He's here!

Watson is here and we love him so very much already! He was born on Friday, Feburary 25 and was 8.3 lbs and 21 1/2 inches. He is soft and snuggly and smells so good, I could eat him up already.



We are glad to be home! 2 days away from my Hayes is way too long, especially in the hospital. But she has been thoroughly entertained by her grandparents and aunts and cousins-all her favorite people in the world. So far she likes to say hey to baby Watson and pet him on the head and read to him. I hope the love continues to grow.
Thanks so much to all of our family for being here and for all your help. We love all of you!


missing papa in this picture-he was taking care of things at home while we were gone!

Party of 4 now!








Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Psalm 150:5-6

Waiting and Nesting and Nesting

So we finally made it to Wednesday! Only another day and a half until we meet our newest little family member. Life is about to change in a matter of days. I'm hoping I'm ready for the challenge. I keep thinking every night, only 3 more nights of sleep, now only 2 more nights of good sleep, at least for a few months!

Today was the only morning Hayes is going to school this week so I was able to run to Publix to do some last minute grocery shopping. I think I mentioned on here my insane urge to have every single thing under the sun stocked up in our house. So I went to get a few basic things since we'll be away this weekend and Hayes will be here w/her grandparents-more milk, eggs, fruit, yogurt, bread, etc and then decided I would go ahead and get the Publix sale items that I had coupons for. I usually shop on Saturdays but had to go ahead and do it today instead. They have a great sale this week so I was able to get TONS of stuff for the pantry and freezer. AND, today was the very first time I was able to actually save more than I spent. So, I got $151 worth of groceries and after all my coupons and the sales I paid $73. Which means I saved $78!!! That was a TON of food/freezer items PLUS a big box of diapers and wipes. I'm so addicted to the sales and coupons and I can't help it. Publix makes it SO easy to save money and match up coupons. So this week I was able to save 52% on our groceries, every other week it's been about 35%. I wish I could show y'all everything I bought!



At lunch we picked up Hayes from school for a little ice cream date at TCBY before her nap. I think it was her first time ever to have her own cup of ice cream (unless any grandparents have given her a whole cup that we didn't know about?!) She loved it and ate every bite. And then we got home and she jumped in her bed for at least and hour and half before she fell asleep, due to the ice cream I'm sure! I could not enjoy mine b/c I couldn't sit still. I've started having contractions today and some back pain in the last 2 days. On Monday I was 4 cm and I have no idea what has happened since then. But I definitely don't feel as energized as I did last week. Hoping he can hang in there until Friday morning so our family can be here!





Next time maybe I'll have pictures to share of little Watson! No cool internet phones or laptops for this family, so that post will have to wait until we get home from the hospital.
Happy Wednesday!

Sprinkles, Birthday Parties, V-Day, and Cousins

All of my posts always seem to combine lots of stuff into one. Sorry about that! I need to work on doing one thing at a time and then it wouldn't be such an effort to complete a post. Maybe that will be a new goal of mine.
First things first, I am still on the Publix couponing train and I love it so much. The last 2 weeks I have overspent on my goal, but I'm still saving so much more and getting a lot more stuff each week. This past Saturday I saved about $50 and the Saturday before it was about $68 total saved. I'm telling you, it's easy and it takes so much off the total when they ring up the groceries. My advice is to find someone to check you out who looks like they know what they are doing-as in, do they really know how the coupons work, like doubling and such, are they going to be excited or annoyed by the coupons? It's all a fun game to see how much you can save and I highly recommend it. Honestly it doesn't take that much time each week.

A few weeks ago I had the sweetest baby sprinkle to celebrate Watson with the girls in my Sunday school class at Dawson. It was a dessert party at my friend Ashley's house, who is always such a good hostess, and it was all so much fun!! Our class is constantly exploding with new babies which makes it lots of fun. Another friend in our class, Kristin, is having her 2nd little boy a few weeks after me so both of our babies were celebrated. I love all these girls (and we love the husbands and babies too) so much. They are our family here in B'ham. We started out together in the newly wed class 5 or 6 years ago, and our class has grown and changed and added many new faces since then. Time flies and families have gotten bigger. It's a good stage to be in and we're beyond thankful for these good friendships.


(missing Marybeth in this picture!)

Also, we've been doing some birthday party hopping! Lots of little ones have celebrated their b'days in January/Febrary. Cooper had the cutest little train party a few weeks ago and all the kids rode the train around the neighborhood. It was fun and cold! Ana did a great job planning everything. And then Miss Campbell had a fun bouncy princess party for her 4th birthday. Hayes loved jumping and bouncing. She could do that ALL day long if we let her. She cried when we left. So sad. Thanks Ana for 2 fun times!





Then, little Rut Rut had his party this past Saturday-a fun jumping, sliding, and bouncing party. I think that's what Hayes thinks you do at every birthday party now-JUMP!! She had a ball and loved her pizza and cake. Just to document, at 2 she is becoming a BIG fan of pizza. She can eat way more than she looks like she can!










Hayes and her buddy Haines waiting patiently for their pizza and cake



Sweet Harrison


Pizza Time!


And a Valentine's pic-our big girl eating her V'day breakfast-and thank you for the fun clingy hearts Nana, they are still providing alot of entertainment at our house.


Last night we had spend the night company-Lindsey and Bake Bake-whoo hoo!!
"This is SO funny!" is what Hayes kept saying while they played in the tunnel/tent. She loves all her cousins ALOT and sort of loses her self control when any of them are around. She gets so excited she doesn't know what to do with herself. It's really funny to watch her. Thank you for spending the night Baker! Looking forward to seeing y'all again this weekend when your new cousin gets here!

Friday is the Big Day!

It looks like Watson's birthday is right around the corner, possibly February 25! We are inducing on Friday morning if he doesn't come sometime this week. We're looking so forward to meeting our new little boy. Prayers would be much appreciated for a smooth and (hopefully) quick delivery, healthy new baby and big sister!
New post coming soon with pictures!

Absent

I've taken a much needed break from blogging and the email over the last week. Our computer is down and out so I've only checked emails sporadically over the last 8 days. I am not complaining, I've been a MUCH more productive wife and mommy without the technology at my finger tips. I've been able to keep our house fairly straight (not clean, but organized:), stay on top of laundry, meals, run errands, stock our pantry and freezer, etc. This may become a regular thing and that wouldn't be so bad!

I've spent the last week running around while Hayes is at MDO to get things done. On the first day I felt like I had accomplished 2 weeks worth of errands in 3 hours just being by myself! She loves going to school and always has fun. I'm so glad because that makes me not feel guilty for sending her while I am waiting around for baby Watson to get here. I've gone into full major nesting mode over the last week. I gotten tons of diapers for both Hayes and Watson, groceries, freezer stuff, all kinds of things. I don't remember doing this the first go-round. I guess I think I'm not going anywhere once he gets here-right! Not with a 2 year old that needs to get outside and play!

Some Baby news: Just waiting around, dilated to 2 cm now, and feeling great. I have a huge burst of energy right here at the end so that's helped alot in getting things accomplished. I have lots more to share-Watson's baby sprinkle with my SS class girls, V-Day, birthdays, and other tidbits. Hope that will all come soon when I can get around to uploading some pictures. Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful spring-like weather!

Publix Savings, Family, and Baby Stuff

On Saturday I went to Publix all by myself again (yea!) with tons of coupons in my hand! I have a new coupon organizer that is really going to help me. I think I told y'all in my coupon post that my goal was to spend around $100 each week, including diapers. We cook most every night of the week, or at least 4-5 meals, so we do alot of eating at home! We usually eat out maybe once on the weekends, so we really require alot from the grocery store each week for breakfasts, lunches, suppers, drinks, diapers, household items, and SNACKS-Hayes' food group of choice. This week I ended up spending $91 total and that was with a pack of diapers. My original total was $111 and then after all my coupons it took a whole $20 off my bill. I figured it all up and got $144 worth of groceries for $91-saved 32%. SO exciting and SO worth the little bit of extra time. I'm telling you, if you start doing the couponing, you will love it! I put links over on the side bar of my favorite money saving websites. I've printed out tons of coupons from these sites so far.



We had some good family time all weekend, making the most out of our next few weeks until Watson gets here. We took Hayes to McWane on Saturday and she just loves that place. She climbed all the way to the top of the play tunnel/slides and I just knew there was no way she could get down by herself. I was hoping my 9 month pregnant self would not have to climb up there to get her! But she did get down eventually. Saturday morning is a hectic time to go there. But it was cold and nothing outside was an option. So YEA for McWane Center!



Sunday we went to church and then later that afternoon to a super bowl party with some SS friends-thank you Harpole's! It was alot of fun, with good food and fun friends. I did not watch the game and did not even really know who was playing. All the kids had fun together! It's so fun to know that Hayes gets to grow up with our good friend's babies. We love them all!

So in between church and the party I started getting really uncomfortable and have been ever since. Nathan scared me to death into thinking that I was going to have the baby today or tomorrow. So I decided that yesterday and last night would be a good time to get organized and finish last minute things for the baby. I traded out bedding on Saturday and got something totally different, and I LOVE it. It's really simple and sweet, just what I wanted. I washed clothes, we put Hayes' new baby bed together (thank you to our generous cousins Clark and Robin for the bed:), got all the pink stuff into her room and out of his, and packed my bag and his (semi.) I'm feeling much better about things now. I had an appt. this morning and am 1 1/2 cm dilated. So the pain/uncomfortableness I am feeling is progress-I am thankful that my body is moving along!

Lastly, my sweet preschool class had a diapers and wipes shower for Watson this morning. It was very cute. They were all so excited! I love Covenant and can't believe I get to work there. No actually, I can't believe Hayes gets to go there and be apart of such a great place. And next year she'll be in the 2's-crazy!! Time is going by way too fast.



I apologize for my lengthy posts. I do not know how to make them any shorter!

Baby Update and some Favorites, etc.

It seems that our little baby is a GROWING boy! I had a check up yesterday and an ultrasound and everything looked great. He's been measuring about 3 weeks ahead for a while now, so my dr. wanted to see if it was fluid or all baby. Turns out it is ALL baby, but there is still plenty of fluid. He is growing quickly-measuring 38 weeks and about 7 lbs. 7 oz. I will say that I look and feel all of about 42 weeks or beyond right now! But I know the next few weeks will go by quickly, so I'm choosing to focus on the end result (and not the present achiness and exhaustion.) But instead a precious new little life from God that we absolutely do not deserve who will be joining this family very soon, and a little BOY at that. What a gift!

On to some favorite things...
I have to share my new favorite food website that I found on my SIL Lindsey's blog. I do not know this girl, but I love her website and she's an Auburn girl, and her recipes are soooo good. I've made alot of different things now from her and I've never been disappointed in anything! Nathan loves everything too.
It is called Plain Chicken. Check it out if you need some ideas. I ALWAYS love a new recipe.

Two other favorite things right now, Spot Shot and Magic Eraser. These 2 cleaners are saving our new house from crayon destruction. If you have children then you need both of these in your house. Even works on crayons on the walls (which I'm glad I found first and not Nathan!)


(new Christmas chair from Nana and Papa w/beautiful purple crayon by our little artist)


(new Christmas chair set from Shug and Grandaddy, she loved orange this day!)

Don't worry Shug and Nana, both chairs are nice and clean now!

One more random thing, am I the only one who LOVES packing lunches for my child? I KNOW that will change eventually, but for now it just makes me happy to pack Hayes' big girl lunch. I always wonder what she thinks about when they take the lid off her little plate at lunchtime? Is she excited or disappointed?! I always hope she loves it b/c I'm telling you right now it is fun for me. and no, I don't usually take pics of her lunch, but this one just looked extra cute to me.



Have a good Wednesday and stay warm!