April 30

Abigail, today is another day you have made so special for us. It is a day we will always remember. Today was your due date. We love you so much, precious girl! We are so proud to be your mama and daddy!

Abigail, you are too beautiful for earth. You were made for Heaven!

Isaiah 43:2-3

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Your tiny hand and footprint. I'll never take it off!

Lord Jesus, please tell her how much we love her!

A tear on the end of Daddy's nose

"I Will Carry You"

"There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?

People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you, all my life
And I will praise the One who's chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time, such a long road
All this madness but I know that the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He says

I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted sea
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you, all your life
And I will praise the One who's chosen me
To carry you"

My Jesus is still the same. Even now, He's still the same.

Happy One Month Birthday, Abby Grace! We love you!

There are no words to describe how very precious you are!

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord. When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea. When I cry for help oh hear me, Lord, and hold out your hand! Touch my life. Still the raging storm in me.

I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.  No tender voice like thine can peace afford.  I need thee, oh I need thee! Every hour I need thee. Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to thee. I need thee every hour in joy or pain. Come quickly and abide or life is vain.  I need thee, oh I need thee! Every hour I need thee. Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to thee. Oh bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.

I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

14 weeks

Dear Abigail,
Our life together was so special. We went so many places together! You even went to the beach with us! We loved you so much before we ever knew we were going to be blessed to be your mommy and daddy and we prayed for you all the time. The day we found out about you was so exciting! We couldn't keep you a secret for long! And the day we found out you were a little girl was so special. We could tell you looked just like Daddy right away, even in our ultrasound pictures of you. You were so beautiful!! I remember the very first time we felt you kick! And you never stopped! You woke me up many nights. And I loved every minute of it. I thanked the Lord every time I felt you move. We knew right away what a spunky little girl you were. You showed us that you could kick and squirm even without any fluid surrounding you. You even did a flip! You were such a fighter and so strong! The doctor who took care of you in the hospital said you were the feistiest baby she had ever met! You had so much spirit, determination, and you were so full of life. I was scheduled to have a c-section at 34 weeks with you since you didn't have any fluid around you and because you turned breech at the last minute. We were SO excited to meet our baby girl! I remember one of the first things the doctor said when she pulled you out was how fat your little legs were! One of the nurses came over and told me that you weighed 5 lb and 9 oz, and that you looked just like Daddy. I was so happy to hear what a big girl you were! And you had so much blond hair, and blue eyes. They let me see you for just a minute before they took you to the nicu. You were squirming and looking around with your beautiful bright eyes. I am so thankful for that moment. I couldn't wait to spend time with you. The first time we got to touch you, we couldn't stop going on about how precious you were and how you had the softest skin we had ever felt. The night you were born, Daddy stayed up all night sitting next to you, praying for you. I stayed up the whole night too, praying for you and begging the Lord to let us have you. Daddy sent me pictures of you and kept me posted on how you were doing. Not a moment has gone by for the past nine and a half months that I have not thought about you. I am so thankful for the time we had together and that God chose ME to be your mama. I will miss you every day for the rest of my life. Things will never be the same without you. Our hearts are so broken. We ache to hold you and take care of you. God has given me a love for you that I have never known. Abigail, you have changed not only our lives, but the lives of so many. You have made us better people. We are clinging to God and His plan. We know He is in control and that your life, though brief on this earth, had so much purpose! He knew you before He created you and your days were written down before one of them came to be. We love to think about how the first words you uttered were words of praise to Jesus! We so look forward to the day Jesus returns, or we go home, when we will all be together again forever! We are so thankful that Christ has conquered death for us! Abigail Grace, I love you with my whole heart!

Mama

One of my favorite pictures of us together!

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

My Dear Abigail,
No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you!  After all, you're the only one who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside.

Love, Mommy

March 18, the day before our sweet girl was born.