7...8...Almost 9 Months Pregnant!

I'm a little behind posting on my pregnancy and Josey's progress.  We have been so busy with school, activities, and getting ready for Josey's arrival.  I can't believe we are just 12 days away from meeting our precious baby girl!  Here are some pictures and updates from over the last 1 1/2 months. 

September 25th ~7 Months Pregnant:

The kids are so very excited to meet their baby sister.  About 2 months ago, they started asking me every day, "How many more days until Josey's born?" So, when we were exactly 1 month away from my scheduled C-Section date (November 15), we made a paper chain with 31 links.  We are having fun tearing one off every day. 

October 15th ~31 days until Josey's arrival!

October 20th ~Josey @35 Weeks

Estimated weight was around 6 pounds, 2 ounces!



 October 26th ~Josey @36 Weeks

Poor baby girl is super squished!  I had a thorough ultrasound done to check her heart.  Praise the LORD that we were able to see the 4 chambers so clearly and from what they can tell, her heart is healthy!



October 29th ~8 Months Pregnant

My ultrasound yesterday showed Josey to be moving well and breathing on her own.  She hadn't gained but ~3 ounces in 2 weeks, but she is still at a good weight for 37 weeks.  Right now she is measuring what Lily's weight was at birth-6lb. 5oz.  My last Doctor's appointment will be next Thursday.  I have to say this pregnancy has flown by.  It is very bittersweet right now knowing that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy.  What a blessing it is to carry one of God's children.  We are so excited to meet our precious and perfect gift from Him.  Please continue to pray for Josey and our family as we prepare for her arrival on November 15th.  And may God be glorified through her birth!

This is what the LORD says:

The wise must not boast in his wisdom;
the mighty must not boast in his might;
the rich must not boast in his riches.
But the one who boasts should boast in this,
that he understands and knows Me
that I am the LORD, showing faithful love,
justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things.
[This is] the LORD's declaration.
Jeremiah 9:23-24

A Tiny Hello...

from our sweet baby girl!

What tears of joy I cried yesterday at my Doctor's appointment when I saw Josey's chubby, little hand "waving" at me!  It was the most precious thing!  The 4D Ultrasound is truly amazing.  We tried to get a picture of her face, but she kept covering it with her hands.  We did get this one, which shows her profile and her hand clenched:

They estimated her weight yesterday at around 5lb. 1 oz. She gained over a pound in 2 weeks which is a huge praise since she has a Two-vessel cord.  My C-Section has been scheduled for November 15th, so we are less than 6 weeks away from meeting our sweet blessing from the LORD!  Please continue to pray for Josey and me through these last few weeks, that she will continue to grow, and that I will have strength and energy to make it through each day with the many demands I have upon me.  I am praising God for blessing me with a wonderful husband who takes such good care of me and our family, but most of all praising God for His grace which is sufficient to meet our every need!

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

1 Chronicles 16:11 

29 Weeks and Counting...

I got another sneak peek at our baby girl today at my Doctor's appointment.  She is continuing to grow and they think she weighs ~2lb. 13oz. right now.  We weren't able to get a 3D shot today because she had her face pushed right up against my uterus.  She's already getting squished and we've got about 10 weeks to go! 
I did find out today that I was wrong in assuming no news was good news.  I actually failed the one hour
Glucose Tolerance Test 2 weeks ago, so I will be doing the 3 hour test this Friday, September 9th.  Please pray for God's will.  I am trusting in Him and that He will continue to take care of Josey and me. 
When I shared the news with the kids, the girls were very concerned and worried.  How sweet the LORD is to provide us with life lessons that enable us to share God's promises with our children!  The girls and I have been studying the names of Jesus during school time, and this week we are learning that Jesus is our Rock.  Our verse is:  Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.(Matthew 7:24)  I was able to share with the girls once again how wonderful it is that we serve a God who alone can give us peace and safety when we build our life upon Him.  We can praise Him for allowing us to pour out our prayers and hearts to Him daily, and that He is strong enough to take care of our every need!  He is good and He is faithful!

Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from Him. 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken. 
My salvation and glory depend on God;
my strong rock, my refuge, is in God. 
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:5-8

6 Months Pregnant!

I am a little behind blogging on my pregnancy and Josey's progress!  I truly don't know where the month of August went to! 

Here are some pictures of my baby bump taken by the sweetest 8 year old I know-our Lily!

How far along?: 28 1/2 weeks

Total weight gain?: 18 lbs

Symptoms?: Starting to tire a lot easier by late afternoon and have actually taken a couple of short naps recently which is NOT like me at all!  I am so thankful that we still enforce Quiet Time in the afternoons several times a week in our home with all 4 of our children.  It is a huge blessing for all of us as we all need a little break and time of refreshing!  Also, I'm having more Charlie Horse leg cramps while I'm sleeping at night, along with getting up 3-4 times to use the bathroom!

How big is baby?: ~15-16 inches and ~2 1/2 pounds

Gender?: Girl!

Name?: Josey Hope
*Josey means "God increases"
 Hope means "expectation or belief"

Maternity clothes?: Yes!

Stretch marks?: No-very blessed to not have any at all...yet!

Belly Button?: In right now....barely! It popped out with Katy and Parker!

Sleep?: I am sleeping well, just getting up to use the bathroom.

Energy?: Still have lots of energy in the morning, but losing it by late afternoon!

Exercise?: Does taking care of 4 kids count? :)

Movement?: Most movement is in the late evening when I am finally still.

Food cravings?: Not really craving anything right now, just very thirsty all the time!

What I'm looking forward to?: Holding and loving my baby girl!

Preparations?: We just sold a bunch of things at Picky Chick Consignment Sale and hoping to order bunk beds for the girls' room and bedding for baby Josey!

Labor Signs?: None

Best Moment this week?: Hearing each one of my children separately tell me that they can't wait for baby Josey to be here!  She is going to be very loved for sure!

Here are some ultrasound pictures from my last Dr. appointment that was on August 24th:

 Sweet profile!

Tiny foot!

I am getting spoiled by the Ultrasound Technician.  She is getting some great 3D pictures every time.  Parker carried around this picture for days just staring at it!

So far, she is continuing to grow and her weight and height appear to be just about average ~48%.  This is wonderful news!  Her heart is beating strong and the four chambers look healthy.  Praise the Lord! 
I passed my first Glucose Test and will now be going for appointments every 2 weeks for awhile.  They are still going to keep a close eye on Josey because of her 2 vessel cord which means we'll get a sneak peek at her every visit. 
Thank you for praying for our growing family!

Love this verse that Katy and Parker are learning for AWANA. It's short and sweet, but means so very much!:
...God is love.
1John 4:8

20 Weeks!

Half-way there!

How far along?: 20 weeks

Total weight gain?: 10 lbs

Symptoms?: Nausea when I get really tired.

How big is baby?: ~5.5 - 6.5 inches (crown-to-rump) and ~9 ounces

Gender?: Girl!

Name?: Josey Hope               
Josey means "God increases"
Hope means "expectation or belief"

Maternity clothes?: Yes! 

Stretch marks?: No-very blessed to not have any at all!

Belly Button?: In right now....barely!  It popped out with Katy and Parker!

Sleep?: I sleep very sound but get up 3-4 times to use the bathroom.

Energy?: Finally have my energy back, especially in the morning.

Exercise?: Does taking care of 4 kids count? :)

Movement?: Most movement is in the late evening when I am finally still!

Food cravings?: McD's Mango Pineapple Smoothie (so yummy!), slushies and red meat.

What I'm looking forward to?: Having another little princess!

Preparations?: Making plans of what we'd like to do...but nothing has been done just yet.  Going to be moving Katybug in with Lily and Maddy and turning Parker's room in to a "big boy" room!

Labor Signs?: None.

Best Moment this week?: We've had the best week...it's hard to choose!  But I'd have to say the Fourth of July.  It was Parker's 3rd Birthday, we got to see Lily dance in her first parade and spend the entire day with our family and friends!  Feeling very blessed!

Please continue to pray for our Josey Hope and that the LORD will knit her perfectly together just as He imagined her to be!

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

The Work of His Hands!

Our family is excited to announce that God has blessed us with another precious gift from above!  Our sweet blessing is due to arrive in November.  Please join us in praising Him for this amazing little miracle of life and pray for a healthy pregnancy.  God is good! 

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17

My Heart Will Choose to Say...

LORD, blessed be your name!
On November 9th, Jonathan and I found out that we were expecting again, and we were overjoyed!  What an honor to be chosen as parents to another one of the LORD's children!  We couldn't wait to welcome a 5th precious blessing in July 2011.  However, we have been on an emotional roller coaster over the last 5 weeks.  Things were not progressing well with this pregnancy like they did with the others.  I had a 3rd Ultrasound done on December 9th, and our baby was not growing well and the heartbeat was extremely low, only beating ~85 bpm.  Our Dr. said that things looked very discouraging, and that it was only a matter of time before our precious baby's heart stopped beating.  Even though there was something wrong with our baby, I knew that it was perfect in the LORD's eyes!  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28
Monday, December 13th I was 9 weeks pregnant and today through ultrasound we learned that Baby Buhl has gone to be with his/her Creator.  We are deeply saddened by the loss of our child, but joyful knowing that he or she is very much alive in heaven with our LORD.  He or she is at the feet of Jesus waiting for us to meet them there one day!  God is good and He is sovereign.  Jonathan and I don't understand why we are going through this trial but we know that the LORD has much better plans for us than we do.  God might be preparing us and getting us ready so He can use us in some marvelous, miraculous way.  If we can be better used of God, than we are willing to undergo any suffering, any affliction, anything God sends our way.  What an awesome God we serve that we can be used to glorify Him!  Any troubles that we face will always be used for God's glory!  God's grace is sufficient to help carry us through any and all hard times.  I absolutely love the verses in 2Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Jonathan and I have been slowly sharing our news with close friends and family over the last week, and have been overwhelmed with all of the love and prayers.  We are so grateful and love each one of you so much! 
My heart WILL choose to say...LORD blessed be your name!