Dustin is Home!

I just wanted to post a little update on my brother-in-law Dustin. He is finally Home!!! After about 18 days in the hospital, 2 surgeries, over 2 weeks without oral food and many procedures Dustin is back where he belongs with his wife and daughter!

I am so excited and happy and proud. Please visit their blog (link to right Kate & Dustin) and read their amazing story. I am so so so proud to call this family MY family! All three of them are amazing God fearing people and play active roles in Christ's body and work here on earth even when they are facing great trial!

I love my Wallaces!

Also, another note. All is well with my pregnancy. I will be hitting the big 24 week mark this weekend and plan on posting an update with pictures of me and baby soon. I had a fun little experience of "poison ivy" rash on the left side of my face last week (darn gardening...even had to miss a day of work because of it - might be bad for the newborns up there...) but with some meds it is clearing up and I am feeling better. So far that is the worst and I feel very blessed!

Thanks again to everyone for all your prayers, thoughts, phone calls and e-mails! Love and blessings to you all!

Update on Dustin

I just found out that Dustin will be needing an additional invasive surgery. Please Please pray for the surgery to be VERY successful and for Dustin to recover as quickly and easily as possible. Please also pray for him to have the most minimal long term effects. For more details and more regular updates check my sister's blog (link to the right).
Thank you! Jocelyn

A Request for Prayer

Hi Everyone,

Some of you may have already heard about the accident that my brother-in-law Dustin experienced while moving into his (and my sister Kate's) new house. He had blunt trauma to his abdomen and had to have exploratory surgery yesterday. During the surgery they discovered that he had severe damage to his pancreas.

Please check my sister's blog (link to the right "Kate & Dustin" for more information).

Right now he is in a lot of pain and is not allowed to have anything to eat or drink in order to allow his pancreas to rest while the surgeons are consulting to decide what the next surgery will be to repair his damaged pancreas. Of course they are also worried about all the stresses involved with caring for a 11 month old and moving into a new home. I would really appreciate all of your prayers for Dustin's healing and full/quick recovery. For my sister for strength throughout this and for my niece to feel safe and loved while her parents are struggling. Kate, Dustin and Nora; I love you all so much and I am so sad that you are going through this very difficult time. Please know that Philip and I are thinking of you and praying for you very very often.

Thanks and Love,
Jocelyn

A Wonderful Weekend!

Visiting the Longs in Abilene:

Philip and I took a trip out to West Texas this weekend to visit his sister, Tamara and her family. We always have such a nice time when we see them, but this trip was especially fun. We relaxed, enjoyed our sweet nieces and nephew (Kadin-4, Kynlee-2 and Kamryn-8mo) and spent time with Derrick and Tamara. We love our family and they are all such neat people (big and small!).

Tamara has also blessed me greatly by sharing some of her baby stuff for our little guy to use! Thanks Tam!

Kamryn loves her prunes!

Sleepy Kynlee on Sunday morning before church-

Uncle Philip and Kadin playing baseball-

Meeting Miss Mollie:

On Saturday we drove out to Lubbock for the day from Abilene. Our best friends from college, Kameron and Jason had a beautiful little girl Mollie Michelle on February 10th and we were so excited to meet her! We went out to lunch and then spent the afternoon hanging out and watching Mollie sleep, squirm and coo. She is such a sweet and relaxed little baby and was so fun to snuggle! Thanks for letting us be baby hogs for the day Kam and Jason!

Me, Kameron and sweet little Mollie-

Philip and Mollie relaxing-

Sleeping Beauty-

Half Way Done!

This weekend I passed the 20 week mark of my pregnancy!! I can't believe I am already half way done...it's exciting, but also a little scary because we have so much left to get ready for our little guy! Today at work I was able to take an extra little peak at him and it was one of my favorite sonos yet! He was so cute! Not only was he very active and stretching all over, but he was opening and shutting his mouth and sucking his fingers! I love him just a little more each time I feel him kick or see him on sono! I can't wait for Philip to be able to feel him moving around too!

Our boy's sweet face with his left arm up by his cheek-

Here he is resting in his "hammock" with legs to the left and head to the right-

Big News!

We found out today that we will be having a baby BOY!!

I had my only "official" sonogram and everything looked perfect! He is growing well and was wiggling all over. He measured 20 weeks exactly (I am 19 weeks and 4 days today) so I was pleased that he hasn't grow to be huge...at least not yet...but that he is right on track (Philip was 9#6oz and I was 8#2oz, and we both have a history of large babies in our families). Philip and I are both very excited and it is fun to be able to call the baby "him/he" instead of "it". He was very cooperative and showed us that he was definitely a boy!

He measured about 12 ounces today (3/4 a pound) and was kicking up a storm. We were able to see some really neat views of his hands, feet, legs, profile, face, heart, spine and belly. Unfortunately the sonogram tech was a guy and he was pretty much all business so he didn't really take the time to answer any of Philip's questions or print us any extra pictures. He did give us one of his face when I asked. The sono guy was very professional and nice, but just didn't do any extras (which I have been getting used to up at work getting all my extra sonograms!) However, it was very fun and special to get to sit with Philip and listen to our baby's little heart beating and see him kicking his legs and moving his hand in front of his face.

I am hoping to be able to post some more pictures soon from work. I am cross-training to the Antenatal Assessment Center these next few weeks so I will have access to the fancy sono there! Another neat development...I have been able to feel a lot of movement now and have even felt a few stronger little kicks! I love it! Please keep us in your prayers for the continued health of baby (and me too!).