Into the Third Trimester

Another milestone in pregnancy has come this week...I am 26 weeks along so have entered into the third trimester! I actually hadn't thought about it until just a couple of days ago and found myself pretty surprised to have made it this far already. With just over three months to go, we have been starting to do more to get ready for our little guy to join us.

This week we'll go to our first class at the hospital: anesthesia for labor and delivery. I anticipate I'll be deciding the anesthesia is a good option!

We also have been spending lots of time at Target, Toys R Us, and Babies R Us. It has been a blast looking at all the basic necessities and frivolous extras that we have to choose from. Just this week I was in Target and a new Louisville friend, Emily, happenend upon me in one of the baby aisles. She was such a gift, talking me through all the best bottle and diaper choices, as well as filling me in on some things I would have never thought to register for. We had such fun and I left thanking the Lord for friends who have walked this road before me.

Shane says this shirt doesn't quite reveal how much I'm showing since it's black. But it will have to do for now...

Our Boys

I thought it would be fun to share some of our dogs' new habits now that we've moved. Luther is much more mild than Augustine, but he does have some funny ways about him. He has recently decided that he enjoys eating while laying down...

And this is the look that Shane gets every evening prior to going on a "w". We don't say the word "walk" in our house unless we really mean it!

Augustine, on the other hand, has more quirks than any of us. He loves to sleep snuggled with pillows and blankets or on anything soft. We often find him napping in a pile of sheets or clothes...

He also loves to sleep on his back. In the middle of the night, we sometimes wake to his heavy breathing and there he is at the end of the bed, legs splayed in the air...

This is a new spot that he's found and loves. He can look out the front windows while laying down, chin resting on the window sill. He'll spend hours on a Saturday right here...

And the new games he's discovered now that he has stairs! He just recently started wanting us to throw a ball upstairs, then instead of bringing it back to us, he'll drop it at the top of the stairs and joyfully watch it bounce down to us...all in the hopes of doing it again...

But silliness, quirks and all, they always have each other!

An Official Goodbye

We officially closed on our house in Missouri today. After many days of e-mails and faxes back and forth, all the paperwork has been completed. So we are no longer the owners of two homes and can no longer sort-of still call ourselves Missouri residents. I suppose this means that we really should get our license plates changed to Kentucky.

But it is sad in a way, to have to say goodbye to that house for good. It was the first house Shane and I purchased. It was the place we called home as the Lord first gave us the opportunity to work in full-time ministry. It was where I spent endless nights studying, completing papers, and writing the thesis for my master's. Shane watched Illinois make a run through March Madness and into the title game from that house. There we brought our first "babies" home, and watched them grow from frisky puppies into wild beasty dogs. I always thought we would bring our first child home to that house. We prayed and cried many nights between those walls, asking the Lord to grant that desire of our hearts. But most of all, it was there that the Lord taught us to look far beyond the limited vision of our todays to the limitless promises of His tomorrows.

We are grateful, though, that someone decided to move all the way from California and make our humble house their place of residence (may they, like us, learn to overlook the marks left by two rambunctious Aussies). So here's farewell to 5905 N. Sixth Avenue. We hope and pray that the next owners are as blessed by that home, the neighborhood, and the town as we were.

Twenty-three Weeks

I am now 23 weeks along - more than half-way and less than 4 months to go. My little tummy sure is feeling bigger this week. Our little guy is pretty active sometimes. Just this week he's had a few kicks that I could see, not just feel!

One of my prayers recently has been that I would be as keenly aware of God's touch on my life as I am of the touches of this little boy. Just having him with me and making his presence known in the most interesting moments reminds me that the Lord is working at every moment and in every circumstance.

Two of my good friends who have shared this journey of waiting and praying for a little one had babies in the past couple of weeks. Thanks, Missy and MaryLindsey for sharing your stories, your friendship, and your encouragement with me. It's meant the world to know you were just an e-mail away. I'll understand if I don't hear from you as much for a while! But it won't be long until I'm asking you about bringing home a baby!

Puppy Birthday

Thursday was Luther's third birthday. I can't believe that we have had him that long already! We've celebrated in different ways over the years - they've had party hats, noise makers, bones, and new toys. Two years ago on Luther's birthday we had just brought home Augustine.

We celebrated on Friday night and this year Luther and Auggie got a special treat for the big day - a steak. You can only imagine the drooling and tail wagging that went on for this one! Here they are, sitting by the stove, anxiously awaiting their meal as I cooked. Somehow they seemed to know it was for them.

Happy birthday, Luther. We are so glad you're part of our family!