This past weekend our church hosted a baby shower for me. It was such a special time to spend with the ladies from our church who have become so dear to me over the past couple of years. They have all been such an encouragement to me during my pregnancy. Through the months I have gotten cards, phone calls, emails, and each week at church always have several women wanting to know how the pregnancy is going and how I am feeling. During the first trimester when I was so ill, I would occasionally miss church and I could always count on someone calling me that Sunday afternoon to check in, or I could expect to get a card or two during the week. They are all so excited about our baby and being a part of her life. We are so blessed to be a part of this church and I can see God's hand in leading us to minister there and be a part of the church. One thing several of the women did towards the end of the shower was to go around the room and share any advice on being a mother that they had. The main thing I learned is just to treasure each day with your children, even the difficult days, because they are gone so quickly. I already have a bit of anxiety over the first several weeks of her arrival (sleepless nights, getting her on a schedule, etc.), but I have realized that I really need to learn to appreciate those opportunities of spending time with her during the night, and those long days at home with her, because soon she will go off to school, I will go back to work full time, and I will miss those days. I am learning to relax and look forward to the time I have to spend with her.

The photo at the top was taken when I got home. I forgot to take a picture of all the gifts at the shower, so I stacked them up in front of Julia-Rose's crib when I got home and took a photo.