Monday's Dr. appt- 24 weeks

Monday's Dr. appt was wonderful! I'd been a little worried over the weekend, since Guenther hadn't been moving too much... I guess he was just content that Daddy was in town... maybe I give off a different vibe?

We met with Dr. Privette (who'd been recommended to us by Kerry's friend Jill)... and loved her! She was very friendly and put us at ease... we see her again on May 24th... then we start going every 2 weeks (crazy)!

When Dr. Privette put the microphone on my belly to listen for his heartbeat, he kicked directly at it! (Even Mike saw my belly move, which is really cool, since he hasn't been able to feel him kick yet). Dr. Privette said that he has a lot of room now, which is why I can't feel him all of the time, but that soon I'll feel him moving constantly. He is a little kicking machine. His heart rate was between 150 and 160 and he was just about doing backflips... little show off.

I've gained 8lbs. total and I'm "right on track" according to the doctors. Blood pressure, sugar, etc. are all great, and we go in one month for our 2nd gestational diabetes test. (Please pray they don't limit my sugar... I like sugar, and so does Guenther).

BSA Shower for Baby Clifton

Mike's awesome friends at work are throwing a Baby Shower for us on Friday after work.

They surprised us with this AWESOME invitation... how perfect!?!

Love it! So excited to see you guys on Friday!!!

Registering!

How do two people who know very little about what a baby needs, register for what a baby needs!?!
Ask your friends who have been there of course!

Rachel emailed her friends with babies to get the scoop... and we went to register this weekend.

Thanks to everyone's suggestions and the world's most helpful Babies R Us worker, Selina, we have picked out some goods for little Guenther Gray.

Here is Dad testing out the strollers (neither of which were the winners)

113 days!

Surprise gift from Aunt Kerry and Uncle Brad #1

Last weekend, Brad came over with a surprise gift from his parent's house. A changing table!

We are not sure yet if this will stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house or our house... either way- its an awesome find- thanks guys!!

Prayers for Big EZ

Leah's Dad was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma... and can definitely use your prayers. You can read more about it on her blog.

Ernie... or Big EZ as he is more commonly known...  is the guy that always has a smile on his face- no matter the circumstance. He laughs and tells jokes and is the life of the party. He is a hard-working family man, generous and kind.

And to me, he is truly an inspiration... When we went to visit him the other day, we talked a lot about the pain, the treatments and the constant nurse and doctor visits. After a few minutes, he turned to us and said, "There are a bunch of people in the world who are worse off than me and would trade places with me in a heartbeat..."

After all he is going through, he can step outside of it and count his blessings...

To be in the middle of such pain and wishing for answers... yet he has hope and thinks of others. What a better world this place would be if more people thought like him.

They are working through the issues and after an answer to prayer, Ernie was able to stand yesterday, for the first time in 3.5 weeks. So, when you say your prayers tonight, please include Ernie and the Baker/Dew/Stout/Guenther extended family. Thanks!

That name is, unusual...

As you know by now, our baby's name is Guenther Gray Clifton.

Guenther- Rachel's maiden name
Gray- Ronnie, Ben and Arnold's middle name
Clifton- well that's obvious, that us!

When we talked about names, we liked the same names. We had a boy and a girl name picked out. And the day we found out our baby was a boy, he became Guenther Gray. Even the way he was laying with his hand tucked behind his little head, we knew... he is a "Guenther".

Gray is such a special name to us, because Mike's Dad, best friend Ben and Ben's dad all have the middle name Gray. The Booths are a second family to Mike and have lovingly adopted me as well.

So, whenever we tell people his name, we get crazy responses- 'Ooh, that's "interesting"', 'Hmm, I've never met anyone named that before', 'How will you spell it', 'What will you call him'... etc. We were warned not to share the name beforehand, but we are sure about it, so decided to let our friends and family bond with him and his name, even before he gets here.

Back to the 'what will you call him'- I don't know that we really know!?! Dad's nickname growing up was Gunney, short for Guenther. Mike has always loved it and so immediately gravitated towards that nickname. It is growing on me for sure.

Spelling it- now that is another issue... Guenther is a tricky spelling- I've spelled it for people my whole life- Gu-E-n-th-er. They still don't get the "E", no matter who slowly you spell it. We are keeping it though- learn to love it...

So when we spell Guenny, Gunney, Gunny... how do we spell it? Kerry is concerned about us dropping the "E" where is belongs. With Gunney- we keep the "E", but relocate it to the end. I don't know Guenny is starting to grow on me too though, and I see the logic...

Hmmm... less than 4 months to decide. All we know now, is that with these two parents... he is going to be adorable. And quite possibly, an Appalachian State Linebacker.

Flash forward 19 years to these parents cheering on the sidelines

TOUCHDOWN!!! He is being nice to the ref... he learned that from his Aunt Kerry

Creed Gray Jackson

I realized today that we never properly introduced to the blog world our newest nephew.

Creed Gray Jackson

Born: March 13th

7lbs and 4oz

Here he is with Mike the day he was born

And holding his Daddy's finger

Welcome to the world little buddy!

Kicking

Gunney kicks, a lot. Though you can't feel it from the outside yet... I can feel it... and  I love it. It is what made my pregnancy "real" to me. I haven't been able to pinpoint an exact time/reason for the kicking yet... but one day lasy week he kicked for about an hour and a half, straight. It kinda tickles... and to be honest, its just the coolest feeling in the world.

Can't wait to meet our little guy!

Spring 2010 Cutest Kid Contest

Nichole Louise Photography is hosting a Cutest Kid Contest! Beginning Friday April 23rd you will be able to submit a photo of your cutest kid, and the winner will receive a free photo session with Nichole Louise Photography, as well as 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, one set of 8 wallets, and 3 digital images to share of your choice.

Here are the details:


TO ENTER
* One entry per child
* You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child you enter into the contest
* Child must be 17 years old or younger on the date of entry
* You must have permission/rights to use the photo you enter
* Photo must have been taken in the last 6 months
* Photos will be accepted from 12:01am Friday April 23rd, 2010 until 11:59pm Sunday April 25th, 2010 (EST) via e-mail
* Only photos e-mailed to nichole@nicholelouisephotography with the Subject line NLP CONTEST during the previosuly mentioned time will be accepted
* Include your child's name and age in the e-mail (first name and age will be posted for viewing), as well as your name and contact information
* Contest open to everyone, however if you live outside of a 30 mile radius from Carolina Beach, NC, you must choose a location within 30 miles of Carolina Beach, NC for your prize shoot, or a travel fee will be charged of 85 cents per mile, each direction, beyond 30





HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED
* All entries will be uploaded into an album by Nichole Louise Photography no later than Wednesday April 28th, 2010, on the facebook fan page
* To vote for a photo you MUST be a 'fan' (or under the new facebook system 'like') Nichole Louise Photography
* Click 'like' for the photo you are voting for in the Nichole Louise Photography album labeled 'Spring 2010 Cutest Kid Contest'
* Photo with the most 'likes' will be the winner. Comments permitted, but WILL NOT count towards the total number of votes
* Nichole Louise Photography will verify that all 'likes' of the winning photo come from Nichole Louise Photography facebook fans, 'likes' from non-fans will not be counted
* Voting will close Friday May 7th, 11:59pm
* Official winner will be notified and announced no later than Sunday, May 9th, 2010 (Mothers Day!)


Click here to get the scoop!

House Update

The house went on the market on Thursday... and we've had 4 showings. Oddly enough, it was 2 showings, to 2 couples.

The first couple is putting in an offer on another house in the neighborhood, and if that doesn't go through, will be reconsidering our house.

The second couple is interested, in thinking mode, and the only hold-up is that they want a garage (so did we honey, so did we).

So, please say your prayers that the right thing will happen...

We are patiently waiting.

123 days... time to panic

Okay, not really panic... but seriously- 4 months left.

Less than 4 months to
- Get Mike a job in Raleigh :)
- Find a place to rent
- Move into said rental
- Take Birth and Parenting class
- Get an ultrasound to see how this little boy is growing

Can you tell what keeps me up at night?

Please pray that this list gets some big ticket items crossed off, quickly... the days are ticking by!

AFTER (Part 2)

Man, look at that dining room, so pretty!

Master bedroom (The walls are contractor white, not white white)

The other angle of the backyard

Love this place, sad to move :(

AFTER!!!

The office (yes, there is a floor in there folks :))

The kitchen, look at those cabinets- thanks Mom and Dad!

Other half of the kitchen

Guest bathroom- pretty painting Mom!

Living room

Outside- now Taupe with Black Shutters

Our awesome backyard (wish you could see the fence)

"Little" Eli and his indestructible new knee

Two weeks ago, "Little" Eli had to have knee surgery- a TTA- cruciate ligament replacement/rebuild. And while I'm no veterinarian, I know some pretty darn good ones... they could certainly explain it much better.

Because of the way he is built, his knee couldn't support his body weight- which is quite common in big dogs. So, they built a titanium cage to reshape the way his knee works... and he is doing great.

I bought him a rawhide bone the day before surgery, but we saved it until last night, and man, was he thrilled.

He isn't exactly looking forward to 6 more weeks on house arrest... but it will give him many more years of running around like a maniac... so its worth it!

Maybe after recovery I can post a picture of his famous spin-a-rama...

Feel better soon, "my" sweet boy.

Action Jackson

You may have noticed the inspiration added to the right side of the page this week... Cameron "Action" Jackson. This little guy is one of mom's students who has just been diagnosed with spinal cancer after being in the hospital for a year for treatment of a brain tumor...

Cameron was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma in February 2008. After his surgery, Cameron's endured 6-weeks of radiation followed by 4 months of chemotherapy. During this time, he also went through months of physical and occupational therapy to help recover from the surgery to remove his tumor.


Unfortunately, on March 19th we found out after a routine MRI that Cameron's cancer has returned. The family (and all of Cameron's teachers, family and friends) are just devastated by the news.

Despite his diagnosis, Cam has a great attitude and is enjoying life.

Please pray to give this little guy a chance for some relief from pain, a couple of good months, or even a miracle cure!

Cameron with his favorite car, the Viper

Next weekend, Mom and Dad and about 50 of Cameron's friends and family members will be participating in the Angels Among Us Walk/Run in Durham. You can click on the link at the left to support Cameron's Team.

Guenther Gray: Month 5

Watch what you say -- Gunney is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb (Hence, the college fund begins... this kid is going to Princeton). Studies show that babies find gentle music and mom's voice most soothing. His little face is fully formed and he is starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day.

Over the next month- he'll grow from 3/4 of a pound to about 1 1/4 of a pound. He is long and skinny and won't be storing fat for a few more weeks.

The BEFORE pictures...

The Kitchen

The Office

The Guest Bathroom

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kerry!!

Today is Kerry's birthday. During April of last year, we went to Antigua to celebrate the big 30.

This year we celebrated by going to dinner (Los Tres) and a movie (Date Night) with Kerry, Brad, Mom, Dad and myself. Since I've been living with Kerry and Brad, we've gotten to spend a lot more time together... and I LOVE it!!! Kerry is hard-working, smart and so much fun to be around. She and Brad have an incredible relationship and I LOVE living with them and learning from them. They are excited to be an Aunt and Uncle (again)... and I know Guenny can't want to meet them!

Happy birthday Aunt Kerry!

Love,

Rachel, Mike and Guenny

(we are trying out the new spelling per Aunt Kerry's request)

4 month baby bump

Had dinner with Mom and Dad last night... and FINALLY took a 4(.5) month picture :)

(Don' mind the plant behind me, I haven't turned into a porcupine :))

Gunney is a banana!

Seriously!?!? 21 weeks! We are more than half way!

Gunney gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, his taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid.

Hmm, guess I should really consider how much candy I'm eating!?!

My Easter Basket

So, to most 28 year olds, Easter Baskets probably aren't a big deal. They might've outgrown them, oh, 23 years ago... but, not me. I look forward to Easter and the Easter Basket. At the Guenther house, the Easter Bunny always divided things up equally and we had the perfect candy, every year... Egg-gums, Malted Milk balls, a chocolate bunny... don't even think about making an Easter Basket without these crucial ingredients :). If you're at Aunt Carol's house, you also get underwear, in easter eggs.

Needless to say, Easter snuck up on us this year. With the Extreme Makeover, we didn't plan to go home, see family, eat an Easter meal, go to church... nothing. It made us sad, but come on people, we are trying to hit a deadline.

So Saturday when we went for our afternoon walk, I mentioned how sad I was that we hadn't bought any Easter candy, and that with my recent homelessness, I wasn't sure if the Easter Bunny would know where I lived... Mike said- we'll buy some at Walmart tomorrow for 75% off... and it worked, I dropped the subject.

Flash forward to Sunday morning, when Mike woke me up and surprised me with this... the perfect Easter Basket.

(Don't knock the photography, I took it with my camera phone and I didn't have my contacts in yet)

Egg-gums, malted milk balls, a chocolate bunny, iTunes gift card, a book on composting, and a Reeseter Bunny (yes, Reeses bunny, how awesome is that!?). It honestly made my morning... who am I kidding, it made my week!

I'm still smiling.... and I have the best husband, ever!

Extreme Makeover- Clifton edition

Work weekend #5,089,345... or at least that is what it feels like.

We've painted the kitchen and guest bath (thanks Mom), the kitchen cabinets (Thanks Mom and Dad C), and the guest room (thanks Ally and Mikey).

Enrique is coming next weekend to patch the hole where the TV is now, paint the master and the outside of the house and clean. Enrique charges $120- are you kidding me?!? Wish I'd known him sooner.

Thanks to a combination of efforts, the yard is now seeded, fertilized, pinestrawed, landscaped and extra spiffy.

Dad, Ky and Mikey pulled down the gutters, replaced the rotten wood, cleaned them and put them back up. They look great- thanks guys!

The office and guest room are ready to rock. Thanks JO and Ally for helping load the Pack Rat and throw so much stuff away (my sister would be proud).

Mikey is taking a load of stuff to the dump... and I've made 7 trips to Goodwill. (They smile when they see me coming :))

We had a yard sale, came out with $270! Still selling stuff on Craigslist too. I'm proud of my first yard sale experience.

Through all of this, Mike has been incredible. Cleaning and getting the house ready for some other family to come live in, flat out stinks. It isn't fun and it isn't something I ever want to do again.

We took the day off of work today to finish the house together. .

So far, Mike has made me breakfast, we watched an episode of Parenthood (new fave) and he is headed to return things to Lowes (and get me some Dairy Queen :)).

The next 8 hours are devoted to last minute junk removal and spiffying.

Mom took before pictures... and I'm almost ready for after pictures.... I'll post them both this week. For now, I'll leave you with one of my wonderful brother who came here two weeks ago and devoted his weekend to the Extreme Makeover. Welcome home from China, bro... thanks again! XO

Let the week of weddings continue... Congratulations Dennis and Heather!

Mike's good friend from high school, Dennis Wiener, is getting married! I met Dennis playing football in Charlotte- when he and Mike reunited. He and Heather were living in separate cities at the time (isn't it awesome!?!)... and he recently moved back to Raleigh to pursue his CPA and be closer to Heather.

You can find their engagement story here. Adorable.

We are looking forward to your big day!!

Shaun and Erin are getting married!

Mike and I met Shaun playing flag football. He was the schmuck on the other team who scored on us, repeatedly. Once we convinced him to join our team, we became friends!

Erin moved down to NC to be with Shaun, leaving her fashion career in NYC... and man, are we glad she did. Shaun and Erin are perfect together... two of the most generous, caring, genuine people you'll ever know.

They are getting married this Labor Day weekend- and we are really excited for them. Depending on little Guenther Gray's arrival date, I may or may not be able to make it. But Mikey will be there to represent the family if we can't all be there.

Congratulations guys!!!

Lizzy and Travis are getting married!!!

Lizzy and I have been friends since the good ol' days... as in, we played soccer together in approximately the 3rd grade. Then she moved away. We reunited however in high school, became Beach Girls, went to ASU together and have had some GREAT adventures together ever since.

Lizzy was a bridesmaid in our wedding and has grown to be a very good friend of Mikes as well. When we met Travis, we knew he was the one (and hoped Lizzy did too). We absolutely adore Travis- and he's from Winston Salem, so you know he's a good guy! (His and Mike's teams wrestled against each other in high school). Travis adores Lizzy and they are just perfect together.

So, the big day is April 30, 2011. Little Guenther Gray will be here by then... so mark us down for 3 Lizbump- we wouldn't miss it for the world!