~end of JAN. 2012

  Well it’s almost February..! I’m hoping the rest of the winter goes by fast…. I can’t WAIT for warmer weather!! (even though this winter hasn’t been as cold as last yrs).

  We’ve got some Baby things accomplished in the past 2 wks…! I am now 23 wks and 1 day pregnant and she’s still active as ever!! I hate it that we don’t get anymore ultrasounds… but at least we get to hear the heartbeat at the 24 wk appt. next Monday! I’m soooo thankful for all my wonderful supportive friends, family, & coworkers! My cousin Ashley has so graciously given me loads of baby girl clothes, accessories, toys, a bath and a walker! JP's coworker gave us a highchair! And my friends & coworkers that are new moms have given me sooo much useful advice!!! Thanks everyone :-)

  About a week ago we ordered her crib and Daddy put it together! So far her Nursery consists of a crib frame and an aquarium… lol, but we still have lil less than 4 months! We also recently did our Baby Registry at Babys R Us, Sears, & Walmart. My friends helped me so much in letting me know exactly what I need and what are just extras….~ It was very helpful attending my cousin Samantha’s Baby Shower a couple weeks ago ;) Speaking of Baby Shower, my sister Kaela and cousin Paige have my Baby Shower planned for Sunday April 1^st at 2:30-4:30PM (April Fools Day! Lol)… I can’t wait!! We had to pick a day that my mom would be visiting from NC so she could attend ;-)

  Soooo.. I am starting to wear Maternity Jeans… and I Love them! At first I didn’t want to waste money on them but my husband encouraged me saying I will definitely get my use out of them.. and he was right!! I would wear these when I’m not pregnant~ So comfortable! But I am looking forward to the warm weather when I can just throw on a sundress and flops!! I am also so glad that my 10 wks of nausea in the fist trimester is long gone!! Now I don't even really feel pregnant besides the every once in a while acid reflux (That I've never had before and am beginning to loathe)... and her doing the occasional flip in my stomach! & I have now got my appetite back times 2! I feel like I am always hungry... and controlling myself is becoming really hard :-/ Daddy was finally able to feel her this past wknd! We were play wrestling (gently, lol) and all of a sudden it felt like the left side of my stomach was being stretched out... it was her head! you could see the shape of it perfectly and he was able to rub it until she moved... =)

  I also received all my Benefit time this month and it looks like with that and Maternity Leave I will be taking about 2 months off when she is born..! I could have 3 but I want to save some of my time for her Doc appt.'s etc...~ While John Paul is still buying and selling aquarium items... I have become PINTEREST addicted with all the Nursery ideas and Baby items… If everything goes as planned and were able to pull it off, her Ocean Nursery is going to look Fabulous!!!<-- Even though it’s going to be a Lot of work… especially since we plan on making just about everything!~ It certainly makes it more special that way ;-)

  Well that's about all that's going on new in our lives... We are just trying to enjoy our 1st yr of marriage together & looking forward to meeting Blakely in a few months!!!!

Pregnant Belly~!13.5wks-30wks

 13.5 weeks Pregnant~

 16 weeks Pregnant~

20 weeks and 2 days~

22 wks & 3 days~

24 wks & 3 days~

27 wks & 2 days~

30 wks~

~Recap of 2011 into Jan. 2012

                                               Lyrics from our 1st Dance Song :)

                                                            Rainforest in Puerto Rico!

 

   

  Well since sooo many wonderful things have happened in the past year I thought it would be a good idea to document it all~ As well as the events we have to come :))

 

  The year 2011 was a VERY busy year for JP and me.  He had proposed to me in Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, NC in May 2010 and we planned our wedding for a year, which we had on May 14, '11. All the planning, DIY decorations, & stressful deadlines were all worth it…It was the best day of my life! We had friends and family come from all over to join us on the joyous occasion at Equus Run Vineyards in Midway, KY. We had to fight off some drizzling rain here and there, but we made it work to our advantage in pictures! We had so much help from friends & family that day to distress us as much as possible ;-) Of course we forgot odds and ends like the corsages/boutonnieres, putting my veil over my face, and everyone loved the wine so much that dwindled down quick! But the whole day still ended up being perfect. I married my soulmate & it was truly magical :)

  Then 4 months later in September 2011 we found out we were having a baby!! We didn’t tell anyone until Thanksgiving when I was about 13 wks pregnant. We wanted to be able to tell my parents in North Carolina in person. It was sooo hard keeping such an exciting secret! It’s my parents 1^st grandchild and JP’s parents 5^th grandchild. Right before Christmas we went to Fetal Photography to find out the sex: it’s a GIRL~! Her name is Blakely Joyce Bodner. We chose Blakely because we thought it was delightfully unique & we didn’t know a soul that had the name and Joyce because his grandmother and my grandmother on both of our mom’s side have that as a first name. We have had an 8 wk, 12 wk, 16 wk, & 20 wk ultrasound, and I am now 21 wks & 2 days. The doctor said I won’t have anymore ultrasounds unless they find problems of any kind. It’s going to be difficult waiting around 4 months to see her again! Every ultrasound we have gotten the doctor told us she’s one of the most active baby's they have ever seen! One said, “You all better get your running shoes ready cause this lil one is going to keep you busy!” Mommy & Daddy always like to stay busy running around, so she’s got it from both sides! She is also 5 days bigger than her 5-27-12 due date….. so either a big baby (which we both were) or an early baby!?!

  We just celebrated each of our Birthdays! John Paul turned 25 on Dec. 17^th & I turned 26 on Jan. 3^rd. We had a great Thanksgiving in Havelock, NC with my parents then they came to KY mid-Dec for the Holidays. We had a wonderful Christmas in Danville, KY with both of our families! I was also Baptized at Shelby Baptist Church in July 2011~ Such an Amazing feeling!!

  At the present time we both stay busy working our full time jobs: Me in Lexington at Registrat-Mapi, where I’ve been since June ’10 and JP in Danville at BCTC where he’s been on and off for a year now. We also still teach night class at National college in Danville, me once a week and JP 3 times a week.

  For anyone that knows my husband knows he finds a hobby and dives fully into it…. Well his newest one that has been going on for about 5 months is Saltwater aquariums. He has built about 3 of them as well as the newest largest one that is in Blakely’s Nursery. It’s a beautiful coral custom designed stand with white trim and a colorful ocean filled tank on top. He loves to spend time in our garage working away at making new stands, live rock, and anything else he can sell to other saltwater enthusiasts on Craigslist & the Reef site. I love that he’s really found something he is passionate about! (& maybe he'll stick w/ this hobby?!) Now it makes it really easy for us to pick her nursery theme: Coral and White Ocean theme! We are slowly but surely breaking ground on that next big step on our to do list.

  Well hopefully I can keep up with this blog. Seems like a great way to keep track of life’s magnificent happenings! :)

I DO!