Brad & Melissa Mellette are BLOGGING!

My baby Lucas is growing fast!

2008-10-22T12:42:00.004-04:00

9-weeks old:

8-weeks old:

6-weeks old:

4 weeks old:

Our new love...at 2-weeks old

2008-09-25T09:50:00.006-04:00

He's FINALLY here

2008-08-23T10:42:00.002-04:00

So much love...

Nursery Pictures!

2008-07-24T14:40:00.010-04:00

The nursery is almost done...but feels much more complete now! All that is needed are a few touchups, and our son to make his appearance of course.

Thanks to Ange and Trisha who sewed the baby bumper, skirt, pillows, and blanket to match my room colors (who would have thought that it would have been so hard to find baby bedding to match those walls of mine! Good thing for friends that come to the rescue!).

7-month pregnancy photoshoot

2008-07-01T11:46:00.017-04:00

We had a fun few hours with Tanya (photocreationstz.com) to shoot some wonderful memories at our home and the park down the road from our house.

31-Week Ultrasound

2008-06-17T12:36:00.005-04:00

We had our 31 week ultrasound today, and it was truly incredible!
This is literally what our son’s face looks like and will look like at birth. I think it’s Brad’s face! We have SO MANY pictures that our doctor took, only because she kept saying over and over again that in all of the time that she’s been taking ultrasound pictures, she’s never been able to take such great shots (she even printed some out to keep for her office). He just kept posing for the camera (ahem…reminds me of my dad, or wait, is that me…). The ultrasound started with him sleeping, and then yawning as he woke up, sometimes making a sour face like he was crying or tasted something funny. He was sucking on his hand to soothe himself in some shots. Every now and then there would be a little smile too. It was wild, how clear the whole thing was.

He has turned already so that’s good. He’s already 4 pounds. An “average” 31-week old baby is 3.5 pounds, so my books say, but who knows. He will be a good sized baby. I asked the doctor what sort of estimate she could give on his size at birth, and she said “definitely over 7.5 pounds”. YIKES! He already looks so chubby!

I just can't believe that this little tiny baby is in my belly. Here I am, also at the 31-week mark:

Nursery bookshelves are up!

2008-06-09T11:48:00.000-04:00

Every new item added in the nursery is an exciting thing. Yesterday the bookshelves got put up, which meant that I could put all the little books on it. Oh how I love organizing, and even more fun when it's for our nursery.

The nursery - unfinished, but sharing some pics nonetheless!

2008-06-03T11:58:00.001-04:00

It is still a work in progress, but here are some pics so far:

The Announcement! It's a Boy!

2008-06-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

One of our most anticipated moments was finding out just what we were having. We kept the ultrasound date a secret after the date was switched. On March 25th (19 weeks along), we had a 3D ultrasound! How incredible it was. We actually got to see all of the features of our child, and learned without a doubt that we were having a boy. It was our most special moment yet (except for feeling him move...that is pretty darn special! And boy does he like to move!)

We then went to my parent's home, Elena and Amar's, and Brad's parent's home, with cupcakes frosted in blue and sealed in a container, and a poem to go with it (Jerad/Wanda, and Nadia/Phil got the poem and a picture montage in powerpoint style since they don't live within 7 minutes from us like the others!!):

Our family is growing
And so is our love…
We’re expecting a
Bundle from above!

We’re counting our blessings
And thankful indeed…
We’re having the baby
We very much need.

Our doctor made a switch
Of our ultrasound date
We didn't want to snitch
And decided to wait.

We kept this surprise
For exactly three weeks
That we would know the gender sooner
We didn't let leak.

Will it be a boy or a girl?
We are ready to say...
Look at the cupcake frosting color
You’ll know for sure...
There's a baby
[Take a guess…boy or girl?] on the way!

Belly shots!

2008-06-03T11:18:00.001-04:00

17 weeks, 21 weeks, 26 weeks along!

The first ultrasound

2008-06-03T11:09:00.000-04:00

At 11 weeks along, we got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time. Amazing.

At the 13-week mark, we were able to see our baby on the screen for the first time. That was quite the experience! We were finally able to announce the pregnancy to all non-family members. Yeah!

A baby on the way...how it all began

2008-06-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Let us take you back...
It was the Friday before Christmas that I, Melissa, discovered I was pregnant.
After being married for just about 7 years, we knew (and everyone else in our life apparently!) knew it was time to start trying. We didn't expect it to happen so fast, but that was a good thing! I really didn't want to get Brad's hopes up, so I played it cool and didn't tell Brad at first that I was late for my period, until a whole week later I knew I had to be pregnant. I actually tested on my own while Brad was at work that Friday, not being able to stand the suspense myself and knowing all at once what the outcome would be. I really wanted to surprise him on Christmas day, but once you have that news in your hands in the form of a pregnancy test, there is no waiting! And so, I wrapped it up, in a nice little box, and when Brad came home I announced that I had an early Christmas present for him. He had no idea, and I know it was his favorite gift of all.

Telling our family on Christmas day was equally fun and a little nerve wracking. How we held off divulging such big news for a few days, I have no idea. Brad put on his Greatest Dad t-shirt that somehow he thought was funny to purchase over a year before we even started trying for a child, and at each parent's house, we waited until someone would pick up on it. Brad's dad picked up on it right away! It took a little bit longer at my parent's house for Elena to notice it, only after Brad called attention to the shirt!!! It was tearful at both homes, I think. At least it was at mine. My grandmother was there and didn't quite know what was going on at first but was crying with the rest of us! Too funny. I should add too that our nephew Gabriel did a wonderful job of drawing me ("aunt mia/meowwwww") carrying a baby. It didn't take long for Jerad and Wanda to pick up what was happening. What can I say, they're quick.

Welcome!

2008-04-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

I figured we'd try this whole blog thing. It's a great way to update everyone on our life, show pictures, videos and stories, and everything else one does in a blog. How exciting.

I'll keep this first entry short and sweet, and say, welcome to our blog!

Brad & Melissa