What a day..

Yesterday was his one month check up, so it started with bath time...

Then we headed to the doctors office to learn that our little guy is growing like a weed. Yes, the scale reads 11.1 lbs! that is almost 3 lbs in 4 weeks! He is 22 3/4 inches long, obviously taking after dad's side of the family.

All the excitement earned him a well deserved nap! Not wanting to brag, but he sleeps like a champ... as long as its during the middle of the day.

And as you can see above, if anyone wants to send Toby some mittens for this cold spell in St. Louis, make sure they are Men's size mediums. He'll be palming a basketball in no time, with his left hand of course. How early is too early to tie his right hand down so he can go to his left??? We'll find out.

Tummy Time!

So "they" tell me that a great way to give a newborn some exercise is to put them on their tummy for a few minutes every day. While on their tummy they will attempt to lift their little head and in doing so they strengthen their neck and back muscles.

Well, our budding athlete takes tummy time to a new level...he sleeps through it!

Joe is intorducing him to basketball early...

Happy Birthday to Toby!

Today Toby is one month old and we are so proud!

I'm a big kid now!

Toby is 4 weeks old today! and look at how he's grown...














look at that wingspan!





















yes, he always has that serios look on his face. (thanks to his aunt betsy, from what I'm told)
















Toby loves his La la!
















What a cutie!
















Wow, I LOVE my little boy! He is such a joy to me, my life will never be the same!
Happy 4 weeks, Toby! They have been the best 4 weeks of my life! (and the hardest!)

Joe's favorite picture!

pictures, pictures and more pictures!

"Motherhood is not for whimps!"

My Bible study leader, Michelle Pottebaum, often reminds us, "motherhood is not for whimps" and I am daily realizing what she means! How can something so small throw me for such a loop? Just as soon as I get breast feeding down gas hits! and just when I think he is on a schedule...he changes it! Our little Toby likes to keep me guessing.

Anyway, sorry for the delay in updating the blog, I am just trying to keep my head above water. As my friend Bridget Price says, "the first 6 weeks is just survival!" and we are only 2 1/2 week into it.

here are a few pictures I though you mich enjoy...
Joe's parents were in town last week, and Toby LOVED rocking with his Grampy

















and my boy is awake...more to come later.

The swing!

Toby tried out his swing for the first time and loved it.

my boys

I am so blessed and love all my boys so much! aren't they cute early in the morning!?

Home Sweet Home!

My bed is so much more comfortable than the one in the hospital!

But the sunlight is so bright!

Toby meets some of his family.

Toby meets some of his cousins and one set of granparents.

Toby and his Uncle Nick

Our first family photo!

our son has arrived!

Please join us in our joy of welcoming our little Toby into the World!!!

Tobias Robert Wilmot
born on Friday, December 29, 2006
8 lbs 5 oz.
21 " long

Tobias translates from Hebrew as "God is good", which is something Kelli and I had to learn anew during our time apart, and are continually learning together. His name and his life will be a everpresent reminder of the Faithfulness and Goodness of our Lord, who blessed us with His Son, Jesus Christ, before blessing us with Toby.

Robert was chosen to honor my dad. A man who taught me self-sacrifice, gentleness, honesty and integrity. There are many, many things that I learned from my father that I will be attempting to instill in my son as the years go by. There isn't a time in my life growing up that I can't remember my dad not BEING there. He may not have had all the answers nor did everything right, but I knew how much he loved me by never missing a game, a concert, a birthday party, or disciplining me when needed. My dad wasn't my best friend growing up- he was too busy being my Father... I hope my son will honor your name.

Kelli and I have tons to say so more will follow shortly. Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers-

Joe

our own online baby pool!

let's have some fun...we are going to have our own online baby pool!

Take some time and think it over, then go to the comments section of this entry and make a guess on:

birth date,

time of delivery,

weight...of the baby!

and gender

Also, be sure to sign your entry so we know who has guessed. We'll keep track of the entries and have something special for the winner! Don't waste any time, there isn't much time left! Happy guessing!
Joe and Kelli

The nursery is finished...just in time!

Two weeks and counting! Exactly 2 weeks from today is our due date! The nursery is ready, clothes are washed and Joe and I wait! Every day brings an increase in excitement and anticipation. And every night brings little sleep for me, but the end is near...at least we hope.

Are you a boy or a girl?

We are ready and waiting! Thanks to Aunt Becky and Uncle Nick we have a sleeper for either a boy or a girl...aren't they cute!?

I can't wait to be a mom, BUT I LOVE BEING AN AUNT!

Anyone that knows me knows that one of my greatest joys in life is being an aunt! And who wouldn't love it when you look at these beautiful faces! Megan, Phoebe, Ela & Cami! (left to right) They are all such sweet beautiful girls, and they are all anxiously waiting to see if another girl is added to the mix, or if they will have to break in the first boy! We'll know soon!

We go to the doctor today and this begins our weekly appointments. We have about 4 1/2 weeks left until we all get to meet the newest addition to the family! Toby or Addison, we love you so much and can't wait to meet you face to face.

Who has the biggest changes coming?

Joe and I talk about how our life is about to be turned upside down, but the real question is...Who has the biggest change coming?
I will not be returning to work, I will have an infant to care for, and will for sure lack many hours of sleep.
Joe will also be lacking sleep, but will have to go to work every day and he will be helping me care for this little helpless being.
And Max, our dog...The center of our family, our first child, the love of Joe's life--behind me of course. Max gets treats, table scraps, and tons of affection.

The verdict is in!...Max has the biggest change on the horizon. He has no idea what's coming and how he is about to get bumped down a peg or two. Poor little guy.

you know this kills me!

I know that you all want to see how BIG I've gotten to rejoice with us, but posting a picture of myself really kills me! We did have a great weekend with Betsy Eric and Ela! We always love the time we get to spend with them.

And me big news of the day is that we have 50 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it. We are finishing the nursery next week, so stay tuned for more pictures.

Thanks for being patient with my inability to keep this blog updated!

What a great dad Joe is going to be!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures of Joe and Ela, his sister's little girl! Isn't she beautiful and doesn't he look ready to be a dad!

from our trip to Alaska in June

We had so much fun in Alaska and praise the Lord I was feeling good for the most part, as I was nearing the end of my first trimester. What a beautiful state, truly amazing sights to see.

my boys!

Aren't they cute!

and another picture

look at the baby...it's really growing now!

finally...a picture!

here it is...the picture I tried to post a while ago! we were in a local parade for our church, it was a beautiful day to walk through Kirkwood! More pictures to come.

Daddy finally felt you move!

To our little one-
This week has been an exciting one, not just for me, but for your dad also. You have been moving quite a bit for a while and I have come to love the times when I can sit quietly and feel you kick and punch, toss and turn. Each time I feel your body move it I am filled with anticipation to see you face to face, to count your fingers and toes and to kiss your sweet little face.

The reason why this week has been so exciting is that you are now big enough and kicking hard enough that your daddy has also gotten to feel you move. It melts my heart to see his reaction..his face lights up like a small child on Christmas morning, which is then followed by laughter, and amazement. Then he drops to his knees and start talking to you. He tells you how much he loves you, how proud he is of you, how he can't wait to see you and hold you close to himself. To my precious child, you are so lucky to have the earthly daddy that God has picked for to you have. He loves you so much already and he hasn't even seen you yet.

We both long for your arrival and are eager to experience all the changes that your new life will bring. We are down to 12 short weeks! So until then, keep growing strong, enjoy the peace and quiet and know that you are deeply loved!

Why I waited until now...

For all of you eagerly awaiting my first entry (all 2 of you), here we go...

There have been many moments along the way in this process that have caused me to stop and silently ask the Lord if He knows what he is doing by giving Kelli and I a child. Obvious question number one out of the way... but as I sit here tonight as Kelli is at Bible study I am counting my blessings and am realizing that I have been waiting to be a dad for a long time. Now, I understand we've only been married for a year and a half, but this journey started a long time ago in my heart. I can't really explain its origin, nor have I tried to figure it out (one of the only things in my life that I HAVEN'T overthought:) but I know it to be true. And no, its not just to populate the earth with as many Red Sox fans as possible! It is profoundly deeper than that, hidden somewhere inside and I am awaiting the journey of discovering what has led me down this road. I rest wholly upon the Lord for His perfect timing with my life and when I actually stop and take the time to truly apprreciate all he has given, His Son being the first and foremost thing, I am brought to tears. And any of you who know me should not be surprised at this... (see Wedding video of the beautiful bride and the blubbering groom!) I could not have picked a more wonderful, loving, and sensitive wife. I have had the pleasure of watching her live this pregnancy with joy and fear, excitement and apprehension, but at the utmost, an indescribable love for little Toby or Addy already. I have almost distanced myself a little bit from some things so far and I can't really explain why. Maybe things will go quicker if I am not so eagerly awaiting his/her arrival. But then last night happened. It was a very small thing, but it meant the world to me.

Kelli and I have been reading a blog written by her friend Matt Mooney and his wife, Ginny. They recently had their first child, Elliot, who was born with the birth defect Trisomy 18. Without going into too much detail, this has been both extremely encouraging and often times a challenging read. In all of their entries, there is a palpable joy that I will not attempt to describe. But it was with Kelli reading it to me last night, sharing about little Elliot's clenched fists that I began to cry. They weren't tears of sadness but ones of incredible joy. Ones that you don't really care if they ever stop falling. It was right then that the Lord said to me"its ok to love little Toby or Addy now, you don't have to wait" and I just pictured the baby on my chest as I was laying on the couch and absoluetly nothing else mattered right then. Not what we registered for, what kind of diapers we are going to use, should I coach again in the spring, is our house going to be too small quickly, any and all of it didn't matter.

This may seem simple but, I am a sinful man, given the blessing of a Savior from a God who knows me and loves me, given His Spirit to lead me and guide me, given a loving wife who certainly spends more time praying for me than I for her, given family and friends to laugh and cry with, and a little dog who makes me smile at the drop of a hat (yes Kel, Max had to make the blog!). To add the next blessing of Toby or Addy, is at times overwhelming.

Parents, go kiss your kids, hug them and tell them not only that you love them but why, and thank the Lord for the blessings you have been given. And for those of you who read this and don't believe in The Lord or God in any form, that's o.k., to quote one our (Kelli and I) favorite movies...


As the priest is dying in The Count of Monte Cristo, he and Edmand had this exchange...

Priest :"Do not commit the crime for which you know, for God said vengence is mine"

Edmand : "I don't believe in God."

Priest: "It doesn't matter, he believes in you."

Thank you for taking the time out of your day and reading this and thank you for sharing our joy with us.

Joe

To Blossom

Since becoming pregnant I have been intrigued by a word I tend to hear much more often..."blossom"
This word, in our english language, can have many meanings such as:
1. the state of flowering: The apple tree is in blossom.
2. to flourish; develop: a writer of commercial jingles who blossomed out into an important composer.
3. Blossom can be a female given name. Or as Joe likes to remember, a bad 80's TV show.
And then there is my favorite:
4. A period or condition of maximum development. (the state in which I will remain for the next 3 months)

To a pregnant woman...or maybe I should speak for myself, when I hear someone refer to me as having "blossomed" I hear them say, "Crap, you are huge!" "How many babies are in there?" "You're only how far along?" "Are you sure you are going to make it to Christmas?"

At this point I have to pause to remind myself that I am 5'3" and there is only so much room for a baby to grow. I will spend the rest of this pregnancy laughing at my size and being exited by it. The baby is healthly, and growing and moving all the time. Labor may be difficult, but the result is going to be life changing!

I am trying to a picture of myself for all of you who don't live is the STL to see just how much I have "blossomed," but I am having a little trouble. I will keep working on it and we'll pray that pictures will be soon to follow.

Cloth Diapers

I know that some of you may think we are crazy, but we have decided to try cloth diapers. Before you tell us how crazy we are, check out how cloth diapers have changed over the years. These things are amazing, cost effective and environmentally friendly!

Registering!

Last night we embarked on an adventure known to some as Babies R Us! We walked in and sat down at the desk. We met with a very nice lady that gently talked us through the process and at the end of her instructions she said, "and the bathrooms are located in the back of the store." It was at that point that I thought..."What have we gotten into? Do you mean to tell me we're going to be here that long!" I wanted to ask where the snack bar was also!

We spent the next 2 hours laughing, arguing, and searching for things such as a bath tub safety sponge! We looked at breast pumps, nursing pads, and breast cream...WHAT, NOW I NEED A SPECIAL CREAM FOR MY BOOBS?! Let's just say that I looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car! I realized, for the first time, that Joe and I have NO IDEA what we are in for.

Then here was Joe with "the gun." Anyone who has ever done this before probably could have told me to NEVER let the man have the scanning gun. There is something that happens to him the minute his hand wraps around that scanner. He wanted to scan everything in the store whether we needed it or not. He was a man possessed!

When we had had enough, we decided we need to go get something to eat. We get to the car feeling totally beaten up. I felt like I had just taken a final exam that I hadn't study for. You know the feeling, "What the h*ll are they talking about?" Then Joe and I said together, "I have no idea what we just registered for."

I am so thankful for online registers. I can now take time to look over everything and see what we missed, or what my dear husband had scanned without me knowing.

What a night, next on our list...to tackle Target!

week # 21

We are entering week #21! We are over half way there!

am I feeling the baby move or is it just gas?

Many people have told me that when I begin to feel the baby move it will feel much like gas. Well, for me, the single most gaseuos female on the face of the earth, that could be a problem. A few weeks ago Joe and I were hanging out at home and I said, "I think I am feeling the baby move, I wish you could feel it." Then, only moments later, I realized...along with Joe, that it was only gas!

Now a few weeks later I have learned the difference between the movement of our child and my farts. It is truly amazing to feel this little one inside me moving all over. What a miricle life is! I long to meet our baby, see it's face, hold it tight and kiss it from head to toe!