Announcing...(week 10)

Well, here are Charleigh's birth announcements...thanks to the great Rae Leytham! Aren't they adorable! She is just so precious, even if I am her mother.
This week Charleigh had her two month dr. appt. Here is the just of it: Her reflux was still pretty bad, the spit up doesn't come out of her mouth, but you can hear it come up her throat and then she chokes on it, so they put her on Reglan (I will post about this at a later date...but for now, moms DO NOT give this to your baby!). The doc also suggested putting a little cereal in her nighttime bottle which would help give the food some weight so that it doesn't come back up and choke her. I have always believed that you should NOT give your baby cereal this early...I know that I might feel differently if my baby wasn't such a good sleeper but still, this made me leary and I haven't given her any cereal, even if it was the doctor's orders. I've heard you should wait until 4 months, but if her reflux is still bad and she seems like she needs it, I might try a little (and I mean LITTLE) in her bottle when she hits 3 months...Anyway, she was also diagnosed with a "floppy airway" (there is a medical term for it but I can't pronounce it). It just means she breathes loudly sometimes...sounds like someone with a cold. But the doctor assures me that it is doing no harm to her. Her height was in the 80th percentile, her head in the 55th, and her weight in the 45 percentile. Not bad numbers...but holy cow, she is tall :) I am sooo sad to say, Charleigh got her first round of vaccinations this trip. I was determined to make this as painless as possible for her, I was nervous all day. So, about 30 minutes before her appointment I gave her some Tylenol, and about 10 minutes before, I gave her some sugar water (I read that this helps??). Right before the nurse was about to stick her, she was smiling and cooing at her. I just kept thinking, "Oh poor baby, she is about to ruin your sweet mood". And sure enough, she did. She stuck her 3 times (which contained like 6 vaccines...amazing) and I have NEVER in my life, heard my sweet angel cry the way she did at that moment. I was able to calm her but, for about 30 seconds, my heart was more broken than it had ever been before. I totally cried with her. We took the next 15 minutes to sit in the little room and recover, together. Our friend Dan was talking about how this cry (that breaks the heart of a parent) is just like Jesus's love for us. I mean, what was horrible was that she was looking right into the eyes of her mommy, the one who is supposed to protect her and keep her from harm, and mommy was letting this happen to her. The look she gave me at that moment...I am tearing up right now just writing about it. Devastating. How many times have I looked up with hurting eyes at my Jesus, with eyes that said, 'I thought you were the one who was supposed to keep me from harm? If you love me, why am I having to go through this hurt?'. And I know his heart breaks for me. I know he sits down on the floor and holds me and rocks me like his little baby, just like I did for Charleigh. At those times, I never understood that he knew WHY I had to go through those hurts. Just as charleigh's shots are beneficial to her (even though she can't fathom that right now) I now know that my "shots" are for my own benefit too. I understand. It would kill me if Charleigh could speak and said, "Mommy, you don't love me, why are you doing this to me?" But, I have said those very things to my God...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it Jesus, I understand now.

Whew, so that visit was intense.

On to more pleasant things...

Charleigh LOVES her bumbo. She can't even hold her head up that well, but she sure does love to try!

This week was Charleigh's first week in the church nursery. The pediatrician commanded us to keep her out of church and packed places for the first few months due to the Pig Flu and what not. So, we haven't been able to go for a few weeks but, after her vaccinations we decided she was ready to get back to some worshipin' :)Okay, okay, so Justin and I kind of cheated...we actually worked the nursery class she was in :) I couldn't just leave her there with strangers for the first time!!
So, as you can see, it wasn't very eventful. She slept in that swing the WHOLE time. Here is her prospective boyfriend Lucas (Susie and Tyler's boy), aren't they cute together??

After church we went to "Thanksgiving" lunch with Big Mama, Charleigh slept some more...Happy Turkey day Big Mama!

Alright, so some things that are changing with Charleigh this week. She is SO happy in the mornings. She will grunt and whine on her monitor until I go in there in the morning and as soon as she sees me peak over her crib she breaks out into a big smile. EVERY morning she does this, it is the BEST start to our day...I love her. This picture is just a little half grin. (yes, she sleeps on a wedge because of her reflux)

One night this week was not so good though...she woke up at 3am wanted to play and it was bad news after that. But so far, she doesn't have many nights like that, thank the LORD!

Also, she won't roll over for me anymore :( Every time I put her down for tummy time, she just lays there like she is about to go to sleep and then starts screaming. ahhh, I just want to get it on video! But one thing I WAS able to get on video:

You're welcome for that!

Anyway, we had lunch again with Auntie Audrey...I forgot to take pictures this time but it was worth mentioning anyway :) We love you! I am still needing to lose my last 12 pounds...I'm not doing my p90x, I just can't find the time, so the weight is coming off slowly. Oh well.

And I am able to carry her around the house in her Baby Bjorn now. Thank goodness, it lets my hands be free so I can get some stuff done. Justin is glad when this happens and he comes home to less of a tornado than usual. But, she still doesn't like to be in the Bjorn when we go out for very long. She gets bored starring at my chest...I should try turning her facing outward huh??

Well, I'll end this post with some crafts I've been whipping up :)

A feathery headband bow

I cut these flowers out of fabrics and layered them on top of each other with a button...then attached it to a headband

Another headband, pretty plain.

Another wonderful tutu. This one was made with a shimmery type toole. Cute.

And my latest obsession...appliqué! Isn't that little gingham dino adorable??:)