Nelsonblog

Yup-  THAT’S my boy…  erm…or girl…  okay, CHILD.
(click the pic to enlarge)

Baby’s doing great.  163 little heart-beats per minute.  They weren’t able to get a reliable length because of…  well…  I don’t actually know why, they just couldn’t.

Mommys doing reasonable well, too.  Though she had a killer migrane yesterday.  She went directly home after the visit.  Poor sweetie.  The doctor told her that more migranes are a possibility due to increased hormones.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend this doctor’s visit-  I had to be at job-sites in Rancho Cucamonga and Whittier at last minute.  Phooey.

Everything’s going reasonably smoothly-  thank the Lord.

Presenting to you, Nicolas David Christensen!

No, it’s not our baby, silly.  It’s Susan’s brother Brian’s new son!  Congratulation, guys! 

He’s a healthy little guy!  8 lbs 14 ounces, 21 inches long, and a 9.1 on the baby health rating (whatever that is).

You can click the picture to see a few more.

Sue and I went to San Diego’s Wild Animal Park yesterday with our friends Mike and Tara today!

We had alot of fun, BUT-

It was almost 100 degrees out!

 oh man, we were sweating like CRAZY.

Saw a bunch of cool animals, I had never been there before-  We took 102 pictures, which you may peruse HERE.

By the time we got home, Sue was so tired, she was a ZOMBIE .  Poor baby. 

She sure looked cute in her fancy new maternity outfit, however!

.We’re going to the Wild animal park today with Mike and Tara -

Sue went out and bought maternity Capris and tanktop.

Isn’t she cute?

Susan’s been getting queasy every afternoon the past few days.  We’re thinking that her progesterone levels are leveling out (she’s been taking supplements because they’ve been low) and that’s what’s causing the queasyness.

Poor baby.

Here is a picture of what our baby looks like this week!  Absolutely amazing!

Growing up I always thought one day I would get married and have children – it just seemed like the natural thing to do.  I really never questioned why I would or wouldn’t have children – just seems like everyone does eventually.  Even when Chris and I started talking about having children last year I really never asked myself why – it just seemed to be the natural direction that a married couple takes. 

But now, here I am, almost done with my first trimester and now I wonder the question – why?  Why become pregnant and suffer morning sickness, exhaustion, my body being shifted and rearranged to accommodate this little human, the muscle aches, the inability to focus, the intense emotions, frequent tears, running to the bathroom often, lack of sleep, change of diet, no caffeine, and the sight of my freedom slowly fading away as the reality kicks in I am now responsible for this child growing in me – forever!

Why give life to a child that is totally reliant on me, for years will disturb my sleeping patterns and when they become older they will talk back to me and be ungrateful for everything I have sacrificed for them.  Why?  If I were a pessimist – I might thing that the amount of sacrifice outweighs the little return a baby may bring.

But being the optimist that I am – I search for the good – even in times when I feel like throwing in the towel. I thought of how lonely life would be with out children, how children will be an extension of Chris’ and my love, and how I long for someone to call me “mommy.”  But I was having a difficult time summing it up as to why I am signing up for the only 24 hours/7 days a week job – parenthood. 

As I was searching this past weekend – trying to find an answer – Chris, without knowing my thoughts and frustration,  summed it up for me “Children are beautiful.”  No complexity to the statement, no fancy equations – but the simple fact – “Children are beautiful.”

I have come back to that statement many times in the last few days – when the morning sickness kicks in, when my muscles hurt, and when the fears of how I will ever be a good parent arise – I find comfort in the fact that something of such beauty – I have been blessed with.  I have a miracle growing inside of me – God has blessed us and has further demonstrated his love by giving us this child.  Children are really beautiful – I can’t wait to see how beautiful our child is!

Chris and I took our first official walk through a fully equipped baby department.  By official – I mean – I’m actually pregnant and don’t have to drag Chris (as much) through the department – he can no longer use the excuse that we can’t look because of not being pregnant.

 My first thought, how can something so little require SO MUCH STUFF!!  There were walls full of baby items (bottles, lotions, diapers, clothes) and the show room was full of baby furniture, strollers, highchairs, bouncers, swings, play pens, cradles, bassinets.  I didn’t know where to begin.

 At one point I looked at Chris and started to cry, right in the middle of the store in front of the toy section.  I didn’t know where to begin – I couldn’t even put words to all of the emotions that were racing through my head – how do I know what is the right thing to get – there were SO many choices.  I didn’t know what our baby would like or dislike, need or not need.

 I’m trying to be realistic as possible and that learning to be a parent comes with time and practice – but facing a store full of baby stuff – full of my future was kinda scary!

So, Chris held his tearing up wife and reassured me it would be okay.  We will get through this.  We still have seven months to figure out what we need and we don’t have to have all the answers right now. And most importantly – we will do it together – I am no alone in this adventure of parenthood.

 Thank you to my husband for being so awesome and such a rock!  I know that he gets scared at times, too, but when he sees the tears in my eyes he becomes a solid shoulder to cry on and my support. I love you! Oh boy, just writing this the tears are beginning to surface. XOXO