It's a Boy!!!

We found out yesterday that we're having a boy!! As pretty much all of you know, we'd been looking forward to finding out for quite a while. It was really exciting for us. It's definitely a milestone in this journey in a way, because from now on, we will never not know.

We are so much looking forward to the adventures of raising a boy! Both of us were just so hopeful to have a healthy, developing baby, and we were very happy yesterday to hear that mom and little baby boy are both on track and are doing great.

Here is Stephany at twenty weeks!



And here's our little baby boy! He was so active during the ultrasound! We saw him moving around quite a bit, opening and closing his mouth, moving his arms, making little fists, putting his hands to his face, and playing with his toes when they came into the vicinity of his hands. It was so awesome.





And here was the shot we were hoping for! It's definitely a boy.



Another shot of the legs. We think they look pretty long, so we'll see if he gets my height.



And a cute shot of a foot. Five toes.



Nathan & Stephany

Employment!

We are pleased to share the good news that I was offered a job with the law firm in Albuquerque for which I clerked this past summer! Last week, I accepted the offer to become an Associate of Keleher & McLeod in September of 2010.

The firm has around thirty-five attorneys (with staff, about seventy people) in an office sharing most of two floors in the Albuquerque Plaza building. Its attorneys practice in a number of practice areas. This past summer, for example, I worked on cases and issues involving real estate, contracts, trust litigation, medical malpractice, construction litigation, employment law, litigation procedure, and personal injury. The firm does quite a bit of civil defense work but also represents plaintiffs. I really enjoyed the people and the work at Keleher & McLeod this past summer, and I feel very fortunate to be taking a job at a firm known for being respected in the community and family friendly. I believe it will be a great place for me to begin my career.

Stephany and I are excited to be heading back to Albuquerque! When we decided to move to Dallas for law school, we knew that we were committing to three years in Dallas, but we did not know where we would be after that. Now we know that we’re heading back to New Mexico, at least for this next chapter of life. This is a big year for us: having the baby in late February, graduation in May, moving back to Albuquerque, taking the bar exam in late July, and starting work in September.

This news brings about a great sense of accomplishment for us (Stephany experiences law school to a great extent as well). We are confident that the Lord is guiding our steps and further equipping us for good works and service, both to His kingdom and to those around us.


Much love,
Nathan & Stephany

SMU Law Race Judicata 5K

This past Saturday, the law school held its annual Race Judicata 5K, and Malory and I ran together! This was my third year to run the 5K, which benefits a charity each year. This year, the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society, which I was proud to support.

This was also Malory's first time to run a 5K! Malory began running several months back and has shown some considerable improvement. We started running together a bit over the summer, which has continued through this semester. We've been trying to run together a couple of times a week, and she tells me (afterwards) that she appreciates me pushing her. To her credit, she ran the 5K, her longest distance so far, with apparent relative ease, so I think I need to really crack down on her and see what she's made of. :)

Several of her friends and coworkers from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) also came to run the race, which was fun! Here's a picture of us before the race: me, Malory, Marnie, Sarita, Katherine, and Lisa.



Stretching.



Synchronized stretching.



And of course my honey Stephany was there to support us, take some pictures, and cheer us on.



The runners assembled to hear about the route, which wound through the neighborhoods near SMU.



The race beginning - there's Katherine on the right.



And here's Mal and me taking off.



This is us a little more than a mile into the race.





Sarita and Marnie.



And this was us about 2.8 miles into it.



Coming in for the finish. It was a beautiful day and probably in the 60s that morning. Pretty awesome. A great day for the race.



And another picture of the runners, post-run.



The Race Judicata has been something I look forward to each year, and I was really happy to run it again. I was also really glad to run it with Malory this year, which will be my last at the law school. It was a very fun event.

Nathan

P.S. My posting from last year's race is here (just don't tell anyone that I wore the same outfit).

Nineteen Weeks

Here are some new pics of my honey, the beautiful and with-child Mrs. Stephany Stimson!



A close-up of the bump. We found a really great website called BabyCenter, which gives us information each week on the size and development of our little one. We have gotten to know when our baby started developing hands and feet from its protruding limbs (7 weeks), when he or she developed fingerprints (13 weeks), and when our baby started sensing light (15 weeks). This week, we were informed that he or she may now be able to hear our voices (or at least Stephany's)! It's so amazing, and it has given us new-found appreciation of the wonders of God's creation.



And here is my sweetheart in the kitchen, cooking dinner one evening this past week for us and Malory.



And another one featuring the bump!



It's just so cool! We hope to find out the sex of the baby this Friday, so once we know, we'll start spreading the word.

Our love to you all,
Nathan

Baby Stimson Update

Stephany is seventeen weeks now! We visited our doctor on Friday, and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! "Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh..." It was so cool! We will go back in about three weeks for an ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby. Stephany has begun feeling the baby's movements, which she says feels like popcorn popping in her belly. We wait with great anticipation to find out if we're having a little boy or a little girl. We're so excited!

As you can see, Stephany is definitely showing more!



A quick pic of the two of us.



We'll keep you all updated as things develop.

Nathan

Waco Trip

Last weekend, Malory, Stephany, and I headed down to Waco, about an hour and forty-five minutes south of Dallas on I-35, to visit Stephen and Jamie and their kids. They moved from Albuquerque to Woodway, just outside of Waco, recently after Stephen finished his residency. We hadn't seen their new house yet, so it was fun going down and spending a night with them!

Little Macy Lou is just so much fun and so cute! We enjoy playing with her.



My glasses provided some engaging entertainment.



And Aunt Steph got some more practice feeding a little kiddo.



Stephen and Jamie's new house has a long driveway along one side of the house. Since they don't have sidewalks in their neighborhood, this is a great place for the boys to play and drive their little vehicles around. And there's Sally, who just about freaked when we showed up (the dog has a strange passion for me -- see previous posting here).





Will. So serious. So determined. As my brother says, for Will, "it's all about the getting there."



James is more about the ride itself.



Unfortunately, when the ride comes to an end, James has not yet figured out the reverse. But the dude is resourceful: he just gets out and pushes that thing 180 degrees and hops back in.



Daddy chasing Will -- he loves it.



Macy. So cute.



Steph, me, and Mal.



And me and Stephen.



We had such a great time. It's nice being so close to family. Stephany has been working every Saturday lately, so we got down to Waco relatively late on Saturday evening and came back Sunday evening. It's tough to get too far away from Dallas on the weekends, but it's so nice to be able to take even short trips like this.

Nathan

We're Expecting!!

That's our big news!! As one friend said recently, Albuquerque was good to us. :)

We found out earlier in the summer, and during the past two months, Steph has been experiencing significantly decreased energy and sickness, which tends to hit unexpectedly, morning or not. However, she is now just past three months and is feeling a lot better. It was nice being with her parents this summer -- they were a big encouragement and support -- and, as we'll be having their first grandchild, they are quite excited! On my side of the family, this will be grandchild number seven for my mom (who is also very excited)! So we're adding another cousin to the growing roster of kiddos!

The baby's due date is February 27. We should be able to know the sex of the baby within about two months.

Stephany at thirteen weeks! Her belly is definitely getting bigger by the week.



Our little one at eight weeks. This is a pretty cute picture, with the little arm protruding, almost like he or she is waving hello. This picture came from our initial appointment with Stephany's doctor in Albuquerque.



And here are pictures from our more recent appointment in Dallas. It was probably the coolest thing I have ever seen to watch our little baby move around during the sonogram (Steph couldn't feel it at all, but the baby is only about three inches long right now). Here, the baby is about twelve weeks. This is a picture of the body.



And here are some pictures of the little face! It's so amazing.





And we got to count all ten fingers! Very fun! Also amazing.





And here we have a picture of the baby's legs, which appear to be pretty long! We're wondering if the baby will be getting my height.



We are SO excited about this child! It has been great having the support and encouragement of our family, and our friends are so excited for us.

It's going to be a great year!!

Our love to you all,
Nathan & Stephany