On This Day, 1 Year Ago....

___________________________________________________________________
....NOW


It is truly amazing how much your world can change in just 365 days.

Tick Tock Tick Tock...

Greetings to all! We bring you no news except of waiting....all my intuitions of a pre-due date arrival have been corrected, and instead, I am quickly becoming impatient! It is amazing how sleep deprivation will skew an otherwise consistently positve outlook :) I know there is more to come, so we are working on overcoming...

Jeremy and I have not been taking our last quiet weeks together for granted. He has been patient in my homebodiness (none of my maternity clothes fit anymore!!), and we have both been reading like crazy and engaging in daily nostalgic moments - which does help to quiet our nervous, but eager anticipation.

Its really crazy to think of the past 9 months, which have flown by - something we had so long discussed and "planned" for was a reality, working through nearly unbearable morning sickness while Jeremy waited on me hand and foot, of those first fluttering movements which felt like holding a firefly in your hands (and Jeremy finally feeling those little jabs!), wondering how in the world we would acquire what we would need for her - only to end up with MORE than we need...and here we are now as I am watching a half-egg sized lump (a left foot) rise up from my belly (she's working on her quads for soccer).

I know from the moment she is born, she will become increasingly more and more independent from her parents - and I feel we have not taken a single moment of this amazingly sufficient preparation time for granted. We thank all of you for the prayers and gifts. Jeremy, the "lil one", and I feel so very fortunate and grateful.

We will try to post as soon as we can when she comes. I wish we could call each of you individually, but....well, you know.

love, grace, and peace to all.

ps - I might try to post a 40-week picture, since that last one was so awful!

Nursery

Well, my excuses to be stressed are dwindling. This past weekend we finished the nursery (mostly), and it looks GREAT. Jeremy and I are SOO excited that such a cluttered, boring guest bedroom could turn out to be so soft and warm! We are officially ready for her to come.

The past few days have started to be more uncomfortable, and now I see why many women have told me the end is miserable. I'm not miserable at all (yet), but just having trouble sleeping due to back pain, and the heat drains me. And, I feel the waddling coming on. The little one is still very active, and her movements are becoming more forceful since her space in my stomach is dwindling even more. My doctors appt last week went well, though I was a little dissappointed that there werent any "developments". I have a feeling this one will be different, but we'll see :)

keep in touch, and dont forget to vote in the poll on the right!

37 Weeks

This picture is...awful (another self-picture in the rain :), but it gives you a good idea of how ENORMOUS I am. According to Jeremy, I am not waddling yet, but all sitting down/standing up movements are really awkward, and I have swollen ankles and fingers in the evenings! And, its really, REALLY hot! What fun. On a happier note, our little one is moving frequently, and all doctors appointments (weekly now) have been positive.

On an even happier note, I am done with work at Natural Foods Market on Saturday!! I am so excited to be finished - looking forward to getting to work on a large to-do list, and having some quiet hours without being dead tired as well...

In other news: Jeremy had an interview with the admissions committee for the Masters of Education program at Milligan and it went really well - he also took the MAT and scored much higher than average! I am so proud of him!! He will be taking 3-4 prerequisite courses this fall and spring semesters and start the masters program next May. Its really fun to see him so excited about a career...

Be sure to vote in poll in the righthand column!

JC Friends Shower

Thanks to Jen and Wendy and the Knowles family for throwing us a wonderful shower this evening! We had a great time celebrating this new life with these friends and they were so generous with us, as always. Jeremy and I feel truly blessed to know that so many people care about us...thank you for being a part of this, all of you readers!!

Thank you to My Greenville Girls!!!

Many thanks to my girls for throwing me a WONDERFUL shower last Sunday! I had the best time seeing them, as well as some of "the mothers"!! Once again, I am completely overwhelmed by the generosity of friends. You all inspire me to be more of a giver.

I cant wait for our little girl to get to meet all of you! Love Love Love.

WOW.

Kale, Julie, and Jonah came to visit this past weekend and Kale built us a BEAUTIFUL changing table/dresser for the nursery!! Jeremy and I are thrilled beyond belief. He huilt it from scratch in two days (with a little help from the rest of us)! It was so fun to watch it take shape, and we are SO excited to have a beautiful piece of furniture to pass down to our children and grandchildren! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!

5 Year Anniversary/32 Weeks

Yesterday was our 5-year anniversary! I cant believe how the time flies. We were so young when we got married, but as a result, we have been able to grow up together. Its been an amazing ride so far...

I am also 32 weeks now. Yikes, we are getting close. My Drs appointments are every 2 wks, and our birth classes start Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how Jeremy does with that :) We have a shower thrown by a friend at work tomorrow, so I will try to post pictures from that. Hope everyone is doing well.

Shower!!

We had our first shower for Baby Walker in Greenville, thrown by mom and sister for the ladies of our former congregation! It was a beautiful party, and Jeremy and I are completely overwhelmed by the generosity of this church family - most of whom I havent even seen in 5 years!! They are truly an example of how the body of Christ takes care of each other. Many thanks to the Lawhon girls, Mrs. Cirillo, Bit, and all the WRCC ladies for such a wonderful blessing. (Quilt pictured made by Mrs. Cirillo.)

The nursery is starting to look more and more baby friendly, as Jeremy and I have finally gotten rid of some of the extra furniture and junk we had laying around and in closets. This has proven to be quite a project. Its funny how we both have this really strong desire for things to be soft and comfortable for her when she arrives. I didnt expect that! My nesting instincts have really kicked in, and that has led to quite a few large, potentially unnecessary household projects.

She is doing great, by the way, and is more active than ever!! We are starting to play games with her, though there dont seem to be any patterns or rules - its still so fun! Jeremy and I have both felt her hiccups within the last few weeks, and she seems to react to his voice now.

We are looking forward to seeing Grandpa Kale, Grandma Julie, and Uncle Jonah in a couple weeks!!

30 Weeks!

Whirlwind Weeks

Its been an amazing past two weeks as we have had family and friends visit! A few miracles occurred as well. First Jeremy's grandparents came from Illinois and we had a great time with them! They really take care of us, and are fun to be with.

Next, our friend Brad from GA drove up and brought us a TON of their baby stuff!!! LOTS of equipment, including a stroller/carrier/car seat combo, swings, bouncers...I could go on and on. It is such a huge blessing to not have to worry about buying a lot of the things we need. Thanks Brad and Kathye! Ya'll are amazing.

Our good friends Fred and Jen (we met while planting the FL church) came to visit from KY for a few days with their 3 year old daughter, Addyson (see picture) and 10 wk old, Colston! It was really an eye-opening time, as we enjoyed interacting with their beautiful children and observing what it was like to have an infant! They brought us down a TON of clothes, etc, but most of all it was wonderful to spend time with such good friends.

We are so grateful to everyone for showing such enormous generosity to us. Everyone has been so supportive as we are preparing for some major life changes. We are truly overwhelmed.

27 Weeks!

Here is the latest belly picture! (Thanks to Jen and Wendy for the AWESOME Patty Griffin tshirt!! )

I am starting to feel "even more huge-er" and am having trouble getting in and out of our car, sitting and standing, etc. Its all still fun - we'll see how I feel in a month! Jeremy and I have been working on the nursery, and it has proven to be quite a task as we are getting rid of a lot of junk and things we have accumulated over the years to make room for baby stuff. Hopefully soon we will be able to post pictures of our progress! The baby is moving a lot, and I have started seeing her thumps and bumps from the outside. We're pretty sure she is the most coordinated, smartest baby already.

A New Hobby

Here are some pictures of our front porch landscaping. Jeremy and I have both enjoyed working on this, and now reaping the benefits! We havent lived in an apartment before where we could landscape freely, so its has been really fun to try to be thrifty and creative.

Week 27 belly pics coming soon!!

Addictive Fishing :)

Vacation!!!

We just got back from spending a few days at our friends' lakehouse in SC!! It was amazing. We read a lot on the porch, laid in the sun, and fished off the dock - it was wonderful! Now we are home and planning to get some important baby stuff done like registering, rearranging furniture in the nursery, and more relaxing on our own porch!

24 weeks!

Here is the latest belly pic (not very flattering :) I had to set the timer and run out in front of it - hence the fake smile. I feel like my stomach has doubled in size over the past 2 weeks! She has been more and more active every day, and Jeremy has felt her move many times now- so amazing. I love that feeling.

What else...we are really really excited for our vacation next week, which it looks like we will be spending at home! As long as we arent at work...

Dumpster Diving

Two things today have made me smile real big (aside from the perfect weather). First, I woke up this morning and and found a list in the kitchen that Jeremy made last night after I went to bed - "Movies for the Baby". I thought it was so cute that he listed out all the movies that he loved as a child, and wanted our little girl to enjoy too! Most were Disney animated classics, but also included were Walker family favorites like That Darn Cat, the Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and the Apple Dumpling Gang. I smiled all morning thinking of that list, even though practically/financially speaking, I knew it would take years to accumulate.

This evening we went for our nightly walk through the Milligan campus which was just vacated over the past few days. Our eyes were caught, for some reason neither of us can recall, by an open dumpster. We walked over to it, and it was overflowing with computers, shelving, speakers....and MOVIES. There was a whole garbage bag full of VHS tapes which we proceeded to rip open, and to our delight, it was full of DISNEY CLASSICS. To make a long story short, Jeremy ended up climbing IN THE DUMPSTER and digging through it found over 35 movies! There were probably 100 more we didnt grab. Some were for us to watch, but most are are are on the list he made last night - including That Darn Cat and Cat from Outer Space! I mean really, what are the chances!?! I wish I had my camera to capture Jeremy digging through those smelly bags. I mean, he was really in the dumpster.

We got a lot of interesting looks from those who still were on campus as we were scavenging- some adults and some students. At first I was slightly embarassed to be seen gathering someone else's trash, but the more I thought about it, the more disgusted I was by all the waste created by the students. (I guarantee you I did the same thing when I was a student there too.) I'm not gonna lie, we did look in some other dumpsters after we discovered our treasure for anything else we needed, and saw many couches, chairs, desks, and tons of supplies. It was an incredible amount of "useful waste". I dont know what the solution is to this problem (aside from educating and increasing awareness of others' needs - which you cant force people to care) but if Jeremy and I can gain so much joy from these blessings, and even call someone else's garbage our miracle, think of all that could be done with the rest of it! OK, I will get off my soapbox now. :) What a fun day.

Rocking Chair

I know this is truly fascinating, but here is the rocking chair Jeremy's parents bought us recently for the "nursery". We found it at an antique store nearby, and it was love at first sit - ha. Anyways, we werent real excited about the color of it, so we have stripped it, and discovered that the original wood underneath was really pretty! Now all that is left is to varnish (?) it and find a cushion that matches the nursery theme we havent picked out yet! Isnt it pretty?

Tennessee Evenings

We have so much to accomplish to prepare for this baby's arrival, but are still taking time to relax and do what we love to do, while we attempt to remain calm :) We set out on Monday evening after work with the intention of catching smallmouth bass (apparently they are more fun?) in Lake Watauga. Jeremy caught this mother (see above - she was nesting), and I caught that small-ish unidentified fish.