Baby Silas Updates // Belly Photo and Other Photos

Wow! It is so hard to believe that in just a few short weeks I will have ANOTHER sweet, little baby! I can hardly wait. Those of you who know me closely, know that I absolutely love babies, love the baby stage, just love everything about this upcoming time! I seriously see how my great grandmother had 12 kids! I mean, when they all come out so sweet and adorable, how do you ever stop? I don't know! People have been asking me if we are "done" after Silas. My answer is always the same: "I have no idea!" Zach tells people: "Nah, we'll probably have more!" LOL The looks we get are priceless! We don't care though. We love the family we have created thus far and fully believe the promise from our Lord that children are a heritage from Him! We know firsthand blessed is he whose quiver is full and our quiver is not even full yet! Truly, children are such a blessing and so amazing. I couldn't imagine my life without them.

I am now nearly 29 weeks and had an appointment today with my wonderful midwives. As always in every pregnancy, my baby is so low that I am measuring smaller than I really am. As stated, he is VERY low, head completely engaged in the birthing canal. He is a very active little boy and the whole family and I just love feeling him. We can feel him almost at any time because of his position, ideal placental placement, and just because of how active he is! I got my rhogam shot today as it is that time! The rhogam shot is easily the worst shot that I have ever gotten and today makes the ninth time I have gotten it- oh the joys of having an rH negative blood type! Actually, I don't mind; it's kind of neat having a more rare blood type! So far of my kids, Mason is the only one who has my blood type. Savannah and Gavin are both A+ like Zach. I am curious to see what Silas has!

My pregnancy is going very smoothly and Silas and I are both healthy and happy. My next appointment in 13 days, I will be getting steroids (2 shots given 24 hours apart from one another) just as I did with Gavin to help speed up the development of his lungs in the likely event that he does come early like his siblings. It's crazy to me to think about that in less than 7 weeks from this point in my last pregnancy, I was delivering Gavin and 8 weeks from this point two pregnancies ago, I was delivering Mason! It's feeling very surreal and again I just cannot wait!

I haven't updated my blog or Facebook with any baby bump photos in a while (since 13 weeks, I think) because we have been SO busy. Here we go though finally! This is from yesterday (28 weeks 3 days):

Notice he is completely below the belly button! All my babies like to hang out really low! It does make for a nice, easy, and swift delivery though! I cannot complain... even if it does mean that for the past 20 weeks or so, I have been getting up anywhere from 4-6 times a night to go to the bathroom! :)

Along the lines of Silas' impending arrival, I cannot believe that this sweet baby photographed next is NOT going to be the baby anymore!! Oh well, he'll still always be Mommy's baby! Papa told him when we first found out I was pregnant, "Gavin, you're not going to be the baby anymore... You can still be Papa's baby!" *heart melted*

Seriously, look at that face right there. He loves his Mommy and I am just ever so thankful for the blessing that he is. He is SO loving and sweet. He cheers me up when I am down with a flutter of those long, black eyelashes and a glance at those rosy, red cheeks. Don't even get me started about that cheesy toothy grin he can flash in a jiffy too! 

Because one photo of this angel baby is never enough. I mean look at this! He fills the baby role so well. He is just the sweetest. I know he is going to be an amazingly, sweet big brother though! He already fights with his siblings (and wins) over who gets to kiss my belly and feel Silas!

Last one, because I couldn't narrow it down. This was Gavin curled up on the clean bathroom rugs I had just laundered. I was folding the clothes on the couch and he just sweetly came in and laid down on the rug quietly while he waited for me to finish. I just love him!

A quick photo of the proud parents of soon to be another sweet baby...

This was the day after our anniversary. We went to see The Revenant (GREAT movie) while my amazing sister came over to watch the kids and hang out with Papa. 

A look at the rest of the family...

Savannah and Papa on Valentine's Day! Papa wearing the shirt the kids got him for Valentine's Day! :)

Mason and Gavin on President's Day about to go outside and enjoy the amazing 70+ degree weather!

UPDATES... BIG BUSINESS UPDATES!!

Wow, it has been 3 months since I last updated my blog. I knew it had been a long time, but wasn't aware it had been quite that long. Our lives have been SO busy... so SO busy... but in the best of ways (mostly).

Recap of the end of the school year before I move on to current exciting things happening in our lives...

Savannah ended her first soccer season with 2 goals scored! They won all but every game! They had a great fun party at Chuck E Cheese and received their trophies, etc. She made some great friends and had a good time. It was so neat to watch her progress through the season from being virtually clueless to actually scoring a couple goals!
She ended her kindergarten year with a bam, reading on a 3rd grade reading level! She's one of the top readers in her class! I always knew she was a good reader, but I didn't fully realize how ahead she was until I started having some other moms ask me what our secret was, etc. (By the way, to which I always answered.... "Ummm she just loves to read!!" and "she went to a great preschool!")

(Shout out to First Presbyterian Preschool back in Asheboro! They truly loved the kids and were very thorough with them! Savannah flourished there in all her time there! I am truly thankful for their influence! I know some parents would be bragging about the things they did at home with their kids, etc. and how they had the hand in their kids being so smart, etc. but honestly, First Presbyterian Preschool was such a valuable resource to us and our children! They helped prepare Savannah so much for kindergarten and I know that is largely why she flourished so prominently along with her natural love for reading as well!)

Mason ended his preschool year with a bam also! He progressed SO much this year and learned an incredible amount. He has amazed me with little things he has said here and there, where I'm just like, "how did you know that??" One of the things that stands out in my head the most is at the beach where he told me that he knew our cousin and his girlfriend weren't married. When I agreed that they weren't but asked how he knew that, he replied, "they not have rings on!" My jaw literally hit the floor. Smart boy. Mason is a big time observer. He watches, listens, and learns all the time. Mommy is proud of him! And as if being smart isn't good enough, he is seriously so sweet! I love how loving he is, gentle, and just all around sweet.

Both kids finished their Awana's year strong, both finishing their books and memorizing all the verses therein. They got all their patches (Mason)/jewels (Savannah). Next year (starts in September) they'll be ready to get their next book. I can't wait!

Well, when I had written down some notes back several months ago for my next blog update, I wasn't expecting it to take me so long, ha. So some of this is old news. But at the time...

Gavin was saying: this, bird, Bella, dink (drink), ball, o there (over there), pup, (in addition to his already long time saying of Mama, Dada, Bubba, Papa, (sorry Savannah!) )
Now he also says tons of other random words he learns daily, like, rock that he learned a couple days ago, cup, Siss (what he calls Savannah- sounds more like "sss" ;) ), there it is (he learned this while playing the hiding game!), that, nose, and more that I just can't think of right now... He's a sponge... a cute little sweet squishy sponge!

Zach has been playing drums for one of our churches every 3 weeks or so. It is so awesome to watch him play and see/hear all the positive feedback he gets! (I take his compliments way better than he does ;) He doesn't know how to take his compliments! This is one area, he's far too humble in! He's a great drummer and I love to watch him play!)

Savannah is now enrolled in cheerleading for the fall and has had her first meeting and uniform fitting. She'll have her first practice here in a little over a week, although Mommy has already been practicing with her at home a ton! I cannot wait to see her cheer! She's had so much prep with gymnastics for 4 years, I know she'll do great. She has already learned all the motions at home with me and we have been working on her back-walkover and back-handspring.
She's also enrolled in soccer for the fall again and will be returning to her same team!
She'll be starting first grade the last week of August and we should find out who her teacher is the end of this month. (This summer is FLYING by!)

Mason is enrolled for soccer in the fall also and he CANNOT wait! We also told him we would enroll him in t-ball, but the registration has not opened for that yet. It should open any day now and then we can get him signed up! He is even more excited about t-ball than he is soccer. I am curious which he'll take to more, which he'll have more natural ability at, etc.
He has been doing swim lessons (just started this Monday-Thursday and will go back next Monday-Thursday too- just a 2 week session) and he absolutely loves it!! He is doing so well and not scared at all. I'm hoping that after this 2 week session that he can swim a little more with Savannah and me not have to worry as much. Right now prior to these lessons, he was just so brave... He didn't want to wear floaties, but wanted to follow her in the deep end. I'm like, "um NO!" and of course Mason is like, "why Mommy???"
Mason will be returning to his same preschool this year in the 3 year old class and we are so excited to watch him flourish for another year. They are really great with the kids up there and they even have  Spanish once a week and computer once a week as well. It's amazing how much Mason has learned to do on the desktop computer just from this past semester there!!

As a family we have been enjoying summer nights (stays light here till 9/9:15) and walking to the park in our neighborhood, letting the kids play at the playground while we play soccer in the big wide open field beside it, going to free outdoor concerts on the weekends at the shopping center right across the street from us and again, letting the kids play on the playground while we listen to the music (this past weekend they had a Dave Matthew's cover band that literally sounded just like them! it was so good!), and of course, going to the library!

We are so thankful that we live in such an active community. We are blessed to be able to do all these fun things in our community. For Fourth of July, we took the kids up to the same place where the concerts are and they were able to make free festive crafts and then after the concert, we watched a firework show right down the road. It was a fun filled holiday day and all it cost us was some ice cream that we chose to get! Seriously, we are blessed to be a part of such a great community that cares about its members! I'm so thankful.

As I mentioned earlier, we go to 2 churches now, Cornerstone on Sunday mornings/nights and Wednesday nights with my Papa and then Gateway on Saturday nights and then once a month special Sunday night service (Habitation) and we just discovered a once a month special Monday night service they do that we just went to and loved and plan to start going to. It was a more intimate setting (only about 80 people or so), but had a full worship set. The teaching this week was on spiritual gifts and it was truly a great service and we walked out so full and learned so much. What I love about Gateway is you can be there HOURS and it only feel like you were there for less than one hour. This past Monday, we were there over 2 hours and it literally didn't feel like it at all. The Sunday night habitation services last nearly 3 hours, but you walk away thinking, "it's over already???" Oh, it is SO good. I'm getting all excited as I write thinking about habitation coming up this Sunday night. As I said, it's only once a month, so whenever we go and then leave, we just cannot wait for the next one. It is an extended period of worship as a body completely consumed by Holy Spirit, then there's a brief message, and then an extended time of prayer over the people. For my Texas people... Come to Habitation THIS SUNDAY at Gateway church at 6pm! Gateway has lots of different campuses... go to any, whichever is closest for you, or message me if you want to go with us! We are bringing my sister with us this Sunday (she has been going to Saturday night services at Gateway with us, but this is her first Habitation) and I'm hoping to have some other people come with us too!


BIG NEWS on the BUSINESS front:

Dallas Aeration, Inc. is now proud to announce that we are a majority woman-owned business!! We are undergoing certification from NCTRCA as minority/woman owned business and we are excited about what the future holds for Dallas Aeration, Inc. We know God has great things in store and has opened a door wide for us. We are trusting Him and His hand on our business and can't wait to see what Holy Spirit does next and where He leads us next!

Zach had the opportunity to speak at a big board meeting for my parents' neighborhood's HOA a couple months ago about aeration and biological approaches to their ponds' needs. It was a big deal that they asked him to come and we are excited to hopefully work with them in the future.

There will be more later... hopefully sooner rather than later I can update! We are anticipating some more exciting things to unravel here very soon! Please pray for us and please pray the prayer of Jabez with us over our business. We appreciate it!

Phase 1 of Move // The Start

I'm sure most of you know we made it to Texas! We arrived in 2 vehicles last weekend with Mason's bedroom furniture, Savannah's dressers, and all my clothes; after much unloading and unpacking, we made it to bed in Texas after midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Zach had to drive back to NC on Monday and took my stepdad's 18 ft trailer that he let us borrow. Zach is coming back down this coming weekend with the trailer loaded down with the rest of our furniture and I'll be meeting him at a storage unit to unload it all in. He'll be driving back up to NC one last final time Monday, will work 2 additional weeks up there and continue to tie up any still loose ends before moving down here for good on February 11th.

I got Savannah enrolled in her new school Tuesday and she started that same day as well. I was very impressed with the school and all they offer. I know she'll do great. She said she had a great first day and she loves her young, sweet, fresh, and energetic teacher. 

I got a call that Mason can start at his preschool next week. This was great news as we weren't sure if we could get him in or not. All though it wouldn't be a huge deal if he didn't get to finish the spring semester in preschool and he could always start back in the fall, it would be a big deal to Mason! He absolutely loves school and would go every day if he could! The preschool here had a family move away over the beginning of the New Year, thus creating an opening for Mason! We tour it today and assuming we love it (which I anticipate we will), we'll enroll him today and he'll begin next week and go twice a week.

Yesterday, I also signed Savannah up for spring soccer, which she is SO excited about! She'll be playing for Allen Sports Association, which again I'm very impressed with so far. She starts practicing in February and her first game is in March. The season goes through May and I told her hopefully after that, we can get her back in gymnastics here. She's been doing gymnastics in NC for nearly 4 years and absolutely loves it. I also have loved watching her progress and excel. I think a nice break to play soccer will be most welcomed and beneficial; I do after all, want her to be well rounded. However, nonetheless, I want to get her back in too, to ensure she doesn't lose her skills and can keep progressing. 

Mason is SO sad he's not old enough to play soccer this Spring. He'll be old enough to play in the fall, so I told him just to hold on a few more months! :) I just love my sweet boy!

Gavin could not be happier, as usual. He's such an easy going, content, and happy baby. Seriously, I am so blessed to be his mother. He has kept Papa laughing and has entertained all the congregation at church last night and Sunday, as well as any family that has stopped by. He's just so sweet.

Savannah and Mason also both started AWANA's at church this past Sunday. They absolutely love it and I cannot wait for them to get more involved and more into it as the year progresses. I was in AWANA's growing up and it was such an impressionable time on me. I'm so anxious to see them progress in Scripture memory, especially.

Savannah's school has lots of exciting things coming up and I'm looking forward to Savannah being able to participate in some of them. I got a flyer last night of a parents night out coming up, they are doing for the girls at her school where they get to hang out with the high school cheerleaders and learn cheers and help them at the upcoming pep rally! How cool is that? I plan on taking Savannah because I know she would have an absolute amazing time! She also a 100th day of school celebration coming up where she has to decorate and wear to school that day, a shirt with 100 of anything! After much brainstorming, I've decided that we are going to do... RHINESTONES! After all, Savannah loves her some bling! ;) 

We are settling into a routine quite nicely here, I must say. When I pick Savannah up from school, I go ahead and make her lunch from the next day and make coffee to go off automatically the next morning then, as well as go ahead and lay her clothes, shoes, and hairbow out for the next day. After dinner, it's straight into the bath and teeth brushing time for the kids and then they can watch a movie before bed. Savannah is realizing that these early mornings come, well, EARLY! This morning, she said to me, "Mommy, it's not time to get up, it's still night time!" It was right at 7:00am. I told her that it was morning, just early in the morning. She reluctantly got up and got her clothes on, I fixed her hair, she ate breakfast and then brushed her teeth. At that point, she was very ready and excited to go! She hardly told me bye as she hopped out of the car in the carpool line at school, she was in such a hurry to get out and get in there. It thrills my heart that she loves school so much! 

Although everything is going so well down here, I cannot WAIT, until my sweet devoted husband gets here too and joins us! We miss him dearly and love him even more!

I thank God the Father, that He is the God of new beginnings and for this new beginning He has so graciously given to our family!

Stay tuned for an upcoming second update after phase 2 of our move!

If you missed my last blog about LOVE, you can click her to be redirected to its post to read it: http://thegreatestremains.blogspot.com/2015/01/love-our-greatest-commandment.html

We are MOVING! // Exciting things coming up for our family!

We have some exciting news that we would like to share with everyone! We are MOVING!! Many of you knew that we were planning on moving to Texas shortly after the first of the year. Well, that is not the announcement we are making...

We actually will be delaying our move to Texas by a few months... because we will be attending DTS (discipleship training school) through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Harrisburg, PA and also be attending the international outreach with them as well afterwards. This DTS is actually calling Musicians, Entrepreneurs, and Love Messengers. This is so fitting as Zach IS already an Entrepreneur and recently incorporated his new business. At DTS, we will learn how to not just use our business to be successful for us, but rather how we can advance the kingdom through our business and show others Christ's love through the business.

Many of you read my last blog post about the supernatural events that took place while we were in Harrisburg a few weekends ago and how my husband, Zach, experienced The Holy Spirit's presence for the first time while we were there. While we were there, we felt The Holy Spirit calling us to be a part of this upcoming DTS. When we got home, we began to pray very fervently about this and asked The Spirit to give us His perfect peace and show us this was what we were without a doubt supposed to do. I could go on for a long time about some of the many confirmations we received from Him! We realized that we undoubtedly were supposed to do this and that we were there that weekend by divine appointment. We then decided to tell our families.

While we have come across many emotions throughout the process of telling people and we know that this is something many people do not understand and may even think we are crazy for doing, we know that we are doing the absolute right thing! We are not choosing the comfortable path ahead of us for sure; it would be SO much easier and smoother to just go on to Texas after the first of the year like we had planned and Zach start up his business, also like we had planned. However, we know that HIS ways are higher than our ways and HE is calling us to do this, so we are being obedient and following HIM!

For the past year and a half, I have prayed for my husband to have the same beautiful encounter with The Holy Spirit that I had after my Mam-ma died. It was then that I realized that while I had all the head knowledge, I did not have the heart knowledge. It was then that I realized I was merely and tragically, lukewarm. The beauty of His grace is that it is never too late to make such realizations. Encountering The Holy Spirit for the first time changed my life. I had a newfound hunger and thirst for Him, whereas before every thing I did was seemingly just going through the motions. I was on fire and began to separate myself from those who were not and sought to surround myself around those who were. (I will post the full story on my next blog post as I have just given the condensed version the last two posts.) I made some amazing new relationships during this time, but ultimately I desired for my husband to get to this point as well. In Harrisburg, he had the same realization that I had had a little over a year before- that he had all the head knowledge, but no real relationship; that he had never actually encountered the presence of The Holy Spirit! The change I have seen in my husband since that weekend has been absolutely phenomenal. He is so happier, so much more aware of things he should and should not do, he has quit dipping, and I could seriously keep rambling on because I am in so in awe and so so proud of him!

Now that we are spiritually on the same page, it is so incredibly amazing. We can relate to so much as we both had similar backgrounds before our first encounter with The Holy Spirit. Now that we are walking in sync with Him, we are making decisions so differently. We were able to make this decision, both knowing that this is what The Lord had in store for our family and both having the peace that only He can give!

There are still many unknowns that lie ahead of us. We know that we live in a world that views unknowns as risks and a world that also values certainties. We too have found ourselves with this type of mindset. We, however, know that by taking this step of faith and doing what The Holy Spirit is leading us to do, that He will take care of us and direct our paths. We are taking care to not lean on our understanding, but on HIS, for we know that HIS ways are higher than our ways! (Proverbs 3:5, Isaiah 55:8-9) We ask that you have faith with us on this journey as well and cover us in prayer.

We do have to raise a large sum of money (approximately $30,000) to be able to complete our mission. Those of you who are willing and able to sponsor us during this journey, we have set up a PayPal account specifically for these donations. The PayPal email address is brittaninicolehayes@gmail.com. Those who are able to give to our mission, we will be very grateful and we ask that you know that what you are giving is not just to us, but is going to help advance the kingdom of God as well. Your donation to our mission literally will have an impact on many people's eternities!

We know that not everyone is in a position where they are able to financially give and that is okay! We ask that whether in addition to giving financially or in lieu of it, you please commit to praying for us regularly while we are on this journey. We treasure your prayers and can feel the difference they make in our life.

We know that this likely will come as a shock to many and we welcome any questions anyone might have. Stay tuned for more blog posts throughout this journey and if you have not already, please subscribe to my blog updates if you would like to stay updated on our journey!

Heading back to resume "normal" life/December: the start of something new

We left my Papa's house this morning about 3 am to head back to North Carolina. It was very bittersweet for so many reasons... Although it is always nice to get back home and sleep in your own bed along with getting back to your normal routine, Texas is my home and that is where all my family is. I love being anywhere in Texas, but I especially love being there at my Mam-ma and Papa's house. No place feels more like home. Now with Mam-ma being gone also, I really am glad I can be there for Papa and help fill some of the loneliness that he is obviously feeling. Although he is doing very well all things considered, I still (understandably) watched him get pretty emotional several times throughout the week, particularly the last couple days before we left. I just hated leaving him and so wish I did not have to.

Here is a picture of Papa spoon feeding Mason (my sweet almost 2 year old (he'll be 2 in just 13 days)) some coffee... It was just so sweet.

When we left, he asked me when we would be back. I told him sometime after Baby Gavin was born (I'm 32 weeks today), we would be back for everyone to meet him. He said, "well you let me know as soon as you know when y'all are coming and I will have everything ready for y'all!" It just made me so sad and homesick for my home there already, and I hadn't even gotten in the car yet. I just love my Papa.

This trip was very weird without Mam-ma there, but I know she was in Heaven smiling down on us all. Zach and I were talking about just last night while lying in bed about how it's so different with her as opposed to anyone else in either one of our lives who has passed away before, because there really is no doubt in anyone's minds where she is. Every single one of us knows she's in Heaven and therefore it almost feels like she's not even gone, because we know we'll get to see her again. It doesn't make missing her any less prominent though. I miss her everyday.

Savannah (my sweet 4 1/2 year old) got to go to her cousin Ryleigh's birthday party yesterday. I am so glad they planned the party for while we were still in town! It was at Sweet & Sassy and all of the girls truly had a blast! Savannah just was on cloud 9 the entire time! It was so fun to watch her get pampered and dress up like a princess!

Here are some pictures from the party...

I just love my little girl! She is so much fun and is a huge blessing!

I know when we get back home, we will settle back into our routine just fine... My daughter will resume preschool tomorrow morning and my son will resume Mother's Day Out. I will resume housework and my husband will resume work. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday that I am looking forward to as I am already currently dilated to a 2 and over 50% effaced with my baby being completely dropped. I am so very thankful for the time we had together away from the normal chaos of life though. I will miss the uninterrupted time we all had together while seemingly being in another world for the week.

Here is one last picture of my husband and daughter while we were out to breakfast with my Papa yesterday....

As Christians, we should be thankful every day, not just Thanksgiving or the month of November. That is something Brother Jim loudly pointed out at church Wednesday night. I for one and am going to make a conscious effort to be thankful for all of these blessings in my life and for The Lord who blessed me with them, most importantly. This is the kind of life my Mam-ma led and it's the kind of life we all should be striving to lead as well.

May December mark a new beginning for us all... A time to be renewed and find a newfound purpose!