Isn't it over yet?

47 days to go. But who's counting? I have figured out that the third trimester of pregnancy is ANNOYING. You're to the point where you just want to have the baby, but all it's doing is torturing you from the inside (hey - MOVE that elbow, kid!). Bathroom breaks are a necessity - at least every hour - but you're supposed to be drinking more water than ever before (at least, if you want to stave off the Braxton-Hicks contractions). You're supposed to be "glowing," but you only feel fat (and they say you're supposed to gain a pound a week - so you're just getting fatter). You can almost hear the little pitter patter of feet - AGAINST YOUR RIBS AND LUNGS! And the best thing? You know you can't do jack squat about any of it because it's just a waiting game now.

But all that said - I love my little baby. When he wiggles and squirms it may be annoying, but I know he's okay and growing. I actually worry about him when he gets still for too long. I feel as huge as a house, but the smiles from random strangers seemingly appreciating what I'm doing, make it seem a little more fun.

I still have SOOOOO long to go... But yet, time is flying by. Seems like just yesterday I was stressing out over having TWO kids. Now it's not so bad - it's exciting really! Bring on the challenge - my little man is dying for a playmate!!

My baby boy is ONE

How can it be??? I can't believe that a year ago, John & I were sitting in the hospital on the way to becoming parents in a few hours (B was born around 3:30 pm). We don't have big plans for today - we've got a doctor's appointment for Brayden to get weighed and measured. He'll get shots later, though - thank goodness.

We were GOING to have birthday party Saturday, but they're calling for 2-5" of snow now, so we're moving the date. It really stinks, but that's January in Oklahoma for you. My mom says we're going to be going through this "will we or won't we" every year of his life. At least at this age he doesn't realize that he's not getting his party this weekend... We have everything ready, though. It's "Backyardigans" themed and everything is so cute!! He gets so excited when he sees the stuff. My dad thinks we're doing the theme for us because he doesn't understand that Brayden is actually crazy about the Backyardigans! He has a little Surfer Pablo figure that you have to press a button on his choker to make him sing... Brayden figured it out yesterday and was carrying him around the house pushing the button over and over yesterday and dancing along with the song. It was TOO cute. He gets excited anytime he hears the theme song and starts bouncing up and down! I'm so glad he likes something that John & I can enjoy as well (not like the Wiggles or Doodlebops).

He's eating his ritual blueberry waffle right now. He LOVES to eat those in the morning. After this, I have to get him cleaned up and then get ready to head out since we're going to have to go extra slow because of the ice on the road. Ick.

Sick of sick and other junk

So... I've had a cold - well make that 3 or 4 different colds - for a MONTH now. Stinks. I can't breathe most of the time, which is SO much fun for a pregnant woman, lemme tell ya. John keeps telling me to just hurry up and get over it all. Much easier said than done. Each time I kick one cold, someone else says, "Here, have mine!" And my wonderful body says, "Sure, why not?" It's led to me being loopy. And droopy. And... yeah, I got nothin'.

Anyway. We are only 80some days from Tyler's birthday! I can't wait. I'm not to miserable yet, but quickly getting there. This kid moves around as much or more than Brayden did. It's like having a small alien inside of you that thinks it needs to come out via your belly button. I can't even describe the unnatural feeling. So if prenatal activity is any indicator of postnatal (as was true in Brayden's case), please pray for me. I am having to laugh out loud at the thought of having TWO Braydens running around the house. (And I think I'm tired now?!)

Speaking of Brayden... He's practically RUNNING everywhere now. Yes, he's not even a year old. He almost climbed up on the coffee table today. His favorite thing to do is climb in and out of the laundry basket (or get into his small recliner and then stand up and JUMP out). He's a handful. And then some. He doesn't talk yet, but he's been doing this funny "OH" noise that almost sounds like a monkey's "ooo-ooo-ooo." He loves to wave at strangers and grins at anyone who walks by him - it's like he KNOWS that they will look at him and comment on his precious looks - and he ENCOURAGES it. I don't want to brag, but he is pretty darn cute. He's a ham and a half. He loves attention from anyone and everyone. And he's a bully. You read that right. He can take down his 2 year old cousins. He actually understands what "Get 'em Brayden!" means. While at Grandma Ritz's for Christmas, he figured out how to WALK down the stairs using the railing - he's not a normal child, I'm telling you! And he can eat an entire Happy Meal by himself.

I think that's about all about that. We're having his first birthday party 2 weeks from today. The invite list is HUGE. If you don't get one, but you'd like to come, just let us know - there's always room for more.

Speaking of the little angel, he just woke up... So I'm off to play!!

Officially Old

So... realized today while reading my OCC Compass that my COLLEGE class reunion is this February. Granted it's only a 5 year reunion, but STILL. Can it actually have been that long since I was in college? High school reunion should be this next year (10 year) too, but being class president I am in charge, and I've been told that no one cares - wait until 15 or 20 years. So we aren't having one.

Anyway... Christmas travel starts for us this week. Thursday or Friday to be exact. We will be on the road almost constantly. Crazyness. I hope Brayden doesn't get too tired of the carseat and drive us nuts. We've started letting him open one present everyday - mainly because they are toys and we're giving him a chance to get used to each one instead of overhelming him. He got his roll-a-rounds dino today. Tomorrow is either his Little Peoples' Farm or his Duplo blocks. Haven't really decided yet.

I've got so much housework to do... We just got back from a weekend out of town and so everything got dropped by the front door. I'm tired though and so I'm planning on vegging in front of the tv for the evening... Brayden went to bed without a fight... Hope he stays asleep. John & I are going to break out the chips and salsa and watch the nice extended episode of House that was on tonight.

Anyway... John's in here now and ready to watch the show, so I'm out.

Ultrasound Results

The "Best Week Ever" is winding down... We're back from the ultrasound and we're having a . . . little BOY! We are 110% sure that there is no mistake. John saw his glory all the way across the room. His name will most likely be Tyler James (Ty for short). He was measuring a little small for my original due date, so the tech moved the date to April 1st (April Fool's Day - HAHA!!). Everything looked good - we even saw one hand and all five of his fingers - then he gave us a thumbs up! :) Too cute. His face was toward my spine, so we weren't able to get any good pictures... And he was a wiggle wart the whole time! He looks like he's gonna be nice and chubby like Brayden. John is over the moon about having another boy. He is really excited about what it all means in 15 years! We've got built in work hands around the camp!! We already looked at bunk beds at wal-mart! Oh the fun we're gonna have!

Brayden got to be in the room during the last part of the U/S and he seemed pretty enthralled with the whole thing - then he started waving at the screen and saying "bye-bye." Too funny!!!! He's gonna be a fun big brother, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, it's been the best week ever! So far - and it's gonna get better!! :) I'm now older. Not sure about wiser, but I'm for sure wider. But that comes with being 20 weeks pregnant.

We just got back from my parents'. Lots of fun to be had there!! We went down on Monday and John & I got to have a baby-less night. We went to see "The Prestige." Amazing. Great movie. It really was a very well written movie. I need to see it again just to catch all the little things I missed!!! Tuesday I did a lot of office work while everyone else (Mom, Dad, John & Herman) kept Brayden occupied. Then we all got dressed up and hit the town for some candy. Okay, so "hitting the town" in good old Fletcher is really going to about 3 houses, but... you get the idea. Then we went to the church's Harvest Fest and had a lot of fun watching the tug-o-war, egg toss, chili cookoff, pumpkin carving, etc... Brayden was a hit in his "Monkey Suit." I'll post pics when I get them from John. Today I got to sleep in a little because Brayden stayed with Mom during the night. When I woke up, I found colored post-its ALL OVER the house with little birthday messages - courtesy of Erin! It was so funny!! We went out for lunch to Applebee's with Mom, Dad and Erin. The food was good; service stunk. But we got a $5 off coupon because we complained!! teehee! We loaded up, came back home - but only after stopping by Wal-Mart to blow some birthday money on very unnecessary things. But I have a new VERY fluffy pillow to show for it!! Then tonight I got to talk for a while with Eskai - which I haven't done in a while. I'm so excited about getting to go see her in January!

Friday we find out if "Whatever" is a boy or a girl. I can't remember if I blogged that last time or not. I'm super dooper excited about the ultrasound.
And for anyone who is still reading this rambling... It must be said that this week wouldn't have been near as wonderful if John hadn't been so great to me all week - he's basically treated me like a princess!! I have the best husband around!!!! I've not had to clean, he's taken care of Brayden to let me get stuff done and he let me dictate what all we've done with our free time. He even finished eating my cake for me last night just so it wouldn't go to waste! What a thoughtful man!!

But seriously - if you know me, you know how much I love birthdays and how I think they are the best "holiday" in the year. This week has been a wonderful "week of birthday" for me. I really had a great one!! Only one more to go until the BIG one. YIKES.

Get a load of this!

So Brayden is now 9 months old. Can you believe it?!?!? We sure can't. He's taken his first steps already - 4 in a row, actually, and eats every single thing in sight. He can eat a full meal on his own and then see us eating and he wants to join in. It's amazing he doesn't weigh 100 lbs. He is majorly in love with his daddy. Anytime John is in the room, Brayden wants to be with him. I guess he's more fun. He's pretty rough, though. He likes to slap/hit and ram people with his head. He also likes to attack us with kisses (he drowns us in slobber).

I've been to the doctor twice for the new baby and everything is looking great. We have the "big" ultrasound scheduled for next Friday - part of the "best week ever" (halloween is Tuesday, my bday is Wednesday - thus making all week "the week of birthday" anyway, U/S is Friday - how much better could it get? I mean, throw in Christmas or a trip to Silver Dollar City or something, maybe, but STILL. It's pretty close). We'll know then what the actual due date will be and hopefully (if "Baby Whatever" cooperates) if it's a boy or girl. We'd be 100% happy with either - a girl would make us the American family and I really want a girl sooner or later, but we have everything for a boy and it'd be easier to make them share a room and such.

Brayden is going to be a monkey for Halloween... Gramma Laura made him his outfit. He looks so cute, really!!

I guess that's all for now.

I'll update next week and give my ramblings on being another year older.

30 Months of Marriage

Today was our 2.5 year anniversary! It's weird how time can seem like it's gone by so fast, but it can also feel like it's been forever. It honestly feels like I've never NOT been married to John. Great feeling!! I wish everyone in the world had a marriage as great as ours! We watched "The Notebook" tonight - of course I cried - but it was as great as always. Love that can make miracles. Brayden's been teething (his top teeth are ALL coming in), and he's been cranky and very, VERY clingy lately, so he was up "watching" the movie with us. He ended up falling asleep on John... So combine seeing a beautiful baby boy sleeping on the man you love while watching the sappiest movie in the whole wide world and toss in a couple of pregnancy horomones - talk about waterworks. I swear I'm the happiest person alive.

Happy anniversary, John - Here's to more years than we can count!!

...anyone wanna guess the latest?

Besides the fact that my little boy is crawling, pulling up, standing on his own at random times (and then falling flat on his cushioned booty), eating everything in sight and STILL not sleeping through the night... We're having another baby!! Yes, you read that right - no need to adjust your monitor. Brayden will be welcoming a new little sibling (I think girl) into the world in late March.

Just thought you'd like to know! That is all. =)

I'm an "Aunt"!

Mike & Esaki had their little baby today!!! Sarai Addison was born today at about 1:20 pm eastern. She weighs in at 6 lbs 5 oz is 19" long and scored an 8/9 on her APGARS. She arrived by c-section, but all is well. Brayden can't wait to meet his future wife!!