Back among the living!

Hello everybody! First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who have offered help through either service, prayer, or encouragement. You have helped me to get through each and every day and I'm so thankful! Now that I'm somewhat back among the living, I can tell you that the last two months have been quite difficult; in fact, they've been more trying than I ever imagined pregnancy could be. You know, when people talk about being pregnant, there always seems to be a positive connotation associated with it. I will honestly tell you that although I experienced excitement when we initially found out the big news, I have experienced more lows by far, with emotions ranging from anger to sadness to frustration to bitterness to depression. In the midst of 24/7 nausea, vomiting, and/or sleeping, it has been hard to find the excitement in what I recognize is a precious gift from the Lord.

It's amazing how clear your vision becomes and how much your perspective changes when you go through a certain experience that allows you to view something in a different light. I've found that through this particular experience, the Lord has grown me in quite a few areas and taught me some very valuable lessons. I have begun to develop a strong sense of compassion for people experiencing chronic pain or discomfort, when you feel like there is no relief...it's quite depressing. I've been blessed to see an influx of both family and friends offering help in any way possible, and have realized that all you have to do is ask! Although it seems like the hardest thing to do sometimes, both the giver and the recipient are blessed because of it! With that, I've also come to appreciate people! Although I already knew this fact, I've just been reminded that we were never meant to do life alone, and have truly come to appreciate the value of a friend/family member! I've been reminded of what a wonderful man I married 5 years ago. Wow! I've fallen so much more in love with Matt over the last couple months because I have experienced such overwhelming love as he has taken on more responsibility and shown such compassion and consideration for what I'm going through. The last lesson that I'm working on learning is being joyful, having a sense of happiness or more so, contentment, despite life circumstances. It's been easy to focus on the negativity of the experience without also looking to its beauty and wonder. I've got quite a bit to work on there!

Thankfully, I'm glad to say that things have gotten better. I'm now only throwing up once every couple days, I've been able to work full shifts at work, I'm able to keep up with some of the household duties, and I've also been starting to see people again! Who knew that these would be things to celebrate?! Well, again, thank you for being a part of our lives. I appreciate you!