We Found a Babysitter!!

We met the babysitter last night. She is VERY nice. Her house is immaculate. She says she does not put up any buffers (to protect her stuff), so she said the children learn, from a very young age, what is allowed to be touched and what is not (too funny!!). She says she will let the children watch some educational t.v. but she only allows them to watch a certain amount - she prefers for them to play with one another and to be loved on by her ("just like they were at home" she said). When it is nice outside, she takes them on walks and plays with them outside. She only babysits a maximum of 5 children (ages infant to kindergarten) and presently only has two full time children to watch. Another HUGE benefit is that she will allow us to pay for 1 day to 5 days a week (i.e. she will babysit full time or part time and charge accordingly) AND she takes 2 weeks of vacation a year (in which she does not charge us for) and she gives us a week free (for us to take a vacation)!! Brad and I are VERY excited!!

We Decided Upon a Name - Finally!!

Drumroll please...
Our baby boy will be named, Carter Thomas Stahley.

The Baby's Room

Brad and I finished painting the baby's room a couple weeks ago - it turned out better than we expected!! The color scheme is baby blue, blue and Belgium chocolate with white trim. We picked out a crib and combo unit (changing table/dresser) - if you want to take a peak, please go to http://www.babiesrus.com/ to check out our registry (it is under Shannon Stahley). Thanks to Mom & Dad, the rocking chair and matching ottoman will be ready to be picked up in a few weeks!!

Mom and I are starting to gather the needed fabric to make the baby comforter, bumper, and curtains - it will be a mixture of blues, polka-dot brown fabric and white accents. Fortunately for me, mom has volunteered to do the sewing (I have not touched a sewing machine since 7th grade - needless to say, my skills are a little lacking).

Ultrasound Pictures

We had our Anatomy Scan today - It's a boy!! The technician determined that our little boy weighs approximately 7 ounces and is 5 1/2 inches long. The technician pointed out the baby’s heart, including the ventricles and chambers, his brain, spine, kidneys, and lungs. We also got to hear his heart beat again (146 per minute)!! It was an awesome experience to be able to watch his movements (back-bends, waving his hands, and kicking my bladder!!) and to see this little thing in action.