IT'S A BOY!!!!

Well, we officially have a little boy on our hands! In approximately 20 more weeks, we will get to meet our son, Bryson Laroy Leonard!

Let me tell you, this name has not been easy to come by, but we were determined, as soon as we found out the sex, we would decide on a name for this little one! We had a girl's name picked out with no trouble at all. I had no idea that boys' names were so difficult. As soon as the ultrasound tech said, "Whoa! Yeah, that's a boy!" I turned to Gene and said, "We're gonna have to work on a name!" From that point on, the wheels were turning. I even went so far as to take suggestions on Facebook and download a babyname app on my phone! We spent the entirety of Kaylee's dance class time going through lists of names. By the time we arrived home, I had a list narrowed down of names I liked. Of course, Gene didn't like any of them! I insisted to him, "We NEED a name for this boy!" He took my phone and went back through the thousands of names, and then he gave me a list of the ones he liked. Of the six or so names he gave me, there were only three of them I liked. And it never fails, every one of them were names that friends of our's have already used. Fortunately, we have great friends who love their children's names so much, they are more than happy to share! I took a second Facebook poll on the three names we had picked, and left it for the night. At around two o'clock this morning, I awoke from one of my usual crazy dreams, and one of the names kept rolling through my mind. This went on for about two hours until I told myself, "I guess that's his name!" I got up this morning, did the normal routine, then checked my Facebook. Most of our friends seemed to, overwhelmingly, choose the same name that had "chosen me" during the night! I sent Gene a text, and the deal was done! Our son now had a name - Bryson Laroy Leonard!

I am so excited to begin preparations for Bryson's arrival! I had picked out a nursery design that I absolutely fell in love with the moment I saw it on Pinterest! Here is the general idea:



We decided not to go overboard on bedding, since we learned with Kaylee that: 1) They don't stay in the crib that long, and 2) Babies can do some damage! I did find a crib bumper that works perfectly, though, and it is currently on sale. I couldn't help myself, so I ordered it last night! This is what I chose:

I love the red/brown/cream color combo, and I think it will be perfect for our little man! I'm not so much an airplane fan, so we will forego the matching sheets and blanket for solid colors. We're going to use Kaylee's crib, which is a natural finish, and we'll be looking for a chest of drawers to double as a changing station - probably something second-hand. I guess we have some projects to get busy on!

I know that having a boy will be a new adventure for us! Kaylee is already planning how she's going to play with him and boss him around. She asked me this morning if she'd be able to hold him, to which I told her yes. I know she's going to be a great big sister and a great role model for Bryson!

As for now, Bryson is a healthy boy, growing more and more each day! He's right on track for his due date, though I wouldn't mind if he came a couple weeks early like Kaylee. (We make big babies!) His head is measuring a half-week ahead of his body, so you know where my mind is headed! Ah-hem.... I told Gene that he better not have put a big-headed boy in there! Kaylee had a tiny little head, and that was more than enough for me to "handle." (Sorry...tmi!) Bryson's hands look so big already. He was waving during the ultrasound - friendly little guy! His legs and arms looked really long, too, but he would never stretch out to get a good length on him. Just as I predicted, the week we have our ultrasound, he decided to go into hiding and burrow down! I have no idea where my children get their stubbornness from!

As for the pregnancy, in general, everything checked out good! Dr. Cornett lowered my blood pressure medicine because I've been nearly blacking out at random times. She said it's either that or my blood sugar getting low. She told me to start adding frequent protein/carbohydrate snacks into my daily routine, too. You don't have to tell me twice! I'm already to the point where I can't eat a lot at one time, but I am hungry nearly a half-hour after I eat. I go back to see her in a couple of weeks to double-check how the new blood pressure dosage is working. I told Gene, last night, that maybe the lower blood pressure this time around means this boy will be easy going like him instead of high-strung like me! (I'm convinced that's why Kaylee is the way she is...she made my blood pressure go up-up-up when she was in there!) I failed to remember to tell the doctor about my contractions a couple weeks ago - I can't ever remember the important things when I'm in the office! I assume everything is good, though, since we both came out with clean bills of health! I did get my flu shot, and I have the sore arm and head congestion to prove it! I guess it's better than getting the full-blown flu, though!

We made our "down-payment" for Bryson yesterday at the doctor's office, so we own half of him, now! It's a good thing we have insurance - that's all I can say! I do know that Hill Country Memorial can stop sending me mail asking for my donations because they will probably get a good chunk of our tax return next year! And NO, one Motrin should not cost $24!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now! For the next 20 weeks, I'll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little Easter baby boy!!! Until next time...

Love and blessings,
Jessie