Cow-Eat-Uh County, Georgia :)

Lucy & I snuck in a quick trip to Newnan this week to visit our family here!  It's always fun to see them, but it's a little more spectacular when the trip is planned on the fly! :) 

Poor Daddy isn't doing so well with us being gone.  Bless him, he feels as if his heart has been ripped away from him -- which, I guess considering I'm the love of his life and Lucy is, literally, half him the heartache is probably pretty reasonable!  He's kept himself busy this afternoon and evening with shopping at some antique stores downtown and watching the Atlanta Braves and some of his favorite t.v. shows he's DVR'd.  He's also getting to enjoy playing with Wesley & Jonathan on the PS3 tonight.  I hope he enjoys a quiet, FULL-NIGHT of rest tonight :)

Lucy did so great on the way over here!  She coo'd a little while on 441, but by the time we hit Highway 16, she was out like a light!  Bless her -- she slept the whole way!  When we had just gotten into Newnan, my Daddy called and asked where we were.  When I told him we were in Newnan, he said "I can't believe y'all didn't stop by my office!"  I told him we had still not passed that part of town and that we would stop by.  It was special for Lucy to get to see where Big Daddy works!  She was able to meet Miss Jennifer & see Uncle Billy again.  Lucy just stared at the bright flourescent lights and even smiled a little for her Big Daddy.  We stayed for about an hour and headed on to the house.

We met Kiki there & she helped bring in all of our bags!  She's such a great help!  Soon after, Memaw got home with Nathan & Sallie!  Nathan is so sweet with Lucy!!  He just wanted to hold her and kiss her and didn't even hesitate to "cheese" at the camera (he normally does not like smiling for pictures)!  Sallie is so much longer than Lucy, but Lucy looks so much chunkier than Sallie -- her big cheeks probably does not help her in that department.  It's so much fun to see Sallie each time and "preview" what Lucy should be doing in the next month or so, and just how much she may grow. 

Eventually Sara & Big Daddy came home, too and we ordered pizza from Pizza Hut.  Since Lucy does not like it when I eat tomato-based products (it makes her a fussy eater), I had to order a personal pan chicken and cheese pizza with alfredo sauce.  Yuck -- thanks, Lucy! :)

After dinner, we went to see Meme & Preacher Pa.  Everytime I see him is just so special.  It is not a secret that I have a terrible memory, and so I'm trying really hard to hold on to everything he's saying to me.  I try to take lots of pictures and even video'd a special message from him to Lucy.  I remember when my Papa died back in January of 2010, I cried at his viewing because I already couldn't remember the sound of his voice.  I was able to remember it though when we sang "How Great Thou Art" during his funeral service though and each time that I want to remember, I think of that song and I can hear him singing it.  I don't think I'll have that problem with Preacher Pa's -- his is so distinctly deep! :)  

I did write a poem for Preacher Pa this week.  Several days ago when Lucy got up for one of her early morning (2-3 am) feedings, God blessed me with the words.  As I was feeding her, I couldn't get to a paper and pen, so I reached for my phone and typed the whole thing into a text message on my phone and sent it to myself.  This was a very lengthy process, but I'm glad I thought of it.  Like I said, my memory does not serve me well, and I knew I wouldn't remember the words in the morning!

This evening, I took Lucy over to Sara's to give her a bath.  This girl can't miss bath night!  After all the spitting up she does -- bath time is important!  She always smells so sweet and is so cuddly after a bath.  I gave her to her Big Daddy so he could soak up some snuggles since he missed out on so many last time we were here, because he was on a trout fishing trip with some of his buddies in Ellijay. 

Tomorrow, we plan to go play with Sara & Sallie.  We're going to go visit Meme & Preacher Pa again and then Lucy & I will head on back to Milledgeville.  We can't wait to get back home to our Daddy. I know he's missed us, but I think we're missing him just a little bit more!  :)

Soaking up the Snuggles!

This week is my last week of maternity leave with Lucy.  I have such mixed feelings about it... 

I am looking forward to being back on a schedule and having her start into a routine, but I am really going to miss our time together.  She'll be going to Learning Safari with me and I absolutely adore the lady (Ms. Jackie) who will be keeping her!  I couldn't imagine having to leave her this young and then me go off to work somewhere she won't be.  I really respect the women who can. 

 

So to celebrate our last week, we went to eat lunch at MaMa & Pop's on Monday.  She served Chicken & Dumplings.  Macie was at school when we got there (she doesn't get out until 12), and Megan & Grant are back in school, so we just "played" with Mollie until everyone else showed up.  MaMa got to hold Lucy some, and Mollie got to check her out some more.  Mollie is very interested in Lucy -- always wanting to see where she is and what she's doing and appears to be jealous... not wanting her Mama or Daddy or MaMa or Pop, or CiCi or Papa to hold Lucy.  It's made her sort of fussy everytime we come around, but we're very understanding of her feelings & try to give her special attention from us & Lucy.

Papa couldn't make it to lunch Monday, but Wesley was able to stay and eat after he dropped Macie off.  Macie said she learned about the color red and that they ate pizza.  She told me they sang the "Bumble Bee Song" and was so excited when I started singing it to her -- she seemed surprised that I knew the words!  Wesley said that Macie was the one assigned to bring snack that day and so she got to be the "leader."  Macie took bananas and grapes -- healthy choice, Kacie! :)

 

Tuesday was spent soaking up all the snuggles and stealing all the kisses I could get from Lucy.

 

Today is Wednesday and I have my post-partum appointment in Macon with Dr. Slocumb.  I'll be taking Lucy with me.  Hopefully we'll get a good report! 

 

Lucy has had a new development happen.  She just recently started crying hard after some feedings & were projectile spitting up.  Dr. Ivey seems to think that because of both of these symptoms, she has a sensitivity to the lactose in my breast milk.  Basically, her lower intestines is taking a little longer than it should to digest the lactose; by the next time she eats, more lactose is introduced and causes a "traffic jam" of cramps in her little belly. He says it has nothing to do with the amount of dairy I consume, just the natural lactose my milk contains.  It's actually pretty common.  We've searched high and low for this product he recommended that should be over-the-counter called Colief, but we haven't had any luck.  Thankfully, Little Tummy's Gripe Water has helped bring her relief. 

 

She had a rough night last night.  I think she's starting her 6 week growth spurt.  She was very restless last night while sleeping and woke up hungry & was fussy while eating about every hour to hour & a half.  She has been able to go 2 1/2 -- 3 hours.  About 3 o'clock, I brought her in the living room and camped out in the recliner.  We both got better sleep this way!  Poor Chris, her fussing and crying last night while we were still in the room gave him no sleep and he slept through his alarm this morning.  I ended up having to go wake him up at 9:15!  He has been leaving for work between 8:45 & 9:00 every morning.  Thank goodness for an understanding, Papa! :)

 

Lucy, you're so funny!  I have tried so hard to get you to like a pacifier.  There are sometimes when you nurse and I can tell you're just comfort nursing.  While I love that I can provide you that comfort, I know that when you start daycare I won't be there to pacify you.  You have taken a pacifier (without immediately spitting it out) maybe twice your whole life.  So, yesterday I had your Daddy pick up a new brand -- Soothie.  You seem to like it better -- it's not your favorite, but it'll do.  Just recently though, you've started sucking on your hands a lot more, and several times have caught you sucking on -- not your thumb -- but your index finger!!  I was able to snap a picture this morning -- so cute!

Tomorrow we're heading to Newnan -- just Lucy & I.  We're leaving Daddy here and going to see our Newnan family before our trip there next weekend which seems to be light years away!  Chris isn't crazy about us going but we want to see Preacher Pa again and figure while we have the time off to go, we should -- especially if Chris is going to be working, he'll hardly miss any time with us at all!  (Easier for us to say...) We can't wait to see Meme & Preacher Pa, Memaw & Big Daddy, Kiki, Sara, Jason, Nathan, & Sallie! 

One Month!

Lucy -- Today, you are ONE MONTH OLD!

I can't believe it has already been one month since the best day of my life!  You are changing so much everyday.  I can already tell that you are so much bigger now than you were 4 weeks ago.  As much as I want you to stay little, I can't wait for each new milestone you're going to reach!

At one month, Miss Lucy, you:

Weigh 8 lbs. 13 oz. and are 21 inches long!!

Will sleep 2 -- 2 1/2 hour stretches at night.  About 2 weeks ago, we moved you from sleeping in a bouncy chair in your crib, to sleeping in a co-sleeper (Snuggle Nest) in our bed.  You'll wake up to eat, I'll burp you, change your diaper, and lay you back down and we'll start all over.  Between 5-6, you'll wake up and are ready to be out of your co-sleeper, but not done sleeping, so you & I will move into the living room in one of the recliners and continue sleeping.  We'll usually sleep until about 10 am like this. 

 

 Spit up A LOT!  You've gotten me good several times, soaking my clothes as well as yours and even ringing my mouth a couple of times -- disgusting, yes!  But I don't mind... :)  You & I stink of breastmilk & spit up pretty much 24/7.  A smell your Daddy's learning to live with... and dare I say, love! :)

Are just now moving into size 1 diapers. For about the past week, your newborn diapers have seemed to fit a bit snug, but your size 1's appear to swallow you.  I think we've officially moved to size 1's now, though because you had a huge blow-out in your newborn size diapers last night resulting in a bath when it wasn't even bath night -- yuck!

Speaking of baths, you get one every other night.  While I bathe you, Daddy puts your towel & pajamas in the dryer and gets your new diaper & lotion ready.  Then, he scoops you up and we take you into your room and lotion you up with Johnson & Johnson's lavendar lotion, put a diaper on you, put on your pj's, & brush your pretty hair -- you smell so good after a bath, I could sniff you all night!

Make the sweetest faces and the funniest sounds -- you coo a lot when you're lightly sleeping and it sounds just like a puppy.  Other times, you make this raspy sound in your throat, especially when someone picks you up while you're sleeping that sounds like a pterodactyl.  You also get the hiccups a lot and sneeze in sets of 2 or 3.  When you sneeze, I tell you "God bless your little bones... and your heart, and all your other organs!"

Speaking of things we tell you... your Daddy loves to say "Goodness Gracious!... Goodness Gracious Alive!" to you all the time or "Oh my goodness!" If I were a betting woman, I would bet that your first word will probably be "goodness" -- ha! 

You are learning to love tummy time -- you love it a lot more when Daddy does it with you.  You love to show off your neck strength when you're laying on my chest in the recliner.  Just recently you've taken an interest in looking at different toys I put down on the floor next to you.  You especially love the ones that have a mirror on them so you can see yourself.

You've smiled (for real) once or twice.  Once was the other day while waiting for the doctor to come in to see you -- so sweet! :)

You've made 2 successful trips to Memaw & Big Daddy's -- both times you've slept almost the entire way in the car.  You don't mind your carseat and the vibration of riding in the car lulls you to sleep every time.  I ride in the back with you when we go long distances, but really don't need to because you just sleep the whole time!

Love having your hands by your face and arms in the air!  You can't stand for someone to try to move your hands -- you'll hold them stiff so that they can't.  You'll be asleep in my arms and as soon as your Daddy picks you up your arms go straight over your head like "Touchdown!"

Have had your first photoshoot with Danielle Avery (Ladybug Mugs Photography in Newnan) for your Newborn pictures -- they turned out so cute!

Were baptized by your great-grandfather, Preacher Pa, on August 14, 2011 in what will be his last sacrament as a preacher.  He is turning off his dialysis machine in a few weeks, so you won't remember him, but he left a sweet message to you that I videotaped for you to watch in years to come.

I wanted to celebrate your one-month birthday all day by getting you a Smiley Face cookie or baking cupcakes, because one month is a big deal (for Mama & baby!)! So, tonight, your Daddy went to Wal-Mart & got supplies to throw you a mini-birthday party! He set it all up in our bedroom without me knowing. He had pink balloons, a card, & gift, and even miniature cupcakes with a #1 candle on top! It was so sweet! Inside the card he had written the sweetest note from the two of us & got you some pretty sweet gifts -- bigger sized onesies, a little frog that sings, and another special blankie. Lucy, you really do have the best Daddy in the world! We're both lucky to have someone as great as him in our lives!

Happy Birthday, Lucy!  We love you so very much! :)

Future Friends :)

Today, we got ready and ate lunch at MaMa & Pop's!  She was serving Chicken & Dumplings AND Spaghetti -- how does she find time to cook & keep two small children?  I can barely find time to wash my hair with Lucy! :)

The usual crowd was there, but for the last time of the summer: Macie, Mollie, Megan, David, Papa, & of course, MaMa & Pop!  Megan starts back school at JMA on Monday and Macie starts going to Milledgeville FUMC's 3-day/week 3 year old Preschool Program.  She starts Monday, too!  Today, she went for Open House & LOVED it she said.  She told me all about her teachers, the toys, and all of the other girls and boys.  When I asked her if they were nice she said "not too nice, but a little nice."  I know she's going to really love it once it gets started.

Lucy slept through most of lunch, and we came on home.  We were home for just about an hour when our friend Dena Stancil stopped by with her daughter, Caylin.  Caylin is 8 months old and is so beautiful!  She is saying "bye-bye" and waving and is wanting so badly to take some steps.  I hope that she and Lucy will be good friends in the future! :)  I really should have taken some pictures.... I hate I didn't think to do that!  Hopefully next time!

Chris's birthday is coming up and I have no idea what to get him... :( I am usually really good at coming up with great gift ideas, but I am in Mommy-mode and stuck at the moment.  I've gotten him one gift, but it's a gift that he'd like not necessarily something he wants.  I'm toying with a couple of ideas, we'll just have to see...

While Lucy is napping and waiting for her favorite playmate to come home & play with her (her Daddy), I am going to start packing for our trip to Newnan this weekend.  Lucy & Sallie are getting baptized by Preacher Pa -- how special! :)

Mommy's Day Out!

This past Saturday, Memaw & Big Daddy came to visit for the day! It was so nice to have some visitors -- especially my parents! Since having Lucy, I have lost a good bit of my pregnancy weight, and the maternity jeans are feeling like they're hanging around my knees, but my pre-pregnancy jeans (while I can fit in them) are a little snug. I also needed a new pair of tennis shoes for when we go walking at Walter B. as a family of three! :) Right now, all I had were my gray New Balance with 0% support... no good for a Mama tryin' to walk off some baby weight! So, when my Mama & Daddy came to visit, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to get out of the house where I wouldn't have to take Lucy, still have someone to go with me, and Chris wouldn't have to be left with her at home by himself. I ended up finding a very comfortable pair of blue jeans at Belk's & some pretty comfortable tennis shoes (with support!) at Rack Room Shoes. I'm not a big fan of shoes with bright colors, but you can hardly find any without! I found some that were pretty mono-chromatic, there's just a hint of bluish-purple! ;)

Sunday night, we went to CiCi & Papa's for hamburgers & hotdogs. Lucy, of course, did fantastic -- sleeping most of the time, but waking up and peeking around just enough. Macie is still absolutely fascinated by her and Mollie is still slightly jealous of her attention.

Today, Lucy is 3 weeks old -- she's getting so grown! Chris went out to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought a digital scale. As of last night, she weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. -- that's up 14 ounces in just 9 days!!! My little chunky monkey makes me a proud mama :)

We went to Chic-fil-A for breakfast since I had a coupon for a free chicken biscuit. Instead, I got 4 chicken mini's and paid the difference ($.75) and then went by Sonic to get my favorite -- a large coke with vanilla flavoring. Then, we went by Learning Safari so that I could show off my pride & joy :) Everyone loved her! She even got to "meet" her teacher, Miss Jackie! She's going to be so great with her -- almost made me tear up! I'm sure that first day, I will be a wreck!

Right now, Sara & I are trying to plan Lucy & Sallie's joint infant baptism. We want our Preacher Pa to officiate the service & are looking at doing it next weekend, August 14. It will be so special to have them done together & extra special that their Preacher Pa is able to do this for them... so much more meaningful.

I've been overwhelmed lately thinking about if Lucy should be on a schedule or not, and decided that I would start today tracking her naps and feedings to see if she's already sort of on her own schedule. I'm using a website called Trixie Tracker and really like it so far -- very user friendly! It has a free 2-week trial -- I can't wait to see what the results are in a few days.

I've got her down for a nap now & I'm trying to pick things up around the house and catch a few z's myself ;)

Angel on your shoulder and God in your heart!

I absolutely love my nighttime routine with Lucy! We take a bath right now every other night, but I would love to start atleast soaking in the tub (without soap) at least every night. I primarily bathe her, while Chris throws her towel and pajamas in the dryer to be nice and toasty for her when she's finished being bathed. After we're done, he scoops her up in her towel and takes her in and lays her on the bed in her room. We dry her off and sometimes run a hairdryer over her to keep her warm. I lotion her up with Johnson & Johnson's Lavender Baby Lotion & put her diaper & pj's on her. Then I brush her hair & rock her. Chris is usually back in the den by this point eating a late-night snack & catching up on the Braves. I love it though, because this is something special between just me and my best girl!

We start off by saying our prayers. We pray for each person in our families by name. We thank God for food, our home, Delilah, and pray for a good night's sleep and a great day tomorrow. We also pray for the special little boy God has picked out for Lucy & that his Mommy & Daddy are raising him to be the kind of man who will take special care of our girl. Then, I nurse her if she's hungry, and we sing our nightly lullabies. We sing the same ones every night, and I want to remember them so figured I would blog about them. Each one has a special meaning to me.

I start off singing "my" song. Mama made up a song for each one of my sisters' and I when we were babies. I love that Lucy has the same middle name as I do so it fits in perfectly with the lyrics. I also love that now I can consider that "her" song.

I love you,

Yes, I do

I love you, Lucy Pearl

You're my sweet baby treat

I love you, Lucy Pearl!

Sweet baby faces, sweet baby sounds

You're the sweetest baby around!

I love you.

Daddy does, too.

We love our Lucy Pearl!

I follow that song with another song I remember Mama singing when I was a child (I think this may have been considered Christy's song?)

I love you, Lucy Pearl

I love you, Lucy Pearl

I love your hair,

and I love your toes,

and I love the way you wrinkle your nose.

I love your personality.

I love that you were born a "she."

I love the way you smile at me.

Oh, I love you.

Daddy does, too.

We love our Lucy Pearl!

When I was pregnant with Lucy, I was teaching my first year of Pre-K at Learning Safari. One of the best parts of Pre-K is nap time. ;) For nap time, I would pull out my iTouch and play a list of Disney lullabies I had downloaded for them to listen to while they napped. One of the ones that I particularly favored was "La La Lu" from The Lady & The Tramp. Every time it played, it made me think of the little baby that was in my belly & I knew I wanted to learn the lyrics to sing to them one day.

La La Lu

La La Lu

Oh my little star sweeper,

I'll sweep the start dust for you.

La La Lu

La La Lu

Little soft, fluffy sleeper

Here comes a pink cloud for you.

La La Lu

La La Lu

Little wandering angel,

Fold up your wings for tonight.

La La Lu

La La Lu

And may love be your keeper,

La La Lu

La La Lu

La La Lu

A classic lullaby that every Mama needs to sing to her baby is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

How I wonder what you are?

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

How I wonder what you are?

One of my favorite songs as a child that I sang all the time was You Are My Sunshine. This also became a special song between Chris & I when we were dating.

You are my sunshine,

My only sunshine.

You make me happy when skies are gray.

You'll never know, Dear,

How much I love you.

Please, don't take my sunshine away.

And then I always end with Jesus Loves Me -- I feel it's the one with the most important message, and should be the way she ends her day every day.

Jesus loves me

This I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak,

But He is strong!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me,

For the Bible tells me so.

By this point, she's usually good and asleep so I pick her up and lay her in her bed. I kiss her sweetly & tell her the same thing my Mama told me as a child, "Angel on your shoulder and God in your heart!"