Happy Anniversary!

Our second anniversary: 12/27/05 

 

A Familial Christmas

How blessed we were to spend Christmas with our family!

Mine came a little early- I went home to Cape Coral to visit my parents on the 20th and stayed for 3 days. Brad had classes all week so I went down alone, but it was so wonderful to be able to spend time with them. My poor mom had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, spoiling their plans of spending Christmas in Ocala with us. But her working this year clears the way for her to have off next Christmas, Savannah's first Christmas. It was hard to leave, not knowing for sure when I'd be able to see them again.

We went to a holiday party after church on Christmas Eve. My sister was able to come down from Gainesville and go to church and the party with us, which was a lot of fun. It is nice being closer to her now, so we really can see each other whenever we want.

We had a nice Christmas morning. Brad's grandmother spent the night on Christmas Eve so we were all together when we woke up on Christmas Day. We had a nice dinner together- plenty of good food and conversation! After resting for a while, we headed over to Dale and Kenna's to see Jenna and Daniel and their new baby, Makayla. It was so exciting to finally meet her!! What a sweet bundle of love she is!

Even better, we all went over to Chris and Julie's house on Monday night for dinner. It was so nice to have a low key evening with the whole family- after all, family is what this season is all about!

29

I had my first appointment today with Dr Bruner, my OB here in Ocala. He's the doctor who delivered Grace and came highly recommended from Julie. I was so happy with him. I wasn't ever very satisfied with Dr London in Jax and it was such a relief to meet Dr Bruner today. He was just so personable and nice and I am looking forward to being under his care.

Baby is doing well- her heartrate was 152. Since at my last sonogram 3 weeks ago she was measuring a little small, I have another one scheduled for January 3rd- just to make sure she's still growing okay. She's been very active- she actually kicked the nurse when she was trying to get her heartbeat on the doppler! It is so crazy to think how close everything is getting. I am 29 weeks today- only 11 more to go! While it still seems to be kind of far off, all I have to do is think back over how fast the last 29 weeks have gone. March really is just around the corner!

28 weeks, 2 days pregnant 

Time Flies...

I was just sitting here messing around on the computer while Brad is studying for his finals when all of a sudden it hit me. Time really flies. Brad has 3 finals this week and then he is officially a law school graduate. It seems like he was just preparing to take the LSAT and apply to schools and now he is interviewing for jobs and about to receive his degree.

Then upon further reflection, I realized that Monday marks the start of the 3rd trimester. We are just about 90 days away from our edd. Reading about Kim and Justin's time with their newborn son made me realize just how real this all is- we are going to have our little girl in just 3 months! I can remember the utter shock I felt when I took the home pregnancy tests and then telling Brad he was going to be a daddy. Now she is almost here!

Also, for anyone keeping track, I found out last Monday that I passed my 3 hour glucose test, so no gestational diabetes for me :)

Catching Up

It's been a few days since I last updated, so a lot has happened! We are officially out of our apartment after turning our keys in on November 30th. Brad had his last day of classes December 1st and now just has 3 more final exams before he is a law school graduate. It is just incredible how fast time goes by!

I had a sonogram on Monday 11/28- it was great to see our Savannah! Nothing has changed in the gender department (luckily!) so we don't have to return anything pink that we bought. We got a really cute profile shot of her. She had her head resting on her chest and you could see her eye sockets, her little nose and even her tongue in her mouth. What a gift from God I have in my womb right now. Unfortunately I sent my mom's scanner back to her before we moved, so I can't scan the sonogram for everyone to see. But it's really not that much longer until we will have her in our arms and can post as many pictures of her as we want!

The doctor mentioned that the baby is measuring a little small for her gestational age. Her head circumferance is measuring a few days behind and her belly measurement is, too. After worrying for a few hours I talked to my mom who reminded me that both Brad and Kevin were small babies (5 and 4 pounds, respectively) and my sister and I were both right around 7 pounds, so not to worry about her size because neither Brad nor I are above average size, anyway. We'll just keep praying hard that she continues to develop how she is supposed to.

Right now Brad is down in the Villages on a job interview- keep him in your prayers, please, that this job works out.

Congratulations to Kim and Justin Dudley who welcomed their son Noah Robert into the world on November 28, 2005:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."
-Jeremiah 1:5

Pride

[Here's my Mr Scruffy Face, Kim!]


Brad and I need to ask for your prayers one more time- and hopefully this will be the last time on this subject. He has a job interview set up on December 2nd with an attorney down in the Villages- just south of Ocala near Lady Lake. It is for an entry-level position doing estate planning, which is one of the areas of law Brad is interested in. We are hopeful that, since not many people are looking to relocate to Lady Lake, Florida- that it is a good sign that he will be offered a position.

After two and a half years of constant studying and working so hard, I am just praying so hard that this works out for him. I don't think I have ever been more proud of another person than I am of my husband. Law school is such a task to take on and I am so proud that he has not only come to the end, but that he worked hard enough to finish a semester early. That's not an easy feat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had my glucola screening today, and now we are just waiting on the results to see if I have gestational diabetes. I should have the results on Friday- any longer and I don't know if I could stand it! Savannah is just the most active little bugger. She is constantly moving around and kicking- it is such a wonderful feeling. It is amazing to me how much love can be felt for someone I've still not yet met. Katie McDonnell mentioned the other day how her heart is not big enough to hold all the love she has for Evan and Madalyn- she is afraid [her heart] is going to burst. I feel that same way and Savannah is still only a passing shadow in my dreams. I cannot even put a face to this little girl and I already know I would do anything for her.

Wax Candy

I had my 23-week doctor's appointment yesterday- my second to last appointment before I switch to my Ocala doctor. Everything looks good. My weight gain is right on track and the baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. Of course, it took her a few minutes to get a good listen, because every time she'd locate the heartbeat with the doppler, Savannah would wiggle away so we'd have to search some more. I think I am going to have my hands full with this one. Dr London had to laugh and say, "I guess I don't have to ask if you've got an active baby!"

Since I am moving, she's decided she wants to schedule me for another sonogram, just to see how things are progressing. It's one super bonus to going to a doctor who has an ultrasound machine in the office. Of course there's no way I am going to say no to an unexpected peek at my little girl! So I am having that the Monday after Thankgiving- just 2.5 weeks!

So.... do you remember that candy from back in the day, the wax bottles that when you bit the top off there was a sweet "juice" inside? I never particularly liked them, but they were the first thing that came to my mind when I heard of the glucola test (where they check for gestational diabetes). Now, of course I was picturing something a little bigger- maybe more the size of a test tube from high school chemistry or something. No big deal, right? Well, I got scheduled for my glucola test for next Wednesday so they sent the drink home with me so I don't have to sit around the office for an hour. They hand me this HUGE (looking) 10 ounce bottle of orange cough syrup-looking stuff. How appetizing. Can't wait to guzzle that down next week!

I really wish it was like the wax candy....

In response...

This post is in response to Kim Dudley's post from yesterday afternoon about the horse that was stabbed outside a store here in Jacksonville....

The horse was taken to Gainesville where he underwent surgery and is recovering nicely today. Too bad it happened in the first place, but it is nice to know that he'll be okay.

If you don't know what I am talking about, you can see the original post here: http://tinyurl.com/alsvf

T-minus 17 weeks and counting

Now that I am on the "downside" of the pregnancy things seem to be going by so fast. I knew that being pregnant during football season would make it fly by- football season always does that no matter what. Julie, I know you agree with me! But now that we passed the 20 week mark things are progressing so quickly. It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there are only 7 weeks until Christmas! As I am counting February as my last month of pregnancy, being due on the 6th of March, it's weird to think there's really not that much time left until our Savannah is in our arms!

We had signed up at Ocala Regional Hospital back in August to get it out of the way. We then found out that they are closing their labor and delivery ward and are no longer delivering after January 31st. So we had to go down to Munroe Regional on Friday and pre-register there. All in all it was a better experience at Munroe anyway, so I am glad things worked out like they did. So now we are all set for labor and delivery! Then today I called and signed up for our Prepared Childbirth classes which we will take in January. Yet another thing that will make time go by fast! The woman on the phone was so sweet and helpful- when I told her what I needed to sign up for she said, "I would just love to help you with that." It's refreshing to deal with someone over the phone who was in a good mood for once!

I also had found a girl who lives in Orlando who hand paints wooden letters for the nursery. I had been planning to do this for myself until I found her- she paints them to coordinate with your nursery theme. So Brad and I talked it over and decided to go ahead and have her do them- and boy are we glad we made that decision!! She emailed me a picture of the finished product last evening and they are more fabulous than I could have hoped! I am not technically savvy enough to post that picture on here, but once I get them in the mail I'll take a picture on my camera and upload it. They'll really be such a wonderful addition to the nursery!

A Ghostly Encounter

What a fun Halloween we had! The last 2 years we have bought a ton of candy and not had ANY Trick-o-Treater's so this year we decided against wasting the money. So we were free to leave the house and have a good time ourselves! So we loaded up in the car with Jamie and Shelby and headed down to St. Augustine where we met up with Kristin and Dale for a ghost tour! It was a lot of fun. We didn't see any ghosts and my digital camera was dead and I didn't want to lug around my SLR so there's no chance that we caught any ghosts on film but it was fun all the same. The ghost stories are so interesting!

Apparently St. Augustine is the 3rd most active city for ghost sightings in the US- Savannah is #1 and New Orleans #2. So I think Brad and I are going to take a "babymoon" and stay at a B&B in Savannah (before she's born) and go on a ghost tour there. Then I'll have to be sure my batteries are charged!

Completely unintentional but a great shot nonetheless! 

Scenes from the UF/UGA game 

Counting Down

Our time in this Jacksonville apartment is winding down. In 5 weeks we will bid adieu to Mandarin Lanai and take up residence in Ocala, Fl with Brad's parents. They are being so kind and generous to let us stay with them until after Savannah is born. With Brad not knowing where he will be working, we don't want to buy/rent a place to live so we were kind of in limbo until we talked to my wonderful in-laws. I am so looking forward to this time with Brad's family- getting to know them on an even deeper level than I already do.

We've gotten a pretty good start on packing. The office is a mess right now because everything has been kind of pushed in here, but the kitchen is completely packed up and the walls are now empty. It's so sad to walk in and not see all our pictures anymore! The first night they were down I walked down the hall to the bathroom and called something to Brad- my voice echoed back to me! We've had some great times here in this apartment and it will be sad to say goodbye, but I am so looking forward to the next chapter in our lives.

Things are going well with the baby. I am really starting to show now, which is just the oddest thing! And now that the weather is (finally!!) turning cold I need to go stock up on some cold-weather maternity clothes. The 3 long sleeved shirts I own aren't going to cut it! I hope that the next time I get pregnant it's during the same time of year so I can reuse some of this stuff!

On another note- CONGRATULATIONS to Katie and Shaun McDonnell who are expecting their third bundle of joy! They're wonderful parents and so lucky to be blessed with another sweet baby. We're so happy for you guys!

Exhaustion

What a night I have had. Brad and I went to bed around 12:30 last night. I, of course, insomniac that I have become, promptly turned on my mini book light and read for about 45 minutes to get myself tired. I ended up falling asleep around 1:30 or so. I then found myself awake, having to go to the bathroom [a very common occurance these days. I may not have had any morning sickness but I have made up for it with my bladder] at 3:30. I then get back into bed and basically ended up watching the clock until I finally decided it was a worthless cause and got up at 6:30.

I think I am going to be very tired in a few hours time.

New Baby!

I just wanted to say a litle welcome to little Makayla Nicole Gragg, the newest member of the Martin family. She was born Wednesday October 12, 2005 at 9:07 am Central time, weighing in at 6 pounds 9 ounces. Congratulations, Jenna and Daniel and we hope to meet your new daughter very soon!

Happy

Not much happened last week after our sonogram, so there wasn't anything to blog about. Yesterday I had my 19 week doctor's appointment- it is so hard to believe we are already almost halfway through this pregnancy! Everything looked really good. I had lost a little too much weight at my last appointment but I am back on track now, which is good. My doctors doppler wasn't working, so I got to have an ultrasound to see the baby's heartbeat! It was such a blessing to get an unexpected peek at my little girl! Where she was upside-down last week, she had done a complete 180 and was sitting breech with her legs stretched out in front of her, looking very comfortable. She was less shy than last week and gave her mama a little wave!

Today I got a special treat, too. My old boss Jennifer had called me on Sunday to ask if I was able to come out and watch Brynn for a few hours today. Of course! I wsa very excited to get to spend some time with my old friend Brynn. When I arrived this morning she was still eating breakfast- she turned around to see who was at the door and her little jaw dropped and she sayd "Hi Jed-da!!" with a big smile on her face. That eased my worries that she had already forgotten me! We had such a good time today- just like old times. I absolutely love that little girl.

Sidebar for my sister:
I was too shy when I was little- don't you remember how I used to cry when mom would bring out her camera? Yes I may have gotten over it and love being on either side of the camera, but you have to admit there was a time... :)

It's a......

GIRL!!!!!!!

Brad and I could not be more excited to be having a daughter! Brad was 100% sure as of yesterday that we were having a boy, so imagine his surprise when we saw little girl parts! It was so neat to see her moving all around, putting on a show. Of course she takes after her mother and was very camera shy- she wouldn't give us a good look at her face. All we got was a profile shot. She was standing on her head with her bottom up in the air so we had a perfect view of her parts. There was no doubt!

Everything else looked great, too, which is fantastic. She is measuring right on schedule- 5 inches from crown to rump and about 8 oz. We got a great look at her heart and saw all 4 chambers and she gave us a perfect view of her spine and ribs, and we saw her little stomach, too. They kept my due date the same, March 6th. It's hard to believe it is just 5 months away!

We headed out to Babies 'R Us this evening after traffic died down to buy something pink. We just couldn't wait. It is so much fun to look at little girl clothes. I have the biggest smile on my face and I can't get rid of it. Brad is really happy too; he always wanted to have a little sister so now he's going to have a daughter to spoil.

The name we have picked is Savannah Belle. Our little princess. We just can't wait to meet her and see what kind of a person she is going to be!

(I love using pronouns, by the way!!)

***Brad wanted me to add a description of the photo. In the 'Girl Parts' photo, her tushy is in the top right corner with her legs coming down diagonally to the left. Right between her legs you can see 2 little white dots- these are the girl parts. Hope that helps!

Big brother Peyton 

Baby footprint 

Our daughter! 

Verification Part II

I don't have words to describe what happened to me last night.

I was laying in bed around 12:30 am, after entertaining out-of-town town friends for a little bit and then it happened. I was flat on my back (bad second-trimester girl that I am) and was waiting patiently for the late night flutters that have been happening the past week or so.

And then, this little baby gave me much more than I had bargained for- 3 nice, strong KICKS. It just blew me away. The first one was low down, just South of my belly button and I knew I had imagined it- then not a minute later there was another one, just as strong, in the same location. At this point I am trying to lay as still as possible, hoping for just one more and telling Brad excitedly that I am getting quite the show and then there was another, just as low but off to the right and I swear I had tears in my eyes.

I have seen the baby on sonograms, heard it's little heartbeat but nothing, nothing compared to those little bomp, bomp, bomps that s/he graced me with last night. Brad told me, just wait a few months and you'll be begging it to stop moving around but in that moment, nothing else mattered.

I am so in love.

Verification!

I had my 16 week doctor's appointment today and it did not disappoint! After not hearing the heartbeat at our last appointment (but seeing it via ultrasound) I finally got to hear Baby M's little heart beating! The heartrate was right at 150- this has thrown my mom for a loop. At our last appointment the heartrate was 140 so she was convinced it was a boy- now she says it is either a very active little boy or a very sleepy little girl. I guess we will find out for sure in 2 more weeks!

I swear, I had chill bumps all over my body when I heard that strong heart beating. I never thought it would be so amazing- there aren't even words to describe how incredible-heart wrenching-overwhelming-indescribable that sound can make you feel. I only wish Brad had been able to hear it, too. Next time, I hope!

Brynn Riley Cronin 

Saying Good-bye

Yesterday was my last day at work and actually a lot easier than I had anticipated. We had a nice day- Little Gym in the morning followed by a picnic in the park which Brynn just loved. Of course she did more playing than eating but hey, she's 2! She never did actually fall asleep during her nap but cuddled on my lap with me for almost 30 minutes which was just what I needed from her. When it came time for me to leave it was hard, but I didn't cry (too much.) Jennifer and Barry walked me out and both gave me a nice hug and thanked me for everything and then I had to say 'bye to Brynn. She came and gave me a big hug and a kiss and said "Bye Jedda" over and over until I got into my car, waving her little hand at me. Such a sweet little girl.

I thought I was going to be okay- I had a big lump in my throat but managed to hold off the tears until my mom called me and after I talked to her I cried but just for a few minutes, nothing like last week. I'll miss her like crazy, I know that much.

Now I know, though, what I have to look forward to as a mother- excpet for the leaving part, of course. It's crazy how fast this pregnancy is going- 15 weeks almost over, only 25 more to go. The first two weeks of football season are over- this is the fastest time of the year for us so that means 2006 is right around the corner!

Prayers needed

So today may have been one of the hardest I have had in a long time. I went to work this morning to find that my boss has decided to take a leave of absence from work. She left me hanging all day, with no suggestions as to what this would mean for me. I really didn't think too much about it, so I mean it when I say it was an absolute shock when she told me (at 5 o'clock this afternoon, no less) that they would no longer be requiring my services as a nanny.

Talk about out of the blue!

BACKSTORY:
Jennifer, my boss, has finished medical school and one year of her 5 year residency program in radiology. This residency is the reason why they moved to Jacksonville in the first place. She has never so much as hinted that she would quit her job and stay at home; she has even gone as far as to say that she would be bored out of her mind if she didn't have a job out of the home. So needless to say this was completely unexpected.

They were kind enough to offer me 2 weeks severance pay and any assistance they can offer in finding me another job. My last day will be Tuesday, September 13th- a day they picked.

I completely understand why Jennifer wanted to quit her job. Brynn turns 2 tomorrow and Jennifer has completely missed her child growing up. As someone who is about to become a mother, I cannot imagine someone else raising my child, kissing their tears away. I am universally happy for Brynn that she will have her mom there every day now... it was just the worst possible timing, ever.

So now I have no job and no idea how I am going to get one, as I am almost 4 months pregnant and moving to Ocala in 3 months. Honestly, who is going to hire me?! Brad and both our families keep reminding me that everything happens for a reason- that whenever God closes a door He opens a window... but I haven't yet felt that rush of fresh air.

So I need prayers. I don't know how I am going to be able to afford for Brad and I to pay our billd, never mind paying for our baby. We have some money in savings but definitely not enough (yet) to pay all our medical bills! I know that everything is going to work out in the long run, that this did in fact happen for a reason. I just have yet to see that reason.

Football Season Again!

The day Brad has been waiting for since Ron Zook was fired last year finally arrived: game day with our new head coach. I think the only thing that he'll be more excited about it the day our baby is born! It was a great, fun-filled weekend and it went too fast, as usual.

We were lucky enough that my parents were able to come up for the game this year, so we had our whole family together (minus my sister, who had to work) It was great to see Mom and Dad- it makes me really excited to think about the day they relocate and we don't have to wait so long between visits!

It is always fun to sit at the tailgate and see friends and family who we sometimes don't see except for during football season. Julie and I were talking and figured that every Saturday is like a big family reunion!

The game itself was a lot of fun, albeit a little crowded. I am counting myself lucky that I'm not showing (very much) yet because I would have been so uncomfortable squished between Brad and Julie! Julie and I took a walk during the 3rd quarter, trying to find the Gator shop and somehow managed to get lost and ended up in the student section- whoops! But we figured out quickly enough that we needed to go down a level and low and behold we found the Gator shop.

We are looking forward to an exciting football season that we all know is going to go by too fast- but at least this year we have something really great to look forward to not too long after it's over!

Happy Labor Day!

Return of the Blogger

So I know I have not been a very good little blogger lately- shame on me. Unfortunately, there really has not been anything going on in our lives! Nothing to report about the baby since my last appointment- not until I go back to the doctor on September 20th.

Brad started classes last Monday so I guess there is that. He is taking 3 classes and an internship that he gets 5 credit hours for, so he is all set to graduate in December. Of course, he is in a wedding on the day of graduation so he won't actually be walking at graduation, but still. He is going to try and see if he can walk in the May graduation- then our little baby will be there to see his/her daddy graduate!

Work is the same as always for me. I am having so much fun with Brynn right now, she is at such a fun age. She turns 2 next Thursday so I have to try and decide what to get for her birthday- any suggestions? I was thinking of maybe taking her someplace fun rather than buying her a present- that girl has more toys than a toy store and doesn't know what to do with half of them! I was thinking of maybe taking her to Chuck E Cheese, but I haven't been there in YEARS and don't really know if there's very much for a 2 year old to do. Guess I'll have to do some research.

Happy Birthday to Evan McDonnell.... what fun to be three! He has so much to learn and experience in the next year!

Many thoughts and prayers going out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, especially the Lattier family.

Martin Belly Bean at 11 weeks, 2 days. 

Second Appointment

Brad and I had our second doctor's appointment today, supposedly to hear the heartbeat. Imagine my panic when Dr. London couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler. But I tried to calm myself as we prepared for another vaginal ultrasound to see the heartbeat. And then there it was, our little angel with his/her heart beating so strong and everything was right in the world again. It is just such a miracle. It has only been 5 weeks since we last saw the baby and it has changed so much- it actually looks like a BABY now! It has a head and arms and little legs, too! So we started our panicing a little and then were rewarded with another glimpse of heaven. Now I only have to wait 7 more weeks to see it again... and maybe at that point it will reveal to us if it's a BOY or a GIRL. Only time will tell.

Quote of the Day

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Lao Tzu

6th Century BC

This truly his home for me right now as I begin to feel impatient and anxious for the things to come. I have to learn to be grateful for that I have at this moment without looking forward to what tomorrow may bring. I may have to wait a few more weeks before my pregnancy is visible from the outside, but our baby is going through such important developments right now... and who am I to rush a miracle?

Family

I love my 'inherited' family.

I was born in Massachusetts and when we moved to Florida, we left our extended family behind- aunts, uncles and cousins. My grandparents had all passed away either before I was born or when I was very young. Growing up in Florida, I had one relative that lived semi-near to us and she passed away 4 years ago. So I never really knew what it was like to have a large extended family, though it never bothered me. I didn't know any better.

Enter Brad.

Brad might have one of the largest extended families in the history of civilization. It took me many months of quizzing myself in Brad's presence to get everyone down and I still make some mistakes. But I love each and every one of them for who they are and what they represent.

We had the annual Pucciarelli (Brad's grandmother's family) Reunion this past weekend down in Tampa. We always have such a wonderful time and this weekend was no different. We see some of the cousins during football season but this is the only time in the year that we see some of the others so it is always fun to catch up. It was the first time we've seen any of them since finding out we were pregnant so that made it even more special.

From the first time I met the Pucciarelli clan I felt instantly welcomed, from the great aunts and uncles to the second and third cousins. These people are what family is all about. There are stories from the past, lots of laughter, food and comraderie and I am so lucky to be able to call them my family, too.

Busy, busy!

Oh, so much has been going on that I don't even know where to begin!

Brad sent an email to the law firm he worked at before law school started and one of the partners (who specializes in real estate, which Brad wants to do) has asked Brad to come in and meet with him. So Brad is going on September 2nd. We are not sure if this is an actual interview, because Brad asked for firms who are looking to hire, but we are praying oh so hard that it works out favorably. They know Brad and what a dedicated man he is, and that he is such a hard worker, so we are just praying that things work out. Brad doesn't want to get his hopes up but it would be so nice if they offered him a job. We could start looking for a house and be able to get so much done before the baby is born. So please add Brad to your prayers!

Florida Coastal School of Law has an externship program, which basically arranges internships for the students that count as class credit. Brad had applied for a summer externship but turned down the one he was offered so he could take a class with a professor who was leaving school. He applied for a fall externship then, and found out he got placed with the City of Jacksonville Office of the General Counsel. It is really exciting and will be such a rewarding experience for him! I know he is excited and will learn so much. He has worked so hard in the last two years and he is really being rewarded for it.

Nothing much is new on the baby front. We go in next week to hear the heartbeat and I think after that things will begin to feel much more real. Hopefully we'll start having some outward signs of the pregnancy soon, more than the bloat I have had for the past few weeks! I was 10 weeks as of yesterday so things should start changing in the next few weeks! I think we have pretty much decided to find out the sex of the baby. After thinking about what Katie McDonnell said about knowing who is inside if you, it really got me thinking and it seems like the right thing for us to do. So we'll definitely keep you all posted on that front!

Thank you for your continued prayers for Brad, I know he is very appreciative.

Mama and her #1 boy, Peyton. 

Test of Faith

Brad's faith was definitely tested yesterday and it was very easy for him to turn down an opportunity. He had sent a few resumes out to law firms here in Jax, hoping to maybe get on this fall as a clerk and maybe have it turn into a full time position once he finishes school. He got a call yesterday from a General Practice firm. The lawyer told Brad he's exactly what they were looking for in someone to hire and he'd like Brad to come in for an interview. He politely mentioned to Brad, however, that there may be a conflict of interest. He had noticed that Brad's involved with quite a few Christian groups through his school and mentioned that his law firm deals mainly with gay and lesbian rights, and would this be a problem for Brad? I know how badly he wants to get a job and would like to stay in Jacksonville and I know it must have been hard to turn down a job offer like that, but he is such a strong Christian that working toward gay and lesbian rights would go against every fiber of his being.

I am glad he was so able to stick to his faith and turn it down. This is just another glimpse into what a wonderful Christian leader he will be for our family and I am so glad that our child will be able to look at its father and know he is a man of strong beliefs who doesn't go against his Father. So now we just need to continue to pray that the Lord leads us in the right direction and brings us to a job where we belong right now.

Love

It's very strange to me how love works. No, not strange but maybe mystifying. I can't remember "falling in love" with Brad- I just remember feeling that my life was forever changed. It was almost as if it happened instantaneously. And that is kind of the way that I feel now.

I've not yet felt my baby move inside me and I can't see any outward signs that I am pregnant but the love that is already inside my heart for this tiny creature is so immense that my heart could burst at any moment, unable to contain it within its chambers. The thought of it brings tears to my eyes because it is so real and so scary and just so incredible at the same time. It's baffling. It's like that feeling on a roller coaster when you take that sudden plunge and all your insides jump into your throat- only this is a constant feeling. This is... incredible.

I have no idea if it's a boy or a girl. Will s/he have my blue eyes or look back at me from pools of green like his/her father and grandmother? Will s/he be blonde, like Brad and I both were as children, or come out with a cap of dark hair? There's no end to the stream of questions surrounding this sweet baby whom I still have to wait 7 months to meet, yet I already feel as if I would lay my life on the line to protect it. Isn't that just amazing?

I almost feel guitly. I feel as if I am keeping something from the husband with whom I share everything. I know he loves our child, I knew that instantly from the moment I told him we were pregnant. But he'll never feel this, what I am feeling right now and am so blessed to still have 7 months to grow and discover and feel and I can't share it with the man I chose to share my life with.

Love is incredible and I am so very humbled by it. It just reminds me, for the umpteenth time just today: God is.... indescribable.

Baby Names

Here's the list of names we like:

BOYS:
Landon Dale*
Cameron Joseph

GIRLS:
Cailin Jean
Savannah Belle

*If it is a boy it will definitely be Landon Dale. No wavering on that at all! Dale is Brad's middle name, as well as his dad, uncle and cousin, so we'll keep with tradition and pass it on to our first born son, too. The second boy name is a name Brad always liked, with Joseph as a middle name (my grandfather's name was Joseph and my dad asked me to carry it on)

The girl names are giving us trouble. All along we had said Cailin, but now that we are pregnant Brad's been going back and forth between Cailin and Savannah. What was once a clear cut decision is now a neck and neck race! We think that, if it is a girl, it will be a "game time" decision- we probably won't know until we see her sweet face!

[Happy 1st Anniversary to Jamie and Shelby- may you be blessed with many more happy years together in God's grace.]

To find out or wait?

Right now Brad and I are going back and forth, trying to decide if we want to find out the baby's sex. Now, we know that this cannot be determined for another 11 weeks but we want to get this discussion out of the way.

We had always said that for the first baby we wanted it to be a surprise, 100%. But now that it is real, that we are actually pregnant, it is amazing to see how curious we have already become! Brad has been the one who has been holding out the most- he's still been saying he wanted to wait. That is, until we went to Babies 'R Us the other night and were looking at all the sweet little clothes and later that night Brad decided he was 98% sure he wanted to find out! He was the one who had been keeping me on our original path but with him wavering.... I think we're almost definitely going to have to find out!

I am just so nervous.... it doesn't matter to me either way what we have. I'd love a boy or a girl equally, that's not the problem at all. I am just worried that once we find out, I'll think, "Gosh I wish we had waited, that would have been such a neat surprise!" So I am truly stuck as of what to do!!

Our First Appointment

Well, we went to our first doctor's appointment today and it went really well. Up until today I had still been not quite sure I was actually pregnant- never mind the 4 positive at home tests. There was just a fear that I was just really late this month with some false positives. But it's official- we are definitely pregnant!! We also got to have our first ultrasound which was really exciting. It was so neat to see the baby, even though it is so tiny! I am officially 5 weeks 6 days pregnant and at 6 weeks you can see the heartbeat so we got to see a little bit of a flutter in there, too. We have an appointment in 5 weeks to actually hear the heartbeat which should be really exciting. But we posted a photo of the ultrasound so you all can see the little bitty baby that I am growing!

Love to you all!

The first picture of Baby Martin taken 7/11/05! 

Brad and I went to Charleston, SC for 4th of July weekend to visit our friends Rory and Kim. We had such a good time! It was so much fun to be able to spend good quality time with good friends. And boy were they surprised when we shared our news! Charleston was beautiful and we got a few nice pictures- of course they are all on my "real" camera and not the digital so it will be a while before I can scan them on here. All in all, though it was a great weekend that went too fast, as good times usually do. We look forward to visiting them in their new home in Newport News, VA soon, though!

Happy Birthday America!

The first outfit we purchased for the baby- too cute to pass up!! 

The beautiful flowers that Baby Martin's grandparents (Hill's) sent to us.  

We called the doctor this morning and got our first appointment- July 11. Not being sure what to expect I asked if Brad should come with me or not and the nurse told me that we'll have our first ultrasound that day!! We'll get to see our little baby in just a week and a half! I can't wait- and it's a good thing Brad doesn't have class on Monday! Based on my LNMP the nurse said that at the appt I will be about 6 weeks, 3 days along which makes me about 4 weeks and 6 days right now. So right now Baby Martin is about the size of a coffee bean!

It's official- as of 6/27/2005 Brad and I are going to have a baby!! What a shock it was to both of us, as we hadn't even started trying yet! I took 4 pregnancy tests just to be sure- I was convinced that it was a false positive but after 2 tests there was no denying it! So that will make this blog a lot more fun- I'll be able to update everyone on the development and eventual birth of our little one! We are looking at an EDD around 3/5/06 but won't find out for sure until I go to the doctor. It is going to be so much fun and we just cannot wait to watch me grow!

The look on Brad's face when he saw his cookie cake was priceless! 

.
Posted by Hello

June 22, 2005

This blog has been created to keep all of our family friends aware of what is going on in our lives. We are looking forward to a long and happy life together and are glad we have an opportunity to share that with you!

Brad and Jenna