Back in the fall of this year I decided to look into pregnancy crisis clinics in the area for the purpose of finding one to volunteer at. About a year ago I had looked into it but didn't really find anything and also didn't really follow up on it other then an internet search. So this time around after searching again finding that the closest clinics were all at least 45 minutes away still decided to at least contact them and find out what they were all about. Sent them a request for more info and that a director from the clinic closest would contact me. Then I waited almost to the point of giving up on this clinic and starting the search anew they got back to me (it was about 2 months after the request was first sent) and set up an appointment for an interview and also just to meet and here what I was interested in doing and what they offered and what they were all about. That meeting took place then at the end of January and right away after first talking to the director (her name is Cindy) I felt really excited and that this was definitely going to be a good fit for me.
Before they let you come and start volunteering they have you go through roughly 24 hours of training spread out over 2 weeks. And the training was scheduled for the last week in Feb and first week in March....but then the "snow" came and if you didn't know this yet FYI Washington shuts down at the first sighting or even rumoring of glimmering and fluttering of flakes. Which in all fairness to Washingtonians is a good idea as no roads are a salted or plowed or sanded properly and everyone starts driving like a teenager who is driving on their own in snow and ice for the first time ever (lack of experience + potentially perilous conditions). We actually did drive in the mess of it and had a few stressful hours of driving to and from our destination. Minnesotians think spring time storm....just cold enough to slightly freeze, icy slush plus no salt or plows because in a day of two at most it will all melt away anyways.
All that to say the training got rescheduled :-)
Which for me the only difficulty in that was my planned in advance childcare (which included the 2 hour drive though icy terror to get it) for the all day training on friday was not available. But thanks to a friend who helped out at the last minute and a shortened day so i could get home in time for Judah to head off to work helped me get it covered...now all I have is tuesday evening left of training and then the rest will be completed at the center.
So once my training is complete, my commitment to the clinic will be 4 hours a week for a least a year and i am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for me through this all.
One thing that has really stuck out me in training had made me look at the whole prolife-prochoice debates is that if we would focus a little more on the women in need and not so much on the baby, as a side affect of that is the baby will be taken a care of... anyway i am sure this is very long and if you stuck with it I apologize for the disconnected thoughts and overly long sentences. I am super sleepy but wanted to get this out there before weeks pass with out anything being written. So here it is with more to come later when i am a little more conscious! Brandy
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
well so much for keeping a little more updated, we've lost our free wifi from neighbors so now i have to drive down to a coffeeshop to get internet...blah, after almost a week of no services i am missing it sorely. Only real news is our tickets to India this summer are bought so excited! Working on keeping in shape and homeschooling the kids and that's all for now.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
blogs... well i know i had intended on keeping this updated at least a little more frequently so here is my attempt.
Since last writing life has returned to some sort of normalcy with a renewed determination to be -consistent in schooling Josiah and Jaelle (and Enoch a little): which has consisted of finishing his big workbook of everything a 1st grader should know, started working through a new math workbook (he finished his first one a little while before Dec.), learning and working through the Charlotte Mason approach to reading narration, hymn and scripture memorization as well as handwriting practice and for now that all i've managed to consistantly keep up but I hope to add a little more soon.
-exercising: to finish getting down to my goal weight and also to build up some endurance and strength for our upcoming planned trip(more on that in a minute)
-house up-keeping: getting rid of clutter and organizing the house I've managed to get our entire house nice and organized with the exception of one box of photo's i have been intending to clean up and organize and then just maintaining the house cleaning up the little messes right away so the don't become huge attempting to do laundry when i have only a few loads instead of 5 or 6 loads and then making sure i don't let it remain unfolded but putting it away right a way and also keeping the dishes and kitchen cleaned up every night. It's great and something i have worked hard at to get to this point in the past 3 years.
So aside from that other things that have started for us on Wednesday's we have a home fellowship but so far we've only had one other couple and then one other girl consistently come and then on Fridays I open up the house for a women's night of fellowship so far again only two women have come but Lord willing that will increase more soon!
Last update for us is we are planning in the middle of August (for about 2 weeks)joining the Ahlbrechts as they move back to India, so Lord willing and provided judah is approved for the time off work and we can work out the logistics of childcare and visa's approved we will going! I am excited about this trip. In talking about going and the possibility becoming a reality, we never talked about getting pregnant again and what that would mean for the trip, but it came up the other day. I was under the assumption that I would be pregnant on the trip and that Judah knew or I should say recall (because we did talk about this) as soon as possible I would want to try again but he hadn't and his first reaction is we can't go if you are because it wouldn't be safe and we've already said we are going to go. So either you get pregnant and we don't go or you wait till we get back but for me waiting another 9 months before getting pregnant again isn't an option I want!! So after a few disagreements, clarifications, research on the subject also getting the opinion of some who has "been there, done that" :D We have decided to go ahead with the trip. and plan on attempting to get pregnant before we go. Again Lord willing if it happens within the next two or three months it will put me at somewhere between 4 and 6 month along (ideal time for traveling while pregnant) . The funny thing and perhaps even something the Lord allowed is that if Judah had thought about it or recalled that I would not be willing (or content) to wait that long we wouldn't have even considered going. Anyway things to ponder and the current going-on of the Ivy's!
Since last writing life has returned to some sort of normalcy with a renewed determination to be -consistent in schooling Josiah and Jaelle (and Enoch a little): which has consisted of finishing his big workbook of everything a 1st grader should know, started working through a new math workbook (he finished his first one a little while before Dec.), learning and working through the Charlotte Mason approach to reading narration, hymn and scripture memorization as well as handwriting practice and for now that all i've managed to consistantly keep up but I hope to add a little more soon.
-exercising: to finish getting down to my goal weight and also to build up some endurance and strength for our upcoming planned trip(more on that in a minute)
-house up-keeping: getting rid of clutter and organizing the house I've managed to get our entire house nice and organized with the exception of one box of photo's i have been intending to clean up and organize and then just maintaining the house cleaning up the little messes right away so the don't become huge attempting to do laundry when i have only a few loads instead of 5 or 6 loads and then making sure i don't let it remain unfolded but putting it away right a way and also keeping the dishes and kitchen cleaned up every night. It's great and something i have worked hard at to get to this point in the past 3 years.
So aside from that other things that have started for us on Wednesday's we have a home fellowship but so far we've only had one other couple and then one other girl consistently come and then on Fridays I open up the house for a women's night of fellowship so far again only two women have come but Lord willing that will increase more soon!
Last update for us is we are planning in the middle of August (for about 2 weeks)joining the Ahlbrechts as they move back to India, so Lord willing and provided judah is approved for the time off work and we can work out the logistics of childcare and visa's approved we will going! I am excited about this trip. In talking about going and the possibility becoming a reality, we never talked about getting pregnant again and what that would mean for the trip, but it came up the other day. I was under the assumption that I would be pregnant on the trip and that Judah knew or I should say recall (because we did talk about this) as soon as possible I would want to try again but he hadn't and his first reaction is we can't go if you are because it wouldn't be safe and we've already said we are going to go. So either you get pregnant and we don't go or you wait till we get back but for me waiting another 9 months before getting pregnant again isn't an option I want!! So after a few disagreements, clarifications, research on the subject also getting the opinion of some who has "been there, done that" :D We have decided to go ahead with the trip. and plan on attempting to get pregnant before we go. Again Lord willing if it happens within the next two or three months it will put me at somewhere between 4 and 6 month along (ideal time for traveling while pregnant) . The funny thing and perhaps even something the Lord allowed is that if Judah had thought about it or recalled that I would not be willing (or content) to wait that long we wouldn't have even considered going. Anyway things to ponder and the current going-on of the Ivy's!
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Lord is good!
Thank you so much to everyone who has prayed for us, offered help, sent condolences and encouragement!
My prayers were answered in that I did not have to wait very long for my body to figure out what was going on ending the pregnancy and completing it's process of restarting. Tuesday evening is when it happened. I prayed that it would happen before Jaelle's Birthday which was Wednesday and before Judah had to go back to work/school which also was Wednesday (for school and friday for work). So many, many things to be grateful for, especially in the all the little things that have happened and in realizing how much harder losing this baby could have been for us, grateful to be able to see some ways God has had mercy on us.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Thank you so much to everyone who has prayed for us, offered help, sent condolences and encouragement!
My prayers were answered in that I did not have to wait very long for my body to figure out what was going on ending the pregnancy and completing it's process of restarting. Tuesday evening is when it happened. I prayed that it would happen before Jaelle's Birthday which was Wednesday and before Judah had to go back to work/school which also was Wednesday (for school and friday for work). So many, many things to be grateful for, especially in the all the little things that have happened and in realizing how much harder losing this baby could have been for us, grateful to be able to see some ways God has had mercy on us.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Monday, January 10, 2011
Baby #4
"Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, everyone of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:16
I've read this passage countless times but this week my circumstances have given meaning to it for me. I know and love well the parts before and after this section, "God formed my inward being, he knit me together in my mother's womb, I am wonderfully made and my frame was not hidden from you..." and the passage after "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more then the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."
I am sitting here as my cramping is slowly starting signally the start of my body shedding the rest of the pregnancy tissues and the "little unformed substance" in me. Processing, grieving, and now accepting it, it was shock and denial at first, I've always been (even a little conceitedly I admit) one of those women who were fairly certain that having a miscarriage would never happen to me. Yet here I am. . . I mean I've been blessed with three very healthy and normal children easy pregnancies with no complications. So shock that this was/is really happening. Denial that this was really a miscarriage, (it's just a fluke my body was tricked into thinking it was pregnant, there was no baby in the ultrasound, no baby was even formed in me. . . ) so yes technically the baby in me never formed into having it's body shaped, it limbs formed, it's organs beginning to develop It never got past it's cells multiplying, the endearing "baby blob" stage. But if I believe the bible (and I do!) then God's eyes saw our baby's unformed substance and the days that were formed for him or her were counted and written down in God's book. I know this baby is with God in heaven, I am sure that God has will be giving him/her a new body that's fully formed and in His image just as he has promised to give us new bodies in heaven.
Even though this sucks right now (the Lord knows and a few of my friends and Judah how much I wanted to be pregnant again, how excited I was for this baby) I also am looking forward to what God can make of this in my life. I don't for a second believe he wanted this or even made this to happen but he did allow it, he did allow our baby to stop developing and then to be taken home for whatever reason or reasons.
I still would appreciate your prayers as this process isn't over yet and I have signs of it starting soon. I know my first post (on facebook or emailed) may have been confusing as it was to me a little at first so feel free to call or email me I don't mind talking about it and I have a much better grasp of what is happening.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4
I've read this passage countless times but this week my circumstances have given meaning to it for me. I know and love well the parts before and after this section, "God formed my inward being, he knit me together in my mother's womb, I am wonderfully made and my frame was not hidden from you..." and the passage after "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more then the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."
I am sitting here as my cramping is slowly starting signally the start of my body shedding the rest of the pregnancy tissues and the "little unformed substance" in me. Processing, grieving, and now accepting it, it was shock and denial at first, I've always been (even a little conceitedly I admit) one of those women who were fairly certain that having a miscarriage would never happen to me. Yet here I am. . . I mean I've been blessed with three very healthy and normal children easy pregnancies with no complications. So shock that this was/is really happening. Denial that this was really a miscarriage, (it's just a fluke my body was tricked into thinking it was pregnant, there was no baby in the ultrasound, no baby was even formed in me. . . ) so yes technically the baby in me never formed into having it's body shaped, it limbs formed, it's organs beginning to develop It never got past it's cells multiplying, the endearing "baby blob" stage. But if I believe the bible (and I do!) then God's eyes saw our baby's unformed substance and the days that were formed for him or her were counted and written down in God's book. I know this baby is with God in heaven, I am sure that God has will be giving him/her a new body that's fully formed and in His image just as he has promised to give us new bodies in heaven.
Even though this sucks right now (the Lord knows and a few of my friends and Judah how much I wanted to be pregnant again, how excited I was for this baby) I also am looking forward to what God can make of this in my life. I don't for a second believe he wanted this or even made this to happen but he did allow it, he did allow our baby to stop developing and then to be taken home for whatever reason or reasons.
I still would appreciate your prayers as this process isn't over yet and I have signs of it starting soon. I know my first post (on facebook or emailed) may have been confusing as it was to me a little at first so feel free to call or email me I don't mind talking about it and I have a much better grasp of what is happening.
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4
Thursday, June 10, 2010
life
Quick update here since it's been over a month since i have posted anything...
Enoch is officially potty trained we are done with diapers...
In end of July/beginning of August we are planning a trip out to MN (with a stop in ND)...
Judah is officially done with school for the summer (Josiah unfortunately is not done until June 22nd)...
God is Good and I am excited for some areas of growth and refining in my walk that has been happening lately.
We've been getting connected to the peoples at the Wallingford Church plant we are attending now. Very happy and over all I am excited for what this summer holds for us and that is all for now!
Enoch is officially potty trained we are done with diapers...
In end of July/beginning of August we are planning a trip out to MN (with a stop in ND)...
Judah is officially done with school for the summer (Josiah unfortunately is not done until June 22nd)...
God is Good and I am excited for some areas of growth and refining in my walk that has been happening lately.
We've been getting connected to the peoples at the Wallingford Church plant we are attending now. Very happy and over all I am excited for what this summer holds for us and that is all for now!
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