tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76398843621881032932024-03-19T05:22:24.395-05:00'Tis the Season to be HollyHolly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-76415535359330990032018-12-06T07:38:00.001-06:002018-12-06T07:38:39.693-06:00Where am I???<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been a HOT minute since I have even thought about this blog. I started it with good intentions, to document special moments in my life, home, marriage, family, etc. …but life gets busy and you have to prioritize what is important to you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unfortunately (or fortunately?) my blog fell to the wayward side. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Honestly, I even forgot how to log in to this darn thing. It asked me a million security questions and for some reason, when I logged in initially, everything was in French. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ummm WHAT?!</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a quick catch-up, I'll hit some highlights for y'all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Where am I?</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Still happily married (7 years!) to my high school sweetheart, living in Arkansas, with our beautiful and wild 2.5 year old boy, and our stinky/old grouch Marley the Yorkie (who is 12 now!) Still working as a NICU RN, just less hours these days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What's new?</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are expecting baby #2 in May and it has not even registered with Big Brother R yet. Like, he doesn't even have a CLUE. <i>This should be… fun! </i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What's next?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I'm not really sure what God's plan holds for our lives. Some days we want to move into the city, closer to our jobs. Other days we want to move further away from civilization (LOL)! With baby #2 on the way and a very active toddler at home, I am trying to mentally prepare for the wild ride ahead! We are very excited about this blessing, but nervous about the transition. I've had multiple people tell me going from 1 to 2 isn't as bad as going from 2-3. I'm not really sure that "helps" but oh well! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, that's all I can do for now. I hear my little man stirring in his room, so our day is about to begin!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Talk later!</span><br />
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<br />Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-83878903719029237502017-01-11T21:02:00.001-06:002017-01-11T21:02:10.272-06:00A VERY Quick Update on Life (6 months)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodes turned 6 months old in December. In that month, he said "mama" he cut TWO teeth in about a week of each other, and he now weighs nearly 21 lbs. We have had to move up to a size 4 diaper this week…bless. The others are just too tight on his tummy…and I feel that on a spiritual level myself -ha! Rhodes got to see his first snow last weekend! He didn't really enjoy it. We also started Rhodie on rice cereal/baby food, and again, not a huge fan. But the other night we mixed in some banana baby food with the rice cereal and that went over okay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How are we doing though? We are GREAT! We have been blessed with an exceptionally happy little guy. He's pretty easy going and likes just about everyone. We were excited to spend the holidays between our two families. Life is just so busy right now, I had almost forgotten that I even had this blog. I thought about deleting it, but then, once again, have decided against it, for the time being. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel like our lives have been so baby-centered (not complaining one bit) that I have not done enough to blog about. We haven't really traveled, haven't really seen our friends, haven't really been "out," and haven't really slept great for the past 6 months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But for now, we are very happy and very full of love for our little guy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm off to feed him…again :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<br />Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-39295959861799301582016-09-14T09:03:00.002-05:002016-09-14T09:14:31.181-05:00Goodbye Maternity Leave (Week 12)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week was the end of my maternity leave. 12 weeks. It really flew by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On Saturday, we loaded up the car and headed to Oklahoma to see my mom's dad (my Pawpaw Skip) & his wife. They have been wanting to see Rhodes since he was born and apparently couldn't figure out why we hadn't brought him up there yet (um HELLO? He's a newborn) so they were tickled to finally see us…I mean, HIM. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My grandpa got teary when he saw Rhodie for the first time and he kept talking about how neat it was to see him. Rhodes is my Pawpaw Skip's first great-grandchild. Clara, his wife, has 27…she thinks…she has a list where she has written them all down. <i>Bless</i>. My Pawpaw has Parkinson's and it is hard for him to get around or sometimes to even find the right words, but this visit? It was a good visit. I am so happy we got to see them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went back to work Monday. I cried off and on for a few hours the night before, cried when I kissed by husband and baby goodbye the next morning, cried when my husband and baby-face-timed me when I got to work, and teared up a few times throughout the day. Thankfully (<i>I guess)</i> our census is very high and I had four babies and was running around all day long. I also had several friends and some family members text me words of encouragement, so that helped a little.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhodie stayed with my mom and my oldest brother & I'm pretty sure he might have not even realized I was gone all day long. He had a great day, as my brother kept telling me. It was a relief but my heart was broken all day. Everyone says "it will get easier" but I don't know if it really will or if I'll just get used to it. I have to work two days in a row this weekend and I am not looking forward to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enough with the sad stuff! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week Rhodie has learned to blow bubbles and it tickles us to death. He's so sweet and smiley and he is just the best baby ever! He's still growing like a weed and has rolls for days, which I <b>LOVE! </b>Last week he slept through the night like a champ. Sunday night, my husband commented on how he kind of missed getting up with Rhodie in the night and having him sleep on his chest…big mistake. The boy hasn't slept through the night since. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Thanks a lot, husband!</i> ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, Rhodes had been doing a trick at night. I will lay him in his bed long ways, and in the morning we will wake up and he will be laying sideways across the middle of his bed, still swaddled. It's so funny!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yesterday, my youngest brother Clark showed up at my doorstep. It was such a fun surprise! We ending up eating dinner at my parents' house and visiting with him for a little while. He had also written a letter and mailed it to Rhodes (so sweet) and made me wait until after he left to read it to him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's all I have for now! My big boy will be three months old on Saturday and I am going to snuggle him as much as I can since babies don't keep!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-65809045073946809632016-09-04T10:25:00.002-05:002016-09-04T10:25:27.478-05:00Our Baby Boy: 11 Weeks @ the Beach (Day 2-4)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For our trip, we stayed at the WaterColor Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. It is a 5-10 minute walk from the Seaside area. It is a beautiful place and, side note, wasn't super crowded because school is back in session!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We got up and drove to Seaside for breakfast at Pickles. Since it was already so warm out, I figured driving would be better than walking just in case Rhodes needed to make a quick exit. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We ate out breakfast outside and did a little shopping. Rhodie did great!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once we got back to our room, we sprawled out and took some naps, trying to recover from the previous day. After lunch, we opted to go down to the beach for a little bit, just depending on how our little man tolerated it. It was hot, but thankfully he had just eaten and was ready for a nap! We took some pictures and a nice lady offered to take one of the three of us on my camera. It was really nice and I'm thankful to have one of our family of three! I tried to stick Rhodie's feet in the water and he wasn't having any of that…so we decided to go back and sit under the umbrella and enjoy the beach sounds. We stayed down at the beach for about 2 hours and then it was time for Rhodie to eat again and for us to decide what to do about dinner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We opted for dinner at a place called Bud & Alley's. My husband claims the two young hostesses gave us dirty looks when we came in, and I told him it was probably because we had wheeled our GIANT stroller in the door and they were probably thinking "Oh noooo!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">so he had a sour taste in his mouth from the start. They sat us in a practically empty room and it was really nice! I ordered a crab cake with my salad and Aaron ordered a steak. The food was really yummy. Then two other families came in with very….boisterous children. Rhodes got woken up when one little boy wouldn't stop running around and yelling. Thankfully, our meal was over at that point and so I took him outside while my husband paid our bill. It was so nice out and we walked back to our car and watched the sunset. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our second beach day went about the same way. We ate breakfast at the Great Southern Cafe. We sat outside because it was<b> so</b> nice. Rhodes stayed awake but was pretty content staring at his mobile that we have hung on his carseat. We drove down to Rosemary Beach after breakfast because my husband was <strike>hell bent </strike> very eager to see it. Rhodie got his nap in and we got to see a little of the sites. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We shopped a little more around Seaside and went back to the room for a little more R&R. Later in the afternoon, we decided to go down to the beach again because it was overcast. It was perfect. There was a light breeze and the clouds blocked the sun and we were able to lounge in the beach chairs under our umbrella. I even got to stick Rhodie's feet in the ocean and he didn't get upset! Aaron took a few pictures and I'm glad we will have those memories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The beach chair guy came by and said they would be shutting down the beach in a little bit due to the weather. Hurricane Hermine was headed towards FL, and although it wasn't going to hit in our area, they were expecting high winds and rain. So after a little while, we went back to our room and decided what to do about dinner. After talking a little more, we decided that maybe we should try to head back that same night instead of the next day. We packed up and got some dinner at the Barefoot BBQ food truck in Seaside, then we rolled out of town. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We drove to Hoover, AL and stopped for the night at a hotel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning, we headed out. I don't really have a lot to say about the drive home…except for the fact that we got to stop in Memphis and see my college best friend and her family. It was so good to see them and catch up! Our babies got to meet for the first time and Rhodes was pleased to be able to get out of the car for an hour! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We made it home, ate dinner, and my parents & Joshua came over to see Rhodes before we went to sleep. We were exhausted but Rhodes enjoyed the beach (just not the car) and I'm glad that we went on a trip together as a family. It helped up learn about traveling with a little one and we made some good memories! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's all for now! Laundry is calling my name!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span></div>
Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-86527338292432299392016-09-04T09:53:00.000-05:002016-09-04T09:53:30.747-05:00Our Baby Boy: 11 Weeks @ The Beach (Day 1)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I start back work a week from tomorrow and my husband has been wanting to take a vacation for a while now. So, last minute, my husband decided to book a trip to the beach. I was a little nervous because it was a 10hr drive. That's without stopping. We have a breastfed 2.5month old baby. We were leaving Monday and coming back on Thursday. We only had two days at the actual beach. Insert crazy emoji face here. But he wanted to go and so we decided to try.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We loaded up on Monday morning and took off. I packed extra <b>everything</b> and my small SUV was <b>LOADED</b> down. Who knew you needed so much more stuff when you have a baby?! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm kidding….kind of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But of course, we had to stop by my husband's office to show his coworkers the baby. After that little detour, it was time for Rhodie to eat…and then he had a blowout. <i>OF COURSE HE DID ! </i>So we had outfit change #1 and we got back on the road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The first half of the day went really well. I fed Rhodes again while we stopped for lunch and would get him out to play with him and let him stretch when we stopped for gas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then my husband started talking about how he wanted to stop in and see his grandparents since it was on the way. "For a quick visit" is what he said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">LOL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We stopped in to see his grandparents and they were tickled to see the baby. It was fun because they've only seen him one other time and he has changed so much since then. But then Rhodie spit up everywhere because he had been jostled half to death on the country roads leading out to their house. Bless his heart. Outfit change #2. And then he had dirty diaper. <i>SCORE! </i>Outfit #3. (THANK GOODNESS I OVER-PACKED) I knew he was going to be so tired and I was antsy to get going so that we could drive while he slept. But the grandparents WOULD NOT let us leave. We ended up having to wait "10 minutes" for my husband's great aunt to come over so she could see the baby….. 40 minutes later she finally showed up. I hated to seem rude but at that point in the trip we had 5 more hours to go and, including all of our other stops, was already going to put us getting in around 10pm. We literally were going to be on the road ALL day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once we finally left the grandparents house (Rhodes had already napped at their house - insert eye roll) we had to stop for dinner/feed Rhodie and that's when our trip got a little sour. Rhodes was completely over being in his carseat (I don't blame him) and he was completely out of routine and over the whole day. He had HAD it! I felt so bad and he was so fussy. We both may have gotten a little teary at the end because he was so worked up. At one point, my husband told me to "toughen up" and I told him I contemplated ending him right then and there. Good thing it was dark because if looks could kill, he would have been deader than dead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We <i>finally </i>made it to the resort, checked in, played with our now-happy baby and got some sleep….14 hours later….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span></div>
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Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-65801173387207264902016-08-26T22:53:00.000-05:002016-08-26T22:53:00.987-05:00Our Baby Boy: 10 Weeks Old (WOW!)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are in the double digits people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodie Man is 10 weeks old and he definitely had a big week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Week 10:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He smiles and coos A LOT (and this Mommy still almost cries every time)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He acts a little bashful when he smiles and it is the most precious thing ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Pretty sure he smiled at his puppy brother the other day. Progress!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-We are LOVING our play mat this week! There is a little mobile that rotates in the center above the mat and a few little toys that hang down and we love to stare, swat, and talk to those. We lay on the play mat several different times in the morning and maybe once at night to get that last little bit of energy out! I've tried to give him plenty of tummy time, but he ends up stretching out and taking a nap instead. Since I'm right there beside him, I usually just let him sleep once he gets started. It's so cute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-We have face-timed our uncles this week and even though I don't think he gets it, he tries to "talk" to whoever's face is on the screen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-We had our 2 mo appointment and Rhodes did great! He weighs 14 lbs 12.8 oz and has grown 2 inches in length (23.5) and his head is an inch bigger (16.5)! :) He gets it from his Momma! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodes had to get his 2 month shots at this check up. Working in the NICU, I have given 2 mo. immunizations before, although it's not very common, so I knew what to expect. I knew that he was going to get two shots. He also got one oral med, which he tolerated well and I was proud! The shots were a different story. The Dr said that two nurses would come in and "double-team" him so to speak, so it would be faster and <i><b>less traumatic</b> </i>(YEAH RIGHT) for the baby. One nurse came in and gave the oral med, then the second nurse joined her for the shots. Of course, Rhodes had a moment after he got his shots. I can't blame him, those suckers hurt & I still flinch when I have to get stuck for anything. But the thing that hurts me the most is that my baby hasn't experience much pain in his life (besides his circ which he'll <i>thankfully </i>never remember!) and it is heart-wrenching to see him cry like that. I know the shots are for his benefit, but it broke my heart. My mom came with us and she shed a few tears in the room after it was all said and done. I may or may not have broken out in a cold sweat & gotten light-headed once we left because I was so overwhelmed with my nervousness & sadness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once I got him settled down, we loaded up and got the heck out of there because all I wanted to do was feed and snuggle my baby boy. He slept soundly for a little while, but when he woke he would cry and cry this pitiful, sad cry. UGH. AWFUL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At one point that afternoon, it took me a while to console him and I began to cry. We just cried together and rocked in the rocker. I'm sure it was quite the sight. Just thinking about it is enough to get me tuned up again….that and the two spiderman bandaids on his chubby little thighs….and how around his little eyes it was red because he had been crying so hard... It hurts my heart :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, that night, Aaron had Rhodie on the changing table and I came in there to talk to them and I got a smile out of my sweet boy. It had taken all day, but that precious smile made me feel so much better. I ended up giving him some baby tylenol for pain and he slept okay-ish for the rest of the night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next morning, I had my happy boy back and that made <b>all</b> the difference. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am thankful for modern medicine and hospitals and doctors and nurses….and I am so thankful that we are blessed with insurance and good healthcare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm also thankful for the health of my little guy. <b>SO</b> thankful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And now I'm dreading the 4 & 6 month shots :\</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">in the words of Rhodie's Uncle Fred…"I'm not talking about that right now."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-67900699840226058512016-08-21T21:55:00.001-05:002016-08-21T21:55:47.274-05:00Our Baby Boy: Week 9 (8.19.16)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodie is 9 weeks old! I am writing this on 8.21.16 and we have had a FULL weekend! I think that it has probably been our busiest weekend in a WHILE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodes had another great week! He's so fun to be around and is growing so much. I had a moment last week when I looked at his two month old picture vs his 1 month old picture and I nearly lost it. Bless. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He's so big and even though I take about 1 million pictures a day of his cute little self, I still feel like I'm missing the little changes. I know that's not likely, but that's just how this Momma feels! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have been a little more daring with our outings this week as well. It's been SO rainy here lately which is awesome because it hasn't been as hot as it normally is this time of year, but the rain also can hinder an outing because who wants to get a baby, car seat, diaper bag, AND a stroller out in this mess? <i>NOT IT. </i>We ate out at a local mexican place with my family on Friday night and left a few minutes earlier than they did so that we could get back and feed Rhodie. Every move I make revolves around that boy and his eating schedule. He loves his milk and loves to eat….wonder where he gets that from? ;) On Saturday we had a pretty lazy morning, until my in-laws appeared. My husband called me from the grocery store (which is a whole story in itself) and told me he was headed home and that (<i>surprise!) </i>his parents were pulling in to town and would be at our house shortly. Considering that I hadn't showered and was basically in lounge clothes, more of a heads-up would have been appreciated. ANYWHO…So they came for lunch and Aaron grilled and then they headed home when it was time for Rhodie's next feeding. My MIL brought us an old ornament that her grandmother gave her for Aaron's first Christmas and a (slightly terrifying) bunny lovey thing that my husband used to tote around as a child. She claims she washed it after she found it, but just in case, I'm throwing that thing in the laundry…and maybe in the closet for a while…. ;) It's the thought that counts and I am thankful to get that from them since I don't have many old keepsakes from his childhood. She had a little photo shoot with the bunny thing and Rhodes and then did the same with my FIL. I'm glad they were able to get some pictures since they don't get to see him on a daily basis (like my parents do.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not long after they left, my mom texted me and said they were meeting my brother and SIL in Searcy (our usual meeting spot) for dinner since Logan starts back to OT school Monday and Morgan is back in the full swing of teaching. We discussed it for a while and I almost didn't want to go just because of Rhodie's schedule (we don't want that boy to get out of whack) and the hassle of traveling with a small baby who could lose it at any moment. But we finally agreed to go and just be flexible and if all else failed we could just stop in somewhere and I would just nurse him in the car. I'm glad we went because it was good to see those two and they were REALLY excited to see Rhodes (more than anyone else and that's OK) since they hadn't seen him in a little while. They will make great parents one day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today we had a slow morning. We didn't end up going to church or SS. I would even venture to say that we slept in….even though I didn't sleep in. Aaron got up with Rhodes between 2-4 and then I got up with him at 5 while Aaron slept on the couch off and on until 8. I actually did a load of laundry at about 6am and was able to pump and lay on the couch quietly while Rhodes was in his swing and his Dad snored blissfully on the other couch. No sleep for me though, which is probably why I had such a hard time keeping my eyes open tonight in the car. This afternoon, after much discussion, we ended up going to Arkadelphia to "help" move in my little brother for his sophomore year at OBU. By "help" I mean we showed up after he was all move in but it's the thought that counts, right? We ended up having to stop and feed Rhodie and then he had a dirty diaper and it turned into a 30 minute ordeal. But we were able to get there, see Clark's room, meet his roommate, walk the campus and take some pictures with Rhodes. Then we headed out and stopped in at a pizza place with my family before coming the rest of the way home. It was a good day. A FULL and good day. I hope Clark is already having fun because he will be so missed. SO missed…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tonight, Rhodie has been a little fussier than his normal sweet self, so as I sit this, he is (finally) sleeping in his swing, I'm sitting in the rocker next to the swing on my computer, and my husband is asleep on the floor in front of the swing. Oh yeah, and Marley the Yorkie is SNORING in his doggy bed. I love my family. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's all for now. This Momma needs a mental break. We got Rhodie off of his "schedule" time-wise so now his next feed is due at 11:30 pm. I may try to go lay on the couch for a bit and rest until he starts stirring! :) Being a mom is so fun, tiring, crazy, and worthwhile. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-46242734812454761992016-08-12T13:02:00.001-05:002016-08-12T13:02:11.562-05:00Our Baby Boy: Week 8 (8.12.16)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh how time is flying! Another week has gone by already and my (not-so) little squishy baby is growing up (so quickly) right before my eyes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-We have <b><i>really</i> </b>found our voice. Our morning conversations and his after-feeding squeals make my whole day. He isn't exactly cooing just yet, but he is trying so hard & it's adorable! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This morning, he screamed and squealed at the top of his lungs and I really wanted to record it, but I knew as soon as I walked away to get my phone that he would probably stop. Next time though! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-Mornings are <u>the best</u>. He is so happy, usually has slept (some), and has a full tummy. He gets so tickled when I change him in his room and he loves talking to the giraffe picture on the wall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He loves being outside. Unfortunately, it is SO DANG HOT that we don't go outside very much. We haven't even gotten back in the pool since last weekend. I'm hoping he'll be a little fish since he loves his baths and he is really intrigued by the blue color of the pool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-The smile is out in full force. He smiles at my whole family and he made his Aunt Morgan (my SIL) cry last weekend when he smiled really big at her. It was precious. His aunts/uncles love him so much. Speaking of uncles…Uncle Clark (my baby brother) changed his first diaper ever yesterday and I think he is pretty proud of himself. Uncle Logan (my middle brother) changed his first diaper ever a couple weeks ago when he was here for the weekend. So now we just have to figure out a way to convince Uncle Joshua (my big brother) that he can do it too! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He's had some better nights, sleep-wise, but he still loves to wake up in the wee hours of the morning so that his Daddy will get up with him and let him sleep on his chest. I think he does it on purpose. It's only fair since he snuggles with me all day, right? :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-We went to Target again and he slept through it…again. I say it's a win!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He's still eating like a champ…and a maniac. I feel like he's gained another couple of pounds so it will be interesting to see how much he has grown at his 2 month appointment in 2 weeks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-He LOVES his Daddy. Obviously he loves his Mommy too, but it is so sweet to watch those two interact. (Cue the heart melting to mush)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-As of today, Puppy Brother has decided that maybe baby brother is not so scary after all and he came over this morning to sniff and attempt to lick him (which I discouraged) while we had our morning playtime on the play mat. It was sweet. Marley (our Yorkie) has been in our family for 10 years, so it is pretty important to me that they get along well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't believe Rhodie is 8 whole weeks old. I may or may not have cried this morning when I was feeding him at 5am because it's going so fast…sometimes too fast…and I'm not ready to go back to work in just 4 short weeks. I love being home with my little man. I thank God for him every chance I get. He is just the biggest blessing. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-88565906772191556942016-08-08T07:39:00.000-05:002016-08-08T07:39:06.103-05:00Our Baby Boy: 7 Weeks (8.5.16)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodes is now 7 weeks old! (as of Friday 8.5.16)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week:</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-The social smile is </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">really</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> making it's grand debut! "<b>ON FLEEK"</b> as the kids say.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-He's trying to coo and it's the best thing ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-He finally got ahold of his thumb again, after several days of real effort. SO CUTE.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-He went to Target with Mommy & his "Millie" (my mom).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-He saw his great-grandparents again (my dad's parents).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Oh yeah, and the big boy GOT IN THE POOL! We will make a fish out of him yet! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had family come in town this weekend. My brother and SIL that live in Jonesboro came on Thursday night. We got to enjoy them ALL weekend. It was so fun. My brother starts year 2 of OT school this coming week and my SIL goes back to her teaching job so they wanted to enjoy the last few days of their summer break. My dad's parents surprised us on Friday afternoon and came our way for dinner. They are older and travel is harder these days, but we are so thankful that they came and especially glad they got to see Rhodie again. They haven't seen him since he was only a couple of days old. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And my in-laws decided to come over on Saturday so they got to see Rhodes for a little while as well. We had a FULL weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Family-ed out" as my MIL suggested. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Law.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But now that you mention it….</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kidding! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were able to get up and around and finally made it to Sunday School again this weekend. I'm so glad that we were able to see our class. Our teachers are due to have their 2nd baby boy in the next 2-3 weeks and we had a "sprinkle" shower for them. We've also had lots of pregnancies happening this year, so lots of couples are in and out a lot. It's harder to keep those connections going when you only see someone every few weeks, but we are trying to get back into the swing of things since Rhodie is a little bigger. He slept throughout class and we were very impressed! Then he peed out of his diaper and onto his outfit…so, it was a small victory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mom was bound and determined to get a picture of "The Kids" this weekend. Saturday night, we turned off the Olympics for a few minutes and all tromped outside for a pic by the pool. Talk about a homely-looking bunch. My parents snapped away and we went back inside. I could tell by her reaction going through her pictures, that she didn't get what she wanted, so on Sunday morning I texted my Dad and brothers and planned to meet up in the lobby in between Sunday school and service to get a picture since we would all be dressed nicely for church. Once we all got together, however, my Dad was conveniently MIA (bathroom) and so I told my mom the plan and we all went into the lobby and got a picture. You know, despite having to crop out my big ole' pale legs (bc my dress was being pulled up a little high in the front while holding Rhodie Man- EEK!)…it turned out really cute! Two of my brothers & my SIL are all starting back to school soon, so we won't see them for a little while. It makes me sad but I know it's just a season and I'm thankful for the time we have gotten to see them over the summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">OH YEAH…R also laughed in his sleep TWICE this week. It was the best sound I've ever heard in my life. I <i>almost</i> cried both times. What a happy sound! I am so excited for him to start laughing. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think that's all of my updates for now! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm going try to switch my laundry over really quick while baby boy is sleeping in his swing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-81192378394438397622016-08-01T20:52:00.001-05:002016-08-01T20:55:29.964-05:00Baby Boy Goes to Church (7.31.16)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Six weeks. Our sweet baby boy is six weeks old! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week we have really noticed Rhodes focusing more on people's faces and even throwing around a smile here and there :) It's so sweet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After he eats and has been burped, he will squeal and throw his head around and smile at me or at "Window" (his BFF ) and it is seriously the sweetest thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We took Rhodes to Sunday School on Sunday and he made it through the first part and the last part of class. My hubby took him out first, when he was getting fussy because he was wet. The boy <i>cannot stand </i>to be wet. Aaron even took him and changed him at the changing station in the men's bathroom. PROUD WIFE. :) After a little while, I heard him crying in the hall, where Aaron was walking around with him. I grabbed the diaper bag and went out to go feed him. Of course he was due to eat right in the middle of our class time! Once he ate and burped sufficiently, (or so we thought) we went back into the class. He squealed and made his sweet baby noises and got lots of smiles in return. After class, everyone wanted to see him and "ooo and ahh" over his cute little face. He enjoyed the attention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then he spit up on Mommy's arm and down the side of my dress. Thankfully, his Dad was a quick responder with the burp cloth and the spit up on my dress was minimal and Rhodie was a happier boy to get that out of his system. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since that went so well and he had already eaten, I asked my hubby if he'd be okay if we went by the choir room before the service started so that some of my church choir friends could see him. They went nuts over him. I'm so glad we went, even though I was a little nervous. Actually, we both were a little nervous, but it worked out. We are trying to be flexible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After what we considered a highly successful morning, we picked up some lunch and went home to rest. Rhodes was worn out, as were Mom & Dad. We were so pleased that he did well for Sunday School, but I'm not sure we will attempt to go to the service just yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The past few days for Rhodie have been a little rough, because he's had some tummy troubles. Thankfully, today those troubles are starting to resolve. He's had <u>several</u> dirty diaper today. I also had my postpartum appointment in Little Rock today. My mom offered to go with me to help with Rhodes, and I am so thankful for the help. That would have been hard to do with just the two of us, since we haven't had a whole lot of practice being out and about yet. My appointment went well and even with Rhodes having to eat right in the middle of it, I think it was a successful outing. We had to change Rhodes in the waiting room (twice) but the last time, I had asked the girl at the desk if the bathroom had a changing station and she said it did not. <b>What bathroom on the same floor as an OB-GYN practice doesn't have a changing station?!</b>! She said we could just change him in the waiting area again, as long as we took the diaper out and threw it away. I'm thinking they may have had an issue or two with that in the past LOL! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once we left the doctor, we drove back home, went by the pharmacy and picked up some lunch before heading back to my house. Then my mom and my brothers came over and hung out/helped hold Rhodie so this Momma could take a little nap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm thanking God for a great day, a successful outing, and this sweet sleeping baby on my chest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-62044940643938430182016-07-27T22:29:00.001-05:002016-07-27T22:29:21.305-05:00I Get By On Little Victories<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodes will be 6 weeks old in two days. Time is flying. That means I'm halfway through with my maternity leave. <- Writing that shattered my heart into 1 billion tiny pieces. I can't think of going an hour without him, much less 12+ hrs. I'm going to cry so I'll go ahead and change the subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week has been a good week. We've worked more on tummy time, but Rhodie would rather do his tummy time on our chests than on the floor. One of our Neonatologists at the hospital once told a parent, "You can never spoil a baby." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His feet may never touch the floor, until he's ready to walk...and still maybe even after that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He's developing his little personality and it's so amazing to watch. He loves Mommy snuggles and when Daddy dances with him around the kitchen. He goes from zero to 60 with his temper if he's wet, hungry, or wanting held. He's so sweet and cuddly. He's starting to like his swing more, in small doses, so it's a win for this Momma!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodie grew out of newborn sized diapers practically the second day of his life outside of the womb. Of course, we had a TON of newborn diapers, so he wore the fire out of those things until they started squeezing his (not-so-little) tummy. He's been in the size 1 diapers since about Week 3. He's growing like a weed. Right now he's more round and squishy than long, but I <i>totally</i> don't mind! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday was my mom's birthday. She doesn't like a fuss made over her (like, ever) so we didn't have a big to-do. One special thing that did happen was that my aunt and her 4 kids came through town to see Rhodes and my mom on her birthday. They live in TX and we try to see them a few times a year, but with everyone growing up and going their various ways, it's hard to get together as much as we'd like. They LOVED getting to see Rhodes though! And he loved the attention. :) He slept HARD after they left, he was so worn out from all the love and attention. So my mom got to see her sister and she got to snuggle Rhodes. All in all, I think she enjoyed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mom has been a huge help these past 6 weeks. She comes over to hold Rhodes so I can do things like take a shower or (heaven forbid) go to the restroom for 5 seconds. She also has helped me do laundry, brought me groceries, and helped me decorate my house. She hung a wall collage in my living room while I nursed/burped Rhodes one afternoon and I think it turned out so cute! And yesterday, on her birthday, she climbed up on the pew at my kitchen table and hung my plates on the wall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She's a rockstar. (insert fist-bump emoji here)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another fun thing we did today was go on our first stroller ride. It has been SO HOT lately (gotta love that Southern heat & humidity) and we have stayed inside as much as possible. It had stormed earlier in the day, so it was around 80 degrees and not <i>as</i> humid out, so my hubby suggested we break out the stroller. Rhodes seemed to enjoy it because he fell asleep immediately and on the way back home, he looked around in wonder but didn't make one peep! It was good to get out for a minute to walk and not be drenched in sweat! We walked over to my parents, said hello, and then came home. I'm so thankful to live so close to them. It's about a mile round-trip between our two houses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's all for tonight. I'm off to feed the chunky monkey and then hopefully we will all get some sleep tonight!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-40372217990378445112016-07-19T18:53:00.003-05:002016-07-19T18:53:56.779-05:00Our Baby Boy: One Month Old (7.17) & A Dr. Visit (7.19)!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On 7.17.16 our boy was officially one month old. I cannot believe how time has flown. Maybe it's the lack of sleep? ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodie is more bright-eyed and playful these days. He smiles in the mornings and after he nurses and has a full tummy! He still likes dancing in the kitchen with Daddy & <i>usually</i> Mommy's arms can fix a lot of problems. He still loves Window and Ceiling Fan, car trips, and being carried and walked around, and around, and around. He still eats like a maniac but he seems to be getting a little better. I think the boy just likes to eat! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I tried to take some one month pictures, but Rhodes wasn't really feeling it. He was a little on the sleepy side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had our 1 month appointment today (7.19..16) and Rhodes surprised us! We knew he had been gaining weight, you can really tell in his face and his little potbelly, but we didn't know how much weight he had gained! The other night, my mom brought out a scale she had an just set him down for just a second (he was a little bigger than the scale -ha!) it read 11lbs. We thought it might have been wrong, but we knew he had to be over 10 lbs! When I put him on the scale today, I'm pretty sure my mouth fell open. He weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs 0.8oz!!! That means he has nearly gained a full 3 bs in 1 month! I'm definitely not worried about him not getting enough to eat anymore! :) He's a BIG BOY. He's grown in weight, obviously, and his head has gotten a little bigger, which isn't surprising because his Mommy has a big head (lol!). As for the growth charts, he's 92.5% in weight, 53.48% in length, and 97.57% in head circumference. I am so proud of my big ol' boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> My mom came with us today because my husband was out of town with work. I'm so thankful to be close with my mom, both in relationship and in physical distance. We live about a minute away from each other in the same town and it has been SUCH a blessing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also finally got to meet our new pediatrician today and she seems really nice! I think it will work out just fine! She was very sweet with Rhodes and easy to talk to. She is also a mom…so, <i>she</i> <i>gets it</i> and that's very comforting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our Rhodie also got his 2nd Hep B. shot today and he handled it like a champ! He only cried for a few seconds, but after some snuggles with Mommy, he was calm enough to fall asleep in the car on the way home. I, on the other hand, broke out on a sweat in the office because of nerves and because MY BABY WAS SAD. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But he did get a pretty cool Spider Man bandaid to show off too, so I'm sure he thought that was pretty cool. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our morning consisted of some sweet baby smiles and our afternoon has consisted of sweet baby snuggles. He deserved it after his big day :) It's been a good day for all…minus the whole shot thing…which I'm still sensitive about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We love our <u>big</u> Rhodie man! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to get b</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ack to snuggling my little guy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-12571100849851510742016-07-16T14:39:00.001-05:002016-07-16T14:39:32.322-05:00Our Baby Boy: 4 Weeks (7.15.16)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our little man turned 4 weeks old today! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He'll be a month old on Sunday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Excuse me while I go bawl my eyes out…..<i>kidding….kind of……</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It doesn't seem like it has been a month since we drove to the hospital and I was in labor. It doesn't seem like a month ago when I saw my baby boy for the first time. It doesn't feel like 4 weeks have passed because all my days and nights blur together. AND IT IS WONDERFUL. I'm thankful to have had 4 whole weeks with our Rhodie. It has been the best 4 weeks of my entire life. Despite the sleepless nights, the poopy diapers, getting spit up on, and everything else in between, I couldn't be happier. We have been blessed with the sweetest, snuggliest baby ever. He fits right in and it's like we've found the little nugget we've been missing all our lives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhodes had his smiliest day of his life on July 14th. He smiled at his Daddy when he left for work and while Mommy played with him and nursed him. It totally melted my heart. He may not quite realize what he's doing, but it makes my whole day. I got some pictures and I look at them all the time. He also has a "secret dimple" on the left side of his face that I'm obsessed with and I love when you can see it, especially when he grins :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had our first outing on the 14th also. My mom and oldest brother (aka Uncle Fred) came over and brought us lunch. We piddled around until we decided to just bite the bullet. We loaded up Rhodie and the diaper bag and the four of us went to Hobby Lobby. Things we learned: 2 minutes in the store and Rhodie does NOT like the ergo carrier. At least, he doesn't like it <i>YET.</i> I think he got hot. It is summer after all. But practice will make perfect. So I ended up taking him out of the carrier and just holding him. That's where he wanted to be anyways :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Rhodes had several visitors this weekend. My brother and his wife came in on Thursday and then my inlaws and my SIL came on Saturday. So we had a good weekend! I'm off to spend more time with my sweet little nugget!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-79012657226980418322016-07-09T22:03:00.000-05:002016-07-09T22:03:03.569-05:00Our Baby Boy: Week 3 (7.8.16)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't believe we are already 1 week shy of our little man being a month old! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Time seems to be flying and dragging all at once, and as I said earlier, if ever there was a time that I wish I could speed up and slow down time all at once, it would be now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last night our little boy went SEVEN hours between two feeds. SEVEN. Being a first time mom, instead of taking it for granted, I freaked out and worried that he was going to starve to death. Obviously he was fine. And this momma slept from 12-4 (partially thanks to my awesome husband, who got up with him around 12 and took him into the living room to settle him down and let me sleep) and I was a new person at that 4am feed. PTL!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And no, I won't get used to it. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today (7.9) was a good day. My in-laws came over to see Rhodie. My MIL, BIL/SIL, other SIL, Aaron's Aunt, and Aaron's mom's parents came over. The Aunt and grandparents came all the way from AL! My husband grilled burgers and hot dogs for lunch and we all got to catch up a little bit. It was a little stressful having a 3 week old and 7 guests (plus 1 other dog -don't <i>even</i> get me started) in my house but it ended up being a fine day. I'm glad Aaron got to see his grandparents and I'm glad they got to see our little guy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But we were WORN OUT! Rhodes has napped most of the afternoon and I'm hoping that doesn't affect our bedtime too much!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rhodie has had an eventful 3 weeks of life. He is more interactive every day and we are so thankful for him! He loves his Momma :) and dance parties with Daddy! He seems to like country music (yikes!) and his best friends are Window and Ceiling Fan. He likes to scream his head off at bedtime and he holds his breath when he gets REALLY mad. Thankfully, that doesn't happen too often. :) We've also discovered that he likes the white noise/wave noise on his giraffe sound machine (SCORE!) and we are trying to use that more at bedtime to get him quieted down. His favorite game is seeing how many diapers he can go through in a 24 hour period. He's determined to get the count to above 12. He cannot STAND to be wet AT ALL. He's so funny that way!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are so blessed to be his parents and our hearts grow more and more in love with him every day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cheers to 3 weeks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-45880852230028245582016-07-04T09:13:00.001-05:002016-07-04T09:18:30.725-05:00Our baby boy: Week 2 (7.1.16)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have made it through another week! Our pediatrician appointment on Monday went well, and we ended up seeing a pediatrician instead of a nurse practitioner, which is what was originally planned. It wasn't the pediatrician who we intended to see, but it worked out well because we go to church with the man we saw! Rhodes passed our appointment with flying colors and weighed 9 lbs 2.2oz! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week was better than last in terms of getting used to our new normal. We've had a few (rare) 4 hour sleep sessions and we praised the Lord for them. We've also had a few (rare) instances where he feels like he needs to eat every 2-2.5 hours, which can wear on a mommy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week Rhodie (what Aaron nicknamed him) is becoming more interactive. He is trying to focus his sweet little eyes on faces and objects (like the living room ceiling fan) and has gone a couple of stretches in between feeds where he is wide awake! It's fun to watch him figure things out. It melts my heart when he studies my face. I just want to kiss all over him!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's also fun to watch my hubby interact with Rhodes. I love coming into the room and hearing him sing to him (usually something silly and made up) or to look over at them snuggled on the couch. And Marley, our yorkie, isn't usually too far away from his baby brother either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhodie is such a blessing to our lives. He's already changed <i>so</i> much in two weeks! We had our newborn pictures made on Wednesday and I CANNOT WAIT to see how they turned out! I don't know if my heart…or my wallet will be able to take the cuteness! We tried to get Marley to participate in the fun <i>aaaaand</i> it was a borderline disaster. He did NOT want to be in the same space and his new baby brother, which is funny because usually he wants to be <i>right</i> <i>beside</i> Rhodes and whoever is holding him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sorry for the shorter post, but he's due to eat in about 5 minutes ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-50974476782114386512016-07-01T10:28:00.001-05:002016-07-01T10:30:44.971-05:00Our baby boy: Week 1 (6/24/16)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our first week with our son Rhodes is in the books. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've already cried about it. Not that I'm even that <i>sad</i> about it. But I am. Or maybe it's the lack of sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We came home on Monday and our new reality set in. I'm trying to nurse every 3 hours (give or take) and let's just say…momma's <i>parts</i> are <i>sore. </i>Yee-ouch! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our 10 year old yorkie is adjusting too. The first day we were home, he shook and acted like every little noise freaked him out. Now he gets up and goes with us every time we take "his baby" out of the room or runs over if Rhodes as much as sneezes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our first pediatrician appointment was Wednesday. We might have been late…like 5 minutes after our appointment time (we needed to be there 30 minutes early for paperwork) so, whoops! It ended up being fine. We saw a nurse and she did an assessment and a jaundice check and our boy weighed albs 7oz, which is what he weighed at discharge, so we could tell that he was still eating well! She didn't even want to stick him (thankfully!!) for a bilirubin check because she said he looked great. :) So proud of our boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a couple of rough nights this week. Thankfully, Aaron has been home all week and we've been able to tag team the diaper changes and holding our fussy baby in the wee hours of the morning. I'm thankful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On his fourth day of life (6/21) we were trying out our baby swing. He seemed to be enjoying himself. THEN we heard <i>the noise. </i>If you've ever been around a baby, you know the noise I'm talking about. The dirty diaper noise. Being a NICU nurse, I know that sometimes, you can change a baby when you think they are done with their business, only for them to wreck the next one, two, or four diapers because they are, in fact, not done. BEEN THERE. So I decided to wait a few more minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">More <i>noises. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then my older brother Joshua said "Whew! Rhodie!" and we began to smell the dirty diaper. I walked over to scoop up the baby and while I was standing in the living room, my mom gasped and said the diaper was leaking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SURE ENOUGH.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It continued to drip the whole way to the nursery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did I mention we have WHITE carpet in the living room?! WHITE. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I finally got him changed and came back to the living room to the funniest site. My husband and my baby brother on their hands and knees scrubbing baby poop out of the carpet, my oldest brother Joshua climbing the walls to get away from the mess and the smell and ALL OF IT (ha!) and my mom rummaging through our cabinets trying to find stuff to clean with. We didn't have much. We moved in at the end of May and I hadn't quite stocked our new house up with everything we needed. My bad ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sat down on the couch and lost it. I laughed so hard it hurt my incision. My husband was pacing the living room and researching how much it would cost to put in hardwood floors. It was just SO funny! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our first week with our baby was eye-opening. I work with babies but it's still so different having your own. I'm sore, I'm tired, and I'm hormonal. BLESS my husband's heart. But we make a good team and I told him it's only going to get better. We are so blessed with a sweet, snuggly baby. We love him so much. I can't imagine life without him now. I look at his little face and thank the Lord for him all day long. Especially during those hard hours from 12am-5am. He doesn't really <i>care</i> for that time of day. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-9878744778277062952016-07-01T09:48:00.001-05:002016-07-01T09:50:24.441-05:00He's Here! Part 2<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I always wondering, throughout my whole pregnancy, what my sweet boy would look like. Not that I <i>cared,</i> but I was always imagining in my head. Well it turns out, he's absolutely perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He has a big round head (even after pushing for 2 hours), some deliciously squishy cheeks, and the prettiest lips I've ever seen. I just want to eat him up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, and his hair. He's got a head full of hair. Precious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He is the first grandchild on both sides of our families so our families are both pretty smitten. I think my family has tried to see him every single day since he's been born, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus it's always nice to have an extra set of hands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had lots of visitors in the hospital. Family, friends, co-workers, bosses, it was wonderful. I wish I had taken more pictures! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From my perspective, our hospital stay was a blur. We went in on Friday at 8am and were finally discharged around 2:00 on the following Monday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There were long days and longer nights and I felt pretty useless the first two days. I remember Aaron changing lots of poopy diapers. I'm pretty sure those are the first diapers he's ever changed in his life. He was such a trooper. He slept on that tiny couch and didn't complain…except for being cold. He said he was cold every single day. But this Momma was HOT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They took out my epidural Sunday morning around 4am. I had my first shower later that morning too. I felt like a new woman. Walking was hard, my incision hurt, and I could definitely tell that my epidural was GONE…and I missed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My nursing staff was pretty wonderful…minus one chick who I think I saw maybe twice in 12 hours…but I digress. I even had a nurse that I went to nursing school with, which I was skeptical about at first, but she ended up being one of my favorite nurses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am very fortunate that my husband was able to take a week off of work to be home with us. I'm also fortunate that my family lives (literally) a minute car drive away. It made this first week go by pretty smoothly…or as smooth as it could go. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things we learned over our hospital stay: 1) our baby doesn't like having his arms swaddled; 2) he doesn't like being put into the carseat; 3) he LOVES riding in the car (zzzzz); 4) he loooves to snuggle and I will NOT be complaining about that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our hearts are FULL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-4821258595363894582016-06-25T15:25:00.003-05:002016-07-01T10:28:57.359-05:00He's Here! Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 17th, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I woke up at 5:30 in the morning on Friday, at 40 + 5, with what I thought were just more Braxton-Hicks. Around 6:30, while my husband was getting ready for work, I downloaded a contraction timer app, just to see if I was being worrisome over nothing. A few days before, I had contractions off and on until noon and then nothing, so I wasn't trying to get my hopes up. The app confirmed that I was indeed having real labor contractions and that I "needed to call an ambulance or head to the nearest hospital as soon as possible" which was <i>SUPER</i> comforting…NOT. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Being stubborn, as I usually am, I decided to take a shower and see how things felt after that, after all, it had only been about an hour and a half of fairly regular contractions. After getting out of the shower, I wasn't feeling much better, in fact, the contractions were getting stronger, and I told my husband we needed to go to the hospital right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He took the longer route to the interstate and he might have driven 2-3 mph over the speed limit….which I WILL bring up….one day…. ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once we got to the hospital, all of the laboring mother parking spots were full, so we parked on the 3rd level, took the elevator down, and then walked over to L&D. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They took my weight (BLESS), height, and some background info, and then walked me over to triage. In triage, we had a nice nurse named Kelly (I think) and she did an over-all assessment, hooked me up to the monitor, and checked my cervical dilation. I was at a four and was 90% effaced. When I had my 40 week appointment two days prior, I was only at a 2 but I was already about 90% effaced, which was wonderful since we had no progress up to that point. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After watching the monitor and my contractions, the nurse called the doctor and they agreed to keep me and take me to a room. The nurse started an IV and we walked with her to a delivery room and decided to let our parents know that I was being admitted. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Around 10:00, the anesthesiologist came to talk to me about an epidural and we ended up deciding to do it right then and there. The nurse had just checked me and I was at a 5. It wasn't a terrible experience but it definitely was helpful. I barely noticed contractions after that, unless I was watching the monitor. I think they moved the computer and monitor back out of my eyesight after a while, because they knew I was a NICU nurse and they probably didn't want me to worry, if anything changed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At 12:00 I was at an 8 and we were just waiting on my water to break on its own. They gave me a <i>lovely</i> catheter. Thank goodness I had already gotten my epidural at this point…and that I had given up on being modest :\ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At 3 that afternoon, I was an "8-9" according to the nurse and we were still waiting on my water to break. They said my water bag was "bulging" and that it would be any time. My family showed up about this time, my parents and my oldest brother. I gave my mom the go-ahead to tell my younger brothers. Logan and his wife Morgan jumped in the car VERY quickly after they heard the news. Clark came after he got off work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At 4:20, Dr. Large (the on-call OB) came, checked me, and we decided to break my water, as she thought that would complete my effacement, which it did. She also said we would start pushing in the next hour or so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Excited. Nervous. Anxious. Tired. I was all over the board with my emotions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At 6:00, we started pushing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 hour in, my baby boy was still not progressing and dropping down like he should. The Dr. said his head was against my pubic bone and that it felt "big" but we would keep trying for a little longer. He was head down, but his face and head were at an angle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 more hour passed and she came in and said that our options were to go to the OR for a section or to push for another hour and then possibly go to the OR for a section.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(this is when I lost it)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was scared. Scared for myself, but scared especially for my baby boy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I agreed to go ahead and do the C-section. I texted my mom to update the family in the waiting room and the anesthesiologist came in to increase my epidural and prep me for the OR. I tried to calm myself down, but my muscles just shook and shook. Partially due to anxiety and partially due to sheer exhaustion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The next two hours were a blur. The section was quick and relatively painless (HA). I knew the two NICU nurses that came for the delivery. I remember them sticking and alcohol swab under my oxygen mask next to my nose bc I had a surge of overwhelming nausea when they first put me on the table. Aaron took some wonderful pictures. When I heard my baby boy cry for the first time, I lost it. Totally LOST it. He was born at 8:48pm and his APGAR scores were 9 and 9.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I remember the Dr saying "Oh my goodness, he's HUGE!" and something about him peeing all over them and then something about "look at those LIPS!" and then something about "no wonder he wasn't coming out, he's a BIG boy."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They showed me my sweet baby boy very briefly over the curtain. It was not long enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now I have to take a minute to brag on my husband. He always says he doesn't "do" medical stuff. Doesn't like talking about it. Doesn't like hearing about it. AT ALL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He was SUCH a trooper. He sat through my cervical checks, my iv placement, held my hand through my epidural, was at my bedside ALL DAY LONG, and held my leg while I pushed. He also took some GREAT pictures at the delivery. I was shocked…and so happy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Aaron held our son while they stitched me up. They let me hold him while they wheeled me back to the delivery room for my recovery period and our hour of kangaroo care (which is a new policy that the hospital is implementing and I'm so thankful for it). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had an hour or so for time with just the three of us, plus the nurses and the Dr. of course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our son Rhodes Everett weighed in at 9 lbs 1.5oz, and he was 20 1/4 in long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He was absolutely perfect. I know I'm a <i>little </i>biased. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recovery took a little while longer than we thought, and I had not eaten literally all day, AND our families were anxiously waiting in the waiting room and had been for several hours….BUT we were FINALLY able to be moved to a postpartum room and after midnight, our families were able to come in and see us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We are blessed and we are loved. I am so thankful. Praise the Lord. We are so thankful to our God for getting our boy here safe and sound. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now excuse me while I go bawl my eyes out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span></div>
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Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-48355295954040888482016-06-02T08:49:00.002-05:002016-06-02T08:49:50.481-05:00The Final Countdown & The Move<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm in my final weeks of pregnancy. Everything feels big, I feel extra clumsy, and my 12 hour work days are getting harder and harder to get through. I worked 3 in a row over Memorial Day weekend…not by choice…and I woke up on Tuesday feeling like I had been hit by a truck. Yee-uck. :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mind is starting to race at night too…I guess that's pretty normal when your nerves set in and the fact that you are about to bring a tiny human into this world to raise as your own starts to become more real. My husband has been sleeping like a rock LOL! Actually, he has worked SO hard for us the past few weeks, with the move and baby prep and with his own job, that he deserves a good nights sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had another weekly check-up yesterday. Still no progress. My mom said to expect that since it's my first. I was just hoping for SOMETHING. Nothing huge. Just something! But apparently our little nugget is nice and snug with his momma and that's where he wants to stay for the time being :) Hubs said he was already showing his stubbornness that he obviously got from me…rude ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We moved about two weeks ago into a new house on the other side of town. I wouldn't suggest it at the end of your third trimester…but for as crazy as those couple days were, I'm so thankful that we did. We love our new house and we are slowly getting it unpacked and settled. My husband actually walked over to me while I was laying on the couch (which I feel like I do a lot of these days) and kissed me on the head and told me how happy he was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Melt my heart :) :) :) :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am so thankful for all the family that came to help us move. My mom essentially spent two whole days painting the nursery and didn't even complain even though I knew her back was hurting. My dad, two of my brothers, and my SIL helped pack and load heavy furniture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My in-laws came and helped too. My father-in-law's "gift" is service. He wants to fix and hang and repair and put together and build…etc. and it's very good at it. He actually came over the weekend while I was working and put a doggy door in for our little furball. Marley is so pleased that he can come and go as he chooses :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hubs and I actually just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary (time FLIES!) and the first official day of the move was how we celebrated. My husband did not complain one time…although I may have grumbled a bit. We actually took my in-laws to dinner after the longest day ever, so we haven't even had an official "anniversary dinner" yet. We should probably try to squeeze one in before baby boy makes his debut :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've spent the past few days I've had off doing baby laundry, hanging up baby clothes, and trying to get our house in somewhat of an order before total chaos begins :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Side note: Dreft is the best smelling detergent ever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's pretty much all that is going on these days. It's just a waiting game!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And we are pretty excited about it!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
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<br />Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-82485098613584386992016-05-06T10:41:00.002-05:002016-05-06T10:41:12.899-05:00Our Second Baby Shower<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My friends hosted our second baby shower this past weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was worried (and a little sad) because in the last few days before the shower, I had lots of my other friends/family back out due to the weather (which, granted, was terrible) or the fact they would be out of town. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BUT YA KNOW WHAT?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I decided to be thankful for the ones that would and could be there. It was such a fun day and I got to catch up with some of my very best friends! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was so much fun that we ended up hanging out for over three hours! I am so blessed by these girls and their families. The more I thought about the ones who went out of their way (one drove in from Dallas that same morning!) the more loved I felt. I still feel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My sweet SIL was even able to make it, which was fun. She was such a trooper for not knowing ANYONE there. Thankfully I was able to find her a sweet little nugget to hold and she also took some pictures for us, which I really appreciate! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here are some of those pictures!</span><br />
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my mom gave us this precious blanket/hat combo, can't wait to see him wrapped up in it!</div>
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this cake was SO STINKING GOOD!</div>
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my friend Amy personalized these sweet blankets for our little guy!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-29088886823833952902016-04-30T21:40:00.001-05:002016-04-30T21:40:19.128-05:00Not Our Wisest Moment<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband and I are in the middle of buying a house/selling our current house. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sounds good, right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh did I mention that I am 8 months pregnant during this process?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't have my "nest" put together and it's slowly eating away at my brain and driving me up the wall. I have all the pieces, thankfully, and the bedding is going to arrive sometime next week in the mail. :) SO.EXCITED. But no nest. No nursery set up currently. :\ eek</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have been looking at houses for several months now, but mainly online. At 7 months pregnant, my husband decided to call about a house and we went to look at it a few days later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I kind of fell in love. Partially because it's a great house and partially because it's only a few short minutes away from my parents' house and this baby will be here sooner than later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">WIN-WIN</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We put an offer in and it was accepted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now…l</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ong story short, we are in the midst of showing our house, trying to close on the new house (the sooner the better), and trying to not have this baby before we move. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm fine….totally fine……</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, I am not much help during this whole packing process and it makes me sad…ish. Thankfully my husband and my awesome mom have really helped with everything. Snaps for them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">:) Prayers are appreciated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sorry this is so short, but this mama has a lot on her plate at the moment!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-56936347345691369822016-04-20T12:33:00.001-05:002016-04-20T12:40:29.435-05:00Our First Baby Shower 4.17.16 {32 weeks}<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My sweet baby boy and I were blessed with our very first baby shower last Sunday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some girls from Sunday School decided to throw a shower for us and it was so sweet! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll admit I was a little nervous about the turn out, because even though we have lived in Conway for going on 4 years now, it has taken us a while to get plugged in and for us to start thinking of Conway as "home." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My husband always says we sleep in Conway but we live in Little Rock, which, most days, couldn't be more true. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Someone once told my parents (who also live here) that it takes about 7 years to get plugged in here. That really just blows my mind. I can't believe we live in a society where it would take someone, a family with kids of varying ages at that, SEVEN YEARS to feel like they fit in somewhere. :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God has provided us with a great church home while we have been living here. I get that everyone is in a busy season of life, especially those around our age, so it's hard to connect and change up routine. Everyone is having babies, just really getting into our careers, and trying to find where they "fit" into it all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I believe I was the one who asked/begged my mom to go to our church choir practice with me after we (Aaron and I) had been at the church for a little over a year (ish) that we could just kind of scope it out….and we've been going ever since.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's back track for a second…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our Sunday School class, the one we currently are a part of, has changed A LOT the past few years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our first Sunday to visit the class, we walked into a room of sobbing people, completely heartbroken people. As it turned out, they had a young husband/father lose his wife that morning due to an undiagnosed heart condition. So they, obviously, made plans to leave ASAP for the hospital to be with their fellow class member and his family. Aaron and I were (probably) big-eyed and left the room with them, and then we wandered around in the hall and tried to put together what had just happened. Our associate pastor at the time, who had brought us to the room, found us and apologized profusely and offered to take us to another class for the morning. We (obviously) declined and walked out to our car and ended up getting coffee and discussing how this was probably our "sign" (along with a few others) that this class, this church, was NOT the place for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BUT... we did eventually go back to that church and that class, after visiting other churches and classes for a while. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And we stayed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As much as my hubs and I have discussed how sometimes our class has felt a little <i>different</i> at times, with all of the different people and stories, I think that God has put us here for now and for a reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our sweet class is all about some babies and baby showers this year. We have had two sweet babies join us this year so far, and we have at least five (that we know of) coming over the summer and in the fall. All the current pregos (minus one) know we are having BOYS. The most recent baby (born a few weeks ago) was a BOY. It's the summer of boys. I think it's Mother Nature making up for all of the baby girls born over the last year and a half. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We are very excited about our little boy. It is wonderful that we have people who are excited for us (and for my parents) and want to celebrate that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At our shower, it was a hodge podge of people, but it was completely comfortable. We had people of my class, people from choir, people from the church, and people that didn't even really know ME, but know my parents and wanted to celebrate with us. It was so wonderful. I can't thank the girls enough. We came home with a LOT of stuff, which is funny because my husband used to think that babies didn't really require a whole lot of STUFF. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't get me wrong, he is SUPER excited and is now wanting to shop for our baby constantly. It's awesome :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">my fantastic hostesses</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">my mom :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">delicious bow tie cookies </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am just so tickled and feeling lots of love! We are ready for our little nugget to make his arrival, in several more weeks of course ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Holly</span>
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Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-63852756754387837952016-03-19T09:43:00.002-05:002016-03-19T09:43:13.433-05:0026 Weeks & a Glucose Test<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was supposed to have my glucose test when I was 25 weeks, but due to my OB being out of the office that week and my personal work schedule conflicts, we had to move it around last minute. I was 26 weeks when I did the "dreaded" glucose test. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's one of the (many) things that my friends have said they disliked about this whole process. I personally didn't think it was all that bad. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Back at 20 wks, they gave me the "glucola" drink to take home in preparation for my next visit. By the way, the whole "glucola" title is some BS…ain't no cola up in there! It tastes more like a syrup that you need to mix water with before making a picture of some disgusting punch. I picked fruit punch as my flavor and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't immediately GAG while drinking it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You have to drink this small bottle of glucose drink over 5 minutes. I chugged mine in about 2 minutes. Ain't nobody got time for dat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then I went to the hospital and waited. They finally called me back, they drew some blood, and my OB came in my room to do a quick assessment. Thankfully we are measuring spot-on at 26 weeks! :) Praise the Lord!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After my appointment, I met up with my mom for some shopping and lunch. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I actually had not eaten all day because I was told to fast for my test. Talk about c</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ruel and unusual punishment for a preggo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we shopped around some, I was feeling a little on the weak side, so we finally got some grub. We have been frequenting a place in town called Chuy's. It's mexican and one of baby boy's favorites….. ;) Needless to say, I CHOWED down. Mama & Baby Boy like!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel like my days revolve around when I'm going to sleep, pee, and eat food. LOL!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a few days, the doctor's office didn't call, so I am assuming that means that I passed! Yippee!! That's just one more thing to check off the list before our sweet boy gets here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can't wait :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-74166951445691137332016-02-10T10:00:00.001-06:002016-02-10T10:00:25.141-06:0020 weeks<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our twenty week appointment was last week! We got to hear Baby Boy's heartbeat and Mommy was given the <i>yummy</i> drink for the glucose test at our next appointment! Can't wait...HA!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My belly has actually started to grow at this point! It's a happy/sad process. Everyone tells me that "your body is never the same" after baby, but HELLO, you get a baby! I'm excited to finally look pregnant and not just chubby :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I bought a maternity pillow and have named him Frank. He takes up a LOT of space in our bed, but I don't think I would be comfortable without him! Poor Hubby gets a break from me wanting to be snuggled up next to him, which I personally think he loves because he gets hot at night. The only downside to the body pillow is that when I want to switch sides, I have to get untucked from all my covers and try not to push the giant body pillow out of the bed when I turn over. I'm sure it's quite the sight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">________________________________________________________________</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The other day, my mom and I went to drop my brother off at his therapeutic recreation program. There is a sweet lady that works as the receptionist at the center where they meet and whose son is actually a participant in the same group. She always asks how I'm feeling when she sees me. That day, I told her I was tickled about having a little baby bump and pulled my shirt tight so that she could see. She looked me up and down and told me that although I had a baby bump, where you could really tell that I was pregnant was in my face. Basically I am carrying my baby weight in my face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Insert eye roll emoji here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was pretty funny, mainly because she didn't realize that what she said could be taken as offensive to a first time mom who is very self-conscious about her already semi-puffy face LOL!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bless her heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As my mom says, most people mean well…. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tis the Season,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span><br />
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<br />Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639884362188103293.post-52516422994704396662016-01-23T12:26:00.002-06:002016-01-23T12:26:57.132-06:00It's A…..<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At our last doctor's appointment, they told me that it was safe to schedule our gender ultrasound/anatomy scan. I got a little light-headed when they told me because it finally sunk in how fast time is actually flying!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We decided to surprise our families and let them think we weren't finding out until February at our 20 week appointment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We scheduled our ultrasound for 8:30 am on January 12th. We arrived early and I was a bundle of nerves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At our previous appointment, according to my original due date by our 8 week measurement, I was only 16 weeks and some odd days along. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But according to my LMP, the office had me at 17 weeks and a few days, which is why we went ahead and scheduled our big ultrasound. They are normally done at 18-20 weeks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we went in for the ultrasound, the ultrasound tech brought up the fact that I wasn't quite 18 weeks and they normally did them from 18-20 weeks. I was fighting the urge to cry because I just knew she was going to tell me to wait another week to get the ultrasound, but then she made the decision to go ahead and do it that day anyways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I basically held my breathe the whole time we were in the office. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn't really <i>care</i> what gender our baby was, as long as it was healthy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>EVEN THOUGH</i>, I had been thinking since day 1 that this baby was a girl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thankfully, the anatomy scan looked great and our baby actually measured a little further along than everyone thought, at 18 weeks and 2 days. Our due date may actually be bumped up a week, which is totally fine by me! Arkansas summers are no joke!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, yeah, and our baby is a BOY!!! :)</span></div>
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Marley is so excited about his little buddy that's on the way!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was shocked and it actually took me a few minutes to let it sink in after she told us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We got to have lots of cute pictures and he looks absolutely perfect, and not to mention, his little side profile is very cute :) :) :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now we just have to decide of on a name…..no pressure….. lol!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Tis the Season,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holly</span></div>
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Holly Nicholsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186599630556668691noreply@blogger.com0