BLOGSILOG

Dear Lord,

In the new year, we pray
that You will guide us each new day
in paths that are pleasing to You.
Lord, the new year gives us another chance
to rededicate our lives to You,
to study Your Word
so that we know right from wrong
and to act in accordance with Your commands.
Thank you for the sense of
direction, purpose and peace we get
from aligning our lives with Your Holy will.
We pray for the strength and the will to obey You
each and every day of the new year,
and when we fail, we pray for Your mercy,
Your compassion, Your grace and Your love.
Help us in the new year to be your faithful servants.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

Heya peeps! The time has come for me to reveal the identity of my mommy and baby on our Twitter Online Exchange Gift. So without further ado, my mommy is no other than Eds Nanquil and this is what she gave me:

A personalized sterling silver necklace from Etsy. It’s exactly what I wanted. Thank you so much Mommy Eds! I so love it!

And now… the moment of truth… my baby is… Read more… »

Another day… another ounce!

Fetal development on week 31:Your baby is continuing to grow each week that you remain pregnant. Your baby’s crown-to-rump length is nearly 11.2 inches and total length is approximately 18 inches. Your baby weighs approximately 3.5 pounds at this point. Your uterus is about 4.4 inches above your bellybutton and continues to get larger. An average weight gain at this point is between 21 and 27 pounds. The weight that you gain is made up of your baby, placenta, blood supply, uterus, breasts, fat, water storage and amniotic fluid.

Because the ligaments and muscles supporting the small of your back relax and loosen in order to get ready for childbirth, your back may be aching from now on. There is usually nothing that can be done to prevent backaches, only to make them more comfortable. Many women get heartburn during these last few weeks of pregnancy because the oversized uterus leaves less room for the stomach and the contents within the stomach. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help relieve the discomforts of heartburn.

This week marks an incredible milestone in your baby’s lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in your baby’s lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in your baby’s lungs. Surfactant prevents your baby’s lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and the baby is able to take in air and breathe properly. The fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. Your baby can hear your voice and other familiar sounds that he will recognize after birth. Your baby is putting on white fat under the skin and the skin’s color is pink instead of red at this point. Your baby’s fingernails have grown to the end of his fingers and he may scratch himself while he is in the womb. Read more… »

CHRIST is the reason for the season!
Have a meaningful Christmas everyone!

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Read more… »

Research shows that pregnant women experience forgetfulness 15 percent more than nonpregnant women. Memory returns after delivery.

And you know what, I never believed it until this morning. Well, I had those “absent-minded” moments but it didn’t bother me as much as what I experienced early today as I was preparing my breakfast. Here’s what happened…

I took the bag of (Spanish) bread out of the fridge, got one piece and put it in the microwave. When it was done, I went to the living room, sat down in the couch and ate it while watching my favorite show on TV. But one piece of bread didn’t satisfy me so I went back to the fridge to get one more but the bag of bread was nowhere to be found! I checked all the compartments inside the fridge, checked the microwave oven, went to the living room and bedroom but still I couldn’t find it. So I gave up and just ate Piyaya instead. Then when it was time for me to cook lunch, I went to the freezer to get the pack of pork chop and I was so shocked to see the bag of bread there! I have no idea how it got there and I don’t even remember opening the freezer this morning. And why on earth would I put the bread in the freezer? It doesn’t make any sense. But well, I’m the only person left in the house so I must have done it myself and totally forgot about it.

So therefore I conclude, the research is TRUE.

At week 30 of pregnancy, your baby can pee about a half a liter into the amniotic fluid every day!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 30: It’s getting fun to play with your baby now, even before he’s born. By week 30, his senses are fully developed so that he can taste, touch, see and hear. If you poke at his foot stretched across your belly, he may kick you back. You will probably find yourself talking and singing to your belly all the time now, as you wait for your baby to make his entrance.

Your baby is now about 15 ½ inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds. His brain is still developing, as his head grows larger to accommodate it. Early lanugo is starting to disappear, as he begins to gain fat deposits to insulate his body temperature. His toenails and fingernails have grown long and his bone marrow is starting to function. Your baby can actually produce tears now, and he can move his eyes and head towards a bright light.

And how’s mom doing? You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and hormonal changes can result in a return of those emotional ups and downs.

P.S. I’m giving away a special gift to one of my top commentators this month so don’t forget to leave a comment or two! *winks*

Get totally random here: Set 1, Set 2, Set 3, Set 4, Set 5, Set 6, Set 7, Set 8, Set 9, Set 10, Set 11, watch out for the next set!

1. What payment do you hate paying the most? Utility Bills!
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner? Here at home.
3. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be? A mistake.
4. Name of your first grade teacher? Mrs. Gordo
5. What do you really want to be doing right now? Take a nap
6. What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor or teacher.
7. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now? It’s comfy.
8. What are your thoughts on gas prices? Gone out of whack!
9. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? Give hubby a hug before he leaves for work.
10. Do you miss being a child? Yup. I miss the carefree feeling the most.

NOTE: Feel free to snag this! All I ask is you link back to this post.

Photo taken at the Stein Eriksen Lodge (Park City, Utah) a few weeks ago
View more wide PhotoHunt entries HERE!

NOTE: If you don’t see your comment after posting it means it’s held for moderation for some reason. But I’ll manually approve it so no need to re-post or retype your messages and links.