Come Home to Me, My Angel

Little Bear,
We have had an emotional past few days and are starting to feel the wear of being pulled in many different directions.  Your daddy has been home with me since this is his last week of time off before football starts on Monday, and I am thankful that he has faithfully taken care of shuttling Cameron and I all the places we need to go, while still keeping the house clean and watching over our finances.  We have certainly eaten a lot of meals on the go lately, but we have lots of casseroles waiting in the freezer from your sweet Aunt Rachael.

Just a few days ago, we were so excited about your progress.  Your color certainly looks so much better, and you seemed to be more alert and awake for feedings.  You got to meet Mrs. Kim from Mommy's office, and she loved holding you so much that she probably would have stayed all day if we would have let her!  Maybe you have a thing for dark hair because you just watched her so intently, like you were taking in our whole conversation.  She gushed over how sweet and handsome you are, and I was in complete agreement.  :)

Most of your test results have been positive, with your direct bilirubin count down to about an 8, which is half of what it was a week ago.  Your doctors keep telling us that your liver is working hard to get it out of your system and that you just need more time.  But we were quietly getting excited about the possibility of you coming home soon, even though no doctor had even brought it up.  Daddy was determined to have your whole side of the house clean and ready for you, and we even bought an extra cushion to put in your carseat that will fit more snugly around you since you are still so small.  Your new crib sheets even arrived yesterday, so your room is all ready for you.  Here are a few pics of all your cute things:

Your special blanket made by Grammy with your cute monogram

We just love seeing your name and thinking of you!

Lots of books and toys for when you are bigger and ready to play!

Your cute whale was painted by my cousin Brittney, and you will hopeful like to swing like Cameron did.

Your fun mobile will hopefully distract you during diaper changes, little wiggle worm.

Unfortunately, we got a call yesterday (Thursday) from a new doctor that will be assigned to you for the next week or so.  He saw you for the first time on Wednesday and called to give us an update on where he thought the next few days were headed.  Since he was the first doctor to ever call me, we were a little worried and were only about 5 minutes away from the hospital, so we waited to discuss things in person.  He told us that he was starting a whole new round of tests for your liver, your blood counts and that you would be getting another blood transfusion that day.  Though you had been progressing in a good way, he wanted to rule out as many things as possible that might be causing your body to still be fighting off bilirubin and destroying red blood cells.  They even want to do an MRI of your brain to make sure that the bilirubin didn't cross over the blood-brain barrier (which is a very longshot and the test was ordered in your first days in the NICU and just hasn't been done yet).  It was just a big blow when we were secretly hoping to hear good news.

I can tell that your daddy was just devastated, and I just kept trying to tell myself that you were born at just the right time, so we should trust that God has all your days planned in accordance with his purposes.  I broke down on on Wednesday night after an exhausting day of running around and worrying over my work maternity policy paperwork.  My doctor's office charged me $25 to have a doctor's stamp put on it (not even his real signature since he is on vacation) and initially told me it would take up to 10 days to get it back.  Ridiculous.  Of course I am anxious to make sure that I get a paycheck sometime soon and had just let myself get too tired and crabby.  Your daddy was very thankful that our sweet friend Kara let Cameron hang out at their house for the evening so we could be with you at the hospital and she helped me cry and vent for a little while when we were all back home.

Today, I am resting at home while Daddy took Joe Dog to the vet.  He has had a suspicious limp and needed a checkup this month anyway.  Your big sister got to have a slumber party with our wonderful friends, the Gilbreaths, and we are greatly looking forward to Grammy coming back to stay with us tonight for a few more days.  I am anxious to head up the hospital again to see you soon.  We miss you so much and are thankful for every sleepy smile, every tiny finger and toe, and every snuggle we get to share with you.

Love,
Mama

Potty Time, Excellent!

(Yes, that was a very bad allusion to Wayne's World.) I honestly don't know anything about potty training other than what my friends have casually mentioned. But apparently Cameron is a potty training overachiever and has just decided to do it herself. She is probably very lucky to have seen Emerson and Ainslee being such big girls and using the potty, so she thinks she needs to jump on the bandwagon. She has always been interested in it, but only recently has she been proactive in telling us she wants to go.

Apologies in advance, this is going to be a poopy post!

The other night Bo noticed that she looked like she needed to go, and asked her if she wanted to use the potty. She sat up there like a big kid and actually pooped in the toilet! I thought that would actually be the harder one for her to learn, but she just seemed to know what to do. So we did our happy dance and clapped and kissed her so she would know what a good thing it was.

Then I headed out for this guy:

On a weird note, I actually read an article where this guy bought five different potties of all sizes and prices, and this one was the winner. Super simple and cheap. Cameron was very excited that it was pink and had a bear.

The funniest part was that I brought it in right before her bed time last night and she was so excited to sit on it. She wouldn't get off to go to bed! She was determined that she needed to use it. We tried to explain that she could try later and that she was doing great, but she was super bummed to have to leave. And sure enough, this morning, she said that she needed to go and sat right down to pee. I couldn't believe it when Bo came to tell me that she had really gone! But then of course, she had a meltdown when we had to put her diaper back on and go to school. We gave her teacher a heads up that she might be asking, but the bad news is that her classroom doesn't have a bathroom attached to it. Not sure how that is gonna work. Her teacher can't exactly leave all the other kids to take her down the hall.

It looks like we won't be rushing anything, but I can't believe how quickly she seems to catch onto this. I wish we could have waited a bit more on the timing, but perhaps once we move we can focus more intensely on it. One weekend at home with lots of juice should do the trick, right?

Ten Months is Terrific

Growing Girl,
I can't believe you are already ten months old. That just sounds way too close to a whole year! You are starting to look like a little girl rather than my baby! With all the teeth and the expressive faces, and especially the way that you prefer to stand up and walk around holding onto things... It is almost enough to make my little mommy heart sigh with longing. Good thing I got it out of my system holding Baby Morgan and Baby Rex this week!

So here's your latest and greatest:
The Lovey. Oh, the lovey. You have really started to get attached to having some kind of soft toy to sleep with, and we have one in your crib and one in the play pen you sleep in at Mrs. Cara's. The moment you hold one, you immediate snuggle it up to your face and suck your thumb. It has occured to me that I am just encouraging a future obsession that could backfire, but hey, you seem to really like it and be happy. So we bought another one to have laying around the house, just in case we lose one. I have heard stories of parents that frantically search for a duplicate of a favorite toy, so we plan on just having enough of said-item that you don't get attached to just one.

Shoes! Mommy can't stop buying you shoes. I have even started sending some with your outfits for the day to Cara. (I don't think I have profusely thanked her that she allows Cameron to show up in her jammies everyday and gets her dressed whenever they get around to it. It serves as a back up outfit and allows me to leave the house with her still sleepy and comfy.) So far, I have bought some hot pink ones, chocolate brown (with ruffles, people!), and she most often wears the silver glittered converse shoes that Gigi bought. I just can't seem to bring myself to make you wear socks when it is still so hot! Eventually, we won't be able to help it anymore. But I know you will be bummed. You just seem to love being barefoot, even though it seemed weird when I set your feet in our awkward patch of grass in the backyard.

Sign language! This week you signed your first word back to us - Finished! It is really the only one that we are consistent with, but I hear that once you get going, it starts to come more naturally. I was so excited when you put your hands up in the air and waved them to tell me you were ready to get down from your high chair. It's so cute. I think the ones we will work on next will most likely be eat, drink, and Daddy. :)

Road Trip! We are heading to Abilene this weekend to meet up with all the family and some friends. Very much looking forward to a barbecue at Brittney's fabulous house on Sunday. Who knows what kind of trouble we can get into with a three day weekend! Hooray for Labor Day!

Well, other than your total crankypants episode yesterday (two hours of refusing to take a nap even when you were exhausted), you are still my best girl. How much fun was it to go shopping with Mommy at Kohl's? If only we had a coupon, it would have been perfect. Here's to another incredible month of watching you change and grow, and being on the downward slide to one year!

(Holy cow, I just realized that I am super behind on your baby book and wanted to have it complete so people could see it at your birthday party. Ugh. Mommy guilt sets in. Well, surely I can knock it out in two months time, right?)

Riding in Style

Thank goodness for firemen! (Sorry, Bo.) We had a bit of a rough night last night trying to get Cameron's new car seat installed in my car. I wish we could wait until she can sit up a little better on her own, but she has just grown way to much to stay in the Peg Perego one.

So after much effort on Bo's part, it was still really loose and wobbly. He said he didn't feel safe putting Cameron in it! We just couldn't seem to figure out how to make it tighten down more and stop rocking from side to side. The instructions were a complete waste of paper, and my sister Rachael (who has the same carseat) tried to offer some suggestions and encouragement. The two latch hooks end up with only one strap to tighten them down - just not an engineering marvel.

This morning while running some errands for work (shhhh!) I happened to be passing a fire station and decided to see if someone could help me out. Years ago, they used to offer to help install car seats, but apparently now because of liability issues, they are encouraged not to really. It's the same thing with Babies R Us, you can buy a car seat there but they won't touch it.

Fortunately for me, I happened to catch a very nice guy named Mike when he was busy restocking the ambulance. I guess he is more of an EMT than I fireman actually.... (Shout out to my friend Carrie's husband Jacob - I am sure you are just as helpful!) Anyway, he came out and looked at it and thankfully said he has kids and actually had a similar car seat! He pulled the whole thing apart, untwisted some of the straps and slowly tightened it down. Then he realized that I had another hook near the floorboard, so he used the latch on the back and tightened it down to the floor. No more wobbling!

I had to take him some cookies as a thank you. And I was reminded again how thankful I am that we bought two car seats so that this one can stay put in my car! I cannot imagine trying to get it latched in every single day... Hopefully this afternoon I will remember to get a picture of Cameron riding in style in her "big girl" car seat!

Crossing off the To-Do List

Meant to post this on Saturday....

Because Mrs. Cara has the same diaper bag for her little girl Ainslee, I figured we just HAD to get ours monogrammed so they don't get mixed up. The good news is that they have been doing the research for the past couple of months and Cara says that it is a fabulous bag with just the right amount of space. So here is the finished product!

I also filled out all the preregistration paperwork for the hospital and turned it in this week. Hopefully that will streamline the process when we arrive for Cameron's birth! The only weird thing to me is that you have to choose your pediatrician before you are admitted, so it's basically like picking a name out of a hat. There is a new practice that I kept noticing when I drove past it, so I did a little online research (good reviews from their patients, have been in practice for about 10 years) and called them up to make sure they are accepting my insurance and new patients. So I guess whoever is on call will get to come meet Cameron and us for her first checkup at the hospital.

So now we are at the end of the week. My feet and ankles are suddenly really swollen today, so I decided that I needed a pedicure on my lunch break. I found a nice fall orange-y color and the woman gave me the most fabulous massage of my feet and calves. I wish I could have paid more to get twice as long! But with just 15 days to go, I guess I should have expected to look like this... I don't have time to complain much because next week is going to be so busy at work. I am trying to cram in all kinds of things before I disappear for two months!

When Daddy's Away, Mommy Can Play

Friday afternoon, my office threw me a fabulous little shower. We had tons of food, some beautiful hot pink roses (which are even more gorgeous today), and even played some silly baby games. They had all pitched in to buy Cameron her special video monitor, which Daddy was very concerned about having. Some friends of ours still use theirs with their four year old girl and say it is awesome to be able to check in on her without going into the room. We were so excited to check that one off of our "to be purchased" list.

Then I decided to cash in the gift cards we had been saving up and take care of a few other necessities that I will need before she arrives, like a Boppy pillow, her diaper bag and the pad to go under her car seat bases. (I might have even bought her a few extra pairs of pants and an adorable turquoise onesie...) At least now I feel a bit more prepared, but then I realized today that we don't have any sheets to go in the Pack N Play where she will be sleeping. Back to Babies R Us!

I was able to do my serious shopping because Daddy was off for his birthday surprise weekend in Dallas. I bought him tickets to the Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday afternoon, so he and his bestest friend Chad went and made it a guys's weekend. They said the seats were great (even in the shade) and the Boys even won against Cinncinati. I actually managed to keep it a secret for about two months, which is shocking for me. At least I got to give it to him a week early so he could make travel arrangements. He said he had a great time and is glad to have that last getaway before his weekends are all about his baby girl!



Happy 28th Birthday Daddy!

She's Clean, Alright

You had your very first church baby shower this weekend, big girl! Your daddy says you should be really clean by now. Your sweet Aunt Kara opened up her home, which had been rearranged and decorated to the nines for us, and hosted all our friends from CBC.
It was proof of how much fun you can have when you announce the gender and name of the baby, because it was pink, pink, pink. And you had the most beautiful and delicious cake ever!

It was wonderful to see so many friends and moms because being around all their families really gave Bo and I the courage to try out this parenting thing for ourselves! And you got more super cute and fun things like bath toys, an activity mat (you will be our little Baby Einstein for sure) and a cute little bouncy seat. Even Kara's mom (Mackenzie's Gigi) and mother-in-law (Maga) came to show you some love and brought your high chair, an adorable outfit and a a fancy pink photo album.

One hilarious surprise was this card from Danielle, my mission trip buddy who now runs marathons (and makes me feel terribly lazy in comparison). The inside of the card says "Congratulations on your new baby girl." So appropriate that she said she bought it last summer and just had to save it for this occasion. It made me laugh so much I almost forgot to open up the actual gift!

We were so blessed to receive some more basics too - bottles, the sterilizer for the microwave, diapers, gift cards, outfits and more. If you are not a happy and well-adjusted kid, it is certainly not going to be because you are lacking anything! You are going to have an instant group of friends with great mommies and daddies that love you and will show you how to love others. Thank you to all those ladies that were part of the big day, even if you weren't able to make it in person!

The other wonderful part of the weekend was that your Grammy was able to come down. She seemed to understand my bit of "nesting mode" this weekend and was super helpful in organizing things and running errands with me. A friend inspired me to purchase these things called "Space bags" that you suck all of the air out of and it compresses down all the stuff you had crammed in there. I totally organized our hall linen closet and a bunch of things in our master closet, just because I could. I was wishing that I didn't need to wear maternity clothes anymore so I could vacuum seal and put them all away! But we had a great time, and even made some plans for when she will come and stay with us after you are born. Just five more weeks to go!

What We're Up To

Hey Camo,
I went back to the doctor today AGAIN. They listened to your heartbeat and said that 150 beats a minute is good. Your measurements still look good, and my doctor said that you have dropped down a bit lower. I held my tongue and didn't call her a big fat liar, because you are still suffocating me and jabbing me in the ribs! But every time I start to complain, I try to remind myself how blessed I have been to have a smooth and uneventful pregnancy so far. If being a bit uncomfortable is the worst it gets, I would be pregnant again in a heartbeat.

Well, since I can't post pictures from the shower, I thought I would post pictures of a few of your new things (especially for our family that won't get to see you right away!) You are such a lucky little dudette.

Hopefully you will love to relax in this swing. The owls are too cute for crying!


Ready for story time!


Your very first pearl snap shirt, bought at your Daddy's request. There are tiny little horses and flowers all over it.


I love both of these jammies with little cupcakes. You will be wearing them ASAP!


More of your new wall decorations - the painting was done by Mrs. Alexis and the frog is from your Great-Grandma Belcher.


Now that they are nicely organized, these diapers should get us through at least a day or two... right?


This is the special present we gave to all your hostesses - your favorite brownie recipe from the Perini Ranch Cookbook. Daddy makes them better than your mommy does!

Spoiled Rotten Already

Cameron,
You are one lucky chick! Your daddy's friends and family threw you a fabulous shower this weekend, and we almost have your room all ready to go! Your wardrobe is ever-expanding, and you are going to have so many cute things to choose from. We also received your bedding set, a fabulous diaper cake, a rocking chair, a diaper organizer basket, cute toys, and some amazing wall decor. We got home Sunday night and couldn't wait to start organizing things. I think it is hard to guess now what we want to have most handy, but we are trying to put things away and remember where they are! Your socks and blankies all have to be washed anyway, but it is nice to at least know where they will end up. By the way, I wish you could let me know now if you are going to have sensitive skin. I haven't yet bought you some baby detergent and am experimenting with the idea of just using extra gentle stuff for all of us. I figure you are going to be rubbing up against mine and your daddy's clothes alot too, so what good does it do to only wash yours in Dreft? Maybe some friends can help me out with that....

But we had a great time getting to see everyone this weekend. We did get to see Baby Owen (still in the oven) and his mommy and daddy are doing great. So exciting to think that the next time we see them, you and Owen will be here for us to swap and hold. I think he will love the monogrammed blanket that we gave them this weekend. His room is all decorated in cowboy stuff, so he had to have the horsey blanket from Gymboree! We also got to see your great-grandma Stella, who is 91! She stills looks great and had a nice chat with us before we headed out of town.

The bad news from the weekend is that your Grammy's camera stinks.... and it was the one we took all the shower pictures on. Next time, I will remember to have our camera there, because something is off on her shutter speed (or something worse) and every picture comes out horribly fuzzy. I wish I had a clear picture of all our wonderful ladies there, but it gives me a headache just to glance at it.

The only one that came out was the fabulous decorative star that was painted by our friend (and art teacher) Alexis. It is absolutely a perfect match to your bedding set and looks so fabulous up on the wall. Check it out!



So now the big worry we talked about is how to keep you from being spoiled! We are definitely going to have to keep things in check. No running from one grandparent to the next in order to get your way! Of course, Grandpa is going to be the big softy, I can already tell. :)

The Whirlwind is Upon Us!

What up, Lil C? (See, your mom is still cool.) I have been meaning to blog for so many days now, but I just have too many things on my plate. So now, you will get the abridged version of the past weekend and all that is happening lately...

The first part of the Beth Moore conference on Saturday morning started at 8:30 downtown, so your mommy dragged herself out of bed at 6:45 to make sure to be there on time! That's earlier than I like to get up for work! But it was so worth it. We talked more about Psalm 16, but I had to leave halfway through. A friend was going to take good notes for me, so I will tell you more about that when we have had a chance to talk. But I really felt that God wanted to encourage and bless me in being there, so I didn't want to miss out. It did make the morning a little rushed, because we immediately headed out of town....

For your first baby shower!

Your Grammy played host for a bunch of teachers from her school and lots of family and friends. We had such a nice afternoon and it was a big reminder of how fortunate we are to have people love you before you even arrive! You received lots of adorable baby clothes, some toys, your fabulous Pack N Play (your bed for the first few months) and your super cute swing with the baby owls on the mobile. I have to say that I was super excited for one particular present, even though it isn't exactly a necessity...

I just love this little guy! He has a detachable scoop for all the toys in the bathtub so the water just drains right out. I can't wait to give you baths. Your Aunt Amy even gave you a fuzzy pink bathrobe and bunny slippers. You are set! We were also really thankful for some diapers, gift cards, and basic necessities like bibs, bottles and more. It was another reminder of how soon you will really be here, and how unprepared we really feel! Hey, that's what Grandmas are for, right?

So we made it back home on Sunday after spending some time with your daddy's mom. She will be your "Savta," which is a Hebrew word. See how smart you will be? We went to church and had a nice lunch with Jon (your "Sabba") and your Uncle Jordan. By the time we got home that night, we were relieved to still have the energy to put away some of your new things and go to bed early!

I have to confess that our house is a total disaster area, so your daddy and I said we would tackle one room a night until it is nice and clean again. This is what happens when we are gone on the weekend and I know we won't be having company for a while... This will most likely still be the case when you are older, so don't worry about me being too crazy about cleaning. But I will say how nice it is to have things picked up. The evenings just go by so fast, and then we start all over again.

Today I went back to the doctor for my 31 week checkup. I got my Rogam shot (since I inherited my O-negative blood type) which didn't hurt at all with all that extra cushioning in my hip area! But the doctor said I am doing great, you are growing at just the right pace, and that I am now going to be seeing her every two weeks. She did mention that I am about to be in the more uncomfortable phase of pregnancy because you will start to get cramped and drop down lower. My favorite thing was when I asked her about how you are positioned, and she felt around on my tummy and was able to point out all your little parts. Your butt is often poking out on my left side (looking down at you) and your little feet are what I feel jabbing me in the ribs on my right side. As of now, your head is down but she said you can still flip around a bit when you want. I am so relieved to hear her say how great we are doing...

Because I had a total stranger ask me this weekend if I was having twins! When I said no, she goes, "Oh. That's gonna be a big baby...." Gee, thanks lady! That's about as nice as asking someone who is NOT pregnant when they are due!

But I don't care as long as you are healthy. So I think taking care of me will be a good start to taking care of you. And on that note, it is time for your first official SHOUT OUT! I received the nicest card from your Aunt Cindy who lives in Denver. She said she has been keeping up with the blog, and I am sure it brings back all the memories of when she was pregnant with my cousin Ben (who is now a full-grown dude living in Oklahoma!) She also sent us a special surpise and told me to go get myself a wonderful pre-natal massage. That will definitely be on the calendar before the month of September passes. Love you Cindy!

Fit for a Princess

We have made some real progress on your room, Little Miss. Check it out!



And as I type these exact words, you are doing a real number on my belly. It's like you are trying to judo chop your way outta there! Do we need some cereal or something?

My Little Cabbage

Look baby girl! This is you at 28 weeks!


Interesting, huh? You are the size and approximate weight of a Chinese cabbage... I think I need to run to the grocery store and check one out. This week we officially start the third trimester, and I am definitely wondering how it is possible for you to get so much bigger when I don't feel like I have a lot of room left! Eating has recently become a challenge because my eyes are always hungrier than what my stomach can hold, so then I just feel hungry again about three hours later. The bad news is that you still have so much weight to put on, which means YOUR MOMMY has a lot of weight to put on. The sacrifices of a mother... Someday you will look at my butt and I will remind you that it is your fault.

This weekend your daddy's family came to visit for their annual river trip, and we had to sit this one out, kiddo. They decided to float the Guadalupe on Friday and then the Comal river on Saturday. We got to join them for dinner every evening, and we never had to endure a sunburn! (Your mom is seriously pale this summer because it is just too stinkin' hot to be out in the sun... And I am phobic of maternity bathing suits.) Back to the subject! They had a great trip and we loved getting to see everyone. You will love your uncles Tanner and Chance. They are so sweet natured and funny, and just like your dad, kids totally love them. They aren't afraid to be silly and will always be gentle with you!

More news to come later on the baby showers that are being planned for you. We are going to be making the trip to Abilene quite a few times in the next few months! I realized this weekend that there are only 12 more weekends before your scheduled arrival, so we still have a lot of work to do on your room! Your daddy got busy sanding again last night and should have your crib ready to paint in just a few days. That's the big priority... But then we have to paint the walls. It makes me laugh to think that you probably won't even sleep in that room for a few weeks anyway, but we pregos convince ourselves that it is a matter of national security. Oh well. You deserve something special, my little cabbage!

Weekend Warriors

Cameroni, we have been hard at this parenting thing. First of all, your Aunt Rachael wanted me to make sure that I was going to have some sort of baby book or scrapbook for you, so of course in my pregnancy paranoia, I thought I had to go get one RIGHT THEN and ended up finding you a super cute one at Hallmark. I have already started filling in some sections on how your daddy and I met and how we felt seeing you for the first time on your sonogram. They also have these fabulous calendars that help you track all the milestones in a baby's first year. It has blank pages where you fill in the months and tons of cute stickers and predone layouts where you post pictures of the baby month by month. I may have to go back for that one.


Then, I went on a bit of a spree at Half Price Books and I bought a book on all the things I have been wondering about. I am forcing your daddy to learn baby sign language along with me so that you will be brilliant and communicate all your needs long before you can talk. (My favorite signs so far are horse and ketchup.) I have also starting reading "Baby Wise" and am very impressed with its advice. We will have to learn to include you as part of our family and not make you the spoiled center of it - easy to say now! But it says that being a good husband and wife team will make us better parents, rather than forgetting all about eachother and only focusing on you.


I also took your daddy to Gymboree for the first time. He was impressed by how cute all the little sets are. I think he gets annoyed that everywhere we go, girl clothes only come in pink. He really wants you to branch out, I suppose. So I got you two pairs of cute pants and then got home to realize that you have no tops that match them... More shopping to do, I guess! Unfortunately, he was mesmerized with all the adorable boy clothes that said "Daddy's Little Quarterback," but I dragged him back over to look at pink monkey pajamas. He did almost spend a fortune on the entire line that has horses and little cowgirl sayings. They had everything.... Bibs, blankets, a pearl snap shirt, pink cowboy hat and boots, and a brown corduroy dress that I guarantee will be in your wardrobe at some point. We restrained ourselves and I will have to watch for it to go on sale!


And finally, your daddy got himself into handyman mode. When we bought your crib, we got such a good deal on it that we didn't mind that it wasn't white. We figured painting it to match your dresser would be easy! Apparently, we slightly underestimated how long it would take to nicely sand it down so the paint would go on smoothly. Like 10 hours underestimated. We were even using the hand sander, and one side rail took 2 hours! But your daddy said it was all worth it for you as long as it turned out beautiful. So I guess that will be our project for a while... Rest assured that I am going to get you sleeping through the night soon so you can enjoy this crib!

Surprises Galore

People have asked me before what the Chinese birth calendar predicted for our baby, and today is the first time I had ever looked at it. My boss actually did it for me because she just couldn't wait. Apparently some of them calculate it based on your birthday and the baby's birthday, but that one was loading incorrectly, so we went for the simplified version. These figure it based on how old I will be when the baby is born and the month of conception. So based on the Chinese wisdom of the ages, the winner is.... BOY! We'll see.

Then last night after a round of golf with a friend, Bo came home with a huge gift for us from our friends Chad and Kara. They have a three-year-old daughter and were apparently just about ready to sell off their very nice baby gear, and decided to just bless us with it instead! So we now have a wonderful stroller, car seat, and the best part is that they had three car bases already! Now we will have one for each of our vehicles and not worry about which car is baby ready.

So here is a picture of the Peg-Perego stroller (different fabric from ours). Apparently they are one of the best brands available, so we are thrilled to have one major thing checked off our list!

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with our friends James and Jessi, who flew in from Abilene just to spend the day with us. So nice to have your own plane! We ate a lot and enjoyed a few hours at the Retama Park horse races. Bo and I won a few bucks on a Quinella bet (you bet the two horses that will finish first and second in any order) but then got a bit too fancy on the next race and lost our winnings. We tried to bet the top three finishers and were way off. But it was fun. Then Sunday evening we had a big "shrimp dump" with a bunch of friends and their families. The kids played very well together and Bo's cooking was fabulous as usual. Pretty much my only contribution was lemonade and banana pudding! Of course, every time people come over, Bo says we need to have parties more often if only to force me to clean the house!

Hope you and yours had some relaxing time too!

How sure is sure....

I have my next doctor's appointment coming up this Friday. I think we are just doing a checkup, but then I should be able to schedule a sonogram appointment. It's the big one! Hopefully we will know if we are having a boy or girl soon!

But I told Bo last night that I have this fear - What if they tell us one gender, but they aren't really sure? What if we go crazy with planning and buying things, only to find out a few months from now in another sonogram that they were wrong?

When we went shopping the other day, we talked all about plans for the room, what things we would need to buy. I think I was dreaming excitedly and the prices were just swimming in Bo's eyes. He kept asking, "Do we really need ALL THIS STUFF?" Diaper bags, baby clothes, toys, books, strollers, wipe warmers... Our finances will be completely taken over. In a good way.

Sidenote: To any moms out there that are looking for a good book, I just read "Little Earthquakes" by Jennifer Weiner again. She also wrote "In Her Shoes" which was made into a movie with Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz. One of the top movies on my list. But this book (LE) is about four women and their stories of becoming mothers. It is funny, heartbreaking, and so true. I don't think I appreciated it as much the first time around, but I devoured it in three days this time. Two bottles up from this critic!