Our First Christmas as a Family!

Christmas 2010 was a very special Christmas for our home. It was our first Christmas with our baby girl. She is only 3 months old and unable to open up gifts yet, but it was still real exciting. Just having one more person in our home Christmas morning is enough excitement for us!

This year we've done some things a little different. We made some decisions and we are pretty satisfied with it. This year the gifts under our tree are a little slim. In fact, some of our gifts were used items that were in excellent condition and at a more affordable price for us. Now don't get me wrong, we have been very blessed. However, we placed getting out of debt above splurging and possibly going overboard with Christmas spending. (That was really hard.) Kevin's work blessed him with a wonderful Christmas bonus, an unexpected check and his side jobs have been calling for help. Because of all that we paid some big things off! We were able to still buy gifts for all our family and friends and were able to bless others. I think we did pretty good! Another decision we made was for me to stay home with Katelyn. That is a big enough Christmas gift for me! Katelyn may not understand the sacrifice, but we will make sure she understands just how good God is! I could go on and on about the blessings He has given us just this year alone, but I will save that for another time! I have no shame telling what all God has done for us. In fact, I hope that in telling what God has done and giving Him praise that you would be encouraged and strengthened in your faith.

Our Tree and Gifts

Stockings



One thing that I've made it a point to be a little tradition for us is before any gifts are opened we read about what we are really celebrating. Luke Chapter 2 is the text of our choice. This year was Katelyn's first year and first time of hearing the real Christmas story. We read it from one of her keepsake Bibles! How special that was to read it to her.

Katelyn with her gifts from mommy and daddy!



I am so grateful for the Christmas we had! There were lots of smiles. The Lord blessed us indeed, when He gave us Katelyn Joy! Hope you had a Merry Christmas. Will be blogging about the rest of our Christmas soon.

It's Official

I have a new career! I am officially a stay-at-home mom. I turned in my resignation last week. What a dream come true!!! I am so grateful to have this opportunity and I don't want to take one moment for granted. This choice doesn't come without some sacrifices, but it is going to be worth it all. One of the sacrifices has been leaving some really special people in my life that I had the privilege to work for and with. I will miss seeing them everyday. I was blessed with a great job and because of it got to know some wonderful people. I am a little saddened by the goodbyes, but in return I have gained more time with my family. It seems like this season in life is bringing me back to family. I love that I get to spend more time with my dad. I know firsthand that you can't always be sure that they will always be around. So I am cherishing this season in my life.

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me. May I always be a good steward of what you have given me and live my life well to honor you. Amen!

Katelyn's Dedication to the Lord

Kevin and I dedicated our little Katelyn Joy to the Lord today. The ceremony was held at Packsaddle Church by Katelyn's great uncle Rev. Rickey Elmore.

We were each given a rose, a letter to Kevin and I, a letter to Katelyn that she is to open on her 13th birthday and a certificate of dedication!

It was a wonderful ceremony. Katelyn cried...she was just trying to out-preach her uncle :)! We had Kevin's mom Lisa, sister Haley, grandmother Rebecca, my dad Jerry and his friend Phyllis, my sister Robin, brother-in-law Chris, nieces Meagan, Emily and Olivia, nephew Calvin, my brother Jerry, sister-in-law Alanna, nephew Hunter, and sister Jennifer and niece Kaylee all there to celebrate!

She looked absolutely adorable!

Katelyn got a 14k gold cross necklace from Dad and Phyllis and some special letters and notes from her family! We went to Packsaddle Depot for lunch and had a special cake made by April McLean.

(Robin was taking the picture and Jen and Kaylee couldn't make it)

Loved the old-fashioned Christmas Tree!

After all the celebration we were wiped out! It is rest time now. Thanks to all of our family who came and made Katelyn's Dedication so very special. We love you all!

First Thanksgiving

This Thursday is Katelyn Joy's first Thanksgiving. It is our first Thanksgiving as a family. God has truly blessed us this year. I am so thankful for this baby girl, especially after what I read last night. I stumbled upon a blog of a grieving mother who not only went through the nightmare of losing her 5 month old baby girl, but also had to go through it again with her 7 month old baby girl. As I read the little life stories, my heart broke for this mother. I can not begin to imagine the pain of losing just one child. What a horrific trial.

I read these blog entries while holding my 2 month old healthy baby girl. Reading these entries I held my little bundle of "Joy" a little closer, a little longer. I could barely let her go. God has been so amazingly gracious to us by blessing us with such a beautiful, healthy child. However, I know that we are not guaranteed tomorrow or that tomorrow will be as beautiful as today. I know that today and each day I have with her is just one more gift I have been given. I am so thankful for today!

In light of this Thanksgiving holiday and Katelyn's upcoming baby dedication, I am reminded of what it means to be a parent. I am reminded of the important role Kevin and I have in Katelyn's life and that we should "live it well." Katelyn is needing us to give her our best. It is the least we can do for what God has given us. And though she is a gift that we are so thankful for, she is a gift on loan. Just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord (1 Samuel 1), we dedicate Katelyn to the Lord. We give her life to the Lord and we will do that by raising her to "love the Lord our God with all her heart, with all her soul, with all her strength and with all her mind (Luke 10:27)." We will pray for her and teach her to know His word. Whatever God's plan for her life we will willingly submit.

Prior to becoming pregnant with Katelyn, I had a dream that I had a child. I was being chased by a fire-breathing dragon who was after the child. I was yelling at this dragon "THIS IS MY CHILD" over and over, all the while the dragon was gaining ground and getting closer. It didn't matter how loud I yelled or fast I ran, I was losing. Finally, I realized I had it wrong and I stopped running, pointed upwards to God and said with boldness and authority, "This is YOUR Child." In that instance, the dragon disappeared and both the child and I were safe. There is safety in knowing we are His. No matter what happens in life we can find safety in Him.

I know that I've only been a parent for 2 months, but I have already begun to realize what gift it is to be a parent. I have the blessed opportunity to "be there." Yesterday, when Katelyn was being given her shots, there was nothing I could do for the pain that she was feeling. The pain was unavoidable. But I could let her hold onto my finger and let her hear my voice assuring her I was there. Though it was hurting me to see her hurt, I never left her side. God does the same for us. I do not have control over what happens in her life, I don't have control over what happens in my own life. But I can give God control. And with each day God blesses me with, I can be there beside her. I can let her hold my hand and hear my voice praying for her to assure her that not only am I there for her, but more importantly God is there for her too!

This Thanksgiving I thank God for the gift of a child, I thank God for each day I am given with her and I thank God for the gift of being a parent.

Two Months

Baby Girl turned 2 Months on November 20th! She had her 2 month check up today. She has grown! She now weighs 11lbs and 3ozs and measures 22 1/2 inches long! The doctor said she is right on target. She is a healthy girl! The downside to the visit was she had her shots. She cried immediately and of course, momma cried too! But we got through it together. She held on to my finger. After about an hour and half of sleepiness she was back to her happy, smiley self!

So sleepy that her whole body was completely limp!

After a nap, a feeding and some tylenol she was back to normal-ready to play!

Now one more doctor appointment tomorrow and we are ready for our 1st Thanksgiving!!!

Begin Again

This was at the end of my last post, but I decided to share separately.

One thing about having a planned c-section is you get to have music playing of your choice. We chose Christian music and the one song I remembered playing during her delivery was Oh, Happiness by David Crowder Band. It is such a happy song. One that demands for a time of rejoicing, just as was the birth of our daughter. I thought what a perfect song. We can "begin again" because of God's grace. That means a brand new life for each and everyone of us just like this brand new life that was born to us. Our future does not have to be like our past. We get a fresh start, a clean slate, so much to look forward to as we "begin again!" Here are lyrics, Enjoy!


(Chorus)
Oh, happiness
There's grace enough for us
And the whole human race

(Verse 1)
Friend or foe
Stranger or kin
All who come
Begin again

Hard or frail
Rich or poor
All in need
Need fear no more

Such a thing to give away

(Verse 2)
All regrets
Let go, forget
There's something that
Mends all of it

Such a thing to give away

(Bridge)
Sound the church bells
Let them ring
Let them ring
For everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed
Oh,all of us

So In Love....

It's been over six weeks since my beautiful baby girl was born. All I can say is, "WOW!" This new life is everything I never expected and so much more.  I hate to admit that some people were right when they said it doesn't matter how many books you read or classes you take, you will never be prepared. Our new journey began at 4:30 Monday morning-September 20th. We had to be at the hospital at 6am.

We chose Dr. Melissa Rainwater to see us thru the pregnancy and deliver Katelyn. So our hospital was St. Edward's Mercy Medical Center here in Fort Smith.

We had a planned c-section because our little princess was breech. Here are a few pictures of us getting ready for the surgery. I have to admit that I hated the procedure. I did not like most of my body being numb. I started freaking out a little and wanted them to reverse it! But I tried to take the focus off of not being able to move my toes and before long she was out and I was already feeling better. The pressure wasn't as strong.

The grandparents!

When she came out it didn't take her long before she was crying! And she had no trouble in that department. It wasm, however, the sweetest sound ever. I couldn't see her, but lying there hearing her was such a magical moment. Of course there were a few tears! Kevin asked the anesthesiologist if that was normal for them to be crying like that ha ha. And here she is:

Born 9:07am 7lbs 11 oz and 19 1/2 inches long

After about an hour of recovery mommy got to hold her baby girl!

Daddy is soooo proud!

 We had lots of friends and family stop in to welcome our sweet little gift from God. We appreciate all the love and support we have surrounding us. We were even blessed with amazing nurses during our stay. One in particular I deemed my angel in the night. She took care of me and little Miss Katelyn on our first night together. She even came by the next night with a cup of ice to let me know she was sorry that she wouldn't be able to take care of us that night, but if we needed her to go ahead and call her. She was so sweet!

One thing about having a planned c-section is you get to have music playing of your choice. We chose Christian music and the one song I remembered playing during her delivery was Oh, Happiness by David Crowder Band. It is such a happy song. One that demands for a time of rejoicing, just as was the birth of our daughter. I thought what a perfect song. We can "begin again" because of God's grace. That means a brand new life for each and everyone of else just like this brand new life that was born to us. Our future does not have to be like our past. We get a fresh start, a clean slate, so much to look forward to as we "begin again!" Here are lyrics, Enjoy!


(Chorus)
Oh, happiness
There's grace enough for us
And the whole human race

(Verse 1)
Friend or foe
Stranger or kin
All who come
Begin again

Hard or frail
Rich or poor
All in need
Need fear no more

Such a thing to give away

(Verse 2)
All regrets
Let go, forget
There's something that
Mends all of it

Such a thing to give away

(Bridge)
Sound the church bells
Let them ring
Let them ring
For everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed
Oh,all of us

A letter to baby

I wrote this to our unborn child on April 02, 2010.

Dear Baby,

You are so loved. Mommy and Daddy love you so much, but God loves you even more. “God loved you so much that he gave his one and only son that if you would just believe in him, you will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Baby, you were desired. We prayed for you and the Lord answered our prayers. “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.” 1 Samuel 1:27 “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4

Baby, you are thought about every day and every night, not only by us and but also by God. “God’s thoughts of you are precious, they can not be numbered.” Psalm 139:17

Baby, you were created by the very hands of God and you are a wonderful work of art. “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb…” Jeremiah 1:5 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Baby, you are the greatest gift we have ever received. “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” James 1:17

Baby, we love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Katelyn's Arrival!

So much has been happening lately. It's been a very busy few weeks. I've been living life and not having time to reflect on it all. Kev and I have been working very hard to get ready for the arrival of Katelyn Joy Kilgore. She will be here tomorrow via C-Section! We are so excited!!!

Last day of work was September 17th before going on maternity leave. I had made up my mind to work up until I popped. Thankfully, I had a great pregnancy and had no complications that kept me from working. Some ladies from the office took me out to lunch on Friday, September 10th just in case Katelyn decided to arrive sooner. I picked Olive Garden-yum!

Thanks Sue, Kathy, Pam, Martha, Leslie and Tu! I had a great time with you all. I'll be missing you : )

I finally decided on Katelyn's coming home outfit-I saw a picture and decided to make one myself!

Kevin and I spent this weekend together just relaxing and having fun together. We went out on a real date Friday night. We went to Ribeye Steakhouse for dinner and then went to see Despicable Me at the movies. We had a great time! Now, it is the night before and we are just wrapping up a few more to-do's. We're going to bed early (if we can sleep) to get up bright and early at 4am! It's going to be one of the biggest days of our lives! I'll keep you posted!

Grace Cup 8/31/10

This morning I decided to drink from my Infinite Grace cup because spiritually I drank from God’s cup of infinite grace. Earlier in the morning I read from Joshua chapters 7 and 8 the story of the Israelites’ defeat of Jericho and Ai. The Israelites followed the exact commands of the Lord in how to defeat Jericho. It was quite dramatic I must say, all of the marching, the horn blowing, and the shouting . But they did it, the walls came down and they defeated the town. However, in their victory sin crept in the camp. One person disobeyed the commands by taking a portion of the plunder that was already clearly told did not belong to him. Not only did he take what did not belong to him, but he hid it. He covered it up to keep it for himself. So no one in the camp knew about this sin. The next scene the Israelites take off to defeat the next town. Having more confidence in themselves they took a fewer number of men. To their surprise the men of Ai chased after them and the Israelites retreated in fear and shame. “What happened,” they wondered. God revealed to Joshua that there was sin in the camp. Once it was revealed and the sin destroyed as the Lord instructed, the Israelites set out to defeat Ai again. This time God took the shame of the first try and used it for their good. This time He told them once they defeated the town they could have the plunder. The strategy was to take the strongest men to hide in ambush the night before and then send the rest the next day to defeat Ai as they tried before. When the army of Ai gathered to attack, the visible Israelite army pretended to retreat as they did the first time to distract the Ai army while the men hidden in ambush set fire to the town and attacked the Ai army from behind. The Israelites defeated Ai the second time around! I say all this to show how the shame of the Israelite army the first time was used as a trap for the enemy the second time. But this was only done after the sin was revealed and destroyed. Sometimes God has promised us a Jericho and an Ai, but in the victory of Jericho we may mess up and then Ai is out of our reach. But once we come to God with our mistakes and sincerely ask for forgiveness, He will give us back what He intended us to have and not only that, but He will use the shame of our mistake to get it back. “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

Dar la Luz

A woman who is working part-time to help out while I am gone on maternity leave came to me Monday and said something that at the time I didn’t know how to take other than, “oh that’s nice.” But for some reason I knew there had to be something much deeper about what she said. This woman was a missionary to Mexico for several years. She is now in the retirement stage of her life. She came to me and said I wanted to tell you how to say “to give birth” in Spanish. It is “dar la luz.” She said it literally means translated “to give light.” Like I said, I was unsure how to take it other than that was nice of her to share. We went about our business. The next day I was getting ready for work and was having a nice talk with the Lord. During my time of prayer I asked the Lord to “help me to give light.” That’s when it hit me! Dar la luz-to give light means to give birth in the Spanish language. As I thought more I realized there is a life in me that has been at work growing and developing and when it is fully grown then the time comes to give birth. The same thing happens when we are born again. God places His light within us that does a work within that matures us. But that light is not meant to stay hidden inside us. There is a time that comes to “give light” into this world. When we give light there will be labor. Once the light is brought into this world, it is then that we lead and guide that light in His will and in His way. Just as the world patiently awaits for the woman to give birth, so the world awaits for us to "give light."

Pregnancy: Who knew?

A few things no one bothered to mention about being pregnant before they happened to me.


1) No one ever told me that your belly button area would get sensitive. So sensitive that you almost cringe every time someone reaches out their hand to pat or rub your belly. You are thinking, "gently, gently."

2) No one ever told me that your belly button wouldn’t necessarily be perfectly centered. Mine veers slightly to the right.

3) No one ever told me you get hot flashes. I mean, I have had comments of feeling sorry for me being pregnant in the summer, but I was fine with the heat thanks to air conditioning until these hot flashes started.

4) No one ever told me just how a pain in the butt pregnancy could be-literally. My tailbone hurts every time I sit down or stand up or stay seated for a prolonged time-like 10 minutes.

5) And finally, no one ever told me just how much you love this life growing inside of you before you ever even meet. I have had a near perfect pregnancy. I really have nothing to complain about. I believe that about a month or so ago I said I could stay pregnant forever. It was then that I realized that this is the only time in this child’s life that she is most protected-inside my womb. Oh, how I wanted to keep her forever inside of me safe and sound. But I guess that’s what the last few weeks of pregnancy do for you. When you start to hit the miserable stage physically, you are really preparing emotionally to release the child from your ultimate care. I do believe I have hit that miserable stage, and I know now that the time for her arrival is drawing near. And during this time my mind has been filled with lots of questions. Can I really do this? Can I really be a mommy and actually be good at it? I’ve decided I’m not stressing anymore. I believe that with the love I have for her now, already, I am going to be a great mom!

Another Little Visitor 8/24/10

When I say praise God for great friends, I really mean PRAISE GOD FOR GREAT FRIENDS!!! Lindsey and Tara came over so that Lindsey could help me organize all of Katelyn's blessings. She also brought me some yummy food I've been wanting-her enchiladas! We didn't get everything finished, but accomplished a lot. I feel like there is hope now that we will have everything ready before Katelyn arrives. Tara did what she does best-just sit there and look so darn cute! You want proof?

Here is the near hopeless mess of blessings we went through.

Thank you so much Lindsey and Tara for feeding us and helping us get even more ready for Katelyn!!!

Doctor Visit 8/24/10

The visit was nice for a change. We got right in, instead of waiting for a long time and being forgotten about.

I was hooked up to a fetal monitor machine for 20 minutes to monitor her heart and any contractions. The doctor said everything was perfect!

After the doctor left, an assistant came in to unhook me. The first thing she says, "Oh, are you having twins?" Yeah, we laughed real hard on that one!

Again, Kev takes another photo of himself!

Small Group: Guys Night/Girls Night 8/21/10

We had a great small group night. Kev went with the guys to play golf, disc golf and eat. The girls went to eat and eat again (cookies from Great American Cookie Co). We (the girls) went back to our leader's house and had some more great girl bonding. Although we didn't do much as far as activity...we had a nice time getting to know each other more!

Here's a belly shot at 36 weeks before heading to small group! Didn't do much picture-taking again. Just wasn't up to par.

Another weekend, another sleepover 8/21-8/21/10

This time we had my nephew Hunter over for the night. When he came over we watched some football and ordered pizza. Kev was late coming home from Little Rock, so we ate without him (Kev told us too). Hunter was so sweet. He was doing everything he could to help, so I didn't carry everything. Not long after Kev got home we started watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The last time Hunter stayed over we watched the first one. He was excited to watch the second one. Half thru I went and got us milkshakes/ice cream desserts. I got very sleepy and headed to bed early. The boys finished watching and put another movie in from what I heard! The next day we had some breakfast and the boys played some video games. Hunter kicked Kevin's butt on UFC 2010. The boys also played some guitar and some recording time. Kevin showed Hunter how to string his guitar. Then we got ready and headed to Marketplace for lunch. This was Hunter's first time and we promised we would take him a while back. We had a great meal and a really great time with Hunter! I wasn't feeling well this weekend and I failed on the picture-taking. I do have this picture of Kev and Hunter playing some video games.

Thanks Jerry and Alanna for letting us have Hunter, while you painted his bathroom!!! We had a wonderful time!

Our little visitor 8/19/10

We had a visit from Becky and little Kaden James!!! Becky and I had great time talking and catching up and Kaden had fun playtime!

Kaden was smiling and having so much fun, but I could never catch a picture of it. He kept giving me the same look everytime I took a picture. I'm determined to get just one picture of his beautiful smile!

We opened up Katelyn's Cabbage Patch doll the Book family got her to find out what the gender and name is. It's a girl!!! Her name is Lee Mozell. Interesting, I know! We had a good laugh about it.

Thanks Becky and Kaden for coming to see us! We had a great time! We love you so very much!

Doctor Visit 8/17/10

One more ultrasound before the "Big Day!" We found out she is still being a little turkey and hasn't turned. But good news...the fluid around her was up from 6.5 to 8.5. It is suppose to be 10, but we are happy with the turnaround in only one week! Mommy is drinking lots and lots of water.

We had a very nice technician who let us get a couple of 4D shots of her.

Daddy has a habit of taking his own picture while we are waiting for the doctor. But I guess you can look for any resemblances in two.

A Day to Ourselves

With all the exciting chaos of getting ready for Katelyn's arrival, Kev and I decided we wanted to get away for the day. Would have loved to get away for the weekend, but having a baby puts us on a tighter budget. So we opted to head to Tulsa on Sunday, August 15th and as we found out one day was more than enough.


We started with a trip to the bank for some cash for our toll fees....

Then it was off to fuel up and get some bottled water that I forgot to take from the fridge....

And we are on our way....

Our first stop was lunch at Famous Dave's BBQ

Then we went shopping at Tulsa Hills Shopping Center. There we stopped by Peachwave Self Serve Frozen Yogurt (The Garrett's Suggestion)!

Kevin had a chocolate frozen yogurt topped with oreo's, heath bar, reese's mini-peanut butter cups.

I had a strawberry frozen yogurt topped with fresh strawberries, kiwi and almonds-Katelyn's choice!

After some more shopping, we went to Woodland Hills Mall. Kev dropped me off while he parked the car. I went inside and sat down. This older man came and sat down next to me. He was obviously a little tired from shopping. He talked to me for a little bit about the baby while I waited. He was such sweet man! Then we went to Babies "R" Us of course...loved the special treatment!

After 5 hours of shopping we made our last stop at Los Cabos! It's next to the Bass Pro Shop.

With tummies full and feet worn out, we were ready to head back home.

Katelyn was moving quite a bit. She made sure we knew she was still there!

Our little shopping spree...

With a lower temps, cool breezes and great deals, God blessed us with a wonderful day together! Now back to more baby preparation!!!