The technical stuff...

Since my last post was more of a "formal" announcement, I thought it would be nice to let everyone in on the more "technical" side of our pregnancy. When we became quite sure that we were pregnant, we made a trip to Open Arms, a Christian crisis pregnancy center in Columbia, MO. Doctorless and stuck with insurance that doesn't cover pregnancy, it seemed like our best option. While there, we worked with Julie Koffarnus, my boss's daughter-in-law. She was great! She gave me a test confirming my pregnancy, and walked us through our insurance/doctor options. She also told us more about the things that Open Arms offers, such as free ultrasounds for the first 13 weeks, and free parenting classes, where you can earn "baby bucks" while you learn (as much as this sounds like a commercial, read more about this awesome program on their website, http://www.openarmscpc.org/EWYL.html). Julie also told us that the estimated arrival date of our baby is September 23, 2005. We will know a more precise date when we have our first ultrasound done, which we hope to do on Monday.

Aaron and I have already begun to rearrange our house a bit to make room for baby McDonald. I figure it's easier to work around my sickness now than it will be to work around a big tummy later, so I'm getting as much work done as possible. We're also doing what we can to make preparations financially, mentally, and spiritually. Aaron and I ask that you keep us in your prayers and we go through little changes in preparation for a big change. Please also pray for my health and the health of our baby. And last, but far from least, please pray for Aaron as he does his best to make me comfortable and keep me in good spirits.