22 months!!

Our sweet girl is 22 months today! It's hard to believe that in only 2 months she will will be 2 years old! This has really gone by fast!
Some highlights from this past month:
-She's a very chatty girl
-Some of our favorite words and phrases are: "thank you, mommy" "thank you, daddy" "oh, ok" "i love you" when she asks for kisses, hugs and lovies, when she asks to pray before meals and bed time.
-She's been associating names with faces a lot and it's fun to hear her "practice" the names she does know when she's up in her bed or playing
-She enjoys looking outside and seeing buses, cars, trucks, airplanes and calls them by their names.
-She has learned to put her socks on and take off her pants. She's still trying to figure out her shirts and how to put pants back on.

-She's adjusted very well to her "big girl bed" and has gotten out once during naptime.
-Some observations about her personality-strong willed, compassionate, curious, funny, quick, energetic, affectionate, friendly, social.
-She continues to learn more sign language. We are very grateful for the Baby Signing Time and Signing Time videos. These are the only tv shows/videos she is allowed to watch right now...by research and observation we weren't too thrilled about her watching any tv until she was 2 but are glad we have chosen to show her the Signing Times...we have all benefited from these!

-As far as learning goes she is doing great with her shapes, has started saying some ABC's and has started counting.
-She still loves to eat. I realized by dropping her morning snack she eats more at lunch and sleeps better for her nap because of a full tummy. occasionally she will get the morning snack if I think she really needs it.
-She's getting more teeth and has always been bothered by teething (doesn't sleep well, fussy/cranky)
-We have started SLOWLY working on potty training and she's gone a few times but my approach is not where I wanted it to be and frankly I've been really lazy about it and don't like messes so this is where I am with it. I really do want her potty trained before the baby comes but it's too late and will have to be something we work on after.
-She's very excited about this new baby and loves to read, cuddle, tickle, talk, give zerberts and kisses to her baby ___________ (which she knows how to say)



Our Nataleigh has brought us much joy and is a huge blessing! She's so much fun at this age and we look forward to this new baby and seeing how much this will change our family even more!

Turn Baby, Turn!

I'm pretty sure this baby has turned back around!!! However, we will not know for sure until April 14. If he/she has turned there is always a possibility that he/she could turn again. Please continue to pray for this last leg of our journey.

Life

Life growing inside of me-36 weeks 1 day

the newest life I've seen outside this week...

It's beginning to look and feel more and more like Spring! When I look outside I see the pregnant robins and chuckle because here I am with my belly sticking out just like the robin hopping along the grass. The miracle of life is so beautiful...from the changing of seasons to the birth of new life. I think Spring is probably officially my favorite time of year because it's a season where we can see new life all around us. For so long we had witnessed death all around us in nature. But Spring, it brings hope! Hope and Life in so many forms...the first budding of flowers, grass, trees, baby birds...the fresh new smells, more light, sunshine, more people out and about. It's also my favorite time of year because we remember and celebrate our Lord and King. New life. New beginnings (but we can always start new anytime). Sometimes we just need physical reminders as humans and I believe one way God shows us that is in the transformation of seasons. Life. Sacrifice.

36 weeks today. We get to experience new life firsthand in our family very soon. Please pray for us as we found out at the beginning of this past week that our baby has turned and is now in a breech position :( Thankfully there is still time and our faith and trust is in Him no matter what. Just pray with us that the baby would turn and be in the perfect position and remain that way!! ;)

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:7-10 (NIV)

Opening Day!

It's feeling more and more like Spring...It's Opening Day! In honor of Opening Day we had homemade choc. chip cookies...I think Nataleigh REALLY likes Opening Day now! :) It's also the first day of April and our baby could be an April baby or even a May baby! Guess we will see when he/she decides to arrive!

35 weeks and pics!!

Here we are at 35 weeks and some pics from this past week:


Nataleigh with her friend, Evie having a playdate. Evie and Nataleigh are just a few weeks apart in age and our families are helping to start up Forest City Church:

Some things to pray for...

I would like to share some praise with you about what has been going on in our recent church plant.
1. God has been providing like crazy for us financially!!! Praising Him for those who are supporting us in every way! Prayer and finances are the two biggest ways to get involved in our ministry. Cleveland is a lost place and we rejoice that others are seeing the importance of our ministry here.
2. We have had many opportunities to share with people about our new church (especially those who are actually from the exact area the church is going to be) and they are so curious and excited!

Our new church plant will be starting services on September 11, 2011. We are in the process of making some big decisions right now and I'm asking you to pray for 2 things:
1. Our first core group meeting (those who are interested in being a part of the start up process) is on Sat., April 2. Please pray that those who are coming would have open hearts to hear our vision and be excited to take part! Please pray that we will continue to make the most of every opportunity to invite people to this!
2. We have a wonderful possibility for a meeting place and they have accepted our offer. Now we just need prayer about the financial agreement on this facility...that all would be settled at a reasonable price on both ends.

If you would like to know how to get involved in what we are doing please contact me! We are always needing Mission Groups to come for a few days or a week. We have a few lined up already for this summer and I look forward to those of you coming and seeing what is going on here!

Recent discoveries on my journey with Christ

I've done a horrible job blogging this week and I'm extremely sorry! I just wanted to share some things on my heart!
Ever since Sept/Oct I finally listened to God and began a Bible Study here at our house with other women. I was yearning for this and really felt the tug from Him to get something started! We began with Beth Moore's study on Esther and that was an incredible journey. We were able to borrow the DVD's from a local church and we each purchased our own study books where we would be in the Word at least 5 days a week with this particular study. I had never done a Beth Moore study before and boy was it challenging and a wonderful study! It's one of her newer ones and I highly recommend it! The group wanted to do another one and I wasn't so sure what to do since our family is getting ready to embark on becoming a family of four. I wasn't so sure about continuing to both host and lead. After much prayer God led us to study the Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 120-134) (Stepping UP) It's a 6-week study so the timing has worked out great (so far) with the arrival of our newest addition.
I realized I needed to be in the Word more on a deeper level and needed other women to share this and life with. We weren't meant to be on this journey alone!
So one day our study was on Psalm 128 and in this section in verse 3 it says "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your sons like young olive trees around your table." In Psalm 128 the fruitful vine is the wife and in John 15 the Vine is Christ Himself. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my word remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." -John 15:1-8 (NIV)
Later, followers of Christ are called His Bride and comprise the branches. The point of Christ's teachings are the branches and the Bride of Christ is still the one commanded to increase and bear much fruit.
Beth then had us look at Luke 19:21-27 to see what the point was for this parable.
Beth closes with this in our study: "When Christ called His Bride (the church) to be fruitful, and through its fruitfulness, to multiply, He wasn't just issuing a great idea or even and invitation. He was issuing a command. God not only enables increase but He also expects it. What we read of Christ's final face-to-face words to His disciples in Matt. 28:19 is not called The Great Permission. It's called The Great Commission. Christ chose and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. He placed His Spirit within you the moment you received Him as Savior."

Fruitful, yes Lord I will be fruitful. And the timing of this particular study with an opportunity that came today was nothing but His perfect timing and ways! Thank you, Lord for teaching me this!