A Conner Family Christmas

Sorry this post is a little late but I have been soooo busy to say the least! Christmas this year was awesome but it went by way to fast! Ricky's mother fly in on Dec. 19th from Florida and it was great to have her stay with us. Chloe Nell really enjoyed seeing her and they got some quality time together.

Ricky and I enjoyed are time off from work and spent several days lounging in our P.J.s all day just watching T.V. and playing with Chloe. We kinda toned down the Christmas decor and partying. I usually have a work Christmas party at my house on the last day of school before the break but opted not to have one this year, good thing because we got about 8 inches of snow that night :) We didn't put out all of our Christmas garlands, lights, and trees! Shocking I know, but with a 9 month old who has time :). We did manage to get up 5 trees and most of our other decor.

We spent Christmas Eve with Ricky's side of the family is Elizabethton which is always loads of fun! The we dropped by my mom and dad's house to open presents with them and my brother's family. The tradition is to open 1 gift on Christmas eve from my parents. It was loads of fun, but by 10:30pm Chloe was of the verge of passing out. We got home around 10:45pm and tucked her in for the night.

Christmas morning came early. Ricky and Chloe got up at 7am and played for a bit while me and Mamaw slept until 9:30am. We started Christmas morning a little later than expected but it was fun. Chloe got really a little too much this year! Mamaw Linda was very good to her and got her some brand new lady bug earrings, several pj sets, and lots more.

Ricky and I had a great Christmas too! I must say Ricky has great taste when it comes to picking out my gifts! He always knows just what I would like to have!

To see Christmas through the eyes of you child is truly something amazing! By about 10:30am Chloe was ready for a nap. So off she went! My parents always come over for Christmas breakfast and Ricky always fixes is yummy french toast, eggs and bacon..YUM! We all sat down and enjoyed a yummy Christmas brunch!

Around noon Chloe was up and her Papaw Rick came over for his Christmas time with her! She got all kinds of fun toys. She really loves her new ride! A little roll around car.

After several hours of watching Chloe play she needed another nap and Ricky and I had to start cooking the ham, mashed potatoes and mac n cheese. At 6pm everyone came back over included my brother and his gang and we all sat down to a yummy Christmas dinner and more gifts. This time we celebrated with my side of the family. Chloe got even more toys and some much needed socks!

Christmas night was lots of fun but by 9pm I was ready to call it a night!

9 month stats

Okay so I am a little behind, but with good reason.


Here is a recap of Chloe Nell's growth stats-





9 months-


Weight 22.10 pounds 97% percentile


Height- 29.5 inches 97% percentile


Head circumference- 44.5 cm (18 inches) 60% percentile





6 months

weight 19.5 pounds

height- 28 inches

Head-42.5 cm





needless to say she is healthy and huge!

Santa's little helper

Baby it's cold outside.....winter wonderland!

Well it's official Erwin finally had the years first big snow! It was predicted that we would get several inches, but as most people will tell you...we don't believe that it until we see it fall and stick! Boy did it fall and stick. We had around 7 inches at our house and it was rather beautiful. Even when our power went out it was all so beautiful, peaceful and quiet!

The next day we took Chloe Nell out into the snow but just for minute and she loved it.

it!

Santa Baby

Chloe went and sat on Santa's lap for the first time this year! At first I was worried she would freak out and scream since he was a rather odd looking stranger. However, to my surprise she was absolutely fascinated by him. She sat on his lap for over 5 minutes and just observed him from top to bottom.

Chloe Nell never ceases to amaze me!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Ricky celebrated his 31st birthday on Dec. 11th, but since his Mom was going to be in the town the next weekend, we decided to postpone the events until then. It was a great weekend filled with almost a foot of snow!

I am no cake baker especially when the power is sporadically going on and off!

Gingerbread Fun!

This year we sat down with the family and created our annual gingerbread houses. It was so much fun, however Chloe Nell was just plan tired and she missed all the candy and frosting while tucked in her warm bed. Oh well maybe next year.

One of my all time favorite photos! Emalee is trying to control Chloe! Chloe is thinking "Let me go!" and Kaylee is like "Oops!" Gotta Love Kids!

Grovepark Inn

As most of you know by now my family is really big in traditions. During the Christmas season we have several that are perhaps the best all year long.

Every year we head out to the GrovePark Inn in Asheville, NC to see all the beautiful gingerbread houses created for the National Gingerbread House Competetion. My family has been doing this for years and this year we got to take Chloe Nell with us.

It was loads of fun and we got some really great ideas for when we build our own houses.

Broken Hearted

It has been a week or so since I was told something was wrong with Chloe Nell's little heart and I can actually sit here today and be okay with it. I must say that at first it was numbing. As I sat in the room and had the doctors listen to her heart and mumble stuff I could feel the room closing in, my hands sweating, my own heart pounding. That was the first part of the fear that hit me.



After that Ricky and I went home in shock, didn't talk much about it. We knew we would just have to wait and see what the echo cardiogram found.We went about our weekly routine until our next appointment at the hospital. We both took Tuesday off from work and spent about 3 hours at the hospital. During the echo Chloe was an angel. So sweet and calm during the echo but it was tense to say the least. I got a sickening feeling something wasn't right, but just like cob webs I brushed it to the side with a fake smile as we left the lab room.



We were told that Chloe Nell has a bicuspid aortic valve defect. I will interrupt here with some reliable information.



Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital Website lists the following information-



What Is Bicuspid Aortic Valve? The aortic valve conducts oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle into the aorta, which carries it to the body tissues. Normally, this valve has three leaflets. Occasionally, people are born with an aortic valve that has only two leaflets. This is known as a bicuspid aortic valve. A bicuspid aortic valve may occur in isolation in an otherwise normal heart, or it may occur with other heart defects.Isolated bicuspid aortic valve is the most common of all congenital cardiac anomalies and usually has no effects on heart function. If a bicuspid aortic valve does not open normally, aortic valve stenosis can result. The aortic valve is generally bicuspid in cases of Aortic Stenosis, which accounts for 3-6% of all cases of congenital heart disease.





And then the 2nd round of fear came as I was driving to school the next morning. I cried the entire way to work. I am not talking a tear here or there, but sobbing. I had to gain composure before heading to my classroom, but my 8:15am I was a ball of nerves and tears.I somehow managed to pull it together. That night after having cried it out of my system I was able to actually have a conversation about it. I did some research and had lots of questions. After meeting with the doctor(s) and praying about it we now have a sense of peace.



Chloe Nell is healthy and thriving. She is meeting or exceeding growth and developmental aspects. She is happy! God created her little heart to be unique and each day we will take with stride. I did ask the question of why was the mumur/defect just now found. I need to recap that for the past 2 week Chloe has been rather sick with ear infections and slight fevers. We were told at our follow up appointment that the murmur couldn't be heard or duplicated (she had no fever at the follow up) and that perhaps it was a fluke event with the fever and a fluke that the BAV was found...go figure :)



I must add though that as a mother this is my first time having to deal with a mutant type of fear. We all fear things, but motherly fear is worse than type I have ever experienced. The love for your child is stronger than anything. To fear for you child's health, life, and well being is the worst feeling I have ever felt. I would like to thank everyone who has let me cry on their shoulder, consoled me, or just let me vent. But most of all We would like to say thank you for the prayers and sweet words sent our way! God is in control!

Say what?!?!?!?!

The sickness was out of the scene and Chloe Nell had her 9 month well visit scheduled for Dec. 10th. I took her by myself this time and she did great! She loves to flirt with Dr. B and smiled the entire time. Towards the end of our appointment he wanted to listen to her heart one last time. Odd I thought but then again she does get squirmy and I would rather he be thorough. So as she set on my lap while he listened and listened and listened I could feel my face getting hot and my hands sweating. Just like that he said to me that he thought she had a heart murmur! WHAT! At that point I just kinda sat there, I was told that our other Dr. had heard it the week before when Ricky and my mom brought her in sick, but didn't mention it b/c she was so congested, etc. Dr. B had the other Dr. come in and re listen and he said he could her the defect more clearly..the what? is all I kept thinking...My Chloe Nell has NO defect! At this point I was really mad that here I was all alone, hearing this holding my sweet baby girl! They left the room to consult and at that point I texted Ricky and he left practice to meet me!

Our Doctors were wonderful, they explained everything to Ricky when he got there. Said it sounded like an ASD, blah blah blah is all I can remember. We are being sent to a pediatric cardiologist on 12/15 for an echo cardiogram. Until then please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

In the midst of all of this I failed to get her 9 month stats, but will post when I do get them!

Sickness Strikes

Chloe has been batteling a yucky upper respiratory infection since about mid-November. It first started as a mild double ear infection and 102 fever that resulted in 10 days of amoxocillan. After that round of medicine we thought she was doing much better. Thanksgiving came and went and then out of no where I got sick and started running a high fever. Lucky for me, ha...I had a school conference in Nashville and had to go so I took my zpack and went on my way. I left detailed instructions for Ricky and my mom to keep an eye on Chloe Nell while I was gone for signs of a illness. I left on a Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning a awoke to a phone call from Ricky at 8am saying she was up the night before and that her eye was crusty and red. Great!

Ricky took her to my moms and at 10am I called to check on her. The message this time was that her eye looked better, but still red, and she had a mild fever! Great! At 1pm I called to check in and this time my message was to go ahead and call the doctor. Great!
Chloe was seen that day..(I need to emphasis here that I LOVE our pediatric group!) Mom and Ricky packed her off and away they went to the dr.

At 4:30 I called for the verdict. Double ear infection, right her was about to burst, filled with pus, eye infection as well. Another upper respiratory infection. This time she was put on augmentin (sp) and some ultra expensive eye drops (I'm not going to be cheap they are her only set of eyes!)

Of course that was the same night the power kept going off in Erwin so Ricky had to jump through golden hoops to get her RX filled! Finally at 9pm she got her first dose of both meds.
I felt sick not being with her but new she was in great hands.

The next morning I called to get the nightly report, lol
She slept better but was having explosive diarrhea...GREAT!
After talking to my mom on Thursday, I felt a little better about it all. She was eating and drinking and overall pretty pleasant. I returned Friday night to a burnt bottom! Her little bum was so raw from having such bad diarrhea that I really fussed at my entire family, but it wasn't their fault they had kept layer on layer of butt paste on her. I called the peds. Saturday morning and of course they said to keep the cream on and let her air out and to add yogurt to her diet.

I did all of the above and switched from butt paste to Aveno and by Sunday she looked like a new baby!

So as the story goes Chloe was on the path to recovery....to be continued...

Angel

Christmas is my most favorite time of year. I am so excited to spend this year with my family and of course my sweet Chloe Nell! Ricky and I love to decorate our home for the holidays. You could say that after we're done it might look a little tacky, but whats Christmas without a little tack! LOL

Anyways, this year Chloe Nell watched us put up the main tree in our living room. Her eyes were huge as we turned on the lights and hung the ornaments. We would show her each ornament and then tell her the story behind it. Trust me we have tons of weird sentimental ornaments. It was really fun, however the best part was when Ricky and Chloe place the Angel on top of the tree (the Angel was Rickys when he was a child). It was perhaps the most precious moment of the season!

To see Christmas through the eyes of your child is a precious thing!

Puppy Love!

Our first baby was Coco Bean followed by Greta Belle and then finally by Chloe Nell. Or that is the order I like to think of. Our dogs were our children before we had Chloe. Everyone kept telling us once we had a baby the dogs would go to the curb....I never believed that for a second but as sad as I am to admit it, it is true!

Poor Coco and Greta have spent the last year leaving in our laundry room and having a doggie door to their fenced in yard. In the past the pups ran the house and did as they pleased. However, with Chloe and my ocd germ phobia they have been banned from the house. Every once in a while I allow them to run around down stairs and play for a bit, but I never let them loose around Chloe. It isn't that they are wild beast, it is just that they jump a lot and bark like crazy and in turn just don't want them around Chloe all that much.

However to my surprise they some how still love us and really love Chloe. She also is crazy about them. I have to pull her high chair over to see them in the laundry room when we are in the kitchen and then today she crawled over to them and played for a bit.

Eventually once she is older and can keep them off of her we will let them back in the house, but for now they are stuck in the middle!

Helping Daddy!

Chloe Nell loves to help when she can! Some how our laundry is never ending and luckliy that is just what she likes to help with.

9 months and counting!

It is hard to believe that 9 months ago I had just found out I was pregnant. I can remember it very clearly. It was July 6th and I was totally freaked out! Well fast forward to December 5th and I am a very happy mother to a healthy and happy 9 month old. I am still amazed at how long a 9 month pregnancy can last and yet how quick 9 month with Chloe Nell has gone by.


Chloe Nell never ceases to amaze me. She is developing and doing everything a normal baby should do and maybe even a little more. She currently can stand up while holding on to almost anything. She loves to speed crawl around the house, pull up on stuff, wave bye bye, clap her hands, play peek-a-b00, and babble non-stop.


The only one thing that she is missing is teeth. I swear she has been teething for months and can see little buds but no teeth. At first I was real freaked out and overly concerned until our doctor and several friends of older children reassured us that it is "normal" for teeth to come in up until 15-18 months. Weird I know but I am sure they will arrive at anytime.


Here are a few fun photos of Chloe at 9 months!
Got to love that goofy smile
I love this one.....She likes "ummmm"

This is the funniest of them all.....gruff!

Happy Thanksgiving Chloe Nell!

Chloe eating a yummy roll
Chloe's Thanksgiving meal...pureed meat, sweet potatoes and corn.
YUMMY!

Getting ready for dinner

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 was perfect. This year my grandmother, Chloe's great grandmother came in from Florida. The weather was perfect and so was the food! My mom and I have a pretty good routine for getting things ready. We spent most of the night before pre-making all of the food. The stuffing and casseroles along with my homemade chocolate cake were all made ahead.

On thanksgiving we just had to cook everything and of course clean, which need I mention that I hate doing! Every was very yummy! Chloe had a great time and was really into just sitting in her high chair and watching us all eat!

Thanksgiving was very special this year and I look forward to many more!

Ok so this is a little late...

As I was cleaning house this evening....it just hit me that I forgot to post Chloe's 6 month photos. During Fall break I took Chloe to have her photos made for both her 6 month milestone and for Halloween. I also wanted to have her photo taken wearing one of my very own baby dresses that my mother had made for me when I was 6 months old. I was very sad that the dress was MIA and couldn't be found any where. I had turned my house upside down...looking through our childhood cedar chest, countless totes, and in every drawer. You have to remember that I live in my childhood house and so I just knew it had to be here somewhere...but it wasn't. The day before the photos I had given up. I had assumed that it was long lost to my childhood days of playing with my baby dolls and that it was used as a dress for one of them and probably ended up at the Salvation Army.

Luckily, the day before the photos I got a phone call from my mother...She was soooo excited. She had FOUND the dress! The odd thing is it was in a tote at her house. So who knows how it got there. I guess when I bought there house and they moved in the shuffle some stuff got put into totes and shipped over there. I really think God did me a favor and allowed us to find it.

Anyways the photos turned out beautiful. My little Chloe Nell loves the camera despite 3 wardrobe changes she was all smiles.

Here are just a few to enjoy! Better late than never!

Mommy's weekend getaway!

In 17 months I have only been away from Chloe for 1 night. That was when Ricky and I took a quick trip this summer to Pigeon Forge a mini-getaway. However, this past weekend I booked my own mini-vacation. My best friend is expecting her first child in early December and I thought it would be fun to get to spend some time with her. The last time I saw her was when she came and visited us when Chloe was 6 weeks old. I was lucky enough to find a cheap flight down there and was very excited.

I don't think though most people were impressed with me saying "I'm leaving Chloe at home with her Daddy and Granny!" I heard everything from "You shouldn't leave an 8 month old...." to "What will she do with out you?" Here are my answers....1. I am a mother 24 hours a day no matter where I or my child is! 2. My husband is very reliable and capable of loving and taking care of her while I am gone...3. He is my husband ....not a weirdo off the street...and 3. If my mom, her granny can't hack it then no one can...Granny is an excellent caregiver! So there were my verbal reasons. Actually I don't really have to explain my trip. I needed a mini-vacation and a little stress free time away and it worked out great.

I wasn't all that concerned to Chloe's care or that she would forget me...need I remind others that she lived inside me for 9 months...how could she or I forget that whole experience.

So with me off my soap box.....I just wanted to say she survived and I never cried! I dare someone to tell me I am a bad mother! I think the trip refreshed me, re energized me, and made me a better mother. I don't want to be the mom who can't go any where because my child can't cope without me....

On a lighter note....my trip was filled with great food, lots of preggo questions, and rest! All much needed.

8 Months! Really?

I know I have said it a thousand times.....but where does time go? 8 months has flown by. I am amazed by Chloe Nell every day and the amount of love I have for her! She is the bright light on my dark days, my cuddle bug, my smiley face, my forget all your worries, my everything!!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Kitty Cats, Pirates, and Ladybugs...Oh my...

Halloweenie Roast
Superwomen, Cute Cowgirl, and Kitty Kat!

Happy First Halloween to our sweet Chloe Nell! Looking back I am kinda sad it is over because you can only have your first Halloween once. We spent Friday night at the McInturff's Halloweenie Roast! It was so much fun and was Chloe's first Halloween Party!

On Halloween night it was cold and raining but we decided to take a chance. We didn't take Chloe trick or treating this year, instead we opted to just hang out at Gigi and Mimi's house on Love street and watch from their front porch all the Ghost and Goblins that braved the weather.

My Mom and Dad came over and so did my brother's family. My mother dressed up as a pirate and so did Emalee. Kaylee was a cute little lady bug. We had a blast!

Granny, Kaylee and Chloe hanging out on the porch!

Daddy and Chloe passing out candy under the tent! BOO RAIN!

Chloe and I at the McInturff's Halloweenie Roast

Daddy and Chloe getting ready! (Ricky went as a "redneck" and I went as a "cute country girl"

Pumpkin Carving 2009

If you watch HBO's series "True Blood" tha that is what my pumpkin is.

My family has a ton of traditions and it just so happens that pumpkin carving is one of them. Since we picked out our pumpkins we were ready to go. Since Ricky and I have the most room everyone always comes to our house. My mom makes her yummy chili and cupcakes and we all carve our pumpkins. This year it was hard to select which design to create. However, I think we all made great choices and all the pumpkins turned out awesome.

I need to mention that we finished at 8:30pm. Not really all that late, except if you are a 7 month old and a 2 year old. We always take our photo on my front steps with our pumpkins however by this point in the evening Chloe Nell was crying and so was Kaylee so our photos are hilarious