It's a.....

Wow, my poor neglected blog! I'm so sorry, friends, I have really not done well at keeping up with posting here. I've thought of things I wanted to post but when it comes to sitting down and taking the time to actually write...well, that hasn't gone as well. I hope to get better with this-we shall see! I want to write an update post on our family, I want to blog about a recent whirlwind trip to see family...and yet time and energy are ever-fleeting, it seems.
Anyway, one thing I don't want to do with this baby is skip all the things I did with Ben due to busy-ness. I know I probably won't be able to do all the things we did during his pregnancy and infancy, but I'd like to do at least some of them! And so....

I am very excited to announce that we will be adding a little GIRL to our family in January-ish! (given her due date, she could conceivably come in December, January, or February) She looks very healthy so far. We would have (of course) been thrilled regardless. I was so torn-two boys super close in age would be a lot of fun and I would have absolutely loved that! My heart has always wanted a daughter, though! I am a little scared-I MAY have been guilty of buying a few adorable girly things even when I didn't have a girl (diapers, etc.), so I will have to use self control now that I actually have one to buy for. I always say, having a tight budget is a great incentive to maintain self control!
Her name is Hadassah Grace. Hadassah (pronounced Huh-DAH-suh) is the Hebrew name for Queen Esther from the Old Testament. Esther was a woman of great courage, strength, and ultimately was used by God to save His people from genocide at the hands of the Persians. Grace means-well, grace! We pray that she will be a girl/woman who has a deep understanding of the grace of God-I feel like I don't even have a beginning grasp on it-I want it to permeate her life and transform her. And we pray that she is a woman who has the faith, courage, and strength to make choices that may at times be hard, unpopular, or even dangerous. I am probably not explaining this well, but there you go.
If anyone has advice to give on raising girls, I am all ears! Oh, and thanks to my sister in law, Lydia, for giving me the truly special gift of a photo shoot with my growing family! Check her out-she is an amazing artist and creator- http://lydialark.blogspot.com/