all about Auntie Mel.

Last Friday was Auntie Mel's birthday, so we got up early for a little adventuring + girl talk at Lake Connestee Nature Trail. Honestly, we did way more talking than walking, and it was exactly what we both needed. Growing up with a baby sister is the best.

Later that evening, the family came over to the bungalow for some fresh-off-the-grill cheeseburgers + hanging out. This has become one of my favorite traditions, and each gathering is sweeter than the one before.

Although we didn't find out that he was a he until the next day, we had to get a picture with little Braxton. Everyone was holding someone, and these smiles adequately show everyone's excitement for the new member of our traditional sibling picture that's tucked safely inside big sister's belly.

preseason.

Ain't no party like a Panthers party.

our family.

There is nothing more special than standing beside your husband as he places his hand on your belly that is currently holding your unborn + growing baby after you just found out you're going to be daddy + mommy to a son. One day soon, I will be holding the two boys I love most on this earth at the same time, and I can't imagine all the joy that will fill my heart.

the sweetest treats.

In honor of such a sweet announcement, a multitude of desserts were served on that one-of-a-kind Saturday afternoon at two o'clock. Beauty and the Beast was present throughout, and baby pictures of Papa B + Mama B were scattered in the midst of it all, too. We were + are still so grateful for everyone who helped make this party happen, and we were reminded, yet again, that we are surrounded by some pretty incredible folks who are willing to go above + beyond to see to it that our dreams come true. And it was, indeed, a dream come true!

"There may be something there that wasn't there before."

-Mrs. Potts

that glorious day.

Two days ago, we had all of our families + closest friends come together as we made the big announcement of whether there was a little boy or a little girl growing inside of Mama B. Instead of calling our potential son a boy, we referred to him as a beast, and instead of calling our potential daughter a girl, we referred to her as a beauty. The theme of our big event centered around my childhood + forever favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast, and we decorated with all things from that beloved Disney classic. The main attraction for the afternoon was the beautiful, more-precious-than-anything mirror that once belonged to my great-grandmother, Ma, that laid face-down on a table in the center of the room. Just like the Beast, whose only way to see things was through the magic mirror he was given when he was cursed + transformed, our way of finding out what our bundle of joy was depended upon what the mirror showed us. With all eyes on us + smiles bigger than Texas, we both held the mirror and turned it over. Once we learned which silhouette was on the mirror + enjoyed a few seconds of celebrating this new-found excitement between just the two of us, we turned the mirror around to reveal what we had seen. The silhouette revealed that we were expecting a beast, and the entire room burst into cheers + smiles + clapping + fist-pumping! My heart was racing like never before, and I haven't stopped smiling + giggling + crying tears of joy since.

Our incredible friend, Caitlin, captured every bit of our reaction in still frames for us to keep + treasure forever. Here are scenes from the moment I found out that I would fall in love at first sight with another Mr. Bargeron in just four + a half months:

Now that we know we're having a baby boy, becoming daddy + mommy is so much more real now. It's the most incredible thing in the entire world to pray over our sweet little one, calling him by name, and asking the Lord to raise him up to be a man of strength + dignity + honor + integrity who fears of the Almighty God. I pray for us as future parents as much as I pray for our baby. There is nothing else in the whole world that I want him to know than that he is forever + unconditionally + relentlessly loved by the One who knew him before he was ever formed in my womb, and I know that the first place he will see that love of the Father is from us, his daddy + mommy.

Our unlike-any-other Baby B is now called by his name, and though we debated keeping it a secret for the duration of the pregnancy, we made the executive decision to announce it to the world so that y'all can rejoice even more with us. Although I'm sure plenty of people have had his name many times over the course of time, I can assure you that there has never been another boy quite like ours. Braxton Michael Bargeron will be one of a kind, folks, and we can't wait for him to be used in mighty ways in the days to come leading up to his birth + for the rest of his life.

today's the day!

This daddy + mommy are proud + excited + jumping for joy + bouncing off the walls + blown away that the day they thought would neeeeeever come has quickly come upon them. IT'S GENDER REVEAL DAY! In just a few hours, we will know if we've got a little TJ or a little Anna growing inside of Mama B's belly, and WE CAN'T WAIT! We had an ultrasound this past week on date night, and it was the coolest, most breath-taking thing either one of us have ever experienced. We've got an active little one growing in mommy's womb, that's for sure. We loved watching Baby B wiggle + kick + move all around during those twenty minutes. It was, also, amazing to see how much B has grown in just 11 weeks! He/she has grown from the size of a blueberry to the size of a sweet potato since our first ultrasound.

Things we already know about our precious child:

-He/she has loooong legs like Papa B.

-He/she is modest like Mama B.

-He/she has amazon-size feet like Papa B.

-He/she never stops moving like Mama B.

-He/she likes wiggling his/her fingers, which we interpreted as he/she likes counting like Papa B.

-He/she has had a steady heart rate between 150-160 beats-per-minute each checkup.

-He/she is very hydrated.

He/she is hands-down the cutest + sweetest + most loved baby in the whole, wide world.

We can't wait to share our big news with everyone soon!

sulphur springs | round two.

This trail at Paris Mountain State Park was the third hike we embarked on when we began this tradition two years ago, and we decided it was a good weekend to stay close to home and try another round at Sulphur Spring Trail. It was a nice mixture of flat ground + uphill climbing, just as we remembered, and we had about four miles of trail to spend daydreaming about Baby B + talking about parenting. The weather was great, and more very-happy-even-more-thankful memories were made.

Living so close to so many beautiful places is pretty incredible, and it makes me so thankful to call this lovely area + city my home. Oh, how beautifully green are the leaves just before fall comes! Next month, there will be a lot more yellow + orange + red in every still frame I capture on camera.

my crazies.

Leaving halfway through these kiddos' year in K4 was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but visiting them since I said "see ya later" on January 10th has been the thing I get most excited for each week. I may not be their teacher anymore, but I hope + pray that I'll always be their Ms. Anna. Today, many kiddos from class will be starting their first year at big school, so City Kids threw a big end-of-the-year party to celebrate happy memories + new beginnings. When I got there, they erupted into cheer, and then immediately asked me how the baby was. As the party went on, they wanted to give countless hugs to both Ms. Anna + "the baby," and B even got a few kisses from some of them. Amari, one of the smartest cookies in the class, kept reminding everyone that "the baby" was named "Baby B," and that he/she was growing inside of Ms. Anna. Have a mentioned how much I love these kiddos?

Here's just a glimpse of the unique personalities + crazy, precious faces I've come to love so, so much:

Every goodbye is a little bitter + a little sweet, and I am so blessed + thankful to have so many kiddos that I've loved so much that my heart literally aches to them bid adieu. This year is no different from last year or even the one before that, and I can't wait to keep watching some of them grow up for years + years to come!

shine Your light.

The majesty of my God was put on display for me at 6:38 AM on a Thursday morning as the sun rose over the ocean, and I was reminded, yet again, of how beautiful He is + how awestruck He continually leaves me. I could hear His voice in the wind, and I honestly can't remember a time where the world seemed more perfect. Stillness filled the air. Light diminished darkness. There are truly no words for the glory that my eyes beheld.

"I'm waiting for the morning light to show a fire in the dark."

-Phil Wickham, Sun and Moon

beachin' it.

For two whole days this week, I got to have uninterrupted + much-appreciated time to simply relax. Since last Friday was my last day of summer school, marking the beginning of my three-week summer before fall classes begin, Dustin + I made the little trek that I've known by heart since I was a little girl to Ocean Lakes Family Campground at Myrtle Beach to spend some time with our grandparents. We lounged good + ate good + enjoyed good company for those few days, and I loved every single minute of it. The weather was pretty much as close to perfect as it gets, too, which made for lots of extra-thankfulness to abound.

My favorite part of my whole time there was finding out that Baby B loves the beach just as much as Mama B does. How do I know that, you ask? Well, our little trip brought out the squirmy side of him/her! Our new name B during this stage of pregnancy is now Thumper, because ever since we went out onto the beach, he/she hasn't stopped moving. Even as teeny tiny as B is, I feel our sweet thing rockin' + rollin' constantly. Heavenly!

I would've loved to have had my toes in the sand forever + ever, but those two mornings + afternoons were so good for my body + my soul + my brain.