You better not wake me up...

unless you want a knuckle sandwich!!!

Get it Girl!

Molly loves bathtime! Here she is tonight during her bath...

6 weeks already!

Molly turned 6 weeks on Friday...and she has her first stuffy nose. We had a fun week at the lake with Rob's Mom and Dad.


Molly is really focusing on things lately and following them with her eyes. She definitely recognizes my voice and Rob's...and I think probably both of our Mom's, too. She is gripping on to my shirt, hair, etc - especially when she is nursing.


Tomorrow we are planning to take her to her very first Easter Egg hunt. We will have to see how she is feeling and how the weather is - but, hopefully we can go and we will have some super special pictures!


Here is a picture I took with my iphone of her sleeping this past week - I named the file perfection :)

Babies don't keep

My Mom has had this poem hanging somewhere in our house my entire life...I finally relate to it 100%...

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep,

for I'm rocking my baby...

and babies don't keep.

My baby is wearing size 1 diapers to sleep in tonight! They grow up too fast...(and that's why my house is a mess :))

Leprechans stole my clothes!!!

But, I'm too tired to care....


Happy St. Patty's day!!!

The greatest month of my life...

Molly was a month old on Friday! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed...she'll be off to college before I know it!

Here she is at 1 week:

Here she is at 1 month:

Here are some things that have happened over the last month:

• Molly has met her family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts and uncles and other extended family and friends
• She has moved from sleeping in her pack and play in our room to her crib in her very own room
• She went to St. Augustine with me and her Nanna
• She "ate" at Chick Fil A with me, Nanna and her other grandmother - Annie - in Macon and then went out to dinner twice in St. Augustine
• She's been licked in the face by her "brother" and "sister" - Sidda and Buffet (our dogs)
• She's spent the night at Nanna and Pop's (with Mommy and Daddy, of course!)
• She's eaten from a bottle (although, she seems to spit up more than when she nurses)
• She has gone 5 hours in between feedings!!!!
• She's been dressed up in bathing suits and outfits by her Momma :)
• She's had her picture taken about a million times
• But, mostly, she's brought more joy to our lives than we ever knew possible. She's been loved more than I ever dreamed possible. She's forever changed our life.

Welcome and Molly's Arrival

Welcome to our blog! I have been meaning to start this blog since we have been home from the hospital, but my days keep getting away from me. I never understood what housewives did all day, but, I actually stay pretty busy!!!

Motherhood is more than I ever dreamed of...

• Wednesday, February 3rd - I woke up at 5AM and felt weird. I called my doctor (Archie) at 11:30 and told them what was going on...faint, but regular contractions every 5 minutes. They told us to come on in. I called Rob at work...he panicked and hurried home. I drove us to Archie's and he worked on breathing :). When we arrived, my blood pressure was high - 140/90 - and I was indeed having contractions. We monitored and then Archie sent me on to my orthopedic appointment for my carpal tunnel. After 2 quite painful cortisone shots, we went back to Archie and he decided to send us on over to the hospital. Not surprisingly, my blood pressure went back to normal once we were checked in and I was in all my glory in the hospital gown. We went home after 2 hours.


• Thursday, February 4th - I went with Rob to the drug store to pick up a RX...I took my BP on the machine there...it was like 152/95. I called Archie...went straight to the hospital again, was put on strict bed rest and stayed until Saturday, the 6th. I came home to a freshly painted and VERY SMELLY home. NOT A GOOD IDEA to have your house painted on the inside when you are pregnant...not sure what we were thinking.


• Super Bowl Sunday - February 7th - we went to my sister's to spend the night. I laid on the couch and battled a headache...went to Publix and took my insanely high BP. The Dr on call yelled at me for sitting up for 30 minutes. Oops...


• Monday, February 8th - went in for my weekly appointment. Still high BP, no dilation. We discussed inducing that day or waiting until the next Monday. We decided it was better for the baby to try to keep her in another week. Head home to strict bed rest.


• Thursday, February 11th - Mom came up to take me in for my 1:30 appointment. Lost 4 pounds since Monday - RANDOM! No dilation...no action...but...high BP and now protein in my urine. Archie told me to check in the hospital at 5PM and we'd start cervidil and induce on Friday morning. WOW. Rob left work and met us at my sister's house. I took a bath at my sister's...since there is no telling when my next shower would be! Daddy met us at my sister's, too...my mother in law almost passed out when I called her...:). Rob and I left sister's and get to the hospital right on time. We got hooked up and settled in- can we say HUGE IV??? Being at the hospital at this point was a little routine...so, I ordered some dinner and Rob went to Barnes and Noble to get us each a book. We're a little overwhelmed with knowing we are having a baby the next day and were sort of quiet between phone calls. I got my ambien at like 8:30 and still had a very restless night.


• Friday morning I woke up at 4:40 AM...I waited and they came in at 6:30, started Pitocin and at 7AM when the Dr checked me my water broke. Looking like we'll have us a baby...just waiting on her now. And wait we did. At 3:30PM I was a little uncomfortable so they gave me my epidural. Not bad! I was pretty nervous about it...and it really wasn't bad! My BP went really low, though, so they gave me something in my IV to help and some zofran for the nausea. The Dr came in shortly after to check me...STILL less than 2 cm dilated. We'll wait some more. She breaks the last little pocket of water and we hope that will speed things along. 7:30PM...still less than 2CM dilated. At this point, I've been awake for 15 hours...and I've never quite gotten over my anxiety of labor and delivery. I asked the nurse when the Dr will come back and she said around midnight...please open the flood gates because here come the tears!!! Needless to say, the Dr came back in at 8PM. We discuss the options of waiting another few hours or waiting the whole night or having a c-section. Either way, this baby had to get out by 7AM Saturday morning. My Mom must have instinctively knew something was going on because she came in as the Dr was leaving to give us a few minutes to discuss. Mom was a voice of reason in a very scary time for us...we had no idea and just wanted the baby to be safe and healthy. Mom was like - "Just have the c-section - no big deal. Get that baby out and let's see her face. Yall will both be fine." So, tearfully, we try to get our act together...I had made shirts for the grandparent's that said "Molly's Nanna", "Molly's Pop", etc. I wanted them to all come in the room and Rob give them to the grandparents. Little did we know, that once we told the Dr we would do the c-section, it would be all hands on deck. My sweet nurse, Connie, told us -"You've got 2 minutes". OMG. I'm the youngest and a Daddy's girl at heart...and I needed to see him. It ended up that no one came into the room and R just gave them their shirts in the hall. I saw Daddy as they wheeled me to the OR - and we both sobbed. We had told Dr. M (Archie wasn't on call that night, but Dr. M was AWESOME!!!) at 8:30 we wanted to do the C and at 8:42 I was in the OR. Yes - it was FAST. There were like a hundred people in the OR. The betadine went on my stomach...Dr. M tested to make sure I was numb enough (I wasn't) and I kept asking for Rob. He said when he was allowed in that they had already started the procedure. I remember asking Dr. M if R could cut the cord - he couldn't because he wasn't sterilized - and them telling me to take a deep breath because there would be some pressure. Yep...there was pressure. And suction. And more pressure. Molly did NOT want to come out. But then, she was out. And our lives changed forever. I cried and told them to let me hear her cry and I heard her. Dr. M told me she was perfect. They took her to the side to clean her up and I could see her...Rob told me that she was wonderful. At some point, Rob and I talked to the anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist about the movie "The Hangover" - so NOT appropriate :). It had to be before Molly arrived...I was too emotional once she got here. Rob went with her to the nursery and met me in recovery. I remember feeling like I was going to faint or vomit and asking politely for zofran - they giggled and said it was funny that I knew what to ask for...but that they'd give me finergan (sp?) and that it was better. Once I was in recovery I was very shaky and Connie gave me demerol. Needless to say, things start getting a little hazy. Rob brought Molly in and Mommy came in first to see us. Rob held her and showed her to me. He was so sweet. He has NEVER held a newborn before. Never. He didn't hold my niece until she was 6 weeks old. I held her for a minute - I was too shaky and nervous that I'd drop her. Mom held her, too. I cried and there were lots of pictures. Everyone took their turn coming in - Mom, Dad, Rob's parents and my sister. Rob kept touching the rail of my bed and I remember telling him "If you touch my bed again, I will kill you" (but I was very polite:)). NICE, Tara. But, in my defense, it really hurt. They wheeled me down the hall and I thought I might die when they hit bumps and, yes, when they ran my bed into the wall. O...M...G. Pain. I got to push the button that plays a lullaby announcing that a baby was born. Rob pushed Molly down the hall in her bassinet and I am pretty certain he set off the alarm when he went by the elevators. Only us :) We got to our room and I remember the clock saying 2:45AM when the nurses finally left us alone. You may think we are terrible, but we sent her to the nursery that night.


• Saturday, February 13th - the nurse came in at 5AM - yes, AM, and told me I had to walk to the bathroom. I tried to be polite, but told her she was out of her mind. I took 2 - 2 inch steps and got back in bed. They took out my catheter and I told them I'd likely just pee in the bed before getting up. Yes, I'm a super nice patient :). Rob changed his first diaper that morning and I directed from the bed and took pictures :). I couldn't believe she was here...and had to keep pinching myself. At noon, I finally got out of the bed and went to the bathroom. I felt light years better than I had at 5AM...(but keep in mind I still had my epidural and this awesome button I could push for pain every 10 minutes). That button was FAB!


• Sunday, February 14th - people who tell you that the 3rd day after surgery is the worst are RIGHT. BELIEVE THEM. It was a long day and I was grumpy and tired. Molly's jaundice tests came back high and we had some moments of new parent total anxiety about it. Rob went home that night and Mom stayed with me. I think that was a really wise choice - Rob was exhausted and let's face it, Mom's are a little more nurturing than men :)


• Monday, February 15th - they told me I could go home if I wanted. Did I want? ABSOLUTELY. We left at 3PM and had an uneventful ride home and arrived to an empty house just us and the dogs. (Advice - do this if you can. It was WONDERFUL to just be the 3 of us).

And, as they say, the rest is history.

Molly has forever changed my life...she is wonderful and fills my heart with a love I've never known. I cannot remember life before her and cannot imagine life without her. For all of the hell we went through to get to her...I'd do it a hundred times over if I knew it would lead me to her.

Welcome to the world, my little girl!