Jackson's Room

I've been crafting and made this name art to hang on the wall in the nursery. Once we get this hung up above the crib/rocker, we'll be done with Jack's room and ready for the baby. I have, of course, spent way too much time getting this room all perfect, but I love it. And of course he won't even sleep in there in the beginning, so the bassinet will be moving to our room. I posted a couple pictures of the room too so you can see what it looks like. Then, I think the only other thing we have to do to get ready is install the car seat when it gets closer.

I've also posted a picture to update the belly. At my last doctor's appointment, I'd lost a little weight, even though I feel like I'm getting big and eating a lot! The doctor doesn't seem worried, so I guess I won't be, but my weight gain is definitely all baby. I have another appointment for an ultrasound on March 25. Hopefully, at this appointment we will find out if my Placenta Previa has cleared up or not, so that I know whether I'll be having a C-section or can try natural childbirth. If I do need the C-section, I'll likely have one early, so I'd only have about 4 weeks left. If not, my due date is still 6 weeks away.

Welcome to my new nephew!

Welcome to Samuel Ethan Beck! He finally decided to arrive today, and then he was in a very big hurry and arrived very quickly. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 1.5 oz. Congratulations to Colin, Lesa, and their cute little (big) guy!

I've had a busy day...I've been trying to keep busy to avoid thinking about my little kitty. It was easy to

avoid thinking about it while we were out of town Friday/Saturday, but at home it's harder because she's everywhere. I do miss her. I started the day by making cinnamon rolls and banana bread, went grocery shopping, then worked outside to clean my garden boxes out after the winter, worked on some crafts, and made yummy roast chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner.

In my craft room, I'm busy making some very cute wall art for Jackson's room. I'll have to take pictures when it's finished, but unfortunately I broke the glass on the frame for it, so I have to go shopping and replace that before I can finish. Tomorrow, I'm planning to head back to work and start writing lesson plans for my maternity leave. I'll post more pictures soon! My goal this week, besides working on lesson plans and my classroom, is to finish Jack's room and then I'll get some pictures taken. We are also taking an infant care class this week, and I am taking a breastfeeding class too. It's going to be a busy spring break.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone has a great day for Valentine's. I know I am behind in getting updates posted. I will get new pictures and information up soon, promise. I need to take some pictures of the new nursery and show them off at the very least. I've been busy at school with the holiday today and trying to get plans started for maternity leave. Plus, we've been fighting cold and flu season at our house, but I will get caught up soon! Happy Valentine's Day!

All the News...

First of all, notice anything different? That's right, I got my braces off today! Then, I went straight to the regular dentist and got a good cleaning, so my teeth are feeling great. I'm very excited to be approaching the end of this journey. It was March 31, 2008 until January 25, 2011 so almost 3 years of braces. Mike used some computer website to figure out that I actually had them for 2 years, 9 months, 24 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes. Not that we were counting! Of course, I will have to wear a retainer for awhile yet. I have to go back next week and pick it up, but still a major improvement.

It's been a busy few weeks, which is why I haven't posted much lately. I was in Reno two weekends ago to attend Lesa's baby shower, which was really fun. I didn't take many pictures, but we had a good time. I also got to spend some more time with my mom, grandma, and Aunt Shirlee, which is always fun!

I did take a couple of pictures of the nursery Lesa and Colin have created for their little Samuel Ethan, and I also got to see my handiwork up on the wall, which was cool...I think they turned out great and match the room really well. It's a very bright and cheerful room that I'm sure Samuel will love. We are all hoping Samuel will be well and healthy soon too!

In other news, baby Jackson is doing well. I've started to really round out and gain weight quickly. It was funny today because Jackson apparently didn't like the sound of the high speed polisher they used to get the cement off my teeth after removing my braces. He started kicking as soon as they turned it on and kicked more and harder than he ever has until they turned it off. It was high pitched, but not exceptionally loud. We spent Saturday finally putting away all the things we got at our shower and getting Jack's room a little more organized. There's still a lot to do, but it feels good to have gotten started at least. Of course, all the random castoffs that were stored in the closet in that room are now piled on my desk in the basement, so now I have to clean the basement next weekend. Sigh...It never ends, does it. Still, everything is going really well.

Baby Shower

We had a great time yesterday at the baby shower. Rolayne did such a great job of planning and organizing the shower, and then everyone helped out with the setup. I had so much fun visiting with everyone and playing games (even though everyone thought my stomach was much bigger than it is!). And, it was really special that my mom, grandma, sister, and Great Aunt Shirleecould come for the weekend too! We got fabulous gifts to help with the baby too. Everyone loved the baby's room, even though it's only half finished, and all the items we got will help finish it more. Plus, this baby will be very well dressed too! I truly have amazing friends and family.

Christmas Pics

We had a lovely time visiting Mike's family for Christmas. Everyone got spoiled, including Aspen and Jackson! It was so great to see everyone. Here are the family group pictures.

Aspen Visits Santa

We had some practice to prepare us for a future toddler who is afraid of Santa yesterday when we tried to get Aspen to visit with Santa for a picture. Our local feed store was offering free pet pictures with Santa, but Aspen didn't like it at all. If she was a toddler, she would have been crying but she settled for cowering. Even a treat wouldn't make her perk up. Not sure that photo will turn out :).