Baby Girl Has a Name!!

I am so excited to say that our baby girl has a name! It took us a while (and a few lists), then we decided on the name we had originally talked about. Nothing else sounded right, or fit her.

Baby girl's name is

Hallie Mae

My grandmother AND Bryan's grandmother's name is Hallie, and we just love them so much. Mae is my great grandmother's middle name, and come to find out, Bryan's great grandmother's middle name is May.

We are aware of how southern Hallie Mae Borden sounds, but I just love it so much. :)

Bryce originally wanted her name to be Nala (from The Lion King), then changed it to Clarisse (from the Rudolph cartoon) when Christmas came around. Both of these names came before we even knew it was a girl. He was absolutely positive from the very beginning that this was his baby sister. :) Sweet boy with such amazing faith (I need to blog about that story). He was a little sad that we were not naming her Clarisse, but he quickly came around to Hallie. He now loves the name and (I think) has forgotten about Nala or Clarisse.

It's a....

We had our 20 week ultrasound today. We are so excited to announce that we have a HEALTHY baby. I felt at peace about it, and about the baby's heart, but it is wonderful to hear those words come from a doctor. Praise God!!!

We found out the gender, and went and picked up color appropriate cookies and necklaces for the boys to open. Here are a few pictures.

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to the best husband and father in the world (as Bryce would say). We love you more than words can ever express.

Scars

I really need to get better at blogging. I have missed Halloween, Jayden's birthday, Thanksgiving, baby updates, and more little things that have happened, all of which are very important. I might still blog about them....on with this topic...

Scars are thought to be a negative thing, accidents that happen that leave a mark on your body and can last forever. They can leave a lasting memory. I know some are bad memories, but with these, good or bad, we learn and (hopefully) grow from them.

Bryce has this cute little scar on his eyelid (I think it makes him look tough) that he got when he was about 14 months old. He fell at his grandmother's house and hit the bricks on the fireplace. He stayed away from the fireplace for about 5 minutes....he is ALL boy, and I love it.

my wild man :) this was when he was about 14 months old

Jayden has a scar that I LOVE and that I see every day. His scar goes all the way down his chest. It is a memory, a rough memory, and something he is going to have to live with for the rest of his life. This scar is a reminder to me of the wonderful doctors and nurses that saved my baby's life. It is a memory that God heard our prayers and He was (and is) watching over Jayden, and all of us. It is a memory that God is in control and we need not worry.

messy face :)

I have a scar that I absolutely adore. My c-section scar. If it wasn't for that lovely thing and the doctors and scientists who figured out this route of exit long ago, Bryce, Jayden, and I (and this next precious baby) would not be here. I think of this blessing every time I get ready in the morning and see it.

Whether we love our scars (physical, emotional, spiritual) or not, we hopefully learn from them. They help us to grow and mold us into the person we are today. My prayer is that my boys learn from life's scars and always look to God to help them grow their faith through these scars.

love these two so so much

"Let all that I am praise the Lord;

with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Let all that I am praise the Lord;

may I never forget the good things he does for me."

Psalm 103:1-2

Gifts

We are excited to announce that we are pregnant.

Baby #3 will be here in May.

We would love prayers for a healthy baby! Thank you so much!!

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3

did you know...

...we have two superheroes living in this house??

and one super dog.

I feel pretty safe around here.

proud

So proud of you, my big boy.