Oh Baby!

Kelly and I are going to be parents! Honestly, I have had about two months for this reality to sink in and it still feels surreal. There have been so many emotions-shock and disbelief, joy and excitement, fear and uncertainty. To think that Kelly and I will have a little part of each of us here in another six months is amazing and that doesn’t even begin to describe it. July 4 will forever and always be a special date for more than the obvious reason now, because that’s the day Kelly and I learned that we were going to have a baby. We kept the news a secret until we could make the first doctor visit on the 28th. The weeks have never crept as slowly as they did leading up to that day. The morning of the visit, Kelly and I were so nervous. It was all that we had anticipated and more. I think I can speak for Kelly too when I say that it was love at first sight for the little ‘fuzz ball’ we saw on the screen that morning. We surprised our family with the news that night and needless to say they were and continue to be thrilled! I was thinking a few days ago about how God already knows this baby. He has known and loved this child way before we as its parents ever did. He already has a plan for this little person’s life. There is something so indescribable about knowing that while parents play such an important part in this miracle, it is really quite a small role in the grand scheme of things. In saying that; however, I can tell you that the responsibility He has placed upon Kelly and I to raise this little one according to His will certainly doesn’t seem like such a ‘small’ job right now! Nevertheless, Prov. 3:5-6 is definitely reassuring. So, thanks to those of you who already knew our news and have sent your sweet well wishes and most importantly your prayers! I’m happy to finally share this special time with the rest of you out there in blog land. ;)

Change

So it’s official, Mississippi University for Women’s name will change. MUW began admitting male students in 1982 and so also began the more than 20 year debate over what the institution should be called. As a proud graduate of “The W”, as it’s affectionately called by many, I meet this change with mixed emotion. MUW, founded in 1884, is recognized as the first public college for women. This institution provided countless opportunities for females during a time when women’s rights were very limited. I was and continue to be very proud of this fact; however, I didn’t choose to attend The W because of its name. I chose MUW because of its size, friendliness of faculty members, cost, beauty of the campus and the opportunities it afforded me. You hear the cliché many times that you want to go to a college where you aren’t ‘just a number’ and that was honestly the truth for me. I felt that I would be given opportunities at MUW that I wouldn’t at other larger institutions and you know what? I was right! Heck, I had such a great experience at The W that I didn’t leave immediately following graduation. I worked in Admissions for four years. Now, as a former MUW Admissions Counselor, I am encouraged by the decision announced today to change the institution’s name. As you can imagine it was, and still is, very difficult to recruit male students to a university with “for Women” in its name. The challenge was increased even more when recruiting out of state, where people may have never heard of MUW. The natural assumption was that it was an all-women’s university and that it was private. Male students were already automatically ruling MUW out as an option. Marketing and aggressive recruitment efforts have been increased year after year but there is still only so much that can be done. Although this is a highly debated topic, I think there is one common thread among graduates and friends of MUW. That is that we share a love for the institution and desire to see it prosper. Changing the name will not change the institution. It will simply provide a more appealing and equal sense of opportunity for every student to learn and succeed. If changing the name of the University is what it will take to reach continued success, I am for it! (Ok, I will now take a step down from my soapbox.) ;)

Another Birthday!

I celebrated my 28th birthday August 7. It was a blessing to be reminded of all the special family and friends I have who called, emailed and sent Birthday ‘happies’ to me. Thanks everybody!! Wednesday night Jade, Tara (our close friend from high school), her sweet baby boy Kane and I went to dinner to celebrate both of our Birthdays (Tara’s was on the 10th!) Then, Thursday night Kelly and I went to Anthony’s for my Birthday dinner. It is probably our most favorite restaurant and we hadn’t been in awhile so that was an extra special treat. Then Saturday night Kelly and I went to my parents for my family Birthday party. We had grilled steaks and all the yummy sides that go with it. So, as you can tell, I celebrated my big day in the best possible way…EATING!!! Did you know I was almost born inside a bank and then a car? Yep, according to my Mom she woke up that morning with ‘mild’ contractions but figured she really wasn’t in labor and went to work anyway. I guess since I was number two for her she thought she knew what to expect. (Apparently not!) She worked up until lunch before she finally decided that she might actually be in full blown labor! She had someone call my Dad while another co-worker took her home to get her suitcase. By the time my Dad picked her up and they got to the Dr.’s office she was almost ready to push. The Dr., not very happy with my Mom as you can imagine, told my Dad to take her straight over to the hospital ASAP. As luck would have it, their car wouldn’t crank!! My Dad said he was praying for the car to crank while my Mom was in the back seat praying too I figure! No doubt the prayers worked because they managed to get to the hospital just in time for me to be born. Now wasn’t that a sweet story???
I can’t believe I am almost 30. Honestly, where did the time go?? I always heard Birthdays come around a lot more frequently the older you get. Now, I think there just may be some truth to that!