Christmas In Georgia

12/22
Tomorrow is the day before Christmas Eve and I am so excited! Our church has been doing an incredible series on Revolutionary Love (more about it below) and tomorrow they announce that we're getting together on Christmas Eve around 4pm (so I won't be there because I'll either be: A. Sitting in traffic:( or B. Picking up Lincoln from my mom's house) to pass out Krispy Kreme donuts to people in the community who have to work that evening. A guy at our church either manages/owns a Krispy Kreme and is donating 250 boxes of donuts! It's been pretty sweet the last few weeks seeing everyone step up...Lincoln has started going into the nursery at church which is okay, especially since I've started volunteering again. At 3 months we don't allow children in the service (to keep distractions down, allow us to deal with mature subjects...and the kids area is phenomenal) so the week before he turned 3 months in he went. He does fine...He gets held a lot and receives lots of attention no matter where we are so I don't worry about him being upset (and that's good b/c he never is).

Christmas Day should be fun. Tim and I are getting Lincoln a few gifts, but not a lot b/c in reality he doesn't understand any of it and won't remember anything. We are spending Christmas Day morning with Tim's parents and then the rest of the day with my family. Kevin is flying so we will celebrate Christmas on Friday. We plan on baking cookies that afternoon/evening and take them out to police/fire departments for fun. I'm very excited about that.

Below are pictures of our new crib. Our friend painted LJ's name on it as well as painted it white along with our other furniture...
















From earlier this month....(I was having issues getting the video to load so it took some time)

So it's Christmastime in Georgia which means a week of 40-50 degree weather and then today...70! We have the tree up and the mantel decorated. We're going for a low-maintenance Christmas this year. We are trying to focus more on our family and less on the craziness of Christmas:) Our church is doing a series called "Revolutionary Love" and I have to say that so far it is my favorite. Last Sunday the church gave back the offering to everyone and asked them to use it to bless someone. Follow this link to hear the stories:http://revolutionarylove.tv/2007/12/02/revolutionarylovetv-share-your-story/#comments

The stories are amazing and show why this truly is my favorite time of the year!

The below video is from the birth of Lincoln. I've had a few people ask about it. You don't see the actual surgery, but you can see Lincoln coming out and Tim does a little dance at one point! :)

Off to Work I Go!

Started working Monday and so far so good. Tim and I have developed a pretty good schedule. He takes Lincoln to daycare in the morning which helped me to not freak out. Lincoln loves daycare...or so we believe. Each afternoon when we arrive to pick him up he cries...He does not, however, cry when we drop him off! The ladies love him b/c he doesn't cry a lot and apparently lots of the teachers stop by to hold him. He's already a ladies man and only 8 weeks old!

Returning to work has been different. I am enjoying being back in the office, but there are lots of changes. They are all good changes b/c people are moving on to better things, but sad as well because I will no longer be seeing them on a day to day basis. I am just glad that I returned to work this month and not January - otherwise I would not recognize anyone in the building! This is normal for this time of year, but change is never easy. I truly believe that part of the reason I went through so many moves and issues with friends was to get used to change. It has been the hardest part of being in a church plant, but also one of the reasons I've been able to look back over my life and say, "Oh, that's why that happened!" Okay, that was a little random to be on LJ's blog, but it's true. I hope that throughout Linc's life he'll be able to hold onto friends from elementary school and on.

Linc's next doctor's appointment is on the 30th where he will get his first set of shots...Kind of sounds like a puppy dog! We have found that we've owned dogs one too many years...all of the ways we talk to Linc sound like we're talking to Pug or Mel. This morning Tim said, "I have to put him in his house." He meant carseat, but it came out house. For the dogs there "houses" are their crates/doghouse.

As for the dogs they are still getting used to Linc. Mel's been going into the garage on nights with cold weather (freezing or close to freezing).One evening Linc was sitting in his house b/c I was about to go somewhere and Mel trotted over to him and was rooting his nose through the carseat. It was humorous! Linc just takes it all in. Pug still sniffs around and then ignores, but anytime we are not holding the baby Pug parks himself in our laps! I've got a couple cute pictures of Tim holding both Pug and Mel and I'll try to post them...along with whatever other pictures I've promised. This is getting extremely long so I'll cut it off for now. Next week is Linc's first Thanksgiving and the first time he will be meeting Tim's brother, Jere, and his girlfriend. They live in DC and it's the first time Jere's been able to come home. I'm so excited about the holidays! It's my favorite time of the year!!

WAR EAGLE!

Tim, Lincoln and I are watching our Auburn Tigers play the UGA Dawgs. I'm going to fit Linc for an Auburn jersey sometime soon. In the mean time he'll be in mine:) I'll post a pic later. For now, I've got a picture of Tim's mom, Judy, changing Lincoln when they babysat a few weeks ago. I hope everyone is doing well!

Two Weeks Fly By Fast!

So my two weeks are almost up and work is getting closer by the day. As I said before, I'm not upset about going back, but it will be sad not to be with Lincoln 24/7 and see all the new things he will learn until evenings. I've got some more pictures. Grandma Boutet paid us a visit and spent the day with us. Lincoln had a blast smiling at her and being held. She was very good at putting him to sleep! I also took some pictures of him after bath time as well as some of him playing with Tim. He's growing everyday and seems to be showing more personality as well.


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Not Heading Back to Work Yet...

So, Tuesday was going to be my first day back at work, but thanks to a pediatrician who does not want Lincoln in a daycare until he's 8 weeks old (even if it was just going to be 2 days a week) and thanks to a very nice gift we recieved I am going to have 2 more weeks with my little one! I did go into the office on Friday just in time for the Halloween Bash. I didn't actually attend but I heard it went really well which is great.

I was in the office to go over budget stuff with my boss and although I was nervous because it was my first budget meeting and I was going to have to tell Gary that I needed 2 more weeks at home, overall it was a great meeting. Funny enough people were supposedly taking bets as to whether I would actually return to work or not. I understand the thought process as my former boss as well as at least 4 other co-workers have left after returning for only a few weeks (or not at all) to stay at home with their kids.

As much as I would love to stay at home with Lincoln, I am actually just as excited to get back to work. Don't get me wrong, staying home would be awesome, but while he's little and can't remember anything I feel like it will be just as great to continue to work. We have a fantastic year ahead and I'm really excited about several of the projects I'm going to oversee. I'm taking it slow though...Thanks to saved up vacation I am going 3 days a week for the first 2 weeks, 4 days a week for the second and then full time from that point forward. I think it will be interesting to see how Tim and I will juggle working, having Lincoln and the pups, and keeping up with our house... It's going to be an adjustment going back, but I'm glad I have 2 more weeks to figure it out...

Introducing Lincoln Jagger!

This is the video of Tim introducing LJ to Revolution Church. The first guy who comes on is Preston Porter, the Connections Pastor. He was the Children's Pastor at the time which is why he referenced hanging with everyone's kids. His son was 8lbs and 21in. at birth. He is now over 11lbs. and it's only been a month...

1 Month Report

Went to the doctor's yesterday morning. Lincoln Jagger has grown a ton! He weighs 9.67 pounds and is 20.75 inches long. The doc was pretty impressed with his growth (although he was pretty excited about everything...I think its his way of making parents feel calm and good). LJ's been eating like a madman so I'm interested to see how much he grows/weighs at his 2 month appointment. Next week should be my last week before semi-returning to work, however the doc was not excited (the only time during the appointment) with that news. He wants me to try and wait 2 more weeks and so...we are weighing the options.

Almost 1 Month Old

So the countdown has begun! I head back to work the last week in October and although it's only for a few days a week until Dec. I'm not looking forward to it. I am torn because I'm excited to get back to work because we have a lot of exciting things that we're gearing up for...however leaving Jagger at a daycare is going to be hard. We settled on one in Canton that is close to Tim's office and luckily (well unlucky for him) Tim will be the one dropping him off (I know it will be hard enough leaving him in the morning, but I can pretend that he's hanging with Tim all day).

For the time being I've been watching lots of daytime tv and catching up on some reading (that's in between feeding and sleeping). Jagger is an excellent sleeper and so far if we feed him at midnight or one then he sleeps all night. We've been working on a schedule, but I know that he's really too young to catch on. Some days it's every 2-3 hours of feeding/sleeping and some days it seems like it's every hour. He's extremely happy and really only cries when he's hungry or he's very sleepy.

This Monday Jagger's cord came off. I was visiting the daycare and wasn't home to witness it (not that there is much to witness). Kevin and Lyndsey were watching him and they unknowingly witnessed it. I say unknowingly b/c the cord fell off and into Jag's diaper. Kevin was changing him and thought it was odd, but didn't realize it was the cord. I only noticed b/c his stomach seemed flatter than usual in his onesie.

Alex (my brother) came home from college and was able to see Jag for the first time. He gave him a mini lacrosse stick and is working on a training schedule to make him the best lacrosse player in Georgia...ok I'm joking about the last part. It was great to see him. Oh, and if anyone questions his long hair: he's growing it out for Locks of Love an organization that collects hair for kids who have lost their own from cancer treatments. He is also going to be Captain Jack Sparrow for Halloween. I'll post pics if I ever get any from him:)

So for now, here are some updated pics.


Jag's Got Mad Skills


My First Starbucks!


Our Two Babies: Jagger & Charlie Pug


So Sleepy!


Tim & Jagger Hanging on the Front Porch:)


Tummy Time!


Uncle Al!

Going Home Tomorrow!

We survived the C-Section:) We were at 6cm for 2 hours and the doctors didn't like how Lincoln Jagger was handling the contractions. It truly wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and since my mom had 2 of them I figured there was a pretty good chance I was headed that way! Tim's an awesome dad:) It's been a fun process and one we are excited to continue at the house. We've gotten lots of flowers and love from everyone so thank you!! We'll see you all soon! Here's some pics and videos to hold you until then!

The morning of...we didn't end up going into the hospital until 10pm that night. They were waiting for a room to open up. Our first call began at 7am that morning!

Waiting for the c-section...This is the pic from the hallway Tim took while he waited to be let into the operating room.

First Family Picture




Second Family Picture



All Swaddled Up!

Lincoln Jagger Just Chillin'

One Week to Go!

We went to the doctor on Friday morning and I am 1 1/2 cent. dilated (no change there) and 60% effaced (small increase). The status is still "Lincoln can come any day). I am still not having any contractions and Link is moving a ton so who know's when he'll decide it's time to come out. If he hasn't appeared by next Friday (his due date) we'll get an ultrasound to see how he looks and then meet with another doctor.

Work is going really well and has been a good distraction. The only problem is me wanting to get everything done before Link comes and there's just no guarantee. I have been trying to leave work at work in the evenings and not bring anything home (especially now), but it's been a struggle. Our trade show is the 26th and pretty much one of the biggest parts of my job. I just want it to go well (which I'm sure it will). It'll be nice once Link comes into the world b/c then he'll be my focus and work will fall into the background!! I think it will be a good break b/c I tend to become a little workaholic-y.

On a fun side I've been working on some short stories for little Link. In going with the rockstar theme I've entitled the series: Lincoln Jagger, Rockstar. I'm thinking they might work for some first year books...simple and rhyming. They're rough cuts (especially since I really haven't been writing a ton lately), but have been fun to write and I think Lincoln will enjoy them one day!

So for now, I'm chilling with Tim and watching some football - I'll update more as things begin to happen!

Two Weeks Left!

It's hard to believe that 9 months have flown by!! I am still feeling great so fingers crossed that it continues:) I've uploaded a video of the nursery so everyone can see...Yes, that is a Metallica poster on the wall...A gift to Tim from one of my girlfriends at work to go with our rock and roll theme. She also gave us a few blow up guitars that you can't see in the video. The crib is currently being painted so I'll upload pics when we get it. Don't worry, little Link has a bassinet to sleep in until the crib arrives (and probably even after the crib arrives for a little while). My mom's friend Nan recovered our rocker as well as made the diaper bag that's in the corner. Much love to everyone!!





Okay...to many this may be boring, but for those of you eagerly anticipating the nursery I have created a nice little video...Keep in mind that it has been several years since my video editing class so it's a bit rudimentary:) Also, please keep the volume down...you really don't need to hear the play by play or the dog barking!

Almost into the Home Stretch

Wow! So it's been a slight while since I've posted. I have to say I've been pretty busy not to mention by the time I get home I'm exhausted and so I just chill...I finally decided I'd try and give some updates:


I went to the doctor today (I've begun the 2 week appointments) and so far the due date is the same-September 14. My weight is good (about 32 lbs) and my iron and all the other good things they test are all normal. Little Lincoln Jagger (that's what we're calling him these days, although we're still trying out other names as well) is moving a ton. He's a bit of a roller and doesn't kick a ton...I feel like he's a bowling ball sometimes, so I can already tell there's lots of Kalvin (or at least Grandpa) in him:) He's most active in the morning around 5-6AM and then in the afternoons around 4-5, especially during the drive home, and then again later at night when I'm chilling with Tim...


I have taken 2 classes so far...A whirlwind as Tim and I opted for a Fri/Sat Childbirth class instead of the 5 week option and one evening class (which I took last night) for breastfeeding. It was a lot of info. in a short period of time but we're glad we took them. I feel at least a little more prepared!!


The nursery is coming along...We've been blessed by having two families pretty much supply the majority of our swings and furniture. We went with a neon green and a teal blue. So far it's all coming together and this week I'm hoping that the nursery will actually take some shape. We are going to try and put the furniture together and do touch up painting this weekend.


I had a shower last Friday at work and again I've been totally floored by the awesome things my friends gave us. We have lots of clothes, diapers, and baby trinkets as well as the cool baby swing like thing that allows him to feel like he's roaming, but stay in one place...Babies R Us calls it the Exersaucer...so needless to say the nursery is getting full and coming together...On a fun note, Tim wanted to place some rock posters on one of the walls. I was skeptical and wanted to at least view the posters before we started putting them up. One of my girlfriends found a Metallica poster that matched the colors of our room...So at least one wall will have some rock on it:)


Okay for the part you guys are probably going to skip to: Pictures! These were taken over the last few weeks. I will post more as I get batteries for my camera! Much thanks to my mom for capturing these with her phone!

New Things

So...I'm definately gaining some weight! I will be posting some new pictures soon which will show a slightly bigger Courtney:) I still haven't had any cravings, but I have been experiencing my first set of pregnancy blues...lately the thought of looking in a mirror makes me crazy...but it does make me want to eat healthy and excerise the latter of which I haven't been doing a ton of so in those respects it's good that I'm not looking in mirrors! Tim and I went for our first walk together and it was nice just to walk semi-leisurely and talk.

I think I've narrowed down the baby's room. If I can get things to work right I think I'll be doing a Teal and Chocolate Brown with a white trim room. We haven't registered yet for anything b/c I've been trying to figure out the colors so maybe now I can get some work done!! Work is about to get busy so the faster I can get things accomplished at home the better I'll feel over all.

We had a garage sale a few weekends ago which allowed us to empty out several rooms of junk and then one of our friends is going to take our oversized couch. Believe it or not the oversized couch being gone will allow us to take a loveseat out of the back bedroom and actually make our living room seem larger - I can't wait!

This weekend Tim and I watched 85 people get baptised at church (it was a pretty cool service) then celebrated Lyndsey's graduation with the family and then took off for a hotel to get away for the evening. We ate outside at a great restaurant, slept in and then lazily headed back to my parents house to pick up the puppies (they stayed and played with Cooper the Pug and Molly the Beagle).

I know I had more to add, but currently I can't exaclty think what else I was going to write...Better for you readers as I can tell already that I'm rambling! The next appointment is this Thursday with a new doctor. I'll fill everyone in on the details afterwards...Have a fabulous day!!

Back at the Drawing Board!

So at 2AM this morning Tim asked me what I thought about the name Hayden...This was the first name we looked at when we found out we were having a boy. So we're back on the naming block. I will say with no regrets that our child will not be named Silas, Silar or any name similar...For those who didn't read the DaVinci Code this is name of the evil villain in the book/movie. I will not (I know never say never) have my son named after an evil villain!! Tobin might be weird, Jagger might be weird, but Silar/Silas is weirder and crazier!! :)

Francis Ford Coppola & Me (and Baby May!)

Mother's Day!

So Mother's Day was fun. I got a card in the mail Friday from Jere, Tim's brother, for the Mother to Be. It was awesome and totally unexpected! I also went to lunch with Tim's parents today and I got another MTB card and a cute figurine of a pregnant woman. I spoiled an argument between two of my friends this evening. They wanted to know whether or not Tim got me anything for Mother's Day. The husband felt like Tim shouldn't have to b/c there is no actual child yet. My girlfriend felt like I was already "taking care of the baby" by eating right, staying healthy, etc. I ruined her argument by saying I hadn't expected Tim to get me anything b/c technically there is no child yet...however when Father's Day roles around he better remember this:)

This weekend I went through my wardrobe and began to siphon out clothing I don't ever wear, clothing I won't be wearing for another year, and clothing that I received from a friend that I'll be wearing for the next four months. I'm so glad we are having a yard sale this weekend! I hope to make some extra $$$ from the stuff I haven't worn (and honestly won't wear) in forever. We are holding the yard sale with our next door neighbor and I'm hoping that we'll unload our old treasures into someone elses hands. I'd hate to have to bring everything back into the house...in fact most of it will go to the Salvation Army if it's not sold. Our house just isn't big enough for all of our stuff...and since we won't be moving for a few more years it will be good to reduce the amount of stuff we have...and I imagine with a new child we'll be increasing thier stuff!!

On a fun and totally random note: I got to meet Francis Ford Coppola on Friday evening. He was in town on a press junkett for Wine DayDreams and Memories which is his travelling road show promoting his wines (Rosso&Bianco, Diamond Collection, www.ffcpresents.com) and telling stories about how he got into film and food. It was a great evening and a lot of fun. Coppola definately weaves his family and history into everything he does. I was completely impressed as he didn't shy away from talking to everyone after he completed his portion of the program. He talked, took pictures, signed things. He looked tired (and knowing his schedule, that's not unwarranted), but still took the time to speak to everyone and treat them as if they were the only person in the room (which is hard when you have five people trying to get your attention at once). I got one picture with him which I'll post tomorrow or later in the week. If anyone finds themselves lucky enough to get a ticket to this show I definately recommend going. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Family Influence & Laughing a Little Too Hard...Once

So the family (or I should say Courtney's family) is not totally digging the name Tobin (Toby) Jagger. It's totally cracking me up. It's funny how names draw out so many different feelings from so many different people! Tim and I aren't easily influenced though...after all it's our kid!! We've been having fun just talking to Tobin. Tonight Tim and I sat outside and just hung out while he smoked his cigar (blowing the smoke away from me:) ) and I had my own decaf espresso/ice cream creation. It was nice just chilling and talking about what life will be like with little Toby around. It's still hard to believe that we are already at 21 weeks (5 months). Time is flying by and at times it is a little overwhelming. I'm not stressing too much b/c I figure everything will get done in time. In a few weekends my neighbor and I are having a garage sale which will hopefully clean out at least one room (yes, we too have lots of stuff). I haven't hit the nesting stage yet, but I'm sure it's around the corner. Still no cravings...I'm kind-of wondering if they will ever come. My mom craved Peanut M&M's...I've eaten them, but I haven't really had major desires for them. The only thing close to a craving has been Moe's. I love Moe's!! I don't have to have it though, and so I can't really classify it as a craving.

For the laughter part...I was warned and although I think I was in denial...it finally happened...One short laugh and suddenly...well I guess it's a pregnant thing...if you are still clueless...ask someone who's been pregnant and laughed hard. They'll fill you in:)

It's a Boy!

So here it is! You can see his feet pretty well and if you look closely you can also see his hand. It starts out with a picture of his head and abdomen. If you look at his head you can see that his mouth is open slightly.

It's not great quality b/c I had to record the DVD on my digital in order to be able to upload it. Eventually I'll figure out a way to get the actual DVD online...until then...Enjoy!!

Video Sonogram

I'm trying really hard to get the video uploaded. I think I'm going to try and use my camera to "video" the video. If it works I'll upload it tonight...On another note, we are testing out names. Right now we are digging Tobin Jagger May. We'd call him Toby for short. Last week it was Hayden Jagger...Who knows what it will be next week!

It's A Boy!!

See the arrow??

So we found out today that our little Peanut/Maybean is a boy! Tim immediately began searching for mini guitars! The response from the family was mixed...Kevin & Alex believe he will be a future lacrosse player while Tyler thought of baseball first. I've attached some pictures from the doctor's appointment today. The picture with the arrow is accentuating the "Boyness" of our little one.

Our 9 Weeks Sonogram

Yea! It's Up & Running:)

So...Finally! I've been terrible about taking the time to put this together:) Our little maybean affectionately called "Peanut" by most of our friends & family is due September 14th. We find out this Thursday whether the little one is a boy or a girl. So far the naming game has been on hold until we're sure of what we're having...Tim and I both have names put aside...mine for a girl and him for a boy. We have ideas for rooms and everything else, but we don't want to start anything until we're positive of what the baby will be.

The ride has been fun so far...We've had a few doctor's appointments and get to hear the heartbeat. I haven't gained a ton of weight which has been kind-of humorous. There's another girl at my work who is due on the 14th as well and whenever we see each other we do a "belly check". We're about the same size and experience roughly the same things...It'll be cool to see who has their baby first!

The Grandparents are very excited. We've been getting lots of advice from everyone and we're pretty much taking it all in stride. I'll post some pics and then on Thursday evening I'll try and post the video from the doctor's office. I've heard it's a great doctor's visit and we can NOT wait!!