While I know I won't be pregnant forever - there are times it sure does feel like it! I'm 8 days past my due date and I'm okay with it. I've jokingly said that this little boy must be scared to come out and meet his lively brothers. They are excited to meet him, just as everyone else I know is - I'm sure! If he doesn't make an appearance by Wednesday morning, we are going to have to evict him. And while I wasn't wanting to do that, the more I think about it - the more okay I'm getting with it.
So for now we continue on as a family four and what better way to do that, than memorialize it with some family pictures. These were taken last month, and I was 37 weeks. It was hot, but fortunately we did it in the morning before we turned into REALLY sweaty pigs. Carter was an absolute ham and Cole just wanted to play (hence more pics of Carter than Cole). The photographer will be doing some newborn shots of the baby - once he's HERE - and we might try to get a few more of Cole, but we'll see.
I was happy with the ones we got. And honestly, the less to choose from means my wallet will be a lot happier and my walls won't be so crowded :) I mean, with two cute kids (and another one around the corner) I'm running out of room to put pictures of them!
As I sit here on the eve of my due date with no sight of actually delivering tomorrow I feel the need to remind myself of the joys of being pregnant. With the driest, hottest summer on record it's all too easy to get in complaining mode. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to be the positive, cheerful person I am and write my "Top 10 Reasons Why Pregnancy is Wonderful" list.
10. I don't have to suck my stomach in when I wear tight clothes.
9. Generally speaking, people will hold the door open for me when going through. Generally speaking.
8. My nails are long and strong and my hair doesn't have split ends.
7. I get to have the last word in the "who is more tired/sore/etc" contest
6. I don't have to share this baby with anyone else. He's all mine for now. I feel his every kick, punch, hiccip or sommersault and can enjoy it all to myself.
5. I get to have seconds and thirds of meals and no one bats an eye.
4. I step on a scale and not scolded when I gain weight.
3. I get to freak out Brian when my stomach jumps at night and looks lopsided.
2. I'm giving Carter and Cole another playmate.
1. I'm growing another miracle inside of me - and I need to remember that when I can't sleep, bend over, make an hour without peeing, fit my wedding ring on, or take a deeep breath. This baby boy is a gift from God and all the little inconveniences need to be reminders of the special blessing we are about to receive.
Please keep us in your prayers as we make it through the next few days or week even waiting for this little guy. Ask God to keep me and baby healthy, for calm and peace for Brian has he coaches me through delivery, for wisdom from the doctors and medical staff, and for patience and understanding from Carter and Cole as they learn to have another sibling to share us with.
Well as I type this I am 39.5 weeks pregnant - just days away from my due date. To say I'm ready for this baby to arrive is an understatement. I know I've said this and blogged this many MANY times - but holy cow, why am I 9 months pregnant in Texas during the hottest driest summer on record. Seriously? I don't remember praying for perseverance God. Nor patience, so tell this little guy to hurry up.
We've been in Baby Preperation Mode for a couple weeks now. The new car seat arrived and was a huge hit for the boys to watch TV in for a few days. We have installed it in the car now, and can officially fit three seats across the back. Thus buying time before we need to buy another car (particularly since we just got Brian one less than a year ago!) and mine is in great shape.
The hospital had a Sibling Class that Brian and I took Carter too. Mom and Dad spent the Saturday afternoon with Cole. Carter got to learn how to diaper a baby and swaddle them. As well as what size toys were age appropriate. They colored a toilet paper tube and Carter tests things around the house to see if they are okay for the baby. If it fits in the tube, he can't have it. If it doesn't fit it's "Baby Safe" as he says. It was a great class. We took a tour of the hospital afterwards and he got to see the nursery and a few newborns in there. He was excited to see one was actually moving, it was cute.
We had my shower a few weeks and one of our gifts was a gift card, always the right size :) We took the boys the next day to Babies-R-Us for them to pick out some toys for the new baby. We needed a new activity mat/play gym for the floor. Somethings just don't make it the third time around. The boys loved setting it up and now playing under it. I had to hide it so they'd stop playing with it. Same goes with the mobile I put up the other day. Cole wants to play in the crib now, it's ridiculous.
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I've had a very healthy pregnancy and this little boy is doing just great. He gets the hiccups alot and moves like crazy when I drink cold water. He doesn't move much during the day, as my constant movements lull him to sleep. But as soon as I sit down or lay down for bed, he starts rockin' and rollin'. We haven't decided on a name yet. I'm sure it will start with C. In fact, I've started calling him C3PO - since he's the third C, and we've been watching some Star Wars lately with Carter. We may have to take the baby book up to the hospital with us, who knows. But I have a feeling something will feel right when we meet him - that's how it was with Carter and Cole.
I've been "nesting" lately and trying to cross off my long to-do list. I ordered 757 pictures from last October through last week for my photo albums. And this is my last blog to conclude my big backlog of summer updates. I've organized the boys' rooms, I've organized the nursery. My bags are packed and already in the car. I've cleaned out the linen closet, pantry, spice cabinet, refrigerator and laundry room. The baby has a packed bag in the car as well, so I think we're pretty ready. Well, except for name thing I mentioned. But other than that - bring on Baby Boy Shelton #3.
It's blurry - but check out my car thermometer from the other day. Yep - at 2:20 on Aug 5th it was 109 degrees. I know there are parts of the country that are hotter and maybe drier than we are, but I don't know anyone who is 9 months pregnant and chasing two small kids around in this repressive heat. So, hey, I win the misery contest.
But just because the weather is miserable, doesn't mean we don't find ways to have fun around here. A few weeks ago my friend Julie and I spent the better part of the kids naptime (our free time) filling up water balloons. It took me 2 hours of sitting at the sink to fill up 70 something balloons, and she was just as "productive." Her kids came over and mine waited patiently staring at the water balloons until their friends arrived. It took less than 7 minutes to extinguish our entire lot of balloons. The kids had a blast, but Julie and I looked at each other and said "Really - all that work and it's over in minutes." Next time, we learned, we don't set out the entire bucket of balloons. We will dole them out one at time so they can learn to savour the moment. That was the middle of July, we haven't done this again. Not sure if we plan too ...
One of the boys' favorite activities to do with Brian is a Monster Truck Rally. Brian yells "Lets 'em up" and the boys come running with their big climbing blocks and 30+ Monster Jam trucks. This addiction started back in February when Brian took him to see an exhibition at Reliant. We're waiting for them to come back next year. In the mean time, they make their own competition of racing and freestyle moves.
We are also doing lots of crafts. This is Carter's tin foil hat with feathers, pipe cleaners and Star Wars stickers. He was very proud. Not sure what it's for, but it was fun nonetheless.
One recent Friday night Brian went to a lot of trouble to get this tent up in the backyard for the boys to camp out in. They watched a movie with the portable DVD player and then star gazed. The red ICEE popsicles were quite a mess, and thus made them come in for a bath. They didn't make it back outside that night, but have plans to return when it's cooler.
Cole is a big banana eater. Nothing special to say other than I think he's just the cutest 2 year old ever.
We spend alot of time at Mom and Dad's pool. The two big contributors to the fun factor - contained children and shade - which means I don't have to chase them around a public pool NOR do I have to lather on the sunscreen. They like jumping off the rocks.
Cole got up early one morning and came and snuggled in our bed. He slept until 8:30 this way, I guess the pillow over his eyes blocked out the daylight. Brian does the same thing.
You'd think that in a drought our grass wouldn't need mowing so often, but I water pretty frequently. Which means Brian has to get out there and mow it. Carter LOVES to help, it's one of his favorite things to do. On yard duty days, I can get him to cooperate so well by using that as a bargaining chip. Hey Carter, if you take a nap you can mow the lawn. Hey Carter, if you share/eat your lunch/pick up your toys/etc - you can mow with Daddy tonight. Yet another reason I keep the yard looking nice - it's a great bribery tool in my arsenol of parenting skills :)
I used to help out with the trimming/edging and blowing while Brian mowed. But I just can't anymore. Too hard on my body. I'm anxious to have the baby so I can get my trimmer duties back - I'm a little picky about how I do my yard, but when Brian does it all I can't complain.
Brian had a great idea last weekend. We took the boys to their first Astros game. It was a Sunday afternoon game and they had bounce houses, face painting, balloon animals, wax hands and other fun stuff in the lobby of the stadium for all the kids. PLUS, if you bought an adult ticket, your kid ticket was free. While we only spent $14 for entry - I think we spent another $40 on food and foam fingers. But hey, we had a great time.
Here is Carter doing his wax hand. The hand crumbled before we got home so I have no picture of it.
We were up high, but it didn't matter to the boys. Glad I didn't pay for close seats. We got there two hours before start time to do all the free family activities, that they were so exhausted and ready to leave by the third inning.
And proof that Cole was there. He just wanted to eat ice cream and play with my iPhone after awhile. Speaking of iPhones. At one point my phone jammed up and Cole got frustrated that his game stopped working that he threw it down over the balcony. Fortunatley it wasn't from the 300 to the 200 section. It was 400 to 300, which is only 10 feet down. It survived thanks to my $50 Otterbox. It was painful purchasing it (at the time), but has saved me on many MANY occasion. So lesson to all you iPhone users, if there is a child nearby (or if you're like me and drop it sometimes), spend the extra cash for the Otterbox Defender case - it's worth it!
Baseball season is over and I don't think I ever posted any pictures. Partly because my hands were always full. No one volunteered to coach the team, so on the first day of practice Brian stepped up. And coaching baseball to 4 and 5 year olds is not just a one person job. So I too stepped in and helped out. The beginning of the season was a lot easier, but as the weather got warmer and I got bigger - I was just wishing it was over. Cole wanted so badly to play, so I had to put him in the child watch section at the Y during games and practices or have Mom watch him at her house. Finally on the last game I let him sit on the bench with the big kids. He just doesn't like to be left out.
Some of the kids at the after party at Clay's.
Red cheeks and bushy hair. After seeing this picture, they cooled off and I took them for hair cuts the next day!
A video of Carter hitting the ball at his last game.
During the month of June, Carter went to two Vacation Bible Schools. He loved them. We bought the PandaMania CD and listen to it alot. Cole is too young to go, but he enjoys the music. He would throw a fit when I'd drop off Carter and he couldn't stay. Poor kid is learning the age gap at a small age. This summer was full of things (VBS, gymnastic camps, Parents Day Out camps, etc) that Cole wasn't old enough for, but next year when he's 3 he'll be right in the mix!
Here are some photos of him having fun while celebrating God.
Allison's shower was at the end of June. I was excited to see my pregnancy partner, she's just four weeks behind me. And Matthew is such a good doting husband. They'll make great parents. We celebrated them at a shower at Pappadeaux's that her two sisters and I hosted. It was nice to see out of town family come in as well. Babies are always a reason to celebrate. Mom made her a gorgeous diaper cake for the shower. Alli hesitated taking it apart to ship it, but Mom fit it in the same box as the Moses Basket she got for them. So it worked out.
My baby shower was at the end of July and I gotta tell you, my friends really outdid themselves. I know I have fantastic friends that are generous, crafty, sweet and great hostesses - but since I'm having my third boy - I was really underplaying the shower thing. Well they didn't. They made me, and thus this baby, feel so special. And all the attendees showered me with wonderful gifts, sweet stories and lots of praise for mothering skills. I had a great day.
Here are the cake balls that Kelly brought for dessert. Very good - the vanilla was my favorite, so creamy.
The spread of food. And it was just as yummy as it was pretty.
My sweet sweet hostesses. Kelly, Julie, me and Jennifer.
Oreo truffles that Julie made for people to take home. She single handedly made me gain 3 pounds that week. My biggest gain the entire pregnancy.
My own diaper cake :)
Cute clothes as decorations.
More clothes
I liked how Jen displayed the invitation - so creative.
Invitation up close
We also had a few birthdays this summer (tends to happen when you don't blog for months). While I was at Alli's shower, Brian took the boys to Caroline's birthday (she turned 3 and is Carter's best friend Luke's sister) at Cypress Academy. All my friends love Brian, why wouldn't they, and he enjoyed their company as well. We might have to start switching birthday party duty now that I know he can handle both of them and the chaos of a birthday party!
Julie sent me a cute picture of Carter and Luke.
And Carter's other best bud had a birthday in July. Jacob turned 5 and had his party at Westwood Gymnastics. The boys love the gym parties - as do I, less chasing around.
Here are the two friends "hanging out"
Look at those red cheeks, man was he wore out after this party. He just played and played the entire time. In fact, I had to corral him into eating cake and pizza, he just wanted to play.
My friend Carlin had her son's 1st birthday party last month as well. We were running early to the party (as I usually do) after some errands so I took the boys to Crave Cupcakes. Who takes their kids to a cupcake bakery BEFORE a birthday - well, a pregnant woman who really wanted one of their delicious White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cupcakes. They're in the Galleria and I don't get to indulge often enough, so when we were nearby I just couldn't resist.
