So, Danson and I are expecting our first child on September 21, 2011. It's a girl and her name will be Bentley. We haven't decided on a middle name yet and I'll let you know when we do. I have had a ton of things running through my mind since we found out it was a girl. I have never doubted the pregnancy for a minute, but it seems like it has taken on a whole new meaning now knowing what the sex is. The baby is not an "it" anymore, it is a "she". I have thought many things and prayed many prayers for Bentley. My main prayer has been, "Lord, please do not let her act like me. Please give her the gift of her daddy's soft, sweet, easy going personality. Allow her to develop his gentle spirit that hardly ever gets angry and never speaks a harsh word about anyone. I pray that she will develop his skill to manage money. I pray that you will mold her into the child of Yours that she is, and I pray that she will see You through the way her Dad and I live. I pray that we will be able to teach and show her how to surrender to Your love one day and I hope that she strives to become more and more like You...." I have also said numerous prayers concerning Danson and me. I pray that God will shape us into the parents that He would have us be. I have worried about so many things. I was caught so off guard by this pregnancy that I have had the feeling of not being ready pretty much the whole time. I have also realized that this pregnancy was in God's plan so therefore, He will make me/us ready. I have wondered if I will instill in Bentley what she will need to be successful in life and successful in her daily walk with Christ. Will I give her too much or too little? Will I discipline enough? Will she know that no matter what I will always love her? I have looked back on my childhood and the way I was raised. I remember getting things that I wanted, and going shopping for clothes before school started every year. I remember making out my Christmas list and then rushing into the living room to see what was under the Christmas tree. However, while those memories are wonderful, they are not the memories that really stand out. The fondest memories I have are times spent with just family. I remember when the blizzard came through in 1993 and we all had to sleep in the living room. It lasted for about a week, and every night a member of our family would tell a story while we were falling asleep. I remember the countless afternoons Mom, Bethany, Jordan and I would spend in the backyard playing baseball, and the time my Mom took the time to plan a scavenger hunt through out the whole 4-H club for me to find my birthday present - a bike. I can't tell you what color the bike was or if it had a horn, but I can tell you the fun my Sister and I had figuring out the clues to each spot and looking for the next clue card and then finally rounding the corner to see my Mom standing beside a bike with a huge bow on it.
So, I have decided that I will make mistakes with Bentley. I will do things the wrong way, I will say the wrong thing, and I will learn that just because she thinks her world is crumbling around her because of something her father or I have done, she will, despite what she thinks, live through it. I know that Danson is going to make a wonderful father and I know that I will make a great Mother. I know that Bentley will have more love from family that she will ever know what to do with. And I also know that God is preparing Danson and me for September 21, 2011 every single day. I can't wait to meet you Bentley!!

So, this last weekend was a rough one. If you've been reading my blog, you know that I got the "stomach virus" back in Feb. of this year. It was terrible!! Danson, Bethany, Mom, Meemaw, Pawpaw and me all came down with it within a 24 hour period. It was one of the worst ones I have ever had and it was the first one that Danson had ever experienced.

Well, Saturday was my nephew's first birthday party. I woke up Saturday and started to get ready and about half way through I started feeling really nauseated. I just assumed this was another lovely side affect to pregnancy and continued on with the process. I  got to the party and was feeling horrible. I was able to stay for about an hour before I knew that I had it again, the dreaded stomach virus. I drove home absolutely heart broken because I was having to miss Brayden's first birthday party. Actually, I am tearing up as I type this. The sickness lasted all day Sat. and then Sunday was Mother's day. I was very weak on Sunday but I was feeling much better. I was able to spend then day with my Mom and Grandmother's and even got to spend the afternoon with Danson's Mom and family. By the time we got home I was completely drained. Needless to say, I am praying that I don't get this a third time during this pregnancy. I'm sure Bentley was wondering what in the world was going on when I made my very frequent trips to the bathroom. :-)

I found my camera cord!!

Here are some pictures from last weekend.

Waiting on Danslen to arrive

Getting a nap in before the big debut

Fun times