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:
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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!
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!
Check out this website to see the development for week #17!http://www.pregnancyguideonline.com/wk17.htm
Last week we went to the doctor for our 16 week apointment. We had another ultra sound and were able to see the development of out little one. The doctor said the baby is about 4-5 inches long and it's head is about the size of a golf ball. Joe really understand well when he talks in glof terms.
Then we were able to hear the heart beat for the first time! It was amazing the hear his or her little heart beating so fast. The heart rate was in the 150's. Of course I had to ask whether that meant a girl or a boy and the doctor said, "that is a girl heart beat." We all know that the heart rate doesn't indicate the gender of the baby, but it's fun to guess.
We'll see if he was right in late December or early January!
Joe and I decided that we were not going to share our news with anyone until we were safely through the first tri-mester. This was one of the most difficult things I've ever done...until labor! In the first part of June we went on vacation with Joe's family and told them at that time, then told my family when we got back. At that time our due date was 1/1/07, so we thought it would be fun to make invitations to a new year's eve party.
We had the family together and I said, "you know how I have always wanted to get married on New Year's Eve, well Joe and I decided that this year we are going to have a huge New Year's party. I know it's a long way off, but we wanted to get you invitations so you can be sure to save the day." Then we gave them the invitations and they said:
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! we are going to have a baby! We fond out on Sunday April 23rd around 1:30 p.m. I really didn't feel pregnant, but never having been pregnant before...what did I know?! We had been hoping to get pregnant at any time, and I really wanted it to be true. On the way home from church I picked up a pregnancy test. I was so nervous to take it. After lunch Joe and I prayed, we want the Lord's will and we want to be ok with whatever that is. In church we sang, "It is well with my soul." That is what I want...peace no matter the circumstance! So I took the test and it was +! We are having a baby! OH MY GOSH! It is amazing to me that the Lord is growing and developing this little one inside me as I write! I am overwhelmed with emotion. What will he/she look like, what will their personality be like. what joy will this child bring and what heart ache? What will be his/her struggles, and will we get to see the childs victories? I already can't wait to meet you, my child. I can't wait to hold you, kiss your little face, smell you, and care for you! Lord, Jesus, I praise you becasue you are the Creator! you knit together life! Please grow, in me, a healthy child! One that knows you, loves you and calls you Lord! Without You none of this would be possible!
