Our Favorite Number, 13

For those of you that don't know, Saharh and I are particularly fans of the number 13. I was born on June 13th, 1979 and Saharh was born on July 13, 1985. This was part of the reason that we ended up getting married on January 13, 2006. My brother was even born on August 13th. This is relevant because we're entering Saharh's 13th week of pregnancy.

It hasn't been quite as smooth during weeks 11-12 as it was in the first ten. The discomfort is increasing and there have been a few scares when it comes to pain. For the most part, it appears to be just the hyper-awareness of two very eager first-time parents. All reports, however indicate that the baby is very healthy and growing pretty rapidly. The baby is now three inches in length with a heart rate in the 160s. We've watched it roll over in the ultrasound and sometimes I believe I can hear it. Saharh has felt some movement but not any blatant kicking yet. The first time she felt the baby move though she had tears in her eyes and was very happy.

The naming process is still underway. I think we've settled on a couple hundred names, so I think we're making progress. I'm mostly kidding here of course...mostly. For those who have asked, we do plan to find out he or she. It reminds me of a movie quote where a stranger asked a couple if their baby was a boy or girl; to which the father replied,"Gee, I hope so."

We're reorganizing the house. Those of you who've been here will find it quite different when you visit again. We're also trying to unpack everything and dispose of what we really don't need anymore. I have no idea why I've kept a Wheaties box from 1993 for this long.

The preparation for being parents is intimidating. I am learning in an experiential way what my parents and other parents have told me about being parents. Of course, what we've learned in the past couple of weeks is like a couple drops of water compared to the typhoon that's coming. That's ok to us though. Others have gone before us and God saw them through as well. Until the next post...here's an ultrasound to keep you occupied:

The Longest Two Weeks

So we've gotten the pregnancy confirmed via blood test, but we hadn't been able to see the doctor yet. As a matter of fact, the doctor typically waited 7-8 weeks into the pregnancy to see the expecting mother. I was a bit surprised by this but apparently it is normal and I'm no expert.

Saharh and I waited until June 24th to see Dr. Duke for the first time. The way it felt to come home was so different during this time and has been even more ever since. Not to mention, Saharh's beauty seemed to grow in my eyes more and more each day. The last few months it seemed as though the Lord has been bolstering our love for one another, despite the typical intense fellowships that can arise over all aspects of life.

Also, during this time Saharh had definitely already begun to show. Again, if you know her, she's fairly petite so it wasn't too much of a shock. However, the reality of what was happening continued to come with every sign.

Despite all of the evidence, it was still hard for me to believe what was happening. That all changed on June 24th when we watched the ultrasound technician reveal the baby to us. There was a heart, beating 168 beats per minute, right there in front of us. I couldn't even speak and Saharh thought it was just awesome. Her whole face lit up even more as the technician showed us the formation of the arms, legs and head. At that time, the baby was only a couple of centimeters long. The technician then told us that Saharh was already 9 weeks along! This was big news in more than one way, but we'll get to that later.


Expected delivery date, January 28th 2011!

The Beginning as a Birthday Present

The day was a fairly normal day, June 10, 2010. Saharh and I were planning a couple of different activities to celebrate my, then upcoming, 31st birthday. The day was sunny and getting hotter with the middle of Summer. Saharh's white roses were blooming to the left of our front door and the newly re-landscaped area beneath the media room window looked great. Both Saharh and I were at work and I can't really remember if anything major was happening there at the time.

As far as what was going on in the world around us...well, the usual craziness. The oil spill in the gulf was still spreading, politicians were still arguing and the state still struggling. Hopefully by the time our newborn is old enough to read this, some of that will have gone away. :)

Saharh and I have been talking about children since before we were married. I entered marriage with a definite desire to be a daddy and Saharh was a little more hesitant. The first couple of years, unknown to me, she had carried a very heavy burden because she knew how much I wanted children. When she told me this, the Spirit of God gave me the wisdom to release her of that expectation. This didn't mean that we had resolved to not have children. I simply wanted her to know that I was not holding her to a timetable, and for that matter I wasn't holding God to a timetable.

Over the four years of our marriage, we've talked more and more about children. We both definitely have a heart for them; we are supporting a child in India, are both pro-life (unashamedly), and even began to seriously prepare to adopt. The next generation is a ministry for us in the Kingdom and we both know it. However, the timing...the 'when', to have or adopt...well that took prayer and patience. To be honest, I got so caught up in the 'stuff' of daily living that the idea of being a parent was somewhat on the shelf. Little did I know...

Saharh texted me at work and mentioned that she was feeling terrible. She actually asked me to call our doctor. If you know her, you know that's often the last thing she wants to do. This immediately triggered a sense of urgency in me and I immediately started talking to Jesus in the Spirit. I called the doctor, mentioned the symptoms and they called back an hour or so later with a prescription for an antibiotic. I called Saharh and let her know. She was heading home and would pick up the medicine on the way.

Now, this is where God shows Himself awesome. On some very good wisdom, Saharh decided to take a pregnancy test before taking the antibiotics. A few minutes later I was walking through the door and with a smile on her face, she said,"We need to talk." I was amazed and couldn't believe it was happening. Even after the doctor confirmed that she was expecting...for the third time...I could hardly believe it. With all the talking, planning, and hypothesizing we had done about this moment, there was something so divinely simple about how it came to pass.

The weekend came and on June 13th, my 31st birthday, I announced to our families that I had just received the most remarkable of birthday presents.