The Swatloski's

The Beach, The Vows, The Newbie

2009-09-21T20:07:00.035-05:00

So, it's September. Late September at that. We had a fun, travel filled summer. As we draw closer to the fall, we get ready to celebrate our little man's 1st Birthday!! It's hard to believe that he is 10 1/2 months old!!! This year has FLOWN by!! And last year (the year of preggo Whitney) couldn't have ticked along any slower.

We covered Puerto Rico in the last blog. Let me tell you where else we went and what else we did this summer...

Mid-July we headed to Santa Rose Beach, FL with Grams and Gramps Mims and Aunt Ashley and Mr. Jon...

This summer, July 19 to be exact, we dedicated our little Hunter. Grammy, Grampy and Aunt Ashley came to watch it all go down...

The first week in August we flew to Woodbridge, VA. for Cousin Paige's wedding. We met our Aunts Shannon and Dayna for the very first time!

Grampy Tom took some sneaky pictures from above our heads...this was one of them.

Hunter with his Aunt Shannon.

Hunter lounging with his Aunt Dayna.

Here is a little nod to a very little girl! This is Mackenzie Grace Peeples, born August 26 to Becky and Justin Peeples. Isn't she precious?? Hunter and I are going to visit Mackenzie and her Momma tomorrow!

Puerto Rico, the friendliest place on Earth.

2009-06-30T16:13:00.031-05:00

So, we survived Puerto Rico. Barely. At the very last minute, ie the night before our flight, my mom decided to come with us so she could help me out with the Bean (Hunter's newest nickname). Rick purchased a ticket (well, the University did since this was a work trip) and my mom and I flew standby. The first flight was at 8:31 in the morning. Which of course meant we had to wake up at 4:30. There are 5 flights everyday out of Atlanta to Puerto Rico. The first day...my mom, Hunter and I didn't get on a single one. But we sure did sit at the airport all day long to try. Bean was AMAZING!! He was so sweet about it. The next morning, I again woke him up at 4:30 to try to get out. This time, the three of us made it on the first flight. But, my exhausted little Bean just couldn't take it anymore. He cried for the first 2 hours of the 3 and a half hour flight. Thankfully everyone was really nice about it.

The trip was amazing though. We didn't have much time there, but we intend on returning. Hunter was fabulous coming home. He barely made a peep. And guess who was on our flight...Barry Lloyd, my high school colorguard instructor. You have to know how much I adore Barry to understand how great it was to see him. How strange that he would be on our flight from Puerto Rico! And he isn't even living in Atlanta anymore which makes it that much more strange! So, there ya go. Here are some photos...

First ride on the tram at the Atlanta Airport

Not impressed just yet.

Sleepy Bean.

At Rick's gate. One of 5 Hunter and the girls visited that day...

My future flyer! It's in his blood.

First time on an airplane at 7 months old!

How will I ever tell that face "no"

Waiting out the rain and having lunch.

What happened to the leaves on the tree on the right of the screen???

Hundreds of these guys happened.

Hanging at the Fort.

Riding the trolley.

Loving the pool.

He loved it a bit too much, I guess.

Where did my tiny baby go?? He's getting so big!!

HB Willingham (was that it??)

2009-06-30T13:04:00.019-05:00

Whatcha lookin at?

I love my Daddy!

See my teeth??

Daddy and Ryan were screening in the back porch (photos to come later) and we were chillin in the heat!

My turn to take pictures, Mommy!

Please!!

It's not fair!

I love my Mommy!

Being on my tall Daddy's shoulders gives the world a totally new perspective!

Sporting a sweet outfit Minnie (Vicki) sent us for Easter. Thanks again Minnie!

This is how Mommy knew it was time to retire our swing.

Hunter playing with his Grampy.

Some photos from Hunter's first Easter that I never got around to posting.

Stay tuned for photos from Puerto Rico!!

Catch up...what I do best

2009-06-03T15:02:00.029-05:00

I was going through my phone and looking at all of the pictures I have taken of the little Bean (his latest nickname) over the last almost 7 months and thought I would share. Enjoy!

Oh, and in case you were keeping track, Rick and I FINALLY received our DNA test results and discovered that only one of us is a carrier of CF. So...that means little man will be able to be a big brother some day! Yea for the Swatloski Family Tree expansion!! Thanks for those of you who sent prayers on our behalf. On with the photos...

Ity-bity, tiny baby.

So hard being this cute.

My favorite paci. It now resides somewhere in the Brookwood HS parking lot. So sad.

Happy baby.

At Children's Hospital for his Cystic Fibrosis sweat test.

Perplexed?

Rub-a-dub.

Christmas with Grams and Gramps.

Tiny little head.

Telling somebody off.

Roll Tide!

Don't worry...he was closely supervised while sleeping on his tummy. :)

Napping in the vibrating chair.

It's true you know.

So fresh and so clean-clean.

Being cute.

Being cute part 2.

Asleep in my lap.

California Pizza Kitchen with Grampy and Aunt Ashley (and Mom).

First trip to Panama City Beach. Chillin' by the pool with Mom.

Heading out to Shell Island.

Lunch at Surin. Thai...yum.

First time sitting in a shopping cart. About 30 seconds later he fell over and received his second bump on the head. Yes, I cried more than he did. I assume such a reaction will diminish over time. ???

Asleep in my lap. Again.

Sporting a new outfit that Auntie Ashley bought for him

This morning just before picking up Daddy for lunch.

Taken a few minutes ago as we play on the floor.

We head to Puerto Rico soon. I'll post some pictures from that trip when we get back. Maybe. :)

Ok...I'm sorry...

2009-04-07T09:10:00.033-05:00

So it's April...I'm officially the worst blogger in the world...here's what has been going on...

Here is Hunter being cute on February 22...

This is the snow we got on March 1...

This is Hunter not being so sure about the snow...

This is Hunter loving on his mommy on March 9...

This is Hunter being cute on March 18...

This is Hunter loving on his Aunt Ashley on March 18...

This is Hunter loving on his toes on March 29...

This is his sweet face on April 1...

These are from the air show in Tuscaloosa with the Blue Angels, among others, taken April 2-4...

This is how Hunter felt about it.

Highway to the Danger Zone.....sorry.

These are pictures of Hunter and his Grampy Tom...

Goodness, that Grampy Tom is funny!!

Sorry, they are a touch blurry...new lens....

This is three generations of Swatloski men...

Those are some good looking boys!

And a shot of me, my little man, and my father-in-law...

The 'Wood and The Babe

2009-01-30T16:57:00.005-06:00

Last weekend my winterguard "came out." We went to Pell City, Alabama for our first competition. The girls did great. They had their show on the floor for 7 days before the competition. The other colorguards had their show for at least a month. So, considering the few snags we have had getting this season off and running (our director leaving, the new director (me) giving birth, my one and only staff member being pregnant now, our writer being snowed in during our winter camp, etc.) we were rather impressed. I had the pleasure of running into an old friend at the show. I hadn't seen him in 10 years....yes...a decade. He and I used to teach a group together. I've been doing this colorguard thing for way too long.

The precious little man in my life is currently asleep (on his tummy...don't call family services please...I am sitting right next to him and his airway is not obstructed...and no mom...he isn't rebreathing carbon dioxide...we're safe) on the couch. He is pretty much the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Don't believe me??

He will be 12 weeks old tomorrow.

Photo updates

2009-01-21T10:02:00.019-06:00

From the last two weeks...

napping buddies.

as sweet as it gets.

learning our vowels with daddy.

now on to the whole alphabet.

"mommy, does daddy know i can't talk yet??"

the beautiful, 8 year old applejack.

sky appreciation.

rick and his mom heading to rick's latest presentation.

my sweet baby.

ready to go to guard rehearsal.

rick and the ice at tannehill.

rub-a-dub.

melting my heart.

the most beautiful smile i have ever seen.

night night.

sitting with apple and granny.

The icy south

2009-01-21T08:51:00.002-06:00

Living down here in the great state of Alabama means we don't often see below freezing temperatures. This morning, however, it was 20 degrees when Rick left for work. When he walked out to his car, his windows were covered with ice. So, he took his cup of water out there and fixed it. Then, he headed on to our favorite coffee spot for his morning brew. After a few sips, he hopped back into the car and hopped over to work. While at work, he noticed that he couldn't get his doors unlocked. He noticed this from the inside of course. His doors were frozen shut and he was locked inside. What do people in Fargo do?

The long and winding road...

2009-01-19T22:16:00.003-06:00

Oh wait...that was last year. My winterguard kids learned their show this weekend. My dear friend, Travis Estler, flew in and taught them 7,269 counts in a day and a half. Ok, maybe not that many. But it was close. Travis was supposed to come down in December but he was snowed in and couldn't make it. So, he came down from Pennsylvania on Friday, we had rehearsal Friday night and Saturday all day, and then I took him back to the airport at 4:00AM. And amazingly enough, my kiddies learned pretty much an entire show in that amount of time. I'm super proud. So, thank you Travis. You have made my favorite teenagers very happy. It is a fabulous show--or it will be. When we get it cleaned up. Rick says it is the "best show ever." He can see its potential. Thank you Travis! Once my Internet stops kicking me off, I will put a video on youtube for everyone to see.

Update on the Swats

2009-01-12T10:43:00.010-06:00

I'm so sorry for being so behind. Our little person has kept us very very busy. So...here's the skinny on us:

Praise GOD!! Hunter's sweat test came back negative!! Rick and I are so thankful for all of your prayers. We know they made the difference. The next step for us to get have them test Rick and me to see which one of us has the gene mutation that Hunter has. The parent who does not have that mutation will then be given an entire DNA work over to see if he or she has another of the 1600 possible CF gene mutations. Why does this matter? Future children. We can't go through this again. We have to know if there is a possibility of having a child with CF. If only one of us is a carrier, we are in the clear!

Christmas was wonderful. We spent it n Atlanta with my parents. Hunter slept through his first Christmas, but he was so cute doing it!! Here are a few shots including Hunter's picture with Santa (which he also slept through):

Hunter's first photo with Santa.

On our way to church on Christmas Eve.

The clan at 6:00am Christmas morning.

Hunter...sleeping through Christmas.

The children.

Happy New Year!! This time last year we weren't even pregnant. Now, we have a precious little man in our life.

Rick's mom is in town for two weeks meeting her first grandchild. We're having a blast. My good buddy Travis Estler (wait for it...here it comes) is swooping in this Friday to finish the winterguard show he has started for me. Having a different director situation with my colorguard has left me responsible for coming up with a show. So, what did I do?? I deferred to someone who actually has talent in doing so. Travis is my life saver!! (how'd I do??)

Almost there...

2008-12-10T20:09:00.005-06:00

In just a few more days we go to Birmingham for Hunter's tests. Rick and I are so thankful for the support we have received from our friends and family. I'm not sure we could have made it through the last two weeks without it. Thank you!!

So, I though you might like an update on what Hunter does all day...

Eat. Sleep. Poop. Eat again.

That's pretty much it. But he's so pretty while he's doing it. Here are a few shots...

More later.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-27T15:55:00.004-06:00

We hope that everyone is having a fabulous Thanksgiving! Here are a few pictures of our sweet boy from today!

Prayer request...

2008-11-25T10:28:00.002-06:00

We went in yesterday for Hunter's two week post-partum appointment. There we were told that Hunter's newborn cystic fibrosis screening came back positive. Rick and I are, of course, very upset at the thought that our child could be afflicted with the incurable disease. The initial screening does not mean that he has CF. However, he was found to have a DeltaF508 mutation which means he is in fact a carrier of the disease. We go to Children's Hospital in Birmingham on December 12 for a sweat test for Hunter. Hopefully that will tell us whether or not he has CF. Rick and I will also be tested on that day to see which one of us has the gene mutation. Please pray that Hunter does not have CF. The hope of this initial test being a false positive has been ruled out. At the very least, he is a carrier. Please pray that is it.

Hunter Benjamin Swatloski's Arrival

2008-11-16T18:37:00.011-06:00

Yes, Rick and I have a baby. He is two weeks and three days old today. Here's how it went down...

Friday, November 7, Rick and I checked into the hospital at 6:00 after enjoying a sandwich from Chick-fil-a (my last meal for a couple days). Once I slipped into my hospital gown, I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and the cervidil thingy was administered. Then, it was time to go to sleep (yeah right). Around 4:00 am Saturday morning, my contractions started to get stronger and closer together. Around 7:30 am, the nurse came to remove the cervidil thingy. At 9:00 they brought in the Pitocin which got me to 2 cm by 9:30 which was when they decided to give me an epidural (I didn't need it yet, but they gave it to me anyway...which was fine :) ). At 10:00, the doctor broke my water and there was no turning back. Everything was peachy-keen until sometime after 12:00 when I started to feel a bit more pressure. Hmm...I thought you didn't feel much with an epidural. What followed was about 6 hours of tortuous hell. The pain was indescribable. So, I won't go into it. I only got to 8 cm when the labor stalled. Much to my relief, my doctor then decided that he was not coming on his own so he said the magic hyphenated word...c-section. So, off to the operating room we went. They had redosed my epidural so many times during labor because it wasn't working so they could give me anymore for surgery so I had to be put under. That meant Rick couldn't be in the room until the baby was out. Which made me a bit sad. To make a long story short, Hunter Benjamin was born on Saturday, November 8 at 7:02 pm. He was 8 pounds and 3 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. Once the doctor cut me open he found that Hunter was too long to straighten out and come on his own. That's what I get for marrying someone who is a foot taller than me.

Hunter and I were released from the hospital on Tuesday. We got to leave a day early because I got out of bed so quickly on Sunday (the nurses said I should come back and teach a class on how to get up after a c-section). Since then, we have been enjoying the stew out of our little guy! My parents were in town for a week helping us out (thank God!!). We are so thankful that the baby is healthy and happy. He hardly cries unless he is hungry or wet. He is inquisitive and bright eyed. He is the joy of our lives.

Apple Jack has been a trooper. She is not totally sure if she is in love with Hunter, but she does come to get us when he cries. She's a good Big Sister.

Here are a few pictures from our little adventure.

About to head to the hospital.

Before I was reduced to screaming through my mother's
attempts to get me to do some Lamaze breathing.

Rick waiting to hear his son cry.

Father and son.

Already found his fingers.

Meeting Hunter for the first time.

Hunter, 4 days old.

This morning's findings...

2008-11-05T12:25:00.002-06:00

Rick and I went back to the doctor this morning for our second non-stress test. Beebop continues to be handling his low fluid environment very well. The doctor said that if we wanted to, we could wait until next Monday, have another ultrasound, another non-stress test and go from there. He then added though that he was more inclined to go ahead and get Beeb out. So, we will be checking into the hospital Friday evening at 6:00, get the cervidil going, and then they will start a pitocin drip first thing Saturday morning. Rick and I will be parents, one way or another, by Saturday night!! It's definitely real now!! We can't wait to see our sweet boy's handsome face! And we can't wait to share him with all of you! Please keep our little family in your prayers over the weekend! See you on the flip side!

Making his debut this weekend?

2008-11-04T14:34:00.008-06:00

We had our doctor's appointment last Friday and still...nothing. So, the doctor wanted us to come back Monday to get an ultrasound to see just how big this little guy is and to find out for certain if he is head down or not (I, of course, had no question that he was indeed head down). The ultrasound estimates that Beebop is around 8 pounds and 1 ounce. This could be off by at least 10 percent in either direction however. The ultrasound also found that Beebop is running low on amniotic fluid. So, the doctor did a non-stress test (they hooked me up to a fetal monitor for 20 minutes to see how his heart is reacting to his environment. This also told us when I was contracting and how he was handling the contractions.) to see if that fact had started to trouble Beebop just yet. Much to our satisfaction, our son is handling his low fluid very well. However, there is potential for the lack of fluid to cause problems. So, the plan is for us to be induced this weekend! Our doctor feels that we need to go ahead and get Beebop out before complications occur. We have another non-stress test to be certain that the baby can hold out until the weekend. If he can, then they will start me on cervidil (to help with dilation) on Friday night and then they will induce us on Saturday morning. YEA!! The baby is coming!! We'll keep everyone posted of course!

This weekend Beebop's Grammy took some naked pictures of us. Ok, well, Beebop is naked, I'm not. Here are my favorites:

And then there is the picture of me, ready to go to Alabama's Homecoming game, decked out in my Men's jersey, with a basketball under my shirt...

18 days?? Or maybe next week...please...next week...

2008-10-28T14:09:00.003-05:00

So, our doctor's appointment last week didn't tell us too much. We have started the labor process, but we weren't fair enough along to set a date for when we are going to be "helped" along. We go back this Thursday to check again. It could still be next week...or the next...ugg. Stay tuned. Little Beebop and I are pretty ready to go!! My back is SUPER sore from holding up this little guy. I wish he would just get out and walk every now and then...

Here is our picture for this week.

That's all I have for now!

25 more days to go...maybe...

2008-10-21T12:58:00.007-05:00

According to our due date, our bundle of joy has 25 days left. However, our bundle of joy may be coming (with some help) two weeks early. So, it is conceivable to say that we could have a little person in our lives in as little as 13 days! We have a doctors appointment this Friday which will hopefully give us a better idea of when to expect our little guy!

I finally have pictures of little Baby Joe Ewing! Joseph Henry Ewing, who was born October 4th and weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces, is as precious as his older brother. Congratulations Sarah and Matt!!

Rick is out of town on business this week. He is attending a Licensing Executive Society meeting and is having a ball learning new stuff! When he found out that he would be heading to this meeting in our 8th month, he arranged for a babysitter to come and stay with me...just in case. That babysitter (my daddy) and I have been doing lots of shopping and eating this week! I don't think my mom is ever going to let him come and play with me again! :) We are very fortunate that my dad, as an airline pilot, is able to work his schedule around us a little bit! Thanks Daddy!!

Here are our latest pictures. They are 35 and 36 weeks, respectively. I can't believe that we are already in the home stretch! This pregnancy has FLOWN by!! Yea!!

240 days down...40 to go!!

2008-10-06T14:10:00.007-05:00

I realized today that we found out we were expecting when we were just 5 weeks pregnant and now...we have just over 5 weeks to go...craziness!

A very special delivery came this weekend! Joseph Henry Ewing was born on October 4 at 7:something in the morning (West Coast time). My BFF, Sarah called me at 5:30 Central time (3:30 her time) to tell me that her water had broken and that she and her husband, Matt were on their way to the hospital!! A very unfair 4 and a half hours later...including a whooping 20 or so minutes of pushing...Joe was born! When I get a picture from her, I will put it up here!

Tis the season for everyone to get sick...so the baby and I have been attempting to hold our breath. But then I realized...oxygen is pretty important to a growing fetus. So, I am taking my chances and breathing again. Everyone...GET WELL!!

We hit 33 weeks not so long ago. Here is our picture:

This past weekend was the Alabama v. Kentucky game. It was a doozie. I'm sure ole Nick had a lot to say to the boys in the locker room. But, alas, we did win the game. We are 6-0, we are still number 2 in the nation and we are...bowl eligible! Woohoo! :) We had some family join us for the game. My grandmother, Juanita; my Aunt Laurie and her husband Randall; and my cousin Karie and her sweet brand new baby girl Maerrick (aka Meri, Lulu, Peanut) all came up. Laurie and Randall went to the game with Rick and my dad and Grandmother, Karie, Lulu, mom and I stayed home. 85 degrees is pretty hot when you are nearly 8 months pregnant. So, we thought the comfort of our air conditioned living room was a great place to tune in to the game. Plus, mom is one of the sickies I mentioned earlier. She has been diagnosed with Pneumonia and spend Thursday night in the ER with a severely pulled muscle in her back from coughing. We're wondering if she has broken a rib as well. GET WELL MOM!!!

Here is a sweet shot of Little Lulu and her mommy at Newk's. The picture is dark because I didn't want to blind little Meri with the flash:

This weekend was also our fourth baby shower. This one was given by the ladies in our Wednesday night Bible study. It was very sweet of them to think of us! Here is a shot of a few of them:

And finally, we have our 34th week photo taken the morning of my shower. This time I got the Daddy in the shot!

We have a doctor's appointment this coming Thursday. After this one, we start going every week. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?! You go every week when you only have a month left...holy cow.

Oh baby! 51 Days to go!

2008-09-25T12:34:00.006-05:00

Rick and I (and the little person) had a doctor's appointment this morning. All is apparently well! My measurements are right on the money which means the little guy is growing just like he is supposed to! Our doctor said that we are in a perfect position in terms of due dates because all of the ones we have been given fall within the same week. So that is great news! We just can't wait to meet the little guy! Here is our 32 week photo. We are now almost through our 33rd week so...stay tuned for another photo!

Sarah should be having her baby at any moment really. She was already 2 or 3 cm dilated at her last appointment. They told her it could be this weekend or early next week! YEA!! Another Ewing will be in the world soon! We so excited for you, Sarah, Matt and Tyler!!

On a sad note, our small Bible study group at church (that meets every Wednesday night at my boss's house of all places) lost a member last Friday afternoon. Our friend, Jim Lynch, was outside mowing the grass when he started having some chest pain. He had a heart attack and was in full cardiac arrest by the time the ambulance got to him. Jim left this world an hour or so later. He left behind his wife, Anne, their son, Vaughn and daughter-in-law, Lee. We miss you Jim! Our prayers are with Anne, Vaughn and Lee and they try to make sense out of this sudden loss. Jim was only 62 years old.

The countdown has begun...

2008-09-19T10:06:00.006-05:00

We now have only 57 days until we meet our little person!! That's less than 2 months...8 weeks...holy cow.

Here is what he looks now...

It's so vein-y isn't it??

He's a big boy! And a very active one as well!! I often wonder how many people can see him moving around under my shirt when I am in a meeting at work, or sitting at my desk talking to people...He's a funny little guy!

My sweet second-cousin Meri has been released for UAB!! YEA!! I haven't heard much news about her recently, but we are trying to let them get settled in before we bombard them with phone calls. We love you Meri! We are so proud of all the work you have done to convince them that you are ready to go home!

My dear friends Whitney Hough-Troutman and Tara Shinholster are throwing me baby shower number 3 this weekend! It will be a small, intimate gathering and I am SUPER excited about it!!

Here is our 31 week photo (even though we start week 32 on Sunday!):

But I like this one much better! :)

Behind once again...

2008-09-10T09:09:00.012-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy...what's new.

My cousin Karie has had her baby girl, Merrick Lane Kilpatrick. Meri has had a rough start of it and was transfered from Flowers hospital in Dothan (South Alabama) to UAB's (University of Alabama at Birmingham) hospital. We are all praying for you sweet girl! Your whole family loves you very much!

Karie and Meri

Also, Rick's grandmother on his mom's side underwent hip replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago. Since then, she too has been having a tough time. She has gone back to the emergency room several times since her initial release. Our prayers and love are with you too Nana!

Alabama has won their first two football games this season! Woohoo!! The first one against Clemson was AMAZING!!! The second against Tulane....TULANE...wasn't as great. But hey...a win is a win!

We hit 29 weeks....which is dangerously close to bringing us to single digit weeks remaining...

Then, shortly after that (7 days to be exact) we hit 30 weeks...I'm getting pretty big eh?

We had a doctor's appointment on the 8th. It was the first of our "every two weeks" appointments. Other than the fact that I am taking on water (mostly in my legs and ankles) like the Titanic, everything looks good. Our doctor told me that he thinks the baby is already head down which means...he's getting ready!! Holy cow...there's no stopping him now!!

Also on the 8th, Heather threw me our second baby shower! This one was with my sweet colorguard girls at Brookwood! Here are a few snapshots!

I think that's about it for catching up.

Our second 3D/4D Ultrasound

2008-08-29T11:00:00.004-05:00

Beebop was more cooperative today. He was still difficult...but it was better than last time! He really enjoys sucking on the back of his perfect hand so we had to contend with that being in the way today. But I think we were able to get some really beautiful shots of his little face! Here are a few of them!

Labeled for bearing purposes

His sweet profile

Playing with his hand

Sucking on his thumb

Roll Tide Roll!!

2008-08-28T09:34:00.003-05:00

2 days and 9 hours and 16 minutes until ALABAMA FOOTBALL KICK-OFF!! We start the season out with Clemson at the Georgia Dome...and Gameday will be there...which is not usually a good thing of 'ole Alabama! But hopefully Saban and the boys will pull it out! Can't wait to see what our hunky coach does this season!! 'Rammer jammer, Yellow Hammer, Give 'em HELL ALABAMA!!!!

Roll Tide!!!!

Little "Who" Swatloski

2008-08-25T14:20:00.006-05:00

We had another doctor's appointment today! This one was supposed to be fairly exciting...and in some cases it was...

So, I took the dreaded glucose test (a test where you have to drink this very, very, very sugary syrup and then get your finger pricked an hour later. This test is supposed to tell you if you are at risk for gestational diabetes. If you fail the one hour test, you have to come back and take the three hour version of the test...not fun I imagine!). You are supposed to get lower than a 140 to pass...I got a 121!!!! Yea!! I passed!! Rick asked our lovely nurse that we always see if she would give me a gold star. But...I guess she was out because I didn't get one. Oh well.

Our doctor was in unexpected surgery this morning so he didn't arrive until 10:00 for our 8:30 appointment. But not to worry. We had plenty of stuff to do while we were waiting including...

OUR 3D/4D ULTRASOUND!! Now...of course, this is Rick's child we are talking about here...stubborn as all get out! Just kidding honey! Our little guy was a bit camera shy this morning (I don't know how he is related to me!!) so we are going to try again on Friday to get a few better shots. But, I have included the ones we got today just so the suspense won't get too unbearable! :) You can see is right eye, his right cheek (which will of course appear on the left side of the picture :) ) and his forehead. His mouth is covered up by his umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is what got in our way the last time!! Stubborn little thing. His nose looks a little funny because it is squished up against me. To me...he looks a little like a Who. :) Isn't he a cutie!!

Here we are at 28 weeks! We are in the home stretch! We have been graduated to appointments every two weeks now instead of every 4 weeks!! Isn't that crazy?? We'll have a little person here soon!!

Say my name, say my name, say my name...

2008-08-19T15:03:00.004-05:00

Baby Swatloski has a name!! But we're so not telling any of you what it is!!!! :)

Is it frightening to anyone that we will be in charge of another life in 12 weeks??

No? Just me? Ok...

Catch up

2008-08-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

I am a bit behind in my blogging. I apologize. We've been pretty busy, i guess.

Last weekend was my Uncle Maxie's 70th birthday party in Tennessee. So, I, needing to get out of town to take a break from T-Town drama, drove to Atlanta so that my mom and I could drive to Tennessee. It was great fun. Most all of the cousins were there with their kids. It was great to see them.

We hit 26 weeks that weekend.

This past weekend, Rick and I went on a "Babymoon"...which was pretty much awesome!!! We drove down to The Grand Marriott, Point Clear resort in Fairhope, Alabama. Umm...it rocked! We took a five mile bike ride around the resort and neighboring areas. We visited a nearby confederate cemetery were soldiers were laid to rest having not survived their hospital stay (the resort was used as a hospital during the war). That was pretty interesting. We sat by the pool, in the shade :), we ate at the two fine restaurants in the resort, we swam, we relaxed...oh yeah...it was just what the doctor ordered. Here are a few shots for the baby book...

Then, we hit 27 weeks...

Next Monday we go back to the doctor. I have the one hour glucose test (please pray I pass it so that I don't have to go in for the three hour test), a visit with our doctor and....OUR 3D/4D ULTRASOUND!! That means we will get a glimpse at what Beebop Swatloski's face will look like!! We can't wait!!

I'm not starving...I'm so hungry, I'm tired....I mean...

2008-08-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

So, Rick and I are absolutely exhausted. For the last three days, we have been helping out a friend of mine who is having marital problems by keeping her three small children. Yesterday, they were dropped off to us at work at 10:30 am. We were not able to take them home until 5:30 pm. That is 7 hours that these children were left in our care...at our place of business...after we were told it would take an hour...And this is after I took off on Monday to take the kids school shopping to distract them, and after they stayed at our house from 7:00 pm until 1:00 am on Sunday. We're exhausted. And very sad for them.

But, we are very happy for Baby Swatloski! We had a doctor's appointment Monday morning. Dr. Madden said that Beebop is growing just as he should. The scale wasn't very nice to me...but my doctor says that since I didn't gain any weight at last month's appointment so I'm in the clear. His words as we left were, "we're almost in the home stretch." ....ummm....oh my gosh. I am having a Jamie Buckman moment...."I'm the mommy...I'M THE MOMMY!!" Slightly daunting.

25 weeks...

Ugg...

2008-08-01T15:32:00.000-05:00

It's hot...I can't remember why I ever thought being in the 7th (lunar) month of pregnancy, in Alabama, in August, would be a good idea. It's hot. I walked to the Farmer's Market yesterday at 3:00 and thought I was going to have to call Rick to come and pick me up. It's hot.

So, we are now 24 weeks pregnant. Actually, tomorrow is the last day of the 24th week. I have procrastinated a bit. So, we are nearly 25 weeks pregnant. Below you will find the latest photo. We have a doctor's appointment on Monday. Nothing major will be going on. But, on Monday we will schedule the dreaded glucose test and the much anticipated 3D/4D ultrasound!

Brookwood's band camp was this week and last. It is slightly more difficult to teach chasse en tournants and tour jetes when you are a big fat pregnant lady. Not impossible. But more difficult. We all survived and had a successful and productive camp. So, all is well.

'Til Monday...

23 weeks...17 to go!

2008-07-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

So, the visit to the cardiologist was not so much fun. It was too much craziness to write out, but it was awful and I will be telling my OB not to send anyone else to this particular person who had clearly never seen a pregnant cardiac patient since Med School and whose nurses had no idea what appropriate patient care means...anyway. So, what I took from it is that I have a slight case of Mitral Valve Prolapse. That basically means that my valves (or a valve) don't close all the way causing a bit of leaking between beats. Not a big deal. It is the cause of the flutters and skips (arrhythmias) that I have felt my whole life but that seemed worse in pregnancy. No biggie. Baby Swatloski and I will be just fine. I'll tell you...the visit to this doctor was more hazardous to Beebop's health than any funky heart rhythms I was having. I was a crazed woman when I left.

This past weekend Rick and I attended a Tropical themed wedding in Birmingham. It was a very nice ceremony and reception. Rick and I did our best to dress the part.

Big Al even decided to show up. So, we all took a "Research" picture with him. So, from the left we have Lauren Wilson, Senior Associate Director of the Office for Sponsored Programs (and the wedding Officiant); Big Al; me, Innovation Coordinator for the Alabama Innovation and Mentoring of Entrepreneurs (AIME) Center; below me is Robin Rogers, Director of the Center for Green Manufacturing (also Father of the Bride and Rick's former Graduate Advisor); Rick, Licensing Associate for the Office for Technology Transfer; Dan Daly, Director of AIME (my boss); Sandi Daly, Dan's wife.

Today, I am sad to say that I am all alone most of the week. Rick is in Boston at the AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers) Eastern Region Meeting in Boston. He was on the planning committee for this one. See this. I'm very proud but lonely. AppleJack has done a great job of keeping me company though!

We are heading into the 24th week. Here is our shot from 23.

Santa Rosa Beach

2008-07-15T13:33:00.000-05:00

We spent this past weekend at Santa Rosa Beach, Florida with the Mims' (mom, dad, Ash and all of the dogs). It was such a welcomed escape! My parents rented a condo at The Abacos...

And we have pretty much decided that this will be a yearly event. It was perfect! Unfortunately, I didn't take many photos. But, we are steadily recovering from our trip. Why "recovering" you ask? Well, here's what happened to Rick...

My husband is 6'4" and weighs 170 soaking wet. Get it? He's skinny. No one knows how he does it. He could (and he did this while I was on Weight Watchers for the Scale Back Alabama thing at work) eat a double Whopper with Cheese from Burger King everyday for a whole week and LOSE weight. It's a gift. But the point is, you can usually see the bones in his feet. And you can certainly see his ankle bones usually. That's how swollen these puppies are. It's not pleasant. So, I had to do this to him...

Paper towels soaked in Apple Cider Vineager. Seems simple. But if you have ever been this badly burned, you understand that to place a cold, wet paper towel on the afflicted area is torture!! Fun times. Now, the rest of his body is fine. So, we're only looking at skin cancer of the feet.

So that's what happened to Rick. Here's what happened to me...

Little Baby Swatloski has had a bit of a growth spurt recently. He decided that we needed to gain 4 pounds last week. And that may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that since March, when we found out we were pregnant, I have only gained 6 pounds. So to gain 4 pounds in one week is to gain 66% of my initial weight gain or 40% of my total weight gain...IN ONE WEEK!!! That's kind of a lot. So, that weight gain, coupled with walking on sand for two days, makes for very sore knees...moaning in pain during the night sore knees...want to cry because all I am allowed to take for the pain is Tylenol sore knees...sore knees that probably originated thanks in part to Barry Lloyd, April Gilligan and Travis Estler (the three colorguard/winterguard instructors I have had in my life). So, the hubs and I have turned into hobblers. We are quite the pair at work.

We have an appointment with a Cardiologist tomorrow. Not a huge deal, but I have a funny heart thing going on the my OB wants to get checked out. Fun times! I'll let you all know how that turns out! But for now, here we are at 22 weeks...

I think I am pretty much always in this shirt when we take our weekly picture. While it is my favorite since it doesn't have bows to tie in the back, or elastic, I do own other maternity shirts. I'll try to spice it up a bit next time. Maybe I will take another one tomorrow...

Playing catch up...

2008-07-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

I am so behind...there has been quite a bit going on in our lives over the past few weeks. So...let me catch you up...

Rick's mom came into town on the 24th to paint some canvases for us to go in the nursery. We had such a great visit with her! Here are some sample shots from her stay:

Then we had a huge baby shower at my parents new house in Atlanta on the 28th:

I hung up the gazillion tiny outfits that Baby Beebop received at the shower (after I washed them with dye-free, perfume-free detergent like a good mommy-to-be). It was so much fun! I can't wait to have a tiny man to put them on!

Then we reached 20 weeks:

Then we celebrated the 4th of July weekend by putting together the crib and other nursery stuff:

Then we hit 21 weeks:

And that pretty much brings us to today, my 27th birthday!! They surprised me at work with a FABULOUS strawberry ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery! It's nice to have a husband working upstairs that looks out for you and makes sure you get the exact cake you want on your birthday! :) Rick and I are going to be heading to dinner soon (right after we get off). Then it's off to the house for a little So You Think You Can Dance and packing for our trip to the beach with the fam tomorrow! I can't wait! As for presents...Rick got me our baby monitor that I pleaded with him to get, my parents bought me half of our glider in the nursery (Rick got the other half for his birthday in May), Rick's parents bought me a very nice big girl camera (a Cannon SLR...EOS 20D), my sister got me my very first maternity bathing suit for our trip this weekend and two of my co-workers paid for my wares at the farmer's market today!! What more could a girl ask for??

19 weeks down...21 to go!

2008-06-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

We are one week away from the half-way mark. This weekend was pretty exciting for us. I spent most of the weekend in bed with a terrible chest cold which made little Beebop very happy!! He moved around SOOO much this weekend, that Rick was even able to feel him kick for the first time! Very exciting times! Rick's mom comes in town tomorrow to help us paint a few canvases for the nursery! We're very excited! Please pray that her flights are safe and on time! Below is our 19 week shot. How sweet is little AppleJack in this picture?? She looks like she is trying to help hold up my big tummy! She is very very sweet!!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!

2008-06-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Today, Tyler Curtis Ewing, first born son to Matt and Sarah Ewing...IS ONE YEAR OLD!!! Happy Birthday Tyler!!!!! I can't believe this little guy is already a year old! He was 7 weeks old the last time I saw him. But, because my BFF, Tyler's mommy, is throwing me a baby shower this weekend, I will get to see him!! I can't wait! Here are a couple photos of Tyler at his Baptism. Can't wait to see you baby boy!!

The genius that is the love of my life.

2008-06-19T09:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know us, you may know that my husband has had many-a-professional accomplishment. From discovering new things earning him both domestic and international (world) patents, to getting his cute little face in the paper every other month, to marrying me...oh wait...that's not a professional accomplishment...anyway...So he's incredibly successful and very good at what he does. You can even check out his website (http://www.bama.ua.edu/~swatl001/) if you don't believe me and look at his 47 peer-reviewed publications with over 2,000 citations, his over 120 presentations made at national and international conferences, his 9 invited seminars and his 6 patents. He's brilliant, okay? Brilliant.

His latest accomplishment has been in his recent induction to The University of Alabama Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy is a program for promising University employees where each member is assigned a senior mentor from somewhere in the University. This is an incredible learning opportunity for those involved. This year, 6 members were inducted...and my husband was among them. Click here to read the article in the UA news. Here is a picture of the 6 inductees photographed with Dr. Judy Bonner, Provost of the University. Congratulations my darling! I couldn't be more proud of you!!!!

Dr. Rick Swatloski, Licensing Associate for the Office of Technology Transfer, to be mentored by Dr. Pam Parker, Vice President for Advancement.

The boy...

2008-06-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

I have started being able to feel the baby move around during the day recently. I used to only be able to feel him when I was laying down. So, I used to come home from work and veg out on the couch with the excuse of "but this is the only way I can feel the baby." Guess that won't work for me any longer. Rick still can't feel him yet, but as his little kicks get stronger and stronger everyday, I know it won't be long!! Here is our 18 week shot!

IT'S A BOY!!!

2008-06-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

Rick and I had an appointment at the OB today at which we discovered that we are having a BOY!! YEA!! He was somewhat uncooperative in the beginning but with some finagling we were able to conclude that he is a boy!! We're super excited! He looked healthy with all his internal organs functioning as they should. He crossed his little ankles so we could see his tiny toes. He's precious! I have included pictures of him as well as a picture of what he is doing to me! Enjoy! And congratulations to his Grandparents and Aunts that love him very much!

Tippers (AppleJack)

2008-06-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

Ok ok, so my husband and I have strange pet names for each other, the baby and of course, the big baby (so called because at 18 lbs, she is the largest dog in the family). But Tippers, or TipperTot or The Baby or Toes or Apple-ie-Toes (as her Grampy calls her) had a stressful day yesterday. Rick and I left work early, since we had an abbreviated lunch break, and were home by 4:30ish. When we got home, The Baby greeted us like usual, but we noticed that her "I'm so glad to see you" whimper was much more high pitched than it normally is. It sounded more like she was crying. She was loving on Rick and then started to walk over to me when we noticed that she wasn't putting any weight on her back right leg. She was crying!! She was hurt!! Well, in case you haven't figured this out, I'm pregnant. I can't handle the Tippers being hurt not pregnant, but I REALLY can't handle it pregnant. So, I suggest we scurry on to the vet since I knew they would close at 5:00. We rush up there and see the doctor. He said that she has strained a ligament in her knee. So he gave her a shot of Cortisone for inflammation and the canine variety of Celebrex for her to take for 6 days. My poor baby!!! How did it happen? We have no idea. However, there was a baby shower gift left at the front door by Mr. UPS so we imagine that on her way to greet Mr. UPS she either jumped straight down from somewhere high, or she got it tangled in a blanket as she jumped up to run to the door. Either way, she was utterly pitiful and it broke my heart! Apple is a 7 year old Chihuahua-Dachshund mix and I love her more than any human should love an animal. She is my baby!!

7 weeks old

Watching TV with her Daddy

Helping her Daddy check his email

Loving on her Mommy

Sex and the City

2008-06-02T10:22:00.001-05:00

Ashley and I went to see Sex and the City this weekend and I am sorry, but I LOVED it! It was exactly what a hormonal pregnant woman needed. I cried, I laughed, I cried some more...it was fabulous! Thanks Ash!

One more week until we find out if Beebop will be shaving legs or a face!

16 weeks....that's 4 whole lunar months...4 more weeks and we'll be at the half way mark! Woohoo!!

Sarah is seeing BLUE!!

2008-05-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

I have just learned that my BFF, Sarah Jane (Manson) Ewing, who lives out in sunny Corona, California and is five weeks further along than we are, is expecting a son on her second go round! Sarah gave birth to baby Tyler Curtis on June 23rd of last year. And as of today, the Ewing family has been informed that Ty is expecting a baby brother. Congratulations to Sarah, her husband Matt and their son Tyler!!

The Ewing Family (Ty-7 weeks old

)
Daddy is chatting on the phone and has no idea that we can't see!!

Insurance...eek...

2008-05-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

Rick and I have an appointment with the university's insurance lady today. There is so much to think about and plan for when you are having a baby...it's slightly overwhelming and we are only in the 16th week. Hopefully, if we can take care of this sort of stuff now, we can minimize stress further down the line. Hopefully.

Here is our 15 week photo...

When food is art

2008-05-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

Who comes up with this stuff??? Do you have to take a class to do this???

Happy Anniversary!

2008-05-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our 2 year Wedding Anniversary! So, we decided to buy each other furniture for the nursery. I have included a photo.

We went to Captain D's Great Little Seafood Place for dinner (Rick has been trying to get me to go for MONTHS!! But I was always to nauseated to even think about it. But alas, on our Anniversary, I gave in.) Here is what we were doing last year...

And two years ago...

I felt a flutter for the first time yesterday. I felt it twice! Very exciting. I haven't felt it since, but we are only in the 15th week, so I don't expect too much. Below is our 14 week photo.

My darling hubs was all over the Tuscaloosa paper this morning. Check out this link!

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080521/NEWS/355031078/1007

If you click on the video link below and watch the video of AIME (where I work) student Austin Cone speaking about the car seat technology, you can see a man in the top right hand corner wearing a pink shirt and brown pants about halfway through the video. That's my precious baby daddy!!

Mommy-to-be Day!!

2008-05-13T09:16:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day!! My little Beebop gave me a Mommy-to-be card! Wasn't that sweet of little Beebop?!? Beebop's Grammy and Grampy Mims sent me one too! It's kind of exciting getting to celebrate a pseudo Mother's Day. While it's not totally official...I am totally a mom already. I am nurturing like a mom, feeding like a mom and best of all, worrying like a mom. I'm in the club!

We had our four month doctor's appointment yesterday. I so love our doctor! For all of you out there saying a few prayers for the baby-to-be, could you add one thing to the list? Could you pray that Dr. Madden would be on-call when we go into labor? I really want him to be the one to deliver us. WE LOVE HIM!!! Anyway, back to the appointment. We heard a little thunderous heartbeat again yesterday. The first time it was only 124 beats per minute. Yesterday it was 165 beats per minute. Beebop must have been napping on the first go round! We talked to our level-headed doctor about all the good stuff: cord blood banking, AFP testing, amniocentesis...the scary decision making stuff. But that was about it.

I have included the 13 week belly shot. This was taken after church on Mother's Day.

Rick's Birthday and ride-along

2008-05-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

So, last week was Rick's 31st birthday!! Woohoo!! Good times....getting older...We did a little shopping, did a little dining out, and then spent a quiet evening at home. Our friend Rodney surprised him with a mini-guys-night-out on Saturday. And then Sunday, we headed back to ole Talladega for a ride-along that I bought Rick for Valentine's Day. It was great fun. Three 180 mph laps around the track in the passenger seat of a race car. The hubs likes to go fast. Hence the reason we are building an RV-10. I have included a picture of my adorable little husband in his getup waiting to feel some G's!!!

I have a great video of him from up high doing one full lap, but it is pretty long. So I have included a video from the ground level of a portion of his third lap. Enjoy!

Nearing the end...of one third :)

2008-04-30T09:20:00.001-05:00

We are approaching the finals days of the first trimester. So I thought I would do a little reflecting today. Only three months in, this has been an amazing journey. Other than how unbelievably sick I have been, this hasn't really seemed real yet. But as my normal clothes become too tight to wear, I realize...it's really happening. I have a miniature Mims/Swatloski growing inside of me. What a precious gift that is! Thinking about the tiny hands and feet of our little one makes the 5 solid weeks of puking my brains out worth it. Forgive me for being graphic.

The next trimester is supposed to be the most enjoyable. There's no more sickness and you aren't so big that you are uncomfortable all the time. I can't wait!! I can't wait to leave the house without thinking about how many times will we have to pull over on the side of the road because I am sick. I can't wait to feel the "butterfly" flitting around inside me. I can't wait to see my husband's face when he puts his hand on my stomach and can feel our child kicking back at him. I can't wait to be a mom!

Eleven Weeks

Talladega baby!!!

2008-04-28T15:52:00.001-05:00

This weekend was the weekend before Rick's 31st birthday! We, of course, had to celebrate! So, we decided to go to Talladega to watch the NASCAR race. Now, neither of us are truly NASCAR fans. Rick likes to go because he likes to watch the fiery crashes (as long as no one is critically injured) and I like to go...because my husband likes to go. :) I'm a good wife. With us on this excursion were our friends Christie and Rodney Granec. We had a great time hanging out the the Granec's! It was a nice way to celebrate a birthday! In case you have never been to a NASCAR race, I have included a few pictures and a video for your viewing pleasure. A visit to Talladega is quite the cultural experience!

The spread we had on Christie's sweet convertible, Rodney and Christie, Rick and me.

DEGA!!!

Blogging 101

2008-04-24T10:13:00.005-05:00

Well, per several requests, I have decided that this is probably the easiest way to keep our family and friends involved with our lives. Especially since there have been some exciting developments over the past few months.

So, here we are!! We are in the 11th week of our latest adventure...pregnancy and impending parenthood. What a ride it has been thus far. Ok, so, let me catch you up since we are already in week 11...here's how it all went down...

Wednesday, March 12th, I was feeling a touch unusual. I had a few weird feelings going on. So, I decided that maybe a pregnancy test would be a good idea. After all, I was over a week past due...if you catch my subtlety. So, I said to the hubs, "I think I want to pick up a pregnancy test on the way home from church. Just so I will stop obsessing over it." So, we did just that. Thursday morning I woke up ready to take the plus or minus, decide your whole future, test. At first glance the test looked negative. Slightly bummed I prepared myself to tell Rick the news. But then, I noticed an ever so slight tinge of color where the plus sign should be. So, I carry the test into Rick and say, "Does that look like a plus sign to you?!?!?" Such a romantic way to tell your husband you might be pregnant, I know. Ever the scientist, Rick's response to me was, "It looks inconclusive to me. Just wait until tomorrow and take another one." YEAH RIGHT!! I was already obsessing....I sure wasn't going to wait AN ENTIRE DAY for the possibility of being disappointed. So I called my doctor, told them what was up and then whisked myself right over to their office for a "real" test. And poof....one pink line....and one blue line...A POSITIVE!! WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so not good at keeping my own secrets. I had a Winter Guard competition in Atlanta that weekend so I thought "what an excellent chance to tell my parents in person!!" That of course meant, I couldn't tell my mom right away...which translates into "I HAVE TO TELL EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD!!" That's a pretty big compliment there, Mom!! So, I told my sister, and some close friends and then...everybody I work with. :) My poor sister had to hold it in for TWO WHOLE DAYS!! Fantastic work Ashley!! You make me very proud!! So not good at this secret thing. But there was no way I was holding it in for three whole months!! Friday comes along, we take off early from work and head to Atlanta to tell the 'rents. We decided to pick up a onesie on the way that says, "Grandma's Angel." They don't make onesies that say "Grandpa's Angel." No love for the Grandpa's. So we got him a handkerchief that says, "Daddy, I'm gonna be a Mommy." In so many words...

Here's how Grammy and Grampy Mims took the news...

Unfortunately, because Rick's parents live on the other side of the country in Arizona, we had to tell them over the phone. But, I think they were still excited! Rick's mom is a FABULOUS artist so we are going to have her come out in June to paint some stuff on the nursery walls! Rick and my mom painted the nursery-to-be the color we wanted over our Spring Break and then Rick's mom will paint some clouds or airplanes (we're going with an Everything That Flies theme) on top of that. So, little Baby Swatloski will have had both his/her Grandma's working hard on his/her nursery! What a gift!

Ever since we let the cat out of the bag, we have been on a roller coaster. In the sixth week, I started to experience the joys of morning sickness. Which is a misnomer. At least for me. It really should be called "All Day Sickness" or " Morning, Noon and Night Sickness." It's not pleasant. Also starting that week was the uncontrollable need for more sleep. However, I was waking up every hour in the evening and I work full time during the day. So, no sleeping for me! We jokingly say that God is just preparing me (well, us since my being awake and tossing and turning keeps Rick awake) for not sleeping after the baby is born. Joyful.

So, here we are...again. The 11th week. The sickness is slightly reduced. Instead of up to 8 trips to the little girls room a day, I am only heading there 3 or 4 times. That's nice. And I can get through Monday and Tuesday at work feeling energized and awake....then comes Wednesday...and Thursday and you might as well forget about Friday. Friday is my new Saturday. But we will survive this. Rick is a very supportive Daddy-to-be, my boss is supportive and "Beebop" (our pet name) is worth it. On to month 4!!

Six weeks and nine weeks respectively.

Beebop's First Photo!!