33 Weeks

From what I can tell, this is when things start to get uncomfortable. At least that’s what it sounds like. For the most part, Monica’s feeling good aside from a few contractions here and there and perhaps a charlie-horse in the middle of the night (boy, nothing will startle you from a hard sleep quite like a charlie-horse). Noah is discovering that his house is shrinking so he stretches and pushes trying to get comfortable, which makes mommy a little uncomfortable. We can see little elbows or knees or feet sticking out here and there throughout the day—especially during car rides. I hope that doesn’t mean he’ll never sleep in the car!

We’ll be starting weekly Dr. visits next week as we head into the home stretch. I can’t believe Noah could be here in as little as four weeks. Things are getting exciting around here as we prepare. Our church threw a shower for Monica this past weekend so our house is starting to transform—there’s baby stuff all around. And I love it. I can’t wait for our son to arrive. We’ll keep you posted on progress!

Has it Really Been a Year?

Last year at this time Monica and I were at Good Shepherd hospital. Monica was in labor and I was feeling helpless. Then, at 12:51 a.m., Ethan was born--both pounds of him (2.2 lbs. to be exact). In the three days we spent at Good Shepherd Monica and I cried more tears than I thought we were capable of and faced two of the most difficult nights of our lives. And when it was over we left the hospital empty handed. We were parents, but we didn’t have a baby to prove it. Life went on, slow motion at first, depressing and sorrow-filled, but it went on. Little did we know what was on the horizon three weeks later.

But through all of it God has been faithful and has led us through the lowest of the lows. Here we are one full year later and he has blessed us with another son whose birthday is only a matter of weeks away. We miss Ethan, but we’re so very excited to meet his little brother, Noah. He’s moving, kicking and hiccupping constantly, and Monica looks like she’s swallowed a basketball (love you honey!). We’ve just finished painting Noah’s room and are getting things ready for his arrival. Two weeks ago we attended a birthing class and new parents class where we learned how to bathe, swaddle and change babies. Parenting is going to be a piece of cake if Noah is anything like the dolls we changed.

Thank you all for your prayers over the past year for our family. We look forward to sharing photos and the joys of Noah’s arrival in the coming weeks.

Love Ryan and Monica