Violet Elizabeth, Welcome to the Blog

 Violet Elizabeth Loughman

A quick recap of how we got here:

1. Decide to have a baby - check!
2. Kristine cuts out one of her faves - Diet Coke - check!
3. Matt gets life insurance - check!
4. Kristine gains an appropriately perfect amount of weight and no more - check!
5. Baby waits until her due date - UH OH!

Just as we were almost asleep Kristine had her first contraction at about 11:30 PM on Sunday night, February 21st. On one hand we were very thankful of this. People had been asking us for weeks if she had felt any contractions, and to that point Kristine's only response was something like "I don't know what they feel like - this is our first!". Kristine is quite the planner so this was terribly disappointing to not have a more appropriate answer for this question. Anyway, Sunday was 6 days early so we weren't worried much about not having any contractions yet.

Now to the other hand. Immediately following that first contraction was a situation neither Kristine, I, or Spooky the cat were prepared for - Kristine’s water broke. We were assured that an overwhelming majority of women (say, 80% or more) do not go through they "joy" of their water breaking at home. Furthermore, we were warned on multiple occasions by multiple practitioners that most first time moms feel something and confuse it with their water breaking, then head quickly to the hospital only to be turned away and advised to come back when the "real" labor begins. I can assure you that in no uncertain terms were we going to interpret the situation we were in with anything but Kristine's water breaking.

After completely freaking out the cat and a quick shower for mom-to-be we were off to the hospital. Kristine was, as always, prepared. She had bags packed, snacks ready, and two days worth of clothes already prepared for Violet. I, on the other hand, grabbed the nearest bag I could find, shoved a couple of extra pairs of socks & underwear, a few t-shirts I assumed were clean, and the laptop in the bag and threw it all in the back of the car. We were off. Luckily for us at 1:30 AM there isn't much traffic on the 16 mile route to the hospital.

We finally arrived at about 1:30 AM. Kristine had her 2nd contraction while walking between the waiting room and the exam room. After getting all checked in we settled in to our room for the long haul to parenthood. It didn't take the doctors long to start Kristine on Pitocin - a both wonderful and horrifying drug. Wonderful because the show was on the road in no time. Horrifying because the pain level each contraction went from 1 out of 10 to 7 out of 10 almost immediately, and the time between contractions quickly shrunk to about 5 minutes. Oh, and I should mention that her contractions lasted, on average, 3 minutes. At 4:30 AM Kristine was checked again and was only dilated to 2.5 centimeters - not nearly enough considering the pain she was going through. At around 6 we started the epidural - a little sooner than expected but at that point the relief provided was welcomed by all. We finally were able to sneak in 3 hours of sleep.

At 9:00 AM the nurse returned to check Kristine's progress. We were both anticipating being 5 to 6 cm dilated with the tough part still far away. To our shock the nurse's response was "You're about 9 cm dilated. We're going to get the equipment ready for the midwife so you can start pushing soon." What? No warning? No breakfast? No coffee? Kristine fully admits that her nerves kicked in at this unexpected announcement.

She started pushing around 9:45 and at 11:25 we were welcomed with Violet. She arrived weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces, was 19 1/4 inches long, had a full head of hair, and there were no questions about her lungs - the crying/screaming told us all we needed to know about her lung development!

First family portrait 

(edit by Kristine: so that's what I look like after giving birth! Rough.)

The Grandmas were patient enough (or maybe I mean wise enough) not to sit in the hospital all night. I must say their timing was impeccable; surely a wisdom that only comes with being a Grandma! They rode up together that morning and arrived with just enough spare time to find the waiting room, say a few quick hello's to Kristine between pushes, and settle in the waiting with a couple of magazines before Violet was born. Grandpa Loughman arrived shortly after the birth and was able to see Violet's first bath. Unfortunately Grandpa Frank was en route back to the States and not able to make it to the hospital. In his defense he asked Kristine not to have the baby while he was out of the country - Violet's already breaking rules!

 Proud Grandmas

 Daddy Daughter Time

Kristine and Violet are both doing great. Violet might have her days and nights confused, but we will have some time to work on that. I'm tired, but nothing compared to the exhaustion that my two brave, wonderful, and beautiful women must be going through.

My ladies...

Surprise!

Well, isn't February great? 3 inches of beautiful white powdery snow one weekend, high 60s the next, and to top it off a surprise visit to Gwinnett Medical Center Sunday night just after Kristine & I shut the lights off in hopes of getting some good rest for this busy week. Looks like we'll have a daughter sometime Monday.

In an act none of us foresaw, Kristine's water broke just as we were falling asleep - around 11:40 Sunday night. Not sure whether it was the beautiful weather that got things rolling, the Franks Red Hot that was in our chicken enchiladas, or if it was the fact that we bought a stroller just this morning (Violet, of course, just HAD to wait until she could be properly chauffeured around!). Kristine is convinced Violet wanted to wait for Mom to see Joyce, Renee, and Jen.

All three of us are all getting the deluxe treatment here at the hospital and Mom & Baby are both doing great so far.

Oh, and according to Kristine "It's nice not having a contraction".

It's a baby! (Just not mine...)

 

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting Baby Zoe, the adorable daughter of my pal Aesook. Remember her? She's my preggo grad school pal who was lucky enough to give birth last month. Zoe is absolutely adorable and she was such a good baby during the visit.  I'm totally jealous.

But there's a problem when you go visit your friend's precious new baby girl. It just makes you that much more anxious to have your own. Seriously, yesterday (pre-baby visit) I was fine. No need to rush this process. I was happy to just chill out and wait for Violet to make her grand entrance whenever she decides she's done cooking. Well, not anymore. All of a sudden it just hit me - we need to get this show on the road. I'm over not being able to pick things up off the floor without looking like, well, I don't know what I look like but it can't be pretty. I also don't know what my feet look like anymore, except that I probably need a pedicure in a bad way. I'm tired of waking up at four in the morning, unable to fall back asleep (and I'm really tired of people telling me to get all the sleep I can now, before the baby comes. YOU try sleeping with a watermelon strapped to your stomach and then get back to me. Rolling over in bed could qualify for a new Olympic sport when you're nine months pregnant).

I've been feeling weird all day, but I'm convinced it's just in my head. I've been googling "what a contraction feels like" just in case I'm somehow having them and don't know it. (None of the answers were helpful, by the way. Just lots of ingratiating "you'll know it when you feel it" crap that isn't helpful in the slightest. If I KNEW it, I wouldn't be googling it now, would I??) 

My darling, long-suffering husband, probably sensing the brewing storm in that sixth-sense, scurry for the hills kind of way, offered to take me to Scalini's for the dinner one of these evenings for their world-famous, labor-inducing eggplant parmigiana. I'd go there tonight if he wasn't scheduled to be in Birmingham for work tomorrow. And Wendi's bridal shower is Saturday, and I don't want to miss that. And I sort of promised my dad (happy birthday, dad!) that I'd hold out until he gets back in town this weekend.

SIGH.

Let's look at Zoe again, shall we?

 

SO sweet.

On an unrelated note, has anyone ever tried sticking their Yoplait whipped yogurt in the freezer? That mess is good. Sort of like eating frozen yogurt, but without the guilt complex. We'll see if the scale agrees with me tomorrow when I head for my 38-week check. The midwife is going to slap on the latex and do some poking and prodding to see what's going on in there. Keep your fingers crossed. And go ahead and make me a reservation at Scalini's.

38 Weeks!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! This year we celebrated by making a trip to Home Depot and then Matt worked on getting our half bath painted while I read all about the magic properties of swaddling and shushing from The Happiest Baby on the Block. So romantic!

Well, we made it to 38 weeks. That means, any day now, Violet will make her grand debut. I gotta be honest though, it doesn't feel like she's coming any time soon. I keep waiting to feel different somehow - crankier, or ill, or an irrepressible urge to scrub the spice rack or something. But so far I feel exactly like I've felt all along, just more rotund. Although I do think I'm starting to get that pregnant woman waddle.

At my OB check on Friday, the doc decided Vi's going to be an average size baby, right around 7.5 pounds or so. I have no idea how accurate they can be just pushing on a uterus, but there you go. At least she's not tracking to be a 12-pound wallop of joy. I'm hoping to get a few week's worth out of her newborn clothes. (But I've only washed a few of them, just in case.) It will be such a relief when she's here and I can see what size clothes, diapers, she fits into. At least then I'll know what I'm dealing with!

Anyone watching the Olympics? I don't know if it's my hormones, or if anything with the word "mom" in it is just getting to me these days, but this commercial makes me tear up every time. Consider it my Valentine to you.

Snow Falls on Olde Atlanta

 

Snow falls on Olde Atlanta.

 
 

A glimpse of our cozy house from the snow-covered backyard. It looks rather snug and homey, if I say so myself. All that's missing is a wisp of smoke trailing upwards from the chimney and perhaps an over-exuberant golden retriever trying to chase the snowflakes and we'd have ourselves a real Hallmark moment.

 

Don't you love the hush that falls over everything once the world is muffled by snow?

 

  

So there aren't any pictures for what happened next. The neighbors from either side of us congregated on the golf course directly behind our house, so we went and joined them. After a little getting-to-know-you chitchat and laughing as the kids attempted to build a snowman, make a snowball or simply stand upright, we were invited in for hot chocolate. Which turned into a homemade pizza dinner. Which continued with watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in front of the fireplace while enjoying cake and cookies (the only part of the evening we were able to contribute to - felt like slightly-bad neighbors but hey, we're new at this). It was really, really nice. It all felt so neighborly. I could definitely get used to this. Hopefully we can return the generosity some day (like, when we have a dining room table) but in the meantime it feels really nice to be surrounded by such welcoming people. And best part of all, when the evening was done, we simply buttoned our coats and walked the fifteen feet or so back to our own home.

 

Dawn breaks over Olde Atlanta.

The Office, Baby!

It occurs to me, if she decides to come late (as many of you think she will, according to the poll) Violet could be born on the same day as Jim and Pam's baby...

Peace and Quiet

Enjoy it while it lasts, Spooky.

Diaper Duty

To my knowledge, Matt has never changed a diaper before. Well, yesterday was a banner day for him. It all started at the office, where his co-workers threw a lovely surprise (well, it was supposed to be) shower for him.

 

Matt finally gets to open some presents!

One of the gifts we received was our new pack n' play! It was pretty much the last remaining "must have before Violet is born" item on the list, so I was thrilled. We took it home and immediately set it up. Way cute. Elephants have unintentionally become a bit of a theme and I'm loving it. And if you knew the drama we (well, I) went through trying to choose this pack n' play. Originally I wanted one with all the extra doo-dads - music and lights and newborn napper and diaper stacker and latte maker and... you get the picture. Then my conscience caught up with me. Would we really use all the extra features? Okay, if it really was a latte maker, I'd pay extra. But the rest of it? Eh... So off the registry it came, replaced by a more streamlined, affordable (and cuter) version. Naturally I second-guessed this decision. It's so frustrating not knowing what to expect, what we'll really use, what Violet will actually like... But as soon as we got it, I loved it. (So much so that I changed the blog colors to try and match. It didn't really work though.) I'm really trying to get better about not freaking out so much about this stuff. I'll let you know how that goes...  

Anyway, we got it home and all set up and naturally we decided to test it out with the closest thing to a baby we have right now - my old teddy bear (oh so originally named "Teddy"). But before we could put Teddy to bed, Matt decided he needed to explore the world of diapers.

 

"This isn't so hard..."

   

Ta-daaaa!!! (Look how proud he is!)

Testing out the pack n' play... She likes it!

Now just imagine Violet instead of Teddy... 

(Also, if our mothers are reading this, no, we do not intend to leave the pack n' play in front of the windows like this. Fear not!)

Super Baby Bowl!

 

Travis and Wendi (remember them? They brought the pie!) threw us a couple's baby shower as part of their annual Super Bowl party. How perfect?! Baby stuff for the girls, football for the boys, everyone wins! (Except the Colts, but let's not dwell on the past.) Here are some highlights:

  

My Pal Violet! 

 

This genius little puppy (with an awesome name!) can talk, learn your name, teaches you how to spell it, and can probably solve our world peace problems if we give it time. Amazing! Thanks Matt and Kristi! (Such a cool gift could only come from such cool parents.) 

 

Violet's first Barbie! On a side note, have you guys looked at a Barbie these days? Her boobs are definitely smaller. And she has flat feet - no more stilettos for her. I might actually miss that particular feature. Part of the fun was sending Barbie to the beach or gym on her tiptoes.

 
 

More adorable outfits (and more friends prove their great taste).

And speaking of taste...

 
 

The cake lived up to the party's theme by combining babies with football (and fudge icing):

 

Down, set, YUM. I have to say, baby shower cakes have all scored big this year. 

And speaking of big...

 

Me at 36 weeks. Although on second thought, this really doesn't do the belly justice. Try this one:

 
 

Huge, right?

So to sum up, the Super Baby Bowl was awesome. I'm glad Matt finally got a taste of the baby shower action (although he still let me open all the presents). We are blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives. I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately, but it's true. Matt has been friends with these guys since high school. Eventually girls were discovered, dated, proposed to, married, the circle expanded... Now we're having kids. Which is strange, because when I think of our group, I'm much more likely to think of tailgating before a Braves game, hanging out at Taco Mac watching football, cooking over a campfire... Our go-to accessories have been beer coolers, not baby carriers. But all that is about to change and the circle is about to expand some more. Here's hoping the next generation is as close as their parents are. Hopefully we can set a good example for them. Now then, who's up next on the baby parade?!

Violet Gets Showered With Love

Once again, I have to send love and hugs to all my wonderful friends who already love this baby girl so much! I'm continuously blown away. We were showered with love again this past weekend. We ate great food, made earrings, laughed... My favorite part was just getting to spend some time with so many good friends. I have a feeling those carefree, easy days might not come again for a while, so I'm treasuring them up now. And without further delay, some highlights from Violet's shower this past weekend!

 

The cake! It was almost too beautiful to eat (although that certainly didn't stop us.) Delicious! AND made by Angela's extremely talented daughter!
 

Will this be Violet's going-home outfit?!
 

Measuring the belly! This picture makes me look HUGE! But the camera adds 10 pounds, right?

My sweet friends Laura and Jody win the prize for driving the longest distance to come to the shower. Love them!

 

Instead of silly smell the diaper games, we made earrings! How fabulous?!

I can't wait until there's a little baby filling this up! She's almost here, just a few weeks to go!

Happy Birthday to Me, Happy Birth Month to Violet!

So it hit me yesterday... it's FEBRUARY. February is the month Violet is due. No longer can I say, "Oh, she's due next month..." Nope, now it's "Oh, she's due in four weeks... she's due in 25 days... she's due at the end of the month." And February is a short month, you guys. Yikes. To celebrate, I went out yesterday and bought a pack of newborn size diapers (and got a free tub of baby wipes with my purchase, thanks to the Publix Baby Club, which all new moms should sign up for). In fact, yesterday was a coupon extravaganza at Publix. On my $65 purchase, I saved 40 bucks! (PS Thanks to Lee Anne for letting me steal her Sunday paper!)

So I turned 29 this weekend. Or as my friend Renee puts it, it's not "now I'm 29," it's "next year I'll be 30". But that's okay. I think. And how did I celebrate my b-day, you ask? By having a baby shower. Because it's pretty much not about me from now on. But that's okay too, it was a great way to celebrate. This was me at my birthday last year, when it really was all about me.

Look at me... so young and carefree, still skinny, still able to enjoy a frosty cold one. One year ago, I had absolutely zero idea I'd be getting pregnant. There wasn't even an inkling of buying a house.Becoming a home-owning mommy was just a dream for the future. It's amazing how much can change in one short year.

So back to this year's birthday. It started when I came downstairs in the morning and my mom wished me happy b-day, completely catching me by surprise. I had sort of forgotten. Then she made me a birthday breakfast of pancakes with strawberries (mmm!) and took me shopping to pick out a birthday present. I chose The Happiest Baby on the Block book (see, I told you it's really not about me anymore).

 

The beautiful birthday vase I got from my darling friend Joyce. Exquisite, no? I'm so lucky to have friends with fabulous taste!

Then there was the baby shower (another update, but needless to say it was fabulous. And we made earrings!). Then my dear dad took me out to dinner. In fact, we reinstated a tradition we started long ago of double dating with my friend Jill, who shares my birthday, and her dad. This year, in honor of Jill's big 3-0, we classed it up and went to The Hil at Serenbe. It was my first visit to Serenbe and it was fabulous. The ingredients are so fresh and come from the organic farm that surrounds the restaurant. We were surprised with a scoop of birthday ice cream and let me tell you, this ice cream must have been made from the sweetest cream from the richest milk from the happiest cow, who was probably hanging out behind the restaurant contentedly star-gazing as we sat inside. So good. I'm already scheming of ways to get Matt to take me back there (and it's conveniently located to the Grandma's Free Babysitting Service of Peachtree City!)

Then I drove home. I was full and tired and ready to see Matt. We hadn't really talked about birthday plans for the two of us and I'd been gone all weekend, so I wasn't expecting anything. Just imagine my surprise when I saw what was awaiting me:

Need a hint? Here's the poem that went along with it:

My dear, my dear who's 29

Pregnant, house, all is divine!

A month from now what shall we do

On Sunday afternoons with our little bugaboo?

Who will she look like? What will she do?

Brown hair? Blond hair? Me or You?

We'll wish for Daddy's sense of direction and Mommy's style

But know she'll be a perfect girl all the while

But, at times she'll cry and sometimes wail.

At least you'll have your new chair rail!

That's right! My dear sweet husband painted the dining room chair rail for me! The dining room used to look like this (not our furniture, btw):

Note how the chair rail is the same color as the wall - you can barely even see it. It was one of the first things I wanted to change on the house, but alas, I'm not allowed to paint. So Matt did it for me as a surprise. Best birthday present ever! (And yes, I feel totally old and lame for getting so excited about a chair rail, but I don't care. That's how awesome it is!)

So that's it. Another year successfully in the books. Something tells me 29 is going to be a big one.