The Birth Experience

Well, I am sitting here waiting on sweet Quincy to wake up for a feeding and I thought I would try to post a little. The last 10 days of our life have been so amazing...Of course, we are exhausted from some sleepless nights, but that is such a small thing compared to the joy we are experiencing. We had Q on Tuesday and came home on Wednesday afternoon. My mom came for a couple of days to help followed by Sutton's mom who came for a few days to help. They made the adjustment for us so much easier. We have also been spoiled by friends bringing wonderful dinners...Sutton said he is hoping he does not have to go up a size in pants. It is a real treat expecially considering that in November we pretty much ate out every day. I also wanted to blog about the L&D process. I saw the Holy Spirit working in so many ways during our stay in the hospital. I know many prayers were prayed Monday night and Tuesday morning and I feel they were answered. It was not bad at all. The epidural worked great, but I was still able to feel when I needed to push. This was definitely a blessing. We were blessed by the most amazing L&D nurse and our sweet, gentle doctor. The only bad part was that I was sick the entire morning...I threw up until about 20 minutes before she arrived. I think that may have helped with the pushing though and my doctor joked that at least we carried the theme of the pregnancy all the way through to the end. We were able to avoid a c-section and I was thankful for that. For some reason I am still terrified of surgery. I did not know this at the time, but apparently there was talk of a c-section because my water broke at 2 am and I still was not dilating the next morning. Several friends have told me they were convicted to pray that we have her vaginally. Our baby nurse was actually one of Sutton's cousins which was really cool and our post partum nurse was a really special lady who we got to have both days we were there. We absolutely fell in love with her! One other answered prayer was that Q took right to breastfeeding- something I was totally dreading, but that is proving to be an amazing gift. I am totally amazed at the whole birth process...I do not know how you could not believe in God after having a baby. It is truly a blessing and miracle. Here is my last belly picture with many more pics of Q to come...
Headed to the hospital...We got the tree up that afternoon!

She's Here!

Sorry I have not posted in awhile, but our life has been a little busy and we are trying to soak in every precious moment with our sweet baby girl. Miss Quincy Margaret Page made her debut on December 1st at 1:42 pm. She weighed 8 lbs. and 13 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Everything went well and I feel quite certain that God answered many prayers that day. She is absolutely perfect and she already has her daddy wrapped around her finger as you will see... Here are a few pictures and I promise to be back soon with more.

Waiting...

I am finally caught up on posting pictures and I thought I better give you an update on where we are with Miss Q. It has been a crazy two weeks. I went in for an appointment a few weeks ago and my blood pressure was high and the labwork was conflicting. One test showed protein in my urine and another showed that it was clear. My doctor thought we might have to take her then... After additional labwork it was determined that all was okay but my doctor took me off work and I started seeing him twice a week. Fortunately my blood pressure has improved and I think being off work and being able to rest has helped alot. We went in last Tuesday for our appointment and he said be prepared for Wednesday so we were thinking she was coming very soon...My blood pressure was better and I was only dilated to a one so we decided to wait to induce because he said our chances for a c-section were high. That brings us to today...My appointment is at 2:45 and hopefully will know something then. Our actual due date is tomorrow. The good thing about having these two weeks is that I feel like we are as ready as we ever will be. All of her little things are washed and folded and put away. I have decluttered the closets, the pantry, the kitchen, and the refrigerator and my cleaning lady is coming today to freshen up the house. We have been to the grocery store and I have stocked up on meals from Preppers. The carseat and bases are installed and our bags are packed. My work stuff has been squared away. I have slept and rested more than I have in my entire life. Sutton and I have had time together and time with our friends. I even had time to get a much overdue pedicure. I am a bit behind on my thank you notes, but I am working on them daily. Otherwise, I really feel like we are ready. So we just ask for your prayers...I have always been terrified of labor and delivery so I ask that you pray for courage and peace and a healthy delivery. I will update as soon as I can. Thank you all for being such dear sweet friends. We are truly blessed and thankful that this miracle is coming into our lives during this time of Thanksgiving.

Work Shower

My sweet Sanofi-Aventis friends had a special Friday lunch for Miss Q and me towards the end of October. We all met at my most favorite lunch spot, Hickory Street Cafe. Even the only guy on our team, Stanley, came and showed up in a pretty pink shirt and tie for the occasion. Also, our friend, Britt, came and brought her baby, Lakely, who I know will be one of Miss Q's friends. Britt has been a constant source of good information and inspiration during the last couple of years as we both began trying to get pregnant about the same time and experienced a few challenges along the way. The shower was alot of fun and I am so thankful that I get to work with such nice people who have also become dear friends over the years.

Couples Shower

We also had a couples shower in San Angelo the middle part of October at Patty and Randy's house. It was so much fun...The only bad part was watching all of our friends and family enjoy cocktails while I drank water...I am so looking forward to a cold beer after Miss Q arrives. My parents, my sister, Judith, Sutton's dad, Russ, Becky, Michael, Chelsea, and Casey, were all able to come into town for this shower along with our dear friends, the Chois and the Koehlers. It was a neat mix of people including our church friends and our Farm Bureau friends. I loved that they all finally got to meet. By the way, you know it is a great baby shower when the after party includes Whataburger and lasts until after midnight! We are truly blessed to have such a fun family and group of friends! I wish I had gotten more pictures but I was too busy enjoying the party. Here are a few that I did take...
The beautiful table and yummy food!
My favorite detail- my sister Jessica made these adorable Q cookies.

The Pages
The Omans
A few of the hostesses- Esther, Lori, and Judith with my friend, Natalie
Sean, Jeff, Leland, and Justin drinking whiskey after the party
My dear friends, Lori and Ashley- Funny that we always seem to coordinate our outfits without even planning.


The Chandlers, the Koehlers, the Lacys, the Pages, and the Whites
Sutton, Brady, and Gene
The McGehees and the Pages
The Wildes and the Wilsons (the Wilsons' baby girl is due a month after Miss Q!)
My sweet neighbor and dear friend, Wendy
Casey, Michael, and Bradlee
I wish this one was better- a few of our FB friends, the Gullys, the Weishuhns, and the McGehees
Reed, Shane, and Justin

Eldorado Shower

We are so blessed to have such sweet family and friends. In October we were honored with several baby showers. The first was a shower in Eldorado at Mike and Becky's house. Sutton's mom, my mom, grandma, cousin, and little sister, Ingrid, were all able to come into town for the shower. Ingrid brought Georgia and her sweet mother in law, Sandy. It was a perfect fall morning and we all enjoyed the great food and fellowship. The really cool thing about this shower was that it was a double shower for us and for the Meadors. Sutton and Chris were best friends growing up and their baby boy, Cole, was born that week. Unfortunately, Katy and Cole weren't able to make it because the flu hit their house that morning. I know Cole and Miss Q will be great friends one of these days! Here are a few pictures...

The adorable table and awesome food
Showered with love
Miss Q's grandmas and great grandmas- Mor Mor, Grandma Burkman, Grandma Lux, and GiGi- This one means alot to me!

My family
Nancy (GiGi) and Sutton's cousins, Carmen and Madolyn
My dear friend, Gailon, Sutton's Aunt Becky, and Bobbie
My best friend Ashley came with me from San Angelo.
Cami and Lisa
Sutton's Aunt Verna Ann, his cousin, Kristina, and her sweet baby, Taylor
Mor Mor and Georgia

Sneak Peak Into Q's Nursery

Here are some early pictures of the nursery. Things have come together more since these were taken, but it won't be completely finished until after she arrives, so I will post pictures of the finished nursery then. I am still waiting on the chair and the drawers to the dresser which were damaged during shipping. That part has been frustrating because I ordered all of that back in August so we would be done in November. This is such a small thing to worry about so I am just going to let it go, but I do have to say that I expect more from a local business that is trying to compete with the large chains...I expect excellent customer service and I don't feel like I have gotten it. Sutton's mom made all of the bedding and she is also making the bedding for the daybed. I am going to get her to help me hang the decorations on the wall when she comes to stay after the baby gets here. I have the hardest time deciding where things should go and I drive Sutton crazy while picture hanging, so we have found in our 7 years of marriage it is easier just to let someone else do it. Sutton was in charge of painting the walls and the daybed and he took his job very seriously. The green color was a special blend and Sutton was so excited because the guy at the paint store named it after Miss Q. Our sweet neighbors gave us their daybed when they got new bunkbeds so Sutton painted it white to match the rest of the furniture in the room. It is all very girly, clean, and simple, and I love it! So until it is completed, here is a little sneak peak into Miss Q's nursery...

7 Months

It is amazing what a difference a month makes! I have been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks now. I will be 33 weeks on Tuesday- Only 7 weeks to go... We went to our childbirth class yesterday and it was really good. I had hoped the class would help to eliminate some of my fears about childbirth...It helped with a few fears, but I think I am even more freaked out about some other things now. At least I have some education and I am praying for strength and courage. We are having the carpet cleaned tomorrow and then I will post pictures of the painted nursery.

29 Weeks

We are actually 30 weeks along but we had our 3D ultrasound last week...Technology is so amazing! We were both overwhelmed by how real the pictures are and we cannot wait until she gets here in November! I am feeling really good right now thanks to the wonderful cooler weather. I am so glad fall is almost here! Here is Miss Q at 29 weeks...Please notice the second picture...I am convinced she already has her thumb up as if to say "Gig'em Aggies", however, Sutton believes she is working on getting her guns up...I guess we will just have to wait and see!

August Wrap-Up

Wow! Where did the month go? I am so excited that September is just about here and with it comes fall- my most favorite season! Thankfully it was cooler today and you could actually feel a hint of the coming season in the air. Here is a summary and a few pictures from the month...
-We installed our new associate pastor at church the first weekend in August. I was not feeling great, so Sutton attended the service alone. Kary Rawlings comes to us from Ballinger and we are so excited to have her join our church. Sutton served on the search committee and I still remember how excited he was the day they called her...We already love her gentle, sweet spirit and can't wait to see what God has in store for our church!
-Sutton attended Bloy's Camp Meeting the second weekend in August and I caught up around the house. I also went to see Julie and Julia with friends and I loved it! Go see this movie if you haven't...The movie was about cooking and blogging...Two of my favorite things!
-We actually started to clear the guest room to make way for Miss Q. Here it is before-

And as it is now...I have so much to clean out and give away. The crib came in the other day and I can't wait to get the room painted so we can put it together! After we got the bed cleared out of the guest room, we also needed to move some of the pieces of furniture out that did not belong. Fortunately, Sutton's Aunt Patty came over to help me decide where to put things and we ended up spending a day and a half redecorating. We had a great time...Here is a picture of one of the improvements to the living room-














-I actually completed a scrapbook! Of course, it was only a mini 8x8 album but I liked the way it turned out. It was a gift album for my sister's baby shower back in April. A couple of keys to success when creating an album like this are to use a coordinating line and keep it small. I love the 8X8 size. It makes it very simple to do and creates a cohesive look. I used the Making Memories Whimsy line found at Target and then embellished from my stash. Here are some pictures of the completed project-














-We were both extremely busy with work. I had my manager and a trainer with me for several days this month and Sutton was swamped with meetings and county conventions. Fortunately, I got to go along with him on a few things including a meeting with our Congressman and a fun Young Farmer and Rancher Meeting in Comanche at Brennan Vineyards.


Tour and wine tasting

Sutton with Jonathan and Holly Haralson- We had a great time visiting with them at the meeting. After the meeting, Sutton and I stayed in Brownwood. It was nice to sleep in the next day and enjoy a big breakfast at Skillets. This is a great little local place in Brownwood and they have the best pancakes and warm syrup. That same weekend our dear friend Jeff attended a Walk to Emmaus.
-Our final weekend in August was spent in Horseshoe Bay for Sutton's cousin's wedding. The wedding was perfect and we loved getting to spend time with family and friends. I will post pictures in a separate entry since there are too many for this one.
-August marked our sixth month of pregnancy and I will conclude this summary with my six month belly shot-

24 Weeks

We had our monthly checkup this week and all was well. This is Miss Q at 18 weeks- my doctor forgot to give us the ultrasound picture last time. This is the first picture we have of her sweet face. Look close and you can see her eyes, nose, and mouth.

We have also slowly begun the process of transforming the guest room into the nursery. The first step was getting rid of the king size bed. It was bittersweet for me because I love having company and I love having a nice place for them to stay and it almost felt like the end to that time in our lives, but we are planning to have a smaller bed in the room so we should still have plenty of room for company. I began cleaning out the closet which is overwhelming. That is the closet that holds all of the things that don't really go anywhere else. The closet project will take some time. Sutton's sweet mom is working on the crib bedding and window treatment. We are so blessed to have this talented lady in our lives. It is so nice not to have to worry about those details. I also have the crib and dresser ordered and plan to order the chair this week. I can't wait to post pictures of how it all comes together! I have to say thanks to Jamie for sharing the link to the Kelly's Korner Show Us Where Live nursery post. This definitely got me inspired.

As for our sweet baby girl, she is growing like a weed and moving around alot. I felt movement for the first time back in June but it was not until our family vacation and my poa meeting that I began to feel it consistently. This week was the first time Sutton was able to feel it. I think it freaked him out a little at first, but now he seems to like it. She is most active when I lay down at night and seems to rest when I am driving. I love having that little reminder that she is in there and in less than four months we will both be able to enjoy her. I can't wait! This weekend, Sutton is at Ft. Davis at Bloy's Camp Meeting, a favorite Page family tradition. I am home working on projects and catching up on some rest. I really hate to miss this fun time with our family, but I haven't felt great this week, so I decided to just take it easy this weekend and not push it too much. Next year we will all go to Bloy's as a family!