Promoted to Big Brother

I think my Jordan is going to be a WONDERFUL big brother.

We're definitely ready for Jessie now.  Only 2 or 3 little things remain on my to-do-before-Jessie list, and they are very minor.  So, come on baby girl!  We want you with us, and we can't wait to see how your big brother loves you.

If she stays in-utero till Wednesday, she'll have made it to 38 weeks.  That's the very last picture that I took before Jordan was born.  So, I'll take a picture of Jessie at 38 weeks too and do a comparison post: Jordan @ 38 weeks vs. Jessie at 38 weeks.

Photo updates......

JESSIE MARIE GALYEN - 37 weeks in-utero.

Daddy's buddy.

Then......and Now

We've been getting all the baby items out of the attic and read for Jessie.  Jordan likes the bathtub.  Here's his picture at about one week old.......compared to this morning, 27 months later.  WOW. Love, love, love, love.

 Everything about him just makes us SMILE!!!

Such a big boy - He's getting excited about his baby sister, he moved up to his first big boy Sunday School class today, he tells us he loves us multiple times a day, and he hasn't gone poop in his undies in a couple of weeks :) :) :)

My next appointment is Wednesday.  So excited to see what the progress has been since last Tuesday.  When we take walks now, she really feels like she's gonna fall out.  Surely won't be too much longer.  I'll post 37-week pictures sometime this week.

Why "Jessie?"

As most of you know, we've had an awfully hard time deciding on a name for our "sweet peach," as my mom has called her.  We are FINALLY delighted to have settled upon Jessie Marie. It is a spunky, sweet, yet not-too-prissy selection that we imagine will fit her well as she grows.  It has lots of family ties and, most importantly to me, it has a beautiful biblical significance.

The man Jesse is first mentioned in the Bible in the book of Ruth, where he is named as the grandson of a very admirable couple: Boaz and Ruth.

Jesse mainly appears in the book of 1 Samuel as a father of many sons, one of which was David. David became the amazing king of Israel and "man after God's own heart."  

Then in Isaiah chapter 11, the glory and power of Jesus is beautifully described, but the actual name of Jesus is not used.  Instead, he is called the "Root of Jesse" because he was birthed out of the lineage of Jesse.

SO......Jesse was a seemingly normal man whom God placed in a lineage of greatness. Boaz, Ruth, David, and Jesus.

Lord, may the life of our Jessie Marie likewise be in-line with your glorious plans!!!

Nana and Dadaw came for a visit!!!

LOOK AT THIS HAPPY COUPLE!

We had a wonderful, short visit with Linda and Terry this weekend.  

They'll never see us again as a family of three - crazy.

The Wonderful Month of May

May started out with a great blessing: Casey, Ashley, Lindsay, and Linda gave us a beautiful Baby Sprinkle at New Paradise.  We feel so incredibly, undeservedly blessed.  Baby Jessie's closet is STOCKED with clothes sizes NB-9 months.  She's gonna look good!

Daddy and Jordan horsed around at Nana and Dadaw's house during our Mother's Day weekend visit.  It was a really good and full weekend!!!  Daddy went to Boston the following week for work, and Mommy and Jordan talked to him on the computer every night.  Jordan always kissed the camera on the computer several times while talking to his Daddy.

Jordan climbing trees at Babs and Bo's house.  He's my best-est daytime buddy!

 

Memorial Day weekend - we went fishing with the Woods at Pickett Trout Ranch.  Jordan didn't quite get in on the catching action - couldn't pay attention to his pole long enough and couldn't reel it in when the fish got on.  Nonetheless, he seems to think he caught every one of them.  He waved at each fish as it was caught and said, "Hi fish. Eat you for dinner."  He watched intently as the man filleted the fish, napped on the long ride home, and then ate fish for dinner!

Last, but not least, heeeeere's baby Jessie - at almost 33 weeks.  Can't quite see how she's gonna last in there 7 more weeks.  She's moving and hiccuping constantly.  Next appointment... this Friday, June 3.

28-weeks. Baby Girl is Growing! We're All Getting Ready.

 Baby girl is most definitely, definitely growing!  My back feels kinda like its breaking at the end of every day, and I have some yucky swelling......but I reckon that's par for the course when you chase around a wonderfully fiesty toddler all day :)  Oh how very, very blessed we are.  God is SO GOOD!!!

My appointments will now be every two weeks.  Next appointment this coming Tuesday.

For those of you hoping/wanting to know a name - sorry!  We're having an awfully tough time with that chore.  Just can't decide!

Preparations have begun for baby girl.  Her closet is slowly filling with clean and pressed clothes (thank you, mom!).  I'm gathering back various, necessary baby items that I had loaned-out to friends who could use them.  We (mostly Nick) has been hard at work refinishing my childhood dresser; from a light oak to painted white.  It's gonna be beautiful!!!  Sure has been a labor of love.  We followed the advice of Bob Villa, HGTV, and all the folks at Home Depot who said sanding and spray painting was definintely the best way to get it done.  WELL..........after nine cans of top-of-the-line $4/can spray paint, it became apparent that that course of action was not going to work.  So, Nick is now on his third, and hopefully final, coat of brush-on oil based paint.  Shew.  Will look forward to posting before and after pictures of that project.  

Next, I begin work on curtain for the nursery.  I've purchased several different fabrics in coral, navy, and white and plan to cut them all into strips to make shabby-chic fabric strip curtains.  Excited!  Thanks, Linda, for the great idea.

Here's a couple of recent pictures of Jordan in action.  He's doing pretty good with his potty training.  Loves peeing in the grass.  Stays dry most all day, as long as mommy insists he goes pee.  #2 in the potty, on the other hand, is still very much a work in progress.  Not having much success there yet :)

Every day, Jordan out of the blue will mention "baby sister" in a happy and pleasant way.  He has said that he will share his blanket and his stroller, that he will hide eggs with her, and he likes to mention the "present" that she will be giving him.  Something we plan to do when he comes to meet her at the hospital.

Usually when he talks about her he also says the phrase "he loves us."  We're still trying to figure out what he means.  Not sure exactly, but I'm hoping that he's thinking of himself and his baby sister and then reminding himself that "he" (either daddy or Jesus) loves them.  The love of those two people are facts that we talk about every day.

OH HOW VERY BLESSED WE ARE BY A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER WHO IS SLOW TO ANGER AND RICH IN LOVE TOWARD US.  

OH, HOW "HE LOVES US!"

Doctors, Doctors

Jordan had his 2-year appointment yesterday, and I had my 25-week appointment today.  Both went great.

Jordan is in the 61st percentile for height and the 66th percentile for weight.  Nice and average. Maybe he won't be short like mamma.  They didn't measure his head this time.........so no more jokes about his big ole' noggin, I guess :)

The doctor, and the printed materials that they gave me, both said that by the 3-year appointment, a child should be able to form some sentences, count at least 1-10, have a fairly good mastery of his ABC's, and know some shapes and colors.  This, of course, thrilled me. Jordan already says some sentences, can count 1-15, knows all of his ABCs, and knows all his colors and some shapes :)  I am so thankful to God for Jordan's intellectual development.  Now - may the development of his heart toward Jesus be just as strong!!!!!

I had my gestational diabetes test today.  Last pregnancy's diabetes test came back negative, which resulted in a twice-as-yucky follow up test that came back perfectly normal.  Hoping to NOT have to repeat that again this time.  Otherwise, the doc said the baby "sounded perfect."  Love that little heartbeat!!!

Mommy and Baby

4.5 mile hike with daddy.
Gatlinburg, TN. 10-year anniversary trip.

23-weeks!!!

She sure is growing :) :) :)
Still haven't figured out what her name will be.
She kicks/punches every night around 9:00 - hard enough that we can see my belly move.
Nick and I and baby are headed for a Gatlinburg getaway this weekend.  Much anticipated.
Jordan now brings me any pink and purple toys and says "for baby sister."

Wonderful Updates....

Since last post, as you all know by now, we've learned that we're having A GIRL!!!

We're very excited.  Deep down, a girl is what we were hoping for, but we hated to admit it I guess.  Whatever the Lord sovereignly decides is absolutely best, so knowing that, we hated to express a gender preference.  But this......well......this is just swell :) :) :)

I think we're just as excited for all the Galyens as we are for ourselves.  So neat to be able to give them the first granddaughter!

I've collected 15-20 items of clothing for her first year of life already.  Adding a bit of pink and ruffles into the mix of all the laundry I do sure does make the laundry oh so much more fun of a chore.

I am humbled to say that our baby girl is "completely healthy and perfect," according to the doctor.  I have friends who have faced and who are facing awful circumstances with their children.  Sadness, special needs, ongoing sickness, etc.  The fact that God is allowing us to expand our family with fully healthy, strong children is such a testimony to His mercy and grace.  With the idols that I wrongly worshipped for so many years, I treated my body horribly.  Yet, now I am healthy and having healthy babies.  All credit and glory are His for that!!!!  I am such an undeserving recipient of His blessings.

Jordan has started talking intelligently and positively about the baby.  Rather than saying "no" like he did at first, now he sweetly says "yeah" when we ask him if he's having a baby sister.  When we go through lists of potential baby girl names with him, he tells us which one he wants.  And, when I pat on my belly and remind him that "the baby is hiding in there" he says, "Comes out.  Play with.  Play toys."  Perhaps he's making plans to share his toys?!?!

We'll tell all of you the name, by the way, as soon as we can settle on what it will be.

I have aims to get Jordan potty trained before baby girl gets here.  I'm very optimistic.............but we'll see.  I know it's a big step for him.  Probably will start in April, after his birthday.

I'm feeling much better these days than I did in the first four months.  I've begun to have a lot of indigestion issues, which makes eating uncomfortable and challenging,  but other than that I'm great.

I have just made the prayerful decision to let go of my newspaper column.  I've been writing and publishing 600-700 words every single week for almost five years now, and I'm definitely ready to let it go.  It's been an great opportunity to speak scripture and truth into issues of sin and darkness, but I'm not sad at all to say goodbye.  I'm ready to just put all my energies into my home and my family.   I can't imagine finding several hours a week to write in complete silence and complete solitude when I have an infant and a toddler :/ :/ :/ :/.

As I type, the baby is kicking or punching or something along those lines.  She does this faithfully between 9-10 every night.  Last night for the first time, I could clearly see my belly jumping and jiggling on the outside while she was moving around.  So wonderful.

Nick and I love you all.

Pictures coming soon.......

19 weeks. We'll soon know the gender!!!

Our precious, littlest baby is 19-weeks and 1 day old today.  In just eleven days we will know whether he/she is a boy or a girl.  Still trying to decide how we'll share the good news with all of you whom we love :)

According to the internet, baby is beginning a rapid-growth phase and his/her sensory development is exploding.  The brain is busy developing its specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.  He/she may be able to hear me and Nick's voice now.  Baby weighs about 8 ounces and measures 6 inches from head to bottom - not including the length of the legs.  Getting big, but sounds pretty skinny to me.  Also, the hair on the scalp is beginning to sprout through the skin! 

How AMAZING is all of this?!?!  God's handiwork and intricate, specific weaving-together of our little baby creates thoughts and emotions that are hard to put into words.  

Here's a link to show roughly what the baby looks like now:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-19-weeks_1108.bc

When we go for our gender-reveal ultrasound in 11 days, the doctors will also have a good look and measurement of every body part - to make sure everything is developing normally.  I am sobered by the thought that the God who gave us this second little life also holds within His power wether or not that life will be "normal." So many things could be wrong, abnormal, etc.  We have precious, precious friends who, beyond any control of their own, have children with severe disabilities and special needs.  Why, God, why?  Why are some healthy and why are some born into such suffering?

I praise you that we can know that whatever our baby's life will be, it will be in your hands and in your will.  Whatever is revealed in this next ultrasound, we can remain steadfast in praise to you.  You are the God who gives AND the God who takes away.  The God who brings glory to Himself  through health and blessing AND through sickness and suffering.

In the meantime, while we can't wait to see our wonderful, new baby......
Here are some pictures of our wonderful, other baby.  Eating his spinach and tomato omelet in his "big boy chair" (as he says) because he's too strong willed to sit properly in his highchair and mommy was too desperate to avoid another conflict.  They've become pretty frequent these days.

I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY, JORDAN ANDREW!!!
Dear Lord, please give me and Nick the wisdom and patience to discipline our children and to deter them from selfishness.  And please, please help them to learn that they must bend their wills and obey!  For Jesus' sake in their lives........Amen.

Jordan helping.....Baby moving.... A good day!

Jordan loves to be present whenever daddy is "fixin' somethin'" or "buildin' somethin.'"  This afternoon, he was under-the-hood buddy.........until something else caught his eye after 10 seconds and he darted off :)  Attention span = teeny tiny!

The baby is 17-weeks today, and I felt him/her moving around for 10-15 seconds this morning.  The two times I've felt that have both been early in the morning.  Wonder if we're gonna have another early-bird, like me and Jordan?!?  Poor Nick - will never get to sleep late again.

Looking forward to a date with my Valentine tomorrow!!!

There's definitely a baby in there!

Yesterday I felt our baby move - several times! So grrrrreat!!!  

I felt it first early in the morning when I was laying in a position with a lot of pressure on my belly.  There was lots of baby movement in response.  Then, felt it again during choir practice at church.  Maybe the little one was dancing to our music :)

My belly is impossible to ignore now and my normal clothes have almost met their grave.  

Next doctor's appointment is on Feb 16.  Getting awfully anxious to hear a progress report.  It blows my mind that the grace of God outpoured upon undeserving us may potentially give us another thriving, healthy baby just like Jordan has been. What have we done to deserve such goodness?!?!  Nothing, that's for sure.  And then, we know that even before this baby is born, every one of its days are written in the book of the Lord and held in His hands.  Therefore, if God in His sovereignty were to allow any sort of issues or abnormalities, I trust that we would choose to praise and thank Him all the same.

Our fiesty little one, from head to bottom, is now the size of an avocado.  In addition to that, the little legs are a couple of inches long. It's punching and kicking like crazy (LOVELY to feel), and its little heart is pumping 25-quarts of blood each day. Wow.

14 weeks......and snowing!

A beautiful, snowy Friday!  

This was Jordan's first experience with snow, and he liked it!  Mostly enjoyed eating it. Chloe was a wild woman - running around like a bird out of a cage and knocking Jordan down several times trying to chew his gloves off.  Daddy made a snow angel in the driveway, and we had a brief snowball fight.  After about 20 minutes, the fun was replaced by cold, cold hands and all headed in for a hot dinner.

Our precious baby #2 was 14-weeks old yesterday.   I am still feeling very tired, but no more nausea.  Yay! One week ago I had my third doctor's appointment. I heard the blessed, racing, healthy heartbeat, and I met with the "benefits coordinator" to sign all the paperwork promising that we would pay the bills for this little one's birth.  The price tag climbs higher and higher :/ :/ :/  Pretty sickening - considering all those getting all healthcare for free.  Nonetheless, if this little one is even a fraction of what Jordan has been to us all, no price tag could be too high :) :) :)

12 weeks today!

Today marks the 12-week point for baby Galyen #2.  Yaaay!

I HAVE to take a long nap almost every day, and I'm fairly nauseated by the thought and smell of most foods.  I assume this means that hormones are still rapidly multiplying and that all is still well in-utero land, so that's grrreat.

I just got done eating a bowl of popcorn, a grapefruit, and a glass of milk. A delicious combination, huh?  I'm eating lots of eggs, oranges, blue cheese, almonds, and hamburgers.  I'm somewhat grossed out by coffee, tea, pickles, fish, and fresh green veggies.  All of these cravings and aversions are quite stronger than when I was pregnant with Jordan.  

Another thing much different is my belly!  Much bigger, much sooner.  Nick took this 12-week photo tonight.  Looking back at my Jordan-belly pictures, my belly now looks comparable to my 17-week Jordan belly.

Speaking of Jordan: Today out of the blue he began counting perfectly "5,6,7,8,9,10!", he knows all his colors, he can do fill-in-the-blank with all the major parts of Noah and the flood, and he regularly throws mini-fits. 

Tonight we were all sitting on the couch for just a few, rare seconds and I pointed at my stomach and said very clearly, "Jordan, there is a baby in there." He poked it, pulled up my shirt and had a look at my belly and said, "No." 

It was cute.

Our next baby appointment is next Friday, the 15th.