Addie-3 Months

Well, I missed her two month update.  I had it all typed out, then the computer froze .  Oh well, Hakuna Matata...

At her 3 month check up, she was 12lb 12oz (50-75 percentile) and 24 inches (75 percentile).  At her 2 month visit, she was in the 25 percentile.  I knew that couldn't be right! I'm 5'9" and Brad is almost 6'3".  There's almost no way we will end up with a short child, unless we are blessed enough to be able to adopt a cute little Chinese baby! So, either she was mismeasured (is that even a word?) or she grew a LOT.  I'm thinking it was the former, because she is right in the middle of a growth spurt, waking in the middle of the night, which she hasn't done in almost a month.  This mommy is spoiled.  The doctor asked how we managed to get her to sleep that long.  I just laughed and said, "A little bit of BabyWise and a lot of prayer!"

I love how social she is.  She'll smile, laugh, and talk to just about anybody at any time. A developmental questionnaire for her was included in the mass of paperwork we have to do for the company sending us overseas.  She scored the highest possible in the areas of communication and social skills.  Really? My baby likes to talk and socialize?  Wonder who she got that from? Haha!  She's also so flexible.  We can cart her around anywhere, and she just sleeps or looks around contentedly. She is only fussy when she's hungry...also something she gets from me:)

I've been amazed at how attractive TV is to an infant.  We've been trying to keep her away from it, but she will turn and twist her body and head toward it...even when it's off!  It's hard for me to leave it off all day, because I just like the noise when I'm home alone. However, the more I watch TV (mostly the news), the more I want to bubble wrap my baby and keep her by my side forever.  I can't get away from tragedy in the media.  I keep reminding myself that she is the Lord's and will not be able to serve Him fully if I'm overprotective and keeping her from taking risks for the Kingdom...of course, she's not living to "dangerously" at 3 months old.  Just the thought train of a first-time mom.

The past month has been hectic with trips to Arkansas, Hattiesburg, India (Brad...not me!).  We moved onto campus for a variety of reasons; we've gotten to see many sweet friends and their babies.  Unfortunately, we had to say good bye to one of our sweetest friends.  I'm a little angry at the company in Birmingham that hired her. I think I have FINALLY completed most of the necessary paperwork for the company.  Now we're just waiting on medical clearance.  For Addie, that might take a couple more months.  She's perfectly healthy, as far as we know, but they require some bloodwork done at 6 months of age...eek!  Momma's not looking forward to that visit.  However, we are super excited that they have allowed us to begin job matching.  We have had one interview with a job that sounds amazing!  I can't disclose too much detail here, but lets just say it included mountains, nice weather, and provided for all of Brad's outdoor inclinations, as well as my desire for good medical care and education options.

We have definitely been blessed!

India

This is how she focuses on the TV. 

Southern Girl Easter Sunday Rules: You must be wearing pearls and your baby must be wearing something smocked.  Check!

A fabulous friend came to visit! So excited to meet her little one soon!

  We miss you so much, Aunt Laura! 

New Mommy Moments

I can't believe our baby girl is already a month old!!!  This post could easily be entitled "You Know You're A New Mommy When...".  These are just some honest, funny, and emotional bits that have jumped out at me in the past month.  

That Moment When...

• You run errands without the baby only to realize that you have a pacifier still hanging from your finger.
• You later find said pacifier in your bed.
• You really can't decide which is the greatest luxury: food, sleep, or a shower?
• Your mom, husband, friends, tell you to chill out because you're trying to be Nazi OCD with a newborn's schedule.  
• You just can't figure out the mystery of how to get baby socks to stay on.
• You cry the first time your mom leaves and it's just you and baby. Eek?
• You realize just how many "rules" (from books, instruction manuals, friends, nurses, etc) that you break even by the end of the first week. 
• You're trying to pump, calm a fussy baby, and talk on the phone at the same time. 
• You're excited that your purse has turned into an enormous, but super cute diaper bag. 
• You pray over your baby's sleep habits...no, seriously!
• Mardi Gras and the Superbowl never really happened because you've been within a 5 mile radius for almost 3 weeks. 
• Having meals delivered to you makes you want to cry with gratitude because you can't fathom going to the grocery, cooking dinner, and keeping another person alive and happy in the same day.
• At a midnight feeding you think, "What's that smell?" Then, you realize that it's you...maybe it's time for a shower. 
• You feel triumphant the first time you do dishes or laundry. 
• You look at a particular shirt/pair of pants/dress and say "I missed you!"
• You cry for no reason at all...oh wait, maybe it's because you're tired?
• You realize that the 3am feedings aren't so bad because it's a sweet time with just you and baby girl. 
• Your boobs go from sexy body part to the most functional things that you possess. 
• You know you're not going to be a perfect mom.
• You are astounded at how God has gifted you to do this job.

I could add many, many more and probably will at a later date.  I should probably add more pictures, as well.  Funny, we got this wonderful, expensive camera but most of our pictures have been snapped on our iphones.  Whoops!  

Our baby girl was 8lb 14oz and 21 1/2 inches at her one month visit yesterday.  She's right on track with her growth and wonderfully healthy.  Addison definitely inherited her daddy's appetite...she takes anywhere from 3 to 4 oz per feeding.  My friend's 8 week old still takes only 2!  She has really bad stomach pains that bother her sometimes, but a wonderful product called Colic Calm takes care of that very quickly!  I would pay $100 a bottle for that stuff!  She's a champion napper and is starting to stretch out her nighttime stints to 4-5 hours.  She's starting to try to smile (on purpose, not from gas) and, bless her heart, I can tell she wants to coo and talk so bad.  Momma's feeling good, other than a bruised/cracked tailbone, and Daddy is learning how to deal with less sleep.  This little family of three is learning a lot, but doing well!

Addison's Birth Story

Today, January 19th, is her due date!  I'm SO happy that she came a little early.  We're on day three of being home with our little girl, and I'm pretty sure things are going relatively well!  It's just a huge relief in itself to not be in the hospital with people coming in and out every ten minutes...it's worse than how often the baby wakes us up!

*Warning.  This is long:)

So, Addison Claire made her debut at 12:18pm on Monday, January 14th, but the fun started that Sunday evening.  Around 5:30pm, I began feeling little sharp cramps that were coming about every 15-20 minutes.  I didn't think much of it, and I even persuaded Brad to go walking with me around the NOBTS campus...I had been a walking maching that week trying to get things rolling.  I was getting super impatient about meeting our little girl, even though we hadn't even reached her due date. I had been 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced for almost a week.

Soon, I noticed, the cramps were coming every 8-10 minutes apart.  I was still thinking that maybe they were Braxton-Hicks (but up to this point, I had never had any), but I called the hospital about 11pm, anyway.  They told me to call the doctor on call, who sleepily told me to wait until they were every five minutes apart for about an hour.  So, that's pretty much what the night consisted of.  I tried to sleep, but they were uncomfortable enough to keep me awake.  Around 4am, they were consistently about five or six minutes apart.  However, I wasn't convinced because they really didn't hurt that bad.  I was sure I was having some sort of super consistent false labor.  If you can see where this is going, don't hate me yet...there was more fun to come.

About 6am, Brad convinced ME that we needed to go to the hospital.  So, I called my friend, Naomi, who was our invaluable third helper-person for labor day.  She was ready to go before we were!  After the long check in process at the hospital, the nurse examined me and confirmed that I was having contractions and was 4 cm dialated.  I couldn't believe it! I was like, this is awesome! Labor doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  My doctor then informed me that I wasn't technically in active labor and could go on like this for several hours or even days before things really got going.  Then she told me that, if she broke my water, things would probably take off.  After hearing that there were really no bad side effects from doing this, I said, "Hey, we're here; let's have a baby today!"

She broke my water about 8:45, and OMG did things CHANGE quickly.  Within five minutes, I was pacing the room and having THAT kind of pain, the kind that makes you want to spit out bad words.  The contractions started coming one on top of the other, with not even a minute or two in between.  It was absolutely insane.  There was no rest or relief at all. I was about to cave and get the epidural when the nurse came in.  I asked her to check me, and she said that I was now at 7 cm...I had dialated 3 cm in an hour and a half!!! No wonder it stinkin' hurt.  That was the encouragement that I needed to keep going without the epidural or any kind of drugs.  Instead, I climbed in a birthing tub, which made life SO much better for a little bit.  The contractions were still terrible and made me make noises normally heard by dying cattle and/or someone possessed by an evil spirit, but the water gave me a longer break in between.  At this point, I was saying, "I don't think I can do it.  I don't think I can do it."  Brad and Naomi reminded me that I had wanted to go natural all along, and to keep breathing (which closely resembled hyperventilating, at this point).

About 45 minutes after my check, I suddenly felt like I had to PUSH!  I tell you, it's crazy...my body couldn't have not pushed if I had tried to stop it.  So, we rushed out of the tub and back to the bed.  The nurse had to call my doctor twice to get her there, because she didn't think I would deliver until around 6 that night!  Thankfully, she made it in time.  After about 40 minutes of pushing (and almost passing out twice...I wasn't breathing 'cause I was so focused on getting her out!), she was there!  When they placed her on me, I said, "She's beautiful...She's purple!"  Haha, but that's apparently normal!  The hard part was over!

Folks, this whole thing took place in about 3 1/2 hours....that's really, really fast, especially for a first-timer.  The nurses and doctor were shocked, but said that I took it like a boss:)  And I have to brag on Brad...he couldn't have been any more perfect, and I definitely couldn't have done it without him.  And Naomi was running around helping and encouraging at all times, even with a herniated disc that I know was killing her.  SO thankful for the support I had that morning.  It hurt, A LOT, but the high that I got from the wave of happy momma hormones was stinkin' awesome.  Our 6lb 14oz, 19 3/4 in. baby girl was here and already had her personality on display when she tried to flip herself off of the weigh scale because it was apparently too hard for her taste.

As fast as it went, my body responded pretty well, and I think recovery should go quickly.  After experiencing childbirth, I'm like, "Sure, sign me up for a marathon.  I could totally climb Mt. Everest.  Let's do a triathalon."  I have a heck of a lot more confidence in what my body is capable of after that. It's amazing to see and experience how the Lord has fashioned our bodies, and the way He has perfectly created our girl.  He has been so gracious in allowing Brad and I to experience a closeness beyond the bond that we have felt in our marriage.  Parenting her is already teaching us more about the character of God, which was my "theme" in exploring Him through His Word this year.

There is so much more I could say.  How much work breastfeeding is, how little sleep we're getting, how she really like to sleep on somebody and not in her bassinet, how she moves and kicks like no other newborn I've held (thanks, Dad, she got your talent for soccer). I'll try to save some for later posts.  For now, pictures!

Last picture as a family of 2

Best. Doctor. Ever. 

Ready to go home

Daddy is HOOKED

Dad's favorite picture

Not sure what to think of the "New Puppy"

My Angel

Probably her favorite sleeping position...Mommy's too.

Back in the Saddle!

Hello Blog Friends and Stalkers!

Soooo, I had pretty much decided to stop blogging for several reasons.  Due to the career direction that Brad and I are pursuing, I had to cease writing, delete several posts, and change a few things.  Of course, these things were not even close to being "bad" things.  In fact, they were just the opposite.  This makes a lot more sense if you know us personally, which I'm assuming most of you do.  If not, sorry.  This probably sounds really weird. 

Anywho, I had a few family members request that I start up again. I figured it would be a good way for friends to keep up with Baby G and the process of our moving overseas.  Plus, this is an exciting season of life, and I want to be able to remember it, somehow. So,  I found this pregnancy questionnaire online and decided that it would be fun to fill out for the first post.  Some of the questions are a little ridiculous, but, oh well!

How did you find out you were pregnant?  I strongly suspected I was pregnant for about a week, but I kept putting off taking a test.  Finally, May 12, 2012, the day I graduated with my Masters, I couldn't wait anymore. 

What kind of Pregnancy test did you take?  The Walgreens version of the EPT, I think.  I just remember two blue lines!

How many? Just one...false positives are really rare, and it just confirmed what I already knew. 

What were your 1st symptoms?  Slight stomach cramps...then about a week later, ALL DAY sickness. 

Who did you tell first?  Brad, of course. 

Who was with you when you found out?  Funny story...Since family was in town for my graduation,  my parents and in-laws were totally oblivious just a few yards away in the living room.  Brad and I had a hard time keeping a straight face the rest of the day. 

My 1st reaction:  "Seriously? SERIOUSLY??? Woohoo!!!" Brad just threw his arms up and yelled (in a whisper) "BABY!!!!!"

Was your baby planned?  Ummm...yes and no.  We had been trying for a while, but had decided to chill out until I was completely done with schoolwork and my internship, maybe even until Brad was done. Of course, the Lord had her planned in His timing.  Looking back, I realize that I would not have it any other way. 

How far were you when you found out?  5 weeks

How did your parents react?  Of course, they were thrilled.  We told our parents on Father's Day. 

My baby

Due Date:  January 19, 2012, My father-in-law's birthday

Do you know the sex?  It's a girl!

Any names?  Addison Claire

Who do you think it will look like?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Brad has the dominant genes with the dark hair and eyes, but my family's genetics seem to trump anybody else's.  It's really weird.  All the great-grandchildren look just like my mom's side of the family. I'm not going to lie; I'm praying she has Brad's hair.  I'm thinking she has about a 100% chance of being tall/long. 

Have you felt the baby move?  All the time...she's really starting to keep me up  at night.  I guess she's preparing me for the next couple of years:)

Miscellaneous

Did you have morning sickness?  Yes...weeks 6-13 were pretty intense.  The highlight was throwing up in the middle of my school's parking lot.  Nice. And it lasted all stinkin' day no matter what I ate. 

Did you have any cravings? No weird cravings, although pizza sounds more divine than it ever has. 

Did you have any mood swings?  Haha...I admit, I get cranky sometimes, especially when I get really tired.  Most of the time, I just get a lot more quiet than usual.  

Are you a high risk pregnancy?  Nope.

Any complications?  Nope.

When did you start to show?  It took a while. At 20 weeks, I still just looked like I had eaten too much pizza or something.  Probably right after that. 

How long could you wear your regular clothes?  I still wear a lot of my regular clothes at 28 weeks. Mostly shirts and dresses.  I can still pull of my regular pants if I wear one of the Belly Band things over them (cause they don't stand a chance of zipping at this point). 

Natural or Medicated birth?  I would like to go natural, but I'm signing that permission slip to get the epidural! 

Who will be in the delivery room with you?  Brad, duh.  Also, upon the recommendation of another mom with 3 kids, I asking a good friend to be there as a back up, so that all of the work is not on Brad.  She's really wonderful at being supportive while telling me  to suck it up and work harder:)

Do you think you will need a C-section?  I sure hope not. I'm just praying that this chick is not breech like I was. 

Are you excited?  Of course I am!  In the past couple of weeks, I've gotten really ready to meet my little girl!

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?  Feeling her move.  She reminds me of her presence quite often. 

What is the worst thing about being pregnant?   Umm...I have had it really easy, honestly.  The more frustrating things are not sleeping as well and the discomfort in my back after being on my feet a lot. 

What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant?  My waistline:)  Honestly, I don't really like the physical limitations.  No Zumba, limited running (cause she always goes to sit in a very uncomfortable position).  I miss feeling like I'm in awesome shape, even though I've still been pretty good at staying active. 

Are you ready for a baby?  Is anybody ever completely prepared for that.  My constant prayer is that the Lord will ready my heart for this special but challenging major life change. 

How many kids do you want?  We don't really know.  We'll love however many children God gives us, either through biology or adoption, whether it's 1 or 10. We'd like to stay in the 2-4 range, though. 

Do you still feel attractive?  Depends on the day.  It helps that I have a very affirming husband and that my body hasn't really changed all that much.  Tall girls, be super thankful for every inch of your torso...it helps a lot during pregnancy. 

How far along are you now?  28 weeks! 

The Color Run

I know I never post anything anymore, but I just had to put up this link because it's making me impatient in waiting for November! The Color Run 2012 is coming to New Orleans on 11/17, and I am so excited. I think I even talked Brad into doing it with me. He never just runs for sport! Spots are filling up quickly, but if you would like to run, you can register here.

http://thecolorrun.com/neworleans/

If you would like to run on our "team", just comment below, and I'll send you the registration info.

I, personally, can't wait to be covered head to toe in this bright powder/paint stuff! I just don't know how getting home is going to happen...I'm not getting in our car like this!

How are we doing, you ask? We're good. I'm trying to graduate in about 3 weeks, so life is a little hectic. Brad still has about a year left, so we'll be here in NOLA until at least then. That's okay, we're in no rush, because we love it here. The Lord is using both blessing and suffering to grow us in our faith and mold us into a man and woman who can be used for His glory. This is our prayer, and there are definitely times when walking through that is more difficult than I imagined. Brad is as busy as ever. Full time work, full time school, a deacon, life group host, and various other ministry activities. I don't know how he gets it all done. Actually, that's a lie. He doesn't sleep a whole lot. Bless it. Hopefully, after May 12th, I can make this blogging bit more consistent.

A Simple Laugh

I needed this picture today. I needed this smile today. A day full of class from 8am to 6:30pm with 2 clients after that is not for the faint of heart. Plus, we were out late doing ministry last night, so I really just want a nap. Anywho, this picture SO describes me. Organized chaos. But I got it. No, really. I got it. Don't worry about my stuff 'cause it'll get done...it always does. Life is crazy, and, let's be honest...I would be bored if it wasn't:)

Asking the Hard Questions

One of the many spiritually rich concepts that the counseling program has instilled in me is the importance of asking the hard questions, or, the questions that you might be afraid to ask. Some don't have any reservations about this, but some, like me, used to think it was the norm. Let me explain what I mean.

Last week, Brad and I had a conversation. I wondered why a couple of particular people had not checked up on or asked how someone was doing (this particular person had gone through a rough time recently). He said, "Maybe they don't want to bring up something painful." Then, in a session last night, a client said that she didn't want to ask her cousin (who had been through something traumatic) how she was doing for fear that it might upset her. The similarity in these two conversations led me to think, "Why are we so afraid to ask the hard questions?" Do we really think that people forget their struggles and crises when we stay silent? Do you? No. Chances are, you bringing up a hard topic is not going to make that particular issue any more difficult to wrestle with. If that were so, Biblical accountability would never happen. Yes, personal issues are hard to talk about, but, as the body of Christ, we are called to help each other bear life's burdens. We comfort people with the comfort that He has given to us. We empathize. We help. We become cheerleaders. We become sounding boards.

I confess that, in the past, I have been so guilty of this. I stayed silent because I thought that I didn't know what to say or I was afraid of the negative emotion that the other might exhibit. Summed up: I was avoiding what could possible be a negative experience. I was chicken. I was missing opportunities to minister and show support to others who needed it (whether they showed it or not).

If you are reading this and are one with whom I have missed such an opportunity, I am so sorry.

That is my challenge for you. Don't be afraid to ask the silent suffering how they are, how you can pray, or how you can help. Don't let doubts and insecurity push you away from saying, "I'm so sorry." It's not doing anybody any favors, except maybe that you get to stay in your comfort zone. Does Christ really ever call us to stay there?