Missed Already

This is going to be a long one-but it's something I have to do...

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Christmas parties, crazy travels, and shopping-I can't help but feel the need to take some time to dedicate to my wonderful grandfather.

Christmas day '08 would have been my Pa Paw's 93rd birthday. (He was born Dec. 25, 1915, in Arvada, Colorado.) As I've mentioned in a previous blog, Pa Paw was a wonderful man-loved by many...especially his family. He passed away this year on Oct. 14, '08. My grandma (Vera Faye Bennett) preceded him in death July 13, '07. They were married over 66 years-a true love story!

Pa Paw and Grandma lived on their farm in Solo, MO. (And, don't even try finding it on a map...let's just say this-my dad, his brothers, and his sister really did walk over 2 miles to school every day, up-hill, in the snow, etc. And, I've seen the "school house ". It's about the size of my living room. They lived in the heart of the Ozark country-side.) The modest farm house (with a kitchen, family room, laundry area, and 3 extremely small bedrooms) housed 7 people, and for a long time, had an out house serving as a bathroom. A huge update included adding a bathroom inside the home. As modest as the home was-it was filled with love. I remember going there as a child and teenager (before they moved to Ash Grove, MO to have assisted living). I remember...

• All of my cousins, aunts, uncles, Grandma, and Pa Paw enjoying home cooked country meals (thanks to all of the ladies who worked hard in the cramped kitchen)
• The kids taking turns swinging on the swing made out of an old tire in the front yard
• Getting called up to the kitchen and asked to "fetch some vegetables from the garden" (yes, I said "fetch") or to "run down to the storage area" where my grandparents kept their homeade preserves
• Squeezing into the small house with the entire family and eating together (but not until after my Pa Paw said a reverent prayer)
• All of the kids taking turns churning the homemade icecream maker before we devoured every last bit
• The men and boys playing basketball on the grass with the worn out basketball goal
• And if we were lucky-seeing "Dummy" out in the pasture (my brother, Ryan's, favorite of the cows).

When it got late, we'd light the stove, cram in the family room, listen to stories, and play marbles-that's right, marbles. Then, Grandma would inevitably challenge one of the grandchildren to a game of checkers--where she always won...even in her 70's. When we were really young, all of the girls would fight over who got to brush Pa Paw's hair or color with him. There were so many of us that we would literally have to stand in line. But, it was so worth it. Pa Paw was so great. He was calming, giving, and sweet. I never knew, as a child, that he was in a tremendous about of physical pain. He never complained. He lived for his family and most of all, his wife. Pa Paw was a hard working farmer and employee of the Missouri State Highway Department in Carpentry Special Crew. Saying that he "worked hard" is an understatement. He came from little and labored in order to provide for his family. My dad, uncles, and aunt still tell stories of Pa Paw getting up each day around 4:30am, feeding the chickens, milking the cows, etc before driving 30 miles to work in Willow Springs where he put in a full day of manual labor for the Highway Department, then driving home and working on the farm until after dark. I know that it all sounds a little "old-fashioned". And, it was. My grandparents continued to live the simple life all throughout their existence. It was wonderful...and humbling. I loved being in that house. Besides, who wouldn't? It had been the home where they lived until 1996. So many memories took place in that house.

My dad was born in my grandparents' bedroom...my grandmother was all alone...my Pa Paw was on his way to get medical assistance and didn't make it back in time.

I am so proud of my Pa Paw and my Grandmother. They've passed down to my immediate family an absolute love for God, the importance of serving others and making family a priority, an appreciation of "material things", and an innate work ethic. I'm happy to not have "come from money". I've learned a lot more from a family history of true hard work.

To Pa Paw and Grandma Miller-who I know are looking down on us from heaven-our baby would have been your 23rd or 24th (my cousin is also pregnant) greatgrandchild.

She will know all about you, I promise.

Grandma, Pa Paw, Ryan, and me

Pa Paw and me-coloring

 

Christmas '07-Ryan and I cutting Pa Paw's hair

A Few of my Favorite Things

This time of year, especially due to the holiday that we recently celebrated, I don't know about you-but, I start thinking of all of the things that I'm thankful for. Of course-the primary ones come to mind-family, friends, health, freedom, a good job, general well being, opportunities to enjoy this life, and for Chuck and I personally: our future baby who will grace us with her presence in the spring.

Beyond all of these wonderful gifts, I am also thankful for a vast amount of small items that I consider as "luxuries" while we go through this transforming life experience.

These small, but appreciated, luxuries have, in essence, become items that I've fallen in love with during my pregnancy. You didn't realize this blog would include such riveting stuff did you? Well, maybe not. However, perhaps in reading this, you'll have the opportunity to think back to when you were expecting a child and smile at memory; or you'll look forward to having the opportunity experience these fun little things when you decide to start a family of your own; or, if neither of these happen while you read this-maybe it will just serve as an interesting bit of information that you enjoy.

Consider this my gift to you. Merry Christmas! :)

Pregnancy Faves

PoshTots.com

(Where I steal wonderful nursery furniture ideas and then purchase complete knock offs at 10% of the cost...literally)

Frequently emailed articles from BabyCenter.com

(I love reading the updates related to exactly where we are in the pregnancy)

Target Maternity

(Cute yet affordable, you know the drill)

Prego Planner

(You didn’t really think I would go through this experience without an organized map of guided information did you?)

Frosted Miniwheats

(During the heavy nauseous days-these were my best friends)

BellaBand by Ingrid & Isabell

(I realize I've mentioned it before, but Oh. My. Gosh. I love this thing. Totally worth mentioning again)

Origins Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask

(In fact, go ahead and include all of Origins natural facial products-this complexion can't live without some intervention)

Noodle and Boo Perfecting Cream

(Aka-"Stretch mark prevention"...which, I only purchase when it's marked down to 50% off at Plaid Rabbit)

Tummy Butter Stretch Mark Prevention and Fading Creams

(A more economical version of the above)

Starbucks-Decaf Options

(Fingers crossed that Raegan won't crave these holiday blends shortly after birth. Uh oh)

Weight Watchers Icecream Sandwiches

(I know, but look, the other alternative for me is eating a bag of sour patch kids a night.)

Ability to update the Baby Registries over the internet

(Priceless)

Consumer Reports Ratings for important baby gear

(Why do the research when credible analysts have already done it for us?)

FMLA

(I'll be taking the max of my allowed 4 whole months of maternity leave, thank you very much)

I've been tagged!

Being new to the blogging world, I am not too familiar with the tagging. But, I'll give it a shot. I was tagged by my sweet, sweet friend Courtney. I am supposed to answer all of the below questions and then tag another blogger to do the same. Here goes...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly paper. Gift bags for gift cards. One day-I'll have a room in my house dedicated soley to scrapbooking and gift wrap. It will be organized with spools of ribbon, awesome paper, and raffia everywhere. I love raffia. ahhhhhhhh....

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I can't keep a plant alive, much less a tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? Typically, we (aka, me, myself, and I) put the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. However, this year-it went up last weekend. That's right, people, I've officially sunken that low. Yes-I know that it's not even Thanksgiving yet and I've been engulfed into the over-commercialization of Christmas. However, I have a great reason---The ONLY reason it's up so soon is b/c I have a little Christmas gathering at my house tomorrow night. (The invitees weren't all available on the same night in December.) Anyway, you can't have a Christmas gathering without a tree...and Christmas tunes...and a lit fire...and cinnamin/apple candles burning...I'm seriously obsessed with the holiday.

4. When do you take the tree down? Weekend after New Years.

5. Do you like eggnog? No. But, Chuck LOVES it, so, we keep a full stock around the holidays. Me? I prefer Grandma Carol's percolator punch. MMMM...MMMM....

6. Favorite gift received as a child? This is SO tough. Cricket when I was really young. (Remember that talking doll?) Chalkboard and Dry Eraseboard. (Forget dolls-I want to teach a class. My students? My carebares and cabbage patch kids.) Cash Register. (Grocery store was one of my favorite games) Trampoline (Joint gift for Ryan and me. It snowed that year...) And, when in high school-my own phone line. (Although I was devastated that 925-KAMI was already taken.)

7. Hardest person to buy for? Toss up between Chuck and my mom, who "never wants anything"

8. Easiest person to buy for? Andrea, my sister-in-law. She's a lot of fun to buy for.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Wow. No.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? White elephant gift at work.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I'm with Court on this---The Holiday.. and excited about possibly adding "Four Christmases" to that list!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Have I regifted? Ablsolutely. Oprah says it's okay...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Casseroles, casseroles, and more casseroles.

16. Lights on the tree? All white.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells (thanks to Hardin County High School Christmas Show Choir)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? TRAVEL. We're not home one weekend in December...EVER.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? It's too late for that...

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning! Although, I'm probably going to adopt the whole 1 gift on Christmas Eve (which will inevitabley be the dreaded matching pjs) for my children one day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Nothing! I adore everything about it! People in good moods, the decorations, the music, the parties, the food, the smell, and most of all-the meaning.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? No theme. We have two trees. One nice one-red and gold color scheme. One fun one-covered with ornaments for every trip Chuck and I have ever been on together...even when we first started dating, we got an ornament or 2 on each trip. It's a tradition we started years ago.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Besides casseroles? Just the typical-turkey and dressing. LOTS of dressing. And sweets. And, hot cocoa. And, that popcorn that comes in the tin. :)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Anything on our baby registry. Nothing for me.

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Not sure.

27. Does Santa wrap your gift or leave them unwrapped? Gifts from Santa-UNWRAPPED. Gifts from family-WRAPPED.

I tag Danielle.

It's a........

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We couldn't be more excited!

When the Ultrasound Technician rolled over my stomach to look, we actually could tell it was a girl before she even said anything. (Not that we're experts...it's that, thanks to family and friends, we've seen plenty of female ultrasounds to know what to look for. )

So, before she even said anything, Chuck started laughing and grabbed my hand and squeezed it. He knew...

Then, the Technician confirmed, "Looks like a girl to me!"

WHAT. A. MOMENT.

Most importantly, she seems to be perfectly healthy and, as I've shared with some, SUPER active. She was moving all over the place. The Technician said, "She will not sit still for one second so I can get a picture! She is REALLY REALLY HYPER!" Chuck and I both just looked at one another like, "oh GREAT".

I'd like to think positively and simply blame it on the orange juice I had this morning. :)

We feel so blessed that the baby is healthy thus far. Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and advice. Please keep it all coming. For now, I'm going to pretend to work. There is no way I'm going to be productive today. Forget it... I'm on the prowl for anything PINK!

Finally! A Flutter!

It's mid-day, I'm in a conference room-meeting with about 7 Johns Hopkins Physicians and Medical Researchers and...I feel something...in my lower abdomen....what....it's new...odd...what in the worl----then, I realize:

It's the baby moving!!!!!!!!!!

For those moms out there-you know what I mean when I say, "What a memorable moment!"

Needless to say, for about 30 minutes, I zoned out from the meeting and quietly thanked God that I finally felt something.

If Hopkins would have happened to ask me why I suddenly lost professionalism for a few minutes, I would have kindly responded with, "I apologize, I am extremely interested in your pitch on your awesome weight loss program; however, I am currently experiencing something slightly more fascinating!"

What a great day! I have to say-I posted this more for myself than anyone else; I wanted to document somewhere this fun, new advancement. Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Boy or girl?

5 days and counting.

Until next time...

A trip down Memory Lane

Reuniting with old friends = fun.

Everyone...almost-we couldn't all fit into the photo

This past weekend, we ventured to Knoxville where Phi Mu Kappa Chapter celebrated 100 years at the University of Tennessee. Such a fun night.

 Lots of Phi Mu alumni gathered at Cherokee Country Club and had, more or less, a reunion. It was awesome to see so many people who I haven't seen in years. The local Nashville girls have decided to get together on a regular basis for dinner and catching up. I'm so excited!!! The non-locals to Nashville promised to stay in touch via Facebook. Ahhh...the endless rewards of technology.

I didn't take many pictures. I must have been too busy running around and chatting it up with everyone. I loved seeing a lot of the older girls who I was friends with and who I rarely talk to anymore.

Oddly enough-The only pictures I have are with friends who I actually see all the time here in Nashville. Chuck actually took more pictures than I did--unfortunately, they were during mine and Tara's presentation. Something I'd REALLY rather not remember-my public speaking efforts...nice...

We weren't able to stay all weekend and attend the Phi Mu tailgate-we needed to get home to clean out the room that will eventually be the nursery. Chuck was so excited! :) We have to make room for furniture! We have officially decided on a crib (check), armoire, (check-check), and changing table (check-check-check).

Preggo updates-I've had some minor cramping (which, I plan on bugging my sweet nurse, Beth, about tomorrow). Also, I've not felt the baby move yet...we are waiting with anticipation for this big moment! Beyond that, I'm still reading and continuing to update the "must have items" for the Baby Registry (thanks to the wonderful suggestions from Lindsey, Kelly P, and Kelly T).

We are getting more and more excited about finding out the sex of the baby. Family and friends have shared their respective predictions-overwhelmingly, friends say "girl" and family says "boy". We'll see!!!!

Bye for now. I'm lighting the fire and curling up with a good book. There's nothing like a Sunday afternoon with my hubby after a day of Titans football.

Tara and me-the only thing missing from this pic is her incredible engagement ring-WOW

Me, Ali, Mandy, and Scarlett

Me and Tara

Singing "Linger" :)

Me and Ali

Rookie Mom-To-Be

Happy Day-After-Halloween! I hope everyone had a good one! Why I even went to work yesterday-I don't know. Our entire corporate office dresses up (I mean, seriously dresses up-I included a few pics below) every year for a huge costume parade and contest, trick-or-treating around the office for kids from various schools, and last but not least-a DJ'd Halloween Dance Party in a huge conference room. The winners of the costume and workstation decorating contest won free round trip tickets to anywhere they wanted to go. And, before you ask, the pregnant Butterfly did not win this exclusive gift, thank you very much. :)

Then, last night, we spent the evening at our friends', Ali and Justin's, house. They had several people over (most who have kids) for chili, halloween treats, and a hayride through the neighborhood while the kiddos trick-or treated. So much fun. However, I have one word for those teenagers out there who think think that they can just walk up to every door in the neighborhood on Oct 31st without wearing a costume, but still ask for candy-----------TAAAAAACCCKKY.

Now, moving on...

Family, friends, and even strangers on the street have been so willing to say "If you have any questions about anything during pregnancy, let me know-I'm happy to help!". Well, the time has come-I want to hear your thoughts! So, to all of those gracious experts on motherhood out there, hear my plea!

Although, I have lots of areas where I can use advice, below are some high points that I feel that, at this point in my pregnancy, I could really start putting into practice:

-Must have Registry items? Now, a lot of the basics-I'm aware of. But, if there are there certain items that you think "How could I live without this?"-pls let me know! Also, for the big items (car seat, stroller, etc)-what do you recommend in this area? I'm definitely open to brand suggestions-the options out there are overwhelming!

-Book suggestions? While I realize that no book is going to necessarily "teach" me how to be a mom, if there are ones that you found extremely helpful-I'd love to know. So far, I've been suggested Happiest Baby on the Block, Baby Whisperer, and Baby Wise. And, of course, I'm already elbow deep into the staples of What to Expect When You're Expecting, Your Pregnancy Week by Week, and The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy.

-Music while in the womb? Okay, what is up with all of these "practices" while the baby is in the womb? Did anyone do this? Much to Chuck's dismay, I'm going to share this-we do read to the baby sometimes. But, beyond that-we don't really do anything else. Am I robbing my child of intellectual simulations already? I'm half joking about this b/c while I feel like it may soothe the baby-I really don't "get it" It sounds like another thing to add to the list. However, I would like to know if anyone has had positive experiences with this. Otherwise, we are going to just say no to Mozart for the unborn child. Feel free to post your suggestions on the blog or just email them to me.

 And, don't be shy. I'm all ears. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

That's all for now...except, well, I'm officially in maternity clothes.

Thanks to wonderful friends who have lent me items and thanks to Old Navy where you don't have to spend a fortune, it's not so bad. Actually, I may never go back from wearing elastic waist bands again.

I'm off to Starbucks for my weekend treat--Decaf, non-fat, pumpkin spice latte, no whip! Mmmmmmm...

"Little Shop of Horrors"-1st place individual

"American Gothic portrait"-1st place Group

Not a winner but one of my favorites-"Heisman Trophy"

And, last but not least-another fave-"Joe the Plumber"

Trick or Treat!

Typically, Chuck and I aren't the "costume kind". But, this past weekend, some friends of ours hosted a Halloween party. Dressing up: MANDATORY.

Now, in case you don't already know this, let me share with you how difficult it is to come up with a costume when you're pregnant but not overly "showing".

What I mean by this is, there are some really creative ideas for really pregnant women i.e.:

"Pregnant Nun" and "Priest"-I know, SO wrong

"Bun in the Oven" and "Baker

"Juno" and "her boyfriend"

However, being that I'm only showing enough to where I look, um....let's face it..."heavy"-as opposed to actually looking "pregnant", none of those costumes really worked for me.

So, Chuck and I opted for something fairly traditional. Fairly traditional AND something that ran in a LARGE for me.

Without further ado...meet Dorothy and the Scarecrow:

Chuck-such the trooper

Good times...

Savannah Girls

Who knew that Dorothy and Beth, the Bounty Hunter, were friends?

15 weeks and counting...

So, we had our 16 week gestation Dr visit this morning. The appt went well. We heard the heartbeat again!!

Just to give you an insight on how comedic our Dr is: When he heard the heartbeat, he looked at me and said, "Well, you're pregnant." Keep in mind, he already said this the last time we heard the heartbeat. Not to mention the fact that he obviously told us this on our first appointment.  Dr Wingo likes to joke a lot. Quite honestly, he is pretty funny. I've been going to him for about 5 years. He was wonderful with me when I was going through all of my health "issues". He ran a variety of tests (in his realm as an OBGYN-tested my hormones, thyroid, etc). He's been really supportive and positive throughout the last several years. He actually told me about a year ago, "Just get pregnant. You have been tested for anything chronic so it would be no harm to a baby. Plus, pregnancy has a way of 'evening things out for women.'" Chuck and I are both big fans of Dr Wingo....

Back to the heartbeat-it was 148 beats per minute this time. Chuck ventured out and asked if that was indicative of whether or not it's a boy or a girl. Wingo's response? "Yep! It's definitely either a boy or a girl!" Awww...witty Wingo. This appt was also the appt where we were offered to have an optional screening test to detect several different potential abnormalities with the baby (including Downs Syndrome). Obviously, whether or not to pursue this test is a very personal choice. I know a lot of women who have gone through the test and I some who haven't. After much deliberation over this, Chuck and I opted not to have this screening test done. Studies have shown a high probability for the results to come back with a "false positive". In order to validate whether it's a false positive or not, I would have to go through an additional procedure. This additional procedure is risky to the baby. Our philosophy was-if it comes back positive, we wouldn't move forward with the subsequent, risky test; therefore, why would we want to go through the rest of the pregnancy not being 100% positive of the true results? Granted, yes, if it came back positive, we'd have more time to plan and research on the potential disorder; however, we didn't feel that it was something that we wouldn't be able to handle if we found out on the day of delivery. We hope and pray that the baby is completely healthy with no abnormalities. But, if (heaven forbid) something is wrong with the baby, we're having it anyway and will love it forever. So, that's that. :)

The final part of the appt was finding out when we could come in for an ultrasound (where we can find out the sex of the baby!) That appt is set for November 17th! What else? I feel much, much better! That's big news! I'm still a little tired and definitely still hungry ALL THE TIME. But, the nausea has more-or-less subsided. Hallelujah! And, if you're wondering, I'm definitely "showing". Who in this world starts showing at 11 weeks? Apparently, me... That's really all of the major updates related to the pregnancy.

The last few weeks have been a little crazy. We've been on the road non-stop. We went to Orange Beach with my family (I included some pics below! We had a great time!). Then, we headed up to Missouri where my wonderful, wonderful Grandfather passed away. He would have been 93 years old Dec 25. I can't say enough great things about my "Pa Paw". It's a little too soon to really talk about it, but stay tuned for an upcoming blog posting dedicated to him.

On a happier note-keep your cell phones and email handy on November 17th! Until then, I'll be getting some major usage out of my newly purchased "bella band" (aka-a band to wear around the top of your pants so you can still wear them although you can't button them). I'd personally like to thank the creative genius who came up with this novel idea.

 

The whole fam

 

Nice tan lines

Who thinks that Maggie is excited to ride the Ferris Wheel?

Mom and Dad with sweet Hannah Ryan

Buddies :)

Road Trip

This past weekend was our first road trip since I've been pregnant. And, yes, I'm definitely keeping up with pregnancy "firsts". Completely ridiculous, I know. Friday, Chuck and I headed to the mountains in North Carolina to see our dear friend, Emory, get married. Emory is one of Chuck's very best friends. They worked together for several years at Aegis and Aerotek. I met Emory when I moved to Nashville and started working for Aerotek's sister company. Soon after, Emory moved to Manhattan...where she continued working in the recruiting field at none other than uh-um: Giorgio Armani. Nice... Emory is the best. She's one of those friends of your husband's who is so considerate and so willing to get to know you. Each time we've ventured up to NYC, we've spent time with Emory. The last few times we've been there, we spent time with Emory AND Jay (her new husband). They are such a great couple and we are so happy to have been there to celebrate their wedding with them. Besides, who could blame us? They traveled all the way to West, TN from the Upper West Side of NYC to our wedding. Let's face it-we owed them, BIG TIME. Either way, we wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was probably the most gorgeous wedding I've ever been to, the weather was awesome, the bride was beautiful, and the celebration was so much fun. Definitely worth it. That's all for now... Another road trip next weekend! Here's to pulling over every 2 hours so "fatty" can stretch.

The view from our Bed and Breakfast

Chuck with the "Blowing Rock" in the background in Blowing Rock, NC

Site Seeing...

We are soooo outdorsy :)

Location of the wedding

Chuck with the Blushing Bride

After the wedding

Our First Blog

I have to say-although, I love reading my friends’ blogs, I was reluctant to create one. I mean-do I really want my personal life out on the internet for anyone to access??!?! But, the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I can always take it down if/when it’s necessary.

And, between now and then, we can keep our family and friends who live far away updated on what’s going on in our lives-especially with the new journey into parenthood that we’re about to embark on!

So, here it is-our first blog! Enjoy and please keep your expectations low.

Pregnancy, thus far, has been great. I find the whole process completely fascinating. Granted, I’ve been nauseous, had constant headaches, and am completely and utterly exhausted from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed…..BUT-don’t get me wrong-I know it’s all worth it.

And, I can’t say enough about how great Chuck has been throughout this entire experience. He is completely understanding when I say things like, “Babe, do you care if we just eat cereal tonight? Frosted mini wheats and frozen grapes are all I think I can stomach.” Honestly, Chuck has handled the situation so well and has been a complete dream thus far. I’m very blessed.

The latest: We’re currently at the 12 week mark. Now that we’re almost to end of the first trimester, I’m getting more serious about actually “planning” for this sweet baby. To date, I haven’t done a tremendous amount of work. I know…I know…most of my family and friends find that hard to believe that Ms Detail-Oriented hasn’t done much to prep yet, but really, I haven’t. I’m really trying to calm down on that front and just enjoy the moment. (We’ll see how long that lasts.)

Anyway, so far, all I’ve really done is read, seek out basic advice from friends, and go to my prenatal appointments. But, now, I’m actually getting more serious about potential names, nursery ideas, what I’m going to do about work (which, could be a complete blog in and of itself…we’ll save that for a later date), options for Mother’s Day Out /Day Care/Pre-school, etc. And, yes, before you think-Pre-School, already?! I know! It seems ridiculous. But, apparently, it is suggested that you get on waiting lists THIS EARLY. I’m like-come on, people! Our baby’s chin isn’t even fully defined yet! But, it is what is and I’ve been reassured that we’re not being too proactive. In fact, everyone says that we’re right on track with starting this planning now.

So, moving on…

A lot of people are asking how we told our parents that we were expecting. Although this is a step back from "current events", I do want to share. So, without further ado…

We really struggled on whether or not we would wait to tell people we were expecting until after the first trimester. It’s such a personal choice. After much deliberation (and obvious signs to our friends that we were pregnant-i.e. Chuck cancelling my 30th birthday party), we decided that we’d rather have our family and friends be aware and be around us as a support group in the event something “happened”. Besides, it is SO difficult to keep the most exciting news of your life a secret from those you love. Those who could keep it to themselves-I highly respect!

So, around week 6-we took the plunge. First were Chuck’s parents. Chuck asked them to go to dinner on a Thursday night. Which, was and wasn’t random. We go to dinner with his parents quite a bit. However, on a Thursday night?! Not usually.

Chuck gets a call late that Thursday afternoon. Ms Nan said that Bob had to do something with work so might not be able to make dinner. So, Chuck asked what time he would be done. When she told him, he said that we’d just bring over pizza to their house a little later. (We later found out that this made them a little suspicious, but we just couldn’t wait. We were going to tell my parents that weekend and Chuck really wanted his to know.)

So, we head to Franklin , get the pizza, and get Gabby ready. Yes, Gabby was the “messenger”. We head inside the house with Gabby waddling behind us with this big note around her neck addressed to “Nan-Nan” and “B-O-B” (nick-names). While Chuck’s mother just looked at it for a few minutes, trying to figure out what it was, Bob reached down and pulled it off. Hilarious.

There they read:

Nan-Nan and B-O-B,

This is a little note to share with you some news

In about 9 months, I'll no longer rule this roost

Mommy and Daddy are having a little one

They don't know yet if it will be a daughter or a son

Congratulations on your grandbaby to be

And, please oh please, don't forget about me!

Needless to say, they were excited! And, of course, Bob “knew it”! It was a lot of fun.

 As far as my parents-Something had given me the idea of how to tell my parents. My aunt (my mom’s sister) sent me an email with a note titled “Birth Announcement” scanned and attached to it the day after Chuck and I found out we were pregnant. It was written by my Grandmother to my aunt and it said this:

9/1/78 My name is Kamber Ann Miller. I weighed 8 lbs and a half ounce when I entered this ole world at 6:14pm-Fri Aug 25th. I’m 20 ½ inches long. My grandma thinks I’m small-boned because I am dainty looking. I am a good baby. Hope you like my picture! I am 7 days old in the picture. My brother loves me. Wanted to give me his Freddie Bear.

So, we used this as inspiration. On Friday (the day after we told Chuck’s parents), we headed down to Savannah to see my family. Friday night, we went to Hannah Ryan’s 1 year old birthday party. We celebrated with family and friends. And, don’t fret, pictures are below.

The next night, as usual when Chuck and I come into town, we have dinner with my parents, Ryan, Andrea, Maggie, and Hannah. After dinner (at my parents’ house) we did my birthday cake (it was close to my birthday).

Right after Maggie, Hannah, and I blew out the candles, I looked at Chuck and asked him to show mom and dad what Aunt Jill had sent us. They read it and smiled. (My grandmother passed away not that long ago and I knew mom would like to read what she wrote when I was born.)

Then, I handed them both a card with a poem written on it. It said:

I don’t know my name yet and I don’t know how much I weigh

But, I’m due to arrive on the following day (April 10th, 2009)

My mommy and daddy are excited about me A

nd, I can’t wait to meet my Pop-Pop and De-De

 It’s still very early so for me, please do pray

That I’ll be a healthy, little baby on delivery day

After that, lots of fun, hugs, and celebration.

On our way home that Sunday, we called all of our friends and shared the great news! We are thrilled to be entering this next phase of our lives. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and well wishes.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful support system in family and friends. Will write more soon.

Until then-if you need to find me, I’ll be hanging out in my comfy clothes eating saltines and drinking sprite!

Gabby ready to share the big news with Chuck's parents

Nan and Bob finding out the news

Chuck with his mom

Hannah Ryan and Maggie singing Happy Birthday to me before we told my parents

My parents finding out the news

Chuck and I with the girls! :) Perfect end to a perfect day.