Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

My parents are in town for a couple weeks, so we thought it was high time they paid a visit to Kauffman stadium!

They loved it!

And we all had a great time!

(note: I'm fairly certain this is WORST photo I've ever taken. But it was about 95 degrees and is the only one of all 4 of us! boo.)

The Royals didn't win, which really wasn't any surprise, but our die-hard fan enjoyed himself anyway!

That night, we played the Tigers. And this guy ( Armando Galarraga) was coming off a realllly interesting week. I've been so impressed by the manner in which he has conducted himself, I figured I needed a photo of him!

What better way to spend a hot summer evening??

Rhubarb Extravaganza!

I can't really say that I've had any pregnancy "cravings" so far. But my dad mentioned that his neighbor had a bunch of rhubarb in the yard....which stuck with me. So, I gently pressured him into getting some to bring with him to Kansas.

He did. And I was a happy girl.

I chopped and chopped and chopped.

And the rest of them, well, it was heaven.

Just look at them go! (Michael insisted we add in an apple pie, as he thinks rhubarb is weird).

The result was rhubarb deliciousness.

That was two days ago and there is not a spec left!

Practice

Michael thought he ought to begin practicing his baby-holding.



For Oggy's sake, let's hope he doesn't decide to practice swaddling next week!

Minnesota

Memorial Day weekend brought a trip to the MN.

Of course, I took some photos!

The Belly

Is definitely growing.

Barely a bump at 14 weeks. My parents were visiting for Easter and mom wanted a pic. Glad she did because I'm pretty sure this UND T-shirt won't see the light of day for a long, long time!

15 Weeks...
18 weeks...
19 weeks...
The idea of a "comparison outfit" was working well. Until it wasn't.

20 weeks:

And now, 21!

I'm a little concerned at the rapid rate this belly is growing considering there are more than 4 full months left to go! Four HOT months! Yowza.

Everything's Coming Up Roses!

We love to garden, but we have challenging soil.

As in the clay is so solid, you can dig a hole, fill it with water and the water will be there a week later!

So, it's a real challenge to find something that thrives! The last couple years have involved a bit of trial and error, but we seemed to have found a fit!

These knock-out roses are aptly named.

And are adding a lovely spurt of fuchsia around the yard and we're loving it!

Here's to hoping they survive a scorching KS summer!

Baby K

So...Friday night was a BIG night at our house!

Michael's family came over.

We grilled out, then gathered in the office for what was to be an exciting discovery!

You see, earlier that day, we'd visited the Dr's office.

The sonogram tech took some pictures. We printed them off and oohed and aahed and shared all but one!
The last one was sealed in a top-secret envelope.

The contents of the envelope were known only to the sonogram tech...and the people who work at Build-a-Bear! We took the envelope to the store, picked out a bear and two outfits. Then we handed the envelope, outfits and bear to the people on duty and left!

We came back a few minutes later and were given this box!

Then, we brought it up to the office...

Skyped in Grandma and Grandan in Minnesota...

And prepped for the big reveal!!

No hat meant it was a boy.

And a pink visor meant it was a girl.

And....

It was a pink visor!!

Everyone was SOOOO excited!

Especially Grandpa and Grandma K, who have never had a girl! With two boys and one grandson, they were ready for some PINK!

Even the big brother got in on the excitement! (meaning he refrained from gutting the bear! hee!)

This is one baby that will be LOVED!

And may, possibly, never encounter a male in her life able to say the word "no"! hee.

Cutest Thing in the Entire World???

...we think she is!

My heart just melts at the sight of that little nose!

And mouth. And fingers. And toes. And femur. And all four chambers of her sweet little heart!

Even when she looks like a bit of an alien...

...she's our alien. And we couldn't be more in love.

The Best Card I've Ever Received

A couple days before Mother's Day a friend at work stopped by my desk, handed me a card, and asked me to open it.

I did, and this was inside:
Yep, a Mother's Day card. You'd think, that with my job and all, I would know the full impact a card can have. And I do, to an extent. But in that moment, and I stood and hugged this dear lady, I realized that I would be celebrating this day. A day that I have longed to celebrate for so long.

As this pregnancy has progressed, it's been a mental battle of protecting my heart vs. celebrating the blessing of a pregnancy. While Michael and I are both thrilled and feel so blessed, there is a layer of protective covering we've laid on our hearts where they've broken.

Each day, each point of progress has been a step.

Positive pregnancy test? Step one.

Heartbeat at the first appointment? Step two.

Week 11 checkup...Week 15 checkup...Week 19 checkup...each a bit closer to assurance.

Each giving us a bit more permission to enjoy the blessing...to relax in the knowledge that we are one step closer to holding a baby in our arms.

Perhaps the worry is unnecessary as we've often been told.

Or perhaps it's just the first step in a lifetime of worrying about the one the Lord has entrusted us to bear...to raise...to care for. You know, the worries of being a Mom.

**please ignore the stuffing on the floor. Oggy had just gutted a new stuffed animal! haha.

2 Years!

It was two years ago that Michael and I got married! It sometimes seems like yesterday...and sometimes seems like a lifetime ago!

We thought it would be fun to take a picture each year at the church where we were married, but it turns out that's difficult with out a photographer!

This was our best shot!

Maybe we'll have better luck next year...you, know, the three of us! :)

A Glorious Day

It's beautiful here in KC today. The sun is shining, trees and grass are as green as they can be and we had a Dr's appointment and got to hear the baby's heartbeat once again!

We're at 19 weeks and the appeal of hearing that baby has not faded. Not one bit!

In the stresses of work and graduate school and all that is life, today I stepped back to take a deep breath and thank the Lord, once again, for this blessing.

And then, I decided to celebrate. With an iced cookie from my favorite place!



Talk about making a good day even better!

:)