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.

our growing family

Not long ago we went to a wedding in Thailand. Not only was the wedding beautiful, but it gave us an excuse to get dressed up. 

                             My prego belly at 30 weeks. hard to believe I have any room left to grow.

ultrasound fun

Preston was way more interested in the ultrasound this time around more than the last. I think because we did a 4D one and because she looked more human :)

SO PRECIOUS!! I wouldn't trade these moments for anything!

My curious onlooker wondering what all the gel was and asking if he could smear it on my belly.

The countdown has really begun for us. Tim is up against some major deadlines in the next 5 weeks and after that just wait for baby. My next OB appointment is Sept 7th. At the time I made the appointment that seemed like light years away, now it seems to be fast approaching. In the meantime we are enjoying the August cool fall like weather Chiang Mai has to offer. This week has been strange as Preston has been really sick so I have been busy getting some Christmas crafting off my 'to do' list while he has been taking MANY naps. Tonight we go to the Dr. and make sure he is on the road to recovery. 

public thank you's and our #1 baby name

This week I was able to open up 2 packages from 2 great people/families. First I opened a box that came in the mail from Tiffany Dowdell. Thank you Tiffany for thinking of all of us. The Starbucks card is always a hit, especially while we are back in Chiang Mai for baby girl to arrive. Love the pool cover up and Preston has been playing with hot wheels since we arrived. As for baby girl... the CUTE little outfits are even cuter in person than on the registry. LOVE THEM!!! Thank you so MUCH! You are such a good friend

The second package came from the Konold family. Thank you Daniel, Emily, and David for thinking of us. You are always faithful friends. Almost every evening after dinner Preston asks Tim to play baseball with him. He LOVES his new glove and ball. Although the first day they played Preston threw it so hard, it went into a swampy area and Tim spent 30 minutes fishing it out. Preston was so happy and his tears dried up as soon as his new ball was safe in his arms again. I can't wait to put baby girl into the new onesies you sent. As soon as I can I will be putting her in the new little headbands you sent. So CUTE! She is one blessed little girl and we are beyond blessed to have friends like you. THANK YOU!

Now as for names...we had about 10 or 12 names that either one or the other liked, but there were only 2 names that we BOTH liked. They were/are Alivia (but Tim liked it spelled with an O not an A) with middle name Hope or Marie and the second name was Isabella Grace. As we kept saying the names over and over we continued to like Isabella more and more. So with only about 9 weeks until due date we think we are settling with Isabella Grace. Of course we reserve the right to change that name at any time, but for now you can pray for baby Isabella by name. I like to hear it and read it over and over. It helps to assure me that I haven't picked some crazy name that I would regret 10 years from now.  However, if Preston had it his way he says the baby's name should be 'Skyla Booty' not sure where that came from, but he giggles every time he says it.

So we are in Chiang Mai for a couple of months, and doing well. Tim is VERY busy, but will be able to take a break in October when Isabella comes.

The random picture below is of our new apartment in Hanoi and Preston and I making homemade pretzels YUMMY! Soon I will post ultrasound pictures from Wed.

belly progression shots week 23 to 29

I have tried to take a belly growth shot every 2 weeks so here they are:

Week 23

Week 25

week 27

Week 29

Baby is growing and moving only 10 weeks to go until SHE's HERE...we leave for Thailand on Tuesday and I have an ultrasound on Wed. Tim will busy with lots of work for the rest of August and all of Sept. He will have time off in October so pray that the baby comes sooner than later in October.