Autumn Is Here!

In the past, the Shaw Manor has waited until October 1 to display its autumnal and Halloween decor. But this year, we couldn't wait! We decided to put out just our fall decorations yesterday, and October 1 we'll add our Halloween decorations as well. I baked some Apple-Cinnamon bars to celebrate the season, and we bedecked the Manor halls with autumn goodness.

First Baby Bump!

Here it is! I'm on week 12--last week of Trimester 1. My, how it is going by fast! I've been so blessed not to have morning sickness this trimester. I still have the fatigue thing, and it's always the worst from Fri--Sun. But every time I feel the life of me being drained away, I just smile because I know the Fig is growing! And so am I!

Current Favorite Things

Every once in a while I blog about my favorite things I'm loving for the time being. Being pregnant, my favorite things tend to change quite frequently, but these are a few of my favorite things that have been so for more than a week!


It's autumn already at Starbucks! From now until after Christmas, I drink my weight in Starbucks...there are too many seasonal yummy things from Sep to Jan. Right now I'm loving the pumpkin spice lattes, both hot and cold! Of course I do decaf for the Fig.



My most consistent craving has been these gummy fruit snacks. My fave brand is the Market Pantry brand from Target.



Recently I've been finding myself making dinner while watching the Simpsons. I've never been a fan of them, I never watched them when they were popular. But now I'm finding them really funny and entertaining!



Perhaps my most favorite thing, and the Fig's favorite thing, is SLEEP! Since I'm back to work, I've been taking naps each afternoon when I get home. And even with a nap, I'm ready to hit my pillow by 9:30 every night!

Fauf+Ig=Fig

Now that Fig (that's what we're calling Baby Shaw right now) has gone public, it is time for its story to be told to everyone as well. It all started a year ago beginning of August when we decided a baby would complete our our lovely life. We tried and tried....and tried some more...Meanwhile a year was slipping by.




This past summer we discovered my body needed a little extra help, so we took the doctor's advice and hoped for the best. We were feeling a little discouraged about the whole thing, wondering if Baby Shaw would ever show up in my uterus. Then one day in July, we discovered a mother bird had built a nest in our front door wreath and hatched five little babies (you all remember the blog). The same day we discovered the nest, we also discovered the fertility help was working and it was time to try once again for our Fig. While waiting to discover if it worked this time or not, we kept thinking about that little bird nest and believed it was a little gift from God to remind us that He had not forgotten us this past year and He had His eye on us, just like He did on the sparrow.



Well, we waited a few weeks, as everyone must do. While we kept telling ourselves it could still take a few more tries (just so we wouldn't get our hopes up), we remembered God's sign of the bird nest and were comforted. Then towards the end of July, those baby birds suddenly grew up and flew away. That night we discovered someone new was nesting inside of me!



We were overjoyed, laughing and crying and hugging all at the same time. Michael had a feeling I was pregnant before I did. So when we were at an antique shop earlier that week, he had bought a little bird pin. The night of Aug. 2 when we found out, he gave it to me as a gift and a reminder of God's sweet sign of His promises through that bird nest on our front door.


The week we discovered our Fig marked exactly one year to the week since we started trying for it. When I realized that, I just had to smile at God and His quirky sense of humor. And of course thank Him for never forgetting us along this difficult journey of faith. Our God is quite sentimental!