In case you didn't get yours in the mail....

Cowboy Preston

Rodeo Day at school (MDO):

Big thanks to Mimi who provided most of the outfit! :)

Looks like....

The Jury is still out on who Lawson looks like....what do you think?

J and Lawson

J and Preston

Lawson - 1 month

Preston - 1 month

Law - Newborn sad face

Pres - newborn sad face

Lawson - first picture

Preston - first picture

He's here!!!

proof that I was very much pregnant. 39 weeks.
Right after delivery. we brought preston in and he was so sweet to Lawson. First thing he said was that he wanted to share his toys with him.
Sweet girlfriends who were there in a moments notice to share in the excitement.
ready to go home.
first pic of Pres holding Lawson. I love this.
The Patterson's coming to visit. More visitors...co-workers and friends.
Friends visiting. Sweet Charlee is just a few weeks older than Lawson. Such a blessing to have a good friend to be pregnant with! :)
Carri Wellborn helping Pres hold Lawson. Preston stayed with the Wellborn's while we were at the hospital. another blessing!!
More friends!

I will not be writing Lawson's "birth story" for the public to read (I will say it was a great experience) but will share some memories:

*Not having a "scheduled" labor may be a little more stressful, but the excitement is worth it

*Laboring at home pays off.

*The way Jason drove to the hospital...let's just say...mad driving skillz

*After arriving my doctor saying we'd have a baby by dinnertime!

*My phone losing all battery when arriving at the hospital because I had been using it all day to time my contractions.

*Walking around upstairs in the hospital with Preston looking at the fish tanks with contractions that took my breath away, but loving those moments of just me and him.

*Sweet friends and family hearing the news that I was in labor and coming up to the hospital.

*Everyone taking guesses on his weight, hair, length, time of arrival.

*The nurse asking me if I wanted to go all natural = no epidural.

*Getting extra bags of fluids because I was so dehydrated from throwing up all night the night before.

*How fast my delivery went...didn't push for very long.

*The immediate love I felt for another child.

*The lungs on Lawson...that boy can be heard!

*The ease with which Preston accepted Lawson into our family.

*Celebrating with friends and family after delivery.

*Lawson never leaving the room after delivery...getting a bath and everything inside the room.

Eating Aina's dinner at 11pm that night because I was starving and she was so kind to share.

*Rachel getting us a "better" recovery room because she went and talked to the nurses.

How big and grown up Preston looked the next day when I saw him.

*Not getting ANY sleep the first night because someone was in the room every 30 minutes doing something.

*How much easier things felt the second time around.

*Fun times visiting with friends over the next 2 days as they came to see Lawson.

Friday Flashback - Boy or Girl?!

I stole the idea of "Friday Flashbacks" on another blog.  She was behind on blogging and decided to use Fridays to catch up on important things that had been passed by - whether it be years ago or just days ago.  So I thought I'd try to do the same on Fridays.  I don't think I'll have any problem finding stuff to post on Fridays.

Here's one I've been meaning to get up for a while...

On Sept 8, I had my 20 week sonogram where we could find out the gender of  baby #2.  We wanted to find out, but I thought it would be fun to have the sonographer write down what we're having and put it in an envelope.  Then we would open it later that day at dinner with friends.  I'm not sure where I came up with that idea, but I liked the thought of celebrating with good friends as opposed to a stranger.  (no offense to the sonographers out there)

So Jason and I enjoyed every minute of the long awaited sonogram, capturing each movement and looking at baby #2 in amazement.  Jason kept trying to sneak a peak and swore at first look at the baby that it was a boy.

I went into the appointment thinking it was a girl.  My assumption was based on how I felt this pregnancy.  First of all, very different from Preston, and not nearly as sick.  Which was a huge blessing, but still - different.  And the cravings I've had seemed to match up with all my friends that were having girls!

The sonographer turned off the screen at one point so she could take pictures of the gender "evidence" clearly and filled an envelope with a note and lots of pictures!  In that moment I wondered what in the world we were thinking by waiting?!!

But wait we did, and it was so worth it.  We had invited some close friends (and their kids) to meet us at a restaurant where I had reserved a room.  We set up a kids table and adult table.  I went ahead and put the party favors out on the tables...bad idea.  Don't give children free access to pink and blue jelly beans.  Let's just say they were gone before the meal came.  I'm sure the parents loved me!

We ate dinner (well I nibbled out of pure excitement) and then Jason told the story of our first sonogram experience with Preston.  Long story, but let's just say they told us we were having a GIRL!  

We asked everyone to hold up the Hershey kiss color that corresponded with what they thought we were having...(blue for boy, pink for girl) and then

I quickly opened the envelope to find a note saying "It's a BOY!"  and pictures that clearly credited him with being a boy! ;)  

I was shocked, but thrilled.  We feel beyond blessed and can't wait to meet baby boy!  I could not have asked for a better way to find out what we're having.  It was such a joyful evening - one to remember for sure!
Here's some pictures of the night:

School Days

Preston started school last week. (MDO) He seemed to do great. When I dropped him off the first day he ran to play with the trucks and never looked back! With his birthday being in May, he's one of the youngest in the class. Most of the other children in the class are potty-training. I'll be interested to see how this rubs off on him. At home Preston has shown no interest in it...to the point where I was just going to wait until bebe was here and settled before I started that adventure.  But after 2 weeks of school now his teachers have said that he's really trying and watching all the others go on the potty is very intriguing.  Enough potty talk, now pictures...

A little gift for his teacher on the first day

Got some new kicks for school

the classic 'first day of school picture'...he wasn't interested in smiling!

Sleepy boy...he's not exactly a morning person! ;)

And last but not least, I'm including a link to a post I read.  It's about ceremonies and traditions (i.e. starting school) and so much more.  It's encouraging and convicting...I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here's a little excerpt:

If we chose to "exult in monotony," to embrace habitual ceremony, would we be inviting the same God who instituted the observances of feasts, temple ceremonies, the service of communion, to be our strength too?

Perhaps the repetitiveness of ceremony does not stifle the Spirit, but ceremony invites us to regular meeting places, places to commune with the Spirit.

Preston's birthday

As I said in this post, I have a lot of catching up to do!  One of the events I wanted to recap was Preston's birthday.  This year we planned a birthday party with a Firetruck theme!  We were going to have it at one of the stations in town...complete with a tour and everything.  Invitations were sent out, cake ordered, balloons bought, party favors made, etc.  We were ready!  Then 2 days before we get a call saying we could not have his party at the Firehouse because all public events in the city had been cancelled due to swine flu. :(  We were bummed, and thought about just having a party anyway, but it didn't seem the same without going to Fire Dept.  So, we might try again for birthday number 3!  Hopefully his LOVE for all things Firetruck will stick around!

The best part about a cancelled party for Preston is that he had no idea! ;)  So we had some family over to celebrate that weekend.  Here's a few pics:

Mimi got you a very cool antique school desk!  And you are wondering why I am taking your picture?!

Of course Mimi put gifts inside the desk just for you!

You got the hang of opening your gifts!

And you loved trying on your gifts!

I made Tres Leches cake for everyone else, but knew that you would love an Elmo cupcake because you happen to love everything Elmo!

Here's some fun things about you at 2:

You request to watch Sesame Street every morning while you eat your breakfast by saying, "Elmo Please!"

You have jumped up quite a bit on the growth percentile charts....growing 2 1/4 inches in 6 months.

If you fall down or hurt yourself  you like to tell me exactly where it hurts so I can kiss it.  And if you think I've hurt myself or am sad you will come over to me and pat my back.  So sweet!

You love to jump off the side of the pool to us and could do this for hours on end!

Each time you see a Firetruck you shout EEEE-OOOO-EEEE-OOOO!

And just three short months later at 27 months:

You have become quite independent, saying the phrase..."I do it, No I do it!"  This happens most often in the car where you want no help into your car seat.

You love to open and close doors saying Hi and Bye and you come and go.  You have a much harder time opening doors than closing and I am so thankful for this.  I am not ready for you to come and go as you please.

You are always asking what something is or what the name is.  So you learn new words everyday and it's amazing to hear you repeat things that I didn't even know you knew.

When you count out loud you like to go back and forth between 2 and 3 over and over.

When you see that Bella's bowls are empty you pick them up and help get her more food.

Our car rides consist mostly of spotting planes, diggers, and buses...where you ask each time if we can "ride the bus!"

When we pass a Chick-fil-a you like to say "Fries!" and when we pass a Wendy's you say, "Ice Cream!" (frosty).  Not because this is what you get each time, but because this is what you WANT each time! :)

Preston, you are loved and cherished and it's a joy to be your Mom!