Belly Button Business

I'm half-way there... this is my 20th week which means my belly button, among other things, is starting to have a mind of its own. I just noticed this today with my friend Andi and we giggled about it like two teenagers. My hips and joints and back muscles are adjusting to the little life inside, and I not only look pregnant, I am also beginning to feel pregnant, more and more every day. Baby S. certainly reminds me almost daily that the smallest packages are the biggest miracles of all.

You Belong

Dear One,

You belong to Jesus. This is first and foremost.

This is the theme I learned from an early age. My own parent's, your grandma/pa Crawford, not only instilled this truth in my life, but they showed me by example that they really did believe that I belonged to Jesus. I don't know what it is that they learned so early in parenthood about holding my brother, Nathan and I with these open hands. Maybe a realization of the fragility and tenderness of life? Your grandpa Crawford lost both his parent's in a car accident when he was only 13 years old. And your grandma Crawford's parent's loved the Lord with an incredible love that rubbed off everyone they met. These may have been their own life-training influences that was rubbed off on Nate and I. We knew well that we belonged.

In months time you will be given face-t0-face to Ben and I. In return, we will teach you that while you're our first-born, you firstly belong to Jesus.

We got Keralized

Kerala has spoiled us and we return home refreshed. It was an amazing time.

We spent one night on a houseboat with a lovely crew of sailors! The mosquitoes weren't so bad, and the food from our own personal cook was some good-home cooking. A giant prawn caught hours before by a local fisherman and grilled that evening was my favorite savory dish.

Captain Ben steered the boat and was fast-friends with the crew.

Libs is now in her fifth month of pregnancy. Baby lets her know when he's/she's hungry with a good kick.

Vacation and Family Planning

Okay, so those topics don't really go together...or I suppose they could. But anyway, just wanted to share a couple of interesting links.

First, here are the two places that, with some help from family and great off-season prices, we'll be resting over the next six days. Two nights at the south end of Kerala in The Leela and then three nights at the Kumarakom Lake Resort (including a night on an air-conditioned houseboat with private chef included). This year we've used only four days of our alloted vacation time, so this will be a nice way to use a little more.

Second, I was browsing through our partner org's library the other day. The cover story for the August edition of Christianity Today caught my eye:

The Case for Kids: A defense of the large family by a 'six-time breeder.'
by Leslie Leyland Fields

Among other things, I appreciate her thoughts on the most basic question...not just "how many kids should we have", but "why have kids?" Check out this quote:

"So why do we have children at all? So much is against the whole enterprise. Children cost too much money. They cost too much of ourselves. Children undo us. They show us how much and how little we're made of. They come, it often seems, only to break our hearts. And we let them. We invite it all. We admit perfect strangers through our doors and decide before we even know who they are to love them wildly, without condition, for as long as we live.

How do we account for this behavior? In the end, it is possible that our desire for children is a longing not to benefit ourselves, but to sacrifice ourselves; not to replicate ourselves, but to escape ourselves. For me, this longing hit at 28, while I was tunneling into the heart of the Congo on the back of an expedition truck. Suddenly, I was unutterably weary with my own small life and my endless requirements for fulfillment. I wanted the freedom to give my life away. I wanted an intimate, lifelong, indissoluble relationship with others, the kind of life that simultaneously sucks you dry and sustains you."

Interesting, huh? I tend to agree with her in an amazed, shaking-because-it's-coming kind of way. We'd love to read your thoughts. Especially from those with kids, but from others as well!

Link-o-rama

One of the fun things about blogs is adding more and more links. So (drumroll), we added a few more links to provide info on our fair city, friends, etc. See the right hand column!

and I think... No way!!

I admit it. I am overly watchful of other pregnant women these days. I notice them more than I did four months ago. In fact, four months ago I rarely if ever "saw" a lady with a swollen belly. But boy, I do now! My friend Justine sent me the magazine, Fit Pregnancy and you'd think it tasted like black licorice the way I gobbled it up! I drooled over the cute maternity clothes, and took pointers on fitness, and even paused to read the advertisements for baby food, baby clothing, baby anything. When I see a woman within weeks of delivery, I think, "No way! Is this really happening to me?" I'll believe it when I see it. Wink, wink.

A pregnant pose

Per the request of family and friends, some pictures of the pregnant lady.

My new favorite maturnity wear; stretch jeans. My top is from Lucknow, India, a city famous for its needle work, called chikan, a hand-woven art in clothing.

This is the last week of my fourth month.

Is that a flutter I feel, or last nights dinner?

Jeans. Those blue things.

Jeans.

I feel kinda, sorta feel "at home". And even a little...cute, dare I admit it to you? All because of a pair of jeans. You know, those blue things.

I found a pair of maternity jeans today. The kind with elastic on the side so I can grow, grow, grow in comfort. Isn't every woman's best friend her favorite pair of jeans? And today I found a pair perfect in size, color and shape.

Ben put his hand on my tummy (I'm ending my 16th week) and said, "There's a baby inside. OUR baby..."

The jeans feel good. I feel good. It's amazing what a good pair of jeans can do for a woman.