Faith, Hope, and Chocolate: Due Date

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The last time I blogged, we announced the incredible news that God had blessed us with a second child after another excruciating struggle with infertility. Sadly, a busy life as a work-at-home mom (I work here and here), Bible Study leader, and mom of a toddler has prevented me from blogging as much as I'd like, but I thought it was only fitting to sit down and share some things with you on my DUE DATE!

Yes, that's right. Today is my due date. I actually never thought I'd make it to this day. My daughter was 5 days early, so I was quite certain I'd be holding my son by now. Since we're still waiting for him to make an appearance, let's recap what's happened over these last 40 weeks!

We found out we were having a boy at around 17 weeks. In my heart, I knew I was having a boy, but seeing the visual of this on the ultrasound screen brought a mix of emotions for me. A son. One day he'll become a man. Yowza. The responsibility and weight of that truth is something I pray about daily.

Deciding on a name for my son was another long process. As with my daughter, we wanted the name to have special meaning since our babies are miracles. Last year, I was able to study the book of Genesis for 9 months, and I knew I wanted include the name Joseph after learning more about his life. I'll wait to reveal his first name until after he's born, but his middle name will be Joseph. Joseph endured many unfair trials in his life, but he trusted God, even when he was sold as a slave and thrown into prison for something he didn't do. He knew: "the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper." - Genesis 39:23

So, my son, that is my prayer for you. I pray that God will stir your heart at a young age to follow Him, and no matter what lies ahead of you, I pray your faith in Him will remain unwavering, like Joseph. Seek to please Him above all else, sweet boy, and you will be "like a tree, planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers" - Psalm 1: 3.

I thought I'd share a few pictures of the nursery with you. The hubby was pretty opinionated about what it was going to look like, so much of what you see is because of him. The original inspiration came from this screen print he found:

Here's a picture of me at 39 weeks, thinking he'd be arriving soon. I was wrong!

We need to do a better job of taking pictures. I guess that's the story with a second baby - there's a lot less time to squeeze in pictures with all the other activities going on with a toddler! The nursery is mainly grey and orange, with pops of aqua. We're ready for you, Baby G!

Big Sis seems to be ready as well! We continue to marvel at how smart and loving she is. She has a vocabulary that astounds us ("No big deal, Mommy" is the newest phrase we hear a lot) and is a such bright spot in my life. God has been gracious to us, indeed.