Proverbs 31

*pic from pinterest

My small group bible study broke up into girls and guys tonight to discuss biblical woman(man)hood. We read Gensis 2 and focused on God creating a suitable helper in Eve. Yes women should submit but we are also co-heirs in Christ! We as much a princess in Heaven as men are princes!

Then we jumped to Proverbs 31. Just being honest here, I sometimes dread reading this. It seems like the perfect women doing impossibly perfect things. How in the world can I do all these things? Then we shifted into something I have never done before. We started talking about how we could actually do some of the tasks that a noble woman does according to Proverbs. We definitely put our own spin on it, but I'm really excited and impressed with our challenges! Maybe you might want to join???

 VS 15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
Challenge: Cook dinner 3 nights a week

VS 22: She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Challenge: Make your bed every morning for the week.

VS 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
Challenge: Clean out our closests for a garage sale.

We aren't each doing all three challenges, but we each picked at least one challenge to complete during the week! I'm doing the bed making and possibly the closet! (It NEEDS to happen lol!)

We talked about how all these traits and qualities are great, but the real underlying quality that is above the rest is verse 30. If we grow at our relationship with the Lord then we will learn to respectfully fear the Lord and all the other qualities will fall into place!

 

VS 30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

 

 

Hospital Bag

I recently saw a friend on Facebook ask what to pack in her hospital bag. I know there are alllll kinds of articles out there with their own opinions, so I figured I'd add mine! I'm pretty much a minimalist so if you need LOTS of details and stuff this might not be the list for you. Also, I'm not sure why it has taken me almost 8 months to decide to blog about all this baby stuff, but it is what it is!

For momma:

Fuzzy socks

Loose PJ pants
(You don't want anything "tight" these first few days)

Solid colored tops.
(Patterns may or may not be in style years from now,
and patterns aren't super flattering on swollen new mommas-just my opinion!)

Nursing snap tops.

 (I lived in these the first few weeks!)

Robe

 

Hair products.

(Chi, Blow dryer)

 

Make Up

 

Comfy presentable outfit for YOU to go home in.
(You'll be in pictures too!)

 

Bath products

 (Travel sized Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, etc...)

Literally everything else I needed was provided by the hospital, and I was super comfortable.

For baby:

At least one comfy outfit

(Adelyn wore the hospital onesie the first day, and was in a gown the whole second day)
 

Going home outfit
 

Swaddle blanket
 

Pretty blanket
(We didn't bring this, but we had hospital pictures done
and she asked for a blanket which we didn't bring
and had to borrow from somewhere?)

 

Boppy
(We didn't bring this either, but I think it would have been super helpful to have!)

Baby Mittens

That's it! We brought lots of outfits and diapers and everything else you can think of, but we didn't use any of it. The hospital provided diapers, blankets, hats, pacifers, bathing supplies, pump, formula if needed,etc.

Again. This is a very minimal list. I had LOTS of other stuff packed, but really didn't touch much of it. It's also super helpful to have relatives to can bring you food and anything you might need but forgot!

Birth Story

Tonight at our small group/community group/bible study/whatever cool name you wanna call it, I found myself retelling Adelyn's birth story. It surprised me how much I enjoyed telling it, and I could have told every little detail, but I don't think my audience would have appreciated it. However, you, my dear audience, can choose to stop reading if you don't want the all details. Here we go...

Adelyn Mae's Birth Story...

On New Years Eve, the hubz came home from work early because his stomach hurt. He ended up having the stomach bug and allll the fun that comes with that. I was only a few hours away from my due date (Jan 1st) and HUGE. I stayed away from him all day. My mother-in-law brought over medicine and took care of anything the hubz needed that day. At around 5pm, I decided to make a run for some gatorade and dinner. I got a Sonic chilli cheese cony and maybe some tator tots. I started to feel really bad after I ate dinner (I can't imagine why with that wholesome meal?!) so I went to lay down in our bed room. Sure enough the bug symptoms hit me not long after.

Inbetween bouts of sickness I felt fine, so I called my mom to see what I should do. She encouraged me to call the doctor. So I called the nurse and she said to go straight to Labor and Delivery IF I was having contractions. Well a first time 40 week pregnant lady can't really tell the difference between labor contractions and stomach bug issues, so my mom thought it was a good idea to go ahead just to be safe and head to the hospital to at least get check out.

My mom and dad picked me up around 11:30pm on New Years Eve to bring me to the hospital. My hubz was still too sick to move and definitely too medicated to drive me. The whole way to the hospital I kept thinking inbetween sickness episodes that I can't believe this is how my delivery is going to start. All the while I was not fully convinced that I was actually going to have a baby soon.

This is when things start to run together, and I get fuzzy on the details...I went straight up to L&D and went to the triage room. (The nurse had a hard time with me because she would get sick when other people got sick? Strange for a nurse?) Eventually there was talk about possibly a c-section because something was happening everytime I had an episode to the baby. I made my mom call Ryan and tell him to get up here fast. His mom had to drive him. I was admitted to the hospital after some time, but just to monitor the baby. There were no real signs of impending delivery. I got pumped full of some drugs to take away my stomach issues and started to fall asleep. My parents left and Ryan slept on the couch and his mom stayed with us. I guess that was all around 3 AM.  At about 4, I  I felt a pop and a gush. I suddenly woke up and told my MIL I thought my water had broke. She called for the nurse, but the nurse wasn't really convinced it was my water. (Not sure why? It very clearly was). Ryan's mom called my parents back up and Ryan had to wake up. It was game time...

Things progressed fast. Once I painfully got dilated to 6cm, they called for the epidural. I have no idea how long it took, but it seemed like FOREVER for the doctor  to get there. Once he did they started to sit me up and I was in PAIN. The nurses check me again and there was no time for the epidural. It was time to push. AHHH!!!! (The doctor also said since I was previously sick he wouldn't have done the epidural anyway.)

Pushing was intense and super hard. I was exhausted and so very thirsty. I pushed for about an hour and half and at 8:26 AM on New Years Day our doctor announced It's a GIRL!!!!
Adelyn Mae was healthy and perfect.

The rest they say is history....

2 Years later

August 2011.

That is when we started this adoption process.

Wow! How things have changed! I would have never imagined we would still be so far away from a referral at this time, but I know God has a plan for our little family and specifically this little adoption. We are still in the waiting phase, and in the waiting comes expired documents. The last few weeks we have been renewing documents like crazzzzzzzy. It was very reminiscent of our first home study. We had to get updated physicals. Jovie up to date on her vaccines. The house in good shape. In home Home Study interview. These were all a little tricker with a 7 1/2 month old baby this time, but we got them accomplished! We are very grateful for our family members that helped us with appointments! Couldn't have done it with out their help.

So what's next?

Well we are currently holding strong at 47 on the wait list. I believe we are good on our paperwork until this time next year. *Hopefully* we will be close to a referral by this time next year!

Extraordinary

I read a lot of blogs, not near as many as I did before I had Adelyn, but you know that's usually how it goes. I love reading about people that say YES to God and to reading about people that make things happen. I like to read about people who live extraordinary lives being faithful to God.

 I love to read about Stephen Elder raise tons of money for water!
 I love to read about Jenn Verme partnering with Sweet Sleep and getting beds for Noel Orphanage.
 I LOVE to read about Rebekah and Will who adopted FIRST as plan A.

 I like to read about these people because I want to so badly BE these people! Now, let me tell you. I have tried. I have tried to be these people. Here are some of my attempts...

Charity: Water. In 2011 I was fired up about Charity: Water. I "gave up" my Christmas from some of my family and friends. I posted and campaigned on FB. Did I raise thousands of dollars? Nope.  I raised around $300.

Lifting Arms Ministries. I gave babysitting a shot. My first summer after working as a teacher I sent everyone I knew this awesome spreadsheet with prices and information on it. I was going to babysit to earn money to give to orphans. Did I earn thousands of dollars? Nope. I babysat for two families and raised about $300.

I started this blog. I thought I could turn it into one of those huge blogs that has advertisements that millions of moms read. On my best day I averaged about 200 views.  Lately, I average about 15 views a day.

I wanted to adopt my first child. Here I am writing this with a 7 month old biological child that I am sooo incredibly grateful for.

I don't share this for a pity party or for a look at what I've done! I share because I want people to know that sometimes you won't raise tons of money. Sometimes your plans won't match God's plans for your life. Sometimes you just have to try things and be OK with the way they turn out no matter how insignificant it feels. I'm proud of my small successes because at least I tried. Maybe one day I'll be featured on a blog for changing the world, but today. Being featured on my blog is enough :)