A delayed Christmas

Christmas was an extended event for us this year. Nick brought our gifts to each other up to the hospital for us to open.

Ironically, I had wrapped up the ultrasound pictures for him, not knowing he would actually be here on Christmas. After months of working very hard (on a four year project) I finally finished knitting Nick a blanket, in perfect time too.

Once we got home from the hospital my parents, sister and her family came up so we could open presents from each other together.

 We opened everything from Nick's parents, and my parents.

 We were so surprised that we had received so many nice things. We certainly do have a generous family.

 Everyone took turns holding baby William, even Aaron and Zach held him, and they both did a great job.

 The kids helped us open the mountain of gifts everyone sent for William.

It was a great evening spent together as a family. We are so lucky to have such wonderful and loving people in our lives, especially this time of the year.

An unforgetable Christmas

This year we received what can only be described as a Christmas miracle, the best Christmas gift ever. At 3 o'clock that morning William decided he was ready to be here, breaking my water. We quickly packed our bags and headed to the hospital.

At 8:30 labor finally started.

Despite the fact that it was a holiday, my sister Kim came to help me through it all, and without her and Nick I know I couldn't have done it. 

Just a short seven hours later our baby, William Tyler was born (3:52). He weighed 6 lbs and 14 oz and measured 20 inches long.  

My parents were making there way here as he was born, so as soon as their plain landed they were brought to the hospital to see their newest Grand baby, number 13.

We are so happy to have him here, and blessed that he was perfectly healthy.

 It is so true that there is nothing like motherhood. You carry this baby for nine months, experience hours of excruciating pain, yet once they get here, you can't help but love them just as much, if not more, than anyone else in your life.

And now we wait

I love this time of the year, Christmas is such a wonderful holiday when everyone is so happy and there are so many good things going on. This year, we are waiting for more than Christmas and Santa to come though.

Nick is suppose to be getting his projection of where his next duty station will be this week. It seems that he is the only one in his class that hasn't gotten it yet, so we just keep waiting and checking. Hopefully it will come out soon so we can start planning for the next stage of our adventure.

And of course, the best and most exciting thing we are waiting for is William's appearance. Despite my best efforts, he seems determined to stay in there until we force him out. Right now the plan is to go in the afternoon of Tuesday the 27th so get prepped for the induction and sometime in the early morning of the 28th I will actually get induced.

The best Christmas present

After six long months, Nick finally made it home.

 He came in Saturday afternoon, and will be here for 17 days. My Sister and her family came with me to pick him up, and the kids even made a "Welcome home" sign for him, and they did a great job!

Although I have seen him twice since he left, it is so great to have him home, especially on this holiday so focused on family.

I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present.

Even though he is a Grinch, he helped me decorate the tree. It was the first year we have had the space to put up our new tree, so we had to string the lights on.

Although we were short one strand, I would say it turned out pretty good, and we had a blast doing it.

Ready for baby William

With this being my last week of work, and Nick coming home today I wanted to make sure that we were more than ready for baby William whenever he decided to make his grand appearance.

I got the changing table set up and stocked up, the bassinet is full of blankets and ready to.

The car seat is in the car and I have finally finished all of the projects I've started to decorate the nursery with.

We can't wait for him to arrive, and we couldn't have asked for better timing since Nick will be here until the 2nd of January. He may have missed every doctors appointment, the fun of feeling him kick of have the hiccups, but he will be here when he is born, and that is the most important part.

So many exciting things

With only two more weeks till my induction date, and Nick coming home on Saturday, this is my last week of work.

I started about a week after we got here last March, and have really grown to like the people I work with. In an office full of men, and truck drivers too, I didn't think I would fit in at all but it turned out to be the opposite. We have become friends over the months, and with Nick being gone especially I know that if I ever needed anything at all, there would always be one availible to help me. So leaving is a little bitter sweet.

Thanksgiving weekend

The rest of the weekend we just spent hanging out, enjoying our time together.

Friday we went to the National Aquarium and had a blast.

 We saw lots of cool fish while we were there, they even had a white alligator.

 We finally found the tank with the sharks in it, and I tried so hard to get a picture of the big one they had, but he was to quick for my camera.

This guy was one of Nick's favorites, so he told me I had to get face to face with him and get a personal picture.

It was so nice to be with him, without a bunch of rules of where he could go, what he could do. To just be with my husband.

The weekend went by to quickly, which is to be expected. But he will be here on the 17th and has 17 days till he has to go back. That will certainly be a nice time with him.