Drum roll please...

It is official...we are having a little girl!! We were really quite surprised at first considering we thought for sure it was a boy. All the folk lore we heard ("No morning sickness? It must be a boy!", etc., etc.) had caused us to almost unconsciously start preparing for years of T-ball practice and buzz hair cuts. However as soon as the mental adjusting was done we happily headed full speed ahead into the pink haze of frilly dresses and stuffed animals. Baby girl Buskirk has even received her very first baby doll. We can't wait to start decorating the room and stocking up on baby supplies. Justin may think I am crazy but I have already purchased my first box of diapers (I see no harm in being fully prepared).

The doctor told us at the last appointment that baby girl Buskirk looks great and everything is progressing well. She appeared to be very active on the ultrasound so hopefully I will start feeling her move soon. I can't wait! We have another ultrasound scheduled for the weekend of our 1st anniversary (can anyone believe it has already been a year) where they are going to give us a more detailed view of the face and organs. I will make sure to post the pics after that one. For now this will have to do...

...she is now the size of your average pomegranate!!

Y-IKE!!! The aftermath

IKE has come and gone and now all that remains are the repairs and cleanup that is still underway throughout the area. Justin and I lucked out with minimal damage to the house and yard. From the pictures of the front tree you can see which direction the wind gusts were coming in (notice the lopsided look from all the missing branches on the left side). We are also missing quite a few shingles and still waiting on an adjuster to come out and take a look.

Unfortunately our neighborhood entrance did not fare as well. The Oaks at Southdown should be from this point on referred to as The Oaks Down at Southdown. It seems that almost all the common area trees are down or severally damaged. They were one of my favorite parts of the neighborhood.

It was a crazy night, and a long week that followed, that I am sure we won't forget for quite some time.

It's a Lemon!!!

So we got the results back from our last ultrasound and the doctor told us everything looks great! Finally I can put the worry wort in me to the back of the line and bring fun mama to the front. From the sonogram you can actually tell that it is a real baby. It is fun to watch how the baby changes and grows from one pic to the next. In two weeks we have our next appointment where they do the big ultrasound. We should get alot more pictures then. I can't wait!
Oh, by the way, Baby Buskirk is now the size of a lemon!!

Wedding Quilt

Last night I decided that the wait had been long enough and uploaded some pictures of my newest quilt. In all my wedding planning I stumbled across the idea of doing a signature quilt. The idea behind this type of quilt is that friends and loved ones have an oppotunity to write a short message of well wishes, or just simply their signature, that will all be included to create one memory quilt for us to have as a wedding token. Essentially we created a guest book on fabric that we will have forever remind us of the wonderful day and all those who shared in it with us.

For the top of the quilt I decided to do a double wedding ring pattern with the color palette of the wedding. The back of the quilt is where all the signature blocks were used. As you can see each guest got their own square to right something special to us...some are pretty funny, some are pretty sincere, and others are just doddles from the kids. The variety from one block to the next is part of the reason I liked the idea so much.

To add one additional touch I embroidered a larger block with our names and the date of our wedding so that years from now when this get passed down to other generations they will always be able to remember where it came from.

Special thanks to Sonya and Shelley for helping with the preparation and design. You girls are the best! I am already looking forward to the next one.

Final Peach Post...Until Next Year

As some of you already know, or might have suspected since I haven't posted on the status lately, our one and only peach did not make it. One day we came home and it had been destroyed by what I believe to have been a mockingbird. It was probably 2 days away from being ripe enough to eat which just makes the pain that much worse! Next year we are hoping for a larger crop!

By day two of the trauma the peach had been completely picked clean. I would've thought that birds in the suburbs get enough to eat from feeders and backyard bar-b-q's that they do not have to steal (hehe).

Better luck next year!

Gruene River Reunion

This past weekend we headed to Gruene for a little fun and relaxation on the Guadalupe River. It was the first family reunion we have had with the Barber side of the family and from the amount of fun we had I hope we are able to all get together for years and years to come. We spent the whole weekend floating in the river, canoeing, and playing games. It was great to see everybody and catch up on things. For the record I think my husband, regardless of his lack of love for the water, has officially become a river rat. I couldn't keep him on dry land. This is the whole clan. It is amazing how much we have all grown up and how big our family is getting...and remember, next year there will be one more added to the mix.

Deep Thoughts

Justin and I can't wait to be parents!! We feel that we are totally prepared and have been for ages. On the other hand we are realist and understand that there is some naivety in the previous statement. That is why I have decided to open this particular post up for specific comment. We are asking that you share with us your deepest thoughts on parenting and how to remain sane while doing it. Please leave your comments. Thanks.