5-6 months and some

I have been so busy that I have fallen behind on blogging. So here is a little bit of what's happened over the last few months...
At the end of October, we found out Kevin would be deploying in Dec. So we decided to take a few trips. We went to Carlsbad Caverns and Ruidoso. It was so great to just spend time together without all the distractions.  Then, I started work at the OB/GYN clinic at WBAMC on Nov. 7th. Luckily I have a great boss who let me take some leave to spend with Kevin because right when I started, his date got pushed up to Nov 30th from Dec 11th. End of Nov, Kevin left to serve our great country. Which brings us to now, being a single mom working full time with drill once a month. I rarely have time to myself to relax and blog. I have definately learned what it means to sacrafice for my child and how much I appreciate my husband. If it's one thing Army life teaches you, appreciate the time you have with your loved ones and don't fret the small stuff.

As for miss Karlie, she has finally started growing again and has perfected the art of rolling from point A to point B. She had stopped eating everything but formula for a month because of reflux but we have started her on Zantac and her appetite is improving. She is pretty good at sitting up but still faceplants every once and a while. I really have to watch her now because she tries to grab at everything and once, she almost fell off the couch. Luckily, I caught her...she doesn't sit on the couch anymore. Karlie is seriously addicted to her paci and can see one, grab it and put it in her mouth. I think I'll wait until Kevin gets back to wean her from it. Her first Christmas was great. Daddy got to see her open presents via skype. She did pretty well at tearing the paper and then trying to eat it. We were able to go to San Antonio for the weekend of Christmas. It was nice to be able to be with family since Kevin couldn't be here. Most pictures from the last few months are on facebook but I'll add a few on here. And babe, if you're reading this, Karlie and I love you, miss you and can't wait for you to get home to us <3.

4 months

We are 2 days from 4 months old. I thought I would go ahead and update. Ms Karlie has grown so much! Today we gave her carrots for the first time and she LOVED them! She ate the entire container. I only intended to give her a little to see if she liked it but she kept leaning towards the spoon and yelling at me, indicating she wanted more. She ate most of it but ended up wearing a decent amount.

                                                       "Man that was good!"

                                                     Yep, that's carrot on her leg...and hand...

We had tried to feed her cereal with a spoon 2 weeks ago but she did not like it. (See below) She does like it mixed with lots of breastmilk in her bottle though.

She has also rolled over from belly to back. She seems like she wants to roll over from her back to her belly but can't get her big head over yet. And she can scoot all over her crib. I put her in the middle and when I go get her she has her head against the rail with an arm sticking out! She is so funny. She is sleeping more now that we are giving her cereal. From 7:00pm to about 3:00am. It would be wonderful if I could go to bed early but it's hard with Kevin working nights because I want to spend time with him. We finally got her to laugh! It is so cute and makes me laugh :)

Another first is we have started daycare! I was so nervous to take her. Thinking the worst and crying as I left her the first day only find her smiling and happy as can be when we picked her up! She didn't even smile at me but she smiled at the caretaker. I am so relieved she is happy there. The staff is great and she is making friends. I don't know how they do it but they can get her to sleep on her back, in her crib...she demands that I hold her and then place her on her belly here at home. I guess she knows that mommy is a sucker. Daycare has been great. I now believe it when people say that babies like routines. I try to keep her on the same routine at home but I'm not as good as the daycare ladies :)
A current favorite is blowing raspberries...sometimes she gets mad when she can't do it.

Karlie got to meet her uncle Drew this past weekend. Dallas and her cousin Baylee, Grandma and Grandpa came too. It was so much fun hanging out and watching the girls talk to each other. We had to do a family photo shoot because it is not often we are all together.

                                            Andrew, Dallas, Baylee, Kevin, Me and Karlie

                                                                 Proud dads

Grandma and her girls

 Everyone with Grandpa

 Drew, Karlie and Baylee

Me, Karlie and Baylee

We also got a visit from Kevin's dad and Judie. It was nice to play spades, even though we lost and eat Cecil's yummy cooking!

Tomorrow we have an appointment for Karlie's leg. The doctor found a click in her right hip so they are going to check for hip dysplasia. We are hoping it is nothing and has gone away. So please keep your fingers crossed for us and maybe say a little prayer! Until next month...

 My happy baby!

 Such a stinker!

3 months old

Well it's about time for another update. On Sept 14, 2011 Karlie turned 3 months old. And she has changed so much since that day. She is able to sit up in her bumbo for short periods of time. And then yesterday she laughed for the first time! She loves to talk (watch my video on facebook). When I am holding her in my arms she smiles and me and coos. It is so adorable and melts my heart. I could listen to her beautiful voice all day long. I have a feeling she is going to be like me when I was a kid and talk nonstop. She is mostly sleeping through the night. She goes to bed around 8:00pm and sleeps until about 3:00am. Usually Kevin gets up to get her from her room and when he walks in she is trying to suck on his arm. You would think I never feed the child! But at her physical for daycare last week she weighed 12lbs 9oz. She doesn't ever miss a meal!

Ahh, daycare. I should be going back to work the first of October, tear. I'm pretty ready though. I love spending so much time with my daughter but I miss being a nurse. Somedays I feel like I am going to go crazy if I don't talk to an adult. We found an affordable daycare about 5 minutes from our house. I have been worried about all the bad things that can happen while at daycare but I did some research on the place and they have been open since 2004 with no violations. Kevin was laughing at me because I was asking the lady a million questions but it made me feel better.

Today we did Karlie's 3 month pictures in Downtown El Paso. I am so proud of how they came out. I love doing photography but it's usually of flowers and landscapes. I would like to get more practice. If anyone would like for me to do some, just let me know and I would be happy to get together with you! I guess that's about all I have got for now. I'll post some of my favorites from today.

Summer of travels

Since Karlie has been born, we have been doing some travel so everyone can meet her. In July when she was just 5 weeks old, we went to Indy and Iowa. She got to meet her brother, sister and lots of aunts and uncles. She did really well on the flights. We had such a nice time seeing everyone!

                                           Family pic: Kenzi, Kody, Karlie, Kevin and Me

                                                     Karlie with her brother, Kody

                                                     She loves to people watch at the airport
In August, Karlie and I drove to San Antonio to meet my side of the family. It was nice to see my sisters, Amanda and Lindsey and their little ones. I was able to meet my new niece, Baylee but my brother was out of town for work :( I am hoping he gets to meet Karlie soon. We also got to see most of the rest of the family and a couple of friends. It was so nice to sit and visit with everyone. On the drive from El Paso to SA, my amazing mom drove with me. Karlie had got her 2 month shots that day but overall did better than I thought. The drive back to El Paso, it was just Karlie and I. Everyone thought I was crazy but she did great.

                                            Karlie, Great Nana, and Grandma

                                                     With her cousin, Baylee

                                                     With her cousin, Jay

As mentioned in my earlier post, we also went to North Carolina for a friends wedding. Karlie was pretty crabby most of the trip but I think it was because it was unfamiliar. I was so worried she would cry during the wedding. She was fine until she woke up and cried as they placed the rings on and said "I do." I sat in the back and was able to dart out and calm her down. Then as the reception she started crying during best man's toast. Overall, I would not suggest traveling with an infant alone. I broke down and cried a couple of times. Thankfully I have understanding and helpful friends! Congrats to Leilani and Nate!

I think we are done traveling for a while. I have been offered and accepted a job as a triage nurse in the OB/GYN clinic. It is an awesome opportunity. I will be working with some of my co-workers and providers from Labor and Delivery. The hours are great, 0730-1630 with an hour for lunch! I have never had an hour for lunch so I don't know what I am gonna do with myself. Since Kevin is still working the floor, he only works 14 days out of the month so Karlie should only have to be in daycare for a few days a week. And I get all the holidays off! I am so excited to start my civilian job and actually have a routine. I guess that is all for now. Until next time.....

Labor day weekend

I decided to attend the wedding if one my good Army friends. Kevin wasn't able to come so it's just Karlie and I. Man was that a brave thing to do. Of course the day of travel she was crabby. But today, Saturday, the day if the wedding she is crying and screaming for no apparent reason. Thank goodness Judee, another Army friend is here and willing to help. My heart hurts when Karlie is screaming like this. I don't know what to do and nothing seems to calm her down. Sometimes I think, "how and I going to make it through this?" then she will smile and coo at me and everything is wonderful again. Maybe it's the hormones and stress but this motherhood thing is an emotional rollercoster. I love her so much but get flustered sometimes. I am so nervous to take her into the wedding this afternoon. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that she decides not to be a diva during the ceremony. It's 0900 now, I'll be back later to let you know how it goes.....

First few months of motherhood

We got home from the hospital on June 15th. While at the hospital everything was going great. Karlie was latching to my breast without any problems. As soon as we got home, I could not get her to latch for anything. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed so I resisted the suggestion to give her some formula. Thank goodness my mom and husband were there to support me. I was exhausted and frustated and Karlie was screaming. Finally, after a few hours I agreed to give her a bottle of formula. I ended up supplementing her for 3 more days until my milk came in.

Once my milk came in, 5 days after delivery, I had no need for formula. All I had to do was think about feeding her and milk started pouring out of my breast! Needless to say, I have a freezer full of breast milk. Still to this day, Karlie has only had breast milk with the exception of the first couple to days. It is so amazing to know that my body provides everything she needs. And the bonding experience is wonderful. At her 2 month appointment she weighed 11 lbs 15oz and was in the 91st precentile for weight.

I have gotten used to feeding her every 2-4 hours. I was had the first couple of weeks, especially at night. And my nipples were so sore! Lanolin made it bareable. Now at 2 1/2 months she sleeps at least 5 hours at night. One night she slept for 7 hours straight! I woke up in a panic and had to make sure she was ok. She was fine. I am finding that she sleeps best in her crib and in her room. When she wakes up at 3:00 am to eat, I usually keep her in bed with me to snuggle until daddy gets up for work.

For the first 2 months poor Karlie was so gassy. She would scream at the top of her lungs with tears running down her face. It broke my heart beacuse I felt so helpless. We gave her gas drops and put some pressure on her belly. But nothing could take away her pain right away. Now we give her gas drops to prevent these epidsodes. The doctor thinks she has colic but in the last week we haven't had another episode.

We are finally settling into a routine. If she doesn't have her 3 hour nap during the day, she is one crabby patty. I am lucky at the timing of everything. My maternity leave ended and the next day I started the 10 day clearing process to get out of the Army. Which, for those who have cleared before know, is really only about 2 days of clearing and chilling out the rest. My best friend, Chelsie babysat Karlie the first day. I cried as I drove off, not because I was worried but because I missed her already. The next day daddy had Karlie duty. As soon as my 10 days were done, I got my DD214 and started transitional leave. I currently have one day left in the Army and hope I get started as a civilian on my floor by October. I did join the reserves and get to wear the uniform one weekend a month for the next two years. I think it will be a good transition into civilian life.

Karlie has grown so much in the last 2 months. She smiles all the time, especially when she wakes up. And she loves to coo at us. Its like she is telling us what is on her mind. She scrunches her eyebrows and tells us what she thinks. I love it and could listen to her beautiful voice all day long. She doesn't like tummy time but is getting good at holding up her head. I'm sure she'll be crawling all over the place before I know it.

                                                     Our first family photo

                                              My beautiful baby girl

                                             about 1 month old here

The delivery

On the evening of Sunday June 12 me, Kevin, my mom and Mike headed to WBAMC. When we got there it started getting busy so they let me eat dinner and walk around until they could start my induction. Finally at 9:30 pm the midwife came in to place my foley bulb and give me cytotec. By about midnight I was pretty uncomfortable. For those who know me know my pain tolerance is very, very low. It was too busy for me to get up and walk so I asked for my epidural. Finally at 3:30 am I got my epidural/spinal. It was awesome! I kept thinking, why did I want to do this natural?! Kevin decided to video tape the entire process. A few minutes later they started the pitocin.

                                                       Ready to meet our baby!

At 8:00 am on June 13th, Dr. Brown ( the best ob/gyn EVER!) came in to see me and notify me that the foley bulb wasn't placed right and I was still only 1 cm. My pitocin was at 20mU already and we were going on 12 hours with NO progress. I broke down and cried. I was thinking of the nurse curse again and how my chances of getting a c-section were pretty high. After 2 abdominal surgeries, I did not want a third. So Dr. Brown placed another foley bulb. Finally at about 4:30pm it came out and I was what we on L&D refer to as a "foley bulb 5." Meaning I was 5 cm but not in active labor. The midwife talked with Dr. Brown and we decided to turn off the pitocin and try cytotec again. At 8:00 the new midwife came in and told me I was still 5cm and wanted to break my water. At this point my epidural was becoming less and less effective. The CRNA had to keep redosing me every 3 hours. I started crying. I was hungry, nauseous from not eating, uncomfortable and felt like I would never get into active labor.

At about 11:00 pm I was checked again with no change in dilation but my contractions indicated I might be starting active labor. I was in a lot of pain and told the CRNA I was ready for him to redo my epidrual. He told me he figured I would probably end up with a c-section and wanted to wait to do a spinal when we got back to the OR. I was starting to give up hope. I finally got a few hours of sleep and at 3:00 am on June 14th, the midwife checked me and I was 7 cm! Yes! No c-section for this gal. I was so happy but then my epidural wore off again.

Around 5:30 am I felt lots of pressure down there. I call my nurse, Pat, and with a huge smile she told me I was completely dilated!!! She took care of me both nights so this was an accomplishment for us both. At about 6:00 am I started pushing. After an hour of pushing, I needed a break. I was in pain and wanted my epidural redosed. 45mins after the redose, the pain was back. I guess I was going to get my nautral childbirth expereice afterall. I pushed and pushed until I threw up, several times, but she just didn't want to come out. I begged Dr. Brown to use a vacuum but she said I could do it on my one. I wanted to give up so many times but I knew from what I had told my patients, there is only one way out and one way to get there.

Finally, after 39 hours of induction and 2 1/2 hours of pushing, Kevin placed Karlie in my arms at 8:22 am on June 14. I remember dreaming a few hours before her birth that he handed me a girl. And it was!
It was so amazing to meet this little person who had been putting her foot in my side and doing flips for the last several weeks of pregnancy. I was too tired to cry at that point. I got her to latch to my breast and looked down at her and lost it. I finally had my baby. We were all so tired. Kevin, Mike and my mom had stayed by my bedside the entire 39 hours. I remember wanting pancakes, french toast and hashbrowns, all the stuff I couldn't eat when I was pregnant due to the GDM. But when I finally got my tray I was too nauseous to eat! It was dissappointing, especially since I wasn't able to eat for the last 2 days.

                                                       Karlie Elizabeth Copley 7lbs 1oz

                                            Dr. Brown holding Karlie

After a day in postpartum we got to go home. I'll have to write about that tomorrow. I need to get some sleep before Karlie wakes up to eat in a few hours.

My first pregnancy

We found out we were pregnant on Oct 17, 2010. It was a shock to say the least as we had been trying for almost a year. I had an accupuncture appointment scheduled for the following week for infertility. (Needless to say I had to call and cancel) My boobs had been hurting for a few days now and I thought, what is going on with my body? I decided to take a pregnancy test, expecting to be disappointed yet again. When I picked up the test, I started screaming. Kevin was downstairs and asked my what was wrong. I shoved the test in his face and said, "I'm pregnant!" First words out of his mouth were, "no freaking way." I was so excited I was shaking. The very next thing I did was call my mom. She was so happy!

                                                      Our little peanut at 8 weeks

We decided not to tell anyone until we had an appointment and saw a heartbeat. Then we only wanted to tell a few people until I was in my second trimester. Working in the ob/gyn area makes you aware of all the bad things that can happen. We finally told everyone at the end of November. By that point I was feeling pretty confident. We had decided not to find out the sex of the baby. It was difficult to do but so worth it in the end. I felt like we were going to have a boy the entire pregnancy until right before I delivered Karlie.

We knew what we wanted the name to be if it was a girl but could not agree on a name for a boy. Kevin liked Colton and I liked Carson and Ethan. It was an ongoing battle since I was convinced we would have a boy. Well I sure was wrong! At 20 weeks I felt Karlie kick me for the first time and thought I just had a muscle twitch. By 21 weeks she was moving like crazy. At my ultrasound the tech said he could easily tell us the sex because she was moving so much, but we remained strong.

At 27 weeks I had my gestational diabetes (GDM) test and it was positive :( I started checking my blood sugar 4 times a day. I got 2 weeks to try and control my sugars with diet but I ended needing glyburide. I then knew, working labor and delivery, that I would be induced at 39 weeks. I had my heart set on a natural delivery where I did most of my laboring at home. At this point I was still determined not to get an epidural.

The pregnancy was going along as well as it could with GDM. I had weekly ultrasounds and bi-weekly NST's in the ADC. Then another growth scan to see how big the baby was getting. I was scared we would accidently find out the baby's sex with all the ultrasounds, but everyone was great about not telling us what they saw. At the end of May I went home for my baby shower. It was so much fun! When we got home, I noticed I had quite and bit of swelling. At my dr appointment my blood pressure was a little elevated so Dr. Brown ordered pre-e labs. Thanks to the nurse curse I did in fact develop pre-eclampsia at 35 weeks :( The new plan was bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy and an induction at 37 weeks.

                                                         34 weeks pregnant

I was really bummed out and knew my natural child birth dreams were over. It was a huge risk to not have an epidural with GDM and Pre-e. And on top of that to be induced at 37 weeks. So for then next to weeks I sat on the couch, ponding if the little one inside me was a boy or a girl.