Belly Pics!

Keri around 20 weeks

Keri around 24 weeks

Keri right around 27 weeks

Fort Worth and Abilene

Keri and I spent 5 days in Texas over Super Bowl Weekend. Our friends Troy and Kari now live in Abilene. Troy flies C 130's for the Air Force and was just deployed a couple weeks ago. We wanted to spend time with Troy and Kari before Troy was deployed. We had a fantastic time with them. We thank God often for our friendship with the Smith's. Oh, their dog Max is pretty cool....so cool that he made Keri want to get a dog! Crazy.

MAX!
Not the greatest photo, but hey at least we got one before we left!

Celebrating Troy's birthday at Red Robbin. 27 I believe! What an old man.

Steven helped Troy coach his upward basketball team. The other coaches decided not to show. Steven loved every minute of it.

Coach Troy and Assitant Coach Steven in action.

We also spent a couple days with the Walchshauser's in Fort Worth. It was great spending time with such close friends. We spent one of our days at the Fort Worth Zoo. The rhino in the following videos was so fun to watch. I did feel a bit old when I realized I had over 4 videos of 1 rhino....he was really cool. I promise.

Anjanette and Keri

and Anika too!

Baden's first Soccer Match!

Our oldest nephew, Baden, during a break from his first soccer match!

Part of Baden's "excited" fan club.
This section was a bit more excited. It might have to do with the fact that Kelli got engaged to Stephen Spurlock on Friday! We are very excited for them.

Baby Helmick at 19 weeks!

Keri and I have decided to wait until the big day to find out if we will have a boy or girl. We can't wait to meet our lil' one. Baby H gave us quite a show yesterday at Keri's 19 week appointment! He or she was moving like crazy giving us a great video to watch. The woman performing the ultra sound was able to determine that our child looks to be healthy and growing great! She wrote the sex of our kid and placed it in an envelope. We look forward to opening it once Baby H is born to see if she was right! Our new due date is July 8th 2009 which is a day earlier than expected. No big deal there. At this point the baby is 10 ounces and 6.5 inches long. Thank you for praying for our child. We feel so blessed by God. He has truly blessed us beyond what could have imagined. Keri mentioned today that the love she felt for our child yesterday during the ultra sound made her so excited for the day we truly meet him/her face to face. She is going to be a great Mom!

Check out that profile!
Just chillin' out. Laying on the back. Notice the spine and head.

The color is the fluid that is going through the arteries in the umbilical chord.

Baby H decided to turn his/her head and show us his eyes!

Good looking spine!

The heart rate was 138 bpm yesterday.

Christmas is coming!

Keri and I told my Grandparents about our Baby news by giving them their "Christmas Gift" early. We wrapped these new born Santa socks and gave it to them on Thanksgiving when my Mom's family got together. My grandparents love Santa stuff so it was a very fun way of letting them know our exciting news.

The Jingle Bell Jog was held on the 6th of December in the River Market District in Downtown Little Rock. Keri and I were a part of Robinson Elementary's team. Thanks for the registration discount Mom!

Keri and I spent the day before my birthday at my parents house. We had finger-lickin'-good wings, twice baked potatoes, and ice cream cake! It was a great afternoon with Justin and my folks. My parents bought me a Sony Dream Machine and got me this elephant book for my birthday. I really think elephants are cool and the book will be an excellent read for our new baby! The Sony Dream Machine (horrible name for a cool ipod sound system) is already getting a lot of use in our tiny apartment with Christmas music blaring from it's speakers.

BABY HELMICK!

Baby Helmick is expected to arrive on July 9th 2009! He or she is 8 weeks 4 days old as of 12/1/08 and about the size of a large green olive!

Baby Helmick's heartbeat was around 169 beats per minute! Hearing that tiny heartbeat has brought so much joy into our lives. We can't wait to hold and love this little one in 7 months!

Halloween 2008

Aunt Keri and Uncle Steven went with Gma Cindy, Grampa Gary, Baden, Will, and Corinne to Trunk or Treat!

Uncle Steven with Football Player Baden!

Our friends Carmen, Cecilia, and Mariah.

Aunt Keri and Fireman Will!

Cindy and Bumble Bee Corinne!

Steven and Keri at a Costume Party. Keri won the best girl costume award and $13.00

Sweet!

Yes, that is still Keri with her attractive husband!

Steven's Spinal Surgery 2008

Due to my kyphosis I had a hump in my back that was getting worse. Back in high school I wore a back brace during my sophomore year for 23 hours a day in hopes of correcting the curvature. At that point my curve was at 57 degrees. Normal curvature of the spine in the thoracic region is 30 - 40 degrees. The back brace corrected the curve to 52 degrees.

Earlier this year, Keri and I went to my spine doctor to see how severe the curve had progressed. It had gone from 52 degrees to 75 degrees. My doctor stated that it wasn't a matter of if I would need surgery, but when. We opted for earlier since I'm young and we don't have any children. The following are pictures from the surgery and recovery. Notice the curvature in my back before surgery compared to post surgery!

Getting prepped for surgery!

On my happy drugs! No worry in world.

Yep, all that was for my poor back!

Prepping for surgery in the OR.

My spinal surgeon and his resident.

Sewing up my back. Ouch!

The morning after surgery. I was up and walking!

Look at the new and improved Steven!

I can bend over farther than this now; however I was still quite stiff when this photo was taken.

I've achieved "rock star" status with my group of 7th grade boys that I mentor at church. The first week they thought my scar was so cool that they brought 3 friends to group the next week just to check out the "massive, most amazing, incredible" scar that they had ever seen!