Weeks 9/10/11.. What We've Been Up To

Such a CUTIE

Well I've been MIA lately from blogging! I need to catch up on what Miss C and I have been up to.

Week 9 was actually for some reason the week of her 2 month bday and we were able to squeeze in some time at our friend's the Pennington's house. Our good friends Missy & Cliff Pennington are some of our best friends. Cliff played shortstop for the Oakland A's and recently after this season ended was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. During the off season they live in Houston and enjoy spending time with friends like us and seeing their family. They have one precious son named Brady who just turned 3 right before Charlotte was born. We miss them so much when they are away during the season so when they are home we try to see them as much as possible. We loved going to their new house in The Woodlands for dinner and watch some Texans football. OH- and I got my boot off permenatly from breaking my ankle! Praise God!!

Playtime with my baby girl



Week 10 was a LAZY week for Charlotte and I... we slept a lot, stayed in our pjs most of the days, and I got busy SEWING. I LOVE my new sewing machine that Drew gave me for Christmas and I've had so much fun making personalized burp cloths for Charlotte and some of my fellow mama friends. I also have gotten into making headbands. They are so easy and fun.

Here are some of the websites that I've used to help me out...
Felt Flower Tutorial
Felt Bow Tutorial
DIY Personalized Burp Cloths

Tummy time in our pjs :)

 

 

We also went this past weekend to visit my parents in Seguin. It was our first time to bring Charlotte to Seguin and to take her to my Dad's church (and it was her first time ever to go to church so it was super special). My Dad's birthday is January 21st so we wanted to spend some time with him and my mom anyway and be there for his birthday. We had a wonderful time shopping, visiting my grandmother and just being together as a family. Charlotte did AMAZING at church and I know my Dad was so proud to introduce her to his congregation. I can't wait to have him baptize her within the next month. So special!

Charlotte's first time to church

My sweet family

Just love this little sweet pea!

Week 11 is this week. How can Charlotte almost be 3 months old?? We've spent a lot of time again lounging around but we did have our first playdate! Yesterday we headed over to our friend's house The Miles for some baby fun. All of my bible study girls and their children were all there. With 5 women and 7 babies under the age of 2 it was pretty crazy but super fun. Charlotte loved seeing other babies and she kept looking around and was so interested in what was going on. It was also so nice to have actual converstions with adults and get out of the house. I think it was the first time I'd put on makeup in awhile and gotten dressed out of yoga pants :) I love these girls that I've gotten to know through our bible study, I just wish we all lived closer. We are all scattered throughout Houston... The Woodlands, Jersey Village and Cypress so it makes it difficult to see each other all the time or weekly. We are all SAHM but I'm really eager to find some fellow mamas in Katy. I'm going to try a mom's group at a church here in Katy that meets on Wednesday mornings next week. Hopefully Miss C and I can get connected.

This coming weekend Drew and I are planning to take Charlotte to the zoo if the weather permits. We need to get out of the house and do something fun as a family... I think this is the perfect activity to do! Oh and I think a friendship is starting between these two... just can't get enough of this sisterly love :)

Sisters :)

Come back for more updates on this giggly smily girl!

TWO Months

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My precious Charlotte,

Another month has come and gone and I still can't believe how big you're getting. You have turned into the cutest, smiliest, most alert little girl. When did my baby turn into a big girl?? You're constantly keeping me on my toes everyday with your adorable facial expressions and little personality. Speaking of personality... it's really starting to show! You LOVE to smile :) I love when you turn your little head towards me if I start talking when someone else is holding you. That completely melts my heart. You love your Daddy and instantly calm down the minute he picks you up if you're fussy. And, you've started to notice your future BFF Lucy. If only I could hear what is going on in your little brain. I have loved this past month and I can't wait to see you change more and grow as the days go on. I love you so much little angel.

Love,

Mama

2 month Stats

Weight: 11.8 lbs (my growing chunky monkey!)

Length: 22 inches

Head: 15 inches

Eating: nursing exclusively and going about 2.5-3 hour stretches during the day and about 3.5-4 hour stretches at night (still not sleeping through the night but we're working on that!) You also have become more efficient with nursing within the past week from 20 minutes on each side to about 10-12 on each side.

Bedtime: normally when we go to bed however we've started a bedtime routine where we bathe you, put you in your pjs, swaddle, nurse and then read a little book and rock. You'll normally fall asleep quickly and we put you in your swing while Daddy and I eat dinner, watch tv and have our time together. We've tried putting you in your bassinet in our room when we're still up but I think you know that you are alone because you wake up every time so that's why we've put you in your swing to nap until your feeding before we go to sleep. We will get there soon I hope! (I'm also not ready to have you in your own room yet... maybe next month).

Awake: after each feeding during the day for about 45 min. That is normally your "play" time and we will have tummy time or play on your activity mat and sometimes in your swing.

Naps: typically will take 2 good naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with several little cat naps throughout the day.

Diapers: size 1

Clothes: 0-3 months and 3 months

Favorites: your swing, paci, being swaddled, snuggling with mama and daddy, your sister lucy, car rides and strolling in your stroller (the little time we've used it this month), your activity mat, and being rocked and bath time :)

Latest Tricks: smiling all the time, laughing here and there, kicking your legs and moving your arms (we like to do the YMCA), cooing, and you actually rolled over 2 days after Christmas. I know... I know... it was a complete accident. You were having tummy time and you scooted forward with your arms and rolled over! I wish I had my camera!

You are wearing a very special dress that belonged to your Aunt Amy when
she was a baby and the sweater was your Grammy's that she wore when she
was a baby.

Ringing in 2013

After my family left from our Christmas festivities, Drew and I packed up the truck (literally everything but the kitchen sink...haha) and headed down to Corpus for NYE. It was our first roadtrip as a family of 3 and our first trip to CC!

We had so much fun introducing Charlotte to some of our bestest friends... Heather, Natalie and Sean & Teresa Walker. We celebrated NYE at the Walker's on the actual NYE night. They cooked us an amazing steak dinner (we can't wait to come back Walkers!) Charlotte did so good on our little trip out of town. I can't wait to go back this summer to take her to the beach and to some of Daddy and Mama's hangouts :)

Hope all of you had a wonderful & safe NYE. We know 2013 is going to be a GREAT year for us!



Charlotte's First Christmas!!





Merry Christmas sweet Charlotte!



Here we are at 7 Weeks. What a crazy week we had last week! Charlotte was definitely much better as well as myself. I really believed we were finally over the hump of all that mess. We weren't having to do the breathing treatments every 4 hours anymore and I was walking around just great with my boot! YAY!!

My Mom left on Sunday and Drew's parents arrived to stay for our Christmas celebration #1. We were all getting so excited that we were all feeling better and for C to experience her first Christmas at home. Drew's sister and her husband came the next day (Christmas Eve). We had such a fun time being together and playing with Charlotte... thank goodness she was better! She had to be well for Santa :)

Christmas Day was filled with lots of family time. We ate lots of delicious food and opened presents. Charlotte got some ADORABLE clothes from her Gran & Grandpa & Aunt Cece and Uncle JC. She also got some money for her college savings fund from Drew's Aunt Lana and Uncle John and an adorable activity playmat to have some tummy time on.

Drew gave me a brand new Singer sewing machine that I'm SO SO SO excited about and I gave Drew some custom made cowboy boots and a Daddy Sling :) He has LOVED my Hava Sling but since it's a petite, it doesn't fit him so I got him a Daddy one to fit him. I also got money and new Kendra Scott earrings. Lucy also had a great Christmas too! She got new toys and dog treats :)



Christmas Eve with my little Christmas rose... 1st Christmas that we didn't go to church :( We didn't want to risk C getting sick again.



Presents under the tree



My happy girl!

Dueitt Christmas

Charlotte's First Christmas!

Tired girl!

What a wonderful few days we had. It was also so nice to still have continued help since I'm not fully back to walking around and getting up. Everyone went home on Wednesday so I was able to have one day to ourselves before my entire family came on Thursday/Friday for my family's Christmas. Since I had broken my ankle and C got sick... we didn't end up traveling to the ranch in Fredericksburg. My family couldn't bear the thought of not being together so they brought Christmas to us!

Christmas Celebration #2 was about to begin! My sister Amy and her family came first. My niece and nephew had so much fun playing with Charlotte and getting things ready for the rest of the family to arrive. My parents came next and then my other sister Katherine was the last to arrive. We had another delicious meal on Saturday, watched Christmas movies on TV and opened TONS TONS TONS of presents! My house looked like a bomb had gone off but it was the best feeling to be so loved and have everyone here to just be together.

 

Charlotte got more loot! More cute clothes (seriously... this girl has a wardrobe to die for!), money, jewelry, some cute toys, and a princess pig piggy bank. I received a really cute peacock sewing basket for all of my materials, more money, a new Vera Bradley wallet and a cake pop maker! What a fun, memorable and sweet Christmas this was. I can't wait for next year's when Charlotte actually can rip paper and notice what's going on... she slept the whole time this year :) Sweet baby!

Playing on her new activity mat

My wonderful parents!

Nieces and Nephews galore! Becca (12), Daniel (11), Dustin (14), Courtland (13), Kaitlyn (11) and Tyler (11)

My sister Amy and brother in law Danny

My sister Katherine and brother in law Rick

My sleeping beauty worn out for the Christmas madness

 

Gotta have my Lucy included! She loved everyone's visits and our fires in the fireplace :)

My sisters and I modeling our new sweaters



All the girls in our matching pjs... Charlotte was napping

She woke up! Merry Christmas!



6 Weeks... What a rough week!





My poor little angel... sick with RSV :(

Six Weeks for Charlotte and me has been the hardest week so far and a week I will never forget! My last post I had just broken my ankle... My mother in law came in town on Sunday to help me take care of C since I couldn't walk or drive. I was beside myself with misery!

The next day, Monday, Charlotte came down with a nasty cough and stuffy nose so we decided to take her to the pediatrician. So here we go, I loaded myself in the car with my crutches and all and we had C in the backseat hacking away... we get to the doctor and she thought it was just allergies but decided to do a swab for RSV just in case... later that day she calls me back with the results... C had RSV! She was positive that we had caught it early but to be sure to watch her breathing and if it became labored and she was wheezing to take her to the ER immediately. Of course I freaked out and didn't sleep for the next 24 hours because I was so worried about my baby... keep in mind, I still can't walk so this was even more awful because I really couldn't take care of my baby the way I would have liked to.

Tuesday, Charlotte was getting worse. She was crying all the time, not eating well, sleeping most of the day. She definitly wasn't herself and I knew that something was definitly not right with my baby. She did begin to wheeze so we decided to take her back to the doctor after my doctor appt. I had my 6 week OBGYN appt that morning. Everything was great at my appt but we ended up having to get a nebulizer and start breathing treatments every 4 hours round the clock until seeing results. Again, I was beside myself because my sweet little girl was getting sicker and sicker. It KILLED me to watch her struggle to breath because she was so full of mucus and was coughing so much. I knew she was feeling horrible and on top of that she wanted to nurse 24/7 so I was beginning to get very uncomfortable. But I knew I needed to do what was best for my baby. I had to stay strong for her.

Wednesday, I had my 2nd ankle appt with the orthopedic surgeon to see if I needed surgery or not... We loaded up poor little Charlotte and my MIL drove me. She stayed in the car with C so we didn't have to take her out and I hobbled in. Luckily after the X-Rays... I didn't need surgery! What a sigh of relief and a little bit of good news. I had to make another appt to come back in a week to reevaluate how long I would need to wear the boot. I started feeling very sick later that day and it turned out I had a horrible cold. The rest of the week would be getting worse before it would get better.

My MIL ended up leaving Thursday and my Mom came to take her place to help until my in-laws came back for Christmas the following week. I was so relieved when my Mom was here because she just KNOWS what to do. We stayed home and I rested while C rested as much as possible. After doing round the clock breathing treatments every 4 hours and suctioning out as much mucus as we could... Charlotte was finally starting to make some progress. My Mom was here to hold my hand, hold Charlotte, and just take care of us. It was the best medicine I could have asked for. I don't know how I would have made it without her.

By the end of the week I was able to walk around on my ankle using my boot without crutches and Charlotte was getting more sleep and nursing back to normal. I prayed so much to heal me and to heal Charlotte. We really needed some good luck and blessings coming our way.

What a whirlwind! We ready for this 6th week to pass and for Christmas to come it's way :)

Breathing treatments every 6 hours

At least she looked like a cute little duck!

We needed some much needed prayers :(