On April 6 Grampa had back surgery to correct some pain issues he had been having. Mommy & Cason drove over to Memphis to be with Grama Tracey while Grampa had surgery so she wouldn't be lonely and worry.

Aunt Chrissy also came and it was the first time she was able to meet Cason in person. She lives in Memphis too with Uncle Johnny, and Cason's cousins "little" Johnny & Abigail. She had seen lots of pictures, but wasn't able to see him and hold him yet. She just ate him up!!

(BTW - Grampa's surgery went GREAT and he's up and at-em and back to his ole self!! Way to go Grampa!!)

Grampa Jerry and Grama Tracey came to visit us the weekend of March 6 and we had so much fun. Cason had a chance to love on his Grampa for the first time, and it was just so sweet to see. Makes your heart melt!! =o)

Grampa & Grama Tracey headed back to Memphis late Sunday morning after another visit. They brought wonderful presents (a Baby Einstein play mat) and some wonderful clothes (including a Memphis Tigers sleep-n-play)!! hehehe. It was great to see them, but so sad to see them go. We already agreed that we would come to see them next time & possibly go to a Memphis Redbirds game. Sounds like fun!!! Love you both so much!!

....and he'll be here soon!! Mom here this time....We're so excited, happy, blessed and overjoyed with our little man on the way..... We've only got a few weeks left to prepare for his arrival!!

Weeks 32 and 33 were so awesome!!

We've been steadily going to our childbirth classes at Baptist (our 3rd class) and we've had our EPT classes at church (ok well just one EPT class, and it was mainly just chatting with Dr. Johnson, but it still counts!!!) Our classes at Baptist are so much fun! During our 3rd class we learned about anesthesia, and breathing and relaxation techniques. We saw an actual epidural being administered and I have to say, I didn't freak out!! I was a little nervous about the epidural because I watched a video of one VERY early on in my pregnancy and that was just enough to make me panic.... but I got past it, after some scolding from dad, of course!! =o)

We also learned different methods of breathing and relaxation; breathing through contractions, breathing to relax, breathing to keep from freaking out that this child has to come out of you somehow!!! hahaha. Dad also learned how to massage and keep mom mellow, well, as mellow as possible.

Our 4th class was interesting because we watched a cesarean birth, but it was NOT what you think... they showed the prep for it, but not the actual surgery. The surgical part was more of a high-school-science-lab-type video; it was animated, but not cartoony... if that makes sense. VERY informative.... So needless to say, I'm not so much scared about that part of it either now. Which is a very good thing!! We learned more about contractions, and breathing, and what to expect when/if your water breaks and when labor starts. I really like Ms. Geri, our Nurse teaching the class. She makes you feel so comfortable and asking questions is easy because she doesn't make you feel "small" for things that you don't know.... She's awesome!

We have preregistered at the hospital, so that's one thing "done and out of the way"... hehe (Luv you Aunt Cindy). We've also registered for (but not sure if we'll get it) one of the premium birthing suites. They're crazy awesome, and mom and dad get swanky meals delivered and all sorts of perks... the down side is there are only 3 in the hospital and they're first come, first served. Plus they're an extra $$$ per night, that insurance does NOT pay for... but then again, it might be worth it to make the birth experience over-the-top! We'll just have to wait and see.

On November 12 (also Grampa Jerry's b-day) Daddy's group at work had a HUGE baby shower for him!! It was just too cute (we'll post pictures soon). We received TONS of gifts from all the special people that Daddy works with. The cake was so cute I could scream!!! It was a duck in a UF jersey with an alligator to the side - so adorable!!! Oh and Daddy also had a "corsage" he had to wear... it was a white hat that said "Lil Duck's Dad" with socks and a rattle attached.... so precious.... Just gotta love "the Judy's" and that whole group!!!

We received a bathtub, a bottle warmer, LOTS of clothes, a cute Gator jogging suit that he'll be able to wear soon, hats, shoes, socks, LOTS of handmade blankets and burp cloths and diapers. And of course, we received a biggie - our Carseat!! We love that thing!! Thank you so much to everyone for the gifts. You really mean so much to us and it warms our hearts to know that you care enough to shower us with such wonderful gifts!! Thank you!!

We started our twice weekly Non-Stress Tests (fetal monitoring), BPP (ultrasounds) and dr visits during week 32 also. We've been going to monitor the little guy to make sure he's progressing normally and to get measurements to make sure he's not too big, or too much amniotic fluid. He's been a champ!! At week 32 he was doing great, and heart and lungs looked awesome.. At 33 weeks he was doing fantastic also. He was swallowing and waving at us like he knew we were there!! We were able to get a few more 3D pictures also, so we hope you all enjoy.......So special!! God is so good!!

Week 32 was a big "growing" week for us... The little guy weighs about 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. He is certainly trying to find more room in the womb!!! I gained a pound this week which is great because I had been losing or maintaining my weight. About half of what I gain goes right to the little guy! In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he "fattens up" for his time outside. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz) and his skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up!! Here's a picture (estimate) of him at 32 weeks.

Week 33 was another progressive week for Cason. He's a little over 4lbs now (about 4lbs 12 oz, give or take 6 oz according to Rachel, the ultrasound tech!) and he's almost 17 inches long!! No wonder I feel his kicks all over now... hehehe. His skeleton is hardening, and he's getting really plump. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and overlap, to make it easier to fit through the birth canal. Those bones won't entirely fuse until early adulthood to make room for his growing brain & tissues. Here's an "estimate" picture of him at 33 weeks (but not nearly as cute as the real thing!!! hehe).