Letters to Baby

So I LOVE to scrapbook, and to do crafty things. I have heard of many couples getting a journal and writing "baby" letters or journal posts once a week, or whenever they want during their pregnancy, and give it to baby to keep with them their whole lives. Since I LOVE to scrapbook I have decided to write baby a letter every week, and scrapbook it onto a new page each week. I have also asked my close friends and family to participate. Not every week, but a letter or two just expressing their love, their feelings, or any advice they have for baby about the world and its craziness. I am so excited for the finished product! I have 2 pages done so far! They aren't the greatest, so I am just experimenting. But when the book is done baby will have a letter from mom, and dad every week, and a letter from each of their loved ones. Its a good way to stay busy too!

Being Parents

Callan and I already have a basic game plan if you will.... on how we will raise our children.
Now I know that planning on how you raise your babies is never something to count on, but we have a few ways that we want to do things.

RELIGION:
In the Harding/Nixon household there will be no set religion. Callan and I were both raised in strong religious Mormon households, and nothing against the Mormon religion, but we don't want that in our home, or any religion for that matter. If our children want to have a religion than we are more than happy to support them in that, and help them with everything we can so that one day they can become a member of any church the choose. In almost every religion there is always some sort of baptism, or ceremony that makes you an official member of that church. I know with Mormons at age 8 you are baptized. Callan and I will be supportive of that if that is what our children choose, but we will make them wait until 16. We will help our children in doing whatever it takes to live a life so that they will be worthy to be baptized. If our children don't want a religion, or to believe in a higher power, than that is fine as well. We want our kids to have open minds, so that they ca explore the options they want to, not because someone else wants them to.

DATING,SEX ETC:
This is always a touchy subject, and as parents Callan and I don't want it to be. Our hope is that we raise our kids so that they can talk to us about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING and they don't feel scared, or embarrassed.I would hope that when our children decide to have sex, that they will do it safely! That is all we will ask. And with dating, that they find another person who will treat them with respect and love. If they want to have sleepovers with their mate, than OKAY! Just please BE QUIET!! ;) Sexual feelings and desires are a natural feeling, and they should be acted upon. We hope that our kids will be safe, and just keep in mind what we taught them.

FAMILY DINNER:
Once a week! We want to have family dinner once a week. Well, at least once a week. Maybe Sundays?



There are so many things that we want to do differently than our parents did. We are so excited to start our family! We CAN NOT wait until baby gets here!!

Life as we know it......

So... Callan and I have decided that we are NOT going to tell anyone the sex of our baby. We are going to find out at 8weeks, because we are having genetic testing done. We didn't want to find out, and we might still not. We are going to have our doctor write the results on a piece of paper and seal in in an envelope. And we will open it when we just can't take it any longer. We want to keep it a secret from everyone else, just because it will be fun, ad excited and a fabulous surprise! Or.... if we can't keep our mouths shut any longer we will have  GENDER PARTY. Where we have a fun party with our close friends and family and we play some games, and just have a good time and then open the envelope! How fun would that be?! We don't know what we will end up doing, but it will be one of those 2 options.