Provision of Baby Supplies - Check.

Gift registries have the potential to make me vomit or provide helpful suggestions.  Some people register with the strategy to list items at various price ranges, making purchases accessible to a variety of people.  Others register with a mindset that they will one day own the entire world.  It's a difficult balance.  Otha and I spent hours discussing what we really needed, how many places to register at, and how to stay sane in the process.  Forming our wedding registry did not make the top 5 list of Most Enjoyable Activities During Engagement.  So when someone suggested I get started on a baby gift registry for Asher, a little bit of dread crept through my body.

I am so thankful to be in a community of women who are full of helpful ideas and advice!  Moms, old and young, gave me amazing suggestions and took the time to help me process through what we will use and what is unnecessary (thank you!!).  Normally how it works is to travel through a store with the ginormous scanner gun, clicking your desired items.  But let's be honest, I am non-committal.  So the second step for me is to go back online a bazillion times to change the items I previously chose and to add items that I forgot about.  Well God thought it would be funny for me to go online not to add items, but to take items off.  Every week.

Literally every week for months now, God has given us a steady stream of baby stuff.  Clothes, blankets, shoes, socks, crib, changing pad, glider, bottle sterilizer, puzzle, books, Boppy cover, inflatable bath toy... the list is endless.  People continually offer me new or gently used baby supplies that they no longer have a need for.  I keep thinking: "Wow God!  Thanks! I am so overwhelmed!" and he replies with: "That was nothing.  Let me surprise you AGAIN!"  And I really am surprised every time!  I am already so impressed by the Lord's provision, but yet he continues to impress me week after week after week.  So week after week I take items off my registry... which is way more fun than adding items, trust me.

But even pre-registry, God showed his provision.

One of my favorite ways God provided occurred shortly after we began our birthing class series.  The instructor highly recommended cooking in a cast iron pan to increase my iron intake.  Being the frugal woman that I am, purchasing a cast iron pan sounded like a good idea in theory, but in the end not worth spending the money.  I can get iron other ways, thank you very much.  Class was on a Tuesday.  That Thursday, our friends the Jumonville's came to comgroup and said "Hey, we are getting rid of a cast iron pan if anyone wants it."  Um, yes please.  We will take that specific type of pan that we needed to get and you want to give away.

Or another time I was literally about to purchase the Jesus Story Book Bible on Amazon and thought, I should wait until I know we don't have other expenses for the month.  Then the next day I received a copy of the book in the mail from my friend Peggy who had no idea I wanted that book.  Crazy.

Maternity clothes.  Oh my goodness.  I have been so blessed to not have to spend money on any maternity clothes!!  Women have given me bags and bags of clothes to wear to work, on the weekends, for special occasions... it's incredible!  My dear friends from SAMBICA also sent me a $50 to Target specifically for maternity clothes.  God is relentless in his blessings.

God has been so gracious to us as we prepare for the new Graham family addition.  Talk about building my faith.  Also, this endless stream of provision has deeply rooted affirmation in my doubting heart that getting pregnant really is the Lord's plan for us right now.  He always knows better than I do, despite my planning-personality pride.  I am excited to tell Asher about God paving the way for him in our home!  I pray that Asher will be able to trust in God's provision like Otha does, a continual confidence that God will not abandon him.

Here is my dear son, 31 weeks old in the womb, stretching his legs into my ribs.

Did I mention God also provided me with a handsome husband?  Just wanted to show him off. 

It's so much more than a pregnant belly...

Alternative names for my pregnant belly:

*Portable Table

*Hand Rest

*Food and Beverage Catcher

*Wall and Corner Scouter

*Stranger's Hand Magnet

*Conversation Starter

*Initiator of Stares

*Shirt Rebel

That's all for now. 

A shout out to Asher for making these alternative names possible and present in my daily life. 

"Stop typing and take care of me" -My fingers

There is never a practical time to get a manicure. 

Now don't think I am a manicure diva who loves her nails lookin good every day or the world will fall apart.  In fact, I can count on my hands the number of times in my life I have ever gotten a manicure... my wedding, prom, high school banquet (so important, I know), Aggie Ring Day, etc..special events.  But every now and then I  wake up and think "My nails are struggling, I need a manicure. Now.".  Immediate remedy- pick at them.  Hmmm, that didn't work?  Paint the nails bright so that the flashy color will overwhelm the onlooker's eye, blinding them from the actual health of my nails.  Oh no, the nail polish is chipping off.  Clip the nails shorter so the fading color is not as noticeable.  Then comes the day when the paint is half gone, nails haphazardly clipped, skin picked at and damaged.  Each nail is glaring at me.  I want to get a manicure.

But what's that?  Oh yes, that's right.  I work with young children every day.  Not a day goes by when my hands are protected from paint, glue, markers, tape.  These precious little kiddos get excited participating in crafts, so how can I rob their joy for the sake of my nails looking half-way decent?  You try to look into their eyes and tell them you aren't going to bring a craft for the next lesson.  Rough times. 

But even if I did not work with kids all day, I still have to do things like scrub dishes which is counter-productive to having beautiful nails.  Not to mention having to justify paying someone to do a task that I could do at home.  Maybe I could use it as a bonding time with someone and therefore have more purpose in going to get a manicure.  The problem with this option is that I find it awkward to hold a conversation across the salon if two people are getting manicures, when there is another person sitting right in front of you.  Why not talk to them instead?  Pedicures are a bit different since you can sit right next to your friend.  But who really wants to talk when their feet are being massaged and soaked in a mini hot tub?  Definitely not a person who rarely treats themselves to a pedicure. 

Have I ever mentioned that I think too much?  Instead of getting a manicure a month ago, I sit here complaining about how my hands need help.  My brain needs help. I thought my way out of a perfectly enjoyable experience.  If anyone is going to get a manicure, let me know.  I would love to have a conversation with you across the salon, throw down some cash, and have kid paint sprinkle the manicure with love the following day.