11 Months old

I cannot believe it...my little munchkin is almost a year old!!! This year has flown by extremely fast!! It has been so much fun to watch Maddux's rapid growth, especially over the last 2 months!! He is full fledged crawling on his hands and knees now! He is pulling up on everything and getting into anything he can! He is really little man now! Not only that, but he is actually getting heavy! I weighed him before Christmas and he was 18 lbs, so I can only imagine, after all the food we gave him in Texas, how much he weighs now! Which leads me to TEXAS!!!!

Sam and I decided we wanted to drive to Texas for Christmas! We thought this would be good for several reasons. One, it was cheaper, which it was! Two, I hate being in Houston without a car. I never know who is going to let me borrow theirs and who will need one when, so this was a very smart choice! I actually got to go visit friends and meet their kids as well as let them meet Maddux! So fun! Three, it was nice to have an extra car with all the extra people we had around for the holidays! So, all in all a very good idea to drive! Plus, what would we have done with all the extra stuff we had going and coming back! It just made more sense!!

The drive there was extremely easy for Maddux! We left around 8 pm and got to my sisters around 8 am. We did this for Maddux, but it totally stunk for Sam and me! Neither one of us could sleep in the car, so we were pooped by the time we got there! Maddux, on the other hand, slept the whole time so he was happy as a peach!! So, luckily, my sister and her kids were happy to take car of Maddux and let us go to sleep as soon as we arrived!! But, for the drive back, we decided to leave earlier and deal with the possibility of having an unhappy baby on our hands!! Believe it or not, he was pretty happy 99 % of the time driving home! So, that was a better way to go! We left around 3 pm and got to Atlanta around 4 am! Maddux was wide awake when we drove into the driveway, but after about a 20 minute play time, he was ready to go back to bed without any fuss! So, all in all, not a bad drive!

So, Christmas in Texas was a total blast! Maddux got to meet my other grandmother, Meems, for the first time and that was special!! She is 94 years old and claims she won't travel again after this year! So, we feel very lucky that she did in order to meet Maddux! My other grandmother, Grandmother, was there as well, but this was his second time to meet her!! In any case, I feel extremely blessed to have both of them in his life!! My great-grandmother, Nonny, lived until she was 97 and I was around 28 years old, so I have high hopes for my grandmothers and being around for Maddux!!! We've got strong genes on both sides of the family!!

So, we stayed at my sisters house for Christmas and mom, dad, and the grandmothers came out there and stayed with us too!! This was so much fun!! My niece and nephew are simply the greatest with Maddux. They obviously love him and love playing with him! I really have such an amazing family!!! They are so good to each other and everyone is just so filled with love!! I am so happy that Maddux is surrounded by that kind of environment!!! We had an unbelievable Christmas and Maddux loved every second! He didn't understand the presents but he will next year! He still looked cute in his Christmas jammies and surrounded by all the gifts!! We are already looking forward to Christmas next year!

So, that's all for now folks....gotta add the pics!! Happy New Year to you all!!!

9 and 1/2 Months

I cannot get over the fact that Maddux is already over 9 months old. We had his 9 month appointment two Mondays ago and Sam finally got to meet Maddux's doctor!! It was a great appointment, but we still have a boy that is tiny (which I am okay with, but Sam...not so much!) He is still in the 5th percentile, but he is atleast growing! He is 16.6 lbs, and 26 and 1/2 inches long! I would have bet you he was at least 18 lbs, but what do I know? In any case, our doctor is so not worried about his stature as long as he is consistently growing, which he is! We just may have a smallish young man one day! I mean, I am only 5' 3".

One thing she did say, and this is what I am focusing on, is that he seems to be advanced in the motor skills department. She said he was strong and that she really wasn't ready for him to walk yet because that would mean he would burn off that much more (calories) and he needs to retain all he can! So, we aren't going to push the walking, but we feel it may happen sooner than later! He does not stay still! No wonder he is so small, he burns calories even while sitting cause his legs never stop moving!! He is a busy, busy, busy kid and we love it!! And so smart.....

He is saying momma and dadda now, not that he knows what they mean! He can also clap and play the "How big is Maddux?" game. Everything is so stinkin cute, not that I am biased or anything! We feel so blessed every day by this gift! Yesterday, he learned the shake your head "no" game and he just smiles so wide, it cracks me up! Lets see.....

He is getting such a full head of blond hair....although, when people see pics, they all ask if he is a red head! I don't see it, but he is definitely blond. He is finally out of 3-6 months clothes and can wear 9 month pants.....he's got long legs! He still only has 2 teeth, but man are they sharp. He has also learned to pinch with his fingers and that can be seriously painful!!

Mom, Dad, Paige, Buddy, Tyler, and McKenzie come here for Thanksgiving on Monday and I am so excited!!! I have never had Thanksgiving here in Atlanta or at our house, so we have exciting times ahead! We will have 10 people over for Maddux's first Thanksgiving! I cannot get over that this time last year I was preggo and was taking insulin shots! It seems so long ago!!!

I began this post last week and since then Maddux has gotten his first real cold! He is coughing so badly, it makes me sad! I can't do anything to help him, and I hate that feeling. Even through all this cold business, he is still our happy happy boy! We are so lucky! God knew what he was doing when he created Maddux, we are truly amazed every day!

Well, I hope this blog find you all happy and soon to be with family! Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels! Until next time.....

It's been way too long

Holy canoli!!! It has almost been 2 months since I have made a blog update.....I am sooo sorry! Cause I know there are a ton of you out there that are just dying to know what is going on with Maddux and fam! So, better late than never.....here you go!

Well, lets see....well, Maddux will be 9 months old in 11 days! That, to me, is just unbelievable! He hasn't really changed that much to us over the past 2 months, but we live with him. I can tell he had grown. He is getting really tall. He is still wearing 6 months clothes but can fit into the 6-9 month clothes as well. The only thing is, all the pants are too short in that range so every pair of pants are high waters. He is so darn cute though, he can pull it off!! I'm not biased or anything.

Maddux does have 2 little teeth on the bottom in front. And, man, do they hurt!! When I try to put my fingers in his mouth to check for others, I do believe he could chop my fingertips off with those itty bitty things!!! Good thing he is on straight bottles and has been since before he got his first tooth! Sorry, probably TMI!!!

Anyway, he is still so happy every morning I take him to see Shelley (his "nanny"). She still tells me what a "Good Boy" he is every day and I love it!! I know I said this 2 months ago, but I feel so lucky and blessed to have hard her fall into my lap!! Maddux loves her and Molly (his girlfriend) and Brady (the 3 year old older brother).

Maddux did do something I thought was fantastic the other day! I was dropping him off at Shelley's and I reached in the car to get his car seat out. I usually shower him with kisses as I am getting him out, but the other morning, for some reason, I said "Give me a kiss!" and he turned his head and opened his mouth so wide!!! He knew what I said and did it! You know how babies kiss, with their mouths as wide as possible and as slobbery as possible! Oh man, I loved it ans bragged all day at school about how he kissed me!

We have done 2 really fun things since we last chatted....we got to go to the Braves playoff game! That made his total games to 5 for his first baseball season! I think that is pretty incredible! It was a great game, but Maddux was not really a fan of the loud crowd, and boy was it loud!! We had fun though and are so glad we got to go!

The second thing we just did, as you can see from the pics, was today! We went to a pumpkin patch!!! It was my first pumpkin patch as well as Maddux's!! We got to go on a hay ride, walk through their fields, see fresh cotton being grown, and take lots of pics with pumpkins!!! Maddux was not very keen on the whole situation, I think he was really tired, but I just couldn't miss out on the photo ops!!

Well, that is about all for now! I will write again in a few weeks after we go the doctor to see about Maddux's weight and all that! I hope this finds every one happy and healthy! Until after November 9th!!

Almost 7 months

Maddux has been growing and learning and laughing so much over the past few weeks!! He can sit up by himself for long periods of time, he laughs his rear end off at Sadie, and he is talking up a storm!! He has even started to army crawl and scoot backwards!! I feel the real crawling coming on really soon!! He is probably about 16 lbs. and is getting taller by the day it seems! We don't have another doctors appointment until 9 months, so I wont have any measurements until then!

He goes to his sitters every day and has so much fun! It is such a blessing to drop him off and see him smile when he sees her! She loves him as if he were her own, and I just thank God every day for that! Last week, she told me that she was getting so attached that she would probably have to go to his high school graduation and his wedding!!! That just made my heart smile!!! She is so great with him and is feeding him until he gets fat.....and since he is still only in the 10%, we are glad for her to do that! He also has his first real girlfriend there! Her name is Molly and they are only 3 weeks apart! They play and hold hands and laugh at each other! I love it! They are just so cute!!

Other than that, I have obviously gone back to school and have a great bunch of kids! I have 25 in my class and they are really sweet! It is going to be a great year!

There isn't a lot else to say...I tried loading a video of him laughing for after 30 minutes, I give up! I think they are too big so I will see what Sam can do!! Until next time.....I hope everyone is great and as happy and blessed as we are! Talk to you all soon!!

6 Months

Man, oh man...time is just flying by!! I am just in shock that Maddux is already 6 months old!! It is going by way too fast and before we know it, he'll be crawling (the doctor said sooner than we'd probably like) and then walking!! CRAZY!!!!

Well, so lots has happened since we last spoke! I took Maddux to Houston mid July! Boy was that interesting! I vow never to travel with him by myself ever again! It was just simply exhausting! First of all, the plane ride was super stressful on the way there, as I was panicked he would cry the whole time. He actually did a great job, he only fussed and was easily settled.....now the plane ride home is a different story! The people sitting next to us said he only cried about 5 minutes, tops, but you know when it is you and your kid....I swear he cried for an hour!! Everyone was really nice though, the stewardess even gave me some apple juice to put in a bottle to see if that would calm him down (see, she wouldn't have done that if he had only been fussing for 5 minutes, right?) Anyway, I was so ready to get off that plane, I could have run with stroller, car seat, diaper bag and all!!

So, once that drama was over, I didn't consider the rest of the trip effecting him.....You see, when I go to Houston, I usually switch between my sister and parent's houses so I can see everyone I want to see! That is just what I have always done....well, that doesn't work quite as well with a 6 month old! 2 things could have been the cause of my lack of sleep for the week.....either he was just really out of sorts from the traveling and switching houses, or just sleeping in the same room as him, I could hear every sound he made and it would wake me up! So, not sure which it was, but never the less, I got, maybe, 5 hours of sleep each night there!

Other than that, Houston was great! My sister got to spend some good quality time with him and I got to see my niece and nephew for a good bit too!! My Aunt Letha and Cousin Vicky drove my grandmother to Houston, as well, to come meet Maddux. (My aunt had already, so graciously, come to Atlanta to take care of him, back in May, so she was just coming to play again)! Grandmother was so excited to see him and I loved that he got to meet her! It is so nice being able to say I knew my great-grandmother. Mine was 97 years old when she left us and I loved my Nonny! Anyway, I digress....We got to see Jean (one of my best and oldest friends in the whole world). She just moved back from France to Texas, so she came to Paige's to meet Maddux. I also got to meet another one of her kids! I had met one years ago, but now I have met Max. Maybe I'll get to Meet Claire soon too! We had a great time!

Maddux got to meet one of my camp friends and several of my mom's friends by weeks end, but boy was I ready to be home! Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing everyone and introducing Maddux to everyone I could, but I was just plain beat by the time I got home! And, Maddux was so excited to see his Daddy, as was I!!! So, great trip, but it won't happen again any time soon without Sam by my side!

Since then, lets see......oh, the doctor. I took Maddux back for his 6 month checkup last Tuesday. He weighs 14 lbs 4 oz. He is 24 and 3/4 inches long and STILL in the 10th percentile! We are a little sad about that, however, he is the happiest baby, always smiling, super relaxed....so we really have nothing to complain about! He did have to have his 5 shots that day and the after math does turn my happy child into a demon for over 24 hours....but again, he is usually so happy, I can deal with 24 hours! I hate doing that to him, but it is necessary.

Let's see....oh, thats right, I started school already!!!!!!!!!!!!! O wait, this is a a blog about Maddux, not me! Sorry!! I will say, they have added 2 weeks of random breaks throughout the year and that is why we went back so early, so really, I shouldn't be whining!!! However, while I am at school, Maddux is getting to go play at a friend's house while I work. Her mother-in-law just moved here to take care of their 5 and a 1/2 old baby and wanted another infant! WE are the lucky ones! He loves her already and she just dotes on him all day, I can tell. Friday, when I went to get him, I was putting him in his car seat and she was behind him talking, he arched back, looked at her, and just grinned from ear to ear! That made me so happy! Shelly (that's her name) told me as I walked in that day, that she was keeping him, and that just made me feel so good about leaving him with her!! I feel like I lucked out on the whole day care thing! Anway, I will stop here and bid you all a great Sunday! Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us.....See you next time!

PS, he can sit on his own now, he eats baby food from a spoon, and he is pulling up his knees sticking his cute little rear in the air.....Like I said, SLOW DOWN Maddux!!!

5 and a 1/2 months

Maddux is growing so fast now! He is almost sitting up by himself already!! I just know he is gonna crawl soon! His tummy time is great! We put him down and the next thing we know, he is on the floor about 3 feet away from where we laid him down! He is a mover and groover just like when he was in the belly!

We had our doctors appointment last Friday before the beach! He grew an inch and a half and gained a pound in one month!! He is doing so good! He is in the 10th percentile now! I'm so proud! She suggested we feed him another serving of cereal during the day and said we could feed him baby food as of this past week!

On that note....well, Maddux wasn't a big fan! He loves his milk, but not so much the baby food! We started with apple sauce and he was having none of it! He wouldn't even open his mouth. And, when I forced it in there, he would just spit it out! It was so funny! I even modeled (because that is what teachers do) with ice cream with me....but with no success! He does stare at us when we eat, it is hilarious! It is like he is jealous, but then he won't try it himself! In any case, my mom is coming here tomorrow and claims she will show me how to force feed him baby food! Of course, not really, but she said she has a fool proof method!! So we'll see!

So, we just got back from the beach on Sat! Man, that was an amazing trip and Maddux seemed to really enjoy the change of scenery for a week! He loved swimming in the pool, but not as much in the ocean! The ocean was freezing! The pool was fantastic! I am ready to go back already! My redneck pool in the backyard is just not quite the same!

So, mom, dad, Tyler, and McKenzie come in town tomorrow for 5 days and we can't wait! The kids (my sisters kids) haven't met Maddux yet, so I am so excited! I'll post pics of that after their visit! Not much else to say, so I'll update more after the big weekend!! Hasta Pasta!

Maddux is almost 20 weeks!

I can't believe it has already been 4 weeks since I posted last! I feel like school just ended...but sadly, I only have 6 weeks left! I know, pity party, but that is one of the perks of being a teacher!

In any case, you're here to read about Maddux, not me!! He is almost 20 weeks this Friday! Wow, I can't believe how fast time goes by with him! So we went to the doctor for his 4 month check up the last week of May. He weighed 12 lbs. and was only in the 5th percentile for everything! That was really sad...as much as I love how small he is, I don't want him to grow up to be like mommy! So, the doctor asked me to start feeding him rice cereal between his last 2 feedings at night! The first night was hilarious because I tried doing it with a spoon! That was silly considering he can't really understand what solid food is yet! So, since then, we have fed him the cereal through his bottle! He likes it though, so that is awesome!

Since the additional feeding, I have also added formula to his diet, and I think he has gained at least a pound in the time since the last visit. I just weighed him here and he is 13 lbs if not more! So, looks like the beefing him up is working...I can really see it in his pictures! He's becoming my chunky monkey!! I love it!

So far, our summer has been pretty busy! We are a part of a play date group called Murdock Mamma's. This is a group of teachers from my school who have all had kids in the past 3 years. It is once a week and takes place at a different teachers house each week. My week is July and I have no idea how I am going to entertain the 15 kids that are a part of this! Maddux doesn't have toys yet, so not sure how that will go! It is fun though! There is a set of twins who are in love with Maddux. Usually it is just because he has a paci they want, but still, I'm gonna think it is his good looks!! He is the only baby boy (there is one 3 year old boy, but that is such a huge age difference) so he is surrounded by the ladies! He takes after his daddy! Te he! In any case, we have fun seeing all the other babies and look forward to him growing along with them!

We have gone swimming 3 times already too! The last time we went, Sam and I both dunked him under the water and he pretty much took it like a champ! Only the last dunk did he cry! I also seemed that he didn't take on any water, so that was a relief! We leave for the beach next Friday and I can't wait to take him into the ocean! The complex has a pool too, so that will be great to use as well! We'll be there a week, so it will be interesting to see how he does when not at home 24/7! Wish us luck!

Maddux and I are also traveling to Houston in July. I'm really afraid to fly with him, but he is usually such a laid back baby, I hope he'll do great! Also, his cousins, Tyler and McKenzie, are coming here with my parents in July, so we have that to look forward to as well! Busy, busy summer, but so far so fun! Until next time!!! Thanks for keeping up with Maddux!

Maddux at 16 weeks!

Hello all...it's been a long time! Things are great here. School is out for the kids and I only have 2 days left! Then, I have almost 2 months home with Maddux. I cannot wait!

So, what has been going on? Nothing too interesting, but we have had a very busy past couple of weeks. First of all, I went back to work 3 weeks ago (hence he slacking on the posts). The first day was really hard....but after a weekend, it was easier to get back into the swing of things!!

The first 2 weeks back at work, Sam was home with him, so that was awesome! They got some serious daddy baby bonding time! Sam did admit he was bored to tears by the end of the second week...he said he needed adult interaction. So, needless to say, he was ready to go back to work this past Monday!

My Aunt Letha just left yesterday. She spent all last week here taking care of Maddux while I spent my last week with my students! We are so incredibly lucky to have had her here. I can't remember when I got to spend so much time with her. It was so nice to go to work and not worry about whose taking care of the munchkin! We are certainly blessed (thank you Aunt Letha, we love you)!

On to the baby....Maddux is probably almost 12 lbs, but we go to the doctor for his 4 month check up on Friday, so we'll see. He has grown long though. He is finally fitting into 3 month clothes and can no longer wear his newborn outfits....so Sam is happy about that! He is giggling and smiling constantly! He loves to be the center of attention (wonder where he got that from :))! He is sleeping from about 9 at night until 7 or 8 in the morning....but I am still waking him for one last feeding every night before I go to bed just until I am home from work this week. So, we'll see what happens if we don't wake him, how long he'll sleep without that last feeding!

He is talking up a storm! I say talking but you all know, he is cooing and gurgling and all that! We have taken some great videos of him laughing, but haven't tried putting them on here yet, maybe today will be the day to try it! In any case, he is already growing up so fast and I just want him to slow down. Sam is ready for him to walk and talk, but not me! My favorite thing is to pick him up from his deep sleep and just snuggle him until he slowly wakes up! He is so sweet!

Well, I don't have much else since we are going to the doctor on Friday, but I did want to post a small update! Until next weekend! Have a great week all!

11 Weeks

I CANNOT believe it, but Maddux is 11 weeks old today!! Worse than that...I have to go back to school 2 weeks from today!!!! It's so sad...he is growing up too fast already and time is flying by! Thankfully, I only have to go back for 3 weeks and then I have 2 months of summer with him! The timing really turned out pretty good! I actually do feel lucky!

So, Mom and Dad (Gigi and Dandy) came for Easter and we had a blast! The weekend started off with Maddux's 2 month doctor appointment. He was 21 and 1/4 inches long and weighed 10 lbs. exactly! Unfortunately, he is still in the 20th percentile for all of his measurements. When mom told the doctor that Sam was hoping for a tall quarterback type kid, she told us that he probably should have considered the gene pool he married into first! I guess it is too late for that now! Maddux also ended up getting 6 shots that day and thankfully Gigi was there to help....I am not sure I could have held him down like she had to to get the shots! It was awful, his cry was a cry I had never heard before! He survived it though (better than me) and really behaved well the rest of the day even though we could tell he was in pain!

The rest of the weekend was pretty standard for an Easter weekend. We went to Kathy's (La La's) house for a party, went to church (Maddux's first time), and had an Easter egg hunt at Melanie's grandparent's house. Maddux won the egg hunt since everyone kept finding his eggs and handing them to my dad (who was carrying a sleeping Maddux around the yard:)).

All in all, it was a great Easter. I can't remember the last time I spent Easter with my parents! I really had an awesome time and was not ready for them to leave that Monday! I love having them come here...it is so nice!

The Monday after Easter, we went to the Braves opening day game! Maddux, Macon and I sat in the car for 2 and a half hours trying to get to the game...made it for the 5th inning, and then spent another 2 and a half hours in the car leaving the game! Believe it or not, Maddux was a trooper! He loved the game (sitting in KK and Nats laps) and really didn't mind being in the car for all that time! At least we know he can stay in the car for a good amount of time and stay fairly calm for the majority of the time!

Well, that is about all I have for now!! Happy Spring ya'll!! Enjoy the pics and thanks for catching up with us!!

2 Months old!! Wow!

I can't believe it...Maddux is 2 months old today!! Time is flying by and that means I have to go back to school in 5 weeks! Yuck! Although, I did go back to school a week and a half ago and it was actually a lot of fun! Everyone was so excited to see Maddux and they were really excited to see me too! It was a total ego boost as they doted on Maddux and gave me massive amounts of compliments on how non-prego I looked! I see myself everyday and forget that I have lost 27 lbs. and am 14 lbs lighter than when I got prego! I can't remember the last time I was in this weight range! It feels good and everyone made me feel amazing!

Anyway, back to Maddux....so we went to the doctor at the beginning of the month and he weighed 8 lbs 6 oz....but since then, I have weighed myself and then weighed with him in my arms....I'm pretty sure he is over 10 lbs now!! I hope so because his height and weight were both only in the 20th percentile when we saw the doctor. Sam is so scared he got my genes and and will be vertically challenged! I hope he doesn't take after me! Someone just last weekend didn't believe me when I told them I was 5'3"....so there's that!

Maddux is smiling a great deal now! He loves for me to tap his paci on his tongue and then tap it on his nose. He laughs and I think I am about to get a giggle! He also is responding to voices on the phone. Gigi talks to him often and he smiles at it or squawks at the phone when she speaks! It is really cute!

Not much else to report....but Mom and Dad (Gigi and Dandy) are coming in for Easter weekend! I am super excited about that! So, Sam and I have some major cleaning to do before next weekend. Then, the following Monday, we are headed to the Braves opening game! That will be tons of fun, Maddux's first game and we have an official shirt he is going to wear that Gin bought him last year (the first present we ever got:)). I'll post after that because I am sure he will look adorable!

Well, here are some pics to show you my chunky monkey!

4 weeks old

Maddux is already 4 weeks old....can you believe it?? I can't! Time is flying by! As I am sure most of you know, there is not much to say so far. He is eating sleeping and doing the other thing! He is sleeping a good 5 hours a night, which is great! He is starting to respond to tickling and getting sugar (nuzzling his neck with kisses), so that is fun! I think he is going to smile any day now!

We have his 1 month doctor appointment on Wednesday and I think he is already over 8 lbs. But, we will see! My postpartum appointment is next week as well, so things are just moving along! So, not much else to say, but I want to put some new pics of him....so enjoy!!

Maddux is finally here!

Hello family and friends! What a week! Maddux is finally here and it was a crazy ride! My last week as a pregnant lady was a little hectic. First of all, I had parent teacher conferences to attend before I went out on leave! Luckily, Maddux held out for all of my conferences except for my last one. I had scheduled it for 3:00 pm, but the parents thought it was at 3:20, and I had a follow up doctors appointment at 3:40. Needless to say, by 3:15 when I thought they were late, I hopped in my car and went to the doctor! This is when it all happened!

My appointment was normal, I peed in a cup, I went on the stress test, texted Sam while I was bored, and then asked my doctor about my one concern. I was a little...well, I will spare you the details...but things were different and I needed to ease my mind. My doctor checked me out and decided I had a leak in my amniotic sac and that she wanted to induce me that day! I freaked out!! My parents had just landed at the airport (thankfully:)!), Sam was picking them up, and I was a bit scared! I called them, met them at home, and we all drove to the hospital together!

Now, this hospital was like a five star hotel! I had my own suite. And, when I say suite, I mean suite!! I had my bed, a pull out couch, an armoir with a flat screen tv in it, a rocking chair, and a hot tub in the bathroom. The bathroom itself was bigger than my full guest bathroom here at home!! Also, Maddux was in the room with me every night with his little own movable bed. Plus, a heating lamp just in case he had needed it! His very own tanning bed :)!

In any case, we made it up to the hospital about 6 and were promptly put in my suite! Sam and Dad went to get us all food, we ate, and then they started the induction. They gave me a cervix softener in hopes of convincing everything in there to prepare for labor as if I were doing it naturally! By 9 am, they checked me out and decided at 10 am to break my water. Very weird experience! Very weird! From then on, I had doctors and nurses checking my dilation and all that stuff every hour or so. My doctor had to see patients in her office that day, but said she would by in around 1 or so to deliver me. Being the precious doctor that she is (love you Dr. Gandhi), she didn't get to the hospital until about 3:00 pm. Still, she is wonderful and my parents loved her! She is super funny and was great to me! I'm so glad I stuck with her even though this hospital really wasn't convenient for anyone!

Anyway, at 4 or so, she said okay Lindsay, you are only about 4 cm dilated, and I am gonna give you an hour....if you haven't changed any, we are going to have to do a C-section. At 5:30, she came back, checked me and quickly things started rolling! It was a madhouse! People suddenly had hair nets on and masks....it was complete chaos, but everyone was so calm!

So, at around 6:00pm, they wheeled me down the hall (literally about 50 yards from my room) into the surgical room (which was an ice box, by the way:(). The next thing I know, I can't see anything in front of me as a blue sheet was there to block everything and there was this man standing at my head kind of giving me the blow by blow. Very strange! Finally, they let Sam come in and sit at my head!

After about, oh, 22 minutes of feeling the pressure of the pulling and cutting, they told Sam to stand up and take the first picture of Maddux. He was "born" at 6:22 pm, January 29, 2010. It was a very surreal moment and I was still shivering form the ice box of a room. But, a soon I heard his first cry, I totally started crying! They took him over to the cleaning station and called Sam over there! He got several pics of them roughing him up, and Maddux was totally holding out his arms for Sam to pick him up!! Adorable, right!

He weighed 6 lbs. and 1.5 oz. He was 19.5 inches long with a full head of blond hair! He has gorgeous deep blue eyes for the time being, and really long fingers and toes! I am pretty sure he is the most precious little munchkin I have ever seen! Not that I am biased or anything! In fact, my sister just said from the other room, "He is so freakin cute"! So, maybe I am not too biased?? Te he!

Since then, things have been pretty easy! My tummy hurts daily, but I can tell it is already stronger and better! He is breast feeding very well, especially now after we went to his first pediatricians visit! The doctor there made sure I was doing everything right because he was a little jaundice and dehydrated. So much so, that I had to make a follow appointment the next day and she wanted to make sure after having him eat on a schedule of every 2 hours, that he had gained at least a half oz. Turns out, we did so well, he gained 3 oz.! He is such a genius!!

In any case, Mom and Dad were here...but Dad left on Tuesday, Paige came in on Wednesday, and Mom left yesterday. Paige is staying til Sunday! It has been so nice to have them all here! They have been so wonderful. generous and helpful!! We are so lucky to have had them here! Thanks ya'll!!

So, here we are on Maddux's 1 week birthday!! He is just the best, and we are so lucky!! Enjoy the pics and I think Sam is setting up a web site for all you family members who want to see him every day like I get to! We love you all and really appreciate you following us! Welcome to the world, Maddux Walker Rhodes! Here are a few pics to get you all introduced!

39 Weeks

Hello all!! Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I have been pretty busy since the New Year! Well, I have little to tell, but what I can say is BIG!!

The past few weeks have been hard...Sam was in the hospital for a stomach bug on a Wednesday and I got the same bug the following Monday. We both were violently ill, but Sam had it a bit worse than me! After both going to the hospital and being given 2 bags each of IV fluids and some nausea medication, we were both released the same day. I tell you what though, it was no fun and took about a week to recover! However, all are healthy and happy now!

The nursery is basically finished. We have his bedding in and the walls are decorated in monkeys and dots. I think it adorable, but of course, Sam isn't a big fan. My feeling is, the more monkeys, the merrier!! I love it all! I also finished staining the bassinet a dark cherry color. That, too, is really pretty (if I do say so myself, and I do!!). So, as far as being ready for Maddux to come home, I think it is time!

So, Maddux is supposed to begin making his arrival into this world this Friday, January 29th. As it stand right now, I know I have to call the hospital at 6 pm. and plan on going in around 8 pm. Yes, I am being induced and am super excited, but anxious about it! I am not sure why she wants to induce, but I am completely okay with it! I think it has to do with the diabetes and until today, it also had to do with the fact that I had excess fluid in my belly. I was in the danger zone of 20-25 units of fluid when they want you to be under 20. However, today that all changed. Today, the report was that he weighs 6 lbs. 13 oz. and my fluid was down to 13 units. So, all seems well and my doctor is ready to induce any day. In fact, she wanted to change the induction date to either tomorrow or Thursday, but since my mom and dad aren't coming in until Thursday, I asked if we could still wait until Friday! So, Friday it is and I am ready! So, this will be my last pre-pregnancy post! You'll see Maddux in pics coming soon! Until then, I hope you all are great and I can't wait to show him off to everyone!

Thanks again for following me and I look forward to sharing him growing up with you all! Until next time! Happy almost February!

36 Weeks

Hello to all! Happy 2010!!! I hope this year finds everyone happy, relaxed, and ready for anything!! I know I am! Speaking of...I will get on with it!

So, I had my 36 week appointment today. Maddux weighs 5 lbs. 14 oz. He is measuring about 37 centimeters across my belly. His measurements and all that seems to be just fine and well on their way. I am feeling great too....but, Maddux is moving a lot and he is making life a bit more uncomfortable! But, as of today, my doctor said she would probably induce labor if he kept growing the way he is (so giving me a due date of around Jan 24th). The other thing I want people to say little prayers for is the fact that I have a little too much amniotic fluid surrounding Maddux. My doctor isn't too concerned, but enough to have an unltra sound every week from now on. Evidently, it is common in justational diabetics like me, but it can cause complications and pre term labor. So, just say a little prayer for us that the fluid goes down before I have my next ultra on Monday!

Now on to the fun stuff!! We had a great Christmas dinner here at our house. It was super sad being away from my family in Texas....but it was really fun to host dinner and to finally get to use my crystal and china for the first time! Dinner was a success and Sam did a great job smoking his turkey and ham! Everything was delicious!

As far as Maddux's room goes....we got his crib and our glider from our fabulous friends and family! My parents are getting us our stroller and car seat as well! So, now all we have left to get is a new car for the baby to travel home safe in! If you know of anyone selling a used SUV, let us know!

We also had a NYE party, which stressed out Sam. Not me, of course, because I am no help at all around here lately! It was a fun party and I cannot believe it is already 2010. Not only that, but I cannot believe that Maddux could be here in less than 4 weeks!! Yikes, I so hope I am ready!! Well, until next time! Again, Happy New Year!

Oh and btw....I am adding one of the unfinished pictures of Maddux's room. Just keep in mind, we will have decor on the walls, bedding in the crib, and

maybe even a carpet on the carpet! I'm so excited.....it is really coming together and looks so cute!!