Baby Will Is Here!

William Cullen Strzinek

Thursday, April 15, 2010

5:30 p.m.

8 lbs., 8 oz., 21 inches

Baby Will is here! We of course think he's pretty perfect. We are all doing well and are at home starting the adjustment of becoming a family of 4. Even Big Brother Tate has taken a liking to him.

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for this incredible gift!

The Possibilities Are Endless

Who knows what this little guy will do one day?

Maybe a handyman?

Baseball pitcher?

Or doctor?

I can't wait to watch and find out.

Easter 2010

As with many of our holidays, Easter was celebrated several times this year. It started a couple weeks before with a new activity that I'm sure will be an annual one in the years ahead. The pool/gym/rec center we have a membership to has an Easter egg hunt in the indoor pool. Oddly enough on this day, it was about 40 degrees and rainy outside. But inside was nice and steamy.

Wade had a conflict at the same time, so I was glad that our good friends Clint & Alyssa were there with their two girls. Their oldest, Lauren, helped Tate during his age group's hunt. The funny part is that by the time he got out there most of the eggs were gone. He really could've cared less. He was just excited to be swimming. Sweet Lauren was determined, though, and found a bunch of eggs for him.

And it was perfect timing as Lauren headed to her group's hunt, my Dad showed up to watch the craziness. It really was crazy with so many kids and parents all over the place. And since there was absolutely no way I was going to squeeze into a maternity swimsuit, he was able to help me keep an eye on Tate. That kid doesn't stop moving. Thanks Lauren & Grandpa!

Then at Tate's preschool, his class had an Easter party and egg hunt. He was pretty excited to run around and pick up the eggs. He's not one to stop and open them. He's the type that is running as fast as he can, getting as many as he can. Finally, I had to tell him to stop and leave some for his friends.

Since he finished pretty quickly, he was also just as pleased to put the eggs down and run out onto the basketball court for a few hoops.

We celebrated Easter at our church Saturday night at a wonderful service. We've been reading all of our Easter books and stories, but it still kind of cracked me up that when he would tell what Easter is all about, he still refers to "Baby Jesus." I guess I need to transition from Christmas to Easter a little better.

So on Easter Sunday, Tate woke up and got to go through his Easter basket. No surprise, but the monster truck was the hit. Nothing says Easter like a monster truck!

Then we headed to brunch with the Strzinek side of the family.

And after a quick afternoon nap, we headed over to Mimi & Grandpa's for a yummy pork tenderloin dinner and Tate's own private egg hunt outside.

Yet another wonderful Easter weekend!

Day Out With Thomas (Year #2)

This was the second year for Tate to go to a Day Out with Thomas. It was a gorgeous day, and we were able to enjoy all of the trains with Tate's friend, Caleb, who is the most-dedicated Thomas fan I think I've ever known. That's the right person to see Thomas with! I didn't really get many great pictures, as Tate was moving about 100 mph (combination of fun and excitement along with a week's worth of Allbuterol breathing treatments, which make him a crazy man), and at 8 months pregnant at the time, I didn't move near that fast. It was a great day with great friends!

Goodbye Texas Stadium

So this morning Texas Stadium (or local eye sore as it's also been called) was imploded. It was quite the news story over the last few days. I'm sure when it opened 30+ years ago, it was an impressive sight. But poor thing has seen better days and now lives in the shadow of the new and improved, ginormous-screened stadium. I wonder at what point that one will seem old?

So for my own memory file, my visits to Texas Stadium:

• Michael Jackson concert (20th row on the field)
• various high school football playoff games
• a few Dallas Cowboys games (I guess I should remember those better)
• the one game I do remember was when Wade & I were dating...Thanksgiving Day game 1996
• 'N Sync concert (I have no shame to admit that)
• Tour of Texas Stadium (me, Wade, Shannon, & Brad)
• and for 4 years, we lived in apartments very close by and I drove by it every day to work

So long Texas Stadium!

Baby Showers

In early March, I was blessed to have a fun evening with great friends all celebrating the upcoming arrival of Baby Will.

These lovely girls did a great job of hosting a beautiful shower. This season of life has been such a fun one as I've had the chance to continue some friendships that I've had since the college days and begin new friendships just in the past couple of years. Both make my life richer! Thank you again Kristen, Monica, Alyssa, Holly, Melissa, (and Chris)!

And sweet sister Shannon headed in town to celebrate as well. Here we are with Mimi.

I forgot how cute little bitty baby clothes were!

All of the gifts were so thoughtful and sweet. One especially fun one was the set of onesies/shirts made by my sister (plug for her business here....Jelby's website link). For Tate's first year, I took a monthly block picture (wow, look at him grow). Shannon made some adorable onesies and shirts for Will to wear on his monthly birthday with the number for that month. So cute!

So fun seeing his name!

Evenings like that remind me of the many blessings I am surrounded by. Friends, family, generous hearts, and the gift of a baby...my cup runneth over!

We were also able to celebrate again a couple of weeks ago when the staff at Wade's office threw a luncheon and shower for us. I'm so bummed that I somehow didn't take any pictures. It was another time of feeling oh so thankful and appreciative of the thoughtfulness of others. It was a yummy lunch (I so need that recipe Lynette), a yummy and adorable cake, and so many wonderful gifts (and lots of diapers...yay) for Baby Will. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Top 10....woops...Top 9

Never quite got around to an AI post last week. Was bummed to see Didi go but figured it was going to happen soon. LOVED Lee last week.

On to this week and the Top 9. I live with a serious Beatles fan, so of course, all performances were under major scrutiny. Overall opinion was that it could've collectively been much worse. But again, this season is not proving to have an overall impressiveness to it yet.

The star of the night surely had to be Casey.

I had never heard that song before but loved it. He was great and the guitar playing was impressive. Speaking as someone who knows nothing about guitar playing that is. With the looks, guitar, voice, and hair, I'm thinking he's in at least the Top 3.

The others:

Aaron ~ Wade says I'm way too harsh on the kid. But come on, this week was cheese. Same thing I keep saying...yes, he has a good voice. But I don't see more than that.

Crystal ~ Great performance. I half expected the judges to say it was too similar to what she normally does. But it was still great. She's still great. The "diggety-do" or whatever it's called was funny.

Katie ~ Normally I'm not her biggest fan, but I thought she did pretty great this week. I was impressed.

Lee ~ Well, he definitely wins the award for randomness. I couldn't stop laughing when the bagpipe guy came walking down the stairs. So strange? And it was right at the part of the song that he was getting really good. I want him to do so well (like last week) but think he lets his nerves get the best of him.

Michael ~ It's not my preferred style of music, but his rendition I thought was pretty cool. Different and unique. Not necessarily what I'm going to pay to listen to, but I'm sure there is a market out there for it.

Siobhan ~ I love that song but agreed with what Kara said. I didn't quite get it. Not sure why, but I wasn't crazy about it. It wasn't bad. And thank goodness, she finally didn't scream, but I still just didn't get it. Maybe I just don't get her?

Tim ~ You've got to hand it to the guy for persevering. And you have to admit that it could've been much worse. Not bad. Not impressive by any means, but an improvement for him.

So for me (sounds like Randy-speak), it's time for Andrew to go home. I just wanted him to do so good, but it's not going to happen. I didn't like tonight's song choice. It was too cheesy/poppy. Too bad as he seems to have lots of potential.

Still waiting for a wow moment from someone. Not sure with this group that it's going to happen. Or did I just miss it?

Baby Will

The time is getting closer until we get to meet the little guy that will turn our family into a party of 4.

William Cullen Strzinek, who we plan to call Will, is due in about 2 ½ weeks. We can’t wait to meet him. After saying no to so many different boy names, a couple of months ago, we agreed to go to the name that always came back up. William is a family name on my side, as both of my grandfathers are Williams. Tate has the Robert name passed down from the Strzineks, so I love that this baby will have a name passed down from the Enrights.

And Cullen is the chosen middle name. However, it has nothing to do with vampires. Surely in a few years the Twilight fever will pass and people won’t wonder anymore if I was really that in love with Edward Cullen. Actually the name is from the location where Wade proposed to me about 12 years ago…Cullen Auditorium on the ACU campus.

Around here, he is affectionately referred to as Baby Will. Being pregnant for 9 months is a good thing in some ways as it gives you time to get in the right state of mind. Early on in the pregnancy, I was pretty nervous about the thought of two kids. I’m sure for any of you out there with 3 or 4, you think I’m sounding a little wimpy. I of course was over-the-moon thankful for the gift of a healthy baby, but wondering how will I parent two kids. Let alone, two boys.

And with the second time around, comes the awareness of what is ahead. With your first, you get to be blindly naïve. There are some good things about that. This time, I know exactly what those sleepless nights feel like.

And this pregnancy has definitely been different and much harder than when I was pregnant with Tate. I’ve felt guilty having any kind of complaints about pregnancy, because I know firsthand from several years ago and know so many others that right now would do anything to be suffering through the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Throughout the uncomfortableness, the hairline fracture on my rib, the sciatic nerve pain, and the swelling, I’ve worked hard at being “positive pregnant person.” Not sure that was always accomplished, but I wanted so bad to honor this gift that has been given to me.

And so as time has gone on and my belly has become insanely large, I have bonded with this little mover and shaker (seriously, this boy can move) so much and can’t wait to lay eyes on him…sleepless nights and all. That is the blessing of pregnancy. What was once very uncomfortable and painful at times will change in a heartbeat to a beautiful feeling that is impossible to describe.

I already have an intense love for this little boy. I already want and desire the best for this life that hasn’t even let out its first cry yet. I’m in awe of the miracle of life forming in me every single day.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.

I know that full well.” ~ Psalm 139:14