In His Perfect Timing

I've been having troubles falling asleep or staying asleep. My congestion probably only makes it more difficult to find comfort under the sheets so often times my mind wanders under the sleepless process. Sometimes I reflect upon the day while other times I mentally draft up my to-do list when the sun rises.

The other night, my emotions got the best of me. My hips were sore as I tossed and turned. My back craved comfort as my belly lay distended on the mattress, its full weight dragging my body down. My nostrils were filled with stuffiness so my heart grew weary that this discomfort would have no end. It did not help that my loving husband lay softly snoring beside me, probably dreaming of sugarplums and fairies. Oh how I craved his peacefulness.

Making a pouty face in the darkness of my helplessness, I closed my eyes and prayed a sad prayer to God. It was more of a plea to remove the discomfort in my life and bring comfort in the form of a sweet babe. With a sigh, I was reminded of the verse in Ecclesiates that states "in his perfect timing." His. Perfect. Timing.

I was instantly comforted in being reminded that though we all have ideas of when baby should be born, God's got his "best timing" under control. His timing, indeed, can not be anymore perfect as it means all things, regardless of circumstances, will be met with grace and patience.

Although sleep did not fall quickly after that, my pout turned into a smile in the darkness as Aaron snored softly beside me. My hips still ached but I knew it was because a wonderful blessing inside of me needed the warmth and nourishment it could not receive elsewhere.

Thank you for that reminder, God. Today's sermon was about fathers and daughters and it hit home. The pastor encouraged fathers to be proactively invested in his daughter's life by learning her love language. By connecting with her early in life, she'll know what a father's love is and be encouraged to grow in it, rather than away from it. By prioritizing her and complimenting her, he's setting her up for her future male relationships.

Aaron has been wonderful these past few days. As my aches become more unbearable and contractions drain my energy, he has taken more of the reins to soothe and comfort. He even vacuumed each room in the house as I lay watching him. To put my chubby feet up and let others take control has been a blessing in disguise. I am so thankful for his awesomeness.

My mom is awesome

My sister so dearly wants to be in Washington during my mom's visit. I think partially because she wants to spend time with the baby, but also with my mom and I. Ever since we were little girls, it was this trio that went shopping on weekend afternoons or helped tend to the household. This trio is not the same without my twin.

If you know anything about my mom, you'd know she's an amazing cook. But rather than showcasing her amazing meals, I've decided not to post pictures or mention them so not to make my twin jealous of one of mom's abundant gifts in life: cooking.

Instead, I simply want to share how awesome my mom is. Through 30 years of marriage to my father and countless hours raising my siblings and I, it's without a doubt clear that my mom's love language is motherhood. She's great at it and I get to reap the direct benefits during her month-long visit!

From long walks to Walmart and Safeway, hearty and soulful meals, loving conversations and delightful back scratches and foot massages, mom truly knows best. It's almost like intuition to her. No need unmet, no desire unanswered. "Want me to paint your toes?" "But they look like baby sausages and I haven't painted them in months." "Okay, where's your toe paint?"

Also, baby girl will be born during the year of the Rabbit, the same chinese animal as my mom. Thus, from one rabbit to another, she had to get this for her.

Grandma is here!

My mom flew to Washington on Tuesday night and thankfully Aaron was able to drive us to pick her up. He was working a 24 hour shift but the supervisors deemed his wife's poor pregnant state would need assistance so he came home quickly before making the hour-long trip to Seattle.

It was so good to see my mom. As soon as Aaron pulled to the curb, I got out to greet her halfway, hugging her as she rubbed my gigantic belly. "Hi baby," my mom repeated over and over again.

I can't explain how wonderful it has been having her here. Even though baby hasn't arrived, her presence has been incredibly helpful with cooking meals, running errands with me and encouraging my walking. She's the first one to say "good morning, I'll start breakfast" to "what do you want for lunch" or "I'm going to start dinner soon." It's immensely helpful to not have to think about the basic necessities as she jumps right into taking care of me and baby.

At the doctor's appointment, she heard baby's strong heartbeat. She felt baby's foot, back and butt and each movement or kick after a hearty meal. She's helped me pack my hospital bag and picked up the house when I can't bend over.

We celebrated when the doctor announced I was 1 cm dialated and 70 percent effaced. We cheered in knowing the ball has begun rolling...

I love my mom. I love her being here. She's amazing as a mom. I hope to be anywhere close to her in mommy-ness.

Tonight we made chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. Substituting oil with apple sauce, it made the cookies much more healthy and moist. Yum! This is mom's first time scooping fresh made cookie batter. She's a good cookie scooper.