Not Forgotten!!

So I have not forgotten that in exactly five weeks (hopefully not before) I'll be in the OR about to meet my third son!! Like in 35 days . . . OMG!! Things are just crazy busy around here and there really is not a great time to slow down and take pictures and reflect because there is just too much to do!

Last Wednesday on my birthday (3/7) I had an ultrasound and I had planned on putting his cute lil pictures on the blog but alas he had other plans.

Plans like refusing to move - he moves ALL DAY long and I was beginning to get a little concerned that morning because he was not moving at all but I think he just knew I was going to take his picture. 

Plans like keeping his hands in front of his face for the entire ultrasound.

Plans like being in a crazy position to where it made it virtually impossible to get a good picture of any part of him.

Baby Boy does have a name now . . . introducing - Aaron Ryan Brown and as of his ultrasound he was weighing in at around 5 pounds, 3 ounces (32 weeks gestation).  Currently, he is a cross between breech and transverse - almost like he is bending down touching his toes, which btw, makes walking super fun for this mama (yeah, that was sarcasm).

This week I finally started making some progress toward getting his room and gear in order and I felt great about that.  This rest of my house looks like, as Mason said this morning, "like the closet exploded over the floor," but I've got to let that slide so I can rest easy knowing everything is done and clean and in order.  Trying to get myself prepared for the chaos that will ensure while recovering from a C-Section and taking care of a newborn and two other boys! I'm tired just thinking about it!

Here is the only bump shot I have for the whole pregnancy . . . yikes! My friend Lauren and I - we are due 6 days apart.

Aaron - we are so excited to meet you and hold you and love you! Your brothers are beyond excited and ask everyday when you will be here!

Oh and P. S. Conner would like his big brother gift to include Ninjago stickers

 because he gave Mason stickers when he was born!

P.P.S. Your mama is a rock star and has already bought said Ninjago stickers so don't sweat it!

P.P.P.S. Your Mimee and aunts are rock stars too because they are stocking you up with diapers and cool new clothes and if not for them you'd only get hand-me-downs!

MASON DAY!

Mason's grade/class FINALLY got to take a field trip today! I was excited for a day filled with Mason - okay and like 100 other kids but nobody that belonged to me other than Mason!

We started the day off by seeing The Lorax and he allowed me to sit by him - HOORAY!! It was a cute movie.  All the kids got snack packs with popcorn, soft drink, and Teddy Grahams so that kept them occupied.

After the movie, 5 classes went to one park and the other 4 to another as not to completely overwhelm the park system.  I think that worked out great!  And at 80 degrees it wasn't too unbearable outside.

Mason & a friend

play time

granted this is just the underneath support system of the playground equipment

but apparently all the kids thought it was monkey bars or something!

leaving the park - beautiful tulips and handsome boy

we had about 30 minutes to kill before picking up Conner from school

so I suggested we put our feet in Mimee & Papa's pool which somehow

became Mason skinny dipping in the freezing water!

He was having the best time so I couldn't say no! It was a great day with my oldest sweetie.  Loved getting some quality Mom time with him and loved seeing him interact with his classmates and friends! 

Friends

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

I am so blessed to have such awesome friends. Many of whom I have had since I was a little girl. The 6 girls you see in these pictures have been through a lot together!!

Two of them just this past week suffered the devastating loss of their father.  He went to high school with my parents, his parents went to church with my grandparents, he coached all of us in basketball, two of his three daughters were and are my best friends, he owned the local convenience store that will probably always be known around town by his name and not the name of the store.  I do not remember a time in my life when I haven't known him.  When his girls/my friends moved out of town, I had a standing invitation to his home to swim or visit and to bring my rowdy kids.  That's just how it is with friends.

Yet on Monday I walked up their driveway very slowly so I could take a few deep breaths and put a smile on my face knowing that when I walked over the threshold it would be different from the other one million times I had been welcomed into their home. And my friends needed me (or maybe I just needed to think I could offer a little comfort) and I needed to hold it together.

And that's how it is with friends.  We are all still friends but we don't see each other as often or talk as much as we did in that first picture.  But Sunday night for visitation we were all there - a coordinated effort for all of us to be in one place at one time and us six "Gloster Girls" rallied around our friends and hugged and smiled and recalled memories and in the days to come we will pray and we will call and we will be there for our sweet friends - well because that's just how it is with friends.  And I'm one very lucky girl to have friendships that have stood the test of time.

Praying for my sweet friends in their time of sorrow.

Conner-palooza!

My baby boy is FOUR!! How in the world did that happen? He is so proud to be 4 and has been holding up his "four" fingers to everyone - like the cashier at Best Buy, random kids in the chick-fil-a playground, etc. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his Shapes & Colors when he turned 2 and his love for all things John Deere when he turned 3! And now it's Super Mario Bros!

We were very worried about the weather this weekend so we moved his party to my parents pool  house where it would be okay if things got muddy and wet.  Luckily the rain held off except for a few sprinkles toward the end.  The kids then declared the bounce house slide a water slide and all the parents declared they would end up with the flu!

Thanks for our sweet friend, Taylor, for making Conner's Mario cake!

Mason & Conner aka the Super Brown Brothers

enjoying some jumpy time before the party starts!

This has to be one of my favorite party pictures!!

Needing a lil help from Mom and Mason with the candles!

Conner was facing me with his back to everyone while they sang

Happy Birthday and I'm glad his HUGE smile was reserved for me,

but I wish everyone could have seen how happy their presence and their

singing JUST TO HIM made him feel! I was like the moon radiating the sun -

the smile on my face was nothing compared to the smile on his!

And we interrupt Conner to bring you FAITH and her ReRe!

ReRe was carrying her around last year at Conner's party where she

made her first party appearance! She has gotten so big and has such a

spunkly lil personality!

Conner declaring his undying love to his Mimee and Papa for his

"very own DS!" He and Mason have been sharing Mason's and he

was beyond thrilled to get one for his birthday!

Conner's actual birthday was yesterday and he went to school with cupcakes to celebrate with his friends! He got a big hug from his teacher - I love that his school loves him! I wasn't able to celebrate with him at school but he said it was a great day!

Since my birthday was last week we celebrated ourselves at Shogun last night.  The boys had never been and we had a great experience.  We went early and had our own private room and chef and table and he did a FANTASTIC job interacting with the boys and making sure they had fun! Conner, who never eats when we go out to eat, was devouring his steak and chicken like nobody's business! He even managed to eat his rice with chopsticks!

He got a booster seat for the car for his birthday and he was very excited about reaching that milestone! No more car seat - sniff, sniff!

Conner you are a lively little boy who never runs out of steam.  You think you are Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and we have all been chopped and hit enough that we almost believe you.  You jump all over our furniture and when you get hurt you are beyond puzzled as to why you can't do what ninja's do. 

You love being outside and getting dirty and doing boy things with Daddy or Papa.  It rained on Sunday and we were thanking God for the rain and rainbows and you thanked him for mud instead! You (and Mason) are both collectors of rocks.  People often wonder why I have rocks and sticks in my car and it's because you take rocks from anywhere and everywhere and make me hold them.

Besides being rambuctious you are also amazingly sweet and caring.  You are fiercely devoted to your family and do not let anything happen to us. You give great hugs and kisses and occasionaly you just lick us to keep us guessing!

Your favorite saying at the moment is "My do what my want to do," which usually follows being told not to do something - play with knives, jumping off bunk beds, etc.

But your little grin is quite infectious and you do not get in trouble near enough I'm sure!

WE LOVE OUR 4 YEAR OLD!