James and Jerilyn are in love with eachother and they both are in love with their Catie J!: 2009

Now that I am expecting again I often get the questions about when i was expecting Catherine. Like, "did you carry her high or low?" or "what did you crave with Catherine?" or maybe "Did you find out what you were having with her?" Its taken me back to the time when I was pregnant with her and it seems like it was so long ago.

We did not find out what we were having with Catherine and I swore up and down she was gonna be a boy. We bought boy clothes, we had boy names, we bought balls and cars and trucks, we honestly thought we were gonna have a boy. We went in to have her and all the nurses were looking at me and betting weather it was a boy or a girl and nobody said girl. I remember going through labor and thinking what if i go through all of this and its a girl, what am I gonna do with a girl? I am a girl and I dont understand them, much less try to raise one. Well it was time to find out and she comes out and my mom screams "its a girl, its a little girl!!!" I took one look at my sweet Catherine and was in love. I came home to a box of pink everything!!!! Wow I never expected how much pink stuff could exist but I embraced it, really I did. I stayed at home with Catherine and I fell in love with her! We played and took naps together and we went on long walks and watched movies and waited for our daddy and husband to come home everyday.

Now that she is almost 4 I cannot believe she is my little girl. She is smart, she is beautiful and she has an amazing heart for people and loves so deeply. She is creative and she is passionate, zealous and has an amazing love for adventure and life. I tear up as I write this because I get to experience interacting with her everyday. I wish everyone could know her and see her the way I do. I dont know what God has planned for her little life, but I believe its big stuff. I pray that her love for Jesus continues to grow and that God gives me the wisdom and strength and ability to teach and train her in the ways he is preparing for her.

So now that I am expecting again, people often ask if we are going to find out. And I simply say "no we are not going to find out." And then the next question is inevitably, "what do you want?"

And as I have pondered on that question for the last 3-4 months I finally figured it out. People think I must want a boy now that I have a girl. I think that having Catherine was the biggest suprise of my life and it was such and unexpected gift and adventure to be a mom to a little girl, that I am up for another suprise. If its a girl, I know I will fall in love with her, just like my Catherine and I know that if its a boy I will be so excited to enter into the adventurous world of boys. God is so good and faithful and he knows exactly what we need and how we need it. He knew I needed my Catherine and he loves me everyday through her. He knows exactly what we need with this next little one and I trust he knows my best. I am one lucky woman.

Ahhhh the Christmas season is finally over. I loved it this year but it seemed to last forever. I was in the prime of my pregnancy sickness and so I could not eat anything with out it all coming back up, it was sad. It was our first Christmas without seeing family. We stayed in Phoenix and we loved it. It was fun to figure out what our traditions would be and what thats going to look like in the future. My sister, Joanna worked in the ER until midnight so she came and stayed with us Christmas eve and spent the morning with us, it was really fun to have her there. Also another friend who is a nurse got off at 7 Christmas morning and she came and had breakfast with us and spent the morning. This is not what I expected at all for our first Christmas at home but it was so much fun. We took my sister to the airport and I spent a lot of time watching people as we drove through town. I became so sad, for the first time I realized not everyone has family at Christmas. There were so many people alone and sad and hurting. I know its nuts that that was the first time I realized it, but for so long I have been couped up in my home with my family and my husbands family that I never really saw this. Anyways as we processed and talked throughout the day about my sadness, we decided to start every year either having someone over that has no where else to go or working at a soup kitchen or something. I want to acknowledge that even those who have no where to go are still worth being with.

We spent the new years with a couple of families from our homegroup. It was fun watching the kids play and hanging out. It was the first time everyone came over to the new home. Although after becoming parents it seems as though new years happens earlier and earlier. We were in bed by 9:30.

The baby is doing good!!! I love that I get to experience this again. There were days I was wondering if I would and yet God has blessed my womb with the life of another child. I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago at week 12 and I got to see the baby again. This time was so cool, it was a lot bigger and moving and kicking, although I could not feel it yet it was really fun to see. We got a cute picture of it sucking its thumb. It amazing how fast they grow and the idea of whats happening inside of me. God is so good, I do not know how you could experience this and not believe there is something bigger than yourself doing this. The baby is 3.5 inches now, two weeks ago it was only 2 inches, isnt that crazy. It weighs about 1.5 oz and its brain is growing rapidly now. Its about the size of a peach or a bit bigger(thanks Natalie for that info). I am learning more and more how much having kids teaches me to release my control and to trust the one who created them. Its so hard to not try to control everything and yet I control absolutly nothing. I am learning everyday. We cannot wait for summer and this baby to enter wholly into our lives. I cannot wait to meet it and see what it looks like. I cant wait to nurse and go on walks and cuddle and take naps with this little one. The gift of life is so beautiful.

James started a new job last week. He is now an Academic Advisor for Grand Canyon University.(i get to go back to school for free!!!). He is also still teaching online bible classes for Grand Canyon as well. He is busy, but for the first time in about 4 months we are caught up on bills, we can go grocery shopping without freaking out, and we can give so much more freely. Again God has been so faithful and good to our family. He is an amazing daddy and husband and would do anything in the world for our family. We are so lucky to have him. I love being his wife and learning everyday from his knowledge of the bible and his paitence and wisdom beyond his years. I am one lucky woman and Catherine is the luckiest little girl in the world.

Welp here we are on January 17 celebrating another year of life. We celebrated 5 years of marriage on the 3rd of this month. We get to celebrate 4 years of our daughter life in March and we get to celebrate a new life entering the world in July. I am a truly blessed woman. Thank you Jesus. We love you all and we are so thankful for each of you. I hope you have an amazing year and that you are filled with the grace of who our Jesus is. That you know and trust you are loved and wanted and valued and accepted. Here are some pics.....hope you enjoy.

Catherine and her friends on New Years eating pizza at Catherines new table.