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!