Smart Momma

There are plenty of days when I fail at motherhood. There are always things I could do better. I get that. But other times - I ROCK!

A couple weeks ago James asked if I had wrapped ALL his presents. I don't know how many he thought he'd be getting. We do friend parties every other year and a family party on the other years. I think birthdays should be acknowledged and celebrated. The kids like the friend parties because it's so exciting to have a pile of presents to open. The trouble is that James' requests have tripled in price (ie. $50 Wii video games instead of GameCube game or used Nintendo 64 games for $20 or less). He is a logical boy, but he was TICKED after Dad had the talk about how we have a budgeted amount for gifts. I was looking for "extras" to wrap so the loot seemed bigger - like Bubble Gum tape & PopIts to throw in the backyard. James was CONVINCED that this was going to be the worst birthday EVER. (He is a little dramatic).

I didn't want James' birthday to get overlooked because of the baby, so we planned to celebrate early. He chose to go to Chuck E. Cheese for our family dinner. I HATE going there on weekends, so we scheduled his family party on Thursday, January 17th. I didn't give James a choice of theme because I needed to use what was readily available. I chose SpongeBob & a cupcake tower cake. I went to Michaels & Party City to gather cake toppers, candles, Crabby Patty candies, paper goods, goodie bags, & special treats. That day was like a marathon. I was so tired by the time we made it to Chuck E. Cheese. I just sat with my feet propped on the bench. The lady next to me asked if I was having twins. "No," I smiled.



The boys got nearly 50 tokens each which meant: big prizes. The cake was a hit & the presents passed James' approval (I chalked up the meal to our entertainment budget & the cake/candy supplies to the grocery budget, so I could buy an extra gift for James - I'm a sucker for presents too). Turns out that the party was a hit - and just in the nick of time. The next morning I found out that my water was broken and that I would be spending James' birthday giving birth to his little brother Jayson.



Yep, I totally went all out with the goodie bags (I only had to make THREE). It was one of the ways that made James feel like he got a stash for his party and wasn't jipped.



And here's James moments after I met him 9 years ago. He did have strawberry blond hair for a few weeks, but he hasn't gotten his bath yet either.




Notice the scale: 9 lbs. 10 oz. - way to BREAK me into motherhood son!!!

Jayson Robert has arrived

Details & family pics to come later. I've got a baby to feed. In the meantime, it is wonderful to have a photographer as a good friend. Thanks Sara. You've captured my son beautifully!!!

January 18, 2008 (same as big brother)
4:10 p.m.
8 lbs. 15 oz.
21 inches long

Plan B

Let me first say, "Happy Birthday" to my first son, James, who is officially NINE years old TODAY.

It appears that baby Jayson wants to try to share birthdays. I''m quite certain my water is broken, so we are off to the hospital in a bit.

If I'm right, you won't hear from me via blog for a few days. If I'm wrong, I will admit defeat with another post.

Say a little prayer for me :)

Scheduled

I did see my doctor today. My blood pressure was still okay, but my pulse was elevated - I was a bit anxious for what I might find out today. The news is good. I've dialated to about a 2 and am inducible. I'm scheduled to arrive at the hospital next Monday at 4:30 a.m. I'll get hooked up to IVs, antibiotics, & pitocin.

I'll be 38 1/2 weeks at delivery. So now it's your turn to guess the delivery time & weight. Those who guess closest will be sent the birth announcement FIRST :)

Baby Shower

Thanks to all my friends who pulled off this beautiful event!!! I loved all the details.


This is the gorgeous diaper cake (look closely). There should be a more elegant name for it. It reminded me of my friend Lyndsey's beautiful wedding cake made by her grandmother.



Notice the sweet bluejay on the bird house and the blue & brown eggs on the table.



Cute little bird cage on decorative boxes as you walk in the door.



A pile of nicely wrapped gifts - what mother's heart wouldn't melt!!! Notice the tiny diapers & socks & my baby will have a fresh mattress. Jessica will be wearing out our 9 year old mattress on her toddler bed.



The food table was DELICIOUS. In the back you can see the rich chocolate truffle dessert & cheesecake. The cupcakes had Sara's signature molded chocolate "J"s on top. So beautiful. And HOW did they manage to find blue, yellow, & white candied eggs in January??!!



This batch of fondue turned out lovely (we don't need to mention the behind-the-scenes batch). I loved drizzling this over my slice of cheesecake, but there were also fruits and treats to dip.



What wonderful friends I have. I enjoyed visiting for HOURS.



I always feel a bit silly being in the spotlight during gift time, but I LOVE the gifts.



THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!

Spoiled from Head to Toe

It's been a full, fun, & fabulous day!!! After dropping Jessica off at preschool, I headed out to get a spa pedicure. The foot massage was wonderful and now my toes are groomed & polished (I can't actual reach my feet and breathe at the same time right now). One of the first things that Jessica said when I brought her home from school was, "Mom, I like your pretty toes." Later in the afternoon I enjoyed having my hair highlighted and trimmed with a new blond glow. I picked up Dominoes for dinner, so I was off the hook for cooking. Then I got dressed up to go to my baby shower. It was so wonderful to be around supportive and loving friends (my California family). The shower was themed around my baby bluejay with nests, cages, birds, & eggs - all done up beautifully in blue & brown. There was even a gorgeous two layer diaper cake with brown ribbons (hopefully I'll get copies of the pics so I can share). My descriptive words this time of night are really NOT conveying the imagery. Our son will be the cutest dressed guy ever from all the kind gifts. Now we wait 'til tomorrow's doctor appointment to find out if we'll be meeting Baby Jay anytime soon. Can't wait!!!

Inspiration in Stake Conference

Jessica was allowed to play with the Doodle Pro during Stake Conference today to help keep her quiet. This is a recreation of the masterpiece she created and handed to me and said, "Mommy, this is a picture of you... you have a baby in your tummy."



Thanks a lot!!

Not so Sweet

Did I say that Jessica has been sweet lately? Maybe I should have said that she's been INTO the sweets lately. I had a whole box of Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolates on the top shelf of the cupboard. I only count 3 squares remaining with white wrappers scattered around the kitchen and chocolate smudges on the edges of Jessica's lips. Nice!

On Tuesday I came into the kitchen to find granulated sugar scattered across the table and sticking to the tile floors. She had filled up her sugar dish to have a Princess tea party (where she actually served water called hot chocolate).

I guess I WON'T be making those brownies from scratch anytime soon.

4:54 a.m.

I spend my nights in shallow sleep. Tossing repeatedly and uncomfortably from side to side. I wake to use the bathroom. I'm too hot with blankets even during the cool nights. Again I wake to the sound of "ching, ching, ching." It's still dark. I glance at the clock - not even 5 a.m. and my boys are up collecting coins in Mario's galaxy. I barely can walk down the hall to whisper the news they don't want to hear. "You have to go back to bed until at least 6 a.m."

Baby Bluejay

So you've heard I've been nesting. I'm waiting for my baby bluejay.

I have a bluejay story. A few years ago, I had taken James & Jacob to the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens. We never went inside, just enjoyed the beautiful flowers and open air. But the day we went, it started to rain. So I gathered my little boys and we ran to take cover under a pine tree (I'm sure there was a more elaborate name on the garden plaque). While we waited out the rainfall, I pulled out Goldfish crackers for the kids. The most beautiful little bluejay wanted some too. He had also taken cover under the tree boughs. I was amazed at how brilliantly blue his feathers were and how close he kept coming to my kids. We tossed him some crackers so he would keep some distance while we enjoyed watching him.

For those of you who don't know, we plan to name our son Jayson Robert after his two grandfathers (Kent Jay & Robert). I know it's not the common spelling and we have a flair for common names, but I want to squeeze my dad's name in there somehow.

I've realized that I'm a bit nervous- for the delivery that is. It's not a real comfortable experience as I remember. I've had Braxton Hicks contractions this past week and I almost completely escaped them in past pregnancies. I'm kind of wondering what it would feel like to actually just go into labor and then go to the hospital instead of go to the hospital to get things started.

I'm not usually a fan of photos that showcase me in a bathing suit. But I'll make this exception. This is me 7 1/2 years ago at exactly 37 weeks pregnant. The point was to illustrate how HUGE I was. I laugh now because that was my most petite pregnancy. Somewhere between the time this pic was taken and swimming in that pool, my water broke - but I didn't know it. Later that night I realized I was leaking and went to hospital. The rupturing of the amniotic sac did NOT trigger a labor response from my body, so I was induced starting at 2 a.m. That's how I got my Jacob three weeks early. (And for all my friends who use this community pool - SO SORRY!)



Look how great that turned out!!!


Just a note: this is my SKINNY baby.