Your Parents

I have had a lot of time recently to watch your parents. I've seen their love for each other and their love for you and I realize you are a very fortunate girl. This picture was made on the first day both of them were leaving you to go to work. Although I know your parents loved each other before you were born, this picture illustrates you are the delicious filling in the sandwich which is their relationship. It is very special to have parents whose love grows stronger after a baby arrives. You have a lot of fun ahead with parents like yours! Today is Christmas Eve & I'm going to Mobile to spend Christmas with your Great-grandmother. I will miss you but know I'll have many special times ahead with you. I spent the night with you Thursday night while your Dad was weathering a storm (literally) and your Mom was getting some sleep between two 12-hour shifts helping to bring other babies into the world. You slept from about 6 pm (after drinking 8 oz of formula) to almost 6 am. Wow! You're growing up! Don't do it too fast...

December 17-3 mos old (13 weeks too!)

Wow! Today you are now 3 months old and since you were born on a Saturday you are also 13 weeks old! This is a picture your Dad texted to me this morning. This week your Mom went back to work. She worked 3 12-hour days in a row so she did not get to see you awake except in the morning before she left. I know this was hard on her. But your Dad stayed with you one day & I stayed with you two days and we had a good time with you. And now your Mom has 6 days off in a row so she will try to catch up on kissing & hugging & holding you. You are smiling and laughing & reaching out with your hands and making precious little noises like talking. You talk the most right after your 1st bottle of the morning. Maybe you're going to be an early-riser "morning person" like your Dad? You also love chewing on your hands! I'm sure they are very sweet tasting! You are a beautiful amazing little girl! Happy Birthday Lyla Evelyn Rotter!!

Happy Birthday to Parents...overnight with Grandma

The night of December 3 we spent the night together! This was the first night your parents spent away from you! They weren't far away and we stayed in touch via text messages but it was a very special almost 24 hours. You were very good...happy & slept well. It seems you are growing & changing every day I see you. You "talk" and laugh a lot. What a joy to be a part of your life. You are now almost 3 months old. This Tuesday your mom goes back to work. I know it's going to be a hard day for her. But because there are so many people who love you I know you're going to be just fine.

11-22-11 (Reads the same backwards & forward!

Wow! This has been a busy few weeks. I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with you which has been priceless. Today I read you a book and you really paid attention. I was amazed! Because you sleep well at night but wake up after only a short nap, your mom got the idea you might nap better in the laundry room since it has no windows and is dark like it is at night. She moved your "pack & play" in there for nap time and it seems to be working. Longer naps would be great! You went to the doctor today due to a cough & you now weigh 10 lbs 14 oz. You are really growing. You are truly beautiful and smart & a lot of fun to hold! You smile & laugh & make sweet "talking noises". It may be a whole week before I see you again & I'm sure you'll be doing something new by then. I'm looking forward to it. I hope your cough gets better. Have a Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

November--Sitting up-Growing up...

You didn't get your immunizations last week because you had an eye infection due to an obstructed tear duct. So today, November 8, is the "shot day". I going to go with you & your mother to the doctor and I'm hoping both of you do okay! Although you're sitting up "fully assisted" (like your first Oak Mt. hike with your parents last week), you are sitting up and you are certainly growing up! Your mother is getting you into a schedule I'm going to call "Eat, play, sleep". That sounds like a good schedule for everyone! This weekend you met your cousins Maggie Rae (3) and Eli (1) Brown. I think the 3 of you will have some fun times together in the future. And you came to our house for the very first time! And you met Frankie the dog. Papa Wayne commented you were very alert and aware of what's going on around you. And you are. But then I don't think he's seen you since day #2 of your life and you've changed a lot since then! It is such a joy to be a part of your life. I'm so glad you decided to be born in Birmingham.

6 weeks old today...Oct 29

We are beginning to establish a routine...I plan to stay with you two days a week after your mom goes back to work. So during these days when you are taking only very short naps and your mom is very tired, I'm staying with you two days a week and stay overnight to help out. It is such a treat to see you so often & watch you grow and change. Right now your favorite song seems to be "The Ants Go Marching". You smile when I sing it and march with you in my arms. You smile a lot. You don't know that I don't sing very well. But I do know a lot of children's songs. We listened to "Toddler Tunes" on the TV music channel. You liked that too. On Tuesday I'm going with your mom when you get your first immunizations.

October Days

October 18 I went with your mother to The Children's Hospital diagnostic clinic for you to have an ultrasound of your hip since you had a "hip click" that could have indicated a problem with your hip. Fortunately all was well. But it was a reminder of how wonderful it is that you are healthy (as well as beautiful & smart). I spent the night with you then the whole next day which was when we took pictures of you in your Halloween outfit. You are so alert and beginning to sleep longer so your mom is getting more rest. You are now one month old...the time is going so quickly!! What a joy to have you in our lives.

Happy One Month Birthday!

One month ago today you were born! This picture was made by a professional photographer and is one of many many beautiful pictures of you. I have continued to be luckly enough to spend time with you. I spent Wednesday night at your house & then went to the pediatrician with you and your mom on Thursday. You grow & become more beautiful every time I see you. I had a calendar from when your mom was a baby noting how long she slept etc. She slept all night by the time she was your age...but you are not a good sleeper! But you're good at everything else. I told your mom maybe this means you'll be easy to wake up every morning for school? I'm going to see you tomorrow...you'll be one month plus one day!

Three nights in October

I visited you on Friday before I went to Mobile to spend the weekend with my Mother. Then, on Tuesday morning I came back to your house to spend 3 nights with you. The post-bath picture with your duck towel was taken the night before, but you didn't change a lot in one day. You are beautiful. I got to hold you almost all night Tuesday & Wednesday. But Thursday night you slept a little longer between feedings so I had fewer hours to hold you. You are almost 3 weeks old so you are getting more mature every day. I went from visiting our oldest family member, your 91 year-old great-grandmother Evelyn Hastie, to our youngest family member, 17-day old Lyla Evelyn. If you also live to be 91 it will be 2102...wow! You make eye contact, smile, and seem to enjoy the annoying songs I sing to you. Right now the alphabet song seems to be a favorite. I read a book to you & you seemed to follow along with the pictures. It was about a moose with a loose tooth. What a delight to have you in my life. You are light as a feather to hold. You are growing so quickly. I plan to enjoy every moment I get to be with you!

4 Nights in September

I was lucky enough to spend the night at your house the first four nights you were at home! It was a priceless experience. I got to hold you and talk to you a lot! "My shift" was between feedings from midnight to five am. I also got to see you a lot between times. It was amazing to watch you mature over just a few days. It was so good to see your loving, competent, awesome parents take such good care of you. Today you are one week old. I hope you have enjoyed the world so far. I'm looking forward to many more nights with you...and days too.

Sept 17, 2011 You are born 4:46 am

I went to the hospital Friday afternoon when your mother came in after hours of labor at home. About 10 pm the nurse told us it would probably be a long time before you were born, so I went to get some sleep. I set my alarm for 4:15 am but awoke before then. I can't say your voice was audible, but you called to me to get up and not to dwaddle. I went back to the waiting area and kept an eye on your mother's room. It wasn't long before the action in the hallway let me know you were deciding to finally come into the world. What a joy to hear the lullabye over the intercom announcing your birth. Soon your mother called me to come meet you. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see you. You are truly beautiful. I won't try to describe my feelings for you or how proud I am of your loving parents. Now your mother & I have something very special in common...we both have a beautiful daughter.

December 1979

You are going to be born at UAB Hospital where your mother was born December 4, 1979. This is a picture of your mother with her nursery nurse Pam Patterson on the day she was going home from the hospital. Pam had been a student of mine at Samford University School of Nursing where I taught for 15 years. Pam still works at UAB and I'm hoping to get a picture of her with you & your mother before you go home. When you go home you may be wearing the same dress your mother has on in this picture. Your mother works as a nurse in Labor & Delivery at UAB where you will be born. The "circle of life" is amazing to me. I never dreamed Angela would live in Birmingham when she had a child, much less that she would deliver at UAB where she was working as a RN. Life is full of surprises! I've always been surprised to have a beautiful child since I'm so plain looking. But I won't be surprise that you are beautiful like your parents. Today your mom & Dad are going to visit Dr. Hoover, your OB MD. Maybe you will be born today September 15. If not, you will be here soon. What an amazing thing to think about and look forward to. During September 2011 Lyla Evelyn Rotter will be in the world!

Monday, September 12

I'm sure you're comfortable where you are. Maybe you think it's the best place there is and you're not sure there could be a better place. So I thought I would show you a picture of your parents on the day they told us you were on the way! You will be amazed at how much these two people already love you. And how much they are anticipating your arrival. The first time I saw you at Dr. Honea's office via ultrasound I dreamed about you that night. I haven't had any more "sleeping dreams" about you that I can remember, but you've been in my "awake dreams" a lot. When you decide it's time to be born, you'll find out there is a better place to be...these two wonderful people are ready & waiting to take you into their arms. You're already in their hearts!

Friday, Sept 9...almost due date

Your mother was born almost 3 weeks past her due date. You're not late yet, but maybe you're learning early that your mother is a good person to emmulate. I know she will love you as much (or maybe even more) than I love her. And that's a lot. Of course I don't know your father as well as I know your mother, but I know he already loves you a lot. If he is as good to you as he is to Sunday the dog you will be a happy girl! He is also very talented as illustrated by the details of your beautiful nursery! And he loves your mom a lot! It will be an exciting day when you decide it's time to come into the world. Any day is good...Saturday will give you a sequential birthday of 9-10-11 and of course Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the "9/11" attack on the US, a good day to celebrate life! Your sign will be a Virgo, a derivative of the word for "life". I am looking forward to seeing how beautiful you are and getting to hold my baby's baby, whatever day that may be.

Labor Day 2011-Waiting for Lyla

Today is Monday, September 5. I've realized a blog is a way to record my thoughts in a "new" way. I've kept a journal before and I still keep a calendar, but I've never tried a blog. I decided Labor Day, waiting for Lyla, was a good day to begin. Your parents came to visit January 2 and told us you were on the way! It was almost too good to be true so I tried to not let myself get too excited. But as time as passed and you have continued to grow and thrive, I have gotten more & more excited. One of the best feelings for me is to realize my daughter will realize how much I love her when she becomes the mother of a beautiful daughter. This is the week you are due and I really can't imagine what life is going be be like with a grandbaby living in the same town! There is a big group of people looking forward to holding you in this rocking chair!