The Final Countdown - 1 Month Left!

Not much has really happened since my last blog. I'm now at the stage when people ask me about my pregnancy I just say I'm about the same. I tend to need a nap daily, I get winded or exhausted easily, heartburn is still a constant problem, and some days I get bad aches and pains. Other than that things are moving rather smoothly.

34 weeks

36 weeks tomorrow

Matt and I finished the antenatal classes and it was kind of sad because we were learning so much! The last one was our tour of the birthing suites and the maternity ward and I found that I'm not really nervous about it at all. I've been very happy with the Redcliffe Hospital and the midwives and I feel confident that their biggest concern is helping me have the birth experience that I want. My goal is to just to have as natural a birth as I can handle, but I don't really have any specific expectations.

I've had a few comments that I'm small and after comparing with some of the ladies in the class I was surprised that some were larger than me and had their due date nearly 1-2 months after me (not including the lady with twins). I feel perhaps it is due to my baby preferring a posterior position - with the head in the pelvic area - more than anything else. She has been like that since my 2nd trimester and has only recently started shifting a little. Some days I'm lopsided half the day - I tried to take a picture to show Matt from my perspective.

Lopsided Belly

We have finally started acquiring baby stuff! A while ago we decided funds were tight and we didn't want to spend big since the baby wouldn't notice the difference anyway. Thanks to Facebook Marketplace we were able to get a used cot, capsule, diaper changing table, bath, ergo 360 carrier, and four garbage bags worth of clothes for less than $400 total. Additionally, we got a stroller and tall boy (dresser) from off the street for free. The stroller is in good condition, but needs a thorough clean which Matt promised. I didn't want it, but now that we tested our capsule with it and it fits perfectly I'm happy we didn't have to spend anything to get a stroller. In case you're wondering....yes all used stuff has or will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitised. It's taken a while to do all the laundry!

Shade has claimed the cot and the blanket I made for the baby

Anything else needed for the baby's arrival we got new at Ebay, Chemist Warehouse, or Costco. I feel better knowing that we now have the essentials sorted. A friend of mine asked about my baby shower and I realised I didn't have one planned. In my experience family or friends usually host one but that wasn't likely going to happen since I have no family and recently moved to the area. Eventually I swallowed my pride and asked some ladies in my ward to help and instead of obtaining gifts this is more an opportunity for me to get to know the other women in the ward better and celebrate together. I'm excited there's two other women that are having babies around the same time and at least two others that are pregnant! It was really hard for me when I moved to QLD and all my pregnant friends except one were in Sydney. I also think it will be good for me to celebrate that I have a baby coming as it has not been an easy transition for me. Additionally, my sister has organised a Skype party for me to be able to celebrate and talk to my extended family about the baby. I'm excited for that as well so that I can keep them involved in my experience. Lots of good things to come in October!

Since this whole process started I feel like I've grown a lot and had to really face my next stage of life. Here are just some snippets of things that I've read, learned, or decided about having kids:

• Having a baby is a privilege and a blessing
• Pregnancy is different for each individual and each baby
• Despite even the best intentions, you can't always control how your body reacts or responds to things, especially during pregnancy. 
• Ultimately, the Lord is control when a child is brought into this world
• Stress, worry, and anxiety during and after pregnancy can have serious long term effects on you and the child. 
• Comparing yourself to others limits your ability to find inner peace with yourself and your own unique situation
• "Birth is a sacred moment when mortality and heaven intersect" Dale G. Renlund
• Pregnancy and labour can be a positive experience when focused on love instead of fear
• Pregnancy is an opportunity to learn to trust your body and instincts
• In the end, patience and trust in the Lord are essential because things don't often work out the way we hope or plan
• The greatest impact we can have in this world is to bring children into this world and raise them to the best of our ability to live righteously and with good morals

Now as for some other events in the last month....

I attended Time Out For Women in the Gold Coast where multiple speakers and a music artist share inspired messages. This is not run by the church and is actually a paid event. I've never gone before so I was really excited to have the opportunity to go and also see some of my friends from Sydney at the same time. This year speakers included Elaine S. Dalton former YW General President, John Bytheway, Patrice Tipoki, and Emily Belle Freeman. Although I was glad I went, I was actually disappointed by the experience. The music group Mercy River presented songs throughout and I only actually liked a couple of songs. I liked their humour, but the music didn't fit the event for me and I would have preferred a variety of musicians than just the one group. The talks were great of course, but again I feel like I didn't need to pay for hearing inspiring messages that I can also get the same effect and feeling from attending Women's Conference or General Conference twice a year. In short, I'll probably attend if it's local, but I don't think I'll ever go out of my way to attend in future years. Here are my favourite quotes and comments made at the event:

• Don't be too hard on yourself, just keep moving forward - Elaine S. Dalton
• Marriage is like a five thousand piece puzzle, all sky - Cathy Ladman
• You are the result of the love of thousands - Linda Hogan
• The ability to qualify for, receive and act on personal revelation is the SINGLE most important skill that can be acquired in this life - Julie B. Beck
• Don't let all the things you know be eclipsed by the few things you don't know - John Bytheway
• Don't waste any time reading the wrong things - we don't have time for that - John Bytheway
• A fear can sometimes be our voice or from other voices - Patrice Tipoki
• What do you need God to BE (not do)? - Emily Freeman

Our business class is still going well. Matt and I have learned SO much! We've discovered we really need to revamp how we record all of our personal and business expenses. A guy in class lent us the book called The Barefoot Investor which is very similar to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace system except this book was released this year and is specific to the Australia market. After finishing that book we will be making some serious changes to our bank accounts and other details to help us save more and have a better understanding of our finances. I won't go into details, but let's just say there are a lot of changes to be made and I'm excited that I think we will finally get on top of our finances! We also learned that Matt has been paying tithing incorrectly and essentially "stealing" from his business income. I highly recommend this self reliance business course because there are so many elements to having a small business that sometimes we just don't consider. The other people in the group have been awesome to also help get different opinions on how to run things. 

Business was really slow for a few weeks for Matt. He signed up for a required course to get his Queensland contractor license and we spent a week working on that together. I lost a lot of patience with him, but we got it done and are now waiting on the results from that. We then sat down and figured out how much tithing he owed (he hadn't paid tithing since May). The day that we paid tithing Matt got about three different job opportunities! One company was so happy with his last job they said he created a new standard and have enough work for him for months! What a blessing! He's so much happier working for himself and I'm glad that he hasn't had to subcontract or work as an employee. He may even have enough work to start expanding and get his own apprentice or employee!

Turkey dinner and a movie for our anniversary

We celebrated our six year anniversary on the 21st! Each year Matt and I are always just glad we made it another year. Remember the quote about the five thousand piece puzzle? Yeah, marriage is difficult and neither of us are easy people to live with and be married to. We recognise we are growing little by little each year and at least now I don't feel like we're on the edge of a cliff anymore. I used to constantly worry about having kids because I felt like our marriage was rocky and I didn't want to have a divorce with kids. I'm no longer worried about that - I married the man that can help me grow the most and help me to be the person I want to be. It's not easy, but most worthwhile things aren't. I still firmly believe in our potential and I hope we can learn to be good parents. 

Life has been pretty breezy for the most part for the last month. The weather here is fantastic, we have been busy attending activities for our calling with the young single adults, and spending many nights just relaxing and watching a movie or favourite TV shows. I'm so grateful that I've been blessed to not have to work aside what I do for Matt's business and that I can focus on me and the baby. I feel confident everything will work out. 

Team White Rice won White Bread and Sausages (YSA Activity)

If only I could be this photogenic...