Wordless Wednesday

The Best is Yet to Come

This time last year, we were praying for the possibility to become pregnant. I am astounded at how much our lives have changed in one year. We became loving, doting parents to an adorable little girl who has completely stolen our hearts. 2008 was the best year of my life. I absolutely loved being pregnant, it is such an amazing transformation that your body makes. I think every woman looks even more beautiful when she is pregnant and earns a new respect for what her body is capable of. The excitement of feeling Charlotte move inside me, of waiting to see what she would look like, and the preparation for her arrival into our lives made the first 3/4 of the year an incredible journey. Her birth made the last three months full of more love and pure joy than one can even imagine before you experience it.
2009 promises to be full of excitement and change as well, by this time next year we will have a little girl who has learned to sit up, crawl, probably walk, and possibly even talk. She will be eating solid foods, and understanding the world around her in a whole new way. I know that Bryce and I will cherish every moment of the next year, the best is yet to come!!
My New Years Eve wish is that we spend every minute of the next year embracing life, loving and growing Charlotte, and remaining grateful for all we have been given.

Merry Christmas!

The holidays are so much more fun with a child in your arms! Charlotte is absolutely exhausted (I think Bryce and I are too), but she has been so sweet over the last two days. Bryce and I spent Christmas day with his family last year, so it was their turn for Christmas Eve this year. Charlotte got her first piggy bank (from Uncle Charlie), and her first baby doll, along with lots of clothes and bows. She will be able to wear the bows one day, but she has a beautiful bow holder to put them on for now while her hair grows! My parents, Jenna, and Stephen were kind enough to come to our house for Christmas this year. Charlotte is still in a pretty delicate place in her life and really handles stimulating situations best in her own home. She was able to eat and nap in her own room, and I think that was helpful to all of us! Mom and Dad got Charlotte a pretty cool Baby Einstein Discovery center, I can't wait for Charlotte to grow tall enough to use it. I know she will love it! Bryce and I were the practical parents that bought Charlotte a bookcase and a jewelry box for her first Christmas. Santa brought her some new books and foam puzzles to play with in the coming months.
Amidst all the chaos that holidays can bring I really have tried to take a moment here and there to sit back and think about the reason we celebrate Christmas. I know that I will need to explain the story of Christmas to Charlotte soon, and I know that we will need to teach her that there is more than just presents to focus on. Back in middle school a little church bus came to pick up me and my sister for Vacation Bible School, little did I know that bus was taking me to learn about salvation. I was saved that week, and I have held steadfast to my faith ever since then. My hope for Christmas in the future is that I can teach Charlotte how wonderful it is to know and love Jesus and that spending time with loved ones is the best gift of all. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas Eve outfit complete with Santa Skirt

Daddy got a new grill! (notice the outfit change, we had an overflowing diaper!)

Grandma Fulcher

Happy Baby!

I LOVE her pajamas, she looked like such a big girl!

First Christmas Morning!

Jewelry box from Bryce and I, Baxter is checking himself out!


Bookcase from Bryce and I, the bottom shelf is a toy box.


Something for the puppy dogs!

Charlotte decided to wear my new ear muffs

Charlotte in her new discovery center

Charlotte's bookcase filled with all her new stuff

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

My Dad's birthday is today, his first with a grandchild. We got a late start after getting Charlotte dressed in the cutest winter outfit and then quickly getting out of it when she pooped so much it went all the way up her back. At least we were still at home! Charlotte lived up to her age, she thought the restaurant we went to was pretty cool for about the first hour and then it was tears until we got about half way home. I think everyone had a pretty good time though, and the food was delicious! Happy Birthday to my Daddy!! I love you!

I have survived

I survived a week of work. I literally had a laundry basket full of papers that needed to be graded when I returned, and only three days to prepare for final exams, but I have survived. My students must have really missed me because they remained fairly well behaved the whole week, which is no small feat for high schoolers before an extended break. I was also flattered by the number of teachers who stopped by to say they were so glad I'm back because they know that everything will get taken care of again. Charlotte has been so tired at the end of the day that she usually just comes home and sleeps. I guess I should be happy that she is sleeping, but I really miss interacting with her. She loves to "talk" right now, and her little smile is the cutest thing I've ever seen. I think I might be going through withdrawal! My friend Katie, the biologist, and I were talking about the hormones that babies release in their mothers, and since I am not around Charlotte as much any more maybe it is possible that my body was literally going through withdrawal. I was utterly exhausted after work yesterday with a pounding headache but I was so darn excited to get to spend the next two weeks at home with Charlotte again. Having a little one around makes the holidays so much more fun and I cannot wait for Christmas!

2008 Favorite List

I usually get these in email, but this way is so much better!


1) Favorite evening TV show: The Hills
2) Favorite store: Target
3)Favorite Movie: Australia
4)Person (other than family) you are most grateful for this year: My Anesthesiologist
5) Favorite song: Jason Aldean ~"Laughed until we cried"
6)Favorite baby product (for those with kids of course): Uppa Baby Vista
7) Best Party/ Get Together: The hospital room where Charlotte was born
8)Favorite new technology discovery: Blogging
9)Favorite new thing learned about your spouse (or significant other): That he is a wonderful Daddy who actually CAN multitask.
10)Favorite Day: September 15, 2008 Charlotte's birthday

Best Part of 2008: All of the love and support our friends and family gave us while we prepared to bring a baby into our lives, and experiencing the joy of a child in our home.

Wordless Wednesday

Charlotte is Three Months Today!!!

All in a days work

So today was not SO bad. It was hard, but not so bad. I cried last night thinking of all the hours I am going to miss with Charlotte, and even though I know in my heart I am doing the right thing I can't help but thinking that no one can care for a child like their mother. Charlotte did amazingly well at Grandma Fulcher's house today, there is no one I would rather leave her with. I had to get going so early this morning that I actually woke Charlotte up. I think this is the first time in her very short life that I have been her alarm clock and not the other way around. She was eyes wide open from the minute she was up and dressed and I could tell by her face that she was totally confused. She had such big eyes the whole way to Grandma's and kept making these little mewing noises from the back seat. I also cried when it was time to leave her, she had the biggest smile on her face and all she wanted was to stay and play. Thank goodness she can't talk yet!! I would have never made it out the door. Grandma Fulcher says that Charlotte was a little fussy now and then, and didn't nap all that well, but she did eat great. All of my students were so excited to see me again, it was like I was the celebrity for a day. Older students of mine came back to see pictures of Charlotte, and my current students were running down the hall calling out my name. The nice thing about leaving work when you are big and pregnant is that when you come back everyone tells you how great you look! I feel incredibly overwhelmed being back at work though. I am the kind of person that likes to do everything whole-heartedly, and I like to be the best at what I do. I feel like I am being divided into two, one part teacher and one part Mommy. How can I possibly do both jobs justice when I can't give either one my all? I think this is the question that EVERY working mother asks herself, and the guilt is unbelievable. I truly do know that being a teacher is good for ME. It makes me feel satisfied and useful. I also know one of the most important things I can do for Charlotte is be a good role model and show her the dedication and compassion I have for my job. She will be a stronger woman for it. But the hours without Charlotte are heart wrenching. I know that as we establish our routine things will get better (though I'm not sure if our 4:30 wake up time will ever feel better!) and above all, Bryce and I are incredibly lucky to be a family of two teachers who will always have holidays and summers off with our children.

Back to work

I have to go back to work tomorrow. I really, really wish that I could stay home until the end of the semester, but my sixty days are up. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to stay home with Charlotte for this long, I know we will miss the money I could have made but it was worth every cent. Taking care of Charlotte has been the hardest job I have ever had, but also the most rewarding. Becoming a mother is the biggest transformation a woman undergoes, I suppose it happens overnight but getting used to that transformation takes a lot longer than six weeks. My anxiety level is very high right now, just trying to plan out how many bottles to leave, when I will find time to pump, how I will ever get to my school my 6:45 am, and how little sleep I am about to endure. Please say a prayer for me as I join the league of working mothers!

Wordless Wednesday

Whirlwind weekend

Whew. We have been so busy. I am getting ready to go back to work :( and we are gearing up for the holidays while trying to stay as stress free as possible!

Bryce's Mom is going to watch Charlotte for us when I return to work. I am so thankful that I will not have to leave her with a stranger, I'm not sure I could handle going back to work right now if I did. I did a "dry run" with Monica on Friday, so Charlotte could get used to their house and I could get used to being away. My trip time to school every day is going to be about an hour in order to be able to drop her off. I am really glad we practiced this on Friday, now I know I am going to have to pack everything the night before, and keep extras at her house and work. It took me forever to get us both out the door, and I forgot the accessories for my breast pump at home. That would have been a very long, very painful day back to work!

On Saturday we visited Chris and Andrea Sport, with their little baby Nathan. Andrea and I were roommates in college, and I love being able to spend time with her. She was so sweet to Charlotte! We also visited a Hallmark store out in Athens and I bought Charlotte's first Christmas Ornament. I have collected ONE Christopher Radko ornament every year, and I was so excited to find this one for our tree this year. I also learned that we did a good job naming Charlotte. It is a name that is not too weird, but it is also not very common. I could not find one personalized gift with her name on it!

Baby Nathan

Charlotte in her big girl jeans!

Radko ornament-Baby's First
On Sunday we finally made it to the Christmas tree farm. The tradition from my family is to go to a farm and cut down our own tree. It is my favorite memory from our Christmas' together, no matter who we were dating, when/where we were working, we always had to find time to visit the tree farm together and it was a family process to determine the ONE tree that would be ours. We always walked around and around trying to pick out the perfect one. After some convincing, Bryce was nice enough to oblige my insistence that we would carry this tradition on and we bundled Charlotte up to pick out our perfect tree. I absolutely love the smell of a real tree in your house! Charlotte didn't seem to impressed with our tradition this year (I think it was a little too cold) but I know one day she will look back at those memories and smile.

We ventured down to Scottish Rite yesterday for Charlotte's re-examination on her hip joint. I got the call from her pediatrician today that her hip looks perfectly normal for her age, so we will not have to see a surgeon or talk about any kind of treatment. I was so relieved I could literally feel weight lifted off my shoulders, God truly answered our prayers. My Mom works right by Scottish Rite, so we stopped by for a visit. It was SO cute to see my Mom showing Charlotte off to all her co-workers, she truly is a proud Grandma!! Her desk was covered with pictures of Charlotte, and everyone she works with said that Mom shows them new pictures and tells them new stories every day.

I need to go work on getting up our Christmas decorations, I feel the ticking of the clock bringing me one minute closer to returning to work. I know the next week and a half will be chaos from being gone for so long!

My favorite things from 2008

As most of you know, Oprah has a show about all of her favorite things for the year. I missed the show this year (if you can find a link for it, please send it to me!), but I was inspired to create my own list of favorite things. I know how hard it can be to find that perfect something for your family and friends...these are tried and true items that you can be assured they will love!



It annoys Bryce, but I have a thing for hair care products...he would call it an addiction, I call it good grooming. The whole opposites attract line by Aussie is great!


If you know someone who loves country music, you can't go wrong with Kenny Chesney.

I fell in love with Taylor Swift with her last album, and this one does not disappoint. She is too cute, and at least for now is a great role model for all those little girls.


My mother in law (Monica) got me into vests....they are so easy to throw on, and not as bulky to carry around like a jacket. The down vests from Lands End are affordable and they have great colors.


I really, really love this diaper caddy. I bought it at Target, and it has lots of little pockets and big open spaces to stash everything I need on the changing table. They have adorable patterns as well, www.sarabearbaskets.com.

This is the Skip Hop Dash. A great diaper bag because the strap comes off and will hook to any handle bar on a stroller. You think those baskets underneath are so big until the first time you go shopping, and if your diaper bag is taking up all the room it can be so frustrating!



Ok, Ok....I also have a thing for lip products. My name is Beckie and I am addicted to Chapstick. Bryce doesn't have a problem with this habit though....this is Origins Lip Remedy, I only have to put it on once a day to notice a difference.

I came across this series at the end of last year, but it took up a good portion of my thoughts this year. It is the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. It is young adult fiction, but the story is wonderfully told and totally a page turner. If you have an avid reader in your life, they will love this book! For a list of great books to read (mainly for female readers), check out this book list.



This is the Cambridge Cable by Jcrew. They are a bit pricey, but totally worth it. They have beautiful colors, they go with everything, and look great from year to year.


This is going to be hard for some of you avid flip flop fans to believe, but I did not wear flip flops until about two years ago. My little in Kappa Delta Sorority finally talked me into giving them another try, and I have never looked back. My feet would not have made it through my pregnancy without these sandals!



These drawstring pants from the Gap Body are worth every penny. I have worn them so many times it is a miracle they haven't fallen apart. The lounge pants from Hanes are a close second, but not nearly as soft. This is another item I would not have made it without during my pregnancy, as many of you saw in my photos I practically lived in them when I was home.



Last, but not least, my camera-the Nikon s6. I love this little camera, it has so many different features, great battery life, and takes beautiful pictures.

I hope you enjoy my favorite things as much as I do! For more baby items, see my October post: things we could not live without. Now it's your turn, leave me a comment or email me with some of your favorite things!

A visit from the VanPelts (minus Jeremy)

Charlotte and Jace:

Mary came to visit since everyone was out for Thanksgiving break....it was so good to see Jace, Raigan, and Jack. Charlotte and Jace are growing so fast!! Raigan was so loving towards Charlotte and was such a wonderful helper, plus she and Jack had a great time playing the Wii with Bryce. We always have fun when the VanPelts visit!

Mary and Jace


Check out that hair!!


Jack and Raigan


Two beautiful little girls

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Where do I start? We have SO much to be thankful for this year, it makes me a little teary eyed to think about it. I have found that when I start my prayers at night, they get longer and longer as I say thank you for all the wonderful blessings in my life. I am blessed to have been given this beautiful baby, when so many other women are fervently praying for one of their own. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who can make me laugh no matter how down I am, who tells me and shows me he loves me in so many little and big ways on a daily basis, and who is such a natural father it makes me a little jealous. I am blessed to be sitting in this beautiful house, surrounded by things that make me feel comfortable and happy-and to not have to worry about how we are going to pay for it. I am blessed to be able to lay my head down at night and feel safe thanks to our American soldiers. I am blessed to have a job that makes me feel satisfied and like I am making the world a better place, one year at a time. I am blessed to have a family that supports Bryce and I in all of our endeavors and wouldn't miss sharing one day of our lives for the world. I am blessed to know the love that comes with marrying into a family that accepts me with open arms. I am blessed to know the love her grandparents can give to my daughter- free, unabashed, and unconditional. I am blessed to have a circle of friends who truly amaze me. They celebrate my joys as their own, listen to my story without judgment, and love me for who I am. My world is a brighter place with the love of my friends. And Charlotte. I have been blessed just to have her, yes, but to know her....she is the best part of me. She is everything I ever yearned for and more. Her smile fills my heart with joy, and holding her in my arms could make my heart stop. She has made me love Bryce, love my family, and love my life with a ferociousness that can hardly be described.
Yes, this is a happy thanksgiving-the happiest I've ever know. May blessings and a happy holiday touch your family as well.



Little Turkey!!




The Fulcher Family


Talking with Grandpa


Everyone playing


Aunt Jenna


Jenna and Stephen


Sisters


Everyone is tired now!