Sugar and spice...

and everything nice
that's what
Hadlee Anne Hale ~ a.k.a. HAH
is made of!!! (We're 95% sure, anyway.)

She has chubby cheeks, a blank space between the legs, long appendages, and was incredibly bouncy from the Sun-drop I enjoyed before hand. It was a lot of fun and crowded ~ I was joined by my sister, brother, sis-in-law, niece, her aunt (the ultra stenographer ~ that's a fun one to say) and her daughter in a pediatrician's exam room on a very small table!!! YAY! Just 16 1/2 weeks (or so) to go.

I chose her first name and her father chose her middle. I think it's a cute combination, and not something you hear everyday. How 'bout you? (If for some un-godly reason you disagree, keep it to yourself, please. Thankyouverymuch!)

We found a house in Manchester to rent for the next little while. It's in a cute neighborhood and has a garage and plenty of space for us, HAH and almost everything she'll bring along. It'll work until we know what will come next. RELIEF in one area at least!

Woo~Hoo!!!

I can now feel HAH's jazzercise and breakdancing moves outside of my tummy!!!! So exciting! :)

Question...

Does Sonic, America's Drive-In, really need a drive thru?!?!?!?!!

Saturday Hilda and I spent several hours looking at the baby sections of Target and Toys-R-Us (we weren't sure where Babies-R-Us or USA Baby were located). I successfully went through Target zapping away at large and small things for the baby's registry. If you have the urge to spend money on a gal, I urge you, do not be afraid to send it our way!!! :) Kidding, but really, I'm kind of not too.

Massive head ache, probably sinus related. Going to watch Oprah and veg, then pack up Brandon to send him on his weekly Georgia trip (he's been asked to commit to Wednesdays and Thursdays for an undetermined amount of time). He'll be on the five hour drive around 4:00 in the morning. Please pray for his safety. Mrs. Paranoid isn't too keen on him driving for so long all alone. Yes, I am officially turning into a worry-wart mother ~ he's my closest experiment!

Losing it / Gag a Maggot

So, as with all prego's it is beginning to happen to me. My innie is becoming an outie... and I find this extremely disgusting (or as Shelby used to say "di-gust-ing"). I am so not interested in belly buttons. When my sister was pregnant she could easily make me gag by belly flashing me w/ the big button staring at me like a one-eyed monster (what are those things called? I just can't remember.) I'm cringing just at the thought. Today's term is "GAG A MAGGOT!!!"

Tomorrow I am going w/ my mom-in-law to a baby shower for Brandon's aunt. Yes, you read that correctly, his aunt. (She's a couple of years older than B, but his uncle is in his late 50's. It's an interesting story to say the least!) And then we are going baby furniture shopping!!! I am SOO EXCITED!!!! What fun. I can't wait to pick stuff out. I doubt that we'll buy anything just yet. It will more than likely wait until we move back home, but looking is the fun part.

I have to start compiling the list for my own shower invites. Apparently I'm not supposed to know about the shower, but hello, I picked the date! It will probably take me days to try to remember everyone I should invite. Maybe I'll just get Lynette to put an ad in the paper. That would be so much more convenient, don't you think?

The energy phase is beginning to slip away. I'm glad of that for only one reason... the end is near!!! Only 123 more days... and if I do my yoga squats, it could be even less than that (is it bad to think that way??!!).

Off to rest and do some laundry. Have a great weekend and kiss your babies (or someone else's, either way will work!)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Do you ever look at situations and ask yourself, "Is this a gift from God, or is He just bored with my current life and in need of some real entertainment?" No, I didn't think so.

With the closing of Murray getting closer and our move from our little home even closer still, Brandon and I have been tossing around several different living scenarios...

Our favorite is striking it rich, buying a home in Coffee County and flying our private plane to exotic destinations along w/ any friends and family who wish to join in. Since we've never played any type of "strike it rich" game, that one seems to be a bit out of reach...

Next is finding a job that allows us to live happily ever after (again in Coffee County). Only, the more realistic version includes me having a "real job" and HAH and any subsequent children being watched by someone while B and I bring home the cabbage. While we both know that having excessive amounts of $$$ isn't everything, we also know that it sure does seem to make some things easier. I've been thinking about what my dream has always been (staying at home w/ the babies, being an SUV driving soccer mom, having lunch and play dates w/ all the other mom's in the neighborhood, etc.) and what reality seems to be handing us. Working (more than likely as a teacher ~ the more you know, right? ~ until I finish my master's anyway) and having what can be the best of both worlds. We want to provide our children with whatever they want, but more importantly to be available, nurturing, supportive, loving, and set the best examples possible for their lives. How do you decide what is best for your children when you have no idea what being a parent is like?

It's not a stressful decision. Obviously if there is anyway that we can be geographically close to our families that is the path we will head down. Neither of us are worried about the future. God always provides. He always has, and He always will. It's just that there is so much more to consider with a child coming into the world. How do you know what to do when you don't even know what to expect next week?

Just some ideas and details that are swimming around in my head. Apparently, I don't have enough going on in my life already. Any insight on this whole "parenting" thing would be greatly appreciated.

Home

Safely returned.
Stir crazy.
Swollen.
Incessant appetite.
Craving pizza covered in ketchup and Hawaiian Punch Kool Aid.
And homemade vanilla ice cream.
Ready to be in Manchester for a semi-permanent stay.
HAH is moving around like crazy.
She doesn't like it when I go down inflatable slides at Party Palace.
Fun weekend w/ the New Orleans family.
They gave me a surprise baby shower ~ fun ~ & INCREDIBLY surprised!
Going to rest on couch and lay on heating pad.

Yee Haw!!!

Brandon and I just finished up a celebratory trip to the DQ for some ice cream (his choice ~ a Dilly Bar, mine ~ an M&M Blizzard). Why were we celebrating you ask? Well, there is finally a contract on the house ~ YIPPPPPPEEEEE!! We are supposed to close on everything May 16 and then we have two weeks to pack up and move on. The plan for now is to head home (that sounds so surreal) and live in one of my parents' rental units until we are given further instruction by the powers-that-be to head to another place.

It's an exciting time. We've never lived in the same town as our families (always been 2 - 4 hours away) so for the short time we'll be there I'm sure we'll gobble up every chance to see the peeps as is humanly possible. And as an added bonus it will be much cheaper to live in Manchester, so we'll be able to save up some extra cabbage for HAH's future and the down payment on house #2.

Must catch up on classes and begin packing for a weekend trip to New Orleans.

Hooray for a contract, heading home, and not having to keep an immaculate house! :)

Danger: Overly Occupied

Just taking a small reprieve for a moment. I'm in the middle (ok, really, just the beginning, but humor me for a minute!) of a project that is due tomorrow (or today, actually) by 5:00 p.m. and trying not to get overwhelmed by the gargantuan size of this. Going brain dead and losing ideas as soon as they seem to take a tangible form. Is this mommy mush or am I just losing it?!! I'm thinking the best thing for my brain is at least six hours of sleep and a good breakfast. Mmm, breakfast!

Leaving the paper at page three ~ the beginning once you get past the ever important title page and completely useless abstract. Seems like a good place to stop for the time being. Hope your reading this when you've had sleep and some fortifying food... Mmm, food...

Hallelujah for the end of the semester on April 20!!!

Sugar & Spice or Snakes & Snails?

I am not a patient person, nor am I one who likes to be left out of the loop of knowledge. I guess you could call me stubborn or perhaps hard-headed... I truly believe this child will be just like me in every way (her father is the polar opposite in each of the afore mentioned characteristics). We were unable to check out the "important" area in order to determine the baby's sex, she just floated there pretty as a peach w/ her legs crossed in a very lady like fashion. The rad tech, nurse, and doc all think that HAH is a girl (heartbeat was b/t 150 and 160). I was so disappointed and even shed some tears. Oh well, the baby is healthy and doc is pleased w/ our progress. Her brain activity and growth (10 inches and 1/2 lb) are all in line w/ the projected due date. All's well, I'm just left out of the loop for the time being. We'll try again between weeks 30 and 32 (late June / early July)~ maybe HAH will cooperate then. My sister also told me that they have an ultrasound machine at her office we can play around with the next time Brandon and I are in Manchester.

We've had three house showings this week... looking forward to having a contract put on the place sometime in the near future.

Tomorrow B and I are off to Birmingham to visit w/ some friends and do an area survey. It's on the list of possible re-location areas. I'd much rather be there than in North Carolina, but we really don't have a clue as to where we'll end up. The plant isn't closing until Sept. 30, so we have at least that long to find something else. The other option for now is a job where he'd be traveling constantly, but we'd be back at home. I'd rather live away from home and see him on a constant basis ~ call me selfish...

I'm going to soak some strawberries in sugar water for strawberry shortcake and put cucumber slices in salt water. Just a few cravings coming my way! :)

Have a fantastic weekend.

?

We just returned safely from a fantastic trip down to Mobile. I've "done" Inner City work before for a while in Montgomery, but this was an entirely new experience. Instead of just riding the bus to pick up the children and take them to Tues. / Thur. evening studies (not that this isn't an important job by any means!), we were in their homes trying to make new contacts for Chuck and attempting to show them the one thing we ALL have in common ~ the love of GOD. I haven't yet fully processed what happened; I'm not sure that I ever will. What I can say is that it makes me take a look at what I do in my walk w/ Him and want to toss it out the window b/c it is nothing compared to what I am capable of doing. I also have so many questions. Some that I will probably post on here and some that I am sure only the Good Lord himself can answer.

What I do know for sure:
* People in the Inner City are precious chilren of God.
* Mother's in the Inner City are the foundations of the family and home.
* They have struggles. I have struggles. Some we may share, and others we may not, but we all are just trying to get from here to there w/ safety and securtiy.
* You can't map out the "Five Steps to Salvation" for someone who hasn't ever heard of Jesus, who doesn't know how to find Bibile passages and can't imagine how God is going to help them put food on the table.
* It all begins w/ forming relationships, showing God's love, telling them the story of His love and showing them the right way to live.
* It's incredibly exhausting work, but the rewards are immeasureable!

********************************************************************************

Today marks the half-way point in our pregnancy! Woo ~ hoo!!!! Just two more days until we find out what's swimming around inside of me... Holy Moses am I afraid to find out, for fear that I'll have to eat my words! ;) Excitement abounds.

Off to nap before services tonight.

Hey.

It's a little after 10:30 and I just finished book review #2 for one of my classes. Now all I need to do is finish a couple loads of laundry and pack for the mission trip to Mobile for tomorrow morning. I am headed down along with about 15 others to help remodel the Inner City Church building, teach games, and do some Bible studying with people in the neighborhood. Please pray for us as we travel and plant the seed of the Kingdom.

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll update you all when I get back.

{Only one more week until we know HAH is a GIRL!!! And if she isn't we'll have to come up with another name and get into a completely different mind set for the remainder of the pregnancy. Week #20 here we come! :) }