"Just updating"....

Let's see, what have we been up to lately?  Well, I am now 11 weeks pregnant and growing quickly.  I have heard this happens after your 1st baby, and so far it proves to be true.  I definitely look like I am 15 weeks or so instead of just 11.  The baby is doing great, still measuring a week ahead, which could account for the faster growth in my belly - or at least that's what I am telling myself!  Elijah Brooks has already shown so much love towards his new brother or sister. He puts his head on my tummy every day and says that he is "loving the baby".  He also asked to put an ultrasound picture up on his wall so that he could pray for the baby (completely his idea, not mine). Yesterday morning when I got him up out of his bed, the first thing he said was, "I did pray for the baby while I was sleeping"!

Since I last wrote, we have had VBS and are currently in swim lessons.  Our VBS was very different this year, as we took it "off site", to a local housing project downtown.  It was a tremendous week of growth for all of us, and a true "dying to self". We made some wonderful friendships, and in fact a few of the kids from downtown have joined us at church the past few Sunday's and one of them is even going on our youth retreat next week to Florida!  I think that is absolutely amazing.  I love what one of them said about Jay. He said, "are you really a pastor"?  Jay said, "I am", to which the teenage boy replied, "but you're just so goofy"!  Jay took that as a compliment :)

I started Elijah Brooks in swim lessons on Monday of this week.  He is doing as well as I could ever ask a 2 1/2 year old to do in his first round of swim lessons.  He has been very obedient, compliant, and has done everything he has been asked/told to do by his teacher.  Monday was pretty much just getting the children acclimated to the water (he is in a class with 2 other children).  When I asked him that night what his favorite part about the day was, he said, "going to Mrs. Carole Anne's pool".  I thought that was a victory.  Yesterday, he was on a "noodle" all by himself kicking around the shallow end (which I was pretty shocked about), and was even walking on his tip toes in the shallow end (he's so tall that this wasn't too difficult for him).  She did however, "dunk" him under the water yesterday and I heard a very loud, "I don't like that" when he came up!  I could have told her that was going to happen.  He doesn't even like water being poured over his head in the bathtub, but we do it anyway.  He was no worse for the wear after that incident, so I considered Tuesday a victory too.  We have been talking about swim lessons for a long time now, and have been reading books on bravery, God being with you when you are afraid, praying lots of prayers etc....., so he has definitely been well prepared.  Today, (Wednesday), there were tears for the first time having to be "dunked" again.  I really like this teacher - she is very good with the kids, kind and loving, but firm.  I heard her tell him to dry up his tears immediately and if he did, the "treasure box" would be waiting for him.  His reply, "I don't want the treasure box"!!!  He didn't cry for too long and wasn't too traumatized by the event, and got back on his "noodle" and started kicking.  You better believe I was praying on the "sidelines" for him that his tears wouldn't escalate! After every class, all of the kids do get to choose a "treasure" out of the treasure box.  Fruit snacks and lollipops have been the treasure of choice thus far.  Today was his very first lollipop!  I know, he leads a sheltered life!  I am just scared of them.  But, I watched closely and didn't take my eye off of him while he ate it - and he did fine :)    I just keep praying for him and for his fear of going under the water.  I don't want him to be crippled by the fear.  I have been encouraged though by his overall confidence in the water, and by his attitude about the whole thing. I really hope that tomorrow he will get alittle more confident about going under.  These lessons run for 2 weeks, so we still have another week after this week!  I am just hoping that we will keep moving forward and that he won't digress knowing that going under the water is going to happen every time now.  I felt sad for him though when we left because he said, "I wasn't brave under the water today".  I made sure that he knew he was very brave for just being out in the water - that is a huge step for him.  I am just so proud of him for getting out there and staying in the water, obeying, and doing what he is told to do even though he doesn't want to all the time. 

I will keep updating as the lessons progress. We are not supposed to take pictures during the lessons, but are permitted to take pictures on the last day.  I did snap a few pictures before and after the lessons though.  He is taking lessons with his good friend Cameron, who just turned 3 a few days ago. These guys have been friends for over a year and get along very well - and so do their mommas! 

Still loves his beloved John Deere tractors

Before lesson

Watching the "big kids" jumping in the pool

Cameron and Elijah Brooks with their "treasures" after the lesson

Silly boys!