The song on my mind tonight...

by sarahmfry, May 28, 2012
Well, I'm officially pregnant.  Know how I know?  I tried to put my cell phone away in the fridge.  That's the first official sign.  Er - well - maybe the second. 

And I then stopped myself from putting the eggs away in the freezer.  Plus there's the whole nausea and dry heaving and exhaustion and bathroom visits and general pervading worthlessnes.  And preparing myself some garlic fish for lunch today, then after smelling it my body decides it needs a taco salad instead.  Gotta love it.

I am so very glad it is summertime for my kids.  They are already doing awesome summery things like making tents on the exercise equipment, riding bikes, baking yummy goodness, reading lots of books, and spending hours climbing out in the yard.  I love that our yard is a gathering place for neighbor kids and church friends. 

A happy water fight at Grandma Fry's house
My first ob appointment is Friday, and I am so anxious to catch a glimpse of that little blinking light on the ultrasound screen.  I love to hear the heartbeat, but seeing the heart pulsing like a tiny light makes it real for me....and makes all the hanging-over-the-toilet feelings worth it.


An 8-week "Baby Booger"
Caiden has been faithfully and fervently praying for twins, the little stinker.   I seriously cannot even imagine where this body of mine would put 2 babies.  It's ridiculous enough with one - by month nine I am 4'10" x 4'10"!  Hopefully Friday's appointment will give us a head count of how many grape-sized alien/seahorses we are dealing with here.    (The kids are having fun following the development charts of the baby-which-looks-like-an-alien-seahorse.) We recently visited the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago. They have the most amazing exibit of real embryos and fetuses at each stage of development.  It. Is. Incredible.  And such an awesome visual for our kids.  At the time we went, "Baby Booger" was still a secret, so we had fun going through the exhibit as a family and watching how our secret booger was developing.  We named baby Fry #5 "Baby Booger" because - well - it was exactly the size of a booger at the time.  Caiden (5) doesn't like that at all, and doesn't think it sounds nice.  He thinks we should call it "Sibling."  Love that sensitive boy.  He's bonkers.

My sensitive tough-guy

In other baby news, we have a new litter of gorgeous golden retriever puppies (from our red female, Maggie). 


They are growing like crazy. We are expecting their eyes to open soon. The kids love to bring the puppies upstairs and make little houses for them in the living room. Until the pooping starts, then mommy banishes them back down to the basement. Caiden thinks the fat one poops more. Perhaps.

Corin (2) spends so much time with the puppies.  He will go down to the basement and just sit quietly in the dark with Maggie and the puppies.

Corin outside with the 1-day-old puppies
I've always been sortof a sappy soul (don't laugh, good-friends-who've known-me-since-high school). But when I'm pregnant - well.  It can be epic.

source

I'm actually not really crying about a lot (I'm too busy sleeping and feeling like puking), but I did sorta shed some tears when I went through Caiden's final homework folder from kindergarten. And I'm just crazy about the way Corin's hair is sticking up and flopping in the back after his nap. And my friend who understands first trimesters is bringing us dinner tonight and I am just ridiculously happy about it.

I'd better clear the groceries and laundry detergent ingredients and dishes off the table and make room for that Tollhouse pie she's bringing!!

More Frys, Please!

by sarahmfry, May 14, 2012
Baby #5 is on the way!  Due around Jan 1.  Happy excitement here, and not too much sickness yet.  Yay.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above...."

On feeling guilty & comparison

by sarahmfry, May 02, 2012
I love the Femina blog.  It is written by a team of daughters & mother.  This gently insightful post was written by the mother (one daughter is the author of "Loving the Little Years.")

I confess I am guilty of "feeling guilty" about random, everyday non-sinful stuff.  This article helped me to think more clearly and be more careful of the terms I use.  I also think her insight into our reactions to one another is very helpful.  There is such freedom in being able to rejoice in the gifts of our sisters without comparing ourselves among ourselves.  I recently heard Dr. Alan Brown preach about this again.  If we admit that we compare ourselves with others, if can sound prideful.  But he made the point that when we compare we often come up feeling bad about ourselves, not good.

It is liberating to be free of comparison & false guilt, but it is not always easy.  And it is not necessarily something that you just conquer and then don't ever have to deal with again.  It is a renewing of the mind that is ongoing.   I have to be restful & satisfied in God while at the same time always seeking to "come further up, come further in!"  (C.S. Lewis, the Last Battle)

So many times I need God to nudge me towards His heart and remind me that I can be content and satisfied in who He is making me.  It doesn't really matter what everyone else can do, or even what they expect of me (ouch on that expectations one).  What matters is that I walk in the Light every day.   And grace.  Learning the broad, powerful truth about grace has been quite a journey for me. But oh, what a sweet comfort to know that His grace holds me as he grows me.  No longer does my salvation depend on my perfect performance.  It depends only on Him.  By grace.  Through faith.


Sometimes just a simple shift in focus can help to quiet a lot of "guilty feelings."  I have to purposefully review the priorities that are important to me.  I have to refocus on what God has called me to.  I have to rejoice in how He is growing me up.  And trust Him to handle my sisters the same way.


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