31 Weeks... and Counting

I know, I know... for the past couple of weeks you've probably been looking for a "Daddy" post. Unfortunately you're stuck again with me this week :) However, it isn't from a lack of motivation on Jordan's part. Bless his heart... I have to brag... he's been really busy for the past couple of weeks. I'll just go ahead and tell you... most of the time these posts are light-hearted and fun and centered around Ada and her developments, but this week.. my heart has been bursting to share what the Lord is teaching me through this pregnancy and other circumstances in my life. So bear with me as I share my heart with you... Some of you may know, others may not, that Jordan is an amazing special education teacher. He graduated from JSU in December of last year, and was blessed with a job at Tenth Street Elementary school in JANUARY! Unfortunately, at the end of the year, like most first-year teachers, Jordan was pink-slipped. This entire summer was one big job hunt for us and again... the Lord was faithful to provide (just not in the way we'd planned :) Jordan took an instructional aide's job at Jacksonville High School just a couple of weeks before school started (talk about waiting until the last minute :) However, due to the pay-cut, he had to get a second side job to make up for the salary difference... so for the past couple of weeks... my sweet husband has been working so hard... he leaves one job and heads straight to the second one. If the story ended here... it would be fine.. but my God is so faithful... even when I am not. Just this week, Jordan got a call from Anniston City Schools asking him to take a full-salary teaching position at Constantine Elementary School... and to top it off, his principal at Jacksonville was so gracious to let him resign from the aide's job and take the teaching job... he starts Monday.


Throughout this entire pregnancy, I've had to fight off the "what if's"... anywhere from "what if something's wrong", "what if we're not ready", to "what if we can't provide for our baby".... all of these thoughts are natural, but they are totally of my flesh. Deep down, the Holy Spirit has always given me a peace that we would be taken care of. It may not always be the way we'd plan for ourselves, and it won't always be easy. It won't always be comfortable, and there will be suffering and struggles. But thankfully, the Lord is confirming in my heart that my security is not in my circumstances (my husband's job, my baby's health, the house I live in, the car I drive... etc).. my security is in my Redeemer and Him alone. Yesterday, I spent the day cleaning my house.. I had music playing on my computer and a song I haven't heard in a long time came on.. "In The Valley" by Sovereign Grace Music... I was so encouraged by its words and wanted to share them.. (if you click on the link above, you can listen to the song)


When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn’t be my decision
It’s here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley’s where You make me more like Christ


Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need
That You’re near with every breath
In the valley


In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley’s where Your power is revealed


Thanks so much for letting me share my heart... now on to my sweet Ada Laine. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday of next week (is it weird that I'm excited about going to the doctor every two weeks now?) I think I'm excited and I look forward to it because A) I get to hear her sweet heart beat, B) I truly love Dr. Daniel, and it always makes my day to see and talk to him, and C) Going every two weeks helps the time pass a little quickly until I finally lay eyes on my beautiful baby girl... 


Ada's developments this week: From this week on, Ada will continue to put on about 1/2 pound a week, and I feel that I'll gain at least that :) Because Ada's getting bigger and she has less and less room, her legs are now drawn up close, along with her arms, in the "fetal" position. These days, I'm getting a lot more "pushes" opposed to kicks and punches :) Right now, Ada's lungs are the only system that isn't fully mature... she's weighing in at approximately 3.5 pounds and measures a little over 16 inches from head to toe. 


I have one more request to ask of you sweet blog friends... as the day approaches, I can feel the anxiousness rising up in me. Pray that I would enjoy these last weeks of pregnancy... that I would soak up every kick, punch, and push, because never again will I carry my sweet Ada in my womb. Of course I hope to carry other children... but I won't ever carry her again. Pray that I would grow confident and not worry about delivery, but that I would trust God has prepared me and equipped me to deliver a healthy baby girl... until next week (which I'm 99.9% sure will be a "Daddy" post :)