New Blog

Hey everyone! I've decided to start a new blog to let everyone know what's going on with our little family. (What's in my belly isn't too appropriate anymore, unless y'all want to hear about my lunch!)

Visit it at: www.rotherfamily.blogspot.com

The Prettiest Baby in History!

Here's the link for the slideshow for Farley's newborn photos. I love them!

slideshows.clickphotodesigns.com/Rother

username: Farley1
password: Farley1

(I wish I was tech savvy and could figure out how to link directly to it, but I cannot figure it out for the life of me... arggh!)

Newborn Photo Shoot

Hi everyone. I wanted to let everyone know that Farley had her newborn photo shoot last Friday. Sarah, the same great photographer who did our maternity pictures, came to the house to get some of Farley. Well, wouldn't you know it... she had her fussiest day of life yet! It became comical after a couple of hours of trying to get her to stop screaming, but she wasn't having it, especially those cute naked baby pictures I wanted! This baby does not like to be uncovered! Anyway, when Sarah left, I told her if she managed to get one decent non-screaming picture, that she was the most talented photographer in history! Well, she posted some previews to her blog today and I couldn't believe it! She managed to catch Farley in some sweet moments. The funniest thing is-- even when Farley's not a happy camper, we still think she's the most beautiful and sweetest baby ever!

You can go to Sarah's blog: www.clickphotodesigns.com and click on her blog link to see them. If you would like to leave a comment, do! If we get 30 comments, we'll get a free 8x10!

More Pictures of Sweet Farley

Here's some pictures of our sweet girl. She's changed so much already! Jason and I enjoy her so much and can't believe how in love we are with our little angel!

Farley Grace's Big Arrival

Well, I've been reminded what a terrible job I've done keeping up the blog. Forget blogging about my Tea, showers, the nursery... I totally dropped the ball. But, none of that matters now, as Miss Farley Grace Rother made her appearance one week ago. Last Friday, we were very surprised when she decided to make her big debut early. But, wow, it has been the most awesome week of my life, for sure! I've thought that a baby coming into this world is a miracle, but when they put her into my arms, I knew that I believed in them for sure. The thought of it still takes my breath away.

So, here are some photos of our little miracle...

Photos...

I know I haven't blogged in a while, so I just wanted to drop a note really quickly (and I mean quick- I'm at work!) about our Maternity Photos we had done last weekend. Our photographer, Sarah, was completely awesome and we had a lot of fun. It's really nice to have some pictures of Farley in the belly that actually look decent-- not like I'm a beached whale. It's that photographer magic...they can make you look lots better than you really do! We don't have the whole gallery yet, but she put a little preview of them up on her website.

For some reason, I can't get the link to post, so you can just go to:
www.clickphotodesigns.com

More Nursery Progress

Yep, we're also coming along in leaps and bounds on the nursery front. After Jason finished the painting (and then was out of town for a whole week), he got to come back and put all the furniture together! I helped, sort of. I mean, Ikea, we love you, but putting together a whole room's worth of furniture took every bit of a whole day... I mean, until midnight! Then, we got her rug in this week and Dad just brought over the bookcase that had to be painted white to match the rest of the furniture we bought. It's really coming together and I'm getting excited. Now, granted the bedding is sitting in the crib, still in original packaging, and we still need a glider, window treatments, and to do all the wall decorations, and to change out the light fixture... but, that's just the fluff. All the hard stuff is pretty much done. I love it so far- I can't believe what a change from the dark red bedroom it was just a month ago! It's so light and airy and just what I wanted.

Her wardrobe and crib (I just now got the special detergent to wash all the bedding, so I just need to get to it!


Her rug... I love it! (even though Dad says it's a safety hazard... he said he wants to know how far I think I can throw the baby when I trip on it!)


Dresser (that will also be the changing table) and the bookcase.

Birthday Month!

Yes, I realized about a week before the Bday that it was time for me to turn a year older. Highly unusual for me, as I often begin the countdown at least a month in advance. I guess I just have so much Farley stuff on my mind that I almost forgot! Jason told me I was free to celebrate my birthday month like I usually do, but I discovered a weeklong celebration suited me just fine. Plus, I know I'm about to not be the princess of the house anymore, and I think I'm going to survive the change.

We went with the family to eat at Red Robin last Sunday and I had fun (and drank way too many of their Freckled Lemonades....yum!). My cake was so cute-- one of my last princess-like demands. (thanks, Mom, for the indulgence). Then, Tuesday was my actual birthday, and Jason and I went out to eat (a recurring theme with me) and to look for a video camera (my big b'day present... Better to capture precious Farley moments, my dear).


The other thing that happened last week was that we visited my new obstetrician for the first time. Good, no great news is that we really liked him a lot! Plus, since I was new patient, we got another ultrasound and it was awesome! Farley was so much more developed and looked more like a for real baby this time. She was wiggling around a lot (but I could have told you that from her aerobics sessions she does in my belly 24/7!) And, she was sticking everything in her mouth she could... arm, fingers, thumb, and she was trying for feet, too! I'd try to post those pics, too, but that will require Jason's expertise, so I'll see what I can do.

We're Talking Serious Progress Here!

Since I was a-bloggin', I figured I would share what we've done so far on the nursery. And by we, I mean Jason. (I, of course, am the supervisor.) So, Jason has been working for the last two weekends, and all this week so far... and he's making progress. Take a look at what the nursery (the artist formerly known as guest room) looked like to begin with: Yes... it is brick red! Probably one of the only rooms in the whole house we hadn't redone since we moved in. Will be a big transformation, for sure.


Of course, Ollie had to get in the shot. This cat is going to have major issues coming to grips with not being the baby of the house anymore, but that's a story for another day...

Naturally, we have run up on some obstacles-- isn't that the way all projects go? I picked out the biggest crown molding at the store and it wouldn't fit the saw we borrowed from PawPaw and so we ended up with the corner pieces. But that's okay, I totally love the way it looks so far. Jason (with his Uncle Tommy's assistance) did a great job... it looks so elegant. Just perfect for a princess. So, as we speak-- or as I type-- Jason is hard at work, cutting in the walls. See.



I love the way the molding turned out!

We actually put up crown molding and then dropped down a few inches and put another strip of molding and painted the wall between them the same glossy white.

Other than nursery projects: Not a ton going on. I'm 99% percent sure I'm changing obstetricians very soon and I think I'll be a much happier camper. What else... oh yeah, we've registered and I found it ridiculously overwhelming. It just reminds me how little I know about babies! To quote a friend of ours, Cade, about the impending arrival of his little girl, "they'll let anybody have a baby these days!" So funny, and so appropriate! But, as Jason likes to remind me, if cavemen could have babies, surely we can handle it! (Easy for him to say, he's been around them a whole heck of a lot more than I have!)
Other than that, Farley kicks everyone "hi." That, or she's kicking for ice cream. Hard to tell, really.

Getting there...

Ahhh... the lovely snow day in March. Our house was peaceful and serene... on the outside. I went to take a picture so we could enjoy the juxtaposition of the state of the outside of the house against the inside.



Yikes! This is Jason in the area that used to be known as our dining room. As it was when we first moved into this house, it is once again the "staging room." It's storing all the stuff that will go in the nursery, including furniture (still in boxes), toys, clothes, and all the other baby stuff we've accumulated so far. This is where all this stuff will live until the nursery is done. Yes, it is scary, and yes, it is wigging me out, but I've just learned to take a deep breath whenever I pass it, knowing at it's only a matter of time before the dining room will reappear and we'll have a beautiful nursery.

More baby stuff...

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written, but we've only made some recent developments, so here goes...
Jason passed his test and is now CAMS certified. Whooo! Now, he's all mine again. No more studying, just nursery-ing.
We went with Mom and Dad to Atlanta Saturday for the big Ikea trip. It was a big trip, indeed! We got just about all of the nursery furniture (crib, dresser, and wardrobe). We've decided to paint our bookcase to match and it will go in there, too. So, all we're missing now is the rocker/glider. However, since it is Ikea-- none of the furniture we bought this weekend is put together yet! We also got a sofa bed for the office since we lost our guest bed when Farley commandeered the guest room for her own. So, Jason put that together Sunday for our future guests that come to stay after the baby comes (I'm looking at you, Mom!)along with a new office chair. See... that nesting isn't limited just to the nursery!
Jason decided that it was no good to put all of the nursery furniture together until we got the room ready... makes sense to me. Unfortunately, nothing has been done to the room yet-- no wainscoting, paint, crown molding...nothing at all! So, we have designated the dining room as our "staging room." When we first moved into this house, we called it the staging room, then, too. Of course, at that time, we hadn't gotten any dining room furniture yet! So, we moved over the table and chairs and, poof, just like that, I have lost control over two rooms in my house!!!
Another reason we have so much in the dining room is because we actually have some baby stuff already! Mom's great friend Leann has been awesome to us and given us a bunch of really nice hand-me-downs from her little girl, Maddie. So, we have a good bit of clothes and toys already! It's so nice- and so much we hardly have anywhere to put it.
Sunday when it snowed, I went outside to enjoy the sights. I took a picture of the house, so nice and peaceful-looking. Then, I walked inside to chaos! I'm going to try not to stress out too much about it, but I'm one of those people that get all wigged out when stuff is out of order (especially to the extent of this out-of-control house). So, I'm hoping we can get started this weekend, or as soon as possible!

Sinking In

Well, we've known for about five days about our little girl and I must say, the excitement hasn't waned at all. I'm now getting used to the fact that we actually have seen her and she's really real (although Jason reminded me the other day that my belly wasn't growing at such a rapid pace because his cooking is that good). We've retrained ourselves to refer to "her" instead of "it." I equated it to sort of like when you get engaged and you had to learn to say "fiance" instead of "boyfriend." Now it is so much more fun to talk to the belly since we know who's in there! And Jason can ask what Farley and I want for dinner. (Notice there's another reference to Jason cooking... he's just about our sole sustenance provider these days!)
Now, I'm a pretty realistic person, and I know that a bazillion babies have been born, but I seriously think that the arrival of this baby girl is going to be the most awesome occurence in the history of the planet. I'm just sayin'.

On the to-do front: I still have one million things to do, but I'm actually starting to make headway. I actually got Farley's bedding Monday after the doctor's appointment. (That was the fun hanging out Mom, Dad, Delia and I did... I'm sure shopping at PBKids was the highlight of Dad's year.) I've signed Jason and myself up for the prepared childbirth class (likely to include the scary birthing video, which I have never seen-- probably better not to have seen before we started this little adventure), and I'm doing some pediatrician research. Hopefully we'll go to Atlanta at the end of this month to hit up Ikea for some furniture. I'll be sure to post nursery progress pictures... that is, when we actually start to make progress!

Farley Grace Rother

It's A Girl!

Well, we finally found out and I must say that I'm so excited. There's a little baby girl in Whitney's belly, and from the looks of things, she's already perfect! I was totally surprised, but Jason said he knew all along that it was a girl. So, Jason and I, along with Mom, Dad, and Delia went to the ultrasound this morning. It was amazing all the stuff we could see. She obliged us and moved around a bit and even waved at us for her picture. (tiny, perfect little fingers-- so crazy!)
So, our other big reveal for today is her name: Farley Grace. Well, Miss Farley, we can't wait for you to come meet us, 'cause we can't wait to meet you, too.

Countdown

I can't believe it...one week from today we get to finally find out the sex of what's in Whitney's belly. (third-person reference... obnoxious, I know) This time next week I can be looking at actual decorative items for the baby. Does this mean that the next few days will progress in the pokiest fashion? Probably.
A shout-out to everyone out there who has been sick. I think that everyone I know has suffered through some sort of head/chest/throat thing. I came down with something couple of weeks ago and just finally stopped hacking and coughing a few days back. Let me tell you-- when you're pregnant and not feeling well, the recommended "increased fluids and rest" along with some weak Robitussin does not cut it. No, not at all. I can't say it enough... I. Miss. Nyquil.
Otherwise, not much going on right now... it's like all systems are go for when we can finally find out what we've got in here (pointing to belly). Then, I think the race will be on and we'll go at full speed until the big day.

Jason, Run for the hills!

Well, I am thrilled to report that I have moved on another phase of this pregnancy, and it is a scary one! The nesting has begun!
I always figured that they meant that when pregnant women started nesting, that meant working on the nursery... picking out baby furniture, bedding, etc. But no! No! I am in full-on crazy lady mode. Last weekend I kept thinking of so many things I wanted done around the house that I finally had to start a list (goodness knows I can't remember anything on sheer mental power alone). And, this list-- holy moly-- has stuff like "re-grout bathroom tile" and "clean out and reorganize" pretty much every room, closet, or cabinet in the house. Bless our little house, it is lacking in the storage department... you know, like having a pantry... so I'm slashing and burning.
So, in the middle of all this, Jason is studying to get his CAMS certification (it is a banking thing.. Certified Anti Money-Laundering Specialist... that may or may not be it exactly). The test for this certification is in early February. So, Jason, being his most diplomatic and appeasing self, asked fearfully if he promised to help with everything on the list, could he wait until after his test to get started. Of course I, since I was not at that moment in a hormone-fueled state of hysterics, relented. So, Jason, run while you can, because it is about to get buck-wild up in the Rother house.
Otherwise, not too much going on in our world. I feel good and I like to make the baby dance (fun now that I have a belly to bounce around). Although Jason likes to see it go, he also reminds me that it will probably have a case of Shaken Baby Syndrome (notice the capitals... like I've verified that this is the correct medical term). But-- I say-- this way we'll know it will have rhythm!

More Thupping

Just wanted to drop a quick line about Monday's Dr. appointment. Just as I had predicted, it wasn't a big one... just got to hear the heartbeat again. This time, though, it sounded so different! I thought it sounded like a horse galloping! I guess there's more room for the baby to get its heart going in its new remodeled and expanded digs. (Yes... hello there belly! Where did you come from all of a sudden?!?) Also, the appointment has been made for the big reveal- we answer the boy/girl question on February 9th! I'm so excited... I can't wait to start thinking about decorating the nursery. Oh decisions, decisions...

Finally, Schminally!

I know this post is a long time coming (Mom!), but boy, has it been crazy! We finally got Christmas over with, and now we've got to get on to baby stuff. But, I do want to say that we had a really awesome holiday season with all of our family and friends.


We had Jason's whole family over to our house for dinner and early Santa Claus for the kiddos. That was the 21st. Of course, Jason had been out of town with work and was supposed to fly in two days before that celebration, but he got caught up in all the bad weather and didn't get home until the day before (after traveling for about 28+ hours and some lost luggage). But, we got it all together and he had plenty of time to cook (heehee!).

Then, we went up to Mom and Dad's for Christmas Eve Dinner, which was really nice and of course, her decorations were rocking! Then, we did the usual for our Christmas Day activities... breakfast and presents at Yo and Al's and lunch with the whole extended family at MeMaw and PawPaw's. That's always nice, since we only usually get all the cousins together only a few times a year.

It was weird to think that our Christmas routine may be changing... Santa Claus? Us?!? Man, I still want to get Santa, not be Santa!!! I don't know... I guess it will be a whole new type of fun.

So, now that we're on to baby stuff...
We have got to get serious! Some things we have got to get busy on: finding daycare (yikes), finding pediatrician, decorating nursery (bye bye guest room furniture!), and getting all that baby stuff. Jason and I went to Babies-R-Us today-- just to look around-- and wow, there is a lot of junk babies need! They have more stuff than... I don't even know what! I asked Jason where in the world we were going to put all that stuff. He said you don't put it any particular place, it's everywhere, and that's why our house will always look like a tornado went through it! Whee.

I go to the Dr. tomorrow, but don't think it's anything exciting... just checkup. Our appointment after that will be the one where we find out what is in Whitney's belly (sex-wise, anyway!!!)

Finally, a quick baby shout-out to our friends Allison and Cade who had their little one come early... an early Christmas present! Campbell Marie Festavan was born 12/22. I got to see her a week ago and she is the cutest and tiniest little thing. Congrats you two... Lead the way then share what you know!