"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb..." - Psalm 139:13

I have a couple great stories about the baby as he (or she!) is growing. First of all, a couple weeks ago, I started getting overwhelmed with all the baby gear we were going to need and how I had no idea how we were going to be able to afford it all. I mean, I know baby showers help a lot but I was still feeling a little stressed. So what should you do when you feel burdens on your back? Shrug them over to God! I simply prayed that God would provide all the things we need and that He would specifically lay our needs on peoples' hearts to help us where they were able to. THAT DAY God began to answer my prayer. (Notice God didn't waste any time in case I forgot that I had actually prayed about this and that things were just happening because we "got lucky.") I went to school that morning and one of the moms at my school offered me her car seat that her little boy had just outgrown. It was the exact kind I had been looking at and in near perfect condition!! She just gave it to me! As I'm lugging the big honker up 3 flights of stairs to our apartment, I see our neighbor (whom we've never met formally) just leaving her apartment. She takes one look at me and smiles.
"When are you due?" she asks happily.
"Mid-August!" I announce with just as much pride and joy as I felt!
"Well, my son has grown out of some clothes if you want them...otherwise I'll just give them away. I also have some unsused baby stuff if you're interested!"
"SURE!" I respond enthusiastically, knowing this is just another answer to the prayer I had cried that morning.
I praised God that night, knowing He was showing me that He would provide above and beyond what we could ever expect. The picture above is the ADORABLE thumbless mittens with little paws on them and matching polar bear stocking cap that came from the bag of goodies from our neighbor! Evidence that God's provision not only fulfills the need but can also be just the CUTEST THING EVER!!!!

By the way, many have asked if we are having a boy or a girl. The answer is YES! We are having a boy or a girl! We haven't found out the baby's gender, but that doesn't mean we don't have our suspicions. We both think it's a boy, and we have all along. First of all, we have a very strong leaning toward a boy's name, which has manifested itself in many key areas of our life. Also, if we were having a girl, wouldn't God have provided GIRL clothes as opposed to boy clothes? Everything we've been given has been from families with boys. Just something to consider.

I was reading some psalms out loud to the baby last night and all of a sudden, Norbert started kicking as I read! Jon and I were greatly amazed. We know baby can hear voices now, but his/her brain can't understand words. It made me think of when Mary, Jesus' mom, went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and John (the Baptist) leapt in his mother's womb when Jesus came near. They may not understand with their brains what is going on, but even babies have spirits, given to them the day they were conceived. We are in love with the fact that our baby's spirit is responding to the Word of God!

I Hate Canon in D

I was a music minor in college (I play the trumpet, for those of you who don't know). I became very attached to some music and composers, and at the same time, I came to loathe some "pieces." One such piece (that I vowed would not be played at my wedding) was Pachelbel's Canon in D for no apparent reason, except it's overplayed and overloved. I'm not the only one, though! Most of my musician friends feel the same way, not to mention 'cello players (who play the same 8 notes over and over and over and over and over). But there are others, this guy for example!! Watch this video and be AMUSED!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

My First Mother's Day

For my first (and easiest...) Mother's Day, my hubby Jon wrote me a poem. For those of you that don't know, Jon is a Marine/juggler/outdoorsman/musician/warrior/poet/STUDMUFFIN - a real Biblical David in the flesh. I mean in the spirit. Whatever. Anyway, here is the poem Jon wrote me for Mother's Day in iambic pentameter. I hope all you moms out there can take it to heart as well (and all you husbands can ask Jon's permission to plagerize, tee hee)

Love Sonnet #5
To the mother of my children, Mother's Day 2007
Copyright 2007 by Jon Gill

To the one who tells me daily that she loves me
To the one who always makes my knees go weak,
To the one who gets her life from Him above me
(It's Him we thank for giving what we seek)
For walking in our new life now beginning
And trusting Him (and me) with all your heart
And knowing that our quiver now is filling
And promising devotion as we start
For you're trusting and you're helping train our arrows
To be sharp and faithful, eager to be true
To raise them up to fly the straight and narrow
They'll be honored to have a mom like you.
Charm is lies, and beauty a fleeting haze -
But the mother of my children is to be praised!

Verses Jon used: Psalm 127:4-5 "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them...", Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Check out more of his poetry at http://www.jonathangill.net