Memorial Day '09

A wise old sage once told me that camping is one of the most bonding experiences. 

Or something like that. 

(Sorry, Dad - you're not that old.) 

 Nonetheless, I married a mountain man, one who is wild at heart so when we have a free weekend, we camp. I'm sure there are those of you out there asking yourselves if you're reading the right blog..."Bethany CAMPS?!"  I'm told I  use the term loosely. I "camp" only when I'm promised a toilet I can flush, a faucet to wash my hands, and the option to shower (which I take!). No digging holes to go potty in, no sleeping in sleeping bags. I'll sleep in a tent as a long as I get to sleep on an air mattress in a tent. :) I'm sure Drew was slightly disappointed when realizing this quality about me AFTER we got married. (Sorry, babe.) 

(In my defense, I did go camping this last Memorial Day nearly 7 months pregnant WITH our one year old. I don't think an air mattress was too much to ask for...)

Anyways, we arrived to Spring Mill State Park around 5pm on Friday and got things set up. Our friends Matt & Jill joined us that evening along with Nathan & Penny on Saturday. We really had a great time. Cash, of course (seeing as how he's all boy) loved it! He ate rocks, skinned up those precious chubby knees (with me cringing the whole time), chewed on a stick or two, ate food off the ground, swam in the baby pool, played in the dirt, and went shirt-less half the time - he fit right in.  We had lots of fun enjoying each other's company and the great outdoors. Camping is slowly...but surely, becoming one of my favorite getaways. Although I did tell Drew - next time we're not bringing kids (inside or outside the womb). :) 

I didn't think it was possible to outgrow a stroller at 1, but I'm starting to wonder. 

The wilderness women: Penny, Bethany & Jill.

Life of the party

Highlights from Cash's 1st Birthday Party! 

His new favorite thing: the wagon Mimi & Papaw (my parents) got him. He sat in it to open his presents. :)

Loved his birthday cake! 

Icing on the cake

Growing up, birthdays were a big deal. And still are! December 20th is MY DAY. And you better not mess with it. I get a full 24 hours. And so do you on YOUR day. Thats just how I was raised...so naturally, Cash is getting his glory day and that just happens to be tomorrow. (His birthday was last week, but due to Mother's Day and other scheduling conflicts the celebration is tomorrow.) So tonight began the preparations...meaning, his cake. The cake he will be wearing and just maybe get a little taste of (if any lands in his mouth). ;) 

A few posts ago I talked about the unknowns of motherhood and tonight I added another one to the list: baking a birthday cake and decorating it is WAY harder than it looks! Props to mom & dad for always having stellar cakes for us kids. My children will most likely be getting store-bought cakes, unless I can talk my sister-in-law into baking them for me. (What do you say, Amanda?!) I've added some pictures to allow you to see just what I mean...

this is precisely why I bake sheet cakes - filled those pans a little too full. Oops! 

But no worries! The spillage stuck to the cookie sheet allowing these cakes to be salvaged. Ha!

Starting to look more and more like an actual cake.

This is where the fun came in: decorating. I definitely don't have a future on Ace of Cakes. Dang it. (Please note, this was the 'practice cake'.)

The finished product!! Simple, but cute. And hey - it'll taste good. :)

Notes from the Under-Belly: Week 27

Ashley and Me at her pinning ceremony - 26 and 24 wks

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs as of last Tuesday. 

Maternity clothes? : Mostly...I had the opportunity to stock up on some great deals at Burlington and Target and as much as I hate maternity pants (droopy crotch, anyone?) I LOVE my Secret Fit Belly jeans from Motherhood Maternity. They truly are a must-have for every expectant mother. ;)

Stretch marks? Not any new ones...

Sleep: Is harder and harder to come by. I usually wake up around 3:15 every morning needing to pee. Then I have a hard time going back to sleep thanks to my daughter's midnight dance party. 

Best moment this week: Oreos and a tall glass of milk. And I'm not even kidding -- highlight of my  week! 

Movement: This girl is nothing like her brother was! He was all over the place and would interact with Drew all the time. She has no time for that. She usually just shifts around or will give a few jabs here and there. But when I lay down to sleep or after eating she gets a little wild. She definitely has hiccups more than Cash did -- at least once a day. 

Food cravings: fruit, deviled eggs, and oreos. 

Gender: hopefully she's still a girl ;) 

Labor Signs: No serious signs, but I think I've started having some Braxton Hicks contractions every once in awhile. Nothing to be alarmed about though.
Belly Button in or out? still in, but pretty shallow! 

What I miss: bending over with ease, sleeping closer to Drew (there's usually a body pillow between now). 

What I am looking forward to: getting the nursery ready, putting all her pretty little things away, and then of course - seeing my baby girl for the first time and smelling that sweet newborn smell again. 

Weekly Wisdom: I had a manager at work share some really encouraging words with me about motherhood this past Monday night. I hadn't even mentioned my fears of the timing of our next baby and wondering how I could possibly love her as much as I love Cash. But she assured me I will, and that God had placed Corinne in our lives at this very point in time because no one could be a better mom for her than me. That God saw my strengths and weaknesses and knew I'd be the best match for her. It may seem simple, but it was the best thing I've heard in a long time...

Milestones: We are now in the 3rd trimester -- hard to believe, huh? She weighs approximately 2 lbs and is 14 inches long and would have a great chance of surviving should she come early. Obviously we don't want that, but its a relief to know she'd be ok! 

One whole year...

It is 10:33pm on May 10, 2009. Exactly one year ago at this time Drew and I had packed up the Xterra and were walking out the door to the hospital to have Cash. I remember looking around making sure we hadn't forgotten anything and thinking to myself, "This house will never be the same. Our lives will never be the same." Man, was that an understatement. I  cried telling my mom the doctor on call wanted me to go on in to the hospital and told her I was scared that they'd send me home, but also scared that it'd be the real thing. It was an evening of unknowns that would lead to a year of unknowns - scary, exciting, but most of all incredible. 

Since that night I've learned so many things...the first thing I learned was that, in my opinion, an IV hurts worse than an epidural. And that you really don't mind having a ton of people staring at your "mysterious lady parts" or sticking their hands up there as long as they can get that baby out! Or that my child's head, that had measured up to 4 weeks ahead during my pregnancy, really wouldn't fit through my pelvis and I'd actually need the c-section I kept asking my OB about...

Then there was the whole get that diaper on quick or you'll get sprayed lesson, and the magnitude of a "poonami" as I like to call it and the unfortunate loss of an adorable onesie because of it. I've caught puke in my hand on several occasions, changed multiple diapers in a matter of an hour (because babies have such perfect timing!), sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" over and over and over, repeated phrases such as "no-no", "ew! yucky!!", "uh-oh", and of course - "mommy loves you!". I've learned to try to stop catching him every time he starts to fall down, but am always there should he need a little hug and kiss to make it better. I'm still working on letting him eat bites of food larger than my pinky toenail.  ;) 

But the lessons that have impacted my life the most over the last year are the ones that have reminded of how much my parents have loved me (or must have loved me to put up with some of this stuff) and how much God loves us. Being a parent is one of the best jobs I've ever had. I thank God for Cash every single day...usually multiple times a day. He is the biggest blessing in my life aside from Drew and my relationship with Christ. I can't imagine a day without his smile and laughter and look forward to all the new lessons I'll learn as we venture through this next year together...

My very last belly picture - 39 weeks and 5 days

I know its graphic, but its the very image I see whenever I think of meeting him for the first time.

...and then there were 3. :)

Happy Birthday, Cash!