Furniture and Birthdays

This week was filled with unpacking the baby's furniture and Birthdays. Our good friends, Sherie and Kevin, lent us a hand on Sunday and helped us pick up the furniture we ordered back in January. Kevin also got to help with the lifting portion of the job! A very big THANKS goes out to them!  I never knew that 3 pieces of furniture could have so much packaging! We have cardboard and Styrofoam coming out of our ears! Here are a few pictures of what it looks like all set up in Baby Crawley's Room:

The other big thing this week was birthdays! My cousin Tracy had her baby boy, Braydon, on Tuesday evening! He was 7 lbs 7oz and 20 3/4 in long!!! I can't wait to meet him in March. Unfortunately Jason will not be able to go with me due to the upcoming PE exam. Next was Jason's birthday on Wednesday, the 23rd. After a bit of a birthday cake fiasco, he ended up having a really good birthday! We went to dinner at Buca di Beppo with Matt, Courtney, and Addison to celebrate. He got a stand to hold up his bikes while working on them and various tools for his bikes (picture to follow). Lastly, my best friend Mallory's son's 6th birthday was on Thursday the 24th. I have been struggling with the idea that he is already 6. I can't believe how fast time has gone! I'm sure that for her it seems like it has gone even faster! It is neat to see how he is growing up and how smart and handsome he is! Here is a picture of Jason's bike stand:

We are looking forward to this upcoming weekend. My parents will be in town for a short visit. I think we will try to celebrate both Jason's and My birthdays while they are here. I will leave you with a belly shot! 

Here is Week 18:

Have a splendid week!
~R

It's A.....

The cold weather is out and this past week we have been in the 70's and 80's every day! Monday was Valentines day, but we did not really do much for it. We did have a doctor's appointment on that day and she said that I am still looking great and everything is going well. Baby Crawley's heart beat was at 149 bpm, right in the middle of the range of 140-160 (this is where it should be).

Our week was rather uneventful up until today. We went to Stork Vision in Frisco to get an early sonogram to determine the gender of our baby. They recommend that you have a full bladder and drink something cold and sugary before coming. I made sure to do both, but was quite uncomfortable by the time we got in for our sneak peak. They were running a little behind, but it was well worth the wait! It was a really neat because they have couches set up and a flat screen TV so that lots of family can come and see the sonogram! I'm sure we will be going back for the 3D/4D one, so maybe we can bring some more people with us then! Ok, Ok, now for the news....at first glimpse, the sonographer was only 90% sure, but after catching another angle, she said she would go buy pink if it were her! So, we will be having a little baby girl and could not be happier! Here are the latest pictures of her:

 This next one will not look like much, but to the sonographer, it told her that it is a girl!

In this last one you can see a good image of her spine and arm:

We are now at 17 weeks! Here is the latest Belly Photo:

Have an awesome week!

~R

Back to Work

It was almost a full week back for me this past week. We ended up getting so bad weather roll in and I did not have to go in to work on Wednesday. Thankfully we did not get near the bad weather that Amarillo did, but it was enough to scare the metroplex in to having another ice day. By Friday it was starting to warm up and today we have had some absolutely beautiful weather. Unfortunately due to the recent moisture, Jason was not able to get out on the trails to take advantage of the nice weather and mountain bike. They close them down when they are too muddy so that it does not tear up the trails.

I was able to get out this morning with my running group and we logged another 10 miles in the book. I am so thankful that I am feeling so well and still able to run as much as I am! I finally had to make a trip to the maternity clothing store yesterday. My pants are starting to get a little uncomfortable, so I figured it was time get some new pants.

We have a doctors appointment tomorrow for a check up. I am at 16 weeks (as of this last Thursday), so we will just be hearing the heart beat and she will make sure I am still feeling well. On Saturday the 19th, we will be going to a place called Stork Vision. There, you can get a sonogram as early as 16 weeks to find out the gender of the baby. Depending on how that goes (how clear it is, how certain they are, etc.) we may be sharing some more big news on here next week! We will have another sonogram in March at the doctor's office, so we will use that as reassurance as to what they say at Stork Vision! Hopefully they say the same thing....

Well that's about it for this last week. It will be hard having to work an entire week...just kidding! Here is my 16 week belly photo! A guy at my work suggested taking all my pictures in the same shirt, so I will try to remember to take them in this one. It says "Coming this Summer"

Have a fabulous week!

~R

Reflecting on Memories

Hey folks,

It's Jason checking in again. I've had a chance to do a little reflecting since my last post.  Work has been a bit intense recently and I find that my commute is often my best opportunity to allow my thoughts to slow down and catch up our pending life changes.  I've been thinking about fond memories of the past and about how my perception in looking back has somehow skewed.  My brain almost seems to filter out the "bad" and focus on the "good."  Example, when I was younger (maybe seven?), I recall having a terrible ear infection and going to breakfast with my Mom, Meme and Grandpa.  I remember the background discussions in the restaurant feeling like an unrelenting, brain pounding roar.  At the time, Michael Jordan tennis shoes were the must-have fad and I'd pester my poor mother on a daily basis to get a pair.  I guess Grandpa felt sorry for me that day, but he took me out to the mall after breakfast and bought me my first pair of Michael Jordan tennis shoes.  I absolutely loved those tennis shoes and to this day, a little smile will creep up when I see Michael Jordan tennis shoes in the mall.  Anyhow, I find myself reflecting on is the fond memory of the shoes, not how terrible I felt that day.

Not only do I seem to filter out the bad, but my good memories seem to get better with time.  Example, I once went on a weekend adventure with my Dad to climb "the thumb" in the Sandia's just outside of Albuquerque. I was in about the 7th or 8th grade.  I initially couldn't fully appreciate the trip for what it was.  In looking back, it wasn't just the adventure of the climb, but more importantly the car ride to/from that I have come to cherish.  We enjoyed good conversations and we must have listened to Pink Floyd's, The Wall at least three times over.  When I hear Pink Floyd, I still think of the good times and the developmental discussions that helped shape me as the person I am today.

In applying this sort of reflective logic to the present, I must remember to take advantage of those little moments and times that will soon become treasured memories.  Like the moment when Rachel and I shared our great news with our parents.  Amidst all the excitement, I captured a mental image of pure, unadulterated joy on my Dad's face. It was an image of a proud father filled with emotions that I can't fully appreciate. I'm sure that in time, as I experience fatherhood, I will continue to look back on the moment with increasing appreciation.

With all that said, I've picked up a new album that I've been listening to on my way to/from work.  There is a song on the album with a line that has really stuck with me.  The artist is Mumford and Sons and I would describe their work as haunting, Irish folk rock.  Good stuff if you get a chance to listen.  Anyhow, the line from the song, Winter Winds states:

We'll be washed and buried one day my girl
And the time we're given with be left for the world
The flesh that lived and loved will be eaten by plague
So let the memories be good for those who stay

Sounds a little morbid in writing, but when I hear that passage, I can't help but become overjoyed with the thought of future memories of not only Rachel and I, but "Jr" too.

Snowed in...

This past week has been quite out of the norm for Dallas/Fort Worth. We temperatures last weekend in the 80's then by early Tuesday they were below freezing and rain followed by ice/snow moved in. The entire Metroplex pretty much shut down. Temperatures never got above freezing until Saturday Morning. Jason was much braver than I was as he was able to venture into the office every day. At my office, it is a bit more relaxed and they said to not risk it. Something about me being pregnant played into it as well as it is just not worth the risk of wrecking your car to be present in the office. The first day it was nice just laying around the house and remoting into my work computer every once in a while. The second day I had to get out of the house, so I ventured to the grocery store. My pregnancy brain took full effect as I forgot one of the main ingredients in what I was going to make (I was able to come up with a creative solution though). The third day was just down right boring but we were able to get out for dinner. I was hoping to go in on Friday, but over night we ended up getting another 6 inches of snow, making the roads even worse. At this point I had searched every website I could think of as well as watch about all I could of day time television, so it was time to get creative.... I channeled my inner "LuAnn" and decided to get crafty! Many of you have seen or been the recipients of one of my signs, but I had not yet made one for the newest member of the Kime family. No, not Jr. Crawley...but rather my cousin Tracy's baby boy to be, Braydon. He is expected to make his appearance in early March  so that got me thinking of ideas for a sign for him. While looking at pictures of the nursery, I came up with the perfect idea. Rather than describe it, I will just show you (I couldn't wait and surprise her, so it's no secret!):

I think Sammy has enjoyed me being home with him this past week. I don't think I disrupted his sleeping schedule too much! Last night he was cuddling up with me and had a very funny face going on. Jason was able to capture it so I wanted to share with everyone. When we were done taking pictures, I touched his tongue and it was completely dried out! Funny cat...

Last, but certainly not least, here is the latest pregnancy photo. This was the first time since Monday that I would say I had on "real" clothes. My wardrobe had consisted mainly of pajama pants/sweatpants and sweatshirts! Here I am at 15 weeks:

Hopefully this coming week will be much nicer. I am actually looking forward to getting back to work! Have a wonderful week!