Allow me to introduce you....

It's been a sweet, wonderful, sleepless week around our house.  Our little Max was welcomed into this world in the wee hours of the morning on December 15, weighing in at 6lbs 3oz and 19.5in long.  

 

Oh, what joy he brings!  

We are in LOVE! 

Birth story is forthcoming, but for now I want to share his beautiful face :) 

 

Friday Letters {7}

Dear Max,

I am thankful beyond words for the opportunity to be your mom.  James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above and we know that you are straight from heaven as a gift to all who will know you.  It’s truly amazing to know that someone so tiny, who has yet to leave a single footprint on this earth, can already bring so much joy. 

Our road to meeting you hasn’t been an easy one, bringing along many tears and great stress.  As with many trying situations it has also been rewarding, bringing us closer to the Lord and to one another; leaving us no option but to trust in God’s plan for our lives and our marriage.  You, my child, are impacting people’s lives before we even see your sweet face.  You are a miracle; our sweet, perfect answer to so many prayers spoken by so many loved ones and dear friends.  When people hold you and look into your eyes they will be reminded of God’s perfect plan and His sovereignty in each of our lives.  I am overwhelmed with joy and anticipation at the thought of holding you and kissing your sweet cheeks.  

The next few hours/days/weeks will be filled with so many emotions as we prepare for your birth, and my heart feels so full it might explode…I can only imagine having you in my arms will be the most overwhelmingly wonderful moment of my life.  I cannot wait to watch you grow, see you learn new things, make people smile and {most importantly} know Jesus.  Daddy & I pray you will allow the Lord to use you in a monumental way, just as He is already doing.  

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.   

Psalms 139:13-16

 

With all my heart, always,
Mom

 

Thankful Thursday

via

I am so thankful for so many things, and in this crazy season of life we are in, I am trying to be present daily and aware of the many blessings we have....

~a healthy growing baby boy who has stayed in the womb past doctor's expectations!  YAY!

~surprisingly warm December weather, which makes dressing this big ol' belly a bit easier!

~grace.  this crazy pregnant lady often needs it...and needs it in abundance!

~a safe hospital to go to for the delivery of my child.  oh, how we take great medical care for granted!

~laughter.  makes life's tough times a bit easier :)

What are you thankful for?  Go link up and share!

37 Weeks

I am always a tad late in posting these, but I wanted to share none-the-less.  I am so excited for Max to get here I can hardly stand it!! Enjoy this update {it could be my last before he arrives!!}!

How far along: 37 weeks

How big is your baby: somewhere between 5-6lbs, about the size of a watermelon

Sex: boy  

Maternity clothes: Yep.  Almost everything I wear, except cardigans and less fitting tops.

Stretch marks: still don’t have any & definitely praying they stay away!  Thank you, good genes & cocoa butter!  You are my best friends…

 Movement: All. The. Time! People say you don’t feel it as much this far along, but I certainly do!  He doesn’t like to be still…just like momma & daddy!   

Sleep: People keep saying “sleep now while you can” …while I can?! Well, I can’t, actually, and haven’t been able to for a while.  If my brain isn’t going 100 miles a minute keeping me up, I am getting up to pee a lot and waking at his bigger movements. 

Symptoms: Wild, ever-changing emotions!  

Best moment this week: When the ultrasound showed he FLIPPED!  Yippee!!  Hoping he remains head down!

Food cravings: This past week I had a mild obsession with a certain lemon meringue pie given to me by a dear friend…I didn’t even know I liked lemon meringue! And yes, I am still eating a TON of cereal!!   

Food aversions: still just chicken

Labor signs: not yet

Belly button in or out: My belly button is so strange!  Kind of in, kind of out.  Usually flat, but open. HA!  That sounds grosser than it is!

What I miss: Sleeping more, sleeping on my stomach or my back, peeing less and running.  I can’t wait to get my hands on a glass of red wine.

What I'm looking forward to: Finally holding my little man, and seeing his sweet face!  Last night I just sat in his nursery for 30 minutes and day dreamed about having him here.  CANNOT WAIT!!!  

 

My Thankful ABC's

With Thanksgiving just 12 {or so} hours away, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the blessings of life and the many, many things I am thankful for.  God is SO GOOD!  Have a great Thanksgiving! 

A: Ashley, my sister and Andrew, my brother.  Ash is hilarious, kind, generous & an amazing momma to four kiddos! Andrew is a great dad, great brother, hilarious man (like our Dad) and fun man to be around.  I am so thankful for both of them!

B: BL.  My best friend, my rock, my partner. Words can't really express how thankful I am for such an amazing man to share life with. 

C: Christ, who brings us salvation

D: Dogs, Gus & Rambo ... love those crazy mutts!

E: Elizabeth, my sister.  She is adorable and fun, spunky and kind.  I love her!

F: Friends ... I have the best friends in the whole world.  Period.

G: Grace, which I am in constant need of!!

H: Humor, without which I would surely die a slow, painful death

I: Ignorance.  Sometimes I am just dumb, but I do appreciate my ignorance sometimes; after all, isn't is supposed to be bliss?!

J: Josh, my oldest brother.  He is a talented businessman, brilliant in many ways, funny man and a great big brother!  Love you Josh!

K: Kids.  Usually making me laugh (or at least smile), they are a blessing indeed! 

L: Love.  I just love to love. 

M: Mel, my fearless, amazing mother.  She is the bomb. dot. com.  Need to know more, just go here...
 
N: New Opportunities.  So thankful for these every day.
 
O: Optimism.  I have been told I am painfully optimistic, but is there really such a thing?!
 
P: Peace. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:7

Q: Quiet.  Sometimes you just need to be still.  I am thankful for times which allow this.
 
R: Real talk.  You know those people in your life who always shoot straight?  I so appreciate their real, honest talks and the courage to say what needs to be said.  I just really like when people are REAL. AUTHENTIC. TRUE.
 
S: Son.  I am so beyond thankful for my SON, Max.  I am too excited for words.  He is such a joy and I haven't even locked eyes with him yet. I will soon, though...YIPPEEE!!!
 
T: Tom, my hilarious, smart, generous & all-around awesome dad!  Love you Daddy!
 
U: Unity.  I am thankful for the people in my life who can come together in times of joy and times of need.  The unity we share is priceless to me.
 
V: Vacations.  Praise the Lord I have a family who loves to travel and spend time together.  I just love vacations, time to get away, time to explore.
 
W: Wealth.  Not the money, either.  I am thankful for the wealth of blessings God has given me, which don't come from cold hard cash.  Most of them aren't even tangible.
 
X: X-tended family.  Yes, I realize that is not really an 'x' word, but I wanted to recognize my awesome extended family... In-laws, cousins, aunts & uncles.  I love how crazy we all are and how much fun we have together! 
 
Y: YOU!  This blog is so special to me & each one of you who stop by to check in mean a lot to me.  Thank you for being a part of my life.
 
Z: Zipper-free pants.  This is a funny one to end on, but when you're 36+ weeks pregnant, you're very thankful for pants without a zipper!!  As mentioned here ;)

What are you thankful for?  

I pray each of you & your families enjoy this long weekend & time to reflect on your blessings.  Make it a great one friends!