31 weeks!

Beckett's first home!

So there's nothing that's got STRESS written all over it, besides being 7 months pregnant, like moving!  As one of my ninth grade basketball girls told me, "Coach, it's kinda hard to nest when you ain't got a nest."  Thanks Kate.  I know.  But when our landlord told us that he was selling his 'bottom-fell-out, who-would've-guessed-it-was-that-bad-of-an-investment' townhome, we had to skiddadle, eventually.  Of course as far as he was concerned we could stay as long as we wanted.  Right up until his house sold.  Sure, great plan for us.  Let's wait until possibly 2 weeks until the due date, and then be told we'd have to up and move.  Or, perhaps better yet, wait until we had a 2 month old crying, pooping, and needing feedings every few hours, and try to pack the house and U-Haul.  That sounds wise.  No.  We told our landlord we'd be out in 10 days, guaranteed.  

Sure enough, we found a house on a Wednesday, signed the lease on a Friday, and moved in the following Friday (with much help from friends I might add).  Two weeks later (after back-to-back Spring Breaks - Alexis' then mine) we are lovin' it.  It is 3.4 miles from the old place, so no relocation really.  And it is much, much bigger (like almost twice the square footage) for less rent per month.  Yes, God is faithful.  We have 3 bedrooms plus a huge bonus room.  Large deck with monstrous back yard (Roxy, being a 15 pound Dachshund-Beagle, looks like a Black Stallion roaming the countryside).  And I spent my spring break painting Beckett's room (transforming the not-so-masculine peach walls to a, apropos if you follow March Madness, TarHeel blue).  

We are flying to Kentucky next Thursday for Alexis' brother's wedding, so pray for us.  Pray that Alexis is as comfortable as possible on a transcontinental flight.  And pray of course that, especially since we will only be 32 weeks, we don't go into labor, as Beckett will be premature, and we don't know any doctors in the South, though I'm sure they are quite friendly and cordial.

"A house is made of walls and beams; a home is made of hopes and dreams."

And his name shall be called . . . drumroll please . . .

Beckett Warren McClure

6 months and still goin' strong.  We're in week two of 'Birthing Class' which is interesting.  We have anywhere from pregnant teenagers to super-Organic Seattleites to college couples to just your average middle-aged pregnancies.  And then there's us.  So it's fun.  Decent instructor.  We got to turn the lights out last week and lie down with classical music and work on breathing/relaxation exercises.  And we got NuGo chocolate bars.  Good stuff.  Oh, and a 200+ page book, and we all know how much I enjoy reading, so Score.  

We also had a huge baby shower in Northern California and are still recovering from the awesome blessing that was a Durango full of blankets, toys, clothes, and other major goodies for Baby Beckett.  Thank you to all that have loved on us and this little boy so much already.

"A grand adventure is about to begin."  -  Winnie the Pooh

Soccer Player, Tae Bo instructor, or Rockette?

It's been literally only 30 minutes since our first glimpse of future stardom, via a single powerful kick.  Flutter-flutter turned to heart beat cadence, and then, BLAWWWW!!  This monstrous rocket off the uterine wall shook my hand and heart, respectively.  It was the first visceral connection between father and son, a prenatal high-five of sorts, a Rocky sparring session with his punching bag (mom's not excited for the prospect of that over the next 4 months).  

On another note, registries are up and running.  You can find them at:

-Baby's R Us

-Target

 

21 Weeks = back pain, right upper rib pain, scattered sleep, nursery color choices, free baby hand-me-downs, name ponderings, future budgeting, and an ever-growing mommy belly.  

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." - Elizabeth Stone

Baby Boy McClure!!!

It's official, unless that's a third leg the doctor says, then it's definitely a boy (as confident as he can be in 2009 while avoiding a lawsuit for false information).  We're no doctors, but seeing is believing.  Alexis gloated in her being 1-for-1 on predictions and I promised a furious comeback over the next few kids, but we'll see, she was eerily confident in her prediction from the get-go.  And I was so sure it was a girl that it took me awhile, to be honest, to visualize having a first-born son.  We are so stinkin' excited to have a little baby boy it's unfathomable.  I loved the baby before, obviously, but this takes it to a new dimension.  We can't wait to carry him through the zoo and look at giraffes, tickling his little neck as we point out their long ones.  His first ballgame, (Mariners, because the Sonics left town) teaching him the National Anthem and the infield fly rule; standing and cheering with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.  Some day we'll read of Noah loading a huge boat with all them animals, Jonah's big man-swallowing whale, and Jesus feeding 5000 people with one little boy's sack lunch.  We can't wait to raise a son, a McClure, and a child of God - precious in His sight.  

Here's to "snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails"

Luke 1:31 "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name ..."

*That's not an open invitation for suggestions.  It's a secret for now.  We'll let you know soon enough :)

16 1/2 weeks

The start of a BIG year!

It's 2009, forever the year of our first baby's birth.  2008 finished well with family and friends in LA for Christmas, and then back up in Seattle for New Year's.  We received many gifts for Baby McClure (a piggy bank, learning blocks, etc).  Alexis was given many compliments and congratulations, as well as recognition that in fact she had 'popped' as she had hoped.  And, for the first time, the baby is beginning to make it more difficult for Alexis to sleep at night.  

But with the passing of 2008 comes the commencement of  2009, the first 5 months of which being spent waiting for the arrival of our little one.  Baby McClure is currently as long as an avocado, and his/her heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood each day!  We are immeasurably excited for the start of '09, particularly because in merely 2 weeks we should find out the sex of our baby.  Of course, of course we'll let you know (don't forget to vote, you have 12 days, it's not twins ;)

We pray 2009 will bring a healthy pregnancy to our baby and Alexis, a successful delivery in June (hopefully) and a blessed first 6 months in OUR world.  

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."