32 Weeks

We had our regular check up yesterday and everything went great. Baby's heartrate was 138. I voiced my concerns about baby being too big, but he didn't seem at all concerned about it. My belly measurement was right at 32, so I'm right on target there. He said he'd order an ultrasound at 36 weeks just to be sure, though. I told him NO TEN POUND BABY!

I'm still convinced that I'll end up delivering this baby 2 weeks early, so.....if you do the math, that is SIX WEEKS AWAY! Holy cow. There's so much to do still!

Hope you're all enjoying the holiday season! :)

Merry Christmas

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas celebrations...

We went to the Lonnie's parents house on Christmas Eve for the traditional lasagna dinner and opening of presents.
Now here's what I like about the Lamp family - the men do the work in the kitchen and the women sit down and talk/watch. Shirley taught them well. I guess it has to be that way when you have 3 boys! You better believe that our boy is going to learn how to cook and be helpful in the kitchen! I'm going to make sure of that. :)



Baby Lamp got completely spoiled this Christmas - and he's not even here yet! Look at the stinkin' cute outfit on the left. Dustin and Joanna bought that for baby - I think it'll look great on him for his first trip to church! And the Razorback outfit was compliments of Shad - you can't see it, but there's a football on the booty! The great PJ's were from Lonnie's parents - they are SO soft! I can't wait to snuggle with baby in them!

Christmas morning we woke up and had our very last Christmas as just the two of us. Next year will be very different with a baby crawling around!

After Lonnie and I opened our presents, we went to the Grubbs for presents and breakfast. I'm so thankful that they're so close to us! You just can't beat having family two streets away!

Merry Christmas!!!

For my Mom

My mom and I used to make lemon maringue pies every now and then growing up. I haven't had one in a LONG time, and decided to make one for Christmas at the Lamps. So mom helped me out with the recipe, and it turned out pretty good! I think everyone enjoyed it. Thanks, Mom!

4D Ultrasound

Well, no luck. Baby didn't want to cooperate this morning, so we didn't get any more pictures. His tiny little face was squished up against the uterus (sorry, if that's gross to some people), so we couldn't really see much. His nose was cracking us up, though. Imagine pressing your nose up against a window, and that's what he looked like. Ha!

I guess we'll just have to wait to February to see what his cute little face really looks like.

Painting Progress

Okay, this room is not done by any means, but it's getting closer! And the best news of all - I don't hate it anymore! I actually kind of like it. There's still a lot of decorating I need to do, but I feel SO MUCH better having the paint finished. It makes a big difference!

Shad and Rachel came over on Christmas Eve morning to help us paint (yea for family!!!!). We worked until about lunch, then Lonnie and I finished the rest on Christmas Day. It was exhausting, but worth it!

Here are a few pictures. Like I said, it's not done, but it's coming along!

We had to take a little break while the boys put up the chair rail.

"Here I come! I'm ready to help!"

Thanks to Shad and Rachel for helping out!!!! :)

Surprise!

I'm a whole day early! I didn't realize that the ultrasound tech would put all the pictures on CD for us, so that makes it a whole lot easier for putting online.


Here's how the appointment went...


Baby's umbilical cord was in front of his face the whole time, so we didn't get very good pictures. In fact, she didn't even charge us for the visit and we get to go back next week and try again. But we still got pictures, a video of the whole ultrasound, and a CD of all the pictures. Baby was all curled up in a ball - he's very flexible! His feet were hanging out around his head most of the time.


She measured Baby for us, and it was just as I feared - he's a big 'ol Lamp baby! He's measuring 4 pounds and 5 ounces (of course, she says plus or minus a pound), which is equivilent to 32 weeks and 5 days, but I'm only 30 weeks and 4 days. So, Rachel is predicting that I'll probably have the baby early, which I don't want, mainly because that means there's more time at the end of the school year that I'll have to go back for.


So...


We go back for another ultrasound on Dec. 26, and our regular doctor's appointment is on Dec. 27.


In other news, my doctor had her twin girls today! Her husband performed the C-section (can you imagine?). All are well; one of the twins had to go to ICU because she was having breathing difficulties, but she was expected to be out of ICU this evening and into a regular room. Yea! And since she had the babies early, that means it's more likely that she'll be back in time for my delivery (that is, if I don't go too early).


And now, the pictures! They're all face shots, you just have to look carefully to really see it. Like I said, they're not great, but that's okay - it's our baby boy!

Here's the funniest part....when we showed Caden the pictures of Baby, his immediate response was, "Why is he made of wood?"

Ha! That's a perspective I hadn't thought of yet, but it makes sense! Maybe we need to name him Pinocchio Lamp.

30 weeks

So here I am...

just call me Large Marge:

The big day is tomorrow - 4D Ultrasound! I won't be able to post pictures until Wednesday night, since the person that scans in my pictures for me is from school, so she'll have to do it Wednesday at school.

I've been feeling a LOT better lately. The weird thing now is that I can feel body parts poking through my belly. I don't really know how to describe it. Every now and then I'll feel something, and when I touch my belly, it's like I can feel his foot, or elbow, or who knows. It's a crazy feeling.

And a name update...we still have nothing! We're still sick of trying to think of names and would rather just not talk about it. But, we now have 5 friends from church that are also pregnant, so we figure we probably need to secure a name pretty quickly, before all the good names are taken! :)

Help!!!!

I'm getting desperate....

I've been trying to decorate the baby room for months now, and can't seem to get anywhere. Every time I go in there, I just get frustrated and walk out. It is so bland!! Hate may be a little strong, but that's currently how I feel about that room. I just can't seem to figure out how to make it look any better. I know the main issue is just paint. So here are my thoughts/options:

• paint the bottom half chocolate brown; leave the top half the current paint color; put up a chair rail


• paint the bottom half chocolate brown; paint the top half a darker khaki to match the khaki in the crib set; put up a chair rail


• paint the bottom half chocolate brown; paint blue circles on the top half of one wall; put up a chair rail


• leave it the current paint color; paint a couple of brown stripes horizontally around the room (at the chair rail height)


• try to mimic the bumper of the crib set as a chair rail around the room (blue stripe with brown on top and bottom with circles in the middle) - I like this but have no idea how I'd actually do it

That's about as much as my brain could come up with. Any ideas? I'd like to walk in there and feel happy and excited to bring our baby boy home to it, but that seems to be the last feeling that comes to mind. Help!

Doctor Visit

We went for our regular check-up today, and everything went well, as usual. There's really not anything to report. Baby's heartrate was in the 140's; all my bloodwork came back great after the glucose testing last time; and we go back in three weeks. This was my last time to see my doctor; she'll be having her baby girls sometime soon, and is planning to return on Feb. 1, so let's hope I don't go into labor before that!
I have to brag on my amazing husband. The last week has been a lot harder on my body, and I just haven't been feeling very good. He has taken SUCH good care of me! He's been cooking, cleaning, and waiting on me hand and foot! I know it's gotta be hard on him, but he hasn't complained a single time. He is amazing! I am so thankful to have such a loving, selfless husband. I just hope I get to feeling better soon so he can take a break and I can spoil him for awhile.

Upcoming events....
December 18 - 4D Ultrasound appointment (yea!!!!!)
December 27 - next regular check-up

Thanksgiving

It only took me two weeks....

You guys have probably seen most of these pictures on Rachel's and Nicole's blogs, but I think I got a few different ones.

"Cousin...are you in there? Come out and play!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm famous! (okay, not really)

Yesterday was the official National Board Certification Day. They announced to the public all the names of the people who certified from all over the country. You can go to their website and see my name! Yea!

http://www.nbpts.org/resources/nbct_directory

Click on Arkansas, Rogers, and 2007, then hit submit. Ta da! There's my name! :)

A favor to ask...

One of my coworkers has entered an art contest for Kirkland's. She was one of thousands of entries, and now she's in the top ten! If she wins, she gets $5,000 and her picture will be sold in Kirkland's stores all over the country (and she'll also get a portion of each sale). So, here's the favor...go to www.kirklands.com and follow the link to The Next Great American Artist contest. You can vote one time per email, so use as many email addresses as you know! Once you vote, you get a 10% off coupon for Kirkland's (just in time for Christmas!). Her artwork is called Garden Gate, by Jennifer Reddick. It's the third choice; the only black and white one on there.

Happy voting!
Thanks a bunch!!!

Sleeping Beauty

We kept the kiddos last night so Curt could have a 'Boys Night Out.' Lonnie and I took the kids to my school's carnival, then I dropped off Lonnie to join Shad and Curt at the Bentonville football game. I went home with Cade and Keira and we watched Ratatouille. When Curt got home and went in to get Keira, this is how we found her - SOUND ASLEEP! I must say, she takes after her aunt. My mom has pictures of me sleeping anywhere and everywhere - on the floor, in a chair with a puzzle in my lap; it didn't matter where. I needed my beauty sleep! I can't imagine what Keira was doing to be able to fall asleep like that. But we sure did get a good laugh out of it!

Doctor Visit

We had our monthly check up yesterday and everything went well. My doctor got called away on a delivery, so I ended up seeing another doctor instead (who is MY doctor's husband!). This was probably good, since she'll be out on maternity leave (she's pregnant with twins) starting at the end of Dec., so I would have ended up seeing him anyway while she's out.

I was able to tolerate the yucky glucose drink better than I expected. It really is not as bad as everyone says. Don't get me wrong, it's not good by any means, but I never felt like throwing up! (So don't worry, Crystal!) The doctor said no news is good news, so if I don't hear anything in the next few days, I guess no gestational diabetes for me!

We've reached the point where we start going to see the doctor every 3 weeks rather than four. Just another reminder of how close this baby is to coming! Yikes! It seems like there's still so much to do! (like picking a name, maybe????)

We'll be traveling to southern Indiana next Tuesday for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I'll have so good pictures to post when we get back. AND...we should be going for a 4D Ultrasound in the next couple of weeks, so that'll give us some more great pictures.

Drumroll please...

I PASSED!!!!!!

You guys have no idea the amount of relief I am feeling right now...

It feels good!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

I think we're going to get the gang together and go to Shoguns next weekend to celebrate. Yea!

Other news....
Yesterday was a big day. Baby was kicking around like crazy last night, so I decided to just watch my belly to see if I could see it move. And boy, did I!!!! For a good hour, I sat there and watched my belly move around every few seconds. It was unbelievable. All these milestones I keep hitting just keep getting better and better. Not too much longer and I'll have my little baby boy to hold in my arms - can't beat that!

We go back to the doctor on Wednesday for our monthly check-up. This is when I'll do the dreaded glucose test, so let's pray that I can keep the yucky stuff down and, of course, for no diabetes!

It's like the night before Christmas...

Okay....
As most of you know, I am very patiently (ha!) waiting on the scores for my National Boards, which I completed last March. I just found out that the scores are going to be posted at 8:00 in the morning!!!!!! This is a whole week earlier than it was supposed to be, and a month earlier than we actually thought it would be (last year it was Dec. 13 before they released the scores, so we figured they'd be late again this year).
I am freaking out! I know there is no point stressing about it - I either passed, or I didn't, and no matter how much I stress about it, it won't change that fact. But still....there is NO way I'm going to be able to sleep tonight!

I just have to keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be a THREE year process; some people just happen to pass the first year. The passing rate is only 34% the first year, so I'm trying to keep that in mind. But I'd rather just pass the first year and not have to do any more work!

For those of you that don't know...National Boards is a VERY rigorous process that teachers voluntarily go through. It takes a year to complete, and involves turning in a portfolio containing several essays (15-17 pages in length each!), video tapes of your teaching, and taking a big test at a computer testing center. It is a three year process, but even after three years, only 75% of teachers actually pass. If you do pass, along with the prestige of the title, you are certified in all 50 states, and you get a nice monetary reward each year for the 10 year certification.

So....say a prayer for me! I want to pass so bad, but I need prayers that if I don't, I can handle the stress of having to start writing, studying, and videotaping again, on top of the stress of being pregnant.

I hope to post some good news tomorrow!

My Halloween Costume

I decided for Halloween to dress up as a big, fat pregnant woman. So here I am...

Oh wait, I REALLY AM a big, fat pregnant woman! I can't believe how fast my belly has grown. It seems to have just happened overnight. I really can't complain, though. Being bigger is SO much easier for shopping. I can finally wear maternity tops, instead of finding regular clothes that still happen to fit. And it's kind of fun having a big baby belly.

_____

Baby has been moving around SO MUCH lately! I feel him a lot in the afternoons and evenings. Lonnie is really hoping that he'll start kicking harder so he can feel it, too.

_____

I think we've decided we need to kick it into high gear. I'm six months along, and we have no name, no nursery, no baby stuff. Yikes!

_____

And, OH YEAH....we've reached viability! (or as Lonnie has renamed it, LIVE-ability). Hooray!

***Hip Hip Hooray for Four Chambers of the Heart!***

We had our ultrasound this morning and everything was GREAT! Within 30 seconds of being in the room, the tech found the heart and showed us the four chambers of the heart. She explained that the tech that did our previous ultrasound was fresh out of college and had not quite perfected her ultrasounding techniques, to say the least. So we were quickly relieved. We got to spend the next 20 minutes just playing and looking at Baby! She showed us all 10 fingers and all 10 toes, along with plenty of other bones and organs. We even got a really good look at his face, including his eyes, nose, and mouth. We saw him yawn, scratch his head, and wiggle a lot! The most amazing thing to me was how when I felt him kick, I could actually see it on the screen! It was just an amazing feeling.


So needless to say, we got several really good pictures. The BEST ONE OF ALL is the first one. I kid you not...our son is ripped! We got a picture of his bicep muscle. You can see a bump for his shoulder, then a huge bump for his bicep! Lonnie was so proud! (okay, I know you're all saying, that's really not his muscle. But I prefer to believe that he is a muscular boy, not really chunky. I'm actually terrified that we're going to have a humongous baby, after seeing that picture!) Here's a breakdown of all the pictures.


#1 - Baby's bicep
#2 - More proof that it's a boy - butt shot on the bottom right, still not sure what's on the top left
#3 & 4 - Baby's face - profile of his eye, nose, and mouth

#5 - Baby's foot

Thanks for all your prayers!

Ultrasound: Take Two

We went for our monthly check up this afternoon. Our doctor went over all the info from the ultrasound from two weeks ago and she said that she couldn't see the four chambers of the heart very clearly, so we're going back next week for a repeat ultrasound. She said it's nothing to worry about, it's just that baby's position made it hard to see the heart well. But that's not going to keep me from worrying!
We're trying to look at the bright side...at least we'll get to get another look at baby! And since we were disappointed with our last ultrasound, maybe this tech will be more friendly and more willing to print pictures for us.
Everything else seemed fine. Next month's visit is the dreaded diabetes test, so I am NOT looking forward to that.

On a completely unrelated note...here's a link to a story from Saginaw, Michigan, just a few minutes from where I grew up! It made the "weird headlines" section in our paper. Ha!
http://www.4029tv.com/news/14350211/detail.html


That's all for now...I'll try to post another belly picture sometime soon. It's starting to get big!

Ultrasound Pictures

I'm a few days late, but here they are!
The first one is the traditional 'it's a boy!' shot. He is curled up in a little ball, so all you can see is his head (on the right), and his legs on the left. The two round things towards the left/center are his knee caps, then his ankles are crossed at the far left.
This is pretty much the same shot, only a little clearer. You can see his shins and feet a little better. And that's all! We were a little disappointed we didn't get better pictures. I have a friend that's 3 weeks ahead of me, and she has a whole photo album of all her ultrasound pictures! Oh well...I guess that leaves more to the imagination.

Drumroll please...

It's a...
BOY!!!!

The ultrasound went well - heartrate was 144; brain, heart, kidneys, etc. looked great! He didn't move around much, but was in a position that didn't allow us to see a whole lot. We basically got to look down at the top of his head, and see his legs, which were crossed at the ankle. His hands were in front of his face most of the time, so we never got to see much of his face. I think he's showing his Willis qualities already - laid back and bashful.

So I guess little Lucy Lamp wasn't meant to be this time...maybe next time around. We're starting to stress a little about a name. We like the idea of an L name, but there aren't many we like. I like Levi, but Lonnie has a cousin named Levi. I've had many people suggest Landon. It's on the 'okay' list for now. Basically we have nothing on the 'good' name list, one on the 'okay' list, and hundreds on the 'never in a million years' list. So, if you have any good suggestions, let me know (just don't be offended if I shoot it down).

We got two pictures from the ultrasound, but I won't get to download them until Sunday. So check back then!

Doctor Visit Update

We went back to the doctor on Wednesday and everything looked great! The baby's heart rate was in the 140's this time, and my doctor made PERFECTLY clear that heart rate and gender are NOT connected! It was funny...I got about five words out of that question, and she already started rolling her eyes and saying "no, no, no..." I guess she's heard that before! :) She said that the heart rate changes with the baby's activities, so depending what he's doing, his heart rate may be higher or lower.

We scheduled the ultra sound day - October 4! It will be nice to know whether it's a boy or girl, but I really just want to know if everything looks okay. So....just a week and a half. And the best part is, we get to leave work early! 2:45 is the latest they could schedule it (unfortunately, it's less than a mile from my school, so I really only get to leave 5 minutes before the bell rings).

I forgot to blog this important happening...
I felt the baby move! It happened for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I read that starting around 16 weeks, it was possible, but it's usually more like 20 weeks before you can really start to feel anything, especially if it's your first child. So, right at 16 weeks, I started trying to pay attention to it. I learned that if I lay down, with no noise what so ever, and concentrate, then I could feel the baby moving around. It's so amazing - there really is a person in there! Lonnie was hoping he could put his hand on my belly and feel it, but I'm afraid it'll be several more weeks before we get a kick that strong!

I guess that's all that's happening for now....

We'll be sure and post next Thursday and let you know if we have a little princess or a football player!

I've got a belly!

Okay, I absolutely hate this picture, but I just knew you'd want to see my belly! We're amateurs at this picture thing, and still trying to figure out how to get the best "belly" picture. Now, I do NOT think that I look as pregnant as I do in this picture, but as Lonnie so kindly put it, "The picture doesn't lie!"

I've still been feeling pretty good. Just tired, but that's to be expected. I've only gained 2 pounds, which I worry is not enough, but everyone says it's not that big a deal. I guess I just figured to be a fat cow by now, especially after 5 months!

We head to the doctor tomorrow for our regular check-up, so I'll post an update tomorrow. Then we go back in two weeks to find out if it's a boy or girl!!!!

I've had several people ask me if I've started to look at baby stuff yet - clothes, bedding, decorations for the nursery, etc. I really haven't - I figure since we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, there's no point in looking. But yesterday the decorator in me starting getting ansy, so I got online and looked at bedding. I fell in love with a crib set from Walmart (who knew?). I just had to share it with you all...

It's just perfect! Trendy and not too girly. Anyways, I'm ready to start decorating! I guess I should probably wait til we know for sure if it's a girl or boy, though.

We are officially predicting...

A girl! Of course, we won't know for sure for at least 4 more weeks, but Lonnie and I have decided that we think it's a girl. Here is our reasoning:

• Even though we know it's more likely that we'll have a boy, thanks to the Lamp genes, there's always been a little part of me that really thinks it's going to be a girl.
• We cannot find ANY boy names that we like. And believe me, I've read the entire baby name book, but came up with nothing. We already have a girl named picked out (and have had it picked out since about week 7). That's gotta be a sign, right?
• The Chinese Lunar Calendar predicts a girl.
• We did a few of the "old wives tales" this weekend to predict the sex of the baby. They all pointed to a girl:

-The ring on a string test: It swung back and forth, which means it's supposed to be a girl

-Cravings: Now, I wouldn't say I've had any cravings yet, but for the whole pregnancy, even during the yucky nausea weeks, fruit has always sounded good to me. That's the only type of food that I've enjoyed eating the whole time. Supposedly sweet cravings means it's a girl, salty means a boy.

-Heartbeat: As I mentioned in the last post, the baby's heartbeat is in the 150's. A high heartrate supposedly means a girl, a low heartrate supposedly means a boy.

So, we're hoping to give you all a sweet little baby girl to love on! And don't worry, she will be extra sweet because Lonnie has put in his order for a non-crying, non-pooping, non-puking baby, so we'll only get the fun stuff - smiling, cooing, giggling, and so on. A man can dream, can't he?

Latest Doctor Visit

We went to the doctor on Monday and got a great report. We got to hear the heartbeat, which is just amazing - and a nice reminder that there really is a baby in there (it still doesn't seem real sometimes). She said the heartbeat was in the 150's, which is good. We go back in 4 weeks, and then again 2 weeks later. That visit will be the fun one - find out if it's a girl or a boy, and check all the anatomy to make sure everything is normal.

Now here's my question...
Several people at work are now convinced that we're having a girl after I told them the heartrate, since girls are supposed to have higher heartrates than boys. But Rachel says that's jibberish. Did anyone else out there in the blogging world experience a faster heartrate with a girl than a boy? Leave a comment...I'd really like to know.

Other news...

• I've almost survived my first week of school. We started on Monday, and it has been a LONG week! I can't get over how tired I am by 3:00 (well, by lunch, if I'm being honest). Needless to say, I've been going to bed very early this week! Poor Lonnie, I feel like I'm abandoning him!
• Surprise, surprise - still no computer. It is now on it's way back to Compaq for the THIRD time. Each time they return it, it's in the same condition as when we mailed it the first time. So Lonnie bought a used laptop from a guy at work, and we feel like we're living the high life again - actually having computer/internet/email access at our fingertips!
• Keira is TWO years old today! Happy birthday, Goosey! We love you!

Look at our little blob!

Okay...I know that this looks like nothing more than a blob, but it's OUR blob, and we're awful proud of him!

If you need help interpreting...

The top left is his head and the right side is his body. If you look close you can kind of see the arm buds, but you can't really see his legs.

And Tiffany asked a good question...I say HIM in reference to the baby - not because we know it's a boy, but just because we assume it will be. If you know the Lamps, you know there are a gazillion boys and not many girls (Lonnie is one of 3 boys, his aunt had 5 boys, and pretty much everyone else at least had a boy first before other girls). PLUS, I'd rather say HIM than IT - he is technically a fetus now, you know, not just an embryo. :)

Sorry it took so long to post, but now I know where to find a scanner so next time I can do it quicker.

We have a heartbeat! (and only one!)

This is long overdue, but here goes...

We had our first ultrasound last Monday and found out everything looks good! We got to see baby's heartbeat, and watch him wiggle around a lot. He was about an inch long then, but according to "the baby books," by next week (which is the end of my first trimester) baby should be almost 3 inches long!

I've been feeling pretty good lately. I went through a period of about 2-3 weeks where I had some lovely EVENING sickness. It would start around 4pm (oddly enough around the time that Lonnie gets home) and last until I went to bed. The third week was better, where the nausea didn't hit until around 8 or 9pm. The last week has been pretty good - I've only felt nauseous once or twice. Yeah!

I desperately want to post the ultrasound pictures, I just need to find someone with a scanner. So hopefully I can do that in the next week.

And for all your curious minds...
The computer is still winning our battle. We received the computer back from the company on Tuesday. I got my hopes up, thinking I'd be able to get online, but no such luck. Still no keyboard or mouse. They pretty much didn't fix a thing. So now we're waiting for them to mail us another box, so we can send it back to them, for them to NOT fix it again, and send it back to us, and the vicious cycle will go on and on...

Let the baby naming begin!

Even though we don't know if it's a girl or a boy yet, we can't help but think of names for Baby Lamp. Caden has been the biggest help so far. Here are some of his suggestions (notice they're all boy names - he won't even hear of the possibility of a girl cousin):

• Caden
• Herbert (this is a middle name of the several of the Lamp clan that Caden finds quite amusing)
• Meshach
• Abednego
• Daniel (these 3 were suggested on Sunday afternoon - can you guess what he learned about at church?)
• Baby Seth (I'm not sure where this one came from, but he is dead set on it. That's the name he almost always uses when referring to the baby.)

And, of course, Lonnie and Curt had some important input as well...

• Lava Lamp
• Ultra Violet Lamp
• Inca Descent Lamp
• Tiffany Lamp (that's Rachel's input)

Anyone else have some important naming ideas? I don't know if you can top these, but it's worth a try!

Computer Blues

The Lamps vs. Technology. Who do you think will win? Considering our computer has won Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, and well, ALL rounds, I'd bet money on technology. We've had huge computer issues over the last year and finally broke down and bought a new one in May. And of course, here we are a month and a half later, with more problems. It started around the time I decided to start a blog. The keyboard decided that the letters s and k; numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; and the ? were no longer needed, so they just stopped working. Granted, you can usually do without the letter k, but the letter s is pretty useful. That made my blogging and emailing quite amusing. Then a day later, the mouse decided it didn't want to work either, and the entire keyboard stopped working. So here we are with a brand new computer, but we can't use it without a keyboard or mouse. To make a long story short....after talking to Compaq for a long time, we have to FedEx our computer to them, pray that none of files accidentily get erased, and wait 7-10 days for it to come back, hopefully fixed. That may not be a big deal to some people, but I'm a Willis - a computer geek (thanks Dad!).

It's going to be a long week....


Moral of the story...don't count on too many posts in the coming week or two.

The news is out!

Well, for those of you that have not heard our exciting news, I'll inform you like we did most everyone else...




That's right! We're pregnant! Our little Night Light, as we like to call baby Lamp, is due February 23. We apparently tried to stick with the Willis/Lamp tradition of cramming in as many birthdays in January/February/March as humanly possible.

We were able to tell most of our family in person, since we had already planned on going up to Michigan/Indiana for vacation. We visited with my parents for a few days in Michigan (where my mom actually jumped up and down in excitement after hearing the news), then drove down to Indiana to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. And, of course, Lonnie's whole family lives here, so we were able to tell them in person as well. They were very excited to have another baby in the family, since it's been over 7 years since the last grandchild.

I had my first doctor's appointment yesterday (Tuesday), just for preliminary bloodwork, but will go back on July 23 for our first ultrasound! We'll be able to see the baby's heartbeat. Yea! We'll see how grossed out Lonnie gets during this whole process. :)

Anyways, I thought it was about time to join the blogging craze so you can all keep track of Baby Lamp's adventure into this world!