Easter

My sisters and I (we have taken pictures in front of this spot since we were born!)
Richy and I

Richy Roo

Courtney and I

This Easter was a very nice time with family. We went to church and I had nursery duty. Courtney was in town and came in the nursery with me. I really had a great time with the babies and catching up with my friend. After church we went to mamaw and papaw Christian's for a traditional Easter dinner. The food was so yummy! After lunch we had a birthday party for Richy and my cousins daughter Serinity. After the parties we had an egg hunt with the kids. It was so fun to watch. I can't wait til I can help Luke with this tradition. After the hunt we came home and Richy's parents came over to visit and see the renovations on our house. We always have a great time catching up. That evening we went to mom and Kel's to visit. While we were there we decided to play wiffle ball with Lindsay and her boyfriend Taylor. Before it was all said and done it was Lindsay, mom, and I against Richy, Taylor, and Kel. I laughed until I cried so many times! It was a great time! I love spending time with family!

Inspire Luncheon

Mom and I on stage
Katie, Lindsay, and I with Phil Stacey

Katie and I...I look huge in this picture!

Every April for the past 6 years I have had the privileged of attending a luncheon for the Mary Ellen Locker Foundation. I look forward to this Sunday all year. The Mary Ellen Locker Foundation was established by Mary Ellen Locker Byrd. MEL use to be an anchor woman in Chattanooga, however, that was one of her many jobs. MEL was diagnosed with cancer and instead of sitting back and letting it overcome her she decided that she had to do something to help all women impacted by breast cancer. She started the Children of Breast Cancer foundation which later was rename the Mary Ellen Locker foundation. MEL started the foundation to help those impacted by this horrible disease and also because she wanted to make sure her son Alex would be taken care of. MEL passed away but her legacy lives on and her foundation grows larger every year. The MEL foundation has helped so many go to college and accomplish their dreams. I feel so blessed to have been one of the recipients. I believe that if it had not been for the MEL foundation that I might not have accomplished my dream of being a teacher. The foundation has also helped my sister and sister in law in their college endeavors. I truly owe more thanks than I can give to the MEL foundation and all that are involved. Every year they have a luncheon where they hand out scholarships and raise money. This year I had the opportunity to say a few words during the event. My job was to say a few words about how I have been impacted by the foundation and then ask for people to leave a donation on their table. Before I was about to walk on the stage I was presented with an awesome gift basket. It was all boy themed and had so many amazing things inside. It had onesies, blankets, a little care package, and a Babies R us gift card. The foundation has already given me so much and now they acknowledge my baby. It was so exciting and I am so thankful! Every year they have great entertainment. One year it was Barbara Dooley the wife of Vince Dooley who is a well know football coach, Rhonda Rich who is a hilarious southern author, and Randy Owen from the group Alabama performed one year. This year Phil Stacey from American Idol performed. He did a great job and really seemed to be glad to be working with the foundation. He has decided to make the MEL foundation the main charity that he supports. I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with him and he seemed like a pretty cool guy. Every year I have a great time and this year was no exception! I can't wait til next year and take Luke to this awesome event!

Ultrasound Pictures and Belly Pictures

Sweet Boy!
YEP! He is a boy!

19 Weeks...end of the day so no face in this one...

17 weeks

IT'S A BOY!!

Today we went for our 18 week 3 day visit. We found out that our baby is a....BOY! Most importantly our baby is very healthy and all the growth that they look for at this point was right on track and everything looked great! It was so funny because Richy and I thought that this baby was a girl. We just knew that we would have a girl, so she said boy we were both in shock. I am still in shock, but I am so excited about my little boy. I think that the fact that I am going to have a baby was finally real today, and I think that is what I am in shock about. We invited our parents to the ultrasound so including Richy and I there were 8 people in the room. I battled with this decision because a lot of people said to let this time be about Richy and I, but in my heart I wanted our parents to be there. This was the best decision I could have made. It was great watching 6 grandparents stare at my baby and already be so in love. I felt so blessed...I had my amazing husband whom truly has been more to me in this time than I could have ever asked for, my mom and dad with my amazing stepparents in the same room (this always makes me emotional), and my in laws who have treated me like their own and every time I am with them make me feel more loved. The icing on the cake was looking at my baby boy. The lord has entrusted me to be the mom of this wiggly, chubby cheeked (the nurse said he had fat cheeks), perfect little boy. I can't think of what I have done to deserve all that the lord has given me but I praise him and thank him for all he has done. He is truly amazing!

After the appt. Richy and I ate at Cracker Barrel. I am kinda on a Cracker Barrel kick so anytime I can get over that way I take the chance to eat there. It was delicious as ever. Next we stopped at Children's Fair. Richy and I walked around and got an idea of what we are looking for as far as bedroom furniture and bedding. I found out that Richy and I still have different taste in everything (but thats ok...we compliment each other) because we both like different things. I am not going to stress about it because I know we have some time. Today was truly a gift from God and I am so thankful!

p.s. I have been feeling the baby move....a lot. At first I didn't know what it was. After today however, I know that same feeling that I feel over and over is my wiggly baby BOY!

As soon as I scan my ultrasound pics in I will post them.

I THINK I AM NESTING!

Charlie thinking...I can finally walk around in this room!

The only thing in the closet is some things for the baby and some picture frames...yes that is a pink blanket...found it while cleaning and can't remember why I have it!

Charlie has collected two of his ball in the room...he doesn't know what to do with all the open space!

This week I have enjoyed being off work for Spring Break. However, I feel that I have worked just has hard at my house as I do in the classroom. Monday at 10:00 a.m. my mom came over and we started our own episode of Clean Sweep. We cleaned out what we plan on using as the baby room, the basement, and the laundry room. We worked all day and I think that she left around 10:00 that night. Tuesday I had a dentist appt. After the dentist appt. we started our cleaning extravaganza over again. She stayed til about 10:00 Tuesday night too. When she left Tuesday we were finished! After two long days of organizing and cleaning we were done. We managed to completely empty the baby room (formerly know as my office) and move the stuff to the basement. We took all the "junk" that was in the basement and either threw it away or found it a "home." We also neatly put all of Richy's hunting equipment into a nice spacious closet. We managed to fill 15 bags of garbage and 10 bags for Goodwill. We accomplished so much and I have found myself thinking about what I can organize next. I have some pictures of the empty baby room. I am to embarrassed to show the before pictures so just enjoy the after!

Our New Addition...no not the baby

For the last several weeks all you hear at my house is the sound of bagging. We decided to turn our screened in porch into an extra sitting room. Richy likes to refer to this room as the "man room." He plans to give it a very manly decor and put all his animals in it. I am giving him free reign in that room. I don't think I would even know how to decorate a "man room." I am very proud at the progress he has made and how much stuff he has done on his own. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it is done. I figured I would post some pictures of the progress this far. I looked for a before picture but I do not have one saved on my computer. Hopefully by the time a show the finished product I will have a before picture.

13 Weeks 3 Days

We saw Dr. Child's today for a routine visit. It was a very quick visit and everything looked great. We heard the heart beat and it is still in the 160's. Dr. Child's asked how my energy level was and I said it is great til 4:00 and then I just want to go to sleep. Richy told him that I sleep all the time, and I said you chase 20 five year olds around all day and you see what you do. :) It was very in and out but we always have a good laugh when we go. My next appt. is March 25 at 8:30 and that is our gender visit. I can't believe my first trimester has come and gone. In a lot of ways it feels like it has been forever but it often feels like it is flying by. I think I have successfully not thrown up, however I have felt very close many times. The worst part right now is this horrible taste that I can not get out of my mouth. Overall I have enjoyed every minute of being pregnant and I can't wait to see what the next weeks hold. Please continue to pray for Richy, myself, and the baby. Also pray for Richy's business and that jobs keep coming in!