A look back and A look forward!

Happy New Year's Eve to all my blogging friends! Please note that there will not be any photos in this post as we are traveling. I hope today will be a day where you can reflect back on the year and see all the wonderful moments you have been given. I know I am doing this today and feeling blessed. It was in fact one of the toughest years for me, but without the trials I had I would not be the person I am. I believe that God put people in my life for so many reasons this year. I don't think I could have gotten through the months of fertility treatments without Chad, my family, and friends. I am thankful for all the new friendships and blogging friends I have met over this past year. I have become a stronger person because of the role models that surrounded me. I feel blessed that going into 2010 I have some great friends and family to be there for me for the greatest gift I recieved this year, our baby. The most important blessing I have recieved this year was my relationship with God has changed and developed into something so great and powerful that I don't want to let it go. Walking in faith and believing in his word has done such amazing things for me this past year and I hope it continues. My relationship with Chad is much better and our marriage has a strong base to bring a child into it and for this I am forever grateful. My only New Year's Resolution is to be a better Christian and focus more on God and his Glory.
I am excited to see what 2010 brings for my family and I know it will be the BEST year! I wish that 2010 will be the year for all the couples that are facing infertility will recieve the gift of a child or children. May God Bless you all this year! With BIG hugs I hope you have a great New Year's Eve!


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My Favorite Christmas Gifts

I had a Great Christmas and my favorite gift was getting to spend Christmas with my family.  I got some Amazing gifts from my family and Chad.  Baby Stafford got some great gifts too! 
Baby Stafford Gifts:

From My Mom

1.  Picture Frame

2.  Soft and Cozy White Gap Blanket

3.  White Onesie

4.  My favorite gift - Gift Card to Mika Beth Photography - this is where I am getting our newborn pictures taken in June 2010.  Yes I already have this booked.  You can check out her blog here!

From Amie and Brian

1.  Moby Wrap

Here is a picture of me using the Moby Wrap with Drew

My Favorite Gifts:

From My Mom:

Sony Reader and Case

From Chad:

Samsung DualView Digital Camera

I love this camera already! 

Necklace from Banana Republic

Boy Oh Boy was this Girl Spoiled!

We are off to Tennessee tonight to spend the New Years Holiday with Chad's parents.  I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season!

Blessed to Be Friends

I love this picture of Harper and I.  She would not look at her mommy!

Today I was blessed to have lunch with this sweet girl and her mommy!  I just love this family and the friendship we have created over the past year!  Thanks Kelly and Harper for the lunch date!  I look forward to this summer when we can have play dates. 

I love all my friends and cherish each of them for different reasons.  I love when you can pick up where you left off with friends and there is no stress in the friendship.  This is my favorite type of friendship and I feel blessed to have some of these relationships here in Arkansas, as well as, South Dakota and Montana. 

Friends are Amazing!

I did a Week 19 Pregnancy Post below if you would like to see how I am doing!

Week 19

Today I am 19 Weeks and 1 day!  Sorry for not posting yesterday.  I usually take a pregnancy photo on Sunday night, but we were busy unpacking from our Christmas vacation and getting ready for the work week.  Than last night I was not looking to great to take a photo and we also took down all of our Christmas decorations. 
Next week is the BIG appointment...we find out the SEX!  I have completed all the Old Wives Tales and most of them say that we are having a Girl.  We will see!  After spending the Christmas Holiday with my sister and her boys I am so excited to know what we are having and I can't wait until May 2010.  I loved playing, snuggling, kissing, and loving on Drew and Aidan.  Amie is my twin sister (in case you didn't know) and her baby Drew (who is 7 months old) thought I was his mommy and I loved seeing his face light up every time I entered the room where he was at.  It was priceless!  It will be interesting to see how my baby reacts to Amie.  Being a twin is great and so special I would not change it for anything! 

This week Baby Stafford is the size of a mango!

I did have boots on today so please ignore my house shoes!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along:  19 weeks and 1 day
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Not sure, but my belly sure has grown over the past week
Maternity Clothes:  None Yet
Sleep:  I love sleep! 
Best Moment this week:  When our friends daughter Kendall puts her ear to my belly to see if she can hear the baby... so cute!  I also really enjoyed being with my family for the Christmas Holiday!
Gender:  One more week and we will know...Yeah!
Movement:  None I am starting to get concerned as I thought that I would feel the baby by now, but nothing.  Is this normal?
Food Craving:  Honey Nut Cheerios and Dark Chocolate
What I miss:  I still miss Chocolate Milk
What I am looking forward to:  Next week when we find out what we are having, so exciting!
Weekly Wisdom:  Read Baby Wise before the baby gets here 
Symptoms:  Lower back pains and right hip hurts

We are Home!

We made it home!  It was a scary and stressful drive from South Dakota to Missouri.  Once we arrived in Kansas City it was sunny and the interstate was dry!  I would have to say that on our nine hour drive it appears that many families had a White Christmas!  Now that the unpacking is complete Chad and I are sitting in our warm house by the fire and Bella is snuggling next to me on the couch.  I sure do miss her when we are away, but she has the best dog sitter that we have nothing to worry about.  Chad and I are home for a few days and than we are off again to Tennessee to visit Chad's parents for the New Years Holiday.  I am not looking forward to being in the car again for 8 hours, but we need to visit.  For the next few days I will be busy working, taking down our Christmas decorations, packaging, and daily household duties.  And on a side note I am sick again!  I have a horrible head cold again...

I sure do miss these boys already!

Will we get home and holiday recap!

South Dakota had record snow fall this Holiday Season!  Will we get home tomorrow?  Currently the interstates are CLOSED.  If we do leave it will be an adventure going home.  

This Christmas Season we loaded our Jeep on Tuesday December 22nd 2009 and that evening we left for the Hansen home in South Dakota.  We drove from 8PM until 5AM to bet the WINTER STORM that was heading to South Dakota.  On December 23rd 2009 with only three hours of asleep I was up playing with these two cute faces: 

Chad was not feeling well at all so he slept until 11AM and took meds all day.  That afternoon we had lunch at the best Bread Store, Great Harvest Bread Company.  I wish they had one in NWA.  It is the best!  I love this bread so much that Amie sends us bread.  That afternoon my sister and I did some shopping at Target and Walmart while Chad and Brian did some last minute Christmas shopping!  The evening was spent playing and enjoying our family. 

Than for the next two days we were SNOWED in!  We did a lot of baking and playing.  Played a game of Phase 10 and just enjoyed eachother's company.  We had a great time with Aidan making a Gingerbread House and Sugar Cookies. 

Go Check out my sister's blog post on us making a Gingerbread House and Sugar Cookies, they are too cute!

Finally Christmas was HERE and my nephew Aidan was beyond EXCITED for Christmas.  Santa came early in the morning to visit and it was too cute! 

Than after Santa left with his cookies we SKYPED with my mom, Auntie JJ, a

nd Marley in Montana and opened Christmas presents. Isn't technology GREAT!  Everyone was SPOILED this year for Christmas.  Once I finish opening my gifts from Chad (which are back at home) I will share all the great gifts I got! 

Amie made a wonderful Christmas dinner and we stayed inside were it was nice in WARM.  Until later in the evening when Chad, Brian, and Aidan went outside and played in the SNOW. 

Today we all had cabin fever so we made our way to the Mall and got a few great deals at Banana Republic and Gap.  The drive around town was a sight to see!  I don't think that I have EVER seen this much SNOW. 

So will the Stafford's make it home tomorrow?  We will see!

Merry Christmas From The Stafford's

The Stafford Family wants to wish you and your family a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope all of you receive your Christmas Wish and may 2010 be a GREAT year for all of you! 

With Love and Blessings,

Melissa, Chad, and Bella!