the smell of a new baby...bliss.
this weekend was interesting. we decided last minute to go to baton rouge to visit family and try to buy a much needed suit for wesley (he's ushering in a wedding this weekend) and a dress for me for the aforementioned wedding. on the way down, we had a wreck that could have totaled our car. we won't know until tomorrow morning. the car ahead of us hit their brakes really fast, and in order to not run into the back of them (and probably killing them &/or us) we swerved to miss them, but the highway was wet, so we skidded off the road and off the shoulder. thankfully, no one was injured. the car wasn't squished or anything. the seating part wasn't affected, just the front of the car. oh, and we took out some sign with our side-view mirror...yes, the mirror we JUST got fixed. blech. so, the people are evaluating it now, and i am praying.
so, after all of that mess, we went to my sister's house and spent the night, which considering the circumstances, was really restful. the next morning we slept in and then went to get wesley's hair cut at the new aveda. it was incredible. we've been to aveda before, but this time it was an experience. the guy who cut his hair was also in massage therapy school, so he ended up giving wesley a neck and shoulder massage complimentary (which was exactly what he needed with a touch of whiplash from the night before), and i got a complimentary facial while i waited (which is always exactly what any girl needs). oh, we also got a goodie bag filled with a certificate for a free hair therapy thing (some sort of moisturizing treatment) and miniature sized aveda products! hooray! then, after that wonderful time, we went to tsunami, one of our all-time favorite (wes's all time favorite) places to eat. after lunch, we went by the dg house so i could feed the baby for a bit, and then back out again shopping. we got wesley's suit for $115, and my dress for $75, originally $180. so, i would call it a successful shopping day, though i can't exactly call the entire trip successful....i don't guess. i don't know. i haven't figured out (nor will i ever) this whole God-is-sovereign thing in respect to practical life. but, i can't argue with scripture, and i know that God works all things for the good for those who are called according to His purpose. i guess we'll just have to wait and see how that looks.

so, for an update

well, baby kuyper has been with us a week now. he is so darling. really. some babies are kinda ugly when they first come out, but he was always cute. he kinda looked like a monkey at first, and still does on occasion, but a cute one. he makes the cutest faces. he is soooo tiny! i forgot how tiny newborns are! mostly, he just eats and sleeps, with some pooping mixed in. however, the past couple of nights have been hard, especially last night, as he did not want to sleep - only eat. and last time with knox i could just sleep when he decided to sleep, but things are a lot different the second go-round. we are still adjusting to life with 2 children. i am learning that knox's schedule wasn't just for knox's sake, but for my own, as well. so, i am having to re-learn how to live without a schedule, or at least figure out this new schedule. i really have not figured out in the least how this is going to work. but, i assume it will. i see millions of people who have more than one child, and somehow they do it, so somehow i will, too. i think last night kuyper mainly had his day & night a bit confused, b/c he slept all day yesterday while he was being passed around at thanksgiving lunch. so, to compensate, today i will be making sure that kuyper stays awake for extended periods of time during the day so that he'll be sleepy tonight. he's asleep now, and should be waking up soon for a feeding. knox is still down for his morning nap, thus i have 2 seconds to type this update. please pray for us all. i hope you all are well, too.

big day

i am hours away from my 2nd delivery.  i'm sleepy, but have a feeling i won't be able to sleep much tonight.  we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, so i guess i had better try to go to bed.  

tonight i have been re-inspired to cook.  and i'm soooo glad that i am, because (besides needing the food in a few days) it smells incredible in the house.  last night we cooked a pork tenderloin in breadcrumbs and rosemary that we didn't get around to eating, so we're eating it tonight.  baking in the oven right now is a whole chicken.  how good is baked chicken!  i'm tempted to eat it instead of the pork, but i know we won't get around to eating the pork if i don't do it now.  so, we're having that, potatoes au gratin, spinach salad, and probably an early round of cranberry sauce! :) mmm.  i believe i'll be freezing the chicken, well, all but the wings.  i think i'm gonna cut them off and make some stock out of it for quick and easy soup and/or gravy.  

today i woke up to the little man singing and talking to his stuffed animals in his room. after getting him dressed, wesley took him to ms. ladonna's so that i wouldn't have to get out. while he was gone i finished the laundry and found the long-lost gift cards i needed to finalize the baby shopping (thank you Lord). wesley suprized me with drive-thru breakfast (mmm), and i ate it while shopping around online for last minute baby items. i thought i would just spend a couple of minutes online, but i also found some friends online on facebook, so we chatted for a while. once i left facebook i watched some tv online while i scrapbooked. kinda trying to get some last minute scrapbooking done, too, before there's a whole new set of pictures to scrap. after lunch, i had time for a much-needed grocery trip with robin, and then back for a nap. usually i just put knox down, but today i needed it, too, so i took it. he's still in his room being quiet, so i have just a few minutes left before the dinner rush. pop pop is coming over tonight to watch the little guy so wesley and i can go to the movies one last time before we have an official family of four.
tomorrow i plan on getting some picture cds out to people and cooking food for the freezer. i am trying to stock pile a little bit of frozen food so that i won't have to cook so much once the baby arrives...thursday! that's so crazy. it doesn't seem like it should be here already. 3 more days!

happy day

oh for every morning to be as relaxing as this morning, and it's not quite 10 yet.  

this week

well, this week i've tried to do some finalization things for work for a little while, since i won't be "officially" at the office anymore for a while, though i do have my trust laptop that links up to the work computer and plenty of things to do for a little while. this week i have scheduled to get lots of last minute things accomplished here around the house before thursday's new arrival! in the midst of all these tasks, i am going to try to rest. hopefully i'll be able to manage both. i believe this is my last week to have Ms. Ladonna as Knox's babysitter, too, so this will present a change in schedule, as well. i think my mom is going to take knox for a few days after the baby is born to help give me a chance to "rest." :0) i don't know how much real rest i'll be able to get in, hopefully this new child will sleep a lot (at least at first). knox had a touch of gas for a little while, but it didn't really start at first. not until he was about a month or so old, i think. it's hard to remember.
so, this week i have a trip to the grocery store planned with the one and only, and newly married, robina; cook several dishes and freeze them for easy meals after thursday; putting away the last of the laundry (now that i have enough hangers); ordering/purchasing a couple of new warm onesie-type sleepers for the baby (all the little-bity sized onesies we have are not quite warm enough); maybe order a couple of extra lollies (blankies); order the bedding (yes, i'm last minute on that) and possibly a moses basket (anyone ever try that? i haven't. i'd love feedback if you have any); and finally, for the huge task that i think may be wishful thinking (and solely depends on my husband & father's schedules, as they will be doing all of the work, and i just point and talk)....rearrange knox/kuyper's bedroom and wesley & my bedroom! ha! i'm hoping for it, but i know deep down it's not utterly essential that it get done this week, since the baby will be in the same room with me & wesley for a little while.
anyway, i will be taking a couple of weeks off from photography and my desk job, though i plan on resuming photography very soon after kuyper's birth, if anyone needs/wants a photo session. please spread the word. :)

Oh man, i have been so tired this week. i guess its about time, seeing as how the baby could come anyday now. all i have wanted to do is lay around and watch the shield. and eat every-so-often is an understood.
wesley is at a meeting tonight with the session regarding his soon-to-be position at the church leading music. i hope it goes well. i think he was a bit nervous about it. it'll be nice to have somet hings nailed down.
i think i'm in nesting mode. i have felt particularly finicky about things being in a certain order. though, this morning i slept in until the last possible moment, so i didn't make the bed. i am still going to work, but i don't think i have to. i think i will make this my last week to go into work. i am working from home in the afternoons.

rush rush rush

wesley is home again after being on the road today.  i tried talking with him when he got in, but the smoke scent stench from the bar was too strong, and was irritating my allergies and hurting my head.  so, i sent him off to shower it off before i could really talk to him.  this weekend has been very busy, but very enjoyable so far.  we have been practicing most nights this week to play at robin & cole's wedding reception.  this morning i got knox up early to go eat breakfast with pop-pop and after a biscuit and a few rounds on the jungle-gym, we headed back to dad's house.  soon after, i met a sweet couple for an engagement photo shoot around town.  then it was time to get knox down for a quick nap before the wedding.  while he napped,  i visited with some friends in town for the wedding.  wesley had been out all morning setting up sound equipment all over town.  next was the wedding, then the reception, then wesley left immediately for a gig (the smokey bar i referenced earlier) a couple hours away.  i'm really glad he was free to sing tonight.  i think he enjoyed it from the couple of minutes of conversation we had when he came in.  tomorrow will probably be busy, as well, though much more relaxingly so.  i believe we are planning on going to shreveport to visit his grandmother possibly one last time.  so, it'll be a full day of traveling, but not rushed or on a time-table.  

i guess you sing what you love

knox is supposed to be napping, but instead he is singing at the top of his lungs. his song goes a little something like this:
water tower! water toooooower! waaaaater toooooooooooower! ms. ladoooooona! water tooooower! little water tooooower!
my little songwriter.

busy days

its been very busy around here the past couple of weeks. last week wesley's work schedule was pretty insane, then it was combined with several practices for the 2 gigs we have this weekend, and preparations for the halloween gathering and the birthday party of our 2 year old. so, it's been nice to have the day off of work today. well, not technically, but i am working from home, so it's still nice. i made biscuits for breakfast and watched knox play excitedly on his new "4 wheeler" from his Papaw and Mamaw. i have to admit, its pretty much one of the cutest things that you ever did see when he rides it in his wranglers and john deere boots.
wesley and i have gotten into yet another tv series, since we finished Alias. The Shield. its really good, but i'll warn you if you don't know anything about it, it gets pretty graphic at times. we have to make sure knox is safely deep asleep before we watch it.
tonight for dinner i'm going to make loaded baked potato soup and cobb salads. i have to grocery shop today because our cabinets are looking a little scarce. but it should be a good break after knox's nap to get us out of the house. it's my week to cook for wednesday night supper at church, and some of the ladies have very graciously offered to help me cook (being that i'm about 9 months pregnant, though i feel normal) :) so, i'm also planning on making Jennifer's Squash Dressing and green bean casserole today in preparation for tomorrow night. :) yummy!