Last days in Atlanta...

I am sad to say that we only have a TWO DAYS left in the big city of Atlanta. 2 days left in our first house together as a married couple. The moving truck will arrive on Friday and we will pack all of our belongings in it. It is kind of hard to believe. After 6 years in Atlanta - filled with crazy times with my girlfriends to finding my husband - we are heading to South Geogia to live and have a baby! How times have changed.

Recent weeks have been filled with dinners and lunches with friends and last minute errands and shopping for things I am sure we can't find anywhere but Atlanta :)

And of course packing! Even Beau and Lady are sick of packing. And it's really hard to pack when you have a growing belly and stitches that won't let you bend over too far. Good thing Robbie loves to pack boxes :) Just kidding- I have actually been pretty helpful.

While I am sad to leave Atlanta, at the same time I am excited about this new chapter in our life. It is fun to take these first steps with my "new" husband and know that we are doing it together. I am not scared because I am doing it with Robbie. I am a little nervous though...who wouldn't be?? A new town and a new baby!

I am MOST looking forward to setting up Baby Boy Raybon's nursery! We have been buying things here and there and putting them straight in boxes. I can't wait to get them out and set everything up for him!

Thomasville - here we come!

25 weeks and a wedding!

Wow - 25 weeks! The last few weeks of pregnancy have slipped right past me in our busy state. I have forgotten to take belly pictures and realized that my belly is getting huge!

We are slowly making progress with baby purchases (this is a huge relief to Mommy). A few more cute outfits, a jogging stroller (on sale!) and more importantly the crib mattress have all been purchased!!!!! They are all safely packed away waiting patiently on the move to Thomasville. One more week!

We are off today heading to South Georgia for my brother's wedding!!!! So exciting! Please pray for good weather on Saturday as there is a chance for rain :( I know all will be fine though!

25 week belly picture!

Happy Anniversary!

Wow! I can't believe it has been one year (yesterday) since Robbie and I said our vows on that beautiful spring day in April. It really was the perfect day in all aspects, but especially the weather. Not too hot, not too cold and NO mosquitoes! All of our friends and family were in attendance and we danced the night away!

If you had told me that in 365 short days I would have found a great job, then had to leave it because I am 6 months pregnant and moving to Thomasville , I would not have believed you! Not to mention a couple of surgeries and a melanoma later. Whew, it has been a crazy year!

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to the sweetest, smartest, most handsome man in South Georgia. Getting used to married life was a hard adjustment at first, but I can truly say this has been the best year of my life. I married my best friend and we have grown and learned so much this past year.

Also in our first year of marriage, we created the most wonderful thing on earth - a son. I feel so blessed every day that God has chosen me to create a new life and carry this precious son of his. It is not a responsibility to be taken lightly and Robbie and I thank God every day that he has blessed us with this mission of parenthood.

There is not one single thing that could happen right now to make me any happier...other than meeting my son in 4 short months! Robbie, you have made me the happiest woman in the world! Thank you for making all my dreams come true.

It brings me joy every time I watch this incredible slideshow of our wedding day: http://www.thedecisivemoment.com/slideshows/gatewood-raybon/ Our photographer did an amazing job and really captured what we both felt that day. Enjoy watching it one year later!

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from that special day:

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter with BOTH of our families in town to enjoy the weekend with us. I think just about every person came with a dog or two, so our fenced in back yard came in handy. I have never seen so many beautiful English Springer Spaniels! Friday night everyone arrived in town and we had a cookout at our house. The weather was perfect and the pollen had not yet made an appearance!

Cute Miss Belle

Beau and Molly

Since we had everyone in town and we will be pretty busy with the upcoming wedding of Crisp and Katie we decided to go ahead and celebrate my birthday!

My favorite cake of all time!

Lady put on her party hat!

Belle borrowed it for a picture with her Daddy

Saturday we went for a much needed walk around the neighborhood and then had a big breakfast! The weather continued to be beautiful so we spent the day shopping! Saturday night we went to a birthday dinner at Basil and had the most delicious experience!

Robbie and me before Dinner Saturday night

(22 weeks pregnant)

Vicki and Rick

Mom and Virginia at dinner

Dad and me

Robbie and me

Mommy cocktail!

Sunday we went to early church at Peachtree Road Methodist followed by brunch as Basil - again! As you can see we like to eat!

The whole family

After church we cleaned up and said goodbye to all of our wonderful family. I had to get someone to snap a picture of Robbie and me in front of our house before we move in a month! We had the best weekend!!

Robbie and me in front of our first home - the tulips were beautiful!

21 weeks and baby kicks!

I am a little behind, but here is my 21 week belly picture...

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now."

Other big news to report - I felt Baby Raybon for the first time last week! I was getting a bit worried as I approached 22 weeks, but laying in bed one night I finally felt it!!!!! It has been happening since - ever so slightly. It it is hard to explain, but it feels like bubbles in my stomach in quick movements.

Easter weekend report coming soon...!

Boys boys boys

My Mom and I had the best time registering for Baby Boy Raybon a couple of weeks ago! I decided to register at two stores:

Pottery Barn Kids: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/registry/find-registry.html?cm_type=fnav

and Babies R Us: http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp

It was a little overwhelming because there are so many things we need to buy! We did buy the crib and changing table at Pottery Barn (after much debate). They are both antique white. Here they are:

We also bought a stroller ON SALE and I love it!

I feel like we got alot accomplished and I can rest awhile before we start buying more.

Surgery

I had surgery on Monday for the melanoma on my leg and the atypical mole on my arm. I cannot believe Baby Raybon already went through his first surgery!

Thank you so much for all the thoughts and prayers! The Lord sent me the best surgeon and nurse team I could have asked for. They used local anesthesia instead of putting me completely under - this was a huge blessing. It did hurt some, but after I was numbed up I could not feel a thing. The surgeon was pretty honest that he would leave a pretty bad scar on my leg because he had to take out 1cm all the way around the mole, which ends up being 2cm across each direction. Yikes. I have not seen it, because I looked away the whole time and he bandaged me so I did not see the stitches.

He warned me that it would be sore and to stay off my feet as much as possible. I really had not thought about the pain I would be in after the surgery. Man oh man was he right. I have been in the most pain I have ever been in for the past 2 days. I woke up this morning and wondered if childbirth would be this painful! It is getting better with Tylenol and time. Luckily I am at my parents house and my Mom is taking good care of me while Robbie works!

The doctor also emphasized how important it will be to get my moles checked every 3 months. My chances for getting another melanoma are now very high. Get your moles checked and stay out of the sun! It is not worth what I just went through.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate them so much.

Behind on pictures...

I have been slack on posting my weekly pregnancy pictures because we have been so busy! I am now TWENTY weeks pregnant - which means I am half way there! I had both my 20 week appointments in the past couple of weeks and everything is looking great. He is a healthy boy!

20 week email:

You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system.

I can't believe he is the length of a banana and I cannot feel him move yet! I know he is squirming around in there! The doctor said I should feel him anytime in the next couple of weeks.

Here is my 18 week picture:

And here is my 19 week picture:

I am wearing the same outfit, and there is not too much of a belly change but here they are! I am still feeling great, which is a blessing. More to come!

It's a....

BOY!

We found out on Thursday that our little baby is a boy! Robbie looked like the happiest guy on earth! We went out to a nice dinner at Capital Grille to celebrate this wonderful news. We definitely needed it after the rough week we had. Not only is he a boy, but a healthy boy. He weighs 12 oz and is measuring slight above average - healthy! We are very blessed.

I am ready to start buying baby things now! Up until now we had not bought anything. My Mom came to Atlanta yesterday and we wore ourselves out baby shopping. I think Baby Raybon is outfitted for the first 6 months of his life now :) And we bought a stroller! on SALE!

This was the first thing on my list...a furry soft hooded bear towel...in blue of course - sooo cute!



Now off to more shopping!!

Keep us in your prayers

I felt urged to write this post about the news we received early this week. I would like to keep this blog upbeat and all about baby, but it is also about our family and this is what is happening in our family right now! I had a regular mole check at my dermatologist and discovered I have a superficial melanoma on my right leg. I was obviously very upset to find out this news, but have learned from a couple of doctors that it should be fully treatable and I (and the baby) will be just fine.

Of course my first reaction was "Why is this happening to me?" and "especially why right now?!" This is the last thing that we need to deal with! But I had to stop and be patient and I realized the Lord has a plan for me and he has taken care of me and my baby. My melanoma is .24mm. Doctors really start to worry when it has gone 1.0mm or deeper, so I am very blessed that they caught it early and can get it out!

We will do the surgery next week in Tallahassee, FL and thankfully they will just do local anesthesia because of the pregnancy. Please keep me in your prayers as we go through this difficult time of selling our house, moving and now this surgery.

Which changing table?? Help!

I had a wonderful relaxing weekend. I may or may not have stayed in my P. J.'s pretty late both mornings of the weekend. We did some fun baby shopping - no purchasing yet - just browsing. After Thursday we will know whether to buy blue or pink! I am trying my hardest to not think about it b/c otherwise I will count the seconds until our appointment on Thursday.

Now - I need some serious help with the nursery! We have not bought a single thing yet, but are just looking and planning. I am using the chest of drawers from my room at home - thanks Mom and Dad! They are tall and white.

We want this Jenny Lind crib in white:

It has been a challenge researching and figuring out "which" Jenny Lind crib to buy. There are several manufacturers and types. I think the one we want is at Babies R US. It is not available online though... :(

The changing table that goes with our crib is below:

(shown here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/DaVinci-Jenny-Lind-Changing-Table-in-White/11164293)

It is cute and would be perfect b/c it matches, but I have read reviews that say the shelves are flimsy and it is kind of small.

I also found two in pottery barn that I love:

shown here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/ultimate-changing-table/?pkey=bchanging-tables)

Shown here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/classic-changing-table/?pkey=bchanging-tables

The problem is both of these at Pottery Barn are "antique white" and my crib and chest of drawers will be white, so it won't match...

Which one should I get??? The Jenny Lind one is much less expensive and Robbie would just have to put in some new shelves. The Pottery Barn ones are probably more sturdy and will last longer, but we might have to paint them...help!!

Sunny? Warm?

I know I will regret saying this come June or July or August when I am super pregnant and super hot....but here goes...I am SICK of cold weather! This has been the coldest windiest yuckiest winter I can remember. I am ready pack up my jackets and gloves and not see them again until December.

I am ready to sport my flip flops and sundresses and get some sun on my legs! Please sun come out this weekend or I might cry. No, seriously, I might cry. It has happened alot lately, so don't test me.

Atlanta is itching for warm weather and I think we might get a taste of spring this weekend - yippee!

Oh yeah - and I am 18 weeks pregnant today. Can you believe it? I feel like just yesterday I was only 9 or 10 weeks...I am legitimately showing and total strangers can tell I am with child. The little one is the size of a sweet potato this week - strange comparison if you ask me, but anything I read about my child is cute to me.

My back is starting to hurt, and I am still really tired and emotional - by emotional I mean that I cry alot. But that may have something to do with my husband traveling every week, quitting my job, packing up my house and moving from the city I have known for the last five years. I am super excited about moving to Thomasville, but it's hard work getting my life organized to prepare for this move. Leaving friends, switching doctors and did I mention packing?

We are in a transitional period in our life and it is hard, but I know it will pay off when we are settled in our new town with our new baby! 154 days to go and I will be a Mommy!

Have a great sunny weekend!

17 weeks...a little late

Wow - I am getting behind posting pictures! I have been so busy going out of town on weekends and this week during the week that I can't keep up! I was 17 weeks pregnant last Friday February 26. We headed to Americus for the weekend and I remembered to take these weekly pictures. The baby is the size of an onion this week!

Here are some fun pictures from the weekend:

Crisp and KatieMe and Robbie

Me and Dad

We are trying to slow it down a little bit in the Raybon household because I was getting stressed out and having some stomach pains. Too much traveling plus growing a baby plus moving plus packing up our house plus 2 wild dogs plus a million other factors equals a stressed out Mommy and Daddy. We are doing ok and plan to take it easy for a few weeks. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through these difficult but exciting life changes.

16 weeks and Engagement parties!

I am behind posting my 16 week update! Time is continuing to fly by - it seems like yesterday we found out I was pregnant and now I am four months along! I cannot feel him/her move yet, but I can't wait. I hear it happens anywhere from 16 weeks - 20 weeks so hopefully soon. Here is my 16 week belly picture. Wow - it is GROWING!!

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length . Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

This weekend we traveled to Albany for several parties for Crisp and Katie. The weekend started out with a brunch and skeet shoot in Plains that Robbie and I helped host. This was followed Saturday night with a cocktail engagement party in Albany. Then to end the weekend Katie's college girlfriends hosted a kitchen shower for her. All the events were SO nice and we had such a fun time.

The brunch before the Skeet Shoot

The Bride and Groom! Virginia, Crisp and me

The whole Gatewood family

Katie's Kitchen Shower

Virginia, Mom, Katie and me

Callie, Virginia, Mom, Katie, Sharon and me

Robbie and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday by staying at the St. Regis. We both needed a little relaxation and we got it! This was also our "babymoon". We got in our room and went straight to work out - yes, we are old and consider working out part of a relaxing vacation :) Then I got a heavenly prenatal massage and Robbie went to the steam room. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the beautiful hotel. The rooms are amazing! We had dinner at Blueridge Grill and then had dessert and after dinner drinks/coffee with friends at the hotel. A perfect night for us b/c we were asleep before 11pm!

The basket of candy I made for Robbie

The beautiful roses Robbie sent me at work

On Sunday our house was taken over by these precious puppies!

Are you my Daddy?

Lady could not figure out why she was no longer the smallest dog in the house...

I ended the weekend with a holiday on Monday and it was so much fun to have my parents in town. We had a great Valentine's Day!