Lilypie First Birthday tickers

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Technical Difficulties

So I've run into a small and extremely frustrating issue on my blog.  Apparently my photo storage is maxed out and I can't upload any more pictures.  Ugh... ANNOYING.  I have so much to share with you faithful readers (including my best friend's baby and Thanksgiving!) and I can't do it until I figure out how to increase my photo storage without paying for it.  Anyway, don't be surprised if the next post you see is directing you to a completely new and different blog.  I'm hoping that's not the case but we will see.  Hang tight, my friends, and I'll try to keep you updated!

Katherine

Monday, November 19, 2012

Four Weeks in Pictures

So this post is a little overdue, but I have a few exciting events coming up that I plan to blog about so I wanted to get these pictures uploaded.  Yesterday Caroline turned 4 weeks old and I can't believe it.  Time really does fly!  Caroline and I are having so much fun hanging out everyday.  I'm still adjusting to being a stay-at-home but learning everyday and becoming more confident.  I have learned to decipher her different types of cries, how she likes to be swaddled, the best positions for breast feeding and figured out the best-fitting diapers for her little bottom!  She is getting bigger everyday I feel like... her cheeks are more plump, her belly is filling out and I can tell she's gaining weight by the way she eats!  So far I love being a mom to Caroline but I think one of the best things about it is watching Jay as a daddy.  I'm so blessed to have Jay as my husband and Caroline is so unbelievably blessed to have him as her dad.  We're in love to say the LEAST.  So that's a quick update on the Thorpe family and here are more pictures of her last few weeks (including more pics from the hospital) for you to enjoy...

{And I apologize, these are in no particular order}

Aunt Alli

Aunt Leslie


Rachel and David came to visit again!

We made it home

Nana with Caroline who was apparently sleeping with one eye open :)

Cousin Lucy and daddy

Popa Stewart with a sleepy (or mad) baby girl


Sweet girl

Yup, we took her to be a part of history - early voting!

Early evening family walks

Social security card arrived!

Caroline takes her first bottle from Daddy - yay!  She's taking several more since then :)

My feet are normal again!!

Couldn't resist getting this Halloween shot.  My little pumpkins

First date night at Blanc Burger on the Plaza.  Thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law for babysitting!

My other child...

So sleepy

Dear friends the Dietrichs came over for a visit!

Popa Thorpe and Mimi

Sleepy smiles

We are girly girls for sure (no, I did NOT paint her nails, just mine)

Go Hogs!  Woo Pig Sooie!

Crazy hair

Snuggling with Daddy

and Uncle Matt

Oops!  Somebody's upset.

Precious

Thursday, November 1, 2012

First Week in Pictures


For all you picture lovers out there...



Besties - the Rainwaters!

Aunt Alli holding an alert baby girl

Proud cousin Lucy

Home in her Moses basket

Dash wondering "What IS that??"

But he still loves his cuddle time

Sleeping soundly



Great friends - the Sterks

Amelia is inquisitive and Lucy is in love

Proud daddy

On our way home!

Swaddled sweetness

After bath time- snuggled in her lamby towel

Pink rose recognition at church

My dear, dear mom - love her so much

First check-up!


Monday, October 29, 2012

Caroline's Birth-day Story

You'd think now that I have all this time on my hands, I'd be a better blogger.  But that certainly has not been the case and I will try to get better at it.  I definitely want to keep my readers well-informed and satisfied with plenty of pictures.   Social media like Instagram and Facebook are truly wonders of the web... providing a resource to spread the word and pictures like wildfire.  But, for documentation's sake (and the sake of my memory) I really need to discipline myself to blog.  So here goes... {wordy at first but a few pictures to reward you for hanging in there!}

After our "big" garage sale day with the Rainwaters, we headed home to relax and spend the evening in watching college football and being together.  Neither of us had no idea it would be our last night without our daughter!  Saturday night and early Sunday morning I did not sleep well.  I had "cramps" all night long and attributed them to the spicy chili I had for dinner and my sensitive stomach.  But when my 7:30 alarm went off and I began to get ready for church, I realized that those "cramps" very well could have been contractions.  I started to time the contractions with the pregnancy app I had on my iPhone and after about an hour I made a call to my doctor.  Dr. Nguyen was actually the on-call doctor at the time and we talked about my symptoms and contractions and how I was generally feeling.  It was about 8:30am.  She gave us the option to come in to the hospital or to stay at home a few more hours and see if the contractions increased in frequency and intensity.  We decided to wait.  We practiced some techniques we learned at our child birthing class, went on a walk, I took a warm bath while Jay helped me clean up the house, and made sure our bags were packed for the hospital in case this was "the real deal".

At about 12pm, my contractions were approximately 5 minutes apart, lasting about 45 seconds to a minute and had greatly increased in intensity.  They were very painful and I could no longer talk through them nor think about anything but the pain.  Mom called and was asking about them and quickly encouraged us to head to the hospital! ;)  We made another call to the doctor and he said to go ahead and come on in to get me checked out!  At that point, I think it became a little more real for me.  We notified some family to give them a chance to make arrangements for travel.  It took us about 30 minutes to prepare the house for our absence but we made it to the hospital  and got checked in about 1:00pm.  I worked through several intense contractions and the nurse was finally about to check my cervix only to tell me I was dilated to a 9.  WOW.  OK.  A NINE.  I guess those labor techniques at home really did work!  Neither Jay nor I expected me to be that far along in labor and we quickly realized that we would be having a baby that day!

The nurse called in several more nurses and staff to help with my IV, paperwork (our Maternity Care Coordinator meeting was scheduled for Monday!), and labs.  I was extremely focused on my contractions and hardly remember the bustle of the "crowd" in the room.  The next thing I remember is the sensation like I had to push and feeling my water break.  The nurse checked my cervix again and I was fully dilated.  Both Dr.  Heit (the on-call doctor) and Dr. Nguyen (my OB) were on their way.  At that point, I realized it would be too late for the epidural and began to prepare myself for a natural birth. All I remember from then was a lot of commotion, squeezing Jay's and another nurse's hands, breathing, trying NOT to push, waiting for ANY doctor to show up, telling the nurses "I HAVE TO PUSH", the nurse saying "Go get Dr. Piquard!", being able to actually push, the nurses encouraging me and finally feeling the relief of giving birth to my daughter.  It was 2:08pm.

After the delivery, everything was a blur.  I remember seeing and talking to Dr. Nguyen, being stitched up (that's all I'll say about that except that it was probably more painful than labor), holding Jay's hand, hearing our daughter cry for the first time and thinking "Wow, I just did that." :)

I am so grateful for the labor and delivery experience that God allowed me to have for many reasons.  His provision and blessing was upon me the whole time and I could not be more thankful for a healthy pregnancy, a full- term baby, a quick and natural delivery, beautiful daughter and loving husband.  Giving birth is truly a miracle and my heart is overflowing with gratitude and humility.  I praise God for allowing me the privilege to bring His creation into this world and love and care for her with all my heart.  
"Social media" announcement


Weigh-in immediately after birth

Face to face meeting! 

First bath.  Didn't like it then, doesn't like it now :)


Under the warmer

OK, so I realized that probably wasn't enough pictures for you...  But I've been blogging for over an hour and I promise I will post some more!  Until then...