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! 

Father's Day!

Sorry a couple days late...

Aaron and I had a great weekend with our dads! Sunday morning after we went to church we went over to Aaron's parents house and had brunch. It was delicious!! My mother in law made a yummy egg bake, pancakes and fresh fruit! We hung out there the first half of the day and spent most of our time on their wonderful screened in porch listening to the rain. It was so peaceful! Later that day we went to my parents house for a cookout. My parents live on 9 acres of woods so as we were driving up the driveway we saw this beautiful deer laying peacefully in the woods.

It was a simple day of relaxing with family but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. At the end of the night we sat and thought about our little one who is with our heavenly Father. I made sure Aaron knew we were celebrating him as well. Aaron is going to be such an amazing dad! I can already tell this by the way he takes care of me. I can't imagine how he will be with a little one in his arms :) I am so excited to see that!

We will forever miss our first child and will think about it every Mother's and Father's Day but we still have joy of the future and what God has planned for us as far as being parents again :). We also have joy in knowing that we will one day see that little one again in heaven.

Here are some pics of our wonderful dads!

Aaron and my dad

Aaron, Jessie, Donna, and Bob (Aaron's dad)

Vacation!!

Well we just got back from a relaxing vacation in North Carolina. Aaron's parents rent a house on Ocean Isle Beach every year and we get to spend the week just relaxing on the beach and soaking up the sun. It was a trip that Aaron and I definately needed and feel very refreshed and rested when we came back.

This is the awesome house we get to stay in with an amazing view in the back yard. We were on the back side of the island but the beach was only about 200 yards away on the other side of the street so it was easy to go back and forth.

Every night we got to watch the sunset from our porch. These are all the wonderful sunsets we got to enjoy throughout the week.

Aaron relaxing our first day there after a long drive.

We rented bikes and a kayak for the week. You better believe Aaron was in that thing every day doing what he loves the most...sea kayaking! Too scary for me :)

The beach was PARADISE! :)

This little guy entertained us for hours one day as he digged his hole.

Aaron and I went on a date one night to our favorite restaurant at Ocean Isle Beach...ROBERTO'S! It was delicious!

Us getting ready to go on our date :)

The cutest beer ever :)

Relaxing in the hammock :)

We had a blast but its good to be home...can't wait to go back next year!!!