The Middle Name Discussion

When I was pregnant with Brooks, Bryant and I had decided on his full name about midway through my pregnancy.  We just kept it a secret until the end.

This time around, we were given Caleb's name really early, but can't agree for the life of us on a middle name.  Yesterday we spent a lot of time and energy making a list, crossing names off, researching name meanings and...came up with another long list of possibilities.

We like the way a longer name sounds between Caleb and Ragan, such as Caleb Alexander Ragan vs. Caleb Gunnar Ragan (although I love Gunnar and it's Scandinavian origin!).

Picking a name is probably the most intimidating decision for me when it comes to having a baby.  Seems silly, I know, but a person is stuck with their name forever, unless they become stupidly famous like Madonna or Shakira.  But, I have a feeling Caleb and Brooks will be known for bigger things than dancing 3/4 naked on a stage... Things that require a full name, such as their talents on the baseball diamond or pulpit (he he he!  A mom can dream!)

If you have any good suggestions, please feel free to let me know!

XOXO,

Becs & the boys

The Start of Week 39...

Today marks the last official week before my due date.  I am still venturing out in public and I actually feel really great (thank you, Lord!).  Yesterday Bryant and I went to morning and evening church at Crossroads and I did feel the sympathetic stares and looks of "oh my goodness she must be ready to burst any day!" as I tried consciously not to waddle through the aisles.  It is so funny to make a mental log of the things people say and ask.  It is as if their internal mufflers shut down when they see an extremely pregnant woman.  Anything that comes out of their mouth is fair game.  Lucky me.

I also had several people ask if I am "ready" to have this baby.  Let's be realistic about this question.  Can you ever be "ready" for an event like labor not to mention bringing another baby home...the sleepless nights, diaper blow outs, burping, umbilical cord care...etc?  Actually, though, I think I am.  At least I am more ready than I was with Brooks when I had no idea what we truly had ahead of us.

A lot of people told me the first time around that labor is like a marathon, you know it will end, but it is hardest thing you can do.  Ummmmmmmm, I have run a marathon and it lasted right around four hours, it was gorgeous and I had a team of over 50 people from Aspen cheering me on to the finish who I had trained with all summer, not to mention my future fiance ran the entire race by my side (yes, he is incredible!).  My labor with Brooks was 12+ hours start to finish, much more painful than a marathon and I didn't know most of the people in the delivery room (nurses and staff) who were cheering me to the finish...although my team of Bryant, Amy Jo and my mom did a great job!  But, humor set aside, labor and delivery with the right attitude is a pretty amazing adventure.
 
Physically I am doing the regular, "get yourself ready for labor," things recommended in most doula/midwife circles.  I am going to get a massage and chiropractor adjustment this week (I might save this one for next week), we have another check up with the midwife on Wednesday and I am sitting on a fit ball several times a day.  I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea for a couple weeks now and occasionally I have a glass of pineapple juice or order a juicy burger in hopes that something might just start something.  But, the difference between this pregnancy and my last is there is zero desperation or expectation for what these "methods" might do.  I am doing it all in an effort to prepare my body for labor, not put myself into it.  There will be nothing drastic, like castor oil this time around.  I am much more conscious of God's divine timing than my discomfort level.

Aside from the usual tasks recommended to physically and mentally prepare us for labor, we have made a conscious effort to prepare ourselves spiritually not only for L&D but Caleb's introduction into our family.  Bryant and I have listened to "Supernatural Childbirth," an incredible book about living free from the curse and praying consciously for a God centered childbirth where no fear or pain can be present (yes, I said and mean no pain), praying specifically for the things you want to happen in the time frame they should happen (no three hours of pushing this time around please!).  If you ask my close friends, they will tell you I am a big fan of praying for specific things with supernatural expectation, and I have them all laid out for Caleb's delivery.  Bryant and I have big expectations, from the staff we want at the hospital, to the room we hope to get, to the pain level, to the timing.  It has been incredible to kneel by his side in agreement and ask the Lord to bless this experience.

We have also been praying for Caleb as a new member of our family.  For his health and development, his sleep patterns, his role as Brooks' little brother, specifically their relationship as brothers, and so many other things.  God is so good and He desires nothing more than for us to surrender these desires/requests to Him...

Thanks for wading through this post.  During this pregnancy I have really enjoyed going back and reading my thoughts on my pregnancy/delivery with Brooks, so I am trying to chronicle some of the little details this time around so we can share them with the boys when they get older...and so I can re read it all when I am (gulp) pregnant again!

Thank you, dear friends, for joining us in prayer and agreement that we will have a perfectly formed baby boy through supernatural childbirth in God's perfect timing...

Until I have something to report about my "progress"...

XOXO,

Becs & the boys

Happy Camper

Today Brooks made up for his 30 minute nap yesterday and slept a whopping 3.5 hours!  When he got out of bed he would not leave his doggy in the crib, so "Frank" came down for snack time.  On a side note, while I was in the shower this morning, I heard Brooks give a wail of a yell in the hallway.  I quickly ran out to find him sadly holding his head.  I think he fell off of the chair and hit his head on our door trim... There is a big vertical red line from his forehead to the middle of his cheek on the right side of his face.  Oh, boys.  And I am going to have two of them.

Toddler Gym Week 2

Today was our second adventure to the Aspen Gymnastics Toddler Gym. It was a blast! Brooks ran around like he owned the place and made some friends along the way. I am loving this program and shoo, does it ware the little guy out! We might have to start going on Tuesday mornings, too!

Week 38 Baby "Not" News

It is me again, updating you, my dear family and friends who are anxious to hear about the arrival of Caleb, to tell you that he is safe and clearly comfortable in the womb and doesn't want to be exposed too early to the freezing Aspen air.

We had another great yet uneventful appointment with our midwife...so uneventful she gave us the green light to go to Denver Friday night (a four hour drive over two 10,000ft+ passes) for a pending business meeting Bryant is trying to schedule.  She did feel around my blossoming belly to see if she could guess on his weight and at 38+ weeks she thinks he is about 6lbs and if he is born on/around his due date, he won't be the 8lb 6oz his beasty brother was at birth.  (thank you, Lord!)

I am still ok with the non news, although, sometimes when my hips feel like they are 95 years old and my back aches as I lay in bed with insomnia, I get a little twinge of hope that something will happen and he will at least figure out which way is "out" so he can start heading (pun heavily intended) in that direction. (to be clear, he is head down, but he needs to move down).

Today is toddler gym class for Brookser and I, and I will be bouncing on the trampolines with him... Maybe gravity will be my friend! :)

Until then though, we are soaking up every cuddle and tickle bug fight we can with our Brooks because we know that although they will still be regular occurances, his life is going to change pretty drastically, pretty soon.

Thanks for your prayers and support... I really am doing my best to keep my head and smile up and it hasn't been too hard to do so thus far!  At the most, I will only be pregnant 23 more days and that is if I go until February 19th...12 days past my due date... no, thank you. :)  This time, I am bound and determined not to do any of the drastic at home induction methods, but let things happen on their own, in God's timing...which is always perfect.

XOXO,

Becs & the boys

Showered...

My sister in law, Amy Jo hosted a beautiful and perfect shower for baby Caleb and me last night.  I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible women who love the Lord and are a great support system.

As a surprise she had asked several women from my Bible study and church to come early and share a verse of encouragement and pray over the end of my pregnancy, my delivery and baby Caleb.  It was incredible.  They are incredible.  Amy Jo is incredible.  I am blessed beyond measure.

Here are some of the verses they shared:

Exodus 1: 18-20 "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."  (although I really do want my midwife in the room. :))

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 127:3-5 "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."

Isaiah 43:1 "I have called thee by they name; thou art mine."

Psalm 139:5 "You both precede and follow me, and place your hand of blessing on my head as I go."

Job 10:11-12 "You gave me skin and flesh and knit together bones and sinews.  You gave me life and were so kind and loving to me, and I was preserved by your care."

Isaiah 44:3-5 "I will pour out my spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.  This one will say, "I am the Lord's" and that one will call on the name of Jacob and another will write on his hand, belonging to the Lord."

Numbers 14:24 "...Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went into, and his descendants will inherit it."

Numbers 32:12 "Not one except Caleb and Joshua because they followed the Lord wholeheartedly."

Deuteronomy 1:36 "...except Caleb...He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly."

Thank you wonderful women...there were more, but they are in cards in the other room.  I can't wait to read these over the boys as they grow.  God is so good.  Our cup overflows.

Be Blessed,

Becs & the boys...

Busy...at 38 Weeks

Shoo.  Life is busy these days.  We have been looking at houses, getting ready for Caleb's arrival, trying to squeeze in extra time with friends and at church and just doing life this week.  It has been great to stay busy because it keeps my mind of off the two weeks (which can some days feel like an eternity and others feel like not enough time) before Caleb's arrival...as I mentioned before, our midwife will let us stay pregnant until February 19th, but I really don't think we will make it THAT long... (right, God? :-))

I am just now getting to the point of feeling excited to not be pregnant some day soon, but I am not "over it" quite yet.  I guess being a little unsettled in life is playing a major factor in that.  Since we are in transition to a new home I am not nearly as put together as I was for Brooks, but I just keep hanging on to the promises that God will never give me more than I can handle and He will supply ALL of our needs according to His riches in glory, and I am told not to worry about tomorrow, and last and probably most important to remember, to be anxious for NOTHING, but let my requests be made known to God... So, all that in mind, I am content with where He has our little family and excited for where He is taking us today and next month and we have huge expectations for 2011.

I am so thankful for those promises and don't know how I would hold back the frequent urge to cry (thank you pregnancy hormones) because of all that is changing for us, if I wasn't totally certain they were true.  He is good, and He has great things for us...Thank you, Lord.

We have been so blessed by the local Everetts and their support through all of this and incredibly grateful that we have such close friends and family near by.  We have been praying daily that somehow we can all live closer together...(hint hint moms and dads, brothers and sisters!)

My mom arrives on February 4th for three weeks to help us welcome Caleb and transition into life with two boys, and I can't wait for the extra support and to spend quality time with her.  I am so thankful for a mom who can and will drop everything to support her kiddos through life's big adventures.  What a blessing.  My dad will be joining us for her last week here and I can't wait to introduce him to his next little hunting/ski buddy.  (#8 grandchild for my folks!)... and then in April we plan on a trip to North Carolina to spend quality time with Bryant's amazing family and I will FINALLY get to play on his old stomping grounds and meet the notorious Thomasville buddies I have only heard in the legendary stories!!!

We feel blessed beyond measure by all of our family. God is so good!

Be Blessed,

Becs & the boys

Toddler Gym!

I have had such a bad memory lately, I think Caleb is sucking all of the nutrients that should be going to my brain.  That being said, I keep forgetting my camera, and on gorgeous, fun days like today, that is a big bummer!

Brooks and I were invited to try out a class at our local gymnastics club for parents and toddlers.  I can't believe we didn't go sooner!  It was such a blast!  They have a dozen different trampolines, a bunch of soft bouncy blocks and fun things to climb on and jump off of, and a big parachute to play on and under.  Brooks had an absolute ball.  So did I!  Not only was it so fun to watch him play with the other munchkins, but I knew so many of the parents I was able to do a little socializing too, which is so nice since we have been pretty house bound lately.

I have a feeling we will be frequenting this class, even after Caleb arrives.  It will be a good way for LB to get out and play with the big kids.

I will do my best to remember my camera next time because it was so darn cute to watch him have such a blast!

Now, it is extreme nap time for both him and me.  Shoo, it is hard work growing a human! :)  And because I was asked at least 20 times today, I will answer it one more time... I am due in just over two weeks and we are having another boy.  The last few weeks always bring out the stares and random questions from people who would not normally stop to inquire...People crack me up.  :)


XOXO,

Becs and the boys

37.5 Weeks...(I hope I don't bore you too bad...)



...and nothing new to report other than we had rain in Woody Creek a couple days ago (so very odd for this time of year) and now it is finally back to snowing.  But, aside from the weather, there really is nothing new to report with the pregnancy.  I had an appointment with my midwife today and my trusty, amazing doula (and sister in law), Amy Jo came with me.  It was fun to chat about our birthplan with Nancy and it did get me a little more excited about the delivery.  I have been warned by both of them it is high time I start packing my things for the hospital because second deliveries are typically pretty fast. (I love that they keep speaking that over me!)  So, I will pull out the bag and at least lay it on the floor to start tossing things into as I think of it.  So much different than my first pregnancy... I am pretty sure I was packed by a week ago and ready, just in case...such a rookie move! :)



A couple from our marriage group and church had their baby boy this weekend and it made me excited that we are going to be joining them in the second time parent club in a couple of weeks, too!  They found out they were pregnant after us, but she was more pregnant than me at the time! 

I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea because there are rumors it makes labor shorter and easier.  I am all for that! 

We have a busy week next week, so #38 should hopefully fly by...although nothing could possibly creep by slower than my first pregnancy!



Oh and our Brooks is still getting more delicious by the day!  He is saying so much and understands an amazing amount.  He is great about saying please (with hands desperately clasped below his chin) and thank you and when he calls the dog, Mali it sounds like Wayi, which really sounds like Hawaii, so we dream of the beach quite a bit... especially because my best friend from childhood and her family are moving to Kona in a couple of weeks! 



Until I have something more exciting to report about my pregnancy...

Becs & The Boys



An oldy, but so cute I had to share it again.



Just in Case You Aren't on Facebook...

Here are the pictures My SIL, Amy Jo of Lotta Love Photo posted of our big guy...

Babymoon

We had the wonderful opportunity to take advantage of a silent auction item we won last summer just before Caleb arrives. Trevor and Amy Jo watched Brooks for the night (my first night in 21 months without him!) while Bryant and I went to a tiny (really, really tiny) town in southwestern Colorado called Gateway. In the mid 1990s an adventurous millionaire visited this one horse town and had the vision of creating a world class adventure destination. What has become of it is a 50ish room hotel/resort on a huge piece of property that caters to pretty much any desert adventure you can dream of from flying bi planes through red rock canyons to 4x4 jeep rides in and around canyons and cliffs, it is an incredible facility.

We happened to be there in the offest of off seasons, which was perfect for us. We prayed on the long drive down for favor at check in and a random upgrade, and God is so good, we got both. I think we were one of two rooms in the entire resort. We ate at the only restaurant open for all meals and the rest of the time enjoyed being still and not chasing a toddler around or wondering what he was getting into. It was amazing. We watched movies, read and prayed together. And despite warnings that I might not, I slept like a baby. There was no pressure to get out and do anything because there was absolutely nothing going on.

It was the perfect retreat before we welcome another infant into our lives.

I am 37 weeks tomorrow and still feeling great, although getting more easily exhausted by the day. Somehow, after just curling my hair for church today I had to take a little rest. Shoo. Where did the energy go?

Brooks is doing awesome and getting bigger by the day. Amy Jo took some new pictures of him while he was at her house this weekend and he just looks so grown up and delicious. I love that boy. It is hard to imagine having equal love for another little man, but I know it will happen as soon as we meet him. Brooks is saying so much and talks (jabbers) all of the time with such confidence. If only I knew what he was saying, I bet we could solve the world's problems together.

XOXO,

Becs & the Boys

Another Weekly Update

So, we have hit the infamous Aspen milestone of 36 weeks. Which really only means that if I were to deliver early, I wouldn't be sent on a one way jet ride to Denver to deliver Caleb because his lungs should be matured enough to handle living at 8,000+ft. That is relieving! But, I am still comfortable, and apparently, so is he.

We saw our midwife yesterday and she did an ultrasound check and I am still the same...1cm and barely effaced. This pregnancy has been much easier from the start to stay within the "ideal" weight gain which has made this home stretch much more doable. I will still be on the higher side, but not nearly where I was when I delivered Brooks thanks to the water retention from preclampsia... But, when I struggled to put my socks on today I did start to look forward to not being pregnant for the first time.

Although coffee, chocolate (sweets in general) and cheese were staples in my diet up until two weeks ago, our church is doing the Daniel Fast (eating only what comes from the seed...fruit, veggies and whole grains) for 21 days. Because I felt lead to and in an effort to support Bryant I am participating too, but adding in protein (fish, chicken & yogurt). The good news is in the last two weeks I have actually lost 1/2 lb by cutting out those "c's," and I feel really healthy too. I do have to fight off the "I am cheating myself and not taking advantage of being pregnant" thoughts when I am seriously craving a chocolate chip macadamia nut, coconut cookie from Roxy's, but other than that, it has been pretty easy to do. Oh and I can't not mention my daily craving for a cup of coffee...or better yet a latte from Starbucks, especially when grocery shopping, but it is all for a great cause.

We have had a serious bout of colds/flu this winter so far, which is so much different than my pregnancy with Brooks. I wasn't sick once with him with the exception of being really stuffy the first six weeks of his pregnancy, but I think that was allergies. I got a cold the day BR left for South Africa in October, had another really bad cold over Christmas, got the flu (or ate something really bad) a few days later and am just getting over another head cold now. So in an effort to destroy this seemingly ongoing trend, we are doing the only thing I did different in my last pregnancy, we finally bought Greens First, a veggie/fruit supplement that I took every day last time. So, hopefully with prayer and greens we will all be healthy and ready to meet Caleb in a couple of weeks.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support with regard to the sale of our house. Things seem to keep going smoothly with the process. We are set to close in mid February, about ten days after my due date, and thank you, Lord, I have total peace with everything happening at once. In fact, I am pretty excited about all of it. It will be a good way to keep my mind off the end of the pregnancy and I will be able to spend my days in March/April getting settled where ever we land...oh yeah, and we don't know where we are going yet either. But, like I said, I am at total peace that it is all going to work out and someday, Caleb will have a perfectly decorated room to himself, but for now, his bassinet will have to do.

We have weekly appointments scheduled with our midwife until we deliver, so I will keep updating on any...if any...progress.

Until then, we are going to get away for a quick babymoon and enjoy some alone time (my first night without Brooks...pray for me!)

XOXO,

Becs and the boys

Life and Caleb Update

We had a super easy Christmas and enjoyed a lazy morning of Brooks opening presents (and playing with each one in between which took a couple hours), then a great afternoon and dinner with the Everetts. Having a toddler who sort of "gets" presents made me so excited for morning, I was the one who had a hard time sleeping!

New Years was also easy and we were all excited to be in bed before 10:00. Shoo, we must be getting old!

I am 35 weeks pregnant now and had my first of several weekly check ups... funny enough, I am almost exactly as "progressed" as I was with Brooks at this stage. A small 1, and 20%...both of which mean nothing at this point, but it is good to know.

I have a feeling this little one is going to come a few days past his due date because he has consistently measured a 1-3 days small. So, my head is in it for the long haul. February 14th would be a fun day to have him because it is my late Grandpa Jack's birthday, he and Grandma Sonja's anniversary and my best friend's son, Ryan's birthday too... not to mention the day of love, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate then to welcome a new little man into our family...

I am still really comfortable, my rings still fit and I am still in jeans I had long outgrown with my last pregnancy, so all in all things are great! I have finally washed all of the newborn clothes and the car seat in anticipation of Caleb's arrival and to wrap my mind around the fact that we are bringing home a new baby in less than 49 days (at the absolute most)...

We are still in the process of selling our house and aren't totally sure where we will be when he arrives, so nesting isn't really possible. If this were my first baby I would probably have had several melt downs by now, but since I am well aware and ok with the fact that Caleb will be sleeping in a bassinet for at least a couple months and doesn't need a perfect nursery, I don't need any of the frills this time around. It is a much more relaxed experience, for everyone!

XOXO,

Becs and the boys