Another Ryan!!

  
Benjamin's little brother, Jeremy, got married this past weekend!  When I was put on bedrest, that was at the forefront of my mind...  "I'm going to miss the wedding!!!"  Well, after stopping by the doctors office on Friday and finding there was no change on the baby front, I went to Lexington and continued my bedrest there for the weekend.

Two hours before the wedding, I just couldn't stand it.  I mean, my thinking was, I go to the DOCTOR each week and sit for 30 minutes to an hour in his waiting room... what's the difference in sitting in a church pew for that long?!  So I went.  Not exactly with "permission," but I just couldn't stay away.

When I stepped out of the car at the church, I definitely felt like I was doing something ILLEGAL and that the authorities were going to come and get me.  It's so crazy.  I can't imagine being a normal pregnant person just daily walking around at 33 and a half weeks.  I do dream of it though.  Maybe next time.  HA!  I probably need to wait long enough for Benjamin to forget what bedrest is like, before I start pushing that one! 

Even though I was a BASKET CASE the entire time, { I always cry at weddings + pregnancy hormones = disaster }  I got to see the Main Event and it was beautiful!  And I'm so thankful I didn't miss it.  And I went to the doctor on Monday and there was still no change, so all in all I feel like it was a good decision.  I captured a few pics, but the whole thing happened really quickly and I had about a hundred people saying- "Ok, it's over- go get back in the bed!"  So I, sadly, didn't even get a snap of the bride and groom :(  But trust me.  They were beautiful! :)

Since B was in the wedding, Papa got the little guy dressed in his suit.  

I just love this picture..
I feel like they look so cute in their white shirts and slacks with Papa getting him all situated.

I mean... just precious. 

Here's the current lineup.  

Susie and I will be adding a couple of bookends to this crew here in the next month or so! :)

Have I mentioned how much I love these two?

I can't believe my LITTLE boy is about to be a BIG brother! 

My dad snapped these at the reception for me...

Cuties on the dance floor. 

I heard from multiple sources that Benson STAYED on the dance floor all night. 

I 'm glad I have his July wedding experience to be able to envision what that was like.  

And this is seriously the only picture of the newlyweds! And no that is not my husband, it's Brittanys.  Although there was some confusion about that when the photographer handed BENJAMIN the fake garder to throw.   

Welcome to the family, Brittany Ryan! We love you!!

:)

A Monumental Milestone...

This is a monumental milestone:

No, not the skinned knee... The way he's holding his crayon!

I really wasn't sure he was going to ever go from the death-grip-choke-hold, to proper crayon/pencil holding technique. 
And any time I've tried to correct him on it, he's put up quite the fight.

Until now...

And we have this to thank for it:

The boy could do these mazes all day long!  

I'm so thankful for the discovery of this little collection. 

I honestly probably would have never bought them myself, thinking they were too easy for him, but he's SO PROUD of being able to do them all by himself, and once he completes this book, I'm planning to get the next one:

It steps up the difficulty a little bit, and after gaining some confidence with the first set,
I think he'll love the second one.  I'm thinking it'll go in his Easter basket :)

I've had to limit the number of pages he can do each day so that he doesn't finish it too quickly. 

It's been interesting to me, because he's never been a real fan of "coloring."  

{ Which stinks, because I could sit and color all day!  }

I think he needs more direction and goal than just a blank page provides.  

Each of these pages has some specific task he's asked to complete and he totally thrives on that. 

He loves it.  See...

"Benson, show me a smile!":

No, a real smile...

Ok, nevermind...

We'll just take one thing at a time.

Way to go on learning how to hold a crayon!!! :) 

Oh, and remember how I spend all day in my PJ's?  

He does too.  Hence the many "boxer only" shots lately.  

Hey, at least we produce minimal laundry!! :)

And here's just a little snap of daddy arriving at home that day...   

Benson literally JUMPS into his daddy's arms each afternoon. 

And it never ceases to MELT my heart! :)

First Golf Round of the Season

Benson got to break out his new clubs last week.  Daddy took him out to the Hartsville Country Club to "play" a round. 
Benson told Benjamin, while they were there...

"Daddy, when I grow up, I'm gonna be a golfer and win a BIG trophy!!"

I think I'd enjoy being a golfer mom :)  Seems to me it would lend itself to fewer bloody collisions than some of the other sports.  I rank my preference of sports for my kids in order of decreasing incidence of accidents. 
I'm his mama...  I don't like to see him bleed.

Prolly still a lil' small for these clubs, but that didn't slow him down one bit!

It's amazing how fast this:

Turns to this:

Silly goof!

I love you too, sweet golfer boy!

Daddy Gives Rockin' Surcies

I've got some impossibly big shoes to fill when this whole bedrest stint ends...
Shopping with mama isn't nearly as cool as shopping with daddy!

When I give a prize or surcie, it's usually something like play-doh or a puzzle.
Those are good prizes, right?
Riiiight.....

Benson tagged along on the latest grocery run to pick out a surprise since he'd been "such a sweet boy."

Benjamin calls me from the toy aisle and says, "Your son is just as indecisive as you- he keeps walking up and down the toy aisles and going back and forth between picks."

My advice?
"I always pick three toys I like and let him choose between those."
They usually include some sort of craft or book or ball... {Real fun, mom.} 

Benjamin took the advice and I have no idea what the other two options were,
but they ended up coming home with this:

Unlike the Kumon books, which I find simply delightful and entertaining, and AGE APPROPRIATE,
this REAL cap gun was intended for 8 year olds and up.
So, exactly WHO was this surcie for again??

I guess daddy has been "such a sweet boy" himself, he deserves a little time to be a rowdy cowboy.
And his little boy follows his lead well...

This is Benson's rowdy cowboy face:
{ it's very similar to his "don't judge me" face }

I guess it's the smoke that makes it an 8+ toy...
Or I suppose it could be the small explosion of gunpowder...
Although, the ability to squeeze the trigger could be where the age gap lies for my little man...

Thanks goodness daddy is so strong!



I so  enjoy watching him enjoy his daddy's rockin' surcies :)

Love. My. Cowboys.

Always Wear Clean Underwear.

It's funny how you live and learn.

Last time I had a person in my tummy,  right as that person was starting to get big and poke out, I went into labor and subsequent bedrest with him.  The only time I ever got to get OUT of the bed and go somewhere was my weekly doctors visit.  I have virtually NO pictures of him in my belly (except the ones of me lying in my recliner at my baby shower the day before he was born and the one that we snapped right before we went to the doctor the day he was born which was, in retrospect, HIDEOUS, but hey, we captured the memory.  And they weren't letting me shower, remember?)

This time around, I have this theory.
Has your mama ever told you to always wear clean underwear ?
I'm pretty sure the idea behind it is that you never have any idea what's going to happen, so if some accident of some sort were to happen, your underwear would be clean.
Because who wants to be wearing dirty underwear if some accident were to happen? 
Do people really wear dirty underwear??

I don't know.
It's a mom saying.  Google it.

I spend six days a week in my PJ's and in the bed.  (Poor Benjamin)  If you've noticed a lack of "mama appearances" on the blog except for the weekly doctors visit, that explains it.
I prefer to stay BEHIND the camera on those days. 

I still only get out once a week, to go to the doctor, but it's amazing how great it feels to shower, get dressed and ready and to just feel like a NORMAL pregnant person instead of feeling like Humpty Dumpty, afraid to move the wrong way, for fear of going into labor! 

So this go 'round, I've been trying to take pics before my doctors appointments, because you never know when you're going to go in, get checked and then have the baby.  It can happen that fast!  (It did last time!)
And because belly pics aren't NEARLY as cute after the baby's OUT.
And there's only a small amount of time in your life where you CAN take belly pics.
I believe in capturing moments with my camera in case you couldn't tell.
 
I feel like you've gotta live each preggo day like it's your last one being pregnant!   And I love being pregnant.  It's such a gift that the Lord lets us be a part of this time.  He could have just made us hatch out of a cabbage patch or something, but instead he chose to bless us with being a part of growing His people.  I think we take it for granted.  It's such an incredible blessing that he designed it this way.  I'm really thankful for that.  Nothing compares to having a tiny person hiccup inside of you.  It's a gift from the Lord.  Thank you Lord!!!

Here we are about to hop in the car at 32 weeks and 5 days...

I love being a mama. I love squeezy face hugs like these. 

And I love spending my days with my family.

All THREE of my boys!!! 

The doctors report showed some slight changes.  We're 50% effaced and 1cm dilated.  I've been having some crazy contractions over the past three days,  (which I fully attribute to the super moon) so I was relieved that he didn't send us straight to the delivery room!
He upped the meds we've been taking and told us to continue to be horizontal.

And so we shall...

I'm on season five of LOST.  Wonder if I'll be able to get through the rest of this season and season six, the final season, before this little doodle takes away my TV time?

Benjamin said this past week that he thought we should send Netflix a large check with a note saying we felt like we were abusing the $7.99 unlimited instant watch feature over the past two months. 

I think they should make a commercial out of a bedrest mama watching unlimited Netflix to help her pass the time.
That'd be good advertising right there!
:)

There's a pirate in my bed!!

Remember how I said we've watched a lot of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" lately?
I think it might be starting a "kick."
When grandmama was here last week, they played pretend pirates the whole time.  She later got this pirate hat for the boy and he insists on wearing it while watching "Jake."  So he wears it a lot.

He's one of the GOOD kind of pirates. :)

I've never been a big fan of pirates, but I love this little pirate with all my heart!!

Sunshine

Last week, Grandmama and Grandaddy came for a visit!
It was such a beautiful day, I got to sit, propped up in my lounge chair and enjoy all the fun being had around me...

Benson got this little "PlasmaCar" for Christmas and it has been enjoyed by children of all ages :)

Have I mentioned my love for these two?
It is great.

They're pals :) 

I love all of the colors in this picture:
and the sweet people in it :)

Grandmama brought Benson his first "My Book of Coloring (Kumon Workbooks)"
Maybe, at some point, I'll do an extensive review of these books, but lets just say that since getting this one, I've ordered three more. They are so age appropriate and PERFECT for my little bedrest buddy. 
I can't even tell you how much we've enjoyed working through the pages together.

Well, maybe I just love the time we get to spend together, no matter WHAT we're doing :)