The Moment..........

..........you've ALL been waiting for........... (drum roll, please.....)

Dave and I will be adding our FIRST little one to the family on September 26th!!! =) (drum roll, CUT!) Yes, you read correctly.....I am PREGNANT!!! =) Rub your eyes, take a deep breath, and do a few little shoulder exercises and say to yourself'... "This REALLY IS happening...I'm NOT dreaming...Dave and Cheryl are going to be PARENTS!!" While it's only been 5 years since we got married, I am sure some of you were thinking, "MAN, when ARE those two going to have babies??" Well, folks, the time has finally arrived!

Now, enough of the joking around...I really AM pregnant (13 weeks and few days to be exact) and Dave and I are both VERY excited! Dave is going to make an EXCELLENT daddy because he is such a WONDERFUL husband! I am most pleased that Dave is excited....that in itself is an answered prayer!! =) That means for SURE that there really IS a God (in case you doubted that FACT), and that He is behind this miraculous event! =) The last several months Dave and I have been thinking we were finally ready to start having kiddos (which, if you knew either of us, was something GRAND in itself because neither of us wanted kids for a WHILE), so we knew God was preparing us mentally for such a monumentous, yet rewarding, task. I am so pleased and full of joy that God trusted US to take care of His precious creation. What a cool thought! One of my favorite chapters in the Bible has become Psalm 139 which is full of promises from God that each of us can use daily in our lives. However, now it has a much more special meaning when I think of the little baby that is growing inside me. Verses 13-17 are so true about this new little creation that God trusted to us:

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and

wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths

of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written

in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

I encourage you to reread that whole chapter of Psalm 139 if you have not done so in a while because it just shows how much God loves EACH of us, regardless of what we have done in our lives. He knew what was going to happen in our lives (good or bad), and the choices we would make LONG before He made us, yet He still chose to create each of us because He loves us so much! =) He is still there to protect us and love on us no matter what kind of dumb mistakes we have made! How EXCITING!!!! =)

Thinking about all of that just gets me so full of wonder and amazement because I know that this little child is going to be SO SPECIAL to God, and to us! I can't wait to meet him or her this coming fall!! =) Each time I go see a newborn (which has been a LOT in the past year or so....), it's such a sweet miracle in itself to think about all that had to happen before that little baby could be born (WOW!!). NOW, that little miracle will be OURS! How AMAZING!! =) We hope to find out in May if that little miracle will be a BOY or a GIRL...PLEASE cooperate, Little One! =) Though a HEALTHY baby is what we are praying for, if we could have our choice, both Dave and I would LOVE to have a little boy....we shall see what God has in store for us though! =)

I have been feeling great the last couple weeks or so, minus this nasty cold I have. From Jan. til the beginning of March though, I was SO EXHAUSTED! Now, if you know me at all, you KNOW how much energy I have. It was actually quite depressing there for a while to not be able to do ANYTHING when I came home from school. My house was a wreck, poor Dave didn't have any clean clothes, and I was too tired to even get up to go to the restroom (which, for a pregnant person is A LOT--something else NEW that I wasn't used to!). I had no energy to even go WALKING at the gym....from running 5Ks to NOTHING is VERY depressing! I am so happy though because every day this week I have been able to go walking at least a mile and a half with someone (since Sunday). I have been begging my friends and Dave to go with me. They have all been so gracious! =) Now, if only I can keep it up.....and I thought I would be one of those in-shape pregnant women that I used to see who would sprint across the finish line at 5Ks--HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! Hey, I'm definitely grateful to just be WALKING! =) To all you mothers out there....I DEFINITELY don't know HOW you can possibly have one child already AND be pregnant with another one...WOW! That's some EXTREME EXHAUSTION!!! =) Bless each of you! =) I have a whole new outlook on motherhood!!

It's crazy just how much your body changes in those few weeks! Now, I am about to start my 2nd trimester which is completely insane to me. It's flown by so quickly, but I know the coming months will seemingly drag by. Though I am showing a little bit (especially after I eat), I can't wait til I am really showing. Pregnany women always look so CUTE! =) I hope I look as cute as all the others I have seen! And, I am sure many of you have been wondering while reading this...NO, I haven't had any cravings yet OR morning sickness! WAHOO!!! =) I will take the exhaustion ANY day over the morning sickness or torturing Dave with my cravings!! =)

Enough about me, though. Dave and I would both just cherish your prayers and thoughts through this pregnancy. I get so scared sometimes about all the "what-ifs" and I tend to forget that God has EVERYTHING in His hands already. Even if those "what-ifs" come to reality, God is STILL in control and He CAN get us through them victoriously. The world WON'T end. This has been a HUGE faith-builder for me because all of it is out of MY control...... While I am growing in my faith a teeny-bit each day, we would LOVE the prayers because it can be hard (as most of you reading this already know!). Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers thus far. I know this is a VERY lucky baby because he/she has so many awesome people praying over him/her each day! THANK YOU!!!! =)

I have to leave for a bit, but here is ONE picture that I will post for now to keep you on your seat. When I return tonight I will post some more pics!!! PROMISE!!!! =) The suspense is building........... =)

8 weeks, 4 days (awww...how cute!)

DISCLAIMER: Sorry this was so long....I LOVE talking about all that God is doing and has done in my life and Dave's life, especially with our new miracle! This is MUCH shorter than it could have been!! Remember, I have been wanting to talk about all this for the last 11 WEEKS at least!! =)