more random stuff

My belly button has 3 more days to invert. A month or so ago, Nate and I made our predictions about when the amazing inversion would occur. I guessed Jan 31. He guessed something like March... I can't remember.

One of our staff statisticians found out how far along I was and nearly fainted. She couldn't believe I wasn't further along than I am. "You're already so big!" She (very seriously) asked me if I thought I might gain 50 pounds before the baby is born. I had to laugh. Am I really that big? I don't think so, but apparently Nate has had similar thoughts.

So glad it's Friday! Wish I could spend it outdoors... it will be 71 degrees and sunny today! Thankful I'm not being blasted by winter storms :). And, it's Houston marathon weekend... Ryan Hall is in town (The Nate is very excited to see him run in the flesh).

Happy weekend, everyone!

News from the TMC

We've been swarmed the past week or so with news reporters and cameras. The AZ congresswoman is getting her rehab done here at the TIRR.

And I just happened to think this was super inspiring. I collaborate with several of the physicians in the video.

ok, I'm in a conference right now so I best skedaddle.

Burping Peaches, Wheel Bugs, and Bosom Babies

I was flying high up in the ceiling of a greenhouse where cardboard trays of peaches were labeled one by one with a "burp". As I hovered above the sweet smelling fruits, and read the labels, one by one they began to pop and explode... but not before letting out a loud and characteristic burp. Each one was different! Fascinating! (What kind of greenhouse is this, anyway?). As I landed on the ground, I began to explore the dirt-covered floor. It was moist with lots of tiny roots and sprouting green things all around. I felt an itching sensation in my left shirt sleeve and upon further and frenzied examination, discovered that it was a wheel bug. Ouch! I felt a pinch. It must have bitten me! I quickly shook out my sleeve and flailed my arm dramatically but then paused, realizing that I should not kill it. I had to save it, so that Nate could see it. He's never seen one before! But he must! ... I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when my friend Carey showed up at the hotel room with her daughter. Lisa was there with her twin boys. I opened the bathroom door a crack to play peek-a-boo with Carey's daughter while I finished brushing my teeth (I paid no attention to Carey, after all, when we have kids, people will only care to see our kids, not us). When I was done, I came out and tried to get on the bed with the twins (who had morphed into tiny orange kittens), but Lisa shooed me away. I was not to waken them. Where is my black dress? I need it to go to the wedding. I can't find it. All I can find are pink and flowery summer dresses that are now too small for me. Well, I suppose this one will have to do. It's all I've got. I must have forgotten to bring my black dress. We're in the car on the way to the church and I'm wearing a pink dress that is far too tight. I look down at my chest and there is a tiny foot oozing out of one of my breasts. Oh my! Is it the baby's foot?? Upon closer inspection, I can see the head! Look, Nate! The baby's face! Oh, but I must cover it and shield it and protect it. Must go to ER. Quick! What should we do? Does this mean it's born? Can someone put it back in me? I'm not even 20 weeks yet!

dancing in the minefields

If you're married and you know the magnificence of marriage, you also know the difficulties. I saw Andrew Peterson perform this live on Friday night before his Behold the Lamb Christmas concert (a-ma-zing) and I just love the lyrics.



We were really impressed with the talent we saw on Friday. Even Nate, who is usually not enthused by contemporary Christian music, was full of praises.

Quickupdate

What?

Oh, hi. Remember me?

Instead of making up excuses as to why I haven't written in over 3 months, I'll just jump right into what's been going on since September.

WewenttoGraceandJason'sweddinginGrandJunction,hadour5thannualFallParty/celebratedNate'sbirthday,ranintheHoustonTurkeyTrot,andohyeah,I'msisxteenweekspregnant!

Baby Ahern will be here in June. I swore I would never, ever post an ultrasound photo online, but it now seems appropriate. The image is from our 7 week appointment. You can hardly see a thing, except that there is someone in there.

I've been feeling great in general- no vomiting and any symptoms that I've had have been mild. So it's a boy. But the baby's heartrate a couple days ago was in the 150s, so it's a girl. And the online gender prediction test tells us "Congratulations! There is a 50% chance that your baby is a boy!" Whoopee. That was enlightening.

I have not experienced much irritability (I don't think, but maybe you should ask Nate?) except that I really just cannot stand to hear that Josh Groban Christmas stuff. His vibrato is so immensely annoying to me and I hate it. For all you Josh Groban fanatics out there, please don't be offended. I admit I have a secret love of Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson, and Jessica Simpson's old stuff, which might drive you crazy whether you're pregnant or not. And in case you were wondering, my distaste for Josh Groban is not pregnancy related, but it is certainly accentuated now.

Could I think of anything more random to write about? As if you care.

Maybe I'll be back soon, maybe not.

Cheers to a great summer!

ok, folks... I started this post a while back, but I am obviously behind on blogging and even some emails if I owe you one. I am working on catching up....
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Hello from the depths of summer heat and travels! One would think that there would be more time on my hands to blog in the summertime but that simply was not the case. We have had a jam-packed summer and it has been lovely. I'll get this blog all caught up here, and then we can resume as though it's a new school year, since it's back-to-school time around here. I won't promise more frequent posting but I will assert my sincere desire to post more.

I think a fairly standard definition of summer based on the school calendar is Memorial Day through Labor Day. So I will begin this update with Memorial Day.

I have been fortunate to have seen every sib in the Ahern family between January and June of this year. John was here in January, in March I was in DC and saw Abe and Bekah then Rachel in L.A., and then Nate and I saw Rachel and Ed in Norman in May, and Mary Grace was here in June. And we will close off this summer over Labor Day visiting Canaan Hills and the entire family for the wedding of Grace and Jason. Whew!

So as I just mentioned, we were in Norman, OK in May, over Memorial Day weekend. Nate and I packed up the car and drove north where we camped in Chickasaw National Recreational Area and rounded off the trip with a visit to the Knudsens and stopping to see my parents and the new Baby Hendricks in DFW on the way home.
Shortly after we returned, Grace arrived in Houston for a 2+ week visit with us while she went through some violin training a couple miles from our house. It was nice having another body in the house and someone else to share runs and spend the evenings with. We all had fairly busy schedules during this time but we managed to give Grace a taste of the city and even made it to an Astros game and a Houston symphony performance at Miller Outdoor Theater.
A week or so after Grace left, Nate and I went to Alaska with a group of new friends. It was breathtaking just seeing the majesty of God's creation. We spent some time in Denali National Park and the Kenai Peninsula/Homer.

We also had the opportunity to go to Canada this summer. I had a conference there and Nate came along. We managed to find enough time to tour Vancouver while we were there. What an awesome city! It was clean, friendly, and breathtakingly beautiful.
This is a very condensed version of our summer, but it's the best you're gonna get! Cheers to a great summer!
And today, I leave for Grand Junction. Grace is getting married!!

What difference do it make??

I just finished reading a book called What Difference Do it Make?, a follow-up book to Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. These men came from completely different walks of life yet came together and continue to make a difference in the homeless communities across the country. It really opened my eyes to some of the issues surrounding the homeless.

Growing up in a suburb, I rarely encountered homeless people on the streets. Sure, I volunteered at homeless shelters through my church youth group and through my high school, but that was the only time I ever really saw them.

I began to see more of the homeless when I went to college in downtown Nashville, and now, living in the 4th largest city in the U.S., I'm lucky if I don't see a homeless person in a single day.

My heart has always been troubled when seeing these folks on the streets. Many will walk up to you and ask for money. Some stand at busy intersections with signs made from cardboard boxes or with an empty McDonald's cup. Some even carry a bucket of water and a squeegee and wash your windows while you are waiting at the light, in hopes that you will pay them for their service.

My initial gut reaction when I see these people is fear. Here is a dirty, smelly, perhaps mentally impaired person looking in my window and holding his cup towards me asking for change. I avoid eye contact. I roll up my windows. I ignore them. I don't even crack a smile. I pray for the light to turn green quickly. And then as I drive away (or walk away), I feel pangs of guilt. God has blessed me with financial security, a home, food, family, friends... couldn't I have spared a dollar? Or even a smile? Jesus commands us to help those in need, no matter if they are dirty or malicious.

But, you ask, What if you give a homeless person 5 bucks, and then he goes and buys cigarettes or alcohol with it and then gets thrown in jail? The answer is that it is not our place to judge how this person uses your gift to them. You are blessing this person, and what he does with what you give him is up to him. The idea is that we are called to help those in need; what happens after that is up to God. We certainly cannot "fix" the situation of a homeless person when we toss change into his cup. But a simple act of smiling, saying hello, and showing love to someone is our duty as Christians.

Another thing that I was reminded of in this book is that we should never be quick to judge. Not every homeless person is crazy. Not every homeless person is a lazy bum. Not every homeless person is an addict. Some, for instance, are just down on their luck. Maybe, like Denver Moore, their upbringings put them in their position- without even an elementary school education, how can an adult find his place in society? Who will accept him, offer him a job, or even respect him? When we look to help the homeless, we should look past what we see on the surface. We don't know their life histories. Let God do the judging.

Like any other person, the homeless are looking for acceptance, for recognition, for a second chance. Whether they got themselves into this position or not, they are God's children too, and they deserve to be treated as our brothers and sisters. So the next time you give a homeless person some change or a burger, don't question what they are going to do next. Give freely and let God take care of the rest. You never know what difference it could make.

I haven't yet read the first book (Same Kind of Different as Me), but I have it on hold at the library. I would highly recommend the second book, What Difference do it Make, if you are interested in reading more about this topic. It's a quick read, and I wager that it will stir your heart.