We're Having a Baby Boy!!

After a long wait, much anticipation, a roller-coaster of emotions, we couldn't be more excited to announce that we have our little miracle baby coming this winter!!! :D

^^It only took us about five tries but we finally got this awesome shot on the 4th of July! Thanks to Sam for his photo skills! Missy (B) Justin (A) Cami (b) Alex (y)^^

I am due December 30th-- a very exciting time of year!

^^15 weeks--I was barely showing, my pants were tight or not fitting at all, but this is when people started to comment on my baby bump when I was working in the temple. For some reason my temple dress made my baby bump look a lot bigger--and I loved it!!^^

^^17 Weeks^^

^^20 Weeks--when we were up at Heber Valley Camp @ the Flink Family Reunion^^

 ^^How we announced on social media ^^

Sam started to feel baby kick when I was almost 21 weeks. The first time I really felt baby kick all the time was when I was in the temple and it made the experience just that much more divine and wonderful!!!

^^When I was 22 weeks pregnant^^

I am going to be 25 weeks pregnant this week! and I have the cutest baby bump!! I love it!!

Expecting has been such a blessing to our family! Not just in the sense that we're having a baby! but also how this experience has been able to lighten the times of life that are hard. Let me explain:

Sam has been wearing a lot of hats lately! Not only is he working at being a great husband has been so busy prepping for a full-time job offer after graduation, doing his calling in a YSA bishopric (it's time consuming getting people to speak on Sunday when 1/2 of the ward is in the middle of vacations and moving out!), doing his research | thesis--and being a good team member and meeting those goals and deadlines, prepping for interviews at MathWorks (more coming on that later), starting his first CS class, taking a ME class, being a temple worker for 5 hours every Wednesday (we love love love working in the temple!), Sam's brother, and being a TA. All great things and we don't want to give any of them up but man, it's a lot on ones plate!!

Even among the chaos-- Sam is still placing being a father as one of his greatest priorities! 

We love going to my OBGYN appointments and hearing baby's heart beat!! And those ultrasounds are one of the greatest things ever invented!! Just seeing baby move and interact and do all of those cute things babies do--just melts my heart, and feels me with one of the greatest feeling ever! The way Sam responds is so priceless!! 

When Sam gets really stressed or can't sleep--he just puts his hand on my belly and baby will move and Sam just gets so filled with JOY!! I love watching Sam bond with our baby--he talks to baby all the time, and plays with baby when i'm sleeping. It's amazing that when Sam wants baby to move -- he does!! 

I can just see the stress and worry melt away as baby turns and rolls over and Sam feels him. It's all so heavenly. My heart feel like it's about to burst! Baby has already brought so much joy to our family!!!

It's not too much work lately-- but we love being parents! It's amazing thinking of myself as a mother. I love feeling the responsibility of being trusted to care for one of His spirit children, I love creating a human--our child!!, I LOVE feeling just that much closer to the veil. I love getting to know babies kicking patterns. I honestly love being pregnant!!

My heart goes out to those who are still waiting for their little miracle. I know our wait wasn't as long as many others and my heart still aches for them. Keep trying--it'll all workout.