Love Doesn't Divide, It Multiples!

Over the past several months, we've been slowly trying to prepare Moses for the arrival of his little brother. We've made him apart of a lot of the things we are doing to get ready for Baby Sutton, because he will be Moses' baby too! When it comes to family, I am a firm believer that everyone is responsible for each other. We should always be helping each other be better and do better. This means Moses and Sutton belong to each other!

I have explained to Moses that mommy will go to the hospital so the doctor can get Sutton out of my belly and a few days later he will come home to live with us. I found a few episodes of "A Baby Story" that were edited enough for him to watch. He saw the mommy go to the hospital with the daddy. He saw the nice doctors and nurses helping her get ready. Then they took her to a room and all of a sudden there was a baby on a table getting cleaned up! His response to this? "He's all muddy!"

It may sound like too much for the rest of you, but I really want him to understand what is happening. They really showed very little medical parts in these stories and he now seems to really understand that even though mommy is going to see the doctor at the hospital that I will be ok and the things attached to me are to help.

Right now the thing he is most proud of is Sutton's room. He loves to show the things that are in there. He likes to tell people where Sutton will sleep and the clothes in his closet that he will wear. Moses has asked me if Sutton will drink his milk and I told him that he will drink special mommy milk. He seemed ok with that.

I am sure when he arrives, things will be a lot different. I am expecting some jealousy and also a lot of wanting to help. Moses loves to do chores and tasks so I am planning on using that to my advantage. What I want him to take away from this experience is that love doesn't divide, it multiples!

Erin's Shower!

My sweet friend Erin is getting married! I am SO excited for her and Erik and can't believe their wedding day if fast approaching. To celebrate, a few of her Meredith friends decided to throw her a Recipe Shower.

Instead of a traditional corsage, we had this apron made for her to wear while she opened her gifts. I loved this because it is something she can use after the shower.
All the yummy brunch food and the delicious cake! We also decorated the table with pictures of us with Erin from the past 10 years. Erin was so much fun to watch open presents. She just loved everything she received and we had a book full of recipes to take back to Charleston with her. We were all super jealous of all the yummy stuff she was going to be able to make! One of my favorite gifts was a book Renee picked up for her called "Pat the Husband." If you have a friend getting married PICK UP THIS BOOK!! It is a great shower or bachelorette present!

We had so much fun that morning! I really don't see these girls enough since a lot of them have moved to Charlotte. Getting us all in the same place is even harder to do! I also loved seeing the girls Erin worked with in Raleigh. They are all so sweet and fun! I can't wait till the wedding this summer!

33 Weeks!

Wow, this week has been a really busy one! I'm hoping this is the reason why I am so exhausted. Maybe sleepy is a better word! I feel like at any point in the day I could just curl up and go to sleep. I have to be careful not to get near my bed, because I accidentally took two naps this weekend!

I'm still able to do most of the same things, or at least I try to. I am still picking up Moses and getting him in our SUV and I move stuff around I probably shouldn't. The one thing that is strangely difficult is laundry. Picking up clothes after I sort them, reaching for detergent, getting the clothes from the bottom of the washer and then getting them out of the dryer. WHEW!

I have indulged three times in a fast food cheeseburger this week. BOO for me! I'm back on track for now and eating only at home. I really think that this has been the secret to keeping the weight off this time around. Well that and a busy toddler! I also don't really have an appetite for sweets this time either. I did get a box of Carmel Delights from the lovely Girl Scouts. When I was in college I ate an entire box of these while writing a paper one night (all 100lbs of me)! Today I had about three!

What has been really sweet is all the compliments I have received about how great I look. Being this pregnant you feel huge and gross. Your hormones are also tricking you into thinking that no one likes you and you can't do anything right! But my dear friends and even perfect strangers have been so positive about the way I look. It has meant A LOT! I know it sounds totally vain, but it really has helped.

I feel like we're in for the final count down. Around six weeks to go! I'll have a more detailed update next week after my doctor's appointment!

Oh, just a little side bet here. We have dinner plans with some friends on Friday night. I will be 33 1/2 weeks pregnant and my friend Gina will be 36 weeks pregnant with twins. I'm wondering if we will have this dinner here or at the hospital!?

Happy Half Birthday Moses!

This is the only face Moses would make for me on his half birthday!

Moses is officially 2.5 years old! I just can't believe all the new things he can do now. The learning is just piling up every day. Here are some new Moses facts.

- He can pretty much count to ten if we remind him of the number seven. It trips him up every time! He'll then go into trying to count by tens.

- He knows pretty much all of his shapes : heart, star, diamond, circle, square, rectangle, triangle, and oval. He likes to make a triangle with his fingers.

- He is getting a lot better with his colors. If he has any question over a color he will just call it green.

- He is getting really close to singing his ABCs. Funny story, he will sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and instead of singing "how I wonder what you are" it will come out "how I ABC R." It is SO funny.

- He is singing lots of songs and making up his own ones too.

- He can almost dress himself! In fact he prefers to. He has put on socks, pants, and shirts on all by himself.

- He still has great manners. He even thanks me for making meals and tells me how good they are. He's also started to tell me I do a good job and I'm pretty. He is just the sweetest thing!

- He has a great imagination. He pretends to be super heroes and his favorite characters. He loves books and and asks questions about the pictures.

- He has such a love for learning about God! He loves going to church and Bible study and we read Bible stories. He can sing his entire meal prayer and recite his bedtime prayers. He prays for his family and "Baby Sutton" as well as his friends and mommy and daddy's friends. Sometimes if he goes to time out in his room I hear him talking to himself. When he comes out he tells me he has been reading the Bible. How can you stay mad at that?

- He likes to help me cook. But he is a sneak about eating while we do it.

- He is very good about following rules and is such a creature of habit. He has to do things a certain way every time.

- He is still doing well in school. He talks about his teachers and friends all the time.

- Moses has a huge vocabulary. He is quite the talker. It surprises me at the stuff he says sometimes.

- He is a rough and tumble kind of kid. He loves jumping around and crashing into things. He has invented a game with my dad he calls "runaway" which is pretty much hide and seek.

- He loves to do puzzles still. He can do a lot all on his own that are all ages 3 and up.

- He is still a great eater. I think pizza is still his favorite thing ever. Moses would eat a PB&J every single meal if I would let him. (so thankful no one in his class has a nut allergy) He also eats tons of fruit. He likes all the foods we do and the only struggle we have at dinner time is getting him to sit still.

- He still taking an afternoon around 1:30pm and goes to bed usually after 7:30pm. He is up in the mornings around 7:15am. The boy snores like a freight train especially since he has been congested. He still has to have Rocky and his blue blanket to fall asleep. Sometimes he will hide him if he doesn't want to go to bed and yell that he can't find him.

- I think we are ready to potty train. I tried one weekend but I think my timing and methods were a little off. I have been waiting for all the illness to leave us before I try again.

We are very blessed to have a sweet loving little boy. He can be a little wild and sneaky at times, but that makes us love him more. Happy Half Birthday Moses! We love you!

We Have a Date!!!

YAY!!! April 7 we will meet our new little boy!!

Today I went for my ultrasound appointment. I usually go to the central Raleigh location, but today they had me go to the North Raleigh office. I was a little annoyed by this until I realized the lady who schedules the surgery is at this office!

First, the ultrasound. I have never had an ultrasound this late in my pregnancy. Everything is so much more defined and even the non ultrasound savvy can figure out what is what. I didn't even have to ask to confirm it was a boy! Sutton was moving all around and generally being sneaky, but she was able to measure everything. He is on the big size, but nothing world record shattering. The culprit seems to be a huge amount of amnotic fluid. She was even amazed by how much! She said they would probably want another ultrasound before I deliver which makes me happy!

After my sneak peak, I peaked my head into the scheduler's office and she worked with me to get the doctor I wanted for my c-section. As it turns out, the doctor that delivered Moses will also deliver his brother. I am so much more at ease knowing this is taken care of. I have a lot going on between now and then and hardly anything accomplished with the nursery! Now at least I have a real deadline...unless he decides to come early!

With the Fishes

With my due date approaching in a few weeks, we decided to take one last road trip to my parents house. Mom has moved her shop and needed some help with a few things and we all needed hair cuts as well, so off to EI we went. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived in plenty of time for nacho night! The next day everyone had to work. Since Brett was working from home, which means close quarters at my parent's house, I took Moses to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Do you want to know the BEST time to go to the aquarium? That would be when the doors open anytime in the Winter. We were the only people there until 10:30am. I let Moses run from tank to tank and room to room and enjoy himself. He really loved it this time. They also have a room just for toddlers to enjoy. It has books, puzzles and craft stations. I think we stayed in there for about 45 minutes (a very long time by Moses standards). There maybe have been one or two field trips there but that was it. The staff was great and we really loved it.

I wish I had photos of my mom's new shop. She has really done a great job fixing it up. We worked hard on that for the rest of the weekend so she would be willing to make us all look pretty! I can't believe the next time we visit there will be 4 of us!

UPDATE on 32 Weeks

Well, I just got back from the doctor so I thought I would post an update. My new total weight gain is 20lbs. This is AWESOME compared to my last pregnancy. (I felt so good about this I stopped and got a McDonald's cheeseburger on the way home HA!) My iron is higher than it was at my low point, but they would still like it higher. Blood pressure and all other numbers look perfect.

Now, here's the kicker. Although I am currently 32 weeks pregnant, my belly is measuring 36 weeks. For all of you who have never been pregnant that is a HUGE difference. Most normal pregnancies last 40 weeks. Doctors like you to make it to at least 38 weeks. Since Sutton is measuring so large I am scheduled for an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. What does this mean? I have NO idea. This is reason number 193847 that Brett should come to the doctor with me. He asks all these questions when I call him.

I am guessing I might have some sort of update for you guys tomorrow! I am very excited to see my little guy tomorrow. I want a double check between the legs too!

31 and 32 Weeks

"Sutton, are you in there?"

Look at me posting a picture! Here I am, large and in charge! I'm feeling that way too. Moving around is getting harder every week as I grow. It's almost comical to see me try to roll over and get out of bed. I've also had to be careful cooking. I'm spilling a lot more and even noticed I got a little too close to the stove cooking dinner tonight!

Surprisingly, I am sleeping ok. In fact, I feel tired a lot and have been napping more these past few weeks. My energy level is low, but my mental project list is HUGE. I have a lot of things I need/want to accomplish before Sutton comes. It's all making me pretty cranky which I hate. Poor Brett and Moses, my patience level is extremely low.

I have been feeling a lot of contractions lately. I really have to be careful and remember to eat and drink at appropriate times to ward them off. A few times I've been a little concerned, but they always stop. I'm also still stretching out and having the ligament pains to go with them. I find this so crazy since I got them early in my pregnancy last time.

Back problems are really starting up too. My body shape just doesn't hold up as well! Moses has really started to realize that I'm a lot slower and I can't do somethings like I used to. In some respects he has become more helpful. Getting things for me, climbing into his car seat, and standing in the grocery cart so I can get him out. BUT, boy does he use it to his advantage when he doesn't want to do something. He'll run away and go limp before nap time so I have to support all 30lbs of him!

Sutton's still a little belly acrobat! I notice he gets the hiccups a lot too. He's usually busiest right before dinner and before bed time. If I wake up in the middle of the night he will usually be doing a little dance then too.

I realize this post is a little, ok well, a lot whiney. I'm not one of those super duper happy pregnant women. I love feeling Sutton kick and seeing my stomach move, but that is about it for me. I have to take medication twice a day, I've been in pain, and it's a ton harder to do with a two year old. I've also been waiting for two and half weeks for the doctor's office to call me back regarding my c-section date. I'm a few days from going Terms of Endearment on someone there!

I think I will be in a lot better mood when I have my date! I have so much going on between now and then so I'm sure the time will start to fly by.

Who will He Be?

Brett and I have been talking a lot about what Sutton might look like. Here are two of our baby pictures. I think you can figure out who is who! I just wonder if he is going to take after Moses in looks and behavior. We will find out soon!

Blast From the Past!

Me, Renee, and Erin circa 2007

Found this today in my files. Can't wait to see these girls in a few weeks!

Consignment Sales!

It's that time of year again! Time for consignment sale shopping!! I've been purposefully putting off buying anything for the new baby until after I hit up all my major sales. I realize a lot of people that read my blog are pregnant or are thinking about shopping these sales (or even selling their stuff) for the first time, so I thought I'd give my top tips for buying and selling!

Buying:

- Make a list!! Know what you really need to come away with. How many shorts, shirts, shoes, dress clothes etc. What gear you want and need or toys you would really like to have.

- Make a budget!!! I usually carry cash with me to make myself stick to it.

- Bring something to put your stuff in. In the past I've carried a hamper and even Moses' wagon. That way you can put a lot of stuff in it and not have to hold on to it constantly.

- If this is a big sale, and you plan on doing some serious buying, get there early. I can't tell you how much my husband teases me for this. He however does not complain when he sees what all I've bought! The really good stuff can go fast. Especially the big ticket items. If you want the baby swing that looks brand new for nearly nothing, be one of the first in the door.

- Be patient. And be willing to not be upset if someone gets something you want or if they just don't have it.

- Be nice. Help each other out. Talk to people in line and if you find something they are looking for grab it for them. They are more than likely to do the same for you.

- Sort. Find somewhere way out of the way and go through what you picked up. This will make checking out much easier and make you accountable to your budget.

- Bring a friend. Or better yet a mom, mother-in-law or sister. The more hands the better.

- For the sake of others and yourself LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME!!

Selling

- Plan ahead. It usually takes a long time to go through all the stuff you want to sell and then tag it. Don't wait till the last minute.

- Presentation is everything. Make items look nice. Use appropriate hangers and bags. Make sure your things are not stained,torn or broken. Most places refuse these items.

- Be realistic. I've heard SO many people complain about their stuff not selling. A quick look at the price tag and I know exactly why. Yes, your stuff is nice, but it's not making you any money hanging on the rack. Other people know the secret to being profitable at these sales is to price accordingly. Their stuff will sell before yours! You'll be a lot happier picking up a check than an armful of unsold items.

- Read the rules of the sale. Know the "dos and don'ts" and it will make things easier.

- Be on time for drop off and pick up.

- Develop a relationship with a sale. There are tons of sales. Selling at several will make you crazy. Pick one and get to know the people and the rules. It will make life easier.

- Volunteer. Until I was on the committee that put on our church's sale I had NO idea what it took to put it all together. Nothing brings a sense of appreciation like lending a hand.

To say I love these sales is an understatement! It has really become necessary in our lives to use them as our primary source of shopping for children's items. I even caught myself telling Moses last week to not drag he shoes on the cement because I paid $5 for them and his brother had to wear them too! Good luck everyone!