Israel Is Here

Israel arrived today at 4 PM She was beautiful. She looked like her Dad. She had the most beautiful ruby red lips I have ever seen. Her hair is dark. She does not cry much. Both mother and baby are doing well.

The labor went along well at first, however it was slow. It took some time for Audra to finally get to 4 cm dilated. At that point they finally could give her an epidural. Her spirits picked back up and she was even able to rest and take a relaxing bath.

The work of labor took place without pain but then they added pitosin. This is a drug designed to speed up labor and it has its effect. Audra began to shake and tremble. Labor continued to 9 cm dilated and then the transition began. Soon the nurses gave Audra permission to push at about 1:45 PM. At 3:51 officially, Israel entered this world to her huge awaiting family.

The Harpels, Charlebois, and many others filled the waiting room and spilled out into the halls. It is a good thing that it was a quiet night in maternity. There was no room for anybody else in the room. Brothers, sisters, moms, dads, nieces, nephews, were all blessed to hear that everything went well.

Israel was 7 lbs 12 oz and 21 inches long. And everything was perfect. Finally it was time to sleep 12 hours after the first call. Glory !

I am sorry I was not able to blog all day due to the fact that blogger was down for routine maintenance. Better late than never. Amen?

Live Birth Blogging Update 2

We are here at the hospital. JP just stepped out for food. Audra is resting at about 2 CM New revised estimate. We may be here until noon. Everything is fine. Mama and baby are doing well.

It's Baby Time! WOO HOO!!

It's 4:23 am and we are about to head to the hospital!
My water broke at around 3:00 am this morning. Right away the contractions were about 5-5.5 minutes apart. I called the hospital and they said come on in!
My dad will be updating this blog with news and pictures as things progress. Please be praying for us!!!!!

Love,
Audra

Live Birth Blogging

Hey everybody,
This is not Audra typing this. This is her Dad. Audra asked me to take over the blogging responsibilities while she has the baby. And she is having the baby.
We are not at the hospital yet. It is 4 AM and she just called and said that her water has broken and she will be at the hospital at 4:30 AM The contractions are moving from the 5 minute range into the 4 min range. I figure Israel will be here at about sun up.

Well, better pack up here and head for the hospital myself. Thank you Jesus.

Baby Update

Today I left the doctor's office with a big smile on my face for the first time in weeks!
The report is that I am 1 cm dialated and 50-60% effaced. Dr. Spencer said this is good - the fact that I'm already dialating (and I didn't even know it) probably means that when I DO go into labor, things will move along rather quickly.
So here's the plan (sorry if this is gross to anybody): if the baby hasn't come by next Wednesday, they are going to send me to St. John's for a Non-stress test (to make sure the baby is okay) and they will administer this gel that is supposed to help ripen my cervix. If nothing happens, I'll go back on Thursday and get the gel again. If that still doesn't work, they will induce me on Friday. That's only one week away! The end is in sight!
Of course, anything and everything could happen between now and Wednesday, as well.
Oh, and I gained one more pound this week, putting me at 27 pounds total so far. Not bad!
I am so encouraged. I totally thought that I would have come out of the office today thinking no progress had been made and that this baby was still 2 weeks away from arriving. Thank you Jesus for this encouraging news right when I needed it most!

Urine Meth Labs

This is so disturbing.
In the news: Meth addicts are turning to urine to get high. Some people drink the meth-tainted urine to get high, while others filter the drug back out through the cooking process.
You can read the whole story here. Yuck.
It's amazing what addictions will lead people to do. The lust, the desire is so strong, they'd be willing to drink urine for the buzz.

14.5 POUND BABY!!!

Have you guys seen this in the news yet?
a 14.5 pound baby was born in Cancun, Mexico on Monday. His name is Antonio, and he drinks five ounces of milk every three hours, and is 22 inches long. Antonio's mom delivered an 11 pound baby girl seven years ago.
The biggest baby ever born was a 22 pound, 8 ounce boy born in Italy in 1955. CAN YOU IMAGINE???? Yikes!
Of course, these babies are born via C-section.

Here is Antionio compared to a "normal" sized newborn:

Overdue

Today I am officially "overdue."
January 31st came and went with no sign of baby, so I guess we're having a February girl after all!
Please continue to pray for me, JP and baby Israel. I am battling frustration that we still haven't gotten to meet her yet. But I know that "He makes all things beautiful IN HIS TIME," so I'm doing my best to both "hope and quietly wait." :)
I believe that God is using every extra day in the womb to fine tune her digestive, immune and respiratory systems so that she will be born healthy and without any of daddy's allergies, asthma, or stomach issues.
Then again, maybe she is more than ready to go and God is just trying to teach me patience!
We love you, Rae, and we can't wait to meet you!!!

It Could Be Worse...

Forgiveness & Mercy

We all want it, but are we willing to give it?

Matthew 18:23-35
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'
The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'
In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.


We have been forgiven a HUGE debt. For us to NOT forgive someone else is to say we are better than God. If He who is PERFECT can forgive us, how much more should we (in our miserable imperfection) forgive others?


Luke 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Failure to forgive leads to bitterness, anger and hardness of heart. At least that's what it does in me. If I feel as though I have been wronged by somebody...and even though they repent, they keep on doing it over and over again...I am not likely to truly forgive that person. But that's exactly what this verse tells me to do.
Then maybe I will THINK I have forgiven that person, only to figure out later that I really never did. I'm still hanging onto his or her mistakes as a sort of "blackmail" or "ammunition" to bring up later. I never truly forgave the person.
How do you REALLY, TRULY forgive AND forget? Is it even possible for people to do? Or will those past mistakes always linger and haunt? It MUST be possible or God wouldn't have commanded it.

Dr. Spencer

I would like to thank God for my doctor, Paul Spencer, D.O.
When we first found out we were pregnant, I searched diligently within my insurance network for a Christian, pro-life doctor to deliver our baby girl. I did more than a few weeks of searching, and found Dr. Spencer at AALFA Family Clinic in White Bear Lake. It's kind of a hike to his office, but it's worth it.
Dr. Spencer is one heck of a guy. He's a devout, spirit-filled Catholic man with five kids (one biological, 4 adopted) plus one in heaven, and he has a passion for the sanctity of the miracle of life. He is very kind and encouraging, very practical, and doesn't give in to "scare tactics" commonly associated with pregnancy.
But what blesses me the most about him are these two things:
1.) He guarantees delivery, unless there is some huge reason he can't be there. So I know that my baby girl will enter the world under the supervision of a man of God who sees her life as precious and holy...vs some other "on call" doctor I've never met with blood on his or her hands from abortions or whatever else.
and...
2.) I found out today that he prays for me, JP and our baby EVERY DAY.
That is a special doctor.
I am so thankful for him.

34 Years of Genocide

In loving memory of the millions of children who have lost their lives in the name of "choice" since Roe v. Wade.

Did you know that Norma McCorvey (The "Jane Roe" of "Roe v. Wade") has since changed her heart on the matter? She has started a ministry called Roe No More.

Spanking Ban?

All I have to say about the following article is that I am so thankful to God that my parents loved me enough to spank me.

Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Pro 22:15 Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Pro 23:13-14 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou punish him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt punish him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Pro 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left [to himself] bringeth his mother to shame.
Pro 20:30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so [do] stripes the inward parts of the belly.

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(AP) SACRAMENTO, Calif. California parents could face jail and a fine for spanking their young children under legislation a state lawmaker has promised to introduce next week.

Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Lieber said such a law is needed because spanking victimizes helpless children and breeds violence in society.

"I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child," Lieber said. "Is it OK to whip a 1-year-old or a 6-month-old or a newborn?"

Lieber said her proposal would make spanking, hitting and slapping a child under 4 years old a misdemeanor. Adults could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Aides to the assemblywoman said they are still working on a definition for spanking.

Some Republican lawmakers called the idea ridiculous. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he may be receptive to it even though he has concerns about how the ban would be enforced.

The governor said he and his wife, Maria Shriver, did not spank their four children and used alternative methods for discipline. For example, Schwarzenegger said they found it more effective to threaten to take away their children's play time if they didn't do school work.

"They hate that much more than getting spanked," he told reporters Friday in Los Angeles.

California law permits spanking by parents unless the degree of force is excessive or not appropriate for the child's age.

Idol

A friend of mine's sister was on American Idol last night and made it to the next round! Her name is Rachel (Seward) Jenkins. I went to school with her brother, Stephen.
Rachel is 21 years old and her husband left 2 months after their wedding to serve in Iraq. She has since joined the Army Reserves (hence the fatigues) and works at the family business, an auto body shop. She sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow" for her audition song. She is such a sweetheart and I hope she goes all the way! Congrats Rachel!

Bill's Annoucement

For a long time now I've been asking for prayer for an unnamed dear friend of mine from work who is struggling through a second bout with cancer. Yesterday, Bill Carlson made the annoucement public. His prostate cancer is back and has spread to his liver. He is undergoing chemotherapy right now. He is 73 years old.
I have been standing with and praying for Bill since the day he found out. Up until just a few weeks ago, I sat next to him every day, hearing the latest from his doctors appointments and PET scans, watching his hair thin out, listening to his struggles, crying and praying with him when his mom died in the middle of it all. We have become very close through the whole thing, and my heart breaks when I think of that sweet, sweet man having to deal with this.
Bill is one heck of a guy, and his wife Nancy is the cherry on top. Both of them are so positive, so optimistic, never once flinching in the face of all that has come their way. They are two of the kindest, most generous people I know.
Please keep both Bill & Nancy in your prayers.

C.J. from the Star Tribune wrote a beautiful article on the whole thing. Click Here to read it.

How Long?

Today I was listening to a song and broke into tears. The song is called "How Long" by a worship band called Rend the Heavens.

"I can't help but raise my voice and cry: How long till You come back? We're waiting here."

For the past few weeks my constant thought has been "how long" till this baby comes. I'm dying to know when. I think about it all the time, from the time I get up till the time I go to bed. I have everything prepared for when the baby comes - her nursery is ready, the carseat is installed, our hospital bags are packed. And I spend all day thinking about what ELSE I could do to make everything just right for when our child comes. "How long?"
If only I had that same sort of passion and drive regarding Christ's return. Of course I look forward to and long for it, but I certainly don't think about it day in and day out. I'm ashamed to say that it would be nice to know when, but I'm not "dying to know." And while I'm ready for Him to come back at any time, I rarely ever think about what ELSE I could be doing between now and then.
I don't ever want my love for my children to be more intense than my love for Jesus. Holla if ya hear me.

Showered Part Deux & Another Baby Update

I guess I spoke too soon, because today the baby "dropped" into ready position. It is not comfortable by any means, but it must be a good indication that things are progressing and she should be here soon!
This weekend there were two more lovely showers thrown for baby Israel. The first was given by my friends at WCCO-TV - unfortunately I do not have any pictures from that because I forgot my camera. But my sister-in-law caught these photos from the weekend's second shower, thrown by JP's lovely aunts. A big thanks to everybody for absolutely everything!

This is a Baby Update...

...Except for that there is nothing to report. Just thought I'd get that out there since everyone keeps on asking. :)
My due date is the 31st. I am in week 38 right now, so technically the baby is full term and could come at any time. Although I've been rooting for her to come early nearly the entire pregnancy, right now I have no reason to believe that she will.
I am feeling pretty good. I certainly cannot complain, as mine has been a relatively easy pregnancy. Sleeping is harder these days, but that's a given.
We continue to covet your prayers as we get closer and closer to the big day!

Just Say "No" to Kids

Check out this article on WCCO.COM today. I couldn't agree more. Can you believe parents spend 500 PERCENT MORE on their kids today than just one generation ago? Yikes.

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Say 'No' To Your Children, Local Expert Suggests

"N" and "O" are two letters that are not used nearly as often as they should be during children's development, according to a parenting expert. The word "no" is also the title Dr. David Walsh's new book.

Walsh, of the Institute on Media and the Family in Minneapolis, says children live in an area where they are bombarded with commercials, and as a result too many are being told "yes" too often.

It's a syndrome he calls "discipline deficit disorder."

In his new book "No: Why Kids -- of All Ages -- Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It," Walsh writes a generation of kids has not heard the word "no" enough.

"I think a lot of parents have literally developed an allergic reaction to their kids being unhappy or disappointed. Learning how to handle disappointment is an important life skill," said Walsh.

Walsh argues that "no" is not only one word, it is also a parenting strategy that can teach kids to delay immediate gratification and pursue long term goals.

Many parents find that children watch television and immediately want the items they see advertised in commercials.

"Everything he sees, he wants," said parent Lisa Heeringa.

Walsh says parents typically feel guilty, and then compound the problem by spending too much for their children.

"Kids today have 500 percent more money spent on them today than their parents did just one generation earlier, adjusted for inflation," said Walsh. "I have a whole chapter on taming the 'gimmes.'"

Walsh's book, which recently moved into the list of the top 100 bestsellers at Amazon, suggests parents spend less money on their children, and reinforce that cutback by making sure their discipline is consistent.

He adds it is natural for children to get upset when they don't get what they want, but it's important for parents to stand their ground for their children to grow into being successful adults.

The Next Chapter

On Saturday, JP and I had dinner with our dear friends, Scott & Nicole. Nicole gets the prize for being my longest running friend - since second grade! She found out she was pregnant just about a month after I did, and her little boy is due in March.
It has been so much fun "growing" with her, and I thank God for the special bond we have that has only been enriched as we walk through pregnancy together.

My New Niece, Kona

Micah & Missy adopted this sweetheart today. Her name is Kona. I looked it up, and it's Hawaiian for either "south" or "moonlight." (???)
Anyhow - ain't she cute? :)

"Will You Go Out Without Knowing?"

Today I was reading out of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. He was looking into Hebrews 11:8 where it says "He went out, not knowing whither he went."
That's exactly how I feel these days. I'm about to "go out" on the adventure of being a full-time mom & homemaker. I don't know how it's all going to work out or even what I need to do. I'm just going out, "not knowing whither I go."
People ask what I'm going to do as a housewife. I have no idea. The only thing I know is that God knows what He is doing, and JP and I both believe this is what God has directed for our life as a family.
From the book:
"It is this attitude that keeps you in perpetual wonder -- you do not know what God is going to do next. Each morning you wake it is to be a 'going out,' building in confidence on God.
"Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is."
I am confident, yet scared to take this step. I want God to tell me exactly what is going to happen and what it's going to be like. Instead, He only shows me Who He is.
He is faithful. He is wise. He is a good Father. He is my help, my strength, my strong tower. He will be all I need.

I believe the Bible

Today we hit a record high of 41 degrees in the Twin Cities (tied actually, but hey). There are cherry trees in full blossom in Brooklyn right now. It's crazy warm. And that's setting off all of the global warming people. I am not one of them.
Today I read something in Genesis 8:22:

"As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
COLD AND HEAT,
SUMMER AND WINTER,
day and night
will never cease."

I'd say from a Biblical standpoint, that pretty much blows global warming out of the water, don't you think?

Waiting for Testimony #2

Just before Christmas, God blessed us with a new work vehicle for JP. He had outgrown the GMC Safari he had been working out of and needed something with more room for his tools, etc. Here begins the story of testimony #1, and later I'll explain why we're waiting for testimony #2.
Anybody who knows JP knows that before he buys ANYTHING, he researches the heck out of it. This new truck was no exception! He had been looking into all sorts of different makes and models, high-top vs low-top, prices, reviews, etc. for months and months. We kept on putting off the purchase because of the financial pressure of the baby being almost here, but it finally got to the point where the new vehicle was such a need, we just stepped out in faith to buy one.
When JP stepped onto the lot at Denny Hecker, he wasn't looking for anything like we ended up with. But after looking at more than a few vehicles, he was shown one van that was particularly nice for a really good price. It was a 2003 GMC Savanah Starcraft - a full-sized high-top conversion van. (He had decided to go with a conversion van so that if needed we could pop the seats back inside for a road trip or whatever other need may arise.) At first glance, you would never want to put a dirty tool inside of it because it's so nice and shiny! But it had all the space he needed, plus all sorts of added bonuses (like a 20-inch LCD flat-screen TV, DVD player, bench seat that lays out into a bed, heated seats...) AND it had been dealer owned its entire life, so it was in fabulous shape and had very low miles. JP was also able to talk them WAY down in their price, and we ended up getting the van of our dreams for the price of our wildest dreams. :) PRAISE THE LORD!
That is testimony #1.
Right now we are waiting for testimony #2. That is because last night, somebody stole the flat-screen TV out of the van, as well as JP's iPod. JP has been working on a job site in Uptown Minneapolis, just a couple blocks off of Lake & Lyndale. Not the best neighborhood. He keeps his truck locked almost all of the time AND had a high-end security system installed (because of all of the tools he keeps inside, etc), but last night he slipped up and left the doors unlocked for all of maybe 20 minutes. In that time, the thieves were able to break in.
JP was so upset when he called me - I thought he was going to blow a gasket. After hanging up the phone, I prayed that he would be able to calm down and assess the situation. Minutes later he called me back in a much calmer mood.
I guess the first part of the testimony is that only the TV and iPod were taken - not any of JP's tools which are FAR more valuable than either of the electronics. The foolish thieves could have taken JP's level out of his van and it would have been just as valuable. Right now we're waiting to hear back from our insurance company as to whether the TV & iPod are valuable enough to surpass our deductable.
JP thinks he knows who broke into the van - some dudes who live nearby who were checking it out a day or two before. Being excited about his new van, JP had showed them the inside, the TV, etc. Not a wise move. The cops have been around the job site on sting operations trying to tag these guys for drug dealing. They're shady folks. Of course, we can't accuse them flat out because we didn't see who broke in, but he's pretty sure it's them.
Now we're waiting to see what the rest of the testimony is. Maybe it's that we get some insurance money out of it. Maybe its that the thieves get caught. Maybe whoever stole the iPod will listen to the Christian music on it, be convicted, and turn their life around. Maybe it's just a lesson learned. Who knows. But I know that God doesn't allow stuff like this to happen to His children for no reason. So for now, we'll wait for the testimony and praise Him for His protection.

Tag, I'm it.

Lori tagged me - here it goes!

A - Available or Taken - Happily taken
B - Best Friend - JP
C - Cake or Pie - Strawberry cake
D - Drink of Choice - Almost any juice, Coke w/ grenadine, Sweet tea (the REAL stuff)
E - Essential Item you use everyday - Contact
F - Favorite Color - Green
G - Gummy Bears or Worms - Worms, but not the sour kind
H - Hometown - Minneapolis
I - Indulgence - White Chocolate truffles or cheesecake
J - January or February - January, assuming our baby comes by her due date!!!
K - Kids and Names - One daughter, Israel Hope
L - Life is incomplete without - Jesus, my family
M - Marriage Date - August 19, 2005
N - Number of Siblings: 1 sister, 3 brothers, 2 sisters-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law
O - Oranges or Apples - Honeycrisp apples
P - Phobias or Fears - Centipedes, failure
Q - Favorite Quote - Too many to pick just one
R - Reason to Smile - she's kicking me right now
S - Season - Fall
T - Tag 3 or 4 people - Bethany, Deb, Erin
U - Unknown fact about me - I shoot pool left-handed
V - Vegetable you don't like - mushrooms (but are they a vegetable or just a fungus?)
W - Worst Habit - spending time on the computer. :)
X - X-rays? - None, unless you count the dentist
Y - Your favorite food - Italian or Chinese
Z - Zodiac - no thanks

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today is my dad's 62nd birthday. I can't imagine my life without you, Dad. I love you more than I could ever let you know in words. I'm so thankful that God picked you to be my dad and my daughter's grandpa. Happy Birthday.

Harpel Christmas

Later on Christmas Eve we went to my parents' house for our annual Christmas Eve Memphis BBQ dinner (we have friends from TN who send us really yummy BBQ each year). We stayed the night over there and spent Christmas Day with the Harpel clan. Malachi and Elijah stole the show again! Special thanks to Mama who prepared three giant meals (for 10+ people each) with virtually no help from us lazy bums.
Here are the pics:

Micah made this for dad to house his tabernacle model that he has in his office.



This was actually Elijah's gift from Grandpa Bruce, but Malachi was able to appreciate it a bit more for now!

Tune in Tokyo:


They're so cute it almost makes you sick:

Hyster Christmas

On Christmas Eve, JP's mom's side of the family came over to our house for all sorts of excitement. The highlight of the day may have been when I blew up Gail & Larry's 9x13 pyrex pan. I had set it on the stove, not realizing that the burner was still on. Lisa noticed it smoking, and I went over to push the pan off the burner. When it hit the cool surface, the whole thing exploded into tiny bits, sending glass flying everywhere. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. But we did throw away all of the left-over food just in case glass had gotten into any of it. Unfortunately, we were so busy cleaning up that I didn't get any pictures of the catastrophe!
Here are the far too few pictures I DID get from the day. Thanks for a fun Christmas Eve, family!

Last Day at WCCO

My dear Bill Carlson - I will miss you more than anything, Bill!

Me, Bill & Meteorologist Chris Shaffer

My director, Larry, and myself in the control room

Sweet Karla Hult - my hard-working reporter

Toby and I graduated from college together and were fortunate enough to work at 'CCO together, too!

End of an Era

Technically, tomorrow is my last day at WCCO-TV, but today is harder for me because it's my last day producing my own show with the people I've worked with every day for so long. I've only been here at the station for a little over an hour today, and I've had to fight back tears a few times.
I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. I know there are a ton of women (even here at the station) who would love to be able to stay home with their kids and can't. I know I am blessed to be able to do this, and I'm excited, excited, EXCITED!
At the same time, It's very sad for me to leave this place. I have loved my job and the people that I work with. I've been working at 'CCO for nearly five years, minus a few months spent at Target Corp. across the street. (Side note: I'll never forget the day I was sitting in my Target cublicle three days before my wedding and got a call from WCCO asking if I would be interested in coming back. I was so excited! I interviewed on my honeymoon and started a month later.)
WCCO-TV is a great place, and I am proud to have been able to work there. I just wish goodbyes weren't so hard!

Charlebois Christmas

We spent Saturday night celebrating Christmas early with JP's dad's side of the family. It was wonderful fun! Thanks, fam!
Here are some pics from the weekend:

Happy Howlidays...

...from our little Santa Paws, Caleb & Sadie. :)

Preliminary Nursery Pictures

Finally! The nursery is just about done! All that is left is a decorative shelf to go on the wall with picture frames on it. We need to paint and hang it.
Notice the decorative trim JP spent so much time on for his baby girl. The decorative "squiggles" above the windows and closet are especially sentimental...since those ornaments are identical to the ones he used on the bed he made me for our wedding.
I apologize that my camera didn't do a very good lighting job for the photos. Perhaps I'll try to re-take them when there is natural light coming in the windows. If you can't really tell, the colors on the bedding are yellow, green and brown. The room is also very small, so it was hard to get a good wide-angle shot.
There is also a 3-drawer dresser that doubles as a changing table on the wall to the left of the crib.
Also - take a look at my growing tummy! I swear it has popped out extra far in the past week, and I'm pretty sure she has changed positions in my stomach to be "head down." I'm starting to get those wonderful kicks in my ribs!

Japanese Wii Safety Manuel

This is hilarious.
Check out the pictures from the Japanese Safety Manual that comes along with the new Nintendo Wii.
My favorite is the clover one.
Click here for the pictures.

U of M Expansion Plan

I care about this because I grew up on the U of M, Graduated from the U of M, attend church at the U of M, and my family's ministry is based at the U of M.
A new Gopher stadium is not the only thing going up on the east end of Campus. The U is taking this opportunity to embark on the biggest campus expansion since the West Bank - 75 acres. It's part of an effort to become one of the biggest research facilities in the nation.
The entrance to the new stadium will be on University Avenue. The grain elevators will be replaced with biomedical research facilities. The current transit center near Williams Arena will change to a light rail station when the line comes through. If the legislature approves the campus expansion funding, the project could be complete in 10 years.
Here's a picture of what it will all look like. Click on it to see it larger.

Good Stuff from Oswald Chambers

From My Utmost for His Highest:

It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God--a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, "Now I believe." There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ).

When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.

Selflessness 101

Just about every mother I've ever talked to has warned me of the joys and difficulties of learning to "die to self" when your children arrive. When someone's life is completely dependent on you, it doesn't (or shouldn't) take long to realize that it's not about you anymore.
Yesterday, I had an early lesson in selflessness...before our daughter has even arrived.
At eight months pregnant, it's not unusual to start having contractions. Your body tries to ready itself for the real thing with "fake" contractions called Braxton Hicks. I just recently started feeling those. They are not painful at all, just a tightening of the stomach muscles (I wish my abs could be that tight all the time!).
But yesterday, I started feeling something different. I was having strong "cramps" in my lower back, similar to menstrual cramps. They were coming in waves or cycles. I know from all of my reading that "real" contractions start in your back (not your stomach like Braxton Hicks). It didn't take me long to realize I was having pre-term contractions.
Ever since we found out our due date, I have always said that my plan is to "go early." I had no desire to go all 40 weeks till I'm huge and miserable. I knew that going 2-3 weeks early would not put my baby in danger, and that's kind of what I had my heart set on.
But this was WAY too early. I got nervous. I called JP and my mom and had them both pray for the contractions to stop. I started feeling guilty - that I had brought this on myself and my daughter by wishing to go early for so long. I prayed in tears that God would forgive me for being so foolishly selfish and that He would cause the contractions to stop so my baby could go full term.
Later I found out that the contractions were probably a result of a stressful day. I had been busy and stressed all day at work, and hadn't eaten anything all day from breakfast until about 6:30pm (the contractions started around 5:15). I had only had a small amount of water to drink, which I didn't realize was so incredibly vital at this stage of pregnancy. I was able to go home, eat, drink, lay down and within another hour the contractions stopped.
Did I overreact? Probably. But I think God used the situation to show me the error of my desires. There is nothing I want more than for my baby to be healthy and fully developed when she comes into this world. To want her to come early was a foolish thing. And not only was my plan to go early selfish, but my failure to feed and nourish my baby during my busy day was also selfish.
I know I have a lot to learn. It started 8 months ago, and it will continue for the rest of my life. I just thank God that He's faithful enough to show us when our ideas are wrong.