Sunday, December 09, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
My Life These Days
Everyone said having a baby changes your life. Yup, they were RIGHT! It's kind of crazy how much it does. Just ask our dogs! But I don't think they approve. Poor doggies. Well my life these days has turned into schedules (which I have a love-hate relationship with), getting T and I ready to go in the am and dropping him off to Katelyn, our babysitter Mon-Wed, or Grandma's Thurs-Fri. Work by day, baby by night, and all the fun and not so fun things that go along with that!
But here is our beatuiful blessing:
But here is our beatuiful blessing:
Tillman post bath time @ about 4 months old
Tillman @ 7 months old
Church Harvest Party, Oct. 31st, 2012
Cutest Little Skunk in Town! 
Enjoying Auntie M's and Uncle's Pool - October 1st, 2012
A few of our friends are all pregnant right now, and one just had a baby, so we are excited that Tillman will have friends to play and experience life with! Many of these woman had difficulties getting pregnant. It is quite amazing to see that my prayers for them were all answered! Thank you God. All the Glory is Yours!!!
Saturday, July 07, 2012
I'm a Mama
I wrote most of the following post about a month ago:
Tillman is 2 months old already, I almost can't believe it, except that I feel like more of a human being lately which feels like a long lost previous version of myself! The first 6 weeks were a whirlwind and the days just kept blending into each other. No one tells you how hard that time is, which is probably a very good idea. Hardly any sleep, a crying baby that just seems attached to your boob all day long, and complete exhaustion. I was doing okay until about week 4 and then I found myself on the couch sobbing to Nick. He gave me a good pep talk and had me laughing though my tears a few minutes later. You know you've hit a rough spot when you can laugh and cry at the same time! I don't know how single parents do it. I have a shit ton of respect for them. Thank you God for Nick. Not only is he so supportive when I need him to be, but he is truly an amazing father already. So many women have asked me how he is doing when he's left alone with Buster (our new nickname for Tilly Bob) since I am back to work and he is home. I was actually somewhat perplexed at the question at first, but realized it's because a lot of men don't feel comfortable taking care of babies (or maybe the women don't feel comfortable with how the men will take care of the babies); but honestly, Nick is just as good as the best mom out there! Maybe a bit too paranoid at times, but he can mother with the best of them!
(I don't have a pic of Sai, so I stole this off fb, he is to your right! He's not a little boy anymore!)
Tillman is 3 months old now and is getting to be so fun! I am loving his smiles and giggles. He LOVES: the fan (and has since he was a couple weeks old), songs being song to him, Nick doing the deep voice "Ah-----woo" as he gets closer and closer to his face, Winnie the Pooh (especially the one on his wall) and the movie, watching the dogs, tickling or "eating" of his feet (Grandma P!), stroller rides, putting his fist up in the air like Superman, mornings (full of smiles), tv, and his room! I am so happy that he loves all the decor on his wall and his crib. It is definitely his favorite place! He also loves to EAT! At his 2 week check-up he was 36% in weight, at the 2 month check-up - 87%! Other stats @ 2 mo: 70% height and 90% head circumference. He's been a great and happy baby, he only cries when he is hungry, or wet, or tired. Thank you God! :) Nick is back to work now and Grandma P and Aunty Deb have been watching him. We are very lucky to have family watch our little guy. Over the past 2 weeks he has been sleeping 7-10 hours a night which makes this Mama very happy! Our life's routine is getting better as time goes on and we are adjusting to this crazy thing called parenthood!
 |
| 1.5 weeks old (Aunt Denise took his newborn pics and I absolutely loved the way they turned out!) |
Tillman is 2 months old already, I almost can't believe it, except that I feel like more of a human being lately which feels like a long lost previous version of myself! The first 6 weeks were a whirlwind and the days just kept blending into each other. No one tells you how hard that time is, which is probably a very good idea. Hardly any sleep, a crying baby that just seems attached to your boob all day long, and complete exhaustion. I was doing okay until about week 4 and then I found myself on the couch sobbing to Nick. He gave me a good pep talk and had me laughing though my tears a few minutes later. You know you've hit a rough spot when you can laugh and cry at the same time! I don't know how single parents do it. I have a shit ton of respect for them. Thank you God for Nick. Not only is he so supportive when I need him to be, but he is truly an amazing father already. So many women have asked me how he is doing when he's left alone with Buster (our new nickname for Tilly Bob) since I am back to work and he is home. I was actually somewhat perplexed at the question at first, but realized it's because a lot of men don't feel comfortable taking care of babies (or maybe the women don't feel comfortable with how the men will take care of the babies); but honestly, Nick is just as good as the best mom out there! Maybe a bit too paranoid at times, but he can mother with the best of them!
Update to post (07.07.12):
Pru and Maasai (my nephew) came to visit about 3 weeks after Tillman's birth. It was great having them here. I haven't seen Sai in about 6 years, so it was wonderful for Nick and I to get to spend some time with him. We introduced Sai to couple of his "firsts": Karate Kid (Sai's first time watching our generation's classic!) "I'm the best...around!", swinging some sticks at the driving range, and Nick's driving - which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. :)
(I don't have a pic of Sai, so I stole this off fb, he is to your right! He's not a little boy anymore!)
Tillman is 3 months old now and is getting to be so fun! I am loving his smiles and giggles. He LOVES: the fan (and has since he was a couple weeks old), songs being song to him, Nick doing the deep voice "Ah-----woo" as he gets closer and closer to his face, Winnie the Pooh (especially the one on his wall) and the movie, watching the dogs, tickling or "eating" of his feet (Grandma P!), stroller rides, putting his fist up in the air like Superman, mornings (full of smiles), tv, and his room! I am so happy that he loves all the decor on his wall and his crib. It is definitely his favorite place! He also loves to EAT! At his 2 week check-up he was 36% in weight, at the 2 month check-up - 87%! Other stats @ 2 mo: 70% height and 90% head circumference. He's been a great and happy baby, he only cries when he is hungry, or wet, or tired. Thank you God! :) Nick is back to work now and Grandma P and Aunty Deb have been watching him. We are very lucky to have family watch our little guy. Over the past 2 weeks he has been sleeping 7-10 hours a night which makes this Mama very happy! Our life's routine is getting better as time goes on and we are adjusting to this crazy thing called parenthood!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
37 Weeks
Dear Tillman,
Wow! 16 days to go until Mr. Tillman Gibb's arrival! What a long way we have come! We are so excited to FINALLY see you face to face! Your Papa has been going crazy getting your room ready, washing your clothes, and putting together all the gifts we have received for you. Grandpa Harms has been calling him "The Elf"! Grandpa Harms sent your swing, which he says will be a life savor because that is what kept me happy for long periods of time when I was a baby. :) We are so blessed to receive all the gifts for you from our family and friends. We really got most of the big ticket items which has saved us A LOT of money! Uncle Matt and Aunt Denise gave us a crib, high chair & pump; "Aunty" Cheryl got us your car seat, stroller and playpen; "Aunt" Joann got us your crib mattress and all the crib bedding and accessories; Kathy (Uncle Pete and Aunt Kell's mom) gave us your beautiful handcrafted wood rocking bassinet which was made in Maine by a grandpa who passed it down to his kids. Great Grandma and Grandpa Gibb bought your dresser. The only big thing we needed to buy was a comfy chair to love and feed you in. :) Thank you so much family & friends! Grandma Prestgard made you a beautiful blanket.
Aunty Deb, Great Grandma Rosemary, & Cousin Bonnie also hand made beautiful blankets from scratch! We got lots of clothes and all the tons of needed baby items from the 3 baby showers for you. Auntie Sils came out to help with the showers that Aunty Kell and Aunt Denise hosted on weekend of Feb. 25th. Auntie Lu sent decorations and supplies for the baby showers, which the colors were all Bronco blue and orange of course! The big hit was the napkins she had made for you in orange that read, "Tillman - One who plows the earth". That is the old english meaning. There is also a german meaning of your name - "ruler of the people". I think it's cool that from your Dad's side you are english, and from my side you are german. You are quite the mix of ethnicity - from your Papa's side - mainly english & spanish, from your mama's side - palauan, german, irish and unknown (your Great Grandma Josephine (Gerber) Harms was born in NYC and was given to a Catholic orphanage but her records were destroyed. Aunty Gail, our family genealogist, found out that Grandma Jo's mom's name was Florence Crawford. Crawford was her maiden name which can be Scottish, English, or Northern Irish. Grandma Jo was the most amazing woman I have ever known. She left a huge imprint on so many of us in the family. No she wasn't perfect, but she loved Jesus and she loved her family. She was so witty and funny (one of the best in that arena!). She got along so easily with everyone she encountered. She could bring a smile to a complete stranger's face. She was an extremely strong woman. I love her, miss her, admire her, and so wish that you could have known her; but one day, you will meet her in heaven and that makes me very happy. When she passed away, your Papa told me that this world was better with her in it, and that is so true. But now heaven is better than it was, and ultimately that is where we are going, so it's all good. :)
It has been amazing to get so much love and support from family and friends. We are truly blessed in so many ways. This will probably be the last post before you are born. Yay! I had a dream that you were born by March 17th, and your Papa is thinking March 21st. I am praying that God will have your born in His perfect timing though, and not ours, but hopefully it's not more than 16 days, cause your Mama is pretty uncomfortable these days and it's hard to get around!
We love, love, love you so much already and can't wait to meet you! I pray that we both get through your delivery safely and healthy!
Love always,
Your Mama & Papa
Wow! 16 days to go until Mr. Tillman Gibb's arrival! What a long way we have come! We are so excited to FINALLY see you face to face! Your Papa has been going crazy getting your room ready, washing your clothes, and putting together all the gifts we have received for you. Grandpa Harms has been calling him "The Elf"! Grandpa Harms sent your swing, which he says will be a life savor because that is what kept me happy for long periods of time when I was a baby. :) We are so blessed to receive all the gifts for you from our family and friends. We really got most of the big ticket items which has saved us A LOT of money! Uncle Matt and Aunt Denise gave us a crib, high chair & pump; "Aunty" Cheryl got us your car seat, stroller and playpen; "Aunt" Joann got us your crib mattress and all the crib bedding and accessories; Kathy (Uncle Pete and Aunt Kell's mom) gave us your beautiful handcrafted wood rocking bassinet which was made in Maine by a grandpa who passed it down to his kids. Great Grandma and Grandpa Gibb bought your dresser. The only big thing we needed to buy was a comfy chair to love and feed you in. :) Thank you so much family & friends! Grandma Prestgard made you a beautiful blanket.
Aunty Deb, Great Grandma Rosemary, & Cousin Bonnie also hand made beautiful blankets from scratch! We got lots of clothes and all the tons of needed baby items from the 3 baby showers for you. Auntie Sils came out to help with the showers that Aunty Kell and Aunt Denise hosted on weekend of Feb. 25th. Auntie Lu sent decorations and supplies for the baby showers, which the colors were all Bronco blue and orange of course! The big hit was the napkins she had made for you in orange that read, "Tillman - One who plows the earth". That is the old english meaning. There is also a german meaning of your name - "ruler of the people". I think it's cool that from your Dad's side you are english, and from my side you are german. You are quite the mix of ethnicity - from your Papa's side - mainly english & spanish, from your mama's side - palauan, german, irish and unknown (your Great Grandma Josephine (Gerber) Harms was born in NYC and was given to a Catholic orphanage but her records were destroyed. Aunty Gail, our family genealogist, found out that Grandma Jo's mom's name was Florence Crawford. Crawford was her maiden name which can be Scottish, English, or Northern Irish. Grandma Jo was the most amazing woman I have ever known. She left a huge imprint on so many of us in the family. No she wasn't perfect, but she loved Jesus and she loved her family. She was so witty and funny (one of the best in that arena!). She got along so easily with everyone she encountered. She could bring a smile to a complete stranger's face. She was an extremely strong woman. I love her, miss her, admire her, and so wish that you could have known her; but one day, you will meet her in heaven and that makes me very happy. When she passed away, your Papa told me that this world was better with her in it, and that is so true. But now heaven is better than it was, and ultimately that is where we are going, so it's all good. :)
It has been amazing to get so much love and support from family and friends. We are truly blessed in so many ways. This will probably be the last post before you are born. Yay! I had a dream that you were born by March 17th, and your Papa is thinking March 21st. I am praying that God will have your born in His perfect timing though, and not ours, but hopefully it's not more than 16 days, cause your Mama is pretty uncomfortable these days and it's hard to get around!
We love, love, love you so much already and can't wait to meet you! I pray that we both get through your delivery safely and healthy!
Love always,
Your Mama & Papa
Saturday, January 21, 2012
30 Weeks
Sophie checking out your new clothes!
Dear Tillman,
66 days to go until your due date! That caught me my surprise when I saw that (I have a countdown app on the blog). 214 days so far of being on this journey together. I often wonder what you are thinking in there. My pregnancy book tells me you now have the capability of dreaming. I am so curious as to what kind of dreams you can be having! I dream about you quite often. Your Pa also does. We are so excited to see your face and what you look like. You could come out with blond hair and blue eyes and have light skin, or the complete opposite! Hopefully your Pa and Mama's DNA make a good combination! LOL. No, as long as you are healthy, we will be completely ecstatic. We will be so in love with you no matter what. We have another perinatologist visit on Tuesday and get to see you on the ultrasound. When we went two months ago, Dr. Silver saw some mild dilation of your kidneys. Possibly due from a blockage or reflux, so he wanted to see you again in 2 months to see if it is resolved or resolving. He didn't seem super concerned about it and reassured me that most cases resolve on their own and if not, only 1 in 50 children will need surgery. It is the most common congenital defect seen. I have been praying to our Father and asking him to heal you. I believe we will have good news on Tuesday. I am hoping their ultrasound machine has 3D images so we can see your face! I love that I get to see you again. I'm not sure if this will be the last time until your delivery, so I will cherish every second until that time comes.
Here are your latest updates:
- You are on the move! I can totally feel you turning in there now, and not just little pokes and jabs like before. You twist and turn and are taking up a lot of room in there! Sometimes your movements are a tad painful, but I still love it because I know you are okay. It's an amazing feeling. Your Pa LOVES to feel you move. He says he feels close to you. His face lights up like a kid in candy store. He truly loves you so much already and I know he will be an amazing father to you. You may get mad at him some days, but just know it's because he cares about you and wants to keep you safe and out of harms way. He is very protective of the ones he loves. Sometimes it may feel too protective, but he's very smart and you'll have to trust his judgement even when it seems overboard or unfair. Trust me on this one. :) Your Mama is more laid back and easy going, but I've learned that sometimes that can actually put me in dangerous situations, so I should be more cautious like your Dad.
- Some people have commented that it looks like you are big boy in my belly! As long as you aren't 10 lbs or more, I am all for it, and hopefully more like 8 lbs? A lot of people have told me that from behind, I don't look pregnant. YAY! That always makes me feel good, especially since I've gained 30 pounds already; but like my cousin Kirstin told me, we just like to make roomy homes for our babies! Cousin Kirstin is also pregnant, only 2 weeks behind us! You will have a girl cousin to grow up with. We love going to Arizona, so I think you will get to know her, just like Kirstin and I did (she is only 3 months older than me). We were very excited when we found out that we would be going through pregnancy together! God timed it perfectly and she's been a source of strength for me especially when I needed it in your first few weeks. She told me, "Have no fear, the Lord is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. His plans for you are good. Delight in him and he will give you the desires of your heart". I typed it up and posted it in our kitchen and my office next to my desk so I would be reminded of his plan for you and that everything would be okay. It truly has helped me when fear and doubts entered my thoughts. It shut them right out. God is so Good, and I am so excited to see what his plan for you is! I believe He prepared Nick and me for you by bringing us closer to Him. That needed to happen before He gave you to us. I deeply feel that you will be a spiritual leader. In what capacity, I don't know, but I do know that He has big plans for you my son. Don't be afraid to walk down the path he has laid before you, it is the best road to take. Trust me on that one too. :)
- You like music! We were watching a Led Zepplin concert from the 70's and you were moving all around. Your Pa was very excited about that! You also move a lot during worship at church which always brings a smile to my face. We are worshiping the Lord together! I've also noticed that you jab at my belly when the Pastor asks anyone at the end of service if they would like to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It feels like you are raising your hand and saying, "Yes, I do, I do!". That makes me giggle too. :)
- You got some awesome Christmas gifts and other welcoming Baby presents. A Bronco fan in the making:
Your First Books! Goodnight Moon from Grandpa Bud and Grandma Misty, and the others are from your cousin Baby. Green Eggs and Ham is a classic! We are excited to read to our little boy!
Your Pa and I started going to a 5 week child birthing class. We've completed 2 classes so far. Although your Pa was a little reluctant to go, he has really embraced it and I am so happy that he is being so supportive. You'll get to know your Dad, and blood and guts and hospitals are NOT his thing - he hates it! But he is putting that aside and preparing himself for your delivery. I think it will help him immensely. I've worried more about how he will handle it than me, so it's making me feel much more at peace that he'll know what to expect and how he can help me. He told me that we are a team and we'll do great! That's a big step from him being scared of even being in the room! I am going to try to deliver you without drugs. If things get prolonged or Dr. Durbin recommends I get assistance, I will be open to her opinion, but for now we will try to do it naturally so that you aren't affected by the medications and I don't get one of the rare complications. So, we will give it a try at least!
Well Tillman Robert, we love you so much and may God bless us with a healthy finish to this long 9 month journey! Keep growing, rest, and know that you are loved! Love, Mama, Papa, Bailey & Sophie, your family who is so ecstatic to meet you!
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