Our Un-pictured Child: Miscarriage

My blog posts are typically full of photos of my children - their birthday parties, their swimming lessons, at museums and parks, or playing with each other in those rare moments of sibling affability.

Today, though, I'd like to dedicate internet space to a child of mine who will never have their face appear on this blog. I've been mourning the child we won't meet or hold or know, but today my body has decided to move on and I finally forced myself to try to as well.  

This child will never sit in time out or have his bum spanked. He will never have a parent raise their voice to him or accidentally laugh when he was serious. 

This child will instead have the perfect parent. Isaiah 64:8, "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." God created our child by hand (Psalm 139:13, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb"), he then brought our child to Heaven.

This child will never feel embarrassed in front of his friends, or feel left out of a group and lonely. He will never join the wrong crowd, or forget his homework or band uniform and not be allowed to participate. 

This child will instead be surrounded by others who have also had a place prepared for them in Heaven. John 14:2-3, "My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

This child will never have his heart broken or fret about unemployment. He will never forget to pay a bill on time, get pulled over, or face a critical illness. 

This child will never feel pain. Not emotional nor mental nor physical. Revelation 21: 3-4, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore." This child is already dwelling with God - he doesn't even have to wait until God dwells with us on earth.

Do *I* hurt, though? So much. My baby doesn't hurt, but I do. I grieve. But "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways' declares the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8), and I know that despite the fact that this would NOT be my way, it is His way, and He has a plan for me and this child that did not involve him being born to me. Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" I will still continue to grieve, no doubt. I don't think I'm completely done crying yet. Hearing about the similar pain of friends and family will bring the pain back, but I KNOW that I will see this child in Heaven one day. I may not hold him, rock him, nurse him, clothe him, sooth him, care for him, but I will see him again in a place of perfection. 

So my precious baby, you are not pictured on my blog today, your photos won't hang on our walls, and your toddler art work won't decorate the playroom, but you've made a mark on my heart. You won't be someone's best friend or their first crush. You won't be someone's spouse, parent, or boss, but you've impacted me deeply. You're my child and I will see you again. I love you. 

The day before Tiny Two!

From this morning, March 30

Playgroup 3/10

Monday playgroup time! After a crazy day full of contractions it was nice to see some friends and their sweet munchkins. Somehow all 3 kiddos got the memo that they should come prepared to be grumpy, but it was still fun :)

3 amigos

Zachariah decided the ladies needed to get off so he could keep driving the bus.

The girls

All of the toddlers had fun with the play food.

Zachariah was especially fond of baby's stroller.

Princess castle:

Trying to change the music on the computer

Toddler wars: Puzzle

Legos:

After a huge tussle and melt down involving the shopping cart, it was decided the kiddos were done and needed some dinner.

Clara was pooped out!

Picture as Edith Marie tries to come into the world a little earlier than I'm comfortable with :)

Mom's Night Out Surprise!

Last night our playgroup planned a Mom's Night Out at Mi Rancho. I was so tired and nauseous that I almost bailed (which I hardly ever do), and I'm so glad I didn't because it was surprise baby shower for little Edith!!

I have so, so many sweet friends. At Legacy they did a diaper drive for us, and my mommy friends wanted to make sure Edith felt the love from them too. I am pretty good at guessing surprises, so the fact that I had no idea made this 100% more fun!! 

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Windy, Natalie, Lauren, and Shelley! And an extra-special shout out to Amber for planning it and bringing DELICIOUS cupcakes!! You guys are too good to me!

OB Appt: 35 weeks

Today I met with my OB again to check on Edith and see how I'm doing with blood pressure, protein, etc.

Edith is doing great, measuring on track, strong heart beat at 138 beats per minute, kicking like crazy, and breech. I don't think they believed me over the phone that I was having contractions when they asked, but I had 3 while I was there that they saw and felt, so it's not all in head! (or womb? :) This kiddo isn't trying to delay her debut the way Clara did :)

X-rays showed the fracture is no better, and looking a bit worse actually, so I'm meeting with an orthopedic surgeon next week. It may require a screw surgically inserted to make my hip line up properly again. That is a little tricky with a baby in there, so we're trying to figure out the logistics of a c-section, early labor signs, broken hip, etc. Keep the prayers coming, they are appreciated!

Getting so close to meeting Tiny Two!

Wonderful, wonderful news!

Yesterday I had my follow up appointment with the maternal/fetal medicine specialist. 

IT'S NOT A PLACENTA ACCRETA!! You may remember from my precious post that it was suspected from my previous appointment that the placenta was growing into my uterus which causes all sorts of major problems. Well, as of yesterday it hasn't! It's still in a low-lying position which isn't "favorable" but it's actually soooooo much better news that we were originally told.

Even better news: Tiny Two looks great- no problems with her sweet little heart at all that they can see! 

I know there have been literally hundreds of people praying for these medical situations, and I'm fully convinced that while those problems probably did exist, God has intervened. I am so, so thankful.

I've still been told to take it easy, no lifting anything heavy (like a toddler .... hmmm), and to get to the hospital ASAP if there's any spotting at all, but the prognosis is far better than it was. It looks like I may be able to deliver closer to home after all, and the baby won't need to come early. 

I have another follow up appointment in 6 weeks to confirm these findings and make sure the placenta is still behaving. Please keep those prayers coming! 

I have a CD of images of Tiny Two so as soon as I download those onto my computer I'll share a few with you!

Baby January

We found out we were pregnant very unexpectedly a few weeks ago. I panicked, cried, and thought, "how will I manage two such little babies!?"

I snuggled Clara, and then as she threw cheerios all over the floor, the dryer buzzed, and the dog vomited on the rug, I cried some more. And I started praying - fervently, "How, God? How?"

I heard, "Be still."

..."but..."

"Be still."

All day long I was told to be still, until Bryan got home from work. By then I felt such peace about this baby on the way. Bryan and I prayed together, and decided we would make the conscious choice to be joyful and excited, rather than focus on the unexpected curve ball this was. We made a list of every single thing we could think of that was a positive, a blessing, a benefit to expecting another baby to join our household while our oldest would only be 19 months.

After making peace, we settled into the challenges of the 1st trimester - nausea, morning sickness (which, strangely, this time only hit in the afternoons or when I got into a car), and extreme fatigue. My prayer group, play group and family were aware of the pregnancy from the beginning. I knew there was no way I was going to make it through this time without a lot of support, encouragement and prayers. I figured I would inform my friends as I saw them. In my mind, if I miscarried, I wanted people to know - I would need their love. And, possibly, need their help with Clara.

Friday I started experiencing some severe cramping, and spotting. I was unsettled, but chose to believe it would stop and was just a quirk of my body settling and adjusting. The cramping and spotting had stopped by the next morning, phew.

Then up again it started Saturday afternoon. By Sunday I knew something was definitely wrong. It wasn't that anything had particularly changed - but I knew intermittent cramping, pain and blood could not be good for our very small growing baby.

My prayer warriors have rallied. We have cried, prayed and hoped.

Today I found out that I am miscarrying this sweet child.



Darling Baby January, we have already planned out exactly how you were going to work into our family. We discussed baby names, car seat arrangements, how it would work with Clara being on a different schedule, and on and on. I want you to know you were WANTED, despite being unexpected. That we consider you a JOY, a Heavenly gift, and I know that you make a beautiful angel.

I believe you were the angel God sent to get me on my knees, learning to truly "be still."
This has been a very difficult lesson for me to learn.

I love you. Your Daddy loves you.
We miss you already, but I am so glad that Jesus can hold you since we can't.

41 week update #2

Maybe I should have waited to post my earlier update today, but I'm home again after my appointment today having nice STRONG contractions (yay! and ouch! at the same time) and experiencing some back labor because baby is of course back to positioned badly, although thankfully still head down and engaged at station -2 for those of you who may know what that means (fairly low & engaged). My midwife said there was a lot of progress from last week (so glad all of these contractions over the past week are doing something for dilation and effacement) and she did a membrane sweep which she said usually results in active labor 24-48 hours after for first time moms. We'll see. I can hope!! (And so is just about everyone else I'm guessing, haha.)

I'm supposed to try castor oil (a LOT of castor oil) if there's no baby by Saturday. Eww. 

Also, I made an appointment for next Wednesday (that we are all hoping I won't need to keep :) to do a biophysical (to assess baby's health) and NST (also to assess baby's health) to determine if we continue to try to move things along naturally or transfer my care to a hospital for induction. Given my lack of space in the tummy region (I am 4'10" after all) she doesn't really want baby to continue growing much longer than that. Her best guess without a sonogram is that baby is around 7 1/2 lbs at this point. She's had a TON of practice so her guesses are usually fairly accurate. I don't want her growing much bigger than that either!! At least, not until AFTER she's born :)

41 Weeks

We are still a family of 2. Or a family of 4 if you count the Maverick & Goose - and how can you not!? 41 weeks today and an appointment in a few hours to check up on everything.

Grandma is now officially settled in at Uncle John & Aunt Quay's in Port Lavaca, so that takes a serious weight off of Mom's shoulders. I honestly think that God had something to do with having this child wait until Grandma was settled, just so we wouldn't need to worry how to handle both crazy things happening at the same time. Please pray that she will finally decide to start eating, drinking, and doing her physical therapy. I hear seeing her plants for the first time in a while really brightened her up :) Maybe that will be the first step of many!?

Since Grandma has been gone, Mom's been going out of her way to keep me entertained and cheered up. My energy level is about a 0 (maybe a 1 on a good day) because I'm just so huge and this little one is so low. Plus if I'm on my feet for more than 45 minutes a day they blow up to the size of footballs, yikes! Thank goodness for peppermint oil and compression socks :) 

(Side note: I have NO idea how older folks get those socks on!!)

Bryan's been great to me. He's feeling bummed and a little nervous about her not being here yet too. I think we've both had more trouble accepting her tardiness lately because we received some very, very sad news about a friend of ours. She was a week and a half overdue, induced, and her son passed away shortly after birth from aspirating on meconium when he was born. This doesn't typically happen until babies are so developed that they can have bowel movements while still in the womb (typically only after 40-41 weeks). There's no way to know if that's going to happen until your water breaks, so we've both been on edge. Please, please keep Marlee & Bryan and their now angel baby Asher in your prayers. I cannot imagine the heart ache that accompanies such a sad experience. We have been loving on them in our thoughts and our prayers, but I'm sure the grieving process will take a while. 

Leah & Andrea were sweet enough to keep Maverick for a few days for us when we thought I was finally in labor, but nothing came of it. Thank you guys!! He had SOO much fun with Waylon and all the new people to play with. You guys are amazing :)

Blake graduated from High School this past week and is now Texas A&M bound - whoop! We had fun at the graduation party for him this past Sunday. Congratulations, Blake! 

Oh - and more good news! Ryland finally sent a crew by to fix our sprinkler system! (It got broken when they did the final leveling/sod laying for the house they built next door). Yay for a sprinkler system that works in Houston heat!!! 

I think I'm out of updates. Until we have more news :)

I'm ready!

Get. this. child. out.

That is all.

A pregnant woman's instinctive answers

Every now and then I get to feeling a little ... less like myself ... and little more like a very sarcastic and frustrated person. I doubt it's a coincidence that timing of my current snarky self follows three ENTIRE nights of false labor, 24/7 heartburn, miserable sinus pressure, sciatica and upper back/neck pain. I've managed maybe an hour to two of sleep a night recently, and it's not doing much for my generally chipper attitude :/

This got me thinking about all of the comments that are regularly made to me that I would normally ignore or at most side-eye, but recently leaves me ready to attack or at the very least respond with an equally inappropriate or rude response.

If you feel inclined to say one of these things to me today, even if I manage to respond politely, you'll now know what I'm really thinking :)

(1) "Have you had the baby yet!?" -or- "You're *still* pregnant?!"
Yes! I gave birth 3 weeks ago, but we didn't want anyone to know so we've hidden the baby in the attic and I've strapped a watermelon inside my shirt. But I guess now you're in on the secret.

(2) "Are you dilated? Effaced? Ripened?" -or- "Have you lost your mucus plug yet?"
Remember all those other times I've discussed my private parts with you? Exactly.

(3) "When is the baby coming?"
Hang on, and let me ask.

(4) "I'm so impatient!!"
Really? You're 9 months pregnant, experiencing contractions for DAYS, exhausted, feeling miserable, and ready to put your body through a rather intense workout so that you can meet this little person? No? Oh. It must be hard going through your normal day, feeling fine and just wondering when you may get a message that a baby has been born. Sounds rather stressful.

(5) "Sleep while you still have the chance! Just wait."
I can't even think of a response to this because it just makes me so mad.

(6) "Don't be so impatient. Babies are easier when they're on the inside than outside."
Why is it that I've only heard this comment from MEN? or a handful of women with very easy pregnancies? Hmm. Sir, I bet it was a lot harder for you after the baby was born than while your wife was dealing with everything by herself. Too bad you can't put it back, huh?

(7) "You don't get a cervical check every week!? you should get a doctor that knows what they're doing" -or- "They aren't going to induce you until you're past 42 weeks?! how did you get such a cruel midwife?" -or- "They haven't swept your membranes yet!? what are they waiting for?"
Sounds like I really messed up picking prenatal care that I chose on purpose because I don't agree with all of these things. Gosh, I hope I do better next time. 

(8) "Med-free? Yeah, good luck with that."
Oh no! You don't think I can do it? I better get the pitocin/epidural after all!

(9) "Want to hear my whole pregnancy/labor/delivery story for the next 2 hours? No? Okay, I'll tell you."
That's exactly what I wanted to hear while pregnant and getting close to labor, thanks. Especially the part about your horrible tear/the emergency c-section/the trip to the NICU because your baby stopped breathing or had some other scary problem, or the fact that it took 6 weeks for you to feel better.

(10) "Have you guys had sex? I hear that helps."
I've talked to you about my sex life before? No? I guess now is a good time to start. 

(11) "Have you tried castor oil? spicy food? eating 4 large pineapples?"
Nope. Not a single person has ever mentioned any of these suggestions to me. How have I not heard of all these great ideas that end in diarrhea? What am I waiting for?

(12) "Have your boobs leaked yet? No? You won't make milk and won't be able to breastfeed. They have already? You're going to become engorged and not be able to breastfeed."
Good to know.

(13) "How are your bowel movements?"
Shoot, I should have taken a picture last time to show you.

(14) "You should really wait until *this date*, that's my birthday ... or my mom's birthday, or my second cousin twice removed's birthday."
I will try to accommodate you, especially as you are more than likely a complete a stranger.

(15) "How much weight have you gained?"
I was hoping you'd ask! It's your business too now that I'm pregnant. Don't forget to ask what size bra I wear now too.

Well, I feel better now. Even just saying these things to my blog :) Going to start channeling politically correct and polite Katy again ....

Is there a baby yet?

Doh! No :(

But I've been having lots of contractions and cramping, so I'm hoping SOON. Otherwise this could be a very laborious labor process (see what I did there? :). I keep reading these stories of first time moms that have all these irregular contractions for a week or more (yikes), and I'm hoping that will NOT be the case.

I've been doing lots of bouncing on the exercise ball, going to the chiropractor, walking Maverick, taking the (incredibly disgusting) L6W drops, and praying. God knows what the perfect birthday for this little one would be, but I'm hoping it's in time to celebrate the Memorial Weekend with her :) Yesterday evening/night I was having very regular and painful contractions and Bryan and I were starting to wonder if it would finally be time, when around 3AM they stopped. It was disappointing, but also a good dress rehearsal. We've had a lot of people express doubt in my ability to deliver med free at the birthing center, but I feel so empowered and capable. These practice rounds just make me more determined and more excited.

Grandma has also been transferred from Conroe Regional Hospital to HealthSouth Rehab Hospital - praise the Lord!! We were not sure when this would finally happen, but I kept hoping Baby E would wait until she was settled there before making her appearance, and now I feel like everything is ready to go. I think Grandma probably feels slightly like she's been enrolled in Boot Camp, but it'll be so good for her. Time to work those muscles, get some nutrition, and start interacting with folks again! I'm so thankful that this takes a huge amount of pressure off of my Mom's shoulders. 

Also, I don't know if I've said this yet, but our school is out for the summer. Our last day of school was last Wednesday, and all I had to do after that was get the finals graded. All done!! Although since I've had quite a bit of down time I've been developing my lesson plans for World Geography next year and I'm so excited :) This summer is probably going FLY by, so I'm glad I've got some prep work going in advance. 

Stay tuned, friends. Hopefully I'll be "introducing" you to someone soon!!

Letter to the Tiny One

Dear Littlest Evans,

It's been a while since I've written you a letter! You won't remember this, but we do have a fairly one-sided conversation every morning in the shower, unless you count the rolls and pushes you give me in return to my explanations about life and begging you to come out so I can meet you :)

You are 38 1/2 weeks developed, and as our midwives say, "really running out of room to grow!" When they measure my uterus, it's all the way up to my chest and way down low. You've dropped little one, so I hope that means you're thinking about exiting soon. Your Momma is having a hard time breathing these days, and my feet and hands are very swollen. My Mom doesn't remember if she was or not, so maybe in 25-30 years we'll see if it runs in families :) I am also incredibly grateful to our chiropractor for making sitting, standing, walking and laying down much more manageable. I've been eating applesauce by the gallon trying to keep the heartburn at bay, so who knows? That may end up being your favorite food! You have such violent pushes, kicks, and stretches now so I'm convinced you're going to be crazy tough like your Momma. Your Daddy agrees, although he insists your wit and smarts will come from him :)

The puppies are curious about all of your belongings. I caught Maverick sitting in the bouncer, so I'm sure the weight limit is plenty high enough for a wee one like you. Goose is fascinated by the cradle Grandpa Ronnie built you and has been trying to figure out how to nap inside. Both dogs love to doze on the glider, and so do I! Hopefully you find it as soothing and relaxing as we do.

Your parents have now attended a Birthing/Infant Class & Breastfeeding Class, so try to remember we've done our best to prepare for what to do, and try not to get too frustrated with us when we don't remember everything. Your Momma is very nervous about breastfeeding, so work with me until we get it right. We won't let you starve, I promise!

The nursery is decorated and organized, your clothes are washed and folded, we have a cabinet in the kitchen dedicated to just your baby items, the bathroom is full of baby soap and lotion and an itty bitty tub, our room is prepped and ready for you to camp out with us for about 6 weeks, the car seat is installed, and we have a diaper bag all packed and ready for you little one. I hope you will feel very welcome!! I'm sure you'll let us know if you want something else, although I have no idea what that could be.

Your grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, parents, and puppies are so ready to meet you! Feel free to come join us as soon as you're ready!!!

Love,
Your biggest fan

Springcroft Shower

I'm firmly convinced we live on the best street in Houston! If you are house hunting, you should be looking in Inverness Estates ... that's all I'm saying :)

Our sweet neighbors threw Bryan & I a block party baby shower style this weekend. It was fun!

One of our neighbors, Kristin, has crazy crafty skills and I will definitely use this idea at any future baby shower I throw. So cute! Watermelon baby:

Crazy, fun people :)

Games: Spin the "bottle" + word scramble + clips + decorate the onsie

So many generous (and practical!) gifts

We so enjoy all of these people :) Thanks for hosting, Heather!

Goofy ladies - and this is PRE-crawfish boil & shots, which I did not participate in :)

Yummy cake, mmm

It was so much fun! All the gents, ladies & kiddos had a great time. Thank you so much!
Oh, and we loved the onsies each family decorated!

Baby-Related Update

Because we have been SO generously showered with gifts for the baby, we've had a lot to set up and get ready! I've got the last load of tiny clothes in the wash, and finished washing little sheets and blankets earlier so that the cradle Ronnie built for us is made, and the crib in her bedroom is all made too. This child has no shortage of comfy places to sleep :)

While watching Captain America with Bryan this evening (he's ready to see the Avengers movie - do you think I could get through a whole movie at the theatre??) we set up the Rock'n'Play and Swing. Our home is starting to look invaded by a baby and she isn't even here yet!! 

Maverick finds all of this very interesting, and enjoys sniffing the new items in his territory and rolling on the soft blankets. We tried to explain to him that the incredibly soft lion mat does not go in his kennel for his sleeping enjoyment, it's for the baby. I think he remains unconvinced, but has reluctantly agreed to leave it in the nursery for now. I won't be shocked if he tries to find another home for it again in the future :) Thankfully he doesn't destroy or chew anything up! He just wants to sniff it out or lay on it. And who can blame him? Everything smells so good and feels so soft. 

I've been having lots of contractions, nothing too regular, so we're not ready yet, but I just feel better getting everything ready to go at home in case this little one does decide she's had enough of the cramped space and is ready to see the world. She's officially past full term, so I say we're ready for her whenever she wants to make her debut!

Beth & Janie's Baby Shower

This past Saturday, April 28th, two of my dearest friends - Janie & Beth - threw me a baby shower. Janie even flew in from Denver to do so!! In fact, it was absolutely wonderful because Bryan & I got to have dinner and hang out with Janie & Tyler (who also flew in!) Friday night, Bryan & Tyler drove to College Station for the Maroon & White Game on Saturday while I saw Janie at the shower, and then Saturday evening Tyler came over to our house to visit some more. I miss these guys so much that it is SUCH a joy to be able to visit in person!

Margarita cupcakes, chocolate spice cake, light sandwiches & fruit - yummmmy

First things first, some munchies & visiting

Making sure everyone was introduced

Once folks arrived they filled out a card with advice for the new mommy (which I will treasure). Janie read them aloud (I am particularly adept at recognizing handwriting) and I was supposed to guess who gave what advice. It was fun to try to figure out who would give practical, who would give emotional, and who would give funny advice :) Nailed it most of the time! Although there were a few tricky ones :)

Beautiful blanket created by hand by Janie!  We were given so many sweet, thoughtful, and generous gifts. Thank you so much everyone!!

With my grandmothers - My Meemaw on the left, my Grandma in the chair, and Bryan's MeMaw standing by me. I love all three of these women so much. This is the 1st great-grandbaby for 2 of them, and Grandma's 15th!

With Cousin Emily and the ADORABLE elephant hamper.

The two fabulous hostesses. Thank you, THANK YOU!

Bryan's step-mom, Celina, his Aunt Lety, & MeMaw Evans

With my Momma - next photo we have together should be with 3 generations!

Two of our fabulous Aberdeen, Scotland friends - Nina & Debbie

My Papaw swung by at the end to pick Meemaw up right around the time Bryan showed up to see and thank everyone himself

Three of my FAVORITE people: Bryan, Janie & Tyler

This shower was so sweet!! Thank you so much everyone! This little baby has no idea how loved and celebrated she is yet!

Legacy Diapers

Today the fabulous staff at Legacy generously gifted Bryan & I with so many diapers!! (and wipes, shampoo, and a few cute monkey onesies with pants). Many of the givers were from our wonderful administrative team, fellow high school teachers, and other teachers I've had the chance to get to know and love this year. Some of it I'm not sure who it came from! 

The piles of diapers that showed up in my classroom this morning!

Bryan is going to be so excited and surprised when he comes home later :) How amazing is it that we both work at places where we feel respected, useful, and cared for as a person? Even more crazy, both places recognize how important family is too. We've both served time working for employers that didn't believe a person's family was (or should be) as important as their job, and viewed employees as a means to getting to the bottom line or as individuals that could be bullied and threatened into better performance. Now that we both have a job that we enjoy - thank you LPCA & Anadarko! - I realize how rare and special it is that we both like going to work and seeing our coworkers (and in my case my students and parents as well) in and outside of work.

I have been dragging for a few weeks because of the sinus infection, insane lack of sleep, and general discomfort I've been feeling, but even with all of that going on, I want to be at school with my students and I want to see my coworkers. There will be plenty of time this summer when it'll be just me, baby, puppies - yikes! :)

I'm so grateful for such a loving and generous gesture from the Legacy family!

If the Old Wives' Tale ...

... regarding insane heartburn and hair is true, this daughter of mine is going to look like a:

Highland "Coo"!

It's MAY, people! Get ready! Only 4 more weeks :)

Maternity Pictures

You may remember a few weeks back me mentioning that Bryan & I went to College Station to have maternity pictures taken by Shannon Morton (the wife of a former pastor of ours and the daughter-in-law of a family friend). We really enjoyed our time with her, and the CD of the pictures from that day came in the mail today and they are great! 

There are several pictures I left out - most because Baby's name was in them :) Remind me once she's here to post those because they're really cute too! There were also a couple similar poses, so I just picked my favorites.

Enjoy!

Our first onesie purchase! And our mode of telling my folks we were expecting on Mom's birthday.

I think this might be my very favorite one!

Oh, you know, just lounging around the Home of the 12th Man

Baby Girl Evans, Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of '34

On the field

Kyle Field, A-Whoop!

Just me

She really is in there

Love this one!!

Hiya, fella :)

Children's books

Tiny Feet

Our Aggie Rings - can this much Aggie influence penetrate the womb?

We are so excited to meet you Baby Girl!!

Thank you so much Shannon for capturing this time for us!!!