check out Mr. Handsome himself!! :)
http://www.illustratedgrace.zenfolio.com/
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Jaden Paul Cox arrives!
It's official-we are parents! Wow-that's a crazy thought! :) Jaden Paul Cox was born on December 8th, 2010 at 6:10 PM. He weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and was 18 inches long. Here's how it all came about :)
At 2:30 in the morning I woke up with a contraction. I thought it was just another Braxton Hicks contraction because surely I wasn't going into labor! Another contraction hit 10 minutes later and I thought-these are fake for sure! After half an hour of timeable contractions I woke Chris up. He was pretty out of it and so I just told him I was having contractions and I thought they may be timeable. Half an hour after that (3:30 AM at this point) I woke Chris up again and said "honey-these contractions have been timeable for about an hour now...think we should call the doctor just to see if we should make a trip?" Both of us thought it wasn't the real thing...I just had an appointment with my doctor the day before and I was only 2 cm. dilated and only 70% thinned out...so we were planning on when we would get induced about 18 hours prior to these contractions! Chris said we should wait because my contractions were still 10 minutes apart at that point and I was content with that. I went to make one of my many trips to the bathroom and my water broke! I called out to Chris and said "um-honey-pretty sure we're going to the hospital now!" Chris was in go-mode from that point on. He was amazing! We packed up the last few items for our hospital stay and we were off. Chris got us to the hospital and we got all checked in. By 4 AM they said we were staying :)
We moved to our labor and delivery room and things were quiet for about 3 hours. Contractions kept coming but not terrible at that point. At 6 AM Chris went out to get himself some food (it was going to be a long day) and to go home to take care of Rudy since we just kind of left him...our poor dog was barking like crazy when we left at 3:30 in the morning and he NEVER barks! Chris got back around 7:30 AM, showered and everything...I was in bed looking gross and very jealous of his shower! The nurse started me on the lowest dose of petocin at 7 AM to get my contractions going a little faster...with my water broken, it was time to get baby out! :) By 10:30 AM I was crying (bawling more like it) because of how intense the pain of a contraction was...at that point I told Chris-"I want an epidural." I told him "I want an epidural and I want to take a nap!" Chris didn't believe me that I could take a nap during that type of intense pain...o how he would be surprised :) Both of us kept asking my nurse-is it too soon to get an epidural? Am i being wimpy for getting an epidural after only 6 and a half hours of contractions? I got the epideral regardless at 11:30 AM and it kicked in within an hour. My nurse came in after the epidural kicked in and measured me again-7 cm dilated and 100% thinned. She said I was probably 6 cm dilated before I got the epideral-go me! :) I then proceeded to doze on and off from 1 PM to 3:30 PM. It was amazing. I cannot tell you how good it felt to just rest after being up for those 10 hours prior...
Right after I got the epidural, Chris told me that his family was on their way down to Kansas City! How awesome! I was so excited to have some family there to welcome Jaden into the world. They arrived at just about 3 PM (I think) and we talked and laughed and talked some more. It was so fun! At 3:30 PM my nurse came in and checked me again-it was almost time to start pushing!!! She talked me through what that was going to be like and we were almost ready. Chris and I prayed before we began the pushing part and I'm so glad we did. It was a good reminder to focus on one push and contraction at a time and to fully rely and rest on Jesus through the entire labor process. I was really thankful that even with the epidural I could still very much feel when I was having a contraction and so I was able to fully listen to my body and tell Chris-"time to push again." I pushed from 4:45ish until 6:10 PM when Jaden finally entered the world! When they told me it was over and he was out, I cried. I couldn't believe it! He was finally here! FINALLY!
I spent an hour with my son on my chest and we just talked and talked (ok...I talked-he cried...wailed to be more exact). I loved it! Chris held him, family held him, Chris held him some more. I absolutely love watching Chris hold Jaden-he's so good with him and he is SOOOO in love! It's ridiculously cute! :) Right after Jaden was born my nurse brought me diet soda-can we say YUM??? It was amazing! I only ate ice chips the whole day except for right away in the beginning of the day my nurse gave me a popsicle :) That was so good! My friend Wendy brought us pizza at 9:30 that night and I was literally floating on clouds-i love love love love love food! :) We hung out with Wendy until almost midnight that night and then it was time for bed :) A long day with such a good ending :)
Wow-glad I relived that only through words :) I won't spend much longer on this post as its already ridiculously long, but I'll end with this...Labor was definitely an adventure...I am still amazed at how someone Jaden's size could fit inside my stomach...I am simply amazed at what God does and how He created the body. I am so grateful for my husband-he was an incredible support through it all. We couldn't be any more in love with Jaden-he's just perfect! Enjoy some pictures of our son-he's a cutie!
At 2:30 in the morning I woke up with a contraction. I thought it was just another Braxton Hicks contraction because surely I wasn't going into labor! Another contraction hit 10 minutes later and I thought-these are fake for sure! After half an hour of timeable contractions I woke Chris up. He was pretty out of it and so I just told him I was having contractions and I thought they may be timeable. Half an hour after that (3:30 AM at this point) I woke Chris up again and said "honey-these contractions have been timeable for about an hour now...think we should call the doctor just to see if we should make a trip?" Both of us thought it wasn't the real thing...I just had an appointment with my doctor the day before and I was only 2 cm. dilated and only 70% thinned out...so we were planning on when we would get induced about 18 hours prior to these contractions! Chris said we should wait because my contractions were still 10 minutes apart at that point and I was content with that. I went to make one of my many trips to the bathroom and my water broke! I called out to Chris and said "um-honey-pretty sure we're going to the hospital now!" Chris was in go-mode from that point on. He was amazing! We packed up the last few items for our hospital stay and we were off. Chris got us to the hospital and we got all checked in. By 4 AM they said we were staying :)
We moved to our labor and delivery room and things were quiet for about 3 hours. Contractions kept coming but not terrible at that point. At 6 AM Chris went out to get himself some food (it was going to be a long day) and to go home to take care of Rudy since we just kind of left him...our poor dog was barking like crazy when we left at 3:30 in the morning and he NEVER barks! Chris got back around 7:30 AM, showered and everything...I was in bed looking gross and very jealous of his shower! The nurse started me on the lowest dose of petocin at 7 AM to get my contractions going a little faster...with my water broken, it was time to get baby out! :) By 10:30 AM I was crying (bawling more like it) because of how intense the pain of a contraction was...at that point I told Chris-"I want an epidural." I told him "I want an epidural and I want to take a nap!" Chris didn't believe me that I could take a nap during that type of intense pain...o how he would be surprised :) Both of us kept asking my nurse-is it too soon to get an epidural? Am i being wimpy for getting an epidural after only 6 and a half hours of contractions? I got the epideral regardless at 11:30 AM and it kicked in within an hour. My nurse came in after the epidural kicked in and measured me again-7 cm dilated and 100% thinned. She said I was probably 6 cm dilated before I got the epideral-go me! :) I then proceeded to doze on and off from 1 PM to 3:30 PM. It was amazing. I cannot tell you how good it felt to just rest after being up for those 10 hours prior...
Right after I got the epidural, Chris told me that his family was on their way down to Kansas City! How awesome! I was so excited to have some family there to welcome Jaden into the world. They arrived at just about 3 PM (I think) and we talked and laughed and talked some more. It was so fun! At 3:30 PM my nurse came in and checked me again-it was almost time to start pushing!!! She talked me through what that was going to be like and we were almost ready. Chris and I prayed before we began the pushing part and I'm so glad we did. It was a good reminder to focus on one push and contraction at a time and to fully rely and rest on Jesus through the entire labor process. I was really thankful that even with the epidural I could still very much feel when I was having a contraction and so I was able to fully listen to my body and tell Chris-"time to push again." I pushed from 4:45ish until 6:10 PM when Jaden finally entered the world! When they told me it was over and he was out, I cried. I couldn't believe it! He was finally here! FINALLY!
I spent an hour with my son on my chest and we just talked and talked (ok...I talked-he cried...wailed to be more exact). I loved it! Chris held him, family held him, Chris held him some more. I absolutely love watching Chris hold Jaden-he's so good with him and he is SOOOO in love! It's ridiculously cute! :) Right after Jaden was born my nurse brought me diet soda-can we say YUM??? It was amazing! I only ate ice chips the whole day except for right away in the beginning of the day my nurse gave me a popsicle :) That was so good! My friend Wendy brought us pizza at 9:30 that night and I was literally floating on clouds-i love love love love love food! :) We hung out with Wendy until almost midnight that night and then it was time for bed :) A long day with such a good ending :)
Wow-glad I relived that only through words :) I won't spend much longer on this post as its already ridiculously long, but I'll end with this...Labor was definitely an adventure...I am still amazed at how someone Jaden's size could fit inside my stomach...I am simply amazed at what God does and how He created the body. I am so grateful for my husband-he was an incredible support through it all. We couldn't be any more in love with Jaden-he's just perfect! Enjoy some pictures of our son-he's a cutie!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
12 Days and Counting!
Well, we've pretty much announced Baby Bean's gender but just in case you don't know-IT'S A BOY! Jaden Paul Cox is supposed to arrive in 12 days according to our due date, but I feel like it could be any day now! We are so ready to hold this little guy! This will probably be a short post, but wanted to share a few things in life so far :)
Thanksgiving was different this year, but so fun! My family came here to Kansas City because it was too close to my due date. I prayed that Jaden would come while my family was here, but he didn't want to make his debue yet, so we're still waiting :) We went shopping on Black Friday and I walked and I walked and I walked until I seriously thought this baby would just fall right out...but nope...still wanted to be cooking I guess :) So we wait...
My good friend Lane Downey here in Kansas City has a photography business and SHE IS GOOD! We did some maternity pictures and they turned out so good! You can see them on her website http://illustratedgrace.zenfolio.com/. We had a lot of fun taking them and I'm really glad we did it! Sorry I don't have a belly bump picture to post this time around...Maybe I'll get one for next week when I'm 39 weeks!!! Getting so close!!!
Thanksgiving was different this year, but so fun! My family came here to Kansas City because it was too close to my due date. I prayed that Jaden would come while my family was here, but he didn't want to make his debue yet, so we're still waiting :) We went shopping on Black Friday and I walked and I walked and I walked until I seriously thought this baby would just fall right out...but nope...still wanted to be cooking I guess :) So we wait...
My good friend Lane Downey here in Kansas City has a photography business and SHE IS GOOD! We did some maternity pictures and they turned out so good! You can see them on her website http://illustratedgrace.zenfolio.com/. We had a lot of fun taking them and I'm really glad we did it! Sorry I don't have a belly bump picture to post this time around...Maybe I'll get one for next week when I'm 39 weeks!!! Getting so close!!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
DOWN TO ONE HAND NOW!
Yep. That's right-I can count the weeks left on one hand now! FIVE! Can't believe Baby Bean is going to be here in that amount of time (give or take). Chris and I are so excited! We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our bean :)
We've been busy since the last post. I took my professional engineering exam on October 29th and am so thankful to have that behind me! I won't find out the results until right around Baby Bean's arrival. It was quite the exhausting day! 4 hours of testing in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. The day started out a lot different than I would have planned, but it was such a good lesson in trust and I'm thankful for that. I've been reading this book and going through its devotional. It's called "Trusting God-Even when Life Hurts." The book begins by talking about God working for His glory and our good and how the two cannot conflict. Even if we don't see how it will be for our good, God has promised that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. On top of that, the book talks about God's complete sovereignty and how we cannot mess up His perfect plan. These truths were so necessary this day! Chris dropped me off for the exam with my suitcase of books and thankfully waited in line with me. I was with a friend and we were talking before the exam when he mentioned getting our ID's out...I looked at Chris wide-eyed and said "I left my ID at the hotel..." My incredible husband took off running and drove all th way back to the hotel and back to the test site in plenty of time before my exam started...It was so good for me to pray and cry (and yes-I sobbed!) and pray some more. God is good-all the time! The exam was tiring and I was thankful when it was over. Chris picked me up and we went on our last outing together before Baby Bean arrives. We went to a small town Bed and Breakfast and just hung out together...It's been a long time since we've gotten to do that...It was wonderful! :) I'll try and upload pictures next post from our trip. (try is the key word there!)
Our church did a Trunk or Treat for Halloween and though I didn't go to too much effort to dress up, Chris made me wear my wig at least. So I did :) and luckily I don't have pictures to share :)
Here's the baby bump at 34 weeks. We have an ultrasound next week (at 36 weeks and I'm really excited to see Baby Bean again. We'll get to know stats as well...I'm very curious about this child's weight and where it is at, so I'm eagerly anticipating our next appointment! Until next time!
We've been busy since the last post. I took my professional engineering exam on October 29th and am so thankful to have that behind me! I won't find out the results until right around Baby Bean's arrival. It was quite the exhausting day! 4 hours of testing in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon. The day started out a lot different than I would have planned, but it was such a good lesson in trust and I'm thankful for that. I've been reading this book and going through its devotional. It's called "Trusting God-Even when Life Hurts." The book begins by talking about God working for His glory and our good and how the two cannot conflict. Even if we don't see how it will be for our good, God has promised that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. On top of that, the book talks about God's complete sovereignty and how we cannot mess up His perfect plan. These truths were so necessary this day! Chris dropped me off for the exam with my suitcase of books and thankfully waited in line with me. I was with a friend and we were talking before the exam when he mentioned getting our ID's out...I looked at Chris wide-eyed and said "I left my ID at the hotel..." My incredible husband took off running and drove all th way back to the hotel and back to the test site in plenty of time before my exam started...It was so good for me to pray and cry (and yes-I sobbed!) and pray some more. God is good-all the time! The exam was tiring and I was thankful when it was over. Chris picked me up and we went on our last outing together before Baby Bean arrives. We went to a small town Bed and Breakfast and just hung out together...It's been a long time since we've gotten to do that...It was wonderful! :) I'll try and upload pictures next post from our trip. (try is the key word there!)
Our church did a Trunk or Treat for Halloween and though I didn't go to too much effort to dress up, Chris made me wear my wig at least. So I did :) and luckily I don't have pictures to share :)
Here's the baby bump at 34 weeks. We have an ultrasound next week (at 36 weeks and I'm really excited to see Baby Bean again. We'll get to know stats as well...I'm very curious about this child's weight and where it is at, so I'm eagerly anticipating our next appointment! Until next time!
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| Baby Bump at 34 weeks! |
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| and just for fun...the front view basketball! :) |
Monday, October 25, 2010
7 weeks and counting!!
So tomorrow marks the 7 weeks left day. Say it with me:
S-E-V-E-N W-E-E-K-S L-E-F-T!!!
It is coming up fast-baby bean will be here before we know it! Feels like there's not much to report on the baby end. I'm still growing out of course, so that's no surprise. We are getting more and more anxious for this little bundle to enter the world. I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for about 2 weeks now. I am amazed at how God begins to prepare your body for delivery by giving you fake contractions to begin experiencing a very small part of what the pain will feel like. They always come in the middle of the night-the first time was so strange! I woke up in a bout of pain (the pain actually woke me up) and after the second one came, I woke Chris up. I thought for sure-"this is it!" even though Bean would have been 9 weeks early at that point...We were up from pretty much 3AM to 5AM. Needless to say, Baby Bean is still in the oven :)
On the news front in the Cox home, this Friday I take my Professional Engineering licensure exam. That will definitely be an experience in and of itself! I've been studying since June and am very excited to simply be done with the studying! I'm excited to really be able to focus on Baby Bean's arrival and not have this HUGE exam luming over my head! Chris has been wonderful, of course, making suppers on nearly a regular basis and allowing me to study hours on end. He's been a trooper and I'm really excited that we get to hang out again soon! We have our last "Chris and Annie" getaway from Friday to Saturday this weekend. I'm really glad we get to getaway for even just a night. It will be just what I need once the exam is over! Updates on the exam and where we go (Chris hasn't told me yet) in the next blog :) Picture below was taken last week, at 32 weeks. It's definitely getting harder and harder to move around :)
S-E-V-E-N W-E-E-K-S L-E-F-T!!!
It is coming up fast-baby bean will be here before we know it! Feels like there's not much to report on the baby end. I'm still growing out of course, so that's no surprise. We are getting more and more anxious for this little bundle to enter the world. I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for about 2 weeks now. I am amazed at how God begins to prepare your body for delivery by giving you fake contractions to begin experiencing a very small part of what the pain will feel like. They always come in the middle of the night-the first time was so strange! I woke up in a bout of pain (the pain actually woke me up) and after the second one came, I woke Chris up. I thought for sure-"this is it!" even though Bean would have been 9 weeks early at that point...We were up from pretty much 3AM to 5AM. Needless to say, Baby Bean is still in the oven :)
On the news front in the Cox home, this Friday I take my Professional Engineering licensure exam. That will definitely be an experience in and of itself! I've been studying since June and am very excited to simply be done with the studying! I'm excited to really be able to focus on Baby Bean's arrival and not have this HUGE exam luming over my head! Chris has been wonderful, of course, making suppers on nearly a regular basis and allowing me to study hours on end. He's been a trooper and I'm really excited that we get to hang out again soon! We have our last "Chris and Annie" getaway from Friday to Saturday this weekend. I'm really glad we get to getaway for even just a night. It will be just what I need once the exam is over! Updates on the exam and where we go (Chris hasn't told me yet) in the next blog :) Picture below was taken last week, at 32 weeks. It's definitely getting harder and harder to move around :)
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| Check out that baby bump!!! |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Almost to Single Digits Now!!!
10. WEEKS. LEFT. WOW!!! I can't believe that I only have 10 weeks left! We are so excited to welcome Baby Bean into this world!!! The last few weeks have been busy busy! We finished up child birth class and that went pretty well. They showed the epidural video and it actually scared me! So now I'm just praying for an incredibly speedy delivery :) We'll see what happens!!! That will be a post in and of itself-stay tuned! :)
We toured the hospital in our last class and the delivery rooms are HUGE! I couldn't believe how big they were-that will be nice. Then they showed us recover rooms...yeah...not so big :( I would definitely say its comparable to my cubicle at work...Chris wasn't as excited about that room! Delivery in and of itself will make for a good story-I'm sure of that!
I had two showers in Iowa on September 25th. Wish I had some pictures to show you from them-they were so great! The first one was put on by some of my mom's friends and friend's that I grew up with. It was so good to hear wise woman talk about their experiences. I definitely learned a lot from them in the short time we got to be together! The second shower was put on by my sister and two of my best friends-Sabrina Gogerty and Rebecca Eness. They did such a great job! Sylvia did the decorations-decorated in pink and blue balloons since we haven't fully announced the gender. She put together this amazing diaper cake that was so awesome! I'll have to post pictures of that for sure when I get copies of it! Sabrina did the food which was of course-PHENOMENAL!!! She made homemade hummus, mini-BLT's, mini peanut butter cup pies, and mocha punch. It was quite delicious if I do say so myself :) I am definitely blessed...that's what God taught me that weekend...how truly blessed we, the Cox Family, really are...Baby Bean is one lucky child-that's all I can say!!!
Last weekend (October 2nd) my mom and dad came down and helped us in our apartment. They helped us get the baby's room all set up and man-my mom is just amazing! I couldn't believe how much she got done in one week...I am still so incredibly grateful for her...there is no way I could have done it on my own-she truly is a blessing!!! Here's a picture of the baby's room so far! We're getting closer!!! :)
I've hit the point where now I'm going to see my doctor every 2 weeks! I went to the doctor today and will go again at 32 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, and then I start going every week! We are definitely on the downhill slide!!! EEK! I had the blood sugar test at my last appointment (27 weeks) and my results came back that I was very close to having gestational diabetes. Thankfully I don't, but my doctor still wants me to be careful what I'm eating. Chris is helping out a lot with that-I call him a dictator sometimes because I want to eat ice cream all the time now that my doctor says I shouldn't-funny how that always works out that way...once you're told "no" to something, its all that you think about!! But in all reality, Chris has been really great in helping me figure out what to eat and has been a great encouragement. I'd have to say that food is probably one of my favorite things on earth next to Jesus and Chris and family, so I was pretty devastated when my doctor told me to watch what I was eating-after all, I'm eating for 2 now!!! :) But truthfully, Chris has been a great encouragement! Ok-I think that sums up the last 3 weeks!! Here's the baby bump to date! Special thanks to my sister-in-law Erica for letting me borrow some maternity clothes!! She has super taste :)
We toured the hospital in our last class and the delivery rooms are HUGE! I couldn't believe how big they were-that will be nice. Then they showed us recover rooms...yeah...not so big :( I would definitely say its comparable to my cubicle at work...Chris wasn't as excited about that room! Delivery in and of itself will make for a good story-I'm sure of that!
I had two showers in Iowa on September 25th. Wish I had some pictures to show you from them-they were so great! The first one was put on by some of my mom's friends and friend's that I grew up with. It was so good to hear wise woman talk about their experiences. I definitely learned a lot from them in the short time we got to be together! The second shower was put on by my sister and two of my best friends-Sabrina Gogerty and Rebecca Eness. They did such a great job! Sylvia did the decorations-decorated in pink and blue balloons since we haven't fully announced the gender. She put together this amazing diaper cake that was so awesome! I'll have to post pictures of that for sure when I get copies of it! Sabrina did the food which was of course-PHENOMENAL!!! She made homemade hummus, mini-BLT's, mini peanut butter cup pies, and mocha punch. It was quite delicious if I do say so myself :) I am definitely blessed...that's what God taught me that weekend...how truly blessed we, the Cox Family, really are...Baby Bean is one lucky child-that's all I can say!!!
Last weekend (October 2nd) my mom and dad came down and helped us in our apartment. They helped us get the baby's room all set up and man-my mom is just amazing! I couldn't believe how much she got done in one week...I am still so incredibly grateful for her...there is no way I could have done it on my own-she truly is a blessing!!! Here's a picture of the baby's room so far! We're getting closer!!! :)
I've hit the point where now I'm going to see my doctor every 2 weeks! I went to the doctor today and will go again at 32 weeks, 34 weeks, 36 weeks, and then I start going every week! We are definitely on the downhill slide!!! EEK! I had the blood sugar test at my last appointment (27 weeks) and my results came back that I was very close to having gestational diabetes. Thankfully I don't, but my doctor still wants me to be careful what I'm eating. Chris is helping out a lot with that-I call him a dictator sometimes because I want to eat ice cream all the time now that my doctor says I shouldn't-funny how that always works out that way...once you're told "no" to something, its all that you think about!! But in all reality, Chris has been really great in helping me figure out what to eat and has been a great encouragement. I'd have to say that food is probably one of my favorite things on earth next to Jesus and Chris and family, so I was pretty devastated when my doctor told me to watch what I was eating-after all, I'm eating for 2 now!!! :) But truthfully, Chris has been a great encouragement! Ok-I think that sums up the last 3 weeks!! Here's the baby bump to date! Special thanks to my sister-in-law Erica for letting me borrow some maternity clothes!! She has super taste :)
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| 10 weeks to go!!!! |
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Tribute to Joshua...9/4/2010-9/28/2010
Dear Joshua Michael Johnson,
Your due date was 4 days after my baby bean's due date but for some reason, God wanted you to bless the lives of your family and their friends just a bit sooner than that. You were born over 3 months premature and you came out fighting. You were so strong-breathing on your own at 24 weeks. We were all so proud of you! Your mommy and daddy were, of course, the proudest! I want you to know that your mommy and daddy are simply amazing! They loved you and will always love you! Their faith in our God through this incredible trial has encouraged the hearts of so many around them. Together, your family has touched so many lives. Never once did I hear your daddy discouraged-he was always so optimistic. Never once did I hear either your mommy or your daddy say "why me?" They just trusted the path God led them down and they walked by faith-not by sight.
Joshua-you made my pregnancy so much more real! When I saw you in the hospital the day you were born you were so small and I was so astonished by how someone so little, yet so big could also exist in me. You made my love for my baby grow that much more. Joshua-from the day you were born I prayed for you. I prayed that God would use you in any way that would completely magnify Him. I know He answered that prayer.
Though I never got to hold you, I love you! Though I only got to meet you and see you briefly, I love you! Though you only lived for 24 days-I will always remember you! You touched my heart in ways words cannot express and for that I'm so grateful. Rest now, painlessly, in the arms of Jesus-I know He received you as you passed from this earth last night!
Your friend,
Annie Cox
To Karmen and Daniel-my heart aches with you at the loss of your baby. I know God is good-all the time! Daniel-I'm always so encouraged when I get a text from you and it ends in "Good of others/glory of God." God has been and will continue to be completely glorified through this trial in your lives. I love you both so much and am so encouraged by you both! Thank you for living out your faith! Thank you for being a REAL example of choosing to live in the peace of Jesus. His peace truly passes all understanding! Know that I am praying for you guys daily and you are not alone! I love you guys!
Your due date was 4 days after my baby bean's due date but for some reason, God wanted you to bless the lives of your family and their friends just a bit sooner than that. You were born over 3 months premature and you came out fighting. You were so strong-breathing on your own at 24 weeks. We were all so proud of you! Your mommy and daddy were, of course, the proudest! I want you to know that your mommy and daddy are simply amazing! They loved you and will always love you! Their faith in our God through this incredible trial has encouraged the hearts of so many around them. Together, your family has touched so many lives. Never once did I hear your daddy discouraged-he was always so optimistic. Never once did I hear either your mommy or your daddy say "why me?" They just trusted the path God led them down and they walked by faith-not by sight.
Joshua-you made my pregnancy so much more real! When I saw you in the hospital the day you were born you were so small and I was so astonished by how someone so little, yet so big could also exist in me. You made my love for my baby grow that much more. Joshua-from the day you were born I prayed for you. I prayed that God would use you in any way that would completely magnify Him. I know He answered that prayer.
Though I never got to hold you, I love you! Though I only got to meet you and see you briefly, I love you! Though you only lived for 24 days-I will always remember you! You touched my heart in ways words cannot express and for that I'm so grateful. Rest now, painlessly, in the arms of Jesus-I know He received you as you passed from this earth last night!
Your friend,
Annie Cox
To Karmen and Daniel-my heart aches with you at the loss of your baby. I know God is good-all the time! Daniel-I'm always so encouraged when I get a text from you and it ends in "Good of others/glory of God." God has been and will continue to be completely glorified through this trial in your lives. I love you both so much and am so encouraged by you both! Thank you for living out your faith! Thank you for being a REAL example of choosing to live in the peace of Jesus. His peace truly passes all understanding! Know that I am praying for you guys daily and you are not alone! I love you guys!
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| Baby Joshua the day he was born |
Friday, September 17, 2010
Under 3 Months Now!!!
As of Tuesday, I have 3 months until Baby Bean's due date! Can't believe how fast it seems to be going. Chris and I are getting more and more excited! So many things have happened in the last couple of weeks... here's a quick recap of a couple of them-
Just over 2 weeks ago some of our other friends, Daniel and Karmen Johnson, had their baby. Joshua is his name. This little guy is a miracle and we truly believe that. Pregnancy and Baby Bean became a lot more real to me because of Joshua...see-Joshua wasn't due until December 18th. Karmen's water broke about 2 months ago and she was on bed rest for a while, but then there were some other complications and the doctor's decided that it was best for both mom and baby if they delivered him. Chris and I went and saw him in the hospital the day he was born. It really made this pregnancy real for me-seeing Joshua made me really see what size our baby is approximately. I couldn't believe how real it made everything. Praise the Lord, Joshua is doing ok so far. He's definitely a fighter and we are so excited to see how God is going to use him. Please keep the Johnson's in your prayers-they definitely have a long road ahead of them. Joshua will be in the NICU until at least his due date and possibly later...
Chris and I started our child birth class this last week. Wow-we already have some fun memories! Our instructor is hilarious! She is probably right around my mom's age and she just cracked me up! Some of my favorite quotes of hers so far:
She asks the men in the room "What do you see as your role in this pregnancy?" So the boys answer "we just want to be there for her and support her no matter what she needs." Good answer. But then she takes it a step further and asks "Ok men, it is a new day and your wife is going into labor-what do you do?" So again the boys answer "we just want to be there for her" (real generic answers) and she says "STEP ONE: MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR WIFE TO THE HOSPITAL!" And yes-she has known couples where the husband has left the wife at home because he just entered "go-mode." O she was so funny! She talked about how another couple had to have a back up driver because the husband had so much camera equipment (we're talking lights, stands, the works) that he didn't have room in the car for his pregnant wife! She just had so many stories that I am pretty sure I lost probably 500 calories from laughing. Many other stories I could tell, but I'll end now with the 27 week, 3 day picture. I am hoping Chris has to wear the sympathy belly! I'll definitely include that picture on here!!!
Just over 2 weeks ago some of our other friends, Daniel and Karmen Johnson, had their baby. Joshua is his name. This little guy is a miracle and we truly believe that. Pregnancy and Baby Bean became a lot more real to me because of Joshua...see-Joshua wasn't due until December 18th. Karmen's water broke about 2 months ago and she was on bed rest for a while, but then there were some other complications and the doctor's decided that it was best for both mom and baby if they delivered him. Chris and I went and saw him in the hospital the day he was born. It really made this pregnancy real for me-seeing Joshua made me really see what size our baby is approximately. I couldn't believe how real it made everything. Praise the Lord, Joshua is doing ok so far. He's definitely a fighter and we are so excited to see how God is going to use him. Please keep the Johnson's in your prayers-they definitely have a long road ahead of them. Joshua will be in the NICU until at least his due date and possibly later...
Chris and I started our child birth class this last week. Wow-we already have some fun memories! Our instructor is hilarious! She is probably right around my mom's age and she just cracked me up! Some of my favorite quotes of hers so far:
She asks the men in the room "What do you see as your role in this pregnancy?" So the boys answer "we just want to be there for her and support her no matter what she needs." Good answer. But then she takes it a step further and asks "Ok men, it is a new day and your wife is going into labor-what do you do?" So again the boys answer "we just want to be there for her" (real generic answers) and she says "STEP ONE: MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR WIFE TO THE HOSPITAL!" And yes-she has known couples where the husband has left the wife at home because he just entered "go-mode." O she was so funny! She talked about how another couple had to have a back up driver because the husband had so much camera equipment (we're talking lights, stands, the works) that he didn't have room in the car for his pregnant wife! She just had so many stories that I am pretty sure I lost probably 500 calories from laughing. Many other stories I could tell, but I'll end now with the 27 week, 3 day picture. I am hoping Chris has to wear the sympathy belly! I'll definitely include that picture on here!!!
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| 13 weeks to go! |
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
25 weeks down-15 more to go!
Can't believe that Baby Bean will be here in 15 weeks (give or take-hoping this little one gives!) We finally finished (in theory) the registering process and let me tell you-that is an ordeal!!! Babies R Us is ridiculous! I can't believe how much stuff they have in that store! In all honesty-I had a ton of fun just looking through everything though-this growing family is definitely becoming more and more of a reality! :)
Our friends, Daniel and Breann White, just had a baby this past Tuesday. Chris and I went to see them in the hospital and I have to say-Chris makes me laugh. Baby Devin was crying and after being passed around to quite a few of us, he ended up with Chris who put him to sleep in literally like 3 minutes! Later that night, Chris started "bragging" about it :) He was so excited that he put Devin to sleep so fast! I just laughed and laughed and said "you just wait until Baby Bean gets here-then we'll see how well those skills work! :) I love talking about our family with Chris-he is so ready to be a dad! He's going to be so good at it too! He LOVES kids! I love watching him with the kids in our church. They just swarm him it seems! He's definitely going to be a great Father! I'm excited for that day!
So here's the update on Baby Bean's approximates and latest development (compliments of whattoexpect.com): Baby bean is growing by leaps and bounds, reaching nine inches in length and passing the pound and a half mark. Under his/her skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood and by week's end, air sacs (also lined with capillaries) will develop in his/her lungs, getting them ready for that first breath. Mind you, those lungs aren't ready for prime time just yet — but they are developing surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth. And speaking of breathing, your baby's tiny nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open, and his/her vocal chords are getting ready to roar.
Our friends, Daniel and Breann White, just had a baby this past Tuesday. Chris and I went to see them in the hospital and I have to say-Chris makes me laugh. Baby Devin was crying and after being passed around to quite a few of us, he ended up with Chris who put him to sleep in literally like 3 minutes! Later that night, Chris started "bragging" about it :) He was so excited that he put Devin to sleep so fast! I just laughed and laughed and said "you just wait until Baby Bean gets here-then we'll see how well those skills work! :) I love talking about our family with Chris-he is so ready to be a dad! He's going to be so good at it too! He LOVES kids! I love watching him with the kids in our church. They just swarm him it seems! He's definitely going to be a great Father! I'm excited for that day!
So here's the update on Baby Bean's approximates and latest development (compliments of whattoexpect.com): Baby bean is growing by leaps and bounds, reaching nine inches in length and passing the pound and a half mark. Under his/her skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood and by week's end, air sacs (also lined with capillaries) will develop in his/her lungs, getting them ready for that first breath. Mind you, those lungs aren't ready for prime time just yet — but they are developing surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth. And speaking of breathing, your baby's tiny nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open, and his/her vocal chords are getting ready to roar.
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| Here's the 25 week picture of momma and bump! Getting bigger with each passing day it seems :) |
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
and so we grow... :)
and i am growing in more ways than one! God is growing me so much spiritually lately that i don't even know where to begin. i've been reading in matthew recently and man! there is some great stuff in that book! the sermon on the mount brought out some pretty incredible thoughts in life on this end. specifically...
1-i want to be a peacemaker. this looks so different in life than what i'm used to. it means that when i am feeling upset/frustrated/angry with someone, i have to be willing to talk it out or life will spiral downhill FAST! it means that in everyday life, when i see opportunities that could potentially cause strife, i have to choose to say "i will choose peace." striving to live at peace with everyone is much tougher than ever imagined, but i'm so grateful for the opportunities God is giving me to put that into practice.
2-i want to be a giver. i want to give of my time, my money, my life...its not mine to begin with-its God given and because of that very truth, i have to be willing to put "me" aside and say "today-i give..."
3-i love prayer and i love being able to commune one on one with God through prayer. i love watching Him answer in His perfect way at His perfect time...i just love prayer!
i could go on and on through what i've been learning in matthew, but maybe i'll save that for the next post (and yes-with accountability from a friend here at work who shall remain nameless (Wendy)-i plan on updating much more frequently) why you may ask? well that answer lies in the next reason in how i'm growing :)
i'm growing OUT! yes-its true. chris and i are expecting a baby! i'm 23 weeks as of today and feeling pretty good for the most part. pregnancy has definitely been a stretching experience (in more ways than one) but we are so excited for the little addtion we will get to add to our family :) so-with that being said, i'm hoping to pop on here and do some updating on how baby bean (or bubbles as some girls in the youth group have started calling) is doing. baby bean is due december 14th and is ridiculously active! tends to be the most active when momma wants to head to bed, but we're working on that :) here's the first belly shot i've taken! stay tuned for updates on baby bean and the cox family as we grow from a family of 2 plus a dog to a family of 3 plus a dog! :) and just so rudy doesn't feel left out-here's a current picture of him as well :)
1-i want to be a peacemaker. this looks so different in life than what i'm used to. it means that when i am feeling upset/frustrated/angry with someone, i have to be willing to talk it out or life will spiral downhill FAST! it means that in everyday life, when i see opportunities that could potentially cause strife, i have to choose to say "i will choose peace." striving to live at peace with everyone is much tougher than ever imagined, but i'm so grateful for the opportunities God is giving me to put that into practice.
2-i want to be a giver. i want to give of my time, my money, my life...its not mine to begin with-its God given and because of that very truth, i have to be willing to put "me" aside and say "today-i give..."
3-i love prayer and i love being able to commune one on one with God through prayer. i love watching Him answer in His perfect way at His perfect time...i just love prayer!
i could go on and on through what i've been learning in matthew, but maybe i'll save that for the next post (and yes-with accountability from a friend here at work who shall remain nameless (Wendy)-i plan on updating much more frequently) why you may ask? well that answer lies in the next reason in how i'm growing :)
i'm growing OUT! yes-its true. chris and i are expecting a baby! i'm 23 weeks as of today and feeling pretty good for the most part. pregnancy has definitely been a stretching experience (in more ways than one) but we are so excited for the little addtion we will get to add to our family :) so-with that being said, i'm hoping to pop on here and do some updating on how baby bean (or bubbles as some girls in the youth group have started calling) is doing. baby bean is due december 14th and is ridiculously active! tends to be the most active when momma wants to head to bed, but we're working on that :) here's the first belly shot i've taken! stay tuned for updates on baby bean and the cox family as we grow from a family of 2 plus a dog to a family of 3 plus a dog! :) and just so rudy doesn't feel left out-here's a current picture of him as well :)
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