Sneak Peak..

This past Friday Paige and her two cousins had their pictures taken for Christmas presents and some were posted oh facebook yesterday.  So here is a sneak peak...I cant wait to get the CD in the mail to see the rest.

I just loved these and had to share with you guys!

Shots, Shots, Shots

Today is the day that Paige I have been dreading for a long time...2 month shots (even though she is almost 11 weeks old)!  I have heard horror stories from other mama's and of course my sister (for those who don't know she had a stem cell transplant and has to have all of her baby shots again).  So I have been preparing myself for a very upset baby.

We get to her appointment and she has no idea what to expect...look how happy she is...

Yes she has a paci but you can see she is happy!  We hung out and got all her measurements.  She weighs 11 pounds 14 ounces and is 23 inches long.  Her head is 15 3/4!  She is a growing girl...all of her measurements are between 60-68th percentile!

Finally it was time for her shots.  Miss Paige did great! I think it helped that she was so sleepy too!  She took one by mouth then two in her legs.  The first one she cried a tiny bit and then screamed for the second.  But she stopped crying before the shot was even over with.  Her doctor said babies usually cry longer but Paige was passed out in no time!  I will take crying for 15 seconds for shots any day!

We left the doctors and she is still passed out...I hate to move her out of her car seat because she looks so peaceful!

Well this Mama is glad her shots are over for a while!  Now to enjoy some Miss Paige time!!

Struggling Working Mom

 

One of my favorite blogs to read daily is Becky from Mrs. to Mama and I saw that she was starting a new link up called Women Connect '12.  I have met a few people from blogs and actually met one in person and really enjoyed it.  I would love to connect with more women that have some of the same things going on in their lives.  I am a brand new mama to a sweet baby girl.  Becky wants us to write about something real to us, possibly something we are struggling with.  Since I am a new mom I should be able to think of a lot right?  The first thing that came to mind was being a stay at home mom.

All of my life when you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up..I always wanted to be a Mama.  I never really dreamed about a career..yes I went to college and got a degree but I really think it was because it was what was expected and of course to have fun right??  I knew deep down that I was meant to be a Mama...and a very involved one at that.  Don't get me wrong, I know very involved mom's who have a career but that isn't what I wanted.  I want to be that "soccer mom" carrying around everyone's kids to places!  

Wes and I have always talked about me staying at home when we had kids, he knows that's what I want and he wants that too.  I always said we could just sacrifice a lot to be able to stay at home.  Well, life isn't working out the way we planned.  We have a perfect baby and I have to work!  We just cant afford me not working right now and I hate it so much.  I have been back to work for two weeks now and still find myself crying at random times thinking about leaving my baby girl, even if we are lucky enough to have a relative stay with her at our house for a while....it isn't me!  Wes says I have separation anxiety like our dog Gracie!  He just doesn't understand I guess!

What makes it even worse is that everyone I know that just had a baby is able to stay at home.  (my cousin,Wes's cousin, my bff, my sister's bff, and so many others) Don't get me wrong..I am very happy for them but it kills me to know they are able to do it and not me.  I hate to be a jealous person..but I am when it comes to that.  I know they get to watch their babies grow every second..I mean what if Paige rolled over the first time and I have to hear about it from someone else??? (and yes tears are rolling down my face as I type this..ugh emotional!)

Wes keeps saying once we get a few more things paid off then I will be able to stay at home.  I know we could have waited another year or two to have a baby and things could have been different..but what if they weren't?  What if I waited until the truck and other things were paid off and then had a baby..who's to say we would be able to do things differently?  I knew we were ready to have a baby when we did...I mean it happened so quickly..the timing must have been right!

Everyone keeps telling me it will get easier with time..and maybe they are right.  But do I really want it to be easier?  Then I would feel guilty that I am not upset about not spending my time with her??  See one of my problems is that I over think everything..especially when it comes to my babygirl!

Hopefully by the time we have our second child a few years down the road, I will be able to stay home with both of them!  That is mine and Wes's goal..so hopefully the economy will not go into another recession!  Wes is a contractor so he got hit pretty hard and set us back a little bit.  His business is back in full swing now and once they start finishing all of these houses they are working on we should start getting some more things paid off!

So I guess the reason for writing on this subject is trying to find others struggling with not being the one to keep your babies during the day...I know I am still raising her but I feel like I am missing out on so much (even if she is still sleeping so much during the day).  How do you cope with this?  What do you do to help you get through your workday without being upset or worrying about her all day?? 

What a weekend!

I look forward to Thanksgiving "Break" every year.  I love Thanksgiving and getting together with family, football, no work, and decorating for Christmas.  This year was no different...well add a baby to the mix!

Wednesday night (seems like forever ago), Wes Paige and I went to his friends house in Edgefield for a Thanksgiving dinner.  It was nice to meet all of the people I have heard about for so long.  We had a bon fire and just relaxed at the cabin..I love the fall!  (have to back track a little bit...Jodi came over for lunch that day and I got to spend my lunch break with these two...  


Thursday Paige and I hung around the house cooking squash casserole (my contribution at my Memas lunch) while Wes headed over to his mom's to deep fry some turkeys.  Once Paige and I were fed, bathed and finished cooking, we went to meet Wes.  His sister and her boys were here for the weekend so were able to have a lot of cousin time.

After the turkeys were fried we packed up and went to my Mema's.  This was the first Thanksgiving in a few years that everyone was there!  It was great to see my cousins and for everyone to meet Paige!  Of course Paige's feeding time happened to be the same time we ate so BB (my mom) volunteered to feed her while we ate...I don't think BB minded the alone time with Miss Paige.  We hung out at Mema's for a little while and then went back to Tommie's.  Emily and her crew had to go to her in laws that afternoon and Wes went hunting so Paige and I just hung out with Mimi, Gerri and Gene.  What a great Thanksgiving Day!


Can I tell you what one of the best Thanksgiving events was??? Little Miss Paige slept ALL NIGHT LONG!! Did Mama?? No of course not..I woke up wondering why Paige didn't wake up!  Paige slept from 10pm to 6am!  Then she ate and napped from 630-9!  We almost had to wake her at 9am because Emily and I were taking her and the boys for a photo shoot at my parents house for Christmas presents.  We had cute outfits and cute kids...too bad everyone didn't cooperate! haha  A little difficult with a 5 year old, 18 month old and 2 month old!  But I think they will be perfect and I cant wait to see them...a childhood friend took them for us..you should check out her facebook page or her blog!

After pictures we just hung out at Mimi's house and then went out to dinner with all the Bowling's and Crawford's.  Saturday was another big day!  Paige and I hung out all morning before taking her to Mimi's for the afternoon so her Daddy and I could go to Clemson.  I hated the outcome of the game but we had a great time and enjoyed the day!  Wes goes to one game a year and since he likes the other school (Gamecocks) he chose to go to this game.  I saw some friends and family and enjoyed the great atmosphere!!  I really really hate that we lost the game...I want bragging rights again!!! :)

One of my favorite cousins, Sterling! Too bad he is a Gamecock!

My Julie G!!

My cousin Robin, my Dad and Sam...Dad is one of a kind!!

We ended the weekend yesterday just hanging out at the house.  Wes drug out all of my Christmas decorations and I finished most of it (no tree yet).  Wes decided to go hunting last night and Paige and I enjoyed the house to ourselves.  We were having a lazy PJ day...

Yes..more pictures!

Since I am not finished decorating I will not share those pictures yet!  I absolutely love this time of year! I wish I had money to buy presents...the only downfall to maternity leave!!

What about Thanksgiving?!?!

So don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite time of year and I cant wait to decorate my house and get ready for the holidays...but what about Thanksgiving??  Doesn't it seem that Christmas comes earlier and earlier each year.  My hometown has been decorated for like two weeks now.  They have already had Santa come and had the big lighting of the tree.  Too early? I think so!  Why not wait until Thanksgiving is over to enjoy?

I love Thanksgiving and really look forward to spending the day with our families without all the commerical build up!  But each year it is getting harder and harder to do that because all that is on people's minds is Christmas and of course this...

I have only been shopping on Black Friday one time and I can honestly say that if I never go again I would be fine with that!  I like shopping but I don't mind paying a little bit extra to avoid annoying people and long lines.  I love cyber Monday :)  I always feel bad for the people who work in stores that open so early in the morning..I have to wonder if they were able to celebrate Thanksgiving??

That is even more the case this year.  I hear shops are opening with their big sales at 8pm on THANKSGIVING!!  Um..how is that considered Black Friday sales??  Shouldn't you have to wait until Friday?  I still don't get why the awful hours for the sales.  Why not open at like 6 am or something?  You would still get the die hard shoppers and those who are against it will still be against it!  

Again..I feel bad for the employees.  I was told this morning that some Target employees are trying to protest the hours..can you blame them? Let everyone have their Thanksgiving lunch/dinners with their family and then get some sleep and THEN go to work for the madness.  

I know that America really could care less about how I feel about this day but I just had to vent!  I am personally boycotting Black Friday...or is it Black Thursday?  I was going to when I thought it didn't start until midnight but now hearing that it starts at 8pm..you defiantly will not see me shopping!  My Thanksgiving meals/celebrations will be over by then...but Thanksgiving Day will still be going on...Christmas can start when I wake up the day after Thanksgiving :)

So if you plan on shopping on Thursday and Friday..hope you have fun doing this :)

 

WILW

I'm Loving... that I finally started Christmas shopping yesterday.  I am usually almost finished if not finished with everything by Thanksgiving but having a baby during my shopping season really slowed that up!  I think I will do most of my shopping online this year.  I have several gifts saved in shopping carts online until my next pay check but I bought one of Wes's yesterday! Yay me!

So Mom's of little ones...do you buy much for your baby?  Mine will be 3 months old and has everything we need.  I am thinking of getting one of two things and that's it.  

I'm Loving... it is almost time to go pick out our Christmas tree!! Wes and I load up the 4wheeler and head to our farm in Edgefield.  We go on a hunt for the perfect cedar tree.  I love that tradition and its free! haha.  I am hoping to find a tiny tree to put in Miss Paige's room this year too.  Can not believe it is already this time of year!! So exciting!

I'm Loving... that Mom and Jodi just got back from Jodi's check up in Houston.  Her doctors told her that she was perfect...you know how excellent that is??  We are so lucky that the transplant worked out so well and Jodi is doing great!!! 

I'm Loving... how true this is:

 

I'm Loving...  football this year.  Even though I have only made it to a couple games this year..my team is doing great (even with a not so great defense!).  We only have two more games and next week's game is HUGE.  We play USC and it is time for us to win.  Clemson has gone too long without a W against our rivals...its our turn!  Needless to say, Death Valley will be loud and electric next weekend!!

I'm Loving... that Thanksgiving is next week!!!  That is so hard to believe.  I love Thanksgiving and getting together with all your family!  Ours starts on Wednesday night this year...we are going to the Careys in Edgefield for dinner.  Thursday Lunch we will be at my Memas with my aunts, uncles and cousins and will have the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Thursday night we go to Wes's mom's house and Wes and Levi will cook Low Country Boil...Yum!  Hopefully sometime during the holiday Wes will also be able to cook a huge pot of hash.  Cant wait!! 

I'm Loving... my little family! I am truly blessed to have met Wesley and have our sweet Miss Paige!! 

2 MONTHS!!

 
Miss Paige,
I don't know why you didn't listen to me when I asked you to slow down and not grow up so fast!  You are already 2 months old!! When I think back to being in the hospital with you that seems like forever ago but then it doesn't feel like you have been in our lives that long either...very strange. 

You haven't had your 2 month doctors appointment yet..you haven't been there since you were 3 weeks old.  Your appointment is the week after Thanksgiving.  Since you don't go until then, your Daddy and I weighed you ourselves.  You weighed 10 pounds 12 ounces!  You gained 2 pounds this month!  Not sure your length but about a week ago you were right at 22 inches so I assume you are still 22. I just can not get over how big you are getting!!  You can still wear some newborn clothes like onsies and dresses but if the newborn clothes has pants or are footed..your long legs don't fit!  You are mostly in 0-3 month clothes and some 3 months clothes.  You are still in size 1 diapers also...we still have a lot of that size left too.  I love not having to buy diapers :)

You are still a great sleeper.  You still sleep a lot during the day.  You wake up around 8 in the morning to eat and are pretty alert for about 30 minutes then you take a couple hour nap.  You take about 3 or 4 long naps during the day still.  If you are awake more than 45 minutes you typically are not a happy baby because you want to go back to sleep.  Your last nap of the day is usually around 730 or 8 and wake up around 930 for a little while.  I feed you around 10 and you are out for the night.  You usually sleep from 1030-4 or 5 which is wonderful (except last night you fought it until after midnight!!).  You wake up around 4 or 5am to eat and then  you can barely hold your eyes open and you pass out until 8ish.  You really are a lot more alert than you were last month but I think you take after your Momma because you love your sleep too!
 
I am still trying to get you as much breast milk as possible.  You are now eating 5 ounces every 4 hours (except that long stretch at night!).  Most feedings I am able to pump around 4 ounces for you...some times less and sometimes more.  Thankfully I am still getting that much for you and hope to be able to keep going like this!  I love only having to supplement with formula just a little bit.  You have defiantly improved on your burping.  It used to take you a while to burp but now you are really fast..which really helps out your Momma!

Over this past month, I left you with someone else for the first time ever!! The first time I left you was when your Daddy and I went to buy new cell phones, so we were only gone for about an hour and a half...and I survived!!  Then I left you with your Mimi for an ENTIRE DAY!  I went to Clemson for a football game and I never cried at all.  Now I was so ready to get home to you and thought about you constantly but we did it Miss Paige!!  Now I am on my second day back at work.  Gerri is keeping you at our house most days and it is wonderful.  Well, not the going back to work part but her keeping you is!  I hate that I have to work and feel so guilty I am not with you to take care of you.  It is what your Daddy and I have to do until we get some things paid off but it kills me not to be the one to take care of you.  I wish I could be a stay at home mom...and one day I hope to be able to do that but we just cant right now and I'm sorry Miss Paige.  I know you are having a great time with Gerri and really don't know I am not there since you sleep most of the time I am gone and I get to some see you at lunch!  We will make it through this baby girl :)

You still make the cutest little facial expressions!  You smile a lot (not sure if you mean to but I love it!)  You also "talk" to me all the time.  I love just holding you and watching your expressions.  You still LOVE to stretch!  I wish I could stretch as well as you do...looks like it feels so good.  You are one baby that loves to get  your diaper changed...I think that's your favorite thing.  You lay there and stretch and smile for a while and I just wait until you are finished to change you. I am so impressed at how well you are holding your head up! Sometimes you still get a little "wobbly" but your little neck is getting so strong!  You are still a bit jumpy but not near as bad as you were the first month.  I kinda miss seeing your arms go spastic when you hear something..it was pretty cute :)

You still sleep in your Nap Nanny by our bed.  I know you should move to your crib soon but I think since I am away from you during the day, I want you close at night!  I love the fact that I can look over and see you sleeping!  One day soon you will sleep in your crib!  You have realized you like your swing now!  I can sit you in there and you just look at everything in amazement and then smile!  Then you snooze there for a while too.  You still love your pacis and of course looking at the blinds too!

You had a few more firsts this month too (which I already blogged about).  Your first play date with Audrey, first trip to the mountain house, trip to Greenville to shop, first time eating out, trip to Clemson, first photo shoot at Howards Rock!  Cant wait for your firsts this month...your first holiday will be soon!!

You are the best thing to ever happen to me and your Daddy and we love you very much.  Even though I don't want you to grow up so fast I love watching you and seeing how you develop every day! 

This Weekend I...

This weekend I... went to Clemson on Friday and got to see some of my favorite people.  First stop was Jodi's house so I could feed Miss Paige and Heather and Audrey stopped by for a short visit.  Always great to see them!

 

Then Jodi, Paige and I headed to meet more of my favorites..Julie and Richele.  Richele is from Barbados and we haven't seen each other since we graduated from Clemson...that was in 2005.  I was so very excited to finally see her!  We went to the stadium to see people we all used to work with and then was able to go visit Howard's Rock for a photoshoot.  Ive taken pictures there before but it is always during a game and there are a MILLION people there.  So it was very nice to have the privilege to go with it being just us there...there were some jealous people looking in on us though! It helps to have connections with the Athletic Department! 

After our lovely photo shoot, we headed over to where we all met...the Tennis Center.  We saw our coach, Nancy and took a couple pictures of course.  Then it was time for Paige and I to head back home to Greenwood.

                              

This weekend I...left Paige at her Mimi's house and went back to Clemson for the football game.  I love going to the games but I HATE leaving my baby.  I thought about her ALL day.  I cant wait for her to be able to go to the games with me...just a little to small right now!  I saw Julie and Richele again and just hung out at the tailgate.  Then watched Clemson beat Maryland.  It was a great day but man was I ready to get home to this....

This weekend I... hung out with my baby Saturday night and Sunday.  It was wonderful and I loved every second I have with her!  Look how cute she is watching TV like a big girl..

I had her propped up and she loved it!

This weekend I...went to Edgefield with Wes and Paige to see a friend of his that was in town from Florida.  Can I tell you how impressive this man is.  His name is Dr. Robert Carey and he is an amazing doctor.  I googled him and he is voted the Top Robotic Urologist in the Country and one of the best in the world.  He performs his surgeries by robots and he is the one that engineers them too.  Needless to say he is one smart man.  I have heard so much about him and was glad to finally meet him.  He was not what I expected.  He was the most Southern country man and was just awesome.  We had a great time at his property.  He took us around on his Kubota and took a tour of all his hunting fields and crops.  He will be back visiting from Sarasota next week and I think we are having a "Thanksgiving" dinner with him on Wednesday night.  We are so lucky to have met him!

This weekend I...cooked a huge pot of Taco Soup.  I am so excited about having that for lunch everyday this week...so good!

This weekend I... loved on my baby every second I was able to since I wont be with her every second this week. I hate that work interferes with my Paige time!!