The Logue Family Grows

The "Godfather" has arrivied

2009-09-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

This is Baby Brooke's godfather Alexander Williamson and I have relinquished all off the nonsense duties that come with being a "Godfather." What Alex's primary responsibility is to make sure no one takes advantage of our baby Brooke Ashley Logue.

UNC Basketball Season is almost here.

2009-09-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year is coming up right arounf the corner by here are some of preparations in order to develop the biggest die hard UNC fan, Of course my dad tried this technique and my little sister and she ended up going to Dook for undergrad. Which I could think of nothing worst and frankly is not even an option in the Logue Household.

Joe Parker Comes to meet the Baby

2009-09-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

Chessie had one of her good friends come down from Raleigh to meet the baby. This post is out of place but better now than never. Joe Parker has been a great friend to Chessie and it really helped comfort me by knowing that they were looking after each other. He will be someone that I am sure we will be friends with for a very longtime. Not to mention Joe's parents are amazing in every way imaginable and we look forward to seeing them soon.

Aunt Caroline and Uncle Greg come to visit.

2009-09-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is Brooke's Aunt Caroline and Uncle Greg who came down from D.C. to meet their niece. Once we got past the initial awkwardness from no one knowing how to hold a newborn baby we eventually got everyone to take a turn. Seeing how nervous Caroline and Greg were when given the chance to old baby Brooke, reminded me of the first time the nurse handed her to us at the hospital. I had never held a baby in my life but the moment she is passed to you it feels like you have been doing it all your life.

Pretty in pink

2009-08-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hanging out on the couch

2009-08-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

Brooke has already taken over the remote control.

Swinging the day away

2009-08-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

We got this swing at the baby shower from Miguel and Jessie. Brooke has been enjoying it more and more each day.

100% Huggable

2009-08-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

We had another photo shoot and here are some of the pictures. We think they are very cute.

Daddy's Favorite Outfit

2009-08-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

This is the outfit that I was so excited to put on our baby. We got it early in the pregnancy and from the moment I saw it I have been looking forward to seeing our baby in it. I told Chessie that it doesn't matter that it is blue because even if we have a girl she will be going in it. The outfit is still a little to big but I could not wait any longer.

Brooke's First Video and Pictures in Formal Wear

2009-08-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

This the first video we took of Brooke. It was towards the end of her photo shoot and she was beginning to get a little upset, or it could have been the bonnet. She doesn't like hats as they usually end up being a mistake. Mother still dresses her though, so she has a good excuse. She did sit there for about 30 minutes without making a peep and we got a bunch of great pictures, which we have uploaded to her web album.

Feeling Just Ducky!!!!

2009-08-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

Check out these adorable photos of Brooke's second bath. What a snuggle bug. Rubber ducky-you're the one. You make bath time so much fun!

Brooke's first bath

2009-08-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

Brooke did not much like the water from her bath. She has a hammock that she sits in while we give her a sponge bath. We don't want to get her belly button wet yet. She got chilly during this part. She had some really nice Shaklee soap and bedtime lotion. She did love the attention she got after the bath. The massage really soothed her for bedtime and we loved snuggling with our soft clean baby. She was so much fun in the hooded bath towels and adorable night gown. Bath time is one of our favorite times.

Getting cozy at home

2009-08-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Brooke is getting settled in nicely. She gets lots of attention from friends and family. Her grandparents have helped out so much with taking care of her so mom and dad can rest. They have brought food and love to hold the baby to free up mom and dad for administrative work and a few extra Zzzzzs. Also Whitney and Steve came to visit following their trip to Europe. The neighbors have been by to visit with banana bread and other gifts. Brooke even got to meet a likely future classmate, Charles from across the street. He is an adorable 3 month old boy who might be the first of many daddy has to keep an eye on :-)

Homeward bound

2009-08-04T22:52:00.001-07:00

On Thursday the 30th of August, we were cleared for discharge from the hospital. Above is a picture of Brooke in her carseat and also pictures of the surprise decorations waiting for us in the yard.

Visitors

2009-08-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

We had lots of visitors to the hospital including all the grandparents, Cousins Victoria and Shelby, Uncle Mark and Aunt Beth, Nu pham, Mrs. Hedgecoe, Sandy Saunders, Robby Byrd, and we ran into Katherine Armstrong who delivered their new baby girl Anna. We also talked to so many people on the phone. It was really nice of everyone to share in our joy and welcome baby to the world so warmly. 28 years ago when I was born, Mom and dad got an azalea from Sandra Basinger, a family friend, which they planted and is now a huge beautiful bush. I got the azalea from my parents to continue the tradition. I can only hope that azaleas do well in our yard. It was a very special gesture.

Getting to know Brooke

2009-08-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Later that evening we were reunited with our baby girl. It was love at first sight. I had no idea I could love someone so much that I had only just met face to face. Jason and I were overwhelmed with joy that she was so healthy and beautiful. I couldn't believe how nice her skin tone was and she didn't even have a cone shaped head (seeing as how she was only millimeters from being a vaginal delivery for close to 2 hours). It was so nice to bond with what we claim is the cutest baby in the world. The first pic is of our crib note I made for the nursery so that we can learn to breast feed.

SHE is here

2009-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

These are the first pictures of Brooke taken with Jason's cell phone in the operating room right before she is wheeled out to the nursery.

Baby is on the way

2009-08-01T15:14:00.001-07:00

On the evening of July 26th, I was having some sharp abdominal pains. They were sporadic and didn't last very long. By the morning of July 27th however, they were 5 min apart and had increased in intensity enough to make me want to go see the doctor. I woke up early with all this discomfort and got cleaned up. At 8 am I woke up Jason and he started to get ready for the possible trip to the hospital. He loaded the car with our suitcase and car seat, and fed all the wildlife in our home to prepare for the days ahead. We drove over to Dr. Meeks' office and confirmed that I was in early labor - 3 cm dilated. We were given the paperwork to be admitted to the hospital and were on our way.

We checked in at around 10 am and reviewed my medical history. Everyone kept asking if I was a natural red head, apparently red heads are at higher risk of bleeding. I am a natural brunette, for anyone that didn't know. They hooked me up to the IV, monitors, and started me on the epidural and potosin once I reached 4 cm.

At 5pm I was 9.5 cm dilated with little to no discomfort. Dr. Meeks showed up to deliver the baby and I could start pushing right away. Everything was going really well until the baby didn't quite turn the way we needed. I pushed for 2 hrs longer, completely exhausted myself, and wore out the epidural. This was the most pain I have ever experienced. A decision was made that it would be best to do a cesarean section.

I was wheeled back, given additional meds, and in no time was hearing the sound of my baby's cry. The doctor knew we were waiting to find out the sex of the baby and asked Jason to tell us all what it was. I was so happy to hear we had a baby girl. The nurse brought the baby to my cheek and we nuzzled for a moment before she and Jason went to the nursery and to see the visitors. Jason was at my side the whole time although it was tough for him to see me work so hard and go through so much. Our excited family members were waiting in the waiting room all the while with Jason and Dr. Meeks conveying updates.

After I was put back together, I was taken to the recovery room and later to our final rooms where we stayed for the next 3 days. Baby Brooke Ashley Logue was born at 8:51pm on July 27th weighing 8 lbs and 3 oz. She was a very long baby at 22 inches- she is going to be tall like daddy. Below are some photos of our predelivery setup. We look so happy and unsuspecting. We were joking around. I was putting rabbit ears on Jason and the photo with the red light on my finger was suppose to be like ET phone home.

Contrary to my better judgement

2009-07-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone. So against my better judgement, I am releasing these pictures of my massively growing size to be forever immortalized on the world wide web. I agree----It is pretty amazing that anyone can stretch this much in 9 months. It looks painful. This is a flip book of the physical changes I've gone through to get a precious baby. I'm so glad Jason really loves me :-) Also, I'm hopeful that most of this is a temporary condition. Here are 4 angles of my nine month progression.

Baby Shower

2009-07-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

On July 18th, we had our baby shower. Mom hosted it and it was at the Hilltop House on Ft. Bragg Rd. It was so nice. We were in the sun room and had lunch. It was so lovely to be surrounded by friends and family. It was such a beautiful space that we really didn't need decorations but we did put together a few things. There was a cake decorated like a baby quilt made by the same person who did our wedding cake, Whitney was there in spirit and gave me an adorable diaper cake, I made party favors of washcloths called boo boo bunnies. We also had an entertaining table baby trivia game. We did some introductions to help everyone get acquainted. It was so neat to have such a variety of friends from all stages of my life. Ellen, my friend from when I was 5 weeks old and her mother were in attendance as well as friends from undergrad, dental school, my residency, Sunday school, and some special Fayetteville friends I've kept in touch with all along. We had chicken salad croissants, fruit, salad, and cake. We played the guess the size of the belly with the string game. The opening of presents was delightful too. It is so fun to see all the cute miniature clothes, bath supplies, and baby goodies. I think between the gifts and the gift cards, we have gotten everything we can dream of needing for baby's arrival. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event so special! I hope to get some additional photos but here is a start of the ones we got before all the action got started. Afterward, I invited everyone to visit our house to see the baby room and get to know where we live. For my Meredith girls and some of our friends, it was the first time they had really been to visit me in Fayetteville. I wish we could be closer but at least they know where they can find me now. Also, I got to spend some time with the Gonzalez family and Susanna tested out some of the toys in our room. She is so cute. She loved the little chair and the books. Later that evening we got to spend some time with the Logues and the new Stablers at my favorite restaurant for dinner. It was a perfect and fun filled day I will never forget.

2nd Ultrasound July 2nd

2009-07-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

These ultrasound photos were taken on July 2nd at approximately 36 weeks. As you can see baby is much bigger than the last images. The estimated weight was 6 lbs and 9 oz. It is a little difficult to differentiate what you are looking at due to the cramped space. The top picture is a profile image, the next two are of the baby's face. It is on the left half of the image and easiest to distinguish is the nose. Once you see that, you can see fat cheeks, an eye and lips. In the third picture there is even a tongue.

Everything is going normally which is always a relief. We managed to still not know what the sex of the baby is. We can't wait to meet you face to face little one.

My New Ride

2009-06-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sister Caroline is a married woman

2009-06-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took part in Caroline's wedding. I was the matron of honor and our big baby was there every step of the way. We celebrated all weekend long beginning with Friday afternoon's luncheon at the Carolina Club. That evening was the rehearsal dinner at The Ferrington House. Uncle Mark made his famous video of favorite child photographs leading up to the time of Caroline and Greg's engagement. It was an awesome slide show. We had delicious southern style gourmet dining and I got to give a little toast to the adorable couple. We slept at The Franklin Hotel on Franklin Street, a stone's throw from the little house we lived in when we were at UNC. Saturday, Jason and I got a bite to eat at our favorite Ice cream shop, Lickity Split, and then got ready for the big event. Caroline and all the bride's maids met in the lobby and took a limo bus to the Duke Chapel. The chapel is soooooo beautiful. The detail in the glass and woodwork is something you have to see to believe. We helped Caroline get ready in her dress and took some photos around the chapel. Caroline was radiantly breathtaking. She was an exceptionally lovely bride. I will have to attach some photos when I get some. I had an awesome view of the ceremony at her side. Baby and I did pretty well at the ceremony, though we had to select some less than attractive shoes and my ankles were swollen by the end anyways, but otherwise a success. We posed for more pictures and then we were off to the reception at La Residence. It was a little warm but the gathering of friends and family didn't seem to mind. There was plenty of drinking and dancing for most guests at the event. Jason, Baby, and I had to retire a little early due to fatigue but a good time was had by all. It will be a day and night we will all remember. Many congratulations to Caroline and Greg and we are so glad that we could share in your joyous occasion. We wish the future Aunt Caroline and Uncle Greg safe travels and a lifetime of happiness together. -----Here is a picture of Caroline and Greg to show until I get one from the wedding.

How I'm feelin update

2009-06-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of my jury duty service. Yes!!!! It was exciting to start with but now just drags on all day. At least I won't have to fill that civic duty for another 2 years. So I've been feeling pretty good for the most part. The acid reflux which subsided some for the 2nd trimester has returned. Baby is really active now. There is less space for him/her to move and sometimes those elbows and knees can be pretty sharp. When they get too far on the side they even tickle. I get woken up in the night sometimes with all the action. It amazes me that baby can do exercizes in there but can't even hold up its head at baby's big debut. The current time in pregnancy is 35 weeks. A little less than a month and a half to go and I'm starting to be ready. It is getting really hard to sleep with my heavy watermelon sized baby belly. I sleep with about 3 pillows and breathing is a definite problem. My personal least favorite symptom is the swelling of my ankles and wrists. My shoes don't fit and if I don't elevate my feet, they quikly get elephantitis. My wrists and hands are swollen too. It is tough to do my job at this point as I have pregnancy carpal tunnel in my favorite hand. I only have 8 days of my residency remaining. I will miss it, especially the people, but am looking forward to sleeping in and relaxing. It is tough to get out of bed in time for work at 7am.
Jason and I have begun making our plans for the big day. Although a little behind, we have watched several videos on pregnancy from the library, I've been reading my baby books, and we've signed up for the classes at the hospital. Our suitcase is almost ready to go...... we are missing the snack component which is of high importance any time we travel for Jason :-).

Grandma and Grandpa Logue got baby an awesome chariot this past week. Baby got a RX350 Lexus SUV. I think this baby (and by association-Jason and I) are going to be so spoiled. It is the perfect baby mobile. We've got a CD player and tape deck for silly little kid tapes, and even a DVD player for entertainment on road trips. It has so many fancy gizmos like navigation, hands free bluetooth phone dialing, and the ever important seat warmers and lots of cup holders. It drives so nicely too. It is a big change from the truck like experience I was use to. It was decided that the Jimmy, after 13 years of excellent performance, was not safe enough to take the baby around in. I reluctantly agree, although I still love my Jimmy. I will always remember my first car lovingly and all the fun I had carrying my crazy drunken friends safely home. All the futons I've rescued and the odd things I've picked up out of the trash for resale. I think we are going to keep it as our work horse as it still has a lot of life left in it. It has all new exterior- as I've run into things on all sides, a recently remanufactured enjine due to a huge Jiffy lube problem, and a little water leakage issue).

This weekend, little sister Caroline is going to get married. We are so excited for her and think that her husband to be is a heck of a nice guy. We are going to be celebrating all weekend. Baby and I are going to be the matron of honor in the wedding and it is really cool that we both get to be there for the big event.

Our Baby Room

2009-06-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Get off my back:-) I've been busy and pregnant. It takes me a while to sit down at the computer and blog. Those of you who really know me, know I can barely manage my email when I was in my normal state........ Anyways, let me fill you in on the progress of our room decor:

In conjunction with my usual dumpster diving savy ways....this cute little child's captains chair was rescued from the roadside at a neighbor's house. I lightly sanded and stained it to match the other furniture and it turned out adorable. This bunny rabbit is saving the seat for our little one.

This bookshelf is actually a plate rack that has been in the Miller family for a very long time. Sorry Caroline, it is ours now. She always stops by and reminds me that all our stuff use to be hers. :-) Apparently she had this shelf in her room at some point before it was in Nune's garage and she gave it to us.

Jason and I got a lot of laughs out of going through my bins from under the house of all the toys I had when I was little. Dad packed everything I had away, majority of it I tried to hang onto, and Jason had to remind me that we are going to want to buy some new toys and we just don't need all this stuff at once. I wonder if our baby will be able to appreciate Teddy Rukspin.

We found some really good books. Check out all our books-goldenbooks, Dr. Seus books, Bernstien bears, and many more individual classics that I read a thousand times. I can't wait to share these with my baby. (I tried to read them to Jason but he's just not as interested)

We ordered a few key pieces of furniture for the room that we thought we would get some long term use out of. The cherry crib converts to a full size bed as baby grows, the changing table becomes a low dresser, and the glider is heaven on Earth. We have waited so long for this furniture and are still waiting on the changing table. I hope it gets here before the baby, but the furniture issue has slowed my nesting significantly. We do love it though.

Our rug we practically stole on craigslist. It was only a few months old, stain free, the right size, and neutral color we wanted. I looked for weeks for a deal on a carpet/rug but never found anything close to this bargain. I love love love a good bargain. Now we just have to worry about our cats messing it up.

I painted two little accent animals around the room. This little blue jay sings above the light switch and the cute turtle is going to be headed toward the door from behind the changing table. I have had so much fun customizing the room with my own artistic flare. I have hand done multiple pieces throughout the room. I painted the 2 animals directly on the wall, painted 2 framed pieces (the butterfly and giraffe) and wrapped the mats in fabric, I painted the lion canvas, and sewed the bumper to match our spread.

I'm planning to finish the cover on the nightstand but haven't gotten around to that yet. This is just the draped raw fabric, but you get the idea. I'm so glad Mom and Dad found this adorable pattern for the room. We love the precious animals and all the adorable accessories. Notice the matching lamp-It's a giraffe on the base.

This painting on canvas has the lion from our theme and also has one of my favorite comforting baby verses, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

These two paintings below are framed and matted in the room with the same cherry wood color.

We love all these little faces looking back. Most of them are webkinz from our favorite family collector.

This shelf has ducks on it and says,"Keep your ducks in a row" The perfect place to display our favorite outfits.

We tried to keep it gender neutral. I'm so proud of my bumper. Yeah I added the ruffle and ties too.

OH, ONE MORE BIG THING>>> Jason and I decided on names...... If it is a girl, we are going to name her Brooke Ashley Logue and if it is a boy, we are going to name him Joshua Miller Logue.

We can hardly stand to wait to find out the gender but have made it too far to give in to our curiosity now. I will be so happy to find out though!!!!!!

NCDS meeting at Myrtle Beach

2009-05-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the beach with our good friends Miguel, Jessie, and Susanna. We stayed at their parent's house at Sunset beach. They got us a welcome gift bag with all kinds of cute baby gifts- rattles, dangle rings, diapers, bath soaps and lotions, baby toothbrush, and a crinkle book. So thoughtful! Miguel and I attendend the Dental Society Meeting at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach. We saw quite a few of our classmates, attended seminars, picked up lots of freebies, and I also got to hang out with my future boss, Dr. Hedgecoe. We had a really nice time at the meeting. Jessie and Jason came to Myrtle to meet us on Saturday. We had lunch at Steak and Shake and checked out the outlet malls. The weather was perfect and I got to absorb so many valuable tips on baby- Everything from what to expect at the hospital to what to pack on a family vacation.

Later that night we went to Calabash for seafood and walked around the big gift shop. I noticed my feet were hurting some but didn't expect what I would see when I looked down at them. They were huge. My ankles had swollen to the size of an orange. I had to sit down and put them up. It was crazy- that was the 1st time I really noticed that. Fortunately they went back to normal after a while.

Hanging with Susanna at the house was so cute. She has just started to really walk. She would bring us toys and books. She interacted with the dog and calls every animal Sissy. She only speaks a few words but it is amazing how much she understands. At feeding time she got mac and cheese, pears, and some carrots. She likes to share her food with the dog. Sissy makes a great floor cleaner during baby's feeding time. Jason and I might need to borrow a dog. We found out Susanna is on the early morning schedule and unfortunately she was starting to get a little fever. She is really precious and every time we see her, Jason and I get so excited to have our own baby.

The latest Dr. Visit

2009-05-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

I went last Wednesday for my Doctor's visit. The good news is that both mommy and baby got a good report. We went in for our glucose drink and gestational diabetes test. I had to chug this super sweet orange solution. It was a timed test so an hour later I did the finger prick. I just barely passed under the cut off line for the screening. A little higher and I would have had to come back for the really long official test. The baby's heart beat was in the 160s and I got to hear the heartbeat. Jason and I are still wondering about the sex of the baby. (We read online that over 140 is suppose to be a girl) The past two trips to the doctor have been over 140 bpm. Who knows....The Doctor said she has not seen the heart rate to be any indication of gender. It has been getting harder and harder to not know but I don't think we can cave in at this point. We have been out looking at baby stores more and see adorable items we refrain from purchasing due to the unknown sex. There has been a lot of kicking and we are getting really excited about how much our little one has been growing!!!!

Baby Susanna's 1 Year Birthday Party

2009-03-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Clayton, NC for a birthday bash in honor of Susanna and Ava's 1 year birthday. Jason and I had a rough start since we were running late and got lost. We couldn't get a hold of Miguel so we took a break to regroup and eat a pizza. We were able to get the directions we used from the fair to navigate our way there. The address is a new development and not yet available by GPS. Luckily, when we got there the party was still hopping.

It was so good to see Miguel, Jessie, and the ever growing Susanna. We got a chance to catch up and Miguel took us on a tour of Susanna's nursery and play room. Jason and I were really interested to see the items other parents have found useful.
They had all kinds of good food at the party. There was BBQ, fried chicken, hush puppies, slaw, potatoes, drinks, and of course birthday cake. Susanna was so cute in her birthday girl outfit. She had a pink shirt that said, "It's my 1st birthday" with a sequined birthday cake. She also donned a pink tutu. What a party princess! She did have to take a break from her party to nap at one point and when she woke up she changed into her jeans. Jason and I got to hold her and feed her a banana. She is not quite as easy for me to hold anymore though, she weighs about 25 lbs and is becoming a big girl. She is learning to walk and talk. She was so cute interacting with her other young friends. It was a really nice party and I'm so glad we got to attend.

We got to see Sissy the dog too. Poor Sissy must miss the days when she was the baby. She still seemed to know Jason and I. I got my usual sniff in the face.

After the roaring good time, we went to Babies R Us to compare baby furniture. Jason captured this picture of me while I was waiting. I can confidently say, I'm smarter than the average bear in this class.

Northwood Temple Sale

2009-03-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

(I hope that the baby doesn't mind our fill in model :-)

This past weekend I went to the semi annual kids sale at Northwood Temple. IT WAS GREAT!!!!! I went by myself at around 8:30 and there was a line to get in. They had the sheriff's dept on site directing the crowd. It was held at their gymnasium. They had all kinds of things and it was so well organized. It was almost like shopping in a regular store. They had a food and general care section, book and learning section, toy section, furniture section, clothing and shoe section, Bags and carriers section. Everything was reasonably priced for fractions of what you would pay in the store. I went through the first time with a box I was given at the entrance. My box was loaded down. I got a Baby Bjorn carrier which regularly sells for around $80 for $20. I got a really nice johnny jump up for $15. And as many cute clothes as I could pile on.

They were a couple of dollars each and they were like new. I tried to stick with mostly neutral outfits in yellows, greens, and baby blues. I got some adorable clothing with ducks, frogs, and hippos. I did cave in for a few dresses that were too cute to pass up. I figure I could pass them along or reconsign them for probably what I paid. It was almost too good to be true. There was a news team from channel 14 there taping the event. At the checkout, I got a coupon for a free chik-fil-A chicken biscuit. So I went over there, had a nice breakfast and called mom. She met me back over at the church sale at 12:00. After 12:00 the majority of items were 50% off. We made a second round and got a pottery barn crib bedding set with curtains and all the pieces. We got bottle warmers and baby wipe warmers, and an inflatable quacking bath duck. More clothes and hats. I doubt we'll need many more clothes for summer. The second time through mom grabbed lots of chicken coupons too so I'll be eating good for a month. It was really a great bargain and a lot of fun!!! I love a good hunt and was really proud of the treasures we found. I have marked on my calendar when the winter sale is. I guarantee I'll be there.

2009-03-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I've been sick for the past couple of days. Everyone around me has been sick so I figured it was only a matter of time. I'm not sure which medicines are safe to take while I'm pregnant so I haven't been taking any. This has probably been the best route anyways. I have been getting a lot of rest and eating soups... Chicken noodle, Southwestern chicken chipotle, chicken and dumplin's. mmmmmm. The symptoms seem to be upper respiratory cold symptoms. Sore throat, sinus congestion, and cough.

I go to see Dr. Meeks again on April 1st, my birthday, so hopefully I'll get a good checkup. I suspect my iron might be low again. I felt really light headed in the OR the other day and the other docs had to finish up for me. I just excused myself. I usually don't have any problems but we had been standing for quite a while so maybe that was part of it.

I am almost 28 years old. Not much of a shock to me since I thought I was 28 all last year. 28 is going to be a big year though!!!!

Baby is a kicker

2009-03-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

So for the past couple of weeks I have been able to feel the baby kicking. In our ultrasound, baby was really moving around a lot. Considering all the activity, I wasn't really able to feel much of it then. Things have changed quite a bit. It started as what felt like little muscle spasms or vibrations. I'd try to get Jason to feel it but he really couldn't feel much. Now there is tons of detectable activity. I can feel the baby kick me all the sudden while I'm at work. It seems to be really active in the morning when I first wake up. And Jason has been able to feel it quite a bit lately. He thinks it is so cool that there is a baby in there causing all the comotion. I can even see the kicks if I hold still and watch my stomach. This might be what an alien body snatch would be like. There is nothing like it. I am continuing to get bigger and bigger too. I didn't want to buy maternity clothes. I was hoping to be able to wear my scrubs most everywhere. It is getting to the point now where my rubber bands around the button loops are no longer working. Mother bought 2 pairs of maternity pants, which are so odd looking on the hanger, for me. Once I tried them on, I was in love with them. They are so comfortable. I can go out in public again and have thought that once I am done with pregnancy, these would be great buffet pants. I had been taking pictures of my belly once a month to chart my growth but have gotten really far behind. There is a big jump from last picture to the picture coming up.

Second Ultrasound

2009-03-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, So the blogging is going pretty slowly. I've been really busy with all the exciting events that have been going on in our family life. I am so excited for Caroline and Greg as we plan for their wedding in June. I have been helping them with Save the dates. Jason and I went to a fabulous family dinner with the Logues and Stablers at Sullivans in Raleigh, and now I'm in the process of working on the invitations. Did I mention we are doing a little bridal shower at my house. I'm so excited to have a party. Whitney and I have been plotting and planning our event. It kind of reminds me of when I was little and I had all these little office stationary sets and would plan my birthday parties and sleep overs. Who would be invited, what are we going to eat, activities. It has been fun. Also I have been focusing a lot on dentistry. I am slowing down my hours at the Sears clinic but still cover from time to time. Care clinic and the greater
Fayetteville dental society are still keeping me busy. Also, I have been investigating my future job opportunities after baby is born. I have a few great options in the works but it looks like I'm really starting to close in on the best one for me. It is so exciting to imagine the limitless possibilities of what the future will hold for our family!!!!!

So check out these awesome pictures of our baby......

HandFoot

Face- you can see the orbits of the eyes.Profile
I am so happy to see all these limbs and HEALTHY body parts. It kills my mom that we could have found out if it is a boy or a girl but requested not to know. She kept saying to the nurse, "just tell me, I can keep a secret." Somehow I think she would have had a hard time keeping a secret like that. They wouldn't tell her even though she tried to bribe them. I love the hand picture. It is like the baby is waving hello, or maybe a high five. And that foot looks huge. I was thinking all along it was going to be a girl but after seeing those feet, I'm thinking maybe a boy. They look a whole lot like Jason's "beautiful" feet. The baby at this stage is 20 weeks old and weighs approximately 11 oz. Baby is going to start growing much more quickly now.

On Vacation

2009-02-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

We had the best time on our trip. Before leaving, I got to buy some new clothes to accomodate my changing figure. I can still wear my pants with a hairband closing the button but could barely fit into any of my dresses. I was able to find 2 in my closet that would work. My shirts were getting a little snug so I purchased a few of those. I was a little shy about wearing a swimming suit but that wore off quickly once the pool deck began calling. I have a good excuse for what could be mistaken as a beer gut (I think I saw a few of those on the ship exposed anyway).

I was 17 weeks pregnant for the trip and feeling much better after the first trimester. I didn't have any problems with the motion of the ocean. I definitely got my appetite back. Royal Caribbean lost money on me at the buffet and dining room. We all dined on steak, shrimp, lobster, hamburgers and hotdogs, and late night pizza in large quantities!!! I ate more than Jason. The only 2 pregnancy issues that remain are that I still have a little acid reflux and I am slightly anemic. I have to take iron pills.

We had some relaxing days at sea by the pool and enjoying the shows. They were all actually very good. "Award winning" Puerto Rico was rainy, but our favorite ports of call were the USVIs and St. Marteen. We Saw the sights, swam in Meagan's Bay, had virgin pina coladas, rode the gondola, saw a bird show, shopped, and enjoyed the steel pan bands. It was a week in paradise.

Feeling better but in need of a vacation

2009-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

With all the cloudy cold weather in Fayetteville and the drag of not feeling the best, I sure could use a warm vacation. Jason and I had talked about getting away for a week. We both had vacation time we had saved up and had been talking about a cruise. We had such a wonderful time on our last cruise 2 yrs ago to the Virgin Islands and St. Marteen. We decided we would do it again. I was watching the travel channel and saw a special on the Freedom of the Seas with Royal Caribbean. I looked into it and travel deals were prime for February. I mentioned that Jason and I were going to mom and dad, and they decided they would like to go too. Jason had to get his passport renewed and Dad had to get his very first passport. We took a weekend and went to Shelby with Grandmother to track down Dad's birth certificate. Jason was able to simply mail in an application but they denied it twice because they didn't like the brightness of his photo. It just barely came in time. For Dad, it was the first time he had been on a cruise and also his first time to a foreign country. I couldn't wait for the blue water, sunshine, good food, and room service to begin.

The first Snow

2009-02-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

The day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day we got several inches of snow. Neither Jason nor I went in to work. We sat by the fire and stayed cozy. Snow days always bring so much excitement of beautiful surroundings and a surprise vacation day from work. These are some pictures of the snow at our house.

Big things in the making for 2009

2009-02-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody!!! We are so excited for 2009 because our lives will never be the same. 2009 will be the arrival of our baby.

Christmas Time is Here

2009-01-17T16:08:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!!!I didn't get to do as much shopping this year due to the crazy crowds of people, my fatigue, and a busy work schedule. Christmas excitement brewed up and came all the same. We celebrated the season with Christmas parties, the down town loft tour, the Singing Christmas Tree, and the candle light service. We spent Christmas morning at the Logue's house with the traditional present opening, lunch feast with family, and the Christmas movies. Later we went back to our house with my mom and dad for the continuation of gift exchange and Wii gaming. Santa claws made his appearance too. Above are pictured some of my and the baby's favorite Christmas gifts. Whitney gave me this awesome PJ-onsie-perfect for my pregnancy cozy wear, Caroline and I both got one. Cousin Will got us the cute baby booties- our favorite team!!! My mom got us the Christmas bibs. And Jason's mom got us a few T-shirts for a little Logue B-baller.

How I'm feelin update.

2009-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

So I was solid in the first trimester getting ready for Christmas. Foods are preferred in large quantities with mild and bland flavors. I love soups, pastas, and home cooking. First of all I will start by saying that relatively speaking, it has been an easy first trimester so far. I have been reading up on what to expect in my new baby books and compared to all that could be happening, I've got it pretty good. I have only been sick twice (both of which times seem to have come on a dreaded Monday.) I called in sick to work those days and was glad I did. Most of all, I have been tired. I usually get ideas of activities I want to do: organize this, make that craft idea, play outside in the yard, or even an occasional chore. Usually I dig right into the activity of the moment. Lately the idea comes, I take a few steps, and decide I need to rest and don't feel up to it anymore really lethargic for me. Thankfully, I was able to take it slow on one of my Fridays off and decorated the Christmas tree, hung the wreath, the stockings, and a few of our favorite Carolina ornaments. Jason was put in charge of the icicle lights and the Christmas village. The cats were really glad to see the decorations. They loved to sit under the tree and play with the low level ornaments. Luckily, this year, all ornaments remained in tact. (Last year we lost a Santa head and we think it may still be stored inside Isaac's barrel of a belly.) Other health updates include, I had acid reflux at night, switched from the Vitamins that tasted like a burnt tire, and swapped bed spots with Jason so I can hang my limbs off the side and sleep on my left. That is the side recommended to sleep on throughout the gestation period. I'm anxiously awaiting the second trimester when these set of symptoms subside. I'm tired of being tired. (Also tired of this stinkin' dreary, cold, Fayetteville winter weather- I need a vacation)

Baby's first pictures

2009-01-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

These are some of the first pictures from the ultrasound that we got of the baby. The baby is estimated to be about 5 weeks here. We could see the baby's heart beat which beats so much faster than a regular heartbeat. This is the moment when it starts to sink in that this is for real. It was an awesome day to first set eyes on what will grow to be our baby. No telling the limitless potential of this little ball of cells. Jason and I are discussing if we will try to find out the sex of the baby when we can. We think we will leave it a mystery. It gives us more to wonder about and leaves more to surprise. I love surprises. Especially since I don't have a preference either way, boy or girl.

Our first Thanksgiving

2009-01-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!!! So it is taking me a while to catch up to date on the posts but I'm back at it again to give it another try. This year was the first year Jason and I hosted a Thanksgiving meal at our house on Thanksgiving day. We had plenty of ham, turkey, and sides. Jason cooked the turkey on the grill outside which could not have worked out better. This left the oven available for all our casseroles. The food turned out great and it was a good time with family. I got to dust off some of my cooking skills and actually could eat most of what we had on the menu, which for me is often a challenge. Those of you who know me well, know my strange vegetable aversions. I was excited to get to use our dining room with all the blue dishes I've been collecting for years and the big kitchen island made a perfect buffet. Jason recently had his birthday on November 23rd and he got a Wii. Mom and Dad stayed late as we played a few rounds of bowling and tennis. It was lots of fun.

We later had the Logue, Miller, Kosterman, Scofield Thanksgiving in the mountains. It was such a large gathering. Mom, Dr. Dad, Steve, Whitney, Caroline, Greg, Mark, Beth, Will, Victoria, Shelby, Nune, Melanie, Mike, the Scofields, Jason and I (and Toaster and London). We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving at Red Oak. We watched a lot of ball games and movies. We barely had enough room for everyone to sit during the dinner. There were 2 turkeys, ham, fixings, sides, and desserts. I ate A LOT of food. I am glad I could use the excuse that I was eating for two. I noticed that although there were no cravings for certain foods at this point, when I was hungry, there was not a lot of time to waste. I got really hungry! With so many people around, Jason and I got a little shy. Neither one of us wanted to stand up and make the announcement. Leave it to Nune-bell. Before the close of our festive feast, Nune called everyone around for an announcement. "We're going to have a baby!" I think someone said, Nune, we didn't even know you were dating. Then there were looks around the room to figure out who it was. Then all eyes fell on me. Wow, that was a lot of attention. Jason got a little credit too :-) It was nice to have the cat out of the bag. Whitney said she should have known because of my caffeine free cokes I had brought with me:-) It was a fun weekend.

Baby's First Gifts

2009-01-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in the last entry, upon telling the grandparents the baby news, grandmothers take off to their hidden stash to find the items they had bought for the right time in the future. My mother returned with an adorable baby blanket and outfit. Jason and I love the gender neutral colors and the precious animal design.

Jason's mom, found these cute bumble bee galoshes. It is no doubt that there is going to be one spoiled but hopefully not rotten grand baby in the future.

Telling our parents

2009-01-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

We wanted to tell our parents the weekend after we found out but Dr. Dad was out of town on a beach golf excursion. I had been to lunch at Olive Garden earlier in the day with my mother. It was my Friday off. Mom flat out asked me if I was pregnant as she knew Jason and I had been talking about it some. I had to lie and say no because I couldn't tell her then and there without Jason or Dad. She has an uncanny way of guessing things.

Mom and Dad had recently gotten a new kitten, Merlin, so as a cover up we went over to my parents house to see the cat. We were planning to tell them, yet when we got there the conversation was going in a very sarcastic direction. It was very difficult to find the right time to bring up something so big and exciting. Mom was talking about moving into town in a small house and then mentioned maybe when I had a baby. I seized the opportunity and chimed in that it would be in a little less than 9 months. They looked confused and kept on talking. Jason and I started to giggle. Mom then says, "What are you laughing about?" We explained that they must not have heard us correctly, that we were going to have a baby in a little less than 9 months. She looked with Surprise and then asks "YOU'RE PREGNANT?" I said yes. All the while Dad sat in his recliner not saying much but grinning. Then mom started talking a mile a minute as usual. It wasn't long until she shot upstairs to bring down baby's first gift. We knew she was ready to be a grandmother. They are trying to figure out what the baby will call them. To their dismay, Jason and I tease, we will do everything we can to teach the baby that they are "MooMoo" and PooPoo."

The following night Dr. Dad returned from his beach trip and we went over to tell Mom and Dr. Dad. We got away with general conversation for a while and then Jason told them that we had some big news. They were going to be grandparents. They were very excited for us and gave us some words of wisdom followed by the question and answer session. It must have been my new haircut they thought. Apparently that is a Logue tradition. Get a big haircut and have a baby. Once things calmed down a little, we decided in big news fashion, we would all pile into the car and go over to Nune's, Jason's grandmother's house. We gathered around and talked for a little while, then Jason gave the news. I knew this was really special for him, as I think he was most excited to tell Nune. I got a little emotional, and if I remember correctly, she said, "Thank goodness, I can't wait to tell my friends. They are all buying stuff for their great grandchildren and all I can buy stuff for has been the cats." She was so cute. She went to call her neighbor Dorris. We decided to wait until the family was together at Thanksgiving to tell the others. - Caroline may have had some suspicion as I had mentioned to her previously that we were thinking about planning for a baby and we would know by November. I had asked her for her opinion since she asked me to be the matron of honor in her wedding in June (close to the planned due date). I told her that it was to be her event and that I didn't want to be waddling down the isle or potentially be stealing any of her excitement over her wedding. She sounded genuinely excited to find out we were thinking about a baby and said that we should go for it. She added that she thought it would be cool that the baby, even unborn, would be at the wedding. I was so glad that she was OK with the idea because if she had seemed hesitant at all, we would have waited until the following year.

Could we be having a baby?

2009-01-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

Shortly after we decided that we were ready to have a baby, we threw all caution to the wind. I was so excited at the thought that I could be pregnant. I would tell Jason that I just knew I was. I began referencing myself as "we." I told Jason that my stomach felt funny one day, and about ten minutes later I got up to go to the bathroom. Jason thought this was hysterical as I couldn't tell the difference between my baby and a turd :-) Being the inexperienced couple we were, and still are, we thought we would just go buy a pregnancy test at CVS and it would immediately tell us + or -. Not the case. Upon reading the instruction booklet, we discovered that you have to wait until just before your missed period to get any reliable results. The wait was going to be so hard for me as I can't stand not knowing a secret.

On the earliest possible day that I could take the test I did (against Jason's advise, as he thought it would be more accurate if I waited a few more days.) I get up at 5:30 am for work and Jason doesn't have to get up until after I leave the house. I got a positive test result. Instead of waking him up and risking getting the confused, OK, I'm going back to sleep response. I left him the test results on the bathroom counter, how to interpret them, and a note that said, " We love you and we hope you have a great day." (Will confirm test again later). I was so excited to see what Jason would say. He called me from work in a state of shock and awe. He said when he found the note and the evidence, it took him a few seconds to figure out what was going on. He couldn't believe that it happened that quickly and he was really excited too. We waited until the second test confirmed the first and then told our parents.

Planning

2009-01-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

We had been quietly discussing when the right time to have a baby would be for some time. We had decided that we'd been enjoying our honeymoon for almost 4 years and that it might be time to add another member to our immediate family. The timing was appropriate in that I could have the baby between finishing my residency program and making my transition into private practice. We were finally back home in Fayetteville with an awesome family support system to help us out. We wanted the baby to be able to spend some quality time with the grandparents while they will be able to enjoy it. We were both a little nervous but knew that we wanted to have a baby sooner than later. The question remained. Were we ready?

We went to the fair in October with our good friends, Jessie and Miguel, who had a 6 month old baby, Suzanna. She was and is so adorable. We knew Jessie and Miguel would not give us their first born, so we decided we would have to get our own. Little Suzanna was so cute in her bath, in her Jumper, and just doing all the cute things babies do. Above are some pictures with Suzanna, our inspiration baby.