Two and a half months...

Has it already been two and a half months since our little bundle of joy entered the world?  I cannot believe how fast time flies!  Addy is changing in so many ways.  Sometimes when she is in the sunlight it looks like her hair is going to have a red tint.  I love red heads so if that was the case I think she would look cute. :)  Not that I'm the mom and always think she looks cute..

I have so many pictures to post.  I took pictures of everyone holding Addy while we were home and I need to get those on here.  I also have been taking pictures of her on my phone that i need to try to get posted.  I received a free book through Shutterfly and I'm gonna put together her first trip.  I think that will be fun. :) 

Let me update you on the things Addy is doing.  She has discovered her parents, and smiles when we talk or when we enter the room.  She also has discovered her thumb..  I think she is going to be like her mommy.  Hopefully she won't suck her thumb clear until she is in the second grade though.  She also laughed at me the other night.  I was playing with her legs after I had just finished changing her diaper and she was grinning and then all of a sudden the most cutest noise came out.  Luckily she did it again because Jake was taking Khloe potty.  But I haven't been able to get her to do it again. :(  We bought her a mobile for Christmas.  Holy cow does she love that thing.  I was having problems getting her down at night if she wasn't completely asleep, but since we have had the mobile there is a heartbeat noise that plays and sounds like they are in the womb.  She loves it.  As soon as we put her in the crib to watch it she just grins and kicks.  It is the cutest thing.

Jake is working construction and loving it.  He has applied for a job on base and is supposed to hear back this week on a time for an interview.  It would be great for him to get back on base.  The pay would be right, the hours, and it wouldn't be as tough of a job as construction is.  They are working hard this time of year, I just wonder what the hours would be like once summer hits and they really get busy.

We had a good Christmas.  Since it fell on Sunday it kind of just felt like every other day.  It was wonderful to be able to go to church.  Something about being in fellowship with other believers makes it feel like we are at home.  :)  I love our church family!

Well I'm off to run errands.  I hope everyone has a marvelous day.  Stay posted for pictures!
Love,
The Halls

One month already?!

I cannot believe how fast time flies!  Addy is already a month old!  She is starting to come more into her own personality.  She smiled at me for the first time yesterday.  She sure knows how to grin from ear to ear.  She is starting to really follow things with her eyes.  I went to take Khloe out the other day and had Addy in the swing in the living room.  I came through the door and she followed me the whole length of the living room. 

I have been having problems with Addy staying awake while she is feeding.  So after talking to some of the nursing mom's at church I decided to let her sleep at night until she is ready to wake up.  She went SIX hours last night!  I was impressed.  I was so tired when I woke up for the next feeding though.  :)  I am not used to getting four hours of straight uninterrupted sleep, but that is DEFINITELY something I could get used to! :) 

Jake is doing his final audit for the marine corp today.  Hard to believe that next Thursday we are done with the military...  Well that is when his terminal leave begins.  We are hoping to make it home for Thanksgiving, but Jake wants to have a job lined up first.  Rightfully so, since our whole trip he would be worrying about having enough time once we got back to get a job.  He has been applying to everywhere he can think of.  There are also a lot of guys at church who are giving him ideas.  I have no doubt he will get a job, it's just a matter of when.  Gotta love just sitting back and having faith! :)  But that is what our relationship with Christ is all about.  He has it in his hands.  Well I'm going to go fix something for lunch and get a little more housework done!  I pray you all have a marvelous day!!

Love,
Anna and Addy :)  oh yeah... and Jake too ;)

Family Pictures 2011

 

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#2  I think she looks like Julianna in this one :)

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For those of you who may not have received my text I will fill you in on Addy's two week appointment.  She was at 90% for her length which was 21 1/4 inches!  She grew an inch since birth.  She was 75% for her weight which was 8 pounds 15 ounces!  Crazy how fast they grow!!  Her head size was average so that means that brain development is right on track.  There were some things the doctor did review with us but said not to worry about.  The result for her hemoglobyn came back with some questions so at her 2 month appointment we will have them prick her heel to get a blood sample, and at six months they will draw again to see if it is within normal limits.  I guess this has to do with her iron levels and the reason they are waiting is to give the antibodies time to leave her system.  So if she does have an iron deficiency then they will test Jake and I to see where it came from.  We are praying and believing God that the test will come back clear.  Well since the little one has gained so much weight and growing soo quickly, we decided to go get family pictures done.  Here is how they turned out!
        Okay.. So here is what I need you to do.  Please let me know which two are your favorites so we can get pictures sent to you :)  Some of them are different then what you see here..  Some are edited in black and white, some have coloring around the edges, and some are more centered on us instead of the background.  We love you all!

Pictures of Addy.

Hello World!

Baby Addisson Has Arrived!!! :)

                                            Addy's first picture!!!

                                           Addy's first bath

                                            Gotta wash the back side!

                                             Daddy bringing stale fries from Burger king.

                                            All clean!

                                           Jake learning how to swaddle the baby.

First family photo

The bathroom in my huge birthing suite!

The cupboard with all the supplies.

Set up... Just waiting for the baby!

Me.. being lazy :)  Before the fun began

Jake's Chair

Baby Witt is here!!! :)

This morning around 2 am my buddy Steph had her little boy!! :)  Reality is sinking in that I am next.  Jake put it best last night..  He said he is so used to me being pregnant it is hard to imagine me not being pregnant and a little one here. :)  I'm excited for the journey that lies ahead!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL day!! :)

39 weeks and counting...

Wow this weeks has been long, intense, but DEFINITELY worth it!

We have had revival all week with Evangelist Dennis Wright.  What a powerful man of God!  His sermons have been right on every time he preaches.  All this last week the guys that were deployed with Jake have been slowly arriving.  Yesterday, a flight was scheduled to come in early morning, but got delayed until 9:30 last night.  Jake went in yesterday but got off for the afternoon.  The times kept changing, but by the grace of God we were still able to make it to revival. :)  He got home after midnight, and had to turn around and get up at 5 to be to work by 7:30.  Well here is the catch...  He has duty all day.  It is a 24 hour rotation, so he won't be coming home until tomorrow morning at 7:30. :(  Thankfully everyone has arrived safely and are off until Monday to spend time with loved ones and friends who have come to greet them back from deployment.  Since they are off, Jake has Friday off!  Someone asked me if I'll be able to sleep without him there.  I said... Well i just did it for five months, and I'm pretty sure I did it for 18 years before that!  :)  But they are right, it will be tough!  It's okay though... this way I get all the pillows!!!! ;)

I better get off here and go hit the shower.  I gotta take lunch to Jake here in a bit.  At least I get to see him even though he has duty right?! :)

I guess I should end by posting about the baby.  She sure is enjoying every last minute she has in my belly.  She STILL has not dropped.  I have not been having any contractions.  BUT what I have had is a lot of swelling!  I have an appointment on Monday if I don't go before, and I believe they will set me up for an induction that day.  The good news is she can't stay in there forever!  She has a whole world of family and friends that cannot wait for her to arrive!!  I love you all and hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Love,
Anna

Anticipation

As the day gets closer, the anticipation gets more INTENSE!!!  I have a doctor's appointment on Friday and then I start going every week.  This appointment Jake will for sure make so I'm excited he gets to hear the heartbeat!  On Saturday I am 38 weeks.  I can't believe in 3 weeks I will be having a baby if not sooner.  I guess the Naval Hospital will not let me go past 41 weeks so that is good news.  I hope I can go before that!

Monday the church is throwing a baby shower for us!  I'm so excited!  The nursery is almost complete, just waiting for items from the shower to be put in their place.  Jake got the curtains up, the crib up, and the pictures on the wall.  It finally looks like a nursery! :)

Sorry I haven't been posting pictures of the growing belly.  This is the most uncomfortable part of the pregnancy and it definitely shows in my face. :(  I was retaining water before but now it is really showing in my face.  I am excited to get back to my normal body.  I know some of you are thinking that will never happen and I guess in a way you are right.  BUT... for me, just being able to sleep on my belly, or not have constant strain on my back, to put normal jeans on instead of maternity jeans... this is NORMAL! :)

This weekend we have a Men's Discipleship Rally Friday night and Saturday morning.  Some of you might be wondering what this is.  Well the church we attend is part of a fellowship that stretches all over the U.S. and different countries.  We are a fellowship that believes in raising disciples and sending them out to start churches.  One man, Pastor Wayman Mitchell started this in Arizona 40 years ago, and he is coming to speak to our men.  We have fellowship churches all over North Carolina and the East coast who will also attend.  It is a time for growth and hearts to be stirred.  Well since the guys are gonna be busy, Steph and I figure what better time than Friday night to go get our pedicures done!?! :)

Well I have been TOO lazy this week and need to get off this computer and get some house work done before Jake gets off work!  We love you all and sorry if we haven't been in better contact since Jake has been home.  It seems like there is so much to get accomplished! 

Love,
Anna

Life... Getting back to normal.

Well it has been two weeks today that Jake has been home!  What a blessing that has been.  Since most everyone he works with is still deployed he has been getting off around noon every day.  This weekend he has Friday through Tuesday off.  I planned a special get away for us since we didn't get to spend our 1 year anniversary together.  I've kept most of it a secret, but what he does know is we are headed to Wilmington to check out some consignment shops and get some clothes for Addy.

Things really have been changing around here.  Getting back into a routine having Jake home has been easier than I thought.  Man, God really did move in us while we were apart.  :)  I have been treated like a princess ever since he has returned.  I don't think I have opened any doors for myself.. including my car door. :)  He bought me flowers and took me on a date the first weekend he got home.  :)  It is definitely nice to be able to walk into the nursery and not see the crib in a box or in pieces.  He got it all put together, and also hung up the curtains in Addy's room.  I found out that my shower for church will be September 19th and then we should be set!

I can't sleep tonight!  You know how they say the worst month of pregnancy is the last?..  Well... I think I've figured out why!  This belly seems like it keeps stretching and stretching and one day it isn't going to be able to stretch anymore.  I wonder what people who have twins feel like!  Jake and I went and bought more pillows today.  For some reason he didn't think it was fair I got three pillows and he got one.  Hehe  I would love to share but I wouldn't get any sleep without my pillows!!

Well I got some food in my belly, and I'm gonna go try to tuck myself in and count sheep until I'm asleep..or I'll just pray! :)

Love you all!
Anna

-Oh.. some of you are wondering about the pictures we had taken for Jake's homecoming.  I will post them on here as soon as I receive them!  Also, I took pictures of Jake putting the crib together, I just need to put them on the computer.  Please have patience with me! :)

Tonight is the night.... :)

House is clean, decorations put up, and now... off to a concert before I go on base to meet Jake.  Our church does concerts every Saturday night and during the summer we do outdoor concerts usually outside local restaurants.  For those of you questioning or maybe I haven't been in contact with... if that is the case I'm sorry :(  But Jake's flight is scheduled to get in at 11:00 p.m.  I am headed on base between 10-11 to get ready.  Fun thing for you is I did hire someone to take pictures of his homecoming so I will be able to post them on here once she edits them! :)

I hope ya'll have a wonderful night!  I'm off to get my man! :)

Love,
Anna

4 DAYS!!!

I can't believe in just four days I will be seeing a smiling face that I have missed oh so much!!  Thank you God for your faithfulness to answer prayers!!

I feel like there is so much to catch up on, but as I am sitting here thinking back on what happened this last week I am drawing a blank.  I wonder if this could be pregnancy brain.. :)

I am getting ready to take all the classes the Naval Hospital offers.  Tomorrow is the breastfeeding class, then Wednesday a tour of the hospital, and September 14-15th they do what is called Baby Boot Camp.  I am hoping that my next appointment and all the rest to come Jake can attend.  This might require me having to get out of bed early, but I guess I can sacrifice! :)  Jake and I were talking about our visit to Idaho after Addy is born and I can't believe how close it seems.  I don't feel like it has been that long since I left in May.  It will definitely be different this trip having a little one.  Someone told me at church last night, "It won't be about you anymore.. they will go straight for the little one".  I smiled and realized this is so true!  But what a blessing to have an opportunity to be a mother.

Well I'm off to get ready for a bridal shower at church.  I hope that everyone has a marvelous night!  Pray these last few days will go by fast!!  I'm excited to see my husband!!!! :)

Love,
Anna

32 weeks

I wanted to update a picture taken today.  I'm 8 months today and it doesn't seem possible!

Jake has started his journey home praise God and we expect him in 2 weeks! :)  That is a blessing in itself.  I am ready to have my husband home.  Also..  I just wanted to let you all know how marvelous and amazing this miracle of him coming home early is.  I asked him today how many people are in his batallion.  He said over 1,000.  So I asked him if he was fighting with over 1,000 other men to get his name on the list to come home.  Remember there were only 3 slots open.  And Jake MADE THE LIST!  Isn't that incredible.  I have been in awe all day long praising God for such an awesome answer to prayer.  Jake wrote today and said I'm glad I get to definitely be there for the birth. :)  That made such an impact on me.  I can't wait to have that guy home!  He doesn't know it yet, but I just might have to follow him everywhere he goes... :)  I love you all and hope you have a marvelous day!!

-Anna

Busy Day

Wow today has been something else!  I went to bed last night at 10:30 and tossed and turned until 1:00.  I woke up at 6 and could not get back to sleep.  So after tossing and turning for an hour I went and took a bath and came downstairs and got something to eat.  I laid on the couch for about an hour falling asleep for maybe 10 minutes.  Then I got up and went to prayer.  On my way to prayer I walked past the Honda to grab my hat and noticed I had ants all over the inside!  I came inside, got the can of Raid and went to town!  I don't know if you are supposed to use Raid on vehicles but let me tell you it worked!!  I went to Walmart after prayer and probably looked like I had a huge infestation of some sort.  I walked out with 2 packs of ant traps, a can of raid, and a bottle of Raid Max for Jake to spray around the house when he gets home.  Oh but you can't forget the bag of licorice I bought. :)  Gotta have something to eat on the way home.

You might be thinking to yourself man this girl is going overboard on the ant situation.  Well...This isn't the first time I've had to deal with the ants.  About a month and a half ago i woke up to a trail of ants on my counter.  Where they came from i don't know.  I found out from my neighbor who after being on vacation for a few weeks came back to find them all over her counter tops and cupboards as well.  Well just like this time i pulled out the raid (being careful of the fumes because I am pregnant), and cleaned everything out of my cupboards and sprayed.  Well for the next couple of days i had to clean up ants behind my microwave but they soon went away.  Well the other night I came home and had ants climbing out of my laundry room all over my floor and walls, so they must be coming in from somewhere.  The most annoying thing about it is the landlord will not pay to spray because we did not notice the infestation within the first 7 days of renting.  Okay I get that they have to set rules or they could go broke by everyone seeing a spider and calling for help, but how many of you think we would notice the ants in the first 7 days when on the day we moved in it was SNOWING!  This makes me excited to be able to buy and have my money going towards our future, not someone else's. :)

I heard from Jake today.  The phone is broken but he said dates have not changed and if not before i'll hear from him August 7th when he departs from everyone else!! :)  I'm glad to know that the mission they just got back from went successfully!  Dang I wish the time would hurry and fly by for him to get home.  It seems like no matter how much stuff I jam into my day it isn't moving fast enough!  Well banana bread is in the oven, just waiting for it to get done, have me a slice, and get to sleep!  I hope everyone has a marvelous week!! :)

Love, Anna

PRAISE GOD!!!

Let me start this post by first giving God all the glory and praise for this last week!!!!  For those of you who I didn't get a chance to text.... JAKE IS COMING HOME NEXT MONTH! :)  Our prayers were answered!!  Thank you to everyone who has been keeping Jake in prayer and who were praying for him to be able to come home early.  He got the word that he needs to have his bags packed by Aug. 7th!  At the moment we do not know the exact date he will be home, but he said expect him anywhere in the last 10 days of August!  Oh it is such a relief to know that he will be home soon and out of the battle zone.  He called this morning and said he is being sent out to do a mission for a week so I may not hear from him.  Hopefully this is his last mission before he comes home.

I want to also praise God for new life!  I was able to go hold a newborn baby last night.  One of the ladies from church who was pregnant had her little boy.  Ellison Thomas!  It was such an eye opener that I want our little girl to get here!  :)

I am off to go hang with my Steph friend.  She is leaving next week for Texas!  I can't believe when she gets back it will already be August 1st!  I pray this time continues to fly by!  Once again thank you for all your prayers and I will try my HARDEST to keep you all posted once more information comes in from Jake.  He did encourage me that even though we may hear on the news or I may hear from other wives how bad it is getting over there he said he is in a "safe" place.  As safe as you can get in war..  He hasn't noticed any change since he has been there.  PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!!!

I love you all and want to leave you with a picture!  Me at 29 weeks!!

Updates!!!

Alright so it has been a bit since I posted.  Let me see if I can get you all caught up on what is happening in life!  This week I spent a good half of the day getting Addy's room together.  Trying to clean out closets with a belly in the way is tough.. :)  That's another thing that has changed.  The belly seems to be growing!  I find normal tasks that I could usually accomplish easily are getting harder and harder.  Bending over to tie my shoes seems like it takes so much effort.  I better figure it out quick, I still have 2 months to go! :)

I go take my glucose test tomorrow.  Then Friday I have an appointment with the doctor.  I now start going to the doctor every two weeks.  It is crazy how there are parts of this pregnancy that have flown by, and other times it feels like the days are taking forever to pass by.  I remember people constantly telling me that it would fly by and be here before I know it.  It blows my mind to think we might be holding little Addy in three months!  The biggest hurdle to get over will be getting Jake home!  After that I will feel complete!  I spoke to him about coming home early and he said he believed his name was seen on the list to come home early!!!  So that could mean next month! :)  Praise the Lord that this deployment is almost over.  Keep praying that he will have favor with the people over him that he can leave early.

I don't know if i had mentioned but I had to take the Honda to a mechanic.  I was having problems with the AC, and a stinky smell would come through the vents when you would turn the air on.  Well luckily there was a guy at church who I know I could trust.  He took the car and we ordered the parts.  Well he went to take a look at it the other day and said unfortunately he has to wait until Jake gets home to fix it.  Apparently the part he has to fix requires the dash to come completely out! :(  So he needs two hands!  But he did say that he believes the problem will be fixed once we fix these parts.  He then went on to say he found the stinky problem.  hehe  I thought he was gonna say it was a dead something... somewhere.  But instead he said that the air gets pulled from the passenger floor board.  He was climbing around down there to check out the motor and said he almost threw up!  You know it is bad if a grown man wants to throw up.  So needless to say he pulled out the mat and cleaned it and my car is smelling a LOT better.  There is still one place i need to scrub but will probably wait until it isn't so stinkin hot out!

Well after an exhausting day at the beach and not being able to get comfy on this couch I'm gonna head to take a bath!  I love you all and hope you have a marvelous week!!! :)

Love, Anna

One Year Down... MANY More to Come!!!

I sit here reflecting on this past year of marriage.  Today is Jake and my 1 year anniversary.  It blows my mind to stop and think about all that has happened.  To think in just 1 week we will be celebrating a year here in Jacksonville!!!  It doesn't feel like all this came and went this fast.  I think one of the reasons i feel that way is Jake has spent a lot of time away during this first year.  From everything to several 3 day field ops, 1 week field ops, 3 weeks in Virginia, a month in California, more 3 day field ops, and then a 6 month deployment.  Sometimes I feel if we added all the time up we might have spent more time not together than together.

But the most exciting adventure is just about to unfold!  I cannot wait for Jake to get home and our little one to get here!  It is gonna be a tough but amazing journey.  Oh my dear little Addy!  How mommy and daddy love you and you are not even here yet!

I just want to say thank you for the family who believed in us, the friends who encouraged us, the God that gave us the strength we needed to conquer the time apart.  Thank you to a husband who even though it feels like he is a million miles away, not once have I had to question his love for me.  He keeps me smiling through handmade cards, letters,  and the very treasured phone calls.  I could not have made it through this year without a God fearing man leading me, teaching me, guiding me, and showing me where true strength comes from.  I love you Jacob and am excited for the journey that lies ahead!

Love, Anna

24 weeks and 5 days!!!

WOW!!!  My belly is getting bigger and bigger!  It seems like just last week I was wondering if I would ever look pregnant... well here ya go!  Went on a shopping spree today, and if all works out I won't have to spend any more money on clothes!!  That is what I hope for!  Thankfully most of my clothes are clothes I can wear when I'm not pregnant as well!

Well today has been eventful.  I've decided I need to make a change to my diet and stick to it.  I came home today from shopping and put together a box for Jake for Father's day... well and I like to call it a celebration box.  The last almost 5 weeks since we have found out what we are having I have been spoiled.  I walk into a store and get to dream about our little girl and what she will wear... he doesn't have that luxury in the desert.  So I decided to throw a box together so that when he opens it he can have his own time to reflect and CELEBRATE!  Well after I got the box taken care of, I went upstairs to take a nap. After laying there for an hour tossing and turning from a belly ache I decided to go to the bathroom to see if it would help.  It surely did but before I left the bathroom I left my lunch there too. :(  I feel much better now and will feel a lot better when my diet starts to change.  I will know I'm benefiting baby and mommy!


As I've been sitting on the couch checking my email and starting this blog I have seen my stomach move soooo much.  I don't know just what my little girl is doing in there but she sure has my whole belly moving!  It is the best feeling in the world to know that you have a little one growing inside of you!  Even better feeling knowing God trusts me to carry this child!

I'm still praying for Jake to make it home early.  He has given out dates that he will be home early even if he doesn't come home advanced party.  That makes me feel good.  Although I do have to say ever since we found out we were pregnant I never doubted that he wouldn't be able to make it to the birth.  I just want him to make it home with enough time to spend with me before our baby expands.  The latest dates he has given me are Sept. 10-15.  Once again as i believe I've said before... These are rumors... but at least we get something to look forward to!! :)  I love you all and hope you have a wonderful night!!

- Anna

Baby Addisson ultra sound picture!

Okay there are 4 different pictures (obviously)  So I will explain which picture is what! :)

Picture 1 Top Left:  Baby from a side view.  You can see her face.

Picture 2 Top Right:  This is the one that shows she is a girl.  There is an arrow that points it out.  I'm not sure if you can see it.  The picture might be too small.  You might have to save it to your computer. :)

Picture 3 Bottom Left:  This is looking right at her face.  You can see her eyes.  The cutest part about this is if you look just under the chin there are two little hands like she was posing for the picture!  Then you follow those hands and you see her arms.  If you look you can see her knees too.  I'm sorry this is hard to explain without being able to show you in person.  I hope you can see it!

Picture 4 Bottom Right:  Baby Addy from the back.

The doctor called with the results of the ultra sound today but I missed the phone call.  But everything seems to be looking good.  My next appointment is June 20th for 25 weeks.  I can't believe June is just around the corner!!  Even more so I can't believe how fast time is flying by!  Thank you Jesus.

I hope ya'll enjoy the ultrasound picture, I sure have!  I pray everyone has a safe memorial day, and don't forget to keep in mind those who lost their lives fighting for our country, those who have fought, and those who are currently fighting.  Love you all

-Anna

Long awaited photos of Pina, Sasha, and baby Gianna!

Awww!! These are for you Pina! :)  It is time for another play date!! :)