7 days to go...

I can't believe we are already here with 7 days till our official due date. This time has really flown by. It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the plus sign and waiting for the 2nd trimester to begin so we could stop holding our breath with worry. But here we are with only 7 days...one week. I am filled with so many emotions now. It is so hard to put in to words how much I already love this little baby girl, this precious gift from God. It is so hard to express how my love for my dear husband, has grown and changed so drastically in  these last 9 months. This journey has been so beautiful and full of abundant blessings. My heart overflows with love for the Lord that He has chosen us to care for this little life that is forming inside my womb.
And now I want to say a special message to our Violet, one day I pray she can read this and know how dearly we loved her from the very beginning.
Dear Sweet Violet, my daughter, and love,
   It is now only 7 days until you are expected to join us on this side of the womb. I can't believe how quickly this day has arrived. I have loved every moment of carrying you inside me. Every step of the way we have been carried by God. He has protected us both and held us both in His loving arms. Each time I feel worried about you I remember that God is watching over you and He loves you more than I do. So many times I wonder what it's like for you in there. I worry if you are afraid or lonely. I worry about the umbilical cord getting tangled. I worry that you won't know how much I love you. Mothers tend to worry about all these things and I know that it won't stop after you are born. So I pray now that I will surrender all these worries to the Lord and that I will allow Him to care for you as only He can.
Now I am waiting for the day when we can meet face to face, dear child. I yearn to look into your eyes and tell you how deeply I love you already. How long I have waited for you. You are a dream come true. I pray that we will become best friends (as I was with my mother). I pray that we will have even more days together than I did with my own mother. Even if we do not, I pray that you will know how wonderful and perfect you are to me and your father. I pray that you will always keep that love in your heart. I pray that you will know the love of God and how there is no other love as perfect as His. I pray that you will grow and  learn to love and respect others, even those whom you disagree with. I pray that you will have a heart of service to those less fortunate. I pray that you will find love in another human being and that you will be able to share your lives together with as much happiness as your father and I have. I pray that you will always know you are loved and worthy of love.
We wait for you Violet. We know you are waiting for the signal from the only one who knows the perfect day for you to arrive. As you wait for Him to whisper, "It's time dear one" know that we love you.
With love always,
Mom

Sweet Pea Has A Name.

 We have finally decided on a name for our precious Sweet Pea.
Here is a little poem I wrote, you will find her name at the end. Enjoy!

As I feel you move inside me
your fingers and your toes
your arms and your legs
and even your tiny nose

I wonder what you look like
I wonder who you'll be
I wonder if you'll love me
As much as I love thee?

Will you have your daddy's blue eyes?
Will you have my hair so brown?
Will you sing just like the nightingale?
Will you travel the world 'round?

So many things I ponder
As you grow inside my womb.
This time is full of wonder
As we wait for you to bloom.

No matter what you look like
No matter what you do
Your Father in heaven will love you
Even more than daddy and I do.

You will always be enough.
You will always have His love.
You will always have His angels
Guarding you from above.

And now this name we give to you
Our tiny precious flower.
We love you so, our darling girl
Our Violet Cecilia.

Now that you all know the name I will explain why we chose it. Her full name will be Violet Cecilia Sumire Craft.
Violet was my dear sweet Great Grandmother's name. She was a very special woman in my life. We used to go visit her and Grandpa in Missouri in summer time. She was an amazing woman. Full of love for her family and the Lord. I can still see her in her kitchen and I can smell her delicious cooking. I remember when she would get upset about something and I can still see her wiping tears from her sweet eyes and saying "Mercy, mercy." My sweet Grandma Sweet. 

Cecilia was the middle name of Gabe's dear Grandma Craft. Joyce Cecilia Craft. She was also an amazing woman. I never had the pleasure of meeting her in this life. But I have heard so many wonderful stories about her. Gabe often tells me how fondly he remembers her reading Peter Cotton Tail to him and Jesse and how she would read it with all kinds of voices for the characters. Her love of the Lord is evident in the lives of her children and grandchildren. She was an incredible artist and beautiful person. She loved her family so dearly.

Another reason behind the name Cecilia is that St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. When I was a little girl I always used to dress up like St. Cecilia on All Saints Day. She was always my favorite saint. I would dress up in a pink sheet with a hole cut out for my head and carried a harp made of cardboard. I loved it.

Sumire　すみれ, pronounced "sue-me-ray", is her Japanese name. It means violet (the flower) in Japanese. We decided to use hiragana instead of kanji for her Japanese name. Our dear お父さんand
お母さん, Reverend and Mrs. Yoshida, helped us to make the decision on her Japanese name. We decided that hiragana had a softer image and feeling. Also it would be easier for her and us to write.

So that's the story behind our little Sweet Pea, our precious little flower's name. We can't wait to meet her. In fact the contractions are coming more frequently these days...we are praying she will join us soon. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this life changing experience. We love you all!