Thankful

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year.

Although we weren't able to make it home to Florida for the holiday, we were able to make our own tradition as a family of 3 1/2... :)

In January we made a Thankful Jar to start writing down all of the things we are thankful for [obviously]. The more we wrote, the more we realized that all that we were thankful for was all that God had provided us with. We thought it'd be a great idea to do on New Year's Eve every year to look back on all of the things we've been so grateful for during the past year, but decided that every Thanksgiving we will open the jar and account for all that God has done in that year.

Stop looking at our tree. It was $9.99. Just....stop.

We figured the most appropriate time to do this would be while Abs napped. These notecards would have been all over the place if she was awake during this. Or of course, they'd be in her mouth. She really is very, very similar to a dog. :)

So first we prayed before opening the jar. We prayed that our hearts would be thankful for all that we have right now because the Lord had provided it all. We prayed that the cards we would be reading would help us to remember that God is faithful--always.

And then we opened them, and I got teary-eyed from some of them.

Some cards were as simple as "Abigail's health" or "parents who continue to bless us."

And some cards were a little more complex like "God continuing to provide financially for us when we have an income next-to-nothing" or "An anonymous check in the mail right when our rent was due" or "We're pregnant...again!"

It really was so exciting going through these cards and remembering the faithfulness of God. You may not believe there's a god out there, but my God has made it very clear who he is, and what he promises.

This is one of my favorite Scriptures:

Psalm 111

Great Are the LORD'S Works

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

   in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord,

   studied by all who delight in them.

Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

   and his righteousness endures forever.

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

   the Lord is gracious and merciful.

He provides food for those who fear him;

  he remembers his covenant forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,

   in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;

   all his precepts are trustworthy;

they are established forever and ever,

   to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

He sent redemption to his people;

   he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

   all those who practice it have a good understanding.

   His praise endures forever!

I love having family traditions. I think we found ours! Every Thanksgiving we're going to read this passage and then open our jar so we can remember the testimonies of the Lord!

After reading these, Abigail woke up and we started baking for Thanksgiving dinner at our good friend's house. Of course Abs didn't help. She ate food as we baked. What a porker. :)

We had dinner at our friend's house here on campus and it. was. so. delicious. and so much fun! They have an 18 month old who was making googly-eyes at Abigail across the table. My friend, Carie, had written questions down for us to draw during dinner and talk about together. It was such a great idea! The questions really made us think, such as: Name something you are thankful for about God's Word, or Name something you are thankful for in your apartment that you take for granted every day.

The day just turned out to be way different than I anticipated. Everything was out of the blue, but it made it so much more fulfilling.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and were able to continue/start your own family traditions!

18 weeks

Dear belly,

Your daddy and I think you're a boy. The Chinese gender calendar predicts boy as well. 

Let me just tell you a little about what you're doing to mommy's body:

You're giving me migraines and tummy aches. You're also giving me extreme nose bleeds. Today we were in the car and all of a sudden my hand was covered in blood! So your gammy and daddy were scurrying to find some napkins for me. As I sit there in the back seat of the car like a fool, I just laughed to myself at the crazy things you're doing to me. It's unbelievable how the body changes during a 9 month period. Once we got home [and I ran to the bathroom], I found blood under my chin and on my neck and scarf, and lips, and cheek....

I just want you to know that I still love you, despite your hidden antics.

How far along? 18 weeks
Symptoms: 2 words: bloody. nose.
Total weight gain/loss: +1.5 pounds
Sleep: yes! your big sister has been a little gem these days!
Food cravings: nothing right now. I'm loving water all day.
Best moment of this week: Asking Abs to give my belly a kiss
Movement: Every now and then. I can't wait for the more frequent kicks!
Labor signs: Ohhhhh no
Gender: Stickin with boy...finding out Nov. 22!
Belly button in or out?: In.
What I miss: A normal nose and head
What I am looking forward to: finding out the gender soon!
Milestones: N Remember last week when I said I hadn't thrown up in 2 weeks? Well....Retract that statement. I did
Weekly wisdom: If you're pregnant, carry a box of tissues. :)

Abigail's Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Abigail's first year of life.

It ended up turning out really nice. We couldn't have done it without the help of my MIL. She took care of Abigail while my newly-discovered-creative-husband helped me decorate for the party! Also a big thanks to Renee for helping me with last minute set-up and bringing some foodies. :)

Her poorly made cake by her cake-fail of a mom.

Before the cake.....

 STEP 1: place baby in highchair. Check.

STEP 2: Sing Happy Birthday

STEP 3: Baby contemplates the arrival of cake

Step 4: Baby understands there is a plate full of sugar in front of her

Step 5: Become a monster

Step 6: Give daddy a big-fat-blue-kiss!

The hand....

The face....

Oh my gosh.

Most beautiful cake-face I've ever seen

Questioning each other's future

Abs and Gammy!

Party Animalz.

I just discovered Abigail's face in this.....Oh, and Matheson's.... :)

Birthday Booty!

What a fun day! We came straight home, bathed our little birthday-mess and she's in the crib napping. I think she had a pretty good sugar rush. :)

Oh dang it. Scratch the above statement. She literally just woke up as I typed that.

Happy Saturday :)

Happy Birthday, Angel

Happy Birthday, darling. 

You are loved by so many. 

But I think I love you most.
Daddy would disagree.
But Mommy is always right, got that?
:) 

As I sit here writing this, I can't help but smile...and sometimes belly laugh. There are so many quirky things about you that make you YOU. 

Like the way your dimples show under your eyes when you're faking a cry.
Or how you laugh at me when I point my finger and say, "No!"
Or how we talk with scary, monster voices and you crack up.
Or how your hair goes in 5 directions after you wake up.

Or the way you stick you hand out like a prissy princess while you put back your sippy cup.

Or the way you grunt at us when you really love what you're eating.

Or the way you pretend to yawn right after someone else does...with your eyes and mouth so wide, you fall over most of the time.

Or the way your hair comes to a point in the front.
Or when daddy bounces you on his forearms how your hair bounces from the wind.
Or how your eyes get tiny when you smile.
Or how you sneeze 2-3 times in a row, but it takes a few seconds to even get them out.
Or how when you're doing your "business" and you just freeze. Sometimes you grunt. Actually, most of the time. And your face turns bright red while your eyes water. It's so funny.
Or how you throw food on the ground and try to eat it later.
Or how you steal our Starbursts and we find them inside your clothes, closest to your belly.
Or how you squeal when you get really excited.
Or how you laugh at yourself in the mirror and say, "Woooooowwwww!"
Or how you talk in your sleep with the few words that you know.
Or how you lock your knees when you try to walk...and then fall over.
Or how you make a face when you drop something on your foot and wait to see if I'll make a big deal out of it. Then you decide if it actually hurt.
Or how when mommy says, "Who's a good girl?" and you raise your hand with a blank stare on your face.
Or how you have dimples in your bum.
Or how peanut butter makes your mouth so sticky, you cant stop smacking your lips together like a dog.
Or how when we hum a tune, you try mimicking us.
Or how you crawl to daddy's guitar and bang on it until he starts playing for you.
Or how when Ellen comes on TV (M-F @ 4PM Eastern....channel 9 if you're interested) you sit up immediately and start dancing.
Or how you clap with the audience on Family Feud (M-F @ 3-3:30 PM Eastern...channel 7)
Or when you're half asleep your eyes roll back and forth and you start to coo.
Or how you always seem to find our Bibles and try to rip the pages out.
Or how when daddy walks in from being gone at school or work all day, your face lights up and you scream with excitement.
Or how a box or water bottle could cheer you up more than a real toy could.
Or how your front teeth have a gap in them.
Or how you wave to everyone in the store.
Or how your eyes are half-shut because you try so hard to stay awake.
Or how you have to be next to mommy at all times...unless other people are around.
Or how you pucker your lips and blink a million times a second when daddy kisses you.
Or how you turn your face and put your hand in daddy's face when he hasn't shaved so his hairs don't poke you. 

Or how you flap your hands and arm when you get super excited.

This list could go on and on. I swear, we learned something new to love about you every day in the past year. 

A year ago from right now, I hadn't had you yet. The day before I went to the hospital with serious contractions. Then...they sent me home (those jerks). So your Nana and I walked the mall for 6 hours straight...You better believe I got new shoes. My feet were so swollen, they went from a 7.5 to an 8.5. We returned home and waited it out. I remember doing every home remedy I researched in order to meet you as soon as I could. But of all of the remedies, castor oil was by far my favorite....ahem....least favorite. 

That crap put me in false labor. TWICE. I went back to the hospital the next morning, November 5, 2012, and the doctor that I hoped for happened to be on shift. She said I wasn't even in labor, but I could be induced if I'd like. I'm not sure if she was just saying that, thinking I wouldn't want to be induced, but I told her I wasn't getting out of that hospital bed until I saw your sweet face. And she knew I wasn't kidding, because I looked like a beached whale...I couldn't get up if I tried. Anyway, it was one of the  best days of my life. It was the easiest laboring process ever (considering I wasn't actually in labor...). Mommy only had to try for 22 minutes, and then we met.

I remember it like it was yesterday. The moment they put you on my chest to keep you warm, I just melted. It was that moment I'd been dreaming of since the day we found out we were expecting you. Everything felt so perfect. Your smell, your matted down wet hair, your cone-head, your swollen face, your rolls upon rolls on your legs, your tiny little button nose, and your cute peanut-shaped toes. I didn't ever want to let you go. But the moment I really longed for was your daddy holding you. That was when I fell in love. The two people I love the most were sharing a special bond. Watching daddy look at you and tear up made me so happy. 

You have developed so beautifully this past year. You went from barely being able to open your eyes to seeing the world with a joy I can't even describe. You went from laying everywhere you went to crawling and trying to walk. You went from just drinking milk to eating more in one meal than I do. You went from making accidental facial expressions to hysterically laughing at things that seem funny. You went from not being able to understand anything to listening and obeying mommy and daddy (most of the time).

You, my dear, are such a treasure. You were fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator. You were hand-picked to be our daughter. We were chosen to be your parents. And that, baby girl, is such an honor. You have brought so much more joy into our lives. Sometimes the days seem long (especially if we don't get sleep), but you still have a way of making us laugh while we're delirious. Daddy and I can only hope we can raise you up in a home that honors God above everything and seeks to know Him. A home that treasures His Word and lives accordingly. A home that practices daily discipline. A home that bears the fruits of the Spirit. A home that fears the Lord. A home that rejoices in our trials. A home that prays for others. A home that embraces life with a joyful heart. A home that sees all people the way God does. A home that is compassionate. A home that puts others before ourselves. A home that takes people in. A home that is generous. A home that loves.

That's the home we want to bring you and your siblings up in.

You have the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. It's genuine and pure. It's so innocent. It's beautiful. Especially when your eyelashes bat while your eyes twinkle and your dimples below your eye really stick out. It's like nothing I've seen.

It's funny how you're only one years old and I can see so much of Christ's character in your little, tiny body. I see his joy. His love. His purity. His heart.

And now that mommy is 17 weeks pregnant with your brother or sister (we find out in two weeks!!), we are so excited to see the way you become a big sister. I can't wait to see you care for and protect them. And how to love them.

Thank you for being so sweet and gentle.

We love you more than we ever knew how to.

I love that God has a purpose for you, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

Love you always. Love you more,

Mommy

Some of our favorite times together:

melt my heart, okay?

.....and they have the same hair style.

studying theology at 5 months old.

family picnic

Mother's day

July 4th

watching Daddy play guitar.

And now, for some infamous Abigail faces:

That double chin gets me every time.

little bit of an evil look don't ya think?

all gums! so cute.

clearly she is pooping.

and lastly, her birthday pancake. That face is priceless.