Getting closer!

We are getting close now!  I am now 38 weeks pregnant!  Wow time has really flown by this pregnancy.  I guess that happens when you chase two other little ones around.  They have certainly kept me busy.  I am still feeling pretty good most days.  I have been having more frequent dizzy episodes so that has been very discouraging but my family is amazing!  Matt is so wonderful!  He comes whenever I need him and does a fantastic job with the kids while I am out of commission.  Then my mom is awesome too.  She tells me, "I am on stand-by for whatever you need." Of course, the kids love when "Bella" comes.  It is probably because she rolls in the floor and chases them through the house.

Anyway, we have decided to name our baby boy Titus.  Titus means "of the giants" and "pleasing".  Since we have known he was a boy our hearts have been stirred that he would carry a playful, strength.  I can totally see him being very firm in his beliefs and quick with a joke.  But we will see.  There seems to be so much excitement about him.  I really believe he will bring pleasure to our home.  I can't wait to see how Havah and Josiah interact with him.  Havah is all about babies right now and I am sure she will be a big help when he arrives.  Josiah notices babies but I don't think has any idea what is about to happen.  Although he loves to "kiss" Baby Titus (a.k.a. slobber on my belly button)  haha

Hopefully we will get to see his face soon.  My doctor says we could deliver any day now.  To be honest, I am hoping for sooner not later.  Not that I am really tired of being pregnant just ready to see our little man, to hold him and love on him, to be a family of 5.  Wow that sounds a bit overwhelming at the moment.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are incredible and kept the kids for us this weekend so Matt and I could have some time before the baby gets here.  I am so grateful for them.  They are so wonderful and give even when it doesn't make sense to everyone else.  They are good to us.    I don't think I realized how much I needed to have some time alone.  To say I nested this weekend would be an understatement.  I have always heard stories of women washing base boards and scrubbing old refrigerators but thought it was a myth.  I can testify, it is not a myth.  haha.  Matt had to work Saturday morning until about lunch so I had all morning to scrub, dust, wash, sweep, mop and organize.  It was.....AMAZING!  I washed probably every surface in the house including but not limited to light switches and door frames.  After Matt got home we took a quick break for lunch then headed off to buy some seeds for our garden.  I am so excited about our garden this year.  Matt and I then went out with some friends for a much needed date night.  It was so nice.  Again, I don't think I realized how much I needed some time.

So as we start a new week, only 12 days from D-Day, I start refreshed and excited to welcome baby Titus.  Hopefully next time I post it will be pictures of our newest addition.

I will leave you will some Easter pictures and the kids skating.  Who was a proud mommy?!  This girl right here!

Havah was so proud of herself.  

Big mess but lots of fun.  

Josiah did great the first time and didn't want anything to do with it the next time.  

Confession

Confession time.  I am an activity junkie!  I love planning things to do!  One of my favorite things to do at the beginning of the year is to write all the yearly activities in my planner.  I get some kind of weird excitement when we have all four weekends of the month already planned.  I usually plan different projects to accomplish throughout the week whether it be deep cleaning a room or doing a craft with the kids.  I like having the list and the gratification of checking it off.  I never thought I would be the "type A" mom but it's me.  I have come to love and dislike this part of who I am.

I like having my husband be impressed with what I get done even with two kids running around and being 31 weeks pregnant.  However, one downside to my activity madness is that I plan even when I am not supposed to.  Lately I have felt convicted about doing rather than being.  I have mentioned that before but it seems to be a reoccurring theme the Lord points out to me.

Our two children are so different sometimes.  Josiah, our 20 month old, is "all boy".  Anything loud, gross or challenging, count him in.  He loves the challenge of escaping his crib and seeing how far he can throw his cars.  Funny sometimes, frustrating other times.  Havah, our 2 1/2 year old likes to have something to do. (She gets it honest).  She usually follows the rules, likes learning and trying new things.  The problem comes when my agenda and their agenda don't line up.  One of my greatest challenges comes when they want to play and I still need to complete my checklist for the day.  I have an inner battle of do I finish my checklist quickly or stop everything and take advantage of the play opportunity?  Ok so at this very moment it doesn't seem like it should even be a question but in the midst of it, I really do struggle.

Me and Havah 

Matt and Josiah

Josiah maning the grill :)

Havah whipping up something scrumptious to eat.  

Matt, my husband, and I were talking about this a few days ago.  He reminded me that my "activity" list was not a bad thing.  Doing the laundry, feeding them, cleaning the home they play in are ways I express my love to them.  However, sometimes they just need me, my presence, my undivided attention.  They need me to eat the pretend salad and doughnut that Havah just made, race the cars down the track with Josiah and play Red Light/Green Light for the 25th time today.

I know I need that with God.  I love that He heals me, comforts me and provides for me but sometimes I just long for Him to be with me.  Just love on me where and when I need it most.  What is so interesting is that when I sit in His presence the other things come along with it.  I love that He loves me like that.

So I will try, once again, to just be in the presence of my kids and in the presence of the Lord.

Dreaming again

Let me start with announcing that come April we will be welcoming another baby BOY!  Wahoo!  We are so excited!  We wanted the gender to be our Christmas gift to each other.  We knew we would be unable to keep the secret if we found out during the ultrasound so we decided to let Matt's brother, Zach and our sister-in-law, Erica be the bearers of our delicate news.  We had the ultrasound technician check boy or girl on an index card and put the picture of the "goods" in an envelope and we sent it directly to them.  On Christmas Eve, Matt and I opened the gift only to find we were being sent on a mini scavenger hunt.  In the little box we discovered a riddle sending us upstairs to find a huge box that had been hidden earlier that day.  We immediately took it downstairs and were even more excited and anxious to open it.  When we opened it, the inside was covered with blue and white baby feet tissue paper, blue and "It's a boy" balloons.  Erica also made adorable onesie "cupcakes".  We were so excited and so grateful to Zach and Erica for making it so special for us.  It was definitely worth the wait.

It is hard to believe that 2012 is already gone and we are well into 2013.  I read a friend's blog recently and she set 13 goals for 2013.  I thought, "What a great idea!"  Let me say that I am not one for goals.  In high school and college I hated it when people would ask me what I wanted to do when I graduated.  I think it had to do with the commitment of it and the disappointment in myself if I didn't accomplish what I had set up.  However, with some inner healing :) I have been able to overcome that fear. So anyway, Matt and I sat down a few nights ago and wrote out our 13 goals for 2013.  I wanted to share them with you because it has stirred something inside of me.  THE DREAM!  The dream of seeing past hopes fulfilled.  To see things that I thought were not possible become possible.  To actively pursue opportunities that come into our path.  No more excuses, such as "what about the kids?", "what about money?", "what will other's think?"  Now hear me.  I am not saying we will be foolish with our decisions but more free to believe for what has been promised to us.  We believe God has set our hearts on a journey together and what better time than now to pursue the adventure.  Some of our goals are practical and some will take a lot of work.  We will see how we do at the end of 2013.  So here you have it our 13 goals to 2013.  

1. Receive complete healing from my inner ear battle. 

2. Invite more people over to our home. 

3. Gain and maintain better control of our finances.

4. Do one random act of kindness a month.

5. Go on a date with each other at least once a month (can include children).  

6. Become less dependent on electronic entertainment (including TV, iPod, Movies, iPhones etc.)

7. Have a family worship night at least once a quarter and schedule it. 

8. Kimberly to lead worship and Matt to speak more frequently. 

9. Weekly one on one time with each child. 

10. Start a small group.

11. Memorize a minimum of 6 scriptures. 

12. Matt have some sort of workout system.  Kimberly reduce caffeine intake.  

13. Dream again.  

Thank you Song for the great idea of setting some goals.  Hopefully this has awakened a dream in you too.  If it has, please feel free to share.  I have noticed that when I share an idea or hope with someone it becomes more real and attainable.  So Happy New Year and Dare to Dream Again!

Havah and Josiah chillin in their new chairs from Grandy.  

Our family 2012

Me and my beautiful sister-in-law, Erica

Havah being silly with Uncle Zach

Me and Josiah on Christmas Eve.  

Skillfully Wrought

This morning Matt and I got to experience one of my very favorite things of being pregnant, the ultrasound.  We are now at the halfway point of 20 weeks so we got to have the fetal assessment today.  Basically for those of us who don't know what that is, it is a chance for moms and dads to watch their new little one wiggle around for about 20 to 30 minutes and at the end it you can find out the gender of the baby.  For those who do know what they are doing, it is a way to assess the development of the baby.  They measure the heart and look for important things like hands, feet and kidneys.  It is a really amazing experience.

We have decided that we are going to wait to find out the gender of the baby until Christmas.   So I had the ultrasound tech write down the gender and we sent it to my sister-in-law to be the "handler" of the news.  :)  I call her the Fort Knox of secrets.  She actually keeps secrets for fun which is why she is the perfect candidate to keep our information.  Matt and I have a hard time keeping good news so there is no way an envelope containing that sort of information would have made it until Christmas.

Even though this is our third baby I never tire of hearing that little heartbeat, seeing tiny fingers and toes and even the four chambers of the heart.  I told Matt it is like peaking into a gift.  I am reminded of Psalm 139:13- 16, "For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.   Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

"His eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed."  Just like God, huh?  Seeing the end from the very beginning.  Even as he saw us in our mother's womb, He still sees us.  He still knows our every day and our every moment.  He still sees us when we are in the "lowest parts of the earth".  What's funny is that we think that is a lonely, dark place but God calls it a place where he can do His finest work.

Thank you God that you do your finest work when no one sees.  Those moments that you struggle do not go in vain.  When you wrestle with truth, it doesn't go unnoticed.  God is molding, fashioning, planning you.  You are being "skillfully wrought".  You are not alone you are just being crafted!  Have Hope!  He is working!

November happenings

Wow November is almost over!  Can you believe it?  Thanksgiving has past and soon we will be unwrapping gifts.  I have to admit Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year.  I used to think it was because there were no obligations of gifts but now I have realized that it is just because I love food.  Haha  It's true.  When you get a combination of "Honey Baked Ham and Honey Baked Turkey", sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce on one plate it is as if you have stepped into the heavenly feast with the Lamb of God. haha Ok a little dramatic but wow so good.  And that isn't even mentioning the desserts, which let's face it, I'm pregnant and I ate as much as I wanted. LOL.  Let's just hope the scale doesn't tell on me.

For the past 3 years now we have had my oldest brother, Chris and his growing family over to my mom's for Thanksgiving.  I really enjoy having everyone together.  It is fun especially since there are kids running around now.  Of course we have Havah (2 1/2) and Josiah (17 months) but he has 2 step daughters, Renae (15) and Andie (12) and his son Perrin (2).  So we have a lot of fun with everyone.  This year a friend of mine let me borrow the game corn hole.  I call it bean bag toss.  After eating we waddled outside to play.  I think the whole family got in on the action and at times we even had extra obstacles of trying not to hit the little ones with the bean bags.

Perrin, Havah, my mom and Renae playing in the leaves

Pile on Granddaddy in the hammock

Josiah didn't like the leaves very much

My brother's and I playing corn hole 

The little ones, Perrin, Josiah and Havah

Perrin, Andie, Josiah, Havah and Renae

My youngest brother, Preston is venturing into rock climbing and the "outdoor" sports.  So I guess that means you need a hammock.  He thought it would be a good idea to set it up outside while everyone played.  It turned into a game of how many kids can you fit in the hammock.  They loved it though.

Burnon, my middle brother, is very competitive to say the least.  I have to admit, I am too but when I am around him it heightens the intensity.  We played against each other in corn hole and he KILLED me.  If I wasn't pregnant I am sure we would have come up with some crazy alternative game that I would have had to win in order to stop.  But since I am with child I thought I should use wisdom and refrain.  So I just conceded my loss and acted like it never happen (and secretly blamed Chris because he was my teammate.) haha

My mom and I have made it a tradition to go Black Friday shopping at the Galleria in Birmingham.  When we first started this tradition she would make me cut coupons and wake me up at ungodly hours to get good deals.  A few years ago the roles reversed and I was the one waking her up.  This year, we didn't have any specific needs to shop for nor did we have any desire to wake up before the sun came up.  But this year was probably one of my fondest.  I think it goes back to not having any obligation.  We just casually got up, ate breakfast at a wonderful German cafe, and moseyed on to the mall.  We did find some great deals and I got some of my Christmas shopping done but mostly we just enjoyed each other's company.  We laughed about how we had to pee every 30 minutes, I gained wisdom from her about the kids and we shared our joys and concerns.  It was so nice.  I love my mom.

That day ended with me going to urgent care because I had a sinus infection.  I hadn't felt well for about a week but I had all I could handle when the right side of my face hurt to touch and my teeth felt like they were about to fall out.  So I welcomed the two cheekfulls of pain and felt much better the next morning.

The next day was the Iron Bowl.  Around here that is just as important as any other holiday.  :) So we went to a friend of the family's house and he cooked BBQ ribs, wings, baked beans, cheese dip and peach cobbler.  Yummy!  He has 3 grandkids and another on the way so he has an awesome swing set in his backyard that the kids loved.  Ended the day with a huge Alabama win of 49-0, two exhausted kids and two parents ready to get back to some normalcy.

Overall it was an awesome Thanksgiving.  Maybe I am just getting older but I am learning the value of my family now more than ever.  We are all very different but wouldn't be the same without each other.  I am just thankful that I am able to share that with my kids.  

Really Real

Ok so let me be really real for a moment.  Since being pregnant with our 3rd baby I have gone through various emotions.  I have gone from ecstatic to fearful.  I have to say I love being pregnant!  The idea of growing a human is beyond words.  However the other stuff that comes with having another baby is quite overwhelming.  Like, "Where is this baby going to sleep?"  "How are we going to transport this baby around?"  "How am I going to keep my sanity intact with 3 kids under 3?"

I have to be careful of who I share my concerns with because, of course, we get the cynical question, "Well, you know what causes more babies right?"  And for your information, yes I do.  But my husband and I are not willing to stop. :)  Anyway, I have really battled my emotions lately, which I understand could be hormonal and could be legitimate concerns.  The past few nights I have been waking up at the same time (not sure if it is the Lord or if it is just the time my last glass of water happens to want to exit).  The time is 3:33.  Every time I look at the clock that is what it says.  The Lord reminded of His word in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you, I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know."  What's funny is that I didn't even relate my concerns with what God was trying to show me until this morning.

So this morning I spent some time calling to the Lord and asking questions.  What's really great is that He doesn't even have to answer me right now, I just love that wants to.  Even though we don't have a lot of answers right now I still feel comforted that God knows my heart and he even knows my crazy, hormonal emotions.  Wahoo!  My heart needed to be reassured not only that He's "got this" but also that He knows what I need when I need it.  Isn't that what we all desire?  To be fully, completely and wholly known.  Oh how that makes my heart happy.  He knows my every need and desire, simple I know but oh so needed now.

Anyway, to lighten the mood a bit, I think I will share a few stories of the kiddos because what's a blog without post about the kids right?
Every night Havah and me or Matt read her a Bible story from her children's Bible.  Then after reading we ask her if she would like to walk or be carried to her room to go to bed.  Lately her response has been, "Want you carry me like a Baby Daddy."  WHAT?!!  Where did she get that?  It started off with a baby G-Daddy (which is what we call Matt's dad) and now every night it is someone else in the family like a baby Erica (my sister-in-law) or a baby Josiah.  She is so funny.  We asked her where she got that and we haven't gotten an answer yet.

She and Josiah are starting to play together more.  Their favorite game is where she gets Josiah's blanket and says,"Josiah Matthew you got get me!" then she runs away.  Of course, he doesn't always appreciate his blanket being taken but usually enjoys the chase.

Here are the kids playing at the park.  

We have also made some new friends over the past 3 weeks.  At our house we have cow pasture on two sides of our property which consist of about 10 cows and 2 donkeys.  So we have made friends with the donkeys.  Every day from 3:30-4:30 they come to the fence and we go feed them.  We have found that they really like carrots.  The kids LOVE feeding them except for the the occasional bite of the fingers...oops.  The donkeys have even gotten to where when they see the kids out the go to the nearest fence thinking we are going to feed them.  It is pretty fun to see and a great activity when we have visitors.

Oh and a baby update, we are now almost 14 weeks.  We should find out the gender of the baby around Christmas.  I am doing great despite the occasional morning nausea.  So we are just growing away.

That should do it for now.  Nighty night.

Nostalgia, talking, playing, and other random stuff

Had a moment of reality this weekend.

Josiah received a swing for his birthday in June.  We still have not put it up so I decided this was to be put on the "honey done" list.  (I call it "honey done" because I like to check it off my list and not just have it on there for who knows how long.  I only place things on this list that WILL get done immediately...it gives me a feeling of accomplishment haha.)  Anyway, Matt took Havah to Lowe's to get the chain while Josiah and I picked up some last minute groceries for our family reunion.

While I was inside making a delicious peanut butter pie (thank you Erica) Matt was put in charge of hanging the swing with the kids.  A few minutes later I looked outside to see my husband... pushing our little girl...in the swing... in our front yard... of our house!  OH what a moment of nostalgia!  I asked myself, "Am I really old enough to be experiencing this moment?"  The answer was a resounding yes!  So I did what any mother would do...I cried.  Tears of joy of course but it was such a touching time.  I know I am cheesy but it seems so significant to me.  I feel like we are not only establishing ourselves as adults but as parents.  Such a sweet memory.

Havah and Josiah have loved the swing so far.  Josiah gets a little upset when it is Havah's turn to swing but he enjoys when Havah tries to push him.  She really just hangs on the bottom of it so she can swing too.  haha Whatever makes them happy right :)

Havah is expanding her vocabulary everyday now.  I can't believe some of the things she can say and do.  She can make me laugh and scream all in the same breath.  Here is her newest "funny".  She will tap me on the shoulder or leg or anything just to get my attention and say "Mommy, I talkin'."  Then she will proceed with a mouthful of jibberish with only one or two words recognizable.  It is so funny because I am sure that is what it sounds like to her when we talk right now.  She can pick up one or two words but the rest sounds like a bunch of mush.  I try to let her "talk" as long as she wants but it makes me laugh every time.  Here is a video of her singing to us in the car.

She and Josiah share a room of course, which I really like because I love hearing them laugh at each other when they wake up in the morning.  Havah enjoys making Josiah laugh but also really likes to aggravate him too.  (She comes from a long line of aggravators on Matt's side of the family so she gets it honest.)  Recently she has taken to putting everything she can think of in his crib.  He might be asleep or he might not.  She has put every stuffed animal in his bed before and he won't have anywhere to lay down.  She puts books, dirty clothes, shoes, pretty much whatever she can reach goes in his crib.  So now I scan the room for anything that could be potentially dangerous.  This is how we found Josiah a few nights ago.

Bless his heart.  But he doesn't usually seem to mind.  

Since I now know how to post video here is one of the kids playing in the rental van.  It is amazing what amuses them. 

It seems there was something else I was going to blog about today but I guess I will just post this last picture instead. ......

WaHoo!!!!  You guessed it!  We are expecting baby number 3!  We could not be any happier about this pleasant surprise.  We are 9 weeks so our due date is April 20, 2013!  YAY!  I had my suspicions earlier in August but brushed it off.  I scheduled to have another proceeder done on my ear however when my pregnancy test came back positive the nurse politely informed me that I would not be put to sleep that day.  haha.  We were so excited but kinda in disbelief too...hence the 3 other pregnancy tests. haha So here is the first picture of baby number 3!