Big Day Sunday

Sunday we took (what felt like a monumental) step with Mallie... We left her in the care of the nursery workers during church.  I know it was only an hour or so of separation but it seemed HUGE.  

A little background: We knew we wanted to put Mallie in the nursery during church services since before she was born but it was a matter of timing (as to when she would start going).  She sat through church with us the past few services without any crying or other issues but Mr. Whimsy and I felt it was only a matter of time before our good luck ran out.  I will also be going back to work soon, and at least a day or two out of the week Mallie will need to be watched by someone else... so it seemed like this would be good practice for me in letting her go (and I would only have to "let go" for an hour as opposed to a full day).  

I have mentioned before that we go to The Ark Church in Conroe and LOVE it.  It has an inspiring man of God leading the church and Mr. Whimsy and I always feel fulfilled when leaving services.  It also has, what appears to be, a great kids church and youth program.  Seriously I have never seen kids so excited about going to church as I do when we go to The Ark.  Mallie has several years until she is old enough for the fun activities the church puts on, but when choosing a church home the youth program was more reassurance that The Ark was a perfect fit for our family.  It is a large church but everyone is so nice and accommodating it really does not feel that way (and this is coming from a girl that grew up in a church that had maybe 35ish people go to each church service on Sunday).  

In the Sunday School area we filled out the form and were told Mallie would be in Nursery 1, the youngest of all the nursery classes.  Volunteers (rockers) literally stay in the room and rock and love on the little babies until their parents are done with the church service.  We were given a sticker with a unique number and that number would pop onto the screen during church if Mallie would need us before church let out (if she was crying, needed to be fed, there was an emergency, etc.).  

As soon as we walked up to the class window a super sweet girl about my age came and laid claim to Mallie.  She pretty much said she would hold her the whole service and did not want to share with any of the other "rockers".  She took Mallie and her diaper bag and reassured us everything would be okay and she would take great care of our baby.  About that time, Mr. Whimsy said "well this is the first time we have left her with anyone..." and with those words tears IMMEDIATELY filled my eyes.  And I started crying.  It was pretty embarrassing but the sweet girl again told us it would be okay, they would page us if Mallie needed us at all and I was not the first mom to cry when leaving her baby behind.  I took a deep breath and told myself to walk away - if I was going to cry, I would rather it be in the dark sanctuary where people would not notice as opposed to the bright Sunday School area.  

A few songs into worship my tears dried and I focused on the screen, waiting to see if Mallie's number popped on screen paging us for some emergency. It never came up and when we went to pick her up the girl said she had been holding Mallie since we left and Mallie did not cry (or even know we were missing).  She told us her volunteer schedule and I asked her if she kept babies during the week because we felt so comfortable with her (she said she would but she is a teacher... bummer).

So essentially Sunday was a big day for Momma and Daddy Whimsy... not so much for Mallie.  But that one hour showed me 2 big things. 1. Mallie is okay in the care of others and 2. I've got some toughening up to do before I go back to work and leave her for an entire day.

To sum things up, I am so thankful we have such an amazing church home that puts such a strong focus on kids... and puts their parents as ease with leaving their babies for the first time.  My prayers are that Mallie grows up learning about and loving the Lord and that her church provides a spiritual foundation that will last her throughout her adulthood.  I am also praying we find someone as fantastic as the nursery volunteer to keep our sweet Mallie for a couple days out of the week when I go back to work...  If you have any suggestions in that arena, please send them my way!

If you are looking for a church in the Conroe area I highly recommend checking out The Ark.  Its pretty fantastic.  If you don't want to go by yourself let me know and we can meet up with you there!

My Current Prayers

Pre-blog note: this, and many other blog post referring to Baby Whimsy will be completely unremarkable to the majority of this blogs readers.  If this is you, please fill free to close this pages window and move onto your next blog of choice... I have read that I should have a pregnancy journal for Baby Whimsy but instead of a journal filled with my messy handwriting, I have decided to occasionally blog about things that occupy my time and thoughts when it comes to Baby Whimsy.  Please bear with me, in a few months this blog will be filled with cute pictures and funny stories... until then, you just get me.

And another note - if you are still reading, please know that Mr. Whimsy and I  were very happy to hear that Baby Whimsy looks healthy and is growing at the correct rate according to my latest ultrasound.  This blog post is just on some of the thoughts and prayers I have had being pregnant.

Many of you know that I like to read - a lot.  I have always enjoyed reading, even when I was younger I would take my Babysitters Club books for just about any trip we took, even if we were only going into town.  Today I belong to a book club with a group of girlfriends - and we seriously read and talk about a selected book each month.  I generally am reading about 2-3 books at a time (the book of choice usually depends on my location - i.e. the car, living room, bedroom, etc.).

I have never really actually regretted reading any book (except for one horrible book I picked up in Italy and finished reading because there was nothing else to do while on the train)... that is, I never regretting reading books until I got pregnant.  Now all these interesting stories that provided hours of entertainment in the past have resulting in more and more health concerns that I have for Baby Whimsy.  

Mr. Whimsy and I truly did not have a boy/girl preference, we (like all parents-to-be) just wanted a healthy baby.  We pray(ed) that God would protect the baby while in the womb, as it develops so that it is physically and mentally strong and healthy.  This is when my prayers begin to go down a never ending (and somewhat terrifying) trail, thanks to books.  

I start with prayers for basic health for Baby Whimsy.  Then I remember reading about a baby with brittle bone disease and I pray Baby Whimsy has strong bones.  Then I remember another book with a child that had mental health problems and I pray for a healthy brain.  The week we found out I was pregnant, my book club read a book where one of the characters had a handful of miscarriages - I pray that Baby Whimsy makes it to full term and is a lively child.Then there was that book with the baby with a bad heart waiting for a transplant... can't forget to pray for a strong beating heart.    And the list goes on and on, ranging from rare, one in a million diseases (even made up ones like being a time traveler) to things more common but just as devastating to a family.  

Then after my mind is completely overwhelmed and the different afflictions are ever present I try to get a grip and I tell myself "this child is especially chosen for us, by God.  He (God) will provide and protect."   This usually brings me back to reality and I move on to pray for something that is just as (or really more) important to me for Baby Whimsy.  I pray that we (Mr. Whimsy and I) do our part in bringing Baby Whimsy up in Christ.  I pray Baby Whimsy knows God, relies on God, trust in God, and above all, is a Child of God.  

It sounds silly but I have noticed when there is a particularly moving song in church, or the preacher says something I really want to remember, I put my hand on my belly and, as silly as it sounds, I want Baby Whimsy to get/know/absorb that thing.  I know the baby can't hear yet but I still find myself hoping to ingrain worship songs and Bible verses into its soul. Its kind of my way of telling Baby Whimsy "if you are born knowing only one thing, know this one.  Its important."

Our church (which we LOVE and recommend to anyone looking for a church home) is The Ark in Conroe.  Our preacher, Pastor Alan, regularly reminds the congregation that it is the parents role to bring a child up in Christ, and if he/she is brought up in Christ, he/she will have that foundation for the rest of their lives.  I pray that Baby Whimsy has a foundation in Christ to rely on in the future.

So, those are my current prayers for Baby Whimsy... physical, mental and spiritual.  For the time being I am (trying) to stay away from sad books with stories about kids/babies.  

Moms - am I completely crazy or are these types of thoughts somewhat normal?  What type of things did you find yourself obsessing about?

Favored One

 First I want to thank you, my sweet friends and family, for your encouraging comments.  They have helped propel me into another week of pregnancy and further into that mythical 2nd trimester.  

Quick update: Over the past week the battle of feeling icky vs. feeling like normal has continued to wage.  Thankfully the good feelings win out 2 out of 3 days.  The 2 good days, 1 bad, routine has pretty much become the norm and I happily accept it.  Again, thank you dear friends.

Now onto about the 4th question* people ask when they find out I'm pregnant (*The top 3 are, in order, when are you due (July 30), how have you been feeling (icky but getting better), and do you know if its a boy or girl yet (nope but should soon!)): How did you tell Mr. Whimsy you were pregnant?

To begin, I must say my pregnancy was a surprise to both of us.  Right before Thanksgiving, I told the Mr. that I kind of thought I may be pregnant.  When I told him I was mostly joking... kind of like a empty threat (except it was not a threat but I can not think of a better word for it).  We both just shrugged it off and decided to play the wait and see game.  

A week later, on a Wednesday, I told him I really thought I may be pregnant.  We agreed to wait until Sunday and I would take a at-home pregnancy test.  I was pretty positive Mr. Whimsy completely forgot about it.  Meanwhile, it was on my mind non stop.  I was incredibly nervous, thinking there was no way possible we were ready to bring a Baby Whimsy into this world. My nerves were going non stop and I kept trying to convince myself that I was not pregnant.  

On the way to church Sunday I asked Mr. Whimsy if he was nervous or excited.  He responded with, "about what, church?"  I reminded him that today was the big day we found out.  He had forgotten...

I sat through church really nervous and distracted through the opening worship.  I distinctly remember biting my bottom lip thinking "God we are not ready for this... right?"  When Pastor Alan started talking I felt like he was talking directly to me.  

The service was on how the angel told Mary that she would bring Jesus into the world.  At first Mary was scared but the Bible verse says The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. (Luke 1:28, NIV).  Pastor Alan* went on to talk about how God finds favor in his children and we can find comfort in that.

As soon as I heard this I felt an incredible peace for the first time in over a week and I knew that pregnant or not, Mr. Whimsy and I would be okay and God had a plan for our family.  (I mean really, how could you not feel at peace knowing that God finds favor in you?!?!?!).

After lunch we picked up lunch and went home to take THE TEST.  Except the test (i.e. its results) was not nearly as intimidating as it was a mere 2 hours earlier.  

Around 1pm on Sunday, December 8 we found out together that I was indeed pregnant.  It was a very happy and surreal moment for us.  I kept reminding myself that we were favored and all would be ok.  

We promised each other we would not tell anyone (including our parents) until we had gone to the Dr to get the pregnancy confirmed/get more information and we could tell each sets of parents in person within a short time of telling the other set of parents.  

Now I must give Mr. Whimsy mad props because unbeknownst to me, he had been calling around to hospitals, doctors, (even a birthing center) etc. to gather all the information so that I would not be stressed in finding a good doctor etc.  I think it was Tuesday night when I found out he had done so much legwork.  I was a happy wife to say the least.

Later that week the doctor confirmed I was about 8 weeks pregnant and I had armloads of information to digest in the coming weeks/days.

Needless to say it was a very exciting time for us and it was hard to keep it a secret until we saw both sets of our parents in person (about a week later we told them).  It was really hard keeping it a secret from everyone but it was also really fun knowing we had that between the two of us.

I still get pretty nervous at times but I try and remind myself that this child is a gift from God and His (God's) timing is all that matters.  

I really want to make/ask a real artist to paint something like this for Baby Whimsy's room once I know if its going to be a boy or girl (this is a really rough sketch):

To wrap things up (finally) I am sorry for another long post, I thank you for your support and prayers, and I will be back with an update soon!  


Pastor Alan is the preacher at The Ark Church in Conroe.  As I have blogged about before, Mr. Whimsy and I LOVE this church and invite all of friends in the area to join us on Sunday for a casual, inspiration service (plus they have GREAT kids programs).

Come to The Ark this Sunday!!!

Since 2008, my husband and I have attended The Ark Church in Conroe.  We LOVE this church...  so much so that we have said if we ever move move we want to be close enough to be able continue going to The Ark.  

The church seems to have an amazing children and youth programs, is casual (khaki shorts or jeans on Sunday are no problem), has great worship team and an amazing preacher.  They also bring in fantastic speakers and musical artist.

This next Sunday, October 30, Natalie Grant, an award winner singer, will be performing at both the 9:30 AM and 11:15 AM services.  She has some really great songs out now and it will be a treat to watch her live.  

Here is a video of her hit song, I Will Not Be Moved.

Whether you are looking for a church home, want a one time change on Sunday, or need encouragement, please consider coming to The Ark this Sunday!  

If you want to meet up so you have someone to sit with, please let me know!  We go to the 11:15 service.

450 Humble Tank Road
Conroe, TX 77304

I really hope to see you there!

Celebration Sunday

I love my church, Ark Family Church. It is an incredible blessing to have a church home in Conroe where I feel comfortable and am challenged and inspired by on a regular basis. I never expected to find myself in a church like the Ark - its huge. Golf carts offer rides to the front door every morning, there is a book store AND a coffee shop on the first floor. The church brings in famous singers and authors on a regular basis. Needless to say, the Ark is pretty different then what I grew up attending.

Joe and I both grew up in small churches and started looking for a church home after I moved to Conroe a couple years ago. We went to several different churches found one that we both enjoyed. Then some friends from work recommended that we try out the Ark. Joe and I were pretty skeptical but agreed that we wanted to check it out. The band was phenomenal. The preacher and his wife seemed nice. I liked it already... THEN in the middle of the sermon, Pastor Clayton showed a clip from The Office (one of my favorite TV shows ever). With Michael Scott's smiling face on screen, I knew I had found my new church home. Since the first service we attended, Joe and I have found ourselves more and more happy with the Ark and have seen our spiritual lives grow as a result.

All that being said, the purpose of this post is not just to gush over my church. Its to let you know about a super cool event that the church is having this coming Sunday (Oct. 24). Its Celebration Sunday and singer Chris August will perform at both the 9:30 and 11:15.

At 11:30 the outdoor events begin. There will be tons of inflatable bounce houses for kids, rides, a climbing rock wall, yummy food (including funnel cakes), and much much more. At the Celebration Sunday this past spring I was blown away by all the fun activities available for kids.

I HIGHLY recommend attending if you have kids that can walk but aren't old enough to drive. Its a great event for the entire family.

Author of 90 Minutes in Heaven coming to church!

Tomorrow, Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven is going to be speaking at my church here in Conroe, The Ark. Several years ago Don was in a major car accident on his way from Trinity Texas back to his home in Houston. On the way, a truck hit his car and he was pronounced dead for 90 minutes. During those 90 minutes he experienced heaven. Through Gods grace, he miraculously began breathing again (after the 90 minutes of being pronounced dead) and was rushed to the emergency room. He faced a long and agonizing recovery both physically and mentally but came through and has since written a book (90 Minutes in Heaven) and gives testimonies of his experience throughout the nation.

His story is an amazing testimony to God's healing in our lives and provides comfort to people suffering with loss of a loved one. I would not have normally picked it up to read but a girl in my book club brought it to our Christmas book exchange and (happily) I ended up with it.

I absolutely can not wait to hear him tomorrow and invite everyone in the area to come hear him. Church services are at 9:30 and 11:15AM. I also have his book if anyone would like to borrow it.

Here is a short video about his story: