Changing it Up

Alright y'all, I am done with blogger. It's too much trouble having to log in to my computer in the only spare time I have to get anything done around the house. I also can't stand how I can only upload photos from my computer when 97% of the pictures I take are on my phone. In order to post any pictures I have to upload them to the computer and then blogger takes 10 minutes just to upload one! I use my phone nonstop and unfortunately bloggers mobile ability is just not up to my technology standards. So I am switching to Tumblr. Ha I bet some of y'all were getting upset with me, but never fear I have set up another blog like page that is so much better than blogger in my opinion. Tumblr will allow me to upload photos and videos straight from my phone making it so much easier for me. It also allows for blog posts, dialogue posts, links, etc. Tumblr is what you want it to be... I won't have to blog long posts each time rambling on and I'll be able to post lots more pictures and now videos! I think everyone will be pleased with the new blog. I may post sometimes in blogger, but I'll link it from tumblr. Blogger was great when it was just me and Josh and I had the time to blog from a computer, but it's just not ideal anymore for me personally. So I hope everyone enjoys the change.... Here is the link:
Http://amberpritchard.tumblr.com

5 Months

Bryson is 5 months old now! I don't like it because next he will be 6 months, which is half way to a year! I think this month he has changed the most. He is now reaching for things, putting everything in his mouth (straight to his mouth as before he might bop himself on the head trying to find his mouth), and squealing at the top of his lungs! He squeals when he plays, in his crib, in the middle of a restaurant, at the store... anywhere and everywhere! He babbles a lot and I know he's close to saying mama or dada! He is very close to sitting up without assistance. He has rolled from tummy to back, but we haven't seen him do it because he does it in his crib. He is about 19 pounds and still wearing 9 month clothes and some 12 month shorts. We are late on his 4 month well check. His appointment isn't until April 11th and he'll be getting two more shots. I've stopped feeding him solids because he just didn't seem to enjoy it and it wasn't helping him sleep. So he obviously wasn't starving like many people tried to tell me. He had his first cold this month, which was not a fun experience especially since I was sick too. For two nights we just curled up in our guest bed together and tried to sleep as best we could. Thankfully we are both well again! He's wanting to play with toys more. He reaches for everything. You can't put anything near him without him wanting to grab it! I've been taking him to the park to walk and he loves it! He just sits back and watches everything. We have been working on his sleep issues. For a few days he was doing really well and only waking up twice. Then he regressed for a few days and one night woke up 8 times. But for the past couple days he's gone back to waking twice. Hopefully I'll get him down to only waking once soon. He's such a sweet boy!

4 Months

My baby boy turned 4 months old on Tuesday. He is growing and changing so much every day. His newest accomplishment is rolling from back to front. According to BabyCenter, babies are suppose to roll from tummy to back first because they do not have enough neck and arm strength to roll back to tummy. However, my child is just so advanced, he skipped the tummy to back step and went straight to rolling back to front. ;] He's such a big, strong boy! As exciting as it was when he first rolled over, it's not so exciting anymore because now he won't lay on his activity mat and play because all he wants to do is roll over! That mat was a great way to occupy him and now it's out of the equation unless I want to keep running over there and flip him back over!
We also gave him his first taste of applesauce on Tuesday. He loved it! However, I mix it with rice cereal (which he hates) so I get a mixed reaction when I feed him. It depends on how much of the apples he can taste! Since he's had a couple days of applesauce with zero negative reactions, I am going to give him pears tonight. If you're wondering if this food is helping him sleep, the answer is no. Apparently 3 hours is as long as he is going to make it.
He is wearing 9 month clothes. He can still fit in 6 month onesies, but for pants he needs 9 months. He is still wearing size 3 diapers. He should be in the size 3 for a little while because they go to 28 pounds.
He smiles, laughs, squeals, crackles, and talks all the time. He really is a happy baby! At the end of the month, I will take him for his check up to see how much he's grown in 2 months!

3 Months

I can't believe Bryson is already 3 months old! He changes so much everyday! We took him to his 2 month well check this past Wednesday. He was a little behind because Josh's new insurance didn't start until February 1st. He weighs 16 pounds and is 26 3/4 inches long. (When he was born he was 8 pounds, 21.5 inches long) He's done a lot of growing in the past couple months! He's in the 90th percentile for his age. He's just a big boy! He had to have 3 shots. :[ The first one went ok, but after the second one he was screaming. We had to wait over 2 hours for the whole appointment. It was terrible. Poor baby missed his nap and we almost ran out of milk in his bottle. I was trying to save the last little bit for after the shots because I knew it would calm him down. He only had about an ounce to enjoy after the shots, but it calmed him down enough for him to fall asleep. Once he woke up though.... Wow. He woke up screaming. He wouldn't calm down to nurse, so I had to make him another bottle. He went right back to sleep after his bottle (which doesn't ever happen) so I know those shots were messing with him. When he woke up the next time, he woke up in even more pain. His little leg was SO red and he was just screaming in pain. Josh ran to CVS and got him some infant Tylenol. You couldn't even touch anywhere near his little leg without him getting upset. After I gave him the Tylenol, he went back to sleep. When he woke up, he was in a much better mood. I am so glad that Tylenol worked!! It took the redness away and everything. He slept through the night just fine. ("Sleeping through the night" does not mean he slept the whole night.. just means he went back to sleep each time he woke up ;]) He will have to go back at the end of March for his next set of shots. This time it will only be 2 and I hope they don't hurt him as much. Next time I'll be prepared with Tylenol!
Bryson is now wearing size 9 month clothes. He can fit in 6 month, but the pants are getting shorter every day. He laughs, coos, smiles, squeals, and follows us around with his eyes. He loves sucking on his hands. He grabs things and tries to put everything in his mouth. He likes watching cartoons in the morning now. Daddy keeps putting it on Nick Jr instead of Disney and Mommy is going to have a fit about that if he doesn't stop! I like Nick Jr, but Disney is my absolute favorite of course and I want Bryson to watch Mickey Mouse!! Josh and Bryson have their morning routine down pat with no problems. I am so glad Bryson is at home and not at daycare!! God is good! Josh enjoys his job and I enjoy mine since my baby is at home!

A picture of us from last weekend in Mobile at Josh's cousin's wedding!

A Little Update

So. Bryson is a daycare dropout. :] He lasted two days and then we were done. I didn't feel comfortable with him being there. The place was chaotic and overwhelming and after finding him crying both days, I wasn't too happy. The last day he was basically inconsolable, so that was it. He now stays at home with Josh and he just starts his work day a little later, so it works out great. It makes it a lot easier on me being at work knowing he's at home and happy! Josh is enjoying his new job! I mean how could someone not enjoy working from home!? It's such a blessing that he has this job! I've been missing my mornings with Bryson, but I've enjoyed being back at work also. Bryson is doing a lot better with sleeping and only getting me up about twice a night depending on what time he goes to bed. I'm use to sleep deprivation, so getting up for work isn't too bad. I just go to bed real early.
I'll leave y'all with a funny story. In the middle of me writing this blog, Bryson woke up from his nap, so I had to nurse him. When he was nursing he pooped. This is not a big deal and pretty normal. Except this time when I picked him up to burp him, my hand touched something wet. The wetness was poop. As I discovered he had exploded out of his diaper, he also decided to spit up all over me. So I'm holding up a baby with poop all over his back side and spit up all over his mouth. (Picture that.) It was one of those diapers where Josh had to hold him up and I undress him and then lay him on a walmart bag and clean him all up. All while this is happening, Josh is jumping around like a little kid talking about throwing up and don't let him touch it. haha What a wimp! :]

P.S Roll Tide! Alabama just won their 14th National Championship incase you live under a rock and didn't know! ;] We shut LSU out and showed them who the best team is in the SEC! Go Bama!

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!