Secret Post!

I did some Christmas shopping at LLBean.com today....look what I got for Daddy and Asher!!

I am so excited...I cannot wait until Christmas morning!! I think I am going to tuck Asher's little shoes right inside of Kris's big size 13's!

We're having a BOY!

We had another sonogram this morning, and we have a baby boy in there! We are so happy, and blessed, and thrilled...we're over the moon! :o)

We haven't told Katie yet, we'll tell her tonight.

Now...to do some shopping!

The best day ever-according to Katie!

Last night, we decided to go on a family date night. We went to Montana Mikes and got three matching plates of chicken strips with honey mustard and mashed potatoes and gravy-so yummy! Then we went to the mall and watched Enchanted-it was wonderful! We went to the bookstore, and Katie had a wonderful time picking out a chapter book. I also got a couple of things on my list for her there-a Junie B. Jones Diary and a anatomy book--she is loving science stuff! We went to Sears to get a couple of things Kris was needing (er...wanting). While we were in there, a girl said it was snowing outside. We went out to the car, and sure enough-big, beautiful snowflakes. Katie said, "this is a perfect day-2007!" She's so cute...she had a great time last night. There was something about the evening that I think we will always remember. I can't really put my finger on it, but we just had a really nice time together. We're so blessed to have each other. I love Kris and Katie so very much.

Praying...

I visited with my sister last night on the phone for two hours. It had been a long time since we had just talked and talked and talked. I love those conversations. I really needed to talk to someone and I think God prompted her to call and the exact right time.

There are some things I need to pray for, and a couple of them are not small, in fact, they are quite large obstacles, in the eyes and ways of man...but for God...NOTHING is impossible.

I need to pray for a miracle, for some way for me to be able to stay at home with our baby, and with Katie. It is not a small task, like I said, because we have a lot of debt that needs to be paid off before it can happen...but I believe that God can help me. I am going to start praying earnestly for it.

Yesterday was a difficult day at work. We had a lot of very sad referrals for children needing foster care. It was more than I could bear. There was one particular case that was probably the worst case of abuse I have heard of in a long, long time. It made me want to leave my job and never come back. Seriously. It made me want to hide out in my nice, safe, abuse-free home, and pretend that things like that don't really happen in our world. I also had some difficulty with co-workers, and I just don't understand why. It's something that I was not aware of that was a problem, but suddenly it is a problem with them...I need to figure it out. It is really, really bothering me.

The one thing I know...right now...right here...is that GOD-MY God in all of his majesty, infinite knowledge, grace, power and strength-has it all under control. None of my burdens am I carrying alone...not one single one...from the least to the greatest. That is comfort...true and real.

19 weeks! 21 weeks to go!

Hi. It's been a while since I updated. Kris had his wisdom teeth surgery, and it went really well! He has had very little pain or soreness, and has recovered so well-we prayed about it, but I'm still amazed! He actually went back to work last night.

We had our first Thanksgiving dinner at Jill and Jay's yesterday. We had smoked turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, chicken and noodles, 7 layer salad and pie. It was yummy! I am looking forward to this Thursday for my mom's Thanksgiving dinner. We always have a traditional roasted turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, kidney bean salad, green-jello salad, rolls, and several other wonderful things. I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family.
There is a certain comfort level that I have with my own mom and dad, I guess...that is very...well...comforting.

We are on week 19 this week with our precious little one. I see Dr. on Wednesday afternoon, and hopefully they will want to schedule another sonogram for sometime in the next couple of weeks. I am really anxious to do some Christmas shopping for him or her!

Wiggly Hips and Wisdom Teeth...

Oh mylanta! It feels if someone has been trying to rip my legs from their sockets all night long. I guess this is the part where my hips start to loosen in preparation for giving birth. There are so many amazing ways that God designed our bodies to do this important job. Kris was completely amazed about how babies born via c-section sometimes have to have their lungs suctioned, because it just naturally occurs when they are born vaginally. I think we are both just amazed every day.

Kris is getting his wisdom teeth taken out in the morning. I am planning to stay home with him...the surgeon recommended that he have someone with him for the day. I think I am going to make him a variety of puddings and jell-o's for a soft foods buffet of sorts. He borrowed a PSP from someone at work so he will have something to do while he's recovering. I've heard that the surgery is more difficult the older you are...so I hope he does ok.

I need to update my Christmas List for Katie:
Wii-check! (Kris got it last week-thank goodness!)
Wii extra controller and game pack-check!
Pajamas-check!
Stocking stuffers-compact umbrella, socks, undies

Still need to get:
Joke and/or Riddle Book
Science Kit
Doodle Pony
Shoes w/wheels at Wal-Mart
Remote control helicopter
Barbie with the horse

Well, that's all for now.

Week 18-again...

Well, according to the sonograms we had last week, this is actually our 18th week, not last week...so I am just saying we are around 18-19 weeks along. I've really been feeling baby move around a lot, and I just LOVE that feeling.

Our weekend went by fast. We got up really early on Saturday morning to go to Kris's parents shop to help with their Christmas Open House. We got things set up, and then went to a few flea markets/antique malls to browse. I must have not been in the "mood" to go flea-marketing, because I didn't buy one single thing all day. It was just a long, tiring day. We got home around 8pm, and all went to bed. Yesterday was just kind of a rough day. I didn't feel so great, we got around late and missed church, then we all took a big nap in the afternoon. I think we were all three so tired from Saturday.

We officially have plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas with Kris's family. We are having Thanksgiving dinner with them this coming Sunday at Jill's house, and then Christmas Eve will be at our house.

Kris has to work Thanksgiving Day, but we are having dinner at my parents, so he will get to go with us and take a giant nap at Mom and Dad's. I'm really looking forward to that day. We have so many things to be thankful for this year. I was thinking back on 2007, and so many things have happened. Crystal and Michael had their car accident in April, their car flipped end over end once, and rolled two times, and all five of them were miraculously not injured. Also in April, Grandma Rench went to Heaven, even though it's painful for us, it's wonderful for her. She is with the two loves of her life: Jesus and Grandpa. Bobby got married to a great girl, Mary Ann, and they had their first baby, little Tre...what a blessing he is! And, of course, our pregnancy...what a miracle that is. I know there are other things that happened this year, that are really such amazing blessings...and I am so thankful for them...even though I might not remember them now.

We were saying our prayers together before dinner last night, and after we were finished, I told Katie that part of the reason we were getting our baby was because of her prayers. She has prayed every night, for probably the last year and a half for a baby. She always prayed, "Please let Mama get a baby in her tummy, and let it be a girl, and let it look just like me, only littler." I'm not sure if the girl part will be answered, but He sure has answered the baby part. I just love that little girl, she is an amazing blessing...we love her so much...even when she is ornery...she is still our sweet pea, and she always will be.

Our baby is a ...

...beautiful, healthy, wonderfully cute MYSTERY! We went for our 2nd sonogram this morning, and the technician was still not able to confirm the gender. Baby was sleeping all scrunched up at the beginning and through most of the measurments, etc. Then I patted my belly a few times, and it started moving it's arms and legs around (I didn't mean to startle it...I just wanted it to wake up so we could see!). She thought it might be a good opportunity to see something, but baby put it's little hand right over it's private area! :o) She thought she "may" have seen boy parts, but she could not confirm. My goodness...what a day! We are still so incredibly glad that everything is ok. The heart and all organs look great, and we are measuring at 17 weeks and 3 days, so the due date, according to the sonogram is April 14th or 15th. We feel so incredibly blessed...our baby is so precious...and it really doesn't even matter...we love it so much already...and knowing if it is a boy or girl is just a bonus. :o) We are so BLESSED!

Update from our sonogram...

We had our sonogram this morning, but our sweet baby had the cord between it's legs, so we couldn't see anything! Then the sonogram machine stopped working, so all of our measurements were lost. We get to go back in the morning at 10 for a "do-over"...for free! Our sweet little one is so very precious though. She was able to print 5 pictures for us, before the machine stopped. We feel so incredibly blessed-just to have seen a healthy heart and organs, precious tiny feet and a cute little fist and profile...so wonderfully adorable---I am in LOVE! I will try and scan some of the pictures when I get home this evening. I teach Deciding Together tonight, so it will be kind of late.

Yay-I'm a mom again!

18 weeks!

We are on the 18th week this week! I'm so excited! We had a busy weekend. Kris worked really hard and pulled out all of the weeds from the back of our property. They built new houses behind us, and the construction folks just let everything blow into the back of our fence row, and didn't develop the easement, so it was just a BIG mess back there. Kris worked so hard, I was really proud of him---the muscles...oh...the muscles! :o) I finally got Katie's new room cleaned out and the entire room painted. It is a really dark pink called Pretty Petunia. She loves it. I think Kris is going to try and work on replacing all of the trim in her room with white. I think it will be really nice. He has also been working on refinishing her bed (which was his and his mom's when they were little). So we have a lot going on.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before (JUST KIDDING!) but our sonogram is Wednesday--this Wednesday--as in 40 hours from now! I just CANNOT wait to know what we're having!

Saturday we're traveling down to Grove for the day, to help Kris's Mom and Dad with their Christmas Open House at their shop. I am going to bake cookies, and make some little appetizers to take and serve. I'm excited! She always has really beautiful stuff in her shop...and it's a great flea market too.

That's all for now...will definitly be updating Wednesday!

5 days until we KNOW (hopefully!)

The baby has really been moving A LOT in the past few days...I love this feeling. It is so reassuring to feel that little one in there! I know, I know, I've already mentioned this, but I am so excited--our sonogram is 5 days away! It will be so nice to do a little shopping here and there...knowing if we are having a son or daughter. I was looking at pictures of Katie right after her birth, and she was so incredibly precious and wonderful. I still can't believe I will get to experience that again...what a huge blessing!