Today

Today it's rainy, and dreary, but perfectly relaxing. Perfect for getting the last few things around the house finished and snuggling with my sweet little man. 

There is a pot roast, potatoes, carrots and onions bubbling in the crock pot. Mmm.

The house is clean. 

The baby gear is ready and waiting.

Our lives are about to change forever. 

We are headed to the hospital tomorrow morning, and will hopefully meet our sweet baby boy before midnight! 

I've been teary all day watching Case play, he is totally oblivious to how his world is about to turn upside down! I just pray that I can balance everything as best as I can. I know our hearts will double with love not divide. I know there will be some hard times in the beginning adjusting to everything. But I also know the moments that absolutely steal your heart and catch your breath will outweigh all of the difficult ones.

It's surreal that it's all happening tomorrow. I keep going back and forth between total calmness and excitement to pure panic and anxiety! It's happening! TOMORROW! 

We appreciate all of the prayers and support as we welcome our littlest man into our family very soon!

Oh My Word!

A lot of things have happened since my last post! 

While grocery shopping on Friday, I didn't hear my phone and realized later Matt had tried to call me a few times. I called him back without reading my text messages or listening to my voice mail. He told me he was at lunch and he'd call me right back, but asked me if I had read his text. I told him that I hadn't, and he said well I'll call you in a few. So, naturally I hang up and go read my text message.

This is what I read:

Matt: "I canceled the seminar for next week :)"

Liz: "What what what what what???????????? So we can have a baby on Tuesday?!?!?!??!?!?!"

Matt: "Haha"

Liz: "Call me asap!!!!!! :)"

Matt: "Yep. We'll talk about it in a bit. I was thinking Thursday. I'll call you after lunch."

Liz: "Ahhhhhhhhhh okay!!!!!!!!"

OH MY WORD! 

After we talked we decided that we would call the Doctor and have him set up an induction for Thursday. That way Matt could take two days off and then have the weekend off right after. The nurse from the office set it up for us, we were to be at Labor and Delivery Thursday morning at 7:30am. 

So, needless to say I am on the phone for the next few hours letting everyone know, making plans for Case, taking care of all the little details. 

Well, then my Doctor's office calls me back and lets me know our Doctor will actually be out of the office Thursday afternoon, so we changed it to Wednesday! Ahh!

I can't believe it! I can't believe that we have a date set up to meet our baby boy. It's so amazing to know that we will be holding our son this coming week. However, it's also very strange to know that we won't have to wait any longer than Wednesday, that we actually know when he's coming!

Last night (Friday the 12) I started to have some pains in my back like I did when Case was on his way. (I had back labor with him) They were very far apart and inconsistent but they lasted for about an hour. I was almost sure they would keep coming and that we would be headed to the hospital early! I waited as long as I could then woke Matt up at the hour mark, but they ended up just fading away!

I'm not convinced either way with what this little boy is going to do. Family and friends, even Matt seem to think that he will arrive before our scheduled induction. I have no idea what to think anymore, so I've stopped guessing. :) 

I'm starting to get a little nervous about the whole thing, just everything about the unknown. What will this labor be like? Will it be longer or shorter? How will I do this time, how long will I push, what time will he be here, how will the induction go? 

All the ifs and whats have been flooding my mind lately. I cleaned like a mad woman today, I have an unhealthy urge to have everything perfect. Matt thinks I'm crazy :)

It's funny though, I've been so wrapped up in handling everything myself but on the way home from our date night tonight, I asked Matt if he ever has moments where he says to himself "Duh, why haven't I talked to God about this?" That's exactly the moment I had. I've been trying to handle everything all on my own. As soon as I remembered that I could pray and talk to God about it a wave of relief and relaxation took over me. How could I have forgotten that I have him looking out for me and that I can always hand things over to him. I am so thankful, it's an indescribable feeling to know I always have God to turn to.

So, Matt and I will praying about our induction date. Praying that everything will go smoothly, and safely. We cannot WAIT to meet and hold our baby boy. We are so excited for Rhett to meet his amazing big brother Case. We are so blessed to be welcoming another baby boy into our hearts and into our family. :)

38 Weeks, 2 Days

 I didn't know what to expect for my Doctor's appointment today. I was so scared to think I had progressed because it would just make me sad if I hadn't! It's so strange "waiting" around for this baby boy. Especially since Case was early, and everyone seems to think I'll be early with this guy too! But when? How early? When is he coming?!

I DID progress though, I'm now at 3 cm! He didn't say I was any more effaced, so I'm assuming I'm still at 50%. Then he asked me how I felt about inducing. I told him I didn't have a problem with it, at all. However, my husband did have a conference in Cincinnati next week, and he would be leaving the evening of the 16th. He laughed and said, "Well, the 16th would have been the first day we could induce. We can set you up any day after the 16th because you'll be 39 weeks."

MAN! So basically, if Matt didn't have this conference right around D Day, that means I could have a guaranteed baby boy next week! Dang! The conference is an amazing opportunity for Matt though. I'm so torn. It's a conference that doesn't come around every year, and the fact that it's only an hour away is amazing as well. Also, if Matt is able to make it for the entire conference he will be the only engineer in his company that will have the skills for this new program. Soo of course, I want my hubby to have this wonderful opportunity. It's just frustrating that it has to be next week!

Soooo, we're just waaaaiting!

Rhett's Room

Proof we really are ready for our newest little man :)

(Although, if Rhett wanted to wait just a few days until his Mama's antibiotics kick in to get rid of this sinus crud that would be just fine) ;)

The clothes are washed and put away, blankets are folded and waiting. The car seat is geared up for a newborn and is out and waiting to be put in the car. Bottles have been sanitized, pumps have been taken out of storage. The book Baby Wise has been taken off the shelf and reread (and highlighted!). The bouncer and swing are ready to hold a sweet baby. Parents are ready, family is ready, friends are asking us daily when we are going to have that baby. 

All there is left is ... well, the baby! :)

Case's First Sentence

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago, but I never want to forget it...

Case's first clear sentence (that included more than two or three words):

"I want to watch Football with Daddy"

Though it sounded a little more like this...

"I wanna wash Footbaw wih Dad-dey"

How perfectly perfect is that? :)

37 Weeks, 2 Days

Well, I had my second weekly appointment today. 

Not much to report!

I am still measuring right on track, and I only progressed about 1/2 a cm. I am now 2 cm dilated and still 50% effaced. I asked him if Rhett had "dropped" yet and he said his head was RIGHT THERE, but hadn't quite dropped yet. 

It was a very quick appointment today, he just said he'd see me next week and then we'd start talking about inducing options if it came to that. Come on baby boy, don't be late aren't you ready to meet us? ;)

I feel a little differently about the end this time around. I'm not as anxious or ready for him to "JUST GET OUT ALREADY" like I was with Case. I know how much I missed feeling Case rolling and squirming safe inside my belly. I think I'm trying to soak up these last moments of my pregnancy. Plus, I know how difficult the first few weeks are, and I have moments of pure panic when I think about trying to balance everything. I know though, that it will be indescribably amazing to add Rhett into this family. I could just cry when I think about seeing him for the first time and holding him in my arms. I can't wait to hear that first cry and look at my husband in all of the wonderful chaos. I can't wait to hold him against me and smell his newborn skin. I can't wait to see Case with his little brother, and having that moment when I look at my two sons together for the first time! It will be unreal. I can't wait. Matt and I are getting SO excited!

So sweet boy, come when you are ready. We are waiting, and can't wait to see that sweet face.

Surprise!

Last Saturday, my sister Amy told me she really needed me to come pick out fabric for Rhett's quilt. We laughed about the fact he would be here soon so she HAD to do it that day! 

She picks me up with Avery, and tells me she is dropping Avery off at a friends house before we go. While Amy was walking around the van I asked Avery where she was going and she shrugged her shoulders! I didn't really think anything of it though. We had talked about getting Starbucks, and even though we passed it I really didn't think anything of that either. I figured we'd just swing by after we dropped Avery off.

Well, the further we got I start to tell Amy that this is where Kelli and Anthony live! Then she pauses in front of a house next to Kelli's and I was worried because the little girl that lived there had been one of the girls that had been a bully to Kelli's daughter Teagan. Then she keeps pulling up and parks in front of Kelli's house. 

Me: "What? Is Avery going to play with Teagan?"

Amy: "No"

Me: "What? That's Kelli's house right there..."

Amy: "I know"

Me: "Why is your voice getting all high, what's wrong with you?"

Amy: "You're going to Kelli's house, Surprise!"

Then it clicks...

Me: "Amy you nerd!!! Oh my gosh!" 

Then Amy grabs a gift bag out of the back of her van, and I'm just laughing! 

When we walk in, you could sense something was wrong. Kelli meets us in the doorway and tells us that Zuri, Shauna's daughter was having a bit of an emergency going on. Poor thing was playing on a chair and it fell over on top of her, trapping her. It had landed right on her brow bone and her entire eye was purple, swollen and she was crying. :(  Everyone was making sure she was okay, I felt so sad for her! You could tell she was just miserable. Shauna and her Mom decided it would be best to go ahead and take her to the ER, especially since she was starting to act sleepy. I would have done the exact same thing with Case.

Half way through the shower, Shauna let us know that Zuri was okay. It was just a bad bruise, no need for stitches and there were no fractures. Thank goodness! Poor baby girl! 

I was so surprised and touched that Kelli had hosted a shower for me. There was yummy food everywhere, and gifts piled high. I couldn't believe it. Then, Matt called and let me know that his Mom and Mamaw were on their way but their GPS had taken them downtown instead so that would be late. It meant so much to me that they had come into town for me! I was so genuinely touched, and had NO idea! I had just expressed to Matt that I was so worried about the fact that we had ZERO diapers and a baby due in less than a month! I made him pick up some diapers on the way home one evening, but I could not understand why he kept blowing me off and didn't seem worried about it! Now I know! :) 

Our family and friends blessed us beyond belief. We have SO MANY diapers, wipes and other sweet baby boy things now. We were absolutely blown away. My friends and family will never ever know how much this shower meant to me. I will remember it always.

Halloween!

Last Halloween Case walked around a little bit, but mostly chilled in his stroller watching his cousin Avery run up to houses over and over, he was probably pretty bored last year!

Not this year though. This year we got him a candy bucket and worked on saying "Trick or Treat!" His big cousin Griffin came over and helped him walk up to the houses and get his candy. He just went with the flow for a little while, but eventually started saying "Trick a Tree" and "Thank You!" He was such a little trooper, he carried his bucket the entire time, and that little thing was getting heavy too!

Amy, Tim, Avery and Cy met up with us a little later so he got to Trick or Treat with all of his cousins! By the end of the night Matt was pulling Avery and Case in his new wagon! They were worn out. :)

We gave Case two Fun Size M&M's out of his candy stash, which resulted in completely ignoring us while we were trying to take pictures...

Our little fireman had such a blast, and we had so much fun watching him walk around the neighborhood like a big boy this year!