such a blessing!!!

as most of you know, we had an ultrasound a few weeks ago, in hopes of finding out the baby's sex before my hubby shipped out. well...little baby #2 wouldn't cooperate. so my hubby was a little disappointed, but he was in the mind set that he'd find out the sex at some later date in a letter from me. well, a couple of really close friends of ours decided as a "going away" present to my hubby, they were going to buy us an ultrasound so my hubby would be able to find out before he shipped! how awesome is that?! so with that...ITS A BOY!!!!! we are so excited! our daughter had her heart set on a little sister, so of course she's in denial, but she's slowly coming around. and i still can't believe in just a few short months we'll be meeting little Jacob Elijah!!!

work hard...play harder

it's officially October. which means the to do list is in full swing. i only have like a couple weeks left until the hubby ships out, and of course like any good wife, i have a list of things i want to get done before he leaves us for about 6 months. there are the tedious things like going through storage to find my winter clothes/lost maternity clothes, as well as organizing storage for the movers, getting our room set up for the new baby, getting everything he needs for bct/ait...etc. but then there is the list of sweet/fun stuff i want to get done before he leaves. this includes stuff like, making a few videos of him saying "hi" for our daughter to watch while he's gone, making a recording of his voice so i can play it on my belly every night for the new baby, a couple of family movie nights, we have to hit up a pumpkin patch, throw a few more park days in there, and of course take family pictures! that seems like a lot to get done in just a couple weeks...but being the planning queen i am, i'll make it happen! thankfully my hubby is on board with all of this. he told me he's enjoying every second he gets to spend with us since very shortly he will be away from us for so long. i have to say, i'm excited for this new chapter in our lives to begin, but the closer it gets to his ship out date, the more i realize just how much i'm going to miss him...that's why i want to make as many happy memories as we can before he leaves, so my daughter and i have those memories to hold onto while he's away.

Kailyn and daddy playing together at the park :)

autumn breeze

we went the park the yesterday, it was so nice outside...70's and sunny! that's rare around this time in houston...so we had to take advantage. it was such a good day, one of those days Kailyn will remember when she's missing daddy.

i thought i told september to slow down....

in less than a month i will be saying goodbye to my hubby for 6 months. to be honest, it doesn't seem so bad when you think about the deployments that will take place in the future. 6 months is better than a year. i think what's so hard about this is that this is the first goodbye of many in his army career. and to make matters a little tougher, i'm pregnant and will have this baby while he's gone. it's hard to really grasp what that will be like. i am thanking God i can't wrap my mind around it, because i would probably be a mess. its starting to hit me just how soon he will be kissing me goodbye though. just how soon i will be trying to fall asleep in an over sized empty bed. just how soon i will want to come home and tell him something and then have to try to figure out how to explain it in a letter instead. how soon until i ache because i would do anything to just hear his voice. i am trying to hold it together for my hubby, he needs me to be strong. and let me tell you, it is very difficult to keep my emotions in order with my out of control pregnancy hormones. but i know what i need to do, and the wife he needs me to be. and i will be that for him...because i love him. this will be difficult, but i praise the Lord for His faithfulness and comfort, that He continually pours out on me. i am thankful for the family and friends He has surrounded me with, so that i won't have to endure this alone. i am thankful for the constant reminder that He loves me and will never leave me. and i am so thankful for my hubby and the love that will fill in my heart even when he is miles away from me. i came across these lyrics and they pretty much explain how i am feeling...thankful to have the Lord in charge of my life.

"When I’m stuck in this nothingness by myself
I’m just sitting in silence
There’s no way I can make it without Your help, I won’t even try it
I know You have Your reasons for everything so I will keep believing
Whatever I might be feeling, God You are my hope
And You will be my strength

No matter what, I’m gonna love You
No matter what I’m gonna need You
I know You can find a way to keep me from the pain
But if not, if not, I’ll trust You no matter what, no matter what"

-Kerrie Roberts

this pregnancy is flying by

i'm 20 weeks today!!! half-way to meeting our new little one!

the baby didn't want to play...haha

well, we arrived at the doctor's office this morning in hopes of finding out if our new little addition to the family would be a boy or a girl...but no such luck. this baby did not want to cooperate. instead it turned it's back to us, only to position itself a couple times just right to kick at the ultrasound wand thingy. this child would not spread it's legs enough for us to see in between them and quite honestly looked a bit upset at the whole situation taking place. i did however see little fingers and arms moving, little bones, little head and belly and it's little tushy! ...cute little thing this child is. we didn't see it's face or a profile, the baby wouldn't even cooperate for that...but the doctor said he/she looks healthy and all the measurements are good! so praise the Lord! all you ever want, as a parent, is a healthy baby. we will be happy whether this baby turns out to be a boy or a girl. hopefully we will be able to try again before my hubby ships out, but if not, i have some cute ideas for how to tell him while he's away! ...in the meantime, here is the only picture we could get today. enjoy!

little baby #2

head and arm

blessed hope

"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:3-7

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14

...as you can tell i read Titus a couple nights ago and really liked it. next on my list through the Epistles is Philemon. i have to say, the Apostle Paul was one heck of a writer.