Christmas 2012 & Updates

How was everyone's Christmas? Ours was great and pretty low key.

On Saturday before Christmas some of my besties came over to do our yearly Christmas Party. We've been doing this literally for like 20yrs. Now that we're older we always get gift cards and play Chinese Christmas and bring yummy appetizers. Sorry Christy I meant to take a picture before you left, and Liz could not make it = (

On Christmas Eve we just hung out at our house with my parents and did gifts and Andrew made some yummy soup because it was freezing outside!! We had a great Christmas with my parents and I was sad to see them leave Christmas morning. But good thing they did because they got hit with TONS of snow. I'm not going to lie I'm a little jealous of all the snow they got, but not the fact that they lost electricity.

 = ( Also, on Christmas Cooper got his first bath! I had Andrew give him one and I took the pictures. Cooper LOVED the bath- I think just the warm water and sound of water. He started crying when Andrew took him out ha!

On Christmas morning we got ready and headed to MiMi and Papaw's (Andrew's parents) house. She always makes yummy sausage balls, cinnamon rolls, homemade hot chocolate, cheese ball and other goodies. This year she added some jello ornaments and they were soooo good.

Get ready for picture galore:
  Cooper and Cousin Jude almost a month a part (Jude was born on Nov. 20th)

                      MiMi with the babies

       Papaw holding Cooper

Cooper in his Christmas Pj's- Cooper went through about 4 outfits on Christmas day because he kept peeing out of the diaper!! Oh boys they keep you busy = )

         Andrew and his brother Jeremy with Jude & Cooper

     Told you I'd make him wear his outfit again- I don't think he was very impressed = )

                           Love my little family

Yay- we got to see Dusty- he works for the FBI and lives in Chicago now. He got Cooper a cute FBI Chicago beanie 

      Grandma Jo with Jude & Cooper

     Grandma Walker with Jude & Cooper

           Cousin Hannah

My sweet boy, you'll be 2 weeks tomorrow and I can't believe it!!!! You're quite awake in the early evenings after I feed you and will coo some and look around a lot. We've been doing some tummy time just on daddy but tonight we also did it on the floor on your giraffe mat (pictures next time) and you turned your head twice! Woohoo good head control big man- mommy was proud = ) You're also turning on your side some when I lay you on your back. You're sleeping great at night (wake up 1-2 times a night because dirty diaper and hungry). We've had to change your outfits quite a bit in the middle of the night because you pee out of the diapers- trying to find that diaper where it won't happen and I think the off brands work best!!!

Daddy introduced a bottle to you on Wednesday night (12/26) and you did great with it. I kept going back and forth, wait and doing it later or just do it now. A lot of my friends suggested do it early because they did and it worked. I was scared that you wouldn't take it or wouldn't nurse anymore but you loved it and sucked it down and have still been nursing today. This will help in case I'm gone too long running errands or if mommy & daddy want a date night = ) We're going to keep giving you 1 bottle a day so hopefully you will continue to do good with it.

Everyone have a great week

~Kara~

Cooper has arrived!!

As most people know from Facebook, Cooper has arrived!!!  He's absolutely perfect and is the sweetest little thing. He's eating/sleeping great and mom and dad couldn't be happier!

We went in Thursday night at 5 to check in to be induced. They gave me a cirvadil insert to get me to start dilating since I hadn't any on my own. It was a pretty restless night just because the nurses come in and check on you like every 2hrs. to check vitals and the beds are not that comfy- my advice take like a twin bed memory foam haha. Anyways at about 6:30am Friday morning they asked if I wanted my epidural and I went ahead and got it because friends had warned me that it takes awhile for them to come and actually give it to you after you request it. They were actually quick with mine which was good! My dr. came in around 8ish to check me and I had dilated to a "good 1"- great just a 1 is what I'm thinking and how long this is going to take. Well my nurse checked me around every 2hrs. and I went from a 4, then to a 7 1/2 then a 10!!! Labor went great and Cooper Jack Woody arrived at 4:37 weighing 6-pounds, 7-ounces, 20in. long = )

                                Last prego picture- 39 weeks

           Daddy putting on Cooper's very first diaper

             

                                  Proud Nana

                                 Proud MiMi

                                Our little family =)

                                    My sweet boys

His coming home outfit- he was not happy with us after getting him undressed/re-dressed, so this is as good as it gets = ) Oh he will be wearing it on Christmas though and I plan to get better pictures!

We decided to come home Saturday evening from the hospital. Cooper did not pee over night after he was born and the peds. dr. making rounds wanted to wait until he peed before he got circumcised just to make sure everything was ok. The dr. was at the hospital until around 11 on Saturday and of course Cooper peed after he already left- but we decided to still go home b/c the dr. said it would be no problem just to bring him into his clinic or take him somewhere to get circumcised.  This momma wanted her own bed/shower so I told Andrew let's just go home (I think he was fine with it too b/c his sleeping arrangement wasn't the best either).
Well, I started making phone calls on Monday to get Cooper in somewhere to get circumcised because Bentonville Pediatric Clinic (where Cooper's dr. is) does not do it there, but he gave me some references where I could get it done. GEEZ- just about every place I called wants you to be an established client or wait until the baby is 6months old (no thanks not waiting that long)- UGH! The peds. dr at Willow Creek made it sound like it'd be no big deal to get him in somewhere and get it done. It was frustrating but finally got scheduled for a consult on NYE at a Urology clinic and hopefully soon after that it'll all be over with! Anyways...Andrew and I wished we would've just stayed saturday night in hospital and got him circumcised on Sunday morning- but we didn't know it would be this much trouble/phone calls finding a place, so there's your warning for you having little boys = )

The first week is kind of crazy with a newborn going to appointments. We had Cooper's first dr. appointment on Monday and dr. said everything looked great! His jaundice level was a 15 so dr. wanted him to come back on Tuesday to make sure it didn't go any higher because don't want it close to 20 and just wanted to make sure he didn't lose any weight (he had lost 6lbs from his birth weight, which is normal too he said). Tuesday went great and his jaundice level went down to 12.5 and he gained 2oz = )
On Wednesday we had his newborn photo session. Cooper did great snoozing and posing but got the hiccups when we were almost done. Took him a little while to get back to sleep with those darn things. I can't wait to get the pictures back!!!!

 Our sweet angel- I think he likes his legs up this way because he was so crammed in my belly

We've added some things to the wall so now Cooper's nursery is complete. 

Love, love, love this quote Cooper's aunts (he has a lot, Big Kara and Whit) made for his nursery. You can't really tell but it's not a canvas the letters are on wood. 

I had to have something Hog in his room = ) Lane from Ruelle Designs (check her out on facebook) made it for me

Sorry about long post but wanted to document for me to have too! It's getting cold and I love it because feels more like Christmas!! Everyone have a wonderful Christmas!

~Kara~

And the BIG DAY is.....

Well everyone Cooper has an arrival date! I'm gonna start with last week first-

We had a dr. appt. last Monday- I still hadn't dilated any (surprise, surprise) and my belly was still measuring at 34-weeks (I was 37 1/2 weeks last week) and it had been measuring small for about 3 weeks. He continue with routine check of his heartbeat and it went into the lower 20's but Cooper responded to him pushing on my stomach and it went back up which is good. The dr. wanted to do an ultrasound just to check how big he was and make sure he still had enough fluid since my belly was measuring small which means not much room for Cooper to grow. We had an ultrasound and everything looked great with fluid and he was moving around tons during the ultrasound. He did measure small (5 pounds, 8 ounces) but the dr. said he wasn't expecting me to have a big baby anyways because I'm small. However, Cooper is extremely cramped in my stomach which is causing him not to grow as well. The dr. discussed inducing me since I'm not dilating or effaced on my own AT ALL- so our plan leaving was going in late Friday night (14th) and Cooper would come sometime on Saturday (15th)  = ) The ultrasound tech was sweet and took some 3D pictures for us = )

First thing Andrew noticed is that he has his nose- and he's right he does = ) We're not for sure if that's a bunch of hair or just a shadow either- I'm hoping for a full head of hair!

Well today we had our last appointment until Cooper arrives- I don't know why but the Dr. moved up our due date 1 day! So he scheduled for me to be induced on Thursday at 5 and start the process of hopefully getting me dilating and contracting! Hopefully everything goes great and Cooper will arrive on Friday at some point! YIPPPEEEE!!! It really does feel like I found out forever ago I was pregnant but yet I can't believe the big day is here either!

Here's some shots of the nursery- it's all together except for the wall stuff = ) Nothing like waiting until last minute huh? I'm getting one of his canvases tomorrow and we have letters to hang up as well. So the walls are looking bare, but the goal is to get the other canvas and letters up before he gets here!

And this sweet little onesie and hat is what Cooper's wearing home = )

We had our last shower with our Crossfit family this past Sunday. We got lots of diapers/wipes (which is always needed) and other great goodies! 

Well I'm sure when I blog again it'll be tons of pictures of Cooper so get ready = ) If you think of us say a little prayer for a delivery with no complications and a healthy baby boy!

Have a great week

~Kara~

37 weeks and waiting!

Well I'll be 38 weeks on Thursday and I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. In one way seems like I've been pregnant for FOREVER, but yet doesn't seem like we'll have a baby very soon = )  All in all, it's been a pretty easy pregnancy for me. Now that I've gotten into the last trimester I have more days where I'm sore/uncomfortable or tired but it's not awful.  I'm still sleeping really good. I might wake up in the middle night but it's usually because I'm hot or hungry. However, I am ready and done being pregnant = ) Just ready to get back to my old body and not feel uncomfortable.
I started my weekly check last Monday and NOTHING! I wasn't expecting there to be anything but it would've been nice if maybe just a tad bit dilated or effaced. I go back tomorrow so we'll see if there's any change! The doctor said I'm still measure small (34-weeks) and that Cooper will probably be pretty small. I mean I'm glad he's not going to be an 8-pounder but I don't want him tiny and have to stay in NICU either. I've been eating quite a bit this week (for 2) because Dr. said I could stand to gain some weight too- so I'm anxious to see how tomorrow will go.

Big Kara helped me work on some wall art for the nursery yesterday and I'm going to have my SIL Kara cut out Cooper's initials with her Cricket to finish it before hanging. So stay tuned for those pictures.
                       We've got the carseat ready!

     Super cute thank you cards a girl from work got me

Mom and Dad came up for Thanksgiving and the last Hog football game. Thanksgiving night Andrew went to work security at Cabella's while mom, dad and I went to Bordino's for a Thanksgiving meal. They had their main menu plus some specials for Thanksgiving- which we all got and it was so YUMMY!!!

 Our Thanksgiving meal- turkey breast/leg, mashed potatoes, green beans and stuffing

          Mmmm...pumpkin creme brûlée and pumpkin cheesecake

Mom and I did a tiny bit of Black Friday shopping but mainly just to get out of the house- we didn't need anything specific but bought a few things for Angel Tree. Friday morning mom, dad and I got up early to start the tailgating for LSU!! Geez...it was a little chilly but we have some yummy gumbo and other cajun foods. Now just waiting in anticipation to see who our next coach is! At this point I think anybody will coach us better than what we had this year!

I cannot believe it's Dec. 2nd and it was 75* today!!! Don't get me wrong I love this weather but it's December and I want WINTER/SNOW!!!! Hopefully we get some around Christmas at least. Nala girl and I took advantage of the nice weather though and went for a long walk. She was one happy little girl

Have a great week!
~Kara~