It's a BOY!

I am THRILLED to announce that we had a little BOY last week!

Tuesday, September 5th at 7:54am little ANDREW MOOSE MISEGADES came into the world while Hillsong's "Oceans" was playing.

He weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz and was 19.75 inches long. (Our shortest but heaviest baby!)

We hired a photographer to capture the moment Logan told me as well as Logan's proud waiting room moment... Both of those experiences were exactly WHY we wanted to do surprise gender this time and it exceeded all expectations! Before I share all of those the pictures, I did want to explain the details behind his name.

ANDREW -

This is a story I have only shared with a handful of people.  Because we weren't sure on the gender, I was a bit insecure on sharing this yet.  In 2015 I was sitting in a sermon at our church in Southlake.  Chloé was only 5 months old so there was no future baby on our radar.  During the sermon, our Pastor was actually going through all of the disciples and how they died a martyrs death.  When he got to Andrew he choked up as he explained that "Andrew was whipped severely by seven soldiers in Greece and then crucified. His followers reported that when he was lead towards the cross, Andrew said these words 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour.'  He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he died." I don't know how to explain it but at the very moment I had the thought WOW what a man of faith, I feel like the Lord downloaded a promise into my heart.  In my heart and spirit I feel like He told me, You are going to have a son and his name will be Andrew.  From that moment on, I have held onto that promise.  I wasn't sure if Andrew would be this baby, a future biological baby, a future adopted baby, or a future boy that we mentored.  What has been cool is the timing of all of this.  He told me this is August 2015 and my anxiety/ insomnia started in September of 2015 and then last summer I had all my health scares surrounding my voice and swallowing.  I remember the darker days when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through or wondering if I was about to receive a terminal diagnoses... The Lord would gently remind me that He was not through with me yet because I still have a son to be born named Andrew.  So in those valleys, I had a flicker of hope.... The promise of THIS little boy.  Andrew has never been on Logan's or my radar as a name ... ever ... but we obediently named him Andrew and it couldn't be more fitting because of the meaning and the Promise behind it.  He is our redemption baby.

MOOSE -

Moose is actually Logan's Mom's maiden name (Sherilyn Moose).  Pictured below is Grandpa Moose who Logan had a really special relationship with.  Growing up he was always jealous of his cousins who got the last name MOOSE because he thought it was so cool.  We are hoping our boy thinks the same thing! I mean he's bound to be cool with a name like THAT!  Another funny fact is that Logan out of all his siblings favors the Moose side of the family versus the Misegades.  So THERE is the mystery of "Moose" explained for everyone.

People have been asking what to call this little man of ours.  I want it to be organic.  I will refer to him as Andrew but we already have a pretty big fan club calling him Moose.  I am sure the "Moose" popularity will only increase over the coming years, especially when sports get introduced, ha! 

"Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." LUKE 1:45 

Maternity Pictures

5 Days to go Ninja Baby. 

So thankful we had these taken.  Dorly you are magic.  These pictures will make me smile ALWAYS.  

Margot or Andrew? 

Either way, you are loved FIERCELY! We know you are STRONG. BIG. And WIGGLE A LOT! 

All my love, my dear XX

Mommy

Why Surprise Gender?

I was the girl who back in the day said... I COULD NEVER DO THAT anytime I met someone doing surprise gender.  I thought to myself... I am too Type-A. Too much of a planner. Don't want gender neutral stuff. Etc. Etc. Etc.

So with Stella and Chloé both, we found out the gender and I LOVED knowing!

For Stella I wanted to know so that I could have a VERY PINK or VERY BLUE baby shower.  I did not want yellow ducks and grey elephants. I wanted to OWN the gender.

For Chloé since I had to have a scheduled C-Section the whole thing felt very clinical and anti-climatic so although we knew her gender, we chose to share her NAME after she was born which was really fun! HOWEVER, the unexpected feelings I had with Chloé the night before were thoughts of fear, anxiety, and dread... Everyone was so excited to meet this baby but they weren't the ones having to undergo a major surgery and recovery.  Don't get my wrong, I was excited but equally dreading the whole thing.



After talking to my stepsister, she told me the only emotion she felt the night before her third C-Section was one of EXCITEMENT in finding out the GENDER.  All other emotions paled in comparison to the anticipation of THAT.   (They found out with their first 2 and did surprise for their 3rd. She is now pregnant with their 4th and said they are definitely NOT finding out again because it was one of the coolest moments of her life!)

So this time, in and effort to curb some of that night-before anxiety, we are going to see if this surprise gender deal helps! I can tell you with 9 weeks left... I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

I did NOT do this to be cool or trendy...but rather to help cope with the dread surrounding the procedure.   It was SO HARD at first.  ESPECIALLY when girls who are due around the same time as me had their gender reveals around 12 weeks.  When my doctor called me to share my genetic test results and said... Are you sure you don't want to know the gender? I have it right here..... I toyed with the idea for a minute but knew Logan would be so sad if I found out without him.  I literally had to sit on my hands for the next 15 minutes to keep myself from calling back and saying NEVERMIND PLEASE TELL ME!!!!

The next hurdle was the big sonogram at 20 weeks which confirms the sex of the baby.  We did toy with finding out the gender in the waiting room that day... but then chickened out since we had made it SO FAR already!  They turned the screen off before we could see anything.

Since then, it hasn't really crossed my mind! We are now 30 weeks and my biggest fear at this point is my doctor or someone else slipping up and accidentally referring to IT as a HE OR SHE... I would just be so sad if after all this effort, THAT happened!



We are going in every 2 weeks now and I remind them EVERY SINGLE TIME that I do NOT want to know.  I had a few friends and family members say they didn't think I would last until September and my stubbornness to prove them wrong has also fueled my determination to stay strong and WAIT!  ALSO, Logan cannot wait for his BIG MOMENT of saying "IT'S A _____" to a waiting room of people and I can't wait to give him that.  We are also going to ask the doctor if LOGAN can tell me the gender of the baby in the operating room since he will be right there.

We are pretty certain we have our BOY AND GIRL names picked out but are open to changing them if something we like better comes around in the next 9 weeks!  At the beginning of this pregnancy I was VERY vocal about wanting a little boy and to be honest, I still would love a boy just to experience parenthood from both gender perspectives...but guys... We are GOOD at girls.  Stella and Chloé are playing together now and it is the cutest thing to watch.  I really can picture myself being a girl mom and just owning it ... PLUS I REALLLLYYYYY love our girl name and would love the chance to use it!

So there you have it... the reasoning behind our surprise gender decision! Everyone that I have talked to that has done it before has told me I absolutely WILL NOT regret it!

So stay tuned... we will know September 5th!

Welcome to 33

A few thoughts and lessons I have learned over the past year... 

+ Do not take your health for granted.  It can change overnight.  

+ Be thankful for REST. Make REST a priority. 

+ Exercise doesn't have to be punishment. Find something that you genuinely enjoy and stick with it.

+ You don't have to have 100 best friends.  You don't even have to have 10. The older I get, the more I realize that my circle may be smaller, but it's deeper. And I can be picky about who I spend my (very limited) free time with. 

+ Show up for people. If they are local... do something more than hide behind a text. Pick up the phone and call. Drop by for a visit. 

+ FIGHT for CONTENTMENT.  In your marriage. Your house. Your season. Your belongings. Stop the comparison game since all it does is rob you of joy. 

+ Find a creative outlet and make time to do it.  For me, it's reading and writing.  I put it on the back-burner for so long but it is something that makes me come alive.  Find your thing and MAKE TIME for it no matter how busy you are. You will be happy you did. 

+ Self help books are great...but NOTHING compares to THE WORD.  THE WORD is the source of all life and truth and wisdom.  Open it daily. 

+ Don't hold grudges.  They eat you up way more than the other person. Forgiveness is hard but necessary if you want to possess JOY.    

+ What you watch/ read/ listen to can really affect you.  Be selective.  You don't have to get rid of everything but have a sensitivity (AND BE WILLING) to get rid of stuff that is taking up unnecessary space in your head and your heart. 

+ Marriage is worth fighting for.  Having a built in cheerleader and best friend instead of an enemy or roommate/ co-parent is SO much more fun! Communicate. Choose love. 

+ Friendships have seasons. Some people you thought would be lifelong friends sort of fade away and then you meet someone new and to your surprise, feel instantly connected... like you've known them your entire life.  Be OPEN to new friendships and be thankful for the lessons that old ones have taught you.  

+ Don't try to control things... especially holidays and toddlers ha! I used to have unrealistic expectations about how certain days would look and pan out and that is officially out the window.  I have forced my Type A self to be a bit more of a free spirit... Wake up. Have a good attitude. Make PLANS .... BUT make the best of them if they go haywire! Dance in the rain, right? Lemons into lemonade? Trite but true. 

+ Be open to criticism. You are not perfect. Don't be shocked when people point that out. Be gracious. Be a safe place.  LISTEN before getting defensive. 

+ Shed the insecurity and just be confident in who you are instead of who everyone expects you to be.  Don't be a cookie cutter. Be who God uniquely designed you to be. 

Welcome, 33. I am thrilled to see what lessons you have in store! 

CABO IN PICTURES

secrets los cabos
amazing upgrade overlooking the beach
meeting a hilarious and fun couple doug and kathy
hibachi
flora farms
pork chop the size of a small pig
banana-coloadas all day... virgin beverage?!?!? (it all makes sense now! haha)
chopping off our own aloe vera plant
2 books read
the beach to ourselves
reconnecting
laughing
sleeping in
so much joy
so much to celebrate
immensely grateful to God for my husband a new season

It is Well with My Soul: 2 Months Later

The last time I remember feeling 100% was Memorial Day Weekend.  I got sick shortly thereafter with a virus that would take my ability to speak and swallow.

Here we are 2 months later and I am different.

How could you not be after going through something like this?

What just happened? Will I ever recover? What does this mean? Will I be around to watch my kids grow up? Will I be in chemotherapy during Katy's wedding? Will I be in speech therapy for months? What will my new "normal" look like? Will I have to get a feeding tube? 

All the questions. And now we are here.

Thankful is an understatement.  What on EARTH?!?!? What an insanely uncertain and scary summer.

I would say I am at 85% (Logan says 93%) of my full speaking/ swallowing function by doing nothing by resting and letting my nerve regenerate and recover.  (AKA God healing me)

I can now communicate at the drive through and for the most part spell my name out over the phone and people actually understand me. (I have been "Chloé" all summer at restaurants because it didn't contain any letters I couldn't pronounce haha!)

I can eat and swallow pretty normally.  Liquids very rarely come out my nose.  The fact that I can swallow ANYTHING without immediately having to drink water is miraculous improvement.

How quickly do we take our health for granted. Eating. Sleeping. Swallowing. Communicating. Singing.

And how quickly do we turn back into our old busy patterns once we finally receive the diagnosis. The answer. The game plan.

This summer was awful but such a sweet time with the Lord.  He was the ONLY one who knew what was going on. I felt immense comfort in that.  I relied on Him every single day.  Praying. Worshiping. Talking to Him. All day. Every day. (I am not exaggerating here.... I was clinging onto Him for dear life.)

I miss it already... I am trying to discipline myself to get back to that place, but honestly I think scripture rings true when it says... "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." He is dear and NEAR.  Not to say you can't be close with Him when you aren't in a valley...but I think most who have been in a dark place can relate... It is just not the same after you come out. 

The week of Katy's wedding, I woke up on Wednesday and HEARD improvement.  Most people have told me they hear improvement but its been so minimal each day that I was never able to notice it.  This was the first time that I felt overnight I had jumped from like 50% to 75% of my voice function.  I called Logan right away and sure enough was able to get through the toast at my sisters rehearsal dinner which was my main goal! PRAISE HIM!!!! This was not a guarantee and He was so sweet to answer my specific prayer for that moment.  One that I could never get back!

I go back to the neurologist in September to evaluate my progress.

I also went to my psychiatrist this month to check in on my anxiety. She was blown away that I didn't have any sort of relapse with my panic attacks and insomnia when facing such a potentially traumatic health issue.  Because of this, she told me I was ready to wean off the Zoloft. So we start that process this month.

I am looking forward to the future.  The closing of a very difficult year... but one that people can attest... changed me. I am not the same girl I was a year ago. Not even close.

I feel more. I empathize more. I care more. I have more to give. I value things more.... the RIGHT things. I am fully surrendered to Him and His calling on my life. 

Pruning seasons are never fun.  But they are SO necessary in growing, maturing, and preparing us for our destiny and for that I am thankful...AND glad this season is behind us!

Logan and I are headed to Cabo next month for a much needed (and well deserved) vacation... just the 2 of us! To celebrate and RELAX and to welcome a new year and a new season for our family. One that is full of Rest. Health. Peace. Purpose. In Jesus Name.

Chloé Grace: 4 Months

Chloé Grace. You have turned me into mush. I keep waiting for you to become difficult but you continue to be the most lovable, well natured baby I've ever been around! You hardly ever cry, have just started exploring your voice and talking to us, you laugh as we do insane things to make you giggle, and you are now rolling over both ways! You are still getting up around 5am for a bottle but you go straight back to sleep until about 8:30am! You also LOVE smiling at your Big Sister and tolerate her treating you like her personal baby doll. I could go on & on but every day is sweeter with you in it. We ADORE you!