Its a GIRL!!

Happy Valentines Day from our sweet baby GIRL!! Such an exciting appointment.  At 17 weeks and 4 days we had an ultrasound that looked very closely at all her developing structures, organs, neurology etc. The doctor could not promise we would be able to find out the gender at this appointment, however once we were there she reported without hesitancy that we had a sweet little baby girl moving all about. 

Baby girl ... You put on quite the show and we were so excited to see you from a variety of angles as you moved all about.  You were so active kicking, flipping and turning that it took the US tech a while to chase you down and get the pictures of important structures she was looking for.  We watched fluid travel through your throat as you took several gulps, probably thirsty from all that moving and playing.  True to your daddy's form you stuck your tongue out at the camera and blocked your face with your hands when you had enough of the poking and prodding .... 

17 weeks 4 days on 2/13/12

A fun little surprise for us .. the US tech wanted to play with the new US machine the office received just the week before and asked if we would mind for her to switch it over to 3D for practice ...

We had the best Valentines day yet staying home with take out Chinese food and starting our first baby registry for our baby girl ...

13 week ultrasound

It looks like a baby!! This appointment was a lot of fun.  We were both so excited to see baby look like an actual baby  ... and what a sweet little profile.  Daddy was gleaming!  Healthy heart rate at 157 bmp and not much else going on this early in the pregnancy. 

13 week ultrasound on 1/12/12

Due July 19th ...

There's really something happening in there ... Our first doctor's appointment on 12/19/11 at 9 weeks.  The doctor confirmed with this pic of something tiny and not at all looking like a baby. Ha!

We shared the news with all of our family in Texas when we went home to celebrate the Christmas holidays.  Travis' family is large and informal and enjoys each others company celebrating over food and relaxation in the lucky hostess' home ... so it was fitting to have one of his nieces read a loud the christmas card to the family as everyone relaxed after lunch.  "Merry Christmas from Travis, Danielle, Chopper and the newest addition of the family, who will be looking forward to all your hugs and kisses in July"...

As for my family, sitting at the breakfast table with my parents, brother and uncle, we had my mom open the Christmas card with this picture inside that said Merry Christmas from the newest addition ...

November 11th 2011 ....

A typical Friday morning.  Up at 5:00 am getting ready for work, thinking I am going in early to get paperwork done before my first clients arrive.  Being quiet, knowing Travis will be sleeping a while longer until he has to start his day.  Looking around the tiny little apartment thinking how excited I am to be closing on our new house in only 2 weeks and being able to enjoy all the new space.  A very typical morning, until a thought crossed my mind, very casually.  I gave this thought some consideration and then a little investigation ... and moved on to brushing my teeth ... and for a few minutes forgot about it all together.  Until I looked down, tooth brushing still in progress, and my heart stopped .... this time there were actually TWO pink lines.  I expected there to just be one, as it were several times before ... but this morning ... there were two.

Previously, I thought a lot about all the cute ways I would someday share this great news with Travis.  And, I had quite a few fantastic options to go with ... but at 5:00 am, with the tooth brush still in my mouth and shock on my face, that all went out the window as I turned on his bedside lamp and shoved an unfamiliar object in his face waiting for him to clarify that yes in fact ... the two pinks line were there and this time ... I am Pregnant!!!!!

Welcome Home ...

Hooray for Moving Day!! After much anticipation we finally closed on our new home on Wednesday, 11/30/11 and began moving promptly on Friday afternoon.  Thanks to great friends who persevered through until the wee hours of the early morning, we stayed our first night in the house Friday night and worked through the weekend to have everything unpacked and livable by the time the work week rolled around.  So here we are, home sweet home in Fayetteville, so close to work and school. The 5 minute commute is way better than 45 minutes as it was before .... 

The new house well underway .....

For the past several months we have been cozy in our little apartment as we are waiting for our house to be completed.  I have had a lot going on and have not been posting pictures of the process as I intended .. but here they are better late than never....

officially broke ground 8/26/11

9/3/11

foundation complete 9/10/11

It looks like a house!! Yay!! 

we have walls .... 

Travis says he is standing in our bedroom ....

 .... and that I am standing in the living room. I have no idea.

Walls up. Insides well underway (10/30/11)

lots of equipment all over the place ....

.... including the ever important, half gone, bottle of Jagger left on the the mantle. Ha!

Hopefully we will close and move in the week after thanksgiving!! Can not wait!!

Hopefully there will be many more pics soon!



Ready for Ukraine

Packing is completed and the time has come to board our first plane in just a few hours.  Our group of seven is leaving Saturday morning to join Amy who will be waiting for us in Ukraine.  She has been there for one week already with a group of four.  Her group members will be passing us in the air as they are on their way home and we are on our way to take their place.  It was a large group effort to get this team ready to go ...

Holly breaking down wheelchairs into pieces ... 

 

Kym fitting those pieces into suitcases

Everyone doing their part to get all the equipment packed.  The rules are that when flying internationally you are allowed two large suitcases, but on this team, you donate your two suitcases to the trip to be filled with equipment and supplies.  You use a carry-on backpack for your personal belonging and carry the suitcases with equipment from here to other side of the world.   

The trick is that each suitcase can only weigh 50 lbs. according to airline rules.  Walkers, wheelchairs, braces and therapy equipment is heavy and cumbersome, so it takes a lot of packing, weighing, re-arranging and re-weighing in order to make sure each piece of luggage is correct weight and dimension. 

A lot of donated braces and shoes traveling to the other side of the world to be delivered to children in significant need ...

We are traveling with 15 large suitcases, packed to the max with equipment, as well as 7 walkers and 3 wheelchairs that we will gait check and carry by hand through the airports and on and off the airplanes.

These are my five-star accommodations ... complete with 8 days worth of power bars, travel toilet paper (apparently you don't take that for granted over there) and my car shammy bath towel.  I have everything I need for the week and I am so ready to get gone!!

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, donations, and words of encouragement.  I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team of people with both those who I am traveling with and those who are supporting us here at home.  Thank you SO SO much!!

Please follow us this week at our blog : http://www.teamworksukraine.com/?cat=4