6 months: the moment you have all been waiting for...

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pa·tri·ot
n.
One who loves, supports, and defends one's country.

[French patriote, from Old French, compatriot, from Late Latin patriôta, from Greek patriôtçs, from patrios, of one's fathers, from patçr, patr-, father.]
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1 Peter 2:9
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Psalm 33:12-22:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

We could have you start guessing his middle name, but we've put you through enough torture for one pregnancy. His middle name will be Shane, same as his daddy's middle name.

Not only do we want Patriot to adore this beloved USof A, we want him to help this nation rise up to honor our Lord. May he be a strong leader, grounded in his faith.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby patriot shane


Patriot's World: (i've waited months to write that, nic!)

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
Your baby can hear more and more now, and you may even notice his startle at loud, sudden noises. But he's probably getting used to the regular noises he hears around the house, such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner. Many new parents are surprised by how unfazed their newborns seem by sounds like these, but if you think about it, they've had months to get accustomed to them.

a few more cruise pix...

How we began and ended our trip--with our sweet friends the Watsons.

What 7 days of eating will do to ya.
(j/k--but am i really that preggo?)

four little words made our tummies SO happy:

warm chocolate melting cake (yes, again)

great photo op in Cozumel

a sweet ship!

a cool ship--ice sculptures are amazing!

Ooodles and ooodles of yum!

little us, big boat (ha to the little me anymore!))

margaritaville view from the booze cruise!

Josh enjoying the water activities.

Jimmy Buffet's MARGARITAVILLE

(well, i enjoyed a small virgin strawberry daquri)

We heart our towel animals! (this could be a pig or a pup,

depending upon your interpretation!)

Self portrait over the railing on formal night.

Our fabulous table for 2!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake and Creme Brulee--YUM!

Bon Voyage!


New PIX above--start from here and work your way up!

josh and i cuddling a sting-ray in Grand Cayman

our new friend smiles for the camera!

week # 23-back to reality

Matthew 11:28:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

And rest we did this week! Seven glorious days of eating, sleeping, snokeling and relaxing! Our cruise was the perfect getaway "Babymoon". Designed especially for preggos, we enjoyed late mornings, delish foods every 3 hours, and had room stewards to take care of the cleaning and straightening-- heavenly=:0) One activity we enjoyed daily was our 2 hour dinner for 2, which ended every night with warm chocolate melting cake & a glass of cold milk--YUM!

(ps--josh added a little flavor to the writing this week so enjoy!)

We had 3 unique ports of call, Jamaica, Grand Cayman & Cozumel. Jamaica had pretty scenery, but the snokeling was lacking. Cozumel's reef was in pretty rough shape post-hurricane, but Grand Cayman made up for it...we loved it! From kissing giant sting-rays to basking next to crystal clear water that looked too good to be true, we hated to leave! I'm thinking a little villa there one day will be nice ;)

Tonight we had our second baby class (aka childbirth classes!)...I have to say my favorite part was when one guy asked the pediatrician, "what do you think about last minute gender changes"? Yeah, that's right, mr. smarty pants didn't trust the two sonograms and didn't want to have to return the girl clothes he already bought...I still don't think he understood the baby's gender was set, i.e. there's no "last minute" gender changes...only in waco ;)

However, on that note, to all those out there already getting our baby enough clothes and toys to last him and his future siblings and their future siblings into the next century...you better save your receipts :)

Still no winners on the guessing game, so keep trying! Did we mention the letters may NOT be in order? (you can think josh for this one ;) hmmm...

Your letter for the week is T.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy

Our sweet baby's world:
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some fun tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, his skin is red and wrinkled at this stage and will likely look pink or reddish at birth. Blood vessels that show through your baby's transparent skin cause this coloration. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year.
Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop in babies. That's why premature babies (those born before 37 weeks) often have such a hard time breathing. Babies born this week have a chance of surviving with the help of intensive medical care, but their risk of serious complications is very high.

week # 22-ships ahoy!

Psalm 127:3:
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

After our CrAzY last few weeks of work, Josh and officially settled on our Babymoon plans. We initially had wanted to take a trip to the big apple, however we came across deal we couldn't pass up! We snagged one of the last remaining spots on a Carribean cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozymel. To top it off we are getting to visit with our friends the Watsons for some fun and food in Houston. We will be sure to snap some pix to upload when we return!

Our sweet baby has been on the move lately. The kicks and little movements have gotten much stronger the last week or so. It's kinda crazy because the baby is moving around deep inside my belle, so no one can feel it but me right now. I'm excited for him to start floating up so he will be kicking out for Josh to feel. It still startles me when he starts moving around, but as soon as I stop what I'm doing to concentrate on him, he stops! He does seem to especially like Whopper's Robins Eggs---he starts moving like crazy when I'm indulging in them! Josh thinks it's just the sugar, but he doesn't start dancing with just any sugary treat! Maybe he will be a malt lover like his mom=:0)

On Thursday we went over to the Wilson's to check on the new mom and baby. Tristan is SO precious and a great sleeper. Nic looks amazing and is loving her new job as Tristan's mommy. It was so fun to watch her in new role, caring for her sweet little boy. Crazy to think that will be her checking on me in a few months! At the request of her mother, I kidnapped Nic and took her on a quick trip to Target. We had fun hanging out for a little and shopping (of course) before I headed back to work. She is great at giving me tips and glimpses into my future!

I had so much fun reading your guesses! So far no one has guessed it, so keep trying! Don't y'all love surprises?
Your letter for the week is A.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy


Our sweet baby's world:
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and his pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

week # 21-happy b-day tristan & caden!

1 Corinthians 134-7 Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Love was definitely in the air this week and it was SO exciting! Valentine's Day brought many surprises, from Tristan's morning debut, to an evening dining at the zoo, to Melissa & Cary's baby, Caden, beginning his journey into our world late that night. He wanted his own birthday, so he waited until after midnight then after one big push he arrived=:) Check out my blog for more details on our eventful Valentine's Day at www.mylifeisafiesta.blogspot.com . (warning: it's a work in progress!)

I was astonished when Josh gave me tickets to the Mating Game---a special event the Waco Zoo puts on every year for Valentine's. Since I didn't know what to expect (only Josh had seen the itinerary) every aspect of the date was a surprise. Our night began with dinner in the aquarium, then we had a photo op with the baby hedgehogs while we watched a special feeding of the paddlefish. These fish are cool because they unhinge their jaws like sharks then float though a sea of plankton to collect their meal. Next we were led on private 'behind the scenes' tour of the aquarium, the small cat house, and other barns around the zoo property. Since it was like 20 degrees outside, we bundled up on golf carts and headed out to see the giraffes, rhinos and lions. My favorite part of the night was hanging out with the huge giraffes that let us hand feed them! Craziness! This will go down in history as one of Josh's most creative dates as well as baby's first trip to the zoo!

Okay, we have heard all of the fussin' about not knowing baby t's name, so here is the plan: each week y'all will get ONE letter until the name is revealed.

Your letter for the week is P.

blessings,
kelly, josh, & baby boy



Our sweet baby's world:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Your baby is really on the move now. Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. All that movement helps stimulate your baby's physical and mental development. You may not notice 50 kicks, punches, and twirls during the day, but as you're settling down at night don't be surprised if your little guy seems ready to dance the night away. Why does he wait for nightfall, just when you're trying to get some rest? It's true that he's oblivious to your schedule, but he's probably not moving any more than he did during the day. You're just more likely to notice his calisthenics when you're quiet and still.