there's somebody i'd like you to meet...

Everyone, I like for you to meet my son, Otto.

Otto J Petsch, that is.  He decided to make his appearance into my life on his due date, June 12, 2012.  He arrived at 5:50pm, weighing 8 pounds and 1 ounce.  He is a long boy, measuring 21 1/4 inches.  I have so many emotions from that fateful day, but I will share those with you on another post.

I would like to tell you how Adam and I came across the name Otto.  We didn't know if he was going to be a boy or a girl, but had decided on this name for a boy quite early in my pregnancy.  You see, Otto is named after four, very important men in my and my husband's lives.  Otto comes from Adam's grandfather, Elmer Otto Petsch.  The initial J is actually representative of three men, my father Jim Adams, my stepfather John Kevin Taylor, and finally, Adam's other grandfather, Howard J Cather.  It is really quite amazing that we could honor each of these loved family men in just one little boy.

Not having much time these days to blog, I will leave you with that and share more later.  For now, enjoy these first few pictures of Otto's arrival.

first moments of life

hello

flowers!

Chloe and Cael (cousins)

Bebe (my mom)

the nurses loved his name

Grandma and Grandpa (AP's parents)

such wisdom in a mudflap.

About six months ago, a business went up next to my husband's place of work.  This place is called "U Pull It".  The concept of this place is basically a junk yard full of beater cars and trucks where people can pay to pick off any parts that they find on these vehicles.  For those of you who know my husband, this was a dream come true for him... and my worst nightmare.

Adam has loved having this place next door and has even become good friends with the guy that runs the whole operation.  AP has a "free pass" into the yard and always gets a heads up when "valuable" items come up for grabs.  So far my husband has come home with an old Dodge pickup (not parts, the whole thing), a tailgate from an International (I think this is a Scout), and many more items that he has hidden from me.  

To my pleasant surprise, a few weeks ago Adam brought home a mudflap from a semi truck.  He said when he picked it off, he had me in mind... so romantic, I know.  I was actually tickled pink to see that this mudflap said, "Nebraska: The Good Life," which you observant readers may recognize as the title of this blog.  So in a weird way, I am quite flattered that my husband meshed two of his favorite loves together, me and car parts.  Oh, we've come so far!

5 signs you're about to have a kid.

It is has been over a month since my last blog post... I have truly wanted to write, but haven't had the energy or the time.  Now I find myself into my first day of maternity leave (woo hoo) and a week away from my due date (June 12).  For the first time in a while, I have had a moment to take a breath, relax, and type.

Last week the doctor told us that I was exhibiting signs of pre-labor and was dilated to 2cm.  Exciting, right?  Well, it is basically a waiting game now because the signs the doctor saw could mean tomorrow or two weeks away.  However, I know that the end of this pregnancy is approaching and the beginning of my child's life outside the womb is near because of the following signs....

1.  My boobs are leaking.

Sorry guys who just read that, but it's a fact of life.  My body is preparing to become the main source of food for my little one.

2.  There is actually space again between my belly and my boobs again.

Again, my apologies for talking about my boobs... just means that Peanut has dropped and gravity is bringing him or her closer to life outside of me.

3.  I am on a hormonal roller coaster ride.

Seriously, I am like someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Two days ago, I thought everything in the world sucked, a product of my Eeyore-like depressive symptoms.  Then, a couple of days later I woke up with a maniac-like attitude.  I thought that everything in life was wonderful and I made the rash decision to tell my hairstylist to dye my hair platinum blonde.... I look like the mean kid in Slytherin house from Harry Potter.  The next day a watched Ghost on tv for the bazillionth time and cried like a baby... I mean sobs were involved.

4.  Braxton Hicks now feel like a kick in the stomach.

Literally, these things feel like I am getting the wind knocked out of me.  They are supposed to get stronger as you get closer to labor... great.

5.  I forgot what this one is...

Truly, my brain is shot to hell.  Somedays I can't even remember my own name.  "Baby brain" only gets worse the further along you get in your pregnancy.

This is all I have for now, I keep you posted...