Family and friends

Over the past month we have been blessed with the opportunity to get to hang out with friends family.  And it isn't stopping now.  Kirby and I are headed to Montgomery for 11 days this Wednesday.  It feels so great to be surrounded by so many happy, loving, beautiful people.

To start it off Shannon (CR's sister) and Ken came down on a short notice to stay just for one night. It was the best "seat of our pants" company!  We enjoyed a great afternoon, dinner, and morning with them.  Catching up in such a laid back and comfortable setting such as the farm is always refreshing.  

Ryan and Rachel, and of course their child Boudreux), (Ryan is my cousin and Rachel is his wife) have been guests of Patrickville off and on for the last month.  Ryan was down first to take care of some job interviews and then Rachel joined him.  They had to go back to the Panhandle area to move their stuff south.  Everything stayed in a Uhaul truck in our front yard for a week while they looked for homes in the Valley.  Ryan was offered a great job down there working for one of our favorite companies as farmers, Wilbur Ellis.  We are so excited that now they are only 2 hours away instead of 10!  They found a home and then CR went South to help them all settle in.  The following week they came back and met us here, then we all loaded up and headed to Rockport for a fun afternoon with his mom and her new husband.  They bought a fishing boat and Kirby sure had fun.  We even got to see dolphins.  I felt like a kid again I was so giddy inside that we got to see them out in their natural habitat.  I have always loved dolphins, so this was the icing on the cake for my month of July!

 Kirby was not so sure about the life jacket deal at first.

 And she had a death grip on her gold fish.

A friend of mine (which this never happens) called and said she had a meeting in Corpus and wondered if she could bunk at our place.  Again, I was so excited because this never happens!  We live so far away from anything that we are not on the way to anywhere.  The only time I get to see friends is when I go visit them because we are on the way to my parents or to some other destination.  It was a super quick visit, but again, so wonderfully nice to just kick back in the recliners and visit.  Kirby had already gone to bed when Sara got there, and CR had to work late that night in the field, so for 2 1/2 hours we got to visit uninterrupted!  The next morning Kirby was so surprised and excited to have a visitor; she took Sara into her room and had to show her everything.  Come again soon Sara!

Jody, Katherine, Caleb, Porter, and Anna Kate moved back from India this month, too!  They had a long and interesting journey back home, but we are so glad they are now here.  You never realize how much you miss someone until they come back from half way around the world and are there in person to talk to now instead of via Skype.  The boys and Anna Kate have all grown so much!  Right now while they are settling in they are sharing their time between the grandparents, so they are here one week and with the Simmons one week.  Kirby sure loves having playmates around!  And just right up the street!

This past weekend, Rob (CRs brother),Megan and Eva all came down.  Friday we went to the beach and enjoyed our toes in the water.  Kirby was pretty much indifferent about the beach.  She didn't like all the sand (when we got there she looked around at it all and just shook her head and said "mess ... it's a mess") and the salt water in her eyes and mouth got dirty, dirty reactions.  Then on Saturday the whole bunch of cousins were all together again for the very first time since 2 years ago.  Jody and Katherine moved to their first journey of the mission adventure about 1 month after I had Kirby, so September of 2010.  We had a big sibling going away prayer dinner for them at our house a few days before they left and that was the last time we were all together at once.  This weekend all the cousins were back together again and loving it.  We missed Shannon (CR's sister) and Ken, but now that everyone is in the same state it will be much easier to get something together again soon.  

Before the Simmons Folk got back into town, Grandaddy Ray and Granny bought a pool - well, a redneck pool.  It is a huge water trough and is the PERFECT idea for the kids.  You can fill it up with as little or as much water as you want, and drain it when it gets dirty instead of having to do the whole pool cleaning thing.  The kids are having a ball with it!  

Here is the first go 'round with the pool adventure:

 This is Ms. Anna Kate Simmons

 Porter Simmons

 Kirby and Daddy trying to show the boys how to play water ball.

When Kirby had enough water time, she climbed up in the fort!  

This past weekend the pool was full of all of the grand kids have the best time in the world!  Grandaddy Ray even decided to do "1-2-3 splash" in the water!

I wish I could have freeze framed Saturday night at our house.  We had a full house - even the other Simmons family (Preacher and Nanaw) and the Harringtons came over after a wedding at the church to join in on the fun.  The kids loved playing with the dogs outside, throwing rocks into the cow pasture, playing with every last one of Kirby Rose's toys, and then of course splashing in the dogs water bucket.   CR fixed his famous pulled pork and Ryan fixed his famous ribs.  I think deep down inside they were having a competition of who liked what best - for the record, both meats were completely gone - no leftovers, so I called it a tie.  Ha, men.

This is the day

that the Lord has made.  And also the day that I finally went back to the doctor.  Five weeks is a loooong time between prenatal appointments.  Especially for me who has a hard time remembering to let go and let God.  I guess just because of my past experiences, I always get this sick to my stomach nervous feeling when walking into the sonogram room.  I always get a sigh of relief when they turn on the screen after they look for a minute (I always watch their eyes for a reaction while they do this) and then again a "Thank you Jesus" prayer goes up when I see the heart fluttering on the screen.  It is the most amazing thing, no matter how many times you see it.  I mean, little P is only about 3 inches and there is the heart, like a little butterfly on the screen.  Amazing God.  

Everything looked great according to the sonogram and the doctor.  They did the first set of down syndrome testing and he said it all looked good so far.  I had to get blood work to confirm, but he said all should be fine.  I really love my doctor.  He is very proactive and makes me feel so comfortable.  Having a doctor you completely trust is pertinent and thank God daily for Dr. Supnet, even if he did go to t.u.

I lost five pounds between visits.  This really didn't surprise me because I had lost 8 pounds at this point when I was pregnant with Kirby.  Speaking of Kirby, she is already being so motherly with the baby.  It cracks me up.  We told her right away when I was pregnant, not really sure if she had a clue what was going on.  But, ever since we told her, she has been very different and very loving with her baby dolls.  She now wants to change their diaper, rock them to sleep, and put them to bed.  She also will come to my tummy and want to listen to the baby, kiss it, tell it night night and say prayers with it.  This is why I blog.  I never want to forget this stuff.  This is what memories are made of.

To help me when I look back from years from now, I am going to keep up a little comparison of my two pregnancies.  If you find this stuff boring, you can stop here.

                                 Kirby                                                       Baby  #2

starting weight           138                                                              126

starting size                  6                                                                 2/4

total pounds gained     18                                                             so  far 2

nauseated for                2 weeks off and on                              7 weeks all the time

other symptoms         tired                                                         tired, headaches

cravings                      not really                                                  salty, crunchy

aversions                    salad, veggies                                               coffee :(  

name ideas                  had a pretty good list right away              totally clueless

Thank you for keeping up with this journey.  Please keep us in your prayers as the Lord continues to grow this miracle inside me.  At 14 weeks was when I got placenta previa with Kirby, so I am really trying to take it easy with lifting, over doing it, etc, but it is really so much harder with a 23 month old!  How can you not pick her up?  

Stay tuned in the next day or so for some pictures of the Simmons cousins and a redneck's dream pool!

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. "  Exodus 33:14  

God's Timing

is always perfect.  Incase this is your first time popping in, or if it has been awhile, please make sure you go read this and then this.  I'm serious, go read both of them.

We were going to wait to share this, but this is about as long as we can wait.  I am pregnant!  I am at 12 weeks right now - well, according to the calendar I am 12 weeks, but I am measuring 11.  I'm still going with 12.  With that, I am due January 22nd.  This is why we can't hide it anymore - I've already got a bump! Second time do you show sooner?

We are so very thankful that God's hand is always upon us.  He knows every single step of the way and why do we even fret?  After my last exam in April, which was for abnormal cells again, my doctor told me to take an ovulation test for the next 14 days.  So I did, and nothing.  So I took them the rest of the month.  Nothing.  I called my doctor and said, "Ok, I know the problem, I am not ovulating again."  He said we would discuss at my next appointment because again I had abnormal cells in my test.  I got off the phone and cried.  What in the world are abnormal cells in my body?  What will this do with us trying to get pregnant?  Do we stop that and focus on what's going on with all these abnormal tests?

Two weeks went by and because I am a finatic about them, I started taking pregnancy tests everyday.  Maybe also because I was out of ovulation sticks and needed to pee on a stick.  Jokes - kind of.  Nothing.  For two weeks, nothing.  And then one day positive.  What?  Positive!  I jumped higher than I did when we found out I was pregnant with Kirby.  Because now we aren't only getting a child, but Kirby is getting a sibling.  Just as excited, but a different excited.

I didn't feel the least bit pregnant.  No signs at all.  Breathe and don't worry.  A week went by and then I had my first prenatal appointment.  He checked me but we didn't do an ultrasound.  He didn't want to worry me incase we didn't see anything just yet.  He told me, "Y'all make miracle babies!"  Remember, last time they said I wasn't ovulating either.  Two weeks later CR and I went back and we saw our nugget and heard the heartbeat.  Very strong already.

We go back next Friday, July 20th for another ultrasound.

Back to God's timing always, always being perfect: this has been a totally different pregnancy than the first.  I have been much more nauseated and much more tired.  I'm sure that has something to do with chasing our beautiful mess of a 23 month old around.  God knew in January that He had Route 1 Photography all planned out and it's success this spring.  God knew that CR would be harvesting and dealing with farming still in August when the baby would have been due.  And that Route 1 would be kicking off another senior year.  In January, CR will be in his slower months of farming.  January and February are usually considered dead months for photographers.  This isn't by chance - this is from God and I know He will see this through.  Because, "I am certain that God, who began a good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day that Christ Jesus returns."  Phillipians 1:6

 Kirby showing Great Granny her shirt that says, "Big sister to bee - Kirby"

Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your kind encouragement, and sweet notes.  Please continue to pray for a safe and complete pregnancy.