You're One Month Old!!

Baby Girl,

Well, you are one month old now! I don't know if I am happy or sad about this.  You are definitely growing and becoming a "big girl."  This month has been the best month of my life and I can't wait to see what is to come.  Here are a few pictures of you at one month old....

Let me tell you a little about you this month....

* At your 2 week appointment you weighed 6 pounds 10 oz.  You had gained a pound since we brought you home from the hospital.

* You are 20 and 1/2 inches long.

* You love your paci.

* You drink 4 oz. every 4 hours.

* You have just started to sleep through the night - pretty much.

* You love to lay on Mommy and Daddy's chest to sleep during the day.

* You have started to become more alert when Mommy and Daddy talk to you.

*  You smile and laugh in your sleep.

* You sleep in your Nap Nanny in between Mommy and Daddy in the bed.  Early in the morning you like to cuddle next to Mommy to sleep.

* You like to get a bath.

* You do not like to have lotion put on you.

* You like your carseat and to go places.

* You are still wearing newborn clothes because anything bigger pretty much falls off your shoulders.  If they have feet in them you are almost too long for them now, but even newborn (some - cheaper outfits) fall off your shoulders.

On your first month birthday we went to get cookies to help us celebrate.  We also celebrated Christmas with Aunt Jenelle and Aunt Reagan (remember they were sick on Christmas).  They brought you lots of presents.  You got a bouncer, bath toys, vanity, and some seaseme street cars.  You are one lucky little girl!  We gave them a picture of you and it was their favorite Christmas gift!!  Here is a picture they didn't know your daddy took.  They are enjoying their cookies for your one month celebration!

Well, the month has gone by so fast!!  I don't know if I can handle the first year going by this fast.  We sure do love you and have had the best month because of you!! 

Love,

Mommy

Your First Christmas

Baby Girl,

We just finished celebrating your first Christmas.  You were all the Christmas present your daddy and I needed this year.  You are truly our gift from God.
Christmas was so much fun this year preparing for you.  Even though you were WAY too small to even comprehend and you slept through every Christmas event we went to, it was still fun to think about all the years and Christmas' we will spend with you in the future.

The Christmas holiday began with Mommy's family.  The weekend before Christmas your Uncle Dusty, Uncle Bogan, Uncle Andy, and Aunt Dinah all came down and got to meet you for the first time.  They were sick when you were born and didn't want to be around you or Mommy just incase they were contagious.  Uncle Dusty and Uncle Bogan stayed with us and had so much fun with you.  Uncle Bogan immediately wanted to hold you, but it took Uncle Dusty a little while to warm up to you (he isn't use to being around babies).  Don't worry, by the end of the weekend he wouldn't give you up to anyone!

Here are some pictures of you and Uncle Bogan and Uncle Dusty...

You also met your Aunt Dinah and Uncle Andy...

 Your Uncle Andy made Mommy very nervous the first time he met you.  He just "threw" you around like you were a football.  Your head was bobbling all over.  I truly just couldn't watch!!  Everyone loved you very much and were so excited to finally meet you!!

Your daddy and I took several Christmas pictures of you over the holidays.  They turned out GREAT! In fact, they are some of my favorite pictures of you at this point!  Here are just a few of the very many we took....

You were a very good sport.  You let us pose you several different ways and change your clothes.  You never even cried!!!  Maybe we will become photographers.  What do you think?  I know one day you will look at these and think we were absolutely crazy...but you look precious!!  Several people were very concerned that we "stuck you in a bucket."  Our reply was always, "Does she look upset?"

We also celebrated Christmas in with your daddy's family.  Here is a picture of you with Grant, Gracie and Nanny at Nanny and PaPaw's house.

 You got lots of toys and things for Christmas here.  You got an activity mat with a keyboard (we are put you on it a couple times so far and you seem to like to kick the keyboard and listen to it make noise).  You got clothes and diapers, rattles, books, stroller toys, and a laugh and learn dog.

 Finally, we spent Christmas Eve at MiMi and Ry's house!  You slept AWFUL!! This is the first night we have really had a problem at night with you.  Daddy and I were so tired on Christmas morning we could barely stay awake to look at all the things Santa brought you.  You must have been a very good girl, because Santa brought you a lot of presents!  Here are just a few pictures from Christmas with Mommy's family....

 The first picture is all the toys that Santa brought you.  The next picture is you and Mommy opening your stocking from Ry and MiMi.  You got a rattle from Lucy, and Good Night Moon and Love You Forever from Ry and MiMi.  These were two of Mommy's favorite books!

 Here you are with Mommy and Daddy on Christmas night.  You are already in your Christmas jammys.  And Finally a picture with Ry and MiMi Christmas night.

Every year since I was born we have spent Christmas day with your Aunt Jenelle and Aunt Reagan.  On your first Christmas, this is the first time we didn't get to have Christmas lunch with them.  Unfortunately your Aunt Jenelle wasn't feeling good at all and was afraid she may be contagious and didn't want to get you sick (this winter was suppose to be one of the worse cold and flu seasons we  had seen and we were definitely seeing it hit).  Aunt Jenelle was VERY upset she didn't get to spend your first Christmas with you.  But don't worry...we just prolonged Christmas and celebrated with her and Aunt Reagan the next weekend.

Christmas Eve and Christmas night we got to see Christen, Ben, and Mary Hyatt for a little while.  This was a special treat because we hadn't gotten to see them since you were born.  It was also the first time Mary Hyatt met you.  She was not a fan of Christen holding you at all on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas night she was a little bit better, but loved giving you kisses.  She kept saying, "baby" and we would ask her if she wanted to kiss you and she would lean over and kiss you on the head.  I hope ya'll grow up to be as good of friends as your mommy's are.

Well, even though you didn't know what was going on Christmas, your daddy and I had the best Christmas ever because of you.  You were the gift we had been waiting on.  And what a perfect gift you are!

Love,

Mommy

Your First Week

Baby Girl,

On Sunday we finally got to go home....You left the hospital at 18.5 inches and 5 lbs. 10 oz.

Here we are - leaving the hospital together, and in the car, finally going home!

 Here you and Daddy are getting out of the car.  And finally, in the house meeting Zoey and Bentley!

It is so nice to finally have you home and start our lives with you - now a family of 3.  Needless to say, it took a while for all the visitors to leave us alone and let us be a family of 3.  Your daddy stayed home from work for two days before going back.  I think there were a few tears shed the morning he had to go back (even though he would tell you he was fine).  When Daddy went back to work your MiMi came to stay with us. Funny side note - the day your daddy went back to work he found out that there had been a lot of students with the flu.  Because of the large amount of absences they were considering closing the school for the rest of the week.  When your daddy came home, MiMi asked him if he wanted to hold you.  He immediately replied no, because he wanted to take a shower before touching you.  This resulted in your daddy stripping down to his underwear in the front door that was wide open for everyone driving by to see!! We really appreciated all the help everyone was willing to offer.  They helped clean the house, put up the Christmas decorations, did laundry, and of course, held you!!  I don't think we ever put you down the first week, except when we had to sleep.

Your first week home was interesting.  Daddy and Mommy had to take you to the doctor the Monday after we got home because when we left the hospital your jaundice levels were 11.9.  The hospital told us to make sure we made a doctors appointment to get it checked again.  Here you are at your first doctors appointment....

Unfortunately, your jaundice levels had gone back up.  Since the levels were rising the doctors office called us and told us home health would be out to put you in a special bed with a light to help get rid of your jaundice.  They told us we wouldn't be able to hold you except during feedings.  Mommy cried for a long time after this phone call.  Luckily, when home health came out they had a light that went under your clothes and we were able to hold you any time we wanted.  The light was difficult to maneuver around and made you look very uncomfortable.  You stayed on this light for 4 days.  Tuesday your levels got up to 17.9 but were coming down after that!  All week long we called you our little glow worm.  Here are some pictures of you as a "glow worm."

 The first pictures you can see the long tube that came out of your outfit.  We couldn't button your outfits at the bottom because of this tube.  The second pictures shoes you laying on your tummy where you can really see the light from underneath your clothing.

Even laying on your back, you could see you glowing!

 We were so glad to see you come off this light!  It made holding you and changing you a lot easier.

Our first week home was a success!! You are a great baby - your daddy and I got very lucky!  You only cry when you are hungry.  You are a great sleeper at this point.  Daddy and I couldn't love you more!!

Here are a few more "first week pictures..."

 You are such a cuddle bug!  You love to lay on our chests and sleep!  You and Mommy cuddle every day!  Sometimes we cuddle in the bed in the mornings before we ever get up and sometimes we lay on the couch in the afternoons and cuddle together!

This is our first day home.  In fact, we hadn't been home thirty minutes.  I was very tired and just wanted to hold you!  You were so small you are wearing preemie clothes at this point!

Labor and Delivery

Baby Girl,

Everyone prepared me for this to be the worst experience ever!!  I had continually prayed that labor would be easy and we would both be ok afterwards.  Knowing that God was on my side (he had answered my prayer with you already) I went into that night expecting nothing less then everything to be ok!

So...once we finished running around like mad men we were on our way to the hospital.  We had a great plan since we thought Mommy was getting induced the following day, but our plans were now changed.  On our way to the hospital we called everyone we were suppose to call (plus a few more).  Everyone was shocked and so excited.  The whole way to the hospital my water continued to leak and the drive there, at times, seemed much longer than it was.  Luckily, I wasn't in much pain at this point so we didn't have to "rush."  Once we got to the hospital, your daddy dropped me off at the door and I went upstairs to labor and delivery.  The waiting room was FULL!! It was the night for babies (plus, it was a full moon out).  The lady at the receptionist desk told me to have a seat and she would be with me in just a minute.  (Side Note: As the lady told me to sit down, 5 men who were sitting in the waiting room did not offer to move or give me their seat, they just stared at me.  So your daddy and I had to walk all the way to the back into a separate little room.  OK that is my venting session).  I decided I was becoming very uncomfortable and sitting was not an option.  I went back to the receptionist and told her the pressure is getting very bad.  She asked us if you were coming, because apparently this has happened, and of course I had no idea!  She quickly got us a nurse and we were back in a room.

When the nurse checked me I was only 2 cm and still had a very posterior cervix.  I was very disappointed and thought I was in for a very long night.  I had told your daddy that I wanted to wait as long as possible before getting an epidural because I didn't want it to slow down my labor.  At 2 cm I had waited as long as I could! Your daddy tried to remind me of what I had said, but I quickly told him I had waited!!  The epidural was easy and it quickly took the pain of contractions away.  I thought the contractions would get increasingly worse, but they hit and they hit hard!!

After getting the epidural, the nurse checked me again and I was 5 cm and my cervix had moved forward.  By this time your MiMi, Ry, Nanny, Papaw, Aunt Jenelle, and Aunt Reagan were all at the hospital and waiting to meet you.  About an hour later I was 8 cm dilated and the nurse told me she would be back in about 45 minutes to check me again.  If I was feeling the pressure worse to make sure I let her know.  As I was getting ready to tell your daddy the pressure was much worse, the nurse came in, checked me, and told me I was 10 cm and ready to push.

Once the doctor came in it was time to push.  Once I started pushing you became distressed and Mommy had to have oxygen.  The nurses and doctor were great and had me lay on my side to help you when I was having contractions and they inserted an internal monitor to keep a close check on you.  You tolerated this much better.  I pushed about 45 minutes and at 2:17 am a beautiful 5 lbs. 13 oz. 18.5 inches long baby was here!  I quickly looked to make sure you were a girl!!  Funny - Your daddy and MiMi were sweating worse than your mommy, and I did all the work.  Luckily, I had another answered prayer.  Labor and Delivery was very easy and you are absolutely beautiful.  Here are a few pictures of that night....

 Here is Mommy hooked up to the contraction monitor and the heart monitor to keep a check on you.

 Mommy and Daddy before you arrived.

 The first time I got to hold you!!  

 Here you are after Mommy held you.  The nurses cleaned you up and weighed and measured you.

 Our first family of 3 picture!

After you were born, they cleaned Mommy up and took us to another room where we would stay for the next couple of days.  They got us settled in a room and placed you in the nursery.  Once we were settled your daddy got to go back tot he nursery and give you your first bath.

Love,

Mommy

Week 39

Baby Girl,

This is THE week!!!  By Friday you will be here.  Your daddy and I are so excited.  We have spent the week getting ready for you (even though we have been ready for quite some time now).  We feel, everyday, there are little things we are forgetting.  I really think it is your mommy more than your daddy and I am driving him crazy with all the things I keep telling him I think we will need at the hospital.

Monday I went to the doctor for the last time.  She told us we would get induced and to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. on Friday, November 30.  She checked me again and told me I was still only 2 cm dilated and you were very posterior.  She also stripped my membranes in hopes that this would make you come on your own.  When we were leaving she told us she would see us on Friday if you didn't decided to come earlier (she really thinks you will be here before Friday).

The remainder of the week I spent cleaning the house and doing small things to make sure when you got here everything would be ready.

Thursday night your daddy and I decided we would go get something to eat and finish getting everything put in the car.  We went to Subway to have one last meal (for me) before you came.  We called all our family to get them excited about tomorrow and let them know (for the ones that couldn't come) we would keep them updated throughout the day about how you progressed.  We decided that we didn't really want any family to come until around lunch on Friday in hopes that after we got there, got checked in, and had all the "tests" done, we would be able to get some rest while they loaded me up on pitocin to get my labor good and started.

After dinner, your daddy and I came home and had to make the bed and get some things put up since we would be at the hospital for the next couple of days.  As we were making the bed (and your daddy was in the closet putting some things up) I yelled "uh-oh."  Your daddy poked his head out of the closet and said, "What?"  I told him I thought my water had broken.  As we stood there staring at each other I decided that I would finish making the bed and see if that is what had really happened.  Unfortunately, I didn't finish making the bed because my water did indeed break!!  I just stood in the bedroom looking around while your daddy was running around like a mad man!  I wish we had a video of this time, because it would provide you with a lot of laughter later on!  Needless to say, all that planning was now out the window and we were quickly on our way to the hospital.

Here is one last picture of Mommy pregnant.  It is a little blurry (we were trying to figure out the new camera, but it's the last picture we took).  You can see the bed isn't made and that is what I was getting ready to do!

Stay tuned...next post....labor and delivery!

Love, 

Mommy

Weeks 37 and 38

Baby Girl,

These two weeks have been spent preparing for you!  The doctor told me at my 37 week appointment she would definitely induce me at 39 weeks if you hadn't made your debut by then.  I am very excited about this because I really want her to be the one to deliver you. I won't go back to the doctor again until the end of 38 weeks because of Thanksgiving.

Week 38 is Thanksgiving week.  The week started out with a baby shower given by your daddy's school.  They decided not to tell your daddy, but let me know so I could be there.  It was very sweet.  The nurse made strawberry cupcakes for the whole 6th grade!  We got every class out there, then called your daddy's class out there.  He was very surprised to see me and everything that the school had done for us.  They have been prayer warriors throughout this journey and we are so thankful for every one of them.  One of his student's mom made you a cute sack and cap!



Because we didn't know what you would decide to do, we decided not to spend Thanksgiving with your Daddy's family.  We would just be too far away from the hospital, and didn't think this would be a good idea since you were so close to being here.  We did get to spend Thanksgiving with my family and had a very non-traditional Thanksgiving lunch.  It was delicious though!  The doctor made sure to tell me not to eat too much because my digestion just wouldn't allow it this year.

Things have really started to change this week.  I am very uncomfortable!!  I cannot sleep at all.  If my sides aren't hurting, my back hurts...you must be way back there.  If my back doesn't hurt, my stomach is rumbling!  I get up most nights to get a snack around 2 or 3 a.m.  I like to eat fruit cups, crackers, waffles, or cinnamon applesauce.  This will typically do the trick and I can go back to sleep within an hour or so.  I have become increasingly tired but try very hard not to sleep during the day.  Sometimes I fall asleep though right before your daddy comes home.  My rings will no longer fit, and most of the time I stay in my pjs unless I have to get out and go somewhere.

Here is a look back at pregnancy.....(these are the only ones Daddy downloaded.  I will have to add the others later)

 Well, it won't be long now (hopefully).  At least we know you will for sure be here by 11/30.

Love,
Mommy

Week 36

Baby Girl,

Your daddy and I can't believe you've made it to (what is considered) full term!! This is what we have prayed for since week 26 when Mommy went in to preterm labor with you.  Not much really to tell you about this week.  I have gotten out and tried to walk more in hopes that you would want to come into the world - but no such luck!

At the doctors appointment this week she was so excited you were still in Mommy's belly!  I asked her about getting induced and she said she would consider it, but that I can not get induced until I am at least 39 weeks.  I am becoming more uncomfortable carrying you and am not sleeping well.  You are still pretty active for the most part.  If you are not moving I like to eat something sweet and drink a coke and that will typically get you going again.  I will miss your movement the most after I have you. 

This week your daddy and I had maternity pictures made.  It was so much fun and will be such a great memory of the times you spent in Mommy's tummy.  I can't wait to show you these pictures someday!

Love,
Mommy