Friends...

This weekend we were blessed by a visit from two of my dearest friends from college and their little ones.  I lived with Marla my first two years in the dorms, and then lived with Megan in a house off campus my last two years.  These girls are so special to me.  No matter how much time goes by between visits, we are always able to pick up right where we left off.  It was so much fun to get to see all of our little ones running around together for a few days.  And I also need to say, they were SUCH good sports about their hostess being on bed rest.  I didn't do any of the normal cooking, cleaning, or prepping I typically would have done, but we had fun just the same.  (Fortunately my mom washed sheets and scrubbed a few bathrooms.  Thanks for coming to the rescue, mom!) Girls, it was such a joy to get to catch up!  Let's not let it be another five years before we make it happen again!

A Dream Come True...

I have dreamt my entire life of having a daughter.  When people would ask me at the beginning of this pregnancy if I was hoping for a girl, my response was "I don't just want a daughter, I ache for a daughter!"  And I am still having a hard time grasping that this sweet, precious baby really is a girl.  Considering the circumstances, I am still a little bit guarded.  Part of my heart is bursting with joy inside of me , and part of me is scared.  I want this baby girl so badly.  I want to hold her, and raise her, and have my daughter with me here on this earth.  But, there is still a chance we could lose her.  Every day I have to put her in God's hands once again.  I pray over and over and over that He will protect her life, but ultimately I have to choose to put my hope in who God is, not in a good outcome.   Don't get me wrong. I definitely do hope for a good outcome.  And like I said before, I have come to a place where I plan on having a healthy, full-term baby.  There is no sense fearing and planning on the worst case scenario.  After all, our baby girl is already a fighter and a miracle.  So with that, I thought I would share with you a few darling purchases I have made in preparation for her arrival.  I mean, a mama who has been waiting her entire life to have a daughter has to have a little fun, right?

P.S. These would look a lot cuter if I had ironed them, but ironing isn't really one of the essential tasks that one is allowed to do while on bed rest.  The pictures really don't do them justice.  So what you get here is a straight-out-of-the-box look.  It suffices.

P.P.S.  The darling little white dress and sandals were actually a gift from my sister-in-law.  She obviously knows me well.  I adore them!

Bullseye...

Miracles...

I honestly never really thought I would get to say this, but "It's a girl!!!!"  And I am oh-so incredibly thankful!  God has blessed us with three amazing sons and now we get to enjoy the miracle of a daughter, too.  It still seems a little bit surreal!

For now, our precious baby girl looks healthy.  She is measuring quite small, but that is not at all surprising under the circumstances.  One of the risks with placental abruption is that the baby will not grow as she should because the placenta is not providing the same nourishment that a normal placenta would be.  But for now, she looks ok and I am praising God for that.  They will have to monitor her growth pretty closely from now on.  I will also need to have an MRI to get a more in depth look at the placenta.  There remain risks and I will have to be on bed rest until at least 34 weeks, but I am praising God that He has brought us this far!  It is a miracle that our precious daughter has survived until this point and looks healthy, and I pray constantly that God will continue to protect this little life He created.

Gone Camping...

Owen, Oliver, and Holland pitched a tent in the weeds yesterday and spent a good chunk of the day doing who knows what in it.  It was quite picturesque.  (photo courtesy of Alli)

When Auntie Allison tells Ezra it's time to change his diaper...

When brothers get along...

it's pretty much the best thing ever.

Scenes from bed rest: Mobile edition...

This afternoon, I decided to join my family on an adventure to see Uncle Donny's goats.  I mean, if I can sit in the living room, why not sit in the car and go for a drive?  And let me just say, it was SUCH a wonderful adventure, even if I did just watch from the car.  To get out of the house and enjoy this glorious Saturday afternoon with my boys was exactly what I needed!

As I walked to the car, I discovered what Silas had been working on during Ezra's nap:

The purple mustard is in full bloom right now, and it is beautiful.  Too bad our field of weeds couldn't look like this year round:


Just me and the babe hanging out in the car:






Betcha can't even see Silas, huh?

Two Things...

1.  This morning I thought about the fact that I have now been on bed rest for over five weeks.  I felt a huge sense of accomplishment, like "Oh man, I'm almost there!"  And then I realized I have, potentially, 20 weeks left.  What?!?!?

2.  My boys have been gone all week since it is spring break and I can't take care of them by myself.  They have been in Seattle where my mom and siblings have very graciously taken care of them for me.  Thanks so much, guys!  But what did I do to pass the sheer boredom while alone at my house all week?  Shop online.  Dude.  Trouble!  I don't even officially know yet if this baby is a boy or girl or if it will survive, and yet I have made (ahem) a couple of purchases.  If my family doesn't come back soon, I might need an intervention!

Random...

I pulled a few images off of my phone from this week that I thought were worth keeping:

Clearly, my permissible trips to the bathroom have sometimes turned into trips out to the back deck or to the entryway mirror.  But I'm still spending 23 hours 55 minutes every day sedentary, so I think I'm good.  You really ought to try that some time.  Actually, no you shouldn't.  I'm pretty sure I have officially lost every ounce of muscle I have ever built up.  I'm also pretty sure my heart is going to shrivel up and stop working soon.  I have NO idea how I am going to rebuild strength and stamina after this.  It kinda makes me laugh really hard to think that I ran a half marathon last June.  Oh man! I'll just be glad if I can walk a block without passing out when this is said and done.  But there are people who recover from much worse, so I'm sure I'll be fine.  At least that's what I am going to keep telling myself.