Baby Awesomeness

Good Lord, Thanksgiving is next week.  I can’t believe that we are coming up on the little one’s 2 month milestone.  I feel like I have been living from feeding to feeding, which actually makes the days go by pretty fast. I have wanted to make another blog entry before now, but having more than one free hand for more than a couple of minutes is more precious than I ever could imagine, and until now, those moments have been dedicated to showering, which Clark and Hannah greatly appreciate.

We took the full on crazy pills and took our biannual pilgrimage to the Georgia/Auburn game in Athens last weekend.  The weather was practically perfect and it was so good to get out of Huntsville and this house for a while.  We got to catch up with our friends and have some adult beverages and all in all, just relax and laugh for a while.  Hannah was a huge hit in her War Damn Eagle Onesie, and to be honest, quite the trooper.  We were able to try out our carriers.  The baby bjorn was the easiest to handle.  Other than getting my sweater fuzz all over her face, she napped and charmed our friends all day.  Hannah and I didn’t go into the game, we enjoyed the warm comfort of the Holiday Inn Bar.  Yes, a baby, in a bar.  They had some great couches that allowed the little one to continue her rigorous beauty sleep schedule.

It was our first car trip with Hannah and it went well.  She did her best to stay giggly and sleepy.  I never thought I would be one of those parents that sits in the back with the baby, but if it helps keep her quiet and lets me stare at her beautiful little face, so be it.

We did start to see the changes from our usual game day norms.  The dividing line between those with kids and without reared its ugly head.  Some of our friends went out to hear a band Friday night before the game and our other friends came by our hotel for drinks and then went downtown to meet friends.  Clark and I gladly stayed in and hit the sack.  There was a slight tinge of sentiment to our pre Hannah life of over beveraging and staying out late, but one look at the wee one and it makes it all worth it.

Life as parents continues to be pretty awesome.  Each day is a little different and seeing her grow and learn new things is just unbelievable.  I am so lucky to be able to spend this time with her.

Opinions are like......

We are going on week 3 of parenthood and we have had our share of ups and downs, but the happily the worst has been a few sleepless nights.  Over the past 10 months of both pre and post pregnancy, we have gotten a lot of advice and recommendations from both health care professionals and books on pregnancy and parenthood.  The information from all sources can be summed up as “personal opinions.”  Everything from tests we took while we were pregnant to sleeping recommendations for Hannah now in the first couple of weeks of life are up for interpretations.  One doctor said Hannah was due on the 1^st of October, the other said she was due the 26^th of September.  One book says to let the baby sleep and eat on their own schedule, the other says to set the schedule and let the baby conform to the schedule you set for it.  I think there needs to be big master book for parenthood called “Here are a bunch of things that worked for someone at some point, if they don’t work for you, don’t worry, you could still have a normal child.”  This has been pretty frustrating when you are trying to get a finite answer to a new parent questions, but the more we understand that there is probably more than one answer the less anxious we will be about the answers.

Clark and I have done a good job of sifting through the information and coming up with a solution to a few of the speed bumps we have hit.  We’ll continue to look for different ideas on how to approach problems, but am coming to appreciate how different every child is and what works for one may not work for another.

She's Here, She's Here!

Well the blessed event/day has come and each day after that has been better than the day before.  We have made it through the first week and are tackling the second a day at a time.  Friends and family told us to kiss sleep good bye and they weren’t kidding.  Some nights are better than the other and we think we are learning a little more with every sleepless night.  Overall she has been a dream.  She has already had her first doctor’s appointment and is gaining weight like she should.

The delivery went well and even though I had not originally planned on having a C Section, it went so smoothly, was the safest way to get her out, and was the quickest way for us to meet the little one.  Hannah stayed breech up until the last moment.  I remember when I was on the table, my doctor said “I love when they give me a foot”, two tugs and she was out.  I was relatively calm throughout the procedure, but when I heard her cry out for the first time, I was overwhelmed with astonishment.  I couldn’t believe that she was here; I couldn’t believe that she was ours.  Watching Clark hold her and bring her over to me is something that will stay with me the rest of my life. 

We have been a good team so far.  We have really been able to balance each other out.  Clark has some great intuition about why Hannah does some of the stuff that she does.  He has been a great help.  Some of the nights when she won’t go back to sleep after she eats, he’ll send me back to bed and he’ll rock her or hold her until she drifts back off to sleep.  With work, he has two weeks off and it has been such a blessing to have him home with us.

My parents were here for the delivery and stayed a few days after.  It was wonderful to have them stay with us.  They were able to keep Nixon and be our food and “forgotten items” shuttle from the house to the hospital.  They were both so excited to be there with us and to share in her arrival.

That’s all I can put together for now.  The ol brain isn’t working on full capacity yet, but wanted to get something down.

I have a bunch of pictures of Hannah to share, but I have watched too many Law & Order SVU episodes while I have been home to put them up on the web, and don’t trust Facebook not to sell her beautiful pictures to advertisers.  So if you want to see pictures, just email me and I’ll send you a photo album.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and encouragement.  Can’t wait for all of you to meet her!

Cheers,

Team McCarthy

Will there be an Audible at the line of Scimmage?

My best friend Grace called me yesterday to let me know that I was going to give birth to a baby a week from today.  I laughed because it is something that I am still unable to wrap my head around most days.  With the countdown ticking along, I grow more and more anxious to meet the little one. 

I was changing into my pajamas the other night and caught sight of my tummy in the mirror.  I just stood there looking at it for a while baffled that there is a little girl in there and she is the perfect mix of Clark and me.  She is ours forever.  A miracle like child bearing and birth is just so hard to fully comprehend.  The fact that our bodies are perfectly made to bring additional human beings into this world blows my mind on a daily basis.  Even with all the ups and downs of this pregnancy, we are so blessed to have been given this gift by God.

For the most part, I think we are as ready as we are going to be to bring her home.  We are hanging the mirror in her room this morning and that is the last thing to be done.  Mom and Dad will be down on Thursday night.  It will be nice to have them here to help take care of Nixon while we are in the hospital.  Mom is already putting together her list of recipes from the “freezes beautifully” section of the cookbook to stock up the freezer with.  I’ve packed and repacked my hospital bag.  There is really not much left to do except enjoy the last few days of a quite household.

With the date set, Clark told me that he has mentally prepared himself for delivery on Friday and to not go calling an audible and change it up on him.  I have about as much influence over that as he does, so we’ll see.  Personally, I would still like to be surprised.  I always thought I would have that moment where I call out to Clark and tell him it’s time and we throw the last couple of items in the bag and race off to the hospital.  Just like the scene from She’s Having a Baby when Kevin Bacon packs up the car and drives away without his wife in the car to go around the block when he realizes he is missing something.  But I am sure there will be enough surprises in our future that missing this surprise may be a blessing in disguise.

So unless Hannah calls an audible, I’ll try to get one more blog in before the big day.  Wish us luck!

Best,

Team McCarthy

Light at the end of the tunnel

In the words of Harry in Dumb and Dumber, “so you’re saying there’s a chance”.  My chance in this scenario is that this journey, as promised, will come to an end sometime in the near future and at least I know there will be a big prize at the finish line.  So as I have said before, Hannah is not being a team player.  What I thought was my rib aching all this time is actually a good portion of my internal organs being shoved 4 inches to the North.  Over the last weekend the dull aching pain in my upper right abdomen/rib area turned into a sharper pain.  So on Tuesday, I was sent to the hospital to have them check it out.  Seven hours later I left with the knowledge that Hannah is breech, going east to west with her dome shoved up into my right side, which I should refer to now as the scene of the crime.  She has crowded all my organs and especially my gallbladder, which they think is leaking.

So all of this is to say that now I have a scheduled C section on the 23^rd of September.  It is nice and weird all at the same time to pretty much know the date of her arrival.  I almost think it is cheating in a way.  There is always the chance that she will do her part and turn in the downward direction and come out on her own, but from what they tell me there isn’t a whole lot of room for her to turn. 

I have looked up on the “interweb” for ways to encourage the little miss to turn on her own.  Some of the ones that I have tried are lying with my butt elevated by either pillows or on an ironing board propped up against a couch.  Neither of these is comfortable.  I have also tried putting clothes pins on the outside of my pinkie toes.  This is supposed to be a pressure point that will encourage the baby to get moving.  This may work, but I’ll never know because every time I put them on (or actually Clark put them on because I can touch my toes), Nixon jumped up and pulled them off.  Lastly, I have tried putting a covered ice pack on the top of my abdomen.  Allegedly they do not like the cold and will move away from it.  She moved alright but not in any productive manner.  And I was just afraid that I was freezing her brain or something and probably didn’t leave it on long enough to do anything.

Since sitting and scrunching my stomach for any length of time now is painful, and lying on the extra desk in my office at work was getting awkward, I have stopped working this week.  Nixon has enjoyed the extra company at home, but is frustrated to have to share the remote with me.  So for now I will catch up on my Netflix queue and hot baths.  I know two weeks sounds like a long time now, but I know it will go by fast.

Any good movie suggestions would be great.  Hope this finds you all well!

Team McCarthy

Ticking Time Bomb

Hello last month of pregnancy, can we please come to a gentlewoman’s agreement?  I’ll try to take it easy, rest, and try not to bump things with my belly if you will ease up on my upper abdomen and allow me to go 30 minutes without having to urinate.  Deal?

If only it was that easy.  We are officially in the final stretch.  My best friend Grace described it last night as the top of the ninth inning (they are going to Boston/Fenway this weekend for their anniversary).  If this is the top of the ninth, who is winning?  I would say Hannah has a fair lead on me and I am not sure if the rally cap is going to make a difference at this point. 

The good news is that, for the most part, have all the things we need to bring the princess home,  Crib, Clothes, Diapers, Monitor, Car seat (installed even), and binkies (pacifiers).  Of course we have more than that, but we feel we have covered the essentials.  Clark said we don’t even need those.  He insists that he slept on a concrete slab for the first two years of his life and learned to communicate and scavenge for food as needed by the end of his first week of life.  He expects Hannah to do the same or at least become self-sufficient by the end of October at the latest.

Clark is still remaining relatively calm, however, some extra questions are starting to pop up, such as “where is that bag of stuff you want to take to the hospital with you?’, “should I pack a bag too?”  He is also getting some great advice from friends.  A work friend said he has already done his part and should be able to just work throughout the birth anyways.  Other advice I agree with a lot more is to “just say you are sorry and ask if there is anything you can do.”  This is advice that Clark has taken.  For the past couple nights, by the time we get home from work, I have been miserable and sometimes in tears briefly from being uncomfortable and yes, probably at the mercy of hormone fluctuations.  He has been great and has taken on all of the chores that I can no longer do.

It is comforting to know we are in the home stretch.  The fact that I could literally go into labor at any moment is a funny feeling.  I am trying to be more aware of the amount of gas in my car (I often let it get down to nothing, bad I know), we have a plan for Nixon while we are in the hospital, and lastly I am trying to make sure I can walk away whenever needed from work by working a transition plan with my colleague.  Mom and Dad let me know they are on “High Alert” for the entire month of September.  They are committing to nothing (even serving communion next Sunday).  As soon as we head to the hospital, they will make their way down south.  So we continue the T minus countdown and pray for the patience (and some relief) to get through these last couple of weeks.

Cheers,

Team McCarthy

No, I am not having twins....

In the past two weeks, I have been asked 3 times on if I am having twins.  And two of the askers, were women.  I’m sorry, they should just know better.  The one man that asked was quickly reprimanded by a father in the room that he is to never ask that question, just say you look great or say nothing at all.  I have pretty much come to terms with my belly; however, I really don’t think that I am the largest pregnant woman that I have ever seen.  I actually think I look pretty good for a woman walking around with what could be a full grown baby in my loins.  I will say that my height is definitely working in my favor that I don’t look like I am going to tip over at any moment.  Now the following information may not paint the best picture.

I had my 34 week appointment this morning.  Everything looks good, but I am measuring 40 cm.  Now for those uninitiated, you are supposed to measure about 1 cm for every week of pregnancy you are.  This for me means I am measuring about 6 cm ahead of schedule.  There are several reasons for this.  I could have a lot of fluid in my tummy, an 8 plus pound baby in there, or she has dropped but not giving back the room at the top of my tummy that she has taken over at the bottom (in other words, she is being greedy and not a team player.)

This past week has been a tough one.  I have had a few mornings of nausea, and the feeling of being stretched like William Wallace in Braveheart has intensified and is pretty much an all-day feeling now.  Yesterday on the way home I gave Hannah a stern talking to about her participation in my physical deterioration.  I have kept up my end of the deal with nutrition, sleep, exercise and weight so the least that she can do is give me back my rib area and more graciously share my abdomen space with me.  I did have one other request that she give me a heads up of when she would like to make her appearance.  Some suggestions that I gave were to put the Justin Bieber song “baby” in my head, move her feet over to the left side rib, or lastly push her little fist in a thumbs up fashion into my belly.  As long as she is ready physically, an early arrival would be appreciated at this point as well.

Hope this finds you all well.

Best,

Team McCarthy

Jimmy Legs, A Case of the Mondays...All Week, and That Baby has Devil Eyes

So I have now entered not only the late days of summer, but it seems that I have also entered the part of the pregnancy where very little is comfortable.  I am now in my 33^rd week and am finding it hard to stay in one position for very long.  Hannah continues to enjoy lodging her foot into my rib which makes it uncomfortable to sit for long.  Standing sometimes provides some relief, but then the heaviness of my tummy starts to catch up.  The only relief right now is to lie on my back for a little while until gravity does its job.

However, once in the laying position, the tossing and turning starts and the Jimmy Legs begin (Seinfeld reference).  Theses random kicks mainly come when I am on my back, but they can also come about while on either of my sides.  My Jimmy Legs were diagnosed by Clark.  Apparently Nixon (our 4 legged daughter) shares my affliction, which causes her to get kicked out of our bed and put in her cage.  I am hoping this isn’t my fate as well, although, Nixon is a good snuggler.  Needless to say, sleep has been difficult recently, both for me and by consequence, Clark as well.

This lack of sleep has been routine for the past two weeks or so.  It is starting to take its toll.  Motivation to roll myself out of bed each morning and waddle into the office has been hard to come by.  I compare this feeling to having a case of the Mondays, all week long.  I have had fleeting thoughts of throwing in the towel and taking leave until she comes, but am going to try to stick it out until the end.  Maybe making that decision was good for the soul because I had the best night’s sleep last night that I have had in months.  I actually woke up ready to meet the day.

Last but not least, Clark and I attended our first of four parenting classes last night.  Last night’s syllabus included washing, feeding, and daily care and monitoring (yes that includes a tally sheet to keep track of their diaper business, sweet).  Each of the couples in the classroom was given a baby to practice holdings, swaddling, dressing and washing.  We should have chosen our seat location a little better, because the look on my faux baby’s face was creeping me out.   It was definitely giving me the devil eyes.  Maybe it didn’t like the way we were burping it or that we left it exposed to the cold air too long after our fake bath, but those eyes were evil and had hate behind them.  Next class I am going to try to get the Asian baby with the smiling face. 

The class was quite informative and I am glad that we are attending.  It did however debunk some of the suggestions from family friends and yes, even my Mother.  Sorry Mom, adding rice cereal to their bottles doesn’t help them stay full longer to sleep.  Babies are able to digest the rice much faster than the formula or breast milk. It was just a coincidence that we were good sleepers. Don’t worry, I am still going to take your advice, you raised me and I’m pretty awesome, so you probably weren’t off too far.  The instructor encouraged us to ask our parents and friends about “infant feeders.”  Apparently this contraption launched food down the baby’s mouths?  Do tell.

An Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

We had another wonderful shower this past weekend in the Atlanta Area.  It was hosted by our good friends Andy and Molly Camp and Parker and Shannon Hurt.  Andy and Parker are two of Clark’s best friends from Auburn.  It was a wonderful shower and really continues to show us how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends in our lives and a wonderful circle of friends for Hannah to jump into.  The gifts for Hannah were incredibly generous and we get closer and closer to completing our “tool kit” to handle all the unknowns in front of us.  The show was stolen with one of the gifts from the Camps and the Hurts, a Pink Daisy BB gun.  Clark was over joyed with the gift and can’t wait to one day take our little one out into the woods and show her how to use it.  He also mentioned that if he can get Hannah to go hunting with him, he’ll be able to go more.  I laughed and said if she is anything like me, she’ll do anything her Dad does to spend time with him.

Seeing Clark talk with his friends about being dads was funny.  They keep trying to tell him how different it will be and how much it will change him.  Clark being Clark retorted with it is not him who will have to change.  Our friend Ryan just sat back during this exchange smirking and shaking his head.  Ryan and his wife Carrie have a little girl Carli and another one on the way, so this isn’t his first Rodeo and knows better.  Clark really seems to have embraced the idea of parenthood and has even muttered the words “let’s knock this part out and get to meet her.”  He seems as antsy as I am but in a different way.  He is just ready to tackle anything that comes our way.  I am antsy in the way of, oh S%*t, are we ready?  If you would have asked me 8 months ago, I would have said our roles would have been reversed.  However, his confidence is very reassuring.  He continues to make me laugh to calm me down on purpose or not.  His best lately was about one the gifts from our friends Blake and Julie.  They gave us the book “Go the F#@K to Sleep.” Clark asked if we read it to Hannah, I told him to read it first and use his best judgment.

On the home front, we are making some serious progress.  The new carpet for upstairs was put in last week and looks wonderful.  The crib and dresser have been ordered and will be delivered sometime next week.  I have already re-arranged the current items in her room once, and this probably will be the first of many.  I am really getting anxious to have everything set and ready.  We start our parenting class next week.  It is at Huntsville Hospital and will be once a week for four weeks on Tuesdays.  I am hoping this will answer a lot of the questions that we have or haven’t even thought about yet.

I did find a good article on what to bring to the hospital with you to make your stay more comfortable.  I would have never even thought of some of the stuff.  If you have any good suggestions, send them my way.  I am starting to pack my bag for the hospital.

Hope this finds everyone well and healthy,

Team McCarthy

Letter to Hannah

On the way to work the other morning, I heard Brad Paisley’s song “Letter to Me”.  It is a really sweet song and I have always liked it.  It got me thinking about writing Hannah a letter now to give to her on her 18^th Birthday.  It would capture all of our naive thoughts about what is coming up but I think it would be a nice thing for her to read about how excited we are about her arrival and how much she already means to us and she hasn’t even made her appearance yet.  I want Clark to write his own letter as well.

I want to tell her about our families and friends.  How she is the newest addition to a long line of strong women.  Women who are independent, headstrong (okay stubborn), generous, witty, caring, and often times outspoken.  We are women who have chosen our husbands wisely and carefully.  We are women who are proud of our families and take care to represent them well.  We are women who have learned as much through our failures as we have through our successes.  We are women who have been blessed by friends because we have been taught that in order to have good friends, you have to be a good friend.

I want to tell her that we have probably already been through the roughest time in our relationship and no matter what decisions she makes in the future, there is nothing that she can do that would change how much we love her. I would tell her that she is about to start a very exciting part of her life.  College is where her father and I came into our own as people, found lifelong friends, and learned that our parents were right more than they were wrong, but it is okay not to admit that yet.

There are other things, but I think this will be a good start for now.  To all of you, what advice would you give to your younger self or what things you hope your child has learned by their 18^th Birthday?

This Blog is a big thank you to all the women who have shaped my life. Thank you to all the Fraiser, Whitner, Brock, Fuller, and Passinetti Women for their advice and patience.

Cheers,
Team McCarthy

New Low Point

I had a new low point in my pregnancy earlier this week.  I was getting back in the car after lunch with my girlfriends and popped the seam in the caboose area of my pants.  I know that it isn’t necessarily my weight (this is my story so don’t start) but that the seam wasn’t strong to start with or many (maybe 1) other reasons.  It wasn’t a huge deal, I had to have Clark bring me out my computer and notebooks from my office so I could go home and change before I had to go out to a client meeting. However, there is a sense of defeat with the busting of seams, no matter how it happens.  Clark was so good about it; he said it was definitely the pants fault.

The good news is that at my check up this morning, I found that I had passed the glucose test with flying colors and I hadn’t gained any weight since my last appointment (which helps with my story from the previous paragraph.)  I am however measuring on the mature side. I know this is not an exact science, but experience is experience. My doctor wants me to really start considering the possibility of a C section.  We are having another sonogram at 36 weeks to see if they can make a good estimate.  I have always just envisioned me doing it the natural way, and the thought of me laying on a table with my large intestine laying outside of my body alongside me to pull the baby out doesn’t really sit well with me, yet.  None the less, it is something to start thinking about.  So I have heard from a few friends already on pro and con on each type of delivery option, but it is always good to hear more.  So please send me your stories, good, bad, and most likely, not glamorous.

On the status of the home front, we have completed the painting in Hannah’s room.  I have put up new shelves and hanging rods in her closet, so I can start putting away some of her loot.  The new carpet for upstairs has been ordered.  As soon as we get an installation date, we’ll order the dresser (thanks again Mom and Dad for the help) and Clark’s Mom and Grandmother got us the crib and that is supposed to be ordered shortly.  I am really starting to feel the pressure of the pending due date and am starting to knock things off the list while I can.

So send me your stories.  I hope you are all making through the extreme heat of this summer.  It has to cool off eventually right? (Clark has promised a cool off…..in October)

Shower Season Kick Off

We had a wonderful time at the shower in Northern Virginia this weekend.  It was a quick turnaround.  We left after work Thursday night, stayed in Knoxville and then drove the rest of the way on Friday.  The ride Sunday was a little harder doing it all in one day.  Nixon enjoyed the ride with us.  She is never excited to get into the car, but mainly goes to sleep once in the car.  Her only quirk just started in the past month.  She will put her nose right up to the vent that goes to the back seat and inhale deeply and then snarf it out through her nose.  She will do this until I close the vent.  We assume it is just air she is sucking in and not some portion of coolant that she is getting a high from.  Clark’s explanation was that she thinks so much; her brain is overheating and needs to cool off.  The jury is still out.

The shower was thrown by my best friend and Hannah’s middle name sake, Grace.  She always goes above and beyond any expectations and is one of the most generous people I know.  It was wonderful to see all my friends from all parts of my life, family friends, some who have known me since birth, high school and colleges friends (Erin and Meghan rep’ed Sigma Kappa and WVU) and Arlington friends.  I am truly blessed to have such an incredible group of women in my life to support me.  Everyone was so generous with their gifts and time.  Clark was overwhelmed with all the gifts but has decided he’ll have to go shopping because Hannah can’t have more toys than him.  This could be a problem.

We got to catch up with my brother and sister in law.  Their son Brock is growing fast and has really gotten into that interaction stage where it is fun to see what his reactions to things are and what he is going to do next.

Hannah has really kicked up her movements.  On Saturday afternoon after the shower, I was sitting with my parents and she must have been trying a break dancing move.  She pushed so hard on my tummy that she knocked off the toy I had balanced on there.  I can now just lay in bed and watch her kick and push at my stomach.  It just makes me giggle and it really shocks Clark.

I had the glucose test yesterday which took way too long.  I don’t have the results yet, but I’m not worried.  I have always been told I was sweet.

The 4D Ultrasound Pics

The Creature from The Black Lagoon

We had the 4D ultrasound this morning.  She was a little sleepy, but we got some great pictures for the most part.  The last one posted is of her yawning, but i will say, it looks like the creature from the Black Lagoon!  Technology is just amazing!  She definitely has Clark's nose (thank goodness) and my chubby cheeks.

My doctor did say that she is looking to be a big one.  I have another ultrasound around my 36th week to make sure we don't overgrow her in there.  Guess we should really get a move on to get those last minute projects done around the house!

4th of July, Living with Dissapointment, and Hot Boobs

We spent the 4^th of July, as we do every year with our friend Brannon Byers and his family at their lake house in Plum Branch, South Carolina.  We had a wonderful time.  It was a perfect weekend of good food, good friends (especially those we only get to see once a year), good advice (thanks Ivey and Mrs. B), good stories and conversation.  Nixon took to the water again like a fish.  She hasn’t yet mastered the art of fetch in the water, but for the most part, was a fun addition to lake time.  When she started to get tired, we would pull her up to rest on our floatie.  We did learn that there is a difference between waterproof and water resistant (although my friend Margo says both are a Myth).  Nothing too dramatic, but a little more color on both of our shoulders than we had planned.

This past weekend was supposed to be spent with my friend Lisa in Atlanta with our BFF Taylor Swift, but she got sick and had to cancel the concert.  Yes, I know we were probably both spared the embarrassment of being the only grown women there without children, but we don’t care and celebrate her whole collection.  The sad news is that the rescheduled date for the concert is Oct 1, which is about a week after the expected arrival of Hannah, so it is a no go.  There is always next year.

The weekend at home was actually a really nice break to all the travel that we have been doing in the past month.  I was able to run some errands, get some stuff done around the house, provide motivation to Clark to get Hannah’s room painted, and get some much needed nap time. 

We came across a small phenomenon Sunday afternoon after church.  There is no delicate way to describe this so here goes (sorry Dad, Clark, and Cory), my boobs became red hot.  I could feel them radiating heat when we got home, but when I changed out of my church clothes, I touched them and decided they were at least 300 degrees each.  Clark confirmed this.  His diagnosis was that lady, pregnancy stuff must be going on and something has been activated.  After talking with some new mom friends, they said this is common and most likely have increased hormones or whatever it takes to get the ol’ udders started in order to feed the wee one after her arrival.  They did not stay at that temp for any length of time, but it was interesting while it lasted.

The pictures are of our 4 legged child enjoying her lake time and my nephew Brock dominating the 4th of July Parade in Wellsburg, WV.

I hope this provided a good giggle for everyone and this finds everyone having a safe and fun summer.

Visits, Visits, and More Visits

Clark finally got to feel Hannah kick the other night.  He was pretty excited about it.  I think it made it a little more real for him.  I can understand that I have a different experience with the pregnancy.  Mine is a daily relationship, whether it be, feeling the kicking, or just bending over and finding out it is harder than it used to be.  His is more of watching my midsection grow and occasionally getting to see a black and white figure moving around on a screen.

My parents came down from Virginia for a visit 2 weekends ago.  That was the first time that they have seen me in person in full blown baby bump.  It must be strange and awesome all at the same time to see the little girl that you carried in your tummy and raised, pregnant with her own little one.  It is hard to imagine now that one day, I will most likely be experiencing the same thing, when our little one starts her own family.

Last weekend we went to Charleston, SC to visit Clark’s sister, Debbie, who is due on September 22.  We had a wonderful visit.  It was my first trip to Charleston and it lived up to everything I have been told.  What a beautiful, romantic city.  We spent a lot of time chatting and catching up and ate some great food.  Debbie looked fantastic and is dealing with the same heat I am in AL, but with an extra bonus of high humidity.  Her husband JF was back in France managing his business there, but we were able to Skype with him and catch up.

The travel stretch of this summer for us has begun, we will be in Plum Branch, SC this weekend at the Byers lake house.  I will be in Atlanta next weekend for the Taylor Swift Concert with my friend Lisa (don’t judge, we understand we may be the oldest there without children, but don’t care.)  The weekend after that we will be up in Northern Virginia for our Baby Shower there.  Needless to say, we’ll be travelled out soon.

Enjoy the picture of Clark and his sister.  I will start posting pictures of myself once I find a way to deflate the size of my face in pictures, say around October.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Hannah must have and iPod and Poison Ivy Face

For the past couple of weeks, I have been waking up every morning with a song in my head.  Normally, these songs would be something I heard the day before, or a jingle from a commercial that gets stuck in your head, but not these.  These songs have been everything from songs from musicals ,Bye Bye Birdie, and Stingiest Man in Town, to Oasis Wonderwall.  There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the songs.  This mornings diddy was a song i don't even know the title to.  I think it is an old Train song, and sadly not even my favorite Train song, Meet Virginia.  I asked Clark what he thought and he said he definitely thinks that Hannah has an iPod in there.  He said you never know with kids these days.  She might even have a laptop.

On to Poison Ivy Face.  Clark and I did a lot of yard work this past weekend.  On Tuesday morning, I woke up with a large patch of poison ivy on the right side of my face.  I can only assume since it isn't on my hands, that it either got on the tshirt I was wearing and when I took it off, spread it to my face.  The alternative is that Nixon got into the poison ivy and then laid on my Snoogle (my pregnancy pillow).  Nixon is a big fan of snoogling, but either is a very good assumption.  On the upside, the poison ivy stops just below my eye, which is a small blessing.  At this mornings doctors appointment, my Doc gave me a Rx for some steroids that are safe for me to take.  So hopefully I will be on the mend as we head into this weekend which is for casted to continue to 90+ temperatures.  I believe we are going on 19 days and counting on days over 90.

While our electirc bill is sky rocketing, my acid reflux has been suppressed which has made a huge difference in my mood, just ask Clark.  Relief, thy name is Prevacid!  Thank you everyone for your emails and comments/suggestions.  Keep them coming.

Ma and Pa Fuller are coming to town this weekend.  I will try to take some pictures to add to the blog for next week.  I am not super excited about taking pictures at this size, but I know I will eventually want to capture some of this time on film.

Hope this finds everyone well!

Pregnant Lady Kryptonite

I believe that I have discovered the perfect formula for Pregnant Lady Kryptonite:  10+ consecutive days of 95+ degrees (with a heat index of over 100), severely bad allergies, constant acid reflux/heartburn.  The deadly combination of the three elements has had me down for the last couple of days.  I plan on asking for a prescription for the acid reflux at my next appointment.  There is currently no end in sight for a reprieve from the temperature.  I am at least hoping for a good rain storm sometime this week to wash some of the pollen away.

Part of me thinks I might be over the hump or at least building up some kind of immunity to this Kryptonite.  But until then, here is the stock tip of the week: buy Tums and Energy Stocks.

To end this on a positive note, my employer graciously provides several different pain killers and other aliment suppressants to keep us working through the day, including Antacids (pictured).  I guess you could consider this "perk", part of my salary, so unlike the continuing education money I am not taking advantage of, I making the most out of the antacids in spades.

Glimpses of Proud Parenthood and Acid Reflux

So I would never think of myself as one of those crazy dog people, but, I had a glimpse of how awesome parenting is going to be this weekend.  We had our friends over for a Memorial Day Cookout over the weekend.  We have been working with Nixon (our 1 1/2 year old Boxer) for a while now to be more relaxed and adaptable when we have company over, especially our friends with children.  So with the help of some pointers from my brother, Cory, who works for the Secret Service and has a Dog as a partner, Spyke, and an obedience collar (yes it is a shock collar, obedience sounds so much better) she has made huge strides in her behavior.  She only jumped up on a guest but one time, and was perfect with the kids.  She did not go up to them, but when they came up to her, she gave gentle licks.  I know this sounds crazy, but to be able to have people come up and notice how much better she is doing and that she is a pleasure to be around makes Clark and I so proud and helps to alleviate some of our anxiety about bringing a little one into the house.  We know she is going to be such a good partner in crime for Hannah.

On an actual pregnancy note, Hannah continues to vie for additional square footage within my tummy by trying to push out my right rib and the acid reflux that has only been occasional up till this point is now an everyday occurrence.  It even comes twice a day.  Here is my question:  Is the Acid Reflux food or beverage induced, or is it something that just comes with the territory.  I have tried to identify what I am eating or drinking before an onset, but it seems to be different every time.

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who have been responding to my questions!  It has been super helpful, informative and great to hear from you all in general.

Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend and took time to remember those who fought for our freedom.

Cheers

1st Kicks....I think

So Sunday morning I think I felt Hannah Kick/move for the first time.  I have to preface this with I think because, my apologies for being crass but, as any pregnant woman knows, "tummy bubbles" aka gas, is a normal occurrence.  But I am pretty sure that it was movement rather than the less flattering alternative.  All together it was a pretty exciting event.  I am now in my 22nd week and was told that I would start to feel her be-bopping around in there any day now.  I will be very happy to report finally at my next appointment that I have felt her kick, since i have been asked in the last couple of appointments and have felt failure in answering no.

Pregnancy notes:
The evening back pain/stiffness continues.  I had to have a Pain-Off (similar to a Diva-Off, for those Glee lovers) with Clark this weekend.  Last week Clark decided in pure Clark fashion to unload an entire truck of mulch by himself and then go play two games of softball.  He is now feeling the repercussions of being, dare I say, OLD.  This is just how it is now.  Clark insists his back pain must be worse because he said so.  End of pain off.
Another update is the coming to terms with my growing inability to bend over and do things.  This reminder of the belly in front of me is in true Brock/Fuller women fashion, met with stubbornness of this isn't going to stop me and then closed out with the realization that the several un-lady like positions attempted are not worth the end result and I call for help.

World News Update:
No Blog worth it's salt would miss posting something about the failed doomsday prophesy of last weekend.
In lue of an anniversary dinner with my loving Husband, I went and met my good friend Erin Jordan Schwab for dinner is Nashville, which was lovely (Clark and I are going to do dinner together tonight, not to worry).  Erin and I fell back into discussion and conversation like we still lived next to each other in the Sigma Kappa house, which I have always said is a sign of an true friendship.  We came around to discussing the morons who spent their life savings paying for signs warning the rest of the world about the world ending on May 21.  We came to the unanimous decision that if we find out when the world is ending, we aren't spending our money warning anyone.  We're going out in Diamonds.

Hope this finds you all well!

Carrying High?

Since this is my first child and I am just winging it on most everything, I do have a few questions for my friends.  I have been told by a few people that I am "carrying high", meaning my bump is higher on my belly than either what is normal, or what they did, or what they are used to seeing.  Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?  The only downside I have had for this is needing slightly more material at the top of my maternity jeans (they don't make it all the way over the hump) and the pulling on my stomach muscles below my bump.

The upside is, though I lacked a serious workout regimen before we got Pregnant, I am glad to see that I do in fact still have stomach muscles, we won't insult in shape people and dare call them abs.

I get a lot of "so how are you doing" questions, which I do appreciate, so for those of you who don't get to see me on a regular basis, here are the current pros and cons:

Pros: (I am knocking on wood for all of these small blessings)

• I am still able to wear my rings and have had very little swelling of the hands or feet.  From what I have heard, this is great.
• What small discoloration that has begun to surface on my face (redness) is completely addressable with concealer (thank you Laura Mercier)

Cons: (and these aren't even that bad)

• Getting up for the minimum of three trips to the bathroom a night
• Feeling like an out of shape piece of poop because I easily get out of breath (I do understand that I am sharing my breath with another human being, I'm just sayin)

On the nursery front, we are staring to shop for furniture, haven't decided on a set yet, but are seriously leaning towards the progression beds.  I like the thought of having a furniture set that she can use for a good amount of time.  We also picked out a few paint colors to try out for her room.  Clark had been complaining about too much Pink, so I was looking for paint colors more in the lavender arena, however, the ones he picked were more rose/pinkish if you ask me, but I like all of the selections we made.  We now just have to narrow it down.

We do however have a name for the little one.  Hannah Grace McCarthy.  Hannah isn't a family name, just one we really liked.  It is hebrew in origin and means Favourd by God.  Grace is my best friends name, and wanted to honor her. 

It makes it all a little more real having the name to call it, depending on the timing when it is still just "the baby" or in bad moments of tummy cramping "Clark's Devil Spawn".

Hope this finds you all well!

The Big Trip to London, Ireland and Northern Ireland!

The trip went without a hitch for the most part, other than the dollar dropping again against the English pound and costing us more money in the conversion.  The weather was absolutely fabulous, not a day of rain in the UK or Ireland our entire time there. 

I won’t bore you with the full day by day details, but here are some of the highlights:

·         Seeing the buildup for the royal wedding, and all the news coverage that was on 24/7 for it

·         Great food (especially seafood) we ate from all around London, Ireland and Northern Ireland

·         Walking tour from PHD graduate from Trinity College in Dublin

·         Making friends with Bar Tender at the Stag’s Head in Dublin and being told that the bar is older than our Country

·         Driving on the left side of the road successfully

·         Seeing the Working Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Midleton and watching Clark get his certificate of expert whiskey taster (or something like that)

·         The gorgeous Cliffs of Mohr and the Irish Country side and coast in general

·         The amazing history of Ireland and Northern Ireland that is still in the making

·         Staying at The Europa Hotel in Belfast, the most Bombed Building in Europe (maybe the world)

·         Staying at The Savoy our final night of the trip in London.  It cost an arm and a leg, but well worth it for the luxury and the experience overall.  It felt like a trip back in time where you dressed for tea and drinks.  Very Gatspyesque, but in Britain.

There are many more, but that was the quick and dirty.  Pictures will be coming soon, but if you know me well, you know I am never too quick on the download.  The low point was definitely not getting to partake in the many glasses of Guinness and other beers that Clark thoroughly enjoyed while we were there, but I did get my sips along the way.

We did manage to miss the biggest tornadic event to his our area in a long time.  We came home to a safe home and safe friends.  Our neighbors even emptied out our refrigerator for us.  But we know how lucky we are and our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with those affected.

Baby McCarthy did fine the whole trip.  We did get a few odd looks on the street in London for some reason.  I guess they don’t see as many pregnant women walking about as we do here in Huntsville.  Sometimes I think you can’t swing a dead cat in this town without hitting a breader.  But I digress.  It was a wonderful trip, but glad we are home again safely and getting ready to tackle our next big adventure, preparing for the arrival of the little one.

Cheers!

Visit from Family!

Cory, Jen and Brock (my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew) came down to Huntsville to visit this weekend. This was their first visit to our house, and Cory's first trip ever to the great state of Alabama.

It was wonderful having them here.  We were able to take them to our Supper Club with us on Sunday night at the Stowers/Rottman house.  I loved getting to have them meet our friends down here that they hadn't already met.  (Thank you Lisa and Eddie for hosting!)

I was also able to show them around town to our great metropolis.  I think I was able to give them a good taste of what life is like for us down here.  Best of all, we were able to spend some real quality time with them just hanging around the house and on the back patio.  Cory and Jen even helped us put up our new ceiling fans on the back porch.  Brock provided the adult supervision and recieved a dog bath from Nixon.

I loved being introduced to having a little one around the house and learning the different types of schedules that need to be kept.  My nephew is such a perfect little man.  His smile just lights up the room and his giggle  is contagious.  He has such great parents and great teachers for Clark and I as we start to make the adjustments for parenthood.

It's A Girl

We have already found out the gender of the little one and it is a Girl.  We no longer have to refer to it in the Unisex Term of "It".  I still have a few friends that are skeptical about early gender diagnosis and have told me they will still refer to it as "the Bean" for another couple of weeks, which I think is fine and kinda funny.

My feeling all along is that it was a girl, but I don't really know if that was just hopeful thinking or if I could actually sense what it was.  Some of the old wives tails I have heard so far is that Boys will make you Sick, Girls will just make you nauseous (something that may become deeper later on in years ;))  Another one I heard is that Boys will add to your beauty during pregnancy and girls will drain your color.  Keep your comments on this one to yourself, but I think my color has been pretty good lately.

When we were at the appointment on Friday where we had the ultrasound, she asked if we wanted to know and we both said Yes, almost at the same time.  She then pointed to the lack of anatomy on the profile of the body.  Clark requested more proof, and the tech found a perfect shot from the top down between the legs to show there was no additional view needed.

Clark has been a good sport.  I know that he wanted a Boy and I have already told him we have a 50/50 shot next time and that the ball is in his court.  He said we could give it one more try for a Boy but he wasn't wanting to continue to try until he got one, he can hire out manual labor for cheaper than putting 3rd child through college.

I have been feeling pretty well physically the past couple of weeks.  I am more tired in the evenings now, which is a shame since we have finally began to get some nice weather.  We are going to go watch Clark play Softball tonight.  His team name is Big Swinging Richards, which is abbreviated to BSR as to not offend people further if they know the nickname of a Richard.  Maybe I can get some action pics to post.  Softball will always be a little sentimental to me since that is how we met.  Which if funny since my parents met playing Volleyball.  I guess we are just an athletic family!

Hope this finds you all well!  Make sure to comment!

Maternity Clothes

I have finally made the leap over to Maternity pants.  It wasn't that I was hesitant, but we have so few stores with maternity clothes, or I should say, decent maternity clothes, that I was looking around online for stuff I liked instead of stuff I settled for.  You would think there would be more options out there to keep you in the style you are accustomed to, but there isn't.  I refuse to wear a MooMoo for the next 5 months.  I have found a couple of great staples.  I was waiting around for a discount coupon to go out as well since some of these clothes can be pretty expensive.  I have gotten good recommendations from friends.  I am hoping the flowy top will stay around for the time being because it seems like Flowy, Non Maternity tops are much more stylish than most Maternity tops.  I am also at that in between stage of the pregnancy where I am definitely showing, but not with the huge belly yet that fills out a lot of the maternity tops.

An update to our weekend:  We went to Bennett Nurseries this weekend to get some flowers for the front and back of the house, with the hopes that Nixon will not dig all of our efforts out.  The equation right now to a good nights sleep is yard work (in moderation or more in a supervisory role).  I was able to make it through the first game of the final four, but completely zonked out on the couch at the beginning of the Kentucky/UConn game and didn't wake up until the end when Clark told me to just go upstairs.

We spent a lot of time with good friends as well.  We had dinner and domino's with friends on Friday night.  Our friends Carrie and Jason made one last pre-baby appearance to share in the fun.  They are already into the labor of their first child this morning.  We are expecting the official announcement to William Harris Blount's entrance into this world any time now.  Being pregnant and seeing this miracle has been awesome.  All the best to Team Blount!

Hope this finds everyone well.

What Our Children Could Look Like

The four pictures posted are what are possibilities of what our children Could look like. 

Picture 1:  Our nephew Brock.  Extremely cute, round, and large head

Picture 2:  One of my baby pictures.  It goes without saying, but adorable, perfect symmetry, and head that is proportional to size of person

Picture 3:  Nixon, our first child and sole recipient of our love and adoration.  This will end badly.

Picture 4:  A Pig.  I have really been craving Bacon since being pregnant and BLT's have become my go to sandwich of choice.  Like Clark says, there isn't much that Bacon can't make Better.

Clark's baby pictures will be added shortly.

Crazy Dreams

So I have been told by a couple of friends about the crazy dreams that will come with pregnancy.  I have always had pretty strange dreams to begin with, and most of the time I can remember them.  Clark says he never remembers his dreams, and sometimes he'll say he doesn't dream, which a hole other blog post.  But I digress.

So last nights dream had to do with my due date.  The reality that I am sure spurred my dream was that my doctors moved me from 13 weeks to 14 weeks this week due to the size of the monster in my tummy that has been zapping all of my energy.  I still question the reality of this movement due to the fact that I am not feeling like I am in the "promise land" of pregnancy that is the 2nd trimester.  That is neither here nor there, so in the dream, I went in for my next doctors appointment and they told me that I am actually around 36 weeks and due on April 4, which would be this Monday.  In the dream, I spend the entire time arguing with doctors (that don't even look like my doctors) that I couldn't possibly be due.  Do I look like a woman who is going to have a baby on Monday?

This all could have to do with my friend Carrie who will most likely give birth on Monday, but who really knows.  This is probably the most understandable of the dreams I have had so far.  My dream did include the gender of my baby, I will keep that to myself for now.  I would like to hear every ones guess as to what they think it might be.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Love,

Reagan and Clark

Blessed by Friends

We continue to be blessed by our friends.  Whether it is good news or bad, we have really been blessed to have the wonderful group of friends here in Huntsville, and beyond.  Although it is nice to blaze some trails on your own, we are really lucky to have friends that have already extended their families.  Many of our questions are able to be answered by our friends who have already given birth and ones that are about to pop!  Our friends the Blount's are in the final days before the arrival of their son, William.  They will go in to be induced on Sunday night if she doesn't go into labor naturally this week. 

Clark and I got talking about when we are that close to giving birth and wondering if we'll be as calm as Jason and Carrie seem, I hope so.

It looks like we are further along than we thought.  The doctors are telling us that we are now at 14 weeks instead of the original 13, but who know.  The Fuller Dome size could be throwing of measurements. :)

Speaking of large Fuller Dome's, my brother Cory and his wife Jen are bringing our Nephew Brock down to visit us in a couple of weekends.  This will be their first visit to our house here.  We are super excited for their visit and to get our hands on Brock.  Brock and his cousin will only be about 10 months apart when I am done brewing it to perfection.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and hope to hear from you all soon!

Love, Reagan and Clark

The Heart is Strong

Just had another check up this morning and got to hear the heart beat.  Everything is good, the heartbeat is quick and strong.  I think I know why I am tired all the time, if the baby is using all of my energy to make that heart beat so fast.  Which in the big picture I don't mind so much.  I just don't like Clark's comments on our walks of who is panting harder, me or Nixon.

On another note, I just love my Doctor.  Dr. Callison rocks.  She is easy going and easy to talk to.  When she walked in this morning with me in "The Chair" and Clark in the other chair holding my purse, she just said "Welcome to the world of Gynocology" and chuckled.  I have been really lucky to find such great doctors her in Huntsville. Mostly through referals from friends, which is great.  I think by the end of Dr. Callison's career, she will have delivered all of the children of our supper club!

I will try to remember to scan in the ultrasounds that we have from the 8 weeks and 12 weeks. 

I was mistaken, I thought we would find out the sex at the next appointment before we leave for England and Ireland, but it won't be for another 8 weeks, so May 19th.  That will be a nice late birthday present for Clark.  I am leaning towards it being a girl.  I think Clark is still holding out for a boy.

I just talked to my friend KB yesterday and she was telling me that they thought they were having a girl the whole time until delivery and found out it was indeed a boy.  So for Clark, hope springs eternal.

Hope this finds you all well.

About three months in...

We are about three months into this pregnancy and are starting to hit a sustainable stride.  I don't want to talk about the no hitter, but it looks like I might have hit the clear for the nausea in the mornings for now.  I am even sleeping through the night (Clark too, although he will deny it just to complain about the snoogle, pregnancy pillow).

I just had the first trimester screening yesterday.  Everything looks good and we'll get the blood test results back by Friday.  It was so cool to see the little one again in the ultrasound.  "It" was really moving around in there when they first started. It was amazing to see how much it had grown since our 8 week ultrasound.  It is moving it's arms and everything.  I showed Clark the pictures and how big it's head looks and he said that is probably typical for Fullers.  I assumed it was because we are so smart.  He said it was because my brothers dome is so large.

We have done a lot of the planning for the England, Ireland and Northern Ireland Trip we are taking next month.  We have the hotels set for London and Dublin, mainly because we realized that we are going to be over there during the Royal Wedding (which I am still waiting on my invitation for.)  We are going to wing it for most of our time in Ireland and Northern Ireland so that we can take our time going from place to place.  We are renting a car, which apparently I will be driving since Clark refuses to drive on the "wrong" side of the road.  It will be an interesting trip being 4+ months pregnant, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

We also just found out that Clark's sister Debbie is pregnant as well!  She is due a week before I am.  I guess the stars aligned for the McCarthy Clan at one point and blessed us all!