A Surprise Shower

Within a week of being here, I joined a Women's Bible Study group at church. We're doing Beth Moore's study of Esther and I'm really enjoying it. In many ways, it's exactly what I need to hear from the Lord during this transition time. Lots of encouraging verses and words of patience in waiting. Just what I need.

Apparently, the Lord felt I also needed the encouragement of being with a group of ladies as well. Women are women wherever you go...love to talk and share burdens, laugh and eat together! :) It's so comforting to be with them each week. Today, the ladies threw me a surprise baby shower! After dropping the kids off at the nursery, I made my way to our group's room and found baby streamers draping the door. I walked in and found a card on my seat and a daiper "cake" for our new baby.I felt so honored by this group of women who welcomed me after they'd already been meeting for a month before I joined. I'm finding that Charleston "seems" like a bit of a melting pot of people. It seems that people come here for one reason or another and like it so much, they just stay. The women in our group are no different. Not one of them is actually from Charleston. The leader is from Ohio, two are from Indiana, oone is from New York, another is from Iceland and another is from Germany. I've told Joel a couple of times how odd it is for me to be in a place where very few (that I've met) are actually from that place. I'm enjoying meeting all the different people though and it helps to make me feel like I don't stand out that much.
So I'm 38 weeks today and dilated to 1cm. We've been walking in the evenings (most evenings at least) and I definitely feel like it's helping. I am feeling ready to get this baby out and meet him or her. After having that ultrasound, I've been anxious to meet the baby in person! We'll keep the blog updated as anything happens ... or doesn't yet! :) We're hoping for an early baby this time around though!