pregnancy pics at 27 weeks

Before I got too much larger I wanted to capture this season of my life. With all the difficult parts this pregnancy has possessed I never for a moment want to take for granted the miracle taking place inside of me. So here we are, the 3 of us....

Ben gets baptized...

Beautiful day for a beautiful moment in Ben's life!

Proud moment for all of us

Brandon praying over our boy

Pastor Steve who is Ben's youth pastor has been such an amazing instrument in Ben's life in just a few short months of finding a home church. 

Oh Ben we are so proud of you and the man you are becoming. You have such a giving and gentle heart and your love for the Lord shines through all you do. Thank you for being who you are in Him! We look forward to seeing all that He has in store for your life as you chose to continue to serve Him in all you do. 

fish on....

I love watching my kids fish. I love watching how independent the boys are now baiting their own hooks, restringing their line, getting un-snagged, unhooking the fish. It's all just amazing to watch how much they've grown up. 

Cutest fisherman ever! We went to buy bait. The boys picked out lures and she picked out this hat! I mean it really does come down to looking good!

After 3 hours we decided silly pictures was more entertaining!

Ahhh....nothing like a day at the lake

One day at a time....

God continually brings me to a place of complete surrender. I know my desire to be 'in control' gives Him lots of opportunity to show me just how 'out of control' I am. He does this because He desires to deepen my dependency on Him and bring me to a place where all I can do is look up! This pregnancy has proven to be another opportunity for Him to teach a very slow learner :)

We right now are dealing with pre-eclampsia at a very early time in pregnancy. This warrants all sorts of concerns and scares at 23 weeks. As of today I've started blood pressure medication. Even though there are risks involved to the babies, the bigger risk is it being untreated.   I've had the prescription for 5 days and have been praying what to do. Today I was able to talk to the nurse, at the University of WA high risk pregnancy department, that I will be seeing on Thursday. She spoke to me clearly and with great knowledge and I got off the phone knowing I had no choice but start the medication. I'm thankful for the peace that came from waiting on the Lord and waiting for Him to show me my next step. Today He really just showed me to take one day at a time. I can't get ahead of myself or HIM and I can't know what happens next. What I can do is rest in the fact that I serve a God who gives me what I need for that day. And today I have peace. 

The evidence needed for a few boys around this house!

Makenna and I just keep saying our motto 'girls rule and boys drool!' ;)

This one is great. It just takes some head tilting and deep concentration ;) So both girls are labeled. You can see that Baby A (Alexa) is resting her head on Baby B's (Avery's) belly. She is tilting her head backwards and looking at her sister...love it!

Our first 3D picture. Only Alexa showed up for this photo shoot this time around! But I sure love her little hand up by her face. And I can see Makenna in her little nose and mouth! 

And lastly me at 23 weeks! 

These are also the pants that will never be worn again! (moment of silence) Sadly on my way to the doctors appointment, with only 15 minutes to spare, I hopped out of the car and heard a ripping sound. I immediately felt the draft and knew we had an issue! From crotch to rear I was completely exposed. I rushed to Target with white sweater, featured above, tucked into the back of my pants and my purse place strategically in front of my crotch. Rushed/waddled back grabbed some yoga pants, put them on, ripped off tags, paid, and made it to appointment on time! 

Just one day at a time :)