Month 4- Smiling, Eating, and Diva'ness

We had Janson 4 month checkup on March 6th. He weighs an even 15 lbs. He's 25 1/2 inches tall (same as Kelson was at this age)- we still think he will be around 5'11 or 6ft. His blue eyes are still blue as ever. He's starting to sit up very well on his own, therefore Dr. Zbell put him on fruits and veggies already. He's tried apples, bananas, and sweet potatoes already and ate them all quite well. I've been trying to sign "more" and "milk" already. He's a little young, but he's a smart little man, so he should catch on quick. He already blows bubbles back at us. He loves tummy time and looking around. He does not like to be put down or someone not paying attention to him. He is quite the snuggler and lots to smile. Bathtime is a joy with him- he has been splashing like crazy. Kelson and I get a big kick out of him when we all hang out in my bath tub. Since Kelson has been more interactive with him, she seems to really like having a little brother around. We did nickname his wee wee... since we call hers "Tuti" from Yo Gabba Gabba, I decided to call Janson's "muno". The character already looks like one anyways- LOL! I had to explain to Kelson while Janson had a muno and she has a tuti- that was fun!
Janson is quite the Man-diva... he is always wanting someone to play or hold him- no matter what. He is still sleeping around 10-11 hrs a night. Its exciting, but sometimes doesn't seem long enough... Overall we have two WONDERFUL children.

Kelson's spring break is this week so I'm gonna try to see if we can organize her playroom and toys and possibly donate some. She has SOOO many and lots of them were "phase toys" (where she was into something for a few months, then lost interest). Some I can keep for Janson, but she does play with a lot of her toys. She is getting cuter and more personable every day. She has so much fun at school and has learned so many cute songs. Her t-ball practice starts in a few weeks so I can't wait to start her on that. Our two babies are perfect!!! Having our big spacious van has been a lifesaver.

Update on the Alberts'

Lastnight Kelson asks me, Mommy, what age will Janson be when I get a baby sister? I have to admit I was a little shocked, as most of me feels we are done with having kids, although part of me really would like ONE more. I told Kelson that I wasn't sure if another baby was going to come along or if it did when it would be and I couldn't promise it was going to be a baby sister. She determined that Janson will be 18 (didn't say months or years), but I know I can guarantee it won't be years :) I did have the IUD put back in so we were planning on having anymore anytime soon, if at all. Don't want to mess with perfection, but we do make some adorable kiddos though.

Like I mentioned we went to visit the FL family a few weeks back. Got to hang out with Belle for her 6th bday- wow time flies- and go to disney with the family. The sad thing is that our family, Belle, and Kyle all got bed bugs from a rental house we stayed at in Orlando :( This has not been a fun process. Jason and I didn't notice the bites until a few days after coming back home, so I was scared that we may have brought them home with us. From what I can tell they are no easy thing to get rid of, so fingers crossed we didn't. Jason had a HORRIBLE reaction to them- over 100 bites, I had around 30, Kelson around 20 and luckily Janson, who was in the playyard has none. The owner told us that only one of the bedrooms had bed bugs, but it goes to show they can spread and the whole upstairs was infested- YUCK!!! I feel so dirty and always feel that something is crawling on me. They bite in 3's. good indication thats what we have. Other than this and coming back with colds, we are doing great and our little family is very happy and complete!

My job is going good. I'm working on reclassifing into the Marketing and Sales classification instead of being a staff analyst. This could mean more money and its better for growing within the company. More professional. So again, fingers crossed this goes through. I've been working this for a while now and would hate to leave my division, but being the bread winner I have to strive to keep our family comfortable and happy.

Another great thing about our FL trip was after we traveled down there we became proud owners of a 2007 Honda Odyssey van. I wasn't sure if I was going to be "cool" with becoming a van momma, but I LOVE it. Keri bought a new van, so she gave us a great deal on her used one. I don't mind hand me downs. So far I love it and its sooooo family friendly. Kelson seems to like it too. The perks on it are awesome too-sliding doors, dvd player, built in navigation, etc... What an awesome sis I have. We plan to sell our Hyundai Sante Fe- I will miss that car terribly, but its too small for our family. When we sell it I plan to pay Keri and give jason the money for our home theater- he's sooooo excited!

Jason and I are going up to Nashville on March 21st for Jason's vocal appointment with Dr. Garrett. She works for Vanderbilt and specializes in spasmodic dysphonia and administers the Botox shots. Jason felt excited and comfortable when I made the appt, almost like a relief to have someone who was actually going to help him. So well see what happens, but we have got to do something. Being from Vandy she has to be a GREAT doctor. We'll keep you posted.

Yesterday myself and Carissa, Mike Speed's sister, hosted a shower for Theana. It turned out really cute and we had around 25 guests. Theana was pretty sociable, although we had to remind her a few times to smile and say thank you ;). Overall it turned out great and she got some really nice gifts. So hard to believe she is gonna get married sometime this year.

Month 3- spitting and snuggling

This month Janson has really been spitting up a lot. We've tried several different formulas to meet his needs, but none seem to stop the spitting up. That's how we say he says hi to new folks- by soaking them- LOL! Poor guy. We started supplementing some oatmeal/rice to his milk to see if that would help make it thicker and stay down easier. Well first off we tried this because he was still hungry after 7oz of milk. He is taking to EATING very well, but still having spit up issues. The pediatrician says its normal, so I'm gonna gonna be concerned, just be sure to have plenty of bibs, hand towels, and detergent.
JAnson is quite the flirt and snuggler. He doesn't mind going to anyone and will usually smile to anyone as well. He is so happy most of the time and is such a joy to watch. His eyes are still super blue, so fingers crossed they will stay that way. He seems to be growing so much. We spent some time down in FL with the family and Juliet, whose 8 months now, is about the same size as our little guy. Its nuts. He has Jason's small eyes when he smiles.

He has a very sesitive stomach, so we've been giving him sensitive forumla. He LOVES to snuggle when its time for a nap, he loves attention, smiles almost all of the time, and loves his bathtime just like sister. He has a lot of the same similarities Kelson had at that age- drooling, chewing on hand, etc.. thank goodness I had a blog to remember it all.

I started working with him on "More, Milk, and Fan" signs. I know he's early, but wha the heck ;) It's so neat having a little boy around- especially one with so much personality.

Sharing the LOVE

Lately I've been trying really hard to share my time and love with both of the kids. I know that Janson doesn't understand, but he seems to feel rather comfortable with his mommy holding him, so I try to show Kelson lots of attention if I'm not holding him. Kelson has been wonderful with sharing me, she understands a lot for a 4 year old and doesn't get jealous. If I am holding Janson I ask Kelson to come snuggle with us or to come talk to her brother so she doesn't feel like he's getting all my attention. I love love love having a little baby around the house again. Although I've been AWFULLY tired this last week being at home alone, its been wonderful hanging with my babies. The house is a wreck though. I've been working full weeks, no virtual, so my schedule is a little harder to maintain, but so far so good. The weeks are flying by. With all the activities life brings I'm sure I'll just get even more worn out and tired... but hey, that's what makes life so great!

Heartland- TAKE TWO

This week Jason is in Nashville meeting with the record label and manager. They are working on a new and improved "Heartland". We are anxious to see what is going to happen. Because Jason has voice issues aka spasmodic dysphonia he is getting frustrated and unable to do any lead singing. Fingers crossed for him to try botox shots into his throat. Its been known to temporarily help. Surgery is LAST resort. He's been trying to do natural ways to cure it, but nothing seems to help :( I feel so bad for him, but we will find something that will work. I have a good feeling.
So the new Heartland group is just three guys: Jason, Charles (Heartland's fiddle player), and a new guy named Chad. Chad is singing the lead on the new single and he has a really awesome voice. VERY country- almost Meryl Haggard like. Jason Miller and Chopper are hired hands in this venture.

So I guess I'm getting the feeling of being a single mom this week and WHEW I don't know how some mom's do it and work full time. At least I have "the corner" to help me.

Like mother like daughter

I'm sooo excited-- I just signed Kelson up for T-ball this spring/summer. She was really excited too when I told her the good news. I thought she wouldn't be able to play for another year or so, but a friend of mine found out that Palmer Park, where I grew up playing softball, was taking kids at 4 years old. I offered to assistant coach, if needed. Asked what 3 things made me a good coach: 1) strong knowledge of the sport 2) playing in college 3) love kids and its just fun to play. I said that I had no experience coaching, but wouldn't mind helping out if needed. I can't wait to see little Kelson in her ball uniform. Well see if she takes to the sport like I did. Thanks to my mom and dad telling me I wasn't going to sit indoors all summer when we moved to Hsv in 89. It all started there. Annabelle and Corgan have been playing since last spring and Kelson has asked why she couldn't, guess they start em early in FL, so when I told her she was going to "run fast" (in the voice of Keith Donald) she was really excited! Course, mommy is too. Stay tuned! Oh- I suggested team names : Pirates (since we love pirates), Rangers (since my dad played Minor league ball for the Texas Rangers), or Marlins (Florida team that I've seen play a few times).

Month 2- Smiles and Growth

Janson had his checkup this morning with Dr. Zbell. He was a good boy. Had to get 3 shots :( Never fun to watch. BUT, he has gained around 5 lbs since his one week appt :) LOL! That's insane. So he weighs 12lbs 12oz (80%). We were all guessing around 10lbs. His height is 23 5/8 inches (75%) and he is gonna have BLUE eyes. I'm sooo excited. I was hoping both my kiddos would have blue eyes. Yea!!! I just imagine myself loving and hugging on him like my mom does on Kyle. Such a sweet thing. I'm starting to understand the whole mommy's boy thing. Janson's been doing really good at night- only getting up once now a night. Still eating around 6-7 oz (hence the weight gain). He's started to try and talk to us by cooing and holds his head up very well. He likes to be patted on his butt and snuggled. He LOVES bathtime :) just like his fishy sister. he wasn't sure at first, but since we give him baths so often he really loves the feeling. Its still hard to believe that he is here and been here for two months already. He's changed our lives and Jason, Kelson, and I have been a great team.
Kelson's still at Asbury Weekday and LOVES it. She looks forward to going. I still think the M/W/F thing works out great. I'm going to sign her up for Kindergarten soon. Sadly, the school only goes through Kindergarten so after that she will have to attend Endeavor (public school by our house). In the meantime she is learning about God, praying, crafts, and loves "her kids" etc.. I'm so blessed to have found that place.
I started back to work full time on Jan 3rd- wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm busier than ever so it makes the day go by and I have a good feeling I'm gonna get a promotion this year- fingers crossed.

Month 1- tummy time and prune juice

Kelson LOVES her little brother. She touches and kisses all over him all the time. She has asked many times to hold him and feed him- which lasts about 2 min, but at least she's showing interest in him. I've really tried to share my time between the two kids so she doesn't feel the baby is more important. She's been wonderful with helping us with him and keeping him happy. The age difference is perfect. She's been staying in her bed and minding us so well- I'm proud of my little girl. As you can see, daddy has them started early as WV fans. No matter what I hope they always remain close like me and my siblings are.

Well my poor little man's tummy started bothering him a couple weeks after he was born (very tight and kept pulling his legs up). So since it was Thanksgiving time and my two doula's were there, I asked their opinion. I thought maybe since I was nursing there was something I was eating, but I wasn't eating anything weird or unhealthy, so I'm not sure what caused him to be in pain. I decided to try to supplement with some formula so we could see if that made a difference. It did. I was still nursing, but only half the time. After the tummy issues went away, then he started acting constipated :( So I ended up calling the pediatrician on call and they told me to try a stool softner, so with Chantell leading the pack she did that and within a few min he pooped. It was a huge HARD poop. It hurt my little boy. It was sad to watch. He just never seemed at ease or comfortable. AFter this happened and I discovered prune juice in his bottle we've had no problems and he's one happy baby. I'm just glad that I had help and the Internet to find out the best remedy for him. So now he is on sesitive formula full time (nursed for a month- hey, at least its something) with prune juice. He is eating somewhere between 5-6oz already. He's a hungry boy :) He's had some spitting up issues, but nothing we can't handle. He sleeps on and off for about 3-4 hours at a time right now. Its great!

Big day for the kiddo...11/11/11

Poor little man's cirumcision ring was hanging on by a thread, so I searched online on steps on how to get it to come off without hurting him. I called the peds office and they said just to let it come off on its own, but I knew there were tricks out there so I continued to search online. Several mothers tried vaseline and some put a warm washcloth on the ring to moisten it to get it to come off, so I tried that lastnight. Kelson and I were bathing in my bathtub, so I had mom bring him to me so I could include him in the fun. I kept his umbilical area dry and Janson seemed to LOVE the bath. He cried for a minute, but then realized that he was in warm water. He loved it, just like his big sister did. Kelson helped me wash his hair and I put the warm washcloth on his private area. So lastnight when mom was changing his diaper, she called me in, and his ring had fallen off (a few hrs after the bath) :) So it worked!! Good 'ole internet! Then this morning his umbilical cord was off too. It was a big day for the kiddo. 11/11/11 he got his manhood back :) I'm looking forward to his first real bath :)

The rest of the hospital stay and the weekend...

Janson was doing great and got some tests ran, I was taking a few pain meds to help with this recovery. While I was there my ear infection returned, so I had to get on some antibotics to kick that too. They thought that Janson's arm needed to be X-rayed cause he wasn't lifting it as high as the other one when they startled him, but everything turned out to be fine. Passed his hearing tests too. That day was pretty much just visitors and re-cooperating day. Janson was supposed to of had a bowel movement in 24 hours and since he didn't they stimulated him and boo ya, it worked. Ever since then he's been a pooping machine. While we were at the hospital, they had a "celebration" dinner for the mom and dad, so Jason and I ordered crusted tilapia with a few sides, dessert, and my favorite, sparkling white grape juice! :) Jason had never had it and it was a big hit at our Thanksgiving family dinners. It was yummy.

Janson had dropped down to 7lbs 14oz, so I was trying to feed him more often at night and throughout the day. The last day they cirumcised him :(, quick procedure adn they said he did good. Its a small plastic ring that they place around his pp and it pretty much heals on its own. So low maintenance. I felt bad for him, but its something that needed to be done. We were anxious to get home and away from the "checkups", pills, and etc. Plus we were ready to get in our own bed and try out Janson's new stuff. Kelson and Papa made us a welcome home sign. It was a great ride home. We were very excited!!!


We had to go take Janson to the pediatrician the next day to check his jaundice level and weight. He was a little jaundice so they told us to put him by the window and also they wanted to re-check his weight on Monday. So after a GREAT weekend and lots of eating, pooping, sunbathing, and sleeping, Janson had gained 8oz over the weekend and skin color was great :) Course I think anyone can gain weight over a weekend- LOL. So we were happy to know that we were done with the doctors for now. Gigi and Papa have been here since Oct 25th helping with things around the house, watching Kelson, playing with Kelson, and now helping with Janson. They have been a wonderful help. Kyle and Renee came over this past weekend too to visit and see Janson. Its been a wonderful experience so far and we are so excited to have our little family altogether.

Kelson has been a WONDERFUL help and great big sister. She loves to hold him, kiss on him, and talk about how cute he is. We brought him to her school on Friday so she could show him off, before his appt. Then we all went to Wal-Mart, all was great until it was time for lunch, we spent a little too much time in Wal-mart, but being our first family outing it went great.

I love being on maternity leave and getting family time. I plan to be on leave till Dec 12th, then take a few days vacation, with a few days virtal then it will go straight into my Boeing Christmas holiday. So I will have like 8-9 weeks off. It's gonna be really hard to go back.
My recovery has been GREAT. Only some contractions when Janson is nursing, milk came in great, and he's been sleeping about 2-3 hours during the night. Sometimes 3-4hrs. My bleeding is minimal now and I haven't had much pain. So I truely believe that Dr. Wheeler did a great job on taking care of me. Life is awesome!!!!!

When I checked into the hospital I weighed 215 lbs, so I weighed myself a week later after having Janson and I'm down to 195 :) So I lost 20 lbs in a week. Not bad! Plus I have two new enhancements- LOL!

Welcome Janson Cole Albert- 11/01/2011

Well, I couldn't believe that I was going to get my 11/01/11 date. My plan had worked (insert evil laugh here). It was going to be a great day!!! The nurse came in around 7am and removed the cervadil. She, the nurse, Dotha (we called her Mother Dothel) started the pitocin to get the labor progressing. Dr. Rushing was over at the Madison office that day, so I was going to have Dr. Wheeler deliver the little guy. I had met him one other time, I believe it was when I had round ligament pains early in my pregnancy with Kelson. I remember him being a super nice guy. The nurses do a lot of the work, so I was ok with another doctor. He arrived around 9:30am and broke my water. He was super sweet and funny. When he checked me, I was 70% effaced and 3-4 centimeters dilated. Soon after this procedure, I was having some really hard contractions. I stuck it out as long as I could, till I was 5cm, and the contractions were coming every 1-2 min, so I knew it was going to be soon. At noon, I finally got some nubain, which helped ease the pain for about 20 minutes. I immediately started laughing and asked everyone if they wanted to play charades. LOL! In another hour, I had dilated another cm so I was really starting to be in pain. My nurse advised that I start the epidural or it was going to be too late and I wouldn't be able to get one. I tried to subside on the nubain along, but I couldn't handle the back to back contractions. At 12:45 I asked for the epidural. The anestologist did an awesome job, I hardly felt anything. The contractions were stronger and so anything to help with that was better than what I was going through. After the epidural kicked in, I was freezing and super tired. I took a nap for a while, then i felt lots of pressure, so I knew it was close to pushing time. Dr. Wheeler came in around 3:30 and Janson was born at 3:44pm!!
He was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 21 inches long. The delivery went great. Dr. Wheeler did an awesome job stitching me up and all the follow up procedures. My recovery has been easier than when Dr. Rushing did it, so maybe it was a blessing I had him instead. Janson was PERFECT! He had HUGE lips- like Angelina Jolie's baby or something- LOL! Oh- and the dr said that his umbilical cord was the biggest/thickest he had ever seen. No wonder I was always so drained and had no energy. I was sooooo excited to finally have our little guy here. I requested to be able to watch him get his first bath, so I went to the nursery when everyone else did. Kelson was soooo excited about her baby brother and immediately wanted to hug, hold, and kiss him. So once we all got to our room, we got some adorable pics of our kids :) We had a few visitors and we had some pizza hut then it was time for us to be alone. It was nice and quiet. Janson did AWESOME with nursing and slept most of the night. Of course with all the pills, checking up, etc.. neither Jason or I got much sleep, but we knew it would only be a few nights. Afterall, our little man had finally arrived!!

The night before the birth.... Happy Halloween

I had my last appt with Dr. Rushing on Monday, 10/31- Halloween- the date I DID NOT want to have a newborn baby. I was still very thick and high, so Dr. Rushing advised that I go to the hospital that evening to start a process to get my cervix ripened. So after consultant my doula, Melissa Harley, she told me to do the Cervadil, vs the pill that they recommended. Apparently there have been some mothers who had a bad reaction to the pill so she said this is a safer approach with a slower progress so its safer for both Janson and I. I was happy to go in early so we would have that evening to take Kelson trick or treating. Plus all that walking around the neighborhood was good for getting the labor going. Kelson was dressed up as Dorothy and was ADORABLE! We went over to Mike and Norionna's house to trick or treat. Her and Sawyer, the ninja, went together in their neighborhood. They had so much fun together, plus it was a GREAT neighborhood. So after 2 hours or so of that, it was time to go home and get our bags and head to the hospital. Kelson stayed with Papa and the "mothers" went with Jason and I to get all checked in. We got there around 10pm and we finally got into the birthing room and cervidal around midnight (its something like a long stringed tampon that they insert vaginally and it worked great). They gave me an Ambien to sleep. Jason brought a blow up mattress to put on top of the fold out sofa. We had our King of Queens on the computer and Christmas movies ready to go. I still couldn't believe the time had finally arrived. When I woke up that next morning, it was time to have my little boy :)

Hurry Up and Wait...

Well, I had my almost 38 weeks appt with Dr. Rushing yesterday. This pregnancy has been KILLER on me. I can't say that its been awful, but I've definitely had the side effects of being pregnant. Recently mom and dad got me a massage and cold stone facial- that was WONDERFUL. I've had a lot of swelling (mostly in my hands now) and some in my feet. I am not sleeping well at all (he's gonna be a big'un). Well let's see I weigh 211 (started off at 192, so only 19 lbs isn't bad at all). I can honestly say that a lot of it is baby and the things that go along with it. Lots of water weight too. Anyways, his heartbeat was 130- Jason and Kelson got to hear it. I'm dilated to 1cm now, so that's exciting. We are still shooting for the 11.1.11 date. Although, I'm pretty much over being pregnant and wouldn't mind him coming early. But not on Halloween!!!! That's all I ask. LOL. I haven't been sleeping well at all these last couple of weeks. I thank God that my job has been so great on letting me work virtual when needed, cause between allergies and not sleeping well, I've had to take a lot of breaks/naps.

Cravings have been pretty much been sweet. Kelson and I made some fruit salad and I've been eating the heck out of that. I've had a few low blood sugar issues, but nothing some OJ couldn't fix. I just started eating smaller meals. Kelson has been a WONDERFUL help too. There are times when I remember why the first pregnancy was easier- no 4 year old to keep up with- and you could take naps whenever. Mom and dad plan to come up next week to help and be here for the birth, so I'm so excited to spend some time with them.

We've finally finished with the kids rooms and that's a big relief. I'll post some pics. We recently had the house re-appraised and it was very UNstressful. We pretty much have the house where we want it. I would like to have a few more things done, but overall its perfect. Since Janson should be born on Nov 1st (the normal time we put up our Christmas tree) we hope to get it up before we leave for the hospital. I'm excited about having 6 weeks off work during the holidays. Keri and the family are gonna come up before Thanksgiving, they still haven't seen the newly remodeled/addition to the house. Then we have all the Thanksgiving family coming up that following week. Gonna be a busy and WONDERFUL holiday season!!!!

Kelson's 4 year old checkup

Hard to believe that Kelson hasn't been to the doctor since she was 2. It was time again for shots :( At least its the last round until she's 11 years old 2018 :) Her height was 40 3/4" (75% percentile). She was most excited that she's now tall enought to ride the "thunder mnt railroad" at Disneyworld. LOL. Her weight was 37lbs (75% percentile). She did wonderful on her hearing and eye tests too. Dr. Zbell said she was in perfect health and very smart. She had her tell her some colors, numbers, and asked her about her eating habits. Kelson passed with flying colors (pun intended). Now, it was time for the shots, Kelson was so young last time she had them that she wasn't sure what to expect. She had to get 3 shots, but with daddy holding her arms, the nurses holding her legs, she did great and they did a great job administering them FAST. The first one scared her a bit and she started crying, it got even worse for the next two. Its so sad to see your baby hurting :( After they got done we immediately held her and told her how good she did. She said I don't like that, why did you let them do that to me? :( that broke my heart. So we explained that everyone has to get shots to make them feel better. I happened to bring a Halloween Lalaloopsy doll for her as a surprise for being a big girl. That was a smart mommy move :) That helped heal the pain a little quicker :) Way to go mom! Of course she got the 2 stickers and 2 lolipops too. THEN.... since she did so good we all went to Chuck E Cheese. Kelson only commented on her shot wombs a few times, but overall she did great and was relieved to know she was done for a while. Sad thing for Jason and I is that we have to start all over with Janson :(

Asbury: Kelson is LOVING her school, she is a great morning person and loves to get ready to go see her "kids". She hasn't had any bad reports or anything. She brings home adorable drawings and has really seemed to be grasping the "classroom" setting. We are talking about sending her there again next year for Kindergarten. She has chapel once a week, so she's incorporated God into her day. I love that. She already had her class and individual school pictures. They have a field trip to Botanical gardens coming up and a fall festival this Friday. Sometimes I wish I was one of the "stay at home moms" so I could go and hang out with her at school :( Overall, we are SUPER excited and happy that we found this school. She really does love it and has met some great friends.

Your gonna miss this

Since Jason and I are 80% sure we are done having kids after Janson arrives, I'm really gonna miss the "tummy movements". I love feeling that little baby inside my tummy and living off what I provide him with. What a neat experience. This pregnancy has been a lot harder on me, so that's another reason we may be done. Our lifestyle isn't your typical couples either. I work full time, he's a musician- need I say more ;) But things will happen as God allows them to. Having a little girl and boy is a dream come true. Course Jason mentioned the other day that he would LOVE to have another little girl, so well see. Ya never know.

Prego Symptoms:
-Lately I've been rather tired and find it really hard to take naps with a 4 year old running around. But if I can just get 20-30 min, I'm good.
-"Roids" are trying to come back, so I'm trying to eat more fiber
-Craving ANYTHING sweet
-Swelling of the feet and hands
-Carrying LOW and have been for a few months
-Nesting desire is there, but can't do it for long
-some back issues at the first of the 3rd trimester

Had my 32.5 week checkup with Dr. Rushing and he said that I'm measuring right on, having some swelling, so I've been trying to take it easy and keep my feet up as much as much as possible. With all the stuff we have going on, that's rather hard to do. Also, I noticed my wrists are starting to hurt- like carpal tunnel- I remember my sis got that really bad with her pregnancies. I'm sure the swelling has lots to do with that though. I've gained a total of 18 lbs now and with 6 weeks left I'm going to try and keep it at the 25lbs gained marked :) Better than the 40+ I gained with Kelson. I have to admit I'm definitely not watching what I eat, but I'm trying to do better when I can.

We are just about done with Kelson's "enchanted forest" bedroom project- its gonna be soo cute. She loves her new room and seems to be enjoying it already. Her and I are going shoppins this weekend to find her the perfect bedspread for her room. We have some mural paintings to do, but overall its gonna be perfect for our little girl.

The "finding nemo" bathroom should be complete today and ready for us to clean and use by this weekend :) Yipee! I can't wait!

Then Janson's "pirate" room is just painting and installing chair rail. That's the easy part. Our friends are throwing us a couple shower on Oct 2nd. We plan to have the house done so people can check out the progress on the kids' bedrooms.
We've already received a couple gifts from our friends. We didn't have to register for many big things since a lot of Kelson's stuff was neutral colored. Smart thinking on our part. It's so cool to see all the "boy" stuff that we have already bought for our little man. I'm really ready to hold and kiss all over him, but it will be here soon! :)Just please please please don't come on Halloween baby Janson :)

We've already talked about putting up our Christmas tree early so when we get home from the hospital, it will all be done :) But well see. I doubt I'll be going to our annual Halloween party this year since its sooo close to my due date, but I may make an appearance. Course I have NO CLUE what I would be :) Hard to believe after Halloween that our little man will be here. BTW- the weather is already turning "fall"- its awesome!!!!! So breezy and beautiful outside! Yea!

Mommy/Baby Checkup

I went for my 30th week checkup with Dr. Rushing. I've been having some braxton hicks contractions and lower pressure pain ALREADY, so I was glad it was time for my appt. Dr. Rushing re-assured me that everything was fine and that it was normal. I just told him i didn't want to risk having him early by doing too much, so he just said to take it easy. I have another appt in 2 weeks, so I'll have him check me then to make sure I'm not overdoing it. My total weight gain is 14 lbs- not too bad! :) So I'm hoping once i have Janson most of that weight will go away, especially with nursing. Anyways, his heartbeat was a strong 145 and he has been VERY active. I can't believe its already time for every two week checkups. It will be time before we know it :) Yipee!!!!

This morning after several kisses good bye before leaving for work I was walking out the door and Kelson said, "Mommy wait" so she ran over to me and kissed me and then kissed my belly and smiled" Tear Tear.. it was a very sweet moment. She is going to be such an AWESOME big sister!!!!

Speaking of Kelson, she LOVES LOVES LOVES her school. We are so excited about her being there. She seems to be learning a lot and bringing home crafts and singing songs. They even go to chapel once a week, so she is learning some cute stuff. Here's one song: A-B-C-D-E-F-G, Thank you God for feeding me ;) AAAHHHH!! I'm so happy that she is happy, plus it will be a nice break for us when Jason arrives to get some baby/parent time without Kelson getting jealous or bored :)

Kelson's 4th Rapunzel Birthday Party!!!

Kelson is REALLY into Rapunzel this year, so we went with this theme. I found the invitation on Etsy. Normally I try to come up with something unique for her bday invitations and Keri will make them for me, but since she was busy this year I looked online. It turned out perfect and we got lots of compliments on them :) I even had a personalized Rapunzel shirt made for Kelson to wear to the party. Adrienne, Elliot's mom, made her cake and it was AWESOME.


This year we hosted the party at Kelson's gymnastics place "The Little Gym". They did everything, as far as setting up, decorating, assisting with the kids, presents, serving the guests, and cleaning up. It was the PERFECT thing for this year. 1) because its sooo stinkin hot outside so the outdoor party wasn't going to happen 2) No set up/clean up for us to do 3) being 7 months pregnant indoors was the best idea. The kids all loved the gym and did so well together. It was the perfect party!
We gave out paint by number books with sunburst candy to the kids to represent the Rapuzel movie. Kelson loved having her "kids" there to celebrate.

Jason's band played at the Little Gym's outdoor event in July, so we were given the bday party for free. Normally for members its $190, so that was a GREAT deal for us.


Kelson's big presents this year was an ITOUCH (4G)- pretty much her own iphone w/out the phone capabilities. She is able to download games, movies, music, cartoons, etc.. she loves it! The whole family pitched in to buy that for her. I figured instead of more "toys" that she doesn't need why not all pitch in and get her something she will use for years and years.

Bobba and Lucy fixed up a hand me down Jeep from Aunt Mariette for Kelson. She LOVED that too! A very cool birthday for a very cool girl!

Since Kelson and I were down in FL a week or so back we celebrated her bday with the FL family too. We went to Chuck E Cheese and the kids had a blast playing together. The combined party was a huge hit. We were celebrating Keri, Kelson, Papa, and Corgan's bday! It was lots of fun for everyone. She got lots of neat presents there too. Such a blessed little girl.

SMILE!!! Your on the 4D camera

Kelson and I went down the first week of August to see Keri and the family. While we were there, Keri gave me her 4D ultrasound gift certificate she had received from Nanny's house (she was too far along to use it). So it was a plus to our vacation with the family. Janson was VERY active and had his hands or legs over his face a majority of the time. By looking at the pics, its amazing at how much he looks more masculine. We had to get a few "boy" shots just to be sure.
Jason had to play some gigs, so he couldn't be with us, but we got a DVD and CD of the pics so we had those to share when we got back home. Kelson stayed with Papa and played with her cousins. She did really well and smam without swimmies at their house. My big girl! Hard to believe I'm not 29 weeks along- 11 more weeks, well 10 if I stick to my 11/1/11 date :)

One of these things is different than the others

Well, I have to say that this pregnancy is totally different from my last one. I'm having lower back pains, swolleness, tired all of the time, and a big baby bump early on. I don't know if that's because I'm 4 years older or if its just because its a boy ;) I heard that boys are different to carry, so I'm now a believer. My cravings are pretty much the same. I prefer dessert over anything else. I had a checkup the first part of August and the baby and I are doing great. Perfect heartbeat, I've only gained a total of 11lbs (which I'm still in shock about that), and he is measuring perfect. No more problems since back in May - thank GOD!!!! Janson's been moving around a while bunch lately- especially at night. I love that feeling. I booked a maternity/family picture session with Whispers Photography for Sept 1st. I'm really looking forward to it. I don't plan to get many maternity pics, just a few to capture my pregnancy with him. I bought a great deal online $69 for the hr session with an 11x14 and 2 5x7 prints. That alone is worth the $69 deal. Of course I've already started looking for Thanksgiving and Christmas card attire :) How fun!!!

Pre-K- what a drama fest

So we let Kelson try out Country Day school for a month and weren't that impressed. I think its because it was their summer program, but I couldn't see paying $370/month for them to pretty much just let Kelson play and babysit her when we have Jason and his mom available to do that already. She was going 3 days a week from 8:30-11:30. The place wasn't very clean and they didn't seem to be learning that much, so I decided to post something on facebook and ask around for other options. I got a lot of ideas, but some of them had no availabilty (since I waited too long) and the pricey were NUTS. Jason, Lucy, Kelson, and I did go check out St. John's, but they are one of the schools on a waiting list. So the frustration began. I know that my baby girl is already advanced for her age, due to the fact that we work with her and have since she was a little baby, even with the baby signing. So, I was trying to figure out if she even needed to go to Pre-K before starting Kindergarten!? After several e-mails, calls, etc.. I finally found a place I think Kelson, Jason, and I will love. Asbury Workday School. Two friends of mine recommendedit. My qualificiations for a Pre-K were: part time- since I didn't want Kelson to get burned out, a clean place, a playground, religion in the school, good hours, no nap time, local- Madison area, reasonably priced, and great reviews from other parents. This place seemed to have it all, so I'm going to go on a tour of the school this week to check it out. They had one more spot available! I love the fact that they have christmas programs and field trips too. I've been to Asbury church several times and really enjoyed it, so that was another plus. Also, I've been looking for a "family type" of church to start attending, so if Kelson starts school there I think it will only make it an easier transition to start attending church there too :) Great for the whole family. The price is $200/mo for M/W/F from 9-1. $75registration, $75 field trip fees, and $30 school fee up front.
I'm looking forward to touring the school. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm just glad that stress of finding a place for her is OVER :)