Adios paci -- Adios sleep

As innocent as she looks here, this child can be a royal terror when she hasn't gotten a good nap or long night's rest. Upon getting the cast off last week, we took the front off Avery's crib (as suggested by the doctor to prevent any more base jumping.) She adjusted pretty quickly and seemed pleased to have been trusted with a bit of freedom.

On Saturday, she told us that she was ready to trade in her paci for a toy. We'd been building up the moment for a while. Although we'd initially planned to get rid of the paci whe she turned 2, Stuart's arrival was a bit too imminent. But Saturday seemed perfect because she thought it was her idea. We took her to Babies R Us and let her trade it in for a big Magnadoodle. Of course, at naptime that day, she realized what she'd done and lost it. The last few days, she hasn't napped or slept through the night. No matter how rough it gets, she's not getting the paci back. We're just going to have to ride out this little storm.

She doesn't seem the least bit jealous of Stuart's paci. In fact, she loves to give it to him when he gets fussy. She's pretty proud of her baby brother.


Loving on Stuart

Stuart loves to swing

Stuart flexing his massive muscles

Welcome to the world baby girl!

Campbell Reese Loiseau was born Thursday to my sweet friend Keeley and her husband Gene. When I found out that she and I were expecting at the same time, I was thrilled to be going through this with her. Keeley and I have been friends as long as I can remember. Our moms were college roommates. Keeley's parents, Susan and Steve Furman, have always jokingly called me their second daugher, so I'm claiming this sweet baby as my niece.


Keeley, Gene and Campbell

Proud grandparents, Susan and Steve (Go-Go and Doodah, I think)

Little girl, you're going to have a great life! You've got really fun parents and your grandparents are full of energy. And Stuart is really looking forward to getting to know you!

"Doctor take Avery's arm off"

Avery has been looking forward to this day. We've been building it up for the last week so she wouldn't be afraid. She wanted to match her cast today to go to the hospital to see the doctor. She kept saying "Doctor take Avery's arm off" and we kept having to explain that he wasn't taking the arm off, just the cast.

They didn't really tell us what to expect this morning. We just showed up expecting to get the cast off, come home, and take a big bath. Not quite so easy. Avery had a minor flip out moment when the fella came at her with the saw (I think I would have, too, at that age), but she sat really still and let him pry it off. He was desperately trying to joke with her, but she wasn't having anything to do with it. Poor guy.

Next, they took her for an x-ray to see if the arm had healed correctly. They informed me afterward that if it hadn't we would have to have another cast put on. Try telling that to a 2-year-old who is living for her freedom from the cast. Luckily, the x-rays looked great, so they had to take the pins out. No anesthesia. Poor child. The nurse gripped each pin with pliers and pulled. Kill me. Even bubbles and a Lion King book couldn't distract the child. They slapped on a Bugs Bunny band-aid and sent us home.

We got the bill for all this over the weekend. It was over $10K before insurance. That's more than it cost to have Stuart and stay in the hospital 3 days! That's crazy!!! The bulk of the expense was anesthesia. There's no telling how much Stuart would have cost if I'd gotten an epidural. One more reason I'd do it all over again! He's happy to hear that he didn't cost too much.

Baby Goliath

Stuart had his 1-month checkup today. Our big boy is now 11 lbs., 11 oz. and 23 1/4 inches long. That puts him in the 95th percentile! When he was born, Alice Griffith lovingly dubbed him "Baby Goliath," so I guess it's gonna stick!

Yesterday, Avery found funfetti frosting in the pantry and begged me to help her bake me a birthday cake since I didn't have one last week. The cake turned out great and she went into sugar shock from licking the spoon. Aside from a broken egg on the counter, we managed to keep the kitchen fairly clean. I'm raising a little Betty Crocker!

As promised

As promised, here are some photos of a happier child in her cast.

Here's Stuart (Baby Goliath) in the same bassinet my grandma slept in as a baby.

And Avery LOVES her baby brother. Aren't they sweet?


This is a personal favorite. Grandaddy is very excited about his first great grandson!

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 . . .