WHAT ARE THE WELCH'S UP TO???

So this Christmas has been crazy! Colin's parents came in on the 23 and stayed until the 24th and then my mom and step dad came in on the 24th and are here until this Friday. We are currently MIA because we are finishing the basement bathroom and working on getting our house projects done (i.e. carpet, painting bedrooms, fixing cracks) before this baby makes her appearance.Christmas Eve we had a really nice dinner with Jen, Josh, Raegan, My stepdad, and my mom. We ate beef and had awesome appetizers!! Christmas day was a blast. It was so much fun to watch the expression on Christian's face when he came down stairs to see all of his prizes. It took him about two hours to open up those prizes thanks to MiMi and PAPA Toe. We were sad that Coo Coo could not make it this year but maybe next year. Later that day we had corn and crab bisque along with ham and mashed potatoes. It was a great day and I def. felt blessed that my mom could be here with us for Christmas. This was Christian's last Christmas as the only child and it makes me a little sad. :-( Only because it has been just him and I for so long. I am sure that he will enjoy the presence of his sister next year. So as we are super busy i'm finally 26 weeks and feeling it :-) Let's just hope that the projects get done and we can finish the basement before Handy Manny leaves, my stepdad. Did I mention that our basement has been totally taken over by toys :-OOOO! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas! We enjoyed ours!

A work in progress!!!!

I have finally found all of the fabric for Bubbles room. I am so excited!!! I don't want to post to much about it because it will be a surprise!!!!

11:00, 1:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:30!!!

Yes! That is exactly how many times I have woken up last night in the middle of the night. This little girl is def. preparing me for those sleepless nights. Not to mention that Christian is pitching in on the opportunity to keep Mommy awake. I have been having pretty weird dreams at night, this past night I felt as though whatever I was dreaming was actually happening. I almost ran downstairs to get Colin but I figured I could get myself back to sleep but that was not the case. Baby bubbles is also starting to move like crazy so when she moves guess what?? I wake up. The reason for Christian getting up at 4 a.m. is what I think sounds like another cold coming on. For all of those first time pregnant mommy's enjoy the naps, free time, and lounging around. That does not happen the second time around. :-) I am still grateful to serve my little ones and I'm only preparing myself for what's in store in April. Which is right around the corner. Ready or not she's coming :-)

AWESOME FIND!!!

So i've been in need of a new sewing machine and guess what I found one! A perfectly brand new sewing machine at the trash :-0 I know you are wondering what was a sewing machine doing in the trash not to mention that it is a 400.00 sewing machine with an LCD screen. I normally do not take things out of the trash but when I was going to put the trash out the other day I noticed a sewing machine with parts, receipts, and it's case. I figured this won't work but let me try to take things out of the trash like my husband does sometimes lol. I bought it inside and guess what IT WORKS!?!!!!! Perfect! A free Christmas present for me! Even though I got it out of the trash I still want to go over to my neighbors house and thank her for the wonderful gift. This will def. help me get a start on the baby's room! Also, we had our 24 week apt. yesterday! All is well, thanks to God. Baby bubbles was showing off her cool karate moves to the Doc. Christian was thrilled to get to hear his sister's heart beat. It was actually one of the shortest apt's I have ever been to. It took all of ten mintues. On the are you comfortable scale I would have to say yes I am, but overall I am starting to not sleep well. Bubbles and I were awake at 5 o'clock this morning! I know early! I can't see to get comfortable and it looks like I will need to start using my snoogle in order to get a good nights sleep. My snoogle however totally secludes me in our bed... poor Colin. I will post a belly update this weekend!

23 Weeks!!

Today marks twenty three weeks and I cannot believe that we are this far already. Baby Bubbles is constantly moving especially when her Daddy and Christian talk to her. My photo shoot with Lisa is coming up in a couple of months and I'm really looking forward to working with her. I am starting to feel a little discomfort in my rib cage. Same problem when I had Christian. We are so excited for this week to be over because our family will be coming in again and staying here until the New Year. We are really excited.

Holidays!

So we are just trying to get everything back to normal in this house. We had a great Thanksgiving and we were so thankful that Colin's family could be with us this year. I am still in awe that Christmas is right around the corner and in less than three weeks the family will be back in VA. I'm also thinking how crazy it is that we are already past the half-way mark of this pregnancy. I'm really looking forward to getting the house ready for the baby girl. We still haven't figured out a name yet but in time i'm sure we will think of something. I should be posting a 22 week update within the next two weeks. Here are a couple of pictures of Christian.

21 WEEKS!

Christian's new spider man face and the belly at 21 weeks. Two nights ago I was taking a bath with Christian(Just easier now that i'm getting bigger) and Colin went to get a towel well he also threw one of those colored tablets into the water. I didn't notice. The water tablet was yellow. Colin then begins to tell me that Christian is peeing in the tub. My first response was no he's not and then I looked down at the water and would have been out of the tub in less than a second. Colin was laughing hysterically and then I couldn't stop laughing. I guess it was one of those you had to be there moments if you don't find it funny. All is well little bubbles. She's finally starting to move and kick so that Colin can feel her. We are ready for the Holidays and i'm really looking forward to seeing all of our family!!!!!

Louisiana!

I had a great time when I back to Louisiana but I do have to say I missed my boys so much while I was away. It was nice to know that they could manage without me but I really did miss them. I just wanted to post a couple of pictures from the trip. I also had a Dr.'s apt this week and she said that everything looks great with me and little miss welch. We still has no name but it will come in good time. I'm so glad to be home.

Undecided???

So I thought that since I was having a girl the whole name choosing would be easy!! HAHA I cannot come up with a name that both Colin and I like. We have agreed on one name only to remember that a close family member has named her child that with a different spelling. I'm getting really frustrated with it at the moment. Christian's name was super easy one day I was driving to work and called Colin overt he phone and told him the name and that was it just like that. We both instantly fell in love with the name. This time around not quite the same. We have considered some names but when I heard my sister say that name this weekend I ended up not liking the sound of the name (go figure). I'll just say a little prayer and maybe we can eventually come up with something. In the meantime the search is still on......

Inspiration for her room!!!!

I told everyone last night over dinner that I wanted to do a pink and lime green theme for her room but I have changed my mind already lol. This will be the inspiration for the room. The designer patterns at pottery barn. However, I will not be buying anything from pottery barn :-) I plan on sewing her curtains bedding and everything else myself this will just give me direction for my little angel's bedroom :-) I cannot wait to get started, but I have to wait until Jan. to start anything because Christian is still in the crib and in that room. He will be moving up to a big boy bed. :-)

SURPRISE!!!!

The Welch family is proud to announce that IT'S A GIRL. We were scheduled for our ultra-sound on Monday but Colin couldn't get off work so I immediately called the ultra-sound center to see if we could possibly get in early. They had an opening and let us in. We are saying good-bye to our really close friends Danny and Shelley and didn't want to tell anyone because I was going have dinner with Shelley this evening. It was really hard to keep it a secret since all of my friends knew how bad I wanted to have a girl. We went to dinner and I gave Shelley her going away gift. She was super excited and read the card but missed the bottom note. I had to tell her to read the card a second time and then to my suprise she bursted into tears. It was the fourth to best moment of my life. What better way to share such a great joy than with all of my best friends sitting at a table over dinner. It was a wonderful night and even though i'm so excited about our new little baby girl, I am also sad to see Shelley leave. The ultra-sound went really well and everything is going well with the baby. She has all of her little toes and all of her fingers. It was awesome to just sit there and watch her float around, well not really float she was a little crazy. Cutting flips, feet in the face, and then all balled up. She's some gymnast. I know you are wondering what was Colin's reaction well.....he was really surprised, nervous(now), and over whelmed because seeing the baby made it real for the both of us. My mom was also super excited. Which could not have made me happier. She said that she would be sending something pink in the mail right away. I just love her and I hope that we can have the bond that My mom and I share today. Colin's parent's were also excited. As for my dad not being here it would have been an awesome moment to see him hold his grand-daughter and spoil her but I know in my heart that he is watching over us. I cannot wait to bring our little girl into this world. Thankyou God so much for blessing us with a little girl!!!!!

COSTUME PARADE!

Today we loaded up all the kids and took them to the Chinn Library for the annual Costume Parade. Here are a couple of pictures of all the kids. It was Christian's first time actually saying "trick or treat"! He enjoyed himself. We went eat a TJSH after. It was a good time and now i'm exhausted so it's time for a nap!

Do I see a smile?

Do I see a smiling Dinosaur??? The only way that I could get Christian to put on his costume was with Carter! So thanks to Carter for making our little Dinosaur happy :-)

Week 16 Update!

The Dr.'s apt went great this morning. We listened to the heartbeat which was an average of 150 and then we talked to Dr. Dob. She seemed really glad to see us. We also scheduled the big ultra-sound which will be on November 10th! Cannot wait!! All three of us Colin, Christian and Me have been sick for the last week!!! Which is never fun. I hope that by this weekend we are all well.

Super Saturday!

This past Saturday was filled with fun and exciting events. In the morning Sandra, Shelley and I threw Mariah her baby shower! It was such a wonderful event and I just wanted to Thank everyone who helped out and who came to support Mariah and her little girl. She got lots of great things and it was just such a blessing to share those moments with such a great friend. After the shower Colin and Christian headed back home from their much needed Daddy and Christian time. They went over to hang out with Sandra's husband and their two kids while the shower was taking place. Shelley lost her keys but luckily they weren't really lost. They ended up in her jacket in the closet the whole entire time. WOWA lol At around 5:00 Colin and I left the house and headed out to our Sunday school's annual pumpkin carving party. We decided that we needed a game plan since this would be our first year. So we kept our template a secret just to show up and realize that it was on somone else's mind also. We had a great time with all of our friends and it was just nice to get out and go somewheres as a couple. This week is our Dr.'s apt and I will be updating later...

Adriana Elise

So our friends Jen and Ben welcomed their baby girl into the world at 5:30 p.m. She weighs 6lbs 10 oz. and is 19.5 inches long. And I think as of now she looks like Jen! What a blessing..

PRAYER

Please pray for our friends Jen and Ben Smith! Jen went into the hospital at 12 o'clock last night to be induced. Adriana Elise will be their first baby! We can't wait to see her make her appearance...

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday and I couldn't be more blessed to have her in my life. My mom and I's relationship has changed dramatically over the years. Especially when I had Christian. We became super close and to this day she's always considered my best friend. She has been there by my side when I had Christian and when I lost my Dad. I hope that she understands how much I love and appreciate her. It kills me that we are so far away and that Christian doesn't get to see her that often and neither do I but on the good side the distance has def. allowed me to grow as a person. Mom I really miss you ALOT! and I just wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for Christian and for myself. I love you so much. The above picture is a picture taken of Christian and my mom when he was only a few days old. It is by far my favorite picture of the two of them.

15 weeks!

Our OBGYN Apt. is not until next week! I'm so anxious because I want to schedule the BIG ultra-sound!

Christian's Belated Dedication!

So we finally had Christian Dedicated today and what a blessing it was. We have chosen to raise Christian in a christian home and we will continue to work on it everyday. I am so blessed to have him as my son and I wouldn't change it for the world. God has blessed me in so many ways but I myself have become a stronger christian because of my little one. I thank God everyday for allowing me to have children and to just be a better person than what I used to be. Having a son is such a joyous time in our lives. Both Colin and I are blessed to have Christian.

Pumpkin Carving.

Colin came home one day early with a bouquet of flowers(super sweet) and a huge pumpkin. Christian was super excited about the pumpkin and I was just super excited to have Colin home early on his work Friday. That night we sat down and carved the pumpkin with Christian. He seemed to be very interested in it until Colin decided to shove his hands in the goopy pumpkin. Christian however did not like this one bit. Christian has however told anyone that he comes into contact with to "Put hands in" and then "I cried". Poor Jen had no idea what in the world Christian was talking about until I sat there and explained. So even though it seems as though he didn't like it, he has been talking about his little experience for the last week. Here are a couple of pictures from our pumpkin carving experience.

Stribling Orchard.

So today we took Christian to an apple orchard to pick apples. He really enjoyed it and he was able to run around without us holding on to him. We went along with Jen, Josh, and Raegan. It was something to do to get out of the house on such a beautiful day.

One happy little boy!

Good morning all! I am so glad that christian is no longer sick! I hope that he stays healthy so that we can actually get out this weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather! P.S. He no longer has pink eye which is a blessing. We are still praying for Aiden and we are hoping that his fever will break and he will be able to go home.

A proud 13 weeks!

So today marks 13 weeks for the pregnancy. Which hopefully your morning sickness and fatigue have passed(Not the case) and you are feeling healthy and energetic(I'm still super tired). I hope that within the next couple of weeks they do all pass. We spent ALL of our weekend inside with a sick two year old and it also rained a lot in Va this weekend. However, Saturday night I did get to attend a cooking class at the Carradice's house and loved every minute of it. It was alot of fun with alot of great food. Robin was awesome(The Chef). There really isn't that much to post just that Christian has some sort of little infection and will be taking him into the Dr. tomorrow. All is well for now our next Dr.s apt isn't for another 3 weeks.

Christian's funniest kid moment.

Today we went to lunch with Sandra, Brett, Mariah, Carter, Eva, and her twins @ Chipotle. As we were walking to the car poor Christian's pants fell down. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. I just stood there laughing as he was looking at me like "mom please help me!" It was super funny. I guess it was one of those moments where you would have just had to be there. HAHAHA

One Sweet Day!

Today was an awesome day for the Welch family!! We had another Dr.'s apt. which meant another ultra-sound. And Here's Bubbles making his/her second appearance! At first I was not sure about getting this ultra-sound because it was the transluccol ultra-sound which detects downs! But we passed and we got to see the heart beat, watch the baby for about 20 minutes because he/she was being stubborn. The doctor said that the baby is measuring over AGAIN so that puts my now due date at April 2, 2009. He also said that my uterus was really high so it isn't unusual if i'm already feeling baby bubbles move! I've only gained 1 lb which is pretty hard to believe because I feel as though I have been eating ALOT. The next apt. is scheduled for October 22nd with Dr. Dobrynski. I'm really looking forward to that visit because she is the one who delievered Christian. Also we will either be having the baby at Fair Oaks or at Fairfax the exact hospital is unknown. Whichever hospital the Doctor's are at will determine what hospital we will have to go to. And if they aren't at either it is our choice. I'm still undecided. All is well with Christian also. He surely is becoming one independant little boy!

A year of heatache!

Above is the last picture of Christian and my dad! July 16th 2007!
Well today marks the one year anniversary of my Dad's passing. A day that I have been dreading since the day it happened. At 1:00 P.M. it will mark the last time that I have talked to my father. For some reason when you lose someone so close to you, you never forget the day that it happened and it's stuck in your mind forever! I really miss him and words cannot describe the pain of losing someone so close. My Dad was a great man. A Fisher, Hunter, Great Cook(He's the one who taught me how to cook all of that great Cajun Food) and he was a great Paw June to my son. It really saddens me to know that he cannot watch Christian grow up and see how much Christian really loves the outdoors just like he does. I really wish that he could be here to witness the birth of our second child. The wedding is over and though I have accepted that my father couldn't be there it still hurts to hear songs on the radio about a father and his daughter. I was Daddy's little girl. Well it's hard to talk about it and I just want to be strong today for Christian and just for the sake of being strong. I love you Daddy! June 11,1954-September18,2007! You will be forever remembered.

One sick kid....

So as most of you know Christian has had the croup about 5 times in his short little lifetime and has had numerous runny noses and colds. Last night was different. We put Christian to bed at about 8:00 and he woke up at 11:15 having trouble breathing. It really scared both Colin and Me. We decided not to take him to the E.R. which we should have. Christian was much better this morning and by the time we got to the Dr.'s office at 10:00 he was perfectly normal besides a little runny nose. So of course I drove all the way out to Fair Oaks for them to tell me wait until tonight to see if it comes back and bring him to the E.R. We are very blessed that Christian has not had any major medical issues but it is just really frustrating that he constantly has some sort of illness. I hope that we can find a cause to all of his illnesses.

Christian's 2 year checkup!

Well Christian had his 2 year checkup on Friday! All is well in toddler hood. He actually gained 4 lbs within the last month so that was very exciting news for Colin and Me. That puts him at 27lbs! Woo hoo. He is also in the 75th percentile for height and the Doc. says that he will shoot up in a couple of weeks due to a huge growth spurt he is experiencing right now. He has been eating like crazy and sleeping for at least 3 hours in the afternoon! They took blood from him at the apt. and to my surprise he thought that it was really cool. I told him he was dripping and he just continued to stare. lol Until....they took out the band aids. He really does not like band aids. The baby is doing great and I am just sick same as usual. Colin has gotten me to go back to the gym which makes me feel wonderful! And it helps me to stay in shape. MOPS is starting up on Friday and I am super excited to meet everyone in my group. Almost all of the women are new to the area and I know what it feels like to be in their shoes. I hope that I can offer them friendship and support. It is extremely tough to live in such a come and go town. I've seen many of my good friends leave, which was tough "Miss you Ginger" but I know that God has a plan for me and my family!

Two Already!

Today is Christian's second birthday! What a wonderful two years of life God has blessed us with. I still can't believe that i've been a mom for two years now. I love every minute of it. Christian enjoyed his morning by going to pick up his Gunga (Colin's mom) Then after that we all went eat at Chick. Because Christian loves the chicken there. He's changing so much and has grown so much over the past two years. He doesn't have his two year check-up until Monday. I'm guessing he hasn't gained any weight! Well Happy Birthday to my little boy! I love you!!

Dr.'s Apt!

We are excited to say that our Dr.'s Apt went really well yesterday! We did in fact have an ultra-sound and Christian was able to be in the room with us! They also took a 4D ultra-sound. The Doc. says that everything looks o.k. so far and that he will induce me early this time if the baby seems to be bigger than 8lbs 13oz. Unfortunately for me I don't have the genes for making small babies! We are really excited and the sound of that little heart beat made it all real for us. Christian has also named the baby for us already lol "Bubbles" Because at eight weeks babies do look like little bubbles. On another note my sister's husband hasn't been feeling well and had to go to the hospital twice in the past week. We just ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

The creep of the croup!

So I'm not to sure what it is about Christian and the croup but it seems to love his little body very much. He has had the croup several times in his short little life span and I think it may be creeping up again. He woke up this morning with a raspy cough so we will pray that it might not be that and might just be some flem trying to leave his body. It would be terrible to get the croup today because it's Brettles party and tomorrow is the picnic for the kickoff of MOPS! Which I am looking extremely forward to. Also on the Christian agenda. He fell off of the toilet yesterday and gashed his eye open! I felt so terrible. It wasn't big enough to have to go and get stiches. Thank God. And I managed to stay calm with all of the blood. But he's fine today and my wonderful friends had came to the rescue to save the day! Thanks Mariah and Nanette! And still today with a puffy eye he has a huge smile on his face! He's def. an amazing little boy!

Another Blessing!

My good friend Miranda gave birth on August 20, 2008. Aidan Robert Johnson, 6lbs 13 oz. What an amazing sight to see and just to witness how wonderful the gift of life from God is. I spent most of the day with her at the hospital and we all played card games to try and pass the time for her. I was truly amazed at her strength and courage through it all. Aidan is such a beautiful little boy and I know that Ace will make an excellent big brother! What an exciting day. On another note we are now down to week 7 and I am still feeling really nauseated and tired. I am scheduled for an apt. on Monday so I will update then. God is so great!!!