Here are some recent pics of Baby Girl’s nursery! (like ‘coach’ and ‘couch’ I always have to stop and think how to spell nursery. Duh.)

Here is a lovely shot of the change table that my sweet dad made for her! He literally had me go through Pottery Barn catalogs and pick out features of different change tables I liked and Voila! He put them all together and created something unique to our family. I love it! It’s absolutely perfect. And she even has her tiny dresses hanging on tiny hangers inside.

This is a shot of her little reading nook. And her eating nook too, I suppose. I am wanting to have a real hydrangea in that cool old milk jar all the time, but that’s probably not feasible. Disappointed by Hobby Lobby’s selection of faux flowers…besides JoAnn’s, any other suggestions on where to find lifelike hydrangeas?

A cool shot of her AWESOME crib. We saw this crib in the room of Sir Atticus Van Voorst and fell in love with it! We copied you guys…hope that’s okay! It’s kind of hard to see, but Christopher hung a cool branch from the ceiling with fishing line. It looks pretty dang sweet in person. It’s just so filmy and romantic and perfect hanging there so daintily, it’s hard to see in the picture.

I’ll need C to get his good camera out again and get a shot of my FINISHED CRIB BUMPER! It took a lot of sewing and there were some frustrating moments, but thanks to Mom’s patient teaching and LADDER STITCH, it turned out pretty awesome.

Now all we need is a little sweet lady to go IN this room….

A big reason I love reading the Old Testament is the rich tradition of storytelling, which became the writings. The stories were not just meant to pass on historical fact, nor just fictional fables to get little kids to do the right thing. They were real people, experiencing real events, that would give the listener, and eventually us, insight into how we are to live.

One of my super-stud heroes is Daniel. He (and his friends) did a lot of pretty amazing things: he was attractive, studious, trustworthy, excelled in nearly everything he did, became a part of the King’s court, interpreted dreams, always (nonviolently) stood up for his faith, shut the mouths of lions, saw visions of the future . . . pretty awesome.

But what really amazes me is that the one thing he really desired was to see his people Israel restored. And he never got to see it happen.

Israel had been bad. Really bad. And God allowed them to be conquered and taken into captivity by Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple, the two dearest things to the Jewish people, would be destroyed. This was not how it was supposed to be. Daniel was broken, and cried out that God would once again cleanse and restore His people.

We tend to have this idea that God will give us anything and everything we want as long as it’s honoring to Him. The truth is, that’s not truth. Yes, God wants to give us the desires of our heart, but He also wants His will to be done, and He wants us on board.

Daniel was the righteous guy. If anyone at that time deserved to get what they asked for it was him. Yet God would wait to restore Israel until after Daniel’s death. For whatever reason it wasn’t the right time.

This gives me hope. People tend to think that God doesn’t give them something because they’re doing something wrong. Or, people think they deserve what they’re asking from God and get pissed when He doesn’t give it to them. And then they walk away.

In that moment, by all human rationale, Daniel had every reason to walk away from God. He was asking for something that would be honoring to God, he was doing everything right, and yet God wouldn’t answer. But instead Daniel holds onto the hope that God listens and restoration is coming, even if the time and the means doesn’t make sense. Maybe God “disappointed” him a little by our standards, but He gave Daniel something greater to hope in.

So what will I do when God doesn’t answer? When, in that moment, everything inside me says, “He doesn’t care, just walk away.” Maybe I should remember all the amazing things God has done and realize that He truly is faithful, and His will be done.

Of course, it always helps when God sends an angel with a message. But I’m not holding my breath.

As I’m typing this, Chris is sleeping soundly upstairs. Poor boy didn’t get much sleep last night, what with all the emergency room-ing and the holding my hand-ing and the holding my hair back while I vomited-ing. And on top of that, he feels sick too!

The flu bug has invaded our home.

We had a lovely dinner last night with the 2 Carlstons and 4 of the 5 Hullings. After dinner, I was feeling a little rough – I hadn’t had much of an appetite and come to find out, Chris had been feeling kind of queasy all day too.  We got home, got our jammies on, popped on the burned dvd of Lost from the night before and halfway through, I ran into the bathroom and let it rip. Ugh. Poor baby girl, she was probably like, “whoa whoa WHOA!!”

Chris called the mynurse hotline and asked what we should do – I am THIRTY EIGHT WEEKS ALONG after all! Throwing up majorly can’t be good for me, right? They suggested we head over to the emergency room.

After checking in to the front desk, and after being a LITTLE disconcerted that the girl behind the EMERGENCY ROOM desk, upon hearing that I was 38 weeks along says, “Soo…like…how many months is THAT?” (Granted, she may have not been a nurse, or even in the medical field – she could have just been a volunteer…but maybe she should just stick to cleaning out the ice machines as her volunteer work?)

Anyway.

We meet with the nurses and they chart baby girl’s heart beat/movement, etc. ask me questions. And APPARENTLY, I was having contractions! She would be watching the monitor and say, “Oh! Here comes a contraction! You feel that?”

Um. No?

Dang it!

So baby girl checked out fine…Chris and I, not so much. Chris was as pale as a ghost me in the winter, was having chills and nausea. Upon waiting for the nurse to return to sign discharge papers, I had to dash into the bathroom and throw up again.
We are so thankful we only live 4 blocks from Mary Greeley. We had a tossy-turny night and woke up feeling…eh…a LITTLE better. We’ve had toast. And water. And watched “The Blindside” which was awesome.

So now, as little Bubbs is hoping that mommy doesn’t throw up anymore, and Big Bubbs is catching up on his much-needed rest, I am trying to figure out how to exit a hammock gracefully. Because 20 minutes ago, that did NOT happen.

I never really thought there would be a day where I would write a letter to a good friend in prison. But if I’ve learned anything in my life it’s that things don’t always go according to plan, both good and bad.

A couple weeks ago I found out that a friend, who’s family we are very close with, was in the county jail. Anybody who knows the guy was completely blindsided by it. His family is a solid Christian family, he’s one of the most likable guys you will ever meet, and it’s something you never think would happen to someone you know. But he made some really bad, really illegal decisions, and this is what happens.

If you’ve never written a letter to prison, let me tell you, it’s a strange thing. I mean how do you start? What do you say?

“Sorry you’re in the clink?”

“How could you be such an idiot?”

So I started with a prayer. And I ended with a prayer. And in between I hopefully encouraged him. I hope he doesn’t feel any more guilt or shame than he needs to.

The amazing thing is his response. He knows what he did was wrong, and he knows he has to pay for it. But beyond all that, he knows that God wanted to get his attention before he found himself dead. And God wants to use him to reach the guys around him.

It reminds me of the consistent call of the Proverbs:

“He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.”

“There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”

There are so many traps we can fall into. Our “logic” can become so easily skewed. We are quick to justify our actions. But in the end, if we’re not on the path that God has laid out, it all leads to death.

“For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.”

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

“In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.”

Sure, we’re not all doing things that will land us in jail, but as another friend put it, “His actions were illegal, mine are just immoral.” Legality isn’t the real issue, our acts are more like white-washed tombs. They look good on the outside, but inside is death and decay.

It’s a good reminder of how easily we can stray from the path. I don’t want to do things illegal nor immoral. Oftentimes the immoral acts that go uncovered are the ones that will destroy a man, a family, and a community. In the end it all leads to death. I’m thankful for those around me that remind me of the path that leads to true life.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

We’re praying for you, brother. May the Lord do His will in you!

*in order to not confuse the issue with Gavie and Liam, my smart sister referred to the upcoming Baby Shower as the Baby Party. Makes sense. Why would we put Baby Girl Cousin in the shower!?

Last Saturday, my sister hosted the most lovely baby shower for me and Baby Girl. Mom was on hand too and helped out tremendously. About 30 family members and friends from Ames came to Em’s gorgeous house to celebrate the impending arrival of Lil’ Sweets. It was so fun and I couldn’t have decorated it better myself.  I know that it was quite a stretch for Em to use lacy tablecloths and doilies and pastel colors, but she knows what I love and made it absolutely perfect!

In addition to the necessities, we received SO many sweet clothes as well as tons of BOOKS for her little library! I really feel like we could be actually be ready for her to come. I mean, come ON! 3 1/2 weeks until her due date! She could come any time!

Take a peek at this gorgeousness:

Thanks so much to Em & Mom for throwing this heavenly soiree for Sugar and me. The Saldanha 3 love you very much and we are excited to introduce you to Her. Whoever she may be.

I have six work days left at Drake. It’s kind of a weird feeling to know that I am almost done. I have spent six years in this office with, for the most part, the same group of 30 people. I came here in June of 2004 with NO nephews (that’s an appalling thought), short BLONDE hair, no boyfriend, fresh off my retail “fun” at Express.  There have been SO many changes that have taken place while sitting in the lobby of Cole Hall: meeting, falling in love with, and marrying Christopher, experiencing the absolute JOY of meeting my Gavie, Leebs and Tater-Bug, growing my blonde spiky hair into a cascading waterfall of brunette waves, moving out of my parent’s house, into the BEST apartment in the Des Moines area, OUT of said apartment into the cutest lil house on Burnett Ave., and going from a 5 minute drive to a 40 minute drive.  And of course, going from not thinking about having children to getting excited about having children with Chris to thinking maybe having children may not be in the cards for us to getting ready to meet Little Miss in 4 short weeks!

Wow.

A lot can change in six years.

I’ve met and gotten to know more ambassadors than I can count, have loved many of them, have wanted to smack several of them. They have made me laugh til my sides hurt and also want to never work with college students AGAIN. I’ve been through 2 campus visit coordinators, from the quirky, hilarious, antique-crazed Andrea to the sweet, loving, funny Kelli. My boss has remained the same – crazy but so loving.  I have also seen TWO Cole Halls – they decided to renovate two years ago. Cracks all along the wall and the faint stench of death in the heater grates usually don’t bode well for welcoming families to the University.

I can do my schpeel in my sleep…checking in families…giving directions, hotel accomodations, taking visit requests…I can do a complete visit call while playing Spider Solitaire. I thank my theatre classes for helping me “look” like I am “enjoying” “meeting” you and that ‘Really? Your student got a 32 on their ACT!?!? Well HOT DOG! And I’m sorry, what? NOO!! They’re the STARTING quarterback for their high school team? Wow. WOW!” *

*I. DON’T. CARE.

So farewell, little Cole Hall. I’ll be stopping in with Little Munch this summer. I expect to hear the click-clack of Sporcle being played, Allen not doing work, the discussion of the summer workers about some horrific show on the CW, the laughter of Deneen (heard from a mile away).

It’s been fun. So why leave? This little quote will help:

I have never felt that I was contributing more meaningfully to society than when I decided to put my own career on hold to be home with my children.  Any ‘ole Joe can refill Ralph’s prescription for hypertension, but I am the most uniquely qualified and gifted person to raise my own children and to love and serve my husband.   No one else can do that with the same passion and care.   So, I want to stand up for all educated, professional women who have made an informed and conscious choice to give their lives in service to their families.   I applaud you.   What you do is important and powerful and instituted by God himself.   There is no higher calling.   There is no greater work.

-Edie from lifeingrace.com