It's a BOY!

Today Erik and I got to see our little baby boy in an ultrasound and it was just so amazing. It's so neat how finding out the gender instantly creates a bond between you and your child. Obviously you can still love your baby if you don't know (although why would anyone not want to find out, Amber and Nita?). But with Sophie and this baby the second we found out the gender I teared up and just felt such a love for them that was different than just knowing there was a baby in my womb. So praise God for the technology of the ultrasound (and for all that it does to assist in crisis pregnancy centers - what an amazing tool to show women their unborn children). As a side note, I'm so excited to hear what my crazy friends are having and can't imagine the excitement of finding out when you're giving birth.

Anyway, we are thrilled that we're going to have a little boy, and are praising God that everything looked good and he is healthy and growing appropriately. I'm feeling good, my heart is strong, and I finally have some good energy to get things done around here.

In other news, it's potty training week and Sophie has been doing great. I'm starting to feel a little trapped in my own home, but thankfully my parents are coming in this weekend (and incidentally, my mom is bringing her professional grade carpet cleaner at just the right time).

We appreciate your prayers for our family - all four of us - and are thankful for your friendship. Here are a couple of pics of the kiddo - he looks like he has Sophie's nose :)

March

March was a month of travel for Sophie and me. In February my mom had surgery for thyroid cancer, so Sophie and I made a "get well" house call to VA to see my parents for a week. It was a beautiful week and Sophie had a great time with Gran and Papa. She played with lots of my old toys, and we spent some time outside (including two trips to Carl's for the best ice cream in the world). We also got to celebrate Papa's birthday. Although I was supposed to be helping out, it was a really nice break for me as well. I'm blessed to have a mom that doesn't just spoil her grandchild, but her grandchild's mommy as well. And thanks to all who have been praying for her - she's doing well and recovering like a champ.



A few days after we returned from VA, Sophie and I drove down to AL to see Erik's parents. Amber and Ava rode with us as Amber's parents recently moved less than an hour north of Erik's folks, so that made the road trip a lot more fun for all of us. Erik's mom had surgery in February as well, so we made another house call, and it was so fun. I'm seriously blessed to have amazing in-laws, and I'm not just writing this because my birthday is coming up :). It would probably be awkward for a lot of daughters-in-law to go to their in-laws' house w/o their husbands, but it was a no-brainer for me. They are amazing, encouraging, loving people and it was such a nice, relaxing time to be with them.

Sophie going for a ride

Smiles with Gigi at the Bass Pro Shop, which Sophie loves (as any good southern child should, apparently). Roger kept showing me camouflage toddler dresses and hats and shirts. Erik would die.

We've also had some fun at home this past month. It's been nice to work outside and Sophie has been my planting and weeding helper. She loves to play with dirt, much to her father's chagrin.

A couple of weeks ago we went to a park with Amber and Ava and our friends Angela and Maddie. It's fun to see these girls get bigger and get over some of their fears. Sophie is a typical first-born - very cautious. She likes to try new things, but wants someone there with her the whole time. It's hard for me not to be a pushy mom, but I know she has to do some things at her own speed. Luckily Ava doesn't seem to have many fears on the playground, so Sophie likes watching and following her.

Ava

A concerned Sophie

Madison

February

Here's what we were up to a couple of months ago:

Sophie is becoming more and more of a Daddy's girl.

Hanging out at home - in an infant pool toy

Gigi's birthday

Fun time with Ava

There is a lot of affection between these two. Of course, there's also a lot of fighting, hitting, pinching and crying. Ahh...2 year olds. Mostly they just really love each other.

Sophie is getting more into dress up and trying to do things like Mommy does them. Hence the awesome pink flower sunglasses.

Playing her oatmeal can drum.

Kyle and Liesl came to visit one weekend and we went to a nearby park. I love this picture of Sophie and Erik running into each others arms...so precious.

Looking at a little turtle with Uncle Kyle.

It is amazing how quickly Sophie is changing and the things she's doing. She is a really big talker and nothing gets by her. She's just a very verbal child, which means I'm in trouble :). But I love having her constant company. She loves to sing and we frequently hear her in bed at night singing about Jesus (although the other night she woke up at 3 am and started singing "Jingle Bells"). We love our sweet girl!

Bath Fun

Here's a little video Erik recorded of Sophie in the bath. She has been making up a lot of songs lately. Some are more complex, but this is a simple, pop version of her smash hit "Raindrops."

And...back to Christmas

Okay, well it's mid-February, so I really need to get on the ball and throw these Christmas pictures up here. I realized I don't have many from the Strode/Stark Christmas in Arkansas, and have none from the Sandberg trip to Gatlinburg. But that does not mean you all aren't loved. Just that I was keeping up w/ a 2-year-old and trying not to throw up from the pregnancy and kind of forgot to take pictures. But here's what we've got:

Okay, well this isn't actually a Christmas picture, but Sophie is loving blueberries lately and this is after one run-in w/ the berry bowl. They're so messy, how can they NOT be delicious?

We had a little Christmas dinner with some good friends and their daughters, Ava & Cate. The girls wore their Christmas dresses for about 5 minutes in honor of the occasion.

Fondue!


Okay, the next several pictures might as well just be called "The Bubby Show." Since Cosmo couldn't make it to Arkansas for Christmas, Sophie apparently decided that Uncle Aaron (Bubby) would fill that void:
Wrestling

Getting tied up (note that these are all things I endured as a small child and also loved...at first)

Sophie retaliates by attempting to shove a babydoll's pacifier in Bubby's mouth.

Sharing some love with Aunt La-La

And one picture without Bubby - Sophie with her sweet Grandma


Saying goodbye

And I really love this picture - Aaron and Laura, thanks for playing so much with Sophie - she thinks you guys are almost as great as Cosmo.

Post-Surgery Update

Thank you all so much for your concern and prayers for my mom. I received word from my dad tonight that the surgery went well - he hadn't seen Mom yet when they talked, but the Dr. had spoken with him and given him a report. She removed the thyroid, several lymph nodes, and a glad from her para-thyroid that had been causing some problems. They're hoping she can go home tomorrow, depending on the bleeding and pain. Thank you so much, and I ask for your continued prayers as she recovers and eventually undergoes a bit a radiation.

Prayer Request

For those who don't know, my (Catherine) mom, Linda, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a couple of weeks ago and she's undergoing surgery tomorrow to have her thyroid and some lymph nodes removed. I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask you to pray for her and her doctor during the long surgery process. My mom has been an inspiration as she's been given her diagnosis and in turn given that to the Lord and sought His plan for how He wants to use it in her life.

Here's a little segment of an email she sent me tonight - hopefully it will encourage you as it has me:

'I believe God has really prepared your dad and me for this time in our lives, as well as you, Aaron, Erik, Laura and even my grandchildren in His own sovereign plan. It's a blessing to know His joy and peace in such a way that we really can rejoice in the expectation of what He desires to do in our lives in order for us to share His gospel and to see Him glorified. We do not want to focus on us but to focus on Him, as we have heard it said, "to make much of Him."'

I pray for her, and for us - that we would know that joy and peace and would be able to rejoice in trials.

Thank you all!