Murray-Cowan Visit and Spence-Berry Wedding

Well, the week with Sonia and family went by waaaaayyyy too quickly! A week sounded like a long time at first, but then I felt like we needed more time before they headed home! It was a lot of fun - having a baby in the house, getting some girl time with one of my closest friends, having the whole family around. Everything was great. Sonia and I even got to go out one night just us. We did a tiny bit of shopping, then sat for some ice cream and talked for about 4 hours - no kidding! I've really missed being able to do things like that! Here are a few more pictures from the visit...

We spent one afternoon at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

We can't seem to ever get out of the museum without taking pictures in the "tree" and with the T-Rex head!

Here Christian was enjoying having mommy's sunglasses...and then she took them away

I have a ton more pictures of this cutie (and some more pics of the others, as well) on our picasa albums - link is over on the right side of the blog. This baby is just the most adorable little guy ever! And such a happy kid, too!

And here are the ladies, ready for a girls night out - no guys or kids :)

(and a picture of me and Ryan since we get so few!)

***

Then after they left, it was a road trip to WV for us to go to Steve and Amanda's wedding. Our 6-hour trip there ended up taking much, much longer (over four hours longer...). First, Ryan slept in an hour later than he had planned (and for those of you that know Ryan, this isn't common, and he doesn't get happy about it when it does happen). Then, after being on the road for an hour, I realize I forgot my dress. I had it hanging up and reminded myself oodles (and I mean oodles!) of times don't forget the dress! don't forget the dress! So, of course I forgot it. As soon as I realized it, I said it out loud and then started bawling! (Remember, those pregnancy hormones are in high gear by now!!) Ryan (who HATES to be late for things) was awesome and so gentle about it all. So, I turn the car around, and we drive another hour back to get the dress... Then we run into a terrible, terrible hail storm that slowed us down b/c we couldn't see hardly ten feet in front of us. Then two traffic jams for construction. So, we left an hour late and then were on the road for an EXTRA four hours.... But we made it!

Camden told me when putting this on - and no pictures, mom! So, of course I took a picture... He doesn't realize it yet.

The wedding was the next day, and it was great. Perfect weather for an outdoor wedding. True, it was sunny and warm, but there was no rain, which is what you really want (no rain, I mean)! :) The bride was gorgeous! And Steve looked so happy throughout the entire night. Here are a few pics of us and some of the newlyweds, too.

All dressed up!

Amanda and Steve Berry's first dance together as husband and wife :)


The couple and some of the guys (We got one with the significant others added in, but I was in that picture so I couldn't take a shot of it...)

Another Busy Weekend - Best Friends, Birthday Bashes, and Babies!!

This weekend has been another whirlwind! On Friday, I picked up one of my best friends and her two kids from the airport. I've definitely missed her and was thrilled to see her, but it was also exciting because it was the first time I have met her little baby, Christian, who is now 8 months! What a cutie! I am loving having them around and having a baby in the house. It's a great preview of what is to come soon - and a reminder of what we need to keep in mind when preparing! (For example, our place is not totally baby-proofed yet!)

Saturday we had Camden's birthday party with his friends from school, soccer, and those in the neighborhood. We threw a huge pool party, complete with hot dogs, cupcakes, ice cream - the works! Since there was swimming, we asked parents to stay, too, and there were about 50-60 guests! Whoa! It was a lot of fun, though - even though it was over 100 degrees outside (no kidding at all). I stayed inside as much as possible, or in the shade, but the pool felt great! (And we started the party early in the morning so we would hopefully not have to suffer too much with the heat! Camden still managed to come home a little red, which he's not used to b/c we just don't burn easily. I think next time I remind him to reapply sunscreen, maybe he'll do it...)

Here are some pics from the weekend, so far...

Breaking from the pool to eat.


Blowing out the candles!

Christian laughing at the pool

Ryan getting some practice in! ;)

More pictures of our fun-filled week to come soon...

NON-Stress Test My *PBTH* and Dr Office Nightmares...

Ok - so here goes my venting about the last two days, where I spent the majority of the time in FOUR doctors offices. Two visits were routine - One was visiting with Aiden's future dr to ask questions (went really well!) and the other was a dentist appt. The other two visits were a little more dramatic...

On Tuesday, right after the appt with the family dr, we mentioned to my OB office that the baby wasn't moving as much suddenly. He normally is very, very active, then Monday I noticed he wasn't. He hardly moved at all. I know this can happen, but when it was the same story on Tuesday, I thought we would call the OB to see what they said. They wanted me to rush in to be monitored to check it out (the office is 45 minutes away). I thought - I'm glad they take this so seriously, though it did worry me a little more because of that. When I arrived, they put me on the monitor for a non-stress test, and the nurse said the dr would be in w/in 20 minutes. I proceeded to watch the screen - seeing the heartbeat (which is normally checked to be around 145 bpm) range from below 100 up to the 130's, but not going above that much. Then it would just disappear for a while sometimes. So I'm getting a bit anxious. Then what happens - nothing. I was left on that monitor for an hour with no way of getting up to get anyone and no reassurance from the dr! A nurse finally comes by to see if I'm ok - I explain I have been there for an hour, and she goes to get the dr. I hear them talking outside the door - the dr was never told I was even there, and she "hasn't even had lunch yet" (um...neither have I!).

The dr finally made it in and said everything was just fine. But I was not happy that with something they told me to rush in for - they just simply "forgot" about once I was there. It's one thing if that was a routine non-stress test (which they still shouldn't forget about me even then), but for something where there is concern.... no.

And then yesterday while I'm at the dentist in Raleigh, Camden falls off the slide at school - from the very top. (I later ask him why does he always get hurt when I'm in Raleigh - this seems to be the case...) I get a call with the message that his neck was really sore (he didn't land on his neck, thank goodness!). While I'm calling his teacher on the way back to get him, Ryan tries to call the dr to get us in...and they JUST closed for lunch - for an hour and a half!! (What dr office closes for lunch for that long??) So I call the answering service b/c they're not telling Ryan anything - my mama bear instinct is kicking in at this point, and SOMEBODY is going to see my child! (He was trying to "make an appt" which the answering service doesn't do - I tell them I NEED someone to see my child and tell them what happened - our minds work a little differently, don't they - moms and dads do, I mean. He did nothing wrong, but I wasn't about to let these people tell me to call back in an hour and a half!) So they say they will have the on-call dr call me to see what I need to do or if I need to go to the ER.

After I get Camden (it's been 30 minutes by now) - I call back b/c the on-call dr never called. They page again. Nothing. So I just take him to the dr office - they're about to open by now anyway. They did get him in, but I was really angry about how their lunch break time is handled.This is just a peds office, and I was surprised they took such a long lunch break with no way of getting help if it's really needed. Then we were there for a few hours - getting x-rays, etc. Nothing broken, which I could tell, but I was glad they checked. He strained his neck muscle really badly and it really hurts him a lot. Right now, I'm just thankful b/c a fall like that could have been much worse!


Other good news - as I said, the visit with the new dr went really well. We even presented her with an alternate immunization schedule (we're not opposed to them really but want a different schedule after doing our research), and she was fine with it - whatever we wanted, she said. That's not what a lot of people hear, so we were very pleased. I figured it would go well, though. She is my dr (well, technically, she's a RN, but she is great!) AND she just had a baby in the fall, so I know she's aware of a lot of the same issues we are worried about. So that went GREAT. We'll be switching Camden over to start seeing her after Aiden is born, too, b/c we'll be putting him on that insurance then. I don't even think this office closes for lunch..... Haha.

Busy Weekend!!

First up this weekend - Soccer Tournament. The team played well up against another good team. They tied the game and went into Penalty Kicks to determine the winner. After quite a few PK's, the other team came out ahead. Here are some of the kids at Coach Scott's house for a cookout Saturday night.
Since we had a little time free up in the afternoon after the loss, we decided to go see the new Narnia movie - Prince Caspian. Great movie!! Afterwards, Camden and I were discussing the Christian symbolism in the movie, like we did with the first movie (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). At first, Camden said he hadn't thought about the connections, but after I mentioned a couple things, he was on a roll. He even brought up something I hadn't thought of - the character Peter. He said, he's like Peter in the Bible. Peter in the Bible wanted proof before believing who Jesus was, just like Peter in the movie wanted proof that Aslan was still around to help. In the movie, Peter said he wanted proof of Aslan, and Lucy said, maybe it's us who needs to prove ourselves instead of the other way around. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of this when it comes to our belief and trust in God. I was so impressed with Camden's connection! The boy really does love reading his Bible, and I'm so glad to see that he is really taking it in and learning so much!

After the movie, we were off to the Star's team cookout at the coach's house. We had lots of fun eating way too much food, hanging out with the other families, and getting trophies. Can't wait for the next season in the fall! :)

So then Sunday was another busy day! First church, then some fishing at Bond Park. I got some great shots of the guys there.

Camden looking up at Ryan trying to fix his rod. This was the first time using it, and halfway through the fishing, something broke on it. Camden was patient about it but disappointed. Good thing we had an extra!

I know he's disappointed here. I can't help but love the face, though. I could stare at his precious face all day long!!!

Then our church had Kidspace, an awesome fun-filled event for the kids. Camden brought one of his best friends, Hannah, and she thought it was great, too. They do this twice a year, and Camden always gets really excited about it! Here are some pics of the outdoor activities the kids enjoyed.

Camden took on the rock-climbing wall and made it to the top - making it look soooo easy, even barefoot!

We have more pics here:

Celebration!

So this was actually from this LAST Saturday... Like I said, I'm more in the "lazy" phase these days... I get things done, it might just take a while!

Last Saturday, Ryan took his final CPA exam, and we decided to celebrate (as if he had already passed b/c we just know he DID! - we won't find out until the end of June for sure). Some friends gave us our "champagne" (sparkling cider - since I can't have the real deal) for my graduation, so we used it to toast that and the CPA exam. Camden and I found a red velvet cake for Ryan b/c that's his very favorite. And we had all of this BEFORE dinner. :) That's the best time, right? Ryan was pleasantly surprised when he got home to find the set up (we got home JUST before he did - I mean seconds!)

Here are a few pics from our little celebration.

The glasses are the ones we got for our wedding toast.

Camden was very excited that he could have a drink, too! He said, this tastes like spicy apple juice!

Throw in some ice cream...what could be better??

Daisy & Ryan - DONE WITH STUDYING!!!

(And JUST in time!)

Nesting Instinct???

I told Ryan the other day that this is how I feel. Doesn't seem that the "nesting instinct" is kicking in with me! Most days (esp last week!), I just want to lay around all day and be lazy - and, yeah, eat cake and ice cream. (Why not??) Yes, I have a big to-do list that is *slowly* getting done. But I would rather just sleep in and do nothing...

Many people say the nesting instinct is this instinct to prepare for the baby - get things cleaned up, get the rooms ready, etc, etc. I think my body is instead telling me to prepare in another way - do the things now that I won't be able to do when baby comes, such as sleep and relax. ;) That's my justification, at least!

Now, I don't just sit around and do nothing, but I certainly am not feeling that "nesting" thing kicking in.

My Child and His Conscience

I've been reading this book The Sociopath Next Door. So I've been paying more attention to how people act since I've started reading it.

This weekend was Memorial Day weekend, and we decided to cook out on Sunday. I heard the boys outside - something was obviously going on. When I went to the porch, they were watching this tiny little snake that was a few feet away. Ryan, not knowing if it was poisonous or not, dropped this concrete stepping stone on it. I felt terrible! It was such a tiny little thing, and I know that wouldn't kill it - just hurt it. It was on some pine needles that had been put around the tree, so there was plenty of cushion to keep it from being squashed. So, I say something. Camden proceeded to jump on top of the stone, hoping that would solve the problem. I was actually pretty sad for the snake! It most likely is not poisonous, and it wasn't in our way. It was staying in the bushes, and it had actually been under some other stone that Camden moved (one I've told him not to move many times...). And if you're going to kill something you think might hurt you - do it quickly so you don't cause pain, you know. That's how I am.

Once Camden took a moment to think about all of this, he got really upset. He told me he felt really bad that he might have hurt or even killed the snake. He was actually upset about this for the rest of the day. After we removed the stone, the snake was still for quite a long time, but he did move later on when we weren't watching. I felt bad, too, but I tried to reassure Camden that the snake must be ok since it left. But he still felt bad even at bedtime. I felt even worse for him because I hate to see him hurting like that and not being able to take it away. There's nothing like seeing your child hurt like that, regretting something he can't take back (even if it is a snake). I told him that I was so happy he had such a big heart, though.

So what was the point about mentioning the book at the beginning of this post? Well, like I said, I've been paying attention to how others act. So, with all of this going on, I couldn't help but be happy because it was very obvious that my child has a conscience and is definitely not a sociopath (I already knew this, but it's nice to be reminded - haha!). He had seen the cover one day and asked what "conscience" meant, which I explained to him. I even told him during all of this, Camden, see you have a conscience because you show that you care about this snake and are concerned you might have hurt it. So while I felt bad for the snake and terrible for how Camden felt about his part in it, there was definitely a silver lining to see my son care so much about this little creature and how his actions can affect other things.

THAT time of the school year

It is near the end of school for Camden, which means...EOG Testing! (End-of-grade testing - for those of you without children in school) And with him being in third grade, this is a big year. Third grade is a benchmark grade - and the first time that testing actually counts for something.

Camden had a friend over this past weekend, and she asked him, "Are you afraid of the EOG's?" He looks at her like why would I be afraid? and replies, "No." Apparently she is, as I'm sure many are. They are taught this is the BIG TEST (well, testS). But Camden had no worries. They did pre-EOG sample tests so they would understand what to expect (at the beginning of the year to determine where the children were and just recently to prepare them for the actual EOG's), and he did just fine on those. OK, better than fine. He did great.

Day 1 of the EOG's was reading. Ummm...piece of cake for this kid. The only worries we had was he would rush through (which the teacher thought he did), so we remind him over and over to take his time, read everything carefully, go over all answers even if he's sure the first choice is correct - that sort of stuff. On the way home that day, I asked how it went. Oh so nonchalantly, Camden says, "It's just like any other test we take. Just a bit longer." So basically - no big deal. The next two days (today being the last day) covered math, and he thought the same way. He did go slower and take his time on these, but he still thought it was all really easy. (I reminded him that even if it is easy, he still needs to take it seriously, and I expect that he did.)

I'm actually looking forward to seeing his results! I get excited when it's time for his report card and testing results to come in. The only thing I ever worry about is his conduct...since he does seem to have a hard time being quiet at times. So yay for the first time taking the EOG's. I'm so grateful that this comes easily to him. He didn't get unnecessarily stressed out over anything but still tried his best.

Oh - and he thought he would get to go to bed a little later, too.... His teacher reminded them that they needed to go to bed earlier, such as by 8:30 (her example). Apparently I am in the minority of parents that put their children to bed earlier on a regular basis, as Camden's bedtime is between 7:30 and 7:45 (if he gets up well and is ready on time, it's the latter). I remind him that he will not be staying up LATE on a testing week and explain that some children do not get enough sleep and stay up later to begin with (or they might not need as much sleep as he does). And with that, he dropped it. He knows my reasoning - and knows I am right - and he doesn't bother to push it because of that. He wasn't arguing at all - just thought hey, the teacher says to go to bed at 8:30 this week... Ha. Ha.

Loving My Pregnant Belly!!!

Just for the record, in case you haven't noticed...I love having a preggo belly! Love it. :) Here's a recent pic of me and the belly (and Aiden!). I'm 27 weeks here.

Big Weekend! Daisy's MSW Hooding Ceremony & Mother's Day!

This weekend was a busy one with lots to celebrate! :) My mom and Gene came to visit from KY for my hooding ceremony. I am now officially a Master's of Social Work! It was great to spend time with them!!! Mom even brought stuff to make my favorite meal of all time (venison roast!). MMmmmm...it was worth it just for that! Haha! And then today was Mother's Day. They had to leave early this morning for the drive back home, but it was so nice to actually be able to see my mom on Mother's Day this year! Here are some pictures from the weekend...

I'm an MSW!!


Family pictures after the hooding


The pregnant graduate ;)

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!

Here are some more pictures.

To see them as an album, click on the slideshow,

and you will be taken to our online picasa website.

How About Some Positivity?

Ok, I thought I could get on here and complain about how things are not really better, but some places on my back are still getting worse...or I could let that go for a bit and talk about some things I am grateful for. I think I'll opt for the grateful stuff, huh? :)

I was thinking this morning... I woke up all throughout the night and tend to really have a hard time sleeping when it's raining (are you wondering about the grateful or does this sound like complaining? I'm getting there...). I'm not scared of storms at all, but it was raining quite a bit and a little after 5am, there was some really loud thunder. I do happen to know that this would scare Camden if it woke him up. So, I thought I would wait a bit to see if he was woken by it...and then he comes running into the bedroom. I immediately pulled back the blanket and said, hop in! I have always tried to prevent him from being scared of storms - he gets this from his dad. I remind him, it's just noise - nothing will hurt you. But I can't help but enjoy that he is lying there with me and we're cuddling. :) And it led me to think about some other things that I am so grateful for with him. And some things that I am surprised to be able to still be grateful for.

When Camden started Kindergarten, I knew he might suddenly stop wanting to kiss and hug me in public. That's when a lot of kids do that - when they start school and are around other kids and might get embarrassed. Never happened. I kept waiting and expecting it (I still do!), appreciating every goodbye kiss he gave me in front of the school bus. Still hasn't happened. He'll be in 4th grade in the fall, and he still hugs and kisses me in public, holds my hand when we walk sometimes, tells me he loves me. I love every single second of it. He's not shy about it at all; he never gets embarrassed. I never push it, but I don't have to, either. We're very cuddly. He won't hesitate to cuddle up with me on the couch under a blanket while we both read or chat. I've been walking him home from school the past week since I've been out of grad school, and from time to time, he'll grab my hand and hold it for a little bit. :) When he lets go, I let him. But I can't help but be overjoyed that he wanted to hold my hand for a bit (and we're walking along a very busy street!).

Camden has this little blankie that means the world to him. My stepdad's mother, Grandma Strode, made it for him when he was born, and he sleeps with it every night. There are little bits of yarn tied at each corner throughout the blanket, and he would always play with them as he fell asleep. This past summer, we realized the edges were getting worn and he might need to retire the blanket soon. That would not do. We turned to Mammaw Melly who can sew and fix anything. They went to the store to find some fabric to put around the edges, and she was so impressed that he just marched in there with his blanket in tow, not thinking twice about what anybody might think about an 8-year-old boy carrying a "blankie" in public. Didn't even cross his mind! And he won't hesitate to take it with him for sleepovers, as well as a little stuffed animal to sleep with. I am so thankful that he is that secure with himself and doesn't think about what others will say. (He also made sure that the new fabric covered the edges but showed some of the original edging - how cute is that?)

Camden is also quite sensitive. He will cry and get his feelings hurt easily. True, sometimes this is frustrating. It took me a long time to get the kid to take a joke, and it meant really working at it with him. And he still has a hard time sometimes. (I'm sensitive, too, so he probably gets this one from me - but I'm also not one to feel sorry for people easily, so I have to watch it!) But the positive spin - he thinks about others, too. I'll hear him sometimes when he's playing outside with some other kids. Someone will stumble but not actually get hurt, and Camden will still say "Are you ok?" and really care. When we remind him to think about someone else's feelings, he can do that easily and understands others' hurt. It really helps him to think about how he can affect them b/c he knows how things affect him.

And this morning was just one more reminder. I kept thinking how wonderful that he is almost 9 and feels so safe with us that he can admit he is scared and can run to us and know we'll keep him safe and won't brush him off as being silly. He can come to me and cry if he is sad or hurt and knows I won't push him away.

And this is what I am MOST grateful for... When I tell him I love him, he can say "I know." That means the world to me. I wonder how many kids don't really know they are loved, and he has always been able to say this and know it. I say it all the time, but they aren't just words. I back them up. When I'm strict, he knows why. I explain the reasons. When he is in trouble, he knows why. He knows that he doesn't have to say I love you back (though he always does!!) but that he can say "I know" and that makes mommy just as happy, if not more. I am so incredibly grateful for that!! Him being able to know that makes me feel successful as his mommy. :)

Why All The Back Pain - Now I Know!

I went for my first physical therapy appt today. Glad I'm going now that I know the problems (yes, problemSSSS), but it does (as I was warned) hurt more after the visit. Apparently my pelvic bones on the left side are out of whack. And on the right side, my ribs are kind of out of whack, causing my muscles to go into them a different way than on the left. Hence, all the back pain I have been experiencing. So, I have been sent home with one of those maternity belts to wear - it will help push my pelvic bones in together more (and is billed to insurance so we didn't have to pay for it, a nice bonus). I have a list of exercises to do to help my upper back pain and some other things. And I am to go back once a week for now (unless it gets worse and I need more, which hopefully will not happen!). This lady did all sorts of pushes and pulls on my legs and back. She seemed to really know what she was doing and always hit the right spot when she asked - does that feel any different? is that tender?

And now I know that I need to be icing the spots - not using heat. Whoops. I can never remember which to do when!

So here's to hoping the pain decreases over the next couple months with the help of PT instead of increasing as this baby grows - pushing more on my ribs and adding more pressure to my pelvic bones. Now I am going to go ice my back, since it already hurts from sitting here just to write all of this... :(

*A friend recently told me "pregnancy agrees with me" after seeing me the other day. She meant that I looked great for being pregnant - all belly, glowing, etc. (Not sure if I completely agree with all of that, but I'll take the compliments!) ;) Now, what I really think but don't say is - it's more that pregnancy appears to agree with me - at least on the outside. It seems to be terrible to the inside of my body, though! I have dealt with the hyperemesis gravidarum (and still am in the mornings, still taking the anti-nausea meds), concerns of placenta previa and being limited to what I can do physically because of that, and now these various back problems that are really, really painful (I don't complain much except on here and to my family - b/c what good does that do??). So, while I might look like pregnancy agrees with me, I tend to disagree. :( I keep thinking to myself - I love being pregnant, but pregnancy does not love me back... Not really fair. And the good news (ha!) - all of these tend to worsen with each pregnancy. Oh Yay.

Ok - to the ice now!

And the winner is.............

Surprise! It's "G" - None of the Above.

Hmmmmmm... Why? Well, the winner based on votes was Baby Boy Blue. And that was the one we WOULD HAVE gone with. The problem? Ok, so when I make decisions on things like this that we are going to purchase, things that need to be good quality to last and things we must like because they'll be around for a while, etc, etc - I do my research. Research on crib bedding, you ask? Yes, even that. I want to see what others have to say about it. It was hard to find reviews on this set b/c it's new at Babies R Us, but I did find some. Some were negative and exactly what we were worried about - poor quality. This set has the most items out of any of the rest and costs (by far) the least. So we were worried about quality from the beginning. The other set we liked (Spelling Bee) had no reviews anywhere. AND both sets are ONLY available online, so we can't see or touch them to know more for ourselves (before buying and paying for shipping...)

So, we found some accessories we liked with the Baby Boy Blue - if we got that. And we went to BRU to look at them. There we got to see THAT set. Not what I would pick from online maybe - but in person.... The biggest factor - I couldn't keep my hands off of it. The bumper, blanket, and some accessories are INCREDIBLY soft! And the blanket that comes with the set is one you'll actually USE - not one of those comforters that is really only good for hanging on the wall. Ryan liked the set. Camden liked it. It wasn't expensive, has great reviews, even the guy working recommended it (and there were many more pricey ones he could have tried to recommend but didn't). We went home planning on changing our theme to this one. Ryan was pretty happy as HIS goal was to go home with our minds made, and I suppose he got that. (And hopefully I can stick to this decision and simply not look at any others or start to second guess!!!)

Here it is... Pop Star
It's actually a little darker in person than this - a great light blue (one could even call it UNC blue...) and chocolate brown. And many other pieces from other sets will match wonderfully, too!

So - whaddya think? Now that you've voted for A,B,C,D,E, and F - and we chose G.... ;)

After realizing how soft this set was and how I just couldn't keep my hands off it, I joked to Ryan - I wonder which I'll touch more, the baby or the bedding??? Haha! (It really is that soft! But I'm sure the baby will get more attention.)

Indecisive - Wanna Offer Your Opinion to Help Out?

Ok, so we can be pretty indecisive.....well I can be pretty indecisive. We have a dilemma. Which crib bedding set to buy??? There are so many. And I definitely know what I DON'T want. But what I DO want - that's another story. So....below are our options at this point (see end of blog). And one other piece of important information - we need it to match the wall hanging that we already have (and absolutely love!).

I saw this wall hanging at the venue that my MIL (mother-in-law) had our wedding shower. Fell in love with it, and she (being wonderful and thoughtful) bought it for us and stored it until we moved into our larger apt and had room for it. It is 47 inches long and 10 inches tall and dark, dark chocolate color with brown/copperish lettering and a deep golden moon. We plan on hanging it OVER the crib - thus the need for the bedding to match somewhat with it. Here is a pic of the hanging and our bedding choices (at this point). Please let us know what you think! :)

And here are the contestants for the crib bedding:

Baby Boy Blue

Giggles

Spelling Bee

Forever Friends

Jungle Babies

Remember - we need this to go well with the wall hanging! That's the important detail here. :)

Please leave your comments on what you think. I'll also put a poll to the side of the blog where you can vote. :) Thanks so much!!!

UPDATE!!!

I think we have mostly narrowed it down between Baby Boy Blue and Spelling Bee - we keep coming back to those two. (Camden likes Spelling Bee b/c he thinks it's good that the baby can learn with it, too) ;)

And here's another possibility.....

Max

Pregnancy - and all the "JOYS" that come with it...

So I thought I would show a few nice, cute preggo pics. And then I would complain and tell about about the "other" stuff that comes with pregnancy, esp during the last trimester (and I still have a ways to go.....so it can get worse! Augh!) I really love being pregnant. I do. As much of the "other stuff" I have to deal with, I still love it! Love the feeling, love the belly, love the movements from the baby - everything.

Now, if you ask me how I am feeling, I will smile and say very convincingly, "I'm fine" or "I'm great!" even. But that's because I don't like to complain a lot. I especially don't like being one of those people that are always complaining. No fun, right? Right.

But...here goes my list of other stuff that I am really, really not enjoying right now. First of all, with Camden I got lots (I mean lots!) of charlie horses - in the middle of the night, always. Hate those cramps. I haven't experienced any yet, but I got my first really bad foot cramp out of the blue the other day. So I am expecting more to come...

• I get short of breath soooooo easily! It's not too noticeable until I start reading out loud, but then it gets tough. And Ryan and I read a book together each night, usually taking turns reading. So, that's a pain I try to suffer through. I read slowly and have to take those long pauses to breath a little extra every now and then.
• Giving myself a pedicure is very tricky these days. I can manage, but it's not so fun - but maybe kind of funny to watch...
• Tying my tennis shoes... Ha! That's even harder.
• Picking up anything from the floor - or (the worst) sitting on the floor and then getting up... That's a double Ha!
• Nosebleeds... They do warn you about this one, and they are very right (whoever they are). Just about anytime I blow my nose - there it goes. Not a lot of fun. And I never get nosebleeds. But I have had quite a few in the last couple months.
• Braxton Hicks contractions. Well, I've actually been getting these since week 13/14. Never ever felt them with Camden until I was in the hospital. But these - definitely feel. The past week or two, they've been more noticeable. I expect that trend to continue. They aren't bad, but can be pretty annoying and not always feel that great.
• Trouble sleeping. OK - so add in my issue with chronic insomnia (and the fact that I am not taking my sleeping pills b/c I am pregnant) with the fact that sleeping while pregnant becomes near impossible for most women (even without insomnia)... Yeah, that combination is not a lot of fun. So basically, I get very little sleep. Ryan thinks - but you sleep until 9am every chance you get!!! Well, that's b/c I am up all stinking night! So, regardless of how late I seem to sleep in...not getting enough. At all.
• Morning sickness. So, I did manage to go off some of the anti-nausea pills. I even went a week with none! But that week only lasted - well, a week. I had to add in the morning dose. Ryan told me (after day 1 or 2) to go back on it, but I wanted to see if I could do it. Sure, I could, but it really wasn't worth it. And out of those 7 days, I threw up many more than not. But - one pill is better than 4 or more. :) So, I'm happy about that. Still get sick occassionally, but that's better than every day, right? ;)
• Peeing. I don't actually pee more than normal. I always have to go all the time! That's just me. But now - it's just harder to get it all out! (Too much info? Sorry. I am leaving some things out of this post.) So that's annoying. I feel like I really have to go, and then all I get is a trickle. Hmph. Not very satisfying.
• And the worst - the BACK PAIN!!! I have been trying and trying not to complain. Why? Because I still have three months to go. I know that this one will just get worse! First it was the lower back (really lower). I think it's more of a joint issue there. That's been consistently getting worse since the first or second month of pregnancy, but it's to the point where I can't move without a surge of intense pain. So if I'm around you and move and you hear me draw in a quick breath but not say anything - that's what it is. I just try not to complain - except a little to Ryan. Even he didn't know how bad it was until recently. Then over the last few weeks - the middle back pain began. Just when I'm sitting. But it is constant once I sit. A short car ride has me in tears almost. Luckily I just have one more paper for school to write, but I still have to sit down to type it. (Just like I'm sitting down now - and yes, my back is in pain right now. You should see how I try to move around while typing to relieve some of it. Doesn't work, though.)

So I mention all of this back pain to the dr. I really expected her to laugh and say - welcome to the last trimester! But she didn't. :) I ask if a chiropractor would help with the lower back pain, b/c it's not the muscle - it's the joints. And then mention the middle back. She says - we're sending you to PT. So, looks like I get to work to make it better. Haha! That's fine. Hope it works! And I have to wait TWO WEEKS to get in. Not thrilled about that, but oh well. Hopefully this will get me in better shape for the recovery, though. ;)

OK - I've griped now. And that's about all you'll hear from me about this. Most likely. If you're one of the lucky ones, I'll actually let you know my back hurts, but that's probably all I'll say. Otherwise, you'll probably get the "Oh, I'm fine! And you?" response. :) I mean, who really wants to hear about this over and over? So, I've gotten it out now, and hopefully things just won't continue to get worse. I still know I could experience more swelling, fatigue, pain, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on, right? ;) And we'll end with a few more cute pics to brighten up the post a bit, shall we?

Good Excuse

It is a nice thought when you think about it. Of course, you don't see me out running like this...but I still have a good excuse for my big belly (even if some of it perhaps is because of the cupcakes and brownies and ice cream....). ;)