Life with Cole & Nugget

Shame on me!

2011-12-30T12:17:00.003-05:00

Shame on me, big time! I'm beyond embarrassed to see that i have not posted here in over a year and 4 months. Not to make excuses but I kept thinking I'd have a day where I could go back and catch up on everything but that day never came and more stuff kept happening and my catch up pile kept growing and growing and.... whew! I finially just decided to pick up where we are and maybe I can catch up as I go. If nothing else, I won't be getting any farther behind... right?
So, brief catch up - Cole is now a bit over 2 years old and as cute and smart as ever. He's a talking machine and has a sense of humor that could make even the most angry person bust a gut with laughter. Wyatt and I are amazed on a daily basis by him.

The other big news and the reason I kicked my butt to get back on here is.... we're having another baby!! We are 20 weeks along (I know, shame on me... again) and we found out a few weeks ago that it is another boy! :) We are thrilled and it's been fun watching Cole grasp the idea of having a baby around the house.

So, with that quick update, I thought we'd jump right into the 20 week pregancy survey. I'm kicking myself for not starting this earlier because it's be fun to look back at what I wrote while pregnant with Cole. Anywho, here we go:

How far along are you?: 20w 1d
Total weight gain: 1 lb (lost a little bit during the 1st Trimester since I didn't feel so hot)
How big is baby?: The size of a catalope! 10 inches from head to heel.
Maternity clothes: Definitely in Maternity pants but I've been able to squeeze into a few non-maternity tops still. I took myself on a nice maternity clothes shopping spree yesterday thanks to Christmas gift cards. :)
Stretch marks?: No new ones.
Sleep?: Honestly, I'm sleeping great. The problem is that I want to sleep all the time. Even after I get a full night's sleep I want to nap by 11am.
Best moment this week?: My mom was able to feel Nugget kick on Christmas! We also took Cole with us to our check up on Wednesday and he got to hear the heartbeat. He's been going around telling everybody, "Baby goes BOOM BOOM!!" It's so cute! Oh, and he turns his little mini-flashlight on and points it at my belly so he can "see" the baby. He chased our cat around the kitchen with the flashlight last night yelling, "JAKE!! Lemme see your belly!!" LOL.
Movement?: Oh yes. Just to catch up - I first felt him move on Thanksgiving Day. Wyatt felt him move around 19 weeks and now he just a rocking and a rolling machine. I feel like we've been able to feel him a lot faster than we were able to with Cole. I knew I'd feel him sooner because I'd know what to expect but I didn't think Wyatt and my mom would be able to feel him so soon. It makes me really happy.
Food cravings?: Not really. I've really been into salads which is not typical for me. I have been on a bit of a sugar kick though - I need to quit that though!
Food aversions?: Chicken and I have a love/hate relationship going on right now. Sometimes I have to have it and sometimes the thought of it makes me icky. Other than that I'm pretty good. If I go to long without eating though I get really icky feeling.
Labor signs?: No & let's keep it that way.
Belly button in or out?: Oh it's out and has been out for a while now. It's not so much like a solid, I'm out there because there is nowhere else for me to be. It's more like it has given up. Like it's thinking, "hmm, I'm getting pushed a little bit here and if I remember correctly, last time I lost... badly. Whatever, I'll just let go now." Cole thinks its a super fun button to push. He and his cousin Addison had a great time pushing my "button" the other day and making a "BEEP" noise when they did it. It had them in stitches!
What I miss: Beer. I didn't really miss it during my first pregnancy but oh how I have missed it this go round.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting started on Cole's big boy room
Milestone: Nothing huge this week. I've been off from work the whole week so it's going to be tough getting back into the swing of things next week.
Here's a recent shot of our sweet Cole baby. Isn't he squishable?!?

Do Fun Stuff!!!

2010-08-30T07:35:00.000-04:00

So today is a big day. Back when I was first pregnant I found this blog called Pacing the Panic Room. I followed Ryan and his wife, Cole, through their pregnancy thanks to his incredible "Maternity Series". I have continued to follow his blog because he is hilarious and extremely talented and I just like his family. Creepy, I know. I don't know him or his family but I feel like I do. Anywho, his stepson who they call LB (Littlest Buddy) was diagnosed with Smith Magenis Syndrome and they have been doing the best they can to learn what that means and how to best help LB. This is not a well known condition so the information has been scarce and the caregiver how to book has yet to be written. So, in true Pacing the Panic Room style, Ryan took matters into his own hands and put together an album to raise money for SMS research. I signed up over 6 months ago to join in a social networking tidal wave to promote this album and to build hope for this family and others. Please check it out and download the album. You'll love it. It's for kids, yes. But it's for parents too. It's kids' music that parents will love. Or parents' music that kids will love. It's hard to say. My point is, it's for your kids and for you AND for a good cause! So Do Fun Stuff!!

Sorry, your browser does not support iframes.

Want to learn more about this family and this plan? Go to pacingthepanicroom.blogspot.com

Do you want to join this social networking tidal wave and add this super cute green monster widget to your blog? Go to www.dofunstuff.net or click "Share this widget" on the monster above for the code.The album's available to buy on itunes, right now. So do it. Seriously, buy it. Go.

Happy Birthday!!!

2010-08-23T21:14:00.001-04:00

Here is our version of a "low key" party for Cole's 1st Birthday. A great time was had by all... especially the birthday boy! Please take a deep breath before scrolling; there are a LOT of pictures! :)

In case you would like to recreate this fantastic event for yourself... here's a list of my vendors.

VENDORS:

- Favor baskets & dishes from the dollar tree

- Colored paper for circles and pinwheels from AC Moore

- Signs, labels, cupcake toppers - created by me, punched and stuck by Chris, Phoebe & mom

- Pinwheels by Mom & Phoebe

- Food by me & my MIL, Linda

- Duck cake by Phoebe!

- Bday shirt from Target

- Precious children provided by Me & Wyatt, Brandon & Jen, Dave & Kristi, Monica & Doug

- Fire Truck from Uncle John

- House full of great gifts provided by awesome family and friends

- Happy 1 year old passed out on the couch from a great day with the people that love him the most

It's happened...

2010-08-15T11:11:00.001-04:00

Our precious little baby boy...

has become a walking, talking 1 year old!

Happy Birthday my sweet baby. Even when you are taller than me, you'll still be my baby boy.

I love you to the moon and back.

Oh, and on a side note... how hot is my husband?!? :) tee hee

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T22:43:00.002-04:00

Hey Fred! Good to see ya!

2010-06-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Cole baby has four, count 'em, 4 teeth!! This is such a huge deal and we are so proud of him and his new friends. These friends have played such a big part of these last few months I can't believe I have not given them any glory. So, without further adieu (yep, had to google that one), I give you....... {Drumroll} ........

Sh*t, I can't come up with a clever tooth title that works... whatever, here's the scoop-

Gus, his first tooth came in on April 3rd. Gus was an easy going kind of tooth; he didn't really give us any trouble. Felix, tooth #2 came through just 3 days later. Being the younger tooth, Felix was a bit more needy but nothing a teething ring couldn't handle. Now Ethel, she was a sneaky little thing. We had no idea she was coming and then, BAM, May 25th she standing at the door with her luggage asking, "Hey folks, where's my room?" So sneaky and polite, we welcomed her in and celebrated her presence... up until the day that she and Gus teamed up to bite the ever living whooodiddy out of my finger. Lesson learned, Ethel. You don't play. Got it. And now we have Fred. Oh Fred. Fred reminds me of the time that the crazy witch lady from down the street busted into our house because her dogs had gotten off the leash. Apparently the only way to get them back on the leash was to bring them into our living room. Oh yeah, she's a crazy one and she got us all fired up and she stepped on my toe with her stiletto!! (Ok, so she's older than dirt so it was probably a very supportive wide rubber heel but whatever, it hurt.) Wow, ADD anyone?? My point about Fred and the crazy witch lady is... I forget. Whatever. Fred was a brute - he gave Cole baby some serious trouble. He ran a fever, was super fussy, couldn't sleep, didn't really eat, just not a very nice entrance. Oh yeah, that was my point with the crazy witch lady!!! Rude entrances. Anywho - Fred finally broke through on June 23rd and Cole threw a welcome party for all 4 of them by biting the ever living whooodiddy out of his own tongue. Poor guy.

So there's the story of {insert clever/cute title here}. I hope you enjoyed it.

OH! Gus and Felix are the 2 middle bottom teeth. Fred and Ethel are the two top middle teeth! I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Love to all,

Wordless Wednesday x 2

2010-06-23T17:30:00.002-04:00

Pinky wiggle...

2010-05-28T22:33:00.005-04:00

When I was younger I played soccer and I was a total drama queen. (Now that I'm older, I play volleyball and I'm totally level headed)
When I would get fouled I would make a huge spectacle of it, flail my arms, scream and then fall to the ground and not move a muscle. Not a single muscle. It always worked. I got the call every time and I got a few minutes to rest and catch my breath. Most of the time, I was not injured or at least not injured badly but that didn't matter. The not moving part was the crucial element.
One day after a game my mom said, "Catron, the next time that you pull a Pele and fall down, just do me one little favor. Move something, an arm, your hand, wiggle your fingers, wiggle you PINKY finger even. Just move something so that I know that you aren't dead!! Is that a deal?"

So, here I am, wiggling my pinky so that you will know that I am still around.

P.S. I just realized that I'm not 100% sure whether pinky is spelled "pinkie" or "pinky" - FYI, Wikipedia says that it is "pinky" in American English and "pinkie" in Scottish English.

I am going to do my best to get back up to speed on here. If for no other reason that to document the rock star that is my son.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Hi! We are back!!

2010-03-30T21:58:00.005-04:00

Where'd we go you ask? Nowhere. I just fell off the face of the earth. Again.
While I was gone Cole flew through his 7th month and has somehow managed to become to cuter and more amazing. I know, I didn't think it was possible either.
He is sitting up all on his own - doing the tripod thing - wanting to crawl some kind of bad - he rolls all over the place - he HAS rolls all over the place - he is a talking machine - he's eating baby food twice a day - still no teeth but I think we are working on some - he says "dada" all the time - he doesn't say "mama" but he hugs my neck and kisses my face - he's wearing 9 month clothing and size 3 diapers - still sleeping through the night - he could out jump a kangaroo - his laugh is the most joyful noise - he crinkles his nose when he smiles really big - he's got the best smile - he still lights up like a lightbulb when he sees his daddy - now he lights up like a lightbulb when he sees me too - he does the army crawl, he can only go backwards though - he rocks/dances to music - he loves to bang on the table - he loves the dogs and laughs out loud when they bark - His favorite song is Hey, Soul Sister by Train.
Here he is in all of his preciousness -

What happened to 6 months?

2010-03-10T22:22:00.004-05:00

He'll be 7 months on Saturday. I just don't know how that happened.
I guess it was all the sleeping and eating he's been doing.
What a precious child!

I fell off the face of the planet!

2010-02-26T10:33:00.003-05:00

My bad!! Maybe some snow pictures will help...

Blog Hop!

2010-02-09T10:48:00.001-05:00

Rice Cereal!!

2010-02-02T20:26:00.005-05:00

We have started rice cereal. Cole is not a huge fan so far. I wouldn't be either. It tastes like paste or dough or over cooked grits with no salt. Day 1 was not so great, day 2 was worse, day 3 was better. We'll see how day 4 goes. I have to say though, seeing Wyatt feed his little boy is one of the cutest things I've seen in a while.... and I've seen some cute stuff.

Sick Baby... :(

2010-01-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

Poor baby. Even with RSV and an ear infection he still manages to be the most precious thing ever.

I'm awful, I know

2010-01-24T18:51:00.002-05:00

I'm such a blog slacker! We have so much to catch up on but it will have to wait. Cole baby has RSV and an ear infection. My poor little guy! He's got this terrible cough that just breaks my heart into a million pieces. So, I'm sorry for the lack of postings but it's not going to change quite yet. Thanks for being patient with us!
I hope you're all having a great start to the new year.

Peace Outside, 2009!!

2010-01-02T23:15:00.011-05:00

What a year! We laughed, we cried, we loved, we lost, we created, we giggled, we grieved, we overcame, we gained, we goofed, we danced, we lived.

We cannot wait to see what 2010 has in store!

Here is our 2009 in review:

Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-27T21:53:00.001-05:00

So much to post... so little time. I promise I'll catch up later!!
I hope you all had a merry merry!

Karma

2009-12-22T12:05:00.003-05:00

I am a firm believer in Karma. That being said, I was hoping that all of my Karma points would come out for my last minute trip to the mall yesterday. As Cole and I drove up to the mall I noticed that every exit had about 25 cars waiting in line to get out. (Did that make sense?) I started to turn around - I can give everyone IOUs instead, right? *Cut to Cole in the backseat with his eyebrow raised up to his hairline* Ok, fine buddy, it's you and me... we can do this. A few "whooossaaaa's" later and we made the commitment; we turned into the mall parking lot. AAAAAHHHHHH - light shining down - on this cute little green bug pulling out of a very large front row parking spot. Really?? Added bonus - there was a curb on the driver's side so I wouldn't have to worry about hitting a car with my door while getting Cole out. High five! We went to Barnes & Noble first. Walked right in, grabbed a gift card, went right to the check out lady who said, "Whoa, you timed it just right. The line has been wrapped around 3 deep until just this minute! You've got good karma, honey!" Sweet, high five #2! Then we went to another little shop and I found what I needed and it was the very last one they had. I can't tell you what it is because it's for Phoebe and she reads this! Anyway, high five #3!! Then came time to leave... we pulled right out and the exit line had 2 cars in it... 2!! High five #4!!! I was rocking the karma. I think I got several extra karma points for carrying this little cute thing around with me.

So much to catch up on!!

2009-12-22T11:36:00.007-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a week - I just felt like the Flip story needed to stay front and center for a while.

We have been so busy preparing for Christmas; I can't believe it's only 3 days away! Cole got to meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, he turned 4 months and subsequently grew 4 more fat rolls, he did his first barrel roll, and he found his feet!! What an exciting time. Here are a few pictures from our recent adventures.

Flip

2009-12-15T21:33:00.003-05:00

Henry "Flip" Kissinger, an old friend of Wyatt & his family, passed away on December 11th. Flip was a firefighter with the Raleigh Fire Department and worked at the station right by my parents' house - one station down from the station my brother-in-law, John, works at. He was 35 years old. Flip was hit head on by a school bus on his way home from work to take his daughters to school on December 4th. Flip suffered severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital where my sister-in-law, Elissa, works. She was in the OR when he came in. This 35 year old friend who was a groomsman in her wedding. She says that she will never forget that day. I can only imagine.

Elissa, John, and Wyatt are at Flip's wake tonight; his funeral is tomorrow. I didn't know him or his family but my heart breaks for them. I don't even have the words... so I'll share these pictures from the Facebook page set up for him in the hopes that you will all hug your loved ones a little tighter today and every day.

The greatest gift...

2009-12-14T23:15:00.001-05:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

2009-12-14T22:36:00.004-05:00

As promised... here are some pictures from our Horton family Thanksgiving. We had such a great time with our family and friends!

It's Snowing!!

2009-12-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

Since we didn't get the snow that our weatherman said we might get... I found a way to make it snow on my blog! What fun!! If you would like to make it snow just go to Shabby Blogs and copy the code.
It makes me smile!

Not Me Monday

2009-12-07T13:39:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

As for me... I am a classy, well mannered, Southern Belle and therefore I most certainly did not take my Spanx off in the bathroom of a fancy downtown dining establishment. I am also in the process of working off the remaining baby weight and therefore would definitely not take said Spanx off because they were prohibiting the consumption of mass amounts of delicious holiday food. Absolutely not. And while we're at it... It was not me who slapped Wyatt's hand when he tried to pull my phone out of my clutch (to show off pictures of Cole) in the hopes of preventing the removed Spanx from falling out onto the table in front of his entire squad. Nope, not me.

Dugan Dog

2009-12-06T10:22:00.002-05:00

We have 2 dogs that live with us. One is Wyatt's partner, Lucy, and the other is Dugan. Lucy has to stay in her kennel but Dugan stays in the house with us. He is the best dog ever and boy does he love his daddy.

Roland

2009-12-06T10:17:00.002-05:00

For those of you that read this regularly, you know that my dermatologist found an atypical mole a few months ago. Well, I had surgery to remove it this past Monday. I have decided that I am not a fan of stitches so I'd like to not have them again. Anyway, I got a call on Friday and all of my margins are free and clear!! Woohoo!
So now, we are just left with Roland the caterpillar (my incision site looks like a caterpillar thanks to the stiches) who will turn into Roland the belly scar next Friday when the stiches come out.
Thanks for all the prayers and support!
Love to all,

Blowout!!

2009-12-05T16:12:00.012-05:00

I went to pick Cole up from daycare on Thursday, December 3rd... key word here is December... a winter month... and this is what he was wearing... no pants, no socks, just his onesie...

Miss Janice immediately explained that our dear, sweet, precious son had messed up every single outfit that I had packed in his diaper bag. Even his socks! I had even packed more outfits than normal! Cole seemed pretty happy to have his bare legs out and I realized that I have neglected his chubby little legs. They were so scrawny when he was born and now they are big ol' hunks of squeezable baby fat! Just look at the picture below of him at 1 month. What a difference! It's been cold for a little while now so I've had his legs covered. Who knew they had gotten so substantial! So, thank you. Thank you, sweet boy, for showing off your yummy, screw on leg parts. I love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-12-02T16:00:00.005-05:00

So I posted 23 days out of the 30 days in November. Not too shabby considering the holiday and all of that. Now here comes the fun stuff. This will be out of order since I don't have pictures from our celebrations with Wyatt's family yet...

Here is a photo montage of our trip to High Point and Cole's 1st Blankinship Family Thanksgiving.

Phoebe, this is for you...

2009-12-02T00:27:00.003-05:00

Since you couldn't be there to see Joseph "stank on it" in person... I took video. You've got to turn the sound way up.
Miss you, i.o.

I'm a terrible mother!!

2009-11-23T22:48:00.000-05:00

I snipped my poor baby's finger instead of his fingernail! The face he gave me is one I will see in my nightmares for the rest of my life. He didn't cry right away, he just looked at me like, "Momma, I don't know what you just did to me... but I really did NOT like it. Why would you do that to me?" Then he cried and cried and cried.... and I cried and cried and cried. Now some might say I'm overreacting - but I'm not. I realize it didn't bleed and he's not going to require stitches but I attacked my child with a baby sized guillotine! A guillotine that says, "Safety 1st"!!!!!!! Seriously?? I suck.
Thankfully, my precious boy has forgiven me. He even did another belly laugh for Jahbee and me. He laughed for almost 5 minutes! He's really getting it down now. I'm glad to know that our finger snipping accident hasn't scarred him for life.
I still feel like a terrible momma though!
Oh, that face!!! :*(

Hi

2009-11-22T23:24:00.004-05:00

Hi, my name is Cole and I am the coolest baby ever. Here's why:
-I went to sleep at 8:30pm last night because I knew my parents wanted to pretend like they were college kids again.
-I stayed asleep all night even though they were causing quite a commotion downstairs with their friends.
-I slept until 9:30am the next morning because I know that my parents aren't college kids anymore and would probably have a bit of a headache.
-I was then a super-good baby while we visited with mom's cousin Mark and his family.
-Then, as if I couldn't get any better, I took a 2.5 hour nap in the big bed with momma & daddy because I knew they both needed it.

Man, I rock.

Ummm... go wolfpack?

2009-11-21T20:59:00.002-05:00

We decided to revisit our BC (before Cole) years by inviting some friends over to watch the NC State/Va Tech game and the UVA/Clemson game. Our friend Josh is a huge UVA fan and we are big Wolfpack fans. We had steak kabobs, chips and queso, fries, beer, and beer. Too bad both of our teams got the crap beat out of them. Cole was sporting his NC State jersey until about halfway through the 3rd quarter when he got so fed up he pooped all over it. I mean ALL over it!! Tell me how you really feel buddy! Here he is pregame… still happy.

Your Turn, Birdie...

2009-11-20T11:17:00.004-05:00

Phoebe, my baby sister, moved to Puerto Rico a week ago. Thankfully, she has decided to keep a blog (your turn birdie) so we can follow along in her adventures. She's posted some pretty cool pictures too. I just wanted to share the link in case you're interested.
The title came from the same place her nickname came from... a wonderful woman named Floss. We used to do Thanksgiving with my mom's brother Dail, his family, and his best friend's family. Floss was Uncle Dail's best friend's mom. She was about 4'11 with shoes on and full of spitfire. This was a woman that could make you belly laugh just by being. She was definitely getting up there in age and so she was slightly hard of hearing (good luck trying to tell her that though.) Anywho... we got to the beach house the first year that she and Jim came and we were going through the introductions... My mom: "Hi Floss! I'm Marilyn, Dail's sister." Floss: "Well, hi there." Me: "Hi Floss, I'm Catron." Floss: "Huh? What was that?" Me: "Catron, but you can call me Cat." Floss: "Oh, ok! Hello Cat!" Phoebe: "Hi Floss, my name is Phoebe." Floss: "What'd you say? PEEDIE??" Phoebe: "No, no, Phoebe" Floss: "Oh, ok Peedie... like a bird or something!" Add in there the most amazing laugh. So that is where "Peedie" came from. Later in the weekend, while playing a raucous game of Spite and Malice, Floss informed Phoebe that it was her play by yelling, "It's your turn, Birdie!!" again, add in that contagious laugh and there you have it - the story of "Peedie" and "it's your turn, birdie." I realize this is only funny to my family but ooh was it funny!!
Miss you, Peedie!

Our Precious Child...

2009-11-19T16:20:00.001-05:00

Ok, I’m doing it… I’m risking it all and posting about what a rock-star our baby is. Let me start from the beginning... Cole was a sleeper from the get-go. He didn’t cry when he was born – they suctioned him and he let out a little, “whaa” noise and that was it. He was here and there was too much to take in to worry about crying. He looked around for about 30 minutes and then fell asleep. He pretty much slept from that point on. We had trouble with breastfeeding (I realize now that I haven’t posted about our struggles *note to self*) because he was such a hard sleeper. Even the boob Nazis (lactation consultants – and BTW, mine were awesome!) couldn’t get him to wake up to eat. So, his very first night in the world, with his mom prepared to wake up every 2 hours to feed him… he slept for 4 hour stretches – only waking because the nurse made me try to feed him. Ok, I’m rambling already and I’m not even making my point. To sum up… he was sleeping 5-6 hours a night his 1st week home, 6-8 hours a night his 2nd week and 9-12 hour a night from 3 weeks on. His schedule now is closer to about 8-10 hours since I’ve returned back to work. He usually goes down between 9 and 10pm and then will wake up around 6:30-7ish. If it’s a morning when he’s going to daycare or to my mom’s house he’ll eat and we’ll leave. If it’s a morning when Linda (MIL) is coming over or a day I’m not working he’ll get up around 7ish, eat, and then go back down until 9:30-10ish! What a super-star!! Oh, and he still naps like a champ during the day too. He comes from a family of champion nappers though.

Now, I didn’t tell you that to rub it in your face, or to brag, or to jinx myself (please hear that part, sleep gods!) I told you that part to tell you this part… Sunday night for the first time since I can remember… Cole woke up at 2:30am. I could tell that this wasn’t just a wake-up and then settle back to sleep kind of thing so I went in and got him. We sat in the rocker and I tried the paci – didn’t work – I tried nursing him – wasn’t having it – I re-swaddled him with one arm out in case he wanted his fingers – nothing - I put him on my shoulder and bounced him around the room… one lap in and he let out the loudest fart ever! He immediately stopped crying and fell back asleep. I somehow managed to put him back in his crib and get out of the room before completely losing it. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. I went back to bed and fell asleep only to wake up about an hour later to a strange sound on the monitor. It sounded like Cole was taking his hand and running it down the slats of the crib. My brain, foggy with sleep, tried it’s best to make sense of the sound – Cole isn’t quite able to get over to the side of the crib to run his hand along the slats, Cole isn’t long enough to run his hand over that many slats, Cole isn’t quite strong enough hit the slats hard enough to make that loud of a noise…. My sleepy brain was just not working. That’s when wonder-hubby woke up and said, “Is that gas?” AH-HA!! Yes, our little precious baby proceeded to “lawnmower” poot his way through the night. The massive one he let out for me was the only one that seemed to make him unhappy. He slept through the rest of the night while Wyatt and I giggled.

Love to all,

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

Technologically illiterate...

2009-11-17T22:00:00.001-05:00

So, I have a video of the most adorable baby giggle....

but...
I can't get it off of the video camera and on to the computer!!! :-(
It is the most joyful sound and it's impossible not to laugh along with it... but once again, I can't share it with you yet because as best I can figure out, I don't have the right cable.
I'm on a mission to share though so I will do my best to figure this out.
Love to all,

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on a River....

2009-11-16T23:53:00.001-05:00

doo doo doo doo doo doo doo...
You guessed it... we've got a roller!! Cole rolled all the way over all by himself tonight! We captured his closest attempt on video (he still had his armed pinned underneath him) but then, about an hour later, he got all the way over with both arms out!! We couldn't tell if he was more surprised by his new view of the world or by the OOC reaction from us! We were so pumped!! As I said, I don't have video of the complete rollover but I do have pictures!
Love to all,

Johnny Jumper!!

2009-11-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

We gave the Johnny Jumper a shot the other night with the help of Aunt Peedie. It was hilarious! Cole thought the object was to eat it... he didn't quite understand the jumping part but it was cute anyway! I took video but I'm a dummy and held the camera the wrong way so in order to watch it you'd all have to turn your heads to the side. Whoops. I'll try again later. Here's a picture at least.
Cole - the Johnny Jumper - baby legs
What could be better??

"I like to be in America, OK by me in America..."

2009-11-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

"Everything's free in American, For a small fee in AmeRIca..." I can't get that song out of my head! (West Side Story for anyone who didn't pick up on it) Phoebe is currently on the plane to San Juan... " 'I like the city of San Juan...' 'I know a boat you can get on...' "

We miss her already!! We all had dinner last night and I told her that I would do my very best to send/post a picture of Cole for every day that she is there - that way she can keep up with him. Now, whether I can do it, that's another thing. I'm going to give it my best shot though.

Love you, Peedie!!

Friday the 13th!

2009-11-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

I love Friday the 13th. I've loved it since the 6th grade when Kaley J. had a party and we watched scary movies and I got to share a blanket with Calvin S. and Kaley asked him if he liked me and he said yes. Since then, I've had some great Friday the 13ths... the most memorable ones being Friday, April 13, 2007 - the day before my wedding - when my bridesmaids and I all put on our luckiest sundresses and played putt-putt. Friday, August 13, 2009 - the day my little boy turned 3 months old!! 3 months, can you believe it?!? He is blowing my mind every day. I know I haven't said a whole lot about his demeanor and habits and all of that... I've been too afraid I would jinx myself. I think if we make it to 3 months and 1 day with our habits still in tact I will take the risk of speaking/typing the words out loud.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!!

Body Giggle!

2009-11-12T12:41:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Peedie

2009-11-10T07:46:00.001-05:00

My sister is moving to Puerto Rico... this Saturday!! :( She is moving down there because... well, because she can. While it pains me to say it... I think it's pretty cool. We've got our fingers crossed that she will start up her own blog so that we can follow her journey. She's an incredible photographer (she's the one that's taken all of the awesome pictures of Cole) so we hope she'll post some photos as well.
Have fun, Peedie!! We'll miss you big time!!

Loss

2009-11-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

I have been staring at the computer for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what to write here. I guess I will just start at the beginning.
About 2 weeks after Cole was born, I was checking an old email account that I rarely check. I saw an email from my high school alumni association with a name I recognized in the subject line. I opened the email and read that one of my closest friends in high school had passed away a few days before Cole was born. Her wake was the day after he was born and her funeral was the day we came home from the hospital. I read this, stunned. I closed the email and walked slowly to the couch to sit next to Wyatt. He took one look at me and immediately sat up straighter and said, “What’s wrong?” I said, “I just found out that a good friend of mine passed away.” He nodded sadly and said, “Rachel.” I could not figure out how he knew about Rachel to begin with, let alone that she had died. He hugged me tight as he explained that my very best friend from High School (we’ll call her “M” since she might not want to be plastered all over my blog) called my mom the day Cole was born to tell her about Rachel. The 3 of us were inseparable in High School – we were the 3 musketeers I guess you could say. Anyway, M called my mom to tell her because she knew that I was in the hospital and she didn’t want to darken that special day. My mom pulled Wyatt aside as they were wheeling me into the recovery room and together they decided to hold off on telling me. What an incredible family I have. They know me so well and knew that I would have truly struggled with morning Rachel’s death while celebrating Cole’s birth. It would have been too much. Also, what an amazing friend I have in M – to be so aware of what was going on in my life. I have to say that once we went off to college Rachel, M, and I grew apart. I was not a great friend to either one of them and I will truly regret not keeping in better contact with Rachel. M and I were talking the other day and while we are heartbroken that Rachel is gone, we are grateful for the times we shared with her, the laughs, the tears, the stories, the memories – and now we are thankful for her again for reminding us to love and cherish those that are important to us… even if it has been too long since we’ve spoken.
Be at peace, Rachel… and thank you.

NABLOPOMO

2009-11-08T11:45:00.001-05:00

You are probably asking yourself, "What in the world does NABLOPOMO mean?" You are also probably asking yourself, "What has gotten into Catron with all of these blog posts?" Well, one thing answers both questions:

Basically, the goal is to post something everyday in the month of November. I got a bit of a late start so I may have cheated a little... but I'm going to give it my best shot. I negleted the blog so much after Cole got here - I owe it some attention.
Enjoy!!

A big first!

2009-11-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

Tonight was Cole’s first night away from us. My dear friends Ashley and Jeremy got married… in Charleston, SC! I debated whether or not to bring Cole and finally decided that it would be a really good thing for Wyatt and I to get out of the house and just have some us time. We dropped Cole off with my parents in the morning and then hit the road for the 4 hour drive to Charleston. The ride down there was so fun – just honest to goodness one-on-one time. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed that. The wedding was at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Charleston and it was beautiful. All of the events were at the hotel so once we checked in; we didn’t have to go anywhere else. We walked around for a little bit, hit up the grocery store, and then went back to prepare for the wedding. The ceremony was totally their style, complete with 95% of the guests drinking beer during the ceremony! The reception was a blast and Wyatt and I tore up the dance floor. Cole spent the day with my family at my Great Uncle John’s Celebration of Life. Mom said he was a perfect baby and that everyone loved meeting him. I hate that we missed the Celebration of Life but I’m thankful that Cole was there to represent for us. We definitely missed him like crazy, but it was a very much needed moment for the two of us. Congrats Ashley & Jeremy!!

YAY!! I made it!

2009-11-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

I made it through my first week back at work. It went by faster than I expected. I am so thankful to be off on Fridays though. My husband is the greatest ever for agreeing to work with me on this new schedule (and resulting pay cut) so that I can have 3 days off with my little man.

Kinda yucky...

2009-11-05T23:13:00.001-05:00

I went to the dermatologist about a week ago for my yearly checkup. I had a freckle on my stomach that had started to look kinda funny – especially after all the stretching my belly endured baking Cole. I showed the doc and she agreed that it looked funny and decided to take it off for testing. I left the office and thought nothing of it again until yesterday when I got a call saying that it was an abnormal mole with abnormal cells that needed to be removed and I could have it done in the office or have a plastic surgeon do it. (Read that run-on sentence really fast and it’ll sound the way it did in my head.) I didn’t hear much more of the conversation because all I could think about was when my sister was 14 they found a spot on her shoulder and it ended up being melanoma. That and the whole plastic surgeon thing… how big a hunk were they talking? Was I going to have to track down Dr. McSteamy so that I wouldn’t have a gaping hole in my stomach? I survived the birth of a child with no holes in my stomach but give me a little freckle and BAM, holey stomach, batman. After a bit of a frantic laugh fest about Dr. McSteamy and batman I went into the freak-out mode. Thankfully it was close enough to the lunch hour that I could go to my mom’s house (where Cole was) and talk to my mom & Phoebe about it while holding my baby tight. If Wyatt & my daddy had been there too it would have been the most comforting place in the entire world. Mom, Phoebe, and Cole were great though. They talked me off the worse-case-scenario ledge and I was able to call the doctor back to get more details. Turns out – on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst (i.e. melanoma), my spot was about a 3.5 meaning it was not technically cancer. Thank you, Lord! It still has to come out and that will take place on November 30th. I will have the surgery at the dermatologist’s office – apparently the Dr. McSteamys of the world don’t take out as much “stuff” around the bad spot as dermatologists do. I figure, if you are going in there to test the margins then make sure you get enough margins to know we are in the clear. What’s the point of a small plastic surgeon inspired scar if they don’t take out enough and we just have to do it again. No thanks. Plus, I saw the plastic surgeon and he is no Dr. McSteamy. Damn.Fingers crossed for a clean bill of health and nothing but a belly hole come Nov. 30th.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T23:06:00.000-05:00

Favorite Things/Must Haves!

2009-11-03T21:26:00.001-05:00

Opinions are like bellybuttons - everyone has one. That being said, here are the things that (in my opinion) have been great for us these past 3 months. I realize that each baby and each family is different so what worked for me might send your child into the demon spawn screaming fit that we all try to avoid. However, since my belly button is still in recovery, I am sharing my opinion.

Nursing Tanks - I pretty much live in these!
Swaddleme’s - I was hesitant at first - Cole is a big fan of his hands. I tried it one night and he slept straight through for almost 12 hours. He has been swaddled and sleeping ever since!
Dr. Brown’s bottles - These are the best! We have had no problems with gas or colic. They are a bit of a pain to clean because of all the parts but its worth it.
A good pump - It's a must if you have trouble BFing in the beginning like we did. It's also a must if you plan on still providing breast milk after going back to work. If you're going to be using it as often as I use mine, make sure you get a good one. I've got the Ameda Purely Yours Deluxe and it's great!
Dishwasher baskets - for those nights when I just don't have the energy to wash all of the bottles
Microwave steam bags - love them! For those nights when running the dishwasher is not an option.
Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle n Swing - Cole loves this thing! He naps in it and is perfectly content to play or just chill in it. There is a mirror on the mobile part and he thinks the baby in that mirror is hysterical!
Baby Legs! - there is more to come on this new and wonderful find
Receiving blankets - you just can't have enough. I use them to swaddle, as blankets, as spit rags, as a spare cape when I'm playing supermom, as sun shields & rain guards... they are wonderful.
Avent pacifiers - Cole did not like the Soothies - they covered his whole face and kept hitting his nose - not a fan. The Avent pacifiers seemed to be the only ones he could keep in his mouth.

So there you have it. I'm sure there are things that I have forgotten but what's new!

First day back...

2009-11-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

Well, it’s here… my first day back to work. It has helped that it’s at the beginning of the month because as long as it was October, November seemed like a ways off. But now we are here and I am slightly heartbroken. I know that I need to go back to work for Cole and for Wyatt and for myself – we wouldn’t be able to manage if I didn’t go back… I still don’t want to though. I feel as comfortable with his daycare plan as a mother can feel – he will be with Wyatt or Wyatt’s mom on Mondays (depending on Wyatt’s schedule), Daycare on Tuesdays & Thursdays, with my mom on Wednesdays, and then home with me on Fridays. He’s not actually starting daycare for another 2 weeks – he’ll be home hanging with his daddy those days. I have just grown so accustom to being the one to give him food when he’s hungry, giggles when he’s funny, hugs and kisses when he’s precious, and all the love I have when he’s upset. In my head I know that Wyatt, my family, his family, and the daycare are all perfectly capable and willing to give him all of these things… it’s just the convincing my heart that is the hard part. My heart thinks that he’s going to cry and wonder where his mommy is because she’s supposed to fix everything. I know this sounds super selfish and conceited - like I am the only one able to provide for him. I think it’s just a natural feeling for a mom leaving her baby for the first time.
Now, having completed my first day, I can say that it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I dropped Cole off at my mom’s this morning and he hung out with his Aunt Peedie until lunchtime. I was able to swing by at lunch to feed him and love on him. Wyatt got there around the same time and took him home for the rest of the day. It was a great thing for Cole to be able to spend some time with Wyatt alone. When I’m home it’s just too easy for me to grab him up when he cries rather than let Wyatt work it out. This has been a learning experience for all 3 of us. Wyatt is an amazing father and his son truly loves him. It’s a joy to see.

Delicious Cookie Dough

2009-11-01T06:55:00.000-05:00

No words needed.

Bring on the "Treaters"

2009-10-31T22:34:00.003-04:00

I love Halloween! Our neighborhood always has a bunch of trick-or-treaters which makes me so happy. We decked Cole out in a homemade "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" outfit. My sister and I were Chocolate Chip "Shooshies" (i.e. chocolate chip cookies) when we were younger so I thought Cole should follow in the tradition. I think he makes a wonderful ball of cookie dough, don't you? We had a great time handing out candy and hanging out with both sets of grandparents. Puddin' even made an appearance in his ghost costume (candy bag and all)!!
We hope you all had a wonderful Halloween.

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T22:24:00.004-04:00

Cole's 1st Halloween. His outfit says, "I want my mummy"

This was our photo attempt before he ate...

This was our attempt after he ate... lol

Cole's 1st piece of mail!

2009-10-30T21:07:00.000-04:00

Cole received his first piece of mail today! It was his Social Security Card - he's a real human now!! :)

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

We took Cole to pick out Pumpkins at the Farmers Market. How cute is he in his jacket that is still a little too big??

My guys - hanging out

2009-10-29T21:47:00.001-04:00

The cutest napper!!

2009-10-26T00:27:00.002-04:00

Is he not the cutest napper you've ever seen??

We're still here!!

2009-10-22T23:31:00.004-04:00

Sorry, I've fallen off the blog wagon again. It's Cole's fault. He's just so dang cute - I can't do anything but snuggle him. My heart is starting to break just a little bit knowing that my Maternity Leave is almost up. I can't talk about that yet and I'm doing my best not to think about it so I will leave you with a few photos of my guys...

Jake

2009-10-07T14:34:00.003-04:00

We had to take our cat (Jake) to the vet today because he has been throwing up a lot lately. He had to get an x-ray and they found that he had an intestinal obstruction! They took him into surgery this morning to remove it. Thankfully, once they were able to look at his intestines they found that the obstruction had made it to the colon so he will most likely be able to pass it on his own, without surgical assistance. They gave him some medicine to get things moving and an enema to try to loosen things up. Hopefully he will be able to get rid of it today so that he can come home tomorrow. Poor kitty!!

Who is the most beautiful baby??

2009-10-06T11:42:00.003-04:00

I am!!

Helping out

2009-10-05T14:52:00.000-04:00

This is Cole helping me with laundry... now you know why I'm not getting much done around the house!! How precious is he???

Happy Birthday, Uncle John

2009-10-04T14:21:00.000-04:00

We celebrated at Red Lobster... Cole slept through the whole thing but he still sends his love to his Uncle John!

Perks of the job

2009-10-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

Thanks to daddy's job, Cole and I got to see the U2 stage before the concert on Saturday. The stage was the biggest thing I have ever seen! It went from one side of Carter-Finley clear to the other side and was as tall as the second level of seats. Crazy big!

Lunch with Aunt Alice

2009-09-30T16:27:00.000-04:00

We went to lunch with Aunt Alice today. It was so wonderful to see her and for her to finally meet Cole! He absolutely fell in love with her and was all smiles and giggles. We wish that Uncle John could have been there too but we know he was there in spirit!

I knew that I would love him...

2009-09-28T00:41:00.004-04:00

I just had no idea that it was possible to love him this much.

Wyatt and I are so incredibly lucky.

Cole is a month and a half and he is smiling and talking and making our lives better every day.

Oh how I love this little boy!

A life fulfilled

2009-09-28T00:19:00.005-04:00

My Great Uncle John passed away last Thursday. I could write a novel about this man. I'm not going to do that here though because I feel like I would have to leave something out. I'll just summarize.
If ever there was a man who lived every bit of his life, it was my Uncle John.
If ever there was a man who loved with all of his heart, it was my Uncle John.
If ever there was a man who could make anyone/everyone feel warm, it was my Uncle John.
While I am heartbroken that he is no longer here - for once, I really can be comforted in knowing that he and my Aunt Alice truly lived and loved to the fullest. I hope that 50-60 years down the road I can say that I did the same.
I love you, Uncle John. Thank you for brightening my world.

We have a 1 month old!!

2009-09-19T13:34:00.002-04:00

How did that happen?

Cole is now 1 month old and as precious as ever.

See...

We went to his 1 month check up on the 16th and he got thumbs up all around. He is now 9lbs 13.5 oz and 22.5 inches! Dr. Chip was very impressed with Cole. He was so well behaved during the appointment. He was content to just stare at me or Dr. Chip throughout the whole exam. Dr. Chip said that he wished every baby was that easy to work with. Dr. Chip also said that Cole was incredibly aware and alert - again, he was impressed - Wyatt and I were bursting at the seams with pride. He did have to get his 2nd HepB shot and that was not so fun. He did really well though, only cried a little bit and settled down as soon as I picked him up. What a great little baby!!

Cole's 1 month tricks:

He's smiling now - not just because of gas!

He is sleeping in 6 hour stretches most nights!

He is becoming very talkative - lots of coos, ahhs, and ehhs - oh and some cries too

That's all for now - precious baby is awake!

Love to all,

haha... Birth Story for real

2009-09-01T17:21:00.003-04:00

So here's the real story:

Wyatt and I checked into the hospital at 7:30pm Wednesday night. We both figured it would take a little while to get checked in and up to a room but we breezed right through and walked into our room by 7:45pm. Our night nurse came in and gave me my gown (FYI- the split really does go in the back and there truly is no way to keep your rear end from hanging out). Once I was properly dressed and settled in the bed the nurse set me up on the monitor. I had heard that the monitors were uncomfortable and that most babies really don't like them... well I didn't have a problem with them and neither did Cole. In fact, Cole was so unaffected by the monitors the doctor decided that they needed to stay on. She said there was nothing to worry about - his heartbeat sounded awesome but she wanted to keep monitoring him because usually the heart rate would react to monitors and contractions by speeding up and/or slowing down. Cole's was just hanging out at a nice 140 all the time. We ended up staying on the monitors until he was born. Not exactly what I had hoped for but only because it sucked to have to call the nurse to unhook me every time I had to pee!
Dr. Rush came in around 8:30pm to check my progress - I was 1cm and 75% effaced. I was hoping that she'd get a surprised look on her face and say, "Oh my, you are already 4 cm!" or something like that... no such luck. My baby boy, stubborn until the end. Dr. Rush put the Foley bulb in around 9pm - it wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world but it was not awful. Once it was placed I felt some cramping and was apparently having contractions but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. In fact, most of the time I didn't even notice... probably because I was so hungry! You know how it goes - as soon as you know there's not a bathroom, you have to pee - well since I knew I couldn't have anything to eat, I couldn't think of anything but food. Wyatt and I had eaten Bojangles at 2:30 but that was my "last meal" and by 11pm I was getting cranky. The nurse had put my Hep lock (IV) in my hand and I really didn't like that. Poor Wyatt was starving too but the cafeteria didn't open again until 12am. So... we sat there and watched TV and talked about what was about to happen. Wyatt finally got to get some dinner at 12am and I got an Ambian - fair trade I think. I got a great night's sleep while Wyatt had to make due on a fold out chair made for a person 1/2 his size.
Thursday morning Dr. Rush came in to check us one last time before her shift ended. We weren't much further than the night before so she went ahead and started the pitocin. Once that was in the contractions really started to pick up. Wyatt was a big fan of the monitor. At first he would say things like, "Oh here comes one." or "Wow, that's a big one!" After I (politely) told him that I knew when they were coming and I definitely knew when they were "big" he switched to saying things like, "You're halfway through!" and "It's over, great job!" I still couldn't stop his facial expressions though. I knew one was coming because his eyes would get big and his eyebrows would go up. He was so great though. Dr. Smith came in around 8am to say good morning and to check our progress - we were about 3 cm and 100% effaced. He asked if I was going to have an epidural and while the pain was not at all unbearable, I was already getting a little tired and I wanted to have some energy left when it came time to push. I told him that I would like an epidural but I wasn't in a huge hurry. Wyatt's sister is a CRNA at the same hospital and she was on duty that morning. She was working a case with one of the best anesthesiologists and told him that I was upstairs - he said he'd come up and do the epidural if I wanted. I told my nurse that and she said that Dr. Smith usually does his own epidurals. At first that made me a little nervous but then again, Dr. Smith was my favorite doctor and I trusted him completely. We called Elissa to see what she thought and she said that if it was any other doctor she'd have the anesthesiologist do it, but that Dr. Smith was fantastic. So, Deanie (my nurse who rocked) set me up with the massive bag of fluid that had to go in before I could get the epidural. At this point my parents and Phoebe had arrived at the hospital and so they were there to witness my "last walk" - it was my last trip to the bathroom before the epidural (and catheter). Another FYI to my fellow pregnant ladies - I would recommend avoiding the mirror after this last bag of fluid has gone in. I thought I was retaining water when I went into the hospital - it got a little worse with the fluids I was given all night but it was gradual. Well, when an entire banana bag of fluid goes in in under an hour... the result is shocking! I was convinced that they'd changed out my mirror as a little joke... that was until I saw pictures later. I had completed my transformation into a chipmunk saving for winter. WOW.
So around 10:30am the fluid was in and I was ready - Dr. Smith came in and I realized that I had definitely made the right decision having him do the procedure. I was not nearly as nervous as I thought I would be. I sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over a pillow. Deanie and Wyatt stood in front of me and held my hands. Dr. Smith told me what to expect before he did anything. Really, the worst part was the numbing agent that he used first! Once everything was in he gave me a test dose and when nothing horrible happened he gave me the goods. I was an instant fan. I could still move and control my legs - it wasn't an all encompassing numb feeling and I was so thankful for that. It did take away the pains of the contractions and that was awesome. Wyatt and I napped for a little bit. Deanie had to come in every 30-45 minutes to help me "whomp" (roll over). The contractions had picked up to every 2-3 minutes but I couldn't feel them. At around 3:30-4pm we were about 6cm and Dr. Smith said that we could expect to dial ate about 1cm each hour. With my math that put us at 7-8pm before we were going to be pushing. Well, about 15 minutes after that check I started feeling pressure like I had never felt before. I can't say that it was painful at first, just really uncomfortable. I told Deanie about it and she said that it was a good sign. The pressure just kept getting worse and it was getting to the point of hurting. Deanie called Dr. Smith and he gave me a booster of the epidural magic. It didn't really do much. By 4:45pm I was really uncomfortable and the contractions were coming every 1-2 minutes. Wyatt was wonderful - holding my hand, telling me when I got to the halfway point, telling me what a great job I was doing, etc. Dr. Smith came in and gave my epidural another boost and this time it really made a difference - I was so excited I gave everyone high fives! 5 minutes later I was unable to stay quiet through the contractions - so much for the epidural boost. At 5pm the pressure was back and nearly unbearable. I was having trouble keeping my body from pushing. Deanie called Dr. Smith - he came in at 5:15pm to check me and incredibly enough I was at 9.5cm! He said that we needed to wait for that last 1/2 cm but that in 30 minutes we'd be ready to push. He left and 5 minutes later I told Deanie that I couldn't wait any longer - my body was pushing on it's own and there was nothing I could do to stop it. She called Dr. Smith and he said, "Go ahead and start pushing. I'll be there soon." So with Deanie holding one leg and Wyatt holding the other, I was finally able to push when the urge struck. Like the books said, it really did feel better to be able to push. Deanie said at the beginning that we could expect to push for 1-2 hours. Cole and I had other plans. By the 3rd push Wyatt said you could already see his head. Deanie called Dr. Smith and told him to hurry up. He came in and took one look and said, "Oh wow, I guess we should get the table ready!" I pushed for a grand total of 30 minutes and then Cole was here! The thing I remember the most about that moment is Wyatt's face. I can't describe it but it's a wonderful picture I have in my head. Dr. Smith held Cole up for me to see and then put him on my belly. Wyatt and I were both crying and laughing. Cole still hadn't cried but I knew he was fine. They suctioned his nose and mouth and then he let out 2 little cries and Wyatt and I both lost it. Wyatt got to cut the cord and then they took him over to get wiped off and weighed. He weighed in at 8lbs 7oz - 21 inches - and perfect.
People have asked if the birth experience was what I had expected and I tell them no - because I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea what it was going to be like. All I know now is that it was all worth it. The entire thing from beginning to end - the weight gain, stretch marks, swollen feet, lack of sleep, painful hips, labor pains, birth, etc. - it was all more than worth it. This little guy is the most amazing thing and the fact that Wyatt and I had something to do with him is just mind blowing.

I realize this is crazy long and I'm sure I got some pieces out of order but it's the best I've got. As I told all of my girlfriends though - if you have any questions about the process that I didn't answer please feel free to ask. I'll be as brutally honest as you want me to be.

Oh, and the one thing that stressed me out more than anything else about the labor... it didn't happen!! :)

Love to all,

Birth Story... finally!

2009-08-28T19:31:00.004-04:00

It has only taken me 2 weeks to get around to posting this... that's not too bad.
Now, you all know I tend to get a little wordy so I will apologize in advance for any rambling that takes place.

Here we go:

Wyatt, Crumb and I checked into the hospital at 7:30pm Wednesday, August 12th.

At 5:52pm Thursday, August 13th - we had a baby.

:-)

We're still here!!

2009-08-23T17:10:00.003-04:00

I knew we'd be a little preoccupied once we got home but I never realized it would be this serious. We just can't stop looking at him. When we do take our eyes off of him it's to shower, sleep, or try to keep the house from completely blowing up around us. Thank goodness for Wyatt. He has been my savior in keeping the house under control and taking care of the animals. I am so lucky to have a husband like him. I know I still owe you the birth story... I'll get on it soon. Here is our precious little guy in his very own "Happenin' Man" Hat. It's a long story but bottom line... it's an adorable picture!!

Love to all,

When they say life changing...

2009-08-19T00:34:00.003-04:00

Hello from the land of a brand new baby...

Going into this whole thing I had this silly little thought that I'd be able to keep up with this blog without any problems.... hee hee hee, boy did I ever have "1st time mom" stamped on my forehead when thinking that. The blog has not exactly been my top priority lately so I apologize if you guys are feeling neglected... because you are being neglected. I hope you can forgive me. I will try to get back on here more often but to hold you over for now... some pictures of the most adorable little guy ever.

Love to all,

I love my life!

2009-08-14T10:21:00.003-04:00

It's Cat! Just checking in real quick while Cole is sleeping.
We are all doing great and he is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I promise to post the birth story later on but bottom line is - he's here and he's perfect! I'm doing great, a little sore but not nearly as bad as I would have thought. Cole is doing great as well - just sleeping a lot.
I woke up early this morning and just had the best moment. Cole was sleeping on my right and Wyatt was sleeping on my left. Both of my guys just snuggled up. I can't beleive this is my life. I am the luckiest girl in the world!
Again, I promise to update again later!
Thanks for all of the great messages and wishes. You guys are wonderful!
Love to all,
Cat, Cole & Wyatt!!

HE'S HERE!!!!!!!

2009-08-13T20:25:00.003-04:00

On 5:52 Cole Wyatt Horton entered this world weighing in at 8lbs 7 Oz's and 21inches in length Mom and baby are doing great. Looking at this baby it makes one realize what is important in life. Cole is one handsome young man; I'm sure glad he got he got his looks from his momma.. We will be putting out a bigger post later on Stay Tuned!!

Still Hangin On

2009-08-13T11:01:00.002-04:00

So it's 11 in the AM and the crumb baby is still not wanting to exit his 10 month old Hilton palace. Mom and baby are doing fine; Catron has just gotten her epidural and she has just found her second true love other than of course yours truly. Dr. Smith advised that we are on the fast track with the induction so hopefully the next posting we will finally be able to reveal this well anticipated name.

Good morning!

2009-08-13T06:47:00.002-04:00

It's Cat! I tell you what, ambien is a wonder drug. I didn't think it would do me much good but I actually got a pretty good night's sleep. I wish they could have given one to Wyatt - these little "dad" chairs aren't made for big guys like him. He managed though and has been so incredibly supportive of me since we got here.
Our room in nice and the nurses and doctor have taken great care of us so far - not that there was any doubt. We are about to get checked again so I've got to run. More updates from Wyatt later!
Love to all,

Patiently Waiting

2009-08-12T22:19:00.002-04:00

First and foremost they saved the best authors for last...Me the daddy otherwise known as Wyatt. We are finally here mom and baby are doing great. Dr Rush who is on call tonight has been very helpful in explaining everything that is going on . So far the Foley bulb is in and the plan is to start Pitocin tomorrow morning bright and early. Contractions have been coming every 7-10 minutes and we are about 1 centimeter dilated. Momma is about to take an ambian so hopefully she'll be well rested tomorrow for the big game.

40 week post

2009-08-10T19:18:00.003-04:00

Sorry, once again we are running behind on our posts. Crumb baby is still not here. We went to the doctor last Tuesday and there was no change - still 50% effaced and somewhere between -2 and 0 station. The doctor said that he didn't want us to go past the 1 week overdue mark so we are now scheduled for an induction. The plan is for us to check in Wednesday night around 7:30pm. They will insert a Foley Bulb which will hopefully get the dilation process started. Usually they will leave that in overnight and then start pitocin in the morning if needed. So bottom line, we will have an outside baby by sometime Thursday!! Yippee!!!

Here I am at 40 weeks.

Happy Due Date!!

2009-08-06T09:52:00.000-04:00

Now where is the guest of honor?!?

Massage away...

2009-08-06T00:08:00.003-04:00

So I went to get a pedicure this afternoon. I decided to try this new place out since they had just opened and were offering 20% off all services... yes please. I walked in and the nice lady at the front desk said, "Pedicure?" I said, "Yes, thank you" wondering if she could see how bad my toes were from the parking lot or if that was just her standard greeting. She then said, "OK, pick yo' color... I'll get you water." Wow, thank you very much. I had just sat down to wait when she said, "Ok, ready." She led me to the chair and I sat, she pulled the arm rest down and the turned on the massage function. All of a sudden this older woman jumped up from the pedicure she was giving down the row and came running over screaming (no lie, screaming), "NO MASSAGE!! NO MASSAGE!! IT MAKE BABY NERVOUS!!" the other lady and I both look at her rather startled - she is talking a mile a minute to the other woman in their language but I'm pretty sure I understood what was going on. The older woman looks at me and says, "When the baby coming?" I said, "Well if it were up to me, he'd be here already but my due date is tomorrow." Either she didn't understand my humor or just didn't find me funny... all I got was a blank stare. "When your baby coming??" she asked again. I said, "My due date is tomorrow." I saw it click right then and her face lit up and she said, "Oh ok, massage away!" and went back to her pedicure. I'm not sure if this is as funny on paper as it was in person (or when I reenact it) but I did my best. Oh, and I managed to get my eye brows waxed - got on and off of the table without hurting myself or the waxing lady. It was a big day.
Happy Due Date to us tomorrow. We'll post the picture/survey tomorrow... Wyatt just got home and I am not in picture form at the moment.
Love to all,

39 week post... sorry so late!

2009-08-03T09:06:00.002-04:00

Well here we are.. 39 weeks and feeling huge!
I don't really care what the doc said last week, this little guy is low!! Oh, and to follow up on that post. I called the office the next day and spoke to a super sweet nurse. She informed me that it was the doctor who wrote in the week, not the nurse. She also said that she wasn't sure if my appt would have gone differently so she was going to check with one of the veteran doctors and call me back. She called back right away and said that she and the doctor had fixed my chart - it looked like the new doc had misread my due date as Aug. 16th rather than Aug. 6th. The veteran doctor said that had I seen him we would have discussed induction options but nothing would have been scheduled until our 40 week appointment. He also said that if I wanted to come back in and see him that would be perfectly fine. I didn't think we needed to do that but it was just nice to get an answer from someone who I felt more comfortable with. We have scheduled our appointment for this week with our favorite doctor so hopefully it will be better.

I haven't done a survey in a while so I'll jump back on that wagon.
How far: 39 weeks
Weight gain: nunnya
Baby weight: around 7lbs
Maternity clothes: most of them don't even fit anymore... :(
Stretch marks: oh gracious yes...
Sleep: I nap like a champ when I have the time to do so. I'm doing my best though.
Best moment this week: Date night with my Wyatt
Movement: He has definitely run out of room. I know he's just as ready to get out here as we are to have him!
Cravings: corn pops
Labor signs: just these BH contractions, and then the real ones that won't stick around long enough
Breakdowns: Oh you mean like the one I had when Wyatt took a picture of me that showed just how yucky I'm looking right now?? Nah, I haven't had any of those.
Belly Button: It's waaaaay out
What I miss: my old body
What Wyatt misses: my old body
Looking forward to: meeting this little guy!! Come on Crumb, we are so excited to see you!!!
Milestones: We're 39 weeks... that's milestone enough for us!

I won't torture you with the head on belly shot.... you're welcome.

!@#$%^&*!

2009-07-29T22:48:00.003-04:00

*** WARNING ***

This does not count as our 39 week post and may be too graphic/personal for some family members, small children, and/or men.

Vent starting... NOW -

We met with the new doctor in our office today. She came in, seemed super nice and excited to meet us. She called me Mary even though Catron is written in big letters at the top of my chart and all of my pages. She asked a couple questions about how I was feeling. She made some chipper comment about us finally being full term which I thought was slightly odd but whatever. She checked the heartbeat and managed to find the one place that made it sound like it wasn't beating very strong... she smiled and said it sounded great. She then began the internal exam. I think she might have been confused as to whether she was supposed to check my cervix or my vocal cords. After about 2 minutes of rooting around she asks me if I could put my hands under my hips. I do this while wondering if it's possible to lose one's cervix. She then informs me that my cervix is still very far back, maybe a fingertip dilated. She also informs me in her sing-song voice that nothing is going to be happening any time soon, "hee hee hee". Once I get further along my cervix will come forward and internals won't be as painful. She then signs off on my chart and says, "We'll see you in a week."

Once she is out of the room Wyatt asks me if I'm ok. I nod as he has to help me off of the table. He asks if I'm disappointed and I say a little... I feel like the 39 week appointment should contain more than that, especially if we haven't made much progress. He asks if it hurt and I tell him that I think those internals must be the reason she works out at the gym... hell yes it hurt! I have had several internals so far, my first one being at 26 weeks and the doctors have NEVER had such a hard time "finding" my cervix or letting me know it's status. I also told him that I really didn't appreciate her sounding so chipper about "nothing happening any time soon" but that we were making great progress. Now if you recall, last week we were 50% effaced and thinning well and Crumb was at 0 station. This doctor was now congratulating me on being almost 50% effaced at -2 station... did she really just say congratulations on going backwards?? I realize that Aug. 6th is an estimated due date and all of that but I just didn't think that was something you should say to a woman in her 39th week of pregnancy. So, I got home, pouted for a little while about the lack of progress and then got over it. I didn't get over the whole "off" feeling I got from this doctor though. I went back to look at my chart and BAM, the nurse that had checked me in put down that I was just now 37 weeks!! That would explain why she said that we were just now full term, why she would dare giggle about nothing happening any time soon, and why she would just say we'll see you next week like it was no big deal. This also made me realize that she must not have even read the previous notes in my file - hints why she called me Mary (Catron wasn't written on the page she was writing on), why she congratulated us on our progress when in fact she had just told us we were going backwards, etc.

We went to dinner with my family and they got me laughing like I knew they would. I'm feeling much better but I am going to call the office tomorrow to let them know that "this just won't do". I know that being 39 weeks vs 37 weeks won't change my progress but whatever... I've been saving my monumental pregnancy hormone blow up for this long... I think I've earned the right to use it.

Vent over.

Thanks,

Seriously?!?

2009-07-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

First of all, I have a confession. My name is Catron and I am a blog addict. It's not my blog so much as it is other blogs - especially other prego blogs. I'm learning that there are a lot of pregnant women like me who have also become blog addicts. Perhaps we should start a support blog... would that be counter-productive?
Anyway, I was reading one of the many blogs I check on a regular basis and this one had a quick little note celebrating a recent success at the doctor's office. This success (and more so the need for celebrating) got me thinking about some of the injustices of pregnancy. Now, I love this whole pregnancy deal, no I'm not smoking crack, I really have loved most of it. I have just noticed that there are a few things that are really out of whack (like putting an "s" in lisp). So here are 2 examples and perhaps they will explain why this post is called... Seriously?!?
Example #1: My blogging friend was celebrating another week of not peeing on her hand while collecting a urine sample. First of all, high five my friend, that is truly a feat worthy of celebration. My point is that it shouldn't have to be. Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to give a very pregnant woman a cup with a 2 1/2 inch diameter and tell her to pee in it?? It's a hard enough task when you're not pregnant but strap a watermelon to your belly and then try to "catch". Seriously?!?
Example #2: I've blogged about this before but it's worth repeating... since I hear it every day. "Sleep while you can." Again, I love my sleep. I was following this advice before I even knew it was advice. If it was possible to log sleep hours for later use I would be in seriously great shape! Unfortunately, you can't log sleep hours. If I knew how to do that and could bottle it up, I would be rich and would never have to work again and then I wouldn't even need my own invention. So until this invention is completed (don't steal my idea... unless you can make it work) we are all doing the best we can to get the sleep we need when we can. Now, when you have (as previously mentioned) a precious being the size of a watermelon in your belly, sleep becomes one of the hardest things to obtain (other than that pinky toe on my left foot). I'm getting off topic here... the point is... the last few months of pregnancy there should be this sleep bubble that surrounds you making it possible to sleep for at least 5 straight hours without peeing on yourself, losing all feeling in your hips/legs, or waking up due to back pain. This bubble does not exist. I understand that this is preparing me for parenthood but if that's the case then tell these "parents" to stop telling me to "sleep while I can." I'm PREPARING here!!! Seriously?!?
That's all I am going to get into here... thanks for listening! :-) As always, if you think I'm talking about you... I'm probably not... :)
Love to all,

38 weeks... sorry for the late post

2009-07-26T00:51:00.003-04:00

I've been a complete blog slacker lately... I know, there is no excuse. It's not like I have anything else going on in my life - my apologies! :) There really hasn't been too much going on - just preparing for baby. I still have a ton of posts that I need to catch up on (baby showers, Ann Margret & Conrad update, etc.) but for now I'll just do my 38 week post and go to bed!

I'm going to skip the survey today and just roll with it...

HOLY COW!!!! We are 38 weeks. That means that we are only 2 weeks away from our due date (well less than that now that it's Sunday morning). I think I had my oh wow moment on Wednesday at the doctor's office. When I was checking out and making our appointment for next week the nice lady asked if I wanted to go ahead and set up the next one as well so that we could get the day and time that we needed. I said, "Sure, that would be great. We'll need either a Thursday or Friday appointment for that week." She then says, "Ok, that puts us at August 6th or 7th... ummm, wait a minute, that's your due date! Let's hold off on scheduling that appointment ok?" I think I said, "............... uhhuh" while nodding my head with Wyatt's help. It was just sort of a reality check that this little guy is going to be here soon - really soon. I can't wait.

Anywho - the doctor's appointment went great. We've made a tiny bit of progress - last week we were -2 station and just "thinning" (did I mention that I was really glad he didn't use the word "ripening"? That's just a deformality). This week we were 50% effaced (thinned) and at 0 station which means that we are moving in the right direction. Crumb is definitely head down and will stay that way until his birthday. While Wyatt and I were thrilled to hear that there had been some progress, I know we were both secretly hoping that the doc would say something along the lines of, "Why don't you guys run home, grab a shower and your hospital bags and just meet us in Labor and Delivery." Oh well, maybe next week!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (i.e. my ever expanding mid-section) Crumb is doing great. I can definitely tell that he has dropped - Wyatt can tell too. It's nice because I can breath and he's not kicking my ribs anymore but it can get a little uncomfortable at times and I pee all the time. I am not joking... all the time... I've already been twice since starting this post... ok just once but still. He is still moving around and I've been able to feel his feet, butt, shoulder, and elbow. I'm not a huge fan of his elbow at the moment. It seems to find the exact spot where my belly is in relation to the desk, counter, sink, whatever and that is where he elbow chops me - it's quite painful to have your belly slammed into a desk, counter, sink from the inside. However, I know that when this little elbow is out in the world, I am going to love it more than any other elbow ever.

Let's see, what else. Wyatt is so ready to meet this little guy. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. We danced in the kitchen last night while making dinner (I love that new Black Eyed Peas song "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night"), I sat on the ab ball, we went for a super long walk... all the while Wyatt is asking how I'm feeling and politely telling Crumb that he is so ready for him to come out. He has been the most incredible person through this whole thing. I thought he was pretty incredible before we started this journey but he has truly surpassed my expectations. I am the luckiest woman.

Ok, that's enough late night ramblings for now.

Here's what I know you all came to see... my gigantic belly piece.

Love to all... and good night!

What a difference 10 weeks makes...

2009-07-21T00:30:00.002-04:00

27 weeks vs. 37 weeks

Ann Margret & Conrad

2009-07-20T23:40:00.009-04:00

So Wyatt and I have a bird's nest in our front porch lamp. We first noticed it several weeks ago and have been watching it ever since. At first, the only bird we saw was a small little brown bird so we named her Ann-Margret (from Bye Bye Birdie) (Mom's idea - awesome). We couldn't tell if there were eggs in there or not but she'd fly out of there every morning when I'd leave for work and then she'd be back in there when I got home at night. We were starting to become pals. Well, I got home from work one day and Wyatt tells me that there is a bird stuck in the lamp. I said, "Is it Ann-Margret?" He says, "No, its a bigger bird with red on it's chest." I went to look at the lamp and sure enough, there was a much bigger bird stuck in the lamp. Now I know you've all had an experience with a bird flying head first into your closed window or seen one fly into one of those big mirrored office buildings - it's awful and it's just so obvious that they don't understand the concept of glass. This bird could not for the life of him figure out how to get out of the lamp. He was flapping around and spreading his wings as far as he could - it was awful. I will be honest, at first I thought he was either trying to steal Ann-Margret's nest or (worse) that he was one of those egg stealers and had gone in there to eat her babies... I did not feel so sorry for him then but I wanted him out so that Ann-Margret could come back! Wyatt very carefully took the lamp down and crazy bird flew out, then Wyatt starts yelling for me. He said, "Cat, Ann-Margret had already laid her eggs." I'm thinking, oh no, the crazy bird ate them, or he stepped on them. Then Wyatt says, "The eggs have already hatched!" AHHH!! So then I was really worried that this bird squished them or that because Wyatt was touching part of the nest that Ann-Margret would never come back - I gathered up my courage and looked into the nest and saw 3 semi-feathered blobs of chewed grape bubble gum... that's what they looked like - the best part was, as far as I could tell all 3 blogs were moving. I told Wyatt to put the lamp back up and I went to google to see how to raise super brand new baby birds since I just knew Ann-Margret was not coming back. Thankfully I was wrong. By the time I got back downstairs with tears in my eyes to tell Wyatt that everything I had read said to just let nature take it's course... Ann-Margret was back in the nest!!! :) To make a long story a little shorter... this big boy bird has come back several times - he has now figured out how to get in and out of the lamp and we're assuming he's the daddy - his name is Conrad. The babies are thriving and I've even seen Ann-Margret feed them a few times. I'm sure she and Conrad had a hysterical conversation about him getting stuck in the lamp - I wish I could have heard that one. So, sorry for the super long post but it's been an exciting time watching this new family build and grow and struggle and survive. Here are a few photos and a little video of the babies.

We've got a FULL TERM baby!!!

2009-07-17T06:52:00.001-04:00

Wow!!!! 37 weeks – officially full term. I can’t believe we are here already. It seems like just a month or so ago I was telling Wyatt that he was going to be a dad… now he’s about to have living, breathing, squirming proof of that. I can’t wait!!
I have been a super slacker when it comes to posting so I do apologize for that. There has been so much going on I just haven’t had the time (or more honestly, the energy) to post. I’ll work on that this weekend maybe. Let’s get to the most important stuff first…
How far: 37 weeks 1 day
Weight gain: oh golly… 40+ lbs… I can’t wait to start losing that!
Baby weight: Crumb weighs anywhere between 6 1/3- 7 lbs at this point. This is where the weight and the length start to vary baby by baby.
Stretch marks: I made it so far without any… but now I have them and I’ll get over it as soon as I see Crumb.
Sleep: What sleep? If one more person tells me to sleep while I can, I might end up having this baby in the slammer. Don’t you think I would be sleeping if I could? I’m not exactly the kind of person that skimps on sleep if I can help it. Being 37 weeks pregnant makes sleep a thing of the past…. Good practice I’ve been told.
Best Moment: We had 3 showers this past week and so we got lots of fun stuff for the Crumb baby and I got to see some of my dearest friends and family. At one of those showers we got our car seat so that has now been installed (thanks John) and we are officially ready to bring Crumb baby home!
Movement: He is out of control! He pushed my stomach out so far the other day that Wyatt noticed it from the driver’s seat of the truck! He’s still talking about it!
Cravings: No cravings… just favorites… shrimp and ice cream (not together)
Labor signs: The Braxton Hicks contractions are still here as are the “real but not real” contractions. I thought for sure we were having a baby the other morning – I was having contractions about 7-10 minutes apart for over an hour. I decided to wake Wyatt up after the next contraction… and they stopped. Dag-nabbit Woody!! So I’ve been having them sporadically but that’s it. We’ll see if they are doing anything today at our doctor’s appointment.
Breakdowns: I think I’ve been pretty good this week.
Belly Button: Out
What I miss: Sleep
What Wyatt misses: a wife that can drink beer with him after a long day… not much longer, bud!
Looking forward to: our doctor’s appointment today, our final shower on Saturday, and the biggest one of all – meeting this baby!!
Milestones: We’re full term… I’d say that’s the biggest milestone until the actual birth! :)
I’ll do my best to finish the other posts this weekend.
37 Weeks:

P.S. - my husband is the silliest!

36 Weeks!!

2009-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

We are in the home stretch! As of today Crumb has the green light from the doctors to come out and play. Now, as we all know, Moms and Dads trump everyone else so we are telling Crumb that he doesn't have the green light until next week at least. Really and truly though - whenever he's ready would be just fine with us. We can't wait to meet him. The nursery is really coming together and I will try to post pictures soon. I've been making lists like crazy so we'll have lots to do for the next little while. Here are the stats:
How far: 36 weeks!
Weight gain: I'd say we're close to 40 lbs ::sigh::
Baby weight: 6 lbs - that's serious!!
Stretch Marks: I got one... actually 2. Wyatt hasn't been able to find them yet (or at least he's doing a good job pretending) so I'm not too stressed about them.
Sleep: Oh, not so good... :( I think if I could stay home all day and just nap through out the day that would be really helpful... too bad that's not how it works.
Best moment this week: We had dinner with Ashley and Jeremy this week. It was so great to finally get together with them. We've also been taking lots of evening walks which gives us time to talk about everything - baby and non-baby. I love talking with Wyatt.
Movement: Oh yes! I've got knees and heels and elbows poking out all over the place. Crumb seems to be convinced that he can escape through my belly button.
Cravings: Lemonade!! We've gone through at least 6 pitchers this week!
Labor signs: The Braxton Hicks are still around. I have been having some real contractions since Tuesday night but nothing consistent.
Breakdowns: I think I've been doing pretty good lately... if you've heard differently from Wyatt then he's lying. :)
Belly button: Make the sound, "Whoooo"... right now... no, seriously, do it. My belly button looks like that... that's the best way I can describe it. It shows through my shirts and my friends thing it is really funny. I get a kick out of it too.
What I miss: Being able to find a comfortable position for sleeping, sitting, standing, etc. Being able to put my pants on without having to sit down first. Seeing my feet.
Looking forward to: Holding Crumb. The parade of Baby Showers that start on Saturday. 5:00 tomorrow.
Milestones: "Your baby continues to put on weight at about 1/2 pound each week. This layer of fat will help your baby regulate his body temperature after leaving your climate-controlled womb. In fact, your baby will be 15 percent fat at birth (and you ... well that's another story). Even in the womb, your baby can listen, feel, touch and see. The only thing separating him from living in the outside world is a little thing called the birth canal."
Other highlights this week:
-Crumb's gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though his actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until he's between three months and a year old.
-Crumb has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Crumb will become alert and turn his head toward light and sound just as a newborn would—except when I put on that Celine Dion CD. Then he puts his hands up, turns away and gurgles, "Oh no you didn't!"
-Crumb is now around 18 1/2 inches long and nearly 6 pounds—just about as big as a breadbox!

Here we are at week 36:

My guys...

2009-07-08T19:45:00.004-04:00

We are really getting close. I think Dugan knows. He sits with me whenever he gets the chance and just rests his head on my lap - nose to belly. It's very cute. I think he also knows that his favorite play toy (Wyatt) is about to have a new priority. He and Wyatt play now more than ever and it's one of my favorite things to watch. Granted, this game has caused Wyatt 2 broken toes but whatever... :) Here is a little photo snap shot of their favorite game - Ring around the Island. I'll try to get video of it next time!!

Love to all,

Movie Warning!!

2009-07-04T10:43:00.004-04:00

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT watch Marley & Me!! I know, I was warned and I'd even read the book so I knew what happened at the end but I still managed to get talked into watching it. Awful. Yes, there are very funny parts and parts that are very applicable to our life right now but all of that was not worth the end of the movie. I'm already swollen enough - i didn't need a night full of heapy-sobbing. If you feel like you must watch it... just stop watching after Marley has trouble getting up the steps. From that point on you either stop watching or you get an extra large box of tissues and hold your pet close. Wyatt and I love dogs way too much and as he put it, "Things like that suck enough in real life and they happen, why would you want to be reminded of what's coming? We are never watching that again." Then we went outside to play with our dogs.

I just wanted to warn you...

For those that warned me... I'm sorry I didn't listen. You have every right to say, "I told you so."

Here are our precious fur-babies:

Jake

Lucy

Dugan

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!

2009-07-04T10:37:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th everyone!

Puddin' got a new hat for this special holiday and we wanted to share...

We hope you all have a happy and safe weekend.

Thanks to all who are out there keeping us safe either here or overseas.

35/35!!

2009-07-03T12:21:00.002-04:00

We are cruisin'!!!

We've made it to another milestone... 35/35 - we are 35 weeks along and have 35 days left until Crumb's due date! I am just amazed. Wyatt and I have been getting more and more excited with each passing day. We just can't wait to meet this little guy.

This week has been busy. We've been working on finishing up the nursery - hanging curtains, installing shelves, doing laundry, etc. It is really coming together. There are still a few more things that we need to finish but we'll keep plugging away.I have definitely started to feel pregnant this week. I get out of breath just thinking about breathing. :) So for now, here are the weekly pictures. I'll update the survey later. Oh, you may note that there is a clue about Crumb's name in this week's picture. We have officially officially chosen a name. I know we said that once before and changed it... this time though, we are serious and we are both thrilled.

Have fun with the clue... it's the only one we're giving until he gets here.

35 weeks:

Baby Shower #1

2009-06-29T22:21:00.005-04:00

We had our first baby shower a few weekends ago thanks to our dear friends Brandon & Jen. We had a blast catching up with friends and seeing the new additions to our group. There are more pictures out there but these will hold you over for now!

Layla and me just hanging out.

Crumb's 1st Giraffe!

The cutest little baby boy shoes!!

Crumb's got a long way to go to catch up with his daddy!

Crumb's 1st Wolfpack cup! Daddy can't wait to watch football with his little man!

I'm PUMPED!!!! Literally...

2009-06-26T23:57:00.003-04:00

I won a brand new - still sealed in the box Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump Deluxe on ebay!! This usually runs around $250 in a store... I got it for $127.00 shipping and all included! So as I said before, I'm pumped! Pun not originally intended... but too good to pass up.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

34 Weeks!!

2009-06-26T07:22:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it?? We had an appointment yesterday and the doctor had to check things out a little closer since I have been having some pretty uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm happy to report that everything is fine though and Crumb is still hanging tough. The only scary part was when the doctor said, "Just get through these next 2 weeks and then he can just come right on out." Um, excuse me, did you say 2 weeks?? Granted that would be at the very early side of things but wha??? We are 6 weeks from his due date... I could be prepared for a 38 or 39 week delivery... that would give me 4-5 weeks... I could maybe handle 3 weeks which would put us at the 37 mark... but 2 weeks?? I have so much to do! :) We are getting silly excited about meeting this little guy though!

I'll give you a quick run down of the stats this week:

How far: 34 weeks and 1 day

Weight gain: I'm around 35-37 lbs

Baby weight: 5 lbs!! That's a whole bag of sugar!!

Stretch marks: Still none ::practically breaks desk in half while knocking on wood::

Sleep: I actually slept through most of the night last night (only 1 trip to the bathroom) and I have felt so great today!!

Best moment this week: We had our first shower last Sunday and it was wonderful!! Oh, and my full night of sleep!

Movement: I feel like an overstuffed washing machine!! I love it!

Cravings: Food

Labor signs: Just the Braxton Hicks contractions getting stronger - had a few more "new" feelings but the doc said they were all normal and nothing to worry about. Way to go buddy - you just keep cooking for a few more weeks (3 at least.. for your mamma)

Breakdowns: ummm, I don't think I've had any... I could be delusional though

Belly Button: Oh sweet button... I hope one day you will go back to normal. Thanks for making me giggle in the meantime... because when I giggle you push out even more which just makes me giggle harder. You are truly a joy.

What I miss: Nothing. I am really loving this pregnancy right now.

What Wyatt misses: normal hugs - Crumb sort of gets in the way right now!

Looking forward to: A 4 day work week next week!

Milestones: I had my first true nesting experience last night. This included an overwhelming need to pull all of our dishes out of the cabinets and completely rearrange the kitchen. Did I mention that I started this project around 10:30pm?? I could not stop! Poor Wyatt had to go on an Easter Egg Hunt when he got home just to get a glass of water.

Here we are at 34 weeks:

I'm ready for my close-up!

2009-06-23T18:55:00.000-04:00

Here are some of our favorites from the Maternity Photo Shoot.

Our fabulous photographer was Phoebe Fox Blankinship - my sister and buddy. Yes, I know she is fantastic - yes, you too can hire her for photo shoots - no, I am not in the least bit biased - she's just really this good! This shoot will also have to count as our 33 week belly shot since Wyatt and I were at the beach last week!

How cute!

2009-06-15T17:25:00.002-04:00

My fantastic sister came over to take pictures of us this past weekend... She sent me one to hold me over while she works on the rest. I love it!!

32 Weeks!!

2009-06-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

Holy cow, time is flying!! Crumb is 32 weeks today and getting bigger by the minute. I am just not feeling the survey today so I am going to cheat and copy from one of my weekly update emails. Here are some stats on week 32:

Although Crumb will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time he will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Both Mom and Crumb are putting on some serious weight at this point (awesome).I'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up Crumb (at least it's for a good cause). He'll likely double his weight in the next eight weeks.
Ever wonder what Crumb is doing in there these days? He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Crumb may (or may not) have a full head of hair now. If he's a baldy, don't worry. We can always buy a Baby Toupee!

Crumb is about 17 inches long and weighs about 4 pounds!!

Wyatt and I have our Labor & Delivery class this weekend so we are both looking forward to that. We are also taking our Maternity Photos with Phoebe on Sunday! :)

Here are the 32 week pictures:

31 Weeks!!

2009-06-04T16:15:00.003-04:00

Wow!! We are in the single digits week-wise... only 9 weeks to go if Crumb decides to arrive on time. I cannot believe how fast time is flying! Things are going great so we'll just jump right into the good stuff...

How far: 31 weeks

Weight gain: a lot! :( I'm not sure what the exact number is but I feel like it's around 150,000,000 pounds...
Baby weight: 3 1/2 pounds!!

Stretch Marks: We are still stretch mark free ::knocks on wood, then knocks again::

Sleep: It is still a struggle but I'm managing. It's good practice for when Crumb gets here... or so I keep hearing.

Best moments this week: Seeing Crumb's heel stick out right below my rib cage. Crumb kicking Wyatt when he tried to kiss my belly. Seeing Ashley, Shawn, and JWall. My surprise visit from Kaylor. Visiting with Dr. Deibel, my good friend who just graduated medical school and is about to start his residency at a women's hospital in Chicago. Too bad Crumb was not being very cooperative...

Movement: As always, a ton until someone other than Wyatt gets near and then nothing.

Cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios & ice cream... always ice cream.

Labor signs: Have I mentioned that I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions? When I have one it looks like Crumb is being vacuum sealed in a Ziploc bag - you can definitely tell where he is hanging out because that side will be much larger than the other during a contraction. It's pretty funny looking.

Breakdowns: Ummm, I think I've been pretty good this week... Wyatt??

Belly Button: I think it is very close to surrendering completely. Depending on the time of day the top part sticks out more. My darling, dearest, sweet, honey-mustard husband told me the other night that it looked like a baby weenie... wonderful, not only do I have to deal with thighs the size of Texas but now I have a baby penis on my stomach. LOL, luckily that seemed to be only a one night symptom as the "baby weenie" has not made a repeat appearance.

What I miss: Being able to get vertical without needing assistance. I went to have my eyebrows waxed last night and when the sweet little woman (who is about the size of my right thigh, i.e. West Texas) started to wrap things up I started to stress about how I was going to get up and off the table. You see, I can't just sit straight up like I used to. My never fail "just roll off" method was not a good choice seeing as how the table was much higher than my bed or the couch which are the only surfaces I have practiced this method on. I couldn't likely ask this "definition of petite" woman to push or pull me up... so I started to panic. The moment came, "OK, all done." and my normal sigh of relief was replaced with with the thought of, "Oh hell, here goes nothing." If I could have gotten this on video I would have made a lot of money. In order to save myself as much embarrassment as possible I just figured I'd do what I had to do as quickly as I could. So, in true Will Ferrell physical comedy style, I attempt to pull my legs up and then slam them down quickly in rapid succession to build up enough of a rocking motion to propel my upper body into a sitting position. While attempting to do this I realize that it's not working so I also throw in my "just roll off" method and end up looking like a jacked up see-saw/weeble wobble that most certainly can fall down. I manage to get my legs over the edge of the table and practically throw myself onto Mrs. Petite who is trying her best to appear helpful while staying as far away as possible. After a lot of expelled energy and awkwardness I am up on two feet, paying my fee, and making a bee line for my car so that I can sit and laugh hysterically at myself in private.

Looking forward to: Taking Maternity pictures with Phoebe!

Milestones: Crumb is now a little over 16 inches long. He can now process information from all five senses—so he'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as he mashes them into his hair, hear me crack up and then see the flash as I grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

The good stuff:

30 weeks... Finally!

2009-05-31T21:34:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the delay folks! It was a very busy week at the Horton house.

Here are the stats:

How far: 30 weeks
Weight gain: 25 lbs… possibly a little more but it’s just baby fat.
Baby weight: 3 whole pounds!!!
Stretch marks: Nope!! :)
Sleep: Ha! I get some sleep but with that sleep I get aching hips, tingling legs and ribs that feel like they’ve been in a vice for 4 days…. I love it!
Best moment this week: Getting my "place holder" wedding band since my rings no longer fit. Rocking in the glider talking to Crumb about his name… we’ve made a final decision… No, we are still not sharing so there is no need to keep asking.
Movement: Oh yes. As I told my Aunt Patty – his movements are more like waves that gradually build in intensity until I look down and my stomach has completely changed shape and there is a heel sticking out directly below my rib cage. He does still have a few of the big twitches… If he’s anything like his dad, he must be sleeping.
Cravings: Just a damn plain bagel…
Labor signs: Still having a lot of Braxton Hicks – if these are truly practice for the real labor then mine is going to be a piece of cake (and no, I am not naïve enough to think that is really true).
Breakdowns: Oh boy did we ever have a big one last Wednesday! Whew! Wyatt had to go do some additional training and so I was home alone for the night and I just heapy-sobbed all night. LOL, out of control!!
Belly Button: Still a little in, a little out. You can see the “out” part through my shirt now though… it makes me laugh.
What I miss: Sleeping on my back/stomach.
What Wyatt misses: most likely, sleeping in a bed that does not have 500,000,000 pillows on it.
Looking forward to: We are going to the lake this weekend with the K-9 group… I am looking forward to getting in the water and just floating.
Milestones: Crumb is almost 16 inches long! He can now open his eyes and distinguish between light and dark. What a smart little guy.