Baby Showers Bring Daisy Flowers

 Hello, everyone! Welcome back! It’s been a great week and so much has happened, so let’s get you all caught up to speed…

 Our week started with a check-up with our midwife at the doctor’s office. We’ve progressed from our usual ‘every-four-weeks’ appointments to the ‘every-two-weeks’ variety. Going to the baby appointments are pretty interesting.  For one thing, doctors' offices always seem to get angry and threaten to reschedule your appointment if you’re more than 15 minutes late, but if you show up 15 minutes early, it seems like they penalize you and make you wait in the lobby longer. We showed up to our 9:30 appointment at 9:15 and didn’t get to go back to see the midwife until 10:30. Our check-up lasted all of ten minutes and then we were out the door by 11:00. Next time we’re showing up 14 minutes late, just to see if my theory is correct. It wouldn’t matter as much to wait in the lobby if you had your own personal room to wait in. It’s always interesting to look at the other people waiting and complaining (<--- they must have gotten there early) in the lobby with you. Some have screaming kids or kids who can’t behave and moms who don’t care. There’s always that little boy with a 4-inch cowlick who looks like he dressed himself in the dark. But anyway, I’m not going to complain about it, just makin' everybody aware (Michael Vick reference). 

The appointment itself went great! It was funny when the midwife tried to get Baby Tayn’s heart-rate though! She put her gooey, gel-like substance on the end of her drumstick-like, heart-rate measuring tool and proceeded to press it onto Holly’s stomach. She said instantly she felt Baby Tayn moving and wiggling around like crazy, which makes the heart-beat harder to find. The midwife said we definitely have a very active baby and that the baby was dancing away in there! This is funny, because the night before our appointment, I was trying to feel Baby Tayn move by pressing my hand down on Holly’s belly. I waited and waited…and waited and couldn’t feel anything. Then I put my head down on her belly- ear faced down, and started to talk to the baby. As soon as I got a few words out, I felt one of the biggest kicks or punches I have ever felt right on my cheekbone! So, baby will either be a good soccer player (Please, God no!!!) or an awesome fighter (this is where Holly says, “Please, God no!!!”)! #hitmebabyonemoretime

This past week I also put together the dresser we ordered for Baby Tayn’s room! Since I get off work at 2am, I figured that was as good a time as any to have some alone time to put it together. Everything was coming together great – that is until it came time to nail on the back of the dresser. It was just after 4am and the thought of pounding nails into the back of the dresser (or ANYTHING for that matter) didn’t sound right. A peacefully, sleeping pregnant wife, coupled with the fact that we have a 60-year-old and her mother (you read that correctly, double old-timers) living in the apartment below us made me wait out the ending of the dresser. For whatever reason, 7:30am sounded a lot better, so I pounded away then – which only created a sleepy, half-conscious turn from the pregnant wife and who knows what from the old-folks down below.  #operationbabytaynsdressercomplete

The week ended with a ton of baby shower preparations, since Sunday was the big day. Holly picked up the cake and went shopping for a dress while I watched the worst Ohio State football game I have ever seen! Horrible effort, horrible play-calling and horrible outcome! That is all I will mention of the football game, since that’s about all there is to say. 

So, the rest of Saturday night and early Sunday morning was spent helping Holly put together stuff for her baby shower. Wait, what did I just say? I HELPED with the shower stuff? You mean I gave Holly my credit card to go buy her decorations and I commented on party favors and other decorations with a, “Looks nice, babe.” NO! I helped! Sorry to all you guys out there who just got in trouble while your wife read this – there’s a reason behind it all! Holly’s sisters were supposed to come up from college in Virginia to help her with stuff, but they, and her brother, got in a car wreck shortly after they started their commute. It wasn’t a serious accident and thankfully there wasn’t much traffic, but in the end, the car wasn’t in good enough shape to make it the rest of the trip, so they headed back to their campus. By the grace of God, though, they are alive and safe! This only meant that I would be relied on more to help with preparations, plus it was a golden opportunity to gain some well-deserved brownie points! It actually turned out to be some good quality time spent with Holly, though I know that is not what most people would consider quality.

I helped with the party favors, while we got to talk and watch a few Criminal Minds and Numbers re-runs. Actually, it was funny because one of the decorations was party favor boxes with colorful (Holly is always so colorful-thinking) candy Sixlets. I was in charge of counting and putting 40 Sixlets in each of the 60 boxes. We started laughing when we realized that it’s hard to concentrate on counting while watching Numbers (get it..ha..ha!)! As a side note, we ended up running out of Sixlets due to some “taste testing,” so I went to Party City in the morning and got some more to finish up! #10browniepoints

Sunday was game day. We went to the Hilton to help set-up for the baby shower with the awesome and amazing host, my sister, Amanda. My mom and dad and Holly’s mom and little sister Summer met us there to help set-up too. After helping set-up, it was time for the party to begin- which meant it was time for Dad and I, along with Travis (one of my big bros) and Braylon (my little nephew) to get out of there! The room would soon be filled with more estrogen than is safe for any man to be around! ;) We guys went to Wings and Rings to eat and watch the Bengals win (WHO DEY)! Since I wasn’t at the shower, here are a few pictures of the set-up and decorations:

This one, below, is my sister on the left and Holly on the right. My sister is about 36 weeks preg!

As the shower was coming to a close, I had a surprise up my sleeve (really I was holding it in my hand, but up my sleeve sounds cooler). Holly’s back was to the door as she was opening her gifts and facing the tables of attendees. With the help of my cousin, Tina, who acted as a spy for me, I waited till the last gift had been opened and then sneaked up behind Holly and handed her some flowers (awwwww)! I gave her a big kiss and won over the hearts of 40 or so women in the crowd (that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it)! #1,000browniepoints

Here are some pictures taken after the shower:

 Grandma Kathy and Grandma Marj with Holly and Baby Tayn

 

 A few of Holly's family members

Holly and Baby Tayn with some of Holly's high school friends

These are some of our business partners and friends

My Aunt Cherri and (her future daughter-in-law) Marlena with Holly and Baby Tayn

Holly and Baby Tayn with Gert (my aunt) and Renee (my cousin)

Holly and Baby Tayn with (my brother) Travis' family

Holly, Baby Tayn and me with a few of my mom's sisters

Who has a preg sis and a preg wife with two thumbs up? This guy!

Romeo (me), Holly and Baby Tayn

So, the shower was a huge success and tons of fun from what I hear! We got so many cool and thoughtful gifts, toys and clothes for Baby Tayn! I know Baby Tayn will love everything and judging from all the movements we felt that night, Baby Tayn loved the shower and the entire day (and all the food)! We thank everyone reading this who helped plan and/or attended and/or purchased a gift for Baby Tayn! We all love you and appreciate you so much and feel so blessed! #thankful

Well, that’s about it for now. So, until next time, keep smiling, stay positive, and everything will be ok! #moretocome

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“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” –Psalm 127:3 NLT