Sleep is a beautiful thing.

Of course, I wouldn't know of that beauty because our little princess has not been sleeping well this week! It is mostly my fault -- or at least I blame myself. She has been eating real fruits and veggies for almost 2 weeks. She loves them!! So far she has had sweet potatoes, sweet peas, pears, prunes. The problem is ... she loves them, but they do not love her back! My poor baby has been up multiple times this week screaming, supposedly because her stomach hurts. At least that is our best thought.

Last night, I finally gave her a glycerine suppository. Wow! What an experience! Who knew that much could come out of such a little thing. (We even threw away a towel because it just wasn't worth the effort to clean up!) We were sure that we were going to finally get a good nights sleep, because how could she NOT sleep after the night she'd had?!

Well, she didn't sleep. She does good until midnight or so, and then its all over! We were up with her multiple times. She finally got in a good sleep pattern about the time to get up. So, I sent her to school in her pajamas and a wet diaper so that I wouldn't have to wake her up. Don't worry, I sent real clothes and her daddy will change her when he gets there!!

So, I think now we are going to back off of food for several days. I am sad by this because it has been so much fun for all of us to see how well she is eating her food. But, I cannot feed her if her little system isn't ready to digest it yet. On a positive note, I have some great pictures of her eating ... I'll try to get them up this weekend.

Please pray that her body will regulate and that we will be able to get some sleep this weekend. I'm getting a cold, and I think its because my body feels run down. Oh, and of course going from temps in the 70s to 30s don't really help!

Sarah's first snow!

On March 1, 2009, Sarah saw snow for the first time. Granted, we live in Alabama, so it may be the only time she sees it for several more years! I know that it is cold and that our child is prone to ear infections, but do you really think I'm going to let this event happen without her getting outside in it!?

We bundled her up and took her outside. It was hard to tell what she thought about it. Her little eyes were watery and her nose and cheeks were red from the cold. At least she didn't hate it!

More images from the past month

Here am I with my two favorite children ... Sarah and Gus. This month, Sarah had her first sleepover with her cousin Steven Riley. Also, she enjoyed Grandpa coming for a visit.

February

Wow! The weeks just seem to fly by. The month of February was full of excitement as usual. Sarah came down with her second major bout of ear infections. I turned 33 years old, Sarah turned 100 days old. We also had her dedication at church. The following are some of our favorite images from the month.




To my little Saree-bug ...
I can't believe that you are already 100 days old. The time has gone by so fast. It is hard to believe that you were growing inside of me for all of those months and that now I have you here to hold. I love you so much. You mean the world to me. I am so honored and blessed to have you as my daughter. One day, we will be great friends. I want you to be able to share your life with me. I promise to not judge you to harshly, but allow you to make decisions and mistakes in your life. I believe that it is important for your daddy and I to allow you to fail from time to time, because that is what happens sometimes ... but know that your daddy and I will always be there to pick you up and start you back down the path again. We will always be here for you little bug. You are our everything. I love you from here to forever.
Love,
Mommy

Sarah Update

This week (Wednesday), Sarah will be 12 weeks old. We took her to the doctor today to check her ears to make sure that she is ear-infection free. Michael and I had our suspicions, since she has had a mild (99*) fever for most of the weekend. However, her ears look clear! Dr. Stone said that he only guarantees his diagnosis for ear infections for 24 hours -- after that, all bets are off and she could develop one still! The biggest surprise was her weight. She now weighs 10 pounds 5 ounces. Can you believe it?! She's growing up! :)

Praise Report -- Michael's mom is doing very well following her surgery last week. She is being able to eat some pureed foods and tolerate liquids well. One of our friends from sunday school even assisted in her surgery -- thanks Dr. Scarcliff!

Have a great weekend.

S.W.A.K. (Sealed with a Kiss)

I found this fun little challenge today, read the accompaning post that I copied over for your viewing (and kissing) pleasure!
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My hubby and I have been married 14 years.
We have three children.
We've been thru a lot.
I think we have a great marriage. We communicate well. We fight fair.
But I want it to be even better.
And it starts with me.

Busy schedules, demanding children, job pressures and selfishness gives our marriage a beating. And we have to fight to keep it healthy, to keep it passionate.

I entered this New Year wanting to initiate more time for us. I want to capture moments to remind him that before all of this, there was just us. The two of us.

I was flipping through January's Woman's Day Magazine and a title caught my attention "Lock Lips with Your Husband."

Reading the blurb, I learned that there is an actual chemical released when you kiss called The Cuddle Chemical. It produces a euphoric feeling. And an unplanned passionate kiss increases the chemical.

Now, let's be honest. I kiss my hubby everyday. A peck here. A smooch there. But a knock-his-socks off K-I-S-S? Well, there's dinner and a toddler pulling on my leg, a ringing phone, and endless homework. And not to mention the utter exhaustion I feel at the end of the day.

Well. You know. It's hard.

I'm issuing my own personal Kiss Challenge for myself. For 30 days, starting Feb. 1st, I'm planning to passionately lock lips with my hubby. To block out all distractions for a few minutes and lay one on him.

I think just this one simple act will speak volumes to my man.

{You can secretly join in too if you up to some serious smooches}

The days leading up to Valentine's Day (Feb. 11-13), I will be having a little S.W.A.K. carnival. I want you to link up a post honoring your hubby anytime during those three days. It can be how you met, your first kiss, what you're doing to celebrate Valentine's Day, or about your own personal Kiss Challenge.

For several days, I will be sharing some of my marriage secrets, my fau paxs and what I've learned.

You might also want to stock up on some chap stick. I'm just sayin'.

Tell me what you think....can we join together {on Valentine's Day} to honor our hubbies in some way?

You DO NOT have to join the Kiss Challenge to link up to the Valentine's Day carnival!

Food for the Soul:
Song of Solomon 1:16 "[ Beloved ] How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant."




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So, I can relate ... Michael and I will have been married 3 years in March. It has been a wonderful three years. But, now that Sarah is here ... our time together (just us) is limited! Also, we are involved in a marriage mentoring class at church. We want to be intentional with our marriage and put each other first. Without each other, there would be no family unit! So, think about it ... are you up to the challenge? Want to participate in the SWAK carnival?

Happy Monday!

my little angel

Such a pretty girl ...

My poor little angel ... not happy during this picture.

Our little Anne Geddes baby ...

Sarah is already praying ... now I lay me down to sleep ...

Here are some pictures that we took last week at a place in town. I thought they turned out very well. I can't believe that she is already 11 weeks old. She is sleeping through the night (knock on wood, cross fingers, etc.) most nights.

Also, please pray for a few people this week --

My friend Amanda's mom passed away last week. A family at church lost their three month old little boy to SIDS. Michael's mom had hernia repair surgery.

Sarah's sick

Well, it finally happened. Sarah got sick. Just last night we were talking about how we were so lucky that Sarah had not really been sick yet. Oh sure, she's had the sniffles, but nothing really to speak of. Well, Michael has been sick for a week so it was bound to happen.

Michael called me today from school and told me that Sarah hada fever. I went to pick her up from school and took her to the doctor. It's a good thing! She has an ear infection in one ear, the other ear almost is infected and she has bronchiolitis. So, now we have our first antibiotic.

On a positive note, Sarah weighs 9 pounds and 10 ounces! :)

I forgot

I'm sorry that I haven't posted more regularly. In essence, I forgot! After all, we have an 8 week old!! Actually, she's 8 weeks today, so happy birthday sweetiepie! :)

Life is great! Michael and I both are back at work full time. The transition from stay at home mom with a newborn, back to work ... not very fun. I was sad to go to work and not be at home with Sarah, but I know that it is for the best. She is at school each day with her daddy. They are quickly forming a very strong bond during the two-hour long commute (round trip) to work each day.

Sarah is eating much better than in previous weeks. She is fairly consistent about eating 4 ounces at a time. She is also sleeping more. Most of the time, she will go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00, wake up and eat at 12ish and 2:30ish. Then we have to wake up her up around 5:30 or 6:00 to eat and get ready for school!

On a more serious note, Michael's mom may be having surgery on her esophagus later this month. It is a pretty dangerous surgery, but we are optimistic that it will fix a lot of her problems. Also, our friend Amanda's mom is in the hospital in Little Rock. She has been undergoing treatment for myeloma, but now she has pneumonia. Please pray for both of these situations.

Hope things are going well for all of you. We will try to post some pictures over the weekend so that you can see how much Sarah has grown! She is now 23 inches long (90th %) and weighs 8 pounds 12 ounces (30th %).

Week 3 Update

Well, today Sarah is three weeks old! It is so hard to believe that she is already that old. In so many ways, I feel like she has been in our lives forever. She has certainly made life much better! She is such a joy to be around. She has the cutest little expressions on her face when she is sleeping or looking around at the world.

Gus is adjusting to life as a big brother. He is very protective of her. He doesn't really like for new people to be around her. He also has found a new toy -- her pacifier! He likes to sneak up and grab it when she spits it out. If we could only get a good picture of him with it!

We went to the doctor yesterday for her 2 week checkup. She weighs 7 lbs and 2 ounces (yes, that's right ... same as when she was born) and is still 21 inches long. The doctor was pleased with her weight gain, because she had lost some weight before we left the hospital.

Well, it's her nap time ... which means it is time for me to take a shower! Bye!

Our New Life ... family of 4 (including Gus)

Well, it's official ... we are parents! Can you believe it? Lucky for Baby Sarah, we're actually getting the hang of things and life is getting a little bit easier each day.

Well, a week ago tomorrow, our daughter was born. Her name is Sarah Mae Crawley. She was born at 12:33 pm and weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces. She was delivered via C-Section because she was in the breech position.



The surgery went really well. We only had a minor scare with Sarah. The overall mood in the OR was relatively light and happy. They had managed to get most all of her out, but then the mood drastically changed. Her head was stuck. Another doctor rushed in to assist and they were able to get her out. She needed some extra oxygen and they worked on her a little extra, but she was fine. Initial Apgar score was 3 (very scary), but then the second score was a 9!! I recovered very quickly from the surgery. I was up moving about with minimal pain on the next day. Granted, I think I moved around a little too much because I was sore on Friday! Oh well ... I'll live!

The next few days are a bit of a blur. There was some concern with her left hip. She showed some signs of possible hip dysplasia, but they did an ultrasound and determined that it was ok. We will have another ultrasound on it in January, but for now it looks fine. The last day that we were there, they told us that she was looking jaundiced. Her bilirubin levels were a bit high so we had to make an appointment to go to the pediatrician on the next day and have it rechecked. It ended up that she was fine.

Life at home is interesting ... she sleeps great during the day, but not so much at night. She is eating well and the diapers are an experience! :) Gus is adjusting to a new life in the house. He is confused as to why his mom and dad are spending so much time with this little blob that just lays around all the time. He gets scared and protective when she cries. He will sometimes bark at us when we change her diaper because he is worried that we are hurting her. Dressing her is an experience. As many of you know, we have a ton of clothes for her ... however nothing really fits her! Since I had gestational diabetes, there was the concern that she would be bigger at birth. Well apparently I did an amazing job of controlling it :), because she is little! When we left the hospital, she was 6 lbs. 6 ounces. Even the "newborn" clothes are big on her! Oh well, she'll grow into them.

All in all, we are doing well. We appreciate all of the phone calls, texts, and emails. Sorry we don't respond to them all, but we have gotten them and are thankful for such wonderful friends. We would love for you to meet Sarah. Also, her pictures are on the Brookwood website if you want to see those (http://www.bwmc.com/CWS/VirtualNursery.aspx?URLid=4269635085). I've also attached a few more pictures from the past week.

I know ...

I don't need the reminders or guilt trips! I know that we are WAY overdue for a posting. What can I say!? I'm 9 months pregnanct and my brain is full of just a few other minor details other than posting saying that things are going well! :)

However, this post is different. I have big news to share ...

Mark your calendars for November 19, 2008 at 12:15. Sarah Mae Crawley will be making her debut by scheduled C-section! I just wanted you all to know.

My twice weekly doctor visits are continuing to go well and my sugars are mostly managed with my 3 shots of insulin daily. Non-stress tests continue to show good development. Two weeks ago on the weekly ultrasound, Sarah weighed 5 lbs and 14 ounces, so her size is exactly where it needs to be.

We got the car seat installed in my car and the stroller is put together. Most of the clothing is washed and ready for her. The monitor is in place, the bottles are ready in case we need them ... am I missing something!? Still have to pack bags for all of us at the hospital, but maybe I'll get to that over the weekend.

Well, I need to get back to work. I'll try to write more later this week.

4D Pictures of Sarah

As Jennifer said in her post we did get some pictures of Sarah today. Here they are for your viewing pleasure!!!

In a much better mood today

Well, today is a better day! We went to the doctor this morning and did our 4-D ultrasound. Sarah cooperated a little better today and we got a few pictures, but she is now completely breech instead of being horizontal. I don't care, as long as she is comfortable and healthy -- which she appears to be! :)

The doctor still really wasn't pleased with my blood sugar numbers, so he prescribed a form of long-lasting insulin that I will take at night before bedtime. Yes, one more needle going into my body. But that's okay. I'm fine with it now. Whatever works!

I also asked for a referral to a diabetic educator. It turns out that it got overlooked at my last appointment and that I should have been referred to one as soon as I got diagnosed. Well ... imagine that?! Going to someone immediately to learn about your problems, rather than waiting 2 weeks and having countless mental breakdowns?! So, the nurse called the diabetic center and the lady was actually able to see me right then. We waited on her, she came and got us, and then we went to her office. Needless to say, when you have correct and accurate knowledge, anything seems doable! After speaking with her for almost 2 hours, Michael and I both feel better about the situation. She explained to me the things that I'm supposed to watch out for, the information to look for on nutritional labels, and most important ... she gave me a new glucometer that doesn't hurt my fingers!!! Yeah!

So, things seem much more manageable now. It will still be hard and I still have to figure out what works best for me, but at least for now, things seem to be looking up! I go back in one week so that they can see my numbers and see how I have reacted with the insulin. But, stress also makes the numbers go up higher, and I have definitely been feeling stressed. So hopefully, things are looking better. No, in fact, I am saying that things are better. I feel relief from knowing more, knowing that Sarah is doing well, and just have more peace of mind today -- and that is half the battle!

Thank you for your prayers and support. Also, thanks Jennifer for including us on your blog ... I'm thinking girl! :)

It's been a while ...

I know that I haven't been good at blogging lately; I'm sorry, but I've had a lot on my mind. First of all, I went a few weeks ago and did my glucose screening test. Well, I failed that miserably! The 1 hour finger stick came back at 204 -- they wanted it at 139 or less. The next week, I went to do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Well, I failed that one too. So, now I am officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

I am trying hard to come to terms with it all. It has been 2 weeks since I was told. The doctor told me at that time that he was borderline with going ahead and prescribing insulin, or letting me try the diet. Well, we basically talked him into letting us try the diet. It really isn't bad. In fact, its a lot of food. For instance, breakfast should consist of 2 starches, 1 protein, 1 dairy, 1 fruit and 1 fat. So, I've had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich some mornings. That isn't bad, but I'm still missing a fruit. I'm having to test my blood sugar 5 times a day. Once in the morning, right after I wake up, and 2 hours after each meal, and again at bedtime. Well, the numbers at wake-up should be under 90 and the ones after meals should be under 120. Needless to say, my fasting (wake-up numbers) have been over 90 every day. Also, my meal time numbers have been over 120 for at least 1-2 meals per day.

I've been having a really hard time struggling with the fact that I am not being able to do it on my own. I think that is why I haven't really felt like writing anything about it. Sure, I can put on a good front and tell you that I'm doing fine. But at home, I'm sad and mopey and upset because I'm potentially putting my precious baby girl at risk. I'm supposed to take care of her and provide her a safe living environment until she's born, but lately I feel like i'm doing a crappy job of keeping her safe. Michael always says the right things and cheers me up and motivates me, but I still feel depressed about it.

I am going to discuss it with the doctor when we go on Wednesday, but I feel certain that I'll be on medication by the end of the week and this time I'm not going to fight him on it. I can't do it by myself.

In other exciting/frustrating news ... 2 weeks ago we tried to see Sarah on the 4-D ultrasound. However, true to form, little bit wanted to hide! She kept her hands and feet in front of her face the entire time!! However, we will try again on Wednesday. I hope she cooperates this time. Her momma needs to see her and know that she's doing fine in her little temporary home! In other news, the ultrasound did tell us that she weighed 3.2 pounds and was measuring a week and a half ahead of schedule. Also, she was sitting completely horizontal at this time. Granted, there is still plenty of time for her to shift; but, if she were to be born today, she'd be considered breech and a c-section baby!

Other fun happenings!!!
Michael and I went to the Greek Festival on Friday night. It was so much fun. Michael had never been before, and he had a great time. We had wonderful food, saw some Greek dancing and had lots of fun! On Saturday, we went to Babypalooza at Brookwood Mall. This is basically a big event that highlights all sorts of baby vendors (photographers, stores, furniture, etc) in the Birmingham area. We collected lots of "baby bucks" from the vendors and used it to "buy" some stuff at the Ultimate Baby Shower. We "bought" a set of infant toys/rattles and also some swaddling blankets. We also got to eat lunch with our good friends -- Amy, Keith and Tyler. Tyler turned a year old last week. He raced in the diaper derby on Saturday and won! We are so proud of him!!

Also of note, I have two baby showers that are coming up soon. One is given to me by some of my very best friends from church and Michael's sister is hosting the second one that will be more for just family. I'm excited about seeing all of the wonderful things that people give to us and to Sarah. We are blessed to have so many wonderful friends.

Well, I know that this post has been really long, but you've been asking what's going on ... so there you have it! I'll let you know later this week if little miss sarah cooperates for her close-up on Wednesday. Have a great day!

It's official ... Sarah is growing up, and out!

I'm really pregnant. I know that you already knew that, but I really am -- all of a sudden!! Seriously, over the weekend, I swear my stomach all of a sudden doubled in size. I read online that my uterus is now the size of a basketball (week 27), and I believe it!

My co-workers noticed the difference immediately and several of the daycare parents also stopped me and commented. Two of them had not even realized I was pregnant at all and then to tell them that I am 7 months! Wow!

Anyway, I'm continuing to feel pretty good. We got our chair put into the room over the weekend. I'll have to figure out how to post pictures, but everything is starting to come together and look really good! We have all the major stuff ready for Sarah to come home, but I think I'll let her keep growing for a while! I'm happy and excited to meet her, but I don't want to rush her!

depressing ...

I probably have gestational diabetes. Yeah me!! (do you hear the sarcasm?) Well, I guess I will start at the beginning. My mom went with me to the doctor yesterday for my 26 week checkup -- 26 weeks ... can you believe it!? I had to have the blood sugar screening test. I had to drink the nasty syrupy sweet orange drink and then wait an hour and have my finger pricked. Well, the cut-off is 139. Get ready ... my level was 204. I know, unbelievable! So then they whisk me down to the lab for more blood work. That level came back today as 174. I have to go for the three hour test next week. I don't know why they won't just go ahead and let me start on the GD diet, instead I have to load up on sweets for 3 days prior to my test. Desserts with meals and 2 sweet snacks per day. I don't even really like sweets! Ok, I'll try to quit complaining. I know people are tired of hearing it already.

In other great news ... the baby furniture is in and it looks great! It is so pretty in Sarah's room. We will have to post pictures of it soon. Hopefully our chair will come in either this week or next and then we can start decorating! Also, the dates for the showers are set. So that is another positive thing for me to be excited about. In 2 weeks, Michael and I will go for our 4-D ultrasound. I can't wait to see Sarah's face and start to really connect with her. There's just something about being able to see your baby's actual face and features. Incredible how technology makes so many things possible.

Michael starts class on Monday night. He'll be taking a computer class every Monday (until December) at the University of Montevallo. He's interested in going back to get another Master's Degree. This time in Secondary Education. This will allow him to get his Alabama Teaching Certificate so that he would be able to teach in a public school (if he wants to).We're excited about that, but also very apprehensive about what that means for the future. Oh well, God already had that part figured out. I need to remember that and quit worrying about stuff like that. Don't I have enough to worry about already? :)

Need to learn how to drive?

If so, I know a wonderful Driver's Education teacher who is newly certified. Yes, Michael made it through the two weeks of Driver's Ed Hell! It really did seem to be that bad at some points in the past two weeks. I'm sure that he may post more about it later, but I'll try to hit the highlights. Keep in mind that everything had to be passed with 80% or higher, or else it was considered a failing grade. Over the past two weeks ...

• Michael had a test almost every day.
• Had to learn the boating manual and take the licensing test -- he passed. (Do you need him to drive your boat this weekend? We're available!)
• Had to take the Alabama Driver's Manual test.
• Had to complete 30 days of lesson plans (complete with Course of Study information, goals/objectives, materials needed, action needed to teach, evaluation materials included, etc)
• Had to teach the class about a particular point within the manual. his area was right of way and emergency vehicles. This had to be done via Power Point slides.
• Spent a week driving around town with State Department representatives simulating him being the student and also being the teacher.

Needless to say, it was exhausting! However, I'm happy and proud to say ... he made A's on everything and received his certification! Yea ... I love you honey!

Long Overdue Posting (Baby Week 24)

I know ... I don't even need to hear it! I know that it has been almost a month since we posted -- but, we're busy people! :) Earlier in July, we went to Mobile to visit my best friend April. We have known each other since college. We've survived weird boyfriends, psycho friends, marriages, kids, etc. Well, it was her birthday, so we went to visit her and to shop in Foley. Michael got lots of clothes for school from his favorite store - Banana Republic- and I got some clothes from the only place that fits me right now - Motherhood Maternity. We stayed at a shady place (Baymont Inn), but what do you expect for $65 a night?!

We've also been MIA from church lately. What can I say -- I'm pregnant!? Some days I don't feel good. I've still been getting sick some mornings. I thought morning sickness was supposed to be over by the second trimester, but mine is still lingering. I've also added car sickness to my new fun list of ailments. Aside from visiting Mobile, we've also attended church where we got married. They had recently redone the sanctuary and we wanted to see it. While it looks nice, we still prefer the old way better. Looked much more traditional and churchy. We also went to church there because we wanted to go to Sunday School. This is the church where Michael grew up. His family still attends. We went to Sunday School with his sister and her fiance. Yes, that's right ... I said fiance. They will be getting married in March and will be moving to Odenville. While Michael's mom is very upset and semi-depressed about this, I personally feel that this will be an excellent move for Melissa and Doug. She has lived across the street from her parents for most of her adult life; it is time for her to spread her wings and fly!

In baby news ... the room is painted and all furniture is ordered and awaiting delivery. Michael and his dad painted the baby's room earlier in July. It is about the color of a yummy chocolate milkshake. We've hung up the curtains and now we're just waiting on furniture. I am excited about seeing it all in the room. One of our neighbors recently brought us over a large bag full of baby clothes that they no longer need, so Sarah is getting quite the little wardrobe! Sarah is moving around much more lately. Michael still can't feel her, but I feel like it won't be too much longer because her kicks are getting stronger each week. In 2 weeks, I have to go for the blood sugar test. I am worried about taking it because my mom is diabetic. I am trying to watch my foods and make sure that I will not be eating excess sugar for the week preceding the test. Mom is going to go with me to the test. She'll get to hear the heartbeat. She's so excited. She's going to need to buy a new car pretty soon because by the sound of things, she's planning on being here with Sarah a lot!! :)