Week 35 & 36: Finishing Touches...

Week 36: Crenshaw Melon

There is a saying that refers to installing a baby's car seat: "If you didn't sweat your arse off, then you didn't do it correctly"... OMG, they were RIGHT!!! I put the bases into both Christie's and my car this past week, and i think i lost several pounds in sweat (don't worry I gained it all back... wouldn't want to loose my manly figure now would I?), but I beat those bases and wrestled them into stable baby-protecting submission!

Week 35: Honeydew Melon

Christie is getting around pretty well, and she wants to start walking again so that it will help Rylie arrive sooner... which would be just fine with us and the doctors, since tomorrow we reach Week 37!!! This means not only has she surpassed the size of a Crenshaw Melon but she is considered "full term"... this is fantastic because the odds are in our favor to have a perfectly healthy little girl! We'll report more after the doctor tomorrow.

We also got the proofs for our Maternity Photos that we took at Engaged Studio LLC and being the internet genius that I am, I stole some to put on the blog just for you! Don't worry, we're buying a DVD of them all so its not really stealing... Anyway, here is a sampling of the pictures we had taken... Enjoy!

See ya,
D&C

Week 33 & 34: Craziness, and Maternity Pics...

Week 34: Cantaloupe

Rylie is basically just a large lump in Christie's belly that shifts from side to side on occasion. Her movement has slowed down quite a bit, which is completely normal (I mean, you try being a pineapple or cantaloupe and move around in a belly that is supposed to be the size of your fist...see why she's cramped!)

Week 33: Pineapple

We had another visit with Naomi today (in two weeks we have our last visit with a 2 week gap and we start going every week. Week 37 is a big milestone... it means that Rylie can come at anytime after July 5th and she would be perfectly healthy (maybe a bit light, but healthy nonetheless)... This is GREAT news! Almost there... also we found out some interesting info at the doc today that leads us all to believe that Rylie will probably come a little earlier than planned. Not so early that she won't be healthy, but probably closer to the July 5th date than the July 27th date. So we are half-heartedly hoping for July 6th, because I was born on October 6th and Christie's birthday is March 6th! That would be kinda cool huh? Anyway, Christie is doing fine, she just has to take it easy for a while, not bed rest yet (and hopefully not at all) but just taking it easy.

In other news... We took Maternity pictures on Saturday! This was pretty cool and we got some unbelievable shots (I think, we didn't see them yet, but the poses are great) This is Part 1 of a 4 Part series including the Maternity session, Newborn session, 6 month session, and First Birthday session! So we will have plenty of professional photos of her, plus the millions that I will take with my new camera!

Until next week,
D&C

Week 30, 31...& 32: Shower #2... Ready for Rylie

Hello people of the Internet...

Week 30: Cabbage

I know its been a really really long time since I posted anything and there are no excuses for that. So I apologize. We've been prepping 3 rooms of our house for texturing where previously there was wallpaper (we both HATE wallpaper and our house is 100% wallpaper free now) Also, and I don't know if you guys have heard yet, but Christie is 8 months pregnant and can't do as much as she used to (which was a lot) so I'm picking up some of the slack! I've also been working a lot lately... Were those excuses? Nope. Those were reasons. Ha!

Week 31: Naval Oranges (Weight of 4)

I'm sitting here watching my wife's belly move around as if she was growing an alien from an early James Cameron film. I'm serious, we sometimes just sit here and watch the "belly ballet". It's pretty sweet! Scattered around here you will find 3 pictures of a fruit and/or veggie with its representative quarter... also, WTH is Jicama? I mean really... are they just making stuff up now?

We are about ready for Rylie to come now... we made a list of "things we NEED to have before she arrives" and as of this past weekend, we checked everything off the list! We also just finished all of our childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes, and baby care classes (I now know how to swaddle, bathe, diaper, and breastfeed a baby... woo hoo!) so we feel as prepared to have this little girl as we can be... I know we'll make lots of mistakes but that makes it fun... right?

Week 32: Jicama... Ya Got Me?

We had another shower in Tulsa, OK (where I am from) and it was pretty cool and a ton of fun. We got to see some old friends and family that we haven't seen in quite a while. They had a great setup and made it a "Summer/Pool" theme which was cute. Rylie had received some baby bathing suits from our previous shower and got some new ones at this shower... They were all hung under the fireplace Mantel... so freakin' cute!

We go to visit Naomi again on Monday (we go every two weeks now) and it will actually be Naomi seeing her this time, since she's had her baby and is off Maternity leave. We pretty much know that Christie is "all baby" right now but are kinda excited to see if Naomi can tell how much Rylie weighs right now. That July 6th "term" date is approaching... QUICKLY!

Here are some of the "Oklahoma Shower" pics...We will be posting pics from our "Texas Shower" when we get them.

Rylie's first Piggy Bank... Already has a decent amount of cash
and coin in it (like $10). Might be hard to not break it for myself... j/k

All her bathing suits... Hilariously Awesome!

I love this picture... In Orange is Christie and in Blue is
 my cousin Necia... both due within a few months of each other.

Some pictures of us opening some really cool gifts!

Christie and Rylie just taking a break...

I'll try to be better about the "once a week" thing...
Until next time (notice how I didn't say "next week"?),
D&C

Possibly the cutest thing you have EVER seen...

Without labels then with labels, just in case you can't see her face... behold the cuteness!

We're already in love!

D&C

Week 28 & 29: Mother's Day Numero Uno... and 3d/4d Coming up!

Chinese Cabbage...
How do we know its not Asian Cabbage?

Ok, first things first, Rylie has taken up a new hobby... Jazzercise! I know, I know she's a little late to the '80's but what she doesn't know won't hurt her... We'll let her down easy when she gets here, until then Christie will just have to deal with Jazz hands to the ribs and somersault kicks to the lungs.

Second things second, we should have some pretty cool pics and/or video to post after this weekend! We're getting a 3d ultrasound (the 4d thing is kinda dumb... it just means "movie") but it's still cool. Supposedly we are will really be able to see what our baby looks like... facial expressions and all (I kinda hope she looks like me so that she'll never date, but kinda hope she looks like Christie, so that she's beautiful...) Do I get brownie points for that? No? Well, I should...

Butternut Squash... now that's just funny.
So many reasons...

C) Our bedding finally arrived... and by "our bedding" I mean "Rylie's bedding"... so now the nursery is 85% done... We will post pictures as soon as we get all the wrinkles out and get everything just the way we want. Which leads me to numero quatro.

#4. We bought a camera! The Canon Rebel XS... and I love it! Just using the kit lens right now, but I will build up my collection slowly but surely... I'm still learning what all those fancy dials do, but I'm sure I'll pick it up quickly... sooooo, when Rylie gets here, we will have all kinds of awesome photos to post here!

As for the veggies this week... check out the pics! Week 28 is the cabbage, Week 29 is the Squash... She's getting pretty big now and we can see her different parts (arms, head, legs, butt) sticking out all over the place. Its really cool.

Until next time,
D&C

Week 27: Post-Showers and Collie Flowers

Our baby... and a quarter

First of all, for those that attended the shower last Saturday... THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! As soon as we have pictures I will post them here. We had a blast. It was really great to see all of our family and friends together in one place. I'm still not sure that I'm ready for all of the pink that is about to take over my life... I'm more of an Orange kind of guy. We'll just have to show Rylie how great Orange can be... right?

We have a little one about the
size of a head of cauliflower... weird. So we found out something kinda crazy the other day, Rylie is considered "full term" on July 6th!!! That is only 2 months away... we have way too much to get done... seriously! Hopefully she stays comfy in mommy's tummy until later in July (which is when they told us she would come, NOT early July!)

Right now, there isn't much more to say about Christie or Rylie... same stuff, different week!

Here's a picture I took with my phone of the pile of gifts that we were given on Saturday... what great friends and family we have! This little kiddo is already spoiled and she's not even here yet...

Next week will be here before you know it...
D&C

Week 26: Showers...

Not a ton to report this week... it's a busy weekend at the Byrd house, but not much "news" per se. Two showers this weekend: Saturday (today) is a baby shower for us and Rylie that some long time friends of Christie's family are throwing for us. They also threw us a couples wedding shower, which was a lot of fun, so we're looking forward to it. My mom and dad are in town today for the shower, so that cool too. They get to see the baby room now that it's complete! (Well, I guess technically Dad got to see it this past weekend when the guys were down for the NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway, so Mom gets to see it for the first time.)

Shower #2 is on Sunday, and it is for a good friend of ours, Ryan, and his fiancé, who are getting married in June. Should be a bit of fun too. Sunday night we will probably do a whole lot of nothing since we'll most likely be worn out...

I know I say it over and over, but Christie just keeps getting bigger and bigger, but only in her belly. The rest of her is just a tiny as it used to be. It kinda fun to watch. Rylie is getting stronger, and better at boxing. Christie says that she can definitely tell that she is stronger because her roundhouse kicks and left hooks seem to shake her whole belly.

We'll let you know all about the shower and just how spoiled this little baby is gonna be... I'm sure the answer is: VERY VERY SPOILED! But that's okay, right?

D&C

The Day You Have All Been Waiting For...

You will not believe what happened this week!!! I did something productive! See... I said you wouldn't believe it! I also have a new legend to discuss. It is: "The Legend of The Circles of Magical Awesomeness", some people call it the Legend of C.O.M.A., but I find that just a little weird so I prefer to use the full title of said legend.

The legend goes a little something like this...

...A long long time ago, there lived a brilliant young man named Devon... Devon was also known as "The one with great hair". One day he was able to attract a fair young lass named Christie to be his bride. This was not easy, because though Devon had the mane of a stallion, he was average in stature and a bit pudgy to boot. It was a good thing that young Christie loved such fine hair. One sunny afternoon, about 3 years into their marriage Devon, whilst wondering through the land of "Babe-ee-zarus" he noticed that a particular pattern caught the attention of his lovely wife. Circles, Dots, O's... Whatever they are called, they were loved by Christie! Therefore, "The One with Great Hair" devised a plan. Find a pattern of circles that a person might draw a magical awesomeness. This pattern will adorn the wall of the first born daughter, and it will be called "The Circles of Magical Awesomeness".

- The End

So I put these circles on the wall... then we painted them. Christie painted the bottom circles and I painted the top because she can't be on a ladder. By chance I took the pictures below after I penciled the circles on the wall and after we painted them... We just hung the letters to visualize them in the first picture, but it turned out to be pretty cool. I'll put a few more pics at the bottom of the whole process, but suffice to say we are VERY happy with the way it all turned out!

Until the Week 26 update,
D&C

Old gross brown color... Came with the house...

First Coat of Paint...

Finished Product! Circles of Magical Awesomeness!

Week 24 & 25: Pink, Pink, Pink... and Green and Brown... and Corn

Time for another double post extravaganza!!! (Or is it a single post with double the content extravaganza? I'm not sure...) We had a date with Naomi last friday... well actually its Naomi's friend cause she is having a baby of her own soon, so she's is out on maternity leave... I hoped that we'd get to see Addison, I heard she's the best, but alas, it was a regular lady doctor!

Anyway, Christie had the privilege of drinking a big bottle of sugary stuff, I think its called Glu-Cola or something, to see if she has gestational diabetes like Brett Michaels. So that means more blood to be drawn... This is one thing that Christie doesn't do very well. But she is getting much better, I must say.

Christie is getting even bigger and we can prove it by looking at the ripples that show when Rylie decides to dance the Nutcracker but with Jazz-hands inside her womb (that's the part we can see... the Jazz-hands)

So we had a couple of pretty big milestones the last couple of weeks... allow me to list them for you (don't get too excited)

1. We began drawing circles on the wall... No, not with crayons... with paint! And I must admit, we're pretty darn good at it! I'll eventually post some pictures to show how awesome we are at circle painting...
   
   
2. Rylie went to her first rock 'n roll concert!!! Bon Jovi, the Legend himself!!! She loved it... I loved it... Christie loved it! Christie wasn't quite as comfortable as Rylie or I were, but that's because Rylie uses Christie as her own personal swimming pool... and I was, let's just say I was relaxed and ready to rock! I fully expect for Rylie's first words to be a lyric from "Bad Medicine"... I'm just sayin'...
   
   
3. We reached Rutabaga status! Watch out veggie-babies... we're WAAAAY past the ear-of-corn stage!

As you can see, I have plastered representative pictures of our baby all over this post... thank goodness for my photoshopping skills to show you how different a Rutabaga is from a quarter. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, I didn't really photoshop a quarter into these pictures... they are provided by www.babycenter.com... but don't worry, I'll still claim that I did it... because I can...) 

That's all for now... see ya next week (or in 2 weeks if I decide to be lazy again...)

D&C

P.S. You guys have been very lazy about the commenting... I know who looks, and I know who comments... and right now there isn't much crossover... we love to hear your words of wisdom, etc. So let's get back to commenting! I mean, its up to you :)

Week 23: Good Friday... Mango Style...

Hola Friends, Family, and "Others That Stumbled Onto This Blog and Just Can't Get Enough Of It",

Today is Good Friday, which means that I am off work and Christie is not. Which also means, that I can lay around and do nothing all... day... long!!! Wait! What? I have to (make that "get to") paint Rylie's room?!?! Ugh... So much for relaxation.

Our Lil' Mango and her friend Mr. Quarter

I painted the crown molding (which I put up a few weeks ago) last weekend... some may say Extreme Procrastinator, I say Precise Planner... So today I will be painting the main pink color (Behr Pink Punch is what we decided on) and next weekend (or this week sometime if I get a wild hair up my tookus) I will draw and paint the circles in Behr Tart Apple (which is like a Granny Smith Apple color) and Behr Breakfast Blend (which is a Chocolate or Dark Coffee color) we just have to decide on the "design" which I'm still working on. An artist's work is never done!

As you can see, our little girl is about the size of a mango. I've decided to post the pictures each week now, and wouldn't you know, as soon as I start posting pictures, the fruit is recognizable on its own... unlike the fig, or razzleberry melon (I know there wasn't a razzleberry melon on the list, but I wouldn't put it past them to put a make-believe fruit in there one week.)

Christie is still feeling pretty good... getting hard to roll out of bed and her back hurts more than usual because of the weight of her ever-growing belly. We can already see where Rylie is by which side of Christie's belly is more lopsided... and her movements are beginning to show on the outside... its pretty cool!

Later,
D&C