This Just In

The Tada Shop

The Tada Shop, you gotta love that name! The just-launched site for apparel (girls, boys, babies) and toys is more than a virtual shopping cart; it compares and contrasts looks and prices from hundreds of brands, saving you the chore of website hopping, hence the TADA!

It works like this...Need a red dress for less than $50? Select the right filters and — presto! — choices appear. Toddler boys’ polos? Ka-zam — you’re in business. Sellers range from big-name (J.Crew, Mini Boden) to indie (Neige, Mini Rodini); AND... when it’s time to buy, you’re directed to their sites.

Rounding things out are the Create a Look feature that lets you piece together and see entire outfits, expert style tips, and sales.

I just love websites that are created to be ready, willing and happy (with showmenship) to make things easier for MOMS! YAY!!! Bravo!!! TADA!!!

It all deserves a major fanfair.

Unanswerable Questions

"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him" (Psalm 91:15a).

Do your younger children drive you crazy with all their questions each day? With an insatiable desire to know "why," they ask a barrage of unending questions that parents are forced to answer as best they can. Some questions like "Why is the sky blue?" and "Where do babies come from?" might set us back for a few minutes as we think of the best way to answer. But other questions like "Why did Grandpa die?" and "Why did God let my sister get cancer?" pose a much bigger challenge. Sometimes, questions are simply unanswerable and the "whys" of life's problems have no answer keys for us to use.

Like little children, countless men and women in the Bible also asked questions when they struggled through the "whys" of life's difficulties. Job's life is one such example. After suffering horrific loss of belongings, family, and health, he sat down and asked God "why" in Job 31. God never gave Job an outright answer, but He did counteract Job's question with a few questions of His own, including "Where were you when I created the world?" Confessing his ignorance in questioning a Holy God, Job reached the point of submissive humility and brokenness. "Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not"(Job 42:3).

Are you looking for some answers to the "whys" in your life? Is the pain and suffering that you're experiencing causing you to wonder, "Where is God? Doesn't He know what is happening to me?" Perhaps God is taking you to a new level of trusting in Him, or He is trying to teach you a deeper truth. Either way, God has not left you. He sees your every tear and will deliver you in His time. Will you continue to hope in Him and wait for His answer? "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 43:5).

Lord, I acknowledge that You alone are God. I lay my burden at Your feet and ask You to strengthen me to face this problem in my life. Even if I never know "why," I will continue to trust in You and Your love for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You can help save a home

Pink and Stuffed with Fluff

Ok, I'll admit it.

I'm having so much fun with this little girl of mine.
She is either going to laugh and think that she is as adorable in this picture when she grows up as I do, or she is going to be so mad at me for dressing her up so fluffy.

But look!!!

She is pink and she is a G I R L!!!

She is now 3 months old and smiles and coos. So, of course she is enjoying it. Never mind that she screamed her head off before this picture was taken because I was messing with her so much. Hey, she got happy again.....

ok

Once I called in support from her father and he gave her a pat pat walk around the house and gave her a bottle and burped her and gently placed her down on this furry blanket covered bouncy seat.

She may have given a slight whimper when I placed her legs like this, BUT I'm sure she really enjoyed it. I mean... look! Here is Proof, she is smiling.

Ok, so daddy is off camera and getting her to stop crying and she's reacting to his sweet talk....but over all she is ok.

I, on the other hand, am standing to her right, in a time out because I touched her too much and made her cry, I'm in a hands off posture, ok, a fetal position, but the picture turned out so cute.

I love that I have someone around to play tea party with, and baby dolls, Barbies, doll houses, and play house. I cannot wait to pass on recipes to her and bond while teaching her how to knit. Dressing up and going to the ballet, symphony and plays.

ahhhhhh, it will be so fun.

Ok, for me it will be fun. She might not think so but a mom can dream right?

Quick Banana Bread, But for Me, 3 Hours

Mother of an Infant, Recipe for banana bread:

I am at home more often now, and for some reason I think I have time for baking. It's chilly outside and I have a desire to bake and fill the house with a warm fragrance of baked bread. I have found it takes much longer than it should, but here’s a recipe for how to make Quick banana bread: in 3 hours:

1. Feed baby until she falls asleep. Good, she should sleep long enough so I can get some breakfast.

2. Find a good recipe while eating breakfast. I have a hankering for warm bread today, and I have overripe bananas to get rid of soon.

3. Enjoy breakfast and coffee, then I preheat the oven.

4. Baby is waking up. Change her diaper, give her a pacifier, cross my fingers and put her down.

5. Get out the flour and sugar. By the time they hit the counter, baby is screaming again.

6. Try the pacifier one more time.

7. Get out the measuring cup. Pacifier didn’t work, she’s crying again. Measure out the flour anyway.

8. Feed the baby. By now, the oven is preheated. Oh well, it will stay warm. I'm nursing.

9. Baby has fallen asleep after a bit. Try to put her down, and of course she wakes up again. Play with her, and give her the pacifier again. She may entertain herself for a couple of minutes.

10. Measure out sugar.

11. Get the new package of sugar from the pantry. At least I thought of this when I went grocery shopping 2 days ago (in one of her quiet moments). This infant is scheduling my life and has really helped me be more prepared! (Girl scouts aside ...)

12. She’s fussing again. Check diaper – has she pooped yet? I could tell she was working on it, and poor baby hasn’t pooped in 3 days.

13. Darn it. In the middle of baking, I'm disappointed baby doesn’t have a poopy diaper. How's that for new mommy thoughts, I'm thinking about poopy diapers, this is my life now?

14. Put baby down. Measure out salt and baking soda while I listen to her complain.

15. Put baby in sling. Turn off the music from her bouncy seat. Three months old and that music already driving me nuts, I realize one day she will be big enough to turn the music on herself.

16. Mash the bananas. I sure wish she were old enough for solids so I could give her some of these yummy mashed bananas. Fortunately she’s doing well with breastmilk (how did she suddenly get big enough for a 6-month outfit?)

17. Baby is squirming too much. Walk around for a few minutes.

18. Combine eggs and bananas.

19. Stir in dry ingredients.

20. Walk around for a while, baby is too squirmy in the sling. Try a pacifier.

21. Put the bread dough in the pan while singing the “pat it and roll it and mark it with a 'B' and put it in the oven for Baby and Me” song.

22. Put the baby down again. She’s quiet!

23. Put the bread in the oven, and bake for an hour.

24. Enjoy 15 minutes of silence while baby sleeps (and I start working on dinner).

Sleep when baby sleeps? How does that work?

A Southern Snowfall

My oldest child was born in January, the day after a huge Nor-easter hit the state of Connecticut. I was very nervous about getting to the hospital for our scheduled c-section, but that was just my pregnant mommy mind feeling tense about traveling through the snow. In Connecticut, they snowplow every street, spread salt and sand so most roads are open. We made it to the hospital without a problem.

My son spent the first four and a half years of his life playing in the New England winters. Snow angels, igloos, snowball fights, snow-cream, sledding, icicle smashing, you name it, he loved winter time outside. When the snow melted that first spring he was bored with the grass. It was rather funny. There was one snow patch left to play in our yard and as a toddler he just sat down and cried because he missed the snow. I promised him that playing outside in the spring and summer would be fun too. There's sandboxes, sprinklers and pools to play in for many warm months. He was not buying it, he loved the snow and as a toddler, he wanted snow...NOW!

Winters are different for us now, we moved back to Alabama four years ago. When we told our son that there was going to be snow in Alabama too, he expected to see snow start falling in October and ending in April. Sorry sonny boy, Alabama does have seasons, pretty falls, beautiful springs and summers, but the winters are milder than New England, yet it still snows). Well, it took a few years for it to happen, but two years in a row we've have had snow, (not lots but some). Also, when it snows in Alabama the snow doesn't stay around for long. By the end of the day, its gone. As children we learned to get dressed in warm clothes fast and get out and play with whatever amount of snow that falls from the sky.

Here are a few pictures of our quick Alabama snow. Just in case you slept in and missed it.

This blue bundle is my youngest son. This is his first snow. He's wearing the same snow suit my oldest wore at his first snow. My how they grow up so fast.


There you have it, snow in Dixie.

Balancing Act

Balancing Acts
Wednesday / January 13, 2010


"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it" (Proverbs 3:27).

I'm sure that if someone had peeked through my windows during my early years of being a mommy, they would have laughed at my antics. Many days, I felt like the circus performer who balances the spinning plates on top of a pole as I attempted to balance the needs of each person in my family. On any given day, I tried to spin my husband's plate with affection and undivided attention as he came through the doorway after work. I also worked hard to spin my creative son's plate with assistance in science experiments and projects that held his interest. Later when we had our baby boy I knew I needed to stop the wobbling of his plate and run to the kitchen to help him as he learned how to ask for more milk and food. Finally, to top it all off, we had a third child and two dogs, there was always toddlers fussing and babies needing their plates spun with a clean diaper and our dogs needed companionship for playtime. I knew that at some point I was going to run out of energy trying to keep each of their plates turning and wondered, "Who's going to spin my plate to keep this whole super-mommy act going?"

Praise God, the plates never did crash, but I did learn how to keep them spinning with someone else's energy other than my own. That someone was Jesus, and it was to Him that I ran each morning for the power to keep my own plate spinning. Knowing I only had so much strength, He showed me when and how to spin the plates of the family members who needed it most. I realized, too, that as much as I loved and wanted to help each member of my family, I was not responsible for making them happy or fulfilling every one of their needs. The power was simply not in my hands! Just as I had gone to the Lord for strength; they also needed to learn to cast their cares on Him. "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee" (Psalm 55:22a).

Do you feel like you're teetering on the edge of disaster at home with your children? If so, you may need to hand off those spinning plates into the hands of the One who can balance them much better than you. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24).

Jesus, I'm so tired from trying to make our home successful in my own strength. Help me find the balance I need this new year to meet each of my family's needs with Your wisdom and strength. In Your name, Amen.

Share your comments about this devotional

Done

There is something bitter sweet about knowing that I just had my last baby/child of my life. I love my kids very much, but I cannot believe I am to a point in life that I know I'm done. Somedays, I think that I would flip out and go nuts with another 9 months of ever growing girth. Then there are days that my middle boy and baby are so sweet and both at cute stages of their life and I would love another baby.

But Seriously Folks, I'm done. Done, done, done having babies! I think I'm at an adult milestone. Wow! Now to focus on taking care of these three, forever. oy, yeah...I'm done.

These are the walls I started at for my 5 day recovery while in the hospital. My view was of a court yard/circular drive/ front of the hospital. How very nice it was. Inside my view was ...well, you see for yourself.

To my right a large window looking at the hospital entrance.
To my left was a rocking chair and a clock to make my day tick tock slowly. Behind the curtain is a large sink and work area with a small refrigerator.
And straight ahead of me. The TV storage unit. SO much fun to look at. I had no time to watch TV. What? Why didn't I watch TV? I'm not a big TV watcher and Hello...I was taking care of a newborn.
My door. I was asked to walk the halls to get me feeling better. I instead felt like being plopped in my wafer thin hospital bed.
my pink sassy boa wreath on my door, given to me by my Aunt.

This was a fun time in life. To be wheeled into the room to recover while holding baby newborn. To watch the bath and diaper changing. To have family fill the room and ooo and aahhh over baby. This room is baby's first home. From here we go home to family, never to return again....

Good Bye Room 217

Menu For a Celebration of Friendship Tea Party

Nut Bread with Three Apple Butter

Tuna Pinwheels

Cranberry Streusel Cake

Best Tasting Short cut Brownies

Recipes:

Three Apple Butter

1 pound unsalted sweet butter

1 Granny Smith apple, quartered with core and skin

1 Winesap apple quartered with core and skin

1 Macon apple, quartered with core and skin

(You may use any combination of cooked apples, as long as some are tart and some are sweet).

Place all ingredients in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Cook 30 minutes over medium low heat, lowering heat as apples cook, and stirring occasionally. Force mixture through a sieve or stainless steel strainer. Cool, cover saucepan, and refrigerate. Makes 3 cups.

Tuna Pinwheels

1 pound loaf of unsliced, day old white bread (fresh baked bread will be difficult to cut)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

your favorite tuna salad

Neatly cut off all crust from loaf of bread. Lightly spread butter to edges of one side. Cut lengthwise into very thin slices. Spread buttered slice with tuna salad. Roll up length wise, jelly roll style. Wrap in foil. Repeat until loaf is finished. (You should have about 6 rolls.) Refrigerate for at least an hour; butter will harden and hold rolls together. Before serving, cut each roll crosswise into about 5 slices. Makes about 30 pinwheels.

Cranberry Streusel Cake

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter or margarine

In a small bowl, cut and mix together above ingredients, then set aside.

Cake Mixture

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cake ingredients together in large bowl. Gradually add to the above mixture the following dry ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash 1 bag of fresh or frozen cranberries and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an angel food cake pan. Spread half of cake mixture into pan, followed by half of the streusel mixture and half of cranberries. Repeat with other half batter, then cranberries, then streusel. Bake 1- 1 1/4 hours

Best Tasting short cut Brownies

1 family size package Duncan Hines fudge brownie mix with chocolate syrup

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons water

1/4 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup white mini marshmallows

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Home Again

Baby girl made it home from the hospital. Everyone had to wear mask around us. My parents delivered us to the front door and took our luggage upstairs to the nursery. My darling husband bought candles and lit them around the house so it would look pretty when we arrived. He told me he wanted our homecoming to be special. How sweet is that? It was very beautiful and romantic and very thoughtful. But it was sad that I could not hug him nor could he hold his new baby daughter for a few more days. Seeing the special candles lit right then, I felt how nice it was to be home.

The baby and I lived in the nursery upstairs alone for a few days. My toddler didn't know that I was even home. We didn't want to torture him because he would not be allowed to be around the baby and I until his cough and fever was gone. It was lonely, but I texted my family and friends, and had around the clock baby care of a newborn kept me busy. Seems like lots to go through I know, but, I was glad to be out of the hospital.

We were warned of the risk to have me, a surgical patient and my newborn home with all three of them sick with swine flu, but we took all the precautions we could to make it safe for the two of us to be home. I'm so glad we did.

Look at this sweet angel.

A Word About Tea

Raise a cup of tea as a toast to good health! Tea drinking is delightful habit to cultivate. Not only does the ceremony of teatime left spirits, the health benefits are yours to enjoy as well. Tea helps relieve fatigue, lift the spirits, and stimulate the mind. A cup of tea contains zero calories (add approximately 40 for a cup taken with milk and sugar). yet provides you with several of the complex vitamins. Six cups a day gives you ten percent of your daily requirements.

A Celebration of Friendship

Starting off the new year with a heart full of welcome.

Try this as your invitation:

You are invited to begin the New Year

with a very special tea party

given in celebration of our friendship

Every year I love to see the signs that point to winter's approach - spirited late afternoon windstorms that send fiery orange and yellow leaves scurrying off the trees, the transition from breezy cotton to cozy flannel sheets, wool sweaters, and warm coats brought forth from trunks and drawers. There's an excitement that permeates the chill in the air, a growing feeling of anticipation a heightened expectation of things yet to come. Winter is on the way!

During the Christmas season, we celebrate all that is good. We send others our most sincere wishes of peace, joy and love. From giving gifts to decorating our homes to offering extra smiles and words of encouragement, we're helping add to the feeling of goodwill that embraces the holiday season.

In the new year our interaction with those around us - family both immediate and extended, friends new and old, coworkers and members of the small groups to which we belong - we are given on opportunity after another to make someone else's New Year start out a little more meaningful, a little more beautiful, a little more memorable.

One of the best ways to start the year off in a friendly and festive fashion is by inviting a group of special people to begin the new year by celebrating with you - a few close friends, a study group, your sisters, the people in your department at work. And a tea party is a celebration just perfect of the occasion. In a salute to both companionship and a new year, a Celebration of Friendship tea party helps you kick off the new year on a proper note, preparing your heart and your home for the days of joy to come.

Next post there will be more....

A Word About Tea

Did you know that tea can be used for beauty treatments? To refresh your skin, add a handful of rose petals to a pot of black tea. Let the roses and tea steep for about fifteen minutes, then strain the tea and store the liquid in the refrigerator. Splash rose-scented tea on your face for an instant pick-me-up.

A Celebration of Stillness

The stockings have been emptied, the gifts under the tree unwrapped, the cookies baked and delivered, the cards long sent and received, and the Christmas and New Years dinner exclaimed over and eaten. Christmas is over for the year, and some people can't help but feel somewhat of a letdown at this time. After so much preparation and anticipation, we've come to expect the next big holiday event or happening. And the truth is that things quiet down significantly the days after Christmas. We can welcome the quietness, though, as something to look forward to, viewing it as a time to celebrate yet another aspect of the holiday-the gift of stillness.

Actually, in some countries, such as England, this Christmas season doesn't officially get started until December 25. You've probably heard the song " The Twelve Days of Christmas." but did you know what those twelve days are all about? They are the days leading up to Epiphany (January 6), which is the day the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem with gifts for the baby Jesus. Some people today still give gifts on Epiphany instead of Christmas Day. To stretch your holiday season out a little longer and enjoy a time of catching up reflecting and winding down, celebrate the twelve days of Christmas this year.

And somewhere in your twelve day celebration, schedule a Celebration of Stillness tea party. Remember to make it restful and simple. Invite just one or two people - your spouse, your best friend, your mother, your grandmother, your sister, your daughter, your granddaughters. Choose a free afternoon or evening and take some time to sip tea and nibble on treats engage in some real heart to heart talk and perhaps share your thoughts about the year that has past and your dreams of the new year.

Behind the Scene Photo Session for Baby

The time that this photographer put into getting the best shot was very reassuring that there was going to be at least one good picture worth framing and sending out in the announcements.

I really like this idea of photographing the babies like this.

Dress handmade by Leticia Guin,
She looks so tiny, well she is only 6 lb and 12 oz. I made the pink blanket.
Here is one of the pictures we picked for our packet. The photographer got a nice angle.

Here it is again for some reason this is on here twice.
and this one again.
Here is a side shot. Did I mention that Leticia made the dress and I knitted the blanket?

Photo Session for Baby

The days of the hospital photographer who just roll into your room for a few blinding snapshots of your baby posed on their backs in a tray are over. Now the photographer roll in a computer and printer where they take care of the photo packages transaction. They also download their camera and show the pictures just taken of your baby on a big screen. You are encouraged to pose your baby in as many poses and outfits you desire. The name of the game is...sell, sell, sell those newborn picture packages by making this a moment and an event for all who are involved. I had so much fun watching this happen and I was very glad to have my cousin Carol and with her youngest daughter and husband there with me. They found and purchased the pink bow.

This white blanket with pink trim and tufted details was given to Amelia by Jan Smith.
Pink bunny sleeper and pink headband bow
The photographer posed baby like a pro and made everything just right.
I showed restrain when it came to purchasing the photo package, but it was hard.

A Southern Crawl Dad

It has been raining lots but on the pretty days I like to take the dogs out or walk with one of my neighbors. On one walk through my neighborhood, we came upon a very lost crawldad or crayfish. Was it someone's lost pet? Was it fishing bait that got loose? Or was it someone's dinner that got away. However it got there on the street so randomly, it was there and it was free. We stopped long enough to take a look and wonder, snap a few photos but left that crayfish to it's journey. I just love walking in nature.

H1N1

I was telling you of the swine flu my husband and two boys had at home. My baby and I had to just hope that we didn't catch it. My oldest was the first to get it and he was around everyone on the day Amelia was born. Everyone just waited to see if they too would get it. I didn't and neither did baby. My parents suspected that they got it so we didn't go home with them.

One of the doctors treating me recommended that everyone wear mask around the baby and I until their fever and cough was gone. They gave me Tamiflu and had me go to their office for both the flu shot and the H1N1 shot. We were doing all we could do to prevent the spread of this flu to either one of us.

Here is a shot of my mother posing by tiny Amelia with her pink striped mask. What memories we have with this birth.

You Know You Did a Double Take

We know that the Snuggie for us Humans are pretty tempting, and as my cousin put it, "they are just backwards robes". But for your furry friend you know you did a double take on this product.

What is that Thing?

You know, When you look at something a bit to long and it starts looking strange? Well, I was looking on my facebook page and to the side was this nice outfit that kept popping up from Talbot's. They were showing it as a nice Christmas outfit and I just love the popped collar of the crisp white shirt. The necklace is nice and looks tasteful, but upon further looking at this picture I started to stare.

What is that thing sticking out of her skirt? I am so afraid now. Is she injured? Is it part of the fabric or an added accessory? And who thought that an elegant long skirt that you could wear to the Opera or an elegant Christmas party or dare I say it, the White House needs to have a backwards foot sticking out to the side.

She became a flamingo woman to me. I now cannot purchase this very tempting outfit from Talbot's because of the flamingo foot image that is burned into my brain. What does it look like to you?

What in the World is this?

Ok, I have been out of loop, I now admit it.

I was shopping in our large indoor mall, (yeah remember those places before the strip mall started making it's come back) and here by the candy machines are these things for sale, for a dollar.

Doctors: Professional Yet Act and Treat Us Like Family

This is the sweetest children's doctor in the world. He is like family to us. Here he gives baby her first doctor's visit and gives me the information about newborn care for a girl and family with Swine Flu. He was involved with every bit of new information about 8 year old getting H1N1 and then 2 year old getting it, husband getting it...and was on call at the hospital to hear how everyone was and gave advise to keep me and baby safe. We just love this doctor!

This is the doctor that announced to me that "Surprise" I'm pregnant with baby number 3!

Being Together and Getting to Know Each Other.

This is our third baby and our tradition had been that my husband stays at the hospital with me as I recover from my C-section and he takes care of me and baby. Although the nurses are around there are missed meals, medicines schedules, a many visits from various doctors daily starting at around 5 or 6 in the morning and continue all day. Hubby has changed the diapers and helped keep up with the details of taking care of forms, birth certificate information, picture scheduling and the list goes on and on. He is my right hand guy while I'm in the hospital getting my energy up and healing from major abdominal surgery.

We planned that this birth he would also be there in the hospital with us. My parents took the two boys back to our house and Allan held his daughter and we chatted about the crazy morning and excitement we were both feeling. We soon got a phone call from my parents that my 8 year old had a sore throat and a sudden spiked fever. Allan decided to trade out with my parents and went home to care for the boys leaving me to rest and baby in the nursery.

He did not return for the rest of our stay. The boys and my hubby came down with Swine Flu. That is an 8 year old and a 2 year old he took care of while he also suffered through it as well.

As the days went by I was in the hospital taking care of our newborn baby and myself from 5 or 6 o'clock every day from Tuesday till Saturday. If it weren't for my cousin again I would have never made it. I was so broken hearted about my family and missed my husband and worried over my infant and felt sorry for myself every moment of the day. Not a happy time but yet it was a very happy time...ok just a stressful time for all.

Our insurance allowed me to stay one more day to recover in the hospital and the staff just allowed me to rest. The baby's doctors reported to us that because it was the Swine Flu, I didn't have immunity to it so neither did the baby. They warned us about the dangers of going home to the high fever right after I had surgery and the baby had no immunity. We planned to go to my parents house so I could get help and recover there. The day of discharge my parents got what they assumed was Swine Flu also.

The new plan was for me to go home and bypass everyone with the baby and hide out in the nursery until everyone got well from the fever and sickness. So with that plan Baby and I headed home.

Holding Baby

There is just nothing like holding a newborn. These are just a few of the people who got their hands on her first. This is daddy with Baby.

This is my cousin Carol with baby.
This is Alex with Baby.
This is my sister with baby.
These are my parents with baby.

Miss Amelia Margaret Davis

My cousin Carol came to out rescue and arrived at the hospital bright and early on the day of my c-section. She watched the two boys to let my husband be with me during the birth. We are still so amazed by her selflessness.

This is Amelia's shirt that she wore as her first clothing. The two boys had "I'm the big brother shirts" that they wore. It was a surprise and so sweet to see.

Sitting in the infant car seat while wearing a premie footie 'jammah's. Going home. She doesn't look like a real baby in this picture but she is.

October 13th 2009 at 8:02

Here she is just minutes after she was born. I cannot believe it now just how tiny 6 pounds and 12 ounces looks. She was just a bitty ol' thing. She was pink and so sweet, after hearing the cries of two boys before her we were surprised when we heard her squeaky cry of a different pitch.

This is the clock before they came to get me for the C-Section. The count down begins.

Miss Amelia Margaret Davis was born at 8:02, October 13th 2009

My View of Baby's Heartbeat and my contractions

ok so I have been a little busy since last post

I have been busy and have not posted anything since September sometime. I will just jump right to it and bring you to speed.

It is now January 2010, ( Oh My Word how did it get to be January already?0 These have been the fastest 4 months to live through in my life. Blink... they are gone.

Let's see. September I only thought I was soooo done with being pregnant, but not as done with it as I was when October came. Why? you ask was I done with the fun thing we call pregnancy? I had Gallbladder issues and my pain changed it's location and arrived into my stomach which made life oh so un-fun and the contractions added to the excitement with each day I felt I had a Boa Constrictor around my body pulling tighter and tighter making breathing a thing of the past, (ok, I could indeed breathe but it was not an easy thing to accomplish). As my due date arrived I was on a day by day, and week by week challenge to make it to a safe time for baby to be born and gallbladder to be removed after healing from my planned C-Section.

Skip to October 12th I had an appointment to get a giant needle stabbed into my stomach to check the fluid and the baby's lung development. The baby and the cord were in the way so the doctor decided against doing the test. Instead she had me in a room with monitors to track the baby's heartbeat and my contractions. Heartbeat of baby was reading healthy, my contractions were every 10 mins. I have been telling the doctor this but hours I was there with it actually being documented. They gave me a cup of vegetable soup and a salad with four pieces of grilled chicken and it sent me into a gallbladder attack... All of this was documented on the black and white computer print-out. (Yay!!!) My doctor had me checked to see if I was in labor, (I wasn't, by the way) and gave me medication for pain. Sent me home for me to come back the next day... to be continued...