Moving right along! I'm actually 29 weeks pregnant as of yesterday - only about 2 1/2 months to go. I'm starting to get really excited and feeling like we should get a move on getting the baby's room ready. Not going to be feeling like painting, moving furniture, etc. for too much longer I'm sure. DJ is in the fields now - they got a late start since they had 4 cuttings of hay this year. Hopefully they'll be done by Thanksgiving!

Woo hoo! We're having a baby girl! We were so excited and shocked! With five boys in DJ's family and five boys in mine, we really didn't think the odds of having a girl were very good. We were so thrilled to find out that we are having a little girl and that she is healthy and growing normally. Such a blessing that I don't take for granted anymore! I can't wait to meet her, name her, introduce her to Jackson... I watched Kortney Kardashian introduce her daughter to her son Mason last night and I bawled! Such a great moment. I hope Jackson falls in love fast like I know DJ and I will. I'll be 28 weeks on Wednesday which means I only have 12 weeks to go. This pregnancy has gone so fast! Now just about a million things to do before she arrives. She! Hah! I still can't get used to saying that!

At almost 25 weeks, I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going. We are getting so excited to meet our little boy or girl and to introduce him or her to Jackson. I am so thankful that the baby has been healthy and that things are progressing as they should be so far. We went in for an ultrasound at 20 weeks and went ahead and tried to find out the sex of the baby. But...the baby had different plans. They couldn't tell us if it was a boy or girl. :) We have one more ultrasound the second week of September so we'll see if he or she cooperates! :) This weekend we head out to visit my parents and Joe in Fort Lauderdale. Let's hope Hurrican Isaac gets the heck out of there before we arrive! I need some beach time and Jackson is DYING to swim in the pool with his Daddy. :) Til next time! xoxo, Heather

Gymanstics

Jackson has had some trouble with coordination, strength, etc. This, I believe, is caused by low muscle tone and his pronated ankles. He walked at 15 months (not terribly late) but seemed to be falling way too often. In the beginning, we thought the falling was due to ear infections (inner ear infection=poor balance) but then the falling was happening more and more. Then, we had 3 elbow dislocations within one year. Talk about horrible - watching your little baby boy experience so much pain from a dislocation is Aw. Ful. Then he fell and hit his mouth and one of his front teeth became permanently bruised and gray. I was like, "that's it, I NEED answers. Something isn't right..." I can't tell you the number of nights I laid awake worrying about what was wrong with Jack. I just wanted an answer - a label ... something! But then, we started learning more, and I panicked. I didn't want people to think he had a disability. Be careful what you wish for I guess. Truth is, there's nothing really "wrong" with him, he just needed some better muscle tone and his ankles lean in a bit (probably the major cause of his clumsiness). He's my little rubber band - flexible as all get out. The orthopedic specialist told us "this is just the way he's made. A hundred years from now we might be able to give you some genetic answers for this, but for right now, it's just how he's built." Phew! Now we know that he just needed a little strength training, ankle support, physical therapy, and TLC. Today he wears orthotics in his shoes every day. He completed his physical therapy in June and now we're on to gymanstics class once a week for improved strength, balance, and coordination. Here are a few pictures of his class at Miss Barb's (Fun N Fitness) where he loves to go on the "jumpoline" every Tuesday. I can see a big improvement! He can now run across the yard or room without falling. Woo hoo! His pediatrician asked me at his 2 year check up how he was coming along. I said great, and I feel better now that we've tried everything we could to help him. I don't want him to suffer from arthritis or some other problems when he's older and I would love to see him play sports if that is what he wants. We'll keep going with his orthotics and gymnastics, etc. I'm just glad my baby is okay.

Fun Summer

We have had such a fun summer so far! Despite the heat, we've had such a great time. We've had our cousins from Indy visit, a few trips to the lake, time spent with our fun and awesome friends, visits from family members, my baptism, Jack's 3rd birthday,...the list just keeps growing! I am so happy to have had this summer with my friends and family. Here's a few photos... On Tuesday, we had our 20 week ultrasound. Baby boy or girl is growing and healthy! Woo hoo! I have such a huge sense of relief now after seeing how much he/she has grown, that he/she has kidneys, a brain, etc. That might sound crazy, but I'm no longer naive about the miracle of having a healthy baby. I'm so blessed!

Last weekend we had an 81st birthday party for DJ's grandpa, Jim. It was a fun celebration of his life and all that he's accomplished. It was great to get together and see some cousins, neighbors, etc. that we haven't seen in a while. DJ fixed up his 4020 this past winter and brought it out to the party for the occasion so we could take a family photo in front of it. Here's a couple good ones..

My parents, brothers, nephews, sisters-in-law, aunt and uncles visited the weekend of my baptism. It was like a mini reunion! So fun! Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Here's a few pics from that weekend...

Here are a few pics from our summer thus far. DJ got me beautiful pink roses for our 8th anniversary, I am 16 weeks pregnant, our friends Jen/Riehl/and Piper visiting from Denver, and a shot of Jackson from last weekend when were were at the Indiana Dunes. It's been a fun-filled summer so far - can't wait for what's next! Peace! Heather