Introducing Our Baby Girl!

This is our little Abigail (unless we decide to change her name!) We went this morning at 9am to find out who was in my belly and we are SO super excited that it's Abby! Everything looked great on the sonogram too. Measuring right at 20 weeks. I just took a picture of the picture for now and Paul will scan them at work and send them so you can get a better look!

We went right to Target and bought her first little outfit. When we walked up to the check out line I just wanted to blurt out "We're having a girl!" but I waited and luckily she asked if this was for us or someone else. So I told her. She was super excited for us!
Abby's Baby Book :)
Me and Abby at 20 weeks. (Paul and I tried to get a picture, but it didn't work out.)
We are so happy and excited for February 24th to be here! We can't wait to meet her!

It's a.....!!!

Well I wish I could finish that title sentence... But we'll all have to wait another week to find out! Pray the baby cooperates!

(p.s. Thats not my belly. It's not quite that big yet :)

Love Happens

I am so excited about this movie. I'm not usually a romantic movie watcher, I'd much rather go see a great action film (especially in theaters)... But this movie (I hope) is going to be great!

Anticipation...

I really wish we had a scanner so I could put up ultrasound pictures and such. When we bought our printer, we thought there was a scanner on top, but it's strictly to make copies, so don't be fooled.

We are still preparing to have a baby. Saving, making decisions, going to doctor appointments, etc. I hit 16 weeks yesterday and I feel great. I can't believe how quickly my pregnancy is passing. It really just seems like we announced to everyone that we're having a baby! And February just sounds like a far away month, but then you remember it's already September and I feel like it's just around the corner! AND we get to find out weather our baby is "blue" or "pink" (as Beth J. says) on October 7th!!!

As of now, I don't even feel pregnant. I made the mistake of taking all 4 of my pills at once, without any food, last Monday and almost threw up in Beaus car... twice. Then I felt a little gross all day, but other then that, it's been a few weeks since I've really been sick. My stomachs getting bigger, but I'm still losing weight. My doctor isn't worried about it though because I wasn't over weight, but I did have a little bit to lose.

Paul is still in school, this semester probably wishing he didn't have to be. He's got a very boring semester right now and he's super ready to be done. But he's doing great, stay busy and is still a wonderful husband to me (as he will always be).

We love our life together and we're very excited about where it's going. I need to work on getting pictures up here because a bunch of words is just boring!

No New News

Paul and I are having a baby. I'm still trying to get used to it.

I've passed my 3 month mark and now I'm working on week 13. My stomach feels weird and I'm starting to get a little pooch. Most of the time now I wear yoga pants or something close to it because they are way more comfy then my regular jeans. I'm not really sick at all anymore just lots of head aches. I can't decide what discomfort I'd rather have.. Headaches or nausea. The nausea was pretty terrible though, and now I can eat food, so I think I'll live with the headaches.

I'm going for my first real check up on the 2nd, and that's when we will be able to hear the heart beat. I'm so anxious and excited. Hopefully all will go well.

I think that's about all. I don't have any pictures... Except my sonogram picture from 9 weeks. We don't have a scanner or that one would be up!

We are very excited, but still getting used to this little thing growing inside of me. I definitely can't wait till February :)

The Healing Power of Music.

Music is one of the greatest things ever. I've always loved music, all different kinds but it's only every once in a while that it hits me and I realize just how powerful it is.

When Paul left on his mission, I wasn't heartbroken. I wasn't devastated. I was super excited for him and even more excited to write him while he was gone and also get letters back so I could be a witness of the transformation that goes on while you serve the Lord so fully. I remember that just a few days into his mission, I got really lonely. I had (and have) a wonderful bestie, Dana, who helped me daily stay focused and upbeat. I don't think she will ever know how much I appreciate her and all she did and does... About a week into Paul being gone, I made this cd with a ton of songs on it that reminded me of him and the emotion of the songs were put in order to go with the feelings I felt every day that went from literal pain to appreciation to sadness to the memories I lived on and so on. Girls have a lot of feelings! :) I would listen to this cd every morning and through out the day and I believe it was one of the main reasons I was able to stay put together. I had my occasional cries, but only let them last so long. Anyway, that was way more detail then I planned on going into... But I went to my moms last weekend for her surprise party and went through some cds that I'd left there and found this cd. You can tell it was a frequently played cd. I started listening to it this morning and I remember the days while he was gone. I remember the feelings I felt and the amazing transformation I went though while he was gone. Music is amazing.

Sorry about this little random burst... I'm just really thankful for music :)

Another First..

Paul and I have been married for a year and 4 months. It definitely doesn't seem that long at all, but we have had many firsts in that year and 4 months! Just a few are:

We got our first apartment together in Arlington.

We lived in our first house in Midlothian.

We bought our first car together.

We had our first married birthdays.

We had our first Christmas together.

We had our first year of marriage.

We are now having our biggest first of our marriage. Paul and I found out we were having a baby May 28th and we are so dang excited! We told our parents and brothers and sisters, but that's all. We didn't want to get our hopes up. Then on July 22nd, we were able to go get an ultra sound and actually see the baby! It was so exciting. We were able to see the little heart beat, beating about 170 times a minute. It was amazing to see our little miracle.

I'm due to have the baby on February 24. I wish we had a scanner so I could put our little baby on the internet. You can see the head, and 4 little white dots that are arms and legs. We are so very excited for whats to come.

I'm finally not feeling so terribly sick. We went down to Jamie and Steve's house on Sunday and I was able to eat till I was full for the first time in about 8 weeks. It was awesome! But since then I haven't been able to eat a full meal again. I'm not complaining though, I'm still feeling a lot better!

It's exciting to finally have something to write on here about! I hope everyone is doing well! Hopefully everything will go fine with this pregnancy, I'm only 10 weeks!

Paul's Birthday :)

Today is Paul's 22nd birthday! We celebrated last weekend with my mom, Friday with a few friends, yesterday with Paul's family and today with Me! We had a really fun weekend and Paul was genuinely surprised when he opened his Wii. I was so glad. His whole family went in on it, and I'm thankful for that. Without their contributions it wouldn't have happened, so thank you!
Friday we went to eat at our favorite restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings withe a few friends. Paul had no idea they were going to be there and he was shocked. Then we all came back to our house and watched "The Invisible". Saturday I got my oil changed then we headed to Sandee's for birthday festivities. We had a really good time together. Paul, Marc and Steve all had birthdays recently so we did all their birthdays together, plus Fathers Day for Steve. After the party, they boys (minus Jordan who has a bum leg) went golfing in the disgusting hot weather and we stayed at Sandees mostly chatting and playing games. I really enjoyed just sitting and talking with my sister-in-laws and playing games with the in-laws. I had never done that before, so it was a great first!
Today we went to church and it was actually pretty good. My class only had 7 kids today and all of them were GREAT except one, which is fine. Then we came home, ate, played on Paul's new Wii and Paul got started on his mountain of homework. We've had a fun, relaxing day though and have really enjoyed it!
I hope you all had a great weekend! I think that's about it for our weekend!
-Marls :)

Puzzles...

Picture Puzzle Piece by

Shel Silverstein

One picture puzzle piece

Lyin' on the sidewalk,

One picture puzzle piece

Soakin' in the rain.

It might be a button of blue

On the coat of the woman

Who lived in a shoe.

It might be a magical bean,

Or a fold in the red

Velvet robe of a queen.

It might be the one little bite

Of the apple her stepmother

Gave to Snow White.

It might be the veil of a bride

Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.

It might be a small tuft of hair

On the big bouncy belly

Of Bobo the Bear.

It might be a bit of the cloak

Of the Witch of the West

As she melted to smoke.

It might be a shadowy trace

Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.

Nothing has more possibilities

Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

I find that sometimes when I do a puzzle, there is always that one piece that I'm looking for. Then it turns out the piece that was flipped over so I could not see the correct picture on the other side was the one I was looking for. All I could see was the plain old brown side that doesn't help at all in constructing the puzzle. Sometimes I find that piece after just a little while of looking, but other times it turns out to be one of the last pieces of the puzzle. Sometimes I feel like the puzzle piece that fits perfectly. But a lot of times, I feel like I'm the puzzle piece that is flipped over so that all you can see is the ugly brown side. One day it will be my turn to be flipped and placed in the puzzle. I just have to be patient.

Memorial Day Weekend...

“Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.”
-Alex Noble

I have so many ways that I want to start out this post... I think I will start by pointing out a flaw I have... I like to be noticed. Not in a flashy, "look at me" kind of way, but in an appreciative kind of way. I like to feel appreciated. And when I feel like credit is due, I like to give it. When people do things that I like, I like to point that out. I feel like everyone should be like me. (How boring would that be! Haha) I did a really big, in depth project that took a long time and I didn't get recognized. There was no criticism on either side of the spectrum. I think I would just rather have negative comments made about my project then nothing.
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Anyway. That was the negative. Now the positive.
This past weekend was amazing. My favorite part, as always, was going to the temple with my husband. We also went with my Paul's Parents, Grandma, and Aunt Cheryl. I love the temple and the feelings that I get there. I think of things that I haven't thought of in years, and feel emotions I didn't even know I could feel. It's such a peaceful, reverent place that I love to retreat to. We went to the temple Saturday afternoon after we were able to sleep in for a bit.

Saturday evening we went to Talisa and Blake's reception. It was so beautiful and made me wish that we had done something like that for our reception. I told Paul we had to do something fun and beautiful like that for our 50th anniversary. We have lots of time to prepare. :) Talisa and Blake looked beautiful and so happy. I loved seeing them together and getting to meet Blake.

Sunday we went to church... I was really excited to go and teach my new class. I was called to teach the CTR 6 class (5 year olds turning 6 this year) the Sunday before. There are 12 in my class, about 10 of which are active. I was a little nervous, but excited. Our church meetings are backwards from the way we grew up. It's Primary (For Paul, Priesthood, then Sunday School), then Sacrament Meeting. By the time I got to sacrament meeting I was warn out, beat down, and ready to give up. 10 little 5 year olds are tough to manage, much less teach. They are smart though and I really give props to their last teacher and obviously I need a few pointers... In sacrament meeting I was asked to give the opening prayer and I had a really tough time getting though it. I was so thankful for Paul after I got back to my seat to take the sacrament and listen to the talks because I couldn't hold it together anymore and Paul was there comforting and supporting the whole time even after church until I felt better. He's the best and I really don't know what I'd do without him as my husband.

Sunday night we went to my moms house for a little get together. Coen helped mom make ice cream and all the nieces and nephews were awesome. I love them so much and I can't wait to give them another niece or nephew to grow, play with and love. I'm so excited for them because they will have many cousins to grow up with, gain support though, and bond with... Something that I didn't have. My Mamaw and Papaw came over so we could all visit with them. I'm growing more and more thankful for our big family gatherings.

Monday we went to Jamie and Steve's (Paul's parents) house for lunch and games. There family is fun, big, supportive, and rarely dull. I'm learning to appreciate and get used to them and their ways as time goes on. It was fun to spend time with our nephews on that side of the family and see their fun personalities.

Monday evening Paul and I ate at yummy Houlihan's and then went and played volleyball with a few friends that we usually play with on Thursday nights. I love volleyball. And Paul. And since we both love to go play, and we both love that we get to do something we both love together... we play whenever we get the chance! :D

I'm glad we were able to have a long weekend to relax and enjoy out family and friends. Here are a few pictures from this past weekend. Enjoy!