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!