The Name of Our First Child....

Yes, it is true... I think we have finally decided on a name!  Here was our criteria:

- Pretty and feminine sounding

- Unique but not too weird

- Could picture her as a baby, teenager, and adult 

- Not on the top 100 list of most common names

- Had to just feel right

- Annnnd this wasn't necessarily a deciding factor, but neither of us tended to like names of kids that we currently know or anyone in our current friends circle.

Scott's own personal list in addition to our list:

- Could not be a gender neutral name

- Could not be the name of a place, city, state, country, or territory

- Could not be the name of a street

- Could not be too unique

In addition, if the name was Irish, I gave it extra bonus points (I'm a quarter Irish), and if it had a nice meaning, it got extra extra extra points.

So when we found a name that we both liked that fit ALL the criteria... we started calling her that for awhile just to try it out.  I really wanted to pick 3 names that we loved, and then wait until she arrived to see what she "looked" like.  But ultimately, we don't have 3 names that we like, we have one.  And we keep calling her by her name, and nothing else feels right.

After much deliberation.... her name is going to be......... (drumroll please!)

And if you're having trouble reading that since it's not the greatest picture in the world.... the name is going to be,  

~~~~Kaelyn Grace ~~~

Kaelyn- an Irish name meaning "pure beauty"

Grace - means "God's favor"

Her name is going to be Kaelyn because she truly is going to be "pure beauty," and Grace because not only is it a beautiful name, but the almighty, God of the universe extends his everlasting grace to us, and that is one of the most powerful things in the world!  I found another definition in an online dictionary.... Grace means "the exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another" (ardictionary.com).  Amazing! 

So, all good things.... she will be pure beauty and grace, and the name is a reflection of how God has blessed us so tremendously by giving her to us.  Perfection!

We hope you love it as much as we do!

Looking Back

**MUSHY WARNING ALERT.  I AM 28 WEEKS PREGNANT AND HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE EMOTIONAL AND HORMONAL.  IF YOU ARE SUBJECT TO BARFING ON ACCOUNT OF MUSH, READ NO FURTHER.  CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to remember this time forever.  I want to remember how much my heart is overflowing with love and joy for both my husband and my little baby girl.

 I look at his face, and I see both the young boy that I fell in love with, and the grown man and father who I am even more faithfully devoted to year after year, tear after tear, kiss after kiss.

When we were 12, we would write long notes, passing them back and forth in the ever-dramatic hallways of our middle school.  I fell in love with his way with words.  Mature beyond his years, I knew that no matter who was lucky enough to marry him one day, she would be the luckiest girl in the world.

When we were 18, I knew I had to kiss him.  His physical stature changed that summer, and under that bridge after that warm August rain, my curiosity got the best of me.

When we were 20, I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my life without him, and at 21, we pledged our lives to one another.

(Taken by Josh and Kelley Johnson at Radiant Photography)

Now we're 25, and we have created a human life together.  I treasure this moment, and I treasure this day as we spend our last weeks together just the two of us.

Our daughter will be here in 12 weeks, and we're starting a new chapter.  While a part of me is sad to say goodbye to this part of life, I know what waits ahead will be a blessing far greater than what we can imagine now.  I know we will grow together even more, and that he can still be my boyfriend even if he has baby poop all over him and I become a hormonal crazy mess. 


I'm not trying to be dark and creepy, but it really is a good feeling knowing that if I died today, I would be content and satisfied with where I am today.  If I accomplish nothing more in this life than to love God with every ounce of my heart, mind, and soul, and to be the best wife and mom I can be, I will die a happy woman.

Hello 3rd Trimester!! 27 week Update

Where has the time gone?? I feel like I just blinked and now there are only 3 more months until baby VS will grace us with her presence!  The first trimester was agonizingly slow... and now I am losing track of the weeks!

I'm feeling pretty good for the most part minus some lower/back foot aches when I try to push myself too hard.  Who am I kidding... sometimes I just walk around the grocery store and I feel like I need a nap.  I am noticing the extra weight and missing my pre-pregnancy body.  It's a lot harder to turn over in bed and get up and down these days!  The hardest part for me regarding this whole pregnancy is that my brain thinks that I am the same person that I was pre-pregnancy, but my body doesn't cooperate.  For example:

My brain says, "Bend over and pick up the towel that just fell on the floor."

My body says, "Ooooo, bending over doesn't feel like what it used to!!"

My brain says, "Busy day ahead!  Do 3 loads of laundry, clean all the bathrooms, vacuum and mop the floors, dust, hike 10 miles, plan meals for the week, go grocery shopping, knock out that 6 page paper, read a few chapters in my textbook, take the dogs for a walk, return some work e-mails."

My body says, "Wake up, eat breakfast, do 1 load of laundry, sit and rest, eat lunch, sit and rest, think about all the things you want to get done, take a nap, make and eat dinner, go to bed early."

Yes.. I'm exaggerating.  But seriously, it's hard to listen to my body and not my brain sometimes!!

On the flip side...  

The little missy is moving around A TON!  Scott was finally able to feel her for the first time, and sometimes when I'm sitting still I see my stomach pop up and down with her little punches.  I love being reminded of her presence so much throughout the day.  It truly makes it all worth it.  

Apparently this is what she is looking like these days.  She can now see, hear, respond to environmental noises, and although I have yet to experience the feeling, she can even get the hiccups!  She also likes to kick my bladder... and now I get to know what it feels like to go to the bathroom every single hour of the day.  I always thought that was an exaggeration.  Now I know... it's not.

The nursery is coming along beautifully!  Since my last pregnancy update post, we have added a crib, the cutest lamp EVER (shown above), and a dresser (shown above)!  I have purchased shelves, put drawer liners in the dresser, folded her little clothes and put them in the drawers, and spent quite a bit of time fantasizing about her arrival. Oh, and my amazing handy dandy hubby installed a ceiling fan so she won't die of heat stroke since we live in Arizona.  YAY!

I cannot WAIT for her to get here.  Even though the pregnancy is flying by, I just want to hold her in my arms... like... right this second.  In the mean time, Scott and I are really enjoying our time together.  He is going to be such a good dad!  I can't wait to see him hold her for the first time.  I know our lives are about to change so much in the next few months and I am so excited to begin this next chapter!