Another pregnant post - 24 weeks

So...

How were your holidays?

Mine were pregnant.

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It's so odd how something can suddenly consume your life.  The more pregnant I become (more pregnant? Is there a less pregnant? That can't be right...how about more visually pregnant?) the more my life changes.  Sleeping is different.   Eating is different.  Even sitting, standing and walking are different as my body makes room for this quickly growing little guy.  Future plans all have to revolve around how pregnant I will be or how young my son is at the time.  Discussions revolve around the baby - whether about how he's baking or how we'll care for him later.  And then there are my health issues...

But we'll get to those.

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This Christmas, my family went on down to Houston to visit the "Ohio Grashams" who had finally ended their sojourn in the north to return to the great state of Texas.  It was Cliff's first introduction to many of them and I think that he was overwhelmed a little.  You'd be overwhelmed too if you suddenly had to interact with and remember the names of 18 people.  This, of course, presented a great opportunity for a "pregnant" picture with Sarina, Arwen and I.  Sarina's due on April 28th, I'm due on April 30th and Arwen's due on May 8th.  Hooray!

I didn't get the memo about wearing a black & white patterned shirt.

In Houston, I also got a chance to hold my cousin Tanya's newest baby girl, Emily Ashlyn.  She was a little over 4 weeks at this point, a tiny precious baby girl.

The best part of meeting this little one was watching my dad hold her.  My dad is a really funny guy and all while he was holding her, he would have "conversations" with her...voicing both sides.  Emily was surprisingly articulate for her age.   It was neat to see a preview of what my father will be like as a grandfather - silly, funny and sweet.

Cliff and I journeyed back to Waco but then came BACK to Garland for a Grasham Family New Year's Tradition: The New Years Movie & Costume Party!  This year the movie was "Young Frankenstein" and we all dressed like characters from the film.

Cliff and my brother Eric were Igor (say: Eye-Gore)

My mother and I were Frau Blucher ::horse whinnies::

My father was the blind monk (played by Gene Hackman.  Who knew?)

And Arwen and Paul were Inga and Dr. Frankenstein (say: FrAnk-en-steen)

Next year's movie is Beauty and the Beast.  And Yes...it will be a sing-a-long.  I know, I know...my family is way more fun than yours.  That's just how the world works....don't beat yourself up about it.

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The week after New Years I had several doctor's appointments.

First - the Cardiologist.  Why you ask?  My heart has been...beating pretty fast lately.  Like...really fast.  Resting at over 100, usually in the 120's and right before New Years peaking at over 140.  Not great.  So my OB made me an appointment at Waco Cardiologist on the 5th (Cliff's 31st birthday).  They did another EKG on me, made an appointment for a heart ultrasound (echo-cardiogram?) the next day, and ordered me a heart monitor that I have to wear for the next month.  Whatever is going on with my ticker, they needed more data before making any decisions.

Second - the Ultrasound.  Odd to be getting an ultrasound and not seeing my baby.  My heart, though, is very interesting.  And apparently everything looked fine from that vantage, so that was a relief.

Third - the OB for my 24 week appointment.  I've finally gained some weight (I'd only gained 6 pounds from September 11th to December 4th and my Dr was starting to look at me sternly), I'm measuring exactly 24cm, all my pregnancy complaints are normal for my trimester and Baby Boy's heart rate was 144.  The doctor quipped that I was reading the baby book before I came so I would measure perfectly on everything.

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So what are we up to now?

Well...I guess all we can do now is get the nursery ready.  So of course, we haven't even started that yet.  ::shrugs shoulders:: it will get done.  Promise.  I'm having too much fun watching my belly to see our son move around.  He's a lot more active and it's nice to know he's there, even if it does freak Cliff out a little bit.

I'll post a new picture eventually....but for now, I'm off.

Any body have a great New Years?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It is certainly hard to believe that 2009 has already ended and 2010 barely begun!  It seems as if we’d just started this year when we realized we were celebrating its ending, but that seems to be the way of time, flying quickly past us.  We give thanks to God for his love and care in these past days and look forward to His great works in the future.

2009 was a year of exciting changes and adventures for the Grasham-Reeves family.  After over a year of retail drudgery at ATT, Cliff accepted a position with Child Protective Services in April as a Conservator for children in the foster system.  This job enabled him to spend more time with family and friends and to participate in local theatre programs.  Cliff was one of the lead actors in the Waco Civic Theatre’s production of “The Woman in Black” in late October, and has recently accepted a part in the spring production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”  Cliff finally got his wish for a dog of his very own this past July and is the proud papa of Rika, a mutt of Catahoula and shepherd origins.

I had an exciting year, finally graduating from George W. Truett Theological Seminary with my Master of Divinity degree in May of 2009.  During graduation, I was awarded the Robert Jackson Robinson Preaching Award for the graduating class of Spring 2009, and preached during chapel on April 28th.  The day after graduating, following three years of participating in the ordination processes of the Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), I was ordained to Christian ministry. Two weeks and one day later, on Pentecost Sunday, I was installed as the Associate Minister of Children, Youth and Families at Lakewood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  God is good!

May was a busy month, especially considering the fact that Cliff and I bought our first house!  By happy coincidence (or providence, depending on your inclination), we were able to purchase the house of our friends Scott and Beki Baker as they moved on to Nashville, TN.  We are discovering the joys (and tribulations) of home ownership, but are thrilled to finally be in a place we can truly call our own.  Later last summer, we were also able to trade in my old Ford Escort and purchased a new-to-us Chevy Trailblazer that some of our friends jokingly call the “Grasham-Reeves Baby-mobile”.  Ah, if they only knew…

Which of course brings me to our happiest news: Cliff and I are expecting our first child in late April of 2010!  We discovered the happy news in August of 2009, finally breaking the news to family and friends in early October.  To our joy and surprise, we discovered that my sister Arwen and her husband Paul as well as my cousin Daniel and his wife Sarina were also expecting their first children all around the same time as us!  In early December, Cliff and I discovered that we will be having a baby boy, and have decided to name him Gareth Alexandre (sic). 

2010 brings its own exciting challenges and adventures.  Cliff will start a new job at Harmony Science Academy in mid-January as a high school English teacher, and we are both preparing for the great blessing of parenthood.  We are excited for God’s movement in our lives and look forward to what the future may bring.

May God bless you and yours in 2010!

Clifton & Elizabeth Grasham-Reeves

Resolutions? Probably Not...

Cliff turned 30 on Monday and had accordingly taken the day off from work. As I piddled around getting ready to head off to the church, I let the sounds of "Good Morning America" waft in and out of my hearing. Why Cliff was watching "Good Morning America" I'm not sure, but I started paying attention when the cheerful and chipper news-anchors (news? really?) started talking about New Year's Resolutions. They dropped a pretty serious bomb.

Ready?

People usually don't keep their new year's resolutions.

I know. Stunning.

So the discussion was on how to keep resolutions, and somebody said something about setting up consequences within the resolution making. Like, you tell your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/best-friend "Now if I don't actually exercise three times a week from now on, I will owe you $500."

Just so we're clear - that's an even greater guarantee that I won't make a new year's resolution. Not only do I have to suffer the humiliation of failure but I also am MONETARILY PENALIZED for my lack of discipline? Check the "NO" box on this one.

So in that light, here are my list of 2009 New Year's Non-Binding Resolutions
(a.k.a things that I should probably be doing but there's no way you're getting any money out of me if I don't succeed)

1. Eat breakfast every morning. I'm much less grumpy and likely to graze
2. Be more creative with my cooking - Cliff is starting to look askance at Grilled Cheese sandwiches
3. Keep the house cleaner. I can live in piles, but that makes Cliff twitchy
4. Write my sermons before Saturday (a.k.a don't be such a procrastinator)
5. Do something fun and unexpected with my hair

How about you? Any non-binding resolutions that you need to make?

The New Year

I remember when I was in the first grade and I saw a 3rd grader and thought -"I'll never be that old."

I remember when I was in junior high and my sister was in high school and thought -"I'll never be that tall or that old."

I remember when I was about to graduate from high school and thought -"I'm not old enough to be in college. And I'm still not tall enough."

I remember when I was about to graduate from college and thought -"I'm not old enough to be a grown up. But at least I have high heels."

Last month I turned 25. I've been married for over 18 months, I'm a licensed minister and I'm about to graduate from seminary with my M.Div and be Ordained. I've bought a car, nursed my husband through surgery, paid for all my own bills, changed cell phone providers, gotten a pet and had to have him put down. Now Cliff and I are looking at buying a house, having children soon and I might have a full-time job come June.

And you know what?

I still feel like I'm not old enough to be a grown up. But I guess you don't have to feel it to be it. And you sure don't have to be tall, cause goodness knows that never worked out for me.

2009 is going to be a big year. Lots to achieve. Lots to dream. Lots to hope for.

My resolution? Keep buying high heels. Because if I'm really a grown up, I should at least look like it!