Happy New Year 2011!!

We had the most fun celebrating New Year's Eve tonight. At first, I was really bummed that Chris & I didn't have a big party to attend just the two of us, but it turns out that there is so much pressure to ring in the new year in a spectacular fashion and having a new baby gives you the freedom to do exactly what you want to do! So today, we took Bailey & Morgan to seek "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and it was fantastic! A perfect family movie and one with a strong positive message. Morgan did so well! She slept through the entire movie and it was loud in several parts, so it was even more miraculous that she was so nice! After the movie, we shopped a bit and ate dinner at Red Robin. Such a pleasant evening free of unreasonable expectations and filled with fun. Have a blessed new year!

The Holy Family

Believe it or not, when I found out I was pregnant almost a year ago, one of the first thoughts I had was that our new baby could be Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve at our church!! I know it's crazy, but I have always thought that would be the most wonderful way to celebrate Christmas and so special & meaningful for the entire family. We were so blessed to be able to participate in the service last night. Bailey was "head angel" since Jesus didn't have an older sister, and Morgan behaved beautifully, except for spitting up on the manger, which no one saw but me! Her little face was so angelic! We are so blessed to have been able to spend Christmas Eve with each other and with my parents, who came to church with us (of course!!). We ate well, laughed, worshipped, celebrated, and praised God for sending His Son for us. What a wonderful Christmas memory!

See you soon!!

Merry Christmas to You!!

We hope you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy new year!!
Love,
The Lemmons
Chris, Angela, Bailey, & Morgan

3-Month Check-Up

I hate going to the doctor! I would rather dig ditches, clean toilets, pick up trash on the side of the road, anything instead of visiting my local medical professional. However, once you have a baby, their monthly doctor visits become a source of anticipation, even excitement! It's at these visits that you find out how advanced Little Precious is, how much weight she's gained, how long she is, how perfect in every way she is!! And that's just what we did today! Morgan was due for her 3-month check up last week when it snowed so we rescheduled for bright and early this morning. She weighs . . . ((drum roll)) . . . 14 POUNDS!! Woo Hoo!! She's 24 inches long and her head is 41 cm (which doesn't mean much to me, either!). That's the 90th percentile, 80th, and 75th respectively. She held her head up high when the doctor put her on her tummy and she laughed & laughed! Dr. Brice even commented on how strong she is (well, yeah!!). It was such a wonderful check-up and I am so grateful she didn't have to get shots this time. That's next time . . .

See you soon!!

Baby Ha Ha!

Morgan did the absolute funniest thing yesterday! She had just finished eating and fell asleep in my arms when she started giggling in her sleep! She would laugh for a second then stop and then laugh some more! Not just her typical laugh, but a full-on giggle! She is the sweetest baby I have ever seen. Mornings seem to be her best time - it's easy to coax a smile or laugh from her. Bailey spent quite a bit of time this morning tickling her chin and rubbing her cheeks while I got ready for church - so wonderfully helpful! And those smiles make Bailey feel soooo good! She is a fabulous big sister. I can't wait till Morgan really knows how much she is loved and I really can't wait till she & Bailey form that special bond that only sisters share. We have so much to look forward to with our two beautiful girls!

See you soon!!

Santa Baby!

Since yesterday was one of the most stressful baby days I've ever had, Morgan rewarded me by sleeping almost 11 HOURS!! Sadly, I only slept about 4! :( There's just too much going on in my brain at bedtime to really settle down. Thankfully, I was nice to Bailey this morning and even got a couple of gifts together for her to give today - she LOVES playing Santa!! That's a special time for me, too, because when I was younger, Daddy & I would deliver gifts to family friends and that was our special Santa Day. Morgan gets to play Santa, too, but just because she has the hat, which I finally found at Marshall's in her size! I LOVE IT!! That's all for now!!

See you soon!

We're Still Here!!

Oh my goodness, having a baby is a lot of work! Of course, you knew that, and I knew that, and I am so very blessed to have so much help, but WOW! I'm not sure if I don't have enough time to blog or enough brainpower. I definitely have an abundance of pictures I could share. Morgan is doing very well! She is three months old and has developed such a little personality in the past few weeks. She smiles and coos and squeals with delight which makes us smile & squeal, too! And she's also sleeping about 6.5-7 hours per night which is just about magical! She's been at the upper end of the scale for length and weight, and we go for her 3-month check-up on Thursday. I'm anxious to find out how much she weighs since she's already growing out of some of her 6-month clothes. We've had fun celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with her, although she hasn't been as interested in some of our activities as we've been! We sometimes have a hard time remembering she's only 3 months old!

Bailey is still my best helper and photo stylist extraordinaire. For Thanksgiving, we put Morgan in the turkey fryer with the lid and took a few pics - hilarious! And Bailey styled a funny Christmas pic with Morgan sitting in her Bumpo seat with her Santa hat on and our decorative reindeer in front of her tethered with yarn. We laughed and laughed while Morgan looked confused!!

We've had lots of fun with our sweet Morgan and look forward to so many new adventures with her as she grows up.

See you soon!

More tales from the crib!

With all of my posts about breastfeeding, you must think I have an unhealthy obsession with it. I really don't, but it does take up a big part of my days and nights, so there's usually lots to blog about! Today is a good example of how important it is to have a sense of humor when baby tasks go awry. Since Morgan had her shots yesterday, she hasn't eaten very much or often. So last night and this morning around 5 a.m., I pumped so I'd have milk for another time and not explode! Chris & I were going to Pigeon Forge today, so I fed Morgan right before we left and she ate well. Apparently, not well enough! A few hours later, my right breast felt GIGANTIC and when I checked things out, I noticed my shirt was soaking wet! Not a good sign, but luckily, we were in the Carter's outlet and they had a place for me to nurse Morgan. Unfortunately, she was sound asleep and wasn't the least bit interested in eating at that moment. Too bad! I literally had milk squirting out of my boob - that was pretty funny! We wore the poor thing out trying to wake her enough to eat and after about half an hour, she finally did. That was one exhausting shopping trip! At least I found some cute things for her and we went to Starbucks for their buy 1, get 1 free promotion, so all in all, a good day. Glad to be home, though!! I'll try to come up with something non-boob related to blog about tomorrow!

See you soon!

2-month check-up = OINK!!

So today was Morgan's 2-month check-up. When I took her to the dr. last week for her congestion, she weighed 12 lbs. 3 oz. Today, a mere 6 days later, she weighs 12 lbs. 13 oz.!! Holy COW!! Apparently, I make heavy cream instead of milk!! That's off the chart for weight and she's in the 75th percentile for height (22.25"). The downside of today's check-up? The shots! She had to have three and it broke my heart to hear her cry so hard. But once it was over, I picked her up, gave her a big hug, and fed her, and she calmed down quickly. So thankful the visit is over and she doesn't get any more shots for two months. And even more thankful that she is healthy, happy, and thriving - what a blessing!

See you soon!!

Mothers' Milk Contains Tryptophan!

So, have you heard of Tryptophan? It's the ingredient in turkey that supposedly makes you fall asleep after a big Thanksgiving meal. If you've ever nursed a baby, you know how prone they are to falling asleep while they're eating and that's exactly what Morgan does! In fact, she fell asleep almost every time I nursed her yesterday. She always has the most precious look on her face right when she starts eating - she gets so excited! Then, after a few suckles, she's out like a light! The funny thing is that she often suckles in her sleep! She dreams of eating - she's definitely my child! I feel so blessed to be able to nurse Morgan. I had no idea what a wonderful bonding experience it would be. It has actually turned out to be so much easier than bottle feeding, which is what we did with Bailey. And there's nothing better than a sweet baby resting on your shoulder after a big meal! At 39, I never imagined I'd be successful at nursing when I wasn't at 29, but now I'm it's biggest proponent! Breast feeding ROCKS!!

See you soon!!

Not the milestone I was hoping to write about . . .

Bailey was almost 9 years old when she went to the ER for the first time. Unfortunately, Morgan didn't make it nearly that long. Yesterday afternoon, after a day of coughing & being very congested and running a slight temp, Morgan had to go to the ER. I had talked to the dr. office earlier in the day and had done everything they suggested - saline nose drops, suctioning her nose, running a cool mist humidifier, letting her sleep in a reclined position instead of flat on her back. But by 5 p.m., she hadn't gotten any better. So, after talking to the dr. answering service and a nurse at the hospital, I was instructed to bring her in to the ER. Thankfully, we were the only ones there and we didn't have to wait very long. The dr. said she has a little virus and to continue doing what we've been doing, keeping an eye on her temp. They "super suctioned" her, which she completely hated, but which made her sound so much better! She rested most of today, but has been eating well and has been happy & smiling, too. We'll be keeping her in more now as it starts to get colder and hope that she doesn't get sick again for a long time!!

See you soon!!

Sorry I keep neglecting my blog! I have computer time, but I always seem to end up on Facebook or checking e-mail instead of letting my sweet readers know what's going on in our lives :D We enjoyed a fun, hectic, and loud Halloween! Morgan was great on Halloween night until we got home from a party Bailey went to and then she cried like a maniac, so we stayed home instead of going trick-or-treating with Chris and Bailey :( But, we enjoyed a fun night at my parents' church a few nights before and Morgan looked really cute in her costume. There's some debate as to whether she's a strawberry (which is what I thought originally), a watermelon (what I now think she is) or a ladybug (a renegade observation)! I still want to take her to Kroger and weigh her on the produce scale for a bit of humor, but that may have to wait till this weekend!

We've been busy it seems, but I don't have much to report. Bailey was out of school yesterday and it was a BEAUTIFUL day, so I dressed the girls in their matching shirts and did a little photo shoot in the front yard. Morgan was very alert and cooperative and Bailey was very attentive, so I took a ton of pictures! I may get some Christmas cards done this year after all . . . We were tremendously blessed with dinner that our friends Michele and Becky brought, and we've been polishing off the Halloween candy so, all in all, it was a pretty fantastic day . . . until Morgan freaked out last night and cried like a banshee. But let's stay focused on the positive!

See you soon!!

Pretty Red Toes!

Friday was such a wonderful day!! My feet were looking pretty motley since I've been wearing flip flops for months so, yesterday, I got a pedicure. It was AMAZING! I love having my feet rubbed, massaged, and generally tended to and, while Chris makes valiant attempts, he's no expert! Being in the car completely alone was wonderful! I played my favorite 80s music as loud as I could stand it, opened the sunroof, and sang like crazy!! That's good for the soul! My first stop was Starbucks for my very favorite salted caramel hot chocolate Frappuccino - if you haven't had this taste sensation, you need to fix that right now!! And then it was off to the salon for my much-anticipated pedicure and it totally ROCKED! I always go with red for my toenails and this time I picked Essie's Limited Addiction. It is a fabulous red and now my feet look so completely fantastic that I hate to walk on them!

See you soon!!

Long Time, No Blog!

So, I'm really embarrassed that I haven't blogged in so long! It's not for lack of material - more a lack of time and/or mojo!! Miss Morgan is doing great and I am finally healing, more or less. I go back to the dr. on Thursday, so I'll report back after that. Since, I last blogged, Morgan has been to several restaurants, Target, Kroger, Greek Fest, & church for the first time, and she's been to visit her brand new cousin in the hospital and to see her granddaddy at the farm. She's also been to Townsend, TN, andhad her 1-month birthday party complete with cake and tiaras. Whew! No wonder we're tired!! Unfortunately, while Morgan is a champion sleeper during the day :D our nights are way too active to suit me. Luckily, Chris has been off since she was born so that has been beyond amazingly wonderful, but he goes back to work tonight at midnight so to say I'm a little nervous is like saying football is a little important in the South!! We are going to do our best to keep her awake this evening in hopes that she will sleep better overnight. Prayers being said and fingers crossed!

See you soon!!

This Little Piggy!

We got some great news today at the pediatrician's office when we took Morgan in for a weight check. She's gained a whole pound in the past 10 days!! She's now up to 8lbs. 10 oz. and we are thrilled!! She lost quite a bit of weight after she was born and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to nurse her exclusively, but she has really taking to nursing like a champ! In other news, I found out today that I don't have a staph infection like my dr. thought last week. Praise the Lord! That potential wrinkle really upset me last week and I've been in a spin ever since. I do have an infection, but it's not staph and it is responding to antibiotics, so that's wonderful news. Unfortunately, Chris has to pack a small part of my incision with gauze every day for two weeks, after a week of doing it already, which is as bad as it sounds. Hopefully, I'll get more good news when I go back to the dr. next week. Fingers crossed!!

See you soon!!

Hooray for October!!

I am beyond thrilled that it is finally October and the weather is so much cooler!! We even went for a walk last night and I had to wear a sweater - quite a difference from a few weeks ago. So it should come as no surprise that I was totally inspired yesterday to put out our Halloween decorations and I couldn't wait for Morgan to help :D She wasn't quite as into it as I hoped but I did get a few good pics, which is the important thing! I even culled out some old stuff to get rid of!! Woo Hoo! So glad to know the nesting instinct hasn't left me yet! Now, if I could just get the bathroom cleaned . . . :D

See you soon!!

A Day of Firsts!

Yesterday was quite a day for us! Morgan had her first photo shoot with our fave photog, Amy Larson. Morgan did GREAT!! She slept through most of it and pooped through part of it (no diaper, all over Amy's blanket, pretty funny!), but Amy got some wonderful pics and I can't wait to see them all! After a 2.5 hour photo shoot, we were STARVING so we went to Red Lobster for lunch. It was so completely delicious, and Chris & I hadn't been on a date in a bit, so we really enjoyed the time together. Morgan slept through the whole thing but we still made a few pics 'cause that's what we do! Even more exciting is that Morgan umbilical cord dropped off! She's growing up so fast!! :D We enjoyed a fun day together and we're so thankful for our sweet baby!!

See you soon!!

C-section, part 2

OK, so after my spinal block, they had me lay down on the operating table and prepped me even more for surgery. My lower half immediately began to numb, but I could still tell they were doing something down there, which I told them over and over!! Didn't want the fun to start with me still able to feel anything! They reassured me that this was all normal. My anesthesiologist told me that I might feel nauseated and to tell him IMMEDIATELY if I did. I love that man! Can you see the pattern? Give me drugs and I'll love you forever? Glad I wasn't this way in high school - ha! ha! ha! Anyway, I also received oxygen, which made me feel better since I have sinus/allergy issues. Chris was then allowed to come into the OR, all dressed in paper from head to toe - literally, to his toes because he had paper shoe covers on! I felt what seemed like them pressing on my stomach to feel how big Morgan is and assess the situation. Little did I realize that the dr. had already started the section!! Ignorance sure is bliss!! I then began to feel a little sick, so I told the drug guy and he put something into my IV that immediately made me feel better. We did this 3 times I think. The last time, I felt REALLY sick and thought I might cough! I panicked!! But he got that medicine on-board and I was better in no time! LESSON #3: When a dr. wants to know something immediately, TELL THEM so they can help you IMMEDIATELY!! That's all for now!

See you soon!!

How Time Flies!

I just can't believe our little one is a week old now! We're actually settling into somewhat of a routine and she is doing great! Lots of eating and pooping mostly, but also lots of sweet little facial expressions that I just love to sit and watch. She'll smile, she'll furrow her brow, she'll yawn - wonder what she's dreaming about? We're doing better with nursing than I ever thought possible which is a big ol' blessing. The only down side so far is that my incision is still bleeding and it is so unnerving that I am weepy a lot. The dr. isn't concerned (we've seen her twice this week), but when you continue to bleed from a spot you're not supposed to be bleeding . . . well, let's just say it doesn't do much for your peace of mind. However, the blessings far outweigh the inconveniences! We've received some delicious meals, beautiful cards, sweet phone calls, and lots and lots of FB messages. And then there's that sweet baby we have!! I'm still in shock that she's ours! I guess that's why I hold her so much - can't bear to put her down sometimes. Have wonderful Friday!!

See you soon!!

C-section vs. um, not a C-section!

So, as a person who has delivered beautiful babies via C-section and vaginally, I can tell you that there are pros and cons to both ways. The pro is that you have a beautiful baby at the end; the cons are pretty much endless! Not really, but it can feel like it at the time. When we found out last week that our baby was breech and that a C-section was on the horizon, I was completely panic-stricken! The whole idea of my sweet child being cut from my body was almost too much to handle. Obviously, you're sedated, but the whole pulling and tugging that you feel during the procedure really sent my imagination reeling. Sadly, that's how I operate - typically what I imagine will happen is far worse than what actually happens. Turns out the IV in my hand was the most painful part, but that's another story. I checked in on Thursday and told them right away that I would appreciate ANYTHING they could give me to take the edge off. They gave me Stadol. I love them!! I laid in that bed and laughed at the military surplus catalog Chris was showing me and laughing at Ellen and was generally in a fantastic mood! LESSON #1: Don't ever be afraid to tell your medical staff what you want. After a while, I was taken to the OR where they prepared me for my spinal block, another aspect of the section that scared me to death. LESSON #2: With a section, you have the choice of an epidural or a more comprehensive spinal block - take the spinal block!! It was uncomfortable, but not as mind-blowing as I feared. More C-section excitement to come . . . :)

See you soon!!

Baby Morgan is here!!

I can't believe my sweet baby is 4 days old and this is my first blog post! To be fair, the hospital where we were blocked Facebook and blogs, but that was my only complaint with them! That and the fact that there are no electrical outlets in their bathrooms!! :( Anyway, Morgan Frances was born on the 16th via the C-section I was absolutely dreading, and she's doing beautifully! She weighed 8 lbs. 3.1 oz. and measured 20 3/4 inches long. She is perfectly pink with big blue eyes and a little bit of light brown hair. We are absolutely in love! We stayed in the hospital till Sunday afternoon since I had a section and were wonderfully cared for. The entire experience was better that I ever imagined. For those of you facing a C-section, I will blog more about my experience soon. I will say that it was NOTHING like I feared! I will blog much more in the coming days about our perfect little princess!

See you soon!!

Waxing Poetic

"'Twas the night before my C-section and all through our place,
every creature was running around in a race;
Mom in her spotted maternity shirt
was spinning around cleaning all forms of dirt;
while Dad was a wonder with toilets and such,
Miss Bailey was trying to do not so much!
But once all the chores in the house were complete,
the parents sat down and put up their feet;
for tomorrow brings lots of excitement our way
and we can't wait to meet our sweet Morgan that day!"

OK, so I have NO idea why I felt the need to be poetic tonight! It could be that all the cleaning and running around and list-making and general THINKING I did today has sent me right over the proverbial edge! I think I'm trying to put my C-section tomorrow out of my mind so I can focus on the sweet baby we'll have at the end of that procedure - a sweet baby who, at the moment, feels like she's trying to tunnel out the front of my stomach!! Please keep us in your prayers - I can't wait to post pictures of our sweet Morgan as soon as I can tomorrow!!

See you soon!!

Gimme a "C"

Today was my weekly check-up - woo hoo!! I saw another dr. in the group and had an ultrasound to see how big Miss Morgan is and she is B.I.G! She weighs 7 lbs. 13 oz. YEA!! Now, the bad news . . . she's been head down for WEEKS, but today we discovered that she is breach. Obviously, I realized the implications of this development, but it didn't really hit me until the dr. said the word "C-section." Then he continued with a barrage of questions and information - are we planning to have more children because when they do the C-section my tubes will be RIGHT THERE and they can go ahead and tie them but I have to sign a paper that I have to sign ahead of time and not wait till I'm in labor and this doesn't commit me to anything but it gives me the option that I won't have if I wait until I go into labor . . . WHEW! I don't think he even took a breath! Meanwhile, all of the blood has drained from my face! No, of course we're not planning to have more children - I'll be 40 in January. Of course, we've discussed family planning but having my tubes tied never really came up. In my head, all of this made sense, but in my heart . . . well if was all just so much information so fast that my heart didn't really have time to digest it! So, next Tuesday, I'll see my dr. and discuss our game plan which, since her surgery day is Wednesday, looks like it will include a C-section as early as the 15th. Keep sending up those prayers!

See you soon - perhaps with a baby!!

Tomorrow COULD be a big day!!

Tomorrow is my last ultrasound and we will find out how big Miss Morgan is. Then we will know how to proceed these next few days. Bailey is counting on her being born on Saturday. I'm hoping some "progress" has been made by 9:30 a.m. tomorrow or it could be a loooooong time before we see our sweet baby. Lift up those prayers, please!

See you soon!!

The concept of sleep eludes me . . .

In a perfect world, I would be getting the very best sleep of my life during these last few weeks before Morgan is born. In a perfect world . . . Sadly, my sleep world is far from perfect!! If it's not bathroom runs every 1.5 hours, it's terrible back pain or leg twitchiness or Morgan has her feet in my lungs making it hard to breathe. So, it's 6:30 a.m. right now and I have been up for almost 3 hours after only 4 hours of sleep. I never thought I'd be able to function on so little sleep, so I guess my body is preparing for all those middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes, but I sure would like to sleep a little more now before Morgan arrives. On the upside, I have neatly repacked her little bag, washed dishes, washed and folded laundry, and had breakfast. When life gives you lemons . . .

See you soon!!

The Home Stretch!

So, today was my weekly poking & prodding at the dr. office. Miss Morgan is doing great, but the dr. is concerned that she's going to be bigger than expected since I'm so big. But, I have that 6 cm fibroid which is apparently taking up quite a bit of space as well. It's no wonder I feel like a mountain range!! So, next week I go for another ultrasound to see what's going on and then, hopefully, establish a plan of attack. My dr. won't let me go past 40 weeks, so that's encouraging, but I'm not dilated even a little bit and it's a lot harder to induce when no progress has been made. Let's hope that little situation has changed dramatically by next week!

See you soon!!

Oh, what a day!

Do you ever have one of those days when you have such high hopes only to be totally and completely disappointed by the actual events? Well, that was my day!! I usually try not to post the unhappiness, but I'm making an exception today! So, I had this little list of things I wanted to do and places I wanted to go today, and I got exactly nothing accomplished. First, I went to the embroidery shop I mentioned in my last post with a list of Christmas gifts I was hoping to order. No such luck! Hobby Lobby had the paper I wanted, so that was a minor victory. Next, I headed to Spoiled Rotten with my 40 percent off coupon to buy a VB Saddle Up bag in Imperial Toile. Apparently, everyone else in town had already used their coupons and partially cleared out their stock, so no new bag for me! Major disappointment!! Plus, I caught a glimpse of my profile in the mirror and it was not good. I looked like I was carrying quintuplets - my shirt wasn't covering and my hair wasn't flattering! After getting a bite of lunch (which was also moderately uncomfortable), I went to Michael's (they didn't have what I was looking for, either), and I'd planned to go to Babies 'R' Us, just about 50 feet away, and couldn't even muster up the mojo. Morgan's feet were in my lungs, so breathing was difficult, and of course, I was hot and sweaty and basically miserable, so I gave it up and came on home, completely dejected! It's pretty discouraging when all you do is pee and sweat!! After a good cry and a little nap, I feel a bit better. My expectations for tomorrow are far less lofty, so there's hope that I can pull it off! A girl can dream!!

See you soon!!

Baby Shower Fun!

Three of my dearest friends in the world hosted the nicest baby shower for me today! It was so much fun to celebrate the upcoming birth of Miss Morgan with such special people! The food was amazing! We had brunch and they were so gracious to have some of my very favorite foods - cheese grits and sausage balls!! There were lots of other delicacies, too, including the most beautiful and delicious cake made by our friend, Christa, and the best lemon cookies from Ham 'n' Goodies. And many, many other treats that everyone loved!The flowers were truly the most beautiful ones I've ever seen - they can best be described as majestic! We are so blessed to have received so many wonderful gifts, too. Lots of personalized items (my favorite!), cute clothes, the softest blankets, and lots of important baby supplies. Bailey even received some gifts, which was the biggest surprise for her and so very thoughtful of our guests. My friend, Leigh Ann, brought an assortment of beautiful burp cloths that her stepmom had personalized and decorated beautifully! Miss Morgan now has a burp cloth for every holiday, several with her name or monogram, and an extra-special one that reads "Morgan has arrived." We held up each one and they were a hit with everyone! I also got an amazing dress from my friend, Jenny, that was made from a vintage pillow case with embroidery. Almost too beautiful to actually put on a baby . . . but we'll do it anyway!!

See you soon!!

It's the final countdown . . .

Do you have that song in your head now? For me, it's completely literal - only about 4 more weeks till "labor day!" I'm going to the dr. every week now and today's appt. was terribly exciting (insert sarcasm here!). A Strep B culture (lots of fun) and a check to see if I'm dilated (which I'm not) and they sent me on my way! We waited in the waiting room longer than the appt. lasted. Don't you just love that!! One good thing is that my bp is 128/84 - BOO-YA!

See you soon!!

Maternity Photo Shoot

Chris's Uncle Hobby is an avid photographer and he graciously agreed to photograph our soon-to-be family of 4. I am beyond thrilled with the results!! Typically, I don't volunteer to have lots of pictures taken of me, but I really wanted to capture this amazing and special time in our lives. I love how Bailey responds to my giant belly! She has rubbed it and talked to it for months now, and I definitely wanted to show that excitement. It turned out to be a fun photo shoot and I am so grateful that we will always have these pictures of our wonderful memories!

See you soon!!

Seriously?!?!?!

So, these past few days have been a real blast at my house! First, Chris & I have both been sick with some sort of crud. My cough has kept me up all night for several nights. Second, Miss Morgan is putting some serious pressure on my bod, so my legs are all crawly and tingly at night, which has also kept me awake for the past few nights. And finally, the pregnant woman's plague - middle-of-the-night bathroom runs. I have been struck by the Trifecta, the Triumvirate, the Triple Whammy, and it is about to kill me. That's all - nothing happy to report today - just a big, ol' pity party! BLAH!!
:(

See you soon!!

Pretty Personal!

So, in addition to being wild about those little crocheted hats and headbands, I am also madly in love with monogramming & personalizing!! My dear friend, Leigh Ann, went to visit her dad & stepmom recently and, before she left, she called me to see if I wanted her stepmom to monogram anything for me!!! Now THAT is a true friend! ;) So, I dug out one of Morgan's first outfits and two cute blankets we had just bought and sent them on to Mississippi. Well, I got them back yesterday and they are the CUTEST things I have ever seen!! I chose to have Morgan's name put on them instead of her monogram because I just like that better. I did buy a sweet little ruffly diaper cover that I had her initials put on, but generally, I think I'm going to have her name put on . . . let's see . . . EVERYTHING!! Clover Cottage that I mentioned yesterday can do this, too, so consider buying a personalized or monogrammed gift for the new babies in your life!!

See you soon!!

Trendy Mom? Not So Much . . .

I've never been what you'd call a trendy mom. I buy what I like for me that's appropriate but that doesn't make me look like a house frau. And for Bailey, I buy what I like that super cute & appropriate for her age. So, it sort of took me by surprise when I went crazy-go-nuts for these little crocheted hats and headbands with the GIANT flowers on them that are all the rage here!! They are just too adorable! Today, I went to Clover Cottage, a precious little store in Ftn. City that sells an assortment of cute, monogrammed bags, jewelry, Silly Bandz, and these adorable hats & headbands! I bought for Miss Morgan a chocolate brown headband with a turquoise flower to go with this adorable outfit I bought her recently; and a white hat with a pink flower to go with just about everything else she has! And at only $1.99 for the headbands and $2.99 for the hats and flowers, she will definitely have one for every outfit! So, if you live in or near Knoxville, be sure to check out Clover Cottage!

See you soon!!

35 weeks and counting!!

So, did you notice my little baby widget today? It says I have 39 days left - 39 DAYS!! Actually, it's a little less - about 5 weeks tomorrow. Holy smokes!! We went to the dr. today for my monthly ultrasound and got lots of good news! Miss Morgan is doing well - she weighs 6 lbs. 4 oz., she is head down, she is starting to breathe on her own a bit, and she had a full bladder at that moment (just like her mama!!). Starting next week, I'll be seeing the dr. weekly until Miss Morgan decides to make her appearance or until I'm induced, which we'll decide closer to time. Bailey's teacher asked me today if I've been nesting and I'd say what I've been doing could more accurately be called "militant nesting!" Yesterday, I was on a tear cleaning the bathrooms, until Chris had to help with the bathtubs and then I started having contractions, so I ended up sitting on the couch while Chris finished all the work. Good deal, huh?!? Yes, and no. I would like to actually accomplish something before this baby is born, but with all these contractions, it is not looking good. Although I did go to the grocery store today AND cook supper tonight, so that's a little improvement. Tomorrow is Bailey's first day of 4th grade - she has a great teacher and this is going to be a fantastic year!! Maybe I'll get something accomplished then!

See you soon!

{{{{{SCREAM}}}}}

Shaved my legs last night - enough said!!

Magical Wonderful Tank Tops!

OK, so rarely do I get THIS EXCITED about a simple white tank top, but this one is magical! Seriously! I was shopping for nursing bras last night (I'm still hopeful that I will be able to nurse! If Michelle Duggar can pump 500 gallons of milk in 1.5 months, surely I can feed one, small child this way!! I'm not kidding - Google it!) and came across something I didn't know existed - nursing tank tops! They even had my size, which was no small miracle. So I tried it on today and it is WONDERFUL!! I've got to find another one before Miss Morgan arrives. And at $16.99, it's an incredible bargain. I looked on-line last night for nursing bras and they were as much as $75 each - um, I don't think so! So, if you're inspired to buy your own nursing tank tops, head on over to Target, get a Frappuccino (if your Target is blessed with a Starbucks) and shop away. You'll be thrilled!!

See you soon!!

The Long, Hot Summer

This has been one crazy, hot, stressful, exciting summer! I have been to the ER once; Chris has been twice, once after passing out in the bathroom. He was gone a week during which time I was a basket case, afraid something terrible would happen to him. I have literally dripped the whole summer and been miserable outside. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend the summer with Miss Bailey. It's been in the 90s for weeks with heat indexes well over 100. Today's little trip to the dr. simply demonstrates once again how ridiculous my pregnancy has been at times. Yesterday, my whole body itched for most of the day, including my palms, and by the evening, the bottoms of my feet itched unbearably. I finally tried to sleep only to be awakened by the aforementioned itching. It was driving me nuts!! So I got up and looked up "pregnancy itching" on-line and found out that terrible itchiness coupled with dark urine (I'm sorry!) could mean a liver disorder that could be very, very bad for the baby. I literally panicked! I drank tons of water all night, counting the hours till I could call the dr. I was too terrified to sleep, so I packed some of my stuff and Morgan's gear for the hospital. After drinking three giant glasses of ice water, I was FREEZING, which hasn't happened to me in a loooooong time. It was like I was living in an alternate universe - I set the thermostat at 75 and bundled up in a blanket or my robe. Finally, at around 6 a.m., I tried to get a little sleep, which didn't work. The dr. worked me at 10:30 a.m. and I'm thankful to say that there doesn't seem to be anything terribly wrong with me! This has certainly been one eventful pregnancy, but we've been so blessed that Miss Morgan has handled all of this excitement very well. Just a few more weeks till we get to meet our precious daughter and we can't wait! Please keep us in your prayers!!

See you soon!!

Hey, Big Sister!!

Bailey is so excited that Morgan is almost here!! My parents came over for dinner the other night and she was thrilled to show them all of the wonderful baby things we've bought and received. Bailey picked out a beautiful Baby's First Christmas ornament that she is so proud of so she got to show that off, too! Morgan is one lucky little girl to have such an amazing, smart, generous, kind, and devoted big sister!!

See you soon!!

My First Baby Shower!!

My sweet friends in the Tuesday Night Stamp Group had the nicest baby shower for me last night!! The food was so good, especially the yummy lemon cupcakes that Annie B. made for me, and the flowers that Tracy arranged were beautiful! I LOVE pink stargazer lilies!! And Mary Ann made a sweet banner that we're going to hang from our mantle after Morgan is born! Morgan got so many beautiful and useful things, including a pack 'n' play,the cutest little outfit with a monkey bib, the softest blanket, and the most beautiful crocheted sweater & booties! I am truly blessed to have such great friends!!

See you soon!!

Oh, What a Day!!

This has been one more interesting day! My bit of excitement started last night when I couldn't sleep, started having more contractions, and was having trouble breathing. I just felt yucky and really didn't like that feeling! So, with no sleep, I got up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to take Miss Bailey to a local TV station for her appearance on the morning news. Last summer, we entered a contest sponsored by Red Robin for kids to create a new burger and promote child safety. Well, she didn't win the national contest, but she won the local one with her Georgia Peach Burger and she got to make it on TV bright & early this morning. It was so much fun and Bailey did a great job! I am super proud of her! Even with no sleep last night, I felt really good this morning, but with my contractions, nausea, and lower back pain, I decided to call the dr., who wanted to see me this afternoon. Thankfully, everything is fine! My bp was 124/80 which is AWESOME and I think I may have lost a couple of pounds! The dr. had to check my cervix (yea) and found it as it should be - Morgan is already head-down, though, which explains why I was having trouble breathing because if her head is down, her feet are in my lungs! But the best news is that she didn't put me on bed rest because with only 15 days till school starts, that REALLY wouldn't have worked!!

See you soon!!

Damn John Braxton Hicks, part 2

Well, it was a little touch-and-go this afternoon. I had Braxton Hicks contractions for about 2 hours that only subsided when I sat down. So, since it's Friday and I have no intention of going to the ER this weekend, I called the dr. office to see what I should do. After laying down for 45 minutes, they has eased us significantly. But I'm going to have to be careful this weekend. I think the only danger right now is me killing Chris for watching me like I'm a time bomb!! God love him, he means well, but I suspect he will soon drive me completely crazy!! I say that now, but I know I'll miss him and his constant attention & help when he's at work this weekend!! :( Let's just pray Miss Morgan stays put for a few more weeks!

See you soon!!

I'm just a cleaning machine . . .

OMG!! I was such a cleaning machine today and now my back if BROKEN!! I have just taken my trusty Tylenol PM and I hope to be asleep very, VERY soon!! Poor Chris is still outside painting our railing and I'm sure he's lost 10 lbs. from sweating. So he did the outside jobs and I cleaned inside - windows (which I NEVER do judging by the 5 generations of bugs I sucked up with the vacuum!!), lots of dusting, kitchen detailing, craft room organizing (still!), dishes, and major magazine recycling (look out Ronald McDonald House, here I come!!). I even made a pie, too! If this is nesting, I pray it ends soon!

Here's today advice on making your kitchen look bigger and it's FREE: take everything off your refrigerator - all the magnets, pictures, paintings, reminders, EVERYTHING! Your kitchen will automatically appear more spacious! Go try it - I promise it works!

See you soon!!

31 Week Report

Chris & I went to my monthly dr. appt. today and got a GREAT report!! I had another ultrasound to check that fibroid, which isn't causing any problems at all. Miss Morgan weighs a whopping 4.5 lbs. which is the 68th percentile. That's good because I gained 9 lbs. since my last appt. 4 weeks ago :( but I'm still not back up to what I weighed when I got pregnant :) She finally turned around so we could see her little face and then yawned & stuck out her tongue!! Luckily, the ultrasound tech pointed all of this out or I may have missed it! It was so cool and amazing! She must get her sassiness from her daddy!! I'll start going to the dr. every 2 weeks now and the countdown begins!

See you soon!!

Damn John Braxton Hicks!!

If you've never had a baby, you may not be familiar with Braxton Hicks contractions, those sneaky little practice contractions that can happen any time after the first trimester. Luckily, my BH contractions just started recently, but they can be supremely off-putting! I made the giant mistake of cleaning my bathrooms and my bedroom on Sunday, and my abdomen felt so tight and uncomfortable that I was really concerned. Couple this with the fact that Morgan hadn't moved in awhile and I just knew that Chris & I would be spending the evening in the ER!! Thankfully, once I sat down and rested for awhile, the contractions subsided and Morgan started kicking again. Whew! I don't remember being this apprehensive when I was pregnant with Bailey but, knowing me, I was! I just pray I settle down soon - I only have 9 more weeks till our very own labor day!!

See you soon!!

Guess who's got a bed now?

Miss Morgan does!! Chris and Bailey spent last night dusting off Bailey's old bed and putting it together. It looks amazing to have been in the garage all these years! We even had the changing table, too, which I just knew was loooooong gone! Tomorrow, I'm going to spruce everything up and get the bedding together. I am so excited!!

See you soon!!

My New Diaper Bag ROCKS!!

I finally got to pick up Morgan's new Vera Bradley diaper bag yesterday & it is GORGEOUS! It's the most exciting thing I've bought for my precious baby and the most beautiful. I LOVE the new Very Berry Paisley pattern! It's so bright and happy and cheerful - that's what I like most about Vera Bradley. Can't wait to show it off!

See you soon!!

Tripping the Light Fantastic!

So, in one of the many, many pregnancy and baby e-mails I receive every day, I read that Baby is becoming more and more responsive to light. The e-mail also said that if I shine a light on my stomach, she might respond by kicking. Sounds like a science project to me!! Tonight, before Bailey went to bed, we gave this little experiment a try and it worked!! She kicked up a storm!! Now that I'm 30 weeks, Baby is about 16 inches long, which sounded reasonable to me until I looked at a yard stick and it looks HUGE!! And she's still got about 4-5 more inches to grow and several pounds. I can't wait to see her again next Friday!

See you soon!!

Baby Registries are not for WIMPS!

So, we finally went to register for baby gear the other night at Babies 'R' Us and, man, was I overwhelmed!! You would never know that we had actually had a child before this one! But I can say with certainty that I have forgotten a lot in 9.5 years. Luckily, the nice sales associate gave us a checklist that helped us navigate Baby Gear Wonderland. We wrestled with several strollers before picking one that I can deal with on a daily basis. The one we wanted weighed 45 pounds - waaaaaaaay to heavy for me to handle, so we found a Chicco one that is also nice and much lighter! Bailey had a BLAST scanning all the swag and would've scanned everything in the store if we'd let her. She did pick out several cute things and lots of cute clothes - she LOVES baby clothes!! We did buy this onesie, though, because she was so excited about it! Good times!!

See you soon!!

I LOVE Vera Bradley!!

Today's little shopping trip was very fruitful!! I bought the brand-spanking new VB Very Berry Paisley diaper bag, which is completely gorgeous, and is being personalized at the store so it'll be next week before I can post pics of it. But trust me - it's A-MAZ-ING!! Bailey found this adorable outfit for her little sister and it was a great price so we had to snatch it up!! There was quite a bit I could've bought today, but I restrained myself. It wasn't easy!!

See you soon!!

I PASSED!!! I PASSED!!!

After an ETERNITY at the doctor's office this morning, I FINALLY passed my second glucola test!! They took my blood first (89 - great!), then I drank the yummy orange soda they are so fond of serving and was stuck again an hour later (212 - very bad!!). Since I failed that one, the nurse told me I'd have to stay for the entire 3 hours, but that if I passed the last 2 sticks, I'd be in good shape. So, after the second hour, she drew blood again (163 - pass) and then finally, the moment of truth . . . 91!! Woo Hoo!! My blood sugar only had to be less than 120!! What is that, an A- or B+? My blood sugar made the honor roll!! I posted that same lame joke on my FB page, so if you've endured it twice today, I apologize! More good news - I either lost .5 or 3.5 pounds since last week but I honestly don't remember how much I weighed last week! After 3.5 hours at the office and after not having eaten in 18 hours :( I'm surprised I could turn the key to my car, but I soldiered on and headed straight for Starbucks!! Magical!! And from there, I went to The Cupcakery and had a Strawberries & Cream cupcake which was de-lish!! I indulged a few more times today and now I am ready to call it an evening. Nothing to do tomorrow except buy Miss Morgan's diaper bag from the new Vera Bradley Fall Collection!! I AM SO EXCITED!! I'll post pics tomorrow!!

See you soon!!

I've got good news and bad news . . .

There's lots to catch up on, but I'll start with today's dr. visit/ultrasound/glucola test. The *GOOD NEWS* is that Morgan is doing GREAT!! She weighs 2 lb. 11 oz. and has a strong heartbeat!! I got to see her little femur and spine today, but she kept her face hidden :( Didn't think we'd have a shy girl! She's in the head-down position, which I hope she likes and then remembers in a few months!! My bp was 132/80, which is AWESOME for me, and I've only gained 3 lb. since last month - MORE AWESOMENESS!! Now, the bad news . . . I failed the glucola test by 3 measly points!! The results are supposed to be <140 and mine was 143. I was hoping the doctor would give me a pass, but I have to go back next week and take the longer test. Boo! He said I probably don't have gestational diabetes, but they have to do the second test to be sure. I'm definitely going to be more careful about what I eat next week!

See you soon!!

Baby Eggplant!

Well, it is no freakin' wonder that I feel this sweet baby moving around all the time - she's the size of an EGGPLANT!! Holy cow!! I don't actually eat eggplant so I don't exactly how much they weigh, but I'm guessing about 3 lbs. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday for my monthly ultrasound and my glucola test so I'm sure I'll get more info about Miss Morgan's size. Bailey weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. when she was born and she was always a nice sturdy, healthy baby, so that's what we're praying for again! Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

See you soon!!

To Sleep or Not to Sleep!

So, I can tell that pregnancy has changed my sleep patterns because I am up and it's 6:37 a.m.!! A few months ago, it wouldn't have mattered how early I went to bed the night before, I would NOT have been up at 6:37 a.m., but now with my frequent middle-of-the-night bathroom trips and general pretzelness, it just makes sense to be up now (insert sarcasm here!). At least, I did sleep better last night than I've slept in a couple of nights so I'm definitely thankful for that blessing. And today is the last day of Vacation Bible School and Bailey is going to a slumber party tonight so I am SLEEPING IN tomorrow morning NO MATTER WHAT! Gotta take advantage of those opportunities before the baby arrives. I pray she's a good sleeper, too!! :D

See you soon!!

BellaBand Bust!

So, I mentioned the BellaBand in this blog post several months ago, but I never got back to you about what I thought of it. Well, I'm sorry to say that it drove me COMPLETELY BONKERS!! I wore it with my pre-pregnancy jeans and all it did was ride up. I pulled and tugged and adjusted the entire time I wore it, so I guess it's one of those things you need to try on in the store before you buy it! Perhaps if you're petite to start with you'd have better luck. But, if you want to give it a try, I have a gently used one that I will be glad you make you a sweet deal on!!

See you soon!!

Gotta brag a bit!

Today was the first day of Vacation Bible School and I'm shepherding in Bailey's class, so I had the pleasure of seeing how absolutely precious she was today! First, there was a new girl there today who stood in the middle of class, frowning, because she didn't know anyone. I mentioned to Bailey that she might want to include her in her group. Later, in music, the kids were singing a song and the motions included putting their arms around each other. This little girl absolutely beamed every time Bailey put her arm around her! It was the sweetest thing!! And the little girl sat with Bailey and her friends the whole day and really looked like she was enjoying herself. It was a wonderful moment! Then, one of the other shepherds in her class told me that when she passed out snack, Bailey was the only one who said, "thank you." That makes a mama proud!! And then, in Bible Memory Verse, the leader asked who, besides God, gives us hope, and Bailey said, "Mama & Daddy!!" That REALLY makes a mama feel good!! So, thank you for indulging me today. I love talking about my sweet girl!!

See you soon!!