A Purposeful Peek

Lillian Cole, Our little Lily Bug (formerly known as June Bug ; ) ... you have been in our arms for one month, and we can not imagine life without you now! After making your grand entrance into this world, you were welcomed by your entire adoring family. Your momma is your best friend (and lifeline, of course ; ) Your daddy is smitten with you, his baby girl.  Your Mimi and Didi brought your sisters to meet you in the hospital, and it was truly love at first sight! Your Grandma and Mammo & Pappo (great-grandparents) welcomed you home a few days later, and it was so special for you to meet your namesake (Pappo Cole). I think it's safe to say that you are SO well loved already! You and momma hung out a LOT in our little bedroom retreat for the first two weeks, and it was the sweetest time of getting to know every little inch of you. At your two week appointment, you were already up a pound from your birth weight, clearly declaring that you are a ...

Our due date of Tuesday, June 26th had come and gone, with no sign of our little Junebug's arrival. Though I'd been having contractions every evening for about a week, they were never regular and always faded as I went to sleep. At my scheduled OB appointment, the nurse who I routinely saw at each visit flippantly said, "Now you are having a C-section, right?" I quickly corrected her and reminded her of our preference for a natural, unmedicated birth.  My doctor then offered to strip my membranes and offered induction (since she would be leaving on vacation soon) as a routine option that she often provided for women who are still pregnant on their due date. However, I graciously declined all of her offers, explaining that my body had gone into labor naturally and spontaneously twice before ( here and here ), and that I was prepared to wait for God's perfect timing. I allowed her to perform an exam, and she seemed a little skeptical that I was only dilated to 2cm ...

For 9 incredible months of pregnancy, we joyfully awaited the arrival of our third daughter, who we fondly referred to as our little "Junebug."  As the month of June came and nearly ended, we began to wonder if she would live up to her nickname... ...At last, with only 11.5 hours to spare on the very last day of June, Lillian Cole Peek entered our world and absolutely stole our hearts!  All 8lb, 15oz, and 21 inches of this blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty made her show-stopping appearance in an exhilerating finale of a 12 hour labor! To explain the meaning behind her name, we have to start at the beginning... As I mentioned in a recent post about fathers , my Dad and JJ's grandfather were two of the single most influential figures in our lives growing up. They both impacted our lives in the best ways possible, and we have always wanted to honor them through the legacy they began for our future family. Growing up, my dad gave me the nickname "Lil....