Thank you EVERYONE for all your love prayers & support. We’re VERY excited about Christina Joy’s arrival….it’s hard to believe she’ll be here in about a month!

If you decide you would like to get a gift for the shower….we are registered at the following places:

Amazon.com – Click HERE

Walmart.com – Click HERE - Registry ID: 80503539159

Babies R’ Us – Click HERE - Registry# 44552950

Thank you again for your love, support, and prayers.  We hope to see you and your family at 2PM EST on Saturday, January 16, 2010 for our baby shower.  It will be located in the Main Lobby of New Hope Church in Kodak TN.  The address is listed below.  See you there!

New Hope Church
2450 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Kodak, TN 37764

View Baby Shower in a larger map

Many of you have already heard, but I figured I would try to keep the blog updated….

After careful prayer and consideration, Candace and I chose the name:

Christina Joy Bendever

We chose this name based on its meaning.  According to ParentsConnect.com, “Christina” means “Follower of Christ” and ThinkBabyNames.com states the name “Christina” means “Annointed.”  Both are extremely important to us and something we already pray over our little lady.  I do have to admit, though, the name was not originally our idea.  Caroline Marshal (Pastor Buck & Rhea Marshall‘s daughter) told her parents we were having a little girl and her name was going to be Christina….and she did all this before we ever found out the sex of the baby.  Once we found out the meaning(s) of the name….we were hooked.

The middle name was my idea.  I love how Candace’s name flows with Joy as her middle name.  It has obvious meaning, and seems to have an accurate description of Candace….she is always full of joy and life….one of my favorite traits about her.  I think it accents her first and last names very and, and  am already praying it is an accurate description of her life. So if you read her name by the meanings, it will read:

Annointed, Follower of Christ Full of Joy Bendever

I LOVE it!!!!  What do you guys think?

Show some love and leave comments below!  Thank you again for all you love, support, and prayers!

Well, Ultrasound #4 actually happened about six weeks ago….but I really havent had the chance to get this worked on until now.  So, I apologize for the delay.  I think you will see it is worth the wait!

This ultrasound was by far the most breath-taking.  I was absolutely amazed at the detail of what we saw….the equipment at the hospital was so much more advanced than that of the OBGYN’s office.  As I watched the nurse check bone organ sizes…..it was simply amazing to see the detail and the life!!!  At one point, the nurse change modes on the machine, and we could actually see the blood flowing on the screen….AWESOME.

I think the funnest part was the nurse making Candace move all around to try to get the baby to move into a position so we could find out the sex.  She had to lay on each side, on her back, and cough really hard…..which all happened in between the nurse prodding Candace’s stomach.  FINALLY, though, the nurse was able to get a still shot and she determined….

It’s a GIRL!!!

We are SO excited….and you all know Candace is just elated.  As I mentioned in the post for Ultrasound #3, she wants a girl and had already bought some dresses for her.  We have also decided on a name, but I am not sharing that until tomorrow….

So we are just over 16 weeks and we had our third ultrasound this past Tuesday afternoon.  By now, the surreal feelingshave worn off a bit and I now grow more excited as each week passes.  We are constantly asked, “What do you want to have?”  The answers sound so coy, but they are the truth….Neither of us care if it is a he or she….we truthfully just want a healthy baby.  It seems like  such a general and generic answer, but it is truly heartfelt.  I know I won’t understand what a child will change until her/sheis here…..but I have determined having a girl scares me the most.  EVERYONE says she will melt my heart away….and I believe them….so being out-numbered two to one with to ladies that hold me powerless with their smiles will be quite the challenge….

I find myself, at random times, daydreaming about our little one.  I fall off into imagination picturing the little one at two years old coming up to my side as I work on the computer and beckoning for my attention….the innocent smile, gentle touch, and pure love….and I simply can’t wait.  I constantly pray that work/things are never more important than the gifts of family.  I want to be the kind of Dad that finds it a joy to be “interupted” for some time and attention.  So I suppose I have a lot of preparation and work to do….being selfless is harder this day and time than it ever has been.

Now, back to the ultrasound….We are at 18 weeks and for all intents and purposes we are supposed to be finding out the sex of the baby….but he/she had other plans.  The baby was in a breach position….so that made things a little more complicated to view.  The doc had to use a different angle.  Once hewas all set and investigating, we found the baby’s legs were crossed.  He tried hard, but we were not able to see anything definitive to tell us whether it will be a boy or girl.  He did say, though, he was leaning VERY heavily toward a girl….but we are supposed to find out for sure in three weeks.

Our next appointment will be at Fort Sanders hospital in Knoxville where they have a little more advanced equipment.  This equipment should allow us to get a definitive answer on the sex of the baby.  I had originally thought we agreed not to tell anyone what the doc said, but that went out the window the next day when Candace pointed out to all of facebook what the doc said to us.

He also encouraged us not to go out and buy anything yet (like baby clothes), because he wanted to be 100% sure….but she could resist shopping over the holiday weekend.  Candace has already purchased two little dresses….so I guess we all know what she wants to have!

I have to say, ultrasound #2 was far more exciting than the first.  I had a surreal feeling of seeing such a small life for the first time before, but now I was seeing definitive features of that little life.  Small arms, legs, and head….and they are a part of me & the love of my life!

Candace and the Little Bit are at 12 weeks at the time of Ultrasound #2, so it is too early to know if it is a boy or a girl.  We have talked about it, and we definitely want to find out what we are having….I was relieved when she agreed with me (because we all know I would have had to agree to what she wanted) to find out what we are having.  If you know me at all, you know I am a planner…..and I have some control issues.  I like to know things are in control and make sure they go according to plan.  I have a feeling that will go out the window with this whole kid on the way thing….

Anyway….I have been lazy and still do not have pictures up, but I will soon.  Thanks for reading!

Even though we are past the first trimester, I thought I would reflect on how it felt to see a life I helped create for the first time.

Candace (my wife) is an extremely talented dancer, choreographer, and singer….so it was no surprise that our little one was already dancing the very first time we were able to see him/her.  The whole process was so surreal.  Seeing a life in someone that helped me create it….there is no place Iwould have rather been at that moment and time.  I guess I did not show the excitement all that well either….Candace and her Mom both had to ask me if I was excited.  But how do you react?  I mean…..I can’t start screaming and yelling like I do watching a sporting event….we are in a doctor’s office….they would probably call the cops on me!

Anyway….I think the greatest part of it all is the fact we weren’t trying, and it happened on God’s timing.  We have been married over five years, and we were really in no hurry at all to have kids. Candace has some personal fitness goals she was trying to meet before we were going to “try” to have a child.

I don’t have the pictures from the ultrasound uploaded yet, but I hope to scan them in soon and share them with anyone who is interested.  I can’t express enough how excited and blessed we feel to have a little one we can truly call our own on the way!

Here are the best pictures we have from the first Ultrasound: