Wow! Has it been that long?

As I looked at the last time I posted, I was shocked! It has been a while and we have been really busy! So a quick recap of some major events:





*I returned to work and have three great classes. I am teaching two sections of Physical Science and one Biology. My kids are really good and it has been a fun semester thus far. Midterms are this week so we are busy with that!





*I had my 10 year high school reunion which was a blast! Check out my facebook for pictures from that!





*John has been swamped with some major projects including the new Highway 311 bypass. He does such a great job and I am so proud of him!





*Meredith is just thriving! She is doing very well and has become a little mommy both at school with the younger children in her class and at home with Nora.





*We went to see Yo Gabba Gabba live with Mom and Kenny...the girls LOVED it and it was a whole lot of fun! We are so thankful they thought of us and bought the tickets! It truly was a special weekend!





*Nora rolled over on October 7th and has started eating cereal and sweet potatoes. She wasn't too keen on the cereal at first (she LOVES her bottle). However, starting this week, when she sees the spoon, she opens wide! :) She is a darling little girl and has such a sweet sweet demeanor. We are just in love with her and just the thought of her makes me smile and ache to hold her!





*John and I had been training for a half marathon which is 13.1 miles in Myrtle Beach. This past weekend, on the 24th we ran the half marathon and it was a huge accomplishment! John finished in 2:30:00 and I finished in about 2:45:00 :). We received a great medal for finishing the race within 3:30:00.





*The NCSU games have kept us busy and we have been pleased with how our boys have been doing for the most part--we are looking forward to the FSU vs. NCSU game tomorrow night!





*John's birthday is coming up and he is going to be 30! Ha ha!





*I have finished my training and have become a Stephen Minister at our church. If you do not know what that is, visit the following website: http://www.stephenministries.org/





I am sure there is much more I am forgetting! I will try to update a little more often....man, life with two kids is crazy!

Nora this weekend at Elaine's while John and I were in Myrtle Beach to run the marathon.

I love this picture and had to share!

A quick picture of my girls and I today. They truly are my heart and their daddy protects it with incredible valor. I am blessed beyond measure and remember that every day when I look at the three of them.

Thank you, God, for my beautiful family and the love we have for each other. May they be raised to love you as much as their parents do. May we raise them to give thanksgiving and praise for the blessings in their lives. We are undeserving yet you have showered us with grace and love. Amen.

Nora: 2 Month Update

Well, Nora is 2 months...technically, she is now closer to three months but I thought I would give a quick update. She had her check up and is 11 lbs 10 oz. and 22 3/4" which puts her in the 75th percentile for height and weight. She is smiling and cooing which just warms my heart. She has a really really sweet demeanor which just reminds me of John. She enjoys (and I got approval from the doctor to continue) sleeping on her tummy. She is a little gassy and, I think, intolerant of the sugar lactose (which is in all dairy products). I have to stay away from milk, ice cream, and large quantities of cheese (which probably helps with my weight loss!). She has started sleeping in her crib successfully for naps and at night time. She sleeps pretty well at night getting up usually only once for a feeding between 2 and 4AM. However, she isn't a great napper and naps only 30-45 minutes at a time. We all just seem to fall in love with her more and more each day. If you ask Meredith what her sister's name is, she responds: "Baby Sister Nora Partin". It's cute!

I am posting a picture of Meredith vs. Nora at two months. Let me know how you think they compare!

In other news, we had, what I would consider, the best family vacation that I can ever remember with my family in July to Lake Lure (I am waiting on getting all of the pictures from PeePaw Kenny before I do a post). I have lost 24 pounds to date since returning from the hospital after having Nora. AND, John and I have registered for the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in October and have begun to train. We are both up to running somewhere between 3-4 miles at this point. We will keep everyone updated!

Racing down the Creeper Trail.....

This past Saturday, we were fortunate to have gotten a baby sitter for Nora all day (if you need a GREAT sitter, let us know!) and went along with Ben, Elaine, Jimmy, Melissa, IV, and Spencer to Creeper Trail in the Virgina mountains for a 17 mile bike ride. The grade was a gradual downward slope that was easy for all to cycle down. We followed the trail as it followed a river down the mountain for 17 miles from the drop off to Demascus, VA. The weather was great, by the way--party cloudy and 81 degrees with a 20% chance of rain.

We all rode bikes except for Meredith. She was in a little buggy/trailer that was attached to John's bike--she called it "Merenith's Strooooooooooooooller". Anyway, at first she laughed until some mud started flying off of John's tires onto her which caused hysterics because she was dirty! So, we talked her into wearing a jacket, letting us put the cover on the "stroller", and putting her sunglasses on. Once she was "covered" we were on our way. For the most part, she loved it! John and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with just her and giving her a little alone time with us. We also loved watching her interact with IV and Spencer (she really loves those boys). It was also relaxing to just do this activity as a family unit where everyone was in one place at one time moving at the same pace. We feel that so often, we all get so caught up in our lives that we do not carve out time that is exclusive to spending time together without somewhere else to be, something else to do, and someone else to spend time with. We all had one goal: spend time with each other and enjoy the great scenery. What a great day!

On a side note, we look forward to having an equally wonderful experience with my mother and brothers soon! :) And, Happy Birthday, Momma! A girl could not ask for a better best friend and mother! I love you and am thankful that this birthday marks a great year for you!

Nora's 5 Week Check-Up

We have had a very busy first five weeks of Nora's life. Nora finally got to meet her Uncle Chad, Aunt Anna Ruth, and cousin Baylee for a few hours between their vacations with family (Meredith got to finally meet Uncle Chad as well which was exciting for us). My brother Greg was able to get some time off and come meet Nora as well--he adored her and it just warmed my heart that he drove here and then spent the whole day just watching her and enjoying his time with her. Also, he brought some souvenirs from Williamsburg, VA for Meredith which Meredith has yet to part with. We also visited the beach for a long weekend with my mother, her boyfriend (Kenny), and my brother. It was a great visit and relaxing, however, it became very evident to me that we are still transitioning. Here are a few pictures from these events:

Nora had her five week check up yesterday and she is doing great! She is 10 lbs., 3 oz. which is in the 50th percentile for weight and is 22 1/2 inches long which is in the 5oth percentile for height. She has started smiling and did so on Father's Day while we sat in church. Also, she is focusing on us and following objects that pass in front of her. So, she is right on track with respect to milestones. She is a gassy baby so we are giving her gas drops and being very mindful that she burps throughout the day so that the pressure does not build up. She has also gone through a couple growth spurts. Meredith just adores her and is always wanting to help out. If Nora cries, Meredith calls to me: "Mommy, baby needs her paci!" If I don't respond, she finds it and starts trying to give it to Nora. She also likes to pick out a diaper and help change Nora's diaper. It is adorable, also, how Meredith thanks God every night for her baby sister. My hope and prayer is that they grow to be very close as they both grow older. I am not naive to think they will never have disagreements, but I hope that they will be there for each other as best friends even after John and I are gone. Dr. Jedlica made a statement to me at the appointment when I was voicing concerns that it was really hard to split my time between the two especially when Nora is hitting growth spurts and needs to eat every two hours and is eating for 40 minutes since I am nursing. She told me that I shouldn't feel guilty because I gave Meredith a great gift in a sibling. That siblings are important because they provide support to one another even when the parents are gone. I loved that! I never had a sister and always wished (even to this day) that I did. I believe that John and I have given Meredith and Nora a great gift in each other. Thanks be to God!

I'm coming out....

The girls and I were ready to venture out of the house as a family for the first time since Nora's arrival so we had a fun weekend as a family. We visited the zoo for the first time since receiving our year pass, which is a great deal since we are only about 20 minutes away. On Saturday, we visited the Africa section of the zoo using our double stroller for the first time (thanks, Mom!). Nora slept through the whole thing but Meredith had a great time! She especially loved the chimpanzees, the "baballoons", and the elephants. It was kind of a hot day so we only stayed for about 3 hours with plans to return soon. However, the trip was long enough and busy enough to totally wipe Meredith out.

On Sunday, we returned to church after a Sunday off since having Nora. It was really really great to see everyone. I always miss going to church and hate missing Sundays. We have a really great church family and Sunday School class. They are a huge support! In fact, our Sunday School class, small group, and the Stephens Ministry (in which I am training to be a part of) has signed up and have been bringing meals to us each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday since Nora's arrival and will be bringing us meals up until the middle of July. It is an incredible help in addition to something I look forward to on those days. After spending days nursing and playing toddler games, I look forward to the adult interaction! :)

Nora is here...the Birth Story:

Nora arrived on Monday, May 31st at 9:06AM and weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz and measured 20 inches. Every birth story is unique and this one was definitely different than Meredith's birth. If you are interested, keep reading--if not, enjoy the pictures and know that everyone is healthy and happy! :)









At about 1:50AM on Monday morning, I woke up to a contraction that made me actually say "owww!" I had already ran to the doctor on two separate occasions thinking I was in labor so I told myself as I laid in bed that I would not be waking anyone until the contractions were regular and got more intense (as read on BabyCenter.com). So, after the second and then third contraction (regularly 10 minutes apart), I really woke John and started to think that I needed to call the doctor. We called the doctor and he said to head into the hospital. Thankfully, Elaine (my MIL) was only down the road so we called her and she arrived at around 3:15AM to stay with Meredith and John and I rushed out the door. We arrived at the hospital at 3:45AM and at this point, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart!!!!!! I was having terrible back labor and due to the fact that it was a holiday, there were not many people working at the hospital which meant I was working through the contractions in the waiting room of the Emergency Room for about 15 minutes before they got me up to Labor & Delivery (and by working through, I mean everyone in the general vicinity could obviously tell that I was in labor whether they could see me or not). :)

We were finally rolled up to the delivery room where the back labor really kicked in hard! I have never known a pain like that! At 4:30AM, the nurse checked to see how far I had progressed and I was at 6cm dilated. By the time the epidural finally arrived at 6AM (yes, that is what I just said--6AM!!!!!!!), I was dilated 8cm. My mom, Grandpa Kenny, Uncle Michael and Beth arrived at 6:30AM. The doctor arrived at 6:45AM and I was tempted to ask him what had taken so long because I had been ready to push since 6:15AM (my water had broken by 6:30AM) and was told to hold off until he arrived. We started pushing as he prepared to deliver and much to our surprise after about an hour, Nora had not really descended due to the fact that she had a large head (thank you very much, John) and she wasn't moving through the birth canal very easily. Also, the epidural still had not completely kicked in so I was feeling everything along my left side. There was a switch in doctor shifts which meant I now had two of my OB doctors delivering and they decided to give me a break from pushing and turn me to my left side in hopes that gravity would help the epidural numb my left side. After 30 minutes of resting, the epidural finally kicked in within all areas, the baby turned, and I was ready to push again. This time, after 30 minutes of pushing and a second degree episiotomy, Nora made her debut into the world. Some of you know that I had been having dreams that I was having a boy, so my first question was, "it is a girl, isn't it?"


She is beautiful and to us, looks like a 3 week more mature version of Meredith when she was born. We've decided that Meredith has my lips but Nora has John's. She has a little less hair and it is a little lighter than Meredith's. While she looked pudgy when she first came out, she has since thinned out and seems to be long and lean just like her daddy and sister.


Now that she is almost a week old, I can tell you that her personality is less fiesty than Meredith--she seems pretty laid back and even-keel. She is nursing exclusively from the moment she was born and is doing very well at it which is a relief after the struggles we had with Meredith. She was jaundice in the intermediate range when we left the hospital so we already had Nora's first doctor appointment. The doctors said on Friday that her jaundice is much less and she has not lost any more weight than what she had at the hospital (she sits at a whopping 8 lbs 3 oz). While we have had a couple rough nights, we had a good one last night and hope that things are looking up.


We all love little Nora and Meredith is also adjusting well. She loves to take care of Nora by trying to give her a pacifier when she crys, standing beside us on a stool when we change Nora's diapers, encouraging Nora to eat when it is time to nurse, and she LOVES to give Nora lots of kisses. Our prayer is that the two will grow close as they grow together. It seems that our family is just a little more complete...

Nope, no baby yet...

We have 5 days left until Nora's due date of June 3rd. I never would have thought that I would go this long being that it is a second child and I have been dilated for a month and have had regular Braxton Hicks contractions every 15 minutes since 36 weeks gestation! As of my appointment on Friday, I am now dilated 2 cm and 75% effaced (finally, some progress). I have taken many tests in the last three weeks or so due to the fact that I have shown elevated signs of toxemia, however thankfully, while things are slightly elevated, they are not in a range that would require us to boot Nora out early. So, here we are still waiting. I don't think there is one thing on our list of pre-baby things left to do. At this point, I have another doctor appointment on Tuesday and an already scheduled induction (doctor insisted due to concerns of toxemia really rearing its ugly head) for Thursday (my due date).

We will keep everyone updated which should be easier now that I am officially on maternity leave. We welcome Nora at any moment she would like to arrive but I am starting to think we are going to have to coax her out and that she is not planning to come on her own :). Make sure to check Facebook for daily updates!

Nora Update: 36 Weeks Pregnant

Well, this week has been an eventful one! We've been getting good test results back, strep test is negative, still no signs of exposure to Fifths Disease, blood pressure is down, protein is a little elevated but not dangerous. However, little Nora has dropped and dropped HARD! I can only explain it as I have an extreme bruised feeling "down there" constantly thanks to her being in head down position in my pelvis. As of Friday, I am almost 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I had my regular appointment on Monday and was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced but on Friday, I was having very sharp pains and contractions every 15 minutes. Because these regular contractions and sharp pains made me nervous, I went immediately to the doctor to find out the pain is due to ligaments and that my contractions are just Braxton Hicks (that I've had for a while) that are becoming more regular. I was told that I should keep my Monday appointment and that if my contractions become more intense, then I should come back in to be checked. Nora seems happy as pie, though. She hiccups throughout the day ensuring her mother that she is there and fine, she kicks me in my right ribs, and shifts her back from my left to my right side throughout the day (this always makes me laugh due to how my belly is shaped larger based on what side she is lying on). Her heart rate remains in the 130s which makes me wonder if we truly have a little Nora or a little Nathan. I will be 37 weeks pregnant on Thursday which means she will be considered full term. If I could just make it there, I will be thankful.

We had some maternity pictures taken with Amy Stewart recently, so enjoy while you read our update! Oh, and by the way, John put together a soothing playlist for labor in the hospital and just set the I-Touch on my belly while I post. So, our sweet girl is moving gently to the soothing music.

April Update in May? Why not...

Well, we have been a bit busy and overwhelmed lately so I haven't had time to post. BUT, now I do thanks to John cleaning the whole house yesterday giving me time to just sit and relax! Ok, so quick run down:

*We went to the beach and Emma and Lauren were able to meet us (Emma and Lauren went to middle and high school with me and I am so thankful we have kept in touch and remained close). We had a great time as just girls but I was just as blessed to have John and Meredith come with us. It was great to be able to spend time as girls at night and as a family during the day. Emma and Lauren have not been able to spend much time getting to know Meredith so she got to know them which just blessed my heart. I love seeing people that are special to me in different ways spend time together. We spent the weekend sitting on the beach, talking, and playing outside around the condo!

*We also spent a Sunday at Lazy 5 Ranch with the children and families who are part of the childrens' ministry at Emerywood. We had not been yet and while we were nervous how Meredith would handle large animals coming up to her on the wagon ride, she LOVED it and we had a great time. She especially loved the water buffalo (everybody's got a water buffalo, yours is fast but mine is slow), buffalo, emu, antelope and the giraffes. John and I just loved watching her experience new things, spending time with other close friends and their children, and laughing hysterically. I am thankful that we have found a great church family that is helping us raise our daughter up with the same values we hold so close to our hearts.

*A couple Fridays ago, another Physical Science teacher, Jennifer Craft, and I took our Physical Science students to Carowinds for their Education Day. Our students were required to complete physics problems related to the rides during the morning and then were turned loose to have fun during the afternoon. I think the real life experience is something that our students hold onto forever and it is just nice to get out of the classroom and blow off some steam with them. It always amazes me how much better I get to know them when spending time away from the classroom. I am especially blessed for the fact that John is able to take Community Service Days with the State and be paid to serve in our schools. Therefore, John served as one of our star chaperons. I say "star" because of his expertise in Physics--the kids in his group just really lucked out. I really loved sharing being a teacher with him. I think it is so important that you invest a little of yourself in the things that are important to your partner. He spent the day with my kids and I get to drive through his projects while he explains what is going on. We have gotten to the point that when we are driving, I can tell when he is evaluating a new construction project and he can tell when my thoughts turn to a great lesson plan. I truly am blessed to be married to my perfect match. Thanks to Elaine for taking care of Meredith so John and I could share these special moments.

*Other highlights are that Meredith was able to spend a long weekend with my mother and Kenny while John went to Raleigh with me for a workshop I had. It was nice to get away with John one last time before sweet baby Nora gets here. Meredith had a great time with her Nana as always--she rode the lawn mower or "tractor" for the first time, she played outside helping plant flowers, went shopping (a trip to Nana's would not be complete without shopping), and just spent quality time. I love watching my mother with Meredith just because she just loves our little girl so much! It also gives me a glimpse of how she probably was with me--I sure do love my Mommy! I, unfortunately, do not have any great pictures from this particular weekend, but you can imagine the sweet memories they created.

Also, Meredith has had the opportunity to spend many Monday afternoons with her Granna due to my weekly Monday appointments at the OB/GYN. We had a little scare because I was exposed to Fifths Disease when Meredith came down with it--however, tests are showing to be clear that the baby will not be affected by it. Also, my blood pressure shot up, I was spilling protein in my wastes, and my swelling had increased. So, I had to have some additional tests for toxemia but thankfully, they came back a little elevated but not in "danger" range like they were with Meredith.

We had a great but busy April. May has started to slow down for us which is good since we are anticipating Nora any day.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! We certainly hope that you have been able to reflect on the cross and the true meaning of this day! I always enjoy reflecting on Easter because it is a week where we mourn the loss of our Savior and then rejoice in his resurrection and the salvation that it represents! What a sacrifice our Lord made by sending His Son in flesh to die for you and I? I count my blessings!

This Easter we celebrated the day before by going on an Easter egg hunt with IV before he, Auntie "Hey Baby" and Uncle Jimmy left for Atlanta. On Easter Day, it was lovely being able to get dressed up (thanks, Anne Marie for letting me borrow the spring-y maternity dress) and head to church. John and I find it so important that Meredith always finds herself surrounded by other believers rejoicing in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ at Easter. I was asked to play a flute trio with Anne Marie Trammell and Mallory Griffin which was fun.

After church, we made our way over to Ben and Elaine's house for a yummy lunch with Nanny and Uncle Wayne. We were also pleased that Matt, Maureen, and Cadence McGee were able to join us for lunch and an Easter Egg hunt. The girls had a blast as they raced around the yard figuring out this Easter Egg hunt thing. I think they have caught on and we will need to come up a way to stall them next year.

**In light of reflection of new life, I guess this would be an appropriate place to give a Nora update. Nora is growing--trust me, she is GROWING! Her heart rate was 135 at the last check up which I think is interesting. Meredith always had a heart rate of about 150-155. My blood pressure is within normal range although it is high for me. However, while swelling has picked up, it doesn't seem to be worse that what is to be expected with the incoming heat and the last trimester of pregnancy which means no toxemia (yet). I will say that I put on a size 11 shoe this morning (I normally wear a 10) and they were tight which officially made me feel like I am as big as I feel! There are nine more weeks before we hope Nora will grace us with her presence. We are hoping she can hang on in utero until at least May 28th. We have moved Meredith out of the nursery into her big girl room (pictures to come) and are focused on reorganizing and sprucing up the nursery. We know these next 9 weeks will fly by.**

Easter Egg Hunt at EBC!

This Saturday morning at 10AM we went to our church, Emerywood Baptist Church, for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Last year, we did not take Meredith because she was so young, but this year, she was able to attend! She was a little overwhelmed by the number of other bigger kids but once she caught on to how the whole egg hunt thing worked, we couldn't stop her! In fact, she was gathering so many, we started to have her tell us the colors of the eggs before she picked them up! This age is so much fun and we are really enjoying watching her experience new things. This week's focus, however, will be on the true meaning of Easter and the sacrifice that our Savior made so that we may be saved by grace and spend eternal life in Heaven with Him. To kick off this holy week, Meredith walked a palm down the aisle at church. We hope you all have a relaxing and reflective week!

Palmer's coming soon!

This weekend, I was able to visit Raleigh and help some other great ladies shower Katie McWilliams with gifts and advice in preparation for Palmer David McWilliams' arrival on or around May 2nd. It was a lot of fun to catch up with the ladies from the LoveLee's bible study. Our group assembled almost 10 years ago during our freshman year at NC State University. We stayed together for four years and love it when we can all get together. I sure do love these girls and it was great to see them! Katie, Samantha and I are all due this Spring/Early Summer and it was fun being able to take some belly shots together. All of the girls look and are doing great! Katie and David, we are so excited for you all and we thank you for including us in your pre-baby celebrations! We hope our sweet Nora will be able to meet Palmer soon--but not too soon!

Meredith's 2nd Birthday Party!

We had a great time celebrating Meredith's birthday a couple weeks ago with family and close friends. Meredith's friends came over and we made visors in preparation for Spring. The kids had a great time sticking stickers to their visors while the parents were busy peeling as fast as they could. We also had great food and Meredith was blessed to have received really great gifts. She loves her Curious George DVD from Cooper, her tutu from Cadie, some sidewalk chalk from Amelia, a swimming baby doll from Maddie, and some beautiful clothes from Spencer, IV, and Julianna. Also, her grandparents surprised her with some very cool outdoor toys. Nana and Kenny got Meredith her own Power Wheels Bug and her Granna and Papa got her a great tricycle! Needless to say, Meredith is ready to play! We were also thankful to have great weather so that the children could break out of being inside and run around outside. We are so appreciative of all the love and care that everyone has shown Meredith in the past two years. It is you all that are helping us shape and mold our little girl!