An Even Sweeter Life

Makaeda's First Trip to the Pool

2009-07-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Makaeda's first trip to the pool (Water Mine Park in Reston, VA)...we had a fun filled day in the pool and out and about with Mrs. Tamara and Kennedi who is only 4 days older than Makaeda.

Carrots..

2009-07-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

So we tried Sweet Potatoes this past Saturday but she was NOT having it..which means we're just going to move on and try them again in a few weeks...

On to carrots, at first she didn't really know how to feel about them...but she spit most of them out..

On the second day, I mixed them with rice cereal and she LOVED them..wanted to help me..

After a few spoonfulls, she decided I just wasn't going fast enough and she wanted to do it by herself...

Needless to say..carrots were a success so it's on to peas...stay tuned!

Our 1st Independence Day!!!

2009-07-08T11:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots from July 4th (and the 5th)...Enjoy

Memories from 3 months - 4 months

2009-06-30T13:28:00.001-07:00

Here are a few memories from Makaeda's 3rd month and the very beginning of her 4th. :)

We took our first family trip to NC on Memorial Day weekend. Makaeda was able to meet her Nana and Grandpa (Reggie's parents) for the first time, going to cousin Jasmine's HS graduation, getting cozy with Godmommy Alicia, meeting all her Chapel Hill fam, and visiting Grammie and Pawpaw (Jessica's parents) at Jordan Lake. Makaeda did excellent during the ride, only throwing a fit an hour outside of Alexandria on the way back home...she, like her mother, realized that it was only a matter of time before we had to wake up and get ready for the "real world" again.

The next 2 slideshows are from Makaeda's 3rd month. We just cannot believe how much she's grown in such a short time...it's so amazing. And it's SO TRUE what they say about enjoying every second because they just seem to fly by..

And so the fun really begins..Makaeda had her 4-month pediatrician appointment on June 25th, 2009 and she was a whopping 15 lbs, 4oz and 24.5 inches long..what a healthy baby we have! She also had to get 4 shots which she was not loving Mommy and Daddy about but alas..

She's started "talking" up a storm and now instead of fussing before she heads off to snooze, she starts talking until she eventually just passes out (so much like her Mommy). She's really starting to look like Reggie (even though Mommy hates to admit it)...and she's starting her first solids of rice cereal. WOOHOO.

Crazy, right? Jessica is going to try to be better about updating this blog..we have so many pictures that we need a new computer just to house them all. :)

Hope all is well with everyone..love and happiness!

Almost 3 months old...

2009-05-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Makaeda Hope is almost 3 months old (10 weeks to be exact) and just the most precious child ever. It's crazy how big she's gotten in just these past 10 weeks and it's amazing how much she's already learned to do or figured out.

She can now lift her head (although it's gotten a little difficult as of late b/c it's increased in size..haha), she's scooting along if she can get her feet together, she smiles just about everytime you say anything to her and she's started cooing and talking back to us.

She started daycare last Tuesday and she loves it. Every night when we come home from work/daycare - she will coo until she falls asleep, almost as if she has SO much to tell us about her day. Next week/weekend (Memorial Day weekend), we're traveling to NC to visit family. This will be the first time that Reggie's parents will be able to see her so it'll be really nice, then we'll visit my parents who are camping and then it's out and about through Chapel Hill visiting various friends...

Here are some latest pics of our cutie..enjoy!

Happy Easter 2009!!

2009-04-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Our little empress is officially 6 weeks old - hard to believe that much time has passed already. She's holding her head up pretty steady with a bobble here and there, smiling at us and attempting to have some sort of conversation with us through coos, yells and sighs. She's starting to develop her own little personality with her father's stubbornness and her mother's attitude. :)

Here are a few pictures of her in her Easter outfit..enjoy until next time.

Our Little Sweetie - Miss Makaeda Hope

2009-03-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our apologies (mainly mine - Jessica's) for not having posted updates sooner...as you can imagine our life has been a whirlwind over the past month, especially considering that our little bundle of joy came a bit sooner than expected.

On Saturday, February 28th, 2009, I woke up and thought my water had broken but it was no where near the "gush" that everyone tells you it will be. Reggie had already gone to work so I hung around the house to see if there would be the "gush" or if I should just call my doctor to see about heading to the hospital. After about an hour, I started having mini-contractions and called Doc who told me to make way to Labor and Delivery at Inova Alexandria. The nurses and Doc admitted me, tested my fluid and confirmed that my water had started leaking and I was dilated 2cm. They immediately put a catheter with pitocin into my cervix in order to speed up the process and regulate my contractions. After about an hour and a half, I had dilated to 4cm. After making it to 5cm I asked for my epidural.

As soon as they administered my epidural, my blood pressure dropped severely as did Makaeda's heart rate. Apparently I had had some type of reaction to the epidural so all of the nurses on the floor and my doctor ran to my room and turned me to my side so that Makaeda would get enough blood flow. Talk about a scary situation!! To remedy the issue, they gave me a shot of epinephrin, lowered my epidural levels, and made me wear these socks with massagers to help with my circulation (I couldn't move at all.) After 11 hours of labor the doctor found that I had only dilated to 6cm and I was feeling the need to push ..because my body wasn't ready, Makaeda's head had already started to cone...so the call was made to head to the OR for a cesarean.

At 10:31pm, we finally - after all that time - welcomed our little empress, Miss Makaeda Hope Padgett Fuller into to the world. She was 7lbs, 13.7 oz and 19.8 inches long.

It's crazy to think that it has already been 1 month since she arrived..and she's grown so much already. At her 2 week pediatrician appointment, she weighed 8lbs, 8oz and had grown in length almost 5 inches! She's such a joy and we cannot wait for everyone to meet her.

Enjoy the slideshow below with pictures from her 1st month of life...and leave some comments if you can.

Love, life and happiness...

39 weeks...whew

2009-02-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, we've officially made it to 39 weeks and we're steadily approaching our goal of welcoming little miss Makaeda Hope.

- Had on OB appointment on Monday where we were dilated 1cm and she projected Makaeda to be a big "little" girl at around 8.5 lbs already!! She told us that we probably won't wait until the 11th to schedule an induction if I do not go by our due date or by the 11th..now we're basically waiting until the 4th and scheduling induction right away. She also said we may actually have to do a Cesarean because I may not be able to handle it physically...but we're going to try!

- Had our 39-week ultrasound earlier today...and she's looking mighty cramped in there! The radiologist said from her measurements she doesn't believe Makaeda is as big as the OB says so we'll have to wait and see! Either way, we have the following picture to share for the time being...looks like she has her mother's fabulous lips! (Not that I'm conceited or anything...wink, wink)

Other than that, still playing the waiting game as patiently as we can. I start maternity leave next Tuesday, March 3rd and Reggie will be home for 2 weeks after we welcome her...

Until next time, Love to everyone!!

The Waiting Game

2009-02-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

So, we are officially about a week and a half away from our anticipated due date and the house is abuzz with preparations. I'm definitely in the nesting phase and have been cooking like crazy - something Reggie is glad that I brought back considering eating take out and fast food for about 8 - 9 months has gotten extremely OLD.

We went last night and bought all of our toiletries and necessities for our overnight bag considering I could go into labor any day now. Dr. McKenzie has me taking evening primrose oil to try and speed up the process if at all possible. I'm now going to see her once a week, with my next appointment on Monday. During my last visit, Makaeda had turned halfway and was facing my right side with her head in the correct position. You'd think I had one of those small aliens from the movie "Alien" inside of me with the way she tries to push, kick and stretch - it seriously has to be one of the most exciting and creepiest things to watch. I took a couple videos of her moving around in there just so we could reminisce later on in life.

We FINALLY received the crib from UPS this past Monday (Presidents' Day), which made it almost a full month of waiting and fighting them to actually deliver it when we SCHEDULED to have it delivered. I think our local customer service center has to be a group of the most incompetent people in Northern Virginia - possibly the entire state. (Side Note: I think it's sad when someone from the customer service center is on the phone with you telling you she just cannot find the box - which was large and about 75 pounds - in their storage center when the delivery driver is knocking at your door with the box itself..I mean you'd think since everything is computerized you'd be able to tell it's out for delivery, but what do I know?!?) With that said, this weekend will be spent getting the final touches done to the nursery and pictures will be soon to follow..Promise!

I plan to start maternity leave on March 4th (unless Makaeda decides to be stubborn)..but will definitely be on it by the second Monday in March as Dr. McKenzie says we'll probably go ahead and push her on out by the 11th anyways. :) Auntie Lish will be visiting (maybe with Auntie JLamb if she can make the trip) soon after, with my parents and grandparents coming after that...and I'm hoping Auntie Christin will be able to make it the first weekend or so in April but we will see (crossing fingers). Reggie is planning to take a week/week and a half right after we come home from the hospital and then he'll be taking paternity leave right as I go back to work so we're in the process of getting all those dates together...still feels like we have so much to do and SERIOUSLY so little time.

Anywho, hope all is well with everyone..more updates to come..until then - send good vibes and prayers our way.

Love, Health and Happiness!!!!

35 weeks...

2009-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are at 35 weeks - excited and uncomfortable. :) At this point, we have about 5 weeks left until little Miss Makaeda arrives and we could not in more anticipation than we are (well I'm sure that will change as the final weeks wear on). We completed our 4-week Childbirth Preparation class this past Thursday and were actually sad. The other couples were so nice, we learned a great deal and I think it calmed both our nerves just a bit - if anything because of the laughs we had during each class. We've collected just about every item we need for the nursery - still waiting on the crib. We went to pick it up from UPS this past Friday night but it was far too large to put in the car so we've asked them to try and redeliver this week. Other than that, we'll just need to go pick up the crib mattress and our glider/ottoman. Once everything is situated, I'll share actual pictures of the entire nursery.

Our second baby shower, held at Kerrie's house, was so much fun and I think I probably ate way too much but what can ya do? We have been so grateful for all that our friends and family have done and continue to do. As you can see in the slideshow - Nana Fuller sent us a big box of goodies a couple of weekends ago. This child is going to be SO spoiled!

I have a doctor's appointment pretty much every two weeks now so we will let you know if there are any IMPORTANT updates at any of those. As for the rest of this Super Bowl Sunday - I'll be creating a phone tree for the "day of" and will be finishing our Hospital Preadmission paperwork. Wish me luck!

Love to you all and thanks for thinking of us!

7 Months & Going Strong...

2008-12-21T16:06:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since we've updated, and while it's been pretty quiet and easy-going - we have had a few updates. We attended UNC's Homecoming festivities the weekend of November 7th. Reggie hung with his pals (specifically Uncle Los, Auntie Kelli, TT and Kaiser's girlfriend, Sheba) while I spent most of the time with the Lovely Ladies of Theta Nu Xi (specifically Auntie Lish and Auntie Beth). Makaeda, via Mommy's tummy, attended her first step show, UNC football game, and Theta Nu Xi events.

Auntie Lish and Auntie Beth co-hosted our first baby shower at Johnny Carino's Italian Restaurant at Southpoint in Durham on November 9th. We had a blast and thank everyone for their thoughtful gifts...we honestly cannot wait to put all of them to use! Here's a few photos from the event..

Makaeda's new favorite sweet - cupcakes!

Opening cards...

Bottles...

Auntie Lauren & Mommy-to-be

E-7, Together Again, Auntie Christin, Mommy-to-be, and Auntie Kia

The Group - LOVE YOU LADIES!!

Of course, since we were in Chapel Hill - Alicia, JLamb-Ward, Beth and I did some form of shopping on Franklin Street and when I saw this - I just HAD to buy it for her. Reggie says now we need some pink and white Chucks to go with it...

We really haven't been up to much except for our regular doctor's appointments and tests. I'll be 30 weeks on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning and a few weeks ago, I went for my glucose test - which wasn't as bad as everyone had warned - and all results came back good. Overall, all of my tests and checkups have been great which is such a blessing.

We went home for Thanksgiving to see the families which was so nice. I hate that we won't be able to head home for the Christmas/New Year holiday but I'm to the point in my pregnancy where I don't want nor am I really supposed to sit in a car for 8-10 hours to NC.

Hmmm...what else?!? We officially decided that we'll give her 2 middle names instead of hyphenating her last name (just like her Auntie Lish)..so her name will officially be

Makaeda Hope Padgett Fuller

but she'll go as Makaeda Hope Fuller. We've started getting some of the nursery items together. We changed our minds about painting the nursery a light yellow so now we're just trying to find the right purple/lavender in a paint with no VOC's.

Earlier today we tackled the travel system/stroller/car seat/carrier.

In a couple of weeks, I have to start tracking fetal movements - we'll need to report them to my doctor at my next appointment. Then on January 8th and continuing through the 29th - we will take our Childbirth Prep class each Thursday night at the hospital...so excited about it! I'm hoping they show an actual childbirth video because Reggie can't even watch them take my blood when we go in for check-ups..so that should be interesting to say the least!

Auntie Kerrie is hosting another baby shower for us on January 10th and I'm looking forward to it. Other than that, there isn't too much to update on..still looking into doing my maternity photos and we'll be scheduling our next 3D/4D ultrasound soon.

It's so crazy to think that she'll be here in less than 3 months! We're both scared to death but super excited and just cannot wait until she's actually here with us. I believe that's all for now..we'll be updating soon I'm sure, if not sooner - then definitely after my next baby shower so I can share pics.

Until then, here's wishing you all a Happy Holidays!

Love & Blessings from The Padgett Fuller Family...

Belly Pics and Kicks...

2008-11-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday, October 29th, we officially toured the hospital where our little Empress, Miss Makaeda Hope, will come into this world. We ended up being 1 of 7 or 8 couples, and only 1 of 2 that are actually having a girl. The staff was extremely nice and Reggie is crossing his fingers that we end up getting a recovery room with 2 beds in it...otherwise, he may be a little cramped in their pull out sleep-chair. But what can ya do?...

Everyone and their mother has been bothering me about belly pics which I was very hesitant to share. Despite my usual "I don't give a ___" attitude, I'm quite self-conscious about my body. Especially given that I had lost about 30 pounds on Weight Watchers prior to finding out we were pregnant. In my opinion since I've been putting the weight back on, my belly has just looked like a fat belly and not so much the traditional "baby bump". However, I guess the fact that we're over half-way through the pregnancy was enough of a reason to take belly photos and share them. There's a slight "bump" above my belly button but still not showing too much...but all you interested parties will be happy to know that I now have official belly pics. I'm still planning to have my maternity shots taken but that will not be until I'm around 30 weeks so we have a little while to go...

In other news, and to my own new excitement, Reggie has agreed that we'll paint the nursery, and we've chosen our crib bedding. We're still deciding between a light/pale green and a light/pale yellow for the walls..but here's our really cute bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. Isn't it just too cute?!?

One of the most exciting things that has happened - besides finding out we were pregnant, hearing the heartbeat and seeing our little ultrasounds - is that I felt the official first kick today!!!! I've felt her inside moving around and tossing here and there like the little fluttering future Theta Butterfly she is, but today was the very first time I've been able to touch my stomach and feel her kicking/punching me. (I think it was actually a punch because of the way she's been turned.) I can't wait for Reggie to share in this excitement as I've been waiting for her to get carried away so he can feel her moving around.

The whole household has been trying to fend off a cold so send good vibes and prayers our way in the hopes that we can keep it away. I really do not want to result to medications if it's at all possible. We're also traveling to Chapel Hill this coming weekend for UNC's Homecoming and Theta Nu Xi's Alpha Alumnae Weekend. Our first baby shower will be Sunday and we can't wait to see everyone! Anywho..I believe that's all our news for now. I've added a small tracker to the bottom of the page so everyone can keep up with our progress. Until next time, here's a lovely photo of the big brother to be...just sitting there being jealous! (You know Mommy had to take a picture of him...but really only because he kept trying to get in the belly pics with me.) :)

It's a Girl!!!

2008-10-22T07:10:00.001-07:00

Reggie and I are thrilled to announce that our little Guac is a girl!!!

We went to this great place (InfantSee4D) in Fairfax last night and found out that our little Guac is officially Miss Makaeda.

She still looks a bit alienish (which the tech warned us about) because she is only 21 weeks old; however, you should be able to see her little "Fuller" nose. We plan to go back between 28 and 36 weeks to get a nice 3D/4D photo of her..but in the meantime..we're just really excited to know that she is a she...so all you folks out there that bet on "girl", you might want to start collecting your money!

Other news - we are going on our maternity tour of the hospital next Wednesday..so more updates to come soon!

A Quick Update

2008-10-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we're officially 19 weeks along going into our 20th week after Columbus Day. Everything is progressing nicely. We're getting even more excited as time passes and are starting to ready the household for our soon-to-be new family member. Kaiser is a bit upset because his crate has moved from Mommy and Daddy's bedroom to the area between the living room and dining room, and he's hating that we're having to give him "less" attention these days. Anytime Reggie and I are on the couch and I'm getting a nice belly rub or Reggie is talking to the baby - Kaiser feels the need to come up and stick his nose in our business. :)

We've changed our nickname for the baby..calling it different names here and there depending on what the size of the baby actually is. We started with Peanut and moved on to Apple...then at about week 16 or 17 the baby became the size of an avocado. Even though I suggested the name of Ava, we are now calling the baby "Guac" (for guacamole) and will most likely keep this until we find out the sex of the baby....

Speaking of...so our last ultrasound appointment was October 1st and after over an hour in the office, we still came out with no new knowledge of whether the baby is a boy or a girl. They did a full 45 minutes of checking the baby's organs and taking pictures, which all came out healthy as could be. The radiologist then had me walk around for about 15 minutes in hopes of the baby uncrossing its legs. After another 15 minutes or so...still uncrossed..what a stubborn little one we have already! We went for an OB check up on the 6th and everything is going as expected.

I think the most exciting thing we've done besides seeing the baby is to start our registries at BabiesRUs and Target. I had no idea how long it took to actually walk around scanning things but after 2 and a half hours in BabiesRus, we decided to finish both online. If you'd like to take a look, you can either look them up by my name (Jessica Padgett) or Reggie's (Reggie Fuller) or the baby's estimated due date of March 4th, 2009.

Our first baby shower will be on November 9th in Chapel Hill. We'll be traveling to UNC for Homecoming weekend so Auntie Alicia and Beth have offered to host a little get together in our honor that Sunday before our long drive back up here.

I believe that's all of our current updates. We'll have more in the near future: hopefully the baby's sex, our Women's Center tour at INOVA Alexandria Hospital, childbirth class and infant cpr class registrations, etc....Until then, here's our newest pic of "Guac"...at 18 weeks and 7 oz...sucking his/her thumb :)

Moving Along Nicely

2008-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Another doctor's appointment down, only a gazillion to go.

Jessica misunderstood the doctor on our last visit so we do not have an ultrasound to share nor do we have the "sex of the child" announcement to make as of yet.

The baby's heartbeat was still loud, quick and strong and despite the fact that she lost 13 pounds in the beginning from her morning (all day) sickness, Jessica was yelled at for gaining 5 pounds already!! (To my defense, I'm still technically at a negative 8 pounds!!!!)

Our next ultrasound will be on October 1st, with a follow-up doctor visit to discuss the results on October 6th...

Stay tuned until then.......

The Official Announcement

2008-08-25T08:36:00.001-07:00

Now that the family and closest of the close have been enlightened, we are excited and pleased to announce our pregnancy!!

Reggie and I are expecting our first-born on or around March 4th, 2009!!! We cannot be more thrilled, and hope that all of you join in our excitement. Kaiser is no longer the baby, even though he would dispute that in a heartbeat. Our last doctor's appointment was August 11th and we were able to hear a very strong heartbeat. Jessica is approximately 14 weeks and just now exiting the first trimester.

Our next appointment will be on September 8th (what a birthday gift for Reggie) and we hope to have a new sonogram photo to share with all of you. Until then, here's the 9/10 week sonogram to get you by.

Love, Health and Happiness to all of you!!