Belly Pics!

At 31 weeks, I'm really beginning to feel the weight of our little girl. :) I must say, however, that I have felt better so far during the third trimester than any other time during pregnancy. It's so much fun! Laura often gets the hiccups, poor thing! She's quite active in the evenings, a little active in the mornings, and pretty quiet during mid-day. These days, she LOVES to poke her cute little fingers and toes into my right ribs. She far prefers to be on the right side of my belly... wonder why? David and I enjoy talking to her and she seems to recognize voices and touch.

Pregnancy really is such a marvelous adventure. It's such a miracle! To think that God is creating life inside of me as I go about my daily business is simply amazing. He is busily designing her cute little eyes, nose, lips, and cheeks for us to kiss and cuddle in just 8 more weeks.

Thank you again for your continued prayers for all of us. Here are a few areas that you can continue to pray about...

• Sustenance and endurance during long work days - I still work two 12-hour days each week. My last day will be June 17.
• We have put our house on the market recently. While we are content to stay here as long as God would have us, it would be helpful to have an additional bedroom at some point. Please pray for peace and contentment during this time of uncertainty.... moving at 9 months pregnant? :) We'll see what God has planned.
• Continued good health of Laura and me - God has been SO MERCIFUL to protect both of us while I work at the urgent care. Only one illness this winter, praise God!!!!
• Organization and preparation for Laura's arrival - it can be quite overwhelming at times to think of all the things necessary to prepare for a baby's arrival.
  
  Thank you for praying! We'll keep you posted! June 23rd isn't far away... only about 8 more weeks. Yay!

and the verdict is....

Disposable diapers! Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who voted on our poll, left comments, and offered lots of great advice. I have learned so much from all of you! After much contemplation, we have decided to use disposable diapers for now. Although I would still like to try cloth diapers at some point, David and I think it would be best to use disposable at this point. And to whomever voted for the "au naturale" option..... GROSS!!!! :)

So, it took several months to make a decision about diapers for the baby. That's only one of MANY decisions to make. Yikes! Thankfully, we have a God who gently shows us the answers that are just right for our baby.

By the way, has anyone read "Lord, I Want to Know You" by Kay Arthur? I highly recommend it! It is a fabulous study on the names of God. I read it as a new believer 14 years ago and decided to re-read it. It's worth it! It has given me fresh perspective on the rich depth of the character of God and His desire for His children to know Him fully. Check it out!

Belly Pics!

Here are a few recent belly pics! Laura is growing! I am 28 weeks pregnant now and Laura should be about 2 1/2 pounds and 13 inches long. She's a growing girl and moving more than ever. She is especially active in the evenings. I am really enjoying this season of pregnancy... her wiggles and rolls make me laugh. Thanks so much for praying with us during these months. We appreciate and covet your prayers!

26 1/2 weeks

27 weeks

Hmmmm...... how many weeks do you think? :) My husband is so funny!

Flowers!!!

Last weekend was our first anniversary weekend. Although we already had a little anniversary getaway last month, we still decided to celebrate a bit. Saturday night, the night before our anniversary, David snuck out to the store to buy a BUNCH of flowers. I had no idea. I was sound asleep. I did come out to the hallway at one point when I realized he wasn't in bed, but he quickly re-directed my sleepy, disheveled self right back around to the bedroom. I still had no idea. He was busily trimming and arranging dozens of flowers in vases all over the house. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I saw BEAUTIFUL flowers everywhere! ...the bathroom, our bedroom, the foyer, the kitchen, the living room. How sweet! Here are a few pictures of David's handiwork. He is wonderful!

I love you, David! Thank you for a wonderful year! Can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries with you, my love!

Drayton and Makenzie

Since many of the recent posts have been about pregnancy, Laura, diapers, and anniversaries, I thought I'd take a moment to post an update on Drayton and Makenzie. Both have had some memorable happenings lately.

Let's start with Dray. Several weeks ago, he jumped off the sliding board and twisted his ankle. It was thought to be a bad sprain initially, but didn't get better over the next few days. We did x-rays and they showed a fractured fibula. Poor guy. He has such a high pain tolerance and isn't a complainer. He never said a word! Now he is in a walking boot, but seems to get along fine, as you can see below. In fact, he was riding his bike the other night! He'll use the walking boot for about 2 1/2 more weeks and should be fully recovered at that point. The fracture, although minor, was through the growth plate of the fibula, so please pray with us that the bone will continue to grow normally over the next few years. We're thankful for Dray and his great attitude! God has given him much grace in the area of long-suffering.

Makenzie has also had a memorable week. A painting she did at school was chosen from among many others to be displayed at the Art Gallery in Salisbury. They chose just a few pieces of artwork from all the schools in the county. As you can see below, she did a beautiful job! The Art Gallery had an opening reception this afternoon for the kids and their families. It was a real treat to be a part of it. Kenzie definitely seems to have an interest and giftings in the arts... she loves fashion, drawing, music, and dancing. We are eager to see how God uses those gifts in the future. David and I benefit from many beautiful gifts of artwork from Makenzie on a regular basis. Enjoy the pics!

If you look closely, you can see that the painting is actually a train of the letters

in Makenzie's name!

Pictured above is Dray with my nephews, Kris and Dana

The Doty Ladies... Me, my mom-in-law (Jane), and Makenzie

Input, please!

I'm getting ready to put together our registry for Laura and I need some help. Do you have any favorite baby items that you would recommend purchasing or registering for before Laura arrives? Also, thank you to those of you who have already voted in the diaper poll. We're considering cloth diapers, but I'd like to hear from those of you who have voted. Can you give me some insight on why you chose cloth or disposable (and the particular brand of cloth diapers you chose)? Thank you so much for your suggestions! Please leave comments for us! :)

He did it!!!!!!

Thank you so much for your prayers. We had the ultrasound yesterday and the placenta is just where it needs to be. God moved it! We are grateful to God for His faithfulness. He DOES form us and fashion us in our mother's womb... Everything seems to be going just fine. No need for another ultrasound at this point. Laura is really active and getting bigger every day. We love her and can't wait to meet her!

Thanks, Mom, for going with me to the ultrasound appointment!