First "Bump" Photos

I (Lauren) am 16 weeks pregnant TOMORROW! Ordinarily, I wear loose fitting shirts that disquise my growing abdomen but for the purposes of you getting to see our "bump" grow we thought it necessary that I wear my tightest fitting shirt. :) I have gained a significant amount of weight but all of my maternity tops are too big for me to wear yet. I am at that really ackward stage, where nothing fits right and I am tempted to wear a sign around my neck that reads "Yes, I'm PREGNANT!".

I hope you enjoy watching our BUMP grow! Jillian watched Daddy take these pictures of me and decided she wanted to have her own pictures taken. So after I left "my spot" by the wall, she stood over there and posed for the camera as well (and we even have a mommy/ daughter picture)! They are absolutely darling, and she is even wearing some of her "new" handy-me-downs! :)








April Tulip "Prego" Photos:

A picture taken of Brad and I on Saturday (15 weeks 5 days pregnant) in front of the tulips by our friends the O'Shea's. If you look closely you can see I have a little pooch! :)



This is a picture of us as newly-weds and was taken almost exactly two years ago when we were pregnant with Jillian. Brad had just accepted the offer to be a NIH/Oxford/Cambridge Scholar and we were visiting Maryland for the first time together to find a place to live (this picture was taken at the Maryland Tourist Information Center).

I was a little anxious about moving to MD and having a baby there without knowing ANYONE! But God in His grace and sovereignty, had moved Brad's family friends Todd and Carol Elliott from Dallas, TX to VA a few years earlier. They were so gracious and invited us to stay with them for the entire time we were visiting. We had an amazing trip, for one I was told about Community Bible Study (CBS) for the first time from Carol, we heard Ravi Zacharias, one of the most articulate and gifted apologists speak at a dinner, had some great food and wonderful fellowship with their family AND even found a place to live for after we moved. :) The boys, Clark and Blake, made us pictures while we were there and were so welcoming. And one of the nights Brad even got to go to one of the first National's game with the "boys" (including Todd). It was a great trip. I fell in love with their family and they quickly became our "family" away from home when we lived there. I love thinking back on God's FAITHFULNESS and remembering how He has blessed us. I have wonderful memories from that time and from being in Maryland. We miss TEXAS and Maryland LOTS but continue to see God's provision in bringing us to Cambridge too.



P.S. Jillian's due date was October 5th (she came 5 days early) and this baby's due date is October 8th. I am excited! Just in our immediate "Brad Holmes family" household we are going to have 3 birthdays to celebrate together every year... my birthday is the 3rd of October! :)