If you've been praying...

I have a few updates. 

First of all, Matthew and I have found an affordable place that will be ready mid January. And God is providing what we need for it. 

We are so excited for this. 

But my parents said we have to be out of their house by Christmas Day. 

Also, my mom, who was supposed to be watching my children while I go to work until Matthew gets home is now not coming back to watch them. So I have to quit my job. We only have one car so I'll have no way to get to work and I will have no one to watch the kids. 

So please pray for that. Also, we won't be spending Christmas with any family. So please pray for that as well. 

And if you need prayer, comment below and let me know how us Reilly's can be praying for you during this holiday season. 

Baby boy #2

Words can't describe the joy I feel knowing that God has blessed us with another baby!! We couldn't be more excited. 

But can I be honest about something? When I found out, I was terrified. I instantly though of how upset my family would be. And the negative comments and feedback Matthew and I would receive by many people, family members and non family members. 

My heart filled with fear of what OTHERS would think of me. I honestly just wanted to wait to tell anyone until the baby was here. Even then, I really just wanted to hide it forever. 

I called Matthew to tell him because he was out of town. I sent him a picture of the test and I told him how happy I was. But as I sat there in the bathroom, alone, I began to cry. Fear crept into my heart and mind and I wondered how I'd have the strength to take care of three children all under the age of 3. I wondered if anyone would be happy for us. And I wondered if this was truly God's plan for us and for me. Time went by and I made a doctors appointment. 

Fast forward to November 27. We went in to have an ultra sound since I had no idea when I got pregnant. The technician put the wand on my abdomen and I saw a face. Now this is my third pregnancy and I knew that wasn't an early face. She immediately took it off and said something like you're over 12 weeks pregnant. We need to reschedule your sonogram. She went to go talk to her supervisor and me and Matthew waited. They rescheduled it for Monday. 

I went in Monday and I was by myself. We did the measurements and she estimated me to be around 20 weeks and 5 days! I couldn't believe it. Then she told me it was a boy and I was so excited!! I totally wanted another boy!

I then realized that I was on birth control in July when I got pregnant. And then I understood why I lost my milk supply while breastfeeding Elianna. And then it hit me. This baby really was sent to us by God! He gave us this baby even when I was on birth control!! 

I must say that no one in our family seems very excited for us.

But that's ok with me. I'm here to please one person only and that's Jesus. Matthew and I may not have 5 years between each child or have a bunch of money saved up in the bank. All I know is that God has a plan and His plan is good. 

No baby is a mistake or an accident. I believe 100% that He sent us this little boy. And I couldn't be more happy! 

Thank you Lord! 

New pictures of the babies

In the midst of all the chaos we've been going through, I must say that our children are a huge blessing. We are so thankful for them and the joy they bring to our lives! 

Malachi is 2 now! And he's such a fun boy. He's full of energy, and he loves cars!! 

Elianna is a week away from being 10 months old! She loves to explore and crawl around and she loves her big brother!! 

These two are a joy and they bring so much light into my life! And Matthews of course! 

Prayer Please

Hi friends,

It's been so long since I've written! Life has been crazy and busy and I honestly haven't felt like writing in awhile. 

Matthew and I moved to Moneta, VA. About 3 hours away from where we both grew up. Northern VA was really expensive and we just really needed a fresh start. 

My parents offered to let us stay in their house at the lake which has been a huge blessing. But it has taken a lot longer then we ever thought it would. We have bills that we had to get caught up on and it took about 3 months for Matthew to get a full time job. But praise God, he got hired last week by a plumbing company in Roanoke which is about 40 minutes from us. And I work at a restaurant called Jonathan's. So praise God!

But there's something weighing heavy on my heart and we really need some prayer. Matthew and I have a few credit cards that we used and we are now in debt along with an unpaid electrical bill and medical bills from having Elianna. 

We just really need prayer that God would lead us in the right direction and provide the means for us to pay off our debt. We will be starting a debt management plan with a place called Trinity Debt Management. It's a faith based program that helps you pay your debt. We are so thankful to have found them. 

Things seem to be taking a lot longer then we thought they would. But I have to remember that God's timing isn't ours. His plans and His purpose goes beyond what I could ever imagine. And that gives me hope. Just this morning as I lay here praying and worrying about our future, He softly whispers Phillipians 4:6-7 to my heart. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

He is my peace! I don't have to be anxious because He is in control. Thank you Jesus. 

I hope this encourages someone today. God is there. He's in control and His plan is perfect as well as His timing. 

Getting A Job

I started a job a couple of weeks ago. At the moment, I am the only one working. Matthew is still looking for a job. 

We have been staying at my parent's lake house at Smith Mountain Lake. 

I am working at Subway and I love it!

But I miss being with my babies all day! My heart is torn when I have to go to work. But I know that I'm doing what I can to provide what they need. 

God is already working at my job! They have offered me a supervisor position which is awesome!!

Please pray with us that God would provide Matthew with a job soon! And that he'd show us where we need to go next! 

He's sovereign

Matthew and I have officially moved into my parents lake house until we can find a place to live and jobs. 

It has been a tough transition. And it doesn't help that Matthew's probation officers still haven't gotten him transferred here to Moneta. We have never been apart and now we have barely seen each other in the last 3 weeks. 

Malachi seems to be adjusting but it took some time. Elianna is teething. So she hasn't been sleeping so well. I feel like I'm doing it alone. My mom is here and she's helped me a lot. But it isn't easy. And I miss Matthew more then I ever knew I could. 

We did join a new church and it seems like it's going to be a great fit. I'm so excited to be able to get involved. 

Although Matthew and I have no idea where God is going to take us I have been reminded by someone very close to my heart that God is sovereign. And His plans and callings never change. I really needed to be reminded of that truth. Especially since Matthew and I have been struggling in our marriage. He reminded me that we made a vow before the Heavenly Father and that if God wasn't for our marriage then He would not have blessed us with two beautiful children. The scripture says that children are a blessing. And one who has many should be called blessed. In the midst of the stress and the loneliness I remind myself that God is for me and He is for my marriage and He is for my children. The enemy will do whatever he can to step in and try to tear us apart. But he won't win because our God has already won. 

I'm so excited to see what God has planned. 

Extended Rear Facing

I wanted to share this in hopes that other moms will see this and hopefully do the same. 

Matthew and I rear faced Malachi's car seat around age 16 months. The reason was because he would cry and fuss turned around backwards. Everyone kept saying how we should turn him around and my mommy instinct knew it wasn't time. But I listened to everyone else and turned him around. And I'll admit he's been happier. But then the other day I read a story of an 11 month old boy who was turned forward right at the weight limit and he was thrown from the car in an accident and was brain dead. They pulled the plug a few days later and that was it. New studies are saying that you need to keep your child rear facing until AT LEAST age two. But longer if possible. 

And guess what? We will be turning Malachi back around despite his whining. Because I'd rather hear him whine then have him killed in an accident and never be able to hear him whine again. 

I hope that you will consider extended rear facing if you're a parent. It's our job to protect them and I used to have this mind set that I won't be one of those people who gets into an accident. But you don't know what's going to happen and an accident can happen to ANYONE. Seeing the pictures of that sweet little boy laying in the hospital bed was more than enough to make me rethink rear facing my children. 

Cloth diapering

Our cloth diapers came in the mail today and may I say that I LOVE it already? 

We got a few different kinds. Pre folds which are the ones you can fold to fit your baby. All in one diapers which are most like disposables. And then one diaper with a pocket for inserts. 

Not only am I excited because we are going to save tons of money but I'm also excited because of the SUPER cute diaper covers we got:) I will post pics tomorrow. 

PRAISE GOD FOR CLOTH DIAPERS. 

He's Tugging...

Matthew and I have been struggling so much with what our next step is. We keep asking and God keeps us waiting. Last night I was feeling pretty isolated so we got the babies and went for a walk on the trail behind our complex. As we walked, my head was anywhere but with my family. I kept thinking about how we won't be able to make rent. And how scared I am of what is coming next. So I asked Matthew how he was feeling about everything. And he gave me an answer that churned my stomach. "It sucks" he said. For a moment I felt like I was going to lose it. So I started to pray silently as I listened to him talk about why everything sucks. 

Then I knew in that moment that he needed me to be strong. So I encouraged him. I told him that God has a plan... Because he does! I told him that God sees the bigger picture. I told him that we are so small minded that God isn't going to lay out the big picture in front of us. We have to trust Him, step by step. No matter what anyone else thinks or says, we can't let that affect our trust in the Lord. He is faithful and holy and perfect and He works all things together for His good. 

We went to bed last night just praying for some answers. Matthew left for work like any other day and Malachi and Elianna slept until 9:30 so that was nice! 

When I woke up I checked my email. Matthew gets weekly emails from the Sparkling Gems Ministry. He said "read asap" in his forwarded email to me. So I did. 

The title said "Is The Holy Spirit 'Tugging' At Your Heart Today?"

I knew as soon as I read that sentence that God was answering my prayers.  The devotion went on to talk about what a life of faith looks like. It talked about how when we first take those steps of faith we can't see the big picture but God can. It talked about how God leads us one step at a time. 

As I read this my eyes welled up with tears. It was so comforting to know just how personal God is. He knew that we are struggling. So He sent us this devotion to encourage us and to tug at our hearts. The challenge was to listen to the tugging and pulling that the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart. 

God hears us. He listens and He is so personal. He knows what we need exactly when we need it. 

*As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.* Romans 8:14

Giving Diapers, Giving Hope

Cloth diapering has been coming up a lot in my conversations with Matthew recently. We looked into it and it is definitely something we would love to do. I have been praying and thinking about it and wondering how we would ever come up with the money to do it since cloth diapers now a days are a bit on the expensive side.
Well, it looks like God had an answer for me this evening. As I was just casually doing some research I came across another momma blogger and she had this awesome link to this neat website called givingdiapersgivinghope. They provide cloth diapers to low income families for a small shipping fee of $35. They send you gently used cloth diapers that you use until your little babes are done with them then you send them back. The shipping fee covers the cost to ship them to you and for you to ship them back. How awesome is that?!
I am so excited because it is going to save us SO much money!
The website is called www.givingdiapersgivinghope.org
The application is so easy!
What a blessing this will be!! I am beyond excited. GOD IS GOOD!!

Where is your joy found?

Isn't that a wonderful question? To be honest, it's probably something I don't think about that often. But it should be something that we do think about often as believers. 
I have been reading this awesome devotional by Billy Graham. I have been really trying to discipline myself to read it each day because with having two babies so close in age, finding alone time with God sometimes seems impossible. But today's devotion was about where we find our joy.
In this society it is SO easy to seek happiness from material things (cars, sex, porn, clothes, shoes, make up) just to name a few. I will be honest here and say I find a lot of joy in food. And when I'm upset or just not happy in general I tend to instantly think about food. This is not something that I am proud of but it is something that I have been struggling with for awhile. But guess what? Even when I eat that piece of chocolate or that cookie it doesn't make me feel any better. Actually, it makes me feel worse. 
In reading this devotion today I realized why my life has seemed so crazy lately. And the truth is, I have been struggling to put God first. 
Thankfully, what I read put my mind into perspective and I just want to share it because i just want you to see how personal our God is. I really have been struggling to keep my eyes on the Lord. I have been struggling with some things and it hasn't been easy to trust Him in those extremely dark moments. The first verse that came to mind when I read my devotional is Colossians 3:2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
This is such a simple truth but it's not so simple to follow when we live in a world saturated with materialistic satisfaction or instant gratification. Especially as a woman. I struggle so much with wanting that perfect body that the girl who just had her baby 2 weeks ago has. Or the perfect skin that the girl on tv has. But my worth is not found in a perfect body or perfect skin. My worth is found in the Heavenly father. The one who created me. The one who makes me new. 
Christ should be my number one priority. Babies or Matthew or anything else should never come before the Lord. 
My point in sharing this is if you do know Jesus and your life still seems like it's spinning out of control it is never too late to turn back and run to Him. And if you don't know Jesus and you are struggling with trying to fill the hole in your heart that just doesn't seem to be filled then run to Him. He is the ONLY one who can make you whole. We were created to love Him. Before I knew the Lord, I loved sex, drugs, alcohol, relationships, and many other things. But none of those gave me the satisfaction I was searching for. It wasn't until I accepted Jesus into my heart that I found the true happiness and peace I was searching for. 
Now that I know the Lord, I could never imagine my life without Him. 
He loves you and He loves me. Go to Him. You won't be disappointed.

Prayers Go Up

Right now, I'm on the hunt for a job.
Matthew and I no longer have anyone helping with rent so I need to find a job. I am applying to different places and just praying for clear vision on what the Lord wants me to do. And that He would provide the perfect job. When Matthew gets home we are going to pray together and just lay it all down in front of His feet. Also, Matthew and I are talking about maybe hiring a babysitter during the day so that I can get a job during the day while Matthew is at work. It would definitely be cheaper then daycare and I would feel a lot more comfortable with a babysitter rather than sticking our babies in daycare. And neither of our parents want to watch the babies so a babysitter seems to be the next best option.
Please join us as we pray for some clear provision from the Lord. :)

Go Fund Me Account

Hey everyone..
So I have heard about "GoFundMe" from a lot of different sources. So, I set up an account to see how it goes. Matthew and I are in need of a little extra help paying our bills (utility, credit card, and car insurance) due to Matthew losing his job and being out of work for a week. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. I will include the link below:

http://www.gofundme.com/helpthereillyfam

Thank you!

Life in the Reilly home

I haven't written in awhile about our life so I figured I'd give an update. I'll go by each person. :)

First, I'll write about Malachi. Two days ago he turned 20 months old! I can't believe he will be two in October. It blows me away to think about him turning two. We are already starting to plan his 2nd birthday party! His favorite show is The Wiggles. He's finally consistent in sleeping through the night as long as he gets a snack before he goes to sleep. He really loves food and most anything we give him which is a huge blessing! I'm so happy that he isn't a picky eater! And he loves healthy food. He's saying a lot of words and small phrases such as "help please".  He is such a SWEET boy. He's so loving and so cute. And sometimes it's so hard when I have to punish him and he sticks that little lip out and has tears coming down his face! Talk about pitiful, lol. Thankfully he listens pretty well so there isn't too much punishing going on. He's also become very attached to Matthew. Everything is "daddy". When he wakes up he says daddy. When he's eating he says daddy. When he's playing he will come to me and say daddy. He really loves his daddy and when daddy comes home he just wants to play with daddy. I'd say Matthew has become his favorite person!! He's not been teething lately which is a nice break since it seemed like he teethed for the last six months non stop. And lastly, he's healthy. Praise God for that! He's only been sick  twice since he's been born. And I'm so happy for that! Here's a recent picture of Malachi. 

It's so hard to get one of him sitting still! But here he's playing with his car. 

Now about Elianna! She's doing wonderfully! She will be four months old next week! I really can't believe she will be 4 months old. It's gone so fast! She's sleeping between 4 & 5 hours at a time at night which is awesome! I have been getting more sleep which is nice and Matthew helps by bringing Elianna to me to nurse her and on the weekends he will take her in the morning & let me sleep! She just started rolling from her belly to her back! She loves to watch tv and she loves music. She loves her swing and I'm so thankful we have one since she gets fussy. She cries a lot more than Malachi ever did. So that's tough sometimes. But other than that she's good! And she's an excellent nurser which I am SOOO happy about since breastfeeding only lasted a week with Malachi. 

Here's a recent picture of her doing tummy time! 

Me and Matthew are doing good. He really loves his new job! He loves to be outside and breathe in the fresh air. He has been doing his ministry and they're planning a camping trip. Matthew and I have been dealing with some things in our marriage so we are working on that. Just please keep us in your prayers. Although Matthew loves his new job we both just feel like we should be in full time ministry. But we are waiting for God's timing. It's tough sometimes to wait on him. We love our life and we wouldn't want to change it, though. To be honest, we are very satisfied because as long as we are running after Christ we are content no matter where He takes us. Matthew and I have adjusted to having two children and we love it! I honestly wish we could have more right away! I love babies and I love raising them & watching them grow & change. We really hope to buy a house someday sooner then later! 

That's about it in the Reilly family! Hope you enjoyed the update. 

They're His.

I have been doing this awesome bible study on being parents. And the one that I read today really spoke to my heart so I thought I'd share my thoughts. 

Today's was about giving our children back to God. I know this is something that is so important and Matthew and I are strong believers in allowing our children to become what God has called them to be. We even gave them names that we knew the Lord would use them to fulfill. Malachi means "messenger of God." From the day we found out that Malachi was a little boy to this day still we pray over his life that he will be God's messenger. We aren't sure how God is going to use Malachi. But we know that however He will, He is going to use him to do big things. And then Elianna means "My God has answered me" and Myra means "to flow from". We are believing in the name of Jesus that God sent us Elianna not only to answer our prayers for a little girl but also to be an answer to other's prayers. And as for her middle name we are believing that in the name of Jesus that His love will flow from her just as her name means. Matthew and I take naming our children very seriously and it's something that we don't take lightly. We actually already have our next boy name picked out for whenever God wants to bless us with another baby boy. 

So what does it mean to give your child back to God? To me it means that I have to trust that God is in control of their lives. Yes, I am their momma. And that will never change. But I'm only here to do whatever God leads me to do as their mom. As much as I'd like for them to do what I want I know that it's ultimately up to the Lord. And Matthew and I will do our very best to allow them to become all that God has created them to be. This gives me so much peace to know that their lives are in His hands. I love that in the devotion it talks about Jeremiah 29:11. I think it's so important as a parent to remember those words. And to place our children's names in the blanks. 

"For I know the plans that I have for Malachi," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper him and not to harm him. Plans to give him a hope and a future."

And the same for Elianna. "For I know the plans that I have for Elianna," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper her and not harm her. Plans to give her a hope and a future." 

How awesome is it that the King of heaven and earth makes a promise to give our children a prosperous and harm free future? He is such a mighty God and  I trust that He has mighty plans for my children and my future children. 

Psalm 127:3-5

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

I love this passage from Psalms. I love how it says that children are a reward! Even though some days I don't always feel that way, God always does. Being a parent isn't easy. But God promises that He will be there every step of the way. So even if you're feeling drained from the every day stresses of being a mom or a dad, just know that God has rewarded you and He never creates a life that isn't valuable or worth living!! 

As you go on to read this passage, it says that a man that has many children should be happy! Children are not a burden and I really hate how society has put this label on how many children you should have. When Matthew and I tell people that we want 8 kids they look at us like we are crazy! But why? Right here in the greatest book of all it says that a man with many children should be happy! They are blessings and rewards. We always hear from other people things like "Once you have two you'll want less." Or "You'll change your mind once you see how expensive they are." But guess what? Matthew and I have yet to change our minds about how many children we feel that God wants to bless us with. Even with two that are sixteen months apart. Others make it out to be a bad thing that we had our children so close together. But it happened just as God planned it to be and I'm okay with that! And if He wants to give us another one tomorrow or ten years from now I'm okay with that too. Needless to say, God is in control so there's no reason to fear or worry about my children or their future.  As long as Matthew and I are chasing after God, there is nothing left to fear. I'd rather have a house full of children than a nice car and house and material things or a 3 pension job. 

I needed to read this today. It was a stressful day with two very cranky babies. Malachi had to go see a doctor all the way out in Woodbridge which is an hour from here. He had no nap and Elianna didn't nap very much either. Once I got them both to bed I was feeling so stressed out. But God spoke to my heart and told me to read my devotion. So I did even though I really just wanted to turn on the tv and drown out all of the thoughts and noise of the day. But I'm glad I did because He gave me exactly what I needed to hear. Isn't that who He is? Thank you, Lord for melting away my stress and filling me up with your hope, love, peace, and joy. And thank you for my children and my husband! 

Pictures of our beautiful blessings

Here's some recent pictures of Malachi and Elianna! Enjoy:) 

This was Elianna's first time wearing a bow:) such a pretty girl!

Matthew tried to get a good picture of us!! 

Kisses for my sweet boy! 

Malachi got his first hair cut!

Elianna visited her friend next door who is a week older! So sweet :D

Malachi wanted to share his toy:)

Bath time!

Daddy loves his baby girl!

Mommy and Malachi:)

She's a happy girl!

Pretty princess:)

Malachi held her the other day:) 

These are just a few of the pictures I have! Hope you enjoyed them:)

He answered!

I should be sleeping but I have so much on my mind. I'm not really one who likes to miss out on sleep. But lately I've been finding it hard to get sleep! Malachi has been waking between 3-4 am and Elianna still wakes at least once if not more to nurse at night time. 

Matthew and I have been having some really divine things happening in our life. 

Last week Matthew and I were praying together. I told him I felt as though maybe the plumbing job he had wasn't where God wanted him. I had never seen him so unhappy. Sure, the pay was great and it showed promise in a career. But it just didn't seem to suit him very well. So we prayed that if it isn't where God wants him to be then he would show us. Boy, was God quick to answer that prayer! Matthew got to work Wednesday morning and needless to say, he was laid off. When he first told me I immediately started to tear up. But then I heard God speak. "I answered" the voice said and I immediately felt peace. I know it sounds crazy but I was overcome with peace. We began to pray for a new job and by Friday God had provided one! The Lord blessed him with a job in landscaping. This is something Matthew enjoys a lot because he gets to be outside. He really loves to be outside. So praise God for that!! 

I am so encouraged by God answering our prayer! 

April is...

Such a neat month for me! It is my birthday month and Cesearean Section Awareness Month! As many of you know, I've had two c sections.
Both were unplanned and very unexpected. With Malachi I went in for an induction and I stopped contracting and progressing at 3cm. We could have gone longer but I chose to have a C-section. This second time I labored for 4 days with Elianna. I had contractions coming every two minutes for 4 days. I couldn't sleep or eat or drink. My body was exhausted. I went to see my doctor on the 4th day and I had dropped 4 pounds. So I said I wanted another c-section. For awhile I really struggled with not being able to have a vaginal birth. But now I'm proud to say that I have moved passed that and I'm so happy that I birthed my babies the way that I did. And I'm not any less of a mom because I didn't give birth vaginally. I'm strong and still a mom! That's what God says to me.
Here's a picture of my scar and my two beautiful babies who helped put it there:D

My scar

Malachi Wayne's birthday- 10/02/2013

Elianna Myra's birthday- 02/09/2015

Elianna Myra Reilly

Well, she's here! And she is already a week old! I can't believe its already been a week. How awesome! We are so in love and happy even with the lack of sleep. She's nursing so well and when she does want to sleep she sleeps for about 4 hours. Woot woot! Here are a few pictures:

He's Perfect

God has been doing a lot in my life lately. And even though it hasn't been easy I am thankful for His provision. 
I have been doing a bible study on growing patience and this morning it was about waiting on the Lord. It gave me such peace. 
*The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.* Psalm 145:15
When things are going right in my life I tend to forget where those blessings come from sometimes. It gave me such a new peace to be reminded that everything comes in the Lord's timing. He gives us what we need exactly when we need it. This weekend he provided us with a second car. For free. What an awesome God Matthew and I serve. We are beyond blessed as we have been praying about this for quite some time. And its perfect timing since baby Elli will be here any day now! 
As I approach my due date I am a bit anxious. I don't know what is going to happen. Whether I will have the vaginal delivery that I so desire to have or if I will have to have another cesearean section. But what I do know is that God is in control and whatever does happen it will be okay. His timing is never wrong. 
Matthew and I have gotten A LOT of grief from many people about having another baby so soon. We even had some tell us that this is the "wrong" time. But if there's one thing I know for sure its that God's timing is never wrong. Elianna is not a mistake nor is she coming at the wrong time. It gives me such peace to know that God knew her before there was time. He had her life already planned out.

*You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.* Psalm 139:13 

This verse holds a whole new meaning to me as I am approaching the birth of this child. She is special and she is blessed. And God created her for a reason. For most of my pregnancy I've been stuck in this mind set that Matthew and I should have been more careful in spacing our children out. But not anymore. His timing is perfect no matter what anyone else says or thinks. 

Exhausted

Here I am at 35 weeks pregnant and I'm exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I feel so drained. I feel like I'm suffocating. Malachi and I were sick with the flu a few weeks ago and now we are both sick again with a nasty cough and fever and such. That means that little man is not sleeping very well which means I'm not either.

It seems as though this season of trial is never ending. I know God promises He will bring good out of every situation for those who love Him and I know that He is there. But knowing something and truly believing something in your heart is two different things. It could also be hormones making me feel this way but whatever it is, I hate it. And I'm praying that I can just choose joy because we do have a choice. Whenever I begin to feel frustrated or sad I just try to remember all of the things that we do have that God has given us and I try to remain thankful to the Lord for His provision. It's awesome because the other day I was praying and I prayed that God would provide us with some dog food since we really don't have much right now to spend on dog food for our dog. And He did. He used dog food to encourage me and show me that He cares, even about little things like that. 

I have 5 more weeks left before my due date and 6 more before Elianna is here for sure. We have finally decided on her full name and it will be Elianna Claire Reilly. Elianna means "God has answered me". And Claire is Matthew's mother's middle name. We are so excited to meet the little miracle growing inside of me. She is already so loved.