Major Milestone!!

I am so excited, so energized, so rested... Why? Because Caroline slept from 9:30 last night until 4:30 this morning!! Yep, you read that correctly. She woke me up around 1 but was just being a noisy sleeper. The next time I heard her, she was much more awake. I looked at the clock and was AMAZED, it was 4:23. I couldn't believe it. After I got over the thrill, I thought now what do I do? She eats again at 6 but she's hungry now. I have an hour and a half before 6 gets here. I gave Caroline 2 ounces at 4:30 and then she had her regular bottle a few minutes ago. We will see how it goes. I guess we will see how tonight goes...

Who would have thought...

That 8 years ago yesterday I would be on a date with the man of my dreams. Our first date was perfect. I had just started my sophomore year in college and was on a very strict budget. My parents gave me their credit cards to buy whatever I needed for my big date. My friend Angie spent the night with me at my apartment and got up at 7AM to help me get ready. (For those of you who know Angie know that was a HUGE deal. Angie didn't see that hour too often in college!!!) We enjoyed a great USC vs. Tennessee game (we lost in the last minute), dinner at Red Lobster and then back to my apartment for Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Two days shy of our 1 year anniversary Andy closed on his first house and later that night purposed. The rest is history.

I knew I was a lucky girl then and definitely know how blessed I am now! Andy is a wonderful man and a wonderful husband. But more than that, he is an amazing father! He loves our baby girl more than words can express. He helps with feedings, bathing, washing bottles, you name it he does it. He supports me and lifts me up constantly. I couldn't imagine motherhood without him. I love our little family and thank God everyday for the joy we have in Caroline.

Andy, I thank God for you everyday. Thanks for loving me, supporting me and taking care of me. I love YOU!

7 weeks

Baby girl is 7 weeks today. A lot has happened in the last week. She went to her first Halloween party and it was her first Sunday in Sunday School. She has enjoyed staying with Peep and we have rejoiced knowing that she is well taken care of and well loved while we are away! Everyday she and Peep talk about something new... Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, manners, pajama parties, etc. This afternoon Andy and I were talking with her about her day. We asked what she and Peep talked about and the more we talked to her, the bigger her smile was. It was so sweet! We truly felt like she was reacting to us and not gas as so many people say.

I must say that it does bother me just a little that I have to take her out so early each day. I can't even see her in the backseat on our way to Pop and Peeps. I counted today and I only have 15 work days in the month of November! YEAH!! I do enjoy our time together so much! I really don't remember what I did before Caroline. I guess the only thing I did was go to sleep early and got a whole 8-9 hours of sleep... It's one of the toughest jobs I have ever had but also the most rewarding.

"Not real sure about this mommy..."

The other morning, Andy put Caroline on her play mate before he went to work so that I could finish getting ready. This is what I found when I came in the den.

MOTHERHOOD!

So I hear that as you get to know your child, you know their cry. Well baby girl is almost 7 weeks old and I don't think I have mastered that one yet... Last night we wanted to try to have her sleep in her crib. I think everyone will sleep better once she is in her room. She was a little off of her eat, play, sleep schedule yesterday so I thought, surely she will be tired. Sure enough as we were reading our books, her eyes got very heavy. So I placed her in her crib almost asleep and she seemed fine. Because she was in her crib, I wanted to stay up a little longer than normal to make sure everything was ok. Life was good, I was celebrating because we were well on our way to a good nights sleep in the crib. WRONG... all of a sudden out of nowhere, Caroline SCREAMS, a mad scream, I am not happy scream, somebody get me out of here scream! So I go in and check on her, give her her paci and things seem ok. I stood there holding her paci and she fell back asleep. YEAH, mission accomplished. WRONG... About 5 minutes later same thing. We repeat the process except this timeI held her and rocked her thinking maybe she needs a little TLC before bed and all seems good. So I continue blogging and it happens again. By this time it is 10:15 which means we have been trying to sleep for 45 minutes. So now I am thinking that either she is just really a stinker who doesn't want to sleep in her crib or her mother must be crazy for thinking she is sleepy. I stood by her crib and prayed "Lord, please let me know what I should do. Should I pick her up, should I let her cry, am I crazy?" (Growing Kids God's Way says that we should Stop, Listen, Pray and React when our children are crying... so that's what I was doing.) So I picked her up thinking that she was really a stinker and her mother was a sucker. We sat on the couch and then I heard something... gas. She had gas. That's why my little angel wasn't happy. I gave her some gas drops and within a few minutes she seemed to be better although she still had some frogs in her diaper. About 10 minutes later I put her down, in her bassinet just in case she didn't feel good during the night, and all was well until 2:45.

All of that rambling to say I felt horrible that I didn't know something was wrong with Caroline. She didn't feel well and I was thinking she was a stinker. I held her and loved on her and listened to her sleep. She is such a sweet little girl and I am so thankful to have her. I would love to think that as she gets older it will get easier but I know it won't. I just pray that God will continue to guide us on this journey so that I will be the mommy Caroline needs. Who said motherhood is easy???

Tyler's Halloween Party

The host of the party! Isn't he handsome...

Caroline was invited to her first Halloween party tonight. Her buddy Tyler had several of his friends over to celebrate the holiday. Everyone came in their costumes. There was a puppy dog, butterfly, bumble bee, golfer, lady bug, pumpkin, Batman, pirates, peas in a pod and of course, Caroline the ballerina. Caroline had a great time. It was a lot of fun chatting with other moms and realizing just how quickly kids grow up. Tyler's Daddy made us a yummy meal...shrimp and grits, my favorite!

Thanks for having us Tyler, we had a great time.

Tyler and his mommy

Jayce the golfer

Laura the bumble bee and Weatherly the butterfly.
Tara, Jayce and Jason

Caroline the ballerina

Caroline and mommy
Funny story... while I was changing Caroline this afternoon, she grabbed the hanger and WOULD NOT let go! Then she tried to hide under it.

Caroline meets Clara

The proud Daddy's and their girls.

Chris and Caroline, Clara and Andy

Tonight our good friends Chris, Dargan and Clara came to visit. They also brought us a yummy Chicken Chowder dinner. It was the perfect treat for a very cool, rainy evening. They arrived around 6:45 which is Caroline's bedtime so we weren't able to get a lot of pictures of the girls together. However, we did get a few. We are very excited to know that our little girls are so close in age and can't wait until they get older and we get to have play dates! We enjoyed our quiet evening catching up and can't wait to get together again!!!

Thanks Chris, Dargan and Clara for coming to visit! :-)

Caroline, Dargan, Clara and Chris

6 weeks

Baby girl is 6 weeks today. Today was a not so exciting day in our household. Today I went back to work. It was very hard to go back. I knew she was in the best care any little one could ask for. Once at work, the day flew by and before I knew it I was back at Peep's. She had a good day, just needed a little extra TLC, according to Peep! :-) She stayed on her schedule which I am so thankful that Mrs. Susan is going to help me with.

Caroline is beginning to ready develop a personality. When you talk with her, it's almost like she is bursting to start cooing. She forms her lips and gets a serious look on her face and nothing comes. It's the cutest thing ever. She is really starting to notice things. Like this afternoon I put her in her crib and she was really "watching" her mobile. She followed the objects around each cycle. I am really amazed at her.

We are reading both Baby Wise and Growing Kids God's Way. Caroline is doing very well with the 3 hour eat, wake, and sleep. The thing we are struggling with the most is allowing her to soothe herself to sleep. However, we know that it will all begin to come together. Caroline is a wonderful baby and has been very good to us. Andy and I are taking turns doing night duty. It makes a big difference.

Who Me?

Caroline enjoyed watching her mobile. She entertained herself for a good 10 minutes.

I will survive...

It's hard to believe that 6 weeks ago I was posting about what an exciting day Tuesday would be. It would be the day we finally got to meet our baby girl Caroline. Well tonight I am not so excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow is my first day back. I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful family who loves Caroline so much that they are willing to spend their days watching her, loving her, taking care of her. It's really crazy... I have totally been fine with going back to work. Not a problem... Yesterday it hit me or so I thought. Today it really hit me and made me realize that the time I have spent with Caroline is going to change. I have sort of taken for granted the fact that I have all day with her, the good and the bad, but never the less, I have shared such sweet, sweet time with her. Please say a prayer for me and for those who will be caring for Caroline.



We had a fun weekend. Once again, Granny came up to stay with us and help with the nights. Andy and I got two great nights of rest!!! Here are some photos of our fun weekend.

Family Day at the Railroad-we are sitting on the caboose.

Happy Birthday Pop and Peep!

Happy Halloween!

This was a very special bath. This was the first bath that Caroline didn't get upset from start to finish. In the beginning, she didn't like any of the process. Then she liked the actual bath but didn't like the lotion and getting dressed. She is growing up every day!

Five weeks... time is passing too quickly

Caroline turned 5 weeks today. I am amazed at how quickly her personality is changing and how quickly she is learning to do things. Each week she begins to stay awake a little longer. She loves to look around and will follow you if you move in front of her. She is beginning to focus on toys while she in one her play mat. She loves to hold on to our fingers or grasp our clothes. This is our last week at home together and we are trying to enjoy it as much as we can.

So serious...

Look at those sweet feet!

Enjoying some tummy time...

An unexpected visit

One of my very dear friends, since 4K, got married and moved to California last July. We continue to email or talk on the phone but there is nothing like seeing someone in person. Last week while chatting on the phone, Heather informed me that they may be making a quick trip home due to a death in the family. Sure enough, she and Robert flew home on Saturday. We wanted to get together so that they could meet Caroline. She and Robert decided to come visit us. They arrived around 9:30 and stayed through the afternoon. We enjoyed a great morning at home playing with Caroline and catching up. Heather is due in December and we can't wait to meet Ethan! We talked about "baby" stuff. It's so funny how life changes in just a few months... We met Heather's sister for lunch at Heather's favorite place and ordered the famous Pizza Dip. Every time Heather comes to visit, we HAVE to go to this place, it's her favorite! Then we did some maternity clothes shopping as well as some baby shopping. I am so glad that our kids are only a few months apart. In the summer of '10, Heather and Robert will be back on the East coast. Ethan and Caroline will have so much fun together!!!!

Thanks Heather and Robert for coming to visit us, we had a great time!

Love at first sight!

So sweet!

Our lunch date... Caroline was SO good!

Caroline after her bottle. Look at that beautiful, sweet smile!

A picture of just the girls!

Oh, What a night!!!!

After a rough few days dealing with some congestion, Caroline told me she wanted Granny to come up and spend the night with her. She thought Mommy and Daddy needed a break. Of course, Granny was more than happy to come. Granny came early and watched the Carolina vs. Kentucky game with us. Since Granny and Andy were awake, I decided to take a nap. Boy oh boy it was so nice! I could have slept another hour or two but didn't have that option. Why? Because Andy and I had a HOT date. Yep that's right, our first date since Caroline arrived. I was almost giddy. I had a reason to shower, put make up on and get all dressed up. I felt like I was in college again. Now Andy and I have always enjoyed an evening on the town on weekends. However, this was planned. We talked about it all week. Where were we going to go? What were we going to do? What would I wear for our DATE?

We left Granny and Caroline around 5:30 and enjoyed a yummy meal at Starfire. Then we headed to Sam's to buy formula and then off to Target. We LOVE Target!!! We looked at almost the entire store...just wondering around. We went to Toys R US and Wal-Mart looking for a sleep sack for Caroline but they didn't have one. So I guess I am going to have to order one online. Please let me know if you know of anywhere around here that I might find one. We decided every good date should end with ice cream. We wanted Cold Stone but the line was out the door, we settled for a Wendy's frosty. A little while after we got home, Andy gave Caroline her 9:00 bottle and read her "Goodnight" books. Then Granny was back on duty for the night. Yep that's right. Not only did we have a date night, we also got to sleep ALL night long in the same bed without ANY interruptions.

I can't begin to tell you how nice it was to enjoy my husband and an adult conversation. It was so nice to get away and just enjoy US. I have to admit we did miss baby girl but thoroughly enjoyed our time together. It's crazy. Andy and I have commented several times how Caroline has strengthened our marriage. We are patient with each other, we listen to each others advice (because chances are the other one knows something very valuable to taking care of baby girl), we work as a team. (you don't want to make your partner mad because then you have it all to yourself...) It's interesting to see how our marriage and relationship has taken on a whole new meaning.

We can't thank our families enough for all that they have done and are going to do for us. Just a few of the wonderful things our families have done: KK coffee in the mornings, visits for me to nap, keeping Caroline while I go to school, making a dresser and bookshelf, transporting the dresser and bookshelf, making a corn bag so baby girl's crib won't be cold, visits to help me keep my sanity, yummy meals and dinner dates, the list could go on forever. There is definitely something to be said for living close to your family. We couldn't do it without you!

If you would like to make plans to keep Caroline for our next date, you just let us know!!!!! :-) She really is a good girl!!!! :-)

(Did I mention that Andy brought home a dozen yellow roses for me yesterday morning?)

Our little gamecock girl...

Granny enjoying baby girl.

We are out the door.

We took the new Daddymobile on our date. We thought this would be better for Andy and Caroline in the afternoons. It is great on gas and we think we made a very wise choice. Andy is very happy with his 2004 Honda Civic.

This is what we found when we came home.

Fun Halloween photo's with the girls

Caroline is very lucky to have three very special girl cousins. Grace is 7 and is a super helper. She takes very good care of Caroline. Ansley Kate is almost 10 months old and is learning to crawl. Emma is 2 and isn't sure what to think of "the baby." The other day Grace, Ansley Kate and Caroline were together and had on their Halloween clothes. We decided to take pictures of the girls all dressed up.

Peep and her "Sweetie Pie"

Ansley Kate and Caroline

Happy 1 month Birthday

Dear Caroline,
Today we celebrated your one month birthday with a road trip to have lunch with Granny and Mrs. Rose. (Thank you for a wonderful lunch date Mrs. Rose-we had a great time!) You were fabulous. You slept the entire way there and back. I love that you go with the flow! So far you have proven to be such an easy baby. The Lord knew Mommy and Daddy needed an easy transition into their new roles!!

Mrs. Rose thought you were so sweet and SO BEAUTIFUL!

Granny getting some "loving."

Mommy watched your mirror almost as much she watched the road!

When I thought about this letter, I had so many different ideas about what to write. I decided to write about the top ten things we love about you and the top ten things we love to do with you!


The top 10 things we love about you...

1. The way you light up the room-No matter where we go, you always seem to bring such joy to others. The world seems a little brighter when you are around.


2. Your sweet, sweet spirit-You are not a fussy baby. You don't like to be wet and you enjoy eating every 3 hours and not a minute later, except at night. :-) You are happy just about anywhere you are.


3. Your tiny fingers and tiny toes-you have the longest fingers and the sweetest tiny toes. I love to hold your foot and play with your tiny toes-they are just so darn cute!


4. Your beautiful "blue" eyes and long eye lashes-We still are not sure what color your eyes will be. Daddy seems to think green and mommy seems to think blue. I guess time will tell. You have the longest eye lashes I think I have ever seen on a baby. I love to watch you up close. You bat your eyes and your long eye lashes look as though they are curled.


5. Watching you and Daddy together-Your daddy has always been a loving, wonderful husband. However, the moment you entered this world, he took on a new role-DADDY. I love to watch the two of you interact together. Your daddy loves to talk with you, loves to hold you during football games, loves to show you off, loves to have "Daddy and Caroline" time only... The list goes on. I never knew how much I loved my husband until I saw him become your Daddy!


6. Your beautiful, sweet smile-Some people say that when you smile it means you have gas or you are meeting an angel. I like to think that they left one out... you are happy. Your Daddy and I love to see you smile while we are playing together or talking to you. You have the sweetest little lips that make the prettiest smile.


7. Watching your face after a bottle-When you are finished with your bottle you have the sweetest, most content look on your face. We laugh and say you look intoxicated... Your eyes become droopy, your body become limp and your head looks like it is too heavy for your shoulders to support.


8. Your beautiful curls-After we wash your hair, it is completely curly all over. However, it is so soft that as soon as you lay on it, it flattens out. Daddy and I want to show off your curls but can't unless our friends are here when we give you a bath.


9. Your two second whimper-When you do fuss, it's very short two or three second whimper. Usually they are about 30 seconds apart unless you are really upset. The funny thing is that almost always as soon as we pick you up, everything is ok. Hummm... wonder what that means...


10. Watching you suck your paci-Your paci is clear green. The center is see through. We love to watch your lips and tongue go to town when you are sucking your paci. It's the sweetest little thing.

The top ten things we love doing with you...

1. Reading-Throughout the day and almost every night before bed, we sit in your room in the glider and read a few books especially before naps and bedtime. You really seem to enjoy this time as well. Just the other day we were reading "The Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed (thanks Aunt Doe Doe). I counted and pointed to each monkey as we read about them. Your eyes would follow my finger across the page. Oh I was so impressed! What a smart little girl you are going to be.


2. Playing on your play mat-You love to lay on your boppy and look at the things on your play mat. The items are very bright and colorful. One day this week I was laying beside you on the floor. You have started "holding one" to our fingers or our clothes. So I thought I would try to get you to hold your O Ball rattle. You got your fingers around it and then you were not sure how to get it off. It would rattle and make noises and you were not sure what to think about it...


3. Sharing you with others-Daddy and I love to share you with others. You seem to bring such joy to their lives and it makes our heart happy to know you are such a loved little girl.


4. Family time-Family time it super important to us. We love to sit on the couch or take a walk and love on you. We never knew just how much we would love you. You are so special to us baby girl!


5. Singing-When you are really tired or have a tummy ache, we can sing to you and it calms you right down. Not sure if you enjoy it or think that we will stop if you stop... Who knows.


6. Talking with you-Daddy and I love to talk with you about anything-how much we love you, how special you are, what the weathers like, how the Gamecocks are playing, anything. Your beautiful blue eyes look up at us like you can't take it in fast enough.


7. Dressing you up-For the first few weeks you lived in gowns. Even when we took you out, you were in a gown because nothing else fit you. Now you are beginning to fill out and some of your clothes fit better. Today I got to dress you up in your first smocked dress, smocked matching bloomers, orange hair bow and pretty little socks. I loved showing you off. You are just too cute.


8. Taking a nap with you on our chest (yes we know this isn't the best habit but you are only small for a short time. The books say we can't spoil you until you are at least 6 weeks old!) There is nothing sweeter than feeling you breathe on our chest. It seems as though it makes the day a little sweeter...


9. Going for a stroll-You seem to love your stroller. Almost every time we put you in there, you go to sleep. We can walk several times around the neighborhood and you do GREAT!


10. Watching you and knowing that you are OURS-You are such a precious little girl and we love you more than we ever imagined we could. You are so special to us and we want to treasure ever second. We waited so very long to have you and don't want to miss a single thing.

Although the last month has been very challenging, tiring, trying, fun, scary, exciting, new, and adventurous, we couldn't imagine our life any other way baby girl. We love you!!!


Love,
Mommy

4 weeks...and our first scare

Another week has flown by. It is hard to believe that Caroline will be 1 month old on Thursday. What is even harder, our time together is 2/3 over. I only have two weeks left until I return to work. I can't believe how quickly 4 weeks have passed. We had our first big scare last night. Caroline took her 9:00 bottle and went right off to sleep. When I put her down, I realized that she sounded a little congested. Then she sneezed and snot came out. WHAT, she is only 4 weeks old. She isn't supposed to be doing this... She and I slept on the couch. She slept like a log while her mother on the other hand was a little on the "panic" side. As the night went on, it sounded like it got worse. All I could think was that my baby girl was sick and it was my fault for taking her places. I immediately thought she had RSV, so I looked it up on the Internet...not a smart thing to do. I was convinced that she had RSV and would be hospitalized. By the time Andy got up, I told him I was taking her to her pediatrician. I called and was able to get a 9 am appointment. We LOVE Dr. E. who checked her over. He didn't seem too concerned because she was still drinking and sucking her paci. Her lungs sounded good and her ears and nose looked good as well. He assured me it wasn't anything that I had done or not done and that I was doing a good job. (One more reason why we love him.) He gave us a few pointers and sent us on our way. Caroline has done a lot of sleeping which I think is good.

While at the doctors today, they weighed her. She is a whopping 9 POUNDS! She has gained two pounds in two weeks. WOW, I can't believe my baby girl is growing so quickly!!! I have decided that because Caroline is growing so quickly, I am going to continue to take a weekly picture of her and post. I hope you enjoy this weeks adorable picture of our adorable little angel! :-)

Weight Update

Not a lot to report this week... I didn't drop one single pound. So I have decided that I need to keep a food journal. I think that if I write down everything I eat, it will be very helpful and beneficial. As I look back over the week and wonder where I went wrong, I came across these items...

Maybe it was the homemade yummy key lime pie someone brought us???
Maybe it was the homemade yummy chocolate chip cookies or the cranberry white chocolate cookies?
Maybe it was the yummy chicken planks and fries I had with Angie?
Maybe it was the scrumptious ham and cheese omelet I had with the girls at breakfast?
Maybe it was the slice or two of wedding cake?

Whatever it was, I do know one thing for sure. I enjoyed every single bite of the food I listed above. But maybe that is my problem, I LOVE food. I know that this will be a better week! I go back to work in 2 weeks and I have to have clothes that fit!!!

A busy week

Caroline, Andy and I have been very busy. We are enjoying getting out and doing things with other moms, our friends and family. Caroline is a very easy baby and is happy to do whatever. She enjoys being outside and sleeps well in her car seat if we are out. I think she may be a thumb sucker... We were on our way to breakfast on Friday and her paci fell out. I couldn't get it and she was a little upset about that. Then all of a sudden she was happy... I looked back and she had her fingers in her mouth and was soothing herself. YEAH, that's a good thing!

We had Caroline's newborn pictures taken by our good friend John. They looked absolutely amazing! My wonderful sister-in-law Claire created her beautiful birth announcement and I can't wait for you guys to see them. They are truly wonderful!

Here is a slight peek at what we have been up to...

Caroline and I met Daddy, Mr. Zach, Mrs. Lindsey and Tucker for lunch on Wednesday.

We met Aunt Katy and Ansley Kate, Jennifer, Aunt Cherie and Robert and Peep for breakfast on Friday. After breakfast, the girls went shopping and had oh so much fun. I was excited to get a jump start on Christmas shopping. Caroline slept in the stroller the entire time. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her stroller. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking. Andy and I are so thankful the members of our small group gave us such a WONDERFUL gift!

My good friend Angie took us to lunch Friday after our big shopping day. We enjoyed visiting with her and enjoyed our yummy meal. While there, we also saw our friend Ashley who was eating with her little ones. What a great day!

Andy's cousin got married this weekend. We were invited to the rehearsal dinner and had a great time. It was nice to see a lot of our family and have the opportunity for them to meet Caroline. While we were waiting for the wedding party to arrive, Andy and Grace enjoyed a few slow dances. Here is a picture of Andy "dipping" Grace.

The wedding party didn't arrive until around 8. By the time we ate, it was almost 8:30. The party was too much for Jack. He sat down on the couch and the next thing we knew, he was out!

The wedding reception was held at Tomi Jean and Greg's house. Greg was out of town so Andy, Caroline and myself stayed with Tomi Jean and the kids. Baby girl didn't seem to be bothered by sleeping in a new place. We hope her flexibility continues.

Caroline and her Daddy enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon nap.

One morning last week I went in to check on Caroline and this is what I found. I thought it was too cute not to get a picture. This is what GOOD sleep looks like.