Welcome Rya Diane Balent

Rya Diane Balent joined our family on November 17th 2008 at 1:03 PM weighing 9lbs 4ozs and measuring 20 ½ inches long. She was delivered via scheduled c-section (a lot easier and less panic than Currier's emergency c-section!) by Dr. Geier at the East Cooper Regional Medical Center.

We chose the name "Rya Diane" because I liked the name Riley (a nice Irish name) and Trent liked the name Raya (Hebrew for 'light') so we compromised and named her Rya. Diane was my late mother's name so naturally we honored her.

We knew Rya was going to be a big baby but we had no idea that I was giving birth to a third grader! At 9lbs 4ozs, she was just 2oz shy of Currier's birth weight.

Currier is thrilled to have a baby sister. He wants to hold her, kiss her, hug her and give her Eskimo kisses. So far he's been really gentle with her. Let's hope he stays that way!

Trent's parents, Mimi and Papi, came up from Florida to be here for the birth of their eighth grandchild and to take care of Currier during our 4 day hospital stay. Thank you Mimi and Papi!

Rya shares her birthday with both of her grandfathers, Papi Balent and Papa Currier. We had a little birthday celebration to honor the BIG day. Currier now associates hospitals with ice cream cake and party hats!

And now we're a family of four (actually six counting Bruco and Paolo!) and we couldn't be happier! Thank you for all your well wishes.

Look out... Rya D. is in the house!

Finally...

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The big day is here! Today, I have a scheduled c-section at 12:30. My stomach is in knots with excitement and nervousness and I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that in just a few short hours, I will meet my daughter. I can't wait to love her! Thank you for your support and prayers. Stay tuned for news and pictures.

Touching the Moon

Over the weekend we took Currier to see Madagascar 2. It was the first time we've taken him to the movies since our move back to America. Once his candy was gone he lost interest pretty quick and only lasted 40 minutes. It was a disappointment considering the tickets, popcorn, candy and drinks totaled $50! Outside of the movie theater they had one of those bungee trampoline things and Currier insisted on trying it. Seeing Currier jump in fits of laughter and scream "Weeeeee!" made the $50 forfeit worth it!

The Final Countdown—7 Days To Go!

The Final Countdown—14 Days To Go!

Halloween Festivities

It's been a whole week full of Halloween festivities! First, we carved a pumpkin and the damn thing rotted before Halloween. Second, our HOA threw a party at the community clubhouse with a jumpy castle, lots of games, prizes, food and to our little fireman's excitement—a firetruck! Third, Currier's preschool took all the kids trick or treating to all the neighboring businesses. And finally, last night our fireman went trick or treating with our neighbors, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It was a fun week full of candy but I'm glad it's over—Phew! Now it's time to come down off this sugar high and work on getting this baby out of me!

I Finally Found The Perfect Job!

I called them and told them that I'm due on November 17th and wouldn't be available until the 18th. Can't wait to get started!

The Final Countdown—21 Days To Go!

Sushi Wishes and Blueberry Pie Dreams

I turned 35-years-old today or what my doctor likes to refer to as "advanced maternal age"! We celebrated with a big sushi dinner (don't worry I stay away from the raw stuff when I'm pregnant) and instead of a birthday cake we had blueberry pie—something I've been craving for my entire pregnancy but never gave in to it. Although I'm feeling pretty crappy and in the "get this baby out of me" stage, when Currier sang Happy Birthday to me my pain melted away for a moment and I was reminded that it's all worth it!

The Final Countdown—28 Days To Go!

Daddy & Me

Today was my last Mommy and Me class with Currier at My Gym. Trent is taking over for the remainder of my pregnancy and during my six-week c-section recovery. I was a little sad when class ended today but it's time to slow down and let Trent chase the monkey.

MERCY! Seriously, MERCY!

Don't let this picture fool you. I'm not having any fun at all! Lately I've been spending most of my time on the couch in my pajamas sobbing in pain, but I'm not about to post a picture of that on the Internet! I'm 35 weeks pregnant, ginormous and completely miserable. Last week I went to the doctor with what I thought was a UTI (that's urinary tract infection for those who aren't familiar with the painful pee affliction) but it turns out that I have freakin kidney stones! So now I have to "deliver" those babies in addition to the child that has taken up permanent residence on my sciatic nerve. With 35 days until my due date, I'm begging for mercy!

The Final Countdown—35 Days To Go!

The Final Countdown—42 Days To Go!

My Wonderful Husband

The other night after dinner, I asked Trent if he would please clean up the dirty dishes because it was going to take my exhausted pregnant body a little while to get up from the table. His reply—“Oh Honey, I'll sit here with you until you're ready to get up and clean." Isn't he the best!?

Last Days of Summer

Summer is coming to an end here in South Carolina. The autumn chill comes every morning but by the afternoon it's back up in the 80's. We're trying to get in as many trips to the beach and pool before fall comes full time.

And we play with the hose in the backyard most days because it's still Currier's favorite way to cool off. I'm going to miss our hot, lazy summer days but my pregnant body is craving some cooler weather already!

30 Weeks Pregnant

Ten weeks left to go! Hopefully that's enough time to potty train Currier, redraft the will, set up college funds, finish Bruco's obedience training course, go through Currier's baby clothes for unisex outfits, wash 50 loads of baby clothes, scrapbook two years worth of pictures, take a refresher course on breastfeeding, set up the co-sleeper in our bedroom, pack my hospital bag, choose a name for the baby, get a facial and a mani/pedi.

Big Brother

A few nights ago Currier crawled into bed with us in the middle of the night. Trent and I were both too tired to be bothered by it. Not long after Currier joined us, I woke with horrible lower back pain. I was scared that I might be going into labor, which caused my heart to race with anxiety. I began to pace the bedroom floor and cry. Currier shot up from the bed and yelled, "Daddy help Mommy!" How my two-year-old child can say just the right thing at the right moment baffles me and it makes me feel proud and protected. He's going to be a good big brother... even if he does occasionally push Bruco or Paolo off my lap and shout, "No my Mommy!"

Just Us

Yesterday morning Currier and I went to the pool and we were the only ones there. At first I thought maybe the pool was closed for maintenance but then it dawned on me that the kids are all back in school. It was wonderful to have the whole place to ourselves.

There won't be many more moments with just the two of us. The baby's arrival is coming up quickly and Currier and I will be sharing our time with his baby sister. For two years it's been just us all day, every weekday. There have been some rocky times when I thought this whole stay-at-home-mom thing was not for me and then there are days when we get the whole community pool to ourselves to act silly and laugh until our bellies hurt that make this whole stay-at-home-mom gig totally worth it! I'm going to miss these private moments with just us.

Preschool

Currier started preschool two days a week this week. We thought it would be best to get him in a routine before the baby comes and mostly I just need the break. I'm going to take advantage and get as much rest as possible before the impending sleep deprivation of having a newborn. Currier's already been going to preschool one day a week for months so he's comfortable with the teachers and looks forward to school so we're expecting a smooth transition.