A FewMore Pics

Here are a few pics that don't fit in any category that I am going to blog about right now but are sooo cute.

Here is Abby and Daddy at Biltmore. She got this sweatshirt that says Adams State College from Auntie Casey in the mail. She matches Daddy now.

I love it that Cate is such a snuggler. I get to hold her and she loves it! She also likes the swing so I have the best of both worlds!

It's so funny to see my baby smiling and know that it's just gas. Not real smiles yet but cute non-the-less.

First Dr. appointment after her new patient appointment. She has gained almost all her weight back and she has been pronounced perfect! Again...

There was a PA student there that did the check up. She was a sweety.

We headed to the petting zoo at Biltmore with Grandma the day before she left. Abby refused to get down and see the animals. I carried her through the whole thing.

Reality Check

My mom left today. We are settling in for two whole weeks of us being alone with our family. Scary! Anyway, we are going to be getting into a schedule.

We had a baby shower right before she left. Laura put on a pretty good party.

Heather made this beautiful cake. I'm amazed how great she got "my style." She's such a talented person.

We tasted baby food which just confirmed my suspicions that we should never just pick up whatever and feed it to our kids. That stuff is DISGUSTING! Bring on the squash, forget the green stuff.

Got so many AWESOME gifts, both cute and practical. Love my friends. They take care of me.

And everyone fawned over my beautiful new daughter. But don't think that Abby was neglected. That kid made out like a bandit on Christmas. I can't believe how much stuff she got! Everyone wants to make sure she doesn't feel left out. What a great group of people!

Thank you, Laura and everyone. I am so grateful to be a part of such a great group of people and such a loving church.

The Institution

I recently was looking around my house at the chaos and realized that the Adams' household somewhat resembles an hospital for the insane.

1. There is a strange, unpleasant smell coming from certain rooms.

2. People rarely get out of their PJ's.

3. The common language is a babbling kind of nonsense, even from Mommy.

4. Everyone drools.

5. No one likes to be given a bath and when dragged toward the tub, there is incoherent yelling that often includes the words, "No, Mommy!"

6. When the doorbell rings, everyone jumps.

7. The food (when my mom isn't cooking) is sadly lacking in flavor and texture.

8. Outlets are covered and sharp objects are put in unreachable places.

9. Everyone looks, and might be, drugged.

10. Bodily functions are no longer private.

Well, I hope we get back to normal soon although I have a feeling we are going into a new state of normal. Two children, a crazy mother and grandma leaving... Whatever are we going to do around here?

Up and At 'Em

I know alot of you are going, "What the heck is Callie doing at church?"

I was there last week, the first week after giving birth. I got out to the store several times before that. I have been here and there and everywhere. Yesterday, after church, I went to Biltmore Estate with the pastor and his wife and it was a blast. OK, here's the deal with me:

1. I didn't have stitches after this birth so it has been alot easier to recover.

2. I am energized by getting out and spending time with my friends and family.

3. I may be overly ambitious about losing the baby weight. After doing it once with Abby, I know I can do it again and I'm really excited to get started. I got into my prebirth pants for church last week and my uterus isn't even down to normal size yet! Therefore, this blog may turn into a chronicle of my weight loss goals including but not limited to: exercise, food choices, weight and or BMI updates. Please feel free to suggest whatever you want but realize that I have an infant and a toddler and I don't have a double stroller. I have no money for a gym and my maternity leave ends the first part of April so I will be limited on time.

Spa Day

Casey bought Abby some spa stuff for her birthday.

Always rest up before you head to the spa.

Always hydrate before you get a massage.

Cate hates getting a bath.

Abby organizes her spa stuff.

Daddy gets cucumbers. Abby calls them pickles. LOL!

Now it's Abby's turn.

Even Cate gets in on the action. We use cucumbers because they're moist.

Mother of Two... AAHHHH!!!

I have been the mother of two for 8 full days now and I'm going nuts. How do you discipline a two year old and breast feed an infant at the same time? Why has modern technology made our lives more fast paced and crazy, instead of slowing us down and helping us relax? Mabye it has always been like this and I'm just now feeling it because it's my turn. Some days, I'm nuts and some I'm just feeling down and low and tired. Coffee is the only thing that gets me going and all this time, I have had my mother here. I have not done a stitch of laundry. She has cooked all the meals and cleaned the kitchen. "What else is there to do?" you ask.

I feed the baby. I change the baby. I sooth the baby. I let Abby hold the baby. I pump and then it is time to start all over again. Infants are 24 hour jobs. It is literally like that all the time: day and night. I get no sleep and when the baby is napping, Abby is not and I'm dealing with, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..." I love it but it's wearing me out especially because my iron is so low and I don't know how long it will take to build back up the blood that I lost.

A couple of nights ago, right when my boobs were about to explode from being filled up all day, my pump died. I cried. I broke down and cried. I'm tired, I'm stressed and then my boobs were hurting and there was no relief in sight. Don't think I didn't consider every option... yes, I considered exactly what you are thinking! But... my friend had a nice pump that she wasn't using and the next day I broke every speed record getting out there to pick it up. Thank goodness for good friends who let you borrow their stuff. Thank goodness for mother's who keep your house from looking like a bomb went off in it. Thank goodness for husbands who don't freak out when you cry and cry and cry and cry...

I Love You

I have been telling Abby I love her several times a day, every day since she has been alive. Andy tells her also. When Grandma comes (from either side), they say it also. Finally, when my mom got here, Abby was heading out to bed and Grandma called, "I love you, Abby." She responded with, "Love you, too." It was the sweetest thing. Grandma got to be the first one to hear it from her. (Unless Andy heard it sometime and I wasn't around. But she still hadn't told me she loved me, EVER. Ouch.

Last night, I was putting her to bed and she kept coming out of her room. I told her to go back in and she turned and said, "Ok. I love you, Mommy," all on her own! I almost cried. It ALMOST got her out of her bed time but no such luck. I did go back with her and snuggle her into her bed... for the third time.

It is the BEST to hear that from your kid. She is saying it this morning to Daddy as he goes off to work and I have a feeling that we are embarking on a new phase where she starts to understand what that means.