Introducing Daniel Ryan Lowrance

Daniel Ryan Lowrance arrived Thursday, September 7th at 12:20 pm, weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces and 20 inches long. He is a very lucky baby as he was born with a loose knot in his umbilical cord. We are very proud and happy parents.

Now we are in the process of becoming acclimated to being new parents. We are both sleep deprived and exhausted. Of course we are also in awe of our son, we spend most of our time just staring at him and getting to know his personality. He is a good baby and we are all very happy.

The Baby Shower

This past Sunday my Aunt hosted a Baby Shower for Scott and I. It was so much fun. Dan, Anthea, Scott and I all piled in the car and drove to my Aunt and Uncle's home in Garland. It was nice to see my friends.

Poor Scott didn't know what to expect! But as you can see from the picture, Dan and Anthea broke Scott in by having him open the first present for the Dad.

Everyone was so generous and supportive. It was refreshing to talk to my friends and family and get some well needed advice from all of the Moms. We are so fortunate to have good friends and family to share in our happiness. We are both very thankful to everyone.

I have to admit that Scott and I are both feeling a little overwhelmed. There is so much to do and learn. Today we unpacked all the gifts and started organize the nursery. It was fun but I think it made us both realize that we still have so much more to prepare for the baby. Hopefully the parenting classes that Scott and I are taking this weekend will help to ease our anxiety. We will keep you posted.

You Will Never Believe What Happened....

Wednesday night, Scott and I were getting ready to go to bed. We had had a busy day removing the doorknobs throughout our home to change out to new ones. I had just turned out the lights and bent down to pick up my body pillow when it happened. As I was bending down I accidentally stepped on one of the doorknobs we had removed and I went crashing down. Scott raced over to me to make sure I was okay. I obviously was not okay so he called the paramedics.

The ambulance came and they helped Scott get me into the car. We raced to the hospital at 2 am to find out that the baby was alright. But, I had a fractured ankle. We finally got back home and in bed around 5am. I can't help but feel like a fat, pregnant, clumsy fool! Poor Scott - the first couple of days he literally had to wait on me hand and foot.

Per the emergency room doctor’s orders, we went to see an Orthopedist on Friday and he told us that I would need to wear this boot for the next 6-8 weeks. Sexy isn't it? But the walker really completes the look. Needless to say, Scott and I were both relieved to find out that I would not need surgery. Now we are both just hoping that my ankle heals before the baby is born. I guess this is God's way of telling me to take it easy...or else!

Home Improvements

We have been busy the last few weeks doing home improvement projects. We are about one-third of the way complete.

So far we have removed all the wallpaper borders from the kitchen, master bedroom and master bathroom. We have hired a trim carpenter (named Edgar) that has been busy installing crown moulding throughout the house. Once Edgar is done installing all the trim he is going to build us a built in for the TV and stereo equipment.

In the meantime, we are in the process of putting the finishing touches on the nursery. Dan and Anthea (the soon to be Grandparents) helped us pick out the paint color. The nursery is painted and has all of the furniture set up in it. The only thing left to do is hang a few pictures and some curtain panels and it will be ready for the baby to move-in. Only 10 weeks (or less depending on who you ask) to go !

What A Week

The week we had a bit of a scare...we ended up in the emergency room at 3 am Monday morning. Turns out Emily had a UTI. She was treated in the emergency room and then sent to Labor and Delivery so they could monitor the baby. Apparently if you get a UTI while you are pregnant it can lead to perterm labor. The nurses hooked Emily up to a baby monitor and she showed no sign of going into labor and the baby was doing well so they sent us home. Emily was put on bed-rest until she could see her OBGYN on Thursday.

Everything was okay when we went to see the doctor on Thursday. Emily is not showing any signs of preterm labor. I think we were both releived when we saw the baby with the sonogram.

We have decided to change to a doctor closer to home since Emily's dostor is in Plano (which is about 45 minutes away). We have an appointment to see a doctor that specializes in high risk pregnancy. We actually have to got to a consultation and then the doctor will decide if he will treat her or refer her to another doctor. Either way I think it will be better in the long run to have a doctor closer to home.

Fossil Rim

Since we have been working so hard lately, Scott and I decided to have a little fun today and drove to Glen Rose to visit Fossil Rim Wildlife Preserve.

Once we arrived, we took a leisurely drive through the preserve to see and feed the animals. Almost all of the animals would come up to your car so you could throw them some food pellets. Quite a few would even eat right out of your hand. It was so much fun!

The best part was when we drove up to see the giraffes. Everything was going fine. Scott was feeding one from the sunroof and then the next thing you know his whole head was inside the car. He tried to take the entire bag of food. As you can see by the pictures (in the album posted) I was a little freaked out. We were finally able to escape after I firmly pushed the giraffe's head out of the car. Scott and I couldn't stop laughing...it wasas if we had been car jacked by a giraffe.

Another Milestone

This week has been crazy - Scott has been working non-stop. He is teaching two Maymester classes, which means he has been working Monday thru Saturday. Plus, this week he also had to teach on Sunday ! The good news is that after working so much for the past month he will finally get a break! His Maymester classes just ended and he will only be teaching one graduate class on Saturdays this Summer.

We passed another milestone this week...we have made it through my second trimester! Woohoo! My doctor says that the baby and I are doing great. Just to be safe Dr. C wants to keep a close eye on things, so we get to go see him every two weeks. We actually look forward to each doctor's visit because each time I have a sonogram and we get to see the baby. I say "we" because both Scott & I have had to deal with me being pregnant. Between the doctor visits, mood swings and water retention, Scott has been there to cheer me on. We only have 115 more days to go (not that we're counting) and we are both getting more excited with each passing day.

Life In the Burbs

Although we are still in the process of unpacking, this past weekend Scott and I decided we needed to do a little yard work. This is what our new and improved front yard looks like after a whole lot of manual labor.

We found a great place that promotes organic gardening, so everything we used for our yard is organic. With a little help we managed to replace the dead tree in our front yard with a new one (you have to look close at the picture - but it's there). After that we had to weed the front beds, mix in some compost, add a few annuals and spread some new mulch. Scott even trimmed the shrubs!

This weekend marks a milestone - Scott and I have formally progressed from a couple of urban yuppies to a couple of breeders living in the burbs. The only thing missing is the mini van! Of which we have both sworn an oath to each other that we will never own. (Nothing against mini vans, they are just not for us).

We Made It!

We've survived the move. What a pain in the butt! Everything was going great...the movers showed up right on time and were almost finished getting the truck loaded when they tried to start the truck and nothing happened. Turns out something was wrong with the starter!

Of course by this time I was already on my way to the new house with the kitties ( Scott stayed with the moving crew just in case they needed him for something). Both cats were freaking out (as to be expected). I had to get to the new house in time to meet the delivery guys. We bought a new refrigerator and dishwasher and they were scheduled to install it.

Needless to say it all worked out. The moving company towed the moving truck to our new house and unloaded it. I wish I had a camera because a picture of the moving truck being towed would have been priceless.

We are now in the process of unpacking. I never realized how much stuff we have now that we have combined everything. We will definitely be having a garage sale sometime soon.

It's All Good

It's official. The buyers for our condo are approved and it looks like we will be moving the last weekend of the month. Scott & I picked up a bunch of boxes and packing materials so it's just a matter of time. I think we are both looking forward to living in a larger home, but, we are dreading the move itself. Nothing says "fun" like packing everything you own up in boxes, moving it across town, and then going through all the boxes you thought you labeled so well to find that one obscure item you just can't live without!

I also went to the doctor this week. The picture of the cat I posted looks like how I feel. Needless to say, the baby and I are both doing well, although the doctor made it very clear that I am to "take it easy". I am just happy he didn't say those two words I am dreading - "bed rest". Scott has been great - when we move he told me I am to just sit on my butt and point to where things go. I think he secretly enjoys taking care of me. I am truly blessed.

Getting Ready to Move

Here is a picture of our new home. It is a really cute 3 bedroom with a study (just for Scott). We are planning to have some sort of party sometime in May or June.

Needless to say we are both dreading the actual move. We will both be happy once we are settled in to our new place. We have been a little short on space in the condo so it will be nice to be able to have some extra space.

Not to mention that our new home is literally down the street from where Scott used to live. It is nice to know that at least one of us will know our way around Arlington. All I can say is thank God I have that navigation system in my car. I would literally be lost without it!

One More Thing...

I almost forgot the most important news of all...we are also expecting a baby! It's a boy and Scott and I are absolutely thrilled! Looks like the first try did the trick ;) We are both very excited about it. I am seeing a high risk OBGYN. I had a cerclage put in on Friday. I have to go back to the doctor on Thursday to get the okay as far as being able to resume normal activities. I am hoping that I will not be put on bedrest just yet. But, whatever the doctor tells me to do I will do. Anything to have a healthy and happy baby.

What's Up??

To get everyone up to speed on what has been happening in our lives....as you all know Scott and I were married in Maui on February 6th. It was very beuatiful and romantic.

Right now I am relaxing on my computer while Scott is working on our mortgage application on his. We decided to list my condo in MLS to just get a feel of the resale market. The quickest a condo in my complex has sold in the past year was about 111 days. Ours sold in less than 30 days! Needless to say we were both surprised. After looking in Lakewood, Kessler Park and Arlington, we made an offer on a home in Arlington. The option period has ended and we should be closing on our new home around April 28th.