She is almost HERE

3 weeks ago we decided to do family pictures and preserve the belly moments of Isabella growing in my tummy. We just got some of them back and I think they are GREAT. 3 weeks to go until she arrives. Im so ready to meet her. Today over lunch Preston said when Isabella comes Im going to give her a kiss. He is going to be such a great big brother. Enjoy looking at some of my favorites. There are more, but I will give them to you a couple at a time so I don't overload you with pictures. 

Dentist for Preston

12 days ago Tim and Preston were playing and Preston tried to jump from one end of the bed to the other where Tim was standing. Tim could see that he was NOT going to make it and tried to get him, but Preston hit his front two teeth on the bed frame. It was instant tears and blood.

It took a week for the swelling of his gums to go down and for him to let me touch inside his mouth. I instantly noted that his front teeth were loose. So I made a dentist apt. and today was the day. Since it was a last minute 'emergancy' apt it was at 7pm ( I know for a 3 year old) but I was thankful to get one so soon. We practiced going to the dentist all morning. Laying on the couch and using chopsticks to poke at his teeth etc. I kept telling him, "it might be scary, but it WONT hurt."

He was so excited to go, so after dinner we got in the car and headed to the dentist. At the reception I had to fill out some paperwork, and Preston quickly went up to the counter and proceeded to tell the ladies what happened and that his tooth is loose and might fall out. They were all in awe of his articulation and charm.

A minute later the dentist was ready for him. He skipped into her office and then it hit him...he was scared. He hid behind my leg, but the lady was SO GOOD WITH KIDS. She showed him her tools and then the highlight of his night came. He got to pick out a pair of glasses to put on so the light wouldn't be too bright. Below are the pictures. He didn't scream or shed a tear. He opened his mouth wide and let her poke around. He got x-rays done by himself since they wouldn't let a prego in the room :) SO BRAVE. Below are the pictures. My only question for him was, "why do you scream and cry when we get your hair cut, but are excited and happy to go to the dentist AND get vaccinations?" Yes you read it right. He cries every time he gets his hair cut, but has NO issue with vaccinations and apparently going to the dentist.

What was the outcome you ask? Well thankfully his tooth was not broken and there is no root damage so in another 2 weeks the tooth should tighten back up and in November he'll go for a cleaning. He is excited to return and wear those special glasses again. 

sushi...YUM

Im so glad that Preston likes to eat Sushi with me. It is an inexpensive meal to buy both in Thailand and Vietnam. Yay for healthy and affordable. 

Christmas in Sept.

Last year we started a new tradition in our Advent observations. I made a 'Jesse' tree that had about 20 ornaments that represented creation until the birth of Christ. Since it was more of a last minute idea I worked on the fly last year and this year wanted to improve the ornaments. I have been working diligently on this project while in Chiang Mai waiting on baby Isabella's arrival. Below are a few that I have improved on. 

  Noah's ark

Wall of Jericho

Tree of knowledge of good and evil (sin entering the world)

10 commandments

The above were made from a simple salt dough recipe, but I soon learned that in SE Asia it is too humid and they don't fully dry. So I have since bought air dry clay and am in the process of redoing them and seeing if the clay will dry better. I am almost finished with all the ornaments. I have a few other things we will be doing as a family this year, but I will save that for the actual season of Advent. I know it is Sept, but I also know that with Isabella coming in 5 weeks I wont have time to do these crafty things before Advent as I will be all caught up in staring at our miracle baby. 

Pregnancy journey and words from my heart

Just because no post is complete w/o pictures

(random picture for this post I know)

Wednesday I had my Dr apt. baby Isabella is growing, active, and healthy. He thinks she is already about 3kg (6lbs) and I still have 6ish weeks to go. On a positive note I only gained 1 lb this whole month for a total of 15lbs this pregnancy. Isabella is already head down, and has found new places to kick me. I LOVE how active she is in my belly and have tried to enjoy every moment of this miracle inside of me.  I still am at awe of how God knitted this whole miracle together. Healing, not only my body, but mending broken wounds of my soul as well.
                                                                        The last 2 years have been extraordinary for us. I feel like I have undergone a GREAT surgery of the body, mind, and soul and am finally able to take recovery bandages off. I remember praying that if we ever got pregnant again that it would be a sign to me that the work God has been doing in my heart was well on its way (we know it is never fully complete). I feel that way! I feel like I have open communication lines again. I feel free in so many areas of my life. It actually took me until after I was 20 weeks pregnant to begin to fully enjoy this miracle. I had prayed fervently for 2 years for this and then all of a sudden BOOM GOD DID IT!!  I dealt with a  lot of guilt for my friends who are still struggling with infertility. I felt the weight of their burdens on my shoulders. I had a little 'survivors' guilt. The WOW why me? I had felt forgotten by God for so long. I felt insignificant and unimportant in the scheme of eternity. Then all of a sudden it was as if God reached down from heaven touched my womb in a way only HE could have done and said, "let there be LIFE." and there was. I can't explain that feeling, but for sure weeks of unbelief followed the positive pregnancy test. I still pray almost daily and many times multiple times through out the day for my infertile friends. My heart is broken for these families. I want God to touch their lives like he did mine. I want them to be set free from the lies that the enemy tells us, 'we are  insignificant...God doesn't care about our burdens etc.' I want them to experience the joy I have over this least 8 months. I want desperately more that all of that, for God to mend broken hearts and heal old wounds of the spirit. So when I think of this season I will forever think of the endless possibilities that God has in store for us. He has made my joy complete... not by answering my prayers, but by mending my broken heart and soul. HE has set me FREE...Im free to love more selflessly. Im not sure what the next phase of our lives hold. Im not sure what the next mountain will be that our family will climb, but I hope to look back on this season as a place to draw strength to take the NEXT STEP! I am NOT in CONTROL HE IS!!! God remind me of this daily. I don't want to go back to the valley of dry bones, but I want to continue to swim in the water that brings life.

had a dream about this Psalm last night

Psalm 135

 ¹ Praise the LORD.   Praise the name of the LORD;
   praise him, you servants of the LORD,
² you who minister in the house of the LORD,
   in the courts of the house of our God.
 ³ Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
   sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
⁴ For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
   Israel to be his treasured possession.
 ⁵ I know that the LORD is great,
   that our Lord is greater than all gods.
⁶ The LORD does whatever pleases him,
   in the heavens and on the earth,
   in the seas and all their depths.
⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
   he sends lightning with the rain
   and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
 ⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
   the firstborn of people and animals.
⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
   against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰ He struck down many nations
   and killed mighty kings—
¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites,
   Og king of Bashan,
   and all the kings of Canaan—
¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance,
   an inheritance to his people Israel.
 ¹³ Your name, LORD, endures forever,
   your renown, LORD, through all generations.
¹⁴ For the LORD will vindicate his people
   and have compassion on his servants.
 ¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
   made by human hands.
¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
   eyes, but cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear,
   nor is there breath in their mouths.
¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
   and so will all who trust in them.
 ¹⁹ All you Israelites, praise the LORD;
   house of Aaron, praise the LORD;
²⁰ house of Levi, praise the LORD;
   you who fear him, praise the LORD.
²¹ Praise be to the LORD from Zion,
   to him who dwells in Jerusalem.
   Praise the LORD.