over halfway to the finish line

Can someone please tell me where the time has gone? In the beginning of my pregnancy, it seemed like each day and week dragged on. I couldn't wait to hit the 12 week mark and feel a little more secure with things, but it felt like an eternity. Now, I feel like I could blink, and our baby girl will be there in my arms.

I am over half way through with this baby growing thing, and I may be even closer than I think, depending on when she decides to make an appearance (or the doctors decide to take her). For several weeks now, I have felt the flutters and stuff women speak of. But between week 20 and 21, Natalie started to make her presence known a little more. It still feels light and gentle. Matt has tried to feel her little sudden movements, but it is still too early.

Her nursery is well underway, and Matt and I both have projects to work on for it. I will share some pictures of our projects once we get started! It is so much fun seeing it all come together.

In the mean time, here is a photo of her grandfather practicing for when he will hold his first grandchild.



I cannot wait until our Natalie is here, and I can watch her daddy interact with her. It touches my heart in ways I cannot express each night when he puts his lips against my belly and gives it a kiss while he tells Natalie how much we love her and to take it easy on me when the sickness has caused a not so pleasant day for me. I enjoy listening as he briefly talks to her about whatever comes to his mind, and my thoughts wonder off to those not-too-distant days when we can not only talk to her but hold her close, and tell her how precious she is to us.

When Matt plays his guitar and sings, I wonder if she knows it's her daddy she hears. When her grandparents help work on her nursery or stock up on diapers and other supplies so she will have everything she needs, I wonder if she knows yet how much she is already loved. When her mommy is eating her favorite foods, I wonder if she is enjoying the taste of them as well.

Natalie probably doesn't know it yet, but she is truly a blessed girl. She has an entire team of family behind her, awaiting her arrival and the chance to show her love. When she makes her debut, she will complete our lives even more and give our hearts a new reason to dance.

pretty in pink

Matt and I had the opportunity to experience something wonderful together this week.

No, it wasn't a trip to Hershey, PA where we ate our weight in chocolate at the factory (that was only a dream). Nor did we receive notice from Matt's place of business that, due to his outstanding work performance, they decided to graciously double his salary [though, he did actually receive a small raise recently, praise God!].

This experience was even better. Right up there close to the day I married the cute redhead with glasses.

On Wednesday, we discovered our lives will soon be blessed with a darling baby girl. [Let's hear it for the Pink Team!] As all soon-to-be parents, our main desire is for our growing baby to simply be a healthy newborn. But the selfish part of us sometimes also hopes for a particular gender. You can count me amongst this selfish group. I was totally rooting for the Pink Team. Would I have been just as happy if the ultrasound technician had pointed to some barely visible thing on the TV screen resembling boy parts and said, "Looks like a boy!"? Well, of course! Boy or girl, this child is and will be loved just the same. Even so, I am so thrilled and honored to hold this precious girl within me.

We wanted to have a little fun on our ultrasound day, so we wore these shirts in jest:



I don't think it began to sink in until after the ultrasound was complete that this baby (who we no longer have to refer to as an "it") is a girl. It had been almost six weeks since we last saw our sweet girl via ultrasound, so I am always anxious to see that she is doing well. I said a quick prayer just before the technician started that the tiny child inside of me would be doing well. That prayer was answered, and now I have to be faithful for four more weeks until the next one that God will watch over her in a way that I am unable to.

I did a little dance when we stepped out of the ultrasound room. Matt calls this the "Misty dance". The ultrasound was finished, and I could finally let it sink in that in four months (or less), I will be holding a tiny bundle of pink bliss in my arms. Completely amazing.

After we left the doctor's office, our first stop was baby GIRL clothes shopping! We each picked out an outfit for Natalie.

Here was Matt's choice:



Since I was a young girl, when I always thought about my future, the vast part of that vision included a husband and children. I have wanted to be a wife and mother my entire life. I recall a time in college when I had the realization that it truly didn't matter what I did with my life career-wise. Some people define themselves by what they do for a living. And that's ok, if that is what they desire. I realized then (and it still holds true today) that I wanted my life to be defined by the kind of wife and mother I am, and by how I represent who and what I believe. Family has and always will be more important to me than some outstanding, respectable career could ever be. In other words, I want to work to live, not live to work.

With that being said, our growing girl is definitely one of the biggest blessings in my life, and it is truly a humbling experience that God has allowed me the privilege to be her mother and to be the one to help usher her into life. I know raising a child will be no walk in the park. Brandi, who is such a sweet and dear friend, is the mother of three children who are all 5 and under, and constantly reminds me of this. Ha! However, I just cant help but sit here and get lost in the thought of how beautiful it will be to see our little girl smile and laugh. I think that is what I look forward to the most. Children have the most heart warming smiles and laughter.

I could go on and on (imagine that!), but I will stop with one final thing. During the five years we dated, Matt and I often talked and dreamed of our future life together and the children we would share. We picked out a boy and a girl name before we were even engaged! Now that those dreams are a reality, we are able to put one of those names to use. Our baby girl will be Natalie Elisabeth. Natalie was chosen simply because we like the name, and it is a family name on Matt's side. Elisabeth is how Elizabeth is spelled in German and was chosen in honor of my German grandmother who affectionately goes by "Elsie". My grandmother has one of the sweetest hearts of anyone on this earth, and though she has nothing, she would give all of herself if you needed it. I am so happy that a part of my grandmother will live on in Natalie even after my mammaw is no longer with us.

And thus begins the pink mayhem of clothing, nurseries, wash clothes, and bows in our little (but expanding!) family. Don't worry, if you know me, you know I will still manage to get some blue thrown in as much as possible!