Making new friends and a 4 month check-up

On Thursday Britton and I met up with two of my friends from college, Abby and Kristina. Abby has a beautiful baby girl named Trevi. Trevi was born six weeks early making her just 4 1/2 days younger than Britton. Kristina has a little boy named Eli, who is destined to be a UT fan, if his father Sam as any say in the matter....much like Kyle feels about Britton's future college choice. We all decided to get together for a walking play date at Radnor. I was impressed how well they all did. When we finished walking we decided to take a picture of all of them together. This is when Briton decided he would rather eat and decided to cry to prove his point! Finally we did get a picture of our kiddos... future friends I'm sure.

Trevi, Britton and Eli

Britton decided to smile for the camera AFTER the group photo...of course!!

Today we had to take Britton for his 4 month check-up and shots. I must say I have been dreading this day since the 2 month shots consisted of a 10 minute screaming and crying fit. I had talked to Britton all week about it and told him if he stopped crying as soon as the shots were over we would get him a stuffed Handy Manny. He LOVES Manny. Yes, I know he is 4 months old and had no idea what I was telling him. I also know that I was attempting to bribe a baby. :) We didn't have to wait long before the nurse took us back for his stats. Amazingly Britton now weighs 17lbs and 8 oz (in the 90th  percentile) and is 25 1/4" long (in the 70th percentile.) What a chunky little man we have, though to me he looks skinnier then before! When the nurse left I had Britton sitting up so he could see himself in the mirror. All of a sudden he looked at his toes and grabbed them with his hands. He then started to bend all the way down and try to put them in his mouth! He thought this was so funny. He continued to laugh and talk when Dr. Chambers came in to look him over. After talking we decided not to start cereal until he is 5 months. I told him I thought Britton was teething, he thought not until he looked at his gums. Our little boy should have his first bottom tooth in 2 weeks to a month! We learned his blood type and got questions answered. I am so glad we went with Dr. Chambers and Britton seems to like him too. Then our nurse came back to give him his shots. Kyle held onto his little hand and we gave him his frog to hold in the other hand. I sat in the chair to avoid seeing his face in pain again. He cried, but nothing like last time. When she was finished Britton's cry turned into a  little whimper and when I picked him up, he stopped. Perhaps bribing a 4 month old does work! We are so glad that he is doing well and continuing to grow and mature both mentally and physically. We truly have been blessed with such a content and wonderful baby boy.

Britton looking at his sticker that his Daddy got him.

Britton and his new Handy Manny....can you tell how excited he is about this! I love it. :)

I decided to help him "taste" his toes!! He thought this was hilarious!

Our week(end) in Bristol...

On May 15th we loaded up the car and headed to Bristol for Britton to meet some family on Saturday and go to Bakersville for church with P. It was Britton's first long trip, 6 hours, and he handled it well. Thankfully he slept most of it and we only had to stop twice for changing and feedings. Things went as planned on Saturday with visits from family and us making a visit to Pa, my Dad, at his boat show. Then Sunday morning around 12:30 am I woke up with horrible stomach and chest pains at 4:30 I couldn't take it anymore and called m Mom to take me to the ER. Once I had checked in and been given a robe to change into and a bed to lay in my nurse, Rose, who was wonderful, came in to take blood and give me an IV of meds. At 8:30 am the doctor decided he had no idea what was wrong and sent me home with pain meds and medicine for nausea. The blood that was taken had tests run and I was told it could be my gallbladder. We returned back to find Kyle awake and Britton still asleep. Being that I still felt like I was dying, everyone but me went to Bakersville. When they returned home we talked and decided that since I still felt so horrible it was best for me to stay in Bristol with Britton so my family could help take care of him. Kyle left that afternoon so h could go to work on Monday. Mom kept Britton on Monday, my great aunt Pat kept him on Tuesday and by Wednesday I felt well enough to keep him. Finally we returned to Nashville on Thursday for me to go to work on Friday. Mom stayed until Saturday afternoon then headed back to Bristol. What a crazy week it was. I'm glad I stayed in Bristol though, there is no way I could have taken care of Britton by myself. I have an appointment this Thursday to have my gallbladder looked at to see if it needs to be removed.....which would explain why I have had a total of 4 attacks,2 while pregnant and 2 afterwards. Hopefully it will all be solved soon, rather I have to have surgery or not I just want to know what's wrong. On the positive side Britton did get to spend 7 days with his Mimi and Pa! :) Below are some of the pictures from our week.

Britton at Pa's Boat Show "drinking" his first Pepsi :)

Before going to P's church 

Playing-Drooling-Teething!

Playing on the bed by rolling over with help

My "baby" cousin goes to prom and drives...

It is so strange to me that Kelcie is already old enough to not only be driving, but now has gone to her first prom and will be going to college in a few years. I was ten was she was born and couldn't get enough of her. Renee and I spent most of summers with her and Richard at GMP. My Dad's side of the family only has three grandchildren and all three of us are girls, instant bond. She is becoming such a wonderful young lady and we are all so proud of her.... but old enough to be a junior in high school?!! I really am old! 

Kelcie in rare form.... :)                                             -------------->

One year later

I love this picture from our wedding day. Yes, I realize that you can not really tell who is in the picture,besides me since the dress gives it away,but as soon as we were given our pictures I fell in love with this one. The other hand and body in the picture belongs to my sweet grandmother, M. I don't think there are words to describe what an amazingly loving, giving, selfless or Godly woman my grandmother was. I have so many good memories of my childhood that involve her and my grandfather. I spent more time with M and P then I probably did with my own parents when I was younger. They have and will always have such a huge and special place in my heart. Both as individuals and as a couple they are such an example. It was this time last year that my precious M passed away. I have been to many funerals, both of friends and family members, but this one was one that I had been dreading for years. I think the hardest part of that funeral was seeing and hearing my dear sweet Grandfather, P, as he was morning the loss of his wife of 64 years. 

M and I had talked about how Kyle and I were having difficulties getting pregnant and she shared that she and P had experienced the same problems. I know that she wanted to be a great-grandmother and was getting impatient about it! I didn't know it at the time, but I was pregnant at her funeral. Kyle and I joke that she got to talking when she got to Heaven and suddenly we were pregnant! I know that she would be just as in love with Britton as P is. I hate that Britton will never get to know her, but I also know that he will hear plenty of stories and see lots of pictures. On the other hand, God has perfect timing....having Britton has been the best healer for my grandfather. He is so in love with our baby boy. He comes to visit each time my parents do. My Mom jokes and says she knows that when the "old man" comes with them no one else will get to hold him, and she's right! We send P pictures of Britton every two weeks ad he calls often to hear Britton coo and laugh and talk about his next visit. He tells us how he takes the pictures to church to show him off and talks to his "little buddy" each night. Kyle and I are going to Bakersville this Sunday and of course taking Britton so that we can go to Silver Baptist with P and he can share the one he is so proud of. We plan on Britton taking flowers to M's grave. I know that this will be such an emotional day for all of us, but I'm looking forward to it because it will also be a time to celebrate such a wonderful woman's life. 

I'll always love that picture of M & I and I can't wait to talk to Britton about that day and about who she was and what she believed in.

How we got here...

It is hard to believe that I am the mother of a 3 1/2 month old boy. Over a year and a half ago we thought having a child was near impossible. Due to many complications I had been told since I was 20 years old that I would only have about a 20% chance of ever getting pregnant. When Kyle and I were married we both knew we wanted children. I knew that if it was going to happen it would take prayers, patience, and fertility help. After 3 cycles of Clomid and no results I had what is called a HSG flush followed by 2 rounds of Clomid and to our surprise we learned that we were going to have a child after all. I can not begin to describe how exciting that day was or the other 34 weeks that followed. I was very lucky and did not have but 3 days or morning sickness, gained very little weight and felt good for most of the pregnancy. I did and still do suffer from anemia, but with what felt like a dozen iron supplements it was managed. We were blessed with 5 baby showers and felt prepared for Britton to arrive. On the day he decided to make his debut I was actually at my friend Abby's baby shower. On the way home I joked with Susan that I thought I was going to have a baby today... 5 hours later I did! Besides my little friend the epidural that my body refused to take it was an easy birth and went by quickly. 

So here we are after the weeks of little sleep at night, but naps during the day to 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night and little naps during the day. I've learned what each little noise and cry means. How he likes to be held, how he loves baths and loves to coo and laugh. We have established a bed time and a time to get up. Everything is going perfectly and I am loving getting to stay at home. I know that once I go back to teaching, he goes to daycare and life gets more hectic perfect may have a different definition and I'm okay with that. What a gift Britton is and what a blessing it is to have such wonderful family and friends to love him and help him along the way.