It's a.......

BOY!

This has been one of the best days of my life. I went to bed pretty early last night in hopes that morning would be there before I knew it. Of course, I woke up every hour to look at the clock. I ended up waking up at 4. I cooked breakfast, cleaned my house, watched a few Baby Storys on TLC and then started to get ready for the big day. I even texted my Mom at 5 this morning. I was too excited. Blake took off work for the entire day so I woke him up at 8 singing :) He is not a morning person AT ALL but he, surprisingly, didn't growl at me. He was excited too :)

We left the house a little early. Blake had to get fitted for a tux. He is in a wedding in June so we knocked that out of the way. We ate lunch. Well, Blake ate lunch. I was so nervous I could hardly even look at my food. I am not real sure what I was so nervous about but my stomach was in knots. Finally....the time had come.

My mom and Blake's mom met us at the hospital. My appointment was at 1 but we waited for 15-20 minutes before we got in. At this time, all of our phones were blowing up with "What is it?" "Is it a girl?" "It's a girl, right?!". (There were lots and lots of girl predictions) Finally, my name was called and we were ready for our life changing moment to begin. We waited in the room for 5-10 minutes. Blake began to play the penny toss game. Heads-boy. Tails-girl. He was anxious :) My favorite nurse was our little helper today. She performed the sonogram and asked us all before she started what we thought it was. Of course, Blake said BOY. I didn't want to say. I actually have not even told many people what I thought it was this entire time because I was going to be happy either way and I didn't want to be wrong. The nurse told me she needed one very last guess and I blurted out BOY. I mean I have been having dreams about a sweet baby boy almost every night for several weeks so....

The fun began.

It was instantaneous. She said, "Okay, do you guys want to know what this baby is?!" Blake yelled out, " It's a boy." I couldn't tell because I was laughing so hard at Blake. Nurse yells, "It IS a boy!!." Music to my ears. I was so excited. I can't even begin to express to you how excited I was in that moment. A beautiful boy. A very beautiful, active, baby boy. He was putting on a show for us. He waved. He bounced. He kicked. I loved seeing his little fingers move around. It was so amazing. Nurse said everything looks perfect. He is perfect. No more he/she. Meet Mason Laws Barber....

Halfway there!

Well...we are halfway there! 5 months today. I have grown a lot over the past few weeks. Some days, I wake up, look in the mirror, and think I may have swallowed a cantaloupe in my sleep :) I am feeling the baby every day which is so wonderful. Not real strong kicks just yet but he/she is definitely having a big time in there. I will be so glad when I don't have to call the baby he/she anymore. Less than a week!

Blake has been so sweet and helpful. I am already not sleeping very well. My back has been killing me. He has now given up his man chair (the recliner) each evening since it is the only place I can get comfortable these days and he rubs my back when it is aching. Last night, I was lying down and Blake had his hand resting on my belly. He laughed. I asked him what he was laughing for and he told me with a smile that he got another high five from the baby :) It makes me so happy that he can actually experience the whole pregnancy thing with me to some extent. I can't wait to see the look on his face when we find out what we are having Tuesday! We are both so thankful for this amazing gift that God has blessed us with.

To Baby B: You are finally letting Mommy know you are in there! I am so excited. I love you so very much.

Amazing

Let's write this down before we forget how perfect and sweet it was.
3/14/2011
I am lying on the couch. Blake and I are watching TV and I am playing on the computer. Something felt a little "weird" in my belly...like somebody very sweet was trying to let his/her presence be known. I laid my hand on the place I felt the "feeling" and all of a sudden...."HI MOMMY!!!!" I felt that sweet baby move! WITH MY OWN HAND. I have been feeling the little flutters for a few weeks now and they are beginning to become more frequent...but tonight is a night I will never forget. Thank You, God. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Baby B: I can't wait to meet you, sweet baby. Thank you for making my night.

Stealing the Romance

by Janet Morris Grimes

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Sometimes, I feel almost guilty for it. Shouldn’t the promise of heaven be enough to satisfy me? After all, I know how my love story ends; with me riding into the sunset with my Prince, dancing over the hidden threshold into happily ever after.

Still, it is the day-to-day moments we steal along the journey that thrill me most. Regardless of the time of day, He meets me when I am ready, dropping whatever He is doing to focus on me alone. In the car surrounded by the traffic of impatience; a sleepless night gazing at the moonlight; embracing the morning sunrise. He meets me there, whispering in my ear and listening to my concerns. He caresses my hair with a gentle breeze. He tilts my face upward, reminding me of where I will always find my answers.

He never breaks his promises. He waits patiently if I temporarily place my hope of a better future in those around me, then wipes away my tears of disappointment when they occasionally let me down. He goes before me to carve out my path. He walks beside me to provide companionship. He walks behind me to protect me from looking back with regret. He opens doors of opportunity and closes doors that bring pain. He prefers for me not to learn the hard way, but still holds me when I do. He allows me to misplace my anger toward others and direct it His way.

He overlooks my grumpy days. He knows I forget to say thank you. He works around my laziness, and condemns my fears for holding me back. When I ignore His voice of guidance, He waits until I am ready, gently tugging on the heart until I get strong enough for the next journey. Somehow, He shines through my imperfections without making me feel shameful for them.

Like the gentleman who bends tenderly down on one knee to announce to the world, “I adore you and long to spend forever with you, starting today.” That is all I need to know. I do not deserve such love, but I accept. I accept. Always, I accept.

Dear God, thank you so much for the way that You love us, as if we are your one and only. Teach us to watch for Your signs of affection, to recognize Your gentle caresses in our daily lives. Teach us to rest in Your love, and Yours alone; understanding that our other relationships can only be blessed once we are right with You. Above all else, thank you for asking us to join You for the rest of eternity. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

And I thought I loved you then...

I was browsing through my sister's blog today. I love watching all of the old videos she has posted of the babies. I found this precious picture as I was looking around. My heart melted when I saw it. This is me and my sweet husband fishing on the most beautiful day.

As I look at this picture, it reminds me of one of the many reasons I fell in love with Blake. We started dating around Spring. I can remember anything we ever did together was always outside--whether it was fishing, riding four wheelers, attempts at taking me turkey hunting, camping, or just riding around in the country on beautiful days like we have had here lately. So, when this time of year rolls around, I feel like I have fallen in love with him all over again. There is just something about it. It takes me back and I can remember exactly the way I felt when I first started seeing him. As cliche as it may sound, I never stop falling in love with him.

It amazes me how different we truly are but yet so very much in love. Blake is just such a happy person. High on life. He is so silly. I have never met anyone who can make me laugh the way he does. I am such a perfectionist--always organized, always stressing. I admire the way he lives from day to day. Never worrying. Always thankful. Always able to make me smile no matter what. We balance each other out. I truly believe God sent him to me for more reasons than I can count...for more reasons than I even know of. He is my angel. He reminds me every day that the simple things in life are what truly matter. It is days like the day in that picture that matter. Enjoying God's beautiful creations. Enjoying His gifts to us. Enjoying each other.

No amount of money, no materialistic thing in this world can beat what this guy has given me. Every day is an adventure with him and I look forward to many, many more. He is my very best friend. My sweet country boy :)

And the countdown begins....

We had our monthly checkup today. Everything looked great. They took blood to test for any abnormalities and I have great faith that everything is going to come back normal. I am so in love with hearing that heart beating. The rush I get when I hear it never gets old. I am just in awe the entire time. It is like a big "Hey there, I love you so much and this is my gift to you," from God. I will thank Him every day until the end of forever for it. Thank you, God. You are so amazing.

Here is the baby bump pic. I will be 17 weeks tomorrow.


Well...the countdown has begun. We have 28 days until we find out the sex of this sweet baby. 28 LONG days. I am so impatient...BUT SO EXCITED.

To baby B: We will be finding out if you are boy or girl soon...either way, we are so blessed to have received such a special gift. I love you.