photo HEADER copy_zpsfiiptbhs.png

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We had our annual Campus Crusade Halloween party on Thursday night! Kyle and I were Mary Poppins and Bert the Penguin for the evening! It is always fun to see what my dear husband is going to come up with for us to be for Halloween! I do believe Kyle would love it if he got to dress up for every holiday! We actually have an entire closet filled with costumes! I am a huge fan of Mary Poppins so once we found this penguin costume we thought it was a perfect fit. We definitely attracted a crowd while eating at Papitos later that night! Hope you had a fun-filled Halloween, and enjoyed lots of treats tonight!

Bert the Penguin and Mary Poppins

Alan from the Hangover, Bert,
Michael Jackson, and the Policeman

Bert and Kyle (Kay)

Bert, Mary Poppins, Shrek, and Fiona

Baldwin, Isaac, and Kyle
The three staff girls dressed up
as the three staff guys!

Carmen Rae, Baldwin, Christie, Isaac, Kay, Kyle

Kyle's Halloween Basket
I was so excited to include baby items
this year! I found an adorable frog
onesie, and a burp cloth that says
"I Spit Red and Blue."



Thursday, October 28, 2010

What's in the Cart?

The moral of this story is DO NOT go to the grocery store HUNGRY and PREGNANT!! That was something my mom always told me, and it still remains true to this day. On Tuesday night, I sent Kyle to Taco Bell before Crusade because that was about the only thing that sounded good. I know that is gross, but I just don't really like chicken right now! Of course, they messed up my order so I only had one taco. After Crusade was over I was absolutely starving, and had to go to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. I started browsing the aisles, and this is what I ended up with once I got home. Very random, but it was what looked good these days!

On a completely different note, I wanted to share something that has been on my heart lately. Just because I am now pregnant does not mean I have forgotten about those dealing with infertility. Once I traveled down this road, I think I will always have a heart for women battling infertility. I have become close with several women on my journey, some who have recently found out they are pregnant, and some who are still trying to conceive. These women hold a special place in my heart, and I pray often that the Lord will bless them with a child soon. Unless you have experienced infertility, you truly cannot imagine how difficult it can be. For those of you who are walking down this road, the biggest advice I can give is to see a specialist. This advice was given to me by a friend when I was just a few months along in my journey, and I am so thankful I followed her advice. Our experience was only 18 months, and I feel that it could have been a lot longer had I not seen a specialist, and especially one who was very proactive. This was hands down the best decision I ever made. I always tell friends that if I had a heart problem I would not keep seeing my family doctor, I would go to a cardiologist. I feel it is the same with infertility, and it is best to see a reproductive endocrinologist. If you are currently experiencing infertility please know that my heart deeply hurts for you. I know exactly what you are experiencing, and if you have any questions or specific prayer requests I would love to be here for you. You can send me an e-mail at amytcole@gmail.com. I am pregnant, but I am still a woman with infertility.

Monday, October 25, 2010

You Get What You Ask For...

Well I have been saying for three weeks now that I would just love to have some pregnancy symptoms. Everyone kept telling me they had prayed I would have an easy pregnancy since I had already been through so much! While I thought this was a very sweet gesture, I was desperately wanting some signs so I would know that baby was in there and growing. I believe the Lord looked at me this weekend and said, "Here is your sign!" Yes, the dreadful MORNING SICKNESS has fully set in, and boy was today rough! However, as bad as it may get, every time I am hanging my head over the toilet I praise the Lord, because this is something I have wanted for a really long time! Baby Cole is just saying, "I'm here, and I'm ok!"

This past Wednesday we went for my 7 week ultrasound. The heartbeat had increased to 162 bpm, and the nurse said we had a textbook baby. In fact, she said it was an overachiever because it had grown further than it was even suppose to. Sounds like someone I know! :) My mother-in-love was able to go with us which was such an incredible blessing. It was a sweet moment for all three of us as we watched the heart beat, saw the spine, the brain, and the blood flowing. It was such a surreal moment. At one point, the nurse lit up the heart with color so we could see it beating. It was flashing red and blue, and my mother-in-love said, "They have always said our hearts bleed red and blue!" We all laughed, and I had to explain to the nurse we were big Rebel fans!

As for now, everything is progressing just fine with Baby Cole! Only four more weeks until I am out of the first trimester, and I am certainly counting down the days. I know that nothing is for sure, but I think I will have much more security and confidence once I am into the second trimester! Keep praying for this miracle the Lord has given to us!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

For This Child I Prayed...and HE ANSWERED!!!

After 18 months of patiently waiting and a whole lot of prayer, we are beyond thrilled to share with you that the Lord has blessed us with a child! Yes, I AM PREGNANT!!! Even as I sit here and share this news with you, I am still completely overwhelmed by the grace of God. It is still almost hard for me to believe that it finally happened. The Lord has been incredibly faithful to us throughout this trial, and we have truly experienced His mercy in our lives. We certainly are rejoicing over this miracle He has given to us!

Two weeks ago I had waited about as long as I could, and I finally took a pregnancy test. My heart was beating so fast that I left the test on the kitchen counter, turned a 3 minute timer on, and sat in the living room and waited. After what felt like an eternity, I walked back in to the kitchen and there was still 4o seconds left. I went ahead and took a glance, and already two pink lines had shown up!! It was 7:15 in the morning which is rather early in the Cole household, but I quickly ran into our bedroom and woke Kyle up! He jumped out of bed, and shouted "THANK YOU LORD!" We celebrated for a bit, and then immediately started calling our families. We left for Memphis soon after that so we could go ahead and get a blood test to confirm the pregnancy. When you are pregnant your body produces a hormone called HCG which is suppose to double every 48 to 76 hours. On Wednesday mine was 416, and by Friday it had doubled to 911. I had it tested one more time on Monday for my peace of mind, and it had jumped to 4,058. At this point we felt pretty confident that it would be a good pregnancy, but we still wanted to wait before we shared the news.



Today we went for the 6 week ultrasound, and we were able to see our little one, and watch the heartbeat. The heart was beating at 122 beats per minute. As Kyle and I watched the screen, we were both in pure awe! I think Kyle was actually about to jump out of the chair! It was an incredibly sweet moment to see this life that the Lord created, and a life that we and many others have prayed over for a really long time. We were simply beside ourselves!


As for me, I am feeling pretty good. I have experienced a few symptoms, but very minimal at this point. I know this is definitely something to be thankful for, however, I sometimes wish the morning sickness would kick in just so I would know the baby is still growing. I must confess that I still have so many fears after all we have been through, and I am really having to trust the Lord, believe in Him, and surrender these fears to Him. Please pray that I would be able to rest in the Lord, and not have any fear.

Most of all, THANK YOU!! We could not have walked down this road without you. Your encouragement, support, and love for us was a constant source of strength in this journey. We do ask that you continue to pray for us. Specifically that the Lord would sustain this child's life, and that this pregnancy would result in a healthy full-term baby. We look forward to the day you will get to meet our little one, hopefully on June 6, 2011. What a joyous day that will be!


"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him."
1 Samuel 1:27

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Happy 80th Birthday Granny!

My sweet precious Granny turned 80 on Wednesday! We actually celebrated her birthday a few weekends ago in Hattiesburg, and I was so thankful that I was able to be there with her. My Granny is so dear to me, and I am thankful for the 28 years I have had with her! Happy Birthday Granny! Love you so much!

Granny and Me

Granny, Me, and Mom


Blowing out the candles!

Granny with her sisters: Leah Joe, Noilette,
Janie, Granny, and Ethelyn

Sibling being silly!

The girls and their brother Jim.

Renee and Me

Let's Progress!

About a week ago, the staff women of Campus Crusade hosted the 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner. What a fun, fun night!! We definitely were not expecting such a big turn out, but praise be to God that 70 girls attended! We crammed all these cute girlies into our houses, and had a wonderful night filled with food, fun, and fellowship. At times it felt like we were taking the fishes and loaves, and feeding the 5,000. One funny story: at the home where we had the main course, Christie, my co-workers, was getting the last serving of pasta ready. When Kay began to pour the sauce over, it splattered on Christie and it slightly burned her. Yes, she dropped the entire container! We all just stood there paralyzed! We ended up having just enough to serve all the girls, and the staff ate what we called "the floor pasta." We were just following the ten second rule! We are so blessed to have so many women coming to our events this semester, and we are looking forward to all the Lord is going to do this year in the women's ministry. Please keep praying for the precious girls as they try to walk with the Lord in college!

Kalee and I at the first house, appetizers!




The Staff Women: Carmen Rae, Kay,
Me, Christie, and Missy

Second house, dinner...lots of girlies!

Third house, dessert!
I worked on these trifles all day!

Emily, Katie, Kelsey


Madison and Caroline