Women- Need some ideas!

Well, I'm 19 1/2 weeks pregnant and a good word to describe me right now would be....overwhelmed! Considering I really haven't done much to prepare for these two little darlings to arrive up until this point, we are now pouring our time and attention into names, cribs, strollers, bedding (harderst thing for a boy and a girl!), registering, cleaning out closets/rooms, ect.! It just seems as though there is so much to do to prepare for a baby and I have 2 months to be finished (dr. plessala wants me to be prepared to go on bedrest by the beginning of march)! This is one of the many excellent opportunities for me to trust the Lord once again. It's never been more apparent to me that I have no idea what I'm doing, or what I'll need, or even how to prepare and that he is the only one that can truly prepare me for this next season of our lives. I appreciate your prayers during this time as I seek to walk in His peace.

Help! - I welcome any and all ideas on cute ways to decorate a nursery for a boy and a girl (bedding specifically- websights to shop from, ect.- although I think I've looked EVERYWHERE!- i like really simple, sage/pink/brown/blue), and any advice from moms on things to register for/things don't really need!

Boys/Girls/or both???

And the verdict is.....3 days before Christmas we had my 17 week ultrasound. This could tell us the sexes of our babies but Ben and I decided to get the ultrasound tech to write it on a card! So we waited and on Christmas eve after the service at Grace, we went to Bellingrath gardens, spent some time together, and then opened our card! It was such a sweet and special Christmas gift! Although Ben guessed 2 boys, I had guessed a boy and a girl and I was right! Isn't it amazing how the Lord prepares your heart and gives you the desire of His heart?? We were both so thrilled! Each time we have an ultrasound, baby A is always totally still/chilling and baby B is flipping, spinning, and moving around like crazy! So we decided we have a mini Ben and mini Katie!

Fun memories

One of the many reasons why we love what we do is that we love the people we work with! It is such a privilege to absolutely love what you are giving the majority of your time to and to do this with a team of like-minded individuals. We count it as a tremendous blessing. Here are some pics of our staff and students enjoying time together!:)

Aliens!??

Fun ways we can tell there are aliens controlling my body...
1. first trimester my love for sweets and ice cream after dinner changed to pickles and chips/salsa for dessert!
2. 2 days after Christmas I was craving Mexican nachos (for those of you that don't know me well- I HATE Mexican food and never in the five years that we've been married have i ever requested to go to a Mexican restaurant!). Not only that, but I ordered 2 entrees- nachos and fajitas- one for me and one to split among the babes:) while my husband sat astonished!
3. i crave really healthy foods- french fries, foosackly's sauce and fried mozzarella sticks :)
4. major short term memory loss- gotten out of the car and left it running several times!

Why no blogs?/ Trip to ER

So I haven't blogged since November...obviously life has been very busy this semester! Ben has taken on a new role as Campus Director, I've been picking up the pace with Mary Kay while still leading a group of older girls and spending lots of time with students on campus and with the babies on the way, we have also been traveling and raising support! Sometimes life just seems to fly by...

First pregnant trip to ER

I absolutely LOVE Christmas! I begin playing Christmas CD's the week of Thanksgiving and I don't stop till after New Years! All the lights and decorations, the spirit of giving, focusing on Christ's coming- all makes my heart smile. We traveled up to Enterprise this past weekend to celebrate Christmas with my family and to visit with some supporters. Although we had a great time there, I developed a horrible ear infection. My mom is a nurse so when she saw that my face was beginning to swell as well, and my ear was nearly swollen shut( I couldn't hear a thing- which also brought many laughs)- we decided to call the dr in mobile. She gave me some antibiotics on Sat but on Sunday morning- it was worse! So on the way to church we made a pit stop at the ER to make sure it wasn't staph and that it wasn't affecting the babies! It's great being from a small town- you just walk in, my old dr. saw me briefly (my mom had called him), gave us some meds for staph and to reduce the infection, (reassured us that we had caught it in time, but he was glad I came in), I finished getting ready for church in the bathroom, and we made it on time to hear my mom play handbells! It was quite comical actually- and although this was pretty painful, I'm very thankful that this has been the only mishap my entire pregnancy! The Lord has truly blessed my health so much and I've really enjoyed being pregnant so far (what a MIRACLE)!! We are so thankful this Holiday season! Merry Christmas!

5th Year Anniversary Cruise

On September 27, 2008 Ben and I celebrated our five year anniversary! The Lord blessed us with an amazing opportunity to sail with Royal Carribean to Nassau and CocoCay, Bahamas! It was fabulous! On our way down, we stopped to visit the Blacks and the Summervilles at their new home in Orlando, FL. We were able to bring presents down from women in our church and had a surprise baby shower for Amy! We had a great time catching up with old friends and playing with their new babies! The cruise was fabulous- the wheather was perfect, the food was great, the shows were spectacular, and neither of us got sea sick! It was such a sweet time for us to get away and just enjoy one another. Our last big trip before the babies arrive!

TWINS!!!!

Well, for those of you that haven't heard, I am officially pregnant! And, much to our surprise, pregnant with twins! We are so thankful for the miracles God has created! I have been going to a fertility specialists for about 2 years now to figure out why I wasn't having cycles or producing any estrogen on my own. I have hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) and osteoporosis in my back due to my lack of hormones. Some doctors thought I was in ovarian failure or premature menopause. We didn't know for sure if I would ever be able to get pregnant. Near the end of my very first round of fertility shots, our doctor suggested that we stop this round of treatment. However, after much prayer we felt led to continue for a few more days. Amazingly my body responded to these last treatments. We firmly believe it is the Lord who opens the womb and He has blessed us with two pregnancies! In my doctor's exact words "the fact that your body responded at all is medically remarkable". The Lord has answered our prayers in so many ways. I am 10 weeks today and so far everything looks good! I am considered high risk due to my hormone/fertility issues combined with having multiples! Please join with us in prayer as we thank the Lord for giving us the desire of our hearts and trust Him for the health and safety of these two babies!

Camping Trip!

A couple of weekends ago, we went on a road trip with the McShea's. We spent two nights at Oak Mountain state park (near Birmingham) roasting marshmallows, learning how to cook an omlet in a ziplock, taking beautiful hikes, and riding a paddleboat on a calm lake. It was so relaxing just to get a way for a little while and enjoy time with friends!

P.S. I am SO proud of myself for posting this before you Jen!

Paint Parties!

Jen, Merrill, and I had a fabulous Girl's Night Out at Paint Party Studios located downtown Mobile! They give you a canvas with some sketching on it and then walk you step by step to finishing your masterpiece!
Staff wives and women also had a paint party- we made ornaments, flowerpots, and of course, memories.

Baybears & Brewton