still counting...

No Noah yet. At least not outside of his cozy, comfy little mommy sized home. We have a nursery for him all ready to go, however Noah prefers Mommy to the cold February weather. Maybe March will be more to his liking, or so we anxiously hope. The closing months seem to be a little rougher with the wicked crazy (and slightly evil) back pain and cramps. We keep thinking our little boy is going to come out and play an moment, but he doesn't, and so we wait. And wait. We don't want to wait. We are excited to see the little fella. He'll get here when he's good an ready I suppose.

It's an early lesson in parenting, as Shelli brought up, learning that we are not the ones to control our son. Help him grow and learn certainly; but we don't make his decisions for him, we can only help and teach. I pray we'll be good at that... that we'll be patient and loving. I know Mommy will be. She already is so much and more, how much more so with little Noah. She is such an amazing mother kind, patient, loving; so excited and enthusiastic. I love my wife's glow, even despite the uncomfortableness there is just such an aura of excitement and anticipation about her. She is amazingly beautiful.

So I suppose I pray that I will be patient and loving. I mean, I know I will love him, without a doubt; but I hope I am loving or that I show him that. I hope that I can be an example to my son. I hope that he can learn from my strengths and weaknesses and be a much better man than I was or am. I know he can be, but its his choice, all I can do is help... teach... love.

I am so excited beyond measure for his arrival. It's like when you were 8 years old and you first got the glimpse of all the Christmas presents under the tree. You ran down and scoped out the packages that had your name inscribed on their little festive tags. You wanted to tear them open in that moment, but you couldn't. It was still days until Christmas. So every day until Christmas morning you had to wait. Seeing those presents stacked there calling your name each day. Its kind of like that, only with a whole lot more excitement and we have know idea what day we get to open our little present. Oh, and Noah's not Christmas present, he's our son, that's a pretty substantial difference too.

Point is, I am excited. Excited to meet my son. Excited to hold him in my arms. Excited to see him grow, and play, and discover. Excited to be a Daddy. Whether today, tomorrow or whenever... I am excited.

Finishing Touches...

Thanks to Grandpa Gary for the amazing work on the frames.

My creative and crafty wife made the "NOAH" letters, aren't they amazing?