18 weeks and counting

I find it hard to believe that I'm already at 18 weeks.  That's almost the halfway mark of the entire pregnancy!  This week has left me definitely feeling like I'm in my second trimester.  I'm rarely nauseous (I can even brush my teeth with my regular toothpaste when I wake up), I'm constantly hungry/eating and my belly is becoming more pronounced.  It's still not entirely obvious when I wear a sweater or jacket, but if I'm just in a t-shirt, you can tell it's there.  And I suddenly have more energy to put into creative meals.  I'm still sleeping about 10 or 11 hours a day (plus naps here and there).  Overall, I'm just feeling better.  For which I'm thankful!

I read an inspiring book this past week.  It's called "Sacred Parenting" by Gary Thomas.  Rather than a "how-to" book, it's a "why" kind of book.  The author's premise is that parenting can be a powerful and effective way for us as parents to shape our character.  From things like guilt and anger to celebrating life and keeping perspective, he explores how the various facets of parenting can be used by God in our maturation process.  I have a feeling that I'll be revisiting this book again in the future when our kid(s) are a bit older.

A friend of mine recently said to me one of the things she found most fascinating about parenting was that her kids all turned out so unique.  They were different from her, different from her husband and different from each other (they have 4 children in the family).  I think that's something T and I most look forward to about parenting as well - that we get to discover who these little people are and be part of their process of discovering themselves.  The prospect of that is absolutely fantastically exciting.