Mark your Calendars for August 17th!!!

Carter James will be arriving on August 17th (no earlier we hope) around 12:30 p.m. at St. David's Hospital!
So crazy to think that we are only about 2 weeks away from having another baby. Wow! I really love the idea of having it all planned. I can actually get up and get dressed (no breakfast - boo) and have a bit of time in the morning before we head to the hospital. If it's anything like Jackson's birth, it was absolutely low-key and not stressful at all. Dr. McIntyre is always a joy and I can tell nurses and other doctors really enjoy working with him, which makes a huge difference. I've requested the same anesthesiologist (Dr. Allen) I had for Kylie and Jackson. He is also amazing and helped me stay calm through both of their births! He even took some great pictures for us:) I remember when I was having Jackson they were discussing funny commercials and other just casual conversation topics. It really is quite amusing, and then all the sudden "here comes baby!".
I am so anxious to see what he is going to look like! And those tiny little hands and feet that are just the most precious site ever. I really do enjoy those few days in the hospital where Adam and I will be able to spend some time with Carter on our own. Kylie will hopefully be there for the birth and come to visit a bit, but then she'll be off to have her own fun adventures with friends and family. Mr. Jackson will get to meet Carter when he comes home. I'm not too sure he'll be comfortable with mommy lying in the bed with machines all around, so we'll just spare him that experience!
The house is pretty much done except for a few minor things here and there and I've finally gotten around to washing and getting baby clothes, bibs, blankets, etc. all washed and ready. Still have more to do, but at least we are making progress!
Jackson is doing really well in his big boy bed and really made the transition nicely, thank goodness. He still gets a bit hyper at bedtime and wants to play with his toys or heaven-forbid jump on the bed (which has already given us one bloody nose). Overall, I am very proud of him! He has changed so much just in these past few months. He went from not a whole lot of talking to sentences so quickly. My favorite things he says are:
"I love you so much"
"Thank you so much"
"Mommy, get up" (of course when I'm still wanting to sleep!)
"Hi, how are you?" he says this in the cutest little voice ever. It makes me smile every time!
"Mommy, pick it up please" any time he drops something.
It's really funny when he tells Kylie she needs to go to time out!
He really has a sweet demeanor to him and is actually a very polite little boy. So proud of him.
Of course, he likes to play with things he shouldn't and draw on pretty much anything, but overall he is a great kid. We just have to keep a good eye on him!
Kylie is growing up so fast. She's had a great summer of camps and spending the night with friends. She even put up a "DO NOT DISTURVE" sign on her door. Love it! She goes in there more frequently now for some alone time, which I think is really good for her. She'll play with toys, write in her journal (that she locks by the way), or read books. She is going to sleep on her own now, which took us literally up until this summer to make happen. Bad parents. I love our talks at bedtime, so we still have those now and then. Instead of laying in her bed until she falls asleep, I simply give her a kiss and tell her good night. She is really starting to show her personality... sometimes a bit more daring than I would like, and she can be quite the drama queen. We have some moments of talking back or just a snotty tone, but she seems to recognize our disapproval very quickly. I hope that she will really enjoy having another baby brother and being a part of it even more this time, now that she is older.
I'm preparing to take off some time from work which is always hard to do. I'll work up until Wednesday to get ready to be out. Quite stressful! It will be nice to have a few weeks to not be so focused on work. Probably a good break for my brain. Although, my brain will be a little wacky from lack of sleep, I'm sure.

Well, here's to what will hopefully be an uneventful next two weeks! We love you Carter James and can't wait to meet you!