Love is in the Hair:

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2012-02-16T23:20:00.000-06:00

[1.] Spending time with Dad after work.

[2.] Saturday morning. [3.] Surprise Valentine breakfast.

[4.] My Valentine from Elliott. [5.] My little Valentine.

[6.] Smirk. [7.] Play time. [8.] Sweet baby bum.

Our Big Weekend Out.

2012-02-13T23:53:00.001-06:00

Elliott is just over 5 weeks old now, and he and I have hardly left the house this first 5 weeks. I feel like I have spent my entire maternity leave in my pajamas. So, this weekend we decided to venture out and get some fresh air.

This is a scary thing for the nursing mother. My pumped milk is like liquid gold, I try to preserve it for emergency use only, so I'll have enough when I go back to work. (It's hard to pump extra when you are nursing every two and a half hours.) So, when baby gets hungry or fussy in public, pulling a bottle out of the diaper bag to soothe him is just not an option, and I'm not too keen on nursing in public yet. This means we have to time our outings just right; nursing right before we walk out the door so we'll have a two hour time block before we need to be at a place where we can nurse again.

However, Elliott surprised me on our first big weekend out, keeping his fussiness to a minimum, and my stress level down. We managed to time everything just right, and had a nice time catching up with friends and family.

Bundled up for our outing.

Saturday we went to lunch with 7 of my fellow "Aqua Moms" and their new babies. (While I was pregnant I took a water aerobics class at Baptist Hospital, Aqua Moms.) It was quite a sight. We had a table for 16, with 8 women and 8 baby carriers holding babies from 3 weeks to 3 months old. Everyone in the restaurant had to get a peek at all the little ones.

It was so nice to see these girls and meet the babies from the bellies in class. The conversation with these fellow Mommies was much needed. We swapped stories and shared tips on everything from nursing to where to get the best deals on cute baby clothes.

After our lunch, we loaded up and headed to a baby shower for a friend from church. Melanie is expecting her first son, Bennett, in April. Elliott enjoyed being passed around the room, while I enjoyed some down time catching up with my church friends, some of whom I had not seen since before Christmas.

On Sunday morning, we loaded up the car again and headed to Arkadelphia so Elliott could meet his great grandparents on the Grant side. While we were there, Gary's Aunt and Uncle (Elliott's great Aunt and Uncle), who also live in Arkadelphia, stopped by to visit too. We had a good lunch and about a three hour visit, and we got some priceless pictures that I'm sure Elliott will cherish some day.

After our visit with "Meemaw and Pawpaw" we stopped by our Alma Mater, to visit my brother before heading home. This was Elliott's first time on Ouachita's campus, but we hope it will be the first of many.

With the Tiger at OBU.

I felt like my old self again, getting dressed and getting out. Elliott was such a good sport, that I now feel more confident going out with him. Things are slowly getting back to normal... our new normal that is. Elliott had such a big weekend, he slept though the night for the first time last night, 10:30pm to 6am. I guess that means we should do this more often!

Elliott's sweet little baby smile!

2012-02-10T12:00:00.002-06:00

Elliott flashed us his first smile this week. We still have to really work to get one out of him, but I managed to catch him in the act yesterday. Hope it makes you smile too!

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2012-02-09T12:09:00.000-06:00

[1] Our first walk- with Natalie and Audrey at the Big Dam Bridge.

[2] Maggie enjoying some "tummy time" in the sunroom.

[3] Who's this handsome stranger? [4] Super Bowl party at the Hayes'

[5] Momma's boy :) [6] Mom brought us dinner.

[7] Working on transitioning to the crib. [8] Lauren and E go on a Sonic date.

Elliott's first month birthday.

2012-02-06T12:36:00.003-06:00

Elliott:

We have loved every minute of our first month with you. It has been a true learning experience for us, but in such a wonderful way. Here are some milestones from your first month of life:

-At one month old you weigh 9 pounds, 1 ounce, measure 21 inches long and have a head circumference of 14 and a half inches. That puts you in the 25th percentile for weight, 25-50th percentile for height, and 10-20th percentile for the size of your head.

-It took us 3 and a half weeks to get you back to your birth weight after your weight dropped from 8 pounds 11 ounces to 7 pounds 14 ounces.

-You still wear newborn clothes and diapers.

-You had to be readmitted to the hospital the day after our discharge for 24 hours of phototherapy because your bilirubin levels were so high.

-You love sleeping in your swing, in fact you refused to sleep flat on your back in your cradle, so you slept in your swing the first 2 weeks home.

-You now sleep in your Nap Nanny in your cradle in our room.

-You want to be swaddled all the time, day and night, or you fuss and cry. I've wondered if you can be swaddled too much, but I figure you'll let me know when you're ready to explore your arms and legs more.

-You're nursing every 2 hours during the day for 45 minutes, and every 3-4 hours at night. We were supplementing 4 oz of formula a day to get you to your birth weight, but now that you're there we've cut that out and your strictly on breast milk.

-You have slept for 5 hour stretches several nights already. This makes momma very happy!

-You have been trying to hold your head up since the day after you were born. We don't think it will be long before you're strong enough to keep it up.

-You don't like bath time, you scream until you are dressed and nursing.

-You love music- especially any kind of loud rock. It stops your crying and puts you to sleep.

-If you're awake, you want to be held, rocked and/or bounced. You're already a Momma's boy :)

-You haven't mastered the pacifier yet, but you're getting close.

-You've had lots of visitors this month, everyone thinks you are a good mix of both your mom and dad.

We love you more than words can say. You are already growing way too fast for me. I love to just stare at your little features while you sleep, trying to soak it all in, because I know you'll be a teenager in the blink of an eye. We're looking forward to watching you grow and seeing your personality develop. We still pray for you every night. We pray that you will grow into a kind, hard working man who loves the Lord. But, for now we're just enjoying every minute of your baby days.

Happy one month birthday sweet boy,
Momma

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2012-02-02T11:37:00.000-06:00

[1] Yawn. [2] My boys. [3] Day 1 of half marathon training post baby.

[4] Date night. [5] First sushi and wine in 10 months.

[6] Elliott with his grandpa and great grandpa.

[7] Play date with Audrey Mae. [8] My daily companions.

The First Few Weeks as a Family of Three.

2012-01-29T12:08:00.001-06:00

We've been a family of three for three weeks now. In some ways it feels like Elliott has been with us longer, but at other times I can't believe it's already been three weeks. I know these first weeks as new parents will be filled with memories we will look back on fondly throughout our lives, and I wish I could document everything we have experienced and felt during this new stage of life, but my thoughts are so many, it's hard to get it all down.

Life is so different as a family of three. People tell you when you are pregnant how "everything will change when you have a baby." But, I'm not sure you can really comprehend just how much your life will change until you are there; up at 3am with a crying baby, and home on nights and weekends, because he can't go out until he has his shots.

I'm certainly not saying having a baby is miserable, I'm just explaining our new reality. Gary and I are used to being able to come and go as we please. We like to go out with friends, or on dates with each other, but life with a newborn has not allowed much of that. Our evenings and weekends are spent on the couch or in bed resting between diaper changes and feedings, or rocking Elliott in an attempt to soothe him when he's crying and we don't know why. Taking care of a baby is a full time job... night and day.

I can tell we have both changed so much in just 3 short weeks. Friday night my parents came to stay with Elliott so Gary and I could go on a date. We went out to dinner at Sushi Cafe so I could enjoy my first glass of wine and Sushi in 10 months. I was looking so forward to getting out of the house, since I have not left for more than a grocery run or pediatrician visit since E was born. However, once we arrived and were seated, all we could talk about was Elliott, wondering what he was doing, and if he was ok without us. We even sat and looked through pictures of him on our iPhones. Looking around at all the people dressed up for a carefree night out drinking with friends, we suddenly felt older. We knew that unlike the other people there, we would only have one drink, and then be home with our baby by 9:30... and we were totally ok with that.

Another thing people tell you during pregnancy is how much you will love your child. Again, I don't think you can truly comprehend how deep your love for your baby will be until you've felt it. When I look at Elliott, I think he is absolutely perfect. I got emotional just looking at him last night, thinking how I never wanted anyone to hurt him. I would do absolutely anything for that little guy. My whole life has changed to take care of him, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So what have we been up to the past 3 weeks? Maybe the best way for me to remember is through photos, so here are a few favorites from our first 3 weeks home:

Introducing Maggie and Lola to Elliott. They are both very curious about him.

Getting his first bath with help from his Mom and Grandma.

He wasn't a fan of bath time.

Dad rocking Elliott to sleep to Band of Horses. He loves music, especially Indie Rock.
The louder the better, puts him right to sleep.

We've had lots of visitors, including Elliott's first friend, (and maybe someday girlfriend) Paisley.

He loves his swing! He even slept in it for the first 2 weeks,
refusing to sleep in his cradle until we got a "Nap Nanny".

Life as a family of three has been a major adjustment. It's true what they say, "a baby changes everything!" Our lives have been changed for the better with the addition of sweet Elliott.

Elliott's Newborn Photos.

2012-01-27T12:33:00.000-06:00

At about 10 days old, Elliott had his first photo shoot. He was an excellent subject! He slept the whole time, and let us pose him however we wanted (as long as we had the space heater nearby). Amy and her husband, Jeff, were so patient with us. She's such a talented and creative photographer! We were very pleased with her and how our photos turned out. Here's a sneak peak:

On weight checks and nursing:

2012-01-25T17:25:00.000-06:00

Being a first time mom has come with many challenges. One of the biggest challenges has been nursing. Elliott's jaundice caused him to loose quite a bit of weight, dropping from 8 pounds, 11 ounces at birth to 7 pounds 14 ounces when we left the hospital. As a result, we have had weight checks with our pediatrician every 3 to 4 days since we left the hospital, and they will continue until Elliott reaches his birth weight again.

At E's first Doctor's appointment.

Before becoming a Mom, when I would hear about women who chose not to nurse their babies, I would instantly judge them. Why wouldn't you want to nurse? It's better for your baby, it saves money, and helps your body return to its pre-pregnancy state. I thought these women were being selfish.

On the other side, I now regret ever judging a woman's decision to not nurse. Nursing is hard work, for Mom and for baby. Nursing takes 30-45 minutes per feeding, whereas bottle feeding takes 10-15 minutes per feeding. Nursing a newborn is just plain exhausting. Elliott will be 3 weeks old on Thursday and has yet to return to his birth weight on a diet of breast milk. We have tried multiple techniques and I have worn myself out trying to get him to his birth weight on breast milk alone. I have left the Doctor's office heartbroken multiple times, feeling like I did everything I could and yet my child had not gained a single ounce.

The first week home I thought I would never sleep again. Elliott wanted to nurse all night long. As soon as I would pull him off, he would start screaming as though he hadn't eaten anything. I cried too, because I didn't know how to help him, and I wanted more than anything to breastfeed. I felt like I would be failing if I gave him formula. However, after multiple weight checks with no progress, I realized I had to quit beating myself up and do what was best for my baby, even if that meant supplementing formula when needed.

I've been determined to stick it out, even though it hasn't gone how I envisioned it. Elliott is now up to 8 pounds, 8 ounces, just 3 ounces shy of his birth weight. This progress didn't come without sacrifice though. We started "triple feeding" two weeks ago, meaning I nurse Elliott on both sides for a total of 30 minutes, then give him a bottle with 1 oz. of pumped milk (if I have enough) or formula (when I don't have enough pumped milk). After he's fed, I pump for 10-15 minutes to increase my milk supply and have milk for his next bottle. The whole process takes about an hour, and we do it every 2 hours (from the start of one session to the start of the next) during the day, and every 3 hours at night, meaning I have about an hour (2 at night) between feedings (if he goes to sleep) before starting again. Oh, and then I have to wash and sterilize all of the pump parts after each pumping session. See what I mean? Exhausting, right?

Dr. Davis checking Elliott out.

But, it's been a rewarding experience too. There is no better way for a mother to bond with her baby than nursing. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to provide nutrition and comfort for Elliott any time and any place with just my body. My milk supply has increased, and I now only have to give him a bottle about twice a day, meaning I can start storing my pumped milk for when I return to work next month. I don't know if we will make it to the one year mark nursing, but I'm determined to try it as long as I can, because I know it's what's best for Elliott. However, I'll never again judge a woman for formula feeding her baby. Every woman and baby is different, and you have to do what's best for you and your baby. If nursing is exhausting you to the point that you can't enjoy time with your baby, maybe formula feeding is best for the both of you. I had to learn to swallow my pride and do what was best for Elliott, even if it meant supplementing formula when I could tell he was still hungry.

We return for what I hope will be our final weight check on Friday morning. I couldn't have made it to this point without giving up nursing, had it not been for my supportive family and friends. My mom has helped do laundry, run errends, stayed with E while I got some fresh air, and even spent the night rocking him so I could sleep between feedings. Gary has also helped tremendously, rocking and comforting Elliott when he's fussy so I can pump or have a break.

Being a Mom is hard work, but it's more rewarding than anything I've ever done. I've learned more about myself through this experience than I ever thought possible.

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2012-01-24T22:53:00.001-06:00

[1.] Elliott rooting for the Hogs during the Cotton Bowl.

[2.] "Push present" from my honey. [3.] Sweet hands.

[4.] Home in our own beds. [5.] Our tiny miracle.

[6.] Bright eyes. [7.] Newborn photo session. [8.] Rocking E to sleep.

[9.] My two boys.[10.] Mommy time. [11.] Lazy day in bed.

Gary's 28th Birthday.

2012-01-23T23:47:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrated Gary's 28th Birthday. We had a low key birthday party at home with family and a couple of close friends tonight. I was very pleased with the Razorback birthday cake I got from Community Bakery. Not only did it look good, it tasted pretty good too.

I'm so thankful for Gary. He is a wonderful husband and father, and it was a joy to celebrate his life with our loved ones and new baby boy tonight. Happy Birthday babe, I hope 28 will be a great year for you!

Phototherapy.

2012-01-22T00:43:00.001-06:00

We brought Elliott home from the hospital on Saturday January 7th... little did we know we would return less than 24 hours later. When we were discharged on the 7th, we were told that Elliott's bilirubin levels were borderline high, and that we should have them tested again in 24 hours to make sure they hadn't continued to rise. So Sunday morning we returned to the hospital to have his lab work done. We had to sit and watch as they struggled to draw blood from his tiny arm, and then wait 45 minutes for the results. When the doctor called to tell us that his levels had risen, I thought we would head to the nursery for a couple of hours of phototherapy and then be allowed to go home, so I was heartbroken when she informed me he would have to be readmitted and stay overnight.

Our first night home had been a hard night. Elliott cried most of the night, but refused to nurse. I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours since the night before we arrived to be induced. I was worried sick over the fact that Elliott hadn't nursed much since his first night, and therefore had not used the bathroom more than a couple of times. I had expressed my concerns to several of the nurses during our stay at the hospital, but they were dismissed and met with the reply that "lots of newborns are really sleepy the first couple of days of life, he'll wake up and nurse more in a day or two."

I mentioned my concerns to our nurse when we returned and checked in to our new room, and I was met with a similar response. Being a new, sleep deprived mom, worried about her baby, I broke down in tears when the nurse left the room. Amidst my hormonal break down, another nurse arrived to deliver Elliott's phototherapy light and took pity on me. After explaining my concerns to her, she returned with a breast pump and some formula. She explained that Elliott wasn't eating because his bilirubin levels had made him so weak and tired, and that in order to get his levels down we needed to get him to eat so he could pass the bili through his urine. I was to pump every two hours since he was too weak to nurse in order to get my milk to come in. Any colostrum I was able to collect, I could feed him through a syringe, along with 10-15 cc's of formula. I felt so relieved to finally know what was wrong with my baby and how I could help him.

So, for the next 24 hours Elliott laid under the phototherapy lights. He hated not being held, and cried most of the time. It broke my heart to have to just sit and listen to him. We removed him for 30 minutes every two hours to syringe feed him. Finally, after almost 8 hours he had his first wet diaper. His urine was dark orange from the bilirubin. After his first wet diaper he had several more through the night. We were relieved to know it was finally passing though his system so his levels could drop and he would feel better.

Monday morning I got to meet with a lactation consultant at the hospital. She helped me work with Elliott on trying to start nursing again. She gave me a nipple shield and placed a feeding tube in the shield, running some of my expressed colostrum though it using a syringe in order to entice him to latch. It worked! He began latching and nursing again, and by that afternoon, we were able to discontinue supplementing formula.

Elliott enjoying a break from phototherapy for some "skin to skin" time with Dad.

After 24 hours of phototherapy, they drew blood to check Elliott's levels again. We were thankful to hear that they had dropped from 18.5 to 14. Dr. Davis, Elliott's pediatrician, asked us to stay for 6 hours without using the lights so they could check his levels later and make sure they would not begin to rise again. At 7pm Monday evening they drew his blood one final time, and returned to tell us that his levels were now 13.5 and we could go home again.

I felt so much more confident leaving the hospital this time. My baby was nursing and using the bathroom again, and for that I was very grateful. We still had a long road ahead with nursing, but we were on the right track, and we were back in our home as a family of three.

Elliott's Birth Story.

2012-01-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

[Warning: This will be a very long post, but I want to remember all the details of this wonderful day.]

On January 5th, after a night of very little sleep, awaiting in anxious anticipation the birth of our first child, Gary and I arrived at Baptist Health Medical Clinic's Labor and Delivery wing at 5:30am. We were admitted quickly and taken to our delivery room, where I changed into my gown and the nurse attached two monitors to my belly: one to monitor Elliott's heartbeat, and one to monitor my contractions. By 5:45am the nurses were starting the IV through which Pitocin would be administered to start my labor. At 6:00am, Dr. Chang arrived to check my progress and break my water. I was still only 50% effaced and 1 centimeter dilated. When he broke my water, to my surprise there was no pain, just a warm gush and a nervous excitement that it was finally beginning. At 6:10am the nurse started my pitocin drip, and the waiting began.

After about 30 minutes I began to feel a slight cramping, but nothing more painful than the starting of my menstrual cycle. We watched Fresh Prince re-runs and my best friend, Laura, came to visit. By 9:20am I still wasn't feeling the contractions much, so Carrie, my nurse, turned up the pitocin drip. Within 30 minutes, my contractions had noticeably increased, so Gary called Carrie in to check my progress. I was now effaced 90% and dilated 2 centimeters.

After the check, my contractions continued to increase. I began to have a significant amount of back pain, so I had Gary put a heating pad on my lower back. When that didn't seem to be cutting it, I decided to sit on the side of the bed with my feet on the floor. This seemed to help relieve some of the pressure on my back and I was able to breathe through the contractions that were now lasting about a minute each and coming every two minutes. My mom arrived to sit with us, and she and Gary encouraged me and helped take my mind off of the pain.

Carrie returned to check my progress at 11:45am and I was 90% effaced and 4 centimeters dilated. After this check, my contractions increased in strength again and the pressure on my lower back returned. I tried changing positions: standing up, sitting on the side of the bed, bouncing on a yoga ball and lying down, but nothing seemed to relieve the pain and the pressure. I had wanted to try for a natural labor, but the strength of the contractions caused by a pitocin induced labor proved to be too much. 6 hours in with 6 centimeters to go I felt frustrated and exhausted from getting no rest the night before and having nothing to eat since midnight. At 12:30pm I requested an epidural, and Carrie started the fluids in my IV while we waited for the anesthesiologist to arrive.

At 1:15pm, after receiving one full bag of fluids, the anesthesiologist arrived with my epidural. Carrie checked me one more time and I was now 5 centimeters dilated. The fluids made me freezing cold, and the contractions were making it hard to sit still, but I leaned over the side of the bed and held on to Carrie as the anesthesiologist administered the epidural. Within just a few minutes I began to feel relief. They laid me back and and covered me with a heated blanket to warm me up. My entire left side began to feel heavy, but I could still feel the contractions on my right side, so they rolled me on my right side so the medicine could spread evenly, and within a few minutes I was completely numb. What a huge relief to be able to lay back and rest a while before it would be time to push! At 1:45pm Carrie decided to check me again before she left to help another patient, I was now at 6 centimeters and 90% effaced.

Shortly after Carrie left, she returned with another nurse who had been monitoring Elliott's heartbeat at the nurse's station. They were concerned because his heart rate had dropped from the 130 range to the 80s. They shifted me around from one side to the other until his heart rate slowly started to rise again. The nurse decided that the contractions may have been getting a little too strong for Elliott, so she turned off the pitocin drip and gave me some oxygen. I instantly began to worry that I made the wrong decision in getting the epidural, that maybe the pain medicine was what had caused his heart rate to drop. I was exhausted and my body wanted nothing more than to sleep, but every time I would start to drift off, I would wake up to look at the monitor and see what his heart rate was. It jumped around from 90 to 140, and I could not rest until I knew for sure he was safe.

At 3:30pm Carrie checked me again, and to my disappointment I was still only 6 centimeters dilated. She decided to turn the pitocin drip back on and see if my body would pick up the pace again. 30 minutes later, after beginning to feel some pressure, she checked me again. This time I was at 7 centimeters. She left and I continued to drift in and out of sleep, keeping my eye on Elliott's heart rate every few minutes.

At 5:00pm, Dr. Chang entered the delivery room. He said he had just finished working and wanted to check my progress. To my surprise, when he checked me I was full dilated and effaced and he told us it was time to push. My mom called the rest of the family to tell them we were getting close, then headed to the waiting room to await the arrival of her first grandchild.

Dr. Chang and a nurse (Carrie was busy helping another patient, so a new nurse stepped in to assist Dr. Chang) helped me put my legs in the stirrups and instructed me on how to push: they would tell me when I was having a contraction and then I was to take a deep breath, bear down for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times, then I could rest until the next contraction. The nurse held my left leg and Gary held my right leg while Dr. Chang felt my belly for the contractions and massaged my perineum to make it easier for Elliott's head to come through. After about 30 minutes of pushing Dr. Chang said he could see Elliott's head and that he had a head full of dark hair. This gave me the strength I needed to keep pushing even though I was exhausted.

We continued our pushing pattern for another 30 minutes. Gary was doing a great job of encouraging me to keep going even though I was feeling exhausted between pushes. Dr. Chang told us Elliott's head was a little too big for me and that between every push it was slipping back inside instead of coming out, and asked if he could use a vacuum to help pull Elliott out. At this point I was ready to try anything if it meant getting my baby here. He attached the vacuum to Elliott's head, and I began pushing again. After just a few pushes I could feel a lot of pressure, and Gary told me his head was out. A few more pushes and his whole body emerged at 6:00pm on the dot. The nurses and Dr. Chang both commented that he looked like a big baby, bigger than they had anticipated. He wasn't crying immediately, so Dr. Chang had Gary cut the cord and he handed him off to the nurses to have him suctioned. Gary started snapping pictures, and I laid there watching the nurses, amazed that he was finally here. After what seemed like an eternity, he started to cry and when I heard his voice for the first time I did too. They cleaned him off and put him on the scale. He weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 20 1/4 inches long.

The nurses came and laid him skin to skin on my chest. He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Gary leaned over and kissed me and told me what a good job I had done, and we both just stared at him in amazement. Dr. Chang finished delivering the placenta, and sewing up the episiotomy he had to preform, and then he and the nurses left the three of us alone to bond. The first few minutes we had as a family of three are some of the best minutes of my life. What a special time to have my husband by my side and my newborn baby healthy in my arms! Within the first 30 minutes, he was ready to eat. I was amazed by how he already knew what to do. I nursed him for a few minutes, and then Gary went to call the family back to meet him.

We had a steady stream of family and friends come to visit until about 9:00 when the nursery nurse came to get Elliott for his bath and my nurse came to move us to our postpartum room. Everyone commented on how much hair he had and what a pretty baby he was. He was very alert, looking around and taking everyone in.

That evening when the nurse brought him back to our room all cleaned up in the bassinet, we both just stared at him for at least an hour while he slept, so amazed that we had made something so perfect together, and thankful that God chose us to be his parents.

The first night was a sleepless one. Elliott woke me to eat every two hours, and nurses were in and out checking on both me and him. On Friday he was circumcised, and was sleepy most of the day, making it hard for me to get him to nurse until around 7pm. Several more friends and family stopped by to meet Elliott, and we all watched the Razorbacks win the Cotton Bowl from our hospital beds that evening.

On Saturday morning Elliott's pediatrician, Dr. Davis checked on him and gave him a good report, and the on-call OBGYN checked on me and gave me a good report. We were both discharged and told to come back in the morning so Elliott could have some more blood work done since his bilirubin levels were borderline when Dr. Davis saw him. I felt a little nervous about going home, because I hadn't been able to get Elliott to nurse much since the first night, but I was excited to be back in our home as a family of three.

We arrived at home Saturday afternoon and showed Elliott his new home, introducing him to his sisters, Maggie and Lola, who were very curious about what he was. The past two and a half days were days we will never forget, days that changed our family forever.

41 Weeks.

2012-01-14T22:32:00.001-06:00

[This post is a little overdue, but it's hard work being a new Mommy, and my time has been very limited the past week and a half. I do intend to post Elliott's birth story, but first I wanted to conclude my series of letters to Elliott.]

Elliott:

You are here! I induced on your due date at 5:30am, and after 12 hours of labor, you arrived at 6:00pm. You weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces, and measured 20 1/4 inches long. I cried when I saw you, amazed by how perfect you are. The moment they placed you on my chest is a moment I'll never forget. Your Daddy and I were both filled with love for you in that moment, it's love like we've never known before.

This first week has been rough. We brought you home on Saturday, and had to be readmitted on Sunday for 24 hours of phototherapy, because your bilirubin levels were too high. We had to watch them stick your little hand more times than I can count, I've struggled to learn how to breastfeed you, and we've gotten very little sleep, but I wouldn't change it for the world. You are home and healthy, and you have filled our home to the brim with love.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that you were growing inside of me for the past 40 weeks. What an amazing thing! We are praising God for your life, and looking forward to watching you grow outside the womb over the years.

So, welcome to the world little guy. We will be your biggest fans in life, encouraging you to be whatever you want to be.

We love you more than you will ever know,
Momma

40 Weeks

2012-01-04T22:42:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

We've reached the end of our pregnancy. Tomorrow is your due date. You weigh anywhere from 6 to 9 pounds, and measure anywhere from 19 to 22 inches. My guess is that you'll weigh in the 8 pound range and measure around 21 inches.

This week has probably been the slowest week of my pregnancy. I have been anxiously awaiting your arrival, and being off work has made the days seem long and slow. We went to see Dr. Chang on Tuesday, and I was hoping for some progress since last week. I walked 2 to 3 miles almost every day this week, hoping that would help. However, I was disappointed to find that we had made no new progress. That makes 2 weeks with no progress and no real noticeable contractions. Dr. Chang said he would give us one more week to go into labor naturally, but then he would have to induce. We decided we couldn't stand the thought of another long, slow week waiting and wondering when and if you were coming, especially since we weren't showing any signs of progress. So after much debate, we decided to induce on your due date (tomorrow) at 5:30am.

Since our appointment I have been a mess emotionally: wondering if we made the right decision to induce even though I wanted a natural labor, feeling excited to finally know when you will be here, feeling nervous about the labor and delivery, and overwhelmed by how much I love you. But, tonight I feel at peace about our decision. This time tomorrow we will have you in our arms, and that fills my heart with joy.

Today I spent my last day nesting like crazy, wiping down every surface and vacuuming every corner, then your Daddy took me on a dinner date to Loca Luna since it may be a while before we have the time to go out just the two of us after tonight. Our bags are packed and the car is loaded, now if I could only get some sleep...

Counting down the hours,
Momma

Our Top 11 for 2011.

2011-12-31T11:16:00.001-06:00

2011 has been a good year for us. We have so much to be thankful for this year! As I reflect on the past 12 months today, I wanted to make note of a few milestones in our lives and family this year.

1. Celebrating 4 years of marriage this past January at the Treehouse Cottages in Eureka Springs. We enjoyed a quiet weekend away, watching movies by the fire, cooking and eating in, enjoying the view from our treehouse, and getting a couples massage at the famous Crescent Hotel.

2. Taking our dream trip to Europe in April. We spent 2 weeks overseas, stopping in London, Paris, Florence, Venice and Rome. Seeing all the famous sights from the history books in person, was truly amazing.

3. Finding out we are expecting our first child! This definitely tops the list, it's been all we have thought about for the past 9 months in preparing for his arrival.

4. Finding out the gender of our baby- it's a boy, and seeing him via ultrasound. This was an experience I'll never forget, seeing our baby for the first time, moving and healthy. I have never felt love like this before, we haven't stopped dreaming of him since.

5. Adding on to our house. With our family growing, we decided we needed a little more room in our house for the new addition. This summer, we transformed our screened in porch to a sunroom/playroom for Elliott. (We've still been putting the finishing the touches on the room, so be looking for pics of the finished product in the near future.)

6. Celebrating 3 years of business for Katherine Grant Salon and Spa. Our business continues to be successful. We had a few changes in staff, but the Lord has been faithful to provide for us again this year. We currently have 5 stylists (including myself), 2 nail technicians, and 1 massage therapist. Our clients often compliment me on our team, and I'm thankful to know I'm leaving things in good hands while I'm out on maternity leave for the next 6 weeks.

7. Gary placed in the top 3 for sales at Jenkins Enterprises (out of 10 sales reps) for the second consecutive year. Less than 1% separated him from the #2 rep. I'm so proud of all he has accomplished at work this year!

8. Gary went on his first overseas business trip to Hong Kong this year. He was able to learn a different side to our family's business, meeting the people who manufacture the goods that he sells. He also got to experience a new culture, eating some interesting things, including the little guy he's holding in the photo below.

9. My parents bought and flipped a house on the lake in Hot Springs this year. We enjoyed spending several weekends relaxing with my family on the lake this summer, and we're looking forward to the memories we will all make there as a family in the years to come. Some of my best memories growing up include spending time with my family at my grandparent's lake house.

10. Spending a long weekend with the entire Grant side of the family in Nashville, TN. Each year, Gary's grandparents plan a trip/family reunion for the entire family to gather and catch up. We enjoyed spending time talking, eating, shopping and even line dancing with his family in Music City over the 4th of July weekend.

11. Our continued involvement and community at Epoch Church has been such a source of joy and encouragement in our lives this year. We have been encouraged weekly through the Sunday evening services, and small group sessions at Nathan and Natalie's home on Wednesday nights. The church wide fall retreat, and women's retreat were much needed get-aways for us to refocus on the Lord. The people in our community at Epoch threw us a wonderful shower for baby Elliott, and constantly encourage us to strive to be better people. We could not make it through life's daily struggles without this strong support system in our lives.

As 2011 draws to a close, we reflect on all we have to be thankful for this year, and look ahead to all that 2012 will hold for our growing family.

Just For Fun.

2011-12-29T20:27:00.000-06:00

...and to think, I thought I had a "bump" at 12 weeks!

39 Weeks.

2011-12-28T22:40:00.001-06:00

Elliott:

Well, we're still waiting for you to make your debut. This week you should be between 7 and 7.5 pounds, still about the size of a watermelon. We celebrated Christmas this week. Our last Christmas as a family of two. All anyone could talk about was how exciting next Christmas will be with you here. You'll be the center of attention, I'm sure.

We went to see D. Chang yesterday, and to my disappointment, we had made no progress. Looks like you are nice and cozy for now. He told us we could induce labor as early as tomorrow if we wanted, but your Daddy and I decided we want to wait and let you come when you're ready. Either way, Dr. Chang won't let you stay in there longer than 1 week past your due date (Jan. 5th), so in two weeks or less you will be here for sure.

My maternity leave started this week, and it's a good thing, because I've come down with a cold, and haven't felt like doing much. I've been trying to rest up, so I'll be all better when you arrive.

We hope to meet you soon,

Momma

Christmas 2011.

2011-12-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

We had a very busy, wonderful Christmas filled with lots of family time and good food. This year we got to see almost everyone on both the Grant and Jenkins sides of the family.

We made the rounds this week, enjoying our last Christmas as a family of two. Thursday evening we had dinner and games at my Grandmommy and Papa's house (my mom's parents) with my aunt, uncle and cousins. Friday we drove to Arkadelphia to see the Grant family, including Gary's parents, sister and brother-in-law, who drove in from Texas, his grandparents, and all of his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Christmas Eve was spent with my parents and siblings, eating a wonderful home cooked meal made by my Momma, and playing Catch Phrase.

Christmas morning, as is tradition, Gary and I woke up early to read the Christmas story and exchange gifts with each other, and let me just say, my husband is an awesome gift giver. I gave him very little to work with in way of a Christmas list this year, because all I could think about was getting through Christmas and getting to Elliott's birth day. However, he surprised me with new running shoes to train for my half marathon after baby, new Toms, and a hand stamped ring with Elliott's name on it. Love him.

After we finished exchanging our gifts, we went to my parent's house to exchange gifts and eat breakfast casserole (my favorite!) with my siblings and grandparents. This may be our last year to spend Christmas morning at my parent's house since Elliott will be here next year, so it was a special time for us.

Gary's parents, sister and brother-in-law, drove up from Arkadelphia to exchange gifts and spend the afternoon with us at our house. We enjoyed lounging on the couch, watching a heartbreaking loss for the Dallas Mavericks, and eating leftovers, before they headed back to Arkadelphia and then to Texas.

Our final stop was Christmas dinner at my grandparent's (on my Dad's side) house with my aunts, uncles, cousins and great grandmother.

Me [and E] with my brother and sister on Christmas Eve.

Me and Gary at my parent's house Christmas Eve.

My beautiful family.

Christmas morning at our house.

The boys in their new shirts from my sister.

The girls in our Christmas PJs Christmas morning at my parent's.

My Grandmommy and Papa Christmas morning.

My in-laws opening gifts at our house.

The Grant family at our house Christmas day.

We feel so blessed to have so much family to celebrate with each year. I'm thankful we were able to see and catch up with everyone but Gary's mom's side of the family, whom we got to spend Thanksgiving with in Texas. The gifts are wonderful, but the time with family and the memories made mean so much more this time of year. We're looking forward to having a little one toddling around this time next year.

The Order's Christmas Eve Party.

2011-12-26T00:32:00.000-06:00

On Christmas Eve, three of my oldest friends came over for a Christmas brunch. We call ourselves "The Order of the Four." We were inseparable in high school, but our adult lives have spread us all over the world. Meghan is still close by in North Little Rock, but Kristin lives in Delaware, and Lauren in South Korea. For the first time in a year and a half, we're all home at the same time. To celebrate, we ate brunch, exchanged gifts, and watched Elf.

Our time all together is limited, so I'm thankful we got to catch up, reminisce, and celebrate Christmas together. No matter where life takes us, we'll always share a special bond.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:56:00.001-06:00

38 Weeks.

2011-12-21T23:17:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

Your size hasn't changed much since last week, you weigh anywhere from 6.5 to 7 pounds now, maybe more. We went to see Dr. Chang this week, and to my surprise, we've made progress. I'm now 50% effaced and dilated 1 centimeter, meaning you could really decide to come any day now. We go back next Tuesday, unless you decide to come before then.

We've been distracting ourselves with Christmas, wrapping gifts, attending parties, shopping, and looking at Christmas lights. It's hard to believe you'll be joining us in no more than 2 weeks. Just to be safe, we packed our bags for the hospital. Now when you decide you are ready, we'll be ready to load up the car and head to labor and delivery.

This is my last week of work before my maternity leave starts. I'll be thankful to be off my feet for a while, because this week you have been making me very uncomfortable. I've had lots of lower back pain and pressure, making my usual 8 hour work days cutting, coloring and styling hair, feel like 18 hour work days. But, we're almost there, and I know you'll be worth all the aches and pains pregnancy has brought me, so much so that I'll forget all about them and go though this all again some day.

Come join us soon,
Momma

37 Weeks - Full Term!!

2011-12-14T21:25:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

We made it, you're now full term, meaning you can safely enter the world whenever you are ready. Your due date is still 3 weeks away, but we're hoping you decide you are ready before then, because we can hardly contain our excitement any longer!

You are measuring anywhere from 19 to 22 inches now and weighing around 6.5 pounds, about the size of a watermelon- wow! We went to see Dr. Chang again this week. Your heartbeat was sounding strong at around 140 BPM. My group B strep test from last week came back negative, meaning we won't need antibiotics when I'm in labor. There wasn't a whole lot of change since our last appointment, so still no sure signs that you'll be arriving early (although we have our fingers crossed).

This week I had some swelling after eating Mexican food. I've been trying to drink lots of water and lay down as much as possible to help it go down. I'm still working 5 days a week, standing for around 8 hours a day, making it hard to get too much rest, however, I only have 7 work days left until my maternity leave begins.

We feel so thankful to have made it to full term with you, and we feel a huge amount of relief knowing that if you were born tomorrow you would be ok. We're praying every night that your entry into the world will be safe and that you will be perfectly healthy.

We can't wait to hold you in our arms!
Momma

Life Lately According to My iPhone.

2011-12-12T21:47:00.000-06:00

(1.) The Lyle's going away party.

(2.) Epoch Church's women's Christmas brunch.

(3.) Snow in Little Rock! (4.) Some little someone's things are taking over our home.

(5.) Christmas time at Katherine Grant Salon. (6.) Visiting Brooke and Paisley.

(7.) Gary wins top 3 sales for 2011 at Jenkins Enterprises' Christmas party.

(8.) My 3 sleepy babies.

36 Weeks.

2011-12-07T23:20:00.001-06:00

Elliott:

You're less than a month from being here! This week you weigh around 6 pounds, and measure anywhere from 19 to 22 inches long, (still about the size of a large cantaloupe). I think you've dropped some, because I feel like I am breathing a little easier, and everyone has commented that you look lower this week.

We went to see Dr. Chang for our weekly appointment on Monday. I have not started dilating yet, but I have started to efface. He says we still have time to prepare for your arrival, but that he wouldn't be surprised if you come a little early. I can't wait to go back Monday and see if we've made any progress!

This week we got busy finishing all the last minute projects on our "to do list". Your Daddy put together your cradle, and swing. The swing is in the living room and the cradle is in our bedroom, where you'll sleep for the first few months. Tonight Nathan and Natalie helped us install your car seat and we learned how to attach the car seat to your stroller.

I've also been reading up on everything I can find about labor, delivery and breastfeeding to prepare for the big day. We put together a birth plan and reviewed it with Dr. Chang at our appointment this week, and I think we're all on the same page as far as how we would like your birthday to go.

This week I've been crazy hungry. Watching what I eat has gone out the window at this point. I did however sign up to run a half marathon in Nashville about 3 and half months after you're born. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your Daddy cheering for me on the sidelines.

Next week you'll officially be "full term" and safe to arrive. I'm so excited to meet you, but I'm trying to savor my last few weeks with you close and safe in my womb. I know I'm gonna miss feeling your sweet little kicks, rolls, and hiccups in my belly.

I love you sweet boy,
Momma

Elliott's Nursery.

2011-12-03T17:47:00.000-06:00

Elliott's nursery is finally complete! We had such a good time hand picking every piece, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

The view from the doorway.

His alphabet wall.

His bed, rocker, and "Lola" artwork.

His bedding, and the quilt Laura made for him.

His penguin, Gary already has named him Tripy.

Changing station and a closer look at the alphabet wall.

I can't keep from going and rocking in his rocking chair picturing him playing on the floor. It's been 9 months in the works, and now it's finally complete. The only thing missing is our sweet little boy!

35 Weeks.

2011-11-30T21:33:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

We're only 5 weeks away from meeting you! We went to see Dr. Chang this week and he says everything is looking good. You're still head down, and he thinks you will weigh somewhere in the 7 pound range at birth. Right now you could be up to 22 inches long and weigh around 5.5 pounds, the size of a large cantaloupe. We start going for check-ups once a week from here on out, which makes your arrival feel very close.

We went to visit your grandparents, aunt and uncle this week in Texas. While we were there they enjoyed watching and feeling you move around, and we discussed grandparent names for your grandma and grandpa, but nothing has been decided yet. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you. The Millender side of the family showered us with gifts for you at Thanksgiving. You're one lucky little boy already!

We went and picked out of Christmas tree this week, and the house is all ready for the holidays. My last few belly shots will have to share the wall with the tree. When I found out you were due early January, December seemed forever away. Now it is upon us, and we're all giddy with excitement!

Keeping growing strong,

Momma

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2011-11-30T00:25:00.000-06:00

(1.) Operation Christmas Child. (2.) Thanksgiving dinner.

(3.) Gary and Murphy. (4.) Grant family siblings.

(5.) Our fun tree. (6.) Peace. (7.) Big Santa.

(8.) Christmas tree shopping. (9.) Our real tree.

Thanksgiving 2011.

2011-11-28T19:30:00.000-06:00

We spent our Thanksgiving in Fort Worth, TX with Gary's family, as is our usual tradition. While we were there his family also had a baby shower for Elliott. We got more nice things, and I think aside from his carseat, Elliott is set! What a lucky little boy to have such sweet family.

While in Texas, we ate lots of good food, watched the Hogs heartbreaking game against LSU, and spent time catching up with family.

Elliott's shower in Texas.

Opening gifts for Elliott.

Gary's sister, Gina and her husband, Zach at Thanksgiving dinner.

Enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at Garys Aunt and Uncle's house in Allen, TX.

My mother and father-in law at Kincaid's Hamburgers.

We have so much to be thankful for this year! We're looking forward to cherishing our last holiday season as a family of two. The next time we travel to Texas we'll be bringing an extra family member!

Elliott's Maternity Photos.

2011-11-27T11:28:00.000-06:00

Recently we had our friend Grant take some maternity photos for us to show Elliott some day. Grant normally shoots weddings and engagements, but agreed to do this for us, and I think he did a wonderful job. Just wanted to share a few with you, you can see the rest on my facebook.

34 Weeks.

2011-11-23T09:37:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

I can tell you've done some growing, because this week you have discovered my ribs. I'm getting lots of little painful jabs now. This week you weight about 4.9 pounds, measuring around 19 to 22 inches long, the size of a pineapple!

We're leaving today to go see your grandparents in Texas for Thanksgiving. I can't help but wonder what our lives will look like next Thanksgiving as a family of 3. By then you may be almost walking and talking. You're not even here yet and I already want to slow down how fast (I know) you are going to grow up!

I went ahead and started pulling out our Christmas decorations, since I figure it will take me a little longer to put it all up this year. I'm glad to have the holidays as a distraction at the end of my pregnancy. I hope they make the next 6 weeks fly by!

So thankful for you,
Momma

Elliott's Park Hill Shower.

2011-11-17T22:36:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, some of the women who go to the church where I grew up, threw me a shower. Once again we were overwhelmed by our friends and family's generosity! Elliott is set for the first few months of his life. We got diapers, wipes, clothes, books, toys, blankets, bibs, our baby monitor, a high chair, and more!

I was especially excited that Gary's grandmother and two of his aunts were able to make the trip from Arkadelphia and Bentonville for the shower. Thanks to Shirley and Meemaw, Elliott now has his own OBU gear, since we all know he will be a future Ouachita Tiger.

Here are a few photos from the shower. We are so blessed to have each of these women in our lives!

The beautiful hostesses!

Baby Paisley got to come celebrate too!

Me with Gary's grandmother and aunts.

33 Weeks.

2011-11-16T21:37:00.001-06:00

Elliott:

You're growing like crazy these days, and so am I! This week you are about the size of a honeydew, weighing about 4.5 pounds and measuring in at around 19 inches long.

We had a busy week this week. We attended our final two classes: childbirth and newborn care. In our childbirth class we learned what things to expect when I go in to labor, how to cope with the pain, and got a tour of the labor and delivery wing of the hospital where you'll be born. In newborn care we learned, how to change your diapers, bathe you, care for your cord stump, soothe you when you're upset, etc. I think we're now as prepared as we can be for your arrival, the rest will just have to come naturally.

We also had another baby shower, thrown by several women that go to church with your Pia. We got so many nice things! Your nursery is now complete and we've washed and organized all your new things. Aside from getting your car seat and installing it in our car, we are ready for your arrival in case you decide to come early.

On Monday we took some maternity pictures with our friend, Grant. I can't wait to see them! I thought it would be a special keepsake for you to have when you are older.

We're checking things off the list and looking forward to enjoying the holidays with our family. This will be our last holiday season as a family of two!

We love you,
Momma

Stepping Up for Ouachita 2011.

2011-11-13T08:58:00.000-06:00

Thursday was the 2nd annual Stepping Up for Ouachita women's luncheon and style show to raise money for women's scholarships at OBU. I was honored to get to serve on the planning committee both last year and this year. Also our salon has volunteered to style the girl's hair for the style show both years.

This year the event was held on campus in Arkdelphia to celebrate OBU's 125th anniversary. Laura and I got an early start Thursday morning, arriving at 8am to style hair and apply make-up to the 9 models. After we had all the girls ready, we enjoyed the luncheon at our table with Amy, Gary's grandmother, Betty Jo Grant, her friend, Mary McBeth, Gary's aunt, Shirley Hardin, my mom, and her friend, Suzanne Sims. The food was wonderful and there was a packed house. I'm looking forward to hearing how much money was raised for young women to come to school at OBU.

After the lunch, we got to visit with my brother who is a sophomore at OBU this year. Ouachita holds such a special place in my family's hearts. I was thankful to be a part of giving back so that other girls can have the opportunity to experience what I did at OBU.

32 Weeks.

2011-11-09T23:54:00.000-06:00

Elliott:

You're about to hit a growth spurt, packing on around a half a pound a week in cute little baby fat. This week you weigh around 3.9 pounds and measure around 19 inches, still about the size of a head of lettuce.

This week we had our first baby showers. All of our friends and family are so excited to meet you, and they showered us with all kinds of gifts. You have so many cute little things waiting for you in your room now. We are overwhelmed with how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people in our lives who already love you so much. I can't wait to use all the things we got when you arrive.

After the showers I spent a lot of time "nesting" in your room. I put everything away and washed all your clothes and bottles. I think I may have over done it a little, because my lower back has been really sore, and I've spent every night this week on the heating pad. I've also been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions at the end of the work day. Dr. Chang says this is just my body's way of practicing for labor in 8 short weeks!

Loving you more all the time,
Momma

Elliott's Shower at Aunt Jessica's.

2011-11-07T15:11:00.000-06:00

On Sunday my sister and a few of my friends hosted another shower for Elliott. This shower was family and my friends that don't go to Epoch with us. Once again, I was so impressed with the cute decor and all the yummy snacks the girls prepared. They even prepared a canvas for everyone to help paint, so now Elliott has an awesome piece of art for his room. The canvas had a tree with "Gary & Kat" carved into the trunk painted on a blue background, then the guests used orange paint on their fists to add "baby footprints" on the branches as leaves. It turned out so cute, and the colors match his nursery perfectly.

Me with the wonderful hostesses!

Me with my mom, sister, grandma and cousin.

Once again, we got SO many nice things, and I plan to post some of them later, because they are just too cute not to show off! I've spent my day off organizing all of his new things in his room, and I'm so overwhelmed by how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and family who already love Elliott so much. His room is filled with gifts, and we still have one more shower to go!

Epoch Church Shower for Elliott.

2011-11-06T23:41:00.001-06:00

This weekend we had our first baby showers for Elliott, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The one on Saturday was thrown by some of my friends from church at Laura and Caleb Gunnels' house. (I'll share about the one on Sunday in a separate post.) These girls are so crafty, all the little details they thought of made this shower so much fun!

The awesome cake!

Candy Bar.

Front door.

Pumpkin cupcakes.

cookies.

Each guest filled out one of these sweet cards for Elliott.

Me with all of the wonderful hostesses!

Tate came in town from TX for the shower!

Love the mustache straws!

We got so many cute things from all our friends at the shower. I'll have to make a separate post to show off all the loot Elliott got. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful community in Epoch Church!

31 Weeks.

2011-11-02T21:50:00.000-05:00

Elliott:

Hey there sweet boy! We are down to single digits on the countdown now. Only 9 weeks to go! This week you are the size of a head of lettuce, weighing 3.2 pounds and measuring around 18 inches long.

Our visit with doctor Chang last Thursday went well. You were measuring right on track, your heart rate was 146 BPM, and I found out I passed my glucose test at the last appointment. We start going every 2 weeks now to check on you, which will make these last 2 months fly by for me.

This week you have been especially active, rolling around a lot. I'm hoping you are staying head down though, because you are running out of room fast. I've decided you are gonna be a little night owl, because that's when you're most active.

This week we have our first baby showers. I can hardly wait to see all of the little things you are going to get from our friends and family. I'm looking forward to organizing all of your things in your room over the next few weeks. We finally finished and hung your alphabet wall in your nursery, all that's missing now is a few finishing touches, and of course you!

So excited to meet you I can hardly stand it,
Momma

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:07:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a fun Halloween. We spent our evening on the couch, eating chili, catching up on our DVR, and handing out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters. We did dress up for a couple of Halloween parties this weekend though. I thought I'd share a few pictures of our costumes:

My skeleton family.

Me with Lucile Ball.

Witches Brew 2011

Our friends Justin and Bekah as Garth and Kat from SNL.

Our skeleton costumes were inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest. I had Laura draw out our skeletons on freezer paper, then I cut it out to create a stencil, ironed the stencil on the shirts and pants, painted the stencil on with fabric paint, then removed the freezer paper. Ta da! A cute little skeleton family. I liked mine so much, I wore it again tonight while handing out candy.

Happy Halloween, friends!

30 Weeks.

2011-10-26T19:54:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

We've made it to 30 weeks! Now we only have 10 weeks (or less) to go. You are 17 inches long, weighing about 3.1 pounds, making you the size of a butternut squash. I'm really starting to feel pregnant this week. My feet have started swelling a little, I get acid reflux after I eat, and the first trimester fatigue has returned. My belly feels heavy and it's hard to roll over and lift myself out of bed. But, the end is in sight! I just keep reminding myself how good it will feel to have you in my arms.

Tonight your Daddy returned from 12 nights in Hong Kong for work. I'm so glad to have him home! He couldn't believe how much you had grown in just a week and a half. The first thing he did when he saw me was bend down and talk to my belly (I think he missed us both too).

Tomorrow we go visit Dr. Chang. I'm looking forward to finding out if you are measuring big, because I feel like you are. Maybe he'll even move your due date up (fingers crossed). Either way, we'll get to hear your heartbeat, which is always exciting.

We love you more than you can imagine,
Momma

29 Weeks.

2011-10-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

Elliott:

I'm starting to feel how much you have grown the past 7 months. My back is aching when I sit still for too long, my lungs feel like they have been pushed into my throat, and I can no longer bend over and touch my toes. You have reached the size of a small cabbage, weighing 2.9 pounds and measuring about 17 inches long. That sounds really tiny, but it sure feels big to me!

This week your Daddy and I attended a breastfeeding class at the hospital. Now I feel more confident that I will be able to provide you with the food and important antibodies you'll need when you are born. I'm glad we signed up for these classes. I'm learning so many things I never knew about how to best take care of you when we bring you home from the hospital.

This week you've had the hiccups a lot. I still love to feel you move, it makes me wonder what you look like in there. Your Daddy thinks you'll look like me since I look so much like your grandma, but I think you'll be a perfect blend of us both. We decided not to have a 3D ultrasound, so I guess it will be a total surprise.

Only 11 weeks until we see your sweet face!
Momma

life lately, according to my iPhone.

2011-10-16T21:30:00.000-05:00

1.) Infant CPR class 2.) Visiting Miss Paisley

3.) Morning on the White River for Epoch Church's women's retreat

4.) White River 5.) Dying scarves with the women of Epoch

6.) Scarves laying out to dry 7.) Handmade coffee filter wreath

28 Weeks.

2011-10-12T22:35:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

You're now weighing in at about 2 and a half pounds and measuring 16 inches from head to toe, about the size of a head of cauliflower. By this week you have learned to blink, cough and suck. But most importantly, you are learning to breathe. This means if you decide to come early, from here on out, you would have a pretty good prognosis since your lungs have reached maturity for the most part. However, we want you to keep baking for a couple more months.

This week your friend Paisley Hayes was born. We know the two of you will be great friends since you'll only be about 3 months apart. Your Daddy and I have already gone to visit Paisley twice, and every time we hold her, it makes us more excited about your arrival.

To better prepare for when you arrive, last night we took an infant CPR class at the hospital. Hopefully we'll never need to use it, but now we both feel more confident that if you were choking or unconscious, we could help you until medical help arrived.

We've started receiving lots of sweet gifts from friends and family. This week your Grandma and Grandpa Grant sent us a cradle, cradle pad and blanket. We'll keep this cradle in our room for you to sleep in the first couple of months. Also, Laura finished sewing your quilt, and it looks perfect with your bedding.

We're checking things off the list, now all we need is you!

-Momma

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2011-10-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

1.) Family walk by the lake 2.) Lakeside scenery 3.) Pumpkin picking

4.) Fall-ready front porch 5.) Thankful table 6.) Girls night at ZaZa's

[*Not pictured was a visit to OBU for Tiger Tunes, where we saw my brother,

enjoyed the show, and reminisced our college years.]

Paisley's Arrival.

2011-10-09T18:32:00.000-05:00

Late last night we got a call from Brooke saying her water had broken and they were heading to the hospital. I was so excited I could hardly sleep. This morning at about ten, Gary and I headed to the hospital to await Paisley's arrival. We got to go back and see Brooke for about an hour when we arrived, she was being such a trooper. At about 10:50 the nurse came in and said it was time for her to push, so we all headed out to the waiting room. She and Jonathan had a whole crew of family members waiting to welcome Paisley.

About 2 hours later Jonathan came out with a camera so we could all see pictures of their sweet baby girl. She weighed 7 pounds, 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. We were all relieved to hear that both mom and baby were perfectly healthy.

After a quick lunch at the hospital's cafeteria, Gary and I got to go back and see the proud parents and meet Miss Paisley. She was perfect, awake and alert and making the sweetest little sounds! We both got to hold her, and we were in awe of what a beautiful baby girl she is.

What a lucky little girl Paisley is to have Brooke and Jonathan as her parents. I'm so thankful they allowed us to be a part of this special day in their lives.

Belly Buddies.

2011-10-06T21:46:00.001-05:00

Tonight we had one final pre-baby double date with Brooke and Jonathan at Gadwall's. We decided to get a few belly shots together for Paisley and Elliott to see some day. Little Paisley should be arriving any day now, and we can't wait to meet her.

27 Weeks.

2011-10-05T22:27:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

We've reached the third and final trimester of our pregnancy! This week you are measuring about 15 inches from head to toe, and weighing around 2.2 pounds (about the length of a large cucumber). You've doubled in weight from 4 weeks ago. My uterus has swelled to the size of a basketball to accommodate your growth.

We went to see Dr. Chang yesterday. At this appointment I had blood work done to test my glucose tolerance for gestational diabetes. I had to drink a sugary drink one hour before going to my appointment, then they took a blood sample when I arrived. I don't know the results yet, so I'm hoping we passed.

I also received a rhogam shot. This is a shot I had to have since I have a negative blood type and your Daddy has a positive blood type. The shot will protect me if our blood crosses during delivery and your blood is positive like your Dad's.

Since I'd already had two needles in one appointment, I figured I might as well make it three, and get my flu shot too. Now we'll both be protected from the flu this winter.

Your heart rate was measuring around 150 bpm at this appointment. Dr. Change felt my belly and said it feels like you are already in the head down position, so we're praying you stay that way since before too long you won't have much room to change positions.

We go back in 3 weeks to check on you again. We feel so blessed that you are healthy and strong. I hope this last trimester is as good as the first two have been. It won't be long until we have you in our arms!

I love you,
Momma

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2011-10-01T23:50:00.002-05:00

(1.) Supporting Razorback football.

(2.) Visiting family in Texas.

(3.) In-N-Out Burger in Texas.

(4.) Spoiled pup. (5.) New art @ the salon.

(6.) My growing boy.

26 Weeks.

2011-09-28T19:37:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

You are now about 9.2 inches long from crown to rump, weighing in at around 2 pounds (still about the size of an eggplant)! This marks the start of the last week of the second trimester. It's hard to believe next week we start our final trimester, time is flying.

This week we got a lot done. We made a trip to Texas to visit your Great Grandma Millender, your Grandparents, and your Aunt Gina and Uncle Zach. Everyone was excited to see how much you had grown. While we were there we also finished up our nursery shopping at Ikea. Sunday evening we spent several hours putting together furniture for your room and our new sunroom/office/playroom. On Monday your rocking chair and bedding arrived. Both were exactly what I had hoped they would be, and now your room really looks like a nursery. I've enjoyed rocking in the rocking chair, holding a pillow about the size of a newborn baby, pretending you're here.

It won't be much longer now. Keep growing,
Momma

25 Weeks.

2011-09-21T23:40:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

Only 15 more weeks until we welcome you to the world. This week you are about 9 inches long from crown to rump, weighing around 1.7 pounds, about the size of an eggplant. You had the hiccups for the first time this week. We went to see Lion King with some friends, and during the movie I felt a consistent little thud for about 10 minutes. You also got to listen to music for the first time this week. We decided to put headphones on my belly and play you some tunes. You started moving all over the place. I hope you were liking it, and not squirming because you were scared. Either way, at least we know you can hear!

We are continuing to check things off of the "to do list" here at home. We want everything to be perfect when we bring you home (I guess you could say I'm "nesting"). I've been collecting letters for an alphabet wall in your room. This week I did lots of painting and covering letters. Only 6 to go until it's complete.

I'm still feeling good. My organs are beginning to feel a little cramped, but overall this has been a pleasant pregnancy. I hope the last 3 months are as good as the first 6 have been.

Counting down the days,
Momma

24 Weeks

2011-09-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

We had a busy week this week. Your Daddy got your crib put together and it's now in your room awaiting your arrival. We still need to order your bedding, but it's starting to look more like a nursery. I also went to buy fabric this week for the quilt Laura is going to make for your room. It's going to be gray and white to match the bedding I have picked out, and it will have an orange binding to tie in with the orange rocker we have on order. I can't wait to see the finished product!

We also went to Babies R Us to begin registering for all the things we will need when you arrive. It was a little overwhelming seeing how many things a baby needs, but it was also exciting thinking about using all the things we registered for with you when you arrive.

You're growing faster every week. You now weigh about a pound and a half and measure about 8.5 inches from crown to rump, making you about the size of an ear of corn. I'm still feeling pretty good and sleeping pretty good. I'm trying to stay active, walking 3 miles a day several times a week with your grandma, and attending the aqua moms water aerobics class twice a week with some friends at Baptist Hospital.

I registered us for several classes offered through the hospital so we'll be more prepared when you get here. I'm also reading several books about breastfeeding, labor and delivery, and how to help get you in a routine when you arrive. Between all the preparations and the holidays, you'll be here before we know it, so I want to be prepared.

We love you more than you can imagine,
Momma

My favorite Ouachita Faculty Member.

2011-09-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

My Alma Mater is Ouachita Baptist University, and if you know me very well, you know that OBU holds a very special place in my heart. This year marks OBU's 125th anniversary. In honor of this milestone, they asked students and alumni to blog about OBU each Tuesday during the month of September. I missed last Tuesday, but this Tuesday's topic is to share your "favorite Ouachita faculty/staff member" with the OBU blogging community.

Gary and I both agree that Dr. Bill Downs was our favorite OBU professor. We both had Dr. Downs for multiple Mass Communications classes. Not only is Dr. Downs an exceptional teacher, full of wisdom, he also has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. We always looked forward to any Dr. Downs class, because you would never be bored in his class. I often recorded the funny things he would say to students in class, and I wish I could find them and share them with you all on here. He treated each student as his equal, and talked to them honestly, like he would a friend.

When Gary and I got married in January of 2007, the weather was icy, so many people traveling from Arkadelphia to Little Rock weren't able to attend the celebration. Dr. Downs made a point to track down my Dad's cell number the day of our wedding, and call to apologize that he and his wife wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding. The next week when we returned from our honeymoon, we had a gift waiting from the Downs'. His wife had made us a set of monogramed towels. How many people can say that one of their college professors sent monogramed towels hand made by his wife to them as a wedding gift?

When I think back on my time at OBU, I think of all the days I spent in Dr. Downs' classroom, and smile. He has since retired, and I hate that my younger brother, who is a student at OBU, won't get the pleasure of having Dr. Downs as a professor.

So, thank you Dr. downs for being a wonderful teacher, and friend. OBU isn't the same without you.

I'm so thankful for my time at Ouachita, the friends I made, and the education I received. Here's to another 125 years!

Life lately, according to my iPhone.

2011-09-13T22:18:00.003-05:00

Selling Jenkins Enterprises Razorback gear at the Little Rock Hog game.

Elliott's first Razorback game!

Registering for baby boy.

Gary loving the scanner.

Maggie enjoying the finished sunroom pre furniture.

TV night.

Sweet puppy dog eyes.

23 Weeks

2011-09-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

We're less than four months from your due date, and this week marks the beginning of a growth spurt for you. In the next four weeks you should double in size! Right now you are around 8 inches from crown to rump and you weigh about 1.2 pounds, about the size of a papaya.

I've started feeling a little uncomfortable this week. My belly feels like it is stretched to its capacity every time I eat a meal. Sometimes I feel like I need to catch my breath when I'm just sitting still, because my organs are being squished. It's hard to imagine my belly getting bigger, but I know we still have a ways to grow.

We went for our check up with Dr. Chang this week. Your Daddy has come with me to every appointment so far. We both love getting to go hear your heart beat. This time your heart rate was 144 bpm. My weight gain had picked up significantly at this appointment, but Dr. Chang says we're still on track for my height.

We still talk about you all the time. We can't wait to see who you will look like and what your personality will be. We love you so very much and we can't wait to meet you.

-Momma

Labor Day Weekend.

2011-09-05T23:40:00.002-05:00

We spent Labor Day weekend at the lake with family. Gary's parents were in Arkadelphia visiting his grandparents this weekend, and they were able to stop by the lake to spend an afternoon with us. Our time was filled with eating lots of good food, shopping, watching the Razorbacks play (and win) their first game of the season, sleeping in, catching up on some reading, boating, playing cards, and watching movies.

I hope your 3 day weekend was as relaxing as ours. Here's to heading back to work tomorrow.

22 Weeks.

2011-08-31T21:35:00.001-05:00

Elliott:

You've finally broken the 1 pound mark (but I broke that mark in my pregnancy weight gain months ago)! This week you're 8 inches long from crown to rump and you weight about 1 pound, making you about the size of a spaghetti squash (whatever that is). Your sense of touch is developing this week, meaning you may be holding on to the only thing in the womb with you, your umbilical cord. You can also see light and dark now.

You still like to move a lot in the evenings. I can even see my belly twitch when you kick or jab. There's nothing better after a long day at work than to lay down in bed and feel you move.

Your crib was delivered this week. We haven't opened it yet, but we're hoping to get it put together soon. I'm anxious to start seeing your room come together in the next couple of weeks. We're keeping it simple; the walls are gray and all the furniture is white. I wanted to go for a modern look, something that can grow with you.

We go back to see Dr. Chang on Tuesday. We're looking forward to hearing your heart beat and seeing how much weight I gained in the past month. Even though it's hard to see the number on the scale rise each month, I couldn't imagine a better cause.

We love you so very much,
Momma

Our Weekend According to my iPhone.

2011-08-29T20:05:00.000-05:00

Vintage VW Bug.

Lunch at Freddy's in Branson, MO.

Amy and Justin at Freddy's.

Shotgun Weddin' photo shoot.

Who's the baby daddy?

Sake bombs for Kirt's birthday.

Play day with 3/4 of "The Order".

21 Weeks.

2011-08-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

Elliott:

It's crazy how fast my belly has started growing the past couple of weeks! This week you are about the size of a banana, about 7 inches long from crown to rump and weighing about 11 ounces. I'm feeling pretty good these days. I have my energy back, and you're not quite big enough to be giving me back trouble yet. I'm trying to enjoy this time in the pregnancy, using my energy to accomplish as much as possible. We are having our screened-in-porch turned into a sunroom so we'll have more room to spread out when you arrive. I picture it being your play room some day, filled with your little toys. We also ordered your crib this week. It was a gift from Pia and Stev. We can't wait for it to come in so we can see it in your room.

I'm feeling you move more and more. I love it, it is such a comforting feeling knowing you are with me where ever I go. I'm looking forward to you growing even stronger over the next few weeks. Every time I feel you, I fall a little more in love.

Thinking of you always,
Momma

Life Lately According to My iPhone.

2011-08-22T22:29:00.001-05:00

Morning coffee on the porch at the lake.

Enjoying my parent's lake house on Lake Hamilton.

Reading "The Help" in this cozy nook.

Brunch at Granny's Kitchen in Hot Springs.

Gary in the "Spa-Zebo".

Fresh color.

Sleeping in on a rainy day.

Family time.

Screened-in-porch turned sunroom... almost.

20 Weeks.

2011-08-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

My sweet Elliott:

I've reached the half way point in my pregnancy this week! Only 20 more weeks until I'll have you in my arms. You now weigh about 10 ounces and are about 6 and a half inches from crown to rump, making you the size of a small cantaloupe.

Most of my clothes no longer fit, so I had to do some shopping this week. I can tell you are growing by the strength of your kicking. You are now kicking hard enough to be felt from the outside of my belly. Your Daddy got to feel you kick for the first time this week. When he felt you for the first time he jerked his hand away and looked at me in amazement asking "was that him?" Since then he has felt you several times, and your Pia (grandma) got to feel you kick this morning. There is nothing I love more right now than to feel you moving around inside me.

We have such wonderful friends who have been pampering me throughout my pregnancy. Laura made me a goodie bag to celebrate the half way point in my pregnancy, and Meghan baked me homemade cookies this week. You are going to be spoiled rotten when you arrive.

We feel so thankful to have made it this far in our pregnancy. I'm looking forward to the excitement of the next four and a half months.

Keep cooking, we love you!
-Momma

Brooke and Paisley's Shower.

2011-08-15T21:16:00.001-05:00

This weekend I helped host a shower for my friend Brooke. She is due in October with her first little girl, Paisley. Since Paisley and Elliott will only be about 3 months apart, we've already decided they will be the best of friends, maybe even fall in love some day. The shower was a success, she got lots of goodies for Miss Paisley.

Showing off our babies.

The hostesses with Brooke.

Opening gifts.

Paisley's gift from us... I wish I could say I made them myself, but alas, I did not.

We can't wait to meet Paisley in October. I know she will be a beautiful person inside and out just like her momma.

19 Weeks.

2011-08-10T21:47:00.000-05:00

Elliott:

My oh my you have grown this week! I feel like my belly doubled in size in one week's time. You're now about 6 inches from crown to rump and you weigh about a half a pound, the size of a large mango. Your cartilage is turning to bone now, and I can feel you kick more each day.

We went to see Dr. Chang on Monday. I was afraid to get on the scale after seeing how much my belly grew in one week, but to my surprise I had only gained two pounds since last month's appointment. He listened to your heart beat again. This time your heart rate was 149bpm. I had lots of questions for him, but he was patient and answered every one.

Your Daddy came home from Las Vegas this week. He missed us both very much. He brought me some new PJ's and you some new clothes and bibs.

He also painted your room this weekend. We decided on a light gray. Now that the room is painted and your light fixture is hung, we keep going in and imagining you in there with all your little stuff.

We love you so very much. We talk to you everyday and wonder what you will look like and who you will grow up to be. The next 21 weeks can't go by fast enough!

Keep growing strong,
Momma

18 Weeks.

2011-08-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

Elliott,

You are no longer "Jellybean," you have a name: Elliott Knight Grant. Your first name means "Jehovah is my God," and that is our prayer for you, that one day you will call Jehovah your God. Your middle name was the maiden name of your great great grandmother, and the middle name of your great grandpa Sowle.

Your growing faster every week. This week you are the size of a sweet potato (about 5 and a half inches long from crown to rump, weighing about 5 ounces). My belly is looking more pregnant every week, and rightly so since my uterus has grown to the size of a cantaloupe!

Your Daddy spent this week in Las Vegas working, so I was on my own for taking a belly picture. I used a tripod to take the picture, but without his help, Lola insisted on posing with me. We just know you are going to love Lola. I am already picturing you two being big buddies one day.

You have started giving me a little back pain, so I had to buy a huge pregnancy pillow to help me sleep at night. When your Dad gets home there won't be much room left for him between me, the pillow and Maggie in our queen sized bed.

In less than a week we go see Dr. Chang to check on you. I can't wait to tell him you are a boy and to hear your heartbeat again. I don't think that sound will ever get old.

Counting down to January,
Momma

17 Weeks.

2011-07-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

Jellybean:

You don't look much like a jellybean anymore. We went to our ultrasound appointment on Monday and saw you for the first time since I was 7 weeks pregnant. What a change! You have a head, arms, legs, tiny feet and tiny hands... in fact you now have everything you're gonna need out here, you just need to grow. You were moving everywhere, kicking, and even rolling over.

You're about the size of a turnip now. She measured you and you are 5 inches long from crown to rump and your legs are 2 inches long, making you a total of 7 inches when you're stretched out straight. We also found out what kind of jellybean you are... a blue one! We were right, you're a boy. We still haven't decided on the perfect name for you, so you'll have to be our little jellybean for a little while longer.

I was so excited when she told us you were a boy. After our appointment your Grandma and I went shopping. We already bought you several little outfits. I can't wait to have you here and see you in them.

Since my last letter to you, I've felt you move again. In fact, you're quite the wiggle worm, I've felt your little pokes and prods at least once a day. I can't wait to feel you move more frequently.

We were busy this week, cleaning out the house and having a garage sale with Brooke and Jonathan. We got rid of lots of things, and made a little money to help buy furniture for your room. It's empty now, ready to be painted when your Daddy gets home from Las Vegas.

We talk about you all the time. I had no idea I could love someone I've never met so much!

Anxiously awaiting your arrival,
Momma

It's a BOY!

2011-07-25T22:08:00.001-05:00

Today we went for our gender ultrasound at Baby Views. It didn't take long to find that our little "Jellybean" is a boy. I've gotta admit, I was a little relieved. I had my mind made up that he was a boy, and I think it would have taken some time to readjust my mindset had it have been a little girl. During the ultrasound, she went through all of his body parts. He looked perfectly healthy, and we're so very thankful. He was moving all over the place, until the end of the ultrasound when he curled up on his belly and went to sleep.

The proud parents - we both wore blue unintentionally.
I didn't even see Gary before he left the house.

Sweet little profile.

No doubt about it, it's a boy!

My mom went with us to the ultrasound, so afterwards we went to shop for little boy things. These are two of my favorites. I can't wait to see how cute he looks in them!

We're thanking God for our little blessing tonight, and looking forward to all the joy he will bring this family over the years.

16 Weeks.

2011-07-20T23:02:00.001-05:00

Little Jellybean:

I feel like you and I both grew a lot since last week. You're the size of an avocado now, measuring 4 to 5 inches and weighing anywhere from 3 to 5 ounces. Your ears are in place now, meaning you can probably hear my voice all day long.

This week I think I may have felt you move for the first time. I was laying on the couch watching a movie with your Daddy when I felt something strange. I grabbed his arm and told him to pause the movie and tried to focus and see if I could feel it again. A few seconds later, it felt like someone thumped me from inside. It only happened once, and I would have to be laying very still to notice it again, but I'm pretty sure it was a tiny kick from you. I can't wait to feel you more!

This week your Daddy went to donate blood so we could find out his blood type. When he told them about you, they gave him a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal to give you when you arrive. It turns out he has a positive blood type, meaning I need to get a shot since I'm a negative blood type in case you are a positive like him. He had a good experience donating, so he plans to go again soon.

Only a few more days until we go for our ultrasound to find out if you're a boy or a girl. We're counting down the hours, we can hardly wait to see how much you've grown.

Keep baking (and wiggle around some more for me, please),
Momma

15 Weeks.

2011-07-13T21:55:00.001-05:00

My Jellybean,

This week you are around four and a half inches long, about the size of a large navel orange. My clothes are getting tighter, so I know you're growing. People are even beginning to notice my belly growing.

On Monday we went to see Dr. Chang for our monthly appointment. He found your heartbeat easily. It was beating around 150 bpm this time. Your Daddy and I both agreed it sounded louder and stronger than last month. Dr. Chang also approved our request to have an earlier ultrasound at Baby Views on the 25th. That means in less than two weeks we'll know if you are a little boy or a little girl. Now that it's getting closer, I'm starting to second guess my instinct that you're a boy. Either way, we absolutely can't wait to know for sure, so we can start planning for your arrival.

I'm feeling much better now that we're well into the second trimester. I think I'm even getting some of my energy back. I'm looking forward to enjoying this trimester of my pregnancy, taking advantage of the extra energy to clean out the junk we don't need in order to set up a perfect little space for you.

We love you,
Momma

2011 Grant Get-Away.

2011-07-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

[I'm playing catch up a little bit here]

The weekend of the Fourth, Gary and I drove to Nashville, TN to spend the weekend with the Grant side of the family at their annual "Grant Get-Away".

The weekend included: a walk around Vanderbilt's campus, seeing the Andy Warhol art exhibit, shopping, eating too much, watching the Casey Anthony trial for hours at a time, buying a new pair of cowboy (or should I say cowgirl) boots, and a night out playing shuffleboard and line dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon.

I'm impressed with his family's ability to gather most every family member once a year for a trip spent together. It's a great time to catch up with family members who live all across the country at least once a year.

Gary and I with his immediate family and grandparents.

Boot shopping.

Wildhorse Saloon with Gary's cousin, Jon, and his wife, Katie.

4th of July 2011

14 Weeks.

2011-07-06T22:19:00.001-05:00

Jellybean:

This week you have reached the size of a lemon, weighing about 1.5oz. You are doing a lot of moving around by now, but you're still too small for me to feel you. I can't wait to feel you fluttering around for the first time.

You're also starting to get some hair. I think you'll be born with a head full of hair, because you give me crazy heartburn! I'm feeling better, but being pregnant and working on my feet all day has me napping on the couch by 8pm most nights.

My belly is continuing to grow, and the scale confirms for me each morning that I am in fact pregnant. Sometimes it still seems to be sinking in... I think it will feel more real when when my bump is so large I need maternity clothes and I can actually feel you dancing in my tummy.

We go visit Dr. Chang in less than a week. We're hoping and praying he gives us the go ahead to have our early ultrasound to determine your gender in 2 and a half weeks. We are anxious to start calling you by name.

We're reading up on all things pregnancy so we'll know what to expect in the coming months. Sometimes it's scary, but mostly it's exciting.

Keep growing strong in there,
Momma

13 Weeks.

2011-06-29T23:40:00.000-05:00

Sweet Jellybean,

You are growing so fast! This week you're the size of a peach, that's about 3 inches long. I'm still wearing most of my normal clothes, but they are feeling a little snug these days, and I even had to use a Bella Band with one pair of pants this week. I've been feeling pretty good, but I'm still feeling worn out, and this week I've had a few headaches.

You keep me hungry all the time. I haven't had any strange cravings yet, but you like anything salty: cheese, nuts, tuna salad, and any kind of Mexican food.

This week I went to my first "Aqua Moms" class at Baptist Hospital. It's basically a water aerobics class for pregnant women. I think I'm going to really enjoy going twice a week until you get here. Maybe in a couple of years I'll be taking water classes with you.

We're so excited about your arrival, we've already started planning what we need for your room. This week your Daddy put together your dresser. Every time we walk past the room and see the dresser we think about how we'll be changing your diapers on it in about 6 months.

We're counting down the days until our next doctor's appointment on July 11th. I need to hear the sound of your heart beating again, so I can sleep a little better at night.

Keep growing strong.

We love you,
Momma

Kitchen Before and After.

2011-06-27T22:37:00.001-05:00

Since pregnancy has had me spending all of my free time sleeping the past 3 months, I need to play catch up, posting some of what we've been up to since April.

One of the more exciting things was having our kitchen remodeled. Our house was built in the 60s, and had not been updated much before we bought it in September of 2006. Before we moved in we had the hardwoods refinished, the kitchen tiled, new doors and light fixtures installed, wallpaper torn down and every wall repainted. These updates made a world of difference, but the master bath and the kitchen were still in need of some work. In the summer of 2009 we had the bathroom remodeled, so the only missing piece has been our kitchen counter tops.

Not anymore! We replaced the old green counter tops for black granite and a new back splash. We decided to use a granite tile instead of splurging on a large piece of granite. We got an updated look for less than half the price. We were very pleased with how it turned out. Now our house feels complete!

12 Weeks.

2011-06-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

My dearest Jellybean,

This week marks 12 weeks since you began setting up house in my belly. Your bodily structures are already fully formed. You are about the size of a large plum, measuring about 2.5 inches long. Last week we heard your heart beat for the first time, I think mine skipped a beat. We are so happy to know that you are doing well. Your Daddy prays for you every night before we go to bed. I'm not showing much yet, but I have put on a few pounds already. I'm looking forward to having a "baby bump" here in a few weeks.

We have all been guessing if you will be a boy or a girl. Most people think you are a boy, although we don't mind either way. This week I took a silly test I bought at Walgreens that claims to predict gender. The test also thinks you are a boy, but we'll have to wait until July 25th to know for sure.

Continue growing and making yourself at home, we'll be here anxiously awaiting your arrival.

Love,
Mom

The First Trimester.

2011-06-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

Gary and I are thrilled to be welcoming a new addition to our family this January. We came home from our European vacation wondering if we might have a "bun in the oven". On Easter Sunday, 4 days before my missed period, I couldn't take the suspense anymore, so we went and bought a First Response Pregnancy Test (the kind that gives you two pink lines if you're pregnant). We came home and I immediately took the test. We waited, and a few minutes later we had one dark pink line, and one very faint, almost not even there pink line. My instant reaction was that it was a positive. I've taken similar tests before when I've had a late period, and never seen a faint second line. Gary however, wanted to protect us both in case it was a fluke, and refused to believe it was a positive result. We went to bed confused, and I didn't sleep much that night.

The next day I was off work. My mind was going crazy wondering if I had a little one growing inside me. When I couldn't take it anymore, I ran to Walgreens and splurged on a digital test (no confusion with a "pregnant" or "not pregnant" result). I came home and immediately took the test. It seemed like the little hourglass remained on the screen for hours, but finally a word appeared that would change our life forever. Gary was at work, so I text him this picture:

He called me as soon as he saw the picture, thrilled to be an expectant father. But now came the hard part, the wait. It would be 4 weeks before I could get in to see the doctor and confirm that everything was going well with our little "jellybean".

We decided not to tell anyone our news until we had been to the doctor. This was one of the hardest things I've ever done. While we anxiously awaited, we took 3 more pregnancy tests to ease our minds, all of which were positive. Every time I saw that second pink line appear, I felt excited all over again.

On May 23rd we went for our first appointment with Dr. Chang. I gave blood for blood work, a urine sample, weighed in, had my blood pressure taken, answered a series of questions, and had a pap smear. Finally after all that was over he said "let's take a look at your baby." I was excited and nervous at the same time. He turned on the machine, squirted the goo on my belly, and put the device on my stomach. Instantly, a large black circle appeared with a small white oval in it. He informed me that the little oval was our baby. He zoomed in and measured it from crown to rump. It showed to be 7 weeks and 4 days in age, which was exactly what we had estimated. He zoomed in closer and we could see a tiny flicker. That flicker, he said, is the baby's heart beating. I couldn't believe it. It was all so tiny, yet it already had a heart that was hard at work, so amazing.

As, you can imagine, we left the doctor's office thrilled to know our jellybean was alive and well. That evening we finally told our parents and siblings the good news. Gary's parents, sister, and brother-in-law are in the DFW area, so we told them via face time, by holding up the ultrasound. They were confused at first, but once they realized what we were telling them, they were screaming with excitement. My parents, brother, and sister all watched the video you saw on here, thinking we were just showing them the footage from our trip. When it got to the end, my mom cried, dad fist bumped Gary, and my siblings were in shock. It felt so good to finally share our excitement with our families. Over the next few weeks we shared the good news with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and a few close friends. Every time we shared our news with someone new we were met with excitement, love and encouragement.

On June 13th we went back to see Dr. Chang for our second appointment. This time our "little bit" was 10 weeks and 4 days. This appointment was much shorter. Dr. Chang informed us that all the tests from our last appointment came back good. My blood type is O negative, which apparently is a little more rare, so Gary needs to find out his blood type in the next few weeks, because if it is a positive type (which it likely is), the baby could be a positive blood type, so I'll need to get shot at 27 weeks to protect me in case our blood was to cross during labor and delivery.

We didn't get to see our jellybean again, but we did get to hear its heart beat. It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard, beating away at 160 bpm.

The following morning I decided to share the good news with my co-workers at the salon with these petit fours:

They were all in shock, but also very excited. Kate has been trying to help me come up with names everyday while we work. That evening we went public posting our video on Facebook and here. We have received many sweet comments from friends, encouraging us in our journey. We feel very blessed.

The first trimester is coming to a close this week. It has been an exciting time for us, filled with a lot of firsts. I have spent most of the past 3 months on the couch when I'm not at work. They aren't kidding when they say growing a baby wears you out! I have never been so exhausted. I never had the morning sickness that has many hugging the toilet the first 3 months, but I did feel very nauseous if I didn't eat something every 2 or 3 hours. The worst part for me has been the bloating and indigestion. But all in all, I can't complain, I have a healthy baby developing inside me and that makes it worth all the symptoms pregnancy can throw at me.

Surprise!

2011-06-14T22:45:00.001-05:00

So I've been a bad blogger as of late, but I have a good excuse...

Paris.

2011-05-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

[I'm still planning on posting a summary of each place we visited on our recent vacation, but I'm moving kind of slow lately, so it may take me all summer to post the entire trip.]

The third stop on our world tour was Paris. We left London at 5:25am on a high speed train. The train ride only took about two and a half hours, most of which was spent in a tunnel, the "Chunnel" to be exact.

I took French in High School, but when we stepped off the train in France not much came to me as I scanned the signs. After about an hour and a half of wandering from booth to booth asking questions and not getting many answers, we had stored our bags and found 3 day passes for the metro.

Stereotype number one: French people smell bad. This is not true of all French people, but our first ride on the metro proved that it's not exactly a false stereotype either...

Our first stop was Sainte Chapelle. The chapel's 1,134 stained glass windows were flooded with sunlight. We stood in awe and took it all in before deciding we were hungry for brunch.

Stereotype number two: the French are rude. We thought this may ring true after our experience trying to get brunch a mere 2.5 hours after arriving in France.

We walked in a cafe near Notre Dame and were told to find a seat. After sitting down our waiter came and took our drink orders. He promptly returned with our drinks and the check. We tried to explain to him that we wanted food as well. He then rudely replied that his shift was over, and he was leaving, so we needed to pay now. I asked if another server would return to take our order and he said they would. So, I opened my wallet and gave him my credit card, to which he again, with attitude, responded he could not accept. As I opened my wallet to get cash he saw the Pounds I had left from London and yelled "not pounds, Euros!" Flustered I began to dig for the envelope of Euros in my purse while he stormed off impatient, returning with a credit card machine! We paid, he left, and we waited... and waited... no second server. Frustrated, we left hungry and headed for Notre Dame, fearing that France would be a place we regretted visiting.

However, the worst was past us. The French were actually very kind people, you just can't allow a few bad apples to ruin the whole bunch.

Notre Dame was beautiful. We admired the detail of the exterior, walked though the inside of the cathedral, and climbed the bell tower for a spectacular view of Paris and our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower! Following our tour of Notre Dame we finally got some food at another cafe, where we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and much better service.

After lunch, we enjoyed the Musee d'Orsay art museum. We saw many famous paintings, including Whistler's Mother, Monet's Blue Waterlilies, and Van Gogh's self-portrait. We were so worn out from getting up so early and walking so much that we only saw the first level before deciding to get our luggage and find our hotel.

Our hotel was not in the usual tourist area, but an area where many Parisians lived. It was nice to get away from the busy tourist areas and see how the people really live. Our hotel was very nice, and our room even had a Mona Lisa theme.

Speaking of Mona Lisa, day two began with a visit to the Louvre Museum. Some of our favorites from the Denon wing included: the Winged Victory, Venus De Milo, and of course the Mona Lisa.

After we had our fill of art, we grabbed our first crepe at a nearby cafe. YUM! I want to learn to make them and have them every morning for breakfast!

Our next stop was the Arc de Triomphe and the Champ-Elyesee, where we mostly window shopped, saving our energy and money for our evening plans; dinner in the Eiffel Tower.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was the highlight of Paris for me. We saw it by day, then took the elevator up to the first level, where we had a window seat at Restaurant 58. The food was the best we had in all of Europe. I had veal, and Gary had fish. Once we were stuffed, we walked off some of the calories, climbing the stairs to the second level, where we watched the sun set over Paris. Finally, we took one last elevator ride to the tippy top for a view of Paris by night, "The City of Lights!" We made it to the bottom just in time to watch the tower flash for the last time that evening. What a night!

Our last day in Paris was spent at the Palace of Versailles. I had no idea how huge this place really was! We started in the gardens. They kept going and going, filled with every kind of flower you can imagine and a large canal built by the king to resemble Venice. Once we gave up on seeing every inch of the gardens, we headed to Marie Antoinette's estate, where we saw her small mansion and her hamlet- a small village of houses and a farm built so she could feel like she was living a simple, common life.

By the time we finished her estate, we didn't even have time to run through the castle. We had to take the hour trip back to Paris on the RER to catch our overnight train to Italy. But, we weren't too upset. It was a warm day and we were both sunburned and tired, and ready to sit down for a while. We made it to the train station in time to say goodbye to Paris and settle in to our cabin on the train... Italy bound!

Baby Shower for Nathan, Natalie and Baby Girl James.

2011-05-10T22:32:00.001-05:00

The hostesses with Natalie.

Saturday evening our church had a baby shower for one of our pastors and his wife who are having a baby girl next month. (The baby doesn't have a name yet, so we all refer to her as "baby girl" for now.) This is the first baby in our church, so everyone is really excited. We grilled burgers and hot dogs and watched them open lots of cute little girl gear.

I got to help host the shower along with several other women from our church at Grant and Kim Harrison's home. Several of the girls helping are really creative, so the shower was super cute. I thought I would post a few pictures for anyone who might be looking for baby shower ideas. Enjoy!

Mother's Day.

2011-05-09T17:27:00.001-05:00

Me and my mom in 2008 on the strip in Las Vegas.

Yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day with my family at our house. I cooked a family favorite: roast, potatoes, carrots and rice smothered in gravy! In attendance: Gary, Dad, John Allen (my brother), Jessica (my sister), Trevor (my cousin), and of course Mom.

I'm so blessed to have a mother like mine. She taught me everything I know, she always encourages me to be anything I want to be, she loves me unconditionally, she listens to me vent then offers wise advice, and she showed me how to be a lady who loves and serves her family. She is not just my mother, she is one of my closest friends, the one I know will be in my corner no matter what. I hope that some day I can be half the mom she was for us.

London.

2011-05-06T19:34:00.001-05:00

My huge backpack that kept me in shape while we were in Europe!

The second (and favorite) stop on our trip was London! Our London experience got off to a rough start when our flight from NYC was delayed 4 hours, changing our arrival time to 1am. Our late arrival meant the train from the airport in to town had stopped running, forcing us to take a cab. This wouldn't have been a big deal except the cab fare from Heathrow to our hotel at 1am cost us $130! It still makes me cringe. Despite the rough start, London was amazing, everything I had hoped it would be and more.

We stayed at the very cute, Jesmond Dene Hotel near King's Cross Station. Our hotel room was the tiniest hotel room I've ever stayed in, but the service and the daily traditional English breakfast made up for the size.

On day one we visited the British Museum where we saw items from all over the world, including the Rosetta Stone and Cleopatra's mummy. In the afternoon we took the Original London Sightseeing Bus around the city hopping off and on at Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and St. Paul's cathedral. It was so much fun seeing all the places I have seen a hundred times in books and movies in person for the first time.

Buckingham Palace

The city was very clean and the people were friendly. But, we were most impressed with London's public transportation, "the tube" (or subway). The tube goes all over the city, and was impressively clean. Coming from New York, we found the tube much easier to navigate and we felt safe even late at night.

The food in London was also a high point for us. Our first dinner was at Porter's, a pub where we enjoyed fish & chips and shepherd's pie. Gary also tried some of their local beer. For lunch we enjoyed several different cafes. Our only gripe would be the lack of ice in our drinks. We quickly learned ice in Europe is hard to come by.

On our second day we visited the Tower of London. Having read "The Other Boleyn Girl", I was particularly excited to see the place where Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded. The tower also houses all of the crown jewels. I was surprised to see how many different crowns they had, including the coronation crown worn by every past King or Queen at their coronation ceremony.

Our afternoon on the second day was spent shopping. I most enjoyed the European fashion at Top Shop and Primark, even picking up a few items for myself. And you can't go to London without a trip to Harrods. I have never seen a department store quite like this one. It even puts the Macy's in New York to shame. Best of all they have a tea room on the top floor, where we partook in afternoon tea!

Dinner our second night was at the Bleeding Heart's Tavern restaurant. It was very quiet and romantic. Restaurants in Europe have a different idea of service than restaurants in the US. Instead of checking on you every few minutes and asking if you are ready for your check, they bring you your food, and let you sit and relax until you ask for the check. When you come to a restaurant in Europe, your table is yours for as long as you would like.

Day three started with an audio guided tour of Westminster Abby. We saw the stage where every king and queen of England were coronated, Princess Diana's funeral took place, and where Will and Kate would stand and say their vows just two weeks later. Westminster houses the tombs of around 3,000 people, including Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scotts, Issac Newton and Charles Darwin. I had no idea the cathedrals in Europe were also burial grounds.

We couldn't resist taking a ride on the London Eye, where we got some beautiful views of the city.

Our final stop in London was the Prince Edward Theater where we saw the London cast of Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I can't say enough good things about this show! The story is interesting and the music is amazing. We were singing the songs the whole trip.

London still had so much more to offer, we did a ton and still only scraped the surface. I guess that means we'll need to make a return trip some day...

New York City.

2011-05-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

New York City was the first stop on our vacation last month. We spent two nights in The Big Apple to break up our flight overseas. While we were there we met up with Gary's childhood friend, Stanton, and his wife Erin. Stanton and Erin are both in theater and live in Queens. Our first night in town, they took us to a "speakeasy" in West Village. The building was just a white brick building, covered with graffiti. It had a door and no windows. From the outside it looked like an abandoned business, but when Stanton led us inside and downstairs, a hip bar packed with people emerged.

On our second day Gary and I enjoyed some sightseeing around the city. We took a cruise around the island of Manhattan, visited the New York Public Library, ate lunch at Grand Central Station, rode an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, and strolled through Central Park.

On our last night in town Stanton and Erin invited us to their apartment for dinner. They cooked an amazing vegetarian chili and we talked about Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins".

Life in the city is much different than life in Little Rock. We loved seeing how Stanton and Erin live. It's so interesting how every place you go is so unique. We hope to have the opportunity to go back to NYC some day and enjoy more pizza, shopping, and maybe a Broadway show.

Discover Austin.

2011-05-02T22:31:00.002-05:00

This weekend I enjoyed a trip to Austin, TX for a hair show with Kate and Laura. This was my first time in the capital city, and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed shopping at the local boutiques and vintage shops... maybe a little too much. We also enjoyed stuffing ourselves at every meal. One of our favorite stops was a cupcake truck on South Congress called "Hey Cupcake".

In the midst of all the shopping and eating, we did manage to make a little time for work. We enjoyed several classes at the Redken and Pureology stage. I feel rejuvenated and ready to play with some hair tomorrow.

10 years from now when someone asks me where I was when I heard Osama Bin Laden was dead, I'll remember hearing the news in a hotel room in Austin, TX with Kate and Laura.

Mountains Beyond Mountains.

2011-04-30T00:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday after work we made the drive down I-40 to Memphis for the Arcade Fire concert at the Orpheum. Laura and Caleb rode down with us, and we met several other friends from Epoch at the show. They were amazing! The lead singer's wife was too cute...she had the best style, played every instrument under the sun, and twirled around like a ballerina. We got home late, but it was worth the sleep deprivation at work today.

I'm back!

2011-04-25T22:33:00.001-05:00

Lent ended yesterday with the celebration of Easter, so I'm now officially allowed back on social media. Fasting from this blog, facebook, twitter, etc. gave me a chance to realize how much time I was wasting on the computer and my iPhone. I was able to spend more time with the Lord, my family, and even go to bed earlier. I enjoyed my time away, but I can't say I didn't miss knowing what everyone has been up to in the blogging world.

Lots happened while I was out. We went on our Europe trip, I read some good books, and we had our kitchen remodeled. I plan on breaking down each stop on our trip for those who are interested, but first I'll fill you in on what's happened most recently: spending Easter Sunday with our family and surviving a tornado.

Gary's parents came to visit this weekend. We enjoyed catching up with them and sharing the photos from our travels. They are great about showing a genuine interest in what we are doing, asking questions and listening.

Sunday we enjoyed the traditional Easter lunch at my grandparents' house after church with all the Jenkins family. (We've had lunch at my grandparents' on Easter for as long as I can remember.) After lunch the family photo shoot commences! This year was especially fun, as we all seemed to enjoy some sillier shots than what we've done in years past. Here are a few of my favorites:

We are truly blessed to have such wonderful families on both the Grant and Jenkins side!

Tonight Arkansas experienced more bad weather in the form of thunder storms and tornado's. We spent a good hour hiding out in our bathtub this evening while the storm raged and tornado sirens whaled outside.

The storm has calmed down now, and we are safe, but the forecast is calling for more bad weather tomorrow. I sure hope the May flowers are worth all this!