Five Months

We have reached month #5!!!!! Caroline continues to grow and change daily. She is getting so big and learning lots of new things. She loves to talk/babble and laugh out loud. Bath time with daddy is still her favorite daily activity but jumping in her jumparoo while watching Barney is a close 2nd.. We had our 4 month checkup and shots last week (a little late because Friday appt's are better for us and those are hard to come by, so technically it was a 5 month checkup) I was ready for this appointment, not for the shots, but to see Caroline'a growth in height/weight. I have had several people comment that Caroline is "petite" or "small" Even strangers will ask how old she is and when I say 5 months they will say "oh, we thought she was about 2 months." Being the first time mom that I am, I began to worry. I did all kinds of research trying to decide if these people were right or crazy. Of course, on the internet, you get so many opinions that I didn't know what to believe. Finally, it was appointment day and I had a list of questions for Dr. Jon. I told Dr. Jon of all my concerns, he looked at me and smiled really big. Then went on to tell me to not worry and to quit listening to other people. Yes, Caroline may be in the 10th percentile in height and 20th percentile in weight but that was completely normal! She is happy, healthy, and continues to grow. Definitely made this mama feel better. Only 3 shots at this appointment and she did great, just like last time.  Caroline has learned how to scoot and can go backwards but has not accomplished going forward. Definitely need some more practice. She also started sitting up by herself this month. I am loving all of these milestones but  I miss my itty-bitty baby.

Weight- 13lbs 11oz
Height 23 1/2 in
Clothes- 0-3, 3months are perfect. Some 3-6 months
Favorite Toys-  Hands/Feet, Baby Doll, Glow Seahorse

Caroline's First Thanksgiving

Another first for C has came and went. Thanksgiving!!! Chris was on vacation the week of a Thanksgiving so he and Caroline got to spend some much needed daddy/daughter time together while mommy worked on Monday and Tuesday. We had planned and prepared from the food to the special outift and hairbow Caroline would wear. However, due to some lovely teething, Thanksgiving turned out to be a little difficult. I had planned on waking Caroline up at 8 on Thursday morning to watch the Macy's Parade (my favorite thing to do on Thanksgiving) but due to a low grade temp, snotty nose, and horrible cough, Chris and I spent the morning tag-teaming to get ourselves and C ready while she fussed pretty much the whole time.  She finally fell asleep as we traveled to our first stop of the day, Aunt Kat's. Those who know Caroline, knows she is very sociable and will let even a stranger hold her, except today. Mommy was all she wanted. We left a little early hoping another nap would help. Thankfully we were going home because due to a puking incident, Caroline's outfit had to be put in the washing machine and dryer. A short nap with daddy then we were off to Nanny's where she slept through dinner and dessert. I have definitely come to conclusion that no matter how much I try to plan everything, even the smallest things can change everything. It definitely was not the ideal Thanksgiving, but Caroline looked cute, we seen lots of family, ate a lot of food, and made it through the day. We even took Caroline to Wal-Mart for some Black Friday shopping that evening. Time to prepare for the next big "first" .... CHRISTMAS!!!!

                                                                Loving the leaves

Caroline's 1st Halloween

October is the beginning of the big Holiday Season!! Technically 4th of July was Caroline's first real holiday but since she was only 4 days old it wasn't very exciting!! We have been preparing for Halloween for over a month. She had an outfit to wear every day the week of Halloween and of course a new hairbow. This was her first holiday at Debbie's and they always have a party.. We made  treat bags for all of her friends and I ordered pumpkin cookies from Creative Kitchen to take the day of her party. I guess Caroline knew it was party day and was afraid she would miss something because she skipped both naps that day. Her sweet friends even thought of her and bought her books and toys since she can't have candy. That evening we went to my dad's to hand out candy like we always do. Caroline didn't have a costume, just a cute outfit, because I couldn't bring myself to spend $30 on a costume that she would hate wearing. We did trick or treat at a few houses (friends/family) and they loaded her up with books, toys, and Barney DVD's. I think Caroline's first Halloween was a success, she was still going strong at 9:30 and then slept in the next day until after 10. Bring on the rest of the Holiday season!! 🎃🎃🎃

Four Months

We have a 4 month old. How did this happen?!?! I cannot believe another month has came and went. Caroline continues to grow and change daily. She is still sleeping really good at night. We had one week that was a little rough, where she would wake up at 3:30 on the dot. Not sure what was going on but we have stopped that (thank goodness) and are back on track. This month Caroline has really started grinning and can now laugh out loud without scaring herself. Sweetest sound ever!!! She can sit up on her own for about 2 seconds before she falls to one side. She has started grabbing things that are within reach and she loves to talk/yell and blow bubbles. We do not let her watch a ton of TV and she doesn't get to watch TV at Debbie's but we have discovered that Barney is her favorite. Something about the big purple dinosaur that captures all of her attention. If she hears the intro song to Barney or "I Love You" she begins searching the room until she spots the TV. I think if we would let her, she would sit in her swing and watch Barney for hours. I hate that she is growing so fast but I love how she is starting to really interact with us and other kids and is learning to Play!! This is such a fun age!!

Three Months

I cannot believe it is time for another post. These 3 months have went by so fast. Yes, I realize I say this every post but it really is going by so quickly. Caroline is getting so big  and she is at such a fun age. We had her two month appt a little late so she was actually 11 weeks old. She weighed 10'15" and was 22in long. Dr. Jon said she was perfectly proportional! We also had to get shots that day which was much better than I anticipated. She cried for about 10 seconds and once I picked her up, she was fine. We have such a tough little girl. Caroline continues to sleep through the night and is not a fan of being woke up at 5:30 during the week, so she takes full advantage of sleeping 12-14 hours straight on the weekend. She has started laughing out loud and it is the most precious sound I've ever heard. Bath time with daddy has to be her favorite part of the day, she loves to kick and splash the water. We are getting so excited that the holidays are coming up and can't wait to introduce Caroline to all of our family traditions, along with start some new traditions with our family of 3.

Weight (11 weeks) 10lbs 15oz
22 in. Long
Clothes- Newborn is a little tight, 0-3 are perfect, 3months are a little big
Sept 13 (10w5d) rolled from back to tummy for the first time

Two Months

I can't believe it is already time for another post. Caroline is growing so fast and changing daily.  This month has been so fun and Caroline is starting to have such a personality. She loves to talk and gets very loud when she thinks you aren't listening. She is a very happy baby who only cries when she is hungry or  needs a diaper change, oh and at 7:00 every night. My goal was to have Caroline sleeping in her own room and her own bed by 6 weeks. She was in our room for the first 5 weeks but slept in a bassinet. The weekend before she turned 6 weeks we decided to try out the crib. We were prepared for no sleep so that is why we tried it out on the weekend.  To our surprise, Caroline loved her crib and her own room. She officially slept through the night at 6 weeks 1 day and has been sleeping through the night ever since.. We have a very strict bedtime routine but why would I change it when it works so well.  We start bath at 7:30, do a lotion massage and pjs, eat, and she is out by 8:00. She will usually sleep until 8:00 or 9:00 the next morning. Now that I am back to work, I have to wake her up about 5:30 to get her dressed and feed her before we head out the door.  Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love my sleep so Chris and I have decided that she definitely got her sleeping habit from me. I was released to go back go work at 8 weeks, although I definitely dreaded it, I knew it was time to go back and get in a routine. Caroline has adjusted really well to the new routine and I'm so thankful for our wonderful sitter. Debbie is awesome and Caroline loves her and her new friends so much. It's such a great feeling when I drop Caroline off at Debbie's and the minute Debbie leans down to say Good Morning, Caroline gets this huge grin on her face. These past 2 months have been wonderful and we can't even remember what life was like before we had C.  I do wish time would slow down a little because it really does go too fast.

August 10- slept in her crib in her nursery for the first time
August 11- rolled over (front to back) for the first time
August 14- slept 10 hours straight and has slept through the night ever since

One Month

I realize I am a little behind but life has became a little hectic in the Mort household!! Cannot believe how fast time has went by. The first month is like a blur due to a new routine and lack of sleep. Nothing prepared us enough on becoming new parents but I would say that Chris and I took on the challenge and Caroline is a growing, happy, healthy baby!!!

July 3rd- Came home from the hospital and met her brothers and sisters (dogs) for the 1st time.
July 4th- 1st Holiday
July 7th- Weight Check (back to birth weight 7' 15" and first dental appointment at Mommy's work then to Pepsi to meet everyone at Daddy's work.
July 18- 2 Week Check Up weighing 8'13"
July 30- 1 Month Old

Caroline Hazel Mort

Sunday, June 29th had finally arrived. We were scheduled to go in at 9:00 that night to be induced. We spent the day getting the house in order, playing with the dogs, making sure we had everything packed, and enjoying our time as a family of two because we knew our lives were about to change forever. We left the house about 8:00 so we could make a pit-stop at the Sugar Shack. My final treat before being induced was a silver fox snow cone!! Yummy!! We arrived and got all checked in. Our nurse that night was very helpful and informative. Dr. Bell had ordered a light sleeping pill for me to take at 10:00 plus a pill that they inserted into my cervix to help me thin out. At 2:00 they inserted another pill into my cervix to help me thin some more. At 6:00 the next morning they came in to start the Pitocin to get the show on the road. The nurse checked me only to discover that the pills had done absolutely nothing. I had not thinned or dilated. She was very convinced that the Pitocin would work and I would start progressing. Dr. Bell came in about 7:00 hoping to find me close to delivery only to discover that nothing was happening. He decided to go ahead and break my water because the contractions had picked up quite a bit and I was definitely starting to feel them. He also turned the Pitocin up as high as it would go to see if that would help. He told me he would come back at lunch and check me again. A few hours passed and I was starting to have a lot of pain. The nurse kept offering me pain meds but I was trying really hard to wait it out because I knew it was going to be a long day. She finally asked again and I wanted to know what Dr. Bell thought. She decided to check me so she could call Dr. Bell and give him an update. I was still the same and had not progressed. She came back after talking to Dr. Bell and said he recommended an epidural to see if I relaxed then maybe that would help. I agreed to the epidural. Best thing EVER!!! I highly recommend it for anyone in labor. It instantly started working and I fell right to sleep. Several hours had passed and Dr. Bell had came in hoping I was ready to deliver. He checked me and sadly still  nothing. I was so disappointed and getting very frustrated. Dr. Bell looked at me and told me how he was really expecting me to already be pushing and I was not even close. He then gave me my options. He told me that we could keep going and see what happened or we could go ahead and do a C-section. I told him I trusted his opinion 100% and I wanted to know what he thought. He looked at Chris and I and told us that he did not see me progressing and was afraid that even if we went on that it would end in a c-section anyways, so Chris and I agreed that it was in our best interest to go ahead and go for a C-section. I have never seen a room get so full, so fast in all my life. About 10 nurses came in and it was like a circus. People everywhere. There was a specific nurse just to help Chris get dressed. When Dr. Bell says let's go he literally means let's go!!! Chris was trying to call all of our family that wasn't already at the hospital. We had not called anyone because we knew it was still going to be a while. Within 15 minutes, we were being taken into the operating room. We got to choose our own music to listen to, beautiful pictures on the ceiling to look at, and a whole bunch of nurses. We were ready!! Within a few minutes, Caroline Hazel Mort had arrived. She weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 20in long. She was PERFECT!!!!!! I got to kiss her sweet face and see her for about 15 seconds before she and Chris headed to the nursery. I am very thankful for the wonderful staff at Mercy. I had strict instructions for the nurses to not let anyone see Caroline before I did. So she had all of our family and friends who were there go into our postpartum room and wait so they wouldn't see her before me. I spent about an hour in recovery before they moved me to my room. They had brought Caroline into recovery for me to feed her and snuggle with her before taking her back to the nursery for her bath. Once I was in my room, the nurse and Chris finally got to bring Caroline in. I loved being there to see everyone's faces when they saw her for the first time. It was a very special moment and I would not have wanted it to go any other way. Up until the very end, my pregnancy was perfect. I could not have asked for a better 9 months and am so thankful of how it went. We may have ended up having a C-section but I had the best doctor and I know it went exactly how it was supposed to. We are now 4 weeks out and I feel great. My recovery has been very easy and we have a beautiful baby girl to show for it. We thank God everyday for such a blessing.

                                                    Daddy was ready to meet his baby girl

                                                        Last photo before we become parents

(No Cameras allowed in the OR but the Anesthesiologist told Chris

he could sneak his phone out for a quick picture)

Seeing my baby girl for the very first time.  

 

see my Tongue

 

holding onto Daddy's finger

 

Don't worry, I broke the thumb habit real quick!!!

 

bright eyed!

 

Daddy's girl since Day 1

 

Dr. Bell is the BEST!!!!

 

Headed Home

 

 

 

The Last Few Weeks....

It has been a while since I have updated and I'm sure you can only imagine why. A little blue-eyed baby girl has kept me pretty occupied. Caroline Hazel Mort finally made her entrance into the world on Monday, June 30th, 2014. I'm not sure she was quite ready to come out but I sure was ready. I am going to back track a little and fill you in on the past few weeks. It all started on June 20th when I went for a weekly checkup. My mom had went with me because it was an early morning appointment and Chris needed to work that day. My nurse came in as always and checked my blood pressure, at first she said she could not hear it very well and wanted to do the other arm. She then took it three more times on my right arm. I knew by the look on her face that something was wrong. She told me to lay down on my left side immediately and take some deep breaths. I asked what was wrong and she said my BP was extremely high and she was going to find Dr. Bell. Of course, he was in a C-section that had turned into a full hysterectomy. After about an hour of laying down my BP finally came down a little bit. Meanwhile, Dr. Bell had finally came in. He was very concerned with how high my BP was but did not think Caroline was ready to come. He then said the two words that I prayed I would never hear.... BED REST! I was devastated. I begged and pleaded to  not have to be on complete bed rest. I promised that I would rest all weekend if I could please return to work on Monday, but he said that was not an option. So I began the dreaded journey of bed rest. Luckily it was only for a few weeks because I almost went crazy. I couldn't sleep because of everything on my mind so I pretty much ate, watched TV, looked at Facebook and Pinterest and did a whole lot of CRYING! I was an emotional wreck and the days passed by soooo slowly! Dr Bell wanted to see me back the following Monday for another checkup. Over the weekend I just knew that I had made some progression and that he would schedule an induction on Monday. Monday finally came and I was so excited to get out of the house even if it was just for an appointment. Chris took off work and we went early that morning. Once again I ended up being very disappointed as I had not progressed at all and he wanted to see me back on Thursday. So back on bed rest I went. We had a late afternoon appointment on Thursday so I was prepared for a long wait. When we got called back, the nurse informed me that I would be doing a stress test to make sure the baby's heart rate would stay up if she moved. We passed the stress test with flying colors. WhooHoo! Then comes the BP check, once again my BP was sky high. I laid on my left side for over an hour and this time it wasn't coming down. Dr. Bell came in and said he thought it was time to have a baby. He had his nurse call downstairs to see if they could get me in that night. I was finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel only to be once again disappointed when Kathy came in to tell me they were completely full downstairs. We discussed our options with Dr. Bell and decided to be put in on Sunday night (June 29th) to be induced. We finally had a date and knew that Caroline would be here by Monday if not before. We were both very excited but the nerves had also finally set in!

JUNE (Finally)

Caroline's birth month is finally here! I have to say this pregnancy has flew by until NOW! This last month is dragging by. May was a busy month for us which helped pass the time. We went to a childbirth class and two breast feeding classes. I thought they were all very informative, Chris just thought they were boring. Ha!! I also had my second shower this month. The amazing women I work with threw a great shower for me and my other co-worker who just had her baby. We both received so many great gifts. Caroline will never go naked for sure and I will probably be able to change her multiple times a day with all of the cute clothes she has. My sleep is now interrupted by an active bladder and I am up more than I can even count on two hands, which is so frustrating to a person who LOVES her sleep. I am still working and my swollen feet and ankles are proof of that but I do not plan on starting maternity leave until the day I deliver. We are seeing Dr. Bell every week and so far we have had a tiny bit of progress at each check, I would like more progress but hey a little is better than none. We seen Dr. Bell today and instead of going back in a week he wants to see us in 4 days. I am so ready to see what/who she looks like, how much she will weigh, and if she has any hair. My ultimate cravings right now are Snow-cones and orange sherbet freezes from Braums. This weekend is Chris's birthday so we will be celebrating him all weekend. He really wanted Caroline to share his birthday with him but that doesn't look like it will be happening. Hopefully the next time I post will be pictures of Miss Caroline!!



                                                              Nursery is finished!!

                                                          Childbirth class certificate

Work Baby Shower