30 week appointment

We had our 30 week ob/gyn appointment yesterday. I have always loved going to these appointments and yesterday was no different.
Our nurse is wonderful. I don't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but she loves the Lord so much. The week after we found out about Wesley Adam's diagnosis, she called twice to tell me that she was praying for our family and to encourage us in the Lord.
When we saw her yesterday, she did the same thing. It is a wonderful blessing to have a nurse that is walking through this with us as our sister in Christ.

We heard Wesley Adam's heartbeat. It sounds great.
It was about 145 beats per minutes, which is a strong healthy heartbeat.

He is kicking, hard. He is much more active in womb than Aubri ever was. I feel like his little personality and his strength are so different than his sister's. Aubri is so girly and delicate and WA is, well... such the little boy.

Our next visit, the Thursday after Thanksgiving, we will get to have another ultrasound! Yay!
I am really hoping for some clear pictures. The pictures we have from our specialist appointment are great to have, but they aren't very clear.

Alright...here ya go...Wesley Adam at 30 weeks.

Recluse.

I have been a bit of a recluse the past few weeks. Thankfully, it has been for good reasons.

2 weeks ago,
Bri and I started potty training.
Yes, I say, both Bri and I. It took every bit of energy I had to train myself to be by her side at ALL times. It was a time of striving for discipline, patience, and endurance, but I can say now 2 1/2 weeks later, we have persevered. We are not completely trained yet, but many days go by without an accident. And to me, that is success.
I don't know which thrills Wes more, the fact that Bri is now a big girl or how much money we are saving now that we don't have to buy anymore diapers!

Last week,
Bri, Wesley Adam, and I headed to Arkansas to see family to give Wes some uninterrupted work time. He had a big paper due yesterday. (Which is why I am just now getting to post-he was holding the computer hostage.)
We had fun visiting all of the Bri and Wesley Adam's grandparents and a few aunts and uncles, too.
While we were visiting Nana and Ops, Aunt Ashley took a few vacation days from work and met us in Fort Smith for some MUCH needed girl time. Thank you, Ashley, for making the trip! I have missed you so much!
Aunt Ashley and Uncle Ben were determined to feel Wesley Adam kick.
And he didn't let them down!

This week,
Bri was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Poor baby.
Per doctors orders, we are now forced to hibernate until this highly contagious virus runs its course.
As I was driving Bri to the pediatrician yesterday, I was thinking that this was becoming a way too frequent occurrence. I began to count all the times since Wesley Adam's diagnosis that Bri has had to go to the doctor. I relate it back to his diagnosis because every time Bri gets sick, I think to myself "now, both my children are sick...".
It is a battle of my mind.
I have been reading Elizabeth George's "Loving God With All Your Mind". I bought it a few weeks before we found out about our little guy's disease, and it couldn't be more timely. It is a book about training yourself to take your thoughts captive-not to think about all the "what if's" or "what could have been's" but to "think on what is true" Phil. 4:8
My Aunt Barbara said it well when she said "we are not going to fill today with lots of tears and sadness because the Bible tells us to live each day for today and not worry about tomorrow. And today, Wesley Adam is alive, growing, and kicking and for that we are grateful."
Thank you, Lord, for speaking wisdom to me through my Aunt Barbara.

We have our next ob/gyn appointment on Tuesday. We are always excited to get a check-up on how WA is growing. And growing he is. My belly is getting HUGE! I think I am already as big as I was in my 9th month with Aubri. Aubri has really started noticing how big I am getting. She talks about bubba all the time. She has started saying "Lotion Bubba?" And she will help me rub lotion on my tummy. She is such a sweet big sister.

Now that a paper is turned in, we are through traveling, and hopefully, all on the mend. We are looking forward to some quality family time in the days ahead!
(Before the next paper is due...)

Family update.

It has been a joy to have the privilege of praying for the few of you that shared your requests with us. Thank you for sharing and the offer still stands, we would love to pray for you as you are praying for us.

Since it has been a while since my last post, I thought I would share some pictures to catch y'all up.

Bri, Wesley Adam, Nana, and I loaded up and took a flight to visit my mom's sister and her family. My cousin, Anna, had baby Silas in July and we couldn't wait to get our hands on him.

My Aunt Barbara with Silas, my mom with Bri, and my cousin, Anna


We had to make a much needed trip to the Gap to get Anna her post-pregnancy "in between" jeans. We were all feeling a bit "tired" so we took a breather while she was in the dressing room.

While in Cali, we headed for the pumpkin patch.

Me and my precious babies.

Train ride around the pumpkin farm.

My cousin, Taylor, surprised us with some handmade paintings.
I couldn't wait to get back to Texas to show Wes. Thanks, Tay!

While we were gone to California, Wes used his time to work on papers and sermons. He has a busy schedule the next few weeks, please pray for continued endurance and discipline for him.

This past Saturday, Arkansas played Texas A&M.
Some of our family joined us for the weekend and we all headed to the game to cheer the hogs to a victory! Woo Pig Sooie!

Pre-game photo


Ok, so, I have never considered myself a "germ-a-phobe" but when it comes to mall play areas, I have always been a little leery. However, Bri and I stopped by for a few minutes this past week, and I realized it's not so bad. It was fairly clean, it was not overly crowded with kids, and Bri LOVED it.


Here are a few pictures of our family entering a couple new stages...

We aren't full blown potty training just yet,
but we are getting the needed supplies and giving it a few practice tries.
So far, she likes it.


Bri's big girl bedding has been ordered, her new bed rail has been bought, and she will be moving into her big girl bed soon!
I am loving, loving, loving redecorating and rearranging her room!

We have decided not to prepare a nursery for Wesley Adam at this time. If the Lord heals his body and he gets to come home from the hospital, we (and all of our family and friends) will make his nursery welcoming to him at that time. However, with Aubri in a transition stage, the Lord has been so merciful to give me her room to prepare for her. The Lord's timing is great and I am so thankful for that.

Also...

I have started swelling...
What a joy!
No, seriously, I really am joyous about this!
I love feeling pregnant. This is my time with my son and I am loving every minute of it.
I am thankful for all the aches and pains, the sleepless nights, the many impromptu trips to the bathroom, and the swollen feet.
I am especially thankful for the stretch marks that Wesley Adam is leaving on my belly.
He has already made quite the mark in my heart
and now he is leaving his marks on my tummy as well.
Thank you, God, for this special pregnancy.

Prayers.

I know that I say this a lot, but I cannot express enough how THANKFUL we are for your prayers. The Lord uses your faithfulness to keep our hearts from becoming overwhelmed.
Psalm 61:1-2
"O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart
is overwhelmed. "

The Lord is growing our prayer lives significantly through this trial. He is conforming our hearts to depend on and be near to Him in our times of trouble. Recently, though, we have been convicted that we are in desperate need of Him all the time. If our prayer life is consistent, our hearts are near the Lord, and we are dependent upon Him during joyous times, then our initial response during trials will be to cling to Him as well.

This seems simple enough, huh?
But, why is it so hard? Why is my initial response to trial is to call upon my husband, my parents, or my friends? We are thankful for this trial for many reasons, one being that the Lord is using it to transform our hearts to realize our need to remain steadfast in our prayer life, regardless of circumstance.

Wes, Bri, Wesley Adam and I traveled to Arkansas this past weekend. We visited family and friends and used the Razorback tickets my parents gave me for my birthday. It was encouraging to spend time with fellow believers who love the Lord and our family. We also had a wonderful time taking Wesley Adam to his first Razorback football game!


As much as I loathe the 5 hour drive to Arkansas, I am grateful for the uninterrupted conversation that I have with Wes. We share our hearts, we talk about what the Lord is doing in our lives, we talk about our uncertain future, we joke, and we laugh. It makes the drive fun.
On this particular trip, we were talking about all of your prayers. Our hearts were encouraged, but also became burdened for you. We want to return the blessing and intercede before the throne of grace on your behalf.
If you have a prayer request that you would like to share or even an "unspoken", please post a comment or email me at jmills1104@yahoo.com and allow us to pray for you.
It would bring us great joy.

James 5

James 5:14-15
"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up."

In accordance with James 5, the elders of our church asked us if they could pray for healing over Wesley Adam. So, today, after church we met with them to pray.
They placed oil on my forehead, while acknowledging that it has no healing power but the power rests with the Lord.
They each said a prayer asking for miraculous healing. Healing that would take place, not for pride in our prayers, not for our comfort, but for the power of God to be displayed.
All Glory To God.

I had text messaged my mom and dad yesterday, letting them know about our scheduled meeting with the elders. Today, my mom called as we were headed home from church to tell us that my dad had sent our text message to family and friends. He asked them to pray at 12:15 today, knowing that would be about the time we were meeting with the elders. This is just another example of how so many people are daily praying for the healing of Wesley Adam. The testimony of believers across the country praying specifically for the healing of our son is humbling. We are so blessed and thankful for each and every prayer.

Update on my little ones.

I was a bit anxious Thursday morning as I was getting ready to go to the doctor because I had yet to feel Wesley Adam kick. I was comforted through so many emails, prayers, and the Lord's Word, that by God's amazing grace, I was able to overcome the anxiety before we got to the doctor. That is my desire- to not put my hope in Wesley Adam's kicks but in our Sovereign Lord Jesus.

The Lord has given us a great nurse/doctor team. We are so thankful for them. They, both, love the Lord and are very supportive in our decision to carry to term. They told us over and over at our appointment that they are on board with all our decisions from this point on- whether that be c-section v. vbac, the manual breaking of my water, certain medications, how to handle pre-term labor, ect. It is wonderful to have the freedom to follow the will of the Lord without having to worry if that contradicts doctor's orders.

Our doctor gave us a few scenarios to think and pray through. He wants us to be prepared so that if these scenarios come to fruition, we don't have to panic but will know our decision beforehand. Please pray that we would be sensitive and have discernment to follow the Lord's guidance.

Wesley Adams's heartbeat continues to be strong and I am measuring right on target. We are so thankful that our little guy continues to grow and seems to be doing well. We long for the day we see him face to face. We love him more with each passing moment. Thank you Lord for our precious son.

23 weeks

Now on to the big sis. Aubri is doing very well. She loves her bubba very much and talks about him and prays for him daily. She continues to be a blessing as she pushes us to stay focused on the tasks the Lord has given us to raise her according to His will and to teach her His Word.


Aubri's newest thing is changing her doll babies' diapers. I can't tell you how many diapers those babies go through in a day. But, just like any good mother, Aubri doesn't seem too bothered by all the dirty diapers and goes ahead and changes her babies over, and over, and over again.

Bri is still seeing ECI twice a month and we are very encouraged by her speech development. She is in the fun copy cat stage, where she tries to say just about anything we ask her to. By her doing this she has started saying so many more words consistently. Our newest favorite is "God". It is so precious to hear her talk about our Savior. Also, she has started putting a few 2 word phrases together-"Big Sis", "Bye-bye Da-da", and "New Shoes".

Thank you for continuing to pray for our family.

Guaranteed victory.

We will proceed with seeing our original ob/gyn on a normal schedule. This month's appointment is scheduled for Thursday. That means it has been almost one month since we found out about Wesley Adam's diagnosis.

How have we managed to endure and live each day
for an entire month?

By ourselves...
We couldn't.

But, by God's grace...
We have and will continue.
He is with us every step.
He is pouring out His promises on us every morning.
Thank you, precious Lord Jesus.
We are so undeserving.

Please pray for me.
I am battling fear.
At times during my pregnancy with Aubri, I battled this same thing. This pregnancy, it has escalated. Is he moving today? Is he ok? What will the doctor tell us?

I am praying for my thoughts to be taken captive. Wes and I have are posting Scriptures around our home to encourage us to "not to worry" and "fear not". We ask you to join in prayer as we battle.

We are in Christ. We will boast in Him. He has guaranteed victory in this war.
Pray that through His power, we will win this battle.