Ch-Ch-Changes

Baby born.  Life changes.

That's what happens. That's reality. But let's face it, no one that becomes a parent would change it for anything in the world. Being a parent is the most rewarding thing on this planet!  That might be why I love teaching so much, because I can "father" 100s of kids a year.

Life changes. I know that is a crazy statement (excuse the sarcasm).  It is a great change, confusing change, and frustrating change all at the same time.

But one thing is constant among all these changes for me. My unconditional love for my wife. We may have our bickers, misunderstandings, selective hearing moments, etc, but let's be honest, what couple doesn't?!  Even after all of those things pass, one thing was there the whole time, my love.

Kayla Fullerton is an amazing woman y'all!  She is strong, intelligent, witty, beautiful, caring, loving....I could go on all night.

But most importantly, she is a great mother!  The way she takes care of Sadie Ann is like no other. Her love for her child is steadfast. She knows exactly what Sadie needs/wants at the exact moment. It is like watching a well oiled machine.

My heart breaks for her because I know how much she misses our baby girl while at work. I know she would do anything to be able to stay home with Sadie, and so would I.  That is why I take care of everything at home, so she can maximize her time with Sadie.

Kayla, you are my wife. I love you with every ounce of my heart. I am so thankful that you sacrifice your nights sleep to take care of our baby. I am so thankful that you give our baby baths all the time so that she smells good. I am so thankful that you are the best mommy that I could ask for to my baby girl!  You do not disappoint me. I do not view you as a failure. We are going through what the majority of all new parents go through. However we have a member on our team that is almighty and will deliver us from evil.

I love you Kayla Ann Fullerton. I love you Sadie Ann Fullerton. You two ladies drive me to do everything that I do. I promise as a father to ALWAYS love you, to ALWAYS provide for you, and to ALWAYS keep you safe. Those three things will never change!

Sadie's Birth - Daddy's Perspective (Part 3)

5:00 am. Nothing like waking up that early on a day off!  But this isn't your ordinary off day. 

Kayla's mom and sister, Carly, were there bright eyed and bushy tailed. They were ready to have this baby just as much as we were!  Susan was there for emotional support and Carly was there for her experience...in photography 😉. 

The midwife came in about 7:00 am to check and see how the balloon went. Well, it did what it was suppose to. Now dilated to a 4. Finally away from that 2!  They started the pitocin to speed up contractions so we could have this baby!  Contractions did occur, but not as quick as we had hoped. 

Nor did the dilation process!

Throughout the day, it was pretty much a waiting game. Little bit was being stubborn (Not sure where she gets that from!) and just didn't want to come out. Every couple hours, Doc would come check: "Still at a four."  If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I could pay for Sadie's college already!  Is there ANYTHING we can do to hurry this up?!

Bounce on the ball a little, sit in the tub, back into the bed, bounce on the ball....a vicious cycle of activities that didn't seem to be helping. The worse part, the doctor wouldn't let Kayla really walk around the room because her blood pressure was too high. Well there goes that portion of the book we read!

They increased the pitocin every 30 minutes or so. She was maxed out by 11:00. The contractions were getting better and my wife was taking them like a champ!  Quick plug: my wife is awesome!  She did not complain hardly at all. She didn't snap at me but once, yes, only once!  So I guess I did my job well. 

The nurses wanted Kayla to stay in bed for the contractions, to steady Sadie's heart rate, and to keep her blood pressure down. Unfortunately, the contractions were just too sharp when just laying in bed. Kayla had asked about getting an epidural because the contractions were finally getting the best of her. It was more so because her body was "fighting" the contractions. This is when I managed to help her up.  Where did we go?  You guessed it, the tub!  Pain went away.  Call off the epidural!

During this whole escapade, I want to just say how FREEZING it was in that room!  I feel like I was locked in a meat cooler and all I had was a pair of gym shorts and a tshirt. The nurses were great!  They brought us blankets that were in a warmer so that we could wrap up in them!  Prayers were answered!

Tub soaking over, back to the bed.  NOPE!  That didn't last long because the contractions were just too painful when she was laying down. The nurse wouldn't allow Kayla to get back into the tub but would allow her to sit under the shower.  That didn't pan out so well since the monitor that was keeping Sadie's heart rate was being sprayed on and the heart rate wasn't being picked up. 

Back to the bed. Now with pitocin in full effect, contractions really booming, it was too much for Kayla. She was a trooper and I know how bad she wanted to labor without an epidural. She looked me right in the eyes after saying she wanted one and said, "I'm sorry."  We had discussed beforehand how we didn't want an epidural. She had absolutely NOTHING to be sorry about. This magnificent woman has been carrying my child for 9 months. She has been in good labor for well over 11 hours, and she is sorry?  No ma'am!  Don't be sorry. Don't apologize. I support you and your wishes. You are going through this pain and only you know what you can and cannot take. 

The anesthesiologist came in and finally got her epidural in.  I say finally because it only took three attempts.  I was starting to get nervous. Don't you paralyze my wife!  Once in, Kayla was OUT!  I think of it like when you get laughing gas and the doctor tells you to count down from 10. You get to 8 and you don't remember a thing until you wake up. I don't think she got to 9!  She was exhausted. 

About an hour went by. During her sleep they put the "peanut" between her legs to move the dilation along. NOPE!  Still a 4. Now everyone is starting to wonder, c-section?  Another nurse came in,had Kayla roll over to her right side and hiked up her left leg into the stirrups. Not even 20 minute go by and she says she is feeling pressure. 

"Where are you feeling it?"

"In my bottom."

"Oh!  Let me get the doctor!"

Midwife comes in to check. At an 8!!!!  Yes!!  Doc says she will be back in an hour to check. Um, no you won't!  Not even 10 minutes after the doctor leaves, Kayla has texted her friend Courtney, who was due to clock in any minute, "Come here!"  Courtney come plowing through the doors like a scene from Nurse Jackie in the ER!  She checks Kayla.  "10!  Don't push!"

Bring on the excitement!  If you have never had a baby, or been in a room when a baby is about to be born, it is awesome!  Seeing 3-7 people running around in perfect synchrony knowing exactly what each other is doing. Setting up equipment here. Moving stuff over there.  Gloves flying everywhere!  Who cares. SADIE IS ABOUT TO BE BORN!!!

Everyone is in place.  Lights, camera, action!

All I remember is saying to myself "Don't lock your knees so you don't pass out.  Don't lock your knees so you don't pass out."  I wasn't at your normal husband position, holding my wife's hand and telling her how awesome she is doing. Nope, not this guy. I was all quarterback under the center!  I was ready to bring this baby into the world. We are so grateful that we had a midwife that lets the father be an active participant. 

PUSH!  PUSH!  PUSH!  Rest.  

Repeat 4 more times. Each time Sadie's head getting closer and closer!  The nurse had to tell me, "Now would be a good time to put your gloves on."  Oh yeah, those things!  

PUSH!  The midwife guided Sadie's head and shoulders out then it was up to me to bring our baby girl into the world!  I grabbed her by the neck and legs. There she was. Our Baby Sugar!

I placed her on Kayla's chest and we looked at Sadie together in amazement. We create this!  

I then was able to cut the umbilical cord. Loved experiencing that as well. A few minutes went by and the doctor showed us the cord. It had a "true knot" in it. This could have killed our sweet little girl, but like what we saw in the rainbow, He's got this!  And He did. All the prayers Camden said at every dinner. All the worries washed away. Here is our bundle of joy and we are so blessed!

Thank you everyone who said prayers, sent us their best wishes, have visited so far, have cooked for us, and everything else!  We look forward to raising our baby girl in this village, and what a great village it is!

Sadie's Birth - Daddy's Perspective (Part 2)

Monday afternoon rolled around.  The announcement over the intercom couldn't have been more beautiful: "Car riders and Load A bus riders are dismissed."  I'm a car rider right?  I mean, I drive a car and therefore I ride in it. The excitement consumed me, so I left at 3:05 (Sorry Mrs. Gerrells!).

So many thoughts running through my head on my drive home. No Spark needed to keep me awake and alert!  When I got home, I didn't know which way was up. Bags were already packed, but they needed to be repacked. What do I take?  What do I wear? WHERES THE BAG?!  

During my running around like a chicken with its head cut off, my best friend from high school called me. It was a great surprise. I don't even know what we talked about!  Either way it is always great to hear from someone that played a pivotal part in your life!  Thanks for the call Lynn.

Kayla called to confirm that we needed to be there at 4:30. "We are full right now but should be good by 6:30."  WHAT?!  I have to wait TWO MORE HOURS!  I want my baby girl now!!!  So we went to the in-laws to eat dinner and so Kayla could see her family before the baby extravaganza began. 

Just like Kayla mentioned in her part, we stopped to get gas on the way to the hospital so we wouldn't have to on the way home with a newborn in the car. As we turned into the Racetrac on 365, the biggest, boldest rainbow appeared. It was God's way of letting us know, He's got this!

Finally arrived at the hospital. IS.  THIS.  HAPPENING?!  Checked in with security, then they called us back. The longest walk ever from the waiting room to our delivery room. Are we there yet?!  Suite #13. The biggest and best there (Thanks Courtney!)

We get all nestled into the room to unwind. We are both still on cloud nine and can't believe this is about to go down!  Dr. Barger comes in and checks on Kayla. Dilated to a 2. That's all?  Feels like she has been a 2 for 9 months!  He gave us a couple of options to help move the dilation process along. We, and by we I mean Kayla, decided on the "balloon."

Side note:  I support my wife whole heartedly!  I want her to be comfortable in whatever situation is at hand. Whether that is her clothes, her education, her job, or having a baby. If she feels strongly enough about something to do it, she has my full support!

Now the true wait begins. IV is in.  Balloon is in. Now what?  Guess we should eat since tomorrow is going to be anyone's guess. I went down to the cafeteria to get us something to eat, Kayla a grilled cheese and me a Philly Steak with no onions or peppers, because onions and peppers are EW!  Let me just say this, if Northeast Georgia Medical's cafeteria was on Yelp for dining, I would give them a good review!

After dinner, Kayla bounced on the big ball and soaked in the tub.  This girl LOVES her tub time!  She would probably live in the tub if there was constant warm water and someone to serve her food. Wait, I guess that is why she keeps me around. :) 

I couldn't help but think all night, this is happening. All the preparation. All the books read.  All the coaching. It was all about to hit the fan and the true question would be...would we even use any of it?!  

I am still amazed to this day how well Kayla handled her pregnancy.  She did her stretches. She walked all over. She ate great! She is an amazing woman and I couldn't be more proud of her!  She kept a positive outlook, for the most part, and didn't listen to the naysayers and horror stories. This was HER pregnancy and it was going to be a good one!

Dinner has been eaten, exercises done, belly is full, time to get some sleep.  See y'all tomorrow!

Sadie's birth - Daddy's perspective (Part 1)

Twelve days. Doce dias for my Spanish readers. 12!  That is the magic number for today.

It was one of those days. You know, the type that you never forget where you were. Like the day JFK was shot (no, I wasn't around) or 9/11.  That was the type of day it was for me. 

The day started by driving to school by myself. I was a train wreck!  An emotional train that had just derailed and smashed into the side of a cliff!  Not only was I driving to work by myself, I knew that I would not see my wife until 4:00 instead of 11:20 at lunch like the previous week. Not only that, how was I going to teach?  I am a much more effective teacher when my wife is just a stones throw away. 

Add all those emotions along with the fact that it was Camden's first day of school....EVER...really hit me hard. I probably cried 16.5 of the 17 miles to work that morning. But as they say, life goes on.

I was in my 4th period class. It was the Monday of the second week of school. I had been reading my students a chapter a day from the book Chop Wood, Carry Water (highly recommend!). 

Normally I do not check or have my phone out during class, but today was different. 

11:11. When you have the same digits all across the board, you make a wish right?  Well, that is what time I received the "OMG" text from my wife.  Had my wish come true?!  Her doctor appointment was at 10:45. I was in middle of reading the chapter to my students when I stopped, pulled out my phone, checked the text, and read it out loud to my kiddos. They all looked, 54 eyeballs all on me. I don't know if I have EVER had all my children's attention at the same time with them all looking. The anxiety began to rise!

The next text, "We are having a baby tomorrow or Wednesday."  DO WHAT?!  Now you REALLY have my attention, and my kiddos!  They all started smiling as my face was probably full of shock.

"BP was high and my labs were not good."

"Call me ASAP."

Unanimously, they all shouted, "CALL HER!"  I didn't know what to do.  I couldn't do that right in front of all them, could I?  Luckily it was time for lunch. I called her after dropping them off and going to the office.  Kayla let me know that we were going to the hospital at 4:30 to be induced!  

Amazing how God can turn such a horrible day into a GREAT one.  Oh happy day!

To be continued.......

Sadie's Birth Story- Part 3: Delivery and After

After being dilated to only a four for eighteen hours, then dilating from a four to a ten in less than twenty minutes, I could hardly believe it was time to finally have my baby. Finally!! My emotions immediately hit me like a Mack truck, and I began to cry uncontrollably. They prepped the room for delivery, called the nursery, called Kelly and it was time. Everything happened SO fast!

Completely overwhelmed

I began to push and it was so relieving. No pain whatsoever, but I finally felt like I was doing something. I was still crying with every push. Jack got his gloves on, and I saw him swaying side to side. I learned later he was SO nervous and was trying not to lock his knees and pass out. I pushed for about 20 minutes, if that. As soon as her head appeared, everyone began saying how much hair she had. I looked down to see Jack and Kelly pulling out my baby girl. I immediately reached for her and Jack placed her right on my chest. Seriously, my favorite moment as a couple. Ever.

My heart exploded within my body. There are no words to describe the feeling of seeing your child for the first time. All my mama's out there know what I'm talking about. All the pain, all the work for nine months was so worth it yet also completely irrelevant at this point. My baby, Sadie Ann, was staring right into my eyes with the sweetest sounding holler cry you've ever heard.

I knew right away she wasn't near as big as they'd thought, and as I held her up I said "oh my gosh you look like ME!" And she did! They let her have some skin to skin contact with me for a while, as Jack cut her cord and we marveled over our little beauty. I only had two small stitches which was pretty good considering she came out so fast.


As the placenta came out, Kelly held up Sadie's cord and we immediately noticed something was way off. There was a huge knot in it- a true knot. Our baby is a miracle. Whatever you do, do NOT research true knots if you're pregnant. Just trust that God is going to take care of you and your baby as he did mine!

They weighed and measured her and took her APGAR-

7lbs, 11oz
21 inches long
APGAR- 10

Our baby was perfect. Perfect.

After delivery, I wanted to walk to the Mother/Baby floor. I felt like a million bucks and ready to tackle this mom thing!...only to be told it's policy that I have to be wheeled up. Oh well. Our first night was good- Sadie really didn't cry a lot, but had a few moments. And she pooped three times! We were super shocked. I was somewhat concerned at first, but the nurse told us that my colostrum must be working well, as it is supposed to act as a laxative to get out all that lovely tarry poop. Worked like a charm for her! She got her first bath the next morning, as we wanted to have it delayed so that her skin could absorb the maximum amount of "white stuff." She loved having her hair washed. Wish I could say the same for the rest of the bath! She was NOT pleased with that at all. She passed her hearing screen that day as well. Way to go baby girl!

                                                                     Sadie's first bath

First outfit and bow after her bath

The next night was a little rough. She cried a good bit, pooped a LOT more (seven times to be exact) and was wide awake nearly all night. We took turns sleeping and changing and rocking and singing... We were pretty exhausted. We had lots of visitors that day too, so she probably was just restless from being passed around. We were discharged on Thursday at noon. She was not a fan of her car seat. Her first doctor's appointment was Friday morning and she did great!

Going home on Thursday

Headed to her first doctor's appointment Friday morning

Since delivery, I have felt great! In fact, we both are doing well. I am recovering nicely, and little Sadie is breastfeeding like a champ! If I could, I would be pregnant all the time! (Calm down, Jack.) I loved the way I felt. I could go through that delivery 100 times over again. Our bodies are SO amazing and I'm still just in awe of this whole process. On top of that, they gave me this tiny, awesome human to bring home and I couldn't be any more blessed than I am right now. Thanks for reading Sadie's birth story!

New mamas- not all labor and delivery stories are bad. Mine wasn't perfect, and there aren't many that are. However, mine was enjoyable and it is what you make it. A lot of it is attitude! I tried to maintain a positive attitude throughout, and that really helped me to keep going. Labor and delivery is not the nightmare that a lot of people make it out to be. It is a beautiful process- one that only happens once or twice (or three or four times should you have that many children) so my suggestion is just to enjoy  it. I don't regret one thing!

BIRTH PHOTO CREDS: Carly Akin Photography

Sadie's Birth Story- Part 2: Labor

I left the doctors office on Monday morning with my little card telling me what time I needed to arrive at the hospital for my induction. It was 11:40am and I knew Jack would call at any minute, as he would be taking his class to lunch. When I finally called at 11:42 (felt like FOREVER!) I broke the news to him.

"We are going to have a baby."

"Yeah? When did they say?" (He knew there was the possibility of induction.)

"Today."

"REALLY!?"

He was so excited. He texted me right after that saying so and telling me how much he loved me and Sadie. Such a sweet daddy! My mom and I went and met my sister and cousin for lunch in Cleveland, since it was my sister's birthday. We are at Dairy Queen but I could hardly eat a bite! I had several people tell me "Eat like it's your last time for a week!" I was just wondering how I could down a French fry. I was so nervous and excited- eating was the farthest thing from my mind. I managed to down about half of what I ordered though,  and I'm glad I did.

Mom and I ran a couple more errands, and she then took me home so I could get everything ready to be at the hospital by 4:30. I showered, washed my hair, and unpacked and repacked our hospital bag. Jack got home at about 3:30 and immediately ran to our room and grabbed me in to the biggest hug ever. I felt his tears on my shoulder and pulled back to find him weeping. It was so sweet. He said he had cried the whole way home!

I called Labor and Delivery to confirm our time, only for them to tell me to wait until 6:30. Mother/Baby was full and they needed to clear out space for us first. So instead of rushing down to the hospital, we stopped by my parents' house for my sister's birthday dinner. I forced myself to shovel down some Brunswick stew and barbecue. Again, glad I did that! We got halfway to Gainesville and our fuel light came on. Jack said "oh I will leave the hospital and go grab some gas one day." Pretty sure the look he got from me told him he would do nothing of the sort, so we stopped at the RaceTrac off of 365 to fill up. As we pulled in, I snapped this picture of a rainbow. It made me smile and put me at ease that everything would be fine with our baby girl and her delivery.

We got to the hospital and got checked in. I am so so SO lucky that my friend Courtney was on the schedule. She and I used to work together at Banks County Middle, and she has since returned to school and received her RN license. So proud of her! She got my iv and all the fun stuff started. They inserted a balloon into my cervix to help it dilate and hooked me up to all the baby monitors. The balloon made me pretty crampy, so I spent a lot of time bouncing on the yoga ball and sitting in the tub.

We were able to get some sleep that night, and at 5am Courtney started the Pitocin to give me contractions. My mom and sister arrived as well and we all were ready to meet this baby soon! The pitocin was pretty smooth at first. I was contracting regularly, but it wasn't so bad. I was actually kind of surprised at myself and how well (I feel) I tolerated the contractions. Courtney left at 7am, as it was the end of her shift but she was to be notified of any progress so she could hurry back and be a part of the delivery. After they removed the balloon and broke my water it was about the same, except now I could no longer lay in the tub due to risks of infection. I was dilated to a 4 though! Yay! I was able to get in a shower, and boy did that feel GOOD. The hot water was as soothing as a touch from Jesus himself. Such relief... Briefly. My nurse came in and said that the shower water was messing up Sadie's monitor and that I needed to get back in bed. I couldn't walk around because of my high blood pressure. So, I begrudgingly crawled back in bed.

My poor crew froze to death because I had the air as low as it would go. It was probably 55 degrees in that delivery room. No joke. I took this picture of them because to me, they looked absolutely crazy. The nurse must have thought it was cold too, because she kept bringing THEM warmed blankets. #WussStatus

Kelly Wood was the midwife on call. She was the one who broke my water earlier that morning, and at noon she checked me again only to inform me that I was dilated to a 4. Whomp whomp. My contractions were getting a good bit stronger, as the Pitocin was being upped every so often. By 3pm I was maxed out on my Pitocin dosage and still laboring away. We tried using a "peanut" which is a yoga ball shaped like a peanut. (Because, duh.) The peanut caused me some intense contractions and I just wanted to sit up. I hated laboring while laying down! When I sat up a while, my nurse came rushing in to make me lay BACK down because Sadie's heart rate was going all funky. The "laying down" contractions mentally just broke me, and then I was even more defeated when they again checked me, only to find I was still at a 4. I relented and asked for an epidural. My mind and body were exhausted, and I wanted to be present in ALL aspects once my baby was born. Within five minutes I had my epidural in place.

My true rock throughout labor. Just before they made me get on my back. 

They told me I had to lay on my back for thirty minutes after the epidural was placed in order for the medicine to spread out like it should. When they did this, I was OUT. I guess I was just SO exhausted that my body gave out and went into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I was on my side with my leg resting in a stirrup. (I honestly don't remember them putting it up. That's how out of it I was!) I was feeling some pressure in my stomach, as if the contractions were coming back. I told my nurse this, and she immediately called Kelly. When she checked me, I was at an 8! An 8! Finally- PROGRESS! It was about 6:55, so Courtney was just clocking in for her night shift with me again. All of a sudden the pressure I felt before got way more intense. You can see our conversation here.

She came rushing in at 7 on the dot, and grabbed gloves. At this point I was wide awake and shaking all over. The pressure in my stomach was so intense, but not really painful. She checked me and said "you're complete, her head is RIGHT THERE. Do NOT push!"

Oh. Boy.

Sadie's Birth Story- Part 1

I would to attempt to tell you all of Sadie's birth story, but it would be the longest blog entry in the history of blog entries. I've decided to break it into three parts, so watch out for Parts 2 and 3 soon. I want to remember every little detail while I can, and so that one day Sadie can read it and know how special her birth day was.

I want to start with the week that we started back to school. I went every day so that I could meet my kids and them know my face and expectations. I also wanted them to know I wasn't just skimping out on class; I clearly had a valid reason. Man, what a GREAT first week of school too! Jack and I really, really enjoyed it and really feel like it's going to be a great year! I managed to waddle my way from class to class and then in the evenings come home and crash while propping up my SUPER swollen ankles. My swelling wasn't so bad until the week I went back to work.

Not only was I swelling, but my blood pressure was also starting to creep up on me. I had low readings throughout my pregnancy, and on Tuesday, August 9 I had a reading of 140/90. Not terrible, but when it's been 100/65 the entire time (literally, it was the same for about a month!) to that higher reading, it is cause for some concern. I had also gained about five pounds in just four days, and it certainly wasn't from food. Anyone who has been pregnant in summer can tell you that the last thing you want to do is sit down and chow on some huge, heavy meal. I had been eating fruit or a shake for breakfast, (ugh) a pizza lunchable during lunch, and usually for dinner I didn't eat at all or I would  just have cereal. Eating was the farthest thing from my mind! I had managed to only gain about five pounds from May until July, so the five pound weight gain in a few days was concerning as well. Five pounds is a lot of fluid!

My midwife, Kim Blasingame, scheduled me to return on Friday and have a recheck of my blood pressure and progress. I'd been dilated to a two and 100% thinned out for two weeks now. Her orders- go WALK WALK WALK! Easier said than done when your feet feel like logs. :(

I made it my mission to walk as much as I could at school the rest of the week. I trudged up and down the stairs that lead up to our 6th grade hallway, I led the class in "walking stations" posted throughout the school so I could get in a few extra steps, and I always took the long way everywhere I went. The more I walked, the more swollen I became, and not just in my feet. My hands were really beginning to swell, my face, my nose... Everything. This was new to me because my whole pregnancy was pure bliss! Swelling did not feel so blissful.

On our way home from school Thursday, Jack and I had the conversation of "I think tomorrow is going to be my last day." I was tired. Like, REALLY tired. And when I get tired, I get super emotional. We decided to see what the doctor would say, but we were pretty sure she would agree.

Friday afternoon at my recheck, my blood pressure readings were still off. 145/92. Worse. They decided to draw labs and check everything out. They also agreed that yes, I indeed needed to end working for the time being. See you Monday for another blood pressure check! Yeehaw.

Jack went to work without me Monday morning and was super bummed about if. We love working together! My mom took me to the doctor at 10am that morning to have my blood pressure checked, so it was my first appointment without anyone there. As expected, my blood pressure was high, 146/95. They put me into an exam room and gave me the dreadful lovely paper blanket to drape over myself for an exam. (Which, first time moms- getting "checked" never hurt me! A little pressure but never any pain. Don't let people scare you!)  I saw The midwife Sally, who came in with a concerned look on her face. She said that my blood pressure was too high, as were my liver enzymes, and that my platelet count was frighteningly low. Her next words shot through my heart and I'm pretty positive if I hadn't been sitting down, I would have been on the floor involuntarily. She said, "It's time to have a baby."

All the waiting, all the bouncing on a yoga ball, all the walked miles, all the labor cocktails, all the essential oils, all the pineapple, all the spicy food, all the labor cookies (literally, all of them), all the reflexology messages... All the things I'd done to try and jump start labor were totally and suddenly minute. I shook as I texted Jack "OMG. CALL ME ASAP." Not thinking it would freak him out AT ALL. I waited for Sally to schedule my induction. She wanted to get me in by Thursday, August 18 because of the approaching full moon. Labor and Delivery may possibly be too busy to induce me then. She came back in the room and handed me a card with a date and time on it. "Call the number...." Her voice drifted off as I stared at the card in my hand. I immediately felt hot tears prickling my eyes but yet I floated out of the doctors office on cloud nine and to my mom's car.

Today. I was being induced, today.

Sadie Update

Just a disclaimer- it's true what they say about some women being totally indecisive. I am one of those women. I can never decide where to eat, what to order, what to wear, etc. 

Therefore, the other night as I was in bed thinking about my baby girl, I couldn't help being hung up on her name. We love love love the name Sadie. Love. It. However, her middle name is another story. Reese has no true significant meaning to either of us. We just kind of grasped at straws and it was one we both agreed we LIKED. I lay thinking how I liked Reese, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right with it. I want her name to be special, and have meaning. I want it to sound serious when she's in trouble, and yet elegant as its called when she crosses the stage at graduation. I want her to be able to tell people why she has that name other than "my parents just liked it." 

That being said, we've decided to change our sweet girl's name to something very special. She's going to share a name with me, and most importantly both of her grandmothers. Her new name is Sadie Ann Fullerton. I am thrilled, and I know her grandmas will be over the moon as well. 

We are so, so excited that we only have ten weeks (or less!) until this sweet girl makes her arrival. I feel absolutely amazing. I honestly never expected to feel THIS GOOD while pregnant! I heard so many horror stories and got a lot of "advice" but fortunately, my pregnancy has been an absolute dream. 

We also close on our house THIS THURSDAY!!! So ready! I can't wait to move this weekend. We leave for the beach the NEXT weekend, where we will be with my family for a week at Edisto Island., SC. I haven't been in about 8 or 9 years, and I'm super excited to go with my little family! Jack and Cam have never been, so I can't wait for them to experience a true vacation and what it's like to have absolutely nothing to do. My sister Carly is going to be taking our maternity photos while we are there, which I'm SUPER stoked about. I have a fancy black dress to wear for the photos and I'm sure they'll turn out beautifully! 

We are going to be so busy over the next few weeks, so keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I've got to keep this girl healthy, so I'm limited to what all I can do. I hate that all the responsibility falls on Jack sometimes, and I wish there was more I could do to help him out. If you're good with a paintbrush or can lift a couch, please let us know and we will feed you on Friday! 

It Takes a Village

I've always heard that it takes a village to raise a child. I was raised by a village of people. My whole entire family lives literally within a ten mile radius of one another, with the exception of me living in Tennessee. Grandparents, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles- all of them live in or VERY close to White County. Along with every other person who grows up in good old Cleveland, I was no exception to the "I can't wait to get out of this town" crowd. When my opportunity came five years ago, I jumped on it. Not only did I get out of town, I got out of the state and moved all the way to Nashville by myself. For a while, I resented it and wanted to come home! It gets super lonely in a little apartment by yourself.

Since moving to Tennessee, I feel like I have grown TREMENDOUSLY as a person. I have had the opportunities to experience so much, and it hardly seems like it's only been five years. I got my very first teaching job here. It was rough, but I absolutely loved it. I lived on my own for the first time, which was huge for me! After living with my parents for twenty-three years, being on my own was great, scary, lonely, and all emotions lumped into one. I have a love/hate relationship with living alone. I've owned not one, but two homes since moving here. Big step as a young adult! 

Also, in spite of many, MANY rough patches while here, I CAN thank my ex for something- moving here allowed me the opportunity to meet my now husband. If the only reason I ever came here was for that, then success is very, very sweet. Not only did I get Jack, but I was blessed with Camden too!

I feel like together, Jack and I have grown as a couple as well. We began attending church, doing Bible studies together, and reading and praying together. It has been SO NICE to have a husband who is present with me- not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. I'm a firm believer that God has someone for everyone, and he is definitely my someone. 

My big girl job has afforded me many opportunities to travel and see sights I may have never had the chance to see in my lifetime. Hawaii, Vegas, California, Arizona, Texas, the Caribbean... nothing outstanding or extraordinary, but for the small town girl, it is a BIG DEAL. I love travelling to new places and seeing new things. I can't wait to do it more with my favorite and best travel partner!  

My Favorite Trip EVER- Oahu, Hawaii

Bullhead City, Arizona

Las Vegas, NV with my sexy husband!

Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas- our first cruise together! 

Laguna Beach, California with the hottest guy

Dallas, Texas at AdvoCare Success School with my Success Partner! 

It is with such bittersweet excitement that we have decided to share that we will be moving to Georgia over the summer. We realize that majority of our village is there, and we are not too proud to say we need help with this whole baby and raising a child thing. Sure, Jack and I could do it on our own, but why would we want to when we don't have to? We are going to love getting to drop Sadiebug off at my mom's every day so that she and Jonah can have play time and can grow to be best friends! I've had anxiety about daycare since the first week of being pregnant. I even had a couple of full blown panic attacks when I thought about who would be keeping and ultimately raising my child. I could not bear the thought of dropping her off at some random daycare with a complete stranger, who I am sure would certainly be well-qualified, but still. What if she is in pain? What if she's hungry? What if she just wants to cuddle with someone? I feel much more comfortable knowing that her Nonnie will feed her homemade gravy and biscuits, will rush her straight to the doctor for me, or even will cuddle up in bed with Sadie all day if that's what she wants to do. 

We have felt at such peace with this decision, although it has not been an easy one. We have not hammered out details about visiting with Camden yet, which was ultimately the most difficult part about deciding to leave. We will miss him terribly, but since we don't get to see him much anyways, we really have to consider what is best for us as a family, and now that we have another family member to consider, we have to think about what is best for her, too. We've cried many, many tears and prayed countless prayers, even visited three different lawyers regarding the situation, but in the end, we feel like the Lord has just allowed everything to fall into place as it should regarding the whole situation. He has truly revealed his plan for us over the last two weeks, and it is nearly overwhelming! 

We will definitely miss all our friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances we have here. That is another thing that makes moving hard. We have a life here, a good life. We are SO blessed with the people in our lives, and just know that there are so many I could name who have helped me out, prayed for me, given me a place to stay, etc. I could go on all day. Just know you ALL are special to us, and will always hold a special place in our hearts. And this definitely is not goodbye, as I have no doubts we will be back for visits. We have too many friends who have turned into family! 

We are also very excited to say that we've both accepted offers of teaching positions at White County Middle School. You read that right, we will be teaching together again! This is very beneficial for us and everyone involved. We were talking the other night about how when we are at the same school, we feel as though we are better teachers. We are excited to go to work every day because we know the other person is just down the hallway. I am not one of those people who gets easily annoyed by their husband. I LOVE my husband and he is my absolute best friend. I could literally spend all day, every day with him and not get tired of him. We've done it the past two summers actually, and have made it just fine. It's like the more time we spend together, the closer we get. I love it. We feed off of one another's energy, so I have no doubts we will be rocking and rolling at WCMS, and I am SO excited to be returning to the school that I once attended, and I'm excited that my husband will get to share the experience of what it's like to be a WARRIOR! 

We truly covet your prayers over the next several weeks, as we still have many many things to work out. We have to sell our home, which we hope and pray happens QUICKLY. We currently have a good, GOOD offer on it, and we are just waiting for everything to process from the buyer so that we can be out of there by May 28. No pressure or anything. But financing, appraisal, etc. all has to go through smoothly and without a hitch, so we are still on our knees praying that all of that happens without issues. Please, pray that with us! We have also found ourselves a new (to us) house in Clarkesville, Georgia and are in the process of getting things together so that one goes through as well. It is a beautiful, older home. I can't wait to show pictures and give updates on how we are making it our own. We are going back down to Georgia this weekend to look at the house in person because....surprise....we've never actually been in the house. Typical Jack and Kayla, right? Nothing says "let's buy a house" like a FaceTime walk through with the best realtor ever (Sam Cantrell!) and my Mama. If it is good enough for them, it must be wonderful. We cannot WAIT to see it for ourselves. If it is as lovely as it is in photos, then we are surely blessed! We are simply amazed at God and how he's allowed everything to just HAPPEN!


Now we just have to make the 300+ mile move to Georgia. No big deal right? Ha. Well I am worried sick over it, because I won't be able to help Jack as much. I like things the way *I* like them. It is hard for me to sit back and let others do what I want to be doing. Pray that we can survive yet another move! This will be my sixth move in just five years and Jack's third. I DO NOT plan on going ANYWHERE else for a long time. We are DONE moving for the next decade at least. So again, we REALLY want/love/need your daily prayers over the next several weeks and couple of months. Now, anybody want to come help us paint? 

It's a....

I mentioned in my last blog that prior to finding out I was pregnant, that I had a dream that I was pregnant and it was a boy. Upon finding out I was pregnant, I just KNEW the whole time that this little thing growing I my tummy was a little dude.

From the get go, I felt pretty good overall. Throughout the day I didn't have much of an appetite, but I wasn't sick. I could stomach a few things (applesauce, Cheerios, tortilla chips) but really, that was all I wanted. I lost nearly ten pounds in the beginning of my pregnancy just because I really wasn't hungry. My evenings were a different story. It was like my body knew I was on my way home from school, and when it was I started feeling like poo. Every day I would come home to my couch nest and just crash. I'd be exhausted, and I usually was just super nauseous. I can't tell you how many times I told Jack just to go get Zaxbys- it was all I could stomach for dinner. You can see I looked trim and tone at the start! The only thing big was my boobs. Ohhh pregnancy boobs.

Come to find out, my sister Carly actually craved Zaxbys. This confirmed even more what I suspected- BOY! I even began calling the baby by the boy name we had picked out and referred to the baby as "he" or "him." Jack did NOT like this because he's been Team Girl from day one! Other things that confirmed my suspicions were that I only craved salty foods! (And still do- hence I've had onion rings for breakfast the past two days!) Believe it or not, a whole bag of Hershey kisses sat in my desk drawer for three months without being touched. I KNOW. And even then I gave them away to students. I craved vegetables, pickles, French fries- salt salt salt! I also craved some sour things- sweettarts and sour punch straws. (Carly also craved those with Jonah!) My skin was beautiful! Glowing! Never looked better! My hair was lush, shiny, and full of body. My newly appearing bump was forming low. Even the pencil test performed early on indicated boy. I literally convinced myself and everyone it was a sweet little boy!

The first weekend in March I was just over 15 weeks pregnant. My family and Jack's family came in to town so that we could all go to the ultrasound place together and find out if my suspicions were in fact correct. A couple of days prior to this though, I started to have my doubts. I even texted my mom and told her of these doubts.

The morning of March 5 we went to Nashville 3D/4D Baby Ultrasounds. This place was fantastic and I highly recommend them to my local Tennessee friends! The room was huge with a couple of couches and plenty of room for everyone. The screen was up on a huge wall, so there were no straining eyes or necks to get a glimpse of Baby. Finally, the moment of truth was HERE. I have no clue how people wait to find out the gender of their baby. I am a planner. I like to have a game plan. I HAVE TO BE PREPARED! Literally, the very second the ultrasound popped up on the wall, I knew.

I have done extensive research on the skull and nub theory, and the moment I saw the perfectlly rounded head shape I knew what my baby was. It took a second for the ultrasound technician to show everyone the sex, as the cord was between the baby's legs. But a little wiggling and finagling revealed to us our sweet Baby Sadie Reese. We were all thrilled! Seeing the happiness on Jack's face was like no other happy moment I've had in my life. It was such a special moment for us as husband and wife.

Up until this moment I really had not felt this huge, overwhelming bond with my baby. I know it sounds strange and even mean, but really I had only got to see the baby one other time. Then, the baby didn't even look like anything close to human. And we had only heard the heartbeat once at that point. But that day, seeing MY baby, OUR baby, OUR GIRL up on the monitor- I lost it. I literally wept the rest of the ultrasound. I cried so much I got a terrible nosebleed right after. The rest of the day I would tear up or cry at the words "she", "her", "girl", and "Sadie." I was SO emotional. I was super excited to be having a girl, because truly I had no preference but for a healthy baby. However, I felt somewhat grieved because I almost felt as though I "lost" my boy. I know that's strange and most probably won't get that, but I know surely someone out there will! In several pictures from that day I kind of just have this stunned look on my face. I promise promise PROMISE I was happy. :)

That night when everyone was in bed and the excitement of the day was winding down, Jack and I fell into one another's arm and just cried for nearly an hour. Like ugly, had to change the pillow case, nose blowing cry. But it was awesome. Never in my life have I felt closer to someone, and NEVER have I loved another person more. Our sweet, sweet Sadie Reese is the light of our lives and is loved beyond words. Thank you Lord, for this sweet blessing upon us!

How We Found Out We Were Pregnant!

It's been months since we have written a blog, and I'm almost ashamed of myself for letting it go this far! I've been dying to write about our experience of finding out we were pregnant! Here's how it went down:

This past December was probably the most favorite month of my entire life. I had a dream on December 14th that my Aunt Elaine (the foot doctor lady! Haha) walked up to me at church and smelled of my stomach and excitedly exclaimed "You're pregnant!" Yes. Trust me. I know how weird that sounds. VERY! But I woke up that morning rattled, excited, and terrified. I immediately told Jack what I had dreamed and he brushed it off I think. (When you spend $30-50 a month on pregnancy tests....) So I told him I was going to buy a test that morning before work. Surprisingly, we were out except for one digital, but for anyone who has ever tried getting pregnant, you know those digital tests are golden and they are saved.

That morning I stopped at Walmart on my way to school. I immediately started to cry when I got to the pregnancy test section- all their tests were in a lock box! It was already 7:15am and you ALL know how fun it is trying to get help at Walmart on any given day, much less that early in the morning. I left fuming mad and resolved to go after school to the Dollar Tree for some cheapos. Plus, when you live in a small town like us, you have to be VERY careful where you shop for personal things- we have kiddos EVERYWHERE. I stopped by Dollar Tree on my way home. Y'all. Dollar Tree the week before Christmas is the LAST PLACE ON EARTH I will ever be, ever EVER again. Parking lot was full. Some lady cut me off and took the last spot and then cussed at ME for trying to take it from her. I ended up just leaving the parking lot in a heaping, crying mess. (Should have been my first sign- I rarely cry!)  I called Jack and told him I was never going to get to take a test. He promised we would go to the local Walmart that night (late, of course) and get some. And we did. I bought 4 of them. (Hey, you can never be too sure!)

My bubble was quickly burst when he took the tests from me and said "but you're not taking them until the morning." Hmmmph. Fine. The next morning I woke up excited. I did my thing and dropped the sample in the little window. Literally within seconds, I saw two lines. I thought "This thing is wrong." I'd just had a cycle two weeks prior. I wasn't late. I wasn't having ANY symptoms. I had NO reason to test, other than the dream. As I stood there and stared, the lines got darker and darker. Jack was ironing our clothes, and I ran out the bathroom yelling his name. "DO YOU SEE THIS THERE ARE TWO RIGHT I AM NOT CRAZY?!" He took one look, cracked the cutest, sweetest smile and said "Yep. Definitely two." He scooped me up into a huge hug and we both cried like babies for a good minute. It was great, and was a very special moment for both of us. I'm pretty sure I shook and had a goofy grin on my face the rest of the day. I ended up breaking out the digital test I had- Positive. I even stopped at a local Walgreen's and got one of the week estimator tests that tells you how far along you are based on the hormone levels- Positive: 4-5 weeks along. (The 2-3 you see in the picture just means the number of weeks after ovulation.)

How cool to find out a week before Christmas?! We went and bought both our parents a little onsie outfit that said "I Love Grandma & Grandpa" and wrapped them up. We put them with the other presents and on our way we went to Georgia for Christmas. I know I shook the entire way home! I was SO nervous I was nearly sick! We FINALLY told my parents after a Christmas get together. My mom cried, and my dad was super excited. It was a sweet moment! Telling the rest of the family was fun! We told them all the next day and got it on video. It. Was. Hilarious. Everyone was so excited! The next day I had my first food aversion- Sonic cheese sticks. My mom and I stopped to get some while shopping in Commerce, and I nearly puked the whole way home just smelling them. I couldn't even look at them. I am STILL not a big cheese fan! My first craving was salad from the hibatchi restaurants. Ginger dressing. Mmmmm.

We told Jack's parents a week later at their house. His dad was too funny. I swear he stared at me all afternoon and kept saying "You ok? This is really cool! You need anything? You hungry? This is so neat. Feel alright? Can I get you something? I just can't believe this." It was so precious. Now I know where Jack gets it from!

Our first doctor's appointment was on December 28th. I was actually scheduled for an annual checkup and meeting to discuss fertility options that day. However, they were very surprised to find I was already pregnant. A quick ultrasound revealed our little squirt was measuring at almost 6 weeks. Surprisingly, I didn't get emotional. I was OVER THE MOON happy, but I didn't cry! I kind of surprised myself.

I got a journal for Christmas from my mom, and I've been periodically writing letters to baby in it. I DO get emotional writing though. When she gave me my own journal, she also gave me the journal she kept while pregnant with me! It was so sweet to read the stuff she wrote to me and about me. I LOVE it! I hope my baby loves my journal as much as I love that one. So there's our (long) story about how we found out about little Baby Fullerton- due August 24th- my parent's wedding anniversary!