In the Life of the Blanton's

Easter 2011

We had a great Easter weekend! Started with dying eggs and a successful, quick photo shoot in the front yard.

Then we went to an Egg Drop (they scatter 20,000 eggs on the field then drop 10,000 eggs from a helicopter). Mason LOVED the drop this year.

Easter morning we discovered what the Easter Bunny brought. Mason cared about nothing but the "CHOCOLATE BUNNY!!".

After church we went to Granny and Granddaddy's for dinner and an egg hunt.

Then we went to Grandmama and Poppa's for more food/candy and egg hunts!

Hope everyone had a great holiday. Happy Easter from the Blanton's!

We are up to 38 weeks now! I've been having contractions on and off but nothing regular. Mom drove (like a wild woman) down the cobblestone road last week in hopes that we shake the little man out. It worked for Mason so we thought we'd give it a shot.

3 days later Mason was born......here's to hoping Brady comes in 3 days!

Dialation that lasts for weeks!

I always thought active labor was anything after 4cm. Apparently not. At 35.5 weeks I was dialated 3.5cm, but Brady wasn't in the birth canal yet. At 36.5 weeks I was 4.5cm dialated but he was still free floating.

I woke up about 2am with contractions. They were anywhere from 10-30 minutes apart and continued most of the morning. I felt this was it, so I picked up the house some, got a shower and was ready to go. As I left to go to the doctor this morning I was very slow to leave. The bags were packed, carseat in car, presents (for Mason and Brady) were wrapped....but I was sad to leave the house. Sad, scared and anxious at the same time. Sad to think it was the last time I would be a mom to 1. That our perfect little family of 3 was changing. Scared thinking...can I handle 2? And then of course anxious to see Brady. What he will be like, how Mason will be with him and begin the adventures our family of 4 will have.

I get to the doctor and at 37.5 weeks, I am 5cm dialated but Brady STILL isn't in the birth canal. So she sends me home!! Now here I sit on the couch dumbfounded. 5cm was went they sent me to the hospital with Mason and I wasn't even feeling any contractions. Doc says it could be anywhere from 1hr to 10hrs. Wow really? Thanks for the heads up doc!

Pregnancy #2

Everyone says #1 gets way more stuff/attention than #2. I was/am hoping that's not the case with Brady....but then I realize I haven't posted hardly anything about this pregnancy. Partly b/c I don't have time to think between school, soccer and a 2year old. So here is a giant rundown of pregnancy #2..

Found out we were preggo in August.
First 14 weeks were AWFUL! I was sick as a dog. Not physically just very VERY nauseated all the time.
No real cravings except mexican at the beginning
During the 2nd trimester I had severe sciatica for about 4 weeks. Brady was laying sideways on my sciatic nerve and I could barely move. Of course 2 days before the PT appointment I had schedule, he moved :)
So far 3rd trimester I've had heartburn out the ying yang. So much that Mason feeds me my medicine (TUMS) all day long. LOL

My weight gain has been normal (so far about 24lbs) and I tested negative for diabetes too.

19wks

31wks

36wks

Went for my check up last week (35 weeks) and she said I was 3.5cm dilated. To her it seemed like no big deal. She said I could stay like this for weeks. For me....kinda freaked out since 37 weeks in considered full term. Not to mention I'm not on leave yet and don't have the extra time to go on leave now. I am on weekly appts from now on so I'll go back this coming Friday. I'm hoping he decides to stay put until April 14th, when I start my maternity leave from school/soccer.

Mason is SOO excited about "baby Brady". He talks to him, shows him things and tells him to come out. Hopefully this excitment will continue after he's born
This is how we told everyone :)

Helping paint the nursery

So there you have it....8 months in a nutshell. More to write in the coming weeks I'm sure!

Your room is ready and waiting for you Brady James :)

The Mom Car

I swore up and down I would NEVER own a minivan. Not that I don't like them....they just have 7 passenger SUVs that are less "mommyish". Like the Honda Pilot which happens to be my dream car at the moment. Well, times are tough and we needed another car that would fit 2 kids and well this was a good deal.

So without further adu....here it is....my new mommy car equipped with mood lights, a TV, and a VCR :) :)

First Day of Preschool!

Ok now I know time has gone too fast! Mason has started preschool!! We have been overly blessed in having both grandmothers keep him instead of having to put him in daycare. I wanted to get him started in some kind of preschool so he'd learn that life doesn't revolve around him, since his world will be turned upside down come May. After hearing lots of good things about Deer Park Baptist's Child Day Out, we chose that! He goes Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am-12:30pm.

Day 1....we talked it up big time. We washed his bookbag, made a folder for his crafts, he helped me pack. He was excited! He woke up the next morning and ran to get his bookbag, only to be told it was cancelled b/c of the ice.

Day 2 (really Day 1)....Nancy (MIL) took him. Started off great, until she left. He cried. I called to check on him and they said he cried on and off all day. My mom picked him up and he was hysterically crying. I asked him how he liked school. His answer "mama dada waaaaa". LOL That's what he did all day....cry mama, dada, cry. At least he was honest!

Day 3....I took him to school since we were off for a furlough day. I got to meet his teachers and all. They are great! As soon as we walked into the room he grabbed my leg and started crying. We left....although that was hard. When we came back to pick him up he was pefect! She said he cried for a bit then stopped and he was fine the rest of the day!

YAY for my baby growing up.....but boo for my baby growing up! :)

SNOW!

It has to be some kind of record.....snow is Charleston TWICE in one year (Feb and Dec). Global warming.....HA! While it may have only been a dusting...we'll take what we can get :)

Catching snowflakes