A Year of Thanksgiving

Last year on this day, I was checking into the hospital with great anticipation and a little bit of fear. You just never know how the labor process will begin or end, so I was really nervous, but also the most excited I have ever been in my life! It was a wonderful 24 hours, especially after I got the "drugs" and I was able to just relax and wait it out. CB took her own sweet time - that is for sure! Her birth was the most incredible experience of my life and this past year has been full of learning, growth, change, joy and most of all gratitude. I am so thankful to finally have her in our lives and I am overwhelmed everytime I think about how much happiness she has brought not only me, but so many others. I am sure that tomorrow will be a day of reflection for me. I will remember every detail of CB's birth but I will also remember how long it took to get to that day! The scripture reading at our wedding was Psalm 100:4-5. It says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." I am so thankful that our Lord is good and He is faithful. He hears our prayers and He answers them. It's not in our time, but He answers and if we continue to seek Him, hear Him and trust Him, we come to understand gratitude in a different way.

About to make her birthday party debut!

Learning to walk with a new toy!

CB checking out the icing!

Happy mom and dad!

Little precious sugar of America!

The birthday girl in her TuTu!

Junk Food, Anyone?

October brings cooler weather, pumpkins, good football and the State Fair! I haven't been to the Fair in several years but I gave in this year. The last few times I have been out there I wander around asking myself why I am there spending money and eating junk. Having Clara Beth made the trip worth my time this year, and we sure did have fun! Our friends the Robys and the Brantleys came too and we had a ball watching Henley and McKenna play amongst other fairgoers. We ate a corn dog, a funnel cake and some cotton candy. In normal Randy fashion, he muttered the words, "I don't feel too good" several times! Maybe it was because he and Todd Brantley decided they would play a game of two-on-two basketball (in freezing cold weather) after eating all of that junk! Here are some scenes from the day!

Todd, Henley, Susan and Randy

Susan (smart lady in the toboggan), Wendy and Me

McKenna, Henley and CB

Enjoying a corn dog! CB got to eat Squash and Applesauce. :(

Mommy and CB had on matching pink warm-up suits!

Laughing at a Carney!

Having fun with my Toddy!

Henley and Randy being silly!

Another Angel

I found out on Labor Day that I was officially pregnant again. I had to take three tests just for proof and they were all positive! I called the doctor and did two blood tests and those came back positive as well. As you can imagine, I was in complete shock! After all, we tried for what seemed like an eternity to get pregnant and never could and then all of a sudden, I am pregnant?! But, you hear about these things all the time, right?! After a few days of denial I started to try to wrap my brain around what was happening. Me? Two kids? Really? We have been around this block a few times so we did not want to say anything until we knew for sure. I went for my first sonogram and I was technically supposed to be 7 weeks that day. Our sonogram lady couldn't see much except for a sac and maybe the fetal pole. We knew that was not quite right, but we also thought that maybe my dates were off. We waited a week and went back! This time we saw some progress and a heartbeat. It was 154 and Judy said that anything over 50 was good. My doctor cautioned me and said, "we are not out of the woods yet" so I knew not to get my hopes up. She also told me she thought it would be good for me to come back once a week for a sonogram just so we could keep up with the progress. Well, the tough side in me thought I can wait for two weeks before the next sonogram, but I changed my mind and I am so glad I did! I went back this past Friday for my third sonogram and Judy could not find the heartbeat. I have to admit I wasn't surprised by this news as I had prepared myself for the worst beforehand. You kinda get used to hearing bad news when you go through as many things as we have, but it still stings when you hear it. I went ahead and scheduled the D&C for Monday and got that over with. Physically, I am feeling fine. Emotionally, I am doing ok. Anytime something like this happens you have a lot to process and think about. It's a rollercoaster. I am so happy and content with Clara Beth that it was hard for me to think about another person in our world. But then when I thought about that new person I was happy and excited to think that we were going to have another someone to bring us as much joy as Clara Beth has. However, as I said before, we have been down this road and every time we find out again that God has a bigger and a better plan. Randy and I discussed whether or not these little embryos with beating hearts will be waiting on us in Heaven. Maybe they will be little fireflies with wings. I can only imagine, but I know that if they are there we will have three waiting on us.