Home Sweet Home!

Our family of three arrived home today around 4:30 p.m. Feels so good! 

Jaxson Update...3 days old!

Jaxson is perfect and ready to come home tomorrow (Tuesday)! Mom is feeling much better and is being discharged tonight to go home to get some much needed rest with Dad. Thank you for all you support, prayers, and well wishes! We are blessed to have such loving friends and family. 

Happy Birthday Jaxson Arlan Maynard

We love you so much baby boy!

March 19, 2010 8:57 PM 8 lbs 9 oz. 21 inches

Birth story posted at a later date! 

(More pictures are on my Facebook page)

No Baby Yet!

Dear St. Patrick,
     Today we celebrate you as the patron saint of Ireland for saving the Irish through Christianity and for your mission work of teaching others and spreading God's word. However, we would also like today to be a day to celebrate the birth and life of baby Maynard. We have been waiting very patiently for his arrival and today is his due date. So any good labor signs you could send us would be greatly appreciated!
God Bless,
Shannon and Jesse

"Raining on Sunday"

What do you do when your waiting patiently for labor to begin? You spend a rainy afternoon painting and listening to music. It seems that Jesse and I have started our own gallery/art show. It all started last Sunday when we made our mantle painting. After purchasing some more canvases we created some accent paintings, and a special themed one for the nursery too.  

"Professions" (apple, hammer, A+)

"Maynard"( M and a 13) 

"Medallion"

"Little Builder" (hammer, pliers, screwdriver, nails) 

39 Weeks/ Doctors Appointment

Typically we take a belly picture every 2 weeks, but he could be coming soon and this could be our last belly photo so Jesse and I took one for this week too! I had very mild contractions all day yesterday about 15 minutes apart. Jesse and I put the hospital bag by the door just incase last night (wishful thinking). However, the night didn't bring any more progress, just a lot of tossing and turning. 

Today I had my 39 week appointment. I tipped the scales at 150 adding yet another errr 2 pounds, total weight gain...35 pounds all belly of course ; ). My blood pressure was a little higher but still okay at 138/84, and baby's heartbeat was great. The doctor did check to see if my body was getting ready to bring baby into this world...and it is! I am 2 to 3 cm dilated. She said that could change in a day or a week. So it's still a waiting game, but at least we got some progress.  

(I think I was having a contraction during this pic!)

Artistic Sunday

Jesse and I had a very artistic Sunday. First we sanded and painted the belly cast we made earlier in the week. Then, we broke out the paints, brushes, and canvas and created a new masterpiece for our mantle. Hidden in the picture is a big and little uppercase J (Jesse, Jaxson) and an S (Shannon). Can you see it?

38 Weeks...ready to pop!

All systems still running smoothly at 38 week doctor's appointment. Still packing it on by adding another 2 pounds in the past 9 days for a grand total of 33 pounds. The nurse seemed to think our little man is going to be quite the big man guessing he might be an 8 or 9 pounder. Yikes! My blood pressure was normal at 118/72, and the baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. So for now we're just letting nature take its course and waiting for baby to show us when he's ready to get this show on the road. 

P.S. Baby must of had a good growth spurt in the past 2 weeks because my first belly stretch marks ever reared their ugly heads just right around my belly button (which is fully popped out because our lil' turkey is done!). 

It's March!!

Wow, I can't believe it's finally March. We made it! It's what we've been waiting 9 wonderful months for... it's Baby Maynard's birthday month!! So the big questions is: "When do you think he will come?" So take a guess and vote on the side for when you think Jesse and I will become a family of three!

Soon it will be officially Spring on March 20th.  Spring is a beautiful time of new life in our family and nature around us. Jesse and I anxiously await the arrival of our little miracle as other signs of Spring are starting to show in good ol' Attleboro, Mass. The daffodil bulbs I planted in the fall have shown there way through the ground, and we've been experiencing some warmer weather with temperatures close to 50.

We will miss you Winter which blessed us with holidays, hot chocolate, cozy warm pajamas, nights snuggled in front of the fireplace, and of course snow plowing income.  However, we look forward to stroller walks, opening up the windows, short sleeves,  green grass and flowers, and feeling the sun's warmth on our cheeks.