{Guest Post} From a Father's Perspective

{I finally got Alex to do a guest post! I think you will all enjoy hearing a man's perspective on the upcoming arrival of a first child. It basically made me cry because it was so sweet! (that's right, i'm not a robot) Anyway, enjoy! And if we get a good turnout from this posting, that'll help me convince him to do more in the future!}

I am honored to be the first “guest” poster on my wife’s blog. While it took a little time and convincing for me to commit to it, I am excited to embrace the digital media platform and share my thoughts, experiences and feelings about the pregnancy and upcoming parenthood. Forgive me if this is long winded but I have over six months to cover.

To be honest, I know that Michelle and I have been extremely fortunate during the pregnancy. The only bumps in the road were some minor back irritation that has gotten better and she had a cold for two weeks.  She acts the same as her pre-pregnancy self.  On a more important note, there have been no health complications with mother or child. I cannot wrap my head around the stress, anxiety or emotions associated with health complications.  Up to this point in the pregnancy, worries and anxiety have been the last things on my mind. I hope the next eleven weeks will be just as smooth.  

While anxiety and worries have not consumed me, excitement, joy, amazement and love have been growing since I found out Michelle was pregnant. The most amazing experience to date was when I first saw her at 19 weeks. Seeing our child for the first time is something I will never forget. That experience filled me with emotions I have never felt before.  I instantly fell in love.  Another highlight is when I felt her kick for the first time. Another absolutely incredible experience!!! 

Another part of the reason for the overwhelmingly positive experience is the fact that I have always wanted children and had confidence in my ability to be a parent.  I have always loved being around children and playing with children.  Was this something I learned or something I was born with?  All I know is that it has been something in me since I can remember.  My belief in my ability to parent hasn’t waived, and this has made the experience very positive.  

I am excited to share my happiness and love with my daughter. I know it isn’t going to always be easy, but I know it is going to be the most amazing adventure. I can’t imagine sharing it with anyone else. Michelle has played a major part in how positive this whole experience has been. She has been absolutely amazing during the whole pregnancy.  Our daughter is going to have an amazing mother and raised in a house filled with love.

{isn't he the best?}

Busy Week Kids

Feels like such a busy week already which is going to be flooding into a busy weekend. I enjoy it too, because that just means time is moving faster toward the holidays and then baby!

Let's start with Monday. We grocery shopped, Alex made tuna steak and brussel sprouts for dinner and then went to our Birthing Class where we learned about medicated childbirth. We watched another birthing video and then did the hee hee hooo relaxation breathing on the super hard floor. I did not enjoy this technique and I could not look at Alex while he was breathing with me. It made me laugh too hard. Imagine me laughing in a room full of other couples taking it seriously. I did a silent laugh but my body was shaking like crazy (it felt like)!

Tuesday, we didn't have to do anything that was scheduled. So we cleaned and relaxed and I printed out some envelopes for my baby shower. That was a pain in my rear end. The printer would NOT listen to what I actually wanted so it took over an hour! And Alex made yummy cabbage and beef for dinner.

Wednesday, we spent the early evening prepping for the Nowaks and McHenry's to come have dinner with us. Alex did all the cooking of the super delicious meal which consisted of stuffed pork tenderloin, roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed broccoli. I helped with some of the prep, set the table and did dishes that he was done with. And finished my sparkling cranberries which I plan to share the recipe for tomorrow (yum!). So overall it was an amazing meal. And it was nice to catch up with the two couples and see baby Evander. He's growing up so fast already! He was super well behaved though and slept most of the time. He's such a little angel. Anyway, the girls watched Bad Teacher and the boys did.. boy things? Alex and I had a great time and hopefully everyone else did as well!

Thursday (today), after work we'll be doing more dinner prep. Then we'll head off with both sets of our parents to Womb with a View (again) to try and get some pictures and a better DVD. Baby girl is in a much better position currently and I'll definitely be drinking some OJ prior to going to the appointment. Then we'll have the parents back for a Chicken Fajita fiesta! Pumped!

Friday, we're celebrating 11/11/2011 with friends!

Saturday, Alex is working, then hopefully we can hit up Target real quick to register for our carseat and stroller since there's one so close by now in Lititz and then we're headed down to DE for Nick and Laurel's Wine and Cheese Party!!

Sunday, I have a baby shower to attend and some nursery projects I just have to finally finish!

I'll do my best to take pictures of all of these events (even if it's just a snap with the iPhone) so that these posts are a little less wordy! mmkay?

Look out for the Sparkling Cranberry recipe tomorrow. So delicious and seasonably appropriate!

Hot! Peppers

For the last couple years, Alex has been growing hot peppers (or chiles). We generally use the jalepenos and serranos for salsa and guacamole and Alex puts them on lots of other stuff too.

 He's grown a few other varieties that aren't easily found in grocery stores and farmers markets in our area. Most of these pepper will never even get close to my lips because they're all past my heat tolerance.

With a lot of these pepper plants, he gets a bountiful harvest and can't decide what to do with all of them, so he strings them up to dry in our dining room. The ones he currently has strung up in the dining room are Thai Yellow, De arbol, Punjab small and Assum. Honestly, I don't know what's what in the pictures. There's lots of orange this year which is perfect for fall and halloween and also some red which will carry into Christmas. He uses them as much as he can (since I can't really tolerate levels of spice greater than a serrano) but some of them end up going to waste when they've been dried and hanging for over a year.. there's just too many to eat.

He has to wear gloves or else the peppers will burn his fingers!

If anyone is interested in trying any of the varieties I've listed. We'd be happy to give you one of the peppers to eat/use in cooking/trick your friends (though that last one could be dangerous, literally).

FIVE

Alex and I have been today for 5 years today. I think I posted on an old blog the story of how we met and I don't really feel like typing it out all over again but I will say a couple quick details to paint a picture.

Natural Icee
Dancing
Pizza
Walk Home

Here's a story of one of our first phone calls.

After him finally calling after about a week and having his phone number, I called him one evening to see what his plans were for the night. It must've been a thursday or a friday. (Words may not be exact but this is close enough).

(Ring, Ring)
Alex: "Hello"
Michelle: "Hey, what's up?"
Alex: "Who is this?"
Michelle: "What?! You have my number, it's Michelle"
Alex: "Michelle who??"
Michelle: "Michelle Elscheid, what the heck??!!"
Alex: "I don't know any Michelle Elscheid"
Michelle: "........(silence probably)"
Alex: "Just kidding, I know it's you"
Michelle: "Oh my god, I thought you were serious"

..Laughing, etc. even though I was completely caught off guard. The conversation was normal after that and I think he did a couple more things like that in the beginning of the relationship, just for a laugh. I laughed too so it wasn't like I was mad or anything. He's a jokester and I was just getting to know him.

I can't believe it's already been five years. I'm the luckiest girl in the whole universe. He's my best friend forever, literally and I couldn't think of a better person that I would want to bring a baby into the world with. He's going to be such a great Dad. And finally, his college nickname will actually be legit.

I love you babe!

Martin Drive Drafthouse: The Kegerator

Alex's personal brew pub (since we can make food in this joint) is called the

Martin Drive Drafthouse

And there he is, the Kegerator, i mean. With his new shelf from Ikea to hold the glasses (and clear up some space in the kitchen cabinet). And the sweet sign that Nick and Laurel made Alex for his birthday to show what beers he has on tap. I will get a close up of that tonight. He currently only has an APA on but I think he just kegged an ESB last night so that'll probably go on soon as well. He's such a craftsman. He has more hobbies than any other person I know, and I'm very proud of him for that. :)