"What's a cousin?"

Things play out so much better in our minds than they do in person don't they? We spent the day with our nephews Aidan and Liam yesterday and were excited to share our news with my sister, Amy, and Michael, Aidan and Liam. On our journey through wanting to tell as much of our close family and friends in person as we can it all depends on when and if we can see them in person. Unfortunately, we know we can not tell everyone in person though.
So, yesterday we arrived and knew we needed to tell them right away. I attempted to secretly meet with Aidan, but that led Amy to suspicions she was already having I guess. Aidan was confused and reluctant to say the word "cousin", but baby in my belly he did understand. So we get downstairs, and he says....nothing. Well, it took a lot of bribing till he finally went into the living room and said, "Mommy, what is a cousin?". Amy responded with an "I knew it!" and then of course congratulations with big hugs. I guess we can't surprise everyone, it must just be sister intuition.:)
It then followed with one of the funniest things, and I wish I had it on video! Me sitting on the couch, Aidan gently rubbing and tapping my belly saying "Baby, Baby", and Liam (who does everything his brother does) coming over and whacking my belly and saying "baby" every time his brother did. Unfortunately, many of his whacks were misses and ended up on my sore chest. But it created a good roaring laugh for us.
Then, the bribes came out again and we wanted Aidan to call Uncle Drew to share the news with him. Again, he was hesitant about saying cousin, but we wanted to make sure he made it clear so Drew didn't think it was Amy that was pregnant. All that prep time with him and it turned to this..."Hi Uncle Drew, I'm having a baby!". Well, more laughs. A very fun day.

Our Blueberry

What a crazy week! Todd has been so busy with volleyball camps and leagues that take up the entire day. We are looking forward to a long weekend though with lots of time for relaxation. Naps are becoming a little more regular for me, as I don't sleep soundly throughout the entire night lately. I don't think Todd will have a problem with that, he loves a good nap too. Zucchini bread is the most delicious thing in the world to me right now. I received some from the Stevens' family, and it went quickly. They also passed a big zucchini to me from their garden, so I think today's afternoon activity is making more zucchini bread. We are getting anxious to share our news and very anxious for our next dr. appt. and ultrasound!

Over the last week (week 7):
Our little blueberry has doubled in size over the last week.
arms, legs, hands and feet are all developing this week,
and baby's brain is growing big and strong too.

Little Sweet Pea

Our little pea is the size of a sweet pea right now! Last night we got to share the news with my parents. Todd has been gone for the last 8 days at the University of Florida, and my parents have been up here all week. Boy, was it hard to keep it a secret until he would come home so we could both share it with my parents together before they left to head back to Florida. After spending time with my parents the last 6 days, I was surprisingly able to do it! I don't know how I didn't let it slip, but I had to work hard at it, as well as mask my pregnancy symptoms (that started this week of course). Last night, July 18th, Todd finally came home, we picked him up at the airport had just a little time with my parents. He pulled out a Florida Souvenir for them, and to their surprise it was a baby Florida Gator outfit. We were very excited to be able to have the opportunity to share the news with them in person, as now our visits will space further out and they return to Florida. The challenge for them now is to keep it a secret until we are ready to really share our news. :)

Over the last week (week 6):
1st Dr. appt. - Due Date March 14th, 2011
1st ultrasound scheduled - August 11th
Baby's eyes, ears, nose, chin and juicy cheeks are already growing and there is a heartbeat!
And Happy 4th Birthday to big cousin Aidan!

Why is he so excited???

Just got home from a very long day of work landscaping, what could possibly make him so excited?



Maybe it was this.....









(click on the picture to see it larger)

OR this :)...




We are so excited!!!
I had the hardest time keeping it to myself all day long on the day that we found out. Todd was gone from 7am to 7pm so it was a long day for him, and a long day for me waiting. ;) All worth it, his confused expression coming up the top of the stairs was priceless. From confused to shocked to beaming. How fun it was. The sign in the picture above was on our extra bedroom's door waiting for Todd. Together we just stood there and smiled at each other, and Todd blabbered trying to get some questions or sentences out. :) We are so very excited.
So...we are off and on to a brand new journey!
At the time I am writing this, we have yet to tell anyone, and this Lisa and Todd blog has not been published yet or shared with our loved ones. So it feels more like I am just keeping a journal. :) You will probably be actually reading this a month from now, so when you see the July 10th date, that's when I wrote this wanting to capture our immediate feelings.

Now for all the regular questions: :)

When are you due?: March 2011
Are you going to find out what you are having?: Yes. Absolutely!
Do you have any names yet? We have a few, but still have a while :)
Will you share the names? Maybe, not sure yet.
Do you think you are having a boy or girl?
Lisa: Not sure yet. Todd: Thinks it is a girl!

Alright, check in with us from time to time for more updates.

Lucy

Yes, we are "those" kind of pet owners. :) Lucy is our adorable, affectionate, and immensely lovable maine coon cat. It is hard to not post anything about her, she is truly a part of our lives each and everyday and our family. She brings us so much joy, entertainment and companionship we are forever grateful to her. How do we describe our furry little baby? Well, she is truly one of a kind. A cat that acts like a dog and follows you from room to room, Lucy is the cuddler that nestles into my lap regularly (in fact, she is trying to as I type this), but also the playful wrestler that gets tough with Todd. She is the perfect balance, and such a reliable little girl. At the door ready to greet us as soon as we walk in (we can usually hear her from the car with her greetings). She fetches like a dog when you play with her, and she also brings us the same two toy mice to lay by our bedside every night to show us her "hunting", and each day she returns those to the front door so we can be greeted when we come home from work. She lets you pick her up anytime you would like, and does not have one single hiding spot in the house, because she is always with us. This social butterfly has one trait that is simply her best. She is my protector. I call her once and she is there, if Todd tries to tickle me she comes to my aide and meows in his face (she does love him too), and my favorite - every time I hide under a blanket she immediately comes to my rescue, meowing, and paws the blanket off of my face. It is the sweetest thing!
Lucy is two years old, and the most sentimental part is that she is exactly the age of our relationship. She was born just one day after our first date. :)

Lucy 8 weeks old

The first year in review...

We made it! haha. Our first year of marriage has flown past us. It has been filled with such amazing joys and happiness, and delivered us highs and lows that have strengthened our marriage and our love in blessed ways. Here is a recap of just a few of the moments from our first year together:

Our first wedding as a married couple - Kim & Mike's wedding
(and I think the start of our newlywed "comfort" weight gain)


Our Honeymoon ~ Riviera Maya, Mexico - Secrets Maroma Beach


Volleyball - As you all know, volleyball is such a big part of Todd's life and it keeps him very busy. This year was no exception. He coached the varsity girls at Kaneland and the varsity boys at St. Charles North. Both had good seasons, but we were really excited this spring when Todd achieved his first Regional Championship! The St. Charles North boys had a fantastic season and grew tremendously. Huge kudos to their amazing coach. :)


Our Home - Our house has gradually transformed into a cozy home. We love our home, and the peace, quiet, and comfort it provides us. We spend most of our time at home, and it is quickly filling with love and memories. This winter we did our first big renovation and put in laminate wood flooring on the first floor. We also replaced the vanity in the first floor bath and made some other small but worthwhile changes.

The Holidays - Our first holiday season as a married couple. It was really weird for me because it was the first year that my family was not going to be together on Christmas day in 28 years, but the timing worked out that I would find my husband and we would have the opportunity to spend our first Christmas day just the two of us in the comfort of our own home. It was filled with eating, movies, games, relaxing, and of course (in the tradition of the Dalton family that I will never part with) spent in our pajamas all day. We still enjoyed a great time spent with our families around the holiday season as well, with trips to Morrison, St. Louis and Sugar Grove. :)

Tennessee - In February, we hit the road in Todd's truck and headed south for a long weekend with Drew. We had a great weekend with Drew, eating some good southern grub (I'm still dreaming about the fried soft pretzels and tequila BBQ wings...), playing some guitar hero, and hiking in the smoky mountains. We were under the impression it would be a mild hike, a leisurely stroll...nope. It was real hiking, others had hiking poles and boots (my jeans and sneakers weren't the best). Despite how exhausted we were, it was beautiful and a great hike.


Fun! - Despite a very busy year, we tried to take breaks and take some time to enjoy ourselves. Some of that fun included a luxurious weekend downtown at the Swissotel in Chicago, a spring hike at Starved Rock, and concerts in the park downtown.


Educator of the year - When I think about that moment, I still get that nervous, surprising feeling of "Did he just say my name?". The Kane County Educator of the Year banquet was a big lavish event, and a special night for all teachers. I was caught off guard at my school in February when they announced over the loud speaker that the nominating committee was walking to the teacher's classroom, I was shocked when they stepped foot into mine. The nomination was a great honor, and receiving the award was very surreal. I was glad to have the chance to give my thank you speech and recognize my parents for their many years of teaching and all the support they have given me, as they retired. It was an absolutely wonderful evening, and I was glad to have family and friends there to share it with me. And Todd was a very proud husband. :) I can not thank everyone enough for taking the time to write a letter for me. I was overwhelmed when I finally got to see my binder after the event had concluded. It is amazing, and I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. I will treasure it for many years to come. Thank you!


Big Transitions - If there is one thing to say about our first year of marriage, it is definitely that we had a lot of big transitions. One of those being my parents moving to Florida. This was a very big transition for me, as I'm used to spending a lot of time with them and calling them for everything. This was also a big transition for Todd and I as it marked that we are officially without any immediate family nearby (but our families are all dealing with the same thing). We are so excited for my parents with the restful and amazing life they get to take advantage of now, and we know there will be many visits. Happy Retirement to them!

First Anniversary - July 4th, 2010 marked our first anniversary! We spent the entire day downtown. We took in an afternoon game at Wrigley Field, delicious burgers at DMK Burger Bar on Sheffield (YUM!), and then lots of walking taking in all that Chicago offers and everything we love about this city. We finished out the evening sitting on the river, Garrett's popcorn in hand and enjoying the fireworks in the same spot we had two years ago on our first fourth of July together. Now, the cake... we had our cake in the freezer for the last year just waiting for this day... drumroll please... it was pretty gross. We each only took one bite. Good thing I had made a backup dessert just in case!

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog! We have so many family and friends that are far away from us in distance now that we wanted a way to keep connected with everyone. The teacher in me, you can consider this like a regular newsletter. We are excited to share our happily ever after with you and all that has and will continue to take place in our family since our lives came together when we were married on July 4th, 2009. I was also intrigued to start this when I heard that there are companies that create scrapbooks from your blogs. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Lovely!
We are food and movie lovers, so this may even provide you with good reviews and recipes from time to time. As well as hopefully moments that make you laugh, smile, and love right along with us. Thank you for being a part of our lives. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by such loving and supportive family and friends. Regardless of how long this blog may last, we are excited about the journey ahead of us!