4 Months Old! (With Pictures)

Today my dear sweet baby girl turned 4 months old. I am really amazed at how fast time has gone while at the same time being saddened by it. I love to watch her grab her feet and stuff her fingers and toes in her mouth - at the same time - thus leaving her face, clothes and hands soaking wet majority of the time. She smiles and laughs constantly, only crying when she's tired or to let me know that I'm not pulling my boob out fast enough for her. She loves eating her rice cereal and being around people. She has started to giggle when I make noises at her or nuzzle my nose into her neck, cheek or belly. I love her so much! Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking all those years when I said I didn't wanna have kids, the past 4 months have been truly amazing. She truly enriches my life and I cannot imagine our life without her. I previously thought I had a pretty perfect life (well as perfect as perfect could be) with Brandon but she has added so much more than I ever could have guessed or imagined...and we can be together for eternity! Anyway, here are some pictures that we took today.

Oh, before I forget (again) I failed to update you all on Y's Torticollis. She had her final physical therapy visit on December 23rd and she is doing great. She still has a tendency to tilt her head when she is upset or tired but according to her therapist that is normal and to be expected. When that happens we'll just do her stretches and she'll be fine. Sorry I failed to mention it before now but with the holidays I feel like I am just getting my head back on straight.

So Long, Farewell, We Have to Bid Adieu

It's New Year's Eve and so it is only appropriate that I give 2008 a final goodbye. This year has hands down been the most stressful and dramatic year of my ENTIRE life, but it's also been the most joyous year of my life. As some of you know, those who have been reading our blog from the beginning, we started the blog so that we could keep everyone informed about the goings on of our pregnancy. Well believe it or not, it's been almost a full year ago. We discovered we were pregnant on January 2, 2007 and posted our very first post ("How We Discovered We Were Pregnant") on January 5, 2007. Since then you've shared in the scariest moment of our pregnancy ("Just When You Think Life is Getting Boring..."), the saddest day of our pregnancy ("It's Official..."), and the happiest day of our pregnancy - minus the accident - ("It's A..."). I shared my thoughts and my fears with you - I told you how scared I was with the gestational diabetes and the high blood pressure, how horrified I was to wake up and find blood everywhere, my debate about being a stay at home mom, my fears concerning motherhood, my labor, Y's first pictures, my breastfeeding battles, and so much more. And in return I always received positive reinforcement and wonderful advice. Some people may think that I have shared a bit too much. And maybe I have, but honestly I don't think I'd change a thing because this has become my place that I can come when I need assistance or advice or if I just need to vent and cry it out. I sincerely think that being able to blog about my concerns and fears and reading your comments helped me though some of those really tough moments when I was frustrated or tired or scared. But I got through it and we now have a beautiful, healthy and extremely happy baby girl.

To give you an update, I may have been wrong in something I said in my Great Debate post. I said, pretty forcefully, that I didn't want to be a stay at home mom and that nothing could change my mind. I still fully believe that I can be just as great a mom if I worked as I could be if I stay home but as I watch Y everyday I have a stronger desire to stay home with her just to protect her. No one will ever take care of her the way that I can. Even before she was born daycare was never an option for me, I wanted a nanny to come in and watch her while I worked. Now even that doesn't sit well with me. The perfect solution would be if we have family that lived closer, I think I could accept that much easier than any other scenario. I still want a career and the day will probably come when I will feel kind of "trapped" at home, but for now I just have this overwhelming feeling to protect her for as long as I can. Like I said before, holding your baby in your hands for the first time changes a lot of things, a lot more than you could ever imagine - even while you're pregnant.

I am looking forward to 2009! I can't promise you that it will be as exciting a year as 2008 has been but I will definitely keep you posted and up-to-date. Hopefully, we won't have any news of any new additions this year (knocking on wood) but if we do...rest assured that you'll be hearing about it and you can take that journey with us too. I hope you all have a wonderful new year, here's to 2009!

Milestone

Yesterday Y had her 4 month Well Baby Visit and aside from a little head cold, all is well. She is 14 lbs, 3oz and is currently 26 inches long with a head circumference of 16 inches. She is strong, healthy and an amazingly happy baby. We love her more and more every day! Today she ate her first meal that wasn't from a breast or from a bottle! She actually had her first serving of rice cereal. I wasn't expecting her to take to it so quickly but she really surprised me. After the 3rd or 4th spoon she had it down and would even lean forward and open her mouth when she wanted more. She didn't eat much, but then again I didn't expect her to, and she topped it all off with some yummy breast milk. She also played with her exersaucer for the first time today and she really enjoyed it. She was mesmerized by all the toys and lights and sounds. I am sure she will be spending many, many hours playing in it. Maybe that will allow me to get some cleaning done. It really is her own personal amusement park. Anyway, here are some pictures from today.

Y's First Christmas

Christmas was an awesome day, but then again it usually is. At Y's 2 month doctor visit the doctor recommended that we not get her a whole lot this Christmas because she really wouldn't know enough to care much about all the gifts anyway. Well we really hadn't planned on getting her a whole lot anyway because she already had her bouncy chair, swing and gym that occupied much of her playing time. Santa brought her a couple of things that she could just lay or sit on the floor and play with and we got her some clothes. We are glad that we didn't get her toys because everyone else did. She got an ExerSaucer that is more like a personal amusement park, (it is a play mat and an exersaucer and after she outgrows the exersaucer stage it is converted into a play table) she absolutely loves it. A Rainforest Xylophone Piano, a ball that plays music and lights when you move it, a space saver high chair, a lights and sound star stacker, a singing nursery rhyme book, Leap Frog Maracas, a vibrating teething ring, links for her car seat, a snugly blanket, a Laugh & Learn "Cookie Jar", a book that her NanaB. made that is a counting book but she uses the members of the family as the counting objects, a Rainforest Jumperoo is on it's way, a few clothes, and a hooded sweatshirt from this store called Fox Outfitters that says FOX so it looks like it's made just for her (and we'll tell her just that)! Anyway, the whole family had dinner together except Lance who is on his mission in Argentina and Claudia who is in Norway. The saddest part of Christmas was that my brother had to spend the day in the hospital. A few months ago he had to have surgery on his knee and sometime between then and now he formed a big blood clot. Well it is in his thigh but some pieces have broken off and are headed towards his lung if not there already. So we're praying for him. They have given him blood thinners in hopes that they will help, time will tell, but we are remaining optimistic! Anyway, I hope your Christmas was as merry as ours was! Enjoy the pictures!

To Grandmother's House We Go...

On Saturday, December 13, Y and I packed up our bags and headed to the airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave at about 3pm. The day started out pretty smooth, we packed, left for the airport, said our goodbyes and made it through security without any problems. I will say that going through security with a 3 month old, a diaper bag and a carry-on, plus having to remove your coat and shoes is not a simple task. Luckily I had a very nice TSA agent help me move all of my stuff to an area where I could sit and take my time getting everything situated. So after getting all that straight I put Y in her BabyBjorn and we were off to find our gate. We were flying out of a brand new terminal at the airport so I was not familiar with it at all but boy was it pretty cozy. When I reached the gate I quickly realized that I was supposed to go to the bathroom before going through security so that B could hold Y while I went...so let's just say we had fun figuring that one out. But we did figure it out without making any mess at all! Anyway, our flight was about 25 minutes late leaving Detroit so when I made it to Chicago I had just enough time to change Y before boarding my plane for Raleigh. We arrived in Raleigh on time, however, when I turned my phone off airplane mode I had a text message from my brother saying that they had a flat tire before they even left the driveway (they had just bought new tires). He sent me another message saying he had borrowed my uncle's car and that they were on their way. So when I looked at the current time and the time that he sent the text message I figured that I at least had another half hour/45 minute wait before they made it to pick me up so I went to the bathroom and changed Y again because just as we were landed she left mommy a nasty little present. So while in the middle of changing Y I get another text from him saying that they are almost there and that they would meet me, they must've been flying to make it there that quickly. So then I begin to rush and I hurry to baggage claim where I see 2 of my 3 bags already off the carousel with a lady that works for Southwest standing beside them. So I walk up to her and she asks if those are my bags and I tell her yes but that one is missing. My luggage arrived, my pack and play arrived, my car seat (the most important item to me) did not arrive. I look at the lady and ask, "so my car seat is lost" and she looks at me and replies, "no, it's not lost it's just not on the plane, but we'll find it." Now correct me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked if you don't know where something is...then it's LOST!!! We go to the office and fill out all this paperwork and they give me this crappy "loaner" that I have no idea how to use, luckily my brother was able to figure it out. So anyway, I finally get my car seat back 36 hours later at 2am in the morning. As we're leaving the airport my mom gets really sick but we make it home safely. Apparently whatever my mom was sick with everyone else in the house had already had so by Wednesday it was my turn. Now Y had been going through a stage where she wanted no one but Mommy and then going to this far away place which is loud and has so many people that she has never seen before in her short life was probably a bit much for her. But it took my being sick for her to really open up to the rest of the family and from that point on she played with everyone and was great. Needless to say the week flew by for us and before we knew it, it was time for us to leave. Well thankfully for us we managed to make it to the airport safely but we were not excited to leave 60/70 degree weather for the frigid Michigan air. A couple days before the Midwest had been pounded by a huge snowstorm so when we got to the airport we found that my flight to Chicago had been delayed about an hour. This put me in a panic because I would barely have enough time to de-board my plane and board my other flight. That proved to be nothing to worry about because before I even left Raleigh my flight to Detroit from Chicago had been delayed two hours. We make it to Chicago and I find myself with 2 hours to burn, Y sleeps through all of this. Then they keep telling us that our plane is on it's way and will be here soon, blah blah blah. An hour later it finally arrives and we end up sitting on the plane for another 20 to 30 minutes going nowhere. We finally land in Detroit at 1:40am, I rush straight to baggage claim, wait at least 20 minutes for the carousel to start moving, collect 2 of my bags and find that the 3rd bag is nowhere to be found. They lost my car seat...AGAIN!!! I am royally ticked at this point, so we get in line to report it missing and there are about 40-50 people ahead of us. As it turns out, everyone on our plane that checked a car seat, their car seat was lost. I'm sorry, but how do you lose every car seat on a plane along with the luggage of 40 people when the plane was delayed 3 hours? They can't say that they didn't have time to get it on the plane...I think this is the case of lazy baggage-loading-people. But through it all I must say that I have an extremely patient husband who waited there until 4 or 5 in the morning knowing he had to get up at 6am and go to work. I also have an amazing baby because though it all, she never cried. I was horrified of flying with her because of the ear popping but she never cried once. She never needed the pacifier, the breast or the bottle, it just didn't bother her! So I guess my luck was balanced by my misfortune. We got our car seat back by noon but Southwest Airlines will definitely be hearing from me. That was a long story...here are some pictures from the trip.

Happy 28th Birthday, B!!!

So today is B's birthday and I have decided to make a list of 28 Reasons why I love him, so here goes (in no specific order):

1. He's a great dad.
2. He's patient with me.
3. He's the Ying to my Yang.
4. He supports me in my decisions.
5. He loves his family unconditionally.
6. He's funny.
7. He can quote every line of Billy Madison & Happy Gilmore.
8. He's dependable.
9. He loves the Lord.
10. He respects me and my opinions, even if he doesn't agree with them.
11. He's pretty dang sexy! :)
12. He loves my family and they love him.
13. Most of the time he lets me have my way.
14. He doesn't mind helping people.
15. He doesn't require a lot.
16. He sacrifices his wants/needs for mine.
17. He loves me as much as I love him.
18. He listens while I babble (or at least her pretends to).
19. He gives me encouragement when I need it.
20. He never criticizes me.
21. He always there to give me a hug and kiss whenever I need it.
22. He would get up and get me whatever I wanted while I was pregnant simply because I didn't want to get up and get it myself. (He actually still does it now that I'm not pregnant).
23. He's gentle and kind.
24. He's dedicated.
25. He cooks and cleans.
26. He doesn't snore! Although I'd still love him if he did, I'm grateful that he doesn't.
27. He's very easy to buy presents for, either electronics or Piston's stuff.
28. He really is my knight in shining armor.

Some Pictures!

Seriousness

Happiness

3 Months or 13 Weeks

In just a matter of hours my baby will turn both 3 months and 13 weeks - she was born on a Thursday which just happened to be on the 4th day of September. As I looked at her as I rocked her to sleep tonight I could not believe how much time has gone by. A couple days ago as I was playing with her I heard her giggle for the first time. As hard as I tried to get her to repeat it, it never happened so I will be watching and listening intently over the next several days waiting for her to do it again. But as I reminisce over these past few months, I realize how blessed we have been. We're healthy, we have a healthy and happy baby, and things have worked out for the best for us in all situations. I mean, not long ago I was crying and upset and completely ready to give up on breastfeeding then when I finally thought I was getting the hang of it there was another wrench thrown into the situation when she stopped gaining weight. Now that I look back on it, I am so very happy that I stuck it out no matter what. It is so rewarding to me to be able to provide that for nourishment for my baby. Not to mention that I love the time that we get to spend together while she nurses. It definitely wasn't easy but I'm glad we stuck it out! I've said it before and I'll say it again, I never could have imagined how much a baby would change our lives. I can't think of a single thing that hasn't been changed in one way or another since she was born. I have learned a thing or two about myself as well as a few things about motherhood. This has been one of the, if not THE, most rewarding time periods of my life. I've gained a little more patience (although not too much more) and I've also learned a very, very valuable lesson: I am not superwoman! As disappointed as I am to admit it, I realized that I cannot do everything. I guess I've always wanted to do my best and be the best at everything, juggling a million things at once. Well, I think I'm over that! I've also gained a huge appreciation and respect for my own mother. I have always had a really close relationship with my mom but I don't think I ever really understood just what a mother sacrifices for her child until I had my own. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for her. I've also never wanted time to slow down as much as I have over the past few months...my baby is growing up and there is nothing I can do to stop it. I guess that means I'll have to appreciate each day a little more. One thing that I am extremely grateful for though is that now I tend to have a little more free time each day. For a while there I had very little time to myself and that can be tough on any one...even superwoman.

Small Changes

FYI: In an effort to be slightly more "safe" I have started referring to us using our initials. So from here on out you will see us refered to as B, U and Y (That actually spells BUY, and that wasn't intentional). I just didn't wanna make it super easy for some internet wacko to find out information about us and I didn't wanna change our blog name in order to disguise our last name. I also wanted to avoid making the blog private if at all possible, so we'll see how this works. I've gone through all of our previous postings and changed those as well.

Thanksgiving and Such...

We had an awesome Thanksgiving. It was a small group, just B and I, Y, and B's parents and brother drove over from Canada. I cooked my very first turkey (B had cooked them in years past) and it was pretty dang good!!! We also had macaroni and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, collard greens, NC style barbecue (pulled pork), hush puppies and apple pie for dessert (Queta made the pie). It was all amazing but the turkey was definitely the best! It was Y's first Thanksgiving but she didn't get to enjoy any of the food...not directly anyway! P, Q & T stayed overnight to watch Y so that I could go shopping on Black Friday while B was at work. I was up at 4am with a goal to be out by 4:30 but i ended up having to pump because I was engorged, so it was closer to 5am when I left. Luckily BestBuy is just down the street, but even so it was nowhere near as bad as last year. Maybe I just got lucky but I don't I didn't really wait in line for too long anywhere I went, even Walmart. I have a couple more gifts to buy, but I got a large amount of the shopping done. Now we are just gonna go buy Y some new clothes (yes, more clothes) this weekend.

My perfectly marinated and roasted turkey!

Yanna with her PapaBums

Napping with Mommy!

Yanna's tree sitting atop one of her gifts that I've yet to wrap (I figure she doesn't know the difference yet anyway).

She loves to look back and forth between her tree and the TV.