As my pregnancy draws to an end and we prepare to welcome our sweet baby girl into the world, I can't help but ponder the miracle of life and the human body.  There is a person living and growing inside my body.  How amazing!

God's design of the human body is simply incredible.  When I consider the various functions of the body - from digestion to sweat glands, reproduction to hair growth - I can't help but stand in awe of the Creator.  The changes a woman's body goes through to accommodate a growing baby are nothing short of miraculous.  While one organ, the uterus, expands to over 15 times its original size, others move out of the way to make room.  Skin is stretched beyond its limits, blood volume increases by 50%, ligaments loosen and bones shift to make birth possible.  And as all of this is happening to the woman's body, a new body is growing and developing inside.  By 10 weeks gestation, the baby is nearly fully formed.  Barely bigger than a grape, all major organs are present - including a beating heart and functioning liver.  All the baby needs is time.  Nutrition and a safe "home" are provided naturally by the mother's body. 

To be able to participate in God's creation as a mother is a privilege and a blessing.  Because of our marriage and our vow to be open to children, my husband and I have directly participated with God in creating 4 souls.  4 souls that will exist for all eternity.  4 souls that would not, could not, exist without us and our marriage union. 

As I watch my sweet Caleb grow, my heart is filled with a joy that words cannot adequately express.  For me, to be a wife and mother is my life's purpose.  This is my vocation.  This is what I was made to do, who I was made to be.  As we prepare to meet our baby girl, the joy of motherhood is multiplied.  I'm so excited to hold her in my arms and to see Caleb in his new role as a big brother.  There are, of course, concerns.  How am I going to get any sleep with a newborn who needs to nurse every 3 hours and a toddler who has been waking every night screaming and will only go back to sleep in our bed?  How am I going to manage grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. with 2 kids underfoot?  How are we going to manage our finances now that I'll be a stay-at-home mom?  But, I know that these things will work themselves out.  I'll learn to care for 2 children just as I learned to care for 1 - through trial and error, taking one day (sometimes one minute!) at a time.  I trust that God will continue to provide for our family - He always has in the past, why would He stop now?  The excitement, joy and love that I feel far outweigh the concerns and anxieties.  After all, there is a miracle taking place right now within my very body and another one running around the house giggling.  What more could I possibly ask for?

I had my follow-up ultrasound on March 13th to check on the subchorionic hemorrhage (SCH).  My doctor never called to go over the results with me, but the ultrasound tech said that the SCH was smaller than it had initially been (yay!).  My nurse called to give me my progesterone levels (26, up from 20 2 weeks earlier) and said that everything looked good in the ultrasound.  Baby was moving around and had a perfect heartbeat of 173 bpm.  Praise God!

Ultrasounds always amaze me.  At our first ultrasound, baby was 8 weeks and looked just like a little bean...a little bean with a beating heart!  At this ultrasound, at 11 weeks, we were able to see arms, legs, feet, and some facial features.  The baby was only about an inch and a half long and nearly fully formed.  All he or she needs is time to grow and mature.  How anyone could say a baby at this stage (or any stage!) is nothing more than a clump of tissue is beyond me...  God's creation is so beautiful and amazing!  Life is beautiful!

At nearly 12 weeks, almost through the 1st trimester, I'm starting to feel better.  I've got more energy and less nausea, especially in the past 2 days.  I'm also feeling much less nervous and more confident that this baby is going to make it.  After this ultrasound and my last appointment with my doctor, I can honestly say I'm not worried at all.  I know there is always a chance that this baby's life could end inside the womb.  I know people who have lost babies at 38 or 39 weeks for no apparent reason.  But, I know that I'm doing everything within my power to ensure that this baby has the best possible chance at a healthy life.  Beyond that, it's in God's hands.  So, we continue to place our hope and trust in Him - our Beautiful Creator.