Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Pictures

Happy Birthday Jake! With some very important people in his life.

Granddad (Robbie's Dad)

Mimi (Robbie's Mom)

Aunt Andrea & Uncle Johnathan (Robbie's sister & brother-in-law)

Aunt Lindsey (My sister). I did NOT put that hat on him, the nurses did.

Nana (My mom)

Gran (My Dad) making faces at Jake

Granddad Jake (Robbie's Grandfather) & Cousin Jackson (Robbie's nephew)

Tiny little baby!

Such a sweet face (ha-ha!)

Ready to go home

At Home
Not sure about these people

Waving to his friends reading this blog

4 Generations of Bush's
The 2 men Jake is named after: Granddad Jake & My Father

Jackson holding his new cousin
Mimi & Jackson
Sweet little baby sleeping

Surprise Christmas Present-Story

This will certainly be a Christmas we will never forget. It all started Christmas Eve. The Bush's were in town for Christmas and we had all gone to the Christmas Eve Service and to see a movie. Robbie and I had gotten home and then around 9:30 I was preparing a sandwich. I'll save the details, but basically I started bleeding. I called my sister-in-law who is a labor-and-delivery nurse to ask her if I should go to the hospital. (I did not want to seem paranoid.) By the end of our conversation (which ended with her telling me to go to the hospital right away) I knew that I was bleeding enough that it was serious. So off to the hospital we went. Thankfully, it is a short drive, and being 10:00 Christmas Eve night, there was little traffic on the road. Our hospital is a women's hospital, so it was basically empty and they sent me right up. We didn't call our parents because we figured that they would just give me some medicine & send us home. The nurses were checking me out and felt like the situation was serious as well, but were confused since I kept telling them that I wasn't in pain. I could feel Jake moving the whole time, and that was all I was focused on. I asked them to please not call the doctor unless it was absolutely necessary, since I knew it was late on Christmas Eve & he was probably at home putting his kids toys together! (I don't think that the nurses listened!) My doctor was out of town on vacation, so his group's on-call doctor came in (I kept apologizing to him). He took a look at the bleeding and said that we had to do an emergency c-section due to the large amount of blood I was losing. I was also having contractions. (Which I never felt. How are you supposed to know you are having contractions if you can't feel them?!?!) Before we had time to get nervous from the urgency in the doctor's voice, everything began happening so fast. Robbie went to call our parents while they prepped me for surgery. In 30 minutes, they were telling us that we had a healthy baby boy. Jacob William Bush "Jake" was born on December 24 at 11:24 PM. He weighed 5 lbs & 14 ozs and was 19 3/4 inches long. He was born at 36 weeks, so he was a little early, but is doing very well! It turns out that I had a placenta abruption. Fixing a sandwich certainly doesn't cause a placenta abruption, so they are not sure what caused it. We are just thankful that we caught it so early, were able to get to the hospital so quickly and had such a wonderful team of doctors & nurses. The situation could have been much worse. Thankfully, everything turned out okay. Since the Bush's were in town, they were able to make it to the hospital right away. My sister & her husband made it up from Atlanta around 1:00 Christmas morning and my parents made it from Prattville around 3:00 in the morning. We celebrated Christmas day in the hospital with the best little gift that God could have ever given us. Since it is a women's hospital and it was Christmas, there were very few people in the hospital. Therefore, Jake was very spoiled by all the nurses. His blonde hair made him a mini-celebrity! Because we were doing so well, they let us go early and we were able to be home on Friday in time for dinner! Jake continues to do well. He is feeding very well and did great on all his baby tests. We went to the doctor this morning and he is already back at his birth weight! I am doing good, too. It has been hard since he was 4 weeks early, since there was so much stuff I wanted to get done before his arrival. (We had not even washed any of his clothes, blankets, bedding, etc...!) I never even got around to packing a bag for the hospital. Oh well, we will get it finished eventually. I could not thank our families & friends enough for all of their help. They have been amazing. We are now settling into a routine and are just so thankful for such a happy outcome. Thank you to everyone who has sent such sweet well wishes. We cannot wait for everyone to meet Jake! We hope that everyone had a great Christmas and have a happy & safe New Year's!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Surprise Christmas Present-Pictures

Story to come later, but I know that pictures are what people really want to see. It's been a pretty crazy last 48 hours, but Robbie, Jake & I are home & doing good.


Welcome to the world Jacob William Bush "Jake". Born December 24 at 11:24 PM. Weight: 5 lbs. 14 ozs. Height: 19 3/4 inches.

Much better!

He has crazy blond hair
Merry Christmas from the hospital!

He was so early, I had not gotten him a going home outfit yet. I described what I wanted & my mom ran out & bought it a few hours before we went home. I don't think he liked it! We only live 5 minutes from the hospital & he pooped through his diaper onto the outfit before we could get home.

When we went to the hospital on Wednesday, we never imagined that we would be leaving 48 hours later with our son.
At home :)



Thursday, December 18, 2008

Hollon Family Christmas

My family went ahead & celebrated Christmas early so that Robbie & I could celebrate with them. We had such a wonderful time! Of course the kids were the hit of the day. They are so entertaining!
Marrell
My nieces - Maddox (4) & Marrell (3 months)
Maddox opening her big gift from my parents - a princess dressing table
She loves anything princess
Isabella & Maddox playing makeover
Posing after their makeover
Marrell enjoying her big gift from my parents
Gran chasing Isabella & Maddox in his new wizard outfit

Monday, December 8, 2008

Baby & Nursery Update

I am 34 weeks along & we are so excited & ready for Jake to come. He still does not cooperate for the ultrasounds. He has 1 more chance at my 37th week appointment. The problem is not getting him to move, but getting him to move where we can get good views of him & there is nothing in the way. We were at least able to finally get a profile shot. His cheeks are very chubby. Neither Robbie nor I were tiny babies, so I have a feeling we have a cannonball on our hands. He is head down with his legs crossed & tucked in. In all the ultrasounds, his hands are reaching for something & usually get in the way of the ultrasound. His favorite past time is hiccuping. He has them 4-5 times a day. (Thankfully the doctor said that it was a good sign & nothing to worry about.) Sometimes they are tiny hiccups & other times they shake my whole stomach.
Jake's nursery is coming along good. All we have left is to hang wall decor, curtains & refinish the chair side table. The bedding is finished and on the bed. We absolutely love it. I had some pictures from catalogs & ideas in my mind of what I wanted the bedding to look like, but could not find the one I really wanted for Jake. My sweet Aunt Deborah went all over Montgomery & Birmingham gathering fabric samples for me to choose from. Then she & my 2 cousins April & Tiffany gave me the bedding as our baby gift. Aunt Deborah made & put everything together. It looks better than I could have even pictured it. I just wish that these pictures did it more justice! I am so excited for Jake to fall asleep each night on bedding that was specially made just for him & with so much love. I cannot thank Aunt Deborah enough and it means so much to me.

Our chair & ottoman came in Friday. We were so excited to finally get it. I tested so many gliders and always came back to this one. It is unbelievably comfortable & the fabric is so soft. I cannot wait to rock Jake to sleep in it (& probably fall asleep in it myself). My parents gave us the chair & ottoman as a baby gift. We cannot thank them enough. It is something that we will use for so many years to come. I cannot wait for my mom to come & read to Jake (her specialty) in the chair. We have so many wonderful memories to look forward to.

Birthday Weekend

Robbie & I spent the weekend in Atlanta to celebrate my birthday/Christmas shop/enjoy one last weekend away together before the baby comes. We had a great time. We shopped on Friday & then had dinner with my sister Lindsey & her husband Brooks. We had such a great time hanging out with them & seeing their new place. On Saturday we did some more shopping until it was time to watch the AL/FL game. Even though Bama did not win, it was a great game to watch & I was so proud of the way they played. That night, Robbie & I enjoyed a nice dinner just the 2 of us. On Sunday (my actual 30th birthday) we headed back to Chattanooga. We had our hospital tour that afternoon and then dinner with friends at my favorite restaurant. It was such a wonderful weekend. Many people have asked me how I felt about turning 30. I've never been one to dread birthdays. My 20's were great. I feel like I lived them to the fullest & I'm just glad that I made it out of them in one piece! I am actually looking forward to the next phase of my life. I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend & the most wonderful man I know. I cannot wait for us to meet our son next month & I am surrounded by such amazing friends & family. I don't know how I made it these 30 years to be so lucky, but I cherish it & look forward to what all the future holds.

Well, we got the house decorated for Christmas. Ha-ha! We actually came across this house in Buckhead while shopping in Atlanta. They had between 50-75 of the huge inflatables covering their front yard. Tacky & over-the-top... but very interesting!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a busy, but great Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for & feel blessed to celebrate with both of our families. On Wednesday evening we drove down to Prattville to see my family. Maddox (my niece) & Isabella (my cousin's daughter) were our Thanksgiving entertainment Thursday.
Maddox & Isabella playing the piano & singing Christmas carols
The fashion show
Dancing during their fashion show

On Friday we headed up to Birmingham to spend time with Robbie's parents. Then on Saturday we drove over to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama/Auburn game. (*See game commentary on blog entry below.)
Robbie with fellow Auburn friends Brian & Richard

Julie & I

Robbie & I (33 weeks... only 7 more to go!)

On Sunday we headed back to Chattanooga. We have 2 more weekends of travel before we have to call it quits for a while. (We would travel up until our delivery date, but the doctor said no way.) We hope that everyone had a safe & great Thanksgiving.

Alabama / Auburn Game

As Robbie & I drove in the rain on our way to Tuscaloosa, I began to have second thoughts on if going to the game was such a great idea. I was the one really pushing us to go. I just felt like it was only fair if I was going to lug Jake to so many Auburn games, he needed to go to at least 1 Alabama game. Thankfully, it completely turned out to be a great idea (or at least for me:))

We had fun tailgating with friends before the game. Once in the stadium, even though we were sitting in the Auburn section, we had "that" Alabama fan sitting behind us. The one drinking heavily, yelling loudly & a complete know-it-all. I cringed as he bragged about all things Alabama & talked horribly about Auburn. It was embarrassing as all of the Auburn fans sitting around us gave this 1 Alabama fan such horrible looks, which he was oblivious to. Robbie kept looking at me & I knew he was wanting to either tell the guy off or punch him. I tried reminding Robbie that I have to sit through the Auburn games listening to "his" teams' fans. And that last year I had to listen to the same crap when Alabama played Auburn. When that argument stopped working, I reminded him that I had no idea where the Tuscaloosa jail was if he got arrested & I would be left all alone. I must admit though, this guy was so annoying, I was even hoping Auburn would make a good play just to shut him up. Just when I thought that Robbie was going to lose it, he proved why he is such a great fan and all-around person. He turned around & complemented Alabama on a play. Robbie took a few jabs at the guy, but was able to do it in a way that the guy thought it was funny. Other Auburn fans around us began to follow Robbie's lead. The guy toned it down & become somewhat tolerable. He even said a few nice things about the Auburn team. It prevented what was becoming a horrible situation from escalating. (At least until the end of the game when an obnoxious Auburn fan a few rows ahead of us began doing the Florida gator chomp at the guy, which he in return unleashed on her. They both had it coming.) I was very proud of Robbie for how he handled the situation. Plus, he stayed & cheered for Auburn until the very end.

Robbie & I both agree that it is important to be a gracious winner & gracious loser and to always be a faithful loyal fan. Even though it is more fun being on the winning side. I do have to admit it was nice to be in the stands watching all the bama fans & players celebrate. 6 years of finger jokes & taunting is a long time. As this football season comes close to an end, I look forward to hoping Alabama pulls off an upset & beats Florida and Robbie is now looking forward to Auburn's swim season. And we both look forward to next season introducing our little guy to this crazy obsession & love of college football.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Last Auburn Home Game of the Season

This past weekend was the last Auburn home game of the year. We will only be traveling to one more football game this season, the Alabama/Auburn game in Tuscaloosa. I cannot believe that next season we will have a 3rd member of our family. Very exciting! We only have 9 more weeks until we meet our son!

Yikes! I'm blaming my size on Jake. I'm pretty sure he is a 20 lb. baby. Please excuse my snowman look!

Chattanooga Shower Photos

Wonderful food!

Jake is a very lucky little boy

With my sister & mom
With hostesses - Andrea (Robbie's sister), Lara, Kimberly & Alli
It was such a wonderful afternoon! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Chattanooga Shower

Over the weekend, our friends here in Chattanooga hosted a baby shower for us & Jake. We had such a wonderful time and we just feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful & caring friends. I will post pictures on Sunday! It was such a special time and I cannot thank everyone enough.

Thanks Mom!

Another great thing about this weekend was getting to spend more time with my mom. With busy schedules and living 4 hours apart, we talk all the time, but it is rare for us to get to spend 2 weekends in a row together. On Saturday she helped me pick out & bought the glider & ottoman that we will use in the nursery. I know that it will be used countless nights rocking a little boy to sleep. It is strange that growing up, there were so many times that I doubted her wisdom & didn't want her advice, and now I crave them both. My mom is a remarkable woman. Her time is so stretched between driving 3 hours each month to take care of her ailing mom and in less than a year, she has had 2 daughters get married, and will witness the birth of 2 grandchildren. No matter how much we pile on her plate, she somehow handles it. Between the weddings & births, she has attended so many showers, doctor's appointments & spent more time on the road than at home. But she has never complained once. She just says, "tell me when you want me there, what you want me to bring & what I need to wear". I cannot begin to thank her enough for all of her love, support, and prayer. I would not have been able to make it through this last year without her and I'm so excited for the new experiences that this new year will bring us.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Double Shower

On Saturday, several of our friends hosted a double baby shower for Stephanie & I. We had such a wonderful time and it was so great to visit with our friends from college & family. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such special women. Thank you to everyone who attended & especially to the hostesses who threw such a beautiful shower.

The shower was held at Southern Homes & Gardens
Phi Mu's
Stephanie & I
Stephanie & I opening gifts
Jake & Grant got so many cute gifts!
Stephanie & I with 4 of the 7 hosts (we missed you Amy, Dori & Jessica!)
The Hollon Family
Stephanie & I with our moms
Jake's Mimi (Robbie's mom) & Nana (my mom)