Welcome to Our Journey!
Affectionately known as "The Cooks'", we are the proud expectant parents of our first bundle of joy! This blog will serve as a means of communication between us and our family/friends around the country so that everyone can keep abreast of our preparation for parenthood.
On Friday, a group of co-workers held a surprise shower to welcome Baby Dallas into the world. They did a great job of keeping everything hush, hush. Now that I look back, I guess there were clues over the past couple of weeks. Thinking back, several people have been asking me questions such as"Do you have everything for the baby?" and "What else do you need?". I didn't think much of it. I just figured that the questions were coming more frequently because my belly is getting bigger by the day. So, as I sat at my desk attempting to complete paperwork, I heard myself being paged to the private dining room. I entered to see smiling faces, countless gifts, and the flash of my hubby's camera (He was a surprise, too!). After opening Dallas' gifts (that ranged from diapers/wipes to bottles to clothes to a Jumperoo to his very own bible), I said my thank yous which of course resulted in tears. We ended the event with tasty viddles- jambalaya, chocolate cake, cheese balls, etc!! I left work Friday feeling so very blessed and loved. Thank you to the wonderful staff of Tennessee State Veterans Home!!
As you may or may not know, I (Amber) claim to be a scrapbooker. Johnny can share with you that I have a TON of scrapbooking supplies, but often need quite a bit of motivation and encouragement to actually put it to use. So, because Baby Dallas' scrapbook is so important to me, I solicited a small group of creative friends to assist me in the creation of his book. Twelve of my very sweet friends gave up 2-3 hours of their Saturday to help me create pages for Dallas' book. Each person chose a page theme and to work they went! Our group consisted of "expert scrappers" such as Wendy, Monica, and Yvette, as well as a few novice scrappers (i.e. Emily, Ericka, and Brandy). I was even blessed to have one of my most creative friends/sorors in town from DC to add her special touches to the book! (Thanks, Adrienne!!) We ended up with about 22 pages for Dallas' book which will save his mommy countless hours of work!!!! A big hug and warm thanks is extended to each one of my scrapping friends!!!
Baby Dallas is so blessed (already) and has received so many nice and thoughtful things. From clothes/booties, to towels/washclothes, to swings, to an Exersaucer.... the list goes on and on. WE ARE SO VERY THANKFUL!! Mommy and daddy have tried to practice self-control and be disciplined; however, they have made 1 or 2 purchases (ok, maybe 5 or 6). Pictured in this posting are a few of our favorite gifts/purchases for Baby Dallas thus far.
Orbit Travel System- Daddy picked this travel system out all by himself! For months, he researched and researched until he found just what he was looking for. I (Amber) must say that I am very pleased and impressed! It is so compact, yet does so much. According to Platinum Babies, it is the Rolls Royce of baby strollers! Only the best for our Little Maverick!
Calvin Klein Bibs- Mommy thinks that these bibs are so dapper! Thanks, Auntie Tiffany (in Chicago).
Roca Wear Outfits- These "big boy" outfits were purchased by Baby Dallas' daddy to coordinate with his Roca Wear wardrobe. How many babies have urban wear prior to birth??
Burp Cloths- These handmade burping cloths were gifts from Ms Jurk, a past co-worker of Mommy's. Mommy thinks they are too pretty for spit up. LOL
Lion Outfit- A special delivery from Baby Dallas' granddaddy Ralph in Michigan. Mommy loves outfits like this that will make mommy's baby look like a baby! She doesn't want him to grow up too fast!
Onezie- If you know Baby Dallas' daddy, then you know that Johnny believes that he can fix (or build) anything! The truth is that most of the time he really can. When Mommy saw this, she had to buy it for Dallas to sport.
Robe- Mommy and daddy are not big fans of Winnie-the-Pooh, but this robe is the SOFTEST robe in production! Daddy is not too fond of the overall "look", but Mommy talked him into letting Dallas keep it since it is soooooo cuddly and will feel soooo good on Dallas' skin after bathtime. Plus, it will be too cute in pictures!!
We are down to less than 10 weeks until Baby Dallas' anticipated arrival!! The past weeks/months have passed by so quickly that we can only imagine how quickly time will pass when he actually gets here! We are so ready to see our little Maverick's face and hold him in our arms (and of course smother him with kisses)! Things at home are ready for him to arrive, but of course his mommy and daddy still have a few finishing touches to make things "just right".
Baby Dallas is extremely active these days. He appears to be on his daddy's schedule because he moves around the most late in the evening and throughout the night. (For those who don't know, Johnny works night shift and can function on very little sleep). This does not cause much of a problem EXCEPT when it interferes with mommy's sleep!! It seems as if Dallas feels sorry for his mommy after he has kept her up 2-3 nights in a row. After 2-3 very active nights, he will allow her to get a full night of rest, but then it is back to being a night owl. Mommy now truly understands why so many people told her to get all of the rest she could during the first two trimesters. A "good night's sleep" may be a thing of the past for a LONG, LONG time! LOL.
With the exception of daily heartburn and never ending fatigue (thanks to Mr. Low Iron), our pregnancy has been smooth sailing. Our doctor's appointments are now scheduled for every 2 weeks. We typically receive a good report and are in/out of the office in no time. Next week, we will attend a breastfeeding course followed by a weekend of childbirth education. We hope the instructor is ready because we are the expectant parents with a list of questions!!
Can you believe that it is 2010 already?! It seems like it was just yesterday when everyone was in such a panic about Y2K. How did you bring in the new year? Johnny and I (Amber) made a last minute decision and drove to Atlanta, Georgia for a few days. It was just a quick getaway to visit with family and friends and will probably be my last venture until Baby Dallas arrives. (His first trip will actually be in late May to Memphis to celebrate in his Auntie Kimbra's nuptials). While in Atlanta, we were able to spend time with Johnny's family (his mom and two of his brothers and their families) and his college friends Steve and Tiffany (and Baby Sanaa due in April 2010). We caught up on some rest, did a little shopping, and even caught the Hawks-vs-Knicks game that went into overtime. All in all, it was a good "babymoon".
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