Thankful

The night before Thanksgiving I had a nightmare. I dreamt that Kyle and I missed Thanksgiving Dinner! What an awful nightmare for someone(me) that could eat Thanksgiving food once a week! I LOVE Thanksgiving food and I just don't know how I survived the 1st 15 years of my life without it! Since this is an American Holiday, we(Brazilians) don't get to experience this feast once a year. But enought of eating, food and gluttony! It's really a day to be thankful for all of our blessings. Even if life doesn't really seem to be "fair" or things are just not going exacly the way we have planned or imagined, we can always find a reason to be thankful for something. In my case this year, I just feel incredibly blessed. God has giving me so many reasons to feel thankful. I'm married to an amaging man who I feel fortunate to wake up next to every day. I have a healthy daughter who I adore and has being a joy in my life for the past (almost) 1 year. For carrying a tiny little creature in my womb who I yet don't know, but I already love before I even had a chance to lay my eyes on him or her! Of course, I also feel thankful for my family and friends who are a big part of my life.
I'm also thankful for those not so perfect days. Those are the days that God is working on me and making me more like His son Jesus. Those are the days that make me stop and think about the real reason why we are in the this world. That all the tears, disappointments, selfisheness, pride, heartaches are all temporary in this place we can home. Our real HOME is perfect! Right now God is prepraing me for eternity. He is using me for His purpose. He is loving me through the bad days and carrying me when I can't stand on my own. Those days that bring me to my knees, are the days to be thankful for. Those are the days He is reminding me what grace is all about. Those are the days that make the "good" days really meaningful. Those are the days, I feel more loved by Him because I know He is there embracing every inch of my imperfect self. Those are the days I don't have to be or pretend anything because He accepts me as I am--a sinner. Those are the days I know I am His daughter and nothing will ever change that. The days I feel that "I can't", but He is there to lift me up and give me hope. Those are the days I am most thankful for!

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)

Vovo and Jacqueline

Daddy kissing his baby girl, but he didn't take his eyes away from football!

The bird--Guest of Honor

Chef Simone

Jacqueline, I'm thankful for you!

Jacqueline getting excited for her 1st taste of Thankgiving food

Jacqueline's 1st Thankgiving meal (before)

And after

How did she manage to get turkey in her tights?

Warm Fall Day

Today was unseasoned warm for a Fall day in Charlotte--it was 77 degrees and it's mid-November! Jacqueline and I took advantage of the beautiful sunny day and headed to Freedom Park to enjoy the weather.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let's us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24

She LOVES the swing! And, I love seeing her happy! It's a such a joy to me to see her enjoying herself

We sat for a little while in front of the lake and she stared at the ducks

11 Months

Jacqueline today you are 11 months!

What are you up to these days?

• You weigh 19.5 lbs
• You take 2 naps--at 9am and 1pm--usually not more than 1 hour each
• We still add BUTTER to everything we feed you
• You LOVE baby cereal, puffs and avocados
• You still nurse 4 times a day
• You have 2 teeth on the top and 2 in the bottom (which it makes nursing very painful! Ouch!)
• You are very active. You are constantly on the move-- crawling, pulling up, cruising. You are very social and have tons of personality
• You say Mama, Dada, "ba" (bye), baby and babble all the time
  
• You clap your hands a lot, especially when you hear music. Also, when you hear people clapping on TV. You giggle a lot, you are very smiley and wave bye-bye
  
• You love opening the stove drawer. You know how to pull out the outlet covers You climb stairs very well (of course, I'm exactly behind you!). You are fast and very proud of yourself for doing it
• You like crawling to your room and "reading" your books for a long time. I usually can eat my breakfast in the morning and watch Good Morning America, while you entertain yourself with your books. You like taking all your clothes from the baskets in the changing table in putting on the floor
• You like to cruise around the coffee table and you do it several times a day
• When Daddy comes home, you get really excited and craw towards him
• You are still afraid of the vacuum cleaner. It doesn't even have to be on. If you just see it, you start to get upset. You are also scared of the food processor.
  

Tutu and Pearls

My little ballarina

She enjoyed chewing on my pearls

One of my friends gave her this tutu and it was too big, but it finally fits her. I had fun dressing her up with tutu and pearls. I think she had fun too!

Wrapped Around her Finger

Jacqueline has her Daddy sooooo wrapped around her finger!! This photo really portrays the way Kyle is so in love with his baby daughter and how he just adores her. He is such a wonderful Dad to her and one day, when she is old enough to understand, she will realize that she is the luckiest little girl ever! Kyle will need LOTS of tissue paper to wipe his tears in her wedding day!!!

I'm Growing!

4 Weeks

12 weeks

16 weeks

Here are 3 baby bumps...I definitely look pregnant now. I hate that "are you fat or pregnant stage" (or in my case since I got pregnant when Jacqueline was only 7 months," are you fat or have you not loose you baby weight?")

35

I'm 35! Kyle and I celebrated by going to Chima(Brazilian steakhouse). It's a little piece of Brazil in Charlotte. It seems that going to Chima is becoming a tradition for my birthday. Last year we delayed my birthday dinner for a week or so until the restaurant's grand opening. And, is also becoming a tradition that I'm pregnant in my b-day! Last year at this time I was 33 weeks pregnant with Jacqueline!

Our faces were a little bit fatter after we stuffed ourselves with meat

I can still taste it!

Covenant Promises

Yesterday we dedicated our sweet baby to the Lord. One day Kyle and I hope that Jacqueline might trust Jesus as her Savior for the forgiveness of her sins. God has given us the gift of being parents and has entrusted us to care for her and teach her to love Him and follow Him. We'll need lots of wisdom from God to guide her. It made me think how important it is that Kyle and I be an example to her, so she can see Christ through us. What a huge responsibility! However, I know God will be right there with us to guide us. Our prayer is that Jacqueline one day will profess Jesus to be her Lord and Savior and that she will be a godly woman who will love the Lord with all her heart.

That's a picture of Jacqueline in the background

All the couples said their vows. It was really emotional (despite having pregnancy hormones flowing through my body)

Our friends Ericka and Jimmy and their son Banner

Kyle anointing Jacqueline with oil (just clarify, we do not believe that "anointing with oil" has any special power. The purpose of the ritual is to point to the One, the Lord, who is the power of blessings. It's a symbolic gesture and it means: "To be set apart and dedicated to serve God").
These are a few friends from our Life Group. To the left, is David and Laura and to our right is Ericka and Jimmy. Their son Banner was also dedicated. All 3 women are pregnant!!

Kyle's parents and my mom were the only family that were able to make to the dedication. We were so happy they were there to share this special day with us!

"Let the children come to Me...
For the Kingdom of Heaven
belongs to such as these."
Matthews 19:14


WE LOVE YOU , JACQUELINE!! WE FEEL SO BLESSED TO BE YOUR PARENTS AND WE ARE HONORED THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TO US. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND AND WILL TRY TO BE THE BEST PARENTS TO YOU. SOMETIMES WE WILL FAIL, BUT KNOW THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN NEVER WILL! WE HOPE THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED BEYOND WHAT WE THOUGH IT WAS EVER POSSIBLE. IT'S A LOVE WITH NO LIMIT. IT'S A LOVE THAT OVERFLOWS FROM OUR HEARTS. YOU CAME TO BE FROM AN UNION OF TWO PEOPLE WHO DEEPLY LOVE EACH OTHER. YOU ARE A JOY IN OUR LIVES AND WE COULD NOT BE HAPPIER TO RAISE YOU AND CALL YOU OUR DAUGHTER!