Caden's 1st photo shoot...

Caden is growing so fast. At one month he weighed 9 lbs 2 oz and measured 21 inches! He will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. When he was 3 1/2 weeks old our friends Dusty and Kelly Parrish came over and did a photo shoot of Caden - who was the perfect model.

Here are some of the pics:

Our little Packers Fan...


to see more pics visit Alycia's website: http://www.allyabts.blogspot.com/

Watch Me Grow....

Caden is getting bigger each day! Last Monday he measured 20.5 inches and weighed over 8 pounds. He is also growing in ability. Just this weekend he started trying to hold his head up, plus he can turn it over when he is on his tummy! This morning he started reaching for the lion that hangs on his bouncer and actually hit it once. Some of my (Alycia) favorite times are when he is eating as he makes the most adorable - and often humorous - faces! He is such a sweet boy!

I am doing well. My recovery from the c-section has gone better than planned. I was able to resume regular activities (including driving) after 2 weeks. I still can't lift heavy things - with the exception of Caden in his car seat - but overall I am doing great. We seem to be getting into a routine and our house has definitely become "baby central". Toby is a great daddy - he loves to spend time with Caden and doesn't even mind diaper duty - or helping with the midnight feeding. So far this parenting thing, although challenging at times, is a lot of fun and very rewarding - especially when we see Caden's precious smile!

Welcome home Abts Family welcome home

The docters during the time of this picture is already on her way into Alycia busting out Caden from his dark den within his mom.

Caden's very first photo after his birth on August 30th, 2007 at 5:50 pm.

Proud PAPA holding our very content little boy.

Our bare chested little boy.

On his way home from the Hospital on Sunday afternoon around 3:30 pm.

As Ty Pennington would always say to the family coming home to their creation on Extreme Home Makeover "Welcome home Abts family welcome home".

Mom and Baby are doing great by the way.

Thank you again for your many prayers and your continued prayers.

Kiddo Update

Wanted to update you on some news concerning our first kiddo. This past week we had a sono and found out that our little guy, Caden, is breach at this time. For those like me who do not know what that means it is when the kiddo in the womb is not in the right position for his arrival to the world. His little head is up by Alycia's ribs right now and his bottom is down near her bladder. We believe he has been in this position for a while know so he must be very comfy.

So with that being said we have scheduled a c-section two weeks from today on Monday September 10th. We are praying that he does decide to flip one last time before then but if he is far to comfortable how he is right now then he will arrive and meet the world on the 29th.

We have another sono scheduled for Wednesday so I will update you all after that time and let you know how he is situated. Also we are hoping to make sure that he is a little guy rather than a little girl.

Alycia is doing great, a bit tired but doing great. She has one week back to work under her belt. Today is when all of the kiddos return back to class so please pray that for her with that. Dealing with all of the kids in the school can be rather challenging so please pray that she will make it for the next two weeks before the birth of #1 for us.

We appreciate your prayers for both of them.

In Him who created us and our little boy,

Prayer request

Please pray for Alycia at this time. We are on the countdown for the arrival of our first kiddo to the world and today, Monday August 20th, she has returned to work. No kids in the classroom as of yet since they still have one last week of summer.

Please pray for a few things: She has a new classroom this year since their school was just remodeled over the summer. So she is going to have to be on her feet a lot getting it set up just right for the kids to arrive back next week. Pray for her physically to make it through along with mentally. It will be a tough few weeks for her physically and as we all know as we are physically challenged our minds are challenged as well. Pray that she will keep a healthy attitude while maintaining a godly character as she returns and is physically and mentally drained.

His due date is September 16th so we are under a month so keep him in your prayers as well.

We appreciate each one of you and your prayers.

Spiritual Retreat

We spent the weekend at Moss Lake with our BTBF Mission Candidate Team. We were there for to "Spend a Day with God" on Saturday. We spent the morning alone with God, reading scripture, praying and praising Him for who He is. In the afternoon we spent time praying together. What a refreshing and encouraging time it was. The rest of the team returned to Dallas Sat. afternoon while Toby and I stayed to enjoy the lake house for the remainder of the weekend. Thank you to Uncle Neal and Aunt Donna Sue for lending us their beautiful house!!!

Here are a few pics from the weekend:




On the way home we stopped to visit Alycia's grandparents and her cousin Kristi who had baby Emery in June. Toby got a little practice:

Thankfulness

Recently we have really been challenge by the Lord on being more thankful for everything that the He has given us. Not things that we have earned or bought but what the Lord has allowed us to purchase and take care of.

We know it is a tough concept to wrap our heads around that everything we have is from the Lord. We have worked for it, right? Yes but our working is for the Lord, isn't it? Honestly in our case it is not the case all of the time.

We are realizing that how can the Lord trust us in his work overseas if we cannot have the character back home here in the states at our jobs.

Deuteronomy 10:14

14 To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

1 Corinthians 10:26
26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

1 Corinthians 10:26
26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

Colossians 3:23-24

23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Continue to pray for us on the recent lessons learned about being thankful. We need to be more thankful for our jobs here in the States before he can entrust us in his work overseas. Also that we can be more thankful for ALL that the Lord has entrusted to our possession especially the little life that we will meet in no time. Not to take the Lord for granted in every little thing that we do and have.