Checkin in on the chicks....

I just wanted to give everyone an exciting look as to my first crack at motherhood. (I'm practicing to see if I'll be a good updater when we actually decide to have a flock of our own. Look at my two very well thought out puns in the first two sentences of this update.)

Anyway, we've got about a week and a day left... last week, on Thursday, I saw the most amazing thing! I did what is called "candling" where you shine a bright light on the egg to see if you can see the "shadows" inside. When I did that, I saw what appears to be blood vessels (as I should see that) and then when I looked really closely... there was a dark spot moving. This is what I suspect to be a developing chick embryo. I am very excited! I wasn't so confident as to my home incubation skills.

So assuming we're right on schedule... we should see some hatching anywhere from next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. So please keep me in your prayers... I'd really like for at least one to successfully hatch... that way I don't have a class full of disappointed children... and their parents... and me... but I take comfort in knowing I saw something move.

It's funny, because I know this is sooo not nearly as exciting as having a child... but I was and am totally thrilled.

I have learned a few interesting things about me during this process. One observation I made is I could not now, nor ever understand abortion/ selective termination. I was having a minor freak out attack with having 3 extra eggs and no incubator. I know that God gave us humans dominion over the animals... but... after seeing the life inside the egg... I just cannot fathom seeing an ultrasound on a screen and then saying... I want.... to....get rid of......... that one.... I mean how do you select? I couldn't figure out a good way to select a chicken egg... how could you select a baby? I never thought I'd have such a tramatic experience with chicken eggs...

sigh......

Anyway, here's a picture of what should be going on inside my eggs right now....
Just in case I don't update for a little while... here's what they will look like later in the week.

P.S. Pam... sorry for the intentional ambiguity... but I gotta keep some things tight for now. Too many family members could stumble on this... and that may make my days/nights interesting with them speculating "what it could be." But... no need to worry.... we're still praying... seeking... and asking the same of others... but eventually it all will be clear. It's a combination of personal direction, work direction... and jut a lot of other big and small decisions. And that is all I can say at this point. I fear I may have said too much... *cackle*

Thanks for checkin in!