5 years ago, Neil and I were playing volleyball at a bar league in La Crosse and I asked him to play on our team. CRAZY! In those 5 years, he finished his degrees, I got my insurance license, he was offered a job in Chapel Hill, NC, I decided to move with him, he asked me to marry him, I said yes, my mom and I planned a wedding, we got married, and we're now about to have a child! We've lived in 3 different cities in NC, I've had two different jobs in NC, and Neil's had...well... more than that.
We've made some great friends, seen some amazing things, traveled...A LOT, and really made a life for ourselves out here. Going home a couple weeks ago, I really realized what we are taking away from our family. We both feel really sad for our families to have their children, and more so their grandchild so far away from them. And both of our parents are young with a lot of years of full time employment in front of them. We're always asked if we think we'll move back to Wisconsin/Minnesota. We ask each other this same question very frequently. We have yet to say "yes". I hate to disappoint our family, but it's really amazing here. It seems selfish because it kinda is. I'll be the first to admit. If we were to move back, the sole purpose would be to make our family happy, and that can't be the only reason. I'm looking forward to raising our children here. The southern hospitality lives up to its reputation. People are so kind here and would really do about anything for a complete stranger. Our church has been in the process for some years now of getting a school started. I would LOVE it if they could get one going by the time our little one is ready for school, as Neil and I both went to parochial schools and really feel the education is exceptional!
Obviously we would LOVE to be closer to family! This last trip home really made my heart break when my mom gave us books on tape read by her for our baby. I have such a close relationship with my grandparents due to our closeness in proximity for the first years of my life. I LIVED with my grandparents until age 7 or 8. I can't imagine my child not having that same relationship with my parents or Neil's parents. We can just hope that my flight benefits can make it easier for them to get down here for a weekend here and there. Especially for birthdays and baptisms and the such. It will be tough, but I really hope he can know them well and love them as much as we do!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Dare I say... "READY!"
Oh my goodness, what an absolutely AMAZING past week! I flew into La Crosse, WI last Tuesday. Tuesday through Thursday was completely relaxing. I was able to spend every day with my mom. We went shopping, tanning (spray tanning), got a manicure and pedicure, and plain and simple; we just had a blast.
The weekend was filled with Amanda's wedding shower, and our baby shower. We were able to get Amanda to her shower 7 minutes before it started! It was a close one! And then we were able to spend some time with Scott and Sue in Owatonna.
We were so blessed to have such a great shower for our little guy. It was amazing! So many people were able to make it.
My mom and I had a conversation about what was a necessity as far as the baby goes and it made me a lot more confident as far as being "ready". The shower helped immensely! We received some great gifts and gift cards! I could hardly wait to get back and put it all together, which I did on Tuesday ASAP. And then immediately sat down and made a list of things we still needed. I picked those things up this morning, and put everything together. I mean, we'll never have enough diapers and wipes...but I think we're set, otherwise!
The changing table cover with some cute wall art.
Some cute baseball and football pillows along with a feeding pillow.
I saw this lamp and HAD to have it! Its base is a baseball bat, and the string you pull to turn it on is a whistle. How adorable! Along with the book ends that match perfectly! Thanks Amanda! His cute little piggy bank already has some money in it!
The bedding came! I love it more than I thought. Along with the little bouncer all courtesy Nana R.
With the gift cards, I picked up the pack n play and diaper bag. We got a blanket at the shower that matches everything so perfectly. We'll use the pack n play in our bedroom for the first few weeks until he's ready for his own room.
I washed all of his clothes last night and put them away while Neil was in the room with me, and I thought he was going to lose it. He's pretty nervous. It's obviously a good nervous, but still pretty funny.
The weekend was filled with Amanda's wedding shower, and our baby shower. We were able to get Amanda to her shower 7 minutes before it started! It was a close one! And then we were able to spend some time with Scott and Sue in Owatonna.
We were so blessed to have such a great shower for our little guy. It was amazing! So many people were able to make it.
My mom and I had a conversation about what was a necessity as far as the baby goes and it made me a lot more confident as far as being "ready". The shower helped immensely! We received some great gifts and gift cards! I could hardly wait to get back and put it all together, which I did on Tuesday ASAP. And then immediately sat down and made a list of things we still needed. I picked those things up this morning, and put everything together. I mean, we'll never have enough diapers and wipes...but I think we're set, otherwise!
The changing table cover with some cute wall art. 
Some cute baseball and football pillows along with a feeding pillow.
I saw this lamp and HAD to have it! Its base is a baseball bat, and the string you pull to turn it on is a whistle. How adorable! Along with the book ends that match perfectly! Thanks Amanda! His cute little piggy bank already has some money in it!
The bedding came! I love it more than I thought. Along with the little bouncer all courtesy Nana R.
With the gift cards, I picked up the pack n play and diaper bag. We got a blanket at the shower that matches everything so perfectly. We'll use the pack n play in our bedroom for the first few weeks until he's ready for his own room.I washed all of his clothes last night and put them away while Neil was in the room with me, and I thought he was going to lose it. He's pretty nervous. It's obviously a good nervous, but still pretty funny.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Reality is Setting In
9 weeks to go! I can't even believe it! 62 days until my due date. I've been feeling so many different emotions the past week or so, I can't keep up with myself. And poor Neil, doesn't know what he's going to be coming home to on a day to day basis... "Is she sad today? Excited? Giggly? Scared? Crabby?" It often changes minute to minute.
I feel sad at some moments because I really am going to miss being pregnant. I'm going to miss feeling him move around constantly. He's been getting the hiccups lately, which puts the biggest smile on my face. I really can't imagine not being pregnant. I'm sure the excitement of the newborn will fill that void, but I know I will miss it. This is just such a great period of my life. By far the greatest so far!
I feel excited for obvious reason. I cannot wait to meet him! I'm excited to see his face and see who he looks like. I tear up when I say this, but the moment that I am most excited for, is for Neil to hold his son. We were talking about this last night; I feel like he's my child, and not so much "ours" yet. And I am sure Neil feels the same way. He says he understands we're having a baby, but doesn't feel like he really has anything to do with it. And I can totally understand that. So to see Neil's face when he holds his son for the first time will be a moment like no other. I'll try not to sound cheesy; but this little guy inside of me right now is and will be the best of both of us. For us to be able to give this gift to each other, with God's hand of course, is like no other. I feel like Neil has already given me this gift, the gift of carrying his child, the moments where I feel him move are the greatest gifts in the world. But I want Neil to receive this gift too. A gift only I can give him. The greatest gift of his life.
Scared. Scared has been a large part of my emotions lately. I'm HUGE! I never thought I would be this big. Neil always says, "Really? Haven't you seen a pregnant woman before?" And the answer is, "Of course." However, you never imagine your very own body transforming so greatly in such a short period of time. I've said with every pound I've gained, "I can't imagine getting any bigger!" And the scared part? I look down at my belly, and think, "How in the world is he supposed to come out of me?" The anxiety of the day I go into labor hits me every day. Oh, how I'm dreading the pain. I'm nervous because I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I hope I can handle it. Women do this all time, I'm aware, but I don't. I'm hoping and I'm pretty sure every woman feels scared...right?
Crabby and giggly are just a couple of the crazy emotions I have due to the extreme hormones of pregnancy. Due to my comfort level by sundown, unfortunately, I often get crabby in the evenings. While even getting up to get a glass of water is not an easy task, Neil has been amazing lately getting up and doing a ton of little things for me. One of them is helping me up off the couch. I tell him I wish I could bring him with me everywhere for his awesome assistance. And giggly is an emotion Neil loves! I don't think I've met someone who likes to make people laugh more than he does. And when I'm giggly, you would think I was in an audience listening to a comedian. Everything he does is funny!
So you could say the word stable describes me the least. More like crazy.
Well, that's an update on the preggers status. Everything else seems to be going business as usual. I am officially on vacation starting Sunday! YAYAY! So Sunday will be a relaxing day as always. Monday I have a doctor's appointment to check me to make sure I'm safe to fly. And then Tuesday, I'm off to Wisconsin! I cannot wait! A week filled with Momma Susan, a bridal shower for Amanda in Owatonna, and a baby shower held in honor of our little guy. Neil will be flying into the metropolis of Rochester, MN the following Saturday and we're scheduled to head back to warm weather that Monday.
I feel sad at some moments because I really am going to miss being pregnant. I'm going to miss feeling him move around constantly. He's been getting the hiccups lately, which puts the biggest smile on my face. I really can't imagine not being pregnant. I'm sure the excitement of the newborn will fill that void, but I know I will miss it. This is just such a great period of my life. By far the greatest so far!
I feel excited for obvious reason. I cannot wait to meet him! I'm excited to see his face and see who he looks like. I tear up when I say this, but the moment that I am most excited for, is for Neil to hold his son. We were talking about this last night; I feel like he's my child, and not so much "ours" yet. And I am sure Neil feels the same way. He says he understands we're having a baby, but doesn't feel like he really has anything to do with it. And I can totally understand that. So to see Neil's face when he holds his son for the first time will be a moment like no other. I'll try not to sound cheesy; but this little guy inside of me right now is and will be the best of both of us. For us to be able to give this gift to each other, with God's hand of course, is like no other. I feel like Neil has already given me this gift, the gift of carrying his child, the moments where I feel him move are the greatest gifts in the world. But I want Neil to receive this gift too. A gift only I can give him. The greatest gift of his life.
Scared. Scared has been a large part of my emotions lately. I'm HUGE! I never thought I would be this big. Neil always says, "Really? Haven't you seen a pregnant woman before?" And the answer is, "Of course." However, you never imagine your very own body transforming so greatly in such a short period of time. I've said with every pound I've gained, "I can't imagine getting any bigger!" And the scared part? I look down at my belly, and think, "How in the world is he supposed to come out of me?" The anxiety of the day I go into labor hits me every day. Oh, how I'm dreading the pain. I'm nervous because I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I hope I can handle it. Women do this all time, I'm aware, but I don't. I'm hoping and I'm pretty sure every woman feels scared...right?
Crabby and giggly are just a couple of the crazy emotions I have due to the extreme hormones of pregnancy. Due to my comfort level by sundown, unfortunately, I often get crabby in the evenings. While even getting up to get a glass of water is not an easy task, Neil has been amazing lately getting up and doing a ton of little things for me. One of them is helping me up off the couch. I tell him I wish I could bring him with me everywhere for his awesome assistance. And giggly is an emotion Neil loves! I don't think I've met someone who likes to make people laugh more than he does. And when I'm giggly, you would think I was in an audience listening to a comedian. Everything he does is funny!
So you could say the word stable describes me the least. More like crazy.
Well, that's an update on the preggers status. Everything else seems to be going business as usual. I am officially on vacation starting Sunday! YAYAY! So Sunday will be a relaxing day as always. Monday I have a doctor's appointment to check me to make sure I'm safe to fly. And then Tuesday, I'm off to Wisconsin! I cannot wait! A week filled with Momma Susan, a bridal shower for Amanda in Owatonna, and a baby shower held in honor of our little guy. Neil will be flying into the metropolis of Rochester, MN the following Saturday and we're scheduled to head back to warm weather that Monday.
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