Mason's First Halloween

We celebrated Mason's first Halloween with lots of family and friends!
My little pumpkin was a cutie!

Mason was not thrilled with his costume

Trick-or-treating...

...with Daddy

Kennidy as an American Girl doll, "Kit"

Family picture

Luke as a"Cowboy"

Some of the crew...Trick-or-Treating

Mason was tuckered out!

The babes of 2010 (minus Keagan):
Mia, Mason and Joseph

Best buddies:)

Bre and Joseph

The Trick-or-Treaters

Luke decided to get started on his candy

Grandma and Mason

(I love this picture:)

One of my best friends, Wendy and her two little boys, Cameron and Cooper

Cooper loves Mason

Cameron loves Mason

Mason's candy that Mommy and Daddy get to eat!

Bedtime for our little pumpkin:)

Warmest,

1 Month (Oct. 17, 2010)

I really can not believe that my little man is already 1 month old. Jeff thinks it's funny, but every time I look at the pictures from the day he was born I get teary eyed. I wonder how bad I will be when he is 1 year old...or even when he gets married?.?.? I love this little guy more than I even thought was possible.

1 MONTH With Mason
Weight: 10 lbs. 3 oz.
Length: 21 inches long

*Mason had his first bath
*Mason smiles...and I don't think it is gas:)
*He is starting to "coo"
*He is sleeping in his crib
*He gets up to eat 3-4 times a night
*Nursing like a pro:)
*Usually doesn't take a paci
*Loves his swing
*Likes to be rocked to sleep
*Likes for Mommy to read "Goodnight Moon" before bed
*Loves, loves, loves his mobile
*We use a sound machine at night and he seems to like it!
*He likes to play on his playmat
*Grunts and stretches more than any kid I have ever been around
*He will be celebrating his first Halloween at the end of this month
*He met his younger cousin Joseph (5 days younger:), his other cousin Avery, and his 91 year old great-grandmother for the first time
*Mason got to go to church for the first time at Mommy's church she grew up in and also Mommy and Daddy's current church
*Celebrated with Mommy on her first birthday as a mother:)

Warmest,

The Story of Mason's Entrance Into the World

Okay...so every soon-to-be mother probably thinks a lot about D-day. I was definitely one of those women, however, it was hard to prepare for something that I had never experienced. So, being the planner that I am, Jeff and I attended birthing classes, asked other mothers for advice and even asked very specific questions about signs of labor. I thought that I was pretty well prepared, but there was one little thing no one told me about...here is the story...

So, it was Thursday (Sept. 16th) and Jeff and I were on our way back from our last doctor's appointment. We had talked with the doc and were all set for an induction early Monday morning. I dropped Jeff off at baseball practice and headed home to use my new Shark Steam Mop! When I got home I was so tired that I decided to take a short nap. After my nap one of my best friends called me and I remember telling her that I didn't feel so well. After I got off the phone with her I called my mom and asked her to come over and sit with me because I believed I had been food poisoned from something I had eaten for lunch. As I was waiting on my mom to get to my house I decided to see if the tightness and stomach cramps were consistent enough to maybe be contractions. I timed the pain for about 30 minutes and the stomach cramps were about 13 minutes apart. After that, I just thought that I was getting a stomach virus. When my mom finally arrived I became sicker and sicker. After about an hour I began throwing up and we decided to call Jeff at practice (this was about 8:00 PM). I started timing the pain again and this time they were 4-5 minutes apart and lasting for about a minute. When I talked to Jeff and told him what was going on he told me to call the doctor. Needless to say, after talking to the doctor he concluded that I was in labor. So, I called Jeff back and told him to come home that I needed to go to the hospital (which was about 2 hours away). When Jeff got home, my dad came and joined my mom and we were on our way to the hospital. The trip there was one of the worse ever. I don't ever remember being that sick in my entire life. I lost count of the number of times I got sick on our way...the 2 hours felt like 4! Finally, we made it there and they took me straight to Triage. Still, I was not convinced I was in labor...I continued to believe I had been food poisoned or I was getting a stomach virus. After the nurse hooked me up to the monitors it became a fact that I was in labor. To make a long story short, Mason's heartbeat dropped several times while I was in Triage and one of the doctors on call came in and told us that we would be staying the night (this was 1:00 AM). Jeff and I didn't mind because we were worried about Mason and I was dehydrated from being so sick. They moved me into a Labor and Delivery room and saw my regular doctor the next morning. Throughout the night Mason's heartbeat dropped several more times and everyone seemed to be concerned. When me doctor arrived promptly at 7:00 AM he weighed the pros and cons of a normal birth verses and C-section and told us that a C-section would be better for Mason. So without hesitation, Jeff and I decided that would be what we would do. At 10:45 AM they took me in to do a spinal block and at 11:28 AM Jeff and I heard the most beautiful sound we have ever heard...our son crying.

Truly, there are no words to describe the feeling when you hear your child for the first time. He was beautiful...and perfect. I remember Jeff telling me that he was ours...I will never forget that moment. The best moment of my life:)

BTW...no one told me that labor could feel like you have a stomach virus!

Warmest,