Merry Christmas Grey!

Merry Christmas sweet boy!! Look...you made front and center of our Christmas card (thanks to Jason Pendley photography)! I love that sweet little profile of yours.

What a difference a year makes! I've thought so many times about how sad your daddy and I were last year. Looking back, it was good that we were so sad at Christmas. It forced us to seek help from a wonderful doctor you will meet soon after you're born. As you get older, I hope you'll see that God uses valleys to take us to the mountain tops.

Grey, I hope you grow up to know just how wanted and loved you are!! Your daddy and I prayed and prayed for you and longed for the day we would be able to feel you kicking in my belly. Now that you're in there, I thank the Lord for each day I get with you. We love sitting and watching you kick my belly. Can you believe we can actually see you kicking?? One day, you'll know what it's like to be so excited for something that you can hardly stand the wait. That's how we feel. We count down each day until you get here. I find myself permanently resting my hands on my belly to feel you move around and kick...which you do a lot! You are such a little wiggle worm!! You really are our perfect miracle baby!

I can't wait to start telling you about Jesus' birth. I've gained such a bigger understanding this year of what a huge sacrifice His birth and life was. Grey, He loves you so much that He was born to die for you, me and daddy...and all of human kind. This is the most amazing love! Do you know that He knew you before you were born? And that He loved you with an everlasting love before He even created you?? As much as I love you, He loves you more. It's the most perfect, yet complex love you'll ever know. I pray all the time that your little heart will be sensitive to God's leading in your life. Make no mistake, sweet boy, He has a plan for your life!

We have had so much fun with you this Christmas! You and I gave daddy the cutest box of yellow jacket stuff. I know you're going to love that blanket! You really do have the funniest, best daddy and I know you're going to be big buddies. I can't wait to see you guys snuggling, watch football or basketball, reading books, and building forts. He builds some pretty good forts!

You and daddy gave me this SUPER cute coat for you! I simply cannot wait to see you in this next fall/winter! You're going to be my little snuggle bunny!

This was a great Christmas with you little guy! We love you so and can't wait until you get here!

I love you!

Mommy

What's in a name...

Boy names are hard! Geez. I feel like it took us forever, BUT I'm proud to say we finally came to a name for our sweet baby boy.

Robert Grey Jefferson!! ...and we'll call him Grey!

Robert is Curtis' first name. Grey has such a fantastic daddy and I was kind of pushy on using one of Curtis' names and he didn't resist too much. ;) Coincidentally, Robert is also family name on both sides.

Grey is a name that Curtis suggested and we both loved!! We were back and forth between two names, but Grey just really fit!

So, Grey he is! And he's doing great. We went to the doctor last week and his heart rate was great. Dr. H said to us again, "I know I've told you this a lot, but he's got a really strong heartbeat. Heartbeats like this don't just happen. He definitely gets an A+!" Maybe Grey will run like his momma!

I've only gained 6 lbs altogether... not sure how because I'm eating everything. My blood pressure is great...pretty low...but it's always been low since I'm a runner. Finally found a sweet I can't resist, rice krispee treats! Yummy!

So thankful that everything is healthy during this pregnancy. Thank you SO much for praying for us and please continue to do so.

Have I told you how excited I am about this boy?!?! I just can't wait to see him!!

P.S. Enjoy this little photo of the sweetest baby girl, ever!! We met Ashly and Denny Friday night for Married Life Live. BUT, before we left, I had to get in some snuggle time. I could just eat her! She smiles all the time and I just love her little face right before she says something. Such a sweet blessing! I couldn't be any happier for them!

Half-way

I cannot believe I'm already 20 weeks! (...I'll actually be 21 weeks tomorrow) I feel like the pregnancy is really flying by! My sweet boy is growing so much and his kicks are getting stronger each day it seems. My bond with him is really growing too! I love this baby boy so much I just can't wait to see him. My favorite time with him is apple juice in the morning. He just kicks away!

We're getting SO close to a name! I'm so excited to finally share that. Stay tuned...

No real progress on the nursery. The weeks are ticking away though. The plan is to have everything set up by the end of the second trimester. So we'll see.

I'm feeling great! Only one new food craving: sweet tea with lemon. YUM! I used to hate lemon in tea but it is the highlight of my day...my one caffeinated drink. I still love all things healthy...salads, raw veggies, cherrios, yogurt, nuts, and Willy's (it can be healthy). I have really no desire for sweets. This is the biggest change for me because I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth. I have had hot chocolate, but that's about all.

Here's my 20 week belly shot. So fun to watch and feel him grow!

Cheeseburger In Paradise: part II

I had an eventful week last week. Curtis was out of town, so mom and I went to Longhorn for dinner. I got a burger because I had just read that hamburgers are a great source of iron during pregnancy. Why not, right?

Oh boy! Let's just say food poisoning is not fun!

Seriously, I was really sick. I called my mom really early that morning to come over and help me. Called the doctor and they said to give it until noon and try to keep some liquids down. Couldn't do it. So, 9:30 a.m. we headed down to Northside Hospital for an overnight stay complete with four bags of fluids, IV nausea meds, round the clock monitoring of my little guy, and two "clear" meals. Curtis landed just in time to spend the night with me. I felt so bad for him that he was gone all week and had to sleep in a hospital recliner. But, he was such a sport. He said, "it'll be fun! Like a resort get-away, just me and you!"

My friend Tracy once said to me, "being a mom is like having an open wound". It is so true! I worry about my little guy anyway, but I was really scared for him. I have never been or relieved to hear his little heartbeat!

Once again, God was so faithful! He's totally fine. About 20 minutes after they put the IV in he was swimming wildly, kicking and moving all around. I was totally wiped out for the better part of four days, but feeling much better now.

The hospital stay was not all in vein, Curtis was finally able to feel our sweet guy kick at 20 weeks! It was awesome! His face lit up and the hugest smile flashed across his face. I think it was such a connecting point for him. Now, he tries to feel him a lot, talks to him more and prays over him. I was so thrilled for him!

Why the title "...:part II"? Because right before Curtis proposed I met some friends at Cheeseburger in Paradise where I got my first experience with food poisoning. Not fun. I'm shocked he still married me! ;)

Ground beef, it's been real -- but it's time to part for a long, long, long time!!

Rivals At Heart

Curtis and I ventured down to his old college stompin' grounds for the UGA v. GT game. It was a lot of fun! We tailgated with our friends Kevin and Joanna and their crew right along the area where the players come through...not sure what that's called at Tech...the same as the Dawg Walk. Anyway, Kevin managed to get us some really great tickets too.


I had a hard time finding the right Georgia attire with my ever growing belly...so I had to just settle on my red fleece. Let's just say it got the point across! I managed to get booed by a HUGE crowd of Tech fans, including the band and even had an 80 year old lady cuss me out. It was eventful!






Currently, no Tech game is complete for me without a stop at The Varsity for a yummy hot dog, fries and onion rings. I can't even believe I typing that. Everyone at the tailgate got a huge kick out of my pregnancy craving.

Curtis and Kevin

The game was great! ...of course it was, Georgia won! The BIGGEST perk of the entire night, aside from the win of course, was that they actually have a Willy's inside the stadium. Yes, you read this right. Willy's inside the stadium! Could this pregnant girl be any happier?? I have always loved Willy's, but I REALLY love Willy's pregnant! In fact, when we found out we were pregnant Curtis said, "you're finally going to get a Willy's belly"...which led us to call the baby Willy. NO, we're not naming him Willy!

In addition to all this fun, two girls managed to get into a fight four seats down from me. Yes, two grown women in a fist fight...OH and they were Tech fans. I believe the term is "ghetto", right?

Having a house divided really is fun! Especially when your team wins...Go Dawgs!!