About Us

Welcome to our blog!

James and I met at the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia in 2000. We didn't really become friends until 2002, right before he was about to graduate. He then moved to Chicago to start law school.

I stayed at UGA for one more year, then moved to Augusta to start nursing school. While I was in my first year of nursing school and James was in his second year of law school we started dating. Yes, while he was in Chicago and I was in Augusta. Georgia. It was very hard. But, we made it through, flying to see each other about every six weeks. In October of my last year of nursing school and his third year of law school, James asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes. We started planning our wedding (again, long distance...again, pretty hard).

We both graduated in May 2005, moved into our apartment in Atlanta right afterward, started studying for our respective licensing exams, took those exams, then got married two weeks later. We were nuts. We got married in Athens, GA on August 6, 2005.

Then we started our adult careers.

After two years, we decided to move back to Athens so that James could take a position as an Assistant Public Defender for Barrow County. He is still in that position today, five and a half years later. He has learned so much in that role and has so much trial experience. I think this job will serve him well for years to come. I have been working in pediatric home health for about three years now, the last two of which have been as a case manager. I really enjoy this role. It utilizes my need for organization and making everything as detailed as possible. It's a lot of work but I like it.

This year we started talking about making a big change in our lives: adding a new family member. We already have Gus and Clover, our pups whom we've had since 2007 and 2008, respectively, but we were starting to feel that it was time for a two-legged person to take care of.

On June 17, 2012 (which happened to be Father's Day!), I took a pregnancy test that was positive. James really didn't seem to believe me when I was showing him the stick, nor that it could be accurate. So later on I took another test and it was again positive. And a different brand. This now seemed to be enough for James to believe it was true.

On July 2, we had our first appointment with the Athens Regional Midwifery Clinic. We met with an RN who asked us a bunch of questions and I had some blood drawn. They called me that afternoon to say the levels of the pregnancy hormone were good and high in my blood. Such good news! I was really, actually, this-is-going-to-happen pregnant. We scheduled an ultrasound and visit with a midwife for a couple weeks later. Here is what we saw:

Because its heart rate was so fast, James walked out of there calling it "Thumper." Which was much better than Thor, which is what he had been calling it up until that point.

There was actually a baby growing inside me! I couldn't believe it. This ultrasound dated the pregnancy at 8 weeks and 1 day. That put the baby due on February 24, 2013.

At 15 weeks and 6 days, we couldn't wait any longer and decided to go find out the gender of our baby. It was a Saturday morning and was so fun! We went to Baby's First Images in Lawrenceville and found out we are having a...

GIRL!

Well, they were 95% sure at that point.

I'm so glad James had stopped calling her Thor!

At 20 weeks we had our big anatomy ultrasound. That assured my anxious brain that things seemed to be going well and that our little girl was healthy. And still looked to be due February 24th. And was still a girl! Here is what we saw that day:

It was a little person with a little face! How crazy is that?!

I am now 28 weeks and 4 days pregnant. My belly is getting very big! James and I attend appointments every 2 weeks at the Midwifery Clinic for our Centering Program. It's kind of like pregnancy support group/birthing class all in one. We get to learn so much information and ask lots of questions, and the baby and I get a checkup each time. Everything is looking good so far!

I really can't believe how fast this time is going by. She's going to be here before we know it! The nursery is coming along, slowly but surely. Here's what we have so far:

Admittedly not a lot. But we'll get there!

I don't think the pups have any idea what's about to happen. We keep wondering how they are going to be with the baby around. We really can't wait for them to meet her!

Well that's where we are in a nutshell. I'll try to update again soon!

James & Randi