A visit from the Smiths

This past weekend we had friends in town to visit.  My best friend since childhood has two boys, ages 5 and 13 months.  My house was definitely not toddler ready...ha!  I guess I don't have too long until I have to toddler-proof, huh?

We had such a good time visiting with them.  No real plans, just meals at home, a little shopping for the girls, hunting for the big boys, and playing in the yard with the little boys. 

Then yesterday I got my house in order for the week and rested a bit.  After not napping any longer than 20 minutes at a time on Saturday (too much excitement, Mom!), Charlotte zonked out for a 2.5 hour nap.  She never does that!  Because she did, I was able to get my pictures uploaded.  Score!

 

It was a great weekend, and it went by way too fast!

A 4 month letter to Charlotte

Charlotte Ruth,
Sweet girl you are four months old!!  I'm sorry that mommy did not do one of these posts for each month of your life thus far, but I'm just getting back to blogging.

 

Last week we went for your 4 month shots.  You handled them like a champ.  It's mommy that is a wreck!  At your appointment they told us that you weigh 12 lbs. 10 oz. and you are 25 inches long.  That puts you in the 18th percentile for weight and the 83rd percentile for height.  You are going to be one tall girl if you keep growing like this!  Perhaps basketball or volleyball is in your future.  Let's pray you did not get mommy's coordination, but instead got your daddy's athletic genes. 

 

At four months you are doing so many things!  You are rolling everywhere.  Front to back, back to front.  You love to roll to your side or stomach in the crib and sleep like that.  We surely can't leave you on a bed or couch unattended these days- you will roll right off!  Luckily, that has not happened.  You are so active.  You love to play in your exersaucer even though your legs don't quite reach the bottom.  It's so funny to watch your faces when you make the iguana or gator make noise. 

 

You love to "talk" and you talk to daddy, mommy, your grandparents, the animals on the exersaucer...really anybody who will listen. One night last week you sat in your high chair while Daddy and I ate dinner, and you talked the entire time.  You have the sweetest little voice.  I can't imagine where you got the talking gene.  Ahem...pointing my finger at myself.  Yes, sweet girl, you get your talking quite honestly.  Mommy always had teachers tell MeMa "Emily is so bright, but she sure is chatty." 

Your smile lights up the room.  You can be so serious, but when you smile, it's beautiful.  You love to "flirt" with daddy.  When mommy is holding you, you will look over at your daddy in the other chair and smile at him until he looks at you.  Then you shyly bury your head in mommy's shoulder.  It is the cutest little thing.  You are clearly going to be a daddy's girl.  I'm pretty sure you do your best sleeping in daddy's arms.

Your eating and sleeping habits are pretty good, all things considered (like the fact that you have been sick for going on two straight months).  Sometimes you will refuse your bottle after only a couple of ounces, but you are doing well, overall.  Sometimes you suck it down like someone is going to take it from you....kind of like how mommy eats her meals.  You will go to sleep anywhere from 9 to 10.  That is the best routine for us to give mommy and daddy a little time with you in the evenings after work.  (You do sleep in our arms and your swing off and on in the evening, though)  You usually only wake up once in the night around 3 a.m.  On weekdays, mommy has to wake you up at 7:15 to get you ready for daycare.  This does not make you very happy.  You whine the entire time I am putting your clothes on and give me the stink eye.  It looks like you are going to like sleeping late, just like Daddy.  Unfortunately, with the oral steroid you are on and an ear infection, you are not sleeping well as of late, but we are hoping you will feel better really soon and go back to your good habits!

In your four short months, you have made several trips.  You have been to Yonges Island twice, Elloree several times, and Conway once.  You adapt pretty well to sleeping in new places.  Thus far, you've been a good dinner companion and you usually sleep right through the meal when we take you along.....strange since you don't like to be left by yourself when we are eating at home!  You seem to know the minute the food is ready and that's when you decide you will get fussy.  We've just introduced oatmeal by spoon and it is so funny to watch you eat it.  You must think you can do it by yourself because you grab the spoon.

Butterbean, you are the light of our lives....our perfect little princess.  You bring us joy every single day.  The past four months have been so wonderful, and we can't wait for all the future holds with you.  We thank God that He chose us to be your parents.

I love you,
Mommy

Introducing our sweet girl

I'm pretty sure that nobody reads this blog anymore, but I thought I might pick it back up for myself so I can chronicle our lives in order to one day look back on what we were doing at this time.

A lot has happened since I last posted on October 29th.  As you may know, I was 9 months pregnant when I posted and due on November 5th, so today I'll share the birth story of our sweet baby girl, Charlotte Ruth.

 

On November 2nd, I woke up to get ready to work and went to take a shower.  While in the shower, I started having pains that would come and go. Not having ever had contractions, I did not know that was what I was experiencing.  I started getting ready for work, and I went to wake up WEG so he could also get ready for work.  When I woke him up, I told him that I thought I might be in labor, but I was not sure since it was not something I had ever experienced.  At this point, I would double over when a pain came, but it wasn't absolutely terrible like I imagined contractions to be, so I sent WEG on to work and told him I would call the doctor when they opened.  (At the time, his office was 3 minutes from our house, and we were only 5 minutes from the doctor and hospital)

I continued to get ready...putting on makeup and blow drying my hair...because I knew that I would either go into work or would need to be presentable for labor.  Priorities, people.  When the doctor's office opened, I gave them a ring and left a message for a nurse, who called me back shortly after.  She confirmed that what I was experiencing did, in fact, sound like labor, but told us to come on in to the office to make sure it wasn't false labor.  We certainly did not want to pay emergency room fees only to be sent home.  Once at the doctor's office, they confirmed that my contractions were about 5 or 6 minutes apart and I was 4 centimeters dialated, and they sent me over to the hospital to check in.

We were all checked in at 9:30 and ready to get the show on the road.  Boy, were we in for a surprise!  At 10:30, my doctor broke my water, and by noon I had received my epidural.  My contractions were regular, but I was dialating very slowly.  So much for that quick labor I was hoping for.  My parents came, as did WEG's and all day long we waited.  Some of my friends came to see me after they got off work, and they gave me more medicine through my epidural at about 7 to combat the pain I was feeling.  Finally at about 8:30, the nurses said I was ready to push and sent our parents out.  And I pushed...and pushed...and pushed.  And then, lo and behold, my contractions regressed, and they had to give me more of the pitocin to help intensify them, and so we waited...again.  And then, it was again time to push, this time with my doctor present.  And so I pushed again, for about another hour.  At about 11:30, 3 hours after all the pushing started, the look on my doctor's face said it all.  I was making no progress.  I commented to her that I was not liking the look on her face, and she confirmed that she did not think that I was going to be able to push Charlotte out naturally.  Her head just would not come past my pelvic bone, and I was getting more and more tired from the pushing.  Dr. L suggested that we go get her.  The words I had been dreading had now become necessary.  I made the decision to deliver via c-section, and immediately they called in the anesthesiologists to re-up my medication.  In the small window of time between everyone leaving and the anesthesiologists coming in, I cried to WEG that this was not how I wanted it to go.  I did not want to labor all day, push for hours, and in the end, have to resort to a c-section.  The recovery period would be longer, Christmas was coming, and we needed to move into our new house.  I didn't have time to waste not being able to drive and having a longer time to recover from the major surgery.  But, if you ever want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans, right?  C-section was our best option at this point, and I quickly got over my pity party.  It was time to meet our daughter.

They wheeled me to the operating room and started the procedure.  I felt everything. Not just the pressure, not just something going on below my belly button...everything.  It was painful, but at that point, there was nothing they could give me until they had successfully delivered Charlotte.  At 12:13 a.m. on November 3, our perfect little girl entered the world.  I have never heard a more wonderful sound than her first cry, and when her daddy brought her to me to see her, I was overjoyed.  No, a c-section wasn't in my plan, but our girl was here.  She was perfect and healthy.  7 lbs, 2 ounces, 19.5 inches of perfection.  She was born with her Daddy's chin and her Mommy's feet, and we loved her instantly.  I would go through every minute of the pain again. 

The weeks to follow were not always easy, and there are still days, at 4 months, when I am completely overwhelmed, but I wouldn't change a thing.  Charlotte couldn't tolerate my breast milk, and then she couldn't tolerate regular formula.  It took several weeks for us to realize she needed soy formula, and it has made all the difference.  We've battled sickness since day one of daycare, and at times this has been trying.  She's had bronchiolitis, sinus infection, ear infection, and we've been to the pediatrician countless times and have even made a trip to the ER.  Our poor girl is becoming quite familiar with breathing treatments, as well, and she is getting to be a pro at taking medicine.  I've struggled with going back to work and leaving her in the care of others.  I've had emotional breakdowns, I've screamed, I've cried.  Motherhood is tough.  But, despite all the things that can break you down, there is no greater joy than seeing her smile at me or "talk" to me or the absolute adoration she has for her daddy.  Yes, motherhood is tough, but it's also wonderful, and I love being a mommy to the most precious little girl. I can't believe she's already 4 months old.  She changes daily.  Every day she does something new that amazes me and makes me so proud to be her mommy.  I love that little girl more than I ever thought I could love something, and I have now joined the ranks of other mommies who know what it is like to walk around with your heart outside of your body.  It's a real thing, y'all.

But, enough of the rambling.  That's our story of how we came to meet our sweet Charlotte Ruth.  We love you so much, baby girl!

For this child, I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

One year ago today...

It's hard to believe that one year ago today I walked down the aisle and said I do to my best friend, my soul mate, my better half.  It seems like yesterday, but then I think of all of the things this past year has held for us, and I know that can't be so.

So, today, in honor of my anniversary, I want to take a walk down this past year's memory lane.

After jetting off to St. Lucia for our honeymoon, we returned to South Carolina and celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks later with a combined family Thanksgiving.  It was such a blessing that we were able to have both of our families together in one place for the holiday.  Two days later, we watched as my Gamecocks beat up on WEG's Tigers for the third straight year...ahem, I'll leave it at that (wink, wink)

December was its usual craziness, and at Christmas we learned the art of sharing when we celebrated Christmas Eve with WEG's family and Christmas Day with mine.  Previously, we had not spent Christmas together, so this was a first, and I must say, it went off without any hiccups.

In January, WEG's granny got sick and spent much of the month in the hospital and the rehab facility before going home.  We leaned on each other, as this was hard to see her in both places, knowing how much she hated them!  We house hunted and looked at house after house trying to find a place perfect for us.

Then in February, my childhood best friend welcomed her second baby boy into the world, after losing a child in between.  We celebrated!  Then, we watched as a dear friend lost a parent to cancer- the first one in our group to have to deal with something like this.  Birth and death all in one month.  At the end of February- the 23rd to be exact- a positive pregnancy test informed us that we were going to be parents.  We wasted no time, but were so overjoyed! (And in disbelief!) We had not necessarily been trying, but we also had not been doing anything to prevent it. 

A few weeks later, on March 9th, I celebrated my 30th birthday surrounded by friends.  And, even though it was early in my pregnancy, by the end of the night everyone that was there knew our news.  Our first doctor's appointment was March 14th, and we got to see our sweet little bean on the ultrasound.  There is no greater joy!  We were also still house hunting, now with an even greater need!

At the end of March, WEG's granny again went into the hospital, and this time, she would not recover.  She passed away, and the sorrow we both felt was immeasurable.  We are so glad that we had already gotten to share with her the news of her great-grandchild and to know how much she already loved the little one growing inside of me.

We laid Granny to rest on April 1st on a beautiful Spring day, and there hasn't been a day that has gone by since that time that we haven't thought of and missed her.  It was a bittersweet day when a few weeks later, WEG's father and aunt, knowing of our house hunt, offered her house to us to buy in order to keep it in the family.  We know that she would find no greater joy than knowing that a whole new generation of the family will grow up there. 

On May 22nd, we had our 16 week ultrasound and opted to pay a little extra to find out if we were having a boy or a girl.  It was a wonderful moment when we heard the words "It's a Girl!"  Immediately, we became the parents of not just a baby, but a baby girl, and all things pink commenced.  Prior to that, we were able to slip away for a long weekend at Fripp- ahhh, that was relaxing!

June held in store for us many weekends of cleaning out our new house in order to get ready to renovate.  At times, this tested our patience, but again, we always had each other to get us through.  On June 20th, Aunt P's birthday, we celebrated when our anatomy scan ultrasound revealed a perfect, healthy baby.  What a blessing!

In July, we continued working on our house to get ready for the contractors, and I passed my glucola test- praise the Lord!  We got to head to Fripp again, this time with my parents, and we enjoyed our time away. 

In August, WEG got to go to the PGA championship at Kiawah, and we celebrated his birthday on the 22nd.  On the 30th, we saw our sweet girl in 4-D and discovered her feet might just be as big as her mama's one day!  She certainly enjoyed keeping them in her face throughout most of the ultrasound!  We also joined the church we had been attending and became official members.

September brought another little trip to Fripp for Labor Day, and at the end of the month, my first baby shower.  We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for our little one. 

Now that brings us back around to October.  My second baby shower was on October 7th, and again, we were showered with love by so many of those that are so special to us.  We attended a childbirth class to get ready for the big day, and WEG was baptized.  Now we are celebrating our 1st anniversary as we prepare for the arrival of our little girl any day now.

What a year it has been.  There have been ups and downs throughout the year, but each day our love grows stronger and we realize that through all the trials and triumphs of life, there is nobody else with whom we would rather share them.  I just thank God each day for his divine plan that I become Mrs. WEG, and I look forward to many more years with my wonderful husband.

36/37 Weeks- It's getting REAL, y'all!

How far along: 37 weeks- we have entered the land of weekly appointments!

Size of the baby: a leek or a small watermelon, depending on which app you ask.  Random.  But, most seem to agree that she weighs about 6.5 lbs and is between 19 and 22 inches long.

Weight gain: 20 lbs.  Yes, I realize it was 22.5 lbs a few weeks ago.  Yes, I am losing weight at the end of my pregnancy.  Weird, I know, but the doctor does not seem to think that's a problem.

Maternity clothes: All maternity, except a few dresses that had a lot of material in the front and don't look too silly.

Gender: Sweet baby girl

Movement: All the time.  Sometimes I feel as if her foot is going to come through my skin.  Those are painful moments. 

Sleep: Trying to do the best I can.  Last night I was up no less than 5 times to go to the bathroom.  That is annoying, but it has not been the norm.  Usually I'm up about twice in a night.  I am still not comfortable with the side sleeping and WEG wakes me up to tell me to turn over several times a night when I end up on my back.

What I miss: My wedding rings, my shoes (my swollen feet only allow me to wear a couple of pairs of shoes), Blue Moon's Harvest Moon fall brew (only a little while longer!), sleeping on my back.

Cravings: None

Other crazy symptoms: Weird white spots on my skin that I can't explain. 

Baby's milestones: She's shedding her vernix and lanugo, practicing her breathing, blinking, sucking her thumb, and moving around.  She continues to add fat to her body.

Best moment this week: Finding out that I am 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated and her head is down in a good position.  The doctor says all I need are the contractions now, and we are in business! 

Next up: 38 week appointment and another cervical exam to check the progress.  Come on, Baby G!

A day (er, week) late and a dollar short- 32/33 weeks

So, we are at 33 weeks (almost 34), not 32 weeks, and I have been a slacker. In my defense, I have been super busy at work, and we are in the process of renovating WEG's grandmother's house for us to move into prior to Baby G's arrival.  So, I have an excuse!  But, I did not want to forget these milestones, so here goes!

How far along: see above.  For the sake of this post, we will say 32 weeks.

Size of the baby: All of my apps say pineapple this week.  Anywhere from 17-22 inches, and 4.5-4.9 lbs, depending on which app you believe.

Weight gain: I'm up 22.5 total and getting bigger by the day, it seems!

Maternity clothes: Oh yeah.

Gender: Still a baby girl

Movement: Oh my goodness....she moves all the time.  It feels so strange when she moves from one side to the other or I can feel a foot through my belly.  And last night I experienced her hiccups for the first time.  All weird, but wonderful!

Sleep:  It's increasingly more difficult to sleep, and as she gets bigger, I have to go to the bathroom more frequently.  I get up probably 3 times a night, and I can only sleep comfortably on my left side, but often find myself on my back in the middle of the night- old habits die hard.

What I miss: The Blue Moon my husband has decided is his favorite beer, my wedding rings which I had to take off because of swelling, and snuggling with WEG...the belly makes that difficult.

Cravings: Not a one

Other crazy symptoms:  Plenty of those- carpal tunnel, swelling of the feet and hands, splotchy skin, Braxton Hicks, indigestion, low iron.  But none of those are unbearable, just a bit uncomfortable.  Still can't really complain!

Baby's milestones: At 33 weeks, she is accumulating more fat, her neural structure is developing so she can listen, feel, and partially see, she is sleeping 90-95% of the day at this point, and she is receiving antibodies from the umbilical cord.

Best moment this week: Well, the best moment since 28 weeks was our 4-D ultrasound.  It was so amazing to see her, even though she kept her foot in her face for the majority of the ultrasound.  Should we go ahead and sign her up for gymnastics?

Next up: 34 week checkup.

28 week update

We have officially made into the 3rd trimester!  The countdown is on.

I had my 28 week appointment today- they measured my belly and listened to the heartbeat.  A quick in and out appointment!

Here's the update:

How far along: 28 weeks

Size of the baby:  What to Expect says small cabbage- 17 inches & 2.9 lbs.  Sprout says 2 and a half pounds.  And another app I dowloaded, called I'm Expecting, says iceberg lettuce- 14.8 inces & 2.2 lbs.  So, take your pick!

Weight gain:  So far, 17 lbs. total...moving on up.

Maternity clothes:  Fully involved with the maternity clothes.  I found a super cute maternity website and got 2 dresses for an upcoming wedding- Figure8 Maternity.  Google them.

Gender:  Girl!

Movement: She is a wiggle worm and moves and kicks constantly.  She even moved for the doctor this morning.

Sleep:  Still can't really complain.  I would much rather be sleeping on my back, but I'm trying to keep getting used to my side.  I have been wearing braces on my hands to cut down on the "dead hands" I was getting so frequently.  Now, I only wake up once or twice and have to shake my hands back awake.

What I miss:  Blue Moon (this hasn't changed since the beginning) and my wedding rings on days that my fingers are too swollen to wear them.

Cravings:  none

Other crazy symptoms:  I've been having the carpal tunnel like symptoms- tingly hands, especially my right hand's pointer and middle finger going numb all the time.  I've also had Braxton Hicks contractions, but those don't bother me so much because there is no pain associated with them.  The indigestion continues.  I passed my sugar test at last month's visit, but my iron is low, so I'm working on getting that back up to par.

Baby's milestones:  From Sprout: Baby G may now be able to distinguish my voice from her daddy's.  From I'm Expecting:  Baby G's brain is now developing folds and grooves and she continues to add fat to her body.  Her muscle tone is improving, which may lead to stronger kicks (definitely happening!)  And my What to Expect app has decided to flake out, so no milestones from that one today!

Best moment this week: Just hearing that everything is still looking great.  And feeling her move so much more.

Up next:  Our 4D ultrasound at 30 weeks.  Yippee!!