Happy 4th of July!!!

We just wanted to wish everyone a happy 4th of July!!!  I love our country and the independence we have.  We are so lucky for the freedom that was fought for all of us by brave men (and now women, too.)  I'm also grateful for the service and years my dad put into the military an enjoying those years with him as we followed him all over the world. 

Tonight, we went and watched the fireworks in the Bay.  We went with our friends and Kevin, Ashley,  and Kimball.  It was fun!!!

We love Baby Dawson!

Supporting...Canada?! 

Yes, it appears that way.  :oP

Had to get a shot with Baby Dawson.

And then me, behind the camera...might as well get the after-the-event shot.

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Android switch to iPhone

So, originally, I was trying to hold off getting a new phone incase the new iPhone 5 comes out in the fall.  I wanted to have all options open of choosing a new phone.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay with Android, but I was really interested in switching to the iPhone because it would just be a good flow with my laptop.  Last Sunday, I ended up having to make that choice without being able to hold off until the fall.  My phone was on my lap as I was getting out of the car to drop something off at one of my friends' homes.  Bummer!!!  Well, I knew I had to make the decision and was struggling.  Finally, I chose to go with the iPhone.  I ordered it Monday and had it sent over night.  I got it Tuesday, got it all up and going.  I LOVE my iPhone!!!!  The reasons why I love it so much - simple, I love the camera!  I have played with it and have been loving it so much!  I'm sold on that specific function.  Do I care about the fact that I have an iPhone, nah, but that camera is AWESOME!!!!!  I will share some of the fun photos I have taken.  

I have more and will just have to use them as other blog posts.  As you can see though, we are having a lot of fun.  Dawson is growing and learning quickly.  I'm amazed how quickly things change and his abilities expand.  He's such an intelligent little guy and a very happy baby!!!  I love it!  (Of course, so does Jason!)

New World is Growing Larger

The newest, latest and greatest for Dawson is food and singing.  He LOVES food!!!!  I just started him on Monday after our 4 month appointment.  The first thing we tried was bananas.

His face was great; not too sure if we liked them much, but it was a completely different flavor and texture compared to Mama's milk.  

Tuesday, we tried sweet potatoes and loved them!  I added cinnamon and nutmeg to it and I think that helped a ton.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we did the same.  On Thursday, we started opening up our mouth for the food.  Friday, he was eating like a champ and LOVING his food.  He'd get so excited when he'd see the spoon, he'd start raising his hands and opening his mouth.  I learned that letting him hold my pinkies while feeding him was a big help to keep them from intercepting the spoon and becoming face paint.  He pulls my hand in now.  I ate after feeding him and every time I lifted my fork of spaghetti, he'd get so excited for more... I felt so bad for eating in front of him.  He just wants to taste all that I eat.  He had started noticing me eating probably about two weeks ago and I knew he was getting ready for food.  I was waiting for his four month appointment before doing it.  He was ready for solid foods.  We don't even spit it out.  We have a video of him eating last night.  Jason started taping as I was feeding and it was awesome.  I just need to get the video from him.  

He has also started singing with me as I get him ready for naps and bedtime.  I also have been singing in the tub and other places.  He really sings along and it's so cute.  Not only do I have this incredibly talkative and communicative baby (he started responding and talking back to me before two months old!  Crazy early and a TON of talking), but he sings along, too.  He was sent to me for many reasons and he's a blessing to us everyday.  We love having him apart of our family.

Unveiling: New Addition

I've been careful about sharing our little guy online.  It's a world that you can't see who is paying attention as well as in person.  There are ways and it helps to know who's coming to view the blog, but I'm careful.  He's our most precious gift and we want to protect him.  I finally feel comfortable to share him on our blog.  I'd go private, but I know it limits who can see our little family growing and I'd rather more people we want to be apart, than stopping a limited number of individuals.  

Now that I've shared inner struggles, I want to share our little guy's earliest photos.  I have others, I just need to put them on my computer, but these are adorable.  He has really enhanced our lives and added a whole new dimension to life.  We are so blessed and in love with him.  

Dawson's Room/Temporary Garage

For those of you who have missed seeing me and my belly, here's a funny lopsided picture.  I'm not sure how he is laying in my belly there, it was just funny to look down and see it not as it's commonly round shape.  Since that picture, he has remained round.  I've even had women at a maternity store mistake my belly for one of theirs for customers to try on and see how the outfit will look.  Therefore, it must be a cute belly!!!  

On to the spoiling of Dawson.  

I've had so much fun looking at baby stuff and including Jason in on decisions.  We were trying to find a cute bedding set that would be all boy and something that Jason liked as well.  We decided on doing a plane bedroom.  I found two neat metal planes when I was visiting my family in Idaho.  After I got back, we started our hunt for a plane bed set.  We found one that we both really liked. 

 We also got ourselves a Chicco stroller/carrier set.  We found the Limonata color and decided that was the one we liked.  It can go both ways -- boy or girl. 

Better color of the Chicco set.

One of the things I was really excited about buying for Dawson was a blanket or a comfort stuffed animal.  I have my baby blanket still and have found many years of comfort out of it.  So, that was an important thing I wanted to give him.  

Here's his puppy I found.  It's organic, but it wasn't the organic that drew me to picking it.  I really liked the colors and it was just too cute!!!

Now, for the bedroom.  Dawson obviously hasn't taken up residence outside my belly, yet.  Therefore, Jason has converted our nursery/guest room into his temporary garage.  It is nowhere close to being safe or livable for a baby, but in the coming months, that will have to change.  Until then, this is what part of it looks like.

And here is Dawson's spot.

Only a few months...  As my mom said, that he won't be sleeping in there right away, but it'll be soon enough.  Jason will be sad to not have his garage anymore...  Something he will have to look forward to getting someday.

I'm at 29 weeks and counting.  (Unless they move my date up.)  He's definitely getting bigger.  I am able to feel his body, as of this week.  It's getting closer and I am growing ever more anxious to meet him.  It'll be fun having him join our tiny family and something that the two of us have been waiting to have for awhile.  

I should have more to update from this coming weekend.  Ashley, Lachelle, Mom, and Alyssa are throwing me a baby shower down here.  It'll be lots of fun and I'm excited to see everyone.  

An update about me.  I decided I wanted to have the time fly faster with the last months of pregnancy and applied at my favorite store, James Avery.  

I've already started and feel so happy working there.  I feel like I can bring a lot and be an asset for them.  The Christmas season is the busiest for James Avery and I've done a seasonal position once before, back in 2003.  Boy!  That time sure went fast.  So, what better way to pass my time than to work at my favorite store and help customers with my crazy knowledge about the jewelry from there.  Not to forget about the great discount and also feeling like I have something to provide from my knowledge bank.  But I am really excited that they hired me.  I know they won't be disappointed.

For those of you not familiar with the product, it all started in a tiny garage, in a small town here in Texas, called Kerrville.  Mr. James Avery decided to start working out of his garage selling jewelry that he made himself.  That was back in 1954.  Since then, his jewelry has become the leading jewelry name in the great state of Texas and has spread to 8 other states.  It's crazy popular and most women in Texas have at least one piece.  I don't believe there is another brand of jewelry that can claim the fame that Mr. Avery's has.  It's not just a store that is for gift giving to special loved ones, it's a place where people go to buy and gift give to anyone.  The charms for the charm bracelets are one of the easiest and most popular item to give as a gift for any girl with a bracelet, for any occasion. Once of the reasons why it is such a crowded place to come visit and purchase items for Christmas.  Not to mention, my playground!  I could spend hours in the store looking and playing with each piece.  Or as Jason can attest, browsing through my stack of saved James Avery catalogs, dating back from the first time I learned about the store and started working there, Fall of 2003.  

Updates on Jason...  He has been hard at work at the office and constantly learning new things.

He has also been busy playing in his air conditioned garage, working on airsoft guns and upgrading them to the top of the top for performance.  He took them out with Kevin and Paul a few Saturdays ago, after having just upgraded four out of five of the guns he brought to play with.  Within the first 30 mins. of playing, three of the guns went down...  Devastated, Jason now has to completely rebuild the insides of his guns.  I guess it's not a bad thing since he gets to play with them more; however, he put hours into making them the way they were -- not to mention, all of his allowance...  Now, starting over again, he will just have to rebuild them and maybe downgrade back to the original batteries or hope that his new metal parts can withstand the lipo batteries he has upgraded to.  I'll have to give an update once he has all the parts and guns put back together again.  I hope it works and that he can enjoy them longer this time.

Life as we know it!

It's a BOY! End of Week 20

Yay!  We are thrilled and excited to announce our first will be a boy!  We are naming him Dawson.  

So far, he's a kicker and a wiggler.  My doctor had told me at 14 weeks that we had a squirm-er.  He moves a TON!  It's fun getting to feel him moving around.  Jason has felt him once, but won't sit still long enough (seriously, only allows seconds) to feel him kicking.  Oh well, he'll just have to wait a little longer.  I'm carrying high and all out in front.  

Jason is a proud daddy already.  He loves telling his patients all about his baby -- now, his baby boy.  He also tells them that he's glad that he won't have to be spending the next few years in pink.  I kept trying to tell him he wasn't going to have to worry that much.  I wouldn't completely surround him in pink, especially Barbie pink.

Lately...

Okay, for some catch up...on the two of us.  Or rather the three of us! 

We have Baby Packard coming and is due January 20, 2012.  We are really excited!  As far as what each of us want, I think we've come to the conclusion that what ever comes to us, we will be thrilled.  Jason has mentioned that he would like a girl first, but that's so we have a little mommy to help out.  The next prenatal appointment is when we have our sonogram to find out how the little munchkin is doing and also find out what we are having.  We will have to update when we find out.  That'll be August 15th, as long as we don't become camera shy.  

Pictures to come...