27 Is Going To Be A GREAT Year!

Well I think 27 is going to be a good year :) We celebrated my birthday this past Friday and I must say I was spoiled! My wonderful husband sent me my favorite flowers Gerber Daisies to work which made my day! Work had a little birthday party for me in our kitchen here at the office too. We had apple pie and vanilla icecream! It was delicious! And of course my sweet dad stopped by my office to see me because he usually stops by on my birthday to bring me a little treat. He brought me a beautiful red poinsettia for my desk and one to take home as well! Later that night we had dinner at my parents house and opened gifts and had oreo icecream pie from the Pie Kitchen. It was a great day and I felt incredibly blessed!!

To top off my birthday Aaron gave me a prenatal massage so I booked an appointment for the next day and let me say that was the BEST THING EVER!!! I didn't want it to end. My back had been hurting me really bad so sweet Aaron made sure that it got taken care of :). I recommend a prenatal massage to ALL pregnant women!!

Saturday night Aaron and I went to Lexington to celebrate a wedding of one of his close friends from college. It was such a beautiful wedding and was so much fun catching up with people we hadn't seen in a while. When we arrived back home we were surprised to see that my dad had gone in to our house and set up our Christmas tree for us! With Aaron's work schedule and me being 8 months pregnant we really didn't know when or how we were going to be able to put it up in time for Christmas so my sweet dad surprised us and set it up for us! Aaron and I decorated it on Sunday and I am so happy we have a tree up now!! It was a busy and fun filled weekend!!

Tuesday I had my 34 week Dr. appointment and everything is looking good! Noah's heart beat was really strong and he is head down ready to come in to the world :) I am 1.5 cm dilated so my Dr. has advised me to take it easy the next couple weeks as she doesn't want me to progress too soon so I have been doing my best to not be going going going like I usually am. She doesn't want me walking around a lot or lifting anything over 10 pounds. Its been a test of patience and humility for me as I have had to rely on others to do some things for me which if you know me I am usually miss independent and like to take care of things myself. She said once I reach 38 weeks though that those restrictions will be gone because that is when I will be considered full term so he can come whenever he wants to by then :)! I can't believe how close we are getting!! So excited!!!

 Aaron is having surgery tomorrow so this weekend will be watching movies and eating lots of milk shakes and smoothies. He is having a Septoplasty on his nose because his septum collapsed from a previous soccer injury where his nose was shattered and is also having his tonsils and adenoids removed. If you would say a little prayer for him we would appreciate it!!

My beautiful birthday flowers from Aaron!

My beautiful birthday Poinsettia from my dad!

34 Weeks!! Getting ready to go to a wedding!

Noah's first Christmas ornament thanks to my friend Anna!

 Our beautiful Christmas Tree!! My favorite time of the year!



Catching up on November!

So I have been a major blogging slacker this month!! I will catch you up on what has been going on these past two weeks...my mind has become so mushy lately that it may be hard for me to recall all details haha but I will do my best!

My little man is VERY active and just kicking away! I think I actually might have seen his foot the other day poking out my side. As he gets bigger his cute little pokes are becoming more like hard shoves into my rib cage but I don't mind ;). He is already positioned head down and is comfy as can be so the Dr. doesn't foresee him doing any little flips in the future which means he is ready to come out! In 8 weeks that is! His heart rate was 138 at my last visit and he doesn't like to be messed with haha! Every time the doctor would push on my stomach he would give her a nice hard kick in the hand. It was so funny!! I have the typical back pain, not being able to sleep well, and achenes but other than that I am feeling pretty good. I am starting to feel more tired toward the end of the day but I always seem to have enough energy to get things done when I get home from work so that is good! The nursery is still a work in progress but I have lots of time to get that done.

I am SUPER excited I passed my glucose test!! Since then though I haven't been watching my sugar intake very well which may account for the couple of pounds I have gained :(. With the holidays and all those delicious desserts its just so hard to resist sometimes! ;)

My office threw me a work shower last Tuesday before Thanksgiving and it was so much fun! I am so blessed to work with such amazing people who genuinely care about me and were so willing to love on my little guy before he is even here! Aaron and I feel very blessed by all of them. Sadly I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures except the ones on my bosses cell phone but they were to dark to upload :( Oh well the memory is engraved in my mind! It was nice to be able to have such a joyous occasion with my co-workers and their spouses. There was delicious food and everyone seemed to have a great time! Noah was definitely spoiled!

Thanksgiving was quiet and relaxing. Aaron went quail hunting in the morning with his dad and then we spent the rest of the day and night with his family. We switch off each year between families so that we don't have to be two places at once. It makes it more enjoyable that way we don't have to worry about having to run out the door. Donna, my mother-in-law made the most AMAZING Thanksgiving meal! Noah LOVED it! :) It was nice to just relax and enjoy family!

Aaron has been working A LOT lately but this past weekend he didn't have to work at all so we took advantage of that time we could spend together and did lots of fun things! We went to the movies and saw Lincoln which Aaron loved but I had a hard time following. I am not a history buff like he is though! Overall I thought the movie was okay...Then we had dinner at our favorite restaurant Papalino's and after that went to Quills Coffee and got some yummy hot chocolate! Then we drove around and looked at Christmas lights! It was such a fun night for us. Sunday we spent the day with my family because my adorable little nephew Jaxson got dedicated at church. It was so fun to be with everyone this weekend.

I know those were brief and quick updates but lately I having been going a mile a minute to get things done it seems like. I didn't want to get too behind on my blogging :). I have one more shower this weekend which I am REALLY excited about so I will update you on that later!

A Shower of Blessings from Wonderful Friends!

So I have the SWEETEST most THOUGHTFUL friends EVER and I am so blessed to have them in my life! My friends Anna and Danielle who I just LOVE gave me a little intimate shower with just about 8 or 9 girls from our church last Saturday. They went all out and made my favorite foods for dinner and had the CUTEST decorations! Anna made pot roast and garlic mashed potatoes and Franny brought the most yummy rolls. They also had hot apple cider and yummy chocolate bread pudding and pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese icing! To say the least I was blessed by their love, hospitality, and thoughtfulness and Noah was very happy to receive all this yummy food in my belly :). It was a fall theme which is my FAVORITE :).

It was so nice to have a night with my girls to celebrate my little Noah and I truly cherish these friendships I have with these ladies. They showered me with the most wonderful gifts and I feel so blessed that my little Noah is already loved so much by so many people. We are all connected through our church Sojourn and at one point or another I was in Community Group with each of these girls. Some I am still in Community Group with but each of them have remained my dear friends who I love so much! There were a few who left early so I wasn't able to get a picture with them but I am so happy that they were able to be there for part of the celebration! Thank you ladies for making me feel so blessed and loved! Aaron and I are so happy to be sharing this time of our lives with you all and know that you will be a continual encouragement to us as we become parents.

The ADORABLE decorations Danielle made! The Pumpkins say "Its A Boy!" in case you can't see the letters!

One of the wonderful hostesses Danielle! She had such fun games planned and opened her home up to celebrate my little man! I just love her so much!!

My Broster "sisters" Love them! Anna is the best little Momma to Celia and Lucy and I have so much to learn from her! She went above and beyond to cook such yummy food and make the night so special for me :) She is a huge blessing in my life!

Emily and Jackie concentrating hard on the game so they can win the prize! :)

Franny! She has #4 on the way too and we are SO EXCITED!! Franny is such a precious woman of God who I look up to so much and have SO MUCH to learn from! I am going to miss her and her family when they move away :(

My precious friend Jackie who I love so so much! She has always been a consistent encouragement to me and a very loyal friend!

Sweet Emily who has a heart of GOLD!!! Love her sweet spirit and kind disposition. She always makes you feel comforted whenever you talk to her :)

My wonderful friends Kristen and Laura had to leave early so I wasn't able to get a picture with them but I am SO HAPPY that they were able to be there part of the time and love them both so so much!!

The Third Trimester is HERE!! :)

I am so excited to say that today starts my Third Trimester! In 12 weeks our little Noah will be here! I can't believe its only 3 months away but Aaron and I are so excited. The nursery is coming together and sometimes I will just go sit in there and imagine it with Noah in there playing :). We have the walls painted and new carpet down and some pieces of our furniture. My AMAZING sister Katie bought us our crib as a surprise and had it secretly delivered to our house while we were at work! She is absolutely the most generous person EVER and we feel so incredibly blessed by her!!! I don't have anything hanging on the walls yet but slowly we are adding to the room as people continue to bless us with the essential items we need to bring a baby in to this world. Poor Aaron has been evicted from his closet and had to put all his stuff upstairs because our house has limited closet space but he didn't mind ;).

 I am feeling great and have lots of energy right now so I am always go go go with everything because I know in a few weeks it may be a little harder to move around haha. Noah sits on my sciatic nerve sometimes which really hurts but its been tolerable. My legs ache at night when I sleep but I just turn over and it feels better until the other leg starts to ache then I repeat the process. Overall though during the day I feel great. My favorite time of the day is when I come home and eat dinner. I will then lay on the couch and just feel him move around for like an hour. That's usually when Aaron feels him the most too which is always so fun because his face lights up every time! He is VERY active! Definitely a BOY :)

Overall, I am in major nesting mode trying to get our house clean and completely organized. Aaron is so ready to be a daddy! It's so cute!

The beautiful crib my sister Katie bought us and the ADORABLE bedding we received as a gift from the Buckner/Sears family at my shower!

Noah's bedding has cute little transportation on it! So cute!

I had an ultrasound this week! This is Noah at 27 weeks 3 days :) Those little things at the top of the pic are his fists. He kept punching me when she would put the ultrasound wand on my belly. It was hilarious!

28 Weeks!!

Baby Shower!

This past weekend was my first baby shower hosted by Arlene Buckner, Laura Sears & Emma Sears! It was so much fun and I felt incredibly blessed by all the people that came!! Arlene, Laura, and Emma went ABOVE and BEYOND to make the day so special for me and Noah. I am just so humbled by the love they showed me and how much they put in to it! We had lasagna for lunch with salads and bread and of course Laura topped dessert off with her EXCELLENT baking skills! She had two different types of cupcakes, lemon and cream cheese filled, cake pops, and cheese cake! Laura made all my birthday cakes growing up and she even made mine and Aaron's wedding cake so you better believe she is an amazing baker!!

Some sweet history with the Buckner/Sears family is that Laura was my baby sitter ever since I was a baby. She would go on vacations with us, stay with us while our parents were out of town, and pretty much be at any function we were having! Her and her family are basically part of our family and we love them very much!! Another neat thing is that she will be watching Noah on Fridays so I know my precious boy will be in the best hands while I am at work! What a HUGE blessing!!!

It was an EXCELLENT turnout and it was so much fun to see all different people from different walks of my life there. I even had some friends who made LONG drives just to come to my shower which meant so much to me! I wanted to give a shout out to Kristin Stratton (came from Northern KY/Cincinnati area), Kristin Howard (came all the way from Cedarville, Ohio), and Leslie Brooking (came from Nashville, TN)! You girls are the BEST and it meant so much to me that you took that time to come :) Love you all!! I definitely missed my out-of-town girls Alex and Kat who are both also expecting little boys soon but felt you there in spirit! :) And of course I missed everyone else that couldn't make it but am so grateful for the love you have shown to me and my sweet boy!!

Below are a few of the MANY pictures we took of the day! I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and family!

Me with the fabulous hostesses!

 

Cutest Diaper Cake I have ever seen!! It has a Noah's Ark at the top!

My wonderful friend from college Kristin Stratton! Love her to death!



My amazing sisters!

My wonderful moms!

My BFF's Tereza and Leslie (Tereza is having TWINS!)

My other BFF Whitney (Noah's future wife Caroline is in Whitney's belly ;) )

Kristin! (She had triplets! Doesn't she look amazing!!)

Our Weekend Away!

This past weekend Aaron and I got away just the two of us! It was SO MUCH FUN and SO RELAXING!! We went to Brown County, IN which is a little small town about an hour and a half away from Louisville. It was so quaint and cute with lots of little shops. It kind of reminds me of Gatlinburg, TN a little bit but on a much much smaller scale.

When we got there I was of course sooo hungry haha so we decided we would go and eat at the Nashville Inn. It had a little general store attached to it where they sold their famous homemade apple butter. I was very tempted to buy some but refrained! I enjoyed quite a bit of it though with our lunch. Being that it's October, Brown County was very crowded because that is their prime month. I could totally see why because it was so beautiful with all the fall colors. With that being said, we had to wait about an hour for our table so Aaron and I sat outside and enjoyed the weather while eating a bag of gummy bears from their little candy shop (yes I gave in to the sweet craving-but just this once!! ). When we got our table they put us back in the corner so it was quiet and cozy. Our food was Delicious! We both got the fried chicken with mashed potatoes, corn, and coleslaw. They also gave us fried biscuits with their homemade apple butter which we both inhaled!!! SO YUMMY!!

After we ate we walked around to all the shops in search of Christmas gifts and something for Noah's room. Unfortunately we didn't find anything but I wasn't too disappointed. After we spent about 4 hours in Brown County we decided to go to the Brown County State Park which was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Being that I am 6 1/2 months pregnant I wasn't really up for the true hardcore hiking we normally do but we decided to go on the easy hiking paths along the beautiful lake.

It was a wonderful time just being together and enjoying each others company. It was refreshing to get away even if it was only an hour and a half away. We felt like we were hundreds of miles from Louisville. Can't wait though to go on some more excursions with our little one!! :)

My hot date enjoying his meal at Nashville Inn

I sure do love that Apple Butter!!

Aaron and I relaxing in the rocking chairs

The beautiful lake at Brown County State Park

One of the lookouts at Brown County State Park...Me and Aaron with Noah in tow! :)

Coming back to our beautiful city that we love!





October 12th...

Not to be a Debbie Downer because I "try" to focus on the positive, but tomorrow is THAT day, the day that I have been absolutely dreading for about 7 months now. October 12, 2012, the day that our first little angel was due to be born. I wished that this week would have passed by as quickly as possible because the pain has been unbearable in my heart just thinking about this day, but unfortunately it already feels like the LONGEST week ever. Aaron and I are just so ready for January to come around so we can start anew with life in our precious Noah. I can't change time though so I will try and take each day as it comes with gratitude.

I know they say time heals all wounds which I am hoping is the case but I think Aaron and I are just ready for this year to be over so we won't have any more "milestone" dates with my first pregnancy. That may sound harsh or cold to some like I don't "want" to acknowledge it but it's something I really want to get past for the well being of Noah so that its not on my mind all the time. I know that Noah probably feels my sadness or anxiety so it's not fair to him. I want to be able to enjoy the full joy and excitment of this pregnancy with my little Noah without feeling sad whenever I think about my first one that's gone. It's an emotional roller coaster let me tell ya!! I never ever want to sound like I am down playing my first baby's precious life because it is so important to me but I also don't ever want to take away from Noah because it's not his fault and he is just as precious and I love him so much!

There have been lots of emotional moments for Aaron and I (melt downs on my part) as this month has come around knowing that our sweet one won't get the chance at life with us here on earth but we have to keep reminding ourselves that our baby's new life is far greater in heaven and no one or nothing can take that from them. What a comfort.

I have mixed emotions of course like any mommy would have because I selfishly want that child here with me and Aaron and I want it to be born but then I wouldn't have sweet Noah who I am feeling role around in my belly as I write this :). I praise God every day for our little Noah and pray that He keeps him safe. Noah's life will NEVER replace our first baby's life but his life is just as precious to us and is a testament of God's grace shown apon us. He gave us this sweet blessing in the most perfect moment when we thought there was no hope. Noah was an agent of healing for our wounded hearts but it saddens me to think that he won't know one of his siblings.

Each year I will always remember our first little angel and will never forget the love I have for it as well as the desire to have it in my arms. I will praise God though knowing that I will meet that baby and one day get to hold it and kiss its sweet little face in heaven. My sweet and wonderful husband bought me a ring soon after we lost our baby that I wear on my right ring finger every day. Its the October birthstone which is a reminder of our first precious one and not a days goes by that I don't look at it and thank God for such a loving husband who knows my heart. I appreciate that my husband did something so thoughtful for me and that he gave me a little token to have as a remembrance of that precious life! Although the ring won't ever replace the life, it is a sweet reminder to me of how precious that life was (and is)!

Aaron and I are going to get away for the weekend just the two of us so we are really excited about that! I can't wait to have a whole weekend with him and not have to worry or think about anything else :).

My beautiful October ring my husband got me :) He is the best.



24 Week Dr. Appt!

I went to the Dr. today for my 24 week check up. I am starting to rotate through all the doctors in case one of them is on call when I deliver so I probably won't see my original Dr. again until I get closer to D-day! :) I have been so pleased though with every physician I have come in contact with so far in that practice. Today I met with Dr. Brown and she was so sweet and just let me ask as many questions as I wanted :)...of course I had a TON of questions because I always do haha!

I was SHOCKED to see that I have gained 17 POUNDS so far since I became pregnant!! WOWZERS!!! I don't feel like I gained that much and to me that seems like a whole lot but others say its not that bad or its normal so I don't know...Everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess :). I still fit in my pants haha and at least my little one is growing so that's all that matters to me :). The Dr. didn't seem too worried about it but she did say to be careful when Halloween comes around with all the candy. I told this to Aaron and he started laughing immediately because he knows how much I LOVE my sweets...I am going to do my best to cut out sweets if at all possible for the sake of Noah but please pray for me because I LOVE candy and ice cream!! Seriously! :)

Noah's heart rate was in the mid 130's. I told her it kind of concerned me that his heart rate gets lower each visit but she said that is completely normal and that its strong and healthy. She said too that it all depends on what the baby is doing whether he has been in a sleep cycle, being active, etc. So I am happy with the results! I just love hearing his little heart beat on the Doppler. It makes my day!!!

My next appointment I have to do the Glucose Screening Test so cutting out sweets will probably be more beneficial than I think!! Until then...

24 Weeks...popped out quite a bit this week! Noah is growing :)



Happy Birthday Aaron!

Well today is Aaron's 27 Birthday!!! I can't believe he is 27! We started dating right before his 16th birthday so we have had many birthdays together and I can't wait to have LOTS more!! This year is going to be the best year yet! Unfortunately we both have horrible colds and Aaron has to work late but we aren't going to let that get us down and are still going to celebrate. I am taking him to Marks Feed Store for dinner tonight and then this coming weekend we will celebrate with our familes! Its always fun to extend your birthday beyond the actual day anyway right ;).

It's been so fun to be a part of Aaron's life as he has grown up in to a wonderful man of God who seeks to serve HIM in all he does. Aaron is such an encouragement to me in more ways than one and I can't imagine life without him. He seeks to provide, lead, and love our familiy well and it is a honor to be able to celebrate his life with him each year. I hope he knows how special he is not just to me, but to everyone he comes in contact with. His personality makes even a stranger feel comfortable and he is always there to listen. 

Aaron is so excited that he will become a daddy this year! Noah and I love you VERY VERY much Aaron and hope your birthday is SUPER special!!!!!! If you see him around or want to shoot him a message of encouragement on his birthday I know that would mean so much to him (and me!!) :).

Me and my Birthday Boy!



Our Baby's Name is Official!!!

Well our baby's name is OFFICIAL :) Thats right we know what gender it is! September 10th was one of the greatest days ever for us and this post will probably be a VERY LENGTHY one because I feel like there is so much to say about it...if you get bored you can stop reading but I wanted to share the whole experience with all of you!

Originally I was supposed to have my ultrasound at 2:00 in the afternoon on September 10th but due to Aaron's work schedule and having to be in Lexington, the doctors office so graciously let us come in first thing in the morning at 7:30 AM so that Aaron wouldn't miss it! I was SO thankful for that!! Women's First is the BEST practice if you ever need a great place to go!! I went back later at 2:00 to meet with the doctor by myself but wanted to make sure Aaron got to see our precious angel and find out the gender together!!

So like any morning that I have an ultrasound I always get nervous due to past circumstances and experiences and tend to throw up every time (TMI I know!). Aaron and I prayed for peace as we went in to the doctors office not knowing what the outcome would be when we left. All the ultrasound techs at Women's First are AMAZING but I just didn't want the one I had with the first baby. I have absolutely NOTHING against her and she is the sweetest lady ever, I just wanted a new experience with this baby with a different person and I didn't want her voice playing in my head because I had nightmares about that prior. There was one ultrasound tech I really wanted inparticular and I prayed that I would get her and sure enough I did!!! When the ultrasound tech called my name, my heart started to race...we were led in to the exact room where we were 6 months ago when  I was told my first baby was gone so immediately extreme and intense feelings of emotion welled up inside of me and I was VERY nervous. Being in that room just brought back all those feelings and emotions of excitement of seeing our baby for the first time together only to quickly find out it was gone. I hate that we can't go in to our ultrasounds immediately with joy and excitement but that moment was just something that is hard to forget. I had Aaron by my side holding my hand and he reassured me of God's comfort no matter what we saw on that screen.

As soon as the ultrasound tech put that wand thing on my belly and I saw our precious angel's heart beating strong I began to cry quietly just thanking God for redeeming this moment and giving us a new life and a new treasure here on earth to love and hold. The first baby never takes away my emmense joy with this baby but one will never forget their children no matter how long they were with them and they will always always be missed no matter what.

The ultrasound tech had a hard time getting the baby's heartrate at the beginning because it kept waving its arm back and forth over its chest blocking the ability to get the soundwaves! It was like the baby knew what she was trying to do haha!! As soon as we heard that heart beating tears started to well up in Aaron's eyes! Talk about pulling at my heart strings!! We were just both so overjoyed to hear that sound. Seeing it is one thing but there is something about hearing it that makes it more real and reassuring. The ultrasound tech checked all the organs and the brain and everything else before we got to the gender part...we were patient but very excited at the same time and eager for her to get there :)!! We would be happy boy or girl it was just so exciting!

When she went to look to see what the gender was the baby crossed its legs and put its hands down! In my mind I was thinking "OH NO! What if we can't see what the gender is!!" It was so funny because the ultrasound tech began to shake my belly around and had me lay on my side! Sure enough that moved the baby enough to see and faster than I could blink we all of a sudden heard...."ITS A BOY!!!"" :) :) :)!!! Aaron started to cry and of course I started to cry! We are so overjoyed to have a SON :) I can't believe I can actually say it now!!! OUR BABY BOY NOAH PARKER ROBERTS! When the tech left the room Aaron and I had a couple minutes by ourselves and we thanked God for redeeming this moment for us...I think God put us in that ultrasound room making it bittersweet to show us His grace in our lives that although our first baby is in heaven, God never left us or forsaked us and redeemed that moment for us with this new and beautiful life in that exact same room.

Of course we were on cloud 9 when we left and still are! I didn't want to go to work and I didn't want Aaron to go to work either because I just wanted to sit and talk about Noah all day long! We sat on a bench outside for a bit and looked at our ultrasound pics and then went our separate ways to work...that was hard...later on I went back to see Dr. Dutton to go over the ultrasound with her and she said he was perfect and measuring right on target! He weighs 11 ounces right now :) I love that I can say "He" now and not "It" or "the baby." This baby's health is such a gift to us and we don't take it lightly or for granted. We were ready for whatever came our way and are grateful no matter what for the precious life God has entrusted us to take care of!

Noah's precious little profile!

Noah Playing with his nose :) SO CUTE!!

I'M A BOY!!

Finding out Monday first thing in the morning was so exciting for us because it was such a wonderful way to start out our week but we had to keep it a secret until Thursday which was SO HARD!!! The reason being is because Aaron had to work late Monday-Wednesday night this week and we really wanted to tell our families in person...so Thursday night we had a Dinner Reveal Party with just our immediate families and it was ssssooo exciting!! Of course all week I had people trying to pry it out of me but I stood my ground and didn't tell a soul until the family found out! :) It was kind of fun just Aaron and I knowing for a couple of days anyway...it was special for us to have that just together.

After dinner we gave everyone a cake pop and told them there was a pink or a blue cake filling...I told everyone that they needed to shout out what it was when they bit into the cake pop! It was VERY exciting! Below are some pictures! I have a video but for some reason my iphone wouldn't send it correctly to my email so I couldn't download it :( I will put it on facebook though :) Hope you enjoy :) We sure did!!!

The cute little cake pops that Laura and Emma Sears so graciously made for us! She is so creative and talented!

My poor dad! He was the ONLY one that thought it was a girl! He even got the baby a cute pink piggy...he was so excited though to have another grandson! This makes boy #4 for my parents :)

Aaron and I with our blue cake pops!! :)

Noah's first set of UK onsies! He is ready for March Madness thanks to my wonderful Mother-in-Law!



Baby Names!!

Well I thought it was going to be EXTREMELY HARD to agree on our baby names but Aaron and I came to a consensus pretty quick on what names we liked or should I say LOVED! I was so happy that it was so easy for us! At first, Aaron wanted to name our baby if it was a boy after one of the Presidents of the United States or a General in one of the World Wars :) and if you know Aaron then you wouldn't be surprised by that! haha! I like more simple names and the ones we decided on we both fell in love with instantly.

We didn't want to just name our baby any name but we wanted its meaning to be something special to us. So we researched what names meant and thought hard about what we wanted our babies name to mean.

For a girl....we picked EMMA GRACE :) We just LOVE it!! The name Emma means "complete" and Grace means "favor with God" so put the two together and you get "complete favor with God!" We thought that with this baby that couldn't be more perfect because God has shown us His complete favor in giving us this child. If it is a girl though we have decided we aren't just going to call her Emma but will call her Emma Grace. I know Emma is so popular right now but its such a beautiful name and put Grace behind it and its a little different than all the rest :).

For a boy....we picked NOAH PARKER :). I just LOVE the way that rolls off the tongue when you say it! Noah has always been one of my most favorite boy names EVER and immediately Aaron was like "that's the name, its perfect!!" The name Noah means "peace or rest" and the name Parker means "keeper of the park." We love Noah because if our baby is a boy, he will be a constant reminder to us of the peace and rest God gave us with this pregnancy knowing that this child was our little blessing from the Lord. To be honest, we just really like the name Parker and Aaron and I love to be outside so I guess its fitting that his name means "keeper of the park" haha silly I know but we just LOVE that name!! My dad likes to give Aaron a hard time about giving our baby the initials NPR because of the radio show that Aaron likes to listen to all the time :).

We will find out what we are having in 2 weeks!!!! My doctors office makes you wait until you are 20 weeks to find out so the suspense has been driving me crazy because all my friends have been finding out what they are having at like 17 or 18 weeks! I am so excited!!! We will be happy either way whether its a boy or a girl! I have taken a ton of those gender quizzes online just for fun to see what they say and I get that I am having a boy and a girl on different quizzes so they don't really work :). They are fun to do though! It's fun to see what other people think we may be having too! Any guesses?? :)

18 Weeks :)



11 Years Together!

Yesterday marked the day 11 YEARS AGO (Wow I feel old!!) when Aaron asked me to be his girl friend :). At that moment I never imagined that I would be spending the rest of my life with him but man am I happy that was God's plan in the first place!! Aaron and I met at Bible and Beach through Southeast Christian Church when we were 15 years old. It took him a couple months to ask me out (I think he was nervous ;) ) but he eventually did and we have been together ever since!

We have so many wonderful friends who have been with us since the beginning and have watched us grow up together which has been alot of fun! We have had support and encouragement throughout our relationship which has helped make it what it is today. We are so grateful for the people in our lives who have helped our relationship grow!

We have been through so much together from such a young age and I am so thankful for our relationship as well as our friendship. Even though we are married now we still like to celebrate our "dating anniversaries" because its so special to us! We don't go all out or anything but we try to make the day a little extra special.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect! We woke up late and I made us coffee cake for breakfast and we just sat and talked for a bit. Then we went to my dad's restaurant to pick up lunch and had a picnic at Cherokee Park where we spent a good two hours just hanging out and going on a walk. That is our favorite park to go to! Homemade Pie and Icecream Kitchen was having their 30th Anniversary so we went there after the park and got 30 cent scoops of icecream!! It was delicious!!!

The whole day was very relaxing and later that night we went and ate dinner at our favorite pizza place Papalino's on Bardstown Road and just enjoyed sitting outside watching all the families and people walk by. We talked alot about how we couldn't wait to go to all of our favorite places to eat with our little one :). After dinner we went to the movies and saw The Dark Knight Rises...its was pretty good!!

It was nice to just have a whole day to spend together with no interruptions or the hustle and bustle of the demands of every day life! We are learning to truly cherish those moments as our lives get crazier and busier by the minute! All I can say is that these past 11 years have been the best years of my life and I am so happy to know that we have so many more to go! :)

Our Rainbow Baby!

My sweet and dear friend Whitney sent this to me weeks back as some encouragement to me so I thought I would share because it really touched me!

"Rainbow Babies" - babies conceived after the loss of a pregnancy. They are the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it does not mean that the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and the clouds. Storm clouds may still loom over but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and much needed hope.

Yes you heard correct!!! WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!! Our sweet little Rainbow Baby! Aaron and I feel so blessed to have been given this second chance to be parents. We still think about our first little angel all the time, but are overjoyed for another opportunity to have another sweet little one that we can hold in our arms. This baby will never take the place of our first, but we are overjoyed to no end knowing that we will be this babies mommy and daddy too!! This baby has brought our lives so much joy and light in the midst of such pain and suffering and it truly is a testament that God is faithful - even when we don't feel like He is.

I also wanted to add my own little outlook on what a Rainbow Baby is in my mind as well. The rainbow is a reminder of God's covenant to his children; and to Aaron and I this baby is a reminder that God is always with us even when we don't "feel" like He is. Through all this, God has constantly reminded us that He is in control and won't ever leave us or forsake us!

Through our first experience I have developed such a strong compassion for other women who go through miscarriage, infertility, lost adoptions, etc...it has really opened my eyes to being more aware of peoples' circumstances and struggles because you never know where people are in life and it's important to be mindful of that. I honestly had a hard time even sharing our good news because I know it probably stings for some people to hear knowing that they aren't able to share the same news that they so badly wish they could and my heart truly goes out to them. Something that I was so guilty of in the past but have learned not to do is ask questions like "When are you going to have kids?" or "Is this your first?" because I know those were questions that really hurt after loosing a child. Before my loss I used to ask people stuff like that ALL the time so I by no means wish to offend anyone by what I am saying. I just wanted to share what the Lord has being teaching me through all this because I truly have a new perspective on things :)!!

Anyway enough of my soap box :)...FOR THE DETAILS!! :) I am 14 weeks along now WOO HOO and have been to the doctor a bunch and have had like 5 ultrasounds. Everything looks GREAT! It's definitely an active little one ( I guess that means it will have Aaron's personality :) hehe-just kidding honey). The doctor had a hard time getting the heartbeat to stay in a rhythm because the baby was squirming around so much. It was so cute! Our due date is January 26th! We will be so excited to have a boy or a girl! We have our names picked out already, but I will share that later ;). We ask that you please continue to pray for our Sweet One that it continues to grow healthy and strong, and that we will be prepared as parents to take good care of it when it comes in to this world. Thank you for sharing in our joy with us! We are SO EXCITED and thank God EVERY DAY for this second chance!!

14 weeks--A little bump but I feel like I am showing pretty early :) I don't mind though! :)



Aaron got a JOB!!

Well after 2 months of unemployment and 16 interviews at 7 different institutions, Aaron has now received the most PERFECT job for him that will allow him to further his career in higher education!! I am so excited for this opportunity he has and can't wait to see how its going to grow him in his career. It truly was a testament to God's faith to us because Aaron applied for all jobs in Louisville EXCEPT this one and this is the ONLY job he received an offer for. At first we were not open to other areas due to life circumstances but this was an opportunity we couldn't pass up! Aaron recently accepted a position at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY which is a small liberal arts college. This is such a perfect fit for Aaron because Georgetown College, where we went, is also a small liberal arts college and he is very familiar with the fit!

Aaron will be the Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership! I couldn't be more proud!! He will be doing EXACTLY what he has been wanting to do and why he went to graduate school in the first place. He will be helping mold students in to leaders as well as help them with their professional and academic growth on the campus. Aaron will be overseeing the men's Greek organizations on campus as well as help with student organizations and the judicial system. Aaron's goal is to be a Dean of Students one day and this is the first step to get him there! He has such a passion for college students and I can't wait to see how this helps him to develop personally.

So the big question EVERYONE has been asking us..."Are you going to move to Lexington?" Right now with our financial situation we have decided its not best for our family do to that right now since I have a wonderful and secure job at Baptist East. We also have a home that we would loose money on if we sold it and logistically and financially it wouldn't be smart to move right now...this wasn't a decision we just made quickly. We sought lots of council and prayer and Aaron made the decision for our family that it would be best if he commuted for the time being. We don't know what the future will look like but as of right now that is our plan :). We appreciate our families and friends who support us in this decision we had to make and try not to let others negative opinions deter us from our excitement! We couldn't be happier with the outcome!

We are really excited about this opportunity and Transylvania is such a WONDERFUL institution! Aaron already has friends that work there too which is great because he has established relationships before starting his job. He starts August 1st!! We give God all the glory for providing this job and we are so grateful to Him!

Transylvania University: What a beautiful campus!

This picture was used from: http://educationinkentucky.org/2011/12/03/transylvania-adds-equestrian-program-for-2012-13/

A Fun Day With Our Nephew David

This past weekend I got to have my sweet nephew David for the day and it was so much fun! I can't believe how much this guy is growing up...its crazy to think he will be 5 this year. He has the sweetest heart and just loves to be with his Aunt and Uncle. Of course I eat that up whenever I get the chance :). I picked him up around noon from Mimi's house and we had lots of fun together. Our first stop was to Brown Park. David calls it "T's Park" because it is near my work and my house. He calls me T if you are wondering why it is "T's Park" and not "Aunt Jessie's Park." Anyway...here is a cute pic I got of him at the park.

I just love this little guy :)



After we played on the playground for a while we went down to the creek to throw rocks. After the park I took David to his first trip to Trader Joe's. He LOVED it because he got his own grocery cart. I should have taken a picture because it was so cute but I wasn't thinking about it at the moment.

When we got home David so patiently waited for Uncle Aaron to get done with mowing the grass so they could make paper airplanes together. Aaron has a book from when he was a kid that shows you how to make really cool paper airplanes and that is all David talked about doing the entire day. David LOVES his Uncle Aaron and LOVES the time he gets to spend with him.

This is them looking through the book deciding what airplane to make. This pic melts my heart!

David throwing his airplane

Uncle Aaron's turn! I love the intense look on both of their faces!

David's favorite Airplane was the "Interceptor"

Aaron and I are so proud to be David's Aunt and Uncle. We love him so much and just love having him around. You never know what funny things he is going to say or do and we just love his sweet personality. We are so proud of the sweet boy he is and love it that he loves life. He is such a blessing to us!