A Holy Pursuit

Dear Miles, My heart is absolutely overflowing now that you're finally here! You may have kept us waiting a few extra days, but we are so delighted that you've made your debut! Some people have been asking for your birth story, and maybe someday you'll be interested in knowing about it, too. There were a lot of little details, and my sleep-deprived brain might not remember everything perfectly, but I'll give it my best shot. Squirt, your birth story really starts last summer when your daddy and I had started talking about when we wanted to start a family. We were on the self-proclaimed "3-5 year plan", and we were just past 4 years of marriage, so it seemed like the right time. However, our plans were complicated and then delayed when I was told I needed to have a lump in my breast carefully monitored for a few months to make sure it wasn't breast cancer. That was a bit of a scary season for us, Squirt, just waiting to see if the lump grew and then be...

Dear Squirt, I literally cannot believe we’re almost there! We are days away from meeting you, sweet boy, and your daddy and I are so excited! We’ve waited so long, but at the same time, it seems like time has flown by. This trimester has been full of so many good things, including moving into and getting settled into our new home, starting our new LifeGroup, getting maternity pictures taken, finishing our birthing classes, touring the hospital birthing center, three amazing baby showers, and celebrating your grandma’s 60th birthday!   We’ve started our once a week prenatal visits and everything still looks great! You’re always wiggling and our OB doctor comments about your wiggles every time she tries to get your heart-rate. But your head is down, and we’re just playing the waiting game now! We made it to term last week (37 weeks), so anytime you decide to come is great, although I’m all about waiting the full 40 weeks, with all of the benefits that will provide for you....

PB and I are not house-flippers in any sense, nor would we ever claim to be. However, if you've followed us at all over the past year you might think differently. Last year around this time we were buying our first home in Columbus, and while it was essentially move-in ready, we did a few things to spruce it up to our liking. Nothing major, we just painted everything, did some yard work, and took out a wall in the basement. We moved in last August, got settled quickly, and really loved that little brick house. We heard a few comments about what a nice starter home it would be for us, but honestly, we felt like it could easily be our forever home. Then February happened and PB was pursued by a large church in northern Ohio who needed a new youth pastor. After much prayer and wise counsel, he accepted that position and we moved two hours north in May. At the beginning of June we closed on our new house and promptly began renovations. In all seriousness, we could have just moved into...

Dear Squirt, Just a few weeks left in the second trimester and it has gone even better than the first (I didn't even think that was possible)! One of the only side effects of your presence that I've had this trimester is a bit of sciatic nerve pain. It was especially rough during a couple of the days we were packing everything in Columbus to move to Cleveland, but we pushed through and it's been much better since. This trimester has been full of big changes and exciting news, with lots of transition. As I mentioned, we moved! Squirt, we were so content in Columbus when your daddy was pursued by a church in Elyria, Ohio. We had a really tough decision to make, because we loved the life we had built in Columbus, but this opportunity for your dad was one-of-a-kind. In the end, it was too good to pass up and we packed everything and moved up here. We deeply miss our many, special friends in Columbus, but we are looking forward to all of the opportunities here.  This tr...

Dear Squirt, I can’t believe we’re already through the first trimester! It went by so fast! I think that is mostly due to how easy it’s been (and yes, I hesitate to say that). Honestly though, I only had some nausea a handful of times, and each time it only lasted about five minutes. I know, crazy. I heard horror stories about first trimester nausea and vomiting, and with working in a pregnancy center I’m sure I’ve heard some of the worst of the worst. The only other symptoms I really noticed were being a little extra tired (and super jealous of the ladies who told me to just nap whenever I can, like they did… Yeah right. I work full time and I’m married to a pastor. Naps don’t just happen like that), and some extra acne. Boy, oh boy, I wasn’t prepared for the acne. Oh well, my hormones are working overtime and if the main thing I have to show for that is acne, I can deal with it. We had a little bit of a scare around week 11 when I had some spotting after a little longer run ...