Oh my gosh! Going back to work put a cramp in my blogging mojo! No worries! It's all about achieving balance! I'm getting it together!
Quick update for you... Harper will be 9 months on Tuesday... what? Pics and lots of catching up info to follow!
I've got a bunch of updates!
A new state
We are now Floridians again! Woohoo! Johnny got a new position and that meant a move for us. We thought long and hard about it, prayed over it and in the end, we felt led to move back home. We've been home for a week, and I believe it was the right decision. Both of our parents are here, our siblings, neices and nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins. Family is so important and we want Harper to grow up surrounded with love. Plus, I'm a Florida girl! I love the beaches, the laid-back lifestyle. I'm so happy to be back!
A new age
My birthday was last week, June 23. It was nice. Johnny left that morning to head back to Atlanta to complete the second half of our move. I had lunch with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, then dinner that night with my parents and brother.
A new house and job
I'm saying, duh, new state and all.
It's taken awhile for me to write this post. I guess by actually writing it, it becomes more real. I don't want it to be real. He's been gone a little over a month. Everyone felt like their relationship with him was special, as if they were his favorite. My relationship with Granddaddy WAS special. He was like a 2nd dad! I grew up four houses down from my grandparents. We were over there almost everyday! Anytime something happened in our lives, we went down the street to share! If it was a great thing, like an A on a report card it was twice the congradulations. If it were not so great, then it was twice the you know what.
My mom's relationship with Granddaddy was truly special. Even as an adult, she would come over and get in the bed with her parents. I didn't know any different, so I'd climb right on in and find a spot too! So on any given day, you'd find us in the bed talking, laughing or sleeping! I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss our talks and the countless lectures advice he gave.. At his funeral, it was said we all have a piece of him. I want all of him! This is so hard!
On the day I left for college, I received another tid bit of advice. He said, "Make good choices, Sheriss". That statement has followed me every day of my life since then. He wanted so much for his family. I'm going to do my best to honor him by continuing to do my best to make good choices for my self and my growning family.
I didn't mean for it to happen. I promise! It's just been a lot going on! Both good and not so good. I've missed blogging! I've got lots of updates! So stay tuned and I'll be back to share very soon!
We made it! Friday is here! (OK, technically it's Thursday, but close enough, right?)
It's time to catch up with Harper. Would you believe she is just over 10 weeks old? Outstanding, I know!! She handled last Friday's round of shots very well. Of course, she weighed in. McFatty now weighs 8lbs 8oz! I was so surprised to hear that! I though maybe 7ish, but now she's over 8 pounds!
Almost forgot! Harper's uncle (my brother) came for a visit two weeks ago. The two of them hit it right off. And promptly went to sleep.
Though, that should really read, Bring ME the Word Wednesday!!
When I was younger, our youth choir at church used to sing a song with these lyrics:
My sitter thinks that Harper is spoiled. “Put that baby down” she tells me. “You’re spoiling her”. That statement has been on my mind all week. So, by being a responsive parent, I’m spoiling my child. I’m confused. Am I supposed to just sit here and watch my baby cry? I will concede that she is very particular. She likes being held in a certain way. She almost refuses to sleep in her bassinet, so getting her to take a nap is no easy task. To her, being swaddled is like being held in a straight jacket. She tries her best to break free and almost always succeeds! I love holding her, wearing her in our Moby Wrap. Is that spoiling her or helping her to feel secure and loved? I’ll take the latter. What say you?
This working mama is tired!!! Dog tired! I could not keep my eyes open today! Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!
Oh yes!!! This is Harper's first week with the sitter. It's incredibly weird being away from her most of the day. She seems to be adjusting to her new environment ok. I can never get there fast enough to pick her up.
Did I mention this working mama is pooped? I just wanted to check in. Gotta go get ready for tomorrow! Harper's first round of shots!! Yikes!!
Please excuse the dust as I am working on redoing my blog. Will update you guys when I finish!
Just who is "The Fam"?
J and I met in the spring of 2001 through a mutual friend. Dare I say it was love at first sight? I just knew this guy was different We were married in a huge beach wedding in August 2003. Originally from Tampa, Florida, we now live in Atlanta, Ga. I'm a high school teacher of special ed students, contemplating going back for my doctorate very soon. J works in PR, but also is a freelace writer in sports. Check out his blogs!
We love traveling, going to festivals, walks in our park, LOST, and hanging out with our family, friends and each other. We are also growing in faith together and I love it!
We welcome you to check in with us from time to time and experience life with us!!
I love my new role in life. Me, a mother. But before I became a mommy, I was a daughter, sister, wife, niece, cousin, and friend. I was me! Sure I have dreams of becoming a super mom; even the soccer mom I make fun of all the time. But I'm still going to have fun, go to festivals, travel, get my drink on, have sex (yes Mama, I said it!). All the while, being the best daughter, sister, wife, niece, cousin, friend and mom I know how to be.
I'm still me!
Tuesday, February 16
After laboring all night, I just knew I was fully dialated. Just knew it. They checked me in the morning and wouldn't you know it, 1cm. That sucked. But then, my mom walked in! Bright spot in the morning! Now here's where my memory gets fuzzy. Towards noon, I'm checked again. 1cm. Good lord! Why am I not dialating?! Then my midwife comes in with the bad news. She wants to give me Pitocin to speed up my labor, in the hopes that I'll dialate more. Pitocin, you guys, is the devil! But I handled that bad boy as long as I could! Then after hours of ridiculous pain and no break in between, I said the dreaded words.. " Give me the epidural". I hated it, but it had to be done. I know I could have handled contractions without it, I was doing it! But that Pitocin?! Yikes! So I think I fall asleep then. During this time apparently the nurse is coming in and checking monitors, checking the baby's heart rate. Which, apparently, had been going down. No one thought to clue us in! Then this random person comes in to take my blood, saying it's routine with C-sections. Hold on a doggone minute! No one said anything about a C-section!! But at this point, my water had been broken for over 40 hours, which isn't good. So I'm wheeled in, given more drugs and cut open! When Harper came out, she didn't cry at first. But I wasn't worried. Then I heard the faintest cry and my heart melted. My baby was here! All 4lbs and 15oz of her!
Harper had a few things to deal with at first. They felt she'd swallowed her own #2, so they placed her on antibiotics and had an IV going into her little arm. Then her sugar was low. She was born at 5:21pm. After they took her away, I didn't see her again until 9:45.
She stayed in the hospital for a week. So did I! So many emotional ups and downs that week, just trying to make sure our daughter was ok. We learned about blood platelet counts, white blood cell counts, jaundice, and other infections. But God is good! Our tiny one came home WITH us that Saturday.
February 11
We go in for our 38 week appointment. Like always, every appointment begins with the customary urine sample, weigh in and blood pressure check. At the weigh in I notice a few extra pounds on the scale. The physician assistant didn't say anything and neither did I. She takes my blood pressure and doesn't say a word. ( I now know my pressure was sky high at this point) Now the silence is getting on my nerves. She gets another technician to take my pressure. Which I'm totally ok with, because I didn't like her energy anyway! The new tech tells me to think of calming things. Bam, still high. She sends me into the exam room to lie down. After 20 minutes they come to take it again. It went down like 20 points. My midwife then tells me I'm not to go back to work and I'm on bed rest until baby comes. Not only that, they want me to come back on Monday. What? I don't have blood pressure issues! Sure my pressure has been rising over the past two weeks, but I just thought that meant my body was tired of being pregnant. Little do they know, I have a 4 day weekend, so sure, bed rest! I'd planned on going in to work on the 16th to settle things at work.
February 14th
Around 9 or 10 o'clock Johnny and I go to dinner, just a block from the house. We order, I go to the restroom. I come back, take a seat and GOOSH!! Ok, so what was that? I tell Johnny it’s time to go home. About midnight I start feeling this weird pressure in my lower belly. We called the midwife about 1:45. I describe my symptoms, including the contractions I was starting to feel. She says, “Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow @ 3:30.” Okkkkk…But at 4:45 I woke up with the world’s worst contraction. It just would not stop! I tried to get some rest that day, but the contractions went from 15 minutes apart to 7 minutes apart. At our 3:30 appointment, it was determined that my water had actually broke the night before and was stained with muconium. We were told to go right to the hospital. At the hospital we were told we were no longer candidates for water birth, because Harper had gone #2 inside me. So of course I had a moment (tears), but we had to get ourselves together quickly to birth our baby.
Contractions were coming pretty regularly. I was checked and surprisingly just at 1cm dilated. With a little help, I slept that night.
Er, uh, we have a daughter now. I don't know if you knew, but yeah. I got super busy after my last post and then well, you know, two weeks before her due date, Harper decided she wanted to join the party. So here's what you'll see in the next few days:
I know, I know! I'm a slacker!
See what had happened was the holidays! And then, you know being back and getting back into our schedule here and stuff. But I'm making up for it right now!
So the holidays! Great times! Baby Shower and Christmas! It was a fun and much needed holiday!
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