Baby Russell coming Sept 2014

SUPRISE!!!

 

Baby Russell took us all by surprise when this mommy got a positive test on 1/2/2014!

 

Our official due date by the ultrasound below is 9/10/2014.

 

We are BEYOND excited and so is big brother .. as you can tell in the photo above!

 

I have said for YEARS that I did not want to find out the gender but now that I am actually pregnant I am about 50/50. Aaron wants to find out and of course so does the whole family so I think a good compromise would be to have a fun gender reveal party in May when (most) of the family can be together and just keep names a secret until the birth!

 

My MIL and Granny have already compiled a huge list of family names that we love so we are going to have a time picking the perfect little name for our sweet babe!

 

Because of this ultrasound below our babe has taken on the name Teddy because he/she looks like a little Teddy Graham! So when you hear the babe referred to as Teddy just know that is not it's name and we don't know the gender yet! 

 

 

I am 11 Weeks tomorrow so I guess I can start the weekly BUMP dates!

(this is a combination of weeks 10 and 11)

 

Teddy is the size of a kumquat/fig!

 

 

 

 

 

SYMPTOMS: I have never been so tired in my life. I honestly do not remember being so tired with Coleman but then again I was not working full time and dealing with a husband and a 7 year old crazy man! I have to keep something in my stomach otherwise I get a little nauseous but praise the Lord I do not have any morning sickness. I have been super congested basically since I got pregnant. Mild nasal drainage, swollen glands, bilateral ear pain and a little cough... needless to say I am over all that!

 

WEIGHT: I am holding steady in this category. I have been to the doctor twice and have stayed the same weight. I will not let it get out of control again like it did last pregnancy!

 

GENDER: Too early to tell but I am just hoping for a HEALTHY baby! Some days I feel like I am having a girl and then other days it feels like a boy! I know a certain husband and son who are crossing their fingers for a boy!

 

CLOTHES: Are getting a little tighter .. at this point I just feel like I look pudgy not pregnant. Like I had one two many slices of cake or something. I did get some maternity fitted t-shirts and a pair of maternity yoga pants that fit like a glove! I am still able to fit into my jeans and button them but tight shirts make me look a little too beer bellyish! I feel like I am showing a little faster with Teddy than I did with Coleman!

 

MOVEMENT: No movement yet but I know its coming!!

 

SLEEP: Sleep is okay for now! But I am having to pee a lot which is the only thing waking me up and I don't foresee that getting any better!

 

CRAVINGS: Oh Lord .. of all things I could crave WHY does it have to be McDonalds double cheese burger and french fries?! WHY?! I mean seriously it's all I have been thinking about for a week! I am praying for this to change ...

 

 

Baby Russell we are so very excited to be blessed to be your parents. Coleman has never been so excited than he is right now and it's all because of you! Even your cousins, Culum and Ren, are so excited for your arrival! Both sets of grandparents are elated and your great grands are on cloud 9!! We love you so much already and you are not even here yet! I pray for a healthy pregnancy for both you and I!

First hunt with PawPaw

On 12/27/13 Coleman, PawPaw and I went down to Aaron's hunting club and had our first hunt all together. Excitement is not quite the right word. We got up that morning and quickly got the truck packed, four wheeler loaded, and camo on!

It was quite chilly that day so this was the beginning outfit of choice for Coleman along with his knife PawPaw gave him. He wore that thing ALL day and tried his hardest to use it on something.

This was Coleman and PawPaw standing around the campfire for the few hours we were there prior to actually going to sit in the stand. We had lunch over the fire and it was DELICIOUS! Again, notice the knife! Notice the tree to the left of my dad thats laying on the ground with the orange leaves .. Coleman found a machete and was bound and determined to chop something with it. He chopped on that tree for what seemed like hours! **yes we practiced safe chopping skills**

 

 

 

 

We were packed like sardines on the fourwheeler between all the gear we were taking and the three of us it was a TIGHT squeeze! Coleman and PawPaw loved every minute of it. Below is the guys right when we got to our hunting spot. Well .. right before a LOONG walk to our stand might be a better description.

PawPaw loves to pass on his knowledge of guns and how to shoot to Coleman. He has been letting him shoot every now and then for about a year and a half now. He even passed down a gun to Coleman that he got when he was 6 - also his first gun. SO special!!

 

Right when we got to the stand and settled Dad had to practice letting Coleman aim the gun and holding it steady. Five minutes after that this is what we found ...

 

This kid was SACKED OUT! He slept really good for about two hours just like this! I guess the hour long drive and the waiting around camp took a lot out of him!

 

About 10 minutes after Coleman woke up he says, "I think I see something white!!" so we both look up and what do you know? A DEER! After hours of sitting there and not seeing a thing we finally saw something. I should have taken a nap with Coleman! It was right at dark when it happened so once the high fiving and excitement commenced .. the hunt was on. We tracked him into the woods for about 30-45 minutes until we spotted it! Dad and Coleman were both SO excited! Just after we found it Aaron came up from where he was hunting and helped up get him out of the woods.

 

Once we got everything packed up that night we headed to the processor to drop him off.

 

Talk about STINKY!!

 

I am SO glad PawPaw and Coleman got to spend this day together. They were both floating on cloud 9! I am glad I was able to be there to capture these moments on film. We will cherish them FOREVER!

 

 

God Bless!!

Take Two ..

I seem to start a trend of starting blogging and then stopping again and this time I am really hoping to keep it going. I see all my friends who have blogs and have chronicles of their kids lives and it really makes me envious that they will be able to look back on that one day and have it all right there.

 

Which is why I am actually thankful for facebook - I have been very active on facebook for years and have all of my life chronicled out on there so I just need to figure out a way to add it here :)

 

What we have been up to ..

 

10/27/2012 - Aaron and I were married in Hiawassee, GA surrounded by our closest family and friends. It was a perfect weekend and I wish I could go back to that and relish in the love in the air!

 

June 2013 - I switched positions from NGPG into the main hospital working on the CCU. I loved the job itself but working night shift really took a toll on my body but I stuck it out for a few months...

 

Summer 2013 - Coleman and I spent a good majority of our summer in Social Circle at my parents house. Since I was only working three days (nights) a week and he was out of school we spent as much time at MiMi and PawPaw's house as we could. It was such a great summer. Coleman learned to swim on his own with no floaties which was a huge accomplishment for him! Definitely made his momma proud!

 

Fall 2013 - Coleman started football toward the end of the summer and honestly really wasn't into it much this year. I will never be one of those parents who forces their children to play sports just because I want him to play sports ..  I will, however, be one of those parents who will not allow him to quit something that he has already started. Did he finish the season - YES! Will he likely play next year - PROBABLY NOT! Am I okay with this? YES! :) 

 

He has told me he wanted to try his hand at Karate - which is okay with me. Kind of runs in the family as his cousin is the highest black belt you can get!    

 

Aaron and I celebrated our one year anniversary! I cannot believe it has already been one year. ALOT has happened in that one year and, although it was tough, we made it through. We still have our moments - like anyone does - but we are learning how to communicate and compromise better and better everyday.

 

I started a Bible Study with a few sweet women who are such great examples of God and who really strived to hold a Godly marriage. I learned alot of this study and grew alot personally.

 

November 2013 - I made the decision to go PRN at Northeast Georgia Medical Center and got a full-time position with WellStreet Urgent Care. It's a smaller group of Urgent Care centers inside 285 for the most part. It is a smaller company but they have big plans for the future. I am excited to be a part of a company who is growing and I have the opportunity to move up the ladder.

 

My dad has been at a stand still with his cancer treatment and we got word from his last MRI in late Oct/early Nov that the cancer had not spread and it had actually gotten smaller - they even threw in the word REMISSION .. PRAISE JESUS! He is now just treating his cirrhosis with medications and a good diet.

 

That about catches us up on all the major highlights of 2013 for us. I will post in a few days on some amazing things that have happened with more detail in seperate posts!

 

God Bless!