GUESS WHO'S HAVING A BABY . . .

We are! Russell and I are expecting our first baby around May 4th! We are both excited but Russell is especially excited that he is going to be a daddy! He is already doing a great job taking care of me and the baby. He is trying to make sure everything is safe for us. For example, he is switching to the safest household cleaners and he is concerned with my safest route to work. He is also taking on the task of satisfying my food cravings and aversions as well as making sure I get my rest.

Our first doctor visit was August 28th. We were very early at that point but we were so excited we had to tell someone. So, we told parents only. That happened to be my mom's birthday weekend and we were going to Austin. So, we called Russell's parents on the drive to Austin. I think they were really surprised. Then I came up with a clever way to tell my parents. I gave my mom a gift of two baby bibs. One said "I love grandma" and the other said "I love grandpa." Of course, she was shocked when she opened the present. She has been wanting a grandbaby for a very long time!Our second doctor visit was September 12th. That was an important visit because we got to see the baby's heartbeat. It was really comforting to see that our baby was growing. We got our baby's first picture. Russell scanned the picture onto the computer but I could not load it onto the blog. If anyone wants a copy he will be happy to send it to you via e-mail or mail. (The proud papa has already sent out several copies!) After that visit, we felt safe to tell close family and friends since the chance of miscarriage was reduced once the baby's hear began to beat.

We are still very early on in our pregnancy and we greatly appreciate all the continued prayers. We also want to thank everyone for the wonderful cards and gifts. I love to look at the baby's stuffed animals and clothes and think that our baby will one day be playing with those bears and wearing the clothes. It is all so sweet!