7 Weeks

I've been eyeing this baby tee even before we were expecting. I couldn't help but make it my first purchase for the new arrival :)

*Object in picture is smaller than it appears*

Weekend Happenings: Kevin finished up his 2-week workshop on Friday *woohoo* But unfortunately, he still has plenty of post-work to finish up this week so he really won't have much of a break before his next workshop starts next week. But, in celebration of another workshop down, we went to see The Incredible Hulk on Friday night. Kevin loves superhero movies way more than I do, but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I guess Kevin's taste in movies is finally rubbing off on me :) My family came to New Orleans on Saturday in celebration of my Dad's birthday. We had en early dinner at New Orleans Hamburger and then headed back to our apartment for some peanut butter chocolate cake and a friendly game of TV SceneIT. Girls won by... ALOT :) It was great hanging out with the fam. My Aunt and Uncle had stopped by earlier that day as well. They were on their way back from a beach vacation. My Aunt came in with a bunch of gender-neutral baby clothes that she had bought from the outlet mall. I was so excited! Seeing the tiny little outfits made everything seme so real. And let's just say that Baby Celestin will be stylin' :)

6 Weeks

The queasy feeling has definitely arrived just as my doctor predicted. Thankfully, it’s not that bad, and I haven’t vomited (sorry for using that word :) yet, but this constant feeling of an unsettled stomach really makes mealtime difficult. Kevin has been wonderful. Saturday morning I slept in a little later than usual, and when I got up, I felt good enough to make us a late breakfast, but by the time lunch/diner came around I just couldn’t bring myself to deal with food. Kevin kindly pulled my slack and made a wonderful meal for us—his famous chicken, lentils, and rice. At first I told him that I didn’t think I would be able to eat it, but after the smell hit my nostrils, my belly began crying out for it. It was so good :) Thanks, baby!

Car Update: The SUV got an oil change on Saturday and is getting new tires today. We’re doing our best to take care of the SUV considering it’s our only mode of transportation at the moment. The Lancer is still dead in the parking lot, but we’re hoping to tow her to South Lafourche on Saturday. A few men at the church who know about cars have offered to take a look at her and hopefully fix her. I pray that they’re able to help.

Scratch That

Kevin and I were planning a trip to Universal Studios Orlando this summer for our 2nd wedding anniversary (July 22nd). I told my doctor about it, and she said she wouldn’t recommend me riding rides when I’m pregnant, which is just about all there is do at Universal Studios. So, I canceled the trip yesterday, and thankfully, I got a full refund on the deposit. We had planned the trip thinking it would take us a little longer to get pregnant, but God had other plans—wonderful plans! It actually works out for the best because with all the car trouble we’re having and the rising price of gas, we’ll need the extra cash. Now we’re trying to think of something else to do for our anniversary. I’m thinking of maybe having diner at a really fancy New Orleans restaurant. We’ve never done that since moving to New Orleans so I think it would be fun. Any ideas for restaurants?

News

This post was written on June 12, 2008, but I waited to publish it until I had informed significant others... enjoy!

On June 11, 2008, I found out.... that I’m going to be a mommy!! I’m still in awe! This was the first cycle that Kevin and I had even planned for pregnancy, and I was so sure that is was going to take much longer to conceive. So when I started feeling crampy at the beginning of the week, I attributed it to the onset of another cycle (aka no baby). Then on Tuesday I began to feel a strange tightness in my stomach like I have never felt before. Something felt different, but I tried to convince myself it was just all in my head because I didn’t want to get my hopes up. But just to ease my mind I stopped by Walgreen's on my way home from work and bought a pregnancy test. I was going to take it right away, but a friend of mine told me that the morning is the best time to take a test. So I waited it out, and Wednesday morning I woke up at 5:45 AM really needing to pee. I figured time was of the essence so I fumbled around for the test and took aim (this was a little difficult at 5:45 AM, but I somehow managed). Not 5 seconds later I saw a (+) sigh appearing. I had to wipe my eyes and look again because it was so unbelievable! After staring at the test for about a minute I was finally convinced that yes, I AM PREGNANT! I can’t tell you the flood of emotions that ran through my body in that moment. I began to think of a creative way to tell Kevin, but there just was no way I could hold the news in. So I got back in bed, cuddled up next to him, and whispered in his ear, “You’re going to be a daddy.” “Huh!?” he said startled, “Are you serious!?” It was the best moment ever. At this point we were both wide-awake so we began talking about all that this means for us. We are so excited and feel so unworthy of this great blessing that that was give to us by God. Please pray with us for a healthy baby Celestin!

The funny part about this story is that I had scheduled my annual gyno appointment months ago, and it just so happened that the appointment was scheduled on the afternoon of the day that took the pregnancy test! So I’ve already has a very early prenatal visit! My doctor and I just laughed at the coincidence. I’m scheduled for another visit at the beginning of July. I’ll get my first sonogram at that visit, and Kevin will be with me. I can’t wait!

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” ~Psalm 127:3

Driving Hazard

So yesterday as I was driving along Airline Highway I spotted a driver.... are you ready for this? ...brushing her teeth while driving! Toothpaste and everything! There was actual bubbly foam forming around her lips from her rigorous brushing. Now I’ve seen people do many crazy things in their cars while driving (myself included), but this was a first. I couldn’t help but try to stay even with her in the next lane to see how she was going to manage the spit and rinse, but unfortunately traffic got in the way. I’m still wondering how she got all that toothpaste out of her mouth without causing a major accident! I’m also wondering what occasion would render brushing your teeth in the car? Was she about to kiss the guy in the drive through at Taco Bell? I mean, really!

Happy Tuesday!

Lucky's Funeral

I came across this video today and just had to post it. I hope Lucky isn't offended that I laughed through his funeral! :) Enjoy!

Friday Favorite

My silly family :-)

I think we need to work on our "jumping at the beach" group picture!

Have a great weekend!

Yummy Goodness

What says summer more than the mouthwatering taste of a syrup-drenched cup of shaved ice? Yes, I had my first snowball of the season yesterday. And yes, I slurped down every last drop of that pineapple strawberry goodness. My boss actually introduced me to this flavor combination, and I must say, it’s quite an experience. So yesterrday afternoon, he sent me on “mission” to retrieve snowballs for the two of us to enjoy at the office. I put up no fight. This was one mission that I was determined to see come to fruition. Fortunately, I didn’t have to travel far to spot a snowball stand. It seems that New Orleans caters to the snowball lovin’ crowd. In fact, I learned today from wikipedia.com that, “In 1934, inventor Ernest Hansen patented the first known 'ice block shaver' in New Orleans, Louisiana... His wife Mary created many flavors of fresh syrups to flavor his finely shaved artificial ‘snow.’ ‘Snowballs’ have been popular in New Orleans ever since.” I think Ernest and Mary are my new favorite couple! I also learned that, “There are differences between a New Orleans ‘Snowball’ and a ‘Snow Cone.’ A Snow Cone consists of hard, crunchy, grated ice and moderate amounts of syrup. Snowballs are made from shaved ice the consistency of snow, with much more syrup [praise God!] , and are eaten with a straw and spoon.” Yes! Now I have a defense for the out-of-towners who look at me funny when I use the term “snowball” instead of “snowcone!” I won’t feel so unrefined anymore! (haha) So I urge you friends, if you haven’t gotten a snowball yet this year, find the nearest stand, and place your order! You won’t regret it!

Trials

My car is sick. It all started with an air conditioning problem a few months ago (a VERY important accessory during a Louisiana summer). The AC quickly went from working 80% of the time to 20% of the time, and since this car is our main mode of transportation (less of a gas-guzzler than the SUV), we desperately needed to get her fixed. So we took her in to the mechanic to get a diagnosis and an estimate of the repair cost. As you can imagine, after hearing the 4-digit figure, I literally cried my way home. But at this point, it’s cheaper than buying a new car. So after much consideration, we finally made the decision to go ahead and get her fixed despite the high price tag. Well, while the mechanic waited on the parts to come in, Kevin took her home to get him around town for a few days. We were gone for the weekend so she wasn’t touched until yesterday when Kevin took her out to run a few errands. I got a phone call from him while he was out and the first words out of his mouth were, “Are you sitting down?” Now, we all know that this is never a good sign! I quickly found a chair, knowing for certain that bad news was impending. He proceeded to tell me that the car had stopped on him, not once but TWICE while he was driving on the interstate! He even had to get someone to push him home! I was speechless. All I could hear was the ringing of the cash register in my head as it added up all the new costs associated with a now DEAD car! It’s hard to process why God would allow this to happen at this time, but I have to trust that it is for a reason and that He will provide. So I'm clinging to James 1:2-3 today, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Back and Burnt

Well, we're back from our whirlwind weekend in Florida! The trip was short, but we had lots of fun. Kevin and I rode with my parents and siblings (except for E and his girlfriend, who had to leave later). We made the most of our road trip by playing a really looong game of Last Word. We arrived at our hotel late Friday afternoon, quickly unpacked the van, and headed out to meet the wedding party for diner. By the time all the diner festivities were over, we were all exhausted so we made our way back to the hotel for some zzz's. My brothers (groomsmen) had plans to play golf with the groom early Saturday morning, but the rest of us slept in and headed to the beach later in the morning. The following are my thoughts about our time at the beach:

1. Apparently early June is a popular time to head to Pensacola Beach.
2. We arrived at the beach during the hottest part of the day.
3. We thought we could sit in the pretty beach chairs with the umbrellas for some shade, but we soon found out that they cost... ALOT.
4. I bathed myself in SPF 45 and stil got burnt.
5. It must be jellyfish season.
6. 5 out of 7 of us got stung by jellyfish.
7. We got lectured on "rip currents" by the beach patrol guy.
8. We had to change locations as not to get caught up in the rip current.
9. My brother saw a "shark" (aka dolphin :) and got a few people stirred up.
10. We left the beach way earlier than we had intended to.

But just for the record, I still love the beach :)

The wedding was Saturday at sunset, and it was beautiful. The reception followed at a nearby hall. Interestingly, the AC went out at the reception hall, which made for a rather steamy celebration. It was still fun though. We slept in on Sunday and headed home after having an early lunch at Barnhill's (buffets are the devil). Kevin and I were dropped off Sunday afternoon, and so ended our long-anticipated, short-lived weekend. I have posted some pics for your viewing pleasure: Florida Wedding <-- enjoy!

R & R

Last Friday Kevin completed his first of several summer classes/workshops. Most are one to two-week classes with a one to two-week break in between. (He is currently on a much-needed two-week break). He decided to take a few summer classes this year in hopes of being able to finish up his Master’s Degree next May. (I can’t believe that we may be living somewhere else by this time next year! Crazy.) So needless to say, Kevin is facing a very busy summer. Aside from his classes, he also has the BCM work at Delgado, as well as the duties of an interim pastor at South Lafourche Baptist Church. Please pray for his continued strength and wisdom during this busy time. And pray for me also that I would be able to provide the best “wife support” possible.

Well, we’re leaving today for my cousin’s beach wedding in Florida! We’re both looking forward to some rest and relaxation :) I’ll post pictures and stories when we return.

Have a great weekend!

A New Home in Heaven

On Friday, May 30th my maternal grandmother passed away in a tragic car accident. My dad called that afternoon to tell me the devastating news. It was so unbelievable to me because my grandmother was in good health. At 72, she was very independent and was experiencing the best years of her life. I had last seen her on Mother’s Day, May 11th, never once thinking that it might be the last time. My grandmother was dearly loved and will be greatly missed. I am so thankful for the time that I was able to spend with her here on earth and the lasting memories that I have of her. I rest in the hope that I will see her again someday in the presence of our Lord. She was a testimony of what God could do with one who comes to know Him later in life. Please pray for my family as we deal with this loss. Our lives won’t be the same without her.

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:1