Soccer!

Samuel had his first soccer game tonight! It was so fun! He plays on a team with kids that are all from his school so that is really cool to him. He did pretty well for his first game once he figured out which goal to kick the ball towards. However, I think he had just as much fun horsing around on the sidelines with his friend Mary Catherine. They informed us tonight that they were getting married! So cute! Ellie Kate loved the game and wanted to get out there herself. She kept clapping and saying "Go Bubba!" (see bottom right picture).

So, I guess this makes me an official mini-van driving soccer mom! I'm loving every (well...almost every) minute of it!

A Sad Anniversary

It is a day I would love to forget, but the day will be forever etched in my mind as one of the worst in my life. A year ago today, we found out we had lost our 3^rd little miracle at nearly 10 weeks pregnant. I had been spotting for a few days and my doctor finally said to come in for an ultrasound at 4 pm on Friday, September 14. I waited all day on pins and needles. I will never forget the emotions I felt throughout the day hoping against hope and yet having a sense of the impending doom. It was awful…the anticipation. I had no words to pray except…”Please, God, Please…let everything be okay.” Jeff came home and we took the kids with us to the doctor. My sweet doctor then (who was a dear friend) told me to come on back by myself. He turned the ultrasound machine on as I laid down on the table. As soon as the probe found my uterus, I knew. There was no flutter of a heartbeat like we had seen just a few weeks before. He looked around for a few minutes, then looked at me and couldn’t even speak. Josh shook his head and I burst into tears. I will never in my life forget the look on his face, or the stillness of my dead baby on the screen. He went and got Jeff and the nurses watched Samuel and Ellie Kate for us while we grieved and then talked about what to do next. I had the D&C the very next morning because my amazing doctor came in on Saturday so I didn’t have to wait any longer. He prayed with us and then took me back for the procedure. It was a very empty day.

Now, a year later, I do still grieve for that baby…even as my belly is now swollen with another miracle. While this baby does not replace that one, I am certainly thankful and amazed that the Lord has given me another opportunity I feel I do not deserve.

I made this memory box shortly after the miscarriage to hold my ultrasound pictures, positive pregnancy tests (yes, I save them…after so many years of negative ones, they are sentimental), and all the sweet notes and emails we received. I read through everything today and am encouraged anew at the community of believers who surrounded us. We could not have made it through that time without the prayers of so many. The months following the miscarriage were not easy as I grieved and my hormones took awhile to normalize. Again, I am so thankful for faithful friends and family who prayed for me and loved on me. I would love to say that I am so much stronger in my faith and have learned to trust the Lord better through all this. However, the last year has been murky waters, at best. The journey of grief is unpredictable and my wandering heart sometimes still has a hard time yielding my wants and desires at the foot of the cross. I still want an easy life…one without pain. I do believe part of that is my redeemed heart longing for the perfectness of heaven. I am so thankful for my Savior, and that one day I will see my baby again. I am thankful for a God who does not give up on His children and who sends new mercy and grace for each day. I am desperate for that today and everyday!

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

Lifeline Reunion

We went to a reunion today for Lifeline Children's Services, the adoption agency we used to adopt Samuel. It was such a fun day! Everyone who was there has adopted a child through Lifeline. It was so cool to see all the children and families who have added to their family through the beauty of adoption. Samuel and Ellie Kate both stayed in the blow up jumper thing the whole time. I'm surprised nobody got hurt, as all the big boys were wrestling and just being boys in there! Samuel also got his face painted and he chose and Alabama "A" and a cross!

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!

My much younger husband had a birthday today...turning 29!!! We celebrated with a cake and a few gifts. Samuel was so excited!!! We are so thankful for Jeff as he is an incredible daddy and husband!!! Happy Birthday Baby!

Tough Girl

We have always thought that EK was a tough girl. She can hold her own against her brother and she has had some pretty rough tumbles and barely cried. Well, today she proved to us again that she is truly a tough girl! She had her 18 month check up with our new pediatrician here. Until the doctor came in she was all over the place...opening drawers and cabinets, running around and just being loud. During the exam she was still and quiet and did wonderful thank goodness. Then it was time for some shots. She got one in the leg and one in the arm. Ellie Kate barely flinched and did not shed ONE TEAR with either shot (and they were big needles too)! She was fascinated by the bandaid and kept saying "boo-boo." The nurse said she had never had an 18 month old not cry! That's our girl!

Her stats are as follows:
Weight - 24 pounds (45%)
Height - 33 inches (75%)
Head Circumference - 19 inches (90%)

And here she is yesterday. Samuel was drinking some water out of this cup and she wanted some. I told him to take it into the kitchen and put it up. He put it on the table. A little later EK went in there...about 25 seconds later I followed her and this is what I found:

Gameday!

It was the first home game yesterday here at Alabama, and we decided to brave the quad and campus with the kids! Ummm...let's just say we won't be doing that again for awhile. A 5 year old, 1 year old, and one in the belly did not make this mama a good fan! I was hot, tired, swollen, and not feeling very spirited by the end. Thankfully I had not planned on going to the game, so I came home and rested! We went to the quad to see some friends and watch the band at the library. Big Al was there which thoroughly fascinated Ellie Kate and scared Samuel. Go figure! They loved the tubas though! Then we went by the Alpha Chi house (where yours truly lived 10 years ago) and cooled off. I showed Samuel my old rooms, but he didn't seem too impressed or to really even care about that. Jeff went on to the game and was glad we pulled off a victory, even though it was unimpressive! Roll Tide!!!

September Already!?

Whew, it is hard to believe I am nearly 30 weeks and we are only a couple of months away from another baby! I think I am ready to not be pregnant anymore, but I'm not sure I'm completely ready to have 3 children. I have slowly been getting baby stuff out and working on the nursery. It seems kind of surreal that we are going to have a little newborn soon. I'm excited about using a lot of Ellie Kate's stuff again...it seems like she grew out of that stage so quickly! It's fun to get started on the nursery now that the rest of the house is pretty much finished.

Here is what we have been up to lately...

Samuel building legos...but trying to keep EK away too

a little movie star

green eggs and ham (samuel thought this was really cool)

more destruction by our tazmanian devil

first Campus Crusade weekly meeting

wearing bubba's crocs

riding the horsie at big papa's and deedee's

the nearly finished dining room

the office/living room