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!

Valentines Day

This Valentines Day was probably my favorite out of the seven that I have spent with Richy. We normally go out to eat at a nice restaurant and that is it. He normally gets me flowers and I give him Reeces hearts and we are both satisfied. This year he asked where I wanted to go eat and I said I think I just want to stay home. Nothing really sounded appealing so I didn't want to go spend a lot of money on food that I probably won't eat any ways. He decided that he would cook for me. For Richy this is a huge deal. He NEVER cooks. Our menu for the night was steak, boiled okra (my favorite, Richy's speciality), and a baked potato. Richy's mom gave us two mini cheesecakes for dessert. The dinner was fabulous and we spent good quality time together. I was so glad that we chose to celebrate this way. I am so thankful for my husband and all that he does for me!

Six Random Facts About Me

I was tagged by Brittney B. and Lydia F.

1. I am very lazy! It is probably one of my not so great qualities but it is the truth. I love to lay on the couch and watch TV. In the past three weeks I have had a lot of time off and I have taken full advantage of laying around. I know that this time is short and soon I will not be able to enjoy this luxury so I am taking full advantage while I can.

2. I love my job. I don't think that I have had one morning where I did not want to go to work. There are some days that it is stressful, hard, and emotional but I truly love what I do. I can't imagine doing anything else.

3.I love salty foods. I like sweets, but I will take a bag of chips over a cake any day. I really like to get plain ruffles and dip them into sour cream. It is so yummy! ( I often like to do this while I am enjoying the #1 random fact about me)

4. I love spending time with my family. Moms, dads, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, the whole crew! I love it! I could honestly spend everyday with them. We have our disagreements and we are all very different but when we are together I love it! Actually my dad's parents have a lunch every other Sunday and have been doing this since I was 6. This gathering includes my mamaw, papaw, dad, Lori, Heather, my aunt, uncle, and depending on the day 5 or so cousins. I don't make it to all of them but I do attend most. I love that time and it never seems long enough!

5.I am probably one of the biggest FRIENDS fans you will ever meet. I have all ten seasons and have watched every episode at least 5 times. Most episodes I have seen WAY more than that! Every thing in life I relate back to FRIENDS and at any give moment I could probably quote a line from FRIENDS that goes along with the conversation I might be having. I have also hooked Richy. We have gone through all ten season once together and now we are making our way back around. We love it and there are many nights we come home, crawl in bed, and watch at least 3 or 4 episodes.

6. I think I have said this one before..but I am an ink pen collector. I have an obsession. I have favorites but I love all kinds. I actually have a pen bag. The bad is monogrammed and only holds a small amount of the ones I own. I know that it is the teacher in me but I love them. I never miss a stroll down the ink pen aisle at any store!

I think everyone has been tagged....but it you are reading this and you haven't been, then I tag you!

Coming Soon August 2009

As many of you may know and some may not, Richy and I are expecting our first child this summer. My due date is August 23, 2009. We found out that I was pregnant on December 17, 2008. It had been about 57 days since my last period and I knew something wasn't right. Two weeks before I had taken a pregnancy test and it was negative so I didn't think I was pregnant. So Wednesday night I was at Wal-Mart with my sister and the pregnant thought re entered my mind and I said, " would it be silly if I bought another test?" Her reply was, "no why else would you not have period." So I bought a two pack and went home to take the test. Immediately after urinating on the stick it read pregnant. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So I drank a bottle of water and an hour later I repeated the process and it too read the beautiful word...pregnant. The next morning I called the doctor and that afternoon I went in for blood work. I was called back the next day to be told indeed I was pregnant and everything looked good. I went in the following Monday and gave more blood to ensure my levels were good and they were. That weekend we told our families and after that the news traveled fast. We enjoyed Christmas and New Years. I enjoyed a very relaxing trip to Augusta to visit Courtney and finished enjoying my time off from work. On January 6 we went for our first visit. It was a three hour visit. I gave them lots of blood. We chatted with Kay the nurse practitioner at my OB and we saw our baby for the first time. It was amazing watching something so small. The ultrasound was reading me to be only 7weeks 5 days and if calculated from the first date of my last period (Oct. 20) I should have been 11 weeks. So we had to return for another ultrasound today (Jan. 20). This ultrasound was a lot better and we could see arms, legs, the head,and we heard the heart beat. It once again amazed me. Richy was so excited he didn't know which screen to look at. It was very funny. The ultrasound tech made the comment that she hadn't seen a dad so excited in a long time. It was so amazing to see our little olive (that's what size it is this week) waving its little arms and legs at us. The ultrasound did reveal that I am 9weeks 2 days and my due date is August 23. We found out really early and my mom keeps saying..it is going to be a long year, but I am excited and taking in everyday because I know it won't be long.

Richy and I are very excited and we are just asking for your prayers during this time. This is a big responsibility that God is entrusting us with and we are asking anyone that will to pray for guidance, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby. Thanks and we love you all!