12 plus pounds of "N.O."

So, my sweet little girl has decided that she can tell me when she does not want something. Lovely.

Not only does she push things away but she always spits at me. Really? I know she is just letting me know how she feels and I am all about expressing our feelings, but I really do need her to cooperate. Ha!
Julia is enjoying solids right now. She loves sweet potatoes and pears. I offered her peas and the reaction... "NO" Guess we will try again in a few days.

She is also teething. I am thrilled about this milestone. However, I am not so thrilled about her response when I offer her a bottle...again, the same reaction... "NO"

I think she is weighing more than 12 pounds. I have not put her on a baby scale..just the regular scale when I hold her, weigh, then put her down and weigh...yikes! Still not a very pretty number. I have to admit, I have lost over 30 pounds since giving birth. But, those great skinny jeans don't fit quite yet. But, enough about me.

Julia is blowing bubbles at us as well as spitting at us. Very amusing. She thinks so. She is showing us her personality and we are just taking it all in. She also just started sitting up a few days ago. I cannot leave her alone like that but she can sit on her own for a good little while without help. She is also scooting when I put her on her tummy. Not very far...but enough to reach those toys she wants.

I also heard her say "mama" the other night. I do not think she associates the word with me, but I enjoyed hearing it nonetheless.

I am really looking forward to the day she can actually say "NO".

4 months and growing....

We had our 4 month well baby check up a couple of weeks and here are our STATS:

weight: 11.5 lbs
height: 22.5 inchs
head: 15.5

percentile: 5%

Yep...still a little bitty girl.

And...what are we doing these days:

Rolling over
Holding and grabbing for toys
Sitting up with assistance
Eating everything we can get our hands on...including our hands and toes
"Sampling" rice cereal and sweet potatoes
Taking our pacifier out of our mouth and putting it back in
Going to church
Talking..talking..and more talking....and some "happy" screaming.
Sleeping in our crib (the delay was all my fault)
Enjoying tummy time
Laughing
Trying to hold our bottle

Our personality emerges....

Julia loves the outdoors, and is strongwilled, hard headed, demanding and has a bit of a temper...mmm...takes after mommy....
But, she can also be quiet, observant and silly..and loves to watch football...mmm...guess she has her daddy in her too.

We are so blessed and are enjoying watching out little gremlin grow (dad's nickname).

And I didn't even take a class....

Sometimes you just have to do it.

Like decorating, I never took a class on parenting. I read a lot of books and online articles. But, I never attended an "actual" class. Women's hospital offers several and I thought about it several times. I just never signed up. Pottery Barn offers classes too....never signed up for one of those either. I realize decorating and parenting are not even in the same category, but I can make an analogy nonetheless.

I do not know how to decorate and it usually takes me years to buy something new for my house. This is especially true if it is a big purchase. Similarly, I did not have Julia until I was almost 30. Having a baby is not like making a big furniture purchase --- but, in a way it kind of is. I like to take my time..plan..be prepared and make a good decision. I took my time and waited until I was ready for Julia. Or atleast I thought.

The last few months have been so challenging. I have felt so many emotions...joy, excitement, stress, anxiety and even depression. Parenting is so challenging and very rewarding. However, I really have had to learn as I go. Like books, I am not sure that a class could have prepared me for this. I have accepted the fact that I cannot do this perfectly and I will make mistakes. I have learned that Julia is not like everyone else's baby and she will do things at her own pace. I have acknowledged that I cannot do this alone and that I need guidance from many people. But, I also know that at the end of the day-- I am my child's biggest advocate and I have to do what I think is best for her.

So, like decorating, I never took a class on parenting. I just go with my instincts and do the best that I can. It occurs to me that Julia is happy and healthy...even though she is a little bit. And...my mantle looks good too. :)

At our 2 month appointment, Julia weighed in at 9 pounds 11.5 ounces and she was 20.5 inches long. She is in the 25% for weight and 5% for height. The doctor expects little Julia to be no taller than 5'2''. I know what you are thinking...what a little baby! Yes, yes, she is. However, she is PERFECTLY healthy and meeting all of her milestones. She is just a little baby girl. Dr. Tribou says we shouldnt expect a volleyball player-- I say cheerleader or gymnast! Julia FINALLY loves to play in her activity gym, can grab and swat at toys, smiles, laughs and coos. She can bear weight on her legs and does mini push ups...and we all know she can hold her head up very well. She is not rolling over yet and I suspect this is because she hates to be on her tummy. Tummy time is usually done in short intervals because she starts screaming. She is very alert and does not like to miss anything. She is sleeping for about 6 hours straight and we are happy with that right now. Our only challenge is that Julia likes to snack (taking 3 oz bottles) and does not really seem interested in taking much more than that right now. However, I have been reassured by our pediatrician that she is "getting what she needs." I am still pumping, breastfeeding and giving her formula. I am not sure how long this will last after I go back to work. So, all in all, Julia is doing great-- just a tiny fire ball!

In other news....we loved our first football game with daddy!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Smock Dresses, bows and lace socks-- what kind of message are we sending?

When I found out I was having a daughter, my head spun as I dreamed about all of the adorable little outfits I was going to dress her in. Her closet was FULL before she was ever born! I could not help myself. There were just too many cute things out there. She has several smock dresses--- thanks to some very wonderful friends and family who bought her tons of dresses, little white socks with ruffles and lace and several bows (even though she does not have enough hair to wear them yet). I love all things pink and girly.

However, reality quickly sunk in when Ms. Julia actually arrived. She has worn A smock dress ONE time for MAYBE 4 hours. She does wear her socks...but as mentioned above, she has not worn a bow or a headband yet. Most days she wears little onsies or footies. It is just more practical.

So, in a few weeks, she will start daycare. I asked my mom what I should dress her in? She told me to dress her in something comfortable. makes sense! Today I could not help but look at all of the "first day of school" pictures posted on facebook. I have never seen so much smock, lace socks and bows! Yes, I agree that your daughter LOOKS SUPER CUTE! However, I wonder if sending your child to school in such things is practical considering they will be playing with paint, markers, mud and who knows what else. Can she really romp around on the playground in that dress? I cannot even believe I am writing these things, but it has really made me think. Where is the balance? Someone told me that my daughter will be running around the yard in her smock dresses.....seems really funny since we live in the country and our yard is basically woods, dirt, etc! Should we limit smock to special occasions or should our daughters wear these dresses all the time? Maybe overalls arent so bad after all? Shouldnt she be more well rounded? patent shoes and cowboy boots?

If we dress our daugthers in ruffles and bows all the time, what kind of message are we sending? I believe that little ladies should dress and act like little ladies. However, where is the adventure if you are forced to do this all of the time? Not to mention at some point, our daughters will realize that NOT everyone wears smock dresses. Will she wonder why? I am as guilty as everyone else-- Julia has more smock dresses than she will ever wear and I havent even washed all of her lace socks yet.
If you have ever met me, you know that I go to work in high heels, skirts and pearls EVERYDAY! So, naturally, I want her to be girly and I want her to dress her up. But, I also want her to know that it is ok to get her feet dirty.



Maybe smock dresses in the country is exactly what we need---- it just has to be ok if she gets dirty :)

So I am getting personal

Before Julia I did not really write much on my blog. But, since I have been staying home more because I am on maternity leave, I have been more motivated to write more on my blog.

Anyways, I was released from my doctor on Monday. This is great news! I am so excited that I am healing well and that I can resume normal activities. I was thrilled to hear that I can finally start working out again!~ soo ready to lose this last 20 (yikes) pounds. At the end of the of the appointment, my doctor handed me a prescription. Ugh....a prescription for b.c.

I only took birth control for about one year when Ben and I first got married. I was still in law school and Ben was a young attorney. We thought it was the right decision at the time. However, we soon decided that it was not right for us and we did it the natural way. IT worked great and when we were ready for little Julia, we got little Julia. WHAT a blessing!

Now, we are once again faced with the decision of whether or not to take b.c. Is it right for us right now? I actually did some research on this so called mini pill. It is the only b.c. I can take while breastfeeding. So, my research started because I wanted to know more about any affects it may have on my little angel. But, what I did not expect to learn was that this particular b.c. WILL ACTUALLY PREVENT a fertilized egg from attaching. :( NOT COOL. I believe that life starts at conception- when the egg is fertilized. I cannot even imagine having that happening to me. The sad thing is I would never know. My heart tells me that this is not right. I just dont think I could handle another baby right now. But, I guess it is not really my decision in the first place.

Marriage and babies....

Ben and I celebrated our five year anniversary this past Friday (July 29, 2011).

I am a planner. I like to set goals. I have short term goals and long term goals.

When I was little, I knew exactly what I wanted to be "when I grew up" and I knew exactly what I needed to do to get there. So, I did what I need to do to achieve my goals.

So, naturally, when I got married, I suggested to my husband that we set some goals...that we plan ahead. I KNOW that not everything can be PLANNED! However, I wanted to do the best that I could to plan things out and work towards some goals.

I always knew I wanted to have a baby. But, having a baby was a long term goal and I had several short term goals in the interim that I needed to focus on. The first thing I needed to do was graduate from law school...which I did in May, 2007. I also wanted to get settled in my career- I have been practicing 4 years this upcoming October. I also wanted to build/buy a house-- we finished building last March, 2010. The other thing I wanted to do was REALLY focus on my marriage. I wanted Ben and I to enjoy eachother and build our relationship before we added someone else to the mix. I am so thankful that we made the decision to wait before having our first child. Here is why.....

Having a baby changes everything. We are so blessed and thankful for little Julia. However, our marriage has really taken the back seat. She demands our attention 100% of the time and we give it to her. This just means we do not always give eachother the attention that we should. This is where building a marriage before having a baby becomes so crucial. With the lack of sleep and your attention focused solely on the little one, you can sometimes forget about your spouse. Not the mention the hormones! The focus is just more on your new baby and less about your marriage. I am so thankful that Ben was so supportive and understanding. I think the effort we put into building a strong marriage really paid off when we had our baby. I always knew we would be ok no matter how stressful things got. Also, I was comfortable and secure in our marriage--- things I think take time to build.

After starting this new adventure-- having a baby and all- I strongly believe that couples should spend some time building a strong marriage BEFORE they have a baby. Ofcourse, this is just my opinion based on my experience. I think we made the right decision.

Laughter

My favorite thing to do with my husband (other than the obvious, which we will not discuss on this blog) is to LAUGH.

I love it when we just crack up- don't say anything, just laugh. It makes me feel so close to him- funny how that is. Why does laughing with your husband make you feel closer to him? Laughter brings us together. It makes our time together special. It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel, well, happy.

I am so blessed that our Julia ALSO LOVES TO LAUGH----

JUNE 22, 2011

So, I was scheduled to be induced at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. I was 41 weeks pregnant at that time, which is obvious from the photos I took that morning.



However, I actually went into labor at about 11 p.m. Although, I did not know that I was in labor because it did not feel anything like what my doctor told me! I had cramps and lower back pain. I ended up calling the doctor on call at like 3 a.m. and he told me I could come in but he didnt think I was in active labor. Things got progressively WORSE! I called my mom and she said that she thought I was in labor. Anyways, long story short, I ended up at the hospital with contractions about 3-5 minutes apart. Obviously I was in active labor.

I got some pitocin and an epidural at around 8 am. I was so excited because I was progressing nicely but then it STOPPED. After 2 pm, I did not progress past 6 cm. But, the doc let me go until 6 p.m. at which time we decided I needed a C-section.

And....this is what we got!



Daddy was so proud of his new baby girl!

Time

Time is everything.

I was pregnant for 41 weeks.
In labor for 18 hours.
Stayed in the hospital for 3 days.
Get approximately 6 hours a sleep a day.
Feed Julia every 2-4 hours.
Am taking 3 months of maternity leave.
Ben and I have been married for 5 years (on July 29).
It has been almost one year since I lost my dad.
Julia will be five weeks old on Wednesday.

Time can be measured in so many different ways...weeks, minutes, hours, days, and years. It is so precious. It is so important. It goes by too fast and it goes by too slow.

I didn't have enough time with him. I sometimes do not cherish the time I have with her. Why is it so complicated?

Has it really been five years? I should be so thankful for everything we have accomplished in such a short time- a marriage, a career, a house, a baby. I am thankful. It just went by too fast.

I have a new goal in life. Take time to cherish the seconds, minutes, hours and days I have with my family. I am going to stop anticipating the next moment and enjoy the one I am in now. My baby is already 5 weeks old. Where did that time go?

I am so thankful for the time I have. The time I will have. The time I had. I wish I had more time. I wish I had embraced time more. I will embrace it now.

Emotional

This will likely be one of the most emotional weeks of my life. First, I am expecting my first child on Thursday. My sweet baby girl Julia is due on June 16. Ofcourse, I am thrilled, anxious, excited, nervous and in complete awe about our new little arrival. It is almost sereal to me. I do not think it will actually hit me until I have her in my arms. What a wonderful moment. But, at the same time, I am remembering my dad. We lost him last August. Saturday is my dad's birthday and Sunday is Father's day. So in the midst of celebrating this little life, I will also be thinking of my very special dad. To make things more emotional, this will be Ben's first Father's day--what a very special day for him as well. I pray that God gives me the strength to embrace all of these emotions. I suppose I am experiencing God in the most extreme way- celebrating life and death at the same time. Our little Julia is my little angel. I guess God knows what he is doing.

On a lighter note...here is a picture from my baby shower and a picture of Julia's room.

33 weeks and counting

I am very much looking forward to meeting my baby girl in less than 2 months. There is so much to do in the mean time and I do not think I have enough time to get it all done. I have planned from the beginning to work until I deliver. Lately, this task seems to be more difficult than I originally anticipated. I have my first trial in less than 2 weeks. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to try a case, but am a bit overwhelmed in trying to get ready for it. We expect the trial to last 5 days and I will be "living" in Amite, Louisiana the whole time. I am not thrilled at the idea but I know it is best for all involved if I do not have to travel back to Baton Rouge every day after the trial. It is not that far, but I do not get to go home afterwards as I would have to prepare for the next day. Needless to say, it is better to be in one place the whole time. Unfortunately, my attention has been focused on preparing for the trial and not the baby. I have tried to set aside weekends to get the baby's room together but have not been that successful. I do have some things done- but I do not feel like I am near as ready as I should be at this point. It crossed my mind the other day that I might need to pack a bag at some point? I guess I just have a lot going on right now. My mom and sisters are coming into town the next few weekends. I hope they can help me get ready! I am really looking forward to being with my baby this summer.....and I am determined to take 3 months off for maternity leave. I know having a new baby is stressful due to lack of sleep, etc. But, I think it will be a nice change of pace and I cannot wait.

3D/4D Ultrasound- Julia at 29 weeks

Here are a few pictures from our 3D/4D ultrasound yesterday.

Addiction or Obsession

Baby Girl Clothes.

Three simple words that describe my latest obsession and/or addiction (depending on how you look at it).

I simply cannot help myself.

In the beginning, I was sure I was having a boy. So, I had accepted the fact that all things would be blue and I would have to look hard to find cute boy clothes. If you have shopped for baby clothes, you know that almost every store has a very small section for boys while the rest of the store is overly stocked with girl clothes. Don't get me wrong- there are lots of cute boy clothes; there is simply more options available for girls. I was also very indecisive about how I would decorate a baby boy's nursery. The one thing I did know was what I would name him. I believe my husband was somewhat relieved at the idea of having a boy as he THOUGHT this meant less shopping. So, when the nurse told us at our 20 week appointment that we were having a girl...all I could do was laugh. Poor Ben- he was thrilled and worried at the same time. He knew what this meant. Two women = Lots of shopping. Ofcourse, he was right- I am already training baby girl for our shopping excursions.

I know that I should stop buying baby clothes. I know that I should atleast buy less. It is just that everytime I walk into a baby store, I am overpowered by my desire to buy all of the cute little girl clothes in the store. There is just so much cute stuff!

I pray that I am not the only mother-to-be with this problem.

Future gymnast or soccer player?

Lately baby girl has been kicking up a storm. I am certain she is doing flips in my stomach. It is very entertaining and sometimes I can hardly keep myself from laughing. However, I find that she decides to kick me at such times that it is inappropriate for me to laugh or give any indication that something is distracting me. For instance, today I was in a very long deposition. I was trying to pay attention to the other lawyer's questions and the witness' answers....however, baby girl had other plans for me. At one point, she kicked me so hard, I literally jumped. Ooops. A couple of weeks ago, I argued in front of the First Circuit Court of Appeal. This was one was of those times that I REALLY needed to pay attention and be 100% focused on what I was saying and doing. Again, baby girl had other plans. She kicked me during my entire 10 minute argument! I guess she was my cheerleader for the day and was supporting her momma. haha.

We are doing great and I am getting bigger. I do not have anything ready for her arrival. Good thing I have 14 more weeks to go.

Baby Girl Chapman

It's a GIRL!

I am almost 26 weeks pregnant and we are moving right along. We found out at 20 weeks that we are expecting a baby girl. Needless to say, I was completely shocked. I felt certain that we were having a little boy. But, it is definitely a little girl. We are still expecting her arrival on June 16, which is certain to be a very eventful week for so many reasons. I know most of you know that I lost my dad last summer. His birthday is June 18. I suspect that the week my baby is born will be very emotional as we will be celebrating her arrival and of course, remembering my dad. But, I know that he will be with us every step of the way. Wouldnt it be neat if she was born on his birthday? I guess God has his only little way of easing our pain here on earth. I know my baby will bring an amazing amount of joy to my family and will over power us with joy during this difficult time. How special is she.

So, more about the nursery. We have begun to prepare for little baby girl's arrival. I know I keep referring to her as baby girl- this is because we have not officially named her. However, if she you ask my husband, he has already named her :) We ordered her crib and dresser (which we will be using as a changing table as well). I have registered and cannot wait for our shower. We are having a couple's shower so Ben can enjoy opening presents as well! After a lot of research, I bought the crib bedding and I couldn't be any more excited! I bought the Hayley print from pottery barn kids, so we are decorating her room in green, pink and chocolate brown. I will post some nursery pictures as soon as we have it ready!