Sick day

What a day! As you can tell by the photo, today was rough. I woke up this morning with a raging pulse and a fever. After a visit to the doctor, we were cleared of the flu, but we were diagnosed with a sinus infection. The doctor put both Ryland and myself on an antibiotic just in case and due to the baby coming soon. She thought it would be better to be on the safe side than waiting it out.

Entry art

We have art! We have been waiting on the perfect piece, and we finally have it. The large wall in our entry has been a big blank eye sore, and it is nice to finally start pulling things together. It is funny how one little thing gives me a bit of excitement and relief. I can't wait until the construction projects are done, so I can put out all of the "girl stuff" aka decorative accessories.

Whipped topping

Brad and Chanda came out for dinner and visiting tonight. We just love them to pieces! Ryland gets so excited when we tell him they are on their way over. It is really cute, because he says their names over and over and over.

Chanda brought a tasty treat for dessert, strawberry shortcake with whipped topping. Ryland wasn't interested in the strawberries or the angel food cake, but he was intrigued by the whipped topping. I can't blame him. It is the best part.

Robot

Nana brought Ryland a new toy robot. He was a little unsure about it when they turned him on. The robot started moving his feet and making noises.

Ryland walked around the robot to check it out before he got too close. After a few short moments, he decided he would get a little closer.

Ryland and Nana sat down to check out the robot up close and personal. The robot started spinning around and shooting. I am pretty sure the robot is not for 2 year olds, but as long as we keep an eye on him it will be OK. The guns have been removed for safety and kiddo morale.

Latest baby progress update

I was upset when I received a call this morning that my doctor would be unable to see me due to an unexpected call at the hospital. I cringed at the thought of seeing Ruth, the nurse practitioner again. It seems that every time I have seen her in the past I have left upset. After the kidney scare a few months back, I swore that I would refuse to see her again. Well, I saw her again today for my check up. I am still not a fan, but everything went OK.
The baby's heart rate was 137 bpm. I am 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She said the baby could come at any time. I was excited to hear that I was making progress, and that the baby may come on his own terms. I have been dreading an induction due to how Ryland's turned out. I had a stress test, and the baby did just fine. I need to make it through the weekend, because my doctor is out of town. After that I am ready to get this party started. Mother of 2 boys. I am very excited!

A sweet moment

We were getting Ryland ready for bed tonight, when we started our night night kisses. He kissed John Chris and Cooper, and then came over to give me a smooch. He kissed my belly and then gave me lots of kisses on my cheeks and lips. It was so sweet. Definitely one of the sweetest moments of motherhood.

Baby progress

My appointment went well this morning. We had a sonogram first, so we could get a sneak peak at the baby. He looks great, and he seems to be pretty darn happy. It was no surprise to us that he would measure big, and he didn't disappoint. He is currently measuring about 2-3 weeks ahead and weighs in at 7lbs 10 oz (plus or minus half a lb). This is a bit scary for me, because he could get pretty darn big by his due date. After speaking with the doctor, we are going to see how things go, but we are tentatively planning on inducing at 39 weeks.

Mr. Artist

We had a delicious burger dinner tonight. Ryland snacked a bit and wanted to draw on the dry erase wall. He is so very interested in coloring and drawing and tonight was no exception. I just love watching him be creative and explore his artistic side.

Completed nursery

The nursery is complete! We moved the glider rocker and ottoman downstairs tonight and put the finishing touches on the room. I sat down in the chair and had a moment of realization. We will be bringing a baby home very soon. I think it was the fact that the room was complete and all the clothes and blankets are in place. How soon our lives will change.
The motorcycle prints set the theme for the room. I had a challenge finding exactly what I had in mind, but I knew that these would be perfect.

The replica antique motorcycles were a gift from Nana, and they are the perfect accents for the room. We are really excited to have the room complete and can't wait to bring our new baby boy home.

Big boy beanbag

Ryland has a new chair in his room tonight. We replaced the glider rocker and ottoman in Ryland's room with a new beanbag chair. He didn't quite understand that it was a chair, because it was more like a body slamming soft place to land. John Chris and I imagined a comfy place to read a book before bead, but as long as he is happy, we are happy.

Outside afternoon

What could be better than playing outside on a warm afternoon in February? Playing outside and eating ice cream, of course. Ryland and I enjoyed a beautiful afternoon playing in the warm weather and enjoying an ice cream treat. He was really into getting every bite. I wonder who he gets that from....

Swinging

Do you think Ryland loves his new play set? He could swing for hours. We are really enjoying the beautiful weather and taking every opportunity to play outside.

Doctor appointment

Baby Allison is progressing right on schedule, and his heartbeat was 150 bpm on this visit. The doctor says that all of my cramping is due to the constant up, down, and playing with Ryland. She was not concerned with my blood pressure on this visit but wants me to continue to monitor it closely. My final sonogram is scheduled for next week, so we will get a sneak peak at how big he is. I can't wait!

Bath time

Ryland shared some of his bath water with Cooper tonight. He would fill up his toy and give it to Cooper to drink. This went on for a while, and Ryland just laughed hysterically. He is such a sweet boy.

Picking a fight with baby brother

Ryland was having fun playing with Dad's flashlight tonight when he decided to shine it on my belly. He would shine it on my belly and laugh. John Chris and I were laughing so hard at his enjoyment.

The baby didn't seem to mind, and he didn't even move. I guess this is the official start of the boys picking and fighting with one another. We are going to have our hands full.

Hanging with Dad

Ryland and I worked on his Valentine treats for his school party and next week's playgroup party. We stuffed all of the gift bags and put stickers on everything. He really liked the stickers, so he started telling me where he wanted them stuck on himself.

When John Chris came home, Ryland directed John Chris and the sticker placement as well. One sticker on each cheek and one on each hand. He loves stickers!
Ryland slipped Dad's boots on and started trying to walk around the house. The boots are really heavy and dirty, but Ryland wasn't going to give up. I love the determination on his face.

Ready for bed

Nana brought Ryland some Valentine treats on this visit, and one of the gifts was this cool book. It is a recordable Hallmark book that replays Nana's voice reading the story. Ryland thought it was the coolest thing and laughed at the last page when he heard "Nana loves you".
The look of a tired little boy that doesn't want to give it up.

Cheese, one more time for the camera before bed.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

Ryland was entranced by the Super Bowl halftime show. He was ready to dance, and he started bustin' a move.

He quickly decided that the volume needed to be adjusted.

He walked over and turned the volume up. Just who does this kid think he is?

This year's Super Bowl festivities were definitely different. This is the first year in a while that we haven't hosted a party, but we decided with everything going on that we would just kick back and relax. We stayed at home and had pizza and wings and called it an early night.

Silly boys

The boys were in rare form this morning. They were just plain silly. Ryland had to be just like Daddy and started mimicking the way John Chris put his legs.

The boys do have some nice hair!

After being like Daddy for a bit, Ryland decided to take a little nap like Cooper. What better place could there be than the rug on the bathroom floor?

Ahhhh, the silly is back. It was Cooper's turn for a little hugging.

More snow

A few shots of the backyard early this morning. We are predicted to receive another 4-6 inches today. It is very cold out, and I feel so bad for Cooper when he has to go outside. The hot tub has a layer of ice across the top, and it is our new challenge. We are trying to keep the water moving, but it has become nearly impossible.

Where is momma's ring?

I went to put my engagement ring on this morning, and it was missing. I knew I had put it on my nightstand before I went to bed, but I had no clue where it could be now. I asked my precious little boy, and he pointed to my finger and said "Ring? I don't know".

After looking for an hour, I started to freak out a bit. I had looked my bedroom and bathroom over, and I still couldn't find my ring. After two hours, I decided to take a deep breath and look in every crack and crevice. I looked under the bed again, but this time I was on John Chris' side. Something caught my eye at the head of the bed, it was my ring.

My ring was sitting on the floor by the headboard on John Chris' side behind one of the bed frame supports. I knew immediately that I had a jewelry thief on my hands. Ryland smiled with pride when I found the ring.

When John Chris came home, he asked Ryland where mom's ring was. Ryland led him to our bedroom and looked under the bed. When he didn't see the ring, he said "Ring? I don't know." So busted! If only he would have taken me to it this morning before I started freaking out. Lesson learned. The jewelry and anything of value will be put out of Ryland's reach.

Sledding

Ice and light snow covered the Dallas Ft. Worth area today with wind gusts of 50mph. The temperature stayed in the low teens with wind chills below 0. Local schools were closed, and the kids had a chance to take a break from school and enjoy the slippery situation.

John Chris stayed home and had a bit of cabin fever, so we drove around the neighborhood. (Something about a vehicle with 4 wheel drive makes guys feel like they can conquer the world.) As we made the block, we spotted a bunch of kids sliding down a hill. John Chris wanted to join in the fun, so we headed home to prepare ourselves.

He thought the wheel barrow bucket would make a great sled, so he unbolted the bucket from the frame. I dressed Ryland in the warmest things I could find, and we headed out to have some fun.

All smiles and giggles, as the boys slide down the hill in the bucket. Even though is was freezing out, I am so glad we took the chance to get out of the house and play. After a handful of slides down the hill, we decided we were frozen.

Ryland and Dadda

Ryland and Momma

We jumped back in the truck where it was warm and toasty to head home for hot chocolate.