"Nothing compares to the moment you were placed in my arms and I kissed your sweet baby face for the first time. Complete love and indescribable joy filled my heart from that day on."
Hey friends, if you are still out there. Sorry for being MIA for the past few months, but I have been just a wee bit busy. I promise to do better, but I have been thinking that it might be time to go private. Leave your email address here, and I will add you to our list....yeah,I know what you are thinking... get excited to see a post every 4 months! I will try to do better because there is a really cute little fella who wants to share his smiles.
Well, I am a little behind. Jack turned 2 weeks last Thursday, and we are loving him more and more every day! He went back to the doctor on Friday because we thought we needed to change his formula, and we were right. 1 point parents! He weighed in at 9.6oz! That means he had gained 11oz. since his last appointment. He is my little chubba wub, but he is so long that he doesn't look that chubby except in his sweet cheeks.
This is our 3rd day to be on our own with Jack. My parents were here until last Friday, and them my wonderful in-laws came that afternoon. They left on Saturday, and my amazing husband stayed up with Jack all night Saturday night and last night! I got 2 whole nights of uninterrupted sleep! It was like Christmas! I seriously haven't slept like that since early April. This momma needed that, but I sure was glad to see those cheeks when I woke up!
I need to wish my momma and daddy late birthday wishes! Daddy turned 70 on June 12th, and Momma turned 60, sorry Mom, on July 1st! We are truly blessed to have such wonderful parents...and grandparents for Jack! I love you, Mom and Dad, and we can't wait to see you on Wednesday!
Happy Birthday, Mimi and Poppy!
Jack has been sleeping like a champ this morning, but I have a feeling he is going to need a bottle pretty soon!
No time to write about what an amazing week it has been...probably the best week of my life! Travis is an absolutely amazing daddy, and Jack is more than we could have ever dreamed of. I am absolutely in love! I have cried so many tears of joy and feel so blessed to be his mommy...and this mommy has to jump in the shower while i have a chance, but I leave you with this handsomeness...
I cannot tell you how in love I am with my son! He is just amazing....Travis and I cried the whole 27 min. ride to the hospital because we were just so overwhelmed by God's graciousness in choosing us to be Jack's parents. He is everything I dreamed he would be and so much more!!!!!! I was scheduled for a c-section Monday, the 21st, but Jack had other plans. My water broke, and boy did it, at 1:35 am on the 17th. We got to the hospital at 2:30, and Jack was here at 4:15 am....all 9 pounds 19 1/4 inches! He chose to make his appearance on my parents 37th wedding anniversary. This has been the most amazing 30 hours of my life so far, and my husband, parents and in-laws have been wonderful. It is so fun getting to watch Travis be Jack's dad. I see years and years of fun for those two. Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts. They have truly been felt. Here are two pics of our little angel, but I will have to post more this afternoon because he looks different already!
"Nothing compares to the moment you were placed in my arms and I kissed your sweet baby face for the first time. Complete love and indescribable joy filled my heart from that day on."
I know I'm just now in my 37th week, but I'm pretty sure the last time I felt comfortable was some time in April. I went to the doctor yesterday because I have experienced some swelling, but she was "not impressed" with my swelling. My doctor is super wonderful, and I really love her. She has a great sense of humor....she laughed when she lifted up my shirt to check Jack's heart beat. She said, "I am sorry, that was rude," but I just laughed too because my belly looked like a volcano! Everything was fine, but I was just a little concerned because his heart rate was high last week. They put me on the monitor then, and it had gone down within 20 minutes. They said he was just excited...really? What could be exciting in there? He seemed to have calmed down this week. My sweet friend friend, Courtney, and I went swimming today. Here is a pic from our outing...
yep, that's about what I feel like right now....here's one of me trying to get on the raft
It was great to be "weightless" for a few hours, but when I got out I felt heavier than ever!!! I think this is what it would feel like to have cannon balls in your stomach!!
I go back tomorrow for my weekly apt, so hopefully there will be some progress. I am just so ready to meet our little boy!
Happy anniversary to my best friend! I love you more now than I ever thought I could, and I can't wait to see the daddy you will become. Thank you for your love.
I have been a terrible wife and have not bragged on my husband. I missed his birthday blog and his 2nd and 3rd marathon posts. To explain the name of the title, Travis has run 742 miles in 2 years!!!! Yes, you read that correctly, 742! He could have run to Toronto, Canada! He didn't get to finish the Music City Marathon this year because of lightning, but this preggo did truck it all over town to try to catch a glimpse of him in the race... so the next weekend he ran the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. Just happened to be the same weekend as the flood, but thank goodness my sweet friend and Jack's godmother, Courtney, was here to baby sit me and assure me that my husband would make it home in one piece. Praise the good Lord, he did. Now I can't wait to see the baby steps...Jack will be here in 24 days or less, and Travis is already blowing me away with how he has taken such good care of me, our house, and prepared for this sweet baby that we can't wait to hold. He is going to be the best daddy to Jack, and I just can't wait to see it and take pictures of them in coordinating outfits!! So, thanks for letting me brag on my sweet husband, and hopefully our next post will be filled with pictures of our baby boy on the outside of my belly!!
So my parents, Tyler & Katelyn all headed up to Indiana for the Indy 500 today. Laurette is too far along for us to be able to take a road trip like that, so we will be watching on our couch this year. In an effort to create a little of the race day experience, I have gone out and bought my KFC fried chicken and will put it in a cooler to eat tomorrow during "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Things have been going well so far, but Laurette is at maximum capacity I believe. Comfort is a thing of the past and she has been couch sleeping for the last couple weeks. On a positive note, Jack has dropped quite a bit so that has taken a little pressure off of her back. The bags are packed, the car seat is in place and I have plotted my route. Now we wait...
Since my parents are visiting my grandparents while up there, I wanted to post a few pictures of Jack's room. Laurette painted a lot of nice things for the room and we had some great help from both grandfathers with the bead-board (Thank you Mr. Clark!) and the painting (thanks Dad!). I hope you enjoy.
This last one was pretty funny, for some reason while we were taking photos our dog Maggie decided to stick her head under the crib. I have heard stories about our old Springer, Muffy, sleeping under my crib when I was a baby so maybe Maggie is just getting ready.
Almost forget, here is a photo from our last ultrasound!
It should not come as news to you that Nashville is flooded. It's no secret that I hated this place when we moved here almost 5 years ago, but it has truly found a spot in my heart. And the people of Nashville have become dear to me as well...so my heart hurts tonight as so many are hurting and I sit here wanting to help but not knowing where to start. My mind has gone to the passage in Isaiah today that is a favorite praise song of mine as well...."Though you walk through the waters I will be with you. And the waves, they will not overcome you. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine! For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." So, the only thing I can think to do right now as people like my dear friend and Jack's godmother, Courtney, wait for morning to break to see what devastation the Cumberland River has brought to their lives... is to Pray! I hope that you will pray with me for the people of this city. Here are some pictures that Travis found and uploaded to a flickr account to give you an idea of what is going on. We also found this Chris Tomlin video that truly reminds us that the He is still the God of this city. http://www.flickr.com/photos/49850674@N07/
The man in me will do nearly any task, And as for compensation, there’s little he would ask. Take a woman like you To get through to the man in me. Storm clouds are raging all around my door, I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind To find the man in me. But, oh, what a wonderful feeling Sets my heart a-reeling The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein’ seen, But that’s just because he doesn’t want to turn into some machine. Took a woman like you To get through to the man in me.
Oh, what a week so far....I have felt absolutely HORRIBLE! Thank you Mr. Pollen, but you were not invited to my house! We have about 2 billion Bradford Pear Trees in our neighborhood. You have to drive through two rows on them to get into our neighborhood, and I think driving through tear gas would feel the same. This pollen attack has prevented me from thanking my amazing friends for my very first baby shower. It was so weird to think all these baby things were for me, well Jack. Even the enormous belly has not fixed the idea in my head. But Tricia, Amanda, Katelyn E. soon to be Katelyn B., Lindsey, Mims, Heather, and Katelyn W. set me and Jack up in style! He got some precious things! I can't wait to play dress up with him. I always hated Barbies, but I loved to dress my Cabbage Patches. Now I will have my very own Cabbage Patch! My friends were so sweet to plan this day for me, and it was extra special to share it with my mom, my grandmother, my Aunt Judy, my sweet mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law Katelyn who was also a hostess. Jack is very loved already and his momma feels the same way! Thank you friends!!! Somehow I also managed to talk Travis into taking some maternity pics, and I just happen to be BFF with the best photographer EVER!! Thanks Tricia for making my preggo-pale self look pretty good....well as good as I can at this point. We were just missing Maggie. Maybe next time. Thanks Tricia....I can't wait for you to take pics of him on the outside! So here are a few pics from the big day.
Memer, Mimi, me, and JuJu
the best friends/hostesses a girl could ask for minus Heather and Lindz
the grandmothers
Sweet baby Kate! LOVE HER!
and my favorite pic from the master photographer herself! I love that boy, and he is going to be an awesome daddy!
So today's song is a little different. The coolest thing for me was that little Jack was moving all around inside Laurette when this song was playing. I think after Paul Simon (post coming later) and now this song it is safe to say for sure this kid is going to have my love for music.
Another great thing about this song is that it is a cover. When a band or an artist chooses to cover a song it can go really really good or really really bad.
"Not Fade Away" was written and recorded by the great Buddy Holly. If any of you are like me for many years I just thought of Holly as that guy with funny glasses and would sometimes get him confused with Roy Orbison..again another guy with funny glasses. There is still much for me to learn about Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets, but the longer we live in Nashville and the more trips to Roberts Western World (the best damn Honky Tonk in the world!) and the Country Music Hall of Fame, the more I understand the magnitude of Holly's influence on Country, Blues and Rock and Roll music.
He was only 22 when he died in an awful plane crash with two other great artists of their day, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. The crash was the subject of Don McLean's American Pie. The song that Madonna just butchered in the link above.
In his 22 years he recorded three albums, was one of the first artist to write, produce and perform his own songs and has been sited as a major influence in the careers of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and any one musician worth a damn in the last 50 years. Remember also that Buddy Holly's international career only lasted maybe 2 years at best and he was still able to make this kind of impact on people.
The reason I love this song is because it has a simple Bo Diddley beat.. another artist that Jack will be hearing soon. You can't help but tap your foot to the guitar riff and the lyrics are simple and to the point. When you tell a woman that your love is bigger then Cadillac, I think she gets it..especially those colossal 1950's model caddy's.
And since this song was a cover another fun part was discovering on YouTube, just how many covers of this song exist including a jammed out Grateful Dead version, a very high pitched Tom Petty version, and a Bruce Springsteen version from way back in the day....see even in 1978 he was a little pretentious. BRUUUUUUUCE
My favorite has to be this really old version below from 1964 by The Rolling Stones. Last year Buddy Holly's band The Crickets were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame here in Nashville. Keith Richards thought the evening was so important that he threw on a suit, found his best pairs of trinkets or whatever the heck it is he puts in his hair and came to our fine city to present the honor and jam with the band onstage. He said during his speech mumbling that there would be no Rolling Stones without Buddy Holly and The Crickets.
It is amazing to think that such a legendary bands like the Stones and the Beatles were once upon a time just kids that loved to play American rock and roll and listen to Buddy Holly & The Crickets records.
Even the great Bob Dylan couldn't help but seem like a little bubbling teenager when it comes to icons and their music. Here is what he had to say during a 1998 Grammy acceptance speech... And I just want to say that when I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him...and he LOOKED at me. And I just have some sort of feeling that he was — I don't know how or why — but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way.
The importance of Buddy Holly on our music today could be the subject of a much, much longer entry, but let's just say that there is a reason he was one of the first picked to be added into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
(side note - watch Mick's little leg jive at the 0:55 mark and listen to the crowds reaction)
I wanna tell you how it's gonna be You're gonna give your love to me I'm gonna love you night and day Love is love and not fade away
Well love is love and not fade away And my love is bigger than a Cadillac I'll try to show it if you drive me back
Your love for me has got to be real Before you'd have noticed how I feel Love real not fade away Well love real not fade away
I wanna tell you how it's gonna be You're gonna give your love to me Love that lasts more than one day Well love is love and not fade away
One of greatest memories from the past year was New Years Eve. Laurette and I had the privilege of going to the historic Ryman Auditorium for the Old Crow Medicine Show NYE Show. This is a band that we both love listening to so we were thrilled to go to this show.
The one issue was Laurette was just getting out of her first trimester and we really didn't want to push keeping her out all night and ringing in the new year with a bunch of drunkards so after the first half of the show we headed home. It is very odd being on the road at 11:20pm on New Years Eve. Everyone was either at there parties or downtown. We honestly were the only people on the road.
Luckily the show was broadcast on 650 WSM so we had the chance to listen when we got home, but my big stereo wouldn't pick up AM stations. We actually rang in the new year listening to my clock radio. We both found it funny that in this day and age when we were supposed to be driving around in flying cars we were actually ringing in the New Year on an am clock radio listening to an old time string band.
We danced to Wagon Wheel as the the clock turned over to 2010 and with so much change about to happen in our lives this year, it was a nice way to start things off in a simple, calm way.
This song is one of my favorites from OCMS. We will have a few more on the list as Jack grows, but the lyrics for this song are wonderful. Take a look at this amazing song about life struggles, supporting loved ones, and redemption.
Well my friends, I see your face so clearly
Little bit tired, little worn through the years
You sound nervous, you seem alone
I hardly recognize your voice on the telephone
In between I remember
Just before bound-up, broken-down
We drive out to the edge of the highway
Follow that lonesome dead-end roadside south
(Chorus:)
We're all in this thing together
Walkin' the line between faith and fear
This life don't last forever
When you cry I taste the salt in your tears
Well my friend, let's put this thing together
And walk the path with worn out feet of trial
'Cause if you wanted we can go home forever
Give up your jaded ways, spell your name to God
All the hour there's a picture in a mirror
Fancy shoes to grace our feet
All there is is a slow road to freedom
Heaven above and the devil beneath
Besides having the absolute coolest band name ever, without these Scots from Glasgow you wouldn't have bands like Coldplay or Keane..well Coldplay probably would have blown up anyway, but this band certainly helped pave the way for them.
Is this the second most important song on the list? No, but this band does have a pretty special one that we will play a little later on to Jack. The chorus of this song is great, but what i love most is its waltz feel. These guys know how to write a song that goes well with hoisting a drink in the air at a Pub and singing along. To prove that point watch the beginning of this live performance below.
I wish I knew some deep meaning behind this song, but I just don't. Wiki says it is about an everyday real kind of love and not the hollywood movie kind. I dont really see that in the lyrics and have never really attempted to look into the meaning behind this one. I just like to keep to the fact that it just sounds great. It is a good song, period. Enjoy.
If I told you a secret You won't tell a soul Will you hold it and keep it alive Cause it's burning a hole And I can't get to sleep And I can't live alone in this lie
So look up Take it away Don't look da-da-da- down the mountain
If the world isn't turning Your heart won't return Anyone, anything, anyhow
So take me don't leave me Take me don't leave me Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you
Well I stand at the crossroads Of highroads and lowroads And I got a feeling it's right
If it's real what I'm feeling There's no makebelieving The sound of the wings of the flight of a dove
Take it away Don't look da-da-da down the mountain If the world isn't turning Your heart won't return anyone anything anyhow...
So take me don't leave me Take me don't leave me Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you
So look up Take it away Don't look da-da-da- down
If the world isn't turning Your heart won't return anyone anything anyhow...
So take me don't leave me Take me don't leave me Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you
This is the single most important song in my life and I can think of no other song for my future son to hear first. The greatest memory in my life so far was at our wedding singing this song with the whole congregation with tears running down mine and Laurette's faces. I am sure this memory will soon be in second place once Jack arrives, but I still cherish that memory. The lyrics in this hymn are simply amazing and honestly bring me to tears every single time I hear it.
The background on this song and the author draws me even closer to it. If you have the time, be sure to check out the author's, wiki page to learn more...because seriously, everything is true on that site right??
It is an interesting tale, but what I love most is his conversion and the songs reflection on the massive scope of God's Grace.
I also love the story of the Ebenezer from 1st Samuel-7. At work I have my own little "Stone of Help" on my desk and it has always been a comfort for me during stressful times.
So here it is the first song for little Jack to hear... I have a few different versions I love, but since I don't want my son arriving into this world in skinny hipster jeans and galoshes...I decided to skip the Sufjan Stevens version for right now and stick to the plain jane Fernando version.
I promise that not all these posts will be as deep as this one, but you gotta start strong out of the gate, right!
1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
So it is Travis and I believe it is about time for me to take over this here blog for a while. If anyone is still out there....hello...is this thing on?
I have decided to do a special project. For the past month I have been playing music to Jack. Each night when it is time to go to sleep, I bust out the headphones and play something for our future son. I am about 25 songs deep now and I think it is time I start cataloging them.
Now I am not promising that I have the best taste in music, but I do hope to give little Jack some insight on the music that has shaped me.
This is not only something that Laurette and I really enjoy every evening, but I also see it as an investment in the future. As my father can tell you, I wasn't the most athletic kid in school, and I am not sure if that kinda thing skips a generation, but I do love me some music...so the future for this kid has to be in music. After all, Jackson Wolfe just sounds like an awesome songwriter name, don't you agree? Anyway, suggestions are welcome and I hope you enjoy.
Apologies on the front end for the terrible grammar.
Well, what a weekend. We got about 6" of snow which started coming down in the middle of our appointment Friday morning. I had told my 1st graders on Thursday that if it snowed that I might not be able to get to the doctor Friday morning to find out what the baby would be. This really confused some of them. Jusbin wrote in his journal, "I hope it doesn't snow so Mrs. Wolfe can have her baby." Jusbin, thankfully that was not the case! They are so obsessed with this baby and are constantly asking me questions about it and telling me how big my stomach is getting! We have been studying penguins, and La'Dayshia brought a book up to my desk with a picture of a male penguin incubating the egg on his feet. "Look, Mrs. Wolfe, that pooch looks just like your stomach." Thanks, La'Dayshia! I asked them to write in their journals Thursday morning what they thought I was going to have and what they wanted me to name it. Tripper wrote, "Mrs. Wolfe will have a boy becuas boys are good. I will name him Spik." He ment to write Spike...we are still working on the silent e. La'Dayshia wrote, "I wont Mrs. Wolfe to have a gurl becus gurls are not hrd heded. And I love baby gurls. She will nam her KK Wolfe." That was "hard headed" to translate 1st grade-eese. So the boys will be excited and the girls will be sad because Baby Wolfe will be wearing blue!
Jackson Walters Wolfe will be here in June.
Jackson is my mother-in-law's maiden name, and Walters is my mom's maiden name. I just love family names because I am named after both of my grandmothers. So little Jack Wolfe will be terrorizing Maggie before she knows it! We are so blessed because our ultrasound was "perfect" in the words of our doctor. She said it was an A+! And Travis was relieved that he would not have to watch girl sports....really....I was just excited he has 10 fingers and toes!
In other news, I thought I was going to be a single mother this morning after our good friend Randall and Travis decided to "snow ski" down a hill in our neighborhood using water skis and some sort of poles - correction, broomsticks. I stayed inside most of the time with Paula and Annelise, Randall's wife and daughter. At one point I saw Randall running full speed down the hill to a parked truck with a ski right beside it. I was certain that Travis had skied under the truck....heart attack one of the day! They are so ridiculous. Here are the rednecks playing....
Back to baby news....I called Mary Peyton to tell her the news. I thought she would be disappointed, but I think little boys have started to grow on her.
Me: Well, we found out today what our baby is going to be. MP: What is it? Me: Guess MP: I think it's a girl, no a boy. It's a boy. Me: yep you are right. MP: I wanted a boy, but can you make sure it's not as wild as ours? He is chaos and destruction! Me: well, they can just be wild together. We are going to name him Jackson and call him Jack. MP: I will call him Jackson Destruction!
Where does she come up with this stuff? That's all for now.
