Pregnancy and Prayer Update! 38 weeks!

Hi friends and family!  Prayer Warriors!  Thank you so much for your prayers and support through this pregnancy (as well as with Laney, infertility and so on!).  I have certainly not emailed out and posted near as much this pregnancy.  A lot I want to write but it is rare when those thoughts get to make it down onto paper (journal) and even more rare when they make it all the way on to here!
We are due May 3rd (38 weeks along this week!) and just cannot believe it!  Still in awe and shock that our second little embryo survived and has THRIVED!!  He's a strong little guy!  We think we have decided on the name enough to actually officially put it on here :0  Jeremiah Blane Woodard.  He'll go by Blane :)
We had read years ago and marked in my journal how 'Bane' = long awaited child.  And had read a good ole' Louis Lamour book a while back with Utah Blaine in it (a tough rugged awesome cowboy!). While we have tossed around a page full of B and J names, these were what kept surfacing to the top.  We, of course, like Jeremiah for Biblical significance (he had some crazy perseverance i'll give him that!) and Brad has always felt that name to be a strong name.  We wanted to keep Brad's initials for this baby in honor of him and his daddy (Papa Jim!) so we knew JBW from the start!  We are so excited about baby Blane and Laney is WAY excited about him coming!!!

There are so many praises I cannot even list them all.  As most of you know, we have worked so hard on my health and God has been so gracious.  We have continued to uncover many critical things and worked through a lot with specialists and have seen very positive results.  My health going in to this embryo transfer last summer was way better than with Laney!  The first part of the pregnancy proved to be just as tough (very sick) but I steadily improved, where as with Laney i didn't really much at all!  I can't say the nausea ever actually left but it is worlds better than the first half which is incredible within itself.  I have not been anemic this pregnancy; my blood sugar has stabilized better; I have had little to no migraines :0 and my neck/jaw flair ups have significantly improved.  Overall i have actually done really well and stayed super active chasing Laney everywhere ;)  Just being able to cook without puking and wearing a bandana all the time has been amazing!

The first semester (up till Thanksgiving) we were monitored heavily by Texas Fertility Center.  Once again blown away by Dr. Hansard there (absolutely incredible and amazing wisdom and judgment in our individual set of circumstances).  The rest of the pregnancy has been with a normal OB in Fredericksburg and I have not known what to do with myself.  Like she said, pregnancy after infertility is just downright tough - you're always waiting for the other shoe to fall off.  She has rejoiced with me at seeing somewhat 'normal' tests results come back.  Can you believe it?!!!

Please continue to pray for us in this final stretch.  While we have been purposefully taking more and more off our plates, we have been pretty full lately with K-Life Banquet and have Brad's brother's wedding this weekend in Austin, etc.  After this weekend things will calm down a TON.  We pray that the Lord keeps baby Blane in my tummy all warm and snuggly until His perfect time for him to be born. Please pray for His health, for my health, for labor and delivery, for postpartum, for his health after birth, and most of all for his life.  We pray blessings over him and the plans God has - He will be a mighty warrior for our King!
We have done IgE and IgG testing amongst other things and are altering diets and will have specific nursing diet for when he gets here in effort to not repeat what we went through with Laney!  We are hopeful with how much it will help!

I find myself these days wanting to have my bags packed, bed made and things 'ready' for taking off in his anticipation.  Is that not how we should live out our lives everyday, in a spiritual sense, for the anticipation of our heavenly home?!  Our citizenship is there!  We are travelers, on a pilgrimage, passing through.  May we be reminded to be ready for Christ's return, and ready to go Home when He calls.  What are we doing each day to impact His Kingdom?  How are we living for Him - beyond ourselves - beyond our mailbox - beyond our means?  I want to raise children with an eternal perspective - pray for us as we commit to this please!  I am honored to journey with you my friends!

All of our love and thanksgiving!