Following the Fowlers

I want to wish everyone a safe, wonderful, joyous, and memorable Halloween!

Yesterday I finally told my students that I was going to have a baby. They were so excited for me. They started clapping and cheering! A lot of my students said, "I knew it!" When I asked how they knew, they said (with some embarrassment) "You're stomach is getting bigger!" One of my boys said he was going to ask me, but then didn't. When asked why he didn't he said, "I saw on a carmex commercial that you should never ask a woman if she is pregnant!" One of my little boys shouted out, "Everyone, stop cheering. This means she is going to leave us." That was very sweet to hear that he didn't want me to leave, but I assured them that the baby isn't due until April. So, everyone officially knows now. In about three weeks we will find out the sex out our little baby and we are so excited!

This week I have been feeling particularly fat. I don't look pregnant yet, I just look like I have "let myself go". Well, today I was leaning against a wall in the hallway overseeing the kids packing up their backpacks. A parent who volunteers often at our school came walking down the hallway. She looked at me, looked at my stomach, smiled and patted my belly. I know that she volunteers in the office a lot, so I thought that maybe she had heard about my pregnancy. I leaned in and asked her if she had heard. She said (and I quote), "No, but you don't have an ounce of fat on your body." It was very nice to hear that compliment and I was excited that someone saw me and thought I was pregnant and not just fat! Thank you, Susan!

Everyone keeps asking me if I have had any cravings yet. I have always said that I didn't really feel like I had. Well, the other day, I'm pretty sure I had my first "real craving". I was sitting in a meeting with my principal, assistant principal, counselor, and 4th grade team. For some reason, the thought of peanuts popped into my head. As soon as it was there, I couldn't get rid of it. I was literally sitting there not listening to anyone talking and trying to figure out how I could get some peanuts! I have been wanting salty things since the beginning of my pregnancy, but at that moment I wanted peanuts REAL bad! That was in the morning and I had to wait until after school to go to the store. But, when I got home to my couch, I had a very good time enjoying eating my peanuts!

This morning during early worship at church, we had an amazing THREE baptisms! Those getting baptized ranged in age from about 10 to 70. It was a miraculous and wonderful thing to watch. I tend to cry during baptisms anyways, but these three really touched my heart today. It brought back to me what this life is really all about. Loving God, telling others about Jesus, and saving souls is the true "meaning of life". I am so blessed to have seen three more souls saved and lives committed to Jesus. I know the angels in Heaven are rejoicing today!