Little Snippets

Just a few snippets of what's been going on lately. I was vacuuming Wednesday afternoon and Ward wanted in on the action. As you can see, he went on long after I stopped. There's just something in the Petrey men's DNA that likes clean floors.

This is what happens when you let your children's imaginations run wild. Gotta love it!

Showers of Blessings

This past Sunday Karen, Molly, and Daphne graciously gave us a shower for Cade. It was a "family shower" if you will and was so nice. We ladies got together Sunday afternoon and had some wonderful refreshments including Kettle Corn (a favorite), M&, and cheese biscuits and white chocolate baby booties that my mom brought up. We had Karen's world famous lemonade to drink, of course.

Our refreshments. Daphne handmade the diaper cake you see as the centerpiece. She is so creative!
Mom and me. Yes, this is the biggest I've been with any of our pregnancies.

Me and my girls!

Mom gave us a new diaper pail as ours was workable but broken (due to the fact that I always overfill it to get the most out of the bag). She had actually already thought about getting us one when I called her and asked her to. The one we had (and wanted another one of) was only at Babies 'R' Us and I had gotten them to hold one in her name. That's something you can only do with your mother. :)

Daphne's present(s) were the MOST creative with them being several boxes of cereal and cereal bars to help with not having to "think" about breakfast after Cade arrives (and even now if needed). As she told me, "You know how I usually think outside the box. Well, this time I jumped right in it." So glad she did!

Some outfits for Cade from Karen

Our boys made an appearance to take a group shot near the end. We all grilled out together after the shower.

Mamaw's quilt for Cade.

I actually didn't expect one because she told us the limit was three. However, I'm so glad she made an exception. Isn't it beautiful, I mean, handsome?

The shower party. Candace and Julia Kate joined as because, well, they're like family. :) How do you like that profile shot of the belly? Impressive, huh?

Here's a public thank you to all of our family and especially to Karen, Molly, and Daphne for hosting this for us. We got many a diaper and wipe which will be wonderful and save us trips to Wal-Mart after the boy is born. We are so grateful for all of our blessings!

Creekin' at Price Park

After the night of false labor we decided to head out to Price Park and let the chil'uns romp around in the creek. Drew was supposed to go fishing just across the Virginia line with Dustin and Winston but with the possibility that labor was starting he decided to stay close by. I felt bad about it at first as I know Drew was looking forward to it but then we found out that after floating down the river in the boat for 2 miles, the boys ended up having to drag it the last 5 miles because the river was so low. I think he ended up getting the better end of that deal! :)

Anywho, Drew suggested Price Park so away we went. My husband was quite gracious to make the lunches and pack the car so I could rest a little bit. Mom was here, too, so the kids enjoyed that!

Drew found a little crawfish not long after we got there and had eaten lunch to show everyone. Pretty neat!
Silly Mary Fran!

The girls playing in the creek. We went to a different spot this time so we didn't see any "golden" but they had a great time anyway.

Our firstborn

A shot of the creek from our "resting place." It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we enjoyed the break in our routine. That night Mom watched the children so Drew and I could have a date. It was so nice...kind of a last "hoorah" before Cade is born. Great Saturday and a great Sunday came after, so tune in tomorrow to see why!

Dancin' in the Minefields

Here is a video for one of the songs off of Andrew Peterson's new album released today. Drew shared it with me when he got home today and it is great. We heard him sing this song at the concert we went to back in May. Enjoy and really listen to the lyrics as its a true and beautiful picture of what marriage is.

38 Weeks and Counting!

Well, today marks our 38th week of Cade's pregnancy. Went to Carrington and I'm dilated to 1 cm but his head's still not engaged. Not a big deal. He's dropped after me having false labor for 3 hours early Saturday morning. Kept me up most of the night but at least there was some good come from it! :) We're just rockin' right along cleaning and straightening here getting ready for his arrival. Ward and MF were both born at 38 weeks and 5 days, so we'll see. Of course, he may decide to wait until his due date of August 10th!
In other news, here's a video of Ward after waking up from a nap one day last week. Enjoy!

36, Now 37 Week Update

Well, that whole "I'll update tomorrow or Wednesday on the pregnancy" statement turned into a week long thing. We are in the middle of refinancing our home to go from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate as we've decided to stay in this house more than 5-10 years. Well, it all came together last week and I was busy getting documents collected, copied, and sent off as well as getting stuff ready for Cade's arrival and everything else that normally occurs in this house everyday. It was a busy week, let me tell you.
Nonetheless, we are still going strong here but I now have a 37 and not a 36 week update. I was going to try to get a profile shot but just haven't yet (mostly because I forget to ask Drew to take one at night). Without further ado, here you go:

• Last week at my appointment everything looked good. Cade measured 36-36 1/2 cm which is about right for him. I was dilated a fingertip and although he is still head down, his head was not engaged yet. I was pretty surprised seeing as I have been having a lot of pressure and more Braxton-Hicks. Guess it just means he'll come when he comes and making guesses or predictions is foolish! :)
• I'm continuing to walk for about an hour 5 days a week. I rather enjoy it because I see more people in our neighborhood (or at least their houses seeing as it's early) than I normally do running as I take a different route. I do miss running, though. There have been several instances recently where I've seen runners out and about and really wanted to join in for a few miles. It'll come, though, it'll come.
• Moving around is quite a chore and quite comical if you ask me. This is the first pregnancy that I've had trouble getting up from the couch or a chair. Cade is completely in my lap and seeing as how I have pretty short legs there's not much leverage there. Also, poor Mary Fran has been knocked in the head on more than one occasion by my protruding belly because, well, she's just right at that level! She says she doesn't mind, though, as flashes me that sweet little smile of hers.
• Ward's scrapbook is done except for one picture of his maternal grandfather and the page protectors. That's a load off! Cade's clothes were put on hangers last night and hung up and put away this morning. We will be in the hospital 48 hours because I'm Group B Strep positive this time so his outfits will be these: App State long sleeved tee on day 1 and Gamecocks jersey for day 2 and going home. We start 'em off right here!
• My bag is in the process of being packed. Most of it, honestly, can be done when I go into labor as it's not like labor only takes a few minutes. I know what I want to pack in my head, don't you know? ;)
• Everyday, at least once a day, from at least one of the girls I hear, "When's Cade going to be here?" or "I want to meet my little brother." They are ready and I think Ward is, too. It's so wonderful to know that our children are excited and not apprehensive about having another one here in the house. In fact, Evie and Mary Fran have told me individually that they want more brothers and sisters. We'll take it one at a time. :)
• I'm feeling good other than just the normal fatigue. I am thankful, though, because I sense the Lord preparing me for a new "baseline" as we move into the "4 kids 5 and under" stage. It is going to be intense and at times challenging, we know, but we know it is worth it and we have completely chosen this and are fine with it. However, there is always a "reality" that sets in at any point in having children and I'm grateful for a little glimpse into it now.
• Please pray for continued strength and good rest for both Drew and I. Drew has been working quite hard for the last several weeks and it can really wear on him. We are thankful for the business and know it will be worth it in the end. Also, please pray for an uncomplicated rest of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. We know these things are not just a given.

I'll try to get a picture or two up soon but won't set myself up for failure by mentioning a time frame. :) We'll let you know of any changes as soon as they occur!

Movin' Day

We've been busy. Really busy. Around the house. Most of last week was spent getting things ready for Saturday and also getting ready for Cade's impending arrival. Saturday was the culmination of it all. We switched the children's rooms. What was the nursery (Ward's room) has become the girls' room complete with new bunk beds for them. The girls' room has become Ward and Cade's room. This was a big undertaking, we knew it but were confident we could get it done in one day. We did but, oh, what a day! :)
I set to work as soon as the kids were dressed and feeding taking all the drawers out of the pieces of furniture that were to be moved and piling them in the den along with toys, etc. that were in the rooms and would be moving. Our den was a regular playroom, plus the drawers. :)

Aunt Molly came over to help in the morning so that Drew and I could concentrate on getting everything switched. We planned for them to be outside playing on the water table and Slip 'n' Slide but wouldn't you know that this Saturday a cold front came through and it didn't get above 72 until after lunchtime! I know, it was nice to have cooler temps but the Slip 'n' Slide didn't last long due to that fact. Aunt Molly and the kids had a great time nonetheless and we were ever so thankful for her help. Thanks favorite Aunt Molly!

Dustin came up to help Drew move the furniture because, you know, I'm not supposed to lift more than 20 pounds. ;) I was doing something and heard little voices. Then, I noticed the girls weren't anywhere to be seen. When I went into Ward's new room (the girls' old one) this is what I found. They told me it was their "hiding place." Looks good to me! And, yes, Evie is crossing her eyes.

Here are the new bunk beds. They're great and really sturdy but have quite a story to go along with them. They took quite a bit longer to assemble than we anticipated. Drew did most of the work (and did a bang up job) while I switched the closets, cleaned out stuff, put drawers back in place, and replaced books in bookcases. I did help him some and when we were almost done we realized that the slat that needed to be on the front of the bottom bunk was accidentally put on the backside of the top one. That realization hurt to say the least. Thankfully, Dus and Daph were having a pot luck grilling with all our family so we went down there for dinner and to take a much needed break from it all.

We were hoping the girls could sleep in their new beds Saturday night but it didn't happen due to our mistake. The kids all slept in Ward's room with MF on the floor in a sleeping bag. They had fun and, thankfully, the mistake didn't take nearly as long to fix as I thought it would. When the girls got up Sunday morning, they immediately went into their room to try out their beds. Here they are enjoying them!
Here are a few pictures of the switched rooms. I didn't take any "before" pictures, sorry. Ward and Cade's room has both the crib and twin bed. Ward will be moving to the twin bed and told me this morning he wanted to do it today, hence, the guard rail. More on that later.

A shot from the back of the room to the front.

Corner of the room. Had to keep the rocking chair!

Here are the girls in the bunk beds again but now we have pictures hung as you can see. That was yesterday's project.

On a side note, we purchased these bunk beds from Wal-Mart for $200 (on sale). They are very sturdy and well made as the reviews said they were. We also purchased the set of drawers to go under the beds (sold separately) to house the girls' non-hanging clothes and shoes. The whole set is really pretty and we are very pleased!

The vanity where the changing table was. The girls' room really turned out well. Actually, they both did and we're so excited! Evie told Drew Saturday morning that she was "deeply worried" about switching rooms but by the end of the day Saturday when the beds were really coming together I asked her if she was still worried and she said, "No, mommy, I'm excited now!" Glad to hear it, Eves!

In other news, Ward is now in a "big boy bed." I thought we'd wait until later this week to switch him over but this morning he kept running over to the bed patting it and asking to get up. I asked him if he wanted to sleep in there and take his nap in his "big boy bed" and the answer was an emphatic "YES!" Well, out came the guard rail and at nap time in went the Wardster. Can you tell he's pumped?

Here's the boy getting ready to go to sleep. He's still asleep now and hasn't attempted to get out. Of course, I told him not to and he's obeying. Way to go, Ward!

Alright, gotta tell this pretty funny story...

I knew I had overdone it on Saturday. I knew I would. That's just the nature of the beast when you're pregnant and doing what we did Saturday. Well, I forgot to take Tylenol that night before going to bed just to help with the soreness that had already begun to set in. I awoke at 1:30 am to go to the restroom (what else?) and slowly but surely got out of the bed. Problem was I couldn't straighten up. I hobble to the end of the bed all bent over and realize I won't be able to make it to the bathroom by myself. I call out to Drew and tell him the situation and that I'll need his help to make it the 6-7 feet from where I stood to the bathroom. As he's about to get out of bed, I try to straighten up again and am able to. After telling him it was OK, I hobble said 6-7 feet and promptly take some Tylenol. Oh, how I wish I could've videotaped that scene! It was hilarious!

We're all recovered now and enjoying the new arrangements. Things are getting back to normal and Cade is now welcome to come any time he wishes. Not that I can control that or anything. :) We'll be 36 weeks tomorrow and are in the home stretch. I'll try to update on that tomorrow or Wednesday. In the meantime, if you need a good laugh, just come back and read the above paragraph. You're welcome!

Our Fourth of July

Yesterday was a beautiful day to celebrate the birth of our country. We had a relaxing day at the cabin and then headed over to the "Big Petrey's" for a cookout. Molly P., aka Molly Stewart, had planned everything and it was quite a spread. Again, I didn't get a shot of the food and layout because I just forgot to. My brain has not been working well as of late. :) Suffice it to say, we ate plenty of food including BBQ chicken on the grill, grilled corn, all manner of fruit, broccoli salad, homemade bread, twice baked potatoes, and a red, white, and blue Jell-O type dish. For dessert, there was blueberry pie, homemade individual fried apple pies, and white chocolate covered pretzel sticks with red or blue sprinkles. Cade was very happy in my tummy!

We were sitting on the front porch and Ward really believes he is a big boy nowadays. Therefore, he had to drink the rest of my lemonade out of my cup. Yes, he enjoyed it...
...see?
Molly bought a variety pack of fireworks and Drew and Dustin were the designated "setter-offers." In North Carolina you're not allowed to set off fireworks that go off the ground and fly up in the air without a license. We didn't have one but you may in the improvising Drew and Dustin did in the videos below.
All the kids captivated.

As you can see, the girls immediately changed into dress up clothes after arriving and G'mama's and G'daddy's.

Mesmerized!

Drew setting off the "stobe light" firework. He wasn't quite sure it was going off as you can tell. :)

The kids were quite pleased and excited and wanted to give Daddy and Uncle Dustin some encouragement. This particular firework had a mind of its own and decided to head over across the street. Not good considering how dry it's been. Did provide some great comic relief, though! As you can see, when it happened, Ward felt it was his duty to tell Granddaddy all about it who was standing to the left of the camera.

A little more encouragement for our resident firework men. Again Ward made sure to explain what was happening to Granddaddy. :)

After our fireworks ended, we got everything cleaned up and PJ's on and got to watch the spectacular fireworks from the Capitol on TV. It was a wonderful day of celebration and we thank all the men and women who have made and continue to make it possible for us to live in the United States of America with the many freedoms we have.

Our Mountain Vacation

I have been MIA. Yes, I know it and am sorry. This past Monday, PaPa (my dad) and B arrived for a week at a cabin spittin' distance from our house. We ate dinner over there Monday-Wednesday and then moved in to stay over the weekend on Thursday. We had such a wonderful time! The guys played golf Friday morning, the girls got pedicures on Thursday, we ate our fill of a country breakfast at Dan'l Boone Inn on Saturday and then went to the Farmer's Market. We also watched spectacular sunsets ate like kings and queens at the cabin and just plain had a great time. I didn't get a whole lot of pictures but here are the few I did get...

Uncle Grayson and Jessica arrived on Thursday evening and on Friday morning they gave the girls a little surprise they brought back from their recent trip to Hawaii. That's right, it's a grass skirt complete with a coconut bra, flower, and hula instructions for them to share. Just wait for the pictures below.
Ward got a little drum. It has a specific name but escapes me at the moment. Needless to say, he had quite a time playing it!

Mary Fran with the new dress up outfit and...

...now Evie.

They all got shell necklaces and Ward enjoyed wearing all three of them to make as much noise as possible.

Yesterday morning, I let them watch a little TV and here are Evie and Ward enjoying. All three chil'uns had matching outfits courtesy of Grandmama. Before long all three of them were laying down with pillows beneath each head!

Last week was a full and busy week but we had so much fun with PaPa, B, Uncle Grayson, and Jessica. Thanks again, PaPa and B for everything!