She Has Arrived...Early!!! :)

Hi Everyone, this is Aunt Rae Rae reporting on Amanda and Les' behalf since they are still at the hospital... Madeline Brooke Lawless arrived yesterday afternoon at 3:27 pm... she came out weighing a a whopping 5 pounds and 11.8 ounces, and 18 3/4 inches long...she is just a lil peanut!!! haha...she couldn't be more beautiful or amazing.. she is a gorgeous mix of her mom and dad... Amanda's labor was very brief. She started contractions at 6 am and by 10 am we (my momma, me, Amanda and Les) were at the hospital and she was getting checked in. Once the nurse checked her and saw that she had dilated to 4cm they knew this was not false labor! Her contractions were pretty close together and getting stronger ... by 11 she had received her epidural and was lovin life! Her Dr. came in and checked on her at 12:30 and she was at 7cm and he broke her water.. he said Maddie would be here by 3:30 that afternoon. My dad got there at 2:30 and amanda began to push at 3:00..he got there just in time! She pushed for about 30 minutes and by 3:27 Maddie was in the world! It was absolutely unbelieveable.. there are no words to describe how amazing Amanda did and how it felt to witness this little miracle being born. I am so happy that she is here and safe..now its time to spoil her! Les and Amanda will be wonderful parents, they are so great with her already. Les' parents arrived right after Maddie's Birth and they were there to hold her and meet her as well. Les' parents were there, my parents were there, I was there, and some of the band came by to meet her too! Well the whole family should be home tonight or tomorrow.. I know everyone is anxious to meet her and hold her... but i do have some pictures for now so everyone can see this precious little girl.. Thank you for all the prayers they worked.. Madeline Brooke is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

Maternity Photos

We (mom, dad, rae and me) went to Shelby Lane's photography studio in town to have my maternity photos taken. I loved her studio and her personality. She posed me in a sheer/ beaded pink shirt with jean capris, that i brought from home. She dressed me in a wrap of fabric just showing my belly. Maddie was moving around a lot during the photo shoot and Shelby was able to capture a couple of pictures of Maddie kicking me. I was laughing with my hand on my belly. I can't wait to see all her pictures. The ones below are taken by Rachel so you can see a little of what she did.

I am so excited to have captured Maddie and myself at this part of my pregnancy. We will go back and take Maddie's birth announcements, newborn and family photos. Look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

Les, Mom and Me are going to Dr. Theis tomorrow afternoon to see Maddie's progress. I have been having more contractions and lots of pressure so i hope she comes soon. Mom is staying with us for awhile because Les is still traveling and i don't need to be alone. We are so lucky that she can come and stay with us. We will let you know what the doctor says tomorrow.

Getting Close!

I had my doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Theis was out sick so i saw Dr. Thompson. I have never seen him before but he was really nice and i felt comfortable seeing him. He did an exam to check my progress and said that i was moving quickly for a first pregnancy. He said i will probably not make it to my due date. Maddie has already "dropped" and i am starting to dilate and efface. I am dilated to a 1 and 1/2 and 75 % effaced. I know this is yucky words to some people but it means that her arrival is getting close. I left the office feeling very excited because i am ready for her to be here. I will see Dr. Theis on monday and he will do the very uncomfortable exam again and let me know the progress.

I can't believe that i am this close to meeting my new little girl. It is truly a miracle. We feel so blessed to be having her and having had a healthy pregnancy. To capture this "pregnant belly," i am going on saturday morning to have photos taken. I found a photographer in New Braunfels. She does beautiful photos (Shelby Lane Photography) in the maternity aspect, newborn and then birth announcements. We will do the package deal so we can have our first family photo taken through her too. Be watching for those pictures when i get them back.

We love you all and will let you know what happens on Monday. Keep in touch!

Its all about getting comfy!

Being nine months pregnant and getting dressed in the morning is frustrating. All i want to do is go to work in my pajamas. I can't wait to come home and get in my comfy clothes. Mom sent me this adorable pants outfit and some super soft pajamas. Just take a look at how comfortable i look in my new pj's!!!!

This is me in my normal clothes feeling very uncomfortable after shopping and eating out today. Maddie is just growing and i can feel her little feet, knees and back all the time. I am done cookin' the little bun in the oven and now i would like for someone else to feel her knees and feet like i do. STICK A FORK IN ME.....I AM DONE! : )

Everything is good!

I met with Dr. Theis today and it was a quick appointment. We discussed how Maddie is positioned and her heartbeat was strong. He said that i have swelling in my feet which is normal for being pretty much nine months pregnant. I need to try to put my feet up as much as possible which is very hard when you are a teacher. I don't like the swollen feet or ankles but he said its just water and i will lose it soon after Maddie is born. Besides that, i meet again on May 7 then every monday after that.
I turned in the paperwork for the hospital pre-registration so we are getting close. Wow...these last eight months have flown by. I have realized that i am getting close to her due date when you hear about movies or coupon sales running out by May 31. My assistant principal pointed that out and its so true. You don't realize how close you are until then. Thank you for checking on Maddie and me. : )

Just an few new pictures

I am exactly 34 weeks today which means that if Maddie were born in the next few weeks, she could breathe on her own. What a great feeling. I have been having the "fake" contractions for about a week now. They hurt sometimes and other times they are just a quick tightening in my tummy. Its God way of preparing my body for having Maddie in a month. Everything else is going good. I meet with Dr. Theis on Monday for my last two week appointment then its every week.

I met with the district today and put in for my maternity leave. I will only have 3 more weeks of work then i am off for 2 weeks before Maddie is due. It will give me time to rest, clean and enjoy some down time. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Not much longer.....

WE ARE SO READY FOR MISS MADDIE!!!!

Les took this picture of Buddy, Hippo, Maddie and Me just hanging out on the couch in our comfy clothes. My belly is getting rounder and poking out more. Les rubs on it and tells me how cute it is but i feel very big....

This adorable "bling" onesie came from James and Stacy, some of our really good friends. The onesie is so cute with the rhinestones and the matching headband with rhinestones. Maddie will fit this onesie perfectly with all the girly bling.

The plaque is about having a daughter: A Daughter is a precious blossom who gives a bouquet of love with her smile.

We love it all. Thank you both so much for being so sweet. We love you guys.

The glider came from my hostess' from my baby shower in Houston. It is very comfortable and just waiting to rock little Maddie when she is born. Thank you Ladies for the wonderful gift.

This is Maddie's papasean chair which vibrates and plays music for her. We decided that we want one in an adult size. It looks so comfy and Maddie will love to sit in there and play. Thank you Whitecotton Ladies. We love you all.

Baby Shower in the Woodlands

I am just going to warn you.....there is a lot of pictures from my baby shower......please look at all of them. I am so blessed to have great family and friends who gave so much to us and Maddie. We love you all. Enjoy!

Here are my generous hostess who hosted a beautiful baby shower in the Woodlands on March 31. They gave us our glider and their daughters all gave us the ottoman to match. I can't wait to rock Maddie in it soon. Thank you so much for all you did to make the shower wonderful!

This is a bump alert on Maddie Lawless...she is growing and moving around so much. I can feel her foot or hands when she pushes. Its such an incredible feeling. I can't wait to hold her.

Its the Girls all dressed up for the baby shower. They look too young to be an Aunt and Nana. Maddie will have too much fun with them. I love you girls.

Here is a look at all the pink gifts that Maddie is getting. Wow! The clothesline behind the gifts was a great idea. We hung outfits and dresses on it as i opened them. That way all my guests were able to see the outfits that Maddie got. So cute.

Uncle Rick gave Maddie so many neat gifts. The black diaper bag is great because Les can carry it and its not all girly. The pink over the door hanger has pockets in which i have put all of Maddie's washcloths, towels and baby products. The canvas bags are for her room to put all her clothes and toys in. Thank you Uncle Rick for the fun and thoughtful gifts. We will use them all!

Mawmaw gave Maddie a beautiful white dress that i can't wait to put her in. It reminds me of a dress that we wore to take pictures on the beach. I would love for Maddie to do that one day. She also gave her a princess birp cloth. She will fit that name when she is born. Thank you mawmaw.

Amber gave Maddie a cute blue jean skirt and shirt that matches. Its is so tiny and cute. Thank you Amber....she will be the best dressed little girl.

Aunt Rae Rae gave Maddie a onesie that says "Maddie .... est. 2007" What a cute gift and she gave her some Golden books which are speical to us because we read them when we were little girls. What a neat tradition to pass down to Maddie.

This is a picture of two of my highschool friends who came to the shower. It meant so much to me because we have been friends for a long time. Its hard to believe that we all working, getting married and having babies. It makes me feel old at times.

Here i am with the Great grandparents....what a neat experience for Maddie to have Great grandparents. Maddie will be spoiled by her Great mawmaw, Great Granny and Nana. She will add to the tradition of the girls in our family.

Maddie Lawless.....just look at all the gifts you got from all your family and friends who love you so much and you aren't even here yet. We can't wait to put all the gifts to use.

I have saved the best gift for last.....Mom created a scrapbook for Maddie about me as a little girl. When i opened the gift i thought it was a scrapbook for Maddie because it had a baby picture on the front. When i opened the book, it was pictures of me and story of my life. I just started crying. It is beautiful......she worked so hard and put all the cute 3-D things on each page with quotes. I wish i could post it all on here but when you come to see Maddie you can look at it. Its AMAZING!!!

Fun Maddie Toys

Les has been such a good daddy and put together all of Maddie's new toys. THis is her new swing from Nana and Papa. I think i would like one of these for myself. The jumperoo and walker are from Andrea and

Geoff's parents. I am so lucky that Les puts all of these things together for me with no complaints. All though, we have taken over his music room with all of Maddie's things.

Bump Alert.....

This is Les and Me at our couples shower. I can't believe that i am almost eight months along already. Time is flying! (Left side) On Monday night, Maddie was moving around so much and Buddy wanted to feel her too. Buddy loves to lay on Maddie and keep her company. I wonder if he can sense her......my tummy is growing......

Pictures from our couples shower

Here is a few pictures from our shower, they are kind of out of order because i was randomly chosing ones i wanted to share. Sorry for that confusion. They are from our couples shower last weekend at our house. I can't believe how blessed we are to have so many family and friends come to our shower and bring Maddie such wonderful gifts. Thank you to everyone!!!!!

Maddie got this cute bubble from Hilary. With little pink converse shoes to match. She will be dressed like a rock star baby each time she goes out to a show with her Daddy. Thank you Hilary for such cute shoes and bubble.

This is just a party pic of the family hanging out on our back porch. Just enjoying the nice day and visiting!

The guys played a game of having to chug beer out of baby bottles. It was hilarious watching them try to drink that beer out of a bottle! I think this should go on the Randy Rogers Band website for their fans to see!

THis was an outfit Aunt Rae Rae gave Maddie. The bubble is so cute and the jeans have the same crown to match the bubble. Her shoes are denim with little ribbons. OH MY GOSH....SO ADORABLE!!!

The hostesss decided we should play a game of figuring out what the "melted chocolate" was in each diaper. Only using your sense of smell and sight. It was hard to get out of your head that was chocolate and not a dirty diaper. The boys got all into it the game and loved playing it.

THis is Andrea and Me with our hostesses of the shower. Brooke (far left), then Andrea, Me and Robin. Brie and Ashley are in the back. They did a wonderful job! :)

Brooke made the guys a tool belt of baby stuff for them to wear throughout the shower. It had diapers, bottles, spoons, food and bibs. Such a cute idea!

An Update.....

I know it has been too long since i have updated my blog. Time is flying by for us. Lets see.....I am in my third trimester and nearing the beginning of my eighth month.
I now have to go to the doctor every two weeks. I went on Monday and he said everything is good. Maddie is growing and is measuring to be a small to average baby. Dr. Theis said she will weigh around 6 pounds and 10 ounces. All my levels were good and my weight is good, which is always good to hear. :)
I had a couples shower with Andrea on Sunday. It was awesome. Brooke, Robin, Ashley and Brie hosted the shower at our house. It was a couples shower for a couple of expecting couples. We played games such as smelling diapers filled with chocolate and the guys chugged beer through baby bottles. It was so funny. I got lots of fun things for Maddie. I will post pictures soon of her clothes and all her toys. Les put together her swing and jumperoo. It is all taking over his music room. Oh well!!!!
I feel good but get tired in the evenings. She is moving constantly and we are entertained by her moving around. Its such a neat and unexplainable feeling.
I will post new pictures very soon. Take care and we love you.

Maddie's New Crib!!!

Maddie's room now looks like a nursery. Nana and Papa bought Maddie her new crib and Les put it together today.We have already put the sheets and blankets on it. Her sheets and dust ruffle are from Bombay Kids along with the bumper pads which match the comforter on the twin bed. The crib is a cherry wood sleigh crib which can convert to a toddler bed when she is older. It really makes it real when you walk into her room and see the crib where she will be sleeping in nearly 3 months. Thank you Nana and Papa for the gorgeous crib!!!!!

A Funny Picture

I have seen this heartbeat monitor in which you can listen to the baby's heartbeat. I bought one so Les and I were determined to hear Maddie's heartbeat. We heard lots of noises in my tummy but not her heartbeat. She doesn't like the monitor. We tried it out the other night and she kept kicking the monitor and kicking me all over. It was fun to watch her kick and move around. We will keep trying until we find it but in the mean time, its fun to feel her kick!!!!

We can't quit decorating.....

Maddie's room has become our favorite room in the new house. We are constantly decorating and buying new things for her. We have added her letters that will hang above her bed. We bought a gorgeous bookshelf for her baskets and frames along with a darling table to go beside our glider. Her nursery has become so cute. Just take a look!

Here is Maddie's bookshelf with all her cute things that a girl would want and need. This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture.

This letters will be above her bed which is getting delievered today! They turned out so darling and are hung with knobs that you would put on a dresser drawer. I got the idea from a teacher i work with.

Here is Maddie's new stroller and carseat. This was a gift from her great-grandparents, mawmaw and pawpaw. They sent me money and a check to buy it and when we went to get the stroller they were sold out of them. They sold us the display and i can't find it anywhere right now so.....i am estatic that we got the one we wanted. THank you mawmaw and pawpaw.

Our newest gift is from Les' parents. They wanted us to have a recliner to rock Maddie in that would be in our living room. We were able to go and pick it out and now we love it. Its become my favorite place to sit and can't wait to rock little Maddie in her new chair. THank you Mimi and Opah for this great gift!

Maddie's play/sleep crib arrived from her Uncle Rick on Tuesday. She will sleep in this in our room when she is little. Its a "big honkin' portacrib" because it has a changing table with a music box, vibrator for her mattress and a mobile. She will be sleeping in style! Rachel and i put it together in the living room but realized it wouldn't fit through the bedroom door so we had to take it apart and then move it in the room. THen put it all back together. So, it will stay in our room. THank you Uncle Rick!!!!

Maddie's Nursery & Bump Alert Time!!

We just love Madeline's room. The twin bed has shadow boxes above it match her comforter. Her walls are a pale pink and the lime green walls are behind her curtains and crib. Its hard to tell but the white trim on the comforter is soft chenille. Maddie's crib has been ordered. Its from J.C. Penney's and its a cherry wood sleigh crib. It will be here soon and her crib bedding matches her twin bed with the same polka dots and similar flowers. The crib will be on the other lime green wall, next to the curtains. We are going to order her glider soon too. It is beginning to look more like a nursery. I will post pictures of her crib when it arrives and Les puts it together. I know he is looking forward to that! : )


Here is Maddie's dresser, which matches her bed. The bed and dresser belonged to Les' great grandfather. He personally built these pieces of furniture. We love having that tradition in our home. The little dress hanging is my favorite outfit she has so far. The lamp is fun and girly too!



These curtains are so adorable. Nanny, my mom, made these curtains for Maddie. They are pink and lime green striped with pink tasels on the bottom. The top of the curtains are hung with pink bows. I LOVE IT!


This is the new bump alert. I am six months along about 24 1/2 weeks. I am looking a little more pregnant now. Little Madeline is showing off today!

We registered over the weekend for Madeline and it was way too much fun. We picked out so many cute outfits and toys. She will be one loved and spoiled little girl. It is all coming together and feeling more real each day. She will be here soon. We can't wait to hold her.

Docotor Appointment

I had my first normal doctor visit since i have been pregnant. Madeline usually acts up and wants her picture taken and i end up visiting Dr. Theis before its my time. This month, she behaved and the doctor said everything is good. I am getting a "pregnant profile." Which is a good thing and i am gaining weight too. I heard her heartbeat and it was strong. Dr. Theis wanted to discuss the delievery and classes. I can't believe its going by so quick. I meet with him again on March 6.

She moves around a lot during the evenings and you can see my stomach twitch when she kicks. Its so unbelieveable. Les loves to feel her kick and we could spend hours waiting for her to kick. Its crazy how quick your world revolves around a little person who is not even her yet.

Les painted her nursery. A pale pink on two walls and pale lime green on the other ones. The ceiling is a pale pink. He said that he felt like a daddy when he was painting her room. Mom is working hard on her curtains which will be adorable. We got her bedding to match the twin bed, its from Bombay Kids. Its all coming together. We are going to register this weekend for all of Madeline's things. I will post pictures of her room soon!

Thank you for reading our updates and keeping in touch with us. We love you!