8 days and counting...

8 days or less to go until Baby B #2 gets here. Insane! I cant believe how fast the past 9 months have gone by... July has seemed to go by the fastest of them all!

Tomorrow is our 2nd to last doctor appointment - so excited to meet this little guy! We have been "talking" quite a bit on my way to/from work appointments - I've been trying to prepare him for life in the 'outside' world! Have everything packed up and ready to go to the hospital... his clothes are all washed and folded. I told myself when Mason was first born that I was NOT going to fold onsies/pjs/burp cloths for our 2nd baby because they always just end up messy anyway, but it was just too fun to fold them all again, since they are so small!

Last night we put together Mason's toddler bed and started to get his new room ready. The PLAN was to get everything done WELL before the baby got here so that Mason wouldn't feel like he was being kicked out of his room (even though he is getting an upgrade to a bigger room!)

One of the BIG things we had going on in July was Mason's first swimming lessons. He had them in the baby pool, and his class was called "Guppies." He LOVED LOVED it! Everyday I picked him up from daycare he would ask "swimming?" Even better, quite a few of his little friends were in the same class. So fun to watch them try their hardest to be patient... There were 10 kids and 3 lifeguards teaching!

We were also busy with going to Bobby's softball games - at the tournament we went to watch in Crookston he even hit a home run! We must be good luck!!

Last week was the Marshall County Fair-- we went most of the nights! My grandparents were even in a program for Warren's Outstanding Senior Citizens (and in the parade too!) So proud of you guys! I realized took 250+ pictures while at the fair -- will need to post more of them later as it's getting late....

summer fun

Hurray, summer has finally arrived! We have been loving spending lots of time outside, running here and there... Bobby is gone to drill in Devil's Lake this weekend. He is the new platoon sergeant for the RTC -- it is a huge responsbility and honor that he got selected for that position.

We are so so so so INCREDIBLY proud of him!!!

Friday marked 34 weeks for Baby B - only 5 more until he arrives~ 34 days to go! YIKES. Checkup on Thursday went great - heartbeat was 150 - measuring right on. I can't believe he is going to be here in just over a month...we are still set for a c-section August 12th. Feels so strange that we already know his birthday 8-12-11. So excited to meet him-- what will he look like? what will his little quirks be? We have sooo much to do it seems like before he gets here.

Need to get his room ready for one! With Mason I think we had his room ready by Thanksgiving time -- we did get a toddler bed for Mason today - so that is the first step in getting him ready for his new room (since he is going to be the older brother, we figured it would only be fair for him to get the big room, and baby will have his room). would like to get it painted (just to freshen it up) before he 'moves in' but dont think that is going to happen!

We had a pretty mellow Fourth of July weekend last weekend. Lots of family time which I loved. Been trying to treasure every moment we have together while we are still a family of 3, which won't be too much longer! Saturday afternoon we had family over for grilling and Bobby's spectacular fireworks show! Some of our neighbors even came out to checkout the show :)

Monday we had planned on going to Maple Lake for the day but decided to stay closer to home. We spent the afternoon @ the pool - decided that we really need to go there more often! Mason loved it, and it was a perfect day for swimming! After, we went to eat at Space Aliens in Grand Forks and look @ some new pickups for Bobby. Came home and found out that in the 3 hours we were gone, we missed a hail storm -- golfball sized hail! Crazy.

Bobby picked me up the new (well probably not that new but I didnt have it yet!) Taylor Swift CD (what a honey!!) - came across this song - makes me tear up every time I hear it! My song for my Mason --

Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
No, no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

family time

we had another mellow weekend at home this past weekend - the sun was shining and we got to spend tons of time outside! Bobby got to try out his new riding lawn mower, and when he was done mowing, he and Mason went for a ride! :)

We have a Dr. appt for Baby B on Thursday this week - appointments are every other week now! I will be 30 weeks on Friday - 9 weeks until Baby B is scheduled to arrive. He will be here before we know it! In the mean time, will try to get in lots and lots of cuddles with Mason while we are still a family of 3.

company!!

We have some company this week.... Jefferson is back visiting us for the next week or two while his adoptive-parents got called up to go flood-fighting in Bismarck (along with Bobby). It is strange to hear his bell jingling around again! Mason is LOVING LOVING LOVING having him - he chased him around for two hours straight tonight. "Follow me kitty!" "come here kitty!" "kitty come play with me!" is all we heard!

Glad to have the extra company here while Bobby is gone- he too got called to go help with the flood fight in Bismarck - he was called at 10AM Saturday morning and by noon was at his office helping coordinate/plan/making travel arrangements, etc. and will be gone anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. We are hoping it is closer to the 1-week estimate! But I remind myself that I am so lucky he isn't gone for a year at a time, and that certainly makes a week or two seem not so bad! I am so incredibly proud of him for taking this on!

One thing I learned back when Bobby went to help with the flooding in Fargo is that there is a LOT more to the process than simply shoveling sand into bags. Checking people/equipment in and out, paperwork, developing a work schedule (alternating shoveling/throwing/etc so people don't get too worn out each shift...), sleeping arrangements, food, the list goes on and on! Who knew?!?!

I am really hoping that this rainy weather ends very soon. It has been very depressing not to be able to spend anytime outside.

hurray for long weekends!

so I just realized this morning when I woke up that it is a LONG weekend this weekend! Made my day! And the sun is actually SHINING outside instead of the rain that we have had every weekend for the past month it seems!

last weekend we spent a lot of time cleaning-out/rearranging the "old" scrapbook room. Now it is more of a playroom/family room. Still a work in progress but it is getting there... Mason is loving to spend time in there!

Softball season has *officially* begun. Bobby is playing in 2 leagues this year - we like that we are able to get to all of his games in Warren, and will try to get to some in Grand Forks this year too.

Mason loves to watch baseball with his daddy at home, but when we go to watch his games, he wants to run out on the field and play!

Mason has been wearing this cookie monster costume/outfit around today- bobby picked it up at a garage sale for 50 cents-- it has been money well spent! Mason loves to run around and say "I'm cookie monster--- rroaaarrr!!!"

it's a beautiful day!!!

what an absolutely gorgeous day it was today - we spent so much time outside, without jackets even!

I tried to get my flower beds weeeded out to see if it will help my plants grow - I think they all died over the winter (yes they ARE the kind that are supposed to come back, I know that much!). they are still all brown and crunchy; not even a hint of green...

This is us at the Shout house a few weekends back with our friends who are moving away :(

baby bump pics - 20 weeks and 24 weeks. I think I am just as big now at 6 months as I was at 9 months with Mason. A good excuse to shop!!!

Right now am watching Army wives - I used to love this show, and then had stopped watching it because it was on the same time as Brothers & Sisters (which I hear is being cancelled?!?!!!). I am feeling very lost since I have missed over a year, but forgot how much I like this show.

happy mother's day!

happy mother's day to all my mom friends -- and of course to my mom!

the past few weekends have been busy - two weekends ago was Easter, and last weekend Bobby & I got a weekend away! Friday night went to a wedding reception (so fun to see so many friends!) and stayed at The Lodge on Lake Detroit -- such a wonderful hotel! Thanks to my friend Katie for recommending it; if you are ever staying in DL I would for sure recommend it! To make things even better, Bobby suprised me with a manicure/pedicure/facial at the spa the next morning! (thanks honey you're the best!).

Saturday we went down to Mpls - I got some "much needed" shopping done while Bobby played in a poker tournament (he won!! almost enough to cover what I spent shopping, haha!). Then we went out to a dinner at Seven restaraunt and out with our friends Jay & Tracy, who are moving to Utah in a month :(

We've also had our 24-week doctor appointment and got to see Baby B again! He is growing growing growing; August will be here before we know it!

This weekend I am excited to have a family weekend at HOME with nothing planned! Hopefully the sun will come out today and we will be able to get some good outside time in!