Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
Lilypie First Birthday tickers

38 Weeks  

Posted by: Jenna

This will be a pictureless, short, and sweet post. Just wanted to post an update after my doctor appointment this morning. No changes from last week-- I'm still around 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. So, the doctor is allowing me to be induced on October 5th, which is a week from today. Ideally, we would like for Greenlee to come on her own, but since I have to start my new job in 5 weeks I want as much time with her as possible, so October 5th it is! Who knows, maybe she will decide to come before then. Either way, we are so excited to meet her and I can't believe this is our last week "alone." Please pray with us this week for a safe delivery and healthy baby girl :)

Answered Prayer  

Posted by: Jenna

For those of you who know me well, you know I have been looking for a job in my field (social work) for many many months now. The whole reason I went back to college 3 years ago was to work as an adoption case worker. Little did I know back then how difficult it would be to "break into the field" after I graduated. Adoption is a very competitive field because it is the "happy side" of social work. In addition, most agencies will not hire you unless you have previous experience with adoptions or if you have gone through the adoption process yourself. Long before graduation I began calling all over Louisville and the surrounding areas asking if agencies were hiring. I sent out my resume countless times and made so many phone calls over the period of 2 years.


This past April, I happened to send my resume out to a certain local Christian agency. I had actually contacted them two years before and they were not at a place where they could hire anymore people at the time. Well, I got an email back saying they were looking for an additional case worker and would be starting the interview process within the next few weeks. So, I went in for an interview at the beginning of May-- I was so nervous because I was 17 weeks pregnant and afraid they would rule me out immediately because of the pregnancy. Days and weeks went by with no word-- I was worried they had found someone else for the job. I had even seen the job posted in the newspaper over the summer, which convinced me that they had probably found someone else. Amazingly, three months later, I got an email from the agency asking me to come in for a second interview. I was floored! I began earnestly praying for this job. But, I was also at peace if the Lord had someone else besides me He wanted for the position.

At the end of August I went in for my second interview. It went really well, but I was concerned because they were wanting to hire someone right around the time Greenlee was due. I prayed that God would work out all of those details if this really was the job for me.

Well, the Lord did just that! I am happy to share with you that I have been officially hired by the agency to be the new part-time adoption case worker! They are giving me 4 weeks maternity leave, which is so incredible. I am so relieved that I won't have to be stressed about trying to balance a new job AND a new baby right away.

Due to the fact that this blog is completely public and anyone can read it, I haven't mentioned the name of the agency. But, I will say that it is a Christian agency based out of St. Louis, MO. They do both international and domestic adoptions. They can do adoptions from any state except New York, so if you or anyone you know is interested in adopting from a Christian agency, please contact me.

Adoption is such a passion of mine and this is truly my dream job. The fact that it is part-time and I can predominantly work from home is such a blessing. I get to spend the majority of my time with my little girl, yet still do work that I am passionate about and make an impact for Christ. I couldn't ask for more...my cup runneth over. I am so humbled that God would find me worthy for such a task.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Baby Belly Tribute  

Posted by: Jenna

As my pregnancy comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to post pictures of my belly from the past 9 months. Sometimes it's hard to see the changes your body undergoes during pregnancy because it is such a gradual process. It's like one day you wake up and you are pregnant and you wonder when you will start "showing." Then out of no where you are lugging this huge bowling ball around and people are asking if you're carrying twins! It's seriously a crazy but miraculous process. So, here is my tribute to my ever growing baby belly :)


February 1st, 2010-- PREGNANT!
5 weeks-- can't believe my stomach was ever that flat


9 weeks
15 weeks
18 weeks
22 weeks
24 weeks
27 weeks
30 weeks
32 weeks
36 weeks
37 weeks-- full capacity!



36 Weeks *UPDATED*  

Posted by: Jenna



Here are a few 36 week pics. I'll post an actual update tomorrow after my doctor's appointment. Last week I was 1cm dilated and my cervix was thinned quite significantly. We'll see what they say in the morning!

So I had my doctor's appt this morning and we are making more progress...praise the Lord! I'm so thankful my body is already preparing for Greenlee's birth because I know it will make my labor that much smoother :) Currently, we are 60% into the effacement process and 1.5cm dilated. Once you get to 100% and 4cm, active labor is imminent! Josiah and I are so excited. We were just saying today how exciting it is to be so utterly out of control of something SO huge! The doctor said she thinks I'll go into labor around 38 or 39 weeks, but we'll see. I really hope she hangs in there until October 1st because I would love for her birthday to be in October :) Obviously, these are petty thoughts and we know ultimately the Lord knows exactly when she will be born. Until then, we are continuing to enjoy our last days together just the two of us.

On the to-do list this week: hang the paintings my friend Jennifer made for G's room and hit up Sam's to stock up on all the essentials for the next few weeks.

35 Week Update  

Posted by: Jenna in

Ok, I know I cheated by giving you this generic picture and not something from our own personal collection, but honestly we haven't taken any pictures in weeks! This picture is way cooler than any I could have posted-- look how big Greenlee is getting! At 35 weeks she weighs 5 1/2 pounds and it around 20 inches long! Only 2 more weeks until we are full-term and ready for some action to begin. Speaking of which, I've been having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions the past few days so I am eager for my doctor's appointment tomorrow morning to see if any progress is starting to be made. I have a feeling she might come a little early.Time is starting to really creep by now that we are in the home stretch. Greenlee's arrival seems so close, yet so far away and I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. As much as I cannot wait to hold her and have her here, I also love the time Josiah and I have together just the two of us. I'm not ready for that part to end-- but I'm definitely ready to be done being pregnant.


For instance, I'm ready to wear normal clothes again, to be able to put my pants on without losing my balance, to shave my legs without it taking an hour, to drink as much coffee as I please, to stop taking nasty Flintstone vitamins, to not be tired all the time, etc etc etc--I would go on but I don't want to seem whiney. Ultimately, I know all of these things are just a normal part of the process of bringing our sweet little girl into the world.

Last week was my last week of nannying, so now I am just doing the quilt shop and working some for my dad's business. It will be nice to start taking it easy and be able to relax these last few weeks.

Josiah started his fall semester at UofL 2 weeks ago. He is working overtime to put in lots of hours studying so he can be ahead by the time Greenlee is here and be able to focus his energy towards us.

This month we have been trying to plan some fun things to do on the weekends to help pass the time and give us something to look forward to each weekend. So far we have about 3 or 4 craft fairs lined up, which I'm super excited about!

I think that's about all that is going on with us. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!