Half Way There!

Half Way There!

20 weeks pregnant and counting! I can't even begin to tell you all how excited I am about meeting little Charlotte! Malachi and I feel so blessed to be having another little girl. I am also amazed at how fast my belly has grown! I have heard that the second pregnancy shows a lot sooner than the first, but man, did I grow fast!

Charlotte is a very active baby. She isn't keeping me up much at night, so I think we are on the same page as to when mommy wants to sleep! However, I am not holding my breath on that one.

Sofia will now point to my belly and say “baby”. I am not completely convinced she “knows” there is a baby in there. She will understand soon enough though. Each day Sofia grows more and more. To my amazement she is a great child. Don't get me wrong, we do have to discipline her from time to time when she tests our authority, and yes she knows how to do that. I am often baffled by her little sinful selfish nature. The Bible is most certainly correct in letting us know that our hearts are wicked from youth. It is kind of a weird thing to say about my precious sweet 21 month old daughter, but God's Word remains truthful about our fallen nature.

I have come across a great website that has been such an aid to me during this stage in Sofia's youth. I learned about Family Life on one of Sofia's BOZ DVD's. I have found many helpful articles there about Christian Parenting. MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) International is another great resource that I have been checking out. I have actually located a MOPS Group in my area that I can't wait to attend a meeting for. I have already spoken to the director and I am so totally excited about being part of that. I have spoken with my pastor's wife and we both agree once our church grows big enough we would love to establish a MOPS Group at our church!

Malachi's first day at his new job is today! We will be making a trip to Washington State for him to receive training for a week. We are excited and blessed that Sofia and I can join Malachi. All the arrangements have been made for our accommodations and we were blessed with enough funds to buy a plane ticket for myself and Sofia. It should be interesting to see how Sofia does on her first ever flight. We are well prepared, or as prepared as we can be. Thankfully her car seat is aviation approved. We will bring snacks, coloring books and her Lamby.

Speaking of Lamby, Sofia has a new found “need” to have Lamby ALL DAY LONG! She only needed him for bed time, but in the past week or so she has become very attached to him and will not go anywhere without her Lamby! I am only assuming that it is a normal thing for a child to cling to something for security. Some children like a pacifier others a blanket. Sofia however, wants her Lamby.

I am finding that the anxiety that I have felt in the past about having another child is completely gone! The Lord is so faithful to give us the proper perspective on different aspects of life. It seems each and every time I am pregnant the enemy will use people to try and instill fear or doubt about how I will handle two or three or four children. I have learned to reach out to the Lord for my strength. I rely on Him for everything! He has given me such peace about Charlotte and Sofia. I know that with Him I can handle both taking care of Sofia's every need and Charlotte's. I am actually very excited about having a new baby in the house. I know that Sofia will be the best big sister. I have confidence in the Lord that He will equip Sofia with the grace she needs to be a loving big sister. I also know that He will equip me with the confidence and the endurance to take care of an infant and Sofia. I trust His judgment and Sovereignty in my life. I am so grateful to be loved by a God who knows the end from the beginning!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)