ITS A GIRL!!!

I find it funny that you look for two little lines to tell you you're pregnant and three little white lines to tell you its a girl! We saw those little lines this afternoon and couldn't be more excited for our new precious baby! The picture at the top isn't from today, unfortunately. Our sweet girl wasn't into her public today and didn't want to give us her profile. So, while we got some great shots of feet, arms, legs, lips, and such, there isn't a really good picture for everyone to recognize! December's picture will have to do! Her name is Lily Hope Hardy. It has been decided for quite some time. Our due date for this sweet girl is July 14...4 years to the day since we lost our first baby. What a God thing, right? I would have never guessed on July 14, 2005 that I would someday rejoice in that date...ever. But, here we are! I have written before about that experience in great detail, (click HERE) but I will give you the abbreviated version of the special meanings of her name. Our dearest friends in that time, Damon and Erin, had suffered the loss of two babies when we miscarried. Erin sent me lilies with promises of God's sweet mercies. My mom planted those lilies at their home (I can't keep plants alive, and they were too precious to kill!) and those bulbs opened last summer for the first time...on July 14. I'm not kidding. Precious signs. During our miscarriage, Jared and I claimed the verse Romans 5:5 (in the right column). So, after we put it all together, we just felt so peaceful about the name Lily Hope Hardy if, in fact, we had a girl. So, there it all is. We are so excited, but not nearly as excited as one big brother...Jakob Mark. He has told us for weeks that he will NOT have a baby brother. God has a neat way of working things out, right?! Hope you've all had a great day...filled with little reminders that God's mercies are new EVERY morning and they NEVER fail.