My Prayer for You...

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Paisley Maddox Ours

16 Week Ultrasound

4 Months Belly

I can't explain the excitement I felt when I heard the ultrasound tech say "Well I defiantly think you are having a little girl." I threw my arms up in the arm and screamed "yay!" with a huge smile on my face.

Moments before my husband looked at me before we walked into the doctor’s office and said, "Are you ready?" with a big smile on his face and grabbed my hand. We walked into the doctor’s office together anticipating the news we were soon to find out in the next few minutes. The whole experience was so exciting.

What mom wouldn’t be excited? A little girl to dress up, shop for, get your nails done with, prom dress shop one day, wedding dress shop for one day, and all the other fun things that come with having a girl. Soon after the TRUE reality set in: I now had the responsibility of raising a precious girl as a bride of Christ. I guess every parent has their own opinion on which is harder: raising a boy to love the Lord or raising a girl to Love the lord? I guess I would have to say that both would probably be difficult, but teaching a little girl to treasure herself and respect herself I believe will be a challenge.

I want Paisley to know that God loves her so very much and that he made her perfectly. I want her to know that he treasures her and desires for her to have a full life of abundance and grace. I also want her to know that God wants her to one day to find someone special who looks at her the exact same way and who will treasure her in every way.

It's scary because Colt & I are not stupid and have made plenty of our own mistakes throughout life and have seen some things that we defiantly wished we wouldn’t have. We aren't ignorant of all the temptations out there and the way teenagers and kids experiment and get into things. I think more than anything is that we are aware that she will make mistakes and have to learn some lessons on her own and that we will be there to guide and teach her according to God's will along the way. You don’t want to be too strict yet you don’t want to be to lenient. So many decisions and so many things to figure out...

This is why I have been praying for her since before I ever knew I was pregnant. I have been praying for our future children since Colt and I got engaged. My daily prayer is that God will protect her physically, mentally, and emotionally all the days of her life. I pray she will come to know God at an early age and that He will guide her everyday of her life. I pray that when she does stagger, fall, and fail that God will pick her up and she will find her way back to the righteous path He has for her. Finally, I pray that God guides Colt and I on making decisions, teaching our children, and being the best parents we possibly can be. Because not only will she fail but we will fail to...

I know that God is faithful and in the times that Colt and I have no control over a situation or when her life is no longer in our hands that God will guide her and will be in control. We trust in Him.

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me,O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" -Psalm 139:13-18

The Last 16 Weeks!

I cannot believe how fast the last 4 months have flown by. In just the last few weeks I have popped out like a balloon, felt those little flutters of the baby moving, received our first pair of baby clothes and accessories, and in just 3 short days we will find out the sex of our baby!

This month is the first time in my pregnancy I TRULY feel pregnant. I’m sure all moms or moms-to-be know what I am talking about. You know you are pregnant...you see the ultrasounds, read all the books, feel awful, talk about the baby, dream about the baby, and know that there will one day be a baby! BUT it wasn’t until this month that it all finally feels like a reality to me and not just something I talk about. Actually being able to see my stomach grow and feel my baby inside of me (even though the movements are so tiny and faint) is indescribable and surreal. Then to top it all off to know that in just a few short days I will FINALLY be calling my child by name is so exciting!

I was talking to my husband the other night in total panic mode saying, "This is real. I am having a baby. There really is a baby inside of me. I don't even know this person, but I know that I already love this child more than anything in this world." My husband just calmly says (like he always does just so calm without a care in the world) "Well yes honey, our child is defiantly inside of you and we are having a baby." Ha! Men they just crack me up. I think more than anything I just finally had one of those days where everything truly sank in and hit me like a ton of bricks. My pregnancy finally feels real and I am LOVING every second of it.

6 weeks

6 weeks 4 days

8 weeks 5 days

13 weeks

13 weeks 4 days

Baby On Board

I have been behind on updating my blog and haven't even had the time to blog about our newest addition and most wonderful blessing....a baby! Yes, we are 13 weeks pregnant with a precious child. I cannot even begin to explain the joy in my heart as well astonishment of the whole situation. I say astonishment for many reasons.

First, I never ever thought I could get pregnant so easily or quickly considering all of the health issues I have faced over the past five years. Thyroid cancer in 2007, abnormal cells followed by biopsy in 2008, and then more abnormal cells followed by actual surgery on my cervix only a short year ago in July 2011. I must say God truly had is hand in this and has amazed me as usual. Second, due to my health Colt and I decided we would leave things in Gods hands and just enjoy our time together. We never imagined just a short month after I arrived in Korea we would find out I was pregnant! Third, because we are going to be PARENTS! What is not astonishing and scary about that?Your first baby, first miracle, first life that you made, first biggest responsibility you will ever have, first everything!

Never the less God amazed us both and we quickly became parents a lot sooner than we could of ever imagined. JOY is all I feel when I think about our baby. BLESSED is all I say when people ask about our child and when I pray over our baby daily. Some couples try for years to have kids and go through tons of heart ache, doctors bills, and operations to try and have kids everyday. Because God granted us this blessing I remind myself everyday that I want to honor Him and raise this child to the best of my ability and with my eyes set on Him as I do it. Sure I will fail, sure I will struggle, sure some days I wont know the answers but I trust in Him. I cannot wait to experience the biggest yet most rewarding challenge I have ever faced.