Today, my Author Spotlight is my dear sister in-law, Kari Smith Murphy. Kari is a full time college student pursuing a degree in Forensic Psychology. She enjoys spending her free time out of the classroom with her husband Blake and their 4-year old son, (my adorable nephew 😉 Landon.

Kari won my Author Spotlight today because of her essay I’m about to share with you. Although she is not pursuing publication she’s taking English and the instructor allows her creativity to flow. I think Kari may be on to something here. She has a unique voice and the subject matter is very special to Kari, and to me, too. I was thrilled to read her most recent essay. I wanted to share this with all of you…

I can’t cook. It’s true. When I do the whole house smells like someone lit the stove on fire then tried to put it out with burnt rags. One may think I am exaggerating, but unfortunately for us, it’s true. I do however have one go-to-meal that seems to come out right each time and it is spaghetti. Spaghetti is the first thing I made after I was married and the only thing my new husband could stomach. It was a basic recipe and it was good. Not Daddy good, but it was good.

My dad’s spaghetti was amazing. The man was a sheer genius when it came to the dish. I would think of how much I wanted some for dinner then to my surprise that evening when he came home he’d make it, like we had ESP. I have played around with the recipe for years trying to figure out why his spaghetti was so delicious, but never could. I would walk down the aisles of the grocery store looking at labels trying to spark some memory of what he would put in the sauce to no avail. Then with the next batch, I would try again and fail. Although, the sauce got better each time, it was still missing something and I was determined to find that key ingredient. So back to the grocery store and back to the kitchen I went.

It was a particularly grueling day for me that chilly spring evening when I decided that I would make spaghetti for dinner. While gathering all the ingredients I opened the refrigerator and something I hadn’t tried fell out onto my foot. It was so generic and so simple, there was no way this could be the missing piece, but could it? I threw this mystery item in my sauce towards the end just for fun and there it was. This was it. Emotions flooded over me; I fell to the floor weeping, dumbfounded not even sure, if I was happy or sad. Still sobbing I set the table for dinner; silently I sat and watched my husband and son as they ate, then ask for seconds, then thirds. Before I knew it, the entire batch was gone.

It was a chilly night in September when my father was killed; his life cut short by an angry man’s bullet. His spaghetti was so much more to me than just dinner, it was comfort, and it was safe. So whenever I am feeling particularly blue I’ll whip up a batch and remember the good times, remember my father.

Although I can’t recall much from our conversation that day, I do recall asking for spaghetti when he returned home from his hunting trip. It only took nine years for me to have that spaghetti, Daddy’s spaghetti.

My four-year old is always up to something. She’s either running wild through the house or saying something I find really intelligent for her age. Here are a few things she’s started saying or doing within the last few weeks…

1) She’s learned to tie her shoes.

Now, she likes to tie her shoes, my shoes and her daddy’s shoes!

2) She’s learning more about Jesus.

She’ll see a cross I have hanging up at home or in a picture… she’ll look at me and say: Mommy, Jesus died on the cross.

That’s right baby, He did. For us.

I love getting these weekly reminders from babycenter.com.

As you can see below, they give details of what’s going on with my baby. A snippet of my status comes to my email box weekly. Here, I’ve posted straight from the site where I am in my pregnancy. If you don’t know about this site, I highly recommend you visit. The link is above.

Your pregnancy: 16 weeks

How your baby’s growing:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren’t recognizable yet. He’s even started growing toenails. And there’s a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby’s development.

How your life’s changing:
The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You’re probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and “glowing” skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.

Soon you’ll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice “quickening” as early as 16 weeks, many don’t feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don’t be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby’s movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they’ll grow stronger and you’ll be able to feel them much more frequently.

Sometimes my daughter does things that are adorable and unforgettable.

Example:

Here’s the unforgettable ~ She wanted to paint her fingernails with bright pink nail polish, but somehow the nail polish ended up on her nails + the palms of her hands. BOTH hands!

Here’s the adorable ~ She’s really excited about being a big sister. She likes to come up to me and wrap her arms around my waist, then kiss my stomach. Normally, she says “Hey, Baby Sissy!” I’ve been reminding her every chance I have to point out the sister she thinks I’m having could be a brother. At first she wasn’t too receptive to this. In her 4-year old mind she thinks girls come from Mommies and boys come from Daddies. I explained we could have a boy or girl, only God knows.

So, the next time she came running up to me, grabbing my waist, she said, “Hey, Baby Sissy! Hey, Baby Brother!”