The Big 5

Yesterday marked the fifth year of our marriage and, being the milestone that it is, we decided to do something special. We went to Mooyah Burger! :) Haha... actually, Grady hasn't been feeling too well for the past few days (we turned the corner from spit-up to throw-up) so we have rescheduled our anniversary celebration. All that being said, it was a great day in the life of the McGowans. We even had a conversation yesterday about what a day in our lives looks like and how it is similar or different than we thought it would be.

It's interesting to think about the statements you make when you first get married:

Well, we want to wait five years until we have kids or Yeah, we want to do some traveling before we do or We want to buy a house right away or We don't want to buy a house right away or We are going to work out together every morning and study the Word together every night. Oh, and we will never own a minivan (not said by the McGowans).... and the list goes on.

The point is that on the starting line of five years everything seems so far off. Early on in our marriage, we did this chart called "our 5 year plan" and on it we listed all the things we wanted to accomplish/do in the next five years. It was so crazy to even write "2009" or "2010". It felt so futuristic as visions of flying cars and lunar colonies flashed through our heads... well, my head anyway.

We've ended up hitting a lot of the goals thus far. In some categories, such as baby-making, we have been early over-acheivers! In others, like vacations and travel plans, we are a little behind. But, in the end, now that we are at the finish line of this many years, it has more than flown by. I am so in love with my wife and our little family and I am hoping beyond hope that the next five years will slow down so I can stop and hold them and hug them and soak in this love in every moment. But you and I both know that it's not going to slow down. It's going to go even faster.

So standing at the starting line of another five years and having a little perspective now, what do we do? I say this. Life is going to go faster without a doubt, which means that I need to take advantage of every moment and with everything I have love my beautiful ones with all I have. There is no time to get stuck in my pride or to spin my wheels searching for God knows what. I could spend the rest of my quickly passing life pursuing things that do not matter, all the while missing the greatest gifts that I could ever be given; the love of my wife and boys and precious time with them.

Time is free, but it's priceless.

You can't own it, but you can use it.

You can't keep it, but you can spend it.

Once you've lost it you can never get it back.

~Harvey McKay

Here's to as many years as God gives me with this beautiful woman.

Jennifer, I love you!

~A

23 weeks...

I had my "24 week" appt. on Monday...we're about a week ahead of schedule b/c of so much traveling! It was pretty uneventful but hey, that's a good thing right!? I've only gained 6 lbs. which is crazy b/c I'm pretty sure this belly is growing by the day!:-) It's probably due to 2 things...this awful Texas heat & chasing a certain little wild man around!


The baby's heartbeat was so strong and he kicked the wand every time she moved it...he's a very active little guy! I have definitely been nesting...I think I've cleaned out every closet & cabinet in this house! Crazy, I know! Here is a picture that Aubrey made me take at the restaurant last night since we have very little belly documentation this time around!:-)

~jen

Grady's 1st B-day Party!

We drove to Nashville last weekend for Aubrey's 10 year reunion and decided to celebrate Grady bug's big day too! What a weekend!:-) My sweet sister opened up her home for the party & it was perfect!!! Here are a few pics...

the birthday boy w/ Mom & Dad...

showing off his age!:-)

opening presents...Grady was SO into it

(I was pleasantly surprised!:)

Grady was all smiles during his b-day song...he didn't

mind being the center of attention one bit!

He turned into a giggle-box w/ the cake in front of him...he kept

looking around like "are you sure this is okay!?"

Grady LOVES the water & has no fear...scary!

crawling out of the baby pool!:-)

more to come soon...

~jen

Confessions of a Rookie Dad #3

Confession #3 -

I use the word beautiful to describe my son(s).

I know it's against man law or something to use words other than "handsome" or "rugged" when referring to your male progeny, but I'm just being honest. There is something beauiful about this little man. And already, I can tell that our new little man-to-be is going to be beautiful just by looking at the sonogram pictures.

Yes, someday they'll be "extremely good looking", "sharp", "smooth", or "dashing" like their dad, but for now... they're just plain beautiful (in the manliest sense of the word).

~A

p.s. this pic is from here

This Just In!!!

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Mom, Dad, and Grady are so excited!!!

Here is one of the pics from today!

Confessions of a Rookie Dad #2

Confession #2 - My hands are dirty

For 27+ years of my life I put a low value on the importance of clean hands. What I mean by that is, well... I didn't wash my hands very often. OH COME ON! Don't sit there in your self-righteous hand-washyness as if you really follow the full FDA instructions. Oh and I'm sure that you say your full ABC's while scrubbing the soap from your ultra-hygenic appendages. I'm not saying that I didn't wash at all. I mean I'm not completely disgusting. But my confession is that, since Grady has come along, I have become acutely aware of the dirtyness of my hands. Whereas it never used to bother me to go directly from cleaning the bathroom to eating a nice juicy sub sandwich, now I am incapable of doing so. I have this unavoidable urge to wash my hands before and after every meal and even after working in the yard. I don't know from whence it hath cometh, yea but it hath cometh. I am truly a changed man with clean manos. I have even begun to enjoy something that I have missed out on all of these years: the joy of scented hand soaps. Two of my favorites are Mrs. Meyers Lavender and Bath and Body Works's's' Dancing Waters!

This is my confession. I feel so fresh and so clean clean.

~A

Confessions of a Rookie Dad #1

For quite a while now I've wanted to post about something that is near and dear to my heart, Dadhood. My knowledge on this subject pales in comparison to many other dads that have more/older/nutsier kids than I do, so I'm calling this "Confessions of a Rookie Dad". (btw I get so confused with quotational rules... period before or after the quote?) I don't claim to know a whole lot, but I figured that, before our next little one arrives and I'm up for promotion to the intermediate dad level, I should jot down a few things I've learned.

Confession #1 - I am not Mom

This may appear at first glance to be an obvious statement. That's due, in part, to the fact that it is. But for me the reality of this hit quickly after Grady came along. There is some glaring evidence which proves that I am indeed NOT mom:

I did not endure pregnancy and childbirth. - CHECK

I cannot produce milk. - CHECK

I absolutely do not have a motherly instinct. - i.e. Tossing Grady in the air while lifting him from his chair after eating - CHECK

I do not have a motherly touch. - i.e. diaper changes are strictly function over form... just remove most of the poop and slap a new one on while challenging myself to use the fewest wipes possible. None of this pamper the booty stuff - CHECK

I am not the preferred consoler - Tears instantly turn Grady into a Mama's boy - CHECK

There are so many other things I am not, but that's not to say that I am nothing. I mean come on, I'm the dad for pete's sake! Oh yeah, hooray for dads!!! But definitively, I must confess, as the evidence suggests, that I am NOT mom! And thank God for making moms the way they are. Grady has a rockin mama who has been perfectly fashioned for the job! In fact, knowing this only makes her that much more hotter! Who knows? Maybe there's some direct correlation between my extreme attraction to her "mom-ness" and her present precipitous pregnant state. Wise guys keep asking me if I know how this baby thing works. Hardy har har. Listen here.

Not the Mama!

~A