She's here!!!

Daisy Love came into the world March 31st at 7:38 PM, weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces and is 20 inches long. I will share the delivery story once I am feeling up to it but, for now I just wanted to post some pictures of our little girl as well as to share with you (I had written this a few weeks ago) how we chose her name. Say what you will but, we are absolutely in love with this name and it has meant a lot to us for quite some time. If you read below you will learn why:).

2009 was a bumpy year for me and Joey for various reasons. It was a year that we felt stretched, tested and tried in ways we never could have imagined but, through it all we constantly turned to the Lord in prayer for strength and patience and we soaked up every sermon that encouraged us and helped us to press on joyfully in spite of the trials we faced. One of those sermons I actually posted on this blog last year, because it ministered to Joey and me so much during that tough time; it was titled "When my Heart is Overwhelmed." More than anything that message was a powerful and convicting reminder for us to praise the name of the Lord no matter how tough times get and we received the message with open ears. It really ministered to both of us in a powerful way. The Pastor's daughter, some of you might recall, has the same name that we decided to choose for our daughter (well, minus the last name of course). Joey and I had been at odds over a name for our little girl for several months and I had been getting frustrated that we would never come to an agreement on one. Instead of complaining about it to Joey I decided to pray about it and asked the Lord to pick our little girl's name for us and to put it on both of our hearts so that we would both be sure. Not long after we watched Pastor Britt's sermon together at home and as I said before it just rocked our world and soothed our aching hearts to say the least. When it was over I felt oddly confident that the name Daisy was meant for our daughter but, I wasn't looking forward to asking Joey about it so I prayed about it first but, as it turns out, Joey was 100% sold on the name already. He loved the name Daisy just as much as I did when he first heard it and he actually had planned on asking me about the name later in the day. We immediately felt that God had placed our little girl's name on both of our hearts and answered our prayers because it landed on both of our hearts so naturally and we had so much peace about it together. When I went to California in December of 09 for my work sales conference I was very surprised to see that Pastor Britt and his wife were at my work's Christmas party. We are publishing a book for Britt so he happened to be a guest and speaker at our brunch. I worked up all the courage I could muster and after brunch ended I shared with Britt's wife that Joey and I were beyond blessed and encouraged by her and her husband's faith in the midst of their daughter's crisis. I told her that we were so inspired and transformed by Britt's message that we too wanted to name our daughter Daisy Love and she almost started crying much to my surprise. She was so happy for us and so honored that her husband's sermon and their life struggle had ministered to us in such a way that we would adopt their name for our daughter as well. It felt surreal to have the mother's blessing and this encounter completely sealed the deal for me and Joey!

Lastly, I LOVE flowers and nature and I am so happy that our daughter's name is sweet, simple, and will always remind me of Spring (my favorite NC season) and laughter but, most importantly, her name will always remind us of how much God loves us, because he reached down from Heaven and gave us a huge hug last year when we needed it most!
Daisy Love, even before you were born the Lord picked out your name. We know God has wonderful plans for your life and we can't wait to see them unfold!

Dearest Daisy:

We are so honored to be your parents and so thrilled that the Lord has given you to us for a season. We will cherish you all the days of our lives and we are ecstatic that you are finally here and in our arms!! Welcome to our world Daisy girl! May the Lord richly bless you, protect you and love on you all the days of your life!

With all of our love,
Mommy and Daddy

Laying low for a while

Casey is progressing really fast and things are beginning to get more intense so I'm going to be laying low for next couple of hours to help Casey. Stay tuned and please keep praying. We appreciate all the support guys!!!

Making progress

The nurse just came in and checked Casey's cervix. Casey is now around 5 - 6 centimeters!!!! She said that the baby has moved lower so we're getting really close. I'm sorry everyone has been waiting for so long but Baby XXXXXXX is patient unlike her father. The doctor said that Casey is officially in labor. The effacement is extremely thin, around 90%! Love you guys!

Not much has happened in the last hour and a half. Grandma and Granddad stopped by to say hello and Casey had some broth to help satisfy her hunger. The nurse just increased the Petosin drip frequency so hopefully that helps. I'm just sitting her watching American Chopper on Netflix to pass the time. Thanks again guys for chiming in. Everyone's support has been amazing!

Casey just had her cervix checked and she is about 3cm's dilated. It's not much but it's better than when we first came in. She just had a catheter administered so now she doesn't have to get up anymore to use the restroom. She's on her 3rd bag of fluids and having the catheter is a Godsend for me. No more disconnecting cables every 10 minutes for bio breaks. We still have some time though. Thanks for hanging in there with us. It means a ton to us knowing that people are praying and commenting. Keep it up guys!

Epidural is in!

Okay so the doctor just administered the epidural. I have to say that is one monstrous needle! Casey handled it like a champ and I didn't pass out. I was actually somewhat intrigued. Now she's laying on her back and says she's feeling much better as I'm typing. She says her pain has transitioned from a high 7 to a low 2. I'm so proud of my wife!!! More to come.

My Mom, Sister and Aunt Kathy just stopped by to drop off lunch. Thanks guys! Just had a nutritious fried chicken sandwich and fries. It's the American way. Poor Casey is starving and can't eating anything until the baby comes out. The contractions are becoming more painful for Casey so they said they would be administering the epidural very soon. Within the hour they also will be checking her cervix for dilation. More to come...

Woops. Now how did that video get there? HAHAHAH. I'm a guy with time on my hands; what can I say. I had to post something manly. Casey is not going to appreciate this!!!

On a positive note the contractions seem to be increasing. In the last 10 minutes Cssey has had 5 contractions. Not much pain yet though. Epidural will be coming shortly I'm sure. This anticipation is killing me!

5 to 6lb bass caught last Fall

Wifey's turn with the Camera. Coffee for Hubby is a must!!!

Casey is relaxing trying to take a nap. The contraction intervals have not really increased much but the doctor said they should start to become more rapid in the next couple hours. Casey is just enjoying the worship music on the IPOD. I'm enjoying the temporary peace and quite. That will soon change. No more sleeping into 9 or 10 in the morning. LOL!!!

Just having fun while were waiting:) 2 hours ago

Ok... So this is Joe here and my first attempt at blogging. Casey is not in any position right now to provide updates so I'm going to take a stab at it. LOL!

Casey and I arrived at the hosiptal this morning around 6:30 am. Thankfully Casey and I slept pretty well last night so we both feel pretty good. Our first task was to fill out the paper work which only took around 15 minutes and then we were assigned a private room. The room is really nice and quite large. We also were provided with a dedicated nurse and I feel she has been doing a wonderful job thus far.

Okay... So I'm not going to be elaborate, just provide updates so please continue to check in periodically for new details.

7:45 The doctor broke Casey's water
8:20 am Petosin administered
8:25 am Penacili administered

Unfortunately during the process I left to pick up the ipod for Casey which really bummed me out:( Casey is starting to have normal contractions now and she says they are the most painful she has had during the entire pregnancy. Everything is going well though. Stay tuned...

March 31st Induction Day

I waited for ever to be seen by my doctor this evening so I apologize for the delay in posting the update. Everything is still a go for tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM for the induction. I am supposed to call the hospital in the morning to confirm that they are ready for me so things could still change but, at this point that is where we stand.

I have to be honest I am surprised by how neutral my emotions have been this evening but, then again I am not one to really bounce around or get really giddy about anything (inwardly yes, but outwardly not so much). I talked to a friend this evening (thanks L:) and she pretty much summed up how I am feeling in her words and it felt great to have someone affirm where I am at. I have had 40 weeks to process that I am pregnant and that I have a baby growing inside me but in only one day that all changes (in a wonderful way of course!). I cannot wrap my head around the fact that after tomorrow (theoretically speaking), we will be holding our daughter in our arms and she will be out of my stomach and will officially be parents for the rest of our lives. I cannot emphasize how eager I am to meet our little girl and to hold her and stare at her for days on end. I think that a lot of women probably feel this way at this point in their pregnancy and especially when it is their first child. Plus, I have the worst memory in the universe so I am just trying to document how I am feeling because I'd like to remember these things looking back.

We are going to the Cheesecake Factory tonight (now) to celebrate and to enjoy our last night before baby M. makes her appearance. This was Joey's idea:). Then we have to come home and get all our things packed up and ready to go for our early morning wake up call. WooHoo!

Either Joey or I will post updates as often as we feel up to it tomorrow. Keep us and our baby girl in your prayers if you could. We hope for a smooth labor and delivery and for a healthy and happy baby girl tomorrow!!

Night Night:)

40 weeks Pregnant

I sooooooooo was not going to post this massive 40 week belly picture because I feel very awkward doing so but, I decided to do it both to follow through on a double dare (hehe), and to show that my belly is really low now which my mama was curious to see. It doesn't look as low from the side but, from the front you can definitely tell. Okay, story time is over. lol.

My how fast these 40 weeks have gone by! I kept expecting time to come to a standstill in the last couple of weeks but, it has continued to blow right by me and in the process I almost feel like I haven't had time to process that I have reached the end of the pregnancy road! What is even more surprising to me is that I was miserable I'd say about 90% of this pregnancy and still the days kept chugging right on by me. I will give all credit and praise to God for that miracle and blessing!

Last night at around 12AM I was very close to going to the hospital. I didn't sleep at all Saturday night so I didn't feel great to begin with on Sunday but, the whole day I just felt weird. Joey and I went to dinner at Olive Garden (still trying to savor these last couple of days together) and after wards I began to have one contraction after another. I have Braxton Hicks contractions quite frequently and they are very uncomfortable but, these contractions were much stronger and far more painful both in my abdomin and my back. They were 5-10 minutes apart for several hours. I'd say they were pretty consistent from about 6PM until 1AM. It is soooooo hard to actually time contractions when they don't seem to have a definite start or end and when they seem to all blend together. A lot of women have told me they had the same problem but, obviously we all figure it out and make it to the hospital when we are supposed to...generally speaking:). Honestly though, I think the only reason I didn't head to the hospital is because Joey had me take a sleeping pill at 12 AM (I'm so grateful that he made me do that) and it literally knocked me unconscious at 1AM. I know I couldn't have fallen asleep if I was in "real" labor but, I will say that one minute I was on the computer at 12:45 AM reading up on labor contractions and the next minute I woke up at 4 AM wondering what the heck happened! hahahah I have to say, those sleeping pills are powerful little suckers for a good 3-5 hours! When I woke up my contractions had subsided and the baby was sleeping so perhaps it was all my body's way of preparing for what is to come. One way or another, either I will go into labor on my own in the next day or so, or she will be helped along by the induction. I have my 40 week appointment tomorrow afternoon to finalize the induction details and I will of course keep you all posted on that.

Thanks to all of you for your excitement and support throughout this entire pregnancy and especially as we near the finish line! You are all such a great bunch of cheerleaders and I really don't know how I would have made it this far without you. We are taking our laptop to the hospital for sure but, from what I hear we will not have access to facebook while we are there. We will definitely post updates and pictures of our baby girl on our blog as often as we can and feel up to it.

Last but certainly not least I just want to give Joey kuddos and some blog love for being such an amazing husband throughout this pregnancy. He stayed home from fishing this weekend to help me get some errands and deep cleaning done. And can I just say that when that boy puts his mind to it he can clean like it's nobody's business. Our bathroom is sparkling brighter now than when we first moved in!! It was such a treat to have him around and to get some things accomplished before our baby girl arrives. Joey has been walking with me in the evenings, letting me chat his ear off late at night and encouraging me constantly to keep pressing on through it all. I owe him a ton of credit for putting up with me and doing so lovingly over the past 10 months:). Thanks babe! You are going to be one amazing Daddy!

Spring Fling

Our church held it's annual Spring Fling today. Basically, it's a carnival type event and the most amazing thing is that the church finds a way to provide everything to the community at zero cost!! The rides, food, games, crafts, entertainment etc. is all free to anyone who wants to go! They had over 3,000 people show up last year and I'm sure that this year was just as many if not more because the weather was beautiful this year. I wasn't sure I wanted to go because I knew it would require a ton of walking (which it did) because there is no close parking but, I also didn't want to miss it because we missed out on last years. I'm so glad we stopped by because we got to visit with all of our friends, eat a hot dog, enjoy all the sights and smells and hold some babies:). It was a wonderful way to spend our last Saturday as just a hubby and wife:).

I also added a couple of pictures of the beautiful pear trees in bloom at Joey's work and also one of the flowering weeping cherry tree in our backyard. We still haven't planted it because we're not sure where we want it but, it sure added a nice burst of life to our blah, dormant backyard this spring!

Tonight we are watching a UFC fight with our neighbors. I'm very curious to see how these fights pan out and of course we hope GSP, our favorite fighter, kicks some booty!

Cupcakes

I am not sure that I am as interested in cake decorating as I once thought before yesterday's 3.5 hour cupcake adventure. Perhaps it wasn't wise to try and tackle a hobby that required me to be on my feet continually for that long, or to have my back arched over the counter endlessly or perhaps I just really don't enjoy the tediousness as much as I dreamed that I would. I guess I will determine these things the next time I try decorating a cake or cupcakes when I'm not pregnant and miserable:). I have so many ideas in my head but, I quickly realized that without the proper icing, tools and patience these ideas will have to stay in my head. hahaha. Nonetheless, I learned a few things and I think I enjoyed the final look of this variety more than I would have a solid colored batch of cupcakes.

Joey is playing his video game as I type recovering from his second cold this month. Dakota is sleeping at our feet in her new bed and has an earache poor pup. Oh, did I mention that we have been training her to stay off the furniture and to instead relax in her own bed on the floor? We decided to do this for two reasons which we think are very fair. One: She has completely destroyed our furniture and that is not an exaggeration. The threads are pulled out all over the place and the cushions sink in on top where she sleeps on them. Quite unfortunate. Two: We don't want her jumping on our laps when we are holding the baby. We hope to avoid the baby getting scratched up if at all possible so hopefully this will help. She is a VERY stubborn doggie but, we are slowly making progress so we will see how this goes. :-)

I'm just chugging through these last few days. Having tons of heartburn now and my legs, toes and ankles are swelling every time I sit down. Quite nice to know that these symptoms are all almost over. Truly, we cannot wait to meet our little girl face to face in just a handful of days. What does she look like? How big will she be? What will my labor be like? etc. etc. Soon, these questions will have answers attached! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Proposed Induction Date - March 31st

The Doctor's office called me this morning and the earliest opening for an induction appointment is 6:30 AM on March 31st. I will first have my 40 week appointment on Tuesday March 30th at 3:45 PM to make sure that I am "still favorable" for an induction before they will give the final green light. I'm only bummed because Joey ideally will get one consecutive week off to stay home with me and so we were really hoping for Monday or Tuesday for that reason alone but, now it is sounding more like Wednesday and that sounds like it could even be pushed later if the hospital is full or if my other doctor who I meet with Tuesday doesn't feel like doing an induction Wednesday morning. I know God is in control of all these little details and regardless of what I want or think is best, our little girl will be born when God wants her to be. Though I might dig my heels in a bit, that is the way it should be. I'd rather have God holding the reigns than me. So, that's that for now.

39 week Appointment Update

Hi all. So, the latest is that I am 1 cm. dilated, approximately 60% effaced (same as last week) and my cervix is nice and soft according to my doctor. He said these conditions make me a "favorable candidate" for an induction appointment next week. In other words he said that my risks of having a C-section due to induction are very low because my body is progressing nicely on it's own. The induction specialist is calling me tomorrow morning to schedule my appointment for early next week most likely Monday-Wednesday depending on when my doctor is available. I honestly wasn't expecting them to schedule me for an induction until after my 41 week mark so it kind of caught me off guard a bit. It's also weird to know that early next week at the latest will bring the arrival of our baby girl. I'm still processing things over here but, of course we are very happy and just pray that everything goes smoothly with the delivery and that our baby girl is healthy and strong. I will post tomorrow with the actual induction date once I find out. Hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen!! The Martinez' are about to become parents!!! lol.

Painting Toes at 39+ Weeks is a No No

hahahaha I just had to document this because I am lame enough to even try to paint my toes this far along. It is so warm and sunny out and I did not want to wear socks and shoes today so I thought to myself, "hey, I'll paint my toe nails and then I can enjoy flip flops!" Well, I first had to try sitting in about 5 different positions before I found one that allowed me to somewhat reach my toes and keep my hand steady but, it gave me the worst stomach cramp ever (and I'm sure the baby wasn't feeling too great all squashed over!!) from bending over my belly. Then because it was such an awkward position I got more paint on my feet (too much work to get it off) than on my toes and I dropped the nail polish brush on our carpet and now have a nice bright pink stain that I can't get out to remind me of my stupidity! hahaha...Okay, next time I'll just pay the $15 for a dang pedicure!! hehe

Publish Your Blog - SO AWESOME!

Sick or not something wonderful came in the mail today that made it all worth it!

I'm sorry to admit it but, I am huge fan of blog stalking...er, uh, blog admiring sounds much better:). I love to check out other people's creativity with their blogs and their lives. I like to get ideas from their photography styles, their hobbies like baking, art, sewing, shopping tastes etc. I learned to enlarge my pictures on my blog by observing other blogs, developed a desire to be more decorative with my baking and even found this AMAZING blog2print website by admiring someone else's blog.

I have been telling Joey for the longest time that I was SO bummed that I am investing so much time in this blog only to know that if the website ever went down or for some reason I stop blogging, I would lose years of diary like details on our lives. No one that I know knew of a solution to the problem other than copy and pasting every single blog entry onto a word document....uh, for the record I have nearly 179 pages of blogging on this website. I had just been telling Joey a couple weeks back that someone should come out with a printing solution for bloggers. Well, blog stalking pays off folks (I am a safe stalker for the record and never mean to threaten any one's privacy...I just like to steal their ideas:). I found this website on another gal's blog: blog2print, and the website is: http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html

I was a little hesitant at first but, I uploaded my blog and chose all the fun details from my cover look, cover pictures, back cover pictures, wrote my own dedication page, it creates a table of contents for you, then you pick your layout style (different styles cost more or less), I chose hardcover over soft because I wanted it to last longer and wallah. It whips up a total for you based on the amount of blog entries you are posting and within 2 weeks, your blog memories will show up in a nicely packaged box on your doorstep to forever be remembered in a tangible form. You can also choose a CD-Rom if that is your preference and it is much cheaper! I spent about 2 hours reading my entire blog book tonight and reminiscing over all the pictures. I am THRILLED! The picture quality is not perfect and the pictures aren't very big but, they get the job done and I seriously think this is one of the most exciting things I've ever treated myself to:). I feel like a published author though I noticed tons of typos since I never proof read my blogs! hahaha. Anyways, I figured some of you other blog folks and stalkers might like this information so go to blog2print and get your blog published today:)! (I should get a discount on my next book for this passionate sales pitch!

The last pic is of my new spring wreath cuz it's pretty (half off at HH Greg, yah baby!) and Dakota sitting in the doorway watching our every move. lol. Spring is here, the flowers are blooming and our baby could be here any day!!! WooHoo

Still Sick - in case you were wondering

Friday-Sunday were absolutely awful, HE double toothpicks if you know what I mean. I haven't been able to get much sleep the past 4 months of pregnancy but, this cold/flu has negated sleep from my life entirely due to an incessant nose tickle and sneeze even when I was laying down with toilet paper up my nose. sigh. Today I have a super scratchy throat and a horrible cough and sinus pressure so I guess I'm not done quite yet. I'm only working a half day because I can't use my brain to much before it feels like it will implode. On a positive note:) I am SO thankful that I didn't have our baby girl this weekend. It would have been the most miserably joyous occasion I could ever have imagined and I am very glad I only had to deal with being very preggo and sick but, not popping out a kid and this sick. Thank you Jesus for that! Hopefully I will be fully on the mend and maybe even have gotten a little sleep before I have to birth a child!

Last night Joey went to the High School bible study group that he leads (Huddles) and the kids and other leader had thrown a "Daddy to be" type surprise party for him and me but, I was MIA sick. It really blessed me that they all went out of their way to make Joey feel special about being a dad. I don't think Dad's to be get enough attention or recognition when it comes to fatherhood so it made me happy that Joey got a little front and center spoil and support. Thanks Huddle gang!! You all are such a blessing to us:). Joey seemed most happy with the Barbie fishing pole that he was given....not for himself (lol) but, for our little girl when she is old enough to fish. It is so cute and I know that Joey has dreams of taking his little girl fishing. What little girl wouldn't want to fish with an awesome hot pink Barbie fishing pole?? I do have to say that it would be really funny to get a picture of Joey fishing with that pole...hmmm, something to think about! :)

39 weeks tomorrow and check up to follow. I'll keep you all posted if anything new comes up!

Rugs and Sick Me

I started feeling sick Thursday at my doctor's appointment. I actually thought it was allergies at first because spring is knocking on our door here in NC and the pollen always messes me up really bad but, by Friday morning I had a horrible sore throat, faucet nose and tons of sinus pressure in my head. By mid day I wanted to cut my nose off...literally so I had to go to bed but sleep is impossible with a tickle nose. Today is no better so instead of accomplishing all the things on my to do list I get to sit on the couch and blog and fart around on the internet all day. Perhaps this is exactly what God wanted me to "treat" myself to at nearly 39 weeks preggo but, I don't like sitting still for this long!!! I wanted to go to Babies R Us, finish painting our baby girl's name letters and bake cupcakes with my new decorating kit:) lol:) Oh well. Instead of those things, I will bore you with pictures of rugs that I like. Rugs, you ask? Yes, for fun I am trying to create a digital folder of pictures of how I would like to decorate our dining room and I am realizing how hard this will be because I have multiple decorating personalities! hahah. I love traditional, modern, chic, country, retro, etc. If I can't even decide on a rug how will I decide on an entire dining room? hahah Does anyone else have this problem? Fortunately I am not in a hurry so there is really no issue:). I just wish I could design a room without so much hesitation. lol.

Joey is fishing with his Granddad today and from what I hear he is having a great fishing day which would be his first of the season. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I've been wanting him to get a good fishing day in before the baby is born and he was striking out left and right. Catch a big one baby! You SO deserve it my hard working man!!

More Maternity Pics and an appointment update

Unfortunately I don't really feel like taking the time to make all of these bigger pictures so I am keeping them small. Sorry about that. If you want to see any of them bigger just click on the picture and it should enlarge on a separate screen. I just got my disc of all the pictures back from Dana and there were so many great shots that it was hard for me to even choose which ones to put up on the blog. Dana has such a creative eye and I am so happy to have these pictures to capture our memories when years have gone by. Hope you don't mind all the bare belly shots. I have since developed some lovely stretch marks so I enjoy looking at these pictures before the damage was done so to speak:) lol.

I had my 38 week appointment today and the doctor said that I am 60% effaced and the baby is totally sunk into position which is great. I am not dilated yet which surprised me only because of how intense and frequent my braxton hicks contractions are. The doctor said that the BH contractions aren't necessarily an indicator of dilation so much as they are of effacement as they help shift the baby into place. Okie Dokie doc. :). I had total peace when I left the Doctor's office today though. I know our baby will come when God wants her to and I don't want to rush her just yet (though my body would love the relief!). She'll be here before I know it whether that day be today or two weeks from now. The doctor also guesstimated that she will be about 20-21 inches long and about 7 pounds 10-12 ounces by the end of next week. Only time will tell:). Thank God tomorrow is Friday! I hope to be nice and lazy this weekend!

38 weeks ish

Less than two weeks to go!! I now know that there is a reason why people are so impatient to have their babies born at this point. lol. It's not necessarily because they are over anxious to have their baby in their arms (though for some people I'm sure that is the primary reason) but, just because they are so dang miserable and they can't take it anymore. I didn't sleep more than 30 minutes or maybe an hour at best a couple nights ago. I had to go potty about 15 times and and I had contractions non stop which also kept our little lady up all night with me kicking like crazy. She's sleeping now (lucky baby!), but here I am awake and trying to get through another work day. The only other recent development in my symptoms along with the heat flashes and head pressure I get with each contraction is I am now getting horrible swelling in my hands and feet and as a result they feel like they are always in that tingling sleep mode. On Sunday at church it felt like I was standing on pins and needles the whole service and I couldn't even bend my fingers half way. It is a weird sensation to feel so continually. I know these things are all normal for very pregnant women. I'm more so just sharing them to document everything for my own personal reference later on so bear with me:). I have my 38-39 week appointment today and I'm curious to hear what the latest is. I'll keep y'all posted:).

On a more positive note: Joey and I had a wonderful date night Friday night! We finally found a Mexican restaurant nearby that serves their food with orange cheese (white is the norm here) and their rice and beans are the closest to what we are used to by our Californian standards. It was delicious!! Can't wait to eat there again. Saturday Joey took the day off from fishing to hang out with me so that we could enjoy some quality day time together and get some stuff done. We got a ton accomplished and enjoyed another delicious meal together at the Pizza Loop. They have amazing chocolate malts too:). Joey and I have also started walking together every night for a good mile or two which has been really nice and hopefully it will encourage our little girl to join us asap though no such luck yet obviously:). Sunday we enjoyed an awesome church service and then got together with Joey's mom, sister and some family friends who are visiting from AZ (Bryan, Lori and their 3 kids). It was Bryan's 40th BD so we celebrated at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum!! In spite of my aches and what not it was a wonderful weekend and we really are trying our best to savor these last few days together.

Dessert Song - Our Fave right now

I know it won't be long before everyone hears this song played at church every Sunday and then over time people will tire of it when it gets overplayed but, for now it's a new song to me and I just can't get enough of the lyrics. When I first heard it the words penetrated my soul and while I was driving I couldn't help but, rock out and praise God for all that He has done in my life and in the lives of those around me. Last year felt like a dessert season at times. Life felt dry and we felt stretched. Some of us have days, weeks, months or even years like this but, God still always provides, meets our needs, walks beside us and sees us through those difficulties. We can feel quite alone at times but, if we can remember to praise His name no matter what we are facing we realize that He is right there beside us, catching our tears, holding our heavy hearts and meeting us exactly where we are at. Spending time with the Lord reminds us that we are never alone! In good and in hard times, God is our victory so take hold of that and never let Him go! Hope you enjoy the song as much as Joey and I do!

VERSE 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

VERSE 2:
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

CHORUS:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

VERSE 3:
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

CHORUS:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

BRIDGE:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship (x4)

CHORUS:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here (x2)

VERSE 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Baby #3 of 4 and Our Beautiful Cherry Tree

Our friends Brian and Lindsay Hege welcomed their little girl into the world really early on March 10th. They named her Lila Addison and she is absolutely precious. She has the tiniest features and has such a peaceful and serene look about her. Me and Joey just gobbled up our time holding her and all I could think about is how very soon I will be holding my own little girl in my arms! Now that the first 3 gals have had their babies (they all went in due date order) that leaves just me and Joey to join the baby boat. We are down to our last two weeks and it all feels so surreal right now. The past 10 months flew by and even these last few days in spite of the aches and sleeplessness continue to blow by us! The very last picture is of Joey holding Sam who was the first baby born in the group of 4. We went to the hospital with Sam's parents to visit baby Lila and Joey got to hold and watch Sam while Todd and Lindsey went and visited Lila in her hospital room:). Sam slept like a little angel the entire time:) We got lots of tiny baby time in this week:).

We planted our cherry tree last year after season so we never got to see it bloom but, this year it bloomed so beautifully and we are both enjoying every second of the brilliant pink blossoms. Cherry trees are always the first thing to bloom in North Carolina and shortly after the Dogwoods, Red Buds and so on will follow suit. Spring time in this state is gorgeous!! Our weather has been surprisingly spring like and warm the past week or so. It was about 68 degrees today with gorgeous blue skies and a mild breeze. What a great time of year to have a baby!