Caden @ hospital

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44395040@N00/57380955/
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

The Proud Parents

The Proud Parents
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

This is the first picture taken of our little family after Caden arrived. Could there be a great blessing than the first few moments with your first born child?!

Cuddling with Mommy

Cuddling with Mommy
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

Mommy discovered that Caden is the cuddle bug she and Daddy always dreamed of having.

Hands

Hands
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

This picture was taken on the first day we brought Caden home. His Daddy is fascinated by his tiny little features.

Caden Darrel Emerson

HE'S HERE!!!

Caden Darrel Emerson
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

Caden Darrel Emerson

Born October 25th, 2005 at 9:44 p.m.
Weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz.
Height: 20 in.

Cradle made by Dad

Cradle made by Dad
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

Gran Pa and Mommy stand proudly next to the cradle that will very soon hold a precious little gift. We went to the doctor yesterday and everything continues to be exactly how it should be. My strep-B test came back negative and my blood pressure looks great. Although I feel uncomfortable at times, Dr. Kouri assured me that everything is as it should be.

April admiring cradle

April admiring cradle
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

Our baby shower at GracePointe Church of Christ was wonderful! We were loved on and blessed by their generosity. My favorite item of the day had to be a special gift from my parents. My Daddy had worked several months on making this beautiful cradle for his first grandchild.

29 days and counting....

36 weeks
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

I know..I know...babies don't always come on their due dates, but I have to have something to focus on. I'm reaching that point where I'm ready for this baby to be here. I'm not to "get this baby out of me" just yet, but I am ready to meet the little one...or at least I think I am.

33 weeks

33 weeks
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

33 weeks...only 7 to go! We're almost finished moving into our apartment. We hope to be done by October so we can enjoy it a little before family comes to visit. I've been working on getting registered at Target and Baby Depot. Baby Depot seems to have techinal difficulty more often than not. Brett and I are getting more and more excited to meet this little one and to find out if it's a boy or girl!

30 weeks

So here we are...30 weeks...only 10 more until we meet baby Emerson.

WOW! The time has flown. We are finally moved in to our new apartment in Montgomery. We are not unpacked...just moved in. But we are slowly making the apartment feel more like a home. It has been nice to have a place to ourselves again. Making dinner for the two of us has been a rediscovered joy with my own kitchen again. Thanks to my parents for the blessing they were to us this past year in allowing us to live with them! I know it's awfully quite around there now. Not to worry, we'll have a crying baby with us before you know it.

Tomorrow we will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary...our last one as a two person family. It has been 4 years of excitement, lots of transitions, and continually growing love. The Lord has blessed us over abundantly and we praise His name for His guidance during the last few years. We thank Him especially for the gift of life that He is creating for Brett and me.

Charleston, South Carolina

DSC09047
Originally uploaded by The Emersons.

It's time to put another pregnancy picture up...but you'll have to wait a few more days for an "April only" pic. This picture was taken around the end of July outside Gilligan's, a restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. I am almost 6 months pregnant here. We are moving next weekend to Montgomery, Alabama. We'll try to get a new picture up once we get settled. Keep checking.

25 weeks...105 days to go!

Today was our last appointment with Dr. Crenshaw. Since we received word from Grace Pointe Church of Christ that they had agreed to be our sponsoring congregation, we have been making small steps towards moving to Montgomery, Alabama. We heard the heartbeat again today...148. The baby seems to be getting stronger, or at least that's what it feels like. Brett had bought us a monitor to hear the baby's heartbeat at home. It's basically an electronically amplified stethoscope. However, I'm not sure the baby likes it. Whenever I push the stethoscope shaped device onto my tummy, the baby tends to kick/push at the device. It's actually quite funny to watch. We leave for Israel on Sunday and the doctor gave us the o.k., as long as I promised to behave. This baby is destined to be a world traveler.

20 weeks

Well...we've reached the half way mark of 20 weeks. The baby is moving more and more. Brett has now felt and seen the baby move in my tummy. I think it's safe to say that I've reached the point where it is obvious I'm pregnant...no more questions.

The Ultrasound

The Doctor told us today that everything looks perfect. Praise God! We watched our baby's little heart beat and got a great view of it's spine. We have pictures and video to cherish. Last night I not only felt the baby move, but I watched my tummy move. Brett has also been able to feel the baby push...not just a "thump" on the wall of my tummy. He is still in awe.

Moving Right Along

Last night, Brett was able to feel the baby move for the first time. I have been questioning the feelings for almost 2 weeks now...trying to determine what was indigestion or possibly baby movement. After recognizing a consistent thumping feeling, I was ready to admit that, yes, I have felt the baby moving. Last night, we were reading on the internet what happens during the 19th week of pregancy when we read that the baby is tumbling around. I felt a "thump" and let Brett place his hand on my belly where I had felt it. A few seconds later he said, "I felt it!" It was an exciting moment for both of us.

I realize that I look like I lost weight...trust me, I haven't. What I have done is moved into maternity clothes for 95% of my wardrobe. The white tank I have on in this picture is a maternity one, giving me more room, yet making my belly look smaller. We went to the doctor this morning and were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. 150 beats per minute!

Next Appointment

Our next doctor's appointment will be May 25th.

Maternity Clothes

I gave in this week. It started on Saturday. We were getting ready to go to a wedding (which we ended up not going to) and I was having difficulty finding something to wear. Brett was trying to help me and was beginning to understand my frustration of being limited on clothes. We finally decided on a skirt and a maternity top(thanks to Brett's sister, Amy). Then, since we didn't go to the wedding, I decided I would wear it to church the next day. On Monday, I wore a maternity tank with an unbutton shirt and maternity pants...I was SO comfortable. It was really nice to not feel constricted all day. Even though a few of the shirts still look too big for now...it's nice to have more options to choose from in the morning.

13 weeks

Goodbye first trimester, hello second. Now, I know you're wondering why I'm wearing the same clothes as our 8 weeks picture...well, I wanted it to be easier to tell how my tummy had changed (plus, it's not the same pants). If possible, I may have all future pictures with me in a white tank. So, here we are...13 weeks. I'm down to the drawstring and elastic waistbands only. Needless to say, I'm doing more laundry these days. The pants I have on in this picture are usually quite loose and sit lower on my hips. They are now pulled tight, even with the extra give in the stretchy material. It can be frustrating in the morning getting dressed...I don't fit into the maternity clothes yet, but my choices of regular clothes are dwindling quickly. We went to the doctor on April 22nd. We were hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat, but the sound of my placenta was covering the heartbeat. So, we look forward to our next visit when Dr. Crenshaw promised we'd hear the heartbeat for sure.

8 weeks

At eight weeks, we had our first doctor's visit. After several tests/exams, we were told that my uterus was very "plump." We shot Dr. Creshaw a confused look, and he confirmed that a plump uterus was a good thing and exactly as it should be. I can tell (and Brett can too) that my waist is thickening. Sometimes, it's hard to keep drawstring pants up on my hips because there's no hips for them to sit on...it's just straight down.