Chingity Chang Chang the Chinese Chicken

Writer’s block is my new name. You would THINK I would have so much to write about, and I guess I do. Oh, but sitting down and solidifying thoughts into visible words…woe is me. Methinks I have lost my readers.

Let’s see…well I’m sure all you want to know about is the baby. Right? Right. The baby is the size of an olive, but I hope the color of a human. And I hope it’s not stuffed with a folded up red chili pepper. For now we will call the baby an “it” since we do not know the gender, but don’t think for a second that I am demeaning his or her beautiful existence. It has already developed tiny arms and legs, short little fingers and toes, is getting rid of its tadpole tail, has eyes, is developing ears, vital organs, has teensy hair follicles…. it’s a person! And it’s in me, and it’s a miracle. I know every mother thinks the same, but that makes it no less true that the miracle is God-given life.


Jason during the moment he found out he is a papi

What I don’t like about being pregnant:

Ø I am in a constant state of feeling gross. I can’t describe it any better than that. It’s not that I feel all the way sick, hungry, not hungry, or anything else. Just gross. Out of whack.
Ø As soon as I tell people I’m pregnant, the first thing they do is stare at my stomach.
Ø People groping my bump-less belly. I’m sure it will be fun and cute when there is an actual baby bump, but for now, it’s just weird.
Ø Not being able to force supper into my mouth. Breakfast and lunch is fine. But suppertime is the worst.

What I like about being pregnant:

Ø Day dreaming about life with a baby. Don’t worry. I include the sleepless nights in those dreams.
Ø How attentive Jason is and how well he takes care of me. He’s so sweet. I love him!
Ø The excitement and joy this baby brings to people. There has been shouting, clapping, wheeeing, huge smiles, laughter, jumps, and beaming whenever the news has been told.
Ø Hearing the baby’s heartbeat while at the doctor’s office. One of my favorite moments!
Ø Wondering what “it” will be like. One thing is for sure, whether it’s a boy or a girl, the poor thing will be bald and have ears that stick out for at least a whole year. There is no escaping it. BOTH Jason and I were like that as babies. Poor thing.
Ø The process of asking God to mold us into the parents he wants us to be, to be equipped with what pleases the Lord in raising a child. If I try to adapt to what “everyone out there” thinks a parent should be like, I’ll be confused and disappointed for the rest of my life. There is a freedom in simply asking the Lord what pleases him and what He desires.


And on another note, Jason is obsessed with chicken. He has become a total chickavore. He talks about it at almost every meal, which of course usually includes chicken these days, and raves every day about how good it is in any form or fashion, excluding crunchy chicken, which he does not like because it is too dry. I have to admit that with all the chicken we’ve been eating and all the chicken talk, I’m having a hard time looking at the stuff anymore. I’m an expert at cooking various types of chicken these days with all of the practice I’ve been getting at his request. I’m about chickened out. Jason mentioned yesterday that it would be cool to buy and raise our own chickens. I told him that at the rate he eats them, our whole coop would be depleted by a week. I also have no intentions whatsoever to develop a knack for feather plucking. Somebody save me!!

And for the final note, I’m sharing with you one of the delights of my day. With about the same intensity of Jason’s love of chicken, I could never get tired of seeing these beautiful birds every morning and afternoon. This bird is an Aracari, a small cousin of a toucan. Have a beautiful day!


Toucan Landed


Picked a berry


Tossed the berry in the air to swallow it


Looked around for another feeding spot