Pregnancy Pictures

32 Weeks

36 1/2 Weeks

TYPICAL

I have come to accept that on almost every and any given day there are certain things that Beckett will either need, want or do. It's not uncommon that a number of those things are captured in this little photograph
- HAT
- SHOES
- SOCKS
- MILK
- CLIMB ON THE TABLE
I love this little man and all of the joy that he brings into our lives.

It's Official

Monday, December 15th started out like any other day. I woke up to the reality that the weekend was over and that I would have to go get dressed and go to work. I don't know what my deal is....I have never dreaded anything more. Today was a little different because I had decided to ask my boss if I was going to have a job when I got back from vacation. The last few weeks have been weird. I just feel like I am going to be let go. I got to work and once againeverything followed suit. All of the non-family members were there on time and working, the others (family members) were off doing what ever it is they do, in order not to do anything, the phone calls came in complaining about something that somebody didn't do and it was left to the non-family members to tie up the loose ends. I think it mostly falls on the shoulders of one girl in particular and even she was fed up.

Well, around lunch time things changed. The owner(s) of the company came in and said that they needed to talk to all of us. It turns out that the bank called and said that it was over and that they were to close their doors effective immediately. They are not technically going bankrupt, but I am not sure how else to define it. I think we were all shocked at how quick and absolute the decision was. We all thought that it would be a time limit, like you have 1-2 months to wrap everything up. It didn't hit me at first. It was weird, here we were all being told that we would not have a job, but then the owner said to come in for the rest of the week... Are we going to get paid for that time, what are we supposed to do? Are we going to have time to "clean up", are we legally able to do any more? It was a weird feeling. Was I supposed to pull Beckett from daycare? No one had all of the answers and Scott and I were leaving on vacation and would not be back until after the new year, would we have money to pay our rent?
I gave my 2 weeks notice to Beckett's daycare, and we left for vacation, it turns out that I will be working a little, since I do billing, the bank still wants to collect as much money as possible, so I work a full 40 hour week starting Monday and then maybe 10 hours a weeks for as long as the bank wants me to.

We're leaving on a jet plane....

I went to the doctor today and she said that I was cleared to fly home for the holidays. It has been kind of a weird couple of weeks. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to go home and I am just excited that the time is here and that we can definitely make plans for the time that we are in STL and Houston.

Decoorating the Chirstmas Tree and other Random November Pictures

It is freezing here in the mid-Michigan and as a result we have decided to dress Beckett as if we were in Russia. Okay, not really, it is just a different hat.
The day after Thanksgiving we went out shopping and happened to fall across this duo of hats.

Beckett getting a movie ready
Decorating the Christmas Tree and Beckett. When Scott and I first got married we got a hand me down 3" Christmas Tree from my mom. Well we didn't have any decorations, or money to spend on ornaments and so forth so I got a roll of fiber glass casting tape from work and made little stars. They are our favorite ornaments. I look at all of the beautiful ornate Christmas trees and I think they are beautiful but I just don't think that it would be the same if we didn't have our ornaments on the tree. I love to reminisce about where and when we obtained all of our ornaments. There is a story behind most/all of them. I love Christmas, and even though we will only be able to enjoy our tree for a couple of weeks I am glad that it is up. Oh, did you notice anything in the last 3 pictures?

Beckett is wearing a different pair of shoes in each photo.

LABOR???

I just thought this was a funny cartoon. Now on to the real reason of this post. Black Friday brought more than good deals my way. Saturday night, after walking around all day Friday & Saturday, I started to cramp ... REALLY BAD. I couldn't sit it hurt so bad. I thought maybe I had just been TOO active and this was my body's way of protesting. Well, on Sunday I was still cramping and I was having contractions that I could feel in my back. I was convinced that my body was "preparing" for child birth and that I would go into labor in the next week if not sooner. I went into the doctor Monday and sure enough I am dialated.. They ordered an ultrasound and a preterm labor test to check the likelihood of me going into labor in the next 2 weeks. I get the results back tomorrow. I think that I was just freaked out about dialating and then started to over analyze every cramp, contraction....you name it. I have been looking into the whole dialating thing and there are a ton of women who are dialated for weeks if not months. So long story short. I may not really be going into labor but I am having a TON of contractions and they seem pretty strong. HMPH! I just wish I knew exactly when this baby was going to come so that I could relax.

Thanksgiving (pictures to be added)

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone. This year was the first year that we stayed here in Michigan. It turns out that Scott has a couple of cousins that live about an hour away and so we were able to still spend the holiday with family. We had a wonderful time. Scott doesn't see his cousing very often so we weren't sure how it was going to be, but it was fabulous. There was plenty of good food and good company. I couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving. Candace has 2 little boys Michael (4) & Jordan (2). They are adorable little boys and Beckett was grateful for playmates. We are looking forward to see them again in a few weeks.

Beckett watching anxiously as Michael decorated the gingerbread house.

He got the go ahead from Candace and wanted to get his own hands "dirty"

He loved eating the gingerbread train the most.
I love this time of year (not the weather) just the holiday season. There are so many things that I am grateful for and I just thought that I would take this time to write them down.
-I would first like to say that I am grateful for early bedtimes and a schedule. I am not sure when I would get anything done if Beckett were still awake.
-Scott: I have the most wonderful husband, I understand that I am a little biased, but he is the best husband for me. He works so hard for our little family, he loves me unconditionally, he is an absolute great dad, he lets me sleep in on the weekends (which I think is a pretty big deal), he is fabulous and I am so thankful that he is mine.
-Beckett: I love my little man. I remember back in the day when people would say that you'll never truly know what love is until you have a child. I love everything about Beckett. I am so grateful for his sweet little spirit and for his ever growing personality.
-Pregnancy: I know this is an odd one. But I am so glad that I am a girl and that I get to experience my children growing inside. I love being pregnant, there are times that I am uncomfortable and that I count the days to when it is over but I would never trade it in. I love being a mom. I love the bond that I have with my son. I love that when he gets hurt I am who he wants.
- My family: There examples have been such a blessing to me and have helped mold me into the person that I am today. I am grateful for my mom & dad and for the all of my siblings. Things weren't always perfect growing up but I can't imagine my life without anyone of them. I am grateful for my extended family and the bonds that we have.
Miscellaneous: Heat, running water, electricity, microwaves, chapstick, Puffs plus with lotion, Tylenol, a car, my job, a garage, my cats.

I think I need a vacation....

I have been feeling pretty sick lately, you know the sick that is not enough to justify calling off of work but the one that can make your life miserable....I am there. That and this last week of work has been completely unmotivating. I was looking forward to this weekend so much, I was trying to plan all of the things that I needed to get done as well as the things that I wanted to do. Thursday I picked up Beckett from daycare and we went in for my 30 week check-up. He was being a little fussy and about 3 minutes later he threw up, not much, and mostly spit, fortunately I caught the majority of it and we were able to get him cleaned up in no time. I thought it was just a fluke since he acted fine right after this...So we went and ran errands, we went to Joann's, Kroger, Linens-n-Things....While we were at Kroger he wanted a popsicle, truth be told I did to, so we got some and shared it while we waited for Scott. Well we finished our popsicle and were driving home. We got about 5 minutes away from our house and it happened again, except this time it was everything he had eaten all day....Needless to say we have been at home. I do enjoy that he has wanted to cuddle since he is not feeling well but he breaks my heart when he grabs his little stomach and cries. I don't think that we have slept through the night in at least a week we are both very exhausted and hope that there is an end to this soon. He seems to be feeling well today, so hopefully he will not have any incidents.

What are you looking at????

I'M A BIG BOY NOW!!!

So, one of the girls up here in MI just switched her son to a big boy bed and I comended her because I was not that brave. My plan was to keep him in his crib until after we moved out of MI. Well, within the week my veiws on the issue changed. I went to go get Beckett out of bed and he had his leg hoisted up and was about to throw his weight over board. I figured that I should just count my losses and be happy that he never seriously injured himself by trying to get out of bed and I figured I better not press my luck, especially given his track record. Scott and I modified his crib and voila, a little daybed. Beckett thought it was great. He holds on to the sides and jumps as high as he can and then falls backwards.

We did our night time routine and when I went to go check on him he was sound asleep. It broke my heart. My little boy is growing up and I am not ready for that. I just wish he could stay my little boy and that I could jump into his crib and rock him when he was upset. I guess it is a little easier now I can just sit on the side of his bed, but it is not the same.

You want some of me....

AAHHH! Welcome to the month of November. It has been one of the most beautiful weekends in November that I have ever lived through. But regardless of how beautiful and serene the weather was I was hurled back into reality. The reality that I have a 20 month old little BOY. A little boy who likes to do odd, dangerous, little boy things that in fact little boys should not be doing. Jumping off things that were not meant to be jumped on or off of, running around places where he shouldn't be running, chasing a tail that does not exist...Saturday Scott and Beckett were having some male bonding time and apparently Beckett was going crazy, jumping off of a curb (repeatedly) and he didn't have time to recover his balance before falling. He fell at the perfect angle to cut his little eyelid on the concrete/marble that was close by. He had a tiny scratch on his eyelid and it kept bleeding down into the corner of his eye, so I, like any good mother kept wiping it up. You would have thought that I was gouging his eye out because he kept screaming, I didn't understand because I wasn't even touching his "owie". As you can see from the pictures there was more to his "owie" then what was originally detected. I felt so bad when I realized that he had a little brush burn on the side of his face where I was trying to wipe away his blood. I am sure it was torture. Good news though, he is not holding any grudges, I don't think......

Should I be worried?????

I read in one of my "as your child grows" articles that Becket should be mimicing us - the way we dress, the things we do the way we talk on the phone, etc...; it said by doing so it shows that he wants to grow up and be like us....I just didn't think the heels were going to be on the agenda.

But it seems that he is a pro because he kept them on for a few minutes and never once had a "mishap". He just walked and played as if they were regular shoes that were really big on him.

Random October Pictures

My mischevious little man, trying to get into the cabinets. Thank goodness for child locks.
Should I be concerned that after seeing me use this headband once, Beckett is now a pro at putting it on by himself?

What can I say...He loves to eat.

I CAN TOUCH MY TOES!!!!! Hey is anyone back there?

He REALLY wanted to get out of the cart

Fortunately, Aunt Tia's bright, construction orange colored beanie was there to save the day.

Little boys are so funny!!!

More Halloween

I almost forgot my most favorite thing about Beckett's costume...No it's not his little rump rather its the denim covering on his rump. These are Scott's little "Wrangler's" from when he was a little cowboy. They are seriously the icing on my cake. I am so excited that Susan saved them for Scott.

I tried so hard to get a picture of Maya & Beckett together but one/or both of them were being uncooperative in pretty much all of the pictures.

I think I must have caught them off guard.

Mostly, they just wanted to play...AND not look at the camaera.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

I finally finished (started) Beckett's costume. Scott and I decided that Beckett would be a little cowboy for Halloween, and I thought that it would be easy enough to make, which it was but I didn't start it til pretty late in the game...the night before Halloween.

Friday morning I made the finishing touches and the moment we got Beckett dressed he collapsed onto his little stool that was sitting by our coffee table as if he were in a saloon. It was really cute. We took him to daycare, and Sherry had a little pumpkin bucket and a glowstick for trick-or-treating. He loved the pumpkin. Before we went to the Hogge's Halloween Party we did a little "t-o-t".

Beckett's first "trick or Treating" experience. Doesn't he look like a pro.

This is the best picture of his little belt buckle.

Scott & I dressed up as Bleeker & Juno. You can't tell but Scott went ALL out, he even shaved his legs, a decision that he is now regretting.

Beckett enjoyed the snack table the most at the party... I think he ate a dozen cookies by himself.

By the end of the night I didn't know WHAT Beckett was...Apparently a cowboy who had been sweatin' to the OLDIES, got too bloody tired and collapsed on to a bear?!?!?!?