Bumpdate #2 {17 Weeks}

It's there, I promise ;)

Is that not the cutest little boy you've ever seen or what?!

How far along: 17 weeks {See Levi's 17 week bumpdate here}

Size of baby: Size of the palm of my hand 

Total weight gain/loss: +3 lbs

Sleep: Sleeping well with fewer trips to the bathroom now- hooray! I'm trying my hardest to start sleeping on my side but somehow I always manage to wake up on my stomach. 

Exercise: Running 3-4 times a week {usually 3-3.5 miles each time} and Levi and I take a 1-2 mile walk together every morning :) 

Cravings/Aversions: I can eat again!! No more nausea and no real cravings or aversions right now. I do feel like I'm hungry more often and definitely need more snacks to keep my blood sugar from dropping. 

Movement: I felt first flutters at 15.5 weeks!

Labor signs/symptoms: n/a

Best moment: Finding out the Levi is going to have a LITTLE BROTHER!!! Canaan Barnes Brannan. :) Canaan named after the promised land, "the land flowing with milk and honey" {Numbers 14:8} & Barnes in honor of Ryan's precious and beloved "Poppy," Robert Barnes. 

Looking forward to: The anatomy scan in a few weeks to see baby Canaan's growth and development. 

What I miss/What I'm loving: Don't miss much of anything at the moment- just thankful to be feeling well. I'm loving that both of our boys have biblical first names and middle names after amazing men of God in our lives. The meaning and sentiment behind each of their names holds a special place in my heart. 

Jesus Calms The Sea

Our church recently launched an awesome new ministry called Moms Connect where moms of all ages gather together twice a month to be refreshed by the Word and to fellowship and pray with other moms. During our first meeting together, the story of Jesus calming the sea was presented from Mark 4:35-41. 

In this story, Jesus and his disciples are on a boat when a great windstorm arose on the sea. The men panicked at the sight of the waves and the water filling the boat. Meanwhile, Jesus is asleep below deck. They were so overwhelmed by the storm that was about to overtake them-- forgetting momentarily that Jesus (!!) is with them on the boat. Jesus was asleep, yes, but not unconcerned with their peril. We learn quickly that He was asleep with plans to emerge at just the right time.

The men awakened him saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Perhaps we've asked God the same question. But Jesus rebuked the wind with His voice: “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and Jesus asked the men, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

As I've let this passage marinate in my mind over the last few weeks, I can't help but fall more and more in love with the practicality of this lesson for our lives today. No, we will not find ourselves on an actual boat with Jesus in a windstorm. But what if the proverbial storms we encounter on a daily basis are opportunities for us to trust His great power and practice great faith? Through life's rough seas we are faced with two choices: we can panic like the men on the boat or we can, by grace, seek Jesus and claim His perfect peace. 

What I love about this story is that Jesus is already on the boat. He's not on land somewhere, far away from these frightened men. He's simply below deck. What a beautiful truth: Jesus is already on the boat with us. He is ever-present and near to us with no plans to let us perish. The same loving God who leads us by still waters is the same Captain who leads and guides us through tumultuous seas. 

God promises in Isaiah 43:2 that He will be with us when we pass through the waters and they will not overwhelm us. Though at times it may seem we are in uncharted waters or that our life is somehow off course- we can trust that Jesus is at the helm. Just as it was for the disciples on the boat; those who trust in Christ as Lord have absolutely nothing to fear. 

The wind and waves obey Him. Oh, what joy and peace we can experience in the midst of the storm when we obey Him too. 
   

Myrtle Beach's 65th Ave-- my favorite, most peaceful spot in the world.