Bear Hug Student and a Birthday

I mentioned that my family made the trip to Manhattan this weekend. It just so happened that my precious Daddy celebrated his big 61st on Thursday the 18th. Their trip was a great excuse to celebrate his big birthday. Excuse the hormonal moment, but I think it is rather important to take a moment to explain just how precious those birthdays are to me. Just 4 short years ago, cancer almost took my Daddy from us. I am so thankful he is here and mostly healthy...and celebrating 61 years alive!

Friday night I took the family to The Little Grill. This is a local place, owned by a Jamaican man. The food is really good and the atmosphere is even better...especially on Friday nights when the owner picks up his guitar and sings. He plays classics from Van Morrison, Elvis, Bob Dillon and others. To much protest from my nay-saying mother, we headed out for dinner to this little Manhattan secret. I think she thought I was taking us to some one's backyard in the middle of nowhere. And guess what....Everyone had a great time! Occasionally I do pull through, Mother.

After enjoying good food, great company and fantastic music...I asked our entertainer to sing "Happy Birthday" to my sweet Daddy. The host promptly ordered a shot of Hennessy for the birthday man...and Daddy took it like champ! It was hilarious! Mom kept asking "What is Hennessy anyway?"

Our singer even sang "Brown Eyed Girl" to the girls. When we left, everyone had a huge smile on their face and swore we would be back soon. The best part was that we felt like we had been on a mini vacation to the islands despite the outside freeze. PS, it snowed on Saturday. I snapped a few photos to remember the evening. We came home and enjoyed carrot cake and presents. It was a perfect evening!

Prior to our big celebration, I made a trip to the kids' school. Savannah Kay was the "Bear Hug Student" this week. This means she took home the class bear and needed to send back pictures of herself and some forms that shared all about her. In addition to hosting Ted E. Bear for the night...she could invite a parent or visitor to come and read to the class. I made the trek to the school (20 miles outside of town) to read a couple of books to her class (just like a good Mommy should). I think they really enjoyed my visit. I read We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Don't Be Silly Mrs. Millie. Both are really cute little books. My sister Rachel came along and documented the occasion for us. Thanks little sister! Hooray for our little Bear Hug Student!

Baby updates...

27 weeks 5 days

The last couple of weeks have been filled with a wealth of baby activities for me. I have been working on the nursery for the last few days. I received my baby bedding and am so thrilled with how it looks. The bedding was made by Kimberly Grant and is called Zoom Zoom. It was even cuter in person than what I picked online. I also painted the pictures you see on canvas. I saw some online and decided I could make them myself...and so I did! I am pleased with how they turned out. I still need several things...baby changing pad, diaper caddy...things of this nature, but I hope to get some of those goodies at my shower.

By the way, my sweet sister has stepped up to plan my shower for this little guy. I will be having a shower on Saturday, March 27th at 2:00 pm. I am so excited!

I have also been to the doctor again. I will be 29 weeks pregnant on Monday, February 22nd. For those of you who may not know, this little guy is attached to a two vessel isolated chord. Basically, the umbilical chord only has two vessels instead of three. My doctor does not seem concerned, but this can cause low birth weight, so I will be having a sonogram each visit to make sure our little guy is swimming in enough fluid and growing strong. My Momma, Daddy and baby sister came to visit this weekend...and were there to see our little hero on video. Baby Mason is now 2 lbs 10 oz. He is in the 54th percentile in growth...which is good. He had healthy blood flow coming through the chord and a strong little heart rate. I was shocked to know they could tell all this from the sonogram. I am scheduled for another showing March 12th. This means I am now down to the two week appointments for a couple of times and then I will start my weekly visits before having the c-section. I have just 9 short weeks left!

I have attached some baby photos for you to see our little man. The pictures will show fewer and fewer details as he and I run out of room for him! So, enjoy these while you can. By the way, we did prove once more that he is indeed a little boy. This baby was face down with his legs spread out like a little frog. Obviously he is not a modest little fella!

Jeremy was able to call in on Friday just before the sonogram. I was pleasantly surprised to hear his voice. He has been doing a lot of travelling in the last week, and I had not heard his voice in a while! He was still not back to his original destination, but being the super dad that he is, he made it his mission to find a phone and check in. Please continue to pray for his safety as he moves around in country. Hopefully he will return to a solid internet connection in his room. We have yet to webcam since his internet options are rather limited and the connection in his room has yet to work. This is why he has not been able to update his blog or facebook with friends. Just keep checking in and hopefully he will be up and running soon.

I suppose that is all for now. More soon!

A Quickie

Mom is in town for a super-d-duper visit. Praise the Lord for a Momma close by! Savannah Kay has been sick with cough and fever for three days. It snowed 2 inches this morning. I have a clean house and fresh linens on all the beds. The last of the baby bedding shipment arrived today. We have curtains! I registered at Hey Baby and Target. Bek has an Honor Choir performance tomorrow, and amidst the chaos this lifted my spirits...

Mom: "Papa is out of town right now. He's going to be gone for two weeks and that is a long time."

S.K.: *raised eyebrows and lifted shoulders "Weeellll, that is not as long as MY Dad."

True...so true! We win! What do you have to say now Grandmommy?

Babies and sweethearts

Why is it that I must have a hormone overdose when life is the most hectic? I have to sit laughing now, just because this is my latest version of crazy. If I'm not laughing I'm crying. I swear, how in the world I'll get through this pregnancy is a mystery.

I did have a super doctor's visit this week. We will be introducing little Mason Todd Welch on May 6th, rain or shine! My precious sweety pie worked his Iraq schedule to call precisely at appointment time. Might I add that is was particularly admirable because of the 9 hour time difference...making his call around 11:15 pm in the desert. He said that little heartbeat was the heartbeat of a hero! The miles may separate us, but we are determined to make this as much of a joint venture as possible. After we disconnected I just bawled to my sweet doctor. Then I was fuming mad that I had entered the zone of hormonal looniness. Sheesh. I am such a baby. I will say that my doctor did remind me that doing it all provokes tears in even the strongest of women. However, I am NOT a cryer. Someone should tell my hormones this.

I am now 25.5 weeks pregnant, and beginning to feel it. I was thrilled to learn that although I feel like I have gained a million lbs. I had only put on 6! There is hope that I will not weigh as much as an elephant upon delivery.

I am receiving my crib tomorrow, which makes this baby officially official. He will even have a place to sleep. My bedding should be coming in this week too. So it seems I will be nesting for the next few weeks.

The girls seem to be doing well. We are as busy as ever. Bekah is in honor choir at school, which makes for an even busier week. She has also started gymnastics, and is moving right up through the levels. Savannah Kay is just as hilarious as ever. She has decided she needs to do gymnastics too. I suggested she ask for this for her birthday...in April. Are you noticing the repitition. I am still not sure I can add one more thing to my weekly agenda.

Which leads me to my next announcement. I will no longer be teaching, while simultaneously directing, while walking the tight rope with baby in hand. Just joking. But I really have stepped down from teaching to direct. I think the best thing for me to do right now is to take a load off and get through this delivery. Especially since I am still trying to finish my Marketing degree in the midst of all the other things I am doing. What in the world was I thinking?!

Jeremy seems to be doing well. He has sent us a DVD of himself reading to the kids. The Army has a program called United Through Reading, where soldiers pick books, read them on video, and mail book and video to the kids. Technology is so great! He has officially moved in with our friend and his coworker, Joe. I pray that they remain friends since this means lots of togetherness. I had hoped and still hope there is a chance he will end up with his own room sometime in the deployment. Better yet, perhaps he'll just come home!

Well, my bed is calling and I have another long day ahead of me tomorrow. Nightie night!

Wordless Wednesday...

All in a days work...

I must say that as the days drag on, I am trying to find my way in the madness. How can you live when half of you is a world away? I am no newbie to the life of a single mother while Daddy is away at work, but this is time it is killer. I am well aware that part of the reason for this is the fact that I am one walking ball of Estrogen, but can't a girl get a break?!

Today Bekah was tested for placement at the local gym. She is officially back in gymnastics and begins next week. This was her birthday present from Mommy and Daddy. Savannah Kay thinks she needs to be in class too. I reminded her that her birthday was in April. I am easing myself into new activities since I seem to be overbooked as it is.

This afternoon I did some baby shopping. My most precious friend in all the world is having her first baby in February and I was responsible for finishing up the Butts family shopping for the shower this weekend. I will confess that I picked up a few things blue while I was there. This is the first time I have purchased anything for this new little one. I wrote Jerm an email tonight and confessed that this was the first time that I felt our little baby was now a little addition to our family and not just an event occurring on May 6th.

Jerm woke us this morning with a call from overseas. He is in Kuwait and preparing for his permanent move to Basra. I just know that I can't wait for him to get settled so we can Skype!

His phone call set the tone for a magnificent day. I even received a little delivery to complete the perfect antidote for a lonely day. It's not easy being married to the perfect man...but I'll just have to hang in there! I love that fella!

By the way...Welch baby three is officially Mason Todd Welch. Daddy is Jeremy Todd. I hope he is just like his Daddy!

A new year...

As one can see, I have not been very committed to my blogging in the last 9 months, but those of you who have remained in contact with me know just how insane my life has been. For those of you that are not in on the latest Welch madness, I will try to give you a quick rundown before I proceed like business as usual.

June - I was officially hired as Director for the brand new UCC Preschool Academy at our church. I spent the remainder for the summer wearing many hats to complete the Kansas State Licensing process and get the school ready for the children that would start in the fall.

July - I continued my break-neck speed to get the preschool ready to go and began solidifying teachers and students lists.

-We embarked on the single greatest vacation any of the Welch family members had ever participated in...we went to Disney World! It was everything we dreamed and more!

August - We sent the kids off to school. Bekah started 5th grade and Savannah Kay started Kindergarten. Jeremy had a little procedure and we embraced the fact that our child bearing days were at an end.

September - I started the school year at the preschool and was now titled Lead Teacher for 3-4 year olds as well as Director. SEPTEMBER 12th...we discover we are no longer finished bearing children, for I WAS PREGNANT?!

October - Jeremy left for an 8 week school in Arizona. The kids were Red Riding Hood and

Granny Wolf for Halloween.(Thank you Grandma Dorothy!) We heard Welch baby #3's heartbeat for the first time.

November - Jeremy spent his 31st bday in Arizona at school. I prepared for Thanksgiving Feast at preschool and Kindergarten. We made a trip to Hutchinson to have family Thanksgiving and Jerm returned the night before! We celebrated Jerm's birthday on Thanksgiving day!

December - We witnessed our first major snow and school cancellation of the winter season. We received news that Jeremy's dad's cancer had grown needing immediate attention and treatment. We attended Bekah's first band concert. She was the best clarinet player in the group! We discovered baby #3 was a BOY! We celebrated Christmas in Texas and in Hutch.

January - We celebrated the New Year as a family in our home...making plans for 2011 when Jerm would return home from deployment. We celebrated our 9th anniversary. We had another super snow storm that cancelled school again. Bekah turned 11 and Jeremy left us here while he began his year long deployment to Iraq.

He has been gone just 24 short hours and it feels like an eternity. His new blog has inspired me to take up my duty as blog writer and share my thoughts with you, dear readers. Please check it out to keep up with him while he's so far away! http://www.jermfam1.blogspot.com/

As I conclude, I will say that any responses out there are so coveted. If you read this, let me know! If you have words of wisdom or encouragement, I could sure use them. My prayer is that 2010 flies by. After all, each sunset brings me closer to 2011 and the return of my soul and other half. I miss you my love! Hurry home to us!