Psalm 71:17-20

God, You have taught me from my youth,
and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.

Even when I am old and gray,
God, do not abandon me.

Then I will proclaim Your power to [another] generation,
Your strength to all who are to come.

Your righteousness reaches heaven, God,
You who have done great things;
God, who is like You?

You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes,
but You will revive me again. You will bring me up again,
even from the depths of the earth.

Proverbs 24:3-4
A house is built by wisdom,
and it is established by understanding;
by knowledge the rooms are filled
with every precious and beautiful treasure.

vs. 27
Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field;
afterwards, build your house.

Numbers 10: 9
When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who is attacking you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and be delivered from your enemies.

Luke 15:31-32
“Son,’ he said to him, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”

Thank you Lord for the renewal that scripture brings! You are so good.

Well, I don’t know why I haven’t posted more often. I think about it and then get writer’s block. Not that I don’t have plenty to write about – because I do… I guess I’m just in more of a “ponder them in my heart” kind of mood than actually sitting and writing. Let me see what I can update on…

* Harper is 10 weeks old today!

* She slept through the night last night – 9 hours! I am actually more tired now that I got to sleep b/c now my body is realizing the lack of sleep it has been surviving in for the last 2 months. However, I hope this is not a phase and she starts sleeping now!

* Harper’s 2 month appointment was last Wednesday and she is now…

11 pounds 1 oz. (50 percentile)
23.75 inches (75 percentile)

She had to get her shots and she was just pitiful when she got “stuck”, but was fine after I picked her up and cuddled her. She slept soooooo much the next day, and I got sooooo much done 🙂

* She is smiling all the time and has just started to find her voice. It is so funny. When we talk to her, she moves her mouth and then is just tickled when a noise comes out. My favorite is when she inhales and makes this squeaky noise. It cracks me up every time!

* Bath time is so much fun with her. She can be screaming her head off, and we put her in the bath and she is immediately silenced! We give her a bath every night before her last feeding and then bedtime. It is so fun to have a bedtime routine with her!

* Her current schedule goes something like this… (the time can vary each day)

8/9 – wake up for the day/ change diaper/ feed
play time – she gets so sleepy during this time, it doesn’t last very long (30 mins)
nap time – 1 1/2 – 2 hours

11/12Diaper change/ feed
play time – 1 – 1 1/2 hours – i love this time!
nap time – 45 minutes

2/3Feed & diaper change
play time – 1 hour
nap time – 2 hours – mommy does chores around the house/ or errands with Harper in the carseat carrier

6/7feed & diaper change
awake/play time – go for a walk in stroller/ play with daddy
nap time – 30 minutes
awake time – bath time

9/10 – swaddle & feeding
In bed!

* After many attempts of trying to get Harper to take a bottle, she finally did last night! I wanted her to be able to take one so Chris could feed her sometime and so that we could go out some evenings. I did a combo feeding last night – 2oz of formula (which she sucked down!) and then the rest breastmilk. She did great! So, I’m glad that we hit that milestone, but I’m not ready for her to take formula all the time.

* Next week, we take our first trip to Georgia. I will post about our visit once we get home. I can’t believe that it is already the end of April! We’ve been in TN for almost 5 months! That has been the fastest 5 months of my life!!!!! I have a feeling life only goes faster from here on out!

Okay, well I’m off to do chores around the house…. much laundry to be done, and I’ve got to prepare my list and start packing for GA. I’m sure we are going to be taking a TON of stuff!

Oh, and if you read this, please pray for our house to sell in GA soon! We know it is in the Lord’s timing. We are just ready to have all of our stuff in one place and to be settled. Our 1 bedroom apartment is growing smaller by the day 🙂

Okay, well thats my update. Will try to post more!

Well, today marked a milestone in my life. My pregnancy with Harper is through. You may be thinking, uh, Mary Lindsey, it has been through since you gave birth! But, I realized today it really was done.

I drove to my doctor’s office for my post-partum check-up. I was filled with good and bad feelings as I pulled into the parking deck. This was where I spent the last part of my pregnancy. Each visit filled with so much hope and anticipation wondering what was going to happen next! And, as I came today, my heart was filled with the same feeling I get when I finish reading a good book… I am glad it is over and I know what happened, but I kind of don’t want it to end.

It was the last time (for now) that I will check the OB box for why I am at the appointment. That was when it hit me that the chapter had ended. However, I am very glad that all went well, and I am healthy! I am glad to begin this next chapter of life. I am glad that I have lost 25 pounds (still have a few to go, though). I am glad to start exercising for real. I am glad to start getting more sleep (going on 3 great nights now!) I am glad for so many things!

However, it is just amazing and sad, that this is done. I longed for this for quite awhile. About 2 1/2 years were spent with my heart awaiting the arrival of my child. 1 year and 9 months of that trying to conceive, and 9 months carrying Harper. Now it is done. She is here. We are tired and so happy! It is spring and new life is beginning all around me. So many of my friends are pregnant, some about to give birth, some feeling the precious sickness of the beginning. And, I can truly enjoy it with them. It just seems right to have a new chapter beginning.

I am so thankful to the Lord that He has blessed us with a child. Sometimes my heart is so full that I just don’t have words to express how grateful I am, but I know that He knows my heart and that brings me peace. I do my best to express it to him verbally and with my actions. I just pray that I will be faithful and a godly example to Harper as she grows. I want to glorify Christ’s name while Chris and I raise her.

So, here is to a new beginning! God is good, and is the perfect author. I look forward to what the next chapter holds!

Well, I had to come post this, because like every sleep deprived parent out there, I hope that last night never happens again (fingers crossed), and that I just forget about it. I really hope it doesn’t become the ‘norm’!

So, yesterday was a great day… Harper fed like a champ – right on time – she did perfect with her naps, and last night we woke her up from her nap about 45 minutes before she was supposed to feed again, so she would be extra tired and mom and dad would be able to get a good night sleep. Well, the plan backfired! I fed her at 10:30 and put her down at 11. She was so sleepy that she went right to sleep, and so did I. I woke up to her cry from a dead sleep, turned to pick her up (thinking it was time for her to be fed) and looked at the clock… WHAT?!?! It was only 12:30!!!! She usually sleeps until 2:30. She was screaming her head off.

So, I un-swaddled her, changed her diaper, tried feeding her… she would settle down for a bit, but the be completely wide-eyed! Chris was wonderful last night. I felt like I hit a wall physically, so he tried to let me sleep some. ( He is a wonderful man, as he had to go to work today, and he stayed up with Harper trying to let me sleep!) Well, it was on and off of sleep… nothing fabulous (I think those days are gone for awhile), but enough to help me coherently function. We tried to console her when she would start screaming, but she just kept on. I gave her some Gripe Water (helps with little tummies), but it didn’t really seem like her tummy was hurting. More like she was annoyed at something. As I laid in the bed, I tried to think if it was something I had done or had eaten. That’s when it hit me… coffee!!! I’ve been slightly increasing my intake of caffeine, and hadn’t seen any effects of the stuff until tonight. I got online and looked up how it can affect your baby, and it said,

“According to the Breastfeeding Answer Book (LLLI 2003, p. 599-600), excessive caffeine consumption by the mother (more than 750 mL per day) can result in a baby who shows signs of caffeine stimulation. “A baby who is being overstimulated by caffeine is a wide-eyed, active, alert baby who doesn’t sleep for long. He may also be unusually fussy.”

check. check. check… that describes her to a T! While I don’t consumed 750 mL of the stuff, I know I’ve increased what she is used to. Therefore, causing her to be ‘awake baby’ from 12:30 – 4:15!!!

Finally around 3:45, I fed her, and she still wasn’t very interested in eating. However, once I put her in her bassinet, she zonked out immediately. Chris and I quietly tiptoed our way into bed, trying not to breath so we wouldn’t wake her up, and needless to say, we zonked out too! 8:30 came way too early this morning, but at least we got about 4 hours of sleep.

Crystal, my best friend growing up, is coming to visit us today and is staying through Sunday. I am going to have to email her and tell her to take a nap on the plane… she doesn’t know what she is in for tonight!!! Hopefully, it is caffeine that was the cause of this – at least I can control that! If not, I pray (please pray, too) that this is not colic. Everything I’ve read about that says it starts once the infant is a couple weeks old and can last up to 4 months. Oh my, I can’ do this for 4 months… at least that is what I think. I know I will do whatever I can for this little girl. She is our pride and joy!!

Well, I’m off to go take another nap. Talk to you soon… hopefully.

This post will be short as I have a sweet baby in my arms… I don’t want to put her down right now because she is soooo snuggly, so I will type the best I can.

Just a few updates…

* Just got back from the doctor today for a weigh-in. She was 9 lbs 8 oz! She is just above the 50th percentile. I can’t believe that she isn’t as big as I was when I was born… 9lbs 11oz!!!

* Sleep is okay. Some nights are good, some are terrible 🙂 Since she is 5 weeks, her schedule is becoming a little more consistent… er, well, mom is stay more disciplined with her schedule now that I am learning to function on 3 hours of sleep at a time. Actually, it isn’t that bad. She will sleep anywhere from 2- 5 hours. We have a golden night when she sleeps 5 hours! The first picture is one Chris “snuck” of us. As you can see, I’m not exactly in the most comfy position. I zonked out after trying putting Harper’s paci back in her mouth for the 14th time that night! And, as you can see… it is not even in her mouth by the time we fell asleep! Also, for all you other moms, I usually do not let her sleep like that! I know what the correct positioning is, and was fully planning on moving her before I fell asleep!(however, sleep got the best of me) We slept 2 1/2 good hours, followed by 4 hours of screaming and a crick in my neck! Lovely night… won’t let it happen again! 🙂

The bottom pic is one of us snuggling this morning. She was such a happy little cuddle bug this morning… I just loved it! Nancy came to visit about a week ago, and her favorite time with Harper was in the morning… she called her ‘morning baby’ and deemed it her fave! We miss you Aunt Nancy!

* Breastfeeding is still going great! As you can see from her weight gain, she is getting what she needs! I still am amazed that I give her everything she needs. It is such a precious precious time, and absolute miracle!

* Her belly button cord FINALLY fell off this week… at 5 weeks! Goodness, we thought she would never lose that thing! (most fall off at 2 weeks – I guess we just had a strong connection 😀 ) Since it finally came off, she got her first bath last night, and LOVED LOVED LOVED it! She was screaming b/c I had to strip her down and she was cold. However, the second she was submerged in the water, she was just our little “chill baby.”

* Here are some more pictures for those of you who need them! 😀 See the website below. It makes us feel so loved that you want to see our sweet little “spike” (as we lovingly call her):

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AbNGbhi0ZMnOA

(go to slideshow/ fullscreen – it makes it much much better) 🙂 I will try to add more pictures more often now!

Well, I think that is it for about now. Off for a nap. It is rainy and cold here… perfect nap weather for mommy and baby!