An All Star Addition

O'Baby! We're expecting.

We found out a few weeks ago that O'Baby 2.0 will be joining us around September 24, 2013.

We are excited. We apprehensive. We've been a little bit reserved.

It was a hard road to get to this sweet baby. It has not been an easy season for us and so many of our friends. Babies are amazing, fragile gifts that, only through God's mercy and love, turn into the bundles of joy we get to hold 9+ months later. And sometimes, we mere men don't know God's timing.

So, that's why there have not been the shouts of Surprise! The banners blazing. Till now... We've just been waiting. We've just been loving, and we've just been praying for a healthy baby to join our family.

Our families are so excited for us. My mom of course thought I was daft when I showed her a onesie for my soon-to-be-here niece that read, "I'm the Big Cousin!" "Ummm, no, Owen is the big cousin, Leanna." I then showed her and my dad O's accompanying shirt, "Big Bro." Slowly, slowly, the meaning became clear. My dad is pretty excited that he'll get to have two new grandbabies in the same year. I'm pretty excited too.

Joe's mom and dad were equally happy with tears and hugs after they read O's shirt.

Big Brother. Owen. Ha! How great! If you ask him if he wants a brother or a sister, he has said without fail that he wants both. BUT to his credit, and his mama's glad heart (and ultra sound), he said they don't have to come together.

O'Baby we are glad you are here. We are praying daily for your growth and health. We love you already.

-- Mommy and Daddy

36 Weeks

Yesterday, I hit the 36 mark in my pregnancy with O'Baby. Oh, this is a very welcome milestone. We are in the home stretch. We are to weekly visits. We are that much closer to meeting our little boy and finding out who this guy is that keeps bumping around in my tummy!

The doctor's visit went well. Seems we're getting a bit more intrusive in our visits. Neat. Alas, no progress as far as his approaching arrival. I didn't have any thought that there would -- that would just be way to easy.

As far as how I'm doing, I've hit the wall. I am done. I've had some lovely back/sciatic pain, and it is kicking my butt and my self-esteem. So, we press on towards the goal and pray that we'll be ready!

O'Baby we'll check back in with you next week and see where you stand, sit, lay...oh, you know!

Changes and Surprises

So it's quite amazing to see what can happen in a month! A month! I've gone from whining to shock.

That's right folks, we're having a baby!

O'Baby!

Yesterday, I had a whim to take a pregnancy test as I was just not sleeping right the last few days and my mind kept racing with all sorts of thoughts. I knew it would say no, but I thought, well for $8.50, I'll know and I can quit thinking about it.

So I took the little test and was beginning my three-minute wait for the digital "Not Pregnant" readout (I totally went digital, no lines or dots for me, please!)...and in under a minute it said "Pregnant!"

What? Huh? That was NOT the answer I was expecting! WHAT!!!!

Ryker was not understanding why I was acting a bit baffled. Silly dog.

So you know what I did then, used all my will to NOT call Joe right then and wait till he got home. I got the idea to go to the grocery store to pick up some Baby's Breath flowers and a baby pumpkin for a little table decor for when Joe came home.

He finally arrived and I was still waiting, because he wanted to show me HIS surprise...little did he know! He bought me a beautiful orange mum plant in a cute basket...mum! Ha!

So I ran inside, grabbed the tests (I took another one just to be sure). When he came in, I told him, "I got you some flowers too. They didn't have any Daddy's Breath, so I had to get these!" and showed him the tests! He was so surprised!! And shocked! And surprised! And happy...there were a lot of emotions!

All I kept saying was, "Surprise!" Lame, I know, but really, what else do you say when you are still surprised yourself!

Ok, now to tell the parents! I had Dad conference call Mom in (mind you, at Kroger, but we really couldn't wait) to let them know we had a birthday present for dad's upcoming 60th, but it wouldn't fit in a box and we were wondering if we could bring it later in a craddle?.... Cricket. Cricket. Cricket. "WHAT ARE YOU TELLING US!??" Yep, that's right, you're going to be grandparents! I'm pretty sure they were quite happy...we talked and discussed and laughed...until we lost Mom's signal somewhere in the produce department! ha! On to the next set...

We somehow wrangled my sister and Jamie to come eat dinner with us that night. So when they got to our house, Joe and I asked them if they wouldn't mind coming with us to tell Joe's parents that they were going to be Aunt and Uncle. Cricket. Cricket. Cricket. (I'm really loving the 'pregnant' pauses in these conversations, aren't you!) More happiness, hugs and congratulations. Oh, what a proud A&U...and O'Baby is barely even here!

Onwards...Joe's parents took a little more work to tell. Holly was on the way to the grandparentals, and we had to persuade her with some great news from Jamie and Jennifer so we could tell her and Jim together. When she finally arrived, and Jim was working on the fence...we informed them that J&J AND Sarah and Adrian were going to be aunts and uncles...Cricket. Cricket. Cricket. (Oh, it just doesn't get old!). Jim finally realized, and got the biggest smile on his face, and Holly started bawling...Oh, dear! Another set of happy grandparents to be! Holly assured me right on the spot she wanted to do anything and everything to help with the nursery!

We then called Sarah who was also on her way to the grandparents, and Joe quickly told her that she too will be a proud aunt soon! A bit of excited shouting and repeating of the facts occurred. I think we did it again, another proud aunt in the making!

So I called this morning to set up my doctor's appointment and I have to wait until NOVEMBER 12th! Ugh! So, more news to come. Can't wait to share our good news with all our friends, but we'll wait a bit and just thank God for the miracle He's given us.

Wow, thank you God! It's only begun!