'cause I had a bad day

On the way to Avery's follow-up orthopaedic appointment yesterday, we hit a few bumps in the road.

She wouldn't get into the car on her own. Stuart was not happy to be in his carseat and got angrier the longer it took to wrangle Avery. I ended up chasing her through the yard. After finally buckling her in and calming Stuart down, we headed out and I was lecturing the whole way.

About a mile from our house, I heard banging on top of the car and had a mini panic attack. It was my BlackBerry. Since cursing in front of the children wasn't an option, I just repeated the phrase "I am so angry" over and over again. I made a U-turn on Huntington Parkway and found the phone. I jumped out and saw that it was only the rubber "skin" that protects the device. The BlackBerry itself was several yards down the road. It was terribly scratched but still in one piece -- no doubt because of the skin.

I turned around again and resumed the trip to Vandy. A car pulled out ahead of me and I realized it was an undercover cop pulling over the guy in front of me for speeding. If the BlackBerry hadn't fallen off the roof of my car, it probably would have been me getting pulled over.

So sorry for the posting hiatus. I'm making the adjustment back to work. The transition is manageable, but I'm still getting used to the bumps along the way! Pictures next time...

Silence is golden...or is it?

Disclaimer: The following story is not for those with a weak stomach. Reader discretion advised.

This morning, Avery and I were having breakfast while Stuart was still sleeping upstairs. I stayed downstairs to catch the news headlines on TV. She went upstairs to play. I was just happy she hadn't asked me to walk her upstairs. I told her to play quietly so she wouldn't wake up her brother. I could hear her playing in her room for a few minutes and then I headed upstairs, too, to get my gym bag packed for the Y. (Yes, I'm still forcing myself to go every day.)

When I peered in Avery's room, I saw a bare bottom. She whipped around with a guilty look on her face and immediately said, "Avery change her diaper." It wouldn't have been a big deal except that I also noticed poop on her tush. Panic sets in. I rushed her to the bathroom and made her sit on the potty. It took SEVERAL cleaning products, but I got her clean, the potty clean, and finally the carpet clean. Yes, the carpet.

How do you convince a 2-year-old that if she needs to go to the potty, she can do that by herself, but that if she missed the opportunity, she should let Mommy change her?

Thriving

We're here! Our world is no longer spinning from delirium and lack of sleep. Avery has transitioned nicely to her paci-free world and new-found freedom in the big-girl bed. To be on the safe side, we put up the baby gate at her door at naptime and bedtime. That way, if she wakes up early, she can't wander or fall down the stairs.

Sometimes, if Stuart wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse, he wakes Avery up in the process and she has to be tucked back in. But it's pretty rare; he's a great sleeper. I usually get 7 or 8 hours in a stretch. He even slept 10 hours one night! Crazy! I don't think he'll starve, though. The kid has plenty of fat stores to support him for a few days.

On another note, I resumed my workout schedule at the Y. My abs are feelin' the burn, but that's a great feeling. I just wish I could ensure that my stretch marks would disappear with the extra flab!

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.