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!