hello sweet baby

My love, Owen

I get more and more excited about meeting you each day. Your father and I are so excited that we finally know who you are now, Owen Lee. We have given you your father's middle name. Not just because it is a family name, but because of the amazing person your daddy is. I know already you both are so much alike! When we saw your little face on the monitor Monday, I could tell you look like your daddy. You are going to love him so much like I already do. He takes very good care of us!

I have loved you and prayed for you even before I knew you were on your way. Just like your father, you are an answered prayer to my life. The Lord does amazing things for us everyday, and you are one of those miracles. I love you so much my little boy. Grow big and strong. Until we meet you - I love you more today than I did yesterday!

All my love!

funny bones

I have just entered Fabulous K's Giveaway. If you don't follow her blog or her creative blog you definitely should. She has such great ideas of things she creates and shows you exactly how she does it. And she has fabulously chic style. I love it.

The giveaway I just entered is my FAV of the week - for a canvas sign from Kim Wheeler at Endless Possibilities. Go to her site. She makes the cutest canvas signs. I had seen these before but now that we know the sex of the baby I WANT ONE.

Hopefully I will win the giveaway... hopefully! I mean, look at the signs. How cute would that be with a little "O" for my little man?

love, love, love it!

We just picked out the bedding and colors for the baby's room. I feel so great and excited... now my head is swarming with ideas!

It is so cute. We are doing white, green, and 2 different shades of blue. And with some orange accents to make it a bit more funky. The green is like the green in our office if you have even seen it.

I think we are also going to have a semi-nautical theme. Water waves on the wall, sail boats - I love it. I can't wait to get in there and start putting things together!

And most of all I can't wait to put the baby in there!

"thank you for your purchase"

I love shopping online. Every bit of it! Who needs a mall or shopping center? Especially when its all here at the tip of my fingers!

Thank you Pottery Barn, Gap, and Etsy. And see you soon my lovely duvet cover, shams, pants, and vinyl wall decal.

it's like doing drugs

One of my co-workers said Pregnant Brain is like doing drugs. When you're not doing on drugs or pregnant, your senses come back.

But never to where they were before.

Now I know what being on drugs is like!

it's on

Ok - so now we know the sex of the baby we need to get rolling on things:

1. find a color scheme for bedroom
2. probably based on bedding/fabric I find
3. scrap ceiling inbaby room
4. paint ceiling
   
5. paint room
6. register for baby stuff
7. get cute baby stuff for his room
   
8. get more super excited
   

Things we have already taken care of:

1. picked out a baby name
2. stick foot in mouth regarding baby boy jokes. it only took like an hour after getting to work. i might elaborate later.
   
3. get cute boy things. (we got the CUTEST onsies from gap this weekend that we banked on being uni-sex but they really were boyish. that worked out, didn't it? i will post pics soon!)
   
4. loved the baby
5. prayed for the baby
6. get super excited
   

its a...

BOY!

That's right. We are having a baby boy! We are so incredibly excited we cannot believe it. God is so great and awesome. We praise His name for this healthy little baby boy!

We will see you soon baby! We love you so very much!

its ALMOST here

Monday that is, at 8:30 am. That is my BIG visit to Dr. Mayberry to find out the sex of this precious little blessing growing in my oven. 

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! 

All these days, weeks, and months wondering and thinking and thinking and wondering. And the days is (almost) finally here. 

We have names picked out. And lots of idea. But that is about it. Along with finding out the sex of this baby we will then go into overload. Thinking, planning, painting, ceiling scraping... AHHHHH! 

There is so much to do, in 19 weeks. Is that all I have left. Nooooooo that can't be it. Oh my gosh it is, I will be 22 weeks on Monday. 

When you freak out like this, is it normal? 

13

13 days in paradise really is enough. Although I am sad to leave Kaua'i I am ready to get home. To my own house, my bed, and my dog.

What will I remember the most about Kaua'i?

One day in the sun is enough to last me the entire trip here. I hope you can recognize me when I get back. 

The local ladies don't shave. 

The locals don't really shower that much either for that matter. 

When it rains it pours. Literally. We've been stuck inside for the past 2 days. 

You can't haggle the flea market owners here like you can in Mexico. Or in the grocery store either. (Mitchell asked for free groceries yesterday since we had been everyday sine we first arrived. They didn't go for it.) 

If you think you are immune to getting sea sick just because you never have been before - you're wrong. Yes, I showed about 30 people how much me and my stomach didn't like the boat ride. (Note to self: no more fish sandwiches.) 

It is beautiful here. Absolutely amazing. God knew what He was doing when He created Hawaii. But so is West Texas. And I can't wait to be back there! 

what's going on here?

I'm all alone. There's no one here beside me. Come back mom and dad. 

If you don't come back soon, I'm adopting another dog.

Hawaii sucks. 

for sale

Dear Abilene, 

Sell my house and bring me my dog. 

I am staying here. 

Love, 

Amanda

39 hours and counting

... and i will be on my way to a two week vacation on the island of paradise.

good bye world. see you when i come back.

what then bushes?!?!

The bushes in my front yard have plagued me since we moved in a year and half ago. Taunting me with their horribly placed positions in the front yard, and their gangly looks. We removed the first of these bushes about 6 months after we moved in. There were randomly placed bushes along the driveway that didn't even go the length of the driveway, and... we'll I just didn't like them. We transported them to the backyard, but apparently Romulus didn't like them either, so they are dead. As for the others... they sat, and sat, and sat in the front bed. I hated them more each day. 

TODAY as I pulled into the driveway this is what GLORY my eyes saw: 

NO BUSHES! 

Hazzard of digging up 3 ugly bushes, when one is over 100 pounds. 

NO BUSHES! 

NO BUSHES! See how beautiful my wittle house is? You can actually see my house with those bushes gone! 

Thank you my love and Ricky!!!!!!!

OMG

The view from outside our house in Hawaii.

OMG I CAN'T WAIT.

5 days :)

well hello there 17 weeks

This is me at 17 weeks. Two weeks ago. For a long time I didn't want to take any tummy pictures. Not until I was convinced my stomach didn't look like a gut. And that it was obvious I was pregnant. But here's my baby and just like Dr. Tadvick said, my stomach all of a sudden showed up out of no where. You earned your pay that visit, Dr. Tadvick! 

I was so elated when we were in San Diego, and at one of my meetings the lady next to me said, "So when are you due?" I literally wanted to kiss her. I settled for crying later at lunch as she was telling me the story of her daughter and pregnancy. 

I am now 19 weeks and definitely feel the full effects of being pregnant. I vow to be better about taking these pictures of my tummy and my baby. 

By time we get back from Hawaii I will be 22 weeks on Monday, July 27th. And at 8 am that morning we will find out what we are having, a baby girl or boy! I can't wait and the suspense is killing me. My mom, dad, and sister will be there to find out with me and Mitchell and I couldn't be happier!

4th of july parade

We had a great 4th of July weekend. Sayles had a 4th of July parade so we were up and ready extra early for the parade. Romulus was so excited after we told him, he waited by the laundry room doors all morning until we left. 

Waiting... 

Waiting...

Waiting... 

And waiting! 

These dogs were nothing, Romulus definitely needs to be in parade next year. 


He wasn't impressed by that other great dane. 

Happy 4th baby, this was your first parade!

Debbie and Titan from HSU! 

1/3 of the Six White Horses. 

And we ended the morning by watching the community band perform. We got to see Joe Mack and Karla and enjoyed the great concert. Although Romulus drooled all over the guy we were sitting next to, forced himself under neath his chairs and over turned on of them. Can you blame him? It was hot!

a nursing home, rest stop bathroom, and a landfill

Disclaimer: I wish every part of this story was a gross exaggeration. It isn't an exaggeration. But it is gross.

Our neighbor ruined our nice night outside last night, sitting in the front law, talking and listening to Chris Issac. We spotted him out of the corner of our eyes. We weren't anywhere close to the door of the house. We couldn't make a clean escape. He had already crossed the drive way. Shoving a fresh serving of tobacco into his front lip. Spit dribbling down his chin, to his shirt, to his pants. Luckily I was closest to him. 

"I have something to show you." dribble mouth talking to me

"I need to stay here with the dog so he doesn't run away. Mitchell will go with you." me, scared and crying

"No, he's seen it I want you to see it." dribble mouth

"He won't run away." my loving husband and dribble mouth 

I get up to walk with him, my husband lets me go. I turn back toward him with a look that made him wet his pants and told him to get his butt over here. All as we walk toward dribble mouth's house. 

"Come on we are going in the house. I want to show you something in the back yard." dribble mouth, as my tears return

I told my heroic husband to walk in first... his hand leads my back so I can walk into the house first. 

We walk in right behind dribble mouth and are greeted by not only old people smell in the house, but something similar to a nursing home, rest stop bathroom, and landfill. All in one. I hold my breath as I gag. Mitchell says OUT LOUD, "Oh my gosh, it..." Thank goodness he didn't finish that statement. 

We walk into the backyard as his wife re-introduces herself to me. Dribble mouth shows us his herbs, gazebo, and grass. He brings me something and tells me to put it into my mouth. 

"Ugggh, I don't think so!" 

"Do it." dribble mouth

"No, that's ok. What is it." 

A grim comes across dribble mouth's face... I am ready to go jump the fence to my save haven. We turn toward the house, the old lady introduces herself to me again. I start to cry and run toward the door. I turn and see a family portrait of them and their son. From this year. He's 40. And they were wearing matching outfits. Maybe shirts with a howling wolf. 

I should have gotten a pitt bull or an electric fence to protect me. Not a great dane. 

10,886,400 seconds

181,440 minutes

3,024 hours

126 days

and 18 weeks pregnant.

So much has happened in the past 18 weeks. Other than me growing and having a serious dislike for all my old clothing that doesn't fit - there's a lot going on in our love shack that I don't would have if this baby wasn't on the way.

My loving husband is working feverishly on fix me ups around the house. The windows have screens, my kitchen light is fixed, Ricky and Mitchell (as we speak) are digging up 3 UGLY bushes in my front yard, he's going to till that front bed and GET RID of that UGLY english ivy. All so I can have a beautiful front bed of flowers!

We are looking for a new car, and we have a baby crib in the garage that we are about to re-finish. The one my brother, sister and I all used when we were born. I can't believe my baby is going to sleep in the same bed I did.

Romulus (much to his dismay) is probably going to undergo some serious settle-the-heck-down training. People touch my barely showing-it-is-really-probably-just-fat belly, and sometimes giggle it. They're lucky I know them, if not I'd spank their bowhinneys. Which would be weird within itself if I didn't know them! And I've been asked when we are having another one. I just want to cook this one first, then here in a few YEARS I will get back to you on that, ok?

There are other hairy details that I won't allude to right now, but if you really want to know read Jenny McCarthy's book Belly Laughs. Actually, read it anyways. She's a bit crude and graphic with her imagery and language, but freaking funny. Do it. Come to my house and get it so you can read it tonight! Even if you aren't pregnant.


But the most important, most amazing change in our household, our lives is Mitchell and the loving, giving and selfless man that he is. I never could have imagined that this part of him could get better, could grown even more, but it has. To the umpteenth power. I love the Godly man that He has given me, and that, among all the changes in our lives right now - I wouldn't change for the world.