Someone Rocked Christmas

Tanner and I have had a great Christmas so far! Especially considering I'm on call so I won't be seeing my family. However, we will see the Corbin Clan this evening so that helps. We decided to pay someone to mount our TV over the mantle (the thought of drilling into rock is intimidating - even to do-it-yourselfers like us), so we decided we would do a modest Christmas as far as gifts this year.

We woke up early(7:45) - how dumb are we?  What can I say? We're still just two kids on Christmas morning. We had a little breakfast, cranked up the Christmas music and then opened gifts. We opened one gift early last week. I got Tanner a Sugarland cd, he got me a new makeup brush. Then later we were going to go rent a movie and he suggested I go ahead and open one more gift. It was Despicable Me on blu-ray, which is the same thing I was saving for him to open this morning! I guess we'll chalk it up to great minds thinking alike.

I returned his copy of the movie and got him a super-cute little Kitchenaid food processor. He was very excited, which made me excited. He's become quite a foody lately. He got me some knew slippers. I've needed some new ones for a long time, but the thought of wearing my old ones at the hospital amped up the search efforts. He also got Little Man a long-sleeved, footed onesie that says, "I (Heart) Mom." It really cute!

I thought we were done with gifts and I felt pretty good about the exchange. Then he goes to the hall closet and pulls out the trump card. He SSSOOO cheated! But I guess I'll just have to live with it!


Tanner and I always celebrate Christmas in a similar way as couple. And, yes, every year he outdoes me on gifts. But this year just feels different. It's our last Christmas a family of two, four if you count our furry kids (and we do).  We absolutely cannot wait to celebrate our son's first Christmas next year. However, there's this small part of us that will mourn Corbin Party of 2. By time we are 3, we will have been married 8.5 years. So we know each other well as husband and wife. I'm a little anxious about the transition to mommy and daddy. And at the same time, I cannot wait!

I guess it's just like anything else, you grow and change together or you grow apart. We've always chosen and worked really hard to grow together. I think we've done pretty well so far!


To my sweet baby boy:

Merry Christmas! This is your very first Christmas in existence and you are already so loved. We can't wait to see your face and hear your voice. But feel free to stay put as long as you want! You are already one of the best things to ever happen to me. And I am so blessed to know you.

Love you Little Man!

What's in A Name

I'm having a weird day. I've been really emotional. I think I held it together at work pretty well, but now I'm home and my mind won't stop. I'm so anxious about naming our son. I want to him to have a name that fits him, not just something I like. I want him to like and be proud of his name. We've known for a while that his middle name will be Reed. This is after Tanner's cousin who passed away a few years ago. He's the closest thing Tanner has ever had to a brother. Reed was an amazing, funny, but above all, godly man. We would be so lucky to have our son turn out like Reed.

His first name, however, has been a much bigger challenge. We've had our list going for years with names we like. But when it comes to attaching one of those names to an actual person, the game quickly changes. Part of the reason for finding out the sex of the baby was so we could call him by his name. Although I'm 99% sure of what his name will be, I still find it difficult to use. I tend to get a little anxious inside when other people use his name. I think part of it is just that I'm not ready for other people to be a part of his life. It's just been me and his daddy up to this point. His grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends are all very excited to meet him. I just feel like if other people know his name and call him by his name they have some kind of hold on him. I am SSSOOO the possessive momma in the wild who eats her young because they were touched by someone who is not me!

I feel like a complete crazy person for feeling this way. Can I blame hormones? If I'm already this possessive, how will it be once others can hold him and see him and touch him. I don't want to be one of those crazy moms who won't accept help or let anyone touch my child. But.....if I am, consider yourself warned. Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name would still smell sweet. I'm sure my son - by whataver name he gets - will still be the same little person. I just don't want him to resent us for saddling him with a name he can't identify with.

I know we have to decide on a name, but I reserve the right to change my mind until we have to put it on his birth certificate! Sorry, Little Man! Your mommy is CRAZY!!!

Fearful

So yesterday was a big day. I had another appointment with the doctor. It seems I'm catching up on the weight gain curve. I gained 8.5 pounds this month! That's right - 8.5! I've tried to tell myself that this is ok - healthy even - but it's still hard to take all at once. If you take into account the fact that I was wearing heavy shoes - 3 pounds according to the manufacturer (and yes I looked it up) - that makes the number a little easier to stomach. But what happens next month when I've gained again? Well, then my heavy shoe theory goes out the window. Total weight gain as of week 29 = 18 pounds. When you put it that way, I can live with that.

I passed my glucose tolerance test - woohoo! They also said since I've had such a healthy pregnancy (Blood pressure was still only 96/62 - so happy!) I can wait until 32 weeks to start coming in for check ups every 2 weeks. This sounds like no big deal, but I'm pretty excited about it. Especially considering I sat in the waiting room for over an hour before being seen this time. This is very out of character for my doctor's office, but for some reason it made very uneasy. It was almost like the longer I waited the more I thought something was wrong. Not necessarily with me or my child, but with someone - I just didn't like that feeling. Turns out it was due to the fact that they are switching over to electronic medical records and it was wreaking havoc with their schedule. Good to know!

I've really been meditating on several scripture passages throughout my pregnancy. One being Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." This is a verse we have all heard, even memorized at vacation bible school. But have you ever really thought about what it says? I get that we are wonderfully made. I don't see how someone could look at the human body and the complexity with which it functions and not think it is wonderful. But I am also FEARFULLY made! After doing a little research I've learned that in the original Hebrew the word fearfully means: with great reverence and heart-felt respect. Sounds nice, right? But even that gives me more questions. Was God revering and respecting himself when he created us? Who is deserving of God's reverence and heart-felt respect? Certainly not me.

Maybe God was fearful of what we would choose for the lives he created. He gave us free will to make our own choices - right or wrong. He also gave us grace and mercy so that we would not have to suffer the eternal consequences of those wrong choices. He gave his son to die in my place so that I would not have to pay the price for my bad decisions. There are still earthly consequences to every decision we make - maybe that's why God was fearful. He knew that we would mess up, act like idiots and ultimately choose to put earthly things above eternal things. Maybe he feared that we would do more harm for his kingdom than good. I know most days I feel like I have done nothing to bring those around me closer to God. Maybe he feared that I would claim his name one minute and walk all over it the next. Whether these were HIS fears, they are mine. I long to be a person who lives what I say I believe, even if those around me think I'm insane. This is the kind of mom I want my son to have.

Maybe if God was fearful when he made my son, it's ok for me to be fearful of being his mom. I just want to raise a young man who loves God with reckless abandon. I guess that means I need to show him how. I know I've strayed and rambled long enough. Just wanted to share some of the things that have been on my mind.

God - your works are wonderful. I will never fully comprehend.

Oh - I forgot - one more thing! I've started having Braxton-Hicks contractions. Tanner and I were laying in bed a few weekends ago watching the boy squirm. Tanner's eyes got really wide and he said, "What is THAT?!?!" You could actually see my belly take on this weird, asymmetric shape. It looked really creepy. It was really hard on the right side, but rest was still squishy. After a few seconds, everything relaxed and went back to it's original - hahahaha - shape. My uterus is practicing. Just another reminder that we're getting close. 

The last day

So today is the last day of my second trimester. I'm going to use the typical line that pregnancy prepares us to use as parents - Where has the time gone? It seems like so long ago that we started this journey, but it also feels like it was just yesterday. I know the rest of the year will fly by. And before we know it we will be bringing our son home (in his new car seat and stroller that we got today). My mind just goes nonstop thinking about all the things that need to get done, all thing this child will need and all the changes that are coming. I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed most of the time.

With the Christmas season upon us, I've been thinking a lot about Mary. I consider it an enormous responsibility to raise a son. Imagine how she felt knowing she would raise the son of God. Whoa! And I feel overwhelmed?!? Mary must have had such an amazing faith! But by all accounts, she handled her parenting responsibilities with humility and grace. Can you imagine how easy it would have been for her to one up all her mommy friends? Your kid walked at 9 months - my kid is going to save the world! I'm sure she never had that attitude, but just imagine how proud she was of her little man. I simply cannot wrap my mind around what that must have been like.  While shepherds were spreading the news about her son's birth, she was treasuring and pondering. God help me to slow down enough to ponder and wise enough to treasure the things of you.

Luke 2:19 Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

As we can continue to hurdle toward our due date at lightening speed, I pray that I can continue to ponder the things of God in my heart. I pray that I learn to treasure God's word and His will for my life and the life of my growing little family. I know that He will provide everything we need to raise an amazing kid. We just have to listen when He speaks, speak the truth in love and give our child up to the God who created him.

One more thing - please pray for my friend Jessica. She is pregnant, due in January and her house was robbed today. She and her husband are alright, but there a lot of things missing. Some that can be replaced, others that are now only memories. Just pray that God will give her peace and rest. Love you Jess.

Ode to the Tan-man

So we went to our first childbirth class this week. It was weird. It just still doesn't seem like this is really happening sometimes.....at least not to us. I realized how terrible my diet is when I had to write down everything I had eaten that day. Carbs, carbs and carbs - not a great way to grow a baby. But he seems to be holding his own. We had to fill out a lot of other paperwork - contact info, other blah blah blah. There was one page that was more fun stuff. One of the questions on that page asked what characteristic we see in our mate that hoped to see in our child. Now, I know I'm pregnant so a lot of things make me cry (this is really not all that different from my pre-pregnant disposition), but this one really hit me. Through my held back tears I started writing. "Kind, helpful and loves his mom."  These are just a few of the amazing characteristics I hope my son inherits from his daddy.

Tanner and I have quite a concrete morning routine. I hit the snooze button on the alarm several times before I poke him and say, "Tanner, time to get up." He reluctantly roles out of bed as I try to get a few more winks before getting up to eat breakfast. By the time he is ready to leave for work I've started on my bowl of Life and am sitting at the kitchen table reading my bible. He gives me a quick kiss and I say, "Bye baby - I love you." He replies with a quick, "Love you, too," and then it's off to work.  This morning I got a phone call after I got out of the shower. It was Tanner just calling to tell me he loves. He said he didn't want to say a quick routine one, but a real one. Of course I started to cry, but come on - how sweet is that?!?!  This is following a night where he spent the evening paying bills, doing laundry and cleaning up the house while I zoned out on the couch. I am so spoiled! And so blessed.

You can see why the question made me cry. There are so many things I want to teach my son, but no one can teach him how to treat his wife better than his daddy!

A Little Boy Lives Here

Quick update after my doctor's appointment: heart rate was 155 bpm, gained 1.5 pounds, did glucose tolerance test - yuck! The first sip wasn't so bad; tasted a lot like Orange Hi-C. But the more I drank the sweeter it got. And the sweeter it got, the sicker I felt. I survived, but I don't think I will be able to drink Hi-C for quite some time! Let's hope I passed so I don't have to drink that junk again.

A few fun things have happened since my last blog. October 30th I sat on the couch for a bit while Tanner was out running some errands just staring at my belly. For the very first time I was able to actually SEE Baby Boy move! I love it! It looks like there's an alien inside me. The cutest darn alien you ever did see!

We bought fabric to make the crib bedding. We searched stores and online until we were both cross-eyed. We had also looked at several fabric stores, but we just couldn't find anything that was right. Finally we found some very cute boyish fabrics. There is not a truck, train or ball anywhere on it! Just cute and modern and quirky. We're still not sure how it will all come together, but we'll figure it out. The chair we ordered has been delayed a little, but should be here in a few weeks. Can't wait to try it out!

Tanner can now feel (and see) the baby move! I love to see his face light up when he feels a big kick. He's going to be such a great daddy. While on vacation last week (Branson, MO with the Corbin Clan) he bought Baby Boy his first pair of jeans. They are tiny and adorable!  While we did lots of other shopping during the trip, the jeans were definitely a highlight. Partly because Tanner kept saying, "Got my boy some jeans!" with a goofy grin on his face. My husband is the cutest!

Since getting home from Branson there has been a pile of baby clothes on the island in the kitchen. I need to buy hangers and start getting his room organized. I just keep putting it off. The pile of stuff on the island makes this all a little more real. It feels like a little boy lives here! And he will soon enough. He will get into the cabinets and jump on the furniture and flush who knows what down the toilet......but I can't wait to meet him!  He is going to be here before we know it. And life will never be the same!

Providence

For several months the word providence has been on my mind. It's one of my favorite words.
  1. Care or preparation in advance; foresight.
  2. Prudent management; economy.
  3. The care, guardianship, and control exercised by a deity; divine direction.
Wow - what a word! It's amazing to look back over my family and see the ways in which God has continuously provided. He not only comes through, he prepares in advance. Our search for daycare proved once again that God's plan and His timing are perfect.

Tanner and I (and friends and family) have all been praying recently for the person who would take care of our child when I go back to work. I know, I know - the little squirt isn't even here yet. But I grew  up in a household that was constantly getting phone calls when people started trying to conceive asking if there were any daycare openings. My mom has been searching the DHS website for options that she approves of.  She had a few suggestions of places close to where we live or work. Nothing was really seeming right, so we kept praying and searching.  She mentioned an old family friend who lives in Bethany, but we weren't sure how to contact her.

My sister-in-law, Lindsay, takes her daughter to Mother's Day Out a few days a week at a church in Bethany. She just happened to see a flyer for someone who was interested in keeping a few children in her home.  Lindsay got the phone number and told me what little information she knew at the time. About a week later, I called the number. The woman I talked to sounded lovely. She has two sons of her own and watches another little boy a few days a week. As we continued talking, I mentioned that my mom ran a daycare in western Oklahoma. She said, "You're not Tracy Langdon, are you?" I reluctantly told her I was - Langdon is my maiden name.  Turns out it was the family friend my mom had mentioned! 

Call it a coincidence, luck, or something else - you'll be wrong! It's providence!  God had a plan and prepared a way.  Maybe you think I'm being dramatic, but I think it's amazing. This had been one my biggest fears when we moved to Yukon. I knew that it would not be possible for my mom to watch our children.  But God provided an amazing, Christian woman who can help us to train up a Godly man.  So excited!  Oh, and just a bonus - her house is about 6 blocks from where I work! Awesome!

Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.

How wide and deep and long and high...

So I've been doing a lot of self evaluation lately. Mostly of my belly button. I have always had what I would consider (based on the multitude of belly buttons I've investigated) a very deep abyss of a navel. Tanner would make fun of me when I would use a Q-tip to clean it. If I collected belly button lint I'm fairly certain I could have made a winter coat by now. But, to my surprise, over the last few weeks it has taken on quite a different arrangement.  It has become quite shallow - as my blog has!  I can see all the way to the bottom it   without straining my eyes. It has also become quite wide.  It's as big around as my thumb! I failed to mention earlier that while deep, my belly button has never been very wide. 


It's funny to me that I've been so enthralled with the scar that shows where I was once nourished while growing inside my own mother's belly. My son will soon have precious little belly button that will forever be evidence of our connection.  And as my belly grows, it's only a matter of time before there is no depth at all. Soon there will be height as it pops out letting the world know that this turkey is almost done! I can't wait to see when!


With my ever-changing body and endlessly changing life, it is comforting to be reminded of those things that stay the same. The love of my family, husband and Heavenly Father - these remain. Constant. Unwavering. Thank you Jesus for change and the things that don't.


                                                         21 Weeks


And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. Ephesian 3:18

Hold up!

So I went to doctor today. Got some news. Had a freaked out moment and am now trying to wrap my mind around it. Baby Corbin's heart rate was 152 bpm and I have gained another 3 pounds.  That's not the big news. My due date has been moved from March 10 to March 4. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I was not expecting that! It does make me feel a little better about the fact the his is big for his age - average size for 19 weeks is closer to 8.5 ounces. So at my ultrasound when I thought he was huge, he was really just a little bigger than normal. 

I feel like a week of my life is just gone. It's one less week I to get to have him all to myself. It's one less week to get everything ready. Parents always talk about how the time goes so fast and before you know it your kids are grown. I guess this is just my first experience with how fast time truly can fly. Tanner is actually pretty excited about him coming a little earlier than expected. I say all of this like he will actually come on his exact due date - what are the odds? He will come when he comes and I will love him!!!


On a totally different subject.....

Happy Birthday Abbey Grace! My first sweet little niece turned 6 years old today! She is growing up to be such a lovely young lady. Her mom told me that she prays for my son every night. How sweet is that? Abbey told me today that she's not sure if we are going to have another baby someday, but if we do, she wants a girl! 

Abbey - I make no promises! Love you, sweet girl!

Seriously?

Just a quick update. I was doing some math over the weekend. My pregnancy apps on my phone both say the a baby at 18 weeks gestation generally weighs around 6.5 ounces. At our ultrasound, the tech said the baby weighed 9 ounces plus or minus 1 ounce. WHAT!?!?! So you're telling me this kid is already 50% bigger than most his age? He's probably going to born two feet tall and twenty pounds. He'll come out and just walk over to his daddy and say "what up."  Check out his super long legs.


Needless to say, I'm getting freaked out about the possibility of giving birth to a toddler. I want him to be healthy, but I wouldn't mind if he waited until AFTER he's born to get ahead of the curve on the whole height/weight thing.

Told you this was going to be quick! Good night!

It's A Boy!

So it seems my plea with my child was successful. We went for our ultrasound on Friday and found out we're having a boy!  He was not shy. His legs were flipped up toward his head and he was very proud. The ultrasound tech did all of the measurements and images required for the doctor and then showed us some fun stuff. We got to see all of his arms and legs and his beautiful little hands. He must have been tired because he was very still this time except for the fluttering of his heart in his chest.  It was incredible!  It was INCREDIBLE!

After finding out it's a boy I started making phone calls and then went shopping. I didn't buy much - only a onesie that says, "Daddy's happy I'm a boy." I had a moment of disappointment, then guilt, then got over it (God bless those mood swings) when I was at Baby Gap. I thought about all the cute stuff I could be buying if we were having a girl.  There is sssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooo much stuff out there for girls. I just feel like boys get the shaft.  But I quickly came back to my senses when I realized how terrible I am at accessorizing myself. It will be so much easier to throw on a cute cap and let the boy go play. 

I do still get freaked out. Even though I have nephews I feel like I have absolutely no idea what to do with a boy.  I know girls - after all I am one. I have sisters. I know girls.  Boys - I'm completely clueless. I guess it's a good thing I have a very helpful and understanding husband. He has already been informed that he WILL be the one to talk to have the sex talk with him. I don't have those parts; I'm not an authority on the subject.

Not only that, I get freaked out at the responsibility of a boy. How do I raise a son that values true manhood over maleness? Who fears God and respects women? How do I protect his heart and his mind from all the trash that is out there?  I guess this is again where the husband comes in. Tanner is all of the things I want my son to be. He is kind and sensitive, silly and tough.  He loves me, but knows how to call me out on things.  I pray that my son is half the man I have seen my husband become. Let me tell you - those are big shoes to fill.
 
So we totally should have known this kid was going to be a boy! For the last couple weeks that I've been able to feel him move he has been very active while we are watching football. NFL, college, whatever - he goes nuts when there is a football game on tv. Can't wait until Tanner can feel his little man going crazy in my belly!

So just one quick story about the response to the "It's a boy" news and then I'm done for today. My nephew, Connor - 4 years old, has been very excited about the prospect of a baby boy. When he got to my mom's house after school she told him the news. He said, "I am so proud! I will train him. He will be my youngling and I will train him to be a Jedi. And I will buy him a light saber and teach him how to use it."  How sweet is he!

May the force be with you.

To Whom It May Concern

Dear Baby Corbin,

This your mommy! Your sure are getting big - or a least my belly is! I finally felt you move for the first time!  It was Thursday, September 30th. You and I were in mommy and daddy's bedroom watching Grey's Anatomy. I was lying on the bed with my hand on my tummy and I felt a tiny thump! It was amazing! You brought an instant smile to my face. I know it's just the beginning of all the big moves I will get to see you make.  Crawling, walking, college, marriage. I'm sure these will come faster than I think.  I can't wait until your daddy can feel you move too!

I have a little favor to ask of you. Friday your daddy and I are going to get to see you. We are hoping to find out if you are a boy or a girl. This is the only time in your life we will ask you to not keep your knees together! I know it's a lot to ask of you, but please consider cooperating. We will love you even if you don't, but please do! We are so ready to call you by your name - although we're not 100% percent sure what that will be. Daddy can't wait to buy your crib and starting getting your room ready. I can't wait to buy you your first outfits.

We are so excited to see you and even more excited to hold you in our arms! We love you, baby!

See you soon!

The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but The Truth

So I've had this internal debate going on since I started the blog: how much do I want to share and what do I keep to myself?  After lots of thought I went back to the old adage - honesty is the best policy.  So........here we go!

Many people have asked if this baby was planned or an "unexpected blessing".  I guess it's both really. After I graduated pharmacy school everyone expected us to immediately start a baby factory. We always knew that it was best to wait until I was done with school. We had put off friends and family (especially moms) by saying "We'll have a baby when I'm done with school." Little did we know that was easier said than done.

In February, 2009, we officially stopped trying not to get pregnant = I went off the pill. By July I was pretty heartbroken that we hadn't gotten pregnant yet. (Keep in mind I have two sisters who are both Fertile Myrtles.) I just thought it would happen when we wanted it to. When it didn't, I started reading - online, books, whatever. While I learned a lot about fertility, I still was not pregnant. Every month there was that hopeful waiting which was always followed by tears and a period.

In all reality, most months our timing wasn't great. Being on call when you're ovulating doesn't help anything. Having really irregular cycles also makes things frustrating. Although, the longer I was off the pill, the more regular things got. The longer we didn't get pregnant the more we started to search God's direction for how we were to have children. There was discussion of adoption - which we are still open to for future children - but as a woman, I felt like I needed to experience pregnancy. I began to pray, "God if this is not what you have for me, take away my desire to be pregnant." As gut-wrenching as that was to pray, I knew deep down that's what I wanted. I wanted/still want God's will.

We let very few people in our struggle. Family and small group - that was it.  Pretty soon it became easier to just act like we were waiting or not ready with everyone else around us. We didn't want to be dishonest, but really, we thought enough people already knew too much about our sex life!  When people asked when/if we wanted children, we just put them off by saying, "Someday" and smiling.

Pretty soon, we got distracted. Our focus changed from getting pregnant to building a house. We started on the house in September 2009. Although, it was sometimes hard to choose things for rooms that would go empty for who knows how long. We knew that eventually we would be parents and those rooms would be filled with laughter and love and little people - no matter how they came to us. We were continually praying for God's timing.

A few weeks after moving into our lovely new home in June, I started to just feel...weird.  I'm not sure how to explain it; I just knew something was diffferent. I waited several weeks after "the weird feeling" started to take a pregnancy test. It was very late in the day when I took the first one - I know, NOT the best time to take pregnancy test. But I knew it would be positive before I even took it. Tanner had his doubts. I think he just didn't want to get his hopes up.  We had been so hopeful so many times with painfully negative results. When I showed him the test he just started smiling. You couldn't have wiped that smile off his face with a baseball bat! He finally believed me after that. He did, however, throw another pregnancy test at me first thing the next morning just so we could confirm. 

And so the saga ended...and began. More than learning that God would sustain us through difficult times, we learned that maybe some of those times are self-imposed. I truly believe we could have saved ourselves years of heartache by simpling praying for God's direction. We just decided it was time for us to have a baby without consulting the God who would give it to us. Lesson learned - until like the stupid humans that we are, God has to teach us again. 

Thank you God for being such a patient teacher!

Train up a child

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

For the past few weeks I've been contemplating the preacher's message from 8-29-10. Our church is currently doing a series called "Pieces: The Family Puzzle." Last week's message was on the character of our children. Dan (our pastor) quoted John McArthur - The true measure of success for Christian parents is the parents' own character. It struck me - I've been reading and research and poring over all this information about pregnancy, but how much have I been preparing my heart for parenthood? Lord willing, this pregnancy will continue without complications to yield a healthy child. What next?

Although I believe God gives children personalities and attitudes that are unique, I also believe that how they are parented plays a huge role in who they become. I want to raise generous, driven, humble, loving children. But above all else, I want to raise children who know they were created by a God who loves them, and who will bring Him glory. How do we raise children who reject the "scientific" dribble of the world and embrace the truth of where they came from? How do we teach children to "speak the truth in love"?

Although these are things that I'm sure I will never completely figure out, I want to try. I thought I would share a few points from the message if for no other reason than to remind myself.

1.Parental success depends on the parents' actions - not the child's
    By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. Thorns are snares are in the way of the perverse; He who gaurds his soul will be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:4-6

2. Children are a blessing not a burden

3. Parenting should be a joy, not a grief
    Correct you son and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. Proverbs 29:17

4. The most important influences in children's lives are their parents, not their peers.
    Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."  1 Corinthians 15:33


Three biblical "must dos" to successful parenting:
1. Teach your children the truth of God's Word - Deutoronomy 6:6-9
2. Discipline them when they do wrong - Proverbs 13:24
3. Don't provoke them to anger - Ephesians 6:4

As you can tell, this message had a lot of good stuff for parents. Especially first timers who are clueless and paranoid! In light of all that, my focus is starting to change from pregnancy to parenthood. Lately, my prayers have shifted from, "God give me a healthy child" to "God teach me how to raise a child that brings You glory." I know that God has given us this child at this time to fulfill a very specific role in His kingdom. I can't wait to see what it is! 

Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

Mustard, Relish, Catch-up!

Our second prenatal appointment was this past Thursday, August 26th.  I've already gained 3 pounds! I know growing a baby means growing period. But I must admit, that hurt a little! Other than that things went well. They were unable to hear the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, which freaked me out at first. It turned out to be great because we got to have another ultrasound! It was amazing to see the baby moving all around. He/she was so active! Arms and legs going the whole time! It was incredible!

I think I'll take this opportunity to answer a few frequently asked questions and get everyone caught up:

When are you due/how far along are you?


My official due date is March 10, 2011. Which puts me at the twelve week mark.



Have you been sick?

Well, the short answer is yes, but not terribly. We saw two lines on a Monday and by Friday my face had made friends with the toilet. The following day I got sick in Wal-Mart (in a Target sack - how ironic). Sunday I couldn't keep anything down. At this point we were not ready to tell anyone, but I almost spilled the beans to my sister, Terra. We were supposed to meet her at a concert and I had to call and say we couldn't make it. Of course she asked why and when I told her I was sick, she didn't pry. If she had asked any questions I would have blabbed!  Thankfully that was the worst day I've had.  Sick days have been fewer and further between as we go - thank you Zofran!


How have you been feeling?

In a word - tired. There have been many nights of falling asleep on the couch. I've been told this gets better in the 2nd trimester. I'm anxiously waiting the days of more energy so I can work out!


How did you tell your family?

Just to preface this section - Tanner did a lot of online research coming up with super-creative ways to tell everyone.

For Tanner's family we went with a subtle approach. I'm always asked to bring sugar cookies to family dinners.  Tanner thought it would be fun to make sugar cookies and decorate them in pink and blue. Tanner's parents were at his sister's house so we decided to hit everyone together. We went over to Tanner's sister, Lindsay's house - cookies in tow - and just sat the cookies down on the table. Everyone started eating cookies and just kept talking about whatever it was they were talking about. After 5 minutes or so, Tanner's sister looked at the plate and said, "Pink and blue - hope you guys weren't trying to tell us anything." We both just looked at her and smiled.  She literally freaked out! She tackled me on the couch and gave me a huge hug while jumping up and down like a lunatic. I could not stop laughing!  The rest of the family was equally excited, though none expressed it quite like Lindsay!

My Langdon grandparents make a trip to Oklahoma every year in August. We had all made plans for the Langdon clan to meet in Marlow the Sunday they were in town so we could all go to church and spend the afternoon together. We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to tell as many people as possible at once.  After church, we told everyone that we wanted to get a family picture while we were all together. Tanner was taking a few test shots and told everyone to say, "Cheese." On the next picture he said, "Ok, now everyone say, 'Tracy's pregnant!'"  Then he kept taking pictures to catch the reactions. It was awesome! I'll post the pics whenever I figure out how.


Have you had any weird cravings?

I've had cravings lately for ketchup. Not by itself - preferably on Chick-fil-a waffle fries. No wonder I've gained weight!  I've also craved fresh peaches and pickles - not together. So I guess nothing weird, technically.  I do think it's odd that almost immediately after finding out I was pregnant I had an aversion to coffee which i LOVED before. It made it really easy to cut back on caffeine!

I guess if there are any other questions, let me know!

After much anticipation...

After eight years of marriage, Tanner and I are (finally) having a baby! A few friends have suggested I start a baby blog. I thought it would be a great way to document the pregnancy and fun to look back on during those sleepless nights. So....let's play catch for a few minutes.

How We Knew
I had suspected for several days that I might be pregnant. I'm not sure how to explain it - I just felt weird. Finally on July 12th, 2010, I bought a couple pregnancy tests on the way home from work. Tanner was at his oil painting class (how cultured is he!?!) so I decided to wait until he got home. I took the test and was thrilled to see two pink lines! I covered the part of the test that showed the results and showed it to Tanner. I asked, "How many lines do you see?" He said, "2." I then uncovered the entire test and asked him what two lines meant. He was shocked! He just kept saying, "No! Seriously!?! No!" He couldn't stop smiling! But he still wasn't willing to believe me. He woke me up first thing the next morning to take another test. Again - 2 pink lines.

First Doctor's Appointment - July 29, 2010
Not much to report, but we got to see the first images of our little one. It looks like a seahorse with a giant head. Not very endearing, but true. I'll try to post pics and maybe we can do a poll to see who agrees about little baby seahorse.

Getting sleepy - can't believe I've made it this late!
More - much more - to come!