5 & 6 Weeks

My 5 week pictures didn't turn out that well.

I am such a novice at photography. You'll notice in this picture that I am not zoomed in enough, my body is creating a shadow, the prop is crooked and of course the baby is not smiling and Wiley is sniffing her dirty diaper. I am not kidding, she has pooped her diaper in every single weekly photo shoot!

The six week photos are a little better. I've decided it is better to take the picture of her lying flat on her back on the floor so you can see her whole body.

My baby girl weighs over 10 lbs, she smiles and makes cute goo noises! She loves the mobile in her crib, her swing, being held and lights!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Season Fall Greeting

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Fall Leaves

We've been raking leaves here at Huffman Drive. We've had lots of help, too. Thanks to Adam, Molly, Danny and Dad! They didn't seem so bad this year. I think we were mentally prepared for the work involved with owning a home. The weekend Claire came home, Dad, Danny and Adam worked like dogs raking leaves, cleaning gutters, etc. Only pictures are of the baby that weekend.

All my other pics are sort of far away, but you can see Molly and Adam raking them to the curb.

Adam would then mow every other batch that would fall to to ground.

Last Saturday, we saw the truck and crew coming to suck up the leaves and Adam and his Dad ran outside and quickly finished raking all the leaves to the curb.

Of course, we had to take some pics with the baby and the leaves too!

 

 We love the fall and are sad to see the season go.

3 weeks and 1 month

 Here are pics from the last two weeks. I was going to start doing monthly pics, but public outcry demanded weekly Wednesday pics of the sweet pea! I will try and keep up with it. 

Last pic in the newborn onsie.

My sweet girl!

3 cheers for being one month old!

 

 Nicknames for Claire include; Claire Bear, Claire-y, Clairabelle, Sweet Girl, Baby Claire, Pumpkin Butt, Chunky Monkey and many more that I can't think of right now!

Thoughts about C-sections

 Don't let this picture fool you, this was the only time I wasn't crying.

- First off, don't have one if you can help it.

However if this is the end result, totally worth it!





- After almost an entire day in a warm, dark, labor and delivery room with a few trusted people, being slapped on a cold metal table with a whole bunch of new faces in a freezing, bright room was a total sensory overload.

- I don't like being naked in front of strangers, especially people who are not strangers to Adam and he will work with them again.

- I told Adam that I felt like Jesus because they make you keep your arms out like you are on a cross.

- The surgeon (my family practice doctor assisted) was well rested and perky and talked a lot about dogs, specifically his white German Shepard. All I wanted to hear about was my baby, but he just went on and on to the other medical people about the value of owning a family pet.

- I was able to be awake and use my already in place epidural for anesthesia. Also, you can still FEEL stuff with an epidural. I could feel them pulling my stomach apart and moving stuff around. It didn't feel painful, but it didn't feel good. It also felt a lot higher up on my body than where my incision actually is.

- I thought they would lower the blue curtain for me to see when the pulled her out. I don't know why I thought that, but I was disappointed that I missed that moment. Some nonsense about preventing infections...

- I was glad Adam knew what was going on so he could peak over the curtain and let me know what was happening.

- I heard her first cry and didn't recognize it. I asked Adam, "what was that noise?"

- I was disappointed that Adam and I couldn't immediately do skin to skin with her and I had to wait to hold her.

- I remember seeing her for the first time, but it was so quick and there was so much going on that I have more vivid memories of holding her the first night and being alone with her in the mother-baby room (Adam was there, just asleep).

- I think the surgeon did a good job. The stitches dissolve on their own, and he super-glued over it so that it didn't need a special dressing or anything.

- The next 24 hours were painful. I didn't like how long it took for me to lose the tingly feeling and regain normal feeling in my legs or feel strong enough to get up. I also didn't like that a nurse had to come in so often to take care of me.

- I couldn't wait to get rid of that catheter, take off the pulsating compression stockings, and take out the I.V.

- You can ask Adam and my mom; I was super worried about having to have a c-section during the weeks leading up to my due date. I guess I had a woman's intuition.

- In the end, my baby was HEALTHY the entire time and I couldn't love her more!

2 weeks (yesterday)

Look at those eyes! She is 9 lbs of love. This week has gone well, although, harder now that there are no Grandmas. Her sleep patterns are different everyday but mostly she sleeps during the day. She likes snuggling, her pack 'n play, vibrating chair and eating. We love her!

One week old!

A WEEK IN REVIEW

Wednesday
-I pushed and pushed and pushed. My pelvis and baby girl's head were just not compatible.
-Claire Michelle was delivered via c-section at 5:49 a.m. and I'd never experienced so many emotions all at one time.
-My mom was able to be with me in the recovery room while Adam called his family and talked to my dad in the waiting room. His mom and my sister were able to come later in the day and my parents went back home.

-We had many visitors from Adam's co-workers and their spouses. I pray they only looked at the baby and don't remember what a disaster my appearance was that day.
-We called or sent e-mails to our families and friends.
-Adam and I spent lots of time just looking at her, completely amazed and thanking God for such a gift.

Thursday
-I was happily unhooked from the IV, catheter, those stupid compression leg warmer-things and I could eat real food!!!!!!!!! Oh, and take shower too. Anybody who knows me, knows that 2 days without food or sleep was TOUGH for me.
-Molly came for one more visit and went home. Leah Gaye spent many hours at the house, hospital and running errands for us.
-We went for a little walk and just loved on Claire.

Friday
-The baby was still losing weight; she was down to 7 lbs, 15 ozs by midnight, 10% of her body weight. We started a supplemental nursing system. 
- Our pastor, his wife and daughter came to visit and pray with us.

Saturday
-We were discharged and went home.
-Adam's dad came to meet Claire.
-It was so nice to be home.
-The baby did not sleep much that night and neither did I, Leah Gaye or Adam.

Sunday
-My parents and Molly came back.
-The guys worked on the yard, roof, house.
-We had a celebratory meal and a toast!
-I worked on feeding the baby.
-Molly, Dad, Danny all went home.
-Mom is staying until Saturday with me. 

Monday
-Adam and I went to breast-feeding support group and I cried all the way there and through the first 45 min. Our childbirth class instructor met with us and was so supportive; I love her. We weighed the baby and we all decided I could abandon the supplemental nursing system. Then I sat with the other moms, including my friend Michelle, and felt much better about this whole breastfeeding thing.
-Mom cooked, cleaned and held the baby. She stayed up most the night with me and is such a good Grammy.
-Leah Gaye went home and we can't wait for Nana to come back in a few weeks.


Tuesday
-Adam went back to work.
-Mom and I went on a long outing to the doctor's office for the 1 week check. He weighed her on his scale (8 lbs, 7 ozs) and it wasn't as much weight gained as at the support group scale (8 lbs, 10 oz), but we think she probably weighs somewhere in between both of those numbers.
-We were amazed at how little we accomplished.

Wednesday
-We did a 1 week photo shoot!
-How time flies. 

***I wanted to post this yesterday, but it just didn't happen.

Claire Michelle Houghton

She is here! We picked the name way back in April while on vacation in Florida. Adam suggested it with a smile and we both agreed. Michelle is my sister's middle name, although she spells it Michele. Molly actually guessed the name correctly before she was born!

We think she is absolutely perfect. She is such a good baby. She likes to eat, sleep, be held and sit in her vibrating chair. We are overwhelmed by the kindness of our friends, families and neighbors. We thank God over and over for such a blessing.

40 weeks

Happy Due Date Day! I woke up to a very windy cold fall day. I kind of love it!

Adam's vacation started yesterday afternoon, and he came with me to the doctor. He will be home the next 10 days. Of course, we wanted him home for the baby's first week, but even though she isn't here yet it will be nice for him to be around to keep me sane while we wait.

We talked for a long time with the doctor about induction yesterday. We have an appointment in his office for next Friday and will start induction Friday night or Saturday morning (depending on what type of induction). Hopefully that conversation was a big waste of time.



Adam TOTALLY surprised me yesterday with an early "push" present. A push present is a gift a father gives the mother to reward her for all her hard work and pain during pregnancy and labor and delivery. I was dropping steady hints about wanting a dozen roses and what stores had them on sale. Instead, the little stinker ordered me a brand new white iPhone 4 that was released yesterday. He said since he can trust me with a newborn, he can trust me with an iPhone. We are taking it to the store today to get it set up so it will be all ready to use at the hospital. He knew I really wanted something that I could use to video chat with my family and a phone that could take and receive pictures. Adam spoils me to no end! I didn't even have to do any pushing for my push present.

I hope the next post is announcing the birth of our baby girl!

Marie

39 Weeks

A picture is worth a thousand words..... I feel fine. I make Adam put on my tennis shoes for me. I take a walk everyday. We went to see a movie today, one of the things you can't do with a newborn. We flipped a coin (on the iphone!) to decide between Ides of March and 50/50. Ides of March won and was only ok. 1/2 way through the movie we both wished we had gone to see 50/50. I guess we can go see it next weekend if this baby is still not born.

Hope you are all enjoying fine fall weather.

38 weeks + 3 days

We love October!  We spent the weekend at home. Adam commented on how long weekends are when you don't go anywhere, don't have visitors and don't go to work (even though he did work for a collective 5 hours bc of an OB patient). We did yard work on Saturday. Adam trimmed so many bushes that the next morning at breakfast his hand was shaking when he was holding his toast.

My friend, Colleen, came to visit on Friday with her sweet baby Eddie. She was soooooo generous to let Wiley smell and lick her baby. It was his first experience with a little little baby. Overall, he did a pretty good job. I am not nervous to bring home our baby with him. Thanks, Colleen!

Nothing much new to report baby-wise. I am having some baby contractions but nothing impressive. I have physical complaints from my toes to my hair, but I'll save those and only bore Adam to death with the details. We can't wait to meet baby H!!!! Seriously, anytime now baby girl. Do you hear me???

Also, I think the email post thing is working again, but you need to re-subscribe. You will get an email asking if you want to subscribe and you must respond to that for it to work.


Thanks!
Marie

Maternity Pictures

My friend, Natalie, took these pictures for us. I think they turned out well. I look bigger than I thought I did. I printed out a couple for the nursery. I also owe a shout out to Liz and Loren because I wore their clothes during the photo shoot.

We are grateful to Natalie and had fun being models for a little bit!

37 weeks!

I made it to 37 weeks, full term. I don't feel any different than I did last week. Last week the baby dropped a little and I felt more pressure lower and I go to the bathroom more now. I had too much sugar in my urine last week so I am focusing on a more protein rich diet this week. Apparently putting out fall m&ms and candy corn was a bad idea because I couldn't walk by the dish without eating some. Other pregnancy projects for the week include working on packing the hospital bag and taking out the car seat and getting it installed/checked. I can't believe how fast it went!!!!!!!! Hopefully baby Houghton will be here soon but not too soon!

Cooking Extravaganza

Mom and Dad came this weekend to help me stock the freezer. It was a success.

We started Saturday morning with browning ground beef, boiling/shredding chicken and chopping vegetables.

Since Dad's sniffer doesn't work, we had him chop the 6 onions (only half in this picture). I really hope this baby likes onions.....

 After our prep work was done, we started putting together the following dishes:

-2 tuna casseroles
-bean soup (not sure how much we're going to like this one)
-white chicken chili
-beef stew
-Italian supper casserole
-burritos
-sloppy joes
-chicken pot pie

Mom also did a lot of dishes! She kept up with it all day long. (notice my no-sew curtains that I finally got around to making)

I had a list and I was checking it twice, however, we still ended up making several trips to the store. Dad noticed the pancakes were a little flat and turns out my baking powder expired in 2006. SO SORRY  TO ANYONE I HAVE BAKED FOR IN THE LAST 5 YEARS!

Pancake Pete was checking the beef stew while making the buttermilk pancakes. We ate them for dinner and then froze them in stacks of 3 (1-blueberry, 1-plain, 1-choc chip) for my breakfasts. I don't know if they will last 4 more weeks because this is my favorite thing to eat in the mornings, at least lately.

My parents were a great help! They ran errands, cooked, cleaned, kept me company while Adam worked this weekend, took me out to eat and did yard work. Oh and of course, loved on Wiley!

My parents are the best. Thank you so much for coming and taking care of me! I wish you could come every weekend. I love you.

Children's Resale Events

Babies are expensive. There is so much stuff out there that I think I might need or was suggested to me Some of it or a lot of it, they will only use for a few months or may not like at all.

Don't worry, at the beginning of the summer, I had the solution. Garage sales and Craig's list. Garage sales turned out to be a major bust. Despite driving around all of Michiana and sometimes dragging out of town guests with me, I found a lot of trash or no garage sale at all or overpriced items. Craig's list did give me my changing table, but there was not nearly as much merchandise as in the Chicago area and I didn't want to go to meet sellers without Adam as my big tough bodyguard.

Then I discovered Once Upon a Child, which is a consignment shop and it did have pretty great deals. It was sort of hit or miss with inventory.

Then I discovered Children's Resale Events. They are fun on so many levels. Usually a church group organizes a bi-annual sale, they recruit sellers, organize and tag merchandise and have a high level of organization among volunteers on the day of sale. The volunteers manage the crowd, tag big items for you and take them outside, help you find an area, check you out and help you load up your car.

It is so much nicer than a garage sale because you only have to drive one place to find multiple sellers. You can't negotiate prices, although, because the person checking you out isn't necessarily the seller of the items you are buying.

The first one I went to was in town and relatively small. There were 65 sellers and it was located in the gym of the Apostolic Youth Group's building. I got there 30 min early and was about 50th in line. There was a mad rush to get the big items. You had to bring your own bags or laundry baskets and try to get the best items before someone else did. It was a rush!  I spent 50 dollars and bought a really cheap bouncy seat, tummy-time mat, clothes and a few misc. items.

They gave me a flyer about other resale events in the area and two weeks later a sale in Wakarusa, IN (25 min away) with over 200 sellers was planned. I asked my sister to come with me because it helps to have two people to divide and conquer.

Last Saturday, we got up early, ate breakfast and started the drive. We took back country roads on  a cool, foggy, dark morning that felt like it was right out of a scary book. It turns out that Molly doesn't know any good ghost stories to save her life. We pulled up to the sleepy town about an hour before the sale started. We began to worry that we got here too early and this was dumb...then we turned the corner. We could barely find a parking spot on the street and had to walk past two huge lines outside the church. Everyone was sitting in chairs-in-a-bag and looked like they had been there awhile. We found out later they were the first 200 people there.

Then we turned the corner and headed to the back of the line going down the street.

We waited in line for an hour and let the anticipation build. I was a little disappointed because I knew that a lot of the big items would be taken and some of the best items would be picked over. When it was time to go, there was some confusion with the lines. They were only letting about 100 people in at a time. The confusion ended up working in our favor after the guy directing the lines somehow put us ahead of about 100 people! There were two stories with clothes in the basement and all other items upstairs (e.g., bedding, bath, feeding, toys, gear, strollers, cribs, books, scrapbook supplies, decorations, etc.) Molly and I found some good deals (like an auto mirror for 50 cents) and I spent another 50 dollars. Mostly we watched this crazy Black Friday-like frenzy of women do all their clothes shopping for the year and all their Christmas shopping (large toy and activity center). There were TONS of clothes and people were overfilling laundry baskets with clothes for their multiple children. There were definitely some cute clothes at really good prices. I had no idea home much I would need! Of course, I forgot to look for pack-n-play sheets, and when I finally remembered, the box for those darn sheets was empty.

Molly and I left in a crazy daze. We both agreed that it was something worth doing again, but maybe not until next fall. It would be best to come super early, bring chairs and breakfast, and have a predetermined list for each of us (we had a list but we didn't know who was looking for what). It seemed like a better deal for people with older children or multiple children. Next fall, I'll know if she will need clothes a little bigger, a little smaller, or right on track. I'll also know what kind of clothes we like for her to wear and which toys she prefers. I think it would be fun for Adam to come with me because I always surprised by what he picks out.


After the sale, Molly and I scoured another town for an apple festival that turned out to not be until the following weekend. Oops!

I definitely recommend these resale events if you have the time to get up early, wait in long lines, and fight the maddening crowd. I actually enjoyed the competitive feel of it all. I'll have to start working on my elbow shots for next year:)

Testing the waters

Greetings!

I've decided to start a little blog about what goes on at the House of Houghtons. I am hoping it will be a convenient way to stay in touch with out of town family and friends.

*** apparently the email after posting link was not working and I'm not sure yet how to fix it. I will let you know if I figure it out.

Thanks for visiting,

Marie

Nursery

A few people have been inquiring about the nursery. It is definitely function over fashion in there. I've seen so many cute nurseries on pinterest and from friends and family members that make me jealous. This nursery is a work in progress but will probably never be as fabulous as I want it to be.

*At one point in the video, I refer to my family blocks being blue and green and they are purple and green. Oops!

Enjoy a video tour. Wiley gives a little shout out to Zoe (his BFF) during the video.