Your Heartbeat

From Mama...

Life changed when I heard your heart beating. I know your dad said that too, but seriously, there is no other way to describe the experience. You see the enormity of you coming into our lives is so huge that it has been quite difficult to wrap my head around it all. Don't get me wrong, I have been excited since we found out. I just have a hard time grasping it all sometimes. The moment I heard your heart beating, the super awesome reality of you sunk in. It was comforting to hear that you are doing well!! November seems so far away! I love you. I can't wait to hold you and kiss your cheeks!

Taco Bell Gift Card

Today I got a letter that made me tear up. Mrs. Huggins is a lady from our church that I hardly ever get the pleasure of seeing. She sent us a letter in the mail. In it, she wrote a sweet note to let us know she was praying for us and for you. She also enclosed a Taco Bell Gift Card, so when I get a craving for some Taco Bell soft tacos, I don't have to worry about their debt card machine not working!! So, incredibly sweet.

Actual Baby Inside

From Dad...

So it's real. There is an incredible amount of concreteness once you actually hear the sound of life, your baby's heartbeat. We were sitting there doing a routine ultrasound (easy for me) when all of a sudden it sounded as if the machine had broken. I thought the lady had hit a root in Carrie's belly (probably a cheese root). Duh, duh, duh, etc. The lady administering the ultrasound had flipped on the audio (without warning) so that we could here the heartbeat. Well, at 160 beats per minute it didn't sound like the heartbeat I was accustomed to hearing. So it caught us off guard.

Once we understood where it was coming from, the sound became palpable. It is the first moment on this journey that the enormity of being dad really set in. Everything in the room, in life, just got a little heavier. By heavy I mean--I get to love my child unconditionally, provide for him unselfishly, and teach him about the Lord. What a task. What a blessing.

So enjoy the picture of our little baby below. It's the first of many. Dad can't wait for you to get here.

Blueberry Muffins

From Mama...

Baby, There is something that I can't wait for you to experience. Christian fellowship. There is nothing like it. You will soon learn that you are so blessed to part of the Broadmoor Baptist family. Their lovingkindness and care over the last few weeks brings me to tears (and not just cause I'm extremely emotional these days). Tonight while we were at Mrs. Louise's I got a text. It was a from Jentry Davis, one of my small group girls. The first text that I didn't get until it was too late was asking me to verify our address. Since I didn't get it soon enough, there was another text, "I hope that is your address cause I just left a present on the porch." How fun is that - knowing you are coming home to a surprise. When I got home, I found a package of pancake mix and blueberries. See this week my application on my phone says you are the size of a blueberry and I told that to the girls on Sunday. Jentry also knew I had been getting sick so she wrote this note, "Hey Carrie, I hope you are able to eat this :) I thought your blueberry wouldn't mind some blueberry pancakes. Anyway, I have been praying for you and love you. Heart (Drawn heart) Jentry P.S. And if this does happen to make you sick, it's from Katie Hopkins." I laughed so hard when I read the card. How considerate!!! Plus, it came in handy Saturday morning, I woke up wanting blueberry muffins badly. I have been wanting some for awhile, but have been too tired to make them. I decided to finally make some. I got out the mix I use and realized I needed vegetable oil. The vegetable oil that I used the last of earlier in the week to make fried okra! I almost cried. Seriously. Then I remembered seeing on the side of Jentry pancake mix how to use that mix to make blueberry muffins. It didn't call for any vegetable oil!!! YAY!!! Thank you Jentry Davis for saving the day!