My son, my first baby, the boy who saved my life in so many ways is almost 13 years old. I still can't believe how quickly this time with my precious boy has flown by. He's a young man and not a little boy anymore although to me, he will always be my baby. He brought home his school pictures yesterday and it literally made my day. It's amazing to me how fast he's growing up and how wonderful a young man he is becoming. He's in 7th grade now, his feet are as big as mine and he's almost as tall as me. Where did the time go? What happened to the days of my baby boy wanting to run in the yard with no shirt and just a diaper on? I miss those days where he'd have food on his face while he was learning to eat or when he was so excited because he figured out how to use the potty. Now he's this young man independent in many ways but still so much my baby. He has his grandpa Peter's looks and his grandma Teresa's smile and he lights up my life with so much love and joy. My boy Alaka'i which means The Leader, the one who leads the way in Hawaiian, has waited so long for a sibling and now as he's on the brink of 13 he is finally about to have one. He will be the best big brother ever. He's already an amazing big cousin to my nieces and nephew. I'm really excited to see how he interacts with the baby girl when she makes her debut. Thank you Jesus for this boy I love, the boy I prayed for who would love me no matter what, the boy who saved my life, the boy who gives me so much unending joy, the boy that I will love until the end of time and beyond, my son Alaka'i.
The year is more than half over and I've been so neglectful of my precious blog. I got married in early January and things just got more and more hectic. I feel so terrible for not blogging at all but I had so much going on that I couldn't find the time or the energy. I'm sure by now with the photos in this post, you know why I didn't have the energy... I'm pregnant!!
My husband Andrew and I definitely weren't planning on having a baby so soon after getting married but God's timing is perfect. Shortly after our wedding we conceived our beautiful baby girl and I'm currently 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant. To tell you the truth, it went by pretty quickly from finding out I was pregnant in mid-late February to now where I'm at the point that I could give birth any day and she'd be healthy and strong. To be quite honest, I'm still rather worried and anxious about her coming into this world safely. I trust in Jesus to bring her out of me safely but I've seen so many heartbroken mamas who carried full term and some beyond and their babies were stillborn. It frightens me so much even contemplating that possibility. I just trust in God that He will bring my baby girl into this world healthy and strong. Any prayers you could send our way would be greatly appreciated.
As for her name, we have one picked out and will announce it when she's born. Super excited to meet my little darling girl!! My son Alaka'i is the most adorable big brother to be ever. He talks to her in my tummy and tells everyone she will be "personally" his baby sister and will protect her. He's wanted a sibling for so long and now God's finally blessing him with one.
This is how our journey started.
In March I went to my OB to check/verify that I was in fact pregnant and turns out, I was!
After months of appointments and some ultrasounds where it looked like I was having an alien, I reached my 28th week and we had an ultrasound to have a better idea of what she'd look like since she was plumped up a decent amount by then. As you can see from the ultrasound photos, my baby girl is camera shy and doesn't like having her photo taken. She literally turned away from us and into the placenta and cuddled up to the placenta often times hiding her little precious face.
She's smiling in this picture as she hides her face from us. I guess she thought it was funny. ;)
So we went back at 31 weeks and did another ultrasound and got a few more pictures. Although she was still quite camera shy, she let us see her little chubby face much more. She literally had her hand up on her face covering like we were paparazzi or something "no pictures please!"
Loving this simply beautiful and easy double stacked fishtail braid look. Very easy to follow and very boho chic. Perfect for spring!
I know, it's long overdue but I'm finally back on the blog after taking some time to enjoy the early months in marriage and readjust my life now that I'm a wife. I'm so blessed beyond measure to have found my husband Andrew. He started as my best friend that I met through church and it grew into a love deeper than anything I could even imagine. I used to call myself "the least likely girl" and here I am... married and starting a new chapter in my life. Alaka'i is thrilled to have Andrew as his dad. I'm so thankful that he embraced Andrew so well and considers him his father because as Alaka'i told me, "God gave Andrew to me as a dad so heck yeah he's MY dad!".
We got married on January 5, 2014 at Sea Life Park on O'ahu, Hawai'i. It was a small but beautiful wedding. We were kind of worried because it was storming the day before our wedding and the sun came out and it cleared up just before our wedding occurred. Though it was windy, the weather stayed perfect and as we left after our reception, lightning filled the sky and the sound of thunder grew closer and closer as we drove away. God is so good. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our day.
There are a ton of pictures after the "Read More" link below. Be patient if it doesn't all load immediately.. it's a picture heavy post.
I have been really busy guys...like super busy.... getting married! Yeah. The last couple of months have been crazy hectic not only because of the holidays but because I was putting in the final last minute plans for my wedding. On January 5, 2014 I married my best friend Andrew who is now my husband. Eek! I'm so excited.
Life is finally getting back to normal now so I'm catching up with posts and have tons of new pictures to share. I pray you all are having a wonderful 2014. Cheers to new beginnings in the new year!
Xo,
Jean
This devotional spoke to my soul this morning as I got ready for church. I just wanted to share it with you all.
Courtesy of Truth For Life | |||||||||||
December 22, 2013 | |||||||||||
How Can He Fail You? | |||||||||||
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God has a strong reserve with which to discharge this responsibility, for He is able to do everything. Believer, until you can drain the ocean dry of omnipotence, until you can break into pieces the towering mountains of almighty strength, you never need to fear.
Do not think that the strength of man will ever be able to overcome the power of God. While the earth's huge pillars stand, you have enough reason to live firm in your faith.
The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven has promised to supply you with daily strength. While He is able to uphold the universe, do not dream that He will prove unable to fulfill His own promises.
Remember what He did in the past, in the former generations. Remember how He spoke and it was done, how He commanded and it stood firm. Will He who created the world grow weary? He hangs the world upon nothing; will He who does this be unable to support His children? Will He be unfaithful to His word for lack of power?
Who is it that restrains the tempest? Does He not ride upon the wings of the wind and make the clouds His chariots and hold the ocean in the hollow of His hand? How can He fail you? When He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, will you for a moment indulge the thought that He has outpromised Himself or gone beyond His power to fulfill? No! You can doubt no longer.
My God, You who are my strength, I believe that this promise will be fulfilled, for the boundless reservoir of Your grace can never be exhausted, and the overflowing storehouse of Your strength can never be emptied by Your friends or plundered by Your enemies.
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Every year since my son was born, he's taken a Christmas photo. When my brother Peter started having kids, they started taking photos together. This year Alaka'i told me he felt "too old" to take a Christmas photo even though he believes in Santa. However, he said he would "graciously accompany" his younger cousins while they take photos with Santa. So cute.
Though I will surely write several times before Christmas is actually here, I just wanted to share some Friday Christmas cheer from our family to yours. (Kaliko [my niece on the far left], Alohilani [niece in the middle] and my son Alaka'i [right])
xo,
Jean