Announcing Holden to the World!

Here is how we announced Holden's Existence to the world!

An email we sent out to family and friends on August 23, 2011:

I am declaring this week BW on the WB, which stands for Baby Week on the Williams Blog. Yep, Jesse and I are expecting again! For more on the news, visit our family blog! www.worldbywilliams.blogspot.com 

love, anna and jesse

Replies We Got:

WELL !!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!  WHAT ARE WE GETTING THIS TIME OR DON'T YOU NO YET ???????  REGARDLESS WE ARE HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH..Nel (Your Great Aunt Nel (and Uncle Pete).)

Hi Anna & Jesse,

Congratulations!!! We arrived here in Tampa on July 15! Currently we are still looking for a house but we finally narrowed it down to two places. The weather here is great but to hot to spend a lot of time outside during the day. We went to the beaches a couple of times and to the Kennedy Space Center. Looking forward hearing from you!

Claudia (and Tim O’Gorman…friends of ours from Cuba and Germany)

Congratulations!  That's so exciting!  I hope everything goes well and that Jesse will be back in time. :)  Check out my website below if you need baby announcements or cards. :)

Michelle (A friend of your mom’s from her first year of teaching.)

OMG!!!! congrats, that is so awesome!!! Love you, I know I don't have much input; we live such polar opposite lives these days, but I am all in as far as following your blogs and FB posts constantly. Love you, hope to meet your family soon!!!! Please keep in touch :)

Laurel (A friend of you mom’s from church camp as a child.)

Anna!

Congrats! This is awesome news! I hope you all willbe in Phoenix over the holidays?

I'd love ot finally meet Fletcher!

Staci (A friend of your mom’s from church in Phoenix.)

Hey Anna

Congratulations - this is very awesome news - stay healthy and my best thoughts always are going your way.

Linda (Linda Jacobs was a former swim coach of your mom’s.)

Congratulations!  Isn't it marvelloous what practice does...and vacations too, no doubt.

Bit concerned about your hurricane.  You should leave that sort of stuff for down under, Queensland I mean.  Think we are a bit better equipped for such big blows.

Anyway, hope that you did not have any damage, and keep well.  Looks like a vacation down under is a long time away????

Love to all, Alan and Coral Davis (your mom’s host family on a swim trip to Australia when she was 16.)

Oh wow!!!  CONGRATS to you and Jesse!!!  How exciting :)

So happy to know you’re doing well :)  Looking forward to more updates...

Hugs & congrats again,

Viv (A friend of your mom’s from childhood and high school)

Congratulations!!!!  When are you due?  I am so happy for you and Jesse.

The receptions were great!  Thanks again for doing the invitations.

Now the fun part, thank you cards :)

Love u, Miki (a friend of your mom’s from teaching in Germany)

Hi Anna -

I am so excited for you.  As I read your blog and what you are experiencing, it brings me back to when I was pregnanet with each one of the boys and the thoughts and sickness I experienced. 

I was telling Mike the other day how technology lets you capture every moment and share it with those who live around the country - I am amazed at your pictures and writing.  I am also amazed at how you find time to do this no matter what.  At the end of the day I am so exhausted that I do not complete everything that I should around the house. 

You and your family will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and you go through the 2nd and 3rd trimester. 

Take care  - Laura (Anna’s cousin on her mom’s side)

Hello,

Congratulations! I read up on your blog...very cute pictures of Fletcher's new haircut. We are very excited for all of you.It was fun to read up on your comparisons of the pregnancies. Are you going to find out if it is a girl or boy, or are you going to keep it a surprise? 

I know how busy those 16 month olds can be. It's hard to believe that much time has passed. Joe and Nikki are very busy with both of theirs, but love every minute of it.  Emma just celebrated her third birthday. She's busy, but much more independent now.

I hope all is going well.

Take care,

Jess (Anna’s cousin on her mom’s side)

I put the same announcement on Facebook and here are the comments I got back:

Congratulations Anna and Jesse. You're going to have your hands full, but I'm sure you'll be loving it! (from Lisa Cunningham…her husband, Charlie is a former swim coach of your mom’s)

Yay for babies!!!! Congratulations! (from Rachel Hatfield…a neighbor)

Congratulations! (from Mandi Coleman…a childhood friend of your mom’s)

Congrats!!!! (from Gigi Pearson…friend of your dad’s from college)

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!! (from Beckie Binkley, a former student’s mother)

Yeah! I'll be right behind you! (from Sarah Ruthenberg…a former swimmer with your mom)

Fun, congratulations!!! (from Sara Wellensiek…a friend of your mom’s from high school)

Congratulations! (from Michelle Toft…friend from church in Phoenix)

Awesome news!!! (from Cheryl Gangemi…friend from church in Phoenix)

Congratulations!! (from your Great Aunt Rachel Howell)

Congrats Familia Williams! hope Jesse will be there too for Baby #2 (from Kim and Christian Prier…friends and neighbors from Germany)

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! (from Becky Frank, a friend of you mom’s from teaching at Fort Bragg)

Congrats! (from Marge Fedorchak, a friend of your mom’s; mentor teacher where your mom student taught in Tempe, AZ)

Congratulations! (from Susie Pennington, friend and neighbor)

Sooo exciting! Congratulations! (from Janet Reiman, friend of your mom’s)

Congrats!!! (from Denise Beasley, friend of your mom’s from teaching at Fort Bragg)

Congratulations (from Deneice McMillan, friend of your mom’s from teaching at Fort Bragg)

Yeah!!! Congrats... keep us posted....(from Kim Lynch, friend of your mom’s from teaching in Germany)

Oh!! I am so happy for you guys!!!! (from Amy Dorman, friend of your mom’s through church in Arizona)

AWESOME Great parents making great future citizens Love it~ (from Cathy Vallecorsa, mother of a friend of Anna’s from high school)

Congrats, Anna & Jesse!! So happy for you! (from Nicole Woods, friend of Anna’s from church in Phoenix)

Congrats! Great news! (from Kelly Santina, friend of Anna’s from high school)

YAY congrats! (from Jeremy Miles, friend of Anna’s from high school)

Here is an announcement we put in the bulletin at Grandma and Grandpa’s church in Phoenix:

Please congratulate Tony and Jackie Cunningham as they will welcome a new grandchild into their lives around March 1st. Also, we'd like to thank our St. Andrew Church Family for the support and prayers they've continued to offer us through the distance over the years. We really appreciate it. Love, Jesse and Anna Williams