Through it all

In June Phillip and I will be married 5 years! In a way it seems like yesterday, and in another way it seems like forever ago. I will always remember my mom telling me early on in my marriage that she knew Phillip and I would go through a lot, but it would be to strengthen our marriage early on, so that we would be strong enough for the huge things the Lord will do in our lives later. We want to do big things for the Lord, to always be in ministry of some sort, to be relational and purposeful and eternally minded in all we do.
After we got married it only took about 3 months before I couldn't wait any longer to "try" for a sweet baby, something I'd dreamed about since I was two. Well, the waiting didn't take long, we were pregnant after our first month trying. What ended in a miscarriage, during my grandfather's funeral, was proving to be the first of our disappointments in our journey to have a family. Phillip was so strong, always pointing me to Jesus, comforting and STABLE. Something I have grown to depend on about him. He is the same person always. He gets sad and disappointed, but doesn't let it shake his faith, resolve, or complete trust that the Lord knows what He is doing. So after the first miscarriage we began building our "story" together. After barely any time waiting, we were pregnant again. At our first ultrasound we found there was no baby, a blighted ovum is what it is called. An early miscarriage, but your body keeps acting pregnant. After a D&C and many tears, my husband was still so strong for us. I don't look back at those times and feel like I was "up and down", I wanted to be STABLE. Eyes fixed on Jesus, waiting for His plan to be revealed. Sure I was sad, and needed Phillip to remind me often of my eternal home, but without Christ, life would have been so much harder. After waiting the official 3 months this time, we got pregnant again, this time with TWINS! Our life was obviously not meant to be dull (you were right mom!).
Many couples never go more than a few days without being together, or sleeping in the same bed, but Phillip and I have spent many nights away from each other: 3 weeks each summer, 9 weeks on bedrest with the girls, and 10 weeks on bedrest with Champ. That is a lot of time away from each other. Phillip also had quite a jump into parenthood. Going from none to two, 3 and then 4, all within under 3 1/2 years. He has been the BEST daddy. I have been SO dependent on him, as a father, husband, provider for our home, and spiritual leader for our family. He has been the greatest example of the STABILITY we should have in Christ. Life has not proven to be easy for us in our first 5 years of marriage, but though it all, I have fallen more and more in love with the man I married. He is so much more than I could have ever dreamed of and I wouldn't trade OUR crazy life for any life with anyone else.
Phillip my covenant to you is strong, pure, and untainted by the circumstances of our life. My love for you has only grown, my respect for you has doubled. You are a man pursuing the Lord and constantly loving on me. THANK YOU for the STABILITY that you have been during these past years of bedrest and times away from each other. I love you more than you will ever know. Thank you!

35 and hoping

Tomorrow I am 35 weeks. As my dr. said today, she is "beyond predicting my body." I've basically surprised all my doctors predictions. So to get to 35 weeks I am really proud and excited, and blessed. I know it is because of JESUS!! ONE MORE WEEK, that is what I really want! At the dr. today I was already 2cm dilated and 70% effaced. Champ is really low. In the past if I get to 4cm, my water breaks. But, I've also been able to hold out at a 3 for weeks...so like any pregnancy, it is a waiting game. I am just hoping for ONE MORE WEEK. I am still trying to take it easy this week. However, after my appt. today I did go through all Canon's baby clothes, and had Phillip wash them tonight. I'm trying to have Phillip get all my baby stuff together, or found. Since we've moved, it seems like a lot of things are missing or still misplaced. Things like this get a little hard for a "nesting" mama. This is my last pregnancy, and right now I have no camera to document it. No way of really getting ready for the baby, creating a "nursery", shopping for Champ or making cute things for his room. But really, a healthy baby is all that matters. Which is why, again, I'm hoping for ONE MORE WEEK! Thank you for praying with me for this!!

we took this picture with Phillip's Iphone tonight. I need a hair cut, bad :)

my backyard

This is what Phillip and I woke up to this morning. It was amazing, and so pretty. There are actually houses down there under the fog. We definitely live on top of a hill!
More pictures to come, from Phillip's Iphone..since my phone is still broken.

Many Thanks To You!

UPDATE: I wrote this post while I was in Dallas, anticipating my departure home.

What would I do without the incredible family I have been blessed with. Phillip and I have both been blessed by loving families who pointed us to Christ at an early age. Who nurtured our love for the Lord and prayed for our mates since we were born. We are blessed that both of our parents desire to be involved in our lives, love our children, and sacrifice over and over for us as we've had difficult pregnancies.
For the past 12 weeks we have been here in Dallas. My parents were going to watch the kids for us for a week after Christmas, and it has turned into 11! Other than when Phillip comes into town (which thanks to a generous family has been about every 10-14 days), my parents have been doing everything for my kids. Feeding, dressing, bathing, playing, sleeping them. It would be different if I only had one, or two. But to have 3, barely 3yrs old and under, it has been physically demanding in so many ways. I am so grateful for their dependence on Christ during this time. They have done it gracefully, lovingly, and been so servant hearted. Here is a list of just some of the things they have done during the winter months of being full time grandparents:
*came to visit me EVERY DAY when I was in the hospital
*spent LOTS of time with cousins Brenley and baby Brooklyn. Really developed a relationship with each other and played so well together!
*fed them nutritious, healthy meals and didn't let them get away with being picky (something I am adamant about. thank you!)
*the girls learned to climb trees
*read them TONS of books and all 3 kids now love to snuggle up with me on the couch and read
*took as many walks as possible on the walking path out back, and walks to the park
*colored, did stickers, developed a love for imagination playhouse and sandboxes
*Canon learned to kick a soccar ball, climb up and DOWN the stairs, run, get down off the couch, say more words, and "more" in sign language, eat with a fork and spoon, stand up in his high chair, got 4 new molars, and more...
*blew the Shofar everyday, singing praises to Jesus
*encouraged the reality that Jesus heals! As Avery would say, "Jesus healed my ear" after a small bout with an ear infection, that Jesus really did heal!
*went to church twice a week and did great in class
*stuck to a schedule, which the kids thrive on
*went to The Little Gym each week and learned how to play hockey and baseball. Canon stayed either at Aunt Angie's or she would come here with me while he slept...which brings me to my next point...
*all 3 are still taking great naps each day. Canon still takes a good solid two,easily. The girls nap and bedtime routines have improved since the absolute craziness of the apartment
*They girls have learned how to play games on my mom and Phillip's Iphones and are really good at it. Of course I love that they are all educational games!
*Most important my parents have love love loved on my kids and shown them the love of Christ, the sacrificial hands and feet of those who love Him. Taking care of them, and me, and setting aside so much in their own lives to do this for us.
Thank you mom and dad for allowing Christ to give you the strength both physically and mentally to do this. Though we would not have chosen this road, I am grateful for the time we had with you and the relationships you were able to develop with my kids since we live so far away. Thank you, we love you!!!
I cannot leave out my wonderful sister Angie, who also helped out a ton!! She lives about 5 minutes away and was over nearly every day that she could. She was always helping take care of all 5 grandkids and doing whatever she could to make it easier on us. I loved having her around as well, since we usually never get this much time together. Her sweet husband Al spent lots of time here as well, or sacrificed his time with her to let her be here. Thank you for your servant heart and for always putting others before yourself. You do it with ease, a smile, and all the while nursing an infant. Supermom!
My brother Danny and sister-in-love Amber as well as Phillip's brother Matt his wife Lauren, also came out lots of weekends to help. What a blessing it is to have so much family willing to help. It truly made me feel better that while Phillip and I couldn't be totally present in our children's lives, we trusted our family members and were so glad it was family taking care of them.
Phillip was living at his parents house this entire time. What a blessing for us, on all fronts, having family take care of us. We were blessed with a few months of no mortgage and have a refrigerator and water softner in our house to prove it!
It is hard to be in such a place of dependancy on people, but I learned early on in the hospital that it makes people feel better to be able to help. You are allowing them to serve Christ when they serve you, to love Christ when they love on you. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:39-41

Thank you ALL for your help during the past 12 weeks! We love you!!
Shelly

These were the last pictures I took before my camera lens stopped working.
The one of Avery with the baby in the sling - that is my "Baby Bean", my very first baby doll when I was little.

I made it!

Thank you for all the prayers! I greatly needed them today! I had SO many contractions on the flight here that I won't even tell you the numbers, lest some of you freak out. I was very nervous, trying to be relaxed, and the steward was pumping me full of water. Praying we would just take off...and we did, a little delayed. My friend Kelli got me at the airport (I was in a wheelchair the whole time...another story for another blog), and I went to her house for the afternoon to lay on the couch. My contractions are better, but still here. Hoping nothing happens soon, I could have 5 weeks, or one day...that is the unknown of preterm pregnancy.

I LOVE the house! It was so fun to walk in with the kids and see them run around, showing us everything they were seeing. They were SO excited, and it was a precious, very memorable moment for us as a family. What a reuiniting we had. The Lord is so good to us, we LOVE our house, it is so new and nice, and HOME!

More to come on all of this. I just wanted to thank you for the prayers and let you know I made it home. Praise the Lord!

Homeward Bound

The plan: Phillip and his mom are arriving at 10:30 tonight. They will leave at 4am tomorrow with the kids and travel straight to our new house :) I will leave on a plane tomorrow at noon, and spend the afternoon on my friend and neighbor Kelli's couch. We will all 5 reunite together at our new house and get to see each other's expressions and joy.
The Prayers: I went to the doctor today and for the first time in 10 weeks, my cervix has changed. Not just a tiny bit, but a whole centimeter (which is a lot in the cervix world). I am now at a .7cm. My sister's doctor, who again I really like, is still allowing me to fly home. Mainly because of my previous history with Canon's pregnancy. At 34 weeks I started really showing signs of going into labor, but went another 6 active weeks with him. So with Champ we are at LEAST hoping for another DAY! My prayer is for a safe flight for me, safe drive for Phillip, and NO BABY UNTIL I GET HOME. Once I get home, I'll be praying for NO baby until after 36 weeks (just two weeks from now). I just need to get home. So please be praying for me tomorrow, that my body would continue to hold our sweet little Champ, a true Champ for hanging in this long, until he is FULL TERM. Thank you!

just remembering...

seems like only yesterday we brought Canon home from the hospital to these sweet little chubby cheeked girls, who now seem so grown up and more aware of the new little one who will soon be entering our family. Time goes by so fast, now Canon is 16 months old and loves his little brother already. He loves to look at my tummy, hit it most of the time, and just seeing his love for his baby cousin Brooklyn, assures me he will adore his new lifelong playmate as well.
such sweet days...