Big Adventures

Shelby's first big outing was a trip to Target with Aunt Kala and Aunt Keely. She did great and slept the whole time, but I was definitely ready to leave at the end because I needed to feed her.

Saturday, May 23rd we went to the Phoenix Zoo. I had only planned on going for a few hours to meet up with Kala, Keely, Mikey, Makellen, Alan, Carrie, and Jordyn - but we stayed the whole time (about 4 hours). Again, Shelby slept through the adventure, but we took some pictures of the animals to document our outing. It got really hot and all the walking wore us out, but it was a lot of fun! Grandma Pennington in front of the elephants. She has been such a huge help and we love having her here!

Carrie, Jordyn, Alan, Kala, me and Shelby, Mikey, Keely and Makellen at the end of our zoo adventure.

Shelby went to church today for the first time! She looked so pretty and did so good.

Shelby makes such cute faces. Our camera has such a delayed response we are having a hard time capturing them. I wish I could memorize all of this. I don't want to forget all of these little details. She changes so much from day to day. She is so adorable and I love being a mom!

She's Here!!

Shelby Ruth Pennington - born 5/13/09

6 lbs. 15 oz, 18.5 inches long

So cute! Daddy's little girl.

Counting the days...

I get it.

I understand why pregnant women are so ready to have their babies at the end of the pregnancy. I wondered how anyone ever felt ready for such a huge change. I know I will never be ready in some ways, but I just can't wait for her to arrive! Maybe the combination of time (9+months), the toll on the body, and the anticipation and excitement of being a parent and meeting this new life just add up and overcome all the fears.

I had a baby shower on April 25th. It was wonderful. Friends and family came from near and far and I really appreciated everyone coming and being a part of it. I can't express how grateful I am for all those adorable gifts, but more importantly the friendships and support. (I'm so mad at myself. I only took a few pictures from the baby shower. I will try to get one of the group pictures from Kala and post it. In the meantime, I promised a few family members that I would post how big I am.)

My doctor says everything looks good and the baby could come any day now. I try not to think about the delivery itself....and just remember that all the pain will be temporary and totally worth it (at least that's what I hear). Until next time...