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.