Sullivan's 6 Month "Birthday"

My sweet Sullivan Rose,

How in the world are you 6 months old already? Time really does fly when you are having fun! Wednesday was May 15 which marked your 6 month "birthday." Around our house that means Crye babies get to try solids for the first time (we did the same thing with Coleman). Up until yesterday you have been exclusively breastfeed, with the exception of whatever your brother has tried to feed you when I have my back turned. :) So you can thank momma's milk for all of those sweet fat rolls!

Sweet potatoes were on the menu tonight. I had smashed up some we had left over a couple of weeks ago and frozen them in preparation for you starting solids. You seemed a little confused and excited all at the same time by the texture and taste of "actual" food.

You are growing so fast! We go for you 6 month check up in the next couple of weeks so we will get your "stats" of how much you have actually grown then.

More 6 Month Tid Bits:

You can sit up completely on your own now(you have been "tripod-ing" for a while but no hands are need to help keep you up now).

You have been army crawling for a couple of weeks but now you are really on the move! You switch between really crawling and army crawling but boy can you move!

You are such a morning baby! You usually go to sleep between 8-9  and sleep until 5:30 or 6. On occasion you wake up somewhere around 3, I bring you to bed with us, nurse you back to sleep and then you just stay in our bed. No matter what time it is you usually wake up cooing and the moment I come to pick you up I get the biggest grin possible!

You have cut the two middle teeth on bottom.

You like to be worn in the baby wrap when we are out and about walking or running errands.

You absolutely love your brother! You laugh and grin at him all the time. He in turn loves his sister! Coleman tells everyone "That's my Sullivan."

You and Daddy have father/ daughter time most weekday mornings after I leave for work and Coleman is still sleeping. I think he is training you to love Sports Center then I will be out numbered. :)

Love you to the moon and back,
Mom

Mother's Day 2013

Coleman and Sullivan,

I am so proud to have the privilege of being your mom! You brighten my day beyond measure everyday not just Mother's day. I thank God every night for both of you and pray to be the best mother I can be for you two! 

Love you to the moon and back!

Mom

Sunday Funday

 Coleman this is what you are giving me when I say "let me take a picture."

Sullivan you on the other hand don't mind mommy's picture taking on bit! 

Yes I did make that giant bow on your head and love it! Everyone should go check out your mommy's etsy shop for more cute bows made by me! :) 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theleopardturtle

Coleman I'm not sure that you and Brandt have much of a choice but to be buddies. You two are exactly six month and two days apart and are really at the age where you love playing with each other when we can get together with the Harrisons.

Four babies under two and half + a group picture= interesting

Keeping Prospective

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

I have come to find that this is all too true. 

I've been so busy living my busy life that I feel have done a poor job of documenting it. I have come to realize that memories leave us all too quickly and while rocking and loving my babies will always come first, I must try to do a better job or recording these wonderful memories.

 

A Year of Catching Up

Mr. Coleman Lewis you keep me busy, busy ,busy! I had such good intentions of keeping this blog up and tracking your whole first year on here, and well, life happened. So here is the plan from this point foward I will do my best to make entries on a regular basis of current happenings as well as back track on posts that I wish I had made. I have kept track of your milestones by making notes on my phone or in my day planner, so hopefully I will be able to recall all that I want to tell you!

Love you,
Mom

Your Arrival

Coleman,
    I will have to go back and tell you about some events like our showers and such at a later date but right now I feel the need to write about the events that led to your arrival and to share with you the overwhelming joy that you have brought to my life!
     I guess we can start with what turned out to be my last prenatal visit. I went to see Dr. Shenker on Tuesday, November 16th to see if I had progressed any, which I had not. Since I had been dilated to 1 cm and about 80% effaced for about 3 or so weeks we discussed our options since you were obviously not wanting to come out on your own. Dr. Shenker was going to be on call and therefore could deliver you on that following Thursday the 18th or we could continue to wait on you to come on your own. I considered waiting since I loved being pregnant and wasn't opposed to giving you more time but after talking to Dr. Shenker and deciding that my body most likely wasn't going to progress on its own I decided to go ahead and be induced on the 18th.
     Your dad and I checked into the hospital Wednesday night (the 17th) at 8:00 p.m. and once we were settled in and I was hooked up to the monitors our nurse Kim administered the Cytotec that was supposed to help start me in the direction of labor. I got that medicine again four hours later and four hours after that they started Pitocin. I was on Pitocin from about 5:00 a.m. until around 4:00 p.m. We had tons of family and friends there all day long waiting on your arrival! Dr. Shenker came to check on my that morning and at lunch, both visits I was still only 1 cm. Finally at 4:00 Dana, our nurse, checked and I was still only a 1 so at that point I knew that we had to explore our other options. We then started the process of getting me ready to have a C-section. That was not "my plan" but I have learned from day one of being pregnant with you that our plans aren't always what is best for us! After that final decision to have a C-section was made around 4:00 things moved rather quickly. I received my epidural, was taken to the OR, prepped, and you were born at 5:05 p.m.
      Just like I told you that I didn't know if I could ever put into words the experience of hearing your heartbeat for the first time, seeing you for the first time is equally unexplainable. Dr. Shenker lifted you over that curtain and said "hey mom" and in that moment I fell in love in a way that I had no idea was possible. I had no idea what I expected you to look like but as soon as I saw you it was like that was exactly what you were supposed to look like and you were ours! Your dad and I both started crying. Then as the doctor and nurse were cleaning you and making sure you were ok you continued to cry so loudly that your dad and I both started laughing! Your dad was the first one to get to hold you since they were sewing me up and then once I finally got back to the labor and delivery room I got to hold you for the first time! Still right now as I write this it almost brings tears to my eyes! Your dad and I had a moment before we let everyone in to come see you with just the three of us and we both felt so lucky to go from the two of us to a family! After that we let all our family and friends that were there come see you in groups of four. After most everyone had a chance to come back and the labor and delivery floor was done with us were you put up on the recovery floor. We stayed until Saturday morning and then we got to come home. I sure I will go back and tell you about our hospital stay and our experience but for now I think that is enough hospital talk.
       The day you entered our lives is one of the best days of my life. I think to myself all the time, how am I so lucky?! I am constantly in awe of how precious and handsome you are. No matter what never forget how much I love you!

Love,
Mom

Your Dad and I before we left for the hospital

Me before they took me back for surgery (not the best picture but it is what it is)

Your dad before getting ready to go in the OR with me, how cute is he?!

  

The first time I go to hold you!



You getting weighed and measured

    

59 Days and Counting!

Nothing crazy and new to share with you today really. I just want you to know that you are on the forefront of my mind pretty much every second of the day! It has really hit me the past couple of day, I need to get myself in gear because you are going to be here before we know it and I still feel like I have so much to do! Somehow I think that no matter what all I get accomplished before you arrive I am still always have a to do list a mile long so I might as well just get used to it!
You are quite the little tumbler these days that is for certain! I think you might have even found my ribcage if I'm not mistaken! Don't get me wrong though I love it. You tumble all you want because every kick, turn and tumble lets me know that you are still ok in there!
Love,
Mom

Pregnancy Brain

Well we had an appointment to go see Dr. Shenker today and I was sure that it was at 1:30. However when I showed up at 1:30 the receptionist couldn't seem to find my appointment....well it seems that my our appointment was at 11:30! So I rescheduled for tomorrow at 11:30 and we will try again and see if I don't loose my mind between now and then! I was so ready to hear your little heartbeat, so now I'm extra ready to go tomorrow. Then we will start going every two weeks! It is getting closer and closer to time for you to make you arrival and forever change our lives! Also we just found out a few days ago that your Aunt Tori and Uncle Timmy are going to be having a baby in May! So now you will have a little buddy to get into trouble with when we all hang out! Love you and can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Mom

You Have Furniture Now

Your name that is in the center of the wall that your bed and changing table is on! Your Aunt Tori helped me make these a few weeks ago!

Daddy putting together your crib!

Putting together the finishing touches!

Next was the changing table! Daddy working hard again!

This was after we got the bed put together! I had to add the throw and pillow even though we don't have the rest of your bedding yet just so I could get an idea of what it will look like!

July Has Been a Busy Month for Us!

Coleman,
      Your dad and I had our trip to the beach at the beginning of July, then we went to your Aunt Molly's wedding shower on the 16th, we went back to see Dr. Shenker on the 27th, and traveled to Gulf Shores, AL for your Aunt Molly's Wedding the 28th through the 31st! The next day after we got home which was August 1st but we will included it as part of our busy month was our first baby shower for you in Hot Springs! Me and you were active to say the least!
     Here are some pictures from the wedding weekend and shower!

Me  (and you) with the beautiful bride!

I don't know how to describe these girls to you, they are some of the best friends that I could have ever asked for! Starting from the left is your Aunt Nikki, then me, Aunt Molly, Aunt Jenny and Aunt Courtney! Aunt Sara Beth is included in this group but could not make it since she had just had Maddie Beth! I say that all of these fabulous girls women are your aunts because they mean so much to me and I hope will be such a big part of your life that they will be more like aunts that just your mom's friends!

This is Holly Vance who was one of the hosts and one of my pledge sisters as well as a friend since Junior High!

Here is me and you and Aunt Corky (Courtney Rychtarik).

My Little Lacee also helped host the shower! She is so excited to meet you! I have a feeling you are going to love her!

One of the hosts, my pledge sister, Courtney Tackett! She was nice enough to have the shower at her house. I have know her since my freshman year of college when we were on the UCA dance team together!

Feeling You Kick From the Outside

Coleman,
     On Friday July 23rd I was exactly 22 weeks pregnant and that was the first time I was sure I could feel you moving and kicking from the outside. I had been able to feel you move from the inside for a few weeks but you weren't quite big enough to let us feel you other wise. So that afternoon I was sitting on the couch watching t.v. after eating lunch and you made my belly move! I sat there and watched you make my belly for about 5 or 10 minutes and as cheesy as it sounds I almost started to tear up. I was just so ecstatic to be able to feel you and that, that meant that your dad would be able to feel you as well.  Later that night after he was home from work and we were hangout in the living room with your Uncle Nick you started moving again and you dad came and put his hand on my belly and after a couple of kick or movements he was able to feel you! I wish I could have taken a picture of his face, it was priceless, he was just beside himself! He has felt you a few times since then but no one else has been able to yet. You don't really move that much that I can feel unless I am sitting or laying down or right after I eat! Moments like that are absolutely priceless, everything about being pregnant has been amazing and such a blessing! I feel so lucky that you have come into our lives and can't wait until you are here to fill our lives with even more joy!
Love,
Mom

Your "First" Trip to the Beach

Coleman,
      Your dad and I went on our first trip out of state together this year after being together for almost 7 years. We went to Destin, FL July 7-12, it was just us on the 7th then your Aunt Tori and Uncle Timmy came and stayed with us the rest of the week. We all had so much fun; playing on the beach, shopping, and eating lots of good food! Your dad and I kept looking at all of the little kids and the beach and talked about exciting it will be when you are here and we can take you! We are hoping that maybe next summer we will be able to plan a family vacation and you can have your first real trip to the beach and not just be in my belly! On our way out of town we had your Aunt Tori take some pictures of us and my pregnant belly. They turned out so cute, there is already one of them in a picture frame in your room! I was 20 weeks pregnant in the pictures and I hope you like them as much as I do!
Love,
Mom

11 Ounces

Coleman,
     Thursday, July 1st I got to see you again! I was so excited and this time instead of your dad going I brought both of you grandmas, to say they were excited would be a huge understatement! I wish your dad had been able to come to but I'm really glad your grandmas got the chance to see you! First we saw you on the ultrasound and confirmed that you were a boy for sure and she also measured different things like your bones, head, and heart rate and checked to make sure you had all four chambers of your heart and that your spine was completely enclosed. She also told us that you weighed about 11 ounces so we are almost to a pound!  Everything measured great and look perfect according to the sonographer and Dr. Shenker which is a huge relief. After the ultrasound we then saw Dr. Shenker, he got to meet your grandmas and we all got to listen to your heartbeat which sounded strong and perfect! I really don't think I will ever get sick of hearing your racing heartbeat each time it brings me such relief to know that you are ok and excitement that you are on your way!
     On an off note, I know you will end up calling your grandparents whatever you want to but I think that you should call my mom and dad, BonBon and Z Daddy! I'm not really sure what you should call your dad's mom and dad but I am sure we will come up with something! I can tell you this much your Aunt Tori and Uncle Timmy are so excited about you it's not even funny! We went garage sale shopping on Saturday and I think they got you as much stuff as I did!
     Your dad and I are leaving for Destin, Florida tomorrow night to go on our first vacation together so I'm sure I will have lots to tell you when we get back and pictures of my growing belly! We can wait until we get to bring on our next vacation! I love you and can't wait for you to be here!!

Love,
Mom

Here are a few of my favorite ultrasound pictures!

(above: Proof you are a boy!)

(below: The front of your face! One of my favorites)

(below left: The front of your face and your hands by your face.)

(below right: The four chambers of your heart)

My Sweet Baby Boy

I am 17 weeks which is so exciting and yet hard to believe. Sometimes it feel like just yesterday I took that pregnancy test that changed my whole world! I went to the doctor on Tuesday last week for just a normal check up plus some blood work. Your Aunt Abbey went with me this time and while we were there she got to hear your heartbeat, for her it was the first time to hear it and she thought that was so cool! For me even though it was my third time to hear you little heart beat it still is one of the most awesome sounds I have ever heard. It lets me know that you are ok and brings me a since of relief.

You finally have a name now, Coleman Lewis Crye. As you will most likely be told through out your life your name has "meaning" for a couple of different reasons. Coleman was my maiden last name and since I am one of three girls and your grandpa had no brother there are no boys to carry on that last name, at least in our immediate family so you will carry it on as your first name. As for Lewis not only is it your dad and grandpa Tony's middle name but also it was your great grandpa Lewis' first name. As for your last name just blame your dad for that! lol! I think it is cute to call you a "Crye Baby" now, hence the name of the blog, however as you get older I have a feeling you won't care for the name as much!

I think I might have felt you move for the first time on Saturday, I say might because I'm not completely sure since you are so small your moves are supposed to be faint so I have been told but it was definitely a different feeling than my normal stomach rumblings. It happened when your dad was rubbing on my stomach trying to get you to move so I better not already be seeing a trend that you are going to do more when your dad ask you to than me! I would also say that in the last couple of weeks I have noticed that I am somewhat starting to look more pregnant and less like I just had too many cupcakes, so that is exciting!

I feel like so much has happen in just a couple of weeks, I can only imagine what it is going to be like when you are actually here!

Love,
Mom

It's a boy!!!!

Last Wednesday, June 2,2009, we found out that you were a boy! Oh my goodness it was one of the coolest things that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing to see you on that screen! I was 15 weeks and 1 day according to your original due date of November 23rd but after looking at you and measuring you the sonographer changed your due date to November 26th making me 14 weeks and 4 days at the time of your ultra sound! We were unsure if we would be able to find out your gender since I was still early along but it seemed like no time after she started doing the ultrasound that she said "it's a boy." Your dad and I were both like "no way!" He might not want me to tell you this but I'm pretty sure he was about to start crying and I would say that I was about to do the same but I was just so awe stuck that I couldn't! I think that we both could have stayed there and watched you all day! I kind of wish that I had my own ultrasound machine so I could look in a check on you everyday.  I am so happy that you looked healthy and seem to be doing great. I hope that you realize how much a of blessing that you truly are and never forget that! You have so many people who already love you and you are only that size of an avocado!

We are still unsure of your name but as of right now I think that the front runner is Coleman Lewis Crye. I think that will most likely end up being your name but we are going to explore a few other options just to make sure that is the right one.

Love,
Mom

14 weeks

So I didn't get to write last week since we are having some computer issues at home so I had to wait for the chance to come up to the office. We get to see you a week from today and I am so excited. We are going to Dr. Shenker and are going to have our first ultrasound! I am hoping that since I will be 15 weeks and 1 day that maybe, just maybe we will be able to find out if you are a boy or a girl! Oh my goodness I am just so excited. I never thought that I would be so happy about going to the doctor. I'm not showing yet nor have a felt you move but I am hoping that all that fun stuff will start happening soon! This is a short post but I know I will have lots to say after next week! Love you so much and can't wait until I get to see you next week (via ultrasound)!

Love,
Mom

11 Weeks

Tuesday started my 11th week. You are about the size of a lime now! We are almost done with the first trimester which I am so excited about! This Saturday you will take your first walk across a stage, I am graduating from UCA with my Bachelor's degree! I have decided on a new doctor I think. One of your grandma Bonnie's customers, Karen Boatright, who is a nurse suggested Dr. Shenker so I am in the process of trying to get an appointment with him. Mrs. Karen just described me to Dr. Shenker's nurse as "about five foot nothing and a mouth that was about four foot one" which I thought was a funny but accurate way of describing me. Love you and can't wait until November we get to meet you!

Love,
Mom

Heartbeat

So we went to see Dr. Harrison Tuesday April 27th, 2010, I was exactly 10 weeks pregnant and heard your heartbeat! I thought that we might get to have an ultrasound done but that was not the case. We are most likely going to have to switch doctors not because we don't like Dr. Harrison but because of insurance issues. So hopefully when we switch doctors we will get to "see" you via ultrasound. I don't know that I will ever be able to accurately put into words what it was like to hear your little heartbeat! It is a moment in time that I hope to be able to remember every detail of for the rest of my life. I will try to describe it as well as I can, your dad got to come with me which was really exciting then Dr. Harrison came in the room and got this little machine out of his pocket that I believe is called a Dopplar device and started moving it around on my stomach at first we heard a heartbeat and he was like "now that is your heartbeat we are looking for something about twice that fast" so he continued to search for you and sure enough he got to my lower left abdomen and there was this amazing fast strong heartbeat that made my world stop. I really thought I was going to cry but when it came down to it I was just in such awe that all I could do was listen. Your dad says he sounded like a strong boy heartbeat and I say it sounded like a fast girls heart beat, hopefully in the next 6 to 10 weeks we will find out who was right. Either way we are beyond excited and love you more than you might ever know!

Love,
Mom

9 Weeks

Ok so I really thought I would be better about keeping up with my updates on this blog since you are on your way but life has been busy, busy, busy! So at this point I think most everyone knows that you are on your way. People keep asking me if I think you are a boy or a girl, I think you are a girl but truth be known you and God are the only ones that really know what you are at this point. I can't believe that we are going to have to wait until around the first of July to find out! I am so excited to go back to the doctor this coming Tuesday, the 27th, your dad and I should get to see you and hear your heart beat for the first time I think. I know that all of this is really but at the same time I think hearing your little heart beat is going to make it all the more real. We are about 4 or 5 weeks from being in the second trimester which I am so ready for, I feel like after that I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief!

According to the app on my phone you are about the size of a prune but less wrinkled!

Love you,

Mom

OMG I Think You Might be on Your Way!

Ok so I can't really shout it from the roof tops yet but I have take four pregnancy tests that say that a little baby Crye is in the works! :) Your dad and I are just beside ourselves and don't even know what to think! This is that last thing we expected. Up until now I was she that we would either have to go to extreme measures or adopt due to certain circumstances but according to First Responce and Clear Blue Digital that is not the case! I took the tests on Thursday March 18th and told your dad that morning before I left for school (UCA that is). Then yesterday which would be Friday March 19th we told your Uncle Timmy and Aunt Tori because we were over at their new house. Next will be your Aunt Autumn because she lives in West Memphis I won't be able to tell her in person but I know she is going to be so excited! We aren't really telling too many people until I can go to the doctor and confirm everything. We are waiting to tell your grandparents on both sides until I go to the doctor as well just so we know that everything is going ok. I think that we are just too scared to get too excited because of the fear that something could go wrong. I prayed as hard as I could last night that everything would go ok and oh how I hope it does. Also little baby Crye inside of me we went out to eat last night to celebrate I guess you would say and we really liked our waitress' name, Audie, so don't be suprised if you are a girl if that turns out to be your name. OMG I still can't believe this could be real!

Love,
Mom