Hello All

Hello all!

I've had a nice break the last day, thanks to some wonderful grandparents and good friend, Jamie. I got pretty sick yesterday afternoon, so my parents took care of Christa until she went to bed, and then picked her up and took her to church this morning so I could have a while to rest. It was just what I needed! 8 weeks down, 12 more to go until I start feeling better, presuming I follow the same time frame as Christa. I can make it, but I'd like my appetite back. I am really tired of eating Eggo waffles and tortilla chips! By the way, I forgot to tell you all my due date - it's Sept. 7 - Labor Day - oh the irony :). My doctor said we'll probably fine-tune that date a little at the 20 week ultrasound.

Apparently, the word is out on my other announcement, so I'll release this news here now. Cline has been offered and accepted a position at our local Trauma Center!!! (He's been commuting to a neighboring town since he graduated). This is a dream-job of sorts for him, much like working at Egleston was my dream job. It's where he's always envisioned himself working, and he can't wait to be closer to Christa and I so we can stop by easily and say hi to him at work every now and then. We're also thinking he'll be able to work a little less at this new hospital, which couldn't come at a better time! In fact, he's going to take the transition as an opportunity to take a "true" vacation in March - 2 whole weeks! We're thinking of taking a road trip to Dallas to see my sister and her husband.

Since I'm hitting random topics, I do have one small favor to ask of you guys. I have noticed that several of you have linked me to your blogs and profiles. I am beyond flattered that you think enough of this blog to link it to your own, and the fun, relaxed part of me says, "great!! it will be so much fun to get new readers." Buuuuutttttt..... the nervous, paranoid side (i.e. my husband :) says that we don't want want this blog to be accessible to random strangers. We want our family and friends to be able to get to it easily, which is why it's not password-protected, but we don't want just anyone to stumble across it and do whatever it is that internet stalker-types do with new blogs. Soooo, as much as it pains me to ask this, could you please remove my link? That being said, if you personally know someone who might benefit from some of the stories or links on this site, then feel free to send them over here. I just don't want to be searchable :)

Alright, I'm not feeling so great again, so I'm going to bed. Have a great day!

I'm Cheating

Alright - due to public pressure, I'm going to give y'all something to do until ASAP becomes a real possibility. Go to www.theworldaccordingtorileyemerson.blogspot.com to see pictures of Christa's recent playdate with our friends, Ali and Riley. (Which reminds me, how do I write "go here" and get the word "here" to take you to a link? Anybody??) We had a great time as you will see, although you will have to pardon the unflattering angle of me in one of the pictures :)
I have not taken any pictures of Christa since that day, but I will try to do it soon and post ASAP (i.e. probably at least a few days from now)!
I just found out that one of my announcements is going to have to wait a little longer. Sorry - it's beyond my control. It has nothing to do with Christa or the new baby, though, so don't stress out too much over it. It is good news, though.
My other announcement is GREAT news! Ok, I'll just go ahead and tell you since my child is occupied learning her alphabet and stimulating her mind with puzzles watching Veggie Tales. It does require a bit of an introduction, though, so here it goes.
Most of you would recognize the name "Margaret Anne." She comments frequently on this blog, is one of my closest friends, and is the mother of a favorite little patient from my Egleston days, Victoria. I practically lived in the hospital room with Victoria and Margaret Anne for 6 weeks during Victoria's first admission for an aggressive brain tumor, and then off and on for 2 years after that. We became fast friends/extended family, and Margaret Anne was the first one to arrive at the hospital when Christa was born. Victoria's story is at a link to the right, if none of this sounds familiar to you.
Without further ado, it is my great pleasure to officially congratulate Margaret Anne, her husband, Lee, and Victoria's older brothers and sister on their NEW BABY, a boy, due in June!!! In fact, the original due date was Christa's birthday, but that has since been moved up some. We are soooooo excited and can not wait to meet this precious little boy.
Alright, I've got to go take care of my child now, and I'm hoping for a nap soon. Thanks for checking, even though I haven't posted much lately! I will try to do better :)

Another Lame Excuse for Not Posting

Hello all! We're still here, not that you would know it from checking this blog :) I've been busy slacking, lounging around, growing a baby, and it is taking every ounce of energy that I have. The fact that I'm a huge wimp when I don't feel well doesn't help.
Not complaining, though! I'd rather be sick and pregnant than not sick and not pregnant, so I am happy to have my special time with the toilet as many times as necessary. I do have lots of exciting news to share, but these announcements deserve more thought than I have time to give right now. So, check back - I will have an amazing (or at least mildly amusing) update ASAP.

A GREAT Day!!

Hello all! I just got home from the doctor's office, and we had a great appointment. We did get to see the heartbeat, which was such a relief. The ultrasound tech was really nice and understood our anxiety. She immediately pointed out the heartbeat as soon as the screen showed and reassured us that all of the other measurements looked perfectly normal. We are soooo excited!
We have another new addition to our family, in the form of a minivan! Yes, I am officially one of "those" moms now :) We made the purchase last week - a very nice 2002 Honda Odyssey that has lots of extras - my favorite being the seat heaters! Christa is appreciating not getting her head bumped on the roof of the sedan every time I get her in and out of her car seat, and I am appreciating the space and child-friendly setup. I am thrilled with my new car, and will pass my dear Honda Accord onto Cline so that he can have a car that does not rattle every time he turns right or one that requires manual turn signals. Although, his Buick has gotten us many places safely and we have been thankful to have it the last few years.
Alright, I'm off to rest for a little while, as it's been a busy day. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

The One We've All Been "Expecting"

Hint, hint... :)

So, we received some wonderful news on Christa's 18 month birthday - we are having another baby! We have our first ultrasound scheduled for this Wednesday, and we think I am about 6 weeks along. I have to confess that telling you all about this so soon goes against everything I thought I would do "the next time around." But I've had a hard time keeping it a secret thanks to my newly acquired weak stomach and a noticeable plummet in my caffeine consumption. Plus, I know me, and I'm going to tell most of you about this sooner or later, regardless of what happens. So, I figured I might as well spill the beans today and ask you to pray for us as many times as you are able to between now and Wednesday.

We are feeling a strange mix of excitement and terror; (Cline's excited, and I'm terrified). In fact, I'm thinking some sort of pregnancy-approved sedative might be required to get me into the ultrasound room on Wednesday. We are very much hoping to be able to see and hear a strong, healthy heartbeat, but we do realize it might be a little too early for that. Please pray that everything looks great, and that we are able to see the heartbeat. Please pray that if it is too early to see the heartbeat, that my hormone levels will measure perfectly and that I will have peace and joy until we look again. Finally, please pray that this pregnancy will be free of any complications and that we will get to bring a precious, healthy baby home after all is said and done.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Easier said than done, but I'm trying!

Guys and Dolls

Hello all! Christa's little social life is in full-bloom these days. Here are some pictures of our recent playdates. I was so sad that I forgot my camera for our date with Riley and Ali yesterday. The dishwasher flooded about an hour before we were supposed to leave, so I did not think to grab it on my way out the door. Good times.
At any rate, we had a fun pizza date before Christmas with Nancy, a college roommate and dear friend, and her little boy Cal.



Sorry, Riley - she's cheating on you :)

Nancy, I'm stealing your line, on this one - Don't tell the daddies we encouraged this :)

Also, before Christmas, we took a day trip to Atlanta to see another college friend, Christian, and her daughter, Layla. We decided to venture to North Point Mall, where we stumbled across an American Girl store. Feeling very fun and girly, we ate at their "Bistro" and had a blast! The store even let us borrow dolls and high chairs to dine with!

We have friends spread out in several surrounding towns. I think we need to get some sort of long-distance playgroup going, so we can see everyone more regularly. Maybe meet in Atlanta once every couple of months for a fun excursion???

Well, I'm off to tackle some things on my quickly growing to-do-list. BTW, Little People Nativity sets are in stock and on sale for $25 at Wal-Mart, if any of you still want those. They had 3 left at ours, so go quickly if you want one!

Back with Lots of Pictures!

Hello all! We're back, ready to tackle the piles of post-Christmas and post-vacation clutter that have infiltrated our home. I decided to make you guys a priority, though, and blog before I get to all of that :) I've got lots of fun events to catch up on, so I'll just start where I left off. Get ready for lots of pictures!

We celebrated cousin Maggie Beth's birthday on December 16 at her house. Christa LOVES her cousin Maggie Beth, and they are starting to play together more as they get older. She was so excited for her favorite girl cousin as Maggie Beth opened her birthday presents. Later, we ate at the mall, and the two girls held hands the entire time. It was adorable, and I was so sad I didn't have my camera with me.

Giving Maggie Beth a big hug!

Making a mess out of the Elmo cupcake topper!

Next, we had two very special play dates with some of my college friends. One of my favorite things about Christmas is catching up with people you haven't gotten to see in a while, and seeing our kids play together is the best! Unfortunately, *that* camera is somewhere amongst the large piles of post-holiday clutter mentioned above (I hope). So my dear friends will get their own extra-special post as soon as I find it. (This works out well, actually, because I have a really cute title in mind :)

Anyway, here we are on Christmas Eve, which we spend with my side of the family.

Christa enjoyed helping all of us unwrap our presents! It's true what they say - no presents needed - just boxes to unwrap! (She got all of her toys, anyway, for those of you who were wondering if I decided to return anything from a few posts back. It was a good choice - she got a reasonable amount of new toys and clothes and is having a blast with all of them!)

She seemed to like this fleece pull-over, that was actually a gift to me. Uncle Brandon (my sister, Alicia's husband) helped her try it on.

Here we come to Christmas Day. Funny story here. We have taught Christa some minimal sign language in recent months. Nothing fancy, but enough words to tone down the whining. Well, Cline's brother, Cleve, who is a senior in high school, thought it would be funny to teach my daughter the sign for "poop" one day while I was out doing some Christmas shopping. I returned home to my sweet little girl saying "poop" while making the sign. (For those of you who are interested in teaching your children this amazing trick, the sign consists of wrapping your right hand around your left thumb, and then pulling your thumb out in a swift motion. There is a demonstration available on "Meet the Fockers.") At any rate, both Cleve and my too-young-to-be-corrupted daughter think this is hilarious, and Christa says "poop" while making her version of the sign every time she sees Cleve.... or a picture of Cleve.... or hears Cleve's name mentioned. Then, she proceeds to throw her head back, laughing hysterically.

What does this have to do with Christmas morning, you ask? Well, we got everything set up in the living room where there would be plenty of sitting room. We invited both of our families over to see Christa react to Santa's gifts, and had a room full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Cameras are rolling, and I am anticipating a beautiful, family Christmas morning with lots of hugging and smiling and tender Kodak moments while my child plays with her new toys in amazement. Everything is perfect, and Cline and I go upstairs to retreive Christa from her room. We carry her down the stairs, excitedly awaiting her response. We get to the living room, and who is the first person she sees? Cleve. And my family Christmas video is now PG rated, because all it shows is my sweet daughter saying and signing "poop" multiple times! (We now officially call Cleve "Uncle Poop").

Here Christa is making the sign.

Christa was excited, but didn't know what to think of everyone watching her.

Later, at Cline's parents, she got this great toy! It plays music and was a big hit!

The day after Christmas we left for the beach with Cline's family. The trip was a much-appreciated Christmas present from his grandparents. We had a great time, and Christa enjoyed playing some football with her uncles.

Also, her 18-month birthday was on December 28, so I had the good fortune to get some beach pictures for this occasion!

And now I'm off to go put some order to my house and figure out my new Hoover floor mate that Santa left for me! I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope 2009 brings many good things to us all!