Happy Day of Love!

I love how well Lauren captured Emily's personality in this picture!

...And this one, she looks so mischevious!


Although these photographs were (obviously) not taken by me and are a couple of months old, I am posting them for two reasons: the first being that I finally printed some out the other day off of the disk from our amazing photographer Lauren Gill (link to the left;) and was reminded of how absolutely beautiful the photos are, the second reason is that I believe our camera has bitten the dust. I cannot express how bummed I am about that. I didn't want to post without some pics...I thought it might be a bit too blah! Anyone that has any camera suggestions, feel free to share.

It has been a while since we posted. Besides being surrounded by sickness by pretty much everyone we know, it has been pretty chill around here. I got a nasty stomach virus and then Derek got the flu! Emily has been good thus far, but I am definitely holding my breath. So, we have been recovering from all of that and just laying low.

Emily is a hoot these days! Her verbal skills are really taking off and she blows us away with her memory. It scares me thinking of the future. She is a dancing and singing machine and is throwing some wonderful 2 year old fits. She loves to pretend and laugh. She helps me cook, is so compassionate, very independant, and is still such a cuddlebug. It is so fun to continually see her personality develop. These days she loves to ask Baby #2 how he/she is doing while patting my tummy and kissing it. We keep telling her she is going to be such a wonderful big sister and that she will always be our baby...we think she will take on the role like a champ! Soon she will be moving to a full size bed and her toddler bed will go back to being a crib. I asked her the other day what color sheets she wanted for her new big girl bed and she very matter of factly responded, "Umm...pink with flowers!" The next day it was purple with polka dots and just yesterday she said black! Go figure, she is an indecisive girl!

And for an update on the potty thing...it is going great so far. I was amazed myself! She is using the potty like a big girl and is of course enjoying the benefits of the sugar high from the Smarties and suckers. For a kid not accustomed to candy, this was a BIG deal for Em and she has loved every second of it! I know that there will be tons of skeptics, but I have other friends that have done it as well, and would highly recommend the 3-4 day potty training thing to anyone who has a toddler that is showing potty readiness signs. I will admit it is a lot of work in the beginning and it means staying in for about 5-7 days. But if you are in a position where you can do it, it is really worth it. The first couple of days were tough but it quickly got much better! We encouraged and praised her a ton and we very animated throughout the whole process, but it really has paid off. Anyone with any questions please feel free to ask!

As for Baby#2, everything seems to be going well. We have another ultrasound on Feb. 19th and would love your prayers about hearing a heartbeat and seeing a healthy baby! I am showing a little bit and a couple pairs of pants are getting a bit snug. I feel much better than even a couple of weeks ago. Right now we are getting close to the end of 12 weeks! It is going by so much faster than with Ems. To answer some of the questions that some of you have posed: No, we haven't even considered any names...Yes, we most likely will find out if this is a boy or girl (I just don't think I can wait, but we'll see)! I am getting more excited and less anxious every day. I am finally beginning to rest in knowing that I have to rely on God to give me strength. I know that sounds so trite, but it is so easy for me to try and do everything outside of Him...and then I realize I can't! Many hard lessons have been learned b/c of my trying to go at it alone! I know that I can only be the wife and mom and friend and servant that He desires me to be through Him. Resting in that has really brought me much peace over the last few weeks! I also began reading I Samuel and meditating on how Hannah so trusted God with her son! The history that came from her trust and reliance on God encourages me so deeply! I am sure I will struggle more in this area but thank God for His Spirit in us!

On other notes...Derek and I had a fabulous time at the Predators game the other night. The only downer was that our friends that we went with were Red Wing fans. I was so bummed for them...I kept telling Heather that she was turning me into a Red Wing fan b/c they were getting killed so badly that I felt sympathy. It didn't help that the Predator fans seemed a bit more harsh with their verbal banter than normal. It was such a fun night! And of course, I am so excited about tonight! Yes, I get to spend the evening with my wonderful hubby (who already hooked me up with candy this morning), but isn't it wonderful that VDAY is on Thurs. this year....the same night as LOST!!!! What better way to say I Love You!!!! I have a fun evening planned for us as a family and it of course is made all the better by LOST being on...I can't wait! I know some of you just don't understand and I feel very sorry for you...Really!:)

On that note, I will leave you with a big "Happy Day of Love"!!! I hope you all get to spend some great time loving on others and feeling loved yourselves! Enjoy it!

(Keep scrolling down for some more cute pics of the stinker!)