End of the Year

I can't believe 2011 is almost over. It sure went by fast. I started my year out by finding out we were expecting a little one and I am ending 2011 with him in my arms. It just couldn't be better! I've been very busy taking care of all of Bryson's needs. He is now 2 months old and growing bigger everyday. We celebrated Christmas in Mobile and had a fun, but exhausting trip. It's hard toting around a baby every which way to see everyone, but we managed! Bryson and I have both slept in the past two days we have been home. So I think it exhausted him as well! Bryson had a great first Christmas and got lots of new toys! He will have plenty of stuff to play with as he gets older. I've noticed he remembers what toys he can play with like on his activity mat, he knows he has to hit the toys to make the noise. On his swing he will hit the rattler to make the noise. He's such a smartie! Josh and I both had a great Christmas as well. The best Christmas present I got was Bryson sleeping a solid 5 hours and then 4 more hours after that! It was the most sleep I've gotten since he was born!! And I actually slept the 5 hours as solid as he did! Normally I start waking up to check on him when it gets around 3 hours because my body is just use to waking up. For Christmas, my parents got me an embroidery and sewing machine. I am so excited to figure it out and start embroidering some things for Bryson! I haven't been able to check it out yet because Bryson demands all my time, but I am hoping to pull it out this weekend.
This is my last week with Bryson before I start back work. It's bittersweet. I'm going to miss waking up with him each morning and our morning routine, but I'm looking forward to some adult contact. I love everyone I work with and I love the kids in my class, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone. At least I can pick Bryson up at 12:30 and have the whole afternoon with him. I'm just hoping he starts sleeping longer (or even all night) so I can function during work. I'm already sleep deprived, but at least I can sleep during his morning nap. Now I'll be getting up at 6am and starting my day. It makes me tired just thinking about it!
I'm not sure who all reads my blog, so many may already know this news, but some may not. Josh will be starting a new job January 3rd. During October, his company put their employees on furlough. He was on furlough for a month and it was rough. Luckily he had enough vacation time to last us 3 weeks, so we only had one week without pay. During this time he began looking for another job, he was offered one by a company hes worked along with at Fort Rucker. His job at Fort Rucker was finally awarded their contract and he's been working with them for the past month and a half to finish out the year. We are very blessed that he found this new job because we found out that all of his benefits were being cut. He will be working from home with this new job, so that will be different. He has full benefits and a salary increase, so we couldn't be happier. It was definitely a blessing!! So as this year ends, we both will start our jobs on the same day. Bryson will be going to daycare and it's going to be hard on me to take him there. So pray that his teachers are loving and that he enjoys his time there, so it'll make it easier on me!
The past two years have been wonderful. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings us! Happy New Year everyone! I doubt I'll be blogging before then!

5 weeks

Today Bryson is 5 weeks old. I can't believe it! The time is flying by and I only have one more month with him until I start back work. He is changing so much every day. His little personality is starting to show and I love getting him to talk to me. He is very alert and enjoys looking around at his surroundings. His favorite thing is to look at lights. He also likes watching the fan spin. When I need to get ready to go somewhere and he's awake, I put him in the middle of our bed with the lights on and spin the fan to keep him occupied! It works! I'm constantly running from the bathroom to spin the fan again! You gotta do what you gotta do! We spent a week in Mobile for Thanksgiving and I actually had help when I needed to get ready.. it was nice! After taking Bryson all over the place and seeing a bunch of people over the week, we needed two days to recover when we got home. It was a fun trip!
Our house is all decorated for the holiday season! I love Christmas time!! This weekend, Josh is going to put the outside lights up and I can't wait! Now I just need to start on my Christmas shopping! It's going to be here before I know it and I am way behind on my shopping.
Today I took Bryson to Houston Academy to meet my kids! They were so excited to see him. He also was able to meet all my coworkers. He was so good! He really is a great baby! Now if only he would sleep longer during the night, I would be a happy mommy!
Well Bryson is sleeping and the laundry needs to be folded and the next load dried! I'll leave y'all with some pictures of my sweet baby!

2 Weeks

Today Bryson is 2 weeks old. Once again the week flew by and I can't believe my baby is two weeks old! This week Bryson was a bit fussy with diaper rash and lots of gas. One morning he did sleep for a total of 4 hours and I felt like a new person when I woke up. Most of my day is spent nursing, changing diapers, and cleaning up spit up. Bryson went to his 2 week check up today and now weighs 9 pounds. On his 2 day check up he weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces, so he's gaining well. Doc said he was healthy, so that's great! He is already in size 1 diapers and can wear some of his 3 month clothes. The newborn clothes are pretty snug! He's growing too fast! He has an obsession with music. We listen to Jason Aldean's CD about 3 times per night. I can sing it in my sleep literally. It's an easy way to quiet him down. We took him out to Atlanta Bread Co today after his doctor appointment. It was his first outing and he did well. He got a little fussy, so I had to hold him while I ate, but he didn't make a scene. I consider our trip a success. I am ready to be able to take him out in public! He's alert so much more now and changing each day!

His favorite way to sleep, hands behind his head. :]

Starting his love for Mickey Mouse early!

Mommyhood

I can't believe my baby boy is a week old today. Where did the time go?? I can already see so many changes in him. I need for everything to slow down!!! In this week of motherhood, I have learned so much. I thought I'd share what I've learned..

1. Sleep is not necessary. It is a luxury.
2. The ability to wake up at a drop of a pin is developed the day you give birth.
3. Eating a hot meal is a rare opportunity. I haven't succeeded in that yet.
4. Laundry is something you do everyday.
5. Being peed on really isn't a big deal.
6. Being pooped on really isn't a big deal.
7. Eating three meals a day is rare.
8. Sleep while baby sleeps is dumb advice. Sure if I go to sleep then nothing else will get done. Will the clothes magically transfer to the dryer and then magically fold themselves when they're still hot?
9. Getting ready to go somewhere is now a chore. A chore that needs to start 2 hours prior to leaving in case baby decides to pee all over himself when you're trying to run out the door.
10. Watching him never gets old. Putting him down is hard; I could hold him all day long.
11. Showers are amazing. They are the only time I know I have to myself.
12. Finishing my night-time routine is a luxury.
13. You will do things that you said you wouldn't do. For example: No pacifier? Ha! When your child just wants to suck.. you will give them something to satisfy that need. However, I don't give it to him to make him be quiet. I always try to nurse him first, check his diaper second, and if all of that is taken care of then the paci is used.
14. Time will all of a sudden begin flying by and what was a week feels like a day.
15. Everything I "sacrifice" is 110% worth it.

I'd say I've learned a lot in just a week. It took me literally all day to finish this one blog post. That little boy keeps me busy, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Ok I've tried to upload a picture 10 times and it's not working. That's all the time I have... I'll post one next time.

Bryson Luke

On October 28, 2011 at 1:47pm, Bryson finally made his appearance!Although I had hoped to go into labor naturally, apparently my body needed a little help. I was induced, but I don't think I could of made it much longer being pregnant. It was time for that little boy to get out of me! Labor lasted about 6.5 hours and it was pretty intense. I tried not to get an epidural, but the IV pain medication did nothing for me. I'm not sure I would've made it through the whole thing without that epidural. I have a whole new respect for anyone that goes natural or only IV pain meds. That epidural was a piece of heaven and allowed me to rest a little before pushing. When Bryson entered the world he immediately started crying. I thought he looked just like Josh with his dark hair. He is so precious and I can't believe he is finally here. He was 8 pounds even and 21.5 inches long. He was born with a 100.4 degree fever and we only got to spend 30 minutes with him before he was taken to the nursery. They kept him for 5 hours and it was the longest 5 hours of my life. He came back to us with an IV in his arm.. :[ He had to stay on the IV for 48 hours and it went off every 2 hours for the nurse to come check. Now that makes for a long night! Thankfully, nothing was wrong with him and the fever broke. He's a very hot natured boy. He sweats though his clothes and blankets, so half the time I keep him in just a diaper. It explains why I was so hot all through out my pregnancy because now I am more back to normal. The two days at the hospital was full of visitors! Those two days seemed like forever, but the days at home seem to be flying by. I can not believe tomorrow, Bryson will be ONE week old. It's going by way to fast. Most of the time I find myself getting nothing accomplished because I can't make myself put him down. But oh well, this is time I will never get back, so the house work can wait. Bryson is such a blessing to me and Josh. I can't imagine what life was like before him. We are so thankful to have him here with us.

Most of my cute pictures are on my phone, so once I upload them I'll add more!

39 Weeks

1 week left till Bryson's due date. However, I am hoping we don't make it another week. In fact, I'd like to go into labor...right....NOW. As thankful as I am for this pregnancy, I've done my 9 months and I want him out. I am so over not being able to get up from the couch easily or the bed.. and the leg cramps are really no fun to endure all night long. Plus, he has an attitude and his kicks can hurt. I try to tell him if he would just come on out, he'd have a lot more room to stretch! My hands and feet are so swollen pretty much all the time now. It's really not attractive; plus it hurts. I hope he decides to come soon!

My birthday was on Saturday. We went out to eat Friday night at Logan's, so I could have salmon. It was so yummy! Saturday morning, we went to chick-fil-a. My fav! I hadn't had their breakfast in a long time, so it was delish! We went to a couple places around town, so I could walk around and then it was time for football. I was craving frozen yogurt that afternoon, so we went to Chill. It was so good!! I had espresso with chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles. Josh had vanilla with hot chocolate. Can you tell I am pregnant? My whole birthday was centered around food! To top it off, Alabama won their game! Roll Tide! We pretty much tortured Ole Miss.. I think our 6th string was playing at the end. ;]

Josh finished his last graduate class of the year with another A. He's really just too smart for his own good. ;] He has one more class to take to receive a Master's certificate. He won't be taking that class until next year because it would be too much with a new baby around. The test he has to take for work is another thing he has to accomplish. He decided not to rush it because there is SO much material to study. He will take it when he's ready and prepared.

Next time I blog, I hope it's about Bryson's birthday!!! Prayers please!!!!!

Attack Dogs/Crazy Squirrel

We look so sweet and innocent. To the outside world, we probably look like we wouldn't hurt a fly. All love, no bark. But! We are in fact killer dogs. We prey on the young and weak. First, let me back up and tell the story.. Two days a go I was sitting on the back porch and Josh was out in the yard walking around talking on the phone. I started hearing this rustling noise and I thought it was coming from the bushes in front of the porch because Jackson is always running around in them chasing lizards. The rustling continues, so I get up and go to the edge of the porch.. and it gets louder. Except it sounds like it's coming from the walls. I start to freak out a little because I'm thinking it's like a snake or large lizard that's about to fall on my head because I can't figure out where the noise is coming from. So I start jumping around and waving my hands like a moron trying to get Josh's attention without making much noise that will scare whatever is moving around. Josh comes up on the porch and I tell him there's a noise and something is in the walls or roof. He hears the noise and hits the aluminum roof above our screened in porch and it makes a huge noise and then lots of scurrying. I was thinking a raccoon or possum has made the roof their home. Josh gets the ladder and gets on the roof... and finds out that it is a squirrel. She's made her home under the roofing on top of the porch. Josh scares the squirrel off and that's the end of that. Later I hear it going back up the rain gutter to the roof. That night Josh goes out there and scares it off again. The next morning it's back and he scares it off again and now I tell him.. What if the squirrel has babies and that's why she keeps going back! Don't mess with her!!! Well I was right. That squirrel does have babies and today she had some kind of accident with them. The dogs wanted to go out, so I of course let them out. I heard Jackson barking and ran to the door. I knew I had heard some kind of noise, but I thought it was just the squirrel yelling at the dogs from the roof top. I messed around with Delta and told her to get the squirrel. She just kept barking at the rain gutter. I brought them back inside and that was the end. A little later they asked to go back outside, so I let them out. Then I hear dogs barking and a screaming sound. I knew the sound exactly. I knew they were about to kill something. I go running out there to save it. I run into the yard and see this itty bitty tiny baby squirrel laying in the grass. The mommy squirrel is running back and forth screaming on top of the roof. I am yelling at the dogs to get away, so they don't eat it in front of me. I get Delta away and pick Jackson up and put them inside and go back out there to see if it's ok. The squirrel is still moving and doesn't appear to be injured. It's making a horrible racket. I get back on the porch because I am hoping the mommy squirrel is going to run down the rain gutter and get her baby! I start hearing racket in the gutter and I expect the mom to be coming out at any second. Instead I watch another baby squirrel roll out onto the concrete and start screaming. So now I am freaking out... what the heck is this mom thinking? She is throwing her babies down a gutter and they are rolling across hot concrete. I call Josh and let him know that he's made the mom mad and she's trying to move her babies off the roof. He thinks it's funny and tells me to leave them alone. I stand out on the hot porch for like 20 minutes waiting for the mom to come and she doesn't. The babies are crawling around. I decide to go inside in case she smells me and that's why she won't come down. About 10 minutes later, I go back out and I only see one baby close to the gutter now. I didn't know where the other one went.. if it crawled into the bushes or what. So I went out there to check and didn't see anything. I think "Yay! Mom has saved her kids. Everything is ok!" Except as I was typing this blog post I hear the screaming again. That stupid mother has dropped another baby down the gutter and it is laying out there on the concrete. This one is not moving around like the others and I really don't want to find out that she's killed it. The dogs are going crazy. They want to get outside and I'm not letting them!!! Well as I was typing the other part of my blog, I heard more squirrel screams. She threw another one down the gutter and when I went out there she was down there picking him up. She ran with him down the fence and jumped into a tree. The other baby is laying down there stiff and not moving. :[ I don't know if these are two different babies or the same two she threw down before. I really wish she would come get her deceased baby because I am not about to handle that.

A picture of two of the babies she threw down the gutter.. I took it on my iPhone through the screen so that's why it looks weird.

I've already had this happen to me before back in Mobile about 2 years a go. I heard Jackson and Sam fighting and ran outside and found a baby squirrel in Sam's mouth. I was so mad at him. He was going to eat that squirrel! Josh tried to tell me to leave it out there because it was going to die. Um no! I do not leave a poor innocent animal to suffer and die. I saved that squirrel. I put him in a box with a towel. I put a warm water bottle beside him and I went to the pet store and got a milk supplement and I fed that squirrel everyday for a couple months until he was ready to go out on his own. For a while, I could call him down the tree and he would sit on his feeder and take peanuts from my hand. It was really neat.

Some pictures of "Lucky", the squirrel I rescued.

What a crazy day! Poor little squirrels... I hope she has a safe nest for them now.

Happy Birthday Jackson

Today is my sweet baby's birthday! Jackson is still my baby for now. He'll have a rude awakening when Bryson arrives and he is no longer my little baby. But for now he holds the position! Jackson is turning 5 years old today. I can't believe he's already 5! I can still remember when he came home for the first time. I picked him out online from a home breeder. He was the cutest one and I'm not being biased. ;] I sent him a blanket that he could love on before he made the long journey to Alabama. Jackson is from Texas, so my Dad drove with him 8 hours in the car. He's a pro car rider! I woke up to his furry self with a red bow on him! He's my baby!

Little Jackson

His 1st birthday. He hated the outfit if you can't tell.. I told him I wouldn't make him wear it again.

Riding in the jeep with Daddy:

He loves riding on the four wheeler:

I could post a 100 pictures of him because I think he's so cute, but I'll stop for everyone's sake. Jackson is sweet, feisty, loving, a cuddler, and playful. He loves going for walks, car rides, and playing ball. He has no idea that he's a small dog and keeps up with Delta. He has anxiety about jumping on couches and beds and has to be picked up or coaxed to jump. He's always in my lap or close to my side. He likes being the center of attention and gets his feelings hurt easily. He may not be the baby of the family soon, but he'll always be my fur baby!
Happy 5th Birthday Jackson!

Bryson's Room

Bryson's room is finally finished. We are 100% ready for his arrival! Everything is washed and put away. His hospital bag is packed. Now we just need him here! One month till his due date! Here are the pictures I promised!

Crib:

Dresser/Changing table:

Glider:

Closet:

35 weeks pregnant:

Brownies

I had to take a quick moment and recap what just happened in the Pritchard household. We decided we wanted to make brownies, but Josh wanted a special kind of brownie. We melt caramel and put it on top of the brownies after they've cooked almost all the way and then add chocolate chips. The oven went off and I told Josh to go get it started because he's the one that use to make these type of brownies, so I was going to let him do the honors. He put the caramel in the microwave and I got up to make sure the brownies were done. The microwave beeped, letting us know it was done. I opened the door and look at the mess Josh created. Caramel everywhere... all over the spinning plate.. down the sides of the container and just a tiny bit left that's useable. On top of that the plastic container is bending in towards the middle. So half a bag of caramel is wasted and we had to throw away the container... Josh tries to save the little bit of caramel that was left in the container and ends up getting caramel all over the counter because it was dripping. We (or rather I) get the rest of the caramel melted and put on the brownies. I then ask Josh if he wants the chocolate chips still and he says, Yes! Let me do it. He grabs the bag and ends up dropping chocolate chips all over the counter and floor. At this point, he says here! You do it! I'll stick to washing the dishes! :] It was oh so funny.

Update: The brownies really didn't turn out. Josh forgot you have to add whipping cream to the caramel to make it creamy. haha Maybe next time!

5 more weeks

5, yes FIVE, more weeks until Bryson's due date!! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going by... of course some days feel longer than others, but over all I have to say it's gone quickly. It's been a fairly easy pregnancy minus some head colds, stomach bugs, and heartburn. At least all that hasn't been constant! His room is ready and waiting on him. We got his pack & play this past weekend. It has a special "newborn napper" where he will spend the first few weeks of his life sleeping. It will be in our room and make it easy to get use to a new baby and the sleepless nights. I won't have to make countless trips to the other side of the house. It has a changing station also, so I won't have to leave the room. Everything I'll need will be right there, so hopefully our nights will go as smoothly as possible. I had a doctor appointment this afternoon and everything is looking good. I now will go every week! Bryson will be here so soon!! :]

September 10th, I had a baby shower hosted by my best friends in Mobile. They did a great job! It was super cute! I think just from that shower Bryson got more clothes than he will know what to do with! ;] I had a lot of laundry to do for him, but I got it all done. We got some big items at that shower as well. We got his stroller, car seat, monitor, and glider. (Thank you grandparents and great grandparents) I'll post pictures of his finished room soon. There's still a few things that need to be done to the walls. If I was capable of doing it, than it would all be done, BUT that's Josh's job...... so that's why it's still not 100% complete. ;]

Me with my friends that hosted the shower!

Our weekend was spent watching football and organizing Bryson's closet. It was a great weekend of football in our opinion. A win for Alabama (Roll Tide!!) and a lose for Auburn! Ha! Their luck streak is over! :] Bryson's closet is completely organized. It looks great. I'll include a picture of it when I post pics of his finished room.

Josh passed that test I posted about last time. YAY for him! He has another test he has to take that is even harder with more questions to study. He wants to take it before Bryson arrives, so keep him in your prayers that he can get it done. If not, I'd rather him study more even when B is here, so he knows he can pass it. He finished his graduate class at Penn State. He was ready to be done with this semester. He will have a break until next year, so he can help me more with Bryson.

Tonight we have breathing and relaxation class. I hope they teach me some miracle tricks! haha ;] I know I'll be needing all the relaxations tips I can get!

Beginning of September

I am happy to report that the stomach bug is gone... my stomach stayed pretty sore for a couple days, but I am able to eat and keep it down. My new problem is heartburn. I only thought I had heartburn before this week started. This is a whole new ballpark. Tums do not help, milk does not help... The most I can do is stay upright and hope it passes. Monday night, I barely slept because I literally was sitting up in the bed propped up against pillows. If I even moved to the side, the fire in my chest started. It made me really nauseous. I woke up and still had heartburn and it lasted most of the day. Luckily Tuesday night it wasn't quite as bad. In subsided somewhere in the middle of the night, so I was able to lay on my side comfortably. It has affected my appetite and I haven't been eating as much. I'm kinda back to my appetite pre-pregnancy, which isn't a bad thing. Bryson better have a head of hair when he comes out!

The tropical storm brought us some cooler weather. I wish it would stick around, but it's Alabama and we know that the hot weather is no where near being done. For now, I will enjoy it. I've kept the backdoor open the past two days because the temperature hasn't gone above 72. Last night we slept with the windows up because the low was 58. It felt amazing. It was nice and cold all night long. The lows are suppose to be around that temp all week, so we will continue to keep the windows up! I think the change in the weather is affecting my allergies. I can control everything with an allergy pill except my eyes. Today Josh came home and horror washed over his face as he said, "What is wrong with your eye!? It is swollen! Can you see?" The past 3 days my left eye has been really itchy and red, but I didn't have any eye drops. I was hoping it wouldn't get that bad, but I should know better because it happens every year. Josh went to CVS this evening and got me some allergy eye drops and my eyes feel so much better.

Josh has a very important test for work tomorrow at 3:15pm. Keep him in your prayers. He needs it! He found out he would be taking this test 2 weeks a go and was handed a study guide and that's all. I've been helping him study and this is not easy material. It's stuff you should take a class on before you take a test. He needs to pass it or else we will have to pay for him to take the test again out of our own pocket.

We are going to Mobile on Friday because I have a baby shower on Saturday. We haven't been to Mobile in 2 months, so I am excited!

Sleeping Beauty

* If you havent read my previous post than this won't make much sense..

I woke Sleeping Beauty up. He tried to pretend he hadn't been asleep. Next time I know to take a picture for proof! I know for a fact he was asleep 2 hours.. but the previous hours I was asleep myself, so it could've been longer. I don't know how people, who aren't sick, take such long naps. I would be up all night if I napped during the day. Anyway, after he finally got up and came back to see me, he got me a drink. I had to fix my supper, but he at least brought it too me. I decided on oatmeal.. I don't know if this was a good decision or bad, but I was craving it and after looking online, it said to go with what your body was craving. (As long as it wasn't like fried chicken) Bryson was having a conniption right before I ate... the boy likes to eat. He's finally settled down now that I have ate a little. I just hope it stays down! As I type this, I can hear the vacuum running. We had a little talk about things he could've been doing instead of sleeping.... So far the kitchen has been cleaned and the now the vacuum cleaner is on. Sometimes the most frustrating thing about boys is the fact that you have to specifically tell them what you want them to do. Instead of just figuring it out himself, I have to tell him verbatim what I want. Why must most men be like this?? Use your brains!

Whoa. Sick.

I had to post this while the dry humor was still there... it wouldn't of been as good tomorrow. Today, I woke up sick. No, not a head cold... it couldn't be easy like that. A stomach virus. Thank you 3 year old germ pits. I woke up at 4am and felt what I thought was indigestion, but it was just my stomach getting ready to get rid of everything I ate yesterday. My stomach was burning so intensely, it basically kept me awake from 4am - 8:30am. I finally decided to get up and take some Tums and drink some milk. At this point, I am still thinking it's indigestion and I am threatening Bryson that he must come out with hair because this hurts too bad. I get back in bed and lay there because at this point I start feeling progressively worse fast. 9:30 begins the bathroom trips. I finally realize this is a stomach bug and I'm gonna be out for the day. I ask Josh to go get me Gatorade, so that Bryson and I don't dehydrate. I don't think Bryson appreciated me skipping breakfast... the kicks and punches begin. Let me just tell you, when you're stomach is sore you really don't want to feel someone beating you from the inside. He continues his beatings through lunch.. when I finally decide I must have a few saltine crackers just for Bryson's sake. They didn't stay down, so I just continued to drink my Gatorade. Josh comes in talking about sausage patties and how I need to eat. I mean really? I hate sausage and the last thing I want to hear is about some sausage patties! Nasty. By the way, the only reason he is talking about the sausage is because I had to text him and tell him he must eat lunch. He would've sat in the living room all day, not eating, if I hadn't reminded him of his food options. Men are ridiculous. My stomach and body was aching pretty bad around 1:30, so I decided I wanted to take a nap, so I couldn't feel the pain. Pretty sure the second I fell asleep, I had that creepy feeling and opened my eyes to Josh's face inches from my face. "What are you doing?", he asks. Oh I don't know.. I'm playing a football game, running a marathon, reading the back of my eyes.. what does it look like I am doing?? I am sleeping! He leaves and back to sleep I go... I managed to sleep a total of 2 hours. I was awakened several times because I can't roll over on my own anymore. I have to physically move myself. So when a position got uncomfortable, I woke up to move. Then an event happened that I believe is foreshadowing the future. The dogs woke me up. Why? They were hungry. Where is Josh? Why isn't he handling this? I discover Sleeping Beauty on the couch. Those dogs decided to wake me up instead of Josh. I see the future flash in front of me. The dogs come to me because I am their mom and they know I do everything for them and Dad only does it when he has too. Delta knows Josh is a lost cause to wake up, so she came to me. It's just like when my Mom would not feel good and tell my Dad to watch me and my brother, while she took a nap. I am pretty sure we woke her up every time. So here I am, awake, sore, but I have two lazy, fed dogs laying beside me, while Josh is asleep on the couch. He's going to have his world rocked when Bryson arrives! There was so much he could've done, while I was sick. Like the kitchen... destroyed by his cooking, could have been cleaned. The dog toys strewed across the living room could've been picked up. The shower I have been asking him to clean for the past 3 months could've been done because I'm not allowed to use shower cleaner while pregnant. Butttttt alas... none of this was done. I hope he wakes up reaaaaaaaallll refreshed! And he didn't give Delta her ear medicine this morning because "he needs my help". I guess I have to wake him up or he would probably sleep until tomorrow. I hope this bug is done or close to being done. My stomach has had enough. You haven't experienced anything until you've experienced a stomach virus 8 months pregnant. Not. Fun.

End of August

School has started and I have been busy with work. When I get home from work all my creative juices have already been used up, so I just veg out on the couch. It's definitely harder on me being 8 months pregnant and working, but it's manageable. Some days are better than others! All my kids are super cute and sweet. I am enjoying getting to know them all! Their little personalities are really starting to come out now. They've had 2 weeks to warm up to going to school, so they are coming out of their shells. They have already shared their germs with me and after two weeks I have a head cold. It's gotten better since Friday and hopefully it will be gone soon! Say a prayer for my immune system.. I don't want to be sick all the time and bring stuff home to Bryson!

Every weekend we have taken the boat out to the river. It's been a lot of fun and we will miss having the boat up here!!

Josh has been busy with work and school. His presentation at the conference went really well and it lasted the entire 30 minutes that it was suppose too! So thank the Lord that he got it done!! His class is starting to come to an end and he's ready for it to be done! He is burnt out of school and ready for the break he will get after this class is finished! He won't be taking another class until January since Bryson will be here shortly!

I had to take Delta to the vet today for her shots. I learned that I will never ever take her again by myself. That's Josh's dog and I can't handle her strength especially being 8 months pregnant!! I had two other people helping me try to get her on the scale and she refused. Finally after her exam they tricked her on it with a treat. It's a good thing she will do anything for a cookie. Bad news for Delta though, she has a yeast infection in her ear. She has marks in her ear from where she has been scratching. We have noticed her making noises when she scratched her ears, so that answers the question. She has to have one medicine in the morning and another at night. I'm sure she will enjoy that. So after that vet bill, we have a couple months to recuperate before it's Jackson's turn!

I am 32 weeks pregnant now. The 8th month has started and we only have 8 weeks to go until his due date. My belly has definitely done some growing, so for those that haven't seen me in a while and will be at my baby shower, get ready! I feel very pregnant these days. My back always hurts, I am always hot, and it's harder for me to get a deep breath the bigger I get. I am able to sleep at night, which is great. I think I am so tired from work, I just sleep through his kicks and punches. Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment and after this one I do believe I'll be going every 2 weeks. We are also going to a childbirth class tomorrow night. We get to tour the hospital during this class, so I am excited. We will be going to Mobile in 2 weeks for my baby shower. I am very excited! It'll be almost 2 months since we've been to Mobile and I am ready to visit!

Sorry there's no pictures this post.. I'll try to post some next time. My back is hurting, so it's time to get off the computer!

P.S This weekend starts the best season of the year... college football!! Better yet, Alabama football! ROLL TIDE!

August Beginnings

The end of my summer vacation is coming to an end. It actually went by really fast, which you would think would be surprising, since I've mainly just been hanging out by myself at the house all summer long. Minus the 2 weeks at the beginning of June and 2 weeks at the beginning of July. It's been a good break, but school starts soon. Tomorrow I have a faculty meeting, Sunday we have open house, and Monday begins the school year. I am excited to meet all my new little babies. Today, I realized that these last 4 days of my summer break are the last 4 days of any break I will spend by myself again. Thanksgiving break, Bryson will be here... Christmas... Winter break... Spring break... Summer break. I will be sharing all these with my little boy! How fun!

Josh started his new position as GIS Analyst and he is enjoying it. He was sad to see Justin go, but it's best for Justin's family and it's best for our family. He will be going on a business trip to Dallas for another conference next week. He will also be giving a presentation in front of a group of people, so keep him in your prayers that he will do a good job! As of right now, I don't think he's too prepared. That's the difference between us.. I would never ever ever in a million years wait to prepare for something like that, but he works better under pressure. So cross your fingers that it turns out!

Last weekend, Josh's parents came to visit. His Dad brought his boat and we went out on the river. It felt so good to be back in a boat and in some water! Ever since Josh and I started dating, we spent the summers on Dog River, so it's been a big change not to have any connection to a river this whole summer. We went to the Chattahoochee River, which is only about 35 minutes from our house. The river is really nice and you can see through the water, so it's not scary swimming in it. In Dog river, you never know what's swimming around you! We had a good time swimming, fishing, and just riding around on the boat!

Josh's Dad is so kind that he left his boat with us for the next month!! So after church, we headed back out to the river! The weather was beautiful, the radar was clear, and we were ready to go! We decided to take Jackson and Delta with us. Delta loves boat riding and I thought Jackson might enjoy it too. We launched the boat at the ramp and Josh asked the guy beside us how his day had been.. the guy proceeded to ask us how the weather looked towards the main land and Josh said it was beautiful. He let us know his wife had called to let him know about a severe thunderstorm headed down from the north. Weather? We had just checked the radar an hour before and all was clear! So we decided to head on out and take our chances. However, we had about a 15 minute delay because Josh couldn't get the boat to crank. Long story short, he had a blonde moment and the boat was in gear and that's why it wouldn't crank... ha. Within these 15 minutes some black clouds started creeping our way.. but Josh said let's just go to the sand bank and we will probably pass the storm. We start on our journey, but in the distance I see rain. So we idle the boat and prepare for the rain. We put all our valuables, like cellphones and camera in the storage compartments. We start on our journey again, when all of a sudden we are hit by a torrential downpour. I hid Jackson under a blanket trying to protect him until we made to a bridge. We get under the bridge and bring out the iPhones to check the radar and notice that maybe this wasn't such a good idea! We hang out under the bridge for about 30 minutes hiding from the rain, until the thunder starts. At that point, Josh decides we make a run for it back to the ramp and pull the boat out. The storm is on top of us at this point. It's raining cats and dogs and even Delta was trying to hide her face from the rain. We pull around to the boat ramp and seriously.. when I say the storm is on top of us.. I mean it. Josh says start praying, so that's what I do! He pulls right up the ramp, jumps out and runs to the truck. Poor Jackson and I are crouched down by the water holding the boat waiting for Josh. I've never seen anyone pull a boat out so fast! From the time we pulled the boat up to the ramp, there was no thunder or lightning. Prayers answered. We were all soaked, but that's ok! We waited through the storm in the parking lot and when it finally passed we put the boat back in the water. By this time, Jackson apparently had enough of our crazy adventures. He wasn't a fan of being wet and definitely not a fan of swimming. It kept raining off and on so he never dried off and he was quite pathetic. Finally after about an hour, I told Josh I was ready to call it a day. It was cold, rainy, and I was tired of hearing Jackson whine. It was a crazy day! We can't wait to go out this weekend!

I am 29 weeks pregnant this week. I can't believe next week I will be in the 30s! AH! It's going by so fast! I went to my doctors appointment yesterday and everything is still going good. Bryson's heartbeat was 136, which is nice and strong. My belly is measuring right on track, so that's good. It was confirmed that I have been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. As long as they go away, everything is fine about BHC! I go back in 3 weeks and after that visit, I think I will be going every 2 weeks until it's time to go every week. More doctor visits mean the time is getting closer! :] I washed all of Bryson's clothes yesterday. I divided them into lights and darks and he has enough dark clothes to make a full load. Seriously.. think of how tiny these clothes are, so you know he has a lot! The lights were only half a load, but still! He has enough newborn (just newborn) onesies to last him 2 weeks without me washing anything. So I hope he stays small enough to wear them all! I started planning which outfits I am going to bring to the hospital for him to wear. He has to get a head start on wearing all his clothes! I just have to wash his bedding, sheets, blankets, and security blankets now. 2 more months! :]

Prego Update

This week I am 27 weeks pregnant. Hello third trimester! Next week I'll be 7 months pregnant. 3 more months until little Bryson makes his appearance! As for now, I am growing bigger every week. I can tell. My belly has been itchy and a few times the stretching has been painful enough to feel. I had it very easy at the beginning of my pregnancy, there is no denying that. I've really had it easy all a long, except something is happening in this third trimester. The evil pregnancy symptoms are showing up. First, I had the swollen ankles/feet, which were not pretty and got to be painful. Luckily my ankles shrunk back to their normal size. Next evil prego issue: aching joints. At times it feels like I have ran 10 miles, yet I have not ran anywhere. Where my legs meet my body just aches and makes me so uncomfortable. It was pretty strong for 2 days and now it comes around the end of the day. My knees ache, my elbows ache, even my fingers hurt. I mean seriously it feels like my entire body has been tortured. I can no longer stretch my legs for fear of a charlie horse overtaking my calf muscle. Seriously, it happened in San Diego and I came straight out of bed. I've noticed myself being hungry more this week. Sadly I am craving sweet stuff. I dream of different desserts I want and talk myself out of making the majority of what I want. Today, I really wanted Oreo balls. Target didn't have the chocolate I needed to make the Oreo balls, so I decided on Smore Style Brownies. They turned out delicious. You line a pan with graham crackers, mix brownie mix up and pour it over the graham crackers, and put it the oven. When it comes out you sprinkle chocolate chips and marshmallows on top and stick it back in the oven for 5 more minutes and then you're done. Oh, they hit the spot. I'm going to have to send some to Josh's work, so I don't eat them all. I don't need all that sugar! Also the pregnancy insomnia is back. The past 3 days I have spent the majority of the night awake. I fall asleep until around 4am and then I am awake from 4 till 6-7. It's really no fun and I hope it goes away by the time school starts. I'm going to need my sleep in order to function nicely. Also during these hours (that I am trying to fall back asleep) Bryson decides to wake up and kick the crap out of my ribs. I don't understand how he can kick so hard in the middle of the night because he doesn't really kick that hard during the day. It's hard for me to get comfortable and it is really hard for me to change positions. I also get really hot and Josh and Delta do not help me out. I keep telling Josh he has to stay on his side of the bed because waking up sweating is no fun. He doesn't seem to understand that means stay as far on that side as you can. Delta likes to lay on top of me and no matter how much I push on her she won't budge. At these moments, when Josh is laying there sound asleep, able to change positions easily.. sleep through the night without aching pains or a baby kicking places that should not be kicked, it takes all my self control not to take a pillow and hit him upside the head. And that my blog readers are pregnancy hormones at their finest. Watch out for me! I'm on a no sleep sugar high.
But hey, I wouldn't change what I'm going through for anything. Bryson is worth it. Now someone remind me of that during labor. ;]

I was 26 weeks pregnant here.. I haven't taken a 27 weeks shot yet..

A Big Update

I guess I will go back a few weeks in order to bring everyone up to date on our life!

First Baby Shower
I had my first baby shower on July 9th in Florida. The shower had a great turnout and Bryson got a lot of good things. The shower turned out really cute! It was a green and brown theme with an accent of safari animals to match Bryson's room. We got to stay in Disney World for a few days, which was great! I just love being on Disney property even if I don't go into the parks. We went shopping and I got Bryson a few Disney items. :]
The decor:

Diaper cake was super cute:

Gifts:

San Diego
We left Disney Sunday morning at 4:00am est. Josh and I arrived in San Diego around 8:30 pst. However, by the time we made it to the hotel and got to our room it was around 10pm. It was a very long day to say the least. Throughout the week we attended Josh's GIS conference and I learned all about GIS. It's actually a lot bigger than what I thought it was and it was interesting to learn a few things. Towards the end of the week I was over sitting in the chairs though... they were not comfortable enough for me! We went to the San Diego Zoo, Horton Plaza Mall, Coronado Island, and a Padres baseball game. We had a lot of fun and did A LOT of walking. Everyday we had to walk a mile to the convention center and then a mile back to the hotel, uphill. I was tired of walking by the end of the week. I would've been fine walking that much if the mile back wasn't uphill. That was a little much for my pregnant body. The weather was great, but a little cold for the clothes I brought in the morning and evening time. Their 70 degree weather feels like our 60 degree weather because there is no humidity. It was a great place to visit, but I'll take the south any day!

San Diego Zoo:

Coronado Island:

Padres game:

Since we have returned both Josh and I have found out some good news. Josh found out that he is being promoted from GIS Technician to GIS Analyst. It's a step up in his world! He's only been with his company just over a year, so this is great news and shows how hard he works!
I also found out some good news...

I will be a 3P aide and work from 7:30 to 12ish everyday. It's a great little part time job that will keep me from having a gap in my resume and from losing my foot that was in the door. I spent the day in the classroom today helping Mrs. Creel get things together. Mrs. Creel is the same teacher I worked with January - May, so I know we will have a great time together through this school year. I'm thankful our prayers were answered and both Josh and I have jobs now. I just hope that a place will open up for Bryson at a daycare.

I've been busy working on Bryson's room. His crib and dresser are finished, now I just have to hang things on the wall and organize his closet. It's all coming together and it's very exciting!
Crib with his safari bedding:

Inside crib:

Dresser:

For our one year anniversary we went to church, lunch at Rodeos, our favorite mexican restaurant, and then we went to Lake Tholocco that evening for a picnic. The place I really wanted to eat at was closed, so Josh is taking me there tonight! I can't wait to have some crab claws!! The picnic was great because there was a great breeze blowing off the lake, so it wasn't hot at all. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Us before church:

At the lake:

Swinging:

I think this brings everyone up to date on what's been going on with us over this past month!

1 Year

I can't believe it's already been a year since we said, I do. It still feels like its been longer than a year... I guess being together 6 years makes it seem like it's been longer than a year. If there was one day I could go back and relive it would definitely be our wedding day. It was perfect and so much fun. A lot has changed in a year... but the biggest change is the fact that I am 6 1/2 months pregnant. No one would have thought that I would be pregnant at our 1 year anniversary, but God did. :] It's only been a year and we have been blessed SO much. I can't even imagine what the next year will bring... I know it will be even more special because this time we will be sharing our lives with Bryson.

It's been a wonderful year.. I can't wait for 100 more ;]


I'll post another update soon about my shower, San Diego, Bryson's room, and some other stuff!