Happy Birthday Adam!!

Yesterday my wonderful husband celebrated his 29th birthday.

It was a joyful day in our home, not only were we able to celebrate 29 wonderful years of Adam's life, but we were able to see our little baby boy via a 4D Ultrasound. (More on that later).

First, I want to talk about my wonderful husband. What better way to brag on him than with a list of 29 things that make him special. (sisters, you know he is indeed SPECIAL).

29 Reasons I Love My Husband!
1. He LOVES me!! Truly, wholly, completely I know that I am loved!
2. He LOVES his soon to be son Cameron. I love seeing Adam light up talking about our son. He is going to be an AMAZING father!
3. He LOVES our sweet pup Albe. I see so many great dad characteristics in him through his interaction with Albe.
4. He loves his family and mine! He can annoy his sisters to no end, but he will be there in an instant to love on and encourage them as well.
5. He LOVES the Lord. I am so thankful for his commitment to the Father and kingdom work.
6. He LOVES his job. Well most days he loves it, but always likes it and is REALLY good at it. The students adore him and he is brilliant!
7. He LOVES the Cardinals. With childlike wonder he talks about his beloved team. He is already dreaming of Cameron's first football game.
8. He LOVES Southern Miss sports. Yes we live in Starkville, MS, work at Mississippi State University, but we have season tickets to Southern Miss Football.
9. He LOVES Auburn.
10. He LOVES working in the yard. Adam does such a great job of keeping our yard in tip top shape. He takes this job very seriously!
11. He LOVES our nephew, Jackson.
12. He LOVES to take care of me and does an amazing job of it!
13. He LOVES to travel!
14. He LOVES the show PSYCH.
15. He LOVES Zaxby's.
16. He LOVES picking on me!
17. He LOVES spaghetti.
18. He LOVES exercising.
19. He LOVES Mexican.
20. He LOVES the DVR.
21. He LOVES sports.
22. He LOVES helping others.
23. He LOVES the show Dexter.
24. He does not LOVE being picked on. He can dish it out but cannot take it.
25. He does not LOVE crazy drivers.
26. He does not LOVE seeing me in pain.
27. He does not LOVE storms!
28. He does not LOVE frogs.
29. He LOVES me. I know I mentioned that one before, but its worth mentioning again!

Greetings From Gatlinburg

Amy wanted me to tell everyone hello from snowy and chilly Gatlinburg. We got up very early yesterday morning and left Birmingham at 5 AM to beat the snow up here. Within an hour of arriving, it started snowing, and it hasn't let up much since. It is very beautiful with all the snow, but it is also very cold, with wind chills this morning around 5 degrees. It is supposed to warm up to around 28 degrees tomorrow so maybe we can get out and explore more of Gatlinburg, although we have been content to just relax in our villa in front of the fire the past two days. This is our last vacation before Cameron comes, so we are trying to make the most of it and take notes so we can bring him up here someday. Everyone have a great week and I'm sure Amy will be back with a pregnancy update soon. Enjoy the pics below.
We were looking forward to pancakes this morning but the Log Cabin Pancake House was closed. Hopefully they will be open in the morning.

I bet that Gatlinburg is a popular destination for Ole Miss fans, since the mountains nearby have such a large population of Black Bears. Luckily for us, we haven't run into any yet (both black bears and Ole Miss fans).

25 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 25 weeks
Size of baby: 9 in. 1.7 lbs (the size of an eggplant)
Maternity Clothes: Still mixing and matching regular clothes with maternity clothes. Regular shirts and sweaters work as long as they are long.
Gender: It’s a BOY!!!!! Cameron Charles Knight
Movement: He is a very active little boy who is also VERY low. His movement has increased a lot this week. Adam was laying his head on my belly to try and hear the heartbeat and Cameron kicked him in the ear. It was great!
Sleep: I am not sleeping well and therefore Adam doesn’t sleep well. Last night I apparently saw something that looked like a stick with moths on it. I saw a squirrel on the fireplace the other night. Remember I am sound asleep when I am seeing these things. Poor Adam!
Symptoms: Achy legs, heart palpitations, fatigue, occasional nausea, back pain.
What I miss: A good night’s sleep.
Cravings: Frozen Yogurt
Best Moment this week: Finishing up the semester.
What I am looking forward to: Heading to Gatlinburg with Adam for a little break!

Happy Thanksgiving and War Eagle!!!

I'm going to interrupt Amy's weekly pregnancy update to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and say War Eagle! First, what a comeback by Auburn today against Alabama. I'm still not sure it really happened, but I couldn't be a happier or prouder Auburn grad. I was an athletic trainer for the 2004 team that went undefeated and didn't get to play for the National Championship, so maybe we are getting some breaks this year. Either way, it was a great win over our biggest rival to stay unbeaten.
Second, we had a really good Thanksgiving here in Starkville. This was the first time for us to host Thanksgiving at our house, and we had a wonderful time. We had 12 people at the house, including our nephew Jackson, and three dogs. Many thanks to Amy's mom for doing much of the cooking and helping out since Amy wasn't feeling great. It was definitely better than having me do any of the cooking.
Finally, Amy is coming along with the pregnancy. She's still not feeling great, but she is such a tough and inspirational woman. I admire her more each day. I got to feel Cameron kick last week, and that was really cool. I couldn't help but think these past couple of days of playing and watching Jackson of what our life is going to be like with Cameron. It's pretty exciting.
Well, that's all for now. I'm sure Amy will be back soon. Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving break.

Adam

22 Weeks

*****Update. Picture 22 weeks Pregnant
Time is flying by! I can't believe that I am 22 weeks pregnant today. The most exciting part of the past week would be how much more active Cameron has been. Adam was able to feel him kick on Saturday. That was a very special time to share and remember. Hopefully he will cooperate and let the family feel him this weekend.


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 22 weeks
Size of baby: 8 inches, 1 lb (size of a cantaloupe)
Maternity Clothes: Still mixing and matching regular clothes with maternity clothes. Regular shirts and sweaters work as long as they are long. I do love the elastic waist band of maternity pants, but I CANNOT keep my maternity jeans up. DRIVING ME BONKERS. Anyone have suggestions or recommended kind?
Gender: It’s a BOY!!!!! Cameron Charles Knight
Movement: He is a very active little boy who is also VERY low.
Sleep: I am not sleeping well and therefore Adam doesn’t sleep well.
Symptoms: Still having a hard time with heart palpitations, nausea, tiredness, and generally I just feel bad.
What I miss: Having energy.
Cravings: Grape Juice- Random I know.
Best Moment this week: Decorating for Christmas and knowing that next Christmas we will have a little one to celebrate this special time with!
What I am looking forward to: Having our family in Starkville for Thanksgiving and the end of the semester!!

Thoughts on Pregnancy

I am 21 weeks pregnant today and am amazed at how quickly this pregnancy has progressed. March will be here before we know it. I have enjoyed recapping each week with all of the "stats" but there are a few other things I want to reflect on that I have "learned" and enjoyed this pregnancy.

I have loved/enjoyed:

- Experiencing this time with my wonderful husband- Adam is such a supportive husband. We are excited about this new phase in our lives. Its so much fun to dream and pray for this little one together!

- Feeling our sweet boy kick! I have felt him flip/move internally for a few weeks now, but I had my hand on my belly yesterday and he kicked it TWICE. It was a great reminder that all of the unenjoyable is worth it for him to be healthy.

-Sharing the news with family and friends- Adam and I are so very blessed to have such a supportive family and friends. It means the world to feel the love and support that we have felt. Little fella will be very blessed.

-Naming our son!!!!- Without further ado...Cameron Charles Knight will be his name. It makes things much more real when we can call him Cameron and talk about Cameron's room etc.

-

I have NOT enjoyed:
- Gaining weight- This has been really hard for me to accept. Does vanity mean anything to you? Well apparently it does to me. I know that he needs ROOM to grow but was it really necessary for my hips to get this wide? I am really praying through letting this one go, but I honestly have not enjoyed ALL the changes my body is experiencing. Sine people say that pregnancy is when you can eat whatever you want, but I have felt so concerned about gaining weight that I haven't really done this. Don't get me wrong, my diet HAS changed from being VERY restricted and healthy to much freer, but I don't feel that freedom to eat whatever, whenever.

-Feeling terrible- Everyone said that in the second trimester I would feel wonderful. I was so hopeful after a yucky first trimester. Well... I have not found that happy place of comfort yet. My body is having a bit of a hard time (we somewhat expected this) with pregnancy. Let's just say that each day is LONG and my bed calls about 7 every night.

This is all for now. Its great to be reminded that even now before we meet Cameron, the good outweighs the bad.
Thank you for sharing this journey to meet our Cameron Charles Knight!

20 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 20 weeks
Size of baby: 7 inches, about 11 ounces- the size of a banana
Total Weight Gain/Loss- Gained 6 lbs total
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing a combination of maternity clothes and my regular clothes though I am much more comfortable in maternity pants. Praise the Lord for the elastic waist band.
Gender: It’s a BOY!!!!! We are so excited!!!!
Movement: I am feeling the little fella pretty good. One night this week I woke up to go to the bathroom (no surprise there); as I was trying to fall asleep he was having a party in my belly. It is so neat to feel.
Sleep: CRAZY vivid dreams are wearing me out. Not sleeping well.
Symptoms: I am still not feeling well.
What I miss: Feeling good!
Cravings: Frosted Mini Wheats. I could eat them for three meals a day. Some days I have eaten them for 2 meals 
Best Moment this week: Spending time with our family!
What I am looking forward to: Planning the nursery!

17 1/2 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 17 weeks 3 days
Size of baby:5.5 inches. The baby is the size of a sweet potato
Total Weight Gain/Loss- Gained 6 lbs total
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing a combination of maternity clothes and my regular clothes though I am much more comfortable in maternity pants. Praise the Lord for the elastic waist band.
Gender: It’s a BOY!!!!! We are so excited!!!!
Movement: Starting to feel little thumping. It’s kind of like popcorn in my belly.
Sleep: CRAZY vivid dreams are wearing me out. Not sleeping well.
Symptoms: MIGRAINE’s have been terrible this week. I am also still yucky and TIRED.
What I miss: A headache free day!
Cravings: No new cravings this week.
Best Moment this week: Finding out we were having a little boy and that he was perfectly healthy!!!
What I am looking forward to: Planning the nursery!

It's a.....

It's a BOY!!


We are thrilled. I was a bit shocked. I have been thinking the whole pregnancy that we were having a little girl. Strangely, last night I had a dream that the ultrasound showed it was a boy. Less than 12 hours later, my dream was confirmed!!! Baby Boy Knight is healthy and growing wonderfully!

16 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 16 weeks
Size of baby: 4.5 inches. The baby is the size of an avocado
Total Weight Gain/Loss- Not sure. Will weigh next week.
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing a combination of maternity clothes and my regular clothes though I am much more comfortable in maternity pants. Praise the Lord for the elastic waist band.
Gender: Will find out next Thursday. Hard to believe we are that far along.
Movement: Haven’t felt any movement yet.
Sleep: CRAZY vivid dreams are wearing me out. Not sleeping well.
Symptoms: MIGRAINES have been terrible this week. I am also still yucky and TIRED. Have I mentioned emotional? Its a bit scary how emotional I have been. DO NOT LIKE THIS!!
What I miss: Good sleep
Cravings: This week I have longed for chocolate. I have never been a big chocolate eater until recently. I also was craving red beans and rice. I fixed it on Monday night and have eaten it the past two nights as well. Adam thinks that’s a bit excessive
Best Moment this week: Exercising a few times this week.
What I am looking forward to: Looking forward to seeing our family this weekend and getting more maternity pants. We are most looking forward to finding out whether it’s a boy or a girl.

15 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 15 weeks
Size of baby: 4.5 inches. The baby is the size of a navel orange.
Total Weight Gain/Loss- Ignorance is bliss. Will weigh in two weeks at dr.’s appt.
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing a combination of maternity clothes and my regular clothes.
Embarrassingly funny moment this week: I was wearing my regular jeans one day this week. They started out feeling comfortable. As the day progressed they got a little more snug. I decided to unbutton the jeans while I was in my office. I was heading to class and realized my pants were still unbuttoned. As I went to re-button my pants, a male colleague walks up. AWKWARD! Thankfully he has two kids so he understands. The next day I saw him and pointed out I was wearing a dress. No buttons necessary!
Gender: Don’t know yet- will find out Oct. 14 (on Aunt Lisa’s birthday)
Movement: Haven’t felt any movement yet.
Sleep: CRAZY vivid dreams.
Symptoms: Nausea has been bad again these past few days. Still VERY tired!!! I have also had a headache most nights this week.
What I miss: Good sleep
Cravings: honey mustard, chocolate, bagels! All things that I have eaten in over 2 years while on the restricted diet.
Best Moment this week: Continuing to share the news with folks. We are so blessed!
What I am looking forward to: Less frequent bathroom trips!

13 Weeks

You can kind of see a little pooch in this pic! My hips have definitely gotten wider. Thank you sweet child!!


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 13 weeks
Size of baby: 3 inches. The baby is the size of a medium shrimp or a peach.
Total Weight Gain/Loss- 4 lbs. (1 lb from start weight b/c I had lost 3 lbs)
Maternity Clothes: Wore first pair of maternity pants to ballgame last week and was so glad to be more comfortable. I am interchanging my clothes now. I do have to say those maternity pants are very comfortable.
Gender: Don’t know yet- will find out Oct. 14 (on Aunt Lisa’s birthday)
Movement: Haven’t felt any movement yet.
Sleep: According to my husband talking in my sleep has got worse. Last night I was looking for the baby in the bed. Sorry sweetheart.
Symptoms: Nausea has been bad again these past few days. Still VERY tired!!! Low back is hurting worse than pre-pregnancy.
What I miss: Good sleep
Cravings: Happy to report the Arby’s was everything I had hoped it would be and more!!!
Best Moment this week: Hearing the baby’s heartbeat at the doctor today
What I am looking forward to: The relief that is supposed to come this trimester.

12 weeks!

We are 12 weeks pregnant today. Time flies! I am so excited about welcoming the second trimester. I am going to be TICKED off if all of those promises friends and doctors have said about things getting better doesn't hold true.

Below is a pic of me at 12 weeks. (Heather notice the shirt. I knew you would be proud). I am not really showing yet but the way my abs are hurting I expect it to begin happening very soon!! As another person so eloquently put it, I am not pregnant in my butt, but it sure has grown!



Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 12 weeks
Size of baby: 2 inches. The baby is the size of a lime.
Total Weight Gain/Loss- ??
Maternity Clothes: Still wearing my normal clothes but they are snug across my belly. I am going shopping this weekend for some additional maternity clothes and some comfy shoes.
Gender: Don’t know yet
Movement: Haven’t felt any movement yet.
Sleep: I have done a little better this week except for the night where I couldn't get comfortable so I slept in the guest room!
Symptoms: Nausea is getting better. Still VERY tired!!! My abs are very sorry. It feels like I have done a million crunches.
What I miss: Energy
Cravings: Last night I told Adam I wanted an Arby’s Roast Beef sandwich. I have not had one of these in over 2 years (since being on restricted diet). I think we are hitting up Arby’s for lunch!!
Best Moment this week: Having one good night of sleep.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing our families this weekend!

Updates!

Hi friends! Life is rolling along here in Starkvegas! Football season begins today and can I say I am excited for football. I am hoping that football games can help Adam forget how terrible the Cardinals have been playing. Sorry babe! Even though we live in Bulldog country, we still have allegiance to Southern Miss. We will be traveling a good bit this fall to USM games. 'Lil Knight will get exposure early!

So I have seen these types of posts on other people's blogs and thought it was a great way to remember this time and maybe even compare with future kiddos. I am not sure if I will post an update each week of pregnancy but will try to be consistent. Eventually I will post a picture to go with the highlights but this week I don't have one and 'Lil Knight is only making me look a little bloated. So here goes:

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 11 weeks

Size of baby: 1 ½ inches. The baby is the size of a fig

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost 3 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing my normal clothes but they are snug across my belly. A friend loaned me some maternity clothes but I am putting off wearing them as long as I can.

Gender: Don’t know yet

Movement: Haven’t felt any movement yet.

Sleep: I used to be such a sound solid sleeper until pregnancy…Now I have to go the bathroom at least 3 times a night and am having CRAZY dreams. Poor Adam can’t get a restful night of sleep because of me!

Symptoms: Nausea, extreme fatigue, light-headed, dizziness, achy all over (Come on 2nd trimester)

What I miss: My pants closing easily and fitting comfortably.

Cravings: Last week I was craving salads! This week I am craving sleep!!!

Best Moment this week: Trying on maternity pants!! They felt SOO good across my bloated belly!

What I am looking forward to: 2nd trimester boost!!

News!!

Well blog world, Adam and I have been holding out on you. We thought Albe might like to share our news with the world.


That's right we are expecting our first on March 24, 2011. Albe is excited about becoming a big brother or should I say he has NO idea how much his life is about to change.

Adam and I are THRILLED. It is still a bit surreal but when we saw this last week and heard the sweetest heartbeat it made things feel a bit more real. 'Lil Knight has already begun to make his/her presence known by making momma very sick and VERY tired. I am looking forward to the end of the first trimester (I am 9 1/2 weeks now) in a few weeks and hoping to turn a corner.

We appreciate your prayers as my body adjusts and prepares and for both of us as we prepare for this exciting new journey.

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Wade

Its Tuesday night and I still can't believe that my baby brother was married 3 days ago. He is now a husband. Unfortunately,this realization is not getting easier as the days go by. Ben is over the moon happy and we are excited for the future the Lord has planned for he and Lacey, but this is my baby brother and its just hard for to imagine him married.

Something happened last fall to my "little brother". He was bitten by the love bug and bad. He went from being the bachelor who didn't like to commit and chose 'bros before "girls". But then Lacey entered his world and Adam and I have found such pleasure in seeing him do and say all of the things he used to make fun of. Lacey is a wonderful addition to Ben's life and now our family.

Give me a few more days to get used to this Mr. and Mrs. Ben Wade thing, I'll get there. In my eyes he will always be my little brother!

On the Road Again

Adam and I didn't have but about a week after our cruise before we headed out on another adventure. Adam was presenting at a conference in Philadelphia, PA so we decided it would be a good time for me to tag along and add a couple of days to the trip to see NYC together.

My mornings were spent enjoying the most wonderful feather bed you can imagine and then Adam would come back in the afternoon to site see.

Our first night in town we headed to a Phillies game.

We enjoyed seeing all of the historical landmarks.




We went to the Museum where Rocky was filmed.


After 4 days in Philly we took a train to NYC.
And what is there to do but go to a baseball game. :) So we went to a Mets game and toured Yankee Stadium.





For my due diligence as a wife, Adam took me to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was way better than the ballgames ( I enjoyed them it was just HOT at the Mets game)
We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, walked 5th Avenue, visited the Museum of Natural History (from the movie "Night at the Museum") and my favorite, biked through Central Park.

Views from the Cruise!

Adam and I had a wonderful time on our cruise. We celebrated our anniversary and Mrs. Cindy's birthday (Adam's mom) We visited Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Off to the Caribbean

Well, in just a few hours, Amy and I, along with my parents, will be headed off for a 7 night western Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Trimuph!! We are so excited about this trip as we will celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on board the ship this Monday. We'll be making stops in Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel. I would like to thank Lori (Aunt LoLo) for keeping Albe for us this next week. We'll post some pictures when we get back.

May is a month of Birthdays!!

As I am sitting here writing this post I am amazed at the number of friends and family whose life we celebrate this month. I am so blessed by each one of these friends laughter and friendship in my life. I will start from earliest to latest in the month and cross my fingers I don't forget anyone. Know that you are all very loved and celebrated.

My sweet sister-n-law Lori celebrated on May 3.

My Cinco-de- mayo friend and new mom Heather on May 5.

I celebrate my friend Karen today, wishing I could speak to and see this sweet friend.

Our wonderful brother-n-law Patrick celebrates May 8.

My awesome prayer partner Ginger will celebrate her special day on May 10.

My sweet best friend from High School Kris will celebrate her birthday on May 17.

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.
We have a lot of lives to celebrate. I pray the Lord's joy will abound in all of you, dear friends. You have meant so much to me and I pray that you feel loved on your special day and everyday!!

Babies & Speeches

I am so glad to see that my wonderful husband has updated you all on what is going on in our lives. I am knee deep in grading speeches. Thanks to fancy scheduling on my part I have heard approximately 200 speeches in the past 2 weeks which means I have had A LOT of grading to do! The good news is that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Even better news comes in the form of sweet bundles of joy. 3 of my wonderful friends have welcomed new additions recently and I am so thrilled to celebrate for them and with them! I introduced Silas McGehee about month ago. But he is growing and needs to see his Aunt Amy, I am just sure of it!

Well my precious friends Heather and Trey Skaggs welcomed Jones Edward on Saturday. Don't you just LOVE the hair!

And today, my beautiful long-time best friend from high school Kris and her husband Drew welcomed baby Kate. Look at those sweet cheeks!

April Update

Amy hasn't posted in awhile, so I thought I would take a few minutes during lunch to update you on what's been going on this month. We've had visits to Starkville from Amy's parents for Easter, and my parents this past weekend. We have really enjoyed cooking out on the new grill the Wade's gave us for Christmas. Albe has also enjoyed spending time with his "grandparents" and relaxing on our new patio furniture. Judging by the way they treat him, their future grandchildren will definitely be spoiled!!! Amy has taken a trip to Memphis for a conference this month as well, and we've both been busy with work as the end of the semester winds down. We are both teachimg Maymester classes, so we won't get much of a break until June when we go on our anniversary cruise and trip to Philadelphia and New York. Baseball season has started, and Amy allowed me to get the major league baseball package on DirecTV, so now we can watch all the Cardinals games!! I'm excited about it, but I think she's losing her enthusiasm.

We also started doing P90X last week and Amy is doing great!! I've been trying to get her into a regular exercise routine since we got married, but haven't had much success. With her heart condition and knee problems, exercise just isn't as enjoyable for her as it is for me. About a month ago, she said she wanted to try P90X. I was a little skeptical at first, but after doing some research and growing tired of the same routine at the gym, I decided to give it a try. We've only been doing it a week, and I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, but it has been intense. I don't know if I've ever been this sore in my entire life. Amy has done really well, she has gotten through every workout with no problems, and we really enjoy coming home from work and working out together. I'll give a final verdict on the program once we finish, but I don't agree with their term "muscle confusion," but that is a topic for my other blog. That's all for now, hopefully Amy will be back soon with the next post.

Adam

A Knight's Tale

It's been a while. I know. I thought I would share some pictures of what has been keeping up occupied over the past few weeks!


Lisa and Patrick came to visit during Spring Break. We made a day trip to visit the grandparents in B'ham. Albe loved having his aunt and uncle here to love on him!!


Mom and Dad gave us an amazing grill for Christmas. We are LOVING all the new meal possibilities. I love that Adam gets to cook. Ha.


Over spring break, I was able to meet this handsome fella Silas McGehee. His mom Sunny is one of my best friends and was my roommate in college. I cannot believe she is a mom. It was so fun to see her in action!


Adam and I enjoyed the beautiful weather. He worked in the yard and I in planted some flowers. This is one of the beds!



We enjoyed a beautiful day at Dudy Noble field cheering on the Dawgs.


And I can't leave the fella out! Albe is thrilled to be chasing the birds and well more birds!!! Isn't he the cutest!