A "spook-tacular" week!

A week of Halloween!  Babs and Grampie got him some Halloween pajamas so he's been wearing them to show his love for Halloween and to get geared up for trick-or-treating!  HA!  This cute little pj set says "hooked on candy" - he was clapping here sitting in his little chair with monkey!  HA!

Then, he was the "official CANDY inspector" the next night...He was pretty sleepy so he doesn't look really impressed here...But, I LOVE these little pants!  They are just too cute!

And, he was modeling his chicken outfit - getting ready for the big night of Trick-Or-Treating!!!  He had to practice is "bawk bawk" and get comfortable in his chicken skin!

And, of course - can't celebrate Halloween without pumpkins!  I think he is ready for the big night!

On our way out to see some special friends for Brady to enjoy his 1st "trick-or-treating" experience!  We made snickerdoodle cookies and WE took the treats!  It was fun!  He napped a little later than we expected, and since we are having Bria tomorrow we had family coming in & we didn't get to make as many stops as we wanted...But, we went and saw some extra special friends!

Our first stop was Kin and Kate's house!  Here is our lil chicken giving Kate the cookies that we made!  She seemed excited! 

And here they are with their little treat - Millie!  All decked out in her Halloween collar! 

Then, we went and saw Ryan & Meko!  We gave him the cookies and he LOVED them!  He was so excited!  Then, he gave Brady 2 books for Halloween!  How sweet was that???  Just precious!!!  We took Meko a reindeer outfit to wear, but his neck was too fat!  Poor lil guy!!!

We wanted to stop at the nursing home b/c the sign said "We Welcome Trick-Or-Treaters" but we ran out of time so this is most certainly a place we are going to have to go next year!  I think the old people probably LOVE seeing the little kids and I'm really excited about doing this!  But, we headed home and trick-or-treated Grammie!

She was very excited!

Thought he was the cutest chicken she had EVER seen!!!

So did Babs and Grampie!!  He gave them all their Halloween presents and they were VERY excited!  Pictures of Brady are ALWAYS loved!  Next year we will have 2 precious angels to take to see our special friends!  So excited!  What a special night for this lil guy!  Boy, his world is about to change tomorrow!  Happy Halloween to all - hope you enjoyed the pics as much as we do!  We really had a great Halloween week!!

Visit from Uncle Blake, Stephanie and cousin Easton!!

Blake, Stephanie and Easton came up to Fayetteville this weekend and they popped in for a visit!  So excited to see them!  Easton is now 2 months old and he weighs about 12 lbs!  Stephanie said that he is already wearing 6 month old clothing!  HA!  Brady was so cute with him!!  He kept pointing at him and saying "baby - baby - baby" it was so cute!  He wanted to touch him but didn't really understand "be easy" so this is something we are going to have to work on with Bria I'm sure!  It's definitely going to be interesting to see how Brady interacts with Bria.  He did really good with Easton until he wanted me to read to him and then he got upset that I wasn't giving him my FULL attention!  Blake and Stephanie were VERY impressed with Brady and how smart he is.  They were impressed with all the words he is saying and everything he was doing (stacking the donuts on the stick, getting the ball and giving it to Blake, pointing to his nose, ears, teeth, etc.) they couldn't believe it.  Easton was worn out from the weekend and slept most of the time they were here.  They said that he was a really good baby and we are happy for that!  So happy they came by for a visit and wished they lived closer!

Week 38!

Well - I haven't been good at taking belly pics along the way, mainly b/c we take pics all the time with Brady...However, I'm going in to have Bria in 3 days from this pic and this is officially week 38 for me!  So, I thought I would update everyone on my stats and how I'm feeling...

I haven't been checked in over a week b/c my doctor was in Mexico this week and when she checked me at week 36 I was already dilated inbetween 2-3 and 80% effaced so she really didn't want someone else checking me while she was gone and stirring things up...So, I'm going to assume that there hasn't been any change...However, just in the past 2 days I've had some really weird things.  And, this may get graphic for some of you - BEWARE - I've lost my mucus plug...I've had contractions off and on (mainly Braxton Hicks) but still uncomofortable...I've had times of extreme pressure down there and I'm guessing it's just her position b/c after a little while it will go away, however, I feel as if my water will break if I get up.  It's WAY uncomfortable...I've had horrible back pain, and some weird pains that have shot up my back and side and a little bit of swelling...However, today is Sunday and so far it's been pretty good.  So, I just have to make it through tomorrow and then on Tuesday morning - Bria May Butler will be here at 9:30 if all goes as scheduled!  And, Brady will be a BIG BROTHER!  He's going to be the best big brother EVER!

38 weeks

Weight gain - 26lbs (1 more pound than with Brady)

Waist circumference - 37in - OMG!

Blood pressure - been great this whole time (typically 106/70)

Cravings - Nothing really inparticular besides CHOCOLATE (what else is new?)

Emotions - Roller coaster

I am VERY excited to meet our new baby girl!  However, I'm dreading the whole C-section all over again!  Overall, it wasn't a horrible experience before...I'm so type A personality that it was really nice knowing when we were going in and having a baby instead of playing the waiting game like the majority of people.  HOWEVER, the recovery is so much longer than having it natural and although it was great having Richie home with me for a whole month with Brady to help take care of us, Brady is now a year old and I'm so SAD that I'm not going to be able to pick him up for a few weeks.  Is he going to understand?  Is he going to feel neglected?  Am I going to recover faster this time or will it be the same?  Will my boobs get engorged again?  Will I get sick after the surgery again?  Will I swell up as bad afterward?  I'm just so worried about how things are going to be those first couple of weeks of my recovery that I could cry at the drop of a hat!  I'm tearing up at typing this right now...I'm so lucky to have a fabulous husband who is a great father and Brady is the most wonderful little boy one could ever ask for!  I know this addition to our family will be amazing but getting there is one rough ride!  I will say though, when I did my pre-op appointment on Friday (blood drawn, pee in a cup, pay for hospital stay, etc.) I wasn't nearly as anxious as what I was with Brady.  It's like "oh, been there - done that - where do I sign?" and it wasn't as crazy as before...But, now that it's so close LOTS of things are running through my mind!  Tuesday is going to be great - we are going to meet little Bria and our lives are going to change AGAIN!  For the better!  God is great - we are blessed!

Old pics - Razorbacks vs Auburn!

These pics were on my digital camera and I apparentally forgot they were there and I just uploaded!  How cute does Brady look here?  ADORABLE!

This was about a month ago at the RV park for the Road Hogs for the Auburn game!  We went down there to tailgate and see some friends!  We sold our tickets b/c I wasn't supposed to be walking everywhere so this was our only stop...Well, I then dropped Richie off to hang out with some other friends and me and Brady hung out at the house and watched the game from there!  But, he looked so cute that I couldn't resist posting these pics - even if they were a little late!  GO HOGS!

Playdate with Kate!

Brady really wanted to see Kate and somehow our schedules just wouldn't allow it!  Boo!  Until Thursday!  YAY!  Kim and Kate came over and brought us donuts from Rick's Bakery!  How sweet was that?!?!  With Bria coming anytime I haven't been able to get around as well...So, as you can see from the pics above Kim had her work cut out for her!  HA!  She gave tricycle rides and crawled in the teepee and played!  It was such a good visit!  Those kids were playing so hard!  It was so great seeing them and I hope we don't go that long without getting them together again! 

Razorbacks VS Ole Miss Rebels!

Razorbacks VS Ole Miss game!!  We had some friends of ours coming up from Fort Smith to see us and some other friends and we all decided to get together at our house to watch the game!  It was so much fun seeing all of them!  Brad and Mary and their 2 kids, Bryson and Cooper, came up from Fort Smith and had never met Brady!  They hadn't met Finley either (Rob's little boy) so it was a great time to catch up and hang out and watch our kids play - aside from Brady's LOOONNNGG nap and him missing most of the action, the kids LOVED playing together and we stuck it out and ended up winning the game!  So, a good time was had by all!!!  Go HOGS!!!

Me, Brady and Richie - this is after Brady woke up from his 2 & 1/2 nap!  When he first woke up and saw all the people there he was so sad!  I think he was sad b/c he missed out on all of the fun!  Then, Brad and Mary had to put Cooper down for a nap so they left and Brady was sad b/c all of the kids left!  It was funny!  Once he woke up he was ready to go!

Here are Brad, Mary, Bryson and Cooper - how cute are they???  Just precious!  Cooper had so much fun playing with Brady's guitar!  And, Bryson was the oldest - he's 5, but he played so good with all of the kids!  It was SO much fun!  I wish they came up more often!

Here are Kin and Kate - and baby bun in the oven!!!  CONGRATS to you guys!  Can't wait to add another kiddo to the mix!  It's going to be so much fun!  Due date is May 6th and we couldn't be happier for this cute couple!  They are going to be great parents!

And, last but not least - Rob with his 2 kids, Lily and Finley!  Is this not the sweetest picture?  I just love how Lily is hugging Finley!  I really hope Brady loves on Bria like this! :)  It's been forever since we have seen them too, and boy have these kids gotten so big!

After the game, we all met up at Mellow Mushroom in Rogers and ate pizza and enjoyed the chaos of kids!  HA!  It was wild!  So happy that Brad and Mary came up and brought the kids - it was so much fun getting together and catching up!  I hope we can all get together again sooner than later! 

One last date night before baby Bria gets here!

Babs and Grampie came over on Thursday after work and wanted to play with little Brady!  They watched Brady that evening so Richie and I could enjoy a meal together before Bria gets here!  We went to 36Club on Dickson and it was "October Fest" - YUM!  I had to get the German food which was to die for and Richie got the steak salad...It was DE-LISH!  I wish it were October Fest all year!  HA!  I don't know how I didn't get a pick of Babs and Grampie with Brady!  What a bummer!  We really appreciate them wanting to watch Brady so we could have a date!  They LOVE little Brady!  Just a little over a week and Bria will be here - SO EXCITING!

He's so silly!

Well, as you know and can look back upon - Brady loves the laundry basket!  He's loved it since he could crawl and then when he could climb inside it was on!  He gets in there all the time...He has not only been in love with the laundry basket, but he has now moved on to other things - the smaller the better!  HA!

I bought this Razorback trash can for his "big boy room" to use as a toy box to keep his toys all organized and out of the floor.  I was looking for a particular toy and got this out, he emptied the whole can and climbed inside and squated!  HA!  He stayed in this trash can for an hour!  NO JOKE!  He would grab the toys around him and put them in there with him - stand and bounce - squat...He had the best time!  It was hysterical!  He is a mess...

Literally, the next day - I'm cleaning out his closet trying to go through some clothes and shoes that he had outgrown and this is one of those little fold up things you can buy at Target.  I keep his shoes in there.  I had dumped the shoes out to go through them all and who do you think climbed inside???  This cute boy!!! 

And I made him a "shoe drawer" so it's easier to find his shoes and keep track of those that fit...Once I pulled the drawer out to start filling it...YEP - he climbed immediately inside!  HA!  He is so silly!  I'm so curious what he is going to find to climb in next - the smaller the better!  HEHEHE!

War Eagle!

So, along with a great weekend - I forgot to mention that War Eagle was this past Thursday-Saturday!  I've been every single year since I was a little girl and I think I've only missed one year...Since I'm "taking it easy" and can't walk everywhere, Richie wouldn't let me go out to War Eagle Mill..But, I wasn't going to pass up on going to the Springdale Convention Center and John Q Hammons Center!  So, Friday morning I met up with my good friend Heather (she and I have gone together the past couple of years now) and we hit up the Springdale Convention Center...Oh wowzers...Lots of stuff for little girls!!!  Pretty sure I told her last year how happy I was that Brady was a boy b/c I would go broke with all the cute things...Well, I'm now having a girl - and going broke buying so many cute things!  HA!  But I couldn't resist!!!! 

Yep, what you see above are some cute things!!  I'll start from left to right - 2 cute bibs that are SUPER soft minky dot, a precious little Razorback dress (size 18-24 months), a diaper cover with 2 pink bows and a "b" for Bria, a ruffle romper with matching bow (size 0-12 months) and a minky dot gown with matching hat!  Could I have found anything any cuter?!?!?  And so it begins...My inspiration...I used to be really good at sewing - IN HIGH SCHOOL...But, surely it's like riding a bike, right???  Don't be scared, I did buy a sewing machine off of Craigslist and some material from Hobby Lobby and I'm ready to ride that bike again and see what all I can come up with!  It should be interesting!!  I can't wait to post my first creation!!  Fingers crossed!!  Wish me luck!!  With as many friends that we have that are expecting I seriously can't wait to make something very special for them all!

UPs and DOWNs - Brady at 13 months old!

WOW - what a weekend!!!  You've already seen the post of us at "Farmland Adventures" - yes, I think I called it Adventureland, but I think I was wrong...hehehe!  It was a fun place regardless of what the name is!

However, I just need to recap Brady at 13 months old and what a wild weekend we had...First things first...

Brady at 13 months - he has really advanced here in the past few weeks.  He is repeating words really good and has mastered a few new words.  He's been saying "momma and dadda" for awhile but he now recognizes what the words go with!  He also will wave and say "bye bye" but it sounds like "buh byyye" and my personal favorite "baby - BAY-BEE" and he will look at my belly.  It's precious!  He says "wow" "oh" and "me" and is continues to amaze us every single day with something new...He still will give my belly kisses when we say "give sissy shuggies" and it's gonna be funny to see what he does when she gets here!  He still has 8 teeth and is eating almost everything but will NOT drink milk! :(  Wish we could figure something out here...He has figured out how to do things with toys (like stacking his donuts on the stick where he has only been unstacking before) and figuring out how to turn things on by himself.  He still loves books and when he hears "ear, nose, etc." in the books he will point to his ear or his nose or mine or Richie's ear and nose and then he will clap!  It is so cute!  He is trying to master puzzles but he really likes to hide the pieces!  There isn't a drawer or cabinet that he can't figure out how to get into and he has even climbed into our bed all by himself (which is scary b/c it's as tall as my hip)...Not only does he climb, but he runs everywhere, which leads to my next story...

This past weekend - mom came up on Friday and Richie and I had a date night!  We tried out Hjem off the square.  It was good - small portions for the price though...But, it was sweet of her to watch Brady so we could have a little time for dinner!  He was OUT when we got home!  Grammie wore him out!  Saturday - Farmland Adventures!!  It was a blast!!  Sunday, Babs and Grampie came over and Richie and I wanted to finish organizing the garage so I can pull my car in...During a break, we were eating a little pizza and Brady takes off running and slips on the hardwood floor and falls.  Keep in mind, he falls all the time!  He never looks down to see if there is anything on the floor EVER - he just GOES!  However, his hands hit the floor so hard and I'm behind him so I can't see how bad it is and I look at Richie and I said "did he hit his face?" and Richie said "yes..." - Brady is hysterical...I pick him up instantly and am hugging him very tight and he's screaming and it looks to me like teeth are coming out of his mouth.  Richie's mom grabs a bite of pizza that was in his mouth (didn't know he had - thank goodness it wasn't teeth) and I see blood filling the inside of his mouth...I'm immediately thinking the worst.  I don't know how I wasn't crying, but inside I was a WRECK!  They got some ice and a washcloth and put it on his lip area and took him outside so he would calm down and I'm changing clothes b/c I just know we are going to the ER - first trip and it's going to be b/c he has bit his tongue off, his teeth are through his lip - I mean, I thought the worst!!  And - keep in mind that Friday was my last day of work b/c I'm supposed to really be taking it easy so Bria doesn't come early.  Pretty sure this almost sent me into labor!!!  About 20 minutes pass by and a popcicle later and Brady is fine.  THANK GOODNESS!  So, Richie and I are back in the garage cleaning...Tom and Barb are playing with Brady and we come inside for a split second...Brady's foot gets caught under Barb's leg and he does a faceplant into the rug - I'm guessing hitting the SAME EXACT SPOT!  What happens you ask???  Yep, in hysterics again and more BLOOD...What in the world??!?!??!?  I'm SO stressed and once again thinking 1st ER trip/missing teeth/lip busted through/THE WORST...I'm holding him so tight and trying to calm him down and this time ice washcloth wasn't helping...So, Richie took him back outside and another popcicle later - he is fine...I'm telling you what - NEAR LABOR...I was about to LOSE MY MIND!  He is all boy all the time and into everything and I should know that things are going to happen, but when your precious angel is screaming and hurting...UGH - I hate it!  I would do anything to take it away!  Thank goodness he is completely over it all and totally better, but what an up and down weekend!  MADNESS!  I'm guessing this is the 1st of many incidents to come...Oh, parenthood...

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

Adventureland Trip!  This place is AMAZING!  They have 2 different corn mazes, pony rides, pumpkin patch, petting zoo, sandbox filled with corn and hay stacks along with hay rides!

Here we are getting out of the car, into the wagon and ready for an adventure!

First stop - PONY ride!  He loved it!  Richie wasn't too sure about me walking along the ponies so he decided to take charge!  All he needs is his cowboy boots!  He LOVED it!

After the pony ride - super happy!!

Notice the goat behind me - we were feeding the goats and the goat decided to nibble on my elbow!  HA!  Brady LOVES the animals and isn't scared at all!  Grammy was more paranoid than Brady - it was funny!

Brady with the sheep - he wanted to pet him all day!

Oh - a baby donkey - how exciting!  I think Brady would have gotten in with the animals if we could have!

Little farmer Brady with a plow - he's exploring all around this place!

The hay ride came up and although we thought he would get bored (25 min ride) we checked out the tractor and Brady thought it was really cool! 

Then we decided it was time to hit up the pumpkin patch! 

Awe, how cute - family pic in the pumpkin patch!

Brady is picking out his pumpkins to bring home!

He has found a couple that he can't live without!

He and Grammie loading them up and going for a pumpkin cart ride!

Corn Maze time!  He wasn't too sure what to think about the corn maze...But I think he liked it!

He and mommy coming out of the maze!

Grammie chasing him through the field!

Another pony ride - he LOVED the ponies!

Mommy even showed him how to hold on to the saddlehorn and he was a champ by the end - and LOVED every single minute of it!!!  Look how happy he is!

Hittin up the corn box - he was really impressed with this!

So was Grammie!

Bye Bye Adventureland - what an awesome day - we had such a great time and will most certainly be coming back - lots of fall fun to be had!!

And one tired Brady...He was POOPED!  What a great day!