Chappell's Days...

1) Chappell's famous "poo face." She becomes really alert, flares her nostrils and makes a kissy face. It's hilarious.

2) Chappell's new moses basket that "Emmy" brought us today. It looks rather cozy! I want one...

3) Muscle baby. Chappell has been holding her bottles (and pacifiers) since we were in the hospital. She's a really strong baby!

4) Hangin' out in her car seat. She loves it.

Update...

Well, a lot has been going on at our house lately. The family was all here for Christmas and we had a great time. Mom and Smith were here since Chappell was born and just left yesterday. Yesterday was our first day with the baby completely solo and I think it went pretty well. But... I will miss the extra set of hands!
At first the baby's days and nights were a little mixed up but she seems to be getting the hang of it now. It didn't help with the weather being so icky outside. The days seemed like night... probably confusing for a little baby. Now we can at least expect a couple hours of sleep between feedings and diaper changes. The first few nights we were up till about 6am!
Emily and Buddy (Reed's parents) came up a few days before Christmas to bring presents, see the baby and take us out to dinner. We had a great time getting out for an "adult" dinner... and I got a litttttle tipsy on my glass of wine. I'm such a light weight after 10 (almost 11 now) long months of sobriety.
Tomorrow we're taking Chappell to the doctor for an MRI. Our pediatrician does this for all breech babies to make sure their hips are OK. Sometimes after a breech pregnancy they are out of the socket. I was breech and had this problem as a baby so I'm glad their being so conscientious... I had to wear a little baby hip brace for my first 6 weeks of life and hope Chappell doesn't have to!
OH yes, more news for the blog. I've told most of you in an e-mail, but we are moving! Reed took a job with a firm based out of Tallahassee, FL in their Grayton Beach office and starts January 19th. We're so excited! We're going to live in the beach house until our house in Birmingham sells and then buy closer to Destin. It's going to be busy in the upcoming weeks but at least Reed only has 3 more days of work left. I'm going to need his help! By the way, Reed is the best dad ever and king of the diaper changes. :)

Family's here for Christmas

Pooo

Poop has never been something I really cared to talk about.  These days, I feel that a lot of our conversations revolve around our baby's bowel movements.  Color, consistency, frequency, texture--- you name it.  I guess it's all a part of being a parent and living with a newborn baby.   

So, today I was feeding Chappell and had my hand positioned on her bottom when all of a sudden- an explosive poop burst out of her diaper and into my open palm.  Lovely!

I Lurve My Baby

Chappell - 8 days old.

Chappell goes to the Doctor!

Well, today was our first outing with the babe.  It's amazing how long it takes to get ready to go somewhere with her.  I started getting ready at 6:30 am for a 9 o'clock appointment... and it seems like we were rushed to get there.  It will take some getting used to!

Chappell is 8 days old today and has gained almost 9 ounces since we left the hospital - which is great!  She's back up to her birth weight (babies lose about 5% to 7% of their weight in the hospital).  It makes me feel better that all of this pumping and nursing is actually working.  I would certainly hope so.  

The doctor said she was doing really well - her mild case of jaundice cleared up on its own which was quite a relief.  All in all, it was a great visit.  Although, I can't say I'm a fan of all the sick & grimy kids with runny noses at the pediatrician's office.  Yuck.  We didn't realize at first that they have a "well baby" waiting room.  Thank God!

Chappell had a long night last night and was wide awake on and off until about 5 this morning.  She's snoozing away as we speak.  Days and nights still a little mixed up...

Woosh!

So baby Chappell is home and we're starting to get into the swing of things.  For those of you I haven't talked to... here's how it all happened.

Monday morning I ran a bunch of errands and cleaned out my closet.  I guess there's truth to the "nesting phenomenon,"  because I hadn't done anything productive in the days prior to Chapp's arrival!  Reed came home from work around 5pm and we both spent the next hour cleaning up a little and getting ready to make dinner.  I was standing next to Reed in the kitchen cleaning the sink and all of a sudden... gush.  I wasn't sure I would really know when my water broke.  Trust me, you know.  Both of us were really excited and started freaking out.  Literally.  

So... we rushed to the hospital.  Once we got there they realized my blood pressure was really high and that we needed to get things moving pretty quickly.  It was rather strange that my blood pressure was high because it's been low and the same throughout my entire pregnancy.  Weird. 

Anyways, I was given Pitocin through an IV to get contractions started.  PS, contractions hurt like Hell and the epidural is the best thing ever.  It didn't hurt me at all.  Just one little stick and then you don't feel a thing.  AWESOME.

Once I got to around 4 cms, I was checked again.  The nurse started acting a little strange and called another nurse into the room.  She also checked me and I started to get a little suspicious.  They said what they were feeling seemed to0 soft to be her head, so the doctor came in and did an ultrasound.  As it turns out, little Miss Chappell was breech (the entire time) and they had been feeling her little butt... not her head.  SO, about 30 minutes later, Chappell was born via C-Section.  It didn't hurt at all, but the recovery has been a little unpleasant.  

All the matters is Chappell is here- and she's perfectly healthy.  We have an appointment with the pediatrician tomorrow.  First time out of the house!  Woohoo!  

See pic of Chappell laying with me as I blog!

Chappell!

39 Weeks, 1 Day

Still pregnant!
I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 9:15... 6 days until my due date!
My family all placed bets on when they thought the baby would be born. For those of you who haven't had a baby, it's more of a due "month" when the baby is likely to come. Typically babies are born 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after a due date. Thankfully my doctor won't let me go that long!
Anyways, my mom guessed Thanksgiving, Smith guessed the 24th (?), I guessed the 28th, and Reed's guess is today (8th). I don't know if Reed will win the prize, but that would be fine with me.
No one can say I'm not trying to will this baby out - I've been walking, eating spicy food & pineapple... Next on the list of attempts is a recipe for eggplant parmesan from a restaurant in Smyrna, Georgia. They were mentioned on Good Morning America a few years ago and it worked for my sister-in-law. Apparently if you eat the stuff, you'll go into labor within about 48 hours. We're making it Friday!

Baby Godwin is Here!

Congrats to Allison & Michael!
To those of you who don't know Allison, she is from Pensacola (she got me started in blogworld) and is married to one of Reed's fraternity brothers from Birmingham Southern. Allison and I went to high school together and reconnected through our crazy husbands who are great friends. Allison was due a day before me, the 13th, and woke up in the middle of the night (last night) to have her water break... Her precious little boy, Riley was born this morning around 7!
We are so happy for you!
I've become the lone-pregnant ranger (Marla, it's you and me now)... Allison & I have been e-mailing/talking/documenting our pregnancies and experiences together since our due dates were so close... and now she's gone!
Cutest baby ever!

38 Weeks, 2 Days

12 days until my due date!
I went to the doctor this morning for another check and I'm still 2 cms... now about 70% effaced. So... we're just waiting!
Good news: sciatica magically disappeared about 2/3 days ago. I feel so much better. Hope it stays away!

Turkey Day = Success!

This year, Reed and I spent Turkey Day solo in Birmingham. Reed's family went to their house at Bay Point, and my fam stayed in Pensacola since the college sisters wanted to be at home. Understandable, since they'll be spending Christmas here.
ANYWAYS, we cooked some of our favorite dishes... and they all turned out great! I didn't help much - and to be fair, I warned Reed beforehand. As my due date gets closer, standing for long periods of time in a hot kitchen sounded less than desirable. I did, however, cook my mom's sweet potato casserole and two pumpkin pies. Reed cooked the turkey, stuffing, cranberry & pomegranate sauce, squash casserole and rolls. We ate around 3:00 and then grazed for the rest of the afternoon. I found out the hard way that stuffing yourself when you're 9 months pregnant isn't so much fun. But at least you don't have to worry about looking fat... that's already a given!
Anyone reading who knows my family well will be glad to know that Sinrod (now Williams) home videos will continue in our fam with Reed as a new narrator! We purchased a video camera on Wednesday night, and let me tell you-- Reed will give the Doc a run for his money. He filmed our Thanksgiving experience and I'm a little scared about all the filming that is to come.
On a pregnancy note... I've been having some contractions... but they always seem to subside instead of increase in frequency. They hurt like hell but every time I start to feel them I can't help but be excited. Hopefully something soon!

37 Weeks, 2 Days

Just got back from the doctor a little while ago and I'm happy to report I've made some progress. I'm 2 cms dilated now, and the baby's head is in -1 station. I can't believe I forgot to ask how effaced I am - oh well. My last appointment was only 4 days ago... so I was excited to hear I've dilated another cm since then. She thinks the baby will weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.
I go back next Tuesday!

Done w/ Week 37!

This weekend was basically spent relaxing at the casa - watching movies (Kung Fu Panda & Get Smart), cooking and working on the house. BTW, don't we have great taste in movies?

We went to Target to get some last minute baby necessities... I think Reed had a great time helping me pick out nursing bras, nursing pads and pacifiers. Did I mention, by the way, that we took a breastfeeding class last week? It was pretty informative, however, we were both falling asleep after the first hour and a half and decided to sneak out during the break. It would've been great if the old lady instructor didn't take 10 minutes per slide... considering there were 60. Anyways, we've decided we're going to give breastfeeding a try and see how it goes. I hope it goes well... they say formula can cost up to $3,000.00 for one year's supply these days. Yeesh!

Before the baby comes I'd like to finish up a couple things as far as Christmas is concerned. I have everyone done except for Dad. Why is it that Dads are so hard to shop for? I have no idea what to get him. Every time he wants something he gets it for himself...
Reed and I went to Best Buy yesterday to look at video cameras - our gift to each other this year. We're pretty pumped about the camera we picked. It can take up to 9 hours of video at a time. That's lots of Chappell sleeping, eating & pooing on video! Hah...

Tomorrow I go in again for my 38 week check at 9:15. I will report after the appointment!

37 Week Appointment

Yo.
This morning I had my 37 week appointment. Dr. Brown checked my progress, and said that I am still about 60 % effaced, more than a cm dilated now (vague), and the baby's head is well engaged in my pelvis. She also said the baby was rather low for 37 weeks - which is a good thing, but explains some of my discomfort. She finally said that the pain I've been having IS in fact sciatic nerve pain (sciatica)... which I already knew. If you're experiencing excruciating shooting pains in your hip/legs... and if you've read/know anything about pregnancy, it's pretty obvious. My Strep B test came back negative, which is also good news.
I go back again on Tuesday.
I can't sleep. I can't walk (well). I'm sick of hurting. I'm a whale.
Maybe I'll be less negative tomorrow.
For now, that's about it.

So ready for baby...

Pregnancy at this point seems like one big waiting game. This weekend we had the car seat installed by the fire department, put the stroller together, and packed our hospital bags. I've addressed Chappell's birth announcements (yes, I know I'm anal)... so I can't really think of much else I have to do to prepare for her arrival. Today I played with baby Julia all day which makes waiting for my baby even harder! Russell's given me a lot of hands-on time with her babe, so I hopefully I'm learning a little about newborns. I hope I'm lucky enough to have a baby as good as Julia. She barely cries- such a cute little bean! When I was holding her, Chappell gave her some strong kicks in the back... just saying hello to her future pal!

25 - Whoop

Please examine first photo to see what a giant egg on legs looks like.

Soooo went to the doctor this morning. I'm 60% effaced and about a centimeter dilated. Might not mean much, but we shall see. Back pain is back in full force today. Sooo much fun!
Smith came in town and we got to play some... lunch and pedicures. Visited the babe... surprise dinner with Reed tonight!

Julia Russell! Perfect name change!

35 Weeks, 5 Days

Last night was so incredible! Seriously... I'm probably as excited about this baby as I am about my own child. Russ was induced yesterday at around 6:30 AM and had baby Cham around 6ish last night. I can't remember what time exactly...
Beau was so cute and ran into the waiting room screaming, "I'm a Daddy!" Everyone immediately whipped out their cell phones and started texting/calling. I think there were a few pictures taken of that - can't wait to see them. Ha. As you saw from the pictures below, she is the cutest little thing I've ever seen. Actually, weighing in at 8 lbs, 15 ounces... she's a pretty big babe!
Tomorrow is my 25th birthday and first check! We shall see if Chappell's in any way ready to come out. It's kind of weird that Russell's not pregnant anymore! I must also note that I think Chap's shifted off of my sciatic. It's still sore, and hurts a little to walk-- but the limp isn't so bad and it's not as painful.

Baby Chambliss!

Amelia on the Way!

Russ is being induced in the morning-- so exciting!

35 Weeks, 3 days

Hello faithful blog readers... if there are any!
Last night we got back from a long weekend of traveling. We got to see both families on our tour of the southeast. We probably won't be seeing our parents again until Chappell makes her big debut in about 4 weeks. I have a doctor's appointment this Friday and will continue to go weekly from this point on. Never in my life have I looked forward to any sort of pelvic exam... in fact, they used to scare me to death! But, I'm really excited/curious to see if I've made any progress down there. Weird - I know. I'm not expecting to be dilated or anything at this first appointment, being only about 36 weeks... but I would certainly welcome any sign of an early arrival!

As far as being preggo's concerned, I've become extremely uncomfortable. On Saturday, the pain in my lower back got much worse and now I can barely walk. Any weight or pressure on my left side causes a shooting pain in my back and down my left leg. It's the worst. Thank GOD I am not working right now... it would be impossible. There's not much you can do to help sciatic nerve pain... it's due to the baby's position and pressure on my lower back. The only real cure is delivery. The doctor said I could do physical therapy... I think I'm going to try getting a massage and just wait it out.

34 Weeks, 5 Days

Tonight, we are off to Pcola. I'm dreading the drive, but at least it's the last time I'll be in the car (for long) until after the baby's born. I'm just hoping that Russell's baby doesn't arrive until after I get back! I think we're safe... her due date is in 8 days (November 14th, my birthday), and today she wasn't feeling any action so I think we'll be back in time!

Here are a few more pictures from the Pensacola baby shower:

Yes We Can! Obama wins!

Just felt like documenting an incredible moment in American history...

Although it didn't really matter in the RED state of Alabama, Chappell and I stood in line for 45 minutes to cast our vote. Obama's speech was awesome last night - today I'm so proud to be an American!

34 Weeks, 1 Day

My back is killing me. This all started about a week ago and it's getting worse. It's mostly on the left side, but makes it hard to walk and even sleep. I've had such an easy pregnancy (besides first trimester morning sickness) that I feel like I deserve some pain. I've been so lucky!

It also helps to know it's due to her head applying pressure to my lower back and pelvis. Lovely, huh? It did, however, make wearing heels on Saturday night extra fun!

Here are a few pictures my mom sent from the Pensacola shower... I'm proud of you mom for learning how to upload pictures!

Again, I am fully aware that I look like a whale. It's OK because the diet starts in 6 weeks - or less if she's early.

I know I'm a nerd... but...

Chappell's got mail!

Aunts Sarah Waters and Nicole Aldworth sent Chappell's gift via snail mail, and I thought this was so funny. I loved what was inside of the envelope, by the way! The monogrammed clothes hamper is so cute! Thank you :)

33 Weeks, 4 Days

We just got back from the doctor a few minutes ago with good news-- Chapster is head down! I'm so pumped about this. I had convinced myself that she wasn't going to flip and I would require a C-Section. Woooohooo!

I thought some of you might enjoy (at Reed's expense) a few pictures of his Halloween costume. Reed will be playing the part of Woody from Toy Story - chosen by Will (3 year-old nephew). Sadly, plans changed and Will cannot come to Birmingham to trick-or-treat as Woody's partner, Buzz LightYear. So here is solo Woody!

Pumpkins...

Tonight is pumpkin carving night! This is one of my most favorite fall activities, and this year it seems to have been put off until the last minute. Anyways, I will post pictures of our marvelous creations tomorrow... but until then, here are a couple from last year. Note: Reed makes funny faces when he is embarrassed.