24 weeks/ 6 months

Introducing baby Spears....Grant Holden Spears!

24 weeks

Yeah we have a name for our sweet baby boy! Grant is Brad's middle name and Holden is the other name Brad and I liked.  We are so excited to finally have a name to call the growing baby bump. We have been working on the nursery and are getting to do all the fun stuff to get ready for baby Grant!
Here is a picture of the fabrics that we are getting made into the bedding and curtains:

Brad purchased Grant's first Patagonia gear....I must admit I love the idea of him being just like his sweet daddy!

Finally, I had a great "first mother's day"...Brad got me something to bring all three closer as a family. His thoughtfulness and love for Grant and I is the best!

God's perfect timing

As I talked to a dear friend yesterday about her struggles to conceive, I was quickly reminded of God's perfect timing in each of our lives! How quickly we forget about the struggles and long journey God sometimes takes us on before He reveals His great blessings. For me the struggles to conceive were a private struggle Brad and I shared for a little over a year.  We felt that the timing was never quite right to share our story with family and friends and wanted our moms (especially) to be totally surprised when we could finally tell them good news of a new grand baby; however, as the year lingered on, doubt and fear that we may not ever get to experience that joy of announcing a new baby began to overwhelm me. Brad and I came to a point that we knew we needed to share with our families about the struggles we were having.  We tearfully told our families and were embraced with an overwhelming amount of love, support, encouragement, and most importantly prayer! Over the next couple of months, our families (and their friends and churches) along with our friends began diligently praying for Brad and I and our desire to have a sweet baby.  On December 23rd we found out we were expecting our first miracle....what an amazing Christmas present!

I wanted to share this story because I have seen and felt the power of prayer in my life, have been humbled by God's mercy and undeserving grace, and He has forever blessed me through something that I thought was hopeless and heartbreaking and revealed to me the beauty in our struggles.  It is amazing how God's timing is so perfect.  Over that year, God used that time to draw me closer than ever to Him.  He revealed Himself to me, showed me things about myself, and allowed me to feel His daily, unconditional love that is so perfect. I would not change a thing about that year because I can see God's plan for His relationship with me through the struggles. I am assured that whatever trial I go through now in life that He will be and is my rock and my constant support. I now know how God uses His timing and His plans to glorify His name! I will forever praise Him and know that He uses all situations for His glory....I must always give Him the glory in good times and bad times...reassured that even in our darkest hours we are in His great and loving arms!

22 weeks

Jeremiah 1:5
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart..."

Each day I am overwhelmed by the miracle occurring inside me.  With each sweet kick and movement, joy and love and gratefulness consumes me. Thank you My God for the blessings you have given Brad and I! I could not feel more honored to be my sweet sons mother and more blessed to have such a wonderful husband and role model for our son!!!

Here is the most recent picture...I was 22 weeks when this was taken. Oh yeah, my other sweet baby boy wanted in on the camera fun! Sadly, I still look like I ate too may donuts...ha ha!

I believe God has told me loud and clear this week that I needed to rest some....which you know I don't do well! However, I woke up Friday morning (after a long day on Thursday) with terribly swollen feet and ankles...Here is a picture of my "cankles" as Brad called them.

So Friday night I can home, drank lots of water, and elevated my swollen piggies. Luckily, they were better on Saturday and I had ankle bones again.  Then on Sunday afternoon, while I was at Body Flow (basically a stretching class) I tore a muscle down the back of my leg...ugh! Guess I should be more careful...Lol! Anyway, I am feeling good and hope to stay healthy throughout the remainder of the time!

It's a Boy!!!!!!

Brad and I are beyond thrilled to announce that we are expecting a sweet baby boy!!!! On Friday, we went to the doctor's office to have our second ultrasound (the first one was when we first found out we were pregnant), I was so excited to make sure our baby was healthy and developing and to find out the sex of the baby.  The second I saw his sweet little face I fell madly in love...and then the doctor said "Congratulations, you are going to have a son"! The joy, excitement, and love was overwhelming! After Brad and I found out, he went and got our moms to find out (they went to the doctor with us to share in our special day).  I was like a proud mom! I was so excited to share our wonderful news with our moms! What a special experience for us to be able to introduce them to their new grandson.  We feel so blessed to have such an amazing family to be able to share our blessing with...thanks Granna and Fancy for sharing one of the most special days with us!!! After we got to see all his little parts and his long legs kicking like crazy, we all went to lunch to celebrate the great news and then off to a day of shopping!!! Yay! I loved looking at nursery furniture with my family and picking out some cute little boy clothes! Now the real decision time.....naming this sweet, new addition to our family!

The pictures from our ultrasound...a healthy boy!

You can see his cute face in this one!

Granna bought him his first toy...Sophie and Fancy bought him a cute Ralph Lauren outfit...I couldn't resist the frog hat!

This was Brad's outfit from when he was born. Nancy gave it to us as a gift after we found out it was a boy...Can't wait to see him in it!

20 weeks pregnant

This week has been an exciting week for us! I am feeling the baby move all the time; it took me a few days to realize and make sure that was what I was feeling...but I am 100% sure it is our dancing baby.  It is constantly kicking and moving, especially when I am listening to music.  Hopefully, it takes after its daddy and is musical! The most exciting thing this week is that Brad got to feel our baby moving around.  It was awesome to see his face light up with excitement.  We are also super excited to find out on Friday what the baby's sex is.  We feel very blessed to have our moms be here for the ultrasound! Here is a picture of the baby bump this week!

17 week picture

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.  I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

This verse has so much deeper meaning to me right now! How awesome our God is and how blessed we are that He knows us by name, ever inch of our bodies before we are born!  He knows the sweet baby growing inside me and knows each little hair that is beginning to grow on his/her hair.  I pray that he works on this baby's physically body as well as his/her spiritual body! I pray they have a deep, unconditional love and relationship with each other. 

I took a picture a couple of weeks ago, I was 17 weeks in the picture.  I am currently 19 weeks and am 2 weeks away from knowing the sex.  We are so excited to find out and to share the special day with our moms!!! I am especially excited about going shopping after we find out!

God's truth

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1). 

Today has seemed like a roller coaster of emotions...probably hormones...ha ha! The Sunday morning started when I was watching Made on MTV and cried over a girl that was made into a cheerleader...really?! Anyway, the day was quickly turned around when we got to church.  Nothing soothes my soul and melts my heart like worshiping my God with my wonderful husband worshiping beside me.  God lifted me up and blessed me throughout the service.  I am constantly praying for our unborn baby...to be healthy, happy, and most importantly to love God with all his/her heart, body, and soul.  I pray that our child serve God and knows Him as his/her personal savior.  I pray that Brad and I are able to not only lead our family through prayer and love, but also through example.  I ask that God lead us in our marriage and parenting, so that it is pleasing to our God and a blessing to us.  My God has been so good to me...even though we don't always deserve it.  I left church with such a feeling of peace and grace; however, it was not long before Satan tried to steal that joy from me.  Why does he seem to sneak up on us and try to take all of God's glory? He is so sneaky that often times I don't realize it is him until much later.  I hate that! Satan tries to take all the joy and excitement out of God's blessings and cover it up with doubt and lies.  I will not let him do this to me! I am armoring myself with scriptures and God's truths so when satan tries to lie to me I am able to rebuke him and focus on God's blessings in my life! 

I am so thankful for after a long year of heartache and sadness, God has blessed my family with a sweet baby.  I will thank God each and every day for this blessing and I will not let the devil lie to me or take away one second of my joy! Thank you Lord for blessing me, being my always and constant, loving me unconditionally, and allowing me to see your Truths each and every day!!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes and verses from Beth Moore's Breaking Free study:
*"I found Him faithful yesterday.  He will not be unfaithful today."
*"He simply desires to grow us up and teach us to walk by faith and not by sight."
*Christ's presence is the basis for courage in our storms.
*"Ask Him in Jesus' name not to let the enemy steal one bit of the victory God has for you.  We must not allow intimidation or fear to imprison us in any area.  Remember, Satan can presume no authority in your life."
*"God is my only guarantee.  The knower of all my needs is the sole Meeter of all my needs."
*"Christ is completely taken with you.  He sees you as His beloved, His bride."