A week of firsts and one week to go...

This past week we have been getting Coop ready for school to begin. He went last Thursday to meet his teacher Ms. Brinson and saw his class, took supplies, all of that stuff. He was very excited but scared at the same time.  I can't believe how time flies and my sweet little Angel is now in 2nd grade.  Monday, on the first day of school, I asked if he wanted me to walk him in and he said, "no mom, I'm a big boy now".  Cooper has said that to me many times before...when he was learning to sit and eat in his high chair, when he was learning to potty train, when he went from his big car seat to a booster and so forth. But for the first time, it hit me...he really is a big boy--and the tears started rolling.  I'm so proud of the young man he's becoming and of how independent he is.  He has a heart full of love for others and the Lord and I'm so blessed that he is mine.  I know that as this new phase starts, I will have to start to lessen the grip that I have on him and allow him to start learning and experiencing things on his own.  As frightening as it is for him....and me.   I thank God daily for his protection over Coop and I trust He has him in his hands. 
With the new big boy concept, Cooper also decided that he was ready to help with yard work.  He used to sit and ride the mower with dad but noooo, that is boring. So he thought weed-eating would be a good move.  I was biting my tongue as Lee said he could try and off they went.  Yes...more tears as I watched my 'big boy' grow before my very eyes. (I am extra emotional you know:))  He did a great job and seems now that every day he wants to weed eat.  It may help if it would stop raining---on the news it said that out of 28 days of August, we've only had 8 without rain....we are wet down here!! That has also put a hold on baseball practice which is stressing Lee out because the season starts next Sunday!!! Hope for the best for Temple 1!!

dad keeping a close eye

1st day of school!!

 

As for the rest of us, we are just waiting. We have one more week from today that Caden is expected to come.  Actually, as I type this at 9:30am, in one week I will be walking into the hospital to check in to have my baby boy.  I went to the doctor yesterday for a check up because over the weekend and Monday I was having terrible contractions.  When he checked me, I was dilated to 3cm and he could feel the baby's head...I was so excited until he said, "see you next Wednesday". Seriously? Really, you are going to take the chance that I go into labor and have to have an emergency c-section....again??? I've done that and trust me, not my idea of fun.  But as I was driving home I was praying and knew that God was in control.  He reminded me that He had created Caden and had his birthday planned at the beginning of creation and that no matter what I thought or the doctors, Caden would come when He had planned it.  So for now we are just going day to day, waiting and enjoying the last few days of being a family of 3!!

We love you all and can't wait for us all to meet little Caden Layne Allen! 

That kind of weekend and MD visit

This past weekend was such a lazy weekend. Friday Lee made it home and his welcome home treat was loosing power:( don't ask me why we lost power because we did not even have a storm...in fact it was sunny!! But it went out around 4:00 and when I called the power company, it was going to come back on at 6:00. Well, at 2:00am it finally did come back on. Thank God for our generator because a very preggo woman with no air is not a good situation for anyone. The rest of the weekend was rainy and just all around nasty. So this is pretty much what we did...

watching tv on a rainy day

poor axel can't even bring himself to move...

Monday I went back to the MD for my weekly follow up. Not the appointment I had hoped for. First, I find out I've gained 4lbs in 1week. (Let me just say that I am very swollen!) Then I find that I was spilling sugar, ketones, and protein in my urine. Sooooo, long story short, I now have to check my blood sugar several times a day and keep a log. I'm also on a strict low carb diet.  Seriously.....I passed my GTT test with flying colors and now my body has decided to do this...it stinks being old!! Oh well, only 3 more weeks to go and this will all be over!! Oh, and I've trained my two nurses to do my fingersticks for me.  I know, I know, I'm a RN but it's more fun to make Lee and Coop be a part of the journey than to keep it all for myself!!!

my new goodies!!

I think he likes doing this too much!!

Hope you all have a great week. Love to you all!!

4 weeks to go....

Yesterday was exactly 4 weeks until little Caden is 'supposed' to be here.  I use that word loosely because to be completely honest, I would be delighted if he decided he'd had enough cramped up in my belly and made his debut a little early:)  We had our MD appt this past Monday and all went well. The iron has been working and I'm no longer anemic which is great but I will continue the med's due to blood loss during surgery and so forth.  Cooper will be starting school on the 27th and is so excited...we are just ready to get in some kind of routine and have our new guy around AND to have daddy back from Maryland.
We'll keep ya posted...love to you all!

swollen legs, swollen face, swollen hands....ahhh the joys!

Thank you uncle Jimmy!!!

Yesterday Cooper came in from the mail box saying he had a package. He was so excited and said, "it says to Coop-man from uncle Jimmy"!!! So he tore into the box and found a john deere truck especially for him from his uncle Jimmy. What a nice surprise! Thank you uncle Jimmy and we love you!!!

Nursery Pics

Here are a couple of pics from the nursery. My camera has a large lens so I could not get just one so it's broken up into parts. Of course the stroller, bassinet, and other goodies won't be in there for long!! Thanks daddy and Cooper for doing all of the work in here...they painted and did all of the wall art!

letter from big brother to Cade

yes, all of the pic frames are empty because we want them to be filled with pics of Cooper and Caden together

Caden is using Coopers bedding that he used and cousin Keeley's crib because Coop's crib converted to his bed!! Thanks Keeley!!

Now all we need is for him to be here to enjoy this room!!

MD follow up and no sleep

So on Wednesday a friend and myself decided to do something completely crazy and take the kids to chucky cheese...if you know Lee, you know the chucky cheese song. So anyway, off we go in the pouring rain to sit and eat nasty pizza and watch them play video games.  It was fun for us to catch up and chat and the kids to play.  When it was time to eat, the kids came over and my friend Melissa said..what is that in Coops ear?  Low and behold my friends, it looked like a huge rope of snot coming from his ears.  He hasn't been feeling well from the mono so I wasn't sure until now if we needed to return to the MD. So we call and get an appt. and head out.  When we got there, the MD took one look at Coop and was like, oh, that is nasty!!! Long story short, this is all part of the mono which can last for another couple of months, and he was put on 28 days of antibiotics and some nasal spray.  Poor baby... the MD also said his lymph nodes were still swollen and he needed to rest as much as possible...also no contact sports for one month. Wellllll, we start baseball next week. Not sure how that is going to go since Coop is already having issues with playing this fall because he thinks he's going to miss out with Caden.  We've tried to explain that he won't miss anything and we will be at the ball field watching him play.  I think the whole idea of having a new baby brother has kicked in!!
As for me, we are doing good.  We are just SO READY to meet little Caden and have him here!! I am not sleeping well at all and the indigestion has gotten so much worse...he better be born with a head full of hair:) I'm sure that having a 120lb dog sneak into our bed doesn't help.  When I say sneak, that's what I mean. He waits until we are in a dead sleep, slowly crawls into the bed and then is like a lead brick when we wake and try to move him.  That dog is going to be the death of me...

Thankfully, Coop sleeps in his own bed!!!

Anyway, we go back to the OB Monday so I'll update again after that.  Lee leaves for Maryland (again) Monday for the week so please pray that little Caden does not decide to come while daddy is gone!!! Have a great weekend...love you all.

PS.. good luck to Auburn for next week...you know what for. we love you!