baby on the way!

no, not mine. at least, i'm 99.9% that i'm not joining the ranks. a wise friend told me the other day, never say never. her advice is too good not to take.

after a whirlwind wedding extravaganza last spring, i wondered how 2008 could live up to the excitement of 2007. i don't necessarily need a lot of amazing things happening directly in my own life, but i do like to see the buzz of happiness fluttering around me. 2007 was a great year: full of wedding showers, wedding, trips and family gatherings. in fact, the stretch from mid-April to July was perhaps the best time in my entire life. ever.

2008, then, had a tough act to follow. but it seems to be exceeding my expectations so far. it's a year for babies, and a lot of them!

one of my best friends here in virginia is due to have a baby any day. technically, she's due on friday but the doctor said she could have the little guy, quintin joseph, any time now. i keep expecting a text message saying "i'm going to the hospital, wish me luck girl!"

my sister-in-law is having a baby at the end of march. my first niece will be named brianne marie bucher. her baby shower was sunday, and although we missed the celebration, mike and i are getting very excited to welcome the little gal into the family.

i also learned tonight that my uncle (who's more like a brother) is having another baby. my aunt is about 12 weeks pregnant at the moment, so they're not sure yet whether they will have a boy or a girl. i have my fingers crossed that there will be a young lad named ian george entering the romer clan. my grandpa wants a little one to carry on his name. if it is a girl, her name will be emily. her middle name to be determined. my uncle wants to call her "bella" so she knows forever that he thinks she's beautiful. he has a love for names with meaning. his first daughter's name is grace. and ian george is a combination of his name and my grandpa's name. ian is the scottish version of jon. i rather like it.

in fact, i rather like names in general. most people would probably find it odd to know that mike and i already have favorite names picked for both a boy and a girl. we're not pregnant, nor do we want to be in the next few years. but when it happens, our names are all but chosen.

at any rate, it's been a rather exciting couple of months and i'm beginning to wonder which of my friends and/or acquaintances will be the next to drop the "baby on the way" news!