My feelings

Hello, this is Lori and this is my first time sharing my feelings on the blog. I can't tell you how excited I am about the baby. We have about 11 weeks to go and I can't wait. I'm ready to see what this little one inside me looks like. She moves around alot and her movements are starting to get harder and they kind of hurt a little, and I'm starting to feel little elbows hitting me. We are just about finished with her room and Jamie has done a great job on it. We have just a few minor things to finish up and we will be done. As the time passes by I'm getting more and more anxious to see my baby girl and hold her in my arms.

Hello

Just checking in. I'm at work and Lori's at Dollywood for work. She plays piano at Seymour Community Christian School. The Choir sings at Dollywood every year and tongihts the night. I hope she stays warm! Her and the baby will be shivering when they get home. All is well with both of them and I'm doing pretty good too.

Talk to you later.

Nursery

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you we're almost through with the nursery. We've painted and cut it all the walls, doors and accents, we are waiting on the crown molding and base board and a few other peices of wood. We'll paint them and we'll be through. I'll try to post some pictures when I finish.

Baby's Fine! Mommie?

December 2, 2005 Lori & I went to the Doctor. She had the Glucose test and that turned out just fine. She has gained a few more pounds and looks so cute in her maternity clothes. The doctor did say that she is Anemic (her iron is low). He asked her to be sure she starts her vitamins again and eat foods high in iron.
She is 26 weeks and 3 days along now and as beautiful as a spring day. I have noticed a lot about her, but the thing that sticks out the most is her laugh and the frequency of it. She laugh all of the time and sometimes at nothing at all. I love it. I love her. She's is my everything, by best friend, the Love of my Life, my wife.

Until next time.

I'm Back

Well Its been 16 days since I wrote last. Lori & Baby are doing well! Ashlyn is very active especially at night. We go to the Doctor tomorrow @ 8:30 a.m. for the glucose test to see if Lori has any signs of Gestational Diabetes. Please pray that that turns out okay. I will write when we know more.

Heartbeat

About a month ago Lori & I bought a small fetal heart monitor (home use). We tried and tried to find the heartbeat and began to tire of searching for something weighing less that 12 ounces. Every once in a while we'd take it out and begin to search again. Tonight while eating supper Lori said that Ashlyn was wearing her out by kicking so much. After supper she laid on the couch and we began to Search again, we were trying to hear her kick, not really concentrating on her heartbeat. But, we heard it, just as plain as day. We'd heard Lori's heartbeat, kicks, and some other unknowns, but this was the first time we'd heard Ashlyn's heartbeat AT HOME. We both looked at each other and smiled as big as anyone can and said "That's her Heartbeat." It may not mean that much to anyone else, but it was an awesome feeling. So long for now.

Long Night

Well, I'm here at work and my wife at home, I hate to leave her there, especially now. When I'm at work in the am or pm I sure do miss her. I have started working some nights but I am home by midnight. She getting a little bigger belly and soon will be as big as me, but don't tell her I said that. Anyway, she's got a reason, I don't. Ya'll have a good night, talk to you soon.

Name and Weight

Well, it's been almost a week since we found out that we're having a girl. I've had a lot of people ask how to spell her name. The Correct Spelling is Ashlyn Taylor.

At the time of the ultrasound she weighed about 14 ounces, I'm sure she's over a pound now! Lori said that Ashlyn has been very active in the past few days. Yesterday she curled up in a ball. Thanks to everyone for the Congrats!

The Proof

Here's the Proof. "It's a Girl!" We had a gut feeling the baby would be a girl, but we wanted a boy so bad. When we saw the ultrasound the first thing we really saw was that She WASN'T a He. We were both so excited, we're just glad She's healthy and now we can call her a HER, instead of "The Baby" or "It" which we didn't do often. I cried a little, Lori said she didn't but I think she did, we very happy, no regrets whatsoever that it's a girl!!!

The Ultrasound @ 22 Weeks

This is a frontal picture of our baby. To the left you can see the eyes, nose and abdomen.

New Audio Test

Just Can't Wait

Well, Tomorrow Lori & I go to the Dr. to have an ultrasound. I am taking tomorrow off from work. I figure IF we get to see if the baby is boy or girl I'll be beyond help, so I getter stay home. We're having supper @ our house to show the family the video. Last night Lori called me in the bedroom to feel the baby kick again, my baby can kick like a horse. We are so excited we can hardly stand to wait one more day. I'll post the ultrasound picture tomorrow night so look closely.

Jamie & Lori

Here's Lori and Me. Can you tell which of us is pregnant? I'm pretty sure its the little one on the left! It took three tries to get the picture so I hope you like it.

Here is our baby cradle. We are decorating in Blue Jean Teddy Bear. The cradle and Crib was given to us by Lori's Aunt. We plan on painting the walls as well, but we want to find out the gender of the baby before we paint. I'll have more pictures to post a little later.

Lori

Again this is Lori. She has had a very long day of work, house work, and then church work for the halloween party. Taken @ 10:00 p.m.

This is my Wife Lori. She doesn't like to have her picture taken. She's getting a little belly now. This is @ 21 weeks.

Granny & Papa

This is my Parents Ralph and Kay. They were so happy that we were going to have a baby. When we told them they were stunned and couldn't believe it at first. This picture was taken a few years ago. Ain't they "purty"!

Proof

This is a closeup of the first test Lori took. I made sure when we bought the test we could understand what it said. Pretty Clear isn't it?

Chapter III

On our Honeymoon we went to St. Augustine, Florida which is only 30 minutes from where I was raised. We stayed there for the biggest part of our Honeymoon, then came back up to Americus, Georgia where her family lives. We stayed a few days there and then came back home. It was of course wedded bliss the first two years. In our second year we decided to begin trying to have a baby. We began in October and then in the third year of our marriage God miraculously blessed us with what had dreamed about for almost five years (counting the time we dated). July 5, 2005 we bought a two pack home pregnancy test. We got home and she read the instructions and took the test then waited. Meanwhile I was on the phone trying to council a young boy that had been coming to our church. She mouthed to me to check the test so I went to the restroom and saw “POSITIVE”, my heart was beating ninety to nothin’ and I casually turned around and gave it to her, and because I was on the phone her mouth flew open and nothing came out but I knew she wanting to scream so I asked the young man if I could talk with him later and he agreed. Then we were able to cry and laugh together. She had to tell someone so we went to her parent’s house but they weren’t home. So we went to my parents and told them. They were so happy, I took a picture of the test on my camera and showed it to them and they couldn’t believe it. Then we went to her Mamaw and Papaws and told them, then to her aunt and uncles house and showed them. Finally her mom and dad came home and we were able to tell them. Her dad, TIM called me Poppa and I about lost it. Tears started welling up and it started to set in that I was going to be a daddy. Just to be safe the next morning she took the other test and it too showed “POSITIVE”. She called her Doctor and scheduled and appointment and there we were told that she was indeed pregnant, Five weeks to be exact. Well we got to see the baby for the first time the next month and that was so much fun. I wish we could have gotten that on tape. The baby was so active, the little hands were waving back and forth , Kind of like the baby was waving trying to say Hey Daddy, I love you! A month after that we heard the heartbeat for the first time and that too was awesome, I’ll never forget that. The following month, Last month (October 7, 2005) we heard it again but this time I took my video camera to capture it on tape. We go back to the Doctor this Friday November 4, 2005 for an ultrasound which hopefully will not only show a healthy baby but also show whether it’s a girl or boy.

Chapter II

Well, a year went by and once again we found ourselves at Camp Canaan in Ringgold, Geogia. A few months before, March or April, Lori & I went looking at rings at the Mall in East Knoxville. She knew I had talked with a man that day about the cuts, and sizes of rings, but she had no idea that I had actually bought the very ring set that she had just picked out minuites before. Well on June 13, 2001 exactly one year (almost to the minute) I propsed to her kneeling on one knee. I heard a song on the radio and loved the words, I thought that is the song I want to be playing when I propose to Lori. I bought the CD, brought my Cd player and two of those battery operated light that when you press the top of the light they come on, and I borrowed one fold up chair from the Camp. That day we went to O'Charley's and ate, and she gave me a card, and we just had a hreat time. I told her that I was sorry I didn't get her a card, and that I would get her something for sure. That night after the service is when my plan was to begin, however she got mad at me for some reason and I decided to take her away for a few minutes while my cohorts got everything ready. I took her to my car and we drove to the store to get a Mountain Dew, the whole time the ring was in my pants pocket. She would hardly talk to me, so I just drove back to Camp wondering if this was going to work. We got back and she started to walk off still mad, and I stopped her and asked her to walk with for a little bit. We started down the gravel road and began to go toward the creek and she asked where we were going. I told her to trust me and she said "You better not make me fall!" We got to the place with her eyes closed and I told her to sit down. She then said, "On What?" I once again asked her to trust me, with her eyes still closed I reached over and turned on the lights and pressed play on the CD player. We both began to cry. I had the ring in my hand, and as the song played "Will you marry me?" I just looked into her eyes and began to see all the good things that would happen IF she said yes. When the song stopped playing I asked "Will you marry me?". She said "YOU DAWG!", then began to laugh and cry and finally said yes. We held each other for some time and began to walk back up to camp where everyone knew what was going on but was waiting to hear it from her. That was Wednesday June 13, 2001, the beginning of a new chapter in our lives together.

Chapter I

After the first date we took it easy for a few weeks, I prayed asking God to let us fall in Love, and He did. June 11, 2000 we held hands for the first time, it was Homecoming @ church and Lori had a friend, Amy with her and she put our hands together. On June 13, 2000 I called her and asked her if she wanted to date, she said yes. She was in Ringgold, Georgia and I was home in Knoxville, TN. Later that week I went down to Ringgold to see her. We spent each day together until we got back, we had our first kiss (a peck) on June 18, 2000. She always emphasizes the "Peck" part, so I had to put that in too. Almost a month later @ Ruby Tuesday's on Western Ave. we wrote on napkins that we Loved each other, then later told one another face to face. We were in the back seat of her Parent's car going home when we told each other.

The Beginning

It all started in 2000 not sure of the month, but it was probably March or April, I seen her for the first time. She sang and played the piano at our church, it was infatuation at first sight. I knew that I could love her, because she had the qualities I wanted in a woman. Her family and I went out to eat that night and we were able to talk for a while. I thought about her from that point on. Finally her family started coming back to our church and joined, and it was on at that point. We went on our first date May 20, 2000. We went to West Town Mall and watched "Keeping the Faith" and I'm sure we ate somewhere, I just don't remember where. (So Shoot me!)