GOD IS GOOD

I know that Frank and I have been M.I.A. for the last few months, and I apologize. As you all know, we have been extremely busy. God has done some HUGE things in our lives in the past 14 months...it honestly leaves us speechless. Frank found the job that he's always wanted, and is enjoying every second of it. For those of you who don't know, last month Frank and his partner received awards for "Top Salesman of the Year", "Top Region in the Country", and for meeting their quota! We are extremely proud of him! But, God didn't stop there! I was promoted to Senior Financial Analyst in March, we have a beautiful little girl on the way, and now we have an incredible home. NONE of that is coincidence...ALL of that is because of God. We are in debt to our family and friends for all of the prayers said over the two and a half years that we struggled. We couldn't have made it through without you.

The most time consuming event has definitely been the purchase of our very own home! We are SO very excited, and even more blessed, to have such a beautiful home to raise Maezy. A lot of you have been asking for pictures of the house. Well, here are a "few". We are still working on putting together Maezy's room, and the guest bedroom, so that is why there aren't pictures of either just yet. I will post some as the rooms start to come together!

GOD IS GOOD (CON'T)

ART PROJECTS

So...in addition to my SEVERE nesting, I have discovered crafting...yes, I am quite domesticated these days. I have also found throughtout this pregnancy that I am a little cheap! I find the CUTEST things in boutiques around town, but refuse to pay some of the ridiculous prices that they ask for! Since we're away from all of our friends at Innes now, Frank has been spending a lot of time painting on the weekends. I decided that I could get some quality time with him if I tried to do something artistic myself. Here is what we've come up with so far for Maezy's room.

My "Masterpiece":


















Frank's Paintings:

13 Weeks To Go!

Your Pregnancy: Week 27

The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter for both you and your baby. With only 13 weeks left (give or take a couple of days), it's time to enjoy the ride because it's getting shorter. (This is the point on the roller coaster where you throw your arms in the air and wail like there's no tomorrow. Wee!)

As anxious as you are to evict your tenant so you can snuggle with the little bugger, she still needs a few more months in the protection of your womb.

Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for her grand entrance. If she were born today she would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as her lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. Her length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. Her brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town.

Maezy's 4D Ultrasound

Hi Everyone!

So, we've got about 13 weeks left! Frank's boss, Randy, and his wife, Karla, bought us a gift certificate for Christmas to get a 4D ultrasound. It is really an awesome experience! Unfortunately, our little one was extremely uncooperative the entire time. I was told to drink a sugary drink an hour before our appointment, and that ended up being a BAD idea. Maezy was all over the place! She was so active that at one point, her little heartrate reached 175. So, I think I should let you all know in advance that giving her apple juice is probably not a great idea! She'll only be allowed when we are taking her to see the families ;) Maezy did not want her photo taken. She refused to move her hands away from her face. The technician tried for 35 straight minutes. We tried lying on my back, then my left side, then my right, then again on my back, then my left side, then my right...the tech also tried bouncing my stomach...NOTHING. She wouldn't move her hands. She even tried getting her feet up by her face to keep us from getting a good shot!

Right now, Maezy is 2.1 pounds, and about 14 1/2 inches. Her little feet measured 2 inches. She doesn't have any hair at this point (well, only a few wisps). She appears to have Mommy's nose, and Daddy's lips. She also has her Daddy's feet. And, we think she has Mitchell legs, and not the notorious Libbey knees! You can all judge for yourselves! She moves around constantly, and it is such an amazing feeling...I can't get enough...even when it's in the middle of the night. Frank is an amazing father already. He reads/talks to her every single night. We are beyond excited and eager to meet her!




Her Daddy's Feet (and she's still got her little ankles crossed!):




Covering her face:



Making the #1 sign with her fingers...or telling us we only have one more minute of her time left:



Mitchell legs?:



Profile pic:



Covering her face (again and again and again):






Best shots of her little face we managed to get:

24 WEEKS IN!

Your pregnancy: 24 weeks

Your baby isn't just sitting around (on your bladder) doing nothing, she's working hard preparing for life outside the womb—perfecting her lungs and packing on the pounds. She'll gain ½ pound this week alone. Other highlights this week:

Things are starting to get a little crowded inside the old womb as baby grows bigger and bigger. Your ribs are probably pining away for the good old days when they didn't have a foot permanently lodged between them. Hate to break it to you, but it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Your baby's ears are fully functional now. And since they are, you may notice that loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. She's getting used to the everyday sounds inside the womb: the sound of your heart beating, your lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the growling of your stomach because your partner promised he'd be right back with that double cheeseburger and he's taking forever! She'll even be able to hear your voice when your partner finally arrives and you ask him where the bleep he's been! So talk nice!

Baby's got a fully developed inner ear now. This means her sense of balance is working and she can tell whether she's hanging upside down or right side up. She can also feel you moving, so go ahead, pop in your favorite tunes and boogie.

Your little Wiener schnitzel is about the length of a foot-long Chicago hot dog and weighs about 1 1/3 pounds.