It’s A…!!

So last night {Thursday night} after our doctor appointment, we had a super special gender reveal party! It was a lot of fun and I had some great friends who helped and who came to have fun with us and I am so glad we did it! It made it so special to be able to share the news with our close friends and to find out at the same time! It was extra special because we streamed it live via ustream and also skyped with my parents! Super fun! Everyone got to see it first-hand!

 

Although the old wives tales all pointed to “boy”, pretty much everyone thought the baby would be a girl! That’s not the official tally, but not too many more were added to the boy column! Just for your info, I had put a tally on the boy. Carl and Benjamin both voted girl. Figures!

 

We had lots of great food and lots of fun… but when it came for the moment we were all waiting for, everything was just intense! We had decided to make confetti poppers to pull all at the same time, instead of doing the cake thing {sweets make me sick!}, and …

Can you see it??

Do you see how surprised I am?? Pink confetti flew EVERYWHERE!

It was seriously so much fun and I was so, so surprised – even though I had thought I saw a hint during the Ultrasound {and no, I wasn’t trying to cheat!!} – to learn that we are expecting a little baby GIRL!!!

I went through the rest of the night just in a sort of daze… I can’t really explain why! I wasn’t disappointed, or sad, or anything like that! I guess that I have just been a mommy to a boy for so long {almost 4 years!} that I never really thought of myself as ever being a mommy to a girl! So finding out that it will all change in a few short months was just… mind-blowing! I can’t imagine all the differences! Seriously! So if you commented on my facebook last night with congratulations and I didn’t gush and gush about it, please don’t think I’m ungrateful! It has just taken me some time to digest, is all! {And I really, really can’t wait to buy those purple diaper covers I’ve been eyeing! ha!}

We are all super, super excited about our  baby girl. Benjamin is thrilled to be having a sister and we think he will make a fantastic big brother to his baby sister. Of course, Carl is going to have his daddy’s girl and I can already see that she will have him wrapped around her finger! But that’s okay because I was – and still am! – a daddy’s girl, too.

Today, I am officially 18 weeks. I’ll try to find time tomorrow to give the “official” week update. I was going to do that instead of this one… but hey, this is bigger news, right?

Thank you all for your warm and sweet congratulations!!

Project 365; Week Four

Before we get into my pictures from last week, I wanted to invite everyone to an Online Pampered Chef Party that I am hosting. It ends March 31st, so if you’re interested, hop on over there and see what you can find! Here are a couple helpful hints:

- Come check out some Pampered Chef products!http://www.pamperedchef.biz/autumnmcbrayer?page=2ways-order-products Go there and type in "Kristen Jenkins" and start shopping! :D
- Spend $60 and get a free gift!
- Book a March show off of Kristen's show and get 60% off one of the brand new Items in the new Spring/Summer products!
- Interested in selling Pampered Chef? This month if you sign up you have the chance to receive 1/2 the money back that you put into your kit! Send me a message if you are interested!

For more information, check out the facebook page for the event!

 

ANYWAY – On to the main event, the pictures!!

Day 22. 3/13/2011 – This was just a random moment during the day when I had my camera nearby and snapped the picture. Sweet shot, oh yeah!

Day 23. 3/14/2011 – Benjamin was sitting on the porch and I couldn’t resist a shot of his sweet feet!

Day 24. 3/15/2011 – Playing with his play-dough outside on the deck.

Day 25. 3/16/2011 – He said he was drawing a girl.

Day 26. 3/17/2011 – I just love these cheerful tulips!

 

Day 27. 3/18/2011 – Benjamin pointed this out to me so I took a picture. I love the soft colors and the brightness of the moon. This was not the supermoon.

Day 28. 3/19/2011 – This, however, was the supermoon. I went a little crazy with the camera there…

2nd Birthday Party!

Benjamin’s party was Saturday and it was a blast! There were a ton of kids there and Benjamin enjoyed playing with all of them. The biggest hit were the balloons we had blown up and tried to tape to the pillars in the fellowship hall at the building. As soon as Benjamin walked in the room, he flipped out about the balloons and pulled some off of the pillar… oh well! He had fun running around with them and so did the other kids. We ended up with a lot of balloons on the ceiling but the guys took care of that. The party wasn’t extravagant by any means and it was barely organized but it was tons of fun and Benjamin loved every minute of it!

Here are some pictures from his party! Enjoy!

(Cookies and Cream cupcake recipe can be found here!)

(Birthday banner from Old Navy)

Balloon frenzy!

We took butcher paper and crayons and laid them out for the kids to draw on… well the kids were so busy with the balloons that the adults were the ones who did most of the coloring! ha!

Birthday cupcake!

We had asked that nobody bring gifts since we had just gotten everything put away finally, but some people wanted to and we didn’t turn them away! He got some really cute gifts, including this jersey in the colors of the high school team here!

And he got this. We’re not Auburn fans, but we’re good sports.

To everyone who came and/or helped out, THANK YOU! You made the party super fun!!

Come on, Vamanos!

We had a party today for Benjamin {and us} since we are leaving next week. It was Dora-themed, and we called it our "Vamanos!" party {Let's Go!}. It was a lot of fun!




{Benny helped on that one heehee}




{My WONDERFUL, HANDSOME, LOVING, SWEET husband did the streamers! I Love them so much I haven't taken them down! hehe!}


{You know, just in case Swiper showed. Though Benjamin did a good job swiping a few plates off......}



{Juice and Choco Milk for the kiddos}


{Making sure all his favorite toys are there to share with his friends}



{Mariah, Ben, and Ella}

I honestly did not get as many pictures as I should have, being the good-bye party... but we were having a great time conversing and watching the kids play. These pictures certainly don't show all of the guests that came {And THANK YOU to those who did - it meant the world to us, seriously!!!}. Benjamin's friends Landon and Brysen also came and played for a while.

We are really going to miss our friends here and it really does break my heart that we are having to leave behind so many of our friends, and also Benjamin's friends. I can't really explain how I feel about that. I know it's not going to end his world because he is too young to understand this stuff, but I know how much he loves his friends. I just hope that wherever we end up, Benjamin can have friends even HALF as wonderful as the ones he has here. {I'm tearing up, y'all!}

To the mothers and fathers of Landon & Brysen, Mariah, and Ella... we truly are going to miss you and your sweet darling children. I mean that so sincerely!

Isn't God so wonderful for blessing us with relationships?

Well now that I have thoroughly bummed myself out... in a ... good? way.....

1 week till moving day.

Bring.

It.

On.