Trick or Treat?

Well, today is the official due date. As my doctor said, there's a 50% chance either way. I'm shooting for this weekend, so I'm not really expecting anything to happen today, but she may surprise us. She'll either show-up today and be a Halloween treat, or not show-up and be a Halloween trick. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime enjoy this photo of a lovely autumn scene.

Leave Nothing

Have you seen this commercial? Not only is it just a cool commercial, I love the tag line "Leave Nothing". This tag line sums up my latest thoughts on faith.

I had a minor knee injury during my soccer days as a Freshman in high school. After I had recovered and had been playing again for a few weeks my coach approached me and put his hands on my shoulder. He said "Does this hurt?" and he kicked my knee. I said "No". He said "Then stop playing like it does." I remember, vividly, the next game I played and how great I played. No, didn't score a goal or even save any goals, but, man, I made some great plays. Those few words my coach said empowered me to do what we both knew I was capable of. That next game I left nothing in myself, I gave it all to playing that game.

I've witnessed several situations lately where people within the church have had to make difficult decisions about life and faith and how they work together. I've also watched how the "community" of the church has played a role in assisting people in making those decisions or carrying those decisions out. At one point I told CDK that as the church we have to do everything in our power to help people and be a part of community with them. I don't believe God called us to walk this road of Christianity alone and that if we sit back and passively watch others believers in our lives go on their merry way and never invest in them, then we are not doing what we're called to do. We can't leave any stone unturned when we are trying to work together as the body of Christ, we must put forth all our effort and explore every option of how to work through situations, good and bad ones. I think it's sometimes easier to let our excuses of "it's a personal issue" or "I don't want to intrude" cover our apathy. Shouldn't we care enough about each other to intrude? Especially when the stakes are high. Though my theory is that if we "intrude" (and I use this word to simply mean, being part of each others lives in an intentional way) in the everyday, small things, we will naturally be a part of the big things.

Christianity isn't an individualistic pursuit. Even Christ wasn't alone, he had his community of the 12 disciples. So why do we think we can do it ourselves? And how far do we actually take that? We've seen the results of taking it too far, cults like the Branch Davidians. And it's easy to see the results of our faith pursuits being too individualistic, just look at the number of denominations out there and new churches starting everyday.

I think that at the end of each day we should crawl in bed exhausted and think "Man, I played a great game today." And that game being the one of faith, one where we leave nothing lacking in relationships with believers and non-believers, one where we know that we did everything God asked us to do that day and he's smiling, because he knew all along we were capable of that, with his help. The only difference is that sometimes, unlike my knee, it will hurt. There will be hard days, there will be defeats, and there will be people who don't want us, or God rather, in their lives, but the end result is much more exciting than a great day on the soccer field.

A Muslim in Space

I'm assuming that some days it's hard enough to fulfill the tenants of Islam, without being in space. Praying five times a day, the washing rituals before prayer, eating halal food (depending on where you live), and others. This article had a bit of comic relief for me when they talked about how many times the guy would have to pray because of the speed of the shuttle's orbit and how a new version of the tenants were written for astronauts. I bolded the parts I found particularly funny.

Doctor to honor Ramadan rituals in space
By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press WriterWed Oct 10, 4:56 PM ET

A Malaysian doctor who will spend the last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in space has vowed to follow the rituals of his faith even as he hurtles around Earth at 17,000 mph.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor lifted off Wednesday in a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan, en route to the international space station where he will spend about 10 days.

The spacecraft — which also carried an American and a Russian — will take two days to reach the station, a period coinciding with the last days of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Sheikh Muszaphar has said he will fast and pray in space, even though clerics said he could delay the fast.

"I am not sure how it would be done but I will share my experiences (with) all the Muslims all over the world when I get back," the 35-year-old Sheikh Muszaphar wrote in his Web journal. "After all, Islam is a way of life and I am quite sure I would not face much difficulties."

Sheikh Muszaphar is taking vacuum-packed Malaysian food, including skewered chicken, banana rolls, fermented soybean cakes and ginger jelly to mark the end of Ramadan.
A bachelor who has become a national heartthrob, the orthopedic surgeon will not be the first Muslim in space — Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman joined the crew of the shuttle Discovery in 1985 and there have been several others since.

Still, the mission initially presented a dilemma about fulfilling religious duties such as fasting, kneeling for prayers in zero gravity or facing Mecca to pray.

After all, praying five times daily on a craft that goes around Earth 16 times a day would have meant praying 80 times in 24 hours. Also, it is virtually impossible to face Mecca continuously in a craft traveling at such high speed.

Muslims are required to wash their hands, feet, face and hair before prayers — a luxury on the Soyuz where water is so precious that even sweat and urine are recycled.
To get around these problems, 150 Malaysian scholars, scientists, and astronauts brainstormed and published an 18-page booklet of guidelines for Muslim astronauts.
If he follows the guidelines, Sheikh Muszaphar can forgo fasting in space and make up for it when he returns to Earth. He can pray three times a day instead of five, facing any direction, and he can do without the ritual washing.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Muszaphar told reporters his trip will be an inspiration for his Southeast Asian homeland as well as to other Muslims worldwide.

"It's a small step for me, but a great leap for the Malaysian people," he said, rephrasing Neil Armstrong's words after the 1969

Long Awaited

Ok, sorry about the plethora of baby posts. I'm trying not to get to obsessed with this, but it's kind of hard, especially with only 29 days left. But, you've been asking, so finally, here they are, belly pics! I about 32 weeks in these pictures.

And finally, while I'm not particularly fond of showing my exposed skin in a picture (much less of exposing my skin anywhere!) here is a pic for posterity's sake. Plus I think CDK did a really good job with this one, so I wanted to show him off too!

FYI - don't forget to post your vote on the Baby Pool!

Please, no!

This article and picture was on Yahoo! News today.

BARNAUL, Russia (Reuters) - A Siberian woman who gave birth to her 12th child -- doing more than her fair share to stem Russia's population decline -- was stunned to find that little Nadia weighed in at a massive 7.75 kg (17.1 lb).
Nadia was delivered by Cesarean section in the local maternity hospital in the Altai region on September 17, joining eight sisters and three brothers, a local reporter said.
"We were all simply in shock," said Nadia's mother, Tatyana Barabanova, 43. "What did the father say? He couldn't say a thing -- he just stood there blinking."
"I ate everything, we don't have the money for special foods so I just ate potatoes, noodles and tomatoes," she told the reporter, adding that all her previous babies had weighed more than 5 kg.
The Guinness World Records lists a 10.2 kg baby boy born in Italy in 1955, and a 10.8 kg baby boy who was born in the United States in 1879 but died 11 hours later.
The average weight for most healthy newborn babies is around 3.2 kg (7.06 lb), according to World Health Organisation figures.

There's a few lessons to be learned here:
1. Don't have 12 children.
2. Your pregnancy diet shouldn't consist of only potatoes, noodles and tomatoes.
3. Don't buy too many 0-3 month size clothes, your "little one" might not fit in them.

A Little Fun *Update*

Ok, so still no belly pics (sorry KarenD), but in the meantime, how about a Baby Pool? My co-workers have started one, so I thought it would be fun to track one online and see what everyone thought.

Enter your guess here.

4andcounting made a good point, so here's a little history and some pregnancy facts. I was 3 weeks late and over 8 1/2 lbs, CDK was 6 weeks late (that story is for another post) and over 10 1/2 lbs, and 23". So far I've gained 18 lbs. Maybe that will help a little.

Random Facts/Habits - Tag

I was tagged by mab for this one. I think I've been tagged before, but haven't participated as of yet. I'll answer, but I don't think I'll tag anyone, this seems to have made it around my blogging circle already.

Here are (drum roll please....) my 8 random facts/habits/quirks, whatever you want to call it.

1. I really like to open packages, cd's, dvd's, anything that's new and with a wrapper. Even if I already know what's in the package. My husband knows this and lets me open his packages. Though the other day CDK inadvertently opened a package I had received in the mail. I wasn't very happy. I guess this stems from the fact that one of my love languages is gifts, so a package always seems like a gift.
2. I like to eat certain foods with certain sized utensils. For example, I eat my ice cream with a small spoon, so I can savor it. I also eat my yogurt with a small spoon, but that's because too big of a bite of yogurt will make me gag (that's not just because of pregnancy, maybe this should be it's own quirk). I like to eat soups with large spoons. As for cakes and pies it depends. If it's a layer cake I like a big fork so I can get a little bit of each layer in each bite. But if it's that really good Cheesecake Factory Godiva chocolate cheesecake that CDK and I usually split, it's a small fork. Unless I'm threatened by his much faster eating pace than mine and I want to get my fair share. Enough on this one!
3. I like to keep my food in the same place on the plate during the entire meal. What?, you may be asking. If I get up and go get seconds and sit back down and my meat isn't in the same place as it was before, I don't like that. I will often turn my plate around till it feels right again.
4. Before I put the car in gear, I get everything in order. I adjust the mirrors, buckle-up, turn on the music and air, and put my cell phone in an easy to reach place. CDK says this is a quirk, I just think it's what I was taught in driver's ed and it's safer this way. If I'm trying to put in a cd, adjust my mirrors, and find my cell phone in my purse while driving, it's not good for the rest of you out there.
5. OCD Grocery Shopping. You can read the post for a full explanation. Though I must admit, I got tired of my menu plan sooner than I had expected and am due for another. I've been out of this habit, and have missed it. It's on my to do list before baby arrives.
6. I prefer reading non-fiction or story books over what I call "smart" books. I love books that are a story and I can't wait to pick up again. I would like to read more non-fiction and learn more, but it takes me forever. I think it took me a year to get through From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman, even though I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I do highly recommend it. My compromise has been biographies and historical fiction. This way I get a story and I'm getting a little smarter.
7. I'm not extremely good at any one thing. Most people have one thing they're known for being really good at, but I don't. And I'm ok with that. I can do a lot of things average and a lot of things a above average, but I have no speciality. I was an average to above average player in most sports I attempted, I was an above average student, an average singer. I guess that makes me sort of a Renaissance woman, since I can do a lot of things pretty well. I wonder if I just don't have the attention span or diligence to get really good at one thing.
8. When I return to my hometown or get feisty I fall into the accent from my hometown. I realized this as soon as I went off to college, that I did have an accent different than most others in my state, and especially other states. Since then I have been told multiple times that I don't have any accent and people can't even tell what state I'm from. I like that, not because I'm not proud of my state, but simply because I hope that makes me more adaptable to wherever I am and more approachable.

So there you have, KLK's random habits/facts/quirks. If you can identify, I'll be glad to hear it.