Giving Thanks

Due to the pending arrival of our sweet baby boy #2, we spent Thanksgiving in Birmingham this year as our little family unit of 3 1/2. At 11:30am, we strapped sweet baby James in the stroller and took a family stroll down the street to the resort for our 12noon reservation. Despite not being the Southern traditional meal we now realize we are so very fond of (i.e. green bean casserole, Nana's mashed potatoes, Granmama's cream corn & stuffing), we still enjoyed a lovely feast at the resort's restaurant. (No photos from this day...we were lucky to get James a quick nap in before our fancy meal!) However the following day, before the pumpkins came down and the tree went up, we took some fall photos of James and his day-after Thanksgiving feast!

Although we missed our family and friends in L.A. (lower Alabama), we were fortunate to spend some time with our parents the weekend before Thanksgiving when they came up for the wedding weekend of my dear friends Christy & Chris. Mimi (Aaron's mom) came up to help with James, while my mom (Nana) and I attended and participated in a celebration of events throughout the weekend. As a bridesmaid, I was needed and gladly so for my dear friend Christy whom I've known and loved for 24 years now! We met on the first day of first grade (thank you Mrs. Ferrill for assigning seats in alphabetical order--Reynolds/Risher!) and she has been one of my dearest friends ever since! Following are some photos that Aaron took during the rehearsal.

What a week (and year) of numerous blessings for which we can give thanks, may we never forget His goodness and grace and mercy!

Playing at the Park

We spent nearly every weekend this summer playing at our park, Ross Park, even before we moved into our house. On a cold November day, we ventured out to play again...but this time as residents of Ross Bridge. As usual, Aaron had the camera ready. It was nice spending a quiet weekend with no agenda just hanging out with my little family!

NOTE: I began this post way back on August 17, 2008! I was just about to start a new post with the same title, but then I found these photos and an earlier post already begun. I've simply added the newer photos (above) to the original post and now you can marvel with me at how much our sweet boy has changed in just a few short months. It's amazing how quickly they grow!

Irish twins???

Baby Brother - 11/10/2008

(33 weeks)

Baby Brother - 11/10/2008
(33 weeks)

James - 9/21/2007


James - 8/7/2007

(30 weeks - in womb)

I couldn't help but notice how much James and his baby brother (even in the womb) already favor each other. Maybe they will be twins, of the Irish sort! :)

My Humbled Spirit

After a long, somewhat trying week with my sweet baby boy, God reminded today me just how precious and fleeting these times are. I had just gotten off the phone with a friend, after spending most of the conversation complaining about how tired I was and how it seemed James was already entering the "terrible 2's" at 13 1/2 months. Where had my sweet baby gone, I wondered! Our new den/playroom is set up with all of his toys and books somewhat hidden behind the sofa allowing him a safe play area. One of his favorite things to do these days is pull all of his books out of his basket and flip through the pages babbling to himself as he looks at the pictures. I turned around to hear his precious little voice as he "read" and this is what I found.

"Baby Brother" in 4D!

On Monday, I had my 33 week check-up and our second attempt at a 4D ultrasound! Fortunately, both went very well. "Baby Brother" is growing bigger and strong. He is in position and ready when the time comes to make his grand entry into the world. He cooperated beautifully for the ultrasound technician this time and is sporting a head full of hair already! (You could actually see it floating around and sticking up!) :) We've been praying for months now, almost immediately since I found out that I was pregnant, about whether or not to attempt a v-back. I had to have a scheduled c-section with James because of PUPPP, and was afraid I'd never have the opportunity to deliver our babies any other way. After weighing the pros and cons of each type of delivery, I had a long talk with my doctor this week. We got some good news today! My doctor is definitely on board with allowing me to attempt a v-back and actually encourages one. However if any problems were to arise between now and then with me or the baby, we'd go back to the discussion of a c-section and also realize that even after trying another method of birth, we could still end up delivering via a section. We are just happy to have the opportunity to attempt the v-back. Aaron and I would love to have a large family, God willing. This just helps increase those chances. I also had a very difficult recovery from the c-section with James, and we're trying to avoid a repeat of that. With all of this said, my husband (and I) still want to have a baby in 2008 (yes, for tax purposes!) My actual due date is December 28, 2008. In order to insure a 2008 baby while still allowing him time to arrive on his own accord, we have scheduled a tentative c-section for December 31, 2008. I'm praying very hard that he comes before then! He's a big boy and has already begun to drop, from what I can tell just carrying him (not by a doctor's analysis.) James was born at 37 weeks and was perfectly healthy! I honestly wouldn't mind this one coming that early too! :) And for now, we'll call him "baby brother." Aaron and I wanted some sort of surprise with this one, after having everything planned with James. We figure the best we could was to keep his name a secret. I'm shocked I haven't spilled the beans yet, but just about 6 1/2 more weeks and we'll get to introduce our sweet baby boy to you...name and all! :)

A Comical Take on Breastfeeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTviwUoOsD4

I saw this on another mom's blog today, and got a good laugh as I prepare for the arrival of "baby brother" in late December. With all the trouble James and I had in feeding, this video definitely takes some of the pressure off. If you're a mom who's attempted breast feeding, I'm sure you can relate in one way or another to this comical take on an every day task! Enjoy! :)