My Virginia Cook Shower...

The ladies at my office hosted a sweet shower for me...we had a great time and got tons of incredible stuff for Baby Naaman Jack!!! Thank you to all who worked SO hard making this special for us....

Wow! Look at all those gifts for baby Naaman...we are very blessed!!!

These were the most amazingly moist homemade fresh strawberry cupcakes...YUM! Thank you Stephanie...

I put this adorable mongrammed burp cloth hanging on a shelf in Naaman's nursery...

This happens to be my favorite picture! He is practicing up for bath time in a couple months...

I wonder how long baby Naaman will think his Mom's a hottie???

I can't wait to read this to my sweet baby boy!!!

Thanks ladies...the party was a blast!!! Now we have lots of fun stuff for baby Naaman!

Don't scare your Momma like that anymore!

Well...I had a little scare on Saturday. I noticed Naaman Jack had been moving less than normal for a few days. So...just in time for the weekend...I had myself all worked up with no doctor to talk to. I called the on-call nurse and she told me to drink a coke or something with sugar in it and head to Triage at the hospital. Of course Brad was out of town on one of his many work trips so I was pretty darn freaked out and had to drive myelf. I downed a V-8 fusion and drove as fast as I safely could. Once I got there...in tears, out of breath, and barely able to speak, one of the nurses immediately hooked me up to the monitor so I could hear my sweet baby boy's heart beat. God is SO good!!! Turns out everything is okay and he is looking good. The boy just decided to take a few days to sleep and grow I suppose?



Here is the belly at 30 weeks...only 10 weeks to go!



Brad decided he wanted to go on a walk one hot, hot summer evening. We packed up the dogs and drove to a nearby park so they could run around leash-less. It was SO stinking hot! We left the house at about 6:30...the temperature outside still a steamy 99 degrees...what was he thinking? And with his pregnant wife in tow?! I will say I was not the only one exhausted and overheated by the time we finished...both dogs slept like champs all night!

26 weeks...and GROWING!!!

Here is where your Dad gets the name "Brat"ley. I was in the kitchen fixing a very delicious dinner one night...minding my own business...when in he pops and snaps these very revealing shots of you growing in my belly...sometimes he's such a BRAT! For some reason, I have a feeling these pictures will come back to haunt me one day...that's okay, you GROW Naaman Jack!!!

A Clemson Baby Shower for Naaman Jack...

A BIG thanks to Aunt Lolo, Aunt Pootey, and Aunt Hope for giving us a sweet family shower in Clemson...here's the ADORABLE invitation...

This was an outfit of Daddy's when he was born...so very tiny!

Thanks to "Grandma" Ballentine and Mema for the quilt...we're certain this will get lots of use...

A long time Bowie family friend, Jean McCusker, knitted this just for you!

A few of the gals...Norma, Lolo, sweet Anna, and Aunt Vickie...

Meg and Angie...

"Grandma" Ballentine and Tottie...shhh, don't tell "Grandma" and "Grandpa" but we're going to teach you some new names to call them...how do Gigi and Pop...or Bebe and Popo sound? Or we could follow in cousin Jackson's footsteps and just call Grandpa "Bobby"!!!

24 weeks and more sonogram pics...

5/18/2009...a couple more cute profile shots...your Daddy says you have my forehead and chin...I think you have his nose. We'll just have to wait and see...16 more weeks!

This is one of my favorites...you're giving us the THUMB'S UP...I LOVE you baby Naaman Jack! Thank you for letting us know that everything's all right!!!

Here you are...showing us again, in case we were worried...that you are in fact a boy!!!

Beer Belly vs. Preggo Belly...

Meet my Uncle Brian. He LOVES beer! Here we are in Williamsburg, VA, after Mother's Day brunch. I think he still has me beat!!! May 10, 2009...23 weeks.

20 weeks...we're halfway there

April 20, 2009...We can finally start calling you by your name, rather than Baby Ballentine. Naaman Jack...after your grandfather...We LOVE the way that sounds! Here is a picture of your tiny, tiny, feet.

Boy or Girl...that is the question???

16 weeks...your Daddy LOVES taking pictures of my belly...imagine that! He is very excited for your arrival and wants to capture memories of each and every moment...how sweet! What a great Dad you will have!!!

Here's the belly at 17 weeks...

19 weeks...April 13, 2009
How ADORABLE is this? Check out those sweet hands in prayer position!!! I love that your looking right at us in this one... They call it gut feeling, or Mother's instinct...whatever it was, I was right...you're a BOY!!! I just knew it...and for once your Daddy was wrong. I love you sweet Baby Boy!!!

2nd Trimester Baby!!! 3/13/2009

And here's the belly at 14 weeks...what a difference a week can make!!!

Starting to look like maybe there's a BABY in there...check out the pooch at 13 weeks!!!

We finally get to see that sweet, sweet face of yours! What a cute profile...

March 2, 2009

13 weeks!!! Come on second trimester. I adore this picture of your belly, legs and feet. Only 7 more weeks until we find out if you're a boy or girl. Your daddy thinks you're a girl for sure, but my bet is you're a boy. Either way we love you more than you know...