Why I wanna be a sheep forever

I love Easter. I love having time with my family and I am quite partial to an easter egg or two! But to me, there is something far sweeter than chocolate at this time of year, and it has to do with sheep.

This morning, it's Easter Sunday, and instead of being with my church family, I'm on the sofa (not surprising since I only leave it every fortnight for my clinic appointments!) But this morning I decided to listen to a Bible talk on the net. It was about sheep. It made me realise the importance of me being a sheep, and the even greater importance of having a great Shepherd.

Sheep aren't that blessed with intelligence. They are followers, not leaders. But I want to be a sheep. I am a sheep. And am happy to stay a sheep forever.

As humans we are deisigned to be sheep and to need a shepherd. Jesus Christ is our good shepherd, and is forever, because, as we celebrate today, God raised Him from the dead. He loves us, cares for us, will never let us stray. He keeps His sheep. He is the perfect Shepherd who laid down is life for His sheep. I love being a sheep. I love following the great shepherd who knows me, keeps me and will never leave me!

Do you want to be a sheep? Do you know the Good shepherd?

4 weeks down....12 weeks to go (hopefully!)

I've been on bed rest for 4 weeks now! In some ways it seems to have gone so fast, but then the days can drag on and it sometimes feels like it will never end! I calculated the other day that if I go as long with this pregnancy as I did with Jess (38 weeks), I'll have been on bedrest for 34 weeks over the last two pregnancies!

I'm very thankful atm to be on holidays. It's nice to have a change of scenery, and especially good for Dave to only have the kids and me to look out for, without trying to juggle work too!

I'm 28weeks now! Thank you God! All is still stable and our little girl seems to be hanging in and doing well. I had my fortnightly outing to the clinic on Thursday. It's weird to be excited at the prospect of going to Nepean hospital, but when it's your only outing evey fortnight - it's quite nice to be anywhere but a sofa!  It was just a quick checkup. In 2 weeks I'll have another ultrasound to check that all is still stable. I'll be so excited if I can make it to 30 wks or beyond!

Despite my situation and my whingyness at it all, I am so thankful to God for so many things. We have two beautiful children and another one growing well. I have an amazing husband who is so patient with me and the kids and never complains (unlike me)! I'm thankful for the chance to have holidays and time wth my family. I'm well and have great friends and family that help out. I don't have to do any housework for a while!And I have an amzing Saviour in Jesus that sustains me and cares for me. I find it helpful to focus on these things when I'm tempted to feel down and sad at my situation.

What's in a name?

So we have found out that this little bubba inside me is a girl - well, the sonographer was pretty sure, bubs was crossing her legs and being very uncooperative! It's so exciting to know that I have a little girl, another beautiful daughter in my tummy.

Dave and I had decided not to find out the sex of this baby, but when the complications happened, we both wanted to know. It's a comfort to feel like I know a bit about who this baby is.

The problem with this baby being a girl is - the name! We had a boys name picked out, we both loved it and agreed on it. Girls names are a different matter. We simply can't agree on one we both really like. So because I can, I keep trauling baby name websites in the hope that a name will stand out to me that I'd never thought of before and that we both love. But it hasn't happened yet! So bubby just has to stay put for longer -  not just because we have no name of course!

I'm 27 weeks now, which gives me comfort. Thank you God for keeping this baby inside me for this long! At least babies born from now on have a good chance of survival, statistically speaking. But I'm praying that although I can't wait to meet her, that I won't for at least another 10 weeks!

So hopefully another 10 weeks to discuss names and get Dave to agree to the ones I like! ;)

ah... the memories of growing up in the 80's

Today random song words popped into my head. "Here we are Ramie, stuck in this old gold mine. ....just as sad as we can be, it seems like a long, long time, since we laughed and played together, you and me...how I wish that we could fly away, oh ramie. Sybal Sadie, I knw what you mean,  felt the same way too. I wanna get back home again, just as much as you...."

It took me a while to work out where that song had come from. Somewhere from my childhood. I then had a vague recollection that it was on a Cabbage Patch Kids album. I had forgotten about this album I once owned sometime in the 80's when I was in primary school.

Enter You Tube. I found the song, as well as numerous others from the record Cabbage Patch Dreams. Ah... the memories. I remember singing along to that album and  playing with my cabage patch doll "Bridie". I also remember other favourite toys - Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, Care bears, My little pony.

Anyone else grow up in the 80's? What were your favourite childhood songs and toys?

I still have no idea why that song popped into my head, but it's given me a little chuckle for today!

A Change is as good as a holiday right?

I just spent the weekend on the sofa. But it was a different sofa, in a completely different location. What a lovely change!

We had our church camp on the weekend, and Dave and Matty went off to camp together, while Jess and I stayed at my brother and sister-in-law's house. It was so nice to just get out of our house - and I got to stay on a different sofa for a whole weekend!

Jess and I had a lovely time hanging out with my brother, his wife and their adorable little girl Ava. It was so cute to see Jess and Ava have some extended time together and develop a cute little friendship. I love watching them run around outside giggling and squealing with delight!

It was also nice ordering my little brother around- "Ben, I need a drink, and some lunch!"  I'm sure he loved it too! But I am so so so thankful for the way he and Kate looked after both me and Jess. It was like having two extra toddlers you have to do everything for!

But, back home now, back to my sofa and "normal" life for the time being. Only that we arrived home to a mouse infested house! Ewwwww! I hate them! So far today, 3 have been found and evicted. How many more will there be? Thankfully Dave's mum was here to disinfect the house for me!

And also 3 of the 5 tadpoles we have are now growing back legs! Exciting for the kids to see. I wonder how long it'll be before we have a mouse and frog infested home! Help!