Staying Positive...

Tomorrow, I will, officially, be 34 weeks. Where has the time gone? I saw my OB yesterday for a checkup, and everything looks good for my due date of April 6th! It's so close yet so far away! I have been having some spikes in my blood pressure, which has been, otherwise, fabulous throughout this pregnancy. It may just be the excitement of the close approaching birth of our son getting me worked up. Perhaps, it's me stressing about having everything ready for him before he arrives. I can tell you what hasn't helped it - Tilson deciding to change insurance providers on their employees this year! Fortunately, the current contract isn't up until April 31st, so I am confident that we will make that date. Unfortunately, the thousands of dollars we shell out for this pregnancy are, basically, down the drain after that date. Now, I am forced to make the decision to have a necessary surgery much closer to Bryson's delivery than I had hoped.

Let me back track. I had a hernia surgery before we got pregnant with Kaylee. The hernia was caused by a tumor that I have growing inside of me. The surgeon removed the tumor (non-cancerous) and repaired the hernia, but he did say that the tumor would most probably grow back and would need to be removed again. In the past five years, that tumor did grow back...double the size it was before. We had discussed that it needed to be removed before we tried for another pregnancy, but having a baby was more important to me at the time. After I got pregnant with Bryson, that is when the tumor really started causing me pain. Of course, there is nothing that can be done until after he is delivered. Since he has changed positions, I haven't really noticed the pain, as much or at all, for that matter. My concern is, though, that we would like to have another child closely after Bryson, and I'm not sure if I can handle the pain during another pregnancy.

That puts us in our current position. I don't even know if my doctor, or the surgeon, would be willing to allow the surgery within the three week window I have to get it done under our current deductible. I know that we don't have the money lying around to meet a second deductible this year, and I could never burden my family with that type of financial stress. This is the last thing I need to be thinking about, right now, but I can't seem to get it off of my mind.

I know that I should be counting my blessings that we DO have medical insurance and that we DO have the means to pay for this child. I know everything, however unfortunate the timing, happens for a reason. Maybe, I am not meant to have the tumor removed. Maybe something bad is going to happen if I do. I've lived with it for five years...and many more prior to it's original removal. I don't think I'm in the state of mind I need to be, at the moment, to make this decision. I know that I definitely won't be AFTER Bryson is born. A colicky Kaylee nearly sent me to the nut house in the weeks after her birth!

Well, thank you for taking the time to listen to me whine and complain! I figure that this is as good of a place to do it as any! In the meantime, I am going to do my best to get this off my mind by counting my blessings that I have here with me and those coming soon! Positive thoughts are going to keep me sane in the next few weeks, and lots of love and prayers from friends and family will be needed, too!

Bryson will be here before we know it, and I am getting more and more excited about that every single day! I'll be sure to update when we know anything else!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Baby Update...As Promised...

As promised, I am posting an updated picture of our little man! He has grown so much since the last time we got to take a peak inside and is a whopping 3 lbs. 14 oz. as of...well, a week ago! I can only assume he's grown a little since then. Size wise, he is on target for his April 6th due date, although his head is measuring about a week and a half farther along. The ultrasound tech tried to rush that measurement along so that I wouldn't see it, but I knew what I was looking for! I need to mentally prepare myself for what's coming out of me - literally. Little heads, big heads....I'm sure they all hurt, but knowing what to expect seems to calm my fears a bit! So here is our boy, in all of his glory!

I spent a long time comparing this picture to one we have of Kaylee to see any similarities, but other than their kissy lips and little noses, they don't seem to have the same "features" at all. I'm pretty sure Bryson is taking after his daddy in the chin department. Kaylee and I have my grandmother's pronounced chin. It looks as if he's going to have that long Leonard forehead, as well, but that is hard to tell. He does have a very deep skull, so a big headed boy is definitely in my future! Obviously, these predictions are all subjective, and I could be completely wrong, but it's fun to guess! His only guarantees are dimples and little ears! We hit the genetic jackpot on those two features. Go ahead, check us out next time you see us....CRAZY little ears! It definitely makes buying sunglasses and ear pods challenging, but it's better than being able to fly with those things! Dimples...well, historically, I believe they were frowned upon, but these days, everyone seems to love our family dimples! I like 'em! I am also predicting another blue eyed baby. Gene's eyes are brown - as are both of his parents' eyes. My eyes are blue. My dad's are blue, and my mom's are brown. My mom is wishing and hoping for a brown eyed grandchild, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were her. Our blue eyed gene is some magical phenomenon, and it comes in all shades! Kaylee's are the least blue, but I attribute that to her eye surgeries that have affected her pigmentation. Still, they are blue, and I'm 90% confident Bryson's will be blue, too! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he'll have some big ol' feet, as well! Kaylee came out with feet the size of a two month old, but with her mommy and daddy both having skis attached to our legs, it was inevitable! No matter what Bryson looks like or what features he has been blessed with, we will love our bundle of joy! We feel so blessed to have him coming into our lives, and already, I can't imagine life without him!

I do have to say, being within eight weeks of my due date is making me a bit nervous! I know, I know...I've been through it before, but have I really? With Kaylee, I didn't have to go into labor - I was induced. That, in itself, is the devil's way for women to give birth, but desperate times call for desperate measures. My blood pressure was not going to allow Miss Kaylee to stay in there a day longer! This pregnancy, I have been very healthy. Only in the past week has my blood pressure gone up the slightest bit, and it's still in the safe zone! With any luck, things will remain good, and I will get to "go into labor" naturally. This is frightening, though, since I haven't had the experience before. Where will my water break? What time of day will it happen? Will Gene be hours away at work? Will I have to drive myself to the hospital? Yes, I am probably overthinking it all, but I have a lot of unanswered questions. When my mom was pregnant with me, my dad made her go stay in town with my Oma when she got close to my due date. Of course, she was 21 with a 3 year old and a car that you couldn't always count on to make it into town. I don't have the option of staying close to town, but my 17 miles from the hospital are much faster and easier than my mom's 17 miles nearly 31 years ago. I guess that all I can do is have my bag packed and hope for the best! Most importantly, we will be meeting our son very soon, and I am looking forward to seeing our miracle as he enters into this world! Let's just make sure that's in a hospital with medical professionals!

By the way, I'd post a profile of my growing belly, but, alas, it is not growing! I have to say, I'm kind of enjoying that fact! I think my measurement at my belly-button has increased a half-inch at most in the past month, so he's doing his growing INSIDE for sure! If anything changes, I'll be sure to update! Our next, and final ultrasound will be at 36 weeks, so it won't be long now!

Until then...

Love and blessings,

Jessie

Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!!!

I'm not sure what's in the water during April and May, but if you aren't interested in January babies, you may want to avoid it at all costs during that time! We have had birthday parties EVERY single weekend in January, including my own dear sweet child's birthday! While it definitely keeps us busy, it is such a wonderful thing to spend every weekend with our great friends and family!

The first weekend we celebrated my niece, Madison's, very first birthday! My sister did a wonderful job decking everything out in pink and frill, and I was honored to make her very first birthday cake for her. It was a great time, even if it ended up being a "share the virus" party! So many of the party go-ers ended up deathly-ill in the week after the party, and we feared the cause was food poisoning. It turns out that there was an extremely contagious virus traveling throughout the area, and we just happened to be lucky enough to catch, carry and spread it around! Everyone survived with only minor scars - mine being a small bit if contractions and dilation caused by dehydration. It wasn't the best way to start off the New Year, but it could've been worse...

The next weekend, after we all recovered, we had a double-birthday weekend! Our dear friends' son, Cole, turned six, and Kaylee got to go to his birthday party at the movie theater and watch "Chipwrecked" with him and all of his friends! Afterwards, we ventured to Gruene, Texas to celebrate my sister's 34th birthday. We had a great meal at the Gristmill to top off the evening!

Kaylee's birthday was January 19th, which fell on a Thursday this year. She turned the big FIVE!!! That's a whole hand! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that she was my little baby girl. We celebrated her birthday twice! On her birthday, we, along with a couple of her friends and cousins, went to eat at Rainforest Cafe on the San Antonio Riverwalk and to the San Antonio Zoo, afterwards. She loved her special day - everything about it! She keeps talking about going back to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, but I told her it was for special occasions only! That weekend, we had all of our friends and family over for a big "Safari Party" that has been in the works for pretty much the entire past year. I tend to go overboard when party planning, but I just can't help myself! Perhaps, I missed my calling in life... I'm pretty sure the kids all enjoyed themselves. We had crafts to make, Pin the tail on the Zebra, a zoo animal parade, Pop a balloon to win a prize and topped it all off with a pinata full of candy! I did my best to get everyone sugared up and then sugared up some more with late night s'mores by the firepit! Kaylee got a trampoline, or as she refers to it, a "Jumpoline" for her big day, and she has been enjoying it ever since!

The Monday after her big birthday weekend, I took Kaylee to her five-year well checkup. She was beyond thrilled that she didn't have to get any shots this year! She weighed in at 44.4 pounds and topped the charts at three foot seven and a half inches tall! She grew FIVE inches this past year, which the doctor says is a LOT. She is in the 75th percentile and healthy as can be! I have a feeling she's going to always be on the top row of the class pictures!

After finding out just how healthy our girl is, the last thing we expected the morning after her checkup was for her to wake up running a terribly high fever! In her five years, I don't think her temperature has ever been over 103 degrees. For four days straight, her little body endured almost a constant temp above that! It was just a virus that had to run it's course, but it was scary to have my baby so sick. Sadly, the only place she had been was the doctor's office for the "well" checkup, so whatever she contracted - it happened there!

I, also, had Bryson's 30 week checkup last week, and he is growing wonderfully! He is right on track, my blood pressure is doing great, and we couldn't ask for a better pregnancy! I even got the great news that we get to have an ultrasound next week to see our little man again! I have been very nervous about his "size" and wanted to get some updated measurements on this boy's head. So many people keep telling me, "It'll be what it'll be!" I'd like to be prepared and "know" what to expect! I'll be sure to post his updated "pictures" as soon as I can!

We wrapped up the month of January with one last birthday party on Saturday night for our friend, Cameron. He FINALLY turned 30! He's one of the "babies" in our circle of friends. It was a nice small gathering with great food and fun! Kaylee had a blast playing with her friends, and Gene learned how to play the game "Wahoo" that I find to be very similar to one of my old favorites, "Trouble."

Because of all of the late night partying, we hadn't made it to Sunday school or church at all this New Year, so I decided to make the effort this past Sunday to get Kaylee to Sunday school - at least! She enjoyed seeing her friend, Rylie, whom she doesn't get to hang out with nearly enough!

We also "broke ground" on Bryson's nursery, so I finally feel like we are on our way to progress! Gene built a shelf I found on Pinterest, and I bought the paint, today! I can't wait to show you all the "finished" project!

So, that has been our January! It's been busy and fun, and some wonderful memories have been made!!! I'll be back, sooner, next time!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

One Trimester to Go!!!!

Well, as of tomorrow, I will be 27 weeks! That means that I am entering the final lap of this race!!! Yep...the glorious Third Trimester! I know it doesn't look like I've "grown" much from the last two photos, but there is actually an EIGHT inch difference around my midsection. I am enjoying not being too large - I have enough problems with my balance as it is! We will see how much I "grow" in the next three months. I'm sure it would be better if I would try to stand the same distance from the mirror, too, right?

So far, everything is going great! My blood pressure is still awesome, my weight - well that could be less for me, but I am "on target" according to where I should be. Bryson is constantly flipping around in there. He's so active, sometimes I worry that he doesn't like his current accomodations!

I still can't believe that I will get to meet my son in a few short months. There is still so much to do! We haven't done a thing for the nursery, and we probably won't get started on it until after January. I feel like we already have all that we need to bring him into this world. We have a carrier, bassinet and crib that was Kaylee's. We have diapers and clothes from my sister. Aside from needing some recieving blankets and burpcloths that aren't pink, I think we could manage! We have all of the love in the world ready and waiting for him when he's ready to arrive!!!

I go for my 28 week checkup next week, and then I will begin seeing the doctor every two weeks after that! I am looking forward to getting another ultrasound in February to see how big this boy is getting - more importantly, how big his HEAD is getting! Kaylee had a perfect, tiny head, and I'd like to continue with that pattern! I guess he will be what he will be, and there's not much I can do about that!

Until the next time...

Love and blessings,

Jessie 

Ode to a Stay-at-Home-Mommy...

Gene is snoring, Kaylee’s coughing, Bryson’s kicking…it’s only five,

I lie here in my bed, not sleeping, but thankful for this blessed life.

Alarm sings out for Gene to wake, he turns it off for a few more winks,

“Just a few minutes more,” he’s thinking, but it’s more like 30, that’s what I think.

Now, he’s up and getting ready, trying to quietly start his day,

Here I am, I’m still not sleeping…what a better time to pray.

I pray that Gene will have safe travels from county to county as he’s out on the road,

I pray that Kaylee gets a little more sleep, though she’s sick, and that’s a difficult load.

It’s not that we have any plans for our day, just playing and hanging around,

But Kaylee with more sleep is better than less sleep, a cold will get anyone down.

The heater is humming its song through the vents, and my bed is all cozy and warm,

The neighboring animals outside my window are singing their morning alarm.

It’s almost seven, and I could be sleeping, but it’s just a matter of time,

That I would be staring down the alarm clock, knowing it’s not going to chime.

I may as well get a start to my day, have some coffee and morning TV,

I’ll check my email and look at my Facebook before Kaylee starts calling for me.

“Mommy, I need clothes!” are the words I will hear, as she’s making her big girl bed,

She’ll have that sweet “good morning” smile and a rat’s nest upon her sweet head.

I’ll get her breakfast, her pick it will be, sit her down at the table to eat,

Oh, the day of this stay-at-home-mommy’s just starting, and this life it is ever-so-sweet!

Love and blessings,

Jessie

A Day to Relax!

Who knew that Advent activities could wear a person out?!! Perhaps, it's the pregnancy that's exhausting me, but we have certainly been busy with a number of different Advent activities from Kaylee's calender. Today's activity is opening an early Christmas gift (some Christmas sleepers!), and I am thrilled to finally have a day to relax, to say the least! Not that we haven't had a great time with each new day that comes along, as you can see in these photos:

We've been baking!

We went to see some Christmas lights and displays!

We even made a
birthday card for Jesus!

We've been dancing!

We've been reading some
new Christmas books!

Kaylee and Daddy
made a Gingerbread house!

Kaylee has really enjoyed each and every day, and she is counting down the days until Christmas! That's not to say she's been a perfect angel in these days leading up to the big day. It's definitely been a challenge to get her to behave - as it usually is around the holidays! I'm sure if I were to pull out some of my old child psychology and development notes, there would be something in there about how anticipation affects a child's nueroreceptors, or something like that! I certainly don't expect her to be her absolute best, all of the time, but she has definitely developed some bad habits over the last few months. She's got what I like to call, "the quick-fire tongue." It's something I'm 100% sure she inherited from her Mama...oops! I was always getting in trouble, as a child and well into my teenage years, for saying something bound to get me in trouble. You never, thoroughly, think through the reaction you may get from said statement. I figured it would be something I'd be dealing with as a mother, but I never imagined it would happen this soon! She does keep us on our toes, and some days, Gene and I just look at each other in awe of the little firecracker we are raising! I know we have many interesting years of parenting ahead of us!

Bryson is enjoying the holidays, as well! Particularly, the goodies!!! I've developed the worst sweet-tooth I've ever had during this pregnancy. For that reason, I was relieved when I passed my blood-glucose test at the doctor's office yesterday! I've been trying to counter all of the sweets with some veggies, lately, but I may be too far gone to do anything about it now. I have gained around 15 pounds, so far, and I'm only in week 25! Bryson may have be put on a diet after the holidays are over! I remember that, with Kaylee, I gained the most weight in the third trimester, but I was also stuck with my feet up or in bed most of that time, as well. If I can manage to keep active, maybe the end result won't be as detrimental this time! And don't go telling me the old, "You are pregnant....your supposed to gain weight!" This boy is only around a pound-and-a-half, right now, and the other "stuff" only accounts for 5-7 pounds, so the rest is ALL MAMA! Despite the massive gain, I am not really showing too much. I felt huge with Kaylee, so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks with Bryson. It's been a totally different pregnancy, so there's no telling what is ahead of me! I was able to feel him move at around 15-16 weeks, and we've been able to feel him from the outside for a few weeks now, too. My stomach actually jumps when he kicks, which is always fun to watch! He moves ALL of the time. Some days, that can be exhausing. It will be interesting to see what happens when he doesn't have as much room to do all of that flipping around! We won't get to see him in an ultrasound, again, until around 33-34 weeks. That seems so far away! I informed Dr. Cornett, yesterday, about our conflicts around his due date with Kaylee's dance competitions. She politely told me that she will NOT allow me to travel the week before my due date, so we can only hope Bryson feels ready to come a couple weeks early! I cannot imagine missing Kaylee's very first competition! I told Gene that we will start urging him on his way come March (should we get good results from the next ultrasound, of course)! With any luck, everything will work out...I just have to try not to stress over it!

Well, I think I've included all of the necessary "updates" in this blog! I should really get it wrapped up so that I can finish up laundry still in the dryer and get the house semi-clean for the big weekend! Mom and Dad will be coming over on Christmas Day, for dinner, and I plan on going overboard, as usual, in my holiday ambiance! I'm sad that I only have a couple weeks left to smell the sweet smell of our Christmas tree and enjoy the reds and greens of the season that fill my home and my heart with so much happiness! On the upside, I'll get to continue working on Kaylee's birthday party and Bryson's nursery after the New Year!!! Until then, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the holiday season with the ones I love, and I hope you all get to do the same! Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a fabulously Happy New Year!!!!!!

Love and blessings,
Jessie

Oh, Christmas Tree!!!

Oh, Christmas Tree, oh, Christmas Tree...how I love thee!!!! I LOVE Christmastime! I know...Christmas isn't supposed to be about trees, lights and decorations, but it IS one of my favorite parts. Something about the home feels more warm when it is all decked out in reds and greens.  I take pride in my decorating each and every year. One day, I plan to have a magnificent Nativity Scene, so when we sit together and read the story of Jesus' birth, our children can visualize that very night!

This year, I wanted to put emphasis on the mantle. We spend so many December nights by the fire, so I really wanted to give it some extra "love" this year! Of course, next year, there will be one more stocking added to the mix! I definitely think Santa will feel welcomed as he arrives down the chimney this year!

We chose to place our tree in the center of our living room this time around, and I must say...I love it! No matter what side of the tree that you look at, there is a different ornament to gaze upon. It's tall and elegant...picturesque, if I do say so myself! I can sit at my chair and look up to the north at the star atop our tree and think about the North Star that led the wise men to baby Jesus. I look forward to the memories that will be created in the presence of this year's tree!

Memories... That is what I had in mind when I decided to do an Advent calendar this year. I did some searching on the internet on Advent ideas. Many people give their child a small gift each day of advent, but I wanted our family to get something more from this new tradition. I found the idea on Pinterest to use Christmas socks strung up like stockings as a calendar. The next challenge was to what would go in the socks. I gave some thought to what all we had to do in the month of December every year. It seems like we always get caught up in having to do this and go there, and before we know it, things that should have been joyful end up being stressful. Determined to give each of those moments and tasks meaning, I decided to incorporate these things into our Advent calendar. Each of our Christmas socks would hold a small piece of paper with something we could do as a family that day. After a lot of scheduling and organization, our calendar was complete!

I can tell you that there is one excited little girl that looks forward to each day and getting to see what we will be doing! The first day, we started out big! Our task at hand was to go visit with the merry old guy himself, Santa Claus! She was thrilled! We went down to Lochte Feed & General Store because, word had it, Santa was to be making a stop there yesterday afternoon. Sure enough, we arrived in time to be his very first "customer" of the afternoon! Santa asked if she had been a good girl this year. We had discussed the possibility, earlier, that he would be asking her this question. I had told her to be very careful not to tell Santa a lie because he had been watching, so he would know! She replied so innocently and honestly, "I try!" It was very cute! She proceeded to tell him that she would like a pink and white baby crib for her dolls, and Santa said he would see what he could do! We were very adamant with Kaylee only to ask Santa for one thing, fore he has so many children to bring gifts to each year - there's no reason to be greedy! In our home, Santa brings a gift and stuffs your stocking, and then Mommy and Daddy get you other things. I know, for a fact, Santa already has his elves working on Kaylee's baby crib, and I have no doubt that she will be thrilled when she sees in under the tree on Christmas morning!

I hope that I have many more of these stories to share with you as this holiday season continues! We have many more fun things planned, ahead, and more giving to do, as well. I know next year will be even more exciting, with Bryson in tow, and I am looking forward to many wonderful memories to create with my children, as well as new traditions for them to carry forward, too! I hope you are all having a blessed holiday season!!!

Love and blessings,

Jessie