Happy 23 weeks to me! I feel like all of a sudden I popped out and now there's no hiding the fact, which is actually good because I think I've finally come out of the phase where I just felt chubby, not pregnant. Yay!

This pregnancy sure has been interesting. Much much different than it was with our other two boys. I wonder why. All I know is, there must be some very important lessons for me to learn here. It's been quite a struggle for me, honestly. The constancy of either nausea or pain or both has proven to be exhausting at times. I decided to share a little about this experience because it's something we've been going through as a family and this is our family blog. But more importantly because I think that as we share our experiences that we help each other and lift each other.

I told Dylan the other day that I won't be coming out of this the same person I was going into it. I'm sure it's the same with everyone as we progress and experience things in this life. I am no where near perfect and I still struggle most days to put things in the right perspective. But here a few things I am learning...

*Not to assume things about or judge others or their situations.When I get a glimpse into someone else's life it fills me with concern, compassion, and a determination not to complain about the things I struggle with (not that it always works).

*Just when it seems I can't handle any more, there is a brief respite and I am reminded of the sweet tender mercies of a loving Father in Heaven.

*Life is so precious and that sacrificing to bring a child into the world is indeed a noble and extraordinary experience. I feel grateful that I have the opportunity to have such a special experience.



*My husband is an angel. Words could not explain nor convey how much he means to me or how much he has done and what it has meant to me. There are just no words.



*Find joy, not just expect it to come to me. I'm definitely no where near perfect. But I have found that joy is there; abundance in my life, or things to be grateful for, are there. In a talk by Thomas S. Monson last October he quoted a well-known philosopher who said:

“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”


After reading this I really thought about how many things I have to be grateful for and how many things in my life bring me joy and I sat down and wrote a long list of all of these things. I was so surprised to see how quickly my list kept growing and growing. How truly blessed I am!



I have good days and bad days still but I am finding that as I have an eternal perspective and try to think of the things I am grateful for and find little things that bring me joy, I am happier and more full of life. I am so thankful for a family and for friends who have helped us, knowing or not knowing the extent of our struggles, and who have given us so much love and support. It is both needed and appreciated so much.



So, even though 23 weeks might not sound very far along, it's more than half way to me and if we made it this far together, we can make it another 17 weeks. I love my family and I am thankful for the knowledge I have of the gospel. And I'm so excited to meet this new little boy.