EVERYTHING PINK!!!

Jude will be a big brother to a little girl! We found out on Tuesday morning when getting our second trimester ultrasound! Kyle is in shock! After leaving the hospital he did several forgetful things- He left his debit card at ihop, lost his paycheck at school, forgot his sack when he checked out at walmart- and the list goes on. I think he's recovered from the news and is now looking forward to being daddy to this precious little girl. He just is overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes with raising a daughter.

I'll try to post the ultrasound pictures of our baby girl soon!

Where does the time go?

Wow- so it's been a long time since my last post... 4 months have past and it's unbelievable the things that can transpire in that amount of time. It's like Jude is a whole new kid... yep, kid... I say that because his baby moments are getting less and less every day. Right at 7 months he figured out how to crawl and hasn't stopped since. Every moment he is awake his is eyeing something he shouldn't touch or making a mess from the living room, down the hall, and into his bedroom. He doesn't stop. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago the only thing I had to worry about was his feeding and nap time. Now- I can't remember why any of that was so hard... Life doesn't stand still for one minute in our house- The day Jude started crawling he also learned to pull up on things- Which means he's experienced his first big bumps (on his head). He also feel and busted his lip on the fire place which scared me into making my first panicked phone call to Kyle. It went something like this: "Kyle, Jude fell on the fire place, and there's so much blood- I think he broke a tooth. I'm going to take him to the minor emergency." We hang up. 5 minutes later: "Kyle- I don't think it's as bad as I thought- I'll wait until you get home and we can take him to the doctor together." Another 5 minutes pass: "Kyle, he's okay. It's not that bad.. Just think it's a busted lip. See you when you get home." I'm sure every mom can relate to that first bloody fall. It's scary. Since then he's gotten a couple of big bumps on his head and another busted lip. I've tried to make everything safe for him.. But I'm coming to realize that he's just going to do this for a while. I guess it's a part of growing up.

Currently Jude is getting two more teeth. His upper two front teeth are coming in. Teething hasn't been the nightmare I thought it would be. He's a pretty tough guy. We haven't given him anything to soothe his teeth because he really hasn't acted like they are hurting. That we can be thankful for!

Most of you also know that we're expecting another baby! Right now I'm 13 weeks pregnant! It's hard to believe that life can get anymore busy- but I'm sure adding another kid to the mix will prove that it can! We are truly excited and as soon as we know the sex of the baby- we'll be sure to tell everyone.

Here are some pictures in between the 4 months I missed on the blog!

happy or sad?

My Baby Is 3 Months Old!

Yep- Today Jude is 3 months old. It's been so fun these last few months to see him grow and learn about his world. In the last 3 months he has went from sleeping all the time to only taking a couple naps a day, he could barely hold his head up and now he's doing that with no problems, he would only cry and now he coos and mimics. He also went from just looking at things to actually reaching out and touching them- At first he was eating 2 to 3 ounces- now he's eating about 6 to 7... He use to wake up every 2 hours- now he wakes up only once during the night. Things happen so fast. Every day I have to remind myself to cherish each moment- good or .. well, not so good... I will soon look back on these days and wonder where my little boy went. God has been so good to me. I'm so blessed to be Kyle's wife and Jude's mom. I'm am not deserving of such wonderful gifts- I'm so glad God doesn't always give us what we deserve and instead gives us the things we never thought possible.

Happy 3 months Jude! And thank you Kyle for helping me survive them!

3 Month Picture

I have hands!!!!

I love this boy!

I'm having an identity crisis... Don't tell my daddy.

My first Easter!

Thanks Great Grandma Kent for the Easter card!

Shots and Other Stuff

The Shots! Ouch!

Mommy and Jude!

This was Jude's first time to meet his Great Grandma Wilson!

5 Generations.

Jude's 2 month picture

At Jude's 2 month appointment, he got his first round of immunizations... and he was not too happy about it. He cried so much that it nearly made it impossible to hear what the doctor was saying. Poor guy- I had hopes that before he realized what was going on, the shots would be over, but of course that didn't happen. The up side of immunizations- he slept the rest of the day and all night! It was a bad day for Jude, but a good day for mom! Also at his appointment, the doctor said he now weighs 14 lbs and is 24 inches long. She said he looks great and is progressing really well.

This Wednesday Jude will be 2 months and 3 weeks old! Time is going so fast! He's really starting to develop his own personality. He's smiling all the time now and has started cooing. He loves being talked to. He will just watch your mouth and while trying to move his. It's amazing watching him develop. He's so much fun.

Play Time!

Here's a quick video of Jude playing with his new floor mat.

7 Weeks Old!

It breaks my heart to say that I've already had to pack up most of Jude's newborn clothes. My little boy is growing! I know he's still tiny- but some days I look at him and it seems like he's changed so much. Seven weeks makes such a big difference.

Things have been so much easier this week. We have finally turned the corner. All the experience mom's told me that after the first 6 weeks things settle down- and boy have they. I've actually been able to take a shower for 3 days in a row- get the dishes and laundry done- and even sit and eat! He's starting to play a little on his own. My sister gave us a floor mat. He loves to lay there and kick the ball. We also invested in a swing... and it was seriously the best thing we've ever done. You can put him in it and two minutes later he's asleep. Amazing. I wonder what parents did without all these gadgets.

Another big mile stone- Smiles! We've thought Jude was trying to smile for a while now- but at the beginning, smiles can easily be confused with gas. But on March 1st- we definitely got our first official smile... and now they're coming more frequently. It's so much fun to actually now that we're making him happy. I love it. Now we're waiting for him to laugh.

The most difficult thing right now is remembering to enjoy every moment. Even all the crying and late night feedings... I know I will miss my tiny little baby and him depending on me for everything. When he starts holding his bottle, I'll miss holdhing it for him.. And when he turns over- I'll remember when I had to make sure he got tummy time.. Even though all of this can be really overwhelming.. I love it. Like every other mom- I would do it a million times over.

JUDE!

My favorite picture yet!


First OSU VS. OU Game!


Yep... That's how it usually goes. They always make you cry!

Jude's blanket!

We finally have our little boy! Jude was born on Wednesday, January 21st at 4:31 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs and was 20 inches. The labor and delivery went really well. Now that he's a week old- we're starting to figure this whole thing out. He really has been an easy baby to take care for. He's pretty perfect. He hasn't been too hard to figure out. Kyle and I feel so blessed to have such a healthy baby.

THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING!

Well- Our official date is January 21st. We go in at midnight to be induced and hopefully we'll have the baby sometime that afternoon. I'm already dilated to 2 centimeters and 80% effaced. I don't know if that means this will all go quick- but I keep telling myself that it has to be a good sign. Part of me hopes that I'll still go into labor naturally. I kind of want the experience of calling Kyle telling him that he has to come take me to the hospital. Kyle on the other hand is content with the baby waiting until the 21st. He said he can handle anything as long as he knows it's coming. Either way- He's coming! I'm so glad we've finally made it to this point. It's still hard to believe. Sometimes this whole experience seems like it lasted for just a couple of months. Other times it feels like I've been pregnant for my whole life.

The baby seems to still be doing great. He's still moving a bunch even though he's running out of room to stretch out. I really can't complain too much. I've had a perfect pregnancy. They only problem I've had is with my back. I guess my SI joint in my hip is out of place. This has made things hard. Even walking is a challenge. My doctor said that after I have the baby I should get some relief. Kyle's been really helpful through it all. He's cooked dinner every night and has really taken care of many of my responsibilities. I'm lucky.

Thanks for all the support everyone has given me! I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such great friends and family. Kyle will send everyone a text message or an email once the baby gets here. All of you are welcome to come see us at the hospital or come by and visit us at home. This experience wouldn't be the same without all of you!

This is it! We're going to finally meet Jude!

The Countdown

I just wanted to update everyone on my doctors appointments.. I use the plural because I've started going weekly now- which must mean, we're really close to having this baby! Last time I went, Dr. Waterman said that she likes to do inductions. She gave me several dates we could choose from- January 14th, 21st, or 27th. My actual due date is the 23rd. I really don't want to wait until the 27th and I think the 14th may be a little too close to Christmas. Plus, Kyle is starting a new job on the 5th so I think it would be best if he didn't have to take time off that second week. So- I think we've decided on the 21st. Of course, I could definitely go into labor naturally, but if not- that will most likely be Jude's birthday!

My doctor really doesn't like for babies to be born over their due date. She gave a number of reasons- they start having bowl movements, the just get really big and that makes for a harder delivery.. and so on. We'll see how it all goes. It seems so surreal to be talking about labor! I can't believe it's we're this close to meeting our little boy. I'm really not worried about anything as far as labor and delivery goes. I've always been pretty flexible and I really know it's best to just trust my doctors and nurses. I don't have a birth plan or anything like that... I just plan to go with whatever happens. Most people I talk to who have a birth plan say that it didn't quiet work out how they expected. I'm thinking if I go in not knowing what to expect, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised and not disappointed when things aren't perfect. My only concern is having Kyle there and our families- I think the day will be special no matter how long it takes or how he's delivered. We're just ready to meet him!
I really appreciate everyone's support!!! Keep reading cause I posted about the CCS shower too!

CCS Shower!

On December 5th I had my last shower. It was great. All of my former CCS teachers, family, and a few good friends were there. I'm always so amazed by the support I have from the teachers at CCS. They honestly feel like an extended family. After having this shower I think Kyle and I have everything we need for the baby. It would have been impossible for us to do this on our own. I never realized how much one little person can need! It's unbelievable! Thanks to everyone who came to the shower. I'm so blessed to have so many people love and support me.

Jude's Room

The baby's room is almost done! Kyle and I, with the help of my mom, worked on it so hard this weekend. All the paint is done. All the trim is done. The only thing left is to paint the door and closet white. After that- we can start setting up the crib and the rest of the furniture! I'm so anxious to see it all come together. Kyle's showing off his new belly in this picture!

-The 2nd Ultrasound Attempt-

Last Saturday we went back for our second try at a 3D Ultrasound. Unfortunately Jude wasn't really showing his face this time around either. The entire hour he had both of his hands covering his face. After pushing on my stomach for what seemed like forever- the ultrasound technician gave up.

Between the two sessions, we actually did get several good pictures It is absolutely unbelievable seeing the distinct features of the baby. We really able to count all his figers and toes! And yep, they're all there!

Here are a couple of pictures of his hands. The second one looks like he's tyring to say = "Beat Texas!"

It was so much fun seeing our baby in 3D. Hopefully when he gets here, he'll be a little more photogenic!

Baby Showers!

We've already had two great baby showers. Kyle's church family in Helena thew us one and a few good friends gave us another last Sunday. They were both great. When Kyle and I got married we realized how blessed we are by friends and family- and the same is true with having this baby. During these big events in our lives, so many people have come and supported us. Most of our first apartment was furnished through wedding gifts and most of our baby's first things will be from all of you. Even people we haven't seen in a while came to the showers and supported us. We feel so lucky to have every one of you in our lives. I am so thankful that God has surrounded me by such great people- I couldn't choose better friends and family for my child to grow up with and be loved by. Thanks to everyone who showered us with gifts these past few weeks. It is such a big help! Kyle and I would never be able to do all of this without you guys. Here are a few pictures from the shower in Helena and the one at Chandra's house.

Ultrasound!

Last Saturday we had our first 3D Ultrasound. Kyle's mom Sheri, my mom and sister, and Chandra and Sydney all came with us. It was such a special day and we loved getting to share it with the people closest to us. We were amazed to see little Jude so clearly! We could even catch a yawn every now and then. Unfortunately we weren't able to get too many good pictures because his feet were covering up his face. It's amazing how bendy they are in the womb! We are scheduled to go back in a couple of weekends. They're going to try again to get good pictures. When we get them, we will be sure to post the pictures!
Being able to see Jude like this really made all of this seem so real. Sometimes it's hard to imagine in less than 3 months we'll be holding our baby- but seeing him in color and how much he's grown since the last ultrasound was so surreal. Kyle and I can't wait until he comes!

Jude's Room In Progress

Here's a couple of pictures of the nursery. The top of the wall is going to be blue and white stripes with two gray pen stripes on the white part- probably hard to imagine! But I think it's going to turn out really cute. We're also going to put up chair rail molding up. Hopefully it won't take us too long to get everything done! I'm ready to start moving the furniture in and getting everything set up for our little boy!

No More Work!

I have officially been off work for a week now. It's been so nice staying at home. I've definitely kept really busy. I've got half of the baby's room painted and a lot of other stuff done around the house. We've had a lot of people in and out of the house fixing things! Last week we had a guy here fixing our fireplace and another man doing measurements for our new carpet. Today a plumber is here fixing our toilet and garbage disposal. These are all things that have needed to be done for a while- but when working full time it's hard to schedule it all. It's a relief to have it all done and things working properly again!
Kyle and I have been rushing around trying to get the house organized and in order before Jude comes. We have just about 3 months left. I know these next few months are just going to fly by. I don't think I'm going to regret taking this time off work in order to get these things done.

Let The Birthing Begin!

Kyle and I went to our first birthing class tonight! It was actually really fun. We mainly went in with the idea that we were going for the "experience", but I think this class is going to be so helpful. Just knowing that I have done everything to prepare for labor will help set my mind at ease. I think this class will also help Kyle feel more included in all of this. He even learned some good breathing techniques tonight- although, I think we both felt a little silly. The greatest part tonight was just doing this with Kyle. He can make anything fun. I felt like a little kid at times- trying to hold in my laughs... Especially when we had to close our eyes and concentrate on breathing. It was hard to be serious when all I could think about was Kyle exhaling on the back of my neck! All in all, we had such a fun night.