Baby Showers, Ballet, and a Big Belly
July has been more of a low-key month as we have stayed near home awaiting the impending arrival of Bee-Boo. We enjoyed fireworks at Koka Booth with some friends, I continued my prenatal swim classes, and we began touring schools for both girls. We really want them both to go to the same school so they can be together, but also for convenience. It’s amazing how expensive child care is these days! We have still yet to make a decision, but need to get on it as Bee-Boo will need to start somewhere in early November. If our current school can meet our expectations in terms of price, we may stay there, but we’ll see. There are a lot of other factors to consider (cafeteria, proximity to the house, teacher turnover, etc.). Brayden went to a friend’s birthday party (at yet another bounce house…this is all the rage with three- and four-year olds!) and we took her to a sibling class at the hospital where she got to tour the birth center and see all the little babies. Her eyes were in amazement as the nurses held up the little newborns. I think it made it a bit more real for her (and us)! It was all Trent and I could do not to swipe one of the nasal aspirator bulbs from there as the one we got from the hospital was the best one by far (I guess we’ll get a chance to swipe one soon enough). We enjoyed dinner at the Mazzola’s house and I had the chance to have two dinners with Tonya, who is in town visiting from Italy until the middle of August.
All of my closest family and friends joined Brayden and me at Leslie’s house for a baby shower one Saturday afternoon. I was in awe at how many people showed up for this special event and at the conclusion of it, I even got a bit emotional when letting them all know just how much I adore and love them. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful girlfriends. Thanks to all of you who helped celebrate this special time!
Brayden had two swim lessons at our neighborhood pool with Emilia and did really well. One evening while taking a bath, she put nearly her entire face under water and told Trent, “this is amazing”! Too cute. She loves to show off her “bouncing Tigger” moves by hopping up and down a few times and then submerging herself under water. Now if we could only get her to focus on the actual act of swimming, we’d be in business. Brayden also took four ballet classes in downtown Cary and loved all of them. We may have a future dancer on our hands. We took her to a “Stranger Danger” class as well where she became more familiar with the concept of a stranger being anyone you don’t know, no matter how they are dressed. Tough concept to understand, but important to learn, nonetheless. One day at school, Miss B had a special visitor: Jelly. Jelly is a little pony that each of the kids got to “ride” dressed up as cowgirls/boys. It absolutely made my day when she came home bearing photos of her on Jelly. We are so excited because we are going to a dude ranch next June with the family and the fact that she enjoyed riding Jelly is a step in the right direction to being a cowgirl! Howdy partner. Oh, after a yummy dinner on the smoker that Trent cooked, Brayden has officially begun referring to her hiney (formerly known as her “mooner”) as her Boston Butt (in reference to the cut of meat). What a hoot!
On a sad note, our family lost a loved one to a battle with cancer. After being diagnosed with a glioblastoma over a year ago, Nellie made her peace and joined the angels to look down on all of us. It is evident by all the lives she touched through her passion as a teacher, her love as a mother and wife, and her smile/laughter with our extended family, that she will be truly missed. Her spirit will never leave us. I ache for my mother (and her siblings) who lost a wonderful sister, but know that time will heal everyone and she will be remembered in so many precious ways!
In pregnancy news, yes, I am STILL pregnant. UGH. I tested positive for Group B Strep, which basically means that I have to be on antibiotics for four hours before delivery. This makes things a bit more interesting as second deliveries are usually quicker, so I was told to call the doctor once labor begins and I have tracked regular contractions for an hour, even if they are only 10-15 minutes apart. At that point, I am to come to the hospital. Bee-Boo is definitely head down and at my 38-week checkup her heartbeat was 135, I was 75% effaced, -1 station, and 4cm!!! YIKES! The doctor said she would be surprised if I made it to my due date. Well, here we are, though, one day away from my due date (August 6) and no activity to report. However, the countdown is on as during our appointment yesterday, we ended up scheduling an induction for Wednesday, August 11 (our nine-year anniversary). Not what I would prefer to do, but after much discussion with the doctor and careful consideration and weighing all options, this is the decision we chose. That being said, please help us say lots of prayers to the birthing/contraction/water breaking gods that Bee-Boo makes her entrance before then and that we have the four hours of antibiotics as well.
July “Brayden-isms”:
- Becca: “Slow down or you’ll be out of breath.”
Brayden: “No I won’t. I’m not out of breath. My breath is just down to my toes, so I haven’t lost it yet.”
- “Mom, have you ever played zig zag toe?”
- (While singing into her microphone) “A stranger is someone you don’t know.”
- “Mom, you were going fast because there wasn’t a speed lemon in the middle.” (what she meant was I could go fast because of the median in the middle of the road and the ‘speed limit’)
- “Did you didn’t know this? When you laugh really hard, you will crack yourself up.”
- Brayden: “When is Bee-Boo going to be born? Is it going to be in the Spring?”
Becca: “No. It will be in August. If she wasn’t born until the Spring, then mommy would be as big as a house.”
Brayden: “Yeah. And then I would tell everyone to come to our neighborhood to see you because you would be as big as a house.”
