Fingerprint of God

I've been silent about our secret for a few months now but I am ready to tell you since we just told our families. We're pregnant again. I'm fifteen weeks today and the due date is January 15th, 2012.

This time around, I didn't call my OB for the initial bloodwork. He had prescribed me the two drugs I took during Camille's pregnancy and if these didn't work again, there was really nothing else he could do for me. I started taking the drugs in April and will continue the Lovenox for the duration of the pregnancy- my OB said it was up to me if I wanted to do so or not.

My first appointment was in early June. For those that have seen their child's heartbeat on an ultrasound machine, you might understand how I felt, but perhaps only those that have experience loss will understand the amazement of it. So often, I've only seen an empty sac or just nothing. On that day, I saw the fingerprint of God in that little heartbeat. Life. So fragile. So fleeting. So precious. I don't understand the miracle of cells forming to create a heart... and then start beating to create sustained life but God does- and for Him to be in control of that is greater than anything man could ever create or invent.

I know that pregnancy is a possibility and not a promise of things to come but each day is one day closer to having Baby #3 join our family.

And yes... we will be finding out the gender:-)

Never has there been and never again

Will there be another you

Fashioned by God's hand and perfectly planned

To be just who you are

And what He's been creating

Since the first beat of your heart

Is a living, breathing

Priceless work of art

-Steven Curtis Chapman

A sign of hope

The last few months of attempted gardening have ended, well... not so well. The tomato seeds I planted drowned in the rains of the spring and the strawberry plants had their green berries and leaves (!!) eaten by the neighbor's squirrel population. I did manage to get a net put up so we did get a few berries but what the squirrels didn't eat, mostly rotted in the soil- oops. My bad.

At the same time that I bought the strawberry plants, I also bought two small tomato plants. I planted them in my sunniest location and let them be with exception of random waterings (it was a wet spring). I actually took notice of them about a month ago when they suddenly seemed to kick into high gear and green tomatoes started to grow. Russell is holding our first, fully rippened fruit. We had it in our salad tonight and it was sweet and tangy. So long, Safeway tomatoes!

I think I'll plant more tomato plants next spring but one tomato doesn't prove I have a green thumb. The squirrels have eaten some of the tomato leaves but hopefully the net will discourage any other attempts. I'll try harder with the strawberries next spring but overall, I'll stick with hardy plants that can handle the summer heat and don't die- at least, too easily!

Weekend of Summer

To those celebrating the 144th Canada Day north of the 49th and those celebrating 235th Independence Day south of the 49th, I hope you have as much fun as our little dual-citizen will have! Remember those that have fought for our countries and those that continue to fight- especially in the Middle East and North Africa. We are so blessed to have the freedoms and peace that we do.