Addie Grace

Our good friends CJ and Courtney had their baby girl Addie Grace! We are so excited for them! We really hope that Addie Grace and Abby become good friends. From their first "play date" they seemed to have hit it off. Abby was just so interested in Addie Grace. She'd reach for her and I think she was trying to wake her to play! Courtney got a great picture of their first meeting! Addie Grace is so little. It was so hard to remember Abby ever being that small and light. I'm just so happy that they are all healthy and doing well!!

Friends

I'm amazed how every year Christmas shopping and Christmas decorations are pushed back earlier and earlier. It seems like we're not even out of Halloween before Christmas is knocking on our door. Unfortunately my mom and my step-dad have their birthdays the same week as Christmas. I can imagine at times they feel like they can be overlooked but not tonight.

Josh, Abby and I were invited to partake in what my parent's have referred to as "The Bunco Cult". A small group made out of four couples but filled with so much heart and soul. I know it feels great to find a great friend but in a way it warms me so much to see that my parent's too have found those friends. These are the people who will share so many milestones with us; the birthdays, the births of grandchildren, their son's deployments, and other obstacles that require strength of not only yourself but of others. I only pray that one day I can see that my daughter has found those friends that my parents have found and the friends that I found.

And on that note I will leave a picture of just one of those remarkable people we shared dinner with tonight. Our dear friend "Aunt Bonnie".

"But frienship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine."

~Thomas Jefferson

With Love,

Kristen

Christmas Part I

Abby had her first Saathoff Christmas in Illinois. She did very well on her trip up except for the last 45 minutes we got a little tired of being in her car seat. Once we got her out and got her fed she calmed down quite a bit. It was just a little bump in the road. Our cousin Megan and her husband Andy have a new camera and Megan used Abby as her model this weekend while playing with her camera. Megan got so many GREAT pictures of Abby. I have included just a couple of her photos. We had a wonderful time with family and cannot wait to see the rest of our families this week! We hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Love,

The Liles

This is my favorite!!

Playing Catch-Up

Hello family and friends!

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to post an update. I would love to say it's because things have been so busy but they really have been pretty calm around here. We have gotten into a wonderful routine. One that has Abby sleeping anywhere from 8 - 10 hours a night! I know...it's so great! Sometimes when she tosses and turns I try to remember what it was like the first few weeks when we could only get an hour or two at a time. I remind myself how lucky we are that she's sleeping so well. Of course in order for her to be sleeping so well she has to be getting enough nutrition and by the looks of her chubby little cheeks she's getting plenty!

Abby reminds me so much of her daddy. I can already tell she's daddy's little girl. For example she's my little heater. Josh and Abby seem to have the same tolerance for heat...none! You may remember Josh sweating pails on our wedding day...she's not quite there yet but it wouldn't surprise me. Abby also needs to be stimulated a lot. She gets antsy and bored if she's not playing or looking at something. So we allowed her to open a Christmas gift early....

This isn't the best picture because Josh apparently blocked out her face but you get the idea. It's a little jungle activity mat and she LOVES it. She's constantly reaching and playing. There's a monkey on there and she's drawn to it every time. This also helps with her rolling over. Abby hasn't rolled over to her stomach but she's always rocking from her back to her side! It's amazing to watch her accomplish these milestones.

Since the last time I posted we celebrated Abby's first Thanksgiving! She was all dressed up and had a great time. We were very fortunate to spend Thanksgiving day with Josh's family and his Grandmother "Mimi" was able to leave the nursing home and join us! It was a great gift to us all to be together again and for Abby to meet her Great Grandmother. Here is a picture of Abby dressed up for Thanksgiving.

Yesterday we had a play date with my best friend Heather and her daughter Lily. Abby and Lily are only two days apart so we're hoping they become best friends too. It was so cute to see them together. This was the first time they were together that they acknowledged each other. For this play date they had lunch together, a nice shopping spree at Target and then giggled as I took a lot of pictures. They are so stinking cute!! Poor Abby looks so bald next to Lily!

We were so blessed yesterday with for starters great friends to share the day with but also for the wonderful weather. When I woke up it was 49 degrees and it got so warm....well warm for December. Today however has been completely miserable....cold, cold and more cold. So I'm trying to put extra layers on Abby and keeping her bundled up. I'm using hats, thick clothing, and extra blankets. Sometimes I'm jealous that she gets to be toted around in her car seat snuggled under all the blankets but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much I would.

Abby has become more interactive and alert. She loves to talk (another trait she gets from her daddy). Sometimes I wonder when the mommy in her will appear. The closest we get is that she can become shy at times. It's really cute though she just burrows in Josh's or my chest and then peek to see what's going on.

There's no question that this is the greatest gift God has given us. Everyday we're reminded just lucky we are to have such a wonderful, healthy baby. We definitely had something to be very thankful for this Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to this Christmas. For us Liles it all begins this weekend. We can't wait to get up to Kankakee (my hometown) to visit our family. This will be the first time in a few years that we will all be together. There will be over 30 of us! I hope that as Abby grows up she finds family just as important as Josh and I both do. We are very fortunate to have so many people who love us including you reading this!

We hope that you're able to have a great Christmas with your families too! If you're travelling like so many do this time of the year please be careful. Hopefully I'm able to hop back on here before the end of the year but if not have a happy and safe New Years. This New Year's Josh and I will be celebrating five years together! It's hard to believe how so much changes in just five years! It's great!!

Well we love you all and hope to hear from you all soon. Please take care and have a safe holiday season!!

Love always,

The Liles

2 Month Check-Up!

Hello friends and family!

Abby had her 2 month check up on Thursday. She's apparently doing very well. Abby now weighs 11 pounds 10 ounces which puts her in the 75th percentile. Her length is 22 1/8 inches which puts her in the 50th percentile. The doctor says that she's doing great.

During her 2 month check up she got her first round of shots. They did hurt her and she did cry but fell asleep pretty quickly. We thought that would be it but an hour or two later she really got cranky. She wouldn't stop crying so we gave her a bath and a drop of Tylenol which put her to sleep for a little while. Afterwards she was her regular self again.

One of the many photos our Aunt Pat was able to get of Abby

Abby's sleeping more and more through the nights. We have a good routine going on...bath, bottle, and bed. She LOVES her bath time. It's amazing how excited she gets when she gets in there. Anyhow, this routine helps her get to sleep at night and she's usually down for about 5-6 hours when she falls asleep.



We are really looking forward to the holidays. Josh and I are very thankful for our wonderful family and our beautiful daughter. We hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Love,

The Liles

Happy Halloween!!!

Sorry it's been so long since we posted. Abby has been a very busy girl!! I'm very lucky to have had Larry and Sue stop by this afternoon so I can get my two hands free to post a new update.

One of Abby's great big smiles.

Josh's schedule was really weird last week. He had to work Saturday and then left on Sunday for Alabama to teach a class. So Abby and I decided on taking our first road trip together....just us girls!! We drove up to Kankakee, IL to visit the Saathoff family. Our aunts and uncles were so kind to open their homes to us. Even though we missed Josh immensely it helped being with family.

Abby was an awesome passenger. There were times when I was afraid that I forgot her back at home. I kept looking back to make sure I had put the car seat in the car. We had an awesome visit with our family. We stayed Saturday through Tuesday. On the way home we stopped by to see Abby's Great Great Grandmother Helen. She just thought that Abby was just so beautiful.

Abby and her Great Great Grandmother Helen

Saturday Abby dressed up as a mouse for Halloween. We went to Hillcrest Avenue just to see the decorations. For those aren't familiar with Hillcrest its a street just a couple of miles from our home that go all out for Halloween. Some houses just totally redecorate their whole front yard just for the one night. We finished the night at home giving out candy to the trick or treaters.



Abby is going to be 8 weeks old on Wednesday. I still can't believe how big she has gotten. She is just so alert and fun these days. We hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. We hope to post again after her 2 month appointment on November 19. I've attached a 3 minute video of Abby admiring herself in the mirror. It is remarkable to see her own personality coming through. I can't help but wonder what traits she'll get from her dad and myself and which ones will be her own.

We love you all!!

Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

One Month Check-Up

Hello!!

Abby had her one month check-up on Wednesday, October 14th. It's so hard to believe its been a month already! She's absolutely wonderful!!

At her appointment we found that she now weighs 9 pounds and 2 ounces. She's grown a whole inch and is now 20.75 inches long. She is in the 50th percentile for weight, height, and head size! Everything is perfect!! Abby had to get her second Hep B shot and that was a little rough on her but she slept it off! It's the two month check-up that momma's dreading...she gets her first round of immunization shots. Yuk!!

I can already see her changing every day. Abby is beginning to smile and interact more and more. She can make out her daddy and mommy's voice too. The other night Gayle and I were having a rough time getting Abby to eat. She didn't want anything to do with it or us. When Josh came and started talking her head and eyes moved right to him. And then of course she ate when he fed her.

Abby's taking her baths in the big tub with her dad. I'm too nervous to give her a bath but I'm going to have to man up soon and do it. But its great watching her take a bath...she's a little fish. She loves the water and falls asleep to the sound of the ocean. She definitely gets that from her momma.

We're getting into a routine and getting use to one another. I cannot begin to explain just how much Abby has changed our lives...for the better. I'm learning more and more each day to be patient and that's all Abby's doing.

We're getting her pictures taken on Sunday. So we'll be sure to share them with you all once we get them! We hope that everyone is doing well and that we hear from you all soon!

Love,
Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

Bring On The Ounces!!

Hello friends and family!

Sorry its been a while since we last posted. Now that we're mobile and out of the house we're getting a little busy.

Thursday I took Abby to the doctor's office to double check her weight. I just wanted to make sure she was gaining. Unfortunately she hadn't gained ANY weight since we left the hospital. We saw one of the doctors there at the office (one I don't care for much) and she sent Abby and I to Baptist Hospital to get her bilirubin checked.

Abby's jaundice level had gone up to 17!! It was the "normal" jaundice so nothing too scary but enough for them to have us supplement her diet with formula. I guess she wasn't getting enough calories from her momma. Our friend Fran said its because she has a "fat-free momma" haha! So we supplemented her diet Thursday and Friday with formula. We had some run-ins with her projecting the formula. The first two times she did this scared the wits out of me. But Abby has gotten much better about this.

We took her back to the doctor's on Saturday and she had gained 3.5 ounces!! Go Abby! The doctor says we should aim for an ounce a day and this is almost double that! So he was very happy for us and told us not to worry about the jaundice that it's probably around a 14. Once it turns a corner and starts decreasing it won't go back up. Josh and I really liked Dr. Jones...much more than the other doctor. So Abby now weights 7.15! She's not back to her birth weight but hopefully will be before out next appointment on the 14th.

Abby has gotten to meet more of her relatives this past week!! She met her Great-Grandma Betsy! She also met her Great Aunts Kelly, Stacey, and Kendra, her cousins Jordan and Whitney. She also met her cousins Alex and Andrew. We also had lunch with her new best friend Lily who is just two days older than her! Abby is so fortunate to have such a wonderful family!

We will be sure to keep everyone updated! We hope this finds everyone in great health and great spirits.

Love,
Kristen, Josh, and Abby

Sleeping Beauty

Hello all!!

We are proud to say that Abby slept well over 6 hours straight last night!! Not only did she sleep 6 hours straight but in her car seat at that. We're making baby steps. It's a huge change from sleeping on mom and dad! Hopefully she'll be sleeping in her bassinet all on her own. But we'll take what we can get for now. I'm not used to her sleeping through the night though...I think Abby has me on her schedule now. I was constantly getting up to make sure she was breathing. Haha! I guess that's just what moms do.

Our awesome neighbors had a champagne toast to celebrate Abby's arrival to the neighborhood. After spending some quality time with some quality people Abby made a brief appearance at another neighbor's house for a luau. I'm thinking all the socializing might have had a little to do with her sleeping.

Just two of our great neighbors with Abby.

Abby also had her first Mexican lunch with the boys from La Grange Fire and Rescue yesterday. She received so many compliments from the guys and from the staff at the restaurant. Needless to say Abby is a big hit everywhere she goes.

We also had a wonderful visit from her Papa Lile last night. Larry had been sick the past week and hasn't been able to see her since last Thursday! He had been itching to see his new granddaughter but didn't want to get her sick. We had a wonderful Friday all around.

We also were able to introduce Abby to her Great-Grandfather Hall. He was so happy to finally meet her and hold her. It was really something to see. We had four generations around the breakfast table.

Abby was so excited to sport her new UofL gear. She wasn't at all happy about the loss though. Maybe next year she'll see the Cards beat those Cats.

We just wanted to share our great news with our family and friends. Hope this finds everyone healthy and happy.

Love,

The Liles

Abby and the Scale

Abby had her first visit to the doctors office on Monday. The nurse told us to get her naked and we laughingly asked if she was sure thats what she really wanted. I don't know if you have heard or not but Abby can scream with the best of them. Much to our surprise, Abby did not make a peep the entire time. She did however make a pee and poo on the scale. So daddy had to take care of the clean up. She also found out how beautiful she is. She located the mirror on the wall and didn't stop staring until we picked her up to go home. The good news is that her doctor says she is a perfectly healthy little girl. Her weight is the same as when we left the hospital and her jaundice is at a normal level. The doctor also said she had wonderful features and was very well put together. He ventured a guess that she looked just like her daddy when he was a baby but Kristen and I still can't decide who she looks most alike. I think she looks just like her mommy. I think it's safe to say she has a good mixture of both of us. We are hopeful that she only got the good parts from us. We found out last night that she definitley inherited our tempers. It was a long night to say the least.
Abby also took her first stroller ride yesterday. She absolutely loves her car seat and stroller. She goes right to sleep everytime. While we were walking with her stroller yesterday she would throw her hands up everytime we would go over a bump in the sidewalk. It was pretty funny.

That's how I "stroll"

Abby got to meet her two cousins Megan and Christian last night to!! Megan promised to teach her all sorts of fun things like getting daddy to give you a piggy back ride and how to annoy her Uncle Brandon.

Almost Home

Well, day three has come and gone at the hospital and we will be going home tomorrow. We are both pretty excited and a little nervous about it. It will be great to finally be able to get into a groove in our own home, but it will be hard not having a professional just outside your door to ask questions or to be there if you need a little help. Abby has been very very fussy today. She likes to sing songs for her daddy!! I think she has eaten about 12 times in as many hours. Its probably more stress relief for her than anything. Right now mommy and Abby are lying together and mommy is singing her a little song. Actually I think she is humming the Jeopardy song!! It seems to help calm her down a little bit. She is absolutely the most beautiful precious little thing I have ever seen. I fell instantly in love with her adorable little feet and hands and face and sweet little baby breath. We cant wait for everyone to meet her.

Abby can't wait to say hello to her big cousin Megan.

I've Arrived!!!

Well, after 9 months of anticipation, our angel has arrived safe and sound. Abigayle Kaylynn Lile was born on 9-9-09 at 11:00 a.m. at Baptist Hospital East. She weighed 7 lbs 3oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the last 9 months. And boy does she have a set of lungs on her. There is no mistaking her screams. The doctors have all commented on what wonderful progress baby and mommy are both making. Abby has already breast fed 5 times in the first 24 hours and had several poopy diapers. Mommy has made great progress as well. Kristen was allowed to have a turkey sandwich last night around 10:00 p.m. and also had her catheter removed last night. She is up and walking around on her own less than 24 hours after the c-section. The pediatrician came in today to have a look at Abby and said she is very healthy and was incredibly impressed with how well she was eating. Abby has already made her debut on the big screen. Kristen and Abby were interviewed yesterday by a WHAS 11 news crew about being born on 9-9-09. It aired last night and again this morning. Our little girl is already a star. I promise more updates to follow shortly.

We Have A Birth Date!!!

Hello all!! We have some news!

On Thursday I had my most recent appointment with the doctor. During my exam we learned that I didn't have any progress as far as dilation and effacement...I was still 2 cm and 60% effaced. I was worried that would be the worst she could tell me. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Abigayle is a gymnast!! She has flipped on us and is now what the doctors refer to as "breech". She wasn't sure at first so she accompanied me during the ultrasound (I got to see Abby again!!). It just took them putting the little wand on my stomach and they were able to tell she was head up.

This left us with really three options. Chances are that after 37 weeks a baby isn't going to flip back. It can still happen and I pray that it does but Abby's running out of room and amniotic fluid. So the first choice was to wait it out and see if she's going to flip.

The second choice is what they call an external cephalic version. My doctor would externally flip my baby. I would of course be numbed with an epidural. This procedure has a 58% success rate. There are risks involved and if her heartbeat were to drop too low they'd have to rush me into an OR (they'd keep one open just for me) to deliver via an emergency c-section. IF she were to flip without any complications labor would be induced right away.

Finally the last option was just to schedule a planned cesarean section (c-section). And not take the risk of the version.

Josh and I have decided to go ahead with the planned c-section. My doctor's day on call is next Wednesday so on 09/09/09 we will be having our baby girl. Currently she's 7 lbs 2 ozs (give or take a pound according to the tech) and appears to be healthy.

We ask if you could please say a prayer for us and for our daughter! We have been so blessed with this pregnancy and just hope the childbirth goes just as well. Josh and I will post pictures, probably tons of them, next Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

So we're going to take these next few days and get the house together. Have a couple of dates and enjoy the company of each other. We hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.

Love,
Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

We're Making Progress!!!

Hello All!!

I just got back from my doctor's appointment. I saw a great doctor today that I would highly recommend...Dr. Cawthon. She took her time and went into great detail about the whole appointment.

The exciting news first...I'm dilated one centimeter!! Woo-hoo!! Maybe all this back pain is really paying off!! Of course there is still nine more to go!!

From measuring the exterior Dr. Cawthon estimates that Abby won't be heavier than 7.5 pounds at 40 weeks! It sounded like we would be pushing it at 7.5 pounds too!! Which for me is wonderful news.

The only downside to my appointment was that she wasn't able to tell what the "presenting part" would be. I was hoping for her to say it was Abby's head but she's unsure and doesn't want to worry about it after my next appointment. So we're scheduled for another ultrasound next Thursday. Please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that she's head down by next week.

Hopefully we'll be able to sneak out next week with some pictures!! If not we only have 26 more days until Abby's due date!! We'll post our next update next Thursday!!

Much Love,
Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

Family Photos!!

Hello all!!

Just a quick update on Abby!

I had a doctor's appointment and everything seems to be going well. My weight gain between visits was 3 pounds! This is my largest jump and there's only been two weeks since the last visit! Eeek! But I can't complain the doctor's scale says I've gained 16 pounds but my calculations at home I've gained 20. My blood pressure is "wonderful" still which is great too!!

I saw the nurse practitioner today and she tried getting a good heartbeat from Abby. She was able to get one right away and then Abby started going crazy! We weren't able to get another heartbeat after that big move but from what she was able to get her heartbeat is high 140s / low 150s which is good.

Abby is still head down which is good. I asked the nurse practitioner if she could tell me how much she weighs and she said that she can only guess. She kept telling me that she's a bad guesser but she's thinking between 3 - 4 pounds. So Abby's still very little. We'll have a better idea once I start having exams and that will be in a few weeks.

We have another fun poll going on to the left. I really wanted to find a gadget that will allow you guys to pick a day but unfortunately I couldn't find one. So what do you think? Is Abby going to be early, on time or late?? If you want to take a guess as to which day she'll make her grand entrance feel free to leave it in a comment! We love hearing from friends and family!!

We had some pregnancy pictures taken last night with our friend Fran. She has done such an amazing job. So we'll leave you with some of our first family photos.

Love always,

Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

Down to the Single Digits!!

Hello Friends and Family!!

Can you believe that we are only 9 weeks away from welcoming Abby into the world!?! Josh and I are so excited but feel like we have a lot left to do. But we have decided on having her at Baptist East hospital. After taking a tour there last month our minds were made. They have awesome labor/delivery/recovery rooms! The nurses and staff there at Baptist were very kind and we were able to sneak a peek into the nursery!

I had a check up last Thursday. It was the last of my four week appointments and now we're onto our 2 week appointments. We only have six left to go which seems like a lot especially with only having nine weeks left.

At the appointment the doctor was able to tell me how Abby was situated. Apparently this little ball that we've all been poking at is her bottom. Ha ha!! She's been resting her bottom near my belly button and get this....she already has her head down!! Now Dr. Simpson did tell me that she could change her mind before the big day gets here but I think it's so cool that she's already there. It makes me wonder if she's just as excited as we are for her to get here!!

Dr. Simpson was also able to get a strong 150 bpm heartbeat from Abigayle! But don't let her fool you...Abby made Dr. Simpson work to find that heartbeat. Ha ha! It would have made me nervous if I didn't feel her moving the entire time. Dr. Simpson said she's a very active baby...we all know she gets this from her dad!!

Last night Josh and I tried taping some of this movement. Now I want to apologize ahead of time. They didn't turn out as great as we were hoping and they're a little rocky but you can see her move a couple of times.




Sorry there wasn't much to report this week. We hope this message finds all of our friends and family in great health and spirit.

Love,
Kristen, Josh, and Abby

"Good Luck With That One"

Hello family and friends!!

We were able to see Abby again yesterday! This time it was with the 3D/4D ultrasound! It was pretty cool. The picture was so clear!

Unfortunately, Abby is either stubborn, shy, or was in no mood to take a photograph. We spent all 30 minutes trying to get a good face picture. She's in love with her arms and hands though. The entire time we got to see her she had her arm across her face. So we didn't get a great picture...I guess she just wants us to wait until September.

Here's Abby with her hand on her forehead.

There's that darn arm again!!

Here's our shy Abby using her arm to block her face.

This look is courtesy of her mother. She's not very happy at all to be disturbed during her nap!!

In this picture she's using her thumb to block out the noise.

So now she doesn't hear or see us!

The ultrasound tech actually said to us as we were leaving the office "Good luck with that one!". Haha! Well at least Abby earns her stubbornness honestly.

Even though the pictures didn't turn out as well as we were anticipating it was still a very cool experience. I can't wait to see her all the time. We're only 13 weeks away. I can't believe how quickly the time flies.

As for me I'm doing well. I had my Glucose Test done yesterday before the ultrasound. This is the test to make sure I haven't developed Gestational Diabetes. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I figured the easiest way to get the drink down was to chug it and that's just what I did. The quicker I drank it the quicker it was all over with. I will get my test results back on Monday. So pray that it comes back low and I don't have to do the 3 hour test!!

Josh took some pictures of my belly. It is getting big. We are having fun though feeling and watching Abby kick/move. When she's active she's all over the place. We get quite the reaction when Josh talks to her though. She loves the sound of her daddy's voice.

Week 26!

We also had new carpet installed in the nursery. It made a world of difference. Now we just need to put somethings on the walls and for Abigayle to get here and we're set!!

This pregnancy has been such a pleasure for me. I am so happy to have had such an easy 26 weeks. We just hope that it continues to go as well for the next 13 weeks. Please keep the three of us in your thoughts and prayers. I only have one more 4 week visit and then we're set on every 2 weeks! So hopefully we'll have more updates on Abby and myself.

We love you all and hope that this finds you all in great health!!

Kristen, Josh, and Abigayle

22 DOWN...18 TO GO!!!

Hello all!!

I just got back from my doctor's visit and wanted to let everyone know that Abby and I are doing great!! Abby's heartbeat was around 145 beats per minute which is healthy and strong!! I've been experiencing some pain in my lower back. The doctor explained to me that there is a joint there that can often cause pain and that if it's bothering me now it will only get worse. Hopefully with more walking and the heat pad I won't need any physical therapy. So far my weight gain is on the lower end of the spectrum but no cause for alarm. And the last thing they checked was my blood pressure which is "wonderful" or so I'm told.

Our next visit is June 12th. At this visit I have my Glucose Screening. This tests to make sure that I don't have Gestational Diabetes. I have to drink an orange drink and then an hour later have my blood drawn (not my favorite thing in the world). So this whole process takes about an hour then for the fun stuff. We get to have our 3D/4D ultrasound that day!! We get to see Abby up close and personal for a full 30 minutes. This could possibly be the last time we see her until September 15th. We get a DVD so I hope I'm able to post it here on the blog for everyone to see!!

Week 22

Oh my lovely baby bump!! I remember the first time Josh realized that my belly was getting bigger. I think this may have been the day where I "popped". I was sitting on the front porch swing waiting for him to get home. I was wearing a sundress and he came strolling up the steps and looked at me and said "You have something under that" as he pointed to my dress. I sat there and smiled and said "No. Just a baby." His response to me was "Well it wasn't there when I left this morning." It was then that I knew there was no hiding the belly bump. I might as well embrace it.

She's kicking much harder these days. I think she has her nights and days mixed up already. Abby loves to kick and move as I curl up to go to bed. Josh has been able to feel her move along with my friend Tracy and my mom. They keep reminding me that she's not a toy that I can keep poking at but it's so great feeling her kick!! It's just a little reminder that she's there and she's healthy.

Last but not least...Abigayle's room is coming along very smoothly!! We have all the pieces of furniture put together, the walls painted and the sheets and comforter on the bed!! We're getting new carpet installed and have to put something on the walls. I've posted a few pictures of her furniture. We put the crib together within 30 minutes. On Sunday I figured that if the crib was that easy I can do the dresser and armoire all by myself. I did...it just took four hours for me to have both pieces together. It was fun and it felt very productive.

Really that's all we have to report today. I'm sorry it has been so long since we last posted. There really hasn't been that much going on. We hope that you are all doing well.

We love you and hope to see everyone very soon!!
Kristen & Josh

It's A Girl!!

So we can finally give this baby a name!!

We would like to introduce you all to Abigayle Kaylynn Lile.

Or Abby for short.

We cannot begin to describe how amazing it was seeing our daughter for the very first time. All of her measurements were right on schedule!! She only weighs 9 oz but that is perfect for her age! She was just kicking and stretching her little legs! It's hard to believe she is actually in there doing these acrobatics and I can barely feel her. At one point her leg was above her head which kind of shocked the ultrasound tech. Abby's due date is still September 15th, which if on time will be the same day as her Great Aunt Kendra. Her little heart was beating around 143 beats per minute. That little heartbeat was music to our ears. We were able to see all four chambers of her heart in action. What a miracle to see your baby's heart actually pumping life!! And the spine...oh how I wish we had a picture of her spine. You could probably count all the bones in her back. Most of the time she was curled up but the tech gave her a little nudge and we were able to get the picture below....

In this picture we can see that it's a girl.

No she's not shy at all.

We think she got tired of us calling her a boy and wanted us to be well aware that she is a girl!

The two bright white lines are her little thigh bones!!

Here's a picture of her little foot!

I think she's going to have big feet like her dad!

We are just so happy to have a heathly baby! We have talked about it often how fortunate this baby is to have such a loving family on the outside. I just can't wait for her to get here!!

I'm doing great. No complaints here. The only discomfort I've had lately is called "round ligament pain". It's where my ligaments have stretched so much the past few weeks that it's a little sore. The doctor tells me this will go away in the next four weeks. I have started to feel her kick a little more. Abigayle loves to move around while I'm sitting up at work.

We don't have another doctor's appointment until May 14th. This one is going to be boring. They will just measure my belly and take my weight. Sounds like fun to a woman who keeps growing. The next time we'll be able to see Abby is around the 30th week. We will be doing the GE 3-D / 4-D ultrasound! I cannot wait to see her again and see how much she's grown in 12 weeks!!

We love you all very much and hope this find everyone in great spirits and great health. We really appreciate all of your love and support.

Hope to talk to you all soon!
Kristen & Josh