Soon is a relative word

So when I said that belly pictures were coming soon, I meant that they might arrive on the blog before the announcement that Pinto was born.

Without further ado, here is my just barely showing belly at 19 weeks. Most people at work still don't really believe me that I'm pregnant =)

Ledo Pizza (aka manna from heaven)

It wasn't long after Greg and I started dating that I found out about his certain obsession with a nothern pizza company - Ledo Pizza. Any time he and his family were in close proximity (say, 30 miles . . . ) to a Ledo they would not only feast there but also bring home several 1/2 baked pizzas to freeze and enjoy later. Oh and Greg and his friend Dave (who also has northern roots) would always call to rub it in that they were eating Ledo Pizza and the other was not.

Now, I love pizza. I mean really, really love pizza. I could probalby eat it for every meal of every day for a month and not get tired of it. But I must admit, I haven't fallen in love with Ledo Pizza. As much as Greg explains to me that the combination of thin, almost pastry like crust and thick slice pepperoni on every square piece of pizza is as if this pizza was sent down from heaven just for him, I just can't get attached.

But, I do love my husband like he was sent down from heaven just for me; so when Mom and I passed a new Ledo Pizza location on our way home from Fairfax, VA, we pulled in for a 1/2 baked.My husband was a happy man =)

2 weeks

In 2 weeks we will *hopefully* find out if we're having a boy (Zachary Thomas) or a girl (Aubrey Grey). I've been told by my doctors that Pinto here (see the original ultrasound picture here to understand why this nickname) is really quite active and the movement that I've begun to feel confirms that. We don't have any fears about not getting a money shot =)

We've had these names picked out for a long time . . . I heard the name Aubrey in a movie at some point during college and just loved it. I'm not sure at what point I paired it with Grey, but Greg fell in love with the name and we've never really seriously considered another name for our first girl. Aubrey is historically a boy's name, but recently has begun to be used for girls, too. After falling in love with it, we realized that it's a family name of some of our dearest friends, so that makes it all the more special to us!

Zachary Thomas was a little more difficult to decide upon. It's a tradition in Greg's family for a son (in Greg's case, the only son) to have his mother's maiden name as his middle name. Thus Carol "used-to-be-Clark" Ross gave birth to Gregory Clark. Now, sorry Dad and Grandpa, but we decided that Baumgartner was just not middle name material. So we've replaced my maiden name with a family name instead. Thomas is my dad's middle name and his dad's first name. And much easier to spell than Baumgartner. We looked through lists and lists and lists to find a strong first name that matched up nicely with Thomas and finally decided upon Zachary which means "God has remembered".

I can hardly wait to name this baby in 2 weeks!

PS - cast a vote on our poll and let us know what you think . . . boy or girl?

PPS - belly pictures coming soon . . . I've finally started showing!

(The) Biltmore Estate

For Valentine's Day we went to Biltmore Estate with the Hawkins. Notice how I made an intentional point of not calling it THE Biltmore Estate, because as Evan spoke to us for about 10 minutes on our way off the estate, the signage and and staff call it simply Biltmore. Not The Biltmore. See I was listening.

We had a great time with them, as always. I didn't get too many pictures because you can't take pictures inside the house and it was pretty cold so we didn't hang outside for too long.

The real reason we all spent Valentine's together . . .

The wine library . . .

We'll be headed back to Biltmore several more times this year, making the most of our passes. I'm really looking forward to the visit where I can finally sample some of their wine. I smelled everything Leah and Greg tasted, but it's just not the same. They do, however, make some amazing grape juice.

February 15th

Today is my best friend's birthday.

Today was also the due date for the pregnancy we lost last summer.

I had many plans for today when I first found out the due date. Today likely would have been spent wishing that the baby would come so that it could share its birthday with Aunt Leah. It probably would have ended with me still pregnant wondering when exactly I would give birth.

But God had other plans for that little life. And my life, too.

I was very aware of the date coming this whole last week and especially as I woke up this morning. On one hand I miss and grieve the child I'll never know until heaven; but on the other hand I know that the child I'm carrying now, the one, Lord willing, I'll get to meet in a few short months, would not be here otherwise. It's a confusing set of emotions.

I don't have any summary thoughts nor a "now I completely understand why" statement. Just an encouragement to share that brought my focus back this morning during church.

May the words of this hymn encourage you as well:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Kittens, Inspired by Kittens

This isn't anyone that I know, but it could have been me . . . or either of my sisters . . . don't think you're above this, Michelle.

There are so many things that I would love to blog about today, but I'm already late in getting ready to leave for work (I don't think I posted about that either, but I'm working for H&R Block through tax season). Sorry I haven't been keeping the blog updated . . . We've really been in survivor mode around here and when it comes down to spending 30 minutes cleaning the bathroom or 30 minutes blogging, well, honestly, I choose neither and usually end up falling asleep on the couch. So, yes, life has been interesting for 2 people that are typically obsessed with having a spotless house. Dishes have accumulated in our sink for a couple of days at a time and we've been reaching back to the farthest corner of the closet for clean clothes (most of which should have remained in the far recesses). But I must admitt that although on first glance the past 3 months have not looked that appealing, Greg and I have been learning so much about each other and that makes all the sickness nearly worth it (and then the thought of a healthy baby in July and makes all the rest ok, too). We've learned even more how to work like a team (which I didn't know was possible) and have seen our own self-sufficiency revealed and *hopefully* are dealing with that sin in a way that will bear much fruit for the future. I would love to look back on this time of my life and see that I grew in trusting in the Lord and relying on Him to get through everyday.

The "all-day sickness" is beginning to lift and I've upgraded myself from constantly nauseous to constantly queasy. I'm hoping that this is the evidence of an upward trend and that I'll be back to my old self in no time at all. Well, as much as my old self as a pregnant woman can expect to be =)

We've got some fun plans in the work over the next few weeks . . . hopefully there will be pictures to put up and some more interesting posts to read!