36 weeks

I look down at my belly every day thinking it doesn't really look that big...until I see these photos each week! Ha!

How far along are you?

36 weeks! (Although at this point I'm one day away from 37)

How big is Baby?

He's the size of a honeydew - He's working on getting that baby soft skin right now - His liver, kidneys, immune system and circulatory system are all fully functioning and developed - His lungs are still maturing, but if he were to be born now he would be ok

Weight Gain?

At last week's appointment, 30 lbs.

At today's appointment, 29 lbs. Woohoo!

 Gender?

a sweet boy

Maternity Clothes?

Yes, and I'm sick of them!

Stretch Marks?

In the last week I got a few on the underneath side of my belly. I can't really even see them, but unfortunately that means they're still there.

 Sleep?

This was a long week for a lot of reasons. I've be so completely exhausted both physically and mentally/emotionally. However, on Wednesday, I fell into bed around 7:30pm and (with the exception of waking up for an hour in the middle of the night) didn't get up until 7:30 the next morning. I felt so refreshed. I wish I could sleep like that every night. The next night I was back to my usual tossing & turning and being wide awake for hours on end.

Symptoms?

Tired and uncomfortable - pelvic discomfort/pain - sore in general

Movement?

He jabs me all the time when he's stretching out. He also has hiccups a lot and Will & I love watching the rhythm on my belly

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Still loving sweets and back to wanting grape juice again.

There's really never any food that sounds good to me. I can't eat as much anymore and am apparently a lot slower at eating according to Will!

Labor Signs?

I had some cramping/back cramping this week off and on but that's it

Belly Button in or out?

half and half

What I miss?

Sleeping on my stomach; being able to get around easily/walk fast!

What I am looking forward to?

Being full term in one day!

Working on the nursery tomorrow

Best moment of the week?

We had a great last baby shower last Sunday - I'll hopefully be posting photos of that soon

Good news at the doc today (see below for details)

Daddy’s feeling?

"I really can't believe that Crew is almost here. It seems like yesterday that we were announcing we were pregnant. I can't believe I'm about to be a Dad with the most wonderful Mom and wife in the world. It's all just so amazing. God is good!"

I'm feeling?

^ Emotional after reading that! ^

Better after my appointment today. I am not dilated, but I'm 50-60% effaced. According to my doc, effacement comes first, then dilation. Effacement is also the culprit of my back cramping. I was happy to hear I had made some progress after this long week. He gave me his phone numbers just in case we were to need him after hours.

Also, have I mentioned before how thankful I am for Will?? He has been so sweet to me this week (like he is every week). I was so emotional this week as well as tired and just achy. He has consoled me and taken such good care of me. I got a good one!

35 weeks

Our due date is exactly one month from today. WOW.

Also, I think my belly is just getting pointier and pointier!

How far along are you?

35 weeks!

How big is Baby?

He's the size of a coconut - He's about as long as he'll get before being born, but he'll put on at least a pound of fat before birth - His kidneys are fully developed

Weight Gain?

27lbs

 Gender?

a sweet boy

Maternity Clothes?

Yes, and some of them are too little now!

Stretch Marks?

Well...I think I've noticed the beginning of a few on the right/underneath side of my belly. So sad!
My belly has been really itchy lately so I'm trying hard not to scratch it!

 Sleep?

Still struggling with being uncomfortable and restless legs every night. My hips always hurt from sleeping on my side. Almost every night I just lie in bed going through our to-do list before Crew comes or even my work to-do list before Crew comes. I don't mind being kept awake by Crew, but I get mad at myself for losing sleep over work.
For some reason, I slept SO GOOD in Nashville on the first night of our babymoon. The bed, cold room temp, and down comforter made the perfect combo. I wish I could sleep like that every night!

Symptoms?

Just a general feeling of being so tired and uncomfortable all the time!

Back/rib pain, acid reflux, pelvic/groin pain

Movement?

Yes, his movements are less of the "kicking" feeling and more stretching and jabbing

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Neither

Labor Signs?

not yet... I got nervous on the babymoon because I started having bad cramps when we were out shopping one day, but luckily it went away after going back to the hotel and lying down for a while.

Belly Button in or out?

half and half

What I miss?

Sleeping on my stomach

What I am looking forward to?

Our third and final baby shower is this weekend!

His nursery rug should be here next week

Finishing the nursery
Doctor appointment today...hopefully I'll find out if things have progressed since last time I was there

Best moment of the week?

Our babymoon was so great!

Daddy’s feeling?
"Almost time for Crew! I can't say how excited I am for little man to be here. It's going to be awesome!"

I'm feeling?

I'm tired of being pregnant and just want Crew to be here! I'm just so sore/achy all the time and move so slow. I've been crying a lot again too. Something totally random/unrelated to pregnancy can happen and I'll just start crying because of being uncomfortable/in pain/frustrated with being pregnant. (I know, makes zero sense.) Poor Will.

Check out weeks 12-34 bumpdates here!

34 weeks

How far along are you?

34 weeks! Woohoo!

How big is Baby?

He's the size of a butternut squash (I'm really getting tired of all the squash references...) - He can recognize songs now, which means I'm sure he'll be VERY used to Will's voice once he's born! Ha! - He's somewhere around 5lbs 

Weight Gain?

27lbs

 Gender?

a sweet boy

Maternity Clothes?

duh

Stretch Marks?

None on the belly. Maybe I'll be able to avoid them

 Sleep?

Terrible.

Symptoms?

Sleepy all the time, shortness of breath, occasional swollen ankles

Movement?

YES, he jabs me all the time. I don't think he sleeps much anymore!

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Neither

Labor Signs?

not yet...

Belly Button in or out?

half and half

What I miss?

laying on my stomach - sleeping - getting around easily

What I am looking forward to?

Our babymoon!! Finally!

Still waiting on our glider to be delivered; also bought the area rug this week and am waiting on that to be delivered too! His nursery is slowly coming together.

Best moment of the week?

We had baby shower #2 last Sunday and it was great!

Enjoyed the breastfeeding class we took last Saturday and learned a lot

Officially started washing baby clothes!

Daddy’s feeling?

"Can't believe that we are doing baby laundry! It is a crazy feeling seeing all of Crew's clothes around the laundry room...it's starting to feel like he's already here. I get more excited every day and am hoping that he comes a little early so we can meet him! Love that little guy!"

I'm feeling?
I think I'm getting to that point where I'm tired of being pregnant. It was another rough week. Still having pelvic pains and unfortunately getting "used" to hurting all the time.
After our maternity photos last week I woke up with something like bug bites all over my back and belly. They were so itchy and I figured something must have gotten in my shirt. By Friday, the bumps had turned into huge red rashes everywhere and were driving me crazy. Saturday was the worst and I may have had a tiny breakdown before our breastfeeding class because I was so itchy AND had Google-diagnosed myself with PEP/PUPPPS. (This meant that the rashes weren't going away until after delivery...) I cried so much and just kept saying that I was tired of being pregnant and wanted Crew out of me. Poor Will for having to deal with me! (If it makes it sound any better, I have really loved being pregnant and have had such an easy pregnancy compared to most!) Luckily, as of today, the rashes are fading and aren't itchy anymore. Thank goodness. That was an answer to a hysterical pregnant lady's prayers! Haha!
As if all that wasn't enough I have been sick with a cold/sinus issues all week AND have been super stressed at work. Pity party much? I'll just say that our babymoon could not have come at a better time and I am so excited to have a long weekend with Will.

Check out weeks 12-33 bumpdates here!

30 weeks

How far along are you?

30 weeks - I can't believe he will be here in 10 weeks or less. Wow.

How big is Baby?

He is the length of a large cucumber (though I've never seen a cucumber this large) - He measures between 15.2 and 16.7 inches and weighs somewhere around 3 pounds - His wrinkly skin is smoothing out as he develops more baby fat - His brain is growing every day - His grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger

Weight Gain?

24 lbs.

 Gender?

a boy!

Maternity Clothes?

same ol', same ol'

Stretch Marks?

none on my belly

 Sleep?

Terrible...I'm so tired all the time, but can never get to sleep

Symptoms?

Headaches are back - back stiffness/achiness - my legs and hips have also been really sore in the mornings - shortness of breath - tired

Movement?

He's been very pushy lately! Sometimes it seems like he's trying to bust out!

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Still loving sweets

Labor Signs?

No - may have had braxton hicks contraction the other day when we were on a walk, but I'm not positive

Belly Button in or out?

I think it's on the move out. Crew has been pushed up against that part of my belly the past few days which makes it stick out more!

What I miss?

laying on my stomach - being able to get up/down easily

What I am looking forward to?

Getting the nursery painted finally and our upcoming baby showers

Best moment of the week?

Picking out a paint color for the nursery! Yes, you read that right. I finally decided on one I liked. It's about time.

Found out I passed my glucose screening

Got a bunch of baby  boy clothes from a friend and started organizing the closet

Finding the perfect dresser on Craigslist for the nursery to repurpose

Daddy’s feeling?

"Can't wait for Crew to get here! We have his paint color picked out and will be done with his nursery soon!"

I'm feeling?

Tired. Between being in the third trimester and changes at work, I am just plain worn out. I recently got a promotion at work which brought on a lot of extra responsibilities so by the time 5:00 rolls around, I'm just ready for dinner and bed. (Don't get me wrong though, we are so thankful for that promotion and how it's helping us out financially! It's really an answer to prayer.) I have so many things I want to blog/write about, but just have not had any time. I don't even want to look at a computer by the end of the day...especially not when I could be in bed resting with my husband and puppies! Hopefully I can get some posts ready this weekend!

I also discovered that the crazy pregnancy hormones come back during the 3rd trimester this week. Will was really making me laugh the other day. He was on a roll. I laughed so hard until I cried....but then I just started bawling. Poor Will. His eyes were huge and I could tell he had no idea what was going on or what to say. I didn't even know what was going on! In the middle of my sobs I just kept saying, "I don't know why I'm crying, I don't know why I'm crying..." Of course, we went back to laughing about it right afterwards, but boy can pregnancy make you do some crazy things!

Check out weeks 12-29 bumpdates here!

pregnancy has taught my husband...

If you missed Part 1: 20 things pregnancy has taught me, check it out here!

As I wrote the Part 1 post, I began wondering what my husband had learned so far from this whole pregnancy thing. I asked him about it and he said he could easily give me 10 things he's learned (instead of the 20 that I did). As he was writing, he did ask if he would get in trouble for anything he wrote. That made me laugh. I (think) that I've had a pretty good sense of humor about all the changes my body is going through so far...crying and all!

_______________________________________________________________

1. Don’t watch sad movies...or tell sad stories...avoid ALL sad situations if possible! We found out early that pregnancy hormones do some crazy things to the female cry factory! I try to sensor the emotional things that Courtney comes across, but sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. 

2. Get ready to go to Kroger! We have definitely noticed an increase in our grocery bill lately. Little Crew is a hungry little fella! The good side of frequent Kroger trips is that I always have a steady supply of Lucky Charms and it gives me an excuse to buy extra junk food for me!

3. Be a helper. Carrying an extra person takes its toll on a body, so men, always be ready to lend a helping hand. Some days Courtney feels great, others she can hardly stay awake. I've learned to just be prepared to help out as much as possible!

4. Be flexible. I’m am weird when it comes to my stuff and the space for my stuff. I have (or had) special little places for all my favorite items from duck calls to baseball hats...but with babies comes change. Since most of my stuff was stored in the room where Crew’s nursery is soon to be, I've learned that the time has come for my stuff to hit the road. Good news is I still have a man cave (garage) with room to spare!

5. Adjust your schedule. Courtney and I are pretty social people, but with lower energy levels and all that good stuff Courtney has found much needed rest by simply spending a lot of nights at home. I've learned that social outings with friends have to take second place to taking care of the Mrs.

6. Take good pictures. There is no greater misdeed than to take a blurry picture of a pregnant lady! For some reason about eighty percent of the pictures I take for her weekly "bumpdates" come out blurry, but I’m getting there! By the end of this nine months I think I’ll have all this photography stuff worked out.

7. Body pillows are AWESOME! As Courtney was introducing me to the body pillow, I was convinced that this was just a silly pregnancy thing that we didn't need. Well, it seems that most nights there is a battle for who ends up sleeping on the body pillow! Those things are incredibly comfortable. If we ever get a king size bed, I just might get one of my own...might even get a dog sized one for Remi!

8. Walk slow. About halfway through the pregnancy Courtney always would say that she couldn't breathe. At first I thought it was a "figmentation of her imagination," but it turns out that being pregnant really does make it hard to breathe. When we take walks in the evenings we end up walking a third of the distance in about three times the time!

9. Be thankful. For some reason, I have always been scared that we would have a hard time having kids. Before we got pregnant, we read so many blogs about people struggling to have kids, and we had so many fears and doubts that pregnancy would come easy to us. We have been so incredibly blessed with this pregnancy and the health of Baby K so far. God is so good and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think Him for the new life that He has blessed us with. Know that our sympathies and prayers go out to all those who are struggling with pregnancy.

10. Enjoy every moment. There are so many changes and expectations that come with pregnancy, especially your first. I've learned to simply let it all soak in. These moments are so precious and I am so thankful to share this time with my beautiful bride. God has blessed me with an incredible family and I am very, very thankful. 

pregnancy has taught me...

Oh, the joys of pregnancy. Some of them are exciting and fun, others are painful or irritating, but they all lead to one thing and that is the joy of bringing a baby into this world. Sure, I've got about 15-16 weeks to go until that happens, but I've already learned so much about the preggo life.

What have I learned exactly? Well let's see...

1. It's ok to say no - It took me a while to realize this. Our week nights are typically packed with going to dinner with other couples or volunteering with church events. I love all of those things, but some most nights I am just too tired. After a full work day, nothing sounds better than just relaxing at home and getting some rest. My body gets tired much easier now than before and I've finally become ok with saying no and staying home!

2. I never knew I could have such a high heart rate while standing still! Whew! A pounding heart and shortness of breath, what's not to love?! I can't tell you how many times a day I tell Will that I can't breathe. For a while I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy because I would just be standing in the kitchen when I said it or lying in bed. It's definitely been something to get used to!

3. Leg cramps are not your friend. I remember at the beginning of the pregnancy I heard/read several things about leg cramps during pregnancy. I didn't really think anything of it until the last few weeks. Ouch! A majority of my night in bed is spent either trying not to move at all or moving at a snail's pace when changing positions in order to not make my calf tighten up.

4. If you really want to make your husband (and anyone around you) think you're cray cray, cry about anything and everything. It works, I promise. Pregnancy hormones are just one of the things I seem to not have any control over. Really, I've cried about accidentally scratching my husband, Taco Bell, and Subaru commercials. Wow.

5. Want to play a game? Try mixing a full bladder with an active/kicking baby and see how long you can hold it. Really, try it. I remember the first time I felt Baby K actually kick my bladder. I thought I was going to lose it. Literally.

6. On the topic of bladders, I've grown very accustomed to frequenting any and every bathroom. Before becoming pregnant, my husband used to say I have an "iron bladder" because, well, you get the picture. But now, I'm considering moving my desk at work into the bathroom permanently with as much as I'm in there.

7. The baby bump is a hand magnet. So far, I haven't had any strangers come up and touch my belly, but I've still got 16 weeks to go and a lot more growing to do. With that being said, I haven't minded people touching my belly at all (because they haven't been strangers). I love my baby and my bump so I'm happy to let people rub the buddha belly. We'll see if I still feel the same way once 40 weeks gets closer.

8. Maternity clothes are the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. I drug my feet for so long to buy maternity pants which was the worst decision I've made. Maternity pants are awesome. End of story. On the other hand, why are maternity clothes so expensive?! It's frustrating to basically have to buy a whole new wardrobe once the bump starts growing. I've already told my husband that the next time we have a baby we need to try to make it so that I'm pregnant for at least part of the Summer since I already have Summer maternity clothes. I wouldn't want to buy a Winter wardrobe too!

9. People are opinionated. Everyone has their own idea of what they think is best for your baby. Sure, I may be begging for advice/help later, but this is my opinion for now. The major thing we've heard many opinions on is the fact that we've chosen to cloth diaper our baby. I've heard everything from "that's disgusting," "you'll never last," "why on earth would you want to do that?," and "cloth diapers are too expensive." I'm not going state my arguments now, but our decision is our decision. If we give up on cloth diapering later, then I give you permission to say a big ol' "I told ya so!"

10. You're hungry when you're hungry and you're hungry when you're not. Huh? Maybe it's just me, but even when I don't feel hungry and nothing sounds good, I could eat for two. This really just applies to second trimester because during the first I didn't feel like eating much of anything. I ate so much food the other day and felt SO FULL, but by about 30 minutes later I was searching for more food (cookies) in our pantry.

11. I've got the nose of a bloodhound. Will has mentioned that he doesn't much care for my pregnancy nose because I can smell everything.

12. Pregnancy brain is real. I find myself forgetting what I was doing and talking about all the time now. I forget words and lose my train of thought. Sometimes I feel like I have short term memory loss. It's weird and annoying and I just hope it goes away after Baby K is here.

13. Veins like to make an appearance during pregnancy. This is one of the less attractive things about being pregnant I think. I've got veins visibly covering my chest and some on my belly. I've managed to stay away from spider veins for now.

14. Nesting is weird. I had never heard of nesting pre-pregnancy. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened to me though. I find myself wanting to clean and organize everything. It's kind of nice being so productive though and I'm embracing it with my second trimester energy!

15. Having a helpful husband can make all the difference. Will has been so helpful during the entire pregnancy...especially during the first trimester when all I wanted to do was sleep. I didn't do laundry for weeks at a time, but there was never a time our laundry got behind because Will was there picking up my slack!

16. You will get a vertical line on your stomach, aka "linea negra." I had no idea I had the preggo line until a few weeks ago when a friend pointed it out to me. I didn't know because I couldn't see the bottom half of my belly!

17. You'll never want to sleep on your back more than when you're pregnant. Once you reach your second trimester it's recommended that you don't sleep on your back because of blood flow issues from your legs to the baby. I have never been a back sleeper, but I find myself wanting nothing more than to sleep lying flat now. I'm tired of sleeping on my side!...so are my hips and shoulders!

18. Good sleep becomes a thing of the past. I've always been able to go to sleep fast and to sleep long and hard...until about week 15 of pregnancy. Between the leg cramps, restless legs and my mind thinking about a million "baby" things at once, I don't get much quality sleep these days. By the way, telling your brain to stop thinking about things and go to sleep absolutely does not help.

19. I've got a peach fuzz belly. I don't think anyone would notice this "symptom" unless I pointed it out. My husband didn't even notice. But my belly has developed a coating of "peach fuzz" hair since becoming pregnant. Luckily my hair is blonde so you can't really tell.

20. Feeling your baby kick and flip around makes 1-19 all worth it. Sure there are symptoms that I would choose to do without if I could, but it's all apart of the gift of life and I will take anything that's handed to me for my sweet baby. Sometimes I lose sleep because of his nighttime activities, but it is all worth it. It just makes me that more excited to meet our baby boy.

Was this the longest post ever, or what? I'm sure I could go on and on but I'll spare you.
Up next: what pregnancy has taught my husband (this should be interesting!)

Weekend Recap - Baby Registering

What a weekend! Our Saturday began with Will going fishing with my youngest brother, Colin and me getting some much needed sleep. I was able to sleep until 10am! 

Once Will got home, we went to Babies-R-Us to register, followed by Target. Talk about overwhelming. We didn't really do any research ahead of time on certain items and that probably wasn't a good thing. Also, who knew there were so many different styles/types of strollers to choose from?! Yikes. Luckily, I think we've picked out all the strollers we'll need, including a jogging stroller for Will. We ended up being at Babies-R-Us for 3 hours and Target for just 1 hour. Our registries still need some work, but it was exciting to go pick out so many cute things for Crew.

We may have overdone it on Saturday plans, but it was still a great day. After registering, we had about an hour to rest before heading to dinner with Tyler and Amanda at, you guessed it, El Porton. After dinner with them we went downtown to the Orpheum for Rock of Ages. It definitely was not our favorite show. I actually prefer the movie over the show...that never happens.

Sunday was Mother's Day and I woke up to gifts and cards from all my babies. (a.k.a.-Will, Remi, Ginger and Crew) Remi wasn't too interested though.

We went to church and then met Will's family at Aldo's Pizza Pies downtown for lunch. Delicious.

My view these days

 Will spoiled me yesterday and treated me so special for my "first" Mother's Day. I woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls (which has actually become a regular thing on Sundays in our house thanks to him!) and his excited face as he gave me gifts that he picked out himself.

 I love that the bump is finally rounding out!

 Ginger is still mad at me for being pregnant I think. Can you tell? ;)

 This was one of the gifts Will got me and I had to test it out with Baby Ginger. She actually loved it which was weird. Will did so good picking this out! Can't wait till baby Crew is in there!

For dinner last night, we went to Cracker Barrel with my whole family and then back to my parents house for gifts.

This is my brother, Cody's, dog Montana. She was wanting a little attention I think so I took a pic with her. Cody is away for a few weeks with the Army so she's missing her daddy!

I am in desperate need of some sun.

 So glad I got to spend Mother's Day with my Mom and family! So blessed!

Nana & Papaw got this for Crew and Will loved it. I wonder why?

This cracks me up. Will's trying to push his belly out as big as mine.

For Mother's Day, my parents bought me the Snoogle body pillow. I was so SO excited. As soon as I saw it I started crying. Oops. They knew how bad I've been sleeping and that I wanted that pillow. I couldn't wait to get home and go to bed! I slept wonderfully. I only woke up when changing positions. I'm so thankful there weren't countless hours of me just lying there last night. Hopefully I can continue sleeping so well this week. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Gender Reveal Party

I'm telling you right now that this post is long. There's just so much from this party that I loved. It was such a great day and I've been reliving it since then!

Our invites:

from thepaperblossomshop on Etsy

A few details:

desserts || decorations || mason jar cups || tulle poms that Amanda helped me make 

Baby Kassner banner that I made || choose your necklace! || chalk for voting board || close-up of delicious rosette cake made by Bad Ash Bakery

pink & blue punch || shrimp cocktail || mason jar centerpiece in kitchen || food!

Getting in some practice with Harrison!

The beginning votes

And here's where I need to explain what's going on...

First things first: My amazing friend Kelly Ginn (yes, the same one I always rant over because of her lovely photography) was so helpful in planning the gender reveal surprise. I ordered a 3-ft. black balloon from itzwhimzeycal on Etsy, cut up a trillion pieces of pink/blue confetti and added colored sequins to two separate bags (with the help of Amanda again). Last Thursday after our appointment, we took the balloon, 2 bags of confetti and THE envelope over to Kelly's. She would be the FIRST person to know Baby K's gender until we popped the balloon on Saturday. Being a photographer, she had to document what was inside the envelope and I'm SO glad she did! Here's her photo...

I wrote the first part and the sonographer filled in the important part!

Also from Kelly

We LOVE the picture of Baby K waving! My brother noticed that it's exactly how Will waves and IT IS! Too funny!

Another dilemma I was having was how to do the name reveal. I  had been telling our families from the very beginning that we would tell the Baby's name once we knew  what we were having. And honestly, last week I was regretting saying that! We had been set on a girl name basically since we got married. The boy name was the one giving us some issues. We LOVE the name Crew, but just hadn't decided if we were going to include William in the name or go with something different. We made our decision on Friday...just in time! Kelly had offered to write the name on this super cute chalkboard that she had and we could reveal it like that. It was perfect. If you know Kelly, you know she has adorable handwriting so I trusted whatever she did! I gave her our girl name and boy name and she planned accordingly. So THAT'S how the surprise worked. A lot of people at the party assumed we knew beforehand because of the name reveal, but we didn't. 100% surprised thanks to Kelly!

The chalkboard - all covered and ready to go!

 I got these pictures from Kelly after she went and got the helium in the balloon on Friday. Don't pop, don't pop, don't pop!

 Now, my mom had been saying for weeks that she was terrified that the balloon would pop before the party and the surprised would be ruined. I agreed with her, but didn't actually think it would happen. When Kelly delivered the balloon to my parents house on Friday, they put it upstairs in a closed room by itself. Just. in. case. We kept it up in the room until it was TIME on Saturday. Everyone (60+ people) gathered in the kitchen/sunroom and we waited on my dad and brother to go get the balloon from upstairs. It was pretty loud in there until we hear this loud POP coming from the front of the house. Instant silence. And cue these faces... 

(p.s.-thanks Sarah for capturing this moment!)

No one could see where my dad and Cody were so we didn't know what had happened. A million things were going through my mind. Mostly, I was trying to decide if I should make a mad dash to the front of the house to see what color confetti had just popped out of the giant balloon. But...I stood there frozen. All of the sudden I hear people start saying, "Courtney, your dad wants you." And then I see Dad making his way to where we are standing and I walk to meet him. His has something light blue in his hand and that's when I lost it. I couldn't stop crying. I just kept thinking, "At least we can still reveal the baby's name." At first I thought he was handing me blue confetti that had just come out of the balloon, but it was actually a light blue tack to pop the REAL balloon with! Real funny, Dad! It actually is pretty funny now. When it happened, not so much.

From what I understand, here's how the conversation went between Cody and my dad:

Cody's walking down the stairs with the real balloon.

Dad's standing at the bottom of the steps with a blown up Ziploc bag.

Cody: You know she's going to cry, right?

Dad: I don't know if it will even be loud enough.

Cody: Well make sure you hit it hard.

So I had to control my crying before we could do the real thing.

Still teary-eyed!!

IT'S A BOY!!

If you watch the video you'll see that I didn't actually get to pop the  balloon. Will's excitement took over and he popped it right before "1." My arm just jabbed into air..and confetti!

  

And more tears...from Will too! I don't know if I even screamed or anything. There were just instant tears. Probably because I had to push PAUSE on the tears two seconds before!

So happy for a baby boy! We had been saying all along that it was a boy. (Except for about a week or two at the beginning I thought girl) I don't know why, but after our past two ultrasounds and seeing him move around so much we just knew it was a boy. This probably isn't a good thing, but we had been calling the baby Remi, Jr. (after our dog) because they seem so alike! Ha! Both so full of energy!!

I'm not too sure why Will has his tongue out here? Catching snowflakes?

We love our ICC family!

So thankful for all of Amanda's help for this party!

My dad giving me a hard time about his hilarious joke. And yes, I typed that with sarcasm.

Still talking about "the joke."

I love my baby brothers! And I know they're excited about another hunting buddy!

We feel so incredibly blessed after this party. Over 60 of our closest friends and family came to celebrate Crew with us. He is already loved by so many and we are so thankful for that! I'm so excited to start planning for this sweet boy!