Slurpees, Dramamine & a Ladybug Bladder

May has arrived!  That means we're only two months away from meeting this little man.  That also means we're in full-blown summer mode.  Yes, I realize we live in Hawaii and I'm probably not allowed to be as excited about 'summer' as those of you coming out of a genuine winter.  BUT, we've been eating corn on the cob and watermelon for lunch and I love it!  We spend more of our evenings outside, planting flowers, picking weeds and, occasionally, getting into water fights.  A few of the families Derek works for only live on the Big Island part time and while they are away we have permission to take full advantage of their gardens!  So, I've been tagging along to gather up peas, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. while Derek does his thing.  And after an especially toasty morning this last week, my husband surprised me with a Coke slurpee date, my all-time favorite!  See why I feel like summer?!

This week brought about several exciting things.  Derek was able to go on a deep-sea fishing trip!  He didn't snag the marlin he was hoping for but they did get several smaller fish.  He also managed to avoid any sea sickness (Dramamine is a wonderful thing!)- making the expedition a definite success.  We started our pre-natal classes at the hospital, which I had really been looking forward to.  I can't exactly say the same for Derek, but he was a trooper and I only had to drag him a little bit :)  I'll admit, I was a little nervous, too; Derek noticed that I was wearing 'my very finest pregnancy clothes' for the occasion :)  Watching a video of an actual delivery was slightly scarring for the males in the room and definitely made everything seem a bit more real!   We realize there's no way to be 100% prepared for all that is to come, but I'm thankful for the chance to gain a bit more knowledge and get to know other expecting couples.

[week 30 bump!]

With 30 weeks (and 5 days) under my belt, quite literally, the little monkey inside me is becoming increasingly cramped in his cocoon.  His new favorite pass-time is what I can only describe as 'ribbing' me from the inside.  At this point it just feels strange, but I can definitely see how it will become less fun as he continues to bulk up.  The other development of late is that my uterus is squishing and rearranging all my internal organs.  I feel like my stomach has relocated to the general throat area, my bladder is the size of a ladybug and my lungs have been deflated, folded up and tucked away in a drawer!  It could certainly be worse but this relocating of my insides does make for more frequent bathroom breaks, panting as though I ran a marathon after simply walking up the stairs and feeling like I'm going to regurgitate my dinner on a regular basis.  Sorry if that's TMI; I also seem to have completely lost my social 'filter' these days and don't have a problem sharing strange body facts with anyone who will listen!

My latest choice in reading materials has been along the lines of 'Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys' and 'How Do You Tuck In a Superhero?'  I realize I should be educating myself on things like 'Sleeping and Eating Patterns' or searching for literature on 'How to Get Dad to Change Diapers and Love it!'  But I've bypassed those genres for now.  I want to know what makes boys tick!  Needless to say, the stories these authors tell keep me in stitches and I end up repeating most of them to Derek because they're so bizarre and/or hilarious.  The thing I find slightly disturbing is that my husband totally relates to these wacky escapades and even gets this strange look in his eye as if he's fondly recalling all the similarly stupid stunts he's pulled over the years.  Uh oh... what have I gotten myself into!?

[Kai welcoming Derek home from work!]

My stomach has been waking me up at strange hours of the night/morning lately.  It used to be frustrating, but now I'm thankful for the opportunity to talk to God in the quiet.  I grab a banana or a bowl of cereal to apease my growling insides and then I pow wow with the Creator of the universe.. doesn't get much better than that!  Sometimes I go outside and watch the stars, other times I curl up on our awesome, new couch.  Although I find myself talking to God throughout the entire day, there is something special about this wee-hours-of-the-night-conversing.  'I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.  I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.'  Psalm 130:5-6  
God has so much to teach me, but in the business of the days I tend to have a harder time recognizing Him.  I long for His voice to be the most familiar in my life.  As easily as I can find Derek in a crowd or identify the tell-tale laughter of a friend, do I know the voice of my Maker?  Can I distinguish his calling, his leading amidst the noise of the world around me?  I'll admit, a lot of the time I can't.  That's why I'm thankful for sleepless nights; as I become more familiar with the way Jesus communicates to me in the quiet, the quicker I will be to listen for that same tone throughout the day.  May I long for Him like David did, 'My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.' Psalm 84:2  May I desire the Presence of the Lord more than anything else in the world.  For only in that Presence will I find true life, unconditional love and abundant joy.  Only in Him do I have a true purpose, a hope that can not be quenched and strength for whatever this life may bring.