The Expectant Father

As I was reading The Expectant Father at the kitchen table, I started to drift off into my thoughts. My life is going to change greatly in a few months and a big reality was finally beginning to sink into my brain...

I am going to be a father.

I have always enjoyed playing with little children because I am still a kid at heart. I would always dream of having a child and doing all of the things Dads do. I want to take the kid to the park, help with homework, and goof around (notice how I skipped the whole baby poop thing...). Now that I know all of those dreams are not far away, I am taken aback at just how powerful it all is. I think back to the time when I was a little kid. My dad was king of my world and I looked up to him more than any person. It wasn't because he did a certain thing or gave me gifts. It was simply because he was my dad and showed me that he cared for me. That is the greatest dynamic in the father/child relationship.

For the rest of my life, I will be identified by this relationship with my upcoming child and that will define me in a way that is much more than any job or activity. There will always be this person who looks like me (hopefully only a little because Mom-to-be is much hotter than me) will need me in some way and look to me for guidance. I know that is what I think of when I think of my father. He has always done that for me and I want to do that for my children.

Dinner at Ovation

This past weekend we joined some friends at Ovation in Fort Worth. If you haven't been, I recommend you go. It is a restaurant with really nice food and even better entertainment. They have live jazz and R&B bands that perform while you eat. Our friends had been trying to get us out there for a while and we are glad we went. I can't remember the last time I had food at a restaurant that tasted like something my grandmother used to make (that good Southern cooking!!).

Pregnant...

Pregnancy is a funny thing. It's amazing how much of my energy goes to this little baby growing inside me. What's also strange is reading about what to expect, then actually experiencing it. Here's some fun stories from my pregnancy so far...

Food:

Typically I LOVE sweets. But lately I don't really want much to do with them. However, I'm all about the chili-cheese french fries. Sadly, not a very healthy craving. The other thing I've noticed about food is that I no longer overeat. I used to keep eating just because something tasted good. Now, when I'm full, I simply can't take another bite. Hopefully I can make this a habit! What's funny though is that when I'm done I push my plate towards Will and encourage him to finish my plate. So far it's resulted in him gaining right along beside me! Though he's now decided he can no longer continue this habit.

The other thing that's been interesting in regards to food is the fact that I can be rather finicky. I'm often scowling my face at Will's plate of food, which likely annoys him, but I think he also enjoys the fact that I'm no longer begging for bites of his food before he's able to take a bite. Well, unless I'm scowling at my own plate instead. At one point Will and I went to eat at an Italian restaurant. Though what I ordered 'sounded' awesome, the second it was in front of me I could barely take a bite. Luckily my hubby has decided that when it comes to food, the pregnant lady gets her way. :) His baked ziti was delicious!

Exhaustion:

I've always been a good sleeper, but lately I sleep way more than usual. I can come home from work, take a two hour nap, and still sleep a full 8 hours that night. I'm sometimes SO tired! I think Will feels a little lonely these days, as I sometimes have so little energy. I'm hoping that this second trimester will bring me a little more energy. We'll see I suppose...

Hormones:

I'm not really a big crier. Not that I don't cry, but I'm pretty good at keeping my emotions in check. What's strange now, is that while I can keep my composure when working in heart-wrenchingly sad hospice situations, I now lose it at the smallest thing to do with kids. I've become one of those women who cry at commercials and tv shows. Then, earlier this week Will and I were at the UTA basketball game. At halftime they had this whole group of 4th graders do a jump rope routine to "Cupid Shuffle." About halfway through I looked at Will and told him I was going to cry. I don't think he believed me at first, until I was seriously crying. It was something about the thought of having a child and watching them participate in stuff. Seriously though?! I cried at the jump roping 4th graders at half time of the UTA basketball game. Who knew I was such a sap. ;)

Fun Times In Mexico

Here are a few of the pictures from our trip to Mexico for the Cole-Repasky wedding. It was a really fun time and the first time we really traveled with a group of other couples for a vacation. It will certainly not be the last time we do it because it was too much fun and we met some really fun people.

Congratulations to the Luke Family

We just want to say congratulations to our friends, Cole and Becca, as they are the latest couple to join us in the married club!! They had a lovely destination wedding in Playa del Carmen, Mexico that was filled with lots of fun times on the beach.


Congratulations guys!! You are in for a great adventure. :-)

Happy Birthday Will!

Well, today is my hubby's birthday! Today we took the day off from work after spending the past week in Mexico. Of course the week in Mexico was for our friend's wedding (pictures to come!) and not in celebration of Will's birthday. Though we did have lunch today with some friends and a massage, I've done very little to celebrate Will on his birthday. Sadly, no cake (though I offered to make his favorite!), no card (so I'm posting one here...), and no gift (which I tell him means he gets to pick what he gets this year...since he's disappointed most years I buy). Still, I feel he's being neglected.

Well, sorry babe I haven't spoiled you the way surely deserve.




Happy 28th birthday husband! And since there was no cake or candles, it obviously IS something else that turns me on, burns me, and makes me sweat... I love you Will!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

Let that marinate for a minute.... ;-)

Ain't No Party Like A Bricktown Party!!

This year we decided to something different for New Year's Eve. We usually either have a small gathering at our house or go to one of our friends' houses in the area, but this year we pulled a switch... We ventured to the other side of the Red River to ring in the new year with our friends who live in Oklahoma City.

I have to say it was well worth the 3 to 4 hour drive through the boring flat plains (even though I had to trade in my American dollars for Stoops Bucks...). In fact, it was so much fun that we may just have to do it more often. It was so much fun to just see everyone, since it had been a while since we all got together to just hang out and play board games. Plus, I got to eat the most beautiful and delicious salad ever made. ;-)

So thanks to the Bricktown crew for making New Years Eve this year very memorable. I will never look at an anteater the same...