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Everything you want to know (and maybe a few things you didn't) about our life as we just try to get through one day at a time with our two boys - Jackson and Will. This is an exciting time for our "Little" family!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Countdown Has Begun...







Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce that this will be my last blog as a pregnant lady. The next time you hear from me, I will be the proud mother of TWO boys. As of Thursday, I had dilated to 1cm but have not had any major developments (so far) this weekend so it appears that unless my water breaks or major contractions start happening, we will be prepped and ready for a C-Section at 8 am Monday morning. I can't wait to meet my new little boy. I hope and pray he is as wonderful, beautiful, sweet and loving as his big brother - which I have no doubt he will be. I am also aware they will be so very different in many ways, making this an entirely new adventure. Our lives will be forever changed, again, as we know it. David has promised he will keep everyone informed with information and pictures as much and as soon as possible. Luckily, the hospital has Wi-Fi so we will have easy access to the internet. It's a mystery to me if this little boy of mine will actually look like me - I think about it all the time. We know he is healthy and beautiful, but what we don't know is how he will look. In some ways I would love for him to resemble me but in other ways, I find his brother and daddy so beautiful that I wouldn't mind another look-alike. God and time will only tell...

I've posted some pictures from Green Meadows Farms (as promised in a previous blog).
As you can see, Jackson and his cousin, Megan, had a wonderful time petting, holding and feeding all the animals. This has become one of our favorite things to do each November when the farm comes to Dallas. And, next year, Will is going to be there with us to experience it! Enjoy and Happy Halloween to all...

*An especially important note: We want to thank you for your well wishes, prayers and thoughts - we are lucky to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives and the lives of our boys. Until Monday...*

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Jackson's 1st Ever Costume Parade

Let the parade begin!
Jackson, the cowboy, leads his class.

Hi Moms - look how proud they are!


Class Photo

Jackson's preschool, Fellowship Friends, had their costume parade this morning. Each class dressed in their Halloween costumes and paraded outside for all the parents, grandparents, etc. After finishing the parade, they posed for class pictures. Jack wasn't quite sure what was going on but seemed to go with the flow pretty well. We LOVED seeing them together, having fun and trying to figure this whole thing out. It made me realize this is one of those great parts of parenting - these are the special moments I'll never forget. Especially the look on his face walking by me and his MawMaw trying to understand why we were watching and waving. Then he continued to stare until they rounded the building and he couldn't see us anymore... but, he never cried! When I was getting him dressed in play clothes after the parade was over, I told his friend Jack Jack, "You're a big boy" and Jackson told me, "I'm a big boy too." The things kids say! He also told his daddy and me last night that he wanted some coffee... then when I tried to give him a sip of mine (decaf) he touched the cup and said, "that's too hot." I love this age!!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Ride Em Cowboy!

Ready for his duel!
Discussing gun safety with his buddy Jack Jack.

Emma, Katherine, Jack Jack and Jackson


Trick or Treating through the bible - each room was a different character they would learn about before getting their goodies.



Yesterday was the annual "Trick or Treat through the Bible" and "Trunk or Treat" at our church so it was our first time to try out Jackson's new costume. It is great - he's the cutest little cowboy in Texas (or the country for that matter!). He's actually supposed to be Woody from "Toy Story" but some people may not get that unless you are a big fan like we are. He had a great time, especially once he got the hang of it and realized they were putting CANDY in his bag. He loved being there with his good buddies - Jackson and Katherine, Emma, Grant and Bennett. Have I mentioned before how much fun this age is?!? We had a great time watching him have so much fun. I guess he was just so young last year that none of it made much sense to him, but he really gets the idea this year and loves it! Next weekend will be his second try and I know he'll be an old pro by then (I'm going to work on teaching him to get all the good chocolate candy instead of smarties)... P.S. thanks to MawMaw for making the perfect little vest for him.


Uncle Lee visited us this past week - hence the lack of blog postings for over a week. We stayed very busy and I enjoyed my last "hurrah" before I'll be down for a month or more. We shopped, lunched, visited with friends, and saw "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" at Casa Manana. Our week was so full of activity that I'm going to need to rest all week to recover but it was definitely worth it. I always have so much fun with him. Jackson also became quickly attached to Uncle Lee and wanted him to carry him places, play with him, read books to him, etc. Now that I have one more week to go, I've begun my nesting in full force...


And, that leads me to the latest Baby Will update. We had our doctor's appointment on Thursday of last week which included an ultrasound to get an idea of Will's size. It appears he was about 6lbs at the time. I had a large "growth spurt" and gained 4lbs over that previous week. It is definitely due to his growing rapidly and my retaining water (which goes right to my feet!). There has been no advancement toward my dilation so we've scheduled a C-Section for Nov. 1st; this will put him at about 7lbs by then. If Will decides to come before that date, we'll try to deliver him. It's all very complicated, and so hard to figure out - everyone is making their "best guess" of his size at this point to avoid unnecessary complications with the delivery. I wish we could know for sure but I do know that I want to do what is best for myself and, especially, Will. I would hate to have a difficult labor (especially if we induce) only to end up with a C-Section which seems likely anyway. We just pray everyday for God's guidance and have complete trust that the right thing will happen. Dr. Neal has been great about giving us the facts and allowing us to make a decision based on them, so we also have complete trust in him.


I did not get a chance to post a blog about our visit to Green Meadows Farm last weekend but will do that this week. The pictures turned out great - Jackson and Megan had a blast with all the animals on the farm. Jackson especially loved the 1 week old baby goats and the baby ducks. More on that to come...

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The Pumpkin Patch and Baby Will's Progress (or lack thereof)

I love my little man more than words can say... my little snuggle bunny!
Check out that face - is he something or what?!

Side Shot of the Belly at 36 weeks - Will is riding "low and slow" baby (I've watched Cars too many times with Jackson).

3 Feet Tall and Bulletproof...

"Wowww, look at all the pumpkins..."

Jackson and Mommy

Jackson and his good friend Lillian, they're tight!

We had a great time at the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch last Friday. Jackson's playgroup met there that morning and we were the last to leave. I'm not quite sure how this crazy mother, nine months pregnant and waddling, allowed my lovely son to keep me there so long but I'm beginning to believe he is taking advantage of this guilt I feel that he will no longer be "an only". Toddlers are very perceptive - trust me - and mine has me all figured out! Regardless, he was having so much fun that we stayed for over three hours and enjoyed the hay ride, bounce houses, pumpkin pictures, farm animals, wooden cutouts, and so on. When we finally left, I wasn't sure if my feet could carry me (and Jackson, who was so tired that he was insisting to be carried at this point) to the car. We made it without major incident and brought our tired selves home. The rest of the weekend was a blur as we held our semi-annual garage sale,along with many of our neighbors in Trophy Club. We made enough money to buy ourselves some trees. Yes, you read that correctly, we bought trees with our profits and they are beautiful. Only one has been planted in the backyard - the magnolia is right outside my bedroom window- so David has three more autumn blaze red maples to plant but even in pots they look great in our backyard. It's wonderful to imagine watching these trees grow in tandem with our boys (to also know we planted these right at Will's birth is special). Maybe we'll put notches on the trees for each year at the boys' heights...

Jackson is doing very well at school; he no longer cries or whines when I leave him and seems really excited to start his day there. They usually begin with painting/coloring so he's right in the middle of it as I leave him. He's acutely aware of my growing belly and even talks about Baby Will coming out and playing trains with him. We haven't broken the news to him that Baby Will won't be much fun for a few months (or 6 or 10). He has been holding dolls and practicing giving them a bottle which is fun to watch; he got frustrated on one occasion put the baby on the ground, sat on it and tried to force the bottle in its mouth. This is hopefully a behavior we won't repeat with the actual baby!

We had our checkup with Dr. Neal yesterday to see if we've made any progress towards delivering Will. In one word - nothing (nada, nope, no way)... This boy is head down, really low and not going anywhere. He's measuring above average - I should have measured 36 cm and measured at 37 cm already. This is of concern because we're all aware that any baby much bigger than Jackson will likely be undeliverable for me. Dr. Neal feels that Will has probably already crossed that 5 lb 14 oz mark (which was Jackson's birth weight) so we might want to begin considering other options - i.e. a C - Section, especially since I've had absolutely no dilation. Our plan is to return next week (Thursday to be exact) and have an ultrasound to get the best approximate weight of the baby and we'll go from there. There are a lot more details (some not so pleasant) so I'll spare you all. I just ask that you pray for us that we have peace of mind and that God helps us make the best decision for Will's health and mine.
Stay tuned for more information and updates...

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Will's Sailboats








I had mentioned in a previous email that David painted (watercolor) three beautiful sailboat pictures for Will's room. Well, we finally got them hung on his wall so I wanted to post a picture of them. I am in love with them and my husband of course - they are just what I wanted and so special. His room isn't complete yet, it will be soon once we get some furniture pieces out (after the garage sale this weekend) that are taking up some much needed space. Once I get that done, I will post those pictures as well.

I've also included pictures from my shower this past Sunday - these are the table set up, the diaper cake, and cake (with the theme from the invitations and napkins).

Ahoy, Mateys!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

My Little Model... Priceless School Pictures


He could be a child model? Perhaps I should contact some agency??

Jackson's first school pictures arrived on Monday and I, of course, bought every single one of them. We have lots of extras so let me know if you would like a copy. I've posted my two favorites for your viewing pleasure. Check out that pose - the teacher said he was such a "ham" and I now believe it. How did they get him to cross his hands and arms like that?!

He had a great morning when I dropped him off at school. He gave me a kiss, said "goodbye Mom" and watched me as I stood at the door and waved to him. I did NOT want to leave him today; it broke my heart. So, he was fine and mom was in tears. I have this panicked feeling that I want to spend every minute with him before the baby comes. Our time together is going to be so limited that I want to savor those I have with him now... I better stop now or I'll start crying again. His latest saying is "I love you too much." This started with his daddy telling him "I love you so much" and he put his own little spin on it. I can't hear it enough... and I tell it to him all the time now so he won't stop saying it.
He is such a daddy's boy. He told me yesterday I couldn't sit on the couch because "I want to sit with MY daddy." His daddy told him to apologize and kiss me, which he did but I understand - he misses his daddy so much every day that he wants any moment with him when he gets home. This is also the case with nighttime. I am no longer invited to read books and cuddle in bed - this is a daddy/Jackson time only and I'm (mostly) okay with that.
He is also asking to go to the potty though it's usually after he's already gone in his diaper. At least we're moving in the right direction; we just have to get the "developmental" sensations down first. I credit much of this to the "Elmo Goes Potty" DVD that we were given by a good friend. This thing works and Jackson asks for us to put it on all the time.
Will Update:
He's still baking in the oven. Thank goodness the weather is so cool which helps me to feel more comfortable. I'm having some "practice" Braxton Hicks but nothing too major. Stay tuned!




Monday, October 4, 2010

Oktoberfest in Southlake

"Mom, how are we going to get this pumpkin home? I can't lift it..."
Playing at "Pumpkin Land" at a local nursery (this is also the place we took holiday photos last year).

Daddy and Jack - best buddies forever!

Wienie dog races at Oktoberfest - so much fun! The dog in the farthest left lane won 2nd place!


Is my little man cool or what?! He turns his hat backwards, this was not posed...


Spinning the wheel to win a prize at the Oktoberfest booths.

This weekend we took Jackson to Oktoberfest - an annual event in Southlake - so we could watch the wienie dog races for the first time. He was mesmerized, and so was I. First they held a costume costume - you should have seen the costumes people had on their dogs. Maggie and Gertie were definitely not cut out for this event (we left them at home). This did not go over well with Jackson who really wanted HIS dogs there but I honestly believe that Gertie would have keeled over with a heartattack at all the activity. Maggie probably would have done great but as many of you know, with siblings, you can't just bring (or do for) one. Anyway, after the costume parade and contest, the races began. Over 200 dachshunds were entered into the races so they lasted over 3 hours. It gave us plenty of time to browse the other activities and have a nice lunch. We watched the race finals - a very fast dog named Rocky one. Again, Maggie and Gertie wouldn't have had a chance against these dogs. They don't even run that fast when chasing real, live squirrels. It was a great day and we just couldn't get enough of the weather all weekend. (P.S. - For those interested, I've posted more pictures on facebook of the event).

Jackson is doing great in preschool - or at least he did last week and this morning. No tears shed for the last three dropoffs; that is huge for us. He really looks forward to seeing his friends and "Taba" his teacher. Last week, Mrs. Tabatha was out so a sub had the class for a day. When I asked Jackson who taught him that day (he knows Mrs. Brenda, the sub, but I like to ask lots of questions) he told me "Jack Jack and Kit Kat." Oh man, that must have been a day! He has been doing really well with comprehending "Big v. Little" which is something they work on at school and we reinforce at home. He's also beginning to work on sorting so we're doing that based on color... This age is so much fun. It's busy, but so wonderful!
Baby Will Update:
I had a wonderful baby shower yesterday - thanks to all my hostesses and my friends/family who attended. I'll have more to post on that later (with pictures). We are set with beautiful clothes, soft blankies, towels, new toys, keepsakes, etc. It has really made this time more exciting as we are counting down days (four weeks from today - can you believe?!) until our inducement. I will add, though, that this little man cannot come early as we are very busy this month and I still need a little more time to love on my Jackson before his brother arrives and changes the dynamics entirely. David painted beautiful sailboat prints for Will's room that I am so proud of - my husband is a fantastic artist! I only wish he had more time to enjoy painting; it relaxes him and he is so talented that I believe he could sell his prints. However, we need him to keep his day job so we'll try to make time for him on weekends to indulge my need for artwork.
At my checkup last week, everything was perfect. Will measured right on track (35 cm), my urine and blood were perfect, and most importantly, Will is now head down, way down I might add. He should stay that way and is definitely unhappy about the lack of room - he's pushing quite a bit and flailing his arms. I now begin seeing Dr. Neal every other week until the baby arrives. We arent' doing the usual every week visit because things have been going so well he feels like we are fine with simply going every other. I"m happy with that! I honestly feel pretty good, considering how uncomfortable I am. I have less swelling all over and more energy (though that isn't saying much). This cool weather has also helped put a "spring" in my step...
I have ten minutes until I pick Jackson up for school so it's time to run. More to come very soon.

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