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

19 Weeks!!!

It's only four more days until we get to have our ultrasound to see our bun that is now 19 weeks baked! You would think that would ease my mind, having such a short time to wait, but for some reason, as that day approaches, I continue to be more and more anxious!

The baby has been squirming around like crazy - pretty much every day. There will be times of stillness, but for the most part, this one's a mover and shaker, for sure! I can remember when we went for the anatomy scan and gender reveal ultrasound with Kaylee, she didn't cooperate at all. She was down low, and she kept moving into places where the tech was unable to get good measurements. We had ended up having to go the hospital so they could make sure everything was measuring correctly. Sure enough, she was perfect! This time around, the baby is riding high. I'm hoping this means that he or she will be easy to work with, come Tuesday!

What is my fear? I have that fear that, I suppose, every pregnant woman has. What if I go in there, and they tell me there is something wrong? I know that we will love this child, no matter what, but I hope and pray that he or she doesn't have to face any bigger challenges that those that are already ahead. My doctor asked me, at my last appointment, if we wanted to do any genetic testing. Of course, my reply was no. I love this child, and nothing can change that - now or ever. Still, I have that fear.

Yesterday evening, I had been watching television, facebooking and cruising Pinterest, as I do each evening, and the fear just seemed to overwhelm me. I try not to let it show because I don't want to scare Kaylee, and Gene just thinks I'm a fool for worrying about things out of my control. I decided that holding it in wasn't doing me any good either. So, what was I to do? I did the only thing I can do, and I handed it over to the Lord. Any situation He leads me to, I know He will be there to help me through it. I have to trust in that. I will pray each day, up until our ultrasound and each day thereafter, for His strength. I will pray that He watches over this little one as he or she continues to grow inside of me. I will pray that He will continue to watch over my son or daughter throughout the years to come. After all, our children are His children, first, last and always. He trusts them to our care and love during their short time here on earth.

"So, Lord, I ask this of you. Please hold unto my child, as you do, and provide me with the strength to help him or her grow into the precious gift that you intended for us. Grant me the peace I need to get through, not only the next four days, but to make it through the next 21 weeks. Thank you for all of your blessings!"

To all who take the time to read my ramblings, thank you!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

18 Weeks!

Here we are at 18 weeks! I can't believe this pregnancy is almost halfway through! Time seems to be flying by so quickly. According to babycenter.com, our baby is roughly 5 1/2 inches long and about 7 ounces. I know that sounds tiny, but when this little one gets to moving, it feels like he/she is doing acrobatics in there! There's still a split decision among friends and family on whether we have a girl or a boy in there. Going on my personal experience, I would guess a boy, if I had to guess, but that's only because things are so different this time around. I know that's not a reliable explanation, though. The countdown is on for us to find out, and after today, it will be only 10 days until we know what this little person growing inside me is!

This past week has been a bit stressful for me - although, I've been doing my best not to let it show. I began having Braxton Hicks contractions while at the Aggie football game last Saturday. I did my best to brush it off - blaming it on too much walking and not enough water. Sunday came and went, and I felt just fine. On Monday, out of nowhere, I had some more contractions. They weren't really painful - at least I don't think they were. I have a fairly high pain tolerance. That was the last of them, but it was enough to scare me into a state of "little activity as possible." I even took up hand embroidery to make myself sit still most of the days! (I may have developed a serious addiction in this!) I will be glad when the next 10 days are over, and the doctor can tell me that the baby is safe, healthy and perfectly fine!

I have a plan to start walking in the evenings, and Gene has said he wants to come along. (He may have gained a pregnancy pound or two in the last few months!) I know it will be good for me and great for an easier labor down the road. I have a pretty good handle on my weight, right now, but that's not to say I won't blow up next week! I am still struggling not to concentrate on the number on the scale, but seeing it pretty much unchanged for the last couple weeks has eased my mind. The holidays are around the corner, though, and I have a feeling I may gain a turkey breast and a slice of pecan pie...or three! I don't think I've ever looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner so much before! I've been fighting the urge to start baking already - even though it's one of my absolute FAVORITE past times!

Well, that's about all I have to update for now. With the holidays coming up, my posts will probably become more plentiful and hopefully, full of exciting information! I hope each and every one of you are enjoying this month of thanksgiving, and I will be in touch soon with more on our little life!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Aggieland 2011

Every year, our family makes it's way to Aggieland to yell for our Aggies at a football game, eat great food and spend some quality time together. We hope to be able to continue this tradition throughout our lives - as it is a great time and crucial to the development of "Future Aggies!"

This year, we had a great time, as usual! We always try to get there just in time for lunch at the Dixie Chicken, where you can find the best hamburgers on this planet and a wonderful side called Tijuana fries! We make sure, each year, to get a picture of Kaylee in front of the Chicken. Here is how much our girl has grown from her first trip!

2007 - Technically, this was her first trip to the Chicken, but not during football season!

2011 - Oh, how much our girl has grown!

I also love getting a picture of Kaylee and her daddy on their way down "Bottlecap Alley." I picture them walking it together even when she's grown up and having little Aggies of her own!

2008



2011 - My loves!

I made it a point, this year, to get some extra special family photos taken during our trip. Next year, there will be a new member, so this year seemed like one of those moments I wanted to commemorate!

I love my family, and I love Aggieland - my second home! These are some very special memories we share together, each year, and, win or lose, we always manage to enjoy our time spent together there! Here's to many more years and memories to go!

Love and Blessings,

Jessie



Growing Up...

Today, Kaylee and I went with my sister and her kids to Love Creek Orchards in Medina to their pumpkin patch. It's a place we try to go every fall, and they have lots of fun for the kids and some great photo opportunities, as well! We first took the kids when they weren't quite two years old, and they really enjoyed it. Last year we weren't able to go with my sister, but we did go with some other friends. It was really nice to have all three kids together this year, and it's crazy to think that there will be one more added to the mix next year!

As we made our way through all of the different activities, painting pumpkins, the big haybale maze, petting zoo, etc., it was crazy to think how this has become a part of our lives and our childrens' lives. I can remember the first year we took them, and to think about how much they've grown, it kind of makes me sad. I couldn't help but go back to look at photos from the previous years to see how much our babies are growing up. Here's a flash of the years past for you to enjoy, as well!

2008

 



2009



2010



2011





16 Weeks!

Today, we had our 16 week appointment to listen to the baby's heartbeat, again! This time, Kaylee was along for the ride, and I was very much looking forward to seeing her reaction. A month ago, when I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, Dr. Cornett really had to get in there to find this little one. Today, she barely touched the doppler to my belly and that little heart was beating away at 160 bpm! Kaylee thinks it sounds like the wind blowing, so now, everytime she hears the wind, she says, "That sounds like my baby's heart!" When asked what she thought about the whole situation, her reply was, "It's really loud, and it's nice, too!"

Kaylee is still very concerned about this baby going away like our last baby. She even told Dr. Cornett that she really hoped her baby was still okay. I think this stems from the fact that I have been sick with a stomach virus for the past two days - one that I got from taking care of Kaylee when she had it Sunday and Monday. I think, or at least I hope, that next month when she gets to "see" the baby again, that her mind will be put a little more at ease, and that she will be able to really envision her baby arriving in the next four months!

So, for all of you awaiting that big gender announcement, you better hope that November 15th is the magic day that this little one decides to do that perfect "pose" and let's us know if he is a he or she is a she! We will be blessed either way! Until then, I will work on getting my health back in order, feeling this little one wriggle around in there (yes, it started last week!!!), and looking forward to seeing "pictures" of my little sweet baby in less than a month!!!

Love and Blessings,
Jessie

Occupying My Time...

We are now at 15 weeks! Hooray!!! Time is really flying by, and if I didn't already have enough other things to do, I have now decided to take up crafting. I blame it on Pinterest - that site is addicting!

I used to be artsy when I was younger, but over the years, other things have begun to occupy my time. I don't really think anything has changed, but for some reason, I have developed the urge to create things for our home. For anyone that has visited our house, you may have noticed that there are a lot of bare walls. I have been very wary of putting things on the walls without being 100% sure that I can live with them for the entirety of my life.

Let me give you a back story to that fear. I come from a long line of borderline hoarders, and I have sworn to myself that I would never succumb to the urge to "collect" too much of any one item. My Oma had shelves of tchotchkes collected from various places and displayed throughout her home along with family photos. My mother has taken it to another level, even moreso, since having grandchildren, and has collectables, momentos from their travels, candles, photos and more, filling shelves and on the mantle of my parents' fireplace. Rather than replace older photos with new ones, she just gets new frames and the "clutter" continues on. I'm not knocking anyone for doing this...it's just not my taste. While I love having photos of family and friends throughout my home, I have always loved the look of model homes with the more artful appeal. I'd like to think when my home is "complete" someday, it will be a good balance of both. I want people to know a family lives here, but I also like the classy and clean look! I am determined to prove that you can have both!


Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones surging throughout my body, or maybe it's just boredom - I have no idea the source. These bare walls are screaming for my attention! The first project I took on was an addition to Kaylee's room. She loves butterflies, and she's always looking through the potterybarn kids magazine longingly wishing for one of the cute little girl rooms they display. She brings the magazine to me from time to time expressing her wishes for something that would be good for her room. Awhile back, she showed me some butterflies they had for the wall, but for anyone who knows, nothing sold by potterybarn is cheap. A couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon a tutorial on Pinterest on how to make the butterflies shown in those magazines out of scrapbook paper. Who knew it was such a simple task? I decided to go for it! I grabbed some scrapbooking paper that I have used to do some other projects for Kaylee, printed out a butterfly pattern on them, cut them out, folded up the wings and put them up on her wall with command hook tape (for easy removal in the future). It was way too easy, and turned out so very cute!

That project took all of 15 minutes, so I decided to attempt another item I had found on Pinterest. In Kaylee's bathroom, there is an entire drawer devoted to the storage of bows, ribbons, clips, hairbands, etc. The drawer is overflowing, and Kaylee is always getting new bows for her hair. When we moved into the house, Kaylee was not quite two, so we just decorated her bathroom in what we had lots of - rubber duckies! She is quickly growing too old for rubber duckies, and I have been wanting her to have a more mature bathroom, even if she'll be sharing it with a baby brother or sister. The project I found seems to be a good start and something to work around when looking for new decor for her bathroom. Plus, it's a bow holder! Talk about two birds with one stone! All I needed was an old picture frame, some cotton batting, some fabric, colorful ribbons, spray paint, and a handy husband helper! I "stole" a frame from my parents that had been hanging in their storage building for years, spray painted it with an ivory color that we had on hand, and gathered the other materials while it dried. I had Gene cut me a backerboard to fit the frame (since it didn't have one), and I wrapped it with the batting and fabric. I then spaced out the ribbons to my liking, and fastened it into the, now dry, frame. I had Gene staple on a thin piece of cardboard-like material to the back to finish it off, and voila, it was done! Rather than hang it on the wall, I am going to get an easel to display it on the previously vacant countertop in the bathroom. I like to think of it as functional artwork!

 As stated in a previous post, we recently "remodeled" our office. I had made a trip to Kirkland Home (one of my favorite places), for some decorating inspiration, and I did manage to find a few items that I thought suited the room. It has still been left with two bare walls, though. I have been brainstorming on what I should do with those walls for some time now, and I finally decided that at least one of them needs that combo of an artful, yet personal, touch! I have made this my current project, and I have chosen an item that I found on Pinterest (of course). Though I have some work to do on it, I wanted to share with you what the end product will be similar to. Yes, that's a curtain rod fastened to the wall with screws displaying block lettering that has been modge podged with scrapbook paper and vinyl lettering. I plan to purchase some black picture frames to display photos of our family in a collage above the curtain rod. I am very excited about this, and I can't wait to see how it turns out!

So, aside from dance, soccer, grocery shopping, errands, parties, housework, yardwork, playing incubator, doctor's appointments, teeth cleanings, cooking, baking, entertaining Kaylee and preparing for the upcoming holiday season, I have now found one more thing to occupy all of those hours left in the week - crafting! I am really enjoying it! I guess now we'll just have to wait and see what the 16th week of pregnancy has to offer next week! Until then...

Love and Blessings,
Jessie

UPDATE!!! HERE IS THE FINISHED OFFICE WALL PROJECT: