3-6 Months

Our little man is growing so much!  I cannot believe he is 1/2 year old!  He has grown and developed so much in the past 3 months!

He has mastered rolling over and sitting up.  (However, since he is sitting up now, he doesn't really care to roll anymore.)  He has mastered "da-da." He loves to stick his tongue out when he is really concentrating.  He has such a fun personality.  Very rarely will you see him without a smile on his face.  And it don't take much to get a big ole giggle out of him!

Parker also got his first haircut around 4 months old!  My best friend Amber did the honors.  He has lost all the hair on the sides and in the back, but the top is still going strong!  

Around 3 months we started feeding cereal to Parker by a spoon.  He done fairly well with it.  At 4 months we started baby food.  I was so excited for baby food but it just did not agree with Parker. 

He would eat and immediately vomit...everywhere.  We tried for a few weeks, and when it didn't get better, we stopped baby food completely.  We took him to the doctor and they said he had acid reflux.  Apparently, it is not uncommon for babies to get acid reflux once they start baby food.  Before giving him medication, we tried putting cereal in every bottle.  That resulted in horrible diarrhea.  Which resulted in horrible diaper rash.  Thankfully, Aquaphor cleared that right up.  So we decided to hold off on the baby food until his 6 month check up.  

Parker started coughing a lot during the night.  So the week before his 6 month check up we went back to the doctor.  The coughing was from the acid reflux, so now he is on Zantac.  While we were there, they checked his ears, nose, and throat.  Parker had his first ear infection.  We had no idea.  He had no symptoms.  No pulling the ear, no fever, no fussiness.  So he also got an antibiotic.  That also pushed his 6 months shot back until he finished his antibiotic.  

(At the Dr. for ear infection #1)

He finished the antibiotic this past Monday.  On Wednesday night he woke up screaming.  He screamed from 11:30pm-3:00am.  We were going to take him to the Emergency Room because nothing consoled him.  Finally, Darrell got him to sleep and he slept for an hour or two before screaming again.  We were at the doctor bright and early that morning, and he had another ear infection in the same ear.  I am still not sure if it is another ear infection or if the antibiotic just didn't work on the first one.  So, now he is on a different antibiotic and seems to be feeling some better today.  Once again, his 6 months shots got pushed back to next week.  It's going to be a rough couple of weeks for little man.

We are back on baby food again now.  Parker LOVES to eat...you can tell by his chubby cheeks.  His favorite baby food is mac and cheese with veggies.  He will literally cry for more.  He is my child for sure.  Mac and cheese is still one of my favorites.  He doesn't really like any of the green veggies.  He did until he had fruits and then the veggies were no good to him anymore!  We just started meat baby food and he is doing okay with that.  He also gets to drink out of a sippy cup and he thinks he is big stuff when he does.

At 5 months we conquered the crib!!!  I was so stressed about transitioning Parker from his Rock and Play to the crib.  It was not fun for about 2 days, and then he was fine with it.  The first night in the crib Parker cried until he threw up.  It broke my heart.  I laid in the floor beside his crib and cried my eyes out.  Darrell sat in the room too.  It was a family affair.  We got him out and changed the sheets.  I was ready to be done with the crib at that point.  I called my best friend Elizabeth though for advice and she talked me out of it.  So back in the crib he went.  He cried again until he threw up.  By this point I was determined that he was not coming out of that crib.  We cleaned the throw up and put him back down.  He went to sleep after about 15 more minutes of crying.  I didn't sleep hardly any.  I bet Darrell and I checked on him 45 times that night. Ha!  He slept the whole night though!  The second night he cried for about 10 minutes and was out.  No throwing up!!!  The third night the crying lasted about 3 minutes.  Since then, we haven't really had any problems.  Now, he doesn't move when we lay him down.  Moving to the crib, also moved his bedtime up.  He now goes to bed at 7:30pm.  He gets home from daycare at 6:00pm and we literally eat dinner, feed Parker, bathe him and he is out.  That has been quite an adjustment for Darrell and I both.  It's hard to only see your child for 1-2 hours a day.  Just a sacrifice we have to make because he needs the rest.  It sure does make the time we have with him extra special though.

Months 3-6 included taking Parker to his first basketball game, WFU vs Duke, his first Valentine's Day and Easter, his first football game (spring game at WFU).  We are having a blast showing Parker all kinds of new things and watching him grow and learn every single day.  Makes you wonder, how did we ever survive without Parker?

Birth - 3 Months

My goodness!  Finding time to blog feels impossible!  I cannot believe that my sweet Parker is now 3 months old!!!

Once Parker was born, Darrell went back to work immediately.  We came home on a Monday evening and he went to work on Tuesday morning.  I don't think I could have survived without my Mom by my side.  She stayed with us for the first week and was my left and right hand. She literally suffered as much lack of sleep as I did.  For all you Mommies-to-be, TAKE the help!!!!!!  YOU NEED IT!!!!  :)  Once my mom started leaving in the evenings to go to her own house, I would cry.  I didn't want my Mom to leave!  I needed someone to show me exactly how to do everything!  I was so nervous!  I thought I was ready for a baby, but am I really??  I have to do this by myself?  I don't know what to do!!!!  My mom said we needed to learn our own routine.  MAN! My Mom knows everything. She is so right!!!

It got much easier, with time.  And turns out, I do know how to take care of my baby.

The first week of Parker's life I wasted trying to force nursing.  That week was miserable for me.  I was determined to nurse and to do whatever was necessary to make it happen.  By the 7th day, I felt like I could not even enjoy my little bundle of joy.  He was miserable and I was miserable.  So off to formula we went! I thought this was the solution to all of our problems!  Boy, was I wrong.  The first day after formula began, Parker would cry after every feeding.  I took him to the Doctor and they said he had colic.  I was devastated.  How could my precious baby have colic?  Darrell would come home from work and we would take turns holding a crying baby.  That lasted about 5 days and I decided to switch his formula again.  No progress.  I was beginning to think I really did have a colicky baby.  5 more days and no progress.  Back to the Doctor we went, who said again, Parker had colic.  I was determined he was not a colic baby!  My baby was fine on breast milk!!!   So, this time we switched to soy milk, thinking it may just be too hard on his little tummy.  That did the trick!  Parker was like a new little boy.  I thought it was almost strange that he would eat and go to sleep.  It felt weird that he didn't cry!

In the midst of all of this, we were packing up the condo because we bought a house!!!!  Special thanks to our realtor, Amanda Tucker with CTC Real Estate!!!!  Our condo had been on the market since January and finally sold at the busiest time of our lives!  SO again, my poor Mama came over and packed our condo up everyday.  Talk about some major stress.  All good stress though! 

FINALLY, we were moved in and settled down.  At this time Parker was about 3 weeks old.  We slowly began to have a normal routine and I enjoyed spending all my time with Parker.  He is such a good baby!  He literally smiles all the time.  And he is SO happy.  Which makes for a VERY happy Mama! 

 

I stayed out of work until Parker was 9 weeks old.  The first day back was the worst day of my life.  I say that with no exaggeration.  I believe that Mama's should get paid to stay home with their babies.  It might do this world a little good.  I just don't understand how some Mom's live off of the government and don't have to go to work.  The government basically pays them to stay at home, and their children are more of a burden to them than a joy.  Yet, those of us that work and try to provide for our children everything that they need and keep them in a safe and loving environment get penalized by having to work everyday, pay someone else to take care of our child, and be away from them and get basically 2 days - the weekend - with them.  Ok, ok, my rant is done.  Anyway, I cried for most of the day, and every night for the next week or so.  Some nights I still cry when I am rocking Parker to sleep.  Thankfully, my Mom and my Mother -in- Law took extremely good care of Parker for the rest of my first work week, which put my heart at ease. 

After that, Darrell took 2.5 weeks from work and stayed with Parker.  That was our original plan and why Darrell went back to work so soon after Parker's birth.  We didn't want Parker to start daycare until he was at least 12 weeks old.  Since I didn't have the full 12 weeks of maternity leave, we had to make arrangements until Parker was 12 weeks old. 

I was really impressed with Darrell's "Daddy" abilities.  I think we were both nervous the first day he stayed alone with Parker.  AND he did such an amazing job!  Darrell has even taught me some baby tricks.  He is the best person to get Parker to burp...He is also the best booger grabber with the suction & dirty diapers don't scare him at all!  Parker and I are very blessed.

During this time we got to celebrate Parker's first Christmas.  Of course, he had no clue it was any different than any other day, but he sure did make a cute Christmas baby!!!

The next hardest day of my life was the day Parker started daycare.  I dreaded it since Parker was born.  It's not that I don't like daycares, it's just, nobody can take care of your baby like you do.  He's only been at daycare for a few days and hopefully it will get easier for me.  He is doing great though.

Now that Parker is a month older, he is developing a personality.  He is SO sweet! Parker loves to be talked to.  He will talk back with his sweet little coos.  Parker also loves bath time.  He loves to suck on a wet rag and he likes to splash.  Parker gets to watch limited television and he loves Nick Jr.  His little feet kick and he talks to that TV as much as he can.  He like stuffed animals, I think because they are big enough that he can wrap his arms around them and hold them to his mouth....because that is where everything goes.

My sweetest moments with Parker are of course bath time.  Now that he is in daycare all day, they get the best part of Parker's day and I get the leftovers, (yes, I am jealous!)  He sleeps when I get him because he is exhausted from daycare.  Then I get to get him up and get him ready for bath and bed. I count down the minutes until I can wake him up and then it feels like time flies by for the next hour.  

My most precious moment is every night when we play before bath time, I will put my face close to Parkers' and right in front of him.  Since he is starting to grab everything, he will grab both sides of my face and pull me to his mouth.  Then he sucks on my nose!  He is so funny, but it is so sweet!!!!  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. 

I Carry Your Heart With Me

For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

I Samuel 1:27

Parker's Story:

We were induced on Wednesday, October 10th.  My sweet husband, Mom, Dad, and Mother-in-law were with me every step of the way beginning on the 10th.  I couldn't ask for a better family.    I was past due and had only dilated to a 1 centimeter.  We checked into the hospital and I was given medicine that was supposed to help me dilate.  It pretty much started small contractions that lasted all night.  We tried the medicine for 18 hours, and well into October 11th, we still had no progress.  

On the 11th, the Dr. decided to break my water and give me medicine to start harder contractions to see if we could in a sense, trick my body into going into labor.  Well, my body did start to make progress...very very slowly.  By Thursday night, I was in a ton of pain and had dilated to a 3.5.  I opted for an epidural, being told by the Dr.'s that once you reach a 4 cm of dilation, everything moves really fast. I wanted to make sure, I was numb for the road ahead.  I had an epidural and my body rejected it.  I would not numb.  Yes, I am part of the 1% that has this reaction....they came back in and re-positioned the needle...still no effect...by this time, we were well into Friday morning on the 12th and I had dilated to around a 6 - and felt every centimeter of it!  We tried the epidural again, positioned higher in my back, with still no effect.  Again, that one was repositioned and still my body would not accept it.  

Most of the rest of our time was spent trying to figure out how to get me numb...by the time they checked me again that afternoon, I had dilated to a 9.5.  I was exhausted and starving.  During my labor I went through 4 shifts of doctors.  The last doctor finally advised we may want to consider a c-section.  We had a hard time deciding what to do, because I was so close to being fully dilated, but Parker was measuring to be quite big and who knows how long it would take me to dilate another .5 of a centimeter, plus the time to push him out.  I had been in labor for 52 hours.  It broke my heart because I felt like I had battled so hard, but we opted for a c-section, knowing I had no more energy.  They prepped me and in a matter of 7 minutes in the operating room I heard my sweet 8 lb. 9 oz. boy cry for the first time at 5:04pm.  My life has not been the same since.

The first picture I took of Parker.

It has taken me some time to get around to blogging...there is a reason for that.  Raising a child has been one of the hardest things, if not the hardest thing I have ever done (and I know, I don't know anything yet).  I knew it would be challenging, but I had no idea what exactly having a baby would be like.  There is no way to prepare yourself for it.  I have this precious human being that depends on me for every single aspect of his life...and might I add - he looks so stinking cute while doing it!  While you may think you are prepared, trust me, you are not!  

I was introduced to a completely different kind of love, that by no means can be explained.  It can only be experienced.  While it is a difficult task, raising a child is absolutely the most amazing part of my life.  There is no greater feeling in the world than walking into the room and speaking to Parker and watching him grin a big gummy grin.  My heart melts.  I would go to all extremes and measures to make sure that my child gets everything he deserves in life.  

So this Thanksgiving I am most thankful for Love.

I am thankful for a parent's love:

For the love I have for Parker and for finally understanding the love my parents have for me.

I am thankful for my husband and the love that we share. 

I am thankful that my husband gave me the most beautiful little boy in the world.

I am thankful to finally have an inkling of an understanding of how much God loves me.  I could never send my Son to die for the sins of others...but He did that for me and you. 

I am thankful for Grammy Lynne and Papa Ron and the love that we all share.  I am blessed with great in-laws.

Photo: Copyright Sally Gupton

I have been waiting to blog, trying to find the perfect song lyric or poem or something that reminded me of Parker.  Something that attempted to explain the kind of love I have for him.  That one day, he can look back on this blog, maybe when he has his own children, and understand exactly what I was feeling.  So I leave you with this:

I Carry Your Heart With Me

E.E. Cummings

 I carry your heart with me 

(I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it

(anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

 I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

Photo: Copyright Sally Gupton

38 Weeks

ALMOST THERE!!!!  This will officially be my last post before my sweet Parker arrives.  I can hardly wait.

I told myself as long as I made it to 36/37 weeks, he would come early.  Just like all the other people I knew who were pregnant.  All of their babies came early.  Not my sweet Parker...He must be hard headed, like his Daddy.

If you know me, you know I am a planner/organizer.  I have to have a plan for everything.  SO, the nursery has been ready for over a month.  Hospital bags are packed, car seat is in the car, we are pre-registered at the hospital and there is even a little last minute list for Darrell sitting by the hospital bags for things for him to do when labor starts.   Arrangements have been made for Cameron and my Mom will be coming to stay for a while when Parker arrives to help us adjust.  Daycare is picked out, maternity leave is set up...groceries are purchased and frozen for the first few weeks after labor...  

...and here we are at the start of 38 weeks, with no little boy.  Every day feels like it lasts a month.  Parker dropped around 36 weeks and is officially head down ready for birth.  That brings on a lot of pressure on my pelvis and a LOT more peeing.  I get up every 20 minutes during the night to pee.  Everyone keeps saying "You better sleep while you can..."  Well, trust me, I would if I could.  The dropping of Parker also brought on some major back pain.  I was very proud to not have gotten any stretch marks this entire pregnancy...until Parker dropped.  Now my lower belly is filled with them from all the pressure.  Since Parker is getting larger, when he moves, it is almost a little painful.  My feet are officially swollen.  My hands are swollen and I still wear my braces at night on my wrists. Actually, everything is swollen...

I try to tell Parker every day that there is more room out than there is in, and that if he comes on out he will finally get to see Mommy...My doctor said sometimes you just build such a good home in your belly that babies don't want to come out.  So, I promise him that his home outside of my belly will be better.  He just hasn't made up his mind yet to come out.  And I know, at the perfect time he will.  It is all up to God, and I trust his timing a lot more than I trust mine.

...With all of this, I wouldn't trade this opportunity for anything in the world. I am so very thankful to be given the opportunity to carry a child. 

My final pregnancy photo, and the next post, I will be introducing the world to our Son!  Keep us in your prayers!!!

33 Weeks

I just realized I haven't posted a blog for 6 weeks!  I had sweet intentions to, we have just been getting so organized for the baby that I have completely let it slip my mind.  (Also a side effect of being pregnant)

And, I no longer have to refer to the baby in my belly as "the baby"...we officially decided that our son's name will be Parker!!!  I am so excited.  We don't have a middle name picked out yet but I am thrilled to have a first name picked out!  We were originally going to name the baby a first name that began with "D" and a middle name that began with "A," just like his Daddy, but we searched for 6 months and couldn't find anything that we loved.  Darrell found the name Parker and I fell in love with it. I wanted to name him Parker McCrea, because my Daddy's middle name is McCrea.  BUT, his initials would be PMS.  I just couldn't do it.  Now we are leaning towards a Bible name.  Darrell likes James, because that is his favorite book in the Bible.  My choice is Thomas, but I like James too.

My doctors appointments have now increased to every other week.  We had an appointment this past Wednesday and Parker was estimated to be weighing in around 4 lbs.  We were both healthy!  Thank God for that and thank all of you guys for your prayers!

Major changes in my pregnancy include MAJOR heartburn.  Heartburn that keeps me up at night.  Heartburn that makes me sleep sitting straight up.  My doctor told me last week I can take Zantac to help and it has been a tremendous help.  I am finally getting some good sleep!  I also have some carpal tunnel that has flared due to the swelling in my hands/feet.  I have to wear a wrist brace for both hands while I am at work and while sleeping.  I look a little crippled, but I really don't care because it provides a little comfort.

I have been much much more hungry since my third trimester started.  I feel like there is a hole in my stomach that is never full.  I have also been SO emotional.  I can cry for any reason at anytime...just try me!

My belly looks like I have swallowed a watermelon.  This last few weeks are when the baby is supposed to do all the growing, so if you can imagine it, my belly is going to only get BIGGER!

  

Parker is very active with me!  He seems to be a little shy with others.  He will move all day/night but as soon as someone wants to feel him, he stops.  Imagine that.  I was extremely shy when I was little, so maybe he will be like Mommy.  =)

We have read to Parker a few nights.  His favorite book right now seems to be Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  =) (Special thanks to Carine!)

Parker also gets the hiccups on a daily basis.  It is the most amazing thing in the world to watch your little boy hiccup inside your belly.  There is no way you can see something like that and not believe that there is a God.

The past 6 weeks have included 2 baby showers!  We thank each and every one of you for the gifts you bestowed on Parker.  He is already so loved!  Not to take anything away from anyone who gave us a gift, or attended a shower, but my brother and his wife drove from Ashburn, VA to attend the baby shower our church threw us.  That was a 5.5 hour drive!  As if the drive wasn't a gift in itself, they also showered little man with gifts, including this perfect little name monogram.  One of my favorite gifts!  Parker is going to love his uncle Josh and Aunt Katie so much!!

We also have one more shower this week that my work is giving!  They just told me about it last week and to say we are more than blessed is an understatement. 

The past 6 weeks have also included some major working/organizing on the nursery.  

Cameron loves to go in the nursery and attempts to eat all of Parker's toys.  Especially the stuffed animals.  He can climb onto the glider and into the crib to try to get the stuffed animals...he is going to have some major adjusting to do.  I did not pose him for the below photo...Cameron thinks the baby room is his room and refuses to move when I try to take a photo.

We are so so so excited for Parker to arrive.  I am already dreading taking him to daycare, but, very thankful that we found a good daycare.  It's at a very small church and they have devotional time and teach about Jesus.  The people are very very sweet, and it of course came highly recommended. 

Hopefully it won't be another 6 weeks before I post again.  If it is, hopefully Parker will have made his appearance by then!  Please continue to pray for Parker and I!  Love you all!

27 Weeks

It has been forever.....I know! The heat has taken its toll on this pregnant lady. Otherwise there has been no real different news in the last few weeks.


My quality of sleep really stinks...I spend most nights aching with leg cramps, peeing, and being woke up by a kicking baby... I wouldn't change the kicking part for the world!!! The rest of it, I just keep telling myself we are getting a little bit closer everyday!


Baby Southern is VERY active!! Not only can you feel him move...anytime he moves you can see it, because my whole belly moves. I have been talking to people and suddenly my belly starts jerking around and they are like WHOA, was that your baby?! So he doesn't seem to be bashful!


I feel him mostly when I am still. When I am up and about I think I am too distracted to pay attention. And I especially feel him when I get hungry, he kicks me too death!


My feet occasionally swell when I am out in the heat or on them longer than normal, unless I am wearing tennis shoes.


It's getting a little harder to maneuver this belly. My sweet sweet Mama painted my toe nails for me this past weekend because it's hard for me to get to my toes. =)


We finally got all of the baby furniture put together! Actually, my husband and my daddy did! Thank God for them!


We bought a TON of clothes from a girl at work, Sara, and Baby Southern is now clothed for the first year of his life! I hardly have room to store all of the clothes. We also bought a nice car seat and stroller from Darrell's cousins Kevin and Margaret. Everything is slowly coming together. We even have a small list of names that we are deciding on.


Cameron loves the baby right now. He constantly lays, sniffs, and licks my belly. He's not used to Mama having this big ole belly, so I'm not so sure he's got it all figured out yet. Hopefully he won't have too much trouble adjusting when the baby comes...


It's hard to believe that we are already at the 7 month mark...this pregnancy is flying by...our little bundle of joy will be here before we know it...thank you so much for all of the prayers and continue to pray for us!!

Weeks 22 & 23

These last two weeks have been my favorite 2 by far!

There has been so much movement from the baby!  It is so amazing to watch my stomach bulge when he moves and he moves A LOT!  The most special part was that Darrell was finally able to feel the baby too!  We had a check up 3 weeks ago and I asked the Dr. when  Darrell would be able to feel the baby too, he seemed to think it would be another month.  Then 2 days later I was laying in bed reading and the baby was moving like he was doing flips!  I got Darrell to feel and of course he stops and then suddenly WHAM, he kicked us both!  Darrell was so cute!  He couldn't believe that I get to feel this all the time.  And, it was SO nice to be able to share it with him because it's harder for the Dad to relate since his body isn't going through any changes.

Since then, he moves all the time!  But if you try to catch him doing it, and feel it yourself, he will of course stop.  The minute you take your hand off of my belly, he goes right back at it.  He's already sneaky.  =)

I have felt the best the last 2 weeks that I have the whole pregnancy.  My dad even came over and spent the whole Saturday with Darrell unloading the spare room and turning into a nursery.  It is still a work in progress, but here is a before and after.  We have one more dresser to put together.

And as promised, here is an ultrasound picture.  One of our favorites.  Little guy decided to put his finger up over his face - I am hoping that is not his middle finger!  SO CUTE!

Heres a picture from this week.  Can't believe we are already 6 months along.  Where has the time went?
Thank you for all of your prayers!