Someone is 2 months old...

That's right! Miss Maggie Lyon has turned 2 months old! Where has the time gone? It really feels like she just grew so quickly in a matter of a couple of weeks. She started sleeping through the night and dropped her night time fussy time about two weeks ago. She is such a sweet, happy girl. I love getting her up in the mornings. She usually greets me with a big gummy grin, dimple included and I just fall in love all over again.

Yesterday we went to see her doctor for Maggie's two month well check and Dr. C said she is doing great! She weighed in at 12 lbs. and 12 oz. and was 24 1/4 inches long! In fact, when Dr. C saw how long Maggie was she asked us to measure he again because she was almost off the "charts!!! I wasn't nearly as surprised at Dr. C, though, since Will is 6'2", I'm 5'7", my dad is 6'4" oh, and we can't forget that Maggie's Aunt Bird (my sister, Adrienne) is 6' tall herself. Needless to say, she doesn't have shrimps in her family. Maggie did have to get her first round of shots and she did not like it one bit. It was really so sad, both for her and for me. I thought I was going to cry there for a minute too. I never would have thought I would. Working in pediatrics for 5 years, I thought I would have toughened up to the little ones getting their shots but it is so different when it's your own baby. None the less, she survived and I did as well. She was a little fussy last night but woke up this morning just as happy as ever.

Speaking of Aunt Bird, (sorry, I totally changed the subject right there) we are going to be making another trip to Charlotte on Monday for Aunt Bird and Uncle J.T.'s wedding. Please pray that we have a safe trip and pray for the soon-to-be-wed couple and their marriage. We are really excited to add J.T. to our family and think he'll be a great addition.

Last but not least, here are some practice Christmas pictures I took of Maggie the other day. We didn't get "the one" but we had a good time playing. I still can't believe how much she's grown in just two months. What a blessing it is to watch her grow, though.

We learned a new trick...

We started out having to help her a little bit but now she can pretty much find her thumb on her own. This particular day when she found her thumb we were up early before anyone else. I was folding laundry which was fresh out of the dryer and had just finished feeding her before starting that. She sat in her Boppy chair and talked to me while I folded and then got quiet after a few minutes. I noticed that she had that heavy eye look so being silly I took a warm pair of Will's sweat pants that I was about to fold and said "Here, you hold these. Maybe they'll put you to sleep." I laid the pants on her belly like a blanket and no more than a minute later Maggie found her thumb and was sound asleep. She stayed like that for about an hour and a half. I was able to get a nap in too. I'm not sure if it was the warm pants or the thumb that did the trick but ever since then she's been really good about finding her thumb and putting herself to sleep.

A little bit of this and that...

Things in the Lyon house have been pretty calm lately so nothing has jumped out at me as being Blog-worthy but I still wanted to take a minute to update everyone...even if it does bore you to tears.

Maggie is growing like a little weed. She will be 6 weeks old tomorrow and time has just flown by. She is a really good eater and is starting to speed up on her feedings which I really appreciate. She isn't sleeping through the night yet but her sleep times are stretching out really nicely. We have had a few 5-6 hour stretches. She made he first trip to Daytona to see MamMam and Great Susan (my Aunt Susan) a couple of weeks ago while Will was out of town for work. Will and I took her to church for the first time last week and she was a hit. Maggie did fairly well but she and I did spend half the service in the nursery getting a diaper change and eating. I think she and I might wait until she's ready to go to the nursery by herself before we go back.

As for what is coming up, we have a busy month and a half ahead of us. My sister, Adrienne, is getting married in a month so we have lots of events surrounding the wedding to participate in. Next weekend Will, Maggie and I are making the trip to Charlotte for a couples shower. It will be Maggie's first trip to her Essie and Pop's house and it will also be the first time I leave her with a baby-sitter. I'm not looking forward to that last part. She just seems so little for that. After we get back from Charlotte it will be time for Thanksgiving and then back to Charlotte a couple more times for more wedding festivities and then Christmas!!! We should have lots to blog about then. In the mean time, here are a few pictures of Maggie that I will leave you with.

Maggie's first trip to church in her dress that MamMam and Great Susan bought her

I love this gummy smile...

Playing at the house on any given day

"Check out my cloth diapers!"

The Sweetest Thing...

Look what I caught Maggie and her daddy doing the other day...

It only lasted a few minutes but that was long enough for me to take their picture.

1 Month

We made it through our first month! Maggie is 1 month old today and she is doing great! Her favorite things to do are eat, sleep and go for walks in her stroller. She's not sleeping through the night but she is stretching out her sleep a bit. We usually get a good 4 hour stretch at night. She and I are still trying to get ourselves into somewhat of a routine but I know it'll take a little time. Will and I couldn't have asked for a better baby.

Maggie

I know it's been way too long since I posted especially since such big things have happened since then. As I'm sure you all know Maggie Elisabeth was born on October 5 at 5:21pm. She weighed 7 pounds and 15 ounces.

She is such a good baby and we really couldn't have asked for better. She and I have been adjusting these past two weeks so as of right now I'm still trying to sleep when she sleeps. (Hence the reason I'm posting about 2 weeks late.)

Hopefully as she and I figure things out a little more each day I'll be able to update everyone on a more regular basis.

Elisabeth with an "S"

My husband is such a thoughtful person and even though he may not always have the greatest memory, he makes up for it by having his heart in the right place.

About a month ago when my parents were in town my dad and Will took off on a "boy mission" while my mom and I got pedicures. When we all arrived back at the house there were two wrapped packages sitting on my dining room table. I asked Will what they were and he told me one was for Maggie and the other was for me. After a little convincing he finally said that I could open them. So, I did. The first one was a little smaller than the next and when I opened it this is what I found:

Now, let's flash back to a conversation that he and I had one day on the way home from work about Maggie's name. He asked me how we planned on spelling her middle name. I replied that it would be spelled E-L-I-Z-A-B-E-T-H. He replied by saying "Okay, just wanted to check. I wasn't sure."

So, skip back to me opening her little keepsake Bible that her daddy bought her and as I looked at it more I realized that he had already had her name engraved on it. I was so touched that he thought about it and picked such a sweet Bible. Not only that but it's a real Bible and not just a children's Bible that paraphrases stories so she can use it for a while.

I continued to study it and realized something...

I noticed that Maggie's middle name was spelled with an "S" instead of a "Z". I mentioned it to Will who looked at me with huge eyes and said "I thought we decided that was how we were going to spell it." I laughed and said that we would spell it with an "S" now. He felt so bad and confessed that he should have listened to the lady at the book store when she asked him if he was sure about that spelling. Poor guy. So, now we are spelling Maggie's middle name with an "S". I think it's a great story to tell her one day about how she got her name.

As for the second package, it was a new Bible for me. I was still using the one I had received from my parents for my 21st birthday, which was fine, but Will thought I should have a new one with my married name on it. I did ask him jokingly, before opening it, if he spelled my name correctly... I don't think he thought I was funny...

40 weeks/ Also known as my DUE DATE!!!

How far along?: 40 wks!
Maternity Clothes?: Absolutely!
Best Moment this week: Not Maggie related: my dear friend Kristina had her beautiful baby boy this morning and I have already gotten to hold him and give Kristina and Ofir big hugs! While I visited with him I asked him to talk to Maggie and tell her that it's not so bad on the outside. She should give it a try soon. Maggie related: I had my week dr's appointment this week and my doctor agreed to let me go two weeks past my due date instead of just one. Yay!
Movement: She still moves a lot but I can tell she's running out of room.
Food Craving: I was sweet stuff! I also woke up the other morning with the biggest craving for Pop Tarts. Mmm.
Baby's Gender: Sugar and Spice and everything nice.
Labor Signs: Not really. I was told at my appointment that I was only 1.5cm dilated and about 25% effaced but I haven't really experienced anymore BH contractions.
What I miss: Not much. It's been a great couple of weeks. I've been home for a week now and have gotten to keep my feet up a bit so the swelling has gone down a great amount. It's been nice not working and not having to worry about things at the office. I've really had a great time getting the house clean and keeping it that way, catching up on the laundry, making dinner every night so that it's ready when Will gets home from work, and making extra meals to freeze. I've even already made a huge batch of cookie dough so that when I do go into labor we can make cookies to take to the labor and delivery nurses.
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting our Maggie!!!
Milestones: Reaching my due date!!!

37 weeks (according to my doctor, full term)

How far along?: 37 wks!
Maternity Clothes?: All the time... I've gotten to the point where I want to wear the same few things all the time now. And I don't want to buy anymore maternity clothes.
Best Moment this week: Going to my doctor's appointment and having her tell me as I was leaving that she would see me next week unless I have a baby between now and then. It doesn't feel like we're at that point already but we are.
Movement: All the time. She's moved into a better position, though because I don't feel fingers and toes like I was. Now it's mostly just baby bottom. That's what we want.
Food Craving: I really have been craving steak fries this week. Not just fries but steak fries...
Baby's Gender: Team Pink!!!
Labor Signs: I think I've had a grand total of 2 Braxton Hicks contractions. Both times, I believe it was because I needed to use the restroom and had waited too long.
What I miss: Breathing.
What I'm looking forward to: My last day of work! It's next Friday. There are so many little things I want to get done at home before Maggie arrives but I just don't have the energy in the evenings when I get home from work.
Milestones: Reaching full term, according to my doctor. And getting several meals prepared and frozen so that we won't starve or live off of fast food when Maggie comes home. So far I've marinated and frozen several chicken breasts, made lasagna, chicken divan, twice baked potatoes, beef strogenoff, hamburgers and chili. Any other suggestions that you all have are more than welcome. I have a few other meals I plan to make and freeze but still need ideas.

Bum's the word.

BumGenius that is....

Ever since before Will and I found out we were expecting we have seriously leaned towards using cloth diapers on our little one's bum. After talking to several friends who have used them and doing our research as well, we decided to go with these cloth diapers.

Now, let me just tell you all that I actually was changing cloth diapers before I ever changed a disposable one because my mom had me and my two sisters in cloth diapers. However, back then we used the kind that require pins and plastic pants.

I knew there were definite benefits to cloth diapers but I just wasn't sure about the pins and the plastic pants. So I started looking further into our options. Let me just tell you. Cloth diapers have come a long way in the past 20 years. Yes, we will still have to wash them ourselves instead of using a diaper service but these diapers are almost just like using disposables. They are one size fits all and they have the absorbency and a water proof outside all in one diaper. And, not only will we be able to use these for Maggie up until she potty trains but we will aslo be able to use them on the next Lyon cub.

I ordered several this weekend and can not wait to get them all ready for Maggie's arrival.

34 Weeks

How far along?: 34 wks 1 day!
Maternity Clothes?: Dresses are the most comfortable these days.
Best Moment this week: Feeling hiccups for the first time. What a funny feeling.
Movement: The other night Will could feel a lot of her movement. He asked me how I slept at night. My answer: I don't...
Food Craving: Nothing. I just want ice cold water all the time.
Baby's Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: Nothing.
What I miss: Sleep. I'm sure it'll be a while before I get that again...
What I'm looking forward to: One of my best-friends has been pregnant the whole time I've been pregnant. Her due date is the day after mine. This Saturday is her baby shower. I can't wait to be a part of that. I'm so excited for she and her husband.

(Please excuse my swollen face and ankles. Pregnancy looks much better on Kristina. Focus on her)

Milestones: We got our dresser/changing table in yesterday. I have all kinds of clean little pink things to put in it. It's been really fun doing baby laundry. (You probably all think that I'm out of my mind and I'll be singing a different song in a couple of months but I have this strange affliction where I love to do laundry. I do about a load a night. My friends make fun of me and call me Launderella. I know it's a sickness but I just can't help it.)

32 Weeks! 8 Weeks to go...

I can't believe we only have 8 weeks left. I feel like we have so much left to do!

How far along?: 32 wks 1 day!
Maternity Clothes?: Mostly. I do still have a few pairs of pants that I wear to work with my Bella Band.
Best Moment this week: We had our 32 week ultrasound this morning and got to see Maggie. We got to watch her yawn/swallow and stick her tongue out. She was playing with one of her feet the whole time we were there. The u/s tech told us that everything looked perfect. She also said that Maggie looks like she has really long legs. I wonder if she'll be 6' tall like her Aunt Adrienne. They estimated her weight is right around 4.5 pounds.
Movement: She is a wiggle worm, that's for sure.
Food Craving: Nothing really strong. I like peanut butter a lot more than usual these days.
Baby's Gender: Still a Girl! We confirmed it today.
Labor Signs: Nothing at all.
What I miss: I can't even think of anything I miss these days. I think the thing that comes to mind the most, though, is working out. I know I can exercise while pregnant but it's limited. I want to go all out. Maybe even play some softball.
What I'm looking forward to: My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are hosting a shower in a couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to seeing some ladies I haven't seen in a while and catching up with them.
Milestones: Nothing in particular. Ask me after this weekend when we should have the nursery finished.

Updates!!!

I know I'm a week and a day behind in giving you an update. Will and I were on vacation with my family last week. It was fabulous and I wish I had not come home. I want to be there still. We went to Ocean Isle Beach in NC just like we've been doing for years. Here is one of the only pictures I took that week because, as you can see in the picture, I am pregnant and didn't want to have my picture taken.

As for Maggie updates:

How far along?: 31 wks!

Maternity Clothes?: Either that or Will's t-shirts...

Best Moment this week: For last week it was just relaxing on the beach and spending time with my family. I want to go back. I think I already mentioned that, though. Oh, and while at the beach my dad found Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper. It was such a treat!!!!

Movement: All the time...

Food Craving: Still no cravings.

Baby's Gender: Still a Girl!

Labor Signs: Nothing. And that's a good thing.

What I miss: I made the mistake of pulling up the website of one of my favorite pre-pregnancy stores and I saw that they had loads of really cute stuff. I miss shopping for non-maternity clothes...

What I'm looking forward to: We have an ultra sounds scheduled for next week. I'm really excited to see how much Maggie has grown and maybe this time we can get a profile shot. Last time we had an ultrasound she was very shy and wouldn't let us get a good look at her.

Milestones: I found out the day before leaving on vacation that I did pass my glucose tolerance test! I was so relieved to find that out.

Nursery Update

I meant to add this to a previous weekly update but I never posted the update. So, I'll just create an entirely separate post about the nursery progress we've made. It's not much so don't get too excited....

So far we've painted the walls...

put together the crib...

and I've also put together a storage unit for the closet. For some reason I don't have a picture of that, though.

We need to get a mattress for the crib and will probably be adding the bedding in a month or so.

And while we are talking about bedding. Here is the set we've selected.

A friend of mine chose it for her little one's bedding and I haven't found anything I've like as well... I just love how simple it is yet not too plain.

So, we're making baby steps (no pun intended) on the nursery but it is all coming together. Be on the lookout for more updates as we make more progress.

We have a name...

We've actually had this name for a while but I've been holding out to make sure it's the one we want.

The name is......

29 Weeks!

How far along?: 29 wks! Can you believe it? Sorry I'm an update slacker, by the way.
Maternity Clothes?: Yes, still mostly shirts but I'm finding my maternity pants more and more comfy.
Best Moment this week: Going to Charlotte for a baby shower hosted by my sisters and my mom. It was so much fun getting to catch up with family and friends. I only wish we'd had more time to talk.
Movement: Almost non-stop now. I can feel her up by my ribs and really low at the same time. Makes me think she is going to be tall like her parents. Either that or she is just stretching out.
Food Craving: No cravings. I've been trying really hard to eat well according to the Brewer diet which we learned in our Bradley Class. So far it's not been bad at all. I feel like I'm eating a ton, though.
Baby's Gender: Still a Girl!
Labor Signs: Nothing.
What I miss: Walking around with ease. Now I'm either out of breath, I get hot really quickly or I get a dead leg in my right led. Which brings me to another thing that I miss. I miss having feeling in my right leg. I haven't had it since about my third month of pregnancy.
What I'm looking forward to: I am looking forward to our vacation next week! Will and I are joining my family at the beach in NC. We have been taking this same vacation I was a baby and I haven't missed a year yet. Plus, we both are really in need of some R and R. You all can look forward to an update about the beach after next week.
Milestones: No, huge milestones. I'll find out either today or tomorrow if I passes the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Say a prayer that I did.

26 weeks and 1 day

Sorry I'm a day late in posting my update. It has been one busy week at work and just in general. It's a good type of busy and as long as I can make it through tomorrow all will be well.

Now as far as baby stuff goes:

How far along?: 26 wks and 1 day. Next Wednesday I'll officially be in my 3rd trimester.
Maternity Clothes?: Same as before. I did find a great pair of lounge pants at Destination Maternity last week. I pretty much live in them when I get home in the evenings. They are like butta.
Best Moment this week: We bought a crib and

selected our paint color.
Movement: She's moving even more. And I have started noticing her kick when I'm resting something on my belly. In the evenings I usually read in bed for a bit. I rest my book on my belly, well, I was resting my book on my belly but M started kicking at it so I had to change positions.
Food Craving: Krispy Kreme Hot Glazed Doughnuts and cold milk.
Baby's Gender: Still a Girl!
Labor Signs: None. Not even Braxton Hicks that I notice.
What I miss: Sleep. I've been having a harder time getting to and staying asleep this week. I an really tell that it's starting to get to me...
What I'm looking forward to: Painting the nursery this weekend and having my mom and sisters come to visit for the 4th of July!
Milestones: Not really a milestone but it's my last week in my second trimester. Next week when I got to the doctor I will start scheduling bi-monthly appointments instead of just monthly. I can't believe how fast this is flying by!

Week 25

How far along?: 25 wks
Maternity Clothes?: Yes, mostly shirts still but I did break down and buy another pair of maternity pants. They were too cute to pass up.
Best Moment this week: After trying out 6 different paint colors. (Even though we thought it would be one of the three we had last week) I believe we have found the paint color for the nursery.
Movement: Tons and tons of wiggles. I did get to feel her roll over. That was a really cool feeling.
Food Craving: Still no major cravings. I have wanted chicken wings this week, though.
Baby's Gender: Still a Girl!
Labor Signs: None and that's a good thing.
What I miss: Nothing different from before. I miss shopping in the normal stores for cute Spring/Summer clothes.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the nursery going. So far we've gotten a new ceiling fan installed and most likely picked the paint color. Next we are going to start ordering furniture. On a non-pregnancy note: I'm looking forward to Saturday. We are celebrating my niece, Bailey's first birthday.
Milestones: No huge milestones this week. I did discover that I have a mole inside my belly-button. Not really a milestone but funny.

Week 24 Update

This week has been and will continue to be a busy one for us. Will started teaching at the college again plus we have so many things to get done around the house. The great thing is that we are making progress for when M comes. We can't wait to meet her!

How far along?: 24 wks
Maternity Clothes?: Yes, still all my shirts. And I'm still a Bella Band advocate as I have not purchased another pair of maternity pants.
Best Moment this week: Signing up for our Bradley Class. I am so anxious to learn and really excited to prepare for labor. Plus, it makes things feel so much more real.
Movement: Still a little wiggle worm. Last night she was a dancing machine. Will has gotten to feel her kick a couple of times which was really exciting!
Food Craving: No huge cravings lately. I have noticed that I tend to gravitate towards sweet stuff these days. Chocolate ice cream is a favorite.
Baby's Gender: Still a Girl!
Labor Signs: None
What I miss: Still miss my regular shoes. I also miss standing up with ease.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting started on the nursery. I narrowed paint color choices down to 3. Tonight we are going to get samples to paint the wall and see what we like the best.
Milestones: Hitting 24 weeks! Also, a realization hit me last week. My youngest sister was born at 24 weeks. (She's perfect and shows no side effects, by the way. We are blessed.) But just coming to the realization that I am at the same point in my pregnancy as my mom was when she had Jenny was really..... interesting. I'm not worried at all but I do remember going to visit Jenny in the hospital when she was born. I remember how small she was and what she looked like. That is right where our little girl is. It just made me think...

Confession and Updates

I have to confess, I am really a big wimp when it comes to putting up belly picks. That's why you haven't seen one. Well, the truth is that up until fairly recently, there wasn't much belly to show but now that there is, I'm a chicken. I've taken a few shots but most of the time I really feel like I just look sick and worn out. Now, I will say that most of those shots where taken in the first trimester when I was sick and worn out but I still have not mustered up the courage ever since my first few fails. So, I may or may not post a belly pic. We'll just have to see.

As for updates, I want to start posting these weekly to keep you all in the loop. This week you'll hopefully get a couple so that I can get on track. So, here we go:

How far along? 22 wks and 5 days
Maternity Clothes? Yes, all my shirts. I have a pair of maternity jeans and bermuda shorts but usually I just use my Bella Band. It's a pregnant girls dream!!! (Blair, if you read this and don't have one, let me know)
Best Moment this week: Finally feeling like I look pregnant and not just like I've been a little too in love with carbs.
Movement: Wow! Do I have a wiggle worm. She is moving all over and I feel so much more often now. She is a night owl, though. Most of the time she gets really active in the late afternoon and continues on and off through the rest of the evening. I usually go to bed with her kicking me.
Food Craving: I can't really think of anything I've been craving lately. I went through my veggie and dill dip phase but that's gone now. The strangest thing is that I like things I never would even look at before. I never ate mushrooms before getting pregnant but now I eat them a lot.
Baby's Gender: Girl! We love pink!
Labor Signs: None
What I miss: Wearing shoes other than flip-flops. My poor feet are so swollen. All I can wear is flip-flops. It makes me feel really unprofessional at work.
What I'm looking forward to: I have a doctor's appointment this week so I can't wait to hear her heartbeat again. I'm also looking forward to picking paint colors for the nursery.
Milestones: It's not a big one but we received a piece to the bedding set we picked out. Now I can go find a paint color to go in the room. That just makes this all seem so much more real!

What other things would you guys like me to let you know in my weekly updates. Let me know.

And Baby Lyon is....

You all have been waiting so patiently. Thank you so much! I'm happy to report that I am finally able to share the news with everyone.

Baby Lyon is, in fact, a girl!!! Will and I are so excited to be welcoming this little lady into our family.

After our appointment on Friday we went to pre-register at the hospital and while we were there they gave us a tour. Everyone we met was so nice! After our visit there I can honestly say that I look forward to working with the staff there.

Once we were done with our tour we decided to go ahead and go register. I let Will control the scanning gun and his M.O. was "If it's pink, I'm scanning it." And that is pretty much what he did.

Boy or Girl?

Check back at the end of this week. I should have an update on Baby Lyon, or as we've been calling him/her, "M". (Both of the names we've chosen start with M. That's all I'm giving away right now.)


We have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday morning to check growth of the baby and all the organs. It's also the ultrasounds where we can find out the gender if we want to. Which we do.

Before we do find out, I want to know what you think. Do you think "M" is a boy or a girl. Vote over in the side bar.

Wicked follow-up

Wow! What a great performance. I loved it! I highly recommend anyone see it that has the opportunity.

We had such a great night. Will made arrangements with Danette, my co-worker who I went with, for us to have dinner at Ruth's Chris before the show. It was so good! We got to enjoy a delicious meal and look at the river while we ate. After dinner we scurried on over to the theatre just in time to get to our seats and see the show.

I have to say that I loved every minute of it! I loved how the story tied into The Wizard of Oz and how we learned the back story of several characters that were familiar when I was growing up. I don't want to give too much away in case you ever have the chance to see it but I can tell you that there were some really good surprises in the story.

As for everything else, the music, dancing, costumes and set. They were wonderful. Nothing disappointed me of left me wanting more.

Bottom line, it was a great night and totally worth the money we spent on tickets. Again, if you have the chance to go, GO!!!!

Tonight is a big night...

While most people will be out celebrating Cinco de Mayo I will be going to see....

I'll be going with one of my co-workers and I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited to see it. Everyone I've talked to who's seen it already just raves about it. I've heard some of the music and can't wait to get the full experience. I'll let you all know how it goes.

More of Adrienne and JT

If you'd like to see more of Adrienne and JT, you can look at a slideshow of their photos here.

We did start a little earlier than I had wanted so we had to fight with the sun a bit but once we worked that out, all went well.

A little preview...

Of what I've been up to for the past two weeks...

When we got the news from work that our hours were being cut I thought I would have a little more time to blog on a regular basis. Boy was I wrong! I have been filling those days up!

Last week my sister, Adrienne and her fiance' came to stay with Will and I while they were on Spring Break. (She's a teacher) While they were here, we decided to try and take some engagement pictures of them. I'm still editing most of the pictures but here are a couple for you to look at...

This shoot was a lot of fun for a first shoot. I'd never done anything like this before and both Adrienne and JT were good sports and really patient with me. Hopefully, I'll have some more shots for you to take a look at in the next few days.

It's really hard to blog and keep a secret at the same time...

So, I'll just have to do something to take care of that.

I think it was a few months ago that I first told you all that I had a surprise but I had to wait to share it. Well, I can share it now.

Some of you have probably already guessed it but I wanted to confirm or deny your suspicion.

Will and I are pregnant!!!!

We couldn't be any more excited about this than we are. I have always felt like my calling in life was to be a Godly wife and mother and now I feel like I finally get to do all of what I've been called to do. I feel so privileged to be the mother of this baby and I know Will feels the same way about being a father.

So, I'm very sorry to have kept you all hanging. Please don't hold it against me.

Good morning, good morning, good morning!!!

Well, let me just start by saying that I have missed blogging. Please forgive my absence but I have been a bit under the weather with a bad cold for about a week now. It's still lingering but it's on it's way out, thank the Lord! I have some updates to the house that I've wanted to post but haven't had the energy to do so. I plan on starting that tonight so be on the look out.

On another note, my parents are coming to visit us this weekend and I could not be more excited. I haven't seen either of them since Christmas and, in my opinion, that's just far too long. We will be celebrating my birthday while they are here and that just makes this trip even more wonderful to me.

So, check back in and I'll hopefully have some updated posts for you all soon, if you've hung around this long to see them.

Something to make you laugh...

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the blog Cake Wrecks but if you aren't let me encourage you to become familiar. They are always good for a laugh. Not only because of the spectacular wrecks otherwise known as cakes but also the commentary of the blog's author.

This morning I was looking through the blog as I do every once in a while and I came across this post which made me laugh out loud. I don't know why it was so funny to me but it had me in stitches. Let me know what you guys think.

I got an award! And I want to share it with you!

Kristin awarded me my first blog awards today! I was thrilled to see that she tagged me!!!

I want to give this award to some of my favorite bloggers as well...

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate 10 (I only did 8) blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Comment on their blog telling them you are giving them this award.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Megan~ Our Growing Family

Ashley~ Prattle of the Redneck Princess

Rachel~ Ray Ray's Cafe'

Nurse Rachel~Nurse Rachel

Debra~ Our Life In Bloom

Heather~ House of Leaks

Amanda~ The Many Adventures of Mana

Theresa~ Theresa Patch's Thirty-One Blog

In addition to this award, I also received these that I want to give you as well!

Thank you so much for thinking of me, Kristin!!!

Just to ease your anxiety a bit...

I know a couple of posts ago I mentioned that I have some secret reasons for not posting and I really didn't mean it to turn into as big of a deal as it has. I've gotten comments and emails from folks wondering what the big surprise is and while I still can't reveal anything let me just settle your anxiety a bit and say that it's really not a big deal. I will tell you all in due time. I promise.

Experiences...

I snagged this post fromanother blog and thought it was fun.

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland - only if Disney World Counts.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
I guess there is no number 11...
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt-I helped...
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Just stoppin' by to say hello

I know I'm way behind on posting but I promise I have great reasons. I just can't tell you any of them right now. We have been more busy than ever at work which is really good. Will has been working hard at his second job of teaching two nights a week so any time we can spend together that is not at work is cherished.

Also, I got a call from you middle sister, Adrienne, last week. She was calling to tell me she was engaged! We are really excited for her as well as J.T., her fiance'. While Will and I were in Charlotte for Christmas J.T. had actually asked me to go ring shopping with him. We went and picked out what we thought would be the perfect ring for her so when she called and told me that she loved her ring I felt really good knowing that I had helped pick it out.

On a not so happy note, my long time pet from when I was growing up, Molly, had to be put to sleep a couple of weeks ago. My mom had called me the Friday before to let me know that poor Molly had been having seizures. They took her to the emergency vet where they believed she had a brain tumor. They treated the seizures with medicine in the hopes that she was epileptic but she just really didn't get any better. In fact, she got worse over that weekend so that following Monday my mom and dad took her to the vet to see if there was anything they could do. There wasn't and she was just not herself so they put her to sleep. Goodness I miss that dog! I know it's silly but I really do. My poor mom is even worse off than I am. I pray that her pain is short lived. She's been through a lot over the past couple of months.

So, that's pretty much what's been going on in our lives over the past month or so. We are really boring people. I do have more updates but they will have to wait. Just keep checking back.

The 1 Cor. 7:5 Challenge

I encourage all my married friends to follow the link below and take this challenge along with me.

Photo Tag

Kristin tagged me for a photo meme.The Rules:I was supposed to open my photos, choose the 6th folder and then the 6th photo in that folder. Then I was told to post the photo with a description about it and then tag 6 friends to do the same.

This photo was taken at Will's graduation from UNF. It's the seal that was hanging over the stage. Will graduted this past May with his BS in Civil Engineering. It was a great week because, not only was he finally finished with school but also because my family came to help us celebrate! We have a ton of great pictures from his graduation and the party the next day. But this is the one I get to share with you all...

Here's who I tag...
Ashley from Prattle of a Redneck Princess
Rachel D. from Ray Ray's Cafe'
Rachel S. from Nurse Rachel's Blog
Megan from Our Growing Family
Debra from The Tester Times
Heather from House of Leaks

They don't make 'em like this anymore...

When I was younger I almost always felt out of the loop as far as movies and music that were current with the time. I never knew what was main stream or popular and when I would mention movies or music that was familiar to me my friends would look at me like I had three eye balls or a second nose protruding from my face. The main reason for that was because in my parents house, we rarely watched television. When we finally did get a VCR in the house if a movie wasn't a Disney movie it was a classic musical. My mother loved musicals, and because of that I loved musicals. We would watch them when we were allowed to watch TV and I learned all the dances and songs. They all became my favorite movies and I didn't think anything of it when none of my friends new what I was talking about when I made references to these movies.

When I was 7 my mom and I went to visit my father in London, England. He was working there and had been there for a few months. While we were there we saw several great things. We visited Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. We rode the subway and double-decker buses every where. We even visited Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum which was really quite exciting for a 7 year old. However, out of all the things that we did the two events that were the biggest deal to me were the two musical plays we got to see. One was South Pacific and the other was Brigadoon.

Now, not to get off subject but I will be the first to tell you that I love movies! I love going to the movies or watching them at home. I usually try to make an event out of it. So, you can imagine how discouraged I've been over the junk that Hollywood has come out with as of late. Over the past couple years I've really not gone to the movies like I once did. So, I watched movies at home more but the pickin's were still pretty slim. They just don't make movies like they use to.

So, this Christmas I asked for a new movie library, more or less. I gave my mom a list of all the old musicals that I grew up on and on Christmas morning she came through. I received several of my favorites and Will proceeded to roll his eyes and groan at the thought of having to watch them with me. Among the list were such titles as:

Singing in the Rain

Meet Me in St. Louis

Gigi

The Music Man

Thoroughly Modern Millie

An American in Paris

Almost as soon as we arrived back home after Christmas I started watching Meet Me in St. Louis. I told Will that he didn't have to watch it but it was too late. He was hooked. He laughed and laughed making note of the clever dialogue and, most importantly, the lack of trash that you find in today's movies. After the first movie has was anxious for another one. I selected Singing in the Rain and once again he loved it! We agreed that today's actors only have a fraction of the talent that you might find in these old movies. Today's actors sure can act but can they sing and dance as well? Maybe some of them but you'd never know it...

So, I encourage you all to take a look at one of these classics and really give it a chance. You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Happy New Year

What a year 2008 has been! So much has happened for us this past year and both Will and I feel so blessed! We can't wait to see what 2009 brings us.

We've been busy for last month or so and are really looking forward to life slowing down for a bit. After spending a week in NC with my family we returned to Jacksonville this past Saturday night and have been adjusting ever since. Once things settle down I'll be a little better about keeping you all updated.