Introducing...

LIAM GRAYSON BRADY.

I am already so in love with him.

Profile 16 weeks

Profile 20 weeks

I have finally started feeling little Liam's movements and kicks on a regular basis, and I absolutely love it :) it is one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. Sometimes Chase and I will poke him and wait for him to poke back, and it makes me so much more excited to meet him and see what his little personality is like! If you would have asked me at any point in my life up until the day I found out about Liam whether I would ever consider being a mother as a newlywed 22-year-old, I would have emphatically replied, "NO WAY!" Having my own sweet little children with Chase was certainly a part of my plan, but a part that I always imagined and planned on happening a few years down the road. I had other plans in mind for my first couple of years as a married woman. And I took the birth control route in order to ensure that these plans could come to pass when I wanted them to. But this little guy wanted to be here! And so here he is! And you know what? I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER! The more I go through life, the more I realize that it isn't about making plans and having them go exactly the way we want them to. It is about enjoying the ride. We are just human beings. We don't always have the perspective to know what is best for us. But there is one who does! And that is God! And whether I feel prepared to be a mother or not, God will prepare me because this is part of his plan for me. And I am so grateful. What a huge blessing! And what a cute kid!

In other baby news, my body is changing rapidly:

Momma 23 weeks

I thought I would wear make-up more often after I cut all my hair off...

This is clearly not the case.

In fear & faith.

"Fear, uncertainty, and discomfort are your compasses toward growth." -Anonymous

Guys, I have been really fearful, uncertain, and uncomfortable lately. So I suppose I'm growing :) 

I'll be honest, I've had a pretty rough go of it the past couple of months. I have not felt quite like myself. I have made some decisions that were not incredibly healthy for me emotionally. But I was sitting in church last week with my husband and my group home girls, with nothing out of the ordinary being said or done at all, just a typical testimony meeting... and it suddenly hit me. All of these issues that I have been dealing with have one common factor: FEAR. And all of those decisions that I wished I would have made differently? Those were all made from a position of fear. A fearful person made those decisions, which is why the result was... less than ideal.

But the thing about fear is, it can be overcome. And there's only one way to do it: Replacing the fear with FAITH. That is such a beautiful word. Faith. It is powerful, it is hopeful, and it is the exact opposite of fear. So, obviously, it's something that I need a lot more of in my life right now! I am choosing to today to replace my fear with faith!