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Springfield, Missouri, United States
Char-Marie * Twenty-Nine * College Grad * Stay at Home Mommy * Web Designer * My Husband Colby * My Son Emery * Friends * Family * Yoga * Sweet tea * Shoes * Shopping * Music * Independent Films * Sushi * Mimosa * My nieces Maggie and Macee * Missouri

Blog Archive

Monday, November 29, 2010

7 Months

Dear Emery Jack,

It has taken me a bit to be able to sit down and write out your seven month letter because of the holidays, and now that you're resting quietly in your room I have found time to sit for a moment. I cannot believe the changes you have made is such a short amount of time. It amazes me every day, because I see something new.

Mom and dad went on a date night and you got to stay with your Aunt Stori for the evening. The entire night I kept getting out my phone to text and make sure you were alright, I was worried that you would wake up and notice that Mommy and Daddy were gone and you would be upset. Apparently you don't need us as much as we need you :) You did fantastic, even though you had your 6 month shots that day *4 shots* Aunt Stori said that when you got tired you just laid your head on her chest and fell asleep. Dad and I just laughed at each other, because we then realized how much you had us wrapped around your chubby little fingers. You never just go to sleep without a fight for us.

On November 13, the day after my birthday, you got up on your knees for the very first time. I remember it very clearly! You were in the bedroom with your dad because I was vacuuming, and you've just recently become terrified of the vacuum, and as soon as I was done I heard your dad yelling, "Come here and see this!" You're still not crawling, but you're attempting it! You get your knees under you and start to move your legs, but haven't mastered the movement of the hands yet, so you go flying forward and do a belly flop.

You have also recently been sitting in a high chair at restaurants instead of the carseat, and you've been sitting in the front of the shopping cart. You look so tiny riding in the cart, but you just sit there smiling, because you're becoming a big boy. ;)

You are army crawling all over the floor and you can really get going if something peaks your interest! Your favorite thing right now is the IPad. You love to look at the fish pond and make the water move and makes sounds using your hands. That's ok with dad and I only you try and buy things, so you need to be watched very closely.

You just had your first Thanksgiving and you spent Thanksgiving day at your Grandma and Grandpa Jennings. You had your first ever table food, Mashed Potatoes. You loved it. We left that night to come home, because you have been battling a cold that turns your sweet little disposition, sour.

On Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving at your Nana and Papa Cochrane's house. We played Wii Fit, and Zumba danced. You got to see your Grandpa Rex recovering from his second knee replacement and you made his day by smiling.

We put up your very first Christmas Tree and it was a chore! It's 9ft. tall and we had to stand on chairs to put up the ornaments. You seem to love it though because it's the first thing you army crawl to in the mornings. You even pull off certain ornaments every time. A red and blue jingle bell. I'm pretty sure you're in the holiday spirit. I cannot wait to put packages under the tree.

All my love,

Momma

Thursday, October 21, 2010

6 Months

Dear Emery Jack,

I cannot believe that this Saturday you will be 6 months old! You are growing so fast and even though I'm so excited for all the things to come, I am going to miss my tiny baby. I've been going through lots of pictures lately and stumbled upon some videos that we took of you when we brought you home from the hospital, I can't even believe it's you. You're so tiny in the videos and almost always have your eyes closed with the hiccups.

The things you have been doing since last month is amazing. Every morning we wake up we feel like we have a new baby! Your hand coordination has become a lot better. You can find something on the floor now and grab it with success and bring it straight to your mouth. You are very fascinated by your hands and always have them in your mouth. When you get excited or think something is funny your right hand goes straight to the open mouth, I love this.

In the bathtub you like for me to pour water over your hands and you try to catch it, it's a game we've grown to love.

One of the biggest accomplishments you've made this month is sleeping in your own room. I have to say I honestly think this was harder on me than it was on you. I would lay in bed crying when you were upset and your daddy kept telling me that it was ok and how I was a good mom, but it was very hard to believe it at that moment. It did get better though and right now you've been sleeping in your own bed for almost a month! When you get sleepy you hummm yourself to sleep and your daddy and I love to hear you do this.

You are really getting good at rolling all over the floor and more than once this week I have had to remove you from under your swing because you get stuck. You've also started sitting up without having to be held, you still need someone around because you still take the occasional nose dive, but it's progress!

You're eating three meals a day in your highchair now and LOVE it! All three of us sit at the table when daddy gets home and have dinner together, something that I've really grown to love. You're a big fan of mac n' cheese, you can thank me for that.

You attended your first parade on October 9th and went to a pumpkin patch. I was worried that the parade with all the noise would scare you, but you loved it. Maybe you'll be a band nerd like your mommy? You got to pick our your first pumpkin at the pumpkin patch and I think if you could you would have brought them all home, you get this from your Nana, who bought you your first pumpkin.

I am so proud of you Emery and I cannot wait for what is in store for our family. You are such a lucky little guy, your mommy and daddy love you very very much.

Love,
Ma

(At the parade with Nana) (Your first pumpkin)

Monday, October 04, 2010

A mother's work is never done...

Well I hate to be lumped into that category of "the girl who tells everything she's done from point a to z", but..... OY!

We were gone this weekend for three days and coming home Sunday was nice, but stressful. There are so many things to be done that I walked in and went straight to work, no resting for me. I made dinner and picked up around the house then my wonderful son summoned me...


Since yesterday was so crazy Emery has been in a funk all morning and I finally got him to sleep with the vacuum cleaner, Crazy, but it works. I ordered a phone from Best Buy, but it is on back order when they said it would be shipped in 3 days. I've been on the phone 5 times with them today, back and forth. Right now I'm chatting online with Colby about Best Buy, and I'm also on hold with AT&T and have been for over 35 minutes now.....Oh a person, "Hello Angela!"

Monday, September 27, 2010

Fall is in the air!

This weekend I had a great time with my family and my husband's family. My mom-in-law came to stay with us on Thursday-Saturday and we had a great time, we went shopping with Emery Jack and walked around The Landing, the sounds of the water fountains reminded us of the Caribbean when the waves crashed back and forth on shore. *I long for the Caribbean, but I digress...

Friday Colby and I got to go on our first date since Butter Bean was born and we had a great evening even if we were only gone for 2 1/2 hours. While we were gone, Emery Jack decided he would start getting up on his knees, it won't be long now and we'll be chasing him everywhere.

Now that he has learned the trick of rolling over from tummy to back and getting up on his knees, he would rather do that in bed than sleep....Oy!

Yesterday the three of us got out on the nice fall day and went to the mall for Starbucks, and to get a few things, it was so nice being able to stroll around and Emery got to wear his first sock cap, I wish I had pictures, but we both left our phones at home :)

This morning I turned on the heat, and this afternoon I'm changing all the bedding out so we'll have our warm blankets, we all huddled together last night, we were freezing!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Melt Down

Yesterday I had a meltdown, I started the day off with my two nieces and son and by the time 5:00 rolled around I was absolutely exhausted. Hats off to all the mothers that stay home with more than one kiddo at a time, I don't know how you do it.

I realize that all babies are different and Emery Jack is an amazing little boy, I just never realized how truly hard this is. By the time I picked Colby up from work yesterday evening and started back home Emery was SCREAMING in the backseat and I was trying to work on counting to 10 and taking deep breaths, while I was asking Colby how his day was, and what he got accomplished. All I could think of was I didn't pull any hair out today and so far I haven't cried.

Once home I realized we had nothing planned for dinner and everything was frozen... That's when the waterworks started, I tried keeping it pulled together, but sometimes there needs to be a release valve. Colby suggested I go to wal-mart and get something and he would stay with Emery so I could have a "breather".

Once in the parking lot of Wal-mart I went into a full blown ugly cry. We all have one. I had to sit in the car until I could compose myself enough to walk in to get what I needed and at one point I noticed a little kid starting at me and talking to her younger sister.

OK, I KNOW it looks like I've been crying, but I assure you I was attacked by a swarm of bees in the parking lot, don't go out there, it's ugly!

Every day gets better it really really does, but sometimes I need the 10 minutes to cry in a parking lot, even if I do get stares from 7 year olds.

Once home I made dinner, rolled around on the floor with Emery Jack....I can't stay away for very long, I absolutely love the two men in my life.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

5 Months

Dear Emery Jack,

You are quickly approaching 5 months old *3 days away* so instead of waiting to write this on that day, I'm taking my opportunity now, while you're sleeping in your pack in play (which you've grown to tolerate during nap time.)

You are getting so big, it seems like just yesterday I was cradling you in my arms at the hospital, not really knowing what I was going to do with you once I got you home and there wasn't a nurse to say, "No, that's not how you do it." The first few days home with you were the best, and worst. Not worst because I didn't love you, let me be clear, there was an abundance of love, but something happens when you're no longer protecting a baby in the womb. You were now experiencing all the things outside in the world and I didn't think I could keep you safe like before- tons of emotions flowing those first few days. I cried for 2 weeks straight.

Now, we're back home with our family and you have changed tremendously! You've started smiling and laughing at the crazy sounds and faces your mom and dad make, you are enjoying car rides, where before I didn't know if we were going to make it out the door when I put you in your carseat- the SCREAMS! You babble now, which sounds more like growling and a few times I've caught myself laughing out loud at the hilarious faces you make when you're concentrating on something. You have a fantastic personality, you are a good combination of your mom and dad. Strong willed, High spirited, You wake up smiling every morning (I think you got that from your daddy). You're not that little ball of flesh that just laid there staring off anymore, you're a real live KID! Your dad and I joke about you being "all boy" you love boobs and fart noises, and not particularly in that order.

In the past month alone you've learned how to roll from your belly to back and you are getting REALLY good at it! I turn around for a second and you've rolled all over the living room floor. Sometimes you get stuck and show your disgust by giving a sharp yell, "HEY, OVER HEEEEERE!". You've also started reaching for us when you need help, which melts my heart.

A couple of days ago I caught you really getting into an episode of Sesame Street, you were leaned over your jumper with your eyes fixed on the screen and every once in a while you would let out a squeal and pull your feet up and let yourself bounce. I am in awe of you...

You're still sleeping with us and take up most of the bed, but we don't mind. In the middle of the night, or morning 3a.m-ish you've started reaching for your daddy and grabbing hold of his arm or fingers. Sometimes you lift your head up and get really close to my face and stare at me, I know this because I'm staring at you with one eye squinted so you don't really know I'm awake because it's 3 a.m and momma isn't a morning person.

There is absolutely so much to write about because you're learning something new every single day, and as tired as I am, I wouldn't change this for the world. I am so lucky to be able to spend these first months with you, and I know I'm going to be sad when it's back to work. I cannot wait to see what is in store these next few months.

I love you big as the world.

Love,

Mama

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Let The Festivities Begin!

It is time for all the fall festivals and I AM SO EXCITED! Colby, Emery Jack, and I decided to go to Apple Fest today and had a great time. I used to love going to these for the rides, games, and was SO bored when my mom marched me through the crafts. I now have a new appreciation for the craft booths and the food! Today walking around was so nostalgic for me, the smells, the sounds...I have missed home!

My calendar has been marked up with all the festivals in the next few weeks and you can bet that I will be at every one of them... I'll be the one pushing the stroller, eating funnel cake at the same time, yes, I am that talented.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

The BIG Debate

To co-sleep or not to co-sleep, that is the question....

Since Emery was 1week old he hasn't left my side, literally. I'm getting better at our sleeping situation, but it can be trying at times. I came into parenthood with all these things that I wouldn't do... co-sleeping one of these things. After being exhausted, the kid just wore me down, and I caved and there we were all three of us. So, do we get a bigger bed, or do we put him in his crib, knowing that he is going to scream....ALL night long. The thought makes me so anxious...bleh.


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Birth Story...

I originally created this blog to have an outlet during college, and since then haven't really had the time to update. The blog has really changed from being my soap box, where I could say whatever I pleased to being a way for me to look back on these times with Emery and remember. So why not start with the birth story. :)

First let me start off by saying that Colby and I knew that we were cutting it pretty close with our due date, May 1st. We were in Washington at the time while Colby was attending Grad School and he was due to graduate on May 8th, 2010. This was nothing out of the ordinary for us, we tend to do everything all at once. *Recall back to when we got married- We graduated with our bachelors, I taught kindergarten until the day of our wedding rehearsal, got married the next day, went on our honeymoon the next morning, got back from the honeymoon on a Sunday, Started teaching summer school on the following Monday... We hit the ground running. Always.

Anyways, we knew it would be cutting it close because we were already set to move back to Missouri on May 9th...Mother's Day. I didn't want to fly across the country with a baby that was a couple of days old (in case I went late), so we opted to have our baby induced.

We were being induced on Friday, April 23rd, and I worked until the night before. Friday morning came and Colby's Mom had flown out in anticipation for the arrival of her first grand baby. We shopped for baby things, made sure the bag was packed, went out for my "last meal", and that evening nestled into the hospital room where it was all about to happen, which I would like to add was a very nice "homey" room.

The nurse walked in and explained to me that she was going to check my cervix and see if I had dilated any since my last doctor's appointment. Then she put the gloves on and SWEET MERCY...I thought I was going to crawl up the walls...I knew I was in for a very long night. She told me that I was barely dilated to a 1 and that I wasn't even 50% effaced. How in the world did I go from 90% to 50%? She seemed annoyed that the doctor would let me be induced and let me know that she thought I was going to be in the hospital for a while, if not sent home and then have to come back after the 2 days of rest.

She left us alone after that and said to let her know if I needed anything. Around 3 a.m I woke up to contractions, Colby was asleep and his Mom had went back to our apartment to rest. I didn't want to wake Colby up because I didn't think we had anything serious going on at that point.

5:00 A.M- Didn't feel that great, woke up Colby and told him I was ready to sit in the jacuzzi pool to relax.

6:00 A.M - Colby lets his mom know what's going on and the nurse comes in to check me again. I'm moving right along at 2-3 cm

7:00ish A.M- I start puking.... with EVERY contraction! Uhhh Misery... Until the nurse gives me something in my IV that nearly makes me fall out of bed.

8:00 A.M- I'm being bombarded with phone calls from my Sister, and Mom :) Love you guys!

9:00 A.M- The nurse is concerned that I am going to be one of those moms that GO FAST...and keeps asking me if I feel pressure and If I want an epidural.... I say I'm not sure, she calls the anesthesiologist anyways.

9:30 A.M- The anesthesiologist arrives and we decide to go ahead with an epidural even though it wasn't in our "plans". He was amazing, it didn't hurt at all. Everything feels fine so Colby and his Mom go to get something from the cafeteria.

9:35 A.M- The epidural only numbs my right side and I can feel ALL THE CONTRACTIONS on my left. So I hit the button to give me more medicine....It didn't work. Colby's mom comes back into the room and I explain that I need hands to hold.... NOW. And we're breathing....


The rest of the time really feels like a blur. I know we're breathing, and I'm doing a damn good job at that, but time sort of flies out the window. Around 11:00 or 11:30 the anesthesiologist comes back to try and help our situation, but to no avail. It just makes the right side even more numb and now I can't move that leg. Somewhere during this the doctor breaks my water.

The nurse comes in to check me and Freaks out and starts asking if I feel pressure and explains that she can feel the baby's head very close.... and calls for the doctor. At this point the doctor asks me to push a few times to see if we make any progress...and then tells me that she wants to let the epidural wear off because I can't tell what I'm doing.

We wait for what seems like forever, I explain that I'm going to start inventing some new curse words. Everyone laughs, but I'm serious.

The doctor comes back and I am able to start pushing and I can REALLY feel it now. Pressure, YES I FEEL PRESSURE! Panic sets in as I tell them to just get him OUT! I push for less than 30 minutes and at 1:11 that afternoon he's here...

He's absolutely beautiful and never in my life have things been so still. Everything about him was amazing. My first words to him, "Hi love, I'm your mommy."


Monday, August 16, 2010

Emery Jack


Oh how things have changed since I last posted. We met our son Emery Jack on April 24, 2010. I could not be a more proud mama. He weighed 7 lbs. 7.5 oz., 20 in. long, born at 1:11 p.m.

The birth story will come later, but for now I'll say we have a happy and healthy little boy...(technically not so little anymore) He's growing growing! We've been through our first smiles, rolling over, laughing, solid foods and it keeps getting better. I knew life would change, but did I ever think it would be this fantastic? No. It's amazing and extremely exhausting, but we're working through it.


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Nearing the end or beginning?

Colby and I have two days before we're in the hospital being induced. *DEEP BREATH*

It is such a crazy thing to try and wrap my head around the fact that in a few short days this little baby I've been carrying around with me for nine months will be in my arms. It's so scary to think that he will never again be as safe as I can keep him right now. I guess it's a "mom" thing.

I cannot wait to meet him, see what features of the two of us he'll have, what his personality will be like, be able to kiss his little face and hands, I cannot wait to be a mom!

This is such a huge change and when people ask me if I'm ready, how am I supposed to answer that? All I know is that I cannot wait to hold him in my arms and tell him that even though life is rough, you'll always have your mommy and daddy here to love you.

When he's here I will be posting pictures of baby Emery Jack.

Hair

So today I had this thought that I'm 2 days away from going to the hospital to be induced and I have lots to do and OH I need to get my hair cut NOW! I've been growing my hair out for some time and it was just long enough to get it into a ponytail and keep it there with a few bobby pins. I was just going to get a trim, and got there and decided I have so many changes going on in my life right now... why not change my hair too?!

I think the girl doing my hair was still stoned from her 4-20 escapades from the night before.

I say this because when she turned the chair around to show me her work... I think I may have gasp and slammed both hands on the top of my head. I know she wasn't expecting the look I gave, but I looked like Bozo the clown. You remember him right? The clown with the hair that was 3 times the size of his head....yeah, that was me. I was desperately trying to flatten it down to my head and needed to get out of the chair because I thought if I didn't get out of there I may say some things that weren't so nice (*since that seems to be the norm now that I'm pregnant).

I'm not saying it's horrible, but it isn't at all what I wanted. I think it will be more manageable with the baby, and hair grows back, right?

* It's not that I've become a mean pregnant lady, it's not like that at all. I just tend to have a no tolerance for bull shit sort of attitude. I can't help it, and I think I like myself better this way. Things that I just went with don't really fly anymore... I think I'm toughening up!

Monday, March 01, 2010

31 weeks


It's been a while since I've posted, but a lot has been happening! First of all today is March 1st and it was 60 degrees today, the weather was amazing and I have SPRING FEVER BIG TIME! I can't wait to have this baby and stroll him around in the nice weather. :)

So we've booked our flight home for May 9th, the day after Colby graduates grad school. (Mother's Day! ) Woohoo! Colby had three interviews in Chicago in February and he had one call back really quickly. He's flying to Fort Wayne, Indiana tomorrow to have more interviews. Which means we will know about this job very soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

I'm counting down the days until our baby is here and we're on our way out of Pullman, Wa - See ya West side.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Christmas 2009


Well we survived Christmas! We went back home for 2 weeks so family could see the belly bump and had a fabulous time, it never seems long enough, yet it's exhausting to travel back and forth!

Among the many things planned this time home was a baby shower, which was a lot of fun. We got all kinds of things for our baby boy. I'll have to post some pictures, he is going to be one handsome little man! Hopefully he'll be in the 3 months clothes for a while, because that's his whole wardrobe as of now :)

We have picked out a name for him (I think), finally, but we're not telling which one we're using. It's between: Lincoln Cole, and Emery Jack. Input would be nice, I've been trying to think of all the nicknames/horrible names that can come from these when he's in school and haven't come up with anything too horrible :) I would hate to curse him with something awful!

Tell me what you think!