Spiritual Bath

Sunday morning, I went to church for the first time in a month. Chad agreed to stay home with Stuart so I could take Avery with me to Sherrod Avenue, the church I attended growing up. We sat with my best friend Jennifer and her husband Jason. Avery managed to behave herself, staying distracted by a Magna-doodle and goldfish crackers. But during the invitation song, a young girl went forward to be baptized. Avery seemed concerned when the projector screen raised, so I explained what was going to happen.

I told her, "Watch the curtain. It's going to open and there will be a boy and a girl back there. He's going to baptize her because she believes in Jesus." Avery looked up at me with big eyes and said, "Amen."

When we got back to Grandma's to get Chad and Stuart, Avery was still talking about the baptism and sharing every detail with Chad. She kept telling him that the girl got a bath behind the curtain and that she wiped her eyes and that she was crying and that people were clapping. Chad told her that it wasn't the same kind of bath that she gets. The best he could come up with was that it was a spiritual bath. Pretty good, huh?

We'd been in Florence for my 10-year reunion. It was a very low-key gathering at Dale's Steak House. We had a great time catching up with each other. Music City was well represented, so we're determined to get together regularly here with the Nashville residents.

I know I promised pictures, but I have yet to download them to the computer. Next time ...

On the upswing

Just a quick update ... we're doing much better. Avery is finally trying to be active. For the first couple of days with the cast, she just wanted to let it hang limply by her side. We've encouraged her to use it as much as she can. She is mostly frustrated with herself when she can't do something that would normally come very easily to her. Since she's left-handed, eating and coloring are the toughest tasks.



If any of you have tips on how to dress her, please help me! At least we're staying inside all the time right now. We can only put sleeveless or short-sleeved shirts on her and they have to have big enough holes to fit her cast through. Pray that this cold snap is short-lived! If we let her have her way, she'd wear her nightgown all day long!

The first couple of nights, we had to wake up every 2 hours to wiggle Avery's fingers for her to make sure she doesn't swell and be certain her arm is in an elevated position. I was taking two shifts when I was already going to be up to feed Stuart. (Interrupted sleep is common in our household!) Now we're cutting back to every 4 hours because she's finally doing most of the moving on her own.

We head back to the doctor for x-rays on Monday! Let's hope the arm is healing correctly. Pictures of a happier, more active child next time ....

When it rains...

We thought our season of plagues was over. Now we're waiting to see what's waiting around the next corner.

This morning, Avery made her first ever attempt to escape from her crib. She managed to break her arm when she landed. It wasn't a major fracture, but she also dislocated her elbow in the process. Of course, we didn't know this upon first assessment. I convinced Chad that she at least needed to be checked out since she couldn't squeeze my fingers or raise her arm up. And since it was the weekend, our only option was the ER.

Chad took her to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for x-rays and they determined that she would need surgery to put pins in. Poor kiddo. She was so brave, though. Chad and I, on the other hand, were just trying to hold it together. I think we were mostly just tired, but we couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking that maybe we could have done something differently to prevent the accident. We've gotta get over that and just focus on taking care of her and making sure she heals correctly.

Please pray that we can adjust to this minor inconvenience. (I'm mainly concerned about bathtime!) We'll make it just fine. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

Are you kidding me?

Stuart is 2 weeks old today. I can't believe it. Now time is flying by! Avery is very proud. She is acting out a little bit, but for the most part she's handling this transition well.

Our drama of the week, however, is that Chad has the shingles! Aarg! He's normally a very healthy guy, but since the beginning of my third trimester, his immune system has pooped out. He started getting headaches on Friday night and ibuprofen wasn't helping. He got an early appointment with the doctor on Monday morning, and they found spots behind his left ear. Since then, he's been breaking out on his scalp, forehead, nose and eyelids. As I type, he's at the opthamologist to make sure it's not in his eyes. What a nightmare!

For now, we're making sure he stays away from Stuart and we're all washing our hands like crazy. Please pray that this runs its course quickly! Thanks for checking on us.

Stuart at home

My sweet boy's chubby cheeks

Proud big sister before church

Bonding with Uncle Ben

Our first few days at home have been interesting. We're just trying to get used to having an extra person in the house. Probably the toughest thing is that I'm not allowed to pick up Avery for 2 more weeks. She always wants to be held. And when she goes down for a nap or bedtime, I can't put her in the bed or get her out. Aarg!

I'm also trying to get used to teeny tiny diaper changes -- on a BOY! I've been peed on quite a bit. Stuart has quite the range! He has been so good, though. He's nursing well. He even slept well last night. We always worry about his being fussy at night and the risk that he might wake up his big sister. So far, she has snoozed right on through the night.

Stuart had a doctor visit yesterday. The hospitalist encouraged us to go see the pediatrician before the 1-week mark due to the risk that I might have passed GBS to Stuart. He checked out great, though. He was almost back to his birth weight already (even though he feels so tiny) and had great reflexes. We were very encouraged by being there.

Now the challenge will be adjusting to Chad's being back at work. Say a little prayer!

It's a BOY!

Our little one finally made an appearance! After much anticipation, we had a little boy on Wednesday morning at 7:42 a.m. Stuart Benton Troup made his entrance into the world weighing a whopping 9 lbs 2 oz and measuring 20 2/4" long.

I woke Wednesday morning around 3 a.m. thinking I was having a contraction. I had 3 in a row 15 minutes apart each and then they started coming closer and closer together. We called my mom and she encouraged us to call Dr. Staggs. He told us to come on in. We called Melanie Brown to come stay at the house until Avery woke up and we high-tailed it to the hospital, arriving there at 6 a.m.

I completely expected Dr. Staggs to say we weren't very far along, but I was already 8 cm dilated! We had expected to be induced on Friday and have family there, but it was just Chad and me and the Centennial staff welcoming Stuart into the world a short time later. Labor was definitely fast and furious. Even if I'd planned on having an epidural, there wouldn't have been time! This 4 hour labor was much more manageable than the 40 hour labor with Avery!

Avery was the first one to meet her little brother. A little timid at first, she warmed up to him quickly. Chad's parents arrived shortly thereafter and my parents still had quite the haul from North Carolina.

We were grateful for all the visits and gifts at the hospital, but we're thrilled to be at home now! And our house is clean! (At least it was.) Our precious life group friends had broken into our house and cleaned and decorated it for us. We are blessed!

We're so happy to have our little boy safely in the world. Welcome Stuart!

Still pregnant

My due date has come and gone. Just like Avery, this child is quite content in the familiar comfort of my womb and has decided to stay inside.

Going to church was really tough yesterday. I actually dreaded it because I knew I'd get a thousand comments like "you mean you haven't had that baby yet" and "what are you doing here?" Besides that, I get random people rubbing my belly and talking to it. I'm not terribly uncomfortable being poked in the belly, but I'm most bothered by the fact that people don't ask to touch. They just touch. I read an article on BabyCenter about how to handle that situation. One gal said she just rubs people back if they touch without asking. Then they get the idea! Hilarious!

I'm definitely not complaining about going full term (and then some) with this baby. So many people have a hard time carrying babies, have difficult pregnancies, or can't get pregnant at all. We are blessed.

The latest news we have is that I go to the doctor tomorrow for a non-stress test and possibly a biophysical profile to make sure everything is okay in there. If the baby hasn't arrived on its own by Friday, I'll be induced. I REALLY don't want to be induced. I'd like to go into labor on my own so I'm not a "watched pot." I'd prefer to labor at home without induction drugs. Please pray for us! I'll update when we have more news.

Shop 'til you Drop

PLEASE take advantage of this great sale at Otter Creek starting Thursday. The sale is quickly becoming one of the area's best and biggest. We're the largest not-for-profit sale in the state, I think. All the proceeds are going toward building the Otter Creek Kindergarten at our new site.

You'll find all sorts of great deals - infants' and children's clothing, maternity wear, furniture, baby gear, accessories, toys, books, and all sorts of other great deals. Go shop and bring a friend!

You Say It's Your Birthday

Today is my sweet husband's 27th birthday. He catches up with me in age for a few days each year! The poor thing is desperately trying to fight a virus that has plagued him for the last 4 days. We had big plans for stuff to do today, but our primary concern is to get him well so he can play a very active role in the delivery of his second child ANY DAY NOW.

Doll, I love you more every day. Thank you for choosing me and making me a better person. You are my best friend and I couldn't imagine this life without you. You're my world! Happy Birthday!

Exit/In Saturday

Just a quick reminder that FLOREZ will be performing at Exit/In on Saturday, February 23. Clark Richard and Brotherhood are opening for them at 9. Then FLOREZ goes on at 10. It's an 18+ show and it's $8. Hope to see you there! Actually, I hope to see ME there. No telling when this baby is going to show up.

A belated birthday post

My sweet girl recently celebrated her second birthday. We had a very low-key gathering at home with family and friends and made every effort to let Avery know how special she is.

Her transformation from baby to little girl has been miraculous. Time has FLOWN by. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, happy, laid-back little girl. She is the center of our world.

I'm a very proud mama. Here are some of our best shots from the celebration.

My new favorite band

I've been totally blessed with the most fun job EVER! I get to do PR for all sorts of clients, so I meet quite a range of talent.

Chad has done taxes for a band called FLOREZ for the last several months. He came home one day early last fall to tell me that one of the band members had been secretly out of commission for the summer and that he'd just learned why. Erik Huffman, FLOREZ bassist, had been filming Survivor: China!

My mind immediately went into PR mode and I wanted to make sure the guys were taking advantage of Erik's exposure to raise the band's profile. We went to see their show at The Rutledge (a great live music venue, by the way) a couple of months ago and were pleasantly surprised. Not only was the music fantastic, but they also put on a GREAT show.

We all started talking about what could be done through the fall TV season while Survivor was still airing. The biggest challenge was that the band had been going through so many changes and had been on hiatus from performing and recording since Erik had been out of the country.

Erik didn't win the million-dollar prize, but found an adorable girlfriend in the process in fellow contestant Jaime Dugan. The guys have been hitting the studio and recently released their "Yellow Shoes" EP. They're wrapping up recording on another EP to whet their fans' appetites until they're able to record a new full-length album.

I can honestly say that their music is fantastic. I keep 3 of their CDs in my car at all times. Be sure to visit their site and listen! They'll be performing at Exit/In on Saturday, February 23 at 9 p.m. I'll be sure to remind you a little closer to the show.

Playing Catch-up

Chad and I spent a fantastic few days in Los Angeles celebrating the marriage of Chad's best friend, Za Farley, to his sweet new bride Krishon. I was a bit concerned about flying so late in my pregnancy, but everything went really smoothly. We arrived on a Wednesday and went to work making sure the happy couple had everything taken care of for the Saturday wedding.

I spent the nights at the new home they'd be sharing together and Chad stayed with Za (and all the other groomsmen) at one of the groomsmen's houses. We only spent our last night in L.A. together. Crazy!

I went with Krishon to an amazing spa on Thursday for manicures, pedicures, waxing, sulfur baths, mud baths, pools, and pampering. It was divine! I'll have to get copies of the pictures the maid of honor took of me in the mud bath. The girls had my large belly slathered in goopy mud.

On Thursday night, we hit Buca di Beppo for dinner before the bachelorette party. We had intended to go to a karaoke bar after dinner, but the bride had forgotten her driver's license to prove her age. If you've ever been to L.A., you know you can't get anywhere quickly, so we opted to head back to her house for games and late-night naughtiness. It was hilarious!

On Friday, we ran last-minute errands and decorated the church. At rehearsal on Friday night, I was put in charge. Dangerous! After smoothing out the rough spots, we nailed down the wedding day gameplan. (Bossiness is taken so much better from a pregnant chick!)

We got up EARLY on Saturday to take Krishon to get her hair done and then to church to get dressed. We were SO behind schedule -- which is tough for a morning wedding. We made it, though! The ceremony started late because the guest line was out the door. The guitarist wasn't anticipating a late start, so he just kept playing the same song over and over. I doubt anyone noticed. The ceremony itself was amazing and so sweet.

There was a cake reception at the church and then a formal reception in Malibu on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Gorgeous!!!! We danced and stuffed ourselves and took thousands of pictures with the photographer.

After the getaway, Chad and I drove Za and Krishon to their house to change and get their luggage and he took them to their hotel. He picked up food on the way back to the house and I ate it asleep. I literally could not open my eyes to eat.

We got up at 4 Sunday morning. (Yes, I said 4.) Chad touched base with Jackson, who was our ride to the airport, but he wasn't able to get his rental car out of the garage! What is that about???? We had to call a cab, but made it to the airport on time. However, when we got there, we learned that Northwest had switched us to a Continental flight. We ran -- yes, this fatty ran -- to the next terminal only to realize we needed to be on the other end of the airport. After waiting for a shuttle (dry heaving in the process), we didn't make it on time. We had to catch a later flight home. At least we got home.

It took us a week to recover from our trip, but it was definitely worth it to spend time with such good friends.

8 Things About Avery

We've been tagged! Carrie, I haven't been ignoring you -- we've just been swamped with nursery preparation the last few days.

But without further adieu ... here are some of my favorite things about my sweet girl:

1. Every morning when we get her out of her crib, Avery says, "Eat breakfast. Avery eat waffle." She loves frozen waffles.

2. She's obsessed with Elmo. I'm not sure how she even learned about him, but she's got Elmo radar and sees him everywhere we go.

3. She loves to count and jump. "One, two, free, jump." When we tell her to count to 5 and then jump, she says, "One, two, five, jump."

4. She has been thoughtfully contemplating giving up her pacifier. I'd love her to give it up before baby 2 arrives, but I don't want her to think the new baby is taking it away from her!

5. Avery loves to call people on her cell phone (an old one of mine with the battery removed). 90% of the time, she's calling Papa. In fact, she's pretending to be on the phone with him right now!

6. She is fully convinced that "If you're happy and you know it, say 'Roll Tide'" is an actual verse to the song. She says "Roll Tide" to random strangers wearing Alabama apparel and identifies elephants as Big Al about half the time. Just trying to raise her right, y'all!

7. She adores Miss Carol at Crieve Hall and always thinks we're going to school when we drive past it any day of the week.

8. She loves her jammies -- especially her Nick & Nora "sheep jammies" that are too small for her -- and if you ask her what time it is, it's always "time for a nap."

So now, I'm supposed to tag 8 more, so I'm tagging Emmy M., Elijah N., Caroline W., Mallory M., Abigail & Ansley J., Baylor M., and Aiden M. Go forth and conquer!

Spoiled Rotten

We had a fun holiday as Chad's office was closed from Dec 24-January 1. He got to be home with us, so Avery and I were spoiled by having him around. The only down side was that I still hadn't shaken the sinus infection I'd gotten the week before and the holidays don't exactly make it easy to see a doctor. The father of one of Chad's childhood friends is a doctor in Huntsville (where we were the week following Christmas), so he did us a favor and worked me in so I could get a different antibiotic. I still sound like a chain smoker, but I'm slowly improving and I'm not contagious.

Here are some long overdue photos from our Christmas. This is Avery's new chaise lounge. My dad had it reupholstered for us. It's going in Avery's room to replace the rocking chair that's moving to the nursery. Didn't it turn out great???



This is my little cowgirl. The outfit was a gift from Bebe (Chad's mom.) The boots that came with it were too big and when we went to exchange them, there were none left. So Avery picked out her new pair. She's a little fashion diva.



In her Christmas pajamas (Ho Ho Jammies, as she calls them) on Christmas morning. We went in her room that morning to find her jumping up and down in her crib waiting for us.



Ride 'em cowboy! Lucky for us, this rocking horse resides at Bebe and Papa John's house. It sings a song when you press its ear and I have no idea how to remove the batteries! Also notice the basketball goal back there. That one came home with us. We have no room indoors for it, so we'll have to play when it gets a little warmer around here.



On another note, I haven't really talked much about my pregnancy on this blog, so I suppose it's time. It's very different this time since we aren't finding out the gender. We can't refer to the baby by name, but it's SO MUCH FUN to speculate and imagine what we're having.

I feel really different this time, too. I'm much more uncomfortable. I can attribute much of that to trying to keep up with a toddler, I suppose. This child is VERY active in utero. It likes to stretch, kick and tumble all day (and all night) long. I feel like I'm carrying high and I quite possibly have an elbow in my lungs right now. I also think this baby is more out front. With Avery, if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought she was going to fall out my rear. I'm pretty sure she broke my tail bone. But this little one threatens to climb out my belly button.

We're expecting the nursery furniture to arrive in a few days. We'll start painting this weekend and I'm picking up the fabric early next week and starting on the bedding, window treatments and rocker slipcover. There's so much to do before this kiddo arrives, so we're just trying not to panic.

We're getting ready to head to L.A. for Chad's best friend's wedding, too, so I need to rest up and make sure I'm in good condition to travel so far so late in my pregnancy. If this child is anything like Avery, I don't have to worry about delivering early.

Till next time . . .

It's too quiet in here

After a few days of sore throat, cough, sneezing and general yuckiness, I headed to the doctor this morning. Sinus infection. Great. I have plenty of time for that in the midst of finishing my Christmas shopping and packing. (Please note the sarcasm.)

For the majority of the day, I've been trying to take it easy on the couch and let the meds kick in. I used every ounce of energy I had to feed Avery some lunch and clean up a bit. I was straightening the living room, trying to recover from the tornado of puzzles on the floor and realized that it was really quiet. I yelled, "Avery, where are you?" I heard her tiny voice say "in da kitchen." Then I heard the toilet seat.

I raced through the kitchen to the half bath and found the little loon with her pants around her ankles trying to put the toilet paper (completely unrolled) back on the roll. A definite Kodak moment I couldn't miss. She told me that she wanted to go on mommy's potty. I think it's time for door knob covers!

Hope you weren't holding your breath!

Many apologies if you were waiting around for me to write -- that's if any of you are still even checking for updates!

I'm at the very end of my last campaign for work before the holidays. Lola and I decided not to take on anything extra -- just in case. She delivered her first son VERY EARLY, so we're not taking chances. Besides, we need to make sure we're really rested before we each become parents of two. Holy Cow!

That said, I'm praying myself to Friday. I've made hundreds of media calls in the last two weeks and it's not only physically exhausting, but it's sometimes ego deflating. Of those hundreds of calls, it's rare to actually get a live person on the phone and when you do, most of the time they're either too busy to talk to you or completely not interested in what you've got to say. That's when I have to put my game face on and plow through. You absolutely must believe in what you're pitching and feel confident that there is someone out there who is going to be thrilled to cover it. I've got the pleasure of doing tour press for Moya Brennan, who is performing her holiday album, An Irish Christmas, on the U.S. leg of her world tour. She's Enya's sister and lead singer of their family band, Clannad. How cool!

In other news, we're decking our halls for the holidays. I LOVE Christmas. I'm already listening to Mix 92.9 around the clock to get myself psyched up for the holidays. Avery is intrigued by the lights and decorations, too. When we were in NC, she helped Nana decorate the tree and had a ball. She's also very into her "Ho Ho jammies" (red & white striped pajamas with a matching hat.) Looks like I've infected her with the Christmas spirit!

I also couldn't resist sharing a photo of my not-so-little brother carving the Thanksgiving turkey.

Been on hiatus

So sorry for the long lapse in posting. I wonder if I even have any remaining readers any more. We've had a very eventful last couple of weeks and I've been overwhelmed by the holidays.

We're currently in North Carolina at my parents' house. The house smells magnificent -- turkey, cornbread, freshly-peeled oranges, and all things Thanksgiving. We've been eating like kings (and queens and princesses). It's so hard being pregnant this time of year. Even though I'm supposedly "eating for two," I feel terribly guilty for every bite that ends up in my belly. Pretty sure I'm way ahead of schedule on my weight gain this pregnancy, but I've been told I should either be more careful about the types of foods I'm eating or just delight in the fact that I'm fat anyway and enjoy it. I guess I'll enjoy it!

The holidays bring the most decadent foods and family gatherings require everything in a casserole. Bring on the butter! We've tricked ourselves into thinking we're eating healthy by masquerading these butter dishes behind vegetable facades, too. Not only that, but you MUST have a bite of everyone's casserole -- troublesome if you attend a gathering with a large family as everyone is responsible for bringing a different dish.

I learned this morning that the number one food on the day after Thanksgiving is take-out pizza. No wonder! It's so much easier to prepare (just pick up the phone!) and clean-up is a cinch. It's probably healthier than all the casseroles anyway.

Black Friday is absolutely the worst thing about Thanksgiving. It's pitiful how people bundle up their exhausted, cold children and force them into what is essentially the running of the bulls at 2 a.m. Not my idea of a fun time. We woke up at 9 o'clock this morning. Yay! I'll stick to catalogs and online shopping.

We wish you and yours all the best the season has to offer! Happy holidays!

God is taking pictures!

Yesterday afternoon, Avery and I zipped outside to get the mail around 4. What a nice afternoon. And then.....the clouds rolled in. It got incredibly dark incredibly fast. With a cold front on the move into town, it bumped right into the warm front we'd had going on here for the last few days. Yikes! The perfect storm.

With it getting so dark, Avery was acting hungry, so with Chad at a work event, we were on our own for dinner. What does that mean in our house? Spaghetti-Os! I pulled Avery's bowl out of the microwave and put her in her high chair. Her high chair is right by the back window. When I couldn't see the head and tail lights of the cars on Old Hickory from the window, I went in for a closer look. When the lightning flashed, all I could see was swirling wind and rain.

I very quickly rolled the high chair to the safest interior space in our house and then the power went out. It was pitch black. I managed to keep Avery calm by telling her that the lightning was God taking pictures of us. The power blinked on a couple of times, so Avery clapped and cheered. Then it was off for a long time, so I pulled out the candles. Avery had Spaghetti-Os by candlelight. I, on the other hand, had peanut butter crackers since that was all I could see to find in the kitchen that didn't require heating. Oh well.

We moved our party to the car in the garage so we could listen to the radio. (No, we don't have a battery-powered radio within easy reach in our house.) Avery enjoyed "driving," beeping the horn, flipping the turn signal, turning on the hazard lights and climbing from front to back seat. Once we were sure the storm had passed, we returned to the comfort of our living room and played puzzles and read books by candlelight.

I called NES to report our outage on their automated phone system. The final prompt tells you to press "1" if you want to be called and informed when your power is restored. Hmmm, let me think about that. No, thanks. I think I'll figure that out when EVERY LIGHT IN MY HOUSE COMES ON AT THE SAME TIME. Give me a break!

Whirlwind holiday

The last week has blown by so quickly. We jumped in the car immediately after church on Sunday to meet my aunt Amy to hitch a ride with her to North Carolina to visit my parents. The journey there took FOREVER, but we managed to arrive before midnight. We spent Monday hunting for shopping deals on last-minute Halloween costumes (and collected a couple for next year, too!) Monday night, mom had a bunch of friends over to see Amy's fall CAbi clothing collection (Carol Anderson by invitation). After lunch on Tuesday with mom and dad, we jumped back in the car and returned to the central time zone. Yep! Quick trip!

Wednesday, I forced myself to hit the YMCA and then met with the Creative Planning Team at Otter Creek for lunch and a brainstorming session for Tim's upcoming series on Time. I'm really looking forward to his message this season. So much preparation and prayer goes into his message. I am grateful that we're blessed with his talent.

I made an early dinner for our family and we tried to get Avery out the door for some quick Trick-or-Treating before church. No such luck. The child didn't want to put on her costume. Chad had let her try it on that morning, so she was a bit freaked out by it. Marvelous. We thought we'd be able to bribe her to put it on for Jay, Melanie, Tori and Abby Brown before church, but they weren't home, so we just zipped off to Parade of Bible Characters. Rather than wear myself out (and the kiddo who'd have to actually wear the costume) we opted to be audience members at church. Surprisingly, Avery really enjoyed clapping and cheering for each kid that crossed the stage.

We headed home to see if any porch lights were still on in our neighborhood. We convinced Avery to put her costume on and we popped over to our next door neighbors' house. Here's our adorable pink poodle.

I'm also overdue for a post from our visit to Walden Farm. Avery had the most fun with the tractors and shopping cart. We brought home two "punk nins" that day that Avery is VERY proud of!