faith

nathaniel and shaelyn at a folly wedding

naked baby! he covered himself up!
ready for church


i'll have to admit that waking up this morning i wasn't too sure of how i would feel. today is carson's 4th birthday and having nathaniel here hasn't lessened the pain of losing carson - not that i thought it would - i just am surprised how much the pain hasn't been lessened.


when i got up with nathaniel at 5 this morning, i was most grateful for him and the love i have for him. and i was most grateful for the love i have for carson and the lessons he taught me through his pregnancy and through his death. he's definately made me a better mom for the turtle tot. so today i am most grateful for:

• patience and reflection
• faith
• nathaniel
• 3 poops at 5am!
• david
• sam and ben's arrival - although very early - the happy outcome. 2 months in the nicu is ahead of them, but in advance, grateful that they will be well taken care of.
• nicole and eric's faith and determination to add more to love into their family.
• miss faye - i couldn't have imagined or dreamed someone better to take care of my boy when i'm at work.
• having the summer to spend with nathaniel - to love on him and smooch on him and nap with him and play with him.
• nathaniel's smiles.
• an almost giggle this morning when the outfit didn't fit and i started laughing.
• david planning for us to go to magnolia gardens today as a family to play.
• you, for being supportive and loving us always in all ways.

nathaniel's summer party week or michelle and craig come to folly!

the party is taking it's toll by thursday night!

aunt michelle

papa and baby
candice and mom at taco boy
papa, aunt michelle and uncle craig

grandma and her boy
ready for a big night out with mommy

just hanging around

uncle craig

partying is so tiring
daddy and baby

mom and aunt michelle

celebrating the people that i love!

auntie sugar and her boy.

grandmama b

aunt tina and elizabeth

little cheryl

• little cheryl's surprise 30th birthday party saturday night. her family went all out - big italian spread, firefly sweet tea vodka, amazing cake by her sister lee. . . she was very surprised. we took the wee one and he danced and laughed and smiled at the pretty girls. AND he slept so good after partying so hard!


• ms dority's birthday yesterday. a surprise visit from dave and the girls and lunch with them and dinner with tom and wendy and the girls and tommy and ms dority and us at the olive garden last night. haven't been there in a while - it was good!


• saturday at the ripley beachhouse. uncle john and aunt tina's seafood night. spending time with rip and corey.
• chandler's perspective.


• nathaniel being so sweet at the restaurant and loving on daddy after his mini-meltdown (the baby's - not david's)


• nathaniel's 8 week birthday.


• michelle and craig coming on saturday - i cannot stand myself i'm so excited.


• dad and chris putting an offer on the house in beaufort.


• new formula and 3 poops all by himself in 2 days!!!!! poop is joyous!!!!


• good sleep last night.


• nathaniel's new awareness to his surroundings and smiling and giggling.


• eye contact with an 8 week old.


• mom's willingness to keep him saturday night so craig, michelle, david and i can get into some trouble.


• loving people who just want to get their hands on this child!


• dr kline.


• you, my 3 a day pooper, you!

9 lbs 8 ozs!

nana and baby
in the water with daddy
our morning nap
is that a smile?
the first family portrait

• the turtle tot eating well and gaining weight!
• smiles that aren't connected to poots.
• smiles that are connected to poots.
• the hummmn hummmn hummmn when he eats.
• poop
• snuggles
• morning naps
• my weekend sleep - a lot last night!!!
• gas drops to ease his belly.
• thank you notes going in the mail.
• getting announcements started.
• nathaniel and i planning our afternoon outing to see mamma mia this week.
• the visit last week from grandpa and grandma chris.
• saturday with grandma and pa pa.
• sunday with nana and big dad.
  

another week 'pon top edisto

aunt vivian

uncle boober

hippie baby

cousin whitman

on the beach with nana


sigh. . . another year's vacation over. . . edisto. . . sigh. . .

• the beach house with a hammock, outdoor shower and literally 60 feet from the beach.


• big d and shelbs sharing it with us.


• shelbs taking care of nathaniel so that i could spend a few minutes each day on the beach.


• david spending more time than usual.


• nathaniel's first dip in the ocean. he liked it!


• nathaniel's first bath in the kitchen sink - he liked that even more!


• dr kline and his insight to nathaniel's poop problem and the help getting weight on this child! 8lbs 11ozs as of last tuesday!


• nathaniel's colonoscopy showing nothing wrong - just needed a bigger poop hole.


• the treatment for mrsa - staph infection that somehow he came up with. thank god for no symptoms - just a random test showed it.


• the nurses at st francis - everytime for being so loving and caring and educated about how to handle such a little squirt.


• being on the right path of nathaniel's weight gain. dr kline being supportive of my desire to breastfeed and his encouragement that all will be alright.


• kozy shack chocolate pudding for taking medication. it rocks.


• weaving our way through the medical treatment of nathaniel - trusting my gut and going with it.


• diapers and onsies that finally fit!


• tie-dye wrap shirts from denise and the kids that he rocked at the beach.


• a much too big bathing suit so that he felt like he wasn't a little redneck baby swimming in his diaper.


• denise and the kids and all their help while they were here. i miss having them in the house.


• confirmed plans that craig and michelle will be here for a week.


• plans that cindy is coming.


• dad and chris coming this tuesday for a week for them to meet nathaniel.


• excitement in my dad's and chris's voices each time i speak with them about the baby.


• 'burp the baby,' 'naked baby!' 'mama's got her boobs out,' 'wake up baby nate!' - all songs we sing to him constantly.


• a trip to the edisto piggly wiggly with just david for a quick date and he wanted to find diapers that fit - i wanted to shop for beer.


• really really good health insurance.


• aunt vivian and uncle boober coming last week and spending time with turtle tot.


• turtle tot, turtle bug, bug, bo bo - all the nicknames we're coming up with.


• deadliest catch at 2 in the morning.


• a baby that sleeps at night when he's not eating - which is only about every 3 hours.


• parenting models of what to do and what not to do.


• trusting my gut.


• sleep deprivation not feeling like a hangover - always thought it would!


• girls night out this thursday. chandler picked a good place - hominy grill.


• getting the announcements and thank you cards ordered.


• a new barstool/step stool for the kitchen 5 finger discounted at mom and poppie's garage sale this morning.


• new picture frames.


• more organization of all the new stuff.


• tomato pie


• brownies


• banana sandwiches for breakfast
• tomato sandwiches for lunch.


• the routine nathaniel and i have gotten into.


• david looking me deep in the eyes and telling me he loves me.


• work missing me.


• another year 100+ club membership earned and another diamond in the watch.


• you, my little hammock napper, you!

eat sleep poop

he's just finished munching under the 'hooter hider'

this is pretty much our day
aunt denise as the recipient of the first blowout diaper!


yoga baby

notes from the universe

'Dang, bridget, just because you're a supernatural, unstoppable, manifesting machine, doesn't mean you can't ask for help. A lot of help. And fully expect to receive it.
That was part of "the deal" - The Universe'

did i need this today.... we've had quite a weekend of just unhappy baby and that's right up there as one of the most heartwrenching feelings of my life. just helpless.

but enter stageright - denise. who last night insisted that i get the pump set up and actually use it so she could stay up all night with nathaniel and david and i could get some sleep. he actually slept - only woke up to eat. which he happily did and went back to sleep. we slept and i have to say, i felt comfortable enough not to even roll over or wake up for that matter. i got him from her about 6 and he was just bundled so sweetly - i had david change him so i wouldn't be the bad mommy! he's been smiling and alert and happy this morning - when he's been awake. so today i am most grateful for:

• denise denise denise!
• her taking time from her life and her husband and being here for just last night. her wisdom and guidance.
• wesley and amelia who are just ok with being uprooted and enrolled in camps and thrown into situations with kids they don't know and having fun. a week with them in the house feels like they have always been here.
• aunt keena's swaddling lessons which i have yet to master - i need her back - but i'm trying.
• nathaniel's social security card coming already! i think he's ready to go to work and start earning his keep.
• my sweet little boy - who coos and smiles and poops. he's strong and stubborn already like his daddy.
• father's day with big d and poppie yesterday.
• david's father's day with nathaniel. his father's days without carson were always so emotional and hard and although yesterday he felt the loss of carson, nathaniel was here to love on.
• david.
• 'mama's got her boobs out. . .' ringing in my ears as i start breastfeeding.
• breastfeeding going well.
• the pump not hurting!!! weird? absolutely. hurty? not at all.
• "david's" new recliner! he's sat in it for about 3 minutes because i discovered it was perfect to feed nathaniel in.
• a date with david on friday night for sushi.
• and on a totally different note, mark IV and his commitment to his family. he will be missed.
• nathaniel's cheeks
• you, my little social security card carrying worker bee, you!