Been a while, I know...

So, it's been so long since I have posted that I'm just going to start from the present and attempt to continue from here. Since the last time I posted a lot has happened. My baby girl has grown so much! In a few short days, she will be one year old. I can't believe how fast time has flown by! I look back at pictures and I marvel at the transformation from baby to little girl. I look forward to the future and all the developments it brings with it. Belle has been such an amazing blessing to Blair and I. I would not change one sleepless night, one smile, the pain, frustration, or overwhelming love. Ok, so maybe I would change a few sleepless nights...In an effort to update you over the past year, I'll add a few pictures! Of course, right? What would a blog post be without pictures?!

I apologize they are not in chronological order, but you can definitely tell the growth of my baby girl!!! Enjoy!!

Introducing...

Isabelle Blair, our little miracle! She was born a whole 10 days after her due date, much to her Mama's disgruntlement! No, really, I was happy for her to stay a part of me for as long as she needed to. However, that being said, I am exstatic to have her and be able to hold her in my arms. She is the most precious little thing (I may be biased, just slightly)! I have been asked for details of the delivery and the "after."  Don't worry all you weak-stomached folks, I won't go into the gory details!

On Sunday, 12 February, Blair and I packed up all that we thought we'd need and caught a ride with a friend here in Turkey to the hospital. We arrived around 8:30 p.m.  The doctor came about an hour later to examine me and start the induction process. Throughout the night I would occasionally have cramping-like sensations, but nothing too painful. The next morning, the doctor came in again to examine me and much to my disappointment the medicine from the previous night hadn't done much. However, the doctor wasn't discouraged and we went forward with the same medicine again. A few hours later, she came back and checked on me and decided it was "go" time for the "big guns," Pitocin. So we got that on board and boy-howdy, did I start to feel the contractions! I went maybe only an hour and a half before I was able to get my spinal, but it felt like 3 days in the midst of it! (Sidenote: for all you women who birthed a child without medication, YOU ARE WOMAN, HEAR YOU ROAR!! I could NOT do that! And didn't!!) Anyway, after the spinal, I was golden! I didn't care how many contractions I had or how many times I got checked, I couldn't feel a thing! It was glorious! Around 1 p.m. my water broke, which was a strange feeling, to say the least. Now, keep in mind, we started the Pit(ocin) around 10 a.m. and by 1 p.m. my water's broken. By 2 p.m. I was completely dilated and being moved into the delivery room. I tell you folks, I wasn't even in the delivery room for half an hour before our sweet baby arrived into the world. I am so thankful I didn't have to push for 2 hours like some poor women.

After she was born at 2:30 p.m., weighing in at 7 lbs and 19.5 inches long, and when they were done doing there thing with her on the warmer, Mama and Belle got our snuggle on! She was so alert and was looking right at Blair and me. I couldn't stop the tears and I think the doctor thought I thought something was wrong with her because she kept saying, 'The baby is fine! She's ok!" While I was being worked on, Blair was able to hold her and have Daddy daughter time. It was so precious!

Not long after delivery, we got moved to our postpartum room/suite. It was so nice! The hospital really caters to Americans and treat us like VIPs! They have a company that comes in to decorate the room depending on the gender of the baby. We had pink everywhere, which of course, I loved! The hospital translator also made us wonderful cookies decorated with baby stuff (i.e. bottles, bassinets, diapers, etc.) Not only where they adorable to look at, but they were delicious too!

It was so great to be able to have "new family" time in our new room. Blair and I couldn't stop staring at our precious little girl.

Blair has taken to Daddy-hood like it's old hat. He scoops Belle up and carries her around like he's been doing it everyday of his life! He even changes diapers without complaint!! (He said he thought of the meconium as pudding so he didn't get grossed out changing it! What an imagination!) He has been so wonderful to me! He's been helping without me even asking and taking care of stuff around the house. He holds Belle when I go and shower or if I want to take a nap. It's been so great to have such a wonderful husband!! I always knew I loved him, but this has surpassed my desires! He'd never tell or want recognition and that makes it all the more special.

As for Belle, she is doing well. She was just so darn cute that for the first few days, she slept on my chest because I couldn't let her go...However, now we are working on getting her to sleep on her own, and she seems to be adjusting well. I've found that swaddling her before she gets fed helps. I try to make sure she is good and asleep before I lay her down and that helps too. For the most part, she is a happy and content baby. Now, when she's messed her diaper, she is NOT a happy camper and lets everyone in the radius of her voice know that she wants the situation fixed and fixed NOW. But I can't say anything, from all reports, I was the same way! Hopefully this means she'll be easily potty trained later! One can hope, right?!

Now I'll leave you with some snapshots of our little one. Hope you enjoy!

Update

So, today is February 3rd. The long-awaited day for Blair and I. Has it been eventful, no. At least not in the way we were expecting. See, today, or sometime before today, I was expecting to be holding my sweet baby in my arms. That or yelling at Blair in the midst of labor.  But alas, that is not to be...at least not today. So, we are waiting. As most of you know, I don't wait well. I mean, I feel like I've done fairly well playing the waiting game up till now. But as someone told me today, it won't be more than 10 days (that's when my doctor will induce). So, I'll mark my calendar for the "new due date" and wait for that. Should she decide to come before then, HALLELUIAH!

But as promised, I will now show you her room, with her newly arrived furniture. Most of you have seen it, but for those of you that have not...enjoy!!

Belle at 37 weeks

Well, much to the disappointment of my dear sister, I have not been taking daily or even weekly pictures of my stomach growth. This is because I feel that there is not enough change to be seen in photos so close together. That being said, the last picture I posted was around 32 weeks. Since then, I feel like Miss Belle has "dropped." The doctor confirmed that she is indeed in the vertex, or head down, position. In Greece, she was breech, so all the walking must have jarred her into the new position! I have been to the doctor twice in as many weeks, due to my gestation. On both occasions she's checked me and so far, no dilation has occurred. Meaning, no Belle for a little while at least!

But as much as I can't wait to meet my new little one, I could use a little more time to prepare! Not long after getting back from Greece, we got all of our household goods. Thanks to some friends, we made major headway into the unpacking the first day; they pretty much unpacked my entire kitchen for me and a lot of the rest of the house!! So my time has been taken up with finding place for everything in a house that is about half the size of the one we came from. We are finding that much of our decorative items will need to remain packed, unfortunately. Slowly, our house is becoming a home to use. Also, since we only came to Turkey with a crib for Belle, we ordered some custom furniture for Belle. No pictures as yet, because it's not been delivered. However, I'm hopeful that it will be in place in her room by the end of next week! Along with the furniture and getting all our stuff, I have been busy getting all Miss Priss' clothes washed up for her, which to be honest is a challenge with no where to put them when they're clean! But laundry baskets work for now, I guess! Oh, and yesterday, I went off base with a friend to a leather shop that's within walking distance and got Belle a new, big diaper bag. It's a knock-off Coach, but I love it!! And they gave me a deal since it was for my baby! How nice was that?! For now I will leave you with a picture of Belle's room as it is now, for the most part.

 Her Daddy getting the room painted in preparation for her arrival!! He did a great job!

Daddy putting together the crib. It looks great with the colors!

Here is Miss Belle at 37 weeks! She's definitely dropped, huh?

Not much change..

I apologize for  being away for so long. Our lives for about 3 weeks after my last post were quite hectic. From December 18-23, Blair and I went on a Biblical Tour of GREECE!! And it was as amazing as it sounds! Hop over to my Facebook page for a taste of the trip. It was awe-inspiring to be able to walk in the same places that such Godly people walked 2k years ago! We followed Paul around a lot; we went to Corinth, Thessaloniki, Athens, Delphi, and Phillipi to name a few. We also got to tour a couple Greek Orthodox churches. They were so amazing with all the detail and intricate woodwork that went into the building of the churches. One day we got to tour a monastery and a nunnery. The location of the two was the most amazing part, I think. They were high in the mountains of Greece and had some seriously beautiful vantage outlooks. Everywhere you looked in Greece was another gorgeous place to take a picture.

In case your wondering, Belle and I did pretty well, I feel, on the trip. My only hang up was that my feet and ankles got massively swollen. Thank God for a friend that let me borrow some of her boots. I wore my tennis shoes for the first day and had I been forced to where those the entire trip, I would have been miserable! But God is good and He knows our needs before we do, and took care of it for me!

Ok, ok, you convinced me, I'll post some pics from our trip. I hope you enjoy!