Caroline Elizabeth Blair's Arrival

Thursday October 15th....The day that changed my life.

Well after a trip to Wal-Mart and a lengthy discussion with my best friend Ellen over my fears of how I would know whether or not I was in labor (I feared being "that" girl that went to Labor & Delivery only to be turned away because she was in fact NOT in labor) I returned home to put away my groceries and get some things done around the house before Kyle got home from work.

As I was upstairs putting away laundry my water broke at 5:40. At first I wasn't sure but then I became certain that my water had indeed broken. I went downstairs and told Kyle and we packed the car up and started making the journey to the hospital. On the way to the hospital we made all of the necessary phone calls and I urged everyone to remain in their respective homes as I wasn't sure that my water had broken or how long the process would take...I guess that was my attorney CYA skills coming into play.

When we arrived at the hospital the triage nurse examined me and I was 4 centimeters dilated and she confirmed that my water had indeed broken so I was going to be admitted. OK so I have to admit that I started to freak out a little bit...Kyle and I had quit our birthing class and I was just a little concerned that I was unprepared. But no fears my nerves were calmed by watching Community and Parks and Recreation.

Well we arrived at our room (which was incredibly nice) and started watching TV. I have to admit that going into labor on a Thursday night was a pretty good thing...so many choices of what to watch on TV while waiting for the blood tests to come back so that I could get my epidural. Once the results came back I received the epidural, the whole time I had to listen to how Sheryl, my nurse, had birthed 8 children and done so every single time sans epidural and how there were advantages to "natural" child birth. I simply explained to Sheryl that a natural child birth might have worked for her but that I was going to have this little girl numb from the waist down! Around 9:30 or 10:00 Sheryl came to check on me and see how things were going. She had already told Kyle and myself that it would probably take 6-12 hours for Caroline to make her debut so that we should get some sleep and then expect her to arrive in the early morning. So she began her exam and stated that I was 7 centimeters dilated...much further than she had expected I would be. I was super proud of my progress! Then she looked at me and uttered words that a mother in labor would never want to hear..."Something isn't right." I urged her, in my most pleasant tone, to explain further what she meant. She explained that she felt feet! Now let me regress here and explain that the day before I had been at my doctor's office and he examined me and noted that I was 4 centimeters and that Caroline was still head down and also that the triage nurse had failed to mention that she was feet first. The nurse then made a hurried phone call to the on call physician for my doctor's group. I was then wheeled into the OR and was prepped for an emergency C Section. Kyle was great and never once did I see him get flustered or even react as if this situation was anything but normal. I really don't think that I would have remained as calm as I did if he had not of been so wonderful. I am truly blessed with an amazing husband.

So in the OR the C Section was underway and I really wasn't feeling a single thing, thanks to the most amazing anesthesiologist...he just kept pumping me full of the good stuff. After what seemed to me to be 5 minutes I heard the most amazing sound every...my little girl crying/screaming! I never thought that I would be one of those moms but the moment that I heard that sound tears started streaming down my face.

She was taken over to start the examination by the NICU, they were there since it was considered an emergency C Section. She scored a 9 out of 1o on her APGAR testing. I obviously haven't stopped bragging about how advanced my daughter is! And everything else was perfect...6lbs. 9 oz. Kyle followed her back to the labor and delivery room where the grandparents where waiting with lots of hugs and kisses.

Since my paparazzi mother wasn't there before we went into surgery we don't have any funny photos of Kyle dressed up in his scrubs or me sitting there waiting for the process to begin. I have included some of the pictures that I have. Don't worry there is nothing that is gross...only pictures of my sweet sweet daughter.

The first time I got to see my beautiful little girl.

The proud father.

All of the beautiful flowers from family and friends.

Kyle and I have the most amazing family and friends.

Caroline has been a blessing to our lives and Kyle and I are constantly reminded of how enriched our lives have become as result of being her parents. She is the most amazing gift I have ever received and I will thank God for her with my every breath.

We can't wait for everyone to come and meet her. I just know that you will fall head over heels for her just like me!

38 1/2 Weeks Pregnant

I thought that my avid readers might enjoy a picture of me at the glorious stage of 38.5 weeks pregnant. This will probably be the last picture you get with this massive bump so enjoy!

Just a question to be answered by my "followers"

Is it totally and completely wrong that I purchased a lobster costume for Vivian.....and then became ecstatic when I found a matching lobster costume for Caroline?

We are going to be a lobster family for Halloween. My plan is for Kyle and I go to as the lobster fishermen. I think it will be cute but I just need opinions...preferably opinions that I will like!

Vivian's Birthday Party

Vivian celebrated her 2nd birthday party a few months early. Her real birthday is in December but this December will be a little crazy with Caroline in the picture and on top of that Vivian hasn't really met any friends in The Woodlands. I just couldn't bear the thought of her having to spend her birthday party alone! So we celebrated while we were in Shreveport for our wonderful couple's shower. We invited all of our friends to the Duck Pond on Sunday for cake.

Thanks to all that came and spent the time sweating and pulling the dogs apart at the Duck Pond on Sunday. I really don't think that there is a better way to spend the day! I know that it was ridiculous...a birthday party for a dog in the middle of the recession but I appreciate all of you who attended...blame it on the crazy pregnancy hormones! Vivian had a wonderful time and slept the entire way home.

Her adorable Banana Bowers Cake with Cream Cheese Peanut Butter frosting. I hope no doggies got sick.



Look at her sitting at the table like a good little girl. We should've had candles!



It was so good to see Charlie again. The last time Vivian saw Charlie she tried to eat him when he was a puppy. This did not happen this time...she's a big girl now.



Doggie Mayhem! Kyle couldn't believe I created this drama, but I loved every minute of it. I think the dogs did as well. There were too many butt sniffs to be counted.


Georgia is such a good girl. She had two pieces of cake. She loved it. She later showed off her Frisbee skills. I think Vivian was a little bit jealous. She doesn't really have any party tricks and I think it's too late to work on those...old dog and all.


Vivian really misses her Aunt Casey. Isn't that the sweetest picture ever?



Thanks again to everyone who came to celebrate her birthday. We miss all of ya'll and promise to visit soon. We miss Shreveport and all of our friends.

Our Shreveport Shower!

Kyle and I are so blessed with such great friends! We spend the weekend in Shreveport with our wonderful friends, and they threw us a FABULOUS couple's shower. The decorations, food and drinks (I can't vouch for the drinks but I can definitely vouch for the gumbo, meat pies, salad, bread sticks and cupcakes) were absolutely amazing. Carie, Casey, Melissa and Bevin definitely out did themselves. On the way home Sunday Kyle and I could not quite pick out our favorite thing of the shower...there were way too many to choose from.

It was so great to be able spend time with all of our friends and catch up. It had been too long since we had seen them. I'm so glad that Joey and Megan are getting married because there will be lots and lots of parties and showers in Shreveport and we'll get to see everyone on a more regular basis! We miss them so much and can't wait for Caroline to meet them!

Check out all of my beautiful girlfriends!

Casey's beautiful decorations! She really outdid herself!

Check all of the loot that Caroline made off with. Thank you!


Now I just need to tackle the thank you notes!

Thank you again to all of our friends. I can't explain how blessed we feel to have each and everyone one of you all in our lives!

Last Night

Last night I had a terrifying thought/realization...call it whatever you want...that there is a human being inside of me who in the not too distant future will be outside of me (thank God) and depending on Kyle and me for basically everything.

I had this knee weakening realization while staring at my bare ever expanding belly in the mirror. Talk about horrifying! I mean I always technically understood that there was a human being growing inside of me from the very beginning BUT I never truly thought about it...I mean really thought about it...until last night and it made me a little sick at my stomach...you know the holy crap I'm really unprepared sick at your stomach feeling?

I guess I began to think a little about the fact that Caroline will rely on me to make the best possible decision for her earlier that day while Ellen, my best friend, and I had a conversation/debate via text over whether to get or not get the swine flu vaccine. During the text convo I found myself waiting to hear if she was going to get the vaccine so that I could just follow her lead...this is her second child so I was basically just following whatever the more experienced mother decided. It was at this point that I realized that Caroline would be depending on me to make not just this important decision but other even more important decisions in the future. OH VEY!

Needless to say it freaked me out and I began to crave a glass (or two) of wine. Motherhood is going to be tough! Hopefully I'll hone my decision making skills before she makes her debut. (note the choice to use color since there are no pictures to express my true horror!)

Caroline's 4D Sonogram

Although I think...no I'm pretty sure...that I have shared the photos of Caroline's 4D sonogram with everyone who reads my blog through email but I just couldn't take the chance that I accidentally left someone out.

I now know that it is true that every mother or parent for that matter thinks that their child is the prettiest or most handsome thing on the planet regardless of the actual truth. I KNOW that this is true because I believe, even via sonogram picture, that my daughter IS the cutest thing in the womb...world (did you catch the corny play on words?)! I have to admit that prior to experiencing this sonogram I was actually worried that she might not be as cute as I had imagined in my head and I had no idea how I would deal if she wasn't, but no worries she is ADORABLE!

Well let's get to the actual experience of the sonogram. It's funny and I haven't shared that with ya'll. So I decided to invite my Mom, Aunt Kathleen, and Mary Ann. This would be the first time for Mary Ann to see Caroline via a sonogram as opposed to my bulging belly. For my aunt this would be the first time she would ever experience a sonogram. My mom had come to a previous sonogram so at this point Cheryl thought she was a pro, never mind the fact that Mary Ann already has two other grandchildren.

Here's the scene..we wait patiently, Mary Ann waited longer because we were running late, in the waiting room for my name to be called. Nice small talk etc. Then my name is called. On the way back to THE ROOM I explain my desire not to be weighed to the nurse. She looks at me for further explanation and I explain that since I am paying for this out of my own pocket and not via my insurance that I don't want to pay to see how much MORE weight I have gained. So after looking at my dead serious face she seats me and my entourage in the inner waiting room. Where we continue to wait. Then Leanne comes and gets me for the sonogram. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw my entourage just talking up a storm and keeping the inner waiting room in stitches with their excitement and my aunt's questions about what to expect etc. So we get there and Leanne explains that Sweet Caroline is in the breech position which will make this a bit more difficult...wonder who she gets that from? We got some great photos nonetheless...

Hands and Feet in the way here. The stuff floating in front of her face is the umbilical cord. Couldn't avoid that!

It's kind of like she's smiling!



Sticking her tongue out at us! She's a bit cheeky!


Look at those fingers and toes! Isn't this crazy stuff? Look at that big foot! It's almost over I promise!



Here she is wrapping her arm around her little knee.

So once we have the pictures printed and Leanne has saved our tape so that we can add more movement to it at the next session (I know that ya'll are all holding your breath for September 2nd and the ultimate release of the movement video. We need a blockbuster type title...Kate could you work on that?) since she was not in the best position this time. We walk to the front so that I can pay the bill. Well I'm walking and the three of them are still oohhing and awwing over the baby naturally so I just keep walking. When we arrive at the desk they begin to show EVERYONE around them the pictures...typical grandmothers and aunt. It was so cute. I think ...no I know that my mother was the worse!

So thanks for letting me go on and on about my cute little girl. I can't wait for all of you to meet her when she arrives in October!

What I found at my local Wal-Mart

I'm taking a hint from Kate...I'm blogging about something that perturbs me! This is what I found at my local Wal-Mart...a bag of grape fruit...one in particular caught my attention...can you guess why?

The Work Weekend

Well I don't know where to begin. My parents came in this past weekend to work on several aspects of our house...because yes, that is correct we aren't done with our house YET! They mainly came to "The Woods" to work on the nursery and hang drapery, which is harder than you think!

They didn't arrive until late Friday night so we just hung out and ordered pizza. My mom and I attempted to get a "game plan" together for the next day. Well we woke up kind of late and then we decided to cook breakfast, thanks Kyle...eggs from the farm are delicious! Then around 11:00 we FINALLY made it to Home Depot for the supplies...chair rail and various kinds of molding.

After we had selected the appropriate molding my mother and I left to go to Houston to pick up fabric for the one remaining room that lacks drapes and curtain rods and all of the necessary accessories for the drapery...which there are more than you would think and they cost more than you think. At first we had no luck...then we decided to go to Restoration Hardware where we had tons of luck but my wallet wasn't exactly ready for the Restoration Hardware prices. So needless to say I carried my "feeling sorry for myself" butt to the Tahoe and pressed the Onstar button to ask for assistance in locating the nearest wallet friendly Bed, Bath & Beyond!

Upon arrival said butt was still feeling sorry for itself but after wandering through the drapery department said butt began to feel a bit better for itself. I was able to find curtain rods, matching rings, and brackets for all 7 windows...see why Restoration Hardware was way the hell out of my price limit. Upon checking out we made the trip back to The Woods. But made a pit stop at the local DQ for the Tag-a-long Blizzard (side note: You MUST have one of these before they disappear!).

When we got home the work begun and I put on my supervisor hat. It was wonderful. My Mom, Dad and Kyle did all of the work. The allergies to manual labor, heavy lifting and painting that develop when pregnant are one of the finest things about being pregnant besides feeling the baby move...of course.

Most of the work on the nursery was accomplished and there wasn't that much left to do on Sunday because they all worked really hard. I started dinner...steaks, potatoes and corn on the cob. A hearty meal for the hard workers.

On Sunday we awoke early and started the process of hanging the drapes. Some might think this process would be easy but not in my family and not with 7 windows that needed drapes. It takes a meeting of all the minds (my Mom, Dad and myself...Kyle is left out of the process much to his happiness) to establish where the rod should be hung, how much "puddle" there should be at the bottom of the drapery panel etc. Needless to say all of the curtains were hung...after I made several trips back to Bed, Bath & Beyond to return TWO curtain rods that were the incorrect length (we really needed my math tutor, Mrs. Newton, from 7-college there with us because apparently my mother and I cannot convert inches to feet well) and several unnecessary accessories.

My parents gathered their things with lightening speed and were out of our house by 2 that afternoon. It was definitely obvious that they were excited to get out of there.

I had to leave that afternoon to go back to Houston to buy more fabric for drapes for our bedroom. Because yes, my mother and I only purchased enough fabric for one window...so there is a window in my bedroom that has a curtain rod but no drapes. But this situation should be rectified in a couple of weeks.

The weekend was exhausting but as you can tell from the pictures completely worth it!

I'm so over drapes but excited that our house is starting to come together. I think that I'm starting the nesting phase! Watch out!

Here's the nursery...a work on progress....

The guest bedroom just begging for you to come and visit!

New curtains in the breakfast nook. Just need the new table which should be making its way from Corsicana in a couple of weeks.

I should be posting a new bump picture tonight or tomorrow. Vivian has to go to the vet today for her Bordetella shot. Doesn't it just sound awful. She might need some ice cream afterwards. Think about Vivi at 6:00 this afternoon. Her hiny will be ever so sore!

My innie is going to turn to what?

So apparently my innie is going to turn to an outtie at some point?

According to my research (aka google), this can occur when one is five months pregnant. I guess I'm pushing my luck since I'm about to start my seventh month of pregnancy and I've managed to maintain my innie.

According to Wikipedia, reliable source I know, "During pregnancy, the uterus presses the navel of the pregnant woman outward. It USUALLY retracts after birth." Wait a freakin' minute did Wikipedia just tell me that the outtie "usually" retracts after birth? Does this mean that there is a possibility I might be stuck with an outtie after Caroline is born? Upon further research, I have discovered that the internet is filled with further horror stories of women who have gone on to have healthy babies BUT they are stuck with a half innie half outtie! Oh the horror!

BUT there are soothing stories of women who have made it successfully to the end of their pregnancy and didn't "pop" their innies. I will find solace in these women's stories. I just can't imagine having one more thing protrude on my body!


A girl must take precautions so I again searched the internet. Among all of the websites that popped up I found Miss Oops Popper Stopper. For those of you who don't know, Miss Oops has fabulous lines of deodorant remover, fashion tape etc. The Popper Stoppers are similar to Band-Aids. They are placed over the protruding outtie and create a smooth surface for the fabulously fierce maternity clothes to rest on. Meaning there is no longer a bump on your bump, which according to the interest occurs with regular band-aids. For those of you who know me well you already know that I've purchased these popper stoppers! They should be arriving soon.

I'm making manicotti for dinner tonight (from scratch) and will try to get a picture of the bump...especially before my innie pops!

Debut of the Bump

The baby bump!

Things Vivian has been up to Lately....

Just a photo list of things my "wonderful" Golden has been up to lately.

Playing with her rock...yes that's right my dog plays with a rock!

Rolling on her rock!

Picture of said rock.

Jumping in the bathtub unassisted to play with her bath toys...note the yellow ducky behind her...the problem is that she can't jump out of the bath tub without assistance. She gets stuck in the bathtub and spends more time than we would like to admit in the tub. BUT, she looks so happy!

Eating snowcones because let's face it Houston is HOT!

Vivian says goodbye!

It's a....

It's a GIRL!

Kyle and I couldn't be happier. And NO, we don't have any names picked out just yet. I am definitely open to suggestions. I'm having trouble coming up with names!

I promise to keep everyone updated.

Mother's Day Weekend

It's been quite some time since I last posted some marvelous information about my life. Well I thought I would share what Kyle and I did for Mother's Day weekend.

We made the trip to Galveston! I know, don't be jealous. We were desperately craving seafood and couldn't think of a better place to go. So we went to Gaidos. While there I learned that Gaidos has been around since the 1940s and its is pretty tasty. I was going to take a photo of the delicious fried shrimp on my plate for the specific purpose of sharing it with all of my blog friends but was stopped short by a mortified Kyle. Sorry guys. You will just have to take my word that the shrimp were delicious or the fact that I ate 7 of the 8 fried shrimp (I shared one with Kyle) along with all of my fries. I just love pregnancy! Can't wait to see exactly how much weight I gain!

So after our delicious lunch I made Kyle walk across the street to the lovely beach at Galveston, Texas. It's no Destin!

There was so much seaweed...gross!

Here is a fabulous picture, after several attempts, of the two of us with the beautiful water in the back ground. All in all we had an excellent time and I'm actually looking forward to going back to for more seafood, even though I am limited on what I can ingest.

This just in...

Check it out friends. This is the diaper bag that I will be sporting , boy or girl, for Baby Blair's crap!

Isn't it too much? I absolutely love it and had to share it with my blog friends!

Rain Rain Go Away Come Again Another Day!

What in the world is with all of this rain and terrible weather? My glorious hometown of Corsicana, Texas, made the national news...for a tornado, white trash I know...and of course they found the most ridiculous person to interview! Way to go fruitcake capital of the world!

Well in Houston Vivian, Kyle and I rode out the awful thunderstorms. Some parts of Houston received 8-10 inches of rain. The massive amount of rain made the already horrific commute even worse...at least I didn't have to worry about it...poor Kyle!

During one of the breaks in the rain Kyle yelled for me to come out and see the double rainbow! I of course thought that he was lying but no he was telling the truth...

The "strongest" rainbow was a complete rainbow...meaning you could see both sides of the arch. It's been quite a few years since I've seen a rainbow hence my excitement! Mind the port-a-potty in the second picture. The construction should be coming to an end soon on Panterra Way!

Can't wait for the weekend. Kyle and I are going out of town AGAIN but this time for the annual Martin Crawfish Boil. I can't wait to see all of my Shreveport friends...limited in number but it's quality not quantity!

Work Work Work!

Well this past weekend I tricked my relatives into coming down to our house to celebrate Easter...but of course my master plan was to make them work...and work they did!

It rained all day Saturday but that didn't keep me from dragging my Aunt, Mother, and 80 something Granny out into the rain to look for drapes. We visited every store in the Woodlands to no avail! So I allowed them to go home and eat dinner.

The real work (manual labor) didn't begin until early Sunday morning. Once everyone arrived at our house we loaded the car up and went to Home Depot...all 8 of us! We got all the plants my Aunt would need for window boxes and flower beds. Once that 2 hour trip was over we returned home and I put my Aunt to work! Once I had her planting and my Father, Uncle and Paw Paw at work on our drip system on our balcony my Mother, Granny, and I were off to Pottery Barn for one last attempt at finding drapes for the living room and dining room.

Well, needless to say they worked hard and my house reaped the benefits! Please come and visit and enjoy their hard work as much as Kyle and I do!

Here are some pictures of the end result of their hard work (lots of pictures because I like blogs with pictures). Kyle and I are so lucky to have great loved ones in our lives.

The front of the house

Our beautiful gardenia bushes...yes that's right we have TWO! All of my Shreveport friends might remember the one at our old house that was destroyed by our neighbor's tree falling on it and then SWEPCO running over it!

The balcony in all of it's glory!

View form the balcony. It's it beautiful?

Now for the inside of the house...

The Living Room

The Dining Room

This weekend was a huge success thanks to the help of my husband and family! THANK YOU!

Pies and Cakes Oh My!

Last week I was quite the busy bee! I had family coming in town to celebrate Easter...a little late I know. I was determined to make fabulous desserts since they were going to cook all of the food. I made a Double Strawberry Pie for lunch and a Buttered Rum Pound Cake with Bananas Fosters Sauce! It was wonderful...and everyone thought so too!

After many requests I have broken down plan on sharing my recipe for strawberry goodness!

Double Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

4 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed in refrigerator

3/4 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 box (11 ounce) piecrust mix Betty Crocker

1/3 cup strawberry nectar, chilled

All purpose flour, for dusting

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Sugar

1. Preheat oven and a baking sheet to 450 degrees F. Place strawberries in a large bowl. Sift the 3/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch over the partially thawed strawberries. Stir to combine; set filling aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine crust mix and strawberry nectar. Stir until soft dough forms. Divide into 2 pieces, form balls, and flatten into disks. On a flour-dusted surface, roll 1 of the disks 1 1/2 inches larger than an inverted 9 inch pie plate. Fold rolled dough in half, place in pie plate, and unfold. Press dough into plate but do not stretch. Trim dough 1/2 inch from edge of plate.

3. Roll out second disk and fold in half. Pour filling into bottom crust. Place top crust over filling and unfold. Press along rim to seal and trim edges. Press fork into edges or crimp to make decorative edge. Cut vent slits in top crust or punch center with small decorative cutter. Brush crust with beaten egg mixture. Sprinkle with sugar.

4. Place pie on preheated baking sheet in oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; continue baking for 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

I have also included pictures from the makig of the Buttered Rum Pound Cake.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT! I'm a domestic DIVA!

Good News!

Kyle and I have big news to share. It is no longer going to be Kyle, Vivian Leigh, and me. Kyle and I are expecting! Currently, I am 12 weeks along, and the due date is October 25, 2009!!

We are both so happy about Baby Blair. I promise to update the blog with exciting news and pictures. An ultrasound picture will have to do for now.