Norah's first Christmas - Part 3

The hustle and bustle of family, church, and traveling, combined with teething took its toll on sweet Norah. She was a little under the weather but still a sweet happy baby. We left Aledo and traveled to San Antonio, stopping at Lake LBJ to see my grandmother on the way. We cherish our time with Gram and shared in the joy she felt as she opened another pair of Tom's. She's so cool. :)

As soon as we arrived at my parents, we celebrated Christmas opening gifts one at a time and drawing it out as much as possible. I love that my mom soaks in the moments and puts so much thought into the little things. Norah opened her big present from my parents.....a personalized Pottery Barn chair. I can't wait to walk into her room someday to find her reading in her own chair. :)

Because Norah was sick, we took it easy all weekend. It was good for her. Bless her heart, we even had to drive her around in the neighborhood to calm her and get her to sleep at 2 AM, which is the first time we've ever had to do this. A friend recommended homeopathic Hyland's Teething Tablets and they were miracle workers the following night. As soon as she took them, she calmed down and slept so good! Love those tablets!!!

Passed out....Pumas and all.

Mom and I loving on Norah. 

My parents surprised us and set up the crib my brother and I slept in as babies. No more pack n play, Norah has her own bed at Grammie and Grandpa's!!

We thoroughly enjoyed sharing Norah's first Christmas with all of our family. God is so good and has blessed us immensely!!

Norah's first Christmas - Part 2

We just spent four wonderful days in Aledo with Caleb's family. We finally visited the Fort Worth Zoo and it was amazing. I forgot how beautiful exotic animals are, especially in person. The best part was hearing the lion roar. Not sure how to describe it, but I got a little teary hearing him. I think I was overcome by the power and beauty of God's work...similar to how I feel with the mountains and sunsets. The lion's roar was so strong it moved through me.

Anyway, we woke up Christmas morning with childlike excitement. Norah loved the tissue paper and naturally wanted to put it in her mouth. She was given a Little Tikes play set, adorable bows and an ornament, pjs, toys, and a sweet bracelet that her Nonnie (Caleb's mom) wore as a baby.

A sweet surprise was the snow that fell in Fort Worth. The snow flakes were huge and it was even enough to stick to the ground for the remainder of the day.

The house was filled with lots of family and a large turkey dinner. Unfortunately Norah began another teething spurt that day...which we weren't sure what it was at the time. She was pretty fussy and irritated all day....and the next few after. Norah had her first minor fever (right at 100.3) that night, pretty much wanted to sleep all day, and woke every few hours at night. Poor girl.

Overall though it was a wonderful few days in Aledo. We loved spending such sweet time with family.

Norah's first Christmas - Part 1

This morning we woke up to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of three in our Katy home. I love Christmas. It's important to me to create Christmas memories with Norah in our home, but we also have the blessing of being able to drive to both of our families for the holidays.

I woke up earlier than normal...as usual for Christmas morning. :) Fresh coffee, warm cinnamon rolls, and our little family sitting on the floor. Warms. My. Heart. Norah loved her new toys. It was so sweet watching her reach for the presents. Bella already broke the noise maker on her new hedgehog. Not surprised. Caleb loved his new tool chest, water bottles, leveler, and pistachios and jar that Norah gave him. I got a sweet handstamped necklace with Norah's name, a new aggie shirt, and some workout kettle balls.

We're packing up the car and headed to Aledo for Christmas - Part 2 and then San Antonio for Part 3! Looking forward to a great week.

I'm also thankful I just discovered the blogger app. Now I should be ablet post more often!!

Merry Christmas!!

four months

Norah is FOUR MONTHS!!

I cannot believe time has flown by so quickly. She is such a JOY to our family and I can't imagine life without her. At her 4 month check-up she weighed 15 lbs 12 oz (88th percentile) and measured 25 inches long (81st percentile). BIG GIRL! She rolls from her back to her tummy only to her left and won't roll back over. She loves lying on her tummy and looking around. Recently she started reaching for things while on her tummy, too. She laughs the most at Bella and sometimes while I'm dancing with her. Norah also loves her Jumperoo. The music and animal noises drive me insane after a while, but I'm happy she's happy. She lets me cradle her when she's tired and sometimes pauses to smile or coo at me. Melts my heart. Girlfriend is so curious about everything around her and is constantly searching the room for daddy, Bella, or mommy. She can put her pacifier in her mouth by herself and just started sleeping at night on her tummy. And everything goes straight to her mouth. I'm so glad our way of discovery isn't eating anymore. :)

Norah Lynn....you are my sweetheart and I am so blessed I get to spend everyday with you!! Let's never stop dancing and cuddling.....my two favorite things!!

newborn pictures

Here's a look at the newborn pictures we had taken when Norah was just a few days old. Tiffany Parrott Photography came to our house to snap these. I'm so thankful I booked her ahead of time because there's no way i would have been able to capture our tiny sweet Norah this good....especially in postpartum recovery-mode.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

due date = guess date

Our birthing class instructor likes to refer to due dates as "guess" dates, and I totally agree. You cannot predict the day a baby will be born 9 months down the road when we all have different bodies. She told me, "just remember, every baby needs to cook a little differently."

My due date (May 15th) came and went on Tuesday. Caleb and I celebrated with a spicy Thai meal and some putt putt golf. It was a blast, and I am soaking up every last moment of having Caleb all to myself.

Sweet little Norah likes to be well-done. I had an appointment yesterday (40 wks + 1 day) and I'm still not dilated. Earlier this week I was stressing out because I would like to avoid induction as long as possible and I thought my doctor would try to push for it if I wasn't dilated. Caleb and I (and many other friends and family) having been praying that I would naturally go into labor to avoid the induction, and I woke up with so much peace yesterday. I knew I was dilated and pretty much figured out that we were having a baby last night.....

Well that wasn't the case....BUT my doctor is letting me go until 42 weeks before we induce. Praise the Lord! That allows my body 2 more weeks to prepare for labor. Initially, I was so happy because my stresses were gone, but then yesterday afternoon I felt a little disappointed and sad because I was SO ready to meet Norah. This is such a waiting game, and I've never been the most patient. I trust in the Lord's timing; I just wish He would tell me when. :)

So, I continue waiting, praying, walking, cleaning, and preparing. Another appointment next Monday!

nesting and growing

Caleb was in San Antonio all weekend helping my brother stain his concrete floors in his new house. Thankfully, I didn't go into labor while he was gone. It was a super productive weekend for me....maybe a few days of intense nesting? I cleaned out the other guest room, finished our dropcloth curtains in the living room and kitchen (pics to come), did lots of laundry, continued packing for the hospital, painted the hanger organizers for Norah's closet, cleaned, shopped, church, and spent time with friends. A lovely weekend! 

I guess Caleb thought my belly grew in those three days because he was in awe as we were getting ready for bed. So he grabbed his iPhone and snapped a couple pics. Thought I would share :)

Here's the belly at 38 weeks 5 days:

 

patience

I'm 38 weeks today. Wowser dowser.

The first 8 months flew by but this last month is much much slower. It's a waiting game, and patience has never been my strongest attribute. So many questions run through my mind. Will Norah come early, on time, or after her due date? What time will I go into labor? Will we be driving to hospital in the middle of the night, during morning rush hour, or after dinner? How long will labor last? What will she look like? Will she have a full head of hair? She should since I've had 9 months of heartburn. 


"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:11


Deep down, I know and trust that God has a perfectly planned labor and delivery for sweet Norah, but yet I still wonder. Fortunately, I have plenty to do before she arrives. The car seat is not installed, and I'm not fully packed. I am a planner yet a procrastinator...a weird combination, I know.

But the month of May has arrived....the month of what should be our daughter's birth.....I'll be 42 weeks 3 days on June 1st. Let's pray she doesn't hold out that long.

I'm thinking of starting a journal of letters to my sweet daughter. It was an idea mentioned in my women's bible study. No pressure on frequency of writing....just a journal to occasionally write letters to Norah and then give to her when she graduates, gets married, or whenever? Maybe I'll stop by Barnes and Noble tomorrow and pick one up. :)

So I will continue to pray. If you think about it, will you please pray as well? Specifically for patience in His timing for Norah's birth, no complications, a relaxed and peaceful natural birth, that I would release all fear and what-if's, and that our wonderful Lord will be GLORIFIED to all those involved...nurses, doctors, staff, friends, family, etc.

My friend Julia told me an awesome verse to focus on during labor. Looks like I have a new memory verse to recite over and over and over. :)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

easter weekend

Even though we have loved moving around and miss our Colorado and North Dakota friends dearly, there are definitely perks to being back home in Texas. I missed the colder weather, but I was thankful for the warm weather over Easter. We spent the weekend with my grandmother and family at Lake LBJ. The weather was perfect! Though I couldn't wakeboard and ski, I truly enjoyed watching everyone else while catching up on a tan I haven't had in years. Thankfully Target had a cute maternity bathing suit top I could pair with bottoms I already owned, so no bikinis for me!! The lake is my "happy place" and it was so good to be back! Bella also enjoyed swimming all weekend and slept for days afterwards. :)

Eric and Mel came with us!! 

Exposing Norah to the lake early! 

Ready to meet our baby girl! 

Chatting with Grandma while the others were in the boat. 

A much needed nap :)

Everyone in the boat while mom, Grandma, and I stayed back.

san antonio baby shower

Kim Knowlton and Rayne Knowlton hosted a memorable baby shower for us on March 31st. It was humbling to be surrounded by so many people that care for us and are excited for our little one's arrival. The weather was gorgeous as we sat under her covered patio overlooking Lake McQueeney. The decor and food were wonderful, all thanks to Kim's creative side and love for Pinterest. :) We played The Price is Right (one of my favorite game shows ever) to guess the price of certain baby items. I got 1 out of 10 correct. Then we played a Fairy Tale game, and apparently I need to brush up on those as well. She also had three pink bins of diapers and each guest was to estimate the total diapers. I guessed 84....I was only a 100 short. Needless to say, it's obvious I'm not a mom just yet. :)

It was a wonderful shower!! Norah will be one very well-dressed little girl, so I guess I need to go shopping so I can keep up. :) Everyone also brought children's books for Norah, which I am soooo excited about! A few pics....

The two grandmas!!

Special wine "Waiting for Baby Norah"....can't wait to have a glass...or two

I love my mom (Grammie)!! Thank-you-kiss for the Pack N Play from my parents. :)

Mama Donna (Nonnie) gave me Caleb's childhood books and a priceless frame of scripture for Norah.

I couldn't get over all of the adorable outfits for Norah.

Rayne and Kim had a blank book for everyone to write a fairy tale for Norah....titled Our Little McElroy Princess. :)

Love these wonderful ladies!! Thank you Kim and Rayne!

babymoon

Caleb and I took a BabyMoon to Austin a few weeks ago. It was one last weekend getaway, just the two of us. :) On Friday we first met our good friends The Kunkels for lunch. It was sooo good to see them, and they are expecting their first baby, Baby Boy Kunkel, in June!

Afterwards, we shopped on South Congress, walked the trails along Town Lake,watched the bats fly out from the South Congress bridge, and enjoyed fish tacos on a restaurant patio watching wakeboarding on TV. Caleb took this silhouette picture of my 32.5 week bump. :)

Saturday morning we grabbed amazing coffee at Dominican Joes and then the best breakfast tacos at Torchy's in a typical Austin trailer park. We shopped some more, visiting Whole Earth Provisions and other local shops and then walked along W. 6th St. in the arts district. The weather was gorgeous, and it was so sweet walking the streets holding my baby daddy's hand. We hit a sweet warehouse deal and purchased some pottery and wicker dining chairs for our new table. That evening we put on our boots and drove out to the famous Salt Lick BBQ. Little did we know, this place is its own city each night. Hundreds of cars filled the parking lot and it was a 2 hour wait to be seated. So...we ordered to-go and ate outside under the trees listening to the live band. Afterwards, we went to the famous old Texas dance hall, The Broken Spoke, and two-stepped while Charlie Robison played. It was a true Texas evening and it was amazing!

Sunday morning we hopped in the car and drove to San Antonio. We were running (I was walking) a 5K with my family benefiting Colon Cancer Awareness. I loved seeing my whole family completing a 5K, but more importantly, it was the biggest blessing seeing my dad stand up with the other Colon Cancer Survivors. Praising God for the miracle of keeping my dad cancer-free for 15 years now!

It was a WONDERFUL weekend! I'm soaking up every minute left as just a family of two, but I'm also so anxious to embark on the new adventure with Norah!

progress

32 weeks today! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is moving along! Norah's little body is growing and now weighs approximately 3.5 lbs. She still kicks, jolts, and spazzes, but lately I've enjoyed the progression to "belly waves." :) Caleb and I watched in awe last night as my belly would roll like a wave with her movements. I get the occasional bones pushing out but we haven't seen any actual hand or footprints yet. Due to my weird-already inny-outty belly button, I look like a turkey that has the red button popped out indicating "done." I'm feeling good, a little tired at times, but nothing too uncomfortable. I definitely feel pregnant, though. :)

I began working on her crib bedding yesterday and hope to finish this week...minus the quilt. I am so in love with the fabric. Her nursery still has a ways to go. We have three small pieces of furniture that need to be painted, and I haven't purchased any other decorations. I figured most of the baby necessities will take up room and then I would fill in the gaps as needed.

Caleb and I are taking a Baby Moon this weekend to Austin. I am soooo excited....except that I haven't booked a hotel. Kinda overwhelmed and not sure why. :)

March 31st is our shower in San Antonio. Super excited about that, too!

My mom visited for a few days last week over her spring break. We had such a wonderful time. She is my personal decorator. :) We had pencil marks all over the walls for Caleb to hang things, which he finished last night. I love that we are less than 3 hours from my parents. :) We also purchased our dining room table last week. WOOHOO! It's 10 feet long! I still need to pick out chairs (8 for the sides and 2 larger chairs for the ends), but hey, it's progress.

Other than that, life is great! Our to-do lists are always growing but we are still making progress....both inside the belly and the home. :)

66.67%

That's right, I'm now 66.67% through this pregnancy! Hello Third Trimester!! I cannot believe how fast this has flown by. My belly is growing by the day, and it's hard to imagine how much more my skin can stretch. :) Sweet Norah's movements have progressed from the fun flutters around 16 weeks, to little bumps and hiccups during the second trimester, and now to rolls and either playing the drums or running in place against my ribs. My stomach literally shakes sometimes. :) I loooovveee feeling her roll against my hand. She feels like an actual person now.

Last night we had our third of five birthing classes. I am so glad I am taking classes, as I feel much more prepared and equipped after each one. I am doing Hypnobirthing.....it's not actual hypnosis but instead a deep state of relaxation allowing your body to naturally birth rather than fighting it. My doctor highly recommended this method and the reviews are great, too. I am focusing and praying for a positive birth experience rather than dreading on the horror stories that everyone talks about.

I am overwhelmed with projects in the house...trying to get this place feeling like a home. The list of furniture we need....more like "want"...is always growing, so of course we need to prioritize. I am finishing up the white slipcover for the chair and ottoman in our living room so that they match our sofa. Once complete, I will order drapes for the back wall of windows. Norah's crib should arrive this week, so now I need to order the fabric for her bedding and quilt. (Of course I'm sewing these myself) :) We have about four pieces of furniture that need to be painted white (on Caleb's Honey-Do-List), a formal dining room table to purchase, our older breakfast table to refinish, a garage to organize, nursery to decorate,.....yikes! Unfortunately, this is a normal list for me, so I'm pretty sure the "nesting" phase hasn't kicked in yet.

It's February in Houston and almost 80 degrees today. Boo. I don't miss last year's harsh North Dakota winter, but I would like it to feel like winter a little bit. :)

Other than that, Caleb is happy with his job, Norah is happy in my belly, Belly is happy sleeping by my feet, and I am thankful and blessed.

september 12 2011

I had told Caleb for a few months that I was ready to have kids, but it took a while for him to process. :) There's a commercial out right now (but I can't find it) where the girl tells her husband she is ready to have kids. He responds with a statement similar to, "But I thought we were going to travel the world?" When I first told Caleb I was ready, he said "but I thought we were going to backpack the Continental Divide?" :) Yes, we did talk about this a few years ago, but there had been no mention of this venture recently. A few months later, on Mother's Day 2011, Caleb told me he was ready to be a father. It was such a special moment in our marriage, one of pure excitement and anticipation of this new phase.

I broke my hand playing softball later in May and had to undergo two surgeries to install and then remove pins. During this time I stressed that I could be pregnant and the anesthesia and drugs could harm the baby. I also completely stopped my exercise routine due to the hand injury. Needless to say, no positive pregnancy tests. My doctor decided to run tests and came to the conclusion that we "couldn't rule out Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome." I had mixed emotions: crushed since I had never had any major health issues in my life and fear of the unknown, but also content knowing that regardless of our situation, we would have a family...either giving birth to our children or adopting. I decided to give it a few more months before we medically intervened.

It was about this time that I was given the opportunity to coach a JV volleyball team at a local private school. I ran a 15-20 warmup with the girls everyday, practiced and ran sprints with them, and became so busy with work and coaching that the emotional stress of trying to conceive subsided.

On September 12, 2011 Caleb came into my office at work (we both worked at Marathon) and closed the door. 1) Caleb and I only talked at work when it was time for lunch or if I went into his office. 2) I don't remember Caleb ever visiting my office and closing the door (people could get suspicious). :) I knew something was up. Caleb told me that a previous boss that was no longer with Marathon just contacted him and practically offered him a job at BP in Houston. He was ecstatic. We knew we had another couple of years in ND and were very happy living there, but we also knew we had to explore the opportunity. That evening I told Caleb that I still hadn't began my next girl-cycle but since I had been so irregular in the past, wasn't really sure when I should start. I had some other symptoms that could indicate pregnancy but didn't want to get my hopes up. After all, according to Google, every symptom I had in the past said I was pregnant but obviously no positive tests. The worst part of taking tests is seeing a negative but also not starting your cycle. It's this weird waiting game that takes forever. Caleb said I should just take a test since I bought a 12-pack and had plenty. :) I went in the bathroom, got on my knees to pray for confidence in our future, strength if the answer wasn't what I wanted, and just peace from God.

I took the test and saw a very clear PREGNANT.

In the same day, God presented us with a potential opportunity out of nowhere to move to Houston AND a positive pregnancy test. WOW. God's perfect plan for us? I think so.

Looking back, it really only took three months to conceive. God presented the coaching opportunity which helped me get back into a workout routine (thus getting me back on regulated cycles) and allowed me to not focus on trying-to-conceive and rid the emotional stress. He saved the news that we were pregnant for the same day we found out we were pretty much moving to Houston, thus allowing us to be closer to family when our first child arrived. His perfect plan? Definitely.

I tend to worry anytime I am unsure about the future, but goodness, God has continued to show me that He is in CONTROL and that he has not forgotten about me. His plan is ALWAYS better than mine.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

it's been soooo long.....

So much has happened since my last post, and I just may try to add some posts on the last few months. Life is great right now. We are getting settled into our new home, all but three boxes in the house are unpacked, and the house is slowly getting decorated. I am trying to finish up some sewing projects, but unfortunately the list is growing faster than I'm completing them. I finished a friend's baby blanket, so now I am working on slipcovers for the two chairs in the living room. Then I need to figure out our drapes situation and tackle Baby Girl's bedding and quilt.

Speaking of Baby Girl, yes we are having a GIRL and I'm 99.9% positive that Norah will be her name. I have loved this name since before we found out we were expecting, and it turns out that the Hebrew meaning of her name is "light." Before we knew her name or gender, I was praying that this child would shine the "LIGHT" of God and be filled with so much JOY. We are almost certain on the middle name as well...but more to come on that.

I will be 25 weeks tomorrow!! This pregnancy is flying by and I am loving every second of it! She moves all the time and even more after I consume chocolate or Chick-Fil-A. :) Caleb and I have been playing tennis lately, which is much more comfortable for me than running...unfortunately. I have not done anything in her room, but I think I have a plan now. The only furniture we need to purchase is a crib. I will probably make her bedding, recover the glider cushions and paint the frame, and then I need to make her quilt. I'm assuming we need to register soon, but we will probably do that as the showers approach. I am still considering cloth diapers, so that will be a major research item. Does anyone have any recommendations, thoughts, or experience??

My parents visited this past weekend. We relaxed Saturday night and grilled out. Sunday morning we were privileged to have Natalie Grant lead worship at our church. It was absolutely unbelievable. I was in tears and so moved by the Holy Spirit during her singing. She did the most beautiful and meaningful rendition of "It is Well." Sunday afternoon we enjoyed the gorgeous weather and played two hours of tennis at our neighborhood courts. My parents kicked our tails three sets straight, but we had a blast regardless. I miss our friends and small town life in Dickinson, but I am soooo thankful to be this close to family again. Goodbyes are no longer tearful and weekend visits are an option. My parents are going to Hawaii next weekend, so I will be in San Antonio house-/dog-sitting for them all week. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with some friends while in San Antonio.

Thanking God for all of the many blessings....

Lindsey