Stanley Family Hub

Fall 2009

2010-01-04T17:22:00.001-08:00

Approaching Caroline's 1st birthday

2009-07-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Caroline is quite the water baby. She loves the bath and pool. She recently discovered splashing, which doesn't seem to bother her at all even when she douses her entire face with water!

The last few months have been pretty busy...I know, we always say that, but seriously...After Celeste graduated, we have been on the go soaking up every free moment possible. Just in June alone we have been camping, paintballing, swimming at the pool, skiing at the lake, visiting friends in Ft. Wayne and Celeste even went to Seattle.

More adventures lie ahead as we journey to Lake Wawasee for 4th of July. More details coming soon!!

Life is great at 8 months!

2009-03-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Caroline is now officially 8 months old. Sorry Mom and Dad have been a little negligent on the blog! Here are pictures from Caroline's professional photo shoot:

http://www.specialtouchphotography.com/Slideshows/SweetCaroline/index.html

To view all of her pictures, go to collages.net
User ID: SweetCaroline
Password: 9484

Six months and growing

2009-01-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

CAROLINE UPDATE
Caroline is growing fast! As of Dec. 5, she weighed 15 lbs and was 25 inches tall. She is starting to sit up, roll over and talk in phrases (rather than just goo-goo, ga-ga). She has a strong grip and just started reaching for things. Her curiosity continues to soar the more she sees.

Recent tricks
Her latest trick is raspberries. We don't know if she was inspired when she observed her friend Lily doing them on New Year's Eve, or if she just figured out how to do it one day.

No teeth; Rough sleep
She still doesn't have any teeth breaking through, but we're pretty sure she's teething. Even though her teeth haven't come in, we've begun introducing solid foods. She isn't a picky eater, but her favorite foods are:
- bananas
- carrots
- sweet potatoes

Here's a picture of one of the first feedings

She also isn't sleeping through the night consistently, but we're beginning to let her cry and soothe herself. In fact, she threw such a fit last night that she tossed herself onto her stomach and slept for at least four hours on her belly. Mom was a little paranoid about SIDS, so she still got up a couple times to check on her. Since she can turn her head we would hope she would be fine - but as new parents, we're not completely confident just yet!

Soon we are scheduling her 6-month photos with a professional photographer. Watch for more pictures coming soon!

Aunt Ang, Uncle Alex and Aunt Court visit

2008-11-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Caroline's 4-month milestone was greeted by Aunt Ang, who flew in from Florida, and Uncle Alex and Aunt Court who drove six hours from Iowa City to play with her.

It was great to catch up and watch all the babies play together. Court and Alex brought their baby, Rico, a chihuahua, who played with Aslan and Venus all weekend. He was so well behaved! What a cutie!

And Aunt Ang was nice enough to watch Caroline on Friday while Mom went to work. She enlightened Caroline on what's new in heart health - sharing insight from her latest Cardiology rotation in Tampa. Maybe Caroline will want to be a heart doctor, too, someday?!

It's hard to believe I've known Ang and Court since elementary school. I remember when Angie came to Avon from Ohio. And I remember when I first started hanging out with Courtney at sports camp in 5th grade. No matter how much time passes between our visits, nothing changes...I know when we're old and gray we can still sit around and chat just like we did back in the day. Caroline is so blessed to have such wonderful people in her life. And Uncle Alex is an extra bonus! Can't wait until our next visit sometime in 2009. Just imagine how much Miss Caroline will grow between now and then...

Tourists in our own town

2008-11-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

To commemorate our six-year wedding anniversary, 11-year dating anniversary and the 1-year conception anniversary for Caroline (wink, wink) we took Caroline to Nana and Poppy's and headed to a local bed and breakfast.

Betty Davis at the Yellow Rose Inn in downtown Indy was extremely hospitable. Full of beautiful antiques, the inn provides a getaway without getting too far away from home. We enjoyed riding bikes nearby, playing pool and rummikub in our suite, taking a private bath inside the suite, giving each other massages on the massage table, making a special toast while soaking in the hot tub on the roof...and much more...

We also took in the sites downtown by getting an apertif at Amici's, then dinner at Dunaway's. On Sunday we had lunch at the Eiteljorg Museum, which was delicious. The second night Caroline joined us. We ate pizza with Nana and Poppy, played pool and watched TV. It was great to do so much without driving very far!

Happy October!

2008-11-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

October is a celebratory month for the Stanley family. We've enjoyed raking leaves, visiting the pumpkin patch, hanging out with friends and dressing up. Caroline dressed up as a penguin - to satisfy the running joke we had with Jason's Grandma that we were going to have penguins.

Jason and I were characters from our latest series of choice, "Heroes." I am the immortal cheerleader and he is the Asian who can bend time.

We went to a party while Caroline relaxed with her cousin Kaete. Thanks, Kaete, for making the first babysitting experience smooth!

Katie's Bachelorette

2008-09-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

Before she became my sister-in-law, we celebrated Katie Swain's final single days before becoming Katie Sutton.

The evening began with tapas at Usual Suspects - where we enjoyed the world's cutest little male server, Karson, who has better hair than most women! (and totally knows how to rock a flat iron - go boyee!) Then we journeyed to Broad Ripple Tavern, where we served as cheerleaders to a couple random guys who had to borrow a quarter to play pool. From there, we took in a street concert by Hairbangers Ball. Below is video of us rocking out to Bon Jovi's "Shot through the Heart."
The evening ended at the Vogue where we shook our tailfeathers until the wee hours. Not bad for a 30-year-old mother of a 7-week-old!

Fun times with friends!

2008-09-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Rachel and Quinton visit

Check out Jason spinning Quinton in a cardboard box. (we have expensive toys here at the Stanley house! ha)

August was full of fun with friends at Brian and Kasey's wedding, Symphony on the Prairie and tubing on Sugar Creek!

Lake Wawasee Highlights

2008-09-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

Aug. 8-17
Lake Wawasee

While we were at the lake, we visited with Jason's family. We finally met Emma, our new niece, Joe and Brooke's daughter who is exactly three weeks older than Caroline.

We enjoyed playing cornhole, cooking out, watching the Olympics...You can see a video here of Great Grandpa Troyer singing "Caroline, please be mine" while Great Grandma Troyer holds Caroline.

Not only did we visit with family, but we also caught up with our neighbors, the Hasbrooks, who were staying at the lake at the same time. Their daughter, Lily, is also about three weeks older than Caroline. In this picture to the right, she weighs about 13 lbs.

But Caroline isn't the only little pip-squeak anymore! Tim and Layla had their second baby, Anna, on July 24. She has a full head of red hair just like her mom, but her facial expressions look like her dad! Big brother Jack was really entertaining. You can tell he will be very protective of his little sister.

Anna Elaine, as she is named, is the 8th baby born this summer among our close friends and family. Six of the 8 are girls.

Grandma and Grandpa watched Caroline while we took in a movie, American Teen. It tracks the lives of four teenagers in Warsaw through their senior year. If you haven't seen it, you should go. It's different - I won't ruin it for you by tainting it with my views. But it was the darling of the Sundance Festival for a reason. For a documentary, it was put together in an entertaining, cinematic sequence.

Although the weather was a little chilly for for a few days, we still managed to get some time out on the boat. We also enjoyed two dinners at the Channel Marker with Caroline. She was so good, and slept the entire time. It was nice to be able to enjoy dinner at a restaurant again.

Heather and Ryan came to visit for a day, which was one of the sunniest days on the lake.

There also just happened to be a concert at the sandbar, so we were treated to the tunes of the band "Lake Trash" led by Rich Hardesty. It was interesting...check out Caroline dancing to the music...

Caroline: 2 mos old!

2008-09-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been an entire month since the last blog! But then again, we have been busy living life!

Over the past month, we spent a week at Lake Wawasee with no Internet and limited TV - which was wonderful; visited with both sides of the family; Caroline enjoyed her first camping trip, symphony on the prairie and her first day at daycare as Mom assimilated back into the traditional workplace. But it's not all that traditional - in fact, it's pretty unique. Celeste started a new job at TriMedx, a faith-based, family-friendly healthcare services company that is growing. She also started classes again, so life is busy again, but very full and rich. It's never a dull moment at the Stanley house!

As you can see, Caroline is growing fast. She is about 11 lbs now, and very long. She's still working on holding her head up completely on her own, but she loves to straighten her legs and support her whole body when you hold her up. We wonder if that means she will walk sooner? She is very strong. Her teachers at daycare say she is their favorite, so she gets a lot of extra attention. She still loves music, and has begun to smile here and there, but it's not constant just yet. She coos sometimes, too, which is such a wonderful sound.

Caroline: 4 weeks old today!

2008-08-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Caroline gets her own "crib"

To commemorate being 4 weeks old, Caroline moved to her own room this week. Translation: Mom and Dad have enjoyed two nights of sleep, glorious sleep!!

We employed a dual-pronged strategy to achieve this newfound status:

1) swaddle with Kiddopotamus "straight jacket"

2) only feed breastmilk at night to avoid gas

The result: she slept through most of the night, waking only twice at 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for feeding. To accommodate her aggressive appetite, we increased breastmilk intake from 2 oz. to 4 oz.

By sticking primarily to bottle feeding, we have been able to reduce feeding time from 45 minutes to an hour to less than 20 minutes. This allows us to get back to sleep much faster and feel more refreshed in the morning - and puts Caroline in much better spirits, too!

She seems to sleep better in her crib than she did in the portable bassinet in our room, which may be a contributing factor to her recent extended slumber.

Caroline also isn't so much of a bobblehead that she once was a few weeks ago. When propped up, she turns her head from side to side, taking in the entire view. While she stills sleeps a lot, she is very alert and attentive when awake.

Mary visits from California

Mary became a real, bonafide aunt last week when her niece, Presley Claire (photo below), was born July 24 weighing in at 6 lbs, measuring 20.5 inches. Aunt Mary came to town to meet Presley and Caroline.

Fun times at the pool

Caroline experienced her first pool party and her first day at the YMCA pool this week.

She is quite the water baby!

Aslan's encounter with a squirrel

With all the attention towards Caroline these days, it seems our feline friends have resorted to reaching out to others in the neighborhood for company. Poor Aslan and Venus. Maybe we'll have to devote a blog to them in the future.

Happy Feet

2008-07-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't exactly brought sexy back yet,

but at least my feet aren't airbags with toes anymore!

(Photo on right: my feet 3 days post-delivery)

Pregnancy does quite a number on your anatomy. I think it was Nicole Richie who claimed after she delivered her baby (whatever its name is) that she felt like a superhero. Well, I most certainly don't feel like a superhero!

Yet I'm thankful that this bag of bones could produce and house something as beautiful as Caroline. Getting my six-pack back will definitely be a challenge, but that's OK. I think I've lost a bit of my narcissistic vanity. I'm simply grateful to be healthy to enjoy each day to its fullest with my wonderful husband and sweet daughter. Nothing else really matters, but it is nice to have happy feet again!

(Photo at right: my feet two weeks post-delivery)

Sweet 16...Days, That Is

2008-07-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sweet Caroline is now officially 16 days old. Wow! Time flies. The past week went by really fast. Lots of visitors and lots of help from Nana and Poppy. You have been so great! Thank you! Our friends, family and neighbors have been so thoughtful bringing over meals and cleaning for us. The outpouring of love and support has been a God-send.

Caroline's future friend Lily who lives down the street even came to visit a couple times. Here are moms, Julia and I, with Lily (1 month old) and Caroline (2 weeks).

On Thursday, 9 days after Caroline was born, I had to work a client event. (I know, it sounds crazy, but it was just a simple 90-minute video shoot! No big deal!) But it hadn't been a full week since we left the hospital, so I couldn't drive myself. So Jason and Caroline tagged along and hung out in a private lounge on-site while I worked the shoot.

When the shoot wrapped, I called Jason, but he was frantic and had to let me go. What I found out when I retrieved them was Caroline had two diaper blowouts while I was gone, soiling two outfits, a receiving blanket and even peed on the carpet of the lounge before Dad could get a diaper on her! Apparently at the same time Jason's phone was ringing off the hook and Caroline was also screaming incessantly for about 20 minutes and he couldn't calm her down. All this on top of the fact that we didn't sleep well the night before...Poor Daddy...I took Caroline the rest of the night and let him wind down.

And since that night, Caroline has behaved so well! It's so strange that she would have such a wild experience when there is only one parent to handle it; compounded by the fact that she chose to act out while we weren't at home. Go figure! But Dad isn't jaded. He was such a trooper.

Now Caroline is pretty much sleeping through the night. She wakes for feedings and diaper changes at 1 a.m., 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Not bad for only two weeks old.

Today we went to our first doctor's visit and everything checked out A-OK! In fact, she is starting to roll over and hold her head up on her own, which is way ahead of schedule. What is behind schedule is her umbilical cord falling off. Gross! Can't wait for that thing to drop off...Otherwise she is all good. She has almost reached her original birth weight again. She weighed in at 7 lbs. today.

We also got the hospital bill today. Good gravy, it costs a lot to have a kid! Original estimates for a normal, no-complications vaginal delivery is $12,000 just for the mother. Our bill for 4-day hospital stay and C-section for mother = $19,600. For Caroline, it's $5,060. Yep - that's nearly $25k and doesn't include the $3,000 of pre-natal OB/GYN visits. Thank God for insurance! We're still on the hook for 20%, but at least part of it is covered.

So, how are Mom & Dad? Well, let's start with Dad. Jason has a torn ACL (soccer injury from June). Since we didn't want him to be comatose or on crutches if the baby came early, we've been postponing it. Now we're thinking of scheduling it sometime in September. According to the docs and others who have had the surgery, you are out of commission for at least a week and the pain is pretty intense. You live in a chair and have to move the knee at least once per hour. Not much fun!

As for me, I am healing from the C-section, but learned quickly that I'm not ready to do any vigorous exercise. Typically with such a surgery you are precluded from picking up anything over 10 lbs, driving within the first two weeks, vacuuming and anything else mildly strenuous. I've been feeling pretty good and getting out and about - even working client events - which may have caused me to be a little overconfident. I attempted a cardio exercise on Monday, and was lifting Caroline up and down the stairs in our portable swing. This left me feeling very tender and weak Tuesday and Wednesday, so I've been taking it easy ever since. The good news is that I've lost 22 of the 37 lbs I gained during pregnancy. Only 15 lbs. more to lose!! Hopefully breastfeeding will keep burning the calories like it's supposed to! Unfortunately I still can't fit into my normal pre-pregnancy clothes, but that will come with time. I am determined...:-)

That's about all for now from the Stanleys. Back to cuddling with my cute little Caroline!

Caroline's First Week Out of the Womb

2008-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Caroline was surrounded by love in her first week out of the womb. Visitors from near and far came to the hospital and home to welcome her to the world.

The first night home was a little rough; she refused to nurse so we were forced to supplement with formula. Although it broke my heart to once again veer from my original plan, the kid had to eat!

By Saturday she was back on track breastfeeding again, but we still needed to supplement with formula part-time to keep her happy!

Here are ome highlights from her first week - from her first bath to her first walk in the neighborhood...

Princess Caroline is here!

2008-07-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 7, Jason and I went to bed around midnight. Around 12:30 a.m., I ran to the bathroom and realized my water broke - for real!

We showered, packed up and having been through dress rehearsal on Sunday night, knew exactly what to do when we got to the hospital. We checked in around 1:30 a.m. By 4 a.m., we were hooked up to Pitocin to induce contractions since my water had already broken (to expedite delivery and prevent infection). By 9 a.m. my contractions had intensified to the point where I could no longer attempt to go natural, so I succumbed to the epidural, much to my dismay!

Once the epidural was in, dilation increased, but very slowly. By 6 p.m. I was dilated 8 cm, but still not enough to begin pushing. However, within an hour, I was fully dilated, so we began pushing. After pushing for two hours, Caroline was not coming out as planned...so the doctor recommended we go into surgery. By this time I had been in labor for 16 hours and had been puking in between pushes due to the high level of pain combined with Pitocin and the epidural.

Although I was even more distraught that I had to have a C section, in the long run it was worth it. Jason was so supportive throughout the entire labor and delivery process. He felt horrible that I was in so much pain, but did a great job rubbing my back and tending to my needs as best he could throughout the long process - especially considering that neither of us had slept for 36 hours. In my mind, I kept thinking - how do people do this more than once? I also tried to psych myself out by imagining the pain of soldiers in warfare or the joy I would endure once Caroline arrived safe and sound.

During surgery, we discovered that Caroline couldn't get out because my tailbone protrudes at an angle that wouldn't let her pass without difficulty. So, it was a blessing we opted for surgery and didn't try to push any longer since it could have hurt her.

She was well worth it! Beautiful blue eyes, blonde hair, 7 lbs, 4 oz., 19 inches long born at 9:18 p.m. Tuesday, July 8.

Check out pictures at http://carolinestanley.shutterfly.com.

Is it time for prom yet?

2008-07-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine getting ready for prom over and over and over again. You buy the dress, do your hair, shave your legs...and then your date doesn't show up. Such is my life as of the last two weeks!

I've cleaned the house from top to bottom so many times. I had a manicure and pedicure. I've read Happiest Baby on the Block and the important parts of Nursing Mother's Companion. We started her scrapbook. The closet is jam packed with clothes up to 24 months. I've stocked and then restocked the fridge and freezer in anticipation of Caroline's arrival to no avail. She is still neatly tucked inside my belly. But it's OK, I'm not mad atcha, little girl! Just come out when you're done baking.

False alarm
Last night we packed the car with our bags along with skeptical intrigue thinking my water may have broken. I had liquid gushing down my leg, but I had also just come from the pool. The doctors would rather be safe than sorry, so we checked in. It seemed so anticlimactic and surreal - completely unlike Hollywood's portrayal of the birthing process. We walked into the quiet, serene hospital as if we were checking into a bed and breakfast for the night. Everything was so low-key, which was nice because I was not convinced that this was the real deal anyway.

As it turns out, my contractions were 4 minutes apart (which I still couldn't feel). And although water was coming out every time I had a contraction, my sac still had not broken. Yes - how exciting to have incontinence at the ripe age of 30! It was funny, if I leaned forward and pushed on my stomach in the right manner, it was like squeezing a sponge. Liquid just poured out of me that was completely beyond my control.

My blood pressure was also a little high, at least the top number. Historically throughout my pregnancy it's been nearly textbook: 110/72 at almost every appointment. But this time it was 131/72, then it was 145/72. However, the doctor didn't seem concerned since it was only the top number and I didn't have other symptoms of preeclampsia such as blurred vision, edema, stomach pain, headache...so we headed home.

So you may wonder - when do I get dressed up again, have my hair did, shave, stock the fridge, scour the house and pack the bags? Well, if Miss Caroline doesn't make her debut on her own prior to Thursday, we are checking in at the Women's Hospital B&B to begin preparations Thursday night for a Friday morning induction on July 11.

Several people still seem completely baffled that I want to try to do this thing natural. We'll see how it goes. Sometimes when you are induced with Pitocin you can't go natural because the contractions are intensified. So, we'll see what happens. Maybe Sweet Caroline will decide she's ready before Friday and we can go natural as previously planned? Gotta keep an open mind and simply pray that it goes smooth and she arrives healthy. That is the most important thing!

Reviewing the last 9 mos!

2008-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Final touches on the nursery

2008-06-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend, Jason and I put the final touches on the nursery. I should clarify - Jason put the final touches on the nursery while I supervised. I just draw the pretty pictures of my vision, buy stuff then he puts it together and actually brings things to life!

The only thing missing is a black rocking chair that my brother and his fiancee, Katie, are loaning us. It was her grandmother's antique chair, so it will fit nicely with the nostalgic ambience of the rest of the nursery.

If you didn't already know the background to the items in our nursery created for our wild child, here is a run-down:
Chest of drawers: Larry & Kathy's first piece of furniture purchased after they were married; stained in cherry and replaced hardware to modernize
Toy chest: handcrafted by my Uncle Paul, with poplar logs cut from my parents' property; was Celeste's toy box as a kid
Diaper changing table: antique from Celeste's maternal grandmother's estate
Portrait above chest of drawers: photo of Carole ("Nana") as a teenager sitting on porch holding a kitten

I am really pleased with the way the nursery turned out, especially considering we spent less than $1,000 total on the whole room. The biggest ticket items were the crib (which converts from a toddler bed all the way to a head/foot board for a double), crib comforter set, rug, crown moulding and chair rail.

Now we just need a baby to come and truly bring it to life!

So what's in a middle name?

2008-06-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

You've heard how we selected Caroline - from the song "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. Neil recently confessed he wrote the song for Caroline Kennedy. Inspired by her innocence and elegance, he wrote the song on a napkin after he saw a photo of her ride horses in a magazine. He recorded it years later, but didn't reveal his secret to JFK's daughter until he performed via satellite for her 50th birthday in 2007. You can learn more here: http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/11/21/sweet_caroline_revealed/

So - that's the story behind our future daughter's first name. That left us perplexed to determine a middle name. Supposedly, if you don't select a middle name for your child, the birth certificate will read "NMI" for no middle initial. Well, we didn't want to plague her for life with some freakish acronym instead of a middle name.

My middle name is Alaine, making my initials C.A.S. My mother's initials are also C.A.S. for Carole Ann Sutton. In keeping with the tradition, we brainstormed middle names for Caroline.

Following much contemplation, we arrived at "Aurelia" after a character in one of our favorite movies, Love Actually. To see a clip, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCldiADPDEM

With a little research, we learned Aurelia is quite a historically rich name. She was the mother of Julius Caesar. There is a crater on the planet Venus called Aurelia. Apparently there is a story of Princess Aurelia that perhaps we can read together sometime about a royal heiress who just wants to be like the commonfolk to roam and learn without the hype of being the center of attention.

Plus, we also learned that my mom wanted to name me "Aralia," pronounced the same way as "Aurelia," which is a flower. But my dad liked "Celeste" better. That pretty much sealed the deal. Aurelia it is...

Since Aurelia means means "golden," when combined with Caroline, which means "song of joy," I suppose our daugher's full name means "golden song of joy." Sounds beautiful to me. I hope she likes it. And I hope it prevents her from getting beat up on the playground! And if it's a boy, we always have Calvin Alexander as our fallback!

We're ready...Come on, Caroline!

2008-06-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

It's been 38 weeks now. The nursery is ready, the thank you notes for shower gifts are written and mailed, the house is clean, the freezer is packed with frozen dishes and casseroles and there are take-out menus printed, our bags are packed, we're pre-registered at the hospital and ready to go...Now let's get this show on the road!

Apparently my cervix is thinned (or effaced) as of last week's visit. Tomorrow we find out if we're dilated at all. I'm still having Braxton-Hicks contractions, but those are just what is termed "false labor" (what a tease). Supposedly as every woman has told me, "you'll know when it's real." OK, I believe you! I just wish I knew when it was going to happen. I am an impatient person! But at the same time, I don't want to be induced and I don't want to have a C-section if I can avoid it. Some people think I'm crazy, but I really want to try to make this birthing process as natural as possible. We'll see how well my plan pans out. I realize certain circumstances demand drugs, so I'm keeping an open mind.

Emma Elizabeth, Caroline's first cousin, was born last week on Tuesday, June 17 at 3:45 a.m. She weighed in at a whopping 9 lb. 12 oz.! She is a beautiful, healthy little chunkster whom I have dubbed "Emma Jo" because she looks like her daddy, Jason's brother Joe. Jason said it's weird that his little brother is a father before him. It's funny, because for the first time Joe is experiencing something before Jason. Unlike other life experiences like getting your license, having a girlfriend, going to college, getting married...Jason has to defer to Joe on this one!

And just down the street, Caroline's future friend, Lily, was born on Sunday, June 15. We can't wait to watch the girls grow up together. Lily has two older brothers, Will, 4, and Drew, 2, who I'm sure will protect both Lily and Caroline.

Jason and I took time last weekend to have a couple "dates." On Friday, we went to a new restaurant called Meridian. The food was delicious, but probably way more carbs than we were used to. The highlight was the smoked corn puree soup, if you go! On Saturday, we went to Jason's cousin's wedding in Marion. It was a gorgeous wedding, I just wish I didn't look like such a freak so I could've danced!

Hopefully the next blog post will feature "Sweet Caroline." We are so excited to meet her. I have been looking at our baby pictures trying to get a mental image of what she will look like. She moves a lot when you play music, and she also seems to really like our pastor at church, Steve Rennick's voice. What will she be? A dancer, singer or musician? A teacher, doctor or politician? Hmmm...

Showering Caroline with Love

2008-06-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

On April 19, my mother-in-law, Kathy, hosted a joint baby shower for us and my sister-in-law, Brooke, who is due 3.5 weeks before us! Brooke and Joe are also having a little girl, Emma Elizabeth. It is amazing how close the cousins will be in age!

We are really thankful to have such a supportive extended family. Jason has living grandparents who are still independent. They are all very loving and are anxious to see the next generation thrive.

On April 26, friends Jenny and Janelle hosted a shower for Caroline at Jenny's house. In this picture Janelle is just a few weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy.

It was so special to share this joyous time with friends I've known since childhood to those I met in college and beyond. My two best friends from Avon traveled so far to visit and celebrate Caroline's pending arrival. Courtney drove 6+ hours from Iowa City and Angie flew in from Tampa. We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful, caring friends who will teach Caroline about the world.

On May 31, client and friend Karen hosted a shower for my professional colleagues from PRSA, former employment and the MBA program as well as neighbors from our old and new neighborhood. It was an eclectic mix of brilliant, successful women who have helped me along my journey! Each provided sage advice for parenting, which was extremely valuable. We also received a lot of books, which will come in handy as we read to Caroline each night.

On June 1, my four female Sutton cousins hosted a shower for my family. From left to right - Kelly (30), Jenny (36), Melanie (35) and Robyn (32) - each is blessed with her own individual talents she can share with Caroline!

Here is a picture of me with my mom, whom we have decided to call "Nana." I was feeling pretty enormous this day - it was humid and I had walked around Broad Ripple in heels after church. My hands and feet started to swell pretty profusely! But staying hydrated, using massages and keeping my feet elevated has been helpful in alleviating that.

To see more shower pictures, visit http://carolinestanley.shutterfly.com/.

Yep - we're preggers

2008-06-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Jason and I really weren't trying to get pregnant. But I also wasn't doing a good job of "preventing" pregnancy either! Last summer we switched to organic food, I began exercising vigorously, we watched The Secret numerous times, we used mostly organic skin care products from Arbonne and we both felt great. To me, it seemed silly to be so healthy and then be altering my chemical makeup with birth control.

So when we went on a trip to celebrate our 5-year anniversary, I didn't think anything of it. Ironically, we did always say we were on the "5-year plan." Who knew that we would stick to that plan with absolute certainty! We conceived on Oct. 19, 2007 - exactly five years after we were wed.

This is me at 22 weeks on March 6. At this point, we were told it was a girl, but we didn't want to completely feminize the nursery in case technology failed us.

Another thing that surprised us slightly about it being a girl was that I had previously

dreampt about our son, whom we had already named Calvin. We hadn't really settled on a girl's name yet. I liked Corrinne, Caroline and Catalina. Jason liked Jasmine. I couldn't disassociate Jasmine from the Aladdin character. And someone said Catalina made them think of the Spanish maid on My Name is Earl. So when Jason put "Sweet Caroline" on and made me sing karaoke, it was decided. Her name would be Caroline. Now the challenge was finding a middle name that repeated my initials - C.A.S.

Any suggestions?