Nursery Pictures

As promised, here are some pictures of the nursery. We have got it mostly done...now all we need is little Mason to make it complete! Speaking of little man, we had a good doctor appointment today at 37 weeks, 4 days. 17 days until his due date! Can't wait to have him here!

Changing table and framed pictures from classic Winnie the Pooh book

Glider

Crib and letters hung with care by Kyle

Bedding

Love the elephants and giraffes

Mason and me at 36 weeks

Nesting and Sleepless Nights

Yesterday was a day of some extreme nesting. I have had a list of things I wanted to do, but before yesterday I just didn't have the energy to get them done. That all changed at about 10 yesterday morning when I was hit with a burst of energy akin to drinking a grande Starbucks. It was a day of Dreft and many loads of Mason's laundry, and I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of sorting through that little man's clothes and organizing his closet. I kept telling Kyle, "This just brings me so much joy. I love doing Mason's laundry!" Maybe one day I will look back at this post in the midst of washing smelly football jerseys and mud-stained t-shirts and wonder what I was thinking. :) But, really, I think for the first time it gave me a little sense of what my mom must have felt like when she just seemed to love ironing my clothes through my growing up years. It is a such a sweet thing to get to experience serving your child, even though he isn't quite here yet.

I thought after all of that nesting that I would be exhausted last night. And I was. But that didn't seem to really matter because after about 1:47 a.m. my body decided it just didn't want to sleep anymore. I tried everything. Changing sides (you don't really have many sleeping positions to choose from when you're pregnant, so I couldn't get too creative here), my usual late night snack of strawberry Nutri Grain bars and milk (two times), praying, counting sheep, petting Scooter, etc. Nothing worked. Kyle seems to think that it means Mason is coming soon. Just the thought of this makes me get a nervous/excited feeling in my stomach...I really cannot wait to hold our sweet child. But then I realize I better finish up that laundry! :) We have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, and we are at the point now where we always throw the suitcase in the back of the car "just in case." So we will keep you all posted! Until then, we would really appreciate your prayers for Mason's health and safety through these last few days/weeks and for his parents to relax and trust in God's provision and plan.

Coming soon...nursery pictures!

Update from Dad

I am writing this post from Mason's nursery. More and more, I find myself wandering in here just to look around. Today I am sitting in the glider while I drink my morning coffee.

Jennifer and I have been praying together in the nursery, and visualizing Mason in his crib, on his changing pad, and in his little lamb swing. It is all becoming real to us as the countdown to his arrival reaches its final few weeks. Our doctor visits are now weekly, we are washing all his little outfits, charging up our cameras, and preparing our suitcase for the big day.

Today will mark my first attempt at car seat installation. I told Jennifer that I prefer the trial-and-error method with this. I'd rather do it myself and then have the guys at the fire station correct me than just drive up there and frantically toss it at them like a hand grenade. Either way, it seems better than pulling up to the hospital doors in a few weeks and aimlessly buckling straps together while Jennifer and newborn Mason stare at me impatiently from a wheelchair. 

Lately I've been reading up on the process of birth, and getting advice on how to handle things. One of the first points the book made was for dads not to make fun of your wife during labor and delivery. Wow, is that really a problem? I've said some insensitive things in the name of comedy, but the thought of me ruining the sacredness of birth (and being pelted with tomatoes by the nursing staff) makes this a non-issue. I also have no intention of smoking an It's a Boy cigar in the delivery room, or inviting in my buddies to catch the final minutes of a basketball game.

I did read one thing that I can't get over: that my baby will immediately recognize and respond to my voice when he is born. Wow. It makes me all the more eager to meet him, and to hold in in my hands for the first time. I'm a little concerned that my tears are going to short-out the keyboard, so I will finish this post by saying a HUGE thank you to our family and friends who have supported us (and purchased for us) recently. We've now got so much great stuff, and have received more love and kindness than we could have imagined. Thank you!!

Kyle

Blessed

Well, here we are at 35 weeks! It is so hard to believe that Mason could really come any day now. I keep telling him that he probably needs to hang out in there for a little while longer, but I think he may be trying to chisel his way out with the way he has been pushing lately! :) But, seriously, I love every little tiny movement he makes, and I am trying to just take it all in these last few weeks.

What have we been up to lately? Well, a lot actually! I am on maternity leave now and I am really enjoying it. I feel like it is just a good time to clear my mind and get focused on preparing for baby's big debut. I think it will also be a good time to just reflect on God's goodness and abundant blessing in all of this. Kyle and I have hoped and prayed to be parents, and God has faithfully answered our prayers in His perfect time. We are just so humbled by the whole idea that He would trust us with a baby...I feel so unworthy in so many ways. But I know that He will provide and guide me in all of those areas where I feel completely clueless. And really, there is no hope for this child apart from Him anyway.

Kyle and I have been blessed by baby showers two weekends in a row! It has been the most fun!! We have the most precious friends and family, and we have been really overwhelmed by their generosity these past two weeks. Last week, my dear friends from Meridian and college hosted a baby shower at Molly's house. Then today, my sweet friends from church hosted a shower at Stephanie's house. Below are some pictures from the showers.

Sweet friends Meghan and Jamie

Most of my wonderful hostesses

Mason's grandmothers and aunts

Meredith and me with my cute diaper cake

Mason will love wearing his daddy's football number!

My precious hostesses

Wishing you a wonderful week from the four of us (can't forget Scooter!).

Christmas and a Crib

Hello family and friends! I have been quite the blog delinquent lately, but now hopefully we will be back in full force. After all, Mason's due date is less than two months away! We are SO excited we can hardly stand it, although there is some anxiety that is starting to set in (moreso for mama than daddy...I have always been the worrier of the relationship!). Even though there is a lot to think about, I know that God has got this totally under control. He has known every detail about this baby boy longer than Kyle and I have even been alive, which totally blows my mind. Reminding myself of God's incomprehensible love for us helps me relax instead of stress and rejoice instead of fret. At this very moment, Mason is break dancing in my tummy and it strikes me what a miracle God is letting us witness through his little life.

A few weeks ago, Kyle put Mason's crib together. I was so proud of him...he did a great job! And even though I didn't get photographic proof of his mechanic onesie (see previous post), you can rest assured that his inner mechanic was in full force. :)

Kyle putting Mason's crib together

In other news, we had a wonderful Christmas with our families! First, we went to Meridian to stay with my family, where our time was spent relaxing, eating delicious Mema food (Mema is my amazing cook grandmother), visiting friends, watching It's a Wonderful Life, and reliving our childhoods through old family videos. We even had a white Christmas (well, we had a few flurries, but it still counts in Mississippi). :)

The girls at Mema's for Christmas Eve

If you pull out your magnifying glass, you may see a few snowflakes on Scooter's fur :)

The second half of our Christmas celebration was spent with Kyle's family in Texas. We flew in to Houston and then drove to the family farm in Nemo, home of Kyle's grandparents Mama and Big Daddy. Our time in Texas was spent visiting both sides of Kyle's family, eating fabulous Mexican food, watching lots of football, shopping around Market Street, and getting excited about two baby boys on the way!

Pawpaw with his girls and grandsons, Hayes and Mason!

The York family after a wonderful meal at Grotto

One New Year's resolution of mine: to be a better blogger! Let's see if I can keep this one :)

Dad's Perspective

Hi, this is Kyle. It's about time I added my thoughts to the blog, for better or worse. Obviously, the whole pregnancy thing is unlike any other experience. I am constantly learning new things, and fighting the temptation to feel overwhelmed with it all. The fact that Babies R Us sells 16 different brands and styles of baby bottles doesn't help. Anyway, I thought it would be funny to post some of my own thoughts and experiences along the way.

• I noticed that the box our crib came in made it very clear that this crib required "Adult Assembly Only". I guess they have to say that for liability, but seriously? Who, other than an adult, would make sport of assembling that thing? I guess the funniest thought for me was picturing our baby in a onesie mechanics outfit with a phillips-head in one hand and a greasy rag in the other, putting his own bed together as the first act of earning his keep in the York house. But, alas, I assembled it myself, as any responsible adult would. I think we should let Scooter sleep in there for a few nights to ensure that I assembled it correctly. Jennifer's not so sure.

• The piece of advice we receive more than any other, by far, is a very monotone variation of, "Well, your life is sure going to change forever." Is that even advice? It sounds more like a threat. I try to respond as sarcastically as possible, usually with a statement about how we already have a dog and therefore we know the drill. I understand the sentiment that people are trying to get across, but I thought the whole point of having a child was so that your life would change forever! That's the thing we are looking forward to most. Note: I'm sure my sarcasm meter will be off the charts about 2 weeks after the baby comes, when in a sleepless state I begin offering that same cynical advice to pregnant couples around me. 

• It's been a lot of fun lately, as our boy has become more active, to feel Jennifer's tummy and try to distinguish if the thing pushing against her is his head or his bottom. Hopefully, after he is born, we won't have as much trouble figuring out which is which.

• I've purchased three "becoming a dad" books, and I'm still not sure how helpful they are. One of the main points in all three is how expensive babies are, and how you shouldn't be stingy when it's in the best interest of the baby. But I've spent all my money on books! Shouldn't the book have a disclaimer on the cover that reads: "The cost of this book would be better spent on diapers. People raised babies just fine for centuries without a new-age book telling them what to do." 

• I realize that advancements in technology and retail variety are good things, but shopping for baby stuff is exhausting. There's too much stuff! It's weird for me to consider that Mary and Joseph cared for baby Jesus with not one single thing found at Babies R Us. How did they manage? I do, however, love the idea of the BabyBjorn things. Holding my son like a kangaroo is something I look forward to very much.

Don't worry, Jennifer will be back to posting again soon, and with pictures of me putting that crib together! Sadly, my mechanic onesie was in the wash at the time. 

If you wish to comment, how about telling us the worst advice you got while you were pregnant?

Kyle

Hello, Third Trimester!

I really cannot believe that today begins the third trimester!! Wow. When people told me that pregnancy would fly by, I must admit that in my head I thought, "Hmm...maybe for you...." Now, I can honestly say that it has been 100 % true for me. I can't wait for little man to get here, but there is a lot that needs to get done before he makes his debut! We are SO excited, though, and words just do not express our gratefulness for this precious season of our lives. I don't have long to post, but I did want to put up a new picture to show you how baby is growing. He LOVED Thanksgiving dinner, as you can probably tell! :)

27 weeks