Baby Girl Cecil- 28 Weeks

I have officially hit my third trimester and it is all becoming so real! I can't believe that I am going to have a little girl in my arms in just 12 weeks. Eric and I are getting into gear and are getting her room all ready over the next couple weeks. Little girl has a mommy and daddy that are so anxious to get her here. When I hit that third trimester, I started to get a little bit overwhelmed thinking of all the things that I need to get done before she gets here. Over the past week I have been washing the clothes that she has and getting them hung up in her closet and in her new dresser.

@madisonscecil

How Far Along?

28 Weeks!! Third Trimester!

Baby Size?

Baby girl is the size of an eggplant! 

Sick?

No! I am feeling so good. Started to get a little bit uncomfortable but that is to be expected.

Showing?

Absolutely! I am carrying her all in the front and everyone can tell that I am pregnant. 

Maternity Clothes?

I am not wearing actual "maternity clothes" but am living out of Zella work out clothes and leggings and J Crew t-shirts. 

Movement?

Yes!! She makes this mommy so happy when she is moving around. I keep telling her daddy that we have a little dancer in there. Maybe she will take after her mommy and want to dance. 

Making me Sick?

Nothing is making me sick but I haven't been a major lover of meat throughout this pregnancy.

Craving?

Mexican food, Chinese food, Watermelon, and Lemonade! 

Happy, Sad, or Moody?

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Looking Forward to...

Continuing to feel baby girl move around, finishing up getting her nursery and everything else ready for her arrival, traveling to Utah in a couple weeks for a baby shower, and Eric and I look forward to our doctor appointments every 2 weeks now. We are so close to meeting this little girl and we CAN'T WAIT!

Austin and McCall's Wedding Pictures

This day was such a special day for our family as McCall and Austin were sealed in the Salt Lake City temple for time and all eternity. The wedding pictures are back and the photographer captured the day perfectly. Thanks to Brandon at brandonburkphotography.com we have these fabulous memories. Here are some of my favorites from this exciting day...

Goodbye Houston, Hello Fort Worth

When Eric accepted the job with BNSF Railway in October 2013, we were so excited. Eric had graduated just 6 months prior in April 2013 and this job was something that he was really looking forward to. It meant moving to Texas but we were great with that and were excited for the many adventures ahead. BNSF is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX but Eric received a job in one of the smaller offices in Houston. We knew that a move to Fort Worth would probably be in the future because that is where corporate headquarters were but for the time being, we were excited to be in Houston. 
In January 2014, we packed up and moved to Texas from Utah. It was hard leaving what I had known all my life but, Eric and I were excited to go out and experience different things together. A year and a half later on May 1, 2015, Eric and I were traveling in Utah for my college graduation and we got word that he was getting a job transfer to Fort Worth. We prayed about it together and felt like it would be a good move for our little family and for Eric's career. If we were going to move, we especially wanted to get it done and out of the way and be settled before baby girl comes in October. 
Eric and I absolutely loved Houston! We lived near the Woodlands and it was so nice! The shopping is incredible but the only down side was the heat. The humidity is so bad in the summer that when you walk outside, it is sometimes hard to breathe. Eric and I had our first apartment together in Houston which was so exciting for us. We were able to get involved in our ward, Eric was able to start off his career learning so much and being able to travel around, and I was able to finish my schooling while watching a baby a couple days a week to keep busy. We were able to see the Houston Astros MLB team, Houston Texans NFL team, and the Houston Rockets NBA team. We experienced Galveston beach and we were able to make many friends that we hope to keep in touch with. In the year and a half that we lived in Houston, we feel like we were able to do many great things and spend a good amount of time in that part of Texas. 

Eric found out about the job transfer May 1st and by July 1st we had moved into our new house in Fort Worth. The move was quick and we were sad to leave. I had to say goodbye to the cute little boy that I was able to watch, I was released from being the YW President and had to say goodbye to all the sweet young women, Eric was released from serving in the YM presidency, and we had to say goodbye to our friends that we became so close with.

As soon as I found out that I was having a baby girl the end of May, my sweet friend threw me a darling baby shower with my old ward. Baby girl and I were spoiled and it was so fun to celebrate this little one before we left. She got so many darling clothes, diapers, etc. Made me even more excited for her arrival. 

When the moving truck showed up at our apartment in Houston on June 29th, it finally hit that we were moving. The movers were at our apartment for 12 hours. It was so hot and so humid in Houston that day and Eric and I felt so awful. They poor guys were so hot and had to pack everything and then carry things down 2 flights of stairs into the truck. Being pregnant I was not much help and it was a miserable hot day to be moving but they got it done. The next day (June 30th), Eric and I cleaned the apartment, turned in our keys, and packed up our valuables and liquids in the car and drove three hours to our new home in Fort Worth. 

Both of our cars were packed to the brim with liquids and valuables. Stay tuned for the story about finding our new home in Fort Worth and for the many adventures leading up to it. Eric and I are feeling very relieved knowing that we are settled in our home and we are hoping that the craziness slows down for a little while. 

A Piece of Paper...

This is going to sound so funny but since this is our little family journal, I wanted to be sure to write down what I was thinking. When I was a senior in high school, I remember telling everyone that I just wanted that piece of paper and wanted to get out of school. After my Certified Nursing Assistant course, I had a piece of paper that said I was officially a CNA and could work in the state of Utah. After seminary graduation, I had a piece of paper in my hands that said that I was a four year seminary graduate and I was so excited. After high school graduation, I had a piece of paper in my hands that stated that I had done everything that was required by the state and I was a high school graduate.
All of these things have been accomplishments in my life that I am proud of. However, I wish that I would of lived in the moment more and would of just taken it in. Life goes so fast and I will never be able to go back and relive those years of my life. The day Eric and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Temple, we were given a sealing certificate. This is a piece of paper that Eric and I have in a special place and whenever we look at it, we are happy to have it in our home and cherish it. It is a great reminder of that special day and even though it is just a piece of paper, it is something that we are grateful to have.
As a freshman in college, I remember telling my family and friends that I just wanted that piece of paper and to be done with school. I never thought that I would have a college diploma but I was determined to get it and I was going to work hard until I did. I switched my major to nursing, then to dental hygiene, then I wanted to be a nutritionist, and then I finally ended up sticking with Emergency Management. I kept switching my major and in my mind, I felt like I was just adding more and more years onto my schooling and there was no way I was ever going to get that piece of paper that I had always wanted. After my sophomore year, Eric and I got married and moved to Houston which meant that I was going to have to finish my degree online. This was a hard thing but once again, I was going to do whatever it took to get that piece of paper. I found out that I was expecting during my last semester of school and I was super sick. I knew this was a possibility so I had tried to prepare myself for it by saving some of my easy courses for the last semester. There were many days where I did not want to do one thing but lay in my bed and not move. Instead, I would hang out in bed and be sick but also do homework because I knew that paper was just a few months away.

I received this piece of paper in the mail about a month ago and this is something that I look at often and am proud of. Even though I don't work and I am just planning on being a stay at home mom to my little girl and my future children, I find so much comfort in having this paper in case I need it. I am glad that I made the decision to not just "get the piece of paper" but to actually learn and grow. We are always reminded that the knowledge that we gain is something that we will have with us forever. Having this paper is a great feeling and even though it was hard work and there were many bumps in the road while trying to get it, I am glad that I was able to stick it out and am so thankful to have it in my hands. 

Eric and I love to have those "pieces of paper" that mean so much to us. In our home, we both have a four year seminary graduate diploma, a high school diploma, a bachelors degree diploma from a University, Eric has his mission plaque, I have a CNA certificate/license, and most importantly, we have a sealing certificate. Even though there are hard times and life throws curve balls at us sometimes, it is important that we are always keeping our eyes on the goals that we have set for ourself. We truly are capable of accomplishing whatever we set our minds to. Getting those "pieces of paper" is hard work and sometimes it seems that we do all of this work and we just a paper in return. I know I have felt that way sometimes but in reality, we get so much more than just a paper. The knowledge that we get from diplomas and certificates and the blessings that we get from serving missions and being sealed in the temple are far greater than the piece of paper that we are given. Those papers are just great reminders of the things you have accomplished.

Think about the "pieces of paper" in your home that you value and cherish and remind yourself of the importance behind them. They are truly a treasure and something that we should be very proud of. That was my little Sunday inspiration for the day. :)