Baby Will Be Here Soon!

What a pregnancy this has been.  I discover we are expecting and then have to lead a miscarriage ministry group for work for five weeks.  The first ultrasound reveals a concerning pelvic mass.  Surgery has unexpected results, and we continue to wonder and wait.  My best friend calls me at 8am on Easter Sunday to say that she only has weeks left to live.  On April 27, Annie dies and I am too pregnant to travel to attend her funeral.  I wake up every day and remember that my baby won't meet his godmother until they are together in heaven.  Another friend and mother of three at church shares that she has stage iv cancer.  I can't even find the words to describe what it is like to experience so much sadness and yet so much joy at the same time.  The world is full of death and yet I feel a new life kicking inside of me.

Jon and I are SO joyful and excited and feel as ready as we're ever going to be to begin our adventures as parents, but it's been hard to share much of that happiness here amidst everything else.  We hope you understand.

One blissful Saturday, our friend Leya took some gorgeous maternity photos of us and captured our first two kids (Alley and Oscar Meyer) in true form too!  You can see a slideshow of all the shots and jam to some Jack Johnson here: http://littlemonkeyphotography.com/slideshows/ColeNJonMaternity2010.html

Unfortunately, Jon can't make me look as good as Leya can!  The professional maternity pictures were taken at 35 weeks and here I am just over 38 weeks...WHOA!

And I will leave with some updated nursery pictures too.

I was admitted to labor and delivery on Friday afternoon after some concern over the baby's heartbeat, but the fetal monitor and an ultrasound confirmed that everything is great and Baby V is totally healthy.  The experience made the baby's arrival feel VERY real and close.  Any day now he will be here!