Big Brother Dalton

We are trying our best to make Dalton feel very much a part of getting ready for Baby Macey's arrival. Dad painted Baby Macey's room last weekend and he and Dalton put up her crib and bedding.

What a great Big Brother!

I remember the first time we put this crib up for him and here he is helping do it again....CRAZY!

It's been 1 year since my grandmother, "Mamaw Clark", passed away. Before Dalton was born, my Mom got her rocking chair that she sat in ALL the time recovered. We used it in his nursery and then moved it in the living room. We all love sitting in the chair....including Dalton! Kinda funny the things that remind me of her...the smell of tomatoes in a can (she made tomato dumplins and all the grandkids LOVED them and nobody makes them like Mamaw), fresh apple cake (she made this cake and it was DELICIOUS), the soap opera "Days of our Lives" (she watched her "story" everyday) and donuts from Wal-Mart (she at a donut from there every morning for breakfast with her coffee and still lived to be 97!) She was a wonderful lady that we all miss very much, but I know she is loving life in heaven!

29 weeks and Valentines Day Project

29 weeks and all is well! We had our 29 week OB appt on Valentine's Day and it went great. My doctor did another ultrasound and baby girl is growing like a weed! She is already 3 1/2 pounds which the doctor said is in the 70th percentile. Looks like we have another big one on the way! And, it's still a GIRL! I have dreamed that some how, she changed to a boy. Since the last pregnancy update, we have started cleaning out her room, got her bedding, and bought paint for the room. We have also got a name for this sweet baby.......Macey Grae. We have had several names rolling around, but I think we have finally settled on this. I am very happy with it and it just feels "comfy". We were at IHOP last week and Dalton asked me to write sister's name on it. He said, "Write: Dear Macey, I...... hope..... you..... are...... good." I second that, Macey Grae! Dalton is getting more and more excited about the "big brother" thing. We were all riding in the truck the other night and Dalton reached over and started rubbing my belly. Sweetness! He loves feeling her move and wants to talk more and more about what she will be like. He is determined to be called "bubba". For the first time, the other night, I rolled over in bed and she did not like the way I was laying and starting punching and did not stop until I shifted and changed positions. Is this a sign of a persistent child? I have officially reached the 30 pound mark.....Oh my! Everyone tells me how small I am.....where is the weight going?

We had our first at home project for school. Dalton had to make a Valentine box for his Valentine party at school. We decided to make a monster Valentine box. I found this patten on-line. I think it turned out pretty cute and Dalton loved it. We cut out a slit for his mouth and the kids "fed" the monster Valentine cards. We also made chocolate covered strawberries for his teachers and made Valentine cards for his friends.



He is holding hands with the monster...super cute, I think!

Old friends "aka"...Lifelong friends!

L to R: me, Amanda Byers, Arlyn Howard, Lisa Speer, and Kristin Griffin.

I love these girls! I have known Lisa the longest. We met when I was in the 10th grade through GMA's, a girls program in the church I grew up in. Lisa is from Beebe and was good friends with Kristin. When we graduated high school Lisa and I roomed together at Central Baptist College where we met Amanda. After CBC, Lisa and I transferred to UCA and went to Central Baptist Church in Conway where we met Arlyn. Arlyn is a nurse and lived in a great house in Conway and asked if we would like to live with her....what a God-send for two poor college girls! Arlyn is a SUPER lady that we have always looked up to. We always called her, "The Proverbs 31 Woman" because she truly lives the life of a virtuous woman. She is 37 and has met her MAN and fallen in love. We got together for breakfast today at Mimi's to hear about her "new love" in her life. We are so excited for her and I am sure that those around our table were tired of all our giddy laughter and squeals as she told us the details of her love life. It's such a great reminder that no matter how long it's been since you've seen each other, true friends pick right back up where they left off and laugh like college girls! Can't wait to hear what God has in store for Arlyn!

Table Work and Snow Day

I have always heard that while a child is developing strongly in one area, the other areas of development will lay low. Dalton has always been extremely gross motor oriented....running, jumping, climbing, etc....Just since Christmas, we have seen him really developing those fine motor skills....cutting, writing, painting, etc.... He shows a great interest in them as well and it seems to hold his attention longer than before. It may have something to do with the fact that it has been so cold and snowy outside that there has been more of an opportunity for these skills to grow!

Gran and Pop gave him a huge stack of foam pieces for Christmas that is great for learning to cut. I draw different shapes on them and he loves cutting them out. He does great staying on the lines and turning the paper too!

Tracing the letter Q. They are really working hard on learning to write their names at school and he is doing so well. He is also doing well at naming and identifying the letters of the alphabet.

Dalton's masterpiece!

Another round of winter weather hit Arkansas this week. We got about 6-8 inches of snow in Central AR, but the worst hit was NW AR. Fayettville area got over 20 inches of snow.....that's just CRAZY!

Dalton kept running the window shouting, "Mom! It's Christmas!"

It does kinda look like Christmas and it definitely puts me in the mood for Christmas music!

At bedtime tonight, Dalton prayed that the sun would never come out again. I think he loves the snow!

After an afternoon playing in the snow, Dalton enjoyed warming up with Dad on the couch, watching a movie together.

Funny for the week: Last Sunday, after church, we were talking to Dalton about his lesson in Children's Worship at church. He told us there were some mean guys that beat up another guy. The "Great American" came and put him on his donkey, took him to a hotel, and fixed all his "boo-boos"! "Great American"....."Great Samaritan".....same difference, right?!

27 Weeks

Third trimester....Here we come! I think as I type this my blood pressure is rising. When I say we have nothing done.....I mean we have NOTHING done! The bedding has not been bought, her room is still the "catch all" room, and bless her heart, this sweet girl still has no name. Thankfully, my pregnancy is going great! At my last OB appointment, I had that great experience at weigh-in where the nurse is moving the bottom slider on the scale farther and farther to the right and then reaches the end. She then has to move the top slider to the next notch and start the bottom one all over again at the left....YIKES! I thing I have gained somewhere around 25 pounds. My doctor doesn't seem to be concerned, so neither am I! I am feeling her move more and more. I have also noticed patterns of movement. She seems to be busier at night and more calm during the day. Dalton is commenting more and more about my growing belly and frequently asks if it's almost time for the baby to get here. The other day John and I were telling him what a big boy he is getting. He corrected us and said, "I am not a big boy, I am a Big Brother!" I stand corrected!:)

Dalton loves dressing up in his pirate, cowboy, doctor, and super hero costumes. I am reminded frequently of how wild at heart boys are. I have always heard that boys are constantly needing to be told that they are "good enough". He loves to play "super hero" and comes and asks, "Mom, do you need help?" That's when I quickly come up with a "problem" and say, "My cat is stuck up in the tree! Can you help me?" or "My house is on fire!". That's when he quickly comes to the rescue! As you can see below, he is dressed in his Bat Man costume, checking out my growing belly.

I come in contact with a lot of people everyday that I have never told that I am pregnant. I have noticed some of them staring at my belly before this week, but I think have just been too scared to ask if I was pregant or not. This week, they got up the nerve, and started asking, "Are you pregnant?" HA! I love it! I had to include this picture too. The Wests got Dalton a Toy Story Operation Game for his birthday and he and Dad have played this game a lot this week. Not sure who is having more fun, John or Dalton!