What Heaven Sees In You

I have been such a mix of emotions since I found out that our sweet Kaitlyn is a girl. I'm excited, but I'm also so scared! The world fills girls with the vision of who they should be, and I just want Kaitlyn to know and remember who she really is! Being pregnant is one of the most sacred experiences of my life....I have never felt closer to heaven then I do when I have had these 3 sweet souls inside me. I know who they are! It's impossible to describe, but I know them! I know Kaitlyn and yes, I can't wait until she's here, but at the same time, it's amazing to have her inside me. I can't replace that sacred bond!
A few months ago, at a YW's activity, a couple of our YW sang this song. It was the day that the dr had guessed that it was a girl and I just sat there and cried! This song says everything to Kaitlyn that I could! I wanted to share it because it truly touches me. This is my song to Kaitlyn and to my new niece Rilee. I hope that they will never forget what heaven (and their moms) see in them!

Our lives are about to change...in a great way!

We are excited to announce that we are having a girl!!! I am a wide range of emotions on it...happy, scared, shocked, and mostly excited! They told us at 12 weeks that it was a girl, but all babies look like a girl at 12 weeks, so we didn't think too much of it. But at 16 weeks, they told us again and it was 100% confirmed last week that it was a girl! So, my mom and I went shopping! If I'm going to have a girl, I wanted dresses and lots of pink! Scott and I are very excited, but Matthew is the most excited! When I told him it was a girl after the 16 week ultrasound, he said, "I know mom, I told you it was a girl!" He then wanted to have a pink party! We had pink marshmallows the next day, but he keeps reminding me that we need to have a pink party! He's absolutely adorable with her already. He comes up and lays his head on my belly and talks to her...he just can't wait until she's here! All of us can't! Her name is going to be Kaitlyn Louise Lake. Louise was my great-grandmother's name and the name has been handed down. Kaitlyn will be the 5th generation to have that name and I'm so happy to hand it down to her. I love her to death already and I can't wait to dress her up!
Here are some pictures of Kaitlyn:

Here she is at 16 weeks! Never seen an ultrasound picture like this, but she's breech! She better not get too comfortable like that!


Here she is at 20 weeks. Matthew got to come with me to this one. The ultrasound tech was so sweet and telling him everything about her body. This is actually Matthew's picture!

She is perfectly healthy and measuring right on schedule! She's a little on the hefty side weighing in at 15 oz. She's not quite as active as the boys were, but I love to feel her move! A home nurse is coming once a week to check her heart rate and give me a progesterone injection to prevent preterm labor this time around. I feel so great right now and I'm just enjoying every minute! Hopefully the pregnancy will continue like this. Kaitlyn, we love you so much and can't wait until you're here!

Sweet Lake Baby #3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hooray...baby #3 is on it's way! We are so excited! My due date is April 20, 2012 and we can't wait! At first, I was glad that I had 9 months to get ready, but now I just can't wait! Matthew had been telling me all summer that we were going to have a baby and he was right. Although he said it was a baby sister, so we'll have to see later if he's right about that! We were a little surprised by this one. We had really just started talking about it. We were going to wait to tell Matthew until we had a doctor's appt., but the day after we found out, he said, "Mom do you have a baby in your tummy?!" Both Scott and I were shocked! I wish I had a picture of the expression on his face...pure JOY! He's such a sweetheart and such a wonderful big brother! He just knew! Right after we told him that yes, there was a baby in mommy's tummy, he said, "Okay you better go lay down on the couch!" I guess he didn't forget! Everything so far looks absolutely perfect and we are all in love! Who wouldn't be...look at that sweet baby!
I've been sicker with this one. I was lucky enough to escape morning sickness with my first 2, but not with this one. It's all worth it though and it's starting to subside now. Hopefully we will know what this baby is in about 5-6 weeks! Scott's pretty sure it's a girl because of all the trouble it has given me so far! :) I will be happy either way...just give me a healthy baby!

Before and After #1: The Dining Room

So this was the last room started, but the first one completely finished for now. We will add pictures as we go. I am absolutely in LOVE with this room! When my mom told me you could see it from the road when the lights were on, I now leave the lights on in that room every night...especially because we got a new chandelier for that room (thank you mom and dad!!!)
Before:
This was their picture when the house was on the market, then it went to the tool room! Here's a cleaned up version of the tool/dining room before:


And the glorious after pictures: (You can click on them to make them bigger):


I absolutely love it! It turned out perfectly and I love the new chandelier! I've only been planning this out in my head since I got this awesome table almost 6 years ago and I'm so happy with it! More before and after pics coming soon! :)

Matthew's First Day of School

Our little stud started his first day of his last year of preschool. He started last Monday since we were out of town. It's very surreal for me to think that next year he will go to school every day! It makes me so sad! But he's so excited to grow up and do new "big boy" things that I guess it's okay! I just have to embrace this year before we are going to school everyday for the next 12 years! He really like his new teacher. He's at the same preschool he was at last year, but now he goes 3 days a week. I sure love this little boy...he's my world!



Don't you just want to kiss his sweet little cheeks? He's growing up too quick!

Michael was obviously less than thrilled about being in this picture! He's my late sleeper (that week he was sleeping until 9:30 or 10am!) and he wasn't so happy to be up early and taking a picture! Looking at this picture, now I can see why people think they are closer in age than they really are! They're both stinkin' cute!

A quick update on our family: we have been very busy with the new joys that come with home ownership! We bought our first home this summer and we love it! We've been busy updating it and making it our own! The boys have a big room in the finished attic with an acre outside to play on! We didn't go anywhere this summer, but we recently returned from a trip to see Scott's little brother get married! We still did lots of fun things this summer and I really need to update! I will get some pictures of our cute home up soon with some before and after pictures!

A trip down Memory Lane

Okay, so I'm a very sentimental person and I couldn't let this day go by without reminiscing on the events of last year. With little Michael's birthday quickly approaching, my heart has been filled with gratitude, not only for the last year of his life, but for the months preceding his birth! These pictures were taken one year ago today. (These are just a few of my favs, to see the whole post, click here.) I consider being pregnant one of my greatest blessings and some of the greatest months of my life! These pictures are a treasure to me! And there are no words to describe the love that I have for my sweet son! I am in absolute denial that he is almost 1, but can't wait for the many years ahead of joy that he will bring to our home!


P.S. I will just apologize ahead of time for taking everyone that actually reads my blog for a trip down memory lane, but this is our family journal, so I have to do it! :)

A family of five!

We've added another member to our family! Meet Miley! She's our new 11 week old black lab! My sister brought her to us from Idaho and she is the sweetest puppy! She has her moments of craziness, but she's really such a wonderful puppy! Matthew loves having her and does everything he can to take care of her! I have always wanted a dog and although we weren't planning to get one this quick, it seems to be working out really well! Scott didn't really grow up with dogs, but he's really good with her! We are hoping that she will be great buddies with our boys (and future kiddos) and hopefully be somewhat protective! I will update more pictures of Miley with the boys later, but here's an updated family picture (with neither of our boys looking)! Isn't my parents backyard beautiful? We are loving the East Coast fall!!!