We heard the heartbeat!

We had another appointment with our doctor today and our hope coming into this particular appointment was that we would hear the heartbeat. At our last appointment the doctor told us that Anna was not quite far enough along to hear it. As the doctor was trying to find the heartbeat I was getting kind of emotional sitting in the chair with the thought of, "maybe we wont hear the heartbeat today." Or even the thought of hearing it was getting to me. Finally the doctor found it, and it was clear and it was strong and it was fast. About 160-170 beats per minute. It was such an emotional time for me as I sat and listened to my babies heartbeat for the first time. I cant begin to explain how overwhelmed I was at that moment. I cant wait for every new step of this journey with Anna and our baby.

Here's what I know

As we all know my wife is pregnant, if you didn't know now you do, and I am trying my best to figure out what it takes to be a good parent. I have searched countless hours on the Internet looking for "the new father handbook," I cant find one anywhere. I thought instead of worrying about all the things I do not know I would list all the things I do know about newborns and go from there. They are, in no particular order, as follows.

1. Babies do not love Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings as much as I do.

2. Babies do not sleep for twelve consecutive hours through the night on my day off like I do. (Anna just told me about that one)

3. Babies can not get up and get the things they want on their own.

4. Once we leave the hospital for home, no one comes in and checks on me to make sure I'm doing alright.

5. The world doesn't revolve around me. (Anna just told me about this one too)

6. Because of all the times I have talked my friends kids into doing bad things, none of my friends are allowed to babysit.

7. Babies cant take showers.

8. Our baby will not think my DVD collection is as cool as I do.

And lastly

9. If the baby happens to be female, someday some boy is going to show up to my house and want to date her.

10. Due to number 9, I really need to work on my ju jitsu.

Distance

Josh

Chris

Travis

I'm not sure what got me thinking about the friends I have and how fortunate I am to be surrounded my such great people, but I thought I would take some time and talk about my friends.

In no particular order these are my three BEST friends. The first picture is Josh I met him in college and we were roommates for three years. The second picture is Chris, Chris and I have known each other for a long time but got to be very close in high school. The last picture is Travis, I have known Travis the longest he and I have been inseparable since our elementary school days. Each of these three guys have impacted my life hugely and I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the influence of each one of them.

Travis and I have been friends since what seems like birth but was probably closer to second or third grade. He lived close when we were younger, within bike riding distance that mom and dad allowed, so we were together literally every minute of every day for years. We had a summer as children where I only came home long enough for new clothes and to get some food and then I was back off on the bike to hang out. We used to go to the park and play basketball, we played football and roller skated, yes kids I was around before roller blades were the new thing. We stayed tight all the way through high school, I was there for his first love and first broken heart and he was there for me and mine. There were times when I was younger that I was my own worst enemy and Travis has always been like a guardian angel to me. He would never hesitate to tell me that I was acting like a real idiot. I have heard that from him a few times. Sometimes I fear how far I would have veered if it would not have been for Travis' friendship to me.

Chris and I have gone to school together since our middle school days. We have known each other for a very long time. We got to be good friends sometime in high school though, I don't remember exactly when. Chris has always been, especially then, a "good time" friend to me. Times when I needed someone to make me laugh, someone to bring me out the bad days I had or just to take my mind off of reality for a while. Chris was the guy. He and I share a lot of interests and opinions so there is never a shortage of things for he and I to do or get into. As we got older and went to college the boundaries of our friendship evolved along with us. He turned into a person that I looked to for advice. One thing you'll learn about Chris if you spend any short amount of time with him is that is in an overly intelligent person and is full of, to me, valuable insight. Even after college our friendship has evolved again as we get to be older. It is still the same as it ever was when we get together, we tried to kill one another with fireworks on the fourth of July this year, we can still cut lose and have a good time and put away the worries of adult life for a while and just enjoy our friendship.

Josh and I met at Saint Josephs College. I was a sophomore when he was a freshman and we met through mutual friends. It did not take long for us to realize how well we got along and how much we had in common. Josh and I have spent many late nights talking about our lives and hardships that we have faced alone and together. We realized that we don't ever have to be alone in those hardships anymore, there is a trust with us that allows us to be one hundred percent honest with what is going on with us. It allows us to get things out into the open that need to be talked about in a safe environment. Not to mention some of my craziest and most fun moments of my life have been spent with Josh. I have only known him for five years or so and have countless memories of he and I.

Now all four of us, Travis, Josh, Chris and myself are all grown up. We've all moved away. Travis lives in North Carolina, Josh lives in Dayton OH and Chris lives in Indianapolis while I'm here in Goshen. We have all gotten married, Travis to Amber, Josh to Penney and Chris to Jamie. Of course I'm married to my beautiful wife Anna. AND all of them have children now, and Anna is pregnant with our first. We have all grown up, we all live away from one another, we have all gotten married and we have all started families of our own. But now matter what's new in our lives with children and houses and moving and everything that each of us has going I know that all of those friendships are still just as strong as they ever were. I am blessed to be able to say that Travis is my best friend. I am blessed to be able to say that Chris is my best friend and I am blessed to be able to say that Josh is my best friend. I love you guys!

Boys will be boys

Last night after a long day of hanging out with a lot of friends my best friend Chris came over for a fire and fireworks in my backyard. Anna, even though she wasn't feeling well, came out and hung out with us for a while. We had a great fire going and were sitting around enjoying the weather and the fireworks going off all over the neighborhood. Our nice evening of sitting around the fire quickly turned into Chris shooting bottle rockets at me. That turned into he and I chasing each other around the yard lighting and throwing firecrackers at each other.
I know that's not very responsible and I know someone could have gotten hurt but Chris and I had so much fun chasing each other around the yard like we were kids again. I know Anna thought we were crazy and I know she doesn't understand why we act like that sometimes, but she knows that every once in a while acting like a kid again is good for me.
So thank you to Anna for letting me act like a kid once in a while. And thank you to Chris for not growing up right along side me!

Figuring it all out.

Welcome to our blog! It's our attempt to journal during this new exciting time in our lives. We found out June 8th. that Anna is pregnant with our first child! We were elated to find this out, we had been trying for quite some time to become pregnant and this was an unbelievable answer to prayer. It has been a whirlwind of emotion for Anna and I both as we have traveled on this new journey.

We had our first doctors appointment last Tuesday. The doctor did blood work, as well as sat us down for a Q and A session. It was the time for Anna and I to ask all the questions that we have been thinking about for the last few weeks. This is new for both of us so we are learning on the fly. We have been given a lot of reading material from the doctor as well as good friends of ours, so that's what I am reading now, "The Expectant Father." I'm hoping that this is some sort of owners manual for children that gives me all the answers to all the questions I have been asking. I don't know if I'll find all the answers to all the questions I am asking or even any of the answers but I know that Anna and I are really enjoying the new adventures that pregnancy is bringing us everyday.

Just please keep Anna and the baby in your prayers.