Geriatric pregnancy

Well, July has been a very busy month! Adjusting to life in Houston, trying to find work and..........did I mention that I'm pregnant?!   I had been feeling very sick, and Eric suggested that I take a pregnancy test to rule out the possibility.  We were ecstatic to learn that we have a little one on the way!

As many of you know, I am 37 years old, which is considered "geriatric" in the baby-making world.  As this pregnancy progresses, I hope to encourage other "older moms" that a healthy pregnancy is possible, even in the mid to late 30s.  Believe that you can have a healthy pregnancy, trust that God has a purpose for this little life and find a positive doctor who encourages healthy habits.

Fear

Yesterday, I wrote about my struggle to maintain a clean house.  Today's blog is about an even bigger issue with which I struggle:  fear.  I think that I just might be afraid of everything.  I am afraid of dying, afraid of living, afraid of pleasing the wrong people, afraid of displeasing the right people.........I could go on all day.  I am beginning to understand that many of my fears revolve around my desire to control the world in which I live.  I know that God does not want me to be afraid.  II Timothy 1:7 says "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."  I want God to live through me, and, clearly, living in fear is not going to accomplish that.  Today, I will do things that scare me, relying on the power and the spirit of God to shine in my life.  May others see Him.

Cleaning

I struggle with keeping my house clean BIG TIME!!  I never really learned good cleaning/organizing skills, so I am playing catch up!  Here are my favorite cleaning links.

http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2010/09/08/speed-cleaning/

http://www.myfrienddebbie.com/article_master.php?id=278

What's that smell?!

Some people take out the trash on a schedule:  "It's 7:30 AM on Monday--time to take out the garbage".  I take out the garbage when it begins to smell.  Even if the trash bin in less than half-full, I will find anything that I can possible throw away to fill it so that I can get it out of the house. 

I need to work on doing this mentally as often as I do it physically.  I have a lot of "junk thoughts" in my head, and I do not like to take the time to do anything about them.  As a result, they continue to recycle in my mind and cause trouble.  Doubts, fears and lies continuously churn until they grow so big that they affect my energy, emotions and choices.  I need to discipline myself to write a minimum of five minutes each day.  As much as I try to ignore or run from my thoughts, they never go away.  They just continue to grow and permeate, like garbage.

Classical Conversations

Our little Shiloh will be four years old in July.  Like many parents with children her age, we're thinking about preschool.

Since we are moving to Houston, Texas at the end of this month (aka:  NINE DAYS FROM NOW!!!!!), I began to research the facts about preschools there.  They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the cost of preschool!  I was a little discouraged, since I know that she needs some sort of class to help improve her social skills.  We had been praying about it for a few weeks when my sister-in-law mentioned a program in which her young girls were involved.  It is called Classical Conversations.  Classical Conversations is a Christian organization that supports families who home school.  We think that it will be a good match for our family, since it is very affordable and is geared toward Shiloh's strengths.  She is gifted in memorization and loves to learn.  She will attend one day each week, which will allow her to take music lessons and play a sport.  We are very thankful for this answer to our prayers!