Charleigh's First 3 Months!

Can you believe in one short week, Charleigh will be 4 months old?? It's just the craziest thing to wrap my mind around. Lance and I were just talking today about the moment we pulled out of the hospital with her in the car with us. It was such a surreal moment. It was a moment full of excitement for finally having our daughter with us after the 9 months of pregnancy, and a moment of "how do we take care of this little human without the hospital nursery?!" Ha!! Well, it has been amazing. She is just the most precious little girl. We really can't get enough of her. She started blessing us with a full nights sleep at 6 weeks old. I mean 12 full hours of sleep at night for Miss Charleigh! We are so VERY thankful for that. What is she up to these days? She is working on rolling over. She has mastered rolling over from her belly to her back, but is still trying to figure out how to roll over from her back to her stomach. Tummy time these days is much more "true" tummy time. She is propping herself up on her little forearms and holding her head up really well. After about 15 minutes, she's pretty pooped out from holding her head up and then it's time to roll over. She is also starting to laugh. Oh my goodness, if this isn't the noise every parent will do anything to hear. I promise, the first time we heard her laugh it was a mission from then on to do ANYTHING that would make her laugh. Sometimes we get a little ridiculous, ha! I love it! She is trying so hard to get so many noises out. It is so fun to watch her lay on her play mat with a huge smile and see her trying to get all these noises out of that voice box of hers. All sorts of noises are making their debut. Her whole body tenses up and high pitched squeals come rolling out. As soon as the first one comes out, it's all over from there. The noises keep coming until she is ready for her next snooze! She is so fascinated by her hands and how they move and grasp her toys. We are working on sitting up in her bumbo and with big pillows behind her. She likes her new view from time to time. All of these little firsts just bring so much happiness to mine and Lance's life. We can't imagine our family without her. What really means the world to me is to sit back and watch Lance just love her so much. Nighttime is "his" time after he gets home from work. Bath time, feeding time and putting her to sleep every night are his duties during the week. She is a fortunate little girl to have a daddy so dedicated to her. As a mom, I soak up all the little things (often with tears) that are so huge for a little girl to experience with her daddy. All of these things will mean so much to her one day. She goes to the doctor in a week for her 4 month check up and we get to start incorporating rice cereal and then some fruit and veggie purees. I have been very motivated to make all of her food from scratch, and I am so very excited to do this for her! We can't wait to see her first reaction to food outside of the bottle. As far as being a stay at home mom, I love being home with Charleigh. I will probably wait until the beginning of the year or so to look for a job. We have recently been having play dates a couple times a week. Even though Charleigh can't really "play" yet, we enjoy the company and it gets her used to other people besides Lance and I. She had her first swing on the swings last week at the park. She held on to the chain and let all of her very long hair blow in the wind (while sitting on my lap of course, ha). It was so fun! I probably enjoyed it more than she did. I have recently joined a boot camp and running club in the area, and I love it so much! It has really helped me meet other stay at home mom's that I really enjoy, and work on this post pregnancy body at the same time! Lance and I have gotten really strict about our daily eating and really just being conscientious of what we put in our bodies. It is amazing how good you feel when you fuel your body full of what it needs. Ok...so that is quite the lengthy update! Here are progression pics of Charleigh from week 1 to week 16! Time is flying by at the Bina house! Love you all!

Day 1


Week 1

Week 2


Week 3


Week 4


Week 5

Week 6


Week 7


Week 8

Week 9

Week 10


Week 11


Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Here She is!

Charleigh was born May 26th at 1:56pm. Our original due date was May 27th, but were scheduled for an induction on the 26th at midnight. I was very thankful for the scheduled induction, however really prayed that if at all possible that my body would go into labor naturally on its own. The story of my labor still gives me chills and brings me to tears. Lance and I were packing the car at 11:45pm on the 25th, when the hospital called to tell us they were so many deliveries going on that they had no rooms available and we needed to wait to come to the hospital until they called us back. They said they would call us in an hour or 2 or worst case scenario the next morning around 6 or 7am. Well, I was super super bummed. I finished putting the items in the car that I was carrying and sat on the edge of the trunk, and felt the "gush". MY WATER BROKE! Oh man! At the time, I didn't realize without a doubt that my water was indeed broken. Lance and I had decided to try to get some rest until we received word to go the hospital. My contractions started right away. The hospital called us an hour later at 1am, and told us they now had a room available, and we were now able to come up there to start my induction. At this point, I was still not sure my water was broken. I kept thinking, that would be way too coincidental. On the way to the hospital, my contractions started to get way more intense. When we arrived at labor and delivery, it was confirmed that my water had indeed broken and I was already dilated to a 3 (which if you don't know, I was not dilating much at my appts). Tears just flowed from my eyes. What an answered prayer. God is so good. The original plan was to start cervadil at 2am, pitocin at 6am and break my water at 8am. Since my body started this process on its own, I was in active labor and none of this had to take place. The delivery process was a great experience, and our little angel arrived at 1:56pm on the 26th. She weighed 7.7lbs, was 20.75 inches long and had a full head of dark hair! It was an instant love and appreciation for a little being that we were so graciously given. Lance was so in love with her, that instant tears of joy flowed from the moment he saw her. We have a running joke that Lance cried more than Charleigh did when she was born. Ha! We love her so much! She has already been such a joy to have in our family, and Mayer loves her so much too! She is a great night sleeper so far. The most we have been awake is twice at night and this week, she has slept through the night except for one day! We like a night sleeper! She is now 5 weeks old, and changing everyday. She has started making new noises that even surprise her, and she locks in on our faces and she will smile several times when we talk to her. It is the most rewarding thing ever! Here are some pictures of our little beauty. Time is already flying by!! We love you all!

Sweet Girl!








I just love this pic!!














Week 1 of life!








Our first dinner out with Charleigh...there was an hour wait, so Lance brought the chips and salsa out the the car while we sat and waited with Charleigh in the AC. It was almost feeding time. :)














Love this picture too! Mayer loves his little sister!








This is my favorite picture of Charleigh thus far! I just think it's so sweet!






Dad is so smitten by this little girl!






Why is it so precious when babies yawn?





Week 5 of life!





After her morning feeding! Very alert!





This has been the most rewarding thing...seeing her smile when we talk to her. This is at 5 weeks. The websites have reassured us that smiling at this point in her life is intentional. It's not just gas :). Love all her smiles!!

7 Weeks to go!!

Hello All! Wow, it's nearly been 2 months since my last post! What have we been up to in the last 8 weeks or so...pregnancy, and trying to finish up the ABSOLUTE last semester of school, yippee!! Lance and I literally every Monday count down the weeks of school left. We are at 4 weeks left, and really can't wait! Pregnancy is still a lot of fun! We are at 33 weeks right now, and have started to go to the doctor every 2 weeks. Oh my goodness is the belly on a growth spurt! Charleigh is moving so much that often times you can see her through my shirt. I also have to apologize to my patients daily due to the belly brushing up against their shoulder. Ha! It is just such an amazing experience, and it's fun because Lance is able to experience her movement too. It is so hard to believe that so soon we will have our little blessing here with us. We are so excited! It is so fun to watch Lance interact with her in utero. He is so in love with her. We are having another sono just to see her and what she's up to in just over a week. It feels like an eternity since we saw her last. Lance and I had maternity pictures taken last weekend, and should be getting some soon. I will post some when I get my hands on them. Here are some random pics of the pregnancy...Love you all!

Week 31 of pregnancy

Here is a sneak peak of Charleigh's room. We have this put together, but we don't have anything else up yet. More pics to come soon! I love working on her room and creating fun things for her!

Our friends in our community group at church had a surprise baby shower for me a couple of Sunday's ago. This cake was just the cutest thing ever, so I had to share it with you all! One of the girls in the group is so creative and great at the cake making thing. I keep telling her she needs to sell these! It was so much fun! Thanks friends!

I just had to throw in this picture of the most precious little girl on the planet! Emersyn steals my heart every time I see her. I can't get enough of her!

Here is a peak into the life of my everyday! If I had it my way, I would be eating multi grain cheerios at every meal. I've always been a cereal lover, but these days we make special trips to the grocery to have multiple boxes on hand. Lance made sure he took a picture of this and obviously insisted I put it on the blog. Ha!

This is also another Lance snap shot. This was just this week at 33 weeks as I was getting ready for the day. The belly is looking very large, so Lance had a photo op! He is so fun!

Well, this next weekend, I am off to Dallas to take my second (of 3) state test for my dental hygiene licensing. Please say a quick prayer for me if you think about it. Thank you all so much!

25 Weeks and Counting!

So sorry for the lack of updates lately! As most of you know, this is my LAST semester of school and boy is it the craziest! Thank goodness for a good pregnancy that does not make me miss a beat. We are preparing for national and state board testing before the end of the semester, so things are quite hectic. Noooooowwwwwww, on to more important parts of this post....I'm at week 25 of pregnancy!! I have still been feeling really good, with only a handful of days that are a little more tired than most. With that being said, the indigestion is on full fledged! Some days I feel like I'm breathing fire! So, either my unborn child has an enormous afro, or I haven't been able to tell just what I'm eating that is causing the erosion feeling coming from my esophagus. But, Tums save my life daily! I am so VERY thankful for the calcium supplement, and they are actually kind of good. :) One of the biggest joys of pregnancy has been just recently feeling Charleigh move. It took me a little longer than most people to feel her move consistently, but since I have been able to recognize that the feeling is her moving, she is on the move all the time. I LOVE it! I've only been able to "feel" this for 2 weeks or so, and Lance just felt her move last weekend. It was so incredible! This past week while I was sitting in class I was able to see her move through my shirt, it brought the most joy! As far as showing is concerned, it has taken me a while for that too. I'm not sure why, but I guess every women is just so different and carry babies differently. I've promised many to post some belly pics on the blog, so below are the latest two from last week at 24 weeks. Pregnancy has been so much fun. I love reading updates on how Charleigh is growing every week, and watching her grow is such a miracle. It is amazing how intricate pregnancy is and how God grows this little being for 40 weeks. It blows my mind. We have a good God. Love to all!!





If you look closely at the left knee, you will see my battle wound from my recent fight with the sidewalk. :/ There was no ice, no rain, no moisture, no uneven sidewalk. Just a long, flat, even surfaced sidewalk that I fell so incredibly hard on! Not to worry, I fell on all fours and Charleigh was saved! I was just walking to my car and WHAMO! I still have no idea what caused my fall. I just fell. Haha! It hurt SO bad!! I had to keep telling myself, "Andrea, you are 26 years old. You cannot cry when you fall." Haha! I wanted to shed a tear or two, but I sucked it up and kept walking to the car with my pride so incredibly hurt! Ha!




Sorry to those who don't like the bare belly shots. As the belly grows bigger and bigger I won't have to show the bareness, you will be able to see it just fine through the clothing. :)

Charleigh Payton Bina

It's a girl! We are officially at 20 weeks of pregnancy, our halfway mark!! 2o weeks for us fell on January 7th, and this was our gender sonogram day. However, I was so incredibly anxious to find out as soon as I could. A friend of my family has been in pediatrics for quite some time and offered to do sono's for us whenever we would like to. S00000, we decided that it would be so much fun to have our gender sono with her at 17 weeks which was the weekend before Christmas. I have no idea why I wanted to know what little babe I was carrying before Christmas, but I was dying to know! After our one hour long sonogram and switching from side to side to move our little angel around, we found out it's a little girl!! We were so nervous we wouldn't find out that day because she was sitting on her feet, dang! But, after much movement induced by us, she finally displayed her identity! We then had our 20 week sono with our doctor this past Friday, and still a girl!! We were THRILLED!! Either gender would have been so perfect for us. We had names, bedding, furniture and room decor picked out for each before hand, ha! I am so excited and deeply anxious to meet our little girl. Lance will be such a wonderful "girl" dad. Girls have such a deep need and desire that only their dad's can fulfill. He was meant to have a girl one day. I can't wait to see their bond, love, closeness and relationship grow. This will be so amazing to witness. As far as the pregnancy goes, it has been great so far! We are starting to grow (Charleigh and I :)) a little more every week, it's fun to watch all of the changes take place. I haven't really been able to feel her move much yet. I have felt a few flutters, and that's a fun little surprise! We are still actively running most days, I am very thankful for this because it gives me so much energy even when I arrive to the gym extra tired. Cravings...I haven't really had any. I could eat breakfast for every meal, but I have always been a huge fan of breakfast food, maybe now it's just amplified! We had some super cute pics from our sonogram Friday, I will try to see if I can take a pic of them and upload if they turn out clear enough. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Love to all!

Dear Our Sweet Lemon,

Hip Hip Hooray...we have officially made it through what many call the toughest time of pregnancy, the first trimester!! Due to your compliance (and I thank you so much!), we have had a really great first 14 weeks with no nausea, just a few crying spells (when I see any dog away from his home, I immediately think he's stray and the flood gates open), and occasionally fighting through times of being extremely tired. I will take that! I was told last week by a dear friend that I could hear your heartbeat if I used my stethoscope. This was exciting news!! I went straight home that evening to listen to your little pitter patter, however, I couldn't seem to find it. Not to worry, we went to the doctor this week, and heard your heart beat for the very first time. This is the sound we had been waiting to hear since we found out we had been blessed by your existence. Once again, I looked at your dad, and tears filled his eyes. He loves you so much. Your heart beat at the beginning of week 14 was a strong 152. The doctor was very pleased with your development. You are now the size of a large lemon, about 3 1/2 inches in length, and you weigh 1 1/2 ounces. Who knew something so tiny could be loved so much? This week you will be starting to squint your eyes, learning how to frown and grimace, pee, and suck your thumb. Your facial muscles are getting a workout as your tiny features change from one expression after another. Sometimes I wish there was a little window to be able to peek into to see your little face. My stomach is starting to protrude a little, which is fun to see you start growing! My craving this last week consisted of sausage, egg and cheese biscuits...eeeekkkkk :/
After my 3rd one, it began to taste a little repulsive to me. No harm done right? It was just 3...
We go back to the doctor December 22nd for our 18 week check-up and then just two weeks later we will find out what you are!!!! We tried to talk Dr. Martin into letting us find out sooner, but she wouldn't budge. Oh well, you are worth the wait.

We love you so so much,

Mom, Dad and Mayer

Our Precious Little Shrimp,

Today you are just over 3 inches long. It is amazing how you can be so small, yet your body already has so many functioning parts. This week you are the size of a shrimp! Your dad and I are so eager each week to read what new things you are doing and how you are growing. You have no idea how much you are loved already. We were able to see you for the first time 2 weeks ago on our first sonogram, and when trying to ask your dad if he could see your heart fluttering on the monitor, there was no response for a bit because tears of joy filled his eyes by just seeing your very existence. Your dad already talks to you frequently and kisses you every time he gets a chance. I think you already have your biggest fan. We are SO excited to be your parents! We promise to love you the best we know how, to demonstrate and show you the unconditional love that is exhibited by Christ, and raise you with a foundation that enables you to know that in His eyes you are righteous, you are perfect, you are enough. Until your arrival (May 27th as of now), we will be preparing for you the best we know how. My nightstand is currently occupied by 3 books! However, I have a feeling that most of the learning is going to be trial and error. Ha! I would like to thank you for keeping the nausea to a bare minimum. It would make it extremely difficult to leave class frequently to lose every ounce of food I've consumed. As far as all of the other symptoms that are considered "normal" for being pregnant, I feel like I've done pretty well. I have only had one hysterical cry on the kitchen floor because I was so incredibly tired. But not to worry, your dad never made me feel like a crazy person. He just encouraged me, while Mayer was there to lick up all the tears as they were flowing very rapidly down my cheeks. There is a great team waiting for you here! :) We love you so much, and we thank God every day for allowing us to be your parents one day.



Lots and lots of love,



Mom, Dad and Mayer