the torture chamber

warning: some moms may think this is awful. (please don't judge!)

and let me tell you from first hand experience...it is!

so, we've had Ruby Belle in her "big girl" bed for over a month now. But, we started out laying with her until she fell asleep, and again laying w/her until she fell asleep if she woke during the night. so, about 2-3 weeks into it, i decided maybe this way of putting her to bed wasn't the best idea considering we have another little one on the way. I mean, really?! how will I ever get any rest with a newborn and an almost 2 yr old we have to lay with for 20-30 min to get her to bed?! I don't know how parents do it? so, i read a little on the internet from other moms, you now "expert advice" and found a few different ideas. so, this is the one i went with. put her down, tell her you're going to read ___# of books (we do 2), read them, tell her good night and leave. so, we started doing that most night (first problem is MOST). anyway, we kinda got out of the habit after just a few days, and she really was doing well with it. so, tonight i decided we had to get back on track...i mean, Beckett will be here SO soon and we must get this down before his arrival!! so, we were on track, but she wasn't exactly showing signs of sleepiness (those are the nights when it's really easy). needless to say, when we left, she screamed, and screamed, and then figured out how to open her door, we put her back down, then she screamed and screamed as i held the handle (with force i may add...she's strong and persistent!) for exactly 10 minutes. it was TORTURE...on her end and mine!! i felt SO bad! (thank goodness for Smart phones. i kept myself entertained - read tried to keep my mind off the torturous thoughts that were going through her head as she screamed "Mommy, daddy!" - for the 10 minutes of torture). but at exactly 10 minutes, i felt her let go of the handle and heard her quiet down. i left and came back to check on her a few minutes later and this is how i found her...

so sweet and peaceful...but an accident waiting to happen! so, i left her there for about 30 min then we moved her to a more comfy and a little further from the edge! now it's off to sweet slumber!!

It's Official!!! FINALLY!!!

y'all may not be as relieved as I am, but you may be after reading 30 posts on baby names!

finally, after many (some heated) discussions with my husband...(he even asked me just 2 days ago if he could have 6 more weeks to think about the name!...um, I am due in 6.5 weeks!!)

Beckett King Smith

Beckett I can credit to my best friend Holli...we were talking baby names one night on the phone and she threw this one out at me. and King, it's Justin's dad's name. so, there you have it! i've talked enough about baby names...

now the countdown to Beckett's arrival can begin!!! oh, and so can the monogramming!!! yippee!!

Last and Final name list - promise!!!

so, we've been going round and round at my house over the last several weeks about names. I, of course, wanted a name about 2 months ago...but we just can't agree. I thought we came to an agreement about a week ago, but after sleeping on it for a few nights, I wasn't satisfied. i'd compromised too much and it just wasn't a name I really wanted. So, we're at a stalemate. and I'm sticking to my guns. This may sound harsh, but he's my baby, too and i'm the one who's been carrying him for 8 months and will give birth to the sweet nameless boy! My husband laughs when I claim I get most of the naming rights because of this, but really?! Men just don't get it! I haven't had a horribly awful, hard pregnancy, but really ladies, even the "easy" pregnancies aren't THAT easy! They are fun (at least i think so), but they come w/ups and downs. I would have to say the ups outweigh the downs, but you know I'm gonna pull the "I'm-carrying-and-giving-birth-to-this-big-hairy-baby" card as much as I can! Needless to say, it's not working. So, here's where we stand on names:

1. I'm not going to be the only one who compromises.
2. I want us to both be happy. (this may be impossible)
3. But, I'm not naming my baby something that I'm not in love with.

so, here are my top 5 (and only 5 at the moment) choices that I've made known to my husband.
(in order of most liked to least) Y'all may think I'm crazy, but how can you NOT like at least one of these!?!

1. Rhett (what a great one, huh?! sounds great w/Ruby Belle and it's a southern classic, manly yet gentlemanly name!!)
2. Reid (kinda popular, but I like it w/Ruby Belle)
3. Sutton (sounds good w/Smith and not too popular)
4. Beckett (like it, but he only wants to use Beck. he doesn't like to name the baby something and then call them by a nickname - i.e., Beckett = Beck. WHATEVER! Justin is SO weird and hard-headed!)
5. Lewis Payton (both of our mom's maiden names)

I did tell him he was welcome to continue to come up w/names and maybe he'll find one I like, but for now, he needed to sleep on my list. I also told him he could choose the middle name, except for on #5 (I SO did not want to give up this right, but would rather do this than have a first name I don't like)

So, we'll see. I'm going to put more pressure on soon. I mean, how's a girl to finish preparing for a baby w/out at least SOME monogramming!! we NEED A NAME!!!

A big, hairy baby!!

now doesn't that sound cute and sweet?!

Don't answer. let me explain.

Over the last week I've been not feeling well. first, Ruby Belle was sick a bit over Memorial Day weekend. just a touch of a stomach bug. then I caught it. and then the heartburn set in. a friend described it as "liquid fire"... and she's right! and it won't go away. Tums are a new staple in my purse. But, the old wives tale (and lots of my friends) says that heartburn = a baby with a full head of hair! So, I went to the doctor yesterday for a check up and ultrasound on baby boy and the ultrasound tech said she thought she saw a good amount of hair! maybe I'll prove the old wives tales to be true!!

As another note from the ultrasound tech, I have a big baby! yep, he's measuring in the 86th percentile! and 10 days ahead of schedule! eek! Eek! EEK!!

good news is, he was breech and now he's head down!!! i'll take heartburn and a bigger baby (as long as he's not TOO big) to know that he's head down and not a guaranteed c-section. c-sections terrify me. I know they're done every day, but still...scares me! so, hopefully, this baby boy won't be TOO big!

he sure is cute though...here's a pic from the outside and inside!