Sheffield Family Adventures, Thoughts, Pictures and More...

2009-04-04T21:49:00.004-04:00

So sorry that I haven't posted in a while. Samantha and I just got over another bout of sickness :( This time was much worse than the previous. We were definitely down and out for about a week and a half. No fun at all, but I thankfully Casey never caught what we had and Samantha and I are finally healthy again :)

More good news for the Sheffield family is that Casey and I will be driving up to Tally very soon. Initially we were just going to come up for a day trip so he could get our Honda, which will finally be fixed. But instead my AWESOME Hubby is allowing me to stay through Sunday so that I can get some quality time with all of my great friends, who I miss dearly! I could not be more excited. I am in deep need of refreshing and fellowship with my Tally family :) Thank you honey for allowing me to take this vacation. You are so good to me and you know exactly what I need to be refreshed.

Well gotta head to bed. Have a great week!

Workin it out baby!

2009-03-19T20:16:00.003-04:00

So today was day 4 of my work out routine and I feel great. Very sore, but great! With spring here and the warm weather here to stay, I realized that I am losing options for wardrobe. I am still not quite back into my old clothes yet, but at the same time my maternity clothes are way too big. SO something has to be done. Also I have been feeling more convicted about being a good steward of my body for God, my hubby and my daughter.

First and foremost, I am called to be a good steward of God's temple which is my body. If I fail to take care of what God has given me, there will be serious health consequences that effect not only me, but my family as well. Secondly, I do not want to be a hypocrite who doesn't eat right and doesn't work out, yet force my child to eat healthy and stay active. She will see right through that and more than likely my efforts to train her right in this area will be unfruitful. You can't give what you don't have. Also, my husband deserves a wife who cares for her body and desires to look good for him. I have an incredible husband who deserves my very best.

So all that to say. Since I have no car right now, I have committed to working out at home with fitness on demand that is free with our cable package 5 days a week. So far I have been doing mainly cardio aerobics and core strengthening, but today I was bored with that and did "Cardioke"...LOL its a dance work out with Billy Blanks Jr. and you dance and sing the songs. It is a good work out but totally cheesy and funny.

Have a great weekend!

Recent Sheffield Happenings

2009-03-15T23:26:00.002-04:00

OK so I have not been on a while due to a number of life events here is a recap of what you all missed :)

Last Friday we went to Savannah for the weekend to see Casey's family. On the drive up on Friday night Samantha developed a fever and then preceded to have week long cold :( We still had a wonderful time with his family, but poor Samantha was feeling so awful. So then I spent the whole week nursing her back to health, which i have discovered this past week that Samantha is totally different baby when sick. She starts off cuddly and then her sweet easy going demeanor is no where to be found. Nothing seemed to make her happy for several days straight. For a while there I was beginning to worry that it would last forever :/ But Praise God on Friday things started looking up again and by Saturday and today she was much more like her normal self. Saturday we spend that day having a BBQ with my family and Samantha had her first swimming pool experience. She had a blast and we had so much fun watching her kick and scream with excitement. Check out my Facebook photo album for some fun photos of the event:)

Well that is life in a nutshell. This week we will be spending the week preparing for our fun Disney adventure this Saturday for my Birthday. If you don't know, Disney is giving free admission to everyone on their birthday. All you have to do is register online and then bring your registration along with a photo ID on your birthday and you are good to go :) So we will have lots more to write about after Samantha has her first Disney experience.

Hope you all have a great week!

Samantha's funny video

2009-03-05T21:53:00.003-05:00

Ok so we took this video on Casey's cell phone while we were feeding Samantha dinner, and it is hilarious! Check it out!

Samantha's Prophecy

2009-03-01T22:28:00.007-05:00

So today was baby dedications at High Point and it was such an amazing time. Having already done this in Tallahassee, initially we didn't see the need to do it again. But as we were praying and seeking God for Samantha we really felt like God wanted us to do it again and that he had some very specific words he wanted to speak over her. The dedication was really neat. The pastors went through each child one by one anointing them with oil and praying a prayer over them and they followed that up with a prophetic word that God had been speaking to them since they started praying for them a week or two before today. Each baby had such a strong and encouraging word. Here is what they felt like God was saying about Samantha Grace:

He first said that when he was praying for her he got a picture of Samantha spinning about in a flowing long skirt and a flower in her hair...like a hippy but sanctified. She has all of Casey and I's best qualities, yet her personality will be like nothing we have ever seen. She is going to be a whimsical yet very intense and competitive child. She will be the type of child who challenges her Dad to a staring contest and will not give up until she wins. Although that would make it seem like she would be a difficult baby, she won't be. She will be an easy baby in regards to her obedience and love for the lord. She is joyful and will thrive in freedom. We are to give her boundaries as parents, but within those boundaries we are to give her much freedom. We will sometimes wonder if she is trying to be disobedient but in fact it is her just being her whimsical self. Where we will have some difficulty in training is that she will not be the type to just sit down and read her bible, she needs to be able to have fun and find joy in what she is doing in order to see the benefit and learn. Learning about Jesus will have to be fun for her. So in that respect, if we are too administrative in our parenting style, that will not really work with how God has made her. Sometimes we will wonder if she is getting it, but she is. And we will know by her intensity and joy in Christ.

In addition to Pastor Keith's word, the worship leader also got a strong sense that Samantha just as she strongly resembles me, she will look to me, to be the example of how she is to be. She and I will have a very special relationship and I will be who she models her life after essentially. It was an encouragement, but also a word of warning because she is watching everything I do and will believe and value what I do. He also encouraged me that she will be passionate about Christ just as I am and that she will serve the Lord at a young age.

So praise God, we are very encouraged by her word and can already see much of what they are saying in her. I feel like a lot of this lines up with a previous word we got before she was born and agrees with much of what I have heard from God when I have been praying for her. I feel like worship and dance will be the main venue in which Samantha really connects with Jesus. After hearing this word I also feel like we will be singing scripture to her and making up our own worship songs, in order to keep her engaged and in his word:) I look forward to watching her walk with God unfold, and seeing her become all that god has called her to be!

Now a video of our whimsical daughter on the swings!

Honey-Cinnamon Results

2009-03-01T21:36:00.002-05:00

So we used the honey-cinnamon concoction for a few days with what seemed like no results. And feeling very discouraged, I went back to the Desitin to protect the area, until I could come up with another course of action or just give into the $60 prescription. To my pleasant surprise, after the day of using the Desitin following the honey and cinnamon treatment, the rash began to clear up considerably. And now, a few days later, it is practically gone. Now for the record, I had tried the Desitin several times before the honey-cinnamon treatment and it seemed to do nothing.

So given these results, I am (loosely) concluding that the honey and cinnamon probably killed whatever bacteria/fungus was causing the rash issue and that the Desitin then just kept the moisture out until the skin healed. Other variables that may have also influenced this experiment were 1. we didn't bathe her for the week, so that no moisture would cause the issue to come back and 2. we gave her some no diaper playtime, so that she could air out a bit...LOL. I only reccomend this if you have plenty of towels to lay down on the floor because they will pee at random, let me assure you :).

So praise God, her bum is feeling much better. I hope this medical testimony helps someone else :) I knew there was a reason we did science experiments growing up...I so would have placed in the science fair...LOL

Oh and I forgot...Sam's growth update!

2009-02-26T21:31:00.004-05:00

Samantha, now 7 months old, is weighing in at 17 lbs 10oz and is 26 1/2 inches long! Since she started solid foods, her growth has kicked into overdrive! LOL. We are so thankful for a healthy and happy baby girl. She is such a joy to be around and I love watching her become more of who God has called her to be every day!

The Honey and Cinnamon Experiment!

2009-02-26T20:51:00.004-05:00

So poor Samantha has a serious diaper rash on her booty that just won't go away. Our new doctor prescribed us a stronger ointment and we were ready to try it until we found out that it was $60 for 2 oz of ointment. So before we go spending that amount of money, we have decided to try a natural remedy of honey and cinnamon. According to several different natural remedy/holistic doctors, honey and cinnamon can actually treat many different health issues.

Tonight is night one of the experiment and I look forward to sharing the results with all of you! Not to mention if it works it is super inexpensive!!

The Secret Life of the American Teenager...what do you think?

2009-02-24T10:24:00.002-05:00

So I am totally hooked on what would have been called back in the day a "teeny bopper" show! lol... Every Monday night Casey and I sit down and watch The Secret Life of The American Teenager. While some of the acting can be a bit cheesy at times, overall the show seems to really hit the nail on the head as to what today's teens are going through. Additionally, the show also highlights the issues that the parents are dealing with as well as, which makes the show enjoyable for all audiences. This is the first show I have seen in a while where they actually show that sexual sin has true consequences in many different areas of life. From teen pregnancy, to causing divorce and family breakdown the writers demonstrate how we as a society use sex as a way of filling the emptiness inside, that only God can truly fill. I am very hopeful that this show might actually give some teens as well as parent perspective on life.

I also really enjoy the fact that they have some Christian representation in the characters as well. Not that these christian families are perfect by any means, but I appreciate that they are not a 7th heaven version of the christian families either. They all have issues just the same, but you see how the parenting and child's response to the discipline and/or conversations differ from those families who are not serving God.

Finally, although they don't talk much about whether Ben has a faith background or not, he in my eyes is the hero of the storyline. Despite Amy's situation, he loves her and is willing to lay down his life for her and her son no matter what. He is a very humble guy and extends a lot of grace towards Amy even when she allows her bad attitude and hormones take over how she treats him. Every week he steps up to the plate no matter what opposition seems to be standing in his way and does the honorable thing. I feel that his character, although a little naive at times, does a great job of demonstrating what it is to be a man at his age. That it doesn't mean you are the cool guy with all the ladies fawning over you, which is what so many highschoolers think is the key to being a man. In fact in this show, the writer exposes the cool guy for who he really is and the truth is he has just as many issues as the other guys if not more at times. However, the writer of the show does not allow him to just be the jerk everyone hates although that is naturally a by product for some because of how he acts and treats others. Instead the writer shows his humanity and does a great job of informing the audience of where his issues stem from and how he needs help rather than judgement.

Well I could go on about all the things I enjoy and take away from this show every week, but have you ever seen the show before? Do you like it? Who is your favorite character and why?

update to our electicity situation

2009-02-19T22:57:00.003-05:00

So yeah we have basically totally caught the electric company in a lie! We turned off all of our breakers and went out side to make sure nothing else was sucking electricity from our meter and nothing was. Then we took a reading to see how much electricity we had used in the last 10 days to see (with no habits changed) if we were using the same amount and sure enough the reading was not even close. In the last 10 days we have only used 309 KWH. Talk about a drastic difference for not changing habits.

Casey said that when he talked to the company they claimed to have read the meter in Dec and that when they checked in Jan the reading was exactly the same. However, that would be impossible because there was electricity on the day we picked out the apartment a week prior. I can prove it beause I asked the guy showing it to us if he would turn on the air conditioning unit so we could see how loud it was by the baby's bedroom. It was also on the day we moved in which was 2 days before they were supposed to turn it on in our name. So basically, we are paying for all the electricity used from December to mid February (that was never turned off) and the person who claimed to have read the meter again, lied! They are so going down tomorrow (in a Godly way of course:) ) I feel like Chloe on 24!

Please pray for us to have favor tomorrow with them!

Argh! The Electric Company

2009-02-19T16:31:00.002-05:00

So as many of you may have seen on my facebook status a few days ago, our electic company is claiming that we used over 1200 KWH of electricty in 14 days, which is absolutely ridiculous! We looked back on bills from Tallahassee and we have never used more than 850 in a month . Therefore it is impossible that we would have used even more in half the time...

So we call them today (now that we finally have new cell minutes) and they basically said that we had to pay it and that there was nothing they could do until the next bill comes out. How crazy is that?!? Isn't the fact that they are saying we used that much in 14 days a red flag that something is wrong? Why would we have to wait a whole new billing cycle? And how does that make this bill fair and worth paying?

So all that to say...how would you handle this situation? Would you pay the bill and wait for the next cycle or refuse to pay and demand they get someone out now? It is so hard to deal with a company, that is not operating with Godly Excellence, in a Godly way. Let me know what you would do or if you have had a similar situation before that you can share some wisdom from.

Thanks!

Valentines Day Shout out to my hubby!

2009-02-17T12:14:00.008-05:00

This past Saturday my hubby and I had an awesome Valentines Day! I woke up to breakfast in bed. Casey bought me a Panera pastry and made me some scrambled eggs with a cup of coffee, just the way I like it. Then we went out to run some errands and took a walk at our version of Lake Ella, Cranes Roost at Uptown Altamonte. I must say it is a few steps up from Lake Ella. It was a perfect day for a walk. Then we came home and had a wonderful visit with the Rios Fam (who we will get to see again this weekend! YAY!). Finally, the day wrapped up with a homemade dinner by my hubby. On the menu was Chicken Marsala by candle light and a bottle of Italian red wine, followed by some cheesecake, that I made and a movie from the comfort of our own couch. I am so thankful for my wonderful hubby who knows how to speak my love language, Service :) Thanks honey!!!

Some fun Samantha Randoms!

2009-02-09T21:52:00.007-05:00

Rub a dub dub, I love chillin in the tub!

Samantha in awe!

Samantha and daddy being silly!

Always a happy girl!

Hanging out at the Middleton's a few days before we moved. It so fun how interactive she is now with other kids!

The Sheffield residence in Longwood!

2009-02-08T19:57:00.010-05:00

I just realized I didn't take pics of Sam's room yet. Unfortunately every time I get the chance to take some it is when she is taking a nap. But I will get some taken soon.

Also, the pics are a little bit out of order, but you get the gist.

Miss you all lots!

Pediatric Urgent Care

2009-02-06T23:19:00.002-05:00

So today was quite a day. It started quite normal and everything was going well, until my daughter ran her eye into my thumb (literally). It was so sad, she cried so hard and there was nothing I could do but rock her and love her till she stopped. About 10 minutes later, which felt like eternity, she finally calmed down but her eye was so puffy and would not stop watering. When I looked at it everything appeared normal , but for some reason after her second nap it started watering all over again. Having no doctors here in town yet and no insurance card that covers here, we had no idea what to do. Thankfully, through several local friends and a referral from an adult urgent care we found a pediatric after hours urgent care center that was able to check her out. They were really nice, but our poor daughter was screaming as they put the solution in her eye to see if any damage was done. Thankfully everything turned out fine, but we will still have to apply some antibiotics just in case for a few days.

It is so hard to watch your child be in pain. Thankfully this wasn't as serious as it could have been, but even so it is never easy. All I could do was lay hands on her and pray for healing. It's moments like that, that remind me how thankful I am to be a parent serving God. Only he can calm you when you don't have all the answers or a quick fix to your child's pain.

In other updates... today before all this went down I was able to take some pics of the place, but still want to take more. Pics are coming soon. Also, Casey had a great first week of work and we are going to the HighPoint new members class tomorrow.

Have a great weekend! We miss you all so much!

P.S Please pray that Sam's eye goes back to normal quickly and that no infection sets in.

Thank you and yesterday's update continued!

2009-02-02T00:09:00.005-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who commented. I cannot lie it feels good to know we are missed just as much as we miss you all.

Today was our first Sunday at HighPoint and it went very well. Everyone was very welcoming and accepted us with open arms. We definitely feel like God is calling us to the church and actually will be attending the membership class on Saturday. We are very excited to get plugged in quickly. Also to get to know more people we went to the church's Super Bowl party. It was just over an hour from our house, but worth the drive as we got to know many more people. God has really set us up wonderfully here and has totally made this transition easier than I expected.

As for developments with Samantha she is already doing more than she was even a week ago. She has started rolling as a purposeful mode of transportation along with turning herself around on her stomach using her arms to propel her. She also is starting to talk a little more now and then. And finally today for the first time she was much more responsive to worship at church for the first time. Rather than just watching, she was flailing her hands and legs to the music. It was so precious and rewarding to know that the music excited her and I will just keep praying that she is feeling God's spirit as well :)

Well it is late and I must hit the hay, so that I will have enough rest to take on the day tomorrow, my first day of being home alone with Samantha full time again.

Have a great night and stay tuned for pictures of our new place. I hope to post them in the next day or two once we get the final touches done :)

An update on our move and Tallahassee Reflections

2009-01-31T22:10:00.003-05:00

These first 6 months of life with a baby, have been even more of an adventure than I ever could have imagined! Everyday is new and different and always holds opportunity for a new learning curve. And now having just moved to a new city (Longwood, Fl), away from the comfort of a familiar place and away from many people that we know and love, our adventure has soared to new levels!

My initial reaction to the move was that of peace amidst the storm and stress of the actual logistics of moving. Then there was our last church service at ENT, while I still had peace that we were following God's will, i felt my first rush of sadness as I realized that our time in Tally, was quickly coming to an end. Our years spent in Tallahassee, both together and apart, were some of the most amazing years of our lives. It was the place where we both began wholeheartedly serving Jesus, the place where eternal relationships were built, the place where Casey and I found each other, the place where we were married, the place we me made our first home and the place we had our first child. So many firsts and all of them miraculous and life changing. Tallahassee will forever be a place we call home.

Although my heart is now starting to feel sad as I reminisce on all of our wonderful memories of our lives in Tally, I have an excitement for the adventure and blessings God is bringing our way. I know that our obedience to move was not in vain and that God has a purpose and destiny for us in Orlando. I am thankful that I am now able to stay home with Samantha and that I get to play and active full time role in her life and development. And beyond that I am not sure what God has in store for us, but whatever it is I know it will be great because He is so faithful!!

To everyone in Tally we miss you so much and love so much! We were sad to leave, but we look forward with excitement, because we know our relationships are going to grow even stronger in the years to come!

OK now that I have gotten that off my chest, our current status in Orlando is: almost everything unpacked and put into place, grocery store, target, mall and a few yummy restaurants located, cable and Internet set, Queen size blow up mattress for our future guests, got it! And as of tomorrow , we will have attended our first Sunday service at HighPoint and our first get together, a Super Bowl Party!

Well that is all for now, but I do plan to be more faithful to this blog. So please check back for more updates !

38 Weeks and still waiting...

2008-07-10T11:29:00.003-04:00

So today I am officially 38 weeks and could not be more ready for Samantha's arrival. Depending on the mood you catch me in these days, I could either be having my emotional "I want to meet her" breakdown (Sorry Casey, you have had to witness that a lot lately), or I could be having my usual "Samantha, you are are hurting mommy, so please come out now" pep talk. I have discovered the more you know how close you are to going into labor, the harder it is to wait. Plus there is just that fun fear of the unknown...like where will I be when I go into labor? Will my water break? How bad are my contractions going to be? etc...the list of unknowns goes on and on. But one thing I do know is that God is faithful and has heard my prayers and in the end he knows what is best for me and the baby. So I will stand firm in knowing that the Creator is the master and his plans are best. I just pray that my desire for Samantha to be born tomorrow lines up with those plans :)

We appreciate all your prayers and support during this time and cannot wait to announce that she is finally here!

Any Day Now!!

2008-07-09T08:56:00.004-04:00

So we went to the doctor on Monday because I was experiencing lots of pressure and some lower abdomen pain along with some contractions and wanted to make sure everything was OK. It turns out everything was great and I am in fact closer to labor than even the doctor thought. He even said before he checked, that he wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't dilated at all. Well, thankfully that was not the case. I was actually already 3cm and 80% effaced...YAY! It is almost time for us to have her. The exciting thing is I have been praying and asking God to have her by this Friday, July 11th and more and more it's looking like that just might happen :)

Please pray for us that Samantha would continue to be healthy and ready for delivery and that my contractions would start to pick up and become real active labor contractions. Also please pray for us in the area of finances. These are probably my last couple days at work, which means only one more full paycheck for me and then we are solely on Casey's income. We are believing God for great things and his provision, but would love for you to come in agreement with that as well.

Thanks for all your love and support. We will keep you posted on our progress!

Shout out to my Hubby!

2008-06-30T13:18:00.003-04:00

So I cannot believe that I forgot to mention just how great my hubby was yesterday when the False Labor (or "Fire Drill" as I now like to call it) went down. He was so helpful and supportive! God has blessed me with an amazing man and I am so proud to be bringing a child into this world with him!! I love you honey and great job with the "Fire Drill" last night :)

False Labor!

2008-06-30T10:44:00.003-04:00

So last night I woke up from a nap with some contractions. The first one was intense and then it varied from there. But the crazy part is they went on for almost 5 hours and were between 2 and 6 minutes apart, with the occasional 10 minute break. However, because they were not growing in length and strength, the nurse at the hospital said it wasn't quite time to come in yet. Well, eventually I fell asleep and woke up with no contractions this morning. So it looks like it is not quite time yet. She has definitely dropped even more though, so it looks like progress is being made. We will keep you all posted and please pray for us and Samantha as we get closer to delivery. I wonder when she will come?!?!?

36 Weeks!!

2008-06-26T10:53:00.002-04:00

We are officially 4 weeks out from our estimated due date and could not be more excited. Of course now that everything is ready for Samantha's arrival, the days seem to creep by slower and slower. Our doctor's appt. yesterday went great and she is a very healthy 6lb baby already! So as you can imagine, I am hoping that her delivery is a bit sooner than the 24th of July. In fact I am having faith to go into labor on July 10th and to deliver on the 11th (as long as that is when God is ready to bring her into the world).

We didn't get to take any pictures this time, but we did get to see her heart beating and her lungs moving. And no longer shy, she is faithful to show her girl parts every time now...LOL So there is no doubt that she is in fact a girl.

We are definitely anxiously awaiting her arrival! And will keep you posted with any new developments.

Some Sheffield Family Photos

2008-06-17T11:23:00.013-04:00

A recent photo of the Sheffield family!

The boys...Ochie loves being a big brother :)

My Honey's first Father's Day at Outback!

Happy Father's Day!

34 Weeks!

2008-06-13T10:51:00.004-04:00

So this weekend the bags are getting packed and the finishing touches are going to be put on Samantha's nursery stuff. Yesterday's appointment went great, and the doctor informed us that as long as we go one more week with her, we will be good to go. They don't stop delivery after the mother reaches 35 weeks, so he told us to get our bags ready to go! As of right now, Samantha is looking to be between 5 and 5 1/2 lbs, which is definitely a good size baby...slightly bigger than average. Also everything else is looking great. We didn't get any pictures though, so no visual updates as of right now. One cool thing we got to see, was her hiccuping...LOL. I know they do that, but it was really neat to watch.

Also in this blog I want to thank everyone who has been blessing us with their support and gifts for Samantha! Seriously, she wouldn't have much if it weren't for you all. So thank you so very much. We knew God had a plan for provision, but there is something so special about him using the ones closest to you to do it. It really does take a community to raise a child, as they say.

My hubby is the clothing and diaper changing champ!

2008-06-05T11:31:00.004-04:00

So last night we went to our second to last child birthing class and praise God, all of us mothers are doing well. Thank you for your prayers and please still continue to pray. In other news, our class had a little competition to see which father could change the baby's clothing and diaper the fastest and with the best technique. I am proud to say that my honey blew everyone out of the water with a record time of 1min and 17 seconds and he had the best technique! As a result of the contest, we won a free diaper bag (which I am referring to Casey as his man bag because it is very simple and black) filled with a free pack of diapers, some magazines and some coupons. Way to go hon! You are going to be a great father and a super diaper changer. Now that I know you have skill, I will use that info to my advantage...LOL

32 weeks!

2008-05-30T15:09:00.003-04:00

So our appointment yesterday went wonderful. We are so thankful that God has given us a healthy baby! She is still head down, which is awesome and she is so big now that we got to see her heart really clearly and it beating like crazy,which was really neat! Her latest pics are posted to the right of the blog.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Prayer Request

2008-05-29T10:31:00.005-04:00

So with a birthing class of only about 10 moms, we have already had 2 drop because of complications. One couple actually lost their baby at 36 weeks due to a twist in the umbilical cord and the other couple went into preterm labor at 34 weeks. Thankfully, the second couple's baby is doing very well. However, I know the first couple must have been devestated. So please pray for their relationship with God to grow and please be praying for my birthing class and our little samantha. We know God has great things and we have peace about the health and safety of our little girl, but its hard not to be attacked with worry, when you see people going through what they never expected to happen. Every child born is truly a gift. Only God can protect them and keep them safe and healthy. So please pray for us and our group.

Also my 32 week appt is today, so more Samantha updates to come soon!

Book Reccomendation!

2008-05-23T10:24:00.005-04:00

In search of a new book to read, I stumbled upon one titled " Your Girl, raising a Godly daughter in an ungodly world." This book is phenomenal!! I recommend it to anyone, who has a daughter or even wants greater perspective on discipling women. And if you do not have a daughter, do not worry they have one for boys as well, titled " Your Boy...."

I haven't read that one yet, but so far this one has really given me great insight (and I am only 2 chapters into it).

So if you are looking for a good read, I highly recommend this book.

I feel like that segment they use to have on Reading Rainbow, where they would recommend books...LOL

Building Sons and Daughters, the Kingdom Way!

2008-05-19T08:59:00.005-04:00

So yesterday's church sermon, by Pastor Chip was phenomenal. Lately, I have been getting really nervous about the responsibility of parenting. The thought of being responsible for another life can be very overwhelming, but exciting at the same time. However, those two emotions together can definitely bring anxiety when you don't know God's perspective on the situation. And praise God, he was faithful to bring his perspective and truth in yesterday's sermon.

I loved how from the very beginning, Pastor Chip was humble and was not afraid to share some of the mistakes in parenting he has made along the way. I think a lot of us look at other parents in the church and we tend to see them as model's of perfection rather than overcomers, who have worked diligently to become the great parent that they are. It takes a lot of work and the laying of the right foundations and even then, there are going to be times, when we respond wrong and God wants to show us something in the midst of our mistakes that will grow us to be even better parents. His grace is sufficient and perfection is not expected from our creator.

Some of the other points that the Pastor made yesterday that really brought perspective to me was:

1. See your child not as they are, but for what they will become.
I think this point is so true and something that you can apply to both your natural and spiritual children. Currently, my experience only comes from working with other women who are just coming to know Christ, but this perspective is so key. In the midst of our frustrations,we can not focus on the hear and now, but the promise land to come. Parenting is going to be a process and with out this perspective, I can see how the devil will easily be able to come in and steal my joy as a parent.

2. Find your child's bent, before you get bent out of shape.
No two children are identical. Even identical twins have different personalities and quirks. And that is because we serve an artistic and creative God, whose creativity is limitless. Thank God for that. The world would be boring if we were all the products of a cookie cutter. And the exciting thing is that despite all our differences, we are still created in his image. To me that is fascinating. In this point I loved how he talked about embracing our child's uniqueness and bending them to greatness, not breaking them. It is our job to discover all the different facets of our children and seek God to help us shepherd each of their hearts in the way that they should go.

3. Priorities, Priorities, Priorities.
Finally, the priorities point really gave me perspective as well. In each season of parenting there will always be different challenges and issues, but if we keep our priorities straight and hold each other accountable to that, we will be able to better handle those challenges, we will be a blessing to our children and we will still be able to have joy despite the circumstances. Not to mention, I think when we have our priorities aligned with God's will, our children will have much more security even when things seem in disarray. They will see that Mom and Dad are secure in God's grace to get them through and that will speak more to them, than we realize.

After this weekend, I am feeling very encouraged and am ready to start shepherding our little girls heart towards the Kingdom of God. It is a great responsibility and I look forward to seeing every little breakthrough we make with her and our other kids in the future.

Child Birth Class 101...and the weekend ahead!

2008-05-16T09:52:00.004-04:00

So this past week, Casey and I attended our first childbirth class. I must say it was a bit overwhelming, but great. I realized that each child that is born, truly is a miracle from God. There are so many complications that can happen. And not that they try to scare you in this course, but they have to share stories to help you better understand the seriousness of watching your body and being aware of how your baby is doing as your due date approaches. I just keep continually praying for God's protection and that he would just continue to be with our little girl in these final weeks as she continues to grow and prepare for her entrance. I also keep praying that I would remain in Faith and not worry. It is so hard not to though.

On a more funnier note, we did alot of talking about how our body has changed and about the different parts of the baby and placenta and what not. So while on that topic, Casey asked how long the umbilical cord typically is. I was very proud of my hubby's interest and excited that he was into the class. The showed us visually the typical length using her hands, but then said the biggest one they had ever seen was 6 feet long!!! YIKES! Can you Imagine that? That girl wasn't all baby...she was all cord! LOL

So all that to say we are very glad we are in the class. The lady does a great job of balancing the serious info with some comic relief to keep up encouraged and excited about our process.
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Now moving on to the weekend ahead. I am so stinkin excited for the weekend and today could not be going any slower... This weekend my sister will be up to visit again, the Bouch Family is down to visit (I have missed them so much!) and the long awaited Hess/McClure wedding is finally here. Talk about a weekend of joy and excitement!

I just love weddings. It is so amazing to be able to sit and watch what God has does done in a couples life and witness their union and entrance into the next season of what God has for them. It really is a powerful moment! After tomorrow, their lives will never be the same. I also love how weddings are a great reminder of what God has done in your own life and reminds you of your special moment. Having just had ours a little over a year ago, it is still pretty fresh in our minds. But it is always good to be reminded of God's blessings. My husband is truly God's greatest gift to me. With out him, I would not be fufilling my purpose in Christ. I love to how God always picks the right person for us. That person is not perfect and there will always be issues to work through, but when you know that they are the His best for you, there is such a security and peace that comes.

I know Katie and Dave are the perfect pair! God handpicked them for one another and had amazing plans for their lives. And I look foward to watching their story unfold even more as the years go by.

Congratulations Katie and Dave! We love you guys :) ~The Sheffield Family!

Baby Samantha Update!

2008-05-07T10:39:00.002-04:00

So I just realized I never updated my readers on our most recent ultrasound. Last week we got to see that for sure we were having a girl, although we didn't get a cell phone pic of it at the time, because we were too busy staring at the monitor and rejoicing, I can promise you that our view of her parts was crystal clear. In fact it was clearest ultrasound image I have seen yet! She was in perfect position and no longer being so shy. The doctor was amazed too at just how clearly we could see it. Casey and I were very excited, as this proved to be even more confirmation that our prophecy from Pastor Chuck was accurate and totally from God!

The doctor was also able to further confirm that there is in fact only one baby in there. She is just a little bigger than average. After measuring her head and her abdomen, the doctor determined that she was already about 3lbs. Last I checked, my Baby Center email said she was probably only about 2.5. So it looks like little Samantha could be a "full figured" baby or just perhaps a really long one. Which honestly both of our families have some pretty tall genes in them, so that would not suprise me. I just pray that she doesn't get too big to birth naturally. Also she is already in the head down position, which is good. seeing that made me realize just how quickly July was going to be here and that she is already preparing for her entrance into the world! I can tell too, because she keeps headbutting my bladder and pelvic bone. Talk about a wierd feeling...LOL

For updated ultrasounds of Samantha please see the pictures on the right side of my blog.

One year down and many many more to go!

2008-05-07T10:18:00.005-04:00

As many of you know this past Monday was Casey and I's One Year Anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, my awesome hubby planned a trip for us to St. Augustine. We got to stay in a beautiful Hilton Hotel located in the heart of Historic Downtown with a bayfront view. It was amazing! Although we don't have a digital camera that works right now, we did bring a video camera with us. So hopefully, I will get to post a video or two. That is if we can figure out how to get the video off the camera and onto the computer...LOL.

But anyways, we were definitely in need of a vacation and some time for just the two of us, especially since the baby train is getting closer and closer! What made this vacation so great, was not just the romantic get away, but what God did in our midst. Not only did we get a chance to reconnect, God also helped us set some wonderful goals for our next year of marriage as we spent time reviewing the scripture we had read in our wedding- Ephesians 5:22-33. We took a good amount of time to read it to one another and evaluate how we have done this past year. As hard as it was to admit, there are definitely areas that we have not done well in and others that we have grown in for sure. However, with the busyness of our day to day lives, we have failed to see where our lack was. So now that we have had a rejuvinating vacation and some time away to really communicate with one another, we feel like we have the right perspective going into our second year of marriage.

I am so thankful that God is so faithful to show us the way and give us truth. The real question is are we taking the time to evaluate how we stand and walk according to that truth? Casey and I are encouraged and challenged, but overall very excited to see where God takes us this next year. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such a strong and committed man!

Great news for all the pregnant ladies out there!!

2008-04-30T08:29:00.005-04:00

Check out the latest study on chocolate and pregnancy! I was thrilled when I heard this on the radio this morning :)

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ioc0zukLqOeatj7-oMX2AfHrW1Ow

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=37858

Have a great day!

The new Mariah Carey Song...LOL

2008-04-29T15:10:00.002-04:00

So has anyone heard the new Mariah Carey Song??? It is ridiculous and really not very good when it comes to lyrics. Besides being overly sexual (like most songs now a days), she freaking sings about YouTube...LOL. The sad part is the melody is very catchy and young girls will sing the song and not even realize what it's about. BTW, does Mariah Carey realize that she is not as young as she used to be? If you haven't heard it yet, check it out. I would love to hear other people's reviews. The name of the song is "Touch My Body" and you can listen to it on YouTube.

Headed out of town!

2008-04-18T10:06:00.003-04:00

Today the Sheffield Family of 5 are headed down to good ole' Bradenton for a weekend of fun. Our weekend events include, introducing puppy number 2 to the family, golf (for Casey), some beach time, and a baby shower. I am so excited for a little vacation and some time with my family. In fact, this might be the last time we travel down before the baby arrives in July.

We are really wanting to tell my family about the prophetic word we got about the baby being a girl, but because they barely understand what it means to serve God, we are not sure how to even explain that that God told us it was a girl. So this will be a very gender neutral shower. However, we are praying in faith now that our April 30th appt with Dr. Morales, will even further confirm what God told us so we can share the news with my family.

We hope everyone else has a fun and safe weekend!

Her name will be Samantha Grace!

2008-04-15T08:45:00.005-04:00

So I have to tell you the awesome answer to prayer I got this weekend!

Knowing that we would be having Victory Weekend this weekend, I began to pray for God to do a number of things in our family. I really wanted him to help us work through any last minute issues we have, before the baby comes and stuff like that. Well one of my more specific prayers was related to the sex of the baby. I basically prayed :

"God, I am frustrated that we do not know what we are having yet, but the reality is I want you to tell me, not some ultrasound which isn't usually very clear anyways."

Since they were doing prophetic ministry on Friday night, I was hoping this would be our opportunity for God to tell us. Well the prophesies didn't really start until 9:30 and I knew we could probably only stay for an hour and the focus was on people who have never had a word before. So I decided not to worry about it. If God wanted us to know he would tell us.

Although we did not get a word on Friday night, I was encouraged to feel my baby moving more than ever before during that one hour of prophecy. I could even sense it's excitement for what God was doing for those he was ministering to. This was so encouraging, because I have been continually praying that our baby would feel God's presence even in the womb and that the baby would worship him even now. I truly feel that our child could have a prophetic gifting and a heart for worship.

Well the next morning, I ran into Susan and she told me that she had exciting news. She told me that Pastor Chuck had gotten a word for us, but we left before he could give it to us. She mentioned that it had to do with the sex of the baby, but she wanted Pastor Chuck to talk to me about it. So on Sunday morning, when I saw him, he told me that God had given him a word for our baby and that he wanted to stop us as we were leaving on friday, but he was already in the middle of a another prophecy at the time. I told him that I had heard that he had gotten a word for us and that we were very excited about it, because I had been praying that God would tell us. This is the word he got for our baby:

He said when he looked at us, God showed him a little girl who was dancing and like a root she shot into the ground. He explained that this had to do with the inheritance of the Kingdom of God here on earth. He said that this might have something to do with dance or worship, but he would need to ponder that more.

Although the prophetic word was not long, it was definitely what I had been praying for and it brought so much peace to my heart. As you can see the word very much paralleled the physical manifestation of the baby moving throughout that entire hour of ministry that we were there for. Also I have felt like were having a girl all along, but wasn't sure if that was my own preference or if God was really showing me that. Another random but crazy confirmation that related to this word, was a conversation I had Sunday morning right before I ran into Pastor Chuck. Anna Harrington was wanting to see me and her mom was telling me about how she had been asking about me because she had not seen me lately. Then randomly in the middle of our conversation, little Anna did a ballet arabesque. It was so sweet. So I asked her, "Are you taking ballet?" And she shook her head up and down with such a cute little smile. Her mom then went on to explain that she was in the Wildwood dance program and that it was so great because they don't just dance, but they teach the children how to worship God through dance. My reply to that was, "If we have a girl, I want her to dance and do that program." What seemed like a random convo at the time, turned into further confirmation that Pastor Chuck had truly heard from the Lord and when I explained to him all the confirmations I was having, it encouraged him as well.

Praise God that he speaks through us and ministers to our needs. I am so thankful, for His faithfulness to answer prayer and am so thankful for the gift of prophecy and encouragement I pray more than ever that I can grow in this gifting and that our daughter will operate in it as well.

So like the title says, " Her name will be Samantha Grace!" Samantha is a Hebrew name, meaning Listener of God. How cool is that! I liked it before I knew it's meaning. But now that I know it's meaning, I love it and know that it is the right name for our daughter.

I hope this is encouraging to you and that it builds your faith for whatever you are believing for God to do in your life. No prayer is too simple or silly for God :)

What a blessing!

2008-04-10T14:58:00.005-04:00

So just the other day I had a wonderful conversation with my sister. She has been working hard to plan my family baby shower for next weekend and it has been so much fun because my pregnancy has actually helped us grow closer in relationship. Thank God for that :) My whole life we have never really been close because we are so different, but God has used the new life growing inside of me to bring even more life to my current relationships. How cool is that?

What also blessed me so much, was when she told me the other day that she couldn't believe how well I was handling my pregnancy. I asked her what she meant by that and she basically explained that she had never seen someone handle it so gracefully and without complaint. Now being apart of a spiritual family, I get to see women everyday gracefully walk though their pregnancies and never think twice about it. But I forget that my family has not had the opportunity to see someone walk it out in the right way. So I was so blessed that my family was finally getting the opportunity to see a Godly marriage and family through Casey and I.

Also it was nice to be affirmed that I was pleasing God through my pregnancy as well. I think we all forget that the day to day stuff truly ministers to people, even when they don't see us on a regular basis. I mean heck, my sister only gets to talk to me on the telephone and see pics of me on Facebook...LOL. So you know that it is all God, that her eyes are open to what he is doing in and through my life.

Children are truly a gift from God and in more ways than we even know. I am having great faith that this beautiful life inside of me is going to be a true tool of reconciliation for my family . Not just between us as family members, but between them and God as well!

Praise God!!

A healthy pregnancy and baby!

2008-04-03T13:38:00.004-04:00

Casey and I had our appointment this morning and although we didn't find out what we are having, we are ecstatic to know that our pregnancy is going extremely well. The doc said that everything looks great and that the baby is healthy. And at the end of the day that is all we can really ask for. So it looks like rather than stressing out about the gender anymore, we are going to go ahead and register for all the fun gender neutral stuff and be done with it. And if we happen to find out in the meantime, that is great. We just ask that you all continue to pray, as you have been for our pregnancy to continue to be healthy and we look forward to celebrating our new family member in 16 weeks!!! Can you believe that we already only have 16 weeks left!?!?

This week could be the week!!

2008-03-31T09:12:00.004-04:00

So this Thursday I go for my 6 month check up! I am so excited to see how much our little one has grown. It is definitely kicking more than ever before. And what is even more exciting is that Casey got to feel it for the first time this past weekend! So we know that growth is definitely taking place in there :)

In addition to seeing the changes, we also really hope to find out the sex of the baby. My prayer is usually something along the lines of, " Lord, please let it flash us this week!" HAHA. Silly prayer, but we are really hoping to learn more about this little one's identity. Either way as I have said before, we will be super happy with a boy or a girl, but I am ready to start some planning with the 4 months we have left. I know that is still quite a bit of time, but I am already getting the itch to nest I think.

Hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Oh what a day... but thank God for Joy!

2008-03-26T15:40:00.011-04:00

So today has been nuts! Well really all this week I should say. Between work, our new puppy and our sweet Ochie, waking up at 2am with a swollen face and hives all over his body, I am down right wore out. The Lord is definitely preparing me for children through our dogs. Just last week we started potty training Buster and then this week, we had to take Ochie on an emergency visit to the vet as well. It was so sad to see our little guy so helpless. I just know that as I venture into the land of motherhood, it will be hard for me to watch my children become sick too. But God has been growing Casey and I in our team work, especially in the middle of the night, when one doggy needs to potty and the other has thrown up and cannot stop scratching his swollen face.

The funny thing about God though is that despite the stress of these situations, I surprisingly have so much joy and have so much expectation for being a parent. In the world things like this deter people from wanting the responsibility of caring for a child. However, when God is leading you in it, you can approach the responsibility with little to no fear. It is such a secure and wonderful feeling.

So now after some Benadryl and an entire apt cleaning, Ochie is seeming back to normal. We think that he is having an allergic reaction to some sort of grass that is blooming. Apparently this is not uncommon for dogs and since he already is on a prescription diet for food allergies, it would not be surprising for him to have a seasonal allergy as well.

With all of this experience with allergies lately, Casey and I have been laboring in prayer for our child. "We rebuke allergies in Jesus name!"

Well with little sleep, this is all I have for today.

So we did it...Meet Buster!

2008-03-21T11:56:00.007-04:00

Thank you to everyone who gave us advice. We really appreciate it! Although I must say that we got Buster before I was able to read all of your comments. However, the insight was helpful even after the fact .

Like Angel said, Ochie has a lot of energy and requires alot of attention, which is not his fault. That is just how he was created. So in efforts to ease the blow of less attention, once the baby comes we are trying an experiment. Casey and I have agreed if this experiment is not successful, then our second little puppy will have to go to a better home. But already, we think that this experiment is going to work. I must also say that we have a lot of faith and prayers that we are riding on, as I labored in prayer the day after we met "Buster" to make sure that we were making the right decision.

So now that I have explained our situation a little more, let me present to you are newest member of the Sheffield Clan....Buster!

Check out his sweet little face! Can you guess what type of mutt he is?

He is about 2 months old according to the animal shelter and apparently his dominant breed is German Shepherd.

They were not 100% sure what he was mixed with. They are guessing a lab or some other floppy eared dog. All I needed to know was that they didn't suspect Pit Bull! And they assured me that they didn't see that being the case at all.

Any guesses as to what he could be mixed with? I am interested to hear what you think!

Here are our little guys cuddling. While this is not the usual way you would see them. They play alot! But after playing for awhile, the two always need a little rest.

The fun thing about buster is that he won't put up with Ochie pushing him around too much. He may be small, but he can definitely hold his own for the most part, and I think that has been a bit of shock to Ochie...but a good one for sure!

Well, there you have it, the Sheffield family has grown once again. I assure you though, that we are going to keep the cap at 5 members for a little bit before we go adding any more!

Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!

Wierd Topic...

2008-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

Casey and I are wondering what the deal is with people cutting their finger nails in public?!?!?! Over the last few days, both in Destin and here, we have seen I think 3 people cutting their nails out in the open for everyone to see. When I say out in the open I mean sitting on a bench at Silver Sands Outlet Mall or in the Pharmacy checkout line at Walmart. Is this wierd to anyone else?

Play Hard...Sleep Hard...

2008-03-18T09:52:00.007-04:00

So after his weekend of fun with the Rios Fam, Ochie officially crashed for the whole day Monday. I have never seen him so worn out:

Home sick most of yesterday, Casey said that he remained in this same spot on the couch for hours...LOL. Once he finally came to last night, he seemed so bored without his friends. He literally paced the house looking for something to do. I think we might need to get him a little friend to play with...

What are your thoughts on this? Is this a bad idea with baby on the way? or good idea, because it could help lessen the blow of a new family member come July?

My Awesome Husband

2008-03-17T11:21:00.006-04:00

Let me just say my husband is such a great man! As an early birthday present, he took me to Panama City and Destin for the weekend to shop and relax. Despite the non-sunny weather conditions, we had a blast. It was so nice to eat out and not have to cook or make our bed or do any of the other weekend chores we usually have. And it was so nice to just have some time to ourselves, without outside distractions. Like I said in the previous post, we even got to leave Ochie behind with the Rios Family. And boy, what blessing that was. (Although I must admit, I missed him terribly!) Here is a picture of him with Nico and Bebo, just chilling in their crate:

Ochie had a blast with the boys and we can tell because all he has done since we have been home is sleep! :) Also, I must mention that we came back to ochie having been trained. While we were gone, the Rios's realized that Ochie responded really well to being squirted with a water bottle when he was doing something he shouldn't. We have probably tried every tactic but that to discipline him and finally we have found something that works!!! Praise God and thank you Angel and Christina for taking the time to work with him :)

Finally, over the weekend we were also able to visit with family as well because Casey coordinated with them a suprise party for me :) What a blessing it is to have a suprise party even at the age of 24! And let me tell you the cake they got me was amazing. Here is a picture:

It was called the Chocolate Ganache Supreme Cake. Seriously, if you are a chocolate lover, this is where it is at!

So all in all, we had a wonderful relaxing weekend and I was so blessed by my honey, my family and friends!

Have a great day!

Strength in Joy

2008-03-11T10:25:00.003-04:00

So I must repent for my complaining. After being reminded about Sunday's message "Strength in Joy," I realized that yesterday I should have been choosing to have joy at work despite the boring conditions. In fact, I should be thankful that I still get paid regardless of whether there is work for me to do or not. Once this week is over, work will be busier than ever. So I need to choose to see the blessing in this time and rejoice in the fact that I have a chance to rest and have a break from my usual 8-5 life. Joy is a choice, and today I choose joy. It is also my mission to discover what God's will for me today is.

In preparing for our life group tomorrow, I came upon a great paragraph in the lesson that really stuck out to me.

" Joy is a spiritual force inside of you. It is from God and is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Satan wants to steal your joy. He wants you to lose strength for the fight. He will attack us and steal our joy when we choose to let him. The bottom line is he is after your joy. He wins if he can take it. Don’t let him take it! Choose joy!"

I am not going to allow Satan to steal my joy, not even in the small things. He can't have any of it! As I prepare for my great transition, I want to know that I fought the good fight of faith the whole way through and never surrendered my joy to the Devil.

Another great point the lesson makes, that stuck out to me as well was:

"Pure joy is not happiness. "Happiness" comes from the word "happen." Happiness, therefore, is based on what is happening. If something good is happening, then you are happy!"

God desires us to seek pure joy, not happiness. Happiness is not something that endures eternally and is easily forgotten with every change in circumstance. Pure joy however is everlasting and a much more steady compass for us to use as we walk through this life. Whether it is times of trials or times of blessings, if we choose to have joy in the midst- we will be able to see God's will for our situation/life much more clearly. And out of that it will be much more able to stay in his will with our faith, prayer and attitudes.

So as I said earlier, today I command my soul to choose joy regardless of how I feel.

Have a happy Tuesday!

Spring Break Begins

2008-03-10T10:26:00.005-04:00

Ok so today is not such an interesting day for the Sheffield Family. It is the first day of Spring Break and there is not a student in sight that i need to advise....So why am I getting paid to sit at my desk, just to have nothing to do??? I am trying to be excellent, but seriously there is nothing to do, but some minor filing- which I will probably end up saving for later on in the week...Oh well. I just pray that these first few days go by fast because Casey and are taking a long weekend to PC and Destin! YAY :) That is when the Sheffield Family Spring Break will begin. The way we see it, we probably want to go ahead and take a few trips before the baby comes, because once "it" is here and I say "it" because still have no clue as to what the gender is, we will probably be on lock down for a while. So all that to say i am looking foward to a weekend of just us with out Ochie. I love him, but thanks to the lovely Rios family, we will get a nice little break from him as well :) I just pray that he behaves and continues to get along with their boys!

In more exciting news, Cheryl Brown is now officially MRS. CHERYL LILLY!!! YAY :) This weekend Cheryl and John were married and it was an amazing event!!! God was so present in their ceremony and just seeing two people faithful to wait on God's timing for so long was so special. They even wrote their own vows, which were incredible. Talk about a happy tear fest! So in honor of them i leave you a few fun pics from the weekend:)

Here is the beautiful bride!

Here is Cheryl, I and baby Sheff :)

And here is Mr. and Mrs. John Lilly!!!

Well I think that is all for today! Happy Monday everyone :)

A letter of welcome to Caroline Grace Bell!

2008-03-06T13:28:00.003-05:00

The last couple days I have been overjoyed knowing that our prayers have been answered. It is such an amazing experience to stand and believe for something as a group and watch God's blessing unfold...

Dear Caroline,

We are so excited that you are here! You are truly a testimony to God's faithfulness. You have forever changed our church and have been a catalyst of faith for so many of us. We look foward to meeting you and cannot wait to see in person what a beautiful young lady you are and how you will continue to change the world in the years to come as you grace it with your your presence and beauty.

Love,

The Sheffield Family

P.S We look foward to play dates with you when our little one get's here!

Here we go!

2008-03-06T12:09:00.003-05:00

So I am officially back on the band wagon of blogging now. After reading so many other inspiring blogs I have decided it's time that join in on the fun. For my first blog I just want to share with you my exciting update regarding Baby Sheff. We are now 20 weeks along (half way there...woo hoo!). And while the gender remains a mystery, we were still excited to find out that our baby is healthy and that no complications are in sight. Praise God! Also this month I only gained 2 lbs. Which was also great news considering last month I put on a whopping 10...talk about feeling a little insecure. Which brings me to something funny. I never thought that I would be insecure about my size while pregnant. I mean shoot you are pregnant..aren't you supposed to gain weight??? And while yes you are suppose to, not everyone put's it on the same. Some people however don't realize that and all it took was a few people asking me if I was carrying twins or guessing that I was farther along than I am to start the insecurity rolling. However, thankfully at the same time God also has been using other great friends in my life to encourage me about my ever growing belly. So as for lessons learned from this story. Never try and guess how far along someone is, it really is awkward for both you and them when you are wrong.

Well that's all I got for today. I hope you enjoyed my stream of conciousness :)