Just the Beginning!!

12 weeks & Easter!!

2010-04-05T11:43:00.001-07:00

I really thought I would be so much better at updating this! I think it's because there are like 4 websites I have to upload pictures on that sometimes I forget some of them :)
Maddie turned 12 weeks this past Saturday! I can't believe my little peanut is 12 weeks old!! People are so right when they say they grow up so fast. I remember her being so tiny and everyone telling me just wait until she is 3 months old, it gets so much easier. I never thought we'd make it here!! But they were right! Maddie is such a joy! Her sleeping is so much better. She sleeps about 10 hours a night, and only wakes up once...I couldn't ask for more! She naps great as well. I have learned that my child loves to sleep. I was trying to keep her up because I thought she was sleeping too much...but I think I've finally figured out that she just likes/needs sleep! If we get her down at the right time she sleeps so nice and is so fun in between naps. Parenting really is all about trial and error and learning your own child. I have also learned not to compare your child to other babies...they are all so different!
We had a great Easter yesterday! I felt kind of bad because we didn't get Maddie an Easter basket, but we figured we'll save the money (on things she doesn't even know/care about now!) and put it towards later when she is older and can really enjoy them. She did get presents though...from both grandparents and her aunts! And she got a wonderful stuffed bunny from Tanya & Alexa :)
Maddie is smiling so much these days and has recently started laughing! It's the best noise I've ever heard!! Nate is really good at making her laugh. And we've learned that she is ticklish!! So darn cute! The weather is finally nice and I can't wait for the picnics and outside festivites to start! What a fun summer this will be :)

Daddy & Maddie :)

Chilling at my parent's house

Rocking it out on Easter!

My pretty little girl on Easter!

Mommy & Maddie

Family Easter photo

Easter wore her out! This is the very first time she stayed asleep in her car seat after the car stopped!!!

8 weeks!

2010-03-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little girl will be 2 months old next week! Time is flying by (even though some days feel like forever!). Since my last post, Maddie has been doing awesome at sleeping. She is sleeping entirely in her crib now! Nap time is wonderful!! She seems to have a pretty good routine down, as much as 2 months old can have a routine! Mommy gets to have good naps and get stuff done around the house. Night time was going great, but the last couple of days she has put up a fight to sleep. I'm pretty sure it's because Nate and I are strict at night time about have her sleep and then she gets over-tired. We need to work on that! Her max awake time is pretty much 1 1/2 hours right now, after that forget it. If I time it right she goes right to sleep. If not...I have to rock her and put her down about 3-4 times. But she has made such progress!
The biggest news recently is she has started smiling!! And not just when she is going to the bathroom like before ;) It's such an amazing feeling when I wake in her room and her whole face smiles when she sees me! Her daddy and I love it! She also took a bottle last night from Nate...and I was so excited I cried!! We have been trying for a couple of weeks now and I was worried she would never take one. But I'm going to go back to the daycare 2 days a week and she needs to be on a bottle for me to take her. And to be honest, I'm tired of having to do everything within a 3 hour span!! It will be nice to do things and just being able to give her a bottle now!!!
She seems to be doing something new everyday and we are just soaking it all in! She is so fun...I can't wait to see what she does tomorrow!! Here are some pictures of the recent weeks. I tried to get her smiles, but it's difficult to entertain her, hold the camera, and get it in time!! Close enough :)

I'm smiling at mommy!!

Play mat time!!

Looking for a hug!!

Mommy & her girl :)

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Maddie is now 5 weeks old! Some days it seems like she's been with us for much longer and than other days I can't believe she is already so old! She is definitely getting older, she is beginning to focus on things and people more and her faces are cracking us up! We keep waiting for that smile, hopefully to come soon!

Her sleeping is getting better too!! I've been working really hard to get her into the habit of sleeping alone and I think it's paying off. Last night she didn't spend any time with me in bed at nighttime! She was in her crib the whole time! I slept on her floor (not so comfy!) so her random crying wouldn't wake up Nate. Everytime she woke up I had to rock her back to sleep and it took about 2 or 3 times each of putting her down, her waking up, and then putting her down again. But eventually she would stay down and sleep until the next time she needed to eat!! And I did get to sleep in my bed about 4 fours total to to me it was a huge success!! I was pretty tired and sore this morning, but so proud of her!! I guess that comes with the territory of being a mom!!

Yesterday was Valentines Day and although we didn't really celebrate this year, I was so excited to have Maddie wear her cute outfit. Sadly we just went to church and she slept the whole time so not a lot of people saw it, but it was adorable :) I've included some pictures of bathrime, which she likes now that she can be fully in the water! She likes it...until we take her out! The last picture is one of my favorite ones of the Beckey girls!! Four generations...I'm so happy we are all here to take it!!!

My Valentine & me :)

Four generations of Beckey ladies!

Madelyn Grace Walker

2010-01-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

She is here!! I know this is really late in coming, but it's been hard getting to it! I have to write the blog in the office and it turns out that is harder than I thought! Especially when little Miss Maddie doesn't like to be on her own!

Madelyn Grace was born on January 9, 2010 at 5:12pm. She weighed a whopping 9 lbs 1 oz and was 21 inches long! As soon as she entered the world she was wide eyed and beautiful!

I was so very fortunate to have a pretty easy birth. I use the word easy lightly because I don't think any birth is 'easy', but compared to other stories I hear...I'll take mine! My water broke at 7am on Saturday morning, went to the hospital at 10:30am. I got my epidural at 1pm (after some mighty painful contractions!) and was pushing at 4:10! I only pushed for about an hour and she was here! At the time, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do it...but it's amazing what you can do when you are forced to! Nate and Heather were there with me and wonderful coaches and supporters. They encouraged me and Heather even had to yell at me to buck up and that "I could do it!!". They were so great and I'm so glad they were there. The nurses were amazing and I'm so happy with the care and help we had at the Medical Center.

The last four weeks have been ... interesting. Wonderful, exciting, new...and sometimes frustrating. I think all new parents feel that way though. Madelyn is such a wonderful baby. Sometimes she is fussy in the evening (what baby isn't?!?), but she is so fun and good other than that. Except the sleeping!! I figured that sleeping would be an issue, since that is all that parents warn you about...but I wasn't expecting our trouble to be her sleeping on her own! She sleeps like a champ...but only if we are holding her. We've tried everything (swing, bouncer, swaddle, white noise, car seat, etc) and nothing has worked. We're hoping someday out of the blue she'll just sleep when we put her down!!

Nate is such a wonderful daddy. When he has her, I just stare and smile at them and know (again) that I made such a wonderful decision on marrying him!! He is so good with her and loves her so much. We are looking forward to the coming weeks when she starts gaining some new skills and watching her grow! The family is head over heels in love with her (seeing my dad with her melts my heart!!) and even Meme has gotten to hold her :) I promise to try and update more often!! Maybe when she finally decides to sleep on her own :) Here are a couple pictures, but for more you can go to this website. You have to sign up (just email) but you don't get junk email or anything! Check that periodically for new pics...I tend to do that site first for my family!! And I always update facebook :)

Here is the website: http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=948137027/a=1986344027_1986344027/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Her first picture :)

I look awful, but it's our first family photo!!

So beautiful!

A little older....

Already smiling...??

Nursery!

2009-12-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

Our nursery is finished!! Well...very close to being finished! We still need to get our glider & ottoman, which is hopefully this weekend. But it's pretty much done. Nate hung the last of the wall hangings and curtains last night and it finally looks like a little girl's nursery! I love it sooo much!! Everytime I walk by I just look in and can't believe soon there will be a little person living in there! Makes things even more real! Hope you enjoy the pictures :)

I love that sign...it reads: "We Prayed For This Child. And the child grew to be strong; she was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon her. Luke 2:40" Perfect!!

Had to include a picture of our pack n play because I love it so much. Our stroller matches, and I love that too!!!

Almost there!

2009-12-11T11:31:00.001-08:00

As of yesterday, I am 36 weeks pregnant!! Technically only four more weeks to go! It's unreal! Granted it could be shorter or longer, but to have finally gotten this far is surreal to me. I definitely feel nine months pregnant! Sleeping is nonexistant anymore...which makes me and Nate suffer, but we are dealing! I know everyone says it gets you prepared for when your baby comes...but I have to think it will be easier ONLY because even if I do get an hour to sleep I won't be uncomfortable or in pain! Right?!?! At least I tell myself that :)
We are knocking things off our list that needs done. My bag is packed!! Everything we need for when she gets here is up and built (thanks to Nate!). There are only 2 things left that I definitely want to do before she arrives. We have to hang up the blinds, curtains, and wall hangings in the nursery. And we have to return some things we got 2 of from Target and Babies R Us and finish up our registry with things we didn't get yet. Oh yea, make that 3 things...we really need to get a glider still. We'll see...we've been pretty motivated this week so I think next week we can get it all done. Then just relax and wait for her to come :)
This picture is from last week when I was 35 weeks. I can't wait to start posting pictures of our daughter, not just my belly :)

35 weeks!

Baby Shower!

2009-11-17T12:42:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday was my baby shower, and boy was it amazing!! I had the best time and we were overwhelmed at the generosity of everyone. We received so many things and have a great start on getting ready for this little one! My sister did so much work and did an amazing job, as well as my mom, and Nate's family. I'm always amazed at my sister's strength and grace and she just proved it again with this shower. Everything went perfect and I wish we could do it all over again :) We got the majority of our 'big' items. Actually, all but the glider, which we didn't expect to get. That is a huge relief. After deciding not to work anymore at the daycare I had concerns about where the money was going to come from for all this baby gear. God and our friends have really blessed us!! We even got our stroller and pack n play (it was online only so I was worried we wouldn't!) thanks to my mom, sister, and some amazing friends! It was everything I could have wanted and more! The gifts are now in a huge pile in our living room waiting for this Saturday for Meme and Grammy to come over to see them all. After that...it's time to get busy and get this house ready for baby!

I'm 32 weeks now (on Thursday I'll be 33!). I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and everything is looking great. She still has a strong heartbeat and I'm right on course with my weight (shocking I know, haha). Time is flying by and in 7 weeks we will be very very close to having a daughter....ahhh!!! I'm so excited!

Here are a few picttures from the shower and me at 32 weeks. Enjoy :) I know I did!!!! Thanks to everyone that was able to come and everyone that bought our little girl something...we are truly blessed!!

32 weeks!

Heather & I at my shower

Mom & I...very excited grandma to be :)

Heidi, me, and Joni :)

Blessings!!

Dana bought her first Steelers outfit, we love it!!!

Nate's manly diaper bag...thanks Aunt Annie :)

The aftermath...Babies R Us exploded in our living room :)

30 weeks!!!

2009-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

So, I have reached the 30 week mark!! I can't believe it. I remember being like 11 weeks and it seeming sooo far away to this point. Now we have only ten more to go (hopefully!). It's getting more and more excited and real. As well as my belly getting more and more big! I'm still pretty uncomfortable and sleeping is pretty much non-existant, but other than that...I'm great ;) We've been getting wonderful gifts in the mail and although we are wondering where we are going to put all this baby stuff...we are so grateful and excited :) My doctor's appointments are now every 2 weeks...another phase I never thought I'd make it to! Time is flying and I'm sure the rest of the time will go by even faster with the holidays coming! I can't wait :)

30 weeks!!!

27 Weeks and counting...

2009-10-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, I promised myself that if I would be blessed enough to get pregnant I would try very very hard not to complain. I have so many close family and friends that struggle to get pregnant and I didn't want to be 'that girl' to them. I would embrace pregnancy and enjoy every single second. Okay...so I haven't been doing well! I do catch myself and try to take a deep breath and remember how blessed I really am. And I know it's all worth it the second that baby is born. But man...being pregnant is sometimes NOT fun! *Insert pity party here* I've been getting bigger (MUCH bigger...do I really have 13 weeks to go still!) and it's making life pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping is no longer fun (which it used to be my absolute favorite thing!!!). My back aches and my hip is sore and I swear my daughter is beating me from the inside. Work is getting a little rough. I think I must be a wimp, but working with those little kids is getting so hard!! Getting up and down and bending and ... oh my, just making it through the day is an accomplishment! I always thought I'd be one of those people that said that I have never felt better or more beautiful than while I was pregnant...yea, not so much!! Whew...okay, i feel better now. Hopefully that is out of my system. Besides the physical side of all this though, I couldn't be happier. Off to happier topics!

Besides all of the above mentioned things...we are getting super excited!!! We've been getting baby gifts in the mail and acquiring clothes and items from very generous people. I swear we don't have to buy clothes for the first year! We are extremely blessed! We sent out my shower invitations this morning! I can't believe it's coming up so fast! I'm excited to see everyone and spend time with those I don't get to see as much. Time sure is flying...pretty soon the little one will be here. Yay :)

27 Weeks....oh my!! :)

Nursery!

2009-09-30T06:57:00.001-07:00

Well, we've made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks! Our room is beginning to look like a nursery!! We got it all painted in 2 days and this past weekend we picked up the furniture and put it together! Well...only the crib needed put together, and Rick came over to help with that much. Heather and I got to hang out which was wonderful! I have to say, the boys did a great job! I haven't gotten to the decorating part. I'm saving that for when Nate is working his outage and I'm home alone...bored out of my mind!!! It's surreal walking by the room now and seeing the crib and changing table...but it's very exciting!!!
I'm 25 weeks and counting (actually will be 26 tomorrow!). Time is really flying by! Had a doctor's appointment and everything was fine. Her heart rate is great, I'm measuring well, and I got my flu shot! I'm getting bigger and bigger...enough to warrent comments from others. I never realized what pregnant women meant when they said "Don't ever tell a pregnant lady she is getting huge!". Haha...soooo true :) Things are going great and we are very excited for the upcoming weeks!!!
I have pictures of the old paint job, new paint job, and the furniture! Enjoy :) I'll put more when I have some decorating done!!!

Old blue paint...perfect for a boy...haha, not this time :)

New paint job!!! Called Arabian Sands....woohoo ;)

Nate & Rick ... having oh so much fun putting together the crib!

I love our crib!!

Crib & dresser

Changing table & crib (window dressings to come later!)

25 weeks :)

22 weeks...(& then some!)

2009-09-13T16:11:00.001-07:00

Well...I'm behind in my posts...again! I blame the nasty cold I had all last week! I'm mostly over it, but still have a little cough! I think colds are worse when you are pregnant...or else I'm just a bigger wuss! Not much to update on besides my growing belly. My friends and family are convinced (and have no problem telling me!) that I'm going to be 'huge' in a couple of months. Great...looking forward to it ;)
Tomorrow Nate and I are going to register at Babies R Us!! I'm so excited! I have been waiting patiently for this day!! There is so much to choose from though, hopefully it won't be too overwhelming. Beth made me an awesome list of things to definitely get and things to avoid. It's going to be so helpful as we make our way through those aisles!! I'm pretty sure we will do Target too, just not sure when we will get there. Next weekend the tentative plan is to paint the nursery. I think we're just going to go with a beige or tan...and then just accent it with girly things. That way our next one we can go either way :) Nate is being sent to Atlanta in October for a week and then right after starts his dreaded outage, so we (or I, haha) want the nursery semi-done before that. Because before we know it, it will be the end of November!! I would like a place to put all the stuff from the shower!! So, fingers crossed I'll have some nursery progess pictures next week!!

Here's me and my little girl at 22 weeks :)

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-08-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, you probably all heard by now...but Nate and I are having a beautiful baby girl!! We were pretty convinced it was a boy, so at first we were in shock and I felt like a bad mother cause I wasn't upset...just surprised!! I had been thinking boy for about a month and was excited about boy things. But after the initial shock....we are totally excited!! I've started scoping out the girl stuff online and they are so darling. And I should have known cause there are tons of girls around me, so she'll fit right in!! She'll definitely have lots of girl friends :) The sonogram was amazing. It's crazy to think she is moving around so much and kicking so much inside of me!! She kept kicking her legs and she had her hands in front of her face the whole time! It was so awesome. I could have stayed there all day and watch her! My check up was good too. The doctor said she was looking good and healthy and everything was going perfect! I'm officially 21 weeks and looking forward to the rest!
More good news...our nursery furniture is already in!! They called earlier in the week. Sadly, I have to wait about a month still to get it. Now that we know our baby is a girl, we have some painting to do. Our nursery is blue...so we plan on painting it. Not sure what color yet...probably something neutral so we don't have to repaint again next time. Also I need to clear out some of the things in that room to make room for her stuff! Either way, I'm excited it's in and we can go pick it up asap when we are ready!!!
In other baby news, our darling friend Ava turns ONE on Sunday!! I plan on posting some pics from her party. I can't believe it's been a whole year since we got the phone call and postponed her shower ;) She is a beautiful little girl and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow! I am lucky enough to work at Rick's daycare and see little Hali everyday while mom Val is at school. Starting next week I'll see her more often, but it's so nice to walk by, pop my head in and see her darling face!! She seems to like it there. I rarely have seen her not happy! I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such awesome babies that will be great friends for my own daughter!!
Here are some pics of our little girl and an updated one of my growing belly!! Oh and Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful husband!!!

Our beautiful little girl...already sucking her thumb? Ha...looks like it ")

Those things that look like bubbles are her fingers!!! The doctor said it was really unusual to see that! I said she was probably bored in there so she was twiddling her thumbs!!

20 weeks!!! Growing and growing!!!

Nursery Furniture!

2009-08-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, we bought our nursery furniture this past weekend!! It's so exciting :) We had looked at Babies R Us, but didn't see anything that we really liked. So, we headed to USA Baby on Babcock Blvd (which is 45 mins away, but worth it!).
We first got there and it's very overwhelming because they have so many sets of furniture to go through. We didn't really know where to start. It got a little easier because Nate didn't want to get Pine because it gets scratched easily (the advantages of having an engineer husband, haha. Thinks of everything). So that eliminated a lot of them. We really really liked the Mahogany sets, but they were super duper expensive, out of our budget. Well, we looked at tons of them and liked some of them. Then we came to one of the last sets and I knew it was the one!!! It had everything we wanted. It was harder wood. The color was not real light, but not dark. The changing table had a lip on the sides and back (my requirement!), and the dresser was awesome too. Some of the sets looked like 'grown up' furniture and we wanted this to be more kid like. Basically it wasn't so fancy that it would look silly, but grown up enough to last years. So...I loved it so much I cried in the store!! We discussed it and made sure we (okay, me!) wasn't being rash and just wanted to get something. We knew we wouldn't find something else we liked more and the price was decent, so we ordered it!!! It takes 8-10 weeks to come, which I was upset with at first cause I want it now!! But it's really good cause it gives me time to clear out the room and get it all ready. It's a huge relief and we are both really happy with our choice.
Here is a link to the website
http://www.usababypittsburgh.com/productpg/furniture/bonavita_peyton_crib.php
We got the crib and the dresser shown. The changing table is on the right, but we did not get the hutch that goes on top. At least it gives you an idea. And the picture is darker wood, which we didn't get. We got Chestnut, which is a lighter wood color. When we get it in and put together I'll post pictures of the nursery :)
Only NINE more days until we find out if it's a boy or girl!! I can't wait :)

18 Weeks!

2009-08-08T09:21:00.001-07:00

So, I'm now 18 weeks (and 2 days!!). We had our third appointment on Thursday. This time Nate decided to stay at work so I brought Heather with me! It was so great having her there :) It was another short appointment, they checked the heartbeat and my paranoia was put to rest when I heard the wonderful sound of my baby's heart beating!! This time it was 144. So, that debunks all theories if it's a boy or a girl because the first time it was on the higher side, and this time on the lower. I still have NO clue. You would think being the mother I would have some idea, but none. It varies everyday. Today I'm feeling boy...but tomorrow it's likely I feel a girl! Well...only three more weeks until we find out! On August 26th I get my sonogram and find out what we are having!! I can't wait!!! Although, all you women friends who have had babies...tell me now, how in the world did you drink 32 oz of water in 2 hours and NOT go to the bathroom!!! That will be an adventure! Nothing much more exciting to update...Nate and I might go next weekend to look at nursery furniture! Yay!! And we're getting dates/places ready for the shower. I still can't believe it sometimes!! I'm going to be a mommy!!!!!

18 weeks...just a little bit bigger :)

16 Week!!

2009-07-27T16:50:00.001-07:00

I'm 16 weeks!! On one hand, the time has flown by, but on the other...I feel like I should be much further along than that! I'm finally showing (and I'm convinced it's more baby than fat now!) so I decided to start with the first pictures of Baby Walker! We go back on August 6th to hear the heartbeat again and hopefully SOON after to find out if the little bugger is a girl or boy!! I can't wait...I'm already ansty not knowing! We just got back from a trip to the Poconos with Nate's college friends and they had several little ones there. They were all so adorable and all at different stages, which was fun. There were 2 other girls there that were pregnant and 3 of the girls already have kids so it was nice talking with them and getting good advice! I'm getting more and more excited!!

Baby Walker: 16 weeks!

I'm going to be a MOMMY!!!

2009-07-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

So...the time has finally come when I can actually write about something and it mean something on here!! Yes, it's true...Nate and I are having a baby!!

We found out the Sunday before Mother's Day. Neither of us believed it at first, since it didn't take us very long (we are very blessed). I actually ended up taking SIX pregnancy tests cause I couldn't believe it!! I don't even care if you make fun of me, haha. We waited a whole week to tell our parents (I don't know how people wait longer!) so we could tell them on Mother's Day. Well, actually we called Nate's parents since they are in Alaska and won't be home until September. We thought they might be upset if they came home and I was already five months pregnant without telling them. That week was one of the hardest ever!! Not telling my parents and sister something that big was very difficult.

First we told Rick and Heather. We bought them bibs that said Aunt & Uncle. At first they thought they were for their baby (who hopefully is coming very soon!!!) and then my sister and I exchanged that 'sister' look and she knew! They were so excited for us and it was and awesome experience.

The next day was Mother's Day and we decided to open gifts first. My mom opened my sister's and then got to mine. I had done the same thing and bought Grandma and Grandpa bibs for them. Again, she thought they were for the Bixler Baby...and again I gave the look. She was soooo shocked and excited she threw the gift on the ground to hug us!!! And her first sentence was, "Now I get 2 grandbabies!". It was one of the greatest moments of my life I think. The Bixlers were there, and Russ & Kaytee, and Anne. If only the Walkers were there it would have been even more perfect!!!

We were going to wait and tell the rest until the 3 month mark. Yea, that lasted ONE day. I don't know how people do that!!! Pretty soon everyone close to us knew and were so excited!

Yesterday was really special to us cause we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby. I was just aching to hear it and knew I would feel so much better. It took about 5 seconds (felt like an hour!!) for her to find it, but there it was, loud and clear!! It was such an unreal moment. I cried and even Nate got misty-eyed!! Which is pretty unusual if you know Nate :) It just makes it that much more real that we are going to be parents.

I feel so incredibly blessed to be given this gift. All I have ever wanted to do/be in life was have children and be a mom. I have seen the joy and hardships that many people have faced and I will never ever take this gift for granted. I'm so excited for this child cause he/she (and yes, we are finding out!!) is going to have the best family and friends any child could ask for! Here are some pictures of the day we told our families. Stay tuned for more updates!!!

My mom opening her gift...she has no idea...

Finally realizing what the gift means!!!

Grandma Beckey :)

Grandpa Beckey :)

The best aunt in the whole wide world :) Actually, 2 of them :)

My sister bought me a Mother's Day gift...she is the most amazing sister ever!!!

More to come...

2009-05-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

I promise this is not a tease...I'm going to be blogging a lot more...very soon :)

I'm still here!!

2009-03-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it turns out I'm not so good at this blog thing. And here is the main reason. I feel like my life is pretty uneventful right now and who would wanna read about it?? But I guess that isn't the whole truth because there are fun things happening! The main on...Jon & Val had their baby!! They had a healthy, happy, and beautiful little girl named Hali Anna. Nate and I visited her in the hospital on Wednesday and she is just perfect. We're so excited for them and to have another little one around. Now Ava has a playmate and I have another little girl to spoil :)

Hali & I

The expanded Spanik family :)

Beautiful Hali

Besides Hali, not much else is new. It's almost April, which means I'm almost out of a job!! If you didn't know, I currently have a year long position at Butler. I'm pretty sure the woman is coming back and I've been pretty bummed about it. This is seriously my dream job. I love the kids, the staff, the principals (which is rare, haha!). I'm trying to not get down about it and think positively and it was an amazing experince for me. I really have no idea what the future holds for me job wise. For the summer, I'm working with Rick at his daycare, which is really exciting. It's only ten minutes away (compared to an hour now!!), it's just daylight, and I get to work for my brother-in-law!! After that...who knows...only God knows where He is going to place me next :) I've been blessed this year though and I'll always cherish it.

The wedding showers and weddings are beginning. I was at the first shower of the season a couple of weeks ago and I have another one tomorrow. That also means that softball is starting soon...one of my favorite things about summer :) It's going to be really fun this year with all the babies we have added to the mix! Crazy what a year can do...a year later we have Ava, Mia, Ella, and Hali!! All girls!!! So fun :)

Again I must say how blessed Nate and I are to have such amazing people in our lives. I definitely thank God everyday for everything He's done for us and continues to do!!

Alright, I PROMISE to update soon!! I'm really going to do this...cause hopefully soon I'll have something exciting to blog about.... ;)

Things to look forward to...

2009-01-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

We have many many things to look forward to and I am getting so excited as they get closer!! We have several friends that are expecting little ones soon and I can't believe how fast time has gone. My very good friend Val is due in just two short months. I feel like they just told me they were having a baby!! Her shower is coming up soon and I'm so excited to spend some time with Sarah as we go celebrate with Val and her family. Her Discover shower is soon after and I'm excited to put together something great and fun for her!! I can't wait to meet the new little Spanik.
We also have lots of weddings this coming May that we are really looking forward to. Of course they are all right after each other, which means we have a wedding for three weeks in a row!! This will be the first summer that I am NOT in a wedding, which is kinda sad, but also exciting! I can just go, have fun, and celebrate with good friends!!! Tim and Meredith are finally having their wedding May 16th, it seems like they have been engaged forever :) I'm excited to see everyone again. We always love seeing that crew and have so much fun! Russ & Kaytee are getting married the weekend after, which of course will be a good time with the 'gang'... friends and family, can't get better than that! Than Teri and Tom get married after that. We are excited to make the trip to Connecticut for their wedding.
Then in June, we are going to Ocean Isle for a family vacation. I'm so excited for Nate to experience OIB with me. Some of my most favorite memories come from our trips there and it's going to be so great sharing them with him. It will also be nice to take a vacation with Rick and Heather, I've missed that :(
Speaking of...my sister and Rick are in the beginning process of adopting!! It's a very exciting time for all of us. Through these hard long years, it's been really difficult watching and not being able to do anything for them. Now we can anxiously wait while anticipating their arrival...even though it might be TWO years!!! We are very blessed and excited.
The school year is half over, which is crazy. Has been making me think of what I'm going to do after the school year. It's kind scary, but I've had such a wonderful experience there that I will never forget. It can only help me in the future.
Just a little update, I'll add some pictures soon!! I'm so thankful everyday for the friends I have here...I can't tell them enough how happy I am to be in their lives. If only Heidi & Beth could just move to Arrowhead Dr. then things would be perfect.... ;)

I'm back!!

2009-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well...apparently it's been three months since I've updated?? Thanks for reminding me Sarah!! Hmmm...I wonder how that happened? I think it's because my life is pretty boring! haha

Well, the biggest and best news ever is that Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl!!! I can't even believe it!! I mean I can, cause we are awesome, but it's such a fun feeling!!! Especially because I got to experience it all again with my dad! Now, I want to preface this by saying my dad has NEVER ever made any hint that he wishes he had a son or that he was upset he never got one. My dad is definitely a 'girl daddy' and he is probably the best dad in this whole world. He has told us many times that he loves his girls and he doesn't care about not having a boy. Saying that...it's so cool that his two daughters love football and scary movies and 'boy' things! The 2005 Superbowl was amazing for many reasons, but mostly cause I was with my dad!!! This year makes me feel the same, and even better because Nate was here this year!! And of course Heather, Jon, Cory, Uncle Larry, and my wonderful mom! It was super fun and we are all so excited for two weeks!
New Year's was really fun this year. Usually I hate it because no one really ever makes plans until last minute and it's all crazy. But...this year was definitely super fun!! We got to spend it with some close friends and just hung out and had fun. Add a little bit of food, some Mario party, and a load of Rock Band and it's always a good time!! Here are some pictures of my wonderful friends that I got to ring in the New Year with!

The whole crew :)

1st New Year's as Mr. & Mrs.!!

Sisters!!!

The girls!!! Sarah, Ava, me, Heather, & Val (and baby Spanik! Girl? We don't know yet)

Me, Val, & Sarah

Val & I (and baby Spanik!)

Sarah & I

Christmas was awesome!! It was our first Christmas as a married couple and it was really nice! It's nice waking up together and having our own little Christmas before the excitement starts!! We are so blessed to have both families five minutes apart and are able to see everyone on the holidays!! It was also extra special because my grandma (Meme) was with us again for another Christmas!! She is a fighter and the most amazing woman I know!!! I just took it all in and enjoyed every single second! Some pictures:

My mom & I wore the same sweater Christmas Eve! Too funny!

Wonderful Meme

The Beckey Family :)

I also got to take another trip to see Beth, Chris, and Owen in December! It was wonderful! I will post pictures later on because I'm running late! But it was great to see them all. I miss Beth so much and little Owen continues to grow so much! I just missed him taking his first steps, but I'm looking forward to seeing them soon!!! More later...I promise it won't be three months!!!

Sigh

2008-10-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well...it's been a little while since I've updated. Things have been a little crazy in my head lately. I want to preface this blog by saying that I absolutely, 100% love my job. It's exactly what I want to be doing and I know it's where God wants me to be. Saying that- it's been pretty stressful lately for me. The past two weeks have been hard on me and it might be my own fault. I have had several students that are going through major stuff right now, stuff that junior and seniors should NOT be going through. My heart breaks every time I sit with one of them in my office and listen to their stories. It yet again reminds me how blessed I am with the life God has given me. Too often I take that for granted, even when I tell myself I don't. So...I sat down and made a 'gratitude list'. It really is amazing how many things you tend to forget about that are right in front of your face. I suggest every do it sometime. It's eye opening.
Everything that I've been seeing and hearing lately with my students makes me so excited to be a mom. Not that I'm close (no, this is not a hint!!), but it just proves to me that good people (no, I'm not being cocky, but I am positive I will be a good mom) like us need to have kids and raise them to do great things with our world. There are so many 'good' kids out there that have crappy parents and therefore are limited on what they can do. In the Bible God tells us to be fruitful and have kids (I'm totally paraphrasing) and working where I am only solidifies that.
Alright-I'm off my soapbox. Lots of other things going on. Beth, Chris, and Owen are coming to see us this weekend to stay at our house!! VERY excited!! I'll have pictures next week. Saturday night while they are visiting family, we are going for "game night' at the Spaniks and I'm sooo looking forward to it. I need a night with my 'gang' or so I like to call them! I'm also very excited for the election to come to a close next week. I've been proud of myself because I really have jumped into this election and have done research and have come to my own opinion on who to vote for. This election has really produced some crazy things and I'm looking forward to moving on. I pray every night that America gets it right...although I find comfort knowing God is in control no matter who wins. So...go out and VOTE!!
Have a happy week!

Dana's Married!

2008-10-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dana's married!!! Dana and Keith tied the knot this past Saturday and I was honored to stand by her side and it was such a fantastic time! The wedding ceremony was outside, and it was beautiful, but cold! The reception was amazing. It's always so great when friends get together and can celebrate and have fun. My whole family was there too, which was so nice. Dana looked stunning as usual, and I am just so happy for them both!!! Their wedding tied up the 2008 wedding season...now we just have to wait until May when it starts all over again!

Update!!

2008-10-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Sarah reminded me it's been ages since I've updated and I guess I have had a lot going on. Time sure does fly!!

The biggest thing that happened to us recently is that we lost power for TEN days!! That wind storm really did us in! We had a huge power surge and lost lots of things in our house (to be exact: 3 tv's, 2 vcr's, computer, ceiling fan/light, garage door openers, and our furnace...oh and all our surge protectors and fire alarms!). It's been quite an adventure. Nate's parents were nice enough to loan us a generator that allowed us to have our fridge and one or two lights while we had no power. I tried not to complain too much and when I did, I reminded myself that there are peopl way worse off than us that lost a lot more. It was still frustrating though!! It was annoying to have to go to the dining room and plug in my hair dryer and dry my hair in the dark at 6am!! But...we've almost come back. We just got our garage doors installed. We still don't have our furnace fixed, which has been kinda crappy the last couple of days. Thank goodness for spaec heaters!!!

A couple weekends ago I made a trip to Hershey to visit my favorite family- The Wagners!! Chris was out of town for the weekend, so it was just Beth, Owen, and I! We had so much fun!! Owen is still the most amazing and cutest little boy in the world!! We did lots of fun things and they are coming to visit us at the end of the month!! Here are a few pics from the weekend!

That is the activity walker that I bought him...he loves it :)

Last weekend we made the trip down to Baltimore for Steve's wedding. We drove down and roomed with Josh and Dana and had so much fun! The wedding was beautiful and we sure did have fun! I'm posting some pics from that as well.

At the beginning of September we had Sarah and Ava's rescheduled baby shower and it was great!! What a great way to celebrate Ava and get together with the girls of Discovery. I really enjoyed it and I still have yet to see Ava cry...I'm waiting Sarah ;)

Alright..that is good for now. I promise I won't take so long next time! Dana's wedding is next weekend so I'm very excited for that! Pictures to come!!!

Doing the Tag thing!

2008-08-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Alright Sarah- You are probably the only one that reads my blog...so enjoy :) Yea, I'm pretty lame. haha.

Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

Random things:
1. I am ridiculously addicted to celebrity gossip. It's my guilty pleasure in life. Yes, I know that I am prying into the private lives of other people, but I somehow just don't care! For a wedding present to myself I got a year long subscription to People magazine and I LOVE it!!! I check celebrity websites sometimes too. It's pathetic...but it's me! I also am addicted to lame tv shows, but who isn't?? Haha!

2. I am allergic to pretty much everything in life. On a daily basis I will have at least 3 sneezing/couging/ wheezing attacks. Apparently it's sort of annoying to other people, or they feel bad to me. I, on the other hand, have become pretty used to them. As has Nate. I am allergic to dust (pretty much everywhere in the world), cats, horses, grass (yea, sucks huh?), hay, most things outdoors like pollen. It's not so fun actually!

3. Every person that knows me makes fun of me. I'm not sure how it happens really. Even if they have no idea who I am or who my other friends are, they seem to automatically know that they should tease me! Now, 99% of the time I actually like it. It's what I'm used to and if people don't make fun of me, I almost wonder if they secretly don't like me!!! I always react, which is part of the game. The other 1% I do get irritated, usually when they think my reactions are serious. Then they start teasing me about being sensitive and it just goes downhill from there. Usually it's just my normal life.

4. I'm addicted to candy. I love most all candy, especially chocoate and gummy things. I usually have some kind of candy in my purse at all times. Stashes at work, home, etc. If I'm there, I usually have candy on me.

5. Up until I met my husband, I honestly thought I would never get married. I grew up knowing that the one goal I had in life was to be a wife and mother. After dating someone for four years and then breaking up, I really thought God wanted me to be single (silly I know, seeing as I was only 23!). All my friends seemed to get married young and I was the typical 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride". I know that sounds silly, but I spent many a nights praying and asking for some kind of answer. And I remember praying that if I was meant to be single forever that God would give me the wisdom to know it would be okay. Don't get me wrong, I think there is nothing wrong with being single, but for me...being a wife and mother was everything. Of course, God has His own timing and He gave me the most amazing and faithful man I could have asked for. Praise God!!!

6. I cry ALL the time!! I seriously don't know what's wrong with me. It's not bad crying, it's just crying. At movies, tv shows (even lame reality shows!), stories people tell, most every week at church, songs...pretty much everything you could think of. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, means I have emotions and feelings...but sometimes it's a little out of control!!!

And...I'm lame and have no friends and I can't tag Sarah back...so I guess that is it :) It was actually fun!!!

Good stuff!

2008-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a week I've had!!! I started my new job...and boy is it overwhelming!! So much information in my little brain is just too much :) It's a little scary and a little nerve wracking, but I know I'm going to love it! We saw kids for the first time today and it became even more real. I know it's going to be rough for a little while, I'm just looking forward to a couple months down the road when I feel comfortable!
We went to the Pirates game last night with Anne and our friends Sarah and Nathan (have I said lately how incredibly happy I we met them!!!). It was fun, although REO Speedwagon left me wanting more ;) They looked 90 years old dressed as 19 years old. It's nice to say I saw them though. So...Styx, Foreigner, and REO....all I need is Journey!!! It was fun though. Sarah is very close to having baby Ava and I'm sooo excited for them!! It's so nice to have friends close by that we can totally be ourselves with. Yes, I'm my dorky, obnoxious self with them and they still seem to like us!! They even understand my sarcastic joking ways...which I think some people wonder when I'm kidding! I'm sooo blessed to know them :)
I've also starting 'decorating' the house...which is way more fun than I thought it would be! With the help of my sister, I'm starting to LOVE my house! I mean, I have always loved it, but it's starting to look like 'home'. Nate has been great and has been working EVERY night on something. He built our new desk, works continually on the bathroom and does everything I ask. What an amazing husband :)
We got our pictures back from Andrew and WOW do I love them!!! I'm so pleased with them and can't wait to get our album :)
That's it for now...hope everyone is doing well :)

Exciting News!!!!

2008-07-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well here it is...the exciting news...

I got a school counseling job!!!

I went to the interview today. While I was waiting, four other people went in wearing suits, panty hose, and briefcases...I was sure I was done. I went in and did my thing...and I thought my Mt. Lebanon interview was better...so I thought for sure I didn't get it. Well, they told me they would contact me in a couple of days if I got it. Well, an hour and a half later I got a call and he said, "We just finished our interviews and we decided we want to offer you the job". I almost died!!! Granted, it's not a permanent position, but it is a year long position. A whole year!!! And with 11th and 12th graders. I'm so excited. It's going to be such great experience!! Hopefully get me a better job next year. The only bad news...it's realllly far away!!! Well, I think so. It's at Butler High School. An HOUR away from me :( So...the Rav is going to get lots o miles on her!!! But it will be worth it and gas is going to be a killer, but we still think it will be worth it. Nate and I had talked about it already and decided I should take it if I was offered it. I start in like three weeks!!! Now I just have to quit my job now...eeek. I hate doing that. Hopefully they don't hate me!!!

So...I can finally say I'm using my masters degree for what it was meant to be used for. Yay!

Good times!

2008-07-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty busy lately, but we've been having such good times. This weekend was a blast, but it definitely went too fast! Friday night we went out to dinner with the Spaniks and Berry Anns and then went back to Jon and Val's to play games. I haven't laughed that hard in quite a long time. It was so fun and I'm so glad we have all kinda 'bonded' as a little group of friends! It's so nice to have just 'nice' and kind people to hang out with!
Saturday afternoon was Dana's bridal shower and it was perfect!! Dana was so beautiful and got so many nice things. Although it did remind me of my own shower and made me a little sad that it was all over...but I knew that was going to happen! I had so much fun at Dana's shower and it was a beautiful day. I can't wait until the wedding :)
After that we went to the 3rd Annual Bixler Bonfire. I was excited because this was the first year I didn't have to work! There were so many people there and we all had so much fun! We played some good ole Cornhole and ate wonderful food. Good times had by all!! Nate and I are looking forward to having our own soon!
This weekend is the yard sale and I'm so excited because this means I can get rid of more junk!!! And it's also sooo much fun, sitting with everyone and laughing at some of the strange yard sale junkies. I can't wait to see how much we can make from all our junk ;)
On the last note, Andrew (my photographer) sent me a slideshow of some of our wedding pictures. He isn't totally finished with all of them, but the ones that are done are beautiful! I love them!! Here is the link if anyone is interested :)

http://www.andrewrush.com/beckey/

Rachel's Outing a Success!

2008-07-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the 11th Annual Rachel A. Mogielski Scholarship Golf Outing and it was a success!!! It was the first year Heather and I were the co-directors and I think we did a pretty good job. Of course we had tons of help, and our friends really stepped up for us and graciously gave us their day to help out. I'm pretty sure all 168 golfers had a great time and we reached our goal that we set for ourselves in order to give out the same amount of scholarships last year. And the best part as always was meeting the scholarship winners and hearing what they had to say. It just reminds everyone why we do this every year and of course to remember and honor Rachel- who I think was darn proud of us too. We learned a lot this year and are looking forward to next year :)

On another note - we got some wedding pictures!!! Our wonderful friend Val took a lot of pictures for us and gave me the cd yesterday. They are wonderful!!! I'm so grateful for them because I still haven't gotten our professional ones. I'm just going to post a couple now and add more later! Enjoy!!

Golf Outing...

2008-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sooo...everyone keeps asking me if we are getting settled and used to being married. Well...the answer is kinda yes and kinda no. Yes because it's strange coming to Nate's house (well, my house) every night instead of my parent's house. No because I have been soooo busy since we've gotten back with the golf outing.

For those of you who don't know, my sister and I are the co-directors of a golf outing which benefits the Rachel A. Mogielski Scholarship Fund. This is our first year as the directors and it is a lot of work. BUT, we knew going in that especially with the wedding and all it would be busy. We are so happy to do it, but it's crunch time now and there is a lot of running around! Thank goodness for the previous directors and their help. The outing is this Saturday and I think we have done a good job so far...let's just hope everything goes alright this weekend!!!

As for when I do feel 'really married'...it's been AMAZING :) I married the most amazing man and I have been truely blessed!!

I'm a Walker!

2008-07-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I'm actually doing this. I'm blogging!! At least two people promised they would read it, so here goes!

I am officially a Walker now!! Nate and I got married a little over 2 weeks ago on June 28th. It was the most amazing day of my life. Besides it going way too fast, it was perfect. I wish I could have frozen time so I could have spent more time with everyone, but all in all it was everything I have ever thought it would be. We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii and that was absolutely amazing as well. I have tons of pictures to put on here, but I haven't gotten the time at this exact moment so you'll have to wait in anticipation ;)

I'm starting to settle into the house. There are things everywhere right now, especially clothes. Since we haven't gotten our new furniture yet, my clothes are just about in every room imaginable. I love having a house though, it's such a good feeling. I think it's finally settling in that I'm married...which is so strange! But wonderful :) I already love being a wife.

So...keep a look out for pictures!!

Just the Beginning!!

12 weeks & Easter!!

8 weeks!

Happy Valentines Day!

Madelyn Grace Walker

Nursery!

Almost there!

Baby Shower!

30 weeks!!!

27 Weeks and counting...

Nursery!

22 weeks...(& then some!)

It's a GIRL!!!

Nursery Furniture!

18 Weeks!

16 Week!!

I'm going to be a MOMMY!!!

More to come...

I'm still here!!

Things to look forward to...

I'm back!!

*Sigh*

Dana's Married!

Update!!

Doing the Tag thing!

Good stuff!

Exciting News!!!!

Good times!

Rachel's Outing a Success!

Golf Outing...

I'm a Walker!

Sigh