au naturale

Yesterday, Matt and I went to the birthing center here in Fairbanks to meet with a wid-wife and see if that's the route we want to take with this pregnancy/birth.  With Taylor, I had an OB/GYN and loved her, but I felt like I was ill-informed about my options for giving birth to Taylor.  While I feel like my experience was a positive one, there are a lot of things I wish I had done differently looking back.  So I'm getting another chance to do things differently! 
At the birthing center, we learned a lot about what my options are and that I get to call the shots.  Nobody would be ordering me around, forcing me to lay in a bed.  There would be no IV pole to scuddle around with, no monitors hooked up to me, no oxygen mask to wear.  While these are all (except for the monitors) options that I could choose, they would not, under any circumstances (unless fatal) be forced on me.  I loved the sound of that!  Also, I have the option for a water birth, which I realize to some people may seem weird, but I think it sounds awesome!  I would not have an option for pain relievers, which seems a little daunting to me to have to go through the whole labor process sans drugs, but I really feel like it's something I could handle!  I'm so excited for this experience and I can't wait to have this baby!
We also found out that my due date is different than May 30, by just a few days.  I am now due June 4, so mark your calendars, people!  To check out the birthing center, click here.
On another note, about a month ago, Matt applied for a job with LifeMed Alaska.  His interview was about 3 weeks ago and while it seemed to be a promising interview, we haven't heard from the company... until yesterday morning.  The appeal to this particular job was the pay, the benefits and the professionalism of the company and its employees.  After waiting to hear from them all this time, we had sort of given up hope (despite lots of prayer and patiently waiting for the Lord to reveal His plan for us).  Matt got the job!  Oh, how good our God is.  After the long wait, we just really had come to peace with the fact that Matt was meant to be where he is now.  We were just praying for God to give us contentment in this season of our lives.  His timing is perfect, as always, and I am especially happy and proud of my husband for all of his hard work that has led us to this point.  God has finally given Matt his big break and what a relief it is!  Already, the supervisor has been so kind to Matt, telling him yesterday on the phone, "You can start work when you want", and upon Matt's telling him that he would cut our November vacation short, said, "No!  Family always comes first!".  Amazing.
Matt keeps saying that perhaps this is just too good to be true.  I don't think so though.  I really believe the Lord is rewarding Matt's hard work and perseverance with a perfect job.  Please be praying for him!  His start-date is November 9.

Explosion of words!

Taylor's current vocabulary consists of:

• Mama
• Dad
• Taylor
• hot
• please- "he"
• thank you- some variable of two syllables, but the attempt counts!
• uh-oh
• hello
• hey
• hi
• yes
• no
• hair
• ear
• nose
• eye
• teeth
• shoes
• boots- "boo"
• shirt- "she"
• juice- "oose"
• water- "wa"
• watch- "otch"
• ouch
• truck- "tuck"
• duck
• dog- "baw" or barking noise

I'm sure there's more, but those are the ones she says the most and pronounces best!  For those of you reading this who do not have kids, I realize how silly and irrelevant this post may seem, but when you have children, you'll find that when they begin to communicate in WORDS, you become the most proud person alive!  You also come to the "realization" that your child is probably the smartest who ever existed :)

I'd Need A Savior

It must be the hormones of this pregnancy, because recently my brain has just been a blur of thoughts and I say the silliest stuff!  I'm just all out of whack!  That said, I had a wonderful moment of perfect clarity this afternoon when I was driving in my car.  The radio was on and this song called "I'd Need a Savior" came on.  I've heard it a lot, but just haven't focused on the lyrics before....

How many names can I use to explain the love of my Jesus,

the life that he gave and so many times will I praise you today.
I lift up my life ‘cause you’re always the same
And my offering to you I bring


Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.


How many songs can I sing to proclaim your wondrous love and beauty so great?
What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday
I walk through the pain my heart would still say…


You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.
I’d need a Savior
I need you, Savior

Listening to it, I was just reminded of the passionate love and sacrifice the Lord made on my behalf.  Me.  Little ole nothing me.  Oh, what an amazing God He is to send his perfect and holy son to be sacrificed to save me.  I get goose bumps just thinking about it.  And to think that the God of the UNIVERSE wanted me to be saved.  He chose me.  He knew that I would need Him.  How humbling... and amazingly wonderful! 

Bragging Rights

As most women who have been pregnant before will understand, the early stages are usually the hardest- emotionally and physically.  Because of all the hormonal changes our bodies undergo, things that used to make no difference, seem to be magnified to the hundredth degree!  Plus, morning sickness/night sickness makes things that much more worse.  This is the place where I currently "reside" in this pregnancy.  I am weary, hormonal and sick. 
Another down-side to these first few months is the very SPECIFIC cravings I experience.  It was the same with Taylor.  Everything in our house looks disgusting and smells like it came from the dump, even though it's food I normally love:  vegetable soup (with zucchini!), white chili, oatmeal cream pies, and ice cream.  These are all things that I absolutely love to eat!  Well, yesterday, they all looked and smelled like they were fresh out of the garbage.  Just the smell made me feel sick.  The only thing that sounded remotely good to me was Thai, Chinese or sushi.  I told Matt this and, as the wonderful man that he is, he wanted to splurge on me and get me the food I so desperately longed to eat.
We were out running errands and we stopped at a little drive-thru Thai place.  I ordered green curry over rice... extra spicy, of course!  However, the portion was TINY, so when I had finished eating it, I was still really hungry.  So, Matt took me to our favorite Chinese restaurant and ordered my favorite:  chicken and brocolli with white rice, and an egg roll with sweet and sour dipping sauce!  Oh my, what a lunch that was!
Let it be known by all:  MY HUSBAND IS AMAZING!!!!!!

Big News!

We're excited to announce that we are pregnant!  The due date for Baby Blood #2 is May 30.  We're thrilled about this new addition and looking forward to Taylor being a big sister.
Time to bust out the potty training seat!  Want to jump that hurdle so we won't have TWO in diapers next May/June.  Yikes!

Time with family...

Last weekend we went to Anchorage to visit with Matt's mom, sister and niece.  Our niece, Natalie, is just 6 weeks younger than Taylor, so they got along wonderfully on this trip.  They've never spent time around each other at any point when they cared before, so it was so fun watching them interact with each other at this fun stage of their lives!  They hugged and kissed (upon MUCH coersion from their parents), read books together (well, sort of), fed each other food, and played lots and lots!  I'm looking forward to having them together more in the future. 
While we were in Anchorage, Matt's mom took me and his sister, Janie, to The Lion King on Broadway.  It was amazing!  Beforehand, we had a nice dinner together with some friends.  What a fun girls' night!
I've posted new pictures of the girls together when we were in Anchorage.  Naturally, there are none (hardly) of any of the adults, except for Grammy with the girls in a couple.  Click here to check them out!
Also, enjoy the video of them "reading" together!

9/11

I was in my second period cooking class in 10th grade, when another student came in the room, announcing that the first tower had been hit.  My teacher turned on the radio.  As we listened, the second tower was hit.  That entire week, we watched the news from our classrooms.  I'd never heard the hallways in my school so silent before.  Fear and anger had gripped everyone.

Praying for our country today.