Sweet baby girl

Halle and I had some good bow time a few days ago...while the computer is working for 5 mintues I thought I'd share. So cute! Wide awake....and screaming!

The pink bow pictures were taken over a few minutes time. Check out the progression.

Minute 1

Minute 2

Minute 3

Minute 4

Maybe this bow makes her sleepy. Lindsay, where did you get it? I need 10 more if they make her quiet!
Also, for those interested, I posted the entry I did in the hospital and never got up. Anyone needing details should scroll back to last Friday.

Play time

Just so you know we're doing more around her than just diapers, naps and feeding the munchkins... Yesterday the girls and I somehow all landed in the Elmo chair. I realize now why Matney likes it so much, it really is comfortable.

Jared will not be happy that I posted this picture but he and Matney were being bears. When he says "Matney, Bear Crawl" they both get down on all fours and growl while crawling around the house. Too funny!

Shh...Don't tell Matney

Hmmm, it looks dark in this picture...I wonder what that is? Looks like an Elmo chair...

...an Elmo chair WITH a BABY!?!?!? Don't anyone tell Matney that while she's asleep upstairs baby Halle sneaks down and snoozes in her Elmo chair!

Bad blogger...and BOW!

Most important things first...one of our playgroup friends, The Shaws, brought us a yummy dinner today...and a cute outfit and BOW HEADBAND for Halle. I, of course, had to try it on her immediately and snapped this with my phone. You can't see the whole bow but can get the idea. The yawn was too cute not to share. Thank you for the food, we really appreciate it!

I am exhausted and about to head off to bed (ie - ignore all grammer and spelling errors!) so that I can trade with Jared for the nighttime shift but wanted to let you know that we're here and all doing really well! Whatever the problem is with our internet it is getting worse and not better. It seems like when I have time to update the blog the internet isn't working so I can't...frustrating!

Matney is FINALLY getting better. I never got to finish my post from the hospital so you may or may not know how sick she has been. We spent Thursday afternoon before my water broke at the dr and then on the phone with CHOA (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta) because M's fever was almost 105 and we thought we were headed for their ER. Her dr says it is an ear infection but gracious. She kept a temp between 102-104 for almost 5 days. She wasn't able to come to the hospital, which was the main reason we wanted out early.

Matney's reaction to her sister was about nonexistent. She didn't seem to notice her much at all when we brought her home...she did however notice her paci. Matney walked right up to the carseat, snagged the paci for her own mouth and walked away. She needed a little extra TLC from Jared and I the first couple hours home but hasn't seemed too fazed by our new addition since then. She, Matney, is quite cranky but I think she is BORED from being at home for almost a week.

I actually feel really good. MUCH better than after I delivered Matney and have been able to do most of what I usually can...physically anyway. Our normal routine is out the window and we'll have to work on another one. Two sweet girls require much more attention than just one!!!
I am off to bed but will try again soon. I know there is supposed to be a new way to post from my phone. I'll make Jared look into that option if our internet is going to be out of whack for a while.

Middle of the night photo session

Miss Halle Kate and I have been spending lots of hours alone in the middle of the night since she was born. Here she is looking particularly cute on Saturday night. She was almost exactly 48 hours old.

Save you some time!

I thought I'd save everyone the trouble of going back through the blog to compare Matney to Halle...seems like many of you have spent time recently doing just that thing! I went back and added a bow picture of Matney to the previous post so that you could compare those also. Just trying to help!

Halle Kate's car ride home.

Matney's car ride home.

First and Second BOW!

***UPDATE*** Both of these pictures (above and below) are Matney with her hospital bow. Do they look alike to you?

When Matney was born, after her first bath, she came back to us with a bow hat. This time after her bath Halle came back with a boring plain hat. So, when we got to our room I talked to the nurse and she said she'd have one made for us. This is the hat that came back. Perfectly acceptable... ...perfectly acceptable until the nurse left the room. Then I "fixed it". Small bow out, big bow in. Much better!

Going Home

Goodness, posting is not going to be easy around here for a while! I don't have time to get the hospital pics up yet but here are some quick ones of Halle's going home. Since we had her early Friday morning and were up and leaving Sat morning we see many people in the hospital and I didn't have the energy to take many pictures but I'll work on getting them up. Halles's outfit. We found the dress back when mom was here painting the room and mom found the shoes and bloomers at a place in WR. Then, I drove my mother CRAZY because I wanted a knitted white blanket and hat with a knitted pink flower. Poor mom the sweatshop worker had to make several hats since we didn't know how big her head would be! She is taking home the extras for the Ronald McDonald house in Macon.

All dressed up and ready to go. So so cute!

I LOVE the hat...and need several in various colors to match her outfits. Grandma, you better get busy!!!

Such a pretty girl!

Now that is attractive!

Check out my husband...I know you are not married to him but

to me...that is one handsome man loving his baby girl! So sweet!

Welcome Pretty Baby!

I started a post in the hospital with details but never got to finish and post. Its 11:30pm on Saturday, we're home and Miss Halle and I are hanging out on the couch because she didn't want to sleep upstairs. I know you are all more interested in pictures than my words so I'll try and get some up before it is time to wake Matney up for her next dose of medicine at midnight.

Halle Katherine Heald arrived on her own Friday morning at 4:20am. My water broke at home the night before while unloading the dishwasher and we headed down to Northside Hospital around 11pm. She was 20" and weighed 6lb 15oz. Most people have asked how she compares to Matney. M was 19 3/4" and 7lb 7oz.

Jared and I both went into Friday with almost no sleep Wednesday night so being awake all day Thursday and then all Thursday night/Friday morning was rough. Jared went home from the hospital Friday morning to take a nap and help with Matney who has been really, really sick. Anyway, more details later but for now enjoy some pictures.

Matney is a big sister!

You would think this post would be all about pictures of Halle Kate...and it would be if I had taken the time to get new pics off the camera onto the computer. But, we've had company all day and I just haven't taken the time to transfer them.

I remember from last year that when I delivered Matney and Jared was in charge of the blog he had NO DETAILS...not good for all of my girlfriends reading. As I looked at his posts from last night I realize we have the same no frills posts...ie, labor from a male perspective so I'll try to give you some details ladies!

Some of you know that Matney got, out of no where, a crazy high fever on Wednesday afternoon. I stayed up with her most of Wednesday night, checking her every hour and finally calling Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) when it was almost 104. Thursday we went to the dr where they said she had an ear infection. Of course! Since I had JUST BEEN THERE the week before because I thought she had an ear infection and they said she did not. They gave us an antiboitic and we came home. By Thursday at 4:30 he fever was almost 105...which is the "magic number" that means we would have to go to CHOA's emergency room. It finally came back down before we put her to bed - popsicles, medication, cool rags, ice water, etc did the trick. She was PITIFUL. I was seriously considering NOT being induced the following morning because I didn't want to leave M while she is so sick.

Fast forward, Matney went to bed, J and I ran to Target (the "last date" for soon to be parents of 2, how romantic) and came home to pack the car. The plan was to leave around 6am on Friday and head to the hospital. I had JUST SAID how glad I was that Halle had waited, that we didn't have to go in the night before induction like we had with M, how I needed a good nights sleep in my bed and was so glad I'd be taking a shower in the morning...when I leaned over to unload the dishwasher and my water broke (about 9:45pm). I wasn't sure what had happened so I slipped off to the bathroom...and came back out to Jared and my mom (who was in town to keep M) and said, "I am not so sure about this but I think my water broke and we are not going to be getting our good nights sleep". And sure enough I was right!

Long story short we called the dr and were told to go on to the hospital. Jared finished packing our bags while I took a shower. Yep, my water broke, I was having random contractions and I stopped to take a shower. I can't stand not taking a shower in the AM and I knew Friday morning I wasn't going to get one. We woke M up for another dose of medication, turned her over to mom and headed down to Northside. We got to the hospital a little after 11pm. They said that my contractions were not regular and to try and get some sleep. They planned to start pitocin (labor inducing drug) at 6am and we'd go from there. Halle once again had other plans. Because my water broke they were not checking me for dilation and I thought I was being a wimp because those contractions were CLOSE and HARD. PAINFUL HARD. At 3:45am the nurse came in and said the epidural was on its way! Thank goodness. They got that in just about 4am and she checked me...5cm. I thought "are you kidding me? Only 5cm? I am wimp!".

Because labor with Matney had gone quickly from 5 to 10cm she said she'd check back every 10 min. Jared finally went to lie down and had just fallen asleep when she came back 10 min later, checked me and said "oh! You are 10cm and she is really ready to come out!". We quickly got a confused Jared up, the dr came in the room, I pushed 4 times (40 seconds total!!!) and at 4:20am we had BEAUTIFL BABY HALLE KATHERINE HEALD. She was 6lb 15oz and 20" long. Can you believe that? No wonder I was hurting so badly...we were less than 30 minutes away from her being born. Who knew it could happen like that? Next time I may make my shower quick and be ready to hit the road. No babies on GA 400 please! These are pictures from last weekend of Mylee and Matney. Watch the progression to see why I am concerned about Matney's reaction to sharing witha sister. First Mylee sits innocently in the Elmo chair while Matney reads a book with Allison.



Next, Matney realizes Mylee is in her chair and goes to join her...and starts to push her out.

Poor Mylee gets shoved out of the chair by my sweet, selfless daughter. Um, Matney, no!!! This is NOT how we share with our sister...and not how we keep friends!

Halle Kate is Here!

Seven hours from waterbreak to birth. This little girl is quite the little speedster. It is amazing. Stacey will write more later, but here are a couple of pictures for now.

Eviction Unnecessary, Halle Kate Coming Out Voluntarily

Stacey's water broke around 9:40 pm tonight. By 11:10 we were at our hospital checking in to have our second girl. It is approaching 1:00 a.m., Stacey is getting an i.v. to put fluids into her body. The contractions are coming closer together, about five minutes apart and are pretty strong, but no change is other requirements for the baby to come.

Baby Halle's EVICTION NOTICE

I just put Matney down for a nap and have several things I'd love to accomplish while she's asleep so this will be quick. I went to the dr. today...which, thank you to Jared's parents who got up and came over early to stay with Matney, was MUCH more peaceful than our last visit when she pitched a fit the entire time...and nothing has changed. At this point I don't care anymore. If she doesn't come on her own by then she is EVICTED from this belly. We've got our papers to check into Northside on Friday morning and induce. So, if she shows up before then great and if not we should have a baby before Friday night. We won't know until Friday morning what time we can go to the hospital so there is no way to know what time I'll even start getting the medication. Last time with Matney from the time we started medicine to the time she was born was about 5 hours...which was really quick so we'll just have to wait and see! We'll keep the blog updated from here or from the hospital so check back for details.

And on a side note, I put the ugly piece of black fleece back in Matney's window at the end of last week and guess who is sleeping better? I'd taken it down about 2 weeks ago and LOVED having all the light in her room. She's got blinds and curtains with room darkening material on the back but that apparently isn't enough. Since I put it back up she's back to 2 naps a day AND sleeping until at least 7am. Her room can just look like a dark dungeon forever if it helps her sleep!

She looks so big!

Taking a picture of Matney is really hard to do. In the last week she's really taken off (walking) and catching her still is not easy. However, once I had her dressed I HAD to try to get a couple pictures. She was so cute and seems like such a big girl in a big girl outfit.

She got this dress for her birthday from our friend Leslie who always finds the cutest things. I found the shoes at Target last week and oh my! Cuteness!!!


Matney loves to walk in a circle, starting in the living room and going into the kitchen and around the island and table. This day she was DETERMINED to take Dog on her walk. So sweet.



No other baby updates. I have been going and going and feeling really good this pregnancy (minus the first 20 weeks of barfing) until the past couple days. I am exhausted and uncomfortable! I am at the point that even when I get comfortable enough to sleep I am up every hour to hour and half to go to the bathroom. Annoying. Once I'm up it takes me forever to fall asleep again...and then guess who has to go to the bathroom AGAIN?!?! ugh.
Matney has been waking up this week at 6am (or earlier) and only taking one 30 minute nap. It is all I can do to stay awake and keep her entertained. I realize that having a newborn means even less sleep but let's get this baby out and get going. The sooner we start the sooner she sleeps...PLEASE LORD let Halle be a normal, sleeping, nap-taking baby!!!

Cousins!

My cousin Christina, who came over last week, must have thought Matney and I were lots of fun because she came back again this week...with my cousin Shanna's daughter Katie. To help you follow my dad has 3 sisters and 2 of them had 4 kids each so there are 10 cousins. 6 girls all born within a couple years of each other and 4 boys that followed. We had great times together growing up. Shanna, Christina and I are the oldest 3 girls and we're all living in Atlanta. Right now Christina is keeping Shanna's daughter Katie during the week. So, Christina brought Katie up to play for the day and Shanna came up for dinner that night. Even though we live close it has been a long time since we were together and it was so nice to be with family. If we lived closer I'd beg Christina to come every day. I love being with her and Matney really enjoyed Katie being here.

I laughed with Christina walked up holding Katie because I knew that Matney had the outfit Katie was wearing. I changed her clothes before Shanna got here and gave them matching hairbows (of course). A navy bottom would crawl by and we'd have to look twice to see who it was!


The only time we had a small problem was when Katie wanted to see Dog. Matney shares most things well but not Dog. Poor Katie, she gave up and crawled off!


While Katie ate lunch Matney wanted to play with her feet. Matney thought it was hysterical...Katie was not a fan!

Sweet Katie!