10 Week Mug Shot

I am starting to bubble out now. It is much harder to stay buttoned up all day. Typically after lunch I have to unbutton or the little baby can't breathe!

I have my energy back. I think that I realized that this weekend when I was able to hang with 18 teenage girls =) We went to Charlotte this weekend for the Revolve Tour which is the younger version of Women of Faith. It was a really awesome weekend with the girls. They had Natalie Grant, Hawk Nelson, KJ52, and Ayeisha Woods as the headliners singers, so the baby got some jams in. And Jenna Lucado and Chad Eastham were the speakers. Everything was really great and the girls got a lot out of the weekend. They learned a lot about guys that they didn't know and understand before. And they came to realize that they need to see themselves as treasures and not as targets!

Caution: Before you eat another Low Fat Strawberry Pop Tart

Ok so since I have been pregnant I have to eat 2 breakfasts. One before we leave for work and then another when I get to work. So I typically have a pop tart or a waffle in the morning because they are transportable. But this is the first time I have tried the Low Fat Strawberry. When I took it out of the toaster it crumbled in my hand and the filling burned my finger really, really, really bad. I mean where are the warnings! The thing just fell apart. This is the last time I try to be conscious about eating a little more on the healthy side. The regular poptarts have more consistency and hold together better. =)

I just thought I would warn everyone and also show my scar. The finger that was burned was the ring finger. (It is the bubble that is on my finger. Sorry if you are grossed out, but it is worse in real life)

The First Sighting of our Beach Baby!

Christina had her 2nd doctor's visit today and it went fantastically. Unfortunately, due to work, I was unable to go to this one, but hopefully the next ones I will be able to attend.

She met with the doctor and got her blood test back. We are happy to say that she is in excellent health and so is the baby. Doctor Hadlock was glad to see how well Christina has been feeling and he answered all her questions.

They confirmed that she is 9 weeks pregnant, and the baby is getting bigger each time.

We were so excited to be able to get a picture of the baby, and we both know that something beautiful is being created.

See what I have to deal with?!

The kittens love to be around us and they especially like to follow whoever is doing the most of something. So while I am upstairs trying to get school work done and Joe is downstairs watching tv they like to come up and disturb mommy! Currently while I am typing this post they are both back on my lap sleeping. The picture below was taken yesterday. It is going to get a whole lot trickier when I start getting a belly and the baby begins to compete for space. For now though it is nice to have 2 furry little blankets on my lap. Since I keep the temp in the house at 68, anything helps =)

Elsa's 1st Birthday!

Joe getting in the middle of it and enjoying all of his niece's and nephews.
Elsa blowing out her candle and getting prepped for the real fun!
It takes concentration to demolish a cake!
Yum!!! You can hardly recognize the cake =) Good job Elsa!
Generations of Kleaver/Garner/Noppenbergers!

Don't they look like a couple of Angels?

Logan, Savannah and I took a swing ride out front!

Elsa turned 1 on January 8th. She had her first party on Sunday, Jan 13th! She was adorable in her pink dress that was picked out by her daddy. Let's see if Joe can pull that when our baby turns 1 =) Good thing that kids clothes come in sets ;) There were over 30 people that came out to celebrate her special day with her. She was so good! I think that her favorite part was digging into her birthday cake.

Philly Trip

Joe at Tony Luke's, there was a slab of meat on that sandwich!
Anthony, Bonnie and Tommy - Anthony made it through an entire sub at each restaurant that we visited. Don't let his small size decieve you!
Charlie and Diane enjoying their subs (the proud parents of Anthony)
Jacob not impressed and Tonya laughing - I mean look at that face? =)
The two Jessica's! Casting their votes for the best place.

Brittanie and Melissa enjoying their subs!

Jayna and I happily finished with our first sub. The best thing was the pickles =)

The liberty bell (we did do something educational besides eat!)

The guys running to the top of the "Rocky Steps" Jacob is in the lead then Joe then Anthony, then Matt.
Group pic in front of the Art Museum. Diane is behind the camera!

I have no idea how someone could eat 13 in an hour, I am sure an ambulance was waiting out front!

Joe and I at the end of South Street!

Geno's looks like it belongs on the Vegas Strip. They were definitely patriotic. The other place was Pat's that was across the street from Geno's we missed the Kodak moment but it definitely lacked the flash...

Dunkirk Baptist took a trip with the College and Career and anyone else who wanted an adventure to Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love - in search of the best Philly Cheesesteak! Being pregnant this trip was right up my alley =) Joe and I had never really been to Philly so the city itself was awesome. There is tons of history, we really just got to scrape the surface. My favorite food place on the trip was Jim's steakhouse. Joe's was a toss up between Tony Luke's and Geno's.

Joe's First Day!

God answered our prayers and got Joe out of the working situation he was in and gave him a new opportunity and challenge. Joe started his first day at TSA today. He is going to really like the challenge and the new surroundings. He already has a ton of exciting stories to tell about what kinds of things he gets to do! It is so different from the pension environment it is going to take him a while to get adjusted =) (But in a good way) The other great thing is that he is only 1 stop away from me on the metro! He keeps getting closer and closer...

Our 1st Doctors Visit!!

Today was the day Christina and I have been waiting for, our 1st doctor's appointment. Our main concern was that we would find a place that the nurses and doctor were going to be nice and friendly to us as we were both nervous. This was the 1st time for Christina to go to this Dr.'s office as we decided that we would like to have our baby at the Anne Arundel Medical Center, and so it was a new doctor for her.
Now, this was the 1st time for me to ever go to a women's special place doctor before and I was very nervous about what I would be expecting. Christina gave me a quick rundown of what would be happening to prepare me for the visit.
So we get to the office and we find that everyone from the front desk to the nurses, to the doctor, are extremely friendly, laid back, and funny. They really loved Christina bc she came to the appointment with all the documents that they sent to her completely filled out, and we were early to the appointment. They said that never happens, so they were extremely delighted that it was done.
They did some blood tests on Christina and some others that are completely routine. They brought us into the examination room to get ready to see the doctor. Christina told me to sit down and just relax, as she sat on the table ready to get this party started.
I then realized that I was in the goal line, my chair was right at the end of the exam table where Christina sat. I asked if I could stand by her side and just hold her hand. She laughed and said of course, bc she knows I am still preparing myself for the big day and everything I will be seeing.
The doctor and his nurse came in and they started the examination. It was the first internal ultra-sound so we could get a small view of the baby. The doctor showed us the black pregnancy sack and they we saw the greatest sight we both have seen together, and small wiggly thing in the corner of the sack, it was our baby. There was a little blinking light on the screen near the baby and they told us that it was the baby's heartbeat. The doctor said that it was hard for him to get a measurement of the baby bc of the position the baby. He said the baby was looking like he was hiding in the corner, and that it looks like we were a little bit off from how along Christina was in her pregnancy. He said it looks like she might be 7-8 weeks pregnant instead of the 9 weeks we thought she was. He said it was no big deal at all, and that everything looks great and healthy.
Our next appointment will be in two weeks and he said that we will be amazed about how much bigger the baby will be when we come back bc they grow like crazy in the beginning stages.

The funny thing that happened while we were at the office was while I was in the waiting room, Christina went up to the staff and already apologized for how nervous/paranoid I will be in the weeks/months to follow. What can I say? =)

On to Week 9

I have a theory that I am having a boy. I have this theory because I have been doing some very boyish things. For instance I have been burping constantly and just seem to be packed full of gas. It is very unlady-like I know but I don't have much say. The other theory is because I am obsessed with meat. I have cravings for such food as meatloaf, beef stroganoff, chilli, pork, sausage, bacon, steak and cheese subs, etc. Forget the ice cream and candy, just give me the meat =). I have never made beef stronganoff in my life so I had to call my mom to get the reciepe and I have also never made meatloaf and certainly never had cravings for it. It is a good thing that this weekend we are going to Philly just for the food!!! I think the baby will be very satisfied this weekend.

My doctors appointment is in 2 days!!! =)

New Year's Eve

Joe and I decided to keep it local this New Years Eve! It was already going to be a challenge in itself to stay awake until 12:oo! So we decided to go to "The Brown's New Years Eve Bash". We had a really great time, with good food, games, and fellowship! As you might can tell from the picture I am a wee bit on the tired side but I made it to see the ball drop and see the fireworks on the water =)

Safety Tip #1 from Joe

Well, as you read in a previous post, I got a freakin sweet paintball gun for Christmas.
Recently, we had our monthly youth paintball event at our church this past weekend and I became one with Hammer (as I have given my gun a name). When we were leaving I decided to get my O2 tank refilled so I could do some shooting on the targets my lady put up for me in the backyard.
So we get home, get ready to go back out to some stores, all of a sudden we hear this loud pop and white smoke starts filling up our living room.
As calm as everyone knows I can be in pressure situations, we see that my gun bag is inflated, looking like the chubby girl in the willy wonka movie, and there is smoke coming out of it.
I grab the bag and run outside onto our front porch to let the white smoking bag air outside.
While I tried to unzip the bag, I realize that the smoke is the air in the tank and it is butt cold air, no joke. I unzip the bag and all the freezing white smoke comes rushing out onto my face.
In the bag I had my gun, some long barrels, my O2 tank, etc.
When I was taking everything out of the bag, it was all frozen and my hands started sticking to the stuff when I picked it up. Luckily I had just seen a preview to the new Rambo movie, which is gonna be awesome, and I tried to think like John Rambo, with quick fast movements.
So I quickly grabbed the contents inside the bag and gently laid them on the ground, bc if i walked into my work with a gun barrel frozenly stuck in one hand, and a cleaning solution in the other, I would get even more looks. =)

After further examination of the gear, I found out that my O2 tank must of been overfilled and was kept in a compressed gun bag. So that is what popped, the air in my O2 tank.

I am happy to say that all is back in working condition.

So remember kids, don't get your O2 tanks overfilled, and keep them in a basement.

Hugs not Drugs,
Joe of Garner

8 weeks =)

Not much of a belly yet but it will get there, the baby is about the size of a kidney bean so far.

My body is beginning to change and I am starting to finally feel some of the not so fun things. I have to finally realize I can't move quite as fast as I used to and still feel ok. 4:30am is not as easy to get up as it used to (not that it ever was super easy to begin with). My clothes are beginning to get a little more snug around the waist, so it is getting harder to pick out clothes in the morning. Thank goodness however I have 2 wardrobes to choose from now that Jennifer is staying with us =) I cannot wait to go to the doctor next week to hear the heartbeat and know that everything is OK. It will definitely give me a peace of mind!