Baby Jarrell

So - as many of you know by now Craig and I are expecting our first kid!  How exciting?  We're excited and super nervous!  We've known that I was pregnant since April 14th.. which KILLLED me to keep a secret!  So then my craziness takes over and I start googling things - morning sickness, being super tired, sore boobs, peeing a lot, the whole 9 yards.  All of this makes me freak out even more because I'm not experiencing any of this - except for the being tired.  Then I think to myself - I've always loved my sleep anyway so thats not really out of the norm - this must be some kind of mistake, I'm not pregnant.  (I really am crazy)

Craig knows how crazy I am, so to keep me from peeing on 2,309,483 sticks, he said I could do one a week!  Well - of course I did.  They were all positive.  Still not enough for me to believe it.  I schedule my first appointment (which was yesterday) and I'm freaking out because I know that they are going to search for the heartbeat and not find it and I'll be devastated (like on Marly and me - we already have the psycho dog - it just made sense).

We get to the doctors office and of course they save the heartbeat for last.  The doctor says "Alright, time to go fishing!"  She moves her little stick around on my belly for what seemed to be 14 hours.. silence.. more freaking out.. then FINALLY we hear that amazing little heartbeat.  Any normal person would be so excited they would lay still and soak in the moment - or cry.. what do I do you ask?  I laugh!  Which screws up the listening so she has to find it all over again!  Only me!  :)

There is a heartbeat, I am pregnant, I'm so excited I could jump out of my skin!  I'm due December 11th!  We cannot wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl - 9 more weeks!

Finally - we had to break the news to the grandparents.. here are pictures of how we did it!

ABC Fam is on the Move!

As many of you have heard by now Craig has accepted a job with Lowe's in North Carolina!  We are so very excited that this opportunity has worked out for us!  Even before we got married I was not thrilled about the idea of living 18 hours away from everyone in my family - so I have always wanted to get back home from the get-go.  Craig on the other-hand LOVES the big cities and how many things the cities have to offer - as in nightlife and sports teams.  This move gives us both what we want!  I will be 2.5 hours away from my family (I could drive from Roanoke to Charlotte and back 4 times in the amount of time it would take me to get from Shakopee to Roanoke) and Craig will still have some city life - as well as some sports teams!  Football is what I'm most excited about - the Carolina Panthers!  I will still always be a Viking fan at hart because that in-fact was our first home, I've already looked at the football schedule and the Vikings play the Panthers in Carolina (if there is a football season - there better be)!  wooo!  Also something that I'm SUPER excited about is the fact that North Carolina will have Sweet Tea, Bojangles, and Chick-fil-a!  On a downside there is no Burrito Loco - but there is Chipotle!  :)  It's the little things that matter!

As with everything there are always a few down sides.  First and foremost - the job hunt begins again, ugh!  I hate trying to find a job - especially with the economy the way it is now - it's so hard!  I've already looked for elementary teaching positions and there are none open - of course - so now I'm looking for some daycare openings!  I'm sure the daycares down there will not compare to New Horizon - they've set the bar pretty high!  That leads me to one thing that I will greatly miss - everyone at NHA!  I've made some great friends, I've absolutely LOVED working with Cassie!  For her to be able to put up with someone as goofy as me and not kill me - thats something to be said!  I am also going to miss Dawn and Stephanie too, my neighbors in the blue room!  They also put up with my crazy antics and don't kill me - but they don't have to be with me all the time like Cassie!  haha!  I will of course miss the babies and the ladies that work upfront!  Everyone there is just great - the 27th is going to be a hard day at work!  But hey, isn't this what Facebook is for - so we can keep in touch with everyone?

All-in-all Craig and I are jumping out of our skin excited!  We have one more 1,200 mile drive with the crazy dog and we will be in our new home!  We are moving sometime Memorial Day weekend and will live in an apartment for 3 months until we find our first official home!  I can guarantee you that it will have a nice fenced-in back yard so our crazy dog-son can run is little heart out and hopefully that will help out with the craziness!

North Carolina - here we come!  :D

What is Bryer thinking?

';;\ <- Before I even begin those marks are from Bryer shoving his red squeaky bone into my keyboard so I will throw it for him instead of typing this blog.

Anyways, I seriously think I have the most insane dog that ever roamed this planet.  Anyone in my family who has met him will definitely agree with me.  He is one bundle of energy.  All of a sudden something will get into him like he's just been struck by lightening and he will frantically sprint around the house - always spinning out when he's not on carpet.  He will bounce from couch to couch and jump on and off our bed like a mad man.  I would love to know what goes on in his mind that triggers that.  He can be as calm as a normal dog and then all of a sudden he is psychotic.

Also, I think he has quite the humor.  He knows when he grabs things that he isn't supposed to have.  Today, Craig was out playing softball and I decided to take a shower.  I thought Bry-man could handle himself for a few minutes by himself, guess who was wrong?  I lock him in our bedroom and leave the bathroom door open so he has free run of both of those rooms, and that is it!  In the middle of my shower I hear him romping around and think "Oh gosh, what is he shredding?  If he has my My Little Pony that dog will never live to see another day."  I hurry up and finish my shower and while I'm drying off I yell for him.  A few moments later he comes strolling in the bathroom with a half torn tissue box.  "Oh Lord."  I glance into our bedroom and he has shredded an entire box of tissues that I keep next to my bed.  I think it's hilarious that he comes strolling in the bathroom with the evidence hanging out of his mouth like it's no big deal.  This afternoon Craig and I were sitting in the computer room together and in strolls Bryer with my bra-bag (for laundry) in his mouth.  I feel like most dogs try and hide what they've done wrong.  Not Bryer, he just strolls in like it's no big deal.

He definitely makes us laugh.  He has his sweet moments, too!  Last night while Craig was out playing softball I decided to watch The Bucket List - pretty much just because it was the only thing on TV.  That was a bad idea because I'm a big cry baby.  Of course at the end I start balling and sweet Bryer comes over and starts to lick my tears away (vomit) but then he just lays on my chest and snuggles with me for a while.  Why can't that dog stay around all the time?

I would give anything to know what that dog was thinking.  I wish we could make a contraption like the dogs wear in Up.  Sometimes I would be scared to know what goes on in that head of his!