I think this year may have been my favorite Christmas of all time. James and I really wanted to establish some Garcia family traditions this year, and I think we are off to a fine start!
On Christmas Eve we ate chili and grilled cheese sandwiches before heading to the Lessons and Carols service at church. After church we came home and Cadence opened up her Christmas pajamas present and we watched "Twas the night before Christmas" as a family. Then we read her the story of Jesus's birth before bed, and we planned to watch "Love Actually" with some hot chocolate and popcorn once she was asleep. Unfortunately she didn't go to bed until 11, and then woke up at 2, so we nixed the popcorn and I ended up going to bed an hour into the movie while James slept through the rest of it but woke up for the last 15 minutes.
Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents. The haul this year was:
Me: Loft jeans, Eddie Bauer puffy vest, Cinderella opera tickets, a Scrabble board journal, a Kitchenaid Mixer, "Brave", gum, a Nicholas Sparks book, lottery tickets, and Lindor truffles
James: Stability ball, ear warmer, Duke/Kentucky book, Vitamin Water,
Cadence: 3 books, basketball hoop, Christmas PJs, Cinderella, socks, The Lion King, and a box full of tissue paper
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Thursday, December 27, 2012
sleeeeeep.....sleeeep!
One thing is true about being a parent--just when you think you have it all figured out, it changes.
Cadence's sleeping has been a rollercoaster since about 4 months. I just kind of went along with it because she was having to put up with my crazy schedule, along with some constipation, colds, growth spurts, rolling over, etc. However a few nights ago she went to bed at 8:30, woke up at 11:30 and did not go back to sleep until 2:00 am. At that point I decided enough was enough and I needed to refer to my Sleep Lady book again for some tips. Crying it out was definitely not going to work because she just cried until she was hysterical and then no amount of "sh sh"-ing and calm sounds would get her to go to sleep.
So we've started the Sleep Lady Shuffle, and so far it's been good. Last night she went to bed at 9:30, woke up at 3, and then slept until 7:15. I'm trying my best to not nurse her to go to sleep, but so far that's been the hardest part. She's been following the sleep lady schedule to a T today, minus the nursing to fall asleep, but apparently I can work on that later. She took a 2 hour nap this morning and I just put her down for her afternoon nap.
Cadence's sleeping has been a rollercoaster since about 4 months. I just kind of went along with it because she was having to put up with my crazy schedule, along with some constipation, colds, growth spurts, rolling over, etc. However a few nights ago she went to bed at 8:30, woke up at 11:30 and did not go back to sleep until 2:00 am. At that point I decided enough was enough and I needed to refer to my Sleep Lady book again for some tips. Crying it out was definitely not going to work because she just cried until she was hysterical and then no amount of "sh sh"-ing and calm sounds would get her to go to sleep.
So we've started the Sleep Lady Shuffle, and so far it's been good. Last night she went to bed at 9:30, woke up at 3, and then slept until 7:15. I'm trying my best to not nurse her to go to sleep, but so far that's been the hardest part. She's been following the sleep lady schedule to a T today, minus the nursing to fall asleep, but apparently I can work on that later. She took a 2 hour nap this morning and I just put her down for her afternoon nap.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Christmastime
We've spent the past week getting into the Christmas spirit and hanging out with friends. Tuesday night we had a cookie baking party at our house for a small group of friends, Wednesday we had a play date with Leslie and Ella Ogrodowicz, Thursday was our big day at the mall to Santa, and last night James and I got to go out with the res life staff to a MTSU/Vanderbilt men's basketball game. We got seats in the all you can eat and drink zone, so it was pretty fun. Melissa and Erica James watched Cadence while we were out, and all reports state that she was great for them!
Cadence has been so much fun lately--she can pretty much sit up on her own (she still falls occasionally but it's never too bad), and she loves to just sit and play in her room. No new foods yet, although I did give her a chance to use a sippy cup this week and she loves to play with it and take little sips here and there. I've also been trying to feed her more during her two mini meals, usually pears and oatmeal in the morning and pears and sweet potatoes in the evening. I'd like to introduce apples, but I'm afraid they'll make her constipated, so until she gets that all under control I'll stick with those easy to digest foods.
I can't believe it's only 3 days until Christmas! We have been so blessed this year by the generosity and kindness of our friends and family, it is clear every day, but even more obvious around the holidays.
Cadence has been so much fun lately--she can pretty much sit up on her own (she still falls occasionally but it's never too bad), and she loves to just sit and play in her room. No new foods yet, although I did give her a chance to use a sippy cup this week and she loves to play with it and take little sips here and there. I've also been trying to feed her more during her two mini meals, usually pears and oatmeal in the morning and pears and sweet potatoes in the evening. I'd like to introduce apples, but I'm afraid they'll make her constipated, so until she gets that all under control I'll stick with those easy to digest foods.
I can't believe it's only 3 days until Christmas! We have been so blessed this year by the generosity and kindness of our friends and family, it is clear every day, but even more obvious around the holidays.
Friday, December 14, 2012
6 months old!
Today is Cadence's half birthday! She woke up so happy and excited this morning, it was like she knew of the great occasion. Granted we didn't do anything special to celebrate, but she did have a great day today, full of activities and smiles.
First we went to watch James, Kelly, Jamison, AJ, Amanda, and Adam Mansell present The Grinch Who Stole Christmas in chapel. It was the last time James was going to be the grinch, so I wanted Cadence to be there for it. Then we brought the ice cream cake I made up to lunch for James's advisees, and after that we were off to take Charles Li to the dentist and run some errands at Walmart and the post office. We managed to get everything done, including a break to feed and change Cadence, and got to the dentist just as Charles was checking out. And not a single fussy moment from the C-dog!
Then we got back and drove James home from work, and it was time to set up the concessions stand for the basketball game. This was our 4th set of games in 5 days, so I am SO glad to take a break.
I did an unofficial measurement of Cadence this afternoon, and I would guess she's at 16 pounds and 28.5 inches. Big growing girl! So far she's had tastes of banana, pear, and sweet potatoes, and we have apples waiting in the freezer. I actually really enjoy making her baby food because I can make so many meals with such little food! Big impact!
Cadence was sleeping so well, but the past few nights have been a little rough, but I do believe it's time for another growth spurt, so I will blame that.
First we went to watch James, Kelly, Jamison, AJ, Amanda, and Adam Mansell present The Grinch Who Stole Christmas in chapel. It was the last time James was going to be the grinch, so I wanted Cadence to be there for it. Then we brought the ice cream cake I made up to lunch for James's advisees, and after that we were off to take Charles Li to the dentist and run some errands at Walmart and the post office. We managed to get everything done, including a break to feed and change Cadence, and got to the dentist just as Charles was checking out. And not a single fussy moment from the C-dog!
Then we got back and drove James home from work, and it was time to set up the concessions stand for the basketball game. This was our 4th set of games in 5 days, so I am SO glad to take a break.
I did an unofficial measurement of Cadence this afternoon, and I would guess she's at 16 pounds and 28.5 inches. Big growing girl! So far she's had tastes of banana, pear, and sweet potatoes, and we have apples waiting in the freezer. I actually really enjoy making her baby food because I can make so many meals with such little food! Big impact!
Cadence was sleeping so well, but the past few nights have been a little rough, but I do believe it's time for another growth spurt, so I will blame that.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Cadence's first cold
Cadence had her first "illness" this week, the common cold! How exciting! She was really a happy baby through it all, and even seemed more talkative while she was sick. She had to battle a runny/stuffy nose, cough, and watery eyes. Constipation also came a'knocking, but it likewise did not seem to bother her. I definitely found out what 5 days worth of baby waste looks like--yikes!
We've been very busy with basketball this week, and next week promises to be even busier. Hoping that she can push through and be a good girl while she gets passed around the stands this week!
We've been very busy with basketball this week, and next week promises to be even busier. Hoping that she can push through and be a good girl while she gets passed around the stands this week!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thanksgiving break!
Well, my thankfulness posts fizzled out mid-month--oh well! I had a good excuse--I was too busy enjoying every moment of our vacation in Destin, FL last week, and now James is in DC for a conference, so I'm single-parenting it up!
We spent the week at a condo in Destin, just across the street from the beach, and all in all we had a great time. Cadence seemed to be extra fussy, and she did not sleep well at all, so I don't know that we'll ever try to take a vacation with such a young baby again, but oh well. It was fun to play with her on the beach a little bit (although my worries about too much sun exposure kept our visits short) and she did a great job in the car--having her along only added about 30 minutes to our 7.5 hour trip, so she's a much better traveler than the dogs! I did realize though that it's going to be awhile until I can actually get a vacation--there is no escaping the work of a mom!
Once we got back we only had a few days until James had to leave for his conference, and since he's been gone we've been very busy. Today we had Bible study, and then tonight there was a basketball game. Tomorrow I have to go buy some buns for the concessions stand, and then there is a double header. Cadence had a rough morning at Bible study and then was not too awesome at the game, so I'm hoping tomorrow is a little better. She's teething and is really only happy if she's being held in one certain position and moving around all the time. Unfortunately the girl I had watch her wanted to sit down to watch the game, and couldn't find the magic position, so there was a lot of fussing going on. The good news is that she's slept through the night the past two nights, which is a blessing after her week of horrible sleep at the beach.
We also set up our Christmas tree, and I've been wrapping presents as they are bought so I'm fairly pleased with the Christmas-y feeling in our house. I'd like to do more decorating, but it's hard to justify spending money on things that only get brought out once a year!
We spent the week at a condo in Destin, just across the street from the beach, and all in all we had a great time. Cadence seemed to be extra fussy, and she did not sleep well at all, so I don't know that we'll ever try to take a vacation with such a young baby again, but oh well. It was fun to play with her on the beach a little bit (although my worries about too much sun exposure kept our visits short) and she did a great job in the car--having her along only added about 30 minutes to our 7.5 hour trip, so she's a much better traveler than the dogs! I did realize though that it's going to be awhile until I can actually get a vacation--there is no escaping the work of a mom!
Once we got back we only had a few days until James had to leave for his conference, and since he's been gone we've been very busy. Today we had Bible study, and then tonight there was a basketball game. Tomorrow I have to go buy some buns for the concessions stand, and then there is a double header. Cadence had a rough morning at Bible study and then was not too awesome at the game, so I'm hoping tomorrow is a little better. She's teething and is really only happy if she's being held in one certain position and moving around all the time. Unfortunately the girl I had watch her wanted to sit down to watch the game, and couldn't find the magic position, so there was a lot of fussing going on. The good news is that she's slept through the night the past two nights, which is a blessing after her week of horrible sleep at the beach.
We also set up our Christmas tree, and I've been wrapping presents as they are bought so I'm fairly pleased with the Christmas-y feeling in our house. I'd like to do more decorating, but it's hard to justify spending money on things that only get brought out once a year!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Days 13-16
Day 13
I am thankful for the opportunities I have had in my life to get an education, and even more thankful that those opportunities did not put me into debt.
Day 14
I am thankful for technology that allows me to capture my sweet girl's beautiful smile and share it with family that is far away.
Day 15
I'm thankful for my Uncle Willard who celebrates his 90th birthday today. He is a great man of God who has been more like a grandfather to me.
Day 16
I am thankful for sleep, especially when it is uninterrupted.
I am thankful for the opportunities I have had in my life to get an education, and even more thankful that those opportunities did not put me into debt.
Day 14
I am thankful for technology that allows me to capture my sweet girl's beautiful smile and share it with family that is far away.
Day 15
I'm thankful for my Uncle Willard who celebrates his 90th birthday today. He is a great man of God who has been more like a grandfather to me.
Day 16
I am thankful for sleep, especially when it is uninterrupted.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Days 10-12
Day 10
I am thankful for forgiveness. This past week has taught me a lot about what I need to improve on in my interactions with everyone, and I'm thankful that the people I truly love will forgive me in spite of my shortcomings.
Day 11
I am thankful for God's great creation, and mostly the season of fall! We had beautiful weather today and I loved every minute of being outside walking with my family!
Day 12
I am thankful for our dogs. Although they often drive me crazy, misbehave, and make messes I have to clean up, they were our first "children", and they brought James and I closer together. Plus, Cadence really enjoys watching them now, and Jeter always cleans up her spit-up off the floor.
I am thankful for forgiveness. This past week has taught me a lot about what I need to improve on in my interactions with everyone, and I'm thankful that the people I truly love will forgive me in spite of my shortcomings.
Day 11
I am thankful for God's great creation, and mostly the season of fall! We had beautiful weather today and I loved every minute of being outside walking with my family!
Day 12
I am thankful for our dogs. Although they often drive me crazy, misbehave, and make messes I have to clean up, they were our first "children", and they brought James and I closer together. Plus, Cadence really enjoys watching them now, and Jeter always cleans up her spit-up off the floor.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Day 9
Today I am thankful for the cooks at Webb. Although the food is not always on point, they do make a lot of things very well, and they are really nice to me and will set aside food for me to make sure I get some. It is so nice to not have to cook and do dishes all the time!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
more thanks
Day 7
I am thankful for my health. I am blessed to not suffer from any chronic conditions and I can basically eat whatever I want with little effect on my health. I know it won't always be this way, but I'm thankful it is now!
Day 8
Today I am thankful for the Community Bible Study that Cadence and I attend with the Swaffords every Thursday morning. Even when I'm tired and just want to stay at home I rest, I pull it together to get us there, and I'm always glad we make it. The ladies in the nursery who take care of Cadence are so sweet, and it's nice to get a little break and interact with some adults!
I am thankful for my health. I am blessed to not suffer from any chronic conditions and I can basically eat whatever I want with little effect on my health. I know it won't always be this way, but I'm thankful it is now!
Day 8
Today I am thankful for the Community Bible Study that Cadence and I attend with the Swaffords every Thursday morning. Even when I'm tired and just want to stay at home I rest, I pull it together to get us there, and I'm always glad we make it. The ladies in the nursery who take care of Cadence are so sweet, and it's nice to get a little break and interact with some adults!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
catching up on thankfulness
Day 3
Today I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful that no matter what happens in our lives, we have made a commitment to love each other through it all. This mention seems especially timely given a recent fight we had. Although in the grand scheme of things our disagreement was minor, it really brought to light both how much I love him and what we each need to do to show that love now that our lives have been changed by a little one.
Day 4
Today I am thankful for the most precious little baby I've ever known--Cadence! Although she can be frustrating at times when she just seems to eat and spit up and cry, the happy times more than make up for it. I can't wait to see her grow up--well, I can actually, because I love this baby stage--but it will be so exciting to see her learn how to do everything!
Day 5
Kind of a combination of days 3 and 4, I'm thankful that I can be a stay at home mom. It is way more challenging than I thought it would be, both in terms of the actual work and patience involved, and in having to readjust how I go about everything and the time I have to spend with my friends, but I know that I will always cherish these days spent playing and snuggling and trying to figure out my little girl.
Day 6
Today I am thankful for the Webb School. Webb brought me my husband, my daughter, a job, a place to live, and so many great friends.
Today I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful that no matter what happens in our lives, we have made a commitment to love each other through it all. This mention seems especially timely given a recent fight we had. Although in the grand scheme of things our disagreement was minor, it really brought to light both how much I love him and what we each need to do to show that love now that our lives have been changed by a little one.
Day 4
Today I am thankful for the most precious little baby I've ever known--Cadence! Although she can be frustrating at times when she just seems to eat and spit up and cry, the happy times more than make up for it. I can't wait to see her grow up--well, I can actually, because I love this baby stage--but it will be so exciting to see her learn how to do everything!
Day 5
Kind of a combination of days 3 and 4, I'm thankful that I can be a stay at home mom. It is way more challenging than I thought it would be, both in terms of the actual work and patience involved, and in having to readjust how I go about everything and the time I have to spend with my friends, but I know that I will always cherish these days spent playing and snuggling and trying to figure out my little girl.
Day 6
Today I am thankful for the Webb School. Webb brought me my husband, my daughter, a job, a place to live, and so many great friends.
Friday, November 2, 2012
wiggly worm!
Today Cadence has shown that she is ready to move! She loves to roll from side to side, and flip from her back to her stomach--I have a feeling we're in for it now! She is such a joy to hang out with every day, and it sounds crazy, but I miss her whenever I have someone else watch her for a little while. She's my little buddy :).
Day 2
Today I am thankful for my parents. I don't think you truly appreciate your own parents until you become a parent yourself, and these past 4.5 months I have missed them more than ever. I realize now how much they love me, always have and always will, and why they're willing to drive ridiculous distances to see me just for a day or two. I know that my mom could have gotten a whole lot more cookie dough off of the beaters if she wanted to, but she left some big chunks just for me to lick off. I know how much it must have broken my dad's heart to see me cry about a boy breaking mine, and how happy he must have been to see me marry a wonderful man on my wedding day. I truly believe I have the best parents in the world, through all the ups and downs in their own lives, they've given me everything I need to be successful, and most of all, instilled in me their values.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Day 1 of Thankfulness
Today I am thankful for my God. Without God, I would not have anything to be thankful for, but with Him, I have everything to be thankful for. He has given me all the people, experiences, and things I have, and most of all, He has given me His Son to die for me to make up for all the sins I commit--including being ungrateful for all I have been given.
I have been blessed to partake in a midweek Bible study this year called Community Bible Study, and it is a really great reminder as I go about my busy week how important it is to take time out for God. Today one of the ladies in my group said that being a mother gave her a greater understanding of the love that God has for us, His children, and I couldn't agree more. To know that God loves me immeasurably more than I love my dear little Cadence, is both reassuring and makes me ashamed of how I act towards His commandments at times.
I have been blessed to partake in a midweek Bible study this year called Community Bible Study, and it is a really great reminder as I go about my busy week how important it is to take time out for God. Today one of the ladies in my group said that being a mother gave her a greater understanding of the love that God has for us, His children, and I couldn't agree more. To know that God loves me immeasurably more than I love my dear little Cadence, is both reassuring and makes me ashamed of how I act towards His commandments at times.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
4 month check-up
Monday was Cadence's 4 month check-up, and here are her stats:
Weight: 13 lbs 12 oz (35th %ile)
Height: 26.5 inches (99th %ile)
Head: 41.5 (74th %ile)
Her doctor was pleased with all of her progress, and said we could start her on cereal between now and her next check-up. Since James's mom read something about rice containing arsenic, we're going to start her with oatmeal.
Since her initial roll from back to stomach, she did it one more time today in her crib when I went to get a new diaper. She still doesn't seem interested in rolling the other way, but her doctor wasn't concerned. She's been proving herself to be a true social butterfly lately, as anytime she's fussy at home I just get her around a group of people and she is perfectly content. I guess she finds my face to be boring now.
We are excited that Aunt Shannon is coming tomorrow! Yay!
Weight: 13 lbs 12 oz (35th %ile)
Height: 26.5 inches (99th %ile)
Head: 41.5 (74th %ile)
Her doctor was pleased with all of her progress, and said we could start her on cereal between now and her next check-up. Since James's mom read something about rice containing arsenic, we're going to start her with oatmeal.
Since her initial roll from back to stomach, she did it one more time today in her crib when I went to get a new diaper. She still doesn't seem interested in rolling the other way, but her doctor wasn't concerned. She's been proving herself to be a true social butterfly lately, as anytime she's fussy at home I just get her around a group of people and she is perfectly content. I guess she finds my face to be boring now.
We are excited that Aunt Shannon is coming tomorrow! Yay!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
like a rolling stone/4 month info
For the past few weeks Cadence had been getting really good at rolling onto her side, either one actually, and just kind of hanging out there. It was pretty cute to watch because she would usually start by lifting her feet to her face, then sort of falling off to the side. She would get so close to rolling over completely, but usually just arch her back to look up over her head, and then flip back to her back to do it all over again.
However, last night, she pulled all the way through, and I was so happy that not only James was there to witness it, but also his mom. We were cheering her on, and it was so cute to see her face once she ended up on her tummy. She's a roller!
I was looking forward to James's mom's visit mostly because I knew I'd get some time to see my friends and James and I would get to go on a date, but now I'm not so sure that will be happening. Unfortunately every time she holds Cadence, Cadence just starts screaming. James thinks it's because she doesn't hold her facing out like C-dog prefers, and I think it's because her scent of coffee+cigarettes is completely new to Cadence, and probably not very welcome. I know James is going to push me to just leave her and let her "cry it out", but it will be hard to knowingly leave my normally sweet and happy baby with someone that I know she isn't happy with :/.
Weight: We'll find out Monday!
Length:
Diaper size: Size 2
Clothes size: Mostly 3-6 month and 6 month clothes, although I can still squeeze you into some 3 month onesies, and you're not nearly chunky enough to fill out anything other than 3 months clothes--but your length is another story!
Sleep: I would say that 6/7 nights you sleep a good 10 hours straight. Every once in awhile you'll give me a rough night though (like tonight!)
Favorite activities/things: Johnny Jump-Up, exersaucer, you still love your cuddle bug and going outside almost always calms you down. A fun fact: you have attended every single home sporting event at Webb this fall. You even made it through a whole football game tonight (halftime was feeding time!)
Eating: You are eating every 1.5-2 hours during the day. Exhausting, but oh well :).
Nicknames: C baby, C dog, Sugar Pie (oh my!), Cadence baby
Talking: We're working on your consonant sounds. You've got the G down, but I'm trying to get those dadadas and mamamas going!
New adventures: Nothing too extraordinary, just more church and sporting events, meals at the dining hall, bible study with the Swaffords, and some meals out on the town. You did accompany me on an airport run this week and you were spectacular! Happy, sleeping, awake for a little while, and then asleep again.
New Skills: Rolling from back to front, touching those toes, making Chewbacca like noises in the back of your throat, and those cute little baby push-ups! You also started sucking on your tongue which is pretty darn cute. Oh, and the drool, the drool! Daddy can't stand it, which is pretty funny!
However, last night, she pulled all the way through, and I was so happy that not only James was there to witness it, but also his mom. We were cheering her on, and it was so cute to see her face once she ended up on her tummy. She's a roller!
I was looking forward to James's mom's visit mostly because I knew I'd get some time to see my friends and James and I would get to go on a date, but now I'm not so sure that will be happening. Unfortunately every time she holds Cadence, Cadence just starts screaming. James thinks it's because she doesn't hold her facing out like C-dog prefers, and I think it's because her scent of coffee+cigarettes is completely new to Cadence, and probably not very welcome. I know James is going to push me to just leave her and let her "cry it out", but it will be hard to knowingly leave my normally sweet and happy baby with someone that I know she isn't happy with :/.
Weight: We'll find out Monday!
Length:
Diaper size: Size 2
Clothes size: Mostly 3-6 month and 6 month clothes, although I can still squeeze you into some 3 month onesies, and you're not nearly chunky enough to fill out anything other than 3 months clothes--but your length is another story!
Sleep: I would say that 6/7 nights you sleep a good 10 hours straight. Every once in awhile you'll give me a rough night though (like tonight!)
Favorite activities/things: Johnny Jump-Up, exersaucer, you still love your cuddle bug and going outside almost always calms you down. A fun fact: you have attended every single home sporting event at Webb this fall. You even made it through a whole football game tonight (halftime was feeding time!)
Eating: You are eating every 1.5-2 hours during the day. Exhausting, but oh well :).
Nicknames: C baby, C dog, Sugar Pie (oh my!), Cadence baby
Talking: We're working on your consonant sounds. You've got the G down, but I'm trying to get those dadadas and mamamas going!
New adventures: Nothing too extraordinary, just more church and sporting events, meals at the dining hall, bible study with the Swaffords, and some meals out on the town. You did accompany me on an airport run this week and you were spectacular! Happy, sleeping, awake for a little while, and then asleep again.
New Skills: Rolling from back to front, touching those toes, making Chewbacca like noises in the back of your throat, and those cute little baby push-ups! You also started sucking on your tongue which is pretty darn cute. Oh, and the drool, the drool! Daddy can't stand it, which is pretty funny!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Calm before the storm.
Thursday night Cadence had a really bad night--she woke up every two hours, and even when I caved and slept on the couch with her, she still couldn't stay asleep. I go through such a range of emotions when she has these nights--frustration, patience, sadness, etc. Mostly I just feel bad for her because she obviously needs to sleep but for some reason she can't.
Thankfully last night was much better. Although she didn't go to sleep until 10:30, she slept until 7:30am with no breaks. She kind of had a cranky morning, but I put her in the infantino carrier and walked outside with her for a little bit which made her content.
Her feeding schedule has been really off since I got sick last week. She was eating consistently every two hours, which sounds exhausting, but after the every one hour schedule we were on, it seems so liberating! But since she started spitting up more, I've tried to stop feeding her as soon as she pulls off the first time while eating. This has worked to minimize spit-up, but as a result she gets hungry an hour later. I'm hoping and praying that we'll be able to start her on solids soon and that maybe that will help keep her full for longer.
This weekend is our last "down" weekend for awhile--James is actually off duty, but we've just decided to chill and take it easy...and of course clean the house. James's mom is coming to visit next weekend, then my sister Shannon is coming, and finally my parents are coming after her. Then we just have one more weekend in Bell Buckle before our Thanksgiving trip to the beach!
Thankfully last night was much better. Although she didn't go to sleep until 10:30, she slept until 7:30am with no breaks. She kind of had a cranky morning, but I put her in the infantino carrier and walked outside with her for a little bit which made her content.
Her feeding schedule has been really off since I got sick last week. She was eating consistently every two hours, which sounds exhausting, but after the every one hour schedule we were on, it seems so liberating! But since she started spitting up more, I've tried to stop feeding her as soon as she pulls off the first time while eating. This has worked to minimize spit-up, but as a result she gets hungry an hour later. I'm hoping and praying that we'll be able to start her on solids soon and that maybe that will help keep her full for longer.
This weekend is our last "down" weekend for awhile--James is actually off duty, but we've just decided to chill and take it easy...and of course clean the house. James's mom is coming to visit next weekend, then my sister Shannon is coming, and finally my parents are coming after her. Then we just have one more weekend in Bell Buckle before our Thanksgiving trip to the beach!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
getting cleaned up!
I feel like I'm finally getting into a rhythm with this SAHM gig, mostly because we've had a few days in a row when we haven't been setting up concessions and driving students places. This weekend I created a cleaning chart for our house, where I clean 2-3 rooms a day really well--yesterday I tackled the entryway and the pool table room, and I'm proud to say they look great! Today is a little more of a challenge with the bedroom and Cadence's room on the docket, but so far we're moving right along. It's much easier now that Cadence is content playing on her own as long as we're in the same room.
....just saw this draft. Mere hours after starting this post I got sick and the cleaning halted. Good intentions go a long way, right? :)
....just saw this draft. Mere hours after starting this post I got sick and the cleaning halted. Good intentions go a long way, right? :)
do what you know.
The past week has been roughhhhhh. Not at all because of baby C, mostly because of me. Last Wednesday I came down with a cough, and then a fever, and then the fever stayed, and left, and came back, and left, and came back....over a period of 5 days. I was miserable. Luckily my only symptoms were a cough, fever, and extreme exhaustion, or I may have been completely incapable of taking care of myself. I cried on several occasions because I just didn't have the energy to stop Cadence from crying, all I wanted her to do was sleep and eat--even changing a diaper was too much for me to do at times.
At that point, Cadence also started spitting up a lot more. Ironically enough, the day I got sick, I thought SHE was sick, so I got to take her temperature "that way" for the first time. I don't know if I'm proud of this, but she actually didn't mind getting it taken rectally. (She of course was perfectly fine, other than the spewing of milk.)
Anyway, Cadence had a string of very good days while I was sick, she would take long naps with me, and be able to spend a lot of time just chilling on her back while I tried to get better. She even rolled from back to front once when she was slightly elevated on a pillow--and she's been really close to getting there several other times--she gets all the way on her side and just hangs out there for awhile :).
She also started going to bed at 11:00 around this time. Nothing else in her routine really changed, but I would try to get her ready for bed at 9:30 as I always did, and it just took a lot longer, and she got a lot more upset with my efforts to get her in bed. It wasn't a big deal, but being sick I really wanted an earlier bedtime (she would sleep until 8, so I was okay with the wake-up time!) At the advice of some friends, I tried to move her bedtime earlier by a lot--up to 7:30/8:00. Well, the 3 nights I tried it were easily the most miserable nights I've had with her. She did NOT want to sleep that early, but I kept trying, she would get mad, eat, spit up, arch her back, scream, hit me, scratch me, you name it--and I in turn would get mad as well, wonder why she couldn't just calm down, cry, etc. Sounds like fun, huh?
Tonight I tried again, but told myself if she got mad, I would just stop and take her out to the living room to play quietly until she calmed down. She was much happier once I gave up, and we played quietly until about 9:15 when she got hungry. I fed her in a quiet place, and put her down to sleep at 9:35, and so far she has woken up once that I can tell from the monitor and just went back to sleep.
So....what have I learned? Well, in my desperation last night, I told James that I felt like it was my fault she wasn't going to bed and I was doing something wrong. I've come to terms with what I already know--every baby's different, and I can't make Cadence be like anyone else's baby. She is mine, and I love her with all my heart, and I would rather her go to bed at 11:00 than spend 4 hours angry with her because she won't go to bed at whatever time some book says she should. James told me that I'm the best rookie mom he's ever met, and that he couldn't believe I thought I was a bad mother. Love that man.
Anyway, now that she's been down for over an hour, it's bedtime for mommy as well.
At that point, Cadence also started spitting up a lot more. Ironically enough, the day I got sick, I thought SHE was sick, so I got to take her temperature "that way" for the first time. I don't know if I'm proud of this, but she actually didn't mind getting it taken rectally. (She of course was perfectly fine, other than the spewing of milk.)
Anyway, Cadence had a string of very good days while I was sick, she would take long naps with me, and be able to spend a lot of time just chilling on her back while I tried to get better. She even rolled from back to front once when she was slightly elevated on a pillow--and she's been really close to getting there several other times--she gets all the way on her side and just hangs out there for awhile :).
She also started going to bed at 11:00 around this time. Nothing else in her routine really changed, but I would try to get her ready for bed at 9:30 as I always did, and it just took a lot longer, and she got a lot more upset with my efforts to get her in bed. It wasn't a big deal, but being sick I really wanted an earlier bedtime (she would sleep until 8, so I was okay with the wake-up time!) At the advice of some friends, I tried to move her bedtime earlier by a lot--up to 7:30/8:00. Well, the 3 nights I tried it were easily the most miserable nights I've had with her. She did NOT want to sleep that early, but I kept trying, she would get mad, eat, spit up, arch her back, scream, hit me, scratch me, you name it--and I in turn would get mad as well, wonder why she couldn't just calm down, cry, etc. Sounds like fun, huh?
Tonight I tried again, but told myself if she got mad, I would just stop and take her out to the living room to play quietly until she calmed down. She was much happier once I gave up, and we played quietly until about 9:15 when she got hungry. I fed her in a quiet place, and put her down to sleep at 9:35, and so far she has woken up once that I can tell from the monitor and just went back to sleep.
So....what have I learned? Well, in my desperation last night, I told James that I felt like it was my fault she wasn't going to bed and I was doing something wrong. I've come to terms with what I already know--every baby's different, and I can't make Cadence be like anyone else's baby. She is mine, and I love her with all my heart, and I would rather her go to bed at 11:00 than spend 4 hours angry with her because she won't go to bed at whatever time some book says she should. James told me that I'm the best rookie mom he's ever met, and that he couldn't believe I thought I was a bad mother. Love that man.
Anyway, now that she's been down for over an hour, it's bedtime for mommy as well.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
growing up too fast!
I just realized it's been two weeks since my last post, so I will try to catch up on what's been happening. First and foremost, my BIRTHDAY was last week, and it was a great celebration as usual. James planned a surprise party including our friends on campus, took me out to dinner, and got me a few gifts, the most wonderful being a cross necklace with a pearl and four diamonds in the center. Cadence's birthstone is the pearl, so he got it with the thinking that it can serve as a family heirloom, that Cadence will wear on the big days in her life, and that will eventually be passed on to her. Such a thoughtful gift!
Cadence had a weight check last week and she had gained 1lb and 2oz since her last check-up, so I assume that everything is fine since they didn't tell us otherwise. So she is now at 12lb 7 oz, and I measured her length today--25.5 inches was my unofficial measurement--wowzers! She's going to outgrow this carseat in length before we know it.
Cadence has continued to be an easy baby, but we've had a few more rough nights than usual--mostly due to gas issues, which is being caused (I think) by my affinity for dairy products. She can now go 2 hours between feedings during the day--which is a huge relief for me! She goes to the nursery at bible study on Thursday mornings and she's been great for them all but one time. She's also been so easy-going when I have to do all the concessions stuff by myself and when I have to drive students places--sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to do things while she plays happily independently.
Re: the title of this post--since it's been colder recently, we've started breaking into her stash of pants, including a cute pair of jeans. The first day she wore jeans I couldn't believe how instantly grown up she looked--so cute, yet so telling of how quickly her baby days are going by.
Cadence had a weight check last week and she had gained 1lb and 2oz since her last check-up, so I assume that everything is fine since they didn't tell us otherwise. So she is now at 12lb 7 oz, and I measured her length today--25.5 inches was my unofficial measurement--wowzers! She's going to outgrow this carseat in length before we know it.
Cadence has continued to be an easy baby, but we've had a few more rough nights than usual--mostly due to gas issues, which is being caused (I think) by my affinity for dairy products. She can now go 2 hours between feedings during the day--which is a huge relief for me! She goes to the nursery at bible study on Thursday mornings and she's been great for them all but one time. She's also been so easy-going when I have to do all the concessions stuff by myself and when I have to drive students places--sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to do things while she plays happily independently.
Re: the title of this post--since it's been colder recently, we've started breaking into her stash of pants, including a cute pair of jeans. The first day she wore jeans I couldn't believe how instantly grown up she looked--so cute, yet so telling of how quickly her baby days are going by.
Monday, September 10, 2012
rough night!
Last night Cadence had an uncharacteristically rough night. I tried putting her down about 6 times between 8:30 and 12:30, and everytime I put her down she would wake up crying immediately. Eventually around 1:00am I gave up and retired to the couch, laid her down, fed her laying next to her, and then gently pulled away and slept by her on the couch. I think she was having some gas issues, because she kept lifting her legs up and grunting like she needed to get something out. Hopefully tonight will be better!
This past weekend was a little difficult as James was really busy with things since he was on duty, and he wasn't able to go to church with us. Cadence was fine all weekend, but I wish James had been able to spend more time with us.
This past weekend was a little difficult as James was really busy with things since he was on duty, and he wasn't able to go to church with us. Cadence was fine all weekend, but I wish James had been able to spend more time with us.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
new adventures!
It's been awhile since I've updated, so I will try to fill in all that we've been up to the past two weeks. Cadence and I have been enjoying our days at home and staying busy setting up the concessions stand--I will not be sad when the fall sports season is over and we don't have to lug everything back and forth anymore!
We celebrated James's birthday yesterday--or at least we tried to. Saturday James and I went to a bed and breakfast/winery to celebrate his birthday and Cadence had her first night away from home. Everything went well as we visited 3 wineries, bought some wine, had dinner, and got to "reconnect"....until 4am. James woke up and checked his phone to find a text message telling him that some of the students at Webb had been caught drinking and were picked up by the police. James couldn't sleep after that point, so we packed up and left early so he could get back to Webb and start getting the story straight. And that is what he's been doing for the past three days--talking to kids, 15 total, about all that happened.
To make matters worse, tonight a girl got injured in a soccer game, so he has to take her to the emergency room. So....not such a great start to month to say the least.
Cadence remains a very happy baby who sleeps through the night most nights. We love her to pieces and she has definitely helped keep James happy during these difficult past few days.
We celebrated James's birthday yesterday--or at least we tried to. Saturday James and I went to a bed and breakfast/winery to celebrate his birthday and Cadence had her first night away from home. Everything went well as we visited 3 wineries, bought some wine, had dinner, and got to "reconnect"....until 4am. James woke up and checked his phone to find a text message telling him that some of the students at Webb had been caught drinking and were picked up by the police. James couldn't sleep after that point, so we packed up and left early so he could get back to Webb and start getting the story straight. And that is what he's been doing for the past three days--talking to kids, 15 total, about all that happened.
To make matters worse, tonight a girl got injured in a soccer game, so he has to take her to the emergency room. So....not such a great start to month to say the least.
Cadence remains a very happy baby who sleeps through the night most nights. We love her to pieces and she has definitely helped keep James happy during these difficult past few days.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
shot to the heart...err...thigh
Today Cadence went in for her 2 month check-up, which meant a round of shots :(. She actually did really well, she really liked the oral vaccine for rotavirus, the first shot she didn't flinch at all, and then the last two she got really red and just screamed for a little while. I picked her up and fed her a little, and she calmed down and proceeded to sleep for about 2.5 hours.
Her weight was a little low (11.5 lbs, 36th %ile) while her length (24 inches) and head circumference (40.5 cm) were in the upper 90 percentile range. Dr. Bigham said he's not overly concerned about the weight at this point because she's eating well and her brain development is going well, but we're supposed to come back in a month for a weight check to see if she can pick up the progress there.
This week has gone by really slowly, probably because James has been gone so much, and although he's on duty this weekend, he will be around more often which will be nice. Cadence is still as happy and smiley as ever, and I feel so blessed to be a mother to such a wonderful little girl!
Her weight was a little low (11.5 lbs, 36th %ile) while her length (24 inches) and head circumference (40.5 cm) were in the upper 90 percentile range. Dr. Bigham said he's not overly concerned about the weight at this point because she's eating well and her brain development is going well, but we're supposed to come back in a month for a weight check to see if she can pick up the progress there.
This week has gone by really slowly, probably because James has been gone so much, and although he's on duty this weekend, he will be around more often which will be nice. Cadence is still as happy and smiley as ever, and I feel so blessed to be a mother to such a wonderful little girl!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
and so it begins!
Last night was the first home football game, and with my new post as concessions manager, I was kept quite busy during the day and especially during the game, trying to figure out how many hot dogs/hamburgers to cook up and make sure everything else remained stocked. It all went fine in the end, and hopefully next week will go even more smoothly.
Today is registration day, and thus the first day where I feel pretty left out. Everyone else is on campus, buzzing around, welcoming students back, and here I sit, blogging in my pajamas. Cadence slept a little better last night than the previous one. I put her down at 9:45, she woke up at 10:45 but managed to fall back asleep on her own, and then woke up at 4:20. I let her lay there for about 20 min, and then managed to soothe her back to sleep without picking her up, just by keeping her pacifier in, but when I left and it fell out, she woke up again. So....about 5:15 we headed to the couch and she easily fell asleep there and we slept until about 7:30. I feel like each night we're getting closer to where she was, so hopefully she continues to improve.
Today is registration day, and thus the first day where I feel pretty left out. Everyone else is on campus, buzzing around, welcoming students back, and here I sit, blogging in my pajamas. Cadence slept a little better last night than the previous one. I put her down at 9:45, she woke up at 10:45 but managed to fall back asleep on her own, and then woke up at 4:20. I let her lay there for about 20 min, and then managed to soothe her back to sleep without picking her up, just by keeping her pacifier in, but when I left and it fell out, she woke up again. So....about 5:15 we headed to the couch and she easily fell asleep there and we slept until about 7:30. I feel like each night we're getting closer to where she was, so hopefully she continues to improve.
Friday, August 17, 2012
don't let it stick!
Yesterday Cadence had a great day, she was happy all day long, took some naps, and entertained 30 or so people at our house for dinner. She conked out at 8:45, which is about an hour early, but she was so dead asleep I figured I shouldn't try to wake her. She slept until about 2:30, which was disappointing--I was hoping she'd go a few hours longer like I know she can! I then fed her and tried to put her back down at 3:30, but she woke up, so I held her until she fell asleep again and we just snoozed on the couch together until about 7am. I'm really hoping that she will go back to her awesome sleeping soon--I got too used to getting 8 hours of sleep a night, I can't go back!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
please no regression!
Last night was the first night in almost two weeks that Cadence did not sleep 8-10 hours straight--she finally went to sleep at midnight and woke up at 5:30. I'm hoping this is not a sign of things to come! She did take some long naps yesterday when she's normally more of a cat-napper, so maybe that's why she didn't want to sleep very long. Today has been a little more normal, and she was good for the nursery ladies at CBS this morning--no more "colicky" accusations :).
Sunday, August 12, 2012
SLEEP!!!!!!!
I am pleased to announce that Cadence has officially been sleeping through the night for over a week now--8-10 hours straight, and everyone in the house is loving it! I love that I can stay up for a little while after putting her to bed because she's hitting the sack at a much more reasonable hour, and that she then doesn't wake up until about 7am.
We've had a busy past few days, including being babysat twice (by the Smiths and the Carters) going to two parties and a baby shower, and of course our regular church attendance plus eating out and errands afterwards. Tomorrow she gets to be babysat again by Caroline Smith while we attend the Recognition Dinner on campus, and Tuesday afternoon is our first foray into "Daddy Day Care" as James will take over while I have a good time with the ladies on campus in our backyard. Granted I'll still be around, but it'll be nice to be the one with free arms for once!
This past week we also attended the Community Bible Study with the Swaffords and had lunch afterwards with them. It was nice to get together with some non-Webb folks and grow in God's word, and although Cadence was a little fussy in the nursery, I'm sure she'll get used to it, and soon she'll love every minute of it.
This next week is the last week of summer for James, although it definitely feels like he's been working all summer long. It'll be interesting to see how things go when kids come back on campus!
We've had a busy past few days, including being babysat twice (by the Smiths and the Carters) going to two parties and a baby shower, and of course our regular church attendance plus eating out and errands afterwards. Tomorrow she gets to be babysat again by Caroline Smith while we attend the Recognition Dinner on campus, and Tuesday afternoon is our first foray into "Daddy Day Care" as James will take over while I have a good time with the ladies on campus in our backyard. Granted I'll still be around, but it'll be nice to be the one with free arms for once!
This past week we also attended the Community Bible Study with the Swaffords and had lunch afterwards with them. It was nice to get together with some non-Webb folks and grow in God's word, and although Cadence was a little fussy in the nursery, I'm sure she'll get used to it, and soon she'll love every minute of it.
This next week is the last week of summer for James, although it definitely feels like he's been working all summer long. It'll be interesting to see how things go when kids come back on campus!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
busy baby (and mama!)
This week has been a pretty busy one for us as a family! Sunday after church we went to a local park and had a picnic and went on a short hike. Tuesday we went to Alabama for the day, which ended up being a 6 hour trip altogether, and that night we had Zach and Shelley over for dinner and some games of pool. Yesterday we hosted about 15 people at our house for the weekly potluck, and tonight we took out three of the new residential folks for dinner in Murfreesboro. All of the activities have requires lots of time around new people, noises, and places, and Cadence has done a great job of being easy-going. She's even been awake through much of the activity, and managed to stay relatively pleasant--and all this while working through her 6 week growth spurt! She's also been sleeping well this week, which I hope continues.
Today she turned 7 weeks old, and it's really becoming apparent how much she's growing and changing everyday. She's becoming more comfortable with James, which has really helped him feel like more of a contributor, and I know he's going to miss leaving us every day once school gets going.
Today she turned 7 weeks old, and it's really becoming apparent how much she's growing and changing everyday. She's becoming more comfortable with James, which has really helped him feel like more of a contributor, and I know he's going to miss leaving us every day once school gets going.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
new friends!
The past few days Cadence has been hitting her 6 week growth spurt, which means eating a lot, then sleeping a lot, then sleeping very little in order to eat a lot! She's slept through the night three times so far--and hopefully we can make it 4 tonight--although she's slept a lot during the day today, so we may not be so lucky...
Today she took her first out of state trip to Alabama as we ventured to Unclaimed Baggage. She was SO good the whole time we were there, and even during the three hours she was in the car.
Friday, July 27, 2012
6 weeks old!
Cadence hit the 6 week mark yesterday, and thus it was time for my post-partum check-up. The PA checked me over and took care of doing my annual exam then, too, which was nice because I'm switching to a type of non-insurance that doesn't cover preventive care--so I won't have to pay to have that visit done in a few months again!
We continue to try to figure out Cadence's sleep patterns at night. It's definitely gotten easier the past couple nights, but I can't say that I feel like she's really hit a rhythm yet. For example, last night she went down at 10:30, and I just put her down at 11:05, but now I hear that she's awake again! For me the hardest part is just not knowing when she's finally going to fall asleep for the night--I hate the back and forth! We did watch the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, which gave us some good strategies for calming her down--I can't say that they work 100% of the time, but I feel like they've helped us, especially James, have more tools in our arsenal for combating her fussy periods.
Tonight we went on our first family run to the park--although we didn't actually run very much, it was nice to be a little more active.
We continue to try to figure out Cadence's sleep patterns at night. It's definitely gotten easier the past couple nights, but I can't say that I feel like she's really hit a rhythm yet. For example, last night she went down at 10:30, and I just put her down at 11:05, but now I hear that she's awake again! For me the hardest part is just not knowing when she's finally going to fall asleep for the night--I hate the back and forth! We did watch the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, which gave us some good strategies for calming her down--I can't say that they work 100% of the time, but I feel like they've helped us, especially James, have more tools in our arsenal for combating her fussy periods.
Tonight we went on our first family run to the park--although we didn't actually run very much, it was nice to be a little more active.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
adventures in sleeping.
We've officially made the transition to Cadence sleeping in her crib, and although the first night was rough, the second night went much more smoothly. It seems like once a week she has one night when she just can't seem to fall/stay asleep, and this night was one of the worst yet. There was a large storm that came through, so the dogs were on edge and whining, Cadence was overtired and restless, and James and I were just plain exhausted. She did finally fall asleep around 2am, but by that time had gone almost 8 hours without some quality sleeping time.
Given that difficult night, I decided to crack open a book given to me by another campus mom about babies and sleep, and some of the things I read really helped us out the next night. I usually only put her down if she's completely out, but this book said to try to put her down when she's drowsy yet awake so that she learns to soothe herself to sleep. We've also recently introduced the pacifier, and that has helped soothe her without me needing to nurse her. Last night she fell asleep around 11, woke up at 4, and then was up until 7:30 and fell asleep again until 10:30. I was completely exhausted around 7, so I was thrilled that she got another long sleeping stretch in this morning. Today has seemed more normal, as she is eating only every 2 hours or so and taking more frequent naps.
Given that difficult night, I decided to crack open a book given to me by another campus mom about babies and sleep, and some of the things I read really helped us out the next night. I usually only put her down if she's completely out, but this book said to try to put her down when she's drowsy yet awake so that she learns to soothe herself to sleep. We've also recently introduced the pacifier, and that has helped soothe her without me needing to nurse her. Last night she fell asleep around 11, woke up at 4, and then was up until 7:30 and fell asleep again until 10:30. I was completely exhausted around 7, so I was thrilled that she got another long sleeping stretch in this morning. Today has seemed more normal, as she is eating only every 2 hours or so and taking more frequent naps.
Friday, July 13, 2012
where does the time go?
Yesterday Cadence was officially 4 weeks old, and I can't believe that she's been alive for that long already! It's probably because the days never seem to have a beginning or an end--it's just one long vicious cycle of not enough sleep and trying to get things organized in our new house.
My family came into town last weekend, and with their help we were able to get a lot of things done around the new house--paint Cadence's room and dresser, install our new locks, get our internet set-up, install our printer, and Mike even took my laptop home with him to try and get it up and working. Things are slowly coming together, but everything is moving at a snail's pace as we are completely at the mercy of our little lady! Our main problem right now is that our washer is broken, so we are slowly being inundated with dirty laundry, and given that we're using cloth diapers, laundry facilities are kind of necessary! We are hopeful that it will be fixed by Monday...fingers crossed!
Cadence has been sleeping well, usually 5-6 hours every night, although inevitably there is one night a week where she just gets completely thrown off and doesn't ever get a really long stretch in--which makes for a rough day for mom the following day! A few days ago she started smiling for real when she hears my or James's voice, and it's amazing how one beautiful smile can make you forget all the frustrations.
Tonight we have a double baby shower to attend for Monica and Sarah, and Cadence will be coming along with me so that Jessie Rich and Megan Stimpson can see her for the first time.
My family came into town last weekend, and with their help we were able to get a lot of things done around the new house--paint Cadence's room and dresser, install our new locks, get our internet set-up, install our printer, and Mike even took my laptop home with him to try and get it up and working. Things are slowly coming together, but everything is moving at a snail's pace as we are completely at the mercy of our little lady! Our main problem right now is that our washer is broken, so we are slowly being inundated with dirty laundry, and given that we're using cloth diapers, laundry facilities are kind of necessary! We are hopeful that it will be fixed by Monday...fingers crossed!
Cadence has been sleeping well, usually 5-6 hours every night, although inevitably there is one night a week where she just gets completely thrown off and doesn't ever get a really long stretch in--which makes for a rough day for mom the following day! A few days ago she started smiling for real when she hears my or James's voice, and it's amazing how one beautiful smile can make you forget all the frustrations.
Tonight we have a double baby shower to attend for Monica and Sarah, and Cadence will be coming along with me so that Jessie Rich and Megan Stimpson can see her for the first time.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Busy, busy, busy!
The past week has been such a flurry of activity, I can hardly remember what happened when! I suppose that's what happens when you're sleep deprived and going off a baby's schedule!
James's mom, dad, and grandmother came into town last Friday and will be leaving tomorrow, and while it's been nice to have some help once in awhile so that I can get things done and they've taken over preparing meals and doing dishes since they've been here, having house guests for almost a week can be a draining experience, especially when it's 100+ degrees outside and there's a newborn involved in the mix. It's stressful because sometimes little Cadence just needs/wants to cry, but when you have guests and she's crying all that happens is people keep commenting on her crying and speculating why she's upset/what one can do to make her stop. I think the visit has stressed out Cadence as well, as she got pretty far off the schedule she had established and has been grumpier a lot more.
The other big news is that we started moving into our new house on Sunday. We should be able to finish up tomorrow, and then on Thursday Shannon is coming down to help me unpack and paint Cadence's room. I absolutely love our new place, and I hope that we're able to figure out how to best utilize all the space we have!
James's mom, dad, and grandmother came into town last Friday and will be leaving tomorrow, and while it's been nice to have some help once in awhile so that I can get things done and they've taken over preparing meals and doing dishes since they've been here, having house guests for almost a week can be a draining experience, especially when it's 100+ degrees outside and there's a newborn involved in the mix. It's stressful because sometimes little Cadence just needs/wants to cry, but when you have guests and she's crying all that happens is people keep commenting on her crying and speculating why she's upset/what one can do to make her stop. I think the visit has stressed out Cadence as well, as she got pretty far off the schedule she had established and has been grumpier a lot more.
The other big news is that we started moving into our new house on Sunday. We should be able to finish up tomorrow, and then on Thursday Shannon is coming down to help me unpack and paint Cadence's room. I absolutely love our new place, and I hope that we're able to figure out how to best utilize all the space we have!
Monday, June 25, 2012
getting easier!
Today seemed to be a little easier, and I definitely feel like Cadence cried less today than she has any other day. She woke up at 8am and I fed her right away, and then every 1.5-2 hours after that until she fell asleep at noon for about 2 hours. I managed to get a nap in while she slept on James around 3:00pm, and we went to the Swaffords for dinner since James had basketball games. She was awake the whole time we were at the Swaffords, and I fed her right before we left, but got hungry as the two hour mark approached. We went back home around 6:30, I fed her again, and then after half a story and some singing time she fell asleep on me. I managed to swaddle her, arms in!, and laid her down to sleep around 7:45. I hope that this doesn't mean she'll be awake from midnight until the wee hours in the morning, but I guess we'll just wait and see!
Re: cloth diapers, we started using them a few days ago, but yesterday I noticed a diaper rash developing, so we switched back to disposables until that clears up since you can't use diaper creams on cloth diapers. Sarah gave me some cloth inserts tonight to serve as a barrier between the diaper and her bum, so we went back to the cloth diapers this evening. I hope that the diaper rash is not a recurring problem with using cloth diapers, but I suppose that's another "wait and see" thing.
It's now 8:30, and I'm going to try and fall asleep just in case I do have a long night ahead of me...
Re: cloth diapers, we started using them a few days ago, but yesterday I noticed a diaper rash developing, so we switched back to disposables until that clears up since you can't use diaper creams on cloth diapers. Sarah gave me some cloth inserts tonight to serve as a barrier between the diaper and her bum, so we went back to the cloth diapers this evening. I hope that the diaper rash is not a recurring problem with using cloth diapers, but I suppose that's another "wait and see" thing.
It's now 8:30, and I'm going to try and fall asleep just in case I do have a long night ahead of me...
first days at home.
It was truly a blessing having my family here during our first few days at home with Cadence, as I was able to take some naps and just do some random things around the house while other people took care of holding and soothing the little one.
Sunday we managed to get to church, almost on time, and everyone enjoyed seeing our newest little bundle of joy. She slept through the whole service, and we scheduled her baptism for July 8. After church we headed to O'Charley's (James's pick) for Father's Day lunch, and we had a little bit of a wait before we could go to our table which gave me a chance to feed her. Everyone really enjoyed their respective dishes, and given the hefty portions we had leftovers to eat for dinner! I got this amazing salad--California Chicken Salad that had all my favorite things in it! When we got back home the men got to moving our piano into our new house, and my dad and Emma were pretty impressed with our new abode--I can't wait for us to move in. Then we took some Father's Day pictures, and Dad, Katrina, and Emma left to head back to Iowa. Cadence had another good night of sleep, for which we were eternally grateful!
Monday was Cadence's first visit to her pediatrician, and after filing the initial paperwork, we got to see Dr. Bigham pretty quickly. He and his nurses marveled at how big she was, weighing in at 9lbs 12 oz, and Dr. Bigham was satisfied with her weight gain from when she left the hospital. He was really nice and talked to us a long time about a myriad of things, and although we were bad parents and left the diaper bag at home, he supplied us with a fresh diaper and some wipes when Cadence decided to show off her pooping skills during the appointment. After the appointment we headed to Sal's Pizza for a late lunch with my mom and Shannon, and then home when I got to take a glorious nap. Monday night was a rough night sleepwise, as she just wanted to eat and eat and eat....but all I wanted was more sleep!
Tuesday marked Cadence's first bath, and saying goodbye to my mom and Shannon. We also took Cadence on her first stroller ride to visit James's office and meet Melissa, Cindy, Joe Iorio, and Elizabeth Lagler. They all remarked how big and beautiful she was, and thankfully she was a perfect little snoozing angel the whole time.
Wednesday we got a visit from Kelly and Zach and Shelley brought us a pizza from Sauce and visited with us for awhile. It was nice to see all of them, and Shelley couldn't get over how cute Cadence was.
Thursday the Rasnicks brought us a meal and we had one of our roughest nights to date--James and I were both up trying to keep her from screaming, and James even took her on a walk at 2am to try and soothe her.
Friday we made another campus visit to the Alumni and Development office, and she was once again great for her visit. The Broadheads and the Swaffords both brought us dinner that night, and we had our second bath which went over much better than the first! We also went for a walk that night with the dogs, which was nice, but it was clear that we went too far for my sensitive nether region, so we only made it to the gym before we circled back home. Cadence was happy for most of it, but then started to get fussy near the end.
Saturday we had a pretty easy day, although we discovered that "Mr. Brown can Moo, can you?" is one of her favorite books so far. We also got a visit from Kelly and Kristen before they headed to Chattanooga, along with a "birthday" gift from Janie and Jack from them--a cute little poppy summer outfit with an adorable hat!
Sunday we managed to make it to church again, although I had to spend most of the service in the nursery feeding Cadence as she was on her "I want to eat every 1.5 hours" schedule. We managed to make it to the grocery store and get rid of our recycling after church, and then came home and ate the food from the Broadheads for lunch. The Smiths brought us an amazing dinner of steak, twice-baked potatoes, deer dip, fresh bread, and salad--sooooo much food, but it was so good! Moira got to meet Cadence for the first time. The Swafford clan also came over for a visit, and Sarah got to hold Cadence for awhile. Caleb was especially enamored by "the baby!" and wanted to touch her and stare at her. Sunday night was a little rough as she didn't fall asleep until 4am, but she did sleep until 8am so that was nice.
Sunday we managed to get to church, almost on time, and everyone enjoyed seeing our newest little bundle of joy. She slept through the whole service, and we scheduled her baptism for July 8. After church we headed to O'Charley's (James's pick) for Father's Day lunch, and we had a little bit of a wait before we could go to our table which gave me a chance to feed her. Everyone really enjoyed their respective dishes, and given the hefty portions we had leftovers to eat for dinner! I got this amazing salad--California Chicken Salad that had all my favorite things in it! When we got back home the men got to moving our piano into our new house, and my dad and Emma were pretty impressed with our new abode--I can't wait for us to move in. Then we took some Father's Day pictures, and Dad, Katrina, and Emma left to head back to Iowa. Cadence had another good night of sleep, for which we were eternally grateful!
Monday was Cadence's first visit to her pediatrician, and after filing the initial paperwork, we got to see Dr. Bigham pretty quickly. He and his nurses marveled at how big she was, weighing in at 9lbs 12 oz, and Dr. Bigham was satisfied with her weight gain from when she left the hospital. He was really nice and talked to us a long time about a myriad of things, and although we were bad parents and left the diaper bag at home, he supplied us with a fresh diaper and some wipes when Cadence decided to show off her pooping skills during the appointment. After the appointment we headed to Sal's Pizza for a late lunch with my mom and Shannon, and then home when I got to take a glorious nap. Monday night was a rough night sleepwise, as she just wanted to eat and eat and eat....but all I wanted was more sleep!
Tuesday marked Cadence's first bath, and saying goodbye to my mom and Shannon. We also took Cadence on her first stroller ride to visit James's office and meet Melissa, Cindy, Joe Iorio, and Elizabeth Lagler. They all remarked how big and beautiful she was, and thankfully she was a perfect little snoozing angel the whole time.
Wednesday we got a visit from Kelly and Zach and Shelley brought us a pizza from Sauce and visited with us for awhile. It was nice to see all of them, and Shelley couldn't get over how cute Cadence was.
Thursday the Rasnicks brought us a meal and we had one of our roughest nights to date--James and I were both up trying to keep her from screaming, and James even took her on a walk at 2am to try and soothe her.
Friday we made another campus visit to the Alumni and Development office, and she was once again great for her visit. The Broadheads and the Swaffords both brought us dinner that night, and we had our second bath which went over much better than the first! We also went for a walk that night with the dogs, which was nice, but it was clear that we went too far for my sensitive nether region, so we only made it to the gym before we circled back home. Cadence was happy for most of it, but then started to get fussy near the end.
Saturday we had a pretty easy day, although we discovered that "Mr. Brown can Moo, can you?" is one of her favorite books so far. We also got a visit from Kelly and Kristen before they headed to Chattanooga, along with a "birthday" gift from Janie and Jack from them--a cute little poppy summer outfit with an adorable hat!
Sunday we managed to make it to church again, although I had to spend most of the service in the nursery feeding Cadence as she was on her "I want to eat every 1.5 hours" schedule. We managed to make it to the grocery store and get rid of our recycling after church, and then came home and ate the food from the Broadheads for lunch. The Smiths brought us an amazing dinner of steak, twice-baked potatoes, deer dip, fresh bread, and salad--sooooo much food, but it was so good! Moira got to meet Cadence for the first time. The Swafford clan also came over for a visit, and Sarah got to hold Cadence for awhile. Caleb was especially enamored by "the baby!" and wanted to touch her and stare at her. Sunday night was a little rough as she didn't fall asleep until 4am, but she did sleep until 8am so that was nice.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
going home!
Saturday morning James left at 5am to go run the 10 mile Moon Pie Run while Cadence and I had some good mommy/daughter time. We had the same gauntlet of visitors in the morning, but luckily they were more staggered so it wasn't as stressful, and I wasn't trying to feed Cadence at the time. We got everything checked off to be discharged, and then waited for James to come back from the race to pick us up. We finally left the hospital around noon, and headed straight back to Bell Buckle. My dad and three sisters were all at our house in lots of pain following the race, but the excitement of Cadence's homecoming made everyone perk up. My dad got first dibs on holding her, and it was pretty clear how much he loves her already. After some pass the baby time, they left to get my pain medication, drop their stuff at the loft, visit George Dickel, and go to Chili's while I took a nap.
Upon waking up from my nap I was in LOTS of pain, but they weren't yet back with my meds. I just started crying from the pain, which apparently broke James's heart as he had never seen me cry from physical pain before. They came back about an hour later with dinner for us, which was exactly what I needed, aside from the meds!
Cadence's first night at home went pretty well, although all her little baby noises kept me awake and alert, but it was better than I expected!
Upon waking up from my nap I was in LOTS of pain, but they weren't yet back with my meds. I just started crying from the pain, which apparently broke James's heart as he had never seen me cry from physical pain before. They came back about an hour later with dinner for us, which was exactly what I needed, aside from the meds!
Cadence's first night at home went pretty well, although all her little baby noises kept me awake and alert, but it was better than I expected!
first full day of life!
Friday proved to be quite a hectic day, starting out with a million people coming into our room in the morning--the lactation consultant, my doctor, Cadence's doctor, my nurse, the nursery nurse, the photo lady, the technician, the dining staff--and all the while I was trying to feed her AND make it to the discharge class at 10am. It was really stressful, and made me just want to kick everyone out. Cadence weighed in at 9lbs 12 oz that morning, which was not too severe of weight loss, and her jaundice risk was considered low.
We went to the discharge class and learned how to care for me and Cadence once we left, and of course got the "don't shake the baby" message. After that we had a little down time, then Monica came by with Alisha, and around noon Kelly, Kristen, and Amanda stopped by. It was nice to see them all again, and Kelly brought us food from Newk's which was yummy. Julie Harris also stopped by during the afternoon, but our most exciting visitors came by around 8:00--my mom, Emma, and Katrina made it! It was nice to have my family there to meet and greet Cadence, and James got a chance to go and get dinner. They stayed for a little while, and then headed to Bell Buckle to rest before the Moon Pie Race.
I got hungry late that night and sent James to raid the snack machine, as I knew I'd be up at 2am feeding the baby girl and would be starving at that point. A very good call on my part!
We went to the discharge class and learned how to care for me and Cadence once we left, and of course got the "don't shake the baby" message. After that we had a little down time, then Monica came by with Alisha, and around noon Kelly, Kristen, and Amanda stopped by. It was nice to see them all again, and Kelly brought us food from Newk's which was yummy. Julie Harris also stopped by during the afternoon, but our most exciting visitors came by around 8:00--my mom, Emma, and Katrina made it! It was nice to have my family there to meet and greet Cadence, and James got a chance to go and get dinner. They stayed for a little while, and then headed to Bell Buckle to rest before the Moon Pie Race.
I got hungry late that night and sent James to raid the snack machine, as I knew I'd be up at 2am feeding the baby girl and would be starving at that point. A very good call on my part!
cadence's birth
Wednesday
I spent Wednesday doing everything on my "to-do" list, which included MANY things. I basically cleaned every single room in our house throughout the course of the day, and James was shocked with how much I was able to do in a single day. Kelly came by to give me my "retirement" gift--a Marie Cassat framed print that will hang in Cadence's room. After that we headed to Carrabba's where I fueled up with some Pasta Weesie since it would be my last meal for quite some time. It was quite fun to answer the question "When are you due?" at that point--because we actually KNEW!
We headed to the hospital at 8:00 and checked in, meaning we got to see the estimate for how much this birth was going to cost--wowzers! It was a little confusing though because they offer a discount if you pay ahead of time, but when I asked if we had to pay then, the lady said yes. Huh? We put it on our credit card hoping to at least get some rewards out of that purchase.
After that we were escorted to a room in the labor and delivery room, where we met Leah, our first of many nurses. She was really nice and made us feel very comfortable--even when she had to put a pill behind my cervix to "ripen" it up. I really enjoyed watching the contractions monitor to see exactly how long and how far apart my contractions were--that night before starting the Pitocin they were about 6 minutes apart and lasted for about a minute--so I wonder if Cadence would have made her appearance without inducing, but I guess we'll never know! James and I watched lots of HGTV and had some good talks, enjoying our last evening as a twosome.
Thursday
Leah came in at 1:00am to see if I needed another pill to soften my cervix, but she said I was progressing well at that point so I wouldn't need another. She came back at 5:00am to start my Pitocin drip, and then the fun began! My contractions definitely got stronger and closer together at that point, but it wasn't unbearable...yet. Leah had mentioned that the Pitocin sometimes takes about 12 hours, so we should expect a baby around 5:00pm. Dr. Moss came in around 8:30am to check out my progress and talk about how things were going to progress today. At that point I was 2-3 cm dilated and 80% effaced, and she broke my water to really get things under way. After my water was broken, the fun really began. My contractions were all of a sudden VERY painful, lasting about a minute long but with only about 30 seconds in between each one. I remember from our classes them saying that it was important to rest in between contractions, but that was pretty much impossible. James even tried to brush his teeth between the pain, but he couldn't. Around 10:10am I told James that I thought I wanted an epidural, and he asked if I was sure--I let one more contraction go by--and said a definite yes. We told my nurse Jeannette, she got the anesthesiologist, and he worked very quickly and relief was around the corner. He was literally out of my room by 10:30am, and once everything kicked in, I was actually able to take a short nap. Jeannette checked me again at 11, and I was 3-4 cm, and according to her I'd dilate 1cm/hour so I should count on pushing later this afternoon.
Well...little Cadence was a little more urgent! I was feeling lots of rectal pressure, and Jeannette came back at noon to see if she could go to lunch, but I was fully dilated and ready to go! James gave me this excited/anxious look as he realized we were very close to meeting our daughter. She called Dr. Moss, got the room prepped for delivery, and around 12:25 pm she started getting me to push. James was by my side the whole time, helping by holding one of my legs and encouraging me. Jeannette was the boss for a little while, but once her head started crowning, she called Dr. Moss to deliver the baby. James even looked as I was pushing to see the action, which I didn't expect at all! He was pretty amazed/in shock by the whole process, but really a great coach. Once Dr. Moss got in there I continued to push, and it honestly felt like it was never going to end! They kept telling me I was "almost" there, but they kept saying it, and I kept pushing! Kind of frustrating. Finally at 1:07pm, Cadence Elizabeth Garcia made her entrance into the world. James said it was astounding to see something so large emerge from me, and Dr. Moss commented immediately that she was a big girl--probably about 8.5 pounds--and then asked James if he was going to take any pictures--haha--he forgot in all the excitement! They cleaned her up, and Dr. Moss got to work stitching me up--which took a long time, as I had a third degree laceration. As I waited for her to finish, I could see James watching Cadence in the warmer and it was clear how immediately and deeply he fell in love with her--his eyes were tearing up and he just had an incredulous smile on his face. They then brought her to me, and I couldn't believe how beautiful a 5 minute old baby could be. She had the cutest chubby cheeks, the sweetest little nose, and was perfect. After holding her for a few minutes, I realized that James still hadn't held her, so I passed her on.
After all that excitement, Tayla Hyatt brought us lunch (Five Guys for me!), and James followed Cadence to the nursery to get her measurements. She weighed in at 9lbs 14oz, 22.5 inches long, her head measurement was 34.5 cm and her chest 36 cm. Shortly thereafter I was moved to the postpartum wing, and Cadence was brought to us once we got there. I then met my new nurse, Cadence's nursery nurse, and the lactation consultant, Diana. Diana tried to help me feed Cadence for the first time, but we weren't successful in getting her to latch on. She gave me lots of information and pointers for what to try next time, and told me that I could ask any of the nurses for help as well.
Kelly came by that afternoon and was Cadence's first real visitor, and she brought me a strawberry milkshake :). Yumm! The Mitchells and LR Smith, her godfather also came by to visit, although they left quickly after the nurse came in to help me use the bathroom as I still didn't have complete feeling back in my legs. Easily the worst part of the whole experience was using the bathroom postpartum--so many things to consider, and my stitches made things even more painful down there. Thank God for pain meds! With the help of my night nurse I managed to successfully feed Cadence later that night, with James helping by tickling her feet to keep her awake. We chose to have her spend the night in the nursery and just be brought to me for feedings in order to get some sleep, which was a great decision on our part.
I spent Wednesday doing everything on my "to-do" list, which included MANY things. I basically cleaned every single room in our house throughout the course of the day, and James was shocked with how much I was able to do in a single day. Kelly came by to give me my "retirement" gift--a Marie Cassat framed print that will hang in Cadence's room. After that we headed to Carrabba's where I fueled up with some Pasta Weesie since it would be my last meal for quite some time. It was quite fun to answer the question "When are you due?" at that point--because we actually KNEW!
We headed to the hospital at 8:00 and checked in, meaning we got to see the estimate for how much this birth was going to cost--wowzers! It was a little confusing though because they offer a discount if you pay ahead of time, but when I asked if we had to pay then, the lady said yes. Huh? We put it on our credit card hoping to at least get some rewards out of that purchase.
After that we were escorted to a room in the labor and delivery room, where we met Leah, our first of many nurses. She was really nice and made us feel very comfortable--even when she had to put a pill behind my cervix to "ripen" it up. I really enjoyed watching the contractions monitor to see exactly how long and how far apart my contractions were--that night before starting the Pitocin they were about 6 minutes apart and lasted for about a minute--so I wonder if Cadence would have made her appearance without inducing, but I guess we'll never know! James and I watched lots of HGTV and had some good talks, enjoying our last evening as a twosome.
Thursday
Leah came in at 1:00am to see if I needed another pill to soften my cervix, but she said I was progressing well at that point so I wouldn't need another. She came back at 5:00am to start my Pitocin drip, and then the fun began! My contractions definitely got stronger and closer together at that point, but it wasn't unbearable...yet. Leah had mentioned that the Pitocin sometimes takes about 12 hours, so we should expect a baby around 5:00pm. Dr. Moss came in around 8:30am to check out my progress and talk about how things were going to progress today. At that point I was 2-3 cm dilated and 80% effaced, and she broke my water to really get things under way. After my water was broken, the fun really began. My contractions were all of a sudden VERY painful, lasting about a minute long but with only about 30 seconds in between each one. I remember from our classes them saying that it was important to rest in between contractions, but that was pretty much impossible. James even tried to brush his teeth between the pain, but he couldn't. Around 10:10am I told James that I thought I wanted an epidural, and he asked if I was sure--I let one more contraction go by--and said a definite yes. We told my nurse Jeannette, she got the anesthesiologist, and he worked very quickly and relief was around the corner. He was literally out of my room by 10:30am, and once everything kicked in, I was actually able to take a short nap. Jeannette checked me again at 11, and I was 3-4 cm, and according to her I'd dilate 1cm/hour so I should count on pushing later this afternoon.
Well...little Cadence was a little more urgent! I was feeling lots of rectal pressure, and Jeannette came back at noon to see if she could go to lunch, but I was fully dilated and ready to go! James gave me this excited/anxious look as he realized we were very close to meeting our daughter. She called Dr. Moss, got the room prepped for delivery, and around 12:25 pm she started getting me to push. James was by my side the whole time, helping by holding one of my legs and encouraging me. Jeannette was the boss for a little while, but once her head started crowning, she called Dr. Moss to deliver the baby. James even looked as I was pushing to see the action, which I didn't expect at all! He was pretty amazed/in shock by the whole process, but really a great coach. Once Dr. Moss got in there I continued to push, and it honestly felt like it was never going to end! They kept telling me I was "almost" there, but they kept saying it, and I kept pushing! Kind of frustrating. Finally at 1:07pm, Cadence Elizabeth Garcia made her entrance into the world. James said it was astounding to see something so large emerge from me, and Dr. Moss commented immediately that she was a big girl--probably about 8.5 pounds--and then asked James if he was going to take any pictures--haha--he forgot in all the excitement! They cleaned her up, and Dr. Moss got to work stitching me up--which took a long time, as I had a third degree laceration. As I waited for her to finish, I could see James watching Cadence in the warmer and it was clear how immediately and deeply he fell in love with her--his eyes were tearing up and he just had an incredulous smile on his face. They then brought her to me, and I couldn't believe how beautiful a 5 minute old baby could be. She had the cutest chubby cheeks, the sweetest little nose, and was perfect. After holding her for a few minutes, I realized that James still hadn't held her, so I passed her on.
After all that excitement, Tayla Hyatt brought us lunch (Five Guys for me!), and James followed Cadence to the nursery to get her measurements. She weighed in at 9lbs 14oz, 22.5 inches long, her head measurement was 34.5 cm and her chest 36 cm. Shortly thereafter I was moved to the postpartum wing, and Cadence was brought to us once we got there. I then met my new nurse, Cadence's nursery nurse, and the lactation consultant, Diana. Diana tried to help me feed Cadence for the first time, but we weren't successful in getting her to latch on. She gave me lots of information and pointers for what to try next time, and told me that I could ask any of the nurses for help as well.
Kelly came by that afternoon and was Cadence's first real visitor, and she brought me a strawberry milkshake :). Yumm! The Mitchells and LR Smith, her godfather also came by to visit, although they left quickly after the nurse came in to help me use the bathroom as I still didn't have complete feeling back in my legs. Easily the worst part of the whole experience was using the bathroom postpartum--so many things to consider, and my stitches made things even more painful down there. Thank God for pain meds! With the help of my night nurse I managed to successfully feed Cadence later that night, with James helping by tickling her feet to keep her awake. We chose to have her spend the night in the nursery and just be brought to me for feedings in order to get some sleep, which was a great decision on our part.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
now we know!
Today we went to see Dr. Moss, and after checking me she found that my cervix had thinned out more, but was still closed, so it was time to talk about scheduling an induction. She looked at James and me and said, "Wanna have a baby on Thursday?" and we said, "THIS Thursday?!?" We were expecting her to schedule it for sometime next week, but I guess she's on call this Thursday so she wanted to do it then. So we'll check in to the hospital Wednesday night around 8:00, they'll give me a pill to soften my cervix, and then in the morning they'll start the Pitocin, and hopefully by the end of the day we'll have a little girl! It turned out to be great timing since my parents and sisters will be coming Friday night.
Now James and I are just a little bewildered as to what to do...one could say we've been "ready" for weeks now, but knowing now exactly when this will all go down and having more time to prepare can make one crazy! I came home from the appointment and started packing some more boxes, and I'm sure I'll spend all day tomorrow cleaning so that things are in order for when we come home from the hospital. Things are about to get very exciting!
Now James and I are just a little bewildered as to what to do...one could say we've been "ready" for weeks now, but knowing now exactly when this will all go down and having more time to prepare can make one crazy! I came home from the appointment and started packing some more boxes, and I'm sure I'll spend all day tomorrow cleaning so that things are in order for when we come home from the hospital. Things are about to get very exciting!
Monday, June 11, 2012
tardy.
Baby Garcia is officially tardy. Yesterday was her due date, but she seems to really enjoy her current home, so no exit for her. I would like to think that I'm being good about being patient and waiting on God's timing, but sometimes I just get tired of all this waiting! I know it's crazy, but there are times when it feels like we're not going to actually have this baby.
I continue to stay busy running around the house working on different little projects--cleaning, packing, sewing, sanding down the dresser we got for the baby's room, and doing laundry here and there. By the way, it's amazing how undaunting laundry is when you just do it every few days instead of waiting a month! James and I have also been hunting for a washer/dryer for when we move, trying to balance the best deal with the best product, so I spend a lot of time comparing prices online. Such an exciting life!
I continue to stay busy running around the house working on different little projects--cleaning, packing, sewing, sanding down the dresser we got for the baby's room, and doing laundry here and there. By the way, it's amazing how undaunting laundry is when you just do it every few days instead of waiting a month! James and I have also been hunting for a washer/dryer for when we move, trying to balance the best deal with the best product, so I spend a lot of time comparing prices online. Such an exciting life!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
just keep swimming
Yesterday we had our 39 week appointment, and apparently little baby is not quite ready to leave the comfort of the womb, as my cervix is still thick and closed. Dr. Moss doubts that she will make her appearance by my due date, so we've scheduled another appointment for next Tuesday, and if there's still no progress, they will schedule an induction for the following week when Dr. Moss is on call. I know that now no matter when she actually comes it's still only a matter of days, but 11 days seems so much longer than 4! I just hope that she will arrive either before or while my family is here for the Moon Pie Race, which is very much a selfish desire, but it would be convenient!
After our appointment we went to Franklin to return some things to Little Star Kids' Gear, then to Babies R Us to pick up an online order I had waiting there, and finally to Aldi to get supplies for our contribution to the neighborhood potluck--fruit for make-your-own fruit pizzas. They were a big hit, even with my non-dessert loving husband--he made three for himself!
Today I've been trying to clean up here and there around the house, and this afternoon I have a meeting with the new French teacher and a freeting with Kelly, so hopefully I can find enough to keep me occupied and stop thinking about how this baby is NOT coming yet.
After our appointment we went to Franklin to return some things to Little Star Kids' Gear, then to Babies R Us to pick up an online order I had waiting there, and finally to Aldi to get supplies for our contribution to the neighborhood potluck--fruit for make-your-own fruit pizzas. They were a big hit, even with my non-dessert loving husband--he made three for himself!
Today I've been trying to clean up here and there around the house, and this afternoon I have a meeting with the new French teacher and a freeting with Kelly, so hopefully I can find enough to keep me occupied and stop thinking about how this baby is NOT coming yet.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Let's go little watermelon!
To say that I've been nesting over the past week would probably be a huge underestimation of all that I've been doing. Cleaning, cooking, packing, sewing, shopping, organizing....you name it, I've probably done it or at least thought about doing it.
Sunday after church James and I went and used our registry completion discounts at Target and Babies 'R Us to get the last few things that we need. We ended up getting our post-infant carrier carseat (that will last baby C until she no longer needs a carseat) for $126 after the 10% off and a price cut on it, so I was pretty stoked about that! We also got a lot of little things, and yesterday I used a generous gift card from one of James's friends to get a nice lightweight stroller and other things online from Babies R Us. Now I just need to keep organizing!
Yesterday I set up my sewing machine and started my first project--burp cloths! One of the boys in Cooper Farris abandoned a white towel, so I cut it up and sewed rectangles of that with some pretty fabric squares I bought--and ta-da! I love them!
There are officially 5 days left on the countdown, and tomorrow I visit the doctor again. I really feel that I will be more dilated because baby's been pushing a lot down there at night and making it hard for me to fall asleep, plus I've been walking like a madwoman, but I suppose only time will tell!
Sunday after church James and I went and used our registry completion discounts at Target and Babies 'R Us to get the last few things that we need. We ended up getting our post-infant carrier carseat (that will last baby C until she no longer needs a carseat) for $126 after the 10% off and a price cut on it, so I was pretty stoked about that! We also got a lot of little things, and yesterday I used a generous gift card from one of James's friends to get a nice lightweight stroller and other things online from Babies R Us. Now I just need to keep organizing!
Yesterday I set up my sewing machine and started my first project--burp cloths! One of the boys in Cooper Farris abandoned a white towel, so I cut it up and sewed rectangles of that with some pretty fabric squares I bought--and ta-da! I love them!
There are officially 5 days left on the countdown, and tomorrow I visit the doctor again. I really feel that I will be more dilated because baby's been pushing a lot down there at night and making it hard for me to fall asleep, plus I've been walking like a madwoman, but I suppose only time will tell!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
38 week doctor's visit
I went in yesterday to see Dr. Moss and there hasn't been much development since last week. She says I'm dilated "maybe" a fingertip, and 60% effaced now and that they baby's head is in the right position, but we will just continue to wait her out. She said inducing will probably only happen if I go a week past my due date, which is fine by me....as much as I'm ready to meet this little one, there are still plenty of things I'd like to get done without having a newborn around as well!
I've been working on getting my classroom packed up and slowly putting our house back in order, and I've also been slowly assembling ingredients to make some meals for the freezer. I still need to do one good bulk purchase, but soon the cooking marathon will begin!
Today marks James and my second anniversary, and it's kind of amazing to think that we've come so far in less than 5 years--from "liking" each other to starting a family! Every day of marriage is filled with laughs, and I'm sure the addition of some little tykes will only add to the fun :).
I've been working on getting my classroom packed up and slowly putting our house back in order, and I've also been slowly assembling ingredients to make some meals for the freezer. I still need to do one good bulk purchase, but soon the cooking marathon will begin!
Today marks James and my second anniversary, and it's kind of amazing to think that we've come so far in less than 5 years--from "liking" each other to starting a family! Every day of marriage is filled with laughs, and I'm sure the addition of some little tykes will only add to the fun :).
Monday, May 28, 2012
38 weeks
Each day of the past few weeks has been so different--some days I feel great and very patient, and others I can't imagine having to be pregnant for one day longer. Usually the bad days are days when there are things I want to be doing easily (like cleaning out the refrigerator) but having this bowling ball really gets in the way of my productivity.
This weekend has been a slow "clean sweep" at the Garcia house, mixed in with some fun activities. So far we've tackled the kitchen and living room, and today my goal is the dining room and the bedroom. Saturday night was Trey's wedding, which was fun, but unbearably hot. We stayed until a little past 9:30, as by then I was not only super hot but also super swollen. Sunday we took Jason Lee and Peter Ho to the airport and then spent a couple hours at the outlet mall. James found lots of good deals, and I'm sure I could have, too, but it's awkward shopping at 38 weeks since I don't know what will fit me in a few weeks! I bought 3 tanks at the Gap that were only $3-4 each, as I figure I'll be living in them this summer.
My latest update says that baby is the size of a pumpkin. A pumpkin?!? Crazy.
This weekend has been a slow "clean sweep" at the Garcia house, mixed in with some fun activities. So far we've tackled the kitchen and living room, and today my goal is the dining room and the bedroom. Saturday night was Trey's wedding, which was fun, but unbearably hot. We stayed until a little past 9:30, as by then I was not only super hot but also super swollen. Sunday we took Jason Lee and Peter Ho to the airport and then spent a couple hours at the outlet mall. James found lots of good deals, and I'm sure I could have, too, but it's awkward shopping at 38 weeks since I don't know what will fit me in a few weeks! I bought 3 tanks at the Gap that were only $3-4 each, as I figure I'll be living in them this summer.
My latest update says that baby is the size of a pumpkin. A pumpkin?!? Crazy.
Friday, May 25, 2012
wrapping things up.
This week has been full of "lasts" for me. I gave/graded my last final exam, wrote my last comments, my elementary/middle school and my high school both had their last day of classes ever, and I did my last night of dorm duty. Today is also my last graduation as a Webb faculty member, and unfortunately due to the extreme heat, I'm not even able to attend it. I went to baccalaureate, which was a 20 minute service at 9:30am, and that alone was bordering on unbearable in terms of feeling well and not feeling like I was going to faint. I'm sad that I won't be in attendance to see my first French I class graduate, but I know it's better to be safe than sorry.
I really can't believe that my due date is only two weeks away. Last night James (finally!) installed the car seat, and I started to pack some things for our "hospital bag", so I guess we're ready now--although after this past week of doing school stuff our house's cleanliness has definitely been put on the back burner.
We will be heading to Nashville every day for the next three days for Trey's wedding festivities and to take Jason Lee and Peter Ho to the airport, so hopefully I can get some errands run and then focus on getting this house in order. I really can't believe my teaching days are behind me now....such a big change, and I'm hoping that I can handle being a stay-at-home mom.
I really can't believe that my due date is only two weeks away. Last night James (finally!) installed the car seat, and I started to pack some things for our "hospital bag", so I guess we're ready now--although after this past week of doing school stuff our house's cleanliness has definitely been put on the back burner.
We will be heading to Nashville every day for the next three days for Trey's wedding festivities and to take Jason Lee and Peter Ho to the airport, so hopefully I can get some errands run and then focus on getting this house in order. I really can't believe my teaching days are behind me now....such a big change, and I'm hoping that I can handle being a stay-at-home mom.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
37 weeks doctor's visit
Today I met another doctor in Dr. Moss's office--Dr. Moore. She was very nice and probably the gentlest when it came to the pelvic exam, for which I was very thankful! Her nurse said I was at 197 pounds, but I really think it was 195 and she misread the scale. Oh well...still hoping to stay under 200, but I know at this point most of my weight fluctuation is due to water. Dr. Moore said that I am still not dilated, but 50% effaced and the baby is at station -1, so she's "dropped" pretty low, which I have definitely felt. It's kind of frustrating that even with these weekly visits I have no better idea when she'll be arriving because things can all change so quickly. After my appointment I ran to Target and Dick's to return some items, and then back for dorm duty. I took the boys out to the Old Chicago buffet for lunch which was fun and good! Now I'm on duty until 5:30, which is proving to be quite an uncomfortable experience....these couches do not agree with my back at all!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
37 weeks
This week absolutely flew by--I can't believe I'm at 37 weeks pregnant! I've officially ended my teaching days as of Friday, which was an emotional day for me and my students. My 6th grade classes surprised me with an ambush baby shower, which was a complete surprise. Although we did plenty of "business" on the last day of class, we also got to have some fun and I got some time to tell my students how much I've enjoyed teaching them throughout the years.
Saturday James and I attended the second half of our childbirth class, so we have officially "graduated" from Baby Prep 101! Saturday night as I feverishly crocheted my fingers off to finish Nikki's baby blanket in time I was feeling lots of contractions from Baby G...since it was late I figured I would just go to bed and if they continued to get stronger I would feel the pain and wake up. I slept pretty well, so I assume they were just Braxton-Hicks contractions....although I'm hoping that maybe they managed to dilate my cervix a tad and we're getting closer to meeting our little girl! I really am okay with just waiting until she's ready to come though, as there is enough going on to keep my busy without having to worry about going into labor while giving my final exam!
Today was Nikki's baby shower, and I somehow managed to finish the baby blanket for Mills just in time, and then had time to call my parents. They're anxiously awaiting the "we're on our way to the hospital" call, and at the shower I was asked if they were planning to be in the delivery room with me. I'm honestly pretty happy that James and I are on the same page about it just being an experience for me and him to share, and also glad that our parents share that view point as well---I don't need lots of people around while I'm dealing with the most painful event of my life---I just need the guy who got me into this mess in the first place :).
Saturday James and I attended the second half of our childbirth class, so we have officially "graduated" from Baby Prep 101! Saturday night as I feverishly crocheted my fingers off to finish Nikki's baby blanket in time I was feeling lots of contractions from Baby G...since it was late I figured I would just go to bed and if they continued to get stronger I would feel the pain and wake up. I slept pretty well, so I assume they were just Braxton-Hicks contractions....although I'm hoping that maybe they managed to dilate my cervix a tad and we're getting closer to meeting our little girl! I really am okay with just waiting until she's ready to come though, as there is enough going on to keep my busy without having to worry about going into labor while giving my final exam!
Today was Nikki's baby shower, and I somehow managed to finish the baby blanket for Mills just in time, and then had time to call my parents. They're anxiously awaiting the "we're on our way to the hospital" call, and at the shower I was asked if they were planning to be in the delivery room with me. I'm honestly pretty happy that James and I are on the same page about it just being an experience for me and him to share, and also glad that our parents share that view point as well---I don't need lots of people around while I'm dealing with the most painful event of my life---I just need the guy who got me into this mess in the first place :).
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The end is in sight!
Today was my last regular teaching day, and it feels weird to be done. I have no idea when the next time will be that I plan a lesson, grade homework, or do any of the daily tasks that I have become so normal to me over the past 5 years. We still have some school days left (two review days, followed by exams) but today marks the end of the 4th grading period. I'm definitely going to miss my students, but I can also say it will be a nice feeling to officially close the book on the school year.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
36 week check-up
Today I met with Dr. Jones for my 36 week check-up. She checked my cervix and it is still closed, so no progress on that front, but I've been told by many that that doesn't mean much--I could still go into labor tomorrow, or not for several more weeks! I did find out that my Group B strep culture came back negative, so I won't have to have an IV for that when I deliver. According to Dr. Jones's scale I gained 4 lbs in a week (!) but she says her scale weighs people heavy, and that the last few weeks of pregnancy most of the added weight is just bloating. I hurt my ankle this past weekend walking around in flip flops for too long, so even walking for too long is painful--looks like I'll just have to do better eating!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
36 weeks
I can't believe I'm 9 months pregnant and will hopefully be meeting little baby girl in less than a month. It's strange to think that it really could be "any day now", but I'm not expecting her to come early. My check-up with Dr. Moss last week went well, I've gained a total of 27 pounds, so I'm worrying less about going over the recommended weight gain of 35 pounds. My blood pressure continues to be wonderful, and I've only had some slight swelling which was less of a problem this week probably because I tried to take things a little easier. James is done with softball season so he's picked up my dorm duty for me, which is just the break I need.
Saturday we went to our first of two childbirth classes at the hospital, and although lots of what they said I already knew, I think it was beneficial for James to hear the information from someone else instead of me trying to relay to him what the experience would be like. We got to watch several videos of births which at first scared me, but by the end I feel like barring any unforeseen circumstances I can do it naturally. Our teacher just kept comparing childbirth to running a marathon, and I've done that, so at least I know what sort of misery to expect, right?
Today is Mother's Day, and James surprised me with a sweet card, my favorite chocolate, and some pants, robe, and tank to wear post-birth. We've had a really good weekend just being able to spend lots of time together and get some things ready for the baby around the house.
Saturday we went to our first of two childbirth classes at the hospital, and although lots of what they said I already knew, I think it was beneficial for James to hear the information from someone else instead of me trying to relay to him what the experience would be like. We got to watch several videos of births which at first scared me, but by the end I feel like barring any unforeseen circumstances I can do it naturally. Our teacher just kept comparing childbirth to running a marathon, and I've done that, so at least I know what sort of misery to expect, right?
Today is Mother's Day, and James surprised me with a sweet card, my favorite chocolate, and some pants, robe, and tank to wear post-birth. We've had a really good weekend just being able to spend lots of time together and get some things ready for the baby around the house.
Monday, May 7, 2012
35/35
35 weeks down, 35 days to go!
Saturday Katie, Sallie, and Reba Carter hosted a lovely book shower for my students. We got so many great books, and the best part was that they were books that were loved by my students when they were children! Baby Garcia definitely needs a bookcase now!
Sunday James and I went to church, ran a few errands, and then spent the day cleaning up the house. I focused on baby stuff while he took on the rest of the house. We were even able to get up to the gym to work out and then came home to eat a frozen pizza for dinner and I made some whole wheat banana muffins--they definitely taste healthy, and aren't so bad, but next time I'll probably sprinkle in some chocolate chips! The recipe I used can be found here: http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2012/04/whole-wheat-banana-muffins/ I don't know exactly how many calories they contain, but given that there is no white sugar or flour, they must be better than normal muffins, right?
This week will be hectic as things start to wrap up on campus--lots of events, lots of details to take care of--hopefully it all comes out well!
Saturday Katie, Sallie, and Reba Carter hosted a lovely book shower for my students. We got so many great books, and the best part was that they were books that were loved by my students when they were children! Baby Garcia definitely needs a bookcase now!
Sunday James and I went to church, ran a few errands, and then spent the day cleaning up the house. I focused on baby stuff while he took on the rest of the house. We were even able to get up to the gym to work out and then came home to eat a frozen pizza for dinner and I made some whole wheat banana muffins--they definitely taste healthy, and aren't so bad, but next time I'll probably sprinkle in some chocolate chips! The recipe I used can be found here: http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2012/04/whole-wheat-banana-muffins/ I don't know exactly how many calories they contain, but given that there is no white sugar or flour, they must be better than normal muffins, right?
This week will be hectic as things start to wrap up on campus--lots of events, lots of details to take care of--hopefully it all comes out well!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
almost to 35!
Tomorrow I will be 35 weeks along, with only 35 days left. This past week I've definitely been feeling more run down and just ready for this baby to get here--I was on weekend duty the previous weekend and following that was not able to sleep well for a couple of nights. I think I've remedied my sleeping issues for the time being with some strategic pillow placement, but it's still not the best. I hate getting up in the middle of the night to pee because it takes some strength to heave myself up these days! I've also felt more tired while teaching during the day, needing to sit down at some points just so I can keep going. Another new development this week--swollen feet. Not exactly what I need to feel like a beautiful pregnant lady, but I suppose I'll have to deal. The hot weather and long days of working haven't helped the situation, but hopefully things will slow down a bit this week----haha, right!
Today I have a shower at the Carters' house for my students--it's a book shower, so I'm excited to come home with lots of new reading material for baby G! Now we'll just have to figure out bookshelves to hold all these treasures!
Today I have a shower at the Carters' house for my students--it's a book shower, so I'm excited to come home with lots of new reading material for baby G! Now we'll just have to figure out bookshelves to hold all these treasures!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
34 weeks
Today marks the 34 week mark--only 6 to go! Up until today I was thinking that 6 weeks seemed like a relatively short amount of time, but after an exhausting and uncomfortable day, it now seems like an eternity. This weekend is my last weekend on duty (forever!) and although James has been very nice about covering for me here and there to give me some rest, I'm still so tired and feeling awkward with this huge bump hanging off of me.
Friday night I ran to Hobby Lobby (and then Joann Fabrics, and then Michaels!) to get things to make the display cases for the seniors on the softball team. They took me about two hours to put together, but they turned out really well in the end, and everyone was really impressed with them.
Saturday wasn't too bad, as I got to eat dinner at the Alumni Reunion tent and have some adult time, and then James came by around 10:00 to watch the dorm for the last two hours.
Sunday on the other hand was just an icky day. As I got dressed everything just felt too tight, and I knew it was going to be a hot day and I would sweat a lot. My lemonade/snacks/games activity went well, but it was 90 degrees which was just a little much for being so pregnant. I could only be sitting or standing for a few minutes before I got so uncomfortable. Luckily the boys did dorm clean really well which made me happy, and study hours have been problem-free. James is going to relieve me again tonight, which I really need just so I can lay down on our coach and give baby Garcia some room to stretch out--she's all up in my business these days!
Friday night I ran to Hobby Lobby (and then Joann Fabrics, and then Michaels!) to get things to make the display cases for the seniors on the softball team. They took me about two hours to put together, but they turned out really well in the end, and everyone was really impressed with them.
Saturday wasn't too bad, as I got to eat dinner at the Alumni Reunion tent and have some adult time, and then James came by around 10:00 to watch the dorm for the last two hours.
Sunday on the other hand was just an icky day. As I got dressed everything just felt too tight, and I knew it was going to be a hot day and I would sweat a lot. My lemonade/snacks/games activity went well, but it was 90 degrees which was just a little much for being so pregnant. I could only be sitting or standing for a few minutes before I got so uncomfortable. Luckily the boys did dorm clean really well which made me happy, and study hours have been problem-free. James is going to relieve me again tonight, which I really need just so I can lay down on our coach and give baby Garcia some room to stretch out--she's all up in my business these days!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Big weekend!
This weekend there is quite a lot going on...prom, my mom, sister, and aunt visiting, and of course the big Webb baby shower!
Friday night I spent cleaning the house in anticipation of my family's arrival later that night, and it surprisingly only took about two hours to get everything looking good. Simple tasks like bending down to sweep up piles of dirt are becoming quite tiresome, but it wasn't too bad.
Saturday I spent the day with my family, and then James and I headed up to Nashville for prom. We ate dinner at The Dog, a hot dog place we had been to before close to Vanderbilt, and we both agreed that it still wasn't really living up to our expectations. Oh well. Prom's location was not that impressive, but the kids had a good time dancing, and the DJ seemed to be doing a good job of keeping things moving. They also had a photo booth which was the big hit of the night.
Sunday we took the whole crew to church, stopped to get stuff to make sandwiches, and then it was shower time! We were positively hooked up by the Webb crew, as they completed our cloth diaper needs, as well as getting us some big ticket items such as a Pack n Play and a high chair. We strangely got LOTS of bath stuff--who knew that was such a popular gift? And of course lots of cute clothes for the little one. We are very blessed to have such generous friends and colleagues in Bell Buckle!
Sunday also marked 33 weeks, only 7 more to go--and next weekend I have my last weekend duty of the year and I suppose, forever--woo-hoo!
Friday night I spent cleaning the house in anticipation of my family's arrival later that night, and it surprisingly only took about two hours to get everything looking good. Simple tasks like bending down to sweep up piles of dirt are becoming quite tiresome, but it wasn't too bad.
Saturday I spent the day with my family, and then James and I headed up to Nashville for prom. We ate dinner at The Dog, a hot dog place we had been to before close to Vanderbilt, and we both agreed that it still wasn't really living up to our expectations. Oh well. Prom's location was not that impressive, but the kids had a good time dancing, and the DJ seemed to be doing a good job of keeping things moving. They also had a photo booth which was the big hit of the night.
Sunday we took the whole crew to church, stopped to get stuff to make sandwiches, and then it was shower time! We were positively hooked up by the Webb crew, as they completed our cloth diaper needs, as well as getting us some big ticket items such as a Pack n Play and a high chair. We strangely got LOTS of bath stuff--who knew that was such a popular gift? And of course lots of cute clothes for the little one. We are very blessed to have such generous friends and colleagues in Bell Buckle!
Sunday also marked 33 weeks, only 7 more to go--and next weekend I have my last weekend duty of the year and I suppose, forever--woo-hoo!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
8 months down, 8 weeks to go
Today marks the 32 week mark, which for some reason has been a big milestone in my head lately. 56 days or so to go, and I know the next 6 weeks will fly by as we finish up the school year. I'm on weekend duty this weekend, and will be again in two weeks for the final time (perhaps ever!), and although it gets uncomfortable having to sit in the commons room for hours on end, overall I've done okay and haven't been too exhausted. Thankfully Monday there is a middle school field trip so I'll only have to have the energy to teach 1 class. Since it's been awhile since I've taken the pregnancy questionnaire, I figured now would be a good time for an update!
How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain? 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? But of course! Thanks to my friend Julie for giving me another supply of clothes to get me through this awkward wardrobe time!
Stretch marks? Still none that are obvious to me or James although I can't really see every inch of my belly anymore!
Sleep: I usually wake up a couple of times during the night to use the bathroom, and have to switch the side I'm laying on.
Best moment this week: Getting our stash of cloth diapers ready, and as always feeling little girl move a lot.
Miss Anything? Beginning to crave sushi, and I just miss my normal range of motion. Now when I drop something while teaching it's not fun having to pick it up--luckily my students are awesome and will pick things up for me.
Movement: Anytime I'm sedentary she's making herself known. I worry that people will look at my stomach and be freaked out if they happen to catch her bumps!
Food cravings: Ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.
Gender: Girly girl!
Labor Signs: Just the old Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Symptoms: Just this big old belly!
Belly Button in or out? Poking out a little.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy....that it's almost time to meet our baby!
How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain? 20 pounds
Maternity clothes? But of course! Thanks to my friend Julie for giving me another supply of clothes to get me through this awkward wardrobe time!
Stretch marks? Still none that are obvious to me or James although I can't really see every inch of my belly anymore!
Sleep: I usually wake up a couple of times during the night to use the bathroom, and have to switch the side I'm laying on.
Best moment this week: Getting our stash of cloth diapers ready, and as always feeling little girl move a lot.
Miss Anything? Beginning to crave sushi, and I just miss my normal range of motion. Now when I drop something while teaching it's not fun having to pick it up--luckily my students are awesome and will pick things up for me.
Movement: Anytime I'm sedentary she's making herself known. I worry that people will look at my stomach and be freaked out if they happen to catch her bumps!
Food cravings: Ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.
Gender: Girly girl!
Labor Signs: Just the old Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Symptoms: Just this big old belly!
Belly Button in or out? Poking out a little.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy....that it's almost time to meet our baby!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Happy Easter!
James's mom, sister, and nieces arrived on Saturday to spend their spring break with us, and we somehow managed to get the house in order and accommodations ready for four extra people--even with me taking a few hours to go to Chattanooga to see the Stimpsons.
Yesterday we went to the 10:45am Easter service, then had lunch at Old Chicago, followed by a relaxing afternoon at home playing ladder golf in the backyard. I made the traditional Easter meal--ham, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, corn, rolls, spinach salad, and lemon cupcakes--for dinner, and luckily I didn't screw anything up!
Today we're heading out to Franklin after James has softball practice to go baby shopping. We had our 30 week check-up on Friday, and it was with Dr. McGowan. She was great and SO timely--our appointment was at 11:15 and we were out the door at 11:29. She said I'm measuring at 32 weeks, which gives me hope that the little one may arrive a little early....but I know I should just be patient. Overall I've gained 20 lbs, so I'm not worried about ballooning out of control anymore. Only 9 weeks left!
Yesterday we went to the 10:45am Easter service, then had lunch at Old Chicago, followed by a relaxing afternoon at home playing ladder golf in the backyard. I made the traditional Easter meal--ham, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, corn, rolls, spinach salad, and lemon cupcakes--for dinner, and luckily I didn't screw anything up!
Today we're heading out to Franklin after James has softball practice to go baby shopping. We had our 30 week check-up on Friday, and it was with Dr. McGowan. She was great and SO timely--our appointment was at 11:15 and we were out the door at 11:29. She said I'm measuring at 32 weeks, which gives me hope that the little one may arrive a little early....but I know I should just be patient. Overall I've gained 20 lbs, so I'm not worried about ballooning out of control anymore. Only 9 weeks left!
Friday, March 30, 2012
feeling blessed.
As my pregnancy progresses, I realize how much God has blessed me with caring and compassionate friends, students, and parents. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me how I'm feeling, which can admittedly be annoying at times, but I know it's just people trying to show that they care.
This past Monday James's basketball team had its end of the season banquet. The parents had insisted that I be in attendance as well, which didn't seem odd, I just assumed they wanted to thank me as well. Well, I underestimated their gratitude! At the end of the banquet the moms presented me with a balloon bouquet, a basket full of things for Baby Garcia, and the kicker--our jogging stroller and car seat! James and I were completed overwhelmed by their generosity, and it's still hard for me to fathom.
I also met with one of my students' moms who wants to throw a baby shower for my students at her house--she was so thrilled that her daughter and I came up with this idea, and I know that she will throw a great party. The invitations for my "big" shower went out this week, so things are slowly picking up speed and soon James and I will have a house full of baby stuff--time to start packing!
This past Monday James's basketball team had its end of the season banquet. The parents had insisted that I be in attendance as well, which didn't seem odd, I just assumed they wanted to thank me as well. Well, I underestimated their gratitude! At the end of the banquet the moms presented me with a balloon bouquet, a basket full of things for Baby Garcia, and the kicker--our jogging stroller and car seat! James and I were completed overwhelmed by their generosity, and it's still hard for me to fathom.
I also met with one of my students' moms who wants to throw a baby shower for my students at her house--she was so thrilled that her daughter and I came up with this idea, and I know that she will throw a great party. The invitations for my "big" shower went out this week, so things are slowly picking up speed and soon James and I will have a house full of baby stuff--time to start packing!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
feeling big.
The past few days or so I have felt really big. When I look in the mirror I feel like I've just ballooned recently, and I find myself feeling uncomfortable whenever I'm in one position for too long. I have continued to drive the bus 4 times a week, plus teaching and dorm duty, but those bus rides seem longer every week as my back starts to hurt. Sleeping has also become more difficult--I usually try to get to bad as early as possible because I know that it will take me awhile to fall asleep, and that I will end up waking up during the middle of the night several times.
I have had a really good week of teaching, as I've been able to plan lessons a week or so into the future, keep up with my grading on a daily basis, and I have just felt really prepared and like I'm "running on all cylinders" which is a good feeling. I keep wondering what next year will be like, but I guess only time will tell!
I have had a really good week of teaching, as I've been able to plan lessons a week or so into the future, keep up with my grading on a daily basis, and I have just felt really prepared and like I'm "running on all cylinders" which is a good feeling. I keep wondering what next year will be like, but I guess only time will tell!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
pregnant lady at the bar
Last night a bunch of us went out to celebrate Kelly's 30th birthday. We went out for dinner at the Big River Grille and then headed to the Big Bang dueling piano bar. I drove myself so that I could leave whenever I felt ready, but thankfully the birthday girl rode up with me so I was only alone on the ride home. It was really strange being pregnant in a place where everyone is ordering up drinks and shots, but I had a good time. I ended up leaving at 10:45, although I wasn't tired yet, my back had started to hurt from sitting in uncomfortable chairs. I'm glad that I left then because I definitely felt the sleepiness creeping up on me as I got closer to Bell Buckle.
In other news, I had two doctor's appointments this week, neither of which James could make it to. My first one was the normal check-up, no real excitement, and I was with a nurse practitioner so it was just kind of weird. My second was for the 3 hour glucose test, which is about as fun as it sounds. Luckily I brought papers to grade and flowers to cut out for baby's mobile, so the time went pretty quickly. By the time I was done I was so hungry that I wasn't really hungry for anything...I hate that feeling. I felt weird the rest of the day as I tried to figure out when/what to eat.
But the good news came yesterday morning--I passed the 3 hour test! No gestational diabetes for me. I celebrated by eating two cookies...which is probably not the best thing to do, but oh well :). My goal through these last 11 weeks is to only indulge in sweets once a week, and to try and keep healthy snacks on hand. I'd really like to keep my weight under 200, which I think is doable given my recent drop--surpassing that mark would mean I'd have to gain 2 lbs a week the rest of the pregnancy, which seems pretty excessive.
In other news, I had two doctor's appointments this week, neither of which James could make it to. My first one was the normal check-up, no real excitement, and I was with a nurse practitioner so it was just kind of weird. My second was for the 3 hour glucose test, which is about as fun as it sounds. Luckily I brought papers to grade and flowers to cut out for baby's mobile, so the time went pretty quickly. By the time I was done I was so hungry that I wasn't really hungry for anything...I hate that feeling. I felt weird the rest of the day as I tried to figure out when/what to eat.
But the good news came yesterday morning--I passed the 3 hour test! No gestational diabetes for me. I celebrated by eating two cookies...which is probably not the best thing to do, but oh well :). My goal through these last 11 weeks is to only indulge in sweets once a week, and to try and keep healthy snacks on hand. I'd really like to keep my weight under 200, which I think is doable given my recent drop--surpassing that mark would mean I'd have to gain 2 lbs a week the rest of the pregnancy, which seems pretty excessive.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
28 weeks
The beginning of the 28th week brought along lots of news and changes. I found out last week that I did indeed fail the one hour glucose test, although not by much, so I get to go back for the 3 hour fasting test. I hope that I pass that one, because I don't think I can handle the stress of counting carbs and testing my blood for the next 2.5 months! They also found that I have low iron levels, so I have to start taking a supplement to boost those.
The most exciting, and worst news, was that I had my first real sickness experience on Sunday. I went for a long walk with Maggi Sunday morning, then came home and went out to lunch with James, Jody, and Mike. I felt a little weird before we left, and then while waiting for our food I had a major "I need food now" moment, but once I ate, things seemed okay. Then it all came back. Twice. Being upright brought me to the toilet, so I just laid down the entire day. James left for the NCAA games up in Nashville, but Kelly brought me ginger ale and saltines to try and force my stomach to accept something. I felt well enough the next morning to get up and get ready for school, but the whole lack of nutrition the day before definitely did not agree with me being an active teacher. I made it through my first three classes and then went home for the afternoon.
Today I've felt better, although my appetite at lunch was definitely lacking--too many nauseating smells to deal with at once.
Tomorrow I get my Rhogan shot and Thursday is my 3 hour glucose test, so I'll be running back and forth quite a bit the next few days. And this weekend is Kelly's 30th birthday, so I hope I'm feeling 100% by the time it rolls around!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
3rd trimester--woot woot!
The past few weeks have once again been a blur of activity, and I'm not sure it will ever calm down!
I'm currently posting from Vire, France in Lower Normandy. James left this morning to fly back home, but I still have two more days here with the students and Moira. Our trip has been beyond spectacular, it almost has seemed too good to be true. It's been the perfect mix of activity and downtime, and I've felt pretty well most of the time.
I'm mostly excited to report that I'm now officially in the 3rd trimester--only 91 more days to go--which seems SO crazy. James and I were able to purchase several French baby books here, and the family we're staying with allowed us to take some of their daughters' old books as well, so little baby girl's French library is filling up. I can't wait to teach my daughter French!
I've been feeling well these days, although I am slightly worried about the glucose test I took before we left. I was told they'd call with the results on Thursday or Friday before we left for France, but I never got a call. I assume they actually did call this past week, but since my phone doesn't work over here, I have no way of knowing what the results were. I go back to the doctor in two weeks to get the shot I need since my blood is negative and the baby's may be positive, and I desperately do not want to have to do the 3 hour fasting blood sugar test.
I also had another big weight jump this visit (7 lbs in 4 weeks). I tend to not gain any weight one month, and then gain twice as much as I should the next, and I definitely don't feel like I've gotten any bigger since I've been in France, but who knows!
Friday, February 17, 2012
exhaustion.
The past few weeks have felt like such a blur...with going to Minneapolis, driving to Atlanta for a day, being on duty two weekends in a row, driving the bus, jury duty, going to the doctor, running the clock at two basketball tournaments in addition to the regular season games, and you know, that little thing called teaching...I'm pooped. Luckily Poppy has kept up and not slowed me down too much, although she's made it very clear when it is that I need to eat something and what she wants me to eat. I had a dizzy/faint feeling in Barnes & Noble last weekend with James when he was looking at books and I just demanded his credit card so I could get something to eat and drink at Starbucks--a cookie never tasted so good.
It's hard to believe this weekend I'll hit the 24 week mark...only 16 more left! Every week I tell myself "If I can just get through this week....", but looking ahead it seems as though each week is going to be more stressful than the last. We leave for France in just 2 weeks which is really tough for me to wrap my head around. I think I'm going to have to wait until April to feel like I can relax a little, but I'm sure by that point I'll be so pregnant and uncomfortable relaxing will seem nearly impossible.
James signed his contract to be Dean of Students and Res Life Director for next year, and we were informed that we're getting the Whiteside House once Mr. Rice moves out, which is the BEST house on campus, and the price is still right ;). I'm excited to move into it, although I know it will be stressful trying to move right around the time of baby girl's arrival.
It's hard to believe this weekend I'll hit the 24 week mark...only 16 more left! Every week I tell myself "If I can just get through this week....", but looking ahead it seems as though each week is going to be more stressful than the last. We leave for France in just 2 weeks which is really tough for me to wrap my head around. I think I'm going to have to wait until April to feel like I can relax a little, but I'm sure by that point I'll be so pregnant and uncomfortable relaxing will seem nearly impossible.
James signed his contract to be Dean of Students and Res Life Director for next year, and we were informed that we're getting the Whiteside House once Mr. Rice moves out, which is the BEST house on campus, and the price is still right ;). I'm excited to move into it, although I know it will be stressful trying to move right around the time of baby girl's arrival.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
What's in a name?
Well, obviously a lot, since everyone wants to know! I'm glad we're keeping it hush hush though, because I want there to be some element of surprise to our little girl's birth announcement. Although originally I wavered about whether I wanted to find out the gender, I'm really glad that we chose to--it's nice to be able to call her my daughter instead of "the baby" all the time, and to call her by name when it's just James and me around.
The past week has been a whirlwind of activity...between our exciting doctor's visit, serving jury duty for the first time, traveling to Minnesota for the weekend, and now having to drive to Atlanta on Monday to get a visa for a Chinese student, as well as little girl's first "girl's day" shopping at Green Hills...I'm wondering how I'll be able to get everything done that I need to. I know that everything always "works out", but thinking about everything that needs to happen and will happen in the next few weeks has me stressed.
I do feel fortunate to have been able to run the past two days--45 min. on Thursday and 30 min. on Friday. My friend Megan loaned me her Gabriella belt to help stabilize little Poppy while I run, and it definitely makes it easier.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
It's a....
GIRL!
Today I had 20 week appointment and my first ultrasound, and the three little lines were very prominent indicating Baby Garcia is now Girl Garcia. James's first reaction was, "Looks like I better go buy her some baby Uggs." We are so excited!
The main point of the ultrasound was of course to make sure that all of her organs and stuff are developing correctly, and everything was perfect except for a possible abnormality in her intestines. Dr. Moss says we shouldn't be worried, that it usually clears up on its own and the technician was not overly concerned, but that they're going to have a radiologist look at the pictures just to make sure and see if we need a follow-up ultrasound.
Although I'm only 21 weeks along, she is measuring at about 22 weeks and some odd days (except for her head which is at 23 weeks!). Dr. Moss said it's not surprising she's big given her parental units!
We stopped by Sweet Cece's to get some frozen yogurt with our sweet little one before heading back to school, and phoned our family members to let them know. I'm making some "gender reveal" cupcakes for dinner tonight to let our Webb family know the news, and I know there are several students who will be very excited!
Here are some pictures of our little Poppy:
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
20 week questionnaire
How far along? 20+ weeks
Total weight gain? 12 pounds
Maternity clothes? pretty much exclusively, although the belly band helps me keep using some of my old clothes. Big thanks to the timely arrival of a batch of clothes from my friend Megan though--just in time!
Stretch marks? not that I can really tell...
Sleep: Sleeping well most nights, although if I wake up in the middle of the night I usually have to pee and then switch positions.
Best moment this week: All the kicks! This baby's a strong one!
Miss Anything? Being able to run long distances, and I miss being able to have conversations with people that don't start with "How are you feeling?" I know they just care...but it's not like I'm dying!
Movement: YES! It feels great every time. James has even been able to feel it a couple of times.
Food cravings: Steak.
Gender: I think boy, but really have no clue.
Labor Signs: dear God, no.
Symptoms: occasional nausea these days, headache, indigestion perhaps,fatigue exhaustion
Belly Button in or out? Slowly sneaking out!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel like I've been pretty irritable this week...I've had about 15 kids in extra help every day this week, and I can't handle all of their "Mrs. Garcia"s!
Total weight gain? 12 pounds
Maternity clothes? pretty much exclusively, although the belly band helps me keep using some of my old clothes. Big thanks to the timely arrival of a batch of clothes from my friend Megan though--just in time!
Stretch marks? not that I can really tell...
Sleep: Sleeping well most nights, although if I wake up in the middle of the night I usually have to pee and then switch positions.
Best moment this week: All the kicks! This baby's a strong one!
Miss Anything? Being able to run long distances, and I miss being able to have conversations with people that don't start with "How are you feeling?" I know they just care...but it's not like I'm dying!
Movement: YES! It feels great every time. James has even been able to feel it a couple of times.
Food cravings: Steak.
Gender: I think boy, but really have no clue.
Labor Signs: dear God, no.
Symptoms: occasional nausea these days, headache, indigestion perhaps,
Belly Button in or out? Slowly sneaking out!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel like I've been pretty irritable this week...I've had about 15 kids in extra help every day this week, and I can't handle all of their "Mrs. Garcia"s!