Welcome to Micah Reilly Noah Tiger, My Little Pumpkin

Sweet Little Pumpkin

 

I am overjoyed to announce the birth of my precious baby boy, Micah!  He was born on October 5, 2009, weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 20 inches, at 10:07 pm.  The past two weeks have been a blur of happiness, bliss, exhaustion, diapers, cuddling, and love!  Aaron and I are learning as we go by trial and error, hopefully not making too many mistakes.  We cannot imagine life without Micah now and feel so blessed to be on this journey of parenthood to such a darling little boy.  I hope to keep this blog updated as often as a new baby allows with his growth and unbelivable cuteness!  My cup truly runneth over…

7th Month Heaven

Dearest Micah,

As I am writing this, you are currently kicking and squirming, and doing flips for all I know, the way my belly is moving!  I appreciate that you have only jabbed me a few times that have been painful, so far.  It is such a strange, but wonderful sensation, to know that you are this precious, growing gift that is living, moving, and even learning inside me. 

I am 7 months pregnant with you and eager for you to be here, but anxious because we have so much to do to prepare for your arrival.  We got the crib up thanks to the Burkharts, Wendells, and your daddy.  I put your mobile together and can’t wait to see you gazing at it before you drift off to sleep.  Your dad says he gets excited everytime he walks by the nursery and sees the mobile!  We’re also picking up the chair tomorrow!  I look forward to the many, many hours I and daddy will spend rocking you in our arms in the chair. 

Life in Motion

I am 22 wks today.  Time is flying by so fast, it’s incredible.  In the past five weeks we have had a 4-d u/s, finding out we are having a boy, gone home to OK for a week, Aaron was commissioned as an Elder in the United Methodist Church (I am so proud, and now officially a minister’s wife), had my first shower, bought a dresser for the nursery, decided on a crib, and decided on a name!  Just a few things.  We have chosen Micah as our little boy’s first name, and Aaron is still deciding on the middle name I like.  It’s such an amazing feeling to call our baby by name, but we feel this is what God has been calling him all along.  He is already so loved. 

Micah at 18 wks

Picking My NCAA Tournament Bracket: From the Heart Take Two

Here we are again and it’s time to get down to business.  My taxes are filed and I’m getting money from the gov’t and giving some to the state, so if not that madness, it must be  March Madness.  Now a reminder, I am not an expert on college basketball, although sometimes I’m pretty sure if I screamed my advice like Dukey V, no one would know the difference.   I know the game of basketball and I can hold a decent conversation about who’s who in college basketball (much more than the average woman), but I don’t follow it like I do college football; now that’s a topic I could get passionate about, although I am still licking my wounds from the National Championship letdown, but I’m Sooner born and Sooner bred, and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead!    The loss caused me to lose some desire to follow the basketball season closely, even as OU has had an incredible season, led by Blake Griffin.  I blame it on being in KY, surrounded by crazed SEC fans who think no other conference is worthy.   However, as I have my own personal sportscaster living with me, whose own blog on the bracket is skyrocketing, I can’t pass through March bracket free.  I went to the living room this morning where  Aaron, the sports Fanatic, had lovingly placed a blank bracket on my computer.  I caught Sportscenter and I’m sure I’ll get an update via AaronCenter later.  His phone is on overdrive beeping and vibrating at least 5-10 times an hour for some sports-related update, from the 49ers to the OSU Cowboys.  I think he got a personal alert when Kurt Warner had a meeting with Mike Singletary last month.   I’m pretty sure Aaron has renewed his subscription to Courts of Gold to supplement his sports updates he’ll receive in heaven; I bet God is one heck of an announcer, and if we think Reiley knows how to write a closing sentence, imagine what God can do with sentences 1-7.

After reading Aaron’s latest NCAA post update, I once again was inspired and challenged to pick my bracket, post it, and do it all in my own style, from the heart.  And, since I am a mother-to-be this year, I am sure hormones and a growing maternal instinct will play a role, at least a little.  Aaron suggests in his bracket tips to balance head and heart when picking, which while wise and safe, just seemed to shout, ‘Challenge!’  I like heart, passion, stubbornness, ridiculous reasoning, and I wanted to have some fun.  My decision: Pick my bracket using heart reasoning and women’s intuition only.  I believe in miracles, and Scripture does say that the greatest is Love, followed by faith and hope.  Seems like a good package to me.  As the Angels in the Outfield mantra goes, “It could happen.” So here we go; won’t it be sweet if my lovely bracket outlasts Aaron’s sensible, researched, scrutinized one?!  Again, I stress, “It Could Happen!”  I’ve included a copy of my bracket with reasoning for each region’s opening round, followed by select highlights all the way to: One Shining Moment.  Enjoy.

Pregnant Pause

There was this moment, before I looked down at the pink stick to see one or two lines, that just paused, just a few seconds.  A moment before knowing that my whole life would change.  Then I bravely watched as the two, bright pink lines appeared so rapidly that my heart stopped and I had to remind myself to breathe.  There they were.  I am pregnant.  I am going to be a mother.  There is a life that relies on me for all it needs.  I am a mixture of emotion.

Open My Lips

There’s this song inside me

waiting to break free

Let it flow

burst forth

O’ God let me sing

this song

as you lead

The Tiger Christmas Letter 2008

Heather, Aaron, and Beau

We bring you Christmas tidings from Central Kentucky and wish you a Happy New Year!  We are just past the halfway mark of our adventure here in the Bluegrass State and thank you, our family and friends, for your prayer and support for us over the years.  We miss everyone back home, but we have been blessed by many new friends who have helped make our life here, a home.

 Those friends have been the greatest blessing of the past year.  We are a part of a small group with two other seminary couples, the Wendell’s and the Burkhart’s.  We meet on Friday nights (and whenever else we get a chance) and have experienced true community and fellowship.  We all knew that we were meant to be together when our first Friday night lasted for six hours that passed like two!  We look forward to our continued friendship with them and our other friends that we have met here.  We would love to mention even more of these new friends by name, but that would be a long letter!  Give us a call sometime and we’ll tell you all about these incredible people that have enriched and blessed our lives!

Abiding in Comfort and Joy

 

I know it has been awhile since I have written anything; a whole season has passed!  Life has been crazy, busy, overwhelming, entertaining, hopeful, and outstanding.  As I write these words through a haze of exhaustion, I find my mind settling not on those times that have been painful or a struggle, but rather, on the moments of comfort, joy, and peace; quiet in the midst of the storm.

Aaron and I hosted our first KY Christmas party tonight.  (Our last guest, Chris Symes, is actually still sitting on the couch as I type, deep in theological conversation with Aaron.  Seminary students!)  We had 12 of our good friends over, ate good food, laughed, played Two Truths and a Lie and Mafia, took pictures, listened to Aaron’s jokes, sang Christmas songs as Chris played his guitar, and shared wonderful memories.

Fall at Highbridge

Perspective in Color

Aaron and took an impromptu trip out to Highbridge last week, and after managing to tiptoe my way out to the edge of the observation deck (I was in high heels, and the deck is grated; I got stuck a few times) we were rewarded with a spectacular view.  Hope you enjoy!

Fall Thoughts

Haven’t had much to write about lately.  I’m actually working on a novel so any creative juices are being channeled there, or into ideas for a future event planning business.  One of my co-workers brings new decorating and cooking magazines in during the week, and there are so many ideas I want to try and experiment with.  If only there was more time in the day and week.  Maybe if Obama is elected he will add more hours to the day, since he is going to radically change our American way of life anyways, why not our time as well.  (This is sarcasm, just in case you didn’t catch it.)