Grandma Hawley

Dear Baby Hawley,

I told Grandma Hawley about you today.  She's also very excited.  We are not yet telling anyone else because you are still so tiny, but she's very knowledgeable in the area of babies.  Aside from having 7 of her own, she's a midwife and gets to deliver new babies quite often.  She's my go-to person for questions and I already have lots.

One of her first questions to me was if there are any food smells that turn me off now (it was almost lunch time at Agape and people were cooking away).  The only thing I've had a problem with was the fish that Dad cooked at our house one evening.  I think, though, that I would have had a problem with it even if you weren't around.  It was really fishy!

Thank you so much for the joy you are already bringing to our lives.  We love you!

Telling Dad

Dear Baby Hawley,

Did we surprise Dad or what?  I thought for 2 days about the best way to tell him you are coming and I came up with it--your Uncle Sam has lived with us for almost a year while he works and goes to college.  He is moving out this spring because he and Deanna are getting married, so we will have an open bedroom.

We were just waking up this morning and starting to talk about going to the Y (you'll notice that's an important part of our days and soon you'll be going too) when I surprised Dad.  While we were talking, I suddenly said, "I think I know who can take Sam's room when he moves out," and he asked who.  I pulled the test out of my pocket and quietly showed it to him.  It took a few seconds to register, but you should have seen the smile on his face.  He didn't talk for a few minutes.  He just sat there and smiled.  We surprised him and he's soooo happy.

I am too!

Here you come!

Dear Baby Hawley,

What else can I call you?  I know nothing about you yet.  For now, this will be your name.

Today is the day that I found out you are joining our lives.  My daily habits have changed a lot in recent weeks.  Your dad and I used to get up really early to go to the Y, then I'd head to school to work for a few hours before the kiddos came in.  Not anymore - now we go to the Y, come home to eat breakfast and get ready for the day, and then I take a nap.  All before 8am.  Yes, I take a nap before going to school.  I also take a nap when I get home.  My friends at school had noticed that I've started coming in later...a LOT later...than normal and they started questioning me.  This got me thinking that you might be up.

Today I stopped by Walgreen's to get a test and I decided to get a box of macaroni and cheese also.  That should have answered my question right away, but I still took the test.  It came up positive!!!

I decided not to tell your dad right away because it's Thursday night and the guys were coming over.  They have bible study and fellowship every Thursday at our house, and I wasn't quite ready for everyone to know (and knowing Josh, he'd want to tell everyone right away) so I held the secret.  Aunt Katie came with Uncle Phil and we hung out while the men studied.  It was so hard to act normal and not say anything, but I kept the secret.

I can't wait to meet you, little one.

I can't believe I just signed that!!!