Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone!

We are so blessed this Christmas that we had to share our joy with you! First, Matt returned home this week, after a long trip to Jordan. There were a few delays due to the storm that rocked the east coast, but he got home just in time for Christmas. Next, Charity's parents came down for Christmas Eve and we all went to church together. It was so sweet! After that we headed to Charity's family Christmas party at her Aunt Renee's. That was a blast! We were able to see most of Charity's family and celebrate Christmas with them. Lastly, we opened gifts on Christmas morning with Charity's folks. It was so fun to celebrate Gavin's first Christmas! I told you we were blessed, and now you believe me!

On a side note, Charity got a new Flip camera for Christmas (thank you Mark & Charlotte)! We have been playing with it and our Mac and here is our first production. (We did a side view of Gavin because we've noticed that he tends to be a bit camera shy, quieting down when he notices it pointed toward him!) Be patient...it takes a while to load. Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Holidays!

Greetings, family and friends! How are you all? We are doing well! Currently, Matt is in Amman, Jordan, and Gavin and I are holding the fort here in Albuquerque. We sure do miss Matt, but know that he's right in the middle of some exciting things happening there! He'll be back in time for Christmas. So, we're eagerly awaiting his arrival back to NM early next week!

As a family, we're getting more and more comfortable and continue to enjoy each other so much. Gavin continues to learn and grow so fast! It's so crazy to us that's he's already 4 months old! His next doctor's appointment is next week. So, we'll see how big he's grown and how well he's developing! As far as Matt and I are concerned, he's doing great!

I'll be posting more pics soon. Just wanted to write a quick note to wish you all a happy holiday season!

We love you all!

More pics...

Hey everyone! I got a request for more pictures. So, here you go!

Things are going well here. They seem to be getting better and better as we're beginning to feel more comfortable in our "routine." The only thing we're lacking is some sleep. Looking forward to full nights of rest, but in the meantime, enjoying loving on Gavin day and night!

Happy Halloween!

Gavin's 2 month checkup!

Hello all! How's it going? The Bradshaw's are doing well. Although still learning so much with our new baby boy, we're starting to get the hang of some things and adjusting pretty well! Thank you, Jesus!

So, Gavin just turned 2 months old! Oh, how the time flies! I know you all said it would, but I guess with some things, you just don't believe it until you're there. We're still having so much fun! Gavin is smiling much more, cooing, and quite a bit more active than before! Some of his favorite things to do are suck on his fist and forearm, watch the mobile while he lays in his swing, stare at the fan whether still or going round, stretch as long as he can when he's waking up, and pee all over himself and the walls when we're changing his diaper. That last one's not so fun! :) He's not quite at the point of sleeping through the night, but according to the MD, it's usually when babies are about 15 pounds that they do that! Gavin measured at 10 1/2 pounds today and was 22 1/4 inches long. He is at the 25th percentile for everything, and they say he's doing great! He got a few immunization shots today and was a champ! He's only cried for seconds. It was amazing! What a trooper! We're so proud!

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the pics!

Char

Life as Parents!!!

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for not being more consistent with postings. Anyways, here I am. Gavin is currently taking a nap. So, I have a small window of time to get this completed! Well...where do I start? This last month and a half has been a whirlwind! As you know pregnancy was not so fun. I would have to say that delivery wasn't either! Lots of things unexpected happened, but rather than share the details with you, I will move on to the fun part, Gavin!

You guys, Gavin is so wonderful! Honestly, having a baby has been such a blessing. I know you all told me that all the aches and pains would be worth it, but I've gotta tell ya...it's so much more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. I was so worried about so many things like not bonding, going crazy, having cabin fever, etc... I was completely wrong in my preconceived notions of having a child! I can't even believe how wrong I was! I have just held him and cried because I am so happy to have him in my/our life! I just stare at him. There are days when I just don't want to let him go, although I will only because I realize the necessity of paying bills, eating, and showering on a regular basis. Who would have thought I would change a diaper with a smile? I mean, I have to give the Lord all the glory for this because those of you that know me well know that I've never really been a "kid person." So, to have the response I've had has really been a gift from the Lord! We sing and dance, read stories, go for walks. All kinds of fun stuff! What a blast! Gavin is so gracious with his inexperienced mama!

Matt has been so wonderful too! He's already won the award for "Dad of the Year" in our house. He's not afraid to calm him down when he's fussing, give him a bottle, change his diapers, give him a bath. The list goes on. Matt's all about it! He is so good with Gavin and is having a ball! It's really a joy to watch them interact. Matt took Gavin to Home Depot and the Car Wash the other day. They were out doing "guy stuff." So cute! I look forward to watching their relationship continue to grow!

Well, I'm sure you're enjoying the update, but would much rather see pictures. So, here you go! Enjoy! Visit or call if you get a chance. We'd love to see you and show off our baby boy! We love you!

Thanks to those of you who have called to check on us, brought us meals, and showered us with your love! It has been so appreciated!

Char

Gavin is home...

Hello everyone!

We just wanted to update you all very quickly. Gavin is finally home and happy to be here. He loves to sleep all day and party all night. And by "party," I mean crying, fussing and eating of course. Anyways, Charity is feeling better, still a little sore but she is happy to be able to see her feet again. We love you all and greatly appreciate all the visitors, e-mails, text messages, phone calls, and most of all your prayers. We cannot possibly thank you enough for your support and for your part in this exciting time in our lives. So, THANK YOU! That may be all you hear but please know that we mean it and you are appreciated.

So, let's get to the good stuff, the pictures!

By the way, you are all welcome to come visit Gavin. Please call ahead and we look forward to seeing you!

Greetings Family and Friends!

Hey everyone! Hope you all have been enjoying the summer months and have found some time for rest and relaxation,! Matt and I are doing well. Life has been quite busy for pretty much the entire summer. Between trips, baby showers, working, prenatal classes, doctor's visits, and the chaos of everyday living, time has flown by. Soon and very soon, our baby boy will be born, and who knows what life will look like then?! We've prepared as much as we can and are ready for his arrival whenever he is! A few weeks ago, Matt and I had some preggo pics taken. We thought you might enjoy them! I also added a couple pics of the baby's room! Again, we hope you all are doing well. Hope to be able to update you with some big news soon! We love you all!

June Pictures

June Update

Ok, Charity reminded me that we haven't updated the blog in a while and that its my turn. This is exactly why I don't Twitter.

So, here we go. I am currently in Louisville, KY taking a class. As many of you know I am very close to completing my Masters! I was on track to graduate in May but with the move, job change and several other excuses; I have slowed my school pace. Currently, I have one more class to take, Hebrew, and I should finish in December. That means baby "B" and I will be learning Hebrew together!

Yeah, about him. The baby is currently doing awesome! He is kicking like crazy and giving mama all kinds of trouble. He is growing well and everything is right on track. The baby is still due on August 21st! That means 9-10 more weeks left. We are excited and can't wait.

Speaking of mama, Charity is doing well. She keeps growing and growing (See left). She feels good for the most part but is a little achy and very tired. Her spirits are up and she has been a real joy! She stayed in Albuquerque this week while I am in Louisville, and I can't wait to get home!

So, those are the personal run-downs. We spent the last week with Charity's sister Jen, her husband Spencer and their baby Rosie! She is so cute and was very helpful in trying out the crib and baby room! Rosie is 8 months old and was very cooperative. We also went camping as a family with all of Charity's clan. It was a blast. We also had a couple of baby showers last weekend. That was great and "Thank you!" to everyone in the family who came and were so generous! You guys rock.

I ask Charity to get some pictures up of our summer fun. Hope you are all well, we will chat soon!

BIG NEWS!

We have had a busy week. First, on Monday night we felt the baby kick! Charity was feeling the fluttering sensation and forced me to feel her belly. Just as I did, the baby moved. It was great!

Next, we went for an ultrasound today, and found out "It's a BOY!!!" We have been dying to find out and were so excited. The technician told us that it might take some time and that we would have to wait on her to measure some things before we found out. But just as soon as she went to measure the femur bone in the leg, we saw the obvious! The lady's exact words were, "That's the gender and he's a showoff!" It was exhilarating and a little embarrassing all at the same time. So, here are the pictures.

It is absolutely amazing what they can do with a little technology.

First, here is our baby boy in 4-D:

He looks like E.T. dipped in maple syrup, but he still has a few months to develop!









Next, this is him laying on his back, looking up to the sky. Otherwise known as a profile shot. His head is to the right and body on the left:








Last, we were able to see his tiny fingers waving at us. This is a view from above, you can see them here:








These are exciting times in our house and we are so thankful to share them with you. Thank you for all the prayers and encouraging words! We greatly appreciate them.

Belly Pics!

Thought you might enjoy seeing my belly grow! It's so crazy! This is a picture at 18 weeks! We'll be posting soon with the baby's gender!

New Game!

As many of you know Charity is a Pac-Man FREAK! She loves this old game and it remains the ONLY video game she has any interest in. So, we found a gadget that allows you to play Pac-Man through the blog. I think we added it more for our entertainment than yours, but enjoy it anyways. By the way, Char says she really misses the joystick!

Baby-B Update

Wednesday, we returned to the OB for our latest appointment and honestly, it was pretty routine. The baby is growing and healthy, apparently it is the size of a lemon. We heard the heartbeat but had no reason for an ultrasound. The doctor only spent a couple of minutes with us and we were out of there. So, the update is pretty uneventful, but that's okay. We know that Baby-B is healthy and we are all doing well. Charity is feeling better but still not dynamic. Her laugh and smile have returned and we are grateful that the hormones make her laugh without good reason. We go back to the doctor in March for the big checkup...finding out the gender of this little lemon!!! We can't wait! Other than that, there is really no news to report!

Back among the living!

Hello everybody! First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who have offered help through either service, prayer, or encouragement. You have helped me to get through each and every day and I'm so thankful! Now that I'm somewhat back among the living, I can tell you that the last two months have been quite difficult; in fact, they've been more trying than I ever imagined pregnancy could be. You know, when people talk about being pregnant, there always seems to be a positive connotation associated with it. I will honestly tell you that although I experienced excitement when we initially found out the big news, I have experienced more lows by far, with emotions ranging from anger to sadness to frustration to bitterness to depression. In the midst of 24/7 nausea, vomiting, and/or sleeping, it has been hard to find the excitement in what I recognize is a precious gift from the Lord.

It's amazing how clear your vision becomes and how much your perspective changes when you go through a certain experience that allows you to view something in a different light. I've found that through this particular experience, the Lord has grown me in quite a few areas and taught me some very valuable lessons. I have begun to develop a strong sense of compassion for people experiencing chronic pain or discomfort, when you feel like there is no relief...it's quite depressing. I've been blessed to see an influx of both family and friends offering help in any way possible, and have realized that all you have to do is ask! Although it seems like the hardest thing to do sometimes, both the giver and the recipient are blessed because of it! With that, I've also come to appreciate people! Although I already knew this fact, I've just been reminded that we were never meant to do life alone, and have truly come to appreciate the value of a friend/family member! I've been reminded of what a wonderful man I married 5 years ago. Wow! I've fallen so much more in love with Matt over the last couple months because I have experienced such overwhelming love as he has taken on more responsibility and shown such compassion and consideration for what I'm going through. The last lesson that I'm working on learning is being joyful, having a sense of happiness or more so, contentment, despite life circumstances. It's been easy to focus on the negativity of the experience without also looking to its beauty and wonder. I've got quite a bit to work on there!

Thankfully, I'm glad to say that things have gotten better. I'm now only throwing up once every couple days, I've been able to work full shifts at work, I'm able to keep up with some of the household duties, and I've also been starting to see people again! Who knew that these would be things to celebrate?! Well, again, thank you for being a part of our lives. I appreciate you!

First Picture of Baby B

We went to the doctor today and got our first glimpse of baby B. We were excited to hear the heartbeat and actually see the baby. the baby is 3.25 cm, or about the size of a prune but has a strong heartbeat. Unfortunately we were not as far along as we had hoped, about 3 weeks off, but we have a due date of August 21st. That is very close to char's birthday and shaping up to be an eventful month. Char is still feeling nauseous, but we appreciate all the suggestions. We are hoping she will get over the sickness soon so we can start having some fun!

For now, we will settle for the little moments like we had today! Stay posted...

We have an announcment!

Hello everyone! We are very pleased to announce that Charity is pregnant!!! We found out about our little surprise the week before Christmas and wanted to tell family in person before we posted it. So, sorry about the delay but hopefully everyone understands. That's the good news, here is the bad news: Charity is not having much fun.

She is currently sick everyday, not just in the morning. She has no desire for crackers, or anything that would typically settle her tummy. Actually, in a twist of irony for those who know Char well, she really only likes to eat fast food like hamburgers and pizza. She also eats every 2 hours. So, as she tries to get through this rough spot she could use 2 things.

1- Prayer. We always need it but we could sure use your support.

2- Suggestions- We know that Char is not the first to be pregnant, so why re-invent the wheel? Please send us suggestions through e-mail or post a comment with your favorite morning sickness remedy.

We love you all and are very excited to share this journey with you. She doesn't have a belly yet, but we will post pictures in the future.