Hunter Highlights

Elise's Birth Story

2010-01-03T00:19:00.002-05:00

It's taken me a while to be able to sit down and write about this and I wish I could blame the delay on being a busy mom of two. Not to say that isn't part of the story because, as many had forewarned us, the transition from one to two children is most definitely the hardest. Okay, I know I have no idea what it's like to have more than two right now, but somehow having "two under two" has more than doubled the amount of patience, energy and flat out perseverance that you need on a daily basis. But I digress. Getting back to the heart of the matter, this was simply a very difficult experience for me to write about. However, with the New Year upon me, I felt that this was one of the most necessary things for me to do, not only in terms of appropriately reflecting on the most major happening from the past year but also so I can continue moving forward in this new chapter of our lives. Ringing in 2010 in a cathartic sense, so to speak.

With that said, I have to dust off the memory banks a bit to first recall exactly how anxious -- or, to put it more accurately, flat out impatient --I was for the arrival of our little girl. My due date of June 6th came and went without any sign of her pending appearance and I was beginning to get more nervous by the second. When would she finally come? Would she be healthy? Would I be able to have a successful v-bac delivery as I had so desperately hoped for? The endless questions rattled through my mind and Brad was truly amazing at keeping me as sane and grounded as possible during this home stretch. I tried everything I could think of to prompt this little girl to evict her cozy home and I won't even go into detail about how ridiculous a nearly 10 month pregnant woman looks hard-charging on an elliptical machine. No need to go down that road! All of my efforts were futile. This little girl had already decided that she was going to come in her own time and, well, the rest of us simply had to be okay with that!

This brings me to the post-near-nervous breakdown moment early on the morning of June 9th at approximately 2:30 am. I awoke from a seemingly life-like dream that I was in labor, which was nothing new at this stage of the pregnancy. But wait, after I finally emerged from the fog of my sleepy haze, I realized that I really was in labor . . . definitely something new this time! Since it was so early in the morning and I knew the day and subsequent days ahead of us would be long, I decided to let at least one of us get some sleep. So while Brad snoozed away I tried to labor as much on my own in the quiet still of the house. I finally woke Brad up around 5:30 a.m. and we gave Marsha the call to come over so she could tend to Joseph when he woke. At this point, we walked out the door know that our family would be forever transformed the next time we walked back in.

We had a nice relaxing drive to the hospital (at least, in between contractions) and we felt like old pros this second time around. This time we knew exactly where we were going, we knew the routine and standard hospital protocol. It's funny how that can give you a false sense of security. We safely arrived to the hospital around 7:30 am and my initial monitoring indicated that I was further progressed than anticipated. I was already 6 cm dilated and moving steadily along which I couldn't have been more pleased to hear. As they wheeled me up to the birthing room, I knew it wouldn't be long before our little girl would be making her entrance. Little did I know . . .

Soon after we got settled, the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural -- which I still believe must be the absolute best job in the entire hospital -- and I was almost instantly comfortable and relaxed. The staff was great, my doctor was attentive and everything was going smoothly. The doctor discovered that my progress had stalled a bit due to a "stubborn" bag of water and she proposed to break it. This was fine by me since I wanted to keep things moving along. Brad had decided to run down to the hospital cafeteria to grab some lunch and I made sure to ask the doctor if he still had time to do so with her plan to break my water. Dr. Hubbard reassured me that there was ample time before the baby's arrival and said that it usually takes one hour per cm for dilation. Famous last words. Brad went on his merry way and the doctor proceeded with the water breaking. The doctor was surprised and how quickly and prominently the baby's head came down as a result and then noticed that she was transverse, similar to her brother's position at the time. To help correct her positioning, she had me do some creative positioning, to put it mildly. It was at that moment that the labor experience took a dramatic turn. The baby rotated, her head came down even more and, most importantly, it was all of a sudden time to push. Oh, and did I forget to mention that my epidural decided to stop working and I could feel everything? Um, this isn't what I signed up for! The nurse ran to find Brad and everything was happening in a blur, almost like rapid movie flashes. The anesthesiologist quickly returned to try to give me a fast-acting boost of pain relief, but he could make no guarantees that it would actually work. He said that sometimes in rapidly progressing labor the pain can get ahead of the epidural and the epidural may not ever have the chance to catch back up, which ended up being the case with me. But we won't dwell on that. It was out of my control and I had to do my best to stay focused on the end goal.

Thankfully, Brad returned just in the nick of time. As he walked in with a burger and fries, he was quite surprised at the sight -- or should I say sounds -- of me writhing in pain. The smells were more than I could take and I told him to get rid of the food. Very wisely, he immediately disposed of his lunch and I was relieved to have him by my side for the pushing that was soon to come.

I don't think I pushed for more than 20 minutes, though I can't be certain because everything was such a blur. All I know is that I definitely reached a point of mental breakdown where the thought crossed my mind that a c-section may not be such a bad option. Everyone was trying to be supportive to help me through the pain, but it was Dr. Hubbard who reminded me of what I had set out to accomplish from the beginning. Having a successful v-bac had been my primary goal and my opportunity was finally here. With that, I gave it everything I had and our little girl entered the world at 1:08 p.m. weighing 8 lbs. even and 20 inches long. Much smaller than I had anticipated, though it is important to note that her head was still in the 80th percentile for size. Ouch. She quickly let us know that she was strong and healthy and the moment when they placed her in my arms is one that I will cherish forever. What a different experience from when Joseph was born! I remembered longing to hold him in the operating room, but I could only watch from the table as the doctors worked to finish the surgery. This time, I could hold our little girl immediately and I'll never forget how locked in her gaze was with mine and how grateful at that moment that I was to have her. We named her Elise Katherine (Katherine after my fondly remembered Aunt Kathie) and it seemed to fit her in every way.

After we spent some much cherished time bonding with Elise, I was moved up to my room and this is when things started really taking a turn for the worse. I had experienced quite a bit of tearing and bleeding, all of which are rather fairly standard for the post-birth experience. However, the amount of bleeding and pain didn't seem normal and I was beginning to get concerned that the pain was so intense. When the nurses insisted that I had to get up and moving, I knew I had to try but also knew that my body didn't feel even close to being ready. I made it just a few steps and the world started swimming before it when black. Next thing I knew I was back in bed and I suddenly had a team of nurses working on me. I will never forget the looks on their faces as they worked for hours on end to stop the hemorrhaging. Their looks matched Brad's --grave and silent -- which did not give me any peace of mind. Despite various attempts and treatments, they were unable to stop the bleeding consulted with the resident on call, who we were not overly impressed with. Regardless, she sent me for a CAT scan to ensure that the bleeding wasn't a result of uterine rupture, a rare but serious risk related to v-bacs. Results from the scan were inconclusive and, unfortunately, that left me with a late night phone call from Dr. Hubbard telling me that she was coming back to the hospital to perform surgery on me. Though I was desperate to avoid such measures, she was adamant that this was the only option at this point to stop the bleeding. Needless to say, I was simply devastated and terrified. Brad was too, though he did a good job not showing it. As they wheeled me to the OR, I remember thinking that they really should do something about the harsh lighting and bland landscape of the hallways and ceiling. With nothing but fear and uncertainty racing through my mind, the florescent bulbs and white popcorn ceiling tiles did little to console me. Next thing I knew, I was giving a half-wave to Brad and I was out.

The next five hours were easy on me thanks once again to those wonderful anesthesiologists. However, I can't say the same for Brad. The surgery ended up being much more drawn out and involved than anyone had anticipated. Brad faced those early morning hours of seemingly endless waiting on his own until, thankfully, his mom arrived for additional support. He received several updates from the staff, many of which lead to both relief and confusion at the same time. They included the mention of possible hysterectomy if they couldn't stop the bleeding to confirmation that it wasn't uterine rupture to admittance that they weren't sure of the exact cause of the excessive bleeding. After much work and assistance from a specialist who drove up from Holland at 2 in the morning, they had determined that the source of the bleeding was two-fold -- I had a post-partum condition called uterine atone along with some additional bleeding resulting from one of my more serious lacerations. They were able to patch me up, get my uterus to finally cooperate and, with a transfusion of 5 units of blood later, I was good to go. Or at least I should say I was good as anyone could be in that situation. I woke up tired and thirsty but grateful.

The next several days in the hospital were followed by care from an amazing nursing staff and support from friends and family. Though the early days of recovery were difficult, I received exceptional treatment from doctors and nurses alike who were determined for me to celebrate my 32nd birthday in my own home rather than a hospital bed. I was relieved to be headed home on the evening of Saturday, June 13th, but also uncertain about how I was going to manage in this adjustment with the unexpected events. Brad was a superhero and alleviated my fears and anxieties by scheduling around the clock help for the next two weeks straight. At that moment, I was reminded once again of why I married him.

Though there were many unanswered questions and unresolved feelings related to the post-birth happenings, I can look back and say one thing with certainty . . . I wouldn't have traded Elise's birth experience for the world. Her entrance into this world may have been "fast and furious" as I later coined, but we could have never imagined the place in our hearts that was immediately carved out just for her. With the unexpected turns that we encountered on this day, we were reminded that this is life, plain and simple. We can't control it, we may not understand it, but we must embrace it with every part of our being.

D-Day

2009-06-06T15:24:00.002-04:00

Here we are, once again, anxiously awaiting the latest addition to our family and time couldn't be moving any slower! Ah, yes, I seem to vaguely remember this feeling during my last pregnancy with Joseph. With the clock moving at a snail's pace, I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on our past few months . . .

First, I have to say what a different pregnancy this has been from my first. Not sure if it's the fact we're having a girl -- yes, we did find out the sex this time thanks to the new ultrasound technology being tried out for the first time during our 20 week ultrasound. Despite the very clear picture and exact placement on the "nether regions", I have to admit that I had a moment of weakness that ultimately led to our confirmation. Retrospectively, Brad and I both talked about how that first shot all but confirmed that our little one was a girl. Once I caught a glimpse, I simply couldn’t resist and just had to be sure. The shopping of cute girly clothes ensued and the rest is history. We couldn't be more thrilled to balance out our brood and add a little girl to the mix!

But I digress . . . I have heard wives' tales that pregnancies with girls tend to be a lot more difficult and, wow, did that end up to be so true in this case! I'm not sure if it had anything to do with this pregnancy falling mostly over the germ-infested winter months or my level of fatigue resulting from both chasing after a very busy toddler and trying to work full-time -- my guess is that it was a little bit of both. Anyways, the majority of our winter months were spent perpetuating and trying to defeat the endless cycle of ailing symptoms, including two rounds of antibiotics in April due to a bad case of bronchitis. Who even knew that they gave pregnant women antibiotics?!? Anyways, we can thankfully say that the long winter is behind us and we look forward to brighter days ahead.

Over the past several months, we have watched Joseph's amazing transformation from baby to little boy. Ever since he put on his "walking shoes" in December, we haven't been able to slow him down! He just loves exploring the world around him and I am just so incredibly thankful that he is still such a good sleeper. Where would we be without those naps?!? Every day brings something new and we've enjoyed seeing our "little professor" learn and grow in leaps and bounds over these past few months. Yes, that's one of our affectionate nicknames for him because -- as much as he loves to be the physical active little boy that he is -- he is such the studious analytical observer as well. One of the first things he does before he gets out of bed in the morning is point to his books so he can pick one out for his morning read. I swear there is no funnier image than seeing him so intently focused on his book of choice while we change his morning diaper. Every once in a while, he'll even cross one leg over another just for effect! These last few weeks, I've been getting particularly nostalgic with him and trying to simply cherish those quiet moments that I have with him. Whether it's quietly reading a book together, working on a puzzle or simply rocking him to sleep -- yes, I still rock him like a baby and I will continue to do it as long as he lets me -- it is in these moments that I am reminded of how blessed we are to have such a special little boy. I know the next few months will be as much of a transition for him as it will be for us as we try to remember what it's like to have a newborn, but I don't doubt that he'll continue to amaze us as he takes on his new big brother role.

Which brings us to where we are today, the official due date of Baby Girl Hunter, appropriately falling on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. The infamous day signifies the high-cost invasion that officially marked the turning point for Allied forces in WW2. This day is often noted as "the longest day" in history and that has certainly taken on an entirely new meaning to me. Let's just hope that, similar to the storming of the beaches in Normandy , this little one decides to take the world by storm soon! Oh, and on a side note, let's also hope that she goes easy on mom in the process. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and stay tuned for news . . .

And still growing . . .

2008-12-23T11:26:00.009-05:00

Just like most folks out there, we've found ourselves particularly busy over the past several months with the holiday rush. As we put the final touches on our Christmas preparations (yes, we did just get our Christmas tree up last night -- no comments, please!), we are excited to spend yet another year with our loved ones celebrating those things that matter most in life. We have our health, happiness and an upcoming new year that will be filled with many exciting changes to our family, namely . . .

Yep, that's right, your eyes do not deceive (even though I was sure mine were for several minutes after taking this test). We have baby #2 on the way! This came as a great surprise to us and, once we moved past the initial "shock and awe" of the revelation, we began to anxiously anticipate the arrival of Joseph's little brother or sister in June! Time will fly - especially given that our new little baby Hunter was a mystery to us for the majority of the first trimester -- and we will keep you updated with the latest on our little developing bambino. Until next time, enjoy a restful and blessed holiday season . . . we're certainly ready for it!

A first glimpse at baby Hunter at 12 weeks

Being a little shy . . . nice shot of the backside!

Happy 1st Birthday, Little Joe!

2008-10-16T23:22:00.006-04:00

Whew, just made it in under the wire to share with you some recent photos of our birthday boy! I can't believe one year ago today that Joseph came into our lives and changed it in ways we could have never imagined. This year has been the absolute best as we've been able to watch him grow from our chubby-cheeked newborn to what already seems to be little boy status. Every day brings something new and exciting and we are so grateful for the joy that fills our hearts with each special moment we share with him. Happy Birthday, Little Joe, and we hope all of your wishes in life come true!

We love you up to heaven and beyond!

Remembering Grandma Emilio

2008-05-28T15:57:00.005-04:00

Johanna Emilio
(February 13,1918 - March 23, 2008)

This is long overdue, but I have to take a moment to commemorate the life of Grandma Emilio -- the true matriarch of our family. She passed away on Easter Sunday due to her battle with Leukemia, after living a very full 90 years of life. Grandma was truly a remarkable soul and anyone who had the opportunity to meet her would wholeheartedly agree. She had the most warm, welcoming and open heart of anyone that I knew (and probably anyone I will ever meet in this lifetime). She will be missed dearly and I will always carry her memory close to my heart.

Sitting on my desk right next to my computer, there is a small calendar which contains prayers and devotionals for each day of the year. As I glance at this calendar through tired eyes, I can see that the date still reads March 23rd. For some reason, I just have not been able to turn that page. Interestingly, the prayer for that day reads as follows: "You never know when you will step into the moment for which God has been preparing you. It is not just one moment, but many successive ones. It doesn't matter whether you are nineteen or ninety, God is preparing for you daily for something great." I believe that says it all. We'll love you always, Grandma, and just as you would have wanted -it's time for us to turn that page.

- Grandma pictured with Joseph at 4 months old. When she met her first great-grandchild, you could see how happy and proud it made her. Throughout our visit, she kept repeating emphatically "He's gorgeous!" in her Long Island accent -- well, you can't disagree with that!!

4th trimester no more!

2008-01-16T17:11:00.001-05:00

Well, time has truly flown by and today marks the official 3 month mark for Joseph. All I can say is, wow, what a difference three months has made! Soon after I gave birth to Joseph, I heard the term "4th trimester" used to describe those first three months of transition -- both for baby and parents. Understandably, babies in their first few months of life need a little bit of time to adjust to all of the stimulating sights, sounds and smells that the outside world has to offer. After all, the majority of their life has been spent in a very cozy, warm and dark place until they are abruptly introduced into their new bright, loud and chilly environment (especially in our case!). Can you blame them for needing a little time?!?

I can share that, although Joseph has so far exhibited an overall pleasant temperament, I can truly see how he is now embracing his outside world wholeheartedly. With each day we can see even the smallest of changes in him that, to anyone else, might seem a bit boring. Okay, I admit that suddenly beginning to produce enough drool to fill Lake Michigan isn't exactly an earth-shattering accomplishment, but it's a big change nonetheless! So, bear with me as I share some of the ways that we've observed our little Joseph grow over the past couple of months:

Physical - As we all know, Joseph was already off to a pretty good start in this department. At his 2 month appointment, he measured 25 and 3/8 inches in height, 14 lbs 6 oz in weight and 42.1 cm in head circumference. Now what does that actually mean, you ask? Bottom line . . . little Joe is a very big boy, ranking in the 98th, 95th and 92nd percentile respectively! As daddy says, straight A's across the board!! Perhaps we should get some sort of bumper sticker to commemorate the achievement . . . hmmm, maybe something along the lines of "Big-boned, Big-brained and Lovin' Life" or "Baby Goliath on board"!?! Here is a picture from the holidays capturing him in all his glory:

Now, let's keep in mind that the average American gains 7 - 10 lbs during the holiday season, so I think we can cut Joe some slack!

Motor Skills - Since Joseph didn't really have many of these coming out of the gate, he really only had one direction to go from there. Thankfully, we have seen very steady improvements in this area . . . marked primarily by his ability to grasp onto toys and persistent attempts to put them in his mouth (we're still working on that one!). He's also recently started reaching for toys which I've captured on a lazy afternoon basking in the oh-so-rare winter sunlight.

I would also like to note that he has developed quite the knack for foot-activated devices, exhibited primarily through the karate kicks that he likes to give to his bouncy seat. Once he figured out that the little hidden foot pedal made his animal band light up and play, he kicks with such purpose and fervor that I'm sure he'll either be a fantastic soccer player or winning the lead role in "The Karate Kid: The Next Generation". I noticed that he even kicks a lot more when mommy or daddy are holding him. Perhaps he's hoping that we too will begin to light up and play nice music! You've gotta love all of the baby gadgets available nowadays.

Social/Emotional - This can be best summed up in this picture.Although we began to see the first true smiles at around 1 month old, he is now constantly lighting up the Hunter household with smiles, coos, giggles and I even got him to reach such hysterical levels recently that he had his first hearty belly laugh. Perhaps I should take my act on the road! The best part of his smiles are the recognition that comes along with it. Okay, sure, now he'll pretty much smile at anyone who talks to him a pleasant tone or flashes him their pearly whites. However, nothing beats the smile that I receive when I first peak into his crib in the morning without even saying a word. He goes from an "I'm starving!" type of cry, to intent staring and then slowly breaks out in the biggest grin. It's priceless!

Sleep Patterns - Okay, I realize that this isn't one of the major developmental areas, but Joseph's advancements in terms of his sleep schedule have been simply huge and definitely deserve an honorable mention. During the holiday season, Joey began what we first believed to be an isolated Christmas miracle, but thankfully became what is now a pretty well-established pattern . . . at least for now! He has started to consistently sleep through the night and, when I say "sleep through the night", I don't mean the mere 5 hour stretches that all of the developmental guides talk about. No, I'm talking about approximately 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night! Although we are still working on an established daytime nap routine, we are truly thankful for this accomplishment and hope that this is only the beginning of many restful nights in our little boy's future!

That's all I have for now! I hope you enjoyed reading about the progress that Joseph made during his "4th trimester" of life. At least I know our fellow parent friends can probably relate to the feeling of pride that washes over you the first time your little one discovers his or her hands!

Remembering Grandpa Martinie

2008-01-15T15:41:00.002-05:00

Melvin Jay Martinie

(May 8,1926 - December 30, 2007)

For those of you who may not have heard, Brad's grandfather passed away right after the holidays. Grandpa held a very special place in our hearts and we were grateful that he was able to celebrate Christmas with us and hold Joseph for the first time. It was a moment that we will always cherish and I wanted to share with you the words that Brad spoke in tribute to grandpa at his funeral:

Hello I’m Brad Hunter, Mel’s grandson. I feel that grandpa’s faith guided much of what he did in life so I want to talk about two ways that faith was evident to me and the people around him.

First, my grandfather, as many of you who were privileged enough to know, was a passionate and convicted man. He was committed to being a positive force in others lives by being joyful, optimistic, and most of all humorous. Those convictions would also shine through when my grandfather would get onto topics that the best I can describe as “the way things oughta be”. He openly shared his viewpoints passionately describing his thoughts on what could be changed in our world. Well, a topic that has been taught in the church I attend lately has caused me to look differently at the way my grandfather discussed world events. The idea that’s been frequently touched on in our church is that God instructs us to look at the world as an inherently good place, that people are inherently good, that all things work themselves out in the end for good. But the world tries to tell us, through the nightly news and most of things on TV, that everything is bad, our world is full of pain, true love is not attainable, etc. I think what Mel was trying to say is THAT is what is wrong with our world! Not that there are problems, or not that bad things happen; but that our world and our lives are to be enjoyed, that our relationships with others are a gift, and that we’re all here for a reason.

Second, my grandfather gave us all enough forewarning about his health and what would eventually be. And interestingly enough, I feel today like that was intentional on the part of my grandfather. He certainly held onto life much longer than many of us thought, a testament to his courage, faith and perseverance. I think a bit of that was by design. He had a way about him that took into account the feelings of others and how they would react to a situation, and I think his passing is no different. He prepared us for it—if there is a good way to leave this world—the best way WE would be able to cope with it. He made sure we were okay with his passing. And today, I honestly feel that example should be used to feel the same about all of our loved ones…that we be in the right place with all those around us.

Finally I would like to read from 1 Chronicles where God is telling King David that his son will be chosen to build the temple. These verses are often quoted when speaking about the responsibility we all have in fulfilling God’s wishes for our lives, even though sometimes we are discouraged because they seem unattainable and out of reach. Let us remember my grandfather as someone who carried those out in many aspects of his life:

"1 David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: 2 King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. 3 But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.' 4 "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.' 8 "So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."

A New Career

2007-12-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

As many of you know in mid-2007 I began a career as a financial advisor with Edward Jones. I have been in a extended training period for almost 4 months which finally ends tomorrow, December 3 as I move into my new office in Grand Rapids. Karen and I are excited about this new direction and the possibilities it brings. Thanks to those who have expressed encouragement and support. That encouragement has made all the difference during this time.

One thing our family has decided to do as our first priority is to begin planning for Joseph's education. We are starting what is called a 529 plan, which is like an "educational IRA". Basically the contributions are a deduction for those who participate & the funds are withdrawn for the beneficiary tax free.

We are posting this message as an option for friends and family who may want to contribute during the Holiday season, or anytime thereafter. If you are interested please call Karen or me if you wish to discuss this further.

We hope the holidays is a blessed time for all of you.

Brad & Karen
616.285.5427

That time of year

2007-12-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

Hello All! Get ready, the month of December is upon us! Between work, family, and jockeying for position in checkout lines, the real meaning of the season is sometimes lost. So as we take a collective deep breath for the roller coaster drop into Christmas and New Year, I wanted to quickly send out a wire with a message of encouragement and hope, to fend off missing the best things about this month.
When I step back to think about the many people in my immediate and extended family and the hundred or so new family members I have after Karen I were married, I cannot believe all the wonderful stories. We have those who have gotten married this year and some who are planning weddings. We have those (too many to count) who have delivered healthy babies and those who are expecting. We know of many who are not 100% in health, others who have battled back from sickness. The bottom line is it's just amazing to sit back and think of the many who are in this "circle" and provide encouragement for us, through their stories. If overlooked however, these things--simple stories of other people lives--may cause us to miss something important. So, I wanted to let you know Karen and I are thinking of you today, wishing you all the best.

Happy Holidays,

So much to be thankful for . . .

2007-11-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe over one month has already gone by since Joseph has been born! It seems like ages ago -- we can't even seem to remember what life was like before his arrival.

This past month has been full of many exciting new adventures. Adjusting to our new roles as parents and learning all about our little guy has been as exciting as it has been challenging, but we wouldn't trade it for the world. On our end, adapting to life with very little sleep has been interesting to say the least. Thankfully, we've had a great deal of help from friends, family and neighbors. As you can see from the pictures that we've been updating over the past month on our Flickr page, Joseph has had many visitors over the past month, and each of them graciously lent a helping hand. We'd like to give a special "shout out" to the Grandmas for all of their help as well as Joseph's aunts and uncles who have helped us in ways that we can't even count. Especially those who have travelled from afar -- Uncle Michael, Aunt Kelly and Aunt Sarah -- we are extremely grateful for help with some of those late night feedings with Joseph as well as helping us with our own feedings!

In terms of Joseph's past month, it seems that he has already changed in leaps and bounds! As the days go by, we've noticed how much more alert he's become as well how much longer he can hold up his head, and, best of all, how much more he's smiling. Although he has struggled during his early weeks with some gas issues, his smiles have recently become about more than just "passing wind". Usually it starts with him very studiously focusing in on our features and then he suddenly breaks into a big gummy grin. I can honestly say that there is nothing like it in this world -- it makes all of those sleepless nights entirely worth it!

So, in commemoration of this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we have so much to be thankful for . . . primarily, our good health, our family and friends and those little gummy smiles!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joseph's Birth Story

2007-11-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is almost one entire month after our little Joseph's birth and I've finally found a moment to sit down and write about his exciting arrival. Who knew that becoming parents would give us an entirely new appreciation of free time. Yeah right . . . what's that again?!? As I'm typing this, the little one is actually attempting to nap on my lap, so we'll see how long this lasts! Hopefully I'll be able to complete this story before he turns one year old!!

Anyways, as many of you know, I went into labor on the morning of my due date. Not bad for a first-timer! I labored throughout the day, but the contractions didn't really become regular until the later part of the afternoon. After calling my doctor's office, they told me to sit tight and labor a bit more at home before coming into the hospital. We waited it out and tried to distract ourselves with some Monday night football. Brad was even lucky enough to catch a quick nap! Now, before you say anything, I did tell him that it was perfectly okay for him to take a snooze. Little did I know that he would actually be able to sleep. I swear, my husband can sleep through anything! Regardless, it wasn't long that he was able to enjoy his peaceful slumber. Approximately 45 minutes had passed and my contractions were at least one minute long and averaging 2-3 minutes apart. Based on the increasing pain, I decided it was time to go. I alerted Brad and I swear that I have never seen him move so fast out of deep sleep as he lept into action. He ran upstairs to get our bags and we hustled out the door. He was so focused on making it in record time to the hospital I began to wonder if we were going to make it there in one piece! Of course, Brad came through and I was speedily and safely dropped off at Spectrum Hospital emergency.

When we arrived, I was wheeled up to triage and monitored for a while. Then I was shown to the birthing room which was a corner room with a beautiful view of the city. Unfortunately, I was in too much pain at this point to truly enjoy it, but I took comfort in the great treatment that I was receiving from the hospital staff as well as the wonderful support that my loving husband and coach was lending me. I didn't opt for pain relief right away -- rather I decided to give the whirlpool a whirl to see if it could help to alleviate my pain. It did for about a half an hour and then, as I got out of the tub, my water officially broke and . . . holy contractions! They aren't kidding when they say labor is hard work! A three minute contraction later and I was ready for them to bring on the epidural. After the lovely anesthesiologist administered the pain relief, I wanted to hug her and secretly thanked God for the individual who invented the epidural. Sweet relief! I didn't even feel the next contraction and was able to relax through the remainder of the night. Once 7:30 a.m. rolled around and the sun began to rise, it was about time for me to push. I was nervous, anxious, excited, along with about 1000 other emotions were racing through me, but I didn't care. Before long, I knew that I was going to be able to finally to meet my baby. Ten months of hard work was about to pay off and I was ready to do whatever was necessary to get down this final stretch.

Up to this point, the nurse kept saying how my labor was "textbook". Being the overachiever that I am, I felt so proud and thought maybe I'd even get a gold star when this was all said and done. Little did I know that when I began pushing was exactly when my labor became anything but textbook. During the 3 hour process, we discovered that our little one was tranverse (i.e., facing sideways) and my pubic bone was unusually low for the baby to travel through. Not impossible, but the doctor said that it would present some unique challenges.

I pushed "perfectly" as the nurse described and she gave me a true glimmer of hope at the two hour mark when the big light lowered down from the ceiling and she told me that this was the beginning of the end. Before I would know it, she reassured me, I'd be holding my baby. A few more pushes later, the doctor walked in and completely deflated all of my hopes when he informed us that the baby hadn't made any progress in a while because he was stuck. Let me tell you, after 40 weeks of waiting and close to 3 hours of pushing, that's the last thing you want to hear! Regardless, I was willing to do anything to deliver a healthy baby, so I informed the doctor that I could push for 3 more hours if he needed me to. One look in his eyes and I knew that was not going to be an option.

After a few minutes of considering a forceps delivery, he decided that the baby was not in the correct position to do so safely. The decision had been made for me . . . we had no choice but to deliver by a Caesarean secion. As upset as I was, the doctor and nurses were very reassuring as what seemed like half of the hospital staff frantically rushed around to get me into emergency surgery. Before I even knew what was happening, I was wheeled into the O.R. and they began working on me. Thankfully once I saw Brad's face -- or at least the small part of his face that wasn't covered by medical gear -- I felt like everything was going to be okay. I tried to stay focused on the fact that I would soon be able to meet our little one.

I said a prayer of thanks, once again, for the wonder of the epidural as they worked away at me. I didn't feel any pain, but there was quite a bit of pressure from all of the tugging that ensued from trying to get him out. I could feel the entire table shaking because his head had gotten stuck, but I finally felt a great release from the pressure and heard a good, solid cry. Misty-eyed, Brad finally was able to get out the words that I'd been waiting to hear, "It's a boy". At the same time, I heard various murmers through the O.R. proclaiming what a big boy he was and how surprised they were at his size. The doctors and nurses that had worked so closely with me throughout this process had predicted that the baby would be somewhere between 7 and 8 lbs. However, one look over at the warming table that they had placed him in and it was confirmed . . . he was indeed one Big Boy!! While trying to take in all of his features, I absolutely could not get over the size of his hands and feet (see below for the true to size image of his footprints)! Brad immediately kicked into father mode and held his son's hand and got many great photos of his first moments of life. It was truly a magical moment! Once they were finished checking him out to ensure that he was healthy, they were finally able to bring him over to me and rest him on my chest. That first thought that I had was similar to the one I feel every time I look into his little face . . . Thank God for this miracle and for allowing us this little piece of heaven. Happy Birthday, Joseph Bradley Hunter!

Waiting No More

2007-10-17T14:44:00.000-04:00

The time finally came like it has for so many first time parents to leave excitedly for the hospital as Karen and I did Monday night. But before I go any further, I have to brief with this description, I'm expected back at the hospital shortly. I'll claim the role of a stereotypical male in my birth description, so that Karen can fill in all wonderful details Friday when she arrives home.
Our son, Joseph Bradley Hunter was born at 11:08 Tuesday morning October 16 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Karen and Brad Hunter. He weighed in at 9 pounds and 2 ounces. As many who saw Karen in person can attest, she carried every ounce of the baby very well--he was much bigger than anyone thought he would be. His cry is a not-so menacing, pseudo-angry kind of whimper, really. We only once have heard him really belt it out. The lactation consultants have been great. And so far Joe has eaten well from mom, as they both figure out the complex process of feeding for the first time. What else...what else....oh he has a little dark hair mostly in the back. He has more of my features like hands and feet, while his face is strikingly, almost scarily Karen's resemblance. Which as all of you know, is a good thing! Gotta run for now, go to Flickr to see the rest of the pics. We're just a wee bit proud right now. Thanks for visiting. Cheers!

The Waiting Game

2007-10-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

. . . Or should I call it the "weight-ing" game instead?!? Sorry, bad joke. I just find it hard to imagine my belly getting any bigger! I know, I'm exagerrating a bit. The doctor says that I'm measuring as "average" size, but nothing about this feels average to me. Literally, I feel as if I am stretched out to maximum capacity and at any moment the baby may come bursting out of my belly button. An image reminiscent of that horrific scene out of the movie "Alien" keeps playing through my mind, so let's sincerely hope that's not the case!

As you can imagine, time seems to be moving at a snail's pace for us. We are really trying to not count the minutes until this baby will decide to arrive and rather are just trying to live our lives as normally as possible. Easier said than done, but last night was a nice break from the monotony when Brad decided to take me out on a date to a very nice local restaurant. Minus the Braxton Hicks experienced during the first half of dinner, we had a very enjoyable evening. We got a good laugh out of that because we thought maybe the baby wasn't going to let us have our last hurrah. However, he or she decided to "quiet down" and let us enjoy what felt like our last supper. Below is a picture from the evening that will give you a glimpse at our new family vehicle (the Ford Edge) as well as what I look like at almost 40 full weeks of pregnancy. Enjoy!

The Home Stretch

2007-10-02T15:09:00.000-04:00

Now that Summer is winding down and Fall is officially upon us, we can count down the days until our new little addition arrives! The last few months have been incredibly busy with numerous travels, crazy work schedules and even a career change thrown into the mix. Although we have barely had a moment to catch our breath, we are so grateful for the time that we have been able to share with family and friends as we prepare for this major life change. Trips to Phoenix, the Outer Banks, New York, Ann Arbor and Detroit have allowed us to spend some much cherished time with our loved ones and even meet some of the newer additions that have arrived over the past few months. Be sure to check out our Flickr page for the latest pictures -- they also provide a great visual for how my belly has grown. Who knew that the human body could stretch to such capacities!?!

According to my doctor's appointment a few weeks ago, my body is doing everything it needs to prepare for our baby's arrival. The baby has dropped, the head is down and I am 1 centimeter dilated. Hey, that means only 9 more to go, right? This should be a piece of cake! We keep trying to give the baby a pep talk and let him or her know that the world is a good place and it's okay to come out now! However, for some reason the baby isn't quite ready to make its grand appearance. Perhaps the recent performance of the UM football team has been somewhat of a deterrent -- can't really argue with that one. As our anticipation builds and we wonder what this baby will be like, we remind ourselves that he or she will come in good time when the moment is just right. After all, patience is a virtue!

We want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of us during this special time and feel truly blessed to be extending our little family very soon. Feel free to post comments on our blog and even let us know if you have any predictions as to when Baby Hunter's birthday will actually be! We'll be sure to update with pictures and the birth story as soon as possible, so wish us a healthy and smooth delivery.

Birthdays, anniversaries and other surprises . . .

2007-06-29T13:50:00.000-04:00

What a month this has been! Apart from most recent exciting trip that we returned from, we've had so much to celebrate in this month of June. First, we received another report on the continued healthy development of our baby. During our 21 week ultrasound, we could see Baby Hunter kicking away feverishly inside mama's belly. What a sight! I've been feeling little kicks and jabs for a while now, but we truly couldn't believe how active this baby was from the images on our screen. Even the doctor commented on how active the baby was as well as how challenging it was making it for her to take all of her necessary measurements. At that point in time, the baby was measuring right on target in the 50 perentile of weight -- approximately 10 and 1/2 to 12 inches long and not even one full pound yet! I don't even want to think about what these little "karate chops" are going to feel like towards the end of nine months!
Below are some updated pictures of Baby Hunter taken during the ultrasound. I have to admit that the last one is my favorite!

Check out the legs on this baby! Dad couldn't stop commenting on them. Also, it appears that he or she has inherited Daddy's feet - notice the big toe is a bit shorter than the second . . . something I noticed right away. Brad couldn't be more proud!

Now, onto the big 30th birthday party! Yes, I have hit another landmark in my life and have decided to wholeheartedly embrace my 30's. After all, aren't the thirties the new twenties anyways? I have to say that my 30th birthday couldn't have started better - I received not one but three different gift deliveries that day, including a balloon and floral bouquet from Orla, a cookie bouquet (yum!) from the Murphy's, and a personal delivery of a dozen roses my husband. In that moment I decided that this was the result of one of two things: (1) People truly loved me, or (2) People felt sorry for me that I was turning 30. I opted to believe the first and went on with my day which included a lovely evening out with my husband. The birthday celebration continued with a quick visit from Christy, Chris and Kylie that following Saturday. We truly enjoyed our time together, and it's important to note that I received yet another bouquet of flowers. Once again, I was reminded of my recent feeling of being loved and a little concerned that I was running out of vases! Little did I know that the birthday fun was still not over . . . my friends were all accomplices to Brad's grand plan to get me downtown for a surprise birthday party. Thanks to the help of our friend and neighbor, Kristen, I unsuspectingly thought that I was simply meeting a few girlfriends out for dinner. When I reached the top floor of Gardella's Tavern, I soon saw many familiar faces and a few odd outfits which was later explained by Brad's choice of a totally 90's themed party. Yes, imagine pegged pants and the one shoulder overalls look. What were we thinking back then anyways? I digress. The best surprise of the entire night was walking in and seeing my Michael and Kelly's smiling faces . . . all the way from Florida! I couldn't believe that they made the trip up to Grand Rapids for the big event and was grateful to have some time with them for a few days. It was a wonderful evening and I feel especially blessed to have a husband who put that much time and effort into planning the party and making sure that my special birthday was marked with many special memories.

Which brings me to the last portion of our June celebrations . . . our 2 year wedding anniversary! Brad, we've been through so many exciting changes this year and I can't wait to see what's on the horizon. Thanks for making every day special and for being such a wonderful husband! Here's to 60 more . . .

The Hunter's European Vacation (cont'd) . . .

2007-06-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

The following is Brad's addendum to our trip, inspired on our flight back to Chicago . . .

"I guess I didn't realize . . .

• how lavish and ornate London is and
• how cool Howth, Ireland is,
• what my baby kicking felt like,
• how bad the air in London is,
• how much worse GWB (“W”) sounds when you’re overseas,
• how much better the Irish accent sounds,
• what 900 A.D. really feels like,
• what Guinness smells like over 10 city blocks,
• how afraid of heights I am,
• the importance of walks in the park,
• how big 800 Karats really is,
• what it really feels like to run aground,
• what Traverse City, MI looks like from 10,000 feet
• how hard traveling 8 hrs east can be

The Hunter's European Vacation

2007-06-27T13:39:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, we made it back safely! No, we didn't decide to extend our stay in Ireland a few more weeks. Life has just been so completely crazy since we have returned -- the month of June has just flown by! Anyways, more on that later. For now, I want to focus this entry on providing a brief recap of our wonderful European adventure, so here goes . . .

After our long transatlantic journey from Chicago, we safely landed in beautiful (but sligthly chilly) Dublin. There we were greeted by our wonderful hosts, Toni and Harry Gallagher (i.e., Mama & Papa G) as well as the rest of the Phoenix crew. As my blurry eyes tried to adjust to the whole concept of driving on the other side of the road, I said a few silent prayers for our safety over the next several days. Let's just say that there's no such thing as defensive driving in that neck of the woods! Anyways, once we arrived to the Gallagher residence we were immediately introduced to their beautiful neighborhood and surrounding area of Howth(rhymes with both), a fishing and yachting port that also serves as a popular suburban resort just outside of Dublin. We went hiking along Howth Head and it was everything we would have pictured Ireland to be - gorgeous cliffs, lots of greenery and a mixed bag of weather. As we took in the views of Dublin Bay, we were also privileged enough to get our own personal tour of the attractions, courtesy of Orla Gallagher. As much as we love her, we soon learned that Orla might not be the best candidate to give us proper history on what we were seeing. For instance, she told us that Lambay Island was once used as a lookout point for the Vikings. Papa G then chimed in and informed us that it was actually designed as a lookout for Napolean. Same difference, right?!? We continued exploring this quaint community throughout the day and enjoyed our first Guinness break at The Abbey Tavern, an infamous 16th century pub completely furnished with all the trimmings you would expect -- a blazing fire, original stone walls, sawdusted floors, and friendly faces. Advised by many to "push through" the jet lag, we had no choice but to continue our evening in the Temple Bar area of downtown Dublin. During our evening out, we had a true sampling of what Irish folks are all about. The places we visited were jam packed with Guinness-drinking, foot-stomping, and the occasional arse-bearing patrons. Even when we were in transit from one place to the next, many a folks could be found actually dancing in the street. I couldn't believe my eyes -- it was honestly like a scene out of a movie!! It was a proud moment for me as well. As the one pregnant lady in the group, I pushed through my fatigue and lasted until about 1 a.m. If you knew what my bedtime has been lately, you would be proud of me too!

The next day involved us taking advantage of our first full day in Ireland and touring downtown Dublin. Be sure to check out our pictures on our Flickr website because there's quite a few great shots. Highlights from this tour included seeing St. Stephen's Garden, Christ Church Cathedral and The Guinness Storehouse. Not surprisingly, we continued our evening in Dublin with dinner and drinks (stillwater for me) and had a wonderful time. Surprisingly, I was not the one to let the lingering affects of jetlag take over and actually fall asleep while we were out. Another proud moment for me, not so much for our friend Kristene!

The next three days began our lovely boat adventure from up the River Shannon which we learned was the longest river in both Ireland and Britain. We were excited to take in the scenic countryside views and enjoyed our relaxing cruise until we ran into our first slight glitch on the trip. After only one hour from our Banagher departure, we managed to, as seasoned sailors like to refer, "run aground". Unfortunately, Brad happened to be at the helm when it happened. He was slowly cruising along, smack in the middle of the river where he should have been, with Harry by his side. He began to notice the depth gauge was dramatically dropping to alarmingly low levels and alerted Harry. Harry, with a typical laid-back Irish attitude, confirmed that it was okay and that the river had been a bit low recently. Before another word could be uttered, the boat shook with a violent lurch and we heard sounds from the bottom of the boat that no one should ever hear (imagine the underwater scene from Titanic when you can see the iceberg actually scraping the side of the boat). After painstaking silence from the crew and futile efforts to get "unstuck", we were fortunate enough to be rescued by some German pirates. Yep, you heard me correctly. A boat of Germans flying the pirate flag actually towed us to safety -- apparently they were pros at this since they already had to do it three times prior that week! We then ported at the next stop of The Shannon Bridge to make sure that there was no damage. After another slight incident with German boaters involving the exchange of registration numbers -- Capt. Harry assured us that the strong wind was the culprit -- we safely docked and confirmed that the boat was clear for continued travel. We were so inspired by the news, that we were almost compelled to re-enact another Titanic moment -- Jack and Rose flying toward the sunset on the bow of the boat. Thankfully, we ignored those urges and kept things on the somewhat normal side. Apart from witnessing more nakedness from a overly-friendly stranger on his balcony (what is it with these Europeans?) the rest of the trip was relaxing and uneventful. Our first stop was Athlone, a quaint little port, where we were able to appreciate the Athlone Castle and Sean's Pub, the oldest pub in Ireland. The next day we cruised up to Lough Ree Lake and then turned back around to port our second evening at The Shannon Bridge. We enjoyed our evening and the rest of our boating excursion as we took in more countryside, when I determined that Irish cows have got it made with all of the lush green pastures available for grazing! On our drive back toward Dublin, we stopped off at Locke's Distillery in Kilbeggan where they are infamous for their strong Irish whiskey. Based on the smells emanating throughout the tour as well as the look on everyone's faces during their whiskey samples, the Irish don't mess around when it comes to their whiskey!

Part three of our European vacation brought Brad and I to the London portion of our trip. Accompanied by my friend and colleague, Mary, and her pretty German companion, Wolfgang, we took in London like there was no tomorrow. We were centrally located in the city and had wisely invested in the London Pass, which made it easy to take many of the sites. We were able to see Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The Eye of London, St. James Park, Buckingham Palace, Wellington Arch, Hyde Park, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Britain at War exhibit, St. Paul's Cathedral, Picadilly Square, and The London Dungeon. As comfortable as my shoes were, my feet were still on fire after all of this sight-seeing. Part of that may have to do with traversing 530 in one stop alone! Believe it or not, I actually got my pregnant body all the way to the very top Golden Gallery of St. Paul's where we were able to take in the most breath-taking views of the city. It was entirely worth it, although I'm not sure that Brad would agree after the lengthy foot rub he had to give me later in the evening. Oh well, I promised myself that a little extra "baby baggage" wouldn't slow me down at all on my trip. It didn't and the baby even got to take the experience in utero!

Our return to Dublin for our final evening brought us to the close of our trip. I have to say that as our plane slowly descended over Ireland, it felt like we were coming home. As much as we enjoyed the hustle and bustle of London, we truly connected more with the laid-back pace and gorgeous scenery that Ireland had to offer. We were sad to end such an unforgettable trip, but new that our gracious hosts would welcome us back at any time. Who knows, with his/hers first taste of Ireland, maybe Baby Hunter would be curious for more someday!

Off to the Emerald Isle . . .

2007-05-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

The day has finally come -- we depart on our big trip to Ireland today! With the exception of a few last minute items, we are mostly packed and ready to go. Our flight leaves from Chicago this evening as we travel through the night overseas. We'll reach our final destination of Dublin bright and early tomorrow morning where we'll be greeted by the native Gallagher family. We absolutely can't wait to take in the sights and immerse ourselves in the wonder of Irish culture. Who knows . . . maybe we'll even come back with accents?!? We'll be sure to update you with many pictures and tales from our trip upon our return. In the meantime, here's a fun little snapshot into the Irish culture that translates some popular Irish slang into our own (more understandable) terms:

Arseways = complete mess (I did it all arseways)
Bag of Taytos = packet of potato chips/crisps
Black Stuff = Guinness
Culchie = a city dweller's name for a country person
Dry Shite = boring person
Eejit = idiot
Fluthered = very drunk
Gas = funny
Hollier = holiday, vacation
Holy show = embarrassing exhibition
I am in me wick = I am not!
Jackeen = a country person's name for somebody that lives in Dublin
Kip = to have a shortsiesta, rest
Knackered = fatigued very tired
Legging (it) = running fast
Mary Hick = old-fashioned female
Nappy = Diaper
Off your nut = mad, crazy
Pull your socks up = Get to work/get busy
Queer hawk = peculiar person
Runners = trainers, everyday sports shoes
Snog, Shift = to make out, kiss
Twistin' hay = means you're starting trouble, usually in a playful way
Up the pole = pregnant
Wanker = a person you don't like
Y-Fronts = Men's briefs

Hmmm . . . this should be interesting. So, since I'm up a pole I'm hoping that everything will go smoothly for us today so we won't have to leg it through the airport. After all, I won't have my runners handy! Hopefully, the flight will go without a hitch and we can squeeze a kip or two in as I'm sure we'll both be knackered. Once we arrive and join our Jackeen hosts, our true hollier will begin and we can pull up socks and get ready to enjoy ourselves . . . as long as we don't meet any wankers. I think I'm getting the hang of this already! Either that or I've gone completely off my nut!!

Beans, Strawberries, and Sweet Potatoes . . . Oh My!

2007-05-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

Why is it that everything that I've been reading from the beginning of this pregnancy has compared our little fetus to some sort of food item?!? Over the past few months we've found ourselves immersed in many developmental accounts that allow us to track the progression of the baby's growth. First, the baby was likened to the size of a pea, then a bean, then a strawberry which led Brad to question whether it was like an organically grown strawberry or a hormonally injected strawberry . . . a valid question, I think!

Then our journey led our little one to become the size of a pickle and now a large sweet potato. Seriously, if you don't believe me see the excerpt below from pregnancy.org detailing the 18th week of development.

"Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato), and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy , his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."

My only thought is that pregnant women must have written all of these detailed developmental accounts. With food becoming an ever-present part of a pregnant woman's daily thought patterns that's the only explanation that I can come up with! What's next . . . a squash, a cantaloupe, a loaf of bread?!? Only time will tell, but I think I'll go grab a snack in the meantime . . .

The Summer Tour of 2007 . . .

2007-05-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I have been a little bit of a slacker on the blog lately, but I promise that I will get better now that I actually have some free time. Yeah right, what's that?!? I recently just completed several faculty contracts that I've been working on over the past few months. As much as I love teaching, three classes at once in addition to some additional contracts is a bit much! I think it might be time for a little break so I can begin to focus on some more important things like, um, . . . getting organized!

In addition to a very active work schedule, we've also managed to keep ourselves busy with the our ever-increasing summer travels. We're actually referring to it as The Summer Tour of 2007 -- we'll be selling T-shirts if anyone is interested. We kicked off our tour a few weeks ago with a visit to the Detroit area. We had the opportunity to spend time with both family and friends and especially enjoyed meeting the Suggs' latest addition to their family, Kylie. We were so excited to meet her and see our friends take to parenting so naturally. Congratulations, Christy and Chris! Below are some pictures of little Kylie . . . and I mean little since she was born a month early! I especially love the shot where she's hiding her face from the paparrazi.

The following weekend continued our travels to Chicago to visit sister Sarah. We had a relaxing time visiting with Sarah and enjoyed being able to see her new condo in the heart of Wrigleyville. We even got to take in a little sight seeing with a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry. A little bit of fun and education at the same time . . . you can't beat that! Our excursion went well until we were almost escorted out by a security guard. Toward the end of our visit, we stumbled upon the Prenatal Exhibit. Unfortunately, we only had a few minutes before the museum was set to close and we got stuck in line behind a 10-year-old who was a bit overeager and decided that she needed to read every word of every display of the 40 week journey. Needless to say, we didn't get through the whole exhibit, but what we did see was amazing! Despite the security guard's threatening demeanor and intimidating fake walkie-talkie call for backup, I appreciate Brad's valiant efforts to stay put with the exclamation, "My wife is pregnant and we're here to learn!" Nice try, honey!

The next weekend we actually returned to Detroit for Christy's surprise 30th birthday party. As much as we enjoyed being able to visit once again with friends and family, we had to quickly return to Grand Rapids on Saturday for another friend's birthday. We simply couldn't resist a little Cinco de Mayo celebration! I think Nathan was in agreeance as he got an early start on the celebrating. Check out the hungry man below.

This brings us to last weekend which consisted of our long awaited return to the Valley of the Sun. I was awarded "Top Performer" status in our company and, therefore, we were able to enjoy an expense paid visit to the Desert Ridge Marriott resort. We enjoyed our time spent with colleagues, friends, family -- not to mention that we even had the opportunity to relax in the Marriott's very own "lazy river" (think UOP meets MTV Spring Break). Anyways, a good time was had by all. The highlight of my weekend was being able to see my girlfriends again - especially being able to join the gang to celebrate Orla's birthday. Not only was I able to visit to some of my old favorite hangouts, but I was able to witness the interesting progression of the night which ended with some of the girls talking to the baby through my belly button and some very not-so-flattering pictures (see below for example of Vogue-like picture of me with the birthday girl).
As much as we enjoyed our time there, can I say that it was so HOT that I'm not sure that I'm looking forward to my return trip in July. My body has definitely adjusted back to the more moderate Michigan temps and I'm not sure how I will handle even hotter temps (100+ degrees) when I'm even more pregnant (6+ months). I guess we'll just have to wait and see! We will most certainly keep you updated as the adventure of The Summer Tour of 2007 continues . . .

In pregnancy news, we had another appointment a few weeks ago and were able to hear the heartbeat. No hiding from us this time! It was so wonderful to hear such a strong and fast heartbeat and, more importantly, to know that everything is progressing normally. We are so grateful that everything is going so smoothly!! We'll be sure to keep you updated as we have our next appointment right around the corner which will include the big ultrasound. And, for those of you who might be wondering, we are NOT finding out the sex of the baby! After all, isn't that the way that God intended it ; )?!?

Wedding Bliss

2007-04-13T18:04:00.000-04:00

This past week has entailed some long hours on the computer. . . way more than I'd ever like to admit! Although the majority of this time was dedicated to work-related responsibilities, I was able to play around a bit with our blog and make some enhancements. I'd like to say that I figured it all out on my own, but I'd be completely lying! Thankfully one of my colleagues (and resident blogging expert), Nicky, was able to walk me through the process of including some long awaited photos on our page. I am so grateful for her technical know-how!

Anyways, as you can see from our new and improved page, we've now been able to link directly to our flickr photo site. If you click on any of the pictures located under our Hunter Highlight's Photos section, you will be taken directly to that picture within our flickr account. From what I'm told, you can download and save any of these photos to your own computer - so feel free to grab any that you like! You'll see that we finally uploaded some great pictures from Michael and Kelly's wedding. I hope you enjoy them . . . how can you go wrong with a little love, the luck of the Irish and the sensational croonings of the Baccala's?!?

Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

The Maiden Voyage . . .

2007-04-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't believe that we've actually done it -- we're finally catching up with the times and starting an official family blog! With so many friends and family spread all over the country, we couldn't think of a better way to keep you updated with all of the latest news in our life . . . not to mention that we will finally be able to share pictures with everyone without the wait time of approximately one year! If you've had a chance to browse around our page, then you've probably guessed our news. Yes, we have officially taken the plunge and decided to venture into the wonderful world of parenthood! Our very first little baby Hunter is scheduled to arrive sometime in the Fall -- October 15th is the official due date as of now, but that's subject to change.

Now that we're out of the first three months, I'm feeling a bit more human again. The nausea has passed and I'm slowly regaining my energy. We actually had a doctor's appointment this morning and they did confirm that we have a healthy growing being developing right inside of me! At first, the doctor was unable to hear the heartbeat with the doppler, but she assured us that it was perfectly normal. She immediately wisked us off to another room where she let us have an unscheduled ultrasound. What a relief to us - I like her already! As soon as she got an image, we couldn't believe our eyes. We saw our mini-baby flailing about and being quite active in there. We could clearly see the head, the spine and even the flashing light that represented it's tiny, but fast heartbeat. You can take a look at the picture below that we have from our ultrasound. Brad already thinks it looks like him, which made me laugh. He might be on to something, though -- if you notice from the picture the most discernable feature is the baby's ears!

As we begin this adventure, we feel truly blessed! We are excited to share these moments with those that we love and welcome comments at any time. Even though we are still amateur bloggers, we plan on making many upgrades and changes to our page . . . stay tuned!