Letters for Al and Sid

When Lisa, my best friend, was pregnant with her first daughter, she asked me to make some decorative letters to hang in Alex's nursery. Lisa knew that I would love that sort of project. We have a long history of doing arts and crafts together. In college, we had no problem channeling our inner children as we drew pictures together, painted, and decorated our doors with construction paper cut outs.

Well, Lisa was put on bed rest at the end of her second trimester with Alex, and I had the opportunity to fly down to Miami to keep her company during that time. It was the perfect chance to work on the letters together. And just as we did in college, we had way too much fun painting those letters. Actually, there are two sets of letters. There are the ones you see below created by me and another set that replicate the decorations that we made together for our bedroom doors in our old apartment. Spending that long weekend with Lisa was one of the best times of my life. I was so excited for her and honored to make those letters for Alex.

Lisa and I are pregnant together this time around, and there weren't going to be any trips to LA to make letters. So, I had to work on them here and will be sending them soon so that they can be hung up next to Alex's letters.

It has been fun being due only a couple of days apart from each other. There's nothing like having a best friend to share all of the ups and downs of pregnancy with. But, I have to say I am starting to get a little sad because we won't be able to meet each other's babies for a while. I met Al when she was a little over 2 weeks old, and Lisa couldn't wait to meet Charlie so she booked a flight the day after he was born. This time around, it will be a lot different. Even though we can't be together, I am looking forward to having Lisa's support. She is definitely the easy going one in our relationship, and I know that she will help me get through some of the tougher times.

I love you, Lis, and I love your girls!!!

Baby

I happen to find it pretty cute that out of an entire box of 52 alphabet cards, my child insists on finding the B for Baby card each time. Recently, he has also wanted to carry it around with him and even bring it with him for the occasional nap. Does this mean that he is ready for all of the changes that are about the happen when Jackson is here? No. Does it warm my heart to see Charlie love on this card so much? Yes. I know that his feelings towards the real baby who will be here in a few weeks might not always be this warm and fuzzy. It just gives me such a sense of peace to know that Charlie has such a sweet, tender side to him. I am certain he will have his rough moments with Jackson, but I know that deep down he will love his baby brother so much.

Charlie's Gift to Mommy

Charlie has been climbing up the stairs for months now, but he just did not seem interested in learning how to go down by himself. I've tried many times to show him how to scoot on his bottom or slide down backwards on his belly. Each time always seemed to result in a tantrum. Well, a few nights ago, Charlie was heading up the stairs to see me. Nick was downstairs with him at the time. About four steps up, he decided he wanted to go back to see Dadda. So, he slid right back down on his belly. Of course I was so excited and called Nick right over to see if he would do it again. We put him up a few steps and then encouraged him to come back down. This time he scooted on his bottom. It's only been a few days, but he is going down the stairs like a champ. I swear he has been secretly practicing while we aren't looking. Anyway, this new skill is a huge treat for me, because this belly isn't getting any smaller and Charlie isn't getting any lighter. Plus, I will have a new little bundle to carry around in just a few weeks. Charlie could not have picked a better time to give me this gift. Good job, Charlie! You really are becoming such a big boy!

36 Week Baby Update

Baby Watch 2010 has officially begun at the Shaw house now that I have less than a month until my due date. I am going to the doctor on a weekly basis and am being checked for progress towards delivery. As of today, I am not dilated. I am, however, having plenty of Braxton Hicks contractions which means my body is getting ready to have this baby. In addition to contractions, my heartburn is at an all time high, my tailbone feels like it is broken, my lower back is throbbing, and I can not sleep to save my life because my pelvis and bladder keep me up all night.

It's all good! Because the end is in sight, and I can't tell you how excited I am to meet Jackson and cuddle with my itty bitty baby boy! I got the chance to spend some quality time with Rylee, my niece, the other day, and I could have sat with her in my arms for days. Watching her smile in her sleep, smelling her sweet newborn skin, listening to her little squeaks, and feeling her tiny heart beat made all of the aches and pains from this pregnancy suddenly worth it. I seriously can not wait to hold my little man and get to know him. Nick and I are so curious to see if he looks like Charlie and what his little personality will be like. I really find it hard to believe that we are so close to actually having him here.

Jackson's nursery is well on its way, but it will definitely be a week or so before it is all done and ready for the big reveal. We have been taking Charlie in the nursery with us and are telling him about all of the things that we have for the baby. Today, I took out a newborn diaper and showed it to him. He was excited to show it to Nick when he got home from work and tell him that it was for the baby. This weekend we are setting up the swing and bassinet along with some other baby stuff. I am very interested to see what Charlie thinks about these new items in his house.

We are definitely in full baby mode around here! Jackson, we are ready when you are!

A Christmas Miracle

After months of pouring over baby name books, having many heated debates, and shedding a few tears (on my part), I am pleased to announce that we finally have a name for our unborn son.

Drum roll, please...

Jackson Edward Shaw

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It was tough, but I have to say that I really love the name and feel so at peace with it. We will probably call him Jack, but who knows. We will have to wait and see his little face and decide what fits.

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Jackson is a name that we both liked months ago but had dismissed when we decided it was too popular. Well, we finally gave up on the rules and decided that it won't be the end of the world if he has another Jackson in his class. He will be his own person no matter what, and there will never be another Jackson just like him. I can't speak for Nick, but I know that having a name makes it feel a lot more real now. That, and the fact that I only have about a month left until my due date!

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We can't wait to meet you, Jackson!

A Very Merry Christmas

Our family had a wonderful 2nd Christmas together. First, we ate a yummy breakfast of eggs, sausages, and cinnamon rolls. I figure this will be the last year we get to eat before opening gifts. After breakfast we went into the living room to see what Santa had left for us under the tree. Charlie loved opening presents this year, and would say, "More, more, more." after he had unwrapped each one. He will definitely be ready for his birthday party in a couple of months. His two favorite gifts were the over-sized building blocks and his electric toothbrush. Nick and I actually gave him the blocks the night before Christmas to play with, and we built a huge tower in the living room so that it would be the first thing he saw in the morning. Sure enough, Charlie ran right over, paused for a moment, and then pummeled the tower. You might think an electric toothbrush is a strange gift, but not for Charlie. He must ask to brush his teeth two dozen times a day. Once he opened the tooth brush, he was done with presents for the morning! What a silly boy.

We spent some time playing with all of Charlie's toys before Dadda had to leave to celebrate Christmas with Granddaddy, Oma, and all of the aunties and uncles. Normally, Charlie and I would have gone with him. Since Charlie had a stomach bug and a runny nose, we decided to stay at home and protect his Cousin Rylee from our germs. We were sad to miss Christmas with them, but keeping Rylee safe is much more important. We will go over to open presents and see everyone on Sunday instead.

Charlie has decided that he does not like to take naps on Christmas. I guess it is just too much excitement, because this is the second year in a row that he has not napped. I was very sad about this considering I had been up with leg cramps and contractions since 3:30 am that morning. This momma sure could have used a Christmas nap.

Later in the afternoon we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to celebrate Christmas with them and have a yummy dinner. Charlie was showered with LOTS a fun gifts, but his biggest gift was upstairs. Grandma and Grandpa made Charlie and his little brother their very own nursery. It is beautiful and has everything that they could ever need. This is such a treat for us because all we have to pack for a sleepover is our boys! We had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa and left their house with a packed car. In fact, we still have to go back to get even more stuff that would not fit.

It really was a very relaxing and merry Christmas. Nick and I could not believe how generous everyone was to our entire family. Now we just have to find places for all of our new toys. We hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Twas' the Night Before Christmas

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Poor Puppy

The Little Man had his first stomach bug on Tuesday night. I got home from a night out with the girls and could hear Charlie making a bunch of moaning noises over the monitor. Sure enough, at midnight I heard, "Momma? Dadda? Momma? Dadda?" I waited a bit to see if he would go back to sleep on his own, but the call for us soon turned into tears. As I walked into Charlie's room, I could already smell what had happened. I turned on the light to find my sweet boy covered in vomit and looking very dazed. I quickly got him in the bath and stripped his bed, all the time hoping that it was just going to be a one time thing. Well, before I knew it, he was hunched over in the bath tub throwing up again. Talk about breaking your heart. What a horrible feeling to see your child so sick and to know that he does not understand what is happening.

Charlie was such a trooper though. He did not cry at all. The rest of the night was pretty much the same thing every 30 minutes or so. Charlie spent the night stripped down to his diaper laying on a towel in his crib. I slept on the floor next to him and would change the towel out each time he got sick (three loads of laundry the next day). He was so weak after a few hours of throwing up that he could not even sit up. I woke Nick up at 7:30 and sent him out to pick up some supplies because I knew Charlie would be dehydrated after his long night. Nick was stunned to see how weak his little man was.

Fortunately, the vomiting stopped in the morning. However, it did turn into a fever and runny nose. Charlie was pretty lethargic all day and had a hard time sleeping with a stuffy nose because he sucks his thumb to fall asleep. I felt bad for him, so I slept on the floor again to keep him company. Today, he is acting more like himself and seems to be feeling a lot better. He still has the runny nose and is yawning a lot, but he did have enough energy for a family dance party a few minutes ago. So, I think we are on the mend.

Seeing Charlie so sick was horrible for Nick and me! It really makes us realize just how lucky we are to have such a healthy child. It also makes our hearts go out to the families who have to watch their little ones suffer from something more serious.

Girls' Night

My high school friend and college roommate, Stephanie, came into town from Chicago the other day. A bunch of us decided to get together for a girls' night in on Tuesday. I always look forward to a night with my girlfriends, and I was shocked to find out that they had planned a surprise baby shower for me. They had games and a very generous gift card to Babies R Us waiting for me. Have I mentioned before how lucky I am to have such amazing friends?!?!

Santa aka - Stranger Danger

Last year, we took Charlie to see Santa, and Nick and I just knew he would freak out the minute we put him in his lap. We were pleasantly surprised to see that Charlie really liked the man in red and did not seem to be scared at all. He loved looking at Santa and was very interested in his beard. We got the cutest pictures, and it was a perfect first meeting with Santa.

This year we were not so lucky. I can't say I was expecting much after seeing and hearing stories about his friends' encounters with Santa. As you can see from the picture, Charlie was NOT a happy camper when he got his big chance to snuggle up close with Santa. There was a brief instant of shock on his face, and that quickly turned into complete panic. The photographer and I snapped a couple of quick pictures before I swooped in to rescue Charlie. Poor kid. Maybe he will be more excited next year when he really understands the concept of Christmas. Until then, here is Charlie wishing all of you a Merry Freaking Christmas!