thankful

I will be honest with you - I was terrified when my water broke early and I realized this was it and we were on our way to the hospital and I would be delivering a baby within the next 24 hours no matter what - 4 weeks early. Scared, anxious, nervous - not the words I expected use to describe this life changing event. Everything leading up to his delivery felt like an out of body experience... like I was dreaming.   I had no idea what to expect.  I was just hoping and praying for a healthy, fully formed baby boy. Thankfully, that is what we got! Yes, it changed our plans and there was a lot of scrambling to accomplish in a few days what I thought I had my last month of pregnancy to do. There are still a lot of things to do to get ready for him - the nursery has no decor at all and is in no way ready, but it is functional for now. As scary and hectic as our experience was, we are thrilled that he is here now.  His happiness and easy going personality has more than made up for the eventfulness of his coming into the world.

In my post-delivery fog on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for...

• my happy and healthy baby boy - words cannot describe the love for your own child
• my super helpful husband who has amazed me since his transformation to "daddy" in the delivery room
• my mom's week long visit and assistance as we settle in at home and learn as we go
• my mother-in-law who has kept us fed and who is supplying Thanksgiving dinner giving my mom and I the year off
• my dad for doing the unimaginable and planning time off next month giving us a visit to look forward to
• my father-in-law for helping Matt get the house and yard ready for Will's homecoming
• my local family, friends, and neighbors who have come to visit Will, brought gifts, and have offered their help and assistance if I find the need - their support has been unexpected and very much appreciated
• my long distance family, friends, coworkers, and fellow bloggers for all of the wonderful comments that brightened my days - I treasure them all!
• and for my boys who are adjusting so well to the new baby and still keep us laughing

Most of all I am thankful for the miracle of life!

My hope is that you all have many people in your lives to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and throughout the year.  May you all have a wonderful holiday!

baby blog

day 9

We all know that babies are precious and our little guy will be the focus of much of my attention from here on out. In an effort to avoid overloading this blog with baby photos, I have created a blog where I can go crazy posting baby photos and won't feel I have to censor myself. I will post the highlights here, but all the extra photos will overflow onto the new baby blog. You will find a link over on the sidebar for easy access.  So without further ado, please join me over at:


Oh, and the furry boys are doing fine.  Skye watches from afar and rests his head on Will's legs while we are holding him.  Mason sits by Will's side at all times and kisses his feet.  Mason seems a little distressed because he is so full of curiosity, but seems to be getting better each day.

our will

It has been over a week since his debut, and I am just getting around to introducing you to our little man. Where are my manners?



William Wyatt entered the world on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 1:20 pm. He was 6 lbs 5 oz, 20.5 inches long. He was born on week 36 of my pregnancy. I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and my water broke and we panicked a little, called the doctor, and headed to the hospital. I will hash out the full birth story at a later date when my mind has cleared some.  Here are the highlights...

This photo was taken the morning before I went into labor.


week 36, day 0

This photo was taken approximately 14 hours later.



And then he made his appearance and he was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Maybe I am just a little biased here!




Since our release from the hospital, little man was hospitalized again for jaundice.  He laid under the bili lights while I slept a few feet away on the sofa. Not the best experience, but he amazed the doctor with his turn around and was able to come home with us after less than 24 hours there.



We are settling in and working together to get the hang of things. Will kept both of his grandmothers on their toes keeping them both up until 2:30 am using 3-4 diapers and outfits in a row. I woke up the next morning asking what the heck happened after I went to sleep!











So far, Will is very laid back and sleeps a lot. He has Matt's mouth and chin and my eyes and strawberry blonde hair. The jury is still out on the nose and eye color.  We are just thankful he is happy and healthy and we are enjoying every second with him!

a wee bit

{one} do you collect anything? if so, what and how long have you been collecting?
Not a thing!

{two} what is one cleaning tip that you swear by?
I swear by the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - it cleans everything from tile to stainless steel to outdoor plastics.

{three} who would you call for bail money?
my husband

{four} what is one thing you miss about being a kid?
Not having a mortgage payment!

{five} name a few of your guilty pleasures.
hot cocoa and Riesen's

{six} how early do you start your holiday shopping?
Never before Thanksgiving.

{seven} what is a family tradition that you would like to pass on to your significant other/children?
 For Easter, we did reverse egg hunting.  After my parents hid the eggs and we found them, we got to hide the eggs for my parents to find them.  I remember having a lot of fun and laughs!

For Christmas, my dad made a special trip to the "north pole" (mall/store) a few weeks before the holiday to deliver our Christmas lists to Santa in person and always brought home our family gift ahead of the holiday.  It was always a big electronic item that the whole family enjoyed.  We thought it was the coolest thing ever that our dad got to go to the north pole - no mailing letters to Santa for us!

{eight} what do you consider your greatest achievement?
I guess I would have to say graduating from college with my Bachelors degree.  Not much else comes to mind.

{nine} what do you do to pamper yourself?
I really don't pamper myself, ever. Consider me super low maintenance.

{ten} if you were to start your own restaurant, what would it be called?
I have no clue.  I can't even name this baby that is due in less than a month!

awarded

Rules for Happy 101 award:

post who gave you this award.
state ten things you like.
give this award to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment

I got this award (quite a while back) from Mandee at The Bear Naked Truth. I haven't forgotten, just got busy. Here goes...

Ten things I'm loving at the moment:

• Being pregnant. It is fun and I am sad it won't last much longer. I know in about a month I will probably be singing a different tune, but for now, I am still loving it!
• The fact that we are replacing our wood burning fireplace insert with a brand spanking new gas log insert and gas logs in the next few weeks. This will be amazing while I am here over the winter on maternity leave with baby boy.
• That it is my favorite season and we are having great weather every weekend (knock on wood)!
• The ideas that I have come up with for our baby announcement/holiday cards, which I will share at a later date!
• Maternity pants - they are so darn comfy!
• That I have about one month until I am on maternity leave, and then I get an extended vacation from work - I am so looking forward to this!
• I may have mentioned this a few times before, but I just can't get enough - hot cocoa!
• My current favorite shows - Modern Family and The Next Iron Chef. Modern Family never fails to make me laugh out loud, and I am really liking the chefs remaining on The Next Iron Chef.
• Believe it or not, I am glad for the time change. Not because it will be dark shortly after I get home every evening, but because when it gets dark it feels like bedtime and then I look a the clock and realize there are still a few hours to relax before it's time to head upstairs.
• Photographing leaves...

savoring

The boys are loving these cold, but not too cold, mornings. I must say, I am to! I am also loving these views from my very own backyard. My current camera lens won't zoom in far for detail shots, but the overall colors are amazing. Matt, on the other hand, is not loving the idea of raking these leaves when the time comes. Poor husband!






Every time there is mention of the upcoming holidays, all I can think of is that I will probably be too busy or tired to even know what season it is.  I have a feeling Christmas and New Years are going to blur right by.  We have a minimalistic plan in place for Thanksgiving dinner and for Christmas decor/celebration this year.  I am still holding out for my Christmas tree - Matt has said for years that we needed to wait until we had children.  Well, if all goes as planned, we will have a baby here and I feel that counts, so I am expecting my Christmas tree this year.  Stay tuned for that. 

We are taking it easy this weekend - just watching football, eating out, and relaxing. We are trying to enjoy these last weeks and weekends that we have before the baby comes and our lives change forever. Can you believe that I am just a little over one month away?

And since I haven't updated you in a while...

• I have gained 35 lbs so far.
• My belly measures perfectly at 35 cm from top to bottom, which is just where it should be for 35 weeks. Still no stretch marks!
• Baby boy's heartbeat was 161 bpm at my last appointment.
• The baby is extremely active, and is quickly running out of room in here. I feel sorry for him all scrunched up in there. His feet are currently pushing into my rib area which is causing a little discomfort.
• Craving hot cocoa, fruit snacks, and cream cheese.
• Pediatrician's office has been confirmed following my tour and I have started filling out the paperwork with all info known at this point. Obviously, there will be birth stats that will have to wait until we are released from the hospital.
• First name has been chosen - still narrowing down the middle name!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

a wee bit

{one} do you still use a checkbook?
We have checks in our kitchen drawer for when they are necessary for a few bills and those occasional places that only take cash or checks, but we don't carry them on a daily basis.

{two} what size shoe do you wear?
8, 8.5, or 9 - it all depends on the shoe type and maker

{three} scary movies or happy endings?
happy endings - I have never liked scary movies.

{four} do you prefer spontaneity or stability?
stability - Even when I attempt spontaneity, things get planned and reasoned out so there is no point.

{five} what is the most embarrassing cd that you own?
New Kids on the Block - Step by Step (single that came in the case that looked like a locker) - no longer own, but not sure why I ever did!

{six} do you watch reality tv?
Absolutely! I love pretty much anything show that comes on Bravo.

{seven} what is your favorite home-made meal?
I have had very few meals at my parents house that I didn't like, but I really love their spaghetti with meat sauce. I say "theirs" because one of them will start the sauce, the other will finish it, and they both add spices and stir as it simmers all day. Way better than anything you can buy in a jar!

{eight} do you have any allergies?
Not that I have ever discovered.

{nine} if you could open your own restaurant/store, what would it be?
When I made handmade stationery, I always dreamed of having a store front selling paper, paper products, stationery, pens, etc.

{ten} would you ever go skydiving (or have you been)?
I would go, but have never taken the steps to do it. I don't seek out adventure, but if the opportunity were to arise, I would not shy away!

wahoos

We made another day trip to Charlottesville to see Matt's beloved Wahoos take on the Miami Hurricanes. We had yet another beautiful day, with even more color than our last trip. We haven't hit peak yet in this area because it is still so warm.






Are you ready for some football?





and time for the kickoff...



first UVA touchdown...



It was sad to see Jacory Harris, the quarterback for Miami, go out so early in the game with an injury. He took a really hard hit and didn't make it back to the game. The interceptions kept the game interesting. It was a great victory for the Wahoos and everyone left happy.

After dinner at Tip Top, we headed back home...






... and we enjoyed a wonderful sunset on our trek back.

In other football news, my Tar Heels celebrated a victory over William & Mary... yay!