Happy New Year!

"...Forgetting what lies behind, and looking forward to what lies ahead..."

Philippians 13:3

One Project at a Time

This week Scott was off, so we decided to tackle several projects that we needed to get done-- preferably before Caroline makes her debut! First on the list was setting up Luke's new "big boy room". We had to move the office out into the bonus room so we could move him into the office space.

Luke's new room is cute. He has a blue race car bed which we pray he will transition into easily when we finally decide it's time for him to leave the crib. We hope to go ahead and have him start sleeping in the new room so that he will already feel comfortable and at home and not feel like he was kicked out when Caroline comes home. We'll probably move his crib into the room first for a couple of weeks until he is used to the idea and the prospect of sleeping in an actual bed. He's still a baby-- not even two. We really want to stay aware of this and not try to rush him into growing up too quickly just because a new baby is on the way.

We still have much work to do on his room, but we're getting close. I hope to get started on his race flag curtains in the next few days. We need to put up another shelf in his closet... It will all get done eventually.

We can hardly believe that we are a single day away from 2006!!! Not too many weeks ago, 2006 seemed like an eternity away. We were so hopeful that we would make it to the new year and reach the big 30 week milestone-- now, here we are! Praise God!!! He is so faithful! Being the completely sentimental type, I can only dream about what lies ahead of us in 2006. I can't even imagine what having a new little girl in our family will be like! How fun it will be to watch Luke grow into his new role as "big brother"! I am looking forward to getting back into a normal routine-- especially getting back to the Y every day. I'm even looking forward to being able to clean the house, wash clothes, and cook again!

(Don't hold me to that one!)

We will always remember 2005 as the year we learned that we can make it through anything as long as we work as a team. We learned that only God can bring true peace in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. We learned that good friends and wonderful family are some of God's biggest blessings to us in this life. And, we continued to learn that being parents is the BEST job in the world!

A New Church Family... A New Journey Begins!

Our photo from Otter Creek which was shown when we placed membership.

Today Scott, Luke, and I officially placed membership at Otter Creek. This is the first time I have blogged any about the whole process that led us to this place. Changing churches is such a hard thing to do....

I have attended Woodmont Hills since my college days, and Scott and I placed membership there after we got married. So, I would guestimate that I have been affiliated with that church for going on 13 years in total.

The one thing that I hope is never construed from our decision to go to Otter Creek, is that we no longer "like" Woodmont Hills. The truth is that we will ALWAYS love Woodmont. It is such an amazing place with wonderful people. I know I would not be the person I am today without the instruction and experiences I had there. I treasured every moment that I had there.

So-- why the change? There are several reasons... When you are in your 20s-- and childless-- you have much different needs, spiritually speaking. You are somewhat self-absorbed in ways. Church is all about the sermons and to a big degree the social interaction. Woodmont was such a great place to be on all counts for us while we were in this stage of our life and spiritual growth.

When you hit your 30s, you start to re-examine your church in terms of "community." You began to realize that you want church to be much more than hundreds of acquaintances that you only see once or twice a week. You want church to be where you commune with those who are you dearest friends-- people who know you intimately and know your battles, pains, and struggles... as well as the joys. When you have children an entirely new level of needs develop. You want your child to grow up in a church of people who know them, love them... where they feel secure and happy.

And-- before I continue-- let me say... We have struggled SO SO much with all of this. There is a fine line with having your needs met in church and feeling "at home," and at the same time, not slipping into the "consumeristic" approach of "church shopping" when it becomes all about which church meets our criterion of what we think will make us spiritually content. I genuinely believe that we made our decision out of pure motives and that we have tried with all our hearts to carefully analyze our reasons for wanting to make the change.

So-- at some point, Woodmont just stopped feeling like "home." We felt like we had gotten lost in the crowd, and for me, I felt like Luke was getting lost. Woodmont is just big-- which is a testament to the wonderful things that happen there and the wonderful teaching that speaks to so many. We had NEVER considered attending anywhere else, but this summer, a restlessness arose in our hearts, and we started to consider other places.

We started to visit OC in August. We attended a new member's luncheon in early October on a whim... we literally were pulling out of the parking lot, and I said to Scott, "We really should go", and the next thing we knew we were eating chicken and sitting with a room full of others who were interested in making OC home as well. We left feeling like OC sounded like such a great place to be. We really connected to the vision and goals that were presented. We felt like it was a place we could be needed and used.

My bed rest put a kink into our plans to keep visiting since I wasn't able to attend church anywhere. Scott and Luke continued to go without me. But, sitting on the couch for two months gave me so much time to think about this decision and to discuss it over with Scott.

At some point, I think it came down to-- OC feels like a place we can grow and develop the strong sense of church community we are looking for vs. Woodmont doesn't feel like home anymore. I was also just tired of "riding the fence." I wanted to make a decision and go with it. I'm not really a middle of the road person when it comes to being involved-- I just want to jump in and start working.

So-- we thought that Christmas Day 2005 would be a special day we would always remember as the day we started our new journey with Otter Creek. It was a great day, and we feel like we have made a great choice.

We are aware that we are leaving behind many wonderful relationships and memories at Woodmont-- I don't even like pondering on it for very long because it makes me sad. We had invested over a decade there and it is always hard to close the book on such an important chapter in your lives. Woodmont was so much of my identity for so long. I will always love WH and the people and ministries there.

We look forward to our future with OC! We are really getting in at a hugely transitional time. Otter Creek will be moving to a new building at the end of February after 50 years in their current home. It is also hard for them to let go and move on, but also a time of great anticipation. We are thankful that we will be joining the "new era" of OC and are excited about what lies ahead!

Ultimately, we are all members of Christ's church. The people we fellowship with each week are just a tiny part of the larger universal family to which all believers belong. Our loyalty must first be to Christ alone-- above all other things, even the names above our church doors. Right?

So-- thus begins a new chapter for the Westerman crew! If you knew how much I truly hate change and transition, you would know what a HUGE step this is for us! But, I feel a wonderful sense of peace about placing membership, and I am looking forward to all the great things that lie ahead for us and for OC!

Good news!

I am happy to report that although my initial blood work screen for gestational diabetes came back elevated, my follow up test shows that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes! YIPPEE!

I am so relived that at least one thing has turned out well and has not become a complication during this pregnancy!

Only 10 weeks to go before she arrives! As of now, and unless she decides to come early-- we are planning to schedule a c-section at 38 weeks sometime during the last week of February and the first week in March.

We have also decided on her name-- after MUCH thought and deliberation.....
Caroline Mae Westerman

Caroline is a form of my Mom's middle name, Carolyn. Mae is my grandmother's (my mom's mom) middle name

Caroline carries a variety of meanings-- strong, beloved, a lovely melody, a song of happiness. Mae is sometimes considered a short, feminized form of Matthew which means "gift from God." It is also an adaptation of Mary which means "bitter." This pregnancy has definitely had its share of "bitter" moments, but, in the end, we know Caroline will have proven to be our strong, beloved little fighter, and she will forever be our song of happiness!

Thanks for the continued prayers and support-- and for sharing in our joy!

Happy 28th Week! :)

Today is my 28th week of pregnancy! Yippee!

Although we aren't completely "in the clear" yet, we feel SO much better. Our 28th week was kind of a goal we were trying to reach, and it is crazy to think that we are already here! We are so thankful!

Scott didn't win his car or boat! There were 10 people-- he made it to 6th person to try out his key, but the 8th person won. Oh well-- wasn't meant to be!

I survived my 3-hour blood test. It wasn't so bad. I just worked on my dress and caught up on my journal while I waited. Guess it is easy for me to just sit and occupy myself now-- I am certainly used to it!

My best friend from Texas was here today to visit. She took me to get a pedicure for my Christmas present. I SO needed one, and it was wonderful! Very relaxing! What a fun treat to catch up with her, get my nails done, and get out of the house-- all in one day!

We are looking forward to Christmas this weekend. This will be our last Christmas as a family of three. Next year our little girl will be 9 months old! It is impossible to visualize that! Almost as impossible as it is to believe that Luke is almost 2 this Christmas! Time really does fly!

So-- tonight we are so thankful to be at this place and are so excited that my due date is getting ever closer. God is good!

Let them eat cake!

This week has gone by faster than any other week that I have been on bed rest. It is almost hard to believe that on Tuesday-- just three more days-- I will be at 28 weeks. This is a big milestone for us. Things start looking MUCH better after this point in the pregnancy. We are so excited to reach this goal.

I can remember having a conversation with our doctor when I was only 23 weeks along-- right before my surgery.... She was explaining to us what our odds looked like. At that point our little girl had virtually no chance of survival if she came early. The next bench mark was 26-28 weeks; she would have a much better chance of survival, but most importantly her long-term handicap rates would start to drop. So-- we are still praying that she doesn't show up until my scheduled c-section at the first of March, but we are at least feeling more hopeful that we're finally approaching a "safe zone" of sorts.

Our next goal is to make it to 32 weeks. Survival rates and long-term disability rates start to reach those of a full-term baby. Luke was born at 38 weeks and weighed over 9 pounds! So, we're hoping that our little girl will be big like him-- just in case she decides to show up earlier than we'd like! :)

I finally got my Christmas cards in the mail today! YEAH! It takes so long to put those together, but I really enjoy it. It is so worth it to me. Yet another example of how odd I am! :) I get pleasure out of weird things like that which most people don't give a second thought about.

Scott goes to the Titans game on Sunday to try to win us that car and boat. The odds aren't really on his side. There will probably be around 15 people who will get a key to see if they win. I don't expect him to come home with a new set of keys in his hands, but at least he will have a chance-- regardless of how slim! I'll keep you all posted!

We are planning to get Luke's "big boy" room set up next week. We would really like to have him used to his new room before the baby comes and he feels like he is being booted out of his space. We will probably try to get him in his new toddler race car bed in the new year. I am sure there will be some frustrating times trying to get him used to his new environment, but I am hopeful that he will eventually adjust and grow to like it.

Life is good! Although I do have to go in on Monday for a 3-hour blood test to see if I actually have gestational diabetes, the upside is that I have been "ordered" to eat DESSERT twice a day as a part of the 3-day carb-loading meal plan I have to follow to get ready for the test! It has been SO long since I have been able to eat chocolate! I had a BIG piece of chocolate cake tonight! YUM!

Another Hurdle on the Journey

Well-- as I expected, my blood sugar test came back elevated. This really wasn't a surprise to me since the same thing happened with Luke. I have to go in Monday for the 3 hour test to confirm if I actually have gestational diabetes or not. I passed this second test with Luke, but I don't think I'll be so lucky this time around since I am getting NO exercise to counterbalance the effect on my body. Oh well... it will just be yet another hurdle for us to tackle during this pregnancy.

On the up side-- I am 27 weeks today! For some reason this seems like such a big milestone, although we really won't be in the clear until we get past 30 weeks. But, I remember thinking how very far away that seemed, and now it is less than a month away. Yeah, God! I feel so thankful to have made it so far with no major complications.

Got my Christmas newsletter to the printer today-- thanks to Scott. Hope to have them all in the mail no later than Friday. It's so fun getting cards in the mail each day and seeing what everybody has been up to-- I'm sure that some find my newsletter annoying and containing WAY too much information, but I don't care. It is tradition that my mom always did and the first year Scott and I were married I put one together for us-- and I have every year since. I have them all filed away in an album and it so great to be able to flip back through it every Christmas and re-read all the highlights and see the photos of all the great memories we have shared over the past 10 years. So-- it is more of a historical record maybe than a Christmas card! :)

Found out today that my best friend's mom has cancer. She is upset. Reminds me of how I was when my parents were fighting their own battles with cancer a few years back. Makes you very thankful to have your family with you and to treasure each moment that you have with them.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Luke

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Went to the doctor today for my blood sugar test. That 50 grams of orange sugar water sure was a shock to my system-- especially since I have tried to eliminate sugar from my diet the last three weeks! YUCK!

I really don't expect to pass the test. I have already been warned that women on bed rest have much higher rates of gestational diabetes.... So, all I can do is wait and hope for the best. And, if it turns out that I test positive, it can't be any worse than the other hurdles we have already faced. It will be just one more hurdle for us to jump before our little girl makes her debut.

I definitely have a light at the end of the tunnel now. Dr. M says that at 28 weeks I can start loosening my be rest restrictions a little-- going out to dinner or to church! Even that little window of freedom sounds wonderful to me! So-- my eyes are focused on the next 14 days!

Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to reach 26 weeks with our precious girl. I can remember when 26 weeks seemed like an eternity away-- yet, now, here we are. You have been faithful to us once again!

Pathetic Pity Party

Today I was a little sad for the first time since I have been on bed rest-- which I guess has been going on for close to a month now. Why? Well, besdies the fact that Luke turned 22 months-old today, Santa came to church, and I wanted to make sure that Luke had his picture made. I also wanted to make sure that Scott captured every second on video and with our digital camera so I could share in the moment. It turns out that Luke is still not very keen on sitting on a man's lap who is dressed in red with a big white beard! Scott had his hands full trying to get him to sit long enough for a picture-- he cried the entire time. This didn't leave him much of an opportunity to capture the moment on film-- he had his hands full.

I was disappointed. I wanted a nice shot of Luke on Santa's lap for our Christmas newsletter (the official photos won't be back in time to include). I felt like if I had only been able to go I could have helped-- I might have been able to calm him and get him to sit long enough for a good shot. I was also just sad and frustrated that I missed out on the moment period.

I have missed out on several things already due to bed rest-- two weeks ago ZOE got to lead worship at the Ryman! How I wish I could have had that experience! Last week ZOE led at church and I hated to miss out on that since we rarely sing during church services here in Nashville. This weekend is Scott's company Christmas party in Denver. Of course, I can't go now... And the list goes on... But, I think the whole Luke thing bothers me more than any of the rest.

It is hard to be motivated to even decorate for Christmas since I can't be the one to hang the wreaths and trim the tree. It won't be the same directing Scott on where to put everything. I absolutely LOVE to decorate for Christmas, too... I have four trees and boxes and boxes of decorations that I love to pull out every year-- not to mention my Santa ornament collection! I must have close to 500 at least! I always pull out my Christmas music stash as soon as the plates are cleared at Thanksgiving! I so love to hear all my favorite Christmas cds again and to sit down at the piano and play carols to my heart's content... Add to that not being able to go shopping for hours in all the wonderful bustle of Christmas looking for the perfect presents.... Anyway-- I know I need to at least get one tree up for Luke's sake even if it's hard to get into the spirit.

OK-- so enough of the pity party sob story! My gloom only lasted for 30 minutes at most! I just reminded myself of how very blessed I am this Christmas. I have the most wonderful husband any woman could ever ask for-- I have the most precious son who delights me each day in new ways-- I have a gorgeous, comfortable home with or without Christmas decorations-- and I have a sweet baby girl who is on the way that I can't possibly even imagine how she will shape and change my life for the better-- I have devoted family and friends who are always there to support and love me.... Who could ask for anything more?!? God you are TOO good to me! Forgive me when I stop for even a single moment and try to feel sorry for myself! How pathetic!

So-- my "one day at a time" mentality is still in full gear. And despite the first four paragraphs of this entry, it hasn't been nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I started our Christmas newsletter today and that will take me all next week to compile-- plenty to keep me occupied! It is so fun to look back on the past 12 months and to ponder all that has happened, and it further reminds me of how very blessed we are.