Week 33 - Showered in Gifts

When we made the difficult decision to forego a baby shower, we knew we would be fully embracing the costs associated with preparing our home for a new addition. We created registries, because we were encouraged to do so, but we assumed folks would hold off on gift giving until they could celebrate with us, in person. So, it has been a welcome surprise that so many of our family and friends have generously sent us items from our registries. Each time a new package arrives, Ben becomes giddy as a school boy and rushes to open it and assemble it as quickly as possible. This week was truly fulfilling as we finally saw our nursery vision coming together. Check out the vision vs reality!

We had an appointment with one of our midwives this week and made sure to share some of the anxieties we processed, last week. We went in unashamedly honest and were relieved to receive a warm and compassionate response. In addition to validating our concerns and reassuring us of the care we will receive, she also offered several amazing suggestions to do as homework, including watching a "Meet the Midwives: Hospital Tour" video that the team put together. Since they cannot offer tours right now, and these amazing women are well aware of the concerns plaguing expectant parents, they put together an incredibly informative video so we could experience the next-best thing. We also received PHENOMENAL news - the hospital restrictions have been lifted, ever so slightly and TWO support people are now allowed! We can hire a doula! We are extremely grateful for this blessing, a true gift in the best ways.

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Week 34 - Home is where Family is

This week, we eagerly prepared for a celebration. With great excitement, we welcomed our parents and sibling to our home to celebrate: * Independence Day * Kiersten's MBA Graduation * 1 Year Wedding Anniversary * The completed decoration of our home! In the final days leading up to this special occasion, we put the finishing touches on our home, becoming experts at measuring and hanging wall art - something our house has been desperately missing for way too long! Believe it or not, we signed the mortgage on this little place in November of 2018. So, the walls have been in desperate need of some personality. In much thanks to the generosity of our family and friends, we were able to fill it with several meaningful items, as well as a few selections of our own. It brought us great pride to show off our finished space to our immediate family. We have taken the time during quarantine to truly knock items off our project list and make this little house our own.

Week 20 - Baby is Still Growing

Its incredible how much has changed since our last post. What we thought would be a remaining staff of 25 is now just 12. This week, we had to iron out exactly who was on a permanent layoff, and who would be furloughed with a reasonable return to work in sight. Then, we had to deliver the news. The week was full of last days, a time unlike any other in the world of human resources. Kiersten will remain employed, God willing, but her schedule has changed drastically; she will be back to 5 days next week, at the hotel's front desk. Several well meaning family members have questioned the safety surrounding this decision. We have seriously evaluated the CDC's information, which currently indicates that pregnant mothers are at equal risk for contracting and surviving COVID-19. Vertical transmission has not been statistically recognized. Right now, we feel that the best thing we can do to care for our child is to ensure that they come into a financially stable home. We ...

Week 32 - Worries and Wonders

The discernment for baby names continues. We would really like to take inspiration from the saints in naming our children. How cool would it be to read a story about a superhero and think "hey, that's my name?" How much cooler to know that the superhero was a real life person that did amazing things as a child of God? We hope that these amazing role models will inspire our children, through a variety of ways. In the meantime, we are actively searching through saint stories and feast days, hunting for just the right ones. We are cutting it pretty close to the end! It is a much more difficult challenge than we anticipated - who knew we had so many opinions? This week, the reality of our timeline is becoming increasingly apparent. We are just 6-10 weeks away from meeting our little one. This is extremely exciting but also very scary. In the midst of a pandemic, we don't have the option of attending a child-birth class or touring the hospital where we will labor and ...

Baby Sunderman 2020

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