Where is the summer going?

It’s been my most unusual summer ever – as compared to the rest of my life, I suppose. Although that’s kind of a funny way of putting it, and I know of at least a couple people who would make fun of me for that. And the exception could be the July I spent in Peru two years ago. That was pretty different from everything I’d done before.

But other than that, every summer from the time I was five till now has been spent recovering from the school year and/or preparing for the next one. The last four summers I worked at the same daycare job. I was always at home with my parents and sisters, going to church, watching I Love Lucy reruns, and catching fireflies in the backyard.

Now the first half of this summer has been lost in a haze of nausea. That’s been tough, but there have been very good things about it too, like my husband!!! and our amazing church family. In spite of a lot of solitude and sickness, it hasn’t been a bad summer. But it’s passing without a lot of the traditional summery activities. It’s been hot here for so long that I don’t even feel the change in the weather that much. In some ways I feel like I’m in a time warp!

I’m marking time by weeks, though, more than ever before. This is 10 weeks. Our little kumquat has officially entered the fetal stage now. Yay!

That’s pretty much my update. I have to get ready for my short shift at work. I just wanted to write something, and after staring at the empty “Add New Post” screen for about 15 minutes in between reading other sites, I just decided to start typing and see what resulted.

I Will Not Go Free

 ”When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing… But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” (Exodus 21:2, 5-6)

Christy Nockels wrote a song based on this Scripture, drawing a parallel between the Old Testament servant and a servant of Christ who loves his master so much he never wants to leave Him. This song really captured my heart. You can listen to it on Christy’s MySpace.

I love my Master, I will not go free
I take Your name and live in liberty
My life is Yours forever
I’ll serve You faithfully
I love my Master, I will not go free

There’s a reason we cannot leave the faith once we have truly embraced it. God binds our hearts to Himself. To leave Him would be unthinkable. How could we throw the pearl of great price in the mud? Left to ourselves, that’s all we would do. Yet He will not let us go free – He binds our wandering hearts.

Sick Days

I fell off the face of the blogosphere – and it seems like the planet – this weekend, with my sickness becoming more severe again for a few days. It’s lightened up a little now, and I actually feel somewhat close to normal this morning. That’s a welcome sensation!

Chronic nausea, as my dad calls it, changes your whole outlook on life. Everything seems difficult or dangerous. Difficult because it’s so demanding on your body, and dangerous because the exertion might lead to you being even sicker. Last night I went to Wal-Mart with my husband, and barely made it to the checkout line. Then I had to find a bench to sit down on.

It makes you realize your weakness, that’s for sure. I have to think twice as much about what I eat and when, where I go and when, how much sleep I get, what medicine I take, and things I need to get done. Confession: I still haven’t written thank-you notes for my wedding yet. I feel awful, but I had just started working on them when I began to feel really sick. It’s been almost three months – I need to get them out!

However, yesterday was an exciting day because I had my first doctor’s appointment, and I got to see the baby moving around on the ultrasound! I didn’t know I would get to see it; I thought I would just get to hear the heartbeat, so my husband didn’t come this time. But I was sad about that because I did get to see our little baby, and it was so amazing. I understand after seeing it why abortion-minded women usually change their minds after seeing an ultrasound. It’s as close to miraculous as you can get to see this little tiny person moving around inside of you.

My official due date is February 1, and I’m 9 weeks along. 3 weeks until I’m out of the danger zone and the sick zone – the first trimester. I’m hoping my sickness lightens up then, but more than that I’ll be excited that the baby has made it safely to 12 weeks, Lord willing.

So that’s what’s been going on with me. Anyone have pregnancy sickness stories they’d like to share?