Smilen and McLaughen

happy february 24th

2012-02-24T09:08:00.004-05:00

It was on this day last year that we found out this little peanut was growing inside me.

After years of praying for our family to grow, multiple negative pregnancy tests, and lots of doctor appointments, we had a positive. My body felt off - not good not bad - just off, but I refused to take anymore tests. After eating Heath's breakfast off his plate one morning, I usually do not eat breakfast, Heath went and bought one more test. But still I would not agree to take it. After two weeks of him talking to me, I agreed to take it on a Thursday (end of my work week). I was hoping he forgot about it, so I didn't say anything; it was late when he reminded me about the agreement. And lo and behold, the test was positive. I was eight weeks pregnant...

Such a happy day!
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I took Mary Ladson for her appointment with the urologist yesterday. Everything from the ultrasound looked the same - not better, not worse. We will move ahead with the original plan. We don't know the exact date, but the surgery will be scheduled for a Monday in the beginning of April. The procedure will last about 30 minutes. We will spend one night in the hospital, if there is no sign of infection, then we will be free to go home! Six weeks post op we will do another test to find out, if the procedure worked and find out, if she has surgery induced reflux to the kidney. This will determine if she needs to stay on antibiotics for the next two years. How we pray that there will be no reflux. Will update when we know the exact date.
Thanks for continuing to check up on our little girl!

first hair cut

2012-02-19T20:18:00.005-05:00

Sweet Mary Ladson had her first haircut today...at the ripe old age of four months and three weeks. Many people have told me she needed one...I knew she needed one - her hair was getting in her eyes.

But I couldn't decide how to cut it. We've all seen the poor babies/children with the bangs cut way too short - I, too, was one of them! And perhaps selfish on my part, but I was not going to let Mary Ladson fall victim to the ridiculously short bangs.
Her hair in the front is finally long enough that it can be clipped to the side, and it stays!

I know she just makes the cutest little expressions.
So the problem of the hair in the eyes has been solved!
But she was starting to get a mullet. This to me was a far bigger problem than the front. So tonight I did her first little haircut.

Not too much - just a trim in the back...I cut about an inch off (in places)....which when you think about it is kind of crazy for how old she is!
**side note: cutting a four month old - almost five month old's hair is challenging...remember, she can just now sit in her bumbo, but there is definitely still a little head wobble. Plus, she is curious, so she wanted to see what was happening behind her!
Before

After

She would only show the side which I guess does show off the cut!

pics of the kidney

2012-02-18T10:25:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we went for the kidney ultrasound. Mary Ladson amazed us with her patience. For those of you who know her, this is not usually a strong suit. We had been praying that this would be a positive experience for her since we will have several more appointments in the hospital in the coming months.

The wait was much shorter this time. When the nurse came to get us, Mary Ladson immediately started smiling and won her over instantly. We were put in radiology room 4 and met Heather, the person doing the ultra sound. I placed Mary Ladson on the huge bed and sat to her left, Heather was on her right, and Heath sat by her little legs. Mary Ladson kept turning her head to look at me then Heather and the large machine. Each time her head turned she would flash her little smile...so adorable. The first part went well....Mary Ladson was distracted by the dings of the machine as we watched pictures of her kidney pop on the screen. Then she started to get a little restless; thank goodness for Lady Lollipop.

(Please excuse her crazy bed head!)
**I really wanted to read Charlotte's Web, but I could not find my copy of it, and this one seemed cute though a lot sillier.
So anyway, Mary Ladson and I have been reading this little chapter book each day because:

(a) it's more interesting to me than reading ten baby books, and right now Mary Ladson does not appear to understand plot lines,
(b) she just likes hearing my voice, and this is easier than having long one sided conversations,
(c) there is better vocabulary in the book than I use on a daily basis when talking with her, it can't hurt for her to be exposed to it early,
(d) these days of her being in one place and me being able to read long books will end soon,
(e) I can since she is my only little one to look after, who says birth order doesn't matter?!?!

So I took Lady Lollipop with me. Heath thought it was ridiculous to bring this book in hopes of keeping her still, but with the help of some rings to chew on Mary Ladson stayed pretty still as I read two chapters from Lady Lollipop. It was quite amazing. Heath was stunned!
We didn't hear any complaints until we had to flip her on her belly for the last part. And even then it was only a little. We could not have asked for a better appointment. From start to finish our time in the hospital was only one hour...that is amazing in and of itself.
We celebrated the good appointment (we won't get the results until her appointment next week) and nice weather with a walk to coffee and ice cream to meet friends. And Mary Ladson was so happy to be riding in the stroller (instead of on top in her carrier), so she could see where we were going. She's growing up so fast.

a late happy heart day

2012-02-16T12:56:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. We're not really go out and celebrate on February 14th type of people. Due to the hours of our traditional Valentine's location, when the 14th falls on Sunday we must celebrate early, and this year one of Heath's classes fell on the 14th, so we celebrated early...we also had the pleasure of Mary Ladson joining us. She was so sweet!

On the 14th I had Mary Ladson all to myself...what a treat! We walked at the life center with Grammy then met Erin and Eleanor for cake at Brick Street. A bit late, but happy Valentine's day anyway!

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Mary Ladson was sitting in her bumbo seat earlier...rather well.

I am happy she is strong enough to do this.

But sad that she is growing up so fast.

Oh, I love this girl!

a special necklace

2012-02-13T07:10:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson got a special package in the mail from Grandma (her great grandmother).

Inside were a couple of goodies, but the most special was a necklace, actually a locket with no pictures...Aunt G, obviously you did not know about this!.....anyway, Grandma had this necklace as a child and has passed it on to Mary Ladson.

It has an A on it, so we can always remember where it came from. Sending hugs across a couple of states to you, Grandma!

4 month stats

2012-02-10T09:29:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay. We went to Mary Ladson's 4 month appointment last week, and everything looked good. Minus the fact that she still doesn't like tummy time, so she is a little behind with a couple of milestones. Her distaste for tummy time has enabled her to do other milestones ahead of schedule, so I'm not worried! And she is continuing to grow...

Her length was 26 and 3/4 inches pushing her from the 99% to the 99.7%
Her pediatrician was quite impressed with how much she had grown!
This explains why her onesies are so snug when we snap them.
Her weight was 15 pounds bringing her back to the 70%...she had slipped to the 60% when we were dealing with all the acid reflux issues!

We go for her kidney ultrasound next Friday...should be interesting now that she likes to roll and spin.

baking 101

2012-02-07T08:07:00.003-05:00

Amazing how fast she is growing. The last time Mary Ladson helped me bake she was about 3 weeks old.

A lot of baking has gone on since then but without my sweet girl. Last night she was in a surprisingly good mood for the hour, so I let her help me. She is now old enough to face out, and she, of course, wanted to hold something.

We counted as we measured, had fun cracking eggs, and then watched it all get mixed. I know it will only be more fun as she gets older.

**Don't worry Matt, although I was tempted, I did not let her eat any cookie dough...the thought of it was so good she kept licking her spatula...hoping!

meeting Auntie Jessica

2012-02-06T12:34:00.005-05:00

Let me say I have a couple of back logged posts; they will come, but first I want to share this past weekend. My dear friend, Jessica, flew to Greenville, so she could meet Mary Ladson.

Waiting for Auntie Jessica at the airport

There was confusion over her flight landing...I forgot my cell phone, the information board was wrong, then we spotted her, and in trying to get lined up quickly the balloons sailed off. Jessica, as she so easily does, made the clumsy welcome seem totally normal like the balloons were let go in her honor saying she saw them flying.

Francie and Eric also came - arriving right after the plane. We had a little over 24 hours together, so we spent it the best way we knew how. Laid back!

We hung out at Erin and Mac's catching up and watching Eleanor and ML play.

Ate a lot of yummy food...including homemade pizzas!

Helped Eleanor practice walking.

It's so fun watching these two girls together.

Hanging out with Auntie Jessica.

The next day was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! Mac and Eric were nice enough to entertain the little girls, so we could catch up over coffee.

Then we ate lunch outside and walked around downtown.

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The day ended with Mary Ladson doing one of her favorite activities, watching the Super Bowl with daddy.

four months

2012-01-30T11:26:00.005-05:00

Mary Ladson, today you are four months old.
(I will update tomorrow with weight and height from doctor's appointment.)

Thus far I would say this past month has been the one with the most changes. Your little personality continues to shine through.
You have found your little feet. You like to lie down and kick them in the air.

You have started to roll around a little. This has been especially challenging for you at night. You sleep on your back, and when you roll over onto your tummy you are still figuring out what to do with your arms. You occasionally wake up crying for help.
You are still sleeping like a champ...you usually sleep anywhere from 10 hours to almost 12 hours one night!
You have started holding your bottle; you can even hold it on your own, and you do a good job until the end - when you need a little assistance. Although, it makes me sad that you are already that big, so I usually discourage it.
You are drinking about 32 ounces of formula each day, and you never seem full!
You still love your bath time.
Every morning we have a little routine, where you wake up, take a bath, eat, then you hang out in the kitchen while I eat, then we lie on your floor and read some books before you take your morning nap. You like to do things your way, and for whatever reason you do not like to read sitting in a chair...we both have to be lying on the floor. Recently, you have started rolling to your side and touching my face while I read...you are getting so big!

The Jumparoo has been a hit so far. I think you will like it even better when you are tall enough to tough the ground, so you can actually jump in it!

You still love football. Your dad has been recording every game, so y'all will have something to watch after the Super Bowl.

Each week we meet with our Community Group. There are two other little girls that are always there. Y'all are all within three months of each other. It's so fun watching y'all stare at each other.

You have the most beautiful smile. We get to see it when you wake up, when you are playing, and when we talk to you. You make lots of noises...sometimes these noises happen while you smile...which is adorable. You haven't quite laughed out loud yet, but we have heard little giggles.
One of your favorite activities is still your playmat. I call it playing in the ocean. Sometimes your dad or I play with you under there!

I think you are going to be pretty social. You love people watching. You are happy when we are out and you can people watch. Before church you love when someone carries you around (you don't care who...you have a lot of fans), so you can watch people. You do not like when everyone sits down for the service.
You still like listening to Bruce, but I think we are slowly broadening your horizon! This is a relief for everyone...even though we all like Bruce - it's nice to have some variety.
You and Layla still get along great. You have learned how to put your hands up, so she will lick them instead of our face.
Mary Ladson, you are fearless...your dad and I can't wait to see what God has planned for your life. We have loved watching you grow and can't wait to see what you will learn during the next month.

craftin again

2012-01-28T09:44:00.004-05:00

I used to do a lot of crafting and redecorating around our house. I like to change things up...nothing major - just small stuff. Recently, I haven't had quite as much time, but Mary Ladson is starting to get old enough that I can craft and spend time with her at the same time. It's really win win for everyone.
So we have been hard at work. Our kitchen had become stale. The big project is the cabinets need to be repainted, but I'm still not ready to tackle that one! So I started small. I found some precious fabric on Etsy and have been anxiously checking the mailbox everyday waiting for it to arrive...love it just as much in person! So I sewed some new dishtowels....

and a dishmat...

(cue in the children's book, If you Give a Mouse a Cookie)...the new fabric made me want to make new labels for my baking cabinet...so then I had to reorganize everything into nice containers...

Labels just make me feel better...I know it's weird!

Then came the yellow room, you know the first one you walk into in our house. Uggg...it's just not my favorite. I think for a room to be my favorite; I have to want to hang out it in it. I'm just not there with this room, but I decided that maybe if I added some of my favorite things then I would like the room better...jury is still out. All I have done is the mantle. The best part...I did not buy a thing - we already had all of it in the basement or somewhere else in the house. How fortunate!

It makes me like the yellow room a little more.
And since dad said no one comes to this blog except to see Mary Ladson, here was my wonderful sidekick!

I am l-o-v-i-n her new headband!

standing

2012-01-25T17:48:00.007-05:00

It seems like just yesterday all you could do was lie on your back.

And now you can put two feet on the ground.

Keep your legs straight.

And hold your upper body up.

It is such a blessing watching you learn new things.

**Before you get too impressed, Mary Ladson hates tummy time, so she may never learn how to roll over, thus making it hard to learn to crawl...I think she is trying to convince us she can skip those milestones!

Eleanor's party

2012-01-21T15:09:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson went to her first birthday party several weeks ago.

A Winter One-derland for her good friend, Eleanor. Erin (Eleanor's mom) and I have been friends since college. Erin and I used to live in the same apartment complex, got married three weeks apart, and then had little girls nine months apart.

ML and Eleanor have been friends form the beginning....before Mary Ladson was born I was holding Eleanor, and Mary Ladson kicked, so Eleanor rubbed my tummy back. It's been so fun watching these two together, and I know it will only get better as they get older. Over the past year Erin, Eleanor, Layla, and I would go on walks...even two days before Mary Ladson was born. Then Mary Ladson took Layla's place...much to Layla's dismay...it's just too hard for two adults, two strollers, and a dog to fit on the walking trail....and have room for anybody to pass us! Eleanor had grown quite attached to Layla and did not know quite what to think of the trade since Mary Ladson tends to sleep the whole time, but in time I think she will like it!
So anyway we were lucky enough to get to celebrate the big 1 with Eleanor. Mary Ladson was the youngest guest by a bit, but she enjoyed the festivities anyway.
She got to pose with Eleanor's new polar bear...I apologize for the diaper popping out of her onesie.

We had fun participating in the craft of making a snowflake from her hand print.

And we got to watch Eleanor eat her special birthday dessert one piece at a time...she is such a dainty little eater.

in a rut

2012-01-20T08:40:00.004-05:00

I think I have writer's block...except I also haven't uploaded new pictures...so maybe it's more along the lines of being lazy. I have several posts planned. Pictures are waiting. And yet it's been nearly a week.
Alas, it did take me awhile to get over the Saints' loss..maybe that's what my problem is. Yeah, let's say it's that.
A little pregame action...Last Friday night ML was not feeling well, and she woke up screaming...s-creaming! So I did the only thing I could think of to calm her down I plopped her in front of an old Saints' game I had recorded. She watched the game for about 45 minutes...at which point I ~~was exhausted~~ wanted her to get some sleep, so I turned it off. Oh, more screaming...but by this time it was late enough that she was tired and fell asleep through the screams. I like to think of it as we were watching tapes before the big game....except this time it didn't really work out in our favor.
These nail biting games are not good for my blood pressure. Mary Ladson thoroughly enjoyed watching her Saints on Saturday. She doesn't quite understand good plays from bad plays.

So her sweet giggles made the game much more enjoyable for me.

She did have some spit up issues, so we were down to only the tutu by the end of the game, but she still looked mighty cute.

Dear Mr. Payton, Before next season please teach those wonderful players the importance of holding the ball with both hands when running into a pack, and please let them practice running on grass, so they don't fall down so easily. Thanks! Can't wait to see y'all in the fall!!

atl

2012-01-14T15:15:00.009-05:00

This past week Mary Ladson and I went to Altanta while Heath was in Charlotte. Mary Ladson had a blast!

Wilson and Mary Ladson loved being spoiled by Emmy and Grandpa.

Monday we hung out at home and played.

I love his shy face.

Wilson loved talking on the phone. I'm sure he will teach Mary Ladson how to do it one day.
That night Francie came over for dinner.
Tuesday Anne and I took the little munchkins to Hobby Lobby and Panera . Go to Anne's blog to see pics from that day.
Wednesday we met Ladson, Matt, Dad, and Aunt G down at the Varsity for lunch.

This boy makes the best fish face!
Then mom and dad were nice enough to send Anne and me off to get pedicures.

We made a fort that afternoon too. It was so cool even Layla wanted to play in it!
Thursday we took the gang shopping at Babies R Us.

Then Ladson, Caroline, and Matt came over for dinner.

Mom and dad have some football channel that was replaying old games, so Mary Ladson spent each evening doing one of her favorite things! I just don't know how to tell her the season is just about over.

Wilson and Mary Ladson got to spend every day together. They had so much fun!

I'm sure Wilson will always look out for little ML.

start of 2012

2012-01-08T16:04:00.005-05:00

2012 has started out busy. New Year's Eve we met Aunt Goo and Jeff for breakfast.

I can't believe he is driving!
New Year's Eve we ate dinner at Mellow Mushroom with our friends, Meg and Michael. We parted ways around 8:00. They stayed up to watch the ball drop. We heard fireworks in our sleep. Heath left for Charlotte on the 2nd to take a Hebrew class, so my mom came and stayed with me and Mary Ladson for the week. We stayed on the go. Monday, I went to work once mom arrived. Tuesday morning was spent shopping and at the pediatrician - trying to solve the acid reflux conundrum...I think poor little Mary Ladson is on the right meds now. We had dinner at Grammy's house that night, but the new medication had not quite kicked in, so there were a lot of tears. Unfortunately, there were no bowl games on. I put hockey on thinking she wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but that little rascal let me know quickly that it was not the same as football. Wednesday we drove to Asheville to visit Uncle Stuart. We walked around downtown and had lunch at Boca, a fun little restaurant. We tried to get beignets, but the place was closed, so I have a good excuse for us to go back to visit!

notice the Bruce onesie!

still trying to figure out what she thinks about the beard

Thursday, I went to work for a bit, then we met Grammy, Aunt Goo, and Mary Gage for lunch at Brick Street. Mary Ladson was quite entertained by a pitcher of tea...yeah, I don't understand it either! That afternoon we went to my mom's cousin's house to visit with her and my great (Mary Ladson's great, great) Aunt Sissy.

Friday my mom headed home. We had so much fun while she was here!
Saturday was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! The kind of winter day I love...70 degrees! So we walked to our neighborhood frozen yogurt place to get something cool!

secret admirer

2012-01-07T20:25:00.003-05:00

guess what...Mary Ladson has a secret admirer...not so secret after you read this.

I will begin by saying this post is long overdue. Uncle Bank, or great Uncle Bank to Mary Ladson, drove up several weeks after she was born to meet her. This was back when evenings were not her favorite time of day...some people might still claim this to be true. Uncle Bank, however, was a trooper and tolerated the yelling quite well.

Mary Ladson was lucky enough to see him again over Christmas. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what she was thinking in this picture? I'm glad one person looks like they are having fun getting their picture taken!

I tried to find a flashback picture of me with uncle Bank, but I was not able to flashback nearly far enough, so enjoy my stylish side ponytail.
Mary Ladson, your Great Uncle Bank loves you so much, and he has promised me he remembers how to fix little girl's hair...even braids...feel free to ask him to fix yours. And one day, maybe just maybe, Uncle Bank will go fishing with you too!

a pink bunny

2012-01-06T12:48:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson received a special package in the mail yesterday. Inside was a bunny knitted with love.

The note enclosed read -
Dearest Baby Mary Ladson, Here is a small friend to keep you company. She is very relaxed and loves to be dragged around, yes, even by an ear! I hope that she'll become a part of your world.

I hope so too! I'm in love with this bunny already!

Thanks Candace!

a very merry christmas

2012-01-05T08:24:00.012-05:00

A late Christmas post. We had a busy busy Christmas. We celebrated here in Greenville before heading off to Atlanta, where we ate a lot of good food, Mary Ladson met more family,

lots of family

Sarah and Mary Ladson share a birthday...as does Timmons, who came over to meet Mary Ladson right before Christmas, but I forgot to get a picture.

with Great Aunt Anne

with Great Aunt Ginger

with Emily

with Elizabeth

hanging out with Uncle Matt
played with cousin, Wilson,

waiting for sleepy Mary Ladson to wake up to play
and opened lots of presents.

Dad gave me my most favorite stuffed animal, Mutt, for my first Christmas

with Uncle Ladson and Uncle Stuart and my new Bruce onesie

opening presents Christmas morning

Our first Christmas with Mary Ladson...she was tired from so much present opening
Then off to Chattanooga...where we ate more good food, Mary Ladson met more family,

meeting Uncle Hunter and cousins, E and Coop for first time

meeting Great Aunt Throndia
played with cousins, E, Coop, and Ema,

and opened lots of presents,

hanging out with Great Uncle Mitch

meeting GG for the first time
and watched the big Saints Game.

We all felt very spoiled and tired by the end of our travels.
And on the way home, we stopped at my favorite, Chick-Fil-A, where Mary Ladson had her first celeb sighting according to Jessica.

happy 3 months

2011-12-30T19:02:00.005-05:00

Happy 3 months baby girl. My how you have changed these past 12 weeks.

I can't believe how fast it has gone by. No well check appointment at three months. And even better news no sick appointment...the kidney is still going strong as far as we know :o) I did some very unofficial measurements of you tonight. You know I stood on the scale weighed myself then held you. Weight - seems to be a little under 14 pounds. Then I tried to measure you with my sewing ribbon...you can imagine how well that went :o) Length - about 25 1/2 inches All I can tell you officially is you are bigger than you were at two months!
You are sleeping 10-11 hours at night and eating about 27 ounces a day. Your acid reflux has increased, so we trying a new medication in hopes it will bring you some relief.
And oh, how you are changing. These past four weeks you have learned how to do so much...it has been fun to watch. You can hold your head up well...and your little chicken legs are getting stronger!

You and Layla are still best buds.

Bath time is still a favorite...although you are getting a little tall for your whale tub!

I got a Nook for Christmas, and you love listening to books on it. I love holding you in my lap as you listen to all the funny voices or I read them to you. You are now starting to play with toys by yourself.

And you have started sitting at the table with us while we eat. You much prefer this to being on the ground. You like to see what is going on even if you don't get to eat the delicious food. Speaking of food....Layla sits right under your chair hoping you will drop something...she has learned that from your cousins.

Mary Ladson, you have challenged us in ways we could never imagine while at the same time bringing unmeasurable joy into our home. We cherish each day with you.

the secret is out...

2011-12-29T07:45:00.005-05:00

Mary Ladson has another favorite besides the Boss...

courtesy of uncle Ladson and uncle Stuart

Sadly she is not looking adoringly at a parent or grandparent...

...no she is a big fan of football.

I know what you're thinking...a lot of babies will watch tv.

Sure. But do they cry when they are turned around during the pregame show?

...or cry during the commercials?

I'm not going to lie I put on a game I recorded, so I could fold some laundry.

She was enthralled! After a bit she got tired of watching the game by herself, so she sat in my lap once I was done! And needless to say the Saints are her favorite team to watch.

the stockings are hung with care...

2011-12-21T12:49:00.004-05:00

....but it just doesn't feel like Christmas.

We have done about everything to get ourselves in the spirit.

Watch Elf - check
Make Christmas cookies - check
Decorate the tree - check (twice)
Decorate the house - check
Go to Hollywild - check
Drive around looking at Christmas lights - triple check (the evening is when ML falls apart, so we drive listening to Bruce - the lights make it more fun)
Christmas shopping - check and done!
Listen to Christmas music - check (a lot more than Heath would like)
Sing Christmas carols - check
Wrap presents - check
Drink hot cocoa - check (and lots of it)

So what's the deal?!?

Heath says it's because our routine is so different this year...I think it has something to do with the unseasonably warm weather. Regardless, I hope it starts felling like Christmas soon...really soon....since it's only 4 days away!

a stocking and a bowl

2011-12-18T13:32:00.005-05:00

Mary Ladson has a pretty special great aunt Goo. Aunt Goo loves to come and visit...usually once a week or so, and she has knitted some pretty neat stuff for Mary Ladson. A super soft blanket, the adorable red and white hat, and most recently this...

Yep, Mary Ladson has her very own stocking.

A nice, large stocking ready to be filled with goodies!
**My stocking growing up was also knitted by my great aunt...pretty special that Mary Ladson's is too. Anne, you better learn how to knit, so this tradition can keep going.**
And, yes, Mary Ladson is sitting in a large copper bowl.

And, yes, Layla does still like to keep Mary Ladson company...even if she is sitting in a large bowl.

Why put ML in a bowl? you ask. For this.

And this.

And this.

And even this.

Yep, this won't be the last time you find little Mary Ladson in a copper bowl.

xmas card

2011-12-17T14:44:00.004-05:00

Don't run out to your mailbox looking for our Christmas card this year...because it just isn't going to happen. The funny thing is I took ML's picture for a card...even crazier I designed a card, but the printing and addressing envelopes, yeah, it's just not going to happen. So you will have to enjoy her first Christmas card the laziest way I could share it...via my blog.

Merry Christmas! Love, The McLaughens

thinking

2011-12-16T11:08:00.004-05:00

Yes, I do think.

That Mary Ladson is the cutest.

Most adorable little baby.

And Layla agrees.

another tree to decorate

2011-12-14T07:40:00.004-05:00

On Sunday Mary Ladson and I went to Grammy's house to decorate her tree. Our exit also provided a nice quiet house for Heath to study in for exams. Mary Ladson all dressed up for the occasion.

Cam and I were the only decorators this year as Pryce was diligently studying for physics, Grammy was spectating, and Aunt Goo was marching around the house with my crying baby. The tree did look mighty fine by the time we finished, but I did not get a picture because we quickly moved into the dining room for some special birthday pizza and cake.

How sweet is this? Mary Ladson holding Cam's finger during dinner.

And one last shot of the super cute Christmas outfit that my mom gave Mary Ladson. Doesn't she look tiny on the big turtle?

a new part

2011-12-09T13:30:00.004-05:00

I am trying a new part in Mary Ladson's hair.

What do you think?

It's now brushed to her right instead of left. I think I like it better. I think.

However, she has this crazy cow lick on the right side that could cause issue as her hair grows.

She had just had a bath, which is why her hair is flat. Don't worry as it dried it popped right back up!

When we were out earlier in the week, some lady (read: a stranger I had never met or seen) tried to convince me to put hair product in Mary Ladson's hair to help tame it. Do you do that? Walk up to people you do not know and give them advice on how to style their or their child's hair. Yeah, me neither.

Hollywild

2011-12-08T09:42:00.005-05:00

Last night was our 5th annual trip to Hollywild!! Each year seems to get better. To read about past ones click here and here. We remembered everything this year. Gloves, blankets, carrots, and some new items to make the trip more fun! And we had a special new addition - Mary Ladson! Meg and I had been telling her about the trip for weeks, but I don't think anything could have prepared her for all the fun! We started out with dinner at none other than....

It's tradition!
Then we stopped by to get some hot beverages to go with our snack of doughnut holes!

The park was rather empty because it was cold and wet! It had been raining for three days straight but stopped last night just in time for our annual trip to Hollywild, but it was w-i-n-d-y!! We drove through the lights - then got to our most favorite part - the reindeer field. Which again had lots of animals besides reindeer.
Michael had an early visitor come through his window - hilarious to everyone but him!

Mary Ladson was a little stunned by the large animals coming through the window.

And for the funniest part of the night...

Yes, the large cow - taller than the explorer - stuck his head into the back of the explorer. Meg thought he was going after her and jumped over the back seat, but in reality he wanted the bag of carrots. That cow ended our fun early by stealing our whole bag!
We did have to break tradition and not listen to Christmas music this year. Little miss Mary Ladson insisted on none other than Bruce.
As always we made a wrong turn leaving the park. This one was more costly than ones in the past. And somehow we ended up in Blue Ridge. For those of you not in Greenville, that is way off the path!

Christmas tree time

2011-12-05T20:33:00.003-05:00

We got our tree up and decorated the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I know; we always get it up early! Here's another shot of our tree and Stu's. Please notice how tall ours is. It towers over the garage door light...almost reaching the window on the s.e.c.o.n.d floor!

Which explains why our backyard looks like it tore a tree apart. Heath had to cut off close to two feet to make it fit just under our 8 foot ceilings.

Ahhh...I love containers. I did a major clean out last year getting us down to...ummm 8 boxes full of Christmas decorations. Don't judge me. I come by my pack rat tendencies honestly, right Grandma?

And the tree decorating begins, I bet you wish you had spectators as cute as these two at your house?

And some tree shots...

Please notice Mary Ladson's first ornament - the cute pink fleur-de-lis. And the ornament on the red string at the top is from my extremely, thoughtful brothers....apparently, they saw it and thought of Layla. nice...huh?!?!

Christmas parade

2011-12-04T15:06:00.005-05:00

This past weekend Heath's parents (Gran Gran and Dadoo) came to visit. Friday night we went to dinner and took a trip to REI. Saturday we met at William's Cafe in Traveler's Rest for lunch and then walked on the Swamp Rabbit trail before grabbing some dessert.

That afternoon Mary Ladson hung out with Gran Gran and Dadoo while Heath made dinner (yummy jambalaya!) and I worked on Christmas presents. That night we met friends downtown for the Christmas parade. Meg and Michael got there early and saved us a great spot, and we had perfect weather...no rain!
All bundled up and ready!

Are we having fun yet?

I learned to not remove the paci for the next picture!

Sweet girl slept through most of it...

But she did wake up in time for Santa!
Sunday we went to church and grabbed lunch before they headed back to Chattanooga!

kidney update

2011-12-01T15:41:00.004-05:00

I have a couple of minutes, so I won't keep you on the edge of your seat any longer.

We went this morning to her first appointment. The ultra sound is done at the hospital. If you want to be thankful for your child's health, go sit in the radiation pediatric waiting room. Let's see we saw a little boy, perhaps 4 years old, who just wanted to play with the toys, but he was just waking up from sedation and his little legs could not support his body well enough to walk over to them. And a little girl, perhaps 3 years old, walked in asking her mom when she would get her bracelet. Oh, I hope Mary Ladson never spends so much time in a hospital that she knows to ask for a bracelet. Despite the bright colored walls and noisy toys, it was a sad wait; I was glad when they moved us to the room. Upon entering the room I noticed how small the hospital bed was - I guess since we were in the pediatric section. This too made me sad that there is a need for pediatric hospital beds. Anyway, the bed looked enormous once we put little Mary Ladson in it. She was such a trooper. First, let me tell you how odd it was seeing her kidney on the monitor, but she was getting the ultra sound not me. For five months I was getting ultra sounds to check on her kidney. The ultra sound lasted about 30 minutes. 30 minutes! She won't play on her playmat with all the toys for 30 minutes! The first ten minutes went really well. She was just cooing and kicking her legs. Then she got tired of this! Fortunately, the paci, hand holding, and talking to soothed her for the next ten minutes. The last ten minutes or so she had to lay on her tummy, so they could do the ultra sound on her back. You may recall the girl does not like tummy time. She tolerated it for about 2 minutes, then cried the rest of the time. I could not wait to scoop her up!
This afternoon we met with the pediatric urologist to get the results. The kidney still looks about the same, which is the best news we could hope for. The doctor is still planning on snipping the blockage in the ureter to see how much function is left in the kidney. At this point, all they can tell is there is function - we will not know how much until after this procedure. This is not something she will outgrow, so the best case scenario is the kidney can hold its own until she is six months. (Waiting years could lead to a decrease in kidney function.) According to the doctor 6 months is the magic number as far as anesthesia. So we will wait. We go back for another ultra sound in three months. At that point we will talk surgery date...currently planning on the end of March.
So tonight we are thankful and praise God that the surgery can wait, and we continue to pray for wisdom for the doctors and peace of mind that only God can give us.
PS - I know what you are all thinking - I just want to pinch those cheeks!

Two months

2011-12-01T05:54:00.006-05:00

Two months

disclaimer: Heath was not around today to help with picture, so I had to go at it alone. Tricky since we are still dealing with a bobble head.

Weight: 11 pounds 14 ounces (70th%)
Length: 24.2 inches (99th%)
This explains why her 0-3 month clothes are so snug! I was closest to guessing her weight at 11 pounds 15 ounces, but Heath holds all guessing games to the Price is Right rules, so I guess no one won - we all went over!

Here is a sweet picture of her smile. Sorry it is a little out of focus with a little extra saliva. I love the way her eyes smile too!

This morning Mary Ladson has an ultra sound of her kidney, and then we go to the pediatric urologist this afternoon to find out where we stand. Will try to update later but more likely will not be until tomorrow.

8 weeks

2011-11-29T06:12:00.004-05:00

mary ladson, mary ladson, mary ladson, your sweet little personality just continues to pour out of you. It's hard to believe it's already been 8 weeks. You are so much more alert now. You look in the direction of a noise, and if your daddy starts talking you look in that direction trying to find him. Your grasp has become stronger, and you can hold onto a fistful of hair. You still don't love tummy time but are holding your head up well, so I don't push it. The play mat is still your favorite activity. You love to smile especially in the morning after your first nap when I come to get you out of the crib. Your daddy loves the noise you make right after you sneeze. When he hears you sneeze he stops doing whatever in hopes that you will make the noise. You are sleeping anywhere from 7 to 10 and half hours at night. There does not appear to be any pattern to which hour you choose. Some evenings you are still a little fussy but nothing that Bruce can't fix. I try not to take it personally that you prefer his voice over mine. It's pretty amazing how fast you stop fussing when he comes on. You've also widened your Bruce playlist which is nice for all of us!

You had a busy week this past week. We went to church on Sunday...everyone still loves the hair! Monday we braved Target - it was crazy over there. You only cried a little. Mary Gage and Aunt Goo came by to visit. Tuesday we went on a walk with Erin and Eleanor. Aunt Goo, Cam, and Jeff also came by for a visit. Layla was so excited to see Cam. She thought he came over to play with her. She was a little disappointed when he sat down with you, but Cam made it up to her and took her outside and threw the ball with her. Wednesday we went over to Grammy's to visit Emmy, Grandpa, Uncle Ladson, and Uncle Stuart. You were held all day...straight...for...the...next...four...days! Aunt Anne, Uncle Matt, and cousin Wilson came the next day. Wilson loved watching you. You also met your great Uncle Teddy, and cousins, Ladson and Hannah. They loved seeing all the hair! Friday we went on the Christmas tree hunt - you were such a good sport because the little escapade turned your feeding schedule upside down! That night we celebrated Jeffro's birthday. Saturday we went on a long walk on the Swamp Rabbit - a part we had not seen before. You slept through most of it!

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Tomorrow we go to the doctor for Mary Ladson's two month appointment. Any guesses on her weight and length... I'll update tomorrow!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T08:25:00.008-05:00

This could take you a little while...it was hard picking my favorites.

All the talk of turkey wore Mary Ladson out!

Getting the food ready!

Excited about turkey time!

All that turkey made this little guy sleepy!

Doesn't it look good?!? Final head count was 21 people plus Wilson and Mary Ladson.

Most of the group.

Had to get the family pic on Thanksgiving!

All ready for the annual Christmas tree hunt!

The tree hunt really took us over the mountains and through the woods...including a six mile drive on a dirt road - amazing how long that seems! The trees at this farm were beautiful though..and huge!

This picture makes me laugh. Our tree was on the left, and Stuart's is on the right.
After the tree hunt we went to Brevard for lunch then walked around Main Street...even getting our picture with Santa.

We also celebrated a birthday. Can you believe Jeffro is 15...15!! He is old enough to drive!

I knew he was too cool to smile in a picture with me, so I got him in one with Laddy!

Awww how cute?!?! It's so fun getting to dress her up...I know those days will not last forever!

Four generations: Two Mary Ladsons in the middle with a Jane on each side

Saturday we went for a long - like 6 mile - walk on the Swamp Rabbit trail.
Cam led the way with Wilson, and they only fell off the trail once!
Wilson and Mary Ladson also got to see Furman for the first time!

I don't think Mary Ladson will remember it!

By the end of the four days Mary Ladson was pooped!

wilson and mary ladson

2011-11-27T09:38:00.004-05:00

I'm still sorting through the 150+ pictures I took over Thanksgiving, but thought I would let you see a sneak preview of what's to come. Aunt Goo knitted these adorable hats for Mary Ladson and Wilson, so naturally we had to get some...or 30 pics.

A look into Wilson and Mary Ladson's thoughts.
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Wilson: "what's the matter mary ladson?"

Wilson: "hey guys mary ladson is hungry"

Wilson: "umm guys do you see how mad she is?"

Wilson: "don't worry mary ladson; I'll take care of you"

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Wlson: "there...that's better"

Wilson: "I told you she wanted her bottle"

Wilson: "don't you have enough pictures?"

Wilson: "what do you think??"

Wilson: "hey ML let's kick this joint!"

Mary Ladson's first craft project

2011-11-22T12:24:00.005-05:00

Mary Ladson and I did some crafts yesterday. First we went to AC Moore to pick up some paint and ribbon.

I have lots of paint, but I needed some kid's paint for Mary Ladson's F.I.R.S.T. craft project. My heart is happy just at the thought of us doing crafts together. I had heard of this cute idea for Thanksgiving. You make a turkey out of their hand print each year, so you end up with a line of growing turkeys. I had to enlist Heath's help because as you can imagine paint + hand print + baby with limited neck strength does not make for a good combination! We taped the paper down - it's hard enough having a moving baby we don't need moving paper too.

Then I painted her hand while Heath held her. Taking a picture at this point would have been ridiculous. Heath does not love crafts, but he loves me, so he was being as patient as he could. Mary Ladson was crying as I tried to get her hand in the right position, and my hands were covered in paint. You'll have to rely on your imagination!

This picture should have the caption - "we survived Mary Ladson's first craft project"

But wasn't it worth it?
How cute will a line of them be as she grows...

Yesterday I also made a strap for her paci. This serves two purposes. It will hopefully not fall on the floor as often and make it Layla proof! I was going to order one from Etsy - they have lots of cute ones, but they were $13. So instead I ordered some clips and made my own. Mary Ladson chilled on her play mat...

While I sewed...

And the finished product - super cute!

She thinks so too!

seven weeks

2011-11-19T08:43:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson, you are like a different baby. For the first two-three weeks of your life you slept and ate, the next three weeks you slept, ate, and cried. After consulting with the pediatrician, we decided to try Zantac to see if you had acid reflux. After one day of taking it, you were awake and content...a-mazing! We have so enjoyed getting to know your little personality now that you are awake! Over the past week you made your first squealing sound while you were smiling - so cute! You have learned how to push the bottle away from your mouth when you are done eating. You slept a record 8 and half hours - yippee! You still make the funniest faces! Bruce is still your favorite musician! Thank goodness for Bruce - no one can calm you down like he can. To my knowledge he only has one Christmas song...this fact worries your dad tremendously since I prefer Christmas music after Thanksgiving! Our daily routine looks something like: you go to bed around 10 pm, sleep until around 6:30, wake up, eat breakfast, then go back to sleep until around 9:30. From 9:30 am - 10:00 pm you eat, play on the play mat (about 10 minutes), swing (another 10 minutes), are held, and sleep. The majority of that time you just want to be held (this includes all naps - for whatever reason you don't like to nap in your crib during this time). And I do love holding you...it just makes it harder to eat, do laundry, wash dishes, clean the house, work from home...you know the usual. So our house is often a mess, the laundry makes it halfway through, the dishes get stacked next to the sink, I am lucky to get two meals a day, and I am still learning how to work from the house. But I wouldn't trade all of that for anything. I love getting to hold you and love on you...now if I could just figure out how to balance giving Layla a little more attention!

A brief look at the past week... Sunday we took you to church for the first time. You met lots of people though you probably don't remember since you were asleep. Then we went to lunch with our friends, Meg and Michael, before that big Saints game! Aunt Goo came over that afternoon to see you too! Monday we didn't do much, but that evening we all went on a walk. This was definitely the week for walks...as I'm afraid it's going to be too cold soon! Tuesday we went on a walk with Jenny and Addie, and that afternoon we went on a walk with Meg, where she gave you your first Christmas ornament, a pink Fleur-de-lis...how appropriate! Wednesday was rainy! We went over to visit with Grammy. She and Mary couldn't believe how different you were with the new medicine. That night we went to our community group - you were so sweet and slept! Thursday we took my car to the shop, which made for a great excuse to grab some chick-fil-a biscuits! That afternoon we walked with Anne-Marie. Friday...drum roll please...I braved the mall for some Christmas shopping - just the two of us. You were great. You slept in the baby bjorn and received lots of compliments on your hair! That afternoon both you and Layla were very needy. I had one of you in my lap at all times....sometimes both of you! That night we went to dinner with our friends, Wes and Gillian. Then they came over afterwards for hot chocolate. They loved holding you!

Perhaps not the best picture, but doesn't it make you want to snuggle under a warm blanket now that the weather is cooler!

rainy day photo shoot

2011-11-17T08:37:00.004-05:00

It's easy to go stir crazy when you are inside most of the day. So this is what we did for entertainment. because when you are dealing with a 6 week old each activity is interesting for about 5 or 10 minutes.

are we done yet?

**Sorry for the poor lighting...I had to use the flash.

you are loved

2011-11-15T11:12:00.004-05:00

Last night I watched the tv show, American Muslim because what better  way to learn about another culture than through reality tv...right?   Anyway in this particular episode a mother was upset about a decision  her son was making, and she just kept saying, "I just want him to be happy."  Which made me start to think about what I would want for Mary Ladson. No  doubt about it you see/think about things differently when you become a  parent.  But happy...really?  That would be the one thing picked?   Happiness is such a fleeting emotion.  I can be happy and sad in the  same ten minutes. Without sadness and suffering can you be empathetic?   Some of the hardest experiences I have had in my short 30 years have  been during seasons of suffering. Were they easy? no.  Fun?  no.  Shaped  who I have become?  without a doubt.  I would not trade the seasons of  suffering for happy moments.  Weird huh? I think we are taught that we should always be happy.  But if you are always  experiencing the same emotion, would you really be able to grow?   Happiness...no that is not what I would pick.  I think if I were to pick  one thing it would be that Mary Ladson knows she is loved...yes, loved.  Because let's face it life here on earth is not always going to be  happy.  She is going to have to make some hard choices as she grows  older...and while suffering is never easy to watch...I cannot imagine  how hard it is as a parent. There will be situations that I cannot  control, so she will no doubt experience sadness, anger, possibly  regret, but through it all she will be loved. because those two things  can happen simultaneously.  So my dear Mary Ladson what I want for you is to remember that you are and will always be loved.

even when you aren't happy!

who dat time again!

2011-11-14T09:53:00.004-05:00

Don't tell me you are sick of my too often who dat pictures...you may notice that this is her third (of five) Saints onesie that has been showcased! Close game against those Falcons. We took Mary Ladson to church for the first time yesterday. Heath did not think it was appropriate for her to wear her game day attire to church, so we did a costume change afterwards. She was a doll through church. Everyone loved her hair...which had been washed the night before, so it was, of course, sticking straight up. She did, however, get to use her Saints burp cloth at church, which oddly enough got almost as many comments as her hair. Pregame snack...

And cheering those Saints onto a victory in overtime...

**The above picture is her adorable grin...not to be confused with her smile...I know you haven't seen a picture, but the smile definitely has an open mouth!

We are also working on learning the difference between the touchdown sign and the cheering sign. As proven above she prefers the cheering sign.

no way....six weeks

2011-11-11T08:20:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson, you are now six weeks old, six weeks...I can't believe it! We went shopping yesterday, and the lady behind us in line commented no how much hair you had. Then I almost had to pick her up off the floor when I told her you were only six weeks old. Everywhere we go people comment on you hair. I'm sure they would comment on those eyes too, if you were ever awake when we were out!

Since you won't remember what you did this week here is a run through. Monday we went walking with Erin and Eleanor.

That night we went over to the Bakker's house. They are our family in the neighborhood. Your dad and I were in their community group at our church when we first started going to DPC about five years ago.
This little peanut was only a couple months old. After dinner he came up to me and said, "miss Jane can I hold Mary Wadson?" So sweet.

We love going to their house because they love to cook! And are really good at it!

Tal came to see you in the hospital, but you probably don't remember...he was sad he did not get to hold you there, so he was excited to hold you that night!

Tuesday we met Erin and Eleanor again for some fun shopping at Carter's. You slept through that and our lunch afterwards. That afternoon some friends from church came by to meet you. You got a little fussy, so they serenaded you with some REM...you enjoyed it. We might have to add that to the playlist.
Wednesday we had community group at our house. Your friends Addy and Etta came over. Thursday we went shopping at Hobby Lobby and Buy Buy Baby. I kept trying to tell you that Hobby Lobby would become one of your favorite places, but you didn't believe me that trip.
Oh, and did I mention that 4 nights in a row you have slept 7-8 hours. We hope this is going to stick! You have also been enjoying your play mat a lot more this week.

This week you also started following objects with your eyes. And you love to smile...mostly in the morning! You have continued to be fussy during the day...we are having a hard time figuring out if you are in pain from something. I talked to the pediatrician office, and they are confused as well. They said it's unusual for a baby to sleep so well at night and not be happy for more than 20 minutes at a time during the day. They also said you respond the opposite to what baby books tell you to do...for instance when you get upset you prefer to be in a bright room with loud music vs a dark, quiet room.
Conversation with nurse at pediatrician (this happened 10 minutes into conversation...she was quite puzzled by your actions)...

nurse: "try playing some instrumental music"
me: "actually, Mary Ladson is very particular about her music and prefers Bruce Springsteen"
nurse: "she likes Bruce?"
me: "Yes, and she has favorite songs of his"
nurse: laughs
nurse: "it sounds like you might have a rebel on your hands, and this is a taste of what is to come"
me: "hmmm...you know you are the second person to tell me that"
I blame your dad. After all I was the perfect child. Just kidding.

For the first time this week, I feel like you can recognize my voice and face. Yesterday you calmed down very quickly when I started talking to you. Previously, it did not seem to matter who was talking to you. Sweet Mary Ladson, we love you so much! We are so enjoying watching you grow!

the sprinkler

2011-11-10T09:28:00.003-05:00

Apparently with all the singing and dancing we have been doing to keep Mary Ladson happy, she has learned Heath's favorite dance move....the sprinkler

Now if Cam will teach her some of his dance moves...she will be all ready for the next wedding!

first for everything

2011-11-09T07:58:00.004-05:00

The problem with so much hair and not understanding your hands... Last night poor Mary Ladson grabbed a fistful of her hair....and pulled. Insert screaming. The problem was I couldn't get her little fist to uncurl, and so I could not pull her hand away. Of course, you can't reason with a one month old who is yet to discover her own hand let alone that she has control over it. She did not understand that she was the one causing herself pain. She pulled and screamed while I tried to uncurl each finger...probably only lasted 30 seconds, but she worked herself into such a tizzy....that she fell asleep and took a nice two hour nap in my arms. Not such a bad ending!

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Layla and Mary Ladson's relationship is no longer one sided. For the first time Mary Ladson reached her arm towards Layla. It could have been an accident, but it was sweet. I love this picture. Usually Layla sneaks up on the side or from behind to lick Mary Ladson, but this time Mary Ladson was looking straight at her. The black blob in the bottom right corner is Layla. Look at that expression!

And just in case you are wondering who checks on Mary Ladson when she starts crying.

a little bit about the kidney

2011-11-08T15:43:00.003-05:00

I know I know - 2 posts in one day...unheard of! Sweet Mary Ladson has slept most of the day, so I finally had time to write about her little kidney. Some cute pics are sprinkled throughout to keep you reading!

Disclaimer –

I have tried to explain it the best way I understand it. Sorry if I confuse anyone!

Rewind: At my 20 week ultrasound the doctor noticed that Mary Ladson’s right kidney was dilated (bigger than it should be). We were told that in most cases the issue resolves as pregnancy progresses or once the baby is born. I had an ultrasound every 4-6 weeks to check on the status of the kidney. For awhile the kidney was maintaining the same size (not dilating more) which was good news. Towards the end of my pregnancy it was determined that her kidney was dilating more. The cause could not be determined until tests could be run after she was born. We were told the spectrum was: the problem could self correct to her kidney would need to be removed.

The day after she was born she had an ultrasound done on her kidney where it was confirmed that her right kidney was dilated, and the doctor also discovered that she was born with two ureters on her right kidney instead of one. This as it turns out is good news. The ureter draining the lower portion of the kidney functions fine, so the lower part of her right kidney is in good shape. The ureter draining the upper part of her kidney is blocked at the bladder. Therefore, urine is not draining well from the upper section… thus, making the upper section dilated. The ultrasound done on day two showed that there was “enough meat” of the kidney to stretch around the enlarged size. Therefore, surgery was not an immediate emergency. However, due to the fact that the ureter is blocked, surgery is necessary.

So what does all this mean?

We will go back for another ultrasound at two months to check on the status of the kidney. If there is “enough meat” (read: kidney is not stretched too thin), then we will wait until she is six months old, so the risks with anesthesia are not as high. If the kidney is stretched too thin, then surgery will have to be done sooner.

What will the surgery look like?

Our pediatric urologist will go in through her urethra and snip the blockage at the bottom of the ureter in her bladder. Mary Ladson will stay in the hospital overnight to make sure her kidney is draining and that it does not get infected. The doctor said the procedure is not extremely painful since there is no incision.

Assuming the snip clears the blockage, six weeks after surgery she will have another iodine test done. This test was first done when she was about five days old. It will determine if she is having reflux (read: urine is traveling from the bladder back up the ureter to the kidney) which can cause urinary tract infections. Mary Ladson is currently on antibiotics to prevent these infections since high fevers are especially dangerous for infants. If there is no reflux she can stop taking the antibiotics. According to our doctor, 40-50% of cases do have reflux. In which case around the age of 2, she will have another procedure to fix the reflux.

What will happen if surgery does not fix blockage?

The urologist told me this is unusual, but if it does not then they will go back in and snip it again.

So what is the future for her right kidney?

The upper section of her right kidney will not function at 100%, but the lower part will, so her right kidney will function at about 75%. We have been told that kidneys can make up for this, and for all practical purposes she will have two functioning kidneys.

How did I do? Are you confused?

If you are a WebMD person and feel the need to go online and research, then go ahead…just don’t tell me what you find. We have three doctors (pediatrician, radiologist, and urologist) tracking Mary Ladson. And since they can see her individual scans and are for more trained at reading medical research than I am…they are my source for kidney info!

monkey see monkey do

2011-11-08T06:47:00.003-05:00

monkey see

monkey do

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Last night my girl slept for almost 8 hours...yep, she was just 20 minutes shy of me getting an awesome night of sleep. Minus her little monitor that sounded the alarm four time....yes, four times last night! It starts beeping when there is no movement in her bed. I slept through two of them...concerns me about if our smoke alarm were to go off. This thing is loud, plus it sounds in our room via the monitor. Mary Ladson slept through all four because she's sweet like that.

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We have successfully added Bon Jovi To Mary Ladson's preferred playlist. So now we have Bruce and Bon Jovi to listen to. I'm still trying to convince her to give Bono a shot. She starts screaming too loud to even hear him. I haven't given up though! When the bouncing isn't enough she likes singing. It's like 90s Karaoke night at our house.

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And what I'm sure you have all been sitting on the edge of your seat for. An adorable picture of her smiling. I got one that is half way there. The problem...I would much rather be seeing that beautiful smile without seeing it through a camera lens....so alas you will have to wait longer for the full melt you heart smile!

5 weeks

2011-11-06T17:02:00.004-05:00

Mary Ladson, you have learned so many things during the last 5 weeks. Although you are still a sleepy baby and spend most of your time snoozing. You are definitely happiest when you are eating or sleeping. You enjoy playing or looking at yourself in the mirror for brief spurts. Then you get fussy...the only way to calm you down is to bounce and sing. Losing baby weight has never been so easy. I feel like I get an hour long aerobics workout in at least once everyday....and I get to do it while holding you! This past week we made our weekly trek to 32 degrees and Starbucks. Monday Emmy and Grandpa stopped by on their way back from the beach. You enjoyed hanging out with Grandpa.

Surprisingly, you thoroughly enjoyed this position.
Tuesday Uncle Stuart came down from Asheville, and we went to lunch. Then we went on a walk with Erin and Eleanor. Wednesday Aunt Goo came to spend time with you, and your dad and I went to lunch. Then I went to work for a little while. Wednesday night we went to our community group. You slept through the whole thing like an angel. Thursday I went to work for a little while again and you hung out with your dad. Friday Addy and her mom came over to play...you slept! Friday night I took you on your first shopping trip to Carters. You didn't love it, but we got some really cute clothes! Saturday Francie and Eric came to see you. We went to lunch with Erin, Mac, and Eleanor. You slept!

Saturday night we went to Grammy's where you met Uncle Bank for the first time (more to come on that later!) and you hung out with your other favorite people.

Aunt Goo just can't get enough of you!

I'm sure Jeff was not laughing at you crying!

Cam loves everything to do with you...ok maybe not the diaper!

Previous to you snoozing, he was singing "Have no fear, Cam is here."

Most nights you sleep from 11 pm to 5 am, 5:30 am to 8:30 am, 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Our afternoons are a different story, no pattern! You still eat great. My favorite thing you started doing this week is smiling. I haven't been able to get a picture of it yet, but it melts my heart every time I see it. You ~~like~~ don't mind tummy time for about 5 minutes at a time. You reached out to touch Layla for the first time this week. She still loves to kiss your face! You can lift your head and hold it up for brief periods...still a bobble head though :o) We can't wait to see what you do this week!

the boss

2011-11-03T09:49:00.006-04:00

Last night Mary Ladson was chillin' on her monkey pillow (thanks Ladson and Caroline!). Yes, we had a quiet evening - nice change after the night before!

Layla decided it looked mighty soft, so she joined Mary Ladson.

Don't worry Grandma, I was sitting right next to them to make sure Layla didn't roll on top of her!

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We also made quite the discovery. Mary Ladson loves Bruce Springsteen. We found out by accident. She was screaming; he started playing, and silence. She prefers the fast songs, and she likes it to be loud with some good bouncing with the beat! I was reading some baby book that said babies prefer high pitch music....what do they know? Apparently, Mary Ladson has better taste...and maybe we can avoid the sing song baby music!
Funny thing is the fist music I can remember hearing is Bruce...played on my parents' record player in our play room. Mom said we listened to kid music, but all I remember is Bruce.

I'm going to miss this conversation...

2011-11-01T20:30:00.006-04:00

I would say the last two months I was pregnant this conversation would happen at least once every day or two.
Stranger - "boy or girl?"
Me - "surprise."
Stranger - "what do you think?"
Me - "I don't know this is my first baby; I have nothing to compare it to."
Then stranger gives me the once over and makes a prediction.
It's kind of weird to go out now and not have this conversation.
Most people predicted this baby would be a boy. I could count the number of people on one hand that predicted girl (Matt, Caroline, and Ryan - y'all said it from the beginning!). These were the following reasons I heard it must be a boy - I mean those people in the grocery store were adamant:

It looks like you have a basketball or watermelon in your belly - apparently that means boy!
You haven't gained enough weight - boy!
The baby's heart rate is low - boy!
You are carrying the baby low - boy!

Then out came a sweet, little girl (who is screaming her lungs out as I type - the pediatrician advised us to take a break from holding her after she screamed nonstop for awhile - yes, she is fussy a-gain...enter our house at your own risk...even Layla has taken refuge in our bedroom!) Update: After 2.5 hours of crying (I held, walked, rocked her for 2 hours and 15 minutes of that...maybe I should have put her down sooner) - she is sleeping peacefully!

Now the question I get is who does Mary Ladson look like? I would say me.

Me (I don't know how old...maybe 8 months)

Mary Ladson (1 month)

Heath (I think at 6 months)

just because

2011-11-01T09:51:00.001-04:00

one month

2011-10-31T14:20:00.003-04:00

One month

Weight: 10 pounds 2 ounces (75%)
Length: 23 inches (99%)
Mary Ladson, as I type this you are swinging in your little swing as you drift off to dreamland. One month ago you changed our lives. We love you so much!!

"For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
has the world ever known a you, my friend,
and it never will, not ever again...
Heaven blew every trumpet
and played every horn
on the wonderful, marvelous
night you were born."
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:13:00.002-04:00

4 weeks already

2011-10-29T15:10:00.006-04:00

Mary Ladson, I can't believe 4 weeks ago you entered our lives. It seems like it has gone by so fast yet at the same time like we have known you so much longer. This past week started out slowly. I had a sore throat and was not feeling up to par. You kept your dad busy with eating and diaper changing!

Monday - I started feeling better. You were kind of fussy that morning. Gran Gran arrived shortly after lunch and stayed through Wednesday. You were pretty fussy her entire stay. (It was our fault! We think you are in a growth spurt, and as Aunt Goo keeps saying - you were malnourished...perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but nonetheless I think you were fussy because you were hungry!)
Wednesday - I took you over to GG's house to get some pictures. You made quite the impression!
Thursday - Cam came over after school, and we walked to 32 degrees to get some frozen yogurt. Cam pushed your stroller the whole way. Every half block or so he would pull back the roof cover to make sure you were ok. He also tried to convince me to get you some frozen yogurt! He was most concerned that I only let you have a bottle; he thought you should get some "real" food, and he wanted to know when you would start crawling.
Friday - Aunt Goo was kind enough to volunteer to come over, so your dad and I could go to lunch. But as luck would have it there was a shooting near CCES, and she was in the school at the time, so she was locked down with all the students for about four hours. She was very upset to not get to come over!
Saturday - Grammy, Corie, Aunt Goo, and Pryce came to see you. Corie was the first non-Caulder cousin to meet you!

Aunt Goo made up for her missed visit by staying to give you your bottle. Then you napped while your dad studied Hebrew...such a little peanut!

You have been having tummy time most days, but this is usually how it ends...I don't think you understand this is time to strengthen your neck muscles! Layla likes that she can participate in this activity with you - she apparently has the same idea you do!

Your little hands have begun to explore while we are holding you. You have also begun to hold onto our shirts when we are holding you...I love it!
You have continued sleeping like a champ...6 to 7 hours at night with usually at least one good three hour nap in the crib. The rest of your naps in the crib are shorter or you are napping on us!
You are now drinking about 4 cups of liquid a day! It doesn't seem like your little belly should be able to hold that much!
**************************************************
Yay, for cooler weather, so the hot cocoa machine can come back out!

Heath made some fancy s'mores hot cocoa for us the other night!

***************************************************
Monday we go to the pediatrician's office for her one month visit. Anyone want to guess how much she weighs and how long she is? Heath and I have our predictions, and I guess we have the advantage of seeing her on a daily basis. Here's a hint: She was 8 pounds 11 ounces when she was born...8 pounds 14 ounces at her two week appointment. And 21 and half inches long at birth...no measurement at two week appointment. Give your best guess, and we can see who gets the closest!

the dreaded c word

2011-10-28T21:03:00.003-04:00

For the past couple of nights, Mary Ladson has become inconsolable between 8:30 and 10:30 at night. We were afraid it was colic...just look at this and be glad there is no sound!

So we have been experimenting with the best way to handle this.

Tuesday night - She screamed and we tried everything we could think of - nothing calmed her down.
Wednesday night - She was sleeping, so I did not wake her up for her 8:30 feeding, and she slept until 10:30 when we woke her up for her 10:30 feeding...it worked beautifully!
Thursday night - She woke up, so we fed her at 8:30, and then the screaming began...so we decided to drive to Krispy Kreme for some hot doughnuts. This plan also worked beautifully; we got doughnuts, and she fell asleep as we drove. High five!

Then it dawned on me maybe...just maybe...all this fussiness during the day - especially at night - is because she is hungry, so we have started giving her more formula - ahhh...back to the sweet girl! Rookie mistake, y'all! Sorry Mary Ladson!

Three cheers for....

Two nights in a row of sleeping 7+ hours at night! Way to go Mary Ladson!!!

field trip

2011-10-26T19:30:00.004-04:00

Guess what we did today??

We went over to GG's house to see it all decorated for Halloween. You may recall the pictures from last year. Mary did not disappoint this year either! Unfortunately, Mary Ladson has been a little fussy or as Grammy would say "exercising her lungs" the past couple of days, so I was unsure how our time would go. The first part went really well. Mary Ladson was a doll.

But when it was time for a Halloween picture....well, Grammy just kept saying, "Mary Ladson, I thought you were a good baby."

Take 1 - Grammy singing to Mary Ladson and Mary Ladson ~~screaming~~ singing back.

Take 2 - Mary Ladson trying to sing louder!

Take 3 - Mary Ladson wins...

She has on a pumpkin costume in case you can't tell..I know it's hard to see it - she was not the most cooperative for our Halloween photo shoot.

who dat and splish splash

2011-10-25T17:37:00.005-04:00

Mary Ladson and I proudly cheered on the Saints to a mighty victory over the Colts this past Sunday. We don't get to view many of the games because the Panthers trump any other games in this area, but Saints Colts was the Sunday night game this past weekend. Heath, a Colts fan, has been fearing this game. And as it turns out he should have been. What 62 to 7? I think Mr. Payton was trying to make up for that crazy loss against the Bucs. We will get revenge soon though! As for Mary Ladson - we spiced up her Saints onesie with a little gold and black tutu! A-dorable! I apologize for the crazy picture of her - she was cold and shaking, so we had to snap one quickly. A little too quickly for her to get ready! I'm sure she was getting ready to move her arms, so you could read the front her of her onesie....New Orleans Saints

And don't worry about her hair - although greasy at times - was wet in this picture because she had just had her first bath!
I was all prepared for a scream-fest. I had Heath get the camera because - well don't you have to get a picture of the first bath? For the first three weeks of her little life her hair was washed over the kitchen sink - salon style - while we waited for that stubborn umbilical cord to come off! She l.o.v.e.d it! Heath wanted us to continue with this. Why mess with a good thing? Ummm because at some point in her life a sponge bath just won't cut it, so we might as well introduce her to the bath? So back to the scream-fest we prepared for - I was going to be careful and not pour water right down the front of her face, but she turned her little head and it went all over her face. Insert - tense silent moment preparing for screaming....silence! what? She loved the bath. Did not a care a bit for water to go down her face - even with shampoo mixed in! I sure do love this girl!

three weeks already

2011-10-22T20:51:00.005-04:00

Could Mary Ladson really be three weeks old already? This last week has been so busy as we have been on the go a little bit more. It's so nice to be able to get outside!
I am short on some pictures, but I want to remember everything we did this past week.
Sunday we walked to 32 degrees and Starbucks for some frozen yogurt and coffee. Mary Ladson slept through the fun! Layla made some friends with other dogs.
Monday we met Ladson and Caroline downtown for some BBQ. Our little sleepyhead slept through it also...Ladson was sure that a passing ambulance would wake her up - no luck!
Monday night Emmy came and stayed a couple of days with us. Tuesday we went walking downtown and took Mary Ladson on her first trip to the grocery store.
Wednesday we went to some friends' house for dinner. Mary Ladson was so alert and enjoyed being held by so many friends who had been praying for her.
Thursday was a low key day; we had one visitor, but spent most of the day resting with the exception of braving the wind for a walk around the neighborhood. She was very bundled for the walk. We were saving up our energy for Friday.

Friday we went over to another friend's house to meet their little girl, Etta. Sarah and I were pregnant at the same time. Our due dates were exactly one week apart, but with Mary Ladson coming a week early the girls are two weeks apart. Don't you love the way they are both staring out the big window. It's so funny to me how much babies love light!

After meeting Etta we went to the airport. For Christmas last year the girls at the office I work at gave the orthodontists a gift to fly in an open air biplane around Greenville. They finally went Friday. Heath, Mary Ladson, and I went to watch. Dr. W, one of the orthodontists, had a little boy about a month before Mary Ladson. After we announced Mary Ladson's arrival - he texted me asking about a prearranged marriage...he was so excited they had their "first date." Too bad neither of them was awake for it. Not even a plane engine roaring fifteen feet away can wake our little girl up!

And today we met Erin, Mac, and Eleanor downtown at the Farmer's Market. We had breakfast and picked up some fall produce. I can't believe I forgot to get a picture of Eleanor and Mary Ladson. They are exactly 9 months apart - it will be so fun to watch them grow up together!

***************************************************************
As for Mary Ladson, she is officially a crib sleeper. No more sleeping in our room. She has also shown us she has outgrown the swaddle blanket. She likes to roll around in her sleep. We often find her at one end of her crib on her side. Hard to believe she is already moving around so much!

She still loves to sleep on the chest of whoever is holding her.
Her umbilical cord finally fell off today...three weeks old, and she can finally take her first real bath!
She is growing so fast. I am already preparing myself for next week when she is a month old. There may or may not be tears...it's the hormones....really!

love, baking, paci, and laundry

2011-10-20T15:19:00.006-04:00

Mary Ladson has been lucky enough to have some more visitors this week. Caroline came through Greenville with Ladson and loved on Mary Ladson.

And Mary came by with Grammy. I am going to have to watch Mary because I think she might just try to take Mary Ladson with her!

As a mom it is so fun to see so many people loving on your daughter.

And for those of you who know Cam, the beloved baby of the Hipp grandchildren...He has lovingly given up the baby spot to love on Wilson and Mary Ladson. It is so sweet to watch him with her! I think they will be good pals. He will be about the same age difference with her that I am with Mary Gage.

**************************************************
They say babies hear sounds while in the womb, and sounds they hear often become comforting. I'd like to think that one of the sounds that is comforting to Mary Ladson is the kitchen aid mixer. She certainly heard it a lot while she was growing in me. I do love to bake! Yesterday was her first time to help me bake, and that familiar sound just lulled her right to sleep!

******************************************************
Now you see it...now you don't

**Sorry for the zoomed in picture - which makes it a little out of focus. I will show you the entire picture soon...like in a couple of days - I'll explain to you why then!

I never thought I'd be one for giving into the paci (not only do they look bad in pictures!, but who wants to break the habit later!). But there are times when nothing can settle her down quite like sucking on this little green thing. So anyway Mary Ladson sucks to her little heart's desire for a little bit of time each day on this paci. Or she did...until yesterday. Layla got jealous and decided to give it a try. But she became a little overzealous and swallowed it. Awesome. At 4:30...vet closes at 5:00. Awesome again. We tried giving her hydrogen peroxide (we of course were out of it, thank goodness our friends down the the street had some!) to make her vomit. No luck, and now it's 4:45. Heath had no option but to take her to the vet - no emergency vet visit for us! But on the way there she vomited in my car. Awesome. Paci was recovered but will not be used again.

******************************************************
This right here....

Is why we might run out of clean clothes!

Who wants to fold clothes when they can just stare into those blue eyes?

a little catch up with some random thoughts

2011-10-17T09:05:00.005-04:00

The day before we went to the hospital to welcome Mary Ladson I made a delicious dessert. I took a picture, so I could write about it, and then we got the most wonderful surprise, so today I will share it with you. I found the recipe online....meaning it can be hit or miss....this was a hit! Introducing S'mores bars.

It has a tasty graham cracker cookie base and top with a layer of chocolate and marshmallow melted in the middle....yummy!!! This picture was taken the next day - the night they came out of the oven the chocolate was all gooey!
*****************************************************************
I made a mistake the other day - one I had been warned about...don't try on any of your regular clothes - especially jeans! I had been warned: you think you will fit in them, but you won't. So what did I do - try on my jeans...not my regular jeans, but my baggy jeans. The ones I had to roll to keep up before I got pregnant. Not so much the case anymore. No way those things were going to button! Mary Ladson was watching me from the bed. I can laugh about it now...
******************************************************************
And since most of you only come to this site to see a picture of Mary Ladson - here she is with Layla-bell.

Sorry the lighting is awful. It is difficult to photograph Mary Ladson and Layla. I think Mary Ladson takes all the flash, so Layla just looks like a black blob.

wilson came to play

2011-10-16T20:56:00.004-04:00

Aunt Anne, Uncle Matt, and cousin Wilson came for the day yesterday. We went on our first venture out to eat. Welcome to Moes! Mary Ladson and Wilson were both perfect. Mary Ladson slept the whole meal, and Wilson snacked on puffs.
We then went to the park. The weather was perfect, and Wilson had fun crawling around picking up leaves. Mary Ladson slept.

All ready for our walk in the park

Mary Ladson with Uncle Matt

Wilson wanted Mary Ladson to play with him

Mary Ladson with her Daddy

Such a happy boy
************************************************
And last night Mary Ladson did the unthinkable - she slept for 7, yes s.e.v.e.n hours! 11 pm - 6 am. Oh, I hope she does it again!

busy couple of days

2011-10-15T20:41:00.005-04:00

We have had a busy couple of days with a visit from Grandma. She was on her way to North Carolina and took a detour to meet Mary Ladson. It's crazy to think that this little girl has already met two of her great grandmothers. Grandma fell in love instantly and also showered Mary Ladson with lots of pink clothes.

Yesterday Gran Gran and Dadoo (Heath's parents) stopped by on their way to the beach. I wanted to climb in their car and go with them!

Got the picture of Mary Ladson with Dadoo
They were kind enough to watch Mary Ladson, so we could run a couple of errands. We stopped by one of my favorite stores, Hobby Lobby, and bought some gold and black tulle, so I could make Mary Ladson a tutu to cheer on the Saints. Will update with pictures when it is complete :o) We also stopped by Whole Foods where they were having a pumpkin sale. I picked out two pumpkins with great stems. Wouldn't you know one of the guys trying to find the sticker picked the pumpkin up by the stem and snap! stem broke in two. The guy felt awful! He went through the store and found some gorilla glue and glued our stem back together, and then came running out into the parking lot as we were leaving to add some tape for reinforcement until the glue dried. At one point he compared breaking the stem as the same as running over a frog...apparently, a true animal lover - he was very upset over this stem. I found the whole experience quite funny!

Later that afternoon the weather was perfect, so we decided to go on a walk.

Layla's first time in the car with Mary Ladson! Once we got her out of the car seat base she stayed as close to the door as I have ever seen her.
We went downtown and walked about three miles on the Swamp Rabbit trail.

I was exhausted by the end of the day and wouldn't you know that last night was the night Mary Ladson decided to wake up during the night!
And today Aunt Anne, Uncle Matt, and cousin Wilson came for a visit! I will update with pictures of all the fun we had tomorrow.

already two weeks old!

2011-10-14T08:59:00.004-04:00

Sweet Mary Ladson has changed so much in two weeks.

2 days old

2 weeks old

As you can see her face isn't quite as scrunched up..although I thought it was cute like that!
She has already gone up to the next diaper size.
She has surpassed her birth weight by 3 ounces - she gained 12 ounces in one week!
She accidentally rolled over from her stomach to her back. She was mad I put her down, and her little screams got her moving so much that she just rolled over!
She continues to sleep through the night in baby time - 11:30 pm - 5:00 am. Heath wants to know when she will sleep through the night in regular time.
Her eyes are still blue, but I am predicting they will turn green.
Her hair is always greasy from me rubbing it :)
She is still super cuddly!

mary ladson {first week}

2011-10-12T09:50:00.008-04:00

The first week with Mary Ladson flew by. I would find myself sitting and staring at her - marveling that a few short days before she was inside me. Truly amazing!

meeting Layla for the first time

waiting to eat

best little sleeper

hair all brushed after your bath

just want to pinch those cheeks

*********************************************

Mary Ladson, you have grown and changed so much during these first few days. So many people warned us that the first two weeks were hard, but then it gets better. At the end of the first week, I found myself sad that somehow a whole week had already passed. Was this going to be how your whole life would be? We could not ask for a better sleeper, so I am sure that is why I found myself sad instead of tired and counting down the days until you get older. Each night we put you down around 11:30, set the alarm for 3:00 to feed you, and then set the alarm for 7:00 to feed you again. You never woke up when the alarm went off. In fact one night my alarm went off, but I forgot to get up – you slept until 5:45. a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Sometimes you had a hard time falling back asleep after we woke you up at 3:00. I don’t blame you. I loved that time with you to rock and look at your blue eyes. I didn’t want to miss anytime when you were awake. Most nights you would fall asleep on my chest. Some nights I fell asleep too. Your dad would come wake us up in the morning. In fact you spend most of your day asleep on my chest; daddy is concerned you will never sleep in a crib. I don’t want to take a single moment for granted and look back wishing I had been holding you instead of doing something else. I might regret this decision in several months, but right now I am content with my decision.

You also make some of the funniest faces. Unfortunately, when I try to get a picture of them you become so interested in the large black camera I hold in front of your face that you stop making the funny face. I have been able to capture a few.

Sometimes when you are asleep and we are talking about you, you all of a sudden open one eye and look at us – like you have been listening the whole time.

Layla loves to give you kisses and you tolerate them. You don’t mind your head being kissed at all – but when that tongue goes on your face you look very confused.

We have had several good laughs over diaper incidents, but I won't embarrass you with the details!

Oh, Mary Ladson - we never would have thought we could have fallen in love with another person is such a short time period. You already have our hearts.

mary ladson's visitors...

2011-10-11T09:56:00.005-04:00

Mary Ladson was lucky enough to have a lot of family and friends visit her this past week and a half. I did a good job of getting pictures with family, but I did an awful job getting pictures of her with our friends! Good thing they live in Greenville; I am sure I will have another opportunity!

All four grandparents came her first morning.

Mary Ladson with Emmy

Mary Ladson with Grandpa

Mary Ladson with Gran Gran

Dadoo (no idea if that is spelled right) did hold her, but I did not get a picture of it!

She has also been able to meet one aunt and two uncles. She can't wait to meet her other two uncles, aunt, and four cousins!

Mary Ladson with her Aunt Anne

Mary Ladson with her Uncle Ladson

Mary Ladson with her Uncle Stuart

And she has almost met the whole Caulder family!

Mary Ladson with her great Aunt Goo

Mary Ladson with (I don't know the correct terminology - my cousin!) Mary Gage

Mary Ladson with (same as above) Pryce

Mary Ladson with (same as above) Jeff, who was kind enough to bring hot Krispy Kreme to the hospital, so Mary Ladson would have it as her first smell!

Mary Ladson with (same as above) Cam

And one of my favorite pictures...Grammy came over to visit Mary Ladson, and we got a picture of four generations. Grammy (Jane), Mom (Mary Ladson), me (Jane), and Mary Ladson. Two Janes and two Mary Ladsons!

mary ladson's birthday

2011-10-10T10:42:00.005-04:00

This past week and a half seems surreal. Thursday, September 29^th started out so normal. I went to work, came home, had lunch (only working half days), and then went to my weekly doctor’s appointment. Heath asked several times, if I wanted him to come, but he had studying to do and sometimes you have to wait a long time at this office, so I went by myself. They did an ultrasound because there was question over whether I was leaking amniotic fluid. After the ultrasound I saw the doctor who sent me back for another ultrasound. This one took longer because sweet baby McLaughen was not moving. I was then sent back to the doctor, who explained what they had seen or not seen. She then told me I needed to go home and pack my bags because she wanted to induce me that night. At this point I had been at the doctor’s office for close to three hours. I called Heath to tell him. He was so excited; I was still feeling a little bit in denial that this was really happening. I still felt great and was not having any regular contractions.

We took Laylabelle to someone’s house for the couple of days we were in the hospital then onto the hospital we went. Of course I had to get one last picture!

**Side note - I took Layla in the car for the first time since we had installed the car seat base a couple of days beforehand. She sat in it thinking it was for her. This was the first time she had seen the car seat in the car…I think she finally realized it wasn’t for her.

Another side note - I decided this was the best way to go to the hospital for a delivery. I was not turned away as so many people are with false labor nor did I know about the induction ahead of time, so there was no time to be anxious.

I got checked in, and they started the Pitocin by 8:00 that night and told me to get a good night’s rest because I was in for a long day. They offered me an ambien, but I was scared it would leave me too loopy the next day. I took some Benadryl and off to dream land I went. I woke up the next morning - September 30 aka Mary Ladson's birthday - and was still feeling really good. The doctor told me I could get the epidural whenever I wanted…hmmm…I decided why wait? I got my epidural then spent the day eating popsicles, Italian Ice, sleeping, and watching movies – I was glad I brought some DVDs :o) Around 4:00 they told me to stop pressing the button on the epidural medicine because the doctor would be there soon for delivery. As it turned out our doctor was tied up in an operation and did not get to us until after 6:00. She told me it should only take 30 minutes because this was a nice size baby…no more than 7.5 pounds. An hour later she changed her tune to - maybe this baby is bigger than I thought. An hour and a half later baby McLaughen came out screaming.

The doctor had told us she was not going to say boy or girl but that she would just hold up the baby. It was such an amazing surprise to find out that baby McLaughen was a girl. They let me hold her immediately. I'll spare you those pictures...this one was within ten minutes though!

When they weighed her - 8 pounds 11 ounces – I think everyone in the room was surprised she was that big. Heath and I called our parents then spent the night and next morning together as a little family of three (good thing Layla can’t read!).

The next day family and friends came to meet Mary Ladson. (pictures of that in next post!) And we were lucky enough to be able to leave the hospital the following day!

who dat

2011-10-09T17:08:00.002-04:00

you'll have to wait a little longer...

2011-10-09T07:11:00.003-04:00

because while mom has been here taking care of us we have used every moment to snuggle with this cute little chickadee.

I promise to update everything within the next couple of days. This last week has flown by!

layla is getting excited...

2011-09-26T16:36:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we were at the Caulders watching the Saints game...such an exciting game it was - Who Dat?!?!?

Anyway, I was talking to Cam about how excited Layla is about the new baby. And in typical Cam fashion (he's very literal), he said, "how can you tell?" So for Cam I put together a list (in no particular order, mind you) of how I know Layla is excited.

1. She loves to play tug of war - a new friend in the house might just be the perfect person to play with.

2. She loves to give kisses to people she loves!

3. She loves to share other people's things.

4. She loves to play fetch.

5. And might just be looking for a new partner.

6. She is getting very old and wise.

7. And needs someone younger to teach.

8. She is looking forward to me having someone else to dress up.

For these reasons I know she is almost excited as Heath and I are about baby McLaughen's arrival. Everyday when I get home she comes running over to hit my belly with her nose.
And recently she has been dropping her toy, Ollie, the octopus in my lap which is really on my belly these days! - like she is looking for someone to play with. Not to mention she is super excited that the new baby has a toy octopus - sweet Layla has even been known to go in the nursery and exchange her octopus for the baby's octopus. I just know they will be great friends!

boy name

2011-09-23T14:54:00.007-04:00

Did I leave you hanging for long enough? Sorry about that...I had every intention of doing the boy name the next day, but my afternoon naps got in the way!

oh the boy name. It was the topic of discussion after discussion. After much time, we have finally picked one. We decided we wanted a biblical name and a family name. Heath's family does not reuse names like mine does, so picking a family name from his side proved to be a little trickier. His family does, however, use the initials JHM. His mom, dad, brother, and him all have them. Ironically, when Heath was on a date in college with another girl, she found out about this family pattern...isn't it funny what you find yourself talking about on first dates...I'm glad those days are over! Anyway, this girl said you should date Jane Haddow. Fast forward a year and we did start dating...and you know the rest of the story. So now I kind of have the initials...I kept all four names, so I guess technically JFHM...yes, I ran out of room on my social security card.

Back to the name - we wanted biblical, family, and JHM initials. Family and friends offered lots of suggestions - some helpful- some not as much!
Drum roll please...
The J will be Jacob. Jacob was an interesting person in the Bible. He deceived his father and at times was not honest. However, I take comfort that God prepared his mother, Rebekah, for his personality before he was born.
"The Lord said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.'" Genesis 25:23
God already knew what Jacob would do. It's amazing to think that God knows - like really knows - each person before they are born. Jacob was not perfect as none of us are. We are all born sinners. But Jacob learned to trust God.
"Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'" Genesis 32:28
“For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.” Psalm 135:4
The H is for Henry. Heath's grandfather, affectionately known as Grandaddy, was named Henry. He did not like the name and chose to go by Roy, but we like the name. And growing up Grandaddy was an important figure in all of his grand children's lives, so it only seemed appropriate that we use Henry as the middle name.

**Sorry for the poor quality of this picture - it's not that old! Either our scanner is not that great or it was operator error! The latter is more likely to be the case!
And you know what the M will be!
So the boy's name will be Jacob Henry McLaughen.

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Good news - we went to have another ultrasound today, and the baby's weight gain has s-l-o-w-e-d down!!! Yay!! They are estimating 7 1/2 pounds right now, so in two weeks, the baby could be a nice 8 to 8 1/2 pounds. That would be perfect! I was starting to get anxious about the size, so I will sleep better tonight! Truth be told I have been sleeping great! One Tylenol PM does amazing things for sleep! I can get 8 hours of sleep every night...and I am going to enjoy every minute of it because things are about to change around here!

girl name

2011-09-20T14:51:00.004-04:00

Picking the baby's name has been the topic of many of our discussions as of late. As the date got closer we realized a decision needed to be made sooner rather than later. I did not want to make this decision in the delivery room! I've known what I wanted the girl's name to be since I was little...the boy's name is a whole other story. I think you all know what the girl's name will be, but I will give you a little history to it.

I was bribed to swim across the pool as a child, and my reward was a doll. my favorite doll and I named her Mary Ladson. To the best of my recollection I only had two perhaps three dolls growing up. The third one was a boy doll - which is kind of weird, so I don't know if that counts. Anyway, I had a doll as a toddler, and then came Mary Ladson. I was so proud of Mary Ladson. I took her into show and tell in the first or second grade - you know the kind of show and tell where your object had to fit into a picnic basket with a cloth cover. When it was time to show her off, I pulled her out of the basket, and her head had fallen off. To say I was crushed was an understatement. Not only was it humiliating, but my favorite doll no longer had a head. As it turns out my mom was able to get her head reattached, and throughout our time together I learned how to reattach her head by sticking the plastic neck back into the cloth body. It just became part of the routine when we would play together.

After hearing this story, you might find it odd that Mary Ladson is the name that I have wanted to name my daughter since I was little. But you see the name had history before my favorite doll. It is my mom's name...along with a lot of people before her. My family tends to recycle names A LOT! Not only do I just like the name, but I think it is pretty special to name her after someone who has loved me so well, and I know will love our little one!

And so if our baby is a girl her name will be Mary Ladson McLaughen. Somewhat of a mouthful, but I think the M L M L rolls off the tongue nicely!

As for the boy's name. We have finally made a decision. I will post that story another day!

cooler weather

2011-09-17T15:20:00.005-04:00

Last night we slept with the windows open and awoke this morning to a cool 55 degrees. It's the first time I have used a blanket on our bed since March. Crazy...considering the fact that it was 90 degrees two days ago. We went to the market on main street this morning dressed in jeans...who would have thought? Last week I was sweating in shorts and a tshirt! We bought a red pepper, some homemade pasta, and then sat down to eat our cinnamon rolls...it's what we do every Saturday morning! And it was so chilly this morning that I couldn't eat all of mine because my hands were turning blue. I kid you not! I have been SOOOOO hot these last couple of weeks that I thought surely cooler weather will not feel cold to me like it usually does! I was wrong. It's warmed up now though to a nice 70 degrees, and we are enjoying some football games as the wind blows through our house.

Last night we went to a baby shower, and I made dessert. of course! I love to bake, but I like it even more now that I have a corner of the kitchen dedicated to all my baking needs. Now instead of going to the pantry every time I need something I can just step over to the corner and voila...

Not to mention I just love this piece of furniture. I had been wanting it for weeks...and I had almost convinced myself not to get it - when I opened my email one day and what was in my inbox? but a coupon to be used on furniture. It's this crazy store that is only open two days a week, and I was working one of the days, and we were going to be out of town the other day that the coupon was valid for, so Heath kindly went to the store and bought it for me. I had to hear him complain about: why we would spend money on a piece of furniture that looks old, why I would ever send him to this chick store, and why we don't need any more furniture - but the piece holds all my baking needs, and it has gotten a lot of compliments, so I have no complaints!
Oh and for dessert I made these sweet little baby carriage cookies and s'more cupcakes...they don't know if they are having a boy or girl either!

Baby shower #2 and #3

2011-09-16T13:56:00.009-04:00

Countdown is now at three weeks...crazy to think about! Last weekend Heath and I (not at a couple's shower...Heath doesn't believe in those!) were blessed with so many gifts for the little babe. One thing is for sure...this baby will never be deprived of attention! Saturday Aunt Goo, Aunt Anne, and Anne threw a baby shower for me at Grammy's house. It was perfect! Mary outdid herself with decorations. Be sure to notice the pacifiers she made out of balloons in the windows! And those balloons on the ceiling were the biggest balloons I have ever seen!!

The food was yummy! Flowers beautiful! And display perfect!

It was mostly family with some special friends!

I think this whole pregnancy thing has made me taller - either that or Anne has been exaggerating her height this whole time because it appears there is more than a two inch difference!

Erin and Teresa - I met these two special friends at Furman! And am so excited they are here in Greenville to help me with this new little one!

Grandma and Grammy! Grandma was sweet enough to stay in Atlanta, so she could make the journey up for the shower! She even spoiled our little one with their first Saints outfit...our sweet, little one got several more Saints ensembles at the shower - I can't wait to put them on him/her!

These were all the Hipp girl cousins that could make it! We were only missing four of them! Knowing that some of them drove to town or flew in for the occasion was very touching.

This picture is pretty special because it is all of our baby's great grandmothers together! I never knew any of my great-grandparents, so I think it's pretty special for this little one to have three great-grandparents. Heath's grandmother was sweet enough to drive four hours with Heath's mom, so she could be there. Yes, I did crop myself out of the picture. Mom must have been at the level of the people sitting in the picture...and well no one ever likes to be shot up at in a picture...especially when they are pregnant!

Wilson made an appearance at the end. I love this picture! Grandma was tired of pictures, so she was waving her hand in front of her face!

Then Sunday there was a shower for me and baby with the girls from work. It's always fun to hang out with them outside of work.

who dat

2011-09-09T07:12:00.003-04:00

Last night the Saints opened the NFL season for the second year in a row. I think that must mean they're pretty special! Heath likes to try new recipes, and I love to bake so....he made some yummy jambalaya in honor of those Saints (even chopped up some veggies to go in it),

and I made some Fleur-de-lis cookies (gold is such a hard color to make! and who want to eat a black cookie?!?). The good news is the jersey still fit...though not quite as well as two weeks ago. And Layla was excited to see her Saints decor come back out for the season.

**I know it looks like Layla was uninterested in this picture...I like to think she was concerned that I had her facing away from the tv, and she was worried the game would come back on! And yes, I know look v.e.r.y tired - the night before was rough - with half the sleep I normally like to get...which meant I did not stay awake for the whole game - this never happens! Don't worry I slept great last night!

I also decided some new house decor would be necessary for the new season. I just can't get enough of these burlap decorations!

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Totally unrelated to the Saints but Layla thinks she is a lap dog, which I love and could explain why she thinks this. She is not allowed on the furniture, but if you sit on the floor she just comes right over and climbs in your lap and sits. As you can imagine this looks quite funny (she is close to 70 pounds!)...now imagine her doing it with my big belly. Last night I was sitting on the nursery floor, and she came in to keep me company because she is sweet like that. Well, of course her first seat of choice is in my lap. She kept looking back like why don't I fit better. I was really hoping that little baby would kick just so I could see Layla's reaction, but no luck! Maybe it will happen before the baby is born. The real question is how much longer will I be able to get up off the floor.

It still fits!!!

2011-08-28T17:57:00.004-04:00

Can you believe it? 8 and half months pregnant and my Saints jersey still fits albeit just a little snugger- it's a youth size; don't worry I haven't gotten that big!! Heath told me you don't talk about wearing a jersey during the preseason, but (1) the game tonight is the first game I will get to watch for this season, so that is reason to celebrate and (2) who knows if this jersey will still fit in two weeks when the Saints open the season! Therefore, I will proudly be wearing my jersey tonight when the Saints play the Raiders...(and hopefully, I'll be wearing it again when they play the Packers...which according to Heath is not going to end well for the Saints, but I'm hopeful!)

*I have no idea what is wrong with my left eye - I assure you it doesn't look like that in real life (at least I don't think it does), but it sure does look funny in this picture!

And look Clare finished the window treatment for the nursery...it is a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e!!!

It just matches the beach theme so well!!! I love it!!

latest project in the nursery...

2011-08-26T12:38:00.004-04:00

Remember those prayer cards that were filled out at my baby shower. I have been trying to come up with a fun way to display them for baby. Heath is wonderful with helping me work through these "wonderful" ideas. Sometimes they work...sometimes they don't! This particular one turned out darling. I asked Heath to make me a wood frame, I then painted the frame cute stripes to match the rest of the nursery, and then Heath staple gunned chicken wire behind it. Adorable and functional! I clipped all the prayer cards on to the chicken wire with little clothes pins.

Aren't the cards cute?!? My friend special ordered them off ETSY to match the beach theme!
And I was finally able to get a picture of the shutters. A friend of mine is making cute roman shades for the windows, but you can have a sneak peak at the window!

The shutters are the first thing everyone comments on upon entering the nursery...I can't decide if this makes Heath happy or cringe!

This morning I went for my 34 week appointment...only 6 weeks left! Here are some of the questions/comments I heard...

Do you feel dizzy or light headed? (this question was asked about 5 times because of how low my blood pressure was...I kept telling them today I was actually feeling very good...not dizzy at all!)
What happened to your belly button? It has gone totally flat.
We had to wait awhile to get a normal heart beat because little baby was so excited it kept kicking and the little heart was racing.
The doctor I saw today was impressed with how low I am carrying the baby. It's been like that the whole time!
Nurse kept commenting on how baby is taking up my entire belly...you can feel baby parts when you rub my belly...it's pretty crazy!

I have been blessed with great health throughout this entire pregnancy. Heath, Layla, and I still try to walk 2 miles each day - not on the really hot ones!, I am still working full time, and my sleeping has made a turn for the best! I can get about 7 straight hours of sleep each night...which has been so nice! My appetite has slowed down some, which I suppose is due to the fact that there is nowhere for the food to go. However, I have had no trouble ending each day with a big bowl of ice cream!

the nursery...

2011-08-21T13:54:00.005-04:00

The nursery to me is like a piece of canvas. Although it might look done to some, I think I will always want to be tweaking it and adding new accessories. So with that being said here are pictures of the nursery. It's not complete - simply for the above reasons and the small fact that there is no baby in it yet, but I have had several requests to share the current status. Several more projects are in the works or not yet in the works but in my mind, so there will be updates!

Let me start with one of my favorites...this room is now one of Layla's favorites. Heath is convinced it won't be when there is a crying baby in it, but I'd like to think she will always love this room. To me one of the sweetest images of this room is precious Layla occupying it.

As you walk in the first wall you see is the large window and shutters...below the shutters are these shelves. The picture of the full wall was too bright with the beautiful sunshine, so you can't get the full effect.

Here is your view to the left.

And view to your right. Obviously the whale tub will not stay in the nursery - there's just not room in the bathroom for it!

And if you walk in and turn around...

Funny story...I sewed some burp cloths for little baby. I made an assortment of girl, boy, and gender neutral. I considered the Saints one gender neutral - It seemed so obvious to me that this baby will cheer on the Saints either way...Heath thought it was weird that it was not in the boy pile.

There will be more to come, but for now you can enjoy these!

mary gage goes to college...

2011-08-20T09:58:00.003-04:00

Mary Gage, you're lucky I am too lazy to scan in some older pictures I have :o)

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Mary Gage helping her pack for college. We had such a good time...we laughed about how times have changed from the huge computer I took to college (tower, monitor, speakers, mouse, keyboard, printer) to her nice little compact laptop. I was also envious of how much cuter her clothes were than mine.
At one point she left her room, and I was sitting her on her bed looking around...I noticed a picture frame I gave her while I was at Furman. And it still had her little picture in it. Now I am not a crier. And thank goodness Aunt Goo was not in the room because...well, she is! And I'd like to blame it on the pregnancy hormones or the fact that she had that Taylor Swift song, "Never Grow Up," playing - what was she thinking! But it made this whole her leaving all of a sudden seem so real. I mean she is just going to Clemson...not too far away!! But since I have spent the past 12 years in Greenville with her (she was 7 when I moved here) plus I spent countless summers with them before that - so it was like a sibling going off to college. Except I was already gone when all my siblings left, so I didn't experience the "missing hole" that younger siblings deal with when their older siblings leave.
But today Mary Gage left to cheer on the purple and orange (by the way it was quite surprising how many cute purple and orange dresses she found to take with her), and it was bittersweet. I know I will still see her; I mean she will have to come back and see cute, little baby McLaughen, but it just won't be the same as when she would stop by and visit with us after school.

Baby Shower #1

2011-08-16T18:04:00.009-04:00

This past Sunday I had my first baby shower. I have to say opening baby gifts is way more fun than wedding gifts! Some of my friends from church threw the shower. It was perfect...beach theme, ice cream sundaes, and lots of love. Heath and I were blessed with so many items for our little one. Each girl also wrote a prayer for our little baby. After the shower, I showed Heath all of the gifts, and we read each prayer. Reading each prayer with Heath and Layla (who was more interested in the new toys) was such a sweet time. It's humbling to know there are so many people who have been praying for this little one. Here is a picture of all the girls...

And a picture of me with the girls from our community group (minus one who could not be there)...

Jenny (baby born in July), Sarah (baby due one week after me), me, Meg, and Gillian
We meet weekly (spouses too!) in each other's homes and share with each other, pray for each other, and hang out. I have to say this group was one of the most fun to share our pregnancy news with! They had been with us through all the ups and downs of the past year, and their reaction was so sweet to see!

Sneak Peak

2011-08-13T14:20:00.004-04:00

The camera is back :o) We have been working hard on the nursery. I have been painting and sewing while Heath has kindly been hanging everything!
Here is a quick sneak peak...

the beach

2011-07-30T16:24:00.005-04:00

We enjoyed another trip to the beach. Unfortunately, our camera has some spot on the sensor pad, so it has been sent off to be fixed which means no pictures for awhile :( However, mom and Anne were kind enough to share some pictures, so I have a couple to show you from the beach trip. The house was full of people and dogs...mom, dad, me, Heath, Anne, Matt, Wilson, Ladson, Caroline, and Stuart plus Sadie, Layla, and Ella-belle. There was always something going on. Best part = spending time with family. Worst part = mosquitoes moved into the area, and no one was safe...not even Layla. My favorite part of the day is still from 5:00 on....doesn't it just look peaceful?!? Once you ran through the mosquito gauntlet to the quiet beach that is! Heath was glad to see the McCallie shirt made it on the blog.

Sweet little Wilson was spoiled rotten with attention...including lots of licks from the dogs. Even Sadie was a fan!

Speaking of Sadie...somehow she has moved to top spot on the totem pole. For our ride down to the beach Sadie got the front while Anne, Stuart, Wilson, and I piled on the back. And since some of you complain about my lack of pictures of my ever growing belly...there it is at 29 weeks!

I am excited to report that the nursery is all painted minus the doors, and the shutters are hanging! Too bad about the camera, or I would show a picture...guess you will have to wait unless you want to stop by and see it! I don't think I will reach my goal of having all the stuff cleared out by the end of July...I mean it is all out of the nursery, but it is piled in other parts of the house! Not really what I was hoping for! Some day...some day!

white, white, white

2011-07-19T19:39:00.007-04:00

Turns out painting the nursery is more involved than previously thought - why do people use oil base paint?!? Makes those of us who prefer latex work harder! So you will have to wait to see the painted nursery...but I can tell you that so far it looks good and once we get those cute shutters up - ahhh it will look amazing!
Heath and I went to Buy Buy Baby to look at you guessed it - baby stuff. In case you have not gone to this store, it can be very overwhelming - baby stuff everywhere! It quickly became apparent that I have not done my research. While I could determine what most items were for, there were several shelves I just walked by because I had no idea what it was. It also became very apparent that gender neutral stuff is just not that cute...unless you are into green frogs and yellow ducks. So I bought a lot of this...

yep, plain white! I know some of you may be shocked that I could buy something so bland - color is my thing after all! I bought it with the hopes that I could add some spice to it!

So far I have only finished a couple of bibs and a onesie, but I do think they are much cuter than a yellow duck or green frog! And the best part - they go with the beach theme!
I have also been working on another project - you'll have to wait and see what the finished product looks like, but don't you just love the fabric!

Enough about the nursery - I have some exciting news from the front yard! My garden is fairing well considering the heat wave we have had. I attribute it to sweet Heath turning on the soaker hose every morning, so these guys can survive the day. The hose is, for lack of a better description, down in a hole. I might be able to get down there, but I am pretty sure I would not be able to get back out. And for the first time ever - my zinnia seeds bloomed! I love zinnias and have tried them several times, but I'm afraid I am not as consistent with the water as Heath is.

The color just pops, and those crazy flowers love the summer heat as much as me! Although these days I prefer to experience the heat near water!

turtles

2011-07-17T11:59:00.002-04:00

Last night we walked down the beach to watch a turtle inventory. That's when the nest has already boiled over (the majority of the turtles have hatched and they all leave the nest at once - boiling out of the hole). Left behind are the late hatchers with no way to get out of the hole. So three days after a nest has hatched, S.C.U.T.E. (South Carolina Unites Turtle Enthusiasts) representatives dig up the hole pulling out all the baby turtles that are alive. The inventory we watched last night had five baby turtles left in it.

After being rescued from the hole, the baby turtles are placed in the sand where they crawl to the ocean through two walls of fans cheering them on.

Upon first reaching the water, the little guys get pushed back towards land by the incoming waves. Everyone is instructed to not move so as to not accidentally step on a baby turtle.

All five eventually began their swim out to sea.

nursery and baby update

2011-07-15T11:14:00.004-04:00

I'll warn you now this is my first and hopefully only pictureless post. I love pictures...I think they tell the story better than words can - or at least my words! But, alas, I am living it up at the beach with no way to download pictures - although I have a whole set I have been meaning to show you on our computer at home. Sweet Heath ~~volunteered to stay home~~ refused to join Layla and I at the beach; he did, however, win me over when he said he would paint the nursery while we were away. This morning when I talked to him he said he was getting ready to clean out the rest of the ~~junk~~ stuff in the room. I asked what exactly he meant by cleaning out - he said moving the pile to somewhere else in the house. Oh well, a girl could dream that it would all just evaporate. I have to wonder if he will regret his decision - it was a lovely 72 degrees this morning for our walk down the beach. I commented to Heath that Layla and I did have to combat a 45 mph headwind - he quickly called me on my exaggeration! Another quick update for the nursery - Heath and I have been ~~arguing~~ debating about shutters in the nursery. Remember we are having a beach theme, so I wanted shutters on the windows. Up to this point Heath has fully supported all my ideas for this beach nursery, but the idea of shutters inside the house was too much for him! However, after 6 years, if there is one thing Heath knows for certain - once I get an idea in my head - good luck getting it out! In the end I could not find them, so Heath took me to Home Depot last week and said he would help me carry the wood, but I would have to do the rest. I measured the spot, had the guy at Home Depot cut them, and then I glued the shutters together but had a tough time drilling them (Heath said I wasn't throwing enough weight behind the drill - you would think this would be a time I was good at that!), so my knight in shining armor came to the rescue. He also felt bad having me stand outside in the 99 degree heat to paint them, so he kindly did it for me! And I have to say they look amazing (they are lying on the ground in the nursery - I of course can't wait to see them hanging!).
As for me and Baby McLaughen - we are both doing well. I went for my 28 week check up and all my measurements were in the average range. The doctor commented on how lucky I was to have such a long torso! Finally, after years of not being able to find shirts that are long enough - the long torso comes in handy. We also had another ultrasound to check on a few things - sweet Baby McLaughen was extremely active and kept kicking and hitting making the tech really struggle to get good pictures. The doctor is concerned about the baby's right kidney but said there is nothing that can be done now, so after birth some tests will be run to determine more. The prediction from the ultrasound is that the baby is weighing in at over 3 pounds putting him/her in the 80th percentile! Heath was just under 10 pounds, and I was over 8 pounds, so the odds are not working in my favor!

4th of July

2011-07-07T16:21:00.018-04:00

4th of July could quite possibly be one of my favorite holidays. You know how you associate events with a holiday - well July 4th has about all my favorites.

We always go to the lake. That's Lake Summit in North Carolina. This year we packed the house out with 18 people. 18 people - funny thing is it never felt like that many - even when everyone is in the kitchen making pizzas to grill!

Dinner time used to be the hardest part. Finding a table large enough for everyone to eat at can be a challenging problem. But not this year. Larry and dad teamed up to make an incredible eating table and benches. At one point I think we had 20 people around the table. And it wasn't even that tight! Not to mention it's round - as anyone knows that's definitely the best kind for talking! I know what you might be thinking - isn't it hard to pass something across a table that is 10 feet wide...remember I said Larry made this table...think Tim Taylor (from Home Improvement). He built and installed a large lazy susan in the middle...it's kind of like spinning the wheel in Wheel of Fortune - except it did not move as fast, and it helped to have someone on the opposite side pushing too!

We were spread out in three different sleeping places, and there is no air conditioning, so all entertainment is outside. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts - the simplicity of it all!

Reading, sleeping in the hammocks, paddle boarding, fishing, jumping in the refreshing water, riding in or behind the boat, rocking on the glider, and kayaking are just some of the ways to spend your time...the place makes you totally unplug - I love that there is no tv or computer!

Group swim across the lake - it's a tradition of the house, so you can ride in the boat without a life jacket!

These pictures just remind me of how fun and simple life can be...

Night time entertainment consists of Bingo under the lights...

Or s'mores around the campfire...

Did I mention the simplicity of it all... flowers are from the side of the road...

chairs point towards the lake not a tv...

lights are small flickers hanging in the trees not a blue glare from a screen...

The 4th of July also brings a great excuse to craft... The colors make it simple, but the options are endless!

This all leads up to the actual day - the 4th! Preparation for this day actually begins months ahead of time. There are two big events on the lake - a boat parade and a water fight. We sent two boats out affectionately called the Beauty...

and the Beast...

(on the left)
These two events also divide the house by gender - girls spend the morning decorating the boat - this year's theme HIPPies...

Pryce, Caroline, me, Anne, Mom, Aunt Goo, Mary Gage

While the boys are filling water balloons and priming the fire hose...

In addition to the loud fireworks that are shot off our dock, we also sent off some quiet lanterns...ahh so peaceful!

the tortoise and the hare...

2011-06-26T14:19:00.005-04:00

As you know I have been working on combining our guest room, craft room, and an area for Heath to study, so our third room can be the nursery. It has been a slow process, and it's not over yet, but I have made great progress...not so much in the nursery but in the other room. We traded out beds, and I have been organizing like crazy! We were able to fit a surprising number of pieces of furniture in the guest/craft/study room. Here is the picture taken May 5...

And one taken today...

from another angle...

The bed will function as a sofa unless we have company in which case we can pop up the trundle. Thanks Anne! The shelves fit like a glove next to the bed. They hold sewing machine, embroidery machine, printer, cricut machine, extra fabric, and a few of Heath's books (more on that later!). The dresser holds all my Smile Giggle Laugh materials (I know I need four more knobs; it was all they had at the time). The armoire, as you know, has all my craft stuff. And we will share the table for crafting and studying. We shall see how that goes. Heath has already told me no glitter is allowed under any circumstances!
This has been such a slow process because I have been ridding our house of unneeded things as I have organized. This closet I am proudest of...

It holds extra bedding, embroidery stuff, fabric, and my favorite - the wrapping station...

This room is currently the most organized in our house, and I think I could just sit in here for hours. There is nothing like sitting in a room where not one thing is out of place. I need to enjoy it now because give it a few days, and it just might start to get cluttered - but I sure hope not!

As for the nursery - a little progress has been made. Here is the picture taken May 5...

And today...

Yeah, I know not much progress. Things always get worse before they get better - right?!?! My goal is to have it totally empty by the end of July. I think my original goal was beginning of July, but oh well! We have found a crib, dresser, and rug...so we are making progress - unfortunately, our front room is housing all these extra things until this room is emptied! Going slowly has forced me to make sure everything really needs to stay and has a place to stay - so it hasn't all been a bad thing! This cleaning out process has given Heath the opportunity to get to know the friendly people at Goodwill, and it has made me dread the day we move and all this has to be packed up!

a week of traveling...

2011-06-20T19:19:00.017-04:00

Traveling is how we tend to spend our summer, and this past week was no exception. We went to the beach, lake, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.

We've learned the trick to enjoying the best part of the day at the beach...get up early. So each morning we arose early and took a walk on the beach,

I look a lot more tired in this picture than I realized!

the local snack Layla took a liking to, but her stomach was not such a fan!
then spent the hot part of the day walking around the local towns, reading on the porch, picking the banjo, or painting,

a little something I painted for the nursery - in case you didn't know, it will be a beach theme!
then we would enjoy the beach again in the afternoon. It was perfect.
One morning we had the privilege of coming across a turtle nest left the night before.

The turtle ladies let me stay and watch as they poked for the nest to ensure they protected the correct spot.

the cute little turtle egg - one of about 100

It was the perfect way to spend our 6th wedding anniversary.

We arrived home from the beach, and I hopped in the car to drive to Lake Summit for our annual girls' trip. New location...still lots of fun - the only thing missing - pictures! We shopped, swam, paddle boarded (some!), had afternoon tea, walked, relaxed, and ate some yummy food!
Upon arriving home from the lake, I spent about 15 hours at home before we headed off to Chattanooga. Before leaving I had a doctor's appt (this is for all you who say I have not kept you updated on baby McLaughen)...24 weeks

baby heart rate 140,
my weight - gained about 20 pounds (took my purse off for this weigh in :o),
my blood pressure - perfect (it's usually low, so that's good),

some interesting facts...

Baby is moving around a lot (or seems like a lot - I have nothing to compare it to); this can be somewhat startling if you stare at my belly you can see it!
I have had no cravings!
Still eat more than my usual amount but not as much as I was...
I try to walk 1.5 to 2 miles a day and drink at least 64 ounces of water; some days this is harder than others!
I feel really good - energy level is still high...not sleeping so great, but our bed has to be the most comfortable place on earth!

I think that's about it for now!

Back to Chattanooga...we spent time with Ethan, Cooper, and Ema (Hunter and Chara too!), Jim, Jerry, and the rest of Heath's family.

aren't they getting big?
We surprised Jerry Saturday night with a birthday/retirement party.

I could show you lots of pictures of food because it was all really good, and I am pretty hungry these days, but I'll spare you and show you the best part. Homemade sweet potato chips and blue cheese...

On Father's Day we began our journey back to Greenville, but first stopped in Atlanta for a detour to have dinner with dad

enjoying his new chair from Grandma's house

loved on sweet, little Wilson
and pick up a truck full of furniture (those pictures coming soon - our house currently looks like a furniture display floor - as there is stuff everywhere!)

beach coutdown...

2011-06-07T18:31:00.005-04:00

I love Spring/Summer...if only it could last all year. Some might argue it's been too hot, and it has, but I wouldn't trade it for the blooming flowers and yummy fruit that this time of year brings.

If you were to visit our house these days, you would...

eat fresh produce from the local Farmer's Market.

smell fresh cut hydrangeas - courtesy of the McArthur yard.

and if you were really lucky you just might get to hear this.

and yes, we are all on count down mode for the beach!

the bathroom renovation is complete!

2011-06-03T16:27:00.009-04:00

I have failed you with good before and after pictures. I think I was so embarrassed by the old bathroom I never took pictures of it...it always looked dirty! So here are the two before pictures...and a brief recap.

Bathroom is very small. Imagine a rectangle....got it? You walk into one of the short sides of rectangle...all the way on the right side of the short side. Straight in front of you is obviously the other short side - it has one window. The long side you walk along is a plain wall with towel rack. The other long side has shower, sink, and toilet lined up on it. Okay now for the description!
The old shower was tiled on three walls with a glass door that had so much soap scum build up that it was translucent at best...yuck! The shower head was chest height - I guess people were short in the old days, and you could not turn around without rubbing against a wall - imagine bathing inside a coke can. The shower was also enclosed on all four sides overhead. The vanity was outdated and had permanent dirt stains on it. It was off white as was the toilet! The light above the mirror (just an old medicine cabinet) was the only thing that had been touched in 60 years... and it was two flowers - not really my style! The walls, floor, and shower were black and white tile - the only part I liked.

So for the new bathroom. There was not much we could do about the layout...so we worked with what we had. Big improvements are the shower is now two sides tile, two sides glass - which makes it feel so much bigger! The shower head is normal height, and we were able to gain a few inches having glass walls instead of the thick tile. There is also nothing overhead! I couldn't back up far enough to get the whole shower in the picture. Remember the bathroom is a small rectangle!

The tile work is beautiful though...isn't it? The glass walls also allow you to see straight through the shower as you walk in which makes the whole bathroom feel bigger!

The vanity is a real work of art. I found ideas online and in magazines and gave them to our contractor, and he built the perfect thing. He even found a scrap of marble, which is what I really wanted for the counter! And he moved the toilet over a couple of inches, so we have a little more space!

I really wanted the vanity to looks like a piece of furniture...it looks perfect!

By the time we got to the mirror and light I was tired of making decisions. After looking at mirrors and not finding what I wanted, our trusty contractor again agreed to make one - it matches the vanity perfectly!

You might have to scroll to earlier picture to see light, but I like the simplicity of it, and the glass is bubble glass - my favorite! We went with a light gray for the walls it matches the veins in the marble and tile floor.
The only unfortunate thing is this bathroom makes our "good bathroom" look not so good anymore!

A trip to the lake...

2011-05-31T18:45:00.008-04:00

Time at the lake was the per-fect way to spend Memorial Day. We read, relaxed, slept, sat in the sun, kayaked, fished, went on the boat, and ate good food...lots of it! Layla as always is the star of most of the pictures. She never complains and always seems to be around. Larry just had to remind her - as if Heath hasn't enough already - that her life is about to be turned upside down! That's okay she's soaking up all the attention for now!

So I might have asked them to sit on the edge, so I could take a picture...aren't they the best?!?! - let's just say it's a good thing it's a picture and not a video so you can't hear the conversation we were having as I was trying to take the picture!

So sweet!

The new dock has the best view of the lake...I could just out there for hours!

Sweet Cam...the only one besides Layla who doesn't freak out when I try to take a picture!

I tried to convince Heath to take her, but he said it would not be a good bonding experience for either one of them!

Look at the carp Cam caught! I thought it weighed at least 12 pounds...he corrected me and said it was not more than 5 - he's so honest! I can only imagine what Layla would have done, if that fish had started moving!

Layla's first bath in the lake after rolling in something yucky...
Saturday we took a day trip to Greenville to watch Mary Gage graduate. I know it makes me sound old, but I can remember Mary Gage being at my high school graduation - I think she was 6!, and it just doesn't seem like it was that long ago. I would love to post a picture of us at mine, but they are all in Atlanta...you're welcome Mary Gage!

Pictures from newly finished bathroom coming soon!

half way there...

2011-05-22T14:00:00.003-04:00

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." Jeremiah 1:5

It is absolutely amazing and humbling to think that God is forming a new life inside me right now.

We went for the 20 week ultra sound and found out that we have a healthy baby growing. We decided to not find out the gender...we'll have to wait 20 more weeks to find out boy or girl!

I wish you were here...

2011-05-07T11:29:00.007-04:00

...so you could help me eat my third breakfast of the morning.
After eating a bowl of rice krispies, I decided to visit the first Farmer's Market of the year on Main Street. There I found my second breakfast a pile of boiled peanuts, which I brought home with me and ate in the backyard while throwing the ball with Layla. I made sure to drink a lot of water, so I did not get dehydrated - that's the danger in those boiled peanuts! They were so good and salty! I also found these delicious strawberries!

I love berries...all berries! And I am so excited they are back in season. I have been eating them since February with some sugar sprinkled on top, but they are finally back and sweet. The quart I got today might just be some of the sweetest strawberries I have ever had! I decided what would go better with some fresh strawberries than warm, homemade scones...

The whole house smells sweet! Which brings us to my third breakfast (before 11:00!)...

I made 16 scones, and I am the only here until Heath gets home tonight! Let's see how many are left by the time he gets home!

what a mess...

2011-05-06T16:19:00.003-04:00

I consider myself an organized person. Not a neat freak, but I like to be organized. The sight of this....

or this....

would usually make me break out in a sweat and make my heart race. When Heath finds me standing in these rooms with this reaction, his solution is to gently turn me around, lead me out of the room, and close the other door. Last week I was standing in the room slightly freaking out, and my sweet husband said, "it looks like there is less stuff in here." Although sweet and well meaning, I knew he wasn't telling the truth. Could it even be possible to have more stuff in the room?
However, this week my reaction has been Nothing. n-o-t-h-i-n-g. This is even more concerning. I mean look at these two rooms; they obviously need help; I like organizing - why am I not motivated to do something!
The realization I came to is that I need more functional furniture. Furniture where I can store some of this stuff. Our house is 70 + years old; people did not have that much stuff back then, so our closets are not so big. So I am looking for a dresser and some book shelves; as you can see Heath does not like to part with his books. I also need to give a lot of this away. Obviously I have more than I can even appreciate right now. So my goal is to keep adding items to the goodwill pile. We'll see how that goes... As for now I will keep filling containers. Ahh containers... Some people love shoes, purses, clothes - for me it's containers - it's kinda sick! Which is why for the life of me I can't figure out why I am not more excited about this upcoming venture!

30 and then some...

2011-05-02T20:20:00.011-04:00

Fortunately, this is not representative of how 30 feels...

In fact 30 really feels no different from 29. I was lucky enough to get to blow out candles five different times this birthday. Once with this crew:

Another time at work...no picture, but we did chow down on a delicious strawberry cake.

Then with the best birthday buddy, Grammy!

Next with a good friend from college, Lauren...no picture - actually the waitress surprised both of us with this one - she overheard us talking about my birthday.

And finally with my family in Atlanta...again no picture!

And my good friend, Meg, who conveniently lives around the corner surprised me with all sorts of birthday items!

I got a lot of really nice birthday presents, but Jeffro, my godson, surprised me with the best birthday present. You see he is a Panthers fan...as you know I am a Saints fan. We often tease each other about the other team...lately, I have had a slight advantage in this game. At any rate, we are never nice enough to support the other team. Until this year when Jeffro ordered me this...

A Saints' shirt with my name and 30 on the back...what more could a girl want!

About a week ago, I was also honored to become godmother to another special little guy, Wilson. Somehow I have no good pictures from the weekend...so you will have to wait until next time for some new pictures of him.
Since it has been awhile I am dumping the rest of the pictures I have taken recently into this blog...Have you just been dying to see what our bathroom looks like? It's not done yet, but the tile is almost done, so here is a little sneak peak...

It is going to look really good...it's quite amazing how much larger the bathroom looks already!
And look at this flower...I found it growing in our backyard...apparently, flowers do better when I don't know about them and, therefore, do not care for them...

This past weekend Aunt Goo and I headed to the lake, so we could participate in a 10 mile race. She ran; I cheered. You didn't really think I would be crazy enough to run 10 miles did you? In fact watching this race confirmed what I already knew - running really does not look like fun!
On Sunday we headed to Grammy's to work on some fun 4th of July crafts.
Mom and Aunt Goo worked hard as a team cutting out fabric...

So I could sew this...

Pryce was just the girl to figure out how to make these festive tissue pom poms...

And Grammy cheered us on while she wasn't busy cutting out fabric...

You'll have to wait until the 4th to see the finished products!