Eviction notice! We will report to the hospital at 7:30am on November 4th for an induction if Selah does not make her grand entrance before then.

Still at 1cm but Anna is 60% effaced and Selah's head is "locked and loaded".

39 weeks now! Anna has started having contractions in the last few days. Anna has an OB appointment today and we'll see if she has made any progression!

Almost There!

We're down to only a couple of weeks. Anna hit the 38 week mark this past Thursday. We went in for the weekly check up. Anna is at 1cm. Her OB still thinks she will make it to at least her due date which is the 28th of this month.

There probably won't be a whole lot more on this blog until we head into the hospital when Anna start labor. At that time this blog will be updated via text messages. This will be the place where everyone can get the most updated information on Anna's progression and the grand finale, Selah's arrival.

We appreciate your love and prayer along the journey. Please continue to pray for Anna and the baby as we approach the big day!

30 Weeks and in 3D!

I know I have fallen silent on the daddy blog for the past many weeks. I guess you could call it a second-trimester lull. Well we are at 30 weeks now and time is flying by! I can't believe August is winding down, October will be here before we know it! Today was also exciting because we went in for a 3d ultrasound. In all honesty we were a bit disappointed. With Amelia we used a company that specializes in 3D ultrasound just for enjoyment purposes. Our time there was amazing. The ultrasound tech spent a lot of time with us and took a ton of pictures of Amelia's whole body. We also got a recording of the actual ultrasound on DVD. This time we paid extra to have the 3D ultrasound at Anna's OB. There is no medical purpose for this ultrasound, it's again just for enjoyment. However, the time was very brief. The ultrasound tech only got shots of Selah's face. (I did have the tech confirm for sure that Selah is still a girl... she is!) We got a few images printed out and only a CD-Rom with stills. Not quite the same experience! However, it seems that the images of Selah are a more crisp than the ones of Amelia. Also, Amelia was at the ultrasound today and she was totally into watching the screen. She would point and say with an excited voice "baby!!" Here are some of the images from the session.

First is a side by side comparison of Amelia's 3D shot at 30 weeks (on the top) and Selah's. We are noticing some differences in features for sure... but the sibling resemblance has got to be there right!? Do you see it??

Here are some more shots of Selah's beautiful face. And yes, she stayed asleep the entire time :)

Not a Whole Lot to Say

I figured if any of you are checking in here and wondering if there was ever going to be another update, that I should just put something up to say hi and let you know that we are all just chugging along. Anna and Selah are doing great! Selah is moving around more and more. Anna has another OB appointment this week. No ultrasound this time, just a check up...

I know there isn't much to this post.... sorry :( Maybe you'll find this a little interesting, the official count down to Anna's due date, Oct 28th is 113 days!

Selah Joy

Today we found out we are having another baby girl. Although, I have spent a lot of time thinking about and hoping for a boy, I am truly amazed, thrilled, and exceedingly blessed to be the father of another beautiful girl. I think Amelia is going to really enjoy having a little sister and they will be the best of friends (I'm sure the worst of enemies at times too, but ultimately the best of friends)

We are naming our newest little girl Selah Joy. We are pronouncing the first name as SAY-LA. There is some debate as to the proper pronunciation, but we are her parents and are allowed to take whatever creative liberties we choose! The word Selah can be found several times in the book of Psalms and a couple other places in the Old Testament. It's exact meaning is somewhat of a mystery. However, most believe that it is a musical or literary notation meaning something close to "stop and listen" and/or "pause and reflect" or maybe even along the lines of "let those with eyes see and with ears hear". Anna and I also love the encouragement God often gives us in scripture to be still and to rest. Even though these ideas may not be directly connected with the word Selah, we are once again invoking our creative liberties to connect these ideas with our daughter's name. Selah's middle name is Joy. This selection is somewhat timely. As I've mentioned before on this blog, Anna and I have had a very difficult and trying year. Many could consider it not a very "happy" year and therefore unfortunate. The concept of happiness is temporary and based on external circumstances. Anna and I strongly believe that joy comes from the Lord, His joy is our strength in times of trouble, and that joy is based in His eternal and unconditional love. How amazing to recognize our joy ,and to honor God as the source of our joy, with the birth of our daughter near the end of what has been such a difficult year. The following scriptures relate to our daughter's first and middle name. The first set of verses are from Psalms where the notation Selah is used. The other verses are related indirectly.

Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Psalms 49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surly take me to himself. Selah

Psalms 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us. Selah

Psalms 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah

Psalms 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah

Psalms 85:2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Nehemiah 8:10b ... Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.