POEM: Happy 31st birthday Craig!

Today - Feb 26, 1978
Something amazing happened, something great.

Craig Robert was born - my lovely hubby.
I love the way he loves me - even when I'm chubby.

To celebrate this special day - I'll give HIM a sweet kiss.
But for you blog readers - here's my 31 things I love about him - LIST!

1. I fell for Craig in high school - I knew he was the one.
2. He may seem quiet to those who don't know him - but man he is FUN!

3. He loves rock music - like hard metal music - that's scary and loud.
4. It may take him 3 hours to put something together - but when he's done - he is PROUD!

5. He treats our dogs like children and EVERYDAY they get walks.
6. He doesn't laugh when I read about wizards, vampires, or Brit-chicks - not one little mock.

7. He kisses my belly and tells Baby girl that he loves her.
8. Not a day goes by that he doesn't say he loves me and for him there is no other.

9. He loves to travel but is like me and loves coming home too.
10. On his last birthday, he crashed us on a motorbike, and left me black and blue.

11. He's 6' 3", athletically built, but can eat whatever he likes.
12. He'd rather walk on the treadmill, play hoops, or lift weights - not really into the bike.

13. He knows exactly when I am frustrated and need a hug.
14. He's not scared of a lot of things - but he's terrified of spiders and bugs.

15. He is SO patient with me and really goes with the flow.
16. A few of his past jobs - waiter, cashier, life guard, yard man (yup - those lawns he did mow!)

17. He could eat Mexican food every single day of the year.
18. Miller light, Dos Equis Green, Shiner Bock - a few of his favorite beers.

19. He knows so much about history - especially World War I and II.
20. He also loves the Aztec culture, American history, just to name a few.

21. He watches Robotech and The Terminator - fascinated by robots taking over the world.
22. But he knows that when a chick flick comes out - he better be ready to take his girl!

23. His best friends are from high school - and he's as loyal a friend as they come.
24. Many nights with his friends are spent reminiscing about the past and all their fun.

25. He's traveled and studied in Mexico and Spain.
26. I think he resembles Chris Daughtry - and he could be his body double - to earn him fame.

27. He accepted Christ and was baptized in Feb. 2005.
28. He has said on that day - is when he really felt alive.

29. He reads the Bible every morning and again before bed.
30. He's read the Bible cover to cover 3 times - WOW - enough said!!

31. He's the love of my life, a better man than I deserve - my present, future and past!

***Happy Birthday, Craig - I hope today was a blast!!!****

A Quickie

....a Quickie POST - that is (get your mind out of the gutter blog readers)

Really fast - since I have tons of studying to do

I love, love, love my new house. "It is everything, I never knew, I always wanted."

It's 3 bedroom, 2 bath, has an "office", and dining room (but no furniture for this room yet)

It's not very big, not too small, not glamorous, not plain - but ALL us.

Its my nest, mi casa, my crib - OUR HOME!

Come on in and take a look-see...

Just look at it and smile - that's what I do

The pics don't do our house justice...but then again...I'm bias :-)

The nursery and guest bedroom AND dining room are still storage areas so I decided not to take pics of those rooms - if you want to visit - we'll be here all week, all month, all year....

My heart dropped to my stomach

Each time she moved the wand - I would try to decipher what I was seeing.
I looked at Craig in amazement.

We were looking at - the face, a spine, an arm, a leg, sweet little feet, a little stomach, parts of the brain...

The ultrasound tech started talking. "That's the baby's stomach. At this point the baby is starting to swallow the fluid around it."

Sweet face! Ok - a little creepy...but cute

Wow...the baby is starting to swallow. Like an actual person.

She started talking again. "I'm trying to get a good picture of the heart but the baby won't stop wiggling. Here are the feet - sitting right on top of your bladder."

I laughed. A wiggly baby. And the explanation of why I had to use the bathroom every 30 minutes.

"Do you want to know the sex of the baby."

"YES." Craig said immediately.

She moved the wand around and started to speak-

I cut her off. "I've read a couple of sonograms before....oh my God...it's a boy!!!"

She freeze framed a pic. "You need to practice a little more. Because it's a GIRL!"

**My heart dropped to my stomach. Tears flowed from my eyes.**
I looked at Craig and he's smiling like he knew from the beginning since this Little One was made that he was going to have a new love in his life. His daughter.

Me? I felt disappointment. How awful am I? My heart didn't care if it was a boy or girl because all I wanted was a healthy. My head...well...I convinced myself it was a boy. A boy - for Craig. For the love of my life. I pictured football games, Craig and baby boy sitting on the couch watching soccer, cheering him on at baseball. I wanted to give Craig the boy I know he'd be the perfect Dad for. I wanted a boy - just like his Daddy.

Then - I felt pressure. Pressure for the next baby to be a boy.

ALL of this - in a split second.

"Why are you crying?" Craig squeezed my hand.

"It's happy tears." I lied.

We finished our appointment and saw the doctor who confirmed that my gut feeling that it was a boy was absolutely - WRONG! He was 98% sure it was a girl.

We got good news - great news - feeling incredibly blessed that Dr. had not found anything wrong with Baby Girl.

I started to pray that this feeling of disappointment would go away so I could enjoy the good news.

We drove home and Craig started talking about what she could be.

"She'll probably be tall. I just hope she gets my athletic ability," he says laughing. "She could play soccer or volleyball. Look at those feet!"

My heart is just bursting as I see his face as he looks at our daughter's sweet pic of her feet.

If you don't believe in miracles...here's your proof they do happen

Then it hit me. I'm have a Baby Girl. A girl. A girl. A GIRL!!! Thoughts of decorating her room, dance classes, baking together, dress up, Barbies, hair bows, tea time, dolls....

I think of sharing all of the things I love about being a girl with my daughter. I love being a bit of a tomboy who loves sports and cheers on Texas Tech, the Cowboys, and the Mavs. I love the girly, girl in me that loves makeup, shopping, cooking, baking, chick-flicks, crying without reason...

I silently said a prayer of thanks to God that He gave me this sweet baby girl and for forgiveness for the disappointment I felt at His creation.

By the end of the day, I was bubbling over with excitement! A baby girl. I was - AM - ecstatic about having a daughter.

The day was filled with all sorts of emotion that I had to share with Craig the real reason why I was crying at our appointment.

"You know Craig, I was pretty upset when I found out it was a girl."

"Why?"

"I wanted a boy for you. Now I feel so much pressure the next time around to give you a boy."

He looks at me and lovingly says,"You know we have nothing to do with this. Actually - isn't it the guy that determines the sex of the baby?"

"Yes - it's the guy," I say.

"Well then, don't worry. Because I am the chef and you're just the oven." He says matter of factly.

I laugh and laugh and laugh!

The I silently tell Baby Girl in my thoughts - **I can't wait to meet you...I hope you're just like your Daddy.**

Got punched in the gut by God

Man - when the Big Man wants to speak to you - He's the ultimate when it comes to timing.

This weekend's message at church hit home - really - this was God punching me in the gut saying He totally gets what I'm going through.

To say I'm depressed - is kind of an exaggeration - a big exaggeration. I'd say I've had more days of the blues. Without getting too serious - life lately has been great mixed in with some moments of "what the heck is going on with my life"
"Can I not feel this way AGAIN."
"If only I had ___________ (filled in with - 'more money,' 'someone else's life,' etc)"

I'm a glass overflowing for those around me but a glass dried to the bone for myself. I struggle with where I'm at, where I'm going, and why I'm going through it. I pray so hard to be thankful for the little things, thankful for the moments in today, and thankful for the undeserving blessings I've been given. But sometimes - I just don't see it or don't feel it.

But today, I realized the error of my ways and saw so much of what I've been doing as slaps to face of God. Comparing myself and my situation with others - which is me telling God He messed up in His creation of me.

The "woe is me" attitude is wearing and instead of "woe is me" I've decided to try "WHOA is HE!"

I like to think I'm not alone in these moments and luckily thanks to Him - I never am.

Blog or life?

Hmm...this one's a toughy...

I consider blogging my "escape" and my time to share with the my blog readers about my life. But, lately, life has been really busy. Here's how busy I've been...

- I talked to Stacy yesterday and she asked how things were going on the house. I was talking about how Craig and I were heading to buy furniture on Saturday but that I just sit in my kitchen look around and smile because I LOVE my house. That's she she said, "WHAT? You moved in???" Yes, blog readers, I have been so busy I failed to tell one of my bestest friends I moved.

- I was rushing out of the house yesterday morning and heading to Bible study. I was at the end of my driveway when I realized my feet felt funny. I looked down and realized I didn't have on any shoes.

- I still haven't had a chance to call the Blah Blah Blogger - my bestestest friend Shauna Bean - to tell her I'm having a mini-me! Yes - I'm having a GIRL!

Ok - so I just wanted to give you and update but now I have to rush off and run errands before some guys come to work on the house. But...stay tuned because I"ll be giving a grand tour of Casa de Hounsel, sharing with you about Bible study, and of course, bragging about my sweet little girl and sharing pics of her first photo shoot (aka ultrasounds).

If that's not enough - wait til I post the video of Craig doing Wii - it looks like he's hula dancing!

Sweetest feet you'll ever meet.....

19 week photo shoot of Baby Hounsel

That's it :-)