It's A....

baby! haha So we had the ultrasound Thursday evening and it went great. The technician mentioned that it was a little early to be doing one and that everything on the baby was so tiny she was having a hard time finding things. :) I asked her why I was sent in so early for one and she mentioned that my doctor may not have been sure about my exact due date and wanted to check and make sure it was right. Turns out, it is. I'm still due July 8. She was able to measure most everything, except the heart valves. I asked her if I would get another ultrasound and she said it was likely. That would be cool! Jonathan was bummed because she, of course, couldn't tell what the sex was. She said it's pretty hard to tell before 20 weeks. We did get some pictures, though, which was really cool. We got a good one of the baby's head with the hands up by the face. It looks very much like an alien at this point, but that's okay! :) We also got a picture of the little tiny feet--too cute! Overall, everything looks great at this point. I hope we get to go back for another one...she said our baby would look a lot different at 20 weeks than it does now! The heart rate was 150...up from the 140 it was at my last doctor's appointment. And the technician made the same comment my doctor did--we have a very active baby! It was moving around a lot and making it difficult for her to do her job. :) I guess this child will fit right in with Jonathan's family: go, go, go and don't stop except to do something else. (I swear they don't know the meaning of relaxation!)

Ultrasound

So, my doctor informed me the other day that I would be having an ultrasound soon. Turns out, it's tomorrow evening! It seems super early compared to what I've heard and read, but oh well. I'll be just shy of 16 weeks. Everyone wants to know if we're going to find out what the baby's sex is and the answer is...I DON'T KNOW!!! I can't decide!! Jonathan says that he absolutely 100% is finding out, so I'm guessing that we will if he has his way. :) Although, my sister-in-law just had her ultrasound and their baby was curled up into a ball so they couldn't even tell. Maybe I'll get that lucky and then I won't have to make the decision! haha

Mommy Update

I went back to the eye doctor this morning. He did a field vision test for my peripheral vision and checked my pressure again. My pressure was in the "high normal" range and my vision test results were (and I quote), "super duper, kiddo, and baby likes them too!". My eye doctor is this really sweet old guy--too funny! He told me he had no concerns at all and to have a great pregnancy. It was quite a relief! God is good!

My sister-in-law told me that when the baby moves, it feels kind of like butterflies in your stomach early on. Well, I had some butterflies last night, so I don't know if it was the baby or not but it was pretty cool!! :)

Also, Jonathan and I finally got new cell numbers, so if you didn't get a email with our new numbers and address and you want one, give me your email address and we'll send it to you.

Baby Update

I went to the doctor yesterday and Jonathan was actually able to come this time. It was a pretty quick visit with the usual--blood pressure, weight, pee in a cup, etc. I haven't gained much weight yet (not even five pounds) but the doc said that was fine. He pulled out the dopplar again and we got to hear the heartbeat! :) He found it right away and said the baby was really moving around and kicking (which I can't feel yet, but it's only a matter of time). The baby's heart beat was about 140. I'm not sure what the theory is about that--I've heard both ways that 140 could mean boy or girl, so who knows. My mom has thought it is a boy from the beginning...we'll see! Everything with the baby is fine and I'm feeling great, so we're pretty happy. Jonathan later told me that it was "really cool" to hear the baby's heartbeat. Trust me, that's pretty big for Jonathan. It's about as emotional as he gets! :) I'm almost 15 weeks and go back February 6th. Maybe I'll feel the baby by then 'cause that would be really awesome. We finally took a picture of my tummy. I don't know how long it will be before I can get it on here, though. The library won't let me post pics, so I have to wait until I'm at someone's house where I can do it. Hopefully soon, though!

What a Crazy Week!

Wow! Talk about a crazy and hectic past week or so. We had a great Christmas in Indiana with my family and even got to visit our good friends the Mowats on our way back to Michigan. :) On our way back home, Jonathan and I were talking about what all needed to be done on our new house before we could move in. He called his brother-in-law, Andy, who said he'd be more than willing to help us move some stuff over that night (we were planning to get back to Michigan around 9pm Tuesday evening). Jonathan really wanted to spend the night at our new place, but we have some heavy bedroom furniture and I told him we'd probably have to spend one more night at his parent's and move it all the next day. We also talked about how we'd need a mailbox, since no one has lived there before to receive mail. We were so thankful because Jonathan's family all came over to the house while we were in Indiana to paint our bedroom and clean the carpets. It was such a blessing that we didn't have to spend more time doing that before moving in. Well, as we pull into the driveway of our new house, I see that we have a mailbox already out front! Then, I see that there is a Christmas tree with lights and all in our front window! I nearly cried because I had been so disappointed that I wouldn't get to have a Christmas tree in my new house (we closed on Friday the 22nd right before leaving for Indiana). As we walk into the house, Jonathan's parents and Andy and Katie are all there and we are completely moved in! They had moved everything over the weekend!! My kitchen was nearly all put together, the bedroom was ready, complete with a bed that was ready to sleep in! It was so completely overwhelming! Needless-to-say, we were surprised. :) What a blessing family is! Since then, we've spent the last week trying to get everything else out of boxes and set up. We are loving the new place and even Peyton is finally starting to realize that we are living here for a while!

On another note, I finally went to the eye doctor to get retested for glaucoma. He was so much nicer and more informative than the guy in Illinois! He did some tests and told me that my pressure was normal. He wants me to come back, though, to do another test and recheck my pressure in the morning, when it tends to be the highest. He told me not to panic, so I'm trying to stay calm. I go back on the 15th. My next baby appointment is next Tuesday, which I'm excited about. Don't worry, we'll get a picture on here of me, but I really don't have much of a pregnant belly yet. I told Jonathan that people probably look at me and wonder if I'm pregnant or if I've just had one too many donuts! :)

So, thanks for making it through this incredibly long blog. We just had a pretty eventful week!

Remember Us?

We know it's been a while, but we finally got some pictures on here!! We wanted to include a picture of us, just in case anyone forgot what we looked like (Peyton too!). :)

Our New House

Here are some pics of our new place. We move in our stuff in just a couple days!

Lydia Grace

Some pictures of our beautiful niece, Lydia. She's the 10 pounder! :)

We Miss Our Friends from Chi-town

We wanted to make sure to get some pictures of the Bachellers on our blog. We miss you guys!

What's up ya'll?

So yeah, like Amanda was saying, I was sick as a dog last weekend. The aftershock experiences were just as bad as the flu. On my way to work on Wednesday, I 'flaggelated' so bad that my eyes watered up and I had to open my car window. Also, there were a few nights Amanda threatened to kick me out of the bedroom. As much as you all wanted to know this, I have other pressing information to share: we finally closed on our house! We will no longer be living in a basement and have our belongings stored up in a box! Well, have a Merry Christmas.

-Jonathan

Yuck!

That pretty much sums up our week! Jonathan and his parents were all sick over the weekend with various cold/flu/stomach bug symptoms. I guess it's a good thing we didn't close last Friday because no one was healthy enough to move us in! Then, I caught what everyone else had and was so sick on Monday I thought I would seriously die! I threw up for the first time in probably 15 years (hey, if I had to live it, you have to read about it) and had next to nothing to eat that day (and even less of what I ate actually stayed down!). Since Monday I have felt better but still extremely tired and have wanted little to nothing to do with food. I hope this baby is getting enough nutrients! That is seriously the only reason I eat now. If it was up to me, I would eliminate food forever. It is so gross. So anyway, that's how I've felt this week. As far as the house goes, we were supposed to close Tuesday; then on Tuesday they told us it would be Wednesday; then on Wednesday they told us it would be Friday! So now we are scheduled to close tomorrow at 3pm. Obviously, we won't be moving in or anything until the middle of next week. We'll leave for Indiana right after closing. So, all in all, it's been a rough week for us. But hopefully the worst of it is over and we can just enjoy Christmas and look forward to returning to our new home!

A Little Frustrated

So, as you may remember, we were supposed to be closing on our house today and moving in this weekend. Well, our paperwork for the loan did not get completed on time (someone at the bank was slacking on the job) and so now it looks like we won't close until Tuesday afternoon. It's just kind of frustrating because we're heading for Indiana Friday, which gives us very little time to move in and get stuff settled. I doubt if we'll even put up any Christmas decorations, though I can't see myself going without putting up the tree at least! So, if we still have our tree up in March, you'll know why--we didn't get to enjoy it at Christmastime like every else! :) It seems like everyone in Jonathan's family is coming down with some type of stomach flu. I haven't been affected by that yet, though I am stuggling with a bit of a cold. And, of course, the nauseau and disgust with food is still there. Only a couple more weeks of it, hopefully!

The Most Beautiful Sound

Well, I had my 10 week check-up yesterday morning. Jonathan was unable to go (he had a meeting he couldn't miss), which was fine, because I knew it was going to be a long appointment of tests and questions. It was long (two hours) and full of questions, tests, and intrusive exams (to say the least--haha). They took about six vials of blood to test for various things, leaving me just enough blood to get home before collapsing. But the best thing was that my doctor surprised me and said we could try to find the heartbeat! I was so excited but he told me that there was only about a 50% chance he'd be able to find it this early on. After a couple minutes of searching, he told me we probably would just have to wait until next time. And then I heard it. It was the most amazing, awesome, indescribable sound I've ever heard. To actually hear that tiny heart beating reminded me of the true miracle of life. I know, I know, I'm getting a little corny, but deal with it. :) I called Jonathan right away afterwards to tell him (he was like, "That's cool, hon"--such a guy response) and then I called my mom and bawled like a baby! It was truly the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

And the Award Goes To...

Emily, the aunt-to-be! Okay, so lots of people have been asking me what kind of reaction we got from the family when they found out we were expecting. Well, contrary to what most may believe, my mother did not, in fact, have the greatest reaction (though she did come in at a close second). No, no, the winner of the "Greatest Reaction to Finding Out Jonathan and Amanda are Expecting" goes to my sister, Emily. Her high-pitched screams repeated five or six times, combined with "Oh my gosh!", "Are you serious?!", and "I knew it!" clinched the title for her! I think she was still smiling in her sleep that night. What can I say? She can't wait to be Auntie Em. :)

Sorry No Pictures, BUT...

Yes, I tried to get pictures on here but for various reasons have been unsuccessful so far. However, we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and got to share with them how excited we are for July 8, 2007. :) Yes, it's true! After waiting (and waiting), the Lord has blessed Jonathan and I tremendously with not only a new house but also a new baby! Words cannot express the joy we are feeling right now. I'm currently eight weeks and, other than feeling exhausted and a little nauseaus here and there, have felt amazing! I go back to the doctor in a couple weeks (December 12) for my exam and tests and everything, so pray that all goes well. :)

We're SOOO Excited!!

We bought a house today!!!!! And it's not the one we most recently put a bid on. That one (the one with the fenced yard) we lost to another bidder. The bank told us that someone else had bid on it and we could raise our bid (without knowing what the other one was). We raised it a bit, but not too much and were outbid still by $500. But that's okay, because God (as always) knew what He was doing! Jonathan called the builder of the new house yesterday and we met with him this morning and signed the buy/sell agreement! He gave us an incredible price--I am so proud of my bargaining husband. :) The closing date is set for December 15--right in time for Christmas. We are absolutely thrilled and can't believe it's finally happened! So, everyone start making your plans to visit us in Michigan. haha

Coming Soon...Pictures!

That's right, folks, believe it or not, we will try to get some pictures on here next week! We'll be in Indiana for Thanksgiving and will be able to use a computer that we can actually post pictures with! It's only been since July that we've had any pictures on here. :) In other news, Jonathan and I bid on another house today. We went to look at it last week and are really excited about it. It's in a good school district and has a nice big, fencedin yard for Peyton. Plus, it has lots of room to grow. It's a foreclosure, so the bank owns it now. It's actually in really good condition for a foreclosure. It just needs some touch-up paint jobs and other odds and ends done to it. We got pre-approved for a mortgage loan on Friday. Right after the appointment there, Jonathan got a call from the owners of the brand new house we previously made an offer on! They want us to come meet with them and "renegotiate" the price! Jonathan left it open with them and told them we were making an offer and possibly already had a house we would go with. But, it's so nice to have options and to have them calling us! God is certainly good!! We are very excited to announce the new addition to the Athearn family. Jonathan's brother and his wife had their second little girl yesterday. Lydia Grace came in at 10lb. 11oz. and 22 inches!! (And, yes, it was a C-section!). We got to go see her yesterday in the hospital and she is absolutely precious. I think that's all for now...

Sorry It's Been So Long

Wow, so it's been a while since our last post. It annoys the heck out of me when people don't update their blogs for weeks on end! :) Not much to report, though. I am working on getting my substitute teaching license for Michigan so I can begin subbing. The extra income will help tremendously, even if it isn't much. I also turned my resume and application in to RBC Ministries in Grand Rapids. They are a Christian organization who produce "Our Daily Bread" devotional booklets, among many other things. The position I was applying for was already filled, but they seemed impressed with my resume and will keep it on file for a year. We'll see if anything pans out with that. Still living with the in-laws while we house hunt. Though it can be difficult at times, we certainly can't complain about the free rent! Our main prayer requests right now would be for wisdom in buying a house (of course!) and also for Jonathan's license. He has called nearly every resource in the Grand Rapids area and the cheapest rate he could find was $75/hr or so (and that was their discounted rate). So, we don't know what will happen, but we are trusting that God will provide. He did not bring us this far to desert us now! A huge praise is that our insurance begins on Wednesday! What a relief that will be. We are very excited because niece number three is due in another week! And we found out that Jonathan's sister, Katie, is expecting her third, which will bring the grand total to eight! And to think that when Jonathan and I started dating in 2000, he had just one niece! These Athearns breed like rabbits, I tell you! :)

This is what's up

Hi everyone. This is my first post. It'll be short and sweet. I leave the long, sentimental ones to my better half. Not much is new in Michigan. We're still just trying to get settled in and make our residency official. You would have thought we were illegals by the way the state treated us. I'm starting to think maybe we are...Michigan said they don't have any record that I had a past driver's license in Michigan (those crack-heads). So now we are trying to buy a house. I'm sure Amanda said something about that. Suprisingly, it's harder than one would think. You want the perfect house, ya know. The problem is Amanda's perfect house is way different than mine. I'm thinking of posting possible houses online and letting friends vote on them. Hey, in the mean time I guess we can't beat the rent of living in my folk's basement. That's all for now.
-Jonathan

Road Block

Well, we ran into a slight road block in everything. As many of you know, Jonathan has received his master's degree in clinical psych. He applied for his temporary license for Michigan a while back. There was some confusion then because there were two different licenses he could apply for. The one that he wanted to apply for most, he apparently didn't qualify for (why, we're not sure--but he was denied it). So instead he was issued another kind of temporary license. Under this license, Jonathan will have to be supervised one hour a week for a year by a licensed psychologist (at a doctoral level) before he can receive his full degree (which hopefully will mean more job opportunities and a little more moola!). Where Jonathan is working now, however, there are no psychologists--only master's level social workers. Jonathan wrote a petition to the state of Michigan asking if he could be supervised by a social worker instead, as that is what is offered at his job. He received a call yesterday that he had been denied his request. As it turns out, Jonathan must be supervised by a psychologist. This means, he must hire a psychologist to do this. Basically, it would be like Jonathan was going in for an hour session once a week. And yes, he has to pay just like a client because he is using the psychologist's time. Psychologists generally charge anywhere from $100-200 per hour. So this means that (potentially) for the next 52 weeks we may have to pay that amount every week! To top it off, Jonathan found out that this particular license he is working toward requires him to be supervised by a licensed psychologist for the rest of his career. Basically, he will always have to meet with a psychologist at least once a month for the rest of his life (or at least as long as he practices). He was so discouraged last night, it really was hard to see him like that. We know that God did not bring us this far to leave us. Jonathan is really questioning, though, what God's plan is. If Jonathan were to have a job at a counseling center with psychologists, he could just be supervised there for free. So, we are praying that he can find someone who will be willing to supervise him for a sliding scale fee (or for free!!). Please just keep this in your prayers as it is something that is weighing heavy on our hearts. We still have not made a decision about a house. We have an opportunity to buy a new house for a decent price, but money would be super tight on our budget as it is now. We don't see how we can afford to pay anywhere from $400-800 per month just so Jonathan can be supervised. It doesn't make any sense! We can't figure out how counselors with this license make it! How do you afford to live when you are making next to nothing and paying someone to supervise you?! We're just really frustrated right now and appreciate your prayers. The good news is, Jonathan loves his job so far and we are having a great time being so close to family. I'm sorry all our posts have been so long and wordy lately--we have no access to post any pictures yet. Hopefully soon, though!