Keeping my perspective

I'm now 37 weeks and these babies are mighty comfy in there. Three weeks ago my dr said I probably had 10-14 days. Obviously we have passed that by. Now they're saying it may be another week or two and at the latest they would induce me on July 2nd.  I'm readjusting mentally to keep hanging in there for that long instead of expecting to go into labor at any given moment.

I feel like there's a fine line for me right now between complaining and being honest and being thankful.  I don't want to complain about my physical lack of comfort or the strain this is putting on our family, although at times I do. But at the same time, I don't want to deny that what I'm doing is physically difficult or that this is hard on our marriage and our children. And if I do say something about it, I don't want to come across as being unthankful for the gift of these babies.

I am so very thankful for these babies already.  When I stop and think about the true miracle God is giving us--two babies at once; two babies who I knew He wanted to add to our family although I never expected them to come at the same time; two babies who are growing inside me--I am in awe. I can't deny that this is His doing. And in the scheme of life and eternity, my discomfort for 9 months, especially these past few weeks, is nothing compared to the glory these children can bring Him.  I have to remind myself of this daily.

Last night in my insomnia I reread the book Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic. I highly recommend this book to anyone with little kids--moms and dads.  I think she gets a lot of the perspective on parenting right, and I trust her experience since she has five little ones, including a set of twins.  I probably have lots I can learn from her.

One chapter that really encouraged me today was about the mom's attitude and self-talk. She said that she used to find herself thinking all day that she was "overwhelmed."  And while it may be true that she was, once she eliminated the word "overwhelmed" from her vocabulary, it became much easier to do the work God has given her to do. I need to remember that now and especially in the months to come. The days when I feel overwhelmed and tired, I need to instead focus on the work God has given me to do and His strength that He will give me to do it.  This is His plan for me and for our family. His desire is not for us to be overwhelmed by this, but instead to bring us good and not harm, to give us hope and a future (Jer 29:11).

Okay, so I'm basically writing all of this as a reminder to myself. But maybe it will encourage you as well.

Also, I know that there are lots of people praying for us and I greatly appreciate it. Here are a few specific prayer requests:

• Praise God for the gift of these two babies and pray that our family will continually be thankful for this gift, even in the chaos
• Pray for my delivery, especially that I would get to the hospital quickly enough to receive the prep that is needed for a twin delivery
• Pray for the health of the babies and for my health and recovery after delivery. 
• Pray for Jay, Catherine, Will, and Anna who have had to do without much of my attention and help. Pray for their continued patience and understanding when we bring home the babies.
• Praise God for the help of our family and friends, who truly are getting us through on a daily basis with everything from childcare, to laundry, to meals

Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement!