Dear Our Sweet Lemon,

Hip Hip Hooray...we have officially made it through what many call the toughest time of pregnancy, the first trimester!! Due to your compliance (and I thank you so much!), we have had a really great first 14 weeks with no nausea, just a few crying spells (when I see any dog away from his home, I immediately think he's stray and the flood gates open), and occasionally fighting through times of being extremely tired. I will take that! I was told last week by a dear friend that I could hear your heartbeat if I used my stethoscope. This was exciting news!! I went straight home that evening to listen to your little pitter patter, however, I couldn't seem to find it. Not to worry, we went to the doctor this week, and heard your heart beat for the very first time. This is the sound we had been waiting to hear since we found out we had been blessed by your existence. Once again, I looked at your dad, and tears filled his eyes. He loves you so much. Your heart beat at the beginning of week 14 was a strong 152. The doctor was very pleased with your development. You are now the size of a large lemon, about 3 1/2 inches in length, and you weigh 1 1/2 ounces. Who knew something so tiny could be loved so much? This week you will be starting to squint your eyes, learning how to frown and grimace, pee, and suck your thumb. Your facial muscles are getting a workout as your tiny features change from one expression after another. Sometimes I wish there was a little window to be able to peek into to see your little face. My stomach is starting to protrude a little, which is fun to see you start growing! My craving this last week consisted of sausage, egg and cheese biscuits...eeeekkkkk :/
After my 3rd one, it began to taste a little repulsive to me. No harm done right? It was just 3...
We go back to the doctor December 22nd for our 18 week check-up and then just two weeks later we will find out what you are!!!! We tried to talk Dr. Martin into letting us find out sooner, but she wouldn't budge. Oh well, you are worth the wait.

We love you so so much,

Mom, Dad and Mayer

Our Precious Little Shrimp,

Today you are just over 3 inches long. It is amazing how you can be so small, yet your body already has so many functioning parts. This week you are the size of a shrimp! Your dad and I are so eager each week to read what new things you are doing and how you are growing. You have no idea how much you are loved already. We were able to see you for the first time 2 weeks ago on our first sonogram, and when trying to ask your dad if he could see your heart fluttering on the monitor, there was no response for a bit because tears of joy filled his eyes by just seeing your very existence. Your dad already talks to you frequently and kisses you every time he gets a chance. I think you already have your biggest fan. We are SO excited to be your parents! We promise to love you the best we know how, to demonstrate and show you the unconditional love that is exhibited by Christ, and raise you with a foundation that enables you to know that in His eyes you are righteous, you are perfect, you are enough. Until your arrival (May 27th as of now), we will be preparing for you the best we know how. My nightstand is currently occupied by 3 books! However, I have a feeling that most of the learning is going to be trial and error. Ha! I would like to thank you for keeping the nausea to a bare minimum. It would make it extremely difficult to leave class frequently to lose every ounce of food I've consumed. As far as all of the other symptoms that are considered "normal" for being pregnant, I feel like I've done pretty well. I have only had one hysterical cry on the kitchen floor because I was so incredibly tired. But not to worry, your dad never made me feel like a crazy person. He just encouraged me, while Mayer was there to lick up all the tears as they were flowing very rapidly down my cheeks. There is a great team waiting for you here! :) We love you so much, and we thank God every day for allowing us to be your parents one day.



Lots and lots of love,



Mom, Dad and Mayer

Yikes!!

A couple weeks ago, Lance was about to head out of town for a long weekend at the lake with some friends he gets to see a couple times a year. It was already a longer day at work than he anticipated, and then....yikes!!!! At the end of everyday, he has to unload the back of his truck that is home to VERY heavy drill bits. Well, he was unloading a bit that was 315 pounds and whamo...finger is smashed! Thankfully, they are required to wear these certain gloves that protect the bones of their hands, BUT...his finger was blown out! Ewwwwww!! He had to go to the ER to have it xrayed, where they thought for sure it was broken, his finger nail was removed and they had to stitch him back up again. Thank you Baker Hughes for the saftey guidelines you place on these guys to wear the correct gloves...his bones were very much in tact. Here is a pic of the lovely finger for those of you who don't have a week belly. :)

Carrie Underwood! Whoop!!

Last Saturday, October 9th, we went with the Grimes' to the Carrie Underwood concert. It was PHENOMENAL! I love love love Carrie! She is such a great role model to little ones, and I love that about her. We got these tickets back in May, so I had been counting down the months until the big day. It was no disappointment! She puts on a great Concert! Thanks Jon for the amazing tickets! And thanks Grimes' family for a great time! We had so much fun.

Heels and Hills 10K!

Last weekend Lance and I ran our first 10k (6.2 miles) together! The race was in Las Colinas this past Sunday and it was really a lot of fun! My Mom, Sister and Emersyn came along too. They did the 5K together. The weather was so great, it was so cool and oh so fall like. Perfect running weather. This is the beginning of our running plans!! Our next goal is a half marathon. Let the good times roll!!

Congrats friends and family...if you haven't seen what I look like when I wake up, now you have! Don't you feel so fortunate! Ha!!

The Amazing, The Beautiful, The Absolutely Stunning, The PERFECT...Emersyn Rose Kennedy!!

She's here!! Yes, much to Heather's doctors' surprise, she delivered on her due date (8-9-10) with a couple of hours to spare! Her Doctor cleared his schedule for August 18th, because he was sure he was going to have to induce her, but Emersyn had a plan all her own! Heather had quite a tough day with 22 long hours of labor and then ended up having a c-section. She did such a great job all 22 hours! I probably heard her say 975 times that she was starving in all of those long hours, but she chomped away on ice chips and occasionally we would sneak a few sips of water...Sorry Jeremy! Hands down, she was a great patient and endured a long labor so very well! For a little story time...Lance and I had gone to the lake a few days the week prior to Emersyn's arrival date, and then finished up our weekend (we were celebrating our anniversary that weekend) in Dallas. We left to come home Sunday afternoon and had to make it back by 6pm to get to our church group we meet with on Sundays. We live in Longview which is about a 45 minute drive from Tyler so we drove straight into Tyler where we were meeting our group, but we got there a couple hours early. To kill time we decided to do some shopping, went and threw Mayer his ball in a field, you know just trying to find things to do until 6 o'clock. During this time we COMPLETELY forgot that when we left the following week for our lake trip, that we left from my office in TYLER and my car was still sitting at the office. Our plan all along was to pick up the car on our way back since we were going to be in Tyler Sunday night. Sunday, it never crossed our minds. After church group, we go all the way home to Longview, raise the garage, and Lance says, "Andrea, someone stole your car." Then without hesitation or a pause between sentences he immediately says, "we left your car in Tyler." Well, the time is now 9pm, we are exhausted. We leave to go get the car, get back home and as we are getting ready for bed, Heather is calling because her water broke!!!! Well, all of my tiredness escaped me and I was ready to hit the road back to Dallas. I picked up my bag of dirty clothes from our previous outing and I was on my way! I was so ready to see that little girl. I had been anticipating every little thing about her for so long, and I couldn't miss a thing. I mean this little girl has my entire heart! She is so precious, I don't want to put her down when I'm holding her and I miss her everyday. She is amazing...

Emersyn came out with some claws! But, nothing Aunt Annie and a finger nail file can't fix! :)

She already has such a special place in Uncle Lance's heart!!

This is my favorite pic of her!!

Resting after a good feeding :)

Ahhhhhhh....I love her...

What a great little outfit! I was about to change her diaper here, but after we got the 3rd diaper on her, she wasn't able to wear this anymore. She peed twice all over everything. Dang it. I will get better! Ha!

One day old!

And...how could we forget Oscar and Mayer?! :)

July 28, 2010

Happy Anniversary!! Where have the 3 years of marriage come and gone to? These past three years have honestly been the most amazing years of my life. Talking to people about marriage before tying the knot truly scared me to death! "The first year is the hardest", "after the honeymoon stage is over, it's all down hill from there", "just wait, after you live together for a while, you won't look at each other the same." I mean what a death sentence right?? Who wants to sign up for that? Ha!! I can say with an honest heart that the man of my dreams 8 years ago, is still the man of my dreams today. Life, love and relationships is everything you make of them. Lance and I came into marriage naive, open hearted, and on our knees asking God to direct us every step of the way. It has been far from perfect, but every bit beyond amazing! I thank God every day wondering how in the world I received a man that loves God first and then myself. Nothing short of that is every bit of what I wanted in a mate. To wake up beside a man and know that everyday of his life he strives to be the best husband, and put my feelings and desires before his own is mind boggling. I am very thankful and at a loss for words for the gratitude in my heart for such a stand up man. Ok...enough with the mush right? Haha! Thank YOU to all of you who invest in our lives, you mean more to us than you will ever know! 3 years down and a lifetime to go!