One last look before she arrives! And a salute to Kirk Mathews...

5 weeks to go... or less! And less would be okay with us! On Thursday Josh and I went to Lexington and got a sneak peek at Baby Mathews. This little glimpse into her world was Josh's early Father's Day gift... so before I go on let me take a moment to tell you how happy it made my heart that he chose to get a look at his baby girl in place of a "present." I am beyond excited to get to see him hold her and see her for the first time! On that note, I also want to express my gratitude for my father in law Kirk Mathews as Father's Day approaches. As Josh and I draw near to the birth of our sweet little girl I am so thankful that Josh grew up with Kirk as his example of a godly husband and father. For those of you who don't know, Josh is one of 4 children and he is the only boy. For years Josh has watched his dad tenderly love each one of his girls, support them in their endeavors and faithfully pray for them as they grow. (Thankfully, I have been added to his list of "girls" and for the last two years have experienced this same love.) I am certain that after watching Kirk along with Josh's tender heart and guidance from the Lord Josh is going to be an amazing dad! Thank you Kirk for your great example to Josh and your love for me... and all 3 of our little Mathews! I am so blessed to be a part of yours and Jane's family!

There's our chubby little gurl!

Oh the drama! We wore her out already...

Pouty lip and a chubby little hand!

We can't wait to introduce her to all of you! Thank you for your continued prayers and concern... we're almost there!

Catching up...

So much has happened since I blogged last, so here is a quick run down of our happenings.
Josh was out of town last weekend to celebrate with Kentrell, and a whole gaggle of other guys, Kentrell's upcoming wedding! He and Bailey will be married in only three weeks from Saturday. While in St. Louis Josh picked up a little something for Baby Mathews- here is what it was...

He was pretty proud of his purchase, and for good reason! He did a good job.



More on the baby front- We saw the specialist yesterday and her words to me were "well, you're kinda normal now!" Which means we procede with the last 12 weeks of the pregnancy like any other pregnant woman. It was a blessing to hear this! However, I never minded regular appointments and the opportunity to watch Baby Mathews grow. The baby cooperated yesterday and here are a few of the 3D images we got of her.

We can't tell at all for sure who she looks like, but I suspect that she is going to come out looking like her daddy. She looked pretty adorable opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out. It is amazing to watch how the Lord is growing her day by day.

Lastly, we move out TOMORROW! We signed our lease today and can start painting and moving in tomorrow. We are very excited about having our own home together but it will be a huge change. We are so grateful for the grace and help my parents have extended to us by allowing us to live with them for the last 16 months. The Lord definitely utilized our time living with the family to help heal after we lost the boys. The Lord has truly blessed Josh and I with wonderful parents who have more than helped us get to this point. We are so very blessed. In preparation for the move we have been completing projects for the decorating of our new "home." So I have to take a minute to brag about my sweet husband...

This is (obviously) Josh working on the valance for Baby Mathews room. Unfortunately I fell in love with a bedding set that was not exactly in our budget. The curtains and valances were going to be upwards of $100 to purchase so I bargained... I found valances at the Goodwill for $2 and velvet ribbon at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 and a tube a liquid stitch and we have a valance! Josh has spent two nights in a row working to complete these for me. I am so blessed to have a husband that is talented, patient and loves me very much! I will put pictures up of her completed nursery asap!

Surprise!

Yesterday when I arrived home from work for what I thought was a staff meeting/luncheon I was greeted by shouts of "SURPRISE!" The ladies from the preschool where my mom and I work had secretly planned a shower to celebrate Baby Mathews. The house was decorated in pink, the counter was full of delicious food and the fireplace was covered in gifts. They truly had surprised me! My boss even went to great lengths to put a staff meeting agenda in our mailboxes so that I would not suspect anything. What a blessing the entire afternoon was. Here are a few pictures of the afternoon...

Having trouble loading a few more photos, more to come!

Remembering Liam & Tate

One year ago today Josh and I were faced with hours of the most difficult and heart wrenching decisions we may ever make as parents. This is Liam and Tate's story...
At about 11:30pm on April the 8th I was feeling the usual discomfort that came with being stretched to the max by two growing little boys inside me. I mentioned to my mom I was hurting but this did not seem out of the ordinary for me, especially after a day of being on my feet at school. It wasn't until after a shower and Josh arrived home from work about an hour later that the pain became so intense I began to question what I was feeling. Earlier that day I had been to see my OB and the day prior I had been scanned at the specialist, and at 23 weeks gestation my last thought was that these pains were an indicator of labor. But Josh asked me "Could you be having contractions?" and minutes later my water had broken and Tate was already presenting. Immediately Josh ran to wake my mom and came back down the stairs already on the phone with EMS dispatch. It seemed like only moments later we heard sirens and a crowd of EMS flooded my basement. It took only a few minutes for the EMS to discuss their options and decide on a plan- only I was not satisfied. The tech that was communicating with me wanted to deliver the boys right where I laid but I was aware of the obvious implications that would have on their life if they were unable to be treated immediately. It was only 7 minutes from that to decision until we pulled into the hospital at which point my contractions were 1 minute long with only 30 seconds in between. It took the nurses only minutes to usher me into an OR and prep me for a c-section. Meanwhile Josh was outside the operating room being given information by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit physician about the severity of the situation. She let Josh know that she had the authority to assess the boys and either treat them or not. Josh then entered the room and sat at my head as they began to open me up. The nurses and doctors kept saying to us that we needed to not worry if we didn't hear any crying as the boys were extremely premature. The pulled Liam out first and Josh got a good look at our first precious little boy before they swept him away and began working on him. Next they pulled out Tate and still to this day I can hear the little yell he gave when they laid him on top of my belly. Our eyes filled with tears as there was a collective gasp among the operating room staff. They quickly took Tate to the side and began working on him as well. The boys were only in the room with us for what seemed like seconds and then they were rushed to the NICU. On the way there, their Uncle Clark got a passing glance. Once the surgery was finished I was taken to recovery and was able to see my Mom and Dad as well as my brother and sister. At this point it was the middle of the night but in came my pastor and his wife with tears in their eyes as they prayed over us and for the boys. Also, my second parents the Siers were there to pray with me and take care of my parents. Josh's parents had been notified as soon as I was in an ambulance and they were in route from St. Louis. Josh and my parents were able to go up and see the boys shortly after I was placed in a room. All three of them reported back to me that they were beautiful little boys who were not going to go without a fight. The NICU doctor was pleased for the moment but made it very clear that we were only dealing with a minute by minute status. The doctor suggested that Josh and I attempt to get some rest because we had a long road in front of us. So we slept for a few hours and when we woke Jane had arrived with Josh's sister Maddie. Josh took his mom up to the NICU. I was still unable to feel my legs so I was still bound to the bed. When Josh returned his eyes were filled with tears and it was obvious things weren't looking good. The NICU called and told us to come up because the situation had worsened. My hero- Josh was not waiting any longer for the transporter that was assigned to us. He picked me up and placed me in the wheelchair and we headed to the NICU. By the time we pulled up to Liam's bed they were turning off the machines cleaning him up. The doctor apologized with tears in his eyes and then handed Liam to me. It was only a matter of minutes before we were brought Tate as well. When Josh and I looked up from the boys we were surrounded by both sets of parents and some of our siblings. Our entire family was able to hold them and mourn with us.
The next morning I was encouraged by a dear lady at our church, Diane Parker to hold the boys again. She assured me that this was not strange and that as a mom and dad Josh and I should get to look them over and feel whatever we needed to while we were able. So that is exactly what we did. For that entire Saturday the boys where in our room. Pam found tiny little clothes for them and I was able to dress them in the outfits that they would be buried in. Our entire family was packed into our hospital room- Kirk and Jane, Kylie, Grace, Maddie, Mom and Dad, Clark, Lyric and Laura. We ate meals together and laughed together and though they were already with the Lord, Tate and Liam experienced the love and support of our family's as they would have had they survived.
This was the longest 4 days of our life to date, but I CANNOT begin to imagine what those days and the last year would have felt like without the hope Josh and I have in Jesus Christ. When we look back we can clearly see that God placed individuals in our path those four days- starting with the EMS that stayed with me all the way to the O.R. all the way to the food service lady who brought me extra grilled-cheese and a pie for the family because her family had recently experienced the same thing. Josh and I owe many thanks to our parents who respected our wishes the entire time but completely planned, organized and paid for the small burial service of our boys. The Lord had blessed us greatly in so many ways, but merely by giving us wonderful Godly supportive parents. Over the last year around the house we have been free to talk about the boys, to cry over the boys and to thank God for the short time we had with them. God is sovereign, even in the times we can't understand and don't like. He knew the very minute that Tate and Liam would be called to Him and in that moment there was no more pain or suffering for our sweet boys. Josh and I hold tight- some days even cling to the promise that as God's children we will see our boys again.
There are so many of you reading that have prayed for us and served us through this last year of healing and we cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are for you. I realize this entry has maybe more details than some would like but it is important to Josh and I that people know the boys lived. Thank you for your continued prayers as we covet them for Baby Girl Mathews.

William Louis Mathews

"Liam"

1 lb 7 oz, 11 inches long

Joshua "Tate" Mathews

1 lb 7 oz. 11 inches long

Sweet Brothers

Tate (on left) Liam (right)

Good Report for Baby Mathews and Mama!

We had our appointment with the specialist this morning to check the progress of our sweet girl and check the status of my cervix... and we got great news! The baby is getting big and all of her organs are looking like they are developing well. They were also pleased that she is so active- and believe me she doesn't just turn it on for the camera, this little girl never sleeps! But I am so grateful to feel her moving so often. Maybe even more encouraging was the news the dr gave us about my body. My cervix is still over 4 centimeters and closed on both ends, even with the pressure of the baby moving against is. She shared with us today that because I am 22 weeks and the cervix is still such a great length, I now have LESS THAN a 5% chance of early labor (up to 28 weeks)!!! Josh and I were both relieved to hear this and I may get some sleep tonight! We are continuing to pray that the Lord sees fit to keep our little girl inside me for a while longer and we are so thankful for his faithfulness up to this point. Here are a few pictures of our sweet and somewhat cooperative little girl today...

Thank you for your continued prayers!

A Special Shout out to Mama Goss!

A week or so ago Kerrie, Lyric's mom text me and said she had a "surprise" for me. Later that evening when she came to get Lyric she brought with her every article of clothing that Lyric has now grown out of. She also brought toys, blankets and a few mom things for after the baby comes. After sorting through the clothes by size this is just a glimpse of the wardrobe that has already been started for our sweet baby girl!

These are just the 0-3 month clothes! And this is totally aside from the several outfits her Mimi keeps coming home with... or for that matter her Mama. So on another trip to Once Upon a Child her Mimi found these...

That's right they are the brightest shoes ever but Mimi knew her Daddy is a fan of shoes of all kinds... she was right, Josh got a kick out of these!

Last but not least, I had another surprise last week, this one from (Debbie) Mama Goss. For those of you who don't know Mama Goss let me tell you a little about her... While Josh was at Northwest and played football he crossed paths with another player Jon Goss and soon he met Jon's parents. This is where Debbie entered the picture. From then on she took Josh (and a few other boys) under her wing and quickly became Mama Goss. Josh has been showered with love and support from Mama Goss throughout the years and so it should not have surprised me when she messaged me to let me know that she had put a package in the mail for myself and baby Mathews. Saturday on my door step was a package packed full with two handmade diaper bags! They are wonderful... even match the colors that I have chosen for the baby's room. Here's a picture of her wonderful handywork!

They will be put to good use! Thank you Mama Goss!





still restricted...

Please pray... Yesterday Josh's boss sent him back to work a little prematurely. He went back at 3:30 in the morning Sunday and worked super hard for 10 hours. By the time that he made it home he was walking in a C again. So he returned to physical therapy this morning and then to the doctor. The doctor kept the orders for no repetitive bending, lifting or pushing so Josh will be on 2nd shift at the warehouse for the forseeable future. Please continue to pray that his back heals or that the Lord opens another door at Coke for a position that would fit his physical limitations right now. We appreciate your prayers!

WE'RE MOVING!!!

 This is the floorplan for our first home together! We are super excited to experience married life in our own place. We were out apartment shopping with my parents last week when we stumbled upon this apartment complex. It is a wonderful location! We are within walking distance of a Walmart and only a 2 minute drive from Target, Kohls, Dick's Sporting Goods, Steak N Shake, Sonic, Chick Fil A and much more. And my personal favorite - Waffle House is practically in our backyard. Our actual apartment backs up to a wooded area with a creek. It has pretty much everything we were looking for and met our budget needs. Josh is beginning to sand and paint the furniture that will be moving with us. The baby's nursery will be complete as soon as I we get the keys! We are definitely seeing God's faithfulness and the benefit in trusting His timing and plan. We move in the weekend of May 1st, which leaves me plenty of time to nest before our sweet baby girl arrives. We will surely update the blog with pictures once we are all moved in!

Heavy Hearts...

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain

I will rise on eagles' wings

Before my God fall on my knees

And rise

I will rise


There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Every time I hear this song I am met with tears as I think about the Lord calling Tate and Liam by name to Him, 11 months ago today. Josh and I believe without a shadow of a doubt that in that moment when the boys breathed their last breath their tired tiny bodies felt no more pain as they were in the presence of the Lord. Josh and I continue to cling to the promise that we will someday meet our precious sons in heaven. Job 1:21b "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
Tonight, we write this blog with a heavy heart for a couple that lost a precious baby girl yesterday. I am met with strong emotions as I think about the loss of that mother and father and the days they face ahead. So I ask that if you are reading this that you pray specifically for Rachel and the loss she is experiencing as a mother. Also for her husband- that the Lord would comfort and reveal Himself in a new and real way as he continues to be the head of this family during this tragic season.
As I sat down to write this blog I was overcome with emotion and I began reading the Bible. In the 39th Psalm David writes "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." In the days following the boys death and even now as I approach 23 weeks with Baby Girl Mathews I find myself needing only to hope in the Lord. Only He is the giver of life and only He knows the plans for tomorrow. (However, do not let me fool you- often it takes Josh reminding me to hope in the Lord.)
Lastly is a verse that I have claimed as a promise.
Psalm 126 verse 5 says "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." Josh and I are seeing that the Lord has turned our tears and prayer into joy with the life of this precious baby girl growing in me, it is my prayer that in time Rachel and her husband may experience this as well. Thank you so much for your prayers, they are invaluable.

Monday...

Monday... I woke up to find that I had a surprise day off of work. Due to severe weather in the area schools were on a 2 hour delay which cancels the part time preschool program of which I am an assistant teacher. So Josh and I attempted to go back to sleep until the phone rang with the results of Josh's MRI. Now let me back up and tell you what's been going on that brought us to the MRI... On the 12th of January Josh was at a local grocery store stocking the shelves with Vitamin Water when he made a wrong move and back pain nearly sent him to his knees. He finished out his day and came home, where we iced his back and medicated him with Ibuprofen until he went to bed. Fast forward through his sleepless night and at 4am he got up to head to his Sunday morning meeting. He was determined not to call in, but instead give it a go before he mentioned to his supervisor what was going on. He made it through the meeting and headed off to his first store. He almost immediately had to call a supervisor because his pain was so intense. He then headed to the ER to meet his supervisor. They did a drug test (to make sure you were not using any kind of substance at the time of injury), xray and a few other tests to make sure his nerves were intact.
              *Small sidenote- Josh learned a valuable marriage lesson this day. He waited to inform me that he was at the hospital until 11 o clock and being pregnant and naturally emotional I fell apart. So the lesson is if you go to the hospital even for a stubbed toe- you MUST immediately inform your wife! ha!
The doctor in the emergency room determined it was a severe muscle strain. They prescribed medicine and referred him to the worker's comp physician the next day. Over the past two weeks he has been on major work restrictions causing him to have to work a different position on 2nd shift. To rule out any kind of injury to the bone they did an MRI. It came back negative, only showing the stress fracture also known as Pars Defect that occurred years ago during a football injury in high school. The doctor felt like with physical therapy, proper body mechanics on the job and correcting his poor posture that he could cautiously head back to work as a merchandiser next week. We have been very blessed by Josh's job at Coca Cola and the stable income and benefits that come with it. We ask for your prayers as he continues to heal and hopefully heads back to merchandising. He has done a wonderful job as a merchandiser and his supervisors have been impressed with his organizational skills and efficiency. I am soooo proud of him! I am truly blessed by Josh's love for me and dedication to provide for myself and our baby girl. I love how the Message translation words Ephesians 5:25
"Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting." I am so thankful for Josh and couldn't imagine my life without him!

Busy Weekend

Friday morning I woke up around 3:45am with some stomach pain and back pain. Of course I woke Josh up and we laid in bed watching an episode of The Andy Griffith Show while he tried to convince me that the baby was not trying to come out. By about lunch time I was still feeling anxious because my back pain continued and I started feeling more pressure in my lowerr abdomen. My mom recommended I call the dr and they quickly got back to me with the recommendation that I head to the hospital. So as anyone who knows me can imagine, I walked into the hospital determined not to cry but upon being told to head up to labor and delivery I promptly fell apart. The nurses in L & D triage were truly a blessing that afternoon... they completely understood my fears and ushered me straight into a room. They quickly hooked me to a monitor to monitor for contractions... GOOD SIGN #1- no contractions! They called my primary care OB and she ordered an internal ultrasound to measure my cervical length. (At this point Josh is becoming well versed in OB vocabulary and norms as well as now having a practice run (#1) for when the baby comes.) So... we got in the ultrasound room and they checked my cervical length and it was 4.1-4.2, which is great! What we did discover is that in a few short hours our little girl completely rotated around (to a standing position) and rolled to the other side. My back pain was from pressure on my bladder where her foot was stomping on me. Let the record be set that I am not complaining about the absolutely normal pregnancy pain, I was merely alarmed at what I was feeling. Here's a little pic from our visit...

A little sidenote- for those of you reading who attend FBC Ellisville, my nurse in the L&D resembled Debbie Mace... even her voice sounded like her. So as we left and she hugged me goodbye we explained to her that it was like seeing a familiar face. Her name was Becky and she said to request her when we returned, Josh's response, "Ok, well we'll see you in a couple weeks."

On Saturday Clark, Lyric, Josh and I packed up and headed to Cincinnati to "look at the Fishies!" We visited the Newport Aquarium for something different to do on a Saturday. Here are a few pictures from our day...



Progesterone Shot: Take 1

Today was my first shot of progesterone at home... and may I just say that for absolutely no experience Josh was quite an expert. The shot goes in my hip and we rotate left to right each week. Josh was slightly nervous but he puntured the skin quickly, injected slowly and removed the needle carefully. He may as well have his certificate of nursing, he was THAT good. Because of my extreme fear of needles I thought for sure we'd have a few good stories over the next few months but it seems like Josh has mastered the task at hand. I am so grateful for his desire to take such good care of me. Lately, there isn't many nights that I don't go to bed without some nervous tears but I am comforted by Josh laying his hand on my belly and praying for me and the the life of our sweet baby girl. I am so blessed that Josh is crazy about me... and already crazy about his little girl. Even as I type this it is still sinking in that baby Mathews is a she, we're going to have a daughter! Please pray over the next few weeks as I have already began to worry as I approach 20+ weeks and the time in which we lost the boys. God has been so faithful and I am working to continue trusting in His perfect plan for this baby... Josh is a lot better at this. We go to the doctor tomorrow but no new pictures until next Wednesday. We look forward to seeing her progress!

Baby Girl Mathews

 

There she is! She is 16 weeks and 4 days in this photo. And every time I look at it and look back at her pictures from week 12 all that comes to mind is Psalm 139: 13-14

"For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well."

We are so thankful for the gift of this sweet baby girl. She is growing appropriately to her gestational age, weighing in at about 7 oz. She has long little legs, arms and even hands. We are not too surprised because even at 23 weeks her big brothers were 11 inches long and they had what their Daddy calls "monkey arms." The doctor was pleased yesterday with my cervical length as well as the baby's brain, heart and kidneys. Josh was able to go yesterday to the appointment so that he could be instructed on how to administer the progesterone shot I recieve weekly until week 36. The shot helps to sustain pregnancy and keep the uterus from contractracting, thus hopefully preventing early labor. The doctor has had a positive response with this hormone compound and there is no research supporting any adverse effects on the mom or baby. The only- VERY minor side effect is a bruise and soreness at the injection site. It is injected into my hip and it was and still is very sore but completely worth it to keep our sweet girl growing until at least 36 weeks. So... now knowing who I was buying from my mom and I were in Target and Sam's today and HAD to pick up a few things for her. Here's what we found...

and...

and Will wanted to model the last one, but not without making sure Kerry, Chachi and Susie were in the picture.

Lastly, is a little onesie that her Mimi got her to honor the lives of her big brothers Liam and Tate. This little shirt is especially important to me for that reason.

Thank you for reading and for the continued prayers of our sweet baby girl!



14 weeks 4 days

There's our little sasquatch! Everything is still looking great! The doctor was able to visualize all the brain, heart and other vital organs and was very pleased with baby Mathews' development. The question of whether Baby Mathews is a boy or girl will not be answered for another two weeks... no girl parts or boy parts are differentiated yet. One thing I am certain of is that this is one active little person. As you may have noticed the ultra sound is somewhat of a blur because the doctor had to snap fast as the baby was rolling over and over. I am now certain that the fluttering I have been feeling is absolutely my sweet baby! Our next adventure as a married couple will be as Josh learns how to give me progesterone injections weekly in my hip! We should have some interesting stories to share as soon as those begin. If you are reading this I am so grateful for your interest and prayers for our sweet baby.

A Little Taste of Early Spring

Saturday was a beautiful day in Louisville. The sun was shining and the temperature reached 50 degrees! So after Josh got off work and Lyric finished with her One-year old pictures, I picked up Will and we headed out for a walk. Clark made Will's day when he offered to let Will ride in Lyric's new "deluxe" wagon... it has cup holders! These are a few pictures from our afternoon. 

Will was yelling for "Baby Lyrical" to look at Anna... look at the camera! Obviously Lyric found Will's yelling much more entertaining.

This is a classic Lyric face...

Thumbs up! He was allowed to "push" the wagon. He is getting sooo big.

This was Lyric's favorite part of the walk... the view from Daddy's shoulders.  And Will was "fixing Josh's hair." It is times like this (and the rest of the afternoon) that make me look forward even more to watching Josh raise our kids. He is going to be such a wonderful Daddy! I am so blessed.

Later that night Josh sacrificed sleep for me to babysit, even though he had to leave for work at 4:30 in the AM! Yes, Sunday morning meetings are downtown Louisville at 5am... other than his very early morning he is really enjoying his job. He has already begun evaluating displays at other stores and lets me know how they can be improved. He is such a hard worker. I am certain he's already dropped 5 lbs in this one week of work. Seems only appropriate that I find the weight he's loosing... hopefully I am passing it right onto our sweet baby.

Josh's Adventures at Coca Cola

Today was Josh's first day as Coca Cola Enterprises' newest merchandiser. We were both so excited when we got word last Wednesday that today would be his first day. He left the house this morning in his business casual wear and fresh new haircut (cut by me) looking pretty terrific. He had a fun filled day of paper work more paper work and training videos... not so eventful but you gotta start somewhere. Tomorrow he heads out into our neighborhood  Kroger to be trained "in the field." We went shopping tonight at good 'ole Wally World for the always fashionable steel toed boots. Our shopping trip was a success and Josh's toes will be safe from 2 liters and 24 packs for tomorrows training adventure. The Lord really blessed us with a good friend that was able to help get Josh's foot in the door, and now I am confident Josh's hard work will speak for itself. As for me, I've become quite spoiled over most of the last year. With Josh's past job being on an as needed basis I was able to talk or text him as often as I liked... this is not the same situation. However, I am not complaining I am just stating that this wife missed her husband for a good portion of the day. Another plus to Josh's new job is that his shift is 6am- 3pm so once the baby is here Josh will be able to spend the afternoons with us!

Baby Mathews is cooking!

This is our little "Baby Sasquatch" at 12 weeks and 4 days. Measuring about 3 inches from head to rump, I am certain that this baby's length at birth will not disappoint! Everything is looking good so far. After we lost the twins in April we met with a specialist that told us that the primary cause for my early labor was the amount of fluid and the size of the boys, my body thought it was full term and therefore set things into motion. When we found out we were expecting #3 the specialist wanted to scan me early so we got our first look during week 8. During that appointment Dr. Jamie was concerned that I may have a Bicornuate Uterus. This means that the uterus is heart shaped to some degree and that the placenta is typically only able to grow in a portion of the uterus. This could have been a missing piece to the puzzle with the boys except that upon a second look during week 12 she is not seeing any indication that my uterus is at all misformed. Praise God! This also means no cerclage as of now (stitching the cervix closed for reinforcement). I am being watched very closely (every other week) by a specialist that Josh and I feel very comfortable with. God is sovereign and the doctors and nurses that he has placed in our life, since my labor the night with the twins, have been wonderful. We get another look on Wednesday of next week! I will try to be faithful to update. Thank you so much for your prayers and concern. Specifically pray for my peace of mind as my body is growing and changing.