Brylee Update

Brylee visited the doctor today (her 3rd since we came home from the hospital) and she has gained 6 ounces, which has made her gain back her birthweight, and a little extra! The doctor says that she may be 8 pounds by Christmas...that I will have to see...

So now we are still in the transition of becoming parents to such a sweet tiny girl. I am so greatful that she is healthy and happy, other than us trying to understand her in the wee hours of the morning. But everyone reassures me that this will quickly change.

So of course we are taking pictures like crazy, but of course I forgot to have my camera by me when Chester and Brylee were face to face tonight. It would have made a great picture to have Chester sniffing her little head, but I didn't want to ruin it by getting up just to get the camera....there will be future opportunities I'm sure!

Here are some pictures of the little one for now, and of course, more to come!

Giving Thanks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did!

What was originally going to be a Thanksgiving in Sulphur Springs with Cary's family turned into attending the Jarvis traditional feast, but because I was not able to travel (or, I might have been, but after going through the c-section 1 week ago, how well would I have handled the ride, or even little Brylee?). I did miss seeing Cary's family, but look forward to Christmas time to see them then!

When I got to my parents' house yesterday, I searched all around for my camera, but never seemed to find it. Fortunately, my mom's camera was readily available, so I took a few pictures here and there, including a great attempt at getting all of the cousins' children together. There are now 5 of them, almost as many as there are cousins! (there are 6 of us!) When mom gets time, I'll have her send them over!

Cary, Brylee, and I ending up leaving somewhat early (being 4:00 p.m.), and we missed seeing my aunt Amy and her family. I would have loved to have seen her, but Brylee had a rough night the previous night, so we were all eager to get some rest.

Of course, I want to take the opportunity to say what I'm thankful for:

I am beyond grateful for my family, from the Jarvis' to the McFaddens, immediate family and extended, for the things that they have helped with the last week, month, year, and my life altogether. Thank you to everyone who offers their help and advice with being a new mom and our children.

I am grateful for my friends, who have been there for me, for showing excitement in our new lives, as well as always being there in my old life. For just accepting me for who I am.

I am thankful for the best mutt there ever is, Chester. This poor dog has been through so much in the last couple of months, but continues to be the greatest dog ever. I wish he could understand how much he means to me, even though my time is focused elsewhere lately.

And of course, I am extremely grateful for my husband, who continues to warm my heart daily with his love, patience, strong leadership and great sense of humor. I am so blessed to have met him and to get to spend the rest of my life with him.

And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for little Brylee, who for the last week has been such a joy in our lives. I look forward to so much as we watch her grow and develop into a great daughter!

Ok. So the doctor warned me that I will be emotional for the next couple of weeks--the holidays are a great time to do it!

Brylee's Tale Part II

When we last left off, I had gotten settled into the new room for recovery for the next few days. I was still pretty groggy, but Brylee was brought in and I got to see her, considering I had only seen her for literally 3 seconds previously when she was fresh from the womb.

We took a few pictures of her and then I think I got more sleep (did I mention I was still really groggy?). Cary got the joy of sleeping on a pull-out bed that was stuffed in a chair beside my bed. I do remember him being awake at 2:00 in the morning, and he left to go get breakfast (IHOP was just outside the hospital doors!).

I had several nurses monitoring me while I was recovering. I remember I did not like the strictness of the first nurse--she kept getting on to me because my arm would bend, blocking off the catheter in the bend of my elbow. But how was I supposed to hold and feed my baby when I could only use one arm?!?! She later got back onto my good side when she brought me a popscicle and some jello!

The next nurse I had was named Lori, and she was really nice and helped me get a shower. I was so sore and it took forever for me to get up and move around. Thank goodness for pain meds!! Even though I was able to get up, I still spent the majority of the day in bed, watching Cary take care of Brylee, as well as seeing all the people that came by to visit us.

Cary and I did our best to keep Brylee with us as much as possible, as we wanted to get to know her the best we could. She had to have blood sugar tests done before every other meal because of my gestational diabetes (turns out that she was perfect though!).

The events in the recovery room from Thursday until Saturday was mostly uneventful, but it was great getting to watch her and her visitors hold her and talk to her. The nurses were great, and I loved the nursery nurses. I have one favorite of each: Gabby, one of my nurses, who was from Nigeria. We found out that she attends our church, and we had several times of just standing there and talking to her. She had great stories and made us laugh!

My favorite nursery nurse was Niki, who spoiled Brylee, making a little bow for her hat and just giving her so much attention. She was the only girl out of 5 that Niki was watching while on her shift.

Cary was fortunate to get to go out and enjoy some relaxation time and good food with family and even by himself, where I'm sure he had a lot of time to reflect. He worked hard, changing diapers, swaddling, and taking care of me, while I felt like I laid around and didn't do as much. I wish there was a way I could express the gratitude I feel towards him for making our transition into parents so easy. For those who didn't know already, he makes an amazing dad. I love watching him interact with Brylee.

Brylee's visitors were:

Her grandparents (of course!), who were so helpful in everything. They were constantly doing things to help us out, like bringing me pajamas to wear when I no longer had to wear the hideous hospital gown. I have 3 totally cute new outfits to wear around the apartment now, and they are so comfy!!

Her uncle Brad, aunt Faith, and cousin Helen. Helen loved her little cousin, and Brylee was spoiled rotten by all of them with attention (and the cutest little bunny blanket, which looks like a female Pintu; we appropriately named her Cantu). And Faith--thank you for the talk. It was nice to get a chance to talk with you and to get your thoughts on the things that I face ahead of me. I truly appreciate it!

Brad and Teresa Kenney, who said a beautiful prayer for Brylee and our new family (and startled Cary, who was on his way out to grab some dinner)

Her great grandparents on my side of the family, except for Barbara (we missed you and hope to see you soon!). I don't blame him, but Grandpa J was a little leary of holding her because she is so tiny--sometimes I still am too! But I found out that Pajay (Grandpa's dad) was born in 1904--at just over 2 pounds! That blows my mind. It is possible now, but a century ago, survival for such a tiny baby was probably far more of a miracle!

My aunt Amy
Friend and co-worker Lori,
High school friends Autumn and Clay

My mind goes blank at the moment if anyone else visited (I blame it on drugs!)

I am so thankful for everyone that did come to visit, the congratulations on Facebook and the blog, and the things people have done for us in the last few days, weeks, and months (and in our family's case, years).

Welcoming Brylee

Brylee's Tale Part II and more to come!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Brylee's Tale Part I

So, many might have seen that I posted at the beginning of the month that November has started out slow. Well, from the last post, the middle part gave us a big surprise!

Week of November 16-21 (well the first part at least):

Monday--nothing big happened, except that Cary and I both had headaches.

Tuesday--I left work early because my throat was sore (Cary and I both had allergies apparently), and with working in a call center, taking phone calls didn't help soothe the throat any. I stopped by Kroger on the way home to pick up Allergy meds and hopefully surprised Cary with a box of Chocolate Turtles and a Crossword Puzzle. The rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping and cuddling with Chester.

Wednesday--I woke up at 5:00 a.m. thinking that I was really thirsty. I didn't want to get out of bed because it was not so easy to do so, but I knew I needed to satisfy that thirst. And go to the restroom.

But once I got out of bed, I knew things were not right. I walked to the bathroom to turn on the light to confirm: my water had broken!

I called to Cary who groggily asked me when I informed him, "Are you sure?". He got out of bed, and before you knew it, we were getting dressed, throwing together a bag (did I mention that was a task to do this week?), and walking Chester. By 5:15, we were in the car, driving to Medical Center of Lewisville.

Once we got to the hospital, we went in through the emergency doors, told the registration nurse what had happened, got into a wheelchair and was taken to the second floor where they put me into a delivery room. The nurse told us that we would definitely have to deliver because my water broke (not just a little either!).

Then I called mom.

She got very excited, and I tried to convince her that it was a long process and we had no other information yet. But she and dad were there in about 30 minutes. The IV catheter hadn't even been placed yet!

When Dr. came in to say hello (we are now closer to 8 o'clock-ish), she did an exam and noticed that I was only 1 cm dialated. At this time, I was feeling fine, my biggest complaint was that I was extremely thirsty and could only have ice chips. She told me that she would be back around lunch time to observe my situation, and we would go from there.

During the morning Cary's family joined us, including Brad, Faith, and Helen around lunchtime. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins had been notified, slowly the contractions were increasing, and I had been hooked up to several monitors. My favorite was the baby heart monitor. Whenever the baby had moved and the heartbeats were more feint, I felt like I was missing a very big part of myself.

Dr. came in to check on me, like she said, around lunch time. When she examined my progress, she informed me that I was...still 1 cm dialated. I hadn't progressed?!?! What about the pain? The contractions were getting sharper and longer. There were times I didn't even know they were coming upon me until Cary pointed it out on the monitor. So weird that he knew before I did!

So Dr. approved a little bit of medication for me, which, once was given to me, made me extremely tired. I started falling asleep while everyone chatted around me! However, only about 30 minutes later (all of this is estimated), I was visited by the anesthesiologist, who gave me an epidural.

This procedure was PAINFUL!!!! Mom was my support for this, as Cary had stepped out with his parents for lunch. I felt so bad for the pain and tears that I had, there was so much burning, and I was the happiest when everything started going numb. After that, everyone loved to watch the monitors and ask me, "Did you feel that contraction?" and say "Wow! That contraction was off the charts!"

The rest of the day was all entertainment between the Jarvis' and McFaddens, taking pictures, everyone stepping out to visit the nursery, and trying to make sure I was comfortable. I think I was the most comfortable of them all, because I had the comfy bed and numb body!

Dr. came back in mid-afternoon, where she did another exam. This time, I was dialated a whole whopping 3 cm....yeah. Not very far at all. Dr. said that she would have a nurse check again towards 6:30, and we would make the decision there. At this time we had a pool going at what time Brylee would be born, and Dr. said that my guess (6:00) would not win. Her guess was either a cessarian in the evening, or if I had progressed any further, a natural birth at 1:00-2:00 on Thursday morning...yikes!

Since we were now getting to the end of the day, several friends stopped by to visit. The Christenson's (Jeff, Regina, Melissa, and Jon) were wonderful and brought food to my parents, who took turns going downstairs and eating, while Cary and his family all went to their home to eat dinner.

Backtrack: Just after I had the epidural, my blood pressure had dropped really low, so the nurse set up the blood pressure machine to check me every 4 minutes instead of 10. This blood pressure cuff was my nemisis because every time it inflated, it would become incredibly tight and painful. But this also created the funniest moment of the evening.

While Jeff and dad were sitting with me and keeping me company, the cuff inflated again. And instead of defating and reading, it just inflated more and more. Fortunately the velcro started detaching, and dad ended up tearing it from my arm just in time to watch it deflate even more. We were all worried that the cuff would burst, but fortunately we were able to detach it from the machine, watch it deflate, and then inflate again. Finally the nurse came back in and fixed it.

When 6:30 came around, the nurse came in and checked my progress one more time. Again, no change. So Cary and I discussed doing a c-section with the nurse, and no more than 45 minutes later (and a visit from my uncle Bill and Ivan), I was prepped, numbed, and moved into the surgery room, with Cary in tow in his great surgical gown.

This procedure was not as painful as the epidural, but there was some of the oddest feeling of numbness and pressure (anyone who's had a c-section might be able to relate to this weirdness). At 7:36 p.m., Brylee Jarvis McFadden joined our world. She was checked out by NICU, and they confirmed her to be healthy. Cary got to watch them examine her and then joined them upstairs where all of our guests watched her get cleaned, measured and weighed (a tiny but healthy 5 lbs, 9 oz!)

Of course I had to be closed up on the operating table, where the very nice anesthesiologist gave me some pain meds, which knocked me out! I don't remember too much after this, but I know everyone came in to say their goodbyes and left for the evening and then Cary sitting in a chair quietly while I slept. Around 10:00 that evening, I was moved to the 3rd floor where Cary, Brylee and I would get to spend the next 3 nights.

What a wonderful day for a birthday!

Brylee would like to tell everyone good morning!

She was born at 7:34(ish) last night, Nov 18 at 5lbs 8oz and 19 inches long.

She currently has reddish, brownish, blondeish hair and dark blue eys.

Jenn and the baby are both doing very well and both are resting.

They are saying that since this turned out to be a c-section that Jenn will probably not be released from the hospital until Saturday.

Thank you to all that have come by to see us and for all the others that have sent their congratulations via phone call and text.

Cary

P.S. Hundreds of pictures to come!

Another Action Packed Saturday

Saturday was quite a fun day. My friend Beth was in town to sell her crafts at an annual craft fair that is held every year by the Catholic school she attended. She had a baby about 4 months ago, so I was eager to meet little Noah.

We got to the craft fair and spent about 30 minutes with her, and Noah is just the cutest little boy you could meet. We decided that since the fair was noisy and a distraction that we would meet up for dinner a little later. So for that time, we parted ways, and Cary and I went to meet up with my mom.

There is a really great Christmas store in Arlington that Cary and I enjoy going to. Mom hasn't been there, but she has heard us talk about it many times, and wanted to check it out. Saturday was the day.

With Chester happily in the backyard, we drove out to Arlington and went to this store:

http://www.decoratorswarehousearlington.com/

Talk about getting into the holiday spirit! It was a busy place, which is not unusual, but it did not stop us from wandering around and looking in awe at everything around us.

Of course, I will admit, I was there on a mission. When Cary and I went there in August, we found this really cute statue. It was only afterwards that I realized I wanted it. So when we got there, I went straight to the location I had seen it before, but I was very sad to see it was not there.

So I joined Cary and mom again to wander around the store, and of course we found all kinds of things I thought would be 'perfect' for our holidays. Of course, if we were to truly get any of that, then we would literally have no place for anything. But I have lots of neat ideas for the future...let's just see if it includes the life-sized bear that Cary found!

As mom and I were looking in the last section of the store, I found the statue I was hoping to come across:

I think this is so cute!!! Of course, this time I did not put it down after seeing it, and it will be joining our decorations this year, and in future years as well.

After we left the store, we drove home, picked up Chester, and then on to the apartment to clean up and get ready for the evening. Brylee's room is more organized (for now), and the apartment is looking good. And I got about 30 minutes of a nap!

Cary and I met Beth and little Noah at Cheddar's for dinner, where Noah slept peacefully for half the visit. When he did wake, he watched us for a while. Pretty soon it was dinnertime for him. Beth came by to see our apartment so we could chat a little longer after the restaurant, and Chester got to meet Noah. He did so well! He has been around kids before, but not any this young.

The funniest moment we had was when Chester got excited about his toy, barked loudly, startled Noah, and then didn't know how to handle the crying tot. He came to me (I was in the kitchen) and looked at me like he was afraid that he was in trouble and apologizing. Poor thing! He doesn't know what's about to hit him, does he?

I didn't get any pictures of Beth or Noah, partially because I didn't want Beth to think I was some kind of crazy paparrazi, but also because I was tired and didn't want to hunt down the camera. But it was SO good to see Beth again. I am terrible at keeping up with her, but she is such a great person. I need to get better at this keeping in touch thing. I don't want to lose the people I care so much about!

Oh, and check out this awesome gift that we got from Beth:

She put it together herself! It has diapers, a hat, receiving blankets, a nightgown, little socks...and more diapers! Seriously, this girl has talent (she can make jewelry, dream catchers, and now these diaper cakes!), and I will recommend these to any of my friends, family, or coworkers who are expecting! I'm going to hate taking it apart.

Ok. So I have written 4 posts in the last 3 hours, and I have finally run out of things to write about (for now). This week should prove to be interesting as I have a nice list of things to do (Christmas shopping, packing the hospital bage...) but let's see if anything is interesting enough to blog about.

Happy November 16th week to everyone!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Christmas is everywhere...already!!

JCPenneys is already decorated in the beautiful seasonal items.

Kohl's has Christmas music in their background

KLTY (a Christian radio station in DFW) had a weekend of Christmas music this weekend

But the funniest I have found is that ABC Family has 25 Days of Christmas every year, beginning December 1 and ending December 25...but this year, they have a COUNTDOWN to 25 Days of Christmas...meaning that from November 1-30, they are having Holiday movies to get ready to show MORE holiday movies.

But it's hard to say that these are officially holiday movies. Tonight, they are showing Meet The Robinsons, but Harry Potter is also a staple in this channel's holiday programming. But maybe they are showing them because they somehow get people into the Holiday spirit.

Either way, I am enjoying this weekend!

Why Do I Forget???

I keep forgetting to mention from Halloween:

When people started showing up for the gathering, my uncle was the first to arrive. But he had a surprise for Cary and me:

A booster seat!!! This particular booster seat will not be needed until Brylee is over 20 lbs, but it is so nice to know that this is one less thing we have to worry about when she gets bigger.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Bill and Ivan and Nina!!! You are truly the best!

The Final Baby Shower

Friday the 13th started out interesting. It started with me driving Chester to daycare, only to fall in the grass right beside the car as I was about to leave. I stepped in a dip in the lawn, my ankle twisted out from under me, and I landed on my other knee.

It took me a moment to get over the pain from the twisted ankle, but the rest of the day, the only thing I felt was the scraping of my knee. And I read online the things to watch out for dealing with pregnancy and falling, and none of the situations arose. Brylee is fine, still wiggling and squirming! Now, of course, I am watching every step more cautiously!

Work was a great day, considering it was not incredibly busy. We are heading into our year end, which means phone call after phone call after phone call...you get the idea. But I like Fridays, because, at least at this time, they seem to be a little more calm. But the best part about this Friday was that I got to leave early because Cary's job was having their baby shower for us.

When I got to his job at 3:15, Cary met me and then we met his mom in her office. When it came time, the 3 of us walked downstairs to where the shower was (in their breakroom/cafeteria). There were balloons, punch, and cake waiting for us, as well as a table that was stacking up with gifts!

We didn't start much later, with one of his coworkers handing us the gifts one by one. We received a lot of great stuff:

clothing

blankets (2 of them hand made!)

bathing supplies

rug and wall decals with our tree top theme

musical motion soother (hooks onto the crib)

high chair

toy blocks and rattles

There was so much that was given to us (more than mentioned!). I am blown away by the kindness that Cary's co-workers have shown us. It makes me glad to have them as well as State Farm in our lives. I couldn't imagine 2 better companies to work for and friends to make. I even got to see my friend Amy, whom I haven't seen in so long!!

The cake and punch was delicious, and it was good to chat with some people I was acquainted with, and meeting others that Cary talks about.

Needless to say, once we got home, Cary and I got to arrange the stuff in our new baby's room. The evening was wonderful and relaxing, with leftover cake (we have tons from my job and his!) for dessert.

To our family at Archon:

Thank you so much for your gifts and blessings. Your thoughts and excitement mean a lot to us, as well as the gifts, that we know Brylee will enjoy. I'm sorry I did not get a chance to speak with all of you, and I hope you enjoy the cookies that Cary and I worked so hard on. :o) Thank you to Crist, Karen, and Jeanette for doing a great job on the shower and to everyone who contributed and came to share in our joy!

And now, a couple of updated pictures of Brylee's room!:

November's Exciting Update

First off, Dr's visit went really well yesterday. I got to see bits of Brylee, including one of her little femurs. Dr. says that it gets harder to see features now because they are getting bigger, and so less room in the belly.

My sugars are still good, and Dr. is pretty much not worried about bp after that stress moment a few weeks ago. And Brylee weighs a whopping 6 lbs, 3 oz...well, Dr. says she is still small, and she'll be about 7 1/2 - 8 lbs when she is born. To me, 6 lbs, 3 oz is good enough...who's ready to help me get her out?!?!

And now, this morning when I walk into work, I am surprised with a baby shower/food day (we are big fans of food in this place!!!) So far, I (well, Brylee) have been spoiled with a cute chick stuffed animal that chirps when belly is pressed, and a beautiful blanket with zoo animals all over it!!!!

I love my animals, and as much as I wanted the zoo theme, Cary pointed out that it is just too common, so I get my touch of giraffes, monkeys, and elephants with this blanket!!! I just wish it was cold in here so I could wrap it around me!!

After lunch, I was surprised with a cute little basket of bath goodies, including washcloths and a cute little outfit from a couple of my co-workers. I know I'll be needing all of that bath stuff!

And I have to mention the cake: this cake is so pretty, and while it looks like a professional did it, one of my co-workers actually made it! And it was delicious, too! I told her that if she ever taught lessons on this, I would love to be a student!

When it was time to celebrate, I was pulled up to the front (where the cake was) and I got to tell everyone a little bit about Brylee (the newest updates on her and what her nursery theme is). The group presented me with a gift card to Babies R Us, with a very generous amount. It is perfect for finishing up the last of our shopping, diapers, wipes, or even clothing in the future.

Janell was sweet enough to cut the cake up for everyone, got a little punch and ice creame, and then I got to do a little socializing with my friends. I was so blown away by all the things that went into this to make it a great time!

I feel bad (well, just a little) because I enjoyed the day a lot, and didn't really take a lot of phone calls. But I'll make that up somehow...maybe. :o)

Thank you soooo much for everyone who contributed to the shower today. It means a lot to me and Cary that you took the time to celebrate the newest joy in our life!

Slow Month

As you can tell by the posts, or lack thereof, it has been a slow month so far in the McFadden world.

The most eventful thing so far is that Cary and I went to the Child Classes at the Hospital on Saturday, where we learned about labor, delivery, and then what to expect afterwards. There were 6 other couples present, one due Nov 30th, another due on Christmas Day, and then a last couple not due until February. And only 2 baby girls to be delivered.

We got to sponge bathe a doll, put on diapers, and swaddle. There was a very short segment on CPR, but it was a refresher course for me (one that I am grateful for!). It was a very good, informative class, complete with a tour to see what the delivery rooms look like, as well as the recovery/private rooms, where I will get to spend the majority of my time. Oh boy!

This week should prove to pick up excitement a little bit: I have a doctor's appointment today, where we will get a sonogram and see how much she weighs (hopefully still small!) and on Friday, Cary's job is having a baby shower for us.

This weekend, I get to see my friend, Beth, and her new baby boy, Noah. Then the following weekend is a birthday party for my sister-in-law, Faith. After that, Thanksgiving...and putting Christmas out...

And then the countdown begins. Oh my!

Cary Gets Into The Baby Shower Spirit

I brought home the diapers from the diaper game for Cary to try out. He was nice enough to stick his face to the diapers and take a guess at them as well.

19 diapers total, and he got 13 right. Hmmm...how does he know more about candy than me?!?

What a good sport!

Baby Shower

Sunday brought us another fun filled day with having a baby shower. My aunt Amy and cousin Erica were amazing in putting it together, making the decorations, invitations, and making me feel so spoiled!

A last minute change happened on Saturday when I peeked on Facebook and saw that my aunt, who was originally hosting the party at her house, had an emergency at her home, and well, the party was moved to my parents' house. I got the joy of contacting some of my friends and informing them of the move. Poor Amy! It's not as if she is facing enough chaos already by planning!

When I arrived at 1:00, I found mom, Amy, and Erica hard at work getting everything put together. But I wanted to help out where I could. Surprisingly enough, I got to help punch polka-dots for the table decorations! All around the house mom put out little things for the decorations...beautiful pink floweres (roses and lillies I think), a little sign added to our wire scarecrow, and a banner on the door.

When I looked at the other decorations that Amy put together, I was in awe:

An amazing cake (seriously--the circle idea is something I thought of for Cary's and my wedding cake!)

And in this picture, you can see the polka-dots and squiggles that completed the look for the cake. I wonder if people know how much I like polka-dots!!!!

Clever little diapers with M&Ms for the guests

This beautiful banner, which now resides above Brylee's bed

Erica brought some beautiful balloons. I love the combination of pink and chocolate. When she first sent out the invitations, I took one look at them and fell in love--she somehow knew that green, pink, and chocolate (and polka-dots!) described me (and now Brylee) perfectly!

The guests started arriving around 1:45-2:00, and I was amazed at the number that were able to make it. Let's see if I can remember all of them:

Family:

Mom

Amy

Erica

Brenda

Faith

Helen

Mema

Peggy

Gail

Barbara

Granny J

Grandma W

Kim

Ashton

Friends and co-workers:

Lori

Melissa

Regina

Teresa

SaBra

Kimberly

Autumn

For a fun game, Amy and Erica put together 19 diapers with chocolate/candy, warmed them up slightly, and then passed them around the room for us to smell and try to guess which candy was in each diaper. Helen and I got 11 out of 19 right. And I thought I knew my candy better than that! Guess it means that I just need to eat more...

I was surrounded by so many thoughtful people, that we had to split the gift opening. I opened about 1/2 the gifts, and then took a break for some (ultra yummy) cake.

The cake had 2 flavors: on top strawberry (my favorite ever!) and the bottom was chocolate. Very tasty. And it was Amy's first time making/designing a cake like that. Unfortunately, it also sent her into early retirement. But I can always brag that I was lucky enough to be one of the few to experience Mamy's Creations!

I received so many wonderful items, from bibs (14 I think) to little outfits, an activity mat, spoons, bathing items, embroidered items (burp cloths and a jacket among the few), stuffed animals, booster seats. bottles, hooded towels, and one of my favorites: sock monkey slippers for me to wear at the hospital. They are so comfy!

When the party came to an end, a lot of people had to leave because the next day was Monday. Some drove from a few hours away, others had just got back from a vacation. But it was so good to see all of them, and even reconnect with some (It was so awesome to see you Autumn!)

Somehow, Brenda managed to fit everything into her SUV, and then we drove back to the apartment, where Cary and Gary already were. We even had extras, like leftover balloons, cake, and other party decor!

At the apartment, I was met with yet another amazing gift: a glider and ottoman! I had my eyes on one because they look perfect for a late night's comfort, but when Cary and I talked, we decided on borrowing my mom and dad's rocking chair to cut down on the cost, but also because I was rocked in this chair. All we would need is a cushion, and voila!, instant comfort.

But what another way to brag about how great my husband is. The chair is so comfy!!! I can't wait to take advantage of it while holding a wee one in the wee hours of the morning.

Game Night: Halloween Edition

What a fun, busy weekend!

On Saturday, Cary and I joined together with my parents to host our 2nd annual Halloween party. Last year was quite a crazy night, but this weekend was a little more tame, but still a great time.

For dinner, I created Mummy dogs (which are pretzel dogs--yum!), and mom made a side of baked sweet potato fries that were delicious! We need to get the recipe for that!

Our guests were: Bill and his dog Nina, Austin and Erica, and Kim and Ashton.







Mom was dressed as a gardener/farmer (I wish I had a good pic of her, but of course, she hid!),










Dad was Buzz, in a cliff diver outfit he had once for one of the safety skits.













Cary was Karate 'kid'









I had some angel wings and a halo.











Poor Chester of course had to get dressed up, at least for one photo!










Even Athena got into the act....for a moment we hoped wouldn't end in one of us getting attacked!



Little 2 yr old Ashton got introduced to the great world of trick or treating, and dressed as a cute pirate (of course I don't have a picture of this!!!!), he went door to door and said, "Trick or Treat...Aaarrrgghh!!" The kid made out like a bandit (or I guess a pirate...) with the candy!









There was a gourd decorating contest, which consisted of several different shapes and sizes of gourdes, all will personalities of their own, and we had visions and put them to use...it was fun! We decided to work in groups, and below is the outcome:




This is mom and Cary's creation, a giant alligator who sneeks up on a trick or treater, causing it to be startled and dropping its Halloween candy





Dad created a space ship...













And then he and Austin created a skeleton (a toy already bought) on top of a dragon who was wearing glow-in-the-dark bracelets, and had gum drops going down his back as scales...







Kim and Ashton created this little beauty. I think this is one of my favorites...










Erica, Bill and I worked together for ours. This is a little angry alien (I was inspired by dad's tiny UFO that this thing could in no way get into...but he claimed it for himself!)









This gourd reminded me of a duck-billed platypus from the moment I picked it up, so I decided to play around with it and make it one to everyone else!








This cute hummingbird was made by Erica. I think it's great!

Of course the Wii made an appearance, and it was funny to watch Cary and Austin beat each other up, and then also work together riding in a race. I was exhausted watching them!





S-P-O-O-N-S also made an appearance, with Erica, Bill, Cary and I playing. I think I was a little paranoid about jumping across the table with my belly, so I was quickly out. I ended up taking Erica's place because she and Austin were going to leave, and I did a little better that time, getting Bill his S-P-O...and then got knocked out...Bill ended up winning against Cary, and we only had 1 tragedy!

All in all, an excellent night. Chester was so exhausted from his playing that he acted like he wanted to be carried out to the car. He snuggled up to B-Pa for some extra attention, too!