And his name shall be called....

Wade Corbett Hayes

30 Weeks

This week, the baby has been busy making brain cells and finishing growing out his fingernails and toenails. Reading that reminded me how badly I hated trimming Lee's nails when he was a baby! I never cut him, but it was a constant fear. His brain has taken shape and is working full time to regulate all of his bodily functions, including his body temperature. With all of this hard work, he hasn't had much time to gain weight this week. According to the blog, he still weighs around 3 pounds but has grown a half inch to around 15 1/2 inches. He is really enjoying Helping Hand season, and I feel certain that with all of the indulgences that it brings into our home, he is gaining weight quicker than our blog indicates. His favorite purchase from last week's auction was mini-pumpkin cheesecakes! And what a coincidence that no one else in our house eats pumpkin cheesecake!

As badly as I feel for comparing my baby to a dog, that's what the baby blog compared his current size to...a Yorkie.

Since we don't own a Yorkie (shocker!), I asked Aunt Clara to send me some pictures of her Sammy for a comparison. Here he is being held by Nicholas, who is 7.

Look Who's Moving In!

Lee's little brother has officially started moving into his new room. So far, the only clothes in his closet are the ones we have gotten as gifts. I'll be washing and hanging up his clothes in the coming weeks. I'm looking so forward to seeing Lee's baby clothes again. We are about 10 weeks away from meeting the newest member of our family, and we can not wait!

God's Beauty

I had been seeing in my hometown newspaper for a few days how beautiful Reelfoot Lake was since freezing. I have heard stories my whole life about the last time the lake froze and how people drove cars out there, etc. I have seen it icy many times, but I can't remember ever seeing it completely frozen in my lifetime. So I knew I had to see it in person when visiting family last week, with my camera in hand, of course! I was just mesmerized as I drove around the banks. I drove and drove just in awe and looking for a good photo op. I can only say that only God could have created something so magnificent and beautiful.

This is one of my favorite places at the lake. I spent a lot of time at this park when I was little, and this is the exact place where I was baptized when I was 12. It was July 1st, so it was a bit warmer that day!

I happened upon a group of "Yankee" duck hunters, who obviously were not getting to hunt as anticipated. They were having the best time daring each other to do crazy things, like running and sliding out there. They would bet each other who was brave enough to go further, etc. They finally asked where I was from and if I had ever seen anything like this. They shared that this was a 3 generation trip that they had been planning for 2 years. I felt sad that they weren't able to get in a boat and really enjoy the Reelfoot experience, but they were having the time of their lives right then. I enjoyed being a spectator to their antics.

BIG brother!

This weekend, we had to completely empty out our closets to prepare for new shelving to be installed this week. Lee was such a big helper. I had a list of "jobs" ready for him, to keep him busy and out of the grown-ups' way. I was so surprised and tickled when I saw how neatly he had stacked his games and puzzles on the hearth, just as instructed. The best part, for me, was seeing how he paired his boots and set them up so sweetly in front. He did all of this on his own and in record time. He finished his jobs a lot quicker than I anticipated.

Since Lee's room is still painted to coordinate with his baby bedding, we thought it would be nice for him to upgrade with a more masculine room and let "Andy" take over the old room. We took a pillow from Lee's bed to find some paint, and Lee chose this denim blue color to coordinate. Matt laughed when I came home with 3 rollers and 3 pans. He didn't laugh long when he realized the benefits of Lee having his own tools. We appointed him a wall and turned him loose.

He had the BEST time, and even though we're not great painters, Matt and I had fun too. Lee stayed occupied and was content with the space we allowed him. The color turned out great and looks very masculine. We moved his furniture in and decorated, and I think it turned out SO cute! He began sleeping in there immediately and has loved his new space. Andy's room is near completion too. He has a bed, book shelf, and rocking chair now. After the closets are done, we'll have room to move his changing table up from the basement. It's beginning to look like a baby is on the way now! I'll post pictures as soon as the clothes are out of the floor and in the closets!

28 & 29 Weeks

Baby "Andy" has been growing and growing the past couple of weeks. He is still very active, mostly at night. He does respond to loud sounds and music. I think he is enjoying the American Idol auditions, with "Pants on the Ground" being his personal favorite! I sing to him all the time, and he seems to like it, unlike his very vocal brother, who doesn't hesitate to tell me to stop singing! We are having new shelving installed in the boys' closets, so while both rooms and closets were empty, we decided to get everything set up for him. Lee took the guest room, and we painted and moved his furniture in there this weekend. He made the transition very easily. After Lee's old room was vacated, Matt and his dad put the baby bed together and set it up in there. Next, we moved the bookshelf in and quickly filled it. After the closets are done, all that will be left to move is the changing table. I can hardly wait to begin washing his clothes and hanging them in his closet. Now, on to his progress....

Hello 3rd Trimester! At week 28, he weighed about 2.5 pounds and was 15 inches long. This package that just came was exactly 15 inches long and was about 2 pounds. I was thrilled that it was so close! He can now open his eyes and blink. His eyes have one color now, although it will likely change when he is older. (For the record, Lee's eyes are still the same vibrant blue they were the day he was born:-) He is beginning to look chubby and will continue to build fat over the next few weeks.

At Week 29, he is still gaining fat and now weighs at least 3 pounds and is 15 inches long. The blog I refer to said that he will likely double his current weight by birth, and could even triple it. I just had to laugh when I read that. Lee weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces! I don't believe Andy will weigh that much, simply because he will be born quite a bit earlier than Lee. This week, his brain began controlling his breathing, which is consistent now. He can also cough now. According to the blog, I should be a swollen mess this week, but thankfully, that hasn't come...yet. My hands and feet never swelled with Lee, so hopefully it won't happen this time either. I can't believe that we're less than 3 months away from meeting our sweet angel. On one hand, I can hardly stand to wait another minute, and on the other, I don't want this precious time to be over. Even though he allows me no more than a few hours of sleep each night, I'm going to miss these sweet kicks, punches and flutters and having him all to myself!

27 Weeks

Baby Andy is 27 weeks now and is growing, growing, growing this week! I can tell from his movements that he has gotten a lot bigger. This is also a big week for his lungs and immune system development. He can also distinguish voices and supposedly responds to mine the most. That must be why he is so active, with all the singing and goofing that Lee and I do together. I told Lee tonight that he can hear what we're saying, which led to the following...

...a few songs for him,

and a few tickles, jokes and riddles.

It was pretty darn cute! When he was done, there was a huge wet spot on my shirt from his drool. I kept telling him that he didn't have to put his mouth right on my tummy for the baby to hear him, but he kept doing it.
At 27 weeks, the baby weighs about 2 pounds and is approximately 15 inches long or the size of this pork loin. Lee was really struggling to hold it today. It was so funny. He was talking to it like it was the baby. He said, "Boy, you've grown this week." He still doesn't have a name. We have a list of 10 names that we could each live with if chosen. However, Matt has his favorite, and I have mine. If I knew we would have another boy, I could commit to a name with no problem. But the thought of not using our favorite names makes me sad. There is one name in particular that I have loved for a couple of years. Matt works with a guy with a similar name, and every time he says it, my heart flutters. It is a name that just makes me happy. I will love whatever we decide on, but I am hoping that a few more of the 10 names we love will become less attractive to us over the next couple of weeks.

This sweet little treat was waiting on me in the mailbox when I got home today. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but the eyes are buttons and there is stitching around the nose and mouth that make the outfit too cute for words.