Faith Section Up!

Hello, friends!

It's Up-- Finally!

I am excited about a new addition to our blog-- the Faith section. Since this blog's creation a year ago, the Faith section has simply said "Under Construction." Today, the Faith section actually has a brief blurb about our faith and a link to one of our study documents.

The Vision

My hope is that rather than creating long "articles of faith" statements, we can document the research we have done into various topics and share them with others. For example, instead of stating: "We believe that a, b, and c are foundational the Christian living," we can provide a link to a document with all the research and study that we have personally done that has guided our beliefs.

Understanding another person's perspective is a lot easier when you can see their "trail of thoughts" leading up to their perspective. Our thought behind posting our trail of thoughts is so that we can continue learning. We welcome your thoughts and studies on the various topics we post, as well.

We believe that it's not about "being right." The purpose of study is knowing Christ and drawing closer to Him. That's it. We humbly share our beliefs and studies. We will not be offended should you disagree with our beliefs and definitely not be offended if you humbly share your own beliefs and studies.

So I hope you enjoy the Faith section and check it periodically for new studies.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Summing Up Autumn 2014

Long time, no see friends!

Life has been busy and full this past Autumn with teaching at the elementary school and expecting our sweet child. We've had some HUGE changes, but since I have not blogged in so long... I will have to make all our updates in separate posts. Stay tuned!

Escaping the Stress

If I could sum up Autumn 2014 with few words, I would say "stressed, but blessed." With my first year of teaching came lots of personal and professional growth opportunities, which I welcomed wholeheartedly. I have a choleric personality, and I am always striving to be efficient, productive, take initiative, and become a better person.

That being said, I experienced excessive fatigue through constant working and trying to grow a baby at the same time. By November, I was going to bed around 6pm-- completely exhausted upon lying down and upon rising the next morning.

The only way I could stay sane was to keep a balance between work and home. I started leaving work earlier and earlier to counter balance my earlier and earlier bed time. After leaving work, I would come home and my husband and I would try to get out and go somewhere to walk around and such. We went to several parks and green spaces to help clear my head and relax before I would be heading to bed....

The Farm

One of the places we enjoyed going was to a farm just north of our home. We bought our milk, butter, eggs, and kefir from the farm and also enjoyed petting some of the animals.

Down South....

We also enjoyed going down toward the coast and visiting with my husband's mom and family.

The Arboretum

Our community had a large arboretum that we regularly visited. The arboretum consisted of a planted/planned garden and flower area with several acres of wild plants, tall trees, and trails. 

The Woodlands

The river walk in the Woodlands is a beautiful man-made green space (although, admittedly, there is a lot of concrete, too). The river walk is often lit by trees wound with lights. During the holiday season, we also enjoyed seeing multi-colored water fountains that played holiday tunes.

And Just Around Town

We spent time just hanging around town-- Hermann Memorial Park, Old Town Spring, and the like.

Stressed, but Blessed

So cliche, I know... but how else can I describe a time in my life that was filled with such stretching and growing? Change can be stressful, but it can also be a blessed time.

I am so thankful for my sweet husband leading our family and helping me to keep my perspective balanced and positive. When I didn't feel confident in my abilities to teach well-- when I mourned not being able to make our home ours (for lack of energy)-- when I was upset with myself for being so tired and forgetful, he loved me and encouraged me. What a darling man he is! 

And how so like our Savior.... Jesus looks at the inward man and considers our nature. He does not nitpick our shortcomings or cause more tension on stress. Rather, He is our peace and calm and strength. He teaches us through the seasons of our life and loves us unconditionally as we change as a result of His loving influence. I am so thankful for the way of the Lord! He is so good.

I hope that when you experience seasons of stress, that you, too, find the blessings and balance. Life is often experienced in seasons, and you may not dwell in the same season for long. Trust in God and lean on His understanding!

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

21 Weeks- Pregnancy Update!

Good evening, friends and family!

I know my original thought was to keep a pregnancy vlog, but let's just roll with what we're given... :)

Baby's Age

Baby is now 21 weeks old, and is working on its 22nd week of life in the womb.

Baby's Movements

The first time we felt baby move was at 16 weeks, and since then, baby is extremely active. In fact, I was watching my belly today, and BAM! A small part of my womb protrudes for an awe-striking moment. I couldn't believe I had just seen my baby actually move against me. I called baby's sweet daddy over, and we both watched my belly shift with baby's movements.

Our sweet one mostly moves when I am relaxed and resting, although he or she has definitely been more active during the day when I am working.

Baby's Heart

At our latest midwife appointment, baby's heartbeat was a strong 123 beats per minute. Listen to the audio below. The "thumps" you hear in the video are the baby's movements. The loud one was actually somewhat uncomfortable for me.

https://app.box.com/s/8rdu16lbtt01m6sq8yrb

Baby's Mama

At my last midwife appointment, my midwife said I am very consistent. My blood pressure and heart rate were almost exactly the same from the month prior. I also gained 4 pounds in the last month, which is on-target for my pound-a-week goal. The belly was also at the correct size for the age of the baby.

Mama's Experiences

The second trimester has been mostly a return to "normal." I usually feel like myself, especially in comparison to the first trimester when I was sick everyday, all day and couldn't enjoy food. BUT... being a first year teacher with a first time pregnancy has been stressful, rough, and sometimes completely overwhelming. The other day, I found myself crying because I have not had the time or mental energy to think of baby names with my husband or research necessities for when the baby comes. Sometimes it's the little things, sometimes it's the big things, and sometimes it's the little things that I make big that overwhelm me. Let's blame it on hormones... :-)

Part of being overwhelmed has been the result of nesting! My body is producing a new hormone that encourages nesting, or increased homemaking. Already, my desire has been to stay at home with my children and to keep our family's home in peace and order. I want to bless my husband and build our family in any way I can. Unfortunately, I am not physically and mentally able to do so while pregnant and working full time. As it is, I wake up at 5:30am for work. Then, until recently, I worked until 5pm. Then, I had a 30-45 minutes (sometimes longer) drive home. I'd help start or finish up dinner, eat, and then head to bed by 8pm.

Not being able to care for my husband, home, and self as I desire has been emotionally draining. The Lord has put homemaking on my heart, and the pregnancy hormones have not helped me in a time when I have to work full time and not in the home.

Other experiences in this second trimester have been MAJOR forgetfulness, lower back aches, headaches, and spider veins. (Pregnancy sounds fun, doesn't it? But it actually is very wonderful to feel the baby and talk to the baby.)

I'm not sure if I am forgetting so much because I have so much to remember, or if I have a severe form of baby brain. Probably the latter. But it's SERIOUSLY bad. I usually have a very sharp memory and can memorize just about anything for as long as I want to. (I think it's part of my OCD-ness.)

The lower back aches are likely due to the fact that I stand all day for work. Also, my body is producing a hormone that loosens the joints in my lower back/pelvic bone for baby to have a more flexible route through the birth canal.

I have been experiencing severe headaches, also. I probably experience these because I am under so much stress and pressure to perform at work, work with misbehaviors from scholars, and not getting an adequate amount of sleep. I get tired and go to bed at about 8pm, but I toss and turn a lot with my back ache, get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, sometimes wake up early in the morning because of a kid in the neighboring apartment who will scream and cry, and then wake up at 5:30am for work.

Finally, I noticed that my right leg now has spider veins. I have quite a "web" around the middle of my calf on my shin bone. I have read that these spider veins should disappear two to four months after giving birth and are the result of pressure on the right side of my body.

Mama's Blood Results/Ultrasound

At 20 weeks, I had blood taken and recently received the results back. Everything looks fine, although my red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels are all low. Apparently, that means I am anemic. I haven't talked with my midwife about the results yet. I am sure she will let me know if these lower levels are of any concern or what action steps I should take.

As for the ultrasound... remember that forgetfulness I mentioned... GUILTY. I keep forgetting to call the doctor's office to determine insurance and then to schedule an appointment. So... no ultrasound yet.

Mama's Actions Steps Moving Forward

As of my 20th week, I have started drinking one cup of red raspberry leaf tea each morning. Red raspberry leaf tea is said to tone the uterus so that the contractions are much more effective during labor and delivery. Drinking red raspberry leaf tea has also been linked to shorter active labor time.

I would also like to begin going to the chiropractor for adjustments and alignment. I have read research studies that suggest regularly going to a chiropractor helps place baby in an optimal position for delivery and helps my pelvis to be aligned for labor to be shortened. I think going to the chiropractor may also help with my significant back aches.

Once my husband and I have had our ultrasound, we would like to have a gender reveal party. I have been keeping up with the old wives' tales (just for fun), and have been comparing my baby to these tales. Right now, I am saying girl... BUT... some tales are showing boy.... We'll see. I'm just looking forward to a happy, healthy baby.

My husband and I would also like to go on a baby moon, or a vacation before the baby comes that will be our last as "just the two of us." I'm not sure when or where, yet... but it should be pretty fun!

Okay... so there's an update. Wow. Lots to share, and I am sure I am forgetting the majority of it. haha :-) I hope that I will be able to resume pregnancy videos in the future. For now, 

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Our Baby's Heartbeat!

I woke up Tuesday morning (5am) thinking about my midwife appointment scheduled for 4pm. Would I hear baby's heartbeat? Would all be well? Have I gained any weight?

I wasn't sure what to think at that moment, nor was I sure what to think when I walked through the midwife's doors. Or when I took over an hour completing a new client health sheet. (It was my fault; I forgot to complete the electronic datasheet prior to my appointment.)

My weight came in at 140lbs. My pre-pregnancy weight was 128lbs in the mornings. My weight fluctuated throughout the day. I'm thinking that I've only gained 5-7lbs.

I hopped on the patient table, and the midwife measured my belly. "You're right at 16 weeks." Perfect.

Then....

Hmm... does that sound like a boy heartbeat or a girl heartbeat to you? In about a month, we'll have our first and only ultrasound. The gender will be written on a paper & placed in an envelope....

After hearing baby's heartbeat, a urine test determined that I had very healthy stats-- EXCEPT, I need to eat more. The midwife suggested I particularly eat more foods with electrolytes. I feel like I eat ALL day long.... I unashamedly wish my students bring their own breakfast or do not choose to eat the school breakfast, so I can eat it. [Shame, shame-- but I feel none.]

I am trying to be more relaxed throughout the week, not allowing myself to become stressed or overwhelmed. I am also working toward being two weeks ahead in my work. Being ahead will help me to plan lessons the students will find engaging and be more prepared/less stressed.

Please continue to pray for the health of me and our baby.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Where Have We Been?

We've disappeared off the blogging world... but this time, even I don't know where we've been.

Just kidding. Kind of.

Here's an update on our lives... without pictures.

Stressful, Hormonal Life of Mama Hiller

You laugh, but it's true. I have been working 12+ hours a day for almost two months. Even Saturdays haven't been kept as a day of rest, as I bring home work and focus on completing tasks. My precious, poor husband recently said, "I feel like I see you for 10 minutes, we eat, and then we go to bed." I cried at the truth of the statement. 

Overworking, lack of sleep, and having a more susceptible immune system have led me to take on two illnesses at the same time. With these illnesses, I was also trying to continue my 12+hours a day. The exhaustion led to more stress. The stress led to hormones and tears. The hormones and tears led to more stress, which yielded to exhausted, which led to continued sickness. The whole web of stress-exhaustion-sickness-and hormones has nearly driven me insane the past few weeks. Something has to give.

I am the one who has to give. I miss spending quality time with my husband. I miss feeling well. I miss being able to breathe and rest. I miss enjoying life. I have given place to a spirit of fear long enough, and now is the time for a spirit of peace and strength in God.

I told an unintentional falsehood at the beginning of this post. Here's a picture:

I had devotions with the Lord one morning, and this was revealed to me. Stress is founded on a spirit of fear. I do not have to fear not being the best teacher/wife/mother I can be because that care is cast, or thrown, upon the Lord. He takes interest in me; He is concerned for me. The stress that has been disrupting my peace of mind and my personality, literally causing me to say "I don't feel like myself." is not my care any longer.

Therefore, I have made a seven-strategy action plan to ensure that I am not allowing a place for stress, or a spirit of fear, in my life. Nothing profound, but just some things that I need to do.

Seven Strategy Action Plan

1. Work stays at work and ends at 5pm.
2. Get ahead little by little with planning & stay ahead.
3. Be thorough with my preparation/planning.
4. Home is sweet home: rest, Zac, peace, family, friends, homemaker
5. Sleep well; be in bed by 10:00.
6. Stay active; go outside, take walks with Zac, enjoy nature
7. Enjoy daily devotional and Bible study time

Baby Hiller News

Baby Hiller is still in my womb and has been for the past 15 weeks. Yesterday, we found a new midwife that I am SO excited to have along this journey. My new midwife is Ashley at Wellspring Midwifery Care. We interviewed her on Friday, and technically, she doesn't know that WE WANT HER!!! She will on Monday, though, when I call her with our decision.

Daddy Hiller News

My sweet husband has been working part time doing book keeping lately. Today, he is also with a man to learn about becoming an electrician part time. The Lord knows what occupation my handsome husband needs to provide for our family.

Knowing my husband, I know that he will never be satisfied with an occupation on this Earth. His heart is completely with ministering to others. He loves studying the Word of God and meeting with people to discuss the Word. At the same time, we both know that our family has to be supported with income-- UNLESS we buy some land, seeds, and animals, which I would very happily do. :-)

Please keep us in your prayers as we strive to live a simple, peaceful life in the Lord. He is such a merciful, faithful, lovingkind God. 

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Hormones Hit Me Hard- Natural Pregnancy Vlog- Week 8

It's week 8 of the pregnancy, and mama-to-be has been dealing with hormones!

Launching Pregnancy Vlog!

Although I was planning to wait until 12 weeks before starting this pregnancy vlog (after I announced my pregnancy at work), the first trimester has been quite the learning curve for me! This vlog will document our journey to parenthood for the first time, as well as seek to inform others about natural pregnancy and birth.

The video embedded below is an update on weeks 4-6 of this pregnancy.

If you cannot view the video, please click here.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel