Valentine's Day 2013

Walker celebrated his 2 week birthday on Valentine's Day and I celebrated my first holiday where I got to dress the boys in coordinating outfits! :D This was major for me since I've looked forward to this for years! 

So proud of Grayson for putting a smile on his face and posing. :) Toddlers are unpredictable like that!

Another one but Walker looks WAY less comfortable.

Walker looking dapper in his bow tie and cardigan onesie - adorable!

More sleeping with Mimi.

V-day outfit #2 - Thanks to Grammy for this one! Overalls on a newborn are adorbs.

One more but with a smile.

Walker and I attended Grayson's play group V-Day party. I know that sounds cruel. But they're MY friends too. ;) Plus, I accidentally double-booked Grayson that day so he had a friend over to play. He never needs to know... :)

Watching all the moms trying to get the 2010 babies in a picture together while my 2013 baby quietly slept on me. It was the most relaxed I've been at a play date in years! :)

If we were in 2012, I would have posted pictures of all the cute V-Day crafts that Grayson did at school . That is SO last year. ;) I can actually feel my blog management slipping away (sigh). I'll try to do better. 

As far as Beau + Stacey V-day is concerned. I managed to slip out of the house and get him a couple of cards and a giant frog balloon from me and the boys and he managed to slip out one day to get me roses with a lovely note. The element of surprise is removed when we're in the same house together every hour of every day :) But I wouldn't trade it for the world! I was also on the tail end of all the pain from my ailments so pizza for dinner was pretty perfect too. We DID have our first date since delivery last night at Cru Wine Bar. A couple of flights of wine and cheese were just what I needed with him! 

Introducing Walker Beau Reynolds!

Our sweet baby Walker was born during my scheduled c-section on Monday morning, 2/1/13 at 7:46am weighing in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces and at 21 inches long! A big boy, for sure! He had (and still has) more black hair and longer hair than you see on most newborns. I love it and I find myself petting him often :) Everything went perfectly and was a better experience than my first (rather dramatic) c-section - from the epidural to the surgery to the recovery in the hospital - it was all pretty perfect. I will never forget all the gasps and energetic comments from the nurses and doctors when Walker came into this world - both about his size and long, black hair! With the exception of a 12 pounder that was delivered at Baylor while we were there (yikes!), Walker was the largest baby in the nursery during our stay. :)

As with my first delivery, I really miss my time in the hospital! Baylor Frisco is just a great place to be - the room is as cozy as a hospital room can get and their staff was just amazing with us. And I'm still simply in love with Dr. Jacoby. He's just so good at what he does. 

Also, I can't thank Walker enough for waiting until our new insurance kicked in on 2/1 and sparing us major bucks. Mr. Reynolds, let's talk kitchen remodel! ;)

Back to our big, little blessing...

Our time in the hospital

9lbs, 2.9 ounces, long and unhappy!

I love this shot.

Our first meeting

The 3 of us - we didn't get one of these with Grayson so I was very happy about this!

Father and Son. Beau takes some of the best pictures :)

Look at that hair!

In Recovery. Still had the shakes from the epidural. Yuck.

After his first bath. Loved seeing his mohawk when Beau and the nurse returned!

Walker gave Grayson a small gift that included suckers! Thank God for grandparents!

Walker with his Great-Grandmother. Love this photo!

Mimi is so beautiful when she's overjoyed!

First picture as a family of 4.

Andrea came to visit! We spent some great time together while I was still pregnant and she was one of the first people to meet Walker in the hospital. It meant the world to me that she was there!!

Big Brother's first touch ;) I now realize that the one-finger point will be the most common interaction between these 2 ;) Big Brother's first touch ;) I now realize that the one-finger point will be the most common interaction between these 2 ;)

For being such a big boy, we had trouble finding outfits that fit him. Mainly b/c those little legs stayed squished like this the whole time. :)

Going home. Can't wait to look back in 20 years and think what an old car we had ;)

Our time at home

We have had some great visitors! The Seemans brought over a homemade brunch (and mimosas!) one morning, Lori brought me lunch and an awesome personalized gift for Walker (lovies), many, many delicious meals coming to us from Grayson's play group and my MOPS group.  So, so thankful for this show of support! People from near and far have celebrated with us by sending deliveries: flowers all the way from Ireland, Tiff's Treats (amazing)! both to the hospital AND to the house!, MATCHING brother Polos (I'm in love) and the most creative was a delivery of Red Lobster cheese biscuits from the Phillips at the hospital! On the same night as our steak and lobster meal so it was the perfect compliment :D  Walker also received the most beautiful crocheted booties and bibs (a lost art, in my opinion) from Ma Smith's sister-in-law. Family came to visit at the hospital and here at the house and we just feel so blessed to have all these supportive people in our lives. It really humbles a person and makes you swear that you're going to give back to each of these people in a big way. I just hope I don't fall short in this area b/c there are a LOT of you. :)

Cutest block from Beau's former company, MarketSphere!

Walker's buddy, Eli Abernathy, delivered Central Market and a great visit from his parents!

Annie's first trip to meet Walker. Honestly, I don't entirely remember what we talked about so I must have still been on meds - ha! ;)

Oh, Chunky Monkey. You look different every day :)

A 2-way tie for Most Tired.

My Recovery

There isn't anything positive to say here so I'l try to be brief (ha!). This past week has been the most physically painful of my life. I can't consider it "recovery" when each day has seemed to get worse with more ailments. I didn't think so many things could go wrong with my body all at once! Intense back pain, mastitis (THE most painful thing you will ever experience - I promise!), flu-like symptoms from the mastitis (fever, chills, fever blister, sweats, aches all over), a possible UTI just to name a few! I owe the world to my mom and Beau who have truly done everything to care for the boys and for keeping this house from falling into a wasteland. Things are looking up though - I went to the doctor a couple of days ago and left with FIVE prescriptions. I don't think I've even had 5 Rxs in 5 years! I didn't fill one, don't think I'll be using another and one is an antibiotic that will knock out 2 ailments so I'm thankful for the help. I'm most excited about the in-house chiropractor (at Jacoby's office) who took me in immediately. An hour later and a very patient Beau and Walker sitting in the waiting room and I felt better already. I think my severe back pain is a blessing in disguise because Dr. Rowe is getting me on a wellness plan that involves stretching, exercise and chiro appts (the latter is only while needed). She is also a yoga instructor at the FAC (where we are members) so I look forward to working with her and towards a better quality of life to keep up with my 2 boys!

Thank you to everyone who has shown their love in one way or another over the past weeks and months. We are so fortunate to have you all in our lives! xoxo

39 Week Pregnancy Update

Well here we are - 39 weeks! I can honestly say that I never expected to be here. Grayson came at 38 weeks and I just assumed this little guy would too since he's actually not breach, no cord around the neck and tracking to be a little bigger than G. But there are no signs that he's coming any earlier than our scheduled c-section on Friday! On one hand, I'm so ready and don't care how much the bills will cost! I just want him here and to meet him and I don't want to be pregnant anymore! (It is very difficult to type around such a large belly.) On the other hand, I'm not THAT miserable and can wait until the 2/1 date that I have always wanted anyway, even before insurance dictated it. :) 

We are beginning to get antsy and a little bored. Beau and I keep saying that we need to cherish all of these "lasts" a a family of 3, and we are!, but we have had a lot of time together in this house over the last month! I feel like we've embraced the 3 of us and are ready to be the 4 of us! Beau has busied himself with working his regular work week in our home office, joining us for dinner and night time routine at about 6pm, which has been nice (he pretty much does it all since I'm huge and tired - I cook; he does bath/book/bed). He has also enjoyed time over the past month going to the gym, playing racquetball with Royce, meeting Deran at the gun range and playing some golf with John. He's also cranked out some DIY home projects lately in the garage while Grayson helps. :) I'm happy he's had a chance to have some alone time, some guy time and some 1-on-1 Grayson time. In addition, we've had some good date nights and a couple of nights out with friends. Grayson has continued to go to school 3 days/week, has had plenty of play dates, played with MOPS friends and his church nursery friends, a friend's birthday and managed to stay healthy through it all (I'm so stressed he will be sick while i'm in the hospital!). For me, I have had the perfect mix of movin' and grovin' during the day and relaxing on the couch by late afternoon each day. My Mom and I have soaked up plenty of child-free errands (Hobby Lobby - I wish I could quit you) and I've enjoyed meeting friends for lunch here and there. So, I think we've all embraced the past pre-baby month as much as possible and are ready for Walker to join us!

Here are my last belly pics - self-portraits in my new stand-up mirror that Beau made for me! xoxo I included 3 pics b/c it shows just how fast things happen in this house - all three were taken in about 5 seconds.

Just me and a bebe

Oh! Me and a Bebe and a Grayson. Welcome to my picture, G.

Whu?? Me, Bebe, Grayson and Brinkley! I was a second away from Shelby and Beau joining in. The 5 of us  tend to move in the same direction around here! :)

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +33lbs 
Maternity clothes: Trying to get some last wears in with my favorites!

Sleep: Not good. I've resorted to grunting and groaning when I have to move at all, which is frequently. This baby is so heavy. Having lots of back pain when I sleep on my side; can't live on my back for long because his weight suffocates me some how. If there was a place that rented beds with stomach hole cut out (a la pregnancy massage table), I would pay to sleep there. That could be a big business in the 'burbs.

Best moment this week: I had my last doc appt! Kinda scary knowing the next time I see my doctor, it will be in surgery! Also, Grayson frequently walking up to my belly saying, "Brother Out!" I hear ya, buddy!
Movement: Plenty and it's intense. He's now so strong that the tiny little bumps that used to push through are full on oval shaped feet and hands. There's a lot of jabs to my almost-back! I never had that with G. It's a discomfort that can't be explained. :)

Cravings: I just discovered that I love roasted broccoli. I can eat it like popcorn. Crazy. I have been eating a ton of oranges too and love to make my own fresh fruit smoothies - this has been going on for several weeks but forgot to add it.

Symptoms: Same as last time. shooting leg pain, my hair is still crazy-dry. And the hair on my legs doesn't really grow. Have I mentioned that? It's been the whole time - I love it.
What I miss: Sleeping and moving and rolling over freely. 

What I am looking forward to: Grayson meeting Walker! I can't wait to see them together for the first time! And every time after that!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't eat too much broccoli. Whoo.

Milestones: I can say we're having a baby THIS WEEK! Bag is in the car, car seat is set up, Grayson's bag is packed for Mimi's house, a little "pize" (surprise) is wrapped and ready for Grayson from Walker, no more doc appts!

One last thing, I went over to my parents' house to get Grayson one afternoon and it turns out, they had been making fun of me! Pop said, "Grayson, let's show Mommy how we look like her!" Grayson gleefully left the room and came back in with his basketball under his shirt looking so proud of himself ;) Too cute!

Twinsies

Dressing the Walls

Wall decor has been my latest (yet ongoing) nesting project and I'm very happy that we're nearing completion on these little projects. Beau is too! I may have mentioned that he'd rather mow the lawn or take out the trash a million times before hanging pictures on the wall. I don't know why either because he's just so good at it! ;)

Entryway 
I had been wanting letter hooks for the boys so that they can hang their bags and coats when they walk in the door. We added an "R" for miscellaneous Reynolds belongings. :) Let's hope Resto still has these when #3 comes around someday. Or that I tire of these, which comes first.

Also in the entryway is our duogram made out of birch wood that Beau painted with my favorite shade of blue! :) I initially thought this piece would arrive much bigger and wanted to hang it above our bed. How pretty would that be?! But alas, it's pretty small and I was back to square one with our Bedroom project....

Master Bedroom
This was more of a bedding/wall project since it all started when our comforter fell victim to Grayson's stomach virus a few months back and since the lamps and drapes were chosen to coordinate with the original bedding, I now had to work backwards and find bedding to go with the drapes and lamps. Eek! Not easy. BUT, it has turned out okay enough with the wall prints really pulling it all together! And I even managed to throw in an "R" in the prints. :) I'm so happy with how it all turned out! It's really the serene, comfy retreat I was going for. Finally! :)

PB bedding purchased during their white sale - it pays to be indecisive sometimes! It's a duvet cover and since Beau and I get so hot, we opted to not fill it with a duvet! I'm not sure if people do that but it gives us the look + temperature  control that we were going for. It's not as "fluffy" as I would like but utility is so much more important than appearance, right? 

I'm in love with these. That's all I can say. An Etsy find!

This is the wall to the left of our bed. Beau was so sweet to repurpose these frames that used to live above Grayson's crib. We'll trade some out with Walker's newborn photos once we get those. Zoe D. will have done both shoots so they will blend well. :) Love!

Dining Room

We had an empty 1/2 wall next to the french doors into the kitchen. Nothing really needed to go there but I came across this personalized print on Very Jane for a few bucks. The blue matches the wall enough and Texas, well it should always be orange right? In Geography class, the maps always showed Texas orange. So I couldn't picture it any other color. Crazy random, I know.

The Reynolds Home ~ Est. 2009

Hallway

This wall remained empty for the longest time since I just didn't know what to do here. But it kind of came to us when I continued to purchase 16x20 prints of our family photo shoots with absolutely no plans for them. :) I have always said that you never see family photos of a home with just the first born and not the other kids but I'm willing to attempt it. These will eventually go in chronological order with the last print being our family of 4 that will be shot in a couple of weeks. I think I can pull it off because  it represents the same time of year, 3 years in a row. Let's hope anyway!

I have this too that I love but I have no place for it nor can I find a mat color that I like so it lives in a folder in the office. (sigh)

 The lesson that can be learned with all these pictures of pictures is that I should have sprung for anti-glare, non-reflective glass. But I was on a budget, y'all. Once this house comes together, we'll be ready to move! Ha. ;)

That's all, folks! 

38 Week Pregnancy Update

38 weeks - Baby is as long as a leek!

How far along? 38 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +30lbs 
Maternity clothes: Down to mainly leggings, tops and boots to go out. I rely on make-up, scarves and jewelry to make me feel 1/2 way decent. :)

Sleep: Not getting much so I might as well have a baby here. I mean, right?

Best moment this week: Having the Dr. tell me that if I'm contracting at all, to go to the hospital and that he won't send me home. I love that man! He speaks my language. :)
Movement: Still so much! He's still so high up that his increasingly powerful kicks to my ribcage and sides are a bit too much to take. I usually flinch and grunt as a result. Kind of embarrassing!

Cravings: Just the milk thing. Also, I'm eating more frequently since I can't eat that much in one sitting anymore. There's no room!

Symptoms: The shooting groin pains are more intense and frequent. Calf cramps in the middle of the night now. Ugh. My energy levels have picked up though! I mean I'm done by 5pm but am pretty productive during the day. What I surprisingly don't have is swelling. My rings fit just fine, feet aren't swollen at the end of the day (and yesterday I was running around all day!) so I'm lucky with that. Last time, not so much.
What I miss: Grayson sitting on my lap. He still tries but neither of us is comfortable so he just gives up and sits next to me. I want him back!

What I am looking forward to: I'm ready to start exercising. I can tell my legs and stomach or so weak and I'm ready to start working on that and feeling healthy and quick and non-waddling again!

Weekly Wisdom: One child is so easy. I hate it when moms of 2+ say to me, "Oh you only have one. Just wait." I still don't like it and hope to never say that to any moms who have 1 child. (But it's true. I already know this. One is so much easier.)

Milestones: Less than 2 weeks away! Still shooting for 2/1!

Walker's Nursery - Finished-ish!

We are as close as we're going to get to the completion of this room! I just need to let the rest of it go b/c I'm tired of stressing about it. :) I first blogged about my ideas here and for the most part, it came out the way I envisioned - yay! Here are the pictures - this room just needs a baby boy!

This wall is finally up! Beau hates hanging pictures so I was starting to get worried. I just don't trust myself with things like this. :)

Granted, not all the frames are filled yet nor are the mirror and "W" painted. But I'm happy. :) So far, we have sonograms, a "Walker" centerpiece and one cute print that says "Hush little baby. (No, seriously.)" Haha. BIG shout out to my friend Thea's blog for introducing me to lime green frames at Michael's (for 40% off no less) so that I didn't have to paint any! They're cooler in person, a heavy shiny metal. 

Aunt Andrea and Uncle Rogan gifted us the pillow I was obsessed with from Serena and Lilly! Isn't it pretty?! The bedding is also S&L so I knew it would match!
It will live on the rocker once that gets moved back into the nursery from G's room.

My original plan involved the removal of this nuisance closet door to give us more room. I was going to put a fun drape there. Beau vetoed. Boo. 

These mirrors stayed the same from Grayson's nursery. I still like them and had nothing else planned for walls so, done!

Remember when I swore I was going to do black out drapes in this room? That was before I found these puppies for a fraction of the price of the designer drapes I was eyeing. And they're the same print! And since Beau has a passion for sewing (I'm not kidding), he's going to add black out panels to these. Should be fairly simple.

The opposing wall is the dresser/changing station. Walker's initials on the walls.  I have a groupon for a giant canvas that I was planning on using for one of Walker's newborn photo. If I do that, it will hang here and these will move to the right of the window - where I have absolutely nothing planned. 

The lime green $16 Target lamp (take that Lamps Plus and your $250 lamps!) and the Brooks Bros. bear that randomly matches!

Found a set of 3 of these adorable navy/white/lime baskets at HomeGoods! I don't even want to know what PBK would try to charge for these. Thrilled with this find! They hold blankets, burpies diapers and wipes (and anything else I end up throwing in there - it'll happen.)

Grayson helped me hand-select some of his baby books for Walker's room. When he wasn't surfing the ottoman, that is. ;)

Things left to do but I can't even care about at this point:
Paint the 2 shelves on either side of the window
Paint black mirror frame & remove stubborn price tag (a pet peeve!)
Paint W 
Move glider from G's room (ok, this will definitely get done!)
Add black out panels to the drapes

Okay, so it's kind of bothering me that this room isn't complete. 26 days, Reynolds Clan....chop, chop!