Seth

Our little Seth Avery is here!

Seth arrived August 22, at 11:40am, after about 13 hours of labor.  I won’t go into all the details of labor and delivery; I’ll just say it was worth it. Seth was 21 inches long, had a 14 ¼ inch head circumference, and was 8lbs 1oz; a precious and healthy baby boy.

We decided on Seth’s name after months and months of writing lists, looking up meanings, and searching online.  We wanted a good strong name for our son, one that had a good meaning, and about a million other stipulations. But we finally narrowed it down to Seth, which means appointed, and Avery which means, wise ruler; noble. The only problem is that, even after two weeks, I am still getting used to saying Seth instead of Baby. 

When he was laid on my chest, Luke leaned over and whispered in my ear, ‘it’s a boy!’ I don’t really know how to describe in words what I felt in that moment.  However, I did know Seth was meant for us, he was the child we prayed for, for over two years we prayed. All the heartache of waiting, not so patiently, and he’s finally here.

It’s hard to get through this without crying. I am so thankful that God blessed us with Seth. He was handpicked just for us and arrived precisely on time. Not on my time schedule, mind you, but God’s; he was, after all, born at 41 weeks.

I’d better get going, the little guy is waking up from his nap.

Anticipation

I'm sure I have friends and family checking my facebook page often to see if baby's come yet or not. And no, baby is taking his/her time. Due date is only two days away, but it seems like the days are getting slower and slower as we get closer.

Luke and I are so excited to meet our baby. My hospital bag has been packed and waiting by the door for at least two weeks, Baby's car seat is buckled in the car, and I think we're as set as we can be for when we bring Baby back from the hospital.

Am I impatient? YES, VERY!! Well, at least yesterday and today. Sleep doesn't really happen anymore, and I can't see my toes, let alone bend over to pick something up off the floor. Sliding sideways through a narrow spot doesn't work, my belly gets in the way...yet I still think I might just make it. :) Most of this stuff is funny and doesn't bother me too much, I'm just ready to hold my little one and maybe feel a little more normal.

One of the few things that makes me feel nearly normal is swimming. I've only been a few times to the pool at our apartment, but my back doesn't ache when I'm in the water and I almost forget I'm pregnant. Except for the fact that I have to wear shorts and a t-shirt over my swim suit cause it's a little too small right now, and it's a little more difficult to do certain strokes.

Some people have asked me if I've had any cravings the last few months or so. I don't think I've had anything out of the ordinary... Luke has treated me a couple times to late night snacks (nachos and on a separate occasion, ice cream with french fries.) But, I haven't wanted anything strange or gross.

Others have asked if I have leanings one way or the other on if baby's going to be a boy or girl. My answer is: I have no idea! Some days I think 'it's going to be a boy' and others 'it's definitely a girl'. So, we'll find out when it's time. :)

So, when will it be time? My bet is August 20th, sometime in the evening. What do you think?? Any bets?

Changes

Sipping on a glass of water, surrounded by boxes and bags, feeling baby kick and wiggle, I realize life is about to change for us again.

This morning I woke up tired, as usual, but also thinking about what life is going to be like starting April 2, 2012. Luke and I are moving back to Gresham,OR.

This may come as a surprise for a lot of people, but we've been processing this for a few months, especially since we're expecting baby soon. We're looking forward to being closer to family and settling in to a new apartment, that will hopefully be a good place for us and baby.

Speaking of baby. Our little one is doing great. We had our 20 week appointment on Monday and the doctor says baby is growing perfectly. That was also the appointment we would've found out if baby was a boy or girl, but we told them we'd like to wait, so we still have no idea. 

See you soon in Gresham.

Our little car story

We get our car back today! It's been in the shop for almost two weeks getting a new engine put in.

Why you ask? Well, here's the story:

A couple weeks ago we took our car in for routine maintenance. There were a few things that needed to be taken care of, but all pretty minor. Since this is our one and only vehicle, we got the repairs done.

In the mean time, we went to my 12 week checkup for baby. Which was wonderful! We got to see baby move and wiggle, hear it's heart beat and see his/her little hands and feet. So cool! After the appointment we went around and told a few friends about baby and just had a spectacular day, feeling incredibly blessed.

 After picking up the car, we started home from Portland... and the car died on I-5 south just before the Terwilliger curves, it was around 8:30pm. You know that spot where all the construction is? We were able to pull our car off to the shoulder right before that, another 50 feet and we wouldn't have had anywhere to pull off the road.

 I am thankful for the ODOT guy who stopped and checked on us, my dad who came and picked us up, the tow truck that took our car to the shop, and our mechanic for staying up late to make sure our car got back to the shop. Also, for the use of the vehicles we were able to use the last two weeks, my dad's car, Luke's dad's pickup, and Luke's grandma's car.

For all you mechanics people out there, here's what happened that made the car die, it had nothing to do with the repairs earlier in the day. The water pump seized up, with out any warning, which caused the timing belt to snap and bend parts of the engine, killing the engine.

I'm SO thankful I wasn't the one driving and that Luke took care of everything.

For this child, we prayed...

Yes, this is what you think it is! :)

Luke and I have been holding our little one a secret for a few months and now we're sharing our joy with all of you.

A few of you may have been curious from my last post why Luke went on California Screamin' all by himself, well, now you know. Pregnancy has it's price, but I am totally willing to give up a few things now and then for the joy of knowing I am carrying one of God's most precious gifts!

Baby is due August 15th, 2012. So, If you're doing the math, that means I am about 13 weeks along just about done with my first trimester. It's so crazy how much baby has grown in the last month, from a little blob with barely distinguishable arm and leg buds to a baby with a little nose and fingers and toes.

Common questions we've been getting:
Are you finding out if it's a boy or girl before?
-We aren't planning to, we'd really like to be surprised.

Do you have names picked out?
-No, we're working on it though and we'll announce the name when baby arrives.

Do you have morning sickness?
-YES, gross! Looking forward to it going away!

Please keep Luke, me, and baby in your prayers as you think of us.

California

Luke and I were able to take a trip to Disneyland this last week. We were celebrating Luke's birthday and our 3rd anniversary. It was so good to get away and enjoy some warmer weather while it was snowing at home in Oregon.

Day 1 of our trip was spent packing and getting last minute errands done (oil change, bank run, dinner, and some time with Rachel's sister, Heather, as she searched, tried on, and found, her wedding dress) before finally heading south around five in the evening. We arrived at our first hotel in Yreka, CA around 11pm

Day 2, Luke's birthday, was spent entirely in the car driving to Anaheim, CA to check in to our hotel for the next few days. Pretty uneventful day, just slightly stressful as we got into LA and experienced California driving in full force.

Day 3 We enjoyed a very full day at Disneyland. Riding as many rides as we could and walking around to different attractions. I think our favorite ride together was Pirates of the Caribbean, Luke's favorite of the day was Space Mountain, and mine...well, I couldn't really pick a favorite. I really was just thankful for time with Luke doing fun things and having sun on my face. :) We took a short break from Disneyland at lunch to visit a friend of mine, Angela (along with her son and niece), at Rainforest Cafe. Good times.

Day 4: It was time for California Adventure. After the full day at Disneyland, we took our time wandering around. With it being Tuesday, a lot of the extra attractions were closed, but we were still able to enjoy California Screamin',  Mickey's Fun Wheel, and a few others. Luke went on California Screamin' a couple times, did you know that if you're a single rider you can go in through the exit and skip the entire line (you get a special ticket from the employee that stands at the exit)? That was nice to find out, we were able to bypass a lot of the 40min waits that way. :)

Day 5 We left Disneyland behind and drive north to San Francisco. Arriving around the time of rush hour traffic, we decided to stop and walk along Fisherman's Wharf. I got a wonderful clam chowder bowl for dinner at Boudin Bakery, while Luke tried out their grilled cheese. It was a nice unexpected stop along the way, with some interesting, and also strange, sites to see.

Day 6 Our last day on the road. We drove Hwy 101 north through the Red Wood National Forest, and saw quite a few elk along the way. It was a very wet and rainy drive home, but we made it safe and sound back to the little apartment in Yamhill.

We're so happy we were able to spend the time away. It's always a little bitter-sweat coming home from vacation though and back to reality. It's so much fun making memories and exploring new places. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us as we drove. We are very blessed to have you in our lives.