We’ve Moved!

I think it’s pretty safe to say that the past 2 years have been all about Ryder Joseph!  But make way world, because Maisy Liza is going to make her grand entrance soon and things are about to get even crazier, just like we like them :)  We’ll call it MARSH MADNESS !

Come on over to www.mymarshmadness.blogspot.com to visit us, become a follower, bookmark it, save it as a favorite, whatever you have to do, just stick around.  We’ve enjoyed sharing our journey with you and are excited to continue as we step into this new chapter of our life!

37 Weeks!

I’m officially considered full term now!  Here is what Alpha Mom says about this week:

Your Baby:

• Weighs about six and a half pounds, and is 21 inches long — quite possibly the same length he or she will be at birth.
• Is packing on close to a half-pound of pure, unadulterated baby chub every week.

You:

• Are probably dismayed to realize you are STILL outgrowing your maternity clothes. Your shirts ride up to reveal a couple inches of belly (or elastic waistbands), your pants might bulge and pucker weirdly as your uterus drops lower, and some tops might feel especially tight as your ribcage expands to handle all your pushed-up organs.
• Might be having serious trouble getting a good night’s sleep thanks to your size (my limbs keep falling asleep under my body’s crushing weight), your baby’s jolt-you-awake-caliber kicks, bladder calls, Braxton-Hicks contractions, and your brain’s constant buzz of excitement and anxiety and massive to-do lists.

I had another sonogram this week and an appointment with the new OB that will be delivering me.  Both appointments went well, Maisy is looking great and is getting bigger by the moment.  I didn’t put on any weight this week, blood pressure was great, my last round of blood work and Group B Strep test all came back fine, and my stomach is measuring big…the Dr. said he would guess she weighs about 8 pounds right now.  I’m not dilated at all, but wow this last part of pregnancy is rough!  When I stand up I can’t even believe how much pressure I feel immediately, I look ridiculous walking waddling around, and I feel like I’m constantly out of breath.  I’m starting to see yet another blessing in having Ryder as early as I did! 

I’ve gotten a lot of last minute preparations done for Maisy this week, like washing things, getting everything put away, and Cindy took me shopping tonight and now I feel like we really have everything we need and are SO ready for our little girl.

Ryder is the most ready out of any of us.  All he talks about anymore is Maisy, everywhere we go he will start to tell complete strangers how “Ryder’s gonna have a baby sister! And we’re gonna name her Maisy!”  He got really sad though because someone made a comment to me about how they bet I can’t wait to lose this belly.  Every day since then he has walked up and hugged my belly and say “Ryder don’t want your belly to go away”.  I’ve been trying to explain to him that Maisy will be here for us to hold and won’t live in Mommy’s belly anymore so there will be no reason for me to have one…not sure if he gets that part, but once she’s here I’m sure he won’t even think twice about it. 

Here we are at 37 weeks:

2 more weeks…14 more days…I can do this…

Bedtime Antics

Our normal bedtime routine is to get Ryder in his pajama’s, let him watch 2 episodes of Blue’s Clues that he chooses while he eats a snack which is normally either a bowl of blueberries, grapes, or watermelon, whichever he wants that night followed with a vitamin when he’s done.  By the time the 2nd episode ends it is dark outside, so we say goodnight to Blue’s Clue’s and follow Ryder to his room.  He jumps up on his big boy bed, he tells us what order to pile his blankets on, Mommy says prayers, Daddy says prayers, we turn his night light on, his humidifier on, his CD player on…and we’re out of there (as long as we remembered every step, because believe me, you’re not leaving until the exact routine is accomplished and Mr. Particular can rest).   99% of the time this is the end and we don’t hear another peep out of him until the morning when it’s time to get up.  But he has nights where he so obviously tries to drag bedtime out…lastnight was one of them.  It started during prayer time. 

Me: (as I’m finishing my prayer) is there anyone you need to pray for Ryder??

Ryder: UMMMMMMMMMM…..UMMMMMMMMM……UMMMMMMMMMM……UMMMMMMMMM……

Me: Okay Ryder that’s enough

Ryder: UMMMMMMMMM…………I need to pray for YOU Mommy!

Sweet boy.  He does so well in his big boy bed, he hasn’t fallen out or gotten out, which were my two biggest fears.  I thought he would realize his newfound freedom and he’d be roaming his room and the house whenever he felt like it, but luckily he stays put.  We still have a monitor in his room and he knows that we can hear him so he just yells when he “needs” something.  And the bedtime antics continued last night:

Ryder: Mommy, come cover Ryder back up.  Mommy, come cover Ryder back up.  Mommy, come cover Ryder back up.  Mommy, come cover Ryder back up.

He seriously will repeat himself until you adhere to his request.  So I did.  5 minutes later…

Ryder: hahahahahahaha   (pause)  hahahahahaha  (pause)  hahahahahaha.  Momma, Come see what’s so funny!!

That made me laugh, but I didn’t go back in, I could almost here his wheels turning in his brain thinking up a new approach.

Ryder: waaaaaaaa  (pause)  waaaaaaa  (pause)  waaaaaa (keep in mind these are the fakest laughs and cries I have ever heard!) Momma, come see what’s da matta!!!

Still laughing…but still not budging!  This boy is a mess!  Then came his final request:

Ryder: Mommy I think Panda wants to sleep with Ryder!!!!!!!  MOMMMMYYYYYYYY – I THINK PANDA WANTS TO SLEEP WITH RYDER!!!!

I knew this was one of those requests that was not going to fade, he is very serious about his animals and their feelings, so I got Panda from Maisy’s room, brought her to Ryder, tucked her into the spot he told me to, with the blanket he told me to, and headed for the door.  Not without some final words from Ryder:

Ryder: Momma’s not coming back in here!

Me: That’s right Ryder, Mommy is NOT coming back in here!

The End. 

Soakin’ It Up

**Soaking up the sun…and the love**

A Celebration for Maisy

Today I got to enjoy a late lunch with some close family & friends to celebrate Maisy!  It was nice to have some girl time and even though we were there for Maisy, her big brother seemed to be the topic of most of the conversation.  He’s just so funny these days and everyone always has their own stories of the things that come out of his mouth!  And now I just changed the subject to him too…so back to what this post was really about…

Here is everyone that came out to celebrate with us today:

Of course we had yummy treats to share!

And I got some really cute things for Maisy! 

Plus some money that I’m hoping to put towards a double stroller.

Thanks so much to everyone who has had any part in helping us welcome our baby girl into this world.  She definitely has lots of people waiting to meet her and love on her, and I’d say we’re ready for her any time she decides to make her appearance (hint hint…come on Maisy!).

Saturday’s

Most Saturday’s we spend running around doing whatever is on the agenda for that weekend (Ryder has quite the social calendar these days!).  But every now and then we have an uneventful Saturday with nothing planned where we just get to enjoy the day and do whatever we feel like doing in the moment.  Like wake up and make breakfast, then eat it in the Thinking Chair while watching Blue’s Clues:

 

Then head over to Aunt Jig-Jig’s pool to have some fun in the sun…and cool off from the heat!

Must remember to make time for potty breaks!

***Sorry Ryder but I couldn’t resist!***

And what better way to end a Saturday than heading out for ice cream?! 

I wish every day was Saturday!

A Shower for Angela & Callie

We have another baby almost ready to make her grand entrance into this world, so it was time for another shower! 

All the girls gathered to help Angela prepare for Callie Rae who will be coming in the beginning of August.  She got lots of cute things for Callie:

We had dinner together and enjoyed some yummy treats!

 

I always enjoy watching Luke eat cupcakes – he goes into his little cupcake trance, and nothing else in the world matters! 

We wouldn’t be bloggers if we didn’t manage to get some kind of photo shoot in:

 

And then there were 3!  Our group of prego’s is dwindling down fast!

Can’t wait to meet baby Callie, she’s gonna be so cute and sweet just like her Momma!

36 Weeks!

Here’s what Alpha Mom says about this week:

Your Baby:

• Is six pounds. SIX. POUNDS. You probably have clothes in your house that already fit a six-pound baby.
• Is still not fully cooked yet, even though MOST babies born at this point will do just fine. But the lungs are better off with a couple more weeks of maturity.
• The size of your baby will start displacing amniotic fluid over the final few weeks. As the fluid gets reabsorbed into your body, you may notice that your baby’s movements feel “different.” You might not feel as many kicks as you used to, or the sensations are just…well, “different.” It’s mostly because of the cramped quarters in there and less fluid.

You:

• Are not done yet. I am sorry.
• Have gained 25 to 30 pounds, according to the books, which also say that it’s “not unusual” for your weight to remain unchanged between weekly OB appointments. Say it with me: SHUT UP, BOOKS.

I can’t even believe I’m 36 weeks pregnant already.  This has definitely flown by…and although at the moment I feel like I’m SO ready to be done, I know that in a few weeks when the time comes I’m going to wonder how in the world it’s over already.  These days I’m just feeling big.  I’m ready to lose this belly and be able to walk without getting out of breath again!

I had my 36 week doctor appointment today and got checked for the first time…not dilated at all yet!  I gained 1 more pound, so 22 pounds total so far.  My blood pressure is good and I still don’t have any swelling, so things are right on track.  My c-section has officially been moved back to June 24th and I’m on schedule for my last 2 appointments and my surgery with a new doctor.  I’m at peace with it though, I know that once she’s in my arms it won’t even matter to me how she got here.

The only picture I got of myself today was with Angela at her shower….more to come on that in the morning, I’m too tired to keep blogging.  But here’s a sneak peek:

3 more weeks…shew.

Resemblance

People have always said that Ryder is the spitting image of Alan – and I agree!  But lately I’ve been hearing a lot more often how much he has started to take after me.  I never really thought so until my Mother In Law insisted that I look at some old pictures and then I’d see it.  Sure enough, I totally see it now!

Poor Maisy just doesn’t stand a chance…this is the path that I’m afraid she’s on:

Yes, that’s my baby picture!  All 9 pounds 15.5 ounces of me! 

Ryder was a preemie like his Daddy, such a tiny little baby…I believe we’re going to be dealing with the complete other side of the spectrum this time around, and I can’t wait :)

Maisy’s Room!

Yay, we finally have Maisy’s room together!  I didn’t have a theme, I just fell in love with the bedding and knew I wanted to pull some of the bright colors out of it, and everything kind of fell into place from there.

Ryder made stairs for himself to be able to get into Maisy’s crib!  Thanks to Mandi for passing down Bailey’s old crib, I absolutely love the white, it looks so good with her bedding.

Unfortunately I still have Ryder’s old wood dresser in there, I’ve been planning to get a white one to match the crib, but it’ll work for now. 

 

We’re trying to decide if we went a little overboard with the polka dots, but they’re only in that one corner, and I think the brown curtains and the simplicity on the other side tone it down some.

 

This is my favorite part of the room:

I’m in love with these bright colors and the name blocks that Nicki had made pull it all together so perfectly!

I can’t wait for Maisy to get here so she can come enjoy her room as much as we are now :)

 

A baby is today’s joy, tomorrow’s hope, and yesterday’s dream come true!

35 Weeks!

Here is what Alpha Mom says about this week:

Your Baby:

• Is over five pounds now, although these weight guesstimates will start getting very useless very quickly over the next few weeks.
• Since most of your baby’s organs are fully functional and major developmental milestones behind him or her, the next month is all about weight gain. And since “normal” weights for newborns these days can be anything between six and 10 pounds, it’s hard to predict how big YOUR baby will be from here on in.

You:

• Are the very picture of motherly grace and beauty. Also: waddling.
• Fatigue may be a big problem right now. You may need a daily nap, or find yourself crawling into bed by 9 pm. (I can barely make it to my toddler’s 8:30 bedtime most nights.) And while I’ve always seethed at people who love to cheerfully remind pregnant women to “Get some sleep! Once the baby’s here you won’t get any sleep!” I have to say…dude, get some sleep.

I’m feeling pretty good this week, considering I’m carrying around a baby the size that some people have at full-term!  I can feel my back arching and my stomach swaying side to side as I walk.  Luckily my back pain has been completely gone for a few weeks, thank God! 

I’m getting out of breath really easily these days.  Sometimes I just stand up and feel winded!  But then there are times that I get a burst of energy and don’t get short of breath at all, it’s strange.

I can definitely tell Maisy is running out of room in there.  Her movements now are all nudges and attempts to stretch, no more dancing and rolling around like she used to love to do.  I’m really getting so anxious to meet her and start learning all her little quirks and her little personality.

Next week I’ll start having weekly appointments with the OB and they will start to check me for dilation and all that fun stuff!  She’s going to be here before we know it!

Here we are at 35 weeks:

Conversations in Maisy’s Crib

One of Ryder’s favorite hang out spots right now is Maisy’s crib.  He has 2 stuffed animals set up in there and all her blankets.  First thing he has to do when he wakes up or gets home is go check on her crib and the animals!  He loves to sit in there and just talk and talk and talk…I finally decided to grab the camera and record one of our many conversations in Maisy’s crib:

Doctor Appointments

More Dr. Appt’s to talk about…Imagine that!

First, Ryder had a check up with his Kidney Doctor last week that I haven’t mentioned yet.  They did a sonogram of his kidneys and bladder which he sat completely still for and didn’t even cry!  What a big boy he was!  I had been telling him about it the day before and on the way there, so he was prepared and handled it like a champ.  I told him “Just watch the TV and you’ll be able to see pictures of your kidneys” and he said “Dat’s not a TV momma, Dat’s a computa!”  Oh, Excuse me!  The Doctor reviewed the images and said that Ryder’s body is doing exactly what he wants it to do every time.  He said there are still pockets of fluid inside the damaged kidney that he measures to make sure are getting smaller, which they are, and he measures the kidneys to make sure they are getting bigger, which they are!  We go back in 6 months for another follow up.

I talked to Ryder’s Pediatrician on the phone this week.  Just as I was recovering from the sadness of finding out Miss Erin was leaving, I find out his Pediatrician is leaving at the end of June!  We love her so much, I just can’t even get over it, she has been such a voice of reason for me in all of these decisions I’ve had to make from Day 1 with Ryder’s care.  He’s her little buddy and her name gets mentioned quite often in our house, mainly when someone is stalling at bed time.  I usually hear over the monitor “Momma….Mommma come see what’s da matta!”  What is the matter Ryder??  “Ryder doesn’t feel good, Ryder needs to go see Dr. Cray!”  What hurts?? “My tongue! (or whatever body part he has decided hurts that day).”  I don’t even know how to start telling him that all these people are not going to be his people anymore! 

Today we got to check in on Maisy and see how the baby girl is doing.  She’s growing!  A lot!  She now weighs 6 pounds 4 ounces!  Her abdomen was measuring ahead of schedule, but hopefully that’s stemming from nothing more than her being a big baby.  I begged asked nicely for a new picture, and the sweet sonogram tech tried really hard to get me one, which resulted in me laying on my side with her jamming the wand into my hip bone aiming down to try to get a good angle of her face.  It’s really hard at this point because she’s so low and so squished in there!  But here is what we got (sorry it’s kinda creepy how there is a reflection of her face, I promise she doesn’t have 2 heads!)

 

After the sono it was time to go see my OB for my regular check-up.  Which ended in more tears.  Gosh.  I am either A) over emotional right now, B) a big baby, C) struggling with major attachment issues, OR D) ALL OF THE ABOVE!  Obviously the answer is D!  Here’s the run down – I have been with this doctor since I was pregnant with Ryder.  The day Ryder was born I was sent to a new hospital (where Ryder’s doctors were) to be delivered by a new doctor.  I was so sad that my Doctor wasn’t going to be the one delivering me.  Fast forward to this pregnancy, everything is going great, I’m on schedule for my doctor to do my c-section and thennnn find out he has to leave the country that day.  We moved the date back 2 days to accommodate only to find out today that the Perinatologist will not approve the new date because it is prior to 39 weeks and not medically necessary.  Nice!  So now, I have no date and no doctor.  There are 3 other doctors available in the practice (who I have never met), he wants me to think about scheduling with one of them for the rest of my pregnancy.  The last thing I want to do this close to the end is start seeing a new doctor.  period.

ANYWAY I gained 2 pounds, bringing me to a total of 21 pounds.  Blood pressure is good, no swelling, Maisy has a nice strong heartbeat.  I’m very thankful for how healthy she is and ready to bring her into this world…maybe she’ll come early on her own and none of the above will even matter! *saying prayers*

Building Stuff

What is more fun for boys than using tools and building stuff?  Well for Ryder, not much can top that!  He loves to get his tools out and help Daddy build things, so that’s just what they spent the evening doing yesterday. 

First, they built a birdhouse:

Once it was together, they painted it:

 

 

 

After it was painted they hung it and Ryder said he was going to “wait and wait and wait for da birdies to come!”

 

Everything in our house has to be branded with the “HD”!

Then it was onto the next building project…a bookshelf for Maisy’s room. 

Once it was together Ryder came running with his paints and said “Okay its time to paint it!”  Thank goodness he always voices his plans before following through…or my perfect white bookshelf would have been quite colorful! 

He’s so proud of both his birdhouse and Maisy’s bookshelf…What a hard worker he is already!