Getting Bigger Stinks

Ok - So all the JOYS of pregnancy come with one down fall. . . getting bigger!! I can handle being sick and tired and moody, but for a girl who already has issues with her body image getting bigger stinks! I asked my sister, who is pregnant with her fourth, if it gets easier with each pregnancy and she assured me that it won't! (Atleast she is honest) I have to remember that my body is doing what God created it to do; that is bring new life into the world and that is a beautiful thing! Every womans body is different and every woman will "carry" differently. I may be getting thick on the sides, which has always been a trouble spot for me anyway, my chest may have grown slightly but that is what my body needs to do for Avery! Avery is growing inside of me each day, now she is about 15 inches long weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs. That may seem small to all of you, but I have to tell you that she kicks and moves in every expanded area of my body!
Here I am in all of my pregnant glory! 13 weeks left to grow so, people can say what they want, but now I believe that what my body is doing is beautiful therefore my body is beautiful!

Here we Come

Andrew and I are getting ready to take a trip!! I am so excited because this will probably be the last trip we take before Avery arrives! With Andrews teaching schedule there is not a lot of opportunity for us to go on vacation because even when the students have off for holiday the teachers have in-service. On November 9th and 10th New Jersey has a convention for its teachers and he is not required to go so . . . we are driving through the night on the 8th and going to visit the Crisp family! I will not be able to drink anything on the trip or we will have to stop every hour so I can use the rest room. Avery loves to play soccer with my bladder! I am just so excited about our mini-vacation that I had to share even though my future brother-in-law said that our blog will be boring until we can put lots of pictures of the baby on here! Well, I don't think our lives are boring so I will continue to share our everyday happenings with those of you who care to read about them! (JOSH MAXWELL)
Another reason I am so excited is that my brother J and his wife Cheryl will be here in New Jersey when we get back from Michigan! They moved to VA so my brother could attend Virgina Tech's medical school. . .We miss having them around, so it will be nice to have them home for the Thanksgiving holiday! I love the holidays when everyone gets together . . . I already am listening to Christmas music, occasionally, OK as much as I can until Andrew makes me turn it off. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it and I can't wait! Only 55 more shopping days until Christmas. . .

Soccer!!!
Andrew has really had some nostalgic thoughts lately! This is his first year not going back to school and playing soccer, well he went back to school, but to the fourth grade. He is constantly checking up on Huntington Universities soccer team to see how they are doing! He told me the other day that he is glad they didn't make the post season because if they had he would have been REALLY sad that he didn't play this year! He also checks on the standing for all of the other schools that Huntington competes against. Sometimes I hate the internet!!! Anyway. . . I feel sad for him because soccer was such a huge part of his life for as long as he can rememeber and now he doesn't play! He kicks the ball around sometimes, but it is not the same! I keep telling him to join a mens league. He is also looking into getting his coaching license, which I happen to think is very smart! Anyway, the weather today got me thinking about Andrews second love. . . This weather also makes me wish that I was taking a road trip. Andrew and I dated long distance for three years and about this time every year I would take a trip to Indiana to visit him and watch him play soccer, of course! I need to get out of here for a while and take a road trip. . . this time it will have to be to Michigan to visit my sister and her ever growing family!

Andrew and I decided to start a blog together! We both have had individual blogs and neither of us were very successful at keeping up with them. . .in fact I think I posted a total of 3 blogs and Andrew posted a total of 0!! Our thinking behind this blog is that if we do it together and for the purpose of sharing our lives with those we love most, we will be successful. We also hope to use this as a place to put pictures of our new baby girl, set to arrive February 4, 2007! We are very excited - anxiously awaiting her arrival. I am hoping that she decides to come in January because if she is born in February her birth stone will be PURPLE! Her grammy will buy her everything purple if she waits until February! Avery, that's her name, already has a little personality of her own - always on the move! I think she will have my personality, but for sleep sake I hope she RESTS like her daddy! OK enough about Avery - I think it is crazy how people have a baby and then all of the sudden there is nothing on their blogs about themselves, so here is the latest scoop on Andrew and I!
Andrew is currently teaching fourth grade special-ed! He is co-teaching which has its challenges, but overall this will be a great learning experiece for him! He loves the kids (most days), and is excited to work and learn more about special education. He has 2 students in his classroom that he works with very closely because they each have an IEP. There names are Andrew and Angela! We thought that was so funny! Anyway, I think his ulimate goal is to coach soccer, or open a camp, or an outdoor store, or . . . well, you get the point he is very ambitious and he loves to do and try lots of things. I am still working as a store manager of a childrens shoe store called OLLY Kids! I have been with the company for almost 3 years! I was offered a wonderful promotion that I had been promised for 2 years, but had to turn it down! I was really sad, but Andrew and I spent a lot of time talking and praying about the situation and felt that the timing was wrong for our family. The position required a lot of traveling and since I am coming back to work after Avery is born it was not the best move for our family! I am happy staying in Mt. Laurel working with my team at the store!
We are enjoying being married and learning as we go! It truely is an adventure and we are excited about the plans and future that God has planned for us! We will be sure to keep you included in the events of our lives!