Wednesday, March 25, 2015

It's A...

GIRL!!!!

Chances are if you're reading this you already know we're welcoming another little girl in our home this fall. Since we tried to keep the gender reveal party small, I thought I'd share some of what happened here.

My best friend owns the donut shop in town. Boy is it great to have friends in high places! She made us adorable cupcakes with pink and blue peeps on top and colored sprinkles in the middle. She gave Hope a special yellow peep so we would know which was hers. Another great friend made a "Big Sister" t-shirt for her. I am so thankful for the help and support of everyone!

My aunt and I made pink and blue punch (Shaun's family supplied everything we needed). We had leftover pink and blue plates and napkins from our wedding, so we used those to serve. I wasn't even thinking about babies when I chose our colors, in fact they're quite bright, but it worked out so well! Hope was bouncing off the walls with anticipation. My mom even made Shaun's sister a t-shirt that said "Aunt to Be".

After Hope did the big reveal we discussed names. I explained the names Shaun and I are considering and the significance behind each. We also explained our desire to keep the names a secret until she arrives, just in case we choose our backup instead of our first choice. There was also a great deal of controversy surrounding Hope's name and what we chose to call her, and I don't want to repeat that experience. I'm sure people will have something to say when she's born, and I'm sure I won't always be polite in my response. I was always told when I had kids I would have the chance to name them, and by golly I'll name my kids what I want.

Today I told Shaun to prepare for a ton of pink. I want pink everything; car seat, stroller, dresses, bows, pink, pink, PINK! Her closet will probably look like a page out of Pinkalicious, and that's just how I hope it is. When Hope was born I was afraid to put her in anything other than pink (unless it was a dress, but even most of those were pink) because she had such little hair everyone thought she was a boy. Two years later I still had people asking how old my 'son' was. So yes, I want everything either pink or a dress, or both. I really need to sell some more Jamberry wraps, because I am itching to buy an outfit for her! My website is here if you'd like to buy anything. Thanks for all the prayers and support!

16 Week Appointment

Monday was our 16 week appointment. I spoke with one of the PAs Sunday evening and she assured me the next few should be simple in and out appointments. That sounds fantastic, I just want to know my baby girl is healthy. We snapped a belly bump photo before racing out the door, and arrived with plenty of time to spare.

My doctor mentioned a simple blood draw they can do to check for spina bifida. Though there's no history in my family, I'm considered high risk and that gives great freedom for genetic testing. Since it only involved a blood draw, we opted for it. I've had pain in my gall bladder (that I first mistook for movement), so he ordered an ultrasound for that as well. I asked about some pain and pressure I'm feeling (which he assured me were normal) and we went on our way. It feels so good to have a doctor I can talk to about any random concerns or questions, and not feel like an idiot for asking. This is officially my longest pregnancy in ten years, so it's almost like starting over. There's so much I've forgotten, and even more that I didn't know. I'm also amazed at how much has changed in ten years!

The next morning (Tuesday) my mom took me for the ultrasound. Shaun wasn't feeling well, so he took a sick day and stayed home with the two little guys I was supposed to babysit. My mom had never been to my doctor's office before, so it was nice to show her around a bit. The ultrasound techs were really sweet. One made sure to get pictures of our sweet baby girl after she finished checking what was ordered. It turns out she's much lower than I thought, so I'm still not sure whether or not I'm feeling her move. She's also very active, and didn't want to sit still for pictures or very long to hear her heartbeat.

Today we received a phone call with the spina bifida test results. She doesn't have it! Praise God! I'm overjoyed to still be pregnant, and I'm thankful for each day we have with our little princess. Please keep the prayers coming, because God is listening!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Great News Followed by Fun Times

WOOHOOOO!!!!! Baby Thomas does NOT have the chromosome disorder William had, and all our tests for genetic diseases have returned negative. PRAISE GOD!!!! We also know the gender, and I'll post pictures and a video after we have our party on Saturday. Pray for me that I can continue to keep the secret until then!

This weekend has been one of the most refreshing I've ever experienced. One of my friends and I went to the Hearts at Home National Conference. It was AMAZING!!! She'd never been, and only recently heard of it. I heard about it ten years ago when I was pregnant with Hope, and have prayed about going every year since. This is the first time God answered my prayer with a "Yes!" and it was so worth the wait. If you're reading this and thinking there's no way you can afford it, I urge you to pray about it. God will provide a way in His time. Even if he doesn't, there are other options I'll talk about at the end of this post. For now, I want to share some of the trinkets and tidbits I brought home with me. None of the links are affiliate links.

From the If Then Move booth I bought a little bracelet to wear everyday. It's part of the Not Just Words line and has #standfirm stitched onto the front. On the back is a small pocket in which you can place your prayer request for the day. Everytime I look at the bracelet, I pray about my request. Here's the website for more info: http://www.ifthenmovement.com/

Graham Blanchard has a new line of board books with headings such as Learn, Absorb, and Praise. These cute books each carry a special message. I didn't hold any or read any, but the pictures are adorable. You can learn more at http://www.grahamblanchard.com

If you'd like to go to a Hearts at Home Conference this year, there is another one coming to Rochester, Minnesota on November 13-14, 2015. If possible, I encourage you to attend. If you can't, and I completely understand (remember, it took ten years for me to make it to one!) Check out http://www.hearts-at-home.org/ for great FREE resources. You can also order conference CDs or DVDs from http://www.catapes.com If you're tech savy you can follow HAH on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Now for the really serious stuff. HAH partners with Compassion International and encourages child sponsorship through their program. If you want to sponsor a child, this is an excellent organization to partner with. I hope to someday sponsor a child who shares William's birthday. Here is their website: http://www.compassion.com/

Compassion International is an excellent organization, but I learned of one that touches my heart even more yesterday. There are an estimated 20 million men, women and children enslaved in sex trafficking throughout the world. Destiny Rescue allows child sponsorships to PREVENT children and teens from falling prey to traffickers, and also allows you to sponsor a child who has been RESCUED from trafficking. If you know me at all, you know the child slave trade is one I am vehemently against. I fight with Facebook posts and prayer, and hopefully this year my family will fight with our money by sponsoring a child for $35 a month. I don't know if we can truly afford that right now, but I will be praying about it until we can. Until then, I am planning on hosting a jewelry party for Destiny Rescue. You can learn more about their parties and how to host your own at their website http://www.destinyrescue.org/us/get-involved/local-volunteers/jewelry-consultants/. I implore you, please, please take a peek and see how God can use your family. Please pray for these precious children.

Thanks for reading my babbling. If you have any questions or want to talk more about any of these topics, contact me anytime. Love to all!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Bragging Rights

Shaun has been so much fun this pregnancy! Early on he was hesitant to test, fearing my reaction to another negative. Once I finally took a test he happily read the results. We agreed to wait a bit before telling everyone, but once we did, he couldn't contain his excitement! Just Wednesday I had two people tell me stories about him literally bouncing up and down as he shared the news.

At the appointment Thursday he grasped my hand the entire time. He laughed out loud watching our little one on the screen, and he chose the teddy bear we would use for the heartbeat. He changed his profile picture to a photo of the bear while we were waiting to be seen by the doctor. It has been so much fun watching his excitement grow. He still insists it's a boy, but I know he'll be ecstatic with a girl. He took the bear and the ultrasound pictures to work on Friday and showed them to everyone. One of his coworkers said every time she looked at him in the office he had the bear up to his ear, listening to the heartbeat. He has been the sweetest, most excited dad I've ever seen.

So if you seen him in the next few months, be sure to ask Shaun how he's liking the pregnancy. I'm sure he'll have an amusing new anecdote to share!