I'm Coming Back, I Promise!!!!

So much has been going on since Caroline was born and I fully intend to catch you all up on everything! I am going to be back dating some entries from her birth forward so I can keep record of everything that has happened! Without question my life since my little one arrived has been the most happy, yet exhausting, time of my life. Check back over the next few days for updates!!! I hope everyone is doing well!!=)

Caroline's Christmas Loot!

Sure... it's a bit ridiculous. We know this!! THIS is what our little one got for her first Christmas.


After looking at this picture it was easy for us to see that Santa may have gotten a bit caught up and gone overboard on the presents... after all, that is not what Christmas is about, is it!?!=) In Santa's defense, she did get quite a few books and developmental toys that she will really use in the months too come. In the mean time, they are taking up quite a bit of space in my living room! So, we are now toy box shopping!

What we are Thankful for this year!

It can be so easy to take the good things in life for granted and get caught up in the negative. I truly am a very appreciative person and I would like to share with you a few of the things that I am thankful for!

1. Caroline- goes without saying really.=) We prayed so hard for this sweet blessing and now she is here! This Holiday season will be the best yet, just because we get to share it with her... I am SOOO Thankful!
2. Chris- Chris works so hard for Caroline and Myself and I know how lucky I am that he is willing to sacrifice his time with our girl for me to be a stay at home mom!
3. Our Health- Ok... so maybe this is a bit ironic since I just has the ole' Gallbladder out... but we are generally very healthy and I am very grateful for it!
4. Our Job- Business is Great and it seems to be getting better. We are so lucky to be financially secure at a time when the economy seems to be going crazy!
5. Our Family- What would we do without the Family!?! I have been saying this over and over lately! I have truly had to depend on my family since I had Caroline(Thanks Mom!) and when I spent the Week in Florence after my surgery! Everyone had to pitch in with Caroline since I was down and it was a great reminder of how family is always there!
6. Our Friends- Always there, always caring, always the BEST! They have had to be especially patient lately since we have been a bit preoccupied with the baby. They have shared in our joy and have welcomed our wee-one into their lives.

The list could really go on and on! We are So Thankful!!!

Caroline's Arrival... so, so long!!!

The last post that I wrote was on Halloween night, Friday, just before I went to bed. I woke up Saturday morning around 9 and realized that I was in early labor. My contractions felt different and I just knew that she would be coming soon! I woke Chris up to tell him, but also warned him that we would be staying at home for as long as I could handle it. I jumped to it and ran to target to pick up some final items that I thought we might need and Chris started packing our Cameras and tried to relax by watching Saturday football. I finished running my errands around 1. While my contractions were more painful and "different" they were not in the set pattern that they needed to be in.

We spent the afternoon together relaxing and watching the Florida/Georgia and Alabama Homecoming games on TV. I knew that I didn't want to start making lots of phone calls, getting friends and family overly excited... especially since we had no real timetable and this could go on for days! About halfway through the Texas/Texas Tech Game I was in real pain. I went downstairs and took a long bubble bath to try to help myself relax. I knew my hours at home were coming to a close and I was getting a bit anxious and eager to meet my baby girl! Chris and I attempted to go to bed around 11, but my contractions strengthened further and formed a nice pattern of 1 every 4-5 minutes. I was in a fair amount of pain anyways, but I did want to stay at home for as long as I could since hospitals are so uncomfortable! I had already made a list of the "last minute" things I would need to do when it was time to head to the hospital. First on my list, jump in the shower!

Once we decided that we needed to go to the hospital Chris was ready to go THEN! He called the Dr himself and told her what was going on. Then he called my mom and told her what was going on but told her that we would call her and update her when we found out this was for sure it. Immediately he jumped into super husband mode and started grabbing things we might need for the hospital. There were two problems with this. One, I already knew exactly where everything needed to be packed(which bag an item went in and where that bag went in my small car) and two, I was in the shower getting dressed while Chris was doing this! This led to a bit of chaos once I finished dressing and realized that while Chris had the BEST of intentions, all of my organized plans were dashed!=)

Chris was a bit panicked by how calm I was as we were headed to hospital. I knew just what I wanted to accomplish before I left and Chris was a bit frustrated by this, since he had his own plans! It was around 12:30 by the time we were leaving for the hospital and my husband was hungry! Chris was rushing me along, which I did not like!, and it turns out that he had an ulterior motive. I assumed he was concerned about my well being and the contractions that I was experiencing. Once we were on the road and I was sitting still in my car, my contractions seemed much more intense. Imagine my surprise when my dear husband didn't make a turn towards the hospital and instead decided to make a run for the border! I am referring to an after midnight Taco Bell run! Not kidding folks!!! At no time in all of my planning and building up of this moment did I think that we would be making a fast food stop while I was in serious pain!! All of this to say that I was somewhat irritated with my husband by the time he ate, of course I couldn't eat a thing, and we parked at the Saint Vincents parking lot!

We checked in, met our nurse and she immediately hooked me up to the monitors to see how often I was contracting. The contractions were getting pretty intense and I was getting more and more uncomfortable. They checked me and told me that I was only dilated to 1 1/2. I was shocked!!! I had been in labor all day and was really hurting! How could I have made so little progress?! The nurse then encouraged me to go ahead and take some pain medicine since I was progressing slowly, but was unable to sleep due to the pain. The Nubain they gave me made me feel loopy and absolutely knocked me out! Chris had fallen asleep within the first hour of arriving at the hospital and for the next few hours we just waited to see what progress I was making so the nurse could report it back to the Dr on call.

When the nurse came back to check me around 3am I was still only dilated to 1 1/2 and she said the Dr. on call was going to send me home to labor if I didn't make any more progress. Since they had already given me the "loopy medicine" I could not imagine going home. Fortunately when the nurse came back to check me at 5am I had dilated to 3 and we were told told that they were going to check me into my own room at St. Vincents and that we would indeed be leaving with our little Caroline!

After we settled in to our "Birthing Suite" and I was hooked up to everything again, I decided to call my Mother and tell her that things were progressing. I had last spoken with her when we were checking into the hospital but when I called she was actually about 15 minutes from the hospital in Birmingham! Mom, Chris and I sat in my room all morning watching my steady contractions on the monitor. Around 9am the Dr. came in to check me and I was dilated to 4. She told me she wanted me to get to 6 before I got my epidural and that they would continue to give me the "loopy medicine" until then. By 10am I was wondering where the Dr was and wanting my epidural!!! The nurse told me that I was far enough along to get it, but that the Dr would need to be present for me to get it... so we waited... and waited... and waited. At this point, everything becomes VERY fuzzy for me. I remember the nurse coming in and saying we needed to move my monitors around because Caroline was "moving"... The medicine had knocked me out so much that I was in and out of it for quite a while and all I knew was that during this time my Mom, Chris, and the nurse were staring at the computer monitor that showed the contractions and constantly moving the monitors that were strapped to my stomach.

Once I somewhat regained consciousness, since the medicine was wearing off, I started asking where that Dr. was again! Around 1pm they called the anesthesiologist to come to our room and get it going. Through all of this I had a WONDERFUL nurse that really helped me through it! Thank Goodness for her!!! It turns out that the Dr. on call, not my normal Dr. since it was a Sunday, had plans for the night and I was interfering with her getting her hair and makeup done for the evening... I am serious!!! Grrr....Nurse Wonderful had to practically fight to get me my epidural since the Dr didn't want to come back to the hospital.

At 1:30pm I finally got my epidural, which I was surprisingly not anxious about in the slightest. I think it was probably because I was in pain and couldn't wait for it to go away! Almost immediately after the Anesthesiologist stuck me, while I was still sitting up on the side of the bed I got a headache. I asked the Dr. if that was normal and he said "sometimes". After I got my epidural, which was heaven by the way=), they hooked me up to pitocin and I went to sleep for a few hours. Around 3:30pm the nurse came in to check me and said I was almost ready to go and they were going to start prepping the room for delivery! I couldn't believe it! I was so ready to meet my Girl!!!

I started pushing around 4:30pm and the Dr became very focused on the contraction monitor, watching my contractions and Caroline's heart rate as she responded to them. At 5:05pm the Dr announced that if she wasn't born with next contraction then we were going to need to get her out as quickly as possible. I was surprised by this, because as far as I knew, nothing was wrong and it didn't seem like anything was wrong... but I didn't know everything! Fortunately, Caroline was born on the next contraction- with her cord wrapped around her neck twice. I cried, Chris cried, my Mom cried... it was wonderful! Seeing her for the first time, holding her, it was all just surreal. I still get chills just thinking about it:-)

Chris wasn't able to cut the cord since she had it wrapped around her neck and the Dr needed to get it off of her quickly. When Caroline was pushed down with each contraction the cord was tightening around her neck which was putting my little girl in distress. They had figured this out earlier in the day when Caroline was "moving away" from the monitors but Chris and Mom decided it was in my best interest that I not know about this. They could see her heart rate changing on the monitor and this is why it was urgent that we got the girl out pronto!

Chris didn't want to leave my side after our daughter was born... I had to practically force him to go over and be with her. Everything was just happening so fast! They checked her vitals, weighed her, got her prints, cleaned her up and had her in my arms within minutes.

One of the few things that I remember from that day is when they put her in my arms and I just stared at my baby girl and with sleepy little eyes, she stared back... she knew me, her Mommy! Everyone tells you that your life will change instantly when you have a child. They are right. =) I immediately felt a love I had never known before and couldn't help but shed a few tears of joy. She was perfect! We were so blessed! What did I do to deserve this precious miracle?!

Caroline Elizabeth was born at 5:07pm weighing 6lbs 9 oz. She was 19 3/4 in. long and had 10 fingers and 10 toes. Perfect!=) She was a bit jaundiced, but that took care of itself within the first few days.

We had several great visitors at the hospital, but mostly we just spent time together as a new little family. Chris and I just stared at our sweet little miracle and were coming to grips with the reality that our life would never be the same... Caroline always comes first now!

Unfortunately, that headache that began when they gave me my epidural did not go away and only intensified as I recovered. As it turns out the Anesthesiologist had pushed the needle through my spinal column too far and my spinal fluid was leaking and causing this horrible headache... NO FUN! My face was swollen, my head was killing me, and I didn't feel great anyways but somehow that really didn't matter because I finally had my sweet little girl in my arms! I was seriously in a state of euphoria and I am so happy for that! The morning that I was due to leave the hospital I had a procedure done called a "blood patch" to correct the spinal headache. I felt some better as Chris and I left the hospital to carry our baby home.

We recorded the whole thing, and once I figure out how to upload videos I hope to put parts on here. Chris was hilarious. He was extremely cautious on the drive home. It was so sweet! He thinks there should be a special lane developed on roadways for new parents... I agree, so if any of you know how to make that happen, we are all for it!!

We are in Love=)

Pictures of Caroline

She's Here!!!

Caroline Elizabeth Carter arrived on November 2, 2008 at 5:07 p.m.. She weighed 6 lb. 9 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Chris and I are completely in love and cannot get enough of our little girl! More pictures, birth story, etc. soon to come!

We are so blessed!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

No Baby Yet!!!

Sorry I haven't been able to keep you all in the loop! We do not have a baby as of Halloween night, which means Caroline will be a November Baby! I have received a few concerned emails asking if Caroline has made her big entrance yet and I didn't want to leave you all in the dark! Bless your hearts for caring!! I wanted to update since I haven't been able to respond to everyone and send out the information for the new blog! I am working on writing you all back and really appreciate your kind words! In the mean time, I am going to continue updating on this blog until Caroline arrives or I catch up on the requests. Once again, thanks for the requests and keep them coming, I know you're out there! Hopefully I will finish up sometime this weekend!

Caroline certainly has her own timetable and we are just along for the ride. We went to the Dr Wednesday afternoon and as the Dr said my cervix is still "slammed shut" and very high(ouch!!) so it looks like she is planning on sticking around for quite a while! My actual due date is Tuesday(Election Day!) but we go back to the Dr. on Monday. If I have made enough progress she will probably induce me the next morning, my due date, and if nothing has changed we will then schedule a tentative C-Section date for 41 weeks. So either way, we WILL have a baby by Veteran's Day.

For the most part, I'm feeling pretty good and am really looking forward to meeting our sweet angel! I'm sure you Mothers out there can understand this! Chris has been very sweet and has had me attached to his hip since my appointment. I've been going to work with him, we're very lucky that we can do this, but am trying to get up and do things so I don't just sit... everyone keeps encouraging me to walk, walk, walk! I need to make sure that I post a new Belly Pic- I've grown Big Time since my last picture. I really look like I'm 40 weeks, I think... and I'm feeling it a bit more too!!

New Blog!

In the very near future I will be relocating on the web! It has become necessary for me to "go private". I am an avid blog reader and really enjoy sharing with old friends, friends of friends, and family on my blog about my life. I will become a Mommy very soon and there are a few people that, for very good reasons, I no longer want reading my blog. I know that many of you that read this know me through other people, etc. and that is just fine. How you know me or found me really doesn't matter. I want YOU to come to my new blog as well!=)

All I will need to give you the new address is a brief email request if we're acquainted or a link back to your blog so that I can verify who you are. Then I can send you the information. I always hate it when the blogs that I visit have to go private and hate that this has happened since I truly have nothing to hide- it really isn't fair to me either. Unfortunately, some people love to make something out of nothing to feel important and to keep my life simple, this is necessary. I had always wanted to remain public and have always tried to include everyone in our life... but seriously, you'll understand! One bad apple spoiled it for the whole bunch! I will continue to share information about my life now and my life when Miss Caroline arrives and need to protect that information for my little girl's sake and security. Caroline comes first!!!

This will more than likely be one of the last posts on this address. We should have a new little one in the next 10 days, hopefully, and I look forward to sharing my excitement, joy, and loads of pictures when she does arrive at the new address. Since my pregnancy is coming to an end this really is a great time to transition! I plan to have a book printed out for Caroline so that she can see what we did in this period of our lives! Bless her sweet bones!

To get the new address just send an email to cyork2002 at aol.com, with the at symbol of course! If you have any trouble, leave a comment below. I can pretty much guarantee you that you'll be approved;-) Thanks for sharing in our life and for all of your support- I appreciate it more than you know!!!

38 weeks Dr. Appointment

Our Dr's Appointment didn't go so great today. Caroline is fine, but she's becoming quite the chunk... I'm just not showing it. I have gained a Grand Total of 5 pounds in this pregnancy and today when the Dr sent us to have another ultrasound, since I am still "measuring small", Caroline came in at a big for 38 weeks, 7lb 3oz.. She's gained 1lb 4oz in the past 2 weeks and she should have gained at max a half pound a week. I didn't gain a thing this week and lost a pound last week. So I'm losing weight and she's gaining it. She has a small frame with fat rolls already(I am not kidding! I have pictures to prove it!!!) and a bigger than normal head. Those 4 extra ounces apparently went straight to her noggin;-) I should be happy that she's growing leaps and bounds, but I'm really not- somehow she has to exit my body! She did have lots of hair, which was probably the best news we got all day!

So the disappointing thing is that while several of the other things that happen as you start to get ready to have a baby have happened, I am yet to dilate at all. Shocking, seeing as how I'm really getting tired of these dumb, pointless contractions and the kid just keeps getting bigger and bigger- which is of course much better than her not growing at all. Caroline's head is down, pushing out in my right hipbone area. Yesterday was 38 weeks and my Dr had previously told me that if I was dilated to 2 by the time my 39th week came around, I could have her then. Of course, this isn't happening now and I'm not happy about it! If I don't dilate at all and she continues to "float" then I could go up to a week past my due date before they take her... and yes, I am the girl that went into labor at 33 weeks!!! HA! My, my how things can change! This concerns me because our little girl is having no problem putting on the pounds and waiting another 2-3 weeks isn't working in my favor since she can gain another pound and a half or more in the mean time, especially since she's got a bigger head... ouch! I guess you could say I am becoming a bit concerned about logistics and how this is all going to work... we normally have small babies in my family, but Caroline's Dad obviously had something to do with this;-)

I think my patience may be starting to wear a bit thin, but I don't think that's too abnormal. The counter above reads 13 days to go... Come on Caroline!!! "Wait, wait, wait"... that's the name of the game. I know I haven't been my normally perky self today, but I'm just not feeling like it. Maybe tomorrow will be better!=)

So, to focus on a few happy things that are going on in our life... Guess what??? We are going to be parents soon!! yay!;-) I really do feel very lucky! Also, work is going GREAT for Chris, in spite of this crazy market we're living in! Honestly, the longer Caroline waits to grace us with her presence the better for Chris and TJC since he's so busy right now... so that's a good thing!

I know I didn't put up nursery pictures as I planned, but that is because it's not finished... pictures and drapes still have not been hung and mother didn't have a chance to get down last weekend to help me. At 38 weeks, I'm not hanging them by myself and my husband just will not do it! Maybe I will have better luck this weekend!

Once again, I'll update if anything changes, but don't hold your breath;-) haha! More later...

Baby Carter at 38 Weeks!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

37 Weeks Dr. Appointment

We went to our 37 weeks appointment on Wednesday and I was so right!!! Miss Caroline decided to make her way "back down" late Tuesday night. When she started wiggling again I had to laugh because she is such a mess already! This little one already has a mind of her own and she isn't even here yet... Goodness Gracious!! The teenage years are going to be rough;-) In all seriousness I am very glad that she decided to scoot around again(my ribs appreciate it too!) and am completely resigned to her making her arrival in her own time. I am just so excited to meet my little one that I can barely stand it;-)

The Dr's appointment was completely uneventful, thank goodness. The Dr. just checked me and asked us if we had any questions. Chris and I spoke to the Dr about a few minor concerns and what we should expect in the next few weeks. At the end of my appointment they checked my thyroid again and since I haven't heard otherwise, I'm assuming that it came back normal. We go back again next Wednesday if we don't have her before then.

We were so worried that little bit would try to make an early appearance that I would not be surprised if she decided to show up late;-) That would be fitting, seeing as how she likes to show us who's boss. Personally, I wouldn't mind if she came a bit early... as I said previously, I CANNOT wait to meet this little one! I think Chris is really ready too. He is so sweet talking about her and what his plans are with our little girl. Precious, I tell you!

For the most part, I have been feeling really good lately. A good nights rest is either a hit or miss thing, but when I sleep well I feel great the next day! I still go to the office every day and intend to until Caroline arrives. Chris and I enjoy our lunch together and I would go crazy if I stayed home all day!!!

I'll update if anything changes... AND I am planning on posting pictures of the finished nursery this weekend, so check back if you're interested! Have a Happy Friday!!!

Baby Carter at 37 Weeks!!!

How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

www.babycenter.com

Our little One likes to keep us guessing...

Apparently Caroline doesn't like to play by the rules! When we went to our ultrasound/Dr. Appointment on Wednesday Chris specifically asked what the chances were of her becoming breech again. We were told "very, very slim". She's already 36 weeks and there isn't much room for her to be doing very much moving around anyway!
On Saturday, Chris and I were watching football upstairs and I noticed that Caroline was moving around a lot. Then I started feeling her kick off of my side and slowly, but surely, work her way from head down to head up by my ribs by the end of the afternoon! Seriously!!! As of right now she's breech again, but since she seems to like to keep us guessing I wouldn't bet that she will stay that way! I'm thinking she will probably turn head down again tomorrow night, just in time for my appointment on Wednesday. I have no idea how she managed to find the room to change positions in the first place!
I'm 37 weeks tomorrow and hopefully in the final stretch. I want Caroline to come on her own time, but her "big" head under my ribs for the past few days has NOT been fun!;-) I will update after my appointment on Wednesday and we will just sit back and see what happens!

36 weeks Dr. Appointment

Yesterday afternoon we went to our 36 weeks appointment. We really are entering "crunch time" and it is all so exciting! At the beginning of our appointment we had an ultrasound scheduled to check on Caroline's position and estimate her weight. The ultrasound tech was so nice and Chris stood behind her the whole time she was doing measurements. The smile on his face as he was watching her check Caroline just made my heart melt!=)
BIG NEWS... our little angel is HEAD DOWN!! That's right, her small size worked for our side and sometime in the past few days she flipped head down. No scheduled C-Section for the baby love and that is fine with me. Now my little one will pick her own Birthday and she can come out whenever she feels like it!
Caroline was measuring 36w1d, which is right on target, but she did weigh in at 5lb 15oz. The tech commented that this is a little smaller than normal, but still in the "healthy range". I didn't think much about this, since honestly she is doing better on weight gain than I had expected! She said she should gain about a half a pound a week from here on out, so we will see how long she makes it. If I make it to 40 weeks, which is highly unlikely, she would weigh in just under 8 pounds. Since the average baby weighs in at 7 lbs, some odd ounces, I think she's doing pretty good!
We did spend some time watching our daughter on the monitor... and yes, we did make sure that she is still a girl! haha! For our little one to be "so small", she sure does have some chunky cheeks already!!! Chris and I are still trying to figure out where on earth her big lips came from! Chris jokes about our bird lips and Caroline's lips look like she is making a constant "kissy face"! Sweet little thing!
After our ultrasound we had our visit with Dr. G. She was running a bit late because she had to run over to L&D to deliver a baby. Once she arrived our appointment flew by. We discussed some of the progress that I have been making and she commented on how the baby's head has dropped down quite a bit. She checked her heart rate with the doppler and said it was a bit irregular, but that can come from babies being really active when they're being checked. One moment it was 180 and then a few seconds later it was 115. She listened for a bit longer than normal, but then smiled and started asking me about my contractions. Then she asked if we had any questions, which we didn't, and we packed up to leave. Just as we were heading out the door she came back and said she looked back over the ultrasound information again and wanted to send me to get a Non Stress Test since the baby is a bit small and had a bit of an irregular heartbeat. She wanted to make sure that Caroline wasn't on her cord and the contractions weren't causing her any distress. So off we went to a room to be monitored. I'm getting to be a pro at hooking up to the monitors!!;-) We spent about 30-45 minutes being monitored and all went well! The Dr. said she looked like one happy baby! Yay!
We will go back to the Dr. every week from now until she is born. I am just trying to finish up final details and take lots of naps! I'm sure I will miss sleep greatly in the coming weeks!;-) For now, we wait! The contractions are pretty consistent and with her being in the "exit" position it may not be much longer! I'll be sure to post if anything changes!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey with us! We know that we are so fortunate to have this sweet little miracle joining our lives!=)

Baby Carter at 36 weeks!!!

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

www.babycenter.com

Friday Night Fun...

For some reason Friday nights appear to be when the excitement begins for the Carters! We made another trip to Labor & Delivery on Friday night, no worries- everything is fine! Just as I was going to sleep on Friday night I started having lower back pain. The baby had been flipping around all day and I had noticed that she had flipped downward earlier in the night. She has since flipped upward again, but hey, at least she is still moving around!

Since the pain was extremely strong, stronger than any contraction I've had, and accompanied by a steady stream of contractions, I thought maybe I was experiencing "back labor". So I decided to get my timer out and see how often they were coming. At the same time I was in such pain that I was desperately moving around trying to find a position that would ease some of the pain. After about 30 minutes of the "back pains" I finally twisted around and found a position that alleviated some of the pain. Then the contractions eased up some and I decided to try to get some sleep. It was probably 1 or 2 in the morning, so it was about time!

Around 3 I woke up and was experiencing the same pain but this time it had shifted up a bit to the bottom of my ribcage and back and in the front as well. I stumbled into the bathroom and tried to "get comfortable" again. This time the pain was so strong that not only could I not be still or find a position that helped, but I started blacking out. My heart was racing, I was starting to sweat and I was in pain- not to mention about 45 minutes away from my hospital!

Now, Chris had slept through all of my pains of the evening. I didn't want to wake him if I didn't need to and he was planning on going to the Alabama game later on Saturday Morning. Once I started blacking out, I knew I didn't need to be alone. I know of a friend of a friend that had a stroke late in pregnancy, under a similar situation, and her husband didn't find her until several hours later. By then, their baby had already suffered severe brain damage and this information alone was enough to scare me into making another visit to the hospital! I woke Chris up and told him he had to get ready and fast. He was none too happy about this.;-) I called the Dr and he said to come in and get checked out. I got dressed as quickly as I could in my condition and then it dawned on me... I was suddenly nauseous. GREAT!!! Just what I needed.

After being sick I decided maybe the pressure/pain I was feeling was severe gas! I.KID.YOU.NOT!!! Pregnancy is no joke, it changes everything! After being sick I just wanted to lay down, but by then Chris was already up and showered and insisted that we go to the hospital right then. I was still having lots of contractions and was extremely sore in my back/lower chest from the previously mentioned pressure, so I agreed we should make sure everything was ok.

We made it to the hospital at around 4 and were greeted by our L&D nurse from our previous visit! We walked up and she said, "We've been waiting to see you two again! You made it longer than we thought you would!" Then I explained what was really going on and they took me back to a room to be monitored. They hooked me up, took my vitals and gave me some medicine within the first few minutes. The first 15 minutes on the monitor it wasn't placed right and I could feel contractions but they weren't showing on the monitor. I told the nurse when she came back in and we readjusted. Boy did that make a difference! Chris promptly fell asleep, but I was staring at the monitor watching all of the contractions again.

The gas pain was practically gone and I was feeling like a real idiot for not knowing the difference between gas pain and a major heath issue! In my defense, I have never experienced pain like that before so I guess you live and you learn!!;-) Better safe than sorry! Now we were dealing with the contractions and since I was at the hospital I needed to have less than 6 in an hour to go home. I was having contractions every 4-5 minutes so I was seriously exceeding the limit! Once again these contractions, while they aren't comfortable, I don't consider them to be too bad. They come, but they also go, so it's not the end of the world... If it was real labor, I'm sure I would know it!!! Given the strength and frequency of my contractions they kept offering me pain medicine which I refused.

Around 8 the Dr came in to check me to make sure I wasn't making any progress. I wasn't, so we just discussed the contractions and I assured him I was fine and would be much more comfortable at home. We had already discussed at my last appointment that we wouldn't do anything to stop the contractions from now on and if she is born today, so be it! He said I will never make it to my November due date, but that really comes as no surprise to me! I cannot imagine having these contractions for another 4 weeks... yuck!

We were discharged from the hospital around 9 and I went straight home to sleep. I was still having tons of contractions so I couldn't wait to lay down and relax in my cozy bed! Chris went on to the game and I called my friend Katrina, since we had planned to get together that morning to watch football together, and she was instead "on call" in case I needed anything or got lonely!;-) I ended up sleeping most of the day Saturday and Chris made it home before too late on Saturday night.

I'm still having contractions and am now showing signs of "progress", without going into too many details. We go to the Dr. tomorrow and are having an ultrasound to determine Caroline's position before our appointment. As I mentioned earlier, she is still flipping around... one moment head up, a few hours later she's transverse, and I might find that she's head down when I go to sleep. Her hiccups are a dead give away for where her little head is! She's still shifting around, so even if she isn't head down tomorrow(or if she is) I'm not putting much stock in that being how she will end up! I will update tomorrow sometime after my appointment... I hope everyone is having a good week!=)

Don't you just love the Fall?

At the Carter House we are enjoying the cooler weather and the feeling of change in the air. I love the fall... it is one of my favorite times of the year, being a close second only to Christmas. There are college football, lots of family time, sweater weather, Mums, Halloween, fall food(pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, caramel apples, stews, etc...), crisp morning air and most of all the gorgous fall colors you see outside as the leaves change. I LOVE it!

I can celebrate anything! Fall is no exception! Every year we welcome in the season by decorating the house with a few fall goodies(tip: TJ Maxx has great seasonal items for a great price!) and I go choose a new seasonal Yankee Candle to burn for that extra cozy touch! This year I picked "Candied Apple" and it smells delicious! I highly recommend it, so I wanted to share! It makes me want to cuddle up with Chris on the couch and watch a good football game... which is what we do on most nights;-) We should enjoy it while we can, right?!


As the days and nights get cooler, I hope everyone is enjoying the change of seasons as much as we are! Happy Fall!!!

"Surprise" Shower!

This past Saturday my sweet best friends, Katrina and Megan, along with my husband conspired against me to give me a "surprise shower". I had been adamant that I did not think a shower was necessary since my family and friends are so spread out and deciding on a location was going to be difficult for me. As you know I was so sick for so long and I just could not imagine celebrating in those early days when we were discussing shower options.

Well secretly they decided that they would not take my repeated "no thank yous" for an answer and planned one behind my back! haha! Now I am so glad that they did and appreciate all of the hard work that went into the shower and the attendance of those who are looking forward to my baby girl's birth! We were gifted so many wonderful, useful baby things... Caroline is such a lucky little girl!!!

I did, however, find out about the shower before the actual shower date! I had a feeling that something was going on because people very close to me had made random, strange comments and given each other looks that seemed out of the ordinary. I am very observant! Lets just say that I was suspicious that something was going on!!;-) Then a week before the shower a family member called my phone and left me a voicemail saying she was very sorry that she had missed my shower on Saturday and that she wanted to get together sometime soon to give me her gift. She continued to say that she had misplaced her invitation and was looking forward to meeting our Baby. Bless her heart!!! I couldn't help but laugh out loud because I knew that as soon she realized that she just ruined the surprise she would be so upset! This is one of the sweetest people I know and I knew she would just die when she found out. My husband and I were sitting on the couch together when I checked her voicemail and of course he had to know what was so funny! So I told him and told him not to get upset! He was so disappointed that he immediately started telling me all of the details as to when, where, who etc...

So maybe it wasn't the surprise that my friends and family had originally hoped for but honestly, this was probably the best for me and after I told my friends that I knew what they had up their sleeve they all admitted they were probably going to tell me the night before anyway! I have never been a big fan of surprises(Hello, my name is Christina and I'm a planner!=)) and at least I didn't show up at the shower in my sweatpants and no makeup, which I am not ashamed to say is my current pregnancy uniform!

Thank you for coming everyone! We appreciate everything!!! Here are some pictures from the shower... ENJOY!!!

Her Cake said "Sweet as Sugar, Cute as Pie, Thank Heaven for Little Caroline"

Posing with one of Caroline's Gifts

Chris came down to the Clubhouse at the end of the Shower to transport gifts and say hello... apparently shoes were optional! ;-)

With "Aunt Katrina" and "Aunt Megan"

We let Balloons go for Miss Caroline! I love this picture!

My Dinner Date!!!

I have a confession to make! Tonight I went on a date.... and it wasn't with my husband!!! Now, before you get too upset with me, you should know that my date has been a very important person in my life since I was born and even gave me away when I got married. That's right, my date was my sweet Granddaddy!!!

My Grandparents have been in town for a few days because one of our loved ones had surgery downtown at UAB. My Grandmother is spending the night at the hospital, so we decided to go to dinner at Logan's together tonight. We joked that we rarely get the opportunity to do anything together just the two of us and I am so glad that we were able to! We decided to make a special night of it, so this was our "date night", just Granddaddy and Granddaughter.=)

My Grandfather has always played such an important role in my life and no matter how old I get I will always be his little girl. I could go into details, but I could never do his sacrifice justice. Lets just say that his love, patience and guidance has shaped my life in a way that I could never say enough thank yous for.

At dinner we had a wonderful time just chatting about what is going on with our family and our lives. We don't get to see each other nearly enough, but we have always had a special relationship that I am so grateful for! If there were only more Men in the world like my Granddaddy the world would be a much happier place... my Grandmother would be the first to tell you this!;-)

I love you Granddaddy! Thanks again for our "date night"!=)

Watch our Baby Grow, 35 weeks!!!

Baby Carter at 35 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

http://www.babycenter.com/

Preparing for Parenthood- week 4

Last Tuesday Chris and I went to our 4th and final Preparing for Parenthood class. It was all about Newborn Care and we had a great time at this class! It felt much more relaxed and the only video we watched was of how to sponge bathe your baby. Chris learned how to swaddle a baby and change a diaper. He was even the first one up to volunteer to do a "mystery exercise" that the instructor had planned. I was very proud of him! Once he was up in front of the class the instructor pulled out the "empathy belly". It is a 30 pound pregnancy simulator for daddy's to wear so they can "understand" what it feels like for Moms-to-Be to lug around the extra weight. Wow... I bet Chris wishes he hadn't stood up so fast;-) I think Chris was surprised by the sheer weight of the contraption and now he has a better idea of how your center of gravity shifts during pregnancy.

We made some friends in our class that are due about 2 weeks after we are with a little boy, Brandy and Chris. She is able to work from home and hopefully we will get our little ones together for some play dates, also known as "sanity time", after our little ones make their big debut! She was kind enough to take some pictures of Chris wearing the pregnancy belly and email them to share with you all. Thanks Brandy!!

As you can see, Chris was far from thrilled about carrying around his "baby" but he was such a good sport! His expression is priceless and we all had a good laugh!!!

34 Weeks Dr's Appointment

Yesterday Chris and I went to our 34 week appointment to have a check up and find out what to expect with all of this preterm labor business. Yesterday was 34 weeks and we hit a crucial milestone in her development, so that is great! At the beginning of the visit we recapped our hospital visit and the Doctor, not my normal Dr.- Dr. J, said that if I had her tomorrow she would be just fine. She may have to spend a few days in the NICU and may be a bit small but babies born at this time generally do very well. He also gave us very little hope of reaching 40 weeks and said we could "hopefully squeak out a few more weeks!" With me contracting the way that I am, it could be tomorrow or it could be a few weeks from now so get ready all!!!=)

Of course, none of us get to make a decision about when she comes but as long as she is healthy, that is all that matters to us! He said that even if I started having very regular, more intense contractions today that they probably wouldn't do much to stop things. He said it was better, however, if she could bake a bit longer though and we agree!!! That is what we want!! They really have no idea why this is happening to us, which isn't a great comfort... I would like to know why my 40 weeks has turned into 30-some-odd weeks.... but oh well! Once again, I'm not the one making the decisions, so I am going to roll with it and just get ready for her arrival!!!

When we left the hospital they put me on a medicine to stop the contractions, but it had some ugly side effects. I had a headache, was super jittery, my heart rate was sky high, and worst of all- I COULD.NOT.BREATHE! I had already told Chris that I was not taking the medicine again unless I was at the hospital so I could get some oxygen... I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest! After telling the Dr. this he said not to take it anymore, it was probably doing more harm than good! This was music to my ears! If I had any more serious bouts with contractions I would have a) dealt with it and taken the medicine or b) gone straight to the hospital, but I seriously couldn't take the medicine anymore and I am glad that I don't have to!

Overall, Dr. J. said that the baby was measuring just fine and said we would do an ultrasound at the next appointment, 36 weeks, to check on her position again. If she is still breech we will schedule a c-section. If we go in to labor-labor again and go to the hospital we will do an ultrasound then and decide where to go from there. She is still flipping around in there and mostly goes from breech(head up) to transverse(side-to-side) and this little one loves to move!

So there is really nothing we can do at this point but prepare! I am a planner and all of my little "lists" that everyone laughs at me for are proving very useful! My mother is coming to town later this afternoon and we are going to do some packing and finish up a few things. I still need to go pick up a few "having a baby" essentials so I'm glad I won't have to go shopping alone, since the contractions really slow me down sometimes;-) Hopefully by the time that Mom leaves on Sunday I will have everything done that I needed to get done... and that will be such a relief!!!

When I was laying in the hospital on Friday night and they couldn't stop the contractions I thought, "what if this is it?? I am not ready and we only get one shot at bringing her into this world and making all of those first precious memories!!" (I was also thinking, Dear Lord just please help her to be ok;-)- just so there is no confusion!!!) So I am going to try to get everything as ready as possible! Most importantly, I need to get the camera ready!!!;-) You know this poor child is going to have a ton of pictures taken of her during her first few days and I cannot wait to share with everyone!

But, hopefully not for another 3-6 weeks:-)

Baby Carter at 34 Weeks

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

www.babycenter.com

Oh My! Preterm Labor...

I wasn't feeling normal all day on Friday and I had noticed that the baby had not been moving around like she normally does. She had been still since around 7 on Thursday night and even when I drank a caffeinated drink and had a few cookies she still didn't perk up. This is very unlike her as she usually responds to sweet things and becomes more active. When you are 33 weeks pregnant you should feel at least 4 movements in an hour and what I was feeling wasn't the normal kicks, jabs, rolls, or bumps. I felt very light "swishes", movements that I normally, probably wouldn't have felt if I wasn't laying around waiting to feel them!

At 4:50 I had my first contraction of the night. It felt like a normal braxton hicks, slightly uncomfortable but not painful. I didn't think much of it, since I have these occasionally, but then I had one about 10 minutes later and it was a bit stronger and lasted a bit longer. I decided I should start timing them, just in case. My Dr. had previously told me weeks ago that this early in my pregnancy I shouldn't have more than 4 contractions in an hour. She also said they consider you to be in labor if your contractions are less than 5 minutes apart and last for a minute or more. Well my contractions quickly picked up and in 30 minutes I had already had 7 contractions coming about 4 minutes apart. They were also getting stronger with each one and I was feeling unusual pressure down below with each contraction. Scared me to death! This went on for about an hour. So with the contractions, compounded with not feeling the baby all day and not really feeling normal myself I decided to call the Dr immediately.

Since I'm only 33 weeks and she needs to bake for at least another 4 weeks my Dr. (who was on call thank goodness!) told me to get to the hospital immediately to be monitored and checked out and not to drive myself. Of course Chris was at work still and was having a seriously busy afternoon getting several loans out. Needless to say, this wasn't exactly convenient for him but I think he understood what was going on and tried to get home as quickly as possible.

With Friday night traffic we didn't get to the hospital until 7 and honestly, my contractions had let up somewhat and I seriously considered going home. SO glad I didn't!!! Once we got to the hospital they hooked me up to the monitors(one for my contractions and one for Caroline's heart rate) and left us for observation for an hour. After I was still again, relaxing, and taking a few deep breaths I realized that I was having the stronger contractions again. It was really interesting watching the monitor and comparing it to the contractions that I was feeling. My cervix was still closed but was "shorter" than it should have been.

They only let me sit for about 45 minutes and then the nurse came in and said I was having "perfect contractions" but they are just way too early. She went to call the Dr. to get my orders and quickly came back with a shot of Terbutaline to stop the contractions. They warned me that my heart rate may go up and that I would probably feel very jittery. They were right! They thought that one dose should knock the contractions out, but said I could have up to 3 in the next 3 hours. For the first 15 minutes, it really worked. Then I started having regular contractions again so they brought in the second dose. It also worked for the first few minutes and then I started having regular peaks on the monitor again... only some of these were uncomfortable. It was around midnight by now and the nurses were getting a bit frustrated and spoke to the Dr again before they gave me the final dose. They agreed that I should get the final shot followed immediately by an oral dose of the Terbutaline to really put an end to the contractions. The nurses also said that the Dr was going to call in Terbutaline for me to take at home every 4 hours, even at night, for the next 24 hours and then as needed. This STILL didn't knock the contractions out and at this point they started discussing the remaining options with us. The first, and least invasive, was to start an I.V. for fluids and see if that helped. Otherwise, they would have to move on to the Magnesium Sulfate and I had heard enough about "the mag" that I knew I wanted to avoid that if at all possible. The Mag would also involve a minimum 24 hour hospital stay and I was already too exhausted!

Of course I would have done it if it was what was best for the baby, but I was really hoping it wouldn't come to that! It was already 3 in the morning and I was slightly miserable by this time so I was up for anything to make it stop and hopefully get home sooner rather than later. Hospital beds aren't comfortable and the medicine that they had given me earlier made me feel like I had to get up and run a marathon and I should ask for oxygen all at the same time! Crazy feeling! Chris was really uncomfortable too, but he did a great job of bringing me water and helping me attempt to get comfortable!

After getting hooked up to the I.V. and letting it run for a few hours my contractions were down under the 6 in one hour mark, which is when they would finally let me go home! It was already just after 5 am and I knew that if I could just get home I would be so much more comfortable and I had noticed that me continuously changing positions was bringing on contractions, adding to the problem. We were discharged at around 5:15 with a prescription for more anti-contraction medicine and orders for me to be on "bedrest" until my scheduled Dr's appointment on Tuesday.

I am still having random contractions today, but as long as I am not having "pressure" and they aren't forming a pattern, I am fine. Also, I think Caroline being breech is a blessing in disguise because if her little head was already at the exit, every contraction I have had would have pressed on my cervix and I would have dilated further. If that was the case I would be living at the hospital right now.. AHH! I would really hate that! So, good job Caroline! Keep it up;-) At this point we are so glad to be back home, watching football!!, and hoping that this premature labor biz was a one time issue and that we won't have any problems with this in the future! The nurses said they have women come in sometimes with preterm labor that end up having to be induced in the end... but hopefully we won't go THAT long!;-)

I will try to make sure that I update after my Dr's appointment and if we have any other surprises in the mean time! Have a good weekend and ROLL TIDE!!!!

Preparing for Parenthood- Week 3

On Tuesday night we went to our third "Parenthood" class and this was the one that Chris was dreading the most, C-Sections among other things. He did really well and actually was the only Daddy-to-be asking questions! He still isn't sure how he feels about being in the operating room if it comes to that. This is fine with me since my mom(the nurse) will go in with me if he decides he cannot. Then he can come in after they stitch me up and be with me and the baby in recovery. They showed c-section preparation and then an animated video of what takes place during a c-section. We also toured the "birthing suites" at our hospital. Since some good friends of ours had their daughter at the same hospital a few years ago we remembered that they were very nice. It was nice to walk around and see where we will check in.

Tonight I had our breastfeeding class which I let Chris skip. He really didn't want to go(wonder why?!?;-)) and he had 4-5 deals closing down at work today and needed to make sure they got out. It all worked out fine and I learned a lot! At the teachers recommendation I also changed my opinion on allowing visitors immediately and look forward to some alone time with just my little bitty family after Baby C is born- just for a few hours after recovery.

I was talking to my mother tonight on the way home from my class and I really like some of the great perks to having a c-section. We all know that I'm a planner, so I think it's great that I will be able to get up, shower, get ready and then have my baby safely in my arms a few hours later verses begin completely surprised with when I go into labor. This makes me happy! I also like that I can control visitors more and that it won't be a shock to anyone else when we call and tell them that Caroline is here- this could prove to be stressful since I hate excluding people and will need to focus on what's best for myself, Chris and most of all our newborn.=)

Little Miss C is still breech but I am just going to let whatever is meant to happen, happen! No more worrying about it- this is pointless. I am just going to put it in God's hands and He knows what is best for our specific situation! I go to the Dr on Tuesday... I'll keep you posted!=)

Next week is our final week of preparing for parenthood. We will talk about caring for a newborn and Chris will learn how to change a diaper! Not that he probably wants to(ha!), but I'm sure Daddy will do his part too!=) He really is getting very excited about everything and I couldn't imagine going through this exciting time in my life with anyone but him.(cheesy- I know!)

My final Alabama game for the Season

On Saturday I went to my final Alabama home game for the season. I had originally planned to try to make it to the Kentucky game the first weekend in October, but after this weekend- I am DONE!! I really enjoy the games but I have such a hard time getting comfortable in the stadium seats that it really is better for me just to stay in my cozy, air-conditioned Alabama Room and take in the games from there. I will pull out my shaker, call up a friend or two, and be just as happy sitting in our "row of recliners" with my feet propped up!=)

The primary reason that games are finished for me is that both walking to and from the stadium I had more than my allotted 4 contractions in an hour. (When I say contractions, I'm referring to braxton hicks- mini contractions. My stomach balls up for a minute or so and feels slightly uncomfortable, but it's not really painful... just noticeable! So DO NOT worry!!!) I didn't tell my Parents-in-law, who are our gameday partners in crime, about it because I didn't want them to worry about taking me to DCH(rough!) but I did tell Chris. For some reason this kid does not like for me to exercise! Chris gets excited on the way to the stadium and we almost always practically run(walk) there, which just wasn't cutting it for me or my abnormally swollen feet! I told Chris to slow down, and for the most part he listened. The good news is that they went away both times as soon as I sat down, propped my feet up, and had some water! Since I rarely have BH contractions, and rarely get my heart rate up to be honest, I think Caroline must just not know what is going on and lets me know about it!;-) I'm also sure that being out in the sun all day tailgating may have something to do with dehydration which can also bring on BH. I am really going to miss our normal football season, complete with tailgating by Burke, but seeing as how things will never be "normal" again after November it is a small price to pay!=)

I do regret that Chris and I didn't get any pictures together this year at Bryant-Denny! Poor planning on my part! I forgot my camera both games- but did manage to bring my tums and shakers! This year we will just have to settle for a couple shot from one of our little Gameday Party's and we do have some great games away this year! Anyways, enough about this=) ROLL TIDE!!!

The game itself was great!!! The boys looked much more confident out on the field and Terrance Cody(my new favorite player- aka BIG BOY!!) caused and recovered a fumble. Then he proceeded to do a happy dance on his way off the field and I couldn't stop laughing for several minutes! Yay for him! Highlight of the game for me! You could tell that the entire team had more energy this game and I was glad to see it after last week! Lets just hope Bama carries that enthusiasm on to play Arkansas this weekend!!

I hope everyone has a good week!!

Baby Carter at 33 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood

http://www.babycenter.com/

Preparing for Parenthood- Week 2

Last night we had our second Preparing for Parenthood Class. Chris does not look forward to these classes, but I don't suppose any man would! Last night we discussed pain management and Chris found the epidural to be a real shocker. He just kept telling me over and over that he felt so sorry for me. I would feel more sorry for myself if I wasn't getting the epidural!! ha! I really am ok with everything and knew what I was getting myself into when we decided to have a little one. This is just all new territory for my hubby!

Our instructor also gave us some tips on how to get Caroline to flip down! There are some great websites that she told us about that I will be using for information. Chris and I have been giving her pep talks daily trying to get her to change her position. For now she's being stubborn, but I am hopeful that she will listen eventually!=)

Next week we talk about C-Sections and take a tour of the birthing suites at our hospital. Lets just hope that Chris makes it through the video!!

Crimson Tide vs. Green Wave

On Saturday we made the trek to Tuscaloosa for the first home football game of the season! We played Tulane and after the wonderful showing at the Clemson game, Bama fans were a bit disappointed with how the game turned out- us included! We still won by 2 touchdowns but that was thanks to a stellar performance by Javier Arenas and our Defense... the offense looked seriously weak and things obviously weren't clicking! It was really nice to be in Bryant Denny, even if everyone had the same "let-down" feeling about how the team was playing.

Other than the game itself, we had a great time! We rode over to Tuscaloosa around noon, which was great for me! I got to sleep in and get over my morning yuck at home, which was nice! We went with Chris' parents, our Gameday partners in crime, and Rocky, one of our buddy's that we always do games with. Phillip and Shannon, our old next door neighbors, met us at the tailgate and it was great to get together again! We had a lot of catching up to do and so much has been going on in both of our lives!!! We always tailgate a few blocks away from the stadium with my Uncle Bobby and it was great to get the Gameday festivities going again!

The weather was great, in my opinion! Not way too hot and a bit overcast... I was so happy about this! I am going to try to go to the game this weekend against Western Kentucky! Hopefully the weather will cooperate again!

We got home late on Saturday night and Phillip and Shannon stayed the night with us. The next morning we ate at Jim n' Nicks on their way out of town... we all had a really good time and we are looking forward to this weekend with our Gameday Crew!!!

Baby Carter at 32 Weeks

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

www.babycenter.com

4D Ultrasound

Today Chris and I went to our 4D ultrasound for Miss Caroline. We had a bit of a hard time getting pictures of her since she is STILL in the breech position(and she is frank breech, with her legs up above her head, which is stuck up under my ribcage). We spent most of the office visit poking at her trying to wake her up and get her to move her hand away from her face. We were able to get a few cute shots after enough time... it was WONDERFUL to see our daughter. I may be a bit bias, but I already think she is precious and has some sweet little features. Here she is... our Caroline:

The smudge over to the right is her umbilical cord/hand. Where did those big, pouty lips come from?? In the picture below she's sticking her bottom lip out like her mommy does;-) Look at those chunky cheeks!!!

Look at her fussing at us! Giving us attitude already! I think she wanted us to stop poking her... we were trying to make her move so we could get better pictures!!!

Mean Mommy and Daddy!;-)

This is the shot where we could really tell that she has Chris' nose. The right side of her face is covered up, but you can see her sweet nose and lips and how she was cuddling up with her hand.=)

The last two pictures are of her hand and both of her feet. She had all 10 fingers and 10 toes! She has long, skinny fingers and toes, just like her Mommy!

We measured her to see how she was doing size wise. She was weighing around 3 lb 12 oz(give or take a pound) and is measuring around 5 days behind. The ultrasound tech said that was a bit smaller than normal but still in the healthy range and probably puts her weighing in around 6 pounds when she's born. Of course, if she remains breech her size won't matter as much because I will need to have a c-section anyway. Only time will tell!!!

The only thing that we forgot to ask about is hair! She told us she could look on the 2D view but we were busy taking cute face shots and never got back to the 2D to check out hair. Oh well!!! We hope you enjoy the pictures of our little one! I have to admit that I am even more excited about meeting her now=)

Baby Carter at 31 weeks!

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

http://www.babycenter.com/

Welcome to the World River!

On September 1, 2008 we welcomed a new member to our Johnston Family! Russell River Johnston was welcomed by my cousins Jace and Kim Johnston in Nashville, TN. I am so excited that Caroline will have a little cousin that is only a few months older. I understand that Kim is doing great, Jace is a proud papa, and that my Uncle Gary and Aunt Kelly are very happy to be Grandparents! As most of our family reads this, I wanted to share a few pictures and congratulate Jace and Kim again on the birth of their Beautiful Baby Boy!!!

Uncle Gary is one proud "Papaw"!!!

Preparing for Parenthood

Last night Chris and I had our first "preparing for parenthood" class at St. Vincents. We will continue to go to these classes every Tuesday night throughout September. Chris was a bit nervous about what he was going to see and hear and wanted me to give him the heads up about what we might go over. It really wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be... maybe!

I seriously doubt that you all want a play by play of the class and I am not offering one!=) But I will say that we discussed late pregnancy issues, when to get medical attention, and natural childbirth(I'm going with the epidural all the way- as were all of the women in our class). We left feeling a bit more prepared, Chris was in a bit of a daze, but we are looking forward to next week... when we discuss pain management options among other things.

Out of 13 couples, I was the only woman already having Braxton Hicks Contractions and I have been for the past month or two. She reminded me, and everyone else, that if I have more than 4 in an hour to call the Dr. and they will tell me to go to labor and delivery to check me. I have had 3 in 15 minutes before but never 4 in an hour, thank goodness. We'll see how I do at the Alabama game this weekend;-) It's a later game and I am feeling pretty good about it!

Did you see that game??? A Weekend in Review...

The highlight of our weekend was without a doubt the smack down that Alabama gave Clemson! =) ROLL TIDE!! I had hoped that we would play well, but I really was proud of how the guys looked. You could tell they had put the work in and that Nick Saban is indeed doing his job... I don't want to hear anymore complaints about what the man gets paid. This is Alabama and that game alone was worth his salary this year!!! So exciting, such domination... it was great=) I'm sure the Georgia Dome was somewhat intimidating but I saw some great things out our Freshman and entire team. A lot is being made of Julio Jones and especially Mark Ingram... and I agree, very impressive. But did anyone see Terrance Cody??? He may be a Community College transfer, but my goodness... the man/child is a BEAST!!! If I had 400 pounds trying to take me down and I was on one of the teams we play in future games, I would just throw myself on the ground because you know he is taking at least you and the guy next to you down.. Oh, and maybe a few more! Seriously, new favorite player.

Aside from the big game, our holiday weekend was fairly uneventful. On Friday night Rocky and my Father-in-law came over to help move the extremely heavy piece of furniture up the stairs to Caroline's room. It was a bit scary, but they did get it upstairs. I'm sure that they were all sore the next day, but fortunately no one got hurt!=) So thanks again Mr. Carter and Rocky for using all of your muscles to make the baby's room complete! I really appreciate it!!! After getting the armoire upstairs and showing off some of Caroline's goodies we went out to dinner with Chris' parents at Ruby Tuesdays. I had the yummy salad bar, but I paid for it later in the night when my heartburn and indigestion went into full force! No fun! I got very little sleep, but I just keep telling myself 2 more months and I can eat salad and tomatoes again... just 2 months;-)

We spent all day Saturday watching different football games in the Bama Room. It was really nice and a great lead up to the Big Game!!! Have I mentioned that I love Football Season??=) Sunday we watched more football and spent some quality time together. Since we burnt very little energy we both had the hardest time getting to sleep on Sunday night so we slept in on Labor Day! We did have BBQ to celebrate, but that was as far as our Labor Day celebrations went. We rested, which is exactly what a 7 month pregnant woman wants to do!!!

I hope that you all had a wonderful close to the Summer and are looking forward to the Fall (and Football Season) as much as we are!!!=)

The Big Day has finally arrived... It's GAME DAY!!!

This picture is a few years old, but one thing that Chris and I love is Alabama Football! Game Day is finally upon us and I cannot wait to see our team out on the field! We have a Senior QB, lets all just hope that he "shows up" to play, and some great new Freshman from the Nations #1 recruiting class!;-) I am really looking forward to seeing them all in action and getting a feel for what our team will be like this year.

Living in the South is really interesting... we LOVE football! Even the girliest of girls;-) I actually am finding myself a bit anxious and really excited to see this game. I have very realistic expectation as to how this season may go, but I would love to see some big plays by some of these new guys! Maybe my wish will come true!!!=) We will be watching the game with Rocky, Chris' best bud, in our Bama Room... gigantic projection screen, comfortable recliners, and "football food" included! I need to find our "lucky" shakers so I'm off!!

So GO BAMA, BEAT CLEMSON!!! ROOOOLLLLLLLL TIDE, ROLLLL!!!=)

Baby Carter at 30 weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

www.babycenter.com

His and Hers Weekends Away

This past weekend Chris and I went on His and Hers Weekends away! Chris went on a business/fun trip to New Orleans with a group of his friends/co-workers. I seriously think it was more of a "guy vacation" than anything! They went to the National Mortgage Brokers Convention but spent most of the weekend having a good time and experiencing all that New Orleans has to offer! This was Chris' second trip to New Orleans in the past 3 years and I don't think he will be wanting to go back anytime soon! He spent the majority of his time babysitting his friends that were REALLY experiencing New Orleans, if you know what I mean!;-) Chris had a good time, but I could tell that he was really happy to get home to me and REST!

He did say that he could tell a big difference in how dirty New Orleans was since the last time that he visited, which was post Katrina. He felt like it was already headed down hill again as he was pleasantly surprised on his last trip, when everything was new and the city was working overtime to promote tourism. We prefer clean streets, as few homeless people as possible, and as few drunken idiots as we can away with seeing! New Orleans may not be a great get away spot for us! If we want Blues we can always cut our trip in half and drop into Memphis or if we want Cajun cuisine we can drive right down the road to Cajun Steamers... yummy Cajun food, in Trussville no less! I did joke with Chris and tell him this was his Baby Bachelor Party- his last "Man Trip" before Caroline gets here- so I hope he enjoyed it!;-)

Since I didn't want to be alone while Chris was gone and we had planned his trip so far in advance, I went to Florence for the weekend for some time with the Fam! I had a really nice, relaxing weekend. It was primarily consumed by getting some important items for Caroline out of the way. I drove home with a loaded down car! I have been feeling more of a need to get the basics done NOW, in case our little one is early- which I doubt will happen. But, hey, you never know and I love to be prepared... I'm the girl that makes 4 lists a day of the things I want to get done and in what time frame. It's not obsessive, but it is borderline;-) I'm fine with not having pictures on the wall yet or not having a "diapering station" set up, but I needed her to have a mattress and baby bedding!

So while in Florence I found some beautiful baby bedding that was just what I wanted, for the price that I wanted, at Ezra's Attic and we picked up her mattress at the Baby's Room. And this isn't just any mattress, this is the Baby Mattress 3000! It's a colgate mattress, which is what is recommended for babies, they say its firmness reduces the chance of SIDS. It is a baby mattress on one side and a toddler mattress(more plush) on the other. Mom also got this for us, which is no surprise since she has been such a GREAT help to us as we get ready for the baby. We really appreciate it more than you know, Mom!!! Our sweet one would have very little if it wasn't for my Mom and her excitement about being a Grandmother- we are really lucky! I know I go on and on about what all my Mom has done, but seriously, everytime she comes to visit it's like Christmas for Caroline;-) This greatly reduces my stress in getting everything together for my daughter... it's like she's my partner in crime- and I love it!!! It really has been tons of fun!

We spent all day Saturday running around Florence finding the perfect, little goodies for Caroline and visiting with people as we shopped that I haven't seen in YEARS! The joys of small town life... it doesn't matter where you go, you're bound to find someone you know!=) On Sunday we went to my Grandparents house to spend some time with them and have lunch. We had some yummy vegetables from their garden and I was in Heaven!=) I really think that Caroline likes Southern Cookin' just as much as I do because she always becomes more active after I eat it. I think she knows what the good stuff is! Sunday Dinner was wonderful Grandmother and Granddaddy! Thanks again for having us!

After visiting for a few hours I had to head back to Trussville so that I could unload my packed car before it got too dark. I spent the rest of the evening organizing Caroline's room and putting her bedding together... it really is precious! I cannot wait to share! As soon as we get the rest of her furniture in her room, I'll post pictures!

Up Next, Football Season!!! We are very excited about this... ROLL TIDE!!!

Family, Fun, Furniture...

This past weekend my Mom and Brothers came to Trussville to help us do some work on Caroline's Room.(Dad is still out of town for work) When our furniture arrived a bit earlier than expected, I jumped into planning mode and was able to get Mother to drive my old jeep down from Florence with a trailer loaded down with furniture attached to it. Needless to say, it was a long trip for them! In spite of all of my planning there were a few kinks in getting her room together last weekend.
Before we nailed down that they were going to come down on Friday after work, I checked the weather to make sure that our nice furniture wouldn't be getting wet. Of course the forecast said "Sunny, with occasional clouds" for Friday, but it did say Showers and Thunderstorms for Saturday and Sunday. I was satisfied with the cheery forecast for Friday and thought all would be well! As my younger brother and mother were loading up the furniture, Blake called and asked if I had checked the weather lately. Of course there were afternoon thunderstorms popping up all over north Alabama! Ugh... I pulled up the radar and Florence was surrounded by heavy rain! Oh the luck! On the way to pick up Trey they grabbed a tarp and after securing it, were ready to hit the road... disaster diverted!
Caroline's furniture arrived safe and dry 3 and 1/2 hours later. That had to be the longest trip that my brothers had ever taken to see their sister! After a brief inspection by Chris the guys exercised their muscles and stored all of the furniture in the garage for the night. We still had a GIGANTIC bed in her bedroom and a chest of drawers that we had to move out and then paint before we could get the furniture upstairs. We decided that could wait until morning!
Saturday morning Mom and I got up before the rest of the house and went to Home Depot to get "baby safe" Behr paint. We decided on a pale pink for her bedroom and a pale green that matches her recliner for her bathroom. Satisfied with our selections we were ready to get started!!! The boys took the GARGANTUAN bed down while we were gone and we finished moving some of the smaller out of the rooms to set up paint central.
Painting both rooms took the entire afternoon and by the time we finished this we were exhausted... especially me! I had a "schedule" that I wanted to keep to so that we could finish everything, but I threw that out the window when I realized how tired we all were. We spent the evening watching the Olympics and I cooked dinner for the family.
Sunday was reserved for moving the EXTREMELY heavy furniture upstairs. Fortunately the crib(broken down in the box), the recliner, dresser, and mirror were carried up the stairs with little strain. However, the armoire(now nicknamed "the beast") was FAR too heavy for us to get upstairs on Sunday. It is a beautiful piece of furniture, but seriously my husband was asking me why I didn't ask the furniture makers how much everything weighed before I bought it! haha! Poor guy! Even with Chris, Trey, Blake, Mom, and myself giving it our best we were afraid we would drop it and decided it was better left to the professionals, or at least friends with more experience moving. For now, the armoire has a home in our garage but hopefully we will be able to get it upstairs in the next week or so.
That armoire was so heavy that I really shouldn't have tried to help move it! After we tried together I had a few braxton hicks contractions and decided it was time for me to go take a break! They quickly went away after I propped my feet up and laid on my side, so I was good to go in about 30 minutes. So, on The York's way out of town we decided to go to P.F. Changs for a late lunch/dinner... YUM!!!
Caroline's room is now painted and most of the furniture is put together and in place. Such a relief!!! I will post pictures once we get her bedding and whatnot up. A HUGE thanks goes out to my Mom and Brothers for coming to town and working all weekend! Chris and I really appreciate it!=)