Weekend happenings

First and foremost, Ivan wants to let everyone know that Syracuse beat West Virginia this weekend, the #20th ranked team in the nation. Syracuse is actually having a good year so far! It has been a long time coming! Ivan is just hoping that 'Cuse will have a winning season and be invited to a bowl game!

We worked on the nursery this weekend and it is sooooo cute! Mom came up for the weekend, and she and Heather helped out so much. Mom made some adorable curtains to match the bedding set, while Heather put her organization (teacher) skills into action to help me get all the shower gifts put away and organized. Heather also spray-painted baby Ivan's I-V-A-N letters to go above the crib. I'm so happy with the way everything turned out! We just need to get the rocking chair in there and we'll be set.

We also took a little trip up to Jefferson, GA to see the progress on the farm and cabin (my Dad recently moved the cabin from one family property to another). Moving a house is a huge ordeal! My Dad loves doing the work on it though, and he feels like he's camping while up there. Eventually it will become my parents' little getaway in the middle of nowhere, and its only 45 minutes from our house in Lawrenceville. There is some great land for 4-wheelin', which Ivan is looking forward to!

We're having a baby

As most of you already know, we are having a baby boy (Ivan Daniel Wheatley), due December 10th. I've had a great, relatively easy pregnancy so far and have enjoyed it soooo much! But they say the last trimester is the worst, and I'm starting to believe it. It is soooo hard to move around! Just going from a horizontal to vertical position requires much thought, energy and care (and usually two extra hands from Ivan if I'm trying to get up from sitting on the floor). Getting into the car and reaching to close the car door is no longer a simple task. Stairs are not my friend. And I've definitely developed "the waddle". I've always looked at pregnant women and thought "oh geez lady, it's not that bad, can't you walk normally?" The true answer is NO! My balance is totally off, and there is constant pressure in my abdomen, making me naturally want to take careful, short strides/slides across the floor. Would I trade any of it for the world, though? Nope. God's little miracle is working inside, growing, and waiting for the perfect moment to make his appearance. I am blessed that I get to carry this baby!

27 weeks

24 weeks

20 weeks

18 weeks

14 weeks

5 whoppin' weeks :) Will I ever be this small again?

Faint, but there!

Baby Ivan Daniel's ultrasound pics

First post!

Welcome to our family page! We're new to this blogging thing, but with baby Ivan on the way it just makes sense. I'll be updating with a few highlights from years past, leading up to where we are today, which is 8 weeks away from meeting our son!

A little about us--Ivan and I met in 2003 while attending Georgia State University. We fell in love quickly and were engaged in April 2005, then married in May 2006. We've enjoyed some great years already and are extremely, extremely blessed every day. We've both grown in our faith in God together and are just amazed at how good He has been to us. We enjoyed our first four newleywed years by traveling, cooking, eating out, enjoying Atlanta and all it has to offer, working on our house in Hapeville, and spending quality time with family and friends. Earlier this year (2010), we moved to a bigger house in Lawrenceville and have settled in nicely! It took me a little longer to adjust, with Hapeville being all I had ever known, but a house is just a house and it's the love and memories that you build inside it that make it a home. We are looking forward to bringing our son home here!

We have a dog Eddie, who is such a little blessing! He is the most loving little lap dog you will ever meet. He's given us a few scares and has cost us an arm and a leg in vet bills recently, but we cherish every moment with him and always say "if we are like this with our dog, imagine how we're going to be with our child!" Enjoy some pics from the past few years, and we'll be updating frequently!

Renovated kitchen at our house in Hapeville - December 2009

Knocking out the exterior wall from the kitchen to the carport for the laundry room

The renovated dining room with easy access to the kitchen

Christmas 2009

Our sister Jennifer and her little girl Sarah, along with our other sister Christine's little boy Anthony

March 2010 trip to Puerto Rico

December 2009: Eddie's recovery from his big surgery

Thanksgiving 2009

My little Manmere!

Summer 2009 re-siding project

Ivan's Halloween pumpkin

North Ga Mountains

Ivan trout fishing in the North GA mountains

Summer 2009 family trip to Cape San Blas, FL

Summer 2009 trip with small group friends

Summer 2009 Cape San Blas, FL

Snow of 2009 - my parent's back yard

My cousin Melissa's baby shower-Summer 2009

North GA mountains

Fall trip 2008 to Dahlonega, GA

My sister's wedding - us with our Daddy

Backyard bird - Rose-breasted grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

House Finch

Cardinal

Eastern Bluebird

Family trip to Lake Placid, NY - Winter 2008

Dinner with Paul, Erin, Joanna and Errol

Dinner with Adam & Amber

Making gingerbread houses with small group

Halloween 2008 - Eyeball martinis!!

Summer 2008 - Destin, FL

My mom with her grand-dogs

Family Turkey Bowl!

Some landscaping work we did on the house

Trip to NY for the Syracuse football game

Ivan and his brother-in-law Brian - Boone, NC

CGI bike team

Falcons!

Building our deck - summer 2006

Spring 2007 - cruise w/Jamie and Jerry

We love watching football with Eddie!

Our baby Eddie

Silly Nala likes beer!

Trip to see my cousin Conni in Miami, OH and go to the Miami vs. Syracuse game

This is Mr. Bailey moo-cow

Ivan's graduation from Georgia State

Honeymoon - Jamaica

Wedding

My bachelorette party

Puerto Rico, 2005 (engagement trip)

Me and Ivan at my friend Jamie's wedding

College friends - Sheree, Jamie and Jenny

Lovely ladies of HFBC threw me a wedding shower

Some sushi that we made one night with friends

My 25th birthday - this was when we still went 'clubbin'

Easter 2005

Winter 2005 - my first ski experience, and first trip to upstate NY where Ivan's parents live