Thursday, December 30, 2010

introducing...

Jack Nolan Evans


Here he is in profile.

And here he is looking straight at the ultrasound thing. He's got his hands up around his face.

We chose Jack for several reasons. First, because it is C. S. Lewis' nickname. Second, because we just love the name. And third, because I used to babysit a Jack (well he spelled it Jacq) who I absolutely loved! Nolan is Bech's mom maiden name.

We can't wait to meet our baby Jack in June!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

baby update...

I have been looking at fabric online for the nursery for a few weeks now. I found a few that I love, but they are all girl fabrics.

Here is the one I am just crazy about:

I love the bright colors and the peacocks! This fabric would look so sweet as a bed skirt and curtains.

This one is an Amy Butler fabric--all of her stuff is a amazing!



Again, this one has so much color to it!

But, as you have noticed, these are both girl fabrics. And as of yesterday, the baby's gender was up in the air!

Since, according to my first ultrasound done in Burlington, I am now about halfway through with my 16th week, the baby's gender might be able to be seen. So yesterday afternoon we went to my dads office so he could attempt to find out the gender.

My dad is a pediatric cardiologist, so he mostly spent a lot of time checking out the baby's heart (which looks good!). He wasn't sure still on the gender--plus the baby was moving a LOT.

So we headed over to his best friends office, who is an OBGYN. The ultrasound tech did an ultrasound, and it looks like...




I'm going to be looking for fabrics more in the blue green color scheme! Baby Evans is a boy!

I am not going to lie--I really wanted a girl. I just know what to do with girls. Plus, on the whole, girl stuff is more cute. So I am still trying to wrap my head around a boy. But I am excited, and Bech is too. I will just have to do a TON of reading and asking questions! Plus, I have already found some really sweet baby boy stuff.

We have a name, but I need to make sure all of our family knows it before I put it online!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas, y'all! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and remembers why this day is so special in the first place.




"O Source of all Good,
What shall I render to Thee for the gift of gifts,
Thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,
my Redeemer, Proxy, Surety, Substitute,
His self-emptying incomprehensible,
His infinity of love beyond the heart's grasp.

Herein is wonder of wonders:
He came below to raise me above,
He was born like me that I might become like Him.

Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to Him He draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to Himself.

Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
He united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreated and the created.

Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to Him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
He came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me.

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds,
and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy,
and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,
my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,
my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father,
place me with ox, ass, camel, goat,
to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,
and in Him account myself delivered from sin;
let me with Simeon clasp the new-born Child to my heart,
embrace Him with undying faith,
exulting that He is mine and I am His.

In Him Thou hast given me so much that heaven can give no more."

(from The Valley of Vision)

Monday, December 20, 2010

update from the south...

We are back in Mississippi, and it is wonderful! We have both loved being around friends and family and soaking in all of our favorite things about the South.

Exams are over and done, and I am happy with the results. However I am even more happy to have a break from school...no thinking about Greek or Latin for 4 more weeks! But I dreamt in Latin and Greek last night...ugh. That's when you know you have been studying too much!

Of course there has been much stomach patting so far (from family mostly, but a few friends...it doesn't really weird me out). I am starting to show. Eventually I will share pictures online. But right now it still looks a little like just added pounds, so I am keeping the shared pictures at a minimum.

And on the food front, I have gotten La Guadalupe and Keifers. Tomorrow, Bech and I are going to Little Tokyo with Bech's grandmother. So 3 down, 2 more to go! And Keifers was as wonderful as I thought it would be. La Guadalupe was just okay. But I am worried about Little Tokyo. I have kind of have an aversion to shrimp right now, so this may be a sad lunch for me.

I absolutely love Christmas time, and am so excited for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My family is obsessed with traditions, so there are lots of Braden family traditions that happen during Christmas.

Anyway, I just wanted to put a short update on here.

Friday, December 10, 2010

I have a 15 page paper due tonight. I have 8 pages done (which means I still have 7 more to write). First of all, I am not sure at all that I have 7 more pages to say about any of this stuff. So this is going to be tough. Plus, I really just don't want to do it. I am so close to being home. Less than a week. But I have to finish this darn paper, and I really just don't want to.

So instead of typing my paper, I am going to make a blog post. Just so I can procrastinate.

First of all, I dreamed that Finn and Rachel got back together on Glee. I don't know what is stranger, the fact that I am dreaming about Glee or the fact that I now believe they really will get back together.

Second of all, since I am talking about tv shows all of a sudden, my favorite girl won ANTM. Usually my favorites don't win. The only girl of mine who has won ANTM (besides now Anne) was Saleisha. But this summer Aarti won Next Food Network Star. Now if only Tiffany or Angelo (or Richard) can win Top Chef All-Stars, my life will be complete. Only kidding...I don't love reality tv THAT much.

Finally, here is the weather forecast for today...really? Is this even physically possible? I guess so...






Right Now
Next 36 Hours
CloudyTodayTonightTomorrow
PM Snow ShowersSnow ShowerAM Clouds / PM Sun
CloudyPM Snow ShowersSnow ShowerAM Clouds / PM Sun
10°F25°22°34°
Feels Like: HighLowHigh
Past 24-hr:
Precip: 0 in
Snow: 0 in
Chance of Snow:
50%
Chance of Snow:
60%
Chance of Precip:
20%
Wind:
From ESE at 6mph
Wind:
SSE at 14 mph
Wind:
S at 14 mph
Wind:
S at 11 mph

Monday, December 6, 2010

13 weeks



I should first say, as a disclaimer, that I am not sure I will do weekly updates. I have seen other people do them on their blogs, and they are fun to read. But I am boring and lazy, so who knows how often I will do this! But this week, I thought I'd try...

How far along? 13 weeks

Baby Size: Almost 3 inches, about the size of a peach

Total weight gain/loss: About 4 pounds

Maternity clothes? Nope. I have a bella band, but I've only worn it 2 or 3 times. My pants fall down when I wear it, which is more than slightly embarrassing. But my jeans are starting to get uncomfortable.

Sleep: I am not as tired as I used to be, but I still need a lot of sleep. And I am sleeping pretty well.

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: For a while, I had an obsession with Lime Tostitos. Now I really like PB&J.

Gender: We find out January 10th. I really want it to be a girl, but I will be happy with a boy as well.

What I miss: Margaritas

What I am looking forward to: Being in Mississippi in almost a week (okay, so that has nothing to do with the baby, but thats what I really am looking forward to!

Milestones: End of the first trimester, and being able to tell everyone

Pregnancy symptoms: Just tiredness. Like I said before, I really didn't have any morning sickness.


Friday, December 3, 2010

Thanks for all of the blog, email, and facebook congratulations! We are so excited, too!

A couple of more things about the baby:

(1) We are due June 12th. Of course, our doctor told us that only 5% of women have their baby on their due date, but I suppose the baby will come out around that time!

(2) If you do the math, that means we are almost 13 weeks now (next Sunday) by now. We found out pretty early, told our family (who might have told a few people). But I'm kind of old fashioned, so we waited until at least 12 weeks to tell everyone.

(3) I am in school and will continue on with that. Sadly, that means daycare. But I plan to work, and have always planned to work. So daycare has always been in the picture.

(4) We will find out the gender January 10th. We actually are both hoping its a girl, but we will be happy if its a boy, but I feel like there is so much more cute stuff for girls!

And here are a few random things I have noticed about myself so far:

(1) I am so darn emotional! I have been crying at the Baby Story on TLC, crying when Dobby dies in Harry Potter 7, crying for movies, etc. I actually cried the other day because Bech went grocery shopping without me. Then I cried because he cooked an acorn squash.

(2) I haven't craved anything too weird, but I have found myself craving stuff. And of course a lot of it is stuff I can't have, location wise. Like I would give anything for the hummus from Sal and Mookies. Luckily, in less than 2 weeks, I'll be home and can get some! We made sushi the other day and I almost threw up. I was worried this would happen. I still plan on going to Little Tokyo when I get home and seeing if I can get over my aversion.

(3) Speaking of throwing up, I did not have any problems with that. I felt a little nauseous sometimes, but nothing too bad. I am very thankful for that. But I was super exhausted. I would come home, lay on the couch, and not move until bed time. I finally feel like I have energy again, which is nice.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

room redo...

Last week, Bech, Courtney, and I drove down to Boston to visit two very important places: Ikea and Sonic.

Our main purpose was Ikea, because we have had our eye on a desk from there. And here it is...


It's a big desk with a bookshelf attached. I already have a bunch of classics books in the shelves, so I plan on using this desk a lot for homework.

We put the desk to one side of the room, kinda like a divider. We needed to make space because by next June, the other side of the room will be filled up with a different kind of furniture...


...because we're pregnant!!!