Colson Luke Schoen

At 12:53 pm on March 9th, we got to meet our 3rd little blessing...Colson Luke Schoen! Weighing in at 7 lbs, 12 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long, he came into this world crying full force with a head full of hair! He is absolutely adorable in every way possible! We are already SO in LOVE!!!

The day of Colson's birth started out with me waking up at 3:45 and having steady contractions all morning. I knew the doctor was going to check me when I went in before the c-section to see if I was making any progress. If I was, we were going to try a VBAC. If not, we would keep with the c-section. By the time I got hooked up to the monitor at the hospital, I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes and pretty intense. However, I was not making any progress at all. I was still dilated to a 1 and not getting anywhere. Plus, after a bag of fluid, my contractions slowed back down and were coming about every 5 minutes. After an hour of monitoring, we decided to go forward with the c-section as scheduled. I am thankful for my nurses and doctor for monitoring everything and helping us make the best choice to bring our Colson safely into the world!

The c-section this time around was very smooth. I think I was better prepared for what was going to take place, therefore less nervous. The epidural went super smooth, and I was pretty much alert and awake the entire time. When Derek got into the delivery room, I was SO anxious to know what our little surprise baby was going to be! We had already decided that Derek would be the one to announce whether it was a boy or girl. The entire time I just knew he was going to say it was a boy. After some pulling and tugging, I felt the baby come out and heard Derek say "Baby, it's a BOY!!!" I cried tears of joy and heard my sweet Colson cry out and continue to wail. I kept saying "It's Colson, it's Colson!" Poor little guy cried constantly until they brought him to me and placed him on my chest. Then he quieted down. We were so excited and LOVED that we got to experience such a sweet surprise.

As they closed me up, Derek took Colson to our room where he got his first bath and got to meet his brother and sister, grandparents and other family. Everyone was so excited to meet Mr. Colson. When I got back to the room, we had an hour of recovery time with just me, Derek, and Colson. I loved that sweet time with my Colson boy and Derek. Colson latched on and nursed immediately...and has been nursing great ever since...ha!

The hospital stay was great. After having super-tiny twins, having just one baby was a breeze! It was actually much less hectic than our normal life at home with the twins, so we kinda felt like it was a vacation! We took some naps, watched some shows on the laptop, and enjoyed our little miracle. Early Wednesday morning, our sweet Adelyn came down with a nasty stomach bug so Derek left to take care of her and take the twins to the house. I was recovering great from the c-section and could take care of Colson pretty much on my own. I was super thankful to get home to my other two, especially my sick little girl!

Life at home SURE changed bringing Colson home!!! The biggest transition was with the twins who went from having a Mommy at home pretty much all day every day, to having being out-of-pocket for two straight days. And when Mommy came home, she could no longer pick them up which was pretty much TERRIBLE in their little eyes! It took us almost the rest of the week to get to back to some sort of normal with life at home. We had some challenges, but thankfully Daddy has been on spring break this past week and able to help out. The twins are doing well, have been able to reconnect with Derek after a LONG basketball season, and are learning to do things without Mommy. The real challenge of course will come next Monday when Daddy goes back to work and I am on my own with all three. But I'm sure God will provide...just like He always does, and we will figure it all out with lots of grace and love!

So...how has my life changed??? Colson has been SUCH a delight to have home! I am SO GLAD we had the twins first because they make one baby seem like a BREEZE! He is a great eater, sleeps pretty well, and is pretty content, even with the chaos that is our world. Life at our house is crazy and wild, but I am loving every minute of it. It is for sure a challenge to have two TWO year olds and a newborn, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I am slightly spoiled this week with Derek home because he has been AMAZING with taking care of the twins. He takes the early shift with Colson (who likes to be up from about 5 or 6 until 7) and gets the twins up and ready. He also takes the twins outside to play, to the park, and takes care of all of their baths. I am SO BLESSED by such an amazing partner and father to our children. I am also so thankful that our God decided that we needed sweet Colson in our lives! He has definitely made his way into our HEARTS and lives! We LOVE him SO MUCH!!!

Here are some pics of Colson's room. We had stuff for both boy and girl, but we were really more prepared for a boy...ha! Throw in a trip to Hobby Lobby and his room was complete!

Ashley came and took some great newborn shots of our little Stud-Muffin! His hair just kills me...

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts as we welcomed sweet Colson to our family. We are blessed beyond measure and we are so thankful for your sweet prayers. Love to you all!

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." I Chronicles 29:13

The night before...

The night before the twins were born...
I was a nervous wreck. I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what I was in for in the day to come. No idea how the day would unfold. How my life would change. How in two short minutes, my entire life would be turned upside down. I wrote a blog that night before (read here) reflecting on our journey up to that point. Most of it was centered around the lessons I learned through the journey of infertility and how God had moved in our lives. I still love to go back and read those blogs and remember the feelings I felt before I first held my sweet babies. It helps me to remember how truly amazing our God is and how much He changed my entire world in just one instance.

The truth is...
The night before the twins were born I was not a mother. Sure I had carried them for almost 9 months. Felt them grow inside my body. Felt them kick and move and grow. But March 6, 2013 was the most life-changing day in my entire life. It was like all of sudden, everything I knew about the world changed. Completely. Forever.

Growing up in the church, I didn't have one of those blinding, hit you over the head moments where all of sudden I believed in Christ and my world was forever changed. I always believed in God and made Jesus my Savior as soon as I was mature and ready for the decision.

The day I married Derek, certainly changed my life, but not in an instant. Derek and I had built a love and relationship for the previous two years and getting married just solidified our commitment to each other. Sure it was life changing, but not nearly in the same way.

But the day I became a mother...
I finally knew what unconditional love was. What it meant to love something so completely and wholly that nothing in this world could ever break that bond. I knew what it meant to be completely and totally responsible for another person. Two other people actually. I learned what sacrificial love means and looks like. That I am willing to put myself aside for these two other people at any time, any day. These two little babies were placed in my arms and all of a sudden I was theirs. And they were mine. No instructions, no words, no limits...just pure, uncomplicated love.

The fears from the night before...
Were replaced with all new fears. How was I suppose to juggle two? How was I suppose to feed two? How could I handle all of this responsibility when I was exhausted? Were they gaining enough? Eating enough? Growing enough? Would they meet their milestones? Would I be enough? Could I really love two babies enough for their own needs?

His mercies are new...
Every morning. Great is His Faithfulness. I can remember crying out to my God so many times that first year in exhaustion. And then again in year two in selfishness. I fail so many times every day. As much LOVE as I have for my amazing blessings, I also fall short so many times. Selfishness takes over. Weariness takes over. I am so thankful to have a God who is willing to meet me where I am and walk with me through the valleys and peaks. Who loves me unconditionally and equipped me with EVERYTHING I need to be a mother to twins. And now to a third. Who rocked with me through the sleepless nights, prayed with me over their cribs, cried tears with me when I couldn't do it alone, and celebrated with me each milestone and achievement.

The night before the twins turned two...
I was putting to bed my one year olds for the last time and I rocked them for an extra long time. I thought about how significantly my life had changed in two short years.

I rocked Tucker first and cried silent tears into his sweet hair and savored everything about this boy that I had learned. About his cries in the beginning...which ones meant that he was hungry or wet or dirty. About how he liked to be put to sleep and spent the first year only wanting mama. About how he had changed at about 18 months into this rough and tumble boy who loves to play, yell, throw balls, hit with sticks, get dirty, and everything else in between. About how I couldn't remember a day before him because he was so much a part of me that it seemed silly to not even know him or have him in my life. That even at two he still loves his mama best and still loves to cuddle and snuggle and hold my hand while we watch TV. That I am beyond blessed to have such an incredible little boy in my life and how God had completely transformed my life and how thankful I am that God made me wait 6 years for such a blessing.

And then I rocked my Ady. My sunshine girl. My incredibly wiggly, red-headed, fire ball. That came to me making little piggy sounds and full of personality and sass. That even on her second day of life was already cracking us up with her funny faces. As she wrestled around in my arms, I breathed in her sweet smell and played with her red curls. I thought about how easy she was as a baby. How she loved to smile and talk to me while she nursed and would crack up at anything. How she loved her daddy the first year of her life and still has times that she just needs him. How she changed to a mama's girl when I got pregnant and had intense moments of needing me more than anything else. I laughed at her sassy walk, how she is SO MUCH like me in so many ways, her independence, and determination. How I can't wait to see what God is going to do with her because I know that she is going to set this world on FIRE! How I can't believe God would entrust me with such an amazingly wonderful gift and know that I am perfectly equipped to be her mother.

As I rocked my babies...
I thought about how incredible our God is. Who has made this barren woman a happy mother in her home. Who used the AWFUL pain of infertility to prepare my heart for such ENORMOUS blessings. Who knew that I could handle the task of twins. Who wanted me to experience every joy of the past two years. Who chose me to be a mother again in the most wonderful way. And has made my cup runneth over. Who strengthen me each day these past few months when I was too weary to go on. Who knows my heart and my weaknesses and has surrounded me with people to lift me up. What a mighty God we serve that I can call him Father.

On the night before I meet baby #3...
I am at peace. I am humbled. I am thankful. I am calm. I am so unbelievably ready to see what God has prepared for us. What God has been knitting in my womb these past 9 months. As AMAZING as these past two years have been, I know that tomorrow is another life-changing day. There will be a time where we can't remember life before this third baby. They will be a part of our family in such a way that we will cherish every moment from here on out.

And I know what incredible LOVE I have for Tucker and Adelyn and can't wait to experience that all again. With someone I haven't even met. I can't wait to learn all of the incredible and unique things about this new baby. How they like to be rocked, nursed, held, loved. Who they look like, who they act like, what their personality will be. What color hair they have. What color eyes. Who they prefer. What they prefer. I know what incredible LOVE I have as a mother of two and I know that God will abundantly fill me with even more as we transition to three.

I can't wait...
For the excitement of March 9th. I can't wait to look back on this day and see God's hand at work. I am looking forward to gazing into the sweet face of his newest creation and knowing what a good God we serve. And watching Him grow our family beyond what we could ask or imagine. I am ready to have my three little loves at home, and raise them with the one God made just for me. What an incredible journey God has put us on these past 9 months. On July 3rd, we found out about this little miracle. And now we are a few short hours from meeting him or her! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" Ephesians 3:20-21

Overdue...

For those of you who've been counting...yesterday was my due date! And I am still here at home blogging which means...NO BABY YET! We are still anxiously awaiting our newest love, so I thought I would give everyone a quick update on baby status!

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and I had not made any progress since the week before. Which puts us in a slightly difficult position since I am desiring to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) this time around. With a VBAC, there are only so many things my doctor can do to "help" me along. They do not do a traditional induction with VBAC's and cannot use any type of medication to help me start dilating. So if I do not make progress on my own, there is little hope to move forward with plans of a VBAC.

I convinced my doctor to wait until Monday before scheduling a c-section. For one thing...the twins' birthday is TOMORROW and I really don't want to be in the hospital on their big day. Also, I am hoping that maybe my body can kick it in to gear before Monday and this baby will come on its own! I know that our God is MORE than capable of bringing this baby into the world in HIS timing and HIS way...I'm just going to give him a little more time in case He still needs it to work...ha!

On one hand, I am completely ok with the process of a c-section, since that's what we did with the twins. I trust my doctor completely, know what to expect and love the fact that it is scheduled and fairly quick! However, the recovery of the c-section is going to be much tougher on me this time around with two two-year-olds to care for. Last time, I recovered so well but I only had 5 lb infants to pick up. This time, I have two 25 pounders that rely on Mama for just about everything!!! To not be able to pick them up for 2 weeks is going to be SO HARD! I know we can do it. I know that I will have plenty of help. But it hurts my heart to think of not picking them up for 2 weeks.

On the other hand, there is no guarantee that a VBAC will even work. I would love the experience of brining the baby into the world the way that God designed. I would love to be in that position when I find out if my newest love is a boy or a girl, instead of on an operating table behind a curtain. There are so many things that I think would be neat about a VBAC. But the bottom line is we want a safe and healthy delivery for Mama and baby. And that may not include a VBAC. Which is ok!

SO...at this point...we are putting our trust in God. We are praying continually for his guidance and his hand in all circumstances surrounding this delivery. We have our desires and hopes, but bottom line is we are ABOUT TO MEET our surprise baby!!! The baby that God placed in our lives at the PERFECT timing that we had NO CONTROL over! We trust and believe that God will place he or she in our arms in the same PERFECT fashion. We are thankful to not actually be in control, because God's way is far supreme to our own. This past Sunday, Tommy said that having faith for Abraham was believing that God could and WOULD do something impossible in his life. We believe the same in our sweet family right now, because this baby is already evidence of the impossible coming into fruition.

We ask for you to join us in prayers over the next 5 days as we prepare for Monday. We are currently scheduled for a c-section on Monday at 12:30 if nothing happens before then. So we will be cuddling our sweet boy or girl in FIVE short days! I can't wait to see his/her sweet face and see who he or she will be! I'm over the moon at the thought of meeting this baby! Our God is so so GOOD!!! We also ask that you pray for strength for Derek and me as we transition to becoming parents of THREE!!! Three under three!!! What a crazy thought! We also ask that you pray for Tucker and Adelyn as they face a major transition, have to learn to share Mama even more, and are out of their normal routine for a few days. We are so blessed to have family and friends that we know will cover them in prayers, love, and activities while our time is divided!

Thank you to all of you for lifting us up during this fun and exciting time in our lives! We will update when we can with the exciting news!

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:11

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

39 Weeks (last week's pic)

This pregnancy...

Hard to believe that we are reaching the end of this pregnancy, but it is almost here! I am officially 38 weeks today and cannot believe how fast it has gone! In some ways, it seems like forever since I found out I was pregnant, but in other ways time has gone so quickly. I think about how much the twins have changed just since finding out and that makes a big difference...

The twins around the time we found out

The twins today

As we near our due date and delivery date, I finally feel like I can pause and reflect on this pregnancy and start to prepare for this sweet baby's arrival. The truth is, the second time around...pregnancy is different!!! My mind and focus has pretty much been elsewhere the entire time trying to keep up with the twins, Derek, sports, work, and all of the other things in between. I felt like time stood still when I was pregnant with the twins and my entire universe just paused until I got to hold them in my arms. This time around...there was no pausing!!!

So here are my thoughts on this pregnancy...the good, the bad, the differences, the surprises, and everything in between.

The sheer shock of it all...
When we first found out we were pregnant, it took me a little while for reality to set in! Even though I have been pregnant and have two precious little ones again, I couldn't quite wrap my brain around having a third. Especially in such a neat and surprising way. And the thought of having three babies under two was just terrifying!!! Fast forward 8 months and I haven't made a whole lot of progress...ha! I am still equally terrified about how in the world I am going to juggle three little ones at once. I am still completely in awe of God's goodness and trust in us to bless us with another little miracle child! And even more thankful at his planning and timing, which is much different from our own. Bottom line...God is good. All the time. His ways are not our ways and how extremely THANKFUL I am that this is true. Even when it's overwhelming. Even when I'm scared. He is in control.

Biggest surprise of my life!

The good..
Overall, this pregnancy has been surprisingly easy on my body. I guess my only comparison is to the twins' pregnancy which took a much harder toll on me physically. After the first trimester, I had a super easy second trimester, have stayed fairly active, not swollen much at all, and have not gained much weight total. I credit a lot of this to the twins because chasing them keeps me BUSY and ACTIVE all the time. We also follow Derek around in his sports and games so I have been able to keep moving! Even at 38 weeks, I feel pretty good overall physically, which is nice!

Another highlight to this pregnancy has been watching the twins interact with the "baby". I will have such fond memories of them hugging my tummy, kissing my tummy, giving drinks and snacks to the baby, singing to my belly, covering it with blankets, giving it toys, etc. They may have no idea what is actually going on, but they love the idea of a baby in mommy's tummy! I also have sweet, sweet moments of rocking Tucker and Adelyn at night and feeling the baby move inside of me. I'm not sure how exactly I will coordinate all three of them once the baby is born, but I hope that I have a few more nights of rocking my three loves!

Lastly, I have LOVED getting to share this pregnancy with so many of my friends! This baby is going to be joining a baby BOOM at our church which is awesome...I think there will be 10-12 all together in their class alone! Which is so different than the twins' class and makes me excited! I have also loved the camaraderie of sharing pregnancy with so many friends. From craving trips to BWW, to seeing each other at the doctor, to comparing belly sizes and notes, it has been such a blessing in my life. I honestly didn't know anyone pregnant when I had the twins, so this has been super fun!

The bad...
I am going to be SUPER careful with my wording here. One thing I learned through infertility is how much I HATED hearing pregnant ladies complain. Especially when I was DYING inside to change places with them. I try and be very careful about complaining about any negatives to pregnancy online, social media, or to anyone other than family and closest friends. However, this is more about me sharing my heart and being honest with some struggles that I have experienced this time around. Things that reveal that I still have some growing and changing to do inside. Soooo....please understand that this is me showing my weakness and not me complaining about pregnancy. Because I have been there!

The truth...there are some things that are a lot harder being pregnant the second time around!!! I realize that the first time around I was probably pretty self-absorbed and self-centered because I really thought that the whole world revolved around me and my pregnancy. This time around...I have been reminded that it is not all about me!!! SHOCKER!!! The twins can't cater to my pregnant needs. Derek can't be as attentive to my pregnant needs because we have twins. Laundry still has to be done. Dinner still has to be cooked. The twins still wake up sometimes in the middle of the night. Life has gone on.

Which is so hard!!! I have found myself in tears time after time, feeling like I can't quite do it all. Doesn't anyone know I'm pregnant??? That it is hard??? That I need a break??? My physical body is so weak and my selfish desires sometimes take over. I hear myself getting frustrated with the twins or getting frustrated with Derek and I hate the ugliness that I show sometimes. It is a side of me that I wish I could just remove and take away.

Enter grace. I am so thankful for a God that bathes us in grace daily. Whose mercies are new every morning. Who sees my ugly side and loves me anyways. Who knows my weakest areas and continues to mold and shape me. Such sweet grace abounds from our Savior and I am so thankful He loves me anyways. I am also thankful for a sweet husband who has a thick skin, for sweet toddlers who love me unconditionally, and that for the most part we've had more good days than bad. Being pregnant with 2 one-year olds at home and a husband who is gone a lot has been extremely difficult. More difficult than I ever imagined. But God is good all the time! What a blessing!

The surprise...
Obviously this pregnancy has been night and day from the twins' pregnancy in many different ways. The most obvious being the surprise of conception. With the twins, we knew every single detail of every single procedure and appointment. We were under a microscope from the beginning with weekly appointments, sonograms, procedures, etc. In all, we felt like we were much more "in the know" with the twins than we have been this time around. We have literally only had 2-3 sonograms and glimpses of this baby. Throw in not knowing the gender, and we are completely in the dark about our little surprise.

Which I LOVE!!! What a fun experience this has been! God surprised us with the baby and we are loving being surprised with the gender this time around! Even though we may not know all the ends and outs or features of this sweet baby, our God knows every little miraculous wonder and detail. And created this baby at the exact time and in the exact way that our family needed. We are anxious to meet this little desire of our heart and memorize every precious detail. Whoever he/she may be, I do know that they are SUPER MAJOR active. Which fits in well with my crew!!!

Preparing for delivery...
As we approach the end of our pregnancy, we are starting to prepare for delivery and birth. Our initial plan this time around is to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) as long as everything continues to be favorable. This will be a whole new experience physically, mentally, emotionally, and just overall. I am anxious about the birthing process simply because it is brand new. After a schedule c-section with the twins where EVERYTHING was controlled, this seems so out of my control. Which is probably a good thing!

At this point, we are just waiting to see if a VBAC is still a possibility. The baby is measuring well and I am not having any physical or health problems so that is favorable. I am not dilating yet which is unfavorable. I pretty much have two weeks left to start dilating, or we may have to consider having another c-section. I am not exactly against the idea of another c-section, but I am hoping that God grants us our desire for a VBAC. With two active (almost) two year olds at home, a c-section and the scar and recovery would be a challenge to our family.

Another reason we are a little anxious is because Derek is still in the basketball playoffs. They had an AMAZING win last night and are continuing their journey on Friday! We are so proud of him, his team, and their success and really hoping that they enjoy a nice LONG playoff run! I am determined to keep this baby in as LONG as necessary while they keep competing. So I am thankful not to be dilating yet! And also hope I can survive the next few games without an unnecessary stress...ha!

Nice little 20 point win last night to claim Bi-District Champs (Tucker was sick)

SO..we wait in limbo for the time being. I'm not dilated which is great for playoffs. However, I need to dilate at some point to proceed with a VBAC. It's all a balancing act and I am so glad to really not have any control over the matter at all...ha! We are leaving it up to God, asking that HE will intercede for us and act, and know that His timing and ways are not are own. Our prayers are for a safe and healthy delivery, whenever and however that may be!

PRAYERS!
We ask that you continue to pray for our family, as I know you have throughout this entire process. We are anxious to meet our newest little love, but also going to enjoy each moment of these next few weeks. Pray that my body responds in the next two weeks and prepares to deliver. Pray that Derek continues to have success with his Lady Dog team and that they bring glory to God in every game and situation, and pray for the twins as they are about to have their little world rocked by a new baby. We are so blessed to be in this situation, as CRAZY and CHAOTIC as it may be! What an amazing God we serve!!!

My first pregnant picture- around 6 weeks

My latest picture- almost 38 weeks

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

34 Weeks and the Twins' New Room

Today marks 34 weeks of pregnancy for Baby #3! I am feeling surprisingly good, but I guess I really do not have any other option...ha! Life has been a whirlwind since coming back to school, mostly with basketball in full swing! Derek's season has been going well,  but man oh man have we had some close games! It seems like the majority of our games have been won in the 4th quarter which is not at all good for this pregnant mama! (Seriously babe...couldn't you try winning by 100???)

I had an appointment yesterday to check on the baby and pregnancy and everything seems to be going great. My new doctor, a female, is so different than Dr. Sutliff. She describes everything as beautiful. Your lab work is beautiful. Your weight gain is beautiful. You are measuring beautiful. I can't for the life of me imagine Dr. Sutliff saying those things which makes me laugh, but I have really enjoyed my new doctor. So basically everything is right on track. I go again in 2 weeks, and then we will be down to every week. Seems crazy to be so close! We have some anxiety of course with basketball season in full swing and being so close to our due date. But my sweet Derek prayed the other night that "God knows the perfect time to bring this baby to our family" so we are trusting Him! (But God...Mama would prefer it to be after basketball time ; )

32 Weeks

32 Weeks with my Mama's girl

34 Weeks

We are still anxious to find out what Baby #3 is! It really has been fun this time to not know, but I am really excited for that special day. For any of you guessers out there, here are some things about this pregnancy:

-Super sick the whole first trimester
-Mostly craved salty, spicy, or sour
-Not much into sweets (until lately)
-Carrying low
-No linea negra
-Measuring normal (not big, not small)
-No acne or skin problems
-Heart rates vary from 130's to 160's
-Extremely tired this 3rd semester (probably due to the 2 one yr olds I chase!)
-SUPER MAJOR EXTREMELY ACTIVE! Kicks me and rolls ALL THE TIME!

I have had a girl vibe since the beginning, but I think it acts much more like a boy. I really have no idea. Derek says boy. The twins say whatever they want, depending on the day. Such a fun, exciting wait time!

Twins
The twins are doing amazing! They are growing and learning SO MUCH everyday! I am trying extremely hard to cherish this time with them and slow down to enjoy all the little funny things they do! They are talking all the time, playing, imagining, running, loving, and all sorts of fun things that toddlers do. We are planning for big birthday #2 and are going to have their party early due to basketball playoffs/baby coming and all the unexpected events of March. Their birthday is March 6th and this baby is due March 4th. I am HOPING that baby #3 decides to come before or after their birthday because I really don't want to be in the hospital during their birthday and don't want them to have to share their special day in the future. BUT once again, God is in control!

Here are some pictures of their new room. We finished up after Christmas break. I am extremely blessed with a husband and dad that are super handy and can build whatever crazy pinterest idea I find. I am also thankful for my mom who made new curtains for the new room. I LOVE the way it turned out and they have enjoyed having a room to play in and have been sleeping great!

The reading nook. My favorite part of their room!

Bookshelf and Tucker's corner

Cribs. We will be moving to twin beds probably this summer

Ady's kitchen, rocking chair and door

I have all sorts of hopes and aspirations to share some thoughts on this pregnancy and thoughts that I have been thinking. My hope is that I will get it on this blog before the baby actually comes. Who knows if that will actually happen between basketball, birthday planning, teaching, and cherishing my time with just two at home. But we do COVET your prayers as we enter the final stretch before this baby arrives. We have been praying that God prepare our hearts, home, and Tucker and Adelyn for this new addition to our family. Love to all!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

The month of December...

What a whirlwind the past month has been! We spent the first three weeks of December with basketball season in full swing, including two tournaments and starting district off 2-0! Throw in a few Christmas parties, road-trips, doctor's visits, and lots of running and playing and we were ready for Christmas break! Christmas break has been a MUCH needed time of rest and relaxation for our family. We spent the first week celebrating Christmas with all of our different family groups and have literally been at home the entire second week due to cold and icy weather. What a blessing this icy weather has been for our family to be able to stay in, cuddle, get some much needed work done, and spend time together. We are so blessed!

Christmas Fun
This year's Christmas was HANDS-DOWN the very best Christmas we have ever had! What a difference a year makes! Last year the twins were only 9 months old, so they had no clue what was going on. This year the twins were much more excited about the whole thing! They loved reading Christmas books, hearing Christmas songs, going to see the lights, decorating the house, and opening presents! We had several different celebrations and our kids are amazingly blessed with friends and family who love them very much. Here are some highlights:

* Adelyn called Santa "Ci-Ci"
* We took the twins to see the lights downtown and they "oohed and ahhed"
* I took the twins to breakfast with Santa and they would not sit on his lap!

* We read Frosty the Snowman at least 10 times a day...every day...without fail

* We took the twins to get presents for their Angel Tree children and to shop for an "adopted" family
* The twins made salt-dough ornaments with Lyla and exchanged presents at Chick-Fil-A
* Fun Freeman family Christmas with Mickey and Minnie presents
* Opened presents with Grammy, Grumpy, Aunt Hillary, Uncle G, Jordan and Jaxson. The twins loved their Sesame Street toys, chairs, and Cozy Coupes, but mostly just getting to play with their cousins!

* Traveled to Brookesmith to open presents with Papa, Mimi, Aunt Mitsy, and Granny. Favorite toys were Baby Lyla, stick horses, and trucks

* Got to go to Christmas Eve service and see our children's faces light up with candles

Hands-down my favorite part of the holiday season was spending Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at home with our little family. This year we did big "Santa" presents which were a work-bench for Tucker Boy and a kitchen for Adelyn. Thanks to pinterest, my dad's carpentry skills, Derek's painting skills, and my decorating, we were able to make these home-made. I LOVE that they had home-made presents and that the kitchen was actually my old one from Christmas long ago. I had a blast accessorizing their gifts and was a little giddy to wake up and see what they thought.  

Christmas in my own home with my own sweet babies is something I have dreamed about for such a long time. What a good and faithful God we serve who grants us such sweet desires of our hearts. I love making memories with these two, getting to watch the world through their eyes, and having such a fantastic partner by my side through it all. We had such a great Christmas morning of making new memories and traditions for our family. Love love love this sweet time!

Being Home

With Christmas Break being our last real break-time before this baby comes, I have had a mile-long list to accomplish while we are off! I know my husband has LOVED all my little projects, but thanks to the icy weather, we have had time to get almost everything done!!! My #1 goal was to move the twins to the guest room and get their room ready for the baby. This included getting all of the guest room furniture out, find new places for all of the stuff in the guest room, move their furniture, rearrange it a couple of times, get the used to sleeping in a new room, and then decorating! And somewhere along the way, I decided I needed to organize all of the closets in the house, needed shelves built in the garage, and needed to buy a whole bunch of organizing tubs and supplies. Feel sorry for Derek yet???

It has been QUITE a project, but thankfully we have almost EVERYTHING done except for getting stuff hung on the walls. The twins are adjusting to sleeping in a new room and both babies slept ALL the way through the night last night without a peep (ok one little rocking at 11:00, but we were still up!). The baby's room is all set up besides the crib, car-seats are laid out, newborn clothes in the dresser, and everything else we can do up unto this point. I have been so good about not knowing what the baby is this whole pregnancy until this week!!! Now, I am SO ANXIOUS to know! I have boy and girl stuff all ready but it would be so much easier if I just knew what this little crazy baby is!!! I am glad I waited this long to get ready, because I may not have been able to hold out!

Baby #3 
So far this pregnancy is continuing to go as planned! Even though I am super ready to find out what my wild little monkey is, I am hoping that we carry all the way to term and have a healthy, safe delivery. I just passed the 31 week mark which means we have about 60 days before we meet this little angel. 60 days!!! I am still up in the air about what it is. Deep down, I have had a girl vibe the entire time until this past week. Now I am leaning towards boy. Whatever it is, it is CRAZY ACTIVE and kicks me ALL THE TIME!!! It is rolling, moving, elbowing, kicking, and doing all sorts of other ninja moves 24-7. I am still feeling good, but much bigger and slower than before. The past two weeks have been so nice to rest, but I am a little worried about having to go back to work after so much down time. I have gotten really used to wearing sweat pants, taking naps, and having Derek home to help out! Going back to reality will be NO FUN!

I also hate the thought of going back to work simply because I enjoy being home with my family SO MUCH! I love being here all day with the twins. Love being the one who puts them down for nap. Love not being super strict on the clock or what time it is. Love all the snuggles, rocking, reading, and playing. LOVE getting to be mom all day everyday. Not having to leave them to go to work. I know that I am SUPER fortunate to be able to only work part-time, but it will definitely tug at my heart to have to go back to work on Monday. Thankfully, I will get to spend the majority of March and April back at home with them and our new little love!

We are now going to the doctor every two weeks and are planning to have a sonogram in a couple of weeks to see what size this baby is. We are hoping to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) this time around, as long as this baby isn't ginormous! My due date is March 4th, which happens to be the Wednesday before Spring Break. I would love to make it all the way to Spring Break, but who knows. My one wish is that this baby does not come on March 6th (the twins' birthday) because I want to keep that day special for the twins and let this baby have its own special time. My other goal is to be able to get through basketball season without this baby making its appearance! With playoffs starting February 16th/17th, we need your prayers!

28 weeks...I haven't taken a picture in awhile!

2015
We pray that 2015 finds all you happy, healthy, and enjoying God's blessings in your life. One thing that I have learned in the past few months, is how much I want to slow down and enjoy our little blessings. Like Tucker's cheesy grin. And Adelyn's sweet hugs. My husband's hard-working spirit. And my niece and nephew's laughter. God has blessed us so abundantly with PEOPLE in our lives that are SO MUCH more valuable than anything money can buy. We are SO ECSTATIC that God decided to bless our family with one more little baby to love on in 2015. We have been praying that God prepare our hearts and home for this new arrival, as well as prepare Tucker and Adelyn for the changes that will take place. We ask that you join us in prayer in the days to come as we make the change from family of four to family of five. And we pray that you enjoy the blessings that God has so richly poured out on you throughout this year.

"In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted." Isaiah 12:4