Shhh... It's a Secret

Ok, if you are someone that talks to Doug, either don't read this post or find a way to NEVER let him know what happened...

I've never been good at following any kind of rule. Anyone who knew me in junior high, high school, college... come to think of it, if you knew me pre-Doug, you know how rebellious I can be. As I have gotten older, my rebellious side doesn't come out much until yesterday.

I was given a list of rules at the hospital when I was discharged. Among them were:

1. No lifting anything heavier than the baby for 3 weeks
2. No driving for 3 weeks
3. No bath until my doctor gives me the ok (at least 3 weeks)
4. No exercise for 6 weeks (I can walk, but no worthwhile stuff)

There were others, but they were easy to abide by.

I WAS actually doing really well on my rules, but then yesterday happened.

My mom was up all night the night before with Fisher, so she was exhausted. Barrett had mother's day out at 9 am, and I wasn't about to let him miss it. So... I drove him there, but I figured I was only breaking one rule, right?

Mom and I decided to take Fisher with us when we went to get Barrett, and depending on his mood, we'd stop at Target.

We ended up going to a Target that I don't normally go to because my car was once hit in the parking lot, and I dropped a bag with pictures frames in the parking lot once breaking them all. Basically, I think the parking lot has it in for me, so I don't go there anymore.

Unfortunately, it was the only Target around that had the slide I wanted to buy for Barrett.

We headed in to Target for Fisher's first official outing. We started with one basket with Fisher in the top and Barrett sitting in the basket. After finding the slide, we realized we needed another basket, and mom went to get one.

When she came back she had the HUGE basket that two big kids can sit in. (I still don't know why she got that one!?) As Mom tried to maneuver the beast around the store to get a few other things, Barrett decided to ride with her. It didn't take long for him to jump out and run.

When we finally checked out, we were ready to just go home. (By the way, Fisher did great the whole time.)

As we walked in the parking lot pushing my basket and the beast, the wind was crazy.

We made it to the car, and mom unlocked it. We were starting to put Fisher in the car, when the wind caught his basket. Luckily, I had one hand on it. Fisher went safely into the car. I actually thought to myself that I had outsmarted the parking lot curse, stupid me.

Barrett on the other hand was supposed to stay next to his Gigi as she wrestled the slide into the car, but he took off running.

I left my basket, and ran after him. (Oops, rule #4 broken) When I caught him, he was in big trouble. I told him he is NEVER to run in a parking lot. It's not safe, you have to look for cars, stay with mommy, blah, blah, blah...

Then I noticed a basket going out of control in the parking lot. It didn't take long for me to recognize the diaper bag in it.

It was at that moment, all rules were gone. My basket was headed to a very busy highway with my wallet in it, I was holding Barrett and my mom was no where near by. So, I did what any completely sleep deprived mom would do, I ran after my basket carrying someone who is three times my weight limit. (Rule 1 broken and rule 4 REALLY broken.)

I guess I was lucky that my basket decided to turn. It ended up hitting a curb and flipping in the air. My diaper bag contents were everywhere, and I am pretty sure a diaper flew away in the wind. I picked everything up, and put what we bought back in the bags.

Barrett just kept saying, "uh-oh". So much for the don't run in a parking lot lecture.

I looked back at mom to see if she even knew what happened. She did see us, but then she started running too.

The beast cart had started flying away too, and although it was empty, it was headed towards people's cars. With the force my cart hit the curb with, I am sure the beast could have totaled a small sports car. Mom caught it pretty quick, and then she drove to pick Barrett and I up since we were really far away from the car.

We were laughing so hard, that we had to stay in the parking lot for a while. I made her swear not to tell Doug because he'd lecture me. (He's a rule follower except when it comes to hunting.)

Thankfully, Barrett can't talk well enough to tell on me yet...

When we got home, I seriously considered breaking the last of the rules and relaxing in a nice, hot bath, but Doug came home too soon.

Maybe another day...

Brotherly Love

Life with both boys home has been crazy but fun.

Barrett loves his new brother (so far), and he always wants to know where the baby is. He keeps bringing him toys, blankets, pacifiers, etc..

It's the etc. that concerns me the most. Needless to say, we have to keep a close eye on both boys.

The other night, Barrett really wanted to carry his baby, so we compromised and I let him hold Fisher.


It didn't last too long because Barrett was quickly more interested in Barney.

Later, when I was trying to get a few Fisher pictures, someone kept interrupting.

I don't think Barrett realizes that my camera can take pictures of anyone but him. I told him to go sit by his brother, but this is what he did instead.

It's hard to get tell him not to touch the baby when he is being so darn cute, but then he tried to sit WITH Fisher.

Sorry there is no picture of that, I was too busy diving at them to get a picture.

I am sure there is a lot more panicking to come!

Finally, an Update with Pictures

Sorry for the lack of updates, but the last week has been insane!

Friday morning, we went to the hospital, and Fisher was delivered by c-section at 12:20 with no real drama. He did have fluid on his lungs which made him have to spend 6 hours in the NICU, but we were finally able to hold him a little before 10 Friday night.

Saturday was filled with visitors, but the most exciting part of the day was watching Barrett meet his new little brother.

Nana and Paw brought Barrett in the afternoon, and he came right in the room saying, "baby!"

He was mesmerized by Fisher in the bassinet until he noticed the balloons that his Gigi brought for him.

Daddy then put Barrett in bed with me, and he liked pushing the buttons on my bed. Then Doug brought Fisher over to the bed and Barrett had his first chance to really meet his brother.

The first thing he did was lean over and hug him while saying, "awwww".

He then decided that Fisher's nose needed to be honked.

(When Barrett gets in bed with Doug and I in the mornings, he likes to honk our noses and say honk, then he will honk his own nose too. So, I guess him leaning over, honking Fisher's nose, and saying, "honk" was Fisher's initiation into the family.)

Barrett also wanted to check out everything about him. He quickly noticed the band aid on Fisher's foot, and decided to kiss the bo-bo to make it better.

While the grandparents held the new baby, Barrett enjoyed the big brother cake the hospital brought for him and he played with his balloons some more too.

Overall, their first encounter was nothing short of perfect. It will definitely be one of my favorite mommy memories for years to come.

I wish I could say the rest of the week went as smoothly.

Doug went home Saturday night, so I was alone in the hospital with Fisher. It was nice to be alone with him, but it was still hard to be there without Doug.

On Sunday, Barrett started feeling bad, and by Sunday night, he had a very high fever. So, I ended up alone in the hospital until Tuesday when I went home (with a few visits from mom, Nana, and Doug), and Doug ended up taking care of a sick Barrett.

Barrett ended up getting worse, and on Monday, was diagnosed with a virus. We had to ship him off to Doug's parents while Doug and Mom sanitized the house so Fisher could come home Tuesday.

We made it home fine on Tuesday, and we are adjusting to the sleepless nights. Barrett went back to the doctor this morning and apparently he had roseola and he now has strep throat. He started antibiotics this morning and assuming he doesn't get a fever again, he can finally come home tomorrow.

I know it will be harder once he is home, but it has been awful knowing that he's really sick for the first time in his life and there was nothing I could do. I really just miss him, and I want him home. A week without him has been hard.

With Barrett returning, I have no idea when I will be able to write again. Be patient, I will return!

Pictures??

I am trying to upload pictures, but blogger won't let me! :(

Be patient, they are coming...

He's Here!

Fisher Davis was born today at 12:20!

He weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and is 19 inches long.

Fisher and I are both doing great, but he did have to spend 8 hours in the NICU because of fluid in his lungs. He's fine now. In fact, he's snoozing next to me right now.

Ok, the nurse is coming in to check me, so I have to run. I'll give more details later. :)

Ahhhhh!

We are leaving for the hospital in 15 minutes, and I am FREAKING out. I don't know why I am so nervous, but I am.

I was sick all last night, so not only am I nervous, but I am dehydrated and starving! At least I get an IV right when I get there. :)

You'll be happy to know that #2 is close to having a name. I have narrowed down to two names, and Doug's pick of Shooter is not one of them.

I don't know when I will post again, but hopefully, I'll be able to put pictures on next week.

I better get to double checking my bag.

Wish me and #2 luck!

Happy Love Day

Well, we're more than half way through Valentine's Day, and Daddy and Barrett seem to be ok. Doug still isn't feeling 100%, but it's better than it's been almost every other year I've known him.

I had my last OB appointment today, and everything is on schedule for Friday at noon. Although, #2 did pretend to be like Daddy for a little while. He had a low heart rate, so I was put on a monitor. Luckily, it picked back up and stayed. For a couple minutes, it looked like we might have a Valentine's boy...

I hope everyone has a happy and HEALTHY Valentine's Day!

"Are You There God? It's Me, Brigitte"

Ok, so I know God is there, here, and everywhere.

I know He doesn't always answer prayers, and there is always a reason even when we never understand, BUT...

Seriously, this isn't funny.

Go back 6 months and read this post.

Yep, Doug's sick.

He called me today and asked me to get him into the doctor today because he is feeling really sick with THE FLU!

Luckily (???), the doctor said it is not the flu after doing some weird q-tip up his nose test. She said he just has a really bad virus and he cannot come near me.

So, Doug is now been kicked out of the house and has to stay at his parents. Thankfully, they live near by and will let him stay.

If there is anything good about this, it is that he should be better by Friday. If he's not, he's not allowed in the operating room.

It'll be fun to see which one of my family members will actually go in with me, see me cut open, and get pictures of the baby as he is born since NO ONE in my family is good with bloody stuff.

Also, #2 is currently still nameless, but I am narrowing down to a few names. I guess I really need to make a decision considering I only have a few days. And yes, I said I need to make a decision. Doug has now given up and said he'll accept any name as long as I pick one before the baby is here.

My nephew, Austin, is really pushing for Jesus. (Not the commonly accepted Hey-Suess, he wants Gees-Us.)

Any other suggestions?

Computer Buff

Barrett and I worked on his Valentine's yesterday, and he helped me put stickers on the envelopes for his teachers. It didn't take him long to decide that he could have more fun on his own with the "stickies".

He was very proud of his new look.

He was even willing to show off his newest face, kissy face.

When I put him up to the mirror, he said, "uh-oh!"

Also, Barrett has become obsessed with playing with the computer lately. Yesterday he was caught "working" two different times.

Here is the first time:

And here is the second, which led to the title of this post:

A Few Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of Barrett playing in the cardboard house his daddy built for him. I think Daddy actually has more fun in it than Barrett.

Also, Barrett has been really into wearing his hats around the house lately. He even puts them on by himself, and he doesn't want any help straightening them either. Here he is wearing the hat his Uncle Ray brought him back from Disney World.

Snow in Houston?

Yesterday afternoon, I finally felt like my head was above water!

Doug took Barrett for the morning, and I cleaned like a maniac. I felt so good about how much I accomplished, and my remaining list of things to organize and clean could easily have been finished in a hour or two.

Then, we went to pick up the baby furniture. You would think that would be a big relief having that done. Little did I know!

We managed to get the furniture in the house with Doug's dad's and a neighbor's help, and Doug and I even got it all out of the boxes. Barrett had a blast trying to help until he realized that the packaging was much cooler than the boring furniture inside.

As I was working to organize the room, Doug and Barrett made a house/maze out of the huge boxes. OK, Doug made the house and Barrett played with styrofoam packaging stuff. So, my previously spotless house now has a huge cardboard house in it complete with snow. (I'll try and get pictures of Barrett in his house later today!)

There is styrofoam EVERYWHERE! I tried to vacuum it up, but it won't work. Now, I have to pick it all up by hand... It is currently Sunday afternoon, and still there is "snow" in my house. Apparently it was quite windy in my house last night because the snow has drifted all over the house.

O-well, head back under water. Maybe I'll resurface on Tuesday while Barrett's at Mother's Day Out!

Forget a Title, Naming Stuff is too Hard!

OK, so I have completed a lot of my to do list with the exception of having a bed set up for mom and packing for the hospital. Considering I now only have 22 days until I have this baby, I REALLY need to get stuff done.

The baby's room is now ready for furniture. Now all we need to do is pick it up, and then I can organize that room too. Ugh! For having such a small house, I seem to always have something to do...

Here are a couple of picks of #2's room.


Barrett had fun attempting to help us which usually meant he was pulling tape off the wall after it was perfectly done or measuring with the tape measure and screaming when it rolled back up. Daddy even learned that Barrett can climb to the top of a six foot ladder really quickly. (Mommy lectured Daddy shortly after the incident.) Here is Barrett showing you the work he is so proud of.



I am really happy with the way the striped look, and I can't wait to have it all done!

Barrett is doing great. He talks ALL the time, and he will attempt to repeat anything I ask him to and a lot of things I wish he wouldn't. :)

One of his favorite things right now is balloons. Our Kroger gives kids balloons every time you go, and Barrett has quickly figured this one out. As soon as I say store or we pull in to Kroger, the balloon chanting starts. He will even point to the floral department to let me know where I need to go.



We've become quite the regulars, and when Gladys is working, we even get better quality balloons than the cheap Kroger ones. Yes, we are on a first name basis with the balloon lady.

Well Barrett is in bed, and I have organizing still to do! Hopefully I'll be able to start updating more often, but we'll see... Life is about to get really busy!

Oh, and one more thing I need to do, #2 is still nameless. There is a name currently in the running, but I'm still not sure... Let me know if you have any ideas!

We're Alive

Yes, I am still alive, BUT I am still not really going to blog today.

I made myself a promise that I wouldn't do anything I like to do until I got everything I need to do done. So, as soon as I complete the following things, I'll really update the blog with pictures, Barrett stories, and baby stuff.

The list:

1. finish moving the study into our bedroom

2. rearrange my closet and Doug's to hold all the stuff that was previously stored in our giant desk

3. Finish hooking up all the computer accessories on our new tiny, cheap desk

4. Finish painting the stripes in the bottom half of the baby's walls so Doug can put up the crown moulding and chair rail

5. Clean out the baby's closet (It's where EVERYTHING without a home goes!)

6. Pack for the hospital (I have 33 days, but just in case!)

7. Set up study to be a playroom and temporary bedroom for my mom when she is here to help

OK, I'm stressed just typing it all, so I better get back to the current project of striping...

I promise to update more soon assuming I don't go into early labor! :)

Oh Deer!

I'm pretty sure Santa won't be visiting our house this year.

Why?

I would think that Santa really loves his reindeer that guide him all over the world on Christmas Eve, and my son is not exactly the most deer friendly of people...

Barrett was so excited when Daddy came in this morning and told him to come look in his truck. The first words out of Barrett's mouth when I took him out were, "Deer, Boom!"

So much for my son feeling bad for the critters like I do!

Holidaze!

OK, so it's been a couple of weeks since my last post, but things have been really busy around here.

Barrett has had a lot of fun with the Christmas activities we have already had.

He met Santa at the church, and he LOVED him. I'd post a picture of that, but Barrett also loves messing with everything in the study, so my scanner is not functioning right now. :)

We went to Dallas last weekend to have Christmas with my aunt and her family, and we had lots of fun. Not only was there a lot of entertainment with the people that were there, but Barrett had a blast with the three dogs and three cats that were there too. He actually did really well on the 4 hour drive, but we did have to sing The Wheels on the Bus and the Itsy Bitsy Spider about a million times. Here is a picture of him amusing himself on part of the drive.

My dad and Mary are in town and staying with us which means Mary's two dogs, Digger and Brandy, are here too. Barrett loves seeing the "woof woofs", and he has figured out that he can feed them his food. So, needless to say, both dogs have been a little ill...

One of the main perks for Barrett in having the dogs here is Barrett's latest discovery. This morning I was putting dishes away and I couldn't find Barrett. It didn't take long for me to figure out what happened. I'd write about it, but a series of pictures I took this morning tell it better than I could. (These are the reinactment photos that Barrett was happy to allow me to take.)

Needless to say, the cover is back on the doggie door.

I've got to run and wrap presents while Barrett sleeps. Last year this was all so much easier!

I don't know if I'll be updating again before Christmas, so if not, I hope you all have a blessed Christmas.

Daddy's Little Cowboy

Doug decided last night that Barrett wants to be a bullrider when he grows up.




Judging by his abilities last night, I think he has a LOT of practice ahead of him before he could ever even attempt a real bull.




This wild, mean looking moo moo kept bucking him off without even having to move. :)

Baby #2

I realize that I don't blog that often about being pregnant, but to be honest, sometimes I forget that I am. This pregnancy started off rough, but now things are so easy. (Besides fitting into clothes!)

We went to the doctor yesterday, and she said that she's scheduling us to have the baby on Friday, February 16th. Which means the boys will be exactly 18 months apart! (This is assuming that #2 doesn't make an early appearance.)

I can't believe I only have 11 weeks to go, and I have done NOTHING to prepare. I guess we need to get ready.

The one major thing we have not accomplished is picking a name. Barrett's name was so easy, but we just can't seem to find one we want for #2. If I'm not careful, we'll end up calling him #2 forever. (No, we're not going to name him Deuce!)

#1 has been keeping us busy. It seems like he does something new every day! Lately he's been loving brushing his teeth, wearing hats, and making funny faces.

This morning, he was sitting on the couch so content, I had to get a picture.

Here is one of his new faces. This is his surprised look.

He wouldn't cooperate to show you his new fake smile, but I am sure when we get our family pictures taken tomorrow, he'll show the photographer...

Thanksgiving

Things have been a little crazy around here, but we did have a good Thanksgiving. It was hard for me because this was my first Thanksgiving ever to not see anyone in my family. It was weird not to have the food I was used to having, but I managed to eat plenty anyway!

Here is a picture we took on Thanksgiving of the three of us. I didn't realize that I was looking so puffy until I saw the pictures. O-well, I guess that comes with being pregnant! I can't imagine what I'll look like in a few months from now!

Barrett loved seeing his Uncle Ray so many times this past week. I had coached him relentlessly so that when Ray was here, he would say his name. Well, I was successful in getting him to say Ray, but he ended up calling Ray's girlfriend, Kristin, Ray instead. I think he was pretty smitten with Kristin, and since it made her smile, he just kept saying it. I'm sure he loves his Uncle Ray too, but Ray's just not as pretty as Kristin. Barrett has always loved the girls! :)

One of the highlights of our week was seeing Doug's best friend Justin and his family. He has two adorable little ones, Ryan, who is 3 and a half, and Reagan , who turns 2 in a couple weeks. I enjoyed talking with Justin's wife, LeeAnn, about dealing with kids being 18 months apart, and Doug just liked having his buddy around.

Barrett seemed to really like both of the kids. He really wanted to play with Reagan, but she is in the "mine" phase. She went right to one of Barrett's toys and started collecting all the balls. When Barrett got near them, she would yell, "mine". Barrett would just go find her more balls to add to her collection.

Later, when Reagan went into the kitchen, Barrett grabbed some of the balls and started saying, "mine." At first I was concerned that he had picked it up from her, but then we realized he was calling Reagan. Apparently, he decided her name must be Mine since that is all she said. For the rest of the night, LeeAnn and I just giggled as she and Barrett exchanged "mines" meaning completely different things.

It was so nice visiting with old friends, but it also makes me wish we had more time for the other friends we don't see often enough. It's not that they are not thought of, life just goes so fast lately!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and as Christmas approaches this year, try to relax and enjoy the season. (I know, wishful thinking!)

Little Helper

Barrett escaped the other night when Doug took him out of the bath.

He obviously was listening earlier in the night when I was complaining to Doug that I am apparently the only person who knows how to unload the dishwasher.




Ok, so it's not really what I had in mind, but at least he was trying to help.

Our Favorite Seasons

I love the Christmas season, and I would be lying if I agreed with everyone else that the stores start Christmas too early. There is not much I like more than Christmas decorations, so browsing the stores actually puts me in a good mood.

Doug, on the other hand, loves this time of year for an entirely different reason. He gets all giddy because it is deer season. He's been up at 5 something every weekend morning the past two weeks to go look for Bambi's daddy. He didn't get to go to Colorado hunting this year, but he is definitely making up for it.

So, Barrett has been a perfect blend of Daddy and Mommy lately.

Barrett loves all the Christmas stuff out especially the trees. We walk the aisles looking at decorations, and he points, talks and laughs the whole time. It's almost like having a little me along for the fun, and I get to get a lot more excited because I have a kid with me. When you wander along alone all excited, people look at you weird.

Doug has been working hard to teach Barrett what a deer is, and Daddy is very proud that Barrett now points to all things deer and says, "Dee".

The other night, Doug's work buddy, Marsha, sent Barrett a stuffed deer from the movie Open Season. Doug quickly had Barrett trained to say, "boom," to the deer, and Doug would then make the deer act like it was dying. Barrett thinks it is hilarious.

Now, Barrett can entertain the crowds by being asked, "What do you say to a deer?" He will answer, "Boom", usually followed by a "blahhhhh" which is somewhat like the sound Daddy makes for the death scene this stuffed deer keeps reliving.

Today is when these two totally opposite new loves combined.

I was walking with Barrett out of the nursery at church when he saw a table decorated for Christmas. He pointed and yelled, so I walked him closer. The table was to recruit people to volunteer for something at Christmas time, and as we walked closer, Barrett saw the stuffed reindeer in the middle of the table.

As the nice man was trying to tell me about how I could help, Barrett pointed at the deer, and said, "Dee." The man laughed and commented how cute Barrett is. Then Barrett leaned in, said, "Boom!," and knocked the reindeer down. The man really didn't seem amused.

I'm pretty sure I am now signed up to help with whatever it was. Hopefully, I'll get an email reminder because I did not pay attention at all. I was so embarrassed that I just signed up, fixed the reindeer, and left.

I know the more he talks, the more I'll be embarrassed. At least it will make for some good stories...