From the Daddy-To-Be

I know what you are all thinking, but you are all wrong. That's NOT a deflated basketball under Ashley's shirt, nor is it a small pillow. If you are thinking maybe it is just a trick of the camera, you'd be wrong too. What you (and I) are seeing is just our baby starting to poke out from her belly. Wait - not just our baby, it is the most exciting change in our life poking out from under that shirt.

I've been having a blast being a daddy-to-be. Taking care of Ashley and our little one has been so much fun. I've enjoyed watching her change and helping adjust to the trials of pregnancy. I've been learning patience, which I'm sure will come in handy with a little child. Ashley knows just what to do to prepare me in every way.

I've enjoyed talking about the future, after the little one arrives and sharing our news with everyone we meet - even the car salesman!

Thanks to everyone for all your love and support. We will continue to provide updates as the pregnancy moves forward. In the meantime, I'll just be sitting here, frequently rubbing an ever expanding belly, picking up the slack for a more tired wife, anticipating the future of my family, and enjoying every minute along the way. Until the next time. . .

Getting bigger!

Half way through week 13, it is safe to say that I now look pregnant. To see my belly grow right before my eyes is truly remarkable, and every time I catch a glimpse of my changing reflection in a mirror or window, I can't help but smile to myself.

So far, I love being pregnant! Though I must admit I wasn't very prepared for the fatigue and headaches that frequently visit, but T.J. is a tropper and takes great care of me. Nauseousness, I was prepared for, and honestly eating more makes it go away, so who am I to complain about that? Bring it on!! :)

We met with my new doctor last week and were able to hear the heartbeat again through a doppler this time. Hearing your baby's heartbeat is truly an undescribable experience. The fast "swoosh-swoosh" of the heart is enough to bring tears to any happy parents eyes as they imagine holding their infant in their arms in just a few months. The heartbeat was very strong and ranged between 150-160 beats per minutes, which is just a little lower than it was the last time we were able to hear it, when it was at a very high amount of 170 beats per minute. But, I was quite stressed at the previous reading, which could have easily explained the higher heartbeat the previous time.

I still find it hard to believe how fast these past few months have gone bye! I am already 1/3 of the way through the pregnancy, and yet it still feels like we just found out. As we begin to look for nursery furniture, bedding and decorating ideas, the excitement builds as we eagerly await to meet our first child!

Thank you Lord for this amazing blessing, and continue to watch over our little one and help him/her to grow healthy & strong. :)

Do weekends move faster than weekdays?

As I awoke this morning, I came to the realization that weekends must literally make time move faster than a typical weekday. It seems like just yesterday I was here at work preparing for the weekend, and yet somehow the weekend is now gone and it is Monday again! Is anyone else amazed by that concept?

Overall, our weekend was pretty good! We got a bit of a jump start to the weekend when my Dad met T.J. & I for lunch on Friday at the Behle Street Cafe. Thanks Dad! After work, we stopped by the Home Depot for some deck supplies, and then headed home for a wonderful evening of Netflix and Pizza (one of our favorite ways to spend an evening).

Saturday started a little earlier than I would have liked at just before 8:00 AM as we prepared for my wonderful father-in-law to arrive to assist T.J. with more deck building. The progress is moving right along, and the framing of the steps is now complete. In no time, we will be able to relax and use our backyard! While they were working hard outside, I relaxed a bit due to a headache and worked around the house.

I was pleased to bring the hard working boys back some lunch from Burger King. I can't quite describe it, but with this pregnancy, I have literally been craving fried food (I know...not healthy, but it sure is good!) and am always eager to share the extra calories with my loved ones. After lunch, I crawled back into bed trying to fight the headache with the only medicine I am comfortable taking right now...SLEEP.

We prepared for church and our Father's Day evening with my Dad and brother. After church we headed to Don Pablo's for some celebrating of fathers! It was nice to just relax and enjoy family for a while, and of course to see our niece and nephew who we don't get to see too often.

Sunday- again began far earlier than imagined, at 7:45 AM. I have learned that the earlier you wake up, the more hours in the day (I should have figured that out years ago, but I have enjoyed sleep far too much). I wanted to be sure to wake up early with T.J. to give him his Father's day to be gift, and shower him with love. We spent most of the day just relaxing and enjoying each other and the many sports available on cable. We made dinner together and then enjoyed a nice walk around our neighborhood before the storms were scheduled to roll in.

Overall, a pretty great weekend...but again, it does leave you to wonder what makes time fly so much more quickly on the weekend than on a typical weekday?

Our Deck is Underway!

On Memorial Day weekend, my wonderful husband and father-in-law began working on building our new deck! We have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our deck, since once it is complete, we will be able to begin using our yard more often. In just a few days, an incredible amount of progress was made, and the floorboards were almost complete.

I have to admit that I felt guilty watching them work so hard in the hot weather, but they insisted I was not to help, so who was I to argue?! Although the picture above is a few weeks old, I couldn't help but show off the amazing work that they were doing.

This coming weekend, more progress is to come, and the stairs will be added. So, until then...I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Tom & T.J. for working so hard for our family! I really appreciate it!!

Miami, FL

On Sunday we returned from 6 days in Miami, FL. Though not a typical destination for us, T.J.'s work offered him a Conference in Miami, so who were we to turn it down?

Since we are not into clubs or dance parties, we filled our non-conference days full of long walks on the beach, laying at the pool and overall just relaxing!

We were both surprised to find the water a clear, bright blue...almost like the Caribbean waters. It makes sense given it is in the extreme south of the US. The weather stayed beautiful and sunny, and the get away was just what this couple needed for a little forced R&R. :)