Latest on Baby Arévalo

I was hoping that the title of this blog would have been "Latest on (girl or boy) Arévalo but baby Arévalo did not want to cooperate this morning when we had our ultrasound.  Alas we shall have to wait another month before we can try again and hopefully get a definitive answer as to whether we are having a baby girl or a baby boy!  What we never get tired of is actually seeing the baby on the ultrasound.  It is just so amazing to see him/her moving its little limbs around.  We got to hear the heartbeat again—a strong 149 bpm—and saw its little arms moving up and down holding its head.  At one point it turned around and was giving its back to us and we saw its spine and legs.  We are overjoyed that our baby is healthy and growing and cannot thank God enough for giving us this awesome miracle and privilege to be parents!  We are also officially in the second trimester and we have an official due date of November 17th, 2013.  That is the day we will get to meet our little baby boy or girl!

The thought of being a father is ever more at the forefront of my mind with each doctors visit.  The thought of being responsible for a human life is a heavy weight on my shoulders and yet at the same time an awesome privilege.  Brooke likes to take picitures of me when I'm playing with other people's children, and she tells me that I'm definitely ready to be a dad.  Sometimes I think I am and other times I think I'm no where near ready to be a father and that I lack in many areas needed to excel as a good father.  When these feelings of inadequacy creep in, I am reminded that the Lord is the one who has, in his sovereign will, given us this wonderful blessing and he will also give us the capacity to be great godly parents to this child.  Scripture tells us that as parents we have a responsibility to bring our kids up in the ways of the Lord.  

Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

The Hebrew word for "train" means to dedicate, in other words dedicating him or her to God and preparing them for future responsibilities as an adult.   ​

We are both extremely excited about this new season in our lives.  Hopefully next time one of us writes we'll know the gender!

-Ron