Favorite Engagement Photos (For Those Who Never Saw Them)

Clarksville Friends

While I was looking at pictures to upload I saw all the pictures of my new Clarksville friends, and I thought I would stop to write a public thank you to them. Jen and Miriam (and a lot of others) have made the move to Clarksville so easy and fun for me. I don't regret for a minute our decision to relocate here (even thought it's likely only for a few years), and they've been a HUGE part of my life since we moved...and of Chris', too, since we made all our husbands be BFF!

You two are the coolest, and I love you! I am, however, going to publish the "senior picture poses" you made at my house as well as evidence that Nick needs Miriam's help to Wii hula-hoop. And I'm posting one more picture of one of our parties (who knows which one?) where the boys and girls stayed on separate levels of the house in typical fashion. Haha! Tanicia and Kendra are the cutest! Can't wait for game night this weekend!

A boy!

We had the ultrasound on February 3rd and found out we're having a boy (let the record show that I knew it all along!). Mom and Dad drove up to be there with us, and Debbie came too. Chris and I went in first alone, and it took over 20 minutes before the ultrasound tech could see enough to tell us the gender. He had his legs crossed most of the time. Big surprise that our child would be difficult!

Then we brought in our moms and made them wait to see evidence before we told them the big news. Again, he had his hands between his legs, so we couldn't see anything again for quite a while. Hmmm...wonder where he inherited that trait? Finally, he cooperated, and they saw their grandson for the first time.

Mom had been hoping for a boy to help even out the numbers in her grandkids, and she brought in three giant bags of clothes and all kinds of gifts for our little guy. Debbie brought over all the blankets she had crocheted for Chris as well as the one she brought him home from the hospital in and the one Mamaw Baker made for him when he was born. This is going to be one warm baby!

The Nursery Saga

The day after the ultrasound I started finalizing my ideas for our little boy's nursery. We had ordered a crib and changing table/dresser combo a couple of weeks before, and Chris had surprised me the weekend before by picking them up while I was in Nashville with Amanda and Melanie. I came home and opened the door to the nursery to hang up the new onesie I had bought and found the first pieces of the baby furniture put together. It was the best surprise! Of course, I cried.

We didn't want a theme-y room; I had visions of something sophisticated but fun that would grow with him. We left the room smoky blue but added 1/2-inch vertical green (vanilla grass, to be exact) stripes every 16 inches. The green stripes match the embroidered borders on the crib set we got from Pottery Barn Kids (I'm going to monogram everything when we finally decide on a name). I ordered the cutest fake bear skin rug and a toy trophy moose head to hang over the crib (you can imagine Chris' excitement! And it was even my idea!), and I wanted crown molding and a second layer of trim to finish out the walls. Chris and Grandpa Kladivko tackled that project last weekend and even installed ceiling fans in the nursery and the guest room on top of doing the molding in both rooms. (FYI: Do NOT ask Chris to help if you want to put up crown. He might get violent at the mere suggestion.) Chris also hung a couple of floating shelves over the changing table to showcase the snow leopard Granny Kladivko bought and the tiny soccer ball Gramma Beem brought Baby. Mom also brought up the walking ducks his great-grandfather made, and his great-great-grandmother Johnston's rocking chair will also end up in there eventually.

It looks so cute! As soon as the last piece of furniture comes in from Babies-R-Us and I change out the window treatments, we'll be all finished in there (besides a few finishing touches). I can't wait to see it all done and ready for him.

BTW: Apparently my shoe obsession extends to my son! I added a picture of his growing collection.