My Baby Delivery- Channing

Well, I'm back.  After a year break from the blogging world, I decided to hop back on the band wagon.  I mainly wanted to share the story of my life with Channing, as I did with Avery.  As most of you know though,  the blogging world can be time consuming.  I love pictures but found myself carrying my good camera everywhere and spending time editing and uploading pictures wore me thin.  So I have to worn you that some of the pictures won't be AS high quality, especially with the convenience of my phone these days.

So....

{For the readers that aren't on my Instagram...I spent the last 9 month of my life being pregnant!}

I will do a separate post of my pregnancy pics but this was the week I had Channing!

I had a great pregnancy!  The first 5 months brought me some major sickness.  I threw up everyday.  I am not even stretching the truth on that.  Ya'll I was so so sick.  Constantly.  I couldn't eat much meat, & lived on saltine crackers & orange juice.  And then one lovely day I found out that I had gestational diabetes.  At first I was devastated.  What in the world & how did that happen??  After reading I gave myself a break learning that it wasn't anything that I caused.  So I decided to roll with it.  Thankfully I didn't have to take medicine or insulin, It was strictly monitored by my diet.  The doctor was very clear that it could effect the baby so I made sure & did everything exactly right.  I watched everything that I ate, measured everything & maintained a super healthy "diabetic" type diet.  And in the end, I only gained 18 lbs during my entire pregnancy!  A plus for me, & my sweet boy! 

My due date was originally January 1st!  Then by my anatomy appt around 30 weeks it was changed to Christmas Day!  Christmas Day?  A blessing but literally the hardest Birthday, but goodness the best!  Who doesn't want to have a Birthday on Jesus' Birthday?  After several appointments towards the end I was dilated at 37 weeks to a 2, & 38 at a 3.  I walked a ton trying to speed up labor & was contracting a ton!  I never had this with Avery because I was induced at 37 weeks so this was all completely new to me. I had my cervix stretched & my membranes stripped (OUCH) & lost my mucus plug.  Finally by December 21 it was GO TIME.  We went out to eat a small lunch before & I went in to be induced at 39 1/2 weeks. 

I received this beautiful receiving blanket from my sister in law as a surprise literally as we were walking out the door to head to the hospital I checked the mail & surprise!  I was so tickled!  Thanks Tiffany- she sure loves me BIG!

I spent most of the day that Sunday in labor, enjoying the company of my family & friends!  We had some good laughs!  It's not hard to do when you are numb & can't feel much, it made my day so nice & much more enjoyable.  

I was in labor for 9 hours.  Nothing was horribly painful I did feel some small contractions but I got my epidural quickly after entering into my room & then shortly after my water was broken.  Channing didn't want to come out for 5 hours at this point.  I was rotated from side to side,  Finally around 8:55pm I felt pressure & was ready to push.  I pushed for 15 minutes & at 9:14pm Channing William was born at 7lbs, 4oz & 18 1/4 inches long.  Absolutely perfect, & healthy praise the good Lord.   

Our first family picture of the "4" of us!  My heart literally bursts with love & joy!

I had a great visit & experience at the hospital!  I am just so thankful for an easy delivery again my 2nd time around.  We left the hospital on Christmas Eve, Eve.  It was a pretty magical Christmas- (next post).

The past 2 weeks have been the greatest joy literally of my entire life.  Yes some sleepless nights & yes a cranky 5 year old that needs tons of love & attention.  But I am embracing this amazing change, loving each second truly living it all the fullest & taking in every little moment with both of my babies!  It's truly a moment of my life I want to freeze & never forget!

Introducing my sweet babies!  

I will be back for more posts, I miss you all!!!

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas & stuff in between!

Well Hello!

For 2014, my goal is to be a better blogger among so many other "New Years Resolutions".

BUT...

This past year I have really taken a lot of time to focus & reflect on my daughter and spend some much needed quality time with her.  Of course I love to take a snapshot here & there on Instagram or Facebook to keep family & friends in "the know"... but I have taken some much needed time away from the computer, for me personally,  & it has been needed in 2013 to strengthen me & better make use of my time. I do however hope to be back to blogging more often in 2014, & hope that I can find a way to keep a journal of my life much easier & faster so that I have this book for the rest of my life to not only share with family & friends, but the world.

So, Happy New Year!

One of my biggest passions is decorating.  I love our home being made up for the Holiday because as a Stay at Home Mom, I am always at home with my girl.  I love making things pretty & decorating so that it's more exciting to be home as a family.  It's my passion!  So this Holiday I had a decorating business and decorated over 26 tree's & 6 homes.  I wish I could share every single detail but here are a few I was able to capture.  I have a book coming up for next year to share with all of my clients!

Happy Decemeber!

I transitioned from my Christmas into my New Years!!

I loved Avery's room this year!

I changed up my silver tree this year in the breakfast room to a "Santa tree"!

I loved my "Santa" mantel this year.  Since Avery is starting to get Santa, it was super fun!

Added houndstooth tree this year to break it up for fun!

And fun throughout the house!

I left my outdoors really rustic and simple this year with fresh greenery...

We gave our Master a makeover this year and enjoyed decorating it for the Holiday's too!

Yes, I added pretties in my closet!

Our Elf Sofia was some fun this year!  Avery's finally at the age where she gets the "elf fun" and it was exciting to add her into our family for the month of Decemeber!

We baked lots of cookies!

We enjoyed seeing the lights around town & ice skating!

And took a day to go to Silver Dollar City with the family!

 

A date night on the town of painting!

 

We had a baking day with my family too & Santa even came to visit at Nanny's house!

We had some major snow hit the week before Christmas & literally everything shut down for 6 days!  So we played with friends outside & baked like crazy!

We read lots of books on the snow days!

We shopped many of days together & made some fun of it!

We enjoyed fun cold days out with friends to lunch!

We had Bible study & enjoyed making a nativity scene of candy and breakfast with friends.

I enjoyed our annual scarf exchange with friends!

And I enjoyed our annual gathering with two of my best gal pals!

Checked out Christmas books at the library with our bestie!

Visited our cousins & loved being in their beautiful home to watch Christmas movies by the fire.

And we loved all of the school fun before the Holiday's!

We made fun crafts for her school party!

We visited Santa...

We enjoyed random fun as a family watching tons of movies!

We counted down the days every single day in December!

We made ginger bread houses!

We spent a ton of mornings making breakfast together...usually hot chocolate.  HA!

Enjoyed cookie parties with friends!

We made deer yummies for all of the reindeer on Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve we put out the yummies for the reindeer!

Enjoyed the Christmas programs at church!

And Christmas morning enjoyed waking up as a family eating breakfast!

Love being at my Mom's at Christmas!  Their downstairs is like a lodge!

We enjoyed an annual Christmas Eve party at Chad's families!

Chad's Uncle made the best cookies!  He rock's!

We left  cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve...

Christmas morning was special!

She loved her Santa gifts!

I dressed in my reindeer attire on Christmas!

We enjoyed our annual gathering at Chad's Mom & had fun watching the kids open gifts!

After Christmas Day fun playing games as a family!

We always spend the day after Christmas celebrating my mother in-law's Birthday, she is a doll!

Happy New Year from my sweet family to yours!  We spent New Years as a family this year with our cousin's enjoying a night out with the kids!

And after the Holiday's my best friend in Memphis had her sweet baby Conrad!  Isn't he just precious?  She is doing great & is such a good Mommy already!  I will post more pictures on another post!

And my other good friend Lane had twins!  YES TWINS!  Right before Christmas!  

These make her 4th boys!

And for laughs, a little after Christmas shopping for sales!!  She is happy!

Happy New Year!  Can't wait to start blogging again!