Nothing new

Well, I don't have any exciting pictures or updates to share, but I thought I would post just to publish that fact. I'm pretty much in shock that it's May, because we've been thinking about it for so long and it's always such a momentous month for us. I don't remember what happened in May of '06, but in '07 we got married, '08 we moved to a different state, and here in '09 we're having our first baby, due on our two year wedding anniversary. I think I like May, but each of those three big events has carried with it such tremendous weight, stress and excitement that they all left me feeling exhausted yet accomplished. Of course, this month's big event hasn't arrived yet, but I can imagine that would be at least a semi-accurate description of how I'll feel afterward. At first there was talk of induction for gestational hypertension (whatever, I just get nervous at the doctor's office...), but word is now that if my blood pressure stays nice and low I can wait it out til 40 weeks before we talk about induction. That sounds good to me, but I also won't be sad if I go to my nonstress test tomorrow and find that I've gained a few points of BP and that perhaps they want to induce at the end of this week. Either way, PC's big academic test will be over tomorrow, and all he has left after that is a group presentation and T-1 (a Learjet type aircraft) training before graduating this summer. He doesn't mind rolling back three weeks to join the class behind him for those last few segments of training if it's necessary, but we'll see what happens there. God's in control, he knows when EE is coming (if you don't know what EE means I will tell you privately, but since my blog is public I'm not putting real names on - it's our baby's alias), and all that's left is for us to find out. And to tell my mom so she can come out and help. :-) I have greatly enjoyed hearing of all my cousins' deliveries over the last few months, which served to constantly remind me of what's to come! I just hope and pray for outcomes as good and joyful as they've all had. There's so much that's uncertain, I'm glad to have a God who promises to sustain through whatever happens. My word for 2009 is "Strength" (we pick single words to live by for the new year instead of resolutions) and I just printed out a great list of Bible verses that use it. Compiling it this week has really encouraged me in my fearful moments! Here are a few that I find especially encouraging:

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Psalm 28:7-8

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

We're packing the printout in our hospital bag this very night so that whenever the big day arrives, we'll be armed with the best resource for strength, God's Word! It will have to be my stand-in for pain relief until we can get to the hospital, if EE ends up coming on his own. Naturally my Facebook account will take precedence over my blog for updates, but I'll get around to this eventually. Next time I post, we may have a baby...