Catching up...

I missed all last week because Christopher and I were gone with the Crossflame youth choir from our church on tour in Tennessee. I just read a fun and slightly different post from a close friend of mine, and decided that even though it hasn't been that long, you might be in need of some catching up on where we are in life. So, here it goes.

1) We are living in Hickory, and have been for a year. (I wouldn't think this necessary, except a close friend of mine just discovered today that we were no longer in Gastonia... lol)

2) Summer is here, and yet we're still busier than ever.

3) I am so glad to be done with testing for the year I could scream.

4) We are both getting quite excited about the fact that we're having a son.

5) Caleb, Cooper, Connor, Carson, and Coleman are all names that we're discussing at the moment... but we're still open.

6) Yes, we have decided to be one of "those" families that have names all starting with the same letter... mock us if you must.

7) I really think Chloe knows that I am pregnant, she responds to me differently than she used to. It's positive, really... she is extra gentle with me now.

8) For middle names we are thinking Andrew, Matthew, Christopher, and Joshua.

9) Yesterday, on Father's Day, I felt our son moving for the first time.

10) It kind of feels like a marble is rolling around inside of my stomach... it is the weirdest and coolest experience.

11) Being pregnant has really been a good experience for me. I feel the same as I did before I got pregnant.

12) Some people can't handle #11, and so they aren't as nice as they could be... as if them wishing pain upon me is supposed to make me feel loved. Like they want me to be in their gang. Listen up people, I am just as much a pregnant mama as you are, with or without morning sickness.

13) That said, I did have my first negative pregnancy symptom while on tour - swollen feet and ankles! Eek! I never thought I would be excited to see my ankles again once they went down... but all is well now. Apparently walking in 100 degree heat is not the right combo for someone who is with child.

14) We are using the summer to get everything in our house in order. In order to do this effectively, I would have to stop scheduling trips and social events during our free time. My love of people is getting in the way of my overall effectiveness.

15) We picked out and ordered our nursery bedding - and I LOVE IT. Google Tall Tales Bedding by Carter's if you are interested, and you can start loving it too!

16) We are working VBS every night this week. This has made me quite excited about the fact that when I do have a 1st grader, I will only have ONE and not the NINE that I am currently in charge of.

17) Emily is in town for the summer and I am excited about spending some free time swimming and hanging out with her. (See number 14).

18) I am not sure if it is a good or a bad thing that I am 21 weeks pregnant and still wearing pre-pregnancy jeans and people don't realize that I am having a baby.

19) I miss my friends that are spread out all over the place. I want them to be close again.

20) I do love the fact that we are living in a place where we have friends, and a church that has people our age in it that we can love on and share support with. It makes life happier.

21) Working for the school system is amazing, and I am really excited to be able to experience summers off and getting off at 4pm once I have a baby.

22) We are SO blessed by people that have already started showering our son with love and fun new things... Cathleen, Brandy, Emily, Melinda, Johnny, and Mamaw... just to name a few.

23) I want to be more diligent about being prayerful for those I love most.

24) I have found that when I am praying for those I love least, the relationships go considerably better. (I am aware this is a duh statement, but one I felt the need to make).

25) Included in our whirlwind summer are a week on Crossflame tour (that we just returned from), a week at Topsail Beach with my family, a week at Daytona with the youth group (for me, Chris has to work), 1/2 a week at dad's in July, and 2 weeks of band camp for Christopher.

26) Today is our 2 year wedding anniversary. It is insane to think that it has really been 2 years. It is also hard to think that I really love this guy more now than I did when I fell for him eight years ago... and even more than I did on my wedding day when I was pretty positive I couldn't love ANYONE any more than I loved him.

27) I am most excited about watching Christopher become our son's father and take on all of the role's that entails.

28) It is a weird feeling to think that you are carrying another human inside of you. Really really weird. Unbelievably cool, but weird, nonetheless.

I am sure I could write for days... but for now, this should keep you occupied. Enjoy it, laugh at it, shake your head and wonder why I would give you so much insight... whatever you do, know that as you read it, I am glad you care. :)

My Little Man (OH Man)

So... it seems that as I am new to this blogging thing, I did not proof the previous blog QUITE as well as I should have. Instead of typing "Man oh man... what a crazy thought." (which was what I was attempting to write)... I, instead, wrote "Man ON Man"... which somehow has a very different meaning. Haha! Thankfully one of my closest friends pointed it out and we got quite a laugh out of it. :)

Today was a busy and exciting day. We went at 3pm to the OB for our 2nd ultrasound. Christopher, Mama, and Elaine (Chris' mom) went with us. We were all quite excited to see what we could see... HOWEVER it turns out Baby Kale has a little bit of his mom and dad's stubborness... the only thing the little booger would show us (other than his organs - which all looked fabulous) were his "man parts" as the Ultrasound tech kept referring to them. LOL. We didn't get to see his face very well... nor did we get the ultrasound picture that most people think of; however, we did get confirmation (on SEVERAL occasions) that it IS indeed a BOY.

Thinking of life with a little boy running around is crazy to say the least... but we are excited to see what God has in store for our future. We know that He has a plan for our lives, and we are ready and willing to follow it. So ready or not, here HE comes.

19 weeks and counting...

As the school year comes to an end I can not help but think about how quickly time passes. Today I am 19 weeks along... and I really feel like it was just yesterday that I discovered that we were becoming a family of three (well, four technically, since Chloe our sweet puppy totally counts in our book). I know that it won't be any time at all before we are preparing our lives to welcome baby Kale into the house. Man on man... what a crazy thought!

This week school is ending, our students are graduating, and we get to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl! To say I am thrilled doesn't even come close. Since my pregnancy has been such an easy one (thank you Jesus!) it is kind of strange to even think about the fact that I am carrying a life inside of me... especially since I don't even really feel pregnant. Sure, throughout the time of the pregnancy I have felt tired and slightly emotional... but never anything strange that makes me think, MAN - I am having a kid! All of the normal pregnancy symptoms have passed me by... I haven't been nauseous, no morning sickness, no heartburn, nothing out of the ordinary. It is crazy.

I will tell you this though, I am excited to see him/her again... it is truly one of the neatest feelings I've experienced in my life. I will keep you guys posted and hopefully post pictures for you to see this week once we know for sure. But for now, I'm going to get some rest while I still can.