Sweet Face

Yesterday morning Brian and I got to see our sweet Abigail by way of Ultra Sound Machine. She looked beautiful with full cheeks, measuring right on schedule. I had a bit of false labor the other night, leading us to get up about 2am to make sure we were packed in case it was the real thing. Unfortunately it wasn't. After a few hours of some intense contractions they went away. It made me feel a bit bummed, and then the same thing happened last night...a few hours of intense contractions and then nothing. I know that we are only getting closer, but can't help but feel a little disappointed that these contractions haven't led to true labor. She'll be here right when she's supposed to be. My due date is two and a half weeks away, so it could be any time now! Another lesson in patience!

Here is one of the sonogram pictures taken of her yesterday. It's a little grainy and may be hard for some to see. I've labeled the same picture below, so that might help a little. Either way, we'll all be seeing her sweet face very soon!

Ridiculous, but Relevant

Obviously I'm still lacking in self control! Although I returned this precious outfit,

I found it hard to resist this one...

Still ridiculous (after all, we have an abundance of girl clothes), but at least this time it's relevant! Well, it makes me feel better to say so anyway!

The Man Has Many Talents

I'm sure one of the things that Brian never thought he would become proficient in is fixing little girls' hair. But with having two daughters, I think it's inevitable. We just might need to work on the 1980's look a little...

Dancing Queen

You are the dancing queen,

young and sweet, only two and a half

Dancing queen, feel the beat of the tambourine

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life

See that girl, watch that scene,

Diggin' the dancing queen

Anxiously Waiting

So I realized a few nights ago that we are only FOUR weeks away from meeting our precious girl ABIGAIL!! I am beyond excited to meet her and hold her and love her, but simultaneously anxious at all that is happening in our life at this very moment. The Lord's timing is perfect and He continues to prove His faithfulness over and over in our lives, but I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around all the changes taking place right now. Not that I need to understand, but I WANT TO! How am I going to balance a newborn, a three year old (in March, can you believe that?!), having our house for sale, planning a move across the country for Brian's residency (finding a new home, packing up here and getting it to our new home, setting up our new home), and starting over in a new place far from friends and family?!! It makes me quite overwhelmed to think about it, yet I have this undeniable peace that it will all work out. I don't know the exact timing of it all or the details of each piece to this puzzle, but I know all the pieces will fit. So I wait and I pray and I do my part to prepare, but I am letting go of the how and when. It's out of my hands anyway...

35 Weeks

I am now 36 weeks along with Abigail and cannot wait to have her in my arms. Elisabeth has been busy preparing for her role as big sister by practicing on her baby dolls (who she's appropriately named Abigail). She is getting more excited as we talk about being closer to having her join our family outside of this "bump in Mommy's tummy." She has been helping me with all the things around the house that we need to have ready for Abigail (car seat, diapers, clothes, blankets, etc.) She loves to bring me one of Abigail's outfits from her dresser and say, "Look Mommy! It's so cute! It's so tiny! This is for Abigail!" A couple of days ago we put one of the newborn diapers on one of her baby dolls so she could see how small Abigail will be when she is born. I'm not sure how much she truly understands, but we try our best to explain it all to her to be prepared to meet her baby sister. Abigail is more active than I remember Elisabeth being, although I thought Elisabeth was very active at the time! I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions every day for a couple of weeks now and find it hard not to hope that she will come early. I have my next Midwive's appointment on January 27th and will have another sonogram the same day. I'll be 37 and 1/2 weeks by then and am truly hoping that I don't make it long enough to actually make it to my appointment! But again, it's all in God's perfect timing.

We are abundantly blessed amidst all of this change happening in our lives right now. The Lord is teaching me a lot about patience and peace, and I am grateful. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6