meet becca.

November 26th, 2014 is a day that I'll never forget. Why is that, you're probably wondering? Well, that's the day that I officially became a minivan mom. Wednesday is usually date night, but last week's became an entire day with each other as we made the drive to Scott Clark Honda in Charlotte, North Carolina to look at a van that just went on the market and drove home after the sun went down with that same beauty we had originally driven up to see. We were blessed with so much favor + guidance + wisdom in the process of making this purchase for our family, and driving all over the southeast in order to make this a reality was totally worth it to have her in our driveway now. Our baby boy will be riding in style soon enough!

Minivan selfie? Well, duh!

Becca Bargeron (of course she has a name) is now a part of our little family + is safely nestled in the bungalow's driveway as we await the arrival of her main man. She's so pretty!

third trimester progress | almost there!

We're a little less than halfway through our third trimester with our sure-to-be handsome little boy, and we are astounded with every day that passes at how quickly this pregnancy has progressed. Wednesdays are still our favorite days, watching Braxton move around in mommy's belly is still our favorite thing to do, and our dreams about the day we will soon hold him in our arms are still our favorite thing to talk about. There will be many, many surprises to come along with this new chapter of our lives, along with a whole lot of playing the guessing game with a newborn baby, but I am so thankful to confidently be able to say that with my mighty God guiding my every step + my husband walking that same path by my side, I am unafraid of what will come our way. I've been a daughter + a sister + a grand-daughter + a cousin + a niece + a girlfriend + a fiance + a wife, and while all of those have been wonderful blessings, I know that what awaits me in the next seven weeks will be unlike anything I've ever known before. Oh, how I can't wait to be a mommy! My heart swells to imagine all the love that will continue to grow as Braxton gets older + we add more kiddos to our family in the future, if the Lord is willing.

We've shared Mama B's growing belly during the first trimester + the first half of the second trimester + the remainder of the second trimester, and now we're proud to reveal how much she's grown over the past forty-two days, during weeks twenty-seven through thirty-two.

Wednesday, October 22nd

Week 27 + Day 4

Baby B is the weight of a head of cauliflower.

*A little over two pounds!

Wednesday, October 29th

Week 28 + Day 4

Baby B is the weight of medium-sized cabbage.

*A little over two-and-a-half pounds!

Wednesday, November 5th

Week 29 + Day 4

Baby B is the weight of a butternut squash.

*Just under three pounds!

Wednesday, November 12th

Week 30 + Day 4

Baby B is the length of a cucumber.

*17 inches long!

Wednesday, November 19th

Week 31 + Day 4

Baby B is the weight of a coconut.

*About three-and-a-half pounds!

*Also, today was especially wonderful as we celebrated Daddy turning twenty-six!

Wednesday, November 26th

Week 32 + Day 4

Baby B is the weight of a head of lettuce.

*About four pounds!

Countdown to Braxton Michael's expected debut:

FIFTY DAYS!

braggin' rights.

Wanna know why my Teesh is going to be the best daddy in the whole, wide world?

That's because he's a silly-face-makin'...

...children's-book-reading...

...always-smiling-for-the-camera kinda guy.

Not to mention that he loves Jesus + me + our soon-to-be-born baby boy with everything inside of him. Yep, that's enough for me. Although this may not be your dream, it's certainly mine. Only fifty-two days until that dream becomes reality!

lighting the way.

One of our favorite adventures on Saturday afternoon was the drive to the state park on Hunting Island. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and we jammed out to beach music while we rode with the windows down over bridges + between the marsh. Once we reached our destination, we quickly made our way to the lighthouse that was off in the distance. Not only did we get to see it up close + personal, but we also got to climb it! Only one hundred + sixty-seven stairs stood between us + the top, and we eagerly climbed every one of them so that we could get to the overlook as quick as we could. The wind almost blew us away + the dramatic drop in temperature from being up so high, but we were so overwhelmed with the beauty we beheld all around us that we barely noticed.

The Bargeron Babymoon was a smashing success, and this particular adventure was one we will tell our little boy about one day. We can't wait until he climbs mountains + lighthouses + everything in between with us.

beautiful beaufort.

On Friday afternoon, the Bargerons drove to the coast for a weekend in Beaufort, South Carolina. It was the perfect little getaway as we explored the sights + sounds + wonders of a town we'd never been to before, and we both agreed that strolling its streets with no particular agenda was absolutely wonderful. Watching the sun come up over the clouds + walking along the waterfront + enjoying a pumpkin latte on the porch of a cute little coffee shop + talking to several locals about must-sees for a couple of tourists. It was especially entertaining watching the eyes of people we passed meet my baby bump before they looked up smiling, and nearly everyone we talked to asked when our due date was + if we were having a boy or a girl.

Our last vacation as a family of two was perfectly blessed, and we are both increasingly more anxious for us to soon be a family of three!

november nineteenth.

Twelve years ago, November 19^th became one of my most favorite + looked-forward-to days of the entire year.  I distinctly remember November 19^th, 2003 being on a Wednesday, which made me extra giddy because youth group meant that I got to spend extra time celebrating the reason this day was so special. Earlier that day, I had put my artist skills to good work, and drew a picture on a sheet of notebook paper that excitedly said “Happy birthday!” with lots of colors + balloons + hearts +swirls that was lovingly signed with my name at the bottom. These “signs” (as we called them) were a regular gift from me, usually being presented a few times a week (with notes coming on all the other days). I smiled extra + day-dreamed more + gave extra side-hugs that day, and I remember being so sad when it was time for mom to pick me up from good ol’ TUMC. We talked on the phone (remember house phones?) that night until we both fell asleep, as we did most nights.

So, whose birthday was celebrated, you ask? Well, that would be my Teesh’s birthday, of course! We haven’t missed a birthday celebration together in twelve years, all of which have been wonderfully blessed, but this one is particularly unique from all the others in the past. You see, not only am I celebrating the person who I have watched grow from a boy into a man with every new year, but this year, I am celebrating the father of my future son, the one who will soon be called “daddy” by the precious child that the Lord is growing inside of me. While I admit that there are many things that take my breath away and cause my eyes to welp up with tears, nothing does that to me quite like knowing that the man I love more than any man in the entire world will soon have a mini-me, and I will get to celebrate another TJ every single day of every single year, just as I try my best to do for his daddy. This day just gets extra attention compared to the normal, even though he is a constant cause of so much joy + gratefulness in my life.

You could search the whole earth and never find another man as selfless + loving + hard-working + caring + enduring + silly as the one who is turning twenty-six years old today, and I never get tired of praising Jesus for bringing us together as husband + wife. I especially love to thank Him for giving me so many sweet memories of our lives together so far. I know I’m biased, and I also know that I say this all the time, but our story is unlike any other.

Happy birthday to the once-boy-now-man that has stolen my heart over + over again since he was just fourteen years old, the one who loves me like no one else ever has. Today, we celebrate his incredible life. But, don’t worry, we’ll do it all over again tomorrow + the next day + the next + forever. And soon, we'll have another little person celebrating with us!

a november fire.

"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining, they just shine."

-D.L. Moody

cruisin'.

Yesterday was a bittersweet day for the Bargerons, as we said farewell to our beloved Bane. We decided several months ago that selling our truck before Braxton is born was best for us + our future as a family, even though the thought of it made us sick. In honor of his last few hours with us, we took a drive up to the summit of Paris Mountain with the windows down + the sunroof open. Tears were most definitely shed, which may sound silly, but the memories made over the past seven years between the three of us made those tears inevitable. I can still remember standing outside at daddy + Shannon's house one afternoon when the most beautifully massive truck I'd ever seen rounded the corner. I had to do a double take, because I recognized the driver with my first glance. Sure enough, it was Teesh with his dad + mom riding with him in his brand new truck. His smile was so big as he was showing me his new I-graduated-high-school-and-I'm-off-to-college-in-style ride, and I could tell that his mom had been crying crocodile tears of pride because her + Troy were able to bless their son so incredibly. Memory Lane gets me every time, folks.

It was only fitting that we let him take us up the mountain one last time, and the sight that we beheld provided just the perspective we both needed in that moment. The adventures that await us will be better than anything we've ever known, and our moments in creation always confirm that. I'm thankful for all the memories we've made so far + excited about all the new ones that are coming.

a fair night.

Last week's date night was filled with one of the things we look forward most to all year long: the South Carolina Upper State Fair! We took our weekly baby bump picture, and then immediately hopped in the car to head to Easley to keep up with our yearly tradition. It was a beautiful October day, not hot but not too cool, and we spent a couple hours taking in all the sights + sounds you only experience at the fair. Our sunset ride on the ferris wheel was delightful, TJ wanted to adopt most of the animals we saw (especially the little monkeys + his very own Eeyore), and I got my once-a-year funnel cake (topped with cream cheese icing, might I add).

Life is so much fun with my Teesh, y'all.

We can't wait for next year when we'll have a little rookie with us!

bargeron builders.

That's right, y'all, the latest (and most profound) renovation at the Bargeron Bungalow has officially been started + finished. It's hard to believe that just over a year ago, we had an old, rickety, could-collapse-at-any-moment building in our backyard, and now we have an incredibly beautiful barn-style garage that now stands in its place. It's been a long time coming, and Teesh has been patient in his efforts of making his dream a reality, especially in these past six months of reconstruction. He + Pops have been a two-man team the whole time, and we are so thankful that so many sacrifices were made in order for us to now have this beauty that is just as functional as it is gorgeous looking back at us when we look out the kitchen window.

Last December, we began the demolition process, and now, on this fourth day of November, we are proud to show off the newest addition to our cozy little lot. Here is the whole process, from beginning to end:

Ladies + gentlemen, the Bargeron Man Cave is open for business! 

It has been an honor to stalk the dynamic duo with the camera each day + night that they were out there, and I sure do love that handsome smile on my man's face. Hip hip hooray for another renovation  being completed at the Bungalow!