Shining through the Sorrow

Here's a new belly shot for ya, just taken today at 15 weeks 3 days.  I feel like I've never looked this slim while prego before.  I'm still three pounds under my start weight, mostly because the all-day nausea is still alive and well.  I also feel like this bump is cute and little, not as round as my previous pregnancies.  I will give you some comparison shots, cause I love you that much... Baby #4 15 weeks with Zoe - ROUND 15 weeks with Gabe - Showing some SKIN

In just two short weeks we will be having our anatomy scan - to check baby's brain, heart, face, among many other things.  Most people look forward to this appointment to find out baby's gender, but that is actually just one of the many things they are checking for. Since we won't be finding out baby's sex, I thought I'd let you all in on our baby's potential names.  But, I couldn't wait two weeks to write a blog... so here's a blog about how and why we've chosen the names for our first three.  Each of our children have Biblical first names and family middle names.  It's a trend we've started and there's no stopping now!! Our firstborn - Joel Benjamin Joel is a book of the bible, written by one of the twelve minor prophets. Meaning:  "The Lord is God" Benjamin is Kyle's middle name, which was given to him after his Great-Grandfather. Meaning:   "Son of the Right Hand" Our second child - Gabriel Dean Ga

When I think about my kids, I tend to think I have to be the luckiest Momma in the world.  It's kinda like that when I think about my dearest friends - I am SO lucky.  This post is dedicated to THEM. One of my funniest and BEST friends recently posed the question, "Why hasn't a blog been written about us ?  Clearly we are the reason she's able to 'shine through her sorrow,' I mean, along with her husband and kids."  Ha!  And she's SO right.  So, here it is!  But, FIRST, watch us DANCE !! I have these four amazing friends... and we couldn't be closer.  We literally talk everyday online, try to have play dates every other week, and a girl's night every other month.  I absolutely do NOT know what I'd do without these ladies in my life.  They are the people in my life I go to for parenting advice, spiritual guidance, and humor relief.  We check in on one another, we're real with each other, we SHARE life together.  And we've absolut

Good morning, readers.  Well, I'm 13 weeks now.  Baby is three inches long, from crown to rump.  Fingerprints are being formed on baby's fingertips.  How amazing is that?? Feels like it took forever to get here, but I'm officially in that safe zone - less fear of a miscarriage - and have now entered the waiting period - until I know that baby has enough fluid, is growing kidneys, and does not have Potter's Syndrome like big brother Gabe. Up until about 16 weeks, the Momma is responsible for making the fluid that surrounds baby.  Then, around this time, baby starts using those kidneys and begins to swallow and, ahem, pee out the fluid. With Zoe's pregnancy, we had a friend give us an ultrasound at 16 weeks to give me the peace of mind that everything was going okay, that baby was swimming in an ocean of fluid, and to tell us the gender.  Well, this time we don't want to know what we're having, and I'm hoping I am strong enough to wait until our off

Thought I'd update the blog background for this joyous Christmas season.  Enjoy!

This past Saturday we gathered the kids for our annual Christmas photo shoot.  For last year's Christmas card, I wanted Gabriel represented in some way so we included a giant framed picture of him to be part of the background.  With the help of our sweet photographer, the end result was pretty amazing, if I do say so myself: Photo done by Chandra Dickson Sometimes I have my kiddos hold an embroidered pillow with Gabriel's name on it: Photo done by Tammy Schowalter And then sometimes I have the kids hold a little "brother bear" wearing a shirt with Gabe's name on it: So, this time I decided to "keep it classy" and simply put on the gorgeous necklace my amazingly loving husband purchased for me last Christmas.  You can see the gold heart locket in this shot: Photo done by Robin Schroyer I loved being able to have something in the photo which represented him , without it being overly obvious or having something that w

I hesitated to blog about my Zoe and what's been going on with her.  But, I hate being vague and I also know so many of you have been praying for her, which we SO appreciate and feel like it's only fair to keep you updated and in the loop.  I also have a hope that sharing her experience will be helpful to someone else.  So, here it is: Zoe's has been a puker since day one.  This Momma has been concerned since day one.  None of the doctors at our family practice seemed concerned and said it was reflux and that she would grow out of it by 12 months.  That's basically all we heard from them.  Around nine months, Zoe wasn't putting on weight and actually dropped on her growth curve, which (if you don't know) rewards you with the diagnosis of Failure to Thrive.  Momma got more concerned.  I talked with lots of people who had been in my shoes, and who were in the medical profession and everyone agreed that she should be referred to a Pediatric GI Specialist and that