HE'S HERE!!!

Our Baby Henry James arrived Thursday March 25th, 2010 at 9:11pm. He was 8lbs 13oz and 20 3/4 inches.

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday the 23rd, and my doctor checked to see if I was dialated. I wasn't but later that night around 12:30 I noticed a little blood and slight fluid when I was going to the bathroom. I thought it was just from being checked at the doctor.

The next day (Wednesday) I worked in the evening, and I kept noticing some slight "leakage" throughout the evening, yet I still thought it was from my checkup. But after work that night I was feeling consistent crampiness. So I thought maybe they were "Braxton Hicks." So then Chuck and I started timing them to see if they were consistent enough and they were about 3-6 minutes apart. So I called the doctor in the morning and she told me to come in at 11am. She checked me and said "OH yes this is amniotic fluid, you can go to the hospital and have your baby now." HAHA WOW!! COOL!! I also found it funny because at my last appointment on Tuesday our doctor was joking with us saying how Thursday was a good day for her and that's when I should go into labor...that worked out nice then!

So we arrived at the hospital around 12:30 and checked in. I was induced at 2:00 and he was born at 9:11 so labor only lasted 7 hours. Labor went very well and I managed it without medication. The hardest most intense part was near the end when I was about 8cm dialated. But it went fairly quickly after that.

My doctor is so great. It was funny because when she came in she told me I could start pushing. She pretty much just pulled up a chair, crossed her arms and legs and just sat there waiting like she was going to casually watch a tv show or something! I remember in between contractions saying something like "this is really hard" and she said "that's why they call it labor." She also said something like "this is why I love my job, because I can just sit and watch while you do all the work." HAHA! Very funny!

The atmosphere was great, and very calming. Everyone was very quiet and encouraging. Once baby Henry started emerging our doctor just casually stood up, put on some goggles and gloves and in a couple more pushes out came Henry! It was very cool. Mama, Jenny and of course Chuck were all in the delivery room with me. Everyone was (needless to say) very excited, and after all the pushing and everything, I looked up and they were all on their cell phones calling and texting everyone about our new arrival.

Henry is such a wonderful baby and he's had LOTS of visitors already. He is so blessed to have so many loving family and friends. Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes! He sends his love and kisses to everyone!! XOXOXOXOXO

"Every good and perfect gift is from above" ~James 1:17

40 weeks!

So I'm in my 40th week. My due date is this Friday the 26th. We'll see what happens. I'm just going with the flow. I had my doctors appointment today. She checked the heartbeat and also to see if I was dialated. I'm not, but she said that really doesn't mean anything at all. It's not an indicator if I'll be early or late.

Anyway, I'm just waiting now. Not really thinking about anything, not really feeling anxious, just waiting. I am really tired of having to talk to random strangers and having to answer their redundant questions about when I'm due, if I'm having twins, how I feel, if I'm ready to burst blah blah blah blah blah blah. I'm also tired of hearing people telling me that I'm huge. It's not that I take it offensively, I just don't want to humor people anymore. I think you understand. It's like if you see someone you know and you don't want to talk to them but you have to try to make conversation with them because it's polite. It's sorta like that...except I have to make conversation with EVERY STRANGER THAT COMES UP TO ME!!!

I just want to be left alone...not because I'm a crabby pregnant person...because I'm not. I'm really quite enjoyable! I've really enjoyed my pregnancy. And I know I'm cute, and I know it's an interesting topic of conversation. But I don't feel like talking about it over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. That makes sense right? YES!! I don't mind talking to my family and friends about it...they are an exception, because I want to talk to them about it. But I guess I'm just venting because it's all I hear about now a days from people I don't know!!

"A Newborn's Conversation with God"

My Auntie Jeannie sent this to me in an email and I thought it was so sweet and wanted to share it!

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?" God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don ' t have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy." God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel ' s love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don ' t know the language?" God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?" God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?" God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore." God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel ' s name." God said, You will simply call her, "Mom."

The Final Two (39 weeks)

It is St. Patty's Day and I'm in my 39th week. I usually mark my weeks on Fridays so the 19th will mark a full 39 weeks. I have my next doctor's appointment on Tues. the 23rd. We'll see if I make it that far. I think I will, but who knows.

It's funny because work scheduled me to close on Friday the 26th (my due date.) So again...we'll see what happens. I'm guessing it's going to be late though! My guess is the 28th or maybe a little later. Hopefully not much later because I don't want to deliver a ginormous bowling ball. The doctor guessed that he may be 8 or less pounds when born. Well the count down begins (or began.) Only a week left pretty much! I will have to post some more pictures!

The Final Three (38 weeks)

I had my 38 week check up on the 15th. Everything was good again blood pressure, baby's heart rate etc, etc. Just out of curiosity I asked my doctor how many babies she has delivered. She said that she's been out of residency since 1991 or so, and if she would make a low estimate of about 100 babies per year then that would make it about 2000 babies! WOW that's a lot of babies. But then she said that sometimes during her residency she would sometimes deliver 10 babies a day, so she would be in and out of rooms delivering all over the place. So she's probably delivered over 2000!! That's crazy. What an interesting profession! But then she was saying how it was very interesting but every once in a while it would be nice if she had a job making tiddly winks or something easy and less stressful, because peoples' lives are in her hands (God forbid anything like that would happen.)

So she told me I was creeping high on her list because she usually keeps a list of her patients and there are a few women who are due ahead of me. Anyway wouldn't it be interesting to have a profession where you left in the morning saying "Bye see you later I just have to go to the office to deliver a baby...be back soon." HAHA! Boy am I glad I have a low stress job!

YEEEEEAAAY!!!

I'm feeling excited. I think about baby a lot...because it is getting closer and also because he moves around A LOT!! Even right now! I try to take advantage of feeling my stomach as much as possible now because I will not feel that in another 2 or maybe more weeks. It's way cool and hard to believe that there is a little human in there. HAHA!! CRAZY!! I know babies look small when they are born but compared to where they came from (inside a womens uterus) THEY ARE BIG! How do they really have room to be comfortable? They are all bunched up in there but it must be nice cuz it's quiet, dark and warm.

When I was working a woman came in with her 3 day old baby who was born at 37 weeks. She was so cute. She was a perfect looking baby. It was interesting to think that she could have still been inside the womb at that time yet that's what she looked like...a baby ready to be born. If that makes any sense at all. I mean when I feel my baby move around they are such rolly-polly movements and I just want to know what he's doing and what he looks like! YEAY it's exciting!! I want to kiss him! :)

The Final Four (37 weeks)

"The Final Four" Chuck likes this title because this is the month for the Final Four Basketball Tournaments. But really this is Baby's final four weeks until his birthday (we'll see if he's on time.)

My 37 week check up was just another quick one. She listened for the heartbeat, he was moving around a lot again, and she checked for his position...still head down!

She also said that if he was born at 37 weeks he would be considered full term. So pretty much it could happen at any time...but I don't think so. My guess is that he's going to be late. She guessed that he would be about 8 or maybe a little less pounds when he's born. That is a good healthy size! I guessed March 28th 2:24pm 8lbs. 3oz. But I sorta think he will be later than that...but it's a Sunday and that would be good because Chuck and I both have off that day...HEAR THAT BABY?? hehe!

36 weeks

The day after our Baby Shower I had my 36 week check up. My doctor did a routine Group B Strep test. It is a bacterium that can be found in healthy women, and the test is performed like a pap smear. It is different than the Group A Strep, which causes the throat infection. There are no symptoms, and really causes no problems at all. If tested positive they will just give you an IV during labor so there are no risks to your baby. My test was negative.

She also listened to the heartbeat again. Everything was good and normal. It was funny though because he was moving around a lot when she was listening and she said, "Boy he's pretty active today isn't he? I can see him moving around."

She checked to see how he was positioned and he was head down...so that's good! He really is pretty active now. When my aunts were here from out of town he would put on a show, and we would all watch my belly as he rolled all over the place. It's lots of fun.

DIAPER CAKE!

This is the Diaper Cake that my Aunt made!! I LOVE IT!! It will be hard for me to take it apart!

See!?! It looks like a CAKE!! But they are really diapers!! The theme was Jungle/Zoo animals. She has a cricut and it cut out all the cute animals and baby shapes that you see. She, all my aunts and my mom are so crafty! That's where I get it from! My grammy was really crafty too!

Baby Shower (36 weeks)

We had our baby shower on the 28th of Feb. It was lots of fun. We were so happy to have all of our family and friends together.

My Aunts were all there and helped out a whole lot. They are so creative! They took coffee cans and put fake flowers in them and decorated the outside with animal print paper for the center pieces for the tables. Auntie Karen made a Diaper Cake and decorated it with cute animal cut outs and babies!

My mom and sister also thought of a few games to play. Everyone brought baby pictures of themselves and we had to guess who was who. I saw a picture of my dad and BOY did we look a LOT like him when we were babies!

We are so grateful for everything we recieved from everyone! We got a lot of the necessities for baby...like the big things that we needed! So that is very exciting!! We can't wait to use them! We already set up the crib! We put our Kitty Bear in it just for fun and he seemed content.

My Aunts all came over too and took the baby clothes and did the laundry for us!! :) That was really nice. My cousin Hannah got to try out the crib too. She seemed to like it, and played with all the toys...so it's "Hannah approved!"

It was exciting to set everything up in the baby's room!! We ordered a dresser and glider chair so we are waiting for that to come. Then we can put the baby clothes away and get everything else situated. We walk past the room and feel more and more excited as time goes by. Not much longer and the room will be complete...cuz we will have BABY in there!!

HOLY HUGE BELLY! (35 weeks)

I think I should have a post-it note stuck to my forehead or some kind of button when I'm out in public places that says:

"Due date: March 26th, It's a boy, Yes it is our first, Yes we are excited!"

Because EVERYWHERE I go I get asked those questions. When I worked on Friday at both my jobs, I would guesstimate that a total of 20 (or maybe more) people asked me that. I felt like a broken record. But it's understandable, my belly is getting pretty huge!

I even saw these photos and thought HOLY HUGE BELLY! HAHA!

It was funny because, again, when I was working the other day a woman came up behind me and said, "excuse me miss can I ask you a question?" And I turned around and said, "Sure." Well, her eyes went straight to my belly and she went "WHOA, I didn't even notice that you were pregnant from behind." Which is a very nice compliment, but her reaction was hilarious because when I turned around it was almost like my belly had slapped her in the face.

PAINTING THE BABY'S ROOM

We decided to paint the baby's room.

It was a nice day, Jenny and Mama helped paint also. As you can tell it is a yellow color. It is called Quiet Veranda. We liked it because it wasn't a bright obnoxious yellow, it was nice, subdued and relaxing. It will match with a lot.

So now, there is nothing in this room but a bassinet that Chuck's sister handed down to us. We are getting ready for you baby.

I SAID DON'T TOUCH!!!

SEE!?! This is what happens when you rub your hands all over my tummy!!

I'm just kidding! I was at Auntie Jeannie's house and Charlie brought down this stretchy ball that had an opening on it. He put it on his head, it was funny. Then he came over and stretched it over my tummy and it actually fit. So we were having fun with this alien ball. We were laughing a lot and I wanted to share this photo.

The baby was moving around a lot when I was there too, and you could see it! So everyone gathered around for a good 10 minutes or so watching the lumps move around in my tummy.

31 weeks!

This is me about to go swimming at 31 weeks. I'm still feeling good and still have a lot of energy. I can feel a lot of movement almost all of the time. He rolls and kicks a lot. It's a cool feeling. Every once in a while I can feel a lump somewhere in my tummy...and I wonder what body part it is.

Chuck and I went to this Childbirth Preparation class. It went over a lot of things that happen when you go into labor and what to expect afterwards as well. She went over things like relaxation techniques (no we didn't do any of that weird breathing), and pain management options. She also talked about things to expect from the doctors and other things that go on with your body. It was interesting.

I get a lot of comments about my tummy. One older woman asked me if I was having twins. NO! I'm not having twins! I measure exactly how I should be.

Jenny likes to touch my tummy a lot. She is feeling it now as I type this. It is fun for her to feel her little nephew moving around. Especially the bigger he gets the more pronounced the movements are. She would probably sit there all day if we didn't have things to do. Sometimes she talks to him by putting her face on my tummy and says "HI BABY!" It's cute.

My next doctor's appointment is February 1st so there will be more to come.