{Pink or Blue? Phoebe or Phoebo?}

Finally! We know the answer to the million dollar question. The topic has been debated in our house from day 1. William wanted a baby brother. Madeleine wanted a baby sister. Brian had a "hunch" it was a boy. I had a feeling it was a girl. In reality, it didn't really matter! Today as we walked across the parking lot heading toward the doctor's office William made an announcement: If his prediction was correct, we should pay him $700. If Madeleine's prediction was correct, then she should be paid. She tried to explain why this was an unreasonable bet and offered an alternative: If it was a boy, William would have the honor of naming him. If it was a girl, she would have the honor! Of course, we agreed to neither! :) We kept walking.

It was a painfully long walk from the car to the door. With every step a new wave of emotion swept over me. Excitement. Joy. Anticipation. Then, apprehension and anxiety. I was more anxious than I realized, and by the time the elevator doors closed I couldn't breathe. Before we reached the fourth floor a vivid memory smacked me in the face. I remembered walking into the same kind of appointment 15 years ago completely oblivious to the fact that something might be wrong. I also remembered walking out of that appointment knowing something was terribly wrong.

Jesus, I need You.

Then, calm. Peace.

Nothing is wrong. Baby looks great. And I am thankful. That is what matters.

Baby Girl Jones!

So, here's a 20-week photo of Baby GIRL! It's a profile shot. If you look closely, you can see a little arm and hand covering her precious little face. She weighs in at about 12 oz.!

The next order of business is naming her! We already have a list going. We thought it'd be fun to hear what you think. What's your favorite Baby Girl name?

[polldaddy poll=5536224]

{Playing Catch-up}

It's been a little while, so I'm catching up! I really don't know where to begin, so I'll just dive right in and trust you to bear with me. :) [Long Pause]

On second thought, I think a "Top 5" list will be more manageable!

1. We have a contract pending on our house, which has been on the market for over a year! We are waiting for inspections, appraisals, and bank approval. Yay! God answered our prayers.

2. Madeleine and William DID survive the first week of school. In fact, they are both doing really well. Id say we're in full swing, complete with book reports and projects! I promised pictures. This is what we saw on the ride home after the first Friday of school...

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3. Baby check-up went well. I am feeling much better, though there are still days where nausea (and all that comes with it) is wreaking havoc. As of tomorrow, we are at 19 weeks! Our next appointment is September 26th. This one will be an ultrasound. Boy or Girl? What's your vote? We also have a fetal echocardiogram scheduled for the 27th. Because of my history, this is considered routine. Please pray that all is well and Baby is perfectly healthy, heart and all! Everyone around here is getting a big kick out of the baby belly. Here is a snapshot...(I'm not sure what all the fuss is about!)

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4. Fall sports are here! We are coaching Madeleine's volleyball team again. So far, so good. William has opted for tennis this year. He's doing well and having big fun.

5. Today, Poppy and Grammy officially move to Louisville! We are very excited.

That's all I have. Consider yourself updated! :)

{Back to School}

Despite thinking we were well-prepared for the first day of school, Wednesday smacked us in the face this week! It always amazes me.  Almost instantly, we felt more busy.  We will settle into the routine soon enough. Until then, it's likely we'll have mornings similar to the one we had yesterday. Good, with a hint of frazzle. Normally, I document the first day of school with cute little pictures as we head out the door. We failed at every attempt to do that this year. Madeleine thought it was a funny and unnecessary thing to do. William was suddenly overcome with shyness and ducked under the table, then around the corner. We've agreed, however, that we will celebrate on Friday by taking "We survived the first week back to school!" photos.

Madeleine

I can't believe Madeleine is in 5th grade. Fifth grade. The time has gone by more quickly than I care to admit. I find myself wanting to sit and stare at her. I remember 5th grade. I chuckled quietly to myself when she explained that she would probably pass on breakfast.  When I asked her why, she explained that she would be too nervous (the good kind of nervous) and excited to bother with eating.  "I mean, it's 5th grade. It's almost middle school," she said. Yikes!

Wednesday morning she was slow to rise! But, I can't blame her. I gave her a little shake and told her to hop up. I can always remind her that she doesn't want to be late. (Already, she carries around a little planner and writes her daily schedule on her whiteboard.)  After a few minutes of prodding she told me, "I am up!" Of course, she wasn't. I returned about 10 minutes later to find her still sprawled out on her bed, fast asleep. Once she got up, she was a champ. That is until she discovered her shoelaces were "dumb!" "Mom, these are the WORST shoelaces ever. These are dumb!" Mind you, she had picked these new laces the day before! At the time, they were the BEST shoelaces in the world!  Besides that, all was well.  She brushed her teeth and combed her hair (twice) before I could remind her to do so. I dread the day she asks to borrow my blush and my lip gloss! I have a feeling that day is just around the corner.

William

Second grade is a big deal.  It's a big deal because there's a lot of hard work to do, AND because it's better than kindergarten! William was thrilled to find out the privileges granted to big second graders. He jumped out of bed quickly and was ready to go! He was so excited that he was slamming drawers. He just couldn't get dressed fast enough! After he dressed himself, he came and asked me to fix his hair. I worked my magic and off he went to the table for breakfast. A few minutes later, he came back into the bathroom, where I was checking on Madeleine.  "Mommy," he said, "I don't want to be mean, but I wanted a faux-hawk and this isn't a faux-hawk."

After school, he was happy to report that he received 12 compliments (11 of personal compliments and 1 for his whole class). "And it's just the first day," he explained!

It's going to be a good year. I can feel it. I am so thankful for such a wonderful school. I am thankful for wonderful children. Sure, being a parent is hard and exhausting, but watching these little people grow into big people is breathtaking! When I catch myself sitting, gazing at my kids, marveling at the pace at which they grow, I remember God's promise in Jeremiah 29.  I remember that He loves them even more than I love them. And, they love Him too. That is priceless.

{Hello world!}

Hello family and friends! Welcome to our blog. This is the place to be to get the scoop on what’s happening with the Jones family. Trust me when I say that ALOT is happening. You can subscribe to the page and receive an e-mail notification when the blog is updated. Go to the right-hand column and enter your e-mail address. Then click "Sign Me Up." You won’t have to miss a thing, and it is sure to be anything but boring! Read on and enjoy!

Most of you know we’re pregnant. This will serve as the first official update since we’ve spread the news. So, may I direct your attention to the picture at the top of your screen.

Week 13

This is “Junior.” Please do not get attached to the name. I promise it’s not going to stick! (More on that another day!) The image was created last week during our second ultrasound. Look closely and you can see the baby’s profile. Everything looked great, though I wouldn’t say the baby was cooperative! The good report was welcomed given that this tiny being is causing such a ruckus for Mommy, which in turn causes quite a ruckus for everyone else!

I’ve been SO, SO sick. Terrible nausea has been my constant companion nearly all day for most days the past few months. I have already determined that God graciously allowed me to forget the sometimes unpleasant details of my previous pregnancies. The first time I turned green-faced and raced to the bathroom, it all came flooding back. But I have to say that so far, I’m having fun. I marvel at the miracle taking place right under our noses. Sure, my blue jeans don’t fit (actually not much of anything is fitting), nothing tastes good, my nose is on overdrive, I’m exhausted, I’m sick, and I spend a good majority of the day in the bathroom, BUT it’s good.

It’s good and I’m grateful.

Here are a few tidbits of info:

First,  the estimated due date is February 10. That means we are 13 weeks 3 days along. (Woo-hoo for the 2nd trimester.)

The next doctor’s appointment is August 30th. We do not know the gender yet. We do plan to find out.  We may or may not tell. :)