Christmas!!!

Roselyn had her first Christmas! It all began Christmas Eve when Mimi, Grandpa Bill, Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Ted, and cousins Carl and Brett came to visit. We had a delicious lunch (which Roselyn had one way or another when I fed her:) then opened presents. Roselyn is set with clothes, toys and books. Mimi purchased her a Bumbo where she can work on sitting up and she loves sitting in it! Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ted bought the cutest soft tea set for her. She is going to be quite the princess:) Christmas Eve evening we attending the Candlelight Service at First Baptist Newnan, which Roselyn slept through, and went out to eat afterwards, which Roselyn also slept through. Christmas morning Roselyn woke up happy and excited. But she fell asleep before we got to her gifts from Santa. Still, her stocking with FULL (check the picture and she also recieved other cute gifts (yes, I wrapped AND unwrapped her gifts!). We then made our way to Snellville to visit Grandma and Grandpa Yates, Nannie and Papa, Great-Grandpa Tieman, and Aunt Shelley and Uncle David and cousin Avery. Roselyn fell asleep in Nannie's lap while we opened gifts. Roselyn received a bouncer and play area from Grandma and Grandpa Yates. She loved sitting in it (though we had to place blankets in it to set her up:) Avery is two years old and it was fun to watch him open gifts and get excited about what he gets. Makes me look forward to when Roselyn is older and gets to enjoy Christmas:)

Holiday Activities

I am learning the holidays are so much fun with a baby! Recently, Roselyn and I had to fun events. First, we went to Joanna Berry's house to create reindeer shirts! Basicly, you take the child's foot and make the face and the child's hands to make the antlers. Roselyn did such a good job! It did not seem to bother her to have paint on her hands and feet. I finished the shirts (one for her and one for me), by adding eyes and a nose to the "reindeer" and writing her name and year on the shirts. From the picture you can tell I am not good at writing with paint, or centering what I am writing, but they still turned out too cute!
Roselyn and I also attended a cookie swap at Angie Markham's house. Roselyn "helped" me make the layered bars at home by sitting in the kitchen with me while I "instructed" her on how to make them (she did stay awake!). Unfortunately, she is unable to eat cookies, so I enjoyed an extra few at the swap for her. Many people there had babies and Roselyn was able to meet a new friend-Avery Markham, and "visit" with Rachel French (okay, they just sleep side by side in their car seats:) Overall, it was fun and make me so excited for future Christmas' when Roselyn is more interactive.
One more thing- and this is BIG. Roselyn's most recent blood work shows that her TSH level is 4.7!!! That is down from 365 at birth and at the normal level (which is 5 or less). Praise God!!!

Updating and updating

I started thinking and realized that things have happened in Roselyn's life I have not mentioned. So let me see if I can tie up the lose ends. First, Roselyn has made several friends over the course of her short life. There are her "boyfriends"- Hudson Zidar and Colin Clifford. Hudson is 7 weeks older than Roselyn and Colin is 3 weeks younger. Babies have met, but mainly sleep during their dates. At least Roselyn sleeps- I think
she is playing hard to get:) Roselyn also met Brannon and Brooks Bellamy during the GA/Auburn game party we had. That set of twins are the cutest! Roselyn didn't get much time to meet them because all the babies were passed from person to person the entire time. Roselyn also have a girlfriend names Rachel French. Rachel is 3 weeks old and, you guessed it, the girls sleep through all their playdates:)
Roselyn is smiling bunches now and has discovered her hands. Rob and I try hard to prevent her from sucking on them, but if it soothes her, we allow it a little. Her cradle cap is going away, but we are still dealing with a clogged tear duct and baby acne/milia bumps. At least these are all cosmetic issues. Overall, she is a very happy baby! She likes to talk and tends to vocalize all sorts of vowels. Another milestone, Roselyn went out and about with Grandma Yates yesterday! Grandma showed off Roselyn at the quilt store (Grandma's favorite store) while mom worked at the food pantry.
Check out some of the photos of the update. She has grown so much!!!

Holiday Time!

Is it already the holiday season??? This is certainly the best time of the year to have a baby:) Roselyn had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It started at home where she watched the Thanksgiving parade while mom and dad got ready to leave. Things did take a bit longer to get out of the house- it is amazing all you have to pack for a baby! This was Roselyn's first time to spend the night outside the house, so we wanted to make sure we had EVERYTHING she needed. The car was packed and Rob and I wondered how we would fit gifts if we went shopping on Black Friday. Thanksgiving meal was at Mimi's house (Rob's mom). Roselyn met her Great Aunt Diane and Great Uncle Marty as well as Great-Grandparents Ray, Billy, and Edith (Billy and Edith- Nannie and Papa in our world, met Roselyn Tuesday because they spent the night with us). I knew there was nothing to worry about with so many people around- Roselyn was passed from woman to woman all day. I did get to hold her during the family picture taking- which I think is the only time she slept all day! Later in the day Roselyn visited her Great grandmother Ethel (Gigi) and finished the evening with sleeping at Mimi's house.
The next day Roselyn was left with Mimi while mom and dad went Christmas shopping at 5am. Not much was purchased- we mainly enjoyed the atmosphere of the crowds:) Roselyn was picked up later on for her first mall adventure. An adventure it was! We met Marc and Stephanie Reed and their daughter Ainsley for lunch at Chilis. After the meal Rob fed Roselyn a bottle. We all laughed at the loud noise that came out of Roselyn's bottom, but didn't think anything of it. UNTIL, we realized it was not staying in her diaper, but was all over her pants and Rob! Luckily, there was a family bathroom close by that Rob and I could clean her in, but we had no pants to replace the ones she was wearing. Thankfully, we had a blanket to cover her bare legs. Once again walking in the mall, we saw SANTA and no line! We couldn't pass up that opportunity! We went to the Carter store, bought Roselyn a new Christmas outfit, and had her photo taken with Santa. Overall, it was an exciting mall trip!
That Friday night was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Yates. More attention and stimulation was given to Roselyn than ever before:) Finally the fun ended when we returned home Saturday night. We are now eagerly awaiting Roselyn's first Christmas! Holidays are so much fun with a child to share it with!

Baby Dedication and other updates

Once again, it has been a while since I have written an update, but it is amazing how time goes by with a baby! Roselyn is now 2 months and 4 days old. A couple of weeks ago she began smiling and laughing! It is amazing how something so small can make me so happy I want to cry! On Sunday, November 9th Roselyn was dedicated at our church, First Baptist Newnan. She did a great job- she got a tiny bit fussy, but overall, was a happy baby while at church. Many family members were in attendance and came over to our home afterwards for lunch. Check out Roselyn in her dedication dress- she is gorgeous!
Today was Roselyn 2 month doctor's appointment. Her weight is 12 1/2 lb and length is 23 1/2 in. She is in the 90 percentile for both. Yes, she is a big baby- I don't realize that until I look at other 2 month olds to compare. Dr. Cheeks said everything looks good. She is a strong baby! The doctor gave recommendations for her cradle cap which is pretty bad. Then came THE time- Roselyn's first vaccinations. She had one orally and three shots. The oral one was simple since she is used to taking her synthroid. The shots definitely were not pleasant for her, but luckily pacifiers make all things better. You can tell today she is sore in her legs, but she is such a trooper. Two months until the next appointment!

Finally- an update!

I know it has been a while since I have written, but a newborn will keep you busy! Since I last wrote, Roselyn continues to grow and become more and more CUTE! We keep her on the move with taking her to trivia, Bible study, and the gym. We have been told by the child care at the gym that she is a complete "cuttle bug". She recently started taking a bottle and a pacifier. Rob is giving her the bottle which is a big help to me. The pacifier is also a big help at times (it can keep me sane!:)
At her one month doctor's appointment Roselyn weighed 9lb 9oz. All else looked good. The appointment we were the most concerned about was her first appointment with the endocrinologist. Dr. Van Meter was a nice man and helped explain her hypothyroidism in more depth to us. She was weighed again and was 10lb 3oz! He confirmed that mental retardation is not an issue and that these babies his practice loves because they come in every few months and they get to play with them:) He did mention that looking at her complexion she might be subseptable to allergies. I know she has some dry skin and baby acne, but there are no allergies on either side of our family so we hope he was being overly concerned. Also, even though mental retardation is not an issue, learning disabilites was not ruled out. Of course, this could happen to any child so we are not worrying about it yet. Some awesome news??? When her test results came back for her tyroid it was down to 10!!! Dr. Van Meter said that was remarkable considering the length of time she was on the medicine- and doctors don't say "remarkable" a lot.
Included in this page is a couple of pictures from Uncle Bob's pumpkin patch. We took Roselyn Saturday the 18th. It was fun for us, but Roselyn slept the entire time. I guess that is expected with newborns:)

Sleep? Who needs it?

Roselyn is now three weeks old. It is hard to believe that time has gone by, but at the same time, I could not imagine not having her here. She is much more alert now- particularly in the evening when she also likes to get fussy. Luckily, she does sleep well at night. However, since I am feeding every three hours I never get more than a couple of hours of sleep at a time. She is easy to travel with, but with constant feedings I have to set my schedule around her. That is strange for a person used to be very independent. It seems to take twice or three times as long to get things done. However, it is so worth it. She is such a wonderful baby! At our last doctor's appointment she was back at her birth weight and her tyroid level was at 135, down from 376. It still needs to be closer to 5, but we are on our way. Her next appointments are on the 8th (with her doctor) and the 14th (with her endrocrinologist). We should have good news then!

God is amazing!!!

I know you might be surprised at the title. How can I title this blog that considering the last week with our beautiful rose? God moved through so many. Here is how:

1. Our doctor: Dr. Cheeks took swift action when she noticed jaundice. She did not tell us to return Monday and see what happens. We immediately got blood work done and then, without hesitation, Dr. Cheeks had us go to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. We thought going there was a bit extreme, but once again, God's hand was on the situation...
2. State of Georgia testing: I am not sure which states require newborn's to be tested for multiple diseases, but for the state of Georgia the PKU blood test is actually testing for 36 different diseases. One is hypothyroidism. When it is not discovered early, hypothyroidism can cause mental retardation and stunted growth. It was caught earlier enough so these will not be an issue with us.
3. Scottish Rite: When we receive a phone call from the pediatrician from Piedmont Fayette about Roselyn's test results it was scary. We were asked to immediately go to a hospital to have her retested. Luckily, we were already at Scottish Rite. We passed our cell phone to the doctor at Scottish Rite and let the two doctor's work out what to do. We were able to get the bloodwork done quickly and get the the results back in a couple of hours. It was devastating getting the results (who wants to hear that their child has a congential diease?). But because we were at Scottish Rite we started meds THAT NIGHT and were able to get all our questions answered by professionals.
4. Yancey: The night we discovered the hypothyroidism the doctors kept assuring us that on meds, Roselyn would be a perfectly normal child. Still, I prayed all night that I would find a story on the internet or meet someone who has a child with hypothyroidism that is perfectly normal. Monday morning our nurse came into our room stating there was a reason she was our nurse that day. Her daughter has hypothyriodism and is a perfectly beautiful, normal 20 month old. This is amazing since hypothyroidism only affects 1 out of 4,000 children. She assured us that things will ge fine and that this is just a minor situation- just a pill is taken once a day. She gave us bunches of tips and left us with her phone number.

It is amazing to me how a difficult situation God can show his grace and love. We could have not had the test done, we could have gotten the phone call about the results outside a hospital, we could have not met Yancey and received the reassurance we needed. But we got all of that. Our beautiful rose is truly a miracle and a gift from God. Rob and I feel so lucky and blessed that God chose us to be her parents. We look forward to seeing all God has in store for her. We can't wait for all to meet her and see how wonderful she is. She certainly is a testimony of how amazing God is!!!

Roselyn Ann Prout is here!!

The moment we have anticipated for nine months has finally arrived- Baby Prout is here! All day Saturday (Sept. 6th) I was feeling tired and yucky. Rob swore the baby was coming Sunday, but I was of the impression I would have the baby inside of me forever:) Sunday morning I woke up at 4:30am cramping and then- I felt something in my underwear. Yup, my water had broke and we were off to the hospital. At the hospital contractions began and I sat back waiting for the moment to arrive. The parents came to wait and watch the action unfold. After 5 hours of not that bad labor, I decided might as well get an epidural. It definitely made things easier, but labor progressed slowly so the next step was pitocin. Suddenly it was 5:20pm and the doctor asked if I was ready to have a baby. Pushing was probably the hardest thing I did that day- it lasted an hour and a half. Tiring it was, but when the doctor threatened forceps or a vacuum I pushed as hard as I could. Roselyn Ann popped out crying at 6:52pm. Rob and I were beside ourselved when we heard it was a girl- that was what we hoped for. What I didn't expect was her size- 8lb 2oz was bigger than I thought, but perfect for her. Actually, everything is perfect about Roselyn- even the bruise on her head for coming out a little crooked :) The entire family was waiting in the recovery room after the delivery for the big introduction. Overall, the entire experience was amazing. I have a decent tear I am healing from, but that is minor compared to the experience of having my little angel. I am sure you will agree she is a beautiful, precious little girl!

Will Scalini's Help?

So now I am down to four days before my due date. I really hoped the baby would be here in August, but now it is September 3rd and no baby. So what am I to do? Go to Scalini's of course! The legend of Scalini's is that if a pregnant woman eats their eggplant parmigiana you will go into labor within 48 hours. In their restaurant are bunches of baby photos proving it works. Their website also has many stories of the hopeful mothers-to-be and their success with the eggplant parmigiana. Rob and I figured- hey, it couldn't hurt (minus possible labor pains). So Rob and I drove to Smyrna and I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and Rob ordered the lasagna. Both were delicious. The restaurant was actually a really good place for dinner. I would recommend it for a nice evening out- the decor was nice and the service was good. Watch out for the garlic rolls- they are garlicy!:) Let's hope this works- there is a $25 gift certificate and Scalini's baby onesie on the line. Oh, and a baby we are ready to see! :)

Nursery is here!!!

We are down to two weeks and the nursery is pretty much complete. A huge thank you to Christina Paino and her sister for creating the GORGEOUS murals (if anyone wants their number- I can give it to you). Rob actually created the frames around the window and closet door. Who knew he could be so handy? :) Right now we are counting down the days. It is my last week teaching at the gym (yeah!) and I am busy buying last minute items. And making returns. I mean, do you really need 18 blankets, 5 crib sheets, and 10 hooded towels? I have occasional Braxton Hick contractions, but nothing major. I have a feeling I have another week at least, but I know things can change fast. My next appointment is next Wednesday where I will finally be "checked". Yikes- if you know me, I am not one for anything being stuck anywhere around there. I am already praying I will be relaxed :) Last thing to do- put the car seat in the car. Rob was so concerned about delaying recieving the car seat until my mom came Sunday, and now it is Thursday and it is still in the garage. Oh, well- I am sure it will be in soon (like the next couple of weeks:)

Another day...another doctor's appointment

As we approach the due date of Baby Prout's arrival, doctor appointments become more and more the standard. At my most recent appointment (Monday, August 11th) I went through the standard procedures (blood pressure, weight, heart beat, and measurement), but had the added pleasure of blood work and strep test. Believe it or not, the blood work has become easy for me- which is lucky since the lady taking blood was not a gentle pricker. The strep test was tolerable, but it is never my choice to be swabbed anywhere below my bell button. Let's hope the test results are like everything else- nothing and no big deal. Next appointment is next Monday. Luckily, just the standard. No swabbing or pricking.

I actually did it!

Yes, I figured everyone one else had one of these, so I might as well too. I will use this blog to give updated accounts on what is happening to the new expanded Prout family. Right now I am about to enter the 36 week mark- one month before my due date. We are excited about seeing our baby, but nervous about how we are going to take care of this new life. I have never been a baby person and I am not sure how Rob will react to the first dirty diaper. Luckily, Rob is fully involved in nursery decorating. He is working on the frame for the window currently, and we should have someone here soon to paint murals on the walls. I am still feeling good, but heartburn and diarrhea (sorry, just being honest) is happening more often. I plan to continue teaching at the gym as long as possible. I will give up classes in Peachtree City after next week and will monitor how I am doing to know when I will give up classes in Newnan. Please look back often at this page as I will try to update it with events leading to the delievery and lots of pictures!