Leah's 1st Birthday Invitation

Starry Party Birthday Invitation

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Leah in June

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Springing Back

This morning before Stephen left for work, I made him walk outside with me to our front yard (our driveway and garage are in the back so unless you make an effort to go out the front door, you may never see it!).  I explained to him that if you come out here in the morning with a cup of coffee and a good book, you feel like you're on vacation.  I'm not sure he agreed, but to prove my point, here are some photos.

The pool is down the street so I can even see and hear the fountains from the porch.  Ah, I'm pretty sure this is how life is supposed to be. 

Honestly, though, the pictures I posted are from last year.  I used to sit out here while I was expecting Leah, feel her tiny movement and wonder what life held for us in the future.  Now, one year later, I am sitting in the same spot, enjoying the spring, the breeze, the birds, and my flowers while my sweet baby takes a nap upstairs.  I think about all that has happened over the course of a year, and can't imagine what we did without sweet Leah.  I enjoy her naps because I can get some things done sans interruption, but at the same time I miss her when she's asleep!  My little buddy has been "helping" me in the yard and I can already tell she's a barefoot, sun loving, outside girl like her mama.  We are going to make a good team!

1 + 2 = 5

I have thought of several potential titles for this blog...

"I had a baby.  The end."

"No, my baby's name isn't Reese, I should have updated my blog 6 months ago."

The list could go on... but 1 + 2 = 5 is special to me because Stephen and I have assigned everyone in our house a number based on age... he is 1, I'm 2, Riley is 3, Lila is 4, and baby Leah is 5.  Lots of times we just refer to the person (or animal) by number, such as, "What has 4 gotten into?" Translation:  "What has Lila gotten into?"  You get the point...

Anyway, sweet baby Leah is here and blogging went bye-bye around the time she was born.  I had her by c-section on August 6 at 7:59 am.  She was 5 lbs., 8 oz. and 18.5 inches.  Everything went great and we got to bring sweet thing home on August 8.  It was a wonderful homecoming... for both of us!  All of our parents as well as Stephen's brother, sister in law, and our neices were there to welcome us and we settled right on in!

I have been keeping track of everything she does by writing it down in her baby book, so I don't feel too bad that I haven't blogged about every detail.  At least it's written down somewhere!  Summary-wise, she turned 6 months old on February 6, she has been sleeping through the night since Thanksgiving (Praise the LORD.),  she started eating three solid meals a day and loves everything from sweet potatoes to banana-mango oatmeal, and she has visited 6 states in her short life!  She had colic (aka 2.5 months of torture) but we like to forget about that!  Leah's really a sweet little thing as long as it's not nap time, then you better clear the way for her to get some zzzz's.  Seriously people. 

I'm working a measly two days a week, which I love because I get to stay home with Leah the other days.  It's really getting fun!  I can't wait for some nice weather so we can get outside and FINALLY work in the yard, swim and all the other things I missed last summer.  Now I have my little buddy to help and go with me!

Recent Leah pic - sitting like a big girl!

In other news....

Stephen doesn't read my blog, so I can write about him here.  I started reading The Love Dare.  Normally I'm not good at completing a book - this one is kind of a 40 step program for your marriage.  We'll see if I actually finish it, but I'm really hoping to do so!  I'm only on day two... I know, I know.  So far, I'm practicing saying only positive things to him, being kind, and speaking the truth in Love.  I'll try to keep posting about this... marriage is *disintigrating* before our very eyes in this generation... it breaks my heart so I'm trying to do something about that. 

Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.  James 1:19

On a Positive Note

I feel like I need to balance out my last blog of complaining with some good things that have been going on.  See, when you're in the hospital you get pity presents.  I got a strawberry cake, and since we didn't have plates I took the liberty of eating a slice out of the box. 

Unfortunately I dropped my Blackberry, it cracked, and it has been a little sickly ever since, so Stephen surprised me with an iPhone on Tuesday!!  Wow!  I am pretty Apple/iPod/iPhone incompetent so figuring all of this out has been interesting, but it's really fun to play with.  To my BBM contacts... I miss y'all more than you will ever know.  May my pretty, red, Valentine's gift rest in peace (hopefully it's the only thing that doesn't make it out of the hospital!).  But seriously, YAY iPhone!

Signing off...

Here we are on one of our little outings.  Don't tell my nurses I escaped the wheelchair to take this pic.

35 weeks and 5 days, weighing in at 155 lbs. =)

As I have said before, this blog is for me to document things I want to remember.  It may not be entertaining to 99.9% of the population but that's ok because you can stop reading at anytime.  I have been thinking about how I haven't really kept track of things throughout this pregnancy, so I want to write them out before I forget.  Here goes!

First half of December:

Totally knew I was pregnant even though I had taken 4 negative tests.  Pretty much all I did was sleep and eat.

December 17th:

One of the best days of my life!  It was our 5 year wedding anniversary.  I woke up at 4:30 am and had to potty, so I decided to take one last test... bingo!  I had on my glasses and couldn't tell if I was reading it right... I had to get out the instructions to compare the dashes and crosses.  After some major freaking out, I woke Stephen up with the news.  Needless to say we were so excited we could not go back to sleep. 

He gave me a diamond anniversary band (brought to me on Lila's collar) and made a video of the event.  It's not the most perfect quality, but I love it.  Plus, it contains a surprise ending!

Anniversary weekend:

We went to Jackson and had dinner at Nick's and stayed at the Old Capital Inn.  I think all we talked about was the baby!  I thought I might die trying to keep it a secret.

 

December 24th:

After church we had my parents over to our house.  I wrote the baby news in a copy of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and wrapped it up along with a fuzzy onesie to give to my mom and dad.  They were so thrilled!

 

December 25th:

Stephen said the prayer before the meal and prayed for our new baby to break the news to the rest of my family.  The Buntins have never been so speechless!

December 26th:

We told Stephen's parents, then Scott and Heather, then the rest of his family by showing them the video above that he made the morning we found out.  They were so shocked!

December 30th through end of February-ish:

Let the puking begin.  It was so bad I thought I had the stomach virus for a week.  I had some major pregnancy sickness that struck without warning any and sometimes every time of day.

March 22nd:

I felt some movements for the first time.  It felt like little muscle spasms but I could feel them on the inside and with my hand on the outside.  How exciting!

March 25th:

Around 19 weeks... we found out that we were having a girl!  I also found out about the previa that day, but I didn't think too much of it at the time... 

 

May 16th:

Baby shower and nursery decorating!

May 18th:

Day from you-know-where.  After a long day at work, I came home and made cookies to take to JA.  We had some awards presentation and I was bringing snacks so I got there around 5:45.  The meeting went until around 9:00... I thought I was going to die!  I changed for bed when I got home and realized I was bleeding.  Our first night in the hospital ensued.  Please refer to and so it begins for those details...

I think from bed rest on has been well-documented thanks to having some time on my hands... Now I'll just keep my eyes on the future and look forward to the next phase - baby time!

God has been so gracious to Stephen and me.  I can't even wrap my head around how greatly He has blessed us and how amazing the gift of our baby will be. 

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.

1 Samuel 1:27

Blessed is she who has believed, that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. 

Luke 1:45

If you can't say anything nice...

Don't say anything at all.  Perhaps that's why I haven't blogged in over a month.  I'm going to break that rule real quick...

Let's just say the isolation and removal from society is taking its toll on me.  I was at home for seven weeks - May 19th through July 6.  On July 7th I went into the hospital so today is day 13 of hospital bed rest... or as those all too familiar with it say, HBR. 

I thought that being on bed rest at home was challenging, but it was a piece of cake compared to being in the hospital.  At home I got to sit on the front porch in the morning and on the back porch in my hammock in the evening.  I got to take bubble baths.  I hung out with the sweetest kitty and puppy all day and got to sleep in my bed with my husband at night.  I had TIVO! 

Now, on HBR, I get to go to the bathroom, take a shower, and be pushed around in a wheelchair for 30 minutes a day.  The rest of the time (the other 23 hours) I lay in a bed that has buttons and that makes air compression noises everytime I move.  The lights above my head buzz, it's been overcast almost everyday I've been here, and the shower has a seat in it that I'm afraid to touch.  I wear white support stockings so I don't get blood clots.  I am asked humiliating questions multiple times per day and it doesn't matter who is in the room - they still ask.  Nothing is personal anymore.  And let's not even talk about the food. 

Pros:  I got the most beautiful flowers from Ashley, Dustin & baby Bryant and I cried when they delivered them!  Talk about making my day...

And my mama brought these!

Puppy got to come visit mommy at the hospital!

It was so hot.  We wuv the water from the decorative fountain...

The baby is absolutely perfect.  Isn't that all that matters?!  Yes, but I do feel better after showing off my beautiful flowers... and venting a little!

10 Random Things I've Figured out While on Bed Rest

10.  They're not kidding about heartburn increasing in your 3rd Trimester.

9.  There has been a fly constantly tormenting me everyday for the past week.  He must be able to sense that I can not chase him down.

8.  I held off for years, but I'm finally reading the Twilight series.  I read the first three books in a matter of weeks and I'm waiting on the last book... somebody bring it to me already!  They're pretty darn good as far as teenage/romance/vampire/werewolf drama goes.

7.  I have never wanted a.) a pedicure and b.) a massage so bad in my life.

6.  WHY oh WHY did someone make me watch the Bachelorette last week?  Now I am hooked, and I don't want to care about that show, or Ali or Rated R or weirdo Kasey and how he wants to 'guard and protect her heart'...

5.  Our dog is B-A-D.  And L-A-Z-Y.  And she knows what it means when we say "should we put her U-P?" because she runs and hides!

4.  I can't ever figure out how my baby is positioned in my stomach :(  Kinda sad I can't tell heads from tails...

3.  Stephen is absolutely freaked out by my new baby belly button.

2.  I may never want to go back to work.

1.  I know when a comedian on "Last Comic Standing" is hilarious because I have to pause him mid-act to go potty.

Other fun tid-bits:

I changed my baby countdown to reflect my new *drum roll please* due date!  It's not set in stone yet, but I will most likely have a c-section anywhere between July 30th and August 6th, which is 2-3 weeks before her due date.  All of the sudden I have like 40ish days left of this pregnancy!  I also re-titled my ticker to "Reese Elizabeth Kirkpatrick".  Her name is also not set in stone... but we are pretty sure that's what it will be and I'm trying to use it as much as possible to make sure I love it 100% before she arrives!  I can't wait to meet my sweet little Reese!

I'm inserting a picture of my sweet nieces, who I know will be the best cousins to Reese!  Please note that Laura Jane (4) is pretend driving the Mercedes, while Virginia (2) is manning the cell phone.  They don't miss a thing...!