Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter 2011

This year for Easter, the Mister and I went down to his hometown and celebrated the occasion with his family. We had a wonderful time with them and I savored our last Easter without a baby. Of course I had my camera in tow and was ready to capture every detail of the weekend.

Belle, our lab, was born and raised a country dog and loved returning to her roots. We took her out to a pond and she couldn't get out there fast enough to go swim. Oliver, our poodle, loved to be outside as well but we discovered that he doesn't like the water. Such a sissy!


 We attended service Sunday morning at my brother and sister in-law's church where my BIL is the pastor. It was such a blessing to be with family, and to serve our Savior with them. Bradley is such a talented speaker and delivered an awesome message.


After church I insisted that we take family pictures which developed into taking pictures of Lydia, my niece, doing what she does best...looking adorable. Sister didn't disappoint.






Of course I couldn't forget to take pictures of my baby while he is still the baby. And those pouty eyes. Gush.


Next was time for bubbles. And I couldn't pass up a chance to use my camera, practice for my own children, take pictures of the cutest little girl south of the Mason-Dixon line. 






After bubbles, came the eggs. Oh the eggs.


 
I even made Humpty Dumpty and sat him on a wall. And with Lydia involved, I am sure he had a big fall.  


 I had such a great and relaxing time this Easter, but I couldn't help but imagine what next year will be like when we will be celebrating the Love of a Father for his children as new parents.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

13 Weeks

I am 13 weeks this week! 


Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: I am 13 weeks.
Size of the baby: Baby R is the size of a medium shrimp.
Total weight gain/loss: Lost another pound. I am officially down 10 from when I started.
Maternity Clothes: I am loving maternity pants but most of my shirts are the same. Just tighter :)
Gender: Can't wait to find out!
Movement: None so far but I am dying to feel little one moving in my belly.
What I miss: I miss having enough energy to make it through 1 day without a nap.
But I am taking all that I can now. I know soon I won't get to take a nap.
Cravings: Ice cream...and lots of it.
Symptoms: Nausea has let up a lot (thank you Jesus) and has been replaced by headaches.
Best moment this week: Going to the Dr. and hearing sweet baby's heart beat. And hearing that in 2 appointments we will find out the gender!

Goodbye 1st Trimester! 
I'm not sad to see you leave.



Friday, April 15, 2011

K.N and M

When I was in college, some friends and I went on a trip to Jackson to see a band by the name of Shane and Shane play. I thought I was just going to hear some good music, worship my Lord, and leave the same. I was wrong. You see, before the intermission, Shane and Shane spoke of an organization by the name of World Vision. World Vision is a sponsorship organization in which they find children from all around the world who don't have the necessary things that they need to have a life of meaning, and they search out sponsors to pay some money each month in order that these kiddos can have:

clean water to drink instead of sharing a trough with donkies.
shoes to protect their feet from rock and thorns.
medicine to help them fight the HIV virus that their mothers passed on after careless affairs with men.
school paid for so maybe, just maybe, they can learn enough to get out of the endless cycle they are in.
the love of Christ shared with them by missionaries.
a new article of clothing at Christmas. Thats right I said a new article. Now some new clothes. Just one.

I didn't even make it through the speech trying to convince my peers in the room to shell out a small amount of money a month before I was a puddle of emotions. I don't handle stories of children without shoes, without water, and without health care very lightly. I knew that I was called to do something.

The concert people (is that the official term) passed out packets that held the faces of the individual children that needed to be sponsored. They asked us to pray over the child in our hands and then pray about sponsoring that child. It didn't take much prayer on my part. I knew what I had to do. I had to make a very small sacrifice each month in order to provide the child staring up at me a better life. And it was the sweetest face in the picture. The child that sat in my hands was 2 years old. His dirty face and clothes begged to be shown some love. There was no denying that ache and heartache was all this baby has known. And I was going to change that.

I ran as fast as I could to the concert people (its official, this is their name) and made my first payment for the sweet child, M. I was a mother. A sponsor mother. But the love that I felt was like none that I had never felt before.

For 3 years now I have written letters, received letters, and gotten pictures of a healthy. happy, growing boy. M is now 5.

When I got married, the Mister brought K.N. with him. He sponsored K.N. sometime ago and loved and wrote him just as I was doing with M. I was so proud to be a step-sponsor mom. Well, more like adopted sponsor mom. I have grown to love K.N. just as much as my own M.

Before we found out about Baby R we were tossing around the idea of sponsoring a little girl. 2 boys and a girl. The perfect sponsorship family. Not that Baby R has changed our heart about the little girl, it hasn't. I still have a longing in my heart of hearts for the girl in Ethopia or Ghana or Swaziland or, well anywhere, that belongs with my family. And I won't stop praying for her wherever, whoever she is, but until the time is right I will pray. And ask.

I will ask you to consider sponsoring a sweet child who is less fortunate than you. Maybe you can sponsor a little girl to make my heart beat easier. I may never touch, see, or hug these children in this lifetime, but by golly I can't wait to see them in heaven. In their own little way they help to complete our family. Invite a child into your home and watch the changes that take place.

Until I can sponsor our little girl, maybe you can sponsor one for me.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

12 Weeks

I am 12 weeks this week! 

I think this picture makes me look a lot bigger than 12 weeks,
but I feel like in the last 4 day my stomach won't stop expanding. 

Pregnancy Highlights: 

How far along: I am 12 weeks! 
Size of the baby: Baby R is the size of lime.
Total weight gain/loss: Gained 1 pound of the 9 that I have lost. 
Maternity Clothes: Please and Thank you! I have the best mom in the world who took me shopping
to stock up on clothes that fit my expanding mid-section. Love her!
Gender: This week I THINK that its a girl!
Movement: None that I can feel! But on the ultrasounds, the little thing is a busy bee. 
What I miss: I miss food! If you know me, you know how true this is!
Cravings: None this week. I just want to enjoy food!
Symptoms: Morning All-Day sickness has let up a lot. And I'm not as tired! So excited to say that. 
Best moment this week: Seeing my out-of-town family and talking all about the baby. 

A quick update on the little one growing inside me and the scare that it gave us a few weeks ago...
When we went to the doctor last week we left with smiles on our faces. My doctor (who is amazing, by the way) hugged me and told me that we are in much better shape now than when I saw him last. I actually think that he gave us better odds then where we really stood. He said that we aren't totally out of the woods, but that the hemorrhage was moving away from baby allowing little one to get all the nutrients needed. I felt like someone had given me a million dollars when I heard that baby was still fine, or more so, thriving. 

As for me, I am much better emotional and physically and am almost back to my pre-emergency scare. I am starting to embrace pregnancy and not be so scared of every little tingle and pain that I feel. 

We are just still praying for baby R and can't wait to see the face that the Lord is knitting so perfectly together. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

11 Weeks

I am 11 weeks! 


Pregnancy Highlights This Week: 
How far along: I am 11 weeks this week
Size of baby: Baby Russell is the size (length) of a fig. 
Total weight gain/loss: Still haven't gained anything back of the 8 pounds
 that morning sickness so graciously helped me lose. 
Maternity Clothes: I am wearing some maternity pants but other than that everything is the same.
Gender: Can't wait to find out! 
Movement: I feel gas bubbles all the time and wish it was actually baby. So no. Does gas count?
What I miss: I miss feeling normal. I feel sick daily. Not just nauseated but sick.
 I am starting to get headaches daily. 
Cravings: Nothing this week. My bank account says Praise the Lord!
Symptoms: I am still sick at my stomach all day everyday but Zofran is straight from God. 
Best Moment This Week: Me and N have started considering buying a house so 
we have a place of our own when Baby R comes. Exciting times!


I was debating on whether to share this on the blog or not, but my desire to capture every memory of this time won out, and I want to be able to look back and remember to praise Jesus for every moment of this miracle. 

Last Thursday I was at school and began bleeding. I don't think that I have ever seen so much blood in my life at one time and the fact that it was coming out of me send me to be certifiably crazy for a while. I ran to get some fellow teachers to help me and we rushed to the bathroom. I am not sure of all the details because all my time was spend in prayer begging and pleading with God not to let my baby die. Somehow, my husband was called and more support was gathered around me, and in about 30 minutes I was being greeted by a worried husband who was there to take me to the hospital. 

He tried his best to stay calm for me, but there was no denying that we were at the mercy of Someone Greater than us. I remember saying over and over, "I have a peace about this. I know everything is Okay. I have a peace." In the fear of the moment God showed up and brought calm to a raging storm. 

We made it to the hospital in record time and actually had a few laughs along the way. (I think we were just desperate not to cry more so we did what we do best: talk about stupid stuff.) 

Once there, they immediately got me into an ultrasound. This was the bittersweet part. The tech wouldn't let me look at the screen at first as a precaution in case that I had miscarried. Once she saw a heartbeat she turned the screen around and let us get a glimpse of our sweet baby. Soon, she whipped the screen back to her and said that she was just going to take a few more pictures. I wept more that I ever have on that table. The child inside me was not only alive but was thriving. 

After the ultrasound and an exam, our Dr. wanted to see us in his office. We felt like we were in trouble. We solemnly entered to hear the explanation of all the excitement. He diagnosed me with a subchorionic hemorrhage and gave me a 50/50 chance of miscarriage. It was like a dagger slowly entered my heart. I could lose my baby. A doctor said so. He gave us more answers and went into more detail but we left the office on a form of bed rest and strict orders to sit and not lift anything. 

I am happy to report that all bleeding has stopped and we will return to the office tomorrow for another ultrasound. I have prayed all day every day to see no hemorrhage and a beating heart on the screen. I don't think that I have ever been so anxious to go to the doctor. 

So if you are the praying kind, we would love for you to remember us and sweet baby growing inside me. We believe in miracles and are anxious to see one take place. 



Sunday, April 3, 2011

I'm In Love

I know love.
I know what it feels like to be loved by a man.
I have friends who tell me they love me.
I am loved by a Savior.
I love my parents so much it hurts.
I love my in-laws as if they raised me as their own.
I am madly in love with my man.

But on this past Thursday I fell in love with someone else.
This someone introduced me to a love that I have never experienced before.
A love that will go on and on until the day I die.
A love that I knew nothing about until I was scared about this someone's existence.
A love that changed me-for the better.


Its the love of a parent, and sweet baby, I am crazy about you.