Abnormal growth....

Ok now, I have to share some news that may or may not be shocking to you. So I learned about two weeks ago that I have this rapidly growing "abnormal growth" in my stomach. Right now, as far as we can tell, it's been growing for about 6 weeks or so, maybe a little longer. And it's only about an 1/8 of an inch. By next week at this time, if it continues growing as rapidly as it has been, it will double and maybe even triple in size and grow to almost 1/2 an inch.

Have you figured it out yet? As Arnold Schwartzenager (I'm sure I just butchered his name) once said, "It's not a toomah." No, it's not a tumor or any sort of malignant growth for that matter. It's a....well, you see...it's the beginnings of what will be full grown in about 7.5 more months. It's a baby.

When I was pregnant with Zoe, I told my 7th grade students by teasing them about the "abnormal growth", but I didn't go into as great of detail. One of my girls spouted off, "Oh no...Mrs. Buscher has cancer!" She was so genuinely upset, that is until the young man sitting next to her said, "No dummy...she's pregnant!" That got some laughs. I actually teach her in Sunday School and reminded her of that story when I told them the other day. Actually, I think in honor of her, I started my story the same way. She remembered that moment very well...and laughed about it for several minutes.

Yes, baby #2 is in the oven...and the oven is working overtime to host this "growth". And although this new being looks more like it came from an outer space, has tiny buds right now resembling arms and legs, and is about the size of the sprinkle that I had on my last ice cream sundae, it's already so special to us.

So now I'm asking you a favor. These next few weeks are always the scariest in a woman's pregnancy...well, mine at least. Until about 12 weeks, the threat of miscarriage is extremely high. So pray for this baby's health and little life; that it might continue to grow and prepare for it's grand entrance into the world...which at this point we assume will be sometime mid-end April. I won't know that until our first doctor's appointment on the 23rd of this month. And pray for my sanity as I journey through these next 6 weeks or so. Since I've miscarried before, I remember the all too intense pain that it can cause (and that was after not even being aware that I had been pregnant for 8 weeks). I can't imagine the pain brought by losing a baby you knew existed..and I have faith that I won't have to experience that again.

I ask that you also pray that I have an easier time with this pregnancy. I've had great luck thus far..except for the fatigue and just a bit of morning sickness. But the last few days, I've had morning sickness for much of the day. Hopefully that has to do with the fact that my nasal passages are dripping like a leaky faucet and not so much that I'm going to have morning sickness in the morning, the afternoon, the evening, and the night like I did with Zoe.

And as you're praying (wow, I'm selfish aren't I?) also begin praying for Zoe and the preparation we begin to ready her for receiving a sibling. She won't quite be two when the baby arrives, so as much as you can prepare a 21 month old, I'd like to pump her up about it. I know that after having mommy and only mommy to herself all day during the week and only mommy and daddy during the weekend, she will undergo a bit of jealousy. But my hope is that my little helper who "folds clothes" by tossing the neatly folded piles all over the room and "does dishes" by putting her toys in the dishwasher as I'm doing dishes will actually be old enough to be my big helper. If I can positively involve her in this experience, it might ease the negative feeling of being dethroned.