Karter Kaye is 1 Month Old Today!!

It is hard to believe that a full month has passed already, but Karter Kaye is 1 month old today!!

We had a couple of special visitors here to help us celebrate - the girls' great grandparents!!  Buck and Sudie came in town on Wednesday and spent the last 4 days sharing giggles, kisses, and love with 2 very happy little girls!

When Granddad Buck wasn't beating the big kids in Monopoly, he spent lots of time hanging with his girls.  Jordan couldn't control her laughter and may have met her match; he "cracks her up"!!!  The 2 bullied each other around the train track while arguing about whether or not he could call her "Mugs".  By the way, after they left today, Jordan told me that she is not Jordan; her name is now Mugs.

Grandma Sudie thought watching twin boys was a handful until she spent the last 4 days changing diapers, feeding dinners, and loving on her great-grandbabies!!  She kept the girls clean, fed, and cuddled, and I know they'll miss her loving arms now that she and Buck are on their way back to West Virginia.

What a great way for Karter to spend her one month birthday!!  Jared and I are enjoying the quiet time while the girls are both getting rested up after lots of fun...!

Want to see your picture on the blog?  Come visit!!!  The girls love visitors, and Jared and I do too!! <3

3 Wk Update (ALREADY!)

Wow!  The last few weeks have flown by!  Karter is 3 weeks old today, but it feels like yesterday that Jared, his brother, and I headed to the hospital with so much anticipation and excitement.  And how exciting the past 3 weeks have been!

Karter is a great baby!  She eats like a champ and has progressed to 6oz per feeding!  She had some early discomfort and tears related to pooping, but Gerber has a formula with a slightly lower iron content that has helped with that issue and now she rarely even fusses!  She doesn't like going to bed at night, but once I finally convince her, she sleeps well.  For the past 3 nights, she has slept from around midnight/1a until Jared's alarm wakes her around 6:30a.  And, she is tolerant!  If you've ever brought a baby home to an excited toddler, you may be able to relate.  But Jordan loves her new baby sister!  She loves her fingers, and her toes, and her nose, and her lips, and her ears, and everything else that just needs exploring!! 

Happy Birthday Karter Kaye!

Karter Kaye is 2 weeks old today!



Reflections of a long and lovely 2010

Being on leave has given me an opportunity to sit and think; not something that I claim to do much of otherwise.  My thoughts today have been mainly geared around remembering 2010 with a smile and with amazement that we more than survived, but we have grown in so many ways!  [And here is where I will begin bragging on my family...]

In 2010, we witnessed Jordan accomplish an unbelievable list of achievements including first words, sentences, and paragraphs, assisted and unassisted sitting, mobility through crawling and using her gait trainer, giving hugs, kisses, and unconditional love, making friends and going to school, becoming a big girl and now a big sister!  [We are so proud of our Jordan Rose and love her so much!]

In 2010, Jared and I made and delivered a healthy baby girl who is a welcomed addition to our family and hearts.  [We love our Karter Kaye!]

What most people don't know is that we have been involved in a messy lawsuit for the past 2 1/2 years related to Jordan's birth injury.  In 2010, we learned what we always knew; Jordan's condition was 100% avoidable.  We also learned the name of the individual who forever changed our daughter's life, as well as the specific shortcomings and incidents of the night.  But my biggest lesson was in learning to accept what can't be changed and in learning to overcome the hate that had entered my heart.  In 2 weeks, we will be meeting with the defense and pray that we will meet resolution and will close the book on yet another chapter of bumps and bruises so that we can move on to more highlights and excitement in 2011 and beyond!

Through all of our personal challenges and achievements in 2010, we TRIED to maintain composure.  Jordan is the most loving of children, so I know that although we definitely waivered at times, we never completely failed at keeping it together.  God never promised that it would be easy, but it is always worth it.

So when I think back on 2010, I can't do it without tears in my eyes.  And although some of those tears are from sadness and pain, most of them are from pride and joy.  We have grown! 

We're Home!

Jordan has been doing a great job of holding down the fort while Jared, Karter, and I have been recovering at the hospital.  But yesterday, we were finally able to come home and Jordan didn't hide her excitement!

Jordan picked a matching outfit from Grandmother Hamilton for her and Baby Karter to wear home from the hospital together.

Karter earned an early release with great test scores, a big appetite, and continuous good health.

Mommy and Daddy couldn't wait for us to all be home together!

Today was our first full day together at home.  We love our new family of 4.  Jordan and Karter have spent plenty of time bonding together.

Jordan gives Karter plenty of kisses.

A proud big sister who tells her little sister that she loves her.

We were all happy to spend some time visiting with Nathan and Kiersten when they dropped in from West Virginia!

Just like her big sister, Karter loves swinging!!

Daddy has been doing an amazing job taking care of his 3 girls.  Mommy is still recovering from surgery, and Daddy has been making bottles, changing diapers, playing with toys, fixing dinner, and helping Mommy to her feet on the rarity she feels like being there.  Once we are all in the swing of things, we girls owe Daddy a big ice cream cake and plenty of hugs and kisses!  (And maybe even a date night out to see Harry Potter...!  Anyone interested in being a babysitter for a night?)