Zane is coming!!

Just an update that baby Zane should be here by tomorrow. We are at the hospital and doing fine. Will update when he is here. Sorry, I am not very creative at the moment.

Zane gets spoiled again...and again.

The ladies at the church I grew up in gave Baby Zane a shower on November 30th. Once again he was spoiled with so many goodies. I really racked up on much needed diapers and wipes at this shower! These ladies know about the necessities. The picture below of my mom and me is not great, but I like that it shows just how far the belly sticks out.

On December 6th, the Target team gave me a shower at Kailey's house! It was alot of fun to hang out with the girls that I normally only see at work. And they went crazy with gifts for Zane...I think it may've been a competition for holding rights when he gets here!

The hostesses: Kailey, Tina, (me), and Lisa

The fabulous cake!

Here are some preview shots of the nursery. I am supposed to get my canvas at the beginning of next week. As soon as it's up, the room will be just about complete and I'll post more pics....we are waiting on one other vital piece...a baby to put in it! I am 37 weeks & 1 day. I had a check-up today and everything is still looking good. We've talked about inducing the weekend after New Year's (IF he hasn't come on his own by then!)...one way or another it won't be much longer until we get to meet this guy!

A closer view of the bedding

Zane's Song

Matt played this for me the other night in his truck. He said it was his "Zane song". It's called "My Son" and it's by Brandon Rhyder. Here are the lyrics:

We welcome to this world, a brand new bouncing baby boy

With ten fingers and ten toes, your momma's button nose

You will never believe, how much you've changed me

You will always be the star, by God's grace he gave me

(Chorus)
And the beauty of it all, is lying right here in my arms
Falling fast asleep, I can feel your heart beat
Unconditional love, something I have never known

You are my boy, you are my blood, you are my son

We named you after my Papa*, cause he couldn't hang around

But I'll bet he's on the shoulders of an angel

Laughing and singing right now

He stole my heart, and now he's given it to you

I always knew you'd be the only one, that he'd give my heart to

And the beauty of it all, is lying right here in my arms

Falling fast asleep, I can feel your heart beat

Unconditional love, something I have never known

You are my boy, you are my blood, you are my son

You are my boy, you are my blood, you are my son

We welcome to this world, a brand new bouncing baby boy

With ten fingers and ten toes, your momma's button nose

*The song actually says "brother", but Matt sang "Papa". That's what made me cry. We are naming Baby Zane after Matt's Papa Zane, who couldn't hang around. The world lost a great man almost two years ago and we miss him so much. He was Matt's hero, and I'm pretty sure Matt never did wrong in Papa's eyes. Baby Zane has some pretty big shoes to fill, and we intend to make sure he knows what an honorable man he was named after. I only wish they could have met.

35 Weeks and Venting!

Ok, time to get real....I don't love being pregnant. There. I said it. There are people who say they love it. If you're one of them, Great! (I don't believe you.) There are certain things I love about being pregnant--like feeling him move around. Love that. But all in all, it's a means to an end. A very long means to a very, very special end.

Oh, little Zane, I can't wait to meet you! I can't wait to see what you look like, to kiss you, smell you, feed you, and call you silly names. I already love you so much.

But you're still getting your little bottom spanked. I love being so close to you, but honestly, the presence of a 5 lb baby in my stomach poses a few problems for mommy. I threw up for 16+ weeks. And when that ended, the back ache set in. And this numb, tingly spot at the bottom of my right ribcage. Then there's the lack of sleep. Everyone says this is getting me ready for all-nighters with a baby. I think that's stupid and that I should be able to stock up on sleep now. And at least once you're here I'll have something to do at 4am rather than stare at a wall. None of my clothes fit comfortably anymore...not even the maternity ones. And occasionally I waddle, even though I swore I wouldn't.

Yesterday I was faced with all new problems. First, I had a moment of "uh-oh.....who's gonna tie my shoes?...Too bad my dogs don't do that trick". Then I attempted to sit in the floor and wrap Christmas presents....HA! Not possible. First getting in the floor is a magic trick. And then of course I've forgotten scissors. And tape. And ribbon. Once all supplies were on hand and I was back in the floor, the wrapping begins, right? WRONG! I can't bend that far over to reach the stinkin gifts and roll paper out and cut it! Forget that idea. Most gifts will be in gift bags this year.

Matt asked me today if I had watered the Christmas tree. And he was serious. My answer, "Babe, if it requires anything near the floor, count me out." I asked him later who I could pay to clean the house and he quickly responded that he'd get the number of someone. It didn't even cross his mind that I was joking! And honestly, I wasn't.

Anyway, there's my rant. I have actually had a very uneventful pregnancy and had no real problems to complain about. I'm just at the end and ready for this thing to move along. 35 weeks down. 5 to go. At the most! If he shows up a week or two....or two & a-half early, I won't be mad! :)

Showered with gifts!

Saturday was so much fun! My wonderful friends hosted a shower for Baby Zane and he got so much great stuff. The kid is already spoiled rotten and hasn't even made an appearance yet. I felt so blessed to have lots of family and friends share the day with me. Zane had two grandmothers, three great-grandmothers, one aunt, two great-aunts, one great-great-aunt, and seven cousins there!

I feel a little more prepared to bring a baby home after the shower--he actually has socks to keep his little feet warm now!

Gwendolyn stayed with me Friday and Saturday night and it was so relaxing to just have girls' nights and hang out. I owe her a big thanks for helping me put together the swing (please let raising a child be easier than following those directions!) and organizing all of his clothes and other goodies!

The hostesses: Sara, Amy, (me), Allyson, Whitney, Gwendolyn

Zane's diaper cake that Amy made and yummy food that Allyson made

Blocks from Whitney

Candy bar diaper game. Gross, huh?

Zane's first Razorback gear

Mom & me (32weeks)

Mom, me, Mammaw Alice

Aunt Lindsey, me, Zanette, Mama Doot

Showing Matt the goodies! Excuse his hair--he had just woken up. Is that really my belly?
It felt like Christmas morning!

And of course the pups had to test drive the swing

Duck Duck Goose

Ok, so I know that was over a month ago, but I just wanted to share my experience.

This was the first time I've ever been to Duck Duck Goose and I had a great time! I went with two of my good friends from high school, Faith and Tara. Faith has Jackson (3) and a baby girl on the way! Tara has her hands full with twins, Tayla and Trista (3).

The sale started on Thursday....we didn't go until Saturday....and that place was STILL packed with clothes! Apparently, they also have furniture, strollers, toys, etc. I never made it out of the clothes. People were leaving with clothes by the arm-load! I couldn't believe that on the final day of the sale there were still clothes there with the tags on them--never even worn! Here are a few pics of my favorite finds.

Couldn't resist an outfit from Gymboree with a dachshund on it...

Especially when he wraps all the way around!

Or this cute corduroy Polo jumper....

And I love the sock monkey slippers that match mine!
Faith, Tara, and Me

Me & Faith, 24 & 27 weeks

I've been tagged....

I've been tagged by hannah.pratt.fulks.....That means this blog must include seven random facts about myself...I know, scary.

1. I always sit facing the door in restaurants....ALWAYS. Maybe it's survival instinct...gotta see the danger before it attacks, can't let anything sneak up on me. Or maybe I'm just nosey and want to see people as they walk through the door. Yeah, that's probably it.

2. I color coordinate my closet. White, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, green, brown, black. Then I take it a step further....if available, red shirts go on red hangers, blue shirts on blue hangers, etc. I've been known to go out and buy new hangers in a specific color. I also have sections: short sleeves, long sleeves, shorts, jeans, pants, dresses, jackets. Good thing I have a big closet.

3. If you're ever at my house and want to help clean up the kitchen, don't load the dishwasher. I'll probably just rearrange it when you're not looking. I have a specific way I like dishes to face. Matt has made me leave the kitchen before so that I won't see how he loads it. I mean, if they're clean, I'm not gonna rearrange and REwash, but if it hasn't been turned on yet, it's fair game for rearrangement.

4. I've had 11 room/apartment/housemates. Is that alot? Let's start at the beginning....Freshman year I lived in Francis-Crawford with Sarah Green Orr. That summer I shared an apartment in Arkadelphia with Mary Beth Olvey and Cindy Quinney. Sophomore year I lived in Perrin West with Whitney Baker White. That summer I lived in the Really Old, Stinky Ouachita apartments (I think that might have even been their official name) with Angela Pickens. First semester of Junior year I lived in Maddox with Whitney again (not counting her twice) and Julia McFerrin and Janelle Lyon Hunt. Second semester I moved into the Caddo apartments with Jenni Greer and Amanda Perkins. That summer, Jenni and Amanda were replaced with Gwendolyn McCollum Howell and Megan McGraw Frisby, and temporarily Angela lived with us (illegally, I might add :)....don't tell Keldon). I didn't count Angela twice and I won't count Jenni twice, even though I did live in an apartment in Little Rock with her my first year of pharmacy school. Does this mean I'm hard to live with? Well, I can happily say that I've had the same "roommate" now for over 5 years and he hasn't moved out...yet! I guess that makes it 12. Should I include the three 'tenants' that Matt and I have housed along the way?....nah....

5. I assign a gender to all numbers, letters, and colors. For example, white and yellow are girls, brown and green are boys. One and six -- girls, four and five --boys. C and M are girls, F and R are boys. You may be wondering, "If one is a girl, does that make all numbers 10-19 girls?" Nope, you go by the second digit.

6. I'm TERRIFIED of storms. Once I was on a boat at Lake DeGray....a HUGE black cloud was looming in front of us....the people I was with wanted to drive around the storm! Around it??? Really??? No way! I cried...real tears. And was about to jump out of the boat and swim back to the dock. I was probably 26 when this happened. They took me back.

7. I started out my relationship with Matt based on a lie. Okay, that's a little harsh. It was just a little white lie. Let me explain....So we were at that 'new' stage, where maybe he'd wait for me after Organic class, studying for quizzes in big group suddenly wasn't as much fun as studying alone.....we weren't "together", but something was there....You get the picture. Anyway, I heard that he was a big Pat Green fan. (At this time no one knew who Pat Green was.) So I downloaded some Pat songs, listened to them, memorized them, actually liked them... and the first time I picked Matt up in my car, guess what was subtly and softly playing? Matt heard it and said (and I quote), "Is that Pat Green?! You're the coolest girl I know!" Of course I'm the coolest girl he knows....duh... Anyway, I really did become a Pat fan. At our wedding we danced to a good ole Pat Green tune, Family Man. During our dance I confessed my little secret. I'm sure we were destined to be together anyway...but it couldn't have hurt, right?

Feel free to share your thoughts on how strange I am....

I now tag:
1. Devin Bertram
2. Jessica Cates
3. Jaime Melcher
4. Jordan Woodruff

Because I don't want to forget...

This was one of those moments that I want to remember....it makes being sick and having back pain a little more tolerable....

Friday morning I was on the couch while Matt was busy getting his things together for squirrel camp. (Yes, squirrel camp....most guys go to deer camp, but it's a Bell family tradition that squirrel camp takes place the first weekend of October.) Anyway, Matt was walking around the house singing as he gathered his things. Baby Zane was kicking up a storm! So much that I could see my belly jumping. I wanted Matt to see so I yelled for him to come over and look. He walked over......and of course the kicking stopped. Matt's not very patient, so after a few seconds of no action, he went back to his business...and started singing again. Here come the kicks! "Matt! He's doing it again!" Matt returns -- no kicks. You get the picture...this happened about three times.

Then I got a bright idea..."Matt, come over here again -- but KEEP SINGING." As corny as it sounds, Matt sang to my belly and Baby Zane had a little dance party! It was so funny! I told Matt, "I think he likes your singing...or maybe he doesn't...but either way he's responding to it."

I wish I had this on video, because I know it would make this a lot more interesting....but, number one: Who has the video camera ready for moments like this? and number 2: I'm not subjecting the world to my big belly.

Again, just a moment that I want to be able to remember...

Catching up....

Okay, Laurie, this is for you....I mean, this is for your husband--I know he eagerly awaits my blog entries.....

Time to play a little catch up....guess I'll start with the most recent and work my way back....

We ordered a crib and baby bedding! Yay! A little progress. I love the crib! And it's versatile--a canopy can be added to the four posters, or they can be removed all together. It also converts to a daybed. I wasn't anxious about getting the nursery done until we actually ordered stuff, but now I can't wait for it to get here! It's weird for me to call it 'the nursery', because we typically call it 'the box room'.....if you've been to my house you know why...if you haven't, well, it's pretty self explanatory. Here are pictures of the crib, bedding, and two dresser/changers I've got my eye on......Opinions welcome on the dresser/changer....

The crib

The bedding

Maybe....

Just the dresser on the far left.....

Last weekend we stayed in Fayetteville with John and Gwendolyn and had a great time! I'm kicking myself now because I went the whole weekend without taking a single pic with Gwendolyn or McCollum! We had lots of fun, and thanks for letting us stay! Matt and I went to the game on Saturday night....Although the Hogs pulled off a win, we hope the first game that Baby Zane sees is much better!

Go Hogs!

A few weeks ago we went on vacation to Seaside, Florida! The night before we left, news reports said that Tropical Storm Fay was hours away from the Sunshine State, so we just knew we were driving into the eye of a hurricane......We were so lucky---Perfect weather all week! TS Fay didn't arrive until the night before we left. We went with another couple, Jonathan & Sarah Stringer. We had some good laughs, great food, and way too much sun!

Getting tan!

Dinner at The Red Bar

Wish I was still there....

In front of our cottage (20weeks preggo)

Gimme Shelter

Inside of Gimme Shelter

My brother started pharmacy school.....Good luck! Dad, Lee, Mom

And finally, a preggo pic to add to the mix. This was taken at 19 weeks.

If you lie down with dogs......

I've decided to dedicate this blog entry to my two four-legged babies, Emma and Paisley. I have a feeling that in a few months they may be a little attention-deprived. So, here are some pictures of our 'little girls', some old, some recent....and the one of Matt sleeping on the couch with them was actually taken today....he was worn out from a tough morning at Children's.

Matt napping with the girls

Me and Paisley

Paisley

Emma

Lola (their 'aunt'), Paisley, and Emma in their Christmas outfits

It's A Boy!!!!

This is Baby Zane's first movie! The beginning of the video shows his face on the left of the screen. Watch closely and you will see him open his mouth and begin to suck his thumb! So cute! I also added some still shots from the ultrasound. We are 100% boy! He weighs 10oz and all of his measurements were right on with the gestational age (19 weeks, 1 day). What an exciting day! I have been so anxious to shop for this little guy. We leave Sunday night for Seaside, Florida and I can't wait to hit the outlet malls. No doubt this baby will be dressed in style!

the proof is in the belly....

Here is the belly at 17 weeks & 5 days....not that I'm counting or anything. And here's a little update on what's been going on the past few weeks:

*I'm losing my mind. They say you lose brain cells when you're pregnant. Well, I'm definetly losing them, and afraid of not getting them back! I have had some really 'blonde' moments lately. For example, our neighborhood has those annoying traffic circles in it. I can't tell you how many times I've made the circle and just kept on driving without turning down our street! I get all the way to the highway before I realize I'm going the wrong way. I also tried really hard to get a drink from a vending machine with my credit card....a vending machine that takes cash/coins only.

*I love being able to feel the baby move! It makes me smile every time. I'm sure at some point these little movements will turn into big kicks that will keep me awake at night, but for now, I welcome every little movement. I'm pretty sure the kid loves food as much as I do. As soon as I finish a meal, it feels like the baby is jumping for joy! I'm pretty sure I heard it say, "Mmm...Thanks, Mom."

*A few weeks ago Matt's dad did an ultrasound for us. It was so much fun to just take our time and watch the baby move....and move.....and move! It was the wiggliest little worm! The kid looks like it has had some Tae Bo training the way it was punching and kicking--not to mention the somersaults...what a show-off. We weren't able to tell if it was made of sugar & spice or snakes & snails just yet (though we do have our suspicions), but we have our big ultrasound on Aug 15th and should then know for sure! I can't wait for that update!

Laura Blakely White

New babies are so precious! And today I got to hold one! One of my roommates from college (I only had about 8), Whitney, had her second baby girl yesterday. Blakely weighed 9 lbs 10 oz! Big ole' baby...kinda scary to us pregnant folk. Anyway, she is adorable and just perfect and Whitney is a great mom. I can't wait until I have one of my own to squeeze!....(but not too tight).

And Baby Makes Three.....

In case you haven't heard, Matt and I are expecting our first baby in January! I will be 14 weeks on Thursday and we are very excited! I have labeled myself an "early bloomer" because my belly has already 'popped' out there. The picture above was taken at 12 weeks.

To blog, or not to blog?

I've been trying to decide whether or not to start a blog. It seems like the cool thing to do these days....everyone has one. So, I have decided that it's probably the easiest way for me to document events in our lives, so I'll give it a try. Will I be very good at keeping this thing up-to-date? Who knows, but I'll try my best!