This picture was taken just moments after the positive pregnancy test on July 2nd. :-)We went to see Dr. Przybysz at Birmingham OB/GYN about 2 weeks later... on July 15th... and confirmed that there is, in fact, a little tiny human forming inside of me! I was so excited that they did an ultrasound to determine my due date and we were able to see the little fuzz (it didn't look like much of anything at the time) and hear it's heartbeat!!! We were confirmed to be about 6 weeks and 1 day.
We told our parents around 7 weeks with a framed ultrasound picture. My parents were SHOCKED (not sure why, I mean we've been married for over 3 years and I'm 28 and Justin's 30... it's about that time. :-) )!!! Justin's parents were so excited, too. All grandparents are anxiously awaiting Baby Hardy's arrival.
After our second doctor's appointment on August 11th, we felt more comfortable trickling our news. By this time, Baby Hardy was starting to look much more like a real baby. When we first saw the baby this time, it waved to us, and later it punched its little fists back and forth like it was boxing... or dancing. At 10 weeks, the doctor told us there is less than a 5% chance of miscarriage, so one by one, we began the phone calls to friends and relatives.
We are now just over 12 weeks, and are excited to make our announcement to "the world!" Keep Baby Hardy and me (and Justin, too) in your prayers! I've felt pretty good for the most part, but I have been EXTREMELY nauseous in the mornings (as in I actually throw up at least 10 times 3-4 mornings a week), but after about 10 minutes, I'm back to normal. The rest of the day I feel fine except for the occasional gag. Bathroom smells repulse me, so gagging has become something I do pretty much every time I go into/near a restroom. It's so weird. The only thing that has been grossing me out food-wise is a piece of meat. I usually like grilled chicken and steak, pretty much everything! But these days, I have to have my meat in something like a casserole, or burrito, or on a salad. It's weird.
Stay tuned for more updates on Baby Hardy. Our next appointment is September 8th. :-)
Look closely at the photo above... right at the center, you will see a dog... 
I took this photo of Mom and me during the game (serious skills). We were super happy because the Barons were winning... and because Dad was going to get us some ice cream! :-)
Mom, me and Dad after the game. See how close our seats were?! Barons ended up winning 3-2... a clean sweep against the Bay Bears.
Meghan (age 10) and Caitlin (age 4), our nieces from Mobile, were visiting and joined in the parade fun!
Led by drummers and a trumpet (or was it a flugelhorn) player, the parade of well over 100 people marched down the street decked out in red, white and blue. 
We passed friendly neighbors who chose to watch the parade from their porch! Hi Sparacio family!
We ended up in the park where popsicles, bouncy fun things and a firetruck were waiting.
It was great to see so many of our neighborhood friends there!
What a mess!
Aunt Whitney even let them lick their fingers clean!
When the bathing suits finally arrived, we washed up and headed to the pool for hours of fun.
Marc took a job at a hospital in Kingsport, Tennessee, and the fam is moving this week. Although we will miss them, they'll be closer to their families in their home state of West Virginia, and they have PROMISED to keep in touch and visit us on occasion. Lauren hosted a farewell cook-out at her house, and several of our friends were able to attend.
Annette (Marc's cousin), me, Carrie, Jill, Marie Jo and Lauren - once the truest of Bunko queens. Now just good friends!
April 23, 2005 I married my best friend, Justin Hardy. We were 25 and 27 years old, and quite in love. We have gone through as many challenges as any couple I know, but three years later, our relationship is stronger and better than ever!
Here's a picture of the group hanging out in a private area of the Westin lobby. We ordered plenty of appetizers to share, and were grateful for the time to spend with the bride and groom before they headed off to St. Lucia.
We made it to Paul and Donna's house late... around 1am, I think! Paul was just getting home from his gig. 
Have you ever seen four better behaved dogs? Of course, there were treats involved.
The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. It was held in an atrium of sorts - a conservatory of glass with a garden-like setting. 
It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. Although cold outside, the sun was shining brightly, and inside the conservatory, it felt like Spring. 
During the exchanging of vows, Dan said "I do," but the minister didn't hear Lynnette's "I do." After an awkward pause, Lynnette turned with a smile, and said it again. Lynnette's brothers did what brothers do and gave Dan a hard time... even during the ceremony. When the minister asked for the rings, Lynnette's brother Lincoln pulled out handcuffs for all the wedding guests to see. Fortunately, we were in the company of people who found this funny. Not sure it would have gone over so well at my wedding. ;-)
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Noble pause for a kiss while walking down the isle as newlyweds! This picture is compliments of my friend from college, Donna Coker Vilela. She and her husband Paul found Justin in the lobby so he would have "friends" to sit with... even though they had never met!
The reception was fun! Lynnette hired a barista to serve delectible coffee treats, and had an old fashioned photo booth. In this photo Donna, Christina and I are waiting for our turn in the booth. Everyone took photos and pasted them in a scrapbook with a note to Dan and Lynnette. If I had a scanner, I would insert the cute pictures that Justin and I took in the booth. And the ones that I took with Cutie Pie alumns Lynnette, Beth, Amy, and Donna.
Amy, Donna and I (college friends and fellow Ju Go Ju Cutie Pies) waited in line for the barista. We rekindled friendships instantly, and for a moment it was almost like we were still back at Harding... 
Only older... and married.
It was wonderful to see college friends like Stacy... who only lives an hour and a half from me, but we never see each other. Good thing she has 
Everyone got to dance! The bride and groom. The father-of-the-bride and the bride. The mother-of-the-groom and the groom...
...even the bridesmaids! Only ours was much more like a sway than an actual dance. ;-)
Lynnette and I have a special friendship. On her wedding program, she listed me as a collge friend and "kindred spirit." We met our freshman year at Harding in the dorms, and over time developed a close connection. We stayed up late (I mean, LATE) many nights planning things for our social club (or sorority, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this term). She and I were together when we first heard the news of the 9-11 attacks on the Twin Towers, and we cried together. We sang Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud to be an American" at the very tip top of our lungs. We shared a year's worth of free pizza our last year of college... and the pizza guys never knew that we weren't the same person. And despite being two girls who love their very different home states of Alabama and Michigan, often were asked if we were sisters! It was so special to be able to spend this special day with her. 
Melodie took us to a great restaurant called the Box Bar & Grill in the quaint downtown area of Plymouth, MI. We met early because I had to be in Grosse Pointe for shower for Lynnette later that evening. As we were eating, it began to snow outside.
By the time we left, the snow was already sticking. The weather experts were predicting between 4 and 10 inches, so we were excited to see what the night held in store!
Lynnette opened a variety of great gifts from comfy, fun stuff to wear during their St. Lucia honeymoon...
...to a sentimental charm bracelet from her mother.
And then there was this gift. If I told you what was just beyond the wrapping paper, I'd have to kill you, so I will let that remain nameless. But let's just say the lady who bought it hoped she didn't run into one of the elders of her church while she was walking through the mall. THIS gift, however, was a hit. We all secretly wished we had received one at our own lingerie showers. ;-)
So much snow, in fact, that we paused to take a picture. This was our (Justin's) first real experience driving on snow-covered roads. It was pretty crazy. We stopped by a park on the way back to let the dogs run around, and then crashed at the house.
This is what we woke up to the following morning! God blanketed the ground with about 5 inches of snow! Unfortunately, Justin nor I really brought good clothes to play in the snow, nor did we really have time to take it all in because we were meeting Justin's cousin Sharon and her daughter Zoe for lunch. Unfortunately, Sharon's twins Izzy and Alli couldn't join us because they were in pre-school. Zoe was out of school on Spring Break, so it was fun to get to visit with her! We forgot to take pictures of Sharon and Zoe, but our lunch was great.
We stopped at a church on the way to the Rehearsal, and Justin made this little snowman. The mouth fell off and wouldn't stay, so the snowman is now smoking a cigar. :-) The hotel in Rochester where the wedding was held was magnificent. It was just off the main street, and was bordered on one side by a bubbling creek.
Lynnette was a wonderful bride lining us all up according to well, I think it was approximately the length of time she had known us... or something like that.
Dan's parents hosted a wonderfully patriotic rehearsal dinner for us at 
