Week 33: Pineapple. He's proportioned like one when it comes to weight, about 4 lbs. and is over 17 inches long.

Speaking of pineapple. It used to be my favorite fruit...until pregnancy. It just hasn't sounded or tasted good to me. My new favorite? ORANGES. I used to hate oranges. Now sometimes I eat 3 or 4 a day. I have heard a lot of pretty strange pregnancy cravings...but I'm happy mine is simply oranges :)

18 Things You Can Get Rid of Today

I have been on an organizational and cleaning frenzy for a couple months now and trying to get it done before the baby comes (see Deep Cleansing Action post). I felt like I had gotten down to the nitty gritty, until I read this article. I found 10 more areas of junk out of the 18 listed that I can get rid of. Thought I'd share the list and link below, so you too can be more clutter free! It feels great.



1. Kitchen Utensils
2. Coffee Mugs
3. Plastic Containers
4. Little-Used Kitchen Stuff
5. Vases
6. Food
7. Spices
8. Receipts
9. Magazines
10. Mail
11. Unread Books
12. Clothes
13. Kids' Clothes
14. Kids' Artwork
15. Electronics
16. Linens
17. Medicine
18. Toys

You can read the full 18 Things You Can Get Rid of Today article for more ideas!

32 Weeks

My 32 week appointment was pretty neat. Along with the heartbeat, I got to hear him have a case of the hiccups-so cute! My midwife mapped out his position inside of me, so no more body part guessing game during his kicking. I was right though, those visible little bulges I see are little feet poking out. :) And thankfully, his position is ideal for labor-head down! You may not be able to tell much difference from 2 weeks ago in my bump, but I assure you, the scale says otherwise.

Week 32: A large jicama! I had no clue what this was and couldn't find it in the store for a visual, but it's like a turnip. This week he weighs nearly 4 lbs and measures almost 17 inches.

Nursery is almost done-just a few touches left. Pictures to come!

Answers in Genesis

The past couple of days we attended two sessions at an Answers in Genesis conference. I had heard of the organization, but had no real exposure to it. The speaker and president, Ken Ham, was amazing and really sparked my interest on the subject. The messages reminded me just how humanistitc our world is today and why it is so important for us as Christians to uphold the authority of God's word and the truth of creation. I left feeling challenged to be able to defend my faith in an environment so hostile to God, and I know I need to study the Bible a lot more to be able to do so adequately. I am also interested in reading some of his books, so if you have read the Answers in Genesis books and have recommendations, please let me know.

There are some great articles on their website where I have been a frequent visitor recently. If you have time, check them out.

Pointing to the Creator

What They Know Is a Myth

Calling for Reformation

We serve an awesome Creator!

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:13-14

Week 31: He weighs as much as four naval oranges, approximately 3.3 lbs. His length is over 16 inches head to toe.

Springfield

We just had a wonderful time visiting my parents in Springfield this weekend. The trip included some mad scrabble games, a little baby shopping, getting stuffed with amazing food, a tour of the city, visiting their church, and celebrating Bob's birthday. Oh, and of course Grant competing with other drivers on the way home :) It was SO good to see my parents. I only wish it would have lasted longer. Glad Aaron and Jen were able to go with us too!

30 Weeks

I had my 30 week appointment yesterday. My midwife said everything looks great and I'm measuring right where I need to be. Now I am on the 2 week plan meaning I will be going every 2 weeks until delivery instead of once a month. I'm happy about this, because I could hardly wait another 4 weeks to hear the heartbeat again-I absolutely love that part!

The produce item of the week is a regular head of cabbage. He weighs about 3 lbs and will be packing on the weight in the weeks ahead.

Holding Fast the Word of Life

I watched the sermon "Holding Fast the Word of Life" by John Piper a couple days ago and it has been plaguing my mind ever since. It is the perfect reminder for the new year to be in the word daily, and as Piper states in the message, it is not enough "to lick this lollipop once every few days." We must LIVE in it. That is my greatest desire for 2011 and to not let the world or things in my life this year choke it out. For me that includes marriage, a new baby, managing our home, friendships, hobbies I enjoy, and those goals I recently posted. You can watch a 2 minute excerpt below or the full sermon here......brace yourself......

I spent New Year's Eve with my sister-in-law, Jen. Our husbands had to work late, so we worked on the nursery during the day then went for some yummy food on the plaza at night. Although we nearly froze to death on the plaza, it was still such a fun night!

I typically don’t make New Year’s resolutions. But I do have some goals that are already established, so I will use those. They are technically just continuations of things I am already working on that I want to make more progress with in 2011:

1. Memorizing the gospel of Matthew. Right now I have chapters 1-7 down pretty well, just 21 more to go. I need to catch up with Grant, he’s almost done!

2. Reading more books off my classic book list. In 2010 I read: Jane Eyre, Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, Wuthering Heights, and currently War and Peace. My list for 2011: finish War and Peace, then read Anna Karenina, Great Expectations, and The Republic. And a couple not from the classic list: Unveiled at Last, and Husband Coached Childbirth (before March!) We’ll see how much time I have for leisurely reading after the baby comes.

3. Continue to sharpen my sewing, crocheting, knitting, and cooking/baking skills. Plus I have so many new things and techniques I want to learn in these areas.

4. Chip more away at the old debt snowball and be almost done by the end of the year. (Thank you, Mr. Ramsey).

5. I guess the whole “New Year's resolution” list wouldn’t be complete without something related to diet and exercise. Mine is to get back to my pre-pregnancy size once I have the baby. I’m not setting a time frame (summer would be nice), but in general that will be the goal. If I don’t get back to it exactly, I’m not going to fret. I’ve heard some things are just never quite the same :)

But if all these fail, that’s okay. I really want to deepen my relationship with Christ more than anything. If I do that, I will count 2011 a success.

Well friends and family, Happy New Year!