long overdue

So....we've skipped a few months worth of posts. I guess that is what happens when you have a super active toddler. Enjoy the new Charlie pictures!

The Faces of Charlie......who is 11 months old!

Charlie is quite a funny little guy. Jason and I are always laughing at him. I've tried to capture his personality in these pictures. Enjoy.

walking!

9 and 10 months....and more

so....since we are using a computer that isn't ours for the summer....pics from the webcam might just have to be all you get. i will try to work on some real photos for next post.
Here are Charlie's 9 mo. stats.....now that he is over 10 months. He is still super tiny except for his head(brain). 3rd %. I doubt we will have a football player on our hands (yay!!.....this makes me very happy since I think it's kind of a gross big guy sport)
At 10 months Charlie took some baby steps! He is trying hard to walk now....a week later. He knows he is a faster crawler though.....so for now...that is still his motion of choice.
He also has 4 teeth. The first one was the worst so
far. His two big ones haven't seemed to bother him too much. I am thankful.

In the pictures listed below or to the side ( i have no idea how to label them underneath) I have posted one of me gazing at my handsome hubby, one of Charlie looking a lot like Kirby, one of Charlie's new bottom teeth, one of my teeth looking colorful, and one of me looking like a strange cartoon with big eyes.

Isn't my sweet baby looking so grown? STOP charlie!

webcam

Yay! We get to borrow the webcam for a bit! It's hard trying to get a baby to have fun with photobooth! We will keep working on it.
I did post one of me and my newly shown forehead. It's been covered with bangs since 2002. I felt a change was needed due to my much more respectable age.

oh...and how could i forget?...
I will now get to see my beautiful Rachel all the way around the globe thanks to Mr. Webcam.

Charlie turns 9 months...I turn 30.

The day after Charlie turned 9 months old, I turned 30 years old! Jason and I celebrated at Pine Knoll Shores with my parents. I was also suprised by one of my best and longest friends Julie! She rang the doorbell and said she had a delivery of balloons for me. When she pulled back the balloons, I saw it was her. I was so excited to get to spend some time with my Juls.
Bec and Chip (our married couple bffs) came at the end of the long weekend. We too had a great time playing trivial pursuit on the porch way past our usual 10pm bedtime.

Jason worked very hard on my gift (a flip cam!!) I posted a picture of the beautiful wrapping and coloring job. He is quite creative. Oh how I love him!

For my actual b-day Jason, Julie, and I enjoyed yummy food and great conversation at one of my favorite beach restaurants, Williams.

More importantly, Charlie enjoyed himself at the beach. We ate some sand and his feet were dipped into the ocean. He enjoyed the condo because there were lots of things that were right at his level. He loved walking the furniture and scooting all over the place. He loves making noises. He even began to whistle while we were down there.

I am looking forward to my 30's. I loved my 20's too....but I am ready for a change.

what i've learned from my labor story....almost 9 months late

I had been interested in natural child birth since before Jason and I got married. I was already seeing a midwife for all of my primary care needs. I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant because 1. I had always wanted to be a mom and 2. I would finally get to be a pregnant expecting mother at the Women's Birth and Wellness Center in Chapel Hill. The previously mentioned place is the only free standing birthing center in NC.
Pretty quickly I began reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Natural Childbirth and rented The Business of Being Born. I highly recommend both of these to anyone interested in women's health and hospital care. I was very excited about the challenge ahead of me. I knew I had a high pain tolerance. I was even told once by my gastroenterologist that I would be a pro at labor. Jason was also on board. I become slightly obsessed with natural childbirth and felt as prepared for it as I would think a Marathon runner is for their race. I am sure lots of friends and clients of mine thought I was crazy.
Jason and I went to sleep the night of my due date. About 1am the next day I woke up with my first contraction. I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I did a lot of praying. The next day I forced myself to rest and sleep. I told Jason to go on in to work because I knew it would be a while before things really got moving. Around 10pm that night they were finally coming strong about every 5 minutes. The midwife on call had us come in. I was already at 5cm. She gave me something to help me rest and we waited. Things seemed to be progressing normally and by the late afternoon my contractions were really coming strong. The midwives and nurses were so helpful with remedies for getting through the contractions. I used the exercise ball, the shower, squatting, leaning, bending, climbing stairs... At one point I was so comfortable that I was sleeping in between contractions. I had no idea how quickly they were coming.
----side note---while I was laboring two other women came and left with their new babies----
I had gotten to about 8cm but Charlie's head never stationed so that I could push. Gravity was not on my side with this child. Finally after 48 hours of labor the midwife suggested we give the hospital a try. At this point my contractions had gone crazy and were following no pattern. We drove to hospital in our car and I didn't have a single contraction. The midwife and I walked in and got me checked in.
---emotional rant in my own head--This was not what I wanted. This is not how I envisioned Charlie arriving. I didn't want to be in a hospital bed with needles in my arms and laying flat on my back. (notice the strong use of "I" in those statements) I didn't want doctors trying to persuade me into things I didn't want to do! WHY???? Why God? NO!
--Back to hospital---The check in nurses couldn't have been more nice. They were totally understanding about where I had come from and what I had been trying to achieve. My midwife suggested I get an epidural to see if that would calm Charlie down into position so that I could push. Once we got that going we would also start pitocin. I pretty much knew at that point that my dream was not coming true. I was never going to be able to push. The challenge I was so ready for was quickly turning into another challenge all together. How would I handle something I was SO not prepared for?
What I knew would happen did.....after starting poticin Jason and I saw Charlie's heart beat going up and down. We were going on 52 hours of labor and he was needing to come out. A wonderful team of doctors came in and explained the procedure for the C-section. I desperately wanted to meet my son.....that is the only thing that kept me calm. Charles Todd Weathers was born early a.m on August 28th via C-section weighing 6lbs. 2ozs. He was perfect in every way. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. Charlie arrived in a way that took about 10 minutes during which I felt no pain. I could not believe this miracle that was placed on my chest. Finally I cried tears of joy.
The emotional roller coaster of being a new mom was not easy either. This may seem strange, but I felt I had to grieve the loss of the childbirth experience I had wanted. I cried daily over the fact that I didn't get to push my baby out. I was tired, hormonal, and emotional. It seemed that everything I wanted to do with Charlie was not as I had expected. I had every nursing problem you could think of. I could not understand why things were happening so differently than I wanted them to.
It has taken me many months to realize that God had a great plan all along. He had a plan for Charlie that was different from mine. I was not unwise in researching and planning ahead for labor. I was unwise in putting hope in my own strengths and abilities. I may never know why things happened the way they did. I do know that I am so blessed to have a child who is healthy and happy. I have much to be thankful for. Who am I to doubt the entrance that God designed for my son? I am so thankful to know women who have still been able to praise God when they lost a child or were not able to conceive. My story is very weak in comparison.
I am thankful for Gods living word. The truths in it are the only comforts I can trust in. I am so glad to know that these feeling of guilt or confusion will not be with me in heaven.
There are many verses that helped me understand the reasons God allowed me to go through this. I trust in him more now because of this (seemingly) major trial in my life. Just because my faith was strengthened doesn't mean it's not a daily struggle to lean on him and not my own ways. I am so thankful to be a part of this journey.....and to be Charlie's mom.
John 16:33 "these things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

Roy and Misty's wedding!

We are very excited to have a new "Cox" in the family. I could not have picked a better wife for my big brother. I have also never seen my brother so happy as he was this past weekend. Jason and I look forward to many fun family events to come. We feel very blessed to have such a loving and happy family....that is now more complete!
85 guests came all the way to San Juan, Puerto Rico to celebrate Roy and Misty. It was a wonderful weekend. Charlie was the most famous guest at the wedding. Come to find out, he loves to travel, swim, put his feet in the sand, and sleep through night time festivities. While Charlie was sleeping, he missed a fun ceremony and a wonderful dance by the bride and groom. Unfortunately for him, he was also too young (and toothless) to eat the yummy local foods.
We were sad to return home after such a fabulous time.
I love being married and consider it one of the best things I have ever done! I wish the same for Roy and Misty. There is nothing better than sharing your life with your best friend.

During the seventh month

We can hardly believe our baby is about to be 8 months old! Charlie is scooting all over the place. He especially enjoys things that aren't toys...shoes, cords, dvd's,...
He is pulling up on everything he can reach. Charlie loves being outside. He especially loves to swing. Time is flying by!

No words needed

Who knew my love could be so strong!

So here we are almost 7 months after Charlie was born and getting closer to 3 years of a wonderful marriage to the most beautiful bride anyone could ask for and I continue to be astounded at how much my love continues to grow each day for both Charlie and Kathleen. Could I be any more fortunate to have them in my life? I just want everyone to know that Kathleen is the love of my life and I never knew the way my love would grow each time I saw her smile...and then our Charlie, the most amazing gift I could ever imagine. Talk about a smile that will bring you to your knees, that boy is a sexy little Weathers!!