BIG NEWS!!!

Well, we can finally tell everyone...WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!!! I posted on FB last week because I was just too excited once we finally told all of our family members, so now is the time to post a blog about the last 10 weeks...

11/16/09 - the day I found out...
So, there I was in my broker's office, and she just up and asks me when Jeff and I are going to have a baby. I told here that we had put it in God's hands and when it happens, it happens. That is not to say that I hadn't been thinking about it and hoping and praying that we would be lucky enough to get pregnant before Christmas (I had this great idea for how to break the news to our moms with little baby charms for their charm bracelets, but it would only work if we were pregnant before Christmas).

So after I said what I did, she said, "well, I think you already are pregnant!!" I was shocked and speechless when she said that! I didn't even know how to respond, so I just said, "why do you think that??" She was confident, but I just kind of blew it off.

After I ate lunch that day, I was feeling pretty rough and felt like I could go to sleep and sleep for days! So, I went home and because of what my broker had said earlier in the day and how I was feeling, I could not stop thinking about the fact that I might be pregnant. I decided to just take a test so I could put it out of my mind. I was so sure it would say "NO," and then I could just move on and get back to work.

Well, I got home and took the test, and to my surprise, it said "YES!" I literally almost passed out! I thought there is no way that's right, so I ran to the store and bought two more tests. When I got back home and took those, they both said "NO." I was SOOOO disappointed because by this point, I was getting super excited about the idea of being pregnant! Well, I called the doctor and explained what I had just done, and she said that I was probably very early and there was only a small amount of the pregnancy hormone in my system which is why the 2nd and 3rd tests said no. She told me to take another test the following morning and then call back.

That afternoon, I couldn't wait to take another test, so on the way home, I bought another two tests and took one when I got home. Sure enough, that one said "YES" too, and I was just giddy! I printed this silly little thing on the compute for Jeff, but I was so excited, I called him at work and told him. I was so mad at myself because I didn't even get to see his face when I told him the news.


11/24/09 - Initial consultation
When I called to let the doctor know that I was in fact pregnant, they set up my initial pregnancy consultation to get medical history and confirm the pregnancy. This was a quick visit, but exciting nonetheless! They gave me a goodie bag full of all kinds of information on pregnancy and FAQs and all kinds of goodies! Also, they set up my first ultrasound, saying they needed to measure "crown-rump length." I was really excited about this, but Jeff was a little unsure?!?!?

11/26/09 - I had to tell somebody
Although it had only been a little over a week since we found out, I was dying to tell someone!! On Thanksgiving, Jeff and I went to Tampa to have lunch with Stephanie, Thomas, and Thomas' parents. I got a "congratulations" card for Steph and wrote inside, "you're gonna be an Aunt!!" When she opened the card, she was speechless! Her eyes filled with tears, and we just started hugging and jumping for joy!! It was great, and I am so mad that our camera didn't work right; Jeff had the camera ready to snap a picture when she opened the card, but the camera stalled! UGH!

11/30/09 - first ultrasound
Our appointment was set for 1:30 pm, and Jeff and I both arrived around the same time. We were super excited! When we got in the room, it was very relaxing and felt very much like home, which was great considering! She got started with the ultrasound, but she quickly realized that it was too early to get the measurement that she needed, so she just snapped a few pictures, and we were on our way. We set up an appointment for two weeks later so they would be sure to get the measurement they needed.

12/10/09 - breaking the news to my mom
By this time, Jeff and I had known for almost a month, and since I talk to my mom everyday, it was extremely difficult to not tell her the news. However, waiting to tell mama in person was SO WORTH THE WAIT!! We arrived at mama's around 1:00 am, but we couldn't wait to give her the little gift we had for her.

Ever since I started thinking of having a baby, I wanted to be able to be pregnant before Christmas so that I could give our mom's a baby booty charm for their charm bracelets (that is how I wanted to break the news to them). So, there we are in the middle of the night and mama opens up her little gift. Jeff had the video camera rolling and caught it all on video. It was so awesome to see her reaction as she opened up the package and realized that we were giving her a baby booty charm, and then she realized why we were giving her that...it was awesome!!

12/12/09 - telling my dad
I thought it would be funny to have Jeff tell my dad that he's pregnant as a way of breaking the news. So, we arrived at my aunt's house, and I was so ready, so I said, "Daddy, Jeff has something he wants to tell you." Then Jeff, with his cute little face, just smirked and said, "I'm pregnant." It took everyone a few seconds to realize what he said and then they just looked at me and we all started hugging and jumping for joy!! It was cool.

12/22/09 - telling Jeff's mom
Okay, so by now, we've known for almost 6 weeks, and we've talked to Jeff's mom and Wendy multiple times, and it's been tough not to accidentally spill the beans. Again, it was SO worth the wait to be able to capture Ms. Beverly's reaction on camera. We spent the entire day driving to Charlotte to spend Christmas with them. So, about half way, Jeff called his mom and told her that we had a gift for her and John, but they would need to open it that night when we arrived or else it would spoil. This threw them way off course because they never had a clue what we were giving them!!

So we arrive, and Ms. Bev, Mr. John, Wendy, and the boys were there waiting for us. We got all of our things in, and then I got the video camera ready, and Jeff handed Ms. Bev the little package. She sat down and opened it, and her reaction was hilarious! She looked at the little booty, and immediately screamed, "NO YOU'RE NOT!!" It was great, and I got it all on camera. Ms. Bev and Wendy both started crying, and it was just a great time!!!

Well, that brings us up to date. I have my first OB visit next Monday, 1/4/10, and I'm sure I'll have more to update then.

~Stacy~

On the Road Again

We're leaving town again tomorrow and heading up to Charlotte to visit Jeff's mom and sister and her family for Christmas!! We are super excited and can't wait to get there and spend some time with them and our little nephews, Griffin and Colton!!

We'll be back on Saturday and will hopefully have lots of pictures to share!!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Away We Go!

Jeff and I will be hitting the road tomorrow to go visit my family! I am super excited to see everyone and have an early Christmas with them. We'll leave tomorrow after Jeff gets off work and make the almost 6 hour trip home to mama's!! I can hardly wait to get home and see her...it's been too long since I was home last.

Anyway, I'll miss Flashback Friday this week but didn't want those of you that read this blog to be shorted of some type of communication from us! Here is the picture I was planning to use for this week's Flashback Friday picture...Halloween 2008

Jeff as Payne Stewart and me as an Eskimo

Until the next post...peace!

:-)

Flashback Friday

So, I'm totally copying Jennifer Ross' Flashback Friday idea because it's so fun!

Jeff "working"

Happy Friday!!

Bells Will Be Ringing...

Wedding Bells that is, and they already rang...

Liz and Craig got married this past Saturday, and it was beautiful! The day was perfect, and she looked like a Grecian goddess!!

Here are two pictures

Jeff & I, the Bride & Groom (Liz & Craig Zokvic), Brett & Kelly Jones

Jeff and I were both in the wedding, and I was honored to be the Matron of Honor. We all had a great time helping them celebrate their special wedding day!!

Home Seller Video

Home Buyer Video

SOoooooo, I am still alive!!

I have been a total slacker with my lack of posts, but I have a good excuse...I quit my job! Yeah, you heard right...I quit my job.

I am now a full time real estate agent, and I'm starting to wonder why I didn't do this sooner (my old boss told me that it would not take long for me to be asking myself that, and he was right!). This is my second week as a full time agent, but I have been in the business for over 2 years. In the last 2 years, I've been working very long hours and weeks to make my business get off the ground (hence, the absence of posts lately because I've been busier than ever). I'm now to the point where I feel like I can sustain myself and my business. I love being my own boss and making my own schedule, and while I'm busy, I'm never too busy for referrals, so for all of you out there that read this blog, if you know someone that is ready to buy or sale a home and lives in Central Florida, let me know!!!

Jeff is super supportive of me in my kinda new career...he's my cheerleader! He tells me everyday how proud he is of me, and that in itself keeps me going. It feels so good to have a husband that stands behind me and cheers me on in doing what I am coming to realize that I love and was created to do.

Well, let's see...what else has been going on?? We've been gearing up for football season, and it kicked off last weekend, and we had a great time tailgating with our awesome friends!! Jeff got a Weber grill that we take to the tailgate, and he is just super excited about it...he's like a little kid with a new toy! :-) UCF won the season opener, and now we're headed to Mississippi this next weekend for our first conference match-up with Southern Miss.

What else...I'm going on a Women's Retreat with the church next weekend, and I'm really excited about that (Liz is going too, and that's exciting!!). The women at my church are great, and I'm really looking forward to spending the weekend with them in a relaxing environment where we can grow stronger in our relationships with each other and more importantly with God. It's sure to be a great weekend.

One last thing...I miss my friends from my old job!! They were such good people to work with!! I wish I could have them to work with every day in real estate...hey, there's an idea...when I'm a million dollar agent (don't worry...it WILL happen!), I can hire them to work for me. Does that sound pompous/arrogant?? I don't mean for it to, but I'm just determined to be a super star real estate agent, and what better way to be able to see/work with my old friends, than to have them work in my company (one day...).

Okay, well that's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll have more time now to squeeze in a post at least once per week.

One Year Ago

One year ago (yesterday), I said 'I Do' to the most wonderful man I know! This past year has been so fabulous. Yes, we've had ups and downs, but those are the things that have helped us grow closer as the days have passed us by.

I am so excited to start another year of my life with Jeff. His kind hearted spirit helps me each and every day, and I am so blessed to have him as a friend, partner, and co-pilot in this journey called life!

Love you honey!!

Family

If there was anything fun about going home for my grandmother's funeral, it was that I got to see my cousins. Obviously, as families grow up, they tend to move away, so it's rare that I get to see some of my family.


Steph and I


Here are my cousins from L-R:
Sisters - Jill (St. Louis, Mo), Jan, and Joy (Birmingham, AL)
Brother/Sisters - Stephanie (St. Pete), Joey (DeFuniak Springs, Fl), Me :)
Brother/Sister - Beth (Panama City, FL) and Barry (Graceville, Fl)

It'll Grow Back

But, I miss my long hair!!

Holy Cow...

It's only a little over 3 weeks until my FIRST wedding anniversary! I love it! Where has the year gone...it's been fabulous, and I'm looking forward to the next 50 or more!

New Wheels

Check out my new ride...I'm super excited!

Remembering My Grandmother

Sarah Marie Preston Black
July 7, 1924 - June 8, 2009

My grandmother passed away last Monday night and wrapped up her time here on Earth. She lived a wonderful life that was filled with a lot of love, peace, and joy. She was such a sweet soul that loved Jesus and everyone she knew. While I will miss her terribly, I am thankful that today she is resting in the arms of Jesus!!!

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and granddaddy. My granddaddy was a Baptist preacher, so my sister and I spent many, many Sundays in church with my grandmother while granddaddy preached. My grandmother always had mints in her purse, and Stephanie and I would eat every single one of them while we were in church. She never got angry with us...she was a great grandmother!

I have a lot of childhood memories of my grandmother, but as I got older (into my college and adult years), my relationship with my grandmother became closer and very special. When I lived in Dothan, I visited her every Sunday after church for several years. When I moved to Pensacola in 2003, I went home every weekend to visit my grandmother. Even after I moved to Orlando in 2004, my grandmother and I talked on the phone every week at least once, and I visited her multiple times when I would go back home to Dothan. She was just a very special person!!

I have many more memories I could share, but time and space is limited.

Here are a few pictures:





She was anxiously awaiting my wedding day, when just three weeks prior she suffered a mild stroke and was hospitalized. However, the doctors had given her approval to come to my wedding.

This photo was taken on Wednesday before I got married on Saturday, and about two hours after that picture was taken, she tried to get out of her hospital bed and fell and broke her hip and her wrist.

She was unable to attend my wedding, so I took a piece of my wedding to her!

Jeff and I also visited her after the wedding; I'll post those pictures later.

I have many very good memories with my grandmother, and I will cherish them forever. I visited her every time I went home to Dothan, and I got pictures every time. This is the last picture I ever took with her.

Thought

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.