Meditação

Romanos 4:20-21 (O Livro)

Mas Abraão nunca duvidou. Ele acreditava em Deus, e a sua fé se fortaleceu até, e pôde assim louvar Deus por essa bênção ainda antes de ela se concretiza. Ele estava certíssimo de que Deus era poderoso para cumprir tudo o que tinha prometido.

• Entre eu e Deus: Ele promete, eu acredito :)

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Why Cloth?

My mom is my hero. We were all breastfed and we all were on some kind of cloth diapers. Why? Partly because cloth was all that was available in Brasil in the 80s. I remember the amount of cloth diapers being washed every week as well as being ironed every week. Crazy but we made it through. When considering my diapering options last year when my first child was born I did not consider cloth. In my mind, why would I want to go back in time if disposable is more convenient? We also were blessed with over 6 months worth of disposable diapers and we didn't have to spend money until recently. What a huge blessing.

When my niece got on cloth diapers my interest grew. All the good reasons (listed bellow) were not impressive until I found someone real to me who was using it.

My husband and I bought our first (and only) cloth diaper a while ago. This photo is the second time the Little Prince has wore it. Cloth is cute tough I have to smell it until I wash it. I haven't bought the other products that go along with it. Oh, I always hope LP won't poop in it but he does.

Now that I have been trying it for myself I can agree that saving money is always good. Not having to make the diaper runs to the store would be awesome. The only cloth vs. disposable argument I don't quite agree with is the better for the environment one. I agree that we will avoid landfill waste but we will use more water to wash the extra amount of clothes. As I balance all the pros and cons I still think that cloth is better. Will I switch? I can totally see myself doing it half and half at least. Here's an article about it with all great reasons to switch. Let me know if you do cloth or disposable in the comments session.

Why Would You Want to Use Cloth Diapers?

an article by Cloth Diapers Blog

Are you considering cloth diapers? Good! It makes financial sense. It makes environmental sense. Let's talk about why.

Cloth diapers are cheaper to use than disposables. Disposable diapers cost around $0.25 per diaper change. That varies based on the type of disposable diaper you buy. If you buy cheap store brand diapers, you may spend as little as $0.09 per diaper. If you buy higher end name brand diapers, you could spend over $0.30 per diaper. Every single disposable diaper you buy and use is thrown in a landfill. How much money are you wasting? Replace that image of a disposable diaper fluttering in the breeze at a landfill with a mental image of piles of quarters. There you go! You may have thrown away around $1600-$2000 by the time your baby starts potty training.

Cloth diapers are an initial investment that pays off in the long run. Your initial investment will vary based on the brand you choose. Cotton Babies offers cloth diapering packages that range from $34.95 to $339.00. Want to spring for the nicer diapers (like bumGenius) but not sure how you can afford it? Try the budget plan. Buy one diaper per paycheck. Did you know that shipping is free on everything at Cotton Babies, including cloth diapers?

Is it worth it? Heck yeah! Even if you only saved a little bit of money because you bought the most expensive cloth diapers on the market, it is a little bit more money than you would have if you'd chosen to use disposable diapers and thrown that money in the landfill instead! Use cloth diapers. It makes financial sense.

Cloth diapers are more convenient. Imagine just realizing that you just picked up the last disposable diaper. The diaper bag was empty. The "emergency stash" in the car was gone. Now what? Well, you can send your partner out on an emergency trip to the grocery store, or you can rest easy because you have cloth diapers. It's just time to do a quick load of laundry!

Cloth diapers are better for the environment because they prevent landfill waste. According to a recent EPA study, disposable diapers take up over 1.5% of the space in landfills. Cotton Babies is in the middle of researching more information about many pounds of waste your baby will contribute to that landfill waste if you choose disposable diapers. Research is so impersonal though! If you are anything like me, it is hard to correlate numbers in a spreadsheet to something visual that really affects my life. Thankfully, Hollywood took the time to create the visual for us. Have you seen Wall-E yet? Remember the mountains of garbage? Everytime I see a disposable diaper in the trash, I have mental images of the piles of garbage that little robot was trying to clean up. That's enough to make my insides shudder. I've written quite a bit more on this issue (and included links to relevant studies) in my Cloth Diapers - Just the Basics resource page.

Cloth diapers are realistic. Yes, cloth diapers can be used in virtually any family situation. What solution you choose will vary based on some variables - including whether or not you work outside of your home and who is the primary caregiver for your child. If you are a stay at home parent, it is easy to use cloth diapers all the time. If you work outside the home, consider using cloth diapers on the weekends and overnight. Some daycare providers will cloth diaper your baby though (to boost your argument, consider a one-piece cloth diaper like bumGenius Organic All-In-Ones). I don't know your individual situation though. It is important to identify what your family needs and just choose a diapering solution that will work for you!

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Blogger Conference Issues

I heard it takes a while to get used to the new realities of motherhood. It seems that now that I'm here, all comfy and waiting for one more blessing to be born, I am being challenged again. 

You see, for the first time I'm connecting with other bloggers in real life. The possibilities of these connections have been refreshing. There's a bloggers' conference coming near our area and I am wondering if I should go. If it's up to my husband, I'll be there with my bells on. I don't know why I keep thinking: 'Is it responsible to spend that much money on registration? I blog as a hobby, it's not that serious! What can I buy for that same amount of money?' This was the latest: 'Should I attend a Christian mom blog conference instead?' I can answer this one easily: A GREAT, HUGE NO. Why? The 'secular' conference offers more relevant information and a huge pool of speakers and participants who are more diverse. Sorry other conference, it's hard to attend a conference where I stick out like a sore thumb and it doesn't seem like people can relate to me.

Going to a bloggers' conference is something I never dreamed I'd do for myself. It gets me out of my cocoon, it challenges me to think much higher, long-term thoughts. It will be refreshing. I will get connected with other bloggers. I will learn more about the mom business, marketing, social media, etc. There's only so much I can learn by myself. Why not make an effort to go? Another advantage over the other bloggers conference is that I can just drive to the location daily, it's that close. If I really want to save money, there you have it. My baby girl will be young still, I have a feeling that I will want to be around the house even if it's just to smell her and LP a little bit every day. Don't you love smelling your children? 

You've seen several belly shots of mine, this is a whole body one my husband took last Sunday.   We are really excited about her approaching birth. God has blessed me a lot during this pregnancy. The side effects haven't lasted 9 months and for that I am thankful. We are still praying about the right name for our baby girl. I hope we don't have to wait til birth day to find a name. We do have 57 days to go.

I count myself as blessed. I am satisfied with where I am in life. I fought like a child on time out to stay put in one place but I am satisfied. I keep thinking about the future. I want to look back and smile when I think about this season in my children's lives. I want to know I had a major part in training them and teaching them things. I know I won't stay at home forever (I believe in the school system, I admire the talent of teachers) but while I have this experience, I want to be submerged in it. This I believe.

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Verão

Esperamos por meses e o verão está aqui! Ainda não plantamos a horta mas semana passada colocamos flores em vasos, e aproveitei pra colocar hortelã e duas outras plantas lá também. 

Essa é a primeira vez que planto flores. Elas dão um toque especial pra casa. De pouquinho a pouquinho a gente vai acrescentando mais vida dentro e fora de casa. 

O meu filho está com 13 meses, quase andando. Meu marido mal pode esperar :) Não estou ansiosa pra ele andar, estou aproveitando o desenvolvimento dele todo o dia. Por exemplo ele está se equilibrando bem melhor agora. Daqui a pouquinho ele começa a andar. Essa semana ele falou "amém" depois da oração. Ele está falando várias palavras em português e é claro que entende tudo o que se fala nas duas línguas. Deus é muito bom. Está sendo uma bênção vê-lo crescer e saber que estou tendo a honra de estar presente na vida dele todo dia.  Aí vai uma foto dele (com cara de zangado) que tiramos recentemente:

A gravidez está indo bem graças a Deus, estou quase no final. Essas semanas passadas duas amigas já tiveram neném, fiquei babando quando conheci uma delas e quando vi a foto da outra. Daqui a pouco é a minha vez! Estou me sentindo muito bem mesmo. A única diferença  é que tenho que limitar o que faço todo dia. Um dia desses resolvi caminhar 4.2 km, o que faço em 1 hora com o meu filho no carrinho dele (esse é o carrinho. Tiramos essa foto em Setembro de 2009).

Quando eu cheguei em casa descansei, mas não consegui sair mais tarde. Pensei em andar na loja toda, estava muito cansada, então resolvi ficar por aqui mesmo. 

No final da gravidez a gente fica mais cansada então é importante saber onde e como gastar a energia que se têm. 

Estou na metade do desafio que nos incentiva a animar o esposo com palavras edificantes, de carinho e com elogios sobre o caráter e a pessoa maravilhosa que ele é. Está sendo uma bênção. Já pensou em não falar mal do seu marido pra ele ou pros outros por 30 dias? Já pensou em não escrever nada de mal sobre ele? Já pensou em honrá-lo com suas palavras diariamente e além disso o elogiar por várias coisas? As vezes fico horrorizada com as coisas que leio esposas falarem sobre esposos, mas acho que cada pessoa começando comigo pode melhorar nessa área. O interessante desse desafio é que está me mudando e me abençoando muito. Falei sobre esse desafio pela primeira vez aqui. Infelizmente está todo em inglês mas você pode pegar uma cópia aqui. 

Espero que vocês estejam bem. Obrigada pelo carinho!

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UPdates

I can't believe we're halfway done with this  challenge. The challenge is an effort to be more encouraging and believe it or not, I might be the one getting most of the benefits. This challenge is a step towards becoming a better wife. I thank God this came at the right moment. I am learning how to wait on God and rediscover the greatest treasure He has given me in this side of heaven: my husband. 

I have been reading more about photography than practicing. I have also been admiring the photography of children with those flawless homes, super clean floors and awesome props. Most of the time our house doesn't look as lovely so I decided to brace myself and document LP's 13 months anyway. This is one of my favorite pictures. He was making a funny noise, like he was mad or something. You can see toys behind him and my big water jug on top of the changing table. Welcome to our lives :) My parents gave him this t-shirt :) Oh today he said "amém"  (amen in Portuguese) after our lunch time prayer. He actually repeated after me. I wasn't expecting so I thought it was cute. I must say amém and emphasize it quite often during the day for him to have noticed it. I'm enjoying all the new words he's saying (all in Portuguese so far). I love my son.

Another praise report is that so far we've been eating items from the menu I put together last weekend. Last night was a total experiment but the food was really tasty. With four more dishes to cook this week, I'm feeling blessed and thankful to God for learning how to do this 'dinner every night' thing. Sister girl used to ask her husband what's for dinner when we both came home from work two years ago. Now more and more people are looking to me for food. LB will be the next one. In her case I'll be the milk factory (I'm joking, you know I'll be nursing and nurturing her. With overflowing milk). I love my daughter.

I'm 31 weeks pregnant and feeling good. I am also blessed to be able to get out and walk a couple of times per week. My problem: I want to overdo it. I used to meet goals of walking 26 miles per week and in my mind, I can still do it. This is a good thing when you are not pregnant and pushing your first born in the jogger stroller up a hill. I am still glad to be exercising tough. I am starting to get that itch to exercise without all the limitations. I'll get there. After recovering from the birth, my plan is to start training and sign up for a 5K. I'm still doing the one race a year deal. It keeps me motivated and it gives me joy to have my husband and kids there to cheer for me. I love my family.

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Esperando com Esperança

"Esperei com paciência que Deus me socorresse; então ele me ouviu e atendeu ao meu apelo. Deu-me, para cantar, um novo cântico de louvor ao nosso Deus. E agora muitos poderão ouvir as coisas maravilhosas que ele fez por mim, e porão, por sua vez, igualmente a sua confiança no Senhor." Salmos 40:1,3

Ultimamente a espera tem sido o tema da minha vida. O bom é quando esperamos com esperança. Esperança de que toda promessa que Deus nos faz já tem resposta, o sim. O Salmo 40 também me faz lembrar de que através do testemunho da minha espera muitos verão e confiarão no Senhor. Que responsabilidade né? Acho que esperar com paciência e esperança é uma forma de evangelismo.

No dia a dia nós espemos pelo ônibus. Esperamos o carteiro passar. Esperamos a amiga aparecer no shoppping. Esperamos pelo dia do pagamento. Esperamos pelo familiar no aeroporto. Esperamos pela nossa vez de ver o médico. Nossos dias são cheios de momentos de espera.

Esperamos pra casar com a pessoa certa. Esperamos os filhos nascerem. Esperamos por aquela oportunidade de fazer os nossos sonhos realidade. Nossa vida é cheia de momentos de espera. 

A diferença para a pessoa cristã é que nós podemos esperar confiantemente no Senhor. Há esperança em todo tempo de espera na nossa vida e essa esperança vem através de um relacionamento com Deus. Quando mais perto dEle estivermos, mais a gente pode relaxar e viver uma vida sem estresse.

Em um dos meus posts anteriores eu falei que eu estava fazendo esse desafio para mulheres casadas que querem animar os maridos. Um desafio que nos ensina a falar palavras doces e verdadeiras que enriquecem a vida do outro e celebra a pessoa maravilhosa que Deus nos deu. Quanto mais participo desse desafio mais aprendo sobre mim mesma e os caminhos de Deus. Hoje é o dia 14 do desafio, estou quase na metade.
Estou dando graças a Deus por esse desafio. O bom é que o meu marido não sabe que estou fazendo, e quero que isso se torne um hábito, o lembrar de apreciar vocalmente, diáriamente. 

Oro pra que Deus continue te fortalecendo no seu momento de espera. Além do orar, ir pra igreja e conversar com outras mulheres cristãs, descobri que escrever sobre o tempo de espera ajuda muito. Ajuda a desabafar, a ser mais grata e quando olhar pra trás vai me ajudar a contar as bênçãos.
Deus há de se inclinar e ouvir o seu clamor. Ele é bom e sua misericórdia dura pra sempre. Espere em Deus com esperança!

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13 months

Like most moms, I sometimes wish I could have a clone so I could do twice as much. At the end of the day I feel sorry for the clone (what if she wants to have her own life?) and I feel sorry for myself not taking the time to breath and enjoy this unique moment in the Little Prince's life. 

He is giving me all kinds of new experiences. Yesterday we attend our first park birthday party ever. It was lots of fun! He did pretty well considering that he didn't have much of a nap all morning (he doesn't nap well at church). He behaved well and he taught me to make sure to have something (pack and play, old blanket, etc) or somewhere he can be free to crawl and roll around. Thanks for another lesson son!

The gorgeous girl with us in this picture is our sister in Christ and friend Adventure Girl. She's a delight and she loves LP. We love her so much too. 

LP is now 13 months. Last year around this time I was just trying to gather strength to go back to my 'normal' life. Now things are much easier. He sings, speaks a couple of words in Portuguese (his main language as of right now), he learned how to blow kisses, he waves to people, he crawls really fast.... He's doing awesome. I still sing, speak Portuguese better than ever because of him, I kiss him several times a day, am constantly after him because he's so fast... I am doing awesome. I thank God for his smiles, his personality, his determination, his respect for us and his love. That's undeniable. He loves me and I am thankful.

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Weekly Menu

I've posted about struggling to come up (and keep) a menu for the week. Now that LP is eating grown folk food the need to keep a steady flow of good (home cooked) food has increased. Yesterday I came up with a menu for the week based on a magazine, online search and our pantry. Here's the plan for the week:

• Baked Pasta

• Grilled chicken, green salad, kale, baked sweet potato

• Arroz, feijão, angú, frango

• The other white meat grilled, creamed corn, mixed veggies, biscuits

• Meatloaf with squash rice casserole

• Oven friend chicken, peas, mashed potatoes

• Thai red curry chicken with jasmine rice

• Spinach and Mushroom salad with Grilled chicken (we had this yesterday, it was awesome! Recipe here)


Once I get more organized I'll assign different days of the week to each menu item. One step at the time right? Have a great week everyone!

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Passed

I am so happy to give you an update to this post. I went in the hospital early in the morning to do my 3-hour glucose tolerance test. I went in with the fantasy that they would polk my finger 3 or 4 times. Those jokers needed serious blood samples. I hoped I wouldn't cry and I didn't. My veins are easy to find if you know what you are doing, and those ladies did. Only once one of them had to dance around to find the vein but she asked for help and the other nurse quickly found it. That was the only stressful moment that morning. 

Another misconception I had was that they wouldn't give me the sugar solution drink but they did. Once they did give it to me, I hoped I wouldn't get sick and thank God I didn't. Then I sat there thinking they would give me 3 more bottles but they just gave me one. Apparently, they didn't expect me to drink it so quickly (they give you 5 minutes) but I did. I heard that many people get bored sitting there for all that time but because this is so differently from my normal routine, it was actually nice to sit in an airconditioned room watching TV and doing the social media thing. I also realized that not burning calories would make my tolerance to the 3 hours better. I did get groceries before the last blood sample and that worked out fine. 

I'm glad I passed it. I'm thankful for not having gestational diabetes. I know people who had it and they did well during their pregnancies with beautiful babies as a result.

I had a great doctor's visit as well on almost 31 weeks. God is good and we are moving right along. Everyone gets tested for gestational diabetes. If you would like more info, read more on Glucose Tolerance Tests here. Have an awesome weekend!

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Friday 5s Q&A

1. Are you a MAC or a PC???

I'm a MC bby! In Grd school I mde the mistke of getting two PCs nd once I ws done pying for it I sid, never gain! I've been relly hppy with my iMc becuse it's  work horse nd tht's wht we really need round here for photogrphy, grphics and music producing. 

2. If you could go anywhere on vacation this summer where would you go???

I've been dreaming about going to Jamaica. It's close, it's sunny, I can see myself laying on that wonderful shore all day and dancing all night. Just a daydream for a pregnant mom on her last trimester I guess. 

3. Which is your most cherished childhood memory?

I have many but lately, the sound of the pressure cooker cooking black beans in my mother's kitchen.

4. What were you doing the last time that you had a good laugh?

Probably watching my Little Prince playing. Can't remember exactly what he did but he makes me laugh.

5. What is your favorite book or magazine??(We need some beach read ideas)

I got a $5 subscription to Cooking Light, that has been a delight. I like any Martha Stewart magazine and news magazines such as Newsweek and Time. As far as books, I'm just diving into my first novel in a while, so I can't really recommend anything. 

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Transmitindo a Mensagem

Consegui terminar o convite do chá de bebê. Acho que ficou mais ou menos, mas tudo bem. O negócio é transmitir a mensagem. Isso era a penúltima coisa que eu tinha planejado pra esses últimos meses. Deus é fiel e o tempo está passando rapidinho. 

Ontem consegui caminhar (fotinho do caminho aqui em baixo). Quero muito caminhar mais vezes por semana, mas uma vez é o máximo que tenho conseguido. Ainda temos tempo né? 

Hoje vou visitar uma colega que teve uma bebêzinha semana passada. Ela nasceu pequena e estava com 1 kilo e 867 gramas, então eles ainda estão no hospital. Graças a Deus ela está comendo melhor e ganhando peso, oro pra que logo logo elas voltem pra casa. Um monte de gente vai levar janta pro casal, então eu vou ajudá-los com isso. Nós recebemos comida por 2 semanas, foi uma bênção não ter que se preocupar em cozinhar com todas as novidades que se têm. 

Tenho mais 8 semanas de gravidez. Como a segunda vez passa rápido! Estou feliz. Estou orando pra que continue dando tudo certo e pra que a bebêzinha nasça muito saudável. Conto com as orações de vocês! 

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Super Early Riser

The day I plan on doing something early to match my son's schedule he decides to change. He tops that with having a great mood and the willingness to get his day started 2 hours earlier than normal. Gotta love what the boy is teaching me: flexibility!

That's what motherhood is all about. And to think that the world used to work according to my plans... that sounds funny now.

LB is good. It's been the greatest joy feeling her move. It's nice to have her protected before everyone tries to grab her and touch her hair (a HUGE NO NO. Please don't touch a Black woman's hair!). 

I finally got finished with the Baby Shower invitations. I found out that if this is your second time around you can throw a 'Baby Sprinkle' instead. Sprinkles are something on a smaller scale. My husband thought the name was weird. I agreed and didn't want to limit my blessings by calling it a Sprinkle :)

Having a girl changes everything. New wardrobe, new hair duties, new accessories.... I'm loving it already!

After I had my first one I became even more considerate of other people's babies. How? By not touching them unless they offer or unless ask to hold them. That's me tough. And I still hope you won't touch my daughter's hair. I'm foreal.

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Comida e Cultura

Comer bem tem sido uma prioridade. O Pequeno Príncipe está comendo quase tudo que nós comemos e eu estou grávida faz meses :) Eu tenho falado que durante a minha primeira gravidez eu fui muito mais rígida com minha alimentação e exercícios. Dessa vez não estou 'terrível' mas não tenho o mesmo rítmo de antes. 

O importante é ter uma alimentação balanceada pra proteger-me e proteger a bebê também. Estamos quase no verão por aqui - graças a Deus! Com a nova estação vem a possibilidade de comer muita coisa fresca. Comprei melão, aspargus e couve além das bananas e maçãs que compramos toda semana. Aqui (pelo menos eu) você tem que se forçar a lembrar de comprar coisas frescas se não vc come tudo de lata ou congelado. As coisas de lata até que não são ruins mas não têm comparação com ingredientes frescos. 

Conheço várias pessoas que não cresceram comendo frutas e legumes. Com 22 anos é que vão provar brócolis e outras verduras do tipo. 

Acho que muito disso a gente aprenda na infância sabe? Então estamos nos esforçando pra ensinar ao meu filho a gostar de verduras, legumes, frutas e etc antes que ele conheça as 'comidas lixo' como eles chamam aqui. 

Criar filhos no exterior é interessante. Fora a questão da língua que é diferente, a cultura e as comidas também são. Não se acha tudo o que se têm no Brasil aqui, mas a gente valoriza o que achamos. Achei danoninho (que ele gosta demais), tem yaculti (ainda não dei pra ele, mas é bom saber que tem), e é claro que se tem o feijão preto. Comemos arroz e feijão sempre. O feijão é uma boa fonte de proteínas. O segredo está no tempero. Aqui não se come muito feijão, mas nós comemos. Outra coisa que os médicos perguntam é se já estamos dando ovos pro café da manhã. Eu nunca fui de comer ovos de manhã, então não dou pro meu bebê. Toda criança aqui come, até alguns bebês latinos. Tem gente que acha estranho mas eu digo que não foi parte da minha criação. Uma coisa que aprendi a gostar aqui foi de aveia, então dou mingau de aveia com banana pra ele de manhã. Tudo depende da cultura. Já um livro falando sobre a dieta de muitos japoneses. Acho estranho comer o tipo de refeição deles de manhã mas pra aquela cultura é normal e saudável. Não há nada de errado em comer ovos de manhã, o importante é ter uma alimentação balanceada durante o dia todo. 

Bem, chega de tanto falar de comida, agora está na hora da janta. Por aqui, vou fazer salmão assado, aspargus, salada e algum tipo de batata pra janta. Boa noite e que Deus continue nos abençoando!!!

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30

The Pearls:

• No more swollen feet! It's funny how some things just come and go. This should be a great life lesson by the way.

• Time is going by fast! I'm thankful we only have 68 days to go. I'm looking forward to seeing my daughter and having family here to help.

The Poop:

• Heartburn is a companion of sorts. The good thing about it is that I'm learning what not to eat to cause it at night. I had to surrender to Tums as well as eating regularly. 

• I haven't been exercising regularly. I might pull one walk per week. Trying to do better, my goal is to get more than one. Ambitious hum?

*** Check out my new Pregnancy Page!

O Legal

• Meus pés não estão mais inchados! Engraçado como essas coisas vão e vem. Tenho que lembrar disso mais vezes.

• O tempo está voando! Tenho mais 68 dias. Estou animada pra conhecer minha filha e ter a família por perto pra ajudar.

O Chato 

• Tenho bastante azia. Estou aprendendo o que fazer pra evitar isso. Tenho tomado remédio e não estou comendo tarde da noite.

• Não tenho caminhado regularmente. Se eu andar uma vez por semana é muito. Quero caminhar mais de uma vez. Objetivo ambicioso heim?
*** Visite a minha nova Página sobre Gravidez!

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Friday 5s

Healthy Tips (for me)

1. Keep a Food Journal - When I kept one before both pregnancies it helped me be accountable and lose 40 pounds.

2. Drink More Water - I used to keep a bottle of water on my desk at work so at the end of the day I knew I had enough. I still keep a big cup around the house with water for the same purpose but I need to do much better with drinking my 8 cups a day! 

3. Move - If I use the word 'exercise' many will say 'no time, boring, no money'... If we say move more is different. Now with the summer season coming we can work on the yard, plant a garden, mow grass, go for walks, dance.... Just move more people! 

4. Avoid Stress - I've felt the effects of stress in my life and they were no joke. Pursuing peace is one of the best antidotes for this life killer. A person who has their weight in check and looks like a million dollars can still feel like crap because of stress. The worse thing are the side effects that it brings. Avoid it. Please do.

5. Be a Good Role Model - now that I have children I realize that they watch my every move. I need to model healthy behavior to them. Not only in what I eat (they want to try what I eat constantly) or how much I exercise (we try to go out for walks often) but also how I balance other things in life. I want them to have good memories of visiting fresh produce stands and farms (if it all possible), going swimming and hiking and just enjoying peaceful moments while listening to nature. It's more complex when it comes to adults. I've written about my frustration when other adults in my life wouldn't be healthy but they all are highly impressed with results. I don't think that the results in my life will change theirs so all I can do is model good healthy behaviors and pray that they too will find their way.

The brilliant woman who came up with Friday 5s is the 

proud owner of this blog (follow her if you haven't yet):

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From Funk to Faith

Have you had one of those days that could be described as 'not my best days on earth but not my worse either'? That described yesterday. I decided to be proactive. It all started with this little fact I talked about yesterday. I didn't think it was going to affect me but hec, I'm pregnant, everything affects me. These hormones just push my feelings to the edge. It gets intense at times but most people wouldn't know. 

Here's a quick list of what took me from funk to faith:

1. Exercise

I had already rested so I decided to go for a walk. That was the best thing ever. I needed the exercise for my mind more than my body. I thanked God for the breezy weather. LP was tired so we didn't go as far but boy, did it help us!

2. Eat a good meal

I ate a pretty good lunch (salad with hummus). You'll be surprised how healthy food can affect your mood. 

3. Clean 

Yeah, the dishes were pilling up. I guess I can say it was the habit of putting people first. It felt good to start and finish this task.

4. Listen to the Word of God 
I can talk to people all day long but only the Word of God brings life to my soul. I appreciate people but my help comes from the Lord. I have the habit of listening to the Bible on audio (biblegateway.com is a free service, look at the bottom of the page) or to a Bible based ministry. Of course I listen to my pastor's sermons as well.

5. Cook Dinner
I don't claim to be a gourmet chef by any means but just by doing something for someone else it really got me out of my funk. The best thing, the guys were hungry and really enjoyed it!

I know 3% of women get gestational diabetes. I know it goes away after birth. I'm not claiming I have it, I'm believing God for a healthy end of pregnancy and I believe I'll pass the next test since the numbers weren't so high. I also believe that no matter what you face you can stay in a funk or you can have faith and enjoy this awesome life God has given you.

Oh, another thing that made my day better: I put a few things on consignment and they took 98% of the things I had to sell. It was nice to help a local business and hopefully make a little cash out of things we can no longer use. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

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Failed

As opposed to last time I failed my glucose test. It was a bummer to fail (just by a slight margin) but I thought that if I had failed it in my previous pregnancy it would be HORRIBLE. I was so determined to get everything right that there was no margin for error. This time I still don't like the fact that I failed but I know 3% of women do. The next step is the 3 hour glucose test in the hospital. The good thing? I get to advance on the novel I've been working on. There's not uninterrupted time for reading but with this test there will be plenty. 

My iron level is okay. I can't remember exactly but I think they'll measure it once again by the end of the pregnancy. I failed that one last time so I was taking iron pills. I decided to be proactive this time and take iron pills sometimes just to help. I haven't been faithful in doing so but the little I did seems to be helping. Glory be to God. My husband is just amazed at how different these two pregnancies have been. 

With 72 days to go I am starting to think about how I am going to lose this weight. I got a health book in the library to give me more encouragement and I'm slowly but surely planning my fitness come back. I want to run a 5K this fall.

I am now at a point where I can plan a baby shower. We have a date, we think we have a location, now I just have to work on the invitation and registry. I made a list of supplies we needed a while ago and I think we might need to physically go to a baby store and register for the things we need before I get too tired to do that. We've been blessed with sweet things for girls and we are so thankful! 

LB still doesn't have a name. We get to laughing every time we try to brainstorm and that's where we usually stop. I know something special will come to us both. 

We did her 3D (did I say FREE) ultrasound yesterday. The second time around was different from the first time. I got tired of laying there on my back. They asked me to change positions twice and without help it was challenging. I'm glad we helped some radiography students in the process and at the same time you can tell why it's free: they're learning. Both my babies covered their faces; the first one eventually moved. They didn't try much with the second one. We got a good glimpse of her nose and mouth. I know we will just see her on birth day and we're okay with that. It's still fun to do the 3D thing.

I'll save the update on LP for the next post. He's too cute, learning new things every day and just being awesome. Have a great day and pray for me, I do want to pass the next glucose test.

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30 semanas e desafio

Daqui a alguns dias vou completar 30 semanas (7 meses e meio) de gestação com a graça de Deus! Hoje fizemos a ultrasonografia 3D em uma faculdade aqui perto de graça. Lá na clínical são $125 dólares (na promoção). Essa faculdade é uma bênção. O interessante dessas coisas é que você vê a bebê mas nunca dá pra saber como eles são de verdade até o nascimento. 

Depois do meu último post em português resolvi entrar em um desafio para esposas que te ajuda a animar o seu marido por 30 dias. Isso através de palavras de amor e carinho, dando coragem, agradecendo a ele por várias coisas... hoje é o dia 2 e até agora está sendo uma bênção. 

Bem, vou manter esse post bem pequeno. Uma boa noite a todos/as!

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The Challenge

Our pastor just got finished preaching a sermon series called 'Family Affair.' It was awesome to say the least. It challenged me to have and maintain healthy relationships. The bad thing about church folk is that as soon as the series (sometimes the sermon) is over, we forget about it and move on to do whatever we were doing before. 

Determined to be different this time, I decided to do an exercise I ran into yesterday. I found this 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives online. I think that by taking this challenge I'll be able to follow the Biblical principles I received during the sermon series and I'll be encouraged to take daily steps towards a healthier marriage.

I think that most real marriages have issues and challenges to be balanced with the sweetness that it brings. I believe that most real marriages and healthy relationships require maintenance, care and sometimes plain work. I'm no expert in the subject in general but I am the expert in my own marriage relationship. The challenge is also a prayer that God will bind us together, closer than we've been before. One doesn't have to go through problems in order to decided 'hey, I could make my husband's day by being more encouraging.' That's the purpose of me taking this challenge.

It's been amazing how having kids and just getting knee deep in the relationship changes things for the better. My husband and I agree that we had a great time when we dated and were engaged but there's no comparison to being married. It seems that the deeper the commitment, the greater the reward - as well as the challenges one faces. It's been worth it all. 

I'm in love with my husband and I'm committed to him as long as we both shall live. While we are both breathing, why not work on becoming the best wife I can be? I'm sure this won't be a piece of cake (that's why is called a 'challenge') so pray that I will learn a lot and become less self-centered. True love gives, so I'm excited about experiencing love at its best.

I'll give you an update half-way there as well as at the end. Anyone interested in taking up this challenge? Maybe you have done it already. Let me know how it went!

*Photo credits here

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Gadgets of Life and Death

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)

This is a reminder for me. Nowadays with so many ways to communicate with others, we have many more gadgets who can bring death or life. Rumors can be spread to masses via Twitter as well as life. The choice is always mine.

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