Month One

Mommies are like professional athletes without the salary.

I thought I had plenty of training before Charlotte arrived in my life. I'd baby-sat, ran a children's ministry, taught school, and read a myriad of parenting/baby books; however there is nothing that can prepare you for the real thing. Every day is different from the other and like a professional athlete, I've found myself latching on to anything that appears to work. "Charlotte went 6 hours between feedings. It must have been because she was wearing her knit hat." So like a baseball player in the World Series who refuses to wash his underwear because he swears it keeps the team winning, I faithfully put on Charlie's knit hat to get the same result. Unfortunately, Charlotte is not aware of the superstition and doesn't play along. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when your world is turned upside down, you'll cling to anything that seems routine. After all, our brains are designed to recognize patterns, right?

Through the ups and downs of being a first time parent, God continues to walk beside me, reminding me over and over again: "Let go. Let go. Let go." It's a theme that has popped up numerous times in my life, but I've never so acutely felt God teaching me this lesson than over the past month with Charlotte. This baby is a little person, separate from me. I have as much control over her as I do over any other person. So for now I rely on God for the strength, patience, and love I need to meet the needs of my daughter and let the rest fall to the wayside.

The Highs:

Mommy Milestones:
1. Taking Charlotte shopping on my own
2. Leaving Charlotte with daddy and going out with the girls
3. Taking my struggles to God and ignoring the "mommy guilt" from Satan

Daddy Milestones:
1. Pulling his first over night shift (fabulous job!)
2. Mastering the snot sucker
3. Balancing work and fatherhood

Charlie Milestones:
1. Putting herself on a somewhat regular 3 hour routine
2. Going 6 hours between feedings (1 time)
3. Finding her fingers to soothe herself

The Lows:
1. Baby Blues
2. Charlie's first cold
3. Sleepless nights
4. Gassiness and giving up dairy

Check out our flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewandlarissa) to see updated pictures of Charlie. For now, here's my favorite from our photo shoot at JC Penny's when Charlie was 9 days old.

The Fast and the Furious

The Arrival of Charlotte Rose Kelly

It all began the morning of October 8th. After a very restful night, Andrew and I awoke around 7:30 and started discussing our plans for the day. I thought for sure that Charlotte would not make her arrival until the next week, so we were searching on ticketmaster.com to see if we could go to any shows with my parents that night. While in bed I started to feel some discomfort; as I had never had a real contraction before, I thought I was having some intestinal cramping. So, I got up, used the bathroom, and returned to bed. This happened a couple more times until I decided to finally just get in the shower and get ready for the day...about 8:30 am. On my way to the shower I felt wet...did my water just break or did I lose bladder control? Rather than invite Andrew in on my ponderings, I got into the shower. After some more cramping, I told Andrew what was happening. He pulled out his iPod Touch and we started tracking my contractions...3-3 1/2 minutes apart. I was in labor.
Andrew went and woke up my parents to let them know what was happening. My mom came into our bathroom to see me bent at the waist, holding the counter, and rocking back and forth. When my contraction stopped Andrew asked me if it was "mild," "moderate," or "firm," all options used to stop the contraction timer. I picked "mild" because I'd never been in labor before, so I figured these were just the warm-ups. My mom thought otherwise; by the time she looked like me, she was much farther along. I guess I should have listened to her.
Instead of listening to my mom, I figured I had some time. I wanted to finish putting on make-up and blow-drying my hair. Andrew needed to eat so I sent him to Sonic to get a hamburger. Finally, around 9:30 am we left for the hospital...but not until I updated my status on facebook. Priorities, right?
In the car ride, it became abundantly clear that I would not be sent home from the hospital. My water broke and my contractions came on faster and harder. Never has the 1 hour trip to Banner Thunderbird gone by so slowly, yet so quickly. I wanted to reach the hospital more than anything, but my contractions kept me so preoccupied, that by the time we reached the hospital, I was surprised we'd made it so quickly. Either way, I didn't care. I was just glad we made it.
As I got out of the car and wrapped a now soaked beach towel around my waste, I had another contraction. Andrew asked if I needed a wheel chair, but I refused. I made the quick walk to OB Triage before my next contraction started. From this point on, things begin to blur...it was now 10:30 am.
Andrew left to go park the car and I was whisked back to a small room. Through contractions, I answered all kinds of questions and was hooked up to heart monitors. I don't remember anything I said except, "Epidural. I want an epidural." Andrew returned to the room and they checked to see how far along I was: 7 cm and my water had completely broken. I was ready to go upstairs to labor and delivery. So they wheeled me through the halls and we waited in a lobby for the elevator to arrive. I remember lots of people around and Andrew said I said, "Hello everyone."
Once upstairs more nurses took over. At this point the contractions were coming right on top of one another. I reminded them that I wanted the epidural and they said it was on the way. A nursed checked me again...this time I was 10 cm and the baby was at +1 station; we were out of time. Charlotte was coming...no time for an epidural. At this news the room went into full production. Lights were turned on, beds were broken down, instruments were set out, but where was the doctor? My doctor was in South Carolina at a Medical Missions Conference, but I didn't care. I'd take anyone who'd get Charlotte out.
A couple minutes later a small man walked in and tried to shake Andrew's hand. Andrew, holding onto the fetal monitor so it wouldn't slide out of place, awkwardly met the man who'd be delivering our child: Dr. Gullinson. Because this man didn't know me, Andrew let him know that I'd prefer not to get an episiotomy if at all possible. For how fast Charlotte was coming, that was not possible. From here on out, all I remember is pain and then them telling me to push. I pushed through 2 contractions and then everything stopped. No more pain, no more urgency. I opened my eyes and saw the doctor holding my daughter. He put her on my chest and immediately everything I went through was justified. I now held the reward to my labor and I'd do it all again for this, my sweetest gift. It was 11:27 am.

So Vin Disel, you ain't got nothing on me. From start to finish, it took Charlotte 3.5 hours to make her arrival into this world.

Baby Statistics
Name: Charlotte Rose Kelly
Birthday: October 8, 2009
Time: 11:27 am
Weight: 6 lbs, 14 oz
Length: 21 inches
Apgar Score: 9.9
Cuteness Rating: 150%

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a virtue, but for a pregnant woman looking forward to the birth of her first child, patience becomes an elusive prize. At my 38 week check-up, my doctor informed me that I was 3 cm dilated and he could feel Charlotte's head. The next day my...to keep this PG...lady cork came out. It seemed that I was on my way to having Charlotte within the next week. Even the gals in the doctor's office doubted I'd make it to my next appointment. Well, I made it and I am still 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. If I had made it to 5 cm, I wouldn't be writing this post right now; instead, I'd be justifying the reason my parents drove from Sacramento a week early. Now, I have to have Charlotte within the next 24 hours, or wait until Monday when my doctor returns from a Medical Missions Conference. I know, I know...I don't get to make that decision. So for now I'm in this vicious loop of wanting to meet my daughter now and wanting to wait until Monday so my doctor will deliver her. Who knew I could ride a roller coaster this late in my pregnancy.


Pregnancy Stats: 39 weeks
Mood: Pick one. I'm sure I've had it.
Health: More heart burn in the last 2 weeks than my entire pregnancy combined. Plus, I've felt more nauseated than any other time in my pregnancy...I think it's all the Braxton Hicks.
Food: Lost my appetite about a week and half ago. I try to be good, but I just don't care anymore. More chocolate delight please...
Energy: Like the ocean's tide, it ebbs and flows. Overall, I run on about 3/4 of a tank.

39 Weeks Pregnant

The Great Cloth Diaper Dilema

Pampers, Pre-folds, and Poopies, oh my!

So back on July 18th Andrew and I attended a Cloth Diaper 101 class at a local natural baby products store. I know some people think us crazy, but we have been tossing around the idea of using cloth diapers ever since we saw friends in CA use them and saw the advancements in the cloth diaper technology. I mean they look and work just like disposable diapers, except for the whole having to spray the poo into the toilet and then wash them. After an hour class, Andrew and I have gone retro and decided to use the traditional Chinese pre-folds. Pre-folds are what you imagine when you think of cloth diapers; however, now there are no more safety pins and the covers are cut and close like regular disposable diapers. The biggest selling point: the fact that we can spend $300 bucks on diapers that will last not only through our first child, but through the rest of our children. At first it'll be like learning to drive a stick-shift, but soon we'll be changing those diapers one-handed, while talking on the cell phone, sipping some coffee, and down shifting...or something to that effect.

Pregnacy Stats: 29 weeks
Mood: I'm a little nervous to start back at work tomorrow. Resting and eating at will has been nice.
Health: I suffered my first bought of heart burn ever in life and I did not like it. I started taking a Zantac in the evening and I've been doing great ever since.
Food: I'm craving more sweets lately, but I try to be good and satisfy those desires with fruit instead of store-bought cookie dough (yes, it's pasteurized)
Energy: If I sit down I lose the will to stand back up. But I don't know if that's a pregnancy thing.

29 Weeks Pregnant


We got our baby furniture in and have started to get Charlotte's room ready. Here are a few pictures of our progress.



I'll finish painting the bottom of the walls on Saturday. Then it's up to daddy Andrew to put up the chair rail and crown molding.

The Pregnancy Paradox

So every once in a while I open up my pregnancy books (instead of my music books) and check out what's happening with our little girl. Today I was surprised to discover that 27 weeks marks the beginning of my 3rd trimester. What?! Where did the 2nd trimester go? Pregnancy really is a paradox. How can time fly and stand still at the same time? My due date seems so far off, but at the same time, I know it's just around the corner. It's so very surreal! I think the trick is to keep busy so time seems to fly by. Andrew and I each have our own way of staying busy, which you can see by the photos below.

Pregnancy Stats: 27 Weeks
Mood: I'm feeling a peace that only God can provide.
Health: No complaints unless I forget to eat.
Food: Trying to eat 90-100 grams of protein a day & 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies...is carrot cake a vegetable?
Energy: What's that again?

Summer began with me moving my office to our bonus room. Andrew captured my progress and, um, procrastination.



Here is the final result of my office transformation. The next room on our list is the nursery. We're waiting on the furniture before we begin.



While I was in Sacramento Andrew began a 1,000 piece Mickey Mouse Mosaic puzzle. Each puzzle piece has an image from a Disney movie that creates the overall picture of Mickey Mouse.

A section from Mickey's eye


The completed puzzle...now back in its box. So sad...

25 weeks and Paranoid

The last few weeks have been a fun kinda busy as Andrew and I have begun to prepare our house for baby. I spent 2 weeks in California shopping with my mom for furniture and picking up our bedding. Then yesterday Andrew and I emptied out my former office to make room for the crib and dresser we ordered. Everything seems to be coming together for our little bundle, everything that is, except my mind. Each day a little piece of my memory, coordination, decision making, and calmness unravels. Shopping lists have become a must. Holding onto wet dishes proves trickier than what I remember...or is that just my memory going? Forget making a decision on what colors to paint the nursery. And investing in orange juice seems to be a wise choice since I lose all sense of calm if I don't feel the baby move at regular intervals throughout the day. How I long for the day when I can hold her in my arms and find the peace of mind that I've lost...hey stop laughing, a girl can dream, can't she?

Pregnancy Stats: 25 weeks
Mood: Who cares? mixed with paranoia
Health: Discovered I have allergies now. Yay for Claritin!
Food: Sweets yes! Protein, if I have to. Veggies..gotta have had a V8.
Energy: It's too hot in Arizona for energy.

25 Week Picture


Our bedding


The Nursery


Nursery from another angle

What the what?

In the early stages of my pregnancy the concept of being pregnant escaped me. Don't get me wrong; I knew I was pregnant, I just didn't believe it. I thought the doctor had super-imposed an image of another woman's womb when I had my first ultrasound and saw our bean. As time goes on, I'm starting to believe that what I saw on the screen wasn't a tape of A Baby Story, but a sneak peek at my future daughter.

It's odd how one can know and not know something, all at the same time. Take for instance my thought process on Sunday night. Andrew had fallen asleep on the couch watching the Tony's. As I looked at him and my belly I couldn't help imagine what it would be like to see him holding our little girl for the first time. I imagined his gentle arms cradling her delicate body. I imagined seeing the emotion overwhelm him. Then I imagined I was seeing all this from the hospital bed after delivering her. And POW, it hit me. I have to deliver this baby and she's coming out of where? Wait...what?! I mean, I knew I would have to do that and we'd talked to our doctor about our delivery plans, but the full realization hadn't hit. Why hadn't I thought this through? My panic lasted momentarily as I heard the voice of reason (Andrew) in my head: "Well it's too late to go back; there's nothing you can do about it now." True. My husband is so wise.

Pregnancy Stats: Week 22 (that's approx. 5 months)
Mood: Mixture of euphoria and panic
Health: Discouraged to know that of the 10 lbs. I've gained, baby is only 1 pound.
Food: Yes please!
Energy: I've been walking every morning while in CA and that's helped a lot!

Fun Memories

Here are a couple of pictures of some exciting adventures we've had since February.

Here we are at Disneyland on my 27th birthday. We left and came home all in one day. Although you can't tell, I'm about 5 weeks pregnant there (no Splash Mountain or Space Mountain for me!).


In February an old friend from Sacramento came to visit. He works as a part of the President's Marine 1 team and had come into Phoenix a little early to scope out the surroundings before President Obama's arrival. As a perk (and super cool favor) he took us out to look at the President's helicopter. We even got to sit inside!

21 Weeks...I've Popped!

I know we started our blog quite late in terms of my pregnancy, so I haven't been able to post much about my early pregnancy until now. So please take this as a quick recap of the last 21 weeks.

As many of you know, Andrew and I had a little trouble conceiving. After a perfectly timed trip to the fertility specialist, I started clomid. According to Andrew, I was saving all my eggs for Easter. Hey, I can't help it if I'm a pack-rat!

So here's the timeline...

January 9, 2009...trip to West Valley Fertility Clinic
January 10, 2009...start first (and only) round of clomid
January 15, 2009...test to see if clomid worked (never got those test results...hmmm)
Jan. 29 to Feb. 2...trip to Sacramento to surprise Mom (Kate) for her 60th birthday (had stomach cramps all day Superbowl Sunday; pregnancy sensors on full alert.)
February 3, 2009...took a pregnancy test; results left me standing in my bathroom, perplexed, staring at a stick I had just peed on. Was that a <+>?
February 5, 2009...woke up at 4:30 to pee and took another pregnancy test...no guessing this time with a digital test; it said PREGNANT. My only question now, "Should I wake up Andrew?" (I do. His response: "Yea! Will you judge me if I go back to sleep now?)
February 6, 2009...get blood work back, we're definitely pregnant (Well, I'm pregnant, Andrew, not so much.)
February 12, 2009...our baby's first trip to Disneyland on my birthday. We did a round trip in one day.
March 3, 2009...saw our little bean for the first time. You can see the ultrasound pics in our first post.
March 3, 2009-somewhere around May 15th...normal pregnancy stuff. I've had a heavenly pregnancy compared to many. I was super tired during my first trimester, but had no morning sickness as long as I ate. The only time I threw up was when I had the stomach flu (I used the reverse "eating" philosophy on that one, but I still ended up in the ER for fluids). Without any outward signs, no one would know I was pregnant by looking at me.
May 15, 2009...I have my 18 week ultrasound and find out we're having a girl!
May 15-June 1, 2009...I guess our little girl lost her shyness at our 18 week ultrasound and has started making an appearance. I can't pinpoint when it happened, but my belly has gone convex!
May 29, 2009...finally felt our little girl move for sure; it wasn't a kick, but more of a stretch.
June 1, 2009...updated our blog with information about my pregnancy; people are reading and catching up on us...still reading...they're still reading...you can keep reading but that's all the information I have for now...wow, you're really persistent...still reading...okay, check out the belly pictures below to see my progress.




10 Weeks Pregnant


14 Weeks Pregnant


20 Weeks Pregnant


Today

It's a Girl!



We had our 18 week ultrasound on May 15th. Andrew and I were happy to hear that everything looked healthy and that our baby was progressing nicely; selfishly, however, we really wanted to know if we'd be shopping for pink or blue. After what seemed an eternity of looking at parts I couldn't recognize (they put the TV across the room and with poor vision, lying at an angle, it's hard to decipher what is what), I couldn't wait any longer. When the technician pointed out the legs I had to say, "Oh, how great...now what do you see between those legs?" Without even a chuckle, she breezed pass my comment. Finally after much anticipation she asked if we'd like to know what we're having. Duh! Did my previous question not clue her in? Moving the cursor, she showed us the "hamburger," as people call it, and told us we were having a girl! Because everyone, including myself, had been convinced it was a boy, I asked if she was sure. Her response, "Well, there's no penis." I guess that's pretty good evidence.

So our plans for blues have now changed into pinks. We've had a blast registering for all things girl and I've already begun praying for the teenage years. I'm super excited and terrified at the same time; Andrew, on the other hand, will be an excellent daddy to a little girl. She's not even out of the womb and she already has him wrapped around her finger. Needless to say, the excitement and anticipation for her arrival has heightened. We cannot wait to meet our daughter!

First Post

Hey y'all...It's Andrew. Wanted to let you know this will be the official site of all things AndrewRissa related. Larissa will be doing the posts from here on out, but I thought I might put our first ultrasound up here as a start.



More to come as I teach Larissa how to do this.