Buckley Christmas

The Boys "Temporary" Winter Wonderland

 i couldn't wait to pick up the boys because the week prior to Christmas, Chicagoland was hammered with snow.  as a kid, i remember tons of snow. i remember building snow tunnels so long and so deep i could stand inside of the snow iglo at the end. so, when we were getting so much snow and i had to shovel it, i intentionally put it along side the driveway so the boys and i could build their first snow tunnel.

trey was determined to get this tunnel built. i told him it may only be up one day due to incredibly warm temperatures expected the next day. all day long he and i tunneled twenty feet until by the end of the day we met in the middle and broke the center to allow us to go all the way through. if you can see in the picture to the left, the tunnel is the length of the driveway. 

kole was more interested in making a snowman of which trey gets some credit in the picture to the right. it was a great activity for kole and me to make together. we had so much fun. they came in long enough to eat and get their clothes dried in the dryer then back outside. 

to their horror the next morning, it was 50 degrees and raining. the snowman was gone and the tunnel had imploded. not a good moment for two little boys. the harsh realities of life. but we have the pictures to prove our monumental day and to look back on for years to come....

Thanksgiving Weekend

we had the boys for this Thanksgiving and for double the amount of time, four days. we visited susan's fam in lake geneva after spending time with my fam at my brother's house. the boys love going to their new grandparents' home and getting very comfortable there which is so important to us.

there was snow there which was an instant draw to the boys. so we bundled them up and went exploring on the vast open land full of adventure for the boys. memories.  

Susan at 31 weeks!!!

we were just looking at pictures at 16 weeks and wow, what was she even complaining about back then? and worse yet, she knows she still have another 9 plus weeks to get even bigger! i'm proud of her eating SO good and exercising. her weight gain has been almost all baby. she's really working hard. we're attending a birthing class called the Bradley Method which encourages natural births. it's been very informative and educational. four more classes! in a couple of weeks we'll begin working on the baby's room. hooray!!!

Pumpkin Weekend with the Boys

this past weekend the boys and i had some good guy time at a pumpkin event. these times are priceless for me and often just as much fun for me as the boys.

my friend, jeff, had an event hosted by his church that was very welll done. the boys were able to get their faces painted, play in a jump house, climb bails of hay, and had snacks. they loved it! they were able to just be little boys and hung out with dad (while it's still cool!). i cherish every weekend they visit and fill their love tank with encouragement and unconditional love.

another incredible moment was at dinner time on ST night. both kole and trey wanted to thank Jesus for the food. and they did just that. thanking Him for everything they could think of in the moment. by the end of trey's prayer (the first time he's prayed at the dinner table), i was in tears. i was SO moved to hear my son's pray and share their thankfulness to our God it was almost too much in the moment. hopefully many more precious moments like this to come...

Susan's Family Visit

Sunday we spent the day at Susan's family house near Lake Geneva, WI. We celebrated Susan's recent bday (10.10) and her sister, Lynn's bday (2nd to right) at their parents house. Susan's brother, Jim (far right) and his family were there along with Lynn's family. Susan's mother (far left) and father (middle) took the family to a local fall festive event. There were corn mazes, hay mazes, pumpkins and crafts, etc. Most importantly, it was just good to be with family. Susan is close with her family and they've treated me as one of their own. We love you, fam!

Visit with some great friends

This Sunday my wife was able to meet two people who are incredibly dear to me. Bill and Treva have been in my life since I was 22 years old. They've seen me grow up, succeed, fail, and climb back up. Few people can claim that role in my life. They were there through thick and thin and even thinner.

It was long overdue for Bill and Treva to meet Susan and realize just how special my wife is to me. It was great to recount all times. Both Bill and Treva were so encouraging to list how far I've come and celebrating where I'm currently at in life. Bill and Treva, may you know what a special place you have in my heart...

Trey's First Piano Lesson

i've dreamed of the day i could teach my boys the piano. every weekend they visit i watch trey's attention go to the piano. over the months, he's gone from banging to playing. minor yet important detail. a few weeks ago i asked him if he wanted me to show him how to play something. he just wanted me to play and just stared. this past weekend i taught him the beginning of the song on the video. he, like his bikeriding, was determined to learn how to play. he practiced and practiced without getting frustrated and banging until he had it. the video is the fruit of his labor. enjoy! i was (and still am) incredibly proud of him!!!

Midwife Delivery Birthing Center - by Sus

Bryan and I decided to have a midwife delivery our baby instead of a doctor because most doctors in Illinois are quick to performing a c-section to avoid lawsuits. Fortunately, Hinsdale Adventist Hospital provides the option of having a midwife and/or doctor, so that in case a medical need arises, a doctor is available. If you're wondering, midwives are capable of helping a woman deliver a baby in every way that a doctor can with the exception of performing a c-section. Plus, they have a lot of tricks in the back pocket to help the delivery go as smoothly as possible (especially if you're trying avoid medication). Below is the picture of the front of the hospital.
Bry and I were able to tour the maternity ward at the hospital to see what to expect. The picture to the left is the picture of the delivery room. In the wooden cabinets are medical supplies, should they be needed.

Plus, included in the room is the picture to the right. This "bed" to the right, is for the baby. It can be heated to help the baby's body temperature from dropping. Lastly, there is a scale was well to weigh the little one when she's born!!! :)

Once the baby is born, then in about an hour or so, they will move me into a recovery room down the hall. There is also a small refreshment room with free cookies and other goodies for families and guests to take advantage of, which the hospital provides (free of charge!). This, of course, Bry and I wanted to sample to see how good the snacks were, but we decided not to since no one else was going from our tour group. I was disappointed, and I think he was too. :)

First Baby Girl Outfits

we could've bought everything in the store! never shopped for a baby girl so i was overwhelmed. saw these jammies with the bunny footies and fell in love with them. sus loved the first outfit.

we told trey and kole about the gender in a creative way. we hung the jammies in the closet and told them the following: "if the jammies are blue, it's a boy, if the jammies are pink, we're having a girl. but if the jammies are brown, we're having a monkey." it was fun watching them check and their reaction. they talked about having a baby sister all weekend longed and were fascinated by the jammies. they had all kinds of questions about the baby growing inside of susan. when we showed them the ultrasound pics they were confused. they were expecting a normal picture, i guess.

we have three names that we really like to this point: sydney, mackenzie, and kaitlyn. (spelling and choices subject to change by the management). it's tough to choose a name when your wife is a school teacher and has either a strong positive or negative emotional reaction to certain names!
chow for now!

We're Having a Baby GIRL!!!

it's official. we went for our 20 week ultrasound and found out we're having a healthy baby girl. no doubt about it! the baby is almost a pound at this point and susan is right on schedule with everything. the official due date is January 30th. we have some names we're favoring but still undecided in this area. recommendations are welcome (and will be graciously declined).

sus and i have decided to go the midwife route at the hospital. we're really excited about this option. a week from sunday we'll have a tour of the special wing of the hospital. we'll tell you more about it and send pics that night.

we feel truly humbled God is blessing us with a baby girl. we appreciate your prayers during the pregnancy and will keep you posted...

WV Trip

a couple of weekends ago, sus and i decided at the last moment to take a road trip. probably the last long trip until after the baby is born. we decided to visit some close friends of ours that sus had only emailed or talked to by never met.

we had a great road trip and a blast seeing primarly aaron and angie along with randy and jen. i so wanted these dear friends to spend time with sus and adore her like i do. they did. one of the easiest things i've done in a long time! wv was the best of times and the worst of times for me. i had forgotten how loved i was by the people there and just how many precious friends i had there and how much they still care about me... the picture is of the brammers and us. credit to the 8 year old for taking the picture. mad props.

we also saw a dear friend of mine who continues to climb into my heart, jared. he has so much potential! just wished we lived closer...

all blogged up and no where to go!

well, this is our first ever blog. thought we'd start now to track our pregnancy. we're at 20 weeks and now in the expansion part of the program! we find out this thursday if the baby is a shooter or a squater, boy or girl for the layman. so excited, so blessed!

trey's first bike ride

trey before his 5th bday was determined to learn how to ride his bike on our weekend. friday night he stayed out practicing until we were both eaten alive by mosquito bites. he woke up in the middle of the night ready to go out and bike again due to his excitement. all morning he worked and worked and finally did it! video to prove it. then within a few hours he moved from the little bike to the big boy bike. on sunday the fam went for a bike ride to three different parks. what a weekend!