Home Sweet Home

I just got back into Raleigh after visiting with my parents over the weekend. I was really looking forward to going, and I had a great time! This is the first trip I've made to their house without Jeramie since we've been married. It was different going without him, but it also allowed me to spend more time focused on just Mama and Daddy. I did a lot of thinking about why I like going home so much, and here are just a few reasons:

-My sister is a stylist at an Aveda salon in Wilmington. She has the ability to give me super cute haircuts for FREE!

-J. Michael's Philly Deli

-Reuniting with old friends

-Fresh seafood

-Playing Scrabble with my family

-THICK Southern accents

-Being able to see the stars at night

-Getting in and out of downtown WITHOUT getting lost!

-Neighbors bringing over sweet potatoes

-The comfort of being with my parents

-Mama's banana splits!

The list just goes on and on. When I was in middle & high school, I resented living in a small town. Now, I wouldn't trade that upbringing for anything.

Here are a couple pictures I took while I was there:

This is me and Jesse. We were best friends all throughout high school and college. She was our high school's valedictorian and I was the salutatorian. It was awesome sharing that moment with her. I am also responsible for introducing her and her husband, David. They are expecting their first baby, Jackson, in November.

Mama's banana splits. You can't get this at Dairy Queen!!

It's true what they say, there is definitely no place like home!

Psalm 139:13-16

This passage was a part of a video we watched during the service at Visio Dei this morning. I've always loved this Psalm, but today I fell in love with it even more.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I've always thought about this passage as how it relates to me. Today, I heard it in a whole new context as I began to think about how God knows everything that I can't wait to know about our baby. I feel like God is probably just as excited to reveal his creation to us, as we are to have it revealed!

14 weeks

Jeramie and I went to the doctor Thursday morning for our 14-week check-up and it went really well. The appointment itself was a bit "uneventful" but we were able to hear the heartbeat. This reassured us that the baby continues to be just fine! We also met with the insurance rep. and she went over my policy and how it applies to my maternity benefits. I'm pretty sure Jeramie understood it better than I did, though it was nice to walk away feeling informed and confident!

Our next appointment is Monday, October 13 (a few days shy of 19 weeks). We will have our regular 4-week check-up, as well as the anatomy scan. Will it be a boy or a girl?!?! I can't wait to find out!

Jeramie recently asked me what is my favorite part about being pregnant. At this point, I would have to say that hearing the heartbeat is the best thing ever! I never get tired of hearing that sound; I've even been tempted to buy one of those in-home dopplers just so I can hear it outside of the doctor's office! I've also enjoyed telling people and seeing how happy everyone is for us. Yesterday we had the opportunity to tell Jeramie's biological father that we are having a baby. It was a special moment, but also a little sad to think that he may never know this child. God can do amazing things with broken relationships, so we'll just have to wait and see what He has in store!

Thank you, Lord, for our little miracle!

Change Ahead?

So, this blogging thing is a little harder to keep up with than I thought!

I think it's safe to say that these past 3 weeks have been the most frustrating weeks I've experienced in a long time. School has been extra difficult and I am beginning to question my career. This is my 4th year of teaching, which means after this year my debt to North Carolina will be PAID. That fact alone gives me reason to believe and hope that there may be something else "out there" that I will find joy in doing. Don't get me wrong; I adore my students and my school is great. I just don't feel the same way about teaching that I did 3 years ago.

This leaves me in a bit of a scary spot because, at this point, teaching is all I know. I can't think of a single thing I could do otherwise. I'm praying for lots of direction and that doors would open for potential job opportunities and/or close in regards to what I'm doing now. I'll have lots of decisions to make after our baby makes it arrival in March, so I'm trying to be proactive (Covey Habit #1)!

Speaking of our baby, things are continuing to go really well! I will be 13 weeks tomorrow and I just consider everyday a blessing. I can't wait until I can feel some movement (although, I have suspicions that I may have already felt something). Our next appointment is next Thursday, so I'll be sure to post an update!


Until then...