The Averitt Family

We're Moving!!

2009-06-04T22:14:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm sure you are thinking this blog looks the exact same. One of the changes that we decided to make is our blog address. I reserved this new address, months ago. I thought that once we were pregnant, it would be a good time to switch from averittbabyjourney to theaverittfam.blogspot.com. Well the baby is on the way, so it's time to move!! :) I still have some blog buddy addresses to add and things like that, but all in all, we're moved in and ready for you to take a tour!

There are a couple of pains with switching to a new blog address. One being...for all of you that have subscribed through feedblitz and receive an email every time we write a new post - you will receive an email soon, asking you to confirm your subscription to the new Averitt Fam Blog. This way, you will still receive an email with every update! Once I get all of the email addresses in, I will cancel your subscriptions to this blog. Another pain...everyone who clicked my FOLLOW button on this blog, will need to click it again on the new blog. That is, if you want to continue following our little family. :) Sorry for the inconvenience, sweet friends!!

I LOVE my new blog makeover! I have to thank my good friend, Faith for taking care of it for me!! She is so talented and gave me exactly what I wanted. If you want a new look for your blog, head on over and let her design one for you as well! Her prices are great and she is the sweetest person ever. You can click on her name above or on her blog button (on my sidebar) for more info.

Now head on over to our new home and let me know what you think!! :)

Love you guys!
Jill

Change is a-comin'...

2009-06-02T15:43:00.005-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment today. I am 15w3d. I went ahead and had my yearly while I was there. I didn't realize they still did this when you were pregnant. I don't know why I thought they didn't, just surprised me. Anywho, got that over with and then we moved on to the fun stuff...like hearing our baby's heartbeat! The nurse came in with the doppler. I told her that we had ordered one, so she showed me how to use it properly. The baby's heartbeat went from 144-156 the entire time. She said that was good. I thought it would be fun to put a poll on the blog. Alex and I have our guesses, but I want to know what you think. :) We will find out if it's a he or she at the end of the month...not that far off!! I'm so excited to know if it's a boy or a girl. I'm ready to get started on the nursery.

I talked to my doctor about my weight. I had gained 6 lbs in four weeks. I asked him if he was concerned and he said, "well let's figure that...if you gained 6 lbs every week until you had the baby, you would weigh..." I stopped him right there and started freaking out. He started laughing, came over and gave me a hug, and said the weight thing would be okay. I think I'm going to try the aqua moms class at the hospital where I'm delivering. I also think that Alex, Dies, and I, need to start going on evening walks. He told me that exercise is fine, as long as I don't get my heart rate above 140. He told me to shoot for a 3 lb weight gain in the next four weeks. I will admit, I have been eating whatever sounds good. The nurse was telling me the things that I SHOULDN'T be eating on a daily basis. Honestly, it was like she had been sitting across the table from me, watching me eat for the past 15 weeks. She mentioned all of the things that I've been eating! I called Alex after my appointment and told him what was discussed (he wasn't able to join me today). I told him about the weight conversation and I followed it with "I'm going to meet Sara at Cupcakes on Kavanaugh today." He started laughing at me. I then started laughing at myself. Yep, I better start that exercise class soon. :)

Change is a-comin' to the blog in the very near future. I'm excited to share it with you. Maybe by the end of this week...we'll see. Bet you're on pins and needles, aren't you?? ;)

Love you guys,
Jill

Fresh Flowers...

2009-06-01T17:01:00.001-05:00

Today I blog about something that I love. FLOWERS!

Alex was always very thoughtful about sending flowers to my work. He would do it just to surprise me. It was usually for no reason at all that I would receive them and it always made my day! :) Now that I don't work outside of the home, I try and keep them around the house. Especially this time of year. They don't have to be expensive. I actually buy mine at Sam's. My sister finds the prettiest daisies at her Walmart and for practically nothing! Here are a few tips at helping your flowers last longer.

1. Check your water level/Change out the water on a regular basis.

2. Remove all leaves from the part of the stem that is submerged under water.

3. You can clean the stems by lightly brushing them with a vegetable brush. This not only helps the flowers, but it will keep the water cleaner.

4. Cut flowers will last longer if the stems are prepared correctly. Preparing the stems helps them take up water quickly. To prepare stems:
• Cut about one-half inch off the end of the stem at about a forty-five degree angle. Don't use dull scissors to cut the stems because they can crush the stem.
• For best results, cut the stems underwater. Cutting them under water prevents air from getting into the veins in the stem of your flower.
• Split all stems about one-half inch from the bottom with a knife or crush the bottom of the stem with a mallet (if the stems are woody).
• Place the stems in deep water and leave them there for a few hours before moving them into shallower water.

5. Use water that is a mixture one tablespoon of bleach per quart of water. The bleach will keep the water cleaner and kill any stench from the water.

6. A teaspoon of sugar added to the water will help renew flowers.

7. Keep the flowers out of direct sun and away from heat and drafts. Even a fan can cause flowers to wilt quicker.

8. Use a straw to fix or stabilize any broken or drooping stems.

9. To prevent tulips from flopping over, wrap them tightly in wet newspaper and then place them in about two to three inches of water. Leave them there for about two hours. Push small pins through the stems just below the flower heads and they will stay soldier straight.

10. Remove any dying flowers immediately. Dying flowers emit ethylene gas that will cause the other, healthy flowers to wilt.

*tips by doityourself.com*

Here are some pics of where I have fresh flowers, at the moment.

Gerberas...these come in the prettiest colors. This was the only pkg they had left on the day that I went, but they go with my table perfectly! 10 stems for $7.12 at Sam's.

Next is one of my faves...Sunflowers! They always make a room more cheerful! You really don't need many stems to make an arrangement because they're so large. 5 stems for $5.88 at Sam's.

Blue Iris...Mom, I thought of you when I bought these. :) They started blooming today. You can get 10 stems for only $4.88 at Sam's.

So go out and by youself some flowers...I promise that it will make for a happier day. :)

Love you guys,
Jill

ABC's of Me!

2009-05-31T17:00:00.004-05:00

Found this on my friend, Faith's blog and just assumed you guys wanted to know a few things about me. :)

A - Age: 32

B - Bed size: Queen...Alex doesn't like King, he feels like we're sleeping in separate beds. LOL

C - Chore you hate: Dusting and cleaning the shower.

D - Dog's name: Diesel

E - Essential start your day item: Cup of coffee w/cream

F - Favorite color: Have a few...yellow, tiffany blue, brown, pink

G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: I wear both, but really like silver

H - Height: 5'9"

I - Instruments you play: None, unfortunately.

J - Job title: Housewife, soon to be Mommy!

K - Kid(s): The bun is still in the oven.

L - Living arrangements: Me and my hubby

M - Mom's name: Belinda

N - Nicknames: Jill "Pill"

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Surgery for endo removal

P - Pet Peeve: People not washing their hands w/soap...yuck.

Q - Quote from a movie: "I like 'em big...I like 'em chunky" -Madagascar II

R - Right handed or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 3 brothers and 2 sisters

T - Time you wake up: Anywhere between 8 & 9

U- Underwear: Yep, I wear 'em.

V - Vegetable you dislike: Lima beans

W - Ways you run late: Under estimate how long it takes to get somewhere, get stuck on the phone while trying to get ready to go somewhere.

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, back, abdomen, ankle

Y - Yummy food you make: Mexican dish, potato salad, cookies, homemade ice cream...I can't think of anything spectacular.

Z - Zoo favorite: Giraffes

Baby Bump...

2009-05-29T21:39:00.005-05:00

So I'm finally posting a baby bump pic. I have been dreading this day. Many have asked me to post one. I guess I've put it off as long as I can. So here you go. When I look at other women that are expecting around the same time as me, they look so much smaller! My stomach never went down after the transfer...it continues to grow and I'm trying my best to embrace that. Alex absolutely loves it. He constantly reminds me that we prayed for this belly, for many years. When I think about that and get over myself and my vanity, I find myself loving it as well. I also think that once I start laying out by the pool and get a tan, I will feel even better about it. :) I am a little fearful as to what my doc is going to say on Tuesday. I'm very scared of the scale. I know that I've gained weight. I'm sure that you aren't supposed to gain this early on. We'll see. I may only be eating salad for the next 5 months.

I'm feeling really good. Day sickness is completely gone. I get tired by the afternoon and really want a nap. And when I say nap, I mean NAP. I'm not like my mom and sister. When they speak of a nap, it means they need 30 mins (at the most) to rest. When I say I'm taking a nap, it means SEE YA IN 3 HOURS. So depending upon my day, sometimes I get one ~ sometimes I don't.

I'm having crazy dreams. I dreamed that my Mom and I were both pregnant. We were so excited to be sharing our pregnancies at the same time. Alex says, I've been watching too much Father of The Bride II. I watch it at least once a week. I'm pretty sure my mom said to shoot her if that ever happens.

I've started feeling things...little flutters. I have no idea if it's the baby or not, but it's so neat to think that it might be. I told Alex that I was ready to hear the heartbeat again, so what does he do? He gets online and orders a baby doppler. We should receive it next week. It's supposed to be a really good one...like what a lot of doctor's offices and midwives use. We'll see. If it does work well, I might start having parties with all of my preggo friends...we can sit around and listen to our babies! I'm a wild woman, I know.

The weather is beautiful here. I hope to enjoy some time outside, tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned!

Love you guys,
Jill

Memorial Day at the Averitt house...

2009-05-27T09:15:00.010-05:00

We decided to stick around the house this Memorial Day. Alex has been recovering from a sinus infection and double ear infection, so he wasn't up for going anywhere. I took this as an opportunity to grill out and invite some of my bros & sisters over. We had SO MUCH FOOD! On the menu: grilled chicken/pork chops/hot dogs & sausage (my hubby knows how to grill!), potato salad, pasta salad, corn on the cob, roasted zuchinni/squash/peppers/onions, deviled eggs, homemade ice cream & watermelon. Yummy! I didn't take many pics but here are a few from the day...

Little J enjoying his bubble gun...

Seriously, how cute is this kid!?

He LOVES corn on the cob!

Okay, so this is the kind of stuff that my nephews come up with...

And their uncles encourage!

They are drinking a 16 YEAR OLD Mt. Dew!!! Ewwwww!!!

Boys are so gross. But they make us laugh and keep us entertained, so I think we'll keep 'em. :)

It was a great day with family and a wonderful day at home. I hope you had a fun holiday, as well!

Love you guys,
Jill

Congrats to April!!

2009-05-23T20:07:00.014-05:00

Today was a big day. Alex's little sis, April, graduated from high school. When Alex and I first started dating, April was 4 years old. There was a daycare on the same campus as our high school, so he would walk her to daycare and pick her up, each day. I can still see that sweet, little, round face in my head. :) She's definitely not a baby anymore...she's a beautiful, young woman. April has what I would call a meek and quiet spirit...I hope my little girls are like their Aunt April someday. :) She has a huge heart and we think the world of her.

Making herself pretty...as though she needs it. :)

Alex and April- about to leave the house

Big brother walking her to the auditorium. I'm sure he would have held her hand like she was 4 again, if she would have let him. :) So sweet.

Gown Time!

Helping a girl out...

She was the cutest graduate there!

Laila reading the program...I love this pic!

Uncle Alex lovin' on Peyton. :)

April walking in!

Class of 2009

Proud parents :)

Jared, Jen, Pey & Laila w/April

Me & Alex w/April

We're so proud of you, April!!

Love,
Alex & Jill

Alex needs our help...

2009-05-20T13:31:00.005-05:00

**UPDATED TO ADD** We met the goal...Alexander will be able to have open heart surgery!! Thank you to everyone who donated! If you still choose to donate, any extra funds go toward medical needs for other Compassion Children.

This little boy lives in Kenya. His name is Alexander. He's 8 years old and needs heart surgery. The surgery costs $8,303. His family lives on $13.70 a month, so naturally, they cannot afford heart surgery for their son.

As soon as I read about this little boy on BooMama's blog, I knew that I needed to help. The fact that he has the same name as my dear husband, just made me want to help him even more. BooMama is asking that we each give $1.00. That's it. Just $1.00. If you feel led to give a one time donation of $1.00 to help with Alexander's surgery, please go HERE. It's a simple process...takes all of 2 minutes.

Love,
Jill

Baby, Baby...

2009-05-14T12:14:00.006-05:00

My parents are 'in town' for the week. I was able to spend some time with them before they headed to the condo in Hot Springs. Daddy agreed to go to our girly place for lunch. He even ordered raspberry vinaigrette for his salad...I think he secretly likes our girly place, as much as we do. ;) Afterwards, we went to Pickles and Ice Cream to look at some baby furniture. I found three more strollers that I like...guess that decision isn't made yet. I'm going to take Alex over to test them out and see what he thinks. He's definitely going to like the price tags on these, better. (ha!) I found another crib and upholstered chair that I really like. It's just so much fun shopping for this stuff. I will post pics when I can finally make a decision.

I can't believe I'm about to start my 2nd trimester! The morning sickness is just about gone. It started tapering off around 10 weeks. There for a few weeks, I was going to church and that was it. Now I actually feel like getting out of the house. I'm hungry all of the time. I'm exhausted easily. I don't sleep well. But that's all normal, right? :) I LOOK pregnant. The stomach never went down...if anything, it's growing. (LOL) I thought I would be the girl that took weekly pics of her belly, but I'm not. I will post one at the end of each trimester, how about that? I'm doing well at keeping my journal and pregnancy calendar, up to date. I really want my kiddos to have those things to go back to and read. Before we lost everything in a house fire, I used to go into my Mom's cedar hope chest and read through my baby book. I loved reading my Mom's words/thoughts. And it was a book all about me! What kid doesn't love that? :)

Oh, and I have to share this. Have you heard of something called pregnancy amnesia? Well I have it. I took my nephews to lunch a few days ago and as we were walking into the restaurant, my nephew says, "those people parked next to us left their car running." We all started laughing at the silly, forgetful person that would do such a thing and then I thought to myself...where are your keys? I look in my purse and they aren't there. I look at my nephew and say, "go see if that's my car running." He did. And it was. I had locked my keys in my car, while it was running. Thank goodness he said something or I would have left it running the entire time we were eating! As of late, I just can't seem to remember things. I'm losing my mind.

I'm thinking about seeing a movie this afternoon. Yes, by myself. Alex says it's sad to do that, but I love it. I literally have the theatre all to myself. I sit at the very top and eat my popcorn and jr. mints and put my feet up on the seat in front of me. It's not sad...it's lovely. :)

Weekend is almost here...do you have big plans?

Love,
Jill

My first Mother's Day...

2009-05-11T10:28:00.003-05:00

I had a great day yesterday. I woke up to a beautiful card from Alex. It made me cry. He is such a sweet husband and is going to be the best Daddy. I get tired so easily right now and he took care of me all weekend. I love him for it.

Our Sunday started out with us having a flat tire on the way to church. :) Luckily, it had stopped raining for a little minute and we made it into a gas station parking lot. I was calling family, trying to let them know why we were late and finally reached my brother, Drew. He swung by the gas station and picked me up. I have Journey Kids this month, so I needed to get to church ASAP. Alex stayed at the gas station and put enough air in the tire to get him to church. We were just praying that when we came out of church, it wasn't flat again. We would normally spend the afternoon with Alex's Mom, but she was on her way home from a fabulous cruise, so I had plans of us having brunch somewhere, just the two of us. Since we needed to put a new tire on my car, plans changed. Cary and Sara followed us to the tire place and then took us to lunch. I was okay with this for two reasons. #1: Cary and Sara are two of our most favorite people in the world...our best friends, really. #2: Momma was hungry! We went to American Pie for pizza. This was our first time to eat there and it was yummy. I had spicy veggie pizza...DE-LISH! When we sat down, the waitress told us that all mothers receive a free strawberry shortcake for dessert and I literally squealed with excitement! It's the small things really. I was just so excited that I'm one of 'them' now...I'm a Mother. :) After lunch, we headed back to get our car. Alex went ahead and had them put on four new tires, so pimpin' gold is drivin' like a dream right now. (LOL) Not sure how much longer we'll have her, since the baby is on the way. We're talking about trading her in for an SUV before November. Does anyone else name your car or is it just me? I always name my vehicles and they are always female.

Sunday evening, my family came over to our house to celebrate all of the Mommas in the family. We also celebrated my sister, Jayna and my niece, Jessica. They're our May babies. :) We had strawberry shortcake for Jayna and a huge cookie cake for Jessie. I don't have pics from the day yet...Sara was our photographer. I'll add some pics, once I receive them.

I received several Mother's Day cards in the mail from friends and family...even a blog friend sent me one. How sweet is that? It really was a beautiful day, despite the rain. I hope you had a beautiful day, as well.

Have a blessed week, you guys!

Love,
Jill

Praying, Waiting, Crying, Trying...

2009-05-09T22:30:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that this Mother's Day, I'm a Mother. I've been thinking about this post all week. I was excited about it and dreading it at the same time. Excited because after 3 years of praying, waiting, crying, trying, God has answered our prayers and has given us our miracle baby. Alex and I thank God on a DAILY basis for this life inside of me. Today, I sat in the room that will be the nursery and cried. I praised Him for what He has given me and yet my heart was heavy for those of you that are still praying, waiting, crying, trying. My own Mother has always been such an encouragement on Mother's Day. She would always buy me a mom-to-be card and write an encouraging note/scripture inside...assuring me that my day would come. I remember reading those cards and just crying. I wanted to believe it would happen, but found it hard to even imagine when or how it ever could. The pain is dreadful. I've experienced heartache in my life, but it was nothing compared to that of infertility. You feel broken. Like there's something wrong with you. Defective. Unless you've been there, it would be hard for you to understand what I'm talking about. I dreaded going to church, restaurants...really I dreaded anything on that day that required me getting out of bed. I just wanted to sleep through it. Everything on that day is a constant reminder of what you don't have, what you can't have...a baby.

I write this post, not to be a downer. I write it to those that are still praying, waiting, crying, trying...girls, know that God is right there beside you. Know that there is no one better to run to with tears streaming down your face, tomorrow, than Him. He will wrap you up and ease that dreadful pain. And He will do even better than that...when you least expect it, He will give you your miracle. If you can't hang on to that and believe it, know that I'm believing it for you.

Mom, thanks for always believing it for me, when I didn't have the heart or strength to believe it for myself. You've always given unconditional love and support and for that I am thankful. I love you so much!!

Happy Mother's Day

URGENT NEED...

2009-05-08T10:02:00.002-05:00

Alex and I have always had a heart for adoption. God hasn't brought us to the place of beginning that process yet, but I have no doubt that someday, He will.

I recently became aware of an urgent need at America World's transition home in Ethiopia. This home is for children awaiting adoption. MANY of these children are severely malnourished. They need a specific formula. Many of the America World families that have been traveling to Ethiopia have begun packing extra luggage just for this formula - to deliver to the children that will still be waiting for their families. I'm sure many of you have heard of Billy & Cindy Foote. They have an awesome music ministry and like many couples, are currently waiting to travel to Ethiopia to adopt their baby girl. Children's Hope Chest is working to provide America World with this much needed formula. Would YOU join me in giving for this formula so that one more child might live and grow as they wait for their family?

James 1:27 states, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." We have been instructed by God to care for these children. I know how easy it is to just ignore the pictures and think that someone else will give, but as believers, we've all been instructed to give. Only $30 will buy and ship one can of formula to a needy child. Think about what you last spent $30 on. I spent that on dinner last night. Please join me in giving donations to these children in need.

Go HERE.

Love you guys,
Jill

What a difference a belly makes...

2009-05-05T17:23:00.006-05:00

Today was my first OB appointment with my most favorite doc. I was nervous yet excited. Unlike the last time I was there, I felt as though I 'fit in' this time around. The last time I was there I almost had a panic attack...surrounded by all of those bellies. I remember calling Alex from the waiting room, holding back the tears. He had to talk me down, just so I could go get my pap smear. What a difference a pregnant belly makes.

I saw a little blood when going to the bathroom last night. Needless to say, I was worried. I have seen blood once before, but it was after a day of being on my feet all day and walking quite a bit. I hadn't seen it since. Until last night. I just really needed to see my baby on that screen and hear the heartbeat. The nurse could tell I was nervous...my blood pressure was up. Dr. S said he would try and find the heartbeat. Evidently 11 weeks is the earliest you can find it with the old school device that he was using. It took him a little while, but he finally found it and I immediately started crying. I felt so relieved. I went to see the u/s tech while there and we were able to see the baby. He/she was very active...bouncing back and forth from head to toes. It made us laugh. We ended the appointment back in Dr. S's office. He went over a few things and we were able to ask him questions. He then prayed over us and our baby...once again, tears started flowing. He really is the best doctor ever.

Oh, I'm almost forgot...the baby is measuring at 11 1/2weeks. They changed my due date AGAIN. It's now November 21st (day before Alex's birthday). My next u/s will be at 20 weeks, so that's when we will find out if it's a HE or SHE. That's also when I can get started on the nursery...yay!! I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head. I've been bouncing ideas off of Sara (my S-I-L). She's good with decorating and she's very honest with me. I know she won't let me do something that I'll end up hating. She loves modern and I love a little of everything, so I'm hoping she'll be able to help me mesh all of my ideas into one room that I will love. :) I've been shopping strollers, cribs, bedding. I haven't allowed myself to buy much for the baby yet, but I'm sure that will change once I know if it's a boy or girl. I did buy the baby book today! It's for a boy or girl and it's not like your traditional baby book. The illustrator did such a good job. The characters in the book have the sweetest little faces. It's exactly what I wanted. I went through the entire thing this evening and can't wait to start journaling.

I'm almost positive on the stroller/infant system that I'm going to get. I would never register for something this pricey, so Alex said we can just buy it ourselves. I'd rather do that then register for something that I really don't want, just because it's cheaper. Alex did request that I buy a color that can be used for a boy or girl, so that we can use it for our future children, as well. He'd rather not buy one in every color. I can handle that. :) I'll post pics when the final decision has been made.

We've made a decision on our boy and girl name. Some may think we've made this decision in haste, but we've been trying to have a baby for 3 years...we've had an on-going list for MANY YEARS. :) I love both of the names that we've chosen. I do have to say, we won't be sharing the baby's name publicly on the blog. Alex is okay with me putting pics of the baby up, but not their name. He's just worried about their safety. I'm going to have to spread the word to my family that blogs, as well. You guys can't share the name either...sorry! I guess if any of my blog friends want to know, we'll just have to correspond through email. When I first started this blog, I didn't even think about sharing our names. I was thinking our families would be our only readers. (LOL) Little did I know about blogging. :)

It's only 8:30 and I'm already thinking about bedtime. I'll end this post with a new picture of our baby.

Love you guys,

Jill

So proud...

2009-05-03T22:50:00.006-05:00

This weekend, I had the pleasure of watching my sister, Jayna, walk across the stage and receive her degree. She is a wife and mother of three. A few years ago, she decided to go back to school and finish her degree. She graduates with a 3.7 gpa...she's one smart momma. :) It was neat to hear her kiddos yell "WAY TO GO MOM!" from the stands. I admire her for so many reasons, but I'm so very proud of her for doing this. Congrats, Sis!!

The graduate...

Dad & Mom with their 6 kiddos...

It was a wonderful evening.

Love to all,
Jill

Sunny Saturday!

2009-04-25T21:27:00.005-05:00

I realize that I'm averaging one post a week...so unlike me, but truly the best that I can do right now. I've had a lot on my heart and mind, but it's not really something that I'm at liberty to blog about. It's something that I'm working through...just me and God, one on one. I also have the counsel of my husband, thank goodness. I don't know what I would do without him. If I happen to come to your mind, will you pray for me? I don't feel like I need to share details in order to ask for prayer. God knows my heart.

As for the miracle baby that I'm carrying...he/she must be growing and doing well, because this mommy is still very sick. I have good days, but they are few and far between. I have learned that I pretty much have to eat non-stop and keep my stomach full. This seems to help with the nausea. I'm not really eating constantly, but it sure feels like it. I've had some really bad days, but today was a good day and I'm praising God for it! I was also having problems brushing my teeth. I would brush and then throw up. Of course, this is a never-ending cycle. Once I throw up, I need to brush my teeth again. I brush my teeth again, I throw up. You get the picture. My sister-in-law, Sara, told me that she had to switch from her Sonicare to a normal toothbrush and that helped her. I'm addicted to my Sonicare but if it was the problem, I was more than willing to go back to a normal toothbrush. I did and it has helped A LOT. Thank you, Sara!!

Today was a beautiful, warm, windy, day. Alex is really good about making a list of projects that he'd like to complete around the house. Since finding out that we're going to have a baby, he has really wanted to complete the rest of his list. Well today, cleaning the garage/attic and making our flower bed pretty again was at the top of his list. We went to HD and picked out some pretty flowers. We also picked out a couple of fruit vines. We have never grown anything in our lives, but are excited to see if we can. I will probably stay away from them because I have a history...of killing plants. I just really don't know anything about them and I tend to over-water. Alex studies how to take care of something and does a beautiful job...he takes pride in taking care of our lawn in the summer and it always looks fabulous. I have a man that believes in working 6 days a week...5 days at his full-time job and on Saturday, he wants to work around our home. I love that about him. I also have to share this, because it's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. I told him that I bought a pair of sandals and needed to buy some new tops for spring/summer and he said, "you buy whatever you want...I work, so you can have those things." Um, can you say, I'M A LUCKY GIRL!? I haven't really shopped for me in a long time, but now that my body is changing, I need some things. And the new sandals...well they were just too cute to pass up. I'll have to post a pic later. :) I just feel extremely blessed to have him as my husband. He is not only the provider of this family, more importantly, he is the spiritual leader of our family, my teacher and constant cheerleader. I'm excited that we're about to start reading through the Bible together. He has read through two different versions of the Bible already this year. I have a deep desire to read through the Bible in it's entirety. I don't read and comprehend quite as fast as he does, so he has promised that we will go at my pace. I didn't mean for this post to be all about Alex, but that's okay...he needs to know that I appreciate him and all that he does for our family. I love you, sweetie.

I hope to be blogging on a regular basis again soon, but for now, know that I'm reading your blogs and keeping up with what's going on with you. And as soon as I have the liberty to come back on a regular basis, I will. That's the best way that I can explain it.

Love you guys,
Jill

U/S appointment #2

2009-04-19T17:28:00.005-05:00

Thursday was our second ultrasound appointment. It has been a busy weekend...sorry I'm just blogging about it. We waited for over two hours at the clinic. I couldn't believe how long we waited. We waited an hour in the actual waiting room and then another hour or so in the room (unclothed from the waist down, I might add). I'd much rather wait completely clothed in the waiting room. (LOL) The doc came in and immediately found the baby. :) We heard the heartbeat and it was so loud and strong!! It was 170bmp, this time. We were so excited upon hearing the heartbeat. I will never tire of seeing our baby on that screen. It just seems like a dream. The baby was standing on it's head and we could see it's little arms and legs. We were amazed at how much more you could see vs. at 6 weeks. The baby measured right at 8 weeks. The doctor told us that everything looked perfect! He also gave me some natural remedies to try for the nausea. He told me that if these didn't work, I could talk to my OB in the next week about something else. That was another big thing...I graduated from the fertility clinic. I was a little sad. I have been going there for the last year and a half. Same doctors and nurses every time...I love that clinic. God used them to help us achieve pregnancy and I will be forever grateful. I was able to hug my doctor goodbye before leaving...I was glad he was there (he wasn't the one that did the u/s). They were all just grinning from ear to ear. They seemed as excited as we were. Makes me cry, just thinking about it. I am supposed to see my OB in the next week or so. I've talked about him before...he's a wonderful doctor and a wonderful man of God. He delivered Alex, 32 years ago, so we're excited for him to be the one that delivers our baby, as well.

The doc said, my ovary was only twice the size that it's supposed to be now and there were still cysts, but they are getting smaller. My stomach is starting to go down some, as well. Oh, and they actually changed my due date to November 26th...Thanksgiving Day. :)

I'll end this post with a new pic of our baby. Isn't he/she the cutest thing!? :)

Love you guys,
Jill

Easter Weekend...

2009-04-13T22:29:00.005-05:00

God cares, even about the small things. He answered my prayers and took the morning sickness away (for most of the day) on Easter Sunday. We had someone taking Easter pictures, before and after service for any of the families that came Sunday. I really liked this idea! Here is our pic. I look so pale...man, do I need some sun! I had a really cute maternity dress on, underneath my cardigan. It was chilly though, so the cardigan stayed on. Yes, I said maternity dress. My stomach still hasn't gone down from the OHSS, so I had to buy maternity. Honestly, it was so comfortable, I don't care if my stomach goes down. I'm really going to enjoy buying cute dresses for this summer. Um, Gap Maternity, just fyi...there is no need to worry about your sales this summer/fall.

It was cold and stormy all morning, but none of that mattered once I was at church. I really enjoyed the worship and message. I also love seeing the kiddos walking in, all dressed up in their Easter outfits. I'm looking forward to having a little one to dress up next year. We had lunch with my in-laws after church...it was so yummy. We also got to see Alex's baby sister, April, try on her prom dress. She is a senior, which is totally crazy for me to even think about. I remember when she was just a little 4 year old, walking into daycare. Needless to say, she is all grown up and is gorgeous. She looked just like a barbie doll in her prom dress. After lunch, we headed home. I immediately fell into bed and took a 2 hour nap. When I woke up, my parents and grandparents had been here for a while. My family came over that evening, to celebrate my little brother, Drew's birthday. It was a fun time. Little Jackson was quite entertaining...he had us all laughing so hard. There is no doubt, he is his father's child. My brother, Cary, can make me laugh like no one else. Love him.

I had a restless night of sleep and woke up this morning, you guessed it...feeling sick again. Guess I should have prayed for it to stay away a little longer. My doctor called me in some phenegrin. I am only able to take 1/4 of a pill each time...it makes me terribly sleepy. I go back for my second u/s on Thursday, so I think I will ask him about Zofran. So many of you mentioned that. I have tried several things that you girls suggested...some have helped, so thank you! I do realize that this is just a regular part of pregnancy...I just want to be able to function and accomplish a few things each day, so whatever helps me do that, I'm a fan. :) I don't know why, but I've also had "bloggers-block". I still get online and stay updated on what's going on with you girls. It's just for some reason, I just don't feel like writing as often. Maybe it's just that I feel sick and have very little energy. I'm lucky if I feel like cleaning the toilet, let alone blog. Even though, my sweet husband is giving me some help with the cleaning and I'm so very grateful. He keeps telling me, "you're one and only job is to cook this baby." (LOL) So I'm doing my very best.

Well, the phenegrin has kicked in...that means it's bedtime!

Love you guys,
Jill

Long Time No Post...

2009-04-10T10:14:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to post for almost a week, but to be honest, I've been sick. Very sick. All I have been able to do is just lay here...praying that it will go away. I always hope to just fall asleep, because then I don't feel the nausea. The morning sickness is getting worse, not better. If anyone has any advice on how to help with the morning sickness, feel free to comment. Right now, I sit with cheerios on one side of me and a bowl on the other side. A very large bowl...to catch the cheerios, incase they decide not to stay down. I know...gross. I had hoped and prayed that I would be one of those women that didn't experience this, but knew in my heart that nothing about pregnancy has come easy, so I'm not surprised. I have never been more thankful to be at stay-at-home-wife. I have a sweet friend that is having to drag herself to work every day and is running to the bathroom, every 5 minutes. Bless her heart. I couldn't do it.

I'm praying that this lets up, at least for Sunday. The past couple of Sundays, God has been good. As soon as I need to go up on the stage to sing, I feel okay and I'm able to worship and not think about anything else, but Him. My parents are coming in this Easter and I'm looking forward to time with family, as well. I just want to be able to enjoy the day. Easter is such an emotional holiday for me...I'm so thankful for God's love. I'm thankful that He sent His Son to die. But let us not forget...it didn't end there...the true meaning of Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over death! He died, but more importantly, He rose again! His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him! Just makes me want to shout!! :)

I pray that you have a wonderful Easter holiday with family and friends. And I pray that we not lose sight of the true meaning of Easter.

Love to all,
Jill

Lunch with a new friend...

2009-04-04T20:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with a blog friend for lunch. She was coming through my hometown and asked if I wanted to meet up! I was so happy that I was able to meet her, her husband, and their sweet baby girl. They were a precious couple. I hope we get to hang out again in the future, when Alex can be there too. BB & MTB, you guys were so sweet and your little Bumble Bee was even sweeter!! (Their blog is private, so I don't feel comfortable sharing their names) They brought me a little baby rattle and this picture frame for our baby's first u/s picture....Alex and I love it.

Today was a beautiful day and I spent it on the couch, sick. Alex was here most of the day, working on his message for tomorrow's service, so he was the sweet hubby and took care of me. I napped a lot and I'm feeling a little better this evening. I also switched from my progesterone injections to a daily progesterone pill. I have to admit, I've enjoyed the past couple of days...when Alex comes to tell me bye at 6:00am, it's not followed by a shot in the hip. :) I have been so sore and bruised...it's going to take a little while for the swelling to go down in my backside. YAY...for no more shots!!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow...Sunday is always a good day.

Love you guys,
Jill

We have a heartbeat!!

2009-04-02T13:05:00.006-05:00

We arrived around 10:00am, this morning. We waited for almost an hour. Alex and I were rather anxious. We asked our Moms to go with us. They were something else. We thought we were going to have to split them up...they were laughing and carrying on the entire time! :) I love that our Moms get along so well though. We were so happy that they could share this moment with us.

Anxiously waiting...

Did I mention that these two were a mess!? HA!

They finally called me back, so off the four of us went. I think the nurse and Dr. M got a kick out of us bringing our Mommas. This is the first time we've ever seen Dr. M smile. He's rather serious and to the point, which we love about him. He first checked my ovary (which seemed like it took forever). I found out that the cramps and large abdomen that I've been sporting are from my ovary being overstimulated. It was huge. He said it could take a while to go down, since I'm pregnant. I've been able to manage the pain with tylenol and he said my stomach will go back down eventually, so that was good to hear.

Still waiting but getting excited!!

He then found the baby (that's right...there's ONE in there :) He asked me to hold my breath and that's when we heard it...music to our ears...the heartbeat. The baby's heart rate was 107bpm. I was a little concerned when I heard that it was 107, but he said this was a totally normal heart rate for a baby at 6 weeks. He said that I would come back in two weeks and that we will see a lot of changes in the baby's growth and heart rate by then. When we heard the heartbeat, we all started crying. The nurse put her arm on my Mom's back and said, "you guys are making me cry." It was just the coolest thing I've ever heard in my life. Alex told me later, "it took my breath away." I heard him gasp, but I thought it was him holding back tears. I just couldn't believe that we could hear the heartbeat from something that tiny. From what I read, our baby is roughly the size of 1/2 a small corn kernel. TRULY AMAZING!!! I had my blood drawn and received hugs and congrats by all of the nurses, on my way out. My due date is November 23rd...my sister, Joy's birthday. She told me that if Alex wants, I can be induced, so that the baby will come on his birthday, November 22nd. :) Either way, a Thanksgiving baby is rather appropriate in my book. I'm so very thankful for the last 3 years that have brought us to this very moment. It has been a wonderful day...one we will never forget.

Our itty-bitty baby. :)

Love you guys,
Jill

I've never been more thankful...

2009-03-30T19:14:00.010-05:00

Well, it's official...I'm pregnant. The nausea has kicked in. I laid down most of the day, because getting up made me want to throw up. Yuck. Alex asks me every day if I'm nauseous and when I say "yes", he says, "good!" He says that means everything is normal and the baby is doing it's thing. Sweet man. I do want to say...I've never been more thankful for nausea. :)

I have the sweetest friends/family. My S-I-L, Sara, brought me these items. A pregnancy calendar, it's so neat. It comes with stickers to mark special days. She also gave me some preggo pops for the nausea and some lotions for when my belly is a little bigger. :) Thank you, Sara!!

My neighbor, Becca, gave me these items. This book is huge and covers from pregnancy-2 years old. She also gave me this cute sign, which I love! Thank you, Becca!! By the way, Becca is one of my sweet friends that is also preggers. She's due in October, so we get to watch each other's bellies grow. :) This will be her 5th child, so I may be calling her with a lot of questions, once the baby is here. :)

And last, but not least...our sweet friend, Mrs. Vae, heard that I was pregnant and she bought me these pretty tulips.

Excuse the poor quality of the pics. As I told you, we don't have a camera right now, so these are taken with Alex's phone.

I have to say, I'm usually on the giving end of the pregnancy gifts and enjoy giving with everything in me, but receiving these preggo gifts was so much fun for me. They just put a huge smile on my face. :) We're excited for the u/s on Thursday...can't wait to hear the heartbeat(s)!!

Have a great week!

Love you guys,
Jill

The dentist...

2009-03-26T12:54:00.006-05:00

I went to the dentist yesterday for my 6 month cleaning. We took x-rays last time, assuming that I would be preggers this time around. My hygienist and dentist were so excited for me. They want me to call next week, to let them know how many babies we're having. I got the speech about flossing every night. (I get this speech every 6 months) I'm really going to do better though. From what I understand, oral health is even more important while pregnant. I use my Sonicare toothbrush, twice a day. I absolutely love that thing. I have to admit, I don't floss every evening before bed. I promised them that I would be an avid flosser, when I return in 6 months. :)

My friend Holly (mother of twins) gave me these wonderful books, yesterday. Alex and I both started reading, last night. :) We love them! I'm going into this, fairly clueless, so it's wonderful to read what's going on in there and what I can expect. Thank you, Holly...you're the best!!

I would have taken an actual picture of the books, but we no longer have a camera. I didn't tell you guys the funny story of when I first took the pregnancy test. Alex was holding the camera and out of excitement of seeing the positive sign, he began to rejoice. The camera flew in the air. He almost caught it a couple of times. It hit his hand, then his elbow, but in the end, it hit the bathroom floor. LOL I took it to the camera shop, but they said I would be better off to just buy a new one...it would cost a lot to fix it. We were wanting to upgrade anyway, so I see this as the perfect time to get my Canon SLR! :)

I hope you're all having a wonderful week! The weekend is almost here...yay!!!

Love you guys,
Jill

Beta #2

2009-03-24T11:39:00.003-05:00

Okay, we may have to put Alex on some sort of medication for worry. He has always been very protective of me, but since we found out that I'm pregnant...oh my goodness! I believe his words were...."I just want to put you in a bubble for the next 9 months." Bless his heart. Gotta love him. :) The good news is...I don't think I'll have to lift a thing for the next 9 months. HA!

The nurse called with my second beta result and it was 1199. She said my progesterone is exactly where they want it and everything looks wonderful! They have scheduled my first u/s for April 2nd (my brother, Andrew's b-day!). We will get to see how many there are and hear the heartbeat(s)! We're so excited. Alex shared the news with his work and one of the girls there, sent home a Mimi's Maternity gift card to me, yesterday! How sweet was that? She also has a brand new pack and play that she wants to give us. I was thinking we could keep it at my parents for when we visit them, that way we don't have to pack it up each time we go. My Mom asked if I had started looking at things online and I really haven't. I have waited so long for this...it honestly feels like a dream. Maybe after our appointment, next Thursday, it will seem real. :)

I'm excited to say that my S-I-L, Sara, is pregnant, as well!! I'm really excited that we get to share this experience together! I actually have 5 girlfriends that are pregnant right now (most of them go to my church) and all of our due dates are Oct-Nov! Alex says we're going to grow Journey Church, one baby at a time. HA!

Well, that's all I have for now...just wanted to give you an update on things.

Love you guys,
Jill

We're blessed

2009-03-22T15:51:00.004-05:00

I have never in my life seen that word on an HPT. I've never seen two lines. Until now. Alex and I are ecstatic to announce...we're going to have a baby! I believed with all my heart that this cycle was going to work. Before my egg retrieval, I was driving down the road and just talking to God. That's one of the places that I get still enough to actually hear Him. I felt God tell me that it was my turn. I thanked Him in advance and found myself just crying and praising Him right there in the car. I'm sure anyone around me thought I was insane. I truly believe that's why I had perfect peace throughout this cycle. Alex and I want God to receive all of the glory and praise for this miracle!! He is faithful and good. He proved that over and over again, throughout our three year journey through infertility. Even when we were curled up, holding each other, tears streaming down our faces, wondering when it was going to be our turn...He was there. He was holding us in the palm of His hand and we could feel it. We found ourselves wiping each others tears and praising Him together through the storm.

I shared the news with my parents over the weekend, since they were in Springfield. I wanted to tell them in person and was thrilled to get to do that. We shared with the rest of my family, Alex's family, and our church family this morning. We've had a sweet time of praising Him all weekend! To be honest, it all seems so surreal. Alex and I find ourselves just smiling at one another from across the room. We're going to be parents.

I go to the doctor again, tomorrow. I will have a second beta and they will let me know when my first u/s will be. That's when we'll find out, if we'll be having more than one baby. In my opinion, I look like I'm carrying a litter. I have felt ginormous from the very beginning of the transfer. No matter what, we're blessed.

To all of those who have been praying for us, encouraging us...thank you. Words can't describe our gratitude. You are precious in the Lord's eyes and in ours.

We love you guys,
Alex and Jill

Nashville...

2009-03-15T18:09:00.008-05:00

I was so excited to get home, so I could blog about my last 3 days! I was blessed with a trip to a Beth Moore Conference in Nashville. I went with my Mom and S-I-L, Sara. I've been to many Living Proof Conferences and they are always awesome. This one was special though. It was designated for minister's wives only. I sat among 1200 women who are married to a minister. Some married into it, some were surprised by it, later on in their marriages. I listened to what many are going through in their ministries and marriages and realized very quickly...it's in every ministry. The struggles, the stress, the hurt. Whether you share your husband with a congregation of 50 or a congregation of 5000, your lives are not your own.

Me with Mom and Sara...two of my very best friends.

Beth Moore and Travis Cottrell came with a heart to minister to a group of women, who just like their husbands, have committed their lives and families to the ministry. For better or worse, we're in it with him.

Travis Cottrell...

They made us feel so special. Every time we walked in or out of the sanctuary, they filled our hands with an abundance of gifts. I grew up in a minister's home, so I had a good idea of what it would be like when Alex surrendered to the ministry. Though it's very different when it's YOUR husband that someone is upset with or doesn't agree with. :) What a lot of congregations don't realize are...so often, there is no one to minister to the pastor and his family when they are dealing with something difficult. When one of us would be at the hospital, I remember my Mom and Dad would sit in the waiting area alone...no one there to pray with them and encourage them. My Daddy sacrificed many hours with his family to tend to the needs of other families. I realize that will be asked of Alex and our family, as well. It's not a job that you walk away from, after 8 hours of service to your employer. I encourage you...love on your pastors and their families...minister to them whenever possible. It will mean more to that pastor and his family than you could ever imagine. No they aren't perfect...they never will be and trust me, they know it. :)

I had such a sweet time with God over the past few days. I found myself falling in love with Him and the ministry, in a way that I never have before. I'm excited about what He has in store. I know it won't always be easy. To be honest, Journey has been in existence for a little over a year and we've already had times where I thought to myself..."I just want to go somewhere and be a member that comes when I want...with no commitment...this is too hard." But God gets a hold of me quickly and reminds me that my life is not my own. It's His. He told me at the conference that I work for Him, that He chose me, and that I'm blessed because of it. What a sweet time we had and I would encourage your church to send your minister's wives, the next time this conference is available. I walked away excited and refreshed to serve our church family and support Alex in any way I can.

Me, Mom & Sara at Darfon's.

I leave for Springfield, tomorrow. Not sure how often I will be online. Know that I'm praying for each and every one of you. I pray that you find yourself falling in love with the God of this universe, in a way that you've never experienced...that He would be your one true love. Know that He wants you and loves you more than anyone else every could!

Love to all,
Jill

One more day...

2009-03-10T20:11:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been laid up on the couch (or in bed) since Sunday. My back is feeling it. I'm feeling....well, I feel extremely bloated. Sorry to use that word. There is nothing lady-like about the word, bloated. I know this. There just isn't a better word to describe how I feel. Puffy just doesn't do it. My abdomen looks GINORMOUS to me. I couldn't suck in my tummy if I tried. Experiencing lots of pressure, as well. I spoke with one one of my friends on the phone, last night. She assured me, this is normal. She should know. She just finished her first IVF and it worked. On top of that...she's pregnant with twins!! She called me last night and told me the wonderful news! :)

I spoke with the clinic today. Our two embryos didn't make it to freeze. It always makes me a little sad when they don't make it. It doesn't affect our feelings towards this cycle though...we're still trusting and believing God for our little miracle(s)! :)

I pray you're all having a blessed week.

Love to all,
Jill

What happens after 5-day transfer?

2009-03-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

My friend, Joannah (my IVF buddy, this cycle) told me about this site. It gives a breakdown of what should happen after transfer. Hopefully, my embies aren't slackers and are working hard in there. If by chance, you know the difference between a morula pre-transfer and a morula 4dpt, let me know...I've been trying to figure that out. I need to read more on it.

5-DAY TRANSFER:

-1dpt ..embryo is growing and developing
0dpt... Embryo is now a blastocyst
1dpt....Blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day
2dpt.. Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining
3dpt.. Implantation begins,as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining
4dpt.. Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining
5dpt.. Morula is completely inmplanted in the lining and has placenta cells &
fetal cells
6dpt...Placenta cells begin to secret HCG in the blood
7dpt...More HCG is produced as fetus develops
8dpt...More HCG is produced as fetus develops

I won't be sharing our pregnancy test date. This is something that we like to do on our own and share afterwards. We're holding off on the pregnancy test (by several days) this time around. I will be traveling a lot, over the next couple of weeks, and I want to be home with Alex when we find out. :)

Love to all,
Jill

Transfer Day...

2009-03-08T12:17:00.007-05:00

Alarm went off at 7:30am. I immediately went to the kitchen and made a huge pot of homemade vegetable soup for lunch. That way, Alex wouldn't have to worry about cooking. He had a busy week and weekend, so I wanted him to be able to relax when we arrived home today, as well. He usually takes me through Burger Mama's and grabs lunch, but they are closed on Sundays. Ah Shucks.

Waiting to go to the OR.

We arrived at the clinic at 9:25am. We were the only ones there, so they immediately took us back. I changed into a gown and she took my blood pressure. It was high. I've never had high blood pressure...ever. We were fairly certain it was just anxiety. My stomach was indeed, in knots. I wasn't really nervous, it's just a big day, ya know? She said it was time to head to the OR, so off we went. Once we were settled in the OR, she received a call that Dr. M headed over to the hospital to check on a patient. She apologized and said it would only be about 20 minutes before he returned. It ended up being about a 45 minute wait. While we waited, Alex read to me out of his Bible. He read the story of Hannah. I immediately felt relief. All of those knots in my stomach were gone. We prayed together and I was thankful that we had that time, just the two of us, beforehand.

Us in the OR. They won't let Alex take his mask off, but he assured me that he's smiling in this pic. :)

The embryologist came in and told us about our embryos. It was a different embryologist than we normally have. She didn't show us pictures or anything, so I don't have any to post. She said of the two embryos that we were transferring, one made it to blastocyst stage. The other was a nice morula. A morula is the stage they hit, right before becoming a blastocyst. The other two embryos have not made it to blastocyst stage yet, so they will call us tomorrow and let us know if they make it overnight.
Waiting on Dr. M to arrive.

Dr. M arrived and started the procedure. The speculum is the part that I hate the most. Between that and the pressure on your very full bladder, it is quite painful. The nurse told me that if I wiggle my toes and take deep breaths, it can help relax those muscles. She was right...it really helped. He loaded the catheter and we watched, once again, our little babies shoot across the screen to land in the perfect spot for implantation. I was teary-eyed. It's an emotional thing to go through, on so many levels.

Now we're home and Alex is waiting on me hand and foot. We've eaten our yummy vegetable beef soup and are about to take a nap.

We both feel really good about today...about this entire cycle. We continue to pray that God will open my womb and that my body will accept these babies. We're believing that this is our time. :)

Thank you for the prayers, emails, text messages, phone calls, etc. You have offered such encouragement and we're blessed to have you in our lives. You really are the best family & friends that anyone could ask for.

We love you guys,
Alex & Jill

Spring Forward!

2009-03-07T11:25:00.004-06:00

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday evening, March 7th.

I would have totally forgotten to do this! Luckily, my nurse called to tell me the time of my transfer tomorrow (9:30am) and before we hung up, she said, "don't forget to set your clocks forward...you don't want to be late!"

So we lose an hour of sleep, but that's okay...I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Love to all,
Jill

My favorite number...

2009-03-06T09:34:00.004-06:00

Well, my favorite number today is 5!! :) We're going to day-5 transfer guys!! We've been praying that our little embryos would continue to do well. The nurse called and said they are doing great! 2 are at 8-cell/excellent stage and the other 2 are at 8-cell excellent/good. They're going to let them go to day-5 and at that point, they will be at the blastocyst stage. Alex and I talked about it last night, and decided that if they made it to blastocyst stage, we would put two back. They recommend 1-2 when they reach this point. Anymore really increases your chance for multiples. I'm fine with multiples, but evidently they have guidelines that they have to go by. Alex and I feel good with this decision. If God wants us to have twins (or more), it will happen. :) I told Alex yesterday, "if they call and say that only one made it through the night, that's the one God is going to use." I believe that with everything in me. I haven't been able to stop crying, since receiving the call. I just sit here, praising the Lord for keeping His hands on our little babies.

Thank you all for praying. Many of you have been praying peace upon us, and can I just tell ya...we can feel it! We're blessed to have so many that care and that cover us in prayer. No matter what happens from day to day, we want God to receive all of the glory and praise!!

Love you guys,
Jill

Day 2 - Fertilization Report

2009-03-05T15:28:00.006-06:00

I just wanted to give an update on our embryos. They are still dividing and all 4 made it through the night!! :) We have 1-4cell excellent, 2-4cell excellent/good, and 1-4cell good. Nurse L said, this is exactly where they like for them to be, at this point. She is going to call me EARLY tomorrow morning and let me know their progress. If they have stopped dividing, they will have me come in tomorrow, around 10am, and do the day 3 transfer. If they are still dividing, we will go to day 5 and do the transfer on Sunday. I told her how we felt about transferring 3 this time. She said that she would have the doctor's recommendation in the morning when she calls. She told me that we have every right to come back and say we want to transfer more. The doctor would just want to sit down with us and discuss the risks, etc. I made it clear that we wouldn't want to transfer more than 3. Alex and I will continue to pray about it. I know we will have peace about what we're supposed to do, when it's time to make that decision.

And I have something that is even more important that my fertilization report. I have a prayer request. Please pray for my friend, Amber. She just received the news that her IVF didn't work. I'm heartbroken for her and know so well, the pain she is feeling right now. Let's lift her up in the days ahead, please?

Love to all,
Jill

Mel's little Ladybug...

2009-03-05T06:21:00.006-06:00

"A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!" ~Proverbs 27:14. My husband came across this verse, months ago. He immediately shared it with me and I immediately claimed it as my life verse. If you know me personally or have read my blog for any amount of time, you know that I'm not a morning person. I enjoy my sleep like nothing else. I'm not sure what's going on, but the last couple of weeks have been filled with early mornings. I woke up this morning, wide-eyed, looked at the clock, and what did it read? 3:30am!! Seriously? I couldn't go back to sleep. Alex loved it. He wakes up around 4am, every day, and would love to start our day together. Regardless of the fact, that if we did, he wouldn't be allowed to talk to me until 10. That's when I become my happy-go-lucky self. I remember at my last job interview, they told me that my hours would be 10-3 (it started out a part-time job). When those words left her mouth, I knew it was the job for me. I all but yelled, "WHEN CAN I START!?" I'm thinking that since this IVF cycle is going to work, God is preparing me to live off of less sleep. Because once the baby is here, you no longer get to sleep. If that is the case, I'm totally fine with your plan, God. Wake me at whatever time you choose!

Speaking of babies...

I am so excited for my friend, Mel. She became a mother, yesterday!! I have been checking her blog like a stalker. Just waiting to hear that everything went okay and that she and her little ladybug are doing okay. Mel isn't sharing the name on her blog, so she gave baby girl a nickname. Ladybug. How cute is that!? Since I've been awake since 3:30 this morning, I immediately got online and have been checking my email. I was excited to see the email come through around 5:45am, this morning!! Mommy and baby are doing well. Mel's words were...and I quote..."she is utterly perfect." :)

Mel, I can't even express how happy I am for you and your hubby. You have waited so long for this. You have been a constant source of encouragement to me. You have played a big part in helping me, not just deal with infertility, but to actually be thankful for it. Your humor throughout your infertility and pregnancy was so refreshing. I think the world of you and I'm celebrating with you, today...even if it's miles away in Arkansas!!

Give that little Ladybug a kiss and squeeze for me! :)

((HUGS))

Jill

Fertilization Report & Happy Birthday!

2009-03-04T14:13:00.015-06:00

We received the fert report. 4 out of the 6 eggs fertilized! We have 4 embryos that we are praying will continue to divide. We will talk with the clinic, tomorrow, to see if this will be a 3-day transfer or 5-day transfer. We're looking at Friday or Sunday. I don't like when retrieval lands on a Sunday, but it would really be best if they could go that long. Though I am aware of the fact, that when you're only working with 4 embryos, they tend to do more 3-day transfers. Ultimately, it's in God's hands and I'm optimistic either way! Alex and I are discussing how many we would like to put back. We put back 2 the first time and 1 the second time. We are comfortable with putting back 3, but aren't sure how our docs will feel about that. Just curious...those who went through IVF, how many did you put back on your successful cycle?

And to end this post...I wanted to say Happy Birthday to two of my precious nieces! They both have birthday parties on Saturday, which I won't be able to attend. :( I wanted to share some of my favorite photos of these two girls.

Peyton turned 2, yesterday! She is so funny and loves her some Uncle Al. I love seeing him play with her...it's the cutest thing! We were going to call her on our way to the clinic, yesterday, but as Alex almost drove off the road while reading his phone...I told him to wait and call when we arrived. We were called back immediately upon arrival and then forgot to call. We were thinking about you Pey-Pey!

This will always be one of my all-time favorite pics of her. She would lay in this and just float around the pool. It was the cutest thing.

Peyton & Aunt Jill

Throwing her up in the air...she loved this when she was little. :)

I remember when I took this pic...baby girl loved her some sucker!

This is Peyton at her Aunt Jill's, eating one of her faves...marshmallows!

My niece, Joylyn turns 3 on Sunday! Joylyn is very shy...when she does speak, it's with a soft little voice. She lives farther away than any of my other nephews & nieces, so that makes the time we do get to see one another, even more special. She is so sweet and such a girly-girl. She loves pink and purple. I sent her a package full of little outfits, necklaces. bracelets and these little stickers that you put on your nails (she loves to paint her nails). It was so much fun to put together. It made me look forward to the day when I have a little girl to buy those things for. :)

This is my favorite photo of me and Miss Joylyn. When she was a newborn, anyone else was lucky to get to hold her. I would totally hog her and could just walk with her on my shoulder forever. She was the sweetest little baby.

Me & Joylyn on Thanksgiving

We bought her 6 pairs of princess shoes for Christmas...oh my goodness! The girl carried them around from the time she opened them, to when she walked out the door. :)

Me and Joylyn...brunch at Mimi's

This is Joylyn at her Aunt Jill's, enjoying one of her faves...chocolate ice cream!

So know that if you send your child to my home...marshmallows and chocolate ice cream are two of the main food groups around here. :) Happy Birthday, Peyton & Joylyn...your Uncle Alex & Aunt Jill love you so much!

Love to all,
Jill

Retrieval update...

2009-03-03T16:38:00.008-06:00

We arrived at the clinic at 8:30am, this morning. We no more than arrived and they called us back. Nurse L was my main nurse. She and my nurse anesthetist, kept Alex and me laughing the entire hour that we waited. I'm not kidding...when they finally took me back to the OR, I had a headache from laughing so hard.

We retrieved six eggs, today. My first thought was...only six? God quickly reminded me, that he only needs one to work with. :) On our way home from retrieval/transfers, Alex always takes me through the same restaurant to get my lunch. They have those crinkle cut fries and a really good grilled cheese. I'm always starving, by the time we get home. I was in need of pain medication, by the time we arrived home. It kicked in fast...I could barely get my fries and grilled cheese down, before it kicked in. It helped me sleep for about 4 hours, which was nice.

I will receive daily fertilization reports, starting tomorrow. I'll keep you guys updated!

Love to all,
Jill

11 hours to go...

2009-03-02T22:10:00.005-06:00

Why is it, when you are told that you can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight, you want to stay up and drink as much as you can, until the clock hits 12:01am??

Everyone has been talking about girl scout cookies. I haven't seen one girl scout anywhere and I guess they don't go door-to-door anymore. I then found out that my husband has a co-worker, whose daughter is a girl scout! I asked Alex why on earth he hadn't ordered cookies...he gave some lame excuse like, "I was busy working and didn't think about it." WHAT!??

He came home this evening with 3 boxes of these...
He knows how to keep his woman happy. **Thanks for the hook-up, Jared & Jen** Tagalongs are my favorite!

Well, retrieval is in 11 hours! I think I'm going to go to bed, soon....but first, I'm thirsty...I think I need a drink. :)

Love you guys,
Jill

Pullin' the trigger...

2009-03-01T09:25:00.009-06:00

I'm sorry it took me a little bit to get this post out. I've received several emails, asking about today's appointment. It has been a crazy, busy, wonderful day! My alarm went off at 6:00am. We arrived at the doctor's office at 8:00am this morning. He did an u/s, measured the 10 follicles, did bloodwork, etc. I asked him if we were going to get some eggs, this week...he assured me that we would. :) He said things look good! He left me a message while I was in church, telling me to trigger tonight! I take my Ovidrel injection at 10:00pm, this evening. That makes our retrieval, Tuesday morning, at 9:30am.

Sara and I had our meeting, this afternoon. We received our first order and the boutique I mentioned is officially carrying our jewelry line! We are beyond excited!! I promise to have some pics up, as soon as possible.

My sweet friend, Joannah, is going through her first IVF and we share the same schedule. She triggers tonight and her retrieval is Tuesday. Keep her in your prayers, this week.

It's going to be a big week and I'm looking forward to the days ahead.

Have a great week!

Love to all,
Jill

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

2009-02-28T11:41:00.003-06:00

My latest doctor's appointment, that is. :)

I went in this morning for another u/s and b/w. I'm such a slow stimmer...doesn't seem to matter the meds or doses. He wants me to stim for one more day, and I'll go back in tomorrow morning. I had one follicle that was ahead of the others. He wants the others to grow a little more, so we can hopefully get an egg out of each one. If the follicle is too small or immature, they are unable to flush out the egg on retrieval day. He said that we needed to discuss assisted hatching, the closer we get to transfer day. For those of you who aren't sure of what assisted hatching is...it's where they 'help the embryos out'. They stick a needle into the outer shell of the embryo, creating a small hole. This begins the hatching process, before putting them back inside the uterus. They recommend assisted hatching for women who've had trouble with implantation. Obviously, I'm a candidate, with two failed cycles under my belt. Did any of you use assisted hatching in your IVF cycles? Looks like trigger shot will be Sunday evening, making retrieval Tuesday. I'll know for sure after tomorrow's appointment. I'm so excited, girls! I gave this baby thing to God, a long time ago. I trust Him with it. I trust Him with my heart 100%. No matter what, He and I are tight...BFFs :)

In other news...I ask you to say a prayer for Sara & Me. We have our first meeting, tomorrow, with the owner of the boutique that wants to carry our jewelry. I'm sure we'll be a little nervous, the closer it gets to 2:30. :)

Have a blessed weekend, y'all!

Love you guys,
Jill

Stick it in your eyeball!

2009-02-26T16:49:00.004-06:00

I was up and ready to go to the doctor's office, a little after 7am, this morning. Ugh. I'm so not a morning person. I had to make it an early appointment though, because me and my sis are catering this week. Today was the last day and we had so much fun working together. We were asked for business cards, this week, so I'm hoping we'll be working/cooking together on a more regular basis! Anywho, back to the doctor's visit. I have 10 follicles!! This is more than my last IVF, so I'm very pleased. Everyone keeps telling me, those shots in the rear must have worked. ha! I was the laughing stock of the doctor's office, this morning. I told me doctor, "I was giving myself IM injections, instead of subQ." He responded, "I heard." *with a big grin on his face* My nurse called today to give me a hard time. Conversation went a little something like this...

Me: "This is Jill"

Nurse L: "Hey, Jill...I was just calling to give you your lab results and to check and see where Alex was giving you the shots today." *laughing into the phone*

Me: "We decided to try my upper thigh...think that's a good place?"

Nurse L: "I was thinking directly in your eyeball...that should yield good results."

Me: *laughing hysterically*

Nurse L: "I'm requesting to be your & Alex's retrieval nurse...I want to give Alex the option of doing the retrieval himself, since he's a doctor and all."

Me: *laughing hysterically*

I love my doctor's office. Luckily, I can laugh at myself and love that they've had such a good time with this one. :)

My E2 levels were up...they doubled, since my last b/w. All of the follicles were pretty much the same size, none that were way bigger or way smaller. Dr. B said that was good. I'm going to stim for two more days and then go in on Saturday for another U/S and bloodwork. Retrieval could be as soon as Monday!

Just wanted to give everyone an update and I hope you're all having a fabulous week!

Love to all,
Jill

Insane In The Membrane...

2009-02-24T15:16:00.004-06:00

Me: "I just wanted to see if I could come in and get marked...Alex is afraid that he's giving me the shot in the wrong place, because it's hurting so bad."

Nurse: "Get marked?"

Me: "Yes, you guys have marked my backside before, to make sure the shot is given in the right spot."

Nurse: "Jill, where is Alex giving you the shots?"

Me: "In my backside...like I do all of my IM injections."

Nurse: "Jill, the stims are supposed to be in your stomach along with your lupron...what are you and Alex doing over there?"

Me: "Playing doctor."

*laughing on both ends of the phone*

I have lost my mind, people. I've been having Alex give my stims injections, into my backside with this...

When I was supposed to be putting them in my stomach with this...

Luckily, my E2 levels have gone up and the meds are working, despite the fact that they've been going directly into the muscle in my backside. I felt so stupid, but couldn't stop laughing. Poor Alex...he has held me every night, because I've cried after every shot. Granted, I'll have to do IM's once transfer is here, but I could have saved myself a sore rear-end for another week or so!

INSANE IN THE BRAIN!

A blessed weekend...

2009-02-23T13:01:00.015-06:00

I just wanted to thank all of you, who prayed for the marriage retreat, this past weekend. Alex and I walked away from it feeling so blessed to spend a weekend with these precious couples. There was a couple there who had only been married one week. They were always holding hands and she would sit in his lap. It was the cutest thing. Many shared their stories, their struggles, as well as the miracles God had performed in their marriages. We laughed, we cried, we prayed for one another, we encouraged one another...God definitely showed up and it was a blessed weekend!

When we arrived home on Saturday, we both crashed. We were exhausted on so many levels. It was such an emotional weekend (in a good way) and we needed rest. We took a long nap and just stayed in for the rest of the evening. We also did my first stims injection on Saturday night. This is a pic of the big nasty needle that I get stuck with every evening.

It hurt. I cried. I haven't cried from the pain of a shot in a LONG time. We mixed 8 vials of medicine and put it in one syringe (as directed by the nurse).

It sent my right leg into a charley horse. My hip is still hurting. The second night, Alex lessened the amount of sodium chloride mixed with the meds. It went much better. I may keep taking them in my left side, until my right recovers from that first shot. I go back to the clinic, tomorrow, so we'll see how these new drugs are working. :)

I received an email (over the weekend) that made me cry tears of joy. Another blog friend (that actually goes to my same clinic), just found out that her first IVF worked...she's pregnant!! In regards to my weekend, this news was the cherry on top of my sundae! Several months back, I feel like God told me that my blog is not just a place to share our story. He told me to dedicate special time each day, in praying for others going through IF and to encourage them whenever possible. Since doing so, it has made my journey through infertility so much sweeter. I'm not only waiting in hopeful anticipation for God to answer Alex's and my prayers for a baby...I'm waiting for Him to answer my prayers for you, as well. So get ready...because like my friend, CR said, I'm believing that 2009 is our year, girls! :)

I leave you with pics of this little guy. He makes me smile and I love him to pieces!

Happy Monday!

Love to all,
Jill

Honest Scrap...

2009-02-22T07:42:00.000-06:00

I was nominated by Mel for the following award...thanks, girl! :)

The rules for Honest Scrap are:

1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap."

3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

So here goes...

1. I was voted homecoming queen my junior year. A junior had never been voted queen…it was always a senior. I was called into the principal’s office and asked to step down for a senior to be queen, instead. So I did. I still wish to this day that I had said no to that principal. (LOL)

2. About 3 years ago, I had a two-month span of getting pulled over for speeding…I received 3 tickets, within 2 months. My 3rd ticket was for reckless driving, because I was going quite a bit faster than the speed limit.

3. In court, I begged the judge to drop the reckless driving charge and he agreed. He gave me 12 hours of community service. I was treated like a criminal. I was the only female there, as well as, the only one there for speeding. They had us cleaning the AA house, downtown...it was so gross. I was told to never go upstairs to clean by myself, because of what one of the men might do, if found alone. I was sexually harassed by the director and after turning him in, was allowed to leave, after only 8 hours of service.

4. I haven’t gone over the speed limit in 3 years. Point being…community service works.

5. I was the only girl in grade school that could get a ‘home run’ by kicking the kickball into the balcony area in the gym. I took pride in that.

6. I was a cheerleader my sophomore year in high school…I hated it. I would rather be playing the sport than cheering for it.

7. There are times when I wish that I had gone to college…though all I’ve ever wanted to be is a stay-at-home-mom.

8. When I was in grade school, I gave a boy a bloody-nose for pestering me.

9. I hope my baby girl can give a boy a bloody-nose, if ever pestered.

10. Once we have children, I would love to spend time on the mission field as a family.

I nominate the following 7 people with the Honest Scrap Award...

Shannon, Faith, Joannah, Becca, Emilie, Missy and last but not least, a newbie to blogland...show her some love...my Momma!

Love to all,
Jill

Happy Anniversary, Daddy & Momma!!

2009-02-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

Celebrating 40 years together!

You guys are the heart & soul of our family.

We can't imagine our lives, without the two of you. You guys are a constant support, in so many ways, to me and Alex. We'll never be able to repay you for all you've done and still do.

You are loved.

Alex & Jill

Stimmin' Time! na, na, na, na...

2009-02-20T08:55:00.006-06:00

Every morning I wake up and call Alex at work. This is our 'routine'. I like to hear his voice, before starting my day. Every morning, he kisses me bye, but I'm zonked out and have no clue when he leaves. This morning, I made the statement on the phone..."I'm so glad it's Friday." He asked why (because it's not like I work outside of the home or anything-ha!) and I said, "because it's two days closer to Sunday." I NEED my church and I need it now. Seriously, do you ever have those days where you just can't wait for Sunday to come around, so you can gather with your church family, worship, and hear the Word? This week has been one of those weeks. I always need my church, but right now, I NEED my church. TGIF!

I had my first U/S appointment, yesterday. They found a cyst in my ovary (first time for me). I find it odd that I would develop a cyst, during the 3 months that my body was going through 'menopause'. He said that it doesn't happen often, but it does happen. They did blood work. If my estrogen levels were above 100, I would have to be on a higher dose of lupron, for one more week. I really didn't want my cycle to be extended by another week. Not only because I'm starting to get very emotional, with each day that passes, but because I have tickets and hotel reservations made for this...

It's a special Living Proof Live for PW's (pastor's wives). My Mom, my S-I-L, Sara, and I, have already planned our trip to Nashville and I don't want to miss it!

I received the call from my doctor's office. My estrogen was 50, so I can continue without an extra week of lupron. YAY!! I start stimming, this weekend. This cycle, I'm on Bravelle and Menopur. They told me to mix 7 vials of Bravelle with 1 vial of Menopur. This sounds like a lot, but the nurse said it's powder, so it will definitely fit into one syringe. I'm nervous about using the powder...we used follistim, last cycle and didn't have to mix the powder stuff. Is it hard? They sent me some special cap that is supposed to help with mixing it. Vickie, you may have to come help me with the first one! It's nice having friends who are in the medical field. She was here Wednesday evening and drew my shot for me. I can't ever get the air out of the top of the needle.

Well, I'm off to get my second massage. You wouldn't think I would need it, but after the way my day ended, yesterday...I do.

Happy Friday...I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Love to all,
Jill

What's going on in my world...

2009-02-18T23:22:00.010-06:00

I had my first massage, yesterday. It was wonderful. She did the massage on my stomach, last. It's the least comfortable, so she wanted me totally relaxed beforehand. I was. I felt light as a feather, upon leaving. If it does nothing else, it will really help with my anxiety through this cycle. Worth every penny.

I bought Alex this cd as a stocking stuffer. He has been telling me how much he enjoys listening to it, to and from work. I decided to pick up a copy for myself. It's all I've listened to, since buying it. When I leave to go get in my car, I take it with me. When I get out of my car to come inside, I bring it back in and put it in the cd player. Michael and I, have had some awesome worship time, this week. I love the entire cd. "Majesty" is one of my faves. I found myself (while cleaning the kitchen) lifting my hands in praise, singing as loud as I could. My friend, Vickie, rang the doorbell and when I answered she said, "girl, you were jammin' out." (LOL) Awesome cd...I highly recommend it.

I go in tomorrow for my first U/S appointment. Hopefully, my system will be suppressed and we will start stims over the weekend.

I want to ask you to pray for me and Alex. We have been asked to speak at a marriage retreat, this weekend. This will be the first time that we have actually shared 'our story' with a large group of people. We have shared with individuals, but never with a group like this. We're excited to have the opportunity to share what God has done in us, as individuals, as well as in our marriage. We have a heart for couples to have the best marriage possible...a God-centered marriage. Please pray for all of the couples that will be at the retreat, as well.

It was like spring outside, today. It was beautiful. I opened up all of the windows and just let the breeze flow through the house. I should have taken a picture of Diesel (our English Mastiff), today. He just sat at the kitchen window and watched me clean and sing...it was funny. I think he enjoyed the worship music as much as I did. According to BooMama, dogs need Jesus too.

I had some people ask where I bought my red ballet shoes. Well get ready for it, because you're gonna love it. Payless. It's their American Eagle brand.
I used to throw down serious cash on shoes, but since I quit work, I can't seem to bring myself to spend $150 on a pair of shoes. It thrills me to be able to find cute shoes at Target or Payless. A lot of times, I will find high end shoes at TJ Maxx and I have to admit, that still makes my heart race. I have WAY TOO MANY pairs of shoes...one day I will show you a pic of my closet. It used to be an addiction, but like I said, I'm better now that I'm a SAHW. My shoe money goes towards needles and baby drugs now and I'm cool with that.

In other news...my sister and I got the catering job! We're super excited and hope that it brings more business our way. My S-I-L, Sara, and I have started making rings...they are all made of vintage buttons (circa 1930's to 1960's). We have a small boutique that has shown interest in carrying them, so that's exciting, as well! Lots of great things going on. I'll keep you updated on how that works out.

So that's an update on what's going on in my world.

Love to all,
Jill

A God of Miracles...

2009-02-17T16:03:00.006-06:00

I have a friend who has struggled to conceive for a couple of years now. I really believed that her IVF was going to work and when she received the negative result, I was heartbroken with her. We met through blogging and have become friends through email. I feel like she has been a cheerleader for my team and I for hers...someone who you know is praying for you, during such a difficult process. Someone who is always there to encourage you. After she received her negative result, I immediately started praying that she would become pregnant and without treatment. I just knew that God would give this precious couple a child. Well...she emailed today and guess what...SHE'S PREGNANT!! Upon reading her email, I started crying and couldn't stop. I have been waiting for that email for several months now. I told her that I was going to have such a sweet time with God, this evening, just praising Him for His goodness! (Psalm 135:1-5) My heart feels incredibly full, right now. I don't know what God you serve, but I serve a God of Miracles. "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children." -Psalm 113:9

There are so many of you that I still cover in prayer, daily. I truly believe that God will give you the desires of your heart, in His timing. Until then, we must "...Commit our way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." -Psalm 37:4-5

Love to all,
Jill

All about my man...

2009-02-16T10:00:00.009-06:00

**EDITED TO ADD**

This is a quiz about your significant other. I want Alex to take this same quiz about me and we grade one another...that would be fun(ny). :)

This is my sweetie pie...let's see how well I know him.

1.He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
He doesn’t watch much tv. But when he does, it would be on The Dog Whisperer, ESPN, or The History Channel

2.You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch

3.What's one food he doesn't like?
Tomatoes

4.You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Diet Coke

5.Where did he go to high school?
Parkview and then graduated from Heritage Christian

6.What size shoe does he wear?
12

7.If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Bibles. I pick up around 'his chair' every day. He has SO MANY Bibles that he's always reading and referring to. I tell him that he's preparing me for our messy children, leaving their toys everywhere.

8.What kind of sandwich does he like?
Turkey with cheese, mayo, lettuce, green peppers

9.What would this person eat every day if he could?
Homemade chocolate chip cookies…ha!

10.What is his favorite cereal?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch

11.What would he never wear?
A pink shirt. *Though I’ve begged him to…pastels look great with his skin tone and dark hair*

12.What is his favorite sports team?
He loves the Razorbacks and the Cardinals.

13.Who did he vote for?
This question made me laugh. This is the 1st time in our marriage, that we didn’t vote for the same person. I’ll just say, he voted…but he didn’t vote for Obama or McCain. He has convictions that he stands for and I respect him for that. Can you say, “bailout?” LOL

14.Who is his best friend?
Me :)

15.What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Give him advice on how to drive. *I’m doing better with this*

16.What is his favorite color?
Do men have favorite colors? I will say, blue. “Babe, what’s your favorite color?”

17.You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
He loves his Momma’s yellow cake with homemade hot fudge sauce drizzled on top. He loves chocolate but doesn’t like chocolate cake…strange man.

18.Did he play sports in high school?
Yes, basketball.

19.What could he spend hours doing?
THIS

Sitting in his chair, reading his Bible. He wakes up doing this and goes to sleep doing this, EVERY DAY. Even over the weekend, he was sitting in the chair at the hotel, reading his Bible. He has a love for The Word and reads through the Bible at least once a year. I love this man.

20.What is one unique talent he has?
He can make me laugh, at any time he chooses...I won’t tell you how. Ha! He’s also the smartest person I know…he's brilliant at math. If he reads something, he will always remember it. I could go on and on...he can do anything he sets his mind to.

I'll let you know how many I get right. :)

How well do you know your man? Take the quiz and see!

**I missed #9. Alex said, he would eat cookies & cream ice cream, every day, if he could. So I made a 95%.

I asked Alex these questions about me...he made a 75%. Luckily we both passed...looks like we're going to make it. ha!**

Jill

Everyday is Saturday night...but I can't wait for Sunday morning!

2009-02-15T19:13:00.016-06:00

The above title is from one of Alex's and my favorite songs. I've said this several times over, but Sunday really is my favorite day of the week. I started my morning out, running late. I find that the devil is always looking for a way to ruin our day (especially when it's the Lord's day). He seems to always find little ways to discourage me, upset me or just stress me out. He would like nothing more than for me to walk through my day in total defeat, not able to do exactly what God has called me to do that day. I find myself more sensitive to this now...I'm able to identify exactly where those feelings of discouragement, anxiety or anger are actually coming from. It allows me to shift focus (more quickly) off of MYSELF & MY feelings and back to the Lord and what it's REALLY all about. I found myself praying all the way to church, this morning. Once I walked through the doors of my church, all of those negative thoughts/feelings left me. After worship, I had the opportunity to work in the Journey infant/toddler room. At one point, I had four babies sitting in a semi-circle around me, as I fed them goldfish crackers. They were like little birds, just sitting there with their mouths open, waiting patiently on me to feed them. I found myself enjoying it thoroughly. :) We've been having visitors on a regular basis (this is always exciting and encouraging for a new church :) God has been sending us young couples and many with children. Alex and I were talking today, about how great it is to hear the sounds of children in the worship service. I heard one 'sing out', this morning, and I couldn't help but smile while singing. After church, we went to my brother's house for lunch. My S-I-L made au jus, which is one of my faves. It was so good! Thanks again, Kerri! I feel like I'm getting sick again. I don't know if it's a head cold, allergies, or what. I'm sneezing like crazy, eyes are watering, and I'm having to blow my nose every three seconds. I had three babies with runny noses, today at church. Needless to say, Germ X was our friend. :)

Alex and I had a wonderful time, Friday evening. We'll definitely be going back, before another 12 years pass. Here are a few pics from our stay...

Dinner the first night...

My Valentine...

Brunch at Ashley's...

This is the ceiling in the lobby...that's the Arkansas Capitol in the center.

Room service at 4am...my stuffy head needed hot tea.

When we arrived home on Saturday, we exchanged cards/gifts...I felt like we celebrated all weekend! It was so much fun.

He's my McSteamy :) I told him that I wanted him to take this to work and drink his coffee out of it every day. Um, yeah, he didn't go for that.

This was my present from my Valentine. It's the coolest coffee maker...it will make coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate. We've been playing with it all weekend, trying every kind of coffee and hot tea that you can think of. It's awesome.

Saturday night, I made Alex chocolate covered strawberries...he was nice of enough to share them with me. :)

And I realize that this is a pic of my feet, but I just love these shoes and had to share a pic of them. (LOL) I *heart* ballet flats. If they ever go out of style...well, I will just have to be a fashion victim and continue to wear them, because they are the best shoe on earth. I wore these on Saturday, since it was Valentine's Day...because your shoes must always go with the holiday, right? :)

And to end this post...I had my first lupron injection, tonight! **If you don't want to see a shot being administered, don't read the rest of this post.**

My sweet husband, drawing my meds...

Incase you are about to start giving yourself injections and are new to it. The key to giving yourself a lupron (SubQ) shot, is to pinch up the skin, go in at an angle and then release the skin before shooting the medicine in. You won't feel a thing!

Hopefully, that last pic doesn't bother anyone. (the only thing I find offensive about it, is the fact that it's time for a tan...look at that pale skin!) I just wish I would of had someone to share tips with me, when I first started the IVF process. I was scared to death of needles and had no idea what to expect. The first shot was painful and now I realize, it didn't have to be.

That's all for now...have a great week, y'all!

Love,
Jill

Valentine's Day...

2009-02-13T17:45:00.005-06:00

I just love Valentine's Day. It has been so sweet, the past couple of days, seeing men in every card aisle, carrying out flowers, candy, stuffed animals. It's a day to celebrate the ones you love and I hope you have someone in your life that you can celebrate this weekend! I have sprinkled a little red and pink, all throughout the house, for the month of February.

This was my ebay find that I was so excited about! I still need to find something to go under the cloche, but I just love the red stand...it goes with my kitchen perfectly!

I mailed all of my Valentine's a couple of days ago...yes, I still send valentines to my friends and family. When I worked outside of the home (which was the case, up until 2 years ago)...I always bought valentines and candy for all of my co-workers. I would sneak it in and put it on their desk or in their mailbox, the evening before. I think it's fun to still be able to go into the store and pick out a box of valentines, like I did when I was in 3rd grade. :)

I also got my PINK SWAP item mailed off, early this week. My partner should have received it by now, so I think it's safe to post a pic...hope you liked everything, Jennifer! :)

And guess what came in the mail on Wednesday...
that's right...the big box of drugs.

Incase you were wondering, this is what $3,217.89 worth of drugs looks like...and no, they didn't throw in the KitchenAid as a bonus.

I start lupron injections on Sunday...let the baby-making begin! :)

I have a HUGE praise. I went to my massage therapist, today. Just to talk about what I'm needing, over the next month. My therapist actually owns the massage clinic. She decided several months ago, due to health reasons, to stop working for a while and just let her staff take care of her clients. She is amazing and I know all of her clients were disappointed to hear this. She loves what she does and you can tell in every massage you receive from her. It's like she has 20 hands, instead of 2...seriously...she's amazing. Well, after our talk today, she said, "you know that I'm not currently working." and I said, "yes, which of your therapist do you want me to see?" She then said, "Actually, after talking to you...I want to do your massage sessions." I of course, started crying and then she started crying. (LOL) She is truly gifted in what she does and has a huge heart for all of her patients. She always prayed with me and over me, while in session. I feel so blessed that she is going to do this for me. I will be going twice a week and it will cost the same as one session of acupuncture. Is God good or what!? :)

My Mom and her friend, Kellie were here, last night. They sing with Master Singer's of Arkansas and they had a concert in Sherwood, last night. It was an awesome concert and I was so proud of my Mama!

She's the tall, pretty one! (back row-center) :)

Me, Mama & my brother, Chris...

We went to brunch before they had to leave, this morning...

Miss Kandace got all of the attention at brunch...she's such a doll. Love that baby!

Alex and I are staying HERE for Valentine's Day. We stayed here on our wedding night, 12 (almost 13) years ago. This will be our first time back, since that day. I'm so excited!

Well, I think this post has been long enough. :) I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day Weekend!!

Love to all,
Jill

I loved FIREPROOF!

2009-02-12T00:42:00.000-06:00

Last night, was Movie Night at Journey! Before the movie started, we all just hung out and visited...

The kiddos stayed in there for the hanging out and eating part...

What would a movie be without pizza...

and sodas...

and popcorn...

and of course CANDY!!

And then they announced that the movie was about to start...

So the kiddos headed to Journey Kids...thank you, Joy, for heading that up!

I just have to brag on my S-I-L, Sara. She has painted all of our Journey Kids Rooms and is currently working on a new room for our Journey Babies. She just started, but I had to take a pic of what she has finished so far. She is so talented and we are blessed to have her! I think I will definitely need to commission her services for when it's time to decorate a nursery. :)

I loved the movie, FIREPROOF and I would say that if you haven't seen it, buy it. I had a blogger say that she didn't know how long it would take for her to get it where she lives (she's in South Africa, I believe). To that blogger, if you will email me your address, I will mail a copy to your home, there in South Africa. My treat! It's a wonderful movie and anyone who wants to see it and can't get there hands on it, I will send it to you!

Of course, I cried through a lot of the movie...thankfully they provided small packages of kleenex when you walked in. I was just thankful that I didn't make any of those awkward noises, that I tend to make when I'm trying to hold back my tears. You know the ones that I'm talking about. :)

I just can't say enough good things about this movie. Make sure you see it.

Love to all,
Jill

No more acupuncture...

2009-02-11T09:07:00.000-06:00

I had another acupuncture appointment, yesterday. As much as I want this to work, I just can't do it. I am so tense, upon entering her office and I leave with a terrible headache. Yesterday, one of the needles in my left leg throbbed with pain the entire time. My left leg was still hurting, hours later. I prayed through my entire appointment, in efforts to receive some peace about being there. It never came. I actually cried after I left the office. I just don't want to keep going. I have no fear of needles, it's not about that. It's about feeling God's presence. I feel like I am fighting another presence, the entire time I'm there. Alex feels like it's doing me more harm than good. It's definitely not a stress reliever for me. I have a massage therapist that I have gone to for years. I have a call into her, to discuss getting massage therapy, every week. From what my doctor said, it's all about increasing blood flow. I know that massage increases circulation and whether it can help with my infertility...I have no idea. I do know that when God is ready to give me a baby, He can do it with or without acupuncture. I'm choosing without.

I did receive some exciting news, yesterday! My sister and I cater different events when we have the opportunity. We received an email about a February catering job and it could potentially lead to many more catering jobs, for this certain company. We're so excited! We love cooking and baking and we love working together. This provides the perfect opportunity for all three!

And to end this post, I have even more exciting news...we have a new nephew!! William Cole Averitt arrived yesterday! He weighed 7lbs - 12oz and is the cutest little thing. We went to the hospital to meet him, last night. Alex was asking me on the phone, 'how many nephews and nieces does that make for us?' To answer that question...Cole makes #20! Here are a few pics of the sweet baby boy.

-William Cole-

-Sean, Sarah, Anna & William Cole-

-William Cole with his Daddygrand & Nana-

-Aunt Jill with Cole-

-Cole with Dr. S (This is my OB/GYN, as well. He's a precious man of God. I pray that he's still delivering when I get pregnant!)-

Oh, how I can't wait to be holding a tiny baby and it be all mine. :)

Love to all,
Jill

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-02-10T09:11:00.000-06:00

Be warned...this is a LONG POST, due to the many pics from the weekend! :)

Saturday was a lovely day. The weather was beautiful...it's making me so ready for spring! Neither Alex nor myself had committments for Saturday, so we were able to spend the entire day, together. It's rare for us to have a day like this, so we tend to turn off the cell phones and concentrate on each other. I love it. We had brunch at Mimi's and ran some errands. That evening, we celebrated the February birthdays (on my side of the family). We always meet downtown at a local bakery and have dessert and coffee. We only have one February birthday and that's Cary...he turned 30!

-The birthday boy-

-Jackson showing his cousin, Kandace, some love-

-Me and Kandace...she is such a good baby!-

-Jackson playing outside the bakery with his Daddy-

-Jackson and Uncle Alex-

-Aunt Joy with Kandace (her shirt says, "Daddy fixed my hair" :)-

-The gang (minus me and Jackson, because we took the pic)-

LATER THAT EVENING...

-Kasie & Cody at The Purple Cow-

-Pryce at The Cow-

-Kandace wanting nothing to do with The Cow...she slept the entire time-

We started our Sunday, as always...with our church family! We've been going through a series called Turning Up The Heat. I've really enjoyed it. Sunday's message was on Turning Up The Heat in your marriage....ooh, la, la! :) God revealed some things that I can do in my marriage, to be a better wife. I've found myself so excited about this! Even in a happy marriage, there's always room for improvement. I want to be the best wife/helpmate that I can be to Alex. This series has certainly opened my eyes to things that I can change in myself. I want the marriage that God desires for us. It may be good now, but I have no doubt...it can be great! After church, we had lunch with Alex's parents...they are always a hoot. :) Pray for my M-I-L, she has a kidney infection and could barely walk Sunday, at church. She has had some issues with her kidneys in the past, so we are just praying that this infection goes away with antibiotics and that she feels better soon.

Sunday evening, we went to the River Market and ate at Gusano's Chicago-Style Pizzeria...yum!! This was our first time to eat there. We ordered way too large of a pizza, but had plenty to bring home and share with Diesel-boy. He's always appreciative of a doggy-bag. Alex likes lots of meat on his pizza. I like cheese. We had half supreme-half cheese/spinach. They put the sauce on top and the cheese on the bottom. It was DE-LISH!

-Our yummy pizza-

-He knows that he has Aunt Jill wrapped around his little finger :)-

-Cary & Sara-

-Drew & Elaina-

-Me & my Sweets-

I feel like we ate our way through the weekend!

Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to go ahead and wrap up the weekend in one post, since it's Tuesday and all.

Love to all,
Jill

Movie Night!

2009-02-09T16:03:00.004-06:00

FIREPROOF is coming to Journey Church! Wednesday night, February 11th @ 6:30 -- Pizza, Drinks, Popcorn, Candy & Childcare will be provided. You can click on our church link, below, to watch a 30-second trailer of the movie. www.discoverjourneychurch.com

They showed the trailer to this movie at church on Sunday. The lights came back up and Alex and I both sat there with tears flowing. We've been there...we know firsthand that God can restore a marriage. If you allow Him to, He will not only restore it, but make it better than anything you could ever come up with on your own! We're excited that Journey has the opportunity to share this film and encourage any of you in our area, to come join us. I have no doubt, that many marriages will be made better, because of this movie.

Love to all,
Jill

Congrats Anne!

2009-02-08T21:22:00.009-06:00

This weekend has been so much fun...I wish it could have lasted a few more days. I'll post about friday evening, tonight. :)

Friday evening, Joy and I went to a retirement party for our former boss. When I left the clinic a couple of years ago (when we decided to pursue IVF), Joy came on board to take my place! Joy then decided, a year ago, that she was going to start homeschooling her 3 boys...so she left, as well. This doctor's office is full of some of the most wonderful, caring, funny people that I've ever met in my life. We both left with life-long friendships. Even though we aren't there anymore, we still go by and see everyone. Joy is usually good to take cookies, so they love her more than me. ha! This weekend, we celebrated the retirement of Mrs. Anne. I didn't get a chance to say this to her friday evening, but I know she reads my blog, so I will say it here.

Anne, you were the first boss that ever brought me into your office to pray with me. I was shocked and very touched by this. You knew what I was going through in my personal life and you were there for me. I'm shocked you guys kept me on, seeing that I spent most of my first year in the bathroom stall, crying. (LOL) The work atmosphere at the clinic is unlike any other and you are one of the reasons why. I love when they finally moved your office up front, right across from my window...we could talk and laugh at each other all day! Joy and I were talking last night and when we think of Anne, we think meek & quiet spirit. You were always so gracious. You weren't just a good boss...you were a Godly boss. Thank you for being such a wonderful example and such a kind friend.

Have fun in Hawaii...you deserve it!! Love, Jill

-Me and Joy with Anne-

-Dr. Rice & Marion-

My Bonnie Belle & Rick-

-Me with sweet Floye & Paula-

-Me with my adoptive parents, Dr. Lew & Sue-

-Me and Joy with Dr. B (or as we like to call her, Susie Q)-

You couldn't work in this office without being given a nickname. :) I love these guys...they are so special to me!

Love to all,
Jill

Honey, I'm home!

2009-02-05T13:23:00.004-06:00

I've only been away for 4 days, but it seems longer. I left town on Sunday, immediately following church. I was asked to help lead worship for the winter bible study series at FBC Osceola. What a treat! It was Sunday-Wednesday evening. This year, the topic was Relationships by Design. What a great topic. We're all in relationships...whether it be our relationship with God, our spouse, family, friends...and if we're honest, we would have to admit that all of our relationships could use improvement in one area or another. It was great fun helping with the worship and getting to do something that I love, which is praise my Lord and Savior through song!

This is a picture of me and Cary before worship started. My S-I-L was nice enough to take pics the last night, but my camera battery died after the first pic...so all I have is a picture of my rear end. Just for the record, I don't sing with my back to the crowd.

I feel like there is so much to write about, since I've been gone. I'm looking forward to catching up on all of my blog reading as well. I was able to answer a few emails and read a few blogs, last night, but didn't have time to comment on them. Know that I will be reading and commenting soon.

I drove back home, yesterday morning, for the funeral of a dear family friend. It was an emotional day. I also had my first acupuncture appointment, before driving back to Osceola, last night. Acupuncture is the oddest thing I have experienced, so far, in my fertility treatments. As of right now...I'm not a fan. Maybe I was just nervous and extremely tired from the day, but I've had a terrible headache since I left her office, yesterday. She said, most people fall asleep while they lay there with needles all over their body. Unfortunately, I was not one of those people. I was very aware of the needles from the top of my head to the bottoms of my feet. She did this odd thing with herbs...she rolled them up, set them on fire, put them in a little box and then sat the box on top of my stomach. It's supposed to increase bloodflow. She said at one point, 'if you cough, hold onto that box, there are hot herbs in there.' I thought to myself, 'no kidding, Einstein...they're burning my stomach!' She also gave me herbs in the form of a pill to take. I'm supposed to take 15 pills a day until retrieval day. And then we have the issue of the price of acupuncture. My first visit was around $150 and every visit afterwards will be $75 each. She wants me to come in 2-3 times a week until my transfer. Insurance doesn't pay for acupuncture, so I'm not sure that I can swing 2-3 times a week. For those of you who did acupuncture with your IVF/IUI...did you go this many times a week? I want to be open to this and I read many letters hanging in her office from women that are now pregnant (most with twins) after having acupuncture. If you have had or are having acupuncture...I would love to hear what you have to say. Maybe I will feel better about it, after tomorrow's appointment.

I am so happy to be home! Though I was with family all week, it was hard being away from Alex. I missed him terribly. Since I drove in yesterday for the funeral and my appointment, I did get to run by his work for 2 minutes and steal a kiss. That helped to get me through the last day. :) I love you, babe!

Going to say goodbye for now...time for me to take my afternoon herbs and a few tylenol for this headache. Sorry if this post is a little scattered...I'm in need of a nap. :)

Love to all,
Jill

I've been counting down the days...

2009-01-30T16:00:00.004-06:00

Head on over to the Shabby Nest. You can click on the button on my sidebar and it will take you there. She's celebrating the grand opening of her etsy store by giving away one of her sweet necklaces! Head on over and sign up and don't forget to check out her etsy site, as well. She has some really cute things!

Have a great weekend!

Jill

87th Birthday!

2009-01-29T11:10:00.000-06:00

My Grandma Weaver is celebrating her 87th Birthday, today. I can only hope & pray that I look this good at 87. :) This woman birthed 8 children into this world (reason enough to be my hero) and prayed for each of them to come to know the Lord. She has lived to see that happen and SO MUCH MORE. I have fun memories of visiting her and Papa, when I was young. It was a place to play with LOTS of cousins and to always get some of Grandma's yummy creamed corn and dill pickles! She would always go straight to the kitchen and fix us something to eat. It didn't matter if you had just eaten before you arrived, you were eating again. I never complained, because the woman can cook! Homemade creamed corn and dill pickles were always on the menu and I hope to receive the secret recipes for both, someday. *hint-hint, if any of my aunts are reading this* :)

I hope that you have a wonderful day, Grandma. You mean so much to so many.

I love you!

Jill

Update on next IVF...

2009-01-28T21:39:00.004-06:00

For some reason, I haven't been in the mood to post about IVF stuff. Many have emailed and asked what's going on, so I thought I should probably update. We have received our packet from the clinic, that tells us how much this cycle is going to cost. I have talked to the mail order pharmacy and they have told me how much my meds are going to cost. We have received paperwork from the clinic to sign (again). I didn't realize that we have to sign all of that paperwork, before each cycle. It's like the paperwork you initial and sign before buying a home...there's A LOT. I haven't received my calendar to tell me when I should actually start my injections. I assume it's going to be soon, since they have called it in to the pharmacy. I'm feeling a tad bit overwhelmed. I'm excited that we're starting a fresh cycle, but dreading it as well. So far, our portion for this cycle is over $5600.00. Seriously? I had forgotten how much money goes into a fresh cycle. A frozen cycle is less of a hit on your pocketbook AND your hormones. It was easy-breezy. My doctor told me to stop taking my meds that help with the Lupron Depot side effects, so I've been fighting the urge to just stay in bed over the past week. Not a great way to go into this next cycle. I'm ready for that medication to be out of my system...it's not my favorite. I should be starting acupuncture, as soon as next week. The pharmacy went over all of my meds and I'm on different injections this time. I'm on a total of 4-5 injectables...at least that's what they told me. My tummy and backside are going to be black and blue, before this is all over.

I would like to say, that I believe this next round is going to give us our miracle baby. After going through two failed cycles, it may be naive of me, but I believe it with all of my heart. If in the end it's not...yes, my heart will be broken, but God will be there to pick up the pieces. Just thinking of that is an instant comfort to me.

As I was reminded, last night...when the time came for God to save the children of Israel, the Bible says, "He remembered them". When the time came for God to give Hannah the baby she had prayed for (for so very long), the Bible says, "He remembered her". We serve a God that doesn't forget! I have no doubt that when the time is right...God is going to remember Alex and Jill Averitt. He's going to remember the MANY prayers that have gone up by us and on our behalf and He's going to bless us with the most beautiful baby that we've ever laid eyes on. I get excited, just thinking about it! I also start crying, just thinking about it. I serve a God that loves me. He is faithful and true and He never forgets!

Please keep us in your prayers. The meds are very hard on me and in turn, I tend to be hard on my precious and very patient, husband. It's truly the only reason that I'm dreading the cycle.

Love to all,
Jill

6th Picture...

2009-01-26T19:36:00.003-06:00

I was tagged by my S-I-L, Jen. I'm supposed to post the 6th picture in my 6th folder. This was mine...

This is me and my sweet M-I-L (at Hogs Breath/Destin) on the Averitt vacation, August 2008. It was a fun time had by all. I hate that Alex wasn't able to be there with us, but I have wonderful in-laws and they treated me like a princess the entire week!

If you feel like sharing your 6th picture, consider yourself tagged!

Love to all,
Jill

A word from my Daddy...

2009-01-23T14:34:00.007-06:00

My Daddy is the pastor at FBC Osceola. Shout out to all of the FBC members that read my blog! I love my Dad's church...they have shown my parents such love and support from day one. Each week, their church puts out a mailing called FBC Highlights. Daddy always writes something to his members in this mail out, it's called "The Pastor's Heart". I asked to be put on the mailing list, because I love seeing what's going on in my parents church. I served in ministry with my parents for MANY years and receiving FBC Highlights keeps me up-to-date on what's going on with them and their church. It also gives a prayer list and allows me to pray for them and their people specifically. I always enjoy reading what's on my Daddy's heart for himself and his congregation. This week, it just happened to be something that I needed as well. I definitely feel like it's worth sharing.

"What did you put on this morning?"

This week, my attention was grabbed by this passage I know by heart - but because it was a different version - something about it jumped out at me. You know those moments when you read something you've read a million times and you think, "I've never noticed that before!"

The passage I'm referring to is Colossians 3, verse 12: "Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." It continues in 13-25, with more virtues, but it made me stop and really think. What did I put on this morning? What have I been wearing this week, or this month, or the past year?

This is another one of those imperative passages - a command - which means, I have a choice, to obey or disobey.

How does one "clothe" oneself in mercy, or kindness, or any of these wonderful virtues? Can I, after showering and shaving, go to my closet and simply put them on? You may be saying - Bro Jay has lost it now!

You have figured it out. We must clothe our inner selves, that part no one can see - our hearts and minds by saturating them in the Word of God and choosing to be obedient; by being filled with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to change us from within. It can only happen as we spend time alone with our Lord and Father studying to show ourselves approved and allowing Him to integrate His Word through and through.

What did you put on this morning? Since God chose you (and me) to be the holy people whom He loves, we MUST clothe ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience - just for a start...go to Colossians 3:12-25 for the entire list.

-Bro Jay

Of all days, I needed this, today. Thanks, Daddy.

Love,
Jill

Made my day!

2009-01-21T10:59:00.008-06:00

I haven't been feeling well, since Sunday. Before worship, I stated, "if I run off the stage, it's because I'm going to throw up and I don't want that on video!" Thankfully, I made it through the service, but I've been fighting whatever this is for a few days. I woke up this morning without a voice. Of course, the first thing I do is freak out and call Alex and try to tell him that I can't talk. This didn't work very well....since I CAN'T TALK. He finally suggested that we email, so that he can tell what I'm saying. He's a genius. :) I was bummed because I had to cancel home group for this evening...it was our turn to host. Needless to say, today didn't start out a fun day.

Then I received a knock on my door. I went to the door and there was a package on the doorstep. I was thinking it was something that I ordered off eBay (can't wait to show you guys that purchase!) but then I opened it and realized it was from my friend, Shannon! She sent me a thank you gift...how sweet is that!? I just had to show you these lovely things!

I LOVE this framed "A" picture...

It has already found a place front and center on a table of B&W photos. :)

She sent me a red dish towel (I'm constantly buying dish towels) and I've placed it as an accent behind one of my Valentine towels.

She also sent me this personalized soap...it smells so good, but it's almost too pretty to use!

Thank you, Shannon! You are such a sweetheart. If you're ever in The Rock, call me...we would make great shopping buddies! :)

You made my day!

Jill

Home Alone...

2009-01-19T18:45:00.004-06:00

Today, has been such a lazy day. I could have done a little house work but I decided against it. I decided to celebrate MLK Day, like everyone else. :)

Alex is in Tulsa on business, so I'm home alone this evening. **Boogie man, if you're reading this, don't come to my house...because even though my husband isn't home, I have this guy to protect me.** He's very protective of his Mommy when Daddy is away.

I'm about to go get takeout...still trying to decide what I want for dinner. Then I'm coming home to read magazines and watch Jon & Kate + 8. Exciting evening, no? :)

I hope you all have a wonderful 4-day work week!

Love to all,
Jill

Cameron's Amazing Book Club...

2009-01-19T08:34:00.001-06:00

Today, marks the 3 year anniversary of when Cameron Averitt Bobbitt went to be with Jesus. She was 5 years old. Our family gathered, yesterday, to celebrate Cameron's life. There is no doubt that Cameron is missed by her family and friends. Her mother was sharing with us, that she still thinks about her baby girl, every single day. Her grandfather spoke on the subject of HOPE. As he was speaking, the following song came to mind. Let us not forget, that as Christians, we can BELIEVE WITH HOPE that we will see Cameron again...face to face!

With Hope

Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all
How we thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
But now you've gone away

And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can Take away the pain
The pain of losing you

And we will cry with hope
We can say good-bye with hope
'Cause we know our good-bye is not the end
And we will grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father smile and say ' well done.'
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now your home
And now your free

In December 2006, family & friends started a book club in Cameron's honor. It was inspired by her grandmother, who is a reading specialist. The neat thing about the book club is that Cameron's parents (Susan & Derrick) personally distribute all donated books to schools, hospitals, libraries, medical clinics, shelters, etc. It's their hope that in receiving these books, children will share in the legacy of the joy of reading the way that Cameron did.

We're sure Cameron is smiling down, each time a child receives a book. :)

So today, in honor of Cameron, we will mail some of our favorite books to Susan & Derrick. Feel free to join us. You can find more info HERE.

Love to all,
Alex & Jill

God is answering our prayers...

2009-01-17T09:55:00.004-06:00

EDITED TO ADD:

I'm just adding updates as Kelly gives them on her blog. Alex and I have been praying for Scott, Kelly and little Harper, since last night, when we heard the news. God is so good...He hears our prayers and He answers!! We pray with confidence that Harper will be home soon with her Mommy & Daddy.

***For continued updates, click on the Praying for Harper button on my sidebar***

11:30 Saturday
Praise Jesus for He is good!!! Scott just called to tell me that he just went to see Harper and the nurse said she is not even on the list for bypass (ECMO) because the doctor thinks she is responding so well to what they are doing she may not even need it. We were told in not so many words yesterday that she may not survive at all and because of so many prayers all over the world - she is improving hour by hour. We have had so much kindness shown to us over the last 24 hours - I can not even begin to tell you. Scott has had several people that we don't know but who read our blog come to see him and even brought him things. He just called me crying because he couldn't believe the kindness we have been shown. It's so overwhelming. Our whole family has cried so much because of the overwhelming kindness of friends and strangers. It certainly has encouraged us to do more for others ourselves.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

God is answering our prayers. Here's an update on Harper...(from Kelly's blog)

5:30 a.m. Saturday
I realize I should be sleeping but it's just not coming and you know how hospitals are - I get woken up every minute anyway. The doctor from the neo-natal unit in Tulsa (yes - it's St. Francis) called me at 4 to let me know Harper was there and she was stable. They are running tests on her heart and her brain and doing a few more things before they can start the bypass. Shortly after - Scott and his parents got there and they got to see her again. I have to say that I have never loved my husband more than I do right now. He has been my rock. We have shed more tears in the last 8 hours than we probably have our entire lives but we also know that we want God to get all the glory and praise and honor in whatever happens in our baby's life.
I have such a peace about her being in Tulsa and it was just confirmed to me as I read the comments and a nurse from pediatrics said the nurses there had already been praying for us. And I just recieved an e-mail from someone who went through an almost identical situation and her daughter is now a healthy 3 year old. Thank you Jesus for sending me all of these encouragers and prayer warriors. It is NOT by accident that so many of you have found my blog and are now praying.

Love to all,
Jill

Urgent Prayer Request...

2009-01-16T21:34:00.007-06:00

EDITED TO ADD:

12:30 a.m. Saturday morning (written by Kelly)

Change of plans - AR children's hospital was all booked up so they are about to fly my baby to Tulsa. They are going to be doing a heart/lung bypass on her and the last time we spoke with the doctor - he gave us more hope. Her heart is just fine. She has pneumonia in her lungs and it's just very, very serious. We were able to go up and see her and touch her. They have her put under and paralyzed so she can't move so they can treat her. But she's just beautiful. She's BIG - but beautiful! ;-) I told her we have so many people praying for her and she is going to live and come home to wear all her pretty monogrammed dresses.
I have been sitting here crying about all the people we have praying for us. I can't even begin to tell you what that means to our family. It was what is keeping me from completely falling apart right now. I have comfort in my Jesus. He will never leave me or forsake me. I don't know what His plans are........whether we will be able to keep Harper on this earth with us or not - but I know that I know that I know that He is good and He loves me and He is holding my hand right now.

Please continue to pray,

Love to all,
Jill

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

I'm sure many of you follow Kelly at Kelly's Korner. She and her baby girl, Harper, are in need of our prayers. Kelly delivered Harper at 7:03pm, this evening. Harper weighed 9lb 12oz. We don't know much about Harper's condition. We do know, they are med-flighting her to AR Children's Hospital. Per Kelly, the NICU doctor is not giving a favorable report. I don't know what that means, but I can only imagine how scared Scott, Kelly, and their families are right now. Kelly also lost a lot of blood during delivery...her blood pressure is really low. She is planning to join Harper at Children's, tomorrow. Pray that happens, as I know she wants to be with her baby, at this very moment.

If you will, please stop what you're doing and lift Harper and Kelly up to the Lord right now.

Love to all,
Jill

What we're reading...

2009-01-16T11:16:00.000-06:00

You can probably guess which one is mine and which is Alex's. He was so excited to get this for Christmas. I remember having to read some of Foxe's Book of Martyrs in school. Alex was reading some of it to me, the other night. One time was enough for me. I will stick to my easy reading, like Jon & Kate + 8. It's actually a very good book. She writes about her infertility struggles in the first part of the book. I could totally relate to so many of the feelings she wrote about, in regards to her infertility. Their story really is a miracle...that those 6 babies survived and are totally healthy! Coming from a large family, I would so have 8 kids. I would prefer to have them one at a time, but at this rate, we may need to have 2 or 3 at once. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Love to all,
Jill

Yummy Pancakes...

2009-01-15T09:09:00.000-06:00

My Momma makes some good pancakes. I asked her for the recipe and the problem is...she doesn't measure anything. I have to measure EVERYTHING or it just doesn't turn out. I was craving pancakes, a month or so ago, and got online and pulled up a thousand recipes. I decided that this one looked the easiest and this is the recipe I've used ever since! I wish now, that I would have written down the website, so I could give them credit for these yummy pancakes. I have made these several times and they always turn out and are always DE-LISH!

So here's the recipe! Just click on the pic and it will make it large enough to read. :)

These are things that you always have on hand...

Would you like some pancakes with that butter!? :)

Enjoy!

Jill

It was made of some sort of soft, silky, devil fabric...

2009-01-14T09:20:00.005-06:00

I had my last lupron depot shot, yesterday. YAY!! After my doctor's visit, I decided to go desk shopping. I've had my eye on one, but we would like it better if it were an espresso color. Well actually, it comes in this neat green color (which I love) but Alex doesn't like it, so we're still shopping. :) Anywho, I went to several places but no luck, yet, on a desk.

Then I made the mistake of going into Ann Taylor Loft. Right now, this is about the only place that has clothes that fit my body, so I'm in their store, quite often. I found a couple of shirts to try on and of course, the sales girl finds an insane amount of things for me to try on, as well. She just kept grabbing items and adding them to my pile. I know they are taught to do this, because I worked in retail a whole 2 days. Anywho, she brings me this top and it's super cute. I try it on and it looks and fits really nice...UNTIL...I decide to take it off. It was as if the blouse got angry with me for wanting to remove it from my body. The sleeves began to shrink and tighten on my arms to where I couldn't pull the shirt over my head. At one point, I looked in the mirror and said out loud, "don't panic." I tried to remove it and the sleeves just wouldn't budge. This blouse was made of some sort of silky, soft, devil fabric. I was getting desperate and was thinking to myself, "you have two choices...have them cut it off your body or tell them you love it so much, you want to wear it out of the store." I finally decided to place my head between my legs and put my arms completely over my head and slowly pull the blouse off. After the 4th attempt and so many knots in my shoulders, I could barely walk...it worked. If Ann Taylor Loft had cameras in their dressing rooms, they would (not only get sued) but would get hours of entertainment, because I guarantee, I'm not the only fat-armed girl that has tried on that shirt.

Good times.

Need help with dinner?

2009-01-13T09:22:00.000-06:00

My friend, Carissa, shared this wonderful site on her blog. It's called Simplify Supper. I was very excited to check it out and I think it's a fabulous idea! I love to cook dinner for Alex, every evening, but I tend to run out of ideas after a while. We also tend to eat-out more, if I don't have dinner ready (or at least started) when he gets home from work. We can save A LOT of money over a months time, if I go to the grocery store and actually cook for us. Alex would eat the same thing every evening. In that way, he's not picky, but I always want to have something new and tasty, waiting on him when he gets home.

I despise going to the grocery store. When we lived in Houston, I would order my groceries online and have them delivered to my doorstep. That's how much I hated going to that dreadful place. If this service were offered in my current home town, I would continue to buy my groceries that way. Unfortunately, it's not an option here. Another plus about this site, it gives you a grocery list with each item you will need from the store. So you just print it and you're in and out of the store in no time! LOVE IT!

If you need a few new ideas for dinner-time (like me)...check it out!

Love to all,
Jill

An award for me!? You shouldn't have... :)

2009-01-12T11:45:00.001-06:00

When life gives you lemons...make lemonade!

My friend, Leslie, over at Glitter & Bliss passed this award onto me! Thank you, sweet girl! It has been a joy, getting to know you. You are super talented and have such a sweet spirit...it shines through in everything you write.

Love,
Jill

Pink Swap!

2009-01-11T14:57:00.004-06:00

I see different swaps all over blogland. Have any of you ever participated in one? I seem to stumble across them after the fact, and it's too late to sign up.

Lucky me, I stumbled across this one and signed myself up, just in time! It's a PINK SWAP! You put together a basket of all things pink and send it to your partner. How much fun is that!? I've already started to pick up some super cute items (all containing pink of course) and can't wait for the partners to be revealed. The list will be posted, today! Can you tell that I love this sort of thing? :)

Love to all,
Jill

Homegroup...

2009-01-10T00:18:00.000-06:00

Wednesday evenings are when our homegroup gets together. We host every other week and this last Wednesday was our turn to have everyone over. We had a full house! I fixed baked potatoes with toppings, a big pot of chili, and we had banana pudding for dessert (per request of the birthday girl) :)

Vickie's Birthday Banana Pudding :)

Happy Birthday, Vickie!!

One of the highlights of the evening...Jackson Luke demonstrating his walking skills. He is almost there...I'm sure in a matter of days, he will be off and running!

*and just for the record...he did get a lick of that sucker!*

We had taken a break for the holidays, so it was good to start back, have a meal with friends and study God's Word.

Love to all,
Jill

The rest of the story...

2009-01-08T21:20:00.004-06:00

I think it's important when sharing ones story, that we share the good days, as well as the not-so-good days. My not-so-good days are few and far between, but they do come and I always need time to think, pray & process. I write about those days because I think it's important to be real. Alex reminds me that we wouldn't have I & II Samuel, had Hannah not been real and shared her not-so-good days.

I take comfort in the fact that Naomi's story didn't end with her insisting on being called Mara. As my devotional points out (from Sarah's laughter)...
Here’s the good part. God doesn’t just see the here-and-now like we do. God saw more than a grieving widow and childless mother when He looked at Naomi. He saw a woman restored. It’s found in the first two words of Ruth 2:1, “Now Naomi…” God still called Naomi ‘pleasant”! There is never any account of God referring to Naomi as Mara or “bitter”. What does this tell us? This tells us that God saw more than what Naomi was able to see. He could see that He would restore her. He could see that the devastating season of her life would eventually end, and bitterness would leave her. God looked at Naomi and in His eyes, He saw her as pleasant.

I realize that God can see more than infertility in my life. He sees more than a struggle to conceive. He sees the future He has planned for me, and it’s a good one (Jeremiah 29:11). He sees that my constant struggle with infertility will eventually end!

Thank you, for your words of encouragement and for your prayers. God uses you to turn my not-so-good days into days where I'm actually thankful for this journey...every happy, sad, exciting, bitter, lovely day on this journey.

Today...my name is Jill. :)

Love to all!

Call me Mara...

2009-01-07T22:55:00.006-06:00

The past two days have been hard for me. I have found myself pleading with God. I wish that having a baby were easier. I wish I could conceive like everyone else in my family. Out of this ginormous family...why am I the only one that has this problem? Not that I would wish for anyone to have this as well, I just want to be like them and to be able to conceive easily. For once, I want to be someone other than myself. I've always been happy and content with being me, but the longer I go through infertility, the more I wish I could be like everyone else. I wish that I could go off a pill, make love to my spouse in the privacy of our own home and then find out that I'm pregnant, in just a few short months. Instead, I get to stop injections in my backside, so that I can start giving myself injections in my stomach. I get to have my eggs taken from my body and mixed with my husband's sperm, so that our baby can hopefully grow in a petri dish and be placed back inside of me, to hopefully stay for 9 months. This exhausting/intrusive process is done over and over and without one single guarantee of a baby in the end. I wish the monthly weight gain that I've been experiencing was from a baby growing inside of me, instead of from the hormones that I inject, daily.

A few days ago, my devotional was on Naomi. It stuck with me. For once, I could relate to Naomi's story. Namoi's name meant pleasant, which described her well. That is until she lost her husband and two sons. After her loss, Naomi would no longer let anyone call her by her name. She would say, "Call me Mara." Mara means bitter. She said, "The Lord Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me."

The past two days, I feel as though The Lord Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I don't want to feel this way, but I do. I don't always feel this way, but right now, I do. I just wish it were easier.

Today, call me Mara.

Cheesy Black Bean Dip...

2009-01-07T09:06:00.000-06:00

I have to thank Heather over at Life at Sonic Speed for sharing this yumminess with me! I made it a few nights ago, for Alex and I to try...we ate the entire pan! (in our defense, it was all we had for dinner) :) I'm making it again, tonight, for our homegroup.

The recipe is easy...only 4 ingredients!
Cream Cheese
Rotel
Black Beans
Shredded Cheese

Take the above ingredients and layer them in the order listed. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 mins, just to warm through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Delicious!!

His Holy Name...

2009-01-06T09:38:00.002-06:00

I have several things that I want to be a part of this year...one being Project 365, which is a way for me to document in pictures, our life in 2009.

The other thing that I've committed to is His Holy Name Challenge . I am not a scrapbooker. Whenever I see books put together, I tend to want to sit down and make one. The problem is, I have ADD type tendencies, which won't allow me to sit and cut up paper and pictures for hours on end. I have the same problem with reading books. I read a chapter or two and then come back to it the next day...or I buy the book on cd and listen to it. I'm just easily distracted...it's frustrating but true.

This challenge sounded fun to me, because it was more of a Bible study. Every other week, you're given an attribute for God, you study it, and then make a page (or in my case, a small card) about that attribute. It will help me to get into God's Word and learn more about Him, which is totally worth my time and exciting to me!

It's not too late for you to be a part of the HHN Challenge as well! Check it out at the link above.

Love to all,
Jill

A year in pictures...

2009-01-05T09:48:00.001-06:00

I'm excited to share something that I will be working on this year. It's called Project 365. I knew it would be something I would enjoy, since I love taking pictures. I'm sure everyone around me tires of me taking their picture, but that's the price you pay for being my friend. :)

Project 365 is where you take a picture every day in 2009 and write a little note about what happened that day. I'm sure by Dec 31st, 2009, my photo album will be a great testament of just how boring my life really is! ha!

I actually like this though...we forget so many things that happen throughout the days, weeks, years. Documenting the special times, as well as the ordinary times in our life is a perfect idea. For instance, January 1st is a picture of me and Alex in our pj's (which I stayed in all day and it was fabulous) reading our books, drinking coffee. I'm happy that I have a picture to remember that ordinary, yet lovely day, with my sweet husband.

Love to all,
Jill

No more Cottage Living...

2009-01-04T14:15:00.001-06:00

I received my postcard in the mail, yesterday, telling me that Cottage Living Magazine is no longer being published.:(

They will honor the rest of my subscription with Southern Accents...as if that makes it better.

It's a sad day...

My mantel...so bare and lonely

2009-01-03T12:49:00.007-06:00

I woke up this morning and knew that today was the day...the Christmas decorations must come down! By Jan 3rd, that's not too bad. :) All of my decorations aren't actually in their boxes yet, because I'm planning to throw out some of my old decor that I don't use anymore. I'm also coming up with a better storing/labeling system. Alex swears that he can barely walk in the attic, because of all of my old stuff that I don't use. I guess we'll be cleaning that out soon, as well. A little early spring cleaning, I suppose. Ugh.

I'd like to share a pic of what my mantel looks like, at this very moment.

So bare and lonely...

Once Christmas is over, I'm always ready for spring! Alex keeps reminding me that winter has just begun. My problem is, I tire of things easily and constantly want to be changing things out. I have plenty of items to go over/on this mantel, but get tired of looking at the same thing. I'm excited to see what Shannon at Bless Our Nest starts revealing in the New Year. No pressure, Shannon, but I need some inspiration and preferrably on a budget! ;) She is actually really good with that...she's always sharing new ideas and they are always easy on the pocketbook, so if you haven't found her blog yet...check her out in the New Year. You'll be hooked, for sure.

I better get back to work!

Love to all,
Jill

New Year's Day...

2009-01-01T14:14:00.011-06:00

Alex and I had a yummy dinner at P.F.'s last night. We stuffed ourselves...well, I stuffed myself, Alex had more self control than me. We ordered a couple of appetizers (pan-fried veggie dumplings and cripsy green beans) and then the manager sent out lettuce wraps, which was nice but we couldn't eat everything. I couldn't even touch my entree, I just had the waitress box it up to bring home. We brought home a lot of leftovers...Diesel enjoyed his doggy bag of wonton soup and fried rice...that dog is spoiled rotten. He ate like a king while I was at my parents. Alex went to Riverfront both nights that I was gone, so Dies had steak while Mommy was away. He tends to turn his nose up at his real dog food, if he eats like that for too long. Can't say that I blame him. :)

After dinner, we came home, watched the ball drop, and then went to bed! We slept in, until almost 10 this a.m. That was nice and very unusual for my hubby. He has been working a lot of hours this week, so he was exhausted.

I stopped by Old Mill Bread, yesterday afternoon, to order cinnamon rolls for this morning. They were covered in cream cheese icing and oh so delicious.

I need to be packing up Christmas, but haven't. I've been playing around on scrapblog most of the morning, which is why I've had several different blog headers in only a matter of a few hours. I keep changing my mind. Don't be surprised if it's different, the next time you stop by. :)

Here is a pic of my Christmas card garland that I will be taking down, today. I love looking at all of the picture cards that have come in over the holiday. Can I just say, that I'm friends with some extremely good-looking people!

Love to all,
Jill

Bringing in the New Year...

2008-12-31T16:40:00.007-06:00

I just got back from visiting my parents for a couple of days. My sister, Joy, and I drove up together and though it was a fast trip, it's always fun to hang out with the rents. We went to Memphis to do a little shopping and then headed back to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, The Sandbar Grille...yummy! Their filet is one of the best I've ever had and their banana pudding is DE-LISH!!

My cute parents, sitting by the carousel.

Me and my sis, looking terribly washed out in this pic...I hear the tanning bed calling our name!

Alex and I decided to make reservations somewhere and bring in the New Year, just the two of us. We wanted low-key, this year. I feel like we've been running non-stop right up until Christmas, so it will be nice to spend this evening and tomorrow, just me and my man. Late last week, I started calling around and so many restaurants were completely booked or only had 5pm reservations left. So we reserved a table at P.F. Chang's for a late dinner and will come back to the house and watch movies on the couch until midnight. My definition of a perfect evening.

I can't believe that I have to start writing 2009 on my checks, starting tomorrow. It took me until July to get used to writing 2008. Has this year not flown by? When I stop and reflect on 2008, it makes me smile. God has truly blessed us this year. I have to say, the one thing that I am most thankful for this year is Journey Church. We started with 4 of us in a living room. I have to admit that it was hard to even imagine at that time, just how far God would bring us and in less than a year! It's exciting to be a part of Journey and to be under pastors that have such huge hearts for bringing others to Christ.

When I think about what Alex and I have been through personally, this year, it also makes me smile. I'm thankful for each and every exciting and painful moment. Though I wish it had been God's plan to give us a baby in 2008, for whatever reason, it was not. So until then...I will wait. I love how He continues to heal our broken hearts and give us renewed hope. He is such a cool God. I'm trusting Him to grow our family in 2009! :)

I also can't help but stop and thank Him for blessing so many of you with healthy pregnancies this year. I have so many on my prayer list that I've been able to write ANSWERED PRAYER by your name! Each time He answered a prayer, it strengthened my faith...it showed me He is in control and He still performs miracles on a daily basis. I still have many on my list that are still waiting and I will continue to pray and believe that when the time is right, He's going to bless you with your miracle.

I'm excited to see what God has in store for my family, church, as well as all of you, that I've been blessed to come to know this year.

Happy New Year!

Love to all,
Jill

Christmas Day...

2008-12-28T21:28:00.015-06:00

Christmas Day started with my sweet hubby allowing me to sleep in. I was so exhausted, because I stayed up until almost 3am Christmas morning, wrapping presents for later that day. I swear, next year I'm paying someone to wrap all of my presents. It will be worth every penny because I despise wrapping gifts. (LOL)

Alex and I decided early on that we would only do stocking stuffers for one another, this year. We're also buying a desk to set up a home office, which is part of our Christmas to each other. (I'm excited to find a desk...I'll post pics when I do!) He is going to be working from home one day a week and I'm ready to have a place for all of our computer stuff to go. Besides, with everything we have spent in fertility treatments this year, a home office and stocking stuffers are plenty. Alex cheated and bought me a little more than what can go in my stocking, but I love him for it. :) Around lunch time, my family came over and we had Christmas with them. Here are pics from Christmas Day with my side of the family...

Diesel had a big candy cane bone in his stocking...took him all of 30 mins to devour it, I'm sure. :)

BE WARNED!!! The following pic is of me as soon as I wake up...pre-coffee, pre-anything! (LOL) Alex bought me several books and cookbooks that I had been wanting...this being one of them. Williams Sonoma's Holiday Entertaining. Love it!

One of Alex's faves...Starbucks chocolate covered espresso beans.

Cody opening his very cool pumas.

Sara lovin' her Glitter and Bliss necklace...it says, MOMS ROCK and has a animal print background! So cute!

Cary opening his present from Drew...this is an inside joke that has happened for the past two years. All I can say is, Drew better watch out when he has kids. (LOL)

Drew opening a classic movie that we watched as kids..."The Happiest Millionaire" Great movie!!

Daddy opening his gifts...

We gave Joylyn a little case of 6 pairs of princess shoes. She literally carried them around from the second she opened them. She is also wearing a pair in this pic. Too cute!

This was a gift to Alex from one of our members...she made he and Cary Journey ornaments. One of our faves on our tree this year...thank you, Vickie!!

Mom and I bought these for Chris, since he will be playing the drums at Journey. He evidently needs them, so that he won't go deaf while practicing. I think he needs to wear them all of the time, don't you!? (hehehe)

Okay, my Mom made these...they are called snowballs. I don't even like coconut, but oh my gosh...these are awesome!! I had one every morning with coffee...okay, maybe two. I'm going to post the recipe on the blog, later on.

And here is the entire gang at the end of the day. Jackson is attacking Cary with something in the background...crazy kid. (LOL)

We are so blessed. Our families make the holidays so much fun! We just want to thank our families for making this a very memorable and Merry Christmas for us both!

We love you, guys!

Jill

Monogrammed Car Mats...

2008-12-28T20:51:00.005-06:00

We bought Alex's little sis, April, a set of monogrammed car mats for Christmas. They were super cute and I regret to say that I didn't get a picture of the front of the mats. I only took one of her opening them, which is shown below.

Hers had a funky hot pink and lime green trim with a hot pink monogram. The font shown in the pic below was actually the same font that we used on hers. This pic looks just like hers but in different colors.

Some people were asking to see what they looked like, so here you go! :)

She absolutely loved them...it's a great gift idea, especially for teenagers!

Love to all,
Jill

Christmas Eve...

2008-12-28T17:13:00.008-06:00

As I told you before, I have a lot of pics from the holiday, so I'm splitting them up into different posts and working my way up to Christmas Day. :)

On many a Christmas Eve, I take my nephews shopping. They work and save their money, so they can buy Christmas gifts for their Mom and Dad. When they were smaller, it was funny to see what they would pick out. Their parents racked up this year...starbucks gift cards, Ipod shuffles, some fancy flashlight that their Dad wanted...lots of good stuff! They even picked out items for their Mom's stocking, since she fills theirs and their Dad's. They were very thoughtful in their giving and it was a lot of fun to watch these three boys shop. I hope letting their Aunt Jill tag along is a tradition they will want to keep. I have a good chance, until they learn to drive themselves, anyway. :)

Journey had our Christmas Eve service that evening at 11:30pm. We started off the service with one of our favorites at Journey...Feliz Navidad (such a fun song to sing with a large group), sang many others and ended the song service with Silent Night. The message was wonderful and of course, the cookies and cider were a plus as well! Since the service was so late, many of the kids came in their pj's, which was quite adorable. I wish I had taken more pics but I was pretty busy that evening and wanted to visit with everyone, so these are the only ones that I took.

Alex and I have a blast, working along side these two. They are so freakin' talented! Doesn't hurt that he's my brother and she's my S-I-L either. :)

Jackson Luke, hammin' it up in his monkey pj's!

Kandace with Granny...she is the sweetest baby.

Those three nephews I was telling you about...Ty, Cody & Pryce. :)

Jackson and Pryce

Jackson & Aunt Joy

Love to all,
Jill

Averitt Christmas 2008...

2008-12-27T20:20:00.013-06:00

Christmas is over and that always makes me a little sad. I love everything about the season, so I always hate to see it come to an end. :)

We had the Averitt side of the family over on the 23rd...it was a lot of fun. I always enjoy watching the kiddos open their presents. They get so excited and are literally screaming with delight! (LOL) I have so many pics from our family gatherings over the past few days, so I decided to split them into different posts. Here are a few pics from The Averitt Family Christmas...

Me and my sweetie (he was running fever and not feeling well...bless his heart!)

Alex reading the Christmas story to the kiddos

This is Alex's youngest sis, April (isn't she gorgeous!?) We bought her monogrammed car mats...what every girl needs! :)

Victoria opening her presents

Jimmy Papa & Aunt Erma

Sarah (due in February '09!) and sweet Mary Lee

The crazy kid table. :)

Jared, Jen, Peyton & Laila

The entire gang!

What Christmas is all about... :)

2008-12-25T23:07:00.004-06:00

Labor of Love...

2008-12-24T12:18:00.004-06:00

I know, I know...I'm supposed to be away from blogland for a few days. :) I was listening to this song today and just had to share it with you guys. It's my most favorite Christmas song. It really makes you stop and think about what it was probably like for Joseph & Mary that night. We forget about how young Mary was and how scared they must have been. The birth of our Lord and Saviour...what a wonderful gift.

Merry Christmas,
Jill

*don't forget to turn up your volume*

Soon it will be Christmas day...

2008-12-23T00:49:00.006-06:00

Things are getting hectic around the Averitt home. My sister and I went out today and were true power-shoppers. We still had several people on our list to buy for. We left the house at 9:30am and didn't arrive home until 9pm. It was a fun day with my sis and I'm proud to say, I'm finished with my Christmas shopping!! I wish I had the energy to tell you what happened to us at the mall, but I'm so tired and need to get some sleep. All I will say is, it was scary and please be aware of your surroundings if you are out and about, shopping over the next two days!

I'm wrapping presents like a crazy woman...trying to finish up for the Averitt Christmas, which is here at our home, tomorrow night. Tomorrow, I have to go to the grocery store to buy what I need for tomorrow evening as well as for my family to come here on Christmas day. I'm feeling a tad bit overwhelmed, but I know once I get home from the store tomorrow and start baking/cooking in the kitchen, my nerves will settle down. I tend to want things to be perfect and I'm learning that it will never be and that's okay. :) I'm sure Alex wants to slip me a prozac whenever I'm planning a party of any kind. (LOL)

I'm going to be away from blogland for the next few days, in order to celebrate Christmas with our family and friends. I hope each and every one of you, have a very Merry Christmas!!

Love to all,
Jill

Praying for Emilie...

2008-12-20T23:18:00.005-06:00

I have been reading her blog, since April 2008. She is a wife to Steve and mother to Daniel and Benjamin. We're all still praying for a miracle.

Please say a prayer for her and her family, as they process this terribly unfair news.

Love to all,
Jill

Happy 1st Birthday, Jackson Luke!!

2008-12-19T09:42:00.000-06:00

This post has LOTS of pictures. It's a special post for a special little boy!

We had Jackson's party a few days ago, but today is his actual birthday. This little boy has brought such joy to our family over the past year. He has the cutest personality and the ability to warm your heart in an instant.

Jackson, Uncle Alex wrote this prayer just for you...

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the generations of faithful disciples that you have given to Jackson Luke as his heritage. I ask that as he becomes aware of Your presence, he would submit to you as Lord and follow you all the days of his life. I ask that you would bless Jackson in this life and that he would grow up into a mighty man of God. Thank you for your Word and the Life that it contains. I ask that as Jackson reads it, You would write it on his heart so that he would learn to fear you and obey your perfect will for his life. I ask that you would allow him to pass a heritage of faith on to his children and their children. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Seems like just yesterday...

First bath...

Was he ever this small!??

Meeting his Great-Grandmother for the first time...

Jackson & Granny hanging out...

This smile always makes my day better! :)

Mr. Cool...

Spending time at Aunt Joy's...

Loves hearing Daddy play the guitar...

Weekend with Uncle Al...

So happy!

Chillin' w/Aunt Jill on the beach...

Our sweet little piece of candy corn...

He has his Mommy's smile...

Big J.L. with lil' J.L. :)

His Mommy made the cake...isn't it cute!?

Blowing out his candles...with a little help. :)

He tore into some cake!

Playing with his balloons...

Opening presents...his reactions were priceless!

Such a polite little boy...reading his card before he opens the present. :)

Playing with his new toys...

Jackson with his Daddy & Mommy...I think he had a great day! :)

We love you, sweet boy!!

~Uncle Alex & Aunt Jill~

Christmas Eve Service...

2008-12-18T11:23:00.000-06:00

Journey Church is so excited to have our first Christmas Eve service! When we tell people that it's at 11:30pm, their response is, "WHAT!?" That's right, 11:30-midnight. I'm personally loving the fact that we will be bringing in Christmas as a church, singing christmas carols, sipping cider...it's going to be a lovely service. This is a tradition that I look forward to incorporating within my own family as well...packing up the kiddos and heading to church on Christmas Eve, they will probably be asleep but they'll wake up as soon as they smell the christmas cookies and hot chocolate! :) No better place to be when celebrating CHRISTmas. All of you who can, come join us!

Merry Christmas!
Jill

Christmas Card Carousel!

2008-12-17T10:17:00.006-06:00

Edited to add: I finally received my Christmas cards...yay!! I decided better late than never, right!? This is the first time I've ever used my scanner, so I'm not sure what the white line around the side of the card is all about, but anywho...I'm adding my card to this post and linking up to Faith's Christmas Card Carousel! I promise I'll do better next year, Faith. :)

Merry Christmas!

Front of card:

Inside of card:

Back of card:

Today, is the first day of Christmas Card Carousel! A wonderful, fun creation by my sweet friend, Faith. Now unfortunately, I will have to link up tomorrow because rush-shipping means nothing to the people I ordered my cards from. :) I'm going to be lucky to get these cards out before Christmas arrives! (LOL) I did want to post about it though, so you will head on over and join in the fun! If you click on the logo on my sidebar, it will take you straight to the party.

Merry Christmas!
Jill

Nothing says, HAPPY HOLIDAYS like an HSG...

2008-12-16T14:39:00.005-06:00

I went in for my 2nd HSG this afternoon. Dr. B ordered another, just to make sure that my right tube hadn't developed an infection or blockage. I need the right one to work, since it's the only one I have. I was dreading it and wanted to get it over with before the holidays and before the end of the year (for insurance purposes). The procedure was performed at a different hospital...an older hospital...but all of the staff were very friendly. I also liked it because Dr. M (one of the partners at my IF clinic) came over and did it vs. having a technician do it (like last time). We were with a different clinic the last time I had this done, so a few things were done differently. One being, the last place didn't do any type of numbing beforehand...you just had to grin and bear it...or cry and bear it was more like it. Dr. M told me he would do some numbing before inserting the dye. I was thinking they swab it with something...nope, they stick a needle directly into your cervix with some sort of numbing agent. All I have to say about that is...OH MY. The numbing helped a little, but he had trouble getting the fallopian tube to fill with dye, so he had to add a lot of pressure...that's when the water works started. I don't cry, as in sob...I just have tears running down my face uncontrollably. I always feel like a big baby but I can't help it. The cramping is fierce. He and the nurse were great and hurried through it as fast as they could. Good news is...once the tube filled, it spilled out and everything looked great! I'm now home and have taken a pain pill to help with the cramps.

I think back, before all of this infertility testing started...I used to dread having my yearly pap smear. Now those are a walk in the park compared to what they do to me at the fertility clinic. There is no such thing as modesty in infertility and sometimes it makes me cry...that everything has to be so painful. Emotionally and physically painful. Today is one of those days that as my friend, Faith says, "I'm kicking dirt." I'm sure I will be back to my 'normal' self, tomorrow...but today I just need to cry.

~J

Christmas Tour of Homes 2008!

2008-12-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

I've really been looking forward to this! I love decorating our home all throughout the year but Christmas is my absolute favorite time. The garland, the ornaments, the lights, the candy, the music...I love it all.

I'm participating in two tours today, one through BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes and the other through Hooked on Houses Christmas Tour. Tomorrow, the 16th, I will be partying with everyone over at Kimba's Holiday Open House! Head on over to these blogs and share your Christmas decor, as well!

Click on pics to enlarge...

Welcome to our home...come on in!

I put our monogram or name on everything I can. :)

Front porch

Grab a candy cane on your way in!

This is one of my faves over my front door...It's A Wonderful Life

This is hanging over my back door

This is right inside the front door...a tree and sleigh to hold car keys, etc.

A few of my favorite ornaments...

I love this one...He is the true Reason for the Season!

Can't live in Arkansas and not be a Hog Fan! The other side of this ornament has our Family Name. I always put it beside this picture ornament of us at a Hogs Game.

I'm addicted to coffee, so I had to pick up this coffee cup topiary!

These are solid wood and hand painted...they are so heavy! They are a special reminder of our trip to Cancun which was awesome...definitely going back!

This is my chandelier ornament that I picked up at a little boutique in NLR. I wish now that I had bought more. It's so girly.

My Christmas tree...no theme, just a mixture of things that I love.

My mantel...I love my bottle brush trees.

A rub-on between the mantel & Christmas tree...it says Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year!

I have a few things around my house that say Believe but I'm not talking about Santa. :)

I change out the throw on this chair with each season and add a seasonal pillow...this one says, Jingle Bells.

This candy dish was my Great-Grandmothers...I fill it with ribbon candy.

My buffet...I do something different on this every year. This year, garland, trees, Christmas pics and a bowl of candy canes.

This is also on my buffet...my friend Jules introduced me to this book, years ago. It's the only thing about Santa that I have in my house but it's too adorable not to have. It's about a dog named, Olive that helped guide Santa's sleigh with her keen sense of smell. Thus the name of the book, "Olive, the other Reindeer." :)

Dining room table...a little more casual this year with our gingerbread house and candy canes. I bought this Tag runner at TJ Maxx for $10.00...I love that place!

I always do a fresh wreath on our front door and over this mirror in our dining room. I found this "Tis the Season" ornament at TJ as well, thought it would look cute in the middle of my wreath!

Garland over my dining room window. I hang our Christmas cards throughout this garland...it looks so pretty once it's filled with cards and it makes it easy to see all of them.

My Believe star, hanging at the top of the garland.

Kitchen table...I found this tablecloth this year at Kmart (Martha Stewart). Martha says wash it by hand, which I laughed at when I read the tag. I've already thrown it into the washer & dryer twice. Who hand washes a tablecloth!?

Garland over the window in my kitchen area. The little red sign in the middle of the wreath says, "Soon it will be Christmas Day."

I'm getting nervous with all that I still have to do and Christmas will be here in 10 days!!

Would you like a little snow in your hot cocoa?

Kitchen mat by the stove

Christmas towels...for the Southern Belle in all of us.

Christmas wreath on countertop

I bought this with every intent to hang ornaments from it but ended up making it a coffee mug holder...it works.

I love my nativity...my S-I-L bought me this for my birthday last year. And now you see what I'm talking about when I say, BELIEVE. :)

Not much going on in the guest bath...a tray with a tree, Christmas guest towels and some peppermint hand lotion (to go w/the peppermint hand soap!)

JOY over the toilet. LOL I don't know why I put this here.

Well, are you exhausted!?? I know that was a lot of pics...sorry! I just had to show you everything! :) I hope you enjoyed this Christmas tour of my home.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Jill

Recipes...

2008-12-14T13:31:00.005-06:00

I had several people ask me for the recipes from Bake Night w/my girlfriends. You will find them below.

Katy's Cream Cheese Brownies
Lady Brownies:Yields 15 to 20
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
6 tbs cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Blend together sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Add flour; mix. Add nuts; spread into greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Cream Cheese Brownies: Use Lady Brownies recipe above.
Pour half the batter into a greased pan.
Layer with this cream cheese mixture, then top with remaining batter, swirling it with a knife.
Cream Cheese Mixture
8 tbs (1 stick) butter, softened
One 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Cream together

Andrea's Peppermint Bark
Andrea doesn't really measure things, she just eyeballs it. :)

Chocolate (milk chocolate, semi-sweet or whatever your fave is)
White chocolate
Peppermint extract
Peppermints (crushed)

Melt dark chocolate and poor onto cookie sheet lined in parchment paper (you might want to stick it in the fridge, so it will get firm)
Melt white chocolate add a little peppermint extract and half of crushed peppermints
Once white chocolate is melted, poor over dark chocolate
Sprinkle rest of crushed peppermints over white chocolate as topping
Put back in the fridge until it's hard and then break into pieces and serve!

Jill's Buckeyes
2 sticks of margarine
1 box of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (off brand works best)

Soften margarine (room temp)
Add peanut butter to your margarine and mix well
Once you have mixed margarine & peanut butter, incorporate your powdered sugar.
You want this mixture to be smooth, so blend by hand very well. (do not use mixer)
Roll your peanut butter mixture into balls

Chocolate coating: (You will need a double-boiler for this)
1/2 cake paraffin
1 pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips (off brand works the best)
Melt these two ingredients and then dip your peanut butter balls into the mixture.
I usually coat the entire thing but leaving a small eye is what gives them their name. :)

Place them on foil until dry
Enjoy with a large glass of cold milk!

Love to all,
Jill

Something as simple as a pogo ball...

2008-12-13T19:56:00.010-06:00

My childhood was awesome. I had two parents who loved me and that sacrificed a lot to raise me and my 5 siblings. We weren't surrounded by massive amounts of toys on a daily basis, but God always provided when a birthday or Christmas rolled around. I think the fact that we didn't get something everytime we went into the store, made Christmas and birthdays even more special. My parents tell us stories of how God used others to help us get by...my Dad has always worked in the ministry and to be honest, never made much as we were growing up. Fact is, he didn't do it for the money...he did it because he had a heart for people to understand the love of Christ and to receive the ultimate gift He came to give. I so admire my parents for all they sacrificed and looking back, I don't feel as though we lacked for anything. There are stories of someone stocking our fridge when we weren't home, money appearing out of no where and in the exact amount of a doctors bill that was due, presents arriving from grandparents for Christmas morning. Honestly, they have so many stories of how God took care of our family and I always loved hearing those stories as I got older. I don't plan on spoiling my children just because I can. I hope to give them more of what my parents gave me which was lots of love and a desire to share God's love.

The post below reminds me of those awesome stories that my parents share about God's provision for our family. It reminded me of when I was little and asked for a pogo ball for my birthday, knowing very well that we didn't have the money for one. I never dreamed I would get it, but lo & behold, my birthday rolled around and what did I unwrap...a pogo ball! It was pink and purple and perfect. I absolutely loved that thing. I think it's awesome that God provides for our needs, but how cool that He provides for our wants as well...something as simple as a pogo ball.

Please go to THIS post...He just might want to use you this Christmas.

Love to all,
Jill

First Christmas Card!

2008-12-12T16:47:00.005-06:00

I received my very first Christmas card in the mail! It came from my sweet friend, Faith. I just love receiving cards every year and seeing everyone's pictures...so much fun! I have a garland over my dining room window where I display all of the Christmas cards that I receive. Faith's was the first to go up! That's the good thing about mailing me your card first...you get a prime spot on the garland vs. down near the bottom where no one can see it. HA! Just kidding!! Hopefully, by the time Christmas Tour of Homes is here, it will be nice and full of cards and I'll have a pic to show you. :)

Speaking of Christmas cards and my sweet friend Faith. Head on over to her blog on December 17th. She's hosting Christmas Card Carousel! Just click on the cute logo on my sidebar and it will give you more info.

Love to all,
Jill

2nd Annual Bake Night...

2008-12-11T23:12:00.009-06:00

Last year, I decided that it would be fun to have a bake night with a couple of my girlfriends. They come over and we bake Christmas goodies/candies to give to coworkers, neighbors...just whoever we think deserves a piece of Katy's yummy cream cheese brownie cake! (Isn't that right, Katy!?) LOL

This is our 2nd year to do this and it's always so much fun. Between the baking, we eat, talk, eat some more and laugh A LOT! It always makes my heart feel good to have them over and to spend quality time in the most important room in the house...the kitchen!

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

Love you girls!!
Jill

Andrea beating her peppermints...it's a little blurry because we were both laughing so hard!

Katy mixing the best dessert of the night!

Katy's cream cheese brownie cake

Andrea's peppermint bark

Jill's eyeless buckeyes

Finished baking...time to chat. Or as Alex said, 'you guys were giggling like a bunch of school girls!" LOL

Good times...

Gingerbread Lane...

2008-12-08T21:39:00.010-06:00

I love traditions. Tonight, we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas while we built our gingerbread house. This is something we do every year. I always enjoy it because it's just the two of us, making something together. We make a good team. :)

Check out the finished product below. We are always so proud by the time we finish!

Alex putting the walls up with 'concrete', otherwise known as royal icing. We ran out of icing, so my husand walked over to the KitchenAid and whipped up a fresh batch...I was impressed!

No such thing, as too much candy. LOL

Ta-Da!

So proud! :)

It's A Wonderful Life...

2008-12-06T11:32:00.012-06:00

One of my birthday gifts was tickets to The Rep to see "It's A Wonderful Life." This is my Dad's FAVORITE Christmas movie, so I definitely wanted him and my mom to go with us. We went last night. It was SO GOOD!! After the play, we went to a local bakery to have dessert & coffee with some of my family. I had chocolate creme brulee...one of my faves! We get together once a month to celebrate whoever has a birthday in that month. Last night, we celebrated my birthday as well as my sweet S-I-L, Sara. Here are some pics from the evening.

~Me & Alex at The Rep~

~Mom & Dad at The Rep~

~The entire gang afterwards~

~Jackson got to open his b-day present from Papa & Granny
since his party is next weekend and they are out of town~

~Me & my youngest brother, Andrew~

~Granny feeding Kandace~

~Me & my sis, Joy~

~Sara showing off her new wallet~

~Chris, Kerri & Kandace~

~Joy & her boys (Ty, Cody & Pryce)~

~Cary, Sara & Jackson~

~Me & my sweetie~

It was a wonderful evening with family!

Love to all,
Jill

And the winner is...

2008-12-06T00:28:00.001-06:00

I just want to say thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway! I had so much fun putting it together and even more fun going to each of your blogs (those who have one) and getting to know a little bit more about each of you. I wish I had a gift to send all of you!

I put all of your names into an excel spreadsheet and gave you a number according to the order you posted. After adding the extra entries for those who posted about this giveaway on their blog, we had a total of 139 entries! Random.org chose the winner.....are you ready!???

THE NUMBER IS.......

And who was #101 to post, you ask????

Heather @ Life at Sonic Speed!!!

This is Heather...how cute is she!?

Congratulations, Heather! I hope you enjoy these things as much as I do! I will be contacting you soon for your info. :)

And no worries to all of those who didn't win...this definitely won't be my last giveaway. I had way too much fun on this one! :)

Love to all,
Jill