02-02-02

Tomorrow, February 2nd, Joey and I will celebrate 7 years of marriage. We were married on 02/02/02. I use to always say that I wanted to get married on Valentine's Day, but Valentine's Day was not on a Saturday in the year 2002.

Actually, there is a little history in the date we chose. I am funny with numbers, I count everything, and I am pretty good in math. So numbers are just kinda my thing. So here goes:

The number 8 in the bible represents "New Beginnings".
We were married on 02/02/2002 (Add up all the 2's and you get 8)
We were married at 5:30 (5 and 3 makes 8)
We dated for 8 years before we married
Our current home which is also our first home has the address 4642 (4+4) (6+2)
We live on County Road 116 (8)
The difference in our age is 20 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, and 2 hours (all 2's = 8)
The first movie we saw together was "8 Seconds"
The last movie we saw (in a theater) was "8 Below"

So now you think I'm weird right!!! Or you are thinking...man they never go to the movies! 8 seconds came out in 2006...OMG...that too equals 8!! Not planned I promise!

There are many more significant numbers that equal 8, but I can't seem to think of them. I'm sure you don't mind at this point :)

The past 7 years have been wonderful. I know without a doubt that Joey is God's "perfect will" for me. I have never doubted. Joey is my very best friend and is the most amazing husband and father. He is caring, thoughtful, considerate, and passionate about the things he believes in. He is overall a wonderful man. When I was a young girl, I prayed for one thing in regards to finding a husband...I prayed that God would bless me with a man that loved me as much as I loved him. If the love is there equally, all the other stuff falls into place. Thank you God for blessing me with a wonderful husband...I love him more today than I did 7 years ago.

Tomorrow night we are going to the Cheesecake factory. It's our favorite! We had planned on going to the beach this weekend but the Super Bowl messed up that plan. We like to go to the beaches in that area (Treasure Island in particular) but everything was booked with the Super Bowl being in Tampa...and the prices to stay were rediculous anyway! So we have decided to go away Valentine weekend instead...just me and Joey. I am really looking forward to it.

Well, you will hear from me again this week because we find out what we are having on Wednesday!!! I can't wait to find out, and tell you!

PS I consider the song playing "our song". This was also our "first dance song".

I love you Joey!!!!! Happy Anniversary!!!

Quick Update

I just want to let you all know that I did not find out the sex of the baby when I went to my most recent check-up. Dr. Helms had a great view of the area, but for some reason he didn't feel confident about giving me an answer. I think the baby's hand was obstructing his view. But I go back Wednesday Feb. 4th for my ultra sound at Lake Medical Imaging. I am certain I will find out then. I am anxious to know! So far everything else looks great!

Please keep these expecting mothers in your prayers: Natalie Johnson, Sara Washburn, Jennifer Russ, Chrissy Reams, Amanda Gray, Krista Fay, and Wendy Craig. I apologize if I am missing anyone, let me know if I am.

PS-Tomorrow (January 26) is Cyndi's birthday! Happy Birthday Cyndi, I love you!!

Boy or Girl?

It's late as I type this...late for me anyway. I have been super tired this pregnancy. By the time I post this, I will be 15 weeks...almost 4 months. Yet, I am still having days where I feel horrible. Although I prefer to feel great and not bad, I at least know my baby must be thriving and taking everything from me.

Everything about this pregnancy is almost exactly like my pregnancy with Will, except I can't remember feeling this bad for this long. People say this means I'm having a girl, but I don't look at it that way. My sister had 2 completely different pregnancies and both were girls. So different pregnancies does not automatically mean different sex babies.

People ask me daily if I want this to be a girl. I can honestly say that I don't have a preference. I work with disabled children on a daily basis...so all I ask God (and I ask him every night) is to please bless me with a healthy baby.

Once I do know the sex of the baby, I will pray very specific things for his/her life. I did this with Will, and God answered my prayers...all the way down to Will's dimples. It sounds silly, but God of course can do anything...so why not ask him, right?! It's so important to pray blessings on our children even before they are born...even as specific as personality traits. No prayer is silly to God.

When will I find out the sex of the baby? I thought you'd never ask! My next appt. is Monday January 19th. I will be 16 weeks and could very well find out then! I wasn't going to find out...but I have since changed my mind. That's if the baby cooperates.

I do have names picked out, and will share them with you now. Let me know what you think.

Boy- Westin (Wes) Samuel (not sure if I will spell Westin or Weston, what do you think?)

Girl-Brinley Elisabeth

Well, I hope you all have a blessed week. I'm sure you will hear from me again next Monday!

Christmas cards, and a doctor visit.

**Before you read my blog, please take the time to turn up the volume, and listen to Kelly Clarkson sing O Holy Night, it's so beautiful and I promise it's worth your time**

I have not blogged now in almost a month. Mostly because I haven't felt great, and because I have been going to bed early. I am 12 weeks now, and it's so hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by! I am beginning to feel better these days, although I still have moments when I feel...well, pregnant!

So I've decided to pick two things and tell you about them. The first is my adventure with Will at Venetian gardens in hopes to capture that perfect pose for our family Christmas cards....that didn't happen. He was tired, ill, and didn't care if Santa needed this picture for Christmas (I absolutely did not tell him that was why we were taking pictures!). Instead I got this...



Yes, he is really crying with tears!

Anyway, I have to be honest. I was so mad at him!! It was 11am, and his nap wasn't till 1pm! Why was he ill!? Why was he tired!? I didn't punish him for not cooperating...but I sure wanted to! I had procrastinated until the last minute to even take pictures, so I was putting pressure on myself...but really I was pressuring him. He fell asleep in the car on the way home. He was just tired. That's all. So simple. Now that I type this...I am remembering that Amy puts him down around 11:30. On the weekends we choose 1pm because it works for us. So he reacted honest. It was me who needed to be punished. I felt bad afterwards, when my blood pressure had gone down (we all have those days...right?.

Here are a few pictures from that day...notice he won't look at the camera for Santa...I mean me.





Another reason you can tell I was feeling pressure was because you should NEVER take pictures at 11am! Anyone with picture sense knows that rule. The best times are early morning and late afternoon...unless it's overcast. It wasn't overcast that day.

A few days later, I took this picture just before I left for work. He was outside on his bike. And this is the picture I used for our Christmas cards.



No...it doesn't look like a "Christmas" picture...but it worked, and it was precious!

The second thing I wanted to tell you was in regards to my OB check-up. I went yesterday and all looked good. I met Dr. Helms for the first time, and I felt a little rushed. He was very nice, but we have to remember it's Christmas week. Most people are in a different mindset. But he said the baby looked great and was pleased with the visit. Oh, and by the way...I have not gained any weight...I actually lost 1 pound! I was pleased with the visit also!!

Well, I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas holiday with your families. This will be a fun Christmas for us now that Will is almost 3. I can't wait to hear all about your day and I hope to share our story soon.

God Bless, & Merry Christmas!!!!!

West Virginia

What can I say...other than God is amazing. Just looking out the plane window...being above the clouds...the beauty of it all. Then the mountains, the snow, the trees, a wonderful friendship...I felt so blessed, I really did.

My gracious friend Sherry, drove 2 hours to Roanoke, Va. to pick me up from the airport with her 2 sick babies on board. And she wasn't feeling great herself. She did this because she is a wonderful friend. Thank you Sherry!

We didn't get to do the things she had originally planned for us...her household was battling an upper respiratory infection. I did what I could to help, but I was feeling yuck myself...pregnancy was/is kicking my butt!

But you know, I wasn't disappointed with the trip. I got to know a side of my friend that I didn't know existed. I knew her when we were in college, and the days of working at Service Merchandise in Ocala. This time, I got to know Sherry. Mother to 2wonderful boys, Logan & Nathan (only 13 months apart), Wife to Mike, a man who devotes his life to training police dogs for people all over the country. He is amazing in his work, I got to watch him train! So awesome! I learned that Sherry has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)...at least that's what I call what she has. Her house is way too clean and organized, she must have OCD, right?! I also got to know a woman who is passionate about God, her view of life, her career (Massage Therapist) and her family. She has been through alot of "stuff". But she walks with her head high...she is a good friend. You would love her if you knew her.

West Virginia is so beautiful. If I knew how to do a slide show of pics I would...so I will post a few for you to enjoy. Notice the ground is pretty dead, brown and not much life. When I left on Tuesday, there was at least 8 inches of snow on the ground...it was amazing to be there and see such a difference, literally overnight.

You should go to W.V. someday. It's a state we don't hear much about, but worth the visit. I can't wait to go back. Joey is looking forward to hunting there. Did I mention that her husbands family owns over 3000 acres of land? Joey will be in deer heaven!

Stop by Mike's site if you get a chance. http://www.loganhauskennels.com/

P.S. Don't you just love that John Denver :)

Untitled

I have no reason to blog, but just thought I would. I am six weeks today and I am wondering when the baby on the left will start looking like a baby. I cant remember the week a baby is fully formed. But I am thinking the heart will begin to beat this week. I at least know that much. I need to get the book Your Pregnancy Week by Week. I did have it, but let my sister-in-law borrow it. Unfortunately she lives 4.5 hours away, so I will probably get another one soon. I like the week by week book better than the month by month.

I have been feeling very tired and very nauseous for the past 2 weeks. I can't remember if I was this way with Will.

I have my first doctor appointment on Wednesday Nov. 19. I could have gotten in sooner but I needed a 2pm appt. and that was the first available. I didn't want to use a half day at work, that's why I am waiting for the late appt. instead. I can just use comp time for that day.

Next Saturday, I am flying out to Roanoke, Va. A dear friend of mine lives there(she actually lives in Williamsburg, WV) and I have been wanting to visit. I am very excited about being up there in the fall season. It will be so beautiful. I can't wait to blog about my trip. I will return Tuesday afternoon, so I will be gone 3 nights and 4 days. But I will technically only be away from Will and Joey on Sunday and Monday. I know Joey will do a great job while I'm gone. I decided not to take Will, and I am starting to feel really bad. First, I don't think he is considered a "lap baby" therefore I would have had to buy a 2nd ticket. Secondly, he doesn't have clothes for that type of weather. Thirdly, this is the last "me" trip I will probably get until the new baby comes. Am I a bad mother for leaving him? Both my mom and Brenda have said, "I can't believe you're leaving Will."

Well, I have work tomorrow but not Tuesday. So I am really looking forward to Tuesday!

I hope you all have a great week!

Five Weeks

Yes, that's right! Joey and I are expecting! I contemplated whether or not I should wait until I was 12 weeks to make the announcement, but I'm too excited to wait. Plus, my family and friends can pray for us, and that's important.

My due date is July 5th 2009. The date seems so far away, but it's actually only 35 weeks away. It will be here before I know it!

I do want to tell you something precious. And if you have read my blog regarding my first loss, then you will really appreciate this. I hope it touches you the way it touched me...Well, Joey and I were explaining to Will that mommy had a baby in her tummy. We related it to Aunt Sharis (since she was pregnant with Jayde while she kept Will last school year). We said, "Remember when Aunt Sharis had baby Jayde in her tummy, and now baby Jayde is here and Trace has a little sister." Will seemed to grasp all this and understand. So I then said, "Will, do you want a baby brother, or a baby sister?" His reply was this, "I already got a baby brother." I thought about what Denise said on my comments regarding the yellow blanket. She said, "Maybe Will has some sort of connection to his "brother" that he doesn't even know."

Maybe he does. Isn't the thought of that just amazing?!

Please keep our new baby in your prayers.

I'm so happy to share this wonderful news with you :)