24 weeks - 6 months pregnant

I can't believe I'm already 6 months pregnant. The last 3 months have flown by and we have been having so much fun getting everything ready for baby Rourke. It has been a very busy season with more birthdays then we can remember in other years but I think that is because this year it worked out for us to celebrate them all on a separate day which means for the past 7 weeks every weekend has had at lease 1 birthday celebration if not 2. Another reason we didn't want a spring baby. :)

Anyway, this week is a busy one again with my Piano students final concert. Lots of prep for that but it is always worth it to see the students do such a fantastic job and showing their family & friends how much they have progressed in 1 year. A true highlight to end off the spring and welcome summer.

Here is the latest prego pic of me. I'm feeling great but starting to look quite big!! According to the doctor though I'm right on track and measuring nicely.

I'm feeling so much more movement from the baby and we get more excited as the time gets closer to meet this little one. What an incredible blessing for me to be able to carry this child and experience life being created within. God truly is a miracle worker.

Latest blessing

This is just a quick post regarding the latest blessing the Lord has done for us regarding this new child on its way. As I've written in other posts, we are trying to be really creative on how to purchase everything for baby as it can be so expensive and we don't have the extra cash around. Once again God has proven His faithfulness in providing for His kids.

I've had my 'eye' on a Graco travel system (Stroller & Car seat) in Sears since back in March. We have been watching flyers every week to see if it would come on sale and down in price. The most it has is by $20 due to it being a newer model. I've looked at other travel systems but nothing seems to grab me like this one has and it has all the safety features we wanted plus it is more compact of a stroller that would be easier for in and out of places, the trunk, etc. We decided that if it did not come down in price by June we would buy it full price.

Earlier this week I went onto Cragslist once again to hunt for other things baby as I've found such great deals on there and thought, why not type in 'Graco Travel System". Sure enough there were LOADS of travel systems on there. But when buying a used car seat you have to do your homework. I found a site called "Safe Kids Canada" that outlines all the requirements you need to know for buying a car seat, used car seat, when to change sizes, etc. You need to know where it is bought from (If bought in the States you won't be covered if in an accident), if it has been in an accident, how old it is as they expire within 6 years and if they still have all the paper work. So once I had done this and knew what to look for I started reading through all the listings.

Just posted on Monday was a "NEW" travel system bought at Sears. It had been purchased 6 months ago and the car seat was only used for 1 month. I emailed the lady with my questions and she responded with the answers and photos of her stroller. Are you ready for this? It was the EXACT SAME ONE I've been eying at Sears!!!! NO JOKE!! She was getting rid of it because her son had grown too big and she preferred to use her umbrella stroller. She herself had been in a bad car accident 6 months ago and had to get rid of her car seat & stroller due to the accident and bought this new one. At this point her son was 8 months old and was too big for the car seat within 1 month, that is why she didn't use the car seat. Not only was she selling the car seat & stroller but also the extra base for the car. That alone can cost $50. All for $250. If we bought all this brand new it would cost us around $400. Now THAT is the God I serve!! :)

So we went out to have a look and you would think it was brand new. Hardly any wear to the tires on the stroller, had all the paper work, sticker to verify it was bought in Canada and just PERFECT! I was ecstatic!! God is so good!! We bought it and thanked the Lady so much for such a great blessing. Never under estimate what God can do.

Life's little things

I'm not much of a person who focuses on the 'big stuff' of life. I'd much rather look at life's little things and appreciate each one. Over the years in my life of big things taking place - good or bad - I've found if you look at the little things and start thanking the Lord for those little things you realize that life is pretty good, pretty blessed and you can get through anything big by thanking God for the little. :) 'One step at a time' was the best advice I ever received. Whether trying to get through a season of feeling very overwhelmed and stressed, or a family member in need of healing, or a tough day with a child that just won't behave - one step at a time and looking at the little things can do wonders.

The little things I've been thanking God for are usually as they cross my path everyday. Like 'Thank you Lord for sunshine today, thank you Lord I have a full time job I can go too today, thank you Lord for my health, Thank you Lord for doctors to help with our health. Thank you Lord for a roof over my head, thank you Lord for food in our house, thank you Lord for my husband, family & friends. Thank you Lord for music, for nature, for my sight! Thank you Lord for a vehicle to drive. Thank you Lord for the free country I live in., etc., etc. Once you start it is hard to stop. :)

Lately I've been starting each day with saying, "Thank you Lord for life in YOU!, Thank you for the cross and what you sacrificed for me." That is no little thing but I think sometimes we forget as we go along our days of how rough life would be without him. I really don't know life without Christ and I'M SO THANKFUL He found me so early in life and I chose to live for Him the rest of my days. If I didn't have His shoulders to lean on I would be so stressed. (Ps. 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.) Its funny when you start each day with that how the little things start to pop up around you and ones you didn't notice before are right in front of you.

Last week I was rear ended on my way to work by a big Lily Dale Semi-truck. I've only been in a few accidents over the years (Thank you Lord), but this one I was at such peace when it happened as I had just said, "Thank you Lord for life in You". I've had nothing but peace ever since. With talking to the driver at the accident, to being at the doctor to check out baby and myself were okay. To neck pain from the whiplash to meeting with ICBC to get the back end of my car repaired. When you are focused on life in Christ, everything seems to have a different focus and you can deal with things better. Probably because I know my life is in His hands and with Him any big thing can be dealt with through 'one step at a time'.

So start to thank the Lord for the little things today, the little victories, the little steps because they are the ones that lead to the big things in life.