Babykins is ten weeks old now. This week we were able to hear the heartbeat again. I don't think that could ever get old! JJ and I are repeatedly reminding each other of the beautiful sound: woosh woosh, woosh woosh, woosh woosh. JJ said it sounded like an ocean! At eight weeks, we were able to get pictures of our little Babykins. With his (or her) arms tucked under the chin, we think our baby looks very pious! We also at that point got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. We both had tears in our eyes and are treasuring our first photos of our baby! Babykins is in good health and size according to the doctor. I am coming closer to the end of my first trimester, and aside from some fatigue, I am feeling very good.

We are now less than a week away from call day. I don't know the exact number of days off the top of my head because we haven't been counting down. There's nothing like hearing your unborn child's heartbeat and counting down each week of your child's life and development to put things in perspective! While we are certainly excited to find out where we will be going, it's out of our hands and out of our control. We are content to wait and see what happens! We are looking forward to the service and all the busyness that will ensue for JJ as the sacristan. He will be singing in the choir for his own service and then helping as a the banner bearer for the evening call service for the fourth year students. He will be very busy this coming week! I think he's thinking more about all the logistics of the services than he is about his placement. That, at least, is what is more pressing right now. His parents will be able to make the trip from Wisconsin for the service, and we are looking forward to that as well. We have a lot to look forward to!

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. Our Christian family has been and continues to be such a blessing to us. We are continually overwhelmed by your support and love. Thank you!

We are enjoying a blessed Eastertide. The weather has turned beautiful, and all the campus is abloom. Call day is in two weeks, and all the campus is also "abloom" with excitement.
JJ and I have our own excitement. We are blessed by God to have conceived a child and are joyously anticipating our child's birth in late October. We are enjoying each day with our child, learning about his or her growth and development. We've given him or her the nickname Babykins; Babykins is now an inch and a half long! Mom and baby are both doing well. Mommy has been extremely thankful for very little nausea. Fatigue can be dealt with with an afternoon nap, so things are going well. Daddy is a bouncing bubble of joy. He is so excited! He talks to Babykins everyday, and we pray for him or her everyday. It is a blessed experience to be a part of this child's life and growth, and we are thankful to God for this opportunity to be parents. Please add to your prayers our little one. We will certainly keep all of you updated! God's blessing to you all and peace in our Resurrected Lord!

Blessed Holy Week to everyone. We have been keeping very busy, but things are slowing down just in time for some contemplation on our Lord's passion this week. I had been working earlier this month at CPH, which was keeping us doubly busy. JJ was doing a great job of taking care of me when I got home bushed, but that consequently left both of us a bit behind. And our quarter started so quickly that we began a bit behind! Yesterday, Easter break started here on campus after chapel, so we spent the lovely afternoon resting and getting caught up. JJ got all his paperwork from last quarter caught up, and I got the kitchen cleaned up. The weather has turned so lovely this week that we were also able to go for a walk.
In chapel this week we celebrated Holy Week as much as possible, given the shortened school week. On Monday was a chanting of the Passion narrative, Tuesday corporate confession and absolution, and Wednesday a Good Friday service with Holy Communion. This week, since JJ has no responsibilities at his field ed. church, he has jumped at the chance to help an area pastor, Rev. Curtis of Trinity in Worden, IL, with the Passion services, including an Easter vigil Saturday evening. We are both very excited about that. We've never been to one, and it will be a great learning experience for JJ (technically, my mother informed me, I have attended an Easter vigil, when I was three, but I'm not counting that).
I bought my family's traditional brand of egg coloring kit (is there any other brand?) and am "forcing" JJ to color eggs this week, and we may make some cookies too! (It's not that he's the Easter equivalent of a Scrooge, but he doesn't like hard-boiled eggs.) It is such a wonderful time of year. Forget the bunnies and eggs, our Savior has died and risen from the grave for the redemption and restoration of all creation! Now that is something to celebrate! We wish everyone a blessed Pascha.