Wisconsin..Then the World

We are HOME! Yay! We just spent a week traveling by car through some of the most beautiful county God created. If you have any questions as to whether or not there is a God, visit the Midwest. It is just unbelievable. We had such a wonderful time. We left last Friday, and drove for 2 days to get to Wisconsin to see the Jameson side of the family. Seeing my Grandpa and my aunts and uncles was just great. I commented to Benji on the way home how significant this year has been. I have been able to see both the Carver and the Jameson side both in the same year. To people around here that is not significant. They see their relatives every Sunday for lunch. Not me. It has been years since I has seen some of this family, and I actually had to be reintroduced to a few people.
Sunday morning, we met at a little cafe in Rio, the town where my dad grew up, and had lunch. It was great. We thought we were just meeting Grandpa and his wife, and when we walked in, the entire restaurant was filled with Jamesons. The next day we visited a cheese factory and got to sample of this delicious dairy product. We also got a tour by the man that owned the place for 42 years. We are pretty important people. :-) The last day we were there we had a cook-out at my aunt Linda's place. We got to swim and eat and eat oh yeah and ...eat. I got to see cousins I had not seen since Benji and I were married. Pretty significant. It was wonderful.
On the way home we stopped in Indianapolis and stayed at an overpriced hotel and played tourist for the evening. What an amazing city.
We are glad to be home, a bit tired, and refreshed at the same time.
We have our next doctor appointment on August 14th, and we may be able to find out what the sex of the baby is at that point, so keep us in your prayers.

Parasite

It is an odd feeling, this whole thing of my body not being my own anymore. Don't get me wrong. I am so excited, so blessed and amazed by what God is doing, but there are days I want my body back. I don't even poop the same anymore. :-) My boobs hurt, my back is aching, I have heartburn all the time, and I cannot ever seem to decide what I want to eat. I just know I NEED FOOD. I have often described what I am going through right now in terms of host body and parasite. I have this little parasite in my belly, living off of whatever it can extract from me. It is getting all of its support from ME! from what I am putting in my body and from how I choose to spend my day. This is why it amazes me when people say "well, you don't really have to give up__________." Or you can still have alcohol...in moderation." ARE YOU SERIOUS? People are complete idiots. God has given Benji and I this amazing blessing. Would I not be crazy to jeopardize this little life in me? Would I not be a fool to disregard warnings. Shouldn't I be doing everything that is in my power to take care of myself and my little parasite? ABSOLUTELY! Mothers-to-be wisen up. You decided to have a kid now take responsibility for it, and if you didn't make the conscious decision, tough, you opened you legs. Deal with it. Grow up!

Pitter Patter

Benji and I just got home from the Thresher's Reunion...talk about country. This is where all the old farmers come out with antique and new farm equipment and do demonstrations. There is a train to ride and delicious really nutritious fair type food ranging from Italian sausages to Funnel Cakes. Yummy! We had a wonderful time and are now at home collapsing from exhaustion.
The coolest thing that has happened to us is our doctor's appointment yesterday. We got to hear the baby's heart beat. It was amazing. The doctor said there was about a 50/50 chance that we would be able to hear it this early, so as we walked out Benji said "We must have a super baby." :-) Gotta love him. It really was incredible. Unless you have had a child, I don't think I could describe the feelings we felt in being able to hear our own little child's heart beating, that distinct symbol of life growing and moving inside me. Being able to share that experience together was wonderful. I highly suggest that husbands always go with wives to their doctor visits. It would have been such a disappointment for me to have been able to go through that without Benji being there too. We just feel so blessed. Everything is proceeding as normal. We are healthy and hope to stay that way.
Keep Benji's dad in your prayers. He had quadruple bypass surgery last Friday morning. He is recovering as normal and doing well, but it is going to take some time for him to get over the soreness and fatigue. He is going to have to make several lifestyle changes and this is going to be difficult. He is a very stubborn man, but we are hoping that this will serve as a wake up call for us all. he has never had high blood pressure or cholesterol, so there really were not any telling warning signs.
We love you all. Keep us in your prayers.