Baby Update

So, I'm a little overdue with a baby update. I actually started this post about a month ago but was waiting to scan the 2nd round of ultrasound photos. Now I'm less than a month away from "go time." What?!

First, the stats. I am now 36 weeks and feeling pretty large and in charge. It's amazing how much faster I got "big" the second time around! I had a second ultrasound about 6 weeks ago--she's still a girl and the time was weighing in around 3 pounds, 11 ounces. So I have about 3 1/2 weeks left with this girl rolling around in my belly... unless she decides to come (gulp) before the scheduled surgery!

Here (at last) are the latest photos of CAROLINE GRACE MCCULLOCH:

Head shot

Mouth open

And here's me at 36 weeks

(sorry about the crazy coloring, don't know what's up with that) Just to help you see how things have changed, check me out at 19 weeks.

Finally, I know you all have missed the "baby versus produce" comparison photos, so here's to my little Crenshaw Melon:

Your baby, almost 6 pounds and still packing on the pounds at a rate of about an ounce a day, is comparable to a crenshaw melon in size. (Length: more than 18 1/2 inches, head to heel.)

Graduation!

"Is it going to rain?"

Adam and his brother Cole

Adam and his grandparents

Adam and his mom and dad

Adam and his Seminary Shield Cake...guess who's more excited about it....

Dancing, Cake, Bubbles and Princesses

A few weekends ago we drove to Augusta, GA to attend the wedding of a good friend of ours we had met in China. It was an awesome weekend, a refreshing time of fellowship with friends, both new and old.

It was Katie, however, who may have enjoyed the weekend the most. In the midst of tough circumstances (late nights, no naps, fast food meals), she had the time of the her life. The weekend was filled with all of her favorite things--dancing, cake, bubbles and princesses (in her mind, brides and bridesmaids are the close kin of princesses).

Here are some of the best shots from the weekend:

Update

Thanks to all of you who voted in the Brohm vs. Isaacs poll. A whopping 12 readers contributed and the results of this completely scientific and highly accurate poll revealed that the Heavy Hitter is more famous than QB Brohm in the 'Ville. That may soon be changing as Brohm was recently drafted to be a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Darryl Isaacs celebrity may fade if Brohm becomes the next Brett Favre. Only time will tell......

I must share, however, one final celebrity encounter that occurred just today as Adam and I were trying out a new restaurant that just opened near us. Once again, we dined right next to none other than Brian Brohm during Sunday lunch. A fitting end to this debate.

Because I was recently rebuked for depriving my readership of Katie photos and videos, I plan on several posts this week that will chronicle some of our recent adventures. In other words, come back often this week to see lots of Katie.

For now, here are some pictures we took last night at our impromptu cook-out. One of my best friends from college was here for the weekend and got to join us for the occassion! The event was actually inspired by Katie, who earlier this week pretended to roast marshmallows over a stump when we were outside playing one evening. She took her cues from one of her favorite books of late, Curious George Goes Camping. Clearly, she enjoyed this campfire delicacy:

Merry Christmas from the McCullochs

[The following is a reprint of our 2007 Christmas newsletter written by Adam.]

Every December in recent memory, Mary and I have been (happily) bombarded by Christmas photos and newsletters from our family and friends. This year we decided to join the movement and contribute our own. We hope this will give you a brief overview of the past year, a snapshot of what we are currently doing, and a glimpse of our plans for the future.

2007 was a year in which I (Adam) finished my third and final year of full-time seminary education. I only have one more class which will be completed in January. It’s hard to believe that I am finally making my way to the end of my formal education. It is a good feeling, and I trust that the Lord will use this education in whatever ministry He might have for me in the future. As for now, I am currently looking for full-time work in the Louisville area.

Mary has continued to work from home part-time as the administrator for a tutoring company. The owner of the company is one of my best friends from college and a fellow seminary student. Needless to say, he is a great boss, and Mary enjoys working for him. I also work for the company as a tutor, and we are very thankful that the Lord has provided us with these jobs.

In addition to this job, Mary also began a Bible study with several Chinese women from our apartment complex. Our apartment complex is very close to the University of Louisville and, consequently, is filled with international students. She has had a great opportunity to welcome these women into our home and share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible study has recently ended, but great friendships have been developed and many seeds have been planted. Please pray that the Lord would continue to give us fruitful relationships where we live.

Aside from these commitments, Mary spends the vast majority of her time with Katie who turned two years old on December 3rd. At the beginning of the year, she was just learning how to walk, and now she loves to talk and sing and maintains a running commentary on everything she sees or does. She is a tremendous source of joy, not only to us, but also to everyone whom she meets. (You can experience her for yourself here.)

As for our future plans, we feel at this time that the Lord would have us stay in Louisville. We believe that God has given us a desire to go back to East Asia and serve full-time, but we do not think that now is that time. We do hope that the Lord will lead us back to East Asia within the next several years. Until then, we trust that through investing in our church and community here, the Lord will mature us and prepare us to enter what could be a very intense and demanding situation overseas. We know that God is faithful, and we trust that He will direct us where He pleases.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this Christmas season and experience God’s grace in your lives.

With love,
Adam, Mary and Katie

Big Night in the McCulloch House

Yes, dear friends and family, blogging has come to this...

Katie went poopoo in the potty for the first time tonight!

It was really unexpected. As she was getting ready to take a bath tonight, she looked me in the eye and announced, "I poopoo" and proceeded to walk over to her potty chair and actually do what she said she was going to do! Adam and I went crazy with wild praise, of course. Our little girl is growing up.

And for my single and/or childless friends who think I'm nuts for writing a post about this....just you wait. You'll get it one day. :)

Huber Farm: Take One

Now that fall has finally arrived in Louisville, Adam, Katie, and I decided to travel to Starlight, Indiana this morning to take our second pilgrimage to Joe Huber's Orchard & Winery. It's a pretty popular local attraction about 30 minutes north of Louisville. You can pick your own produce or shop at their farm market (that also sells amazing breads, cookies, jellies, etc). Our stated objectives were to get a pumpkin and buy some Christmas gifts. My secret aim, however, was to take advantage of the great photo opps. We managed to accomplish our main objectives, but our photos had some pretty sad results:

Thankfully, Katie and I are going back to Huber's this Thursday with some friends from our church. Hopefully we'll have better luck with photos then. My still life photos today fared a bit better than the others:

Fall is here, and I am happy. I think I'll go eat some of the pumpkin bread I made this week and drink some cider. And maybe eat some of the apple butter we bought today. Hooray for fall!

60 Years of Marriage!

This past weekend Adam, Katie, and I travelled to Harrisville, WV to join my other 27 family members in celebrating my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. It was a blast.

The Lovebirds

All the grandchildren plus one great-grandchild!

4 generations

More photos of the weekend can be found here.

And of course, some videos.....

There and Back Again

So, we've finally returned to Louisville after a long journey. I've uploaded some new albums here. Here's a taste of what you'll find:

Harrisville, WV

Lindsay's Wedding

Time in Davidson and Charlotte

Sadly, I lost about 30 photos during the transferring process. I hope to snatch some pics from my mom and from friends to fill in the gaps. More to come, but for now I'm just glad to be back.

I also uploaded some new videos here. Have a look:


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

A lesson learned

This weekend we went up to Sandusky, OH to meet up with Adam's brother's family and Adam's grandparents. What's in Sandusky, Ohio, you ask?

CedarPoint: "home to the most rides (69) and roller coasters (17) on Earth."

Very exciting...especially for someone who hasn't been on a roller coaster in over 10 years (i.e. me).

So what lesson did I learn? Parents of small children should not expect to ride any roller coasters when at the roller coaster capital of the world.

That's right..6 hours, 17 roller coasters, and not a single ride on any of them (Adam did at least attempt to ride two...one broke right as he got in line, the other had an hour long wait). I did, however, get to ride several, thrilling rides in Camp Snoopy and Kiddie Kingdom: the Lolli swings, the Ballon Race, and Sir Rub a Dub's Tubs. (For the sake of full disclosure, I actually got nauseous on the Balloon Race...pictured on right).

I was amazed at how disappointed--even angry--I was when I realized that I was not going to get to go on a "real" ride! Yet another example of how I seriously underestimate the strength of my sinful nature.

While my selfishness and greed almost robbed me of the joy that could've been mine, God in his grace has reminded me of some of the day's more lasting joys: