Well, it's been a really long time since I last made an entry on this blog.  I was getting so many spam comments that I considered deleting my blog account.  However, I just couldn't commit my heart to the idea of no longer keeping up this ministry blog.  So, I'll endure the spam comments--unless someone out there knows a way to block spam comments???

Anyway, we have been having a busy summer so far.  Summer is always a welcome time for us because it means more time outdoors and that is like adding an extra room to our house.  However, autumn is really our favorite season, and I was pleased to hear the weatherman say today that we have just 4-6 more weeks until the weather starts changing.  Fall brings football, cross country, marching bands, an extra hour of sleep, pumpkin farms, apple orchards, back to school sales, cooler weather, candy corn, an end to mosquitoes, colorful landscapes, my birthday and more football!  This fall will be extra special because we'll be moving to our next build project (we don't know where that will be yet) and we'll celebrate Asher's first birthday!

We can't wait for fall!

Have you ever been on an Amtrak train?  If you're anything like me, it is something you have always been interested in doing, but have never quite found a reason to do it.  The idea of riding on a passenger train has always fascinated people, I believe.  Riding across the deserts, hills and plains of America at fast speeds, all the while partaking in the beauty of new places is intriguing. 

Well, I had the interesting experience of riding one of these trains last week.  Andy and I wanted to go down to Fort Worth, Texas to purchase a new truck.  We looked into airplane tickets, but they were too expensive.  Driving ourselves was going to be expensive as well, so we decided to take the Amtrak down to Texas and the plan was to drive our newly purchased truck back home.

First we had to drop off the boys in Iowa with Grandparents.  Then we caught the train in Burlington, IA.  Our excitement for the trip was barely dwindled when our train was an hour late.  We were told that we should be thankful it was only an hour late because the day before it was three hours late.  We should have taken the late train as a sign of how things were going to be for the rest of the trip, but we kept positive. 

We rode 45 minutes East to get off in Galesburg, Illinois.  After a 4 hour layover in bustling Galesburg, ILL, we got on the shuttle van with 7 other strangers for a two hour excursion to Springfield, ILL.  Andy and I snagged the front bench in the van so that we could see out of the windshield--we both get car sick pretty easy.  This leg of the journey turned out to be my most favorite.  The driver of the van and the man in the passenger seat were both sports enthusiasts and one just happened to work for the Atlanta Falcons!  We all enjoyed some great football conversations!  At the conclusion of this ride, Andy told me I was good at "talking sports."--A great compliment, I would say!

When we arrived in Springfield, ILL we had another layover to wait for the great "Texas Eagle" train to take us on a 20-hour journey to Fort Worth, Texas.  By this time it was time for supper and we were getting hungry and tired.  Thankfully the train was just 30 minutes late, and we got our seats on the lower level of the train.  This turned out to be a blessing because all of the activity took place on the upper level, so that would mean "better" sleeping conditions for us. 

After a supper of nothing healthy, we settled into our seats amongst our new neighbors: a man with sleep apnea (who warned us that he doesn't wake up happy), a man who illegally smoked in the restroom and had a colorful vocabulary, a man who liked to sing along to his ipod, and two tired moms with their three tired children.  On top of that, the air conditioner was broken in our car.  All the makings of a very interesting ride!  The best part of the night was seeing St. Louis all lit up at night!  That was truly beautiful with the arch and the skyline.

Over the course of the night, we got maybe 4 total hours of sleep.  Our chairs reclined minimally and we found out that our neighbor did have sleep apnea, which meant loud snoring.  In the morning we decided to try to catch the sunrise from the viewing car upstairs.  We did get a good view of the sunrise, but a not-so-great view of everything else.  With the exception of the St. Louis skyline the night before, the scenery from the train left a little to be desired.  We had ideas of seeing great scenery and city sights, but the views of the city were what you would see around the railroad tracks--not usually the best part of the city.  Oh well, it was still fun to see the sights which included animals, trees, cemeteries, buildings, etc.

We learned that during the time we spent on the train, some of our fellow passengers had been accused of stealing food, getting in fights with other passengers, smoking in restrooms, possessing drugs, and other non-reputable activities.  Oh goodness!  God kept us safe though and we came out not missing anything but a pair of shoes.

We finally arrived in Fort Worth to get a look at our new truck.  We were thankful that we ended up purchasing the truck so that we could ride home together in the truck and not have to turn around and board the northern-bound "Texas Eagle."  What a good night's sleep we had at our hotel in Oklahoma City that night after showers and a good meal!

So, the next time you think it would be fun to ride an Amtrak train somewhere, remember this cautionary tale!  haha!  Just kidding.  I think had we not had the overnight experience, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.  There were some good parts about it all: cheaper than airplane rides, no TSA hassles, got to meet new people, no time behind the wheel for Andy, got to ride home together instead of two separate cars, we got to spend time together and we got a lot of new interesting stories! 

What a blessing to have a God with whom we can make supplication.  He listens to our cries for help and wants to help us.  He even knows what we are going to ask before we ask it.  It is a blessing to keep in mind that He is sovereign over all.

This past week Andy was in a roll-over vehicle accident due to winter weather.  He was in our Dodge Ram truck that we use for our ministry work: pulling our trailer and for the building ministry.  Andy did not anticipate that he would have trouble driving to work last Saturday morning, but he hit some ice on hwy 131, just North of Grand Rapids, MI, and the truck rolled upside down into the median.  As a result, we believe that the truck is totaled.  We haven't heard from our insurance agency yet, but from what we can tell, it will be totaled and we will be looking for a new truck. 

I'm writing today to ask you to praise God with us for Andy's safety.  God brought him out of the accident with no injuries, just minor scrapes and bruises.  Also, please pray with us about our need for a new truck.  Those of you who are familiar with pulling trailers know that we need a specific kind of truck that will fit our needs.  Please pray that God will provide a truck for us that is just what we need and at a good price.  We are praying that the insurance company will be fair in compensating our losses and that God will bless with the rest of the finances we will need to pay for the truck.  Thank you for praying with us about this matter!

Dear friends,

Thank you for your prayers!  I am excited to tell you that little Asher Edward Smith was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th!  After arriving at the hospital around 5:30 am (I think), we eventually welcomed Asher into the world at 7:38 pm that evening.  It was a long journey (we watched all of the Macy's parade, all of the Lions/Patriots game, Wheel of Fortune...etc.), but God was present there with us and helped us through each step.  Asher weighed in at 7 lbs 6 oz and was 19 1/4 in long!  Such a good size for a 36 week old preterm baby!  I had always suspected that I was a week further along in the pregnancy than the doctor told me I was, so after I heard how much Asher weighed, I began to wonder if I really was further along than 36 weeks!  I was able to deliver Asher naturally--no cesarean section and no other complications!  What a blessing to have a safe VBAC delivery!  We had the best nurse and doctor during delivery and that made all the difference for me! 

Recovery has been so much nicer since I didn't have to have a c-section.  I am healing well and I look forward to having my Mom here with me for a couple days to help me recover more fully.  Asher is doing well.  He had some respiratory concerns during the first few hours of life, but since then he has been the picture of health.  There never seemed to be any question as to whether he would get to come home with us right away or not and we were so glad for that!  We all were discharged on Saturday, the 27th. 

Judah is so very interested in his little brother!  His new favorite word is "baby" and it's the first thing he says when he wakes up in the morning.  He loves to help with anything baby related: feeding, changing, traveling, etc., and he loves to give Asher kisses. 

Asher's name means blessed or blessing.  We chose this name because we believe that Asher is blessed by the Lord to have had a safe and healthy delivery into the world.  We also feel that Asher is just another one of God's many blessings in our lives.  A blessing we don't deserve and don't take for granted.  This healthy pregnancy and delivery is such a reminder to us of how good God is to us.  We are so blessed.

Thank you for your prayers for our family.  As you think of us, you can pray for Asher's continued health, Judah's adjustment, as well as the adjustment that Andy and I are making as we add Asher and his needs to our family.

Thank you!

Good morning, friends!

Thank you for rejoicing with us as I have now been given permission to get up out of bed after 13 weeks down.  It feels good to be up and more independent, but you probably understand when I say that it also doesn't feel good to all of the sudden be more active.  I'm pretty sore!  After being inactive for so long, it will take me awhile to get my muscles built up again.  When I stop to think how out of shape I actually am, it's depressing.  (Especially when my husband tells me last week that he weighs the same as he did in high school!  Maybe not a good thing to tell your pregnant wife who was restricted from exercising since April and on bedrest the last 3 months!  ha!) 

I got up yesterday and in my desire to give Andy a little break, and also my desire to be an active Mommy to Judah, I went into Judah's room and welcomed the morning with him.  I made us our breakfast and fed him.  All of this allowed Andy to sleep in a little longer than usual.  Not much longer, but I'm sure it felt great to him to be the one who got to sleep in an extra 10-15 minutes. 

After that I was ready for a break so I sat down to watch some of the Today show.  They were interviewing a member of the March of Dimes organization who said that yesterday was National Premature Birth Awareness Day.  How ironic that the day I get out of bed would be a day set aside to recognize the premature birth epidemic in America.  "Every baby born before 37 weeks is premature...it is best for all moms and doctors to try to make it to 40 weeks gestation," she said.  "Maybe I should go back to bed," I said.  : )  I started to feel a little guilty that I was getting out of bed at 35 weeks, but decided that I had been in bed long enough.

Around 10:30 we left the house for some baby shopping.  We went to Kohls, specifically looking for a blanket, towel and coming home outfit for the baby.  Turned out Kohls was having a major two-day sale and it was packed!  It was a little overwhelming, but we found a wheelchair for me and we all set out for the baby section.  We found what we needed, but because shopping in a wheelchair in crowded aisles is not ideal, we left without doing a lot of looking at other things. 

Next we went to Walmart to get some baby diapers, wipes, formula, etc.  Walmart had those electric motor chairs!  I felt so funny driving around in one of those things, but it worked nicely for me to be able to get myself around so Andy could push the shopping cart with Judah inside.  By the time we were done at Walmart, I was ready to go home and rest. 

One of my favorite parts of the day was when we were getting ready to leave for the morning and Judah gave me a goodbye kiss and waved and said "bye-bye!"  But I said that I was coming outside with him.  He stood outside of the door and clapped and yelled "yeah!" as I came out the door.  It was funny and cute!  My favorite Andy moment yesterday was when I started helping him put away the laundry and he said, "Are you hanging up the clothes?!  Yes!!!  You're back!"  Then he said, "It's so nice to have you up and doing everything again."  haha.  Sounds like someone learned a valuable lesson over the last 3 months! : )

By the end of the day I was pretty tired and sore, but not having regular contractions.  The only time I got very winded was when I was going up the stairs in the CBM office building to get our mail and say hello to friends.  So, as I continue to get my muscles in shape, I will be patient through the soreness.  I will enjoy my time with just Judah and Andy before the baby comes. 

We can't help but wonder just how long it will be before the baby comes.  I heard, although I have not confirmed, that it is going to be a full moon on Saturday...you know what they say about full moons!  Judah was the third emergency c-section of the night on Good Friday in April 2009, which also happened to be a night with a full moon!  : )

Thank you for your continued prayers.  We have been blessed to hear from many of you that you are keeping our next baby and me in your prayers! 

We are starting to see the wonderful relief that will come when I get up next Wednesday.  Not so much because I'll be able to help out with little things around the house, but because we will no longer have the overwhelming concern of preterm labor.  A birth before 37 weeks would still be preterm labor technically, but at least we have the confidence of a very favorable outcome of a baby born at this point.  Judah was born at 36 weeks, so I would like to make it at least that long again--that is Wednesday, November 24th. 

Today was my 34 week doctor appointment.  (What a wonderful day I had getting out of the house with not so much anxiety and concern!)  I had an ultrasound to check the placement of the placenta and they also decided to check the baby's weight.  Thank you for praying with me about the placenta placement.  It turns out that the placenta did "grow away" from the cervix, so we no longer have to worry about the problem of placenta previa.  Also, the baby is weighing in at a strong 5 lb 6 oz; in the 51st percentile.  Praise God! 

Thank you again for praying.  I am just so impressed with the reality that God is so good.  I almost can't believe I'm practically done with my second successful pregnancy.  After having a child pass away from premature birth, it is so very special to see God redeem our pain again.  We are very excited to welcome home another baby boy.

Please continue to pray for my labor and delivery.  I am asking God for the physical strength to get through labor (after 3 months of muscle atrophy, that is a very real concern on my mind).  I am also asking Him for great doctors and nurses who will be wise in their evaluation of how things are going, ie: whether I can deliver naturally or if I need to have another c-section.  I also ask you to join me in prayer for a healthy baby who can come home with me after delivery.  I don't ever desire the experience of leaving the hospital without my baby in hand again.  Whatever happens though, we are praying for a safe and healthy delivery for baby and me. 

FUN FACTS OF BEDREST:
---It occurred to me today that I have been out of the house exactly 10 times in the last 13 weeks.  Wow!
---When I went on bedrest, they had "Back to School" items in the stores.
---Turns out the only thing Andy won't do for me is clip my toenails!  haha!  Last time my mom did it for me... : )

Thank you for reading and for praying!

Well, thank the Lord, there is not much to report this week.  Despite a major increase in my contractions, God has kept our baby inside where he is hopefully safe and maturing well.  My contractions were increasing all week long and then Andy gave me my shot on Wednesday, and now they are subsiding again.  I remember this same thing happened last time with Judah.  This newest development has made me rethink my theory that I will last 2 weeks after I get up from bedrest, but we'll see. 

We got our first snow today here in Michigan.  It was lake-effect snow, I guess.  It didn't amount to anything, but it snowed steady all morning. 

Andy is preaching in Grand Rapids this Sunday.  There is no nursery at the church he is going to, so we have asked our friend to take Judah for the morning at our regular church.  Just another thing in a mountain of things to consider when one parent is out of commission.  I feel like this whole experience has helped me to better understand my mom, who was a single-parent for seven years.  I'm thankful for her in new ways and can see my childhood with a different understanding now.  The difference, however, is that she had six kids and we only have one!  Amazing!

We continue to count down the days until I can get up out of bed.  I have just 11 days left!  We have started to think about what I want to do once I get up.  I am looking forward to taking a shower like a regular person, going to church, Christmas shopping, etc.  Most of all I am looking forward to doing things with Judah again: walking with him, picking him up, holding him, putting him to bed and even changing his diapers!  I think Judah is looking forward to it too.  In the last few days he keeps coming up to me beside the bed and putting his hands under me like he's trying to lift me and he says, "Up!  Up!"  Very soon I will be up, Judah.  Very soon!

Thank you for your prayers!

Today we can celebrate 32 weeks, or eight months, of pregnancy!  Praise God!  We're getting so close to the end!  Just three more weeks until I can get up off of bedrest, and just eight more weeks until my due date (but we are, understandably, not expected to make it that far).

We had another doctor appointment yesterday.  This time we took Judah along with us.  We weren't having an ultrasound, so it turned out okay to have him with us.  The nurses and doctor, as well as the whole waiting room, enjoyed meeting Judah and watching him try to help Daddy push my wheelchair down the hall.  He did a good job and actually helped a lot when it was time for me to navigate through the doors that Andy was holding open for me. 

My favorite nurse was helping us and she and I skipped our usual Christian fiction banter and instead discussed the blessing of being at 32 weeks.  She was very congratulatory and encouraged me by telling me how well I have done to stay down for the last ten weeks.  Before she left the exam room she told me that she thinks I have had a really good attitude through all of this, considering everything.  I told her it is God, not me.  She alluded to the verse in Lamentations about God's mercies being new every morning, and then we both started crying! : )  God is so good!  That verse is so true!  I have witnessed that no matter what kind of day I had previously, or how sore I am when I go to bed, each morning God gives me new vigor and comfort!  I'm sure Andy can witness to the truth of that verse through all of this too. 

Next the doctor came in.  She was uncharacteristically warm and seemed proud of how far we had come together.  I told her I have been having more contractions and other labor symptoms.  She said she wasn't going to check to see if I am dilated, because she knows I am.  I agree, why check at this point?  I seem to have more confidence if I don't know the details of exactly how bad things are.  I'll just continue to stay down, time any contractions and as long as they stay irregular, I'll just sit tight. 

I see the doctor again in two weeks.  At that time we are getting another ultrasound to check the position of the placenta.  Maybe you remember me asking for prayer about the placenta placement.  It was really close to the cervix at my 20 week ultrasound, meaning that I could be in danger of having placenta previa.  The doctor wants to check it again just to make sure I'm not still in danger for that condition.

I might ask you to pray about another thing.  I had a c-section with Judah and many hospitals today automatically make women have another c-section if they've had one before.  However, this hospital (in Grand Rapids) is big enough and has enough staff available that they are giving me the option of delivering this baby naturally.  It is something I want to do, but I am nervous about the risks involved.  I won't go into detail about what could happen, but my mind naturally figures that whatever bad could happen will happen when it comes to me and pregnancy!  I'm just a magnet for bad news, it seems.  Anyway, we have chosen to proceed with natural delivery and trust that God will give us the right doctors and the wisdom they need to help us deliver safely.  We are glad to know that I will be constantly monitored and if things get emergent, they will do another c-section.  Please pray for peace of mind for us and that God will make His path for us clear.  Pray most of all for a SAFE delivery for both me and the baby!

Well, I'm counting down the days till I get up--19 days, as of today (the 28th).  I also started my ninth and final round of antibiotics yesterday.  Those pills make me feel horrible, so I'm glad to be almost done with that.  Also, I only have two more shots left--Andy should be glad for that!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Well, this week I'm excited to say I'm back in the twenties, but I'm not talking about weeks of pregnancy, I'm talking about days left of bedrest!  I have only 27 days left of bedrest at the time of this entry (Wed. 20th).  Less than a month to go!  I don't know who's more excited...me or Andy!  We can see the end!  Our spirits are lifting! 

I should also say that I am 31 weeks pregnant today.  That is wonderful to know and we thank God for bringing me this far in the pregnancy.  Andy and I both think that I will get up from bedrest (in just 27 days!) and nothing will happen!  We are betting that I last another 2 weeks or so before going into labor, but we'll see what happens.  This pregnancy just seems to be going so much better than my pregnancy with Judah.  Of course, I had to do bedrest with both pregnancies, but I've had very little contractions with this pregnancy.  Anyway, we'll wait and see what happens and keep praying that God grants me as much time as possible with this baby growing inside. 

I just want to say again how great it is to have Judah home with me all day!  We spend our mornings together playing and "talking" and sometimes watching Sesame Street.  He has gotten a little better at listening to me and coming to me when Andy asks him to.  He also has no problem sitting with me or giving me hugs and kisses.  Before it was like I was just this stranger in his life that he didn't quite know what my purpose was, and I was having trouble with the same questions.  Now, however, I feel like his Mama again, and even though I can't do everything for him that I used to, I can see that he still considers me his caretaker.  Even though he still refuses to call me "Mama" (will I forever be "Dada")?  : )

Andy and I have been thinking about what will define this time of bedrest for us; when we look back on these last 13 weeks, what will we remember?  When we think about my last time on bedrest (with Judah) we remember the hospital!  I spent my first three weeks of bedrest in the hospital and that was interesting!  Showers laying down, Andy sleeping on an uncomfortable cot by a drafty window, watching the Obama inauguration and the Super Bowl on TV, discovering our mad Wheel Of Fortune skills, etc.  When we look back at this second time of bedrest, I think we will remember our crazy schedules and all the extra work Andy had because we now have Judah.  I will definitely remember the heartache of "missing out" on three months of Judah's life experiences, and how hard it is not to be a mother to him in all the ways in which I want.  But, I will also thank the Lord as I remember how good this pregnancy has gone and how strong I have felt throughout.  I will for sure remember my new found interest (bordering on obsession) with football!  I look forward to weekends so much!  College football on Saturday and NFL football on Sunday!  Then I go through football withdrawal all week long!  Maybe this year I won't forget the rules of play during the off-season...

Thank you all for praying!

Well, this week brings the good feeling of reaching thirty weeks of pregnancy!  What a monumental achievement!  Thank you God!

I went back to the doctor this week for a regular check up.  I wasn't really sure what to expect...I haven't had a "normal" check up in a long time.  Once I got there, I learned what 'normal" means: weight check, blood pressure check, measure the tummy, listen for the heartbeat and discuss any symptoms.   Nothing too invasive at all.  It was a good appointment and I also managed to get an extra shot in the form of my influenza vaccination.  We thank God for the good appointment and that everything went well.  I go back again in two weeks.

Our new schedule (with Judah staying home and Andy working nights) has been going well so far.  Thank you for praying!  Judah and I have been getting more time together to play and love each other.  I want to cherish this time I have with just him, even though it's not quite how I would like it, but it's God's plan for us. 

We had some extra company this week from Iowa (Andy's parents) so Andy's ministry leader was generous and gave Andy a few days off work to be with them.  While they were here, Andy and his dad were able to make some arrangements for winter by putting the skirting on our trailer and fixing our water situation so that it will sustain freezing temperatures.  Those were great things to get done before winter's cold hits us.  One morning the three adults and Judah went to a local apple and pumpkin farm to get some goodies and have fun.  They were all really impressed with the farm and enjoyed their time.  It was hard for me to be down, unable to fulfill my hosting duties, and to miss out on the activities, but it worked out.  Both Andy and I were thankful for the extra help around the house.

Thank you all for reading and for your prayers!  Praise God for His sustaining work during this pregnancy!