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