FINALLY!!

The time is here! Tomorrow morning I will be heading to the hospital to meet little Gavin. I have a scheduled c-section, so they better not send me home! I have been as patient as I can be and I am tired of the pain! We have to be there at 8:30 and the c-section time is 10:30. Hopefully, things will go smoothly and we will have a precious addition to our family by eleven! Of course, there a few things I am not looking forward to: the iv and spinal block. As you know, needles are not my friends!
I plan to take the laptop to the hospital with me and blog. We shall see if that actually happens. Regardless, the next time you hear from me, I should have pictures and good news to share!

Fits and Buttons

With only four days until my scheduled c-section, of course my 15 month old daughter would start throwing fits! Why not!?! Just recently, she has started pushing buttons, literally, on everything she can get her hands on: cable box, tvs, remotes, cell phones, and laptops. Now, she has always liked to play with these things, but she has taken it to a whole new level! She will push the button on the cable box as many times as she can before you get to her, all the while, looking at you and smiling. We tell her no, we bop her hand, and I even made her sit in "time out" on my lap for 1 minute while she was wiggling and screaming. She pretends to cry, but as soon as you put her down, she instantly turns it off.

Another new thing that she has recently started is trying to plop herself down when you try to walk her out of a room or away from something she isn't supposed to have. The other night, Brian tried to take her sippy cup away from her because we don't let her carry milk around the living room and she was fighting him and pulling on it as hard as she could. Brian just stood there in shock. I made him take it from her because she had this big grin on her face like she was saying, "Ha, Ha...I won!"

How do they learn this stuff? Do kids instinctively know to put their butts out and throw themselves on the ground when they want their way? What do you do with a child who is too young to reason with you?

I'm sure that she senses the changes and everything going on. Mommy hasn't exactly been herself lately and I feel badly about that, but we can't let her get away with whatever she wants! Boy oh boy...the next few weeks are going to be fun!

Irritability

Yesterday afternoon, I had my last ob appointment. It was a bittersweet moment as I left the office because I have been pregnant for the majority of the last 2 years and I have gotten to know the nurses, receptionists, and most importantly, Dr. Crutcher. Even though I am thrilled at the thought of not being pregnant anymore, I know I will miss them in some way. The appointment went off without a hitch: blood pressure normal, heart rate normal, urine test normal, weight gain 5 pounds (water weight). Basically, I left thinking that I would have to wait until Monday morning to have this baby unless something major happened. I was OK with that and went home tired and exhausted.

Then, around 5 I started having more and more contractions. They kept happening and getting worse and worse. I was crying about everything and experiencing every possible emotion in the book. I felt nauseous and was shaking uncontrollably. Brian finally convinced me to call in. I called and the on call doctor wanted me to go to the hospital. I didn't really want to go in because I had this feeling that they weren't going to do anything, but I went anyway. My mom came over to stay with Macie and off we went. We got to the hospital around 9 or so. They hooked me up to the monitors and then the waiting began. Gavin was an absolute pain and made it very difficult to find a good place for the heart monitor. Sure enough, I was contracting, BUT not enough. They said they could detect some irritability. Seriously people, are you kidding me! I can show you IRRITABILITY if you want!!!!
They sent me home and told me to call Dr. Crutcher first thing in the morning and see what she wants to do. I put in a call about 7:30 and still haven't heard anything. I just called back so now I am waiting..... Hopefully, something can happen and happen very soon!!!!!

A Sprinkle for Gavin

This afternoon my Aunt Dawn and my sister, Allie, threw Gavin and me a sprinkle. My cousin, Jamie, was kind enough to host it at her house. Several people couldn't make it, but it still ended up being a nice, relaxing gathering with great food and good company! Gavin got many much needed gifts: diapers, clothes, wipes, letters for his room, dining mat, and a gift card. Macie had a blast too! There were several kids there for her to play with and she even got presents! Brandi bought her a cute summer outfit and Lori and Kaylee gave her two Minnie Mouse sippy cups. The funny thing is, Brian and I had looked at the same cups this week and decided not to buy them. Once again, I am reminded just how blessed we are to be surrounded by people who love and care for us!
Unfortunately, when Macie woke up from her nap after the sprinkle, she was running a temp and not feeling so well. Jamie's little boy also woke up with a temp. I don't know what is going on, but I hope she's not too sick considering I am going to be having Gavin very soon!

Macie in one of her many big sister shirts
Allie made these awesome brownies! She added peanut butter chips to them and even decorated them. I probably ate half of the pan myself!

All of the goodies

This Colt's onesie and little shoes will look adorable on our little man! We thought the word football on the butt was the cutest part!

Showing Macie her new summer outfit

These candles come with a saying that says to light them and say a prayer in the baby's name after he is born

Macie had a lot of fun with one of the balloons after we got home

Macie and I...look at her eyes... she looks pathetic!

Yes, I wore my slippers! When I woke up, my feet were already swollen for the day and there was no way I was going to stuff them in some shoes!

Gifts for Gavin

When Brian dropped off Macie this morning at his parents' house, they sent him home with two gifts, one for Gavin and one for Macie. My aunt is throwing me a sprinkle on Saturday and they won't be able to make it. I was going to wait until Saturday, but Brian's parents insisted that I opened them tonight. They were so excited about their gifts...

A christening outfit
Gavin's first wrestling singlet
Brian's dad ordered this online and got a shirt to go with it so it would be Union County colors

Cute Pluto outfit

Macie got the same shirt in short sleeve and long sleeve

Whether the saying is true, only time will tell...

Stick a fork in me.....

I'M DONE!! Well, at least I wish I was. Boy, this pregnancy sure is different than the last one! At the end of my pregnancy with Macie, I was tired and uncomfortable, but it was very manageable. In fact, I went to the Fall Festival three times the week before she was born, worked up until the Friday before she was born on a Monday, was cleaning my house and running around like normal up until I went into the hospital...
This time is NOTHING like that! I am pretty much miserable. The swelling, cramping, contracting, nausea, loss of sleep and bladder control, and overall exhaustion is sometimes too much to take. My c-section is less than 2 weeks away and I am trying to plug through like a real trooper. I feel like I'm not very successful though. I am not typically someone who whines and complains all of the time, but right now that is all I can focus on.
Some people say it is just because I'm having a boy or because it's my second pregnancy. I don't know what it is, but I do know that every day my little guy stays in is what's best for him. In a few short weeks, I will be able to put this all behind me and look at my little miracle and know this is all worth it!
*It may take a lot of chocolate, but I will make it!

15 Month Highlights

Last Wednesday was Macie's 15 month birthday! Here is what she is doing now:

• Typical Daily Schedule: Get up between 6:30 and 7, breakfast by 7:30, morning nap by 8:30, lunch at 11, nap, snack by 3:00, short nap, dinner at 5:00, bed by 7
• She now has a mouth full of teeth. It is hard to get a good count because she will fight you and bite your finger, but I think it is around 14 or 15!
• She knows many animal noises: monkey, lion, elephant, duck and can point to more in books. She can also point out a lot of characters and pictures in books.
• She is always making connections between things and it amazes me. For example, if she sees Mickey Mouse on tv, she will find him on other things; she saw a picture of her ball tent on the blog and started screaming and pointing to hers in the living room; she saw clifford on tv and pointed to our dog, Rusty.
• She still LOVES everything Mickey Mouse! When she sees him she screams and points like she is at a rock concert and he is her idol. It cracks us up!! Our house has been taken over by Mickey Mouse Clubhouse paraphernalia.
• She is still a great eater and loves just about anything you put in front of her. If she doesn't like something, she lets you know by spitting it out right away!
• She loves her pap and sidekick (pacifier and burp cloth) and won't sleep without them. She asks for them often.
• Riding in the car has gotten a lot better. I guess the dvd player has helped!
• Overall, she sleeps much better, sometimes as much as 12 hours!!
• She goes nonstop but has started actually playing with her toys for longer periods. She has also started making stacks of things. She will take all of the balls out of her ball pit and them put them back in. She has also taken every toy off of the fridge, put it on the kitchen rug one by one and then put them back.
• She has just now started trying to climb on things and can get on and off of ride on toys by herself.
• She is becoming more curious about baby Gavin's arrival...she will point to and kiss my stomach and often points to his stuff. Only time will tell how she adjusts to him!
• She is generally a happy girl and SO MUCH FUN!!!

I'm sure there are many more things, but I could go on and on. 15 month olds are so busy and I love seeing the world from her eyes!

How can this be comfortable?

Brian walked into the living room to check on Macie and this is what he found...

I wonder who she is talking to?

Clayton's Birthday Party

This afternoon, we went to Clayton's first birthday party. His mommy is my cousin, Jamie. Jamie always swore that she wouldn't have a character themed birthday party for her kids until they begged for it themselves. Well...that all changed when she realized how much Clayton loves Mickey Mouse. She had to give in! Our gift was a HUGE hit! We got him a Mickey Mouse airplane. We didn't let Macie see it until he opened it because we knew she would want it and Clayton cried when they took it away for him to open more gifts. He was happy to see it when they got it out of the box for him! Happy Birthday Clayton!

Clayton opening his airplane
Macie loved playing in Clayton's ball tent because he got 250 more balls today!

I'm not so sure about this...

mmmmmm.....

Now this is fun!

Maternity Pics

Here are a few of the pics Allie took last weekend...

Weekend Fun

Saturday morning started out great for me because it was my day to sleep in and Brian brought me breakfast in bed. He made me eggs, toast, and hashbrowns. It was a nice surprise! Allie came over a little after 1 to take some maternity pictures. We didn't do this with Macie and I really wanted to this time. You never know...this may be my last pregnancy. Macie was a complete stink and didn't cooperate at all. I think it was difficult for her because all of her toys were there and she just wanted to play with Aunt Allie. However, Allie was able to capture some great shots and I can't wait to see them. Last night, we had Rachel and Eric over for dinner. I made a pot of chicken tortilla soup and they brought over rotel dip and stuff to make sundaes. Now, when I say stuff for sundaes, I mean they went ALL out. They had so many toppings we could have had a sundae bar! It was great and they stayed over until about 1. It has been forever since we've hung out that late! The guys were playing the wii and we just had a great time talking and hanging out. I paid for it today though! I am worn out!!!
Today, we had my parents and Allie over for lunch. We invited them over to see Macie play with her bounce 'n spin pony my parents bought her for her birthday. She has only used it a few times because she wasn't quite ready for it at her birthday. It is amazing how much she has grown and changed in the last few months. She can now reach the ground to bounce and she gets off by herself. She also asks to play with the pony. Our little girl is changing before our very eyes!

Epiphany Party

Despite the snow day, tonight was my work Epiphany Party. We have our Christmas gathering after Christmas, which is awesome, because most people are able to make it. The last several years we have had it at Hornville Tavern. Renee's inlaws own it and they are so good to us. They donated the food and the room. The food is AWESOME and I wish that we would go eat there more often. Every year, Brian and I say we need to go back soon, but it is kind of far out so we rarely make it there. This year, I hope that is different!
My Uncle Alan and Aunt Julie were kind enough to watch Macie for us. Even though we forgot her "pap" in the car, she was good and still awake when we got there to pick her up after 9. It was nice to have a date and I look forward to going every year. I even got a gift card to the movies, so it looks like we may get another date night soon!

I bundled Macie up before we left

Brian and I
The Girls: Lisa, Me, Jamie, Brandi, Brittany, and Renee

Big Boy

This afternoon, I had an ultrasound to measure Gavin's growth and see just how big he is. I didn't have one scheduled originally, but when I went to see Dr. Crutcher for my appointment last week, she thought it was a good idea to schedule one. I have been measuring big and I feel like he is humongous! Because of a snow day, I had to find someone to come and stay with Macie and Brian was able to come with me. He rarely missed an appointment when I was pregnant with Macie because he was working at the bank and had a different schedule. This time, he has only been able to come twice. It was nice to have him there.
We were reassured that he is indeed a boy and in fact that is about the only thing he wanted to show us! Typical male! Gavin's estimated weight is 6 pounds 9 ounces which is about a week and a half ahead of schedule. Of course, that is only an estimate, but I still think he is going to be bigger than Macie. I was 35 weeks yesterday, so if he gained 1/2 pound a week like they say and went full term he would be about 9 pounds! The tech said that his head wasn't measuring big, which was always a scare with Macie, so I was happy about that. We weren't able to get any good pictures because he is still stubborn. We could barely look at his face. I guess we will be surprised in a few weeks. His head is down and it is like he is doing a perfect headstand. His head is also very low, which is causing me a lot of pain and discomfort. I am intersted to see what Dr. Crutcher has to say after looking at the ultrasound results. Will I make it until February 1st? That is the question...

Chuck-E-Cheese

Tonight, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese. It was a fundraiser night for Holy Spirit. I took Macie last year for the fundraiser night, but we hadn't been back since. This time was a lot more fun! Allie joined us and took a million pictures of Macie running around and having a blast. The awesome thing was, I got a free personal pan pizza and drink because I am a teacher and Macie got 15 free tokens. We only had to get food for Brian, so it was a pretty cheap night and a good time. I think that Brian was dreading going because he thought it would be too crazy, but he admitted it wasn't that bad and we left as soon as Macie started getting tired. She still has a few tokens left for next time!

Playing with Hannah

Tackling Bailey

Can we say static electricity?

Chuck-E was sporting a Holy Spirit Cougar t-shirt!
Macie thought he was cool until Brian picked her up and tried to get a little closer. She wanted nothing to do with him then!

She is making driving noises...

When Daddy dresses Macie...

This is what you get...

She is watching the game! We also put on her Nike tennis shoes for the first time. Such a big girl!

Our Last Christmas Get-together

Last night we finally celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family. It was nice to spread things out, but I am ready to be done. Seven Christmas get-togethers is a blessing and curse at the same time. Once again, Macie was spoiled! She got an ice cream sundae set, pjs, money, a little people boat, some books, pink ugg type boots, and an adorable hat. Brian and I got a gift card and money from my grandma. He also got a Jack Daniel's gift set and I got a clutch that holds pictures and a diffuser. We had finger foods, which is my favorite. Macie loved being there because there is a lot of room to run around. She ran lap after lap and I couldn't believe she stayed awake as long as she did! We didn't leave until 10! She crashed by the end of the street and slept until 8 this morning. She was back down for a nap at 8:40 and its been 2 hours and she is still asleep. I can tell this is going to be a lazy day! I go back to work tomorrow. Only 4 more weeks until I'm on maternity leave...

Grams B with Macie and Clayton
Macie sitting in my Uncle Jeff's rocking chair. He is no longer with us, so it is special to see her in his chair.

Clayton got the same ball tent as Macie for Christmas. Kaylee, Clayton, and Macie spent a lot of time in it!

Loving the fact that she can run around!

Trying to get in the rocking chair the wrong way. She kept rocking the chair and then lifting her leg behind her. It was hilarious!

The toy we got Clayton was a hit! He played with it all night!

Allie took a picture of all of the great-grandkids last summer and had a throw made for Grams B. She loved it!

We have definitely been blessed this Christmas!