We're Back

Ok... so its been what like 3 months since I have posted.... I apologize. I'm sure most of our followers have given up on us by now. A lot has changed since last time. We are loving life with our baby girl. Mark just finished up most of his work for this semester and is gearing up for finals. Within the last week he has had an emergency appendectomy and traveled to Lubbock for a moot court competition. Beth is doing school, mostly from Dallas, and working as a part-time Chaplain at Children's Medical Center. Baby Charlotte is growing and exploring life. She stays with Beth's Dad on Mondays and Mark's mom comes to help when Beth has to work overnights. I will continue to update yall on the past few months in the days to come, as well as share some of our many pictures of Charlotte. If you would like to see Charlotte's pictures Click here to visit Beht's Flickr Page or Click here to visit Charlotte's Shutterfly Page.

And, here are some pictures Beth took this afternoon. Beth took baby Charlotte to a neighborhood park so she could play in the leaves. As you can see, Charlotte is sitting (although in this picture she is trying to get to the leaves off in front of her) and attempting to crawl.

Month Two

Charlotte goes to the dr. on Friday, so we will have an update on how much she has been growing. She has changed a lot this past month, and looks more like an infant than a newborn. She has learned how to hold her head up and pushes herself up from her stomach. She sits in her bumbo chair and has perfected the social smile. Also, she found her hands, and they are pretty amazing. She rolled over from her tummy to side a few times. She is a very good eater and sleeper. We cut a feeding at 8 weeks, and she moved into her own crib this month. This was a bigger step for mom than baby, as she has slept through the night from the beginning. Her cries have more sounds to them as she is learning to communicate. She is very expressive, inquisitive, and social. She loves to explore and is discovering the world more and more each day. 

One highlight from this month was when 20 people came to visit her when she was 6 weeks old. Beth's mom's family came in from Oklahoma and we cooked out at our new house in Dallas. It was so fun, Charlotte didn't want to nap while they were here, so she was wiped when everyone left. 

Charlotte at 5 weeks.

Charlotte enjoying the swing.

Charlotte looking at mommy, she is still kind of small.

my beautiful baby girl.

Charlotte laughing and being silly.

Charlotte at 6 weeks.

Charlotte having fun playing with her hands.

Sitting in the bumbo chair. Charlotte at 7 1/2 weeks.

Crazy hair, Crazy baby. Charlotte at 8 weeks.

Month One

At one month Charlotte was 8 lbs 14 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. This month she learned how to smile, laugh, and make sounds (coos). She turns her head from side to side and is very alert as she moves her arms and legs actively. She can follow an object with her eyes. Her personality is laid-back, happy, playful, and alert. She really likes baths and warm water and cries when the bath is over. She loves her play-mat especially the red bird that hang in the middle. She talks to this red bird and her teddy bear that makes sounds. She also enjoys tummy time, not because she likes to be her on tummy, but because she likes to watch t.v. Her favorite thing is getting her diaper changed and laying on her changing pad. 

Charlotte just 4 days old.
Charlotte at 1 week.Charlotte at 2 weeks. 

Charlotte at 3 weeks.
Charlotte at 4 weeks. 

Charlotte's Birth Story

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything and my baby is already seven weeks old, but here is the story of July 4th...

On Thursday July 2nd, Mark finished his summer internship. When he got home that afternoon we went to our favorite pizza place in town and I ordered the eggplant parmesan, because I had heard that this dish helps induce labor (something about eggplant and basil). I was scheduled to be induced Monday, July 6th. The doctor thought Charlotte would make her arrival around June 23rd, and she dropped into place about 4 weeks before the 23rd. 

After an early dinner, Mark and I came home and planned out our final weekend before having a baby. At about 10:00 pm I decided to take some castor oil (which is suppose to induce labor). I didn't think much about it because you probably have to take a very large dose to induce labor. But, around 11:00 I started nesting. I decided to throw out everything in the pantry and refrigerator. Then, I put all my clothes (by this time I only fit into about 3 articles of clothes) in the washer (but forgot to put them in the dryer). Mark asked me if I was nesting, and I claimed I was just trying to clean and that he was being ridiculous. Eventually, Mark convinced me to got to bed.

I woke up at 2:00 am with some little pains. I thought I was having braxton hicks contractions so I went a laid on the recliner. They kept getting more uncomfortable. I would empty my bladder, drink three glasses of water, and lay on my side just like they told us in Lamaze class. I didn't sleep all night because I was uncomfortable. I had experienced so many braxton hicks that I just assumed that these contractions were the same. I drank so much water and spent hours walking around the house in circles (because I didn't want to go walking in the middle of the night by myself, and I didn't want to wake up Mark). I tried to wake Mark around 8 and 9 am but he didn't wake up. I finally called my mom around 9:30 am, by this time I was rolling around on my birth ball (a large exercise ball) on the living room floor in pain. My mom told me to call my doctor. I woke up Mark and we called the doctor (it was 10:00 am), but since it was Friday, July 3rd the office was closed. While I waited for the doctor to call me back I took a shower and finished packing my bags. The on-call doctor (a woman doctor from another practice that I have never even heard of) called me back and told me to get to hospital because I couldn't even talk to her. 

Mark and I got in the car and drive into Dallas to the hospital. I'm not sure how fast he was going but we made the 35 minute drive in about 20 minutes. I just remember sitting in the car was so uncomfortable. When we got to the hospital, we were one of many people who had just showed up in labor. They examined me and saw that I was in labor and admitted me. We arrived at 11:00 am and I was already dilated to a 3 and 100% effaced. By the time I got checked in and to my room I could barely walk, and I was between a 4 and 5. I had to get an IV and take one bag of fluids before I could get an epidural. I am really glad I decided to get the epidural right when I got there because this process took a long time, and I remember those last few contractions while I was getting the epidural were pretty painful. 

As soon as I had my epidural I met Dr. Haddock, the on-call doctor. She was young and outgoing and I really liked her. Before she could examine me my water broke. They said I would be pushing in a few hours and that the baby would be out by 8:00 pm at the latest. So, we called everyone and they all started to come to the hospital. I was progressing very quickly, and then things started to slow down when I was almost fully dilated and I was getting sick to my stomach. I was getting an infection and fever, but I didn't know it yet. I took a nap and everyone got dinner and then we were ready to start pushing. I pushed for an hour and a half. I wasn't feeling very well, but thought that since I hadn't had anything to eat since 4pm the day before and didn't sleep all night that I was just tired and hungry. They stopped me from pushing because I became ill and was shaking and nauseated and my blood pressure bottomed out.  They found out I had a fever of 103, so they gave me several bags of medication for the fever, nausea, and blood pressure. About an hour later we started pushing again. I pushed for 2 and a half hours. They started to talk to me about interventions and possibly a c-section. And then in walked Dr. Haddock. She was able to turn Charlotte to the correct position since she was facing the wrong way, and within another 20 minutes she was out at 1:35 am on July 4th. Total, I pushed for 4 hours and was in labor for over 24 hours. 

Charlotte was 7lbs 11 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. She had a full head of hair. She scored an 8 and 9 on her apagar test. But, she had a fever and infection. They swaddled her up and put a hat on her and gave her to Mark to hold while I finished up. Mark held her for about 20-30 minutes and then they took her and ripped off her swaddle and hat because they realized she had a fever. They then poured water on her head to "wash her hair" but really to cool her off. They handed her to me and she was breathing really hard because she was shocked from the cool water. Just a few minutes, about 3-4 minutes later, the NICU nurse came to drawl some blood to see if she had an infection. When she got there Charlotte was breathing at a rate of 105 when 40-60 is normal (remember she was in shock), so they took Charlotte from me and told me she was going to take her to the transition nursery to be watched for 2-4 hours. 

Everyone got to see her before they took her away. Everyone went home because it was after 2:30 am except my mom and Mark. I sent Mark home to shower and take care of the dogs and catch a small nap. My mom and I finally made it my room at 5:30 am. While the nurse was orientating me, in walked a NICU nurse with some photographs and rules for visiting the NICU. I had no idea the Charlotte was in the NICU. I was a little shocked. The nurse told me I couldn't see my baby until 7:30 am. It was a surreal feeling because I knew I had a daughter but she wasn't with me. Around 6:30 am the NICU doctor came and told me that Charlotte was in the NICU because she had fluid in her lungs and her chest x-rays were hazy. This was the first of many reasons we were told that our daughter was in the NICU, and the only baby doctor I ever saw or talked to. 

We still aren't very sure why Charlotte was in the NICU. Every time we would go see her all her vitals and stats were perfectly normal. We were very frustrated as we never got a clear answer and they would keep telling us she would be released and she wouldn't be. The more time that goes by the more upset I get about the whole situation. I am going to try and speak with a patient liaison for some answers. She is perfectly healthy and we were able to all come home together at 6:00 pm on Monday, July 6th. 

And, here are a few pictures...

Mark and I when I was almost ready to push.

First picture when she was born.

Charlotte and all her hair!

Proud Dad!

Charlotte in the NICU

Dad giving Charlotte a bottle for the first time.

Charlotte's first outfit (she was finally allowed to wear clothes over her monitors)

Newborn Pictures

For all of you who have requested more pics...

Here are some of Charlotte's newborn pics (taken when she was 2 weeks old).

Two New Posts

I have posted two new updates. I still need to write her birth story and a few other things, and I promise I will soon. We go for another doctor's appointment and trip to Dallas tomorrow, on Friday. 

Coming Home

On Monday July 6th at 6 p.m. Charlotte was discharged from the NICU and I was discharged from Baylor Medical Center. Mark and I couldn't wait to take our baby home. This was the first time we got to hold our baby without her being attached to monitors. As usual she slept through this experience. On the way home we rode in the HOV lane and stopped at Sonic, little did she know.

Waiting at home for us were our two original babies, our dogs Halle and Belle. They weren't really sure what to think of her at first. Belle (border collie) didn't know what she was for the first few minutes, then she decided it was her duty to protect Charlotte. 

I couldn't get this one to turn the correct way, but it is too funny. Belle helping Mommy change Charlotte. 

Firsts

Charlotte his now 12 days old and has been home for over a week, and as expected she has had lots of firsts. 

On July 7th, Charlotte had her first blow out diaper followed by her first bath (sponge bath of corse). She enjoyed the bath as long as she didn't get too cold. She has received many baths, one every other day, because her hair seems to get oily. She still seems to like the bath, especially listening to the water run and having her hair washed and dried. She doesn't like being cold or Mommy spraying her hair with water. 

Also, on this day she had her first ride in her swing. She loves her swing and her mobile, although we don't put them both on at the same time right now, it might be a little much! 

On July 8th, Charlotte had her first doctor's appointment. She enjoyed the car ride into Dallas. We stopped on the way and ate at Wendys and she slept the whole time. She slept while we waited for the doctor and then when the doctor saw her she just stared at her and didn't make a sound. She was such a good girl. We also saw a lactation consultant, and she is a good eater! The reports from the doctor were great, she was doing so well they didn't have to run anymore tests. We go back Friday the 17th. 

On July 15th, she had her first stroller ride/walk around the block. Mommy and Daddy got all ready and before we were out the door she was already asleep. But, she slept soundly. This event occurred after her first fussy period. Charlotte has been a very content baby. She basically only cries when Mommy doesn't feed her quick enough. We will think she is sleeping and will look in her crib and she is just laying there looking around. However, this day we got a little off schedule because Mommy and Daddy took a nap, and then she got fussy. I think she was gassy (a common problem for her, poor baby) and overtired. But, after the stroller ride and a tight swaddle she calmed down and went right to bed. 

Today, July 16th, we had our first trip to Walmart. She did well. We ate lunch at the Subway inside Walmart and she slept (as she was immediately asleep when she got in her car seat). She woke up three times and was a little fussy so Mommy held her for a second while she calmed down. Overall, it wasn't bad, and we were gone from the house for about 1 1/2 hours. Then, tonight we went out to eat for the first time at our favorite local pizza joint, Jimmys. She slept the entire time. The workers at Jimmys were excited to see her as we eat there weekly, and they were anticipating her birth. 

I don't remember what night this was, but this was her first time sitting in her boppy. We put on her Pooh Bear nightgown, although it was a little big on her. She loves to sit in her boppy and look around. And, if you haven't noticed she loves her pacifier too. 

Our 4th of July Sparkler

At 1:35 am on July 4th Charlotte Leigh Moore made her arrival. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. 

It's been a while... too long, sorry. I have many posts lined up to catch everyone up with what has been going on the last month. I will post her birth story and explain why she spent 3 days in the NICU. We are just getting into our routine and catching up on our sleep. Check back as I plan on posting several times in the coming days to catch up. 

Thank you to everyone for all your sweet comments, blessings, and prayers!

Week 35 and 36

Week 35
Our baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in the womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. She definitely still squirms around in there all the time! Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Dr. Appointment
I started going for weekly doctor's appointments this week. The doctor does the same check up as always... blood pressure, measures me, weighs me, measures the baby... He didn't really give us much information other than he still thinks she is going to be early. I dropped last week and he confirmed that I had. Then, he predicted that throughout his many years of practice the baby comes 2 weeks after she drops. That means the baby could come the end of next week. He doesn't seem at all worried that it would be too soon. I guess he knows what he is doing. He did some preparations for the labor and tested me for some different viruses. He told us to take it easy and rest.

Week 36
Our baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. At the end of this week, our baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position, which we are pretty sure she is. 

Doctor's Appointment
I went back for the doctor's appointment by myself this week because they moved me up from Friday to Thursday. Mark has Fridays off but has to be at work in Ft. Worth on Thursdays. He did all the normal stuff. I actually lost weight, which is funny because I have been eating lots of junk food lately and just knew I had gained. He said all the tests he ran the previous week came back normal, which is great. He says that the baby is in position and we are just waiting still. I was slightly disappointed when I left the doctor's office. I don't know what I wanted them to say, congratulations lets induce you at 36 and half weeks? But, it is nice to know that the baby and I are healthy and we just have to wait and rest. 

Walking

I have been walking at least once everyday for about a week now. It feels so nice to just get out and exercise. Don't worry I'm not going very fast; in fact, Mark says I can't even call it walking, it is more like waddling. I really enjoy walking except for when the weather is really humid or hot, which makes me sweat (a lot!). 

Practice Makes Perfect!

I know practice makes perfect but I think I've practiced enough now. I have had so many braxton hicks contractions. They started a few months ago with just a few a day, then when the baby dropped it was more like 4 or so an hour, every hour. They aren't painful just really uncomfortable. It feels like this tightening across my stomach, almost like a Charlie Horse in my abdomen. Sometimes they will come every 7 minutes consistently for hours and then just stop. I know its not real labor because they don't progress even if they are consistent. It's to the point that I wake up about every 15 minutes all night long with them. They are annoying but I know that soon enough it will be the real thing. 

Watch Us Grow!

I put together a slideshow of my belly shots from week 13 through week 34...watch baby Charlotte grow!

Week 33 and 34

Week 33

This week our baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (half a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. 

Changes

I have had a much harder time breathing lately. It feels like there is a brick on my chest. Also, I can barely eat because it is getting so crowded inside that my stomach is so small and squished. Charlotte is running out of room, but she is still super active. The difference is that she is rolling and protruding rather than kicking. I actually saw her foot sticking out of my upper belly the other night. The rolling and protruding is much more pressure than the short quick kicks. 

Nesting

I have been nesting lately. Nesting is quite controlling and has taken over my life really. I get these urges and have to do them. Mark says I will say I "need" to do something and within minutes be up doing it and can't stop tell it is done. The other day I spent 14 straight hours purging the house and put 18 garbage bags and countless boxes at the curb. It was about 2:30am when Mark made me go to bed. It is random things each day, for instance: reorganizing closets and cabinets or cleaning the baseboards. So, my life has been consumed by random urges, but it has been really comical. I tell Mark I am losing my mind. 

Dr. Appointment

We went to the doctor this past Monday. We were able to hear her heartbeat. Everything came in great. And, I am right on track with my weight and blood pressure. The one thing I am doing that is concerning is swelling a lot. They told me to watch my sodium intake and drink lots of water. So, I have been looking at the labels on what I eat and I apparently eat quite a few mg of sodium. I am going to pay more attention to my sodium intake, which is weird because I never really pay attention to labels when I eat. We go back in 2 and half weeks because Mark's day off is changing from Mondays to Fridays with his new job. 

Houston

We made a trip to Houston this week for our nephew's second birthday. The trip was nice. Mark's parents drove Mark and I in their brand new Ford Fusion. The party was nice, it rained some during it, but the kids didn't care too much. It was good to see our brother- and sister-in-law. Next year will be fun because Charlotte will be almost one at Colton's third birthday party. 

Week 34

Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (an average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. So, baby Charlotte can arrive anytime now :)

Speaking of....

baby Charlotte's arrival. This past Thursday night I had a hard time sleeping. After being up almost all night I noticed that when I got out of bed early Friday morning there was much more pressure on my pelvic bone. I already carried the baby low and had a lot of pelvic pressure, but I could definitely tell there was more. I put on my maternity belt for support and got ready to go out to Canton. (Mark took our friend Annie and me to Canton) In the car on the way I started to have (Braxton Hicks) contractions. I was having contractions about every ten minutes, if not closer together, but I wasn't quite sure what was going on. Surprisingly, when we got there and were walking around they seemed to go away, or I just couldn't really feel them. But, when we got back in the car to go home they started up again. I realized that night that the baby had dropped and I was in fact having Braxton Hicks Contractions. 

My skin has been stretching and I feel like at any moment, my bellybutton will burst open. Since the baby dropped I have had much more room in my upper stomach. So, I can eat more and bigger meals because my stomach isn't so squished. Although, now I probably eat too much, because I am constantly hungry! 

Saturday Night we went to our friends wedding. I could feel the baby almost the whole time. By the time we left I had contractions in my back as well. When we got home that night I was so uncomfortable. I was up until 5:30 am with contractions. From 2:45 until 5:00 am I had contractions every 13 minutes for about 40 seconds. I was debating on calling the doctor, but the contractions weren't painful really. I probably would have called to see if there was something I should or could do to stop them, but it was the middle of the night. I tried drinking 3 full glasses of water, emptying my bladder, laying on the left side, taking a bath... everything I could think to try. 

Nursery

I have made quite a few advances in the nursery. I finished her quilt and her valance. Also, we picked up a few more items in Canton (a small table and chair set). I have been acquiring little trinkets and decor for her room the past few months. I found a few things this past week on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I will have to post a full post of the final nursery but her are a few more sneak peaks. 

Still Growing