At the hospital...

Hanging Out

Check out those feet. I am proud to say he has gotten better about wearing shoes since this picture was taken. Even his crocs!!

So, I had Turner at 37 weeks, 1 day pregnant. Today I am 37 weeks, 2 days so I am more pregnant than I have ever been! When I went to the doctor last week, I was not quite 3 cm dilated, still 75 percent effaced. So, a little bit of progress. We go again tomorrow, so who knows what they will say??

I am not miserable/uncomfortable yet. In fact, every day I think it will be fine if it happens today, but then I end up being happy it didn't. I am trying to soak up these last minutes with Turner by himself. However, I think he knows something is up because I think he is trying to drive me crazy!

This weekend he managed to learn how to climb up on the couch. It was pretty funny to watch him try and try. He would get his upper body up, but couldn't swing his legs up. Then he mastered it. Now it is his favorite game. For three days straight!! Heath tried to explain that couches were for sitting, not playing. But somehow, that didn't get through to this little monkey!!

What is this face? Who knows?

He is also continuing his love affair with our house phone (that he is holding in this picture). He will stand below it in the kitchen pointing up at it saying "Uh, uuuhhh!" Funny, but disturbing how happy it makes him. Then he proceeds to walk around and jibber jabber like he is on the phone. Half the time the phone is on, so I am trying to make sure he is not calling another country. It would not surprise me. Sometimes I like to tease him and hold it in another room and check the caller ID. When he hears the noise, he loses his mind. And I laugh, until I realize he is really addicted!!

Another thing he has been doing is teething. I am hoping it is his molars, which he seems to be getting. He didn't get teeth until 12+ months (and then so tragically parts, but whatever), so we skipped the whole teething thing as a baby. Which was a blessing! But, randomly he is sometimes crying in the night now. It has happened 3 or 4 times. However, this is when I think he knows something is up. When we go to him, he is laughing and talking and wanting to hang out. Last night I had just gotten to sleep and he did this around midnight. I wanted to be stern, but I let him play for a little while in our room. I just keep thinking this is going to be the last time for a while!! He kept jumping in my face and laughing. I wish I didn't think he was so funny. And luckily he went back to sleep minutes later.

Finally, he has been in his big boy room for 2 weeks now. No problems (except what I assume to be teething stuff). He went one day cold turkey, and has been in there. I tried to get some pictures to show of his "big boy" room. Thank God for nesting and the motivation it brought, though those few weeks were stressful around here until we got it done!!

View as you walk in. Wish I had taken a before of the guest room - so many hours of work (mostly by Heath), and it is a whole different room! Ignore the curtains, my mom still has to sew the valance part on to the brown part. But whatever.

Pictures - all over the big boy room! And that is a t.v. that we never use, but might get around to with a newborn and this weasel to entertain. Who knows? And, I could have pushed the drawer in...

The left side of the room.

Our biggest accomplishment. I WISH I had taken a before picture, but it was too hard to even open up and get into this closet. It was our go-to, throw-anything-in place. Hours of emptying, organizing, reorganizing. Wow. We still have to use half of it for our stuff (jackets, my old school supplies, etc.).

Until next time, we are just hanging out. John Burke - literally! I will keep y'all posted...

Sprinkled (and a Summit foreigner)

On Sunday, these sweet friends gave John Burke (and me!) a "sprinkle." It was a blessing to have close friends and family come by and pray with me for this new baby and give him more than we deserve! I felt bad having another shower for another baby boy, but was convinced that every baby needs to be celebrated. Wow - he was celebrated more than I could have imagined. Everyone was so gracious!! I feel like he will have things of his own now. I have to admit, I haven't thought about him as much since Turner is so out in front and all over my radar every day!! So, it was nice to dedicate an afternoon to him:).

Thank you, thank you, thank you wonderful friends! What an honor!!

Every detail was thought out and perfect!!

Mom and Lindsey with me - feel free to come stand with me and look small!

Some Henderson representation

Check out the diapers and wipes he has gotten (and these aren't even all of them) - from Mother's Day Out students, parents, co-workers and from Sunday. What a blessing!! It was so amazing to receive all this help with Turner, and I am so thankful everyone was so generous again! I need to be a better friend when other people have babies!!

I tried to take a picture of just the closet, but someone saw a camera and got so excited. Since he was so dressed up, I let him. And the pajamas he is holding came from the laundry basket I filled and he quickly emptied this morning. What a helper:)

Meanwhile, I went to the doctor on Tuesday. He checked me. Yikes - you know what I am talking about if you have had a baby before! Anyway, afterwards, he said "You are a 2." I thought he meant the station of the baby, because I feel like he is high. (As you can see in these rare belly pics - I am not usually a belly poster! But, I love seeing others - just not my own on the internet (or anywhere!)). I asked him what he meant and he casually said "2 cm dilated." WHAT?! I never made it that far with Turner on my own!! Then he said I was about 70-75% effaced. I just started laughing and telling him to shut up. Glad he knows me! He just laughed and we both agreed it could mean anything. I am not panicked, because it could be another week or 2. But, I am definitely in bag-packing mode! The other night I packed one for me, the baby and for Turner. So many things to think about!!

This also meant Turner has officially moved to his big boy room (and bed, which is still in crib form since he is ONLY 16 months!!). I need to post better pictures on here, but there are still a few last minute things I want to do to it, so I will save that for later! But, he has now slept 2 nights in his big boy room with no problems! I love that about him - he is pretty versatile. I pray that continues!! Here he is the first morning he woke up in there!

Just for posterity sake, I have a pretty unrelated Turner story. On Monday, we were running errands. We went to the Summit. I decided to let him walk with me (ha! or near me) in Belk, because I was just making a quick return. I left the stroller in the car. He ran through the parking lot and into the doors, after several times of me redirecting. But, when he walked in it was the funniest thing. It was as if he hadn't been in there hundreds of times before. I guess it was a whole new ball game without being in the stroller. He reminded me of a foreigner coming to America. He stared and smiled and squealed at the lights, the mannequins (which he kept walking up to and saying "Hey!"), the jewelry counters, and of course people shopping. The sales associates - luckily - thought it was cute. Because he is LOUD! But, his favorite part was the escalator.

I had to put him on and hold him, but his mind was blown that we were traveling upward and standing still! I wish you could have seen his face!! Of course, in true Turner fashion, the stillness and awe was short-lived. He immediately started running on the second floor. He hopped on the down escalator faster than I could catch him. He was down about three steps and I was running, trying to tread water and run the other way upwards with my little escapee. Finally I grabbed his whole body with one arm. He was dangling and we lunged back up the stairs. Looking back, I guess we could have just gone back down and back up, but I thought he would never stop if he rode it that many times! I wish you could see the looks I get on a daily basis, with this rascal all over the place and this other rascal exploding from my stomach. I have a feeling I know what the people are thinking as they stare! Oh, well. Pray for us as I add more craziness to this mix! Seriously.

Hanging out Sunday - the best cousin pic we could get.

Happy Easter!

This guy loves the bunny. Couldn't get enough. But on Easter Sunday the bunny is so not meaningful...We have such a Mighty Savior! Praise the Lord, He is Risen!! What a miracle!

Luke 24:5 - 8 - "In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." Then they remembered his words."

Nesting

Oh, wow. We have been busy around our house. I am leaving the nursery almost exactly the same for the new baby (because I really love it! Why mess up a good thing??). So, we have been trying to transition the guest room to Turner's room. Bigger task than I thought.

Turns out the guest room has been great! It was a good place to keep clean most of the time and had drawers and a big closet to throw anything we needed into over the last 5-6 years. Great until nesting kicks in and we have had to clean it all out!! This was one fun project I finished this weekend:

Last weekend and this weekend, we transferred clothes into 8 bins (and counting) to take to the attic. You see, none of these were Heath's. A few were Turner's, and I have such a wonderful array of clothes - ha!

**Sidenote - this sounds extravagant. I wish. I just haven't purged clothes. Ever.**

Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter (that I have had the luxury of rotating out in the guest room. Gone now), then my favorites - maternity spring/summer, maternity fall/winter.

The result of being pregnant for 2 years! Basically it was a sad realization that 1. I was holding on to clothes for sentimental value. Really - if I can remember wearing it to Rush my freshman year or a band party for that matter, LET IT GO! 2. I felt even older when I remembered wearing it to teach a few years ago, and "a few" was really 5-6 years! Yikes. 2. I had to make a realistic pile of things that were a few years old, and let's just say my "woman body" wasn't ever going to be able to handle again. Ugghh. Still hurts. 3. I didn't realize how much I have loved Ann Taylor Loft over the last few years. Wish they had a trade-in program, old for new. I would be getting some really cute things. Well, in a few months when I can actually buy clothes again!

Last weekend we also took 4 bags to Goodwill and Heath reshelved the closet and disassembled our guest room bed. We took it and some (many) other things to storage. It was cool that our mattress and box spring wouldn't even fit in my dad's van, so we strapped it to the top of the Jeep. And I forgot to take a picture!! Then we got to drive really slow down the mountain to the storage unit. The same old people that I am usually yelling at for going so slow on a normal, daily basis were probably yelling at us!

Why were we able to get so much done last weekend? Because this weasel was with his Aunt Kelly and Uncle Jonathan in Auburn. Praise the Lord for them!! He had a ball, and they seemed to enjoy him! I told them that it is such a blessing that they would keep him for us, but also enjoy doing it!! I did miss him, but we were only apart 48 hours. My cousin got married, so we had the rehearsal dinner and wedding, so we didn't get a ton of time to enjoy being childless (and I feel this other child with me all the time:)), but it was very nice.

Don't worry, though. We haven't been working too hard! We enjoyed our Sunday School class Easter Egg Hunt at the park. It was hilarious to watch Turner. His favorite part of the hunt was when we had first "hidden" the eggs (thrown them on the ground). Then it was easy for him to pick them up and hold on to them. We put them back to really start, and the big kids definitely dominated!

They were nice, but he would be walking for an egg, and they would swoop in and take it. It really didn't bother him, though, because he didn't know what he was doing anyway. Don't worry - he wandered up the grass to another family, not with us, and took their enormous pink egg. Stole it! The sweet dad said they had just found it at the park and he could keep it, and Turner was off. Luckily, we returned it later - we don't just steal things!! Thief!

Finally, a Gordon update. Heath says on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, "I hate this dog." That can't be good for Gordon's self esteem! I laugh out loud sometimes when I hear him mumbling "I hate you - you stink!" (He literally stinks). Because that is out of character for Heath. But, I joined him briefly in this sentiment last Thursday.

My friend was having a party, so I had showered and put makeup on (doesn't happen every day). Turner had also bathed and dressed, and I was getting ready to put him in the car. Gordon was in the kitchen, on one side of the doggy gate. Turner was in the den, on the other side of the gate. I was throwing everything in the car for the next 5 or so hours because we were running errands before. So, I opened the garage door.

Well, the pug escaped. I ran after him (Turner still contained in the den). "Gordon. Gordon!!" Nothing. Kept going to the bathroom and scoffing at me. "Come back! NOW!" Like that works. Or ever has. He is a lot of things, but not obedient! He runs a few houses down. I follow - but I can still hear my son of many words saying "Dawh? Dawh??" from the kitchen. I figure he is okay.

Then I full out run after him down the street, sweating. "Gordon. Now. I don't have time!!" He looks back and sprints up the hill to the next street. At this point, I can't see our house anymore. I am going back and forth in my mind - stupid dog, unattended child. What to do? I keep running up the hill, because if I don't get him now, I KNOW Heath will see this as a sign from God and he will be gone forever.

I am sprinting (or trying as much as a 33 week pregnant person can) up the hill. I pray that God will send another human for Gordon to see. I can trap him if he sees 2 humans. Even if it is Turner and me. He is dumb like that - but runs free until that second person comes.

Well, a lady is walking her beagle down the hill. Yay!! Well, until she turns and RUNS the other way back up the hill. What?? Gordon is running after them, and gracefully I am running behind. Why did I try to shower??? What was the point? Anyway, I get a few feet from the lady. She is on her phone, and I am still yelling, pleading with Gordon. She looks up and says "Will he hurt?" Have you seen him? Will he hurt? Really??

Picture of the ferocious beast from this morning - not necessarily a looker, but not dangerous!

"No, ma'am. He is harmless, just dumb!" She goes back to her phone conversation as I am trying to contain him. I finally look at her and ask for help and she says "I didn't realize he wasn't on a leash."No words. Why would I be in normal/trying to be dressed up a little clothes chasing this monster up a hill. For fun? "I am not walking him, ma'am. He just escaped from the kitchen. I wouldn't bother you to help me except I have a 1-year old in the house unattended, so I am a little panicked." Blank stare. I try again. "Can you just stand here and I will let him think you are cornering him." She says, "What is his key word?" WHAT?? I tell her, he doesn't have a key word or trigger to behave. He is just BAD!! So she offers him a treat. I take the treat and chase him in a driveway. Finally, he is cornered on someone's front porch. I scoop him up, and he goes for the treat, as if to be rewarded for his behavior. Whatever. I take it back to my helpful?? neighbor. Then, I trek through 2 backyards, sweating to the house. I throw him in the kitchen, where Turner is still standing saying "Uh oh. Dawh! Uh oh." The boy makes me smile, the pug might just be up for grabs!!

Snaggle

What's up? Just been driving around, looking like a man in my big boy clothes!

Last night Turner was running around in the bathroom and busted on the tile floor. Smack. I was calling my sister and hung up abruptly, and she definitely heard the blood curdling, hysterical screams!

When we scooped him up, there was so much blood! Heath saw it - he was in there with him and I was in the bedroom. He would not calm down, and I finally just had to start pouring water basically on his whole face to get the blood away. Then, when we brought the Motrin over, he started to calm down at the sight of it. Is that weird? The sight of Motrin calms him. He couldn't wait to take it! Then he started breathing enough to take his beloved medicine, and then sucked on a piece of ice. I thought his teeth were gone, but I still saw them. We found a piece of Oreo pie in the freezer and he ate the whole thing. That's when I knew there wasn't permanent damage.

Pie face - talking on the "phone"

Then today I was bathing Prince Charming (who by the way jumped back in the empty-of-water bathtub TWICE after I took him out!), and felt sick to my stomach. His tooth was chipped! Really both teeth! :( This is the best picture I could get.

I called Heath, then called him back to tell him it was both teeth. Then I called the dentist's office. They told me they probably couldn't do anything, but I explained that he looked like a redneck and I just needed them to check it out for me. They laughed (I was truly freaking out), and said he could come in this afternoon. Here he is at his first visit at the dentist with Dr. Chuck and Dr. J.R. Dr. Chuck has known our family since my mom was in college, and he has always been my dentist. In fact, I broke my front tooth in high school (too bad there is no picture of that), and he fixed it for me. I was much more hysterical then. What can I say? I am a tooth person.

Dr. Chuck, Daddy, Turner and Dr. J.R.

Dr. J.R. was at Auburn with us, and he was actually Heath's camper at Camp War Eagle. Both dentists were very sweet, and very patient with me. They told me that the biggest problem was momma (me) worrying about how he would look in pictures, etc. and Chuck said if he tried to saw it down, it would be extremely traumatizing. He doesn't think it will turn gray, because he doesn't think it hit the nerve. But, he said his tooth will grow with him and that he will wear it down over time. He opted not to gas him and pull out a drill. Instead, they were very nice to Turner, gave him toys and a toothbrush and overall tried to pump him up about the dentist in general. It was very nice. Even if I was tearing up as he said "He will lose them by the time he's about 6." I said "In 5 YEARS!!" Remember, he has only had teeth since 13 months. 2 months, people!! Luckily, Chuck knows me and hugged me and I got some perspective. I have a happy, crazy, healthy little boy - he just might look a little red! :)

Playing ball with MeMe

Otherwise, we have been trying out playing outside more with the hint of some springtime weather. We went to visit the Henderson family in Atlanta this weekend, and MeMe and Pap played with him outside for hours at a time. He ran and ran (and fell and fell). His feet were so dirty, but he had a ball. Especially when Sophie the "daw" played with him. He loves her, and she is a much sweeter dog than a certain pug I know.

We even got some practice with a new(er) baby with cousin Ellie. Turner doesn't really know about the baby coming soon - I guess since I have been in denial, I pass that along to him. Speaking of the new baby, here are some pictures of his 4-D ultrasound. Side note - we are not being super secretive with his name (that makes me crazy when people do that). We are almost 100% sure it is going to be John Burke Henderson - Burke was Heath's great-grandmother (Little Mama)'s maiden name. It will be a double name. I knew a Burke once, and he was very nice but very burly and I am having a mental block holding something my newborn with that mental picture. Weird, I know. I said this with Turner, naming a human is hard.

Mouth open!

This guy loves his hands by his mouth.

Nuzzling the uterine wall. Gross. This one reminds me of this picture of Turner at about 3 weeks (before he looked like himself).

Maybe it is just me.

The 4-D is cool, but creepy. Heath's comment was "We just wasted time and money to look at pictures of Turner." Kind of right, but it was a good peace of mind to see the new little turkey. We had to go twice - the first time he kept burying his head. The second time Turner went with us, and the nurse thought the baby and Turner looked alike. I kept talking to the screen (because that is where the baby was), and saying things like "Come on, monkey, turn your head." It made me think Turner is going to have a hard time when I am talking like a mom to someone besides him. Oh, bless him. Gotta go - currently he is trying to drink a Dr. Pepper can from out of the trash can and setting off my panic button on my keychain. Awesome.

Here's hoping Brother's tooth doesn't turn gray...

A wedding and some tricks

On February 11th, Uncle Derek and Aunt Stacy got married. They had a small wedding at our church. Reverend Hay officiated (this sounds like a wedding announcement in the paper) - that was very sweet because he has been our pastor our whole lives. He baptized all 3 Starr children, and he married Heath and me as well. Last March, he baptized Turner. He also led my dad to the Lord when he and Mom were first married. So, it was very special!

After the wedding, we all went to The Club for a dinner. It was very nice! I did not know they had totally redone a lot of The Club, especially the State Rooms. They look like a whole new place. The view is still amazing!

The kids at the wedding

The honeymooners didn't get off to the Keys as planned. With the snowstorm of 2 weeks ago, their first flight was delayed. They were told they couldn't fly out until the next day. So, they played in the snow, shopped and enjoyed Ruth's Chris at their hotel. The next morning their flight was cancelled again! So, my dad drove them to Atlanta at 6 that morning. Two or so cancelled/standby flights later they finally took off. I love the aquarium in Atlanta, but I was glad that didn't have to be their honeymoon! Anyway, we love them and are excited to add Stacy to our family. Stacy Starr - I have to get used to saying that...and seeing Derek with a wedding ring!

Now, to the master of trickery! Look at this little black-eyed face.

He dove into a toy. This happens 47 times a day. Seriously. Lately, he has been giving this pregnant mama a run for my money. I love his personality and he really is a blessing and makes me laugh out loud, but I just wish I had more energy.

For example, the other day we were heading to the hospital to see this baby.

Sweet baby Averitt

I was picking up some nursing gear for his mom at A Pea in the Pod. I thought we were the only people in the store, so I let the weasel down to roam around. Well, next thing I know I hear a blood curdling scream. I look up, start running and dive to the floor, loving the fact that these maternity pants I am sure are falling down in front of the sales lady. I had to dive to the floor to pull Turner's legs out from under someone's dressing room, where he was hanging out and laughing. The poor lady (who I thought was a smidge dramatic - I mean, you are pregnant! Better get used to babies!!) did not come out of her dressing room until we were out of the store. How embarrassing! Turner didn't seem to mind.

This was the scene I found this morning. This happens all day, every day. I have stopped putting things back in drawers, and I have learned to stop putting books back on the shelf until he is sleeping. He will just pull them back down, which especially burns up his OCD father. I keep finding things all around the house - this week it was a lost Motrin bottle in the bottom of the laundry basket, a spoon and a Sharpie pen in the dog food bag, 3 of Heath's hats in the toilet, and as I am typing this I am looking at Precious eating the charger for the computer. It is plugged in the wall - help me, Lord!

One other trick he has mastered is walking out of his classroom at Mother's Day Out. I didn't believe his teachers when they told me he could do this. But, when he hears my voice in the hallway, he waddles over to the door, turns it and pulls. He even waves and says "Dye" as he exits- I am so sure!

Oh yeah, and he loves to pick up my phone (or the house phone or anything that resembles a phone), put it to his ear and say "Hey" or "Lo?"(hello). Hmm, guess we are on the phone too much!

Family pic out to eat the other night for my dad's birthday...this guy below sat at the table and made a barking noise when they were singing the Japanese birthday song to Dad. RTR!