A Very Special Christmas 2009

I am so excited about this Christmas! I've got seven big trees up in our house this year and each has a little different personality. The Yuletide Season has long been my favorite. I enjoy the decorating, the sense of giving, and holiday baking. What excites me the most this Christmas is knowing that 1) next Christmas we'll have Baby Peppers, 2) I have the best family in the world, and 3) Julia Hope (our niece-to-be) should be here within a week of Christmas. We have so much to be thankful for this year. A good recovery from Janice's (Julie's mom) thyroid cancer. We all still have our jobs. We have more things that anyone should ever have. We never go hungry. We have terrific friends. Most importantly, we know that Christmas is a celebration of the wonderful Christ-child that came to Earth in the humble manger, all as part of a fantastic journey of strength, compassion and love to save mankind.

While there are numerous Christmas gatherings ... all with way too much food ... the reason for the season is to celebrate life and remember the price that was paid to live forever. We'll gather with some old high school friends of mine next week and I am so excited to see how they've lived their lives since we graduated in 2000. We will gather with family next week to remember days gone by, watch children play with new toys, and enjoy recipes handed down for generations. We will light the trees in the house and enjoy that special cup of cocoa waiting for bed-time on Christmas Eve, and I know Julie and I will cuddle closely thinking about our last Christmas alone together while we get excited about the coming joys of next Christmas with our very own baby.

Christmas is indeed the celebration of life. This year we are excited about the new baby joining our family in a few days and also our very own baby in a few months. Even as much fun as this Christmas will be, we know next year will be even better.

Read from the bottom up...it will all make sense...

If you are reading this...start at the bottom...:) It should all make sense...the Christmas Cards are ordered, but it will take forever for them to get out...so we just are telling now!!!

The Heartbeat ... A Future Dad's Vantage Point

It is so hard to completely describe all the emotions you feel when your baby's heartbeat makes it's first performance on the doctors mini sound system. I knew that Tuesday would be a fun visit to the ob/gyn, but seeing Julie's face when they finally found the rhythm of that tiny heart was worth all the nerves.

The appointment was for 3:15. Julie gets out of school at 2:45, so when she called me at 3:00 to ask where I was, I wondered if she took a helicopter down from Knox Elementary to Woodstock. Needless to say, I was already feeling nervous. I'll be blunt ... I think I'm suffering from some sympathy nausea and cravings. Within a 24-hour period I had eaten from Krystal's, Sweet Tomatoes and Taco Bell ... what was I thinking? (so maybe it isn't sympathy nausea, but a self-gorging episode?) Anyways ... enough about my untimely eating habits. I get a text from Julie as I get to the doctors office. She's feeling a little nausea and wants a piece of gum. I know I'm in trouble. I have two options: reveal to hear that I have no gum because that last piece of Extra Spearmint in the car is the only thing keeping me from complete toilet-hugging, stomach churning, spewing or to go get her gum and be late. What to do? The baby books don't cover this.

I decide being punctual is better, but I'll not chance the disappointment of coming empty-handed but self-satisfied. I drop my electric green piece of digestive peace into the waste receptacle and head up the elevator to the second floor. Arriving ... I wonder how to handle the reception desk. Where to put the emphasis? "My wife is in the other waiting area for her appointment." or "My wife is in the other waiting area for her appointment." or "My wife is in the other waiting area for her appointment." Or is it our appointment? EEEEKS!

Luckily for me my panic and confusion must have read like the Enquirer across my face as the receptionist just said ... "Come on back."

Julie had just finished her appointment with the bathroom-size dixie cup. I hadn't missed anything good. We were ushered into a room to wait on the staff. Then, the most fearful question came from Julie, "Did you bring gum?" I admitted my personal failing of having none and then went into a frantic search of her never ending purse for anything that might work. Ginger chews? Nah, she hates those. Pretzels ... how did those get in here? Then, almost like a Christmas miracle, sans the manger, a pack of Extra Spearmint was located, neatly hidden behind the Vera sunglasses case and a receipt for gas from the Canton Chevron. A chorus of Hallelujah Angels descended into the building. RELIEF!

Then entered Ginneine (I think that was the spelling ... it was different than anything I'd ever seen). After a bunch of questions and discussion I don't think I'll ever recall, the time had come for our baby's first mic test. After years of singing slightly out of key at Trion Hieghts Baptist Church, all to the grins of little old ladies, it was Baby Peppers' time to perform a concert of Biblical proportions. I'll admit the glop of goo at the end of the mic was all the more reason father's-to-be should steer clear of Krystal's and Taco Bell. She warned us that we might not hear the heartbeat. That if we heard it, successful pregnancy would be close to 99%, but without it we would be back to 95%. I've always been a 99th percentile kind-of-guy ... anything less just doesn't mesh with my test-taking genes (unless its the SAT ... but that's a different ball of wax).

My ears were focused more than ever. I heard it! Yes! So wonderful, I thought. Then she said that we were listening to Julie's heartbeat. I got heartbeat faked out. Not cool. Then the search continued. Nothing, Nothing, Nothing. Then again the reassurance that, "We don't always hear these things during this visit ... if not, we'll take a peek and make sure all is okay." Forget the peek. I used four q-tips this morning to be ready for that Bose Radio Quality rendition of the heartbeat of America's Most Beautiful Baby to Be. Search!!! Then, almost like a machine gun, there it was. It was incredible. I waited to get reassurance that it wasn't the blueberries I put in Julie's lunch box or some amplification of the mommy's heart ... I couldn't accept being disappointed twice within the minute.

"That's your baby's heart. Normal heartbeat range is 120 to 160. Yours is at 160. If you go home and google 'baby heart beat,' you'll see that the faster it is, it is a girl. That's not scientific..." She cut straight to the teacher on the Peanuts, "Wah, wah, wah, wah..." All I could do was hear that little heart beating for all it is worth and see the twinkle in Julie's eyes. I couldn't help but feel a little puddling within my eyelids. That's our baby. I helped make that. God has given us the greatest gift for Christmas! Just like a little kid, we listened closely to hear what was inside the beautiful package ... just to get a clue as to what it was ... and it was beautiful.

200 Days Until We Meet Our Bundle Of Joy!!

Today is 200 days on the countdown!!

We went to the doctor this past Tuesday and heard the sweet heartbeat of this gift from God. The baby's heartbeat was 160 sweet beats per minute...yes, I know that means girl...but I have a feeling it is a boy...I don't know why, but that is what I am feeling right now. We will have to wait a few more weeks to see what we are really having...can't wait for that day!!

Feeling pretty good...just really tired! I love a nap!

I love my husband...he is going to be a great dad!!

Well, I am 11 weeks and 2 days (who's counting?) and tonight is the first night Billy has had to go and get what I am craving...Minute Maid Juice Bars...the craving for the grape flavor is just that bad!!! He was so cute...he just said, "Do I need to go tonight?" and I said, "Yes, tonight...I can't get the feeling to go away!!" :)

We have a dr. appt. tomorrow!! Hopefully, we will be able to hear the heartbeat...if we do, the Christmas cards will be ordered later that night!!! We are just that much closer to sharing the BIG news with everyone!! This is such a BIG secret, especially for me at school...there are already three people who have announce they are preggo...it has been so hard not to say, "ME TOO!!!!"

Everyday that goes by...you truly sense how awesome God is and what he is using your body to do...I know babies are born everyday, but when He is using YOUR body I truly sense how amazing He is and what a miracle the gift of life truly is!! I am so excited and I know Billy is overjoyed!!

PS - Today is the first day of Billy feeling nauseous...just when I am getting over it :) !!!

The Countdown for Baby Peppers

Check out the left side of our blog for a daily countdown to Julie's due date for Baby Peppers ... June 28, 2010.

Anybody out there???

We don't know if we have any followers...but we are really going to get this thing up and going after our Christmas card is sent out...we have BIG news!! This will be a fun way for friends and family to keep up to date on what is going on in the Peppers' family!! And of course pictures will be included!!

It is amazing to think it has been a year since I got to marry my best friend! Julie completes my life like nothing else can do. Yesterday we went and had lunch at the Appalachian Grill in Cartersville, one of our favorite places. It's in a restored retail space under the bridge in downtown and the food is amazing! We went there for lunch during our times in that city preparing for the wedding, so it fit perfectly. Julie was surprised with her gifts of paper for our anniversary ... a birth certificate for Sir Hugsalot, the Build-A-Bear I made her, and a gift certificate to Beverly's Day Spa in Downtown Woodstock. Paper was a easy year!

The Bear was an experience all its own! I went to the Build-A-Bear at Town Center and found the perfectly soft, squishy bear they had. I felt like a nut rubbing its heart between my hands to make it warm, touch the heart to my "tummy so it won't get hungry," touching my forehead to make it smart (should have taken someone else's forehead!), kissing it and making a wish before sewing it into the stuffing. Cute all the same. When I was checking out, the lady at the counter asked what my last name was. She said that she had seen it on the certificate and wanted to make sure it was really me. She had helped Julie make my bear, Peppers, the year before, a wedding day present to me ... complete with Georgia Bulldog ensemble!

We milled around the house for most of the day. I watched the Georgia-OK State game and felt even worse than my sinuses were causing me to feel...get it together Dawgs!

During the fourth quarter, we got ready and headed to PURE Taqueria, the newest swankiest downtown Woodstock restaurant. It is so cool! There is an rooftop patio, complete with sails, a bar, lots of seating areas, live music, and plasmas, all with a view of downtown. Lots of people were at the VIP opening, enjoying the free food and free libations. We could hardly hear each other ... which was okay, because Julie had no voice at all from her recent bought with the sinuses!

Following our shrimp tacos, we headed to Dixie Speedway for the 40th Anniversary Race Night. Our VIP suites were not nearly as full as normal, but the races were great. We spent most of the night talking with Micky Swims, the track owner, and his daughter Mia. Such a great family. Our favorite was the Chain Race. Imagine three late model cars tied together with chains. The front car has the motor, the back car has the breaks and the middle car is just along for the ride! So much fun to watch ... they looked like boomerangs on wheels!

We got home late, needless to say and spent about 30 minutes of our first anniversary facebooking!



I love this woman and this life we have together!

Almost a YEAR!!!

Billy and I will have been married ONE year on Sunday, Sept. 6th!!! It has been a great year...maybe the best year of my life!! I am a very lucky girl!!! Billy is a great guy!!

We don't have any BIG plans because I have been sick...and hoping that Billy is NOT getting sick too...we both decided we just wanted to relax and spend quality time with each other! That is probably the best gift we could ever give each other!! Hope everyone has a great LONG weekend...

Julie has spent most of the day with the sniffles. It's been rainy here, so we have limited our outdoor time, which is not what the yard needed! I cooked us breakfast then made a run to the grocery store and pharmacy. Julie, meanwhile, took the rainy day as an opportunity to finish her masters homework and relax. We enjoyed a homemade pizza, complete with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. I have tried to do a little catch-up work for the office, but have to admit that the land of internet, including facebook has made it hard to work. While I have accomplished all that needed to get done, I've spent a good part of the day looking up friends, commenting on status updates, and waiting for pictures of the the Jarrett's new baby! It's days like these where just a little part of me thinks it would be cool to be a daddy ... just a little part, you know.

Stanton, my youngest nephew breezes through to age 3 today. It's so funny how they grow up so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him in his little Georgia outfit and now he won't let anyone hold him ... even if they could catch him!

I'm up last tonight, finishing some laundry and getting the house in order for the coming week. It promises to be a very busy one, but luckily no City Council meeting this week!

Finally, after almost a year of marriage...

Well, we have been wanting to do this for a while...but just took the time today to create this!! We hope to keep this updated for the years to come!!! :)

Love,

Billy and Julie