Belly shots.

I suspect that the real reason we were asked to create a blog was for updates on Baby Maynard, so here are some photos that we have so far.

The pregnancy test wasn't very clear to me. Was there really a second line or was I just seeing it because I knew it could possibly be there?!?! Needless to say I went out and bought every test on the shelf the next day! Luckily one of those was a digital test... Pregnant!

Here is our 4 month ultrasound. We found out that we are expecting a little girl! She was awake during the ultrasound & was playing 'Chase' with the technician. She kept flipping over & squirming away so that our technician had to keep chasing after her. It was absolutely amazing watching her on the screen & realizing that we really are expecting a baby! (I labelled the photos for those who are ultrasound illiterate! Hope it helps.)
Her head, arms & belly. (Here she is facing you; so you can see the details of her face!)
Her belly, legs & feet. (Here she is lying on her back facing up.)
As those of you who have been pregnant before have probably experienced, you don't feel very glamorous let alone photogenic! However every time I see my mom she insists on taking a photo. I am sure that I will appreciate it when I start our little girl's scrapbook but for now this photo is being posted against my will. (This was taken at 24 weeks pregnant.)

I hope nobody minds if I get a bit 'journally' here but lately God has really been impressing upon me the passage Psalm 139:13-18.

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¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.

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It's amazing how the same passage affects us differently at certain points in our lives. I've always seen this passage concerning me but lately this passage has been a huge source of comfort for me. I find myself worrying if I am eating correctly or pushing myself too hard. Am I doing what is best for our little girl? If a few hours go by that I don't feel her move then I will start to get a bit antsy; maybe I did something horribly wrong and hurt her.

But here, in these verses I am reminded that God is at the helm. He is the one creating her & forming her. If there is a birth defect then God knows, because He created it there. He already knows every day of her life. Nothing Lance or I can do will change how God has decided that our little girl should be. She is in His hands. What a comfort that is to know.

A house becomes a home.

Our family has been bugging us for photos & updates & basically to create one of these blogs. So here we are ... caving to peer pressure!

This first post is more of a trial run; to get the hang of the ins & outs. So please bear with us. But I thought I'd put a couple of photos of before & after of our home. Here goes....

This is kind of a 'during' photo. I didn't have a great 'before' shot. But this white carpet was throughout the entire house. (Even the bathrooms!!) When we ripped it out we found that beautiful yellow linoleum that you can see under the trashcan!

Lance hard at work installing the Pergo.

We had to put in a new sub floor for half of the first level; so two of Lance's friends came over to help out. They did a fantastic job & from the squeaks (or lack thereof) you can tell where Lance & I left off & Lance, Randy & Brad began!

The three guys hard at work, out on our back deck.
The finished floor!(L) Basement before carpet. (R) After carpet.
















Lastly painting. The stairs were oh so fun! Thank goodness we had Lindsay's ladder & extension poles! (L) Lance. (R) Dad held the ladder while mom climbed up to do trim.

Well, I know I started by saying before & after shots but our realtor is coming next week to take the 'official' photos of the house for her advertisements so maybe I'll just wait until then...

All in all our home looks great! We completely ripped out the flooring in the basement & main floors. (Put in new carpet in the basement & Pergo on the main floor, along with new trim & baseboards. Thank you Brad & Randy for your help.) We painted all of the main floor & the 2 stairwells. (Thank you mom, dad & Lindsay for your help.) Put in new floors in 2 bathrooms (that was my learning experience!) We refinished the back deck as well as replaced the step for the deck. (Thank you Randy again.) All of this amongst other odds & ends.

The house looks completely different from the bachelor pad that it was & truly feels like a home now. Thank you so very much to everyone who pitched in & helped us out and also to those of you who listened to us go on about the process! Now let's just see if anyone else falls in love with the place enough to make an offer...