To Infertility and Beyond

The life of a toddler

2012-01-26T15:37:00.001-05:00

I haven't talked about my little monkey too much recently. Probably because I'm too busy chasing him around, jumping on demand, and doing forward rolls until we both just collapse on the floor in laughter. This little guy has more energy than I know what to do with some days!

Even though being 2 brings on such horrible things like mommy picking out the wrong shoes, opening a NutriGrain bar to see it had broken in its packaging, and only getting 1 sucker when going through the bank drive thru--all of which result in epic meltdowns!--I'm loving this stage of life.

Hampton has the sweetest little voice, and I never know what he is going to say. A few things that have made me smile recently:

As Jordan was leaving for work-
Hampton: I wanna hug. I wanna hug!
(runs and gives Jordan a big hug)
Jordan: Aw thanks buddy. That makes me feel so good!
Hampton: I so sweet!

Anytime he hears the baby pass gas, poop, or anything that sounds like that, he giggles and goes, "Oh! Baby poop!"

He doesn't say yes. Ever. Instead, he says the sweetest, oh-so-southern , "oookaay". The whole family now says ok this way.

He loves Colton. LOVES him. He asks for "baby" the second he wakes up. He is always bringing toys to C for him to play with. And if Colton gets his hands on something that Hampton wants to play with (or I think he shouldn't be playing with), he sweetly takes the toy away and hands him another toy and says, "here you go baby." He also loves to tickle Colton and make faces and noises that make C laugh while riding in the car.

He loves going to school and church, and he asks to go to one or the other practically every day! It's fun to watch him growing and learning.

He's growing so fast, but he will still climb in my arms and give me hugs and kisses and cuddle. I love it so much!!

6 months

2012-01-18T22:15:00.000-05:00

Half a year has gone by since our sweet little Colton arrived, but in some ways it feels like there is no way so much time has passed and other times it feels like it has always been the 4 of us. I can't put into words what fun it is to watch this little guy grow. He is such a happy and easy going baby.

You're saying I'm 1/2 way to being a year old?!!

We found that he had yet another ear infection at his well visit on Tuesday. That makes 6!! He is getting 3 rounds of Rocephin shots, then will go back next week for a recheck. Dr. H says that if there is any fluid in his ears at that point, we will go ahead and schedule an appointment with the ENT. I'm ready to just move on to that step. I have so many friends who have told me that getting tubes is a quick, easy procedure, and you can tell a difference almost instantly.

He is now:
~18lbs, 12oz. (He has gone down a bit in percentile and lost since his last appointment. We believe it is due to his complete hatred toward the bottle and me trying to wean. We're working on getting him to take a bottle again--yes, he used to take one with no problem--and going to keep an eye on his weight in the mean time. But as Dr. H put it, he has plenty of reserve, so I'm not hurting him, but we don't want it to get out of hand!)
~26 inches
~Sitting on his own
~Rolling, scooting after things, and rocking on his knees (Are you kidding me?!)
~Reaching for everything
~Recognizing faces. He particularly loves his brother :)
~Flirting with any girl that walks by!
~Wearing 9 month clothes, size 3 diapers
~Laughing at: his brother, the big bouncy ball, anyone who plays peek a boo, crazy noises
~Sleeping well. Naps during the day are still a guessing game, but he sleeps from 8:30-7:30 or 8 w/ a quick wake up usually around 4:30.
~Eating solids like a champ. He's a fan of sweet potatoes, apples and bananas so far.

Looking forward to another month of growing and learning with these sweet boys!!

Sweet boys!

Stinky feet!

Hampton loves him some Colton!

Cheese!!

Wild thing!

Fire trucks and cupcakes

2012-01-14T20:51:00.001-05:00

Today we went to the fire station to celebrate Hampton's friend's 2nd birthday! I talked to him the whole way there about how big the truck would be and that it would be loud, too. I just knew it was going to scare him! He was clingy at first, but after a little while, he was pretty excited about the whole idea! It was a lot of fun!

We learned about fire safety and fire gear, the kids got to climb in and through the truck, we ate cupcakes, and then the kids ran laps around the fire truck. Such a fun idea! The party ended perfectly by the firefighters getting a call and having to leave, sirens blaring!!

Girl Time

2012-01-13T19:35:00.001-05:00

In the midst of our struggles, I became somewhat of a hermit. I made any and every excuse to why I couldn't go out until, finally, my friends just stopped asking. And at the time, I was perfectly okay with that. I didn't want to face the world. It was safe in my house, with my husband and our dogs and whatever movie we chose to watch that weekend. Unfortunately, once I finally got out of my funk, I looked around and didn't find many people around me. Some of my closest friends had moved on. I may still say they were my best friends, but they did not. And that was a tough pill to swallow.

I've tried, with some success, to rekindle lost friendships. Some welcomed me back with open arms. Others, well, I'm still waiting to hear when they are free. And I'm okay with that. I'm in a different chapter in my life now.

Shortly after Hampton was born, a girl that followed my blog, friended me on facebook, and we started to talk a bit. She invited me to lunch with her and a group of moms with boys all around the same age. It took a while for me to finally make one of their lunches, but I am so glad I did. I had the opportunity to make several new friends! We have lunch and playdates, and 4 of us now have our second little ones that join in on the fun! And Wednesday night, we left the little ones with our husbands and had a girls night out. Dinner, great conversation, and just a time to relax. It was a time needed (and well deserved, if I do say so myself!) by all of us, and I have my sweet friend Nicole to thank!

My high school friend Sara, also invited me to join in a Mom's Club early in my pregnancy with Colton. It's been so fun to get together with this group of growing (bellies and numbers) ladies, having some snacks and cocktails, and just talking about life!

If I could go back, I hope that I would change the way I was. But in the end, it all worked out, and I have many new friends in the same place I am now by my side.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was wonderful. Jam packed full, but wonderful! We headed to south GA to see Jordan's grandparents on Friday. It was a long day, but both boys did so well in the car, and everyone enjoyed getting to see them (and meet Colton)! Christmas Eve was pretty laid back. We had to finish a little shopping, and then just hung around until it was time for the Church service (where my sweet child would yell out "No Christmas!" for all to hear and flip out when he wasn't allowed to hold a lit candle. And Colton gave Ashley a nice "welcome home" by throwing up all over her dress and the pew and the floor--fun times!) and dinner out with my family. On the way home, we realized that we had forgotten about cookies for Santa, so slice and bake cookies from Walgreens it was! I'll do better for Santa next year. ;) Once the boys went to bed, we got everything out of the attic and set it out for Christmas morning. I think Jordan and I were more excited than Hampton going to bed that night! Christmas morning was interesting. Hampton is terrified of Santa. He was not thrilled when Jordan went in his room and said that Santa had come. It took a lot of convincing to get him to come out. Poor little monkey! Once he did come out, he was thrilled with his loot and had a blast playing with all his new cars. It was actually hard to get him to open presents b/c he was so distracted by the "big" toys from Santa. After opening presents, we spent the day at my parents' house. Lots of family from both sides came and went, and lots of food was consumed! The next day, we opened more presents at Jordan's parents' house. His brother and wife and 2 kids were in town from Ashville, so we were so happy to get to see them and let the kids play for a bit. Lots of wonderful memories were made this year. Lots of pictures? That's another story. I barely picked up my camera. I am so mad now, but at the time, I was juggling the baby, helping Hampton open presents, visiting with family I hadn't seen in forever, and a million other things. So, alas, I only have a few pictures. And none with the 4 of us. I'll have to make up for it by taking lots and lots of pictures this next year!

5 months

2011-12-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

This month has flown by! I'm sure the holiday season is the main reason because we have been so incredibly busy! And Colton, sweet thing he is, just goes with the madness.

Colton is keeping us on our toes, that's for sure! His "routine" is that he has no routine. I think if I was a first time mom, this might drive me insane. But we just go with it, and he sleeps when he wants, eat when he wants, and plays in between! He is still a great sleeper, going down these days between 8:30 and 9:30 and usually sleeping until about 7. He does still wake up once during the night, but is back asleep after 5-10 minutes. I can't complain! (Jordan might, though, since he's still in our room! It's just so easy to reach over and grab him when he wakes up!)

This month:
-What a personality this little guy has! He is (usually) so content, and has quite a lot to babble and giggle about.
-Anything and everything goes into his mouth. And the slobber...there's so much!!
-The rolling is out of control. Colton is all over the place, and he gets there fast!
-He's working on sitting up on his own. I'm surprised at how close he is to staying up for more than a second or two.
-Ear infections have been an every few weeks occurrence with this guy. I'm hoping we can get things under control. If not, the "t" word has been brought up.
-"Spitting up" does not begin to describe what this kid does. He pukes all.the.time. We change clothes a lot!
-Speaking of puking, we survived our first stomach bug. Scariest. Moment. Ever. I am usually pretty calm and laid back when it comes to being a mom, but watching him get sick, screaming in pain each time, and then his limp body when it was all over was too much for me. Thankfully, it was all over by the next morning and no one else caught it.

More pictures?

I'm growing up so fast!

Another month older. He'll be six months old so soon. I can't stand it!

Bye Bye Paci

2011-12-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

We said good bye to Hampton's pacifier two weekends ago, and let me tell you, I LOVE having that thing gone! When Jordan got home from work on Friday afternoon, we took Hampton to Target to pick out a prize. The idea was that if he slept all night without his paci, he would get the prize Saturday morning. HA. The kid flipped when we tried to take his monster truck (his pick!) and put it in the back of the car. I finally gave in and said, "now you need to understand that the paci is going in the trash when we get home. You will not get it back if you get your prize now." I don't know if he understood, but he threw away all 3 pacifiers as soon as we got home and never looked back! He cried for about 5 minutes that first night, but other than that, it has been a really easy transition. Thank goodness because I think Jordan and I were pretty nervous about how it would all work out. Such a good kid!

A million dollars

2011-11-30T20:25:00.001-05:00

When Hampton gets on a "no" kick, Jordan and I like to throw out the question, "do you want a million dollars?" We'll usually get a thoughtful pause and an "ookaaay." It's hilarious and adorable. This afternoon, when he woke up from his nap, I was asking him what he wanted (for a snack), and his response was "I want a middon dollas." Ummm, yes, sweetie, so do I. So I tried explaining to him that I don't have a million dollars. But he insisted. I tried to change his diaper, but he refused. "I want a middon dollas!" he screamed while pointing toward the kitchen. Reasoning with a 2 year old is impossible, so I went with it. He led me to the kitchen, then to the pantry, the whole time pointing and saying "middon dollas." I pointed out practically everything in the pantry, "Is this a million dollars?" "No." "Is this a million dollars?" "No." Finally, he believed me--we do not have a million dollars in our house.

Dang it.

Black Friday-Stella and Dot Style!

2011-11-24T22:43:00.001-05:00

4 months!

2011-11-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

I am so glad that I have this blog to look back and see what we were up to at month 4 with Hampton. It makes it fun to see how different they look, and how they differ weight/length wise at that point. It's hard to believe that it really wasn't that long ago that Hampton was only 4 months, but I sometimes still feel like this is my first go round with a baby. I just don't remember it all!!

As for this go round--I have a big boy. People used to tell me all the time that Hampton was such a big boy. No. No. No. Colton is a big boy! (and I wouldn't have it any other way-those cheeks and thighs-oh my! Love!!). He is 17 pounds and 25 inches. My poor back is not going to handle taking him out in the car seat much longer!

We learned at his appointment that he has his second ear infection. Ugh. This is not what I wanted to hear. We're hoping that once he gets his second round of shots, this should help him fight against things Hampton may be bringing home from school. We postponed shots for 2 weeks when we go back in to have his ear rechecked.

Colton is such a content baby. He will hang out pretty much wherever you lay him down and just kick and talk and roll around. If he's in a room where a tv is on, I've noticed that he will scoot himself around until he can see the screen. I don't think he can really see clearly yet, but I guess he likes the light. We've recently introduced the jumperoo, and he seems to love it as much as his big brother did (and still does! ha!). The activity mat and swing are also favorite spots for him to just chill. He doesn't love the bouncy seat for too long, but we'll usually sit him in there (or in the bumbo on the table) while we eat dinner. He's pretty much over his aversion to the carseat and rides happily until he falls asleep. As far as milestones go, I think this kid is going to be a competitive one! He has been rolling from stomach to back for about a month, and the day before he hit 4 months, he made it from back to stomach! He grabs on to anything he can and shakes it, puts it in his mouth or, if it is something sturdy, tries to pull himself up. His is strong! His little giggle is contagious and he smiles at everyone. He is quite the talker as well. Pretty much, life doesn't get much better for this little guy! :)

His daddy's signature half smile!

Look how big I am!

Ok. I'm done.

happy halloween!

2011-11-11T15:27:00.000-05:00

Colton the HotDog

Hampton the Hamburger

Hampton's Buzz Lightyear pumpkin :)

what I've been up to...

2011-11-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

As the end of my maternity leave started to creep up on me, I knew that something had to change. Although I was still only going to be working 3 days a week, the thought of leaving my baby that soon was killing me. I knew Hampton would be okay (because he loved his babysitter already), but Colton was only 2 and a half months old. I had been praying for a long time that this change would happen, talking with Jordan, and talking with my dad about what it could possibly mean. And 1 week before I was to return to work, my boss asked if I could meet him for lunch. After catching up on things, he presented the idea that I become a contract worker for the company--meaning, working on my time, only being in the office about 4 hours a week, and no other responsibilities except accounting. It's exactly what I wanted to hear. And exactly what I wanted to do. After writing up a proposal, agreements were made, and I was free! I'm now working for my dad and taking on different accounting jobs, and getting to be at home with my boys at least 3 days a week. Because of some private issues with our babysitter, she had to stop watching kids for a bit (hopefully she'll be taking them back soon b/c Hampton and I love her!), so Hampton is now enrolled at Mother's Day Out at a church right down the street 2 days a week. Colton stays with my dad on Wednesday mornings while I spend some time at the office, and the rest of my days are spent playing, loving on, and enjoying these boys. And I work during nap time...most days...and sometimes in the evenings. I'm definitely not making the big bucks, but I wouldn't trade it. I'm so thankful!

Seriously, how cute is this?!

Colton is 3...and a half...months!

2011-11-01T14:12:00.006-04:00

before I can get into how adorable my little guy is, I need to vent: our internet sucks! We've been working on getting our wireless internet working for over a month now. Two visits from the cable guy, 3 new routers, and still having issues! I'm.So.Frustrated. I feel like I can't keep up with anything b/c the dang computer won't connect. And my only chance is nap time, so that makes it double impossible to post. Ok, that's all, vent over! For now...

On to this adorable little (albeit, chunky!) guy:It is amazing how little I remember from when Hampton was this age. When should he be napping? How much should he eat when he gets a bottle? He is rolling over (stomach to back) already!? Each little milestone is so new. Like I've never done it before!

"Colt the Bolt," as his daddy has so lovingly nicknamed him, is such a sweetie. He smiles and laughs and coos his days away. Unless, of course, if he's eating or sleeping. Which he still does a lot of! Though we've had a rough couple of nights getting to sleep this week, he has been sleeping through the night for a while now. He started rolling from tummy to back right at 3 months. This put a little kink in a few nights (he's a tummy sleeper), but I just started wrapping him up nice and tight so that he can't roll himself over and wake up. (Yep, I just admitted that my baby sleeps on his tummy with a blanket. Deal!) He's really into watching Hampton, and Hampton just loves to lay next to him and talk to him, tickle him, and give him kisses. It's quite possibly the cutest thing ever. He loves to lay on his play mat and look at all the dangling toys. The swing and bouncy seat are okay, but he doesn't like to be in either of those for too long! Car rides have gotten much, MUCH better. He'll usually drift off in the car, but if he doesn't, he likes to check himself out in his little mirror and watch the dangling animals on that as well!

He's a great little feeder and nursing is so different this time. He gets on, gets full, gets off. Not like his big brother who liked to hang around for an hour or so every single feeding! I give him the occasional bottle when we're out and about or while I'm at the office, and he'll usually take it without a fight. I'm pretty proud that we have not had to use one bit of formula yet. I'm not opposed to it, but it just hasn't been needed!

I don't know how much he weighs, but this baby is big! He's still in some 3 month onesies/pants, but in pajamas and one piece outfits, we've had to move on up. He's also zooming through diaper sizes. He's currently in 2s but I can tell we'll need to move up very soon!

We're having a fun time with these boys! :)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Hampton!

2011-10-19T14:40:00.001-04:00

Yes, his birthday was September 23. This is a little late, but what can I say?...I'm BUSY!! Hampton had a great 2nd birthday! We had family over that Friday night for pizza, cake, and presents. Saturday, we headed to the zoo. It was a fun, laid back time. Perfect for a second birthday! I can't believe my little guy is 2 already. He is such fun!! A few pictures from his birthday party:

2 months

2011-09-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

Colton is 2 months old! Oh my! These two months have been amazing. We're definitely falling nicely into the role of "family of 4." Without sitting down and discussing things, Jordan and I have just fallen into our new roles. The baby needs to eat? Jordan takes care of dinner. I'm giving Colton a bath? Jordan grabs Hampton and gets him in the tub. I hop in the shower before getting in bed? Jordan makes sure that there are diapers and wipes next to the bed for the middle-of-the-night change. It works.

Even though I've done this before, I'm in shock at how much a baby changes in the first 2 months! Colton is so alert, loves to check out everything going on around him, and unlike his big brother, is happy to chill out in his swing or on the activity mat for a little while. He has the sweetest little smile and when you tickle his stomach he smiles and pulls his legs and arms in to grab your hand! Sleep (knock on wood) is wonderful. He takes great naps and wakes up once during the night to eat and goes right back to sleep. The only hiccup is that he is in this stage where he "cluster feeds" (eats off and on for a few hours) every night before bed. He can be a bit fussy during this time, and I can't quite figure it out. Not sure if he's sleepy and fighting it, hungry, has a tummy ache, or what. But I'm sure it will pass soon, so for now, I camp out in my bed and just feed and bounce and love on him until he goes to sleep for good.

At Colton's 2 month well visit, we learned that he had an ear infection. Hampton was kind enough to share his cold with Jordan and Colton, but I was surprised to hear this! Hampton had no ear infections through his first year (and only 1 ever), so it makes me nervous that this little guy has one already. I'm hoping this isn't a sign of bad things to come... Since he had an ear infection and would have to come back in 2 weeks for a recheck, we got to postpone the dreaded shots. I'm not looking forward to that! :(
Although Colton seems so teeny tiny to me, he's a little chunkster! He weighed in at 12 lbs, 9 oz and was 22 inches. Yay for my big boy!!

Labor Day Beach trip

2011-09-13T13:53:00.001-04:00

I've been a total blog slacker. I really wish it wasn't so, but I don't pull my computer out much during the day (it's already missing the "V" key thanks to Hampton always wanting to beat on it!). Once I'm in bed at night, or nursing Colton before he goes to bed, the last thing I think about is how I need to write down this or that before I forget and then I'm too lazy to pull out the computer! Looking back, this same thing happened my first few months with Hampton, so I'm sure I'll get back in the swing of things soon enough. Excited? You should be!

Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to head to Hilton Head for the long weekend. Oh boy, is going to the beach with a toddler and a newborn an adventure and a half! Thankfully, my parents were there to step in when needed. Hampton slept in the pnp in their room, so Jordan and I were able to get a few extra minutes of sleep each morning before Colton decided it was time for everyone to be up. That in itself was so nice! We spent Saturday down at the beach most of the day but not in the ocean. Hampton is terrified still. It was so pitiful, and after much begging and coercing, we finally gave up on the idea of him getting in-or anywhere close-to the water. I hope this changes next year! We had a beachfront condo with a pool right out the back door, so he did get a lot of swim time in, which made him happy. He is fearless when it comes to the pool! Colton (let's not forget about him) napped down at the beach for hours, slept great at night, and just went with the flow. He's such a good baby! Sunday was a little rainy, but we didn't let that stop us from having fun. Hampton and Jordan played in the rain, found a bunny, and ate boiled peanuts out on the patio w/ G-dad. The afternoon was pretty windy, so we had to keep Colton inside--which meant that we traded off being down at the beach. That part of vacationing with little ones isn't so fun, but it is better than not getting away at all! On the way home, we hit the outlets. Hampton racked up on some fall/winter clothes. He was in desperate need b/c he was going to have to go naked once the weather cooled down!

Just take the picture, mom.

Chillin'

Diggin'

I'll play in the sand!

I also convinced Jordan to humor me and pose for a few pictures. Too bad Colton wasn't as easily swayed. He wasn't so pleased with the idea, but I think we got a few.

Helping his daddy fly the kite

Hampton flying the kite!

Can't wait to hit the beach next summer when both boys can play with each other!

i lu you

2011-08-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

Hampton said "I lu you" to me tonight as I was rubbing his back before bed time. My eyes filled with tears. Best.Feeling.Ever.!

Thank you Jesus for blessing me with this sweet, sweet boy. He was certainly worth it ALL!

23 months

2011-08-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

I am starting to have writer's block when I do these monthly updates on my little monkey. I mean, how many times can I start a blog entry with "I can't believe he's __ months already! Time is flying"? It gets a little redundant, no? That being said, it's the truth and I'll probably say it each month with Colton as well!

23 months. Such a fun age! My little guy is just a hoot to be around. Each day he makes me laugh with his crazy antics, ridiculous tantrums (yes, they usually make me laugh. Who flings themselves on the floor because you hand them a cup of milk after they ask for milk?? Seriously, you have to laugh!), and toddler demands. ("SIT DOWN. THERE. SIT DOWN!!") He has been a little chatterbox since I've been home with Colton, using lots of phrases and real sentences. Most of them start with "I want...","I get...", or he labels things, "mommy's cup, daddy's car, baby's diaper." It's great to be able to actually communicate with him about so many things! Of course, if he can't yet get the words out for what he wants, it can be pretty horrific. He repeats almost anything we ask him to say (and even things we don't!), but I have yet to get him to say "Colton." Instead, he refers to him as "babies" or "Colt colt". How cute is that? :)

We have decided that we are not going to do a big birthday party for Hampton's second b-day. Instead, we are going to take a trip to the zoo with some family! We have been to the aquarium a couple of times, and he loved it, but we have never been to the zoo. I thought it would be such fun and much less stressful! We have plenty of birthday parties to look forward to as we watch these boys (and future kid(s)) grow up, so this just seems like the perfect time to do something different to celebrate our little guy's day!

Such a sweetie:Look at what a sweet big brother he is :)

Colton-1 month

2011-08-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, even though it feels like we walked out of the hospital yesterday, my baby is a month old! He has had a busy first month, which is definitely the reason it has flown by. I don't think I went out of the house much the first month with Hampton, but with Colton, I can probably count on one hand the number of days we have been at home all day long. It feels good to get out, but it can be a bit overwhelming. After a complete meltdown by Hampton in the parking lot of Target, I haven't really ventured out much on my own unless I will be meeting up with someone! I need a little more time to get the hang of it all!

Colton was having a hard time gaining weight, but he finally surpassed his birth weight (and rocketed on up to 8lb15oz!!) at his last weight check on his 1-month birthday. I'm glad to finally have him on the right track. Only problem is he still has mucusy, green bm's, so we are trying to figure out what is causing that. I was going dairy free, but after 3 weeks, we couldn't see any change, so now I'm eating Activia yogurt to see if some probiotics will help. If there is no change, I think we may have to do some cultures. :(

This first month has been much easier than what I remember with the monkey. He eats well, he sleeps well, and over all he's pretty chill. Unless he's awake and I put him in the carseat and we don't leave that second. Then, he's not so happy. And it carries over to the car ride, until he finally goes to sleep! Hampton, on the other hand, could have lived in his car seat for the first 3 months (and really hasn't ever minded it since...). Overall, I can't complain!

One month pictures were oddly familiar to Hampton's, and he screamed bloody murder the second we set him down! Here are a few that were okay:

22 months

2011-08-02T21:27:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I'm a little late on this one. Hampton turned 22 months on July 23. He celebrated with a 102 fever. :( That passed quickly, thankfully, and he spent the rest of the weekend in the pool. This kid, like his momma, is a fish!

Holding this new baby in my arms makes me really see what a little boy my monkey has become. I know I've probably said before that he is so grown up, but he was still a baby in my eyes until C showed up! Reality check--I have an almost 2 year old! (and speaking of, I should probably start thinking about his birthday party. I mean, I was practically done at this point last year!!)

Hampton is using more and more words every day, and he has started using a few sentences. It is so cute to listen to him put together a thought. There is still a lot of "Hamptonese" spoken, but his sweet voice makes that even more adorable. He is big into saying "thank you" and "truck"! Being "ow-siide" is his favorite thing. Even in record heat, Hampton would prefer to be out playing in the yard over anything else. And while he has tons of toys at our house and both grandparents' houses, pine straw and rocks are really enough to entertain him! When he wants to go on the slide, he runs to the back door and yells "Weeee!" and he's recently learned just how fun it is to run through sprinklers. He's such a fun little guy, and I can't wait for him to teach his little brother all about the important things in life. :)

Meal time has become the bane of my existence. Honestly, this kid is the pickiest eater. Depending on the day, he loves one thing and hates another, and 24 hours later, it's a completely different story! And if he's in a mood, no matter what you give him will be good enough and it ALL ends up on the kitchen floor (and table and wall and chairs and me...). I'm hoping this phase passes soon or I may lose.my.mind.!

This little guy was meant to be a big brother. He's so caring and concerned about every movement and squeak made by his little brother and wants to be right there by him. When I change Colton's diaper, Hampton begs to watch and rubs C's head when he gets upset during the change. He climbs up in the sofa, sits down, points to his lap and says, "sit down babies"! It's so sweet!

Speaking of "babies", everything seems to be pluralized in his world suddenly-babies, daddies, mommies, pacies, etc. I don't know why there has been this sudden change, but we just laugh and go with it. :)

And in typical "new mom" fashion, I can't find my camera cord, so I have ZERO recent pictures uploaded. I'll have to steal my mom's until I can locate mine! Until then, a couple of camera pics:

July 16, 2011

2011-07-27T11:44:00.005-04:00

The day we became a family of four! Yes, we welcomed Colton Eli into the world a little under 2 weeks ago, and since then, life has been...awesome, exhausting, overwhelming, wonderful, emotional, and a new experience that is going to take more practice!!

At my appointment on Friday, 7/15, I was given the option to induce the next day or on Monday (which was the original plan). I couldn't decide, and my doctor put me on the schedule for both days. She basically said, if you want to tomorrow, be there at 6. If not, just call in the morning and let us know. Easy enough, right? Well, I spent ALL afternoon trying to decide which day to go in. Were we ready? Yes. No. Maybe. Would two days make a difference? Yes. No. Maybe. We had no plans for Hampton. Would the grandparents be ready that night? Yes. I guess. Should we spend that last weekend alone with Hampton? Yes. No. Maybe. You get the idea. In the end, I basically threw my hands in the air, said "what the heck, let's do this tomorrow" and finished up some accounting work, got in as many hugs as I could from H, and made my husband help me clean the house as much as possible before the next morning to help me feel ready. Hampton stayed with Jordan's parents that night, so that we could be up and out of the house early. He was perfectly happy with this idea. I was a wreck.

We went to the hospital Saturday morning, got checked in, and they started the pitocin around 8am. Contractions started pretty quickly, but they weren't painful at all, so we just hung out, talked, played some Words w/ Friends, and watched TV. Once I got to 4 cm, my doctor wanted to go ahead and break my water. Because of how far back my cervix was, checks were extremely painful and they thought that getting my epidural before breaking the water would be a good idea. I planned on getting one anyway, so I went ahead and called for the meds. Yep, before I even felt any pain from contractions, I got an epidural. And let me tell you, it was the most fantastic idea ever!! A completely pain free labor (minus the 2 checks I had before that!)? Yes, please! So, my water was broken, and we waited. My family and brother and sister in law were here by this point, so they came in and kept us company for a while. Later, Jordan's parents came with Hampton. Hampton DID NOT like being in the room and seeing me hooked up to the different machines. The afternoon seemed to drag along, but atleast it was pain free. At one point, a couple of nurses rushed in the room and silently watched the computer. Then, all hell broke loose. One nurse said something about too many decels and they all went into action: turned me on my side, moving the baby around, oxygen mask on my face, family rushed out, and orders to get supplies ready for emergency c-section were being yelled out. I was in tears! Fortunately, everything calmed down, Colton's heart rate returned to normal, and I had to stay on my left side until it was time to push--ugh. So uncomfortable. But whatever, I did what I was told! I told the nurse around 4 that I was feeling some pressure. She asked if it was constant or came with contractions. It came with contractions, so we waited. Shortly after that another Dr. came in to check me, said, "I hope you're ready to have a baby" and called for Dr. H to come deliver. I was ready! They got all prepped, Dr. H made a comment about how he was right there, and while we waited on the baby's nurse to get to the room, she asked if I wanted to do a practice push. Sure. Why not? Well, why not is b/c he was RIGHT.THERE. and they had no nurse in the room! They made me stop and wait, called for a nurse to come in immediately, and then we were ready to go! Good thing, too, b/c in less that 10 minutes and 3 pushes later, I had a healthy baby boy! Colton was born at 4:49pm, weighing a whopping 8 pounds, 7 ounces, and measuring 19 inches. It was quick, easy, and this momma has now survived two births with no tears and no stitches!! My doctor said that my body was made to have babies! :)

We were in our L&D room for what seemed like forever (because it was shift change for the nursing staff). It was getting close to the time that Hampton needed to go home, and they finally allowed him to come back to my room to see the baby with my parents. Everything seemed so much more rushed this time around. Not only were the grandparents' visits revolving around Hampton's nap and eating schedule, but we were out of the hospital and headed home a little after lunch on Monday. It was great to be in and out so quickly, but I don't have all of the first day pictures with Colton and all the grandparents that I was able to take with Hampton. I'm sad not to have captured those very first moments!

Hampton adores his baby brother. He feels Colton needs to have a paci shoved in his mouth at all times (though Colton doesn't really like the paci!), he pats him and tells him it's okay when he cries, and he wants to hold him any chance he gets! Jordan was home the first week, so that was a ton of help. Hampton ran a fever on Friday and Saturday, so he and Jordan had a lot of one on one time while I stayed trapped in my room with Colton. He's been pretty good behavior wise, with a few whiny fits here and there. I was on my own starting Monday. Thankfully, my sister in law came in town and has been taking Hampton over to my inlaws house to play with his cousins for a little while each day. So, next week, I will really, really be on my own!And I'm not even going to brag about how great of an eater and sleeper he is for fear of cursing myself....So far, we're surviving!(a sneak peak from our newborn pictures. I'll share more when I get them!)

Dear Hampton,

2011-07-16T09:19:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that you are about to be a big brother! This is going to be quite an adjustment for you, but you are so loving to any babies you meet, that I just know you'll love your baby brother, too. We are so excited that Colton and you will be close in age and hopefully great little buddies. Soon enough, you two will be wrestling, playing catch, and getting into all sorts of trouble!

I have had moments throughout this pregnancy where I've thought about the special times that we've had in only a short 22 months, and the guilt hits me of how this is really going to be so different. I cherish our bedtime cuddles and fun times we have on the days I don't have to go to the office. It's my promise to you, sweet baby boy, that I will do anything and everything to make time for "our time" every day!

I'm sure so much is about to change for all of us, but I want you to know how sweet and special you are to me- and nothing can ever change that! God has blessed us so much with both you and your brother, and I don't want a day to go by that you don't know how happy we are that he chose you for us.

I love you, little monkey!

Love,
Mommy

Getting so close

2011-07-11T21:49:00.002-04:00

How far along: 38 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: 25-30, I believe. I stopped looking! ;)
Maternity clothes: Oh yeah.
Stretch marks: Not really--I guess that's a bonus of measuring small!
Sleep: I should be doing that now! Thankfully, other than a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I am still getting some solid sleep!
Best moment this week: My sweet friends threw me a shower for Colton.
Movement: Slowed down, but he's still scooting around when he can.
Food cravings: I just baked 2 loaves of banana bread. Enough said....
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Lots of contractions. As of my appointment last Friday, I was about 3cm dilated, she stripped my membranes, and I've lost my mucus plug. Just waiting on my body to say enough is enough!!
Belly Button in or out: Flat!
What I miss: Being able to play with my monkey for more than a few minutes without getting worn out or too uncomfortable to continue.
What I am looking forward to: Meeting this little boy!
Milestones: Getting this far, I guess! My doctor was surprised that he hadn't come yet!

No picture this week! I'll get one tomorrow...

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

I hope each of you are enjoying the holiday weekend! Have fun and be safe!

It's all about Hampton

2011-07-03T21:27:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday, it was all about the H-man! Ok, I know, when is it not all about him, right?! Well, Saturday was Hampton overload. Jordan and I both want to take these last couple of weeks as a family of 3 and just cherish the time, so instead of our normal clean the house, get stuff done, boring routine, we had a day of FUN!

First, we had some delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast. After breakfast, Hampton got to go on a bike ride with daddy! He loves it, and-surprisingly-didn't even fight putting the helmet on (and off and on and off and on until I could get the sizing right!!). They were able to do that while I cleaned up from breakfast and got our things ready for the day. We decided to risk not putting the monkey down for a morning nap and crossed our fingers for a nice middle-of-the-day nap, so we could go swimming when he woke up. It worked out perfectly!! We spent the morning at Monkey Joe's. If you don't have a Monkey Joe's in your area, it is a place with all sorts of inflatables where kids go to jump, slide, and just have a blast! And he did just that!! We went to my parents' house to lay him down for a nap and spent the afternoon in the pool. The big boys played while Hampton slept...
Man, this kid LOVES everything about being outside and in the pool. My grandparents came over for dinner, and after a long day, we all went home and collapsed in our beds! And we're basically doing it again this weekend. ;)

21 months

2011-06-30T11:30:00.000-04:00

21 months. 3 months until my baby is TWO. Less than 1 month until he is a big brother!! This is pure craziness!

I feel like this past month has gone by in a complete blur. The little monkey enjoyed his trip to the beach, lots of pool time, spend the night parties with Mimi and G-dad, outside time galore (Even in this ridiculous heat. He's such a boy!), and several lunch dates with me and friends! He's just so much fun to be around, and, even though I am so uncomfortable and exhausted, I am really trying to make the most of these last few weeks where I don't have to be shared.

I can't give our babysitter, Vivienne, enough praises. Hampton has become a little chatter box recently, and I really give her so much of the credit. She does letters, numbers, shapes, animals, etc. with the kids everyday, and she said he just soaks it all in! He really enjoys his 3 days at day care, too, which is such a relief for me!

I've been trying to get this post put together for over a week now, so I'll leave it with a few sweet memories (mainly for myself to look back on) and some pictures!

-"Hep pease" (Help, please!) is heard a lot in our house. Sweet boy wants to do so much on his own, but he asks sweetly when he needs someone to help him out!
-We have met several new babies this month, and Hampton is just so precious around them. He will pat their heads, kiss them, always wants to "hold" them, and makes sure to share whatever her has--sippy cup, toy, you name it! I hope he loves his baby brother just as much!!
-We've introduced the idea of the potty to H, but we're not really potty training right now. He sits on his little toilet before bath/getting ready for bed, but has yet to use it. This is something I really don't want to deal with until we've got Colton home and established some sort of normalcy, so I don't mind!
-This kid still sleeps like a champ (knock on wood)! 2 good naps and a solid 11-12 hours at night makes for a happy little monkey (and mommy. and daddy.)!!
-"Little monkey" is going to have to be renamed "little fish"! The pool has been a life saver this summer!
-One day, my child will like the same food consistently, I guess. For now, I play "guess what Hampton will eat today..." and cross my fingers!!
-While this boy loves his mommy, he already has a special bond with Jordan. The pure joy that radiates from him when J walks in the door is enough to make my heart melt.

35/35

2011-06-18T13:55:00.003-04:00

Let the countdown begin!! At my appointment on Friday, everything looked pretty good. Colton is VERY low, making me measure a few weeks behind. I'm 1cm dilated. The protein in my urine sample was high but blood pressure was good, no real swelling, and I'm feeling good. Dr. H gave me a few warning signs to look out for for pre-eclampsia, and she said if the protein levels were still elevated, that I would get to experience the joy of peeing in a jug for 24 hours again. Exciting! :/ One week at a time here, and we don't have too many of those left!!

How far along: 35
Total weight gain/loss: 25-30, I believe. I didn't gain any since my 33 week visit, though! Yay!
Maternity clothes: Yup.
Stretch marks: Not really--I guess that's a bonus of measuring small!
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well, thankfully.
Best moment this week: Sitting back with my feet up, watching Jordan and Hampton run at full speed through the house pushing trucks around!
Movement: Yes. But I think he's running out of room to move!
Food cravings: None, really.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: a few contractions. Nothing consistent, though.
Belly Button in or out: Flat!
What I miss: Wearing a cute bathing suit. (Sad, but true!)
What I am looking forward to: My sweet friends are throwing a baby shower for me in about a week. I'm so excited and blessed!
Milestones: 35/35!!

Beach baby

2011-06-18T08:40:00.001-04:00

Over Memorial Day Weekend, we were able to head to Fripp Island and spend several days at the beach with Jordan's family. It was a much needed vacation that I am so glad we were able to make work out before Colton gets here. I didn't think we'd get to see the beach this summer, and it made me want to cry!

Remember when I said my child was fearless? That was 99% accurate. Crashing waves were where he drew the line! And, even though everyday he would point and yell "wata"when we got to the beach, he did not want anything to do with going into the ocean. And you know what-it didn't bother us one bit b/c WE didn't want anything to do with going in the ocean!! We would find little "pools" of water further up the beach and play in the water and sand. It was perfect, and Hampton loved it. When the tide came up, he didn't mind sitting in the water as the smaller waves hit. If they got a little too big, though, he just grabbed his stuff and backed up! Smart little guy.One day, Jordan had a bucket down at the beach for when he and his dad to use for bait for fishing later on. Hampton kept wanting Jordan to fill it up with water and bring it up the beach to him. Needless to say, this got tiring quickly, so Jordan came up with a way to entertain the little monkey with the bucket in a *ahem* special way:Strangers actually came up and wanted to take a picture of him in this bucket. One little girl posed with H while her mom took a picture! What the heck?! It was so strange but funny!

The slide at the pool was another big hit. This kid could be in the pool all day long every day. (Seriously, I put him in the car yesterday, and he looked at me and said, "pool?" Love it!) He was a little nervous at first, but after his first slide, he was gone--running as fast as he could around to the stairs to do it again.The one thing Fripp is known for are the deer that live on the island. They are so tame and always just hanging out. I was hoping to catch a few pictures of Hampton with the deer, but he got nervous and screamed, making this big boy give us a stare down, and in turn making me scared he was going to charge at us, if that is in fact what deer do....The days were filled with lots of action and lots of relaxing (thank goodness for grandparents & other family that loved entertaining our child as much as we loved them doing it!!). I can't wait to head to the beach next summer with BOTH-scratch that, all THREE-of my boys!!Our best attempt at a family photo...FAIL
Oh sweet summertime. How we LOVE YOU!!!

Update from u/s yesterday

2011-06-09T11:39:00.005-04:00

Everything looked good at our u/s yesterday. Well, as far as I know. Those u/s techs sure are tight-lipped! She did say that his fluid level was 20, which is "a good number." He has dropped, but she said that that doesn't necessarily indicate anything. I guess I'll just have to wait another week to see what my doctor says. For now, there is nothing to worry about. Thank the Lord!

Oh, and it has been confirmed, I make big babies. A little nervous about this....

Here's a couple of pics. Like his big brother, Colton has his face smooshed into the placenta and good pictures are just not going to happen. That's okay. I'd rather see him in person, anyway! ;)

Oh, and that shadow in the corner is just my cell phone b/c my scanner wouldn't work...not some sort of weird growth on my child!

33 Weeks

2011-06-05T21:14:00.002-04:00

Friday, I had my regular check up, and things are looking good. My protein levels, blood pressure, weight, etc. are all right on track. Colton's heart was beating away on the doppler, and me and Dr. H laughed when it would go from so calm to really fast. He was moving all around! The only thing that was "off" was that I was measuring 29 weeks, and Dr. H said that was a stretch. Two weeks ago, I was measuring right on track at about 30.5. Dr. H didn't seem overly concerned, but she wanted me to go get a growth scan before my next appointment, so we'll get that done on Wednesday. Because of my history with Hampton, she wants to check his growth and fluid levels. So, we'll see if there is anything going on on Wednesday afternoon. Hopefully, it's just that he's dropped and shifted his position!

How far along: 33 weeks, 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: I think I'm right around +25. Not sure, though.
Maternity clothes: Basically all I wear. I have a few non-maternity shirts/skirts that are still working for me, but they are very flowly/elastic waist, so that helps!
Stretch marks: Not on my stomach...ha!
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well, thankfully.
Best moment this week: Spending some time at the beach with my boys.
Movement: Lots and lots.
Food cravings: Still loving me some ice cream.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Been having some Braxton Hicks.
Belly Button in or out: Flat.
What I miss: My pre-pregnancy body.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing the little guy on u/s this week.
Milestones: No real issues at this point seems like a pretty good milestone to me :)

My basketball...I mean, belly!

20 months

2011-05-24T12:00:00.009-04:00

Another month has come and gone. This one is tough. It's like that "2" is a warning that he will actually be TWO in a few short months! How is it possible that this little guy is growing so fast? It's overwhelming now that potty training, "big boy bed," and other big-kid stuff is now in our regular vocabulary. But I love it! He is such a fun little guy!!

Being older is bringing on a new braveness in my always up for a challenge kid. Nothing seems to be too much for him. He wants to investigate it all. If there is something out of his reach, he will figure out a way to get to it (example-getting a chair from the kitchen table and moving it across the house to climb on!! Yikes!). He keeps us on our toes! Though he is very adventurous, he is also very obedient. When he is told that something is off limits, he listens--well, most of the time. If not, a second request usually gets the trick done.

We're outdoors a lot, even though it has been miserably hot already. He LOVES to be outside, and if water is in the mix, it's even better. We have a water table for him at the house, and he can't get enough of the pool at my parents' house. The sprinklers scare him, though. I'm sure it's because of how hard the water is coming out. We'll have to get a sprinkler that attaches to the hose and let him jump through that some here in the near future!

It cracks me up that whenever we go to leave the house, he looks around and will grab something, ANYthing to take with him on the ride. I'm talking from the remote control to "his" phone to a big old push toy that will never fit in his lap in the car. It doesn't matter. He NEEDS to have an item in his hands. And, naturally, he usually has forgotten about the item within minutes of being in the car, chunks it somewhere out of reach, and I wind up with a bunch of miscellaneous toys/household items in my car!

Though rare, the monkey can throw some epic tantrums. It's such a mixture of emotions on my side: sad that he gets so upset, helpless when I don't know how to fix it, and kind of amused to watch (is that bad?!). We usually handle tantrums at home by ignoring him and letting him know when he's through that mommy or daddy will be in the other room waiting. Though they rarely happen in public (THANK GOODNESS!!), it is a different story. He gets a firm warning to knock it off, and he usually gets the point quickly. I praise him all the time for how well behaved he is, and I know that this affirmation is definitely something that helps with our adventures out.

It doesn't seem like much has changed over the past month, and at the same time, so much has changed. He is growing quickly and learning so much each day!

what day is it?

2011-05-21T21:27:00.003-04:00

I feel like the days and weeks are just running together. I have so much on my plate and can't seem to grasp all that I have to get done each 24 hour period. Current things that I'm juggling include: we've put our house on the market, working my "real job" 3 days a week, helping my dad with his business when I can, working to make a little money with my Stella & Dot business, putting a nursery together (with literally NO money for little Colton), being a full-time mom and wife....you get the idea. There aren't enough hours in the day. And I'm completely exhausted, so I go to bed early, which cuts out even more time!! The good news-we are leaving for the beach this Friday for 5 days. I plan to sit around and just relax and rest, and I CAN'T WAIT!

Let's see what's been going on in our world...

Hampton woke up Monday morning with what looked like bite marks all over both of his legs. His little boy parts were also swollen like a balloon and his eyes were swollen as well. We didn't know what had gotten him during the night, but it didn't look good. Jordan stayed home with him and took him to the doctor while I went to work. The doctor (actually 2 doctors) looked him over and decided that it was, indeed, some sort of bug bite that he was reacting to--benedryl and anti-itch cream was the answer. Easy enough! Until I posted these pictures of his legs on face book... ....I had 2 friends, one a nurse and one a pharmacist, disagree with the doctor and said it looked like multiforme--basically a rash that comes as a reaction to medications but can sometimes be viral. Well, the week before, he had spiked a high fever and had a virus that hung around a couple of days, so it makes sense. How to treat it--benedryl and anti itch cream. So, we're not 100% sure if it was multiple bites or this rash, but either way, we've been treating it the same. It is starting to fade and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable to H anymore at all, and that is all that matters to me!

I am down to appointments every 2 weeks to check on Colton. So far, everything is going well. My blood pressure is lower than it has ever been, and there has been only a slight amount of protein in my urine at each visits. Not enough to have to carry around a jug for 24 hours, and that's how we want it to stay! Dr. H said we will do a growth scan at 36 weeks and see how everything is looking. We talked about an "eviction" date, and she said I could opt for an induction after 39 weeks. I think we'll just wait and see how things go. No rash decisions right now!

That's about all the exciting stuff I have right now. The monkey is 20 months old in two days. The speed at which he is growing up blows my mind!!

30 weeks

2011-05-14T20:13:00.002-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I've updated. I guess it's true what they say--the second time around is so different. Poor kid. He won't have as many blog post updates while in the belly, but I can guarantee he will be just as loved, so I'm not that concerned about it!

How far along: 30 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I have no idea. The doctor said I was right on track. That works for me.
Maternity clothes: Basically all I wear. I have a few non-maternity shirts/skirts that are still working for me, but they are very flowly/elastic waist, so that helps!
Stretch marks: Not that I've seen.
Sleep: Been tossing and turning-which isn't easy at this point!
Best moment this week: We moved the furniture that we purchased a couple of months ago into the nursery tonight. That's one thing off the check list...!
Movement: This child is so much more active than Hampton was. I fear for what is to come when he comes out! (kidding...kind of)
Food cravings: Nothing really. Been eating way too much ice cream.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: None. Definitely been having some Braxton Hicks.
Belly Button in or out: Flat.
What I miss: Being able to pick Hampton up and play with him for longer than a few minutes!
What I am looking forward to: Going to the beach in 2 weeks!
Milestones: ummm...30 weeks! 10 or less to go! Come on, baby boy!

for sale

2011-05-09T21:32:00.004-04:00

A few other blogs I frequent have been selling some items of clothing, so I thought I'd try and see if anyone was interested! All prices include shipping. If you are interested in an item or would like more details on an item, please comment with a way to contact you or email me at toinfertilityandbeyond@gmail.com.

American Eagle gray spaghetti strap dress, Medium. $9Gap pink halter dress w/ white/pink stripe trim and tie, 4. $10

Gap sleeveless turquoise dress w/ white trim on sleeves and collar; Small. $10

Express 1-sleeve pink w/orange underlay dress; 5/6 (fits small). $15

Polo green t-shirt dress w/ blue horse; Small. $10
**SOLD**

Xhilaration mauve kimono sleeve shirt; Medium. $6

Lapis green spaghetti strap asymmetrical top with green sequins; Medium. New w/ tag! $15 Old Navy grey tab-front capri pants, 6. $7

Old Navy tan cropped corduroy jacket, Medium. $9

Banana Republic black capri pants, 4. $10

Old Navy gray w/ black dots sleeveless top, Medium. $5

Steve Madden white sandals; Size 7.5. $12
*SOLD*

Fabulaire tan peep toe heels; Size 8. $10
*SOLD*

Colin Stuart hot pink stilettos; Size 7.5. $15
*SOLD*

Ann Taylor Loft brown foam wedge; Size 8. $10.

Express dark wash skinny jean; Size 29. $15

London Jean (by Victoria's Secret) dark wash boot cut jeans; Size 4. $13.

Gap dark wash (almost a shade of grey) original flare stretch jeans; Size 6R. $15.

Contact me if you're interested! Buying more than one item? Make me an offer! :)

exhausted and uncomfortable

2011-05-04T21:11:00.002-04:00

Warning: I need to complain a bit...

Sigh...I'm over it. I know, it sounds horrible, but I am. The only thing that I am enjoying are his sweet little kicks. So, it's not all bad. I just don't remember being this tired with Hampton. I mean, really, really tired. And I sleep well at night. That's the worst part! You'd think with a good night sleep, I'd be able to keep my eyes open past 11 am! Not the case. By 2:00-I'm worthless. And Colton has clearly made himself comfortable on a nerve that is sending a constant pain up my back. That and the sheer uncomfortableness of carrying around these ginormo bewbs has me twisting and turning in discomfort all.day.long. And the icing on the cake, morning sickness showed its ugly face this morning, after weeks of being away. I'm praying it will be a quick stint.

The good news--I have about 11 weeks left. And Jordan surprised me earlier with an hour massage scheduled for tomorrow night! And I'm totally blessed to be pregnant. I do know that. :)

19 months

2011-04-26T21:07:00.002-04:00

The wild child is now 19 months old. And I could sum up this entire entry with 3 words: He. Never. Stops. I mean, it is ridiculous the amount of energy that this kid has. Most days, I love it! Some days, I wish I could somehow bribe him to sit there and watch a movie (which, by the way, only happens when he's strapped in the car in front of the DVD player--and even then he usually finds other toys to play with!).
Buying clothes at this point is kind of annoying. He's in a lot of 24 month/2T stuff, but I had to go out and buy a handful of 18 month shorts recently. While the shirts work, he seems to walk right out of the shorts! It's funny but not practical. ;)
His vocabulary is really taking off, but don't expect him to repeat words when you ask. He'll say what he needs to say on HIS terms, not ours!
Meal time is my least favorite time of the day. While most days he's a fairly decent eater, for some reason, he feels that when he is done, he is supposed to toss his plate, even if there is food still on it. It's driving me insane.
He is so funny! I wish I could have a camera on him 24/7 to catch all of his hilarious actions, random faces, and incomprehensible "Hamptonese"!
He is still such a great sleeper--taking two 1.5 hour naps (at least) a day; going to bed around 7:30 and sleeping until 7-7:15.
We're sure to all be on our toes this summer, as he loves to be outside and loves the water. He took his first dip in the *cold* pool this weekend. It didn't seem to phase him, and he had a blast splashing around. Jordan finally got in, and he jumped to his daddy over and over and over again! He loves it!

27 weeks

2011-04-26T20:52:00.003-04:00

How far along: 27 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: +15ish. I feel like I look enormous, though.
Maternity clothes: Yes. Or skirts that have elastic waists/empire waist dresses.
Stretch marks: Not on the stomach, and nothing new
Sleep: I still sleep pretty well. Some nights I get up to use the restroom once, but that's not every night. The past few days have been bad b/c of allergies, though.
Best moment this week: Saturday equaled 3 months (or less) until we meet Colton! :)
Movement: Lots!
Food cravings: None
Gender: BOY!! :)
Labor Signs: None. I think I've had some Braxton Hicks. I don't know for sure, and I don't recall having any with Hampton.
Belly Button in or out: Flat.
What I miss: I'll stick with the answer from last time: Being able to take real medicine for allergies. Holy moly, I can't breathe!
What I am looking forward to: Pool time!
Milestones: 3rd trimester!!!

I usually don't mind my weekly pictures, but this week I just look and feel blah:

a mother's prayer for its child by tina fey

2011-04-21T09:53:00.001-04:00

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

-Tina Fey

(I <3 her!)

normal

2011-04-15T20:37:00.002-04:00

I've always thought of myself as pretty normal. I don't really stand out in a crowd. Until IF. Normal went out the window pretty quickly with that diagnosis. You've got the shots, the bedrest, the high risk, etc. that comes with most pregnancies following IF treatments; then came the miscarriage; then came pregnancy where I had terrible morning sickness, soft markers on H's heart that could mean Downs Syndrome, high blood pressure, carrying the jug around to test for pre-e, and low fluid levels causing an early induction. Not horrible things, by any means, but not what you would picture as a normal pregnancy.

This time is different. It's, dare I say, NORMAL. (Hello, did I just jinx myself?!) Seriously, though. My husband and I did the deed and got pregnant. Blood work and ultrasounds have all been great so far. I have been feeling pretty good over the past few weeks. Fluid levels measured high, yesterday. Blood pressure has been perfect. Everything is measuring right on track. The only thing I have to complain about are the back pains and the round ligament pains--you know, normal pregnancy stuff.

Here's the problem. I keep waiting for things to go south. I don't know why I can't accept that things are going just as they should. Of course, I'm over the moon happy about it, and I don't dwell on what could be, but I do occasionally think..."It's been too good to be true so far. What is going to go wrong?" Terrible, right? So I'm trying to change that. It's okay to be positive about all the good things that are happening! Just because we had a tough time getting the little monkey here doesn't mean that I can't just be normal again, right?! And I'm going to enjoy it!

24 weeks!

2011-04-04T09:13:00.002-04:00

How far along: 24 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: I really haven't been weighing myself. I fell huge. My husband tells me I'm not. I'm trying to eat healthy and exercise when I can. I'll see at my next appointment (4/14) what the deal is.
Maternity clothes: Pretty much. Or skirts that have elastic waists/empire waist dresses. And workout clothes ;)
Stretch marks: Not on the stomach, and nothing new
Sleep: Not too bad. The pregnancy pillow is surprising comfy. It makes my neck hurt some nights, though!
Best moment this week: Seeing my belly move. It's so freaky and cool!
Movement: He's been a little more active recently. Usually in the morning and when I lay down at night I feel him the most.
Food cravings: None
Gender: It's a BOY!! :)
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In, getting pretty flat!
What I miss: Being able to take real medicine for allergies. Holy moly, I can't breathe!
What I am looking forward to: Vacation at the end of May!
Milestones: Viability

Ugh, I need to get Jordan to take some better pictures!

18 months...better late than never

2011-03-28T21:38:00.003-04:00

I have a year-and-a-half old little boy. And that is exactly what he is--alllll BOY!! What fun he is, too! The monkey had his 18 month well visit on Wednesday, and he is such a little ham. All the nurses and Dr. H love him. After she gave him a good look over, Dr. H picked him up and said she needed some loving, and he gave her a big old hug and kiss! Poor Felicia, the nurse that came in next to give him his 2 shots, didn't get the same love, but he did give her a sweet wave and the most pitiful "bubye" when she was done. He has a mouth full of teeth, and we're pretty sure at least 1 of his 2-year molars is trying to make its way through (hello drool!). He weighed in at 27 pounds (70%) and is 34 inches tall (90%)!! Such a big boy!

Hampton is becoming a lot more verbal these days. He still doesn't have much to say unless he is asked to say it, but every once in a while we'll get a little surprise from him. He's started to repeat a lot of words when asked, will point out different parts of his body (and when you say mouth, rather than pointing, he yells! ha!), and will tell us what noises different animals make.

His favorite thing EVER is to be outside. And bubbles. Anytime we open the door, he runs out and yells "BUBBLES"!! It is so funny! Balls come in an extremely close second to bubbles. He always wants to wear his rain boots b/c they have balls on them. He'll bring them to me and say "Shoes. Ball. Out. BUBBLES!!!!"

He also started daycare this past month. He really seems to like it, and the teacher has great things to say about how he interacts with the other kids. I was so worried, so it makes me feel so much better that he has taken to it so well.

When asked if he has said good morning/good night/hi/etc. to Baby Colton, he stops in his tracks, comes over to me and lifts my shirt, pats my belly and gives it a big kiss! I can't put into words how adorable that is! (I hope he still feels this way when another human is actually around!!)

Each day is a new adventure, and I love learning right along with my little guy.

Pictures were quite the task this month...I tried 2 days in a row!
Sorry, Mr. Bear, I think your monthly picture days may be over!

We need your vote!!

2011-03-19T17:26:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday, lovely readers! I've entered a picture of Hampton that I just adore in a facebook contest, and I'd LOVE for your help to get him in the Top 10!! It's to win a painting from Modern Bird of the photo I've entered. All you have to do is "like" Modern Bird Studios and then "like" his picture. Any extra votes would be greatly appreciated! (And, ps, if you have a fan page, you can vote from there, too!! And-side note-leave me a link to your fan page...I'd love to see what some of my readers do!) The contest ends Monday!

This link will take you directly to his picture, but you'll have to like Modern Bird's page before you can like the picture.

THANK YOU!!!

ow, hot!

2011-03-15T11:05:00.002-04:00

I try my hardest to teach Hampton why I'm telling him not to touch things or the reason why I'm not handing him his dinner right off the stove or out of the microwave. He's always at my feet in the bathroom while I get ready for work in the mornings, and I use a straightening iron everyday. When he comes close and tries to reach up to grab it, I'll say, "Don't touch! Hot! Ow!" and pull away my hand quickly. He now points at the straightener and says "ow" so I think he's getting it. With food, I say "Too hot, help mommy blow it" and we'll both blow on whatever he has to eat to buy time until I think it's cooled off enough. So, the other day, we were playing in his room, and he was fascinated by his night light. I went with the "Don't touch! Hot!" response as he reached for the bulb, completely expecting him to say "ow" and back away. Instead, he got real close to it, and started blowing on it! It was pretty funny! I think we've gotten the messages crossed though, and I may need to come up with a new approach to keep him away from objects that could hurt him...!

21 weeks!

2011-03-14T20:46:00.002-04:00

How far along: 21 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. With the stomach bug, maybe +5-6 lbs.
Maternity clothes: Some pants. I don't own any for the in between season, and I'm trying to avoid buying any!
Stretch marks: Not on the stomach, and nothing new
Sleep: Had a couple of rough nights recently. Starting sleeping with my big pregnancy pillow, so I'm trying to get used to that.
Best moment this week: We finalized a name! Colton Eli :)
Movement: Here and there. Not feeling much.
Food cravings: None
Gender: It's a BOY!! :)
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Not being exhausted. Maybe in a few years I'll feel rested! ha!
What I am looking forward to: Meeting this little guy!
Milestones: Average size-10.5 in, 12.7 oz.; Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. (Interesting...!)

The belly has popped. Picture from 20w6d:

stomach bug

2011-03-08T10:44:00.002-05:00

The stomach bug attacked me on Friday of last week, and I am FINALLY starting to feel normal again. That thing is no joke. I spent the day getting sick, and by late afternoon, I called Jordan to call my doctor b/c I had kept no fluids or food down all day. Dr. H decided that the best idea was to head on in to Labor & Delivery and just get a quick check up for myself and the munchkin. This was the last thing I wanted to do, but I'm so glad I did. After 4+ hours, many blood draws, 2 bags of fluids, and zofran pumped straight into my veins, I started to feel a little better. I was still sick on Saturday, but it wasn't nearly as bad. By Sunday, I was up and moving around. This turned out to be a good thing because it was Jordan's turn around 6 am on Sunday morning. Poor guy! Thankfully, the grandparents were there to help out all weekend long with Hampton, and so far (finger's crossed!), he has avoided catching it. I don't know how, but I'm thankful for it!! The house has now been cleaned and sanitized, and I pray that bug stays far, far away!

I have lots of posts to catch up on....20 weeks! Baby's name! Cuteness that is Hampton! Blog awards! Bare with me while I catch up on the past week's events!

extended: stella and dot virtual party

2011-02-28T13:47:00.002-05:00

Because the minimum order amount has not been reached for hostess rewards, I'm extending the virtual party through the end of this week! Check it out--there are so many AFFORDABLE and stylish pieces!!

(For more info, click here)

Time is running out: stella and dot party

2011-02-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to remind everyone that the virtual party will be ending on Monday! If you haven't had the time to look through the fabulous jewelry on my site, please do, and if you have any questions, let me know! ANY order gets you entered into the "mystery hostess" contest; no minimum purchase amount is required!

Click here for details!

17 months!

2011-02-26T22:00:00.002-05:00

I'm a few days late, but what can I say...I'm busy!

My little monkey is getting bigger, and smarter, and well, even cuter with every passing month! (What? It's TRUE!) Is it possible to love him even more? 'Cause I do! :) This past month, Hampton has really grown. Seriously, he's had a major growth spurt, and I'm starting to question if we're going to be able to make it through the spring in the 18 month clothes I have for him! His vocabulary is growing by the day, and he's becoming much more vocal (though lots of it is still "Chinese"!). This kid is so loving. He gives hugs and kisses to anyone who asks (and, as we learned with a new friend on the playground recently, even those who don't!). He adores his daddy, but prefers to snuggle up with me. I don't mind! He's always "on" and doesn't sit down for longer than a few minutes. Even the nursery teachers at church comment about how he "doesn't walk, he runs"! With the weather being so nice recently, we've thoroughly enjoyed time at the park and being outside. Although, it's almost guaranteed that a tantrum will ensue when we have to come inside. Thank goodness they're short lived! Since we obviously can't get in the pool yet, bath time has to do. Hampton loves to splash, lay on his tummy and practice kicking, dipping his face under and blowing bubbles. Speaking of bubbles, if he even sees a bottle of bubbles, he flips out until somebody opens it and starts blowing. "Bubas" are definitely a favorite! He loves dogs and is quite a show off in front of strangers. The little things that he does each day just amaze me, like when we were reading the book "Find the Puppy" the other night, he just started pointing to the puppy on each page! Who knew, he's actually been learning something!

I love you, sweet baby boy. Your smile melts my heart each day, and your hugs and kisses can not be beat!(He was giving hugs and kisses to his bear in this one!)

another first

2011-02-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

The "firsts" are such fun when you are watching your child grow up. First tooth, first roll, first smile, first step, first haircut...oh, there are just so many! Last week, we had a not so fun first-Hampton's first ear infection. He was so pitiful, had a fever of 104 Monday night (another first!), and no signs of what could be wrong. We headed in to the doctor on Tuesday morning, and I prepared myself for the "It's a virus, nothing we can do about it" speech. When Dr.H was looking him over, she was talking about different viruses going around, and then, she looked in his right ear, looked at me with a surprised look and said, "He has an ear infection. I did not see that coming!" I found it amusing that she was as surprised to see it as I was to hear it. She said she thought he might have a virus on top of it as well. The good news with ear infections is that he can take medicine for it! He's been on antibiotics for a week now, and the little monkey seems to be back to his old self. I hate that he was ever so miserable, and I hope we don't have to go through that again for a long time.

(Also, don't forget to check out the Stella & Dot virtual party!)

18 weeks!

2011-02-21T15:53:00.004-05:00

How far along: 18 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +5 lbs. (Hellooo bewbs and butt. Ugh)
Maternity clothes: No
Stretch marks: Nothing new, but it looks like stretchies from last time are resurfacing.
Sleep: Not bad. I'm kind of surprised that I rarely have to wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Finding out the sex & seeing HIM on the u/s. Very active baby! He's also measuring right on track...not a week or so ahead like his big brother always did!
Movement: A few flutters. Anterior placenta again, so not surprising that I'm not feeling much.
Food cravings: None
Gender: It's a BOY!! :)
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: The freedom to lay around all I wanted like I did last pregnancy! ha!
What I am looking forward to: Picking out a name. Now that we know it's a he, "he" needs a name!
Milestones: Week 18-baby is the size of a sweet potato (average size 5.6 in, 6.7 oz). The fetus has become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing! I should be able to feel these movements more soon!

virtual stella and dot party!

2011-02-20T14:01:00.002-05:00

In honor of the Spring weather we've been having, and the fabulous Spring/Summer line just released from Stella & Dot, I'm going to do something that I think will be lots of fun! I'm throwing a virtual "Mystery Hostess" Stella & Dot Jewelry party!Here's how it will work:
1. Log on to www.stelladot.com/rebekah and click on "shop" to browse the great jewelry.
2. When you add your first item to the shopping bag, it will ask if you were invited to a Trunk Show. Enter the Hostess first name "A" and Hostess last name "Surprise." Click on that party and then you can continue shopping.
3. All orders must be placed by 12:00pm, Monday, February 28. Once the party is closed, I will choose one customer from this party, and that person will become the "Party Hostess"!! This means, you'll get ALL the free jewelry earned from this party. (I will notify the winner Monday afternoon and let them know how much FREE JEWELRY and half-off items they have received.)
4. Enjoy shopping!

**Here's how free jewelry credits work**

Hostess Rewards
Our average Trunk Show Hostess receives $250 in free jewelry and 4 half-off items!

Qualified Trunk Shows have 4 unique ordering guests.
*Not applicable to sale Items ** ½ price items are capped at 4.
Hostess Rewards must be redeemed in one order on full-price jewelry within 14 days of Trunk Show date.

It's a....

2011-02-19T21:29:00.002-05:00

We were so excited to cut into the cake and see....We're having another little BOY!!! It was fun finding out with our families, and we couldn't be more excited. Especially being this close together, I think having two boys is going to be AWESOME!!

And now we have to start talking about names...a discussion that was put on the back burner until we knew what we were having...I'll get back to you on that one!

road trip

2011-02-15T15:38:00.003-05:00

On Friday, we packed up the car and headed to Asheville, NC to meet Hampton's new baby cousin, Elliot. We got in late Friday and headed to "camp" (where Jordan's bro works) to the cabin we were staying in. Hampton ran around for a few minutes and then went right to sleep-yay! The next day we met up with Matt and his daughter, Anna, for breakfast and let the new mama sleep a little more. After that, we went to their house and just played for a bit, loved on Elliot, and then headed out for a late lunch. Then, because we're apparently crazy, we headed home. It was about a 4 hour drive each way, so needless to say, it was an exhausting trip. Seriously, Jordan and I were in bed by 8:30 Saturday night and slept until 7 the next morning!! So glad we got to go see our little nephew, though!

Here's some pics of Hampton meeting Elliot and holding him (& giving him the sweetest hug!!). He was SO excited and SO sweet to the baby. When Anna took her turn to hold him, he just stood there, wiggling his fingers and bouncing on his toes, so ready to hold him again! Love it!!

our time

2011-02-08T12:19:00.003-05:00

I love getting to be home with Hampton 4 days a week. Our 2 days that we are alone during the work week are fun, but sometimes they can be very stressful! He's such a good kid, but every once in a while one of us just is having a bad day. Take last Tuesday for instance-he refused to eat dinner. (after refusing to take a morning nap and only a 1 hour afternoon nap). Jordan was stuck in traffic, and I was just flat worn out. The monkey threw a flinging food, red-faced, crying until he couldn't breathe, FIT. I felt helpless. I finally just sat down and cried with him. It was so pitiful. I decided that daddy was going to tackle dinner, so I put him in the bath. A totally different child emerged and all was right in the world! Phew :)

Getting ready for bed is really becoming my favorite part of the day these days. I love playing and watching his little personality just explode, obviously, but getting ready for bed is our time. Once he's in his pajamas, Jordan fixes H some milk and then the monkey and I go in my room and get in bed for story time and cuddles. For about 30 minutes, we just chill out together. This gives Jordan some much needed alone time after a long day at work, and it gives me the time to snuggle with my little monkey-win, win! Then he knows it's time to go to bed. We say our prayers and I take him to his room to lay him down. Such a great little routine. I love it!

Last night, I sat there and thought how different things will be in just a few short months. I'm so nervous about how things will change once there is a new baby in the house. Will the monkey start to resent me and only want his daddy? Will he want to be with me only and do whatever it takes to get my attention? Will things just go along normally? (Ha-that 3rd one is just wishful thinking!) Either way, I want to make it a priority that Hampton knows that we will always have "our time." I love, love, LOVE every second that I get to spend with this boy, and I want to make sure he knows that!

A much better mealtime this morning of blueberry muffins:

16 weeks

2011-02-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

How far along: 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +4ish lbs.
Maternity clothes: No
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: So far, so good. But I'm still exhausted!
Best moment this week: I know Hampton doesn't have a clue, but he'll pull up my shirt and point to my belly and when I say "baby," he nods. It's so sweet. But, like I said, he has no clue!
Movement: None, maybe a flutter here and there, but I'm not positive.
Food cravings: Nothing really.
Gender: We'll find out Feb. 17!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Energy
What I am looking forward to: Having a clean house, and possibly putting it on the market so we can get more room!!
Milestones: Week 16-Baby is the size of an avocado (average size: 4.6 inches, 3.5 oz.)! Tiny bones are forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up my voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Week 16 Belly: (please ignore the mess in the back...I was in the middle of cleaning!)

videos just because

2011-01-26T08:20:00.001-05:00

Practicing his kicking!

Dance, dance, dance!

snow my goodness

2011-01-25T09:26:00.001-05:00

We live in the south. Snow is really quite the foreign word to us. But within the past year, it has snowed THREE times! Some of you are probably saying, "Three? Three?! THREE!!!" and shaking your heads. Yep, that's a big number around here! Last February we got about 5+ inches. It was crazy! And it was gone by the next afternoon. After that, I put the idea of Hampton seeing snow behind me. Maybe one day he'll get to play in it, but he got his southern snow fix at a mere 5 months! Little did I know that we were going to have a White (day after) Christmas!! It was fun to take him outside and let him run and play and touch the snow. It was even better that he was over it in about 10 minutes, and we got to go back into our warm house! I don't belong anywhere where snow is common. I don't think I'd survive!!

I love it!This is pretty neat stuff!My hands are frozen!!A few weeks later we had more snow! This quickly turned to an "ice storm" and the city was basically shut down for a day and a half. We went over to my parents as it started snowing and stayed the night b/c we knew we'd be stuck at home the next day. The monkey had a cold, so he didn't get to play this time, but he did watch his daddy play from the window. You may be thinking that my second child is on the way, but truthfully, I have 2 children already!!

16 months

2011-01-24T19:37:00.003-05:00

We're a third of the way through another year. How is that even possible? I feel like I was just planning his birthday party, which came SO quickly after bringing him home from the hospital! This is craziness, I tell you!

I have a love/hate relationship with this stage in my toddler's life. He's learning so much. Soaking it all in. Really starting to communicate better. Until, he doesn't know how to tell you what he wants. It frustrates him. He flips. Which then frustrates me. I mean, I feel like a broken record as I scream, "Do you want this? No? This? No? What about this? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!!" over his never-ending squeal. But the fun times far outweigh these moments. I can't get enough of his hugs and kisses, and he loves to give them, so that works out well. :)

Hampton is ALL boy...He runs, jumps, throws balls, kicks balls, swings golf clubs and baseball bats, laughs at burps and farts, and wants to be outside always. Keeping up with him is a full-time job!

Although, he does have a little "metro"side. He loves to brush his hair, put a headband in, and play in my make-up bag! He also hugs any stuffed animal when he picks it up. It's absolutely precious. This "soft" side makes me adore him even more.

Meal time has become a guess and see adventure (or remained one, to be more accurate). He'll eat beans one day, then hates them for a week. He still refuses most meats-with the exception of chicken nuggets! Fruits=awesomeness. Breakfast is easily the best meal of the day. He's growing like a weed, though, so I have no complaints!

His vocabulary has really taken off this past month. He is repeating more and more each day! He's still pretty quiet most of the time (I'm always sure he's asleep in his carseat, but when I get the chance to look, he's usually just playing quietly!), but I know he's just soaking everything in. He understands so much more than I would have ever thought. He's a smart cookie!

::sigh:: These were the best I could do...

14 weeks

2011-01-22T16:15:00.002-05:00

How far along: 14weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +3 lbs.
Maternity clothes: No need so far. I did bust out the maternity jeans yesterday, but we were going to the movies and I thought that what be more comfortable.
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: So far, so good.
Best moment this week: We got an u/s when we went in for our first appointment with Dr. H. I wasn't expecting that, so it was great to see the active little munchkin again!
Movement: None
Food cravings: Vanilla w/ peanut butter milkshakes
Gender: We'll find out Feb. 17!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Making plans in advance. I have no idea how I'll feel in an hour, much less in a few days. It's hard to make plans with friends :(
What I am looking forward to: Having some energy!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't sweat the small stuff.
Milestones: Officially in the 2nd tri! That was quick...

Just looking a little pudgy these days...

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-10T20:56:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, I bet I'm the only blogger on your reader with that title as we steamroll into 2011, right? Well, if you haven't noticed, I've been MIA and never got around to posting about our fun Christmas (and SNOW the day after=craziness!).

We had a couple of parties to go to over the holidays, but the one that was the most exciting was at our friend Katie and Jay's house where Santa came to visit! Now, you won't see any pictures of Hampton with Santa because he flipped the heck out and clung to his daddy, practically climbing over his back and over his shoulder. He did, however LOVE decorating cookies...if by "decorating cookies" one means sticking your entire hand into the bowl of icing and licking it off repeatedly! ;)Christmas Eve we went to Church and then stayed over at mom and dad's house that night. Thankfully, Santa knew where to find us and all toys were delivered and ready to be played with by morning! Hampton was a little hesitant at first --wouldn't you be with cameras and 5 people in your face saying "Come see what Santa got you!!"--but once he saw all his fun stuff, we couldn't get him away! This year was so fun. Even the difference between his birthday and Christmas was noticeable. He dove into his pile of presents for the first time ever! Of course, each present was a distraction for a few minutes (and so were the sausage cheese biscuits- holy moly did he love those!), but then he would refocus and rip into the next one! Such joy!! Later in the day, my grandparents from both sides, and dad's brother, sister and her family came to have dinner. That was a fun, loud time, but Hampton got to play with his 2nd cousin Izzie, who thought he was just the best thing ever! It was just a low key day at home with family--and I couldn't have asked for anything more!

15 months

2010-12-30T20:12:00.004-05:00

First and foremost...THANK YOU for all the congrats!!

I'm a week late on this one, but better late than never, right?! Just go with it. ;) Right before Christmas, we hit the 15-month mark! Unreal! This little monkey is growing up WAY too fast. And, like other moms would probably say, it just keeps getting better!

Fun facts (for me, atleast!)--
-14 teeth, with 2 more on the bottom ready to show any day
-Loves to point. Anything that catches his attention, he points at and grunts. At mom and dad's house, it's usually cookies!
-Flicking light switches on and off is like an Olympic sport in our house
-He loves other kids. Whenever we're around other kids, he stares them down and then squeals with delight! So fun! (I hope he feels the same about his baby brother or sister...)
-He's started to notice his toys. Yes, this seems weird, but he has never really been interested in all the toys we have at the house. Too many other things to investigate. But recently, he's really started to enjoy pushing trucks around (vroom, vroom!) and no matter where he goes, he likes to have something in each hand!
-He's started to repeat more words, and staples are dog, more, dada (dadddddyyyy!), and mamaaaaa. Though he doesn't talk a lot of English, he seems to be fluent in Chinese ;)
-Though he doesn't say a ton, he surprises me with how much he understands! Smarty pants!
-Such a good sleeper! We're still on 2 naps a day (most everyday), and he usually sleeps 1.5-2 hours at each nap. Sometimes more. It's great to be able to say, "Are you ready for a nap?" and he has a look that just says, "Yes, I'm ready!"
-He loves playing chase. Especially around the table. He'll go into the kitchen, crouch down and freeze with a smile on his face and just wait for someone to come chase him!
-Meal time (lunch & dinner) have been challenging recently. He doesn't like meat and has decided that any vegetables are of the devil. But fruit of any kind and pasta are still hits. Dr.H suggested that I give him some vegetable juice and avoid the "fight," which could cause him to hate mealtime altogether. I like that plan!

15 month stats: (I'm going to put the percentages, but I've noticed on other mommy blogs that doctors must all use different charts. Some have higher numbers with lower percentages and vice versa--makes no sense to me. Are percentages even important?!?!)
-Weight: 25lb, 10oz; 75%
-Height: 32 in; 75%
-Head Circumference: 19 1/4 in; 90%

These pictures are getting harder and harder!

feeding himself

2010-12-23T11:15:00.002-05:00

Look at my big boy using a spoon! It went pretty well until he stuck his hand in the yogurt container, got it stuck, freaked, and flung it across the kitchen trying to get it out. Wish I had gotten that on video!!

quick update

2010-12-14T17:23:00.002-05:00

I've been slack. I'm just so exhausted that even when I have the time to sit down and blog or, I don't know, anything, I don't. And now, Hampton and I are both sick again. This never ending cold is the pits. I really don't think it is ever going to go away. What a drag. But enough with complaining...I have good news!

We had another u/s yesterday and got to see our little munchkin. He was right on track at 8w4d and had a nice strong heartbeat of 168!! It's just as amazing the second time around to see that little blob on the screen. We are just starting to see the arm and leg buds, and he made the slightest little wiggle when he first showed up on the screen. (I know, I have no idea if it's a "he," but that just comes more naturally.) We're still at the RE-because he's awesome- and will go back one more time the Monday after Christmas. I had some spotting last week and let him know that it concerned me, so he thought one more u/s wouldn't hurt. I couldn't agree more!

And, now, introducing "munchkin"!

testing. testing.

2010-12-08T19:49:00.000-05:00

Kids are smart. I mean, really smart. There's one thing that gets me, though. How do they know who they can test and who they probably shouldn't? Hampton goes across the street a couple days a week to our friend's house to play with her little guy, G, while I go to work. She almost always has great reports for me--he eats well, goes right down for naps with no problem, etc. He is such a good baby, and I really have NO complaints, but these days, he is testing everything. I say no, he goes after it not one but two, three or more times. I put him down for a nap, he stands up, screams and has to be picked back up. Eating-if you dare put one thing on his tray that he does not approve of, it gets flung to the floor (or counter or my shirt. You get the idea!). And when Jordan or myself does put a foot down, oh.em.gee., this kid can throw a tantrum. He gets down on the floor and thrashes and rolls about. Honestly, I have to hide my face b/c I can't help but laugh. Where do they learn these things?! I promise I fling myself onto the floor in rage very rarely! Thankfully, though, it is just US that he seems to be testing (and sometimes my parents-sorry Mimi and G-dad!). He's well behaved in public and at others' houses, for now!

Hold me mommy!!
He's not all that bad! :)

pretty pretty baby-winner!

2010-12-03T12:17:00.002-05:00

Congrats to commenter #6...JOCELYN!! Please contact me at toinfertilityandbeyond@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Are you sitting down for this?

2010-12-01T14:47:00.005-05:00

Hampton is going to be a....

(If we're friends IRL and on faceb.ook, please nothing there. I'd like to wait a little while longer before shouting from the rooftops!)

Woohoo! I just found out last Sunday that I am pregnant!! Jordan and I are in complete and utter shock, but, of course, we are thrilled beyond words! I had blood work done the next Monday (beta 22,000), so I went in for an ultrasound Tuesday. All checked out and the baby measured 5w6d. I went back today and had another u/s. The baby measured 6w3d (according to lmp, it should be 6w4d, so right on track. I guess it was just bigger last week?! I hope...) and it had a heartbeat of 127! It's starting to settle in, but it's still so hard to believe. Our prayers were answered! God is good!! My EDD is 7/23/11!!

wordless wednesday: Thanksgiving at the park

2010-12-01T09:50:00.002-05:00

pretty pretty baby-giveaway!

2010-11-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a while, so how about another adorable giveaway from pretty pretty baby?! Just in time for Christmas, pretty pretty baby has the cutest applique shirts for your little one to show off their holiday spirit! You will have the chance to win a pretty cute reindeer letter shirt OR a pretty cute santa's belt letter shirt.

She has so many other appliques and don't forget about her bows, bibs & burpcloths! If you see something else you are interested in, pretty pretty baby is offering FREE SHIPPING to all of my readers through Friday, December 3. Make sure to leave a message to seller that I sent you!

Here's how you can enter the giveaway:
-MANDATORY: Leave a comment on which letter style you would like to win. (1 entry)
-Add pretty pretty baby to your etsy favorite sellers list. (1 entry)
-Like pretty pretty baby on facebook (1 entry)
-Follow my blog or let me know you are a follower (1 entry)
-Grab my button and put it on your blog (2 entries)
-Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post (3 entries)

Remember-You must leave a comment for EACH entry. This giveaway will run through Friday, December 3 at noon (est), and I will choose a winner using random.org. Good luck!

Stella and Dot CyberMonday!

2010-11-29T08:51:00.001-05:00

Here’s a gorgeous CyberMonday offer! Today only, spend $99 with Stella & Dot and receive a complimentary ring of your choice (Take your pick from 1 of 6 gorgeous styles!) See graphic below for details. Get this offer at my personal website at www.stelladot.com/rebekah. AND now that your shopping engines are revved, check out our big sale! Markdowns have been taken on this season’s favorites – now up to 50% off! Quantities are limited. Shop the “Sale” category on my site for these great deals!!

14 months

2010-11-23T21:03:00.002-05:00

Hampton is such a busy little guy these days. He runs and runs until he collapses. It is fun, crazy, and oh-so-tiring!! All of the toys in are house are seriously a waste right now. This curious little guy loves exploring the house, peeking in closets and behind closed doors, and ripping through all the "unlocked" cabinets. He used to sit in his pack-n-play and drink milk, play with toys and occasionally glance at Mickey Mouse on the tv while I was showering and getting ready, but now, he wants to be out out out!! (This is when the unlocked bathroom cabinets come in handy. He looks through everything while I'm right there blowdrying and straightening my hair. Win. Win!)

Fun new things this month:
-H now goes to my friend K's house 2 days a week while I'm at work. Her youngest, G, is 3 months younger than him, and they have such a great time playing! I'm so fortunate that she has been able to help me out in this way, and H is getting to spend time with other little ones!
-We experienced our first "real" sickness-croup. I never thought the misery would go away, and he still has a lingering cough and some congestion, but it is clear that the real sickness is gone.
-2 molars have popped through (possibly more! I think I felt his top ones tonight but need to check again), and he now has 10 teeth total. I love his big grin when you can see every last one!
-He's a little acrobat. He loves to bend over and stand on his head!
-Eating has gotten much better. He's still finicky about some things (vegetables in particular)
-I haven't found a fruit he doesn't like.
-He doesn't say much but babbles a lot, but he definitely understands what we say! We'll tell him to get his ball and he goes and finds one or I'll say "Eww. You're stinky! Let's go change your diaper" and he'll walk back to his room and wait at the changing table. I love it!
-He LOVES being outside! Running in the grass, wagon rides, runs with mom & dad-you name it, if he's outside, he's happy!
-Second to outside, the bathtub is still his other favorite. He plays and splashes and pours water over his head and loves every second!

It was pretty hard to capture a picture this month. I had to chase him down to get one of his face! I'm going to have to try again...

it's a little like crack

2010-11-21T17:45:00.002-05:00

The kid and his paci, that is. He didn't like it as a newborn. We seriously went through many options before realizing the only one he was going to take was the Soothie. He would take it every once in a while, but he was perfectly happy without. Then, he became very predictable with it: when he was tired, he searched until he found his paci, put it in his mouth, and came to be rocked. Now, he's an addict. He wants his paci most of the time, and I would not dare leave the house without it.

I don't know what happened here....we went backwards. I'm not stressing about it now because it doesn't bother me that he still likes his paci. We'll cross that bridge when we get there! :/

Free holiday Cards for bloggers!

2010-11-20T22:13:00.004-05:00

Last year was the first time that I sent out Christmas cards. I never thought I'd be one of those people who sent out a picture of my child(ren) each year, but you better believe that changed when Hampton came into the picture! Last year, I used an online site to design a card and printed it myself to save money. I was not pleased with the quality, but it was the best I could do at that point. This year, I want to do better. Enter Shutterfly! When I read on another blog, The Power of the Pink Lines, that Shutterfly was giving away Christmas cards to bloggers, I HAD to see what it was about. They have some adorable photo cards!

Here are a few of my faves:I'm having a hard time narrowing down which card we will actually use, but I'll be sure to share it once it's complete. First, I have to find an outfit for the monkey AND take his picture. Ah-so much to do!

Shutterfly also has birthday cards, photo mugs, calendars, you name it! Make sure to check out their site for your holiday cards, and if you're a blogger, take the time to register your blog for the 50 FREE holiday Cards! Who doesn't like FREE STUFF?!?

(P.S. Scroll over the site name throughout this post, and there are links. I don't know why they don't show up differently. I'm working on figuring that out...)

Wordless Wednesday: fun with a wiffle ball

2010-11-17T21:36:00.004-05:00

first haircut

2010-11-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

We finally found the time on Saturday to go get the monkey's mullet cut off...I mean first haircut! Poor kid was starting to look a little too shaggy! We went to a kids salon, where they have a firetruck and airplane chairs! I was fearful there would be tears, but he was such a champ. So, here we are, another milestone that proves my baby is really not a baby anymore. ::sigh::

the never ending sickness

2010-11-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

Hampton came down with a cold (or maybe a sinus infection?) the night before Halloween. He was so pitiful that whole week, but I knew the end would be near. A couple days in, I became sick as well. Taking care of a sick baby while you feel so bad yourself is the pits! By Thursday, I had no voice, and H seemed to be losing his as well. Add in some raspy breathing and seal bark coughs, and we decided it was time to call the doc. After a visit to the after hours clinic, we were told he had fluid in his right ear but no infection. Other than that, he had a cold, and to continue with vicks vapor rub, saline and suction. Ugh!

Fast forward a week, and his cold has not gone away. I guess this is fairly "normal," but to us it wasn't. At night, his coughing was getting worse, and he was gasping for breath after coughing fits, so I knew it was time to call the doc again. He's now been diagnosed with croup and been given steroids to take over the next 4 days. I hate that he's been so uncomfortable and that there is just nothing I can give him to make it better. I hope it goes away for good very soon!

back to the doctor

2010-11-06T21:06:00.002-04:00

Monday we had our first appointment with the RE about starting this whole process again. I love our doctor and the nurses there. We walked in and everyone was so excited to see us. While we were in the waiting room (which was FOREVER thanks to two emergencies having to be taken care of), our doctor walked in the front office and saw Jordan and I sitting there and gave a big goofy grin and waved. A & S, our two nurses, asked to see pictures of Hampton, wanted to know when we were going to start again, and kept saying how happy they were to see us back. These people really enjoy what they do, and A even made the point of saying that not just any nurse could work at an RE's office. I couldn't agree more!

Once we got in to talk to Dr. L, it was quick. He basically said that I could start as soon as my next AF--testing in November, BCPs in December, and ER/ET in January. This actually took me a little by shock. I didn't think they would do anything over the holidays, but once he said that, I realized that I wouldn't be stimming really until the new year. This gave me butterflies in my stomach, but more excitement than nervousness!!

BUT, we won't be starting that early. We just aren't prepared to pay the $10,000 (+ cost of meds) right this second. And we would have to VERY quickly with that plan! We've decided to go talk to our friend at the bank, where we got our original loan, and see what our different options are. The RE's office is now offering a discount if you buy 2 IVF cycles at the same time. Unfortunately, if you get a BFP that first cycle, you've spent money that you didn't need to. For us, it only took one fresh IVF and three frozen IVFs to get pregnant, so if that was the case again, it would still be cheaper to not pay for 2 fresh cycles up front, even with a discount. Of course, there is that little voice that says, "you never know." (Shut up, stupid voice.) Their new finance plans haven't been approved yet, so I don't know if that will help us this time, either. Ah, the joys of fertility treatments....

So, here we are. I have the paperwork, and all I have to do is make the call. Dr. L is going to go ahead and "present our case" in their next meeting so that we can be ready to go whenever.

Yikes! Yay! Please, God, help me to stay a sane person through the process this time around!!!

And just for a laugh, my silly monkey:

corn maize and farm animals

2010-11-02T21:27:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, we went out to a dairy farm in the area that just opened this year. We'd heard a lot about it and wanted to take Hampton to do something "festive." My little monkey is such a BOY! Ha. Seriously, we put him down, and he took off-running through the corn maize, taking a break in the dirt, and just getting dirty. He loves it!!

I do have to brag. Throughout the maize, there are questions and you answer them to find your way through. We came to one sign and the question was: Chocolate milk comes from brown cows. True (left) False (right). Hampton go to the sign, stopped, appeared to think about it for a second, then turned right and took off. He's so smart! What can I say? ;)I thought this place had a petting zoo, but it was more of a look-and-see kind of thing. You were allowed to pet the pigs, but there was a huge warning sign that they may bite. Ummm....pretty hard to keep a 13 month old from being to violent with the piggies, so we passed on petting! He sure is fascinated by animals.And of course, we stopped in the pumpkin patch on the way out to get some pictures!

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T17:25:00.003-04:00

Our Garden Gnome woke up with quite the cold, but I put him in his costume for some quick pictures. Poor guy was not pleased, but I did capture a smile or 2. Happy Halloween, everyone!

13 months!

2010-10-27T20:21:00.003-04:00

The little monkey turned a year old, and I went totally slack on monthly pictures. Bad mommy! So, a few days late, but here is my 13 month old munchkin and what he's up to:

He's into everything. I can't put anything down on the floor or anywhere near the edge of the counter or table b/c he will have it down (and emptied out if that is the case) in seconds.
Walking has become just too easy. Running is the way to go these days. (Help.Me.!!)
He loves to be chased around, tickled, and flipped all around.
He decided over the weekend a few weeks ago that sippy cups aren't so bad after all. In one day, we dropped all bottles except bedtime. And he'll drink from any sippy cup I give him. So weird how quickly things change.
No real new words other than "uh oh." He learned this from Grant, his friend across the street. Grant's mom, Katie, watches Hampton 2 days a week, and these boys have a great time playing together!
He loves being around other kids. At church on Sunday, he walked into the nursery and never looked back.
Eating is becoming much less of a battle. He seems to be less and less picky each day!
Bath-time is our favorite. Splashing, playing with toys, dunking our face in and blowing bubbles, yeah, awesome. He even closes the drain when I start to let the water out.
Getting out of the bath, on the other hand, is horrible. He hates the towel on his head!!
Of all toys, his favorite right now is legos & building blocks. He is really good at putting things together

Another month has flown by, and we are just having so much fun! I can't believe he's getting so big!!

it was bound to happen

2010-10-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it 1 year & 1 month, but last night, it happened--Hampton pooped in the tub!! It was so gross but oh so funny. I can't say that I was surprised (except for the fact that it looked like something a grown man would do. YUCK.) b/c he grunted a couple of times when he was eating, but his diaper was clean when I went to put him in the tub. He played for a bit, I lathered him up, and he went back to playing. Then he stood up, looked at me, and I saw it all over his red face. And there was nothing I could do! So, he took a huge dump in the water, and I immediately grabbed him, got him out of the tub and yelled for Jordan to come help. Best part-while we were waiting on the tub to drain so Jordan could get the poop into the toilet, we were both laughing and telling Hampton how gross and stinky it was. And I looked down, to see that he had pooped again, on the bath mat, and stepped in it!! Awesome. All I could do was laugh, put him back in the tub and let Jordan spray him down, and then we started right over with bath time. Oh my, what a time!

playing catch up

2010-10-23T08:18:00.003-04:00

My poor little blog has been so neglected lately. Life has been crazy, and I've really been spending less time on the computer. Lots going on around these parts, though!

The little monkey is a mess. He is just so happy and loves life! I love watching him walk (and RUN-holy moly!) around checking out everything he can find. He is becoming a better eater each day, and his favorite thing is by far is macaroni and cheese, bananas and yogurt of any kind. He doesn't say a lot, but when he wants to be heard-yikes-he can SCREAM!! He gets excited and shrieks loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. He stays with my friend across the street, and her little guy, two days a week, and loves it over there. Seriously, I drop by during lunch, and he barely notices I'm there, which I think is fantastic.

We gave our two dogs away last weekend to a nice girl and her boyfriend. I hated to do it, but I know it was for the best. Logan was not a fan of Hampton, and I hated that the dogs were stuck in the kitchen or their crate almost all the time. We put in the ad that they had to go together b/c I don't think they would have survived being separated after over 6 years. I have random moment where I forget they're gone, and then it just hits me. The positive is that I'm not having to sweep up dog hair every single night & nap time isn't being shortened by a dog barking at a car driving by!

We're going back to the RE!!!! We have an appointment on November 1. Eek! I'm excited, but pretty nervous. Jordan is clearly excited b/c he made the call and the appointment before I even had a chance! We're just going to talk and see what we need to do to get ready. I'm sure we'll have to repeat tests and what not. They also have a few new payment options (a finance plan & 2 IVFs offered at lower cost type deal) that they didn't have when trying the 1st time. I'm excited to talk about a plan. We won't do anything until at least January, though. Yay!

This post is all over the place, but I just wanted to catch up a bit. Thanks for sticking around!

P.S. Coming soon-another giveaway from pretty pretty baby!! She has expanded past bows and has really grown her store. Check it out & come back in the next week or so to win!!

will work for food

2010-10-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

Now that the monkey is 1, we make him work to earn his keep around here. He doesn't seem to mind...

We do let him play some, too, though!

Ummm....yeah.

spend the night party

2010-10-11T11:20:00.002-04:00

Friday night, Hampton stayed over at my parents' house for the first time since our vacation in June. (I don't know why we haven't taken advantage of this earlier!) It was nice to come home, hang out a bit, and go to bed dreaming of sleeping in. Of course, I was up by 8 b/c my internal alarm clock clearly didn't get the memo! I ran out, got Jordan and myself breakfast, and we were able to eat it without 1. protecting it from a curious little toddler and 2. trying to entertain said toddler. It was nice! I wouldn't trade it for our usual Saturday mornings, though! :)

I headed over to mom and dad's around lunch time, right as the little monkey was getting up from his first nap. The first words out of dad's mouth were "don't be mad" followed by a very happy guy coming around the corner with his first real boo boo--a bruise right at his eye where he had flung himself into the "smokestack" on his train! :( Poor baby!! It didn't seem to be bothering him, and it fortunately never turned into a real black eye, so it wasn't so bad after all. I'm pretty certain more of these incidents will occur with this wild child!

So, other than a few bumps and bruises, the spend the night party was a success! I know all 3 of them enjoyed the time together as much as Jordan and I did!

bad mommy

2010-10-06T20:31:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, two things happened that quickly took me out of any running for "mommy of the year." Hard to believe, I know! ;)

First-We were putting some things up in the attic (and by "we" I mean Jordan-obviously), and the monkey was very interested in the stairs. Of course I told him they were a no-no and tried to distract him and keep him busy. I decided to pick him up and put him on my shoulders b/c he always loves that. Score 1 for mom! Oh, except that I was standing in the doorway and threw him right into it when I put him above my head. He cried the most pitiful cry and wanted his daddy. Awesome mom-FAIL.

Later-We were playing at mom and dad's house while we grilled out burgers. Hampton had already eaten and gotten down to play, so I put him in his high chair while we ate (we were outside and I need to keep him contained!) and gave him a cracker to eat to entertain him. He was pretty restless and started to fuss, so I finished up my meal quickly and pulled out his tray a little bit and unhooked him to take him inside. I turned around to ask Jordan to please bring my dishes inside and CRACK!!! I turned as fast as I could to see Hampton falling face first to the cement and couldn't get him fast enough. My dad could, though. Thank God he was so quick! Dad grabbed his right arm and prevented everything but his left hand from hitting the ground. Holy.Crap.Scariest.Thing.Ever. I scooped him up so quickly and just held his trembling body for a minute before moving. I spent the rest of the night and the next day poking him and checking and rechecking that he didn't have any serious injury or bruises that I missed. It could have turned out so much worse. I'm so thankful that he was okay, and it was my one and only reminder that I needed that turning my back for a split second can result in danger. Awesome mom-Big Fat FAIL!

Thank goodness he's still young and resilient. He seems to still love me despite my flaws. :)

12 month stats & well visit

2010-10-03T20:41:00.000-04:00

Height: 31 in.; 90th %
Weight: 24 lb 7 oz; 75th %
Head Circ: 19 in; 75th %

All in all, looking good! ;)

I was worried about going to our well visit on Tuesday. Not that I thought anything was wrong with the monkey, but because I had to do it on my own. Jordan has been able to go to all of his appointments where he gets shots/blood draws, and I just wasn't sure I could handle it. Thankfully, my child was a little angel and the finger prick and shots barely even phased him. I think he could sense I was nervous, so he went easy on me!

I felt like a crazy mom with all the questions I had for the doctor, but she is so sweet and patient while I navigate these "clueless mommy" waters! This is all pretty boring stuff just that I wanted to write down for my own benefit. Read on if you must... ;)

She told me not to worry about the fact that he still prefers baby food over table food. The fact that he does pick some things up and eat them (mainly anything bread, bananas and blueberries), shows that he isn't having a problem with it; he just doesn't seem to like the texture/consistency of the other stuff. Give it time.

It's also time to use our remaining formula and then start on milk (whole or 2%-We're opting for 2% right now, and we'll change in the future if she deems it necessary). He had his first whole bottle of just milk tonight and seems to be transitioning well.He also has been drinking more and more out of sippy cups, so maybe, just maybe he'll be off of bottles before his second birthday. Ha!

Hampton has some bumps on the back of his upper arms. I have had the same issue for a while, and I thought it might be dry skin. The doctor said it is keratosis pilaris--clogged pores--and it's hereditary. Welp, there's the answer for both of us! She told me a lotion to use and it should clear right up for both of us!

He still has a hard bump on his chin from the mysterious bruise incident, so I went ahead and asked about that. She said that it actually might be a hematoma and not to touch it or irritate it, and it should go away on its own. The bruise hasn't returned in while, so I think it's already getting better. Only time will tell.

And last but not least, the question I meant to ask but forgot about after all the others! Hampton does this tugging thing thing on his face all the time. We used to think it was a sign that he was tired, then it became a little more frequent, and at different times. It seems that he does it even more when he has a cold (which makes sense that he can't breathe), so I'm concerned that he might have some sort of allergy that is causing him to be clogged up. I'm going to give the doc a call to see what she has to say this week. I hope it's nothing but a weird habit!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

party time!

2010-09-28T11:46:00.005-04:00

Hampton's first birthday party was last Saturday, and we had such a great time. We did an Atlanta braves baseball theme, and, if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty darn cute! Hampton refused to go to sleep that morning, and after fighting it for over an hour, he finally went down...and we had to wake him up for the party~go figure! He had lots of little friends come and play, and everyone had a great time-despite the crazy HEAT! After eating, sliding, and eating cake (which he didn't hesitate doing on his real birthday OR at the party-little piggie!), we went inside to get a break from the heat and open gifts. I can't put into words how thankful I am for the love that my friends have for this little monkey. We truly are so blessed!

12 months

2010-09-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

Happy FIRST birthday to my little monkey. You are my world, little guy!

::picks myself up off of floor::

1 year. How? When? You may think, come on, you take pictures every single month, how is this in any way surprising to you? Well, it IS! I don't feel like a whole year has gone by. It is just surreal. I am very excited to enter this "toddler" stage, though. He's getting to be so fun, with his little personality and HILARIOUS faces! My SIL made a comment yesterday about how smart he is. She said she can't get anything by him. It's true. He watches our every moves!

This past month:

-We have a walker! He's been walking on his own for several weeks now, but over the past couple of days, he has really taken off! Exciting, scary, & time to re-babyproof! :/

-Still has 6 teeth, but more seem to be getting ready-he's been a drooling maniac

-He's a wonderful sleeper. I really love that he still takes 2 good naps a day and sleeps so well at night. Some days, he only takes one nap and seems to do okay with it, so I guess it won't be TOO bad when we transition to only 1 nap a day permanently!

-He's a professional waver and clapper. It's so freaking adorable!

-He loves looking in the mirror and kissing the baby :)

-Pushing things around is the best-the dog cage, laundry basket, his toy bucket...you name it, and he wants to push it!

-And probably other stuff that I will have to add on later b/c I'm forgetting!

So, that's it, I'm the mom of a toddler! :)

this weekend...a teaser

2010-09-20T14:38:00.004-04:00

I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly, but here's what we'll be doing this weekend...

Eeek!! I can't wait! :)

Imagine It Kids Museum

2010-09-20T12:16:00.004-04:00

When I was in the very early stages of IF, I stumbled upon an online forum when doing some research on MFI, IVF, etc. At first, I thought, I'm never going to introduce myself and talk about such personal stuff to complete strangers on the internet. That's crazy! I stuck around for a while, but only lurking. No one knew I was there until one day, I finally introduced myself through my very first post. I'm so glad I did, b/c here I am 3 years later, and I have been able to make several friends across the country (and in other countries!) that know exactly what I went through to get my little monkey, because they did too. And some of these amazing women are still trying. We're a community who celebrates in the happy times and mourns in the sad, but through it all, we are sisters.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with a few of the ladies on the success side of the spectrum and their little ones last weekend. We went to the Imagine It Kids Museum to play for a bit, took a stroll through Centennial Park, and had lunch at the CNN center. I'm so glad we were able to do it, and I'm so thankful for these unexpected but special friendships I have formed!

busy, busy, busy!

2010-09-16T13:29:00.002-04:00

Wow, life has been so crazy recently. If it's not a sick baby, or a messy house, or driving back and forth to Atlanta--which we have done 3 times in the past couple of weeks, it's family coming in town, and birthday parties being planned, and, oh yeah, every once in a while, I like to sit down and hang out with my baby boy and the hubbs. I need more time in each day. I don't feel like I can get it all done. And I'm tired!

This past weekend, Jordan's older brother and a friend had a surprise 30th b-day party. The day was spent going from challenge to challenge that their wives had set up. From a beauty contest to mini golf, baking cakes and rock climbing, it was quite a day! Jordan's grand parents, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin, and brother, wife, and their little girl all came into town, and we had a lot of fun just visiting and catching up. Hampton loved playing with his cousins Anna and Harlee Ann!

Sunday, we went up to the Imagine It Kids Museum and played with some friends for a little while. Hampton isn't quite big enough to participate in a lot of the activities they have there, but he seemed to have a good time pushing a shopping cart around, playing with magnets, and "playing drums" on the stools at the sand station. We had a great time, and when I get my act together, I'll post pictures. ;)

That's a smidgen of what we've been up to recently...and it's not slowing down any time soon!

oh poop

2010-09-13T18:44:00.002-04:00

Literally. My little monkey has had some amazing poops this weekend. Sunday afternoon, he sat in his stroller while I had lunch with some friends. He ate, played, talked and was happy as could be. When I got him back to the car, I realized that he had an explosion at some point and it was all up his left side. Seriously, I'm not even sure if any was IN the diaper. Awesome.

That was nothing, though, compared to the night before. I had put on a dress and put Hampton in a cute little outfit, and we headed out to the lake for Jordan's bro's surprise b-day party. Once we got there, Jordan had to take the car up to the entrance to where we were to guide his mom in, but they wouldn't let both cars come back in so he hopped in the car with his mom. Of course, the diaper bag was in our car, and we all know what happened next. My child's insides exploded--all over his cute outfit, all down his leg, and all over my left hip where he was perched. Double Awesome. My SIL had an extra diaper that we put on him, and he went around in that for the rest of the night. My other SIL, who was staying and camping out after, found some gym shorts and a t-shirt for me. Lesson learned-bring extra clothes not only for the baby but for yourself. Oh, and make sure you can get to said extra clothes if need be. Oh me oh my.

sippy cups

2010-09-07T07:28:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been decided, my child will go to college drinking out of a bottle. A little dramatic? No, I don't think so at all. I have offered him sippy cups for a while now with water or juice in them, and he promptly throws (actually CHUNKS) them to the floor. He has no interest. They annoy him. & they are so incredibly difficult in comparison to his bottles where the milk just flows.

Yesterday, I tried the old switcheroo trick. I gave him half of his milk in the bottle and when that was done, I quickly slipped in the sippy that had the rest of his milk. Y'all, he. freaked. out. I'm talking flinging himself backward, red-faced, screeching. He could not get away from that thing quick enough, and he could not have cared less that it had milk in it!

We've tried several different brands: gerber, baby einstein, 2 different types of nuby with no luck. If anyone has some sort of miracle sippy advice, I'm all ears!!

Oh me oh my...this is going to be quite the adventure. The "good" news is that my mom said my little brother didn't stop drinking out of his bottle until he was 3, and he turned out just fine!

braves game and aquarium

2010-09-02T10:58:00.002-04:00

This weekend, we took Hampton on his first trip to Atlanta. He is such a good little traveler, and we are so thankful for that! Friday night, we went to the Braves game. When we first walked in the stadium, there was music playing and people screaming and having a good time. The little monkey was taking it all in-eyes darting from one thing to the other. He loved it!Once we found our seats, he was very interested in the vendors coming up and down the sides of the aisles to even notice the huge field in front of him! The game started out with a homerun on the very first pitch and went downhill from there, so I spent my time snapping some pictures & walking around getting inspiration for his birthday party! Hampton was asleep by the fourth inning, but I can see many games in our future. With his dad, I don't know how he couldn't like baseball!
Saturday we went to the Georgia Aquarium. This place is just awesome! Hampton would get right up to the glass and just stand there, mouth wide open, oooing and ahhing. He could have been there all day, I'm sure. He's just so interested in seeing it all and taking it all in. We saw lots of pretty fish, sharks, whales, and he even climbed in the tunnel to see the penguins up close! Now that we've been to 2 aquariums with him, I can't wait to take him to the zoo! I know he'll love it! I'm gonna need it to cool down a few degrees or 10 before we do that, though!

a quick update: walking!

2010-08-28T22:40:00.003-04:00

My little monkey has been really starting to take steps here recently. He has been taking 2 maaaybe 3 steps for a while now, but just this past week he took 6 steps (at 11 months exactly)! Today, though, was the most we've seen so far. He walked from one end of of living room to the other! Wow! I was so surprised b/c I never expected him to make it that far. We also went over to Jordan's parents' house where he showed off his new skill. He still prefers crawling, but I feel that he's about to take off any day now. And, quite frankly, I'm a little nervous...! ;)

11 months!

2010-08-23T20:21:00.005-04:00

::sigh:: Yep. That's all I have to say right now.

Let's see what has been going on in the little monkey's 10th month...
-Words: dada, mama, baba, hey, bye, no no, dog. I think that's it. Here's the kicker-he hardly ever says them. He won't say anything when asked, but I'll randomly hear him saying words while playing or over the monitor! So cute!
-Teeth: He got 2 more this month. Grand total of 6! 4 on top, 2 on bottom.
-How he gets around: He loves to be upright and is gaining confidence by the day. Today he took SIX STEPS! That's the most he's done. He mostly crawls or cruises around the room scaling furniture, walls, laundry baskets, and whatever will help him!
-Food: He's giving us a hard time when it comes to transitioning to table food. He loves breakfast, and that's about it. He throws food off of the highchair and will clamp his jaw shut so tightly when I try to feed him. So, we're working on it slowly, but for now, we're still doing a lot of purees.
-Clothes: He's in mostly 12 month clothes now, but still some 6-12 and 9 months; size 4 diapers.
-Randoms: He gives high-fives, bangs on the table/highchair tray when someone yells "drums," gives the sweetest kisses and hugs, clicks his tongue, makes the "motorboat" sound with his mouth, now has his "big boy carseat", laughs all the time, went on his first beach trip, had his first stomach virus & diaper rash, and has no interest in watching cartoons/tv unless he is sitting there with a bottle-bottle's done, he's off!

Loves: his mama (and his daddy!), getting his teeth brushed, bananas, cheerios, pancakes, bread of any kind, applesauce, yogurt, walking with his walker, juice, snuggling, bath time, stuffed animals, peek-a-boo, light switches, opening and closing doors, being in the car, cell phones, and banging the keys on our laptops

Hates: diaper changes (most of the time), all foods other than those mentioned above, sippy cups, when you don't hand him his bottle the.very.second that he sees it, getting out of the bath and putting a hooded towel on, getting his nose suctioned

That's all my tired brain can think of right now. I'm sure I'll update as I remember things.

church nursery

2010-08-22T20:26:00.003-04:00

Sunday has got to be our hardest day of the week. Church is right at nap time, you see, and there is a certain little monkey who does not want to nap in the nursery. Well, how can he, with so many other babies in the room WAILING the whole time? Seriously, his room is total craziness every time we go to drop him off. This morning, he fell asleep on the way to church (as he usually does), and try as I might, he woke up as I was getting him out of the car. We got him to the nursery where there were about 2 adults and 9-10 babies, and at least half of those were screaming. Hampton has never had a problem going in to the nursery, but this morning, he clung to me. I gave him a kiss and he finally went to the teacher. As we turned to walk away, I looked back to see him clinging to her, crying and red-faced. We made it to the sanctuary, and I immediately sent Jordan back to get him. I just couldn't handle it! He came back a few minutes later-empty handed-and said everything was much better; they were about to go on a stroller ride, Hampton was perfectly happy, and they had recruited a couple more teachers for all the babies. I hate that he misses his morning nap. It just throws the little monkey out of whack. He looks so exhausted when we pick him up. We're not going to stop going to church, so I guess we're just going to have to deal for now. Thankfully, he usually takes a nice afternoon nap and snaps back into his nice routine.

And just because it's too cute not to show:

beach vacation: part 2

2010-08-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

This is long over due, but I am finally getting around to it....

Crazy things that happened on this trip:

-Monday afternoon, there was a really bad thunderstorm that popped up very fast. We had come up from the beach and were rinsing off the chairs and stroller when I felt something. I stood frozen in my tracks, and then heard the loudest crackle and clap of thunder. Mom and I had both felt the lightning. How freaking scary! Jordan had Hampton at the back of the house rinsing him off in the shower, and I went nuts trying to get around to him to get.the.baby.inside.now. Well, being the good dad that he was, he was already there. Phew!

-Two crazy news stories on Tuesday: There was someone struck by lightning through her phone during the storm and the face of the blackberry was burned on to her face. Ouch! There was a shark attack. Double ouch!! (both victims were okay, thank God!)

-I saw several creatures on this trip- 1. A newt: Whatever. Not that interesting, but I don't really ever see those. 2. A mouse: Eek! Thankfully it was outside and far enough away from our walking path that I just looked, and walked along...a little faster. 3. Several dolphins. I love dolphins and just love to see them moving through the water. I wish I could have gotten a picture! & 4. A SHARK! I had taken Hampton out to the water to rinse him off as I had several times already. This time, dolphins were nearby, so we were standing there watching them. I turned around, about knee deep in the water, and looked down to see a shark swim right by my leg!! It was really small, maaaybe a couple feet, but you better believe that I BOOKED IT out of there! Where there are baby sharks, there are mama sharks. Yikes!

Packing for the beach was no joke. It was like a puzzle trying to find spaces where everything could fit, yet leave enough room for Jordan to see out the back window. Stuff had to be unpacked in order to get Hampton out! It was craziness. I know so many people who say, "If I only knew...we wouldn't have packed (fill in the blank) because we never used it." But for us, I don't think there is one thing I wouldn't pack again. We'll just have to buy a bigger car when another little one joins the family!! ;)

Here are more pics from the beach! Man, I miss it already!

Mom made us dress alike. She's kewl.

You have to admit, we're a pretty good looking group.

(Adam, Ashley (sis), Taylor (bro), mom, dad, me, Monkey, Jordan)

Me and my boys :)

We're a fun group!

Crawling into the waves!

Splashing is fun!

Don't even TRY to build a sand castle daddy: I WILL destroy it!

My little model The "kids"

I'm still here!

2010-08-16T17:13:00.003-04:00

We've survived our first stomach virus. Hampton's diarrhea and diaper rash started off our week, and we finished it with his right leg covered in a rash from spider bites, his fever spiking again, and exorcist style vomiting. Hampton was a little trooper, but I sure do miss my perky baby. He's just been pitiful, whiny, and only wanted his mama. That last one's not a terrible problem to have, but poor Jordan felt useless (which he wasn't AT ALL!). We've paced and rocked and cuddled and swayed and paced some more, and we have finally made it! Today was a much better day. The little monkey is still a little whiny, but I can tell he's feeling better. I hope this virus is out of our house and stays far, far away!

we're having a bad week

2010-08-11T16:19:00.002-04:00

Poor little Hampton is sick. He has a stomach virus, which is causing diarrhea. Yuck. With that, has come his first diaper rash (sent straight from the devil I am sure). Bless his heart, he is miserable. It's not keeping him from having fun playing, it's just keeping him from sitting to play. He stands there or squats and if he gets tired, he carefully falls forward onto all fours. I'm giving him pedialyte for the next 24 hours and am hoping it will work it's way out soon.

To Infertility and Beyond

The life of a toddler

6 months

Fire trucks and cupcakes

Girl Time

Merry Christmas!

5 months

Bye Bye Paci

A million dollars

Black Friday-Stella and Dot Style!

4 months!

happy halloween!

what I've been up to...

Colton is 3...and a half...months!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Hampton!

2 months

Labor Day Beach trip

i lu you

23 months

Colton-1 month

22 months

July 16, 2011

Dear Hampton,

Getting so close

Happy 4th

It's all about Hampton

21 months

35/35

Beach baby

Update from u/s yesterday

33 Weeks

20 months

what day is it?

30 weeks

for sale

exhausted and uncomfortable

19 months

27 weeks

a mother's prayer for its child by tina fey

normal

24 weeks!

18 months...better late than never

We need your vote!!

ow, hot!

21 weeks!

stomach bug

extended: stella and dot virtual party

Time is running out: stella and dot party

17 months!

another first

18 weeks!

virtual stella and dot party!

Hostess RewardsOur average Trunk Show Hostess receives $250 in free jewelry and 4 half-off items!

It's a....

road trip

our time

16 weeks

videos just because

snow my goodness

16 months

14 weeks

Merry Christmas!

15 months

feeding himself

quick update

testing. testing.

pretty pretty baby-winner!

Are you sitting down for this?

wordless wednesday: Thanksgiving at the park

pretty pretty baby-giveaway!

Stella and Dot CyberMonday!

14 months

it's a little like crack

Free holiday Cards for bloggers!

Wordless Wednesday: fun with a wiffle ball

first haircut

the never ending sickness

back to the doctor

corn maize and farm animals

Happy Halloween!!

Hostess Rewards
Our average Trunk Show Hostess receives $250 in free jewelry and 4 half-off items!