Lately I've been thinking about how the big moments in life seem to take a long time to arrive, but when they do, they happen fast. Usually in 30 seconds or less. For example:
It took about 30 seconds for Dan to ask me to marry him. Dan is not a beat-around-the-bush kind of guy, and I was ready to say yes. It was a quick conversation, but it meant that we were engaged, and that changed everything.
It takes about 30 seconds to repeat your wedding vows, if you're going with the traditional, to have and to hold, until death do us part version, as we did. But once you've said those few little words, you've committed yourself to a whole new life.
And, as I recently learned, it also takes about 30 seconds to find out what a $7 pregnancy test you bought at the grocery store has to tell you about the rest of your life.
In our case, a few days after Christmas, one of those tests told me that we are going to have a baby! I'm about 13 weeks pregnant now, and our first child should arrive sometime around September 3. We're ecstatic, and so happy to share the news.
It's funny, the ways in which this little piece of information changes your life from the second you know it. Even if you just think about something simple, like food. In the first few weeks, I strove to be the world's most balanced, healthy eater, diligently getting my quota of milk, lots of water, and three solid meals a day. Then around week 6 the morning sickness kicked in and I readjusted my goals to "Eat something, anything, other than cereal and a vitamin at least once every day and keep it down." Now as I'm getting into my second trimester and the nausea is blessedly subsiding, my restated goal seems to be "Try every fruit known to man." Apparently, the baby likes fruit. Especially oranges. This is weird in that I have never particularly cared for oranges, and suddenly I am buying them by the crate. It's like some form of insanity. I look at myself, standing in the supermarket line with a basket almost entirely composed of fruit products, and I think "This kid is running my life already." But I don't really mind.
It's probably natural that we talk about the baby all the time, but seriously, we talk about the baby All. The. Time. The bad news is that this probably makes us really boring to be around. The good news is that it gives us plenty of opportunity to pray for our child, which is something we do every day now. If you're willing, join us in praying for Baby Wachdorf, (who Dan refers to as "Little Mo" for some reason best known to himself) and pray for us as well. If thinking about being a parent has convinced me of anything, it's that we don't know what we're doing. So we're counting on a lot of wisdom and love being granted to us for this baby, who we already love so much. The one thing we know for sure is that our lives have changed again. And that is just grand.
Here, to start us off on what I am sure will be a whole new photo documentary project titled something like "How Haley Got to be the Size a House" is the first pregnant photo for the blog. This is me and my dear friend, Leigh, who I visited in New York last week along with my friend Autumn.(More on this trip soon.) Leigh is about six months pregnant, and so has a much more impressive baby belly than I do. Mine just looks like I've been going to Krispy Kreme too much. But in any case, here we are, showing off our babies.
So welcome back to the blog, people. Strap yourselves in. It's going to be an interesting six months.
Comments (19)
Congratulations Haley and Dan!!! You will be wonderful parents.
Posted by Aunt Emily | February 25, 2007 7:38 PM
Posted on February 25, 2007 19:38
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! AHH!!! This is so exciting! I love y'all so much and can't wait to see Baby Wachdorf! :)
Posted by Adrian | February 25, 2007 8:48 PM
Posted on February 25, 2007 20:48
yay! happy times.
Posted by daniel | February 25, 2007 9:38 PM
Posted on February 25, 2007 21:38
Hey Y'all! Congratulations!
Posted by Kyle | February 25, 2007 10:09 PM
Posted on February 25, 2007 22:09
Yay Dan and Haley!! Way to go! I'm definitely looking forward to hearing all the details as the months go by!
Posted by Joshua | February 25, 2007 10:44 PM
Posted on February 25, 2007 22:44
Congraulations, Haley and Dan!
Posted by Tim Smith | February 26, 2007 8:27 AM
Posted on February 26, 2007 08:27
Cute pic, Haley! You're going to be a great mama... Wish I was in NM with you for the next 6 months. : )
Posted by RT | February 26, 2007 8:55 AM
Posted on February 26, 2007 08:55
Hey Haley! I read your blog and usually can't get a comment to post--congratulations! Pregnancy is so fun and parenthood even more so (yet wilder). Our Johnny is almost ten months and it flies by. Happy pregnancy!
Posted by Paula (blackwell) la | February 26, 2007 9:11 AM
Posted on February 26, 2007 09:11
You guys are doing a great job practicing on our kids! You are going to be FABULOUS parents, by the grace of God! Oh and by the way, pregnancy is the only time in your life when it's acceptable to be the size of a house. So I say, bring on the Krispy Kreme (even though there isn't one around here anymore!)
Posted by Susie O. | February 26, 2007 10:26 AM
Posted on February 26, 2007 10:26
HOORAY!!! Man, PPC certainly is babyland! Keep those belly pictures coming!
Posted by Megan | February 26, 2007 10:32 AM
Posted on February 26, 2007 10:32
Wow! Such exciting news! We are so happy for you and Dan! I can't wait for all the posts in the months to come! Congratulations we really miss you guys! ~(We'll be out for a visit May 20th.) Love, Jasmine & Fam.
Posted by Jasmine | February 27, 2007 9:57 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 21:57
Adorable! I'm so happy for you that I'm barely even jealous! ;) Many congratulations and blessings!
Every sentence in this comment ends with an exclamation point!
Posted by Renae | February 28, 2007 10:03 AM
Posted on February 28, 2007 10:03
Woohoo! Haley, I am so excited for you! We are pregnant too - expecting little Squished to arrive around May 2nd.
I like reading your stuff. And I'm a midwife now, so I want to hear all your details~:-)
Praise the Lord for this little one!!
Posted by lydia (hamilton) graves | March 1, 2007 8:38 PM
Posted on March 1, 2007 20:38
Hales!
I am soooo excited for you and Dan and I am NOT a midwife SO I can't handle ANY real details of your "time w/ the coming child" -- however, if this little one is confused as to how to vote or how to how say "republican", then naturally I can jump right in and offer my services!!
God bless the right! (i am only kidding, of course! Don't go into early labor or anything!!)
Posted by elizabeth taylor | March 4, 2007 7:03 PM
Posted on March 4, 2007 19:03
Hales!
I am soooo excited for you and Dan and I am NOT a midwife SO I can't handle ANY real details of your "time w/ the coming child" -- however, if this little one is confused as to how to vote or how to how say "republican", then naturally I can jump right in and offer my services!!
God bless the right! (i am only kidding, of course! Don't go into early labor or anything!!)
Posted by elizabeth taylor | March 4, 2007 7:04 PM
Posted on March 4, 2007 19:04
Hey Haley! I haven't been on here for a while and I come back to find this great news!! Congrats!!!! Hope everthing goes smoothly!!
Posted by Amanda Davis | March 6, 2007 2:44 PM
Posted on March 6, 2007 14:44
Hey Haley! I haven't been on here for a while and I come back to find this great news!! Congrats!!!! Hope everthing goes smoothly!!
Posted by Amanda Davis | March 6, 2007 2:45 PM
Posted on March 6, 2007 14:45
So you go on hiatus. I don't read awhile, and bam! It's a baby!!
Congratulations!! What a fun ride it is.
Two things that I feel is important to impart to like every pregnant woman I see: Old Navy is the best for maternity clothes and use lanolin every time you nurse, it'll greatly reduce initial breastfeeding pain. ;-D
Posted by Jeannette | March 15, 2007 8:51 PM
Posted on March 15, 2007 20:51
Haley,
Congratulations again. I'm so happy for you. I read your blog every once in awhile and I love your entry about how major life events seem to happen over the course of 30 seconds. Hope all is well. Stay in touch.
Abby
Posted by Abby | March 20, 2007 5:43 PM
Posted on March 20, 2007 17:43