Happy Holidays from North Cackalac

In a whirlwind of games, wrapping paper, and laughter, Ashley, Baby Jacob and I experienced our first christmas with a little one on the way. Ashley got cloth diapers, I got a book on Fathering, and Jacob made out like a bandit with gift certificates, Arizona Cardinals attire, bibs and books. Spending quality time with the entire Chell family has been a blessing. We've been sleeping late while listening to the rain, watching movies, and playing games. Families are awesome. When I think about all those who are going to be here to love and comfort young Jacob, all my worries go away. Sure they'll be times when we don't know what to do because he's screaming his head off, but I'm sure we'll get someone on the phone with some experience. I mean, between our two parents, there have been 8 offspring, so we will be tapping into a wealth of knowledge.

I have been reading my new book and learning more each day. In addition, we've had literal hands on experience with the babysitting my my young nephew Samuel. I changed a diaper! Ok, it wasn't that amazing, and I asked Ashley for help, but still, it was the first time in over 10 years. Baby Samuel is awesome. He reminds me of his uncle. He likes to dance, especially to his favorite song "La Bamba." He has given us some good experience.

We were also glad to run into some of our favorite babies (and their parents). We ran into Lily, the 2 1/2 month old daughter of Jesse and Christy Steel (teamsteel.blogspot.com) twice. The first was from across the street, as old neighbors were given a chance to catch up. Then, a few days later, we were sad to think that we had missed them and were delighted to find they were in BabiesRUs when we went to register for Jacob with my sister Traeci who is pregnant again. It was good to see you, Steels! Later on during the day we first met young Lily, we drove to the town of Winston to see another young friend of ours by the name of Elgin, the 3 week old son of Tripp and Alecia Fuller (aleciantrippfuller.blogspot.com). While he still sleeps a lion's share, I got to hold him for 20 minutes as he dreamed. It is wonderful to see people in the same phase of life.

Other than that, we've just been hangin out. Thanks to Grandpa Jeff we went to a Hockey game (go Canes!) and went to a sports bar (go Cardinals!). Grandma Ruth has been entertaining us and doting on us since we arrived as well. Great Grandma Barnes, Aunts Emily and Grayson, and Uncle Dana have all commented on Ashley's growing belly and have felt Jacob kick.

So, now that you are caught up on all of the highlights of our adventures, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2008 is the year of the Jacob!

God's love,

Daniel

Headed to Carolina!

This past week was certainly full of goodness with Sara and Luke getting married and Jacob now officially 6 months along. The wedding was beautiful with all the red roses and poinsettas decorating the church, and of course the gorgeous bride in white. I'd say a very good time was had by all! I'd also say that dancing with a baby bump is quite awkward. Daniel's uncles created the "preggo dance", involving rapid belly rubbing and back arching in an attempt to relate- it was very funny. Too bad we don't have picture proof of the dance moves- at least not yet!

Six months into the pregnancy and I'm consistantly amazed at Jacob's growth! He spins and kicks away all day and night. He's about 1 pound right now according to books, which apparently is big enough to make ripples on the outside of my belly-it's so incredible. I'm now getting short of breath easily and the heart burn that's been around since week 6 is still raging...but I know I'm in for way more than this. And I know that Jacob is worth it!

We've registered now for Jacob items at BabiesRUs....but geez, it's hard to figure out what you really acually need. Especially in a two bedroom apartment and knowing we're moving to Berkeley and teeeeeny living space, we're trying to get mainly the necessities and couple of cute items here and there... We're also gonna try out the cloth diaper thing while we've got our own washer and dryer, but again, with Berekely and communal washers/dryers...well, you get the picture. :)

We fly tomorrow morning to NC for nearly 2 weeks for Christmas with the Chells and merriment with friends. Merry Christmas to all, and hopefully we'll see many of you soon!

Whew! Already week 23

I certainly apologize for the long absence in blogging....it's been quite busy out here! For one thing, Sara and Luke (Daniel's brother) are getting married this Saturday!! We're really thrilled for them and excited to be part of some of the chaos- Daniel's having fun experimenting as bartender for the Bachelor party occuring at our apt. tomorrow evening. And no, I'm not sleeping here :)

With the wedding comes family from afar, so we've been working to get our apt in tip-top shape and ready for people to sleep comfortably. On top of that, we're gonna have Christmas with Daniel's family while they're still in town...meaning Christmas presents were to be thought out, purchased, and wrapped by about yesterday.

And of course, work doesn't stop while this goes on:) I'm actually getting a lot out of my clinical experience and even got to watch a procedure yesterday (placing a wound vac)! Now it wasn't a procedure of Grey's Anatomy level (ha), but apparently I'll be able to observe several more procedures over the following months. It wasn't exactly my choice for immediately after lunch learning, but I've learned it isn't the gross factor that makes me faintish but the fact that the patient is in pain. I won't go into details of the process, but I have the utmost respect for the patience, skills, and compassion of nurses.

Daniel's been able to relax a bit this week as the college students are clearing out and the middle/high schoolers are having Christmas parties. He's been rather productive and is pretty much planned out for next semester...though his participation in some of those plans may depend on Jacob's timing. He's written another play for this year's dinner theater and though I'm entirely biased, it's pretty funny. If you're interested in reading it, try his blog: lcmdan@blogspot.com. It's called "Do Something!".

Jacob's doing wonderfully and seems to really get a kick (pun intended) out of beating on me :) I completely savor feeling all of his movements and I'm curious if this boy's got some serious energy or if he's just the typically active baby. As of about 1 1/2 weeks ago, Daniel's can distinctly feel him move all about and actually see him punch out on my belly. A typical day starts with Jacob spinning around in the lowest possible part of my abdomen then some nudges reminding me it's lunch time followed by a few hours of him trying to escape through my belly button (which is still an innie, fyi).

This picture is the result of my dear husband holding the camera up and stating "Uh, well, you don't fit in the frame anymore." The good news, I laughed immediately after THIS face (as I always do after jokes about my belly). Perhaps someday I'll get really sensitive about the body size jokes, but as of right now I'm still good hearted.

I hope you're all doing well, staying warm, and for those in NC: We're coming in 1 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!

Yay, December

Welcome to December...it sure does feel like these past few months are flying by! This pumps me up for several reasons; one of which is we go to NC at the endish of the month (yay!). Until then, Daniel will be working his tail off with holiday related things for the many different age groups he works with, and I'll be doing the clinical dietitian thing. And I'm happy to report that 1 week down working in a hospital and I didn't get thrown-up on and I didn't pass out. I believe that is worth celebrating.

This past week, I turned 24 and got so many messages of "happy birthday"- and I thank everyone who did that!! It made me feel very special. I got a very cute and long-thought about gift from Emily and Grayson and I'm wearing it in the following picture:) Really, I've come to learn that an apron may serve its best function as a pregnant lady bib; I swear, I've never left so much of a meal or snack behind on my chest, belly, and lap. This should make me look cuter as i swirl further into slob-dom. :)

I also got a bunch of my hair cut-off and am sporting the chopped look.... I was surprised by how much it didn't phase me to cut off so much. It still makes me chuckle that I really didn't feel remorse over loosing the inches...

As a side-note, despite what it may seem, I'm not that in to posting so many pictures of myself. But, I want to be able to include my family (and friends) in the growth, the changes, the daily life kinda stuff. Just thought I'd put it out there!

Ultrasound and ultracute

It seems that with every passing week, Jacob becomes less of an abstract and more of our son. This week featured a trip to the doctor where we looked at our beautiful baby boy once again. Last time when we were there, the Sonogram tech suggested that we might need another ultrasound if our boy didn't cooperate for all the right measurements. Who are we to disagree? This also meant that Jacob's paternal grandmother got a chance to see him in action. Well, to be perfectly honest, there wasn't a lot of action, only the occasional yawn and the always fun pushing on mom's bladder. The tech reported happily that all grown was on-track and healthy. What a relief! I'm slowly becoming aware of the toll parenting takes on one's nerves.

The thing I couldn't help but notice again and again is how much significantly bigger he was this week verses 3 weeks ago. His hand is probably 2x the size it was before, and the definition around his face and head stands out.

Here his is in profile. You can see, in comparison to previous posts, that his skull is denser, his nose is more pronounced, as are his lips and chin. While his eyes won't open for another few weeks, his mouth can open and close, it's very cute.

We also got an upclose look at his heart which has grown to where you can see each of the four chambers each with specific function. The miracle of creation is truely humbling.

Here's another, staring him in the eyes. All you can really see is his head, and perhaps his fist, but I think he is smiling! I know I am.

And, as any good husband, here's pictures of my ever-growing wife .

Reporting everyone happy and healthy in Az!

-Daniel

Finally Fall

Here in Arizona, I'm thrilled to declare that it's beginning to feel a lot like Autumn. Though the daily high temps still hit somewhere in the mid 80's, the evenings are crisp and the nights require a blanket on our bed! Being that I'm now my mini-furnace self x 2, it's a pretty amazing feat to need a blanket on the bed... I love waking-up snuggled up to your face with the blanket and having just your nose feel a bit chilly.

Other than the "thrilling" weather, there isn't a whole lot else to report:) Jacob is now flying around in circles in my belly and already enjoys some games. His favorite game appears to be moving every little bit of his body when my tummy is covered up and then freezing when we try to see him in action. His other game includes moving on one side of my belly, then waiting until Daniel puts his hand there to kick around on the complete other side. Sneaky little one.

Here's a very silly belly shot at 19 1/2 weeks- this Thursday marks the halfway point in the pregnancy! Truthfully, the belly has grown, but the degree all depends on time of day and how much I've eaten...so, sorry to disappoint (Perhaps Grayson or Emily?:) ) if it doesn't look like there's any drastic change happening yet.

I hope everyone is preparing for a warm and delicious Thanksgiving! I know Daniel's getting prepped for the huge Turkey leg and I'm getting really pumped about fresh cranberry sauce. If you're traveling....good luck and please be safe!

Time for pictures! One by one I'll post them with a bit of fatherly commentary.

First off, here's a picture of my son Jacob's right hand. If you ask me, I think he looks like a Quarterback. Notice the bone strength and the grip- imagine that throwing a 60 yard pass down the right seam, splitting the safeties and catching the reciever in stride.




Ok, here's the picture.





You see what I'm talking about, right there in the middle. Beautiful isn't it?

Ok, picture two. This one is a decent profile of the head. Notice the eyes, the little button nose, and the little chin. His hands are folded. In this picture he looks a bit like a merman, that's because the bottom half of his body is turned around...

As you can tell, he looks quite comfortable. In the beginning of our ultrasound, Jacob was sleeping like this, with his arms crossed. After he woke up, he gave us some more interesting pictures.

It's a boy! I am proud to say that my kid is negative 4 months, and I'm already embarassing him. This picture is of his backside, his frog legs are to both sides. In the middle are his "boy parts" as the doctor told us...

As a point of reference, the two white objects on the left half of the screen are his feet. You can figure it out from there. P.S. He's mooning you.

Ok, that's enough for now. Thank you all for your love and support. Jacob feels very loved.

We will be posting another picture of Ashley soon as she is growing.

It's A....

It's a BOY!! If you guessed that, pat yourself on the back because you were completely in the minority:)
His name is Jacob Daniel and he is on schedule to arrive about April 10th. He is extremely wiggley, making it tough for the ultrasound woman to get the images as clear as the doctors like them...which will allow us to have another ultrasound experience on November 30th!! As of now he's chilling wayy down low and though we didn't get a good profile view, we did see him yawn and have the hiccups!
Pictures to come soon!!

A slight delay

Just an FYI: We received a call from the doctor's office to explain they didn't have an ultrasound technician working tomorrow (Monday). So, it looks like we'll have to wait all the way until Tuesday afternoon to learn what we'll be calling our baby ....... :)

Poll time

We're at about 16 1/2 weeks...and there finally some belly changes! In addition, tomorrow we get to hear our baby's heartbeat again and then one week from tomorrow (on Nov 5) we'll know whether we're having a girl or a boy! That is, we'll know as best as possible until our baby is born :)

So, what do you think: is it a girl or boy?

Other than awaking a few nights ago because of a 'twitch' in my stomach and the occassional twinge or bubble, everything is pretty boring (in a good way I suppose). Though, I can't wait until I can feel some kicks and Daniel can join in on the fun!

Week 15

As promised, we're posting a picture now that the camera has been located. I wouldn't say that I've "popped" (such a pleasant term), but I'm definitely showing some baby... Kris Diegle, our labor & delivery nurse friend, said it looked like I was carrying a girl - and then laughed because there's just no way to tell something like that...even sonograms sometimes get it wrong. We shall "know" on November 5th!

<3 Family

I love family. My dad and Grayson came to visit Daniel and myself in our "new digs" from last Wednesday to Monday morning. It was glorious. I felt bad that Grayson slept on the couch, but she didn't seem to have trouble sleeping:)

It was nice to eat at a table with them in the evening and watch movies with them...whenever. We walked around the lake park downtown (Tempe) and attended the Cardinals vs Panthers football game. Truthfully, I think that was a harder game to attend than anticipated as loyalties sometimes run deeper than anyone realizes until it's put to the test!
We were also royally spoiled by dad with grocery store visits and a few other goodies. While I realize it may thrill only <0.1% of any population, I'm thrilled abnout the drying rack for our back patio! Not only is the AZ environment perfect for drying things outdoors as it rarely rains, but it also helps us out as power is pricey and our dryer sorta bites. Anyway, Grayson left with most of my clothes (as none of them fit me any longer) and Dad left us with some goodies and plenty of food - not to mention how satisfying and pleasant it is to be with family. It's also nice that when some of your family is with you, you feel closer to the rest of them. Even though my mom was still in Raleigh teaching, it didn't feel like 4 months since I'd last seen her when speaking on the phone.

Now, I'd love to post a picture of the weekend...but somehow the camera is un-findable. I haven't really looked hard and neither has Daniel, but I figured it was about time we made it clear that we were still alive and well! When we locate the camera, we'll get to posting a picture and perhaps there will be some noticable baby growth to my mid-section. No promises, though.

Also, we want to congratule the new parents Jesse and Christy Steel who are now joined by their healthy little girl Lily!

First Trimester Down

Today marks the end of the first trimester...at least according to the dates we've been given thus far! I think my body wanted to make sure I didn't forget the nausea of trimester 1 by reminding me throughout the day today. Oh well, it also reminds me of the life growing everyday inside me- and in that I get endless amounts of pleasure.

I don't really think there's been much external growth within the past few weeks...

In the past week, Daniel and I have done quite a lot! This past summer my music loving dad got us some concert tickets to a Dave Matthews Concert here in Phoenix...and aside from the 2.5 hours in traffic to get there (ugh), we had a great time and a real date. The next day we moved. again. And thanks to Daniel's family and lots of willing college (LCM) students, we got the majority of our stuff into this apartment Wednesday night. This move was into our official apartment with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We feel like royalty. Though I believe rent and all the living costs of this (and all) big city are utterly obscene, this apartment- our home, is SO very much worth it. And I know how much more we'll appreciate it in the coming months!

And the beat goes on!

We've officially heard our baby's heartbeat! How exciting...and unlike what either Daniel or myself expected. I expected to hear a garbled, washing machine like noise and daniel expected a beat slower and closer to what his sounds like. What we heard was a beautifully clear and distinct heartbeat just rapidly pounding away! What a beautiful noise...

At the brink of the second trimester (currently 11.5 weeks) I've gained 3 pounds and all the blood tests came back negative, so we're looking very healthy and right on schedule. I think that it's safe to say that I am not going to throw-up due to pregnancy...this is a very thrilling possibility. Another cool discovery in all of this was finding out that I have the same not-so-typical blood type as my dad, B-. I inherited my dad's allergies and laid-back personality, I may as well have his blood, too :)

Ode to Saturday

I. Love. Weekends.

I have always really loved them, yet working the 8 to 5 thing really makes me appreciate them that much more. I get to sleep past 6:30, I get to actually see my husband, I don't have to dress professionally, and best of all- the work week is over and I'm not studying for tests or writing dumb papers for the next week. (Though I should be doing my thesis....which is already the longest paper I'll ever write).
In Arizona, I've come to find that the absolute best kind of Saturday during the summery-heat is the kind that starts out gray and rainy- and this rarely happens. I feel no remorse for sticking around inside clothed in my pajamas until much later in the day than if the sun and cloudless skies has been beckoning me to make good use of my time. Mmmm, I love rainy Saturday mornings :)
This particular saturday entails staying inside and repacking alllll of our stuff so we're ready to move come Wednesday. Perhaps at some point we'll trek to Goodwill so that I can extend my time before buying nice, yet possibly pricey maternity clothes. Before moving out here, I'd never actually moved my whole life from my home in Raleigh. (I don't count college apartments as quite the same thing.) Now, after having moved twice and soon a third time, I understand why people become less sentimental about objects.
When I first met Daniel he thought I was such a pack-rat and insisted that if the Chell house caught on fire it would burn for days. I thought he was just being insensitive. I now have a better idea of what he has saying- and while I have become less sentimental about objects that are not useful or immediately necessary, it can't be denied that if you go to my house in Raleigh, NC and develop a need for ANYTHING, you will be supplied with exactly what you needed. Someday in the likely very far off future when we have a house to call our own, I would like our home to be a happy medium of clutter-free yet resourceful! We shall see.....

One celebration after another

Last weekend, DP, myself, and the rest of the Pugh clan made a zippy trip to Houston, Texas for the eldest sibling (Tally) 's wonderful wedding. We now get to "officially" welcome Trent, her husband, into the family! He's one of the few males I've ever met that actually feels comfortable teasing me and all around giving me a hard time. While it may sound messed-up, I actually cherish that becauses it means a few things: he knows I can take it, he fits in just right with Tally, and I get to be in on the fun! Anyway, that's all just to say that I'm thrilled (and Daniel's thrilled...perhaps for a few different reasons) that Trent is part of the family and that he's Tally's partner for life. Congratulations!!

It really was a whirlwind trip, but it turns out a few things beyond a wedding happened around that time.

*For one, my clothes really don't fit so much anymore as a bitty belly is beginning to protrude. Here's a picture from about a week ago of some stomach action (9ish weeks)...

*Another thing is that we found out that Daniel's other sister, Traeci, is expecting her second baby due to arrive near the beginning of May.

*Yet another realllly exciting thing is that we signed the papers to get our 2 bedroom apartment starting September 26th! Phew!

*The last thing to happen is for Daniel to turn 24 today. As he is a 'bit' of a football fan (HA), he along with some family and friends attended the first home game for the Cardinals. What relief that they actually won...I mean, of course they won (ahem). His parents treated him to a birthday dinner last night where he received the gift of a hooded Cardinals baby towel. Very cute. Though it still seems sorta weird that we're getting gift for OUR baby...it's nuts!

This picture was taken last night after we'd gorged on some yummy dinner...and as you can just barely see, Izzy the dog wanted some serious attention!

That's about all I can think to write for now...we're in town now for good, so perhaps we'll keep up better with this blog!

Coming soon: our next Dr's appointment is September 26th!

8 ish weeks we think.

So, this is sorta the baseline picture I suppose. According to the Doctors, I am now 8 weeks but as that doesn't add up to a due date of April 10th, I'm confused. I guess we'll just leave it as I'm at least 8 weeks?

I'm not gonna pretend like the body and comfort changes I'm experiencing now are directly caused by baby. Really, I just never have liked feeling restricted in clothes or shoes, so being uncomfortable with tight waistbands...not all too new. (As a side not, please ignore the uber-wrinkley pants, they never ever stay nice.)

Overall, things are going well. Currently, my internship has me doing administrative work for the Madison School district; this means I standardize recipes and decipher nutrient information for the national school lunch program. We visit schools daily during lunch to evaluate their performance and I get to pretend to be professional with my forms, clipboard, and magnetic name-tag...but internally I'm giddy at being with the hundreds of fun and happy little kids. The only tough parts are: avoiding boredom, guessing at 6 am which foods I'll be able to stomach come lunch time, and going to sleep early and alone cause Daniel is still so wide awake. This rotation could be loads worse, as could this first phase in pregnancy!!

Baby's first picture

Here it is- our baby's first picture. I think it looks like Ashley. We went to the doctor on 8/22/07 and they took some pictures. They can tell a lot even this early. For instance, they told us our baby's due date is April 10th, and they could tell us to the day how old the baby was. I read online that this is the most accurate measure of a due date. If another scan done 6 or 8 weeks later says that you should have a new due date which is further away, you should not normally change the date but should rather interpret the finding as that the baby is not growing at the expected rate. There's a lot of interesting stuff out there for someone like me who has everything to learn!

They also told us that there were two other eggs that decended but neither were fertalized. So, all you people out there who assumed we were having twins, apparently we were not that far off. Let's just say that we were happy with one.

So, I'm going to show you the pictures and then I'll explain it as best as I can.

Ok, so there's out baby in that egg shaped thing. The doctor told us that this is a "textbook" picture of what a 6 weeker should look like. My kid is getting mentioned in the same sentence as textbooks. Sounds more like Ashley's kid. Seriously though, most of the pictures I saw online weren't nearly this clear, nor were the eggs this round. You can see the gestational sac in the top right corner of the egg, it kind of looks like a head. The baby crown to rump is the shrimp shaped thing just to the bottom left of the sac. The curve of it they told me was it's tail, but they really meant it's spine. They gave me a heart attack, talking about tails! Our baby is happy and healthy, and (knock on wood) hasn't made Ashley sick yet.

We could see the heart beat, it sort of looks like the baby is winking at you. It is still to early to hear the heart beat, but it was fun seeing it move. All in all, it was amazing how much we could learn so quickly about our baby. As a visual learner, I was captivated with the real-ness this oppurtunity gave me, to SEE my child. It took my breath way. Only the first time of many, I'm sure.

As sort of a point of interest, if you look in the upper left corner of the picture you'll see one of the other two eggs just chilling out. While they look like potential brothers and sisters now, their time table for becoming fertalized has long since past. Thank God I went to Mexico that week... sorry- tmi.

While we were there, we chose the doctor who is the hardest to get an appointment for, but that's because he's the best. He's been delivering babies for 18 years, and he likes to pray with his patients.

We are looking forward to meeting with him in the future. Our next appointment is on September 24th!

Well, I have to go to bed now, we just wanted you all to be able to see our baby.

We love you all and Ashley sends her love, she's is getting some much needed rest.

Take care out there!

La vie occupée

Living the busy life...

Things are starting to pick up for both Ashley and I. If we don't get around to writing again soon, know that that is why.

We love you all tremendously.

In the mean time, if you're looking for something to read, you can check out my other blog, The Philosophy According to Daniel and see if anything inspires you.

Whew!

We're coming down to the last few calm days before this "year" starts. Actually, tomorrow marks the start of chaos for Daniel because students are moving onto campus or returning from the summer and want to get things started again right away! He's been diligently pacing himself this week, spending all yesterday and today prepping papers and schedules so that the rest of the week isn't crammed from 9 to 9! Along with the rest of the country, Arizona is currently experiencing a heat wave- which I feel is cruel because the rest of the summer was so relatively mild! The students, families, and staff arne' adjusted to 112 degrees esepcially for moving furniture and running flights of stairs. Ugh! But, this heat is countrywide, so i really have NO room for complaints...

I'm getting really excited and admittedly nervous as workshops and meetings start this Thursday for my internship. I'm pumped about work experience but nervous because I want to be the best dietitian and worker these people have ever experienced. Naw, no pressure. I also have to finish up my gigantic 30 page study guide before clinical "boot camp" starts on Monday. Though this may come as a shock, I am proud to say that I haven't procrastinated this task (completely) and am actually ahead of other interns in finishing it! This never happens.

On another note, we had a fun weekend full of lessons. Kris and Chad are celebrating their 10 year anniversary this week, so Daniel and I had a sleep-over with Collin (on the right) and Dylan (on the left) -and let's not forget Izzy in the middle, having one of the best days of her life. It was certainly interesting to have someone else's two boys (6 and 8) who aren't completely used to our 'methods' and expectations. And of course, within the first 30 minutes of hanging out with us on saturday afternoon, Collin and Izzy mashed faces and Collin ended up with a nice bruise on the corner of his eye.

There were certainly some humorous and adorable moments, and then were those that were like "um, seriously". It certianly led Daniel and myself to discuss our expectations and ideas for our children and our desired roles as parents. It's so easy to talk about these things but I know we're both really excited about putting these ideas and methods into action. Really, this makes me think about Grayson asking as a really little girl, if we thought she was going to mess up her kids. What my whole family has always responded with is "you're a Chell, you have the Chell-ness, you won't mess-up your kids." It may sound cheesey or too silly, but you know...somehow that is actually calming. Not that I'm sold on having 4 kids...yikes...but I am of the belief (and daniel has said this, too) that being a part of a bigger family teaches lessons about life and compromise at a young age. Okay....I need to stop. Otherwise, I'll just keep on yakking about how great my family is :) Is it obvious that I'm missing them?

Being a Dad

Ashley has been adamant that I post something, so here it is. I was in Crackerbarrel the other day (actually, lots of other days because my parents love that place) and I ran across a sign that said, "Anyone can become a father, but not anyone can be a Dad like you". Really, cheesy, I know. But what does that even mean? Furthermore, why anyone would want to buy something that says that? Then, as I looked around at the rest of the paraphenalia that the 'barrel has to offer, I decided it was at least as valuable as its fellow items.
Still, what does the sign mean? I suppose it's intended meaning is that the "you," whoever is being referred to in the second person, puts much more into the role of parenting than someone who merely sires offspring. In my experience, the word Father is formal and the word Dad is more of a loving moniker. More specifically, Father you use as a point of reference when introducing your paternal elder to a stranger, and Dad is what you use when you need to borrow money. And if you really need money, the ever popular Daddy. The point is, a Dad is someone you are close to, someone you can rely on, and someone who brings you comfort. I am looking forward to being a Father- seeing something that sort of looks like me- but I'm absolutely thrilled about being a Dad and building a relationship with my child! I wake up every morning and kiss my wife, and then kiss my child. Then, if Ashley is awake, I talk to both of them. I tell my child who I am, and that I'm ready to meet it. On my way to work, I contemplate what my child will be like. Will he/she be quiet and kind like its mother or hillarious and outspoken like it's DAD! I hope for at least one of each.
I have often felt like my life will be defined by my family life- as I believe any man with good priorities will feel- and I vow to make every effort to be a good Dad. No, a GREAT DAD. I will encourage my kid, talk to my kid, and love my kid for as long as they still think I'm cool, or at least socially acceptable to have around. Then, I'll still love and encourage them and be around them even when I'm not cool, and clueless about what is cool. My parents did it to me, and their parents did it to them, it's just how good parenting is.
Ashley has a book about what to expect every week of the pregnency, and to get a head start on being a good dad, I too glanced at the book. Plus, let's be honest here, I need a heads up about what Ashley is about to deal with too. The book has several highlighted sections they call "Tips for Dads". My eyes darted toward it thinking I was about to tap into something instinctually paternal, but to my dismay, the advice I found wasn't paternal or instinctual. It said nothing that has to do with fatherhood, rather every piece of advice had to do with keeping the mother happy. Things like "vacuum the floor without being asked" and "make your wife's favorite meal for her". First of all, having these ideas in books where women are the target audience seems counterintuitive, especially because it gives women an ideal of what a good husband should do, and then joe shmoe gets screwed for not vacuuming the floor without being asked because he never read the book that wasn't even for his eyest to see! In that regard, anyway, it's a good thing I glanced at the book! Furthermore, I find these so called "tips" to be beating around the bush. Basically all of the tips for Dads have to do with easing the situation around your wife. Why doesn't the book just say, "look guys, your wife is going to be hormonal, she is going to get bigger, and feel nautious, lose sleep, her body is going to ache, and she'll feel uncertain about the thing that is growing inside of her that will someday force it's way out of her, so just try your hardest not to tick her off because her rollercoaster of emotion could be dangerous to ride otherwise." That is a book I'd like to read. "What to expect when your wife is expecting"
But I digress. I want to be a Father, I'm dying to be a Dad. I don't need no plaque to tell me,not do I need a "world's greatest dad" mug, because I know I'm going to be the world's greatest dad to my kids. Being a dad isn't a competition, or something you can measure. There is a difference between fatherhood and Dadhood, and it's intent. You can be a father without intending to be one, but if you plan on being a Dad you'd better come prepared with lots of time, lots of energy, and lots of love. You can bet that I'll be ready when the time comes!
As for the next 8.5 months, I am loving the journey, and if you talk to Ashley anytime soon put in a good word for me, it can't hurt!

I love you and miss you all!

-Daniel

Are you ready for some football?

The Pugh family doesn't believe in an off-season for professional football. It's even been decided that one of the top factors in moving someplace is whether or not the town has a football team.

Now that we've established that, it makes sense that our past Saturday was spent accompanying Danny (Daniel's dad), along with Luke and Sara (his brother and brother's fiance)up to Flagstaff for the Arizona Cardinals training camp. We got to meet up with one of our favorite Phoenix families, the Diegle's (-the youngest Diegle boy, Colin, was the ring bearer at our wedding). Watching drills, pointing out the rookies, and cheering on the Cardinal veterans was actually a pretty fun afternoon. As you can see, Daniel was extremely content with spending his saturday in such a way!

I really enjoyed spending some time talking to Kris Diegle who started working as a labor and delivery nurse at a nearby hospital in June. She's a great resource for learning the details about the delivery process.....though she has some stories that don't exactly calm any nerves or thrill me. But I suppose I'm not a fan of sugar-coated versions of anything, especially so when it comes to pregnancy and labor!
Along the pregnancy lines, I still feel really normal-albeit a bit dumber. It's not unusual for me to know I'm saying something stupid as I'm saying it. Yet now, I feel as though I've lost the ability to decipher what's dumb and what isn't as the words leave my mouth. Aside from that, I'm aware of some small changes in my body, but nothing obvious.
Coming up:
I can handle restless sleep, constant fatigue, mood swings, cravings, whatever. But, as most of you who know me understand, throwing-up would send me into some other realm of being! The hope is that if we can just get through the next few weeks healthy, I'll relax quite a bit! Here's for hoping!

And it begins...

Last weekend, Daniel and I discovered that we were indeed going to become parents!! It looks like I'm about 5 weeks, with a projected baby arrival sometime in the first week of April. This comes after a good while of trying and wondering if it were even going to be possible, making this pregnancy a two-fold blessing; it proves that it is in fact possible AND we get the chance to be parents. It took a little extra medical support...but regardless of where it all leads, the whole situation has been a win-win if you ask me.
As it is in my nature (and the point of most of my academic journey) to learn and do nearly everything possible to keep a body healthy, I had another first yesterday evening.
I quit a job. It felt awful.
But, after a bunch of pep-talks with Daniel, my mom, and Emily (my older sister), I quit working the 10-hour labor intensive night shift at Michaels. And then I proceeded to sleep for 11.5 hours last night! In balancing the pro's and con's or even possible con's of this job while at this point in pregnancy, it was blaringly evident that I'd be asking for trouble and would blame myself if anything bad happens.
To make this week even that much more unforgettable, Daniel received his official admission into the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) yesterday! It has always been our 'plan' to head to Berkeley, CA after I complete my Masters here, and now we have confirmation that in the fall of '08, that's where we can be found. Have I mentioned how completely pumped we are about living in the bay area for a few years? The cultures, the lifestyle, the scenery, the fresh produce ;), and the open-minds...
This year is going to be one monster of a growing and changing year, literally and figuratively...and we are so thankful for each of you who are so supportive and loving!