Our Baby Girl

I am so happy to get to share this picture with all of you! Words can't even describe how amazing it is to see her on the screen during the ultrasounds. Yesterday, Mike and I just held hands and laughed as we watched her wiggle and squirm in 4-D during the appointment. She has already brought us SO much joy, and we thank God every day for that!



And I have to give a big thank you to our friend Jen, who is also my sister Melissa's neighbor, who so kindly and creatively designed the above picture. Thank you, Jen!

This Moment

I have been savoring the many precious moments I have had so far with this Baby Girl of mine. From the moment I found about I was expecting her, to the unforgettable moments we shared the joy of that news with our family and friends. Then the moments of the pregnancy becoming real...feeling the nausea and the extra tiredness; yes, I even treasure those moments. Then the AMAZING times of feeling her move and kick so early at 14 weeks, followed by that exciting moment where we watched the ultrasound screen to see if we were having another son or a daughter.

And we found out it was you, Baby Girl. And we've been calling you by name since...

Soon following were the down moments as well, trips to the hospital due to hyperemisis and contractions; but even in that there was still the good. Hearing her amazingly strong heartbeat on the monitor that sounded like a horse galloping through the hospital room. It was worth the trip for me just to hear that.

And then recently, there was the follow-up appointment to check on what-appeared to have been my premature shortening cervix. During that appt, a friend of mine held my hand and I know she was silently praying with me for good news while we waited.

And good news we got that day. All was well- Thank you, God.

But right now, this is such a special moment as I type this for a completely different reason.

Last pregnancy, our precious baby boy Tyler was born while I was 24 weeks and 5 days pregnant, at 12:13 am.

I started writing this as I am 24 weeks, 5 days pregnant, at 12:14 am.

I have prayed for this moment.

Right now, with each passing second, minute and hour, I am further along than I have ever been...and I expect to keep treading these new waters in my pregancy in the next weeks and months.

I am in a place in my pregnancy where I have never been before, and I am SO happy to be here.

SO happy for this moment...

And so thankful to the God who has brought me here.

"Dear Lord, thank you for this moment. Please continue to protect this little girl of mine and keep her safe inside of me. Protect my body until it is safe for her to join us, and live a healthy life with us. Tell Tyler we love him. Amen."

Good news!

Sorry this update has taken me so long to post! I don't do much sitting up these days, and Mike needs the laptop at school for football during the week...

Anyway! I was so anxious for that appointment...had NO idea what news I might hear. Before checking measurements, the ultrasoumd tech checked the baby out first. She looked SOOO cute, and I have the sweetest 4-D ultrasoumd picture of her little face. That part was very emotional for me!

Then the ultrasound tech checked measurements, and all checked out fine after all!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, God!!! Can't tell you how relieved I was to hear that. That relief will not even compare to the relief I will feel when Baby Girl is safely here though!

So, I'm officially 24 weeks now! My next goal is to get to 28 weeks. Please help to pray us there!

Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts, and support!!!

Please Pray

We just got back from our weekly check-up. We are seen by our high-risk dr on a weekly basis with this pregnancy. They specifically measure the cervical length to make sure it is not shortening. It's been good all along, measuring right around 3.6 cm. But today it measured at 2.6 cm. We were not happy about that at all, and of course it makes these days very scary for us. The doctor wants to see us back on Friday to check the length again.

I still have random and infrequent contractions, so please pray that they stop in case they are causing my cervix to shorten.

Some of you already know this, but this is the exact week in my pregnancy with Tyler when we went into preterm labor. It is already a scary week for us, and we weren't expecting this news today. I remember when I had to go into the ER around 19 weeks due to contractions. I was wanting so badly to just be here nearing 24 weeks, and it just felt like a lifetime away. Some of you offered to specifically pray me through to that first milestone that I had set.

And now I'm here, and I am soooo thankful for that.

I would appreciate it SOOO much if you could pray that things will look good during Friday's check-up. Then my next milestone that I'm shooting for is 28 weeks. I am confident that we can get there! With God's help and with prayer, we are going to get this little girl there!

Thanks more than words for your prayers!!

Love to all,
Mike, Jenn, and Baby Girl