breathing on her own

sweet Stella has had the oxygen off for over 12 hours and is doing well. just love this precious face! so ready to take her home.

a hospital stay for miss stella

let me just start by saying that rsv is YUCKY! our sweet little one was diagnosed early this morning (4 am) after a rough week and an even rougher night last night. after lots of suctioning out the congestion and giving her oxygen and breathing treatments, things are starting to get better. she has actually eaten well today, napped good, and even given us a couple of smiles. we are super thankful for all the nurses and doctors that are watching out for our miss stella. she will stay in the hospital until her oxygen is stable on its own - i am hoping to be home by monday. please join us in continuing to pray for our little miss stella.

a love story

a true love story.

an easy must read.

promise you won't be able to put it down.

and made me remember all the reasons i fell in love with my husband.

my peanut.

my peanut just happens to LOVE peanut butter!

family photos via journey of the lens

our sweet friend, julie dentt, took some precious pictures of our family before miss stella arrived. enjoy her 'journey of the lens' as she saw our family.

(check out more of julie's work at journeyofthelens.com)

a little tummy time with a furry friend

a visit from some special friends

we just enjoyed a fabulous 7 day visit from some of our very special friends, kendra and macie. after moving to wisconsin 6 months ago, they were definitely due for some time in texas! we were so excited that they were able to come and stay with us and meet miss stella. we loved having them here and had so much fun together. we did lots of fun stuff and here is just a few pictures from our days together...

lots of pierce and macie playtime

jocelyn's love-ly valentine's party!

bath time...

celebrating valentine's day at the park...

our last visit to chick fil a

kendra and i

thanks for a great visit, kendra and macie. we miss you already and hope to see you again soon!

the other side of the valley

i am not the best with words, but i feel like i have to write out the lesson that God taught me while i was pregnant with stella so i will never forget....

i remember vividly the struggle to get pregnant with pierce - and even more vividly the lesson that God taught me through that 'valley' - the story of lazarus and how i must wait patiently for my 3rd day and God's perfect timing for His glory.

after getting pregnant with pierce, i honestly thought that God was done teaching me "tough stuff" for a while... crazy me.

when we decided to start trying again for another little one, i was fully ready to try for a while. however this time God had different plans and we got pregnant much quicker. i was so excited when i took that pregnancy test and saw that i was pregnant and i remember thanking God right away for this little blessing and the fact that it didn't take as long this time.

fast forward about 2 weeks... despite my overwhelming excitement, i couldn't shake the even greater overwhelming feeling of anxiety. i was worried about loving another little one as much as pierce and how in the world was i going to take care of 2 little ones. this little "overwhelming feeling" started out as a few tears and quickly escalated into much more. i became full of anxiety to the point of not wanting to be alone ever, being afraid to drive because i was worried something bad was going to happen, and basically a huge emotional mess. i became very dependent on other people and let my mind wander and worry all the time. after talking to my doctor, she prescribed a low dosage of some anxiety medicine to help me. i thought this would be a quick fix and life would return to normal. however God had different plans - He wanted to really teach me a huge lesson in trust, faith, and acting upon this trust and faith. i spent many hours reading His word and meditating on His promises. i knew it all in my head but was struggling with what to do and how to make a change. after claiming His promises to be my peace, i was encouraged by 2 very wise women to put action to this faith. i slowly started to do more on my own - with God's strength of course - and He became the ONE i was dependent on. my heart became full of His love, strength, and peace and life slowly returned to 'normal.'

and now on the "other side of the valley" i am able to snuggle with my littlest love - miss stella marie. God reminds me through her little smiles and calm spirit that HE is my peace.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in Thee."

Isaiah 26:3

"For God has not given us a spirt of fear, but of power, and love, and discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

"Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might."

Ephesians 6:10

"Those who love Thy love have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble."

Psalm 119:165

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe."

Proverbs 18:10

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul."

Psalm 94:19

"Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7