Baby D at 34 Weeks (in her room!)

The room and furniture have been been painted (thanks to Grandma, Popop, Aunt Shawnie, Uncle Scott, Aunt T, Scuzzin' Abel and Daddy)! Only have to add some final touches (actually, quite a few) and Baby Girl can move in. ;) Well, not just yet - she needs to grow a bit more first.

Oh - and Rich has already packed my bag (it's in the crib ready to go). I guess you can never be too prepared!

My Husband...Richardo

If your not up for some sappy stuff - no need to read on. I feel compelled to talk about my husband for a bit.

I guess cliches are repeated for one reason - they're usually true. Looking back over the challenges we've faced over the past 5 months, I now feel comfortable saying 'all things happen for a reason'.

Rich and I were married in September 2000 and I've known him for almost 13 years now. We've seen each other mature and change over time but it's amazing how much you find out about a person when the tough times really get tough.

I never REALLY appreciated my husband (or my family and friends) until a few months ago - late afternoon on August 27th, 2006. It was a beautiful day and Rich and I had just gone for a walk. We finished making dinner when we got home and once we sat down to eat I wasn't feeling particularly hungry. Kind of nauseous actually. So I told him I was going to lie down for a bit upstairs. The next thing I remember, I was yelling for Rich to call an ambulance and I was lying on the bathroom floor in severe pain.

What happens next isn't important except for the moment when I really saw my husband - for the first time. He was standing next to my hospital bed holding my hand and telling me he loved me with tears in his eyes. I couldn't imagine living in that moment without him there. And he hasn't left my side since that night.

Over the past few months I've watched him exemplify what a husband or wife should be. A companion, a comfort and a friend. Sleeping at the hospital (when he and Tracey were alternating shifts), running tirelessly between our house and the hospital when the nurses didn't allow him to stay the night, singing to me (yup, can you believe it?) during the toughtest nights to comfort me, holding my hand through the 6am arterial blood draws (not your average blood work!), and making me laugh as often as possible . It's been amazing watching him - it's so easy for him to show me that he loves me and cares for me (something I haven't always been good at expressing).

It give me so much joy now to watch his face when he feels our baby girl kick, how he talks to her and tells her that he loves her and how much he can't wait to meet her. I can't imagine my life with anyone else.

Rich is what you would call the stong-silent type. He isn't known for striking up conversations at random or needing to be the center of attention. He would prefer to sit back and watch the crowd and chime in with quips or comments from time to time. I've come to realize that he truly means what he says and he is passionate about many things but only vocal about a few.

All this to say that I feel so blessed that God gave me someone like Rich (or Richardo as I like to call him!). Now I know that ONE of the reasons all of these things happened is because I needed to fall in love with him all over again.

Baby D - I can't wait for you to meet your papa...and when you grow up, I pray that you find a man just like him.

P.S. Writing this was very emotional for me...I have to muster more strength to even begin to tell you about family and friends who have helped us through this time. That's for another day and another box of tissues! ;)
Love you all!
(new pic coming soon with a preview of baby Downie's room ;)