Life and Times

Life has been a bit hazy lately. A lot has been going on, yet it all seems to be a continuous countdown to something in which we struggle to live in the moment and not just look forward to things to come.

I'm going to start on a sad note but I promise to end happily. For all of June and July we had established something close to a shared schedule with Julian's mother. Part of our reason for being down and out started July 22nd. We dropped Julian off with his Mother assuming our regular schedule would continue. She called as usual to say we wouldn't see him again (that was a weekly thing) you see once she got him home and he talked about our house she would respond very angry to his "second home" which she has ademently denied to him exists. Normally her threats go unfounded but this time she has kept him from us. We have waited with bated breathe thinking "this can't last" but with only a few phone calls since with Julian, we are seeing her fortitude. Hense we have started the custody process with the court--but these things take time and we are at the mercy of the Missouri (Jackson County) court system and their painfully slow moving process. Our lawyers says things look promising and really we see that only good will come from this. But in the meantime and with a baby on the way we only wish we had the time with Julian to reassure him of our love and prepare him for brotherhood. Cross your fingers, say your prayers, for whatever you do--it has to help. We want Julian to be able to meet his brother and Ashley has said she is not going to let him. We know they will meet eventually but we would rather it happen sooner than later.

I do not want to get into the nitty-gritty here, but just wanted to leave a little update of things! We are missing him terribly! Finally something to shout good things about. I had my 35 week check-up last wednesday and we were given a bit of a treat with 3-D ultrasound pics we weren't planning on getting. He looks just like Bobby--nose and lips but it was moving and surreal. These are the two pictures she printed for us.

Otherwise, he is estimated to weigh 6 lbs, 6 ozs and they moved my due-date up a week. That makes me 36 1/2 weeks. I have pictures at home on the camera and I will post them shortly...sometime this week. I'm as big as can be and plagued with achy hips and a head on my bladder. Oliver is squirmy and big and we are so anxious to meet him. It could be anytime really. We'll keep everyone posted.