drumroll, please......

All right, everyone. I tempted you with our ultrasounds, telling you everything but baby's gender. It was mean, and I did feel a little bit bad. But we wanted to tell our family in person. Now that's taken care of, I can tell you.

We're having a........GIRL!!!!!

We are, of course, very excited to welcome a little lady into our family. I would honestly have been happy either way...I love the idea of brothers, and boys are so much fun to have around the house. But I had been praying for a girl, I think in large part because my mom has left such a beautiful legacy, and I want so much to be able to share that with a daughter of my own. Lying there in the doctor's office, with an ultrasound wand on my belly, I felt like God was comforting me in some sweet way. He is very good.

Oddly enough, though, knowing I'm having a girl makes me appreciate my little boy even more. I have been delighting in all his boy-isms lately: the roaring, the running, the climbing, the obsessions with trucks and airplanes. Sometimes I get a little nervous about having a girl...this is uncharted territory with a lot of hormones involved. I'll be looking to you other mom's of daughters for some advice on what to do in the coming years, I'm sure!

Well, we're off for vacation at the beach. More pictures later......

Baby's First Picture

What a cute baby! I don't know if you can see this much detail on the web, but if you look closely you may be able to see what I think is the baby's palate, frontal skull, traces of an ear, and (what really blows me away) the cerebral cortex.

You can even see the little foot bones if you look closely...

I almost didn't put this one in because it looks so freaky, but hey, that's what babies can look like at this age! :) "Skeletal", as our ultrasound tech said. Hopefully Baby won't come out still looking like that.

The Big Ultrasound

(note: these are Isaac's ultrasound pictures. Sorry, but the scanner wasn't working, so we'll try again tomorrow for Baby Whitaker's shots)

Well, today was a very exciting day---THE day that we got to see our little bean and find out a gender for the next Whitaker. As could be predicted, my amazing late sleeper woke up early, we all had colds, Isaac was grumpy, etc. But I got him safely off to the neighbors and went to pick up Vance. So far, so good. But Vance was running late because of his time-sensitive reaction in the lab, and even though it was 10am, traffic was horrid due to the rerouting from the bridge collapse. We got there exactly 15 minutes late, and the receptionist made a comment about it. We had to wait for a long time, and I kept staring at the sign at the desk--"If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to reschedule." At any moment I expected the nurse to come out and say, "Sorry, we had to fill up your spot, you'll have to get a new appointment." Which takes about 6 weeks for an ultrasound. Ugggg. I think I was just nervous :). But finally, finally, the ultrasound tech came for me, and we got to go in.

It was Michelle, the same tech who did our ultrasound with Isaac. She's very nice and very good. She said, "Do you want to know gender?" and like last time, we said, "If you're sure you know, we want to know." I was half expecting this baby to play coy and maybe not show us at all, since I'd been in such suspense. But as soon as she put the ultrasound wand on my belly, bam, there was Little One with legs splayed wide open. It was quite a presentation!

Anyway, Baby is happy, healthy, hiccuping, and "spot on" (according to Dr. Preston Williams, the patriarch of the clinic) for the due date. Weighing in at 11 oz, everything looks great. We got a good look at the aorta--which had been a concern with Isaac--and the heart was beautiful.

At this point, you're ready to know, "IS THIS BABY A BOY OR A GIRL?!?!?"....and this is the really mean and diabolical part that I'm enjoying right now. I can't tell you. Yet. We've decided to tell our family in person when we see them in a week, and since they check this site, I can't exactly let the rest of you in on our little secret. But I will tell you--I will!--as soon as I can. I'm sorry for the delay and suspense (well, kinda :).

little friends

Our friend Ava came over recently for a few hours, and Isaac was in awe. He had all the classic signs of romantic attatchment: inability to eat, an expression of wonder, the shameless following of Ava wherever she went. They had a great time playing outside in the sand.

I was amazed to see (limited, true, but) actual teamwork in a pair of toddlers. I had to document it.

Isaac is in seventh heaven: a girl who likes sand and dump trucks?! Could it get any better?

This is from awhile ago, but one evening I was watching Isaac and our neighbor Caleb. They're about 5 weeks apart. It was fun to watch them play peek-a-boo in the bathroom, especially since they now like to spend so much time ripping toys away from each other! :/

I wonder why they liked playing in the bathroom so much? It's about the size of an airplane bathroom (can I hear some "amens" from our past visitors? :). But I suppose when you're little, the size seems just about right.

shades of gray

So, in preparation for our trip to the beach in a few weeks, I've been trying to get Isaac used to the idea of sunglasses. At first he took them right off, but now he thinks they're a game, and he laughs hysterically when he puts them on. In a couple of these I think he is also doing the Isaac Dance to some music--he has the hunched over, hopping look about him. Is it just me, or does my dear son resemble a hippopotamus in some of these pictures?!? I think it may be the teeth... :)

photo shoot

On Wednesday my neighbor Alicia kindly shot a few photos for me for the back cover of my book. Although we were (thank goodness) able to come up with a decent shot (hard enough with with a pregnant woman since none of my clothes fit and my face is getting rounder), I thought I would show you the ones that you won't see on the back cover.

Vance came up behind me while Alicia was working, and even though this picture doesn't go on the book, I like it. Oddly enough, the pictures taken after Vance's impromptu self-insertion looked way better than the ones before. Ah, the power of love.

sermons

Over the last few weeks, our church has been going through a series on fellowship--what it is, and what it takes to have it. I have been really enjoying the series, and thought that I would pass on the links to you so you could download the mp3s if you wanted to.

To download these sermons, click here.

I highly recommend:
- Rick's sermon (July 8) on Love
- Mark's sermon (July 24) on Confession....bummer, that was the week the power went out. I guess you won't be able to download that one.
- Rick's sermon (August 5) on Forgiveness.

More than anything, I think this sermon series has given me a greater vision for what life in Christ is supposed to look like, and how thoroughly it should affect everything I do, think, and feel. Hopefully it's changing me too, and maybe you'll encounter a more loving, humble, and forgiving me next time you see me. :)

For Papa Whitaker

We actually took these pictures on our way down to Iowa last month to visit Chris and Jen James. These are dedicated to Papa Whitaker, who we thought would especialy enjoy these takes of Isaac....for various reasons :)

Practicing for his next visit to Oak Ridge...

Sing it with us! "We're the Red and White from State, and we know we are the best...."


"Hands behind our back, we can take on all the rest....!"

The Guthrie

Last night Vance and I went on a splurge date to the Guthrie Theater. It was so much fun. We went to see 1776, the musical. We don't get to do expensive things like that too often so it was very special to get dressed up, drop Isaac off at Beth's, and walk into this oh-so-chic new building. The building was actually just as amazing to me as the play itself. You'll just have to come up and visit to get a tour. My favorite part was the "endless bridge"--a massive walkway cantilevered about 150 ft. or so out of the builidng, ending in a glass outdoor balcony that overlooks the Mississippi, the Stone Arch Bridge, and some falls. Tres romantique, let me tell you :).

The play was a lot of fun, too....Vance said it was the best musical he'd ever seen...but the best part was just getting some quality time together to enjoy something different and new. And Beth kept Isaac overnight, so we got to sleep in and have a leisurely morning together. We are some lucky people to have such a wonderful lady in our lives. It's easy to leave Isaac with someone who is thrilled to keep him!

I love this city.

it's all fun and games...

My little boy is growing up. At 18 months he's now thinking about dropping his morning nap, throwing temper tantrums, and trying out new words in the cutest little voice ever. A couple of nights ago Vance looked at me over the dinner table as Isaac was pointing and smiling and babbling and stuffing his little face, and he said, "Do you think he can get any cuter than this?" I don't know...only time will tell.

After Isaac's latest love affairs with musical instruments, I decided to get him one of his own. Sometimes it can be hard to find a basic toy without fifteen thousand bells, whistles, lights, and annoying beeping sounds. But it wasn't that hard to find a xylophone/piano with 8 simple keys. Isaac's been enjoying it a lot, and I think he's glad to finally have a toy that makes noise! I enjoy it too, because it fosters my dreams of having musical children.

But you know, it's the weirdest things that capture his attention. He likes his $15 piano, sure, but show him this little bottle of wonders and his eyes light up. What could hold a stir-crazy toddler rapt with awe and amazement, you ask? A bottle of Martin Guitar Polish. He can play with it for minutes on end...and that's an accomplishment. I think he likes it because it has a clear plastic lid that he can pop on and off pretty easily. And right now, "on" and "off" are among the chiefest of delights.

"On?!? Offffff!"

can you guess?

...nightly runs to the bathroom at 3am...

...a very hungry stomach that gets queasy with the thought of food...

...popping the button off my jeans today (well, the button was loose :)...

...best of all, strange flutterings in my tummy...

what do you think?

05 January 2008!

AJ's Wedding

Well, I'm sorry it's taken so long to post pictures. Somehow Isaac stashed the camera under the bed, so for a few days we couldn't find it. Not fun for us! But now I can update you on our doings. It was a whirlwind week in NC for us. We had a harrowing trip down with long layovers, delays, and an overly-tired-and-cranky child. I had a lot to do when I got home--organizing decorations for the rehearsal dinner, baking cakes for the dinner, trekking everything up to the restaurant, lots of phone calls, a bridesmaids' luncheon, learning music for the ceremony (which I had neglected to learn beforehand...oops), and taking care of the extended family coming into town. You can imagine why I don't have any pictures of anything before the wedding! Sorry about that, though. Once the wedding came, I was able to take a few breaths and document the event. It was a lovely wedding, and the reception was great too. After our difficult journey down, I wasn't sure how Isaac would do with so many babysitters and transitions, but he was a trooper. Here are the pictures:

Allie getting ready. With an 11am wedding, I was up at 6:30 for my hair appointment. Yay for beauty treatments :/

...and that's pretty much all the guys have to do to get ready. Not too bad!

Vance and I, getting a little time together before the festivities

Julie and some of her bridesmaids (there were 4 of us), as she gets her shoes put on

Dad, the ever photogenic Best Man

The man himself, sharing a little limelight with his favorite nephew

Getting a little lovin from Aunt Allie

Isaac with Granny...it was a good move to bring Isaac to the second half of the reception. That way everyone got to adore him without him turning into a party-pooper.

Not the greatest picture, but Isaac was totally mesmerized by the band. The drummer even let him bang around a bit at the end of the set! He's going to be a natural :)

my beautiful sister with her friend Amy.


There they are...the happy couple!

that's my husband!

This morning Vance took his oral preliminary exam...a grueling 3-hour examination before 5 professors who each test him in their field of knowledge. Allowed to question him on any area of horticulture, these faculty basically try to find the limits of a student's knowledge. That's what Vance was up to this morning.

And.......

He passed. With flying colors, of course. He came home and said, "It was easier than I thought it would be." Go figure :) In fact, every one of the professors commented that it was one of the best oral prelims they'd ever seen. To which I say, "That's my brilliant husband!" I'm very proud of all his hard work!

Piano Recital

Cosette
Shannon

Eliana

These are some pictures of a few of my students (all the same age and gender, you notice, because they were the only ones who wanted their pictures taken...what a fun age :) We had a great time even though the recital took about half as long as I expected and the kids were so ready to be done that they practically flew off the stage to get back to their seats. It was hilarious to see them running around outside afterward. You could tell that they all had so much pent up energy. I'm mostly taking a break on piano for the summer. Even though it's nice to have more flexibility in my schedule, I'll miss teaching them. It's been a lot of fun.

a wonderful visit

This is an older picture, but several weeks ago we drove to Fargo, ND to meet up with Yesupadam and Monika. We hadn't seen them for three years, but this time their US trip brought them somewhat close to Minnesota, and we jumped at the chance. They had never met Isaac, so that was a really fun introduction! It was too short, but it was lovely to get to catch up a little, reconnect, and talk some about the book. I've been very grateful that they are stateside while I'm working on the book. It means that answers to many of my questions are only a (national) call away, rather than an international one. Hooray for visits!

engagement

Just thought I'd post a picture of my grown-up brother and his lovely fiancee...amazing, isn't it? Congratulations, you two!

June 30, 2007

the latest trip to nc (sorry, read from the bottom up)

Isaac with the new love of his life, Albert. They loved one another, except when they were fighting over the same ball (Albert winning) or Isaac pulling Albert's tail or ears (Isaac winning). They were inseperable.

You've heard of crying over spilt milk, but ice cream?!?! Isaac decided to be grumpy and was refusing even this nectar of the gods...until he got a taste of it, of course. His new spoon-handling skills came in handy.

We let Isaac enjoy the garden, complete with the red-clay mud of North Carolina. Good times!

Then it was on to James and Angie's wedding, which was lovely.

Meanwhile, Vance and I took an anniversary trip up in the Blue Ridge Mountains...it was lovely. We had TWO nights away this time! We took a 7-mile hike to view some overlooks, and took some stops every now and then to read and talk. It was very relaxing and quite wonderful. You never realize quite how great it is to get away until you're there.

Nana bought him some Superman pajamas. I remember AJ having some of those when we were growing up. Again, we probably enjoyed them more than he did, but I think he could tell he was gaining at least some superpower from his new outfit :)

Isaac's first tractor ride, with Papa Frank. I think he enjoyed it, but probably not as much as we did.

I realized that we hadn't taken any pics of Isaac on an airplane. He's been on over a dozen flights since he was 3 months old...and I didn't fly until I was 17! Here he is, whiling away the time with an apple. Like father, like son.

We just got back from a great trip back home. We visited Vance's parents, went on an anniversary trip, left Isaac at Grandparent Camp, and went to James' wedding. Quite a weekend! Here are some shots of our events.