36 weeks with #3!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks 

Size of baby: a little over 6 pounds according to Babycenter (head of romaine lettuce)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 25 lbs! whoa! and still 3-4 weeks to go.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity...my maternity stuff barely fits now! I am just going to stay in yoga pants.  I am done working now so I can! :)

 Gender: We aren't finding out!  Now, that I'm used to not knowing what we are having I don't want to know.  We even close our eyes during ultrasounds.

Movement: kicking and moving while I am still...I start to get nervous if I don't feel movement for a while

Sleep: I sleep really well except for my every 1-2 hour bathroom breaks and hip pain

What I miss: pain-free living due to tail bone/hip issues...it really feels like my pelvis is breaking every time I get out of bed.

Cravings: I have been loving Pecan Sandies, grape juice, cold items, dry cereal, salads, and I ate a whole box of Samoas yesterday.

 Symptoms:  It's amazing how much my legs and feet are NOT swollen since I am not on my feet all day.

Best Moment this week: Neil got to attend my doctors appointment and hear the heartbeat which was 148.  I am so glad he got to be there!  My fluids were up to 15.6 and I am dilated 1 cm!

36 weeks with Henry

A Surprise Tea for Gigi

Ever since Neil's grandmother turned 90 and we had a huge weekend long celebration I've thought we needed to do something special for her every year.  I mean any birthday after 90 is wonderful and I think it should be celebrated!  I hope next year we can plan far enough in advance so that the whole family can come in town.  The 90th was so much fun when everyone traveled to be here.

Rebecca and I got to planning a fun "Surprise Tea" for her at the Lewis House Bed and Breakfast in Ruston.  This was the house where Neil's grandfather was born.  It was so cool hearing all of his family come in and talk about stories in the house.  Some remembered where the Christmas tree used to me and some remembered playing in the bathtub upstairs.  Such a special time for the Lewis family.  I just wish my side of the family had a long history like that.  It is nice to be a part of it.

The lady who owns The Lewis House is VERY particular about her tea parties.  She set the tables with china and silverware.  We were all excited to have this fancy tea party!

This was Gigi's place at the head table

The head table is set for 10

The invitation

Rebecca and I agreed that we didn't want to make the food.  She was so great and picked out everything.  She ordered chicken salad, pimento cheese, and cucumber sandwiches.  We also picked out mini banana puddings, mini lemon pies, and mini strawberry angel cakes.  Gigi always makes pink angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream so we knew we had to have it!

We wanted all the ladies to wear hats to our old-fashioned tea party.  Amy went to a party a few years ago where they had a hat-making station.  We asked two Tech art students to come and assemble the hats.  Each lady got to pick out what they wanted and then the girls assembled them. I think that part was a hit!

Janine (Nana) and Alice

Richard was so fabulous!  He helped unload the flowers, was so supportive of the whole event, and he even stopped by to see everything all set up!  

hat assembly

The girls that are "over the top" with their party plans. :)

We were excited that Caroline Hunt and her daughter, Betsy drove in from Dallas to be here.  Here are Caroline and Catherine.

The plan was set for Virginia and Elizabeth to pick up Gigi at 2:30 for the 3 pm tea.  She thought she was attending a baby shower for me. They arrived at her house and she was asleep! Ha!  It was OK because it allowed a lot of people to be there to sing "Happy Birthday" when she walked in.

she was shocked and looked fabulous in purple!

one of the many hat designs

Here is Rebecca ringing the bell for tea

my place card

Margaret won the "Tea time trivia/1917 trivia!"  She won a sweet tea candle.

Here are most of the guests...some had already left by the time we got around to taking this picture.

tea time talk

me, Janine, Gigi, and Rebecca

It was such a fun afternoon!  I am so glad that we had such a great turn-out!  Here's to 97 more years!

A sweet farewell

Since I will not be returning to work after spring break, my students gave me a sweet send-off.  Just when you think you don't make a difference or you are appreciated...some sweet students really show you a different side of them!  

One sweet girl brought cupcakes for her class to celebrate my last day.  She gave me no less than 10 hugs and told me how much she'd miss me.

Another brought this cookie cake complete with pink and blue icing, rattles and pacifiers since we don't know what I am having.  She remembered that I said cookie cake was my favorite.  She said that she had on a CSHS shirt when she picked up the cake and the girl waiting on her said "who is having a baby?"  She said "Mrs. Lewis."  Turned out the girl was one of my old students!  She said "she is having another baby!?"  She was my student when I had Henry.

Delish!

My next sweet gift was a puppy dog hooded towel from Lewis' gifts.  How nice!  This student and her family ALWAYS think of me.  Such a great family and sweet kid.


Lastly, I walked back to my desk and found a folded up note on my desk.  It looked something I would have just thrown away, but I decided to open it.  This is the single most sweetest note I've ever received from a student.  I guess you just never know how you will impact someones life.

I will have to say that lots of stress left me when I left school on the Friday before spring break.  I am overjoyed that I don't have to go back to work this school year.  I am so excited about focusing on my family and this new little baby!

Tackle Box, Books, and Brothers

 After Bennett was so thrilled with fishing, Pops took him to Bass Pro after school to get his very own tackle bow and lures.  Talk about exciting!

They had lots of fun!

He picked out all his worms and lures.

 After bath time, we decided to read a couple books.  While I was sitting on the couch this moment happened!  Oh, how sweet!  It only lasted about 2 minutes, but I cherished it!

35 Weeks with #3!

 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks 

Size of baby: a little over 5 pounds according to Babycenter (honeydew melon)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 25 lbs! whoa! and still 5 weeks to go.

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity...my maternity stuff barely fits now! I wear the same pants to work over and over.  I usually stay in yoga pants during the weekend.  I have no dresses!

 Gender: We aren't finding out!  Now, that I'm used to not knowing what we are having I don't want to know.  It is hard not preparing for baby, though.

Movement: kicking and moving less because I think this little one is running out of room to move

Sleep: I sleep really well except for my every 1-2 hour bathroom breaks and hip pain

What I miss: pain-free living due to tail bone/hip issues...it really feels like my pelvis is breaking every time I get out of bed.

Cravings: I have been loving yogurt, Pecan Sandies, cold items, chicken salad sandwich from Newk's no mayo, no mustard, and sweets...always

 Symptoms:   My feet, ankles, and legs are swollen at night from being on my feet all day.  I've been having heartburn which is something I am not used to.

Best Moment this week: I started writing on the baby book pages.  I moved all of Henry's clothes and personal items to the "BIG BOY" room.  I just want him to feel like it's his room too.  The closet and drawers are ready for boy or girl clothes!

35 weeks with Henry

St. Patty's Day

We were up bright and early on St. Patrick's Day ready to eat and all green breakfast.   Bennett loves to help in the kitchen.  He made the pancake batter green!  We love food coloring at our house.

my helper!

We were in charge of drinks for Bennett's St. Pat's party.  I decided to dress up the little green Hawaiian punch with cute labels.  Easy and so cute!  We needed 12 so I bought 12.  Neil same in Sunday night and said "hey, did you only buy a certain number of those green drinks?" me: "yes, why?" Neil: "because I drank a sip out of one!" me: "no you didn't, you must be joking because I know you wouldn't do that!"  YES, HE DID!

Yummy!  Green pancakes, green eggs, and green apples! oh, and bedhead!  Henry added green sprinkles to his pancakes.

fork fight?

pretty smiles!

Henry even green pancake showing in his mouth!

Here's the little prize we gave to each child in their classes.  "You're the pot of gold at the end of my RAINBOW!"

March Weekend

Daddy got home and we were THRILLED!  Since Bennett has had such a great week we let him pick our dinner spot.  He chose Cici's Pizza.  This was a cultural experience for us all.  He was so excited to be there and kept saying "Mom, don't you love that pizza?" after my first bite.  "Dad, isn't that pizza good?"

He was so happy!  We were excited to see him so happy.

Cici's

We had John's Hillbilly birthday party on Saturday.  The boys had fun playing outside and throwing balls into toilet seats!

After the party we headed out to Lickskillet Ranch to see Daddy.  He was in charge of the church-wide Pig Roast and had to be out there all night to cook.  We were sad to not have him home for those precious 24 hours, but knew he was already obligated.  We made the most of it and headed out there for some fun.

The boys were soaked with rain, but they LOVED it!

We went home, bathed, and then went to bed.  They were so exhausted I never heard a peep.  We got up bright and early and headed to Sunday School for the Easter Experience and so I could pick up desserts for the roast.  We got out to the ranch and Bennett immediately started fishing...and he caught a fish all by himself!  It was pretty big, but now he is "hooked" on fishing and asks to go all the time.

reeling it in!

how cool is this!???

Henry had to get on the action too.  He was loving it!

We were extra glad that Nana and Granddad came in town to go to the roast.  I was more excited to let them keep the boys while I ran errands.  After they went home, we headed for a Preakness Properties dinner.  We had to discuss the much needed evening of a sans kids Preakness Properties dinner.  We also had to discuss some property findings!  Preakness is so cool!

I am wearing a "Red River Brewing"  company t-shirt while 34 weeks pregnant!