28 Weeks

JM and I went to the doctor for my 28 week check up Monday morning. I had to take my sugar test and was dreading it - especially since they told me I couldn't have any food after midnight the previous evening. That was really the worst part of the whole test for me. By the time I got up Monday morning, I was starving, which made me feel nauseous when I couldn't eat.
When I got to the office, I had to drink this drink that was almost pure sugar. I picked the fruit punch variety. Everyone had told me how nasty it was and that they all almost gagged while drinking it. Fortunately, I like drinks that are almost pure sugar (must be from the Nehi's I had growing up over at my Granny's cause you know Shirley doesn't allow that kind of stuff in her house!) I was drinking it so fast that the nurse finally told me to slow down!
So then we had to wait an hour before they could do the actual test. I saw Dr. Barron and she said that Judah is measuring two weeks ahead of schedule. I don't really know what that means other than I am gaining weight fast at this point. We go back in two weeks for an another ultrasound to see if my low-lying placenta has moved up at all. I am just excited because it is another free look at Judah and maybe he won't look so much like an alien at this point.
So here's the kicker for the day. JM has been the most attentive soon to be daddy, going to all of my appointments and helping me remember questions I want to ask, etc. I went to the lab to get my finger pricked for my sugar test and in the midst of everything that was going on forgot one little oddity about my sweet husband. When we were engaged, he used to watch all these surgery shows where doctors would cut people's heads open because he thought they were interesting. Blood and gore, no problem. But when it comes to drawing blood etc., watch out!
The nurse was getting ready to do my finger prick and I look over at JM and he has on his ipod, and I didn't think anything about it. I look over again and he is slumped down in the chair with his head between his knees. Now mind you, we are not the only people in the lab and at this point everyone is starting to look a little concerned. So, he has to leave and we have to wait in the waiting room for him to recover.
I say this for two reasons: 1) just to tease JM a little bit, but then seriously, 2) to make sure that Julie has her bag packed. If he falls out in the delivery room, I am going to need some back up!

Hat's Off to Brandi Carlile & the Lady in the Red Polo Shirt

Last night we went to see Brandi Carlile in concert. It was a really good show in a great venue. Shea and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, but there was one woman at the show who was clearly a bigger fan of Brandi than we were. I must admit, we ended up watching this crazy lady as much as we watched Brandi.

Every song elicited from her many larger-than-life gestures and gyrations. She was a bundle of finger pointing, fist pumping, head thrashing energy. With every crescendo of the music, her body convulsed with delight. The best parts of the night were definitely her countless air-drum and air-guitar solos. This girl could rock!

Crazy lady with the long brown hair and the red polo shirt--I salute you!

Providence

I read about the death of John Piper's granddaughter this weekend and was immediately teary-eyed and nauseous. As we anxiously await Judah's arrival in 12 short weeks, I wanted to immediately go out and purchase a fetal heart monitor and keep 24 hour vigil until delivery.

The sovereignty of God is to me one of the most comforting and terrifying things imaginable. I am humbled and deeply impressed by the consistency of Piper's theology, whether talking about the I-35W bridge collapse or the death of his own granddaughter. Deep down I hope and pray that I never have the opportunity to display such a consistency in my own theology.

These words from his post disturb me deeply, and at the same time offer tremendous hope:

"This seems so preventable. By God and by man. Yes. So easy. But neither man nor God prevented this. Man, because he did not know it was happening. God, because he has his wise and loving reasons that we wait to learn with tears and trust."

Tears and trust. Tears and trust.

Wake me if I'm dreaming...

I think the song really says "don't wake me" but I am definitely for the opposite right now. Since I have been pregnant, I have been having the craziest dreams. I wake up in the morning just shaking my head. For example, last night's dream consisted of three parts:

Part 1: I am at a cheerleader competition with my high school squad. We are first up to perform but oops, we haven't practiced at all. So basically we sucked.

Part 2: (There are no real transitions in the dreams either). I am back at TSU for the first day of classes and can't remember what class I am supposed to be going to or where my dorm room is or anything like that. This is one that I have been having over and over again.

Part 3: Ok, this is the one that concerns me most of all. Jesse Jackson is at my house. I am not sure why but JM, JJ, and I are just chilling. That is just bizarre.

My pastor, Bob, has been preaching through Daniel and I am needing a dream interpreter of my own these days. Even I can detect the common theme running through the top two, but Jesse Jackson? That is just weird.

Big Baby Belly

Due to popular demand by those who are out of town and unable to gaze upon my pregnant grandeur in person, here you go. Yep, I can't believe I am posting these - the next set will be of my swollen ankles...

What's in a Name? - Part Two

I wanted to be able to post a picture of Judah's namesake when we originally announced his name but was not able to get a picture of my great-grandmother until this weekend (thanks, Aunt Pat). This picture is of my great-grandmother, Della Judah Carroll, and her son, my grandfather. She had black hair on the day she died (a trait that unfortunately did not get passed down to me or it would have saved me some serious Clairol money).
She lived in Ozark, Alabama and we would go down to visit fairly regularly. She had three sons and one daughter so it was always a fairly decent-sized gathering when we would all get together (But it could not compare to the Sasser gatherings in Slocumb with my Granny and her 11 brothers and sisters). My brother and I always liked to go to her house because she had an old shed in the back with all manner of things for us to get into until our parents would catch us. It is so neat that after all this time, I can still remember the sound of her voice. She passed away several years ago and my grandaddy will have been gone two years in December. I think that he would have been pleased with the name choice.