get to sleep. Now? Naps - cat naps and 2 hour time outs alike - are much appreciated! 

... Tears. They come often. And over the silliest things! Listening to Adventures in Odyssey with Hadassah, reading a pin on Pinterest, finding the first picture Hadassah drew that I could actually figure out what it was without asking. (it was a giraffe, by the way...) My husband has been such a trooper! Although I think I've safely hid many of them. Due to their ridiculousness!

So now that this news has been shared and the hint to bring me a Slurpee if you visit me anytime between now and the end of summer has been dropped, there's only one thing to find out! 

Where can I buy a Slurpee machine?!