All Moved In....almost.

Well....we made it!  We are now part of the Central Coast Population :)  And of course...the week we move over it is as gloomy as can be!  I thought this was supposed to be the nicest time for coast weather!?  The first day I was home alone it was overcast ALL day long.  I went from sunny 90+ to foggy, cold 60 degree weather.  I didn't think I could handle another day of that...but thankfully the next afternoon the sun poked its little self (...or HUGE self) out and shone it's bright rays of lovely goodness on us.  YIPPEE!  I was very excited about that....eventhough I didn't get to enjoy the direct rays-I was still happy to have them shining into our little house.  This new place still doesn't feel like home to me...that might have something to do with the 

{Interruption #1...our friend Micah arrived to stay with us for the weekend! A welcomed interruption, but I lost my train of thought! ha.  I'll have to see if I can get it going again..}

This new place still doesn't feel like home to me...that may have something to do with the fact that there are a million things to do...unpack everything, get organized, and find space for all of our stuff!  I definitely took for granted the amount of storage we had at our home in Visalia.  Here we only have one closet in the master bedroom...that's it.  Nothing else.  No cabinets for blankets, towels, baby clothes, baby STUFF (all you mommys out there know what I'm talking about...there's a lot of "stuff" that you acquire with a baby!).  So we have had to consolidate BIG TIME.  We do have a garage that we can store all of the things we don't use daily...but this has been difficult for me.  Just as difficult as getting rid of many wardrobe items :)  The thought of...."but I MAY wear this soon"...or..."what if we DO get invited to a 70's themed party, then I could totally wear this! If I get rid of it now then I will probably need it soon!" HA! I've realized just to get rid of it...and if by some random chance I DO get invited to that "70's themed party" I can always go out and purchase something else.  My husband is amazed at my thought process sometimes.  He just doesn't understand my need to hold onto 

{Interruption #2-Baby crying...I may never get through this post!}

He just doesn't understand my need to hold onto the things I MAY need :)  But he has also helped me become less of a "pack rat".  Although I won't let him touch my clothes without me standing watch!  If it were up to him all I would own is a shirt, a pair of pants, some socks and a sweater. Ha.  No thank you :) 

Well, I know it may take some time for this place to feel like a home.  I am trying my hardest to make the best out of the situation.  I am so very thankful 

{Interruption #3- Baby awake!}

I am so very thankful that I have my wonderful husband and daughter with me.  And that I get to stay home with Charleigh...and that Jon has a job!  Thankful for all of those things.  Yes, I am sad to have left home...but who knows what the future holds.  We may be back there soon! Or God may have other plans for this little family.  Whatever it is, I pray that I will be able to hear His voice and follow the path that He has for us!

{It may have taken me 3 days to finish this...but I did it! :) Sorry if my thoughts are a little jumbled...that happens when you get interrupted from your thoughts and then come back hours, or even days, later!  I will try to time my next post a little better.}

Charleigh's first time to the beach!

Moving Day

Beach Bound!

Charleigh in her teeny bikini

I have been putting this post off for a while now. Maybe it's because I've been in denial...or maybe it's because I didn't realize how quickly this day was approaching. But here it goes...

 My husband has been job hunting for quite a while now. A job opportunity came up in June...but we decided not to pursue that avenue because I was 8 months pregnant and not wanting to relocate. It would've been a mess trying to find a new doctor that late and get acquainted with a new place with my hormones raging! And add on top of that not having the support of my family for the first couple weeks of being a new mommy...not good. Let's just say I wouldn't have been a happy camper. I am so thankful that Jon thought about all these things and really thought about me before jumping into such a big move for us. So that all said we decided to stay in Visalia and Jon kept up with his job hunting. Soon I had my beautiful baby girl and we were very happy about our decision to stay where we were. However, a couple weeks after Charleigh arrived Jon was given a second chance/opportunity. We really had to sit down and pray about our decision. We knew God would lead us in the right direction and to make the right choice. But I have to admit that eventhough I knew the right choice in my heart-I really fought it the whole way. Our choice? To move...2 1/2 hours west. Where does 2 1/2 hours west take you? Right into the heart of the central coast. Jon accepted a position in San Luis Obispo. He will be working for a company that sells software to major car dealerships. Although I don't know much about the job description, I do know that it has something to do with tech support. And a bonus about the job? He'll be working closely with one of his best friends Matt Sarr (Jenna from Jenna Sarr Blog's hubby). I am thankful for the opportunity that has been given to us. If he hadn't found anything by now I would have to be working full time and would not be able to stay home with my baby. So when taking a step back and looking at the while picture I know this is the right step for us...and that it really is where God wants us right now. We prayed A LOT about this decision and all the doors seemed to open right up for us (eventhough I didn't want to admit it).

This whole moving process has made me realize that I really get emotionally attached to the places I live...or maybe just this one in particular. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that this place we live in right now is our first place together. Jon moved in right before we were married...and once hitched I joined him :) We have made so many memories here with eachother! Getting married....figuring one another out and how this marriage thing works...to then starting a family and having baby Charleigh! So many crazy, wonderful times!

One of the saddest things I am leaving behind is Charleigh's room. We spent so much time and care in making it just right for her arrival! (...and she didn't even get to sleep in it! Haha...) I have taken many pictures of the room to share with her when she gets older...and to also keep as memories for Jon and I. I couldn't have asked for a better "first place" for us to begin our lives together. This house will always hold a special place in my heart. We have gone through a lot of changes these last two years in this space.

If walls could talk these walls would tell you a story of a handsome young man and his wife. The excitement that exuded from them as they began their journey together. How deeply they loved one another and tried their hardest to live a life of love, faith and respect. They would tell of how much fun the two had with one another...dancing in the kitchen while making dinner, sharing their deepest secrets, passions, hopes and fears with eachother, and their ability to fight-but apologize quickly for their behavior (hey...no one's perfect) ;). They would re-tell of how excited the man and his wife were upon expecting their first child! All the preparations and love that went into this little one. The love for their baby and how when she finally arrived the thankfulness they had for the wonderful gift of a child. But most importantly these walls would tell of this couples' faith. Faith that God would always be there for them, provide for them, comfort them, and lead them where He wanted them to be. And it was this faith that ultimately led them away from these walls and into another grand adventure. 

This is a bitter sweet move. I am excited for the new journey ahead...but sad to be away from the "familiar". Sad to be leaving family and friends. I know it is not THAT far away...but it's definitely not a quick 5 minute drive. I have lived away from home before...but this feels different. I think this is because I have Charleigh now. With her I want to be around my family more. I want to be in the comfortable/familiar zone. But with this move we will be in new territory. Luckily we do know a handful of people over there. And my Mom has promised to visit often :). And when I think about it more...is this really the worst place to be moving to?! Ha...ummmm no. The beach is 3 miles away from our new home...and the weather is pretty fantastic all year round. I will, however, miss fall here. I LOVE when the trees change colors and the air gets cold and crisp. But again, I have to remember that I will be making frequent trips back to see family and friends. Visalia will always be where my heart belongs. Yeah, I know...some of you think I'm crazy that I don't want to leave here for the coast. But I have been away from Visalia before when I went to college. I couldn't wait to get outta this town! Little did I know that I would come to love this town and really appreciate where I grew up. I think Dorothy puts it best...."there's no place like home."

6 Weeks

My baby is 6 weeks old already! Ahhhh! When people say the time flys once the baby gets here they weren't kidding! Yes, all my days run together so I'm not actually sure what day it is most of the time...but when I looked at the calender yesterday and saw that my six week check-up was today (which I almost passed out at...but that story isn't quite "blog" appropriate so I'll save you the details..) I was a little shocked! It couldn't be 6 weeks yet....could it? But sure enough 6 weeks is here! I decided-of course- to take pictures of my beautiful little girl. We went to Grandma and Pop Pop Moore's house and snapped away! I've realized that Charleigh looks really good in plain white onesies. It makes her look like a cute, snuggly, clean, cuddly baby. Which is how baby's are supposed to look, right? :)

Charleigh Grace

Likes: Sleeping on mommy (all the time)
Daddy's Kisses
Looking out the windows
Laying on her tummy
Smiling at anyone who gives her attention
Rocking (all the time)
Bath-time!
Eating

Dislikes: When mommy leaves
When mommy takes a shower (I swear she knows the minute I lather up my hair...that's when she starts throwing a fit for me to come get her-even if she is perfectly content before I jump in)
After bath-time...she screams when we take her out!
Sleeping anywhere at night(except for on mommy!)

Growth: Unknown...She hasn't been weighed since her 2 wk appointment. But I'm sure she has gained a good amount of weight :) She has outgrown most of her newborn clothes.

Appearance: Chubby cheeks! Just like her mommy had when she was young (so much so that my nickname became "cheeky bird"...don't ask me where the bird part came from-I didn't even know birds had cheeks?)
Her dimple in her left cheek is getting more prominent as well as her cute little butt chin :)
No hair on top...lots of hair around the bottom. Just like a balding old man...or a monk. Just put a brown robe on her and you've got "Friar Tuck" (a serious front runner for Halloween) :)
You think I'm kidding about the outfit...take a look for yourself at this hair
Long eyelashes that are getting darker in color and beginning to curl up on the ends.
Big, blue eyes-they are lightening in their shade of blue as she grows

That's my baby so far. She no longer looks like a newborn...she is a baby now. Alert and curious about most things. It's crazy how quick they grow out of that newborn stage. But I am excited for all the stages ahead. My love for her grows each day...even if I don't think my heart can hold much more-it finds room and stores a little more love for her in it. Having Charleigh has also helped me to see a little clearer at how much God must love us. Wow. Chew on that one for a while (if you are a mommy). It will really make you think and maybe even come closer to that relationship with Him.

Picture TIME!

**sorry for not updating sooner...these little ones demand a lot of attention ;)

The Best Perfume

The best perfume ever?...how about some baby spit up! Betcha didn't expect that answer! But lately as I have been adjusting to this new life of mine I have come to appreciate even the weirdest things :) Baby spit up is just one of them...I have a whole list that I could go on and on about-but I'll spare you this time. And YES, I am going to become one of those bloggers who talks about their baby in almost every post from here on out. I can't imagine not mentioning my little bundle of joy! And maybe I'll throw in a couple pictures here and there ;)

Charleigh Grace is now 3 weeks old. At her 2 week check up she weighed 8lbs 15oz! HA! She is definitely NOT having a problem gaining weight! She weighed 7lbs 7oz when she was born...when she left the hospital she was 7.1...and two weeks later she is WAY ahead of her birth weight. The Doctor said he is happy if the baby has re-gained his/her birth weight by the second week. Charleigh is already ahead of the game! :) She must get that healthy appetite from her Daddy...hehe.

Being a Mommy thus far has been interesting. It has been joyous, unbelievable, exhausting, amazing, and I would be lying if I didn't say a little frustrating at times. Joyous-because she brings so much joy into this little family of ours and makes my heart smile. Unbelievable- because I have been waiting to meet this little one for 9 months and she is FINALLY here! Exhausting...well because she is a new baby and I'd like to meet a new Mom out there who isn't exhausted with all that comes with mommyhood! Amazing-because...well just look at her! Frustrating-because I don't always know what she is wanting...or what her schedule should be (or if she should even be on one this young)...or maybe because the only place she will sleep at night is in my arms in the rocking chair! But all that said I am so in love with my little girl-and amazed that she is finally here! I thought I was so prepared for being a Mom, but nothing prepared me enough until she was actually here. What an amazing gift a baby is...how can one not Believe in an Almighty God after witnessing a child being born? She has perfect little fingers and toes...perfect everything! And I have our Awesome God to thank daily for her! WOW!

Happy 3 weeks old my little piglet!

Birth Story-A letter to my sweet Charleigh Grace

*note-this is a long one...take a seat and enjoy the story of our little miracle.*

It was Thursday July 14, 2011. That morning Garrett, Jill and Delaney came over and we hung out for a while. Your Dad and I decided to go to lunch with Jill and Garrett later in the day at Hometown Emporium in Exeter. (This didn’t sound very appetizing to me-I wasn’t very hungry the last couple days of being pregnant-and all I wanted was a Peanut Butter Moo’d Smoothie from Jamba Juice!) So your Dad and I had to run some errands, pick me up a smoothie, and then we met Jill and Garrett for lunch. All week I had been having mild contractions on and off-but nothing consistent or serious. We had a wonderful lunch with Jill and Garrett and walked a little around Exeter town-it was a lovely day. We then all went to Grandma and Grandpa Moore’s house to relax, hang out, and eat dinner. Your Dad and I took a nap on Grandma and Pop Pop’s couch (later we were VERY thankful for this small little nap). And then later that night we had some Me N Eds Pizza (Unlce Garre’s favorite).

Earlier in the week we had asked your cousin Delaney when you were going to arrive, and EVERY time we asked her she said “Friday Night”. It was so funny and we all laughed and thought “wouldn’t it be crazy if she were right?”

After dinner we got ingredients to make Brown Butter Cookies (a YUMMY recipe we will have to make together when you get older)-but we ended up leaving Grandma and Pop Pop Moore’s to go to Grandma and Grandpa Foley’s house. Your Great Grandma Paula Foley was here visiting from Kansas and your Daddy wanted to go and say Hi. By now I didn’t realize that I was having regular contractions-but I did know I was having some. When we sat down at Grandma and Grandpa Foley’s table I noticed that the contractions weren’t going away-so I began timing them. They started off being about 12-15 minutes apart-but as we sat there talking with your Daddy’s family the contractions went to about 10 minutes apart. When we were driving home I told your Dad that I was thinking tonight was the night that the contractions weren’t going away. We sat and watched a couple of shows on TV and I kept timing the contractions. About 8 minutes apart…getting a little stronger but not too uncomfortable. I took a shower and got all ready for your arrival-and then so did your Daddy. But I knew it wasn’t quite time to go to the hospital. I wanted to wait and be as comfortable as possible during the beginning phase of labor. We cleaned up the house a little-and then around 12:30 we decided to try and get some sleep (HAH!). I laid in bed for about 15 minutes-my contractions too hard/uncomfortable to sleep through, but I wanted your Daddy to get plenty of rest for what was to come. I switched from laying on the couch…being in the bathroom…rocking in the chair…sitting on the exercise ball…to cleaning up the kitchen. The contractions became about 5 minutes apart-and were very strong. I didn’t realize how much the contractions would hurt. I have a high tolerance for pain-but this was something completely different! It would almost knock me off my feet-but it felt good to try and keep my mind off of it. I waited as long as I could, then woke your Daddy up around 3:45 and told him “I think it’s time!” We took our time and got everything ready to take to the hospital and made sure the house was clean and ready for your welcome home J. At this point the contractions were anywhere between 3-5 minutes apart and very strong.

When we got in the car your Daddy wanted to take the car through a quick car wash. He loves his cars being clean and wanted it to be super clean for your arrival. I agreed and we went through a drive through car wash. It was the perfect moment for us. The windows all sudded up-not able to see out. We grabbed each other’s hands and looked into one another’s eyes. I said “This is the last time it will ever be just me and you…I’m kind of scared”. He said “ I know, me too”. And we gazed into each other’s eyes-which were teary by now-and shared a kiss. It was the perfect moment for us. It was a little peace before we jumped into the crazyness (but a wonderful crazyness)!

We pulled into the hospital and went up to the maternity/labor section. We checked in and then were called into a side room to be checked, to make sure I was really in labor. You were monitored along with my contractions-and the nurse said I was dilated to about 3 ½ -4 cm and about 80% effaced. She wanted to monitor me for only 30 minutes, but it ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes. They wanted to send me home or have me walk around for an hour and then come back-but as she continued monitoring me I think she could tell I was getting more and more uncomfortable. I don’t think I could’ve left and walked around or gone home even if I wanted to. The contractions were SO strong…I was trying so hard to breathe through them, and your Daddy was SO good with me. I couldn’t lay still when a contraction would come they were so strong. Daddy said my big toes would go straight up in the air and all my other ones would be curled down tight-and you inherited those toes! At this point I decided an epidural was a YES! The nurse decided that I was making good progress and she would admit me and give us a room. Daddy called your Grandma Moore and Auntie Jilly to come down to the hospital. We were given a room where I was hooked up to an IV. The nurse asked when I would want the epidural and I didn’t really know when I wanted it at this point so I said I could wait a little bit. She was very smart and suggested I get it as soon as possible so then my Doctor (Rita Barron) could break my water. The nurse said that she thought I would progress very quickly once my water was broken-so I agreed and said bring them on in! I had to wait about 30 minutes (to get some fluids from and IV in me) to get the epidural. It was in those 30 minutes that I was so thankful for the nurse’s recommendation to get the epidural as soon as possible. My contractions were so hard I could barely breathe! Your grandma and auntie came in-and it was then that I was throwing up over the side of my bed (yucky I know, but I just couldn’t help it!). Your Daddy was amazing during all of this! Soon after that my midwife Rita came in with the epidural crew. YAY!!!! The epidural was administered (thank you Rita for holding my hand and helping me relax!) and then your Dad, Grandma and Auntie came back into the room. It worked immediately-and it was AMAZING! For the next couple hours I slept on and off (I was tired from being up all night) and watched TV with Dad, Grandma and Auntie (Say Yes to the Dress, and the GMA-Brad Paisley was on and I really wanted to see it-hehe). Your Dad and Aunt decided to go get something to eat and I decided to take a nap. The nurse (Shirley) came back in-it was about 12 at this point) to check how far I was and she said in a shocked voice “Oh wow, you are at 10 cm and are fully effaced!” Which meant ‘let’s get this show on the road!’ I didn’t quite feel the pressure to push so they decided to hold off on me pushing for a little bit. Around 1pm the nurse came in and decided it was time I started pushing. I pushed for a little while and then Rita came in. Now it was time to get down to business! It was hard for me to push because I was so numb from the epidural that I couldn’t feel where to push. But I was so thankful not to feel the pain of it all! Every contraction just felt like a Braxton Hicks contraction-super tight but no pain. So I kept pushing-and I guess I did a pretty descent job because you came in about an hour. I had an amazing support system while I pushed, and all I could think about was the harder I push, the quicker I get to meet you!

On Friday July 15, 2011 at 2:13pm we welcomed you into the world. I was sooo amazed-I couldn’t help but crying and staring into your face (you were screaming your little head off!) and you were laid right on my chest. Your daddy was so happy he was crying (he had the major water works going). Your grandma and auntie were so very excited too! We were all waiting to meet you, and here you were, finally!

I never thought I could love something so much. You are perfect! Your toes are long like your daddy and mommy’s. We don’t know who’s eyes or nose you have yet. Many people say you look just like me J. You have a dimple in your left cheek. And you are so cuddly. You love your mommy and daddy. And you LOVE to eat! As soon as you came out you were ready to eat J. You weighed 7lbs 7 oz and were 19 ½ inches long. You were held by your Daddy right after I got my fill, and then by Grandma Nancy and Auntie Jilly.

We had to wait 2 hours before going to the room that we were to stay in for the next two nights. Daddy knew some of the nurses so we got hooked up with one of the baby room suites! It was a very big, nice room! We were greeted by Pop Pop, Grandma and Grandpa Foley, Auntie Katie, and Great Grandma Paula. I got a little teary eyed as we rounded the corner and saw all of them there. It was a little overwhelming-and I was already brimming to the edge with emotions. I do remember that all I wanted to eat was a deli sandwich! Haha-I think it was because when I was pregnant I couldn’t eat deli meat because of a bacteria that can be found in it. And I got me a sandwich that night and pigged out! J Mommy’s cousin Bethany came by and got to hold you for a little bit, and your Auntie Jilly came by again to check up on mommy. She helped us so much-and when she was about to leave we (Jill, Dad and I) were all looking at you and you smiled. (I don’t think you meant to-but it was so cute ).

Oh Charleigh, I could go on and on about all that happened in those first few days of your life! I am loving every moment of being your mommy! You are growing so fast already. You were welcomed home when you were 2 days old. Auntie Jilly and cousin Laney made you a welcome home sign. Laney was sooo excited to meet her cousin Baby Charleigh. She likes to give you kisses on the head and always whispers “I yuv (love) you bebe Cha-yee”. She loves you very much and can’t wait until you get old enough to play with.

Your Daddy and I are so blessed to be your parents. I pray daily that we will teach you all that you need to know-and that we will help you along this journey of life. We thank God daily for you and are amazed each and every day that we get to have you in our lives. You have changed our lives for the better-we love you so very much-more than we ever thought we could. Oh our sweet baby girl. We can finally kiss that beautiful face of yours! We waited patiently for that day to come, and are overflowing with joy and love. Know that you are so very loved.

Mommy and Daddy

Nursery

A sneak peek at our little girl's room....

"Happy Birthday to you..."

I have meant to post these for a while...but I haven't. No excuses here-I just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe it is because I've been "nesting" like crazy. I find something to do no matter how clean or tidy everything in our house is. My husband has even begun nesting...it's actually pretty funny and I love it. He has been VERY productive lately-cleaning out closets, organizing his side of the closet (or should I say his small corner of the closet), deep cleaning the bathroom, and much more. Impressed? Me too! (not that he doesn't do anything around the house...Jon is a very good helper when it comes to chores-but this extra stuff lately has been pretty amazing). Ok, enough about our nesting....I'm sure no one really wants to hear about all that...let's get to the good stuff!

Delaney Rae Turns 2!
I posted a while back about Laney turning 2 but I didn't have any pictures to go with it. When my sister visited she gave me some and I wanted to post them on here for all to see how precious this little girl is-and how fast she is growing!

And these are just because...

Paige Sarr Turns 1!
Matt and Jenna threw a birthday party for their little girl Paige. She is already 1 year old!? Geeze...how can that be? It was a fun birthday party full of plenty of laughter and love. I always feel like part of the family when I am with the Forney/Sarr gang. I love it. Here are some pictures from that day too :)

COMING SOON!: Pictures of Delaney (and Charleigh too!) Laney is visiting for 2 whole weeks with her mommy and daddy! Yippee! They are coming to see baby Charleigh-I really wanted my sister to be here with me during all this birth stuff-and now that I know she will makes me so relieved and happy! And Laney is so excited to meet her cousin (whom she thinks lives in Auntie Jen Jen's bee bo...aka belly button) It'll be fun to watch her with my huge tummy and to realize that there is a baby in it-hopefully I don't traumatize her too much :)