Reid's Baby Shower

Yesterday I was surrounded by my friends and family as we celebrated the coming arrival of Reid. My mother and best friend Stacey threw me a wonderful shower luncheon at Claim Jumper. I feel so blessed that so many of my friends and family attended. They are each so awesome! They also spoiled us so very much. Everyone was overly generous and Reid without a doubt has everything he will need when he makes his arrival in a few short weeks. He got many handmade treasures and Ethan even received a Disney Uno game that he loved when I got home. We had to play it three times! Thanks~ Mary, Julie, and Nancy for that. Thank you everyone for making the day so special, and thank you Stacey and Mom for being the best! Love you all!

Customized Reid Piggy Bank from Aunt Louise

A beautiful Afghan made with love from Jaclyn

Diaper Bag from Naomi

A blanket like Ethan's from Krista

Some family

Family and Friends

Some Friends

Stacey & Me

My Mom & Me

36 weeks!

On Friday I became 36 weeks! I feel and look bigger than I ever thought I would look and I still have about 3 weeks left!At my 34 week appointment/ultrasound we found out that Reid did the unthinkable. He flipped and turned head down like his is supposed too. I was very excited about this news! He was also estimated as weighing 5.3 pounds at my 34 week appointment. I have one more week of work left. It is going to be a very busy and hectic week as I try to complete the finishing touches on planning, copying, and just being gone for over 12 weeks. I will be induced at 39 weeks if I make it that long. I only made it to 38 weeks with Ethan, so we will see. I feel a lot more pressure and contractions that I did with Ethan, so I do not know if that means if he is coming sooner or what? What I do know is that he will be here by his due date and my birthday, the 21st of February, which will be a wonderful birthday present.

One of my favorite women...My Grandma!

My life has been filled with fortunate people and one of them was my wonderful grandmother I was luck to have in my life for almost 30 years. There are so many great memories I have growing with her, from having a good old family bbq in the backyard with my grandfathers freshly caught fish to play cards and watching movies on the couch late into the evening. One of my best memories was one of my first full summers away from home when I got the opportunity to live with my grandparents....almost 15 years ago. My grandmother always had a sack lunch ready for me, my grandfather said it was the best summer of lunches he'd had in years. I remember coming home at night eating a meal with her and grandfather and then watching a movie late in the evening with the two of them.

I don't know if my grandma will ever know how many happy memories she created for me; however I do know that I will always be proud to have had her as part of my life. No matter how bad things got she was always smiling and ready to share a hug with me.

Grandma, you were one of the people who along with grandpa helped mold me into the man I became, and for that I will be forever grateful.....Thank you. I love you and will always remember you grandma........love you always.

JON

Reid is Transverse!

Does this look right to you? Well, I just got back from my 33 week appointment and was told that this is how Reid is laying and that he should be head down by now. Which explains why I have been so much more uncomfortable this pregnancy and can feel his every move. I get to go in every week from now on to check to see if he has changed positions. My doctor says he will move in one sentence, and in the next sentence says that at this stage most babies are too big to make the move and may be stuck. Great! I also get to have at least one more ultrasound to see why he is transverse, but have to go to a specialist now for this instead of my favorite ultrasound place. If in a few weeks he does not move, I will have to have a c-section around 38 weeks or sooner, which would make Reid's arrival around the first week of February. I am nervous about the possibility of a c-section, but I'm just as nervous about going into labor being transverse. It can be life-threatening to the baby and myself. If the umbilical cord comes out first, which is what can happen, it can lead to brain damage or death for Reid. I'm very nervous. So I do hope that he decides to change positions, otherwise I will hopefully make it to my scheduled c-section and not go into labor on my own.

Disneyland by Day Benihana's by Night

Yesterday we met up with Stacey, Briz, Taylor, and Brennan and spent the afternoon at Disneyland. It was a lot colder in Anaheim than in Corona, so we were not quite prepared for the cold weather. We did not get on many rides, but the kids had a wonderful time and that is all that matters. When we were in line for Small World, we were very lucky to have a front row view of the Christmas parade. Now I'm not one for parades, but when they just happen to be there, it worked out perfectly and Ethan enjoyed it.

Ethan & Daddy seeing Bolt!

On Small World! A lovely reminder of how large I really am at 33 weeks.

After Disneyland and California Adventure, we went to Benihana's. I thought it would be fun for the kids to see a show while waiting for dinner. They loved it! Ethan loved watching the guy cook his food and watching the "smoke". Taylor and Ethan even attempted chopsticks. Ethan I knew loved this place because he ate the most I have ever seen him eat. He ate 4 tomatoes from everyone's salad, some lettuce, some onion mushroom soup, shrimp, white rice, chicken, steak, and rainbow sherbet for dessert.

Yummy food!

Steak!

It was a very enjoyable day. Thanks Garcias' for inviting us and reminding us that our passes were not blocked anymore!