Baby update... (updated again) (updated 9/18) (updated with links 10/1)

Alyssa (3rd church baby) had her baby last Wednesday: boy!

1st church baby born last month: boy

co-worker's baby born last month: boy

2nd church baby born over the weekend: boy

College roommate's baby born Aug 20: boy

Co-worker's first grandbaby, this week: boy (born over the weekend)

Co-worker's first grandbaby, last week: girl

Newlywifed (blogger) Sept 10: girl

Still waiting on another co-worker's first grandbaby (born--not sure if boy or girl), 3rd church baby, 4th church baby (update--how could I forget?) and of course, Babs. But we'll be waiting a while for hers to come. (update) Oh, and also, the neighbor across the street. I think her due date is mid-Oct.

(update 9/17) Also, another one of the Austin bloggers (no, not you Badger!), MyUtopia. She's due in March.

Did I mention I went to three weddings this summer?

Did I mention that I am SO happy to not be having babies or a husband right now? This 35 year old is glad to be dating and NOT worrying about diapers, house payments, or who squeezes the toothpaste tube which way.

Fear=false evidence appearing real, or shadows...

It has been many days since I've had a morning walk.

And I'm grumpy--the light is changing, my life is changing, the towels need changing...

(At least I can do something about that last one.)

My walk is a devotional--it is a place where I hope to find myself and my God. I listen to worship music in my cd-player as I walk down past the tennis courts, into the park proper, up the stone stairs, through the grass where I look at the gingko tree planted in 1941 in honor of a Peabody High School biology teacher. I take lots of pictures of leaves shaped like hearts, because they remind me that I am loved.

Today, when I saw the shadow of the horse statue, I was reminded how silly some of my fears are--that I'm afraid of my own shadow, and of other people's shadows. It brought to mind this verse from Isaiah (my favorite Bible book), a verse that I first discovered during some hard times my junior year of college.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD. (Isaiah 31:1)

May I always seek help from my Lord. May I not be afraid of shadows. May I move forward, "despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back" (Erica Jong)

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Oh, and on my walk, I passed one more pregnant lady (and her husband, walking their dog.) So I'll add her to the list of babies we're waiting for.