32 Weeks Pregnant:

The last week was a good week. The heartburn is better, I’ve only needed the Gaviscon about three times so far, and my back is also better, but I think it’s got to do with the fact that I’m not walking as much anymore. I’ve completely stopped walking at the gym and I can feel a huge difference. So that leaves swimming as my only form of exercise for now.

I had one not so nice experience on Tuesday in the pool when I was floating around on my back – in between my 10 minute sets, I rest for about 2 minutes – and there were 2 ladies that entered the pool area. They were early for their aqua aerobics class and the one saw me floating on my back and my bump sticking out of the water and she pointed her finger and started to laugh out loud – just like school bullies do when they make fun of other children. I’m sure she didn’t mean it that way, but it still did not feel nice to be treated that way. She never said a word to me, just walked on and continued her conversation with her friend. O well, it’s not putting me off swimming or floating around in the pool, since I have to be fit for my water birth, and like I said swimming is the last form of exercise that is comfortable for me and not causing me any pain.

The biggest problem has been the heat wave we’ve been having – let me tell you it is uncomfortable! My feet are the most uncomfortable – they feel like they throb just about all day, but fortunately they’re not really swollen. We have a pool at home and I get in it, even if it’s just with my feet, every afternoon to cool off. The water is just a tad too cold to exercise in for now, so that is why I’m still going to the gym to swim. I also go very early in the mornings, around 7am or 7:30am so that I can still get all my things done during the day.

I have very little energy during the day though, and I think once again that it’s due to the heat. I’ve heard that the heat wave is over, but it sure doesn’t feel like it! I hope we get some rain soon, I’m sure that will help to cool things down.

Another thing I’ve noticed recently is that my nails are very soft and break very easily. That is something that I’ve never had a problem with – I’ve always had healthy strong nails that easily grew quite long before it would break. I think our baby’s been taking a lot of nutrients that previously went to my nails, but it’s a small price to pay! Nails can always grow again later!

Lastly I’ve also noticed that things are very supple and flexible in my hip area. When I do stretches at the gym I can do some stretches way easier than before and I’m sure if I try (which I haven’t) I can almost do the splits. I can see my body is preparing itself well for the birth and that is good! I love it that everything has worked out so well for me up to now with the absolute minimum of discomfort, pain and symptoms and it also helps that our baby has been co-operating nicely by turning into the right position and even descending into my pelvis. But then again I have believed for a healthy, problem free pregnancy and an easy; pain free birth right from the start of my pregnancy and God has been good to me so far!

Otherwise I’m feeling great and I’m keeping myself busy getting everything ready for our baby’s room. Our recliners were delivered this morning, but they have to be assembled I see, so DH will have to do that. I’m really looking forward to lying in them in the evenings!

Next week we have another appointment with our midwife and I have to go for blood tests again, once more to see if there are any anti bodies due to my blood group and to test my iron levels. I think I’ll only get my Anti D (Rhogam) injection at 34 weeks though. I paid my deposit for the midwives for the birth today and next week we book our bed in the clinic too! So things are getting exciting here! Last night I told DH that our lives are going to change drastically very soon and forever! But it’s a good change and one we are both looking forward to…

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A reminder of God’s Covenants:

Things are not looking good with Shumi. That lump on his head got bigger again and it seems this time it’s not going down again. I also noticed last week that there is something growing out of his one nostril (the white part in his nostril on the second picture). I assume it’s the tumour. What is the most upsetting is that it’s happening very fast. Let me illustrate with 2 pictures – the first was taken yesterday and the other today, about 24 hours apart.

25 Oct 2011

26 Oct 2011

We only noticed those bald spots for the first time yesterday morning, and by lunch time it was already looking like there was puss coming out one of them. Unfortunately it does seem to bother Shumi a bit as the flies want to go sit on the sores, but otherwise it doesn’t look like it’s very sore. The other thing is Shumi’s breath really smells bad, it stinks to be honest… But otherwise he is still ok – the heat is getting to him, but it’s also getting to me and a lot of other people I’ve spoken to (we are in a heat wave here). He still plays with KT, in the mornings and late afternoons when it’s a bit cooler off course.

Let me tell you it’s really hard to see him this way – I feel like we’ve been under a lot of attack again lately and the devil certainly wants me to give up on Shumi, but I cannot because I know the truth. I know that God wants to heal Shumi, and I know that Jesus already provided for his healing by His stripes, but it’s soooo hard when all your senses are telling you it’s not happening…

Fortunately God has reminded me of some messages I heard a while ago and blogged about by giving me more messages on the same topics. The first is the wonderful story of King Jehoshaphat, I heard a message about it last week and then I read another this week in Bro.ther Yu.n’s book “Living Water”. You can read my previous blog post about it here which is different as it focuses on a different part of the same story.

Here is Bro.ther Yu.n’s account of the story: “This king was one of the few who was faithful to the Lord. I am sure Jehoshaphat had many plans and projects on his mind, and when he lay in bed at night, his thoughts were probably already churning over those things his government would need to do the next day.
One morning, however, the king’s plans were interrupted when a group of men arrived at the palace with alarming news: “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the sea.” (2 Chronicles 20:2) All the king’s plans went on hold, and he became frightened of this huge army that had come to destroy his kingdom.

The first thing Jehoshaphat did after receiving this news was the key to his deliverance. The scriptures record: “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.” (vv. 3-4) It would have been easy for Jehoshaphat to respond to the great threat by mobilizing his army and sending them out to meet the enemy head-on, but he wisely realized that he should not advance a single step until he sought the Lord and asked for His help. The king proclaimed a fast, and the men of Judah humbled themselves before the Lord.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by the size and the strength of the enemy’s forces arrayed against you, withdraw and earnestly seek the face of Jesus just as Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah did. To earnestly seek God is a powerful act of faith. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

It is important to note that the key thing is to seek the Lord. It is easy to seek resources, blessings or success. We must be careful however, not to put these things first in our seeking. It is the Lord Jesus Christ we are to earnestly seek above all else. He taught, “But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) The very next verse tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has trouble enough of it’s own.” (v. 34)

King Jehoshaphat knew all about trouble. He was surrounded by a vast army that sought the destruction of his kingdom, yet he knew that his first priority was to seek the Lord and not to worry about tomorrow. The people of Judah realized that only God could rescue them from their dire predicament. They threw themselves on God’s mercy and reminded the Almighty of the covenants He had made with their forefathers. Jehoshaphat stood up in the temple courtyard and cried out, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?” You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your name saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’” (2 Chronicles 20:6-9)

God can never break His covenants. It is impossible for Him to do so. All the way through the Bible we read of God making covenants with people. He made a covenant with Noah and his family; and they were saved. He then made a covenant that He would never again destroy the earth by water and placed a rainbow in the sky as a reminder of his promise. He made covenants with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for all generations. The fact that Israel has survived until the present day – despite being surrounded by nations that desire it’s destruction – serves as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenants.

Moses knew it was best to appeal to the character of God during times of trouble. He knew he could not appeal to God on the basis of the people’s righteousness, for they would be destroyed. Instead on several occasions he reminded God of His covenants. When God threatened to destroy the children of Israel after they fashioned an idol in the form of a golden calf, Moses cried out, “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ Then the Lord relented and did not bring on His people the disaster he had threatened.” (Exodus 32:13-14)

God will never let His name be defamed. He will not allow someone to say, “God made a covenant with me, but He has not held up His end of the arrangement.” The Lord’s reputation is tied to His faithfulness in keeping His promises.

Did you ever wonder why God referred to Himself as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” on many occasions throughout the Old Testament? Why didn’t He include Moses or any of the other patriarchs in that list? After all, Jacob was labelled a “deceiver,” while Moses was described as a “friend of God.”

Watch carefully the answer is important.

Abraham (in Genesis 12:1-3), Isaac (26:2-5) and Jacob (28:10-15) are the only three men God made a covenant with to make their descendants into a great nation that would bless the world! Every time God referred to Himself as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” He was reminding the world of His covenant and His faithfulness. His very name and reputation were at stake among the nations, and the Lord will never allow His name be defamed or His character to be tarnished. He is the almighty God of love, mercy and truth, and He always does what He promises to do.

The author of Hebrews explained that “when God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs that was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.” (Hebrews 6:13-18)”

Now I want to remind you of what God’s covenant is with you by referring you to  another post of mine which explains God’s covenant’s nicely.  I’ll share the other story with you tomorrow, as this post is getting long already. I hope it gives you encouragement like it gave me encouragement.

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Shopping spree:

DH and I went on a shopping spree on Saturday. We ordered the chest of drawers – we finally decided on which height to take. I don’t know why it was so difficult the week before? We actually measured some tables and counters in our house and decided beforehand what height we thought was best, and took our tape measure with.

At the shop where we wanted to buy the chest of drawers, we saw that our comfortable height was off course right in the middle of the 4 drawer and the 5 drawer models, but fortunately DH got a bright idea and realized that we can take the bun feet that we don’t like much, off the 5 drawer chest and then it will be lower by about 6-7 cms and only 3-4 cm higher than we decided on beforehand. So that was a good compromise. We also ordered a toy box and some cubes to put on the wall and use as a book shelf. We will only get it in 4-5 weeks time since we wanted a chest of drawers without handles (we want some nice looking handles instead that we will buy ourselves) and it needs to be sprayed in the same finish as the cot.

Then we went to some other stores to look for a rocking/gliding recliner and eventually got a really good deal at one shop, so we bought 2. I realized that DH wanted one for the living room too, and since it was about half the price as all the others we have seen so far, the two ended up costing as much as we would have paid for one anyway. Those will be delivered in a week or so I think…

I also bought some net curtains for our bedroom and the spare bedroom and I’m still looking for white ones for the baby room. Those were fortunately also on special.

Even though we got good prices on all the items we spent a huge amount of money this past weekend. But I guess some of it was really necessary, and although the recliners weren’t really necessary we think we are allowed to spend some on ourselves as well. DH has nagged me for about 4 years now for a recliner and now he will eventually get one, and I just knew that it would be best to get 2 because otherwise baby and I won’t have much use out of it. I also think it’s nice to have a set of 2 that we can combine later with a lounge suite that we also need to buy soon. It’s something we can use for many, many years and not only for now with our baby.

The last thing we got fortunately cost nothing – DH’s cousin asked if we wanted to use a bassinette that’s been in her family for a few generations already, so went to fetch that too. We are allowed to use it for as long as necessary, but we are not allowed to give it away or sell it to someone else. They want to keep it in the family and she definitely wants it back for her daughter to use one day, when she has children. So I need to buy a mattress for the bassinette too, since the one that was in there is not really very safe, and quite old and used up. I think I’ll make some fitted sheets to go with the mattress, and a mosquito net to cover it and our baby can sleep in our room for the first few months next to our bed in that…

I can’t wait to get everything ready now. But I guess we have to wait until everything that we’ve ordered has arrived, and like I said some of the things will take 4-5 weeks… But with time flying as it has recently it won’t feel too long I suspect!

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Why is it so hard to believe in miracles?

This something that has been bothering me a lot, especially since I got pregnant. Because believe it or not the way a lot of people, among them Christians, have acted suggested to me that they do not really believe my pregnancy was a miracle. They nod as I tell them my testimony, but only a few sentences later they say something that proves to me that they just think we got lucky or something…

For instance, when we were organizing my mom’s funeral with our minister at church, I gave him a short version of our history, about how long we tried and what treatments we have been through and I ended up by saying, “but at the age of 40 God blessed us with this miracle pregnancy without any treatments or help from any doctor or any medication.” Do you know what he said a few moments later? “It’s not that difficult to get pregnant at 40, my mom had me when she was 40, and I’m the youngest of 5 children…” He could just as well have slapped me in the face, I had the same reaction. I’m sorry but getting pregnant at 40 after already having 4 children is not the same as trying for 11.5 years, doing many IUI’s and IVF’s and then getting pregnant naturally. There was something wrong with us before and we were healed by the grace of God – his mom didn’t need to get healed.

A lot of other people have said that we just had to wait for God’s timing – that eventually our time had come and implying that for some people it takes one month, for others maybe a bit longer, and for us it had to take 11.5 years. Too say this to me is almost the same to me as saying, “why don’t you adopt, then maybe you will get pregnant too.”

This saddens me so much, mostly because I can see that so many Christians just don’t believe in miracles anymore, and that makes me wonder, “what do they actually believe in?” But the fact is that God doesn’t get the glory He deserves, because He has just performed a miracle and people just explain it away with a few words, as if He never did anything…

But the absolute saddest part is when I meet someone who is struggling to get pregnant themselves and they cannot believe that God would do a miracle for them, or someone who is sick, with cancer for example, and they just cannot believe that God will heal them…

I never had any doubt that the miracles that are mentioned in the Bible aren’t true. I always knew I had to believe in the whole Bible, everything that is said there, or I can just as well not bother to believe anything in it, because if I believe some things and not other things, how would I know what to believe and what not? So in the 18 months that we took a break between IVF#1 and starting treatments again in June 2009, I fully believed that God could heal me, but I had a provision attached to it, I thought it was up to God’s will and I didn’t know what God’s will was, I believed He had a different will and plan for everyone. And today I believe that was the main reason why I didn’t get healed and pregnant then.

So when I started to look for messages of hope last year, I concentrated on teachings from people who believe that God still heals today, but I also looked for teachings about miracles. People who believe in miracles, who have witnessed miracles and who have with the help of God, have participated in miracles. One of the books I read then was “The hea.venly ma.n” by Bro.ther Yu.n, and I recently came across another book of his, called “Li.ving Wa.ter” and in there he talks about the many miracles they have seen in the prosecuted house churches in Chi.na and then when he came to the west he was surprised to see that the churches here were dead in comparison, and there were no miracles performed in almost all the churches he visited. He has some ideas about why that is and I want to share some of them with you.

“After I arrived in the West, it didn’t take long for me to realize that something fundamental was missing in the body of Christ. That missing thing was the power and presence of God. I don’t say this to condemn anyone, but rather I point it out in the hope that it will speak to your heart and help the church. Thousands of churches today do not preach the word with the authority and power that Jesus promised to all who follow Him. This is a tragedy as such powerless churches end up relying on human wisdom to see “results”. The fruit of such half-baked gospel invariably produces a harvest of half-baked believers, most of whom will fall away at the first sign of trouble.

Countless churches, missions and families are full of deadness. This is a terrible stain on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the living God. Everything He does produces abundant life. Jesus said that Satan “comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Jesus never attended a funeral where the person remained dead. The same applies today. If He turns up, our homes and churches will be dramatically changed.

The good news is that Jesus has not changed! All our human methods and techniques will result in failure and amount to nothing if God is not with us in His power and glory. When Jesus comes in, He breaks off the shackles and people’s lives are instantly reformed. You never have to look for help from big-name preachers when the glory of God is present! It is all about God, not man. One second in the presence of God’s glory can achieve more than years of human endeavour!

These days there are many preachers who have attended seminary and learned how to speak in public, but if that is all they have, you will do well not to listen to their messages. If the words being preached are empowered by mere human wisdom, they will not benefit the listeners in any spiritual way. The apostle Paul was a very smart, highly educated man. Yet he was careful not to rely on those attributes when he shared God’s Word. Pay careful attention to what he told the Corinthians: ”My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor 2:4-5)

Did you know that it is possible for your faith to rest in the wrong place? Paul wanted the Corinthians’ faith to rest on God’s power and not in the wisdom of this world. When this sound advice is followed, it produces strong followers of Christ who will not fall away when tested. In Chi.na most people come to Christ after they see a demonstration of the power of God. Perhaps they are healed from an illness or set free from oppression. After people experience the power and authority of God for themselves, they have no trouble believing the gospel and giving their lives to Christ. Not to do so would be to deny the reality of their experiences.

Do you believe that God can work through you in such a way? Can He use you to do miracles so that Jesus Christ may be glorified and many people experience salvation? The apostle Paul issued a challenge to some of the believers in Corinth: “I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Cor 4:19-20)

Satan wants people to think that the sustenance they need to live a successful life can be found inside themselves or in the things surrounding them. They search for substitutes in a bid to procure the true joy and peace that only come by knowing Jesus Christ. The moment people fall for the lie that they can prosper without God, they cut themselves off from His presence and power, for “the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Rom 8: 6-8)

During the times of strongest revival in Chi.na, miracles were so commonplace that we didn’t even think about them much. They were as natural as breathing the air. They helped thrust millions of people into the kingdom of God and strengthened the faith of all who experienced such miracles. Even young children went out and shared the gospel with other children, and mighty miracles of healing, deliverance and signs and wonders accompanied them wherever they went. This was not considered strange, because the Lord Jesus promised us, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:16-18)

When you present the gospel to somebody, it needs to come with demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. This may occur in a variety of different ways, such as through a healing, or a word of knowledge about a person’s life, or the working of another gift. The demonstration of God’s power convinces unbelievers that the message is true and that Jesus is alive today! When the power of the gospel is truly demonstrated, only the most heard-hearted of people are unwilling to respond to the claims of Jesus Christ upon their lives.

Miracles and signs and wonders are not just for within the walls of your church building. No! They are to be demonstrated among the people, in the marketplace, on the bustling city streets, and in the homes of those who are trapped in darkness. This is where Jesus and his disciples did most of their miracles. They knew nothing of scheduled “healing meetings” inside church buildings. The power of God accompanied them wherever they proclaimed the good news that the kingdom of God is available to all who put their trust in Jesus Christ.

Christianity without the power of God is no Christianity at all! Power is a fundamental part of God’s workings with humankind throughout history. On every page of the Bible, you can read about God’s miraculous power in operation, beginning with the very first verse of the Bible, when “God created the heavens and the earth.” It continues throughout the Old and New Testaments, right up to the conclusion of the book of Revelation when Jesus declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Rev 22:13)

Did you ever wonder that God is so powerful He didn’t even need to create the universe with His hands? He simply spoke, and it came into existence. Our God is not just powerful. He is all-powerful. In speaking of the majesty of our Lord, the Bible records that “earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.” (Rev 20:11) His power is beyond compare!

What kind of message does your church preach?

Is your faith based on men’s wisdom or on God’s power?

The Bible warns us that in the last days there will be some people “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (2 Tim 3:5)

Many Christians have developed a warped view of God. They think He only works the way they want Him to, according to their own plans. Such thinking is terribly sad and dangerous. God can never be limited. He is God! When we lose a proper perspective on God’s power and love, we harm ourselves and those around us. Such limited thinking becomes like a cancer, devouring our spiritual life and bringing death where God intends there to be life.

If you are a Christian I encourage you to examine your heart and ask God to reveal those areas of your life where you have placed limits on Him.

You may know in your head that God is powerful, but have you allowed Him to use His power to break you free from the prison of sinful habits and attitudes?

You may know in your head that Jesus said, “all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18), but do you ever pray in faith for someone to be healed or to be delivered from demons?

You may know in your head that the historical Jesus is powerful, but do you realize that He wants to share His power with you so that you can be His ambassador to a lost and hurting world?

The time is short and God is looking for people who are serious about His kingdom. He wants to empower you to walk in purity and to proclaim the gospel throughout the earth.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, it’s time to wake up and stop living in a weak and pale way that denies the power of God. Repent from such a narrow, impoverished view of our Lord, and ask Jesus to reveal His power in your life.”

The main reason I brought this topic up today, is that I learnt about two miraculous pregnancies yesterday, so I want to share them with you, so that you can know it does not happen to a select few, God can, He wants to and He will help you if you just let Him! Both of them were posted on Fertilicare:

First Daryl shared a testimony of friends of hers: “I just heard yesterday that 2 dear friends of mine are finally pregnant after 7 years of prayers. The DH has basically no sperm, but didn’t want any treatment as they believed God would answer their prayers, and He has.”

Then Believe posted her good news: “It is cycle day 36 today. I usually have 28 day cycles with a few 30 day cycles when I have been on meds… So the question that myself and DH was asking, was what is wrong now that my cycle is suddenly a week longer than usual…

Over the weekend we thought about buying a HPT, but due to so many negatives in the past, we decided to leave it a few more days. I am currently on a slimming programme and another treatment was scheduled for today, but I did not want to go should there be a very small possibility that there may be a little miracle growing inside me. Then again, how many months have we been hoping and praying…for our miracle…

Soooooooooooo this morning before work, I decided to go and buy HPT’s. I have never bought HPT’s ever before. DH always does this for me, as I do not have the energy of bumping into someone I know and them then thinking that I am expecting when they see the HPT in my basket.

When I reached work I went to the ladies with two tests. And what do I see after a few seconds…My very very very very first two lines. I decided to test on another test, and jip, there it is…2 lines…Could not believe my eyes and sent DH a photo via BBM of the test results. He was crying when I spoke to him as he is soooooooooo very very very very happy. He will make a fantastic dad.

I went for a blood test during lunch time just to make sure that this is really happening, and yes, we have a healthy beta, and will be testing again later this week, and have our first scan scheduled for the beginning of November…

This is still so unreal. As I am typing here I still cannot believe that there is a miracle growing inside me. And that we finally have our BFP!

God has performed a miracle – Praise him, praise him, praise him.”

Here is her signature, just for in case you thought it might be co-incidence that she got pregnant:
ME: 31(possible egg quality issues) * DH:31(sperm issues)
TTC: 3 1/2 yrs * Married: 6 1/2 yrs * Together: 11+years
2009
4 x Timed cycles – BFN
IVF/ICSI #1 – BFN
ICSI # 2 – BFN
2010
5 x AI – BFN
ICSI #3 – Cancelled – Slow response – resulted in AI
DS ICSI # 4 – BFN
(P)ICSI #5 – BFN
2011
Hysteroscopy – Small septum removed
IMSI/ICSI #6 – BFN
DE IMSI/ICSI #7 – BFN
POA – Praying for a miracle – Taking Royal Jelly and Staminogro
October 2011 – Natural BFP
Aan die kinderlose skenk Hy ‘n huisgesin, sy word ‘n gelukkige moeder van kinders. Prys die Here! – Ps.113:9
Ek is tot alles in staat deur Hom wat my krag gee – Fillipense 4:13”

I hope those ladies don’t mind me sharing their stories, but I just want to prove that it is possible to get pregnant, no matter what is wrong with you. God is good and faithful and nothing is impossible with Him. I’m nothing special that I got my miracle, as a matter of fact I think that is why it’s so difficult to believe for some of those who know me, because I am as ordinary as can be! I think most of you might even be disappointed if you should meet me in real life. I could not do it on my own, never – it was God who did this miracle for us, and for the above mentioned people.

It really warms my heart to read testimonies like this and I hope to hear of a lot more soon!

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Check up at almost 31 weeks:

We had another check up at the midwife again today. It was the same one we saw the last 2 times and I was quite disappointed. Not that I don’t like her, I do, but I want to get to know the others better too. But there are still plenty of appointments where I’m sure I’ll get to know the others better. We did meet the last one today, the one we haven’t seen up to now. She was busy with a birth and had to come get more supplies. The lady that was in labour came for a check up this morning and they decided to keep her there. DH thought it was perfect timing on her part, since he was not impressed with driving in the peak hour traffic this morning!

All is still well with me and our baby. I’ve gained another kg in the last 2 weeks, so 6 kg’s in total since the start of my pregnancy. The midwife complemented me on that and said I’m really doing well with not gaining too much. My blood pressure was a little low, but not a worry since it’s only a little bit and since I’ve always been prone to low-ish blood pressure and I’m not feeling dizzy or faint at all. My urine was perfect and I still have no swelling or water retention even though it’s been incredibly hot in the last week or so.

Baby is also doing very well – his heartbeat varied again nicely from 140-153bpm, perfectly just the way they want to see it. He has moved down lower into my pelvis with his head and his body is lying to the right and his legs to the left. That explains why my tummy looks so lopsided again since his bum is making a huge bump to the right of my belly button. Some ladies have actually commented on the fact that they can see our baby is lying mostly to one side. The only drawback is that it’s putting strain on the one side of my back and that is why my back has been aching again. Fortunately my Chiropractor says it is definitely due to the pregnancy and not due to a physical problem with my back. She is actually quite surprised that my back is not much worse with all the problems I’ve had in the past with my sciatica, but I’m not surprised because I know God has healed me.

The weird thing for me is last week I said I felt huge – this morning I said to DH I don’t feel huge anymore and my bump actually feels a bit small to me. I just can’t figure out why I feel so different – if it’s the clothes I’m wearing, or the weather that’s a little cooler, or what else? I didn’t really see any other pregnant ladies at the clinic so I don’t think it’s that I’m comparing myself to other pregnant ladies.

The only other things that have been bothering more and more are heartburn and being more and more uncomfortable on the couch and in bed. Yesterday I finally gave in and bought myself a bottle of gaviscon – the milk hasn’t been working so well anymore, but boy is it hard to get down, it tastes vile!

This past weekend we decided to go buy the chest of drawers but we couldn’t decide on the height. Maybe it was because my back was sore, but I just couldn’t get one where I felt comfortable with the height, because we want to change our baby on top of it.

And then later we spent some time with our lists of baby names and it didn’t go nearly as well as I thought it would. DH didn’t like my names, I didn’t like his names and even the names we had in common weren’t sounding right either. I told DH that I don’t know what is wrong with me, because I usually have no problems making decisions, but somehow it felt so difficult this past weekend.

I’m posting some pictures of my scrapbooking attempts of the baby album, please know I have had no exposure to scrapbooking until now, so for those who are really good at it, please don’t judge me! I like it, DH likes it and even my sister said she liked it, so I guess that is good enough then isn’t it?

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Just a reminder for you:

I read these verses again this morning in my Bible study:  2 Corinthians 1:19-20 (NIV):  “¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not Yes and No, but in him it has always been Yes.   ²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are Yes in Christ. And so through him the Amen is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 

Another verse I read this weekend in a book I’m reading, that goes well with the one above is:  Numbers 23:19 (NIV):  “¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” 

For someone who has experienced receiving some of His promises these verses mean so much and one of my heart’s desires is that everyone who is hoping and wishing for a baby or healing can experience the same thing – because that is also what God wants for EVERYONE!  How do I know it is for everyone?  Because of Acts 10:34 (NIV):  “³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism.”  God wants the same things for all of us, because he does not show favouritism to anyone.

I know so many people don’t know what God’s will is, and I just want to remind everyone who is reading this to know the truth as it is written in God’s word.  Please know this is applicable to every single person on earth – it is freely available to you and all you need to do is reach out and receive it.

So what are God’s promises for everyone?

Promises of a family:

Genesis 1:28 (NIV):  “…Be fruitful and increase in number…”

Exodus 23:25-26 (NIV):  “²⁵ Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away  sickness from among you, ²⁶ and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”

Deuteronomy 7:13-14 (NIV):  “¹³ He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land— your grain, new wine and oil— the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.    ¹⁴ You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.”

Deuteronomy 28:1-4 (NIV):  “¹ If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.    ² All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: ³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.    ⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock— the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.”

Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV):  “¹²The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; ¹³ planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  ¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, ¹⁵ proclaiming, The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Psalm 113:9 (NIV):  “⁹ He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.   Praise the LORD”

Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV):  “³Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.    ⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.    ⁵ Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate”

Psalm 128:3 (NIV):  “³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots round your table.”

Isaiah 60:22 NLT :  “The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.  At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”

Malachi 3:10-11 (NIV):  “¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  ¹¹ I will prevent  pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the LORD Almighty.”  (“Cast their fruit before it’s time” refers, of course, to a miscarriage.” Supernatural childbirth – Jackie Mize)

1 Timothy 2:15 (NIV):  “¹⁵ But women will be saved through childbearing— if they continue in faith, love and holiness with  propriety.”

God wants to give:

Philippians 4:19 (NIV):  “¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 18:19 (NIV):  “¹⁹ Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

Psalm 37:4 (KJV):  “⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV):  “²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at  work within us,”

John 15:7 (NIV):  “⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

John 16:23 (NIV):  “²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV):  “¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.   ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us— whatever we ask— we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Isaiah 61:7 (NIV):  “⁷Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.”

Job 42:10 (NIV):  “¹⁰ After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”

Zechariah 9:12 (NIV):  “¹² Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”

Luke 1:45 (AMP): “And blessed (happy, [a]to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.”

John 20:29:  “… Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.”

Healing Scriptures:

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV):  “²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV):   “ ⁴Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.    ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV):  “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.”

Jeremiah 33:6 (NIV): “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”

Exodus 23:25-26 (NIV):  “²⁵ Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, ²⁶ and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”

James 5:14-15 (NIV):  “¹⁴ Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

Acts 3:16 (NIV):  “… It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”

Isaiah 58:8 (NIV):  “⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.”

Malachi 4:2 (NIV):  “² But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

Psalm 107:19-21 (NIV):  “¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  ²⁰ He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. ²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.”

Proverbs 3:7-9 (NIV):  “⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. ⁸ This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

Isaiah 6:10 (NIV):  “… they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 19:22 (NIV):  “²² … They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.”

Isaiah 38:16 (NIV):  “¹⁶ Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too.  You restored me to health  and let me live.”

Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV):  “¹⁴ Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

Other Promises of God:

Luke 18:27 (NIV):  “²⁷ Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Mark 10:27 (NIV):  “²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Philippians 4:13 (NIV):  “¹³ I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

Psalm 37:4 (KJV):  “⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 139:14 (NIV): “¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV):  “⁹ However, as it is written:  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him—“

1 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV):  “¹⁷ But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”

Romans 15:13 (NIV):  “¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV):  “¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Psalm 103:8-14 (NIV):  “⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  ⁹ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever; ¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”

Ephesians 3:16 (Amp):  “¹⁶May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].”

Philippians 1:6 (NIV):  “⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

He helps you to defeat the enemy:

Romans 16:20 (NIV):  “²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

Isaiah 54:17 (NIV):  “¹⁷ no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

Luke 10:19 (NIV):  “¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Matthew 16:19 (NIV):  “¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:18 (NIV):  “¹⁸ I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Do not fear:

1 John 4:18 (NIV):  “¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV):  “⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV):  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you”

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30 Weeks Pregnant:

Today I’m ¾ through my pregnancy. It’s difficult to believe, but still nice to pass this milestone too. I’m once again feeling like my bump is huge – the women say I’m not big, but some men, like my dad, think that I am big. Strangers have been commenting on the fact that I’m pregnant so I can safely say that I do look pregnant, 10 weeks ago I was not so sure – I just felt fat. I wonder what I’ll look like in another 10 weeks time, if we make it so far…

DH and I have come to the realization that our lives are going to change drastically in a short while from now. Believe it or not, but the time has flown by – last night DH said that when we found out I was pregnant, 40 weeks seemed so far away, and now it almost feels like it’s going to come too soon.

I am getting frantic about the things we still need to do, so this week I’ve set aside for the painting of our baby’s room. It took me 4 days, but I’m almost finished – I’m currently waiting for the last wall to dry so that I can give it a 3rd coat to cover the last of the pink, and then it’s just the cleaning up that needs to be done.

I have also decided that this weekend we need to concentrate on baby things and at the top of the list is to decide on our baby’s name. DH has read some of his names on his shortlist to me and I think so far we have 2 names in common, and one of those is one of my favourites, so I don’t think it will be too difficult. I’m not too keen on sharing the name with others though, so we’ve had a convenient excuse up to now, but I think I’ll say that we want to keep it secret for now. I really don’t want others to influence our decision, and I’ve heard that there are always people who will criticize or give their (unwanted) opinions.

The symptoms have been worse this week – constipation, terrible heartburn, sore abdominal muscles, and boy, am I tired. I have almost no energy – yesterday I quit exercising after 25 minutes in the gym because I just could not take one more step and that was early in the morning! I’m also getting a bit uncomfortable with my tummy, sometimes when I sit and I sometimes just do not feel comfortable no matter how I lie in bed. I also have a tight, stretchy feeling at the bottom of my bump – I can feel baby is definitely utilizing the bottom part of my womb now, since I haven’t felt that until recently. I can also feel baby is lying on my bladder more as I now have to go to the loo a lot more during the day and night, and it hasn’t bothered me much previously in my pregnancy. But it’s still all worth it, so don’t take this wrong please, I’m definitely NOT complaining, I’m just noting this for my own record.

I’ve also started a new hobby – I wanted to buy an album to keep all our scan pictures and DVD’s in and I got a nice one on special, but it was a scrapbooking kit – so I’m now trying that! But I think I need to research it a bit on the internet since I don’t really have any nice ideas. This album is going to be a formal record of my pregnancy and maybe some of the birth pictures too, but I might just need to get another album for that, because this one is going to be pretty full very soon.

Next week we have another midwife appointment – it’s every second week now. We will see how that goes, but I’m expecting everything to be still fine since I still feel incredibly healthy – for some reason a lot of people are surprised about that – I don’t know why.

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Baby Shower, 4D Scan and 28 Week Check-up:

Our baby shower was a huge success. We were actually spoiled rotten. We received so many wonderful presents from every one! My sister had a cake made especially for the occasion, and my MIL really went all out to entertain everyone. We are so fortunate and blessed!

Our Baby Shower Cake

The gifts

The DH’s and children were also invited and my DH loved being involved in the baby shower. There were some thoughtful gifts for him too, and it makes me wonder why the husbands aren’t always involved. I actually think the other DH’s also enjoyed it – there was a lot of joking going on and they also loved seeing all the baby things we got.

At least now we know what we still need and I can start to buy a few things again. One thing that we don’t need at all is baby blankets – I have so many now it’s enough for about 3 babies! But I must say we got some unusual gifts, and not many of the same things. A nice variety and some people were so thoughtful that they bought us clothes for next winter and up to a year old. So not just things for now…

The scan was amazing! A bit uncomfortable, because our baby has finally moved head down, and that caused the sonographer to have trouble seeing his face, and then he kept his hands in front of his face most of the time too, so I had to turn and lie on my side for her to get the best angle, but then the screen was to my back, so I had to lie twisted up to be able to see the screen too. But it was so worth it all, because our little boy is just absolutely beautiful to us!

All his measurements were absolutely perfect! He is growing nicely and according to the growth chart she plots for us he has moved from average and slightly below average to just slightly above average with all measurements. If all those measurements are combined our baby now measures 3 days ahead, which is still not enough to change the due date.

Our baby’s estimated weight has increased from 753g to 1391g in just 4 weeks. That is almost double! I was surprised to hear that. His foot measured at 5.45cm, last time it was 4.50 cm and the first measurement at 20 weeks was 3.29cm. His heartbeat was perfect again, varying from about 136 bpm to 149 bpm, just like it should.

The placenta was about the same distance from my cervix as last time – she actually got 2 different measurements, it varied a bit as my bladder started to fill up – but it is already not a problem anymore so that is fine. I haven’t mentioned this on the blog before but I also have an accessory lobe, which is essentially an extra piece of placenta, which she never discussed with me before, but I saw she wrote it on her notes. Yesterday she did mention it, but she also said it’s not a problem. Apparently it is something she sees quite often, and it depends on its location whether it can cause a problem or not. Mine is not in the way of our baby or close to my cervix so it’s fine. I asked her if it could be from having a vanishing twin, she said it could be, but she really doubts it, since she sees it quite a lot and most of those women didn’t have vanishing twins. The midwives need to know about the accessory lobe to make sure that everything comes out after the birth, and that a piece does not stay behind.

I’ve posted 2 scan pictures up on the pregnancy pictures page and a current belly picture. I must say it’s nice to have a record of everything on my blog at the moment, but I also want to make an album and put all of the scan pictures, belly pictures and scan video’s in there, with a description of all the measurements and my symptoms etc. I have been warned that I will forget all these details and I see especially family love to look at the scan pictures quite often.

The midwife visit also went well – once again everything was good, my urine, my blood pressure, my uterus measurements etc. The only thing that was not perfect was my weight – I thought I had gained a bit more that I actually did, but I’m at 5 kg’s more than my pre-pregnancy weight at the moment. Our baby’s growth chart looks good, and my uterus measurements growth chart looks good, but my weight gain chart is almost flat, but fortunately because our baby is growing so well, it’s not a problem. It’s between a half a kilogram and 1 kilogram more than my last check-up 4.5 weeks ago, so not much – our baby alone has gained about that much.

I was told though that I need to eat 2 portions of protein a day from now, because that will help our baby’s muscle development and I need to take sufficient Omega 3 too for his brain development. Something she mentioned yesterday and which I didn’t know was that not all Omega 3 supplements are safe to take in pregnancy. I checked mine though and fortunately it is safe. I also have to drink more water; she feels I’m not getting quite enough.

I got my Rhogam (Anti D) injection yesterday, fortunately there are no antibodies in my blood yet, so that is good news, but the midwife made me panic a bit. I took some of my left over IVF injections with, and there was 1 thin needle that we always used to inject with and 1 thick needle that we used for the mixing of the meds. The midwife did it the other way around. I panicked a bit when I saw she wanted to inject me with the thick needle, so I asked her if she couldn’t use the other needle, but she could not because it is an intra muscular injection and the thin needle was too short. Fortunately I did not feel a thing, not even a prick! So she is really good, and I told her so too! Our next Rhogam injection and blood test is again at 32 weeks.

She also encouraged us to ask questions and did we ask many, especially DH! I was a bit worried about breastfeeding as a lot of people have been scaring me with stories of breastfeeding not working for them. She did an examination of my nipples, since the shape and size can cause problems with breastfeeding, but apparently I have perfect nipples for breastfeeding. She gave them a quick squeeze and there were drops of colostrum coming out, so that is also a good sign. She told me that they will help me to breastfeed and won’t let me go home until I get it right, and that is also one of the reasons why they visit us at home after the birth, to check up and see if it is still going well with the breastfeeding. So my fears have been allayed about that.

We have had quite a few exciting days and boy did I feel it by Sunday afternoon and yesterday afternoon, I was so tired that I had to take naps in the afternoon. We are getting so excited about our baby now, and I just want to get everything finished. So painting the baby room and getting my chest of drawers is important to me now and I want to get that sorted within the next few weeks.

I have been dreaming about giving birth a lot recently and I’m sure it’s the anticipation building up! Thankfully DH is just as excited as I am!

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