Baby Date

So I am getting SO excited to be a parent. I'm almost 17 weeks (tomorrow) and my stomach is growing. Not enough that I look pregnant, just look like I could lose a few pounds. I bought my first few items of maternity clothes, and I like it. I think I will love being pregnant. I haven't had the sickness that is always so dreaded, and I have really not had many "bad" side effects of pregnancy. I have a sore back most of the time, and nasal congestion. I will take it! Compared to what my poor sister went through her first twelve weeks, I will take it! Oh, and I'm crazy. Like really, emotionally crazy. It has to be the pregnant stuff, and Nick can attest to this, because on more than one occasion I have been laughing hysterically and then it turns into crying hysterically. Back and forth in the same minute. Funny, yet sad!

I also went out on a whim and bought some baby stuff. Girl stuff. Nick's mom bought a few things too. I hope its really a girl. Plus, I am really wanting to make a quilt, so I went to the fabric store last night and started looking at possible options. I saw the CUTEST fabric I have ever seen and knew I had to make something out of it. It is turquoise with white little figures on it, but they are old-fashioned kids like from a 1920's picture book. Adorable. I found a really cute dress pattern, and will be starting my project soon. If it turns out not to be a girl, Shenna, I hope yours is a girl so I can at least see it on some cute baby soon. Yes, my sister Shenna is expecting too, and is due about a week after me.

I have my next appointment on April 22 and will find out two weeks from then what we are having officially. When we went in at 14 weeks, the ultrasound tech told us she thought it looked like a girl. So, who knows!! It's what I have had the feeling of all along, and Nick has too.

The most exciting thing happened about a week and a half ago. It happened the next night too, but I felt a flutter in my stomach. Not gas. Not sickness. The baby! I felt it. It is in there, and now I know it for sure. We went swimming the next night at the gym and something about the water made it so I could feel it then too. It was so cool. Nick could feel tiny little movements in there too. I love it. I will love being a mother, and love what has been happening with my ever-changing body. I hope it's a good baby.

That's all for now!

A Love Letter

For my husband:

Nicholas James Walker, I love you. You make me the happiest girl in the world. I just want you to know that I think the world of you. You make me smile, laugh, and live the happiest life I ever could. I can not wait to become a parent with you. It is the most exciting/scary thing I have come across yet, but I know we will both do the best we can, and that you will be the best dad there ever was! We have so many adventures lying ahead for us that we have no idea about. I hope you are able to do graduate school this fall and do what you will love for a living. We would have so much fun moving to a state we've never lived in and making it our own. I have loved these past almost 11 months of our marriage, and look forward to a million more. I just wanted you to know that I love you!

XOXO
Linsey

UPDATES...

Wow, it's been awhile since I have been on here to give any updates. There have been way too many for me to remember, so I will just go with the main ones.

I have pictures from Valentine's Day but don't feel quite like putting any on. (Hey, its a miracle I'm actually writing on here) It was wonderful, as you can expect with a husband like mine. I was working, but woke up at 5:15 and on my way out the door, on the kitchen table, there was a lily plant, a box of chocolates, candy and a homemade card with a poem all for me. I came home from work and Nick had lasagna made with salad and bread and a fancy drink all set up. He is amazing!!! I love him more every day. I really do.

About four days after this, we had still been having problems with our heat (big surprise) and the guy was coming over at all hours of the night and morning to come and look at it without telling us. (we only knew when we heard him up in our attic. Awesome.) So I confronted the guy one morning and told him that he needed to have someone else come over to fix it or we were going to move out as this was about the eighth time it had broken in one month. He said he fixes them for a living and so it was much to his surprise that I had suggested someone else come fix it I guess. But seriously, who can't fix their own heating and air system if that's how they make a living? So he was upset with me, called me a nasty name, and left. I called Nick and told him the story and he called Reed up and exchanged a few words with him and we decided to move out. Especially since that night when we got home from work, the heat was still broken.
As you know, we are waiting to hear from schools. We didn't want to sign a contract anywhere because we don't know if and when we will be leaving. Nick's parents were nice enough to let us move into their basement for the time being. HUGE relief since in the few days we were packing up, the heat had gone down to about 50 and I was not about to see Reed's face again. So, we put most of our stuff in storage, and we have been here for about two weeks and are getting used to the pattern of Nick's new bus schedule, etc.

Next, as pretty much everyone knows now, I had my first pregnancy appointment in February. Everything is looking great, and it looks like we can expect our little baby September, 25. We are both so excited to be parents and look forward to meeting the little one. So far, we both think it is a little girl, but we will find out in about 6 weeks for sure! It is so cool going and seeing it on the ultrasound machine.

So...for now, those are our updates! Lots of changes, but super exciting!

The Birthday Boy

On January, 21st, my wonderful husband finally caught up to me in age for ten months and turned 23! Now, if you know Nick, this is a very special birthday for him because his favorite basketball player of all time is #23 Michael Jordan. I decided to do a basketball themed birthday for him. My husband is so special to me. I look forward to this day more than he does because it is a way for the day to be completely about him. (he actually doesn't care for it at all to be honest)

(On his birthday with makeshift decorations)

I really wanted to take him to a basketball game for his birthday, so we went the Saturday before and saw the Jazz play the Bucks. Jon and Karina went with us, but Jon got lucky and won tickets for the 6th row center court through his work! We bought the cheapest tickets we could find and were up in the upper bowl seating. Jon and Karina were so sweet, they let us switch tickets for the second half. And they were really sweet to buy us a really good dinner at Z-Tejas. he other really cool thing was that we made NBA.com. Yes, be so jealous. Jon sent this little picture to Nick because he saw that we were in the video clip. We are in the upper left corner. I am in pink and Nick has his hat on. The guys were bummed out because they went to see Brandon Jennings play, and his team lost big time. But we still had a fun time.

(Sorry, the picture of the clip didn't work!)

On his actual birthday, he wanted to have his parents and siblings over for dinner. It turned out to be Dave and Carol, and Jon and Karina. He chose the menu and we had BBQ ribs and Chicken Drumsticks. They were both done in the crockpot and were really easy. (Thanks Carolyn for the recipe!) We also did baked beans and mashed potatoes and his mom brought a really good fruit salad. I didn't plan anything special for the day since he was going to go to school, but last minute he ended up missing the last train to get him down there in time so it was a nice surprise to have him home and get to relax all day. He opened his present from my mom and I. We went in on some Celtics basketball shorts. He liked them! Especially with all the basketball he has been able to play lately.

This guy is the most wonderful guy there is! I kid you not! I have never known someone to treat a wife like he does me. This man is my best friend! He always helps around the house, cooks dinner, helps out others whenever he can, and is just genuinely sweet! I am so lucky to have him.

Everyone singing happy birthday!

Here he is blowing out his 23 candles on his strawberry rhubarb pie. It is his favorite. I had never had it and I can see why he loves it.

Nick with his mom

On Saturday, we met my mom and Charlie at the Cheesecake factory and they bought lunch for Nicks birthday. It was so fun, and really delicious!

To finish off the weekend, we went and saw a free movie through my work Extraordinary Measures. It was supposed to be Invictus, but it got changed last minute. It was a pretty good movie though. We rented a couple redbox movies and ordered in pizza for a good Saturday night.

I hope you had a good birthday this year, Nicho! I love you with all my heart. I am so lucky to have you, and I can't wait to start this new, exciting, and yes, scary chapter of our lives together! Happy Birthday, Babe! -wife

Frustrated

I am frustrated!

I came home from work today to my wonderful husband who was cooking fish and rice. Lately our power bill has been ridiculously expensive because the cottage has no insulation. So...today it was freezing in our house when I got home. I walked over to the thermostat and it was at 64. I turned it up to 70. An hour later, it still hadn't kicked on. I was getting a little nervous thinking it was broken. So, we changed the batteries in the thermostat, and nothing still.

We called our landlords. Our crazy, lazy, strange landlords. The woman, Bonnie, answers. I tell her my name, and first off, she doesn't remember who I am. We have been here for 9 months and she doesn't even know my name. Thats the first awesome thing. I tell her our furnace is not working and that it is freezing in our place. Her response is, "I will have to call you back." So, she calls us back a couple minutes later and Nick answers. She gets way too confused and Nick states that it is okay to talk to him. She tells us to turn it off and wait and then turn it back on. As Nick is talking, she hangs up. We waited about half an hour and had no luck.

In the mean time, Nick heats up our rice heating pads for me and I sit on the couch. Even the couch cushions are cold through my clothes. I pretty much throw a fit having to use the bathroom and sit on the toilet. It seriously felt like I was sitting on ice cubes.

So, I called Bonnie back, and I told her it didn't work. Her only response once again was, "We will have to call you back." Fifteen minutes passed...then a half hour, then forty-five minutes. I told Nick I would call her in another fifteen. We planned on going to his parents if they couldn't fix it tonight. We planned on leaving at 8. At ten til 8 right as I was about to call her, furious that she hadn't returned my call, Bonnie's lovely partner, Reed, showed up at our front door. Not a call, or any warning that he was coming. (Now if you remember, I made a post about Reed back in July that pretty much explained my feelings towards him. All in all, I can't stand him.) He barged in our house and walked straight to the thermostat. I felt like a mom, scolding her young child as I quickly started getting after him. "I was waiting for you guys to call back. I didn't know you were even coming." He didn't even speak a word to me.

He is now in our attic "fixing" the thermostat. He told Nick, "Oh! This is more complicated then I thought." I am freezing on the couch with sweats, slippers, a blanket, two heating pads, and numb fingers. My nose is running because it is freezing to the touch. He just shut the attic door, and I won't be surprised if he drives away, without fixing it, and without another word.

My dear sweet husband always tries to help by talking to them for me, since he knows I will be vicious, but I always want to get a word in. So, for now I will sit cold on my couch, frustrated, trying to warm my fingers under the computer.

Twenty Ten

For our New Year, we celebrated by painting pictures of each other blind folded. If you look really closely (or maybe if you look really far away with eyes squinted) we sort of resemble ourselves.

This is Nick. I think I made him resemble Homer Simpson.

This is me. I look mentally handicapped.

Then we painted out our Family Goals for the year.

We also watched a couple of movies, and it resulted in me falling asleep around 11. I suck. But in my defense I did have work the next morning at 6.

Welcome 2010

Things we hope will happen this year:

Nick will get into graduate school

We will move in the fall

We will both be healthier and have smokin' bodies by the summer

I can keep the house clean and spider free

The last one, um, definitely difficult, but its a new year, and I will die trying. Wish me luck and bring on the new year!

Holiday Happenings

We are so lucky to be living close to both sides of family. Especially since we were able to spend our Christmas with them. Since we were going to be with other family on the 25th, we celebrated our own Christmas at the Cottage on the 22nd.

We bought our tree one night, thinking it would easily fit sticking out of the trunk of the car. After much struggle, this is what we ended up with. It stuck out a foot through each back window. We both had to have our seats jammed into the dash. Not recommended. I think we will figure out something a little different for transportation of next years tree.

Here it is all decorated! I loved having a real tree. There is something about having one that just makes Christmas better.

On Christmas Eve Day, we went sledding over by Rob and Amy's house. It was freezing, but it was tons of fun.

Jared, Nick, Jon and Karina

Nick with his Mom, just before singing tons of Christmas Carols

See how he just fits on my lap so nicely? He thinks he does anyway.

Opening presents Christmas morning

Carolyn, Erica, Karina, Jon and Jared

Making a delicious Christmas Lunch!

Nick and Jared

Our Christmas Photo

Overall, we really enjoyed our first Christmas together. I was supposed to work Christmas day, but a little Christmas miracle came along and the night before, someone called me and told me I wasn't needed.

We went down to my mom and Charlie's house in the afternoon and had a great dinner there and stayed the night. (I forgot to take any pictures there.) We saw Sherlock Holmes (awesome movie) and enjoyed our time there. Thanks to all our family for making it a perfect Christmas.