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...!

Il Pleut à Paris...

It's raining in Paris.  You might think that this would have little to no impact on my day, but it's totally interrupting coverage of the French Open.  Please feel free to click on the below link to set the tone for this blog entry... a little Aux Champs-Elysee for your listening pleasure (it's best to right click and open in a new window).  This song brings a smile to my face every time!  It's so silly, so French, and it so reminds me of my short little Mr. Magoo look-alike French professor from Ole Miss who used this song as a "warm up" for French class.  We had to stand and sing this song while he danced around the room with his eyes closed.  I wish I had a picture of this.

This time of the year I always think about my favorite summer memories, but I am also doing a lot of thinking about the future right now.  Accordingly, today I want to write about remembering and predicting.  

Remembering past summers... I have been so blessed to take some incredible trips and have wonderful experiences growing up.  My favorites include spending a month in Nice, France studying French, and being on Campus Crusade Summer Project in Fort Lauderdale.  I would give anything to go back to either of those places and relive just a few days!  Obviously I love France.  I love the culture, the language, the busyness of the cities, the long meals, drinking Illy in cafes, the art, walking everywhere, and monuments such as the Arc de Triomph and the Tour d' Eiffel.  The French eat fresh food and walk almost everywhere.  They don't sit in front of the TV at night, but instead they spend their evenings on culinary masterpieces and interesting conversation.  Now I know you can argue that yes, they go on strike a lot, or maybe they're a bit smelly (I don't agree) but I think they have found the key to enjoying life that a lot of Americans can't seem to find.  I have never felt healthier or more alive than when I was in France.  I woke up early in the mornings, ate an amazing breakfast, walked to class, had a jambon-beurre  (ham & butter) sandwich for lunch, then usually spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, shopping, or in a museum followed by an award winning dinner & glass of wine until 9 or 10 pm.  What a life!  I'm in such a daze from thinking about France that I will have to talk about Fort Lauderdale in a different post...

Jambon et beurre sandwich on a baguette - there's nothing better

Now onto predicting... I have lots of reasons to think we are going to have a really strong little girl.  From the very beginning when I first found out I was expecting, I had this feeling that she was tough.  I never worried about waiting until the 1st trimester was over to tell people because I knew she was fine.  Then the morning sickness hit like a ton of bricks, to which everyone tells you that just means you have a healthy baby!  Now in month six, I am feeling the little bundle moving constantly and I anticipate she will have a strong disposition and character!  My other predictions are that she is going to be tall, love the beach, and play sports.  Call it a mother's intuition ;) 

Our beautiful little girl with her feet up by her head!

Inn case you're wondering what that happy French man is singing about, the chorus translation goes something like this:

                    On the Champs-Elysee, On the Champs-Elysee
                    In the sun or in the rain,
                    At noon or at midnight,
                    It's all that you would want
                    On the Champs-Elysee       

Now sing along!  Aux Champs-Elysee....     
                   
Well, the rain delay is over so I'm going back to watching tennis and daydreaming about Paris... au revoir for now! 

One Week Down

I have made it one week!  That doesn't seem like very much, but I'm closer to seeing this little girl and she's getting bigger all the time, which is my #1 purpose right now. 

So I must say... I have been VERY popular these last few days and I've been much busier than I thought I would be!  I've had some wonderful visitors that have brought yummy food.  I just hope I don't grow more than the baby!  On Sunday Deanna came by followed by Lauren & Tyler.  I totally forgot to take pictures - I'm trying to document all of my visitors so they can get blog credit.  My dear Anna came over Sunday night and what a special visit it was!  Anna, Stephen & Lila (the hippo, I believe?) put on a skit for me.  I'm not too sure what was going on at this point, but here is a picture.

It was hilarious!  Here are some other pictures from the last few days.  As you can see, Lila and Riley are keeping an eye on things. 

They are soooooo lazy. 

My mom brought my grandparents over to visit yesterday.  They brought some amazing food, and my mom showed my grandmother the nursery and my flowers.  Grandaddy and I watched the French Open :)

Speaking of my flowers, it makes me really sad not to get to work in the yard this summer.  At least I'm kind of reaping the benefits of my work last summer, because we have lots of blooming going on right now!  It really makes me so happy, so I go visit my flowers at least once a day (on the way to and from the bathroom, of course).  Yesterday morning I had my coffee on the front porch and it was HOT.  Gosh I love summer.  Bring it, heat.  I can say that because I sit inside all day. 

My coffee perch.

Some of my little pretties.

Well I don't want to give it all away today.... so until next time!  I'll be right here.

Bedrest Day 4 and Baby Shower

Today has been pretty uneventful, but at least Stephen has been home with me.  He said the funniest thing to me the other day (day 1, I believe...).  When I was little and got sick, anyone family member that stayed home to take care of me was nicknamed "nurse" for the day.  So anyway, I was in the bed, and Lila & Riley were of course right there with me.  Stephen was evaluating the conditions, and he said "well, you've got two nurses to take care of you."  I told him, "No I have three."  He said, "No, two.  One, two," pointing at the animals.  I said "three" and pointed at him.  He said, "Um, no. I am the doctor."  It was so matter of fact and I have been laughing to myself about it ever since!  Here is a pic of my doctor and one of the nurses busy at work today...

Luckily I was able to attend my baby shower last Sunday before the unexpected chain of events!  It was so much fun and a little bit surreal!  We got some beautiful dresses, precious outfits, a pink polka dotted tutu, some bath time goodies, a Moses basket and a pack and play!  How exciting!  Not to mention, the hostesses gave us a Flip Video!  Another funny Stephen story... he snuck off and registered for the Flip Video when we were in Target, and I had no idea that it was even on our registry!  I told him not to put it on there, so I looked a little silly when I opened it at my shower and exclaimed, "How did y'all know?!  Stephen has been wanting one of these so much!"  I should have kept a closer eye on that boy...  Here are some pictures from the shower and afterwards when we worked on her nursery!