Monday, November 30, 2009

The Last Hoorah


Being the adventurous and brave 8-months-pregnant wife that she is, Jenny and I decided to have one last hoorah before baby Haller is born in a month or so(!) Inspired by the movie The Last of the Mohicans, we headed to Chimney Rock State Park to see some of the sights where the movie was filmed, as well as some awesome views from the top of Chimney Rock. After two hours of an uncomfortable ride for pregzilla, we went up winding, steep roads leading to the park entrance. We hiked a few different trails, climbed many steps and boardwalks, and enjoyed views from the top. We concluded the trip by hiking to a waterfall, and left wondering why so many families thought bringing a stroller on a bumpy, steep trail was a good idea!?


Chimney Rock

On top of Chimney Rock, overlooking Lure Lake

8 months beautiful!

Hickory Nut Falls

Overlooking the other side, towards the waterfall and the Blue Ridge Mts.


Jenny wanted to let everyone know that on the way home, I was snorezilla! I look forward to many more adventures with Jenny and the baby in the backpack.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Long Time, No Post


For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some
obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. - Souza

Things are going well here... time is FLYING by and we're preparing for one of the biggest changes of our lives. No, of course we're not ready. Who is? We are prioritizing our way towards January 13th with many conversations we've never had before. It is stressful at times and exciting at times. I think we can both agree that we're nervous. And we can both agree we're thrilled to be having a baby; we talked about having children on some of our earliest dates in college (not the best idea when you then have to wait 3 years to get married).
At my shower, friends and family shared much advice that I really appreciated. Take a nap whenever possible. Don't set yourself on a rigid schedule. Accept help from others. The first month is really hard but it gets better (movie stars who say pregnancy and mothering is easy are ridiculous). Don't worry/stress about educating yourself- those natural instincts will kick in. You CAN do it. You have children of God, don't label otherwise.
Our goals, priorities, schedules, plans, careers will all pause when we'll look into the eyes of our little creation.