Picture Fest

One of our shopping days at Gymboree...Foster, Paul David and Lily watching GymTV...that Gymboree, they think of it all...entertainment for the kiddos while the Mommies spend the money:

Santa brought Paul David this sucker for Christmas, but we just unearthed it. It made the cutest pictures:

One of my "Outdoor Ideas" that I never got around to...painting the fence with water:

Playing Baseball yesterday:

Somewhere along the way, he's learned to put the bat to the ball before he hits it:

Trying on my flip flops:

My Sleeping Monkey today after our afternoon errands:

Paul David LOVES the van by the way! He begs to go ride in "Mommy's Car!" I love that I can open that door, and he can easily climb right in and up into his seat! It's the little things that make my little world better:)

38 Weeks

To celebrate Baby being 38 Weeks, I wanted to write down some things about this pregnancy so that I would remember it.

• I had very little morning sickness, but lots of bouts of nausea (sorry all you gals out there that have it...I'm so sorry). Thankfully, it all ended when I found out I was almost 12 weeks along instead of 10.

• I have craved different things with this pregnancy:
• Totinos Pizzas
• Grapefruit
• Nacho Cheese Doritos
• Fruit in general
• Cereal
• CHUY's Mexican Food---specifically the Wednesday Special
• Milk
• Anything with Carbs
  

(for the record, I mostly craved Cheeseburgers and Tacos with Paul David)

• My biggest Food aversion this time has been FISH (with Paul David it was chicken)

• I felt this baby kicking way before I did with Paul David, but the kicks seem milder...they're more like rolls

• This baby gets the hiccups A LOT...like all the time! I remember Paul David having them, but not this much!
  

• I am WAY more tired this time than I remember being before...guessing having a 2 year old and being 2 years older have some to do with that!

• I have not swollen like I did before. I have finally put my rings away because they kept getting stuck...but that was only a couple of weeks ago. With Paul David, my feet started swelling about a month and a half before my due date!

• My body aches more this time around. When I wake up (3-10 times a night), it's all I can do to get out of bed, then I creak all the way to the bathroom.
  

• I haven't suffered from Carpel Tunnel yet like I did before. I remember wondering if I would even be able to hold the baby my wrists hurt so much.
  

• I stay HOT all the time. I am so thankful that I don't have to go through the rest of the summer this big. God Bless all of you July, August, September Mommies.
  

• I feel more prepared this time because I'm preparing to expect the unexpected. I think I had the big head with Paul David...turned out all that babysitting meant NOTHING!

• I have bought a bunch of BOY and GIRL clothing. With Paul David, I only bough UNISEX clothing. What is wrong with me? Fortunately, I've gotten pretty good deals on most of it, so we won't be out too much. As much as I do love the fact that we'll get to use most of our boy clothes again if we have a boy, I think there will be plenty of shopping to do (at least in the beginning) since they'll be born in totally different seasons...and that kind of excites me! Little baby clothes are just too adorable not to buy!
  

• My prediction for the baby is:

BOY
no real reason, just that's what I think:)
6 pounds 14 ounces
JUNE 4th

That's all I can think of right now!
Hope I'm not boring you all with all the baby talk...kind of what's on the brain:)

Memorial Day Weekend!

We had a fun...yeah, not really...weekend. It started out fun because my mom came to visit us. Paul David lit up when he saw her and of course started in on the "Go to Nana's House. See Preston!"

Saturday afternoon is where it all went down hill for me. It started with a little scratchy throat. By the time I went to bed, it HURT when I swallowed and my head was really starting to hurt. I took some Tylenol Multi-Sympton Sinus/Allergy Something and went to bed, but I didn't sleep much. Sunday morning I decided to call my OB's Emergency Line, and the nurse there said that it sounded like a Sinus infection and to just keep taking Sudafed and rest. Well, easier said than done with Paul David in the house. My mom finally took him to the park so that I could rest some:

Check out his Big Brother shirt. He's practicing:

When they got back, I felt much better. We all went to lunch at Fuddrucker's, then my mom got ready to leave. She put Paul David down for a nap first, so that she could kind of "sneak" out. I went to bed, too after she left. Of course of all days, Paul David only slept like an hour and a half. I tried to get him just to lay down with me, but he literally laid there and talked for like 30 minutes.

I finally called Paul (oh yeah, he was at his parent's smoking our brisket and ribs for Memorial Day lunch) to come and get him.

By this time my whole head...ears, eyes, throat...felt like they were going to explode off my neck. NO joke...I have NEVER felt that bad EVER in my life. Finally, at about 6, I called my OB ER line again, and she called me back this time. She faxed in a prescription for a ZPAK...I don't know who invented that thing, but I am so happy that person did. Paul picked it up around 8, and I took the first 2 plus some Nightime Tylenol Mult-Symptom Sinus/Allergy concoction that knocked me out.

Monday morning, I woke up a whole NEW person. My ears and nose were still stopped up without any pain, but on a scale of one to ten (ten being the best) I was a 6. Sunday, I was a 1!

So, Paul and I went and did something I'm sure we'd never, ever thought we'd do. We bought a MINIVAN...that's right, I'm now a Minivan Momma:

Isn't it a beauty??? We're so happy with it. I think we've come to that point in our lives where comfort, space, functionality, and convenience just override everything else. It kind of reminds me of the place I've come with my clothes and shoes.

Anyway, we got a great deal on it at Goodson Honda North (which we would recommend to anyone...they were awesome...even when Paul whipped out the folder full of all the research he'd done!) I know we'll be keeping this FOREVER because it's going to serve our family well FOREVER! I can't get over all the storage we have for stuff in the back and can still have 3 extra people ride with us, even with two carseats in it. That just wasn't happening in the Pilot. We had to choose...people or stroller. With the extra car seat, people in the 3rd row just wasn't going to happen unless they climbed through the back. We're very, very pleased with it. It is way nicer on the inside than we anticipated. It's amazing all you get when you just want the DVD package!

And finally, Minivan Driving Momma and Baby at 37.5 weeks:

Whoa, baby! Only a week and a couple of days left! Oh, it's getting so close!

Our Last Hurrah...

Just call me crazy now! Last week, Paul David was looking at the book I made when we went to Sea World. He kept saying, "I wanna see the fish. I wanna see the sharks!" Well, I got this hair brained idea to take him to the Aquarium Downtown in lieu of Sea World. I was feeling really bad that pretty much life as he knows it is about over. Anyway, Paul was onboard and planned this whole great day for us.

Check out this alligator...it was just floating in the water...kind of reminded me of me in the pool. I thought this was a pretty cool picture, too with the reflection and all:

Touching a crab:

WHOA...big white Tiger...at the Aquarium????

Then we rode this:

And saw these swimming ALL around us:

After we battled about a thousand kids on field trips, we decided it was time for a break and lunch. We went and caught this:

and rode to the Medical Center where we had some yummy burgers at Miller's Cafe.
Paul David has been begging to ride the "Bullet Train" as he puts it. That's what we're here for...making dreams come true!

When we got back to the Aquarium, the field trips had all headed back to school, so we were able to ride the Shark train twice without ever getting off.

I'm not sure what's going on with Paul David and pictures lately, but his HANDS are in his FACE in a ton of them...driving me nuts.

Anyway, this picture made the whole trip worth while...all the aches, pains, and pure exhaustion I'm feeling right now all go away when I look at this picture:

and this one:

He was saying, "Sharks! Sharks!" in case you couldn't read his lips!

I got him on the carousel to pick an animal to ride. He beelined it to the bench:

Last trip through the fish house...I got him in the scuba diver:

I'm so glad we did this today. It was way worth my weekend recovery time!

Haircut

Paul David went and got another haircut today. It really didn't LOOK like it needed to be cut, but it was getting really hard to comb without pulling the hair out of his head. Those curls are adorable, but they get so tangly. I would have never thought I'd have a boy that I had to use detangler on his hair.

Before the haircut...and NOT wanting his picture made:

After the haircut:

So in the pictures, you can't really tell that much of a difference, but there is...believe me!
I think it's going to be a lot better now...at least for a couple of weeks:)

Astros Game 3

We loaded up and went to the Astros Game last night. This was my last game for awhile...I just don't think I'm up for going the week of the baby coming:)

Here's the biggest 2 year old Astro Fan:

Here's Uncle Bobby and Paul David and Uncle Justin and Lily:

Lily and Paul David sat with Paw Paw and cheered for every play of the game...didn't matter what team. When there was a crack of the bat, the cheering began!

Mimi kept Lily and Paul David together yesterday while I went to my ultrasound. She said that they were in the car going or coming from the park, and Lily said, "I love you, Paul David!" Paul David said, "I ove you, Didy!" Lily says back "My name is not Didy. My name is Wiwy...just Wiwy!" It cracked me up!

Baby, School and Lily's Party!

First, we'll start with Baby! I had another (and probably last) ultrasound today. She did all her measurements and started to get some pictures of the face. All of a sudden, I started having hot flashes, and she asked if I was okay. I said that I was getting hot, so she told me to sit up. The baby was laying on all my organs...so I was bummed that we had to cut it short. She did get a cute side picture of baby:

After all the measurements, she said that Baby was "fluffy" (her words not mine). At 32 weeks, Baby was in the 6oth percentile at a little under 4 pounds. Today at 37 weeks, Baby was in the 82nd percentile at 7 lbs. 6 oz. WHOA! Now, to put it in perspective, Paul David was 6 pounds at 35 weeks and only came out 7 lbs. 12 oz. She said that if the baby is long and skinny (like Paul David was) that it could be off.

I'm kind of hoping it's off a little because I had this dream the other night that the baby came out 10 pounds and was busting the seams of the Going Home Outfit:

It's just a simple white gown and hat with a yellow checked bow. I took it to my sweet lady who embroiders for me, and she's anxiously awaiting my call to let her know what monogram to put on the front. It's just adorable and I know a bit over the top, but I feel like this baby if a boy will be looking at a life of Hand Me Downs, so this is a special outfit just for this Baby.

Now, School---Paul David's last day of school was Monday...WHAH!
Here he is with his teachers Mrs. Anne (L) and Mrs. Joan (R):

They were just fabulous, and they sent him home with the sweetest notes and other gifts. It was the best year...now we can't wait for July---he's going on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July!

Finally, Lily's Birthday Party!!!

Lily turned 3 on Monday, and they had her party on Sunday at Chuck E Cheese:

Aunt Janet had the BEST time ever playing the games:

Paul David spent most of his tokens on Baseball and the Train:

Happy Birthday to Lily:

Cousin Dan had fun with Paul David:

Lily decided just to dig into the volcano:

So, it's only 2 weeks from tomorrow until my c-section...AAAAHHHH!
We're pretty ready, but I also keep telling myself that this baby is easier INSIDE me that out. I'm so glad that we didn't find out the sex of the baby...it's giving me something to look forward to rather than the surgery! These 2 weeks are going to fly by!

Swimming Fun...

Paul David had a big break through day in the pool on Saturday. We've kind of ruined him when we really thought we were doing good. Our plan was to get him back in the pool/hot tub as soon as we could to keep up all the progress he made last summer (he had NO fear and would jump off the side and swim underwater to you). Well, the hot tub was the warmer place to put him (since he has NO body fat...yes, I'm jealous) and it has become a crutch. He calls it the baby pool, and he is Way Too Comfortable in there. This last week, it's been hot enough to get in the big pool, but he "did not want to do it!" Saturday, we announced that the Baby Pool was CLOSED, so we had to get in the big pool first.

Watch the progression of the day.

Check out the death grip on Daddy...but he's all decked out in swimming wear:

"Mommy, DO NOT let me GO!"

He finally relaxed enough to have a little fun:

Then, he decided to do a little swimming while he FUSSED...granted this was about 2 hours into our swim:

Things got more comfortable and a little happier:

Our waterproof camera has video, too:


Then, lo and behold, he got rid of the floaties and was swimming on his own. YAY! All in one day...maybe 3 hours:

By the end of the day, he was jumping and going under in the hot tub---yes, we finally opened it after about 4 hours in the pool. I was so proud of him...and a bit relieved that he was finally having fun:

Now, here are just some fun shots of the day.

I like to call this one Mike, Sarah, and Justin's new Family Portrait:

How cute is this:

I think we may have given a false picture of what we do in the pool. Most of the pictures are for fun, we really don't "swim" a lot...we mostly do this:

Float around on floaties. We like to call ourselves Hippopotamus in the pool! Sometimes, we just stand around in the pool...we're pretty lazy!

Now, we usually use big people floaties...like noodles and such.
Paw Paw decided to have a little fun with the kiddie floaties though...he was actually floating, too:

Paul David in Mimi's hat:

We were trying to get our swimming in before this front came through. It's supposed to be so nice this next week, and of course cooler, so that means the pool time will be a little harder...just when we got him doing so well!