12 Week Belly

Okay folks, here you have it. My growing profile at 12 weeks! (well, almost 12 weeks, but I just couldn't wait any longer to show you how big my belly is already!)

No, I'm not pushing it out or sucking it in, I'm just letting it be and this is what I get. I know my baby is only the size of a large lime, so most of this is growing uterus and everything above it that is pushing up through my pathetically stretched out abdominal muscles, but here it is, my 12 week baby belly. Below I have my 12 week belly with each of the girls.

Emma 12 week belly

Chloe 12 week belly

As Chloe Grows!

Chloe had her 18 month well child check-up last week. She's growing beautifully!

Weight: 29 pounds (95th percentile)
Look at those gorgeous baby blues!
Head: 18.75 inches (80th percentile)

And drumroll please...

Height: 34.5 inches (98th percentile)

And I must add, whose full-on laugh/smile does this look like?

I think ME, but I'm just sayin!

Cousin Nathan

I care for my nephew Nathan every other Wednesday. The girls look forward to that wednesday with great anticipation! When it's Nathan week, Emma keeps saying at random, "Nathan is coming Wednesday!" Chloe echos with great excitment, "Nasan!!!"

Nothing like popcorn and a movie with your cousin.
Playing dollhouse is even better! "Nathan, you be the daddy."

Sisters

Uncle Tyler is the best horse in town! Giddy up!

Chloe's grin looks a bit pained and forced here. I guess we learn the fake smile thing early.
There's nothing fake about this look though. The love between these two sisters is a treasure to behold!
But don't be fooled, a loving gaze can quickly turn into a squabble. We're working on being loving and kind towards one another, a life lesson amen!

Winter 2008

Since I am declaring, whether rightly or wrongly, that Spring is just around the corner and the coldest days of winter are behind us, I thought it appropriate to show you some of our outside winter activities in pictures. This is my fair well to winter! See you next year fridged, gray friend, but not too soon please.

10.5 Week Ultrasound!

Now we've got much more baby to see! It's still pretty vague, but if you had been in the room with us, you would have seen this little one doing a few jumps and spins, it was amazing. If it's your first child or your fifth, seeing your new little one moving around and that tiny heart beating is just captivating. Of course it got both Travis and I wondering if we're having a boy or girl even more. Only 7-9 weeks to go and we'll get to find out! At one point it looked like there was a little protrusion coming off the baby's face/head and Travis asked in horror, "is that the nose?!" The ultrasound tech and I both looked at him with a loving grin, "no, that's the little hand up by the face" the tech told him. I guess with prominant noses on both sides of our family, he was a little nervous:). Anyway, all looks healthy thus far and we are just praising the Lord! Thanks for your continued prayers!Love, Sarah

In His Hands

It may sound like such a strange thing to hear me say that I am thankful for morning sickness, but that is exactly what I'm saying. Isn't it amazing how perspective is everything!? I've had the nausia of pregnancy a little worse this time around than I remember with the girls. It comes every day, at different times and for different reasons. Riding in the car, driving the car, getting too hungry, getting too full, moving around too quickly, eating the wrong foods, sometimes just because. And don't get me wrong, the sensation of the quesiness that often produces the gags or false alarm runs to the bathroom is NOT pleasant, but that doesn't make me any less thankful. I am thankful that for nearly ten weeks now, I have been pregnant with a little life that daily sends me signals of his or her presence in the form of an ill stomach, unstopable tiredness ( I took TWO Naps today!), or a glance in the mirror as I pass realizing that I am ALREADY and very obviously showing.
Fear still knocks at the door, slipping a foot in on some days to hold it ajar, but one quick prayer, sometimes many prayers throughout the day, flood my heart with peace. It is a simple peace, not a guarantee that all is well, not a promise that my heart will never again endure the pain of loss, but a peace in knowing that my God is good and sovereign and loving and purposeful. In my limited view of my life, I behold today. Today, I am pregnant; today I can rejoice! And tomorrow? Tomorrow is unknown, tomorrow is not in my hands. But I am in my Father's hands, as are the details of my life, and those hands can be trusted. Those hands have carried me through many tears of pain and leaps of joy. Sometimes they pull me close to His face, His tears mingled with mine. Other times, they hold me up in the air, letting me fly of the wings of joy, and He smiles and laughs with me! But I can take comfort in the fact that He will never let me slip out of those strong and gentle hands. THAT is where my assurance comes from, my peace, my joy, my hope. If I try to find it in anything else, even those pregnancy symtoms that seem so reassuring, I am looking in the wrong place. These verses came to my heart as I was writing this:


Philippians 4:4-7


Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.



Philippians 4: 12-13


I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Father, thank you for this life You created in my womb! Thank you for the blessings of today. Let my life glorify you, "whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want!" Give me your peace for each new day, "guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus!" Amen!

Announcing!

Writing this post has been one of the hardest things I've done in awhile. Every time I want to write it, fear holds me back. But here I am, defeating the fear and telling the world that we are pregnant! Why was I so afraid to publish this post? I don't really know, other than the fact that we recently suffered two miscarriages. But even that seems like a silly reason not to let others share in this joy and hope with us. And what's the worse that can happen? Do I really think that the sting of loss would be any less with fewer people knowing? Certainly not! It would only be more lonely. So here we go! I'm eight weeks, two days along, due Sept. 15th 2008! The morning sickness, or I should say all-day sickness, has been a little worse this time than I remember with the girls, but I'll take any symptom that gives me a little reassurance that all is well. We've already had an early ultrasound and were able to see a heartbeat, which also gave us a little more hope. I have my first official appointment on the 13th, at which point we'll schedule another ultrasound just for peace of mind. Here's a picture of our little one at 6 weeks. It doesn't look like a baby, just a little white mass inside a dark sac, but you get the idea. Thanks for letting us share this with you and we ask that you would pray with us for a healthy, uneventful pregnancy. We are pretty positive that three children feels complete for our family, so I'm really trying to treasure this "last" pregnancy in every way that I can. God is good, and we are daily leaning on Him, giving Him our fears and anxieties, knowing that He has purpose for this little life inside me. Girl or Boy, we feel so blessed by this baby!