July 12th- A Special Day

Today is a very special day for two reasons.

1. It is my baby sister's birthday!

Brianna,

Ever since you were little I knew there was something extra special about you. You seemed to have an awareness of people and situations well before what most children can comprehend. You have a wonderful spirit about you and anyone that knows you is truly blessed. I have always said that you are touched by God. I believe you were brought into this world to show us how to love each other and Jesus with our whole heart. The way that you care for those around you and the outward expression of your love for Jesus is inspiring. I have never met any child more prayerful and dedicated in their walk as you. I hope that Ava will grow up to be just like her Aunt Brianna. On this special day I hope you know how much you are loved and appreciated. You are one of a kind and I am proud to call you my sister. Happy Birthday Bri! I love you!

Love,

Your big sister

July 12th is also a special day because it was a year ago today that I found out I was pregnant with Ava. Here is the post from a year ago in which we celebrated Brianna's birthday.

It was such an exciting day! In these pictures Mikey didnt even know I was pregnant. Here's the full story of how the day played out. I woke up that morning and something in me told me to take a pregnancy test. We weren't really trying to get pregnant but we left it in God's hands. We knew that whenever it happened it was meant to be. I was shocked when I saw two pink lines on the pregnancy test indicating I was pregnant! I didn't believe it. Mikey had already left for work and my mom and Bri were in town visiting so when my mom got up that morning I showed her the test. She looked at me with a smile and said "oh my gosh". It was a surprise to her too. I kept saying it can't be right, i'm not really pregnant and my mom assured me that yes you are pregnant. It is very unlikely to get a false positive on those tests. I called and made an appointment to get some blood work done to get some more information about what my hormone levels were etc... My mom and I kept my little secret all day because I wanted to tell Mikey in person. I was on cloud 9 all day long!! It was the best feeling although I still had my doubts. We had already planned on having some family over that evening to help us celebrate Brianna's birthday. I didn't want to say anything to them right away but I was so anxious to share the news with Mikey. He didn't get home till after everyone had arrived at the house so I had to wait till everyone left, around midnight, to tell him. Boy was that hard! When we were finally alone I told him that I had a surprise for him and behind my back I pulled out the pregnancy test. He read it and just looked up at me with a smile and asked if this meant I was pregnant. I nodded yes and we just hugged each other and kept saying "is this really real?". I will never forget that moment when the reality hit us that we were going to be parents. I don't think either of us felt ready but that didn't hide the pure joy and excitement that we were feeling. When I think back at that moment and the first appointment were we saw Ava as a little speck and heard her heartbeat I am reminded of God's power and grace. That tiny little being that was growing inside me is now in our arms and bringing us more joy than we could ever imagine. My love for Ava began on July 12th and will continue forever. Oh what a happy day to celebrate!

Here is our first post announcing my pregnancy.