200 Posts!

In case you're keeping tabs, this is my 200th post!

I know I'm behind on my blogging. The big holdup has to do with me not downloading the pictures from Christmas. (I promise I'll get them up this weekend.) We had a fun first Christmas with Lola Bean. She won't remember it, but we sure will! On Christmas Eve we invited Matt's mom, dad, grandma and brother Jeff, his girlfriend and her little girl to our house for chili and sandwiches. It was a last-minute get-together, as we've been awaiting the arrival of another Baby Wade - Chris and Lindsey (Matt's brother and his wife) were expecting him any day, and we were under a winter weather advisory, so they stayed in Springfield to be close to the hospital. (He was born yesterday, but I'll get to that in a minute.) Cal and Kate drove down on Saturday, and we had Christmas "breakfast" with them and my parents - it was afternoon before we actually ate, but who's watching the clock on Christmas day? We pretty much laid around all weekend, eating and playing with Lola. It was very low key and relaxed - a perfect first Christmas as a family of three.

Yesterday (Dec. 29) marked the arrival of Lola's newest cousin: Daniel Jackson Wade. He weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz and was 21 inches. And, he has a full head of black hair! Both Mom and Baby are well, and Chris, Lindsey, Madison and Maddox are all happy he's here. Matt, Lola and I went to Springfield today to see him - he's a handsome little guy! (Pictures to come.)

If you don't hear from me tomorrow, have a fun, happy and safe NYE! Until next year...

December 21, Winter Solstice, First Day of Winter, Shortest Day of the Year, Darkest Day of the Year... MATT'S BIRTHDAY!

Happy birthday, MDW. The big 33. Love ya, babe.

White chocolate chip oatmeal cookies = YUM

These are super low-cal! NOT. But, hey, it's Christmas!

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats
2 cups (12 ounces) white chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
1 cup slivered almonds

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in oats, chips and almonds. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets.

Bake at 350° until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Spring Preview

Lola's first swimsuit...she's ready for the lake! (or a trip to the Keys...)

I'm so annoying!

When you stay at home during the day, you inevitably end up watching some terrible daytime television - i.e. the fourth hour of The Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee. Yesterday morning and this morning they talked about the most annoying words and phrases, based on a facebook survey, and I was astonished to learn that, like, to tell you the truth, I actually, basically, totally, absolutely use those words all... the... time. Why didn't someone tell me sooner??

Holy cow! Hallelujah! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's a Christmas miracle!

Lola slept through the night last night for the first... time... EVER. She's been sleeping pretty well for the past few weeks, but still waking up at least once in the night to eat. Last night I heard her stirring around 1:30. I got up to go to the bathroom and was then planning to feed her. But, when I got to her I noticed she wasn't awake at all and seemed as if she were about to fall back to sleep. So, I just patted her and shushed her and got back in bed myself. Next thing I knew it was almost 5 a.m., and she hadn't eaten in almost eight hours. Of course, I still woke up a few times to check on her, but, she didn't need me. Does this mean a FULL, uninterrupted night's sleep is in my near future?

Getting ready for Regan

On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for Jessica (and baby Regan Evangeline), with help from my mom and Jess's sister-in-law, Beth Ann. I'm still coming down from the sugar high. We served three savory dishes - baked ham and cheese sandwiches, mini quiches and a cheese ball - and about a dozen sweet treats, including mini orange tea muffins, chocolate/peanut butter fudge, red velvet cheesecake bars, white chocolate-covered pretzels, cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies, cake... weeeeeeeee! I think I maxed out my sugar intake for the month. Oy. Jess got some great gifts for Miss Regan, and a good time was had by all, including Miss Lola. The album above includes pics from the shower and a few of Lola in her jammies taken last night after the shower. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving and MU-KU in Kansas City

A couple weeks ago we traveled to Kansas City for Thanksgiving, where we watched the annual Border Showdown between Mizzou and KU at Arrowhead Stadium. Babs Stilley (Caldwell's mother-in-law-to-be) was kind enough to babysit Lola for us, so Matt and I could both go to the game. It was a pretty day, and we had a lot of fun! We also had Thanksgiving with the Stilleys on Thursday, lunch at Jack Stack and a little shopping on the Plaza on Friday. Before we headed to KC we spent Wednesday with Matt's family and spent the night with his mom (aka "Nana"), where Lola got to play with her cousins.

The birth announcement we never sent...

I had good intentions of finishing and mailing this many weeks ago, but time got away from me. So, I thought I'd at least post it here so you can see what I was working on! Lola was about 3 weeks old in this picture. We were so nervous to take her outside. Matt did not like the idea one bit. But, at least it was warm outside. She has grown and changed so much since then.

Daddy time

Shutterfly Promotion

Have you heard about the latest Shutterfly promotion? If you have a blog, and you write about Shutterfly on your blog, you can get 50 free cards. Just click the link below:

http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

Just in time for Christmas!

A few more pics...

A few weeks ago we went to Ava for Aunt Lindsey's baby shower. She and Matt's brother, Chris, are expecting their third baby in January - a boy. I got a few pics of Lola with her cousins, Madison and Maddox, Nana (Matt's mom) and Great-grandma Loretta (aka "Ma"), and "Aunt" Hope. :) Enjoy.

Parade of Onesies

Thought you might like to see some of the fun onesies Miss Lola has in her wardrobe. By the way, these were taken about a month ago... she's changed a lot since then! Enjoy.

Happy three-month birthday to me

Here's a recent pic... taken this evening. Happy girl.

Lola update

So, I've been reprimanded by several people about neglecting the blog lately. Sorry for the hiatus. I have tons of pictures to share, so stay tuned as I'll try to post a bunch this weekend. First of all, in case you aren't keeping track (ha ha), Lola is 13 weeks and exactly 3 months old today. How time flies! We went for her two-month check-up last month, and Lola weighed 11 pounds, 6 ounces and was 23 inches long (I think she was actually longer than that, but they couldn't get her to straighten her legs). Remember at her two-week check-up she was in the 25th percentile for height and weight? Well, at 2 months, she was in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height. Whoa! I told you she wouldn't stay down there for long.

Fast forward a month, and the little lunker is about 13 pounds now - according to our home bathroom scale. She rolls over. She can hold her head up like a champ. When we put her on her belly I swear she tries to crawl (see picture above). I have a feeling we're going to have our hands full when she does become mobile. She smiles all the time and tries really hard to laugh out loud. She squeals and coos. She's an actual tiny person. Amazing.

Big enough for the Bumbo

Look at me in my Bumbo seat!


I can sit up straight!


And... now I've had enough... get me out!

BBQ Pizza

Matt smoked a couple of pork shoulders over the weekend, and we had pulled pork sandwiches with slaw for dinner last night. Yum-o! There was a lot of meat leftover, so this evening we made BBQ pizza. It was deeeeeeeelish.

Lola rolled over!

This was a very exciting moment yesterday. I couldn't believe my eyes! (Oh, and please excuse my goofy voice...)

Hey Burnetts, hey!

Lola wanted to give a shout out to our Cali friends, Jess and Chad, who got her this onesie. She'll be meeting them later this month in Kansas City! She'll be sporting her own mask and snorkel before long if her dad has anything to do with it. :)

Lola's first Homecoming

For those who don't know... we went to Columbia a couple weekends ago for Homecoming. It was Lola's first tailgating experience at Mizzou. (The first of many!) Megan and Patrick also drove over from St. Louis for the day and brought Chaney and Keaton to their first tailgate. Caldwell's friends, Matt and Julie, brought their 10-month-old little boy. Megan's friend Judee brought her newborn, too, which means... at one point there were FIVE babies at our tailgate. And, at one point two people were breastfeeding at the same time. Boyyyy, how times have changed! Not so long ago, WE were "the kids" at the tailgate. Geez-o, we're gettin' older.

Lola's first trip to Columbia was a success. She slept pretty much the whole way there. We had a four-hour leisurely dinner at Murry's Friday night, and she was a very good girl (she got passed around a lot, so someone was holding her the whole time, of course!) On Saturday we watched College Game Day (which was being broadcast from Columbia!) at the hotel, then Matt, Lola and I walked to the tailgate and were the first ones to arrive! Lola partied until about 6 o'clock, at which time Auntie Lu and Aunt Kate took her back to the hotel so Matt and I could go in the game. And what a game it was! Yee-haw, Tigers!

Sunday was my birthday, and we (Lori, Matt, Lola and me) stopped at Lake of the Ozarks on our way home to do a little birthday (and Lola) shopping. Have you been through that town lately? They've built a bypass that is really nice... and REALLY confusing. We could not figure out how to get on the strip (much to Matt's dismay) to save our lives! We finally made it to the outlet mall, after a few U-turns, then we had lunch at Panera. Then home. Good times. :)

Happy Halloween! (a day late...)

Funny Faces

Look how strong I am at 6 weeks!

Lola is really starting to hold her head up now!

Spit-up

Oh, the joy of spit-up. And here I thought our kid was special because she really didn't do much spitting up in the first couple of weeks. Oh, no. The spit-up has arrived, and it comes when you least expect it. For example, you'd think if she were going to spit up, she'd do it right after she eats, or when she burps. Nope. Nada. It can happen hours later, while she's lying in your bed, on your Pottery Barn quilt. It can happen all down the back of your sweater, when you're holding her over your shoulder. It can happen on the cute little outfit you just wrestled over her flailing arms and legs. Sigh. Lesson #1 learned in the first five weeks of parenthood: Anytime you lay her down, put a burp cloth under her head! Lesson #2: Bibs! Should be worn at all times. Lesson #3: Numerous wardrobe changes in one day are not unusual... for both of us. Lesson #4: Yes, you will feel compelled to write a blog post all about spit-up.

Hi, I'm five weeks old!

The scene on the Wade couch this Friday night...

"D" Day

Today is the day we referred to as "D" Day for the better part of 2010. Today is my original, official due date. (It's also Lindsey's birthday, so happy birthday Aunt Lindsey!) Pretty hard to imagine the past 26 days without Lola. Really hard to imagine how big and uncomfortable I'd be right now if I hadn't already had her.

Lola decided to arrive early, ending my pregnancy about 3 1/2 weeks before it was supposed to end. I certainly wouldn't change anything about that - heck, some women pray for their babies to come early, either because they're so miserable, or they're just really excited to meet their little ones. In the days leading up to her birth, I even said I thought she'd be early... I knew she'd be early. Well, maybe not that early. It turns out, she was just ready to see the world. (And watch Mizzou beat Illinois, albeit on a tiny, fuzzy television in the hospital.)

I'll admit I was a little sad those first couple of weeks about not being pregnant anymore. A lot of people would call me crazy, I know. (I just call it HORMONES.) Either way, there was something very special and unique - indescribable, really - about being pregnant that, sadly, I didn't fully understand and appreciate until it was over. I had an easy pregnancy. I was never sick. I walked five days a week up until the last week. (And I ate brownies and ice cream and salt and vinegar chips without feeling guilty!) I felt really good until suddently I didn't. And just a few days later, Lola arrived. It was a blessing. I'm not sure I could have survived 26 more days of back labor. The other day I told Matt that I'd do it all (pregnancy, labor and delivery) again in a heartbeat. (I think his heart stopped beating for a minute when I said that... I'm not sure he would make the same statement at this time. Labor and delivery was pretty rough on him.)

Having said all that, I couldn't be happier that Lola Bean is here, healthy and growing like a weed. We saw her pediatrician last week, and Lola was up to 7 pounds, 4 ounces - a whopping whole pound bigger than her birth weight! She's currently in the 25th percentile for her height and weight. I'm guessing she'll scoot right on up that ladder as she continues to fill out and grow into her big feet and hands. Let's face it... her mother is 5'9, and her father is 6'2... she simply cannot stay in the 25th percentile for long.

Is something funny?

I know she technically shouldn't be smiling/laughing "for real" just yet... but, I swear this was a real smile! This was taken last Friday, at 2 weeks.

Lola's room

Finally! I've had several requests for nursery pics... and, here they are! You didn't know I was a crazy bird lady, did you?

Nicknames

She isn't even three weeks old, and Lola already has several nicknames. Before she was born, my dad started calling her Lulu - and, he got several Pontiac folks calling her that as well! My friend Lori's nickname is "Lu" - so, Lulu is pretty special. :) Lulu is also Lucy Buffett's nickname - Jimmy's sister. Matt and I often call her Lola Bean or The Bean. I think I heard my mom call her "LB" one day... short for Lola Bean, I guess? And, we call her Sweetpea sometimes, too. The latest (and perhaps, the strangest) nickname so far is the one Matt has been calling her... Petunia. Or, "Tunia" for short. Where in the world that came from, I have no idea...

LMW = 2 weeks old!

Lola is two weeks old today! More pics coming soon...

Lola pics

A few more pics of LMW... she changes every day! Click on the slideshow to view the album one picture at a time if you want.

Pregnancy Photos

Just two weeks before Lola was born, Hope and Paxton came down, and Hope took some photos of us bright and early (before sunrise) at the lake. I'm glad we got the photo session in before Lola arrived! We didn't realize at the time how close we were cutting it. Hope did an amazing job. We can't thank her enough! Here are a few of my favorites...

OMG Brownies

Now that Miss Lola is here, and I'm no longer pregnant... I suppose it's time to get back on the healthy eating plan. Not that we went totally berserk while I was pregnant - we continued to eat healthy for the most part. But, I certainly let things slide that I wouldn't normally... such as buying a Ghirardelli brownie mix every time I went to the grocery store, big bags of salt and vinegar potato chips, kettle cooked potato chips and french onion dip, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream (it was all low sugar, though!) Anyway, since I'm technically on "maternity leave" now (ha ha), we're still splurging a little. I made these brownies last night, and OMG, they are delicious. Thank you, Guy Fieri. (I tweaked it a little, but it's mostly his recipe.)

Blondies with Dark Roots

Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 1/3 tablespoons ( 1/3 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch-square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat 3 to 4 more minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and almonds. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes in the pan before slicing. (Fantastic with vanilla ice cream.)

How it all went down

As you probably know by now, Lola Morgan Wade was born at 4:14 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. She was 3 1/2 weeks early. Surprised us a bit! I had a doctor's appointment last Tuesday. I had been having a lot of back pain, but no contractions. I had gone from feeling really good (I walked 5 days the previous week - 2 1/2 miles each day) to feeling really sluggish and achy in a matter of a couple of days. I thought, "Either she's coming early, or this is going to be the longest month ever." So, when I went on Tuesday for my 36-week check-up I told my doc how I'd been feeling and asked her to check to see if I was dilated (she hadn't planned to check me until 38 weeks). She did, and I was 1 to 2 cm and 75% effaced. She said she didn't think I'd make my due date (Sept. 29), and she gave me a 40% chance of not making my next appointment (which would have been today!) After that we ran all over Springfield picking up last-minute things we still needed - the big one being the pack n play with bassinet that she would sleep in for the first few weeks/months of her life.

By Wednesday, my back was hurting worse. I was already not planning to work Labor Day weekend because of my back, but Matt was scheduled to work Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I was sure we'd make it through the weekend, but, I decided to make up an alternate schedule sans Matt and laid it on my desk. I made sure bills were paid, orders were placed and all was ready for Labor Day weekend to go on without us. Just in case.

Thursday brought more of the same... back pain was worse. Matt worked on Thursday, and I stayed home, cleaning, organizing Lola's room and washing her sheets and clothes. I was dying to go for a swim, so when Matt got home we drove down to the lake (down a rather rocky, bumpy road, I might add) and swam for about an hour. That was probably around 4 p.m. - just 12 hours before Lola would be born.

We came home from the lake, Matt grilled burgers, and I settled on the couch with a heating pad and about eight pillows in an effort to make myself comfortable. Finally, at about 7 p.m. I called my cousin Megan. I remembered she had "back labor" with her pregnancies. I knew she had gone to the hospital thinking she was in actual labor (turned out to be a false alarm), and I wondered what made her go to the hospital. She said she could feel actual contractions in her back - mine, however, just hurt constantly. I said, "I don't know what to do... I wish my water would break, and then I'd know..." And, about 2 minutes later, it did. It kinda scared me, so I didn't tell her, I just said, "Ok, I gotta go. I'll call you later," and I hung up. I looked at Matt and said, "I think something just happened." He sprang up and started getting our stuff together. Most of it was in the car already, as we had packed our bags and loaded them in the car when we went to the doctor on Tuesday. We got on the road a little before 8 p.m. and headed to Springfield.

I called my doctor's office and got the answering service, of course. I told the gal to let my doctor know I was headed to Labor and Delivery. Turns out, my doc wasn't on call that night, but at the time I didn't care. I figured she'd probably be on duty by the time we actually had her. As I was talking (we were still on Highway W), three deer ran out in front of us. Two big deer, and then a baby deer. We hit the baby deer. (Actually, we just ran right over it.) I yelled out, and the woman on the phone said, "What??" I said, "Um, we just hit a deer... we're fine." Physically we were fine (and so was the car), but I couldn't help thinking... "We're on our way to have a baby, and we just creamed a baby deer. This cannot be a good sign."

Then I got a text message from Megan that said: "Don't think you're waiting for your water to break... it doesn't always happen like that." And I replied: "Yeah, well, it did, and we're on our way to the hospital!! Oh, and we hit a deer."

Next obstacle was the weather. We could see lightning ahead, and apparently Springfield was under a tornado warning (luckily, it expired before we got there). The day before, Highway 60 had flooded, and we didn't know if we would even be able to get through. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem - a section of the highway was down to one lane, but at least it was open, and there was hardly any traffic. (Oh, and I forgot to mention a few thoughts Matt had as we were driving to the hospital - "Should I call Chris and see if we can get a police escort?" and "Maybe we should stop in Ava and put you in an ambulance.")

We arrived at the hospital a little before 10. At this point I was pretty uncomfortable. They checked to make sure my water had actually broken and then admitted me to Labor and Delivery. The next hour and a half or so is a bit of a blur. I was in a lot of pain while waiting for the epidural to arrive. Once it finally got there I was able to relax and actually have a conversation with Matt and our RN, Zoe. I met Dr. Hamilton for the first time - he's in the same practice as my doctor, and as quickly as things were progressing, it looked like he would be delivering our baby. The rest of the night/morning went by quickly. Lola arrived at 4:14 a.m. without any complications. (She was obviously in a hurry to get here!) Why? We're not sure, but we think maybe it's because 1. It was Labor Day weekend, and she knew we really didn't want to work. And 2. She wanted to see Mizzou's season opener against Illinois on Saturday. And the Tigers won!

We came home late afternoon on Sunday. Things are going well so far. We're tired, but besides that, Lola is a pretty content baby. She eats and sleeps (and dirties her diaper frequently). She's starting to be a awake a little more, but mostly, she sleeps.

Enjoy the pics. If you click on the slideshow you can view the album and the photos one-by-one. There will be many more pics to come! Thank you, everyone, for all the well wishes. We can't wait for you all to meet her!

Lola Morgan Wade

Sorry to keep you all in suspense! I have lots of pics and a big ol' birth story to share with you. All in good time. :) For now, I will tell you she was born at 4:14 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. (3 1/2 weeks early!) She weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches. We came home Sunday and are doing really well so far. She eats and sleeps and cries on occasion. We're tired, naturally, but hanging in there! More soon...

KC Girls Weekend

A couple of weekends ago, Jessica PB and I made a quick trip to KC to see the Mizzou girls (and Kate and Natalie, too), and all of their little girls! It was a quick weekend, but oh-so-fun, and I'm glad we were able to get together one more time pre-Lola. Both Billie and Beth have recently moved into new houses, so we got to see their new digs. We stayed with Beth, as she has lots of space! Saturday night we went to dinner at Bonefish Grill. It was really good. We started with their Bang Bang Shrimp - spicy and delicious. They offer several fresh fish options, and I went with salmon, knowing Matt would approve that choice - rich in omega 3's and good for Lola (as he likes to inform me). On Sunday morning we hung out and played with Miss Ellyson. Natalie brought Paige, Channing and Dillion brought Harper and Bo, and pretty soon we had all sorts of little girls running around playing hide-and-seek, shrieking and laughing. Woodsie played a big part in preparing a brunch, and so did Hannah - breakfast casserole, baked french toast, fruit, cinnamon rolls and pastries, coffee and tea. It was all delicious and followed by cake and cookies! Thank you, Billie and Beth, for hosting. Lola and I are officially as spoiled as we can be. Thanks, ladies, for all the great gifts - including our monitor, which is sleek and way cooler than either of our cell phones. I believe we are set. Now all we need is la-la-la-la Lola!

"Almost" 35 weeks

This is not a maternity shirt, and I think it's stretched to its limits here! Almost 35 weeks now. The weeks are ticking by in a hurry. Yesterday I was at work and someone asked if I were going to play basketball because it looked like I was carrying one under my shirt. Ha... ha ha... ha. :) Hope and Paxton came down yesterday, and we went for a boat ride. Then this morning Hope, Matt and I got up bright and early and went down to the lake to take some pictures. Hope is an excellent photog, and she has a great camera - I'm excited to see how they turned out. (As you can imagine, Matt wasn't sure what to do with himself... he kept asking, "Am I supposed to smile or not?" and "You want me to put my hands where?" He was a good sport.) According to my weekly update, Lola is probably weighing in at about 5 1/2 pounds now and 20 inches long. She's probably pretty close to her full length now... all she needs to do is keep filling out some more. The other day I told Matt, "As soon as she comes out I want you to count her fingers and toes." You always hear people say that, and now I get it... here's to 10 and 10!

Baby Shower

On July 31, Jessica PB hosted the most wonderful baby shower for Lola and me. It was held outside on her deck, with white table cloths, fresh flowers, colorful paper lanterns, umbrellas, little buckets of my favorite candies (!!), a delicious brunch, the cutest (and tastiest) cake ever and a fabulous turnout of friends and family. My friend Hope took lots of pics, and here are just a few...

Lola Morgan Wade...


Niece Madison comparing bellies with Aunt Jabet...


Lola's first pair of flip-flops - Reefs! (Thank you, Cindy!)


Delicious (and super cute!) cake...


The fabulous hostess and me...