The Christie's- The Life I Love

A Day of Projects.

2011-09-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a day that we have been in need of for the past few weeks. We stayed at home ALL day! (Minus one trip to the post office and the park) We had such a fun day. First off miss Lynlee girl slept until 8:25!!! Which in our house in an act of God and the Heavens! So yes thank you Lord for that- He knew Momma needed that extra bit of shut-eye.So with the late start to the morning and Lovey taking about an hour to eat her breakfast- I mean seriously? AN HOUR to eat a cup of greek yogurt and half a banana!!! I just went with it. I mean I tend to

move slowly in the morning too so I figure if we have the time let her take it. After all of that, we went for a walk in the beautiful weather and snuck over to Andrew and Roni's backyard to play, it is WAY cooler and more fun than our own backyard. She loves sliding down Bo's big boy slide.

And here is when the projects begin, unless of course you consider the above projects and in that case we can add more checks in the "accomplished" column. Sometimes getting breakfast deserves a check in that column! :) Alright so back on track- Projects: Michael Christie has been nagging, oops I mean asking nicely, for me to get rid of the huge pile of magazines that are overtaking our kitchen. I insist that they all have VERY IMPORTANT information that I might need one day! So he rolls his eyes and lets me keep them. So then I started getting annoyed with the pile taking up space so I decided to consolidate.

I went through each magazine and pulled out articles that I felt I would at some point in my life need. As I tore the articles out, I split them into piles like: Discipline, Me Time, Food, Time for Fun and so on. I went to Walmart and got one of those accordion folders and vwalla huge stack of magazines gone and an organized info packed article mecca at my fingertips!

Project #2 for the day: Sending "I love You" Cards to some family. After lunch I let Lynlee color some cards with markers. Yes, brave I know. She did have more marker on her highchair and her arms than on the cards but she had fun with it. On the inside I just wrote a little note and then threw them in the mail- (hence the trip to the post office.) I know that the fam will enjoy a personalized card from our little lovey girl. :) She really did a great job and they were super easy to make.

Project #3: Vacuuming the house. Yeah. That needs no explanation, cutesy pictures or further discussion.

All this activity warranted a 3 hour nap from Lynlee girl! Again, thank the Lord! This enabled me to finish each project. :)

That is our day in a nutshell. It ended with fun family time at the park with Bo, Cruiz, Aunt Roni and Uncle Andrew. Lynlee felt like such a big girl riding around in Bo's Big Wheel F-150. So Cute.

Well that's all for tonight. night night everyone.

Britney

Hello Terrible Two's or 1 1/2's!!!!

2011-09-11T18:49:00.001-07:00

Welp, we are starting to learn what people mean when they say terrible two's. Lynlee Harper is starting to become quite the "personality"! Everything is an ordeal and "No No No" and "Me Me Me" are becoming her favorite phrases. So if there is any advice about how to deal I am all ears. Sounds like I need to pick up a few of my parenting books and thumb back through them. But I will say that through all of the frustrations of her new attitude she will just as quickly turn around and give me a kiss or hug me and say "awe". So pray for grace and mercy for me and Michael as we conquer this new era of Lynlee's life.

On another note we had Michael's 10 year class reunion! WOW I cannot believe it is already time for these types of events. But we went and really had a great time. Everyone was so nice and I know that he had a great time seeing everyone. The funny part is most of the people we saw are people we see all the time. :) Guess that comes with living in a small town and staying close to home. :) I think next year when mine comes around I will be seeing people that I haven't seen since we graduated. I just hope I recognize everyone-I am so bad with stuff like that!

Last note for the night- Tonight we took a jeep ride and went and got milkshakes. This was Lynlee's first milkshake (to my knowledge) and boy was she in hog heaven! She felt like such a big girl sipping on her very own big girl milkshake. She watched how Michael would dip his straw in and take a bite so she felt like she needed to do the same. All was well until we were right around the corner from home and yup.....milkshake everywhere! It was all over her. I mean she was covered!!!!! If only I would have had a camera it would have been perfect. But she was a trooper and went right in and jumped in the tub! I could not stop laughing it was so funny! Bless her heart I think that would have been the only thing to stop her from drinking that whole thing!

Keep the terrible two's in your prayers, we would really appreciate it. :)

nighty night,

Britney

Just one of them days!

2011-09-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

What is that old 90's songs "Just one of them days, where I wanna be all alone...." I am thinking it may be a TLC or a Salt-n-Pepper song if that tells you anything. Well I think I may be having one of those days. Not so much that I want to be alone but that I just feel sorta yuck. Kind of like what ever you touch gets screwed up kind of days. Hopefully this will pass because we are about to head out in the 108 degree heat to tailgate for the tigers. So nothing like a sour attitude with intense amount of heat! haha!

(OK SO I FOUND THE SONG!! it is Monica! ha flashback to middle/high school)

So let's think positive. On a good note Lynlee is still LOVING her school. She is so eager to get there in the mornings which makes me happy. Not to mention how nice it is to get reports throughout the day from people I run into! :) Everyone has picked up on her funny eating habits and her sassy personality! So blessed and happy to have her at Hope. She just struts around those halls like she owns the place. So cute.

AH! Just realized it is time to leave for the tailgate, be back soon

.................................................. OK we are back and things went great! Lynlee had a blast with A

ustin! They are so precious together. It is funny to think they were in strollers last year at this time

and we were nursing in the car. :) Now they are running around the tailgate playing. It was so cute when I went to get him he had his football jersey on and of course miss priss was wearing her cheerleading uniform!

(Great Deal at WALMART!!! I couldn't believe it, I think it was 15 bucks and it feels like a real uniform. SO PRECIOUS!) They had fun hanging out and playing even though it was a little hot. Didn't stop them from having a good time.

Aside from school and football tailgates things have been pretty low key- although this weekend we are headed to the lake for Mimi's birthday! We are excited to celebrate and hangout with the family. PLUS--Mommy and Daddy are getting a date night Saturday night with the Bennett's and the Cobb's and we could not be more excited! This is long over due and we know that it is going to be so fun! :) Welp glad tomorrow is Friday and I am sure I will have some precious pics to post after the lake weekend.

Have a wonderful night!

Britney

Yeah I know.

2011-08-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well..... let's see- it has been over a year and boy have a lot of things happened. I realize that I am probably the worlds worst blogger but for some reason I have been feeling compelled to update and write lately. Maybe it is because Lynlee is doing so many amazing things right now and I want to have it documented somewhere or maybe it is because I want to give my family the opportunity to hear the wonderful things she is doing. I don't know but I am just going to go with it. God has blessed us beyond belief and I cannot begin to express how thankful and grateful I am.

In the past year I went from being a full-time teacher/full-time cheer coach to a full-time mommy to now a full-time mommy/part-time Global Outreach Coordinator.

I was given the opportunity to come on board at our church, Hope, and work in the Global Outreach department with Michael Leirer. (hence the need to always differentiate between the Michaels in my life by using first and last name at all times, I am sure you will notice this.) Those of you that know me, know that I have a huge heart for missions. So starting this job fit into my life perfectly! It was something that I already lived and breathed and now I got the opportunity to share mission work with SO many. It is the perfect scenario for me as well, part-time and I work from home. I know this is exactly where God wants me and he has orchestrated it all perfectly.

With the new job has come some incredible and amazing responsibilities- getting people on the mission field all over the world. Something that I LOVE! I know first hand how a mission trip can change lives and I am so thankful to be a part of that. I have experienced God in so many incredible ways in Honduras, Kenya and Guatemala. God has such a clever way of showing his face and grace in amazing ways.

Many people wince when I tell them that I have an 18 month old when I am on the field or getting ready to leave to go. There is only one thing I can say- God tells me to go so I have to listen. I have made many mistakes in my life and not listened to God, it seems much more fulfilling and easy when I just shut up and listen to what he wants for my life. Thanks to an amazing husband and family I know that my daughter is in great hands. I also know that one day when she is playing with friends in Kenya or Belize or Honduras or where ever God leads, she will thank me. It is hard in the world we live in today to put yourself last and think of others first, the mission field is a great place to learn that.

I cannot tell you the strength I have learned from kids that I have met on the

field. A 4th, now 6th grade girl, with no parents, no money and total reliance on God never ceases to amaze me. Wow! Boy has she taught me a lot. I have seen her blossom into a beautiful leader within her community and stand up for God and what she believes in. Maybe one day you will each get to meet my sweet Irene. I pray that she will be able to journey here, possibly to study.??? we shall see.

So that is work and mission life in a very small nutshell that I am sure you will come to learn more about if I can keep this blogging thing up. :) Let's talk about my Lovey girl!

Ok so what is up with the "Lovey"? So, I am honestly not sure when this started but we started calling Lynlee our "Lovey" (among other nicknames we have given her) at some point between the first weeks home and 3 months old. So there. It started because there is all this talk in the baby world about "loveys" they are sweet little blankets that babies cuddle when they sleep or whenever really. So between Michael Christie and my big brains, we decided that if Lynlee had her lovey, a one-of-a-kind orange, purple, yarny, towel looking square from lord knows where, that she would be our lovey. I mean it just fit- she loved to cuddle and hug and smell her lovey, well so did we. So that is how it came about- we got a sweet little Lovey girl! So if you hear me refer to her as our Lovey just know that mean Lynlee not a piece of fabric, dog or anything of that nature. Ok-Disclaimer: It is important to be know that Michael Christie has made it clear that no teacher is to call her Lovey at anytime, it is morely just a term of endearment rather than an actual nickname. No seriously, we had to have this discussion when family members started catching on and saying it. :) Love how that Michael Christie mind works.

So what has happened with this sweet lovey girl in the past year?

Oh wow! Well first off she is hilarious, smart, nosey which we like to say "inquisitive", bossy which we like to say "a leader", chunky which we like to say "healthy" and well just precious! She is such a talker, imagine that!?! She really is a girly girl that loves baby dolls, purses, chap-stick, toenail polish, brushing her hair and shoes. Yup, 18 months and already a girly girl. She is a mess and we love every bit of it.

She has started "preschool" at Hope this past week and she LOVES it! She is in the best mood when I pick her up. I think she really likes the structure, her teachers and being able to learn in such a fun environment. One of her best friends, Briley is in the classroom next door so they get to play during outside and pod time! She LOVES it!

Music- Ok so this is something that Lynlee picked up on pretty much right when we brought her home. When she was in my belly I sang her all kinds of songs, old pi phi songs, old church songs, new church songs, radio songs, the whole bit. When she got home I kept those up but it is funny because TBS or some TV station like that had an "O Brother Where Art Thou" marathon going on for which seemed like 2 weeks, which may have only been a day or two but let's face it with a newborn who can keep track! So anyway, they were having a marathon and Michael and I picked up on a couple of their songs and started singing them to Lynlee "Down to the River to Pray" and "Go to Sleep Little Baby". It was the craziest thing because she could be in a frenzy, going crazy and we could turn those on or start singing them and BAM- quiet baby. Boy did that save us a few times in the car! :) It went like that for several months.

We learned really quickly that she enjoyed music. Now we listen to kids music nonstop in the car, sing it in the house, she LOVES to sing at my parent's house and play the drums. So who knows we may have the next Carrie Underwood on our hands. Oh and let's not forget that she can dance! Just bust into "Dance too much booty in the pants" or "Go Lynlee it's your Birthday" and she will break it down. Again, can't help the song choice it just sorta happened and stuck.

Well I think that is enough for now. I number 1 need to go to bed and number 2 need to leave something to write about later. :)

Hopefully I will be a better blogger and can give updates on our lives more than once a year! :)

Love y'all!

Britney

It's Been a While!

2010-05-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Woah! I am a little behind on posts huh!?! Well Lynlee Harper Christie is here and doing wonderful! I am SO in love with this little girl! She has been such a great baby! She is growing like a weed and is cuter everyday.

I am not sure really where to pick up with the blogging. I am almost so far behind that it will be impossible to back track. But I will try to be better-promise!

Well 2 more days!

2010-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness we leave to go to the hospital in less than 24hours! We are beyond excited! I cannot believe that we are going to be parents so soon. We have been resting a lot this weekend and getting last minute stuff finished. Her nursery is done! All we need is a baby girl and pictures to put in the frames. This is going to be the best week of our lives, I just know it! I have been praying for every aspect of the labor, I know that God will be watching over us!

My mom is coming early tomorrow to help with some last minute stuff and deliver some yummy goodies for our freezer! It will be so nice to have her at the hospital during the cervadil experience! It makes me feel good to know that she will know the medical lingo, Michael and I are oblivious! We are prepared with puzzles, magazines, and the latest obsession Word Scrabble on my iphone! Michael and I have become obsessed with this game! So if you play on your phone invite us to play with you! But beware-we are pretty good. ;)

Please keep our family in your prayers! We are so excited!

37 Weeks!!

2010-02-15T19:49:00.001-08:00

Well tomorrow I am 37 weeks and Lynlee is full term! This is crazy how quickly it has all gone by! We are so excited. We also have some exciting news...... March 2nd is the big day! We have decided to induce. We have chosen to do so with the advice of our amazing doctor. We are thrilled that we know when our little girl will be here and even more thrilled that everyone we love will be able to be there, as well as Dr. Tonkin. We have gotten so close to her through this process and I just could not imagine going through the birthing process without her.

We have also been in search of a good pediatrician. It has been quite tough because of how amazing Dr. Tonkin has been. Michael and I have gotten spoiled by her attentiveness and her wonderful bedside manor. We just want her in the pediatrician form. :) But I guess I can't have everything.

Another exciting thing that has happened this weekend- the new Germantown Methodist facility opened! So it is official- We will deliver in the new hospital! I am particularly excited about this because there are so many new aspects of security, technology, and not to mention cleanliness! We are touring the new hospital this Thursday in our class. Can't wait to see it all.

We also had our last shower this weekend and it was wonderful. Michael's Aunt Claire and Family friend Cindy Ford hosted it for us and we got some of the cutest stuff! We are so blessed and could not be more thankful for our friends and family! Michael's favorite was a bathing suit that Aunt Claire and Grandmother got us! He LOVES when Lynlee gets bathing suits. (I think because he can picture us all hanging out and playing at the lake this summer with our sweet baby girl!)

Well that is about all for tonight! We have 15 days and counting until Lynlee Harper is in our arms! Please continue to pray for our family and our health.

Love,

The Christie's

35 Weeks

2010-02-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

A lot has gone on since my last post, imagine that! :) We had an amazing shower given by some of my closest friends, two doctors appointments, several snow days, and a million other things I am sure! The shower was incredible! Everything was just perfect. I was so overwhelmed when I walked into the door, I think I cried about 5 times the first 35 minutes I was there. We got so many sweet things for Lynlee girl, including our car seat! This was a huge surprise because like everything else I have picked out for this girl, it was on backorder! But the hostesses pulled together and got me that, along with so many other goodies!

At our doctor's appointment yesterday we got to see our sweet little girl! We were so excited to see her! When Dr. Tonkin measured my stomach she was a little concerned because she felt that I was measuring small so she wanted to take a peak at our little girl. Well the conclusion was that she looked great! The tech thought she looked like she already weighs 6lbs! Oh goodness I can't believe that she is already that big! :) But she was bashful and had her little hand over her face again! But even though we didn't get a good picture of her face it was great to see her moving around in there! :)

We received all of our cord blood info in today and it is ready to go. We have our bags packed and are ready for the hospital! I hope that we didn't forget to put anything in there. We are so excited! We got everything for her outfit she will be wearing home and it is so sweet. It is a pink and lace gown that I wore as a baby. I found her tights yesterday and dyed a pair of shoes to match the pink. It is going to be so cute!

Another exciting thing that has happened is that Lynlee had hiccups for the first time! She had them last night and today! It was the coolest thing I have ever felt! I was so excited to feel this. Jordan had them all the time in my mom's belly and I wondered if Lynlee would.

Pregnancy is such a miracle!

Thats all for now.

32 week Tomorrow!

2010-01-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

I am coming in on my 32nd week and I just can't believe it! I am getting so excited/nervous! I can't believe that our little girl will be here before we know it! We had our maternity pictures yesterday and I can't wait to see them! I think that we got some really cool shots! We tried some pretty out there ones so we will just have to see.

This little girl is so active and I am loving every second of it! She just dances around my belly all day and night. It is getting to the point that I can somewhat detect what little body part is poking me. We are just so excited to meet our sweet girl!

I am also excited/relieved that we decided on a car seat and stroller. It took me so long to make this decision and i thought that I had it figured out until I was told the stroller was discontinued so we had to start back at square one. Hopefully we made a good choice, I guess time will tell!

Well I am hitting the sack! I am so sleepy! We have so much going on at school right now, but the positive thing is the kids are doing pretty well!

Snow Day!

2010-01-07T10:51:00.001-08:00

We had a snow day today and these are the days that being a teacher is priceless! It is such a great feeling when Michael comes and tells me school is closed, I am turning off your alarm so you and Lynlee can sleep in! AHHH! Wonderful! I have just been trying to catch up on a few things, relax and update our registry.

Speaking of registry, I am having SO much trouble choosing a car seat and stroller. It is becoming extremely frustrating! The stroller that I found and like is of course discontinued! Everything I find for this little girl is either way too expensive, unavailable, or discontinued. It's getting annoying. But I guess that just means I need to look a little harder. There are a couple of car seats that I like but Babies-R-Us and Target do not have the colors that I like, they are all polka dot or crazy colors that I just can't see myself getting. If there are any suggestions from you guys I am all ears!

Our child birthing class got cancelled tonight and I am kinda bummed about that! I was really looking forward to meeting new mommies and getting helpful tips. But this will just give us something to look more forward to next week.

Everyone have a great day and stay warm, it's cold outside!

2010-01-03T16:39:00.001-08:00

Hello Hello 2010! I am SO excited about this coming year! We have so many wonderful things going on and I just cannot wait! Everyday we are that much closer to meeting our sweet little Lynlee girl. Our Christmas was wonderful and I can honestly say that Lynlee is already spoiled! It has been so nice to have a break from school and I am dreading going back to school tomorrow, but hopefully the kids will come back ready and excited to learn! (Ha, that may be wishful thinking but I can hope right?!?!) I am sure that the next two months are going to fly by. Another exciting thing that is coming up this week is our child birthing classes! We are starting this Thursday. We are really excited because we are taking the class with a fellow pregnant friend and her hubby so we know that it will be fun. We learned so much at the child safety and CPR class so hopefully we will feel fully prepared after all of these classes. On New Ye

ar's Day Michael and I went to the lake to spend time with his family. We had a really great time just hanging out watching movies with everyone. Michael channeled his inner photographer and took a

few maternity shots of me on the pier. I think that he did a great job. It was freezing!!! We have our maternity session this coming weekend and I cannot wait to

see what all our photographer has in mind. Here are a few that Michael took that we both love.

2009-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

Well here we are again, way behind and needing to catch up! thanks Katie for the reminder, you keep me on track! :) Things are just wonderful and trucking along. I AM IN MY THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!

We had a doctor's appointment Friday and things went well. I had to do my glucose test, which was not too tasty! We will find out the results some time in the next week, so say a prayer that we pass that one. But the best part of the appointment was that we got to see our little Lynlee girl and boy is she precious! We could see her little feet and hands and that beautiful face! She has her Daddy's little button nose! It is a miracle how well you can see on the ultrasound these days. The ultrasound tech said that she is 2lbs 7oz! She was moving around like crazy, as usual! But it was such an amazing thing to see and it helped me get through the giving blood! I also have to have a breast ultrasound next week, which is a little scary but I felt a lump and Dr. Tonkin wants to be sure. So say a prayer about passing that test too!

We got a couple of pictures of Lynlee that I will post soon! I just keep looking at them! She really has already stolen my heart! She is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I can not wait to hold this little girl in my arms!

We got registered for our childbirth classes, which I am really excited about! It is a seven week course that will cover everything from relaxation and breathing to baby cpr and breastfeeding. I think that it is going to be a great way for Michael and I to get ready for Lynlee and to get to know other parents going through the same things we are!

I will post Lynlee's pictures soon and I am also excited that this is the last week of school!!!

Weeks 25-28 (month 6): Eggplant

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

2009-10-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Week 21: Banana

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Michael's Big Daddy Night!

2009-10-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Michael felt Lynlee kicking tonight! We are just thrilled! I have been able to feel her for about 5 weeks but Michael has not had any luck... Until tonight! She kicked about 3 or 4 times. He was talking to her earlier, so I guess this was her way of talking back! Oh my goodness I am just beside myself!

We needed this excitement! Things have been crazy at school! My kids are getting fall fever or something! (If that even exists!) My students have been getting in trouble for the silliest things and one of my homeroom girls stole my iphone yesterday! We had to file a report, search everyone this morning, and then finally got the truth out of her. The craziest part is that she felt the need to send inappropriate text messages to my family and friends! So if you got a random inappropriate message IT WAS NOT ME! :) But thanks to a lot of prayers, support from my coworkers and principal, the Fayette county sheriff, and searching we got the phone back! So things are looking up and the kick from our little girl was exactly what we needed!

WAR EAGLE

2009-10-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend! All I have to say is this girl is SPOILED!!! (But spoiled sweet!) We had such a wonderful time looking through all the different vendors and their neat stuff. We found tons of great jewelery, food, and of course BABY stuff!!! We got Lynlee two of the cutest tutus that I have ever seen! We also stocked her up on cute burp cloths and bibs. My most favorite find was a Lynlee picture that is so unique!

We just had such a great time hanging out together and shopping! It was a weekend that I will not forget! Great memories with my Aunt Lisa and Grandmom!

2009-10-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Week 20: Cantaloupe

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Thursday Doctor's Appointment

2009-10-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

Michael and I had another doctor's appointment today and everything went GREAT!!!! We got to see Lynlee moving around and playing. She is just the cutest thing we have ever seen! She had her little hand by her face with her pointer finger and thumb up! So sweet. We also were confirmed that she is in fact a little girl! We were also excited because our doctor was back from her own maternity leave. She is SO wonderful and is such a great doctor. She is so understanding and helpful, I think that she is just as excited as we are! We had a great appointment with Dr. Tonkin and I am ready for a fun filled weekend at War Eagle with my Aunt Lisa and Grandmom Lynda!!!!

2009-10-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Week 19: Mango

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

2009-10-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Week 18: Sweet Potato

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Long time No See!

2009-10-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

AHHHH!!!!! It has been WAY too long since I have updated! Well a lot has happened and we are THRILLED to say that we are having a little baby GIRL!!! We were given the opportunity to go early to have an ultrasound! What a blessing that was because patience is not a virtue that I have, although I am learning! :)

In the ultrasound room there were a room full of excited and anxious onlookers. My Grandmom Lynda, M

om, Dad, Aunt Lynda Gail, Granny Gwen, Jordan, Christy, Eric, and of course Michael were all there to hear and see the great news!

At first, we just watched our little wiggly move, bounce, and flip around. Then we saw that we had a baby girl coming our way. At first I didn't really

ink it was serious, then finally I asked her are you sure? YUP, We have a little girl! Talk about a thrilled group!

We had a birthday/Baby girl celebration later that night to tell everyone and announce the news!

As for a name we have decided on Lynlee Harper! Lynlee is after my Grandmom Lynda and my maiden name. Harper is just a name that Michael really liked and suggested and I fell in love with it! So we are excited to meet our Lynlee Harper C

hristie!

All I have to say is this little girl has more clothes then she will ever need! She is going to be the most precious little girl! We are beyond excited! We have started working on Lynlee's nursery and it is a work in

progress. Michael has been putting together cribs, changing tables, couches, and bookshelves like crazy! This is not going to be the typical ba

by nursery, but then again Michael and I do not have a typical style! :)

I am going to do my best to keep the blog updated and all of you informed! Here are a few pictures from the ultrasound and celebration!

Thanks for reading!!!

2009-08-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Week 10: Prune

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

Week 9

2009-08-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Week 9: Green Olive

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!

2009-07-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today is our first ultrasound!!!! We are so excited! I cannot wait to see the doctor and ask her the million questions we have! :) My tailbone is KILLING me!!! I have no idea why and that is #1 on my question list. I cannot wait to see our little baby!!!!

Love,

The Christie's

2009-07-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Things are good! I am so sleepy. My goodness i can't think of a time that I have slept this much, or wanted to sleep this much! I start back to school tomorrow! I cannot believe it is already that time again! But I am excited, this is going to be a great year! I have really run ideas for my kids and have gotten some wonderful ideas from a Angela, she is a friend that teaches 5th grade and is also expecting!!!! We are both so excited! Our little babies are going to be born around the same time!
One thing that I have noticed is my wandering mind! Good grief, I can barely remember my name! Hopefully it will get better, but I think I am going to have to resort to post-its on my purse! (Thanks for the tip Desi)
Well I am hitting the sack! Keep praying for our family!

Love,
The Christie's

Baby Update

2009-07-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Week 8: Raspberry

Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

So Far So Good!

2009-07-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Everything is coming along great! Michael is out of town on his annual boys fishing trip and I am anxiously awaiting his arrival back home!!! I miss him so much! :) We have our next doctors appointment on the 31st. I am so excited! That is when we will get to hear the heart beat and see the first glimpse of our little blueberry! I have been feeling great! Other than being tired, I am doing great! Thank heavens!!! I am trying to eat really healthy and eat several small meals throughout the day. I am so excited and I know that our families are too! I went to Jonesboro for the night and everyone is just thrilled and loves to talk about potential names and what they think the baby is! I love everyones input and cannot wait to find out the sex! Well I am hitting the sack! Good Night!

Love,

The Christie's

Baby Update

2009-07-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Week 7: Blueberry

Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

Thanks to my Kenya Team!

2009-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and filled with joy! I just told everyone in my Kenya Team family about our news and the amount of positive feedback, prayer, and joy has really made my day and it is only 9:30!!! I am so blessed to have met such a wonderful group of people! I cannot wait to see all of them again! I appreciate the prayers and the excitement! We have shared an experience that will forever be a part of our lives and I am thankful to have made such wonderful rafikis (friends) in the process!

mapenzi,

Britney

Baby Update

2009-07-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

Week 6: Sweet Pea

Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate.

2009-07-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

We got home from the Spring River safe and sound! Surprisingly with very few injuries, which is always a plus! We had a great time! We told all of our friends our big news Friday night when we were all sitting around the fire eating dinner. They were all very excited and celebrated with a champagne toast. (I sipped on some yummy sparkling grape juice!) We were excited to tell everyone and share our big news!

The day on the river was fun but a little rainy. We still had a blast and all made it down the river in one piece! :) We ended up at my parent's house Saturday night, I guess we will make that an annual event as well! ;) Can't wait for next year!

Love,
The Christie's

Headed to the Spring River!!

2009-07-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

We are headed to the Spring River today to share the wonderful baby news with a big group of our closest friends! We are so excited! We know that our friends are going to be so excited and supportive! I cannot wait to tell, I am about to bust! (not my belly bust, the baby is just the size of an apple seed!~ Bust more like with excitement!) So far things are going great! I am trying to eat several small meals throughout the day, trying to keep that morning sickness away! Michael is being so helpful! He has been reading a Daddy book that gives him all kinds of great tips about the pregnancy! He is making sure I drink my orange juice and milk and keeping the crackers handy! What a wonderful husband! :) So far I absolutely love being pregnant! (That may change when I am the size of a house but we'll see!) :)
Keep praying for our family! :)

Love,
The Christie's

Our First Post

2009-07-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

This our first experience in blogging but we feel that it is a fun and exciting way to keep everyone up-to-date with our new family news! We are so excited about the new future addition to the family! Please keep us in your prayers! We are so blessed to have such amazing people around us and we are so excited to share our experiences! YAY BABY!!!

I found out the I was pregnant while in Africa! Throughout the trip, several of the team members and I had gotten very close and they were making jokes if we saw anything baby related! We would all just laugh when we saw storks and they would say it was a sign and it was for the baby! Not knowing that I really did have a little baby inside me! Everyday that went by and "sign" that we encountered it became more and more real that I may really be pregnant! I had such a mix of emotions. I was THRILLED, but scared at the same time. While this was somewhat scary to think that I was on the other side of the world with this amazing miracle inside of me, it was not until I got home that it was confirmed and the true excitement set in! The doctor reassured me that all of the meds that I had been pumping in my body, not knowing I was pregnant, were all perfectly fine! That helped to set my mind at ease and made way for sheer excitement for me and Michael!

How I told the Proud Daddy!

I got home Sunday evening and held it in until Monday at lunch! I wanted to take an American test before I got Michael's hopes up. Sure enough the test came back positive so I knew that I couldn't take it any longer, I had to tell him. I drew out an old looking treasure map that had different points of our journey together. At the end of the map it had "New Baby". He was reading along and got to the new baby part and just stopped. His eyes lit up and said "Seriously?!" I was excited to say "YES! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!" He was so thrilled! He wanted to hear all about how I knew and I showed him my test from Africa, test from Amsterdam, and test from the US. Words cannot explain the excitement that we both felt.

We are so blessed and excited to grow our family! Love,
The Christie's