Keep the change ya filthy animal...

Russ here. I have a few thoughts and I would love to share them with you; I hope that's okay with Dixi. I do not like change one bit. I mean none. I have been eating the same thing at every restaurant I go to since I can remember. I have had the same haircut since 8th grade. I tell myself that I am okay with leaving Rome one day, but secretly I am okay with staying here the rest of my life. I mean seriously, I don't like change. But here's the problem with that: I am about to become a father. Some people have even told me that being a parent will require me to make small changes to my lifestyle (yeah, who knew?). This originally scared/worried/freaked me out. I wanted to convince myself that somehow I could be a loving, caring, responsible parent and continue the same lifestyle I have always lived. But reality is quickly catching up to me. Things have got to change, and change soon.

See, I wasn't lying...

I hope no one expected me to say that since the realization of the inevitable changes that need to take place, I have become a responsible, early to bed, early to rise, regularly showering, tie-wearing adult. Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm a slow learner. After getting married and moving into my own house (Really? I am a homeowner? I'm just getting good at tying my shoes and they want me to take care of a house?), I guess I expected/wanted everything to be like I had it growing up, once again going back to the fact that I hate change. But to my initial, selfish disappointment, I don't get to watch every single Braves game, dinner may not always be on the table the second I get hungry, and dishes don't magically clean themselves like they did the first 24 years of my life. The day I moved in, I guess this place didn't immediately become "my home". But all that said, this home, this crazy dog, and most importantly, this family of mine; they are hopefully what my daughter will look back on someday and say, "I loved the way mom made me french toast in the morning", or "I hope I have a dog that is as much fun as Storm was". I am slowly but surely beginning to realize that, even though there are still a few things that I'm going to have to get used to, I couldn't imagine anything in my life being any better than it is right now. My wife gladly lets me watch the Braves and cheers with me. She made this house beautiful. She is smokin' hot. Why would I change any of that?

This is my family. This is my home. I love them. Thank you Dixi, for not hating me for hating change. Thank you for watching the Braves with me almost every time they come on. Thank you for brewing sweet tea (I love it, by the way). You and Caedmon are my family now. And for once, I'll gladly keep the change.

Goes down smooth...

On a lighter, more adorable note, I want to give you all the pleasure of having your "awww" moment for the day. I present to you, my nephew Malachi:



Also, I'm sure Dixi would be okay with me showing off our new stroller. It's awesome. We took a walk with it and pretended like Caedmon was in it.

Dog butt not included.

Last but not least, one of my favorite changes. I haven't had a rubber ducky in my bathroom in a long, long time.

I can't wait for you to be here...

Shower for Caedmon at Kelly's House

On June 27th, my good friends Kelly, Michelle, and Jordan threw me a baby shower! And it was absolutely fabulous. If you ever want to have a shower/party get Kelly to have it at her house, cause it was so great!

We had SO many great things given to us, but there were just a few in particular just made me smile, cause they were so unexpected and thoughtful.

Michelle (check out her blog) crocheted Caedmon a little blanket, and later told me that she would just sit for hours crocheting and praying for Caedmon. I almost cried. Thank you Michelle.



Here is a little story explaining how thoughtful this next gift is:
My 6 year old niece, Ema, got this little elephant blanket when she was born and for years she carried (still carries) "buddy" with her EVERYWHERE. She always had (has) to have her "buddy." Needless to say with the very frequent use of this blanket/stuffed animal, it got pretty dirty and beat up so her parents bought her a new "buddy," but it just wasn't the same, so Grandmama stitched up the original buddy, and "buddy" got a bath so Ema wouldn't be sad over not having her "buddy." So she had this new "extra buddy" for awhile and when she came to the shower she gave it to Baby Caedmon (that is what Ema calls her right now). Her own handwritten card said:

Baby Caedmon,
This is Buddy. I love you.
Ema

It was such a sweet moment, and I HOPE that one day Caedmon will appreciate what a special gift she got from Ema.

Here is Caedmon's "buddy" trying out her new baby carrier. (Thanks Cindi!)



I am so thankful to have such a unique church/area with GREAT ladies to do GREAT things for me and russ. There is never that awkwardness where people you barely know get together for something formal and uncomfortable in a stark white fellowship hall. It is just good people who love Jesus and love hanging out, and love being sweet, generous, and friendly. All these ladies are seriously so wonderful to me, and I couldn't be more blessed.

click on the picture to make it bigger!

And one more picture just to show how loved Caedmon is already! Chloe, Abbey and Ema just wanted to hold/touch/hug her all day long! Unfortunately Caedmon was a little too shy (or maybe overwhelmed) to move around when they were "holding her."

Father's Day 2009

So like i said in the previous post there are lots of events to catch up on... and I don't know why it has taken me so long to post everything! I suppose i just got blog-lazy... but tonight and tomorrow there will just be a series of blog posts about everything i have missed blogging about!

Last month we celebrated Russ's "first" father's day at the lake with his dad. Got a chance to go out on the boat again, and just hang out with his family.

Russ got a chance to wake surf for the first time, and he stayed up pretty good for his first time. Pregnant girls don't get to wake surf, but it was fun to watch!



Amy and Malachi were like the cheerleaders for all the surfer dads! Malachi kept clapping and yelling out for his dad and "ruh ruh" that is what he calls russ!



Amy got all the "dads" a cake, and it was super cute. I was excited that Russ got to be included for the first time ever in celebrating as a dad, even though we haven't actually met our little girl yet...


We got to spend the rest of the day just hanging out with our nephew Malachi , and as always took lots of pictures.


Me and Malachi hanging out on the porch drinking some juice and looking out at the lake!



This is him and uncle "ruh ruh." For some reason, he never took a good picture with Russ the whole time... this was the best one.



He is getting so big and acts so grown up! Here he is wearing Russ's sunglasses...



It was such a fun day, and I can't wait until next year on Father's Day, we can take Caedmon out on the boat to watch her dad wake surf!

33 weeks picture update

so this post isn't going to be nearly as good as the last post by russ, but it does have a new picture of how big caedmon is inside my belly!

countdown till Caedmon's due date is now only 46 days!!

here we are at 33 weeks (and a few days)

stay tuned for more posts catching up on father's day, a visit from my six year old niece, and several baby showers!

and thank you to all who read and commented on russ's post! we hit our all time high visitor count with that post, and i told russ he was going have to post more, cause everyone loved reading his post more than all of mine... but that is okay, cause i admit it was much much better, even though it made me cry.

Just a Swing

So here is my first and only post (I think...).  Dixi is in bed with a terrible headache and  I have been sitting here for ten minutes trying to figure out how to add a picture to a post.  I mean how was I supposed to know that the big colored icon of a picture directly above the space I am typing in that says "Add Image" when I scroll over it allows me to add an image? Anyway, you must be wondering, "Russ, why, after all this time, do you decide to post?  Don't you have more important, manly things to do like change the oil in your car or win an arm wrestling match?"  Well the answer is, yes, yes I do; but this is important.  

My wife is 33 weeks pregnant.  I will have a baby daughter in 7 or so weeks (or 10, if things go like they have been lately with all of these mothers-to-be).  I have a closet full of tiny, pink clothes.  I have been to baby showers, I have more bibs in my house than I do dollars in my checking account.  My wife looks like a normal sized person for once in her life.  All these things should of slapped me in the face by now to make me realize one very important thing: I am about to be a dad.  But to tell you the truth, they really haven't, until tonight...

      About a third of the clothes; with two baby 

      showers to go.

Now don't get me wrong, I realize that my life is about to change.  I realize that for years to come, I will never have a visitor at my house that is here to see me.  I know that I'm about to never get any sleep.  I know that I'm going to have to learn to get used to seeing some gross things.  But tonight something happened.  You see, I am somewhat of a baby myself and there is a side of me that would get me laughed at by many of my male friends if they knew what a sissy I really am.  One thing this emotional, girly side of me makes me do is go into the nursery and lay in the floor, and try to comprehend what is really about to happen in my life.  Tonight, we had a baby shower put on by the amazing people at Chick-fil-a (more on that from Dixi later I'm sure).  But as I was sitting in the nursery tonight, trying to organize all the things that were given to Caedmon today, I looked to my right and saw this...

Just a swing.  I am around lots of babies, and I see these all the time.  This one has been sitting in the nursery for several days and I have looked at it many times without a second thought. But tonight, when I looked at it, it was different.  Instead of just seeing a swing, I saw a swing that, in just a few short weeks, will be frequented by none other than my own daughter. Caedmon Clair Burnett will be laying in it (and I will surely never take my eyes off of her for fear that I put it together wrong and it breaks.)  All I could do was picture her, with one of her many adorable outfits on, looking up at me with her inevitably beautiful eyes (if she looks anything like her mom), and it will all become real.  I will not go into detail about how I reacted to this realization, but let's just say I was trying to think of excuses of what to tell Dixi just in case she happened to get out of bed and come to the nursery ("I was just thinking about how bad the Braves played today", "Just reminiscing about the good ole days", "Remembering the end of 'Marley and Me", "I just have something in my eye"...).  Thankfully she stayed asleep. 

As I regained my composure, I started to think about the fact that this isn't "going to be real", it already is real.  Inside my wife is a tiny little girl, with innumerable little functions happening in her body and Dixi's body that make me dumbfounded as to why some people try to explain it as anything except divine.  She is real.  I cannot wait to see her.  To touch her tiny hands.  To hear her cry.  To take her to her first Braves game.  So I will wait patiently (okay who I am kidding, very impatiently) for her to come into this world while my amazing friends and family continue to give and give and spoil my baby before she is even here.  Let's just hope she's not as girly as me...