Guess where we slept last night...!?!

Believe it or not, last night we slept in our master bedroom for the first time EVER... since we've owned this house - 20 months and 27 days!!! As you can see we still have some finishing touches to add, like curtains, blinds, light fixtures, pictures, etc. But the lack of curtains allowed us to have our very own sunrise service in bed on this Easter morning! Happy Easter, everyone! We're celebrating on many, many levels!

Graduation Day... of sorts!

Today marks a special day! I'm 35 weeks pregnant today, which for many is just a bit closer to the due date, being more uncomfortable, tossing and turning more in bed, feeling more tired, getting more excited... and anxious, etc. But for me, it's also seems like a day worthy of celebration! I'm sure this has a lot to do with my doctor-who-delivers-babies (mild) neuroses, but I'm jumping for joy because 35 weeks is the cut-off age for babies to avoid a stay in the NICU based on age alone. For this, I'm incredibly thankful! I certainly don't have any history or conditions that would have put me at increased risk for having a preemie, but one never knows, until you pass the date successfully. Of course, babies end up in the NICU for a plethora of reasons, and we hope and pray that our precious life growing inside of my belly will successfully avoid a NICU stay altogether. We trust our Father to continue to keep our baby healthy and safe.

Yesterday we took a hike with some friends at Tucquan Glenn - one of my favorite spots to hike in Southern Lancaster County. It was a gorgeous Spring afternoon, and it felt great to get out and get movin'! I certainly could tell that I had done more physical activity than usual, however, when I promptly zonked out on the couch shortly after dinner last night... and then proceeded to sleep all night long. Tim tells me I was more restless than usual last night, and that I was moaning and groaning lots, but I awakened feeling well rested and ready to start my Monday morning at the clinic after being away from the office for me than two weeks.

We're making big progress around here - we plan to be in our master bedroom by next weekend. We still have quite a bit to do (volunteers to help are welcome :) ), but we're getting sooo close! Many thanks to Tim's parents and to several friends who have already come to help us out a ton. All of our helpers have made the light at the end of the tunnel seem significantly closer. Next week, our general contractor (and my dear brother-in-law) will start framing out what is to become the nursery and our office in order to blow in insulation. That being said, we have to be out of our guest room (which is to become the office) and sleeping in the master bedroom by Easter. It's super exciting and super overwhelming all at the same time. We're also getting closer and closer to having a functional new powder room on the first floor. Yipee! Pictures to come soon!

Speaking of Easter - this year, the thought of new creation and new life takes on a hugely different meaning for me. I've never experienced this motherhood thing before, and I continue to be in awe of the fact that God has chosen me to carry inside my womb a growing human being that will breathe life in just a few weeks. He's gifted us with the honor of becoming parents. We realize that we may not do this perfectly, but we desire to glorify Him with our own lives, and also in our parenting. We pray that our child will grow to know and truly love his or her heavenly Father, who gave all of us His son, who amazingly died for all of us, so that we can enjoy life eternal and the riches of His many blessings that we experience every day. Wow! What a sacrifice! As I'm about to have my own son or daughter, I ponder what that must be like - sacrificing your child - and it seems incredible to me! I can hardly comprehend it...

I received an e-mail with the following slide show in it (A New Creation from Mennonite Central Committee) - I found it a powerful and wonderful reminder of how God has freely given so much, including His one and only son. May it be a blessing to you, as it was to me!

Hunting for Easter Eggs

I haven't blogged for awhile, and quite honestly, I'm exhausted right now, but I wanted to include a few pictures of our nieces and nephews hunting for Easter eggs. We gathered as the "Martin Family" to celebrate Easter on Palm Sunday - some of us were going to be away and some of us were going to be on call (yours truly... sigh) on Easter Sunday, so it worked best to get together a week earlier. It's a family tradition to hunt for eggs in the yard at Grandma & Grandpa's house, after Jill hides them all over the place. The kids were super excited to find their eggs and score the treats and surprises inside! Even the adults were out searching for eggs. I didn't get the right egg - the women were all looking for a yellow egg with a smiley face on it that had a winning ticket inside for a complete facial by Jill. Lori was the winner! Maybe next time for me...

Easter weekend call was one of my most exhausting calls yet as an attending. I'm in need of some respite to recover, so I shouldn't be typing on the computer right now, but rather be in bed... Perhaps I'll blog about my weekend later.

Despite fatigue and some emotionally draining stuff going on this past weekend, I was reminded of new life and the joy of salvation every time I walked out into my front yard (to get into the car to go to the hospital again) and saw the daffodils and crocuses popping through the ground and blooming. What a wonderful gift we have been given! Celebrate the risen King!