tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47397225704852774342024-02-18T19:38:59.529-06:00The Devereaux Clan...we do it our way:)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-30522318616537200472012-11-08T20:30:00.002-06:002012-11-08T20:31:11.399-06:00Catching Up with the Devereauxs!It's been almost 3 months since my last post, mainly because I've been busy, as well as the rest of my family, but also because my blogging efforts were directed towards my marathon training and fundraising for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. I have since met our fundraising goal, trained for and run a half marathon - go me! My sister and I finished the race together as the Martini Moms and she won, like, the Most Kick-Ass Fundraiser award of all (that's the technical name for it:)<br />
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So we're done with that and I must say, it was a truly life-changing experience. I think I need a separate blog for marathoning and fundraising, truth be told.<br />
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On to the bebes. My, how time flies. I am sitting her during Stella's nap time trying to get in a million things before work, and I'm watching my littlest crawl around on the office floor after having just fed herself a bottle, thinking how just a short bit ago it was Stella in her place.<br />
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Stella, 10 months </div>
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Truth be told, Stella didn't so much as crawl at 10 months as just sort of lay there looking cute and fat, like a little hot dog. Man, she was easy to be mesmerized by - just all those fat rolls oozing out and those crystal blue eyes STARING you down with a cheesy grin until you smiled. Mary Tucker is my stoic baby, though she's been giggly and goofy these last few weeks. She's as bald as they come and tiny, too.<br />
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Ok, let me organize myself by child...<br />
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Stella is now almost 2 1/2 and is the smartest (no lie) kid I know. She speaks so clearly and with actual reason and cognition, it's scary. This morning Matt said how she answered a question superbly and in a full sentence and we joked about our surprise. "Well, she will be reading Tolstoy tomorrow, I don't know why we are still surprised."<br />
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She's not into potty training (though we've tried) and not excited about giving up the paci at nap time or bedtime (oh lord, have we tried), and I think I'm ok with that for now. I want to encourage age appropriate behavior - not try to make her reach a milestone she's just not physically or mentally ready for. I learned that with her gross motor skills. So what if she didn't walk til 18 months? Shes perfectly fine now. Of course, hind sight is 20/20.<br />
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She's got a (large)head full of curly blonde hair, which we now attribute to Matt's grandmother Billie Sue. We walked into his mother's room one day and she saw a picture of Nannie on the wall and said "Look! It's Stella!" The resemblance is truly amazing. She's plump and ticklish and has perfectly porcelain skin that swells up after a mosquito bite, just like her Daddy. She loves Mother's Day Out at St. Timothy and talks about her teachers and her friends endlessly. She's incredibly in love with her sissy, but has shown her 2 year old colors recently with snatching and not letting Mary Tucker play with ANY toy in sight, but we're working on that every day. <br />
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Mary Tucker is a tiny, little thing coming in in the 5th percentile for weight and 10th percentile for height. Her little blonde locks are finally starting to sprout and she's got her mother's gray/turquoise/blue eyes.<br />
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Friends joke that Stella is Matt made over and Mary Tucker is undeniably mine. She's a wonderful sleeper and eater, which we are thankful for!! Not many people have 2 consecutive sleepers, but we do, well, for right now, anyway:) She breastfed for 10 months and is officially weaned and on 3 formula bottles a day. She's met her milestones a little sooner that Stella and is already sitting up on her own perfectly, crawling like a champ and kneeling without assistance. She's beginning to test pulling up on furniture that's just her size, which scares me to death. My house is still not very baby-proofed from Stella and it looks like I'll have a curious cat on my hands. She's a mover and a shaker, folks.<br />
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Both my girls are lovely and I try to stop, slow down and appreciate them for who they are each and every day. I'm not great at this yet, but I'm trying. We're learning-as-we-go parents and I'm really lucky Matt's on board with every organic, homemade, backwards, odd, health-conscious, expensive, new-aged, old school parenting choices I suggest. More to come later!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-29830442039358976512012-08-18T14:39:00.000-05:002012-08-18T14:39:43.020-05:00Poor poor sweet baby Mary TuckerShe is definitely suffering from "second child syndrome". Don't freak - nothing catastrophic has happened - but I haven't blogged about her in weeks (scratch that, months) and SHE'S 7 MONTHS OLD.<br />
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And its not that I don't have anything to blog about, because I DO. I have tons of thoughts, tons of emotions, tons of milestones....tons of everything. I just cannot find the time. Like now, Matt and I just cooked lunch and both babies are asleep and we are both in town for once so I've got like 2.7 seconds to write this...<br />
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Sweet Mary Tucker...she's 7 months old, rolling all over the place, being my serious, stoic little mini me.<br />
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She looks just like me...acts just like Matt. For those of you who know Matt, you know we've got opposite personalities. Stella was (and is) a smiley, flirty, goofy, laughing thing from when she came out and greeted this world. Here's Stella at 7 months:<br />
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Mary Tucker is serious and thoughtful, sharing smiles and grins only when she wants. I love this about her...she's very different from me. It's like looking in the mirror when I look in her eyes, yet I see so much of Matt in her personality.<br />
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She and I have a great thing going with nursing and I'm enjoying nursing a 7 month+ baby - I never got to do that with Stella because we weened her completely the day she turned 7 months. I don't know if I'll make it to a year, but I'm enjoying this new adventure with her right now.<br />
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She's enjoying eating baby food, which I haven't started to make yet because I purchased a gift pack from NurtureMe via www.plumdistrict.com and I haven't run out yet. To date, she's tried, brown rice cereal, apples, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash and she loves it all. She's a great eater, rarely making a mess - I'm still OCD about feeding times. I don't like a messy baby and that hasn't changed with #2.<br />
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She's sleeping through the night and takes around 3-4 naps a day. She's not the best at sleeping on the run, probably because her sister is loud, but when she does sleep it's usually for about half an hour. Hey, it's better than no nap at all. Speaking of, if you miss her nap time (2 hours after she woke up, precisely) you'll have hell to pay. Don't put her to bed late. You'll pay for it in the end:)<br />
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She's not crawling yet but she seems a little more mobile at this age than her sister. We try not to compare them but it ain't easy. Stella's the only reason we know what to do with a baby:)<br />
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So Mary Tucker, after I print out the blog and give it to you when you're grown up, don't hate me for skipping over a few months of your life. It's not because I love your sister more or because you're really adopted (like my siblings told me when I couldn't find my own baby photo album)...I spent that time loving on you and your sister.<br />
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And doing a bunch of other crap, but we'll leave that out.<br />
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You just remember, at least I took pictures:)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-45310115160924908022012-07-24T12:31:00.000-05:002012-07-24T12:31:21.642-05:00#2 Eating Solids and Summer Catch UpWe've been busy around here this summer! We had a great 4th of July hanging at the house and then leaving the girls with a sitter for the evening and taking Mike's boat out with Mike, my mom and brother.<br />
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</div> ...then went to applesauce and is currently on sweet peas. It took 2 days of her refusing the peas before she gobbled up the entire bowl. She likes it now. That's what I though, girlfriend!<br />
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She's still an excellent little breastfeeding partner and can knock a feeding out in 5 minutes. I'm actually learning how to do this because at this point with Stella, we were weaning her and transitioning her to formula/bottle. Stella's last day to nurse was the evening before her 7 month birthday and MT will be 7 months in less than 2 weeks. I will say that nursing descretly has become a tad difficult because Mary Tucker is ALL over the place with her arms and legs. It's quite entertaining to watch, I'm sure.<br />
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Stella is a sasafrass (as always) and is wrapping up her first set of Water Babies swim lessons. She is no longer afraid of the water and washing her hair in the bathtub is a breeze. Thanks for the fun lessons, Mrs. Beth!<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-50095505243646273942012-06-26T08:09:00.000-05:002012-06-26T08:09:50.874-05:00TNT Gulf Coast Half MarathonI've decided I'm a masochist and signed up with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's TNT program to run my first half marathon! Its the Gulf Coast Half Marathon in October and while I'll still be blogging about our lives, my babies and training, I'll be blogging about it here mostly - check out this blog in the interim! http://pages.teamintraining.org/msla/gcmand12/cdevereaux<br />
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As a mini-fairwell, I'll give some Mary Tucker stats as I've skipped over her poor sweet self in the recent posts:<br />
At 5 months, Mary Tucker:<br />
<ul><li>is still breastfeeding. She eats 6-7 times a day and loves it. Stella could smash her with a toy (and has, one single time) and it wouldn't phase her as long as she's nursing</li>
<li>is sleeping through the night (knock on wood). I work in the evening so when I get home I usually feed her between 7 and 8, put her down and then sneak in her room and feed her again before I go to sleep, just so she'll have a full tummy</li>
<li>just tried rice cereal for the first time and LOVED it. Matt has pics because, of course, my phone was dead at the time</li>
<li>is rolling all around on her matt and practicing her tummy time. If we really work to entertain her on her belly, she'll stay there for a while, but then promptly says "get me the heck off this floor now"</li>
<li>is starting to say different sounds instead of "ahhahhhhaaaah" all day long...just the other morning she was saying "maamaaammammmmmmmaa", which I melted over, even though I know its probably not a derivative of Momma"</li>
<li>weighs at least 15lbs and has fat rolls all over her little body. It's delicious and she smells so good, even when she spits up! Baby fat is heavenly right now</li>
<li>loves bouncing - when I stand her up to practice putting weight on her legs, she just bounces and bounces - all work from her jumperoo. I just hope she'll practice putting weight on her legs without jumping soon</li>
<li>has the sweetest open mouth grin when she sees me walk into a room. She is a serious little soul, but will smile when she turns on the charm for Mommy and Daddy. She loves getting hugged by Sissy and Sissy loves laying next to her on her activity mat while she's watching her show. I am so lucky that they are close in age and hopefully just as close as sisters and friends </li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-5019846670642952722012-06-12T14:42:00.000-05:002012-06-12T14:42:44.509-05:00Stella Nearing 24 Months(Note: this blog was written 3-4 weeks ago) I updated my Facebook status about Stella's upcoming birthday. She will be 2 in less than a week. I clearly understand I'm not the first mother to mourn a child's upcoming birthday...but it doesn't make it any easier. I want so badly for her to be little for just a little bit longer. It goes by so fast I fear that so many moments were somehow "missed" or looked over or what have you. Is this rational? No? Could it be my raging hormones from nursing Mary Tucker? Quite possibly. Mary Tucker....that's another blog post. 4 months old??!!<br />
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But anyway, back to Stella...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgi0Ghj8aak52I_9LDEp11Vg_2A_GtNkegEABPOmLwi-11yre-aTbyhRgB0j_PEdpVF-v55RK_vh_2pmkudoHxQb3WWu10A390neFlSIx-T7L0jZBKGKZ3f3CN0IPmBj7jAanSEpC2B7qu/s1600/CIMG6329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgi0Ghj8aak52I_9LDEp11Vg_2A_GtNkegEABPOmLwi-11yre-aTbyhRgB0j_PEdpVF-v55RK_vh_2pmkudoHxQb3WWu10A390neFlSIx-T7L0jZBKGKZ3f3CN0IPmBj7jAanSEpC2B7qu/s200/CIMG6329.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0qBhmDXGwVvvW0PqQOfsDULSID-IiyjhwTOiEKkdkm8E29Jm-1mWdaRO8J9g_-kv3KJd9zn-7zoEW0gpZQAACBvPcb2eSOalyRrT4nHOij3odRCoEswNzTXthGUj-FxV3g1Md_J78bOY/s1600/IMG_2644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0qBhmDXGwVvvW0PqQOfsDULSID-IiyjhwTOiEKkdkm8E29Jm-1mWdaRO8J9g_-kv3KJd9zn-7zoEW0gpZQAACBvPcb2eSOalyRrT4nHOij3odRCoEswNzTXthGUj-FxV3g1Md_J78bOY/s200/IMG_2644.JPG" width="164" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This is Stella at 20 weeks - the exact age Mary Tucker is right now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IRNS7KH_39Sq5bz2Bd1UUO00Ci1Qm3mr2XUWzZcFWWNhjbWcM6q9St_ebVehtQ6ySPsZ6olh1HGqKkK49RyFn9JHQUgDXStIL1G2F89Ugwpx_Cd0lg5gCaREb3lVPFCwsFcjILuncrv8/s1600/IMG_9267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IRNS7KH_39Sq5bz2Bd1UUO00Ci1Qm3mr2XUWzZcFWWNhjbWcM6q9St_ebVehtQ6ySPsZ6olh1HGqKkK49RyFn9JHQUgDXStIL1G2F89Ugwpx_Cd0lg5gCaREb3lVPFCwsFcjILuncrv8/s320/IMG_9267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is Stella at her 1st birthday party</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I know it doesn't get any easier with each passing birthday but I wish I could just enjoy her turning 2 and growing up without the sad feelings of "where did my newborn Stella go...where did my baby Stella go?" </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">She is such a delight, that Stella girl. She just finished her first Mother's Day Out program at a nearby Episcopal Church/School and we cannot say enough good things about her teacher, Mrs. Patricia AKA "Patrishua". Stella love love loved school and her friends. She'd come home after each MDO saying everyone's name and her teacher's name, even the teach who left after Easter. Among the many comments that Mrs. Patricia would write on her progress note that she sent home, my favorite is the one where she basically said Stella like's eating her friends' lunches. Oops. Everyone else had been in the class (with the exception of our friend Gray) since the fall, so they knew how to sit in their seat and eat lunch. Stella...not so much. She was thinking it was more like Picadilly where you walk around the table and pick and choose what you want. Hey, Stella...I don't blame you. Sometimes I'd like to double up on some Picadilly's fried okra and mac n cheese and I still like to share other people's food, much to your Daddy's dismay. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">At 23 months, Stella:</div><ul><li>weighs 29lbs - her friends that are all relatively the same age (some bdays in July/August) weigh 25lbs, 26lbs, 27lbs...nuff said</li>
<li>is quickly learning how to run...her PT says this is a 2 yr old skill and not to be worried if she still isn't running after her 2nd bday because she still needs a few more months of walking to work her way up to running</li>
<li>counts to 10 and speaks in mostly complete sentences - the child is a genius, I tell you. We always joked when Stella was still only crawling that she was so smart she didn't need to walk. She is a talking machine and always has been. Her newest phrase is to say she loves or likes something that she wants - </li>
<ul><li>"Mommy I like Dora! Watch a show, watch a show?" - turn on my damn show, Mom</li>
<li>"Mommy I love pants! Try on the pants?" - change my clothes now, woman </li>
<li>"Nuggets? Nugggggets? Nuggggggets?" - this doesn't need a full and complete sentence...she wants chicken nuggets NOW. And don't think about talking about chicken nuggets in front of her unless you have at least 2 chicken nuggets in your hands ready to feed her. She will repeat these words at an increasing volume until she nears hysteria. This was especially prominent a few weeks ago...I recently got her McDonalds chicken nuggets (which I thought would be the Mecca of chicken nugget-dom) and she would have nothing to do with them.</li>
<li>"More cakes and waffles?" - obvi gimme some pancakes (AKA cancakes) immediately</li>
<li>"Sissy crying? Sissy sad? - this is especially funny because whenever I ask her anything about her sissy, she responds "Sissy crying? Sissy sad?" We went through a colicky stage from 6-12 weeks with Mary Tucker and she was "crying" and "sad" most of the time. Stella quickly picked up on this and we'd tell her that Sissy was ok, she was just crying or sad. So when MT would play with Stella we'd ask her questions about Sissy playing with her toys and Stella would respond "Sissy crying. Sissy sad". We'd laugh and say "Not yet, Stella...but probably soon!"</li>
</ul><li>is pretty picky about food at this age. She used to eat anything I'd give her, but she prefers waffles, milk, applesauce, oatmeal, hotdogs, green beans, oranges, grapes, goldfish, cheese, and chicken nuggets. Occasionally she'll eat corn and carrots.I admit we've fallen into a rut of "easy foods" to prepare and haven't been very colorful, but I'm hoping to change that soon, especially since Mary Tucker will start to eat homemade fresh baby food soon.</li>
</ul>I continue to work on savoring the "moment" and living in the "now" because I constantly run into people who comment on my beautiful children and say "enjoy it now...they grow up so fast" with a look of sadness in their eyes. I now understand this pain that lingers in the back of their minds...it's physically painful to watch them grow up and need you less and less. They are fully dependent on you for such a small fraction of their life, though during the tough times of little sleep, crying spells, accidents and tantrums it seems as if you'll never be anything but covered in vomit and perpetually sleep deprived. I have to remind myself to slow down...stop worrying about getting "there" in time, working for extra play money, picking up after a seriously intense play session, etc...I admit, I lose track...I lose focus on my children...I get caught up in the mundane unfun activities of reality. Here's an open prayer that we all slow down a little and breath in the sweet scent that is our life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-44963017948546026362012-05-12T22:52:00.002-05:002012-05-12T22:52:38.362-05:00I Promise......I intend to blog all the time. Really. I just don't.<br />
<br />
I like blogging when I have important things to say. But I start a post, save it, then come back to it 5 days later only to discover I've lost my train of thought.<br />
<br />
(You should know that the most recent post was started on New Year's Day. NYD was over 4 months ago, people...)<br />
<br />
I lose my train of thought often and HATE when I get back on my previous train of thought because, let's face it, I'm just as pissed now as I was when I first realized that I forgot what I was doing or saying...and then I'm just pissed...and the urge to blog is gone.<br />
<br />
It's Mother's Day tomorrow and I have 2 (two) children this year. When did that happen? How'd I get a husband and 2 daughters in the span of 4 1/2 years?<br />
<br />
My 23-month-old has started saying "NO, MINE." It's really fun to hear it all. day. long. Anyone got a martini handy?<br />
<br />
...but she does this, and I forget about it:)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-64833047380598662192012-05-12T20:44:00.000-05:002012-05-12T20:44:56.046-05:00Current House Renovations - Then and NowI haven't updated on our home renovations in a while, so I thought I'd give a little shout out to the hard work my hubby's done on our beautiful house - he is, by the way, doing ALL the renovations with the help of his dad.<br />
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House before we purchased it </div>
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House 9 months after moving in (this past Christmas) - new front doors installed</div>
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Living room before</div>
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Living room after<br />
(painted walls and updated drapes) </div>
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Kitchen before </div>
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Kitchen after<br />
(Ok, ok, so nothing has changed in here, but I know exactly how it will look once we do change it!)</div>
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Dining room before</div>
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Dining room before </div>
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Dining room after<br />
(painted walls and updated drapes) </div>
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Dining room after </div>
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Breakfast room before</div>
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Breakfast room after<br />
(yeah, nothing has changed in here, either, except for the light fixture lamp shades) </div>
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Foyer before </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Foyer after<br />
(Painted walls and banister and cleaned grout) </div>
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Stella's room before</div>
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Stella's room after<br />
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Office/den before</div>
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Office/den after<br />
(painted wood paneling and trim) <br />
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New baby's room before</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T9bPYL4KxT6RXOmuLkE2CUEST6-LlX1VqTQhKsVk9g1eHYCQ9EJHYon_fdsEysVYLEkGBiiGWXRLk70f4jxVE657obivQZUmP50X5up5p43Q7ArvcZXhnWMx2eK1UkD5aD3h0V6CCbFN/s1600/IMG_0302.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T9bPYL4KxT6RXOmuLkE2CUEST6-LlX1VqTQhKsVk9g1eHYCQ9EJHYon_fdsEysVYLEkGBiiGWXRLk70f4jxVE657obivQZUmP50X5up5p43Q7ArvcZXhnWMx2eK1UkD5aD3h0V6CCbFN/s320/IMG_0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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New baby's room after<br />
(painted walls and new chandelier) </div>
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master bedroom before<br />
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master bedroom after <br />
(no changes here, either)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HYrI_VABli8hbFDXEDz3wFXOfstGLwXjdGLOxt0uUGmXzCk_rbNG2zEAmLJDA97S9gyYP2YjH1GGQQQ89rctch0Oo50P5Gt9RavKA5TWdM93NhyatSicUo84vB2rfQl3aDczIkIiEuIu/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1n2EXq1nLxC2QC3HVs7NZsAwbtezhOGlTfrdOAb0_rZ0hQPRhkmKGUJ1jWJRhFwZc_39z7b53kgr6ArdShli-49jXJyhqoc-vpmE3P9twFnAwD0EoqMasaI1bx8ukHOsczM79_3CEZkB/s1600/IMG_1626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1n2EXq1nLxC2QC3HVs7NZsAwbtezhOGlTfrdOAb0_rZ0hQPRhkmKGUJ1jWJRhFwZc_39z7b53kgr6ArdShli-49jXJyhqoc-vpmE3P9twFnAwD0EoqMasaI1bx8ukHOsczM79_3CEZkB/s320/IMG_1626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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back porch before<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HYrI_VABli8hbFDXEDz3wFXOfstGLwXjdGLOxt0uUGmXzCk_rbNG2zEAmLJDA97S9gyYP2YjH1GGQQQ89rctch0Oo50P5Gt9RavKA5TWdM93NhyatSicUo84vB2rfQl3aDczIkIiEuIu/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HYrI_VABli8hbFDXEDz3wFXOfstGLwXjdGLOxt0uUGmXzCk_rbNG2zEAmLJDA97S9gyYP2YjH1GGQQQ89rctch0Oo50P5Gt9RavKA5TWdM93NhyatSicUo84vB2rfQl3aDczIkIiEuIu/s320/IMG_0321.JPG" width="320" /> </a><br />
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back porch after<br />
(totally new pitch roof with shingles instead of tar and new pet door - screen to be installed after we paint the house, I think:) <br />
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...we've also built a fence to enclose our backyard!!! It looks wonderful and Matt did it all by himself!!!<br />
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Kitchen reno is next on the list...lots of update to come!<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-50869237854335260802012-04-02T14:57:00.000-05:002012-04-02T14:57:03.533-05:00Thankful for Momma FriendsI haven't blogged about my relatively new group of mommy friends who quite literally are my saving grace each day, especially Friday mornings when we get together for play dates. We all had babies within 4 months of each other - I was introduced to these 3 lovely ladies through my good friend Jennifer whom I met through Junior League over a year ago. She welcomed us into her life and our daughters became best friends as they spent hours together playing while we kept each others children - side note: she definitely kept Stella more than I kept Charlotte and never complained...I got to teach class without paying for childcare, knowing that she was safe and having a ball playing with her "Lawlette"...now that's what I call an awesome friend!<br />
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Stella, 14 mo with Charlotte, 13 mo</div>
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Jenn welcomed me into her group of newly found friends, as she had moved here from Michigan as soon as her daughter was born. Jenn not only cared for my child, she introduced me to more child friendly programs and events than I would have ever found on my own, and all 5 mommies have become super close, which is hard to do when you're a mom. One thing I never realized is how easy it is to left friendships suffer after you get married and have children. For me, friends have and always will be something I need, and now I've learned how to nuture friendships and not take them for granted.<br />
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We've all signed up our children to be in the same 2 year old program in the fall and I look forward to the many more playdates, mommies night out and general hanging out we've got in the works. Good thing our husbands like each other!<br />
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The gang...Charlotte, Hudson, Hudson and Stella...Gray missed out because he had RSV:(</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-36463150482787387082012-03-16T16:29:00.000-05:002012-03-16T16:29:17.186-05:00Mary Tucker, 10 weeks old10 weeks really sounds impossible as I watch Mary Tucker sleep and hear Stella waking up from her nap. Since I haven't blogged since Mary Tucker was 4 weeks old, you can imagine how busy we've been. Not to mention, we've been out of the interline for almost a month now. Today (yes, a few short hours ago) we finally got connected again and rejoined the human race. Don't get me started on the many reasons why we now despise AT&T.<br />
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So we've done lots of things over the past 6 weeks, including going to our first Mardi Gras parade, starting Stella in Mother's Day Out at St. Michael's (though I didn't get a picture of her on her first day...sad), taking our first beach trip with Stella (and of course, Mary Tucker), and more...here's most of our last 6 weeks in photos...<br />
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Mary Tucker smiles, 1 month old</div>
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Valentines Sisters</div>
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Kisses, 6 weeks old</div>
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Our Mardi Gras caravan...the Baby Brigade</div>
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Mardi Gras 2012 with the girls</div>
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Beach babe, Perdido Key '12 - 20 months</div>
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Stella and Daddy... her first time at the beach...loved the sand</div>
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Pool time with Daddy</div>
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...annnnd she's off!</div>
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beach strollin'</div>
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How taking pictures with the girls works...not so well (but Jenn G., thanks for the Baby Ergo carrier!!)</div>
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Mary Tucker was there...way down under there in the Baby Ergo carrier!</div>
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Sand play</div>
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beach walkers...[retty much love each other</div>
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She's judging me...so what if its a 6 month bathing suit...it was a spur of the moment trip! </div>
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the only shot of them in matching suits:) This photo op will get better once i don't have to super impose MT next to Stella with my magic go-go-gadget arms</div>
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Ash Wednesday at the beach </div>
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Our first beach trip as a family really was fun. It was just the 4 of us, and though the weather turned out to be mostly cold and windy, we had a few moments of sunny beach time. Stella was obsessed with walking in the sand. I believe I hated the sand as a baby, so I was happy to see her enjoying it. We enjoyed Ash Wednesday Mass at a Catholic church on the beach, and I proceeded to give up Facebook for Lent...I'm not even going to admit how hard this has been. That is sad.<br />
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Since I last blogged I've also rejoined the world now that Mary Tucker had her shots. Maternity leave is officially over and I'm back to teaching Pilates, which I adore. Gone are the days where we stay at home looking at Mary Tucker, feeding her round the clock (after working like h**l to get and keep her awake) and changing poop diapers. We are usually on the go every day, waking up to feed just once or twice a night, getting up in the morning, feeding Stella breakfast, either getting ready to take her to Mother's Day Out or getting ready to run errands before I have to teach class. We are lucky to have sitters who come to the house when I have to teach evening classes, but some days I have to get them ready to take to childcare at the gym where I also teach...this is always fun because Mary Tucker HATES the carseat...as in screams hysterically every time I put her in it. I've tried music, toy bars, mirrors, hanging toys, sunroof open and closed, radio music, etc...nothing works. There's no rhyme or reason to it, either. There are occasions (rare ones) where she's fine and doesn't cry even when shes awake in the seat. Like I said, that's really rare and I drive on pins and needles making sure I don't suddenly upset her. I've even borrowed my friends car seat to see if that'll make a difference. There is an extra headrest/shield thing on the Peg Perego that protects them in the event of a wreck, so perhaps that just pisses the poor baby off. We shall see!<br />
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Mary Tucker has been a joy for our family and we are so happy she was born healthy - Stella loves her sister and is now saying "May Tucker" instead of just "Sissy", which I love. I have a feeling she may shorten that to "Tucker" soon, which I don't mind. After her one month check up and shots she started to have some colic-like symptoms around 5-6 weeks old. She slept for the first month straight, which Stella did, so I call that the honeymoon stage. I would literally walk past the pack-n-play and glance down and startle myself at the site of Mary Tucker sleeping on the boppy..."Jeez, there's another baby in the house...I forgot!" Good think I had Mom and Mae Mae here:) She was a very sleepy baby and never ever cried. She really only whined to be fed at night. Now is real life. Right at about 5 weeks, the poor child spent most of every morning screaming in pain and had the.worst. gas. ever. I'm not even joking. Strangers have commented on how bad it smells and that with that gas she must have horrible stomach pain. I've addressed my diet and realized I really wasn't drinking half the water I should have been, which a Pediatrician at our doctors office explained was probably the reason she's been so fussy...she's been getting concentrated breastmilk that is too much for her little digestive system. It's not like I've been loading up on strawberries, cabbage and broccoli....I just didn't realize how much water I didn't drink. It's made a huge difference and she's much happier now that I carry a giant water bottle around all day;) It's funny how the simplest thing can fix the biggest problem.<br />
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Stella's started Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is adjusting well, though she won't answer to her name, won't stay in her seat when all the other kids do, and tries to eat every one else's lunch. Oopsies! At least she's not biting yet. The teachers said these types of things are totally normal, and she'll pick up the dos and don'ts of classroom behavior with time, because it's not like I can work on only eating her lunch when we're here at home. She's started just a little bit of separation anxiety whenever I leave her with the sitter or drop her off. I think it has more to do with knowing that Mary Tucker is now in the picture and when Mommy leaves, it means she might have Mary Tucker with her, too. Who knows...but everyone has reassured me its totally normal once #2 arrives. <br />
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We have a huge March and April planned, and I promise to blog more religiously now that we're online again. Happy late St.Patrick's Day!!!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-67756201678978914032012-02-01T22:26:00.000-06:002012-02-01T22:26:23.445-06:00Baby: 4 WeeksSweet, little baby Mary Tucker is 4 weeks old in about 12 hours. I can't believe I delivered her 4 weeks ago...that she's been in my little family for 4 weeks now. MT, just in case I forget how you looked in your first 4 weeks (as if I haven't taken enough photos), let's recap: <br />
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You have a little bit of light brown hair all over that's wispy at the nape of your neck. Though your sister's was much thicker and lighter than yours when born, yours is looking like its getting lighter by the day. Your sweet little face is porcelain white and you've definitely got Momma's nose (from the Foggo side). We know your pretty little eyes will be blue and right now they are a mysterious shade of thunderstorm blue. You've just gotten to the point where you can focus on my face and your little mouth opens and makes a circular "o" shape as you concentrate on this thing that holds you and feeds you all.day.long. I hope you are enjoying your view as much as I am enjoying mine:)<br />
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Your skin is getting lighter and less red each week and you look more like a baby and less like a newborn, softening around the edges as you get plumper. Our little nursing problem (AKA your heavy sleeping problem) is now resolved and you've gained weight enough to where your checks are squishy and you've developed those yummy rolls in your arms and thighs. I'll be the first to admit...you looked a bit tree-frogish there at 6lbs 12 oz, a full pound lighter than your birth weight at just a week after delivery. But I knew we'd work out our problem - we got this:)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKejr6ju7Co1bYB8tuyokHRj5B-n9AAC_AbIOfFpijO-Z6D_U-67cXSDXnXOf3LBE3ddmwTM1IFMvxrXK8qfupYUqKowZxLAJ-EtPLKXU_4Eg87It_WQ92ptFNqJozLBUwZRDhDfP33zhS/s1600/IMG_1904.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKejr6ju7Co1bYB8tuyokHRj5B-n9AAC_AbIOfFpijO-Z6D_U-67cXSDXnXOf3LBE3ddmwTM1IFMvxrXK8qfupYUqKowZxLAJ-EtPLKXU_4Eg87It_WQ92ptFNqJozLBUwZRDhDfP33zhS/s320/IMG_1904.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
You've got your Daddy's crazy long toes and your feet are just as big as they seemed on the ultrasound. Per old wives tales, you're set to have a controlling personality in relationships - your second toe is by far longer than the rest:) Both your Mommy and your Daddy have longer second toes...go figure:) You've even got long, skinny fingers to match:)<br />
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I spend my days feeding you, changing your little newborn -sized Pampers Swaddlers, wearing you in my Moby wrap or swaddling you tightly and laying you on the Boppy safely out of reach of sissy when she needs Mommy time. You've got a calm disposition and rarely cry...however, you are a fan of grunting, which Daddy and I find especially amusing at 2am (not). You nap during the day and so far have been an excellent sleeper - so much so that in the first two weeks of your life we had to wake you on a schedule through the night to make sure you nursed every few hours. In a sleep-deprived haze, Daddy (twice) mistook the alarm clock for a crying baby (you) and tried to gently but firmly "shhh" it rather than turning it off. Needless to say, it didn't work. One night, he also spent a good solid minute fumbling with the diaper wipe warmer trying to turn off the alarm clock. Note to self...keep wipe warmer and clock a good distance away from each other. We were both so confused at that point, we started unplugging all electronics on the nightstand in hopes that eventually we'd get to the right gadget and shut the alarm clock up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiayS3iLjSCr1IbIsmggq2SY1XLuDHRZH63QYY_dY4uabuRt-ijjclRyHvV8hMJleih48UqwAfWAI4phvvPt2nWtZ2UIlgVHsAAwdGvuo0c5uLgMRPu7oQeUBvjX_PjZVtMIWnBivXioL/s1600/IMG_1857.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiayS3iLjSCr1IbIsmggq2SY1XLuDHRZH63QYY_dY4uabuRt-ijjclRyHvV8hMJleih48UqwAfWAI4phvvPt2nWtZ2UIlgVHsAAwdGvuo0c5uLgMRPu7oQeUBvjX_PjZVtMIWnBivXioL/s320/IMG_1857.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
During this unusually warm Louisiana January, I haven't gotten to bundle you up much in cute hats and long rompers, though there was a chilly day that you got to wear a winter hat/bonnet:) I usually put you in day gowns or a soft, sweet Kissy Kissy gowns and onesies - nothing beats Peruvian cotton - and you've already brought out the matching bows and bonnets. Lets face it...you like to accessorize... <br />
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and have since day one...</div>
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are pleased to announce the birth of "baby girl Devereaux" or "Stella's
Little Sissy" AKA Mary Tucker Devereaux!<br />
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<br />
Yes, she is almost 3 weeks old
and I haven't posted a single thing about her birth but hey, give me a
break...I've got two girls under two years old (wow, that's scary to say
out loud).<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Our new family of four!</div>
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<br /></div>
She was born at 10:12 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
weighing a light 7lbs 12oz (lighter than predicted via ultrasound!) and
measuring 19 1/4 inches long. She came out with light brown hair and a
few short hours after delivery we could see that she, too, would have
blue eyes like her sister. Everything went fine during our scheduled
c-section (besides the slight uncomfortable spinal insertion) and I am
recovering very well.<br />
<br />
Mary Tucker was named after my grandmother, Mary
Ann, Matt's great-great grandfather, Grover Tucker, and my dear friend
from high school, Tucker. Mary Tucker was perfectly healthy, even though
we had a rough start learning to nurse. She lost about a pound in the
first week and we had to supplement with a bottle of pumped breast milk
for a few days,so she could plump back up, and as of last Thursday, she
weighed 7lbs 10.5oz, so she is 2 ounces shy of her birth weight, thank
goodness!<br />
<br />
She has just melted into life at the Devereauxs and her sister
Stella is in love with her, though these days Stella is much more
interested in "Dora" and "Fresh Beat Band" than looking at her sissy.
But when she holds her sissy, it's the sweetest thing!<br />
<br />
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Mary Tucker is sleeping well now, but I know from experience this is the honeymoon phase and at about 4-6 weeks old, she'll start acting like a newborn who does more crying than sleeping:) We are enjoying her sleeping patterns now, though. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Her cousin, Ann Frances Moffett (my sister's baby) was born 4 days later and of course, as I predicted, a GIRL! I knew we'd be having girls together, and now my mother has 5 granddaughters!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Ann Frances and Aunt Ro Ro</div>
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<br /></div>
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Cousins Ann Frances and Mary Tucker, 5 days old and 9 days old</div>
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Sisters </div>
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We are both doing well with our new bundles of joy and getting settled into life with two babes! Updates to come!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-36124639856522826882012-01-24T15:49:00.001-06:002012-01-24T16:25:48.485-06:00Stationery card<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="height: 494px; width: 425px;">
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Perfect Red Frame Birth Announcement</div>
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Announcements for every life event: <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">graduation</a>, wedding & baby. </div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-38126722353175347432012-01-01T14:20:00.001-06:002012-01-01T20:02:35.082-06:00Spending the New Year at HomeSince I'm as big as a house and not in the "partying" mood (except if that partying were to bring baby sissy any earlier) we spent a few hours of NYE day at "Zoo Year's Eve" at Audubon Zoo with MC, Dave and Millie, plus MC and Dave's college buds with their son, Reed. We had a blast and I am ashamed to admit it was Stella's first trip to the Audubon Zoo! She LOVED it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Stella and Daddy watching the entertainment at the zoo</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Stella ringing in the New Year with her hat (yes, that's a Saints smocked dress:)</div>
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Carousel time! Dad chose the animal Stella would ride, of course...</div>
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Mommy and Stella got to ride together, too:)</div>
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After a fun day, we spent the evening at home watching movies and trying to keep our eyes open until midnight and NYD at home eating and watching the Saints. I have to say the impending arrival of Baby Girl Devereaux trumps New Year's right now, because I can think of NOTHING else besides our new baby and how her delivery will go.<br />
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She is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, January 5 at 10am...only 3 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes left! We are having another c-section (scheduled) as we did with Stella because frankly I have giant freak babies. The first c-section was highly suggested because 1) I had gestational diabetes and 2) Stella's head circumference was measuring in the 97th% and from the looks of the last ultrasound, she would not fit through my pelvis, get stuck after hours of labor and I'd end up having an emergency c-section anyway. I must admit, after hearing so many positive experiences of women having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and loving it, I thought, hey, that might be an option for me. For one, the recovery time is SO much quicker in a VBAC - you aren't recovering from abdominal surgery for 4-6 weeks, you'll be able to enjoy time with the new baby and the big sibling. However, there are risks in having a VBAC - so much so that some doctors refuse to perform them. My doctor chooses to perform them, but when I asked if I could entertain the idea with this one, she kindly but firmly reminded me of this baby's head size compared to Stella's...she is the same size OR bigger than Stella. Also in consideration was the fact that my sister is also pregnant and due 2 days after me. As it stands, we both have our c-sections scheduled 4 days apart so our family can spend time at both hospitals and homes with both babies. With a VBAC I cannot be induced so there would be no scheduling involved. We would be at the whim of the baby's schedule, which would have been fine had my family not been planning on 2 new babies instead of one. All in all, I weighed my options and decided another c-section was the best option for me because I had such a great delivery with the first one.<br />
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Surgery still scares me, I'll admit. I'm still nervous about the operation, even though I know I have a very skilled set of surgeons working on me...I just pray that the delivery goes well and she comes out healthy and safe. Then comes the fun part...seeing what she looks like! We've been going over all the questions we have...will she be huge? Will she have blonde hair like Stella? Will she have fair skin, blue eyes, and a big, round head like Stella? Since Stella is our only baby, we only have her to compare Sissy to, even though I know they'll be different and have their own personalities. Another question is WHAT WILL WE NAME HER???? We are stumped here...we have options but we cannot decide, and won't decide until she is born...but what if none of the names we have fit her little face/personality? I'm a little more anxious about her name than Matt is...he just thinks it will come to us once we see her, and I hope he is right! <br />
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...so as we enjoy this New Year's Day, or try to...we are reflecting on the joys we were given this past year through being Stella's parents and all the blessings we are lucky to receive in 2012. We know bringing Stella's new sister into the mix will change Stella's world for the better, even though it may be hard at times, we pray for the guidance to be the best parents we can to both of our little girls! God is good!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-56317596282786752042011-12-28T14:57:00.000-06:002012-01-01T20:03:09.927-06:00Christmas at the Devereauxs/37 Weeks Pregnant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I've let a month go by since updating our blog, but give me a break...I've been working, running after an 18 month old, getting my house decorated to host Christmas for my family AND keeping up with being 9 months pregnant. Speaking of 9 months pregnant, here I am at 34 weeks, 2 days (Dec 4)...</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniwPvHFDkVf5O6Y1VnYl0PPE3bcNndA6eCIZo6mjZegU31UUPRncwhNe0_1-DdvW25mutcA90OxQZwRO5iioloKIsbi3RWKt-kBV2VcDoC-NveSDsxZQipRJ1Iyqy8Ybznj12SYlBBDkG/s320/IMG_1354.JPG" width="239" /></div>
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...and 37 weeks, 5 days (Dec 28)</div>
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At 36 weeks I was showing signs of preeclampsia at my regular weekly check up, such as seeing spots in my peripheral vision, having unusual pain on the right side of my belly and a high level of protein in my urine. After some tests and bloodwork, they said my levels were in the normal range and after today's weekly check up they cleared me and told me everything was fine. For a while, my family was on alert because we didn't know if I'd be put in the hospital early if my results came back positive for preeclampsia, thus I'd be in the hospital for Christmas (boo!). But everything was fine, and I hosted Christmas night for the first time at our new house.<br />
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Speaking of Christmas, here is our first Christmas in our new house...<br />
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front door wreaths I made</div>
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Christmas morning loot for Stella</div>
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Santa left a table and chairs!</div>
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our foyer</div>
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office turned extra dining area</div>
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freshly painted dining room with new (old) dining room chairs - Xmas present from Matt's mom!</div>
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Christmas Eve at MC and Dave's</div>
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Traditional "Generations" photo - from R to L, Mae Mae (grandmother), her daughter, Cheryl (our Mom), my sister, Mary Catherine, her daughter, Millie, plus baby Moffett, who I think will be another girl, me, Stella, and baby girl Devereaux #2!</div>
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Millie, MC, Mom and me, both MC and I with babies #2 on board:)</div>
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We had a wonderful time getting ready for and hosting Christmas Night dinner, even though it was tough doing everythiing a million months pregnant, but we did it! My sister (also a million months pregnant) hosted Christmas Eve after we all went to church together on the Point. </div>
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Matt's first smoked tur-duck-en! It was delish!!</div>
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Now that Christmas is over, we are waiting on the arrival of Stella's baby sister. We will know this afternoon what her birthday will most likely be, as we'll be scheduling a c-section with the hospital today! Exciting! I must admit, I am pretty much done with this pregnancy. I am ready for the baby to be here, to have a name, and for our family to learn how in the world to adapt with #2:) We are pretty clueless, but try not to stress out about it!</div>
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...and lastly, here is baby girl's new (old) baby bed, just waiting for her arrival! </div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-2062204826413441912011-11-27T09:33:00.001-06:002012-01-01T20:03:52.480-06:00Happy Thanksgiving from Stella and the rest of the Devereaux Clan!Hi-fiving Uncle Michael at Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Beth's. We had a wonderful day in Crystal Springs with the Shulls (my Dad's side of the family) and got to see many cousins I hadn't seen in years, plus all the new babies that had joined the family! We really only get to see each other all together once a year and it's been a long-time joke that every year our family grows by at least one because someone is pregnant or just had a baby. This year we had new baby Tate, my still-cooking baby, Sis's still-cooking baby, and our cousins Jonathon and Gretchen (Tate's parents) new baby on the way-they just announced that Tate is going to be a big brother in June!<br />
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Cousin Katie took some great photos of each family, and then a great group shot. Be warned...I'm a red head now, so I may not be recognizable!<br />
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I didn't get any shots of it on my phone, but Stella has been a real walking machine. The past 2 weeks have been huge as far as her physical developments, which I owe to Early Steps physical therapy, Gym Rompers class, play time with her bestie, Charlotte, and her awesome Mommy Jenn. Stella started off taking 2-3 steps after gentle coaxing from me, and has since walked on her own unassisted for up to 10 steps AND gotten to a standing position from sitting in the middle of a room with no assistance from people or furniture, which is huge. She is making me so proud. I knew she would eventually walk when she was ready, even though I won't lie about being a nervous wreck that something was wrong -as in, way bigger picture wrong like some disease or syndrome that delayed or no walking was a symptom of...alas, my imagination and anxiety got the best of me and I over-reacted...everyone was right. Stella WILL, CAN, and DOES walk on her own! Like I said...we are so proud of our smart, strong little girl! She has many talents to teach her little sister.<br />
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We are currently on the way to Hattiesburg to spend Thanksgiving weekend with Matt's parents. Matt's dad missed Thanksgiving Thursday because he's been on a mission trip in Haiti since Monday - what an amazing sacrifice to give of your time during Thanksgiving! I know he will have wonderful stories for us when he get home tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to having a delayed Thanksgiving weekend with the Devereauxs!!<br />
<span style="color: #888888;"><br /> Caroline Devereaux<br /> Sent from my iPhone</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-13267133535106066542011-11-18T15:26:00.000-06:002012-01-01T20:04:09.285-06:00Stella in WordsWhile she naps, I'll try to notate all of Stella's "words". Though our little 17-and a 1/2-month-old isn't completely walking on her own yet, she IS saying a whole lotta stuff. (In her defense, she took 5-6 unassisted steps yesterday and today she walked all the way from the middle of our huge front yard to the front door merely holding on to one of my fingers. Progress.)<br />
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"Mamma"<br />
"Dadda"<br />
"Bo Bo" - our dog's nickname is Bo Bo/Joe...why, I'm not sure - his name is Gus. Ask my husband about that...he is weird with nicknames...thus, Stella now calls all dogs "Bo Bos"<br />
"More" - means she's hungry...she used to same "Yum Yum" when she was hungry, but she's gotten proactive and just goes ahead with "More" when she's hungry.<br />
"Nannie" - not only her fav food "banana", but its also her grandmother Jenny's name - when she sees a banana, whether in a store or on her high chair, she says (repeatedly) "nannienannienannienannienannienannie" until you give her some<br />
"Wa Wa" - water<br />
"Naa" - snack <br />
"Nigh Nigh" - when we ask her if she wants to go night night, she says it back when we know she is ready to go down<br />
"Lo" - shoe...I'm not sure how she got "lo" from "shoe", but every time she sees me putting on or taking off her shoes, she says "loooo" - she also says it when she sees mine or Matt's shoes. Hilarious.<br />
"Walky" - says it when I'm helping her walk<br />
"Noooo" - when she points to her nose<br />
"Eye"<br />
working on "Mou" - mouth <br />
" 'air" - when she points to her hair<br />
"Lawlette" - her best friend Charlotte:)<br />
"Lella" - Stella<br />
"Baby" - multiple meanings...sometimes she says it when she pats my belly (which I love), sometimes she pats her own self and says "baby" and other times she'll call her most fav stuffed bunny "baby"<br />
"Bye Bye" or just "Bye!"<br />
"Aaa-low" - hello - whenever she sees her play cell phone or our real ones, she says this...she also says this when she wants me to sing her the "hello" song from Gym Rompers<br />
"Hiiii" - an alternate to "Aaa-low"<br />
"Mae Mae" - her grandmother<br />
"Maaa" - Matt...comes from hearing me yell it across the house:)<br />
"Ring" - the infamous toy rings I bought her that stack on the white plastic cone, which she will have nothing to do with. The rings are her obsession. She goes everywhere with them. And I mean everywhere. If we are friends on FB, just look at the recent pics of her....almost every pic has at least one ring in it. She will carry one ring, but prefers to have two. She crawls with them, sits and plays with them, will walk for a longer period of time if she can hold them while simultaneously having physical contact withe my hands, rides in her car seat/shopping cart/stroller with them. She recently learned how to hold the sippy cup between her wrists and drink her milk or water while holding a ring in each hand. She wakes up saying "ringringringring" until you give them to her and at night she asks for them. Matt put her to bed with them one night when she was inconsolable. I came home from teaching Pilates and looked at the monitor and saw the rings in the crib with her...her sweet, fat hand clutching one and the other not far from her reach. I will say, sometimes you just gotta do whatever works. Exhibit A...<br />
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That's Stella trick-or-treating with a ring...don't fret, I think the other is simply at the bottom of the wagon. Here Stella practices walking while I bribe her with her ring...<br />
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Stella has many more words, and I'll add them to this list as I remember them. Also, just because this is precious, here's a pic or two of "Lawlette", Stella's bestie, with Stella (and ring is not far, I'm sure) looking on.<br />
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I can't believe this picture was taken a year ago...look how much of a chunky monkey my Stella was! She was around 20 weeks old here.</div>
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...and here she is now, at one week shy of being 17 months old, picking out her pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch. My, how she's changed, but still looks the same!<br />
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And since we are comparing babies and pumpkins...here is baby girl #2 at 28 weeks. Matt and I used to CACKLE when some movie ad came on picturing a large, LARGE woman dressed head to toe in an orange sweatsuit. Man says to woman "Look at you, lookin' like da Great Pumpkin...Trick or Treat!"</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-67843370522300828982011-10-20T13:08:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:04:42.646-06:002nd Pregnancy, week 27...Trip to L&D!So to say we had a rough weekend/beginning of the week would be an understatement. I think the fact that I am about to be a mother of 2 under 2 years old has finally hit me and this week it all came to a head.<br />
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Did I mention that I am hugely pregnant? Yes, huge....I don't say that with exaggeration. I really am huge. People tell me every day. I get jaw-dropping expressions from strangers and family members/friends alike when I reveal that I'm 28 weeks pregnant and still have right under 3 months to go. No, I'm not about to deliver this baby as I walk up the stairs, or pull my stroller out of my SUV, or sit on the Pilates reformer and show my clients how to do a Pilates exercise, or insert-any-other-daily-activity...I'm short, as in reeeeeally short (5 feet even, people) and the baby has no where to go but out....waaaaay out.<br />
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I understand why I'm already big at this point in my pregnancy. I get that this is my 2nd pregnancy and women tend to show earlier and more prominently with their 2nd babies. It's my body, so I understand that she's got no where to go in my short-waisted abdomen than straight out...really, I do. But it does not make the inability to do my daily activities any easier.<br />
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I've spent the first 6 months of this pregnancy doing everything I normally do...picking Stella up off the floor constantly and carrying her around, setting her down and doing that all over again, going up and down the stairs millions of times each day, exercising regularly (Pilates, yoga, cardio machines at the gym, Zumba, etc...), bending over to tie my shoes, teach Pilates and demonstrate exercises, etc...but the past 2 weeks everything has come crashing down on me, throwing it in my face that I have to slow down OR ELSE. The fact that I've been having very strong, uncomfortable Braxton-Hicks contractions every day since 20 weeks doesn't help, either. Well, the OR ELSE happened on Tuesday afternoon in the form of a tumble down the stairs in our house.<br />
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Don't freeak - baby is fine and I am fine, aside from a little soreness in my back. After I put Stella down for a nap I (of course) came downstairs in my socks and my feet slipped out from under me and I landed on my upper back on the stair treads. I was paralyzed with pain for a few seconds as the wind was literally knocked out of me, then realized I might have seriously hurt the baby. After trying to quiet my screams of pain for fear that I'd wake Stella up (and at that point I didn't think I'd be able to get up the stairs if she got upset), I slithered down the stairs and crawled to get my cell. Luckily, Matt works close to home and made it there in less than 5 minutes. After talking to my OB-GYN, she said we needed to head to the Labor and Delivery department of the hospital - I was fine until she told me that, then I started to freak out. Apparently any time you get into a car accident (minor or major) or have a fall while pregnant, you are supposed to go straight to hospital to get checked out just to be sure. So we got our sitter and headed there - went straight upstairs and were admitted 15 minutes after parking. Did I mention I love St. Tammany Parish Hospital?<br />
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To make a long story short, the baby was monitored and an emergency ultrasound was done to confirm that she was perfectly fine. It also confirmed she was HUGE. I got to spend 30 minutes looking her up and down on the ultrasound, which I LOVED, even though Matt couldn't be in the room with us:( - seeing her sweet little self almost made the hospital trip worth it:) Her overall measurements put her at about 29 weeks, 4 days even though I was at 27 weeks, 3 days. The ultrasound tech guessed she weighed about 3lbs, give or take 7oz, which is a bit heftier than the average baby (2.22lbs) at the same gestational age. If we went by how much weight the average baby gains from 27 weeks through 40 weeks, this chunky monkey would be 10lbs at delivery, at least. No wonder my doctor wants to take her at least a week early:) <br />
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So the physical side to being largely pregnant with a 1 1/2 year old running around is catching up to me, and hopefully this little tumble down the stairs will inspire me to SLOW DOWN. I don't like being helpless or dependent on anyone - on a typical day I can do almost anything by myself, and now I can't. That is infuriating. What 28-weeks-pregnant woman can hold a 23lb baby on one hip, squat down to pick up a sippy cup and hold the diaper bag/pair of shoes/snack in the other hand while going down the stairs and out the door? That's what I try to do every day...it never fails. Hopefully I've learned my lesson.<br />
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The good news is I didn't have Stella in my arms and both baby and I are fine. We are very lucky!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-56873073367201610982011-10-11T08:12:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:11:38.927-06:00Stella's Traveling Days - 12 More Weeks Until Sissy Arrives!I've become one of those bloggers...the one who hasn't updated their blog in weeks/months. It feels like time passes so quickly these days that I don't realize I haven't been blogging, cleaning the house, keeping up with friends, etc...(really, fill-in-the-blank with any task/duty that you deem important). All of a sudden my Stella bug is 2 months shy of being a 1 1/2 year old and my big round belly tells me its almost time to meet little Sissy. We've had a busy month so far -<br />
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Stella took her first plane ride to see Pops and Mia in Atlanta and stayed without Mommy and Daddy for more than one night. It was TOUGH to leave her at Dad's, but I know she had a fun time and I KNOW Pops and Mia loved having some grandparent time with Stella! <br />
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She learned all sorts of new tricks while at their house, including how to say "coffee", "Lola", and climb backwards down the stairs, which we'd been working on. She had a nasty cold after the flight over which turned into an ear infection in one ear and fluid in the other, but we are fighting that with antibiotics<br />
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Practicing walking without holding on to our hands! She went everywhere with those rings!</div>
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She spent most of her weekend in this position.</div>
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Dinner time in the big girl chair!</div>
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Chatting it up with Lola, aka "Yoya"<br />
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Morning playtime</div>
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Getting dressed for night-night with Mia.</div>
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Goodbye hugs with Aunt Colleen!</div>
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While in Stella stayed in Atlanta I got to visit with one of my besties who just had a little girl, Ellie, at the beginning of September.</div>
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Bathtime fun with Aunt Caro</div>
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Of course, we spent most of our time dressing her up and staring at her.</div>
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Aunt Caro and Ellie</div>
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She didn't appreciate all the rattles we put on her...this is called "sensory overload"</div>
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Bye Bye hugs on Sunday - sad to leave this sweet girl! </div>
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I had so much fun and I loved catching up with Megan and really getting to meet Dustin. Augusta is a beautiful town with wonderful shopping...I even got baby Sissy's baby bedding on consignment for $50! I only have a few touches to add to it and it will be completed! I feel another trip over there with my entire family is in order...soon and very soon!</div>
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In baby Sissy news, I'm 27 weeks on Friday and can't believe I've only got 12 weeks left before she's delivered via c-section. This picture is at 26 weeks, 2 days.</div>
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Thank GOD I passed the 3 hour glucose test, which means I don't have gestational diabetes this time around! I thank a good diet and lots of exercise to combating GD - which my doctor suggested. You can't completely avoid having it by being more healthy, but it can lower your chances. So we are looking at the calendar and assume she will be delivered via scheduled c-section sometime during the later part of the week of January 2, around 38 or 39 weeks. MC and Dave hope to go a little later and deliver the week of January 9, so our parents can have some space between each baby, plus I'd like to try and make it across the lake for the delivery! I know that may be pushing it, but we shall see:)</div>
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We spent last weekend in Natchez with the whole family and LOVED visiting with everyone. We had a party for all the October birthdays in our family Friday night, spent Saturday shopping, eating and watching football, and Sunday was spent at Mae Mae's doing much of the same:)</div>
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Pajama party</div>
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Mommy and Stella before church</div>
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Daddy and Stella before church</div>
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Here are some images of baby Sissy's new room - the crib is being painted by Matt's parent's and I'm still waiting to get the last set of drapes in, but its coming along nicely!</div>
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The wall color is "Limelight" which Matt picked out - he had his heart set on a green room and this is green! We found the chandelier at a cute shop in downtown Covington and Matt wired it with the help of his Dad. He hung the blinds while we were in Augusta and we hung the drapes last night (Mom, they still have to be ironed/steamed...don't judge the wrinkles). That rug is going into the trash because the dogs tore it up, so we are on the hunt for a big pretty rug. The adult bed will stay up in Sissy's room until Stella is out of her crib, then we'll move the bed into her big girl room (I can't even begin to imagine when that day will come!)<br />
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Here's a shot of the bedding I got on consignment in Augusta for $50. The skirt is a shorter length and I prefer longer skirts, so I added to the bottom of the skirt in a cream/lime zebra print material to add some length and tie in some green. I got her plush crib fitted sheet on consignment, as well, which is Pottery Barn. I have a white one for Stella and it's so soft! So we are slowly making progress and hope to have everything done by the time she arrives!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-12482556367595837592011-09-10T22:51:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:12:00.323-06:00Baby Girl Devereaux #2's UltrasoundHere is a picture of #2's ultrasound at 17 weeks, 5 days on August 10, 2011 (yes, it took me one month to get this picture up here-don't judge me).<br />
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The baby is kicking like CRAZY. I know for certain she's been kicking so hard that you can feel it from the outside for at least 2 maybe 3 weeks. I first felt this little pony kick me at around 16 weeks. What's also great is that I've been having contractions for 2 weeks now - maybe they are Braxton Hicks, maybe not. Who knows? I did tell the doctor when she called to tell me I missed my appointment (who misses their baby doctor appointments? This girl.) so we've got an appointment this week. I probably had the same thing with Stella, but just didn't realize it. I realize EVERYTHING with this pregnancy:)<br />
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This week (week 22) baby girl is about the size of a papaya, or 8 inches long, weighing in at 1.2 pounds. I've got either 16 or 17 weeks left, depending on whether or not we have gestational diabetes again. If we do, we will have a scheduled c-section 2 weeks prior to my January 13 due date. We are still working on names and will probably not announce it until she is born, like with Stella. We like to keep people on their toes:)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-2811832352390983042011-09-07T13:21:00.001-05:002012-01-01T20:13:17.641-06:00Stella 15 MonthsStella is already 15 months old as of September 1. I really enjoy the changing of the seasons to go along with her growth. Yesterday was an amazing 60 degrees in the morning and we pulled out our first long sleeve/pants outfit of the season. While I know I'm a bit ahead of myself, seeing as how we'll probably go back to 90 degree weather until at least mid-November, it was fun to wear a cardigan and dress Stella in one of her big girl outfits. Up until now she's been in a 12-18 month and yesterday she wore an 18 month outfit. Grant it, the sleeves with the cute tri-ruffles near the cuff were almost cutting off the circulation to her fat little hands, she still looked cute. This outfit will last all winter, so maybe her arms and wrists will slim down so it's more comfortable. She's got plenty of room to grow into the length.<br />
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Here she is playing at Gym Rompers, a new weekly class she's enrolled in for the fall semester. That's her friend, Owen, who just turned 12 months. He's a tiny little fella...Stella's not that huge:) He was a preemie.<br />
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I really thing this weekly exercise (along with play dates with other babies her age) has helped develop her gross motor skills. After we stopped physical therapy and started doing the exercises at home, she began crawling like a champ, pulling up on furniture, squatting to get an object off the floor, getting down from standing, and cruising around furniture in a standing position...all things she should have been doing, but hadn't. Since she turned 15 months and still has not taken one or two unassisted steps, our pediatrician recommended Early Steps, which is an early intervention/pediatric physical therapy program funded by the state. We have an interview here at the house today at 9:30 to see if we qualify, so here's hoping that if we need it, they will provide it.<br />
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Stella is doing great and luckily didn't get a repeat episode with the stomach bug that's been going around, which I got Friday morning...the day we were supposed to go to Ole Miss for the first game of the season. Oops. Unfortunately we missed a fun weekend in the Grove, which would have been Stella's first visit, but after feeling better we made a quick trip to Natchez for Labor Day and got to see Mae Mae and the rest of the family at the lake house, though with Tropical Storm Lee we didn't enjoy any water activities at the lake except for trudging to and from the car in the rain. I did get to visit with one of my old friends, Stephanie, and her husband, Andy, and their sweet little man John Preston, 2 months old.<br />
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Stella getting some Mae Mae lovin'</div>
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Stella with Mae Mae and Uncle Michael</div>
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Hotty Toddy - we were there in spirit!</div>
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Stella and Daddy</div>
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with Stephanie and John Preston</div>
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Friends with babies</div>
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Stella waving hi to JP</div>
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Stella rocking John Preston</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-46237672199334247962011-08-29T21:33:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:14:04.306-06:00Pregnancy #2 - 20 Weeks (plus Stella Updates)It is beyond comprehension how we have reached 20 weeks along in this pregnancy. I honestly feel like we just found out we were expecting #2 last week! But, alas, this past Friday we reached the big half way marker - 20 weeks, which makes me 20 weeks, 3 days today. Here's a belly shot from one week ago:)<br />
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It's very true what they say...you start to show MUCH sooner the second time around. I was showing at 10 weeks and I couldn't suck it in. I've slowly grown day by day and week by week to this size. I have stayed much more active then my pregnancy with Stella, even though I was pretty active with her. This time, since becoming certified as a Pilates instructor, I've just been more conscious of needing to work out at least every other day and eat much "cleaner" than before. I've halfway ready "Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven" but must admit I don't follow their philosophy wholeheartedly, though I wish I did. I skipped the "why you'll never want to eat meat again" chapter, too:)<br />
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Also, we've already started on Baby Devereaux #2's nursery - Stella will keep her nursery and it will eventually turn into her big girl room, but once the baby comes, she'll more than likely still be in her crib, so we decided to set up a new room for the new baby. Here is our first purchase:<br />
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...and old chandelier that Matt (translation=Matt's dad) will wire for the ceiling. I am in love with this and got a great deal on it! We've also chosen the wall color - Limelight by Valspar. So where Stella's nursery was crisp grey blue with black furniture and cream/pink accents, baby #2's nursery will be a verdant green with cream/champagne and natural wood furniture with accents of pink and black...or at least that's where I am today:) I'm pregnant...let me change my mind if I want to:)<br />
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So baby #2 is growing like a weed - I've been feeling her wiggle inside me for a few weeks now and Matt recently felt her move from the outside, which is always exciting. Stella is so smart she pats my big belly and say "baby" clearly and concisely. Genius, I tell you. Here is a video of her developed language as a 14 (almost 15) month old:<br />
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...hot dog is her newest word and she's only said it a handful of times, but Matt and I roll on the floor laughing when she does. It's priceless. She may not walk for months, but at least she has a very accelerated vocabulary! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-28409599315834163182011-08-22T22:33:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:15:03.011-06:00Stella's Baby SissyIt's official...we are having another GIRL! Stella will become a big sister sometime around my due date of January 13. If my scanner/printer were cooperating, I would be able to upload an image of our ultrasound, but, alas...that is not the case.<br />
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Either way, with or without an image, our butter bean #2 is growing fast and strong week by week. When we got our gender-revealing ultrasound I was 17 weeks, 5 days (today I'm 19 weeks, 3 days) and the ultrasound tech said she was measuring almost a week ahead, which was good. She checked her out for any physical abnormalities and said she looked perfect - A+, big girl! She was also moving around ALOT and since the ultrasound I've been feeling her move a few times each day, which is one of my favorite things about pregnancy. <br />
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We've been practicing saying "Sissy" with Stella, and she's getting the hang of it. Genius that she is, Stella has learned to pat my belly when I ask "where's the baby?" and will even pat my belly on her own and say "baby". I think I almost tear up each time she does it. It never gets old. I'll have to get Matt to take a video. In other Stella news, she is a crawling machine and can pull up and squat back down like a pro - it may seem like not a huge issue, but to us, this is big. We've been practicing daily standing up on our own and squatting down to reach an item/toy so she can build up muscle tone in her legs and abdomen and she's come a long way. I'm very proud of her! She's climbing stairs left and right and soon we'll have to get permanent baby gates on the top and bottom of the stairs.<br />
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I'm already hard at work on Stella's sister's nursery and I think Matt and I have decided to paint her room a shade of green. Stella's is a pretty grey/blue so we thought we'd go a different route for her sister. We are on the lookout for a new old light fixture - hopefully a chandelier - and possibly a rug, but we've got the rocker and changing table already. The rocker is from Stella's nursery, because she won't need it once the baby gets here, and the changing table will be my old childhood dresser. And then, of course, there are the details...my favorite part:) I'll be sure to post pictures of our progress!<br />
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And just because she's cute, here is a pic of Stella playing with her good friend Charlotte, and Charlotte's pupy, Bailey.<br />
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...and this one shot of Stella at physical therapy is just precious, that's why.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-906074511590595142011-08-01T10:31:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:15:41.768-06:00Why Don't Friends with Kids Have Time?I stole this from a friend and couldn't help but completely agree...wish I had come across this answer myself! Friends, don't take offense if you read this - those of you who qualify yourselves as my friends DON'T fall under the type of "friend" who wrote the original question in this article!<br />
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To end on a positive note, Stella turned 14 months old today and I'm 16 weeks, 3 days pregnant. We find out if little Dev #2 is a boy or a girl in 10 days!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4739722570485277434.post-87416349233818803652011-07-18T11:45:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:17:32.456-06:00Stella Says "Bye Bye" to Her First StrollerOf course I didn't get a picture of Stella actually saying "bye bye" to it as we shipped the thing to the lucky Ebay winners in NY, but we did get it packaged and shipped for a whopping $86. Nice. Not to mention I forgot the bleeping car seat adapter, which had to be shipped separately. Double nice. So even after all the hassle of selling and shipping it, I felt a bit nostalgic riding away from the FedEx store as Stella screamed in the back seat due to being past her nap time and having an ear infection. Yes, even through that, I was sad and sentimental:) Here are some pictures of Stella in her stroller over the past year...insert sappy "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers.<br />
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Matt getting the stroller set up pre-Stella, March 2010</div>
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Right after we bought the stroller - I was like 2 seconds pregnant:)</div>
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Stella, 6 weeks old in her car seat adapter on the stroller, 4th of July 2010, on the bluff in Natchez, MS</div>
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Stella strolling to her first day of daycare, 3 months old, September 2010 - go Saints!</div>
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Stella loved strolling in her bassinet to daycare!</div>
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Little Stella strolling to daycare, September 2010</div>
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Daddy strolling Stella, Uncle Dave strolling Cuz Millie, downtown NOLA after a trip to the WWII Museum, Stella's Baptism Wknd August or September 2010</div>
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Our nanny, Dawn, took this picture before an afternoon stroll around the block, August 2010</div>
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Hanging out at St. John's Coffeehouse in downtown Covington, October 2010</div>
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Winter 2010, bundled up for a stroll on the lakefront</div>
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My future's so bright...</div>
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6 months, Christmas playtime in City Park, NOLA, December 2010</div>
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Christmas Play Time at Algiers Point with Pops, Uncle Dave and Aunt MCat</div>
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Hanging with Aunt MCat at City Park, Christmas 2010</div>
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At our friend McKenzie's baptism at Our Lady of the Lake, February 2011</div>
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Mardi Gras 2011, Thoth parade, Stella cut her first tooth at Thoth!<br />
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Mardi Gras, downtown Covington, 2011 <br />
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Mardi Gras 2011, Thoth parade, St. Charles Ave. Stella 8 months old </div>
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With buddy Griffin on MS Gulf Coast, spring 2011 - Griffin and Stella are 2 months apart - both Daddies were room mates at Ole Miss<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8aSrziBd61pyFNy9nMbJgmFhJdkPArNAADSIuLCifLE18bkDSqWFfAJnKaw48VeYjkWMeZsmR09mwq9STSLJ4PyMkhMX6Ui4k8PIQglsOXOcZ8j5uldc2wkSvfrdBBLkCZ_qP7DVTUxk/s1600/pre+216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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With Cousin Millie - 9 months, Easter 2011, Algiers Point, one of the last outings with "the stroller"</div>
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It was a great ride, Mutsy, but we are on to bigger and double strollers from here on out - making way for baby Devereaux #2! Baby Jogger City Select stroller, here we come!</div>
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