Week 20 - Family Visit

Besides a quick overnight visit from Melissa and Jason last year, this was the first time that any of my family had come to our neck of the woods. I was thrilled that some of them we're able to make the effort to be here  and I know all the rest of my siblings would have loved to be there as well; they were definitely missed! Family is hugely important to us and I'm proud that on my side and Jonathan's side we've had overwhelming support, encouragement and excitement, not only about our life, but now about the life of our child as well. 

My Mom, my sister Mel and her husband Jason drove up Tuesday evening and we had some time to kill so we took them to one of our favorite places to show new comers: The Antique Mall. It's basically just a huge warehouse full of (overpriced) antique everything. Occasionally, you can find a good deal but overall it's just a very interesting place to pass the time. Spending anytime with my family is interesting. We take lots of pictures, we're usually loud (sometimes awkward) and never boring. It usually ends up making for hilarious stories later. You know, the ones where you blush red and can't  breathe because you're laughing so hard at whatever it was someone said/did in public. And really? We  just honestly, not always perfectly or without conflict, enjoy being together and making the most of time we have. Long-distance changes your outlook on 'family time', trust me. Anytime together is just that much more precious….and fun!  

The next morning we took them to our local coffee place, Veloctiy Bike & Bean. For all you local people reading this, we highly recommend it! Delicious beverages of all kinds, wonderful thought-filled  service and just a great place to hang out. I know saying 'coffee is important to us' is such a cliche statement these days. But really, there's just something about having something warm + comforting in our hands to sip while we talk (and we talk a lot) and spend time together. To me, having good conversation over heartening food or drink is being able to make home happen where ever we might find ourselves. 

 Then it was off to lunch, where I had a spectacular surprise waiting for me. My oldest sister Beth had drove in eeearrly that morning from Illinois to come celebrate the day with us! I was so thrilled and grateful that she braved the road with her two littles to be there with us. I can't say enough how much we enjoyed sharing the joy of this day with everyone who was able to come. Once again, we found ourselves laughing and catching up over food. I can never get enough time with these humans. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of us at the hospital when my family and Jonathan's family we're all there together. I'm all for capturing what happens as it happens but sometimes there's just too much excitement going on to be behind a camera. And really, at times I have to tell myself 'Put the camera down, enter into this moment and enjoy it!' And that's what we did. 

At the hospital, right before we headed back, the excitement/nervousness was tangible; at least for me. Jonathan's mom was there, my mom and two of my sisters were there and everyone was so happy for us. The only feeling I can compare it to was the day of our wedding. Just like that day over two years ago, something incredibly miraculous was happening for us and our family was there to support and visibly show us their excitement. By being there like they were, we felt incredibly loved on. I can't wait for our baby to experience the kind of genuine devotion waiting for him on both sides of his family when he gets here. 

Our technician for the ultra-sound was great. She helped coordinate bringing family members back and forth to see Pickle (only three people were allowed back at once) and was very careful not to reveal the gender to us the entire time. We had so much fun watching him twist and jump around and even wave his hand! The last time we got to see him, for some reason, it was the image of his hand that struck my heart the most. And this time we watched again as he opened and closed it multiple times. I feel Jesus allowed me to see that as a gift to this new mama's heart. I want so bad to connect with my child, to know him and let him know me, Jesus understands that. And it's the little things right now like his big kicks in the morning, Jonathan being able to feel him too, and that little hand clasping open and closed so clearly on the monitor that helps me to feel that connection. 

After that appointment I'm incredibly relieved to report that everything for him was totally normal. Everything! He's healthy and developing beautifully (Oh, praise my Heavenly Father for His tender mercies!) Here are some pictures from his ultrasound. This is the part where you pretend like they are very clear and detailed images where you can definitely make out his features, ha! I will say that Jonathan says he has my chin and Mom says he has my nose. Score for me! 

As this post is getting rather lengthy, I'll be sharing the pictures Melissa took of our reaction when we found out he was a boy in a separate post. If you have time, you can just keep scrolling down once you finish this post to see them! However, I'll end here with some shots of us just hanging out together in the hotel room. It was a beautiful way to end the day. Wrestling Gracie, soothing Mason and letting them feel Pickle kick. We were exhausted, had messy hair and tired eyes but we were happy and together. I can't think of anything better. 

Thank you all a thousand times for celebrating this week with us! We love you to the stars and back (because the stars are a lot farther away than the moon, and that more accurately describes the amount of love we have for you all.)

Come back soon, you bunch of crazies, you.