Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Getting Ready!

This is a first - I'm starting a blog! There are a few reasons. First of all, I like reading other's, so maybe it's a cool thing. Second, we have a lot going on right now, and I think this will be an easy outlet for me to share happenings with friends and family!

We are getting ready for many things. Thanksgiving is only 2 days away. Luckily this year I am not responsible for much! Christmas is just over a month away. More importantly, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third baby girl! Ellett Katherine, Ellie Kate, is due to arrive by C-Section on December 4th. For those who don't know our story, I'll give you the Reader's Digest version.

Stewart and I were blessed with our first baby girl on June 15, 2004. Abigail Marie, Abby, came into the world a healthy 8 pounds and 9 ounces. She was, and still is, the light of our world! She is currently 4 1/2 years old and attending a local church pre-school that she LOVES! She loves to talk (seriously!), read books and sing.

On November 18, 2007, we were again blessed with another baby girl. God had different plans for this angel that we did not know. Olivia Garner was born still, and went on to be our special angel. Shocking cannot describe that night. After much prayer and trust in a bigger plan, we have come to the realization that God had another, greater plan for our baby girl that was even more special than anything we could have ever dreamed for her.

Much to our surprise, we became pregnant again in the spring of 2008. I have told many that God was simply braver than I ever could be because I think He knew we could never make the decision to try again on our own. Throughout this pregnancy, I have been monitored at UAB along with my local OB. So far everything looks perfect! This little one is VERY active and if I ever start to fear that she is too still, she obliges me with ferocious kicks and rolls! My family and friends have been a priceless support throughout this journey. Although it was certainly not a path I would have chosen, it is unfortunately one that many before me and after me will travel as well.

I haven't been brave enough to "get ready" for this baby like most would, but the Lord has given me more "faithful" moments to get a few things ready for her upcoming arrival.

As we continue through this journey, I hope that we can continue to appreciate how the Lord works in our life, sometimes even before we know to ask for His help! I firmly believe that He puts situations and people in our lives for a reason! A former local journalist who also blogs about her family's journey through the heartbreak of losing a child, Amy George, recently blogged that her living children were like rainbows - God's way of telling her family it was all going to be OK. I am patiently waiting for our little rainbow and trusting that it will come - in one form or another!