Stitch Witches!!

November 16th: Smocking Class

Over the last couple of years, my sister Alyssa and I have gotten REALLY crafty! We have been sewing, quilting and appliqueing for all of our friends children. Just a little pre-nesting, nesting! HA! Now that Richard and I are having a baby, Alyssa and I have been having so much fun sewing for Blakely! One skill that I knew we wanted to try once we had a little one to sew for was smocking.

PS This is a sample of a Bishop Dress.... No, we did not make this one! HA!

Maybe not in other areas of the country, but in the South... the smocked Bailey or Bishop still rules little girls fashion! It is iconic, classic... and ADORABLE!! So once we found out that I was having a baby girl, I signed Alyssa and I up for a smocking class for Alyssa's Birthday!!

I found us a class at Fashion Fabrics in Mount Pleasant with a world renowned smocker!! Who knew that smoking could be a world wide sport? HA!

Some of Alyssa's Handwork

Two major discoveries that night: 1) Alyssa learned that paying the "BIG BUCKS" at Southern Belles is TOTALLY WORTH it!! HA!

2) I learned that small skills that keep my hands busy is like being on Adderall, but SAFE for pregnancy!!

I am really excited about this new project! It is A LOT more work then I ever thought, but it is very fun and rewarding!! It may take me a while, but I plan to make a dress for Ms. Blakely!! I better make it for 9-12 months or I may not get done in time! HA! I'll keep y'all updated as to my progress.

One Last Peek...

November 15th: 33 Week Ultrasound

Today, Richard and I went to the OB for our very last ultrasound before the BIG DAY!! We were super excited, because we hadn't seen that sweet little face since the 19 week ultrasound. Needless to say, she has only gotten cuter!! But I'll let you sneak a peak and decide for yourself...

A little 3-D Profile Picture of Baby Girl!! We thought she had her Gigi's nose, but now it looks like she might have her Mama's nose!! Hmmm? Also, this is the first picture where Alyssa thought she saw a little bit of Richard in this shot. Given the beard and glasses (and RAW MALENESS...HA!), it is kind of difficult to imagine Richard's features in a little girl!! I hope she gets his BLUE eyes, because they are beautiful!!

BIG FOOT! Ok so Blakely was already head down during the ultrasound, which would make her a vertex presentation. However, up near her face were her feet, which would make her a breech presentation! This means that Blakely has created her own presentation... THE JACK KNIFE!! Yikes!!

The ultrasound tech also commented on how BIG her foot was.... so she is bendy with big feet. Hmmmm??? Who does that sound like? She might have a little of her Aunt Alyssa in her after all.

You can barely see it in the picture, but in the non-3D shots she had a LOT of hair!! I wonder what color it is going to be!! Can't wait to see her!!

Ok... so here is our last look at this sweet, little face for the next 6 weeks. We are so excited for you to get her little girl!! Your room is all ready, our bags are packed and we are counting down the days (only 42 to go!!). This is going to be the BEST Christmas EVER!! Love you, Blakely Baby!!

Things Remembered...

Random October-November:  Warning.... this post is going to be kind of random. I have several small memories from this past month that I want to remember, but that are not significant enough by themselves to warrant a post. If you are just interested in the Monk family gossip (because it is always SO hot), then this post is not for you. Remember, you have been warned.

BLAKELY ON-CALL

During the last 2 months, I have been cross covering in the PICU every 4th night. I usually really like working in the PICU, and early on it was still fun. I love taking care of critically ill children, and the PICU nurses are some of my favorite!! Don't get me wrong... I don't want kids to be sick, but if they are going to be sick... I want to be there and help. I also LOVE procedures. However, over the last couple of weeks it has gotten harder, especially as I have gotten bigger.

The PICU can be kind of busy, and there isn't a lot of time for... you know.... the basics. IE: eating, drinking, peeing, sleeping, etc. For those of you who have never been pregnant, I'll let you in on a secret. Those things are VERY important. When you're pregnant, if you get dehydrated or wait too long to pee, you can have contractions. Also, being on your feet for 30 hours can cause A LOT of swelling! I have experienced ALL of these symptoms.

Blakely, on the other hand, has been having a great time!! She loves the PICU. She has been kicking up a storm! Usually... she likes to wait until those 5 minutes when I FINALLY get to lay down. She will be quiet for hours, then when I lay down she goes crazy. She even learned how to kick on BOTH sides of my stomach at the same time!! She has skills! Also, she has gained like 5 boyfriends! There are 5 nurses in the PICU who are pregnant right now, and they are all having BOYS!! My Blakely is going to have her pick of the litter!! So glad that I have only 1 more PICU call left before baby.

MONOGRAM

I ordered this adorable monogram on Etsy for Blakely's wall. I absolutely love it!

WATCH OUT FOR SIDS!!

We have a little bit of a problem. We have a little black cat named Maxwell, and he has been our "baby" for the last 2 years. He currently thinks that the baby's room.... is HIS room. He has been in the bed, under the bed, on the changing table, in the chair... OR HIS FAVORITE... in the closet! This is a problem, and I think a SIDS risk. Cats aren't listed as a SIDS risk, but I think it falls under the category of "no stuffed animals in the crib!" HA! We have a plan to remedy this after the baby comes, but it has made for some cute pictures. Check it out!

Baby Kitty enjoying his FAVORITE spot in the crib!



FULL MOON

Halloween night Blakely was straight up WILD! She was constantly on the move for about 2-3 hours!! Richard couldn't even take his hand of my belly, because she never stopped moving. This was the first night, that we could actually see her moving in there. My belly just kept moving. First to the left, then to the right. At one point in time you could see her little butt roll across the top of my stomach... and we had our full moon! Happy Halloween!!

BIRTHING CLASS

This past Saturday, Richard and I went to a birthing class at Bon Secours. I didn't know how helpful this would be given that both my husband and I are physicians.... but I felt like it was one of those things that we just had to do. I knew that if we didn't, I would worry that I had missed out of some "rite of passage." Maybe some birthing classes are helpful, but this one was... not.

It took the first 2 hours for us to all introduce ourselves, then another 2 hours to discuss remedial anatomy. We were trapped there for 6 hours! The only helpful part was the last hour, in which we went on a tour of the hospital and practiced breathing techniques. The day was not a total loss though. The teacher was in her 60's and clinically insane! She said the FUNNIEST stuff, which Rich REALLY enjoyed. I will provide you with a sampling (which Richard collected on his cell phone. HA!). Please read with a thick southern accent and a slur.

"I do research y'all, and figures don't lie."

"This is big group, so no questions til the end, y'all."..... 5 minutes later...... "Y'all must know everything already 'cause you don't ask any questions."

"...do y'all know what a vagina is, y'all?"

"...babies are controlled by humidity and tides, y'all."

"Your name is Chip? My little dawg's name is Chip. He's trouble, too."

"Now I don't have no babies, but I still spend my whole paycheck in the Breast Feeding Boutique!"

Hope you enjoyed my random moments from the last 2 months. Now that all the showers are over and the room is ready.... this is really happening. We are having a baby! Holy Cow!! 50 days 'til Blakely makes her big debute!!! :)

It's a Baby Shower!!!

November 6th: Today was my shower with my church family and friends, and it was beautiful!!

Today's shower was hosted by my friends Beth Traynham and Lisa Vasko. The shower was held at Beth's house, and they made 3 different kinds of Pound Cake! YUM!!

The Spread!! I thought the center piece was so adorable! Loved the lilies and the cute little socks!

I love all the pink bags!!! So cute!!!

Look how cute this little Le Top outfit is!!! Blakely is going to look so cute in this outfit!!

Some of my FAVORITE 2nd year Med Girls!!! So sweet of them to come and celebrate with us!!

From Left to Right: Mackie, Carly, me and Lauren

Barbie and Ashley Sawyer came all the way from Summerville to Celebrate!!! Thanks girls!!!

However, the award for the farthest traveler goes to my best friend from med school, Kate!!! She drove all the way from OHIO (with a 15 month old) to celebrate with us!!
And here is some big news.... KATE IS PREGNANT, TOO!!! So there are 4 of us in this picture! HA!
Thank you friend for coming!!! It was so special to have you there!!

My Favorite Girls!! 3 Generations of Tober women!!
From Left to Right: Alyssa, me (Blakely) and Mama!!
I love you girls!!!

Though, the MOST POPULAR party guest was Lydia! Laura Lee and Marty's ADORABLE baby girl!!! Such a cutie, and Liz ain't bad either! ;) HA! Such cute girls!!

All of Blakely's gifts!! Thank you so much to all our friends and family for your generosity!! Y'all are so special to us!! Thank you!!

Some Present Highlights: This burp clothe was made by my party hostess, Beth Traynham!! So adorable, and everyone knows I LOVE a monogram!! Thank you!!

Blakely's baby monitor!! This was much needed, and I was really excited to get this!! Thank you Sawyer family!!

BUT... this is by far my FAVORITE gift!! This bookshelf, stocked with some favorites like Good Night Moon and Eric Carle, is from my mom and dad!! Those who know me well, know that I am an AVID reader! I love reading, and as a pediatrician, it is something I think is super important for brain and language development.

My love for books comes from my mom (a kindergarten teacher) and my grandmother (an elementary school librarian), for whom Blakely Haynes is named. Growing up my Mimi would always give us books for special occasions: Christmas, Valentines day and Halloween!! The best day was the scholastic book fair when I got my own private showing!! I want Blakely to know that her Mimi would have LOVED her, and that she would have read to her over... and over.... and over... again. She was the best grandmother a girl could ask for, and I miss her everyday! I love you Mimi, and I PROMISE to read to Blakely EVERY DAY!!

The food was delicious, the presents were fabulous, but probably my FAVORITE gift was my guest's prayers! After all the gifts were opened and cake was eaten, theses lovely, Godly women prayed for me, Richard, Blakely and our new family!! I truly cherish your prayers, and look forward to raising Blakely in this supportive, God-centered community!! Thank you girls!!

Laundry Day!!!

October 29th-30th: Happy Laundry Day!!!

I have never been a germ-a-phobe. In fact, I am kind of the opposite. I am a firm believer in the 10 second rule, and I am absolutely convinced that the reason my sister and I never get sick and don't have asthma/allergies is because of all the dirt and cat food (my mom did not condone this activity) we ate as children. But, in preparing my Blakely's coming I knew I needed to be more careful (especially during the first 6-8 weeks), and so my mom and I decided to undertake washing all of her clothes and linens. I thought this would be simple, but oh my goodness, this little person already has SO MUCH laundry!! It took us 2 full days of washing, drying and ironing to get through it all!! Whew!! We were exhausted!!

My mama hard at work!! Our original iron (a Wal-mart special) leaked all over Blakely's beautiful clothes!! Oh no!! So, I had to run down to my house and get "The Rowenta!" A world of difference... this is one of those investments that is totally worth it... in case you are currently in the market for an iron. HA!

Blakely's clothes filled up 2 laundry baskets!! How does she have so much stuff already? This is what happens when you are the first grandbaby on both sides!! You get just a LITTLE bit spoiled!! :)

As a pediatrician, I need to put in a quick plug for ALL Free and Clear. Previously, the only choice for eczema patients or babies for laundry detergent was Dreft- which runs about $15 for a small box of detergent and is not compatible with "he" washers. Not practicle. Now, ALL Free and Clear is being shown to be better for sensitive skin in clinical trials, then even Dreft. Not only is it better, but it is WAY cheaper (about $3-4 dollars a bottle), and it comes in regular and "he" laundry detergent.

HINT, HINT ALL- I make an excellent spokes person, and I LOVE free products!! :)

We are getting ready for you baby girl... we are one step closer to having my "to-do" list "to-done!!" HA!

You Are Invited!!

October 29th: Blakely's First Baby Shower!!

For the past week, I have been getting SOOOO excited!!! My husband did not get it.... he kept asking me "why are you so pumped for this shower?" His confusion is understandable. After all, he is a boy. But my excitement makes perfect sense to ALL little girls out there (and ALL the little girls that have grown up!!)!! There are 2 major events as a little girl that you dream about: 1) Your Wedding and 2) Having a Baby. This day dreaming includes EVERYTHING: picking out a name, seeing your little one on ultrasound for the first time, announcing the BIG NEWS to your family, decorating the room, and..... THE BABY SHOWER!!!!

The 3rd year girls in my program threw a baby shower for me and Blakely!! It was perfect from start to finish!!! 

The shower was thrown at one of my very best friends, Jenny Sanders, house and EVERYTHING was perfect!!

I have SUCH generous friends!!! Look at all these beautiful presents!!! Blakely is one lucky lady!!

Alyssa and I enjoying some of the delicious treats especially prepared for the day!!

Baby Girl Shortbread cookies... and of course, theses were made by our very own Southern Living Queen, Carolyn Word (AKA The NEXT Mama-to-be!!!).

Mama, me (*Blakely*) and Alyssa!!! All of my FAVORITE ladies!!

The Neuro Girls! These ladies got up early and drove ALL the way from a conference in Savannah to be at Blakely's Shower!! I KNOW Alyssa really appreciated y'all leaving a SUPER INTERESTING conference to be there! Thank you girls!!

Me (*Blakely*) and our beautiful hostesses!!! Thank you girls!!! It was a BEAUTIFUL shower!!! I had so much fun and everything was so memorable!! LOVED IT!!!

And now some present HIGH LIGHTS.....

From Aunt Alyssa, Uncle Matt and Cousin Tiger: The Chicco Keyfit!! Super generous!! I absolutely LOVE it!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you Lyssa!!! Blakely is going to LIVE in this thing!!! And.... then maybe your little one "someday!" ;)

From Mama and Daddy: The Cutest Baby Bag EVER!!!! They stocked a DOONEY and BURKE Baby Bag (Who knew they made such a thing??) with ALL the baby essentials!!! This thing is so HOT that I would carry it as a purse, even without a baby! Thank you, thank you, thank you Gigi and Pop-pop!!! Blakely is absolutely going to LOVE IT!!

From the 3rd Year Girls: The Mamroo!! This is a completely ridiculous and frivolous gift.... that I absolutely HAD TO HAVE!!! This thing is so awesome, that you can even hook up your iPOD to this thing!! No boring Brahms Lullaby for my baby!! Thank you Ladies!!!

From Dr. Co-co Hill: I LOVE THESE HATS!!! She made these little cuties one night on call!! She is super crafty and stylish!! These hats are just about the cutest thing.... I WANT ONE TO MATCH! Thank you friend!!!

Thank you girls for the best shower a girl could ask for!! I had so much fun, and everything was so beautiful!! Special shout outs to Co-co, Walker and Kelli for coming post (or on) call!! You girls rock!!!!

Month 7 Picture!!

October 25th:  Month 7 Picture!!

We are in FULL BLOOM now!!! We are growing and expanding everyday!! Who KNOWS how big we will get by the end!!! YIKES!!!

A Little Arts and Crafts...

October 23rd: Welcome to Nesting 101!!

If you do not believe that you are affected by your hormones.... keep reading.
I entered the 3rd trimester about 1 month ago, and it was like a switch was flipped, and I went into nesting mode. Imagine normal nesting, then add a dash of ADHD off meds! Yikes!

1) I have cleaned my whole house from TOP to BOTTOM. This includes baseboards, fans, cabinets and the fridge (3 times). I even woke up one night at 3am, and attempted to rent a carpet cleaner!! Watch out dust bunnies... I'm coming for you!!

2) I gave my whole yard a make over in a day! I sanded/re-painted the outdoor rockers, replanted all the flower beds, dug up the sweet potatoes in the garden, weeded all the beds, and cleaned and organized the garage. My husband thought a very, tidy hurricane had blown through!!

3) Tying up loose ends at work: outstanding projects, licensure paperwork, questions, duty hours, etc.

4) FINALLY, I have become EXTREMELY CRAFTY!! I have been making, decorating and sewing up a storm!!! Here are a couple of my favorite projects:

HOSTESS GIFTS

This past weekend the 3rd year girls in my program threw me an AMAZING shower!!! The only issue was that there were 11 of them hostessing. What do you do for a hostess gift for 11 girls, that doesn't break the bank??? TO THE PINTREST!!!!

Found this adorable idea, and now I will share it with y'all!! Super simple.

First, you start with a Starbucks cup and a Starbucks gift card.

Then, you fill the cup with some kind of candy to weigh it down. It's Fall in South Carolina right now, so I thought some Brach's Candy Corn would be cute and seasonal. Don't forget to put your gift card in the cup before you put the lid on.... otherwise your cute gift, will be a kind of lame.

Then, use clear wrapping paper (2.5 feet x 2.5 feet) which can be purchased at the dollar store and close the "bag" you create with a creative bow. We used brown, ribbed ribbon from the Wal-mart craft section to match the Starbucks cup, but literally ANYTHING could work.

Finally, you want to attach this gifts catch phrase, "THANKS A LATTE!!" in a creative way. As previously stated, we were going with a fall theme. We found these adorable di-cuts at the dollar store. Loved them!

The Finished Project!! Just for ease of presentation and delivery, we chose to put ours into a coffee cup carrier! Now, we just have to wait and see if the girls like their gift!

SEWING PROJECTS

Two years ago, my sister and I got sewing machines for Christmas! We have had so much fun making things for our friends and family. Now that I am having a baby, we have started sewing again... but this time it is for little Blakely!! So far I have made sheets for her bassinet, a nursing cover-up, a bib, and a burp cloth!

This is a bib and burp cloth I made for one of my attendings who is also having a baby in January. I also made this same set for Blakely!! Love the pink and yellow together!!

The sewing machine is still out, so look forward to more projects to come!! My hormones are still ragging... so who knows what will get cleaned, organized or decorated next!! HA!