Fireworks

Loyal, patriotic, proud, all-American...these are just a few words to describe my wonderful husband. He is very supportive of our troops and loves American history. However; he gets "beat down" by fireworks. I know! What's more American than fireworks? He says, "Seen one firework, you've seen them all." Ugghh! Thankfully, our little firecracker, Colton, hasn't seen one yet, so Jack will get to experience them for many years to come through his eyes!

To his credit, he did pull over last night and let me watch the end of the Wylie fireworks show on our way home from the movies. So fun!

We keep thinking of these Saturdays as "bonus" days. We took full advantage of our married without children status and slept late, read, ate lunch with friends, then went to the movies and saw "Live Free or Die Hard". It was really long, but good. I always worry that the loudness of the movies disturbs little Colton, because he becomes really active during movies. I had a few contractions during the movie, but nothing lasting long enough to call the hospital about. On the way home we decided to rent the original "Die Hard" since I had never 1-3. It was a little too much excitement for one night, I guess, because I fell asleep and missed the last hour.

*Baby Update - Nothing yet. We have our next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, July 3rd, so we'll see if we have reason to rent "Born on the Fourth of July!"

As Big As I'm Going to Get...Hopefully

This is me at 9 months pregnant (around 39 weeks and 3 days). We're ready for you, sweet Colton!
This adorable little man took me to the movies today. His name is Javi and he's 5, but wishes he were 13, a penguin and wants to ride in a helicopter soon. He told me all this while we were waiting for the movie to start. It's good to have goals! He was the ringbearer in my wedding and his mom, Jenilee, is a special friend of mine. She is also the one who will be taking care of Colton when I go back to work part time in September! We went and saw "Surf's Up" - It's a penguin movie about surfing. Go figure. AMC Theater has this free movie camp in the summer and they offer older movies for free on Wednesdays at 10 am. Last summer we started the tradition, so we thought we better get one movie in before Colton comes. We had a great time. He made me excited to be a mom to a little boy!

Latest Update...

The Dr.’s appointment today showed no progress and it looks like Colton will be waiting another week to make his debut. However, the doctor had me scared at one point when she exclaimed, “Oh, I think you’re leaking amniotic fluid.” To which I replied, “What does that mean?” She said, “Well, you’ll need to run home and get your stuff and then come back and have this baby.” I started to panic a little bit, then she actually checked the fluid and said, “Never mind, it’s not amniotic fluid after all.” Ugghhh!! Talk about a roller coaster of emotions!
Today’s scare was probably good for me as it served as a reality check that this baby is coming soon...so I came home and really packed my bags, washed my hair and shaved my legs just in case!

Everything is pretty much done in the nursery. All his clothes and blankets are washed and put away. I packed Colton a little bag today, too. He will have 4 "coming home" outfits available for his wearing pleasure. I couldn't choose just one - but I will, I promise! It's so weird to think that we will be going to the hospital as a couple and then returning home as a family of 3!

I'm so excited, but completely a bundle of nerves at the same time!

Have a great week everyone and I'll keep you posted!

Shower #3

On June 10th, Colton and I were honored with another amazing shower. Pictured are the hostesses and I around the lovely snack table. They used maps for the tablecloth and hung airplanes from the light fixture. They also had gerber daisies inside blue wooden boxes that said "It's A Boy!" So cute! The food was great, too - petit fours, strawberries, grapes, cheddar cookies, and blue and brown m & m's. (Pictured: Darla, Elaine, Jill, Jenni, Kelly, me, Tianay and Cindy) Sweet, beautiful friends - Jenni, Lisa and Emily.
Four beauties on a couch... Laura, Angie, Lisa and Dana.
Paige, Wilkin, Brittany and Karen - Jack's sweet family made a special trip to attend the shower.
Roxanne, me and Karen. Thanks everyone for such a special day! And a special thanks to my sweet mom. She was the picture taker and helped us take all of our baby gifts home. Coming soon...pictures of the finished nursery and hopefully my last pregnancy picture - as big as I'm going to get...

Showered with Love

My wonderful co-workers at school threw Colton and I this amazing shower on May 2! They really went way out! Here's the proud grandma "Bunny", mom and dad! Colton received some tiny "Converse" shoes. They are precious!

Our art teacher made this fabulous sign.
Each table had a suitcase filled with baby essentials and a sweet note from Colton.
The seats reserved for Mom, Dad and Bunny.
Me and the lovely hostesses with the mostest! Nancy, Jennifer, Tammy and Jenny. (Not pictured - Susan, Laura, Barbara and Karen)

Yummy "cupcake" cake! Laura decorated it with scrapbook stickers - so clever!


Colton is one blessed little boy!

Updated Nursery Photos...

Shelf over the changing table.
Shelves over the twin bed.
Aren't his little hats so cute? I know - I'm a sap - but they're just so little!
Shelf and mobile over bed.

We're about 95% complete. Just missing the map and a few pictures to put over the crib and adjacent wall. My wonderful dad, brother and hubby spent Father's Day yesterday putting up the chair rail, shelves and curtain rod. Thanks Dad, Zach and Jack! Sorry I didn't get a picture of my favorite guys in action!

Apples and Oranges

I wanted to jot down a couple of things about this pregnancy that I want to remember. Each week I received two e-mails (from babycenter.com and american pregnancy association) telling me how Colton was growing inside of me and what new miraculous thing he could do. Growing eyelashes, sucking his thumb, brain development...etc. It's so amazing! I read Psalm 139 this morning and just thought how blessed I am to be carrying this little boy inside of me. And to think God knows him even better than I do is just too cool for words.

Psalm 139 (NLT)
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God. They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.

21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Each e-mail would also compare the size of Colton or my womb to a random object - usually a fruit. I thought this was pretty funny and compiled a list of all the fruit stages we've been compared to throughout this pregnancy...

My uterus:

Weeks 1-8 - Pear sized (about normal)

Weeks 8-13 - Grapefruit/Softball

Weeks 18 - Cantaloupe

Week 25 - Soccer Ball

Week 40 - Watermelon/5 lb. Sack of Sugar (Yikes!)

Our bouncing baby boy:

Week 3 - Pin Head (0.006 inches long)

Week 5 - BB Pellet (1/2 inch)

Week 6 - Pinto Bean

Week 7 - Medium Green Olive

Week 8 - Plum

Week 9 - Large Lime

Week 11 - Peach

Week 12 - Adult Fist

Week 13 - Softball

Week 15 - Hand Spread Open Wide

Week 19 - Banana

Week 21 - Small Doll

Week 25 - (2 lbs) No more fruit comparisons from this point on...

Week 30 - (4 lbs)

Week 35 - (6 1/2 lbs)

Week 38 - (7 1/2 lbs) We hope this is where he stays :)

So there you have it... Isn't it amazing that our little "peanut" was once the size of a pin head and in just 38 weeks has grown into a 7 1/2 lb baby!

Happy June!

Here I am at 35 weeks. And I'm standing in the nursery!!! My wonderful mom did most of the painting. I pretty much rolled for 10 minutes then rested for 10 minutes. I was a very slow helper. There will be a chair rail where the white stripe is eventually. We just couldn't resist putting all the furniture in, even knowing we'd have to move it to put up the chair rail. I've already started putting away his little clothes in the drawers. It is so fun! We still have a few more things to do (there's a map, travel posters and shelves to go on the walls), but it is definitely getting there.
This is the bedding that my super-talented Aunt Cindy made. The photo doesn't do it justice. I will take more photos when we hang the curtain, so you can see it all together.
I had this globe/lamp when I was a little girl. It's so fun to be able to use it in the nursery.
Here's the bedskirt and sheet.

I cannot believe it's already June... We are at T - 27 days and counting until Colton's arrival. Yes, we have chosen a name (we've actually had it for a while - I just haven't blogged about it yet.) I guess we decided it around the first of April. We both liked the name, so we started calling him by name to try it out and it just fit! We are keeping the middle name a surprise until his actual birthday. I had a dr's appointment today and everything looked good. The dr. thinks he's right on schedule (size wize, etc.) Jack thinks Colton will make his debut on June 28. I'm thinking July 7. Anyone else want to make a prediction???

Headlines around the House...

Did you know 7-11 now carries Pina Colada slurpees??? This has been a major craving of mine since I found out about them... Yum!
These are a few pictures from our latest "Girls' Weekend". This time we traveled to Abilene, TX to stay at Rebekah's beautiful casa. I did better at getting a few people pictures, but unfortunately didn't get any of us all together... Here's Stephanie and the happiest boy in the world, Lincoln! Jordan and Rebekah...

Me and the gifts... Thank you girls for such a sweet shower and all the wonderful presents! We had such a fun time of shopping, talking, eating, talking and playing with all the kiddos. It's such a blessing to walk through the stages of life with these friends. You all have encouraged me more than you'll ever know. Seeing all of you become mothers has been so special, too. I'm so glad I have you to call on when this little boy finally makes his appearance. By the way, I went to the dr. today and am in the middle of my 35th week. According to the doc. everything looks good. I am getting more and more excited especially now that school's out and I can focus on "nesting". In other news, our unborn baby boy has taken over our entire house (literally)! We have moved everything out of the nursery in order to get ready to paint. The nursery was kind of our catch all room, so now the "stuff " needs a new home. I'll post some "after" pictures soon.

While I was away enjoying my fun girls' weekend... my handy hubby put together the baby's crib. It was such a sweet surprise to come home to. He also put together the changing table/dresser. I can't wait to put it in the nursery and see it all put together!

All who labor and are heavy laden...

We sang this song at church a couple of Sundays ago and I couldn't help but smile. These lyrics have never been so real. I feel very heavy laden and in just 3 short months will be in labor, but thankfully Jesus has promised to give us rest! I hope I didn't take that too out of context, but with pregnancy on the brain all the time these days, some things just strike you as funny!

I'm finally getting around to recapping February and March...Maybe one of these days I'll be caught up to real time!

1) Valentines' - My great co-worker Jennifer and I made cupcakes and served "red" drinks for the teachers. My sweet friend Jenilee had her baby girl Jazmin Elizabeth 3 weeks early on Valentine's Day. Later that evening, Jack and I had a candlelit dinner in the living room next to our fireplace. Funny moment: Jack nearly burning the house down and setting the smoke alarm off just before we sat down to dinner :) Life with Jack is always an adventure! 2/14 Javi, Jazmin and me

Valentine's Treats for our teachers at school. We made cupcakes and served "red" drinks.

Our lovely candlelit dinner (notice the smoke has cleared...smile).

2) We went to Vail, Co over Spring Break with 4 other couples. While it was so hard not to be hitting the slopes, it was still a great trip. Thankfully, I had a friend who was also pregnant to hang out with. We went shopping, rested and got a great prenatal massage. 3/10 - 3/15

1. Lisa and I - the two preggers on the trip. 2. The whole gang. 3. Beautiful view from the top of the mountain. I got to ride the gondola to the top on the last day.

3) Had two awesome Girls Weekends in a row. One trip to Canton and one trip to Amarillo to surprise our dear friend Jordan with a baby shower. 2/3 and 2/17

Our Canton weekend - Only picture I got was of the great breakfast that Stephanie prepared...

Amarillo weekend for Jordan's baby shower. Such fun!!

4) Dress Like a Storybook Character Day at school - We are Thing 1, 2 and 2.5 from The Cat in the Hat... 3/9

5) Fly Lady came to Dallas for a booksigning 3/31. She has this website that helps you cut clutter and clean your house 15 minutes at a time. You can check it out at www.flylady.net

We didn't stay to get her autograph because there was a huge line, but it was cool to see her in person.

6) Celebrating our niece's 16th birthday and getting to hold her sweet 4 month old brother Wilkin.

Sweet Brittany

Too cute!

So that's the recap. Fun times, great memories and lots to be grateful for!