Thanksgiving 2011

This year was quite different for me, not only was it the first one that I have had off in four years but I was spending it with my family and our precious new baby boy. It seems crazy that Bryar will be two months old soon, and he still seems so itty bitty and brand new. Time flies whenever life is so wonderful.

We spent Thanksgiving with both of our families and it wonderful being able to cherish time with both sides in one day. I absolutely loved getting to see everyone, not to mention all of the delicious food we had!

B obviously isn't a fan of having his photo taken in his first Thanksgiving outfit!

Bryar's Baby Shower 9/24/11

On September 24, our families held us a shower for Bryar's upcoming arrival. We had decided earlier in the month to hold the shower outside of my MIL's home since September is typically a warm and beautiful month, although the weather gave us a damper and told off chilly and cloudy the day before the shower was to be held! I had major wardobe problems that day since the adorable maxxi dress I had picked out couldn't be wore on such a cold day! You just have to love Kentucky weather; you never know what it is going to throw at you next.

We decided to have our family showers together since Bryar's arrival could have happened at any moment. I was actually even surprised that he decided to hold off from the day of the baby shower, being that I was having lower back pain and was having to waddle everywhere. It was a sight! You will see in the photos that I look completely miserable but I promise it was not that bad. I actually enjoyed my day with our families, being out of the house for the first time in what seemed like forever, as well as just enjoying being pregnant with our precious baby!

Our parents did such a wonderful job with the food and decor as always. Curtis and I are blessed with such crafty Mommas!

My Mother in law and sister in law =)

Kaylen, Charli Beth and Lillee

Jessica, Me and Krystina

Jessica gave birth to Miss Layla the day that Bryar came home from the NICU on October 20 and Krystina is due with Miss Piper in December. Jessica is the sweetest girl ever and I was overjoyed to have both of these girls to go through my pregnancy with again. Kaylen, Krystina's daughter is a week younger than Charli Beth and they have always been the best of friends.

We were so blessed to have so each of these people to attend our shower and give gifts for Bryar. We are so thankful that people think of our little family!

Thank you to everyone who came as well as helped out at the shower!

11/15/11

As my sister said, "When someone has the most perfect gift for you, they sometimes let you have it a little early" which is exactly the case with her baby Trace and baby Bryar as well. Today is the day that Bryar was suppose to make his grand arrival into this crazy world. It is amazing to think all that he has already overcame as well as accomplished in these six weeks.

These past few weeks have flown by, just as I knew that they would but I am thankful that the Lord has blessed us with a healthy baby even though he was anxious and made his early arrival!

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry

Yes, it is already that time of year again!

It is so hard to believe how very fast this year has flown by, but I am very ecstatic to be able to send out Christmas cards of my new beautiful family to all of our family and friends!

Over the past year, I have used Shutterfly for many occassions; Christmas cards, Valentines photo book and our wedding shower thank you cards! Each time they have just been marvelous to work with.

I absolutely adore all of their card designs for this Holiday season as well as their photo books! Which reminds me that I cannot wait to purchase the books that I made from our wedding as well as the birth of Bryar!

This year to help get the word out on just how amazing this company is I have three codes for 25 FREE cards for three of my readers! How wonderful is that?!

How can you become one of the lucky readers to get a code?

It's simple. Leave me a comment of ideas of what I can change my blog name to because as we all know this isn't just Mommy & Charli anymore! =) I have several ideas but would love some new input as well.

I will pick winners on Wednesday, November 16th!

p.s.
You do not have to be a blogger to win but please leave your email address while commenting. Sorry it has taken me so long to get this post out, it has been quite hectic around our home lately!

Bryar's Coming Home Day & 1 month!

Bryar's Coming Home Stats:

October 25, 2011
20 days in the NICU
5 lbs 4 oz (1 pound up from birth weight)
18 in

The day that we were able to bring B home for the first time, I felt like a new Mommy all over again. I was excited, scared, nervous and just way to anxious for my own good. The entire day was very rushed from trying to make sure Charli was picked up from school on time, doing our NICU checklist to be able to leave, packing up from the hospitality house and much more.

Curtis was able to pick Charli up from school and surprise her with the news that they were coming to pick Bryar and I up from the hospital. She was so excited whenever they arrived and as Curtis carried B out to our car.

I was able to somehow fit in the backseat with Charli and Bryar to make sure he did fine on the ride home.

Charli's very first time holding Bryar.

If you cannot tell, she has tears in her eyes once again.
This girl is so sweet y'all. It's just precious!

After wiping her eyes to try for photo number two.
The little guy's coming home gown
Simply amazed by him

Kisses!

Our shot at a family photo =)

Once again, we are all so very blessed to have Bryar home and are able to finally be a family together. B is such a laid back baby and is doing well with his weight and eating still. Since we have been home, he has turned into a little piggy. Yesterday at a check up he weighed 5 lbs and 15 oz, so he is moving right a long and will be bigger than we know it no time!

He has started to hit a little growth spurt or is getting his days and nights mixed up with being a tiny bit fussy or exteremly hungry from around midnight to 4:30 am! Breast feeding is hard work and as I keep telling everyone it is not for the weak, I think as soon as him and I get a little better at this, he will be the most perfect little baby!

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Bryar is also one month old today! Which is so hard to believe but then again it has been a very long month with all that endured at first!

Weight: 5 lbs 15 oz

Eating: Every two to three hours, no matter if it is night or day. Mostly at night I am letting him wake up on his own, which seems to be constantly at the moment. But we must still remember that B's gestational age is only 38 weeks still! It's so hard to believe that my due date was not until November 15! He is taking about 60 ml's a feeding which is practically 2 oz. We are stuck by reading our feedings by MLs because of the NICU from where he was only at 30 for a while then went from a range to 30-50 a feeding.

Sleeping: Like I mention above his nights and days are mixed up or possibly he is hitting a growth spurt. During the day he sleeps some and then is wide eyed for a while as well. He cannot stand to be swaddled and if he is his hands must be out so that they can be close to his face.

Pretty much all B still does is eat, sleeps and well...poops! ;) So maybe here in the next few weeks we will start to see some more activity out of our boy!

NICU Days

For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.

-Matthew 6:21

I want to thank everyone that has left comments, tweets and messages for our new family of four! Bryar is doing wonderful and we were able to come home to join his big sister on October 25, after 20 days in the NICU! It was an amazing feeling to bring our little guy home, and seeing Charli Beth with tears in her eyes while holding him for the first time, melted my heart into a billion pieces. I am reminded daily once again with just how precious life is and how blessed each of us are.

Right before the first bath that I was able to give himCharli Beth seeing Bryar for the first time through the nursery window. She was so very nervous and excited love her heart. She was hyper one minute, and then shaking the next. This girl has a heart the size of Texas, she told me after we left that she couldn't look at him to much because she kept getting tears and didn't want us to see her cry looking at him. Ah, precious!

Bryar was able to keep his warmth up himself but what kept him in the NICU for so long was his eating habbits. He had some reflux issues at first as well as not being able to take very many MLs by himself at a time. They placed a feeding tube through his nose around the third day that he was there, to not only give him a break but to help him to continue to hold his weight. The hard thing about premature babies and the NICU is how they will do so wonderful one day and then take three steps back, as well as hearing different things from each nurse on his progress. It was such a challenge but we were blessed with wonderful nurses for Bryar. I was able to attend most feedings since the local hospital has a "hospitality house" where family members of intensive care patients can stay. This was yet another huge blessing for our family. B was/is feeding every three hours so I would of spent most of my time driving back and forth to the hospital with no rest at all. Being able to stay at the HH, I was able to pump as well as get in a nap between feedings.

Soon I will post all about the day that he came home to join our little family =)