#1: To Bring Everyone Up to Speed on Our Life

After following my sister-in-law's blog for a while, I knew I'd start my own blog eventually (probably when we decided to have our first child). Well, here it is... Post #1 (perhaps the longest post ever).  I haven't quite decided what all I want to accomplish from this blog, but I really hope it will keep our family and friends updated on our rapidly changing life.  To update you on the latest developments...

1. After dating for 4.5 years, Wil and I got married on Feb 28, 2009.  We told everyone to stop harassing us about having a baby, because "we're on a 5 year plan."  Wil often referred to it as our "7 year plan."  
2. Although I finished classes in Dec 2008, Wil took 1 class in the spring 2009. We walked the line together in May of 2009.
3. I started studying for the CPA exams on June 1, 2009 and passed my last exam on May 20, 2010. It was a long process. I probably could have completed it a little faster than I did, but I did it at a pace that kept me sane (even though I was beyond stressed at several points). I swear I couldn't have completed it without Wil. He always knew just when to convince me to join him for a day of studying on the boat, rather than being couped up in the house all the time.
4. On July 3, 2010, I took a home pregnancy test that came back positive. Wil and I were shocked to say the least. At that point, I was 4 weeks pregnant. Our 5 year plan just flew right out the window! We only made it 1 year and 3 months!  So, new plan... we'll be finished having children in 5 years. We decided to keep our pregnancy a secret (even from our parents) until I went to my first doctor's appointment.
5. We took our first beach vacation together from July 10-17. We stayed at the Seaside Inn in Isle of Palms, SC and took several afternoon visits into Charleston. It was so nice to get away for a week, especially since we had a new secret.
6. We had our first yard sale on July 24! It was a lot of work, but we had a ton of stuff from our college days to sell. After paying for the newspaper ad, we cleared $183! We hauled off everything we had left at the end of the day.
7. I went for an appointment with the nurse on Aug 5 to confirm my pregnancy. I found out that I was 9 weeks.
8. On Aug 8, I got sick for the first time. I was so nervous throughout July and August about getting sick at work. Luckily, I was only nauseous at night. I swore I was going to get sick several times, but it only actually happened just that once. Keep your fingers crossed that the worst of it is over.
9. We decided we couldn't keep our secret much longer, so we told our immediate families on Aug 13-14.  It felt so good to finally tell them.  We spread the word a little further by telling a select few of our coworkers on Aug 18.
10. I had my first official doctor's appoint on Aug 23. Wil went into work late that morning, so he could join me. I knew he felt out of place at the doctor's office, but what could I expect? I even felt out of place and a little uncomfortable.  It was actually a really interesting appointment, because Wil and Dr. Smith were discussing buffalo hunting. Yes, buffalo hunting!  My doctor says to Wil, "Did you know..." Then she paused, looked at me, and said "There's your baby's heartbeat." (Pause) She turned back to Wil and finished her sentence, " that a buffalo hunt costs... blah, blah, blah."   Luckily for Wil and Dr. Smith, I didn't mind... but I told Wil that all hunting conversations are to take place at the end of my appointments from now on. LOL.  Wil's trying to get in good with Dr. Smith, because he'd like to catch our baby during delivery.   Back to the appointment... Dr. Smith said I was measuring a little large for 12 weeks and that we needed to have an ultrasound to verify my due date and to rule out the possibility of multiples (that about sent us into a panic). Although we'd love opportunity to have twins, that whole possibility was a little overwhelming.  Unfortunately, my insurance won't cover an ultrasound on the same day as my first doctor's appointment. So, we had 24 hours to think about all the possibilities.
11. On Aug 24th, we went back in for our ultrasound. We were both so nervous and felt a little torn. We'd love to be blessed with twins, but we also knew that one baby was going to be a big change for us.  Sure enough, there's just 1 baby and I was only 12 weeks a long. Regardless, we were super excited to see our baby. It (I hate calling it "It") Our baby was flipping around like crazy! It was difficult for our ultrasound lady to get clear pictures because the baby was so active. We did get 4 pictures to take home :)  I'll try to find a way to scan them so you all can see too.
12. As if all of this isn't enough change, we've also decided to put our house on the market.  We can manage in our little house with 1 baby, but we don't have a lot of room for toys or for the baby once he/she starts walking. We can make do if our house doesn't sell, but our goal is (1) to sell and (2) find a little bigger house before the baby is here. I know you're thinking we must be crazy... but now should be easier than when the baby comes, right?
13. My wonderful mom came yesterday and helped me clean and de-clutter the house. I owe her! She always comes to our rescue when we need help with the house.  Wil worked all day Saturday and Sunday on replacing the posts on our fence. I feel bad because his to-do list grew today during Bettie's visit, and I can't help with the majority of it (painting, rearranging large furniture, etc). He's taking it all in stride and I'm just here providing moral support.
14. We meet with Bettie tonight to actually list our house. Wish us luck!

Well, thanks for making it to the end of my first post. I hope to update weekly... and keep the posts a little shorter.  I'll add pictures separately.