Some people have "theme" songs - I've never really hopped on board that train, but I think maybe over the last couple of years I may have found one. All I know is that God has blessed me WAY more than I ever expected or dreamed He would, and WAY more than I know I deserve.

First He gave me an incredibly wonderful husband...

and then He blessed us with the most beautiful little boy ever. And now as we look forward to our daughter coming, I almost can't dare believe this isn't a dream. Anyway, this song pretty much hits the nail on the head of how I feel about my life. Not everything the song says fits us perfectly; for example, we don't have hardwood floors. But you get the gist.

LORD, thank you and may I never take for granted the blessings You've given, even when things are tough.

Blessed
By Martina McBride

I get kissed by the sun each morning
Put my feet on a hardwood floor
I get to hear my children laughing
Down the hall through the bedroom door
Sometimes I sit on my front porch swing
Just soaking up the day
I think to myself, I think to myself
This world is a beautiful place

I have been blessed and I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day
I have been blessed with so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Across a crowded room, I know you know what I'm thinking
By the way I look at you.
And when we're lying in the quiet and no words have to be said
I think to myself, I think to myself
This love is a beautiful gift

I have been blessed and I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day
I have been blessed with so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

When I'm singing my kids to sleep
When I feel you holding me
I know, I have been blessed.

Be sure to read his shirt... and yes, what the shirt says is true - we're expecting kiddo number two at the end of January (official due date: January 30th).

[Aside: When I sent this picture around at work, I was amazed at those that didn't think it was true or didn't even dare ask if it was true. If I was going to play a joke like that, the LAST place I would play it would be at work!!]

We are exactly half way through the pregnancy and just had our 20 week ultra sound today. Praise the LORD for such a healthy report!! Everything looks fantastic. And I have to say, even though we've been through this once before, I am no less in awe at the incredible miracle of life. How some people can believe something this intricate and beautiful is just a happen-stance of chance is beyond my comprehension.

We did end up finding out the gender and we are looking forward to adding a little girl to our family!! What an incredible gift of life God has blessed us with....

This August Abe officially entered the "terrible" twos. I can think of nothing that describes the phrase "bitter-sweet" quite like watching him grow. The baby is completely gone and in its place is one beautifully sweet little boy - most of the time... =) On the one hand, I ache with how fast it's all happening and how quickly the time is flying. I'll look back on pictures/videos of him, amazed at where he was just a short time ago compared to where he is now.

However, watching him grow and learn and develop is truly an overwhelming joy that really is hard to explain - and I know many of you don't need me to. There are so many times where Abe will say or do something that he hasn't before and time freezes for just a brief moment. The best is when both Mike and I are around to witness it; our eyes will lock, and the sparkle I see in Mike's I feel reflected in mine as we simply enjoy the pure pleasure of who Abe is and who he is becoming.

I could write paragraphs trying to describe Abe, but I'll try to keep it brief. Starting with the official two years stats: 24.25 pounds (10%) and 34 inches tall (50%). He has known his colors for quite awhile now and can count to ten, although he doesn't grasp yet the meaning of the numbers past three or four. He also understands some opposites: big versus small, a lot versus a little, etc. He understands almost everything we say to him and possesses a pretty impressive vocabulary himself. We recently noted that he's starting to recognize letters as well.

There is no way I could fully cover everything he says, but here are some of the best ones:
- "Mommy/Daddy hold you?"
- "Watch T.V.? Daddy say nooooo T.V."
- "Thank you for driving Daddy/Mommy"
- "Thank you for making dinner Daddy/Mommy"
- "Bye bye Dexter! See you later!!"
- "Abram going ____________. Be riiiight back."
- "No song Daddy/Mommy"
- "Oh....my....goodness" (This got said often while Grandma Glenda was here and was punctuated just like she does it.)
- "Abram do. All by self."
- "Bless you Mommy/Daddy!" Often said loudly if we're not in the same room.

Fun things he does:
- First thing when he wakes up, "Go kitchen. Get cereal and white grape juice."
- He loves to ordering Dexter around and will repeat any commands that we give Dexter as well. In fact, he repeats pretty much anything you say, including grunts.
- Grandma Glenda taught him to play hide-n-seek. However, he always hides in the same place and gets confused when we don't.
- Whenever our computers turn on our off, he mimics the sound they make. It's not exact, but pretty close.
- He loves to hide under his blanket on the couch. If I don't ask quick enough, he'll ask, "Where Abram go? In bathroom? Nooo, on couch!"
- He gets to rock for two minutes before bedtime. We set the timer; when the timer goes off he has to run out and tell me the timer went off.
- He can be quite demanding. "Mommy sit on couch." "Daddy lay down." It would be annoying if it wasn't so funny. And he only gets away with it some of the time.

Oh, and of course I've added some new pictures. They start here. (If you're having trouble viewing the pictures, Mike is on it. Check back in a couple of days.) - Update: Pictures should be working now!