36 week Daniel…

This picture is from Babycenter.com.

This is what Daniel looks like positionally this week. It is confirmed that his head is down. He is almost 6 pounds this week. (I tend to think maybe a little less)

I am up to a 12 pound weight gain. My next appointment is Monday, and from there I will be visiting Dr. Kelly every week until his arrival. Dennis and I are starting to think he will come early. I am not sure if it is just hopeful wishful thinking, but I can definitely detect some changes in my body. His movement has picked up a little. I heard that it would slow. It could be that he is just so much bigger, I feel him easier.

Christmas craziness is upon us, and I will be updating about that soon. Dennis' mom and pop will be here in an hour. :)

In Preparation

 

In preparation for the arrival of Daniel, we have had to make so many shifts of clutter in our house. It went from the addition to the office, to the office to the baby room, from the baby room to the dining room and office again. Now, we are eliminating all clutter, mess, boxes, bags, everything. :) I am so happy. I am so thankful it takes 9 months (10, really, but oh well) for a baby to bake or else he would have been born in utter chaos. After pictures to follow hopefully really soon.

Christmas is in full swing here, I am just not in the swing yet. . . . maybe tomorrow.

 

    

Back to the basics

 

I realized since revamping the blog that I have stopped taking pictures of random, daily life things. That used to be what made up the blog. Pictures of our church activities, weird things I saw driving here or there, or just people. (Or tables with chairs, ;)……So, since photography season is over, I am going to bring out my camera again, FOR FUN, and start recording life through MY EYES again, FOR ME. :) I am excited. Hope you are! :)

The Journal

 

 

I mentioned in a post earlier on when we first found out that we were having a baby that I would be keeping a journal.

I have written in Daniel's journal every so often. This journal was designed to talk to him and capture snippets of his life. It was not meant to be like a 20 year long letter, but I am finding that is what is sort of happening. I have only written inside maybe 3 or 4 times. I am not really sure what he will want to know about our journey together when he is older, but I am going to continue to write to him anyway.

It could be for his wife. . . who knows! :) I do know this, my mind set in raising him is that he will be a man accountable to God. He will be accountable to how he picks and treats his wife, and how he raises and leads his family. We are having a baby, yes, but we are raising a man. We will discipline and love and nurture and guide as such. I have always thought that having a child would be like an adult version of playing house and taking care of my "doll." No, this is much more. We will be responsible for so much, and the journey is going to begin at birth.

I pray that God be glorified in the way that we love and train this child.

The last days of the Maggi TWO

It has recently hit me (like a ton of bricks) that after 4 more weeks, the TWO of us will become THREE and it will never be just us TWO again. I have been reflecting on the past 8 years of our relationship (5 years of it married) So, to reflect, celebrate, and to close this chapter of our lives, I invite you to take a look at some pictures from our past.

 

This picture (above) was taken at Mabry Mill on our first anniversary. (2006)

 

(above) is at my Virginia Western CC graduation (2007)

 

(above) is a photo of us at Niagara Falls (before married, 2004)

 

Same (Niagara Falls)

 

Grand Canyon (Nov 2004)

This was the night that we brought our cat home, Allie. (who is no longer with us)

 

This was our 2nd anniversary. (2007) We took a drive around…

  

This (above) was taken for our 3rd anniversary. We were at the Clifton Forge Fall Festival.

 

Christmas Concert at WSBC taken in 2008.

This was taken in 2004 for my HIGH school graduation. 

This was taken the day after we got married.   

same, the day after we were married.

 

We used the above picture in the paper to announce our engagement. :) Below was taken the same day. (We were at Niagara Falls)

The below pictures were taken in Maine in 2004. :) We had a great time traveling the country together.     

Picture below was taken in Naples, Florida in 2004. We went on a dinner mini cruise.

This picture was taken on top of the Empire State building in NYC July 16, 2004. He proposed to me up there.   

below was "nap time" in Niagara Falls.  

Dennis and I visited the Precious Moments headquarters, and we took this photo there. We were fighting that morning, I remember. I am not sure what state we were in that particular week.  

below is a Christmas photo from say, 2003?!?! I cannot remember, I do not think I was out of high school.

 

The below picture was taken in Georgia as a result of a detour I requested coming back home from Florida to see his folks. It made me happy to be near water.

We were working when this picture was snapped. We enjoyed our time together. . .  2004 

We went to the top of the mountain in San Francisco that overlooked the Golden Gate bridge. We snapped a photo there.

Night before we were married. . .. 

Of course, our wedding day.     

These two pictures were taken at Christmas time….. either last year, or the year before. . . I am having trouble remembering.  I am THINKING two years ago..  

As you can see, after we got married, we stopped taking so many pictures together. We have enjoyed our time together. . and even though I know the chapter of just us two is ending, I am so sure that we will love our little boy and any other children to come, that it will just add to the romance…Or, well, so I hope. :)

We love you guys for reading our blog of our life together, and hope that things get even more interesting to read when Daniel arrives in a few SHORT SHORT weeks. :)

Love to you all.

Merry Christmas- -

and a happy new chapter to you as well. :)

Shannon

Final Baby Room Photos (or maybe…)

So, I wanted to record the VERY FIRST load of baby clothes that I will ever do. I think this is the beginning of a very LONG road for me, but hey, we all have to start somewhere, ya know?!? :)

 

Dennis was a champ and put together the book case for Daniel's room after a long hard days work. :) HE is such the helpful little dad already.   

The bedding is all in. Here are a few photos showing the detail of the bedding. I love it, and I think it looks so good with the crib color that we chose.     

This is the dresser that we had in OUR bedroom. It is an older set, but it matches. My goal was to save up enough money to get him another one, but it just did not work out. Oh well. :)

   

This is the best picture I can get of the room, but you still cannot see everything. (Like the nursing chair, and the closet. . )

 

Dennis put together this mobile. It does not look that good from the door because the crib bars slope down, which causes the mobile to not reach far enough into the crib, but I refuse to have a crib with no mobile. Hopefully Daniel will enjoy listening to it even if he cannot fully enjoy watching it go in a circle above his head. :) 

I took a few photos of some of his drawers. I washed every little detail and put it away, and I cannot guarantee that it will ever look neat again, so here ya have it.

Bibs 

Socks (and excuse the photography, I am currently OFF duty until the end of March- let's call this my "maternity leave")   

his closet- - - we have PLENTY of clothes- :) Thanks to all of you!

And plenty of diapers, and these are ONLY size 1, we have MORE in the bathroom stashed away….  

And the baby bag…….

Take a peek inside…….

and some cute little shoes……  

photo albums I cannot wait to fill up! :) 

Pants- -   

His changing table. . . 

I think this will probably do it for baby room pictures. . . I THINK. :) Now…….

I am busy around the house trying to de-clutter the rest. The dining room still has a lot of things of Dennis' to be brought out to the garage, the office is a disaster- - but most of it has to be brought out to the garage or put up in the attic. Obviously, I cannot do all of that on my own, so I am waiting on a day to knock all of this out with Dennis' help. But no worries, I have been keeping him busy each evening (until 11pm) with little chores to do. :)

I feel like the beginnings of nesting are starting to happen. I am ANNOYED at things that I NEVER cared about before.

For example. . . . I cleaned the actual laundry detergent bottles in our laundry room. They looked dirty to me, so I wiped them ALL down. Even the BOX of Gain detergent. (WEIRD) . . and the simple sight of Dennis sitting down sends me into crazy woman land. :) I KNOW that he is tired, but, I NEED things done, lol.

Well, thanks for checking in. I have a feeling I will be writing more about this nesting phenomenon. It will be either because I have driven my husband to crazy MAN land because I won't let him have a break, or it will be because we have a spotless house and that is worth writing about!!!! :)