3's a charm!

Third Trimester. 2/3rds's of the way there. Three month's left.
However you say it- we are finally on the home stretch! But, we aren't at the finish line yet.

Thus far most of my hormones have come out through sappy tears falling over the most pathetic commercials. I can't watch 2 seconds of the new Animal Protection 'somethin' or other' organization with Sarah McLachlan singing in the background- it kills me! The tears still fall at the drop of a hat, but the mood swings have arrived! They exhaust me as much as one of my 'waddle' walks around the mall. Yes, I said it- waddle. With 90% of the weight I have gained sitting front and center- my poor back and hips never had a chance.

As far as punches and kicks are concerned, I think our child will either be a world renown tap dancer at the age of two, or the next Jet Li at three. The baby also seems to be nocturnal - I'm sure all my running around during the day allows him to literally bump around for the ride and in the evenings when my feet are up, it gives him the opportunity to show off. Of course, like his daddy, he's shy. I've tried so hard to move fast enough to get Joel's hand where the punching bag seems to be at the time, but of course, the baby freezes as soon as he has Joel's attention.

For the memory book- Joel did feel Whitaker jump this week (wk. 28).
My favorite is when the baby stretches and holds and I can almost feel his little hands or feet.

The apartment is slowly coming together- I did get the majority of the pictures hung in record time. We still have some corners with bins that need to placed in storage (aka- mom and dad's basement!) As soon as I get those corners clear they will be filled with baby necessities. No square inch of this apartment will be left bare when all is said and done - in 'Clean House' style, of course!

Joel and I are thrilled that Joel's Uncle is making a bassinet for the baby in the shape of a boat. The U.S.S. Whitaker - I can't wait!!! Our little man will fit right in with the rest of sail boat babies here in Annapolis. Here is a picture of the progress. Check it out!

The most exciting news for the month of June was that my brother-in-law became a citizen of the United States after 15 years and 15 days of setting foot on U.S. soil. It's been a much anticipated event and very long journey for him and we, as a family, are rejoicing! Here are some snapshots...

My brother-in-law has been the bell of the ball over the past few weeks among his co-workers, and it couldn't be more deserved! I guess he has come home from work looking like Uncle Sam- strutting a top hat and decked out with all the USA gear one could want. It makes you realize the true definition of what it means to be 'Proud to be an American.'

P.S. Aren't they a gorgeous family!!!

Joel and I wish a very Happy Fourth of July! And remember, if your summer vacation plans bring you to the D.C. area, promise to give us a call!

We're here!

We made it. barely.
Monday might as well been the hottest day in June Baltimore has ever experienced. It was ridiculous! It didn't take long for the movers to pile our stuff into our new itty bitty home. I have to say that the fact that Joel and I were overwhelmed was an under statement. It has taken me all week and lots of trips to the goodwill and dumpster for me to see the floor again. Finally the place looks more like a home and less like a crammed cluttered closet. It hasn't been easy to save space for Whitaker. Thank goodness he'll be tiny when we bring him home..his "things" on the other hand will be another story.

We made sure to take 'before' pictures and I can't wait to post the 'after' pictures. It's gonna take me another week to arrange and rearrange until it's perfect :)

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!
Jacqueline

over due

Hello!

This update is long overdue! I passed my deadline of attempting to write an entry every 4 weeks, long ago. So Sorry!

To catch everyone up:

We did find an apartment and will be moving in on Monday. It's itty bitty, but with the cost of living so high- we will just have to make IKEA our new best friend and learn to be SUPER organized. The apartment is actually in the same complex as the temp. apartment we are in now. Go figure we end up where we started off. Oh well. Between the cost of gas and attempting to have only one car, staying put allows Joel to be only 7 miles from work as well as get rides 2 and from the job site with several of his co-workers who live in the same complex when needed. I am so excited to get my STUFF back! It's going to be Christmas in June opening all the boxes.

I am doing well and the baby is growing. After a surge in weight gain that put me in panic mode of becoming a 2 ton whale- oreos have been replaced with apples and potato chips with cottage cheese. The doctor consoled me to say that my body was simply preparing itself for the baby's next growth spurt. Since then the scale has slowed way down to the healthy average. Thankfully it seems that ever lb. gained seems to settle front and center- so each week the belly just keeps popping out. Here's proof of the explosion! I know I don't look huge, but thanks to Liz Lange and Target, I've been able to find maternity clothes that don't look or feel the part. P.S. For those who haven't heard, Joel and I have decided on a name! Whitaker Lee Samples. I can't wait to start the monogramming!

The summer heat has already started to take it's toll. I think Joel is worried that by the end of the summer I will have a buzz cut. Thankfully the Lord provided a new best friend at a local hair cuttery to help elevate my insentient need to keep cutting my hair. My wardrobe now simply consists of cotton dresses and my bathing suit. The pool opened on Memorial day and you better believe it, I was the first there to grab a lounge chair! I'm looking forward to bopping in the pool to cure everything from heat stroke to back aches.

Ilse, Kwilai and I just got back from a lengthy road trip to South Carolina's low country for a wedding. Ilse and Kwilai were both in the wedding, stealing the show- of course! The trip reminded me just how much I needed to brush up on my little people skills, mainly patience. Ilse is great with Kwilai and by the end of the week groans turned into laughter over the many times Kwilai pulled apart, teared apart, or some how disassembled the hotel room. Kwilai's growing like a weed, getting taller and taller every day! She is 'talking' more and loving to mimic any simple words you say.

Joel's job is going well. We are thankful for everyday that he even has one. A couple weeks after moving up to Baltimore there was large lay off at his old office due to the lack of work in the Atlanta area. We also heard of some buddies of Joel who are in the Site Development/Heavy Construction industry get laid off from their jobs as well. With each discouraging phone call, the Lord has given us a new perspective on many of our moans and groans of the area we are living in and our current circumstances. Being thankful for the small stuff is an understatement to the Lord's way of giving us a dose of hard reality mixed with grace.

Well that's about it! There are some other things brewing that are keeping both Joel and I very busy, but I'll save that for the next entry.

Love from Maryland,
Joel, Jacqueline and Baby Whitaker

one day over the rainbow...

There will be a pot of gold, a BMW Z5 for me, and a '09 Audi S4 stage 3 for Joel, and MOST OF ALL a perfect place for us to live!

Yep, we have not found the rainbow yet! We're still looking!

The apartment searching is still going. Every day I have my ritual of checking craigslist and www.apartmentratings.com for some inspiration. This morning, there were a couple glimmers of hope. Continue to pray that we are able to get settled soon (i'm dying to start decorating the nursery- and to get "my stuff" out of storage)

Great news- we are very excited about a church we visited, Bay Area Community Church. It's south close to Annapolis, so we are going to try to focus our apartment search so that we are within driving distance. It will be a HUGE blessing once we are able to get plugged in!

Joel is still working very long hours, but doing GREAT! A typical workday has him out the door by 6:00 am and typically doesn't come home until after 7:00 pm. The long hours makes me soo excited for Fridays and most of all the weekend, when I have him ALL to myself. :)

The baby is doing fabulous-growing and making mommy feel HUGE and kicking his little heart out! It soo precious! I've had a blast scouring the clearance racks for outfits. I've fallen in love with what Lands End has- Between the sail boats, alligators, and anchors- everything is soo adorable! It's hard to believe, I'm 5 months along! I spent the day organizing yesterday and updating my calendar and it was a shock to see how little time is left before his arrival. (REMINDER: Mark your calendars for August 2nd! - Baby Shower and open house at Mom's place)

I am doing well. Adjusting, but again doing well. Joel has been very supportive and and my sister is on speed dial! My quiet times consist of Monday: praying for Faith, Tuesday: praying for Trust, Wednesday: praying for Patience, Thursday: REPEAT!

I know the Lord will provide and has something great in store for Joel and I while we are here. Plus- let's be honest, 24 months and we are off on the next adventure, where ever Joel's job may take us....

Hope all is well!

Joel, Jac, and Mr. BabySamples

Think blue!

Boy Oh Boy, we're having a boy!

Many prayers later, and a few tears- the ultrasound tech on Friday confidently told us that a boy was on the way. (I would have posted the picture- but the time it would have taken to find a scanner, etc...)

Joel and I agreed, we fell in love that morning. Seeing the little man stretch, kick, and wave his arms, was amazing. He even cooperated, at first he was on his back, and by simply laying on my side while the tech punched in some numbers to determine where his measurements fit on the scale to determine his due date, he flipped over and the tech got some awesome profile shots. (I'll send the pics with Joel in the morning and have him scan them).

The MOVE:
The move, the move, OH THE MOVE. We made it! A special shot out to my dad, sister, and niece who were are welcome party upon our arrival. Our major hiccup was that the storage containers were not big enough for all of our 'stuff'... by the time we left we threw away all our food, kitchen items, made several trips to the goodwill, and had the car packed so tight, it would make any college senior proud!

The ride itself, went well. We made our first leg of the trip on Friday and spent the night at my best friends apartment from High School in Chapel Hill, NC. On Saturday, we had a simple 5.5 hour ride up to Maryland.

With Ilse's help and multiple trips to the grocery store, we settled in quickly. We even had enough energy to head down to Annapolis on Sunday, which was the highlight of the weekend. I know we only hit the surface of seeing the many gems of the city, a ride over and back on the bay bridge was especially exciting- in the rain. It was quite awe striking to see a barge below that looked 'small'. (the funny part was dad romping around with the camera around his neck, claiming he hadn't been a "tourist" in years (quite comical).

Our next adventure is finding a place to live! I'll keep you posted!

Have a great day!
Joel, Jac, and Mr. BabySamples

and the beat goes on...

Hello!

I thought I would take advantage of the time I was resting with my feet propped up to update everyone on what is going on at the Samples household...

Joel is in town for the weekend, and has been working feverishly to sell his car, so far- to no avail. Please pray that we are able to miraculously sell it before the move. It would be SOO nice to only have to drive one car up North.

Joel flies out tomorrow evening and thus begins my very busy week without him. I am soo excited though to know that this will be the last time I will have to drop him off at the airport. After this weekend, I will be going with him to Baltimore. The plan is as follows:

Mon. - meet with friends

Tues. - get my hair highlighted and cut! (SOO revved about that!)

Wed.- last minute packing, meet with friends - (i know, rough life)

Thurs. - the movers come to pack up the apartment and load the storage containers. Joel flies home that night!

Fri.- 8:30 am, last Dr. appt with my Atl OB and then at 10:00 am we have a sonagram scheduled to tell us the sex of the baby and to make sure there are 10 fingers and 10 toes.
We are planning on leaving straight after that to Chapel Hill, NC to stay with my best friend from high school.

Sat.- leave NC in the morning and head to Baltimore, MD where my sister, niece and dad will be anticipating our arrival. (I AM SOO EXCITED)

My sister and I were talking about all the reasons to pay people to come and pack our stuff- even what little we have. I told her the most important reason to me was that I didn't want to wear myself out. I know the move will be hard enough- Joel having a new job, new city, new baby, etc... I didn't need to start our next adventure burnt out. I am so thankful the Lord has provided that option for us.

I found out GREAT NEWS today, the apartment complex does not require a notice AND does not have a check list of cleaning that has to be done. Their only request when you leave is that you leave no trash behind. What a relief! I was dreading cleaning- from the base boards to wiping down the blinds. (the Lord is soo good).

This past week I finished up my last week at work. It was crazy busy, but it went soo well. I will miss my buddies! It's amazing the relationships you form with people you spend 40 hours a week with. I promised everyone that I would stop before we left town to tell them if the baby is a boy or girl.

Joel and I are still rolling names around, we've narrowed down our choices for boy names, but aren't having much luck making progress on deciding on girl names. We seem to always disagree. (watch- the baby will be a girl- then we'll really be up creek w/o a paddle :) That's ok- I'm guessing we will spend much of the trip to B-more digging in the archives of our brains for names... (now if only i kept that list from 5th grade...) hehe.

Well- that's it. Oh- mark your calendars for the first weekend in August. (2nd). If you're around - Ohio that is... stop by! Joel and I will be in town visiting!

Have a great day!
Jac, Joel and babySamples

14 weeks and 4 days

It's an unholy hour on Thursday. I can't sleep, as I now have a full fledge sinus infection and a headache that ridiculous! Granted, the thought of ONLY being able to nurse it with Tylenol and Sudafed, isn't helping! (which i haven't even had the chance to start taking- i just don't feel like running to wal-mart at this hour) We also received some news last night about Joel's job and the next adventure ahead of us which has my thoughts racing.

Joel will begin working at a new position on a job up in Baltimore, MD. (Brandon Shores to be exact). If you google map it- you will see that it is right off the Chesapeake Bay. The catch is- he starts THIS MONDAY! The story so far is that he will work up there during the week and fly home on the weekends, at least until I can get organized and pack us up and completely relocate to Maryland. The AMAZING thing about all of this, is that I will only be 4 hours from my sister in Pittsburgh. A dream come true!

Details.Details.Details. The last time I moved states was after college, and I don't think that really counts... Between giving a notice at work, scheduling the move- movers vs. U-Haul, and of course, when we get there- finding a place to live! My head has been spinning. We have been told that Joel will most likely be on the job for a minimum of 18 months, and after that- who knows where they will send him next.

My mantra has been Proverbs 3:5-6, 'Trust in the Lord will all your heart, and lean not on your own understands, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight." I know that God is in control, and if I simply remove my "self", doubt, worry, and even my own understanding, the Lord so badly wants to take over and give me a peace that comes with truly trusting the One that is leading. The Lord has great plans for us, I can proclaim that promise- now I simply have to wake up each morning and surrender to it.

Baby time:
One of the best parts of having a baby is the shopping (at this point, window shopping)! Though I have to say, it didn't take me long to find a crib sets that I fell in love with! I wanted something that was gender neutral that I could use over and again (Lord willing!). www.landofnod.com - love this site! I am also really excited about the crib beddings sets that Dwell Studio has out at Target! So fun! and at a great price!

I can't wait to start painting pictures and sewing things for the nursery. Thankfully husbands (well, my hubby) aren't really into this stuff- so I finally am going to have a room in the house that I free rein to do what I like! Granted Joel will be looking over my shoulder and the check book :).

Things are going well with the pregnancy, though I did have a bit of a scare the weekend before my Doctor's visit, as I was cramping far more than what they had described as normal. At my Dr. appointments it was confirmed that my corpus luteum cyst was still there (instead of disappearing as it should have) and was most likely leaking- thus the complications with cramping and severe pain. Good News is that it will go away- it's just something that can happen and isn't very fun. The good thing that came out of all of this was that I got an impromptu ultrasound and was able to see the baby kick. It was amazing to see the changes from 9 weeks to 13 weeks- oh my, has the baby grown!

The next few weeks are going to be hectic, but very exciting! I promise to give updates often!

Jacqueline.