Party at Aunt PP's House!

Tuesday, Miss Banx came to Aunt PP's house for a little while to play.  She must know that Aunt PP is always in the mood for a snack, so the first thing she wanted to do....eat!  I think she had more fun putting on a drama show for me on the couch than actually eating her Cheerios and raisins :).  She would pretend to eat, then shove it down in the cushions, then she would show me how "big" she is.  What a ham! :).  The snack only kept her entertained for a few minutes...for those of you that don't know already, my little niece is ONE BUSY GIRL!!!  After snack we tried reading...but that didn't last long.  Then we tried playing with PJ's toys, but they were too clean for Banx (she likes to put things that have dirt and dust on them in her mouth instead apparently :) ).  Finally, all she wanted to do, was to chase the "pup-pups" around the house.  I think Macee and Butters got their exercise in for the week from running away from Bankers!  Uncle Joe even came home right away from work to spend some time with Banx.  We just love having her around! 

3 More Weeks!

We finally reached our "full-term" mark at 37 weeks!  Baby PJ could come any day now and be born healthy!  The Braxton Hicks are still coming on strong, and PJ is kicking non-stop...I think he/she is ready to get out of my tummy :). 

Scott and Abby's Wedding!

Yesterday, Joe and I took a short road trip with Brook, Austin and Banx up to Summerset Winery for Scott and Abby's wedding.  It was quite the road trip on the way up!  We thought we would leave by 4:30, for a 6:00 wedding, and have plenty of time to get there.  Little did we know, that the winery wasn't right in Indianloa, so it takes longer than the usual 45 minutes to get there.  After stopping for gas and snacks, it was 5:00 and we were just leaving Osky. 

Brook and I were in the front seat, so we were the navigators for the trip (good idea??).  Austin and Joe were in their typical ornery moods, and it was just not flying with Brook and me!  It was probably best that Joe was clear back in the third seat and Austin was in the back with Banx.  As Brook is getting anxious to get there and nervous we will be late, the guys aren't helping by saying that it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes to get their according to their phones.  Finally, after a LONG car ride and quite the family conversation, we made it!

The wedding was so beautiful and Abby looked amazing! As Scott and Abby were at the alter, two birds flew over together...it was really neat to see.  Once the ceremony was done, the reception began inside!  They had AMAZING appetizers and a variety of wines for everyone.  For the dinner, the food was amazing and Abby had made cake balls on a stick--delicious!  We all had fun at the ice-cream bar where you could get a variety of cake and ice-cream.  This pregnant lady enjoyed the night to say the least :)

The ride home was much more relaxing than the ride up :)  No worries on getting somewhere late this time!  Banx fell asleep right away in the car and the four of us just enjoyed eachother in conversation the rest of the way home.  Joe and I love spending time with our family...especially with Brook and Austin!

Getting packed and ready to go!

Since we had a little "scare" last Friday about going into pre-mature labor, we started to get our bags packed so we are ready to go when PJ is ready to make his/her grand entrance!  I have been slowly gathering all of the things I need off of my checklist that Brook helped me make and putting them into my black overnight bag.  I have most of the things I need, so we're ready to go!

Our dog, Macee, knows that when the "black overnight bag" comes out of the closet, that means that mommy and daddy are leaving for somewhere.  She really struggles with us leaving her and certainly is our little drama queen.  So tonight as I went to add a few more things to my bag for the hospital, I walked in the bedroom to see Macee all curled up inside of my black bag!  She knows we're getting packed to leave, she's just not quite sure what for :).  Her world is about to get rocked once PJ is here!  Macee and Butters will no longer be our only little angels....our new little addition to our family will certainly take their place at #1 :)

Birthday Celebrations...

Thursday was my birthday, and I couldn't have been more spoiled at school!  Joe had a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to my classroom---several of my students thought Mrs. Pierson's husband is quiet the charmer :).  Then, my best friend Dena came to surprise me over lunch with a "sweet" bouquet of chocolate and balloons...and I can't forget the delicious Jaarsma cookies she brought! 

Mom made some of my favorites for dinner that night...thank you mom!  It was so fun to celebrate with Brook, Austin and Banx there.  Banx was our entertainment for the night...she is a very busy little girl!  Bankers even knew the night wasn't "all about her", and she didn't even throw a fit :).

The fun night of my birthday quickly came to an end once Joe and I got home.  I started getting terrible Braxton Hicks and bad back pain.  Our first thought...we were going into labor.  So I tried to toughen it out thinking it would go away, but it kept progressing through the night, and then making me sick.  Finally, after neither of us going to sleep yet, I had Joe take me to school at 5 am so I could leave lesson plans for a substitute.  Joe had called the Labor and Delivery department in Pella, and they wanted me to come in right away.  But having that Converse trait in me for being stubborn, I waited it out until the clinic was open so I could see my doctor.  Finally, we went to the hospital.  Good news, it was just a touch of the flu, but, the beginning stages of labor are vastly approaching.  The doctor said I'm starting to get back labor, so have my bag packed and be ready!

5 Weeks and Counting!

We are 5 weeks away from our due date of when Baby Pierson "PJ" is to arrive in the world!  We are so excited!  I have been PATIENTLY waiting for our furniture to arrive, but my patience is wearing thin believe it or not ;)  Mom and Dennis bought PJ's nursery furniture as our gift clear back in June, and we are very eager to add it to the nursery to make it complete! 

PJ has been kicking like crazy lately, and just loves it when daddy reads to him/her and plays music to my tummy.  PJ's favorite time to kick and move is at night time...so I have not been sleeping well to say the least!  My students at school can tell when PJ is kicking me, because it almost feels like I'm getting the wind knocked out of me.  The kiddos love going through practice routines of what to do if/when Mrs. Pierson goes into labor during class.  They tell me everyday that "today is the day!" haha.  Let's not rush this too fast :)

With only five weeks left until our lives change drastically, we still have a lot to do!  Joe has been extremely busy working on the new house, busy with work, and busy doing "honey-do chores" around the house...and I have barely had anytime to sit down and breathe with starting my new job (7th grade math teacher at Osky Middle School) and getting our baby nursery ready. 

We are so grateful for all of the wonderful gifts we have received for PJ!  We want to thank all of you who have been so kind and generous!  We love you all!