Our little monkey

Today my mom and Andrew took Weston to a little carnival at our church. I couldn't help but put his little monkey hat and shirt on for the outing :)

Makin' a basket!

The grand prize- a key chain! Just what every 16 month old needs

Last trip as a family of 3

A few weeks ago we went up to Manteca for Andrew's cousin's wedding and had a wonderful extended weekend with family. After we got back I realized it was the last little adventure that we would make as a family of 3! The weather was so lovely and fall-like (perfect for resting on the couch which is my specialty) and it was so nice to be together. The wedding was on Andrew's dad's side, which is very large, so the wedding was more like a family reunion. It was great to see some faces we hadn't seen in a long time!

( I forgot some names too :( oops!)

Sweet cousin Joy was the flower girl~

It's been decided...

My "nesting" elves!

Since I haven't been able to do much these days- ha ha- fighting the "nesting" urge has been pretty hard! Anyone that has had a baby knows that towards D-day these crazy impulses come over you and you just NEED to organize, clean, rearrange, and the list goes on and on. Well our family has been soooo great in humoring me during this time and have helped with so much of my "nesting" needs!

My mom helped me figure out the crib and room situation- and a month ago we turned in my little bassinet for a minicrib/changing station set up and also measured out our bedroom to perfectly fit all the new baby's stuff. This week Papa Ray helped us move our furniture and put together the crib!

Nanni Kerri helped me finish the crib bedding that I wanted to make with the fabric I had purchased months ago when we were in Manteca last week! I cut everything and she being the master seamstress she is- finished the bumper and bedskirt in one evening! Yay! It turned out so cute and fits the crib perfectly.

My sweet husband ironed the bedding and even the sheet last night so we could get it ready for the little one. And I just got off the phone with my sister in law who helped me get a good deal on a double stroller and she will be bringing it down when baby is born. It feels so good to keep checking things off my list and I am so so grateful for everyone helping me accomplish this!~ Love you!

Snacks after a hard day's work

what a guy!

New bedding made with love! My favorite part are the velvet brown ties :)

Crib all set up

...Just add baby :)

Baby Update

Here is our sweet munchkin today! Can't wait to kiss those little cheeks.

Well, after 3 weeks of resting 6 hours/day the baby's growth still declined more into the "not so good" range going from 27% down to 11% :( So for the next two weeks I will be back on complete bedrest in hopes to bump back up the growth. The baby will also be monitored every few days to make sure he isn't under any stress or having any issues with his heart rate etc. They also measure uterine activity and see how the contractions affect the baby. Sometimes little guys like this will have a hard time handling the contractions. He passed his stress test today, which is great.

In two weeks if the baby's growth is not back into normal ranges, he will more than likely need to come out. The issue is bloodflow, so there really isn't much else we can do besides resting.

Right now the little guy is around 4 1/2 pounds, so we definitely want him to be a tad bit bigger before making his grand entrance.

Thanks so much for your prayers- we definitely covet them right now. We are in the home stretch and that is exciting. But I am also feeling a little anxious and concerned about the next coming weeks. Of course every parent wants the best for their child and I am praying that this little guy will be big enough and strong enough to enter this world without complication.

But our God is bigger and knows better than we do and only He can see the future of our family and it is up to us to trust Him and bring our concerns before Him. But with our concerns comes many reasons to be thankful as well!

Because of this minor trial we as a family have been able to: see more of our parents and siblings and Weston has been able to bond with his relatives in a deeper way as they have cared for us, see more of our developing baby because of the frequent sonograms, enjoy more time together at home resting and relaxing, save money since we aren't doing much and family and friends have been spoiling us in getting groceries and making meals etc., and we have been reminded of our daily dependence on Christ who alone sustains our lives and the lives of our children.

I also have to be honest and share that this trial has brought out some not so great things in my heart- which I am thankful to see and realize how much more I need God's grace! I have been tempted to self-pity, impatience, worry and lack of motivation to use this time wisely.

But thank the Lord that we have a God who understands our every struggle, no matter how big or small! And that He sent His son to die and cover our every sin if we repent and believe in Him. Oh I am so thankful for this truth. We can so easily fall into a self-made salvation...thinking that if I am good enough or try harder to be better that we will be ok before God. Not only is that false but it is frustrating since it is impossible for us to be perfect! Jesus Christ was perfect for me and paid the penalty of my sin on behalf of me. I strive to be better out of love and thankfulness for what he did for me on Calvary. So even though I am often disappointed with myself these days, I know that God's grace covers all my sin and fears and for that I am truly THANKFUL!

First Hair Cut

I finally caved into Daddy's request to cut Weston's hair...It was a sad day for me- not completely sure why, but I'm sure other moms out there have felt this! It just seemed like it took forever for Weston to grow hair and I loved his crazy baby fuzz with long pieces here and there making him look quite silly esp after naptime :) So on Thursday morning it was time for a trim before heading up north for a family wedding that took place yesterday. Andrew's mom got the whole thing on video- we sat him in the highchair with his favorite snack ( graham crackers) and he didn't hardly move except to motion for more crackers!

Before- It's kinda hard to see but his hair was hanging over his ears ( which we affectionately called his "ear hairs" ) and getting shaggy on top

After- All cleaned up! This is the "good" side :) I kinda goofed on the other side making it look like a little buzz cut, but it will grow!

Such a funny serious face- not happy the graham crackers are gone!

Little Ryder

My sister just sent me this pic and isn't he the cutest little thing?! I can't believe how big our nephew is getting and I hate being so far away from him :( Just thought I would share his cuteness!

Into everything

Love the "I know I'm caught" face :) He just can't keep his little hands off the printer! All those fun buttons. We have given in here and now let him play with it unplugged...but mean mommy just won't let him plug in anything, which he attempts daily. Life has definitely been changing as our little guy gets more mobile and smarter by the minute. He can be quite devious too! He already pretends to do something bad, just to see what our reaction will be. Oh Boy! But he keeps us smiling as well with all his little antics and new sounds he tries to mimic. Our new favorite is "uh oh" which my mom taught him while she was here this past week helping us. It is pretty cute~ he drops things on purpose just to be able to say "uh oh" :)

"Helping" me fold the laundry

Our new "member" of the family!

Cars have always seemed like part of the family to me- lovingly naming them and attaching personalities to their appearances, etc...a little crazy I know! Well yesterday we said goodbye to "Gus", Andrew's saturn, trading it in for a brand new Dodge Journey! ( to be named soon). We having been wanting/needing a larger vehicle for a while now, and with the little one approaching soon, it was time to make a decision. Many of you know the story of how my dad gave Andrew his Harley for our wedding- a father/son bonding thing :) In hopes of many rides together, but then we moved leaving no room to store a nice bike like that and sadly leaving the Harley to itself most of the time. Now with baby #2 on the way, it looks like Harley riding days will be something for the future so my dad "bought" back his Harley from us and gave us the money towards this beautiful family mobile!

It has a third row and room to grow- perfect for our little family, soon to be four!

Thank you so much mom and dad! You spoil us BEYOND rotten and we look forward to many trips out to visit in this big comfy SUV with our two little boys and ALL their stuff stowed nicely in the back :)