Little Slugger!

Of course, he prefers to be called "Big Slamma"! Just a few pictures to enjoy of what's been keeping us busy lately...along with 3 birthday party celebrations for Wyatt (who's now 5 & has a busier social calendar that I do!), preparing little by little for Luke (also known as "Thumper" around here), spending a couple of days working in the yard planting, enjoying this beautiful spring weather & pulling together everything for the Annabelle Basket Bash this weekend!

Wyatt & Coach Scott

Scott got to pick the college team (of course, no USC or Clemson as there would be a teeball rivalry making the news!) and thought the kids would love doing their team cheer..."What team?"..."Wildcats" (yes, we've watched way too much High School Musical!) :)

Tongue hanging out and ready to make a catch! (It's the cutest little thing that he's done since he was tiny! He always sticks his tongue out to the side when he's really concentrating!)

Hit it Slamma!!!

BIG NEWS!

Click on the Annabelle Baskets link on the right for more!!!

It's a good day when...

...you come home from running a million errands and find your sweet husband has gotten this for your baby boy to wear for his 1st Christmas! Now, if I can just figure out how to match big brother (because we all know he's way past smocking)?!?! Seriously though, just how much more southern can you get? Oh, this is going to be FUN!!!

Just as He had planned...

After a beautiful and moving service yesterday morning at church, we went to visit Annabelle's special place. We usually change out her hairbow, freshen up her flowers and just tidy up her little spot. We put her Easter bunny bow on last week and I thought we'd leave it just one more week before changing it. We still went to visit...eventhough our almost 5 year old son reminded us just as soon as we got there that "she's not here". I found it interesting that in 54 weeks of visiting her special place at least once, he has never said that she's not there. He understands that her body is behind the granite stone. He will occasionally try to yell to her through the cracks or, once, took his little toy hammer and knocked asking if anyone was home (Scott said he was running if someone answered). He knows that her spirit, the part that really matters, is safe in Jesus' arms. It was only appropriate and quite profound that he tell us for the first time on Easter that she's not there. Praise God that she's not there! It was all because of the first glorious Easter morning when Jesus rose from his grave that we have hope and peace and complete joy that our baby girl is not in that little concrete box, but living freely and in more glory than my mind can imagine! Jesus made it possible and He guides our steps as we travel this road ahead...

This brings me to a burning question that so many of you have had..our newest gift's given name! I must start by explaining several things first. When I was just pregnant with Annabelle, I was certain that she was a boy. I had only had a son and my pregnancy was so similiar that I just knew another little boy was on the way. I was elated to learn that she was the little girl I'd dreamt of having...and still is! However, we had already named her the boy name that we had as our backup when we had Wyatt. (There were only two names that we ever agreed upon for him and he's named one of them.) So, baby #2 was going to be the other name that we loved...until he was a she. Annabelle is named after both of her grandmothers and her maternal great grandmother. Once we had put it all together, I looked up the meaning online and knew it was perfect for her...gracious and merciful beauty she is indeed!

Fast forward to this pregnancy, I didn't really even think about boy names because, honestly, I prayed for a girl. I just knew that after all of our heartache we would be given another girl. About two weeks before finding out the gender, I began a Bible study by Beth Moore that I've had since Wyatt was a baby. It begins by studying Mary and Elizabeth's pregnancies with Jesus and John the Baptist. Their joy and excitement is contagious and had me wondering just what was in store for the little one we were given. I asked God to soften my heart towards the possibility of having another son if that was His plan.

I have also made amazing friends with another heart mom who experienced a very similiar loss with her third child. We have chatted late into the night about just how alike our two little heart babies are...even their final hours with us. Our little ones even favor each other and have a look that is identical between them showing the wisdom beyond their little life on earth. I know our babies are the best of friends!

A couple of weeks ago, I prayed specifically for a sign. I knew that all things seemed to point to this being his name but call me Doubting Thomas...I just needed more. I am completely aware that I am not due anything and haven't deserved half of what I've been given but God is so gracious! We went to visit Annabelle after church that morning, just two days after her Jesus Day and the many tears that were shed there on Friday. I didn't want to go. Scott and I agreed that it would be a brief visit. I usually spend all my time there with her, mothering her in any way that I still can. This time I walked around a little and just 7 spots down from her I looked up and saw this...

Only the Master of the Universe could have orchestrated something so perfect! Only He knew that our baby girl would be buried just feet away 9 years after this man and that we would need Him to give us reassurance in His plan in such a startling way...the Bible study was on the first chapter of Luke, my friend's little boy & Annabelle's precious friend is Luke, and the name that we had held out on 5 years ago is Luke. How about getting a sign in bronze! We laughed the rest of the day knowing that God and the little dollbaby sitting on his lap had to be getting a kick out of this one!

Q&A

*****UPDATE: I am quite impressed by the guesses! I have one more thing to get done before his name is announced...I was hoping to do it yesterday but we ended up in Charleston for the baby's echo at the last minute. So, once I gather my resources tomorrow, I will make his name known!!!

That brings me to answering Danielle's question about the ultrasound last week and, now, echo yesterday...the ultrasound last week went very well! We have had so many already that we were pretty calm going into it and baby boy got some great news! Everything looked great from their standpoint and we don't go back until the 29th for a regular checkup!
On the otherhand, the echo that I thought was going to be later in the month ended up working out to be yesterday morning at 8:30 in Charleston. So, we were out the door by 5:30 yesterday (Wyatt still in his jammies) and in Charleston by 7:30 to dress Wyatt in the van and then drop off some Easter goodies to 7C (moderate care) before the appointment. The echo went very well and Baby L's heart checked out great! The cardiologist did notice a small effusion (fluid) around the heart that was a little more than normal so I return in about a month for a follow up echo. He expects this effusion to resolve by the time we return and didn't see any other heart issues that would lead to it worsening. Yes, this was a huge disappointment to us but we have turned it over to God in prayer and ask that you do the same with us. I really wanted an "all looks great" and "never have to see this one again" visit but I am glad that we took the extra step to have the echo done. Prayerfully, our next visit will be his last. Okay...off to bed but I promise to get the needed info tomorrow to announce this precious little miracle's chosen and very much given name!


ORIGINAL POST

I've been looking back over comments left on previous posts and noticed several questions that I have neglected to answer...until now! I thought I'd take a post and respond since each of you has been more than friends to our family and, personally, I think that your curiosity should be satisfied!

When is my due date?

Our newest little miracle is due on August 26th (I think...you know these things change by a day or two everytime I go to the doctor) BUT I am having a scheduled c-section on August 18th! We just set the date last week when I went in for my 20 week ultrasound which showed us a precious baby boy sucking away on his thumb and refusing to sit still! I informed him that "mommy will be replacing that thumb with a binky" as they are so much easier to cut off and keep clean! And for those of you wondering why the 18th...it's simple really. If everyone except Scott has a birthday ending on the 8th then it makes it a whole lot easier for him to keep straight! (I'm 6/8, Wyatt is 4/28, Annabelle is 1/28 & Baby will be 8/18)! See, it just makes sense! And there is very little chance that I will "go" early- I don't labor or dilate even with 26 hours of drugs as was the case with my firstborn! Looks like that answers several questions, huh?

Which scriptures do I find helpful in getting through the difficult times?

There are a lot! My favorite, by far, is the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Each verse throughout the chapter gives an example of amazing figures of faith that did even more amazing things for His purpose and not a single one of them received an earthly reward for the tremendous sacrifice that was made..."These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" Hebrews 11:39-40

I am certainly no Abraham or Noah and I am definitely not Moses' parents, but I have faced adversity and had to make a choice whether to follow God's Plan (which is usually painful many times but deepens my faith and relationship with Him all the more) or I have the choice to turn away. Trust me, I have wanted to turn way from Him many times but I can't. I don't know how to explain it really, I just can't. He pulls me back time and time again and reminds me that He is the Way and the Truth and the Light and that my Hope is found in Him alone. My fears, my pain, my loss, my grief and my anger aren't bigger than Him. So, I repeatedly lay them at His feet and continue on...still longing for what could have been but so much more thankful for what is and what WILL BE!

Other favorite scriptures of mine are: all of Psalm 40, Psalm 62:5-8, Isaiah 43:1-4, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Luke 1:37, John 16:33, Romans 11:33-36, Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Timothy 3:7-8, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 Peter 1: 7, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 1 Peter 5:6-10, 1 John 4:16-21, Revelation 21:4-5

Have I heard "Sissy's Song" by Alan Jackson?

I heard it for the first time on another blog (Two Boys with Love from Above) and just wept! I am a AJ fan...especially his ballads so I love this song and I love the lyrics.

Is Annabelle's CHD genetic/ can this baby have HLHS, too?

Annabelle's heart defect is not genetic it was perfectly planned...not a coincidence but a GOD-INCIDENT! (I attended MOPS last week and got that great word from Mrs. Padgett!) Researchers somewhere (I think in Boston) are comparing hundreds of DNA samples of HLHS babies from across the country, including Miss Priss, to see if there is a link somewhere but they have no clue what they are looking for. So, in other words, we'll probably never know what exactly caused it medically although I know that God planned it perfectly and hand-picked the precious little souls He would give these porcelain hearts to. Sure, there's always a chance of it happening again...when you've been the 1% to get HLHS of the 1% that are born with a CHD then you realize that anything is possible. But, the point is that we trust in God's Plan for our family and if we were to be given the exact same situation again, we would make the exact same choices.

Does this baby have a name yet?

Possibly! Now, it's your turn to answer my question...what do you think his name will be? (I'll give you a hint...it's starts with a "L"!) If you do know, please don't disclose it just yet...I've got a little something planned for it. God smacked us on this one, too!

And this precious photo is for you, Jan...