The Henry Happenings

My Sweet Caroline

2012-01-31T11:31:00.000-06:00

As usual, I haven't kept up with my blog like I would have liked to. I didn't write about Christmas or Caroline's 2nd birthday but I hope to get those posts done soon. I gotta write this stuff down though or I'll forget!

Caroline is talking so much now I can barely remember when she wasn't! On our way to church Sunday she kept saying the most funny and random things! First she said "cute shirt Mommy". Then she wouldn't stop talking about how her sock monkey tooted. I was worried she'd go into church talking about that so we tried to change the subject! Later she kept saying what sounded like "daddy... big ol' ears!" She said it several times so finally Dan told her "I get it!! Big ol' ears!!" ( :

She is such a ham and we love her!

She seems to be a tad bit OCD at times... I'm not sure if that is just normal 2 year old behavior or not. If her pants don't fall perfectly over her tennis shoes or if her sleeves aren't just right she cries "fix it! fix it!" If her baby doll doesn't sit up straight enough in the stroller or chair she has a little melt down. She loves loves loves her violet "puppy-gog" whom she refers to as Biolet and her hello kitty cat. Here she is feeding them some cheese!

She loves books and we have to read 4 (or 10) every night before bedtime. Without fail though, we have to read fish kisses! Each page has a different animal and we imitate how the animals say goodnight. It is so cute to watch her do the motions for each one!

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Kisses-bedtime-Marianne-Richmond/dp/1934082309

She can sing most of Jesus Loves me, the ABCs, and twinkle twinkle little star. She loves to sing them over and over and over again!

Her two best buddies are Nathan (our neighbor) and Gabrielle. She asks about them every day! We walk with Nathan & his family several times a week and we get to see Gabrielle every Sunday at church. It is so nice to have friends with kids her age!

Must Reads

2011-11-08T09:13:00.002-06:00

I've read a few posts/articles recently that have really touched me. They are definitely worth the time it takes to read them.

This one got my day started off just right! It was so inspiring and too good not to share! The world would have a lot fewer problems if everyone had this mentality.

I don't have a bunch of babies running around but I love the heart of this woman.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

This last article really got me thinking! Wow.
http://orphanjusticecenter.com/2011/06/11/is-the-church-ready-for-the-abortion-law-to-change/

Hoppy Halloween!

2011-11-02T09:51:00.009-05:00

Since Caroline wasn't walking last October, this was her first year to fully participate in Halloween. Saturday we went to Zoo Boo. We took our neighbor's little boy along with us to enjoy the fun! He was adorable! Unfortunately, it was not quite what I expected. There were TONS of people there and long lines for everything! I guess we made a mistake when we picked a Saturday night. By the time we left, the kids had about 6 pieces of candy combined. =/ I think they enjoyed themselves anyway! (We stopped and bought candy to make up for the almost empty candy buckets!)

Monday night we joined some of our friends in their neighborhood to go trick-or-treating. Caroline did much better than I thought she would and I had the best time watching her and her little friends knocking on doors. Being a mom and watching this for the first time truly warmed my heart! This little girl brings immeasurable joy to my life.

Caroline was a bunny (obviously) and her friend Gabrielle was a goldfish! They are so cute together!

When Caroline realized there was candy in the packages she wanted to stop and eat!

Finally we got a sucker and that satisfied her for a little while! :)

Oh, and just because it was so good, go check out Kelle Hampton's post on being greatful. What I wouldn't give to be able to write like her!

Caroline - 21 Months

2011-10-20T11:34:00.001-05:00

I wanted to "jot" down a few things Caroline has done recently that make me realize how fast she is growing up. She is at such a precious age!

A few days ago, she tee-tee'd in the potty for the first time! We bought her a little potty a while back and recently she has been asking to sit on it some. She normally just sits on the potty for a few minutes until I get tired of waiting. Not this time! She went and of course I told her what a good job she did. I called Dan in and we both were loudly praising her and telling her we were proud and she burst into tears! I think maybe she was surprised by all that attention! Anyway, I'm not going to push her to potty train quite yet... I'll just continue to let her use the potty when she asks!

Caroline is also getting pretty talented holding her own boose (spoon) & not making a big mess with her food. She insists on having her own spoon and runs to get one out of the drawer anytime she can. She also loves drinking from Daddy's cup!

With Caroline's growing vocabulary, she is starting to get frustrated when I don't understand what she wants right away. I can't believe that in just a year she'll be asking me questions and we'll have real conversations! Right now she is putting two words together. I painted her toe-nails last week and this morning when I was putting on her socks & shoes she said "bye bye nails!" :)

Welcome Fall!

2011-10-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday was the first day of the Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch in Collins! It was so much bigger and more fun than I expected!

Caroline is constantly in motion!

Which one shall I pick?!

This one?

Yep, just right!

There was even a (wheat?) maze!

Mostly, we just had fun being silly and walking around!

Mommy's favorite picture of the day:

What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?

2011-09-29T11:43:00.000-05:00

If you read Kelly's Korner, then you may have read the post she linked to written by Shaun Groves.

It's just too good not to share.... it really makes clear something I've been trying to put into words for a long time. Take a moment to read it if you haven't!

In other (much less important) news, I'm looking forward to the next few weeks! I hope to take Caroline to the pumpkin patch in Collins this weekend! Next weekend we're going to Jackson to spend some time with family & go to the State Fair! I hope Caroline will enjoy the Carousel but she may just want to watch all the people and games. I hope the weather is nice. Last year when we went it was miserably hot!

I am loving the fact that Caroline is at an age right now where she is enjoying new things and learning something everywhere we go. I'm amazed how she remembers new words when I've only told them to her once! She is so happy and bright... what a blessing she is in my life!!

Praxis Update

2011-09-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

So I took the Praxis I yesterday while we were in Jackson. I was pretty unsure about how I would do because I just haven't had the energy or time to practice as much as I'd like. Most of the test was multiple choice so I got the results for those sections right away. I PASSED reading and math!!!!! I was most worried about math so I was very pleased when I got my scores! I have to wait a week or so for the writing portion be graded, but I think I did fine.

Next up is the Praxis II; I'm not sure if I'll take it in January or March but I will need every possible extra minute to study for this one. I'm going to try and do math because I always enjoyed it in school... it's just so concrete and makes so much sense to me. This test has some trig & some calculus (I'm not sure how much) and I never even took calculus so I'm definitely going to have to learn quite a bit of new material. I just have to do my best and see how well I can do!

Teaching

2011-08-17T12:19:00.001-05:00

After enjoying all summer home with Caroline I have finally accepted a job at a local elementary school as an assistant teacher. I am doing administrative work right now more than anything else. Eventually, I'm supposed to keep the kids that are being isolated for punishment. I should never have more than a few kids at one time. I'm praying that this job will give me a foot in the door to be a "real" teacher next year.

I'm hoping this is the right path for me. I've always moved between nursing, business, and teaching (unsure of which will be the best for my family & I). The longer I think about what I want to do when I grow up, the more I think teaching might be it for me. I've always enjoyed teaching informally to my peers in classes but for some reason, I've resisted the idea.

I have to take two Praxis tests to become certified to teach. My first test is scheduled for September 11th and is on reading, writing, and math. I think I'll do good in reading & writing without much study, but I definitely need to prepare for the math portion. I'm planning on taking the Praxis II in November and I think I'd like to teach math (7th-12th) so that's what I'll have to study really hard for. Finally, I'll apply to the MAPQT program for a 3 week certification program next June. Hopefully I'll be ready to teach by next August! It sort of feels like a pipe dream at this point, but I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and making steps toward the goal!

Caroline at 19 months

2011-08-09T11:55:00.002-05:00

I have been SUCH a bad blogger lately. I hate that so much because I love going back and reading old posts to find out what I was doing a year or so ago!

So for now, an update on our little handful!

( Blurry cell phone picture from Cracker Barrel last weekend. YUM!)

Driving home from the pool (in our neighborhood).

Caroline is about 19 months old and I can't believe she is closer to being a two year old than a one year old! She is definitely a strong willed and very lovable toddler! She loves going on walks up and down our street and she is so independent! She also loves brushing her teeth! I have to keep the bathroom door closed or else she'd be carrying her toothbrush around all day.

She loves to look at picture books and she can name a lot of what she sees! She knows the moon and stars, can identify lots of animals and of course eyes, nose, fingers, toes etc. She says "fly" for butterfly, "B" for bird, and she knows all kind of animal sounds. My favorite sounds she makes is Raaawwrr for the bear. She even does her little hands up in the air like claws! : )

I took her to two movies recently and it went as well as can be expected. Our theater has $3 movies on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer with children's movies that have been released a while back so we took advantage of that with some of our friends and went! Caroline did better during the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie (her first movie ever!) and she did so-so in the Charlotte's web movie. In both movies we ended up leaving about half way through because she didn't have the attention span to sit through the whole thing.

Dan and I have always loved going out to eat but it is definitely becoming harder and harder with Caroline. Sometimes she goes and does SO well and then other times we take her and agree that we have to stop eating out with such a busy bee!
Caroline's favorite word right now is NO! I have been trying so hard to be very patient but firm in telling her it is not okay to tell mommy and daddy no, but she just keeps on saying it. She also went through a spell of hitting and I was so torn over the spanking decision. A big part of me feels like she is too young for that kind of punishment, but my instinct when she hits me in the face is to pop her leg to let her know how it feels!! I definitely don't want her to start hitting other children or animals.

Anyone have some really good recommendations for books on toddler discipline? She has several molars coming in so I'm wondering too if that doesn't have something to do with the behavior issues we're seeing. I'm sure its all normal for this age but we're working on shaping her into a sweet, respectful little girl!

Pitter Patter Art Giveaway

2011-06-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

I came across this blog through a former coworker. She has some beautiful art and is doing a giveaway so I thought I'd participate! Go check it out!

Nothing much new is going on here. I'm enjoying these hot summer days with my sweet baby. I thought I would get bored staying at home all the time but I haven't at all! I do like having play dates and trips to the library to break up my day, but this is definitely the life! :) I've been cooking more, cleaning more, and most important of all, loving on my girl a LOT more!

I've had a couple of interviews recently and I'm hoping something will work out. I've just been praying that God will put me where He wants me. That's definitely the best place for me!

Stay at Home Mama

2011-06-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

A few things have happened since my last post...

I graduated from Southern!

We had a perfect, amazing, relaxing trip to the beach! My mom and mother in law both kept Caroline and it was SO nice to take a little break from everything for a few days! We went to Destin and the water was absolutely beautiful.

Now that it's post-graduation, I'm back in the job hunting world. I'm enjoying all this extra time with my sweet girl and I hope she is too! It is giving me a taste of being a stay at home mama. Something I definitely hope to do one day! We are trying our hardest to stay at home and not spend money, but it's hard when you're used to breaking the boredom by doing a little shopping or going out to eat. I'm working on getting some play dates lined up so that should help.

We bought a little $8 pool from the dollar store and she enjoys putting her hands in it and occasionally standing and splashing with her feet. At least it keeps me cool while we play outside!

Here are some pics I took this afternoon. The only way to get her to smile when I'm trying to take a picture is to say, "I'm going to get you!!!"

Today after she woke up from her nap I told her "put your paci in your bed" and she did it! I was so amazed because I didn't know she knew what her bed was! Little ones definitely know more than we give them credit for!

How have you been enjoying your summer?

Lil' Syd Grows Up!

2011-05-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

Caroline (Sydney is her first name in case you didn't get the title) is growing up so fast. I was just telling Dan the other day how they're only little babies for such a short period of time.
She says a few words now including uh-oh, bah-bah for bye bye, of course mama and dada, daaaah for dog, and her most recent addition is shiii for outside. It's so cute to hear her learning to say these words!

She points to her belly button now (in addition to her head, ear, and foot). She loves Harry the Bunny on babyTV. She smiles so big every time he comes on and wears those big sunglasses. I actually find myself loving Harry the bunny, too. :)

If you sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" she will point to her head and toes and will clap to "If You're Happy and You Know it!" She is so much fun!

Here are some pictures from a few weeks ago on Easter morning. I was really surprised at how well she did with finding the eggs and putting them in her basket (and eating jelly beans that got all over her dress!)

My smart girl

2011-04-05T20:08:00.001-05:00

Video 37 a video by jhenry418 on Flickr.

Mama is loud and country sounding. Ignore that.

Superhero Birthday Party!

2011-04-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

My nephew's 4th birthday party was today and it was so much fun! My sister in law is always so creative and does a great job with her kids' parties and this was no exception! Here are some pics from the day.

Such a handsome birthday boy!

To go with the superhero theme, the kids decorated felt capes & masks. Such a fun, cute idea!

Superhero Caroline!

cupcake face!

Happy birthday, sweet Bryce! We love you!

The Will of a Toddler

2011-03-29T20:43:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I'm going to be the recipient of a scholarship at USM. Today, I gave a short speech to the Business Advisory Counsel. I'm not an especially great or terrible speaker, but I think you can tell mid-speech that I'm nervous. Anyway, I was so relieved to get my little speech over with this afternoon and I think I did a pretty good job! I sat next to a director of their MBA program and it really got me thinking about the possibility of going to school online or maybe one night a week to get my masters. Definitely something to think about!

We went to eat at Chili's tonight and it was delicious! I was so surprised at how well Caroline acted during dinner. She has gotten to be quite a handful lately because she wants to eat from the minute we sit down to the minute we get up! I usually can't even take a bite of my food without her yelling. Well tonight this was not the case! She played with the kids menu and didn't yell for food once! I kind of struggle with whether or not I should let her get away with things right now. Part of me thinks she's too young to understand patience but the other part of me thinks that I need to teach her things now so she doesn't get used to being bad or demanding. Our other problem is standing up in chairs or the grocery cart. I guess we're getting to that age where you just have to not eat out as much & not take her shopping. : / Thoughts? Should I be firm with her and let her pitch a fit in public or should I give in?

Speaking of shopping, look at these adorable sandals I got for Caroline! Yay for summer!

When I put the flower sandals on her feet to try out the size and took them off again she started crying. The girl likes her some shoes, ok!?

Photo Shoot!

2011-03-17T08:47:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law, Amy, took some beautiful pictures of Caroline last weekend while we were in town! I am in love!!! I think this calls for an updated header... HA!

We're babysitting my niece and nephew this weekend... I am so excited! They are almost 4 and 6. Any arts/crafts ideas y'all have for me to keep us all happy and entertained?

Lookie lookie!

2011-03-14T11:01:00.000-05:00

I'm like a kid on Christmas morning! I messed up my blog a while back playing with the design and my header was off center forever. Anyway I was kind of stuck on fixing it because I also wanted an updated header (which I was clueless on how to do). I went to work yesterday googling how to make your own header and I actually did it! It isn't perfect but I'm so happy with my first attempt! I used these instructions. So helpful! Now maybe I can find some motivation to start blogging again!

This semester is already half way over. Last week was spring break and Caroline and I spent a few days in Jackson with my mom, Gommy, and a day with my sis-in-law, Amy. We went to the zoo and I loved it! Caroline watched the animals but still isn't quite old enough to be excited about them. I think my favorite part was seeing the giraffes. There was a daddy, momma, and a baby giraffe! Of course my animal-loving family had to feel bad for them and my Gommy was picking grass and throwing it to them behind the bars. I can totally see us getting kicked out of the zoo.

This week it's back to school and a new change for Caroline. She is headed back to daycare and I'm worried about how she will adjust. I know she will be fine and they will take good care of her, but it's a big change in her environment. She is getting to be such a big girl now. She started walking in her 12th month and has been running ever since. We love to take her outside to play now that it's warming up. It would be so nice to sit down while she plays, but she doesn't stay in one area and has no care for property lines so I have to chase her everywhere she goes.

She has become very "lovey" in the last couple of months! It absolutely melts my heart when she lays her head on my shoulder (and gives me the 'friend-pat'). She never used to do that! She is also a social butterfly! At a friend's birthday party a week or so ago she walked up to stranger after stranger wanting to be held.

That's all for now. I'm going to take advantage of this quiet house and work on a paper for school. Let me know what you think of my header (only if you love it)!

A dog, a 1 year old, and a book

2011-01-15T20:08:00.001-06:00

I am the worst when it comes to picking a title for each post... so, I give up and leave them blank sometimes. It's just that my posts are never really about one thing... just a mish mash of random things happening in my life at the moment. So here goes another titleless post!

Today we became the proud new parents of a beagle/hound mix. She will be an outside dog (which is very against my nature... I feel so bad for animals outside!) We picked her up from a shelter sitting outside of petsmart kind of spontaneously this afternoon. She is timid and so very sweet... we love her already. Her name is Retta (short for Loretta).

I finished reading The Help today and I LOVED it! Seriously, such a good book! I almost cried at the end. It was really interesting reading about Jackson, Mississippi in the 60's too. The author said at the end of the book, "Mississippi is like my mother. I am allowed to complain about her all I want, but God help the person who raises an ill word about her around me, unless she is their mother too." I cannot wait for the movie to come out... I think I read that it will come to theaters in August.

Caroline turned one last week and she is turning into a toddler before my eyes. We had a very small party at Aunt Amy's house.

Here's a pic of Caroline on her first day in the world

She still isn't walking yet but she will take a few steps here and there. The most she has taken at one time is about 6 or 7. I was certain she would walk while I was on break before I go back to school but she has proven me wrong, yet again. I've really gotten used to staying at home with her during this break. At first I thought, "man I'm not cut out for this stay at home mom business" but now I'm loving it and wishing I could stretch this time out. Maybe one day this will be a possibility for us. I've been cooking a lot more too! Nothing fancy though... things like chicken spaghetti, red beans and rice, and poppy seed chicken. Let me know if you have something easy that you love! I'm thinking next will be some kind of ranch chicken recipe. That sounds delicious!

Caroline's got muscles!!

2011-01-01T18:12:00.000-06:00

Or tickets to the gun show, as her daddy would like to say!

Man, I love this baby!

Christmas

2010-12-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Christmas is over, 2011 is almost here and we are a couple of weeks away from having a 1 year old! We had a very busy, happy Christmas this year with 4 family gatherings.

We spent Christmas Eve & Christmas morning at my Gommy's house. Every year she has a party... I can remember running around as a child between all the grown-ups. Her tree was pretty big this year and was as beautiful as always!

We even got to sing Christmas carols with two of the guests- my Gommy's cousin Stacy who is an singer/pianist on a cruise ship and another friend who sings opera. It was beautiful and so much fun! (And I really liked how the tree looks in this picture so I had to include it.)

Christmas morning we were up early after Caroline kept us up much of the night. She is usually such a good sleeper... but not Christmas Eve. She must have been waiting on Santa!

Santa definitely came! At Gommy's house and again at Nonnie's house that evening! Caroline didn't pay much attention to unwrapping her toys this year but we will definitely get lots of play time in now that we're home. I hope your Christmas was as blessed as our was.

I can't stop thinking about all the dogs outside with it being so cold tonight.

I'm a weirdo... I know. By the way, my dog Shelby (who is a sheltie) is having a terrible, awful, horrific time with allergies. We don't know what she is allergic to, but I've recently changed her to a allergy pet food and it hasn't helped. So far all the vet has done is give us steroids and we know this is not good for her long term. She itches like crazy and her skin gets so red and raw if I take her off the steroids. Have you had any experience with this? I feel so bad for her and I have a feeling we are going to end up spending lots of money before this is over with. It has been going on for about 6 months now. I think the next step is to take her to the coast to see a dog dermatologist.

Schoooools... out... for... the summah!!

2010-12-15T15:53:00.001-06:00

Or winter... whatever...

I made 5 A's and 2 B's! MUCH better than I expected! I had pretty much convinced myself a B is as good as its going to get with me being a mommy and a student at the same time. The semester really did go by quickly... I cannot wait to get next semester over with so I can start earning some moo-lah again!! I can't believe I'm actually going to graduate in 5 months!

I've been home with Caroline now for about a week and I really have been enjoying all this extra time with her and having a taste of stay-at-home-mommyhood. I have been getting a little bored/lonely/stir crazy from not leaving the house so I've started cleaning out our guest room (REALLY needs it) and I pretty much make it a point to leave the house every day even if its just to go to the dollar store. I haven't had a hard time coming up with errands to run. I finished Redeeming Love and I LOVED it! Now I'm looking for other good books to read and enjoy on my break! Pretty please leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite books are. I've already read the Twilight series (soooooooo good). I'll like pretty much any kind of book except westerns! Ha!

Here's a pic of what I caught Caroline doing yesterday

(I know... not the safest thing... I took them away right after I snapped a picture.)
She also screams bloody murder if I buckle her in her stroller or shopping cart while I'm in a store but stands up like a stunt devil if I don't buckle her in. Any tips there?

We saw Santa at the library a week or so ago... she hated him.

That's all for now! Let me know about some good book recommendations and if you have any advice on my little stunt devil!

1st tooth!

2010-12-03T21:37:00.003-06:00

This was the last week of the regular semester and next week is finals! YIPPIE! I only have 2 exams and a presentation to give so I really feel like its almost over! My group turned in our business plan for Entrepreneurship Thursday and I felt the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders that afternoon when we turned it in. What a relief.

Today I had no school so I got to stay home and play with my sweet girl all day! I took advantage of the perfect weather and snapped some shots of her. I was trying to get a picture or two of her gracious may shoes but she wouldn't cooperate and I was lacking the talent and patience.

We enjoyed our day together. :) She has been a little bit cranky lately because she finally has a tooth! And I think another one is quickly coming in right beside it!

Can you see it!?

On a side note, does anyone know how to remove the template from my blog? It isn't an html code it's from the 'template designer' from blogger thing and I can't figure out how to remove it. Let me know if you have some advice!

I rented "Redeeming Love" from the library today so I think I'm going to start it tonight! I've heard from several people that it is really good! I have a terrible habit of starting books and not finishing them... hopefully that won't be the case this time. Goodnight!

This & That

2010-11-11T20:38:00.000-06:00

Only about 3 1/2 more weeks left of the semester and it cannot come fast enough!! The stress I have gone through in the last few weeks is unlike anything I've ever been through... definitely not fun. Life is too short to be stressed like I have been. It makes me feel guilty because I know I haven't been enjoying my family like I should be. It really boils down to this entrepreneurship class that I loathe- I guess everyone has to go through one or two classes like this that really shouldn't be this difficult, but that are nonetheless. I know worrying about something does no good, but I can't flip that worry switch off for some reason. Our professor has required us to come up with a unique product (something that has not been done before) and "pretend" we're business owners and write a business plan around this company. She wants it to be as realistic as possible and she prefers it to be very science/technology oriented. This is not my forte. Anyway, I just can't wait for it to be over with. A celebration will definitely be in store December 9th!!

So what is little Caroline up to these days? I am realizing she is very strong willed and very independent! Most of the time she wants nothing to do with cuddling Momma... she wants to be down on the ground exploring the world! Then there are nights like tonight where she really doesn't want me to put her down. It's rare that she acts like that, so I eat it up! Lately I have only had a couple of hours a day with her and it doesn't feel like enough. This upcoming Christmas break is going to be FANTASTIC... I'll have like 5 weeks off with no work, no school... just me and Caroline doing whatever we please! I plan on organizing Caroline's closet and our guest room closet.

Have y'all started your Christmas shopping? What is on your wish list this year? I'm trying to think of things we need for the house... maybe some guest bedroom furniture? It is in need of some adult furniture... it looks like a college kid's room... it only has a couple of filing cabinets... a bed with no headboard/foot board and a cheap desk that I'm going to get rid of b/c it's huge and takes up too much space in that little room. I just can't decide if I should ask for a bedside table or a small desk for the room. The other thing that I would really love to get is a dresser for our bedroom. We need some drawer space desperately!

And because it's no fun to write a post with no pictures or video, here is a fun video Dan took of Caroline a couple weeks ago. For some reason she thinks its funny when I put my ponytail in her face... weird I know.

The cutest little fishy-face!

2010-11-09T18:27:00.000-06:00

2010-11-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

Here goes a not fun post.... we found out Tuesday that baby Henry had no heartbeat. I ordered a doppler and got it a little over a week ago. I knew it would be a little early to hear the heartbeat, but I heard Caroline's around 10 weeks (if I'm remembering correctly) so I hoped I would be able to do the same with this baby. I searched several times for the heartbeat over the last week and wasn't able to find anything. I really wasn't that worried but I made an appointment anyway just to be safe. Dan went with me and the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat with his doppler (no surprise there). He said since the baby is still so small, this is normal. He sent us to the sonogram lady and when she did the ultrasound I knew pretty quickly. The sad part was that you could see baby... but no flickering or beating heart. Baby measured about 8 weeks so I guess his or her heart stopped beating about 2 weeks ago.

Dan and I are handling it well, as we did with our first miscarriage... but it is still very sad. I've wondered a few times if we will see this baby and our first in heaven one day. It makes you wonder what the purpose is behind it all, but I know we just can't understand everything here on earth.

Caroline's New Tricks & A Big Surprise!

2010-10-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

Caroline's babysitter, Brooke has been telling us that once she hit 9 months old she would start performing tricks... and she definitely has! In the last few weeks she will do "arms up!" and she'll wave bye bye. She'll also shake her head no whenever we tell her no.... but that definitely doesn't stop her from doing whatever it is we're telling her no to. I would love for her next "trick" to be blowing kisses or giving me sugar. She also can push a walker around... I'm sure walking alone is in the near future. She is so precious to us and keeps us busy, busy!

In other news, we found out several weeks ago that we're PREGNANT! AGAIN! It was a big surprise and I can't believe how easily I've come to accept the idea. I'm glad that our babies will be close in age (about 17 months apart), but I'm worried about how in the world we're going to be able to pay two daycare bills! We'll be paying over $1,000 a month in daycare alone. I will graduate in early May and I'm due May 29th. It's actually good timing because I'll be able to take a couple of months break in between graduation and starting a job. Maybe I will find an amazing dream job that will pay me bookoodles of money and only make me work like 25 hours a week. Wouldn't that be perfect!? ( ;

A Tour of Caroline's Nursery

2010-09-08T20:02:00.005-05:00

I feel like I've seriously neglected my blog lately and I won't have any readers now... not that I had a ton of readers before, but at least I'll still have a little journal of our first born and what life was like in 2010!

I shared a picture of Caroline in her crib a while back & got comments about her nursery. I realized that I never gave an official tour of her nursery! The reason behind this is because I'm the ULTIMATE procrastinator... her room still is not complete. Really, the only big thing I'm lacking are her curtains. I have the fabric but I just have to get it sewn.

I'm not much of a decorator and my SIL helped me a lot... I'm really happy with how it turned out! Anyway, enough rambling! Here is the room I'm most proud of!

Birth announcement my grandmother cross-stitched. This hangs in the hall right outside Caroline's room

This canvas hung on our room in the hospital when Caroline was born. My sister in law did it for us.

This is what you see as you enter Caroline's room

I got the dresser from Walmart and I'm pleased with it for as affordable as it was. I really want/need a chest of drawers for more storage. The mirror above her changing pad was my great grandmothers. It was a goldish color and my husband spray painted it white. The branch with birds is a wall decal I bought off etsy! It was very easy to do!

My SIL also did these adorable appliques for us! LOVE them!

My mother in law bought the bedding and I love it!

My grandmother bought us the heart wreath and my mom bought Caroline the little shelf. I think they're precious! On the shelf are two of the remaining pieces of my Beatrix Potter collection.

(I had almost all of the figurines and books as a child but I broke them by climbing up on my shelves.

I was a good child, I promise.)

My mom painted these and applied the flower details. She did a great job!

Of course I couldn't snap all these pictures without a few of my sweet girl! She turned 8 months old yesterday... so crazy!!!!

1st time in the rocker by herself! She thought it was so fun to rock!

This is her new favorite face. She does it all the time. We call it her old lady face.

Love this pic!

Alright, enough procrastinating, I'm off to write a mini-paper!

A Quick Trip to Nashville

2010-08-29T21:35:00.001-05:00

For the last month or so I've been trying to find a few days when I could go up to Nashville to visit Nick, Julie and Baby Graham and to see all my old Lampo coworkers. I left Thursday afternoon and finally got there at about 10 that night. I would have made it a little earlier but there was a really bad accident on the interstate so I had to take a detour that added an hour and a half to my 7 hour trip.... not exactly the most fun with a 7 month old! I'm just thankful we weren't involved in any accidents and I really hope everyone involved was okay.

It was totally worth it because I had the best time! Baby Graham is so teeny tiny, sweet and cuddly! I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking:

I could just eat him up! It's hard to believe that Caroline was ever that little!!

Friday when I met some of my friends for lunch I had to hold back the tears a few times...

I miss them all SO much.

Most of my D.R. Girls!

That evening we played on Nick & Julie's swing set! So much fun!

Saturday I had lunch with a few friends in Franklin. I LOVE it when you can get together with a few girls and laugh and really be yourself. We had a great time.

That afternoon we went to the Sweet Tea Festival. Even though it was pretty warm, we had fun visiting, looking at the booths the vendors had set up and listening to music. I don't think Caroline and Graham thought it was all that interesting though....

It was sad to leave and be reminded that I don't have that amazing job anymore (with all those amazing people), but I was glad to be home and with my sweet hubby. I had a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to go visit again!

2010-08-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

Last week I completed a 5 day mini-session in Anthropology. It was SO worth it to get one class over with in such a short period of time! The normal semester started Wednesday and I think I'm going to have a really good semester. It will definitely be tough but it beats the heck out of sitting at a desk watching the clock!

Caroline has been at my neighbor's instead of daycare for almost two weeks now and it is going so well. I was just thinking today that it really is a huge blessing.... Brooke and I get along so well and I think Caroline is going to be happier in the long run. Brooke's son Nathan is about 2 months older than Caroline and he has started signing some words. The other day we were talking and she said the word more to me in a sentence (not asking him to do it) and he signed it. I know plenty of babies do this but it was amazing for me to see with my own eyes... and especially from a 9 month old!

I took this video of Caroline & Shelby this afternoon. It is such a joy to hear her laughter and see her sweet smile!

I think it's pretty obvious Shelby has some serious energy! Word to the wise: don't buy an energetic dog if you aren't going to walk them frequently.

Crawling & Squaling!

2010-08-05T21:00:00.001-05:00

Caroline started crawling about a month ago but she has really mastered it in the last week or so.

Ever since she has mastered crawling she seems to want me to hold her more. I'll put her down and she'll cry and crawl right up back to me into my lap. It feels good to know she wants me! She will even follow me from the living room into the kitchen now. Now the fun starts!

I had a little photo shoot with her last week. It was the first time for her to sit in the grass. I love this little outfit... I got it at a consignment shop and paid probably 3 bucks for it! I love love love yellow.

Last Sunday Dan's parents came to visit us (read: Caroline). We had a great time visiting.

Mr. Maxie wasn't very interested in taking pictures. :)

Tomorrow is my last day of work and Caroline's last day at daycare. This weekend and next we'll be visiting family in Jackson. Can't wait!

My First WYHDIH Project!

2010-07-29T19:54:00.001-05:00

WYHDIH= Watch your husband do it himself..... :)

Dan worked on the headboard almost all day on Saturday and a good part of Sunday. I had a cranky baby and didn't think it was a good idea for us to stay in the garage with all those fumes! The bed is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! But.... we have a little problem. Let me just show you:

(Please over look all the clutter on our bedside tables. I am not an organized person.)

So.... yea, you can't even see the headboard it's so low. I googled sleigh beds on the Internet and there are actually a lot of them out there that aren't high up. The headboard and footboard (haven't done the footboard yet) have slots in them to attach to rails that hold the bed up. I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't do the footboard and just find a way to elevate the headboard without attaching it to the bed maybe? What do y'all think? It's just too beautiful to leave behind those pillows!

Here's proof:

Didn't the Danman do a fantastic job?! Here is a reminder at what he started with:

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-07-29T12:49:00.002-05:00

Our little family has some big changes coming up in the next two weeks. I have been talking about going back to school all summer and it is almost time! My last day of work is next Friday and I start school right away - on Monday the 9th. I am so ready for a fresh start and a change of scenery. =)

In other news, a few weeks ago we met a sweet family that lives on the street behind us. My coworker goes to church with them and they introduced us because we're neighbors and have been visiting their church for a while now. The mom stays at home and has a 4 year old and an 8 month old. Her 4 yr old is starting preschool in the fall so she has been wanting to keep another child during the day. I have always wanted a stay-at-home mom situation for Caroline and this family is so very sweet. So, all of that is to say that Caroline will no longer be going to daycare. The same day that I start school, Caroline will be at the Johnson's instead of daycare! I am very excited and I'm really hoping it will all work out perfectly!

Of course that means I won't be able to check up on her like I do now while I'm at work and we are actually really going to miss some of the people we've met at daycare. Caroline has made little friends in her class and the older she gets the more the daycare workers love her. When I told them we were leaving they said "Well we don't like that.... Caroline is a preferred customer!" I thought that was kinda funny!

(Caroline is at the bottom left in this pic... eating lunch!)

Caroline is eating pretty well for the most part. Still not a huge fan of peas and I found out last night that she HATES peaches. I guess because they are tart or strong tasting. Who knows! Anyway, she takes 4 bottles a day (6 or 7 ounces each time). She eats fruit for lunch and for dinner she eats half a container of fruit and half a veggie (sometimes a whole veggie) with some cereal or oatmeal. She has really started crawling well over the last week or so! Last night I was sitting on the ground with her in front of me and every time I put her down she would crawl to me. I would pick her and rock her against my chest and say "loooove, love, love!" and then put her back on the ground and she'd crawl right back up to my lap. So sweet! With this new mobility has come a few "uh-ohs". My heart just breaks for her when she hurts herself. I guess I need to be watching her much closer now that she can travel so easily! =) Either watch her like a hawk or put her in something safe that she can't do too much harm in. We used to use a bouncy seat when I was getting ready for work in the mornings but now this walker is doing the trick for us.

That's all for now! Happy almost Friday!

My Very First DIY Project!

2010-07-23T17:47:00.000-05:00

Our bedroom is a mix-match of old furniture and hand-me-downs and I have been wanting a headboard/footboard for our bed for a while now but it just hasn't been in the budget. Earlier this week Dan was looking in an antique shop and found an old sleigh bed for 40 bucks! Pretty good for a king sized bed, huh!? Only problem is, the finish is in pretty rough shape so it definitely needs to be refinished. We're going to start on it this weekend. I really hope it turns out well! If we don't like the way it looks, we can always paint over it, right?!

So excited about that!!

As I was feeding Caroline yesterday she kept arching backwards to look at Daddy. I thought it was so funny I made him take a picture!

And this was my view. Ha!

About an hour ago Caroline fell asleep in her bouncy thing so I laid her down in her crib. She woke up a little but I figured she would go right back to sleep. I left and went to check on her about 10 minutes later and this is what I found:

She was just sitting in her crib playing quietly! How sweet is my girl!??

And to wrap up this post I'll share one of my most favorite pics of her to date! I took it last night while giving her a bath (obviously). Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Mobile Visit, Peas, & Sitting Up Like a Big Girl!

2010-07-19T21:58:00.000-05:00

How's that for a hodge podge title?

The weekend before last Caroline and I headed to Mobile to visit Wren. We always enjoy our time together and this weekend was no exception. Wren cut my hair and I paid her in ice cream... because, well, I'm an awesome friend like that. Then I gifted her husband Allan with a hysterical baby at Olive Garden. I'm sooo much fun to be around these days! :)

This past weekend was pretty uneventful. We had planned on going to the pool but it's been raining a lot here lately so we were pretty much lazy all weekend. We did get some cleaning done on Sunday which was nice. We're getting to the point where Caroline has a bunch of toys so we need a toy box in the living room and one in her room so we can easily clean up each day. Caroline is doing well and eating a new food pretty much every 4 days or so now. So far she has eaten almost everything I've given her... but she definitely doesn't love peas or green beans. Oh how I hope she doesn't have an aversion to green foods like I do! :(

Warning: She gags in the video below. If you can't handle that I would recommend skipping the video.

Tonight we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner & Caroline sat in a highchair for the first time! We sat her in one at another place a couple of weeks ago but she kind of slid down into an uncomfortable slouch. She did much better today and I kept telling Dan "look how big she is!!" She is sitting up so well now. It's like over night she went from only sitting by propping her self up with her hands and now she sits up without propping herself up!

In other news, the countdown is ON!! 2 weeks & 4 days left of work!! Can you tell I am elated?!? I start a week long "mini-session" at USM on 8/9 and then the regular semester starts a week and a half later. I'm going to try and take 19 hours this fall so that in the spring I'll only have 12 hours to complete.

Anyway, it's almost 10 and that means it's momma's bedtime!! :)

Dream House

2010-07-12T11:09:00.001-05:00

This morning while going through my list of blogs I frequent I stopped over at http://www.thestoriesofa2z.com/. I love this blog for her style and decorating and over the weekend she wrote about Steven Alexander Homes. I feel like such a copy cat blogging about the exact same thing but OH how I love this house!

I have never been so in love with a house or a style in my life! Dream big, right?!

As beautiful as the outside of this home is, I love the inside even more.

Look at the ceiling in the dining room! I love all the greens and blues.

It looks so comfortable and I love all the molding!

I think I've decided I want my next house to have a vanity like this

(preferably off to one side insead of centered).

Anyway, I seriously doubt I'll ever need a 3500 square foot house OR something that costs $680,000! It's always fun to dream though... and I could do something much smaller in the same style one day! :)

Random Notes & Quirks

2010-07-08T14:00:00.004-05:00

I don't have much to blog about, but I'm going to anyway. So here goes....

1. I went to the vet's office to get flea medicine yesterday and they have a room of puppies for sale. I cannot keep myself from going in that little room and letting the puppies lick my fingers. They are irresistable!!!! God must have made puppies to make people happy. I wanted to take them all home with me, but especially the yorkie puppies! Thankfully, I am able to walk away. I have to talk my husband out of getting another dog on a regular basis. He always comes back later and says "I'm glad you talked me out of getting another dog!"

2. My daughter is COVERED in little red bumps. It started last week and has only gotten worse. They aren't itchy or making her unhappy, but it makes me so sad to see my pretty girl like that. Her daycare said all of the crawlers in the room beside hers had it last week and several of them went to the doctor. The doctor said they were "just fighting off an infection" and didn't give them any medicine. This is a very strange explanation... but I'm glad there isn't an allergy or anything I have to figure out.

3. We were planning on going to Sunday school for the first time this Sunday at a church I think we've decided to stick with... but unless her bumps magically disappear before Sunday we won't be able to go. =(

4. My friend Julie is about to have her first baby- she will be 39 weeks tomorrow and I'm planning on driving up to Nashville when she goes into labor. I met Julie when we worked at Dave Ramsey's together. She is always in a happy mood and it seems to just rub off onto you when you're with her. On my first day at Dave's we all went to lunch and she was dancing in her seat to the music at the restaurant. That is soooo Julie. I was thinking "weirdo!!"

photo taken from http://www.kimberlybarnesphotography.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I'm SOOOO excited to meet baby Graham. I'm sure I'll be an emotional wreck when I finally lay eyes on her for the first time as a mommy. They tried to get pregnant for a long time and I remember so clearly the day she found out. She and Nick are going to make wonderful parents. They have such a strong christian home and Graham is so lucky to have them for a mommy & a daddy.

5. I am addicted to those little chocolate covered donuts. I think they have about 10,000 calories in a serving. I can substitute the white donuts if I have chocolate milk to dip them in.

6. I like the smell of white-out.

7. This youtube video cracks me UP! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI I was laughing out loud in the break room at work watching it. This one is also great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKEQwvaYI_k

---this post just keeps getting weirder and weirder---

8. Women with shiny faces annoy me. I want to run up to them and powder away!! (I have been guilty of being shiny before too... so I don't know why it annoys me when I see other people with this issue.)

9. The Hills is about to end for good and I'm pretty upset about it.

10. I dread washing my hair... I think because I hate blow drying it. It only takes about 10 minutes to dry it so it's so silly for me to dread it like that, but I do anyway.

11. I am SO OCD about washing Caroline's bottles. I have to wash them so well and then I have to rinse them for a long time because I imagine her drinking soapy bottles. How insane is that? I don't even let Dan wash them. I don't think he minds at all!

What are your quirks?

Caroline is 6 Months Old!

2010-07-07T09:06:00.004-05:00

6 months ago today we welcomed our sweet baby girl into the world. I was more exhausted that morning than I've ever been, but all that work was so worth the precious gift that was given to us. I was absolutely clueless about how much love I could have for one little person. Our lives changed forever that day. I know everyone says this, but time has definitely flown by. When did our little newborn turn into a curious baby who won't sit still?! She watches everything... and when I'm holding her she whips her head from left to right to see whatever is going on. It feels like just yesterday she couldn't even hold her head up and now she wants to crawl! She used to hate tummy time but now she spends much of her day on her belly scooting around.

Here are a couple of videos to show you what Caroline has been up to. When we put her on her belly she gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth... I am just waiting for the day that she takes off crawling!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-06T08:42:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful very long holiday weekend. I had a five day weekend and enjoyed every minute of it! Thursday I registered for classes at Southern and that night Caroline and I drove to Brandon to spend the night with my mom. Friday we took our time getting ready (it is so nice not to be rushed!) and I even painted Caroline's toenails! Daddy did not approve so I had to take it off Saturday but it was fun for a day anyway. We're going to be up a creek when she wants to dress herself!

Saturday was our annual 4th of July family get together at his parents house. Dan's family is pretty big so we usually have a good turn out. I look forward to it every year (and not just for the BBQ!)

I love that Caroline has lots of cousins she will grow up with! I have a tiny family but Dan has provided her with lots of cousins to enjoy! :)

Sunday we went to church with Dan's parents and then sat on their front porch for most of the afternoon enjoying the day. We were supposed to go back to Hattiesburg that afternoon but my mom called me and tempted me with Bonefish Grill for dinner so I ended up staying the night. If you have a Bonefish Grill near you and you haven't had their bang bang shrimp you must do so soon! It is soooo good. My mom doesn't even like shrimp and she loved it.

4 Generations!

Here is Caroline at my grandma's (Gommy's) house before bedtime. This is her guest room and the room that my mom grew up in. I thought the bedding made a good backdrop! :)

Can you believe she is sitting up?! More to come on what Miss Caroline has been up to in tomorrow's blog post!

Octo Meme

2010-06-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

I've been in a blogging slump lately because all I ever have to talk about is Caroline. I feel like that bores most people and is pretty self centered, but I'm going to continue even if it only serves as a journal for myself down the road. My friend Carrie did this meme yesterday and I thought it was an easy way to get a post done so here goes!

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to...

1) Quitting my job
2) Starting school in August - hopefully this will mean more time with Caroline!
3) Graduating... in MAY!
4) 4th of July weekend with my mom & Dan's family - family reunion style! :)
5) Getting off work today at 3:30 and going to pick up my sweet baby.
6) Seeing Eclipse (or any movie... I really miss going to the theater!)
7) Taking Caroline to the pool more this summer
8) Being debt free (eventually)

8 Things I did Yesterday...
1) Went to work
2) Read blogs
3) Commented on blogs (this is key people!!!)
4) Went to the bank
5) Picked up Caroline
6) Went to the grocery store w/ Dan
7) Watched a little TV
8) Went to bed.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do...

1) Be a better wife
2) Be a stay at home mommy
3) Win the lottery ( ; this one probably will never happen, since we never play.
4) Travel
5) Cook more often - it's so time consuming!
6) Move to Nashville and take all of my friends & family with me
8) Go back to Caroline's birth & birthday and remember it all (without the pain of course!)

8 Shows I Enjoy...
1) The Hills - I miss LC!
2) The City
3) Dexter (this is sort of embarassing...)
4) 16 and Pregnant (train wreck!)
5) Cooking shows - especially Cake Boss & cooking competitions
6) uh...
7) um....
8) as much tv as I watch you'd think I could fill in all 8!! I used to love watching the OC! Does that count as one?

I'm tagging Amy, MaryAlice, Kristine, Erin, My fav Lumberjill, Erin, Sissy, and Julie. Obviously if you don't want to do it, don't! :) You won't hurt my feelings!

ENT & Squash

2010-06-23T21:15:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we gave Caroline some squash - her first "real" food!

She makes a sour face every now and then, but I'm pretty sure she likes it because she continues to open her mouth for it. She ate it last night and again tonight... both nights she ate the whole container!

Sour face!

We went to the ear/nose/throat doctor this morning to check on Caroline's ears. She has had 3 or 4 ear infections in her short life and so her doctor wanted a 2nd opinion on whether or not she needs tubes put in. The doctor said he'd like to wait a little while longer and see if she has more infections, which is kind of what I was thinking before we went in anyway. She is really starting to be a handful! Of course she is still a very good baby... but nothing seemed to entertain her while we were waiting... and let me tell you, they took for-ever! I guess I need to start taking some toys with us!

That's all for now! I gotta go catch up on episode of The Hills from last night!

2010-06-14T19:36:00.003-05:00

I feel like my baby girl grew up while she was at daycare today! She was so full of personality this evening while I was giving her some rice cereal. She kept looking all around (bored, maybe?) and I decided to try the airplane noise trick to see if I could make her pay attention. She thought it was hilarious!! She was laughing so hard and that usually is pretty rare for her! It made my day for sure. Then she laughed a lot while Dan was holding her and making fake sneezing noises. Whatever works, right?

So then after bath time she smelled and looked so sweet and I couldn't resist shooting a few pics of her. She could possibly have a picture for every day of her life thus far! :)

This is a big week for Dan and I! Wednesday will be our 3 year anniversary and his birthday is Sunday... along with Father's day. He calls it his birtha-versa-father's day. :) We don't usually go all crazy with gifts and stuff, but we'll definitely treat ourselves with a dinner out somewhere! I'm looking forward to that!

Catch up

2010-06-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

I hate to say that my blog may be suffering through this summer class... but it is last on my list after family, school and housework. My class (biology) is going well so far. I had my first test tonight and I'm pretty sure I made a B so I'm happy with that. It has been really hard being away from Caroline for so long on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was a wreck the first couple of weeks.... I get home at about 9 at night and just hold and love her. She reaches her sweet hand up and explores all over my face... there is nothing like it.

A few weeks ago Caroline and I went to the beach with Gommy, Mom & Walt. We had a blast! The weather was perfect and I decided that May is the only acceptable time to go to the beach! Luckily, we went before any oil was spotted in FL. My heart just breaks over this oil spill disaster. To see such a beautiful creation ruined by human hands just kills me... and I saw a picture of a pelican completely covered in oil yesterday and I had to stop myself from crying. I cannot handle the thought of innocent animals suffering. Anyway, here are a couple of pics from our very fun trip.

Caroline did as well as can be expected on the beach. I put her feet in the water a couple of times but it was a little cold at first so I didn't want to put her whole body in and shock her. I forgot her sunglasses at home so I was worried it was too bright outside for her... even under the umbrella. We only stayed out for an hour or so at a time and got lots of naps in!

Over the Memorial day weekend we visited with Dan's parents. We had a good time and I had plenty of time to take lots of good pictures! (Dan's office got a new camera and they told us to feel free to use it at home. It takes wonderful pictures so I've been a picture taking fool ever since he brought it home!)

Yesterday Caroline was 5 months old. So hard to believe! I pulled out the rest of Caroline's 6 month clothes and I'm amazed at how well they fit. She is such a big girl! She rolled over for the first time (that I know of) while we were at Dan's parents house. Since then she rolls around constantly!! We started giving her a little rice cereal last week and she seems to be taking it pretty well. We're only giving it to her once or twice a day but occasionally she'll be too hungry to mess with it and I end up giving her a bottle. Here are pictures from our first meal:

I'll wrap this up with a video of her squeaking at me. She does this every now and them randomly and I think it's hilarious!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T20:34:00.001-05:00

4 Months Old

2010-05-13T10:59:00.004-05:00

Baby Caroline turned 4 months old last Friday. I am LOVING this age. I've always heard that 3 months is when they really start to get fun, but 4 months seemed to be the big turning point for us. All of a sudden she is so aware of everything and she is "talking" up a storm. My mom calls it moon talk! =)

She is holding her head up like a champ now. When we put her in her bouncy seat, most of the time she won't lay her head back. This weekend we pulled down the exersaucer from the attic and she really seems to like it!

Last Friday my sister-in-law and her family came to stay with us. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well on Friday so I know I wasn't much fun...but I was glad they were there anyway! Saturday morning she had a new baby to photograph and before she left she grabbed a few pictures of my little angel. I am always amazed at her talent! You can check out her website here if you're interested!

Caroline seems to be responding to this antibiotic well and the steroid has almost completely cleared up her cough. We are sitting her up when she takes her bottle in hopes that will help too. I have told her daycare probably 4 or 5 times that she needs to be sitting UP when taking a bottle and yesterday when I pulled up the webcam to check on her, she was being cradled in the lady's arms taking a bottle. I hesitated for oh about 2 seconds and then called them. The owner answered and I asked her if she wouldn't mind making sure that Caroline is up right while eating because of her ear infections. I apologized several times... I don't know why I feel bad for complaining to them especially when I've asked them so many times about this. They were very nice and sat her up right away. After I got off the phone my coworker (who also has a 4 month old named Caroline) said "hey, why were you apologizing to them?" and I lost it. Well, I guess I didn't lose it as much as tear up and almost lose it! It is just such a terrible feeling to be so out of control of your own child!!! My coworker did a good job w/ reassuring me that he and his wife call the daycare alllll the time so they are probably used to it. =)

This morning we went for her 4 month shots... it was much easier for me than last time. (Still not fun though!) She weighs 13 lbs 11 oz and is two feet long! She is in the 75th percentile for height and 50th for weight. She currently takes five bottles a day (sometimes 5 ounces and sometimes 6) and we're thinking about seeing if we can make that 4 bottles a day. Maybe we'll try this weekend. She has just recently outgrown her 0-3 month clothes but most of her 3-6 month clothes are big. Dr. Stanford said by her 6 month checkup she will be making raspberries and maybe trying to sit up unassisted! I cannot imagine her doing these things!!

We saw a different doctor 2 weeks ago when we went in for her ear infection and that doctor recommended that I wait as long as possible for baby food. She also said she would probably just put cereal in the bottle at first. Today our regular doctor saw her and seemed to be pushing us to go ahead and give her food... and start with a spoon! Yeesh... I guess every doctor is different - even in the same practice! The other doctor had me considering waiting until 6 months and this doctor made it seem like we should try now. I may just compromise and start at 5 months. I'm sure I'm over analyzing things here, but the first doc said that feeding them food too early can cause allergies to manifest early if their systems aren't ready for it - especially if you have a family history with allergies... which we do. For those of you with children, when did you start feeding them cereal and did you give it to them in a bottle or with a spoon?

Old Pictures

2010-05-05T13:42:00.004-05:00

We went to Jackson last weekend to visit with our families and had a good time. Friday night and Saturday we spent relaxing at Dan's parents house. His mom cooked breakfast casserole Saturday morning and it is my favorite! I definitely ate more than I should have. Saturday night C & I went to dinner with my mom, Gommy & Walt at the Parker House. I had the best steak ever... it was so flavorful! After dinner, we were visiting at Gommy's house and I remembered that I've been wanting to get some copies of old pictures she had so that I can frame them for my house. I grabbed an album and a framed picture and I'm planning on getting them duplicated this week. I thought I'd share with y'all...

This is of my Gommy & Poppy in the Grove at Ole Miss around 1950:

And this is on their wedding day in 1951. My great grandmother sewed her wedding dress.

I love looking at old pictures and even more so if they are pictures of my Gommy! ( ;

On another (less optimistic) note Caroline is still sick and has new symptoms. I'm starting to wonder if she will ever be well again!! Over the weekend she developed a pretty serious cough. Last night she began inhaling after coughing a few times and I got so worried that it is whooping cough. I'm still not sure today, but she hasn't made that sharp inhaling sound since last night. I spoke to a nurse who seemed to blow it off... she said a runny nose can cause coughing like that. (A runny nose is also a symptom of whooping cough. Fabulous.) I am thankful for the insurance we have... it is really good, but that $20 copay really adds up when you visit the Dr several times a month! Of course I would pay anything to have my baby well, but I wonder if I'm just being a silly "new mom" and worrying over something minor. Please keep us in your prayers....

Feet!

2010-04-30T12:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I took a sick day because I wasn't feeling great. It was so good to be home all day with Caroline. I'm better today, but my sinuses still have me feeling "off". It kinda feels like I sucked water up my nose. For lunch nothing sounded good and I really just wanted to lay down in my car... but I made myself eat a sandwich because I knew I'd be hungry later on. Caroline wasn't feeling well earlier this week so I took her to the doctor. Looks like she has kept the ear infection she was diagnosed with 2 or 3 weeks ago. She is on a different antibiotic this time, so hopefully we'll both be better soon. Nonnie came to the rescue and kept her at our house on Tuesday. I just loved this picture she took...

Anyway, I'm not blogging just to complain... I wanted to say that Caroline discovered her feet for the first time today! I was laying in bed this morning after she had her bottle and she was sitting on my chest looking at her feet. I watched her little eyes scan back and forth several times until she finally looked up and met my eyes with a smile. She melts my heart. It is still crazy to me that this auburn, blue eyed girl belongs to Dan and I! I'm sure her coloring will change, but it's not what I pictured. Those cheeks, however, were VERY predictable! =)

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

My favorite...

2010-04-22T20:27:00.001-05:00

This is a pretty big statement... because I LOVE reading blogs. (If y'all haven't caught on yet... work is pretty slow so I have a lot of free time on my hands while I'm sitting at my desk waiting on someone to ask me to copy something.)

I think I have officially found my most favorite blog. ever.

Maybe I'm being dramatic, but it seriously puts me in the best mood when I read Kelle Hampton's blog! She is a wonderful writer, photographer, and (most importantly) mommy. If you get some spare time and would like a new addition to your list of favs, visit her blog at http://www.kellehampton.com/. I would recommend starting with Nella's birth story.

Anyway, just wanted to share a little piece of happiness with you! Enjoy! And let me know if you decide to read it and if you're going to continue... because I also happen to love (or lurve as one blogger puts it) comments!!

Videos of my girl

2010-04-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

Here are some videos mainly for my family (and for me while I'm at work!)

A short video that demonstrates exactly how she gets what she wants! 0=D

Doesn't she have that bottom lip poked out to perfection?!

The best way to wake up in the mornings!

Just Pictures

2010-04-12T21:52:00.001-05:00

3 Month Old Caroline

2010-04-07T16:33:00.003-05:00

Today is Caroline's three month mark! I can't believe this much time has already passed. Here are some pictures I took of her today.

She smiles and drools all the time and is a big fan of kicking her legs. One of our favorite names for her is Smiley! She laughs a little here and there and I love to hear her gkoooos! :)

Friday Randomness...

2010-04-02T15:30:00.007-05:00

This post is about to be all over the place!

I have an obsession with all things damask lately. I want to buy pretty much anything I see with that pattern. I can see that being overkill very easily. Luckily, I haven't let it take over my life. The only thing I've purchased with that pattern is the stroller/car seat combination.

So here is a totally random question.... does anyone hate going to the grocery store as much as I do? I pretty much put it off every day that I can until all that is left to eat is stale bread and pb&j. bleck!

Last weekend while visiting Wren, I bought an amazing pair of Steve Madden sunglasses. I picked them up and said "who in their right mind would spend this much on sunglasses?!"... and then I tried them on! I remembered I had a gift card from Christmas in almost the exact amount and I quickly purchased them! Yay me! I think they'll be perfect on the beach this summer. I've never had a good pair and they always hurt my head... not any more!

Speaking of Wren, while we were visiting, I remember one of the last times we saw each other. Caroline was probably a week old and I was having some hormonal issues. I was so depressed! I was really struggling to keep it together and apparently doing a pretty good job with it. I was laughing with Wren about it saying "remember how crazy I was" and she said "girl I still laugh about that to this day! You had like 4 tears and called that a breakdown! Dan is a lucky man because that was definitely not a breakdown!" I feel like I cry all the time now because I never used to cry. My SIL once told me that she cried a lot more after having children and I've learned that to be very true for me as well! When I went to visit my friend in the hospital after she had her baby I just cried and cried because I was so happy about her new addition. She probably thought I was insane. I do the same thing talking to my friend Julie about her baby that is due in July. Help us all when I finally lay eyes on him! =D

Speaking of my SIL, she is an amazing photographer and did my birth announcements! I loved them! I'm behind on sharing it with my online friends, but here it is anyway:

Check out her photography site if you're in the Jackson area (or even if you aren't) and are interested in having pictures made. She makes you feel so comfortable and is very reasonable to work with! :)

Anyway, this weekend is going to be so much fun because we're visiting family for Easter! I hope to come back with lots of pictures! Hope y'all have a great Easter weekend and that we all remember the true significance of this holiday. I've been thinking "He is Risen!" all day... I'm a little ahead of the game on that one. Just excited, I guess!

Mini Photo Shoot

2010-03-31T19:19:00.010-05:00

I decided to take advantage of the good lighting in our bedroom this afternoon and shoot some pics of Caroline. They're pretty good, for an amateur!

I love her rosy cheeks and can't handle her sweet lips! I kiss them over and over again...

This one is my favorite even though it's a little blurry!

I love every inch!

The Pastry Garden @ Gordon Creek

2010-03-31T14:37:00.004-05:00

We found this hidden gem in the heart of downtown Hattiesburg last week. I think it may just become a tradition for us! I love the fact that Dan has a flexible schedule at work now so he can pick me up for lunch every now and then. This is the first time since we've been married that we've been able to enjoy lunches together!

I really enjoy seeing him in the middle of the day... it is just the pick-me-up that I so often need! And it kinda feels like we're cheating in some way- going out to eat without a baby to tend to.

This restaurant used be called Gordon Creek Deli... anyway, the atmosphere is perfect. The walls are painted a pretty green color and they have a wonderful screened in patio to eat on when the weather is nice.

Wednesday their special is shrimp & grits! So southern!

They also have fantastic desserts! (Hence the name... pastry garden). And the best part? A cookie comes with your meal!

Homes of Hope for Children

2010-03-30T09:11:00.003-05:00

Please go vote for this worthy cause! They are in 2nd place to win $250,000 to help complete their project.

http://www.hohfc.org/ (Click the big red box and read the instructions below. After you register for the first time you have to click vote again).

Visit w/ Wren & Allan

2010-03-28T21:39:00.008-05:00

Today was a GREAT day! I'm blogging so frequently now I feel like this is a day-by-day journal. Anyway, it'll be good to have down the road. Caroline and I went to visit our friends Wren & Allan in Mobile. We went to a yummy Japanese restaurant and then to the mall. Allan ditched us when we went to the mall. What's wrong with him? :) Wren cut my hair and I must say, it looks FANTASTIC! It felt so good to get that weight off and get some style! I'll probably take a picture sometime this week.

Right before we left, they had her laughing. It was so adorable... and it was the first time I really heard her laugh like that! She laughed some more as Dan and I were telling her goodnight. It melts my heart!

I got home right before 8 and spent some time straightening the house and moving the rest of Caroline's stuff into her room. She is officially sleeping in her room now so the changing pad and clothes and everything is OUT of our bedroom. Our bedroom actually looks half decent now. No clutter- what a concept!

Here's a picture we took tonight:

(Carrie- Thanks for letting us borrow the PJs and the shoes she was wearing in the pictures from earlier today. I am in love with those shoes!)

I realize all the pictures are getting excessive, but I just cannot help it. I guess that's part of being a proud Mommy!

Well, I'm pretty sleepy so I'm going to go catch some shut eye now. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Duds outfits & Hubfest

2010-03-27T19:27:00.010-05:00

I bought several cute things at Duds for doodlebugs earlier this week. I got about 7 things for under 30 bucks... not bad at all! Here are my favorites:

(Yes, I'm letting Caroline wear a bikini; it's cute now... not so much when she is 13.)

Then, today my mom & Gommy came so that we could go to Hubfest! Mom brought her dog so Shelby & Roscoe had a fun time running around in the back yard.

Caroline was all dressed up for her first festival (and her Hattiesburg premier). She was wearing her cousin Kate's bow & outfit. So, so cute!

Here are a couple of pics we took while at Hubfest.

Mom bought me an easter present too! I love it!

It was a fun time had by all. I think Caroline is upset that her Mamaleigh and Gommy left... she was super fussy for about an hour and a half. We just swaddled her and I think we're in the clear now. :) Tonight is a BIG milestone for us. Caroline will be spending her first night in her room! I can't believe she is going to be all the way across the house, but hopefully it will be fine. For the last few nights she has been going to bed at 7:30 in her room and we wake her up at 9:30 for her bottle and she sleeps in her pack 'n play next to my bed. Well, today I put the pack 'n play away so hopefully that will make me do this!

Tomorrow C & I are going to Mobile to visit Wren! She is a hairdresser and is going to cut my hair! I'm soooo ready- it takes forever to blow dry as long as it is now. Maybe I'll be a good blogger and take before and after pictures. Hope everyone is having a fun weekend!

Finally Friday!

2010-03-26T10:20:00.000-05:00

This little girl....

is SO glad it's Friday! She gets to see her Mammaleigh, Gommy, and Wrenie this weekend! What a lucky girl!

these make me happy

2010-03-25T13:27:00.004-05:00

My new life has me dreading every day that I come to work and have to leave my sweet smelling baby girl with people I don't really know that well (for 10 long hours).... BUT, thanks to God and my coworker Carol, these beautiful tulips brighten my entry and exit to work each day.

They make me feel like, somehow, it's all going to be alright... because at least it's spring. Isn't it crazy that flowers can do that to a person? ... I'm such a sap!

The Cutest Snorer Ever & American Idol Opinions

2010-03-23T21:08:00.007-05:00

Yep, that's my girl! She is snoring almost as bad as I did in my 3rd trimester! I've never heard her snore like this before... but I must say, it is sooo cute! (Again, if anyone knows why youtube is cutting off the right side of my video, I would be very appreciative if you would share!)

Yesterday after I got off work Caroline and I took our first real stroll outside. Here are some pictures I took on my cell phone as we were walking.
Steps to a successful walk: 1. look cute 2. fuss 3. drool

On to American Idol. Who's watching it?
Oh my goodness... can I tell you how much I don't like Siobhan? PLEASE do not scream at me again! I didn't like it when Adam Lambert did it last year, and I don't like it when you do it either. Also, I know this is mean, but your mouth really annoys me for some reason.

I just love Michael Lynche. He seems like such a happy person and he is easy on the ears. =) Casey James has his moments, so I kinda like him too. I didn't love Crystal Bowersox at first because she does come off as somewhat arrogant, but I have to admit-- she was amazing last night and is pretty much better than everyone else. My money is on her (no surprise there).

Everyone else, you can go home... dawg.

Guess where I'm going!!

2010-03-23T16:41:00.004-05:00

A few hints:

Starts with "Flo"...

ends with "rida"!!! (I know, I'm just hilarious)

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! We're going towards the end of May with my Gommy, mom & step dad! This trip wouldn't have been possible on such a tight budget, but Gommy is very generously covering the cost of the condo to celebrate my mom's big birthday coming up in July! I'll be polite and let you wonder which birthday it is. =D

Anyway, I can't wait to go and to see little miss Caroline in a bathing suit! I realize she is too young to be out on the beach for extended periods of time if it is really hot... but how cute is this?!

Hopefully it will be warm enough... last May Dan and I went and it was cold the whole week (and we had a terrible hotel/room). It should be a lot of fun and the first of many family vacations as a family of 3!

Last Weekend & Next

2010-03-22T09:25:00.003-05:00

This weekend was really good. Saturday was a day of recuperating after a long week. I pretty much sat on the couch with Caroline all day. It's funny how sleeping in until 9ish feels like sleeping in now, when a year ago 9:00 was relatively early! Saturday night Dan and I ate somewhere new (to us): The Magic Tomato. I ordered the Chicago Deep Dish pepperoni pizza and it was pretty fantastic. Afterwards, Caroline and I went to Target while Dan looked around Books a Million.

Sunday we got up and went to Temple Baptist. We still haven't found the best fit for us as far as church is concerned, so we're visiting a few places. It seems like the music portion is either a rock concert or super traditional. I'd love it if we could find something somewhere in the middle. After church we went to Cracker Barrel and then home. I had hoped to go buy some paint to redo my great-grandmother's mirror for Caroline's room, but it was just plain COLD outside so I asked Dan to take us home. For the rest of the afternoon I did laundry and straightened up the house. By 10:00 I was SICK AND TIRED of folding clothes! All in all, it was a good, balanced weekend of laziness and work.

Next weekend (yes it's Monday and I'm already wishing for next weekend) should be fun too! Saturday is Hubfest and it's supposed to be in the mid 70's so that should be a lot of fun! I also plan on visiting Duds for Doodlebugs sometime this week and maybe again on Saturday for their half priced sale. Hopefully I can find some good deals for Caroline!

Fill in the blank Friday

2010-03-19T16:30:00.005-05:00

Lauren from 'the little things we do' is hosting fill in the blank Friday. I thought it was kinda cute and interesting so I decided to participate!

1. Today I am wearing black pants with a cute black & white polka dot top I recently got from Maurices with black wedge heels that I wear almost every day. (Side note: I just discovered Maurices a few weeks ago and I love it! They've got a lot of cute stuff!)

2. My favorite childhood food was nutty bars and my favorite food now depends on my mood. I love pizza and chocolate... and especially Japanese food! (I'm so thrilled that Hattiesburg has a good Japanese place to eat! I could not find a good place in Nashville... so strange!)

3. A day that I am too busy to cuddle, love on, and smell my sweet baby is a day that I am too busy.

4. The last movie I saw was Love Happens and the next movie I want to see is Dear John.

5. My favorite smell is Tyler Candle's Pineapple crush because it is FANTASTIC... seriously... so good.

6. A weird little quirk I have is I can't stand to see foot prints on my wood floor (especially after I've recently cleaned it) so I walk around on the sides of my feet to try to avoid leaving prints. I'm not sure why walking around in clean socks leaves prints on our floors, I guess maybe because the floors are so dark? When we first moved in I swept and mopped almost every day. Ah, the life of a woman before she has kids!

7. When I take personality quizzes they always say I'm extroverted and that's pretty much as true as it gets! I have had this really strong desire lately to have close friends. I hate that my best friends are scattered around so much and I wish I could create some strong links in Hattiesburg.

Well, I guess that's about it for today! 5 minutes until quitting time. WHOO!!!!!!

Caroline says:

2010-03-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patty's day!

I'm pretty sure I'll be looking at these pictures all day long!

Grateful...

2010-03-15T15:04:00.001-05:00

Doesn't this just make your heart ache? Read the whole thing. Then, go hug your husband.

It really makes all those petty arguments disappear instantly, doesn't it? For me, it opens up a wound so intense and deep that it hurts to read this woman's words. It's like the time Dan and I were sitting in the movie "Stop Loss" and I was sobbing... uncontrollably... out loud. I was definitely doing the ugly cry.

Anyway, all this is to say, please pray for this momma & her family.

Have I lost my ever loving mind?!?

2010-03-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

I think I might just be going insane. I was just sitting here at my desk, reading blogs about new babies (what else?) and I was struck by the irresistable urge to have ANOTHER baby! Y'all, Caroline is 9 weeks old and I'm already feeling this way! How crazy is that? I don't have this urge all the time, just when I read about or talk to pregnant women. It is such a blessing to be able to have babies! I just pray that God helps to shape us into the kind of parents that Caroline deserves.

My "plan" all along has been to wait until Caroline was old enough to go to school so that we wouldn't have to pay 2 daycare tuitions, but I really don't see how I'm going to hold off another 4 years! Dan makes jokes about us having irish twins all the time. Seriously though, we have to wait at least a year or two minimum. We don't wanna end up like the Duggars, do we? I absolutely love them, but I really don't want 19 kids! I think it's so funny to look back at my strong opinions or plans and see how much they've changed. You never know how you're going to handle something until you're actually going through it.

This post is starting to go all over the place, but oh well. We went to church Sunday for the first time since Caroline was born. Here is our little sweetie all dressed up!

We also purchased a fence for our backyard in the last week. Now we can let Shelby out and not have to worry about her running off or getting eaten by another dog. I'm not so sure she likes being left out there unsupervised...

And finally, here are some random pictures Dan took of Caroline and I tonight:

This weekend Dan and I are headed to Jackson to keep our niece and nephew while their parents take an anniversary trip out of town. I'm so excited and can't wait to take pictures of Kate, Bryce & Caroline! Maybe that will change my desire for another baby so soon! Ha!

The D Word....

2010-03-03T16:42:00.001-06:00

Daycare..... ***Deep sigh.....

Monday was little bit's first day of "school" as Dan calls it. I'm really glad my mom & his mom took care of Caroline for a week and a half before we had to take her to daycare. I think it has made this experience quite a bit easier on me because I was already (somewhat) adjusted to not being around her during the day. It has been a little easier doing this in stages like that. The daycare we use has a webcam that you can watch for 20 bucks more a month. The picture isn't nearly as clear as I had hoped... I can't even tell if she is crying because it's so fuzzy. Really, the only way I can tell which one is mine is the color of the outfit I put on her that morning. This is what I spend much of my day at work looking at:

No, that isn't the dirt on your screen or your bad contact lenses... the picture is really that fuzzy. Oh well, it is better than nothing. At least I can see when she is being fed or held. She had a little bit of a diaper rash on Monday when I got her home. It could be just a coincidence, but that was her first time to have it so I made sure to take some cream for them to use and I also mentioned it (very politely) to them. It drives me crazy to see her scheduled feeding time come and go without her being fed... but I know when they have so many babies it is impossible to keep them all on the right schedule. I don't know how more controlling mom's handle it-- I'm pretty laid back and it really irks me! I know it probably sounds like I'm just full of complaints, but I really am happy with the daycare so far. I guess I should say, as happy as possible.

This morning the ladies who keep the nursery commented how much she sleeps. This girl can sleep. I mean, A LOT! I'm definitely not complaining, but yesterday she had to have slept 20 out of 24 hours of the day. I just hope nothing is wrong with her... I'm sure she is fine, but I'm definitely going to ask our pediatrician about it.

That's all for now! I'm off to go pick up my little snuggle bunny!

7 Weeks Young

2010-02-25T21:30:00.000-06:00

As of 3:10 this morning, Caroline was 7 weeks old! She was 10 1/2 lbs at her 6 week check up last week (50th percentile for weight & 90th percentile for height!) She is drinking about 4 1/2 oz every 4 hours and sleeps over 7 hours a night (most nights).

I love watching her kick her little legs out one at a time. She started smiling at around 5 weeks and if you can get her to focus on your face, you're pretty much guaranteed a precious smile!

The rest of this week has been much, much better than the beginning of it and I'm so thankful for that. I am sad when I really think about it though, because really, how can she know me and remember me if I'm gone from her 11 hours out of every day? If only I would have known how I feel now, I would have been saving for this a long time ago so that I could stay home with my little rose bud. My Gommy has called her rose bud a few times and I think it's so sweet.

That's all for now! The weekend is almost here!!! (Insert 'finally friday' song here!)

Our Nashville Trip

2010-02-23T19:15:00.000-06:00

The weekend before last we visited our good friends, Nick & Julie in Nashville. Julie is about half way through her first pregnancy and I'm SUPER excited for her! She was always there for me to celebrate my milestones while I was pregnant, and it is fun to do the same for her. Last week she found out she is having a boy! Watch out Baby Butcher, I'm already planning Caroline's wedding! Ha!

Soon to be Daddy... He's a natural!

Julie & Caroline:

I made a stop by Dave Ramsey's office to see some of my old co-workers. I miss them SOOOO much!

Stephanie and Caroline:

Amanda (aka MiMi) & Caroline:

I really wish I would have taken a picture of all the girls. I felt so loved when I walked in the door and about 10 of them were all gathered around to see Caroline and I. I got to eat at two of my favorite places while I was there... Jersey Mike's & Pei Wei! De-lish! We're thinking about taking another trip in the spring and I'll definitely be making a trip up there in July or August to see Julie & Nick's newest addition!

Well yesterday and today have been better than Friday and Monday. I've been able to keep it together at work, which is nice. I still think/worry about it constantly, but at least I've got my emotions under control. C has been sleeping from 10:30 pm to 6 am every night for the last 3 weeks or so, but the last two nights in a row she has woken up at 4:30. It really throws the whole schedule off! Last night I cooked delicious poppy seed chicken for the first time! It was pretty easy, except I wanted the chicken shredded instead of cubed and that took some time. I don't know how working moms do it! I got off early so I got an early start cooking, but I still wasn't done until 7 and I was exhuasted after cleaning up the kichen and all.

I'll leave y'all with a couple of cute pictures of my sweetie!
awwwwee....

Sweet smile...

Crying in the bathroom...

2010-02-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, that was me this morning... at work, mind you. How embarrassing. It's crazy how fast the tears come-- they seem to come out of no where! For example, I emailed my friend Julie (after I had calmed down) to tell her about my tough morning, and she emailed me back "Oh honey! I'm so sorry!!" Who would have thought her response would make me start all over again!? I definitely didn't expect this. I knew it would be tough, but I feel so hormonal and I've been absolutely fine for the last 4 weeks (no hormonal outbursts).

Anyway, I just have to hang on a few more months. I hope to go part time in June once we have a chance to recover from me not getting a paycheck for 6 weeks and when Dan gets his annual raise. There are definitely some kinks to work out, but I have faith things will work out. In the mean time, I need to stock up on some kleenex!

By the way, for those of you with kids: When did you move the baby into his or her own room? I think now is the time I should be doing it, but I just can't imagine her being all the way across the house!! I'm away from her all day and now I'm supposed to be away from her at night too? This Mommy stuff is hard work!

Worn out....

2010-02-05T17:20:00.000-06:00

after an afternoon of running errands!

Caroline's Birth Story

2010-02-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

So here I am to share Caroline's birth story! She is a month old today and I just cannot believe it!!

Here is a picture I took of her & daddy this afternoon (on his new chair!)

Okay... so on to the details of Caroline's birthday. Tuesday night (Jan 5th) we went to a fabulous Japanese steakhouse here in town called Oishi. It was our last outing as a childless couple!! I slept about an hour and a half that night... just so much to think about! Here is my last belly picture that Dan took before we left for the hospital Wednesday morning.

Here we are pulling out of the drive way (running late as usual!) We were at the hospital Wednesday by 5:30 am to be induced. by 7 am I had had an enema (it was my first... boy was that fun) and was started on a pitocin drip. My doctor said we should meet baby by sun down. Caroline had other plans! (A princess already... making us wait so long!)

If anyone can tell me how to make the blog show the whole video and not cut off my head, that would be great...

At 7:45 my doctor broke my water and I was dilated to 1 (I had been half a centimeter for weeks). I was shocked at how hot the water was and how much of it there was! It's not just one gush like I thought!
Disclaimer: Please excuse my crazy husband's comments in this video... but I wanted to post this one because its the only one with him in it!

By 9 am I was having about 4 contractions every 10 minutes... the contractions were lasting about 45 seconds and were painful but bearable because they would peak and go away. I would just breathe through them and watch the clock and squeeze two of Dan's fingers. My tail bone killing was me- those hospital beds are NOT comfortable!

It was soon after this point that the contractions got a little worse and I thought, "What could a little Stadol hurt??"... and so I decided to take it and it made me kinda crazy! No really... we have proof:

...and it only got worse from there... (I didn't know he was taping me here)

Seriously... the stadol really didn't do much good except for making me talk crazy! PS... a little advice to those who have to go through this in the future... get your IVs on the hand that is on the SAME SIDE as the IV pole... it was SOOO annoying to be draped across me the whole time because it kept pulling. As you can see in the videos, I'm crunching ice because I had TERRIBLE acid reflux (or up chuck as I call it in one video) ha!

By 12pm I was dilated to 3cm and got epidural at about 12:30. That REALLY slowed things down! I can't believe people get so nervous about the epidural! The IV's in my hand definitely hurt worse than the epidural.

I don't remember if I started throwing up before or after the epidural but that continued pretty much all day. It was so unexpected but the doctor said some people just respond to labor by throwing up.
Around 2:30 I was 4cm and by 6:30 I was dilated to 5... The nurses were starting to mention c section if the baby didn't come down anymore. I was pretty determined to wait it out- after all, I wasn't in any real "pain" because the epidural was working wonderfully!

Here is my niece Kate waiting with the rest of our family on Wednesday night!

I'd never heard that you forget the details of your labor soon afterwards, but you really do! Our families decided to go back to our house to get some sleep around 11 (I think?). Around midnight I started feeling real pressure down south and I was dilated to 9! Whoo!!!

I started pushing at around 1am and I was exhausted from push number 1. They turn all the lights in the room off except for these two big spot lights on the ceiling. I could not believe how hard pushing was! Right away I was like "uh... I don't think I can do this..." We had a great nurse who just kept encouraging me and stayed positive the whole time. I guess they're just used to women saying they can't do it! I didn't feel like I was doing effective pushing... I was holding my breath and turning red in the face- it's like I was pushing up top and not down low like you're supposed to. She kept saying "push down low like you're having a bowel movement" but I just couldn't figure out how for some reason. They give you a big mirror if you want to see everything (which I did). I originally thought this would encourage me and help me see the progress I was making, but I was so wrong! The nurse kept saying "look it's the baby's head!" I couldn't believe how positive she sounded... all I could see was a portion of the baby's head about the size of a quarter. It was extremely discouraging! But I kept the mirror and only looked every now and then. Thankfully, throughout all the pushing I didn't scream like a crazy lady or say anything like "am I dying??" but I was definitely a wimp! Poor Dan... I know he must have been very worried!

In the last hour of pushing I started having some sharp pains and they said that was because she was turned the wrong way. The doctor tried to turn her with his hands, but I don't remember how well that worked. I can't put into words how tired I was... not sleepy, but exhausted. I've never been so close to insanity in my life. I cried a little, but never for very long. At one point I wanted to take a break but as soon as they took my legs out of the stirrups I was like "Oh there is NO way I can rest like this! Back to pushing!" Another odd thing, the nurse and Dan were the only ones with me while I was pushing. The doctor didn't come in until the last 15 or 20 minutes. They said it was normal for the doctor to only be present once the baby is crowning. When he finally did come in it was obvious he had been sleeping because he was telling me what was about to happen but he kept yawning over and over again in the middle of his sentence. This made me LIVID! Here I am.... basically on my death bed (: and you're YAWNING at me?!?? Sheesh! I really wanted to give up and have them do a C section and I kept thinking "WHY did I WANT a vaginal delivery!??!" The doctor said "Ten more minutes and you'll have baby!" and my response was "I don't believe you!" Dan said everyone smiled and giggled when I said that, but I was too out of it to notice. I was right though! It was at least thirty minutes longer. At the very end my doctor said "I think you're going to need some help" and I said "YES! PLEASE!!" (hadn't I been telling them that for hours?) so I ended up with a 2nd degree episiotomy. When they put her on my chest I couldn't believe how beautiful and perfect she was! I don't remember if she was crying right away and I don't remember Dan cutting the cord. So strange! Once they took her and put her under the warming lamp to measure her and clean her off she was definitely crying. I remember just looking at Dan looking at her. So sweet! :)

I immediately started apologizing to the nurse and doctor for my craziness, but they said I wasn't too bad. My doctor said one time a woman in labor got upset because she wanted a C section and she was like 8 cm dilated and she got up naked and went down the hall like she was going to leave! He said his nurse said "what do we do?" and he said "she'll be back... trust me!" Crazy story!

Here is Dan handing her to me after she was all cleaned up. I can't believe I'm posting a picture of myself looking like this!

The recovery wasn't too bad... I finally feel like I'm back to "normal" now and I only have about 5 pounds of baby weight to lose before I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight! (I'd like to lose about 15 though!) The first few days after she was born my arms were SO sore from pushing/pulling on the bars they give you. It was so crazy! I felt like I had been in a car wreck! I never could figure out why those workout videos for pregnant women have you work your arms... now I know! All in all, I didn't expect labor to be so much work (that is a crazy statement) but Caroline was SO worth it!

Well if I have any readers left I'm amazed! Sorry for the lengthy post, but I want to be able to remember these things 10 years from now.

Sweet Little Video

2010-01-27T12:32:00.001-06:00

2 Weeks Old!

2010-01-21T14:44:00.001-06:00

Caroline is two weeks old today! Can you believe it?!

She apparently wanted to celebrate because she was up until about 12:30 last night! :) See?!

We started the day by going to her two week check up and I'm proud to report that we still have a healthy baby! She was 8 lbs 3 oz at birth and has gained 2 oz since then. Here we are waiting for our Doctor. (They made me strip her naked so that's why she is all bundled up... and it was cold in there!)

After our appointment we came home and took a much needed nap! Then I gave Caroline her first real bath... and she LOVED it! I could just tell she really enjoyed the warm water all around her! She only cried after I pulled her from the water and was drying her off. I think it is about impossible to keep them warm enough while you're drying them off... poor baby!

Can I just say that blogging is a whole lot easier when you have a million pictures of a baby to post?!

Mom Visits

2010-01-20T20:17:00.000-06:00

Last week Dan's mom came to keep me company and help out with baby Caroline. Dan had Wednesday off so she and I escaped to Walmart for some groceries (who would have ever thought I would consider Walmart an escape?!).

This week my mom was here for two days.

Today we went out to eat for lunch and I don't think Caroline was too impressed with her first visit to a Mexican restaurant!

I'm so glad they were able to come!
That's all for now! Just thought I'd share pics of some sweet grandmas! :)

Caroline's newborn pictures!

2010-01-18T23:07:00.000-06:00

My SIL Amy came to Hattiesburg today to shoot Caroline's newborn pictures and they turned out SO good! I'm extremely thankful to have her in my life for many reasons (not just because she gives me all her baby things and takes amazing pictures!!)

I'm saving two of my favorites for her birth announcement, but here are the rest of my favs!

If you're looking for someone to take some amazing pictures for you, check out her website: www.amyhenryphoto.com!

Patience...

2010-01-17T14:16:00.000-06:00

Y'all have to be patient with me! I know I'm seriously neglecting my blog and its MANY readers, but this lady (who normally gets 9 to 10 hours of sleep) has been going through a little bit of an adjustment phase! I'm almost done writing up Caroline's birth story, but it includes lots of videos taken with our new flip and it just takes a little time to get the videos to upload to youtube. I can't seem to get the videos to upload directly to the blog, so I think youtube is my fastest option (and it still isn't fast).

Caroline is really a good baby! The first week she slept basically around the clock. Now we're noticing more awake time and trying to make that during the day instead of at 10 pm or 5:30 am (like we had this morning). We're trying to finish reading Baby Wise so we can get her on some sort of a schedule! She pretty much is on a schedule, (eats 3 oz every 4 hours) but poor baby hasn't had enough dirty diapers lately so we're going to try decreasing the amount of formula and increasing how often we feed her (more like 2 oz every 3 hours). Her umbilical cord fell off 2 days ago... I can't believe she is already a week old!

It's ironic how at one moment I feel like I'm neglecting her for letting her cry for 5 minutes... and the next I feel like I'm spoiling her rotten for holding her to let her fall asleep. It's such a fine line!!! But really, who could resist this face?!

Baby Caroline is Here!!!

2010-01-12T10:54:00.000-06:00

We've got a crying baby right now, so all I have time to do is post a few pics! I'm sure most of you have already seen these pictures, but I'm posting them for my friends and family without facebook access. My sister in law took these and they are PRICELESS to me!!!!

I'll be sure to share more about her birth and her cute little self later!

Christmas Eve & Caroline's ETA

2009-12-23T16:00:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Christmas Eve is TOMORROW! Dan and I both get off early around 10/11 am and that afternoon we're heading to Gommy's for her annual Christmas Eve party. I can't wait to EAT! Before I called Gommy "Gommy" I simply referred to her as "eeeeaat!!" I guess it's only natural that that's what I'm looking forward to tomorrow! I love how magical Christmas was growing up... and still is for me. I'm sure it helped being the only child AND the only grandchild!

I'm constantly wondering when Caroline will make her arrival. Most people say that I won't last until 1/12, but every now and then I run across someone who says "oh yea... you've got another 3 weeks!" One of my customers today said it would happen on the 8th (because, of course, that's Elvis' birthday- duh!!). The baby is moving a lot more lately and I can really feel her and push back on her little arms, tush, and legs! I had another appointment on Monday and there was no change on the dilation. I guess that is to be expected! It's only hard because I don't know if I should be rushing to get things done now or if I have another 3 weeks to wash clothes, write thank-yous, and figure out how on earth to work the medela pump & style!

One of my favorite things to do during slow periods at work is to read birth stories. I just read a REALLY good one and thought I'd share with y'all if you're into that kind of thing! It's graphic, but she is a good writer! Happy reading! :)

http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/blogs/birth_stories/archive/2009/11/25/mrs-wubbins.aspx

Shower

2009-12-15T16:51:00.000-06:00

Well as you can see I have a wonderful new look to my blog! Kristine offered to put a header together for me and I.LOVE.IT! =) Can y'all read the text okay?

Last weekend I had a shower thrown by my SIL, Amy! It was so much fun and I got LOTS of things I needed! I posted the pictures on facebook, but for those of you that missed them I'll post them below as well.

The morning of the shower as I was leaving my house:

Adorable table setting! I wish I had some of that breakfast casserole right now! And some chocolate cake would just make my day!

My sweet SIL & host!

My Mom, Gommy, & I (4 generations!)

Caroline's future Grandmothers (aka Nonnie & Nina):

BFFs!

Shelby thinks it's all for her!

I had a great time and was overwhelmed by all of the things we got!

In other news, Dan comes home TOMORROW night! I've already got a date night or two planned for this weekend and I think we are both off work Thursday and Friday! It will be nice to have a long weekend to stay around the house with no plans!

At my Dr's appointment last week they told me that I'm 1/2 a centimeter dilated and that the baby is sitting low so everything looks like it will be an easy delivery (or so my Doc says!). I feel weird talking about dilation on my blog, but I want to remember details later on so I'm doing it anyway. I'd love to hear some predictions on when Caroline will arrive if y'all have any opinions! I'm 36 weeks and due on January 12th. One of my coworker insists it will be next week! She says she can tell by my nose.... huh?! My nose has always been this big, lady! =)

I hope y'all enjoy the rest of your week!

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-30T18:22:00.001-06:00

Last week Dan was home Tuesday night through Sunday morning. I'm always amazed at how fast it feels "normal" to have him here again. I was surprised at how having him here made me realize that I actually do get lonely when he is gone... I just don't realize it until he is here! Sunday when I got home the house was SO quiet- and still is. He is coming home FOR GOOD in a little over two weeks, on December 16th and I'm so ready. Here is a not so great picture of us taken on Thanksgiving:

The lady in the picture below needs a tan and some lipstick! ( ;

Dan worked his entire vacation putting up beadboard in Caroline's room and it looks SO good. It was so time consuming and more expensive than I expected!

Now that the work is done, I can easily say it was worth it!!

Dan's parents drove down for Thanksgiving and we really enjoyed having them here! After lunch I put up the tree and I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself! I have really enjoyed shopping for and putting up Christmas decorations this year.

I'll be 34 weeks tomorrow... it's hard to believe we will be parents in about 6 weeks! It was so nice to have Dan home so he could feel Caroline really kick, hiccup, and move around. She has really started getting cramped... I can tell because my belly changes into all kind of weird shapes! Last night I had the worst case of acid reflux EVER! I woke up at least every other hour and tums wasn't helping at all. Once I even woke up gagging & coughing. Not fun at all. I hope that isn't a regular occurrence! Maybe I need to start sleeping sitting up! Yeesh! I guess that's all for now! I hope y'all have a great week!

Miscellaneous

2009-11-19T20:00:00.000-06:00

I'm itching for a new design for my blog... I'm tempted to buy a pre-made template, but the cheapest ones I can find are $20 bucks. I just can't see spending that much! I can find plenty of backgrounds that I like, I just am puzzled by what to put at the top of the page. If I had a professional horizontal picture I could make that work... but unfortunately all my pictures seem to be vertical! Any suggestions?!

The next few weeks are definitely going to be busy for me... and that's a good thing! This weekend I'm going to visit my friend Wren in Mobile to see Twilight and I can't WAIT! Dan flies in on Tuesday night for the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm definitely ready to see him (and get him to work on my honey-do list!) He is going to put up the beadboard in the baby's room and hang curtain rods in the living room. Yay! I really really wish I had off work on Wednesday & Friday, but I don't... it's tough working for a living! (; He heads back to Georgia on Sunday morning so I'll be driving him to Mobile to catch a plane then. Another chance to see Wren! The next weekend is my baby shower in Jackson at my SIL's house. I can't wait for that either! I'm looking forward to seeing all my family & friends, eating some delicious food, and of course, opening gifts for Caroline!

I forgot to tell y'all that on the last sonogram the lady pointed out hair on Caroline's head! I'm usually very good at deciphering what I'm looking at... but I couldn't tell that it was her head. I saw the hair... but wasn't sure where it was. I've read about lanugo before so I said "ooh... is that hair on her back?" The lady laughed pretty hard at me and said "No, crazy! It's hair on her head!" Oh well, blame it on the pregnancy brain. Speaking of Caroline's head, I found another "must have" today online.

The black band with the cream flower is my favorite. I found those on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34511022. Honestly, I think I can make my own pretty easily and for cheaper. There are lots of instructions on how to do it online... I didn't even think about buying headbands from the store and just cutting and sewing them to the right size until I read that suggestion. Maybe I'll get to work on that this weekend!

Sonogram

2009-11-12T11:32:00.001-06:00

I had a sonogram yesterday to see how big the baby is and she is 4 pounds 6 ounces! Everything I read says she should be about 3 1/2 pounds so I was shocked to hear that she is over 4. My doctor says she is in the 66th percentile... that's not TOO bad, right? :) I definitely won't need any preemie clothes! I'm thinking she will be at least 9 pounds. She is head down which was great news! I asked if she would move from that position and they said not usually.

That's all for now, just wanted to share the picture of my sweet little... er, big... baby!

31 Weeks

2009-11-10T20:29:00.001-06:00

Forgive me for the picture. I was in the target dressing room trying on clothes and I sent this to Dan as a text message. I decided since I'm having issues with my camera and my computer I'd just update my blog with this pic! :)

9 more weeks!

2009-11-08T11:19:00.000-06:00

That's right! Only 9 more weeks till my due date! And 5 weeks till Dan comes home! I look at the calendar all the time. I have pictures I need to post, but my computer doesn't seem to want to take memory cards anymore and I can't find the cord to connect the camera and the computer. I must get this fixed soon!

Yesterday my mom drove down and we went to a 1 day birthing education class at the hospital. It was very informative and I really enjoyed it! Mom was glad there was only about 10 minutes of graphic material. :) The nurse teaching the class was so funny! She mentioned how some people feel the baby hiccuping while they're pregnant and it hit me! THAT is what I've been feeling all the time! I could not figure out why Caroline would be kicking these little bitty kicks in such a rhythm. Then, about 10 minutes later to prove me right, Caroline had the hiccups! It was pretty funny. Other than that, the biggest highlight of the class was being able to see the labor/delivery/recovery room. I'm so glad that all three events will take place in the same room. The interesting thing about this hospital is that they don't have a nursery... so the baby sleeps (or cries) in your room at night. That is a little scary because I'm not sure how exhausted I'm going to be after laboring but at least I'll have Dan there. They did say that the nurse will come get the baby for a while if you need to sleep. We'll see how that goes! As we were leaving that area of the hospital I heard a little bitty baby crying and that made it so much more real. I was talking to someone with a 9 month old last week and she said it didn't feel really real until she showed up at the hospital in labor. 9 weeks feels like a long time away, but I'm sure it will come in no time!

Wall Decal

2009-10-25T10:43:00.001-05:00

Last week my newest purchase for Caroline's room came in so my mom and Gommy came to town yesterday to help me put it up! I ordered a wall decal from http://www.etsy.com/ and I think it is adorable!

The branch and the leaves are perfect. The ONLY thing I'm not crazy over is how plain the birds are. I'm thinking about maybe painting them a different color or taking them off and replacing them with cuter birds... something like this or this

If I did decide to replace them I don't really know what color to make them. I'm up for suggestions!! :)

That's all for now! We're about to go shopping and eat lunch! Yay!

Test Results

2009-10-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

Last week I had my glucose test and my results came back too high so I went this week to have the 3 hour glucose tolerance test done. Let me just tell you, being stuck with a needle 5 times in a matter of 3 hours is NOT fun! I look like a druggie with all these holes in my arms. Anyway, I got the results back today and they were too high again. My doctor is out of town so I haven't had a chance to have a good talk with an MD but it basically looks like I've got gestational diabetes. Cuss!!!!

Now, I know there are MUCH worse things that can go wrong but it's so hard eating a low carb diet! EVERYTHING has carbs... even healthy stuff!! I feel like I need a meal planner. Then throw the fact that I'm super picky on top of that and it just makes things more complicated. One of the most upsetting things about this is that over half of the people who have gestational diabetes develop full blown diabetes later on in life. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?!??

Anyway enough of that stuff. I'm 28 weeks and the baby weighs over 2 lbs now! It's crazy to think she is that big and that she could probably survive on her own if born right now! I love feeling her move and watching my stomach jump at night before bed. :) This week her eyes are open and she'll blink in response to light. So neat! I got another big part of my nursery in (ordered it off the internet) and my Mom may be coming this weekend to help me put it up so I hope to have updated pictures of the nursery then!

Belly Pics & Bedding!

2009-10-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

I haven't really been good about keeping up with the belly pictures, but my friend Wren was in town this weekend and so she took a picture for me. I can't believe how big I am already! I've got a long way to go... this could be bad a bad sign!

We had a great time this weekend... we were lazy but we did manage to get some shopping and eating done! Ha! As much fun as we had, I think our pups had even more! They get along so well and are the perfect size for each other. Her dog Luxie is sooooo sweet!

Shelby is sweet too!!

Last week was great... I spent two days in Jackson training for my new job so I got to visit with my mom, Gommy, and my MIL and SIL! I enjoyed seeing them all... I'm so glad that I'm closer to home now! My mother in law bought me several precious outfits for the baby and also the crib bedding that I've been wanting! It is so cute! I can't wait to get the room painted and get a dresser in there.

Now here is something I'd like everyone's opinion on... In the first picture of the bedding you see the bumper shows the bird design facing out... but you can't really see it that well because it's covered by the crib bars. The picture below shows the bumper reversed so you can see the design better when you're looking into the crib. So... should I have it facing inward or outward?

A little onsie she got me that I love! :)

Jennifer vs. Mouse Family

2009-09-23T18:26:00.000-05:00

So remember me telling y'all about the mouse in my garage this weekend? Yea... well, her family decided to make an appearance IN MY TRUNK today. I opened the trunk to get out a bottle of water (I keep a big pack in the trunk to carry into work with me) and I saw two little mice scurrying around in there. EEEEEKKK!!!!!

So I had to leave for work.... I was scared the WHOLE way.... I kept picturing them crawling up my pants or something terrible. Then when I got to work I asked my coworkers what to do and finally they decided I should get some of those sticky pads and put them in the car & trunk. I did that and both of them were caught shortly after... I had to have my coworker go get them out for me. I shouldn't have looked, but I did and that image will be stuck in my head for a while. Poor little things...

I also bought 4 traps (the metal snappy kind) and put peanut butter on them and placed them in my garage. Well, actually, my neighbor placed them because every time I tried they'd go off and peanut butter would fly off. I can't do anything!! GAH!

Why on earth would this happen now of all times? Special Agent Henry needs to get his butt home FAST!!!!!!!!

Long haired dogs & hardwoods: not a good combination!

2009-09-20T11:23:00.001-05:00

I'm SO tired of sweeping up dog hair! I told Dan earlier that either our next house won't have hardwood floors OR our next dog won't be a shedding breed! I REALLY wish Shelby didn't shed. Hopefully this is just a bad time of year for shedding and once it gets cold she'll stop? I have a daily routine now of brushing her and then sweeping... and then walking around and finding more hair....yeesh!

My mom came down to visit me this weekend and I really enjoyed having her company. Yesterday we cooked chicken fajitas and I made chocolate chip cookies! It was my first time ever to do them from scratch! I used my friend Julie's recipe and they turned out pretty good... not as awesome as hers always are, but still, pretty good. :)

I just finished my first week at my new job and I think it's going pretty well. I don't love dressing up every day but that's just the real world, right? I DO love getting off at 2 pm once a week... I love, love, LOVE that! I also met my neighbors this week and they are so sweet. They have 4 kids and they cut my grass yesterday and brought me dinner. I could get used to this kind of treatment! :) The wife is so nice... she asked if I cooked much and I told her no, I usually eat a sandwich for dinner. When she came over to bring me dinner she said "the baby doesn't want a sandwich tonight!" I offered to pay her for cutting the grass and she said no way and that her neighbors used to take care of her when her husband was in Iraq... so it's good to know she understands. Dan's parents are giving us a lawn mower and he is coming home October 10th so hopefully the grass won't need to be cut again until then. Owning a house is serious business! It's just a totally different feeling of responsibility. Yesterday I saw a mouse in my garage...... greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat. I'm leaving the garage door open all day and praying he will go back outside where he belongs! I just can't wait till Dan gets home so he can worry about all that stuff. Only 2 1/2 more months!!!

That's all the news for now! I hope everyone has a great week!

We're hooome!

2009-09-07T18:14:00.001-05:00

Oooo...ahhhh....

Dan installing blinds:

Pop installing blinds:

Messy, but pretty kitchen:

Messy, but pretty living room:

Baby's crib is up:

Aww, first pic of our family in the new house!

Dan looks like he is struggling a little bit... strange...

It's finally OVER! Here is a little timeline of events: Dan came home around 8:30 on Thursday night and we drove all night and arrived in our future drive way at about 4am on Friday morning. We were able to go in and look around and we prayed the cops wouldn't come carry us away in handcuffs! :)Then, we spent the rest of the morning sleeping in our car (again, in the drive way). Our realtor showed up at 8 and we had closed on the house by 9:30. After the lack of sleep, we were both feeling pretty rough by this point! We went to OUR house and took a nap and got some much needed rest. I felt so much better by Saturday morning after a full night's sleep. Dan's parents showed up Saturday to help hang blinds and install our new refrigerator, washer & dryer! Sunday was move in day and the movers were quick and got it all done in a few hours. It started raining at the very end so they finished just in the nick of time. A little later my brother in law and sister in law & their kids showed up to help us unpack and hang pictures and organize furniture. I can't tell y'all how blessed I am to have family that will come and work so hard for us! Dan leaves tomorrow to go back to Georgia and I'm going to miss having him around! It's so easy to fall back into our normal routine and forget that he isn't home for good. Thursday through Sunday I'm going to the beach with my sister in law's family and I can't wait! I'm sure my next post will be full of pictures from that trip. Unfortunately, who knows how long it may be before I can blog again... I have no idea when I'm going to get internet! :( I don't know what I'll do without it!

Shelby on an inflatable mattress

2009-09-01T19:51:00.000-05:00

Yea, I'm crazy. I did just buy an inflatable mattress and yes I'm letting my dog sleep on it. Will I regret it? I sure hope not....

Where else is she supposed to sleep??? On the floor? **GASP, I think not!

Our apartment is officially all packed up and on a truck which is who knows where by now. I still don't know what day they'll be delivering our stuff to Hattiesburg and it's really starting to tick me off. I'm not sure if I should try and be extra sweet to the lady in control or just cry and scream at her. Probably neither...

Anywho, this will probably be the last post until this move is all over with! I.CAN'T.WAIT.

I think I hear the inflatable mattress calling my name... here I come!

20 Weeks!

2009-08-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

I hate that I don't have anyone to take these pictures for me... for some reason I think I would look better if someone else took the picture instead of me having to use the self timer. HA!

Things are really falling into place for our new house in Hattiesburg! I have been SO STRESSED about the inspection and whether or not the timing will work out to close on the right date... there are just a million things to think about. I know worrying doesn't help at all and I wish I could just turn off the 'worry switch' but it just isn't that easy. Thank goodness I have such wonderful family and coworkers that will listen to me talk it out over and over again.
Anyway, our appraisal is set to come back tomorrow which means we will probably close on time and the builder agreed to fix almost everything that was mentioned in the inspection. **deep sigh of relief!
Here are some pictures of the house that my SIL took early this month when we first saw it:
http://gallery.me.com/amydhenry#100410

Since then, the house has been finished! This is the only updated picture that I have since our original trip. Maybe more to come after the weekend! :)

The movers are supposed to come pack everything and load the truck a week from today. I am SO excited that I don't have to pack anything and Dan won't have to worry about loading up a truck in the heat or anything. Dan comes home a week from Thursday (for labor day weekend). I can't wait to see him! He'll actually be home for 4 days so that will be a nice break. We will drive to Hattiesburg on Friday and our stuff will arrive sometime between the 3rd and the 8th. I just love that they've given me such a big time frame... and I have no idea when we will actually have all of our stuff back. :)

Anyway, that's all for now!

18.5 Weeks

2009-08-16T19:56:00.000-05:00

Below is a picture of some beautiful flowers my mom bought me the day after we found out that we're having a girl! :) So pretty!

And of course we had to do lots of shopping the moment we found out! Mom ended up buying everything for me this weekend, which was great! LOL! Below are pictures of a few of my favorites!

I know everyone knows this, but can I just say.... shopping for a baby girl is FUN!!!!
I started looking at bedding this weekend and this is my favorite so far:

I just love the little birds! I think that will make a really cute nursery! I found it at this website: http://www.babybananza.com/p/bf-SET-LVB-BBF/bf-SET-LVB-BBF.html.

My SIL is lending me her crib and it is gorgeous! It's white and will look so good! :) I can't wait to get in my new house and really start working on this room!

That's all for now! Goodnight!

drum roll please!!!!

2009-08-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

Let me just start by showing you some pictures!

I'm smiling at you!

aaaaaaaaaaaaand...... we're having a..............................................................................

GIRL!!!!

When the lady doing the sonogram pulled that shot up I said "IT'S A GIRL!!!!" and she just smiled and nodded!! Then, my mom proceeded to go nuts. Ha! We spent the day shopping in downtown Franklin and then headed to Cool Springs Mall and bought two little precious tops for our girl. :)

THEN, on my way home I got a call from the HR lady at Trustmark and she "officially" offered me the job! I'm so glad to have that all lined up! Now, if my house will be finished on time everything will be JUUUST RIGHT! It's been a wonderful day!

Changes, changes....

2009-08-10T21:03:00.001-05:00

My mom said to me today "You're getting a new job, a new house, and a new baby... what else needs to change!?" That is so true... I'm very excited about all of these changes, but they're so overwhelming (especially all at once)!!

Friday I drove to Hattiesburg for 2 interviews and to look at some houses. My SIL went with me and I'm so glad she did! I would have been LOST in H'burg without her! Both interviews went really well... one was with Trustmark Bank and the other was with Forrest General Hospital. I felt more comfortable with the Trustmark people and they really seem like they want me! They're waiting on my drug test & background test to come back so hopefully I will have a definite answer on that this week! I cannot tell y'all how I constantly worried about finding a job and then about telling them that I'm pregnant. I decided I did want to tell them up front because I didn't want to start a job and surprise anyone with the news that I'll be out for 2 or 3 months beginning in January. I really expected silence or shocked faces when I told the interviewers but the 2 men interviewing me just smiled really big and both said "Well congratulations!!!!". Definitely not the response I was expecting-- such a relief!

After the interviews Amy and I went with my realtor and looked at several homes for sale! I liked almost every house we looked at but finally settled on a new construction in a really nice neighborhood. We are going under contract this week!!! Right now it looks like I'll probably move down there around September 3rd and I'll start work on the 14th (assuming Trustmark works out).

In other news, we find out FRIDAY if we're having a baby boy or a baby girl! I'm so excited!!!!! Most people (including me) think boy, but my Gommy did the ring test this weekend and it said girl. If you've never heard of it, the ring test is where you put your wedding ring on a string and someone else dangles it over your belly and if it swings back and forth it's a boy... if it swings in a circle its a girl. I think my mom and maybe Lauren are coming into town later this week to go to the sonogram with me. It's going to be a lot of fun!! :) I guess I'll post on Friday when I know for sure if we'll be buying lots of pink or blue!! I can't believe it's this close!

Junior Federal Agent

2009-07-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Dan was in town and we spent the weekend doing a whole bunch of NOTHING. It was so good to just have him here. It makes me realize how bad I miss his company when he is here. We ate at Outback and Bonefish and they were both delish!

Here is a picture of us before we ate one night.

Look at this precious onesie he brought me from FLETC!

It says "junior federal agent" if you can't read it. I asked him what would happen if the baby was a girl and he said, well a girl can wear that too! We'll see about that...

He left Sunday night and I HATED to see him go... but it's what we have to do. I have to keep reminding myself that this difficult journey will be really beneficial and worth it to us in the future. Monday at work the real estate team had our celebration for hitting our biggest month ever! We ate at an awesome steakhouse called Stoney River and then we all went to see a movie! Half of us saw Up in 3D and the other half saw Ice Age in 3D. I saw Up a few weeks ago so I opted for Ice Age... it wasn't nearly as good as the first two were.

Here is a picture of all of us before the show.

I started applying for jobs in Hattiesburg this week. Lately, this is ALL I can think about. I know my family/friends are getting tired of hearing me talk about it... but I'm just really concerned about it!!!! Anyway, that's all for now. I need to go find something for dinner!

Baby Bump!

2009-07-16T16:15:00.000-05:00

Well... the pictures aren't good... but I'm going to post them anyway because I'm proud of my little bump... if you wanna call it that. :)

Whoo hoo! This is fun!

Hmm... boy or girl???!

2009-07-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

I finally got the sonogram VHS converted to DVD and then had to get it converted into a file that the computer would let me use.

I like this video because it shows a good between-the-legs shot. I think in this clip it kinda looks like a girl.... you can see feet around 15 seconds and then the legs and in between at 16-18 seconds.
Around 24 seconds is a face-on shot and you can see a little arm up to the right... like a little monkey! :)

This video shows a little bit of the baby's movement.

So what's your opinion?

Boy??

Or girl??

I know I'm trying to look too hard too early, but I just can't wait to find out!! 5 more weeks and I should know for sure!

Newest Baby pictures!

2009-06-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

I had another sonogram this morning and everything is lookin' good! :)
I'm 12 weeks pregnant today and so I only have two more weeks to go and I'll be done with my first trimester! Yay! The baby is now about the size of your little pinky! The lady doing the ultrasound kept trying to get the baby to move, but he or she wouldn't budge. I hoping this is a sign of a calm, sleepy baby in January! HA!! She kept poking my belly with her finger to make the baby move... to no avail. Stubborn already....

I thought I saw a little boy part in one of the shots, but the lady said it could be that or it could be the umbilical cord. I now think it is a boy! We'll see if my assumptions are right in about 6 more weeks. Enough of me already, here are the pictures!

little arm & hand!

Thump thump!!

2009-06-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

Well my fetal doppler came in the mail on Saturday! YAY! It was hard to find the heartbeat, and hard to keep hearing it once I found it. I hope it will get louder/easier as I get further along! I recorded it to my computer but have been unsuccessful when trying to upload the video to my blog. Maybe I'll try again soon. :)

If you're interested in the doppler, I rent it for 24 bucks a month from www.babybeat.com. It works!!! It is so reassuring for me to be able to hear that little heartbeat whenever I want to.

Saturday was Dan's 30th birthday and I so sad that I wasn't there to help him celebrate but that was the day that the doppler came in and he was able to hear it over the phone. Not too shabby for a birthday present! :) I have another sonogram a week from tomorrow and I think it is one of the last 2 sonograms I'll have. Bummer, but that means this is a healthy pregnancy- so, I'm great with that!

I hope all of you have a great week!