Back to Work

Originally, I had planned on going back to work after Christmas break but a few weeks ago I decided that I would go ahead and go back for semester tests since it's only two days and then a long break.  I figured it would give me time to get some things done in my room and have things ready for the new semester.  Never in a million years would I have thought I would be going back after such a tragic event that happened the Friday before.  I honestly can't even wrap my head around what happened.... I just don't understand how anyone could take a life of another and several babies at that??  To me they are babies... my 6th graders are still babies... In fact, it doesn't matter if you are in college or married, you will always be someone's baby and that is what I try to think of when I teach these kids every day.  Sure, they might be ornery at times... it's middle school... but that ornery little kid is someone's baby.  When I send my babies off to school one day I want them to feel safe, loved, and respected so that is exactly what I want to provide for my kiddos.  It's sad that we live in a world where we have to wonder if our kids are safe in school or if I'm safe in my classroom while I'm at work.  There are two things that I completely disagree with that people get on soap boxes about when things like this happen - I get really annoyed with the people that say "guns kill people."  People kill people.... CRAZY, psychotic, LOST people kill people.  It has nothing to do with the gun... let's be honest.  If you are that insane, you will find a way and a gun.... it doesn't have to be sold to you.  In fact, you better believe I am getting my concealed weapons permit the first of the year.  I have two babies at home and I will know how to protect us if need be.  The second thing - everyone that keeps saying this happened because God is taken out of schools.  I for one wish more than anything we could have prayer in schools but there is no one taking God out of my work place.  Just because I can't legally pray out loud with my classes does not mean he is taken out.... God is with me every second I am in that school.  God doesn't stop looking after us when we enter the school... He is present with us at all times.  The only people taking God out of anything are the ones that shut him out of their life completely.  I am completely confident in knowing my God is more powerful than the government or any law.  

So, that is my two sense on that.  I pray that the victims families find peace in God and can get through these awful times.  I hate that this also happened right before Christmas.  May God be with each and every one of them.  I find peace in knowing they are in a MUCH greater place than any of us.  

Santa Clause!

I already posted about taking the boys to see Santa so I just wanted to post their pictures.... Love the way they turned out.... Such a perfect Santa!

We also went to Rogers this weekend for a Christmas party at my mother in law's house.  It was a lot of fun... Good food, good company, games, and little cousins playing. =)

Who could not love this happy little face?!

Harrison - 1 month

 

My baby bird is 1 month old... already!

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People always ask why I call him my bird... I've been calling him that since he was a day old in the hospital.  He would look up at me any time he was hungry and "peck" all over my face with his little mouth open.  It was the sweetest thing in the world and I just started calling him my baby bird.  He still does it and now that nickname has stuck.  He's my baby bird.

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You now weigh 9 lb 14 oz and your 21 3/4" long.  You were 7 lb 13 oz and 20 1/2" long when you left the hospital so you are really growing!!

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You are still wearing newborn clothes in most everything but a few things that are 0-3 months fit you now.  We have had to put a few of your newborn onesies away already because your feet push out the bottom of them... You are long and petite right now like your brother was.  You are in size 1 diapers.

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You are still sleeping quite a bit during the day.  You stay awake really well from about 10 am-2 pm and then you nap a lot, then you stay awake for the most part from about 6 pm-10 pm.  I usually feed you around 10 or 11 and you sleep until about 3 am and then you wake up to eat again around 6ish.  So you are really only waking up one time in the middle of the night and you go right back to sleep after you eat.  Your daddy and I joke that you aren't an easy baby because your brother was practically sleeping through the night at this point and was happily content in his swing during the day, but in reality you are such a perfect little baby... We were just beyond blessed with two!  You like to be held a lot... and by your momma in particular.  It's pretty safe to say that you are stuck to your momma like glue and I absolutely love it!!  

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Breastfeeding is going wonderful and thankfully you don't spit up hardly at all.  Your brother spit up a ton so it is kind of weird having a baby that doesn't.  I had to supplement a tiny bit when I was really upset about the testing because I wasn't producing as much milk and you didn't seem to like formula.  It was the only time you spit up and you made the worst face ever so I guess it's a good thing breastfeeding is working out.  It has created a bond between us that I can't describe.  Your daddy still wakes up with me and helps change your diaper or just to sit up with me most of the time.  He's an amazing husband and daddy and I pray you and your brother turn out a whole lot like him. :)

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Your brother absolutely adores you.  The first thing he says when he wakes up in the morning is "bubby" and he gives you tons of kisses.  He always makes sure you have your blankie and comes running to me when you cry.  He is very protective over you already... I can't even tell you how lucky you are to have him as a big brother.  Khloe also loves you a whole lot and is already very protective.  She sits up with us during feeding at night and she lays by your rocker when you are asleep in the living room.

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Your eyes are still really blue and they seem to be the very same color as mine right now.  Your hair is starting to get lighter and around the edges is super blonde but I still can't tell what color it is going to all come in.  Your eyelashes and eyebrows are extremely blonde, almost white.  You still have the most beautiful complexion. 

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 You rolled over during tummy time about a week ago but you haven't done that since.  I think it was a rare occurrence.  You do hold your head up so good though and you have been doing that before we even came home from the hospital.  You have started holding it up a lot more during tummy time lately.  You are already a strong little man.  The lady that did your testing said she could not believe how strong you were when you were pulling your arm away from her.  It looked like you were doing curls. 

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One of my favorite times with you is bath time and getting you all lotioned up and smelling so good and then cuddling.  However, you are not a fan of the actual bath.  You are getting better now that you are more used to it and putting your whale on you makes it a lot better.  The whale is like a very large rag that covers your body and it keeps you warm - I love it.  

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You love looking at the Christmas lights on the tree.  I sit and rock you right beside it every night and you would stare at those lights for hours.  You also like to sit by the tree in your bouncer and look at them.  I think you will be sad when we have to take the tree down.  We can't wait to spend our first Christmas with you and as a family of four!!  You met Santa for the first time a few nights ago... everyone kept saying you were such a beautiful little boy and that we could put a bow on you and you would be a pretty girl... your dad didn't like that too much! hehe

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You have blessed our lives more than I could have ever imagined and you have changed me so much in just the last 4 weeks for the better.  You are a very special little boy and we could not thank God enough for you.  We can't wait to watch you grow and see all of your little "firsts" like we did your brother. 

4 weeks old

Whew! What a week this has been, little boy!!  This week was partly consumed with the health scare and the rest was spent in pure BLISS that it's all behind us and we have a healthy baby boy.  I will never again take my kids health for granted and things that seemed so important to me before seem so silly now.  It's weird how God can change your heart in an instant.  I am also a little in shock that Harrison is already 4 weeks old and two days away from being 1 month old.  Time doesn't ever slow down, unless you are waiting at children's hospital, unfortunately.  I am going to wait and post his little stats on his 1 month post but I have to add some of my favorite pictures of the week and from last week since I missed his 3 week post (the weekly posts stop here btw if any of you were concerned with my sanity)... He is just so darn beautiful and I love him DEARLY!!!!!!

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 after bath time

 

 

I thought I found a paci that he would take - wrong.

 Loving his auto bouncer.. so cozy!

 beautiful boy <3

melts my heart

He has to lay on me pretty much all the time - rotten!

Family of Four Fun-ness

I realize "fun-ness" is not even close to being a word but I like it and it works.  So, tonight was by far the most fun I have had with my sweet family... it was just a perfect night!  We got the boys dressed in their cute little sorta matchy outfits... by matchy I mean they both wore red and white and had reindeer on them.  I think I made another word up, matchy, but that is fine.  Anyhow, we got them all dressed and looking super cute and went to see Santa at Virgila Dale's studio.  She has a really awesome set up with Santa and all the proceeds go to Autism Speaks which is a great cause.  They got a picture with the elf and one with Santa.  Christian was all about going to see Santa... in fact, he said Santa approximately one million times on our way there.  He seemed fine being around Santa and was really excited UNTIL the moment Corey placed him on his knee.  That was all she wrote, folks!  He grabbed on to Corey with a death grip all while Harrison was snoozing away in Santa's arms! haha  We settled for a picture with Santa holding Harrison and Christian setting in front of the fireplace looking up at him.  I'm sure it will be super cute!  When the picture was over, Christian took his candy cane from Santa, thanked him, and got the heck out of there! lol  That boy cracks me up.  Then, we headed to Creekmore park to see the lights and ride the train.  Holy cow the line was RIDICulous!!  Apparently the train broke down for a bit so it made the line even more insane than usual for a Saturday night... let me add THE Saturday night that all the Christmas parades were also going on.  We sure picked the best night to take the fam out!! LOL  We ended up having a great time without the train and we are going back on Tuesday to ride it.  We strolled around the park and looked at the lights.  It was our first time to take the double stroller out... That thing is large and in charge. =)  Christian loved the lights and didn't make a peep because he was in awe of them.  I got teary eyed as we strolled around there just thinking about all the blessings God has given me.  I am so undeserving of this life but I am very thankful.  After the park we went to Sweetbay and had dinner... I forgot how much I love their sandwiches.  They are great!  When we got home, it was time to get everyone ready for bed and now we are just relaxing... Nights like these are the best and absolutely priceless!!!

 

Don't be afraid....... Isaiah 41:10

There is really three parts to this.... Before you read this post read the other ones first or it will not make sense.  Here are the links in the correct order: 

1st one - http://iovinellis.blogspot.com/2012/12/newborn-screen-nightmare.html
2nd -  http://iovinellis.blogspot.com/2012/12/sweat-test.html


After waiting a very long time they finally put us in a room to see the doctor and go over the results.  This is the part that I have been running through my head over and over for the past two nights.... all night.  I tried to prepare myself for the worst.  When the doctor came in I almost lost it... I was shaking and crying.  He probably thought I was crazy.  He shook our hands and was introducing himself and all I wanted to do was scream, "GIVE ME THE RESULTS!!"  He sat down and said just like he thought, it was negative and we have a healthy baby boy... no worries.  I threw my hands up and said PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!  I have never in my life been so relieved, happy, emotional, and GRATEFUL.  Corey and I just looked at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces ever.  He let us know that it was very common for the newborn screens to get a false positive and they see this all the time and in most all cases it ends up being negative.  I can't even explain the feeling I felt in my heart and all over when I found out the great news.  I will say.... my heart has always broken for families that have to go through having a very sick child or a loss of a child, but much much more now.  Also, children's hospital has the friendliest staff but that is an extremely sad place and I would be just fine with never having to go back, Lord willing.  Last, I have never felt so close to God.  It makes me want to witness for Him so much knowing that there is no way I would have held it together without Him right there with me.  It saddens me more than anything to know that there are many people out there that do not experience that because he is not in their heart.  I think witnessing is one of the things I struggle with the most as a christian and I hope this situation makes that easier for me.  The devil was working on me hard this week and I feel so good that he was defeated.  No matter how sad or upset I got, I honestly can say I was never mad.  I was never asking God "why" because I knew that He knew the reason and that was good enough.  The verse that really got me through the day was the one I posted to my facebook wall this morning: 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you, I help you, I uphold you with my saving right hand! -Isaiah 41:10

We are so blessed to serve an all mighty God!!!!

Sweat Test

So here we are... Waiting at Arkansas Children's Hospital as I write this.. I have wanted this day to hurry and get here and dreaded it more than anything all at the same time. We want closure - whatever the outcome may be. I have been on my knees since the day I got the phone call and at this point I have complete faith that God knows what the outcome is and what it means for our family. How do people go through struggles and pain without Him?? If it wasn't for our faith I don't know how we would have got through this.

Harrison just had the sweat test done a few minutes ago and now we are waiting on the results. The test was not bad at all and he did great. The sensors they put on his arms caused that area to sweat and then after the sweat was collected for 30 minutes it was sent off to the lab. His little arms were wrapped up in gauze and he had a hospital gown on... Talk about completely breaking a momma's heart! :( The lady that did the test went over the statistics with us... Again. I have heard the statistics about 10 times from different doctors and nurses this week and it doesn't matter that his chances of having it are only 1%.. That is the only number that I have thought about since finding out. It's not like he's being tested for allergies... Cystic Fibrosis is a "life shortening" disease and NOTHING in this world is worse than your child having any chance at all of having it, 1% or not.

I'm hoping the doctor comes in soon to give us results. I will say again, there is no way I could sit here and go through this without God by my side... I also feel so blessed to have the most amazingly supportive husband beside me. I think this has brought us even closer together. I have been a total wreck the past few days and it seems like the past few hours I have had a great sense of peace. I know everything is going to be okay... And I thank God for that.

One of the worst parts was seeing him in this little hospital gown with his arms wrapped up in gauze.  Beyond heartbreaking.

Newborn Screen = Nightmare

Harrison is 3 weeks old today!!  He had a doctor's appointment because his doctor was out of the office when he turned 2 weeks old.  Let me start off by explaining the worst phone call I've ever received in my life that happened yesterday.  Harrison's pediatrician called me to explain that his newborn screen was flagged for Cystic Fibrosis.  His IRT level was a little high - not abnormal though.  I'm not sure how familiar you are with CF but it is a life shortening disease and there is nothing good or promising about it in my opinion.... EXTREMELY scary and devastating.  He explained to me that the statistics of him actually having the diseases was 1-2% and that the IRT level can be raised for different reasons other than the baby actually having CF.  The abnormal level is 100 and his was only 60 so he said that they were really just being overly sensitive to it and they want to rule it out completely.  My heart sank.  I couldn't even keep it together on the phone.  I could tell he felt so bad for me and he tried really hard to calm me down and assured me that he was 99% sure that everything would come back negative and he would be a healthy baby just like we thought.  Well, all I could think about was that 1%.  The last thing on earth you want is for your baby to be sick and well, this is much more serious than that.  All I could do was cry and pray.... I prayed harder than I've ever prayed in my life.  I am a firm believer in the power of prayer... I know there is no way I can get through this without God.  I prayed for his will and that he would give me strength no matter the outcome.  I know that there is probably a reason we are about to go through this struggle and that He will get us through it.  I called Corey and explained it to him and he was pretty calming... he made me see the optimistic part of it and how small the chances are he actually has it.  I felt better about it for a whole 5 minutes maybe and then it was back to crying.  All I could do the rest of that day and night was hold Harrison as tight as possible and stare at him praying.  

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So here we are today and we had his check up.  He has went from 7 lb 4 oz when we left the hospital to 8 lb 9 oz!  His doctor said everything looked perfect and his weight gain was great... this made me especially happy since breastfeeding is going so great and I really want to continue.  He talked to us about the newborn screen much more in detail.  He also made us an appointment to go to Arkansas Children's Hospital on Thursday to get a sweat test done.  They will collect sweat from little H and test it for chloride levels.  They refer to this test as the "gold standard" test for CF and it will either show that he has it or rule it out completely - there will be no more questions at all.  I'm still terrified and extremely depressed.  Yes, I have faith that God will get us through this but that doesn't make it easy by any means.  I am thankful they were able to schedule us in just two days so that we don't have to go on a long time wondering what the outcome will be.  We will also find out the results before we leave there.  We are keeping this very personal until after we get our results - which is why I will not be posting this until then.  This blog is really therapeutic for me and I also love going back and reading memories in our lives.... good or bad, there is a reason that everything happens and I want to be able to come back to this one day.  We just don't want everyone knowing and asking questions right now because honestly it's just too hard for me to even talk about.  I will be spending a lot of time with God to give me strength.  I have to be strong for both of our little boys.  Corey is my rock and has been so comforting through this.  I guess I will be posting on Thursday the outcome of this terrible nightmare.

2 weeks old

My sweet baby boy is already two weeks old today!  Time just continues to fly on by... makes me sad to know he won't be a tiny little baby in no time.  He is already starting to change so much.  He is such a sweet baby and has been so good.  He very much likes to be held, by me in particular.. he is for sure a momma's boy already.  I may have a wee bit to do with that... ;)  He celebrated a few "firsts" this past week.... he went to his first family Thanksgiving at his Aunt Vickie's, we had Thanksgiving at our house, our traditional Christmas jammies night while watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and putting the tree up, and Sunday was his first time to church!  I am LOVING this whole family of four thing... It really has made our family so much stronger and even though I didn't realize it could get any better, it has.  I can not imagine what life was like without him.  I will probably say that a thousand times because I constantly think it.  

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I'm not sure how much he weighs right now but I know he is definitely putting on some weight.  He has his check up at the doctor next week so I will know then.  He has already out grown one of his newborn onesies.. it was one of the really tiny ones but his little feet were pushing through the bottom of it.  It was the one that fit him perfect so I was a little sad about that and of course I kept it to put in his box.. hehe!  He's also already in size 1 diapers.  He was peeing out of all the newborn ones and I tried a couple different brands and it was still happening so I switched him to size 1 and hasn't happened since.  They look crazy big on his little body but at least they keep him dry!  He's wearing pampers sensitive swaddlers - I love them!  He's still sleeping a lot.. all through out the day and pretty stinkin good at night for 2 weeks old.  He is very routine... go figure, just like his brother!  He wakes up around 10 or 11 at night to eat, again around 3 or 4, and then 8 or 9 in the morning.  He's usually really awake and alert around noon each day and stays awake for a couple of hours.  Other than that it's off and on sleeping and peeking around.  He eats a lot during the day but he is only eating about 2 ounces at a time.  Breast feeding is going great and that makes me so happy!! 

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His looks are starting to change, too... I can proudly say that child looks a whole lot like me!!  He looks a lot like all my baby pictures.  His hair that is starting to grow in is super blonde and his eyelashes and eyebrows are such a light blonde that you can't see them unless he's in the sun.  I'm not sure if that means he will be a little cotton head like me but I would like that. =)  I'm also hoping he keeps his beautiful blue eyes he has right now but I'm not counting on that to happen. 

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Christian is still in love with him and has perfectly adapted to him being a part of our family.  The first thing he says when he wakes up each morning is bubby and then he goes and finds him and gives him a kiss.  He is just so gentle and sweet with him.  I could not have been more blessed with a perfect toddler... His heart is huge and I love that little boy more than life itself.  He's been a great little helper and big brother!

 So blessed.

  

pretty smiles

 sleepy head

before church

1 week old

Hard to believe that my sweet baby boy is already a week old today when he's not even suppose to be here yet.  I must admit that I am ecstatic he made his arrival in time for Thanksgiving because there is nothing better than babies and kids at holidays!!  Our first few nights home have been pretty great.  Spending three nights in the hospital was terrible though - I feel so incredibly sorry for people that have to stay much longer than that.  We were so ready to get out of there and start our new life of a family of four.  We finally got to come home last Thursday.  So far things have been so wonderful... I hate to jinx us by writing this!!  He is such a good baby!!!   Christian is IN LOVE with him and helps me out so much!  He constantly wants to cuddle up beside him and loves on him.  It is the greatest feeling watching my two boys together.  Breastfeeding is going great with the help of great advice from friends, a supportive husband, and a very laid back toddler!  I've also started to pump so Corey or whoever else can feed him if I really need them to but I'm trying to exclusively breastfeed for the most part right now.  I have already started putting milk back for when I go back to work also.  He's eating a ton during the day but is sleeping really good at night already.  He only wakes up to eat and then goes right back to sleep.  He eats around 11:00 at night, wakes up around 2:30 to eat again, and then sleeps the rest of the night.  Pretty amazing if you ask me - I'll take it! =)  He has been awake quite a bit the last couple of days during the day and he's really starting to look around a lot.  It's so cute because he makes himself cross eyed trying to take it all in!  

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A lot of people have said he looks a lot like me.  I kind of see it, especially in his eyes.  I think it's too hard to tell when they are so little.  Christian looked identical to Corey for the longest time and now you can tell he's a pretty good mix of the both of us - even though they look a LOT alike because C has Corey's face and head shape.  I can see the Bridges side of the family (my moms side) in Harrison a lot across his eye brow bone and eyes though... I also think he got some of our Indian blood... he has beautiful skin!!  He also has the softest hair ever and a full head of it... it's just beautiful but I'm sure it's all going to fall out and come back lighter.  You can already see blonde coming in around the front edges.  His eyes are the same color as mine right now but they might change too... Christian's changed to brown after he was a few months old.  All I know is that he's so stinkin cute I could just eat his little face up... I spend a large part of my day kissing all over it!! 

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He had his first doctors appointment yesterday.  Everything was perfect.  He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz when he was born, 7 lb 4 oz when we left the hospital, and he gained an oz in five days so he was up to 7 lb 5 oz.  The doctor said that was great for a breastfed baby and since my milk had just been in a couple days.  He has another appointment in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping he gains more weight.  He is such a great little eater so I'm sure he will.  He was so good at the doctor.  He cried for about 15 seconds total just because he didn't like getting his clothes taken off.  

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I never understood how in the world I would love another baby as much as Christian but it's true that it's love at first sight just like the first.  I can't imagine our life without him now... He has brought so much joy to our family already. 

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 Leaving the doctor!

 Look at that hair! He was cuddling his Nana.

 Christian loves him so much - he calls him "bubby"

So what I let him sleep by me all night? ;) Such a sweet cuddle bear!

Harrison's Arrival into the World...

I'm going to go ahead and write this while we are in the hospital and he's napping so that I remember all the details. God gives us that amazing ability to forget all the birth pains in a short amount of time.

It all started on Monday when I realized I hadn't felt H move all day.. He was always very active and had the hiccups all the time towards the very end so when I realized at 3:00 pm I hadn't felt him all day I got really worried. I did a few of the tricks that always worked to get him active and nothing was working so I called Dr. Haraway. He sent me to L&D to be monitored. His nurse said it was probably no big deal at all. I would probably only have to stay an hour and they would let me go. So, off I went around 4:00 and Corey met me there. Oh, I should also mention it was hurting really bad to walk that day bc of all the pressure and back pain. We get checked in, put in a small room for monitoring, get hooked up, and immediately the nurse asked me if I was feeling those contractions. I didn't even know I was having them.. I had just got use to the back pain - it is very hard to distinguish the difference when you have back labor. She said they were pretty consistent so she checked me. I was between a 3-4 (at my last appointment I was between a 2-3). She said she would check me in an hour and as long as I didn't continue to dilate we could go home for the early laboring process. I had all but begged for that seeing how we didn't have anything at all with us!! You would think we would have learned our lesson from last time but nope! About 30 minutes into the monitoring process my contractions really started to hurt and I was starting to feel them radiate towards the front. She came back to check me after the hour went by and sure enough I has dilated another cm and thinned out. Next thing I knew we were signing the heaps of paperwork and waiting on a new room! I remember Corey and I looked at each other just like we had before... haha! Here we go!!

We finally got moved into the "go time" room... This is what we refer to it as, laugh if you'd like.. And it was time for my most dreaded part - the IV. I HATE needles!!! I ended up having a nurse I knew which made it a little better but she put it in the side of my wrist which felt a little awkward and hurt! I was just glad it was over.. Then it was shift change and the panic set in of missing out on an epidural. I started telling anyone that walked through that door to order me one! When I finally got assigned a nurse she checked me to make sure I was at a 5 and got me hooked me right up with the epidural and I was beyond happy when I saw it was the same lady that did my last one. I have heard bad stories about one of the men that does them and honestly contemplated whether or not to get one if he was the one there. She had to do it twice bc the first one didn't quite work out. I was sitting uneven on the bed and it caused pain to shoot through my left hip. So out that one came and I had to start the whole stinkin process over. It was all good though bc she is amazing at giving them and she talked to me about the housewives of Beverly hills the whole time to take my mind off the giant needle.. Ha! That amazing thing only took about 5 minutes to kick in and all was well in the world. This was about the time people started to show up and it was nothing less than a party going on in the room. I was feeling great and we were all telling stories and laughing our butts off. It was really a fun time! Then.... The nurse checked me a couple times after the epidural and realized I stopped making any progress. Wahh!! The doctor on call said its better to go through labor as natural as possible so he wouldn't break my water or start pitocin. Instead, they decided to let me get a "good night sleep" and talk about things in the morning.

After my "good night sleep" of 30 minutes, the nurse came in at 5:00 to let me know Dr. Haraway would be in around 7:00 and would probably break my water. She started me on pitocin and my contractions got really hard and close together. They went from being 2-3 minutes apart to about 45 seconds apart but I couldn't feel a thing... Not even my legs at this point. Dr. Haraway came in around 7 and checked me and I had started to dilate more at that point.. He said he would wait a bit to break my water in case it might break on its own. He came back in a little later, checked me and I was a 7, broke my water and less than an hour later I could feel EVERYTHING. Suddenly, my epidural failed me... I was freaking out a little bc the contractions were excruciating at that point!! I called to let my nurse know and before we could evaluate the situation, it was time to push! Dr.Haraway had went back to his office in the meantime so she said she would let me start pushing while he made his way back down. They got me all set up and she suddenly goes, oh wait you can not push at all! What??! I'm not sure why they think this is even possible.... When you have to push there is no waiting!!! Thankfully Dr. H made his way down fast and was right there. The nurse timed it bc she said she didn't think it would take long at all and sure enough 2 contractions and 5 minutes later, little Harrison entered the world!! Corey and I were both in shock that it went soooo fast!!

They put him on me and then had to take him away pretty fast... He had to go to the NICU for 3 hours and I was so worried and didn't understand.  He explained to me after all of this that the cord was wrapped tightly around his neck and when they got it unwrapped he took a big deep breath and swallowed some fluid before they could suction it all out.  I am so thankful that he was able to fix this quick enough to where it wasn't more serious and I am BEYOND thankful to God that I pushed him out so fast because I don't know what would have happened if I didn't.  When they brought him in finally after the longest 3 hours of our lives, they said he was doing wonderful and a perfectly healthy baby boy.  I am so grateful to the Lord and knowing that everything is in His hands is such a relief.  I will never understand how people have children and do not believe in God can explain this precious miracle of life.  A baby is God's greatest gift to us... that is for sure!  I feel beyond blessed to have my two little boys!!!

 My first time see him... Born 11/13/12 at 9:05 am

 7 lb 13 oz - 20 1/2"

 My first time to get to hold him when they brought him back in.

 So in love.

37 Weeks & Growing...

37 weeks.... It's about this time that every little ache or pain alarms me! haha!  Every time my back aches or something feels different, I'm wondering if it's labor starting.... I might be a tad bit on the hypochondriac side... so what! ;)  My biggest fear is not making it to the hospital in a decent amount of time.  Not only am I scared of not making it there, I want to get there in time to settle in and take it all in!  I've heard of so many rushed labor stories lately and they freak me out.  Corey and I are both very organized people and we are both planners.... the whole "unknown" thing is not the best for us!  You should see us in the middle of the night... it's quite hilarious!  When I get up to go to the bathroom, he immediately asks if I'm having contractions.... or when I do have BH's we both start timing them on our contraction app! haha  I'm convinced it's because of our last labor experience.... I was rushed to the hospital in a dad-gum snow storm by a crazy driver (who I love dearly and won't mention any names...), was put in one of those small rooms to be monitored, Corey got there and about one minute later we were told that I was dilated to almost a 5 and would be having a baby today!  Umm.... What??? We still have 2 weeks left, doc!  Not one time did we think going early was a possibility.  I just knew I'd make it to 40 weeks as planned.  So, needless to say this time we are being VERY cautious... lol 

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Doctors Appointment Update:  Our appointment was yesterday.  I haven't gained any weight and my blood pressure was great.  He is estimating him to weigh a little over 6 lbs right now.  He checked me and there was no change from last week which was only 5 days ago.  So, I'm still dilated to a 2 and 60% effaced.  This is great news... I do not want him to come just yet.  I am just now considered full term and I want him to be completely ready when he arrives! :)  We made a decision to induce at the doctor yesterday but we scheduled it on the 26th, which is only 3 days before my due date.  I am comfortable with this since I will be almost 40 weeks and I have already progressed so much.  He said as long as I can keep my blood pressure down, I can keep him in there that long - however he does not seem too convinced I will make it until then!  My last day of work is next Wednesday so I will be able to really take it easy to make that more possible!  I would LOVE to know the day we are going in and be able to relax and have everything ready to go... I also think it would be so exciting the night before knowing we are going in to have our sweet baby the next day!  I never got that experience and I think it sounds wonderful! :)  He did say when he checked me that he had his fingers on his head... This kind of freaked me out and Corey's face was priceless... LOL!  That just seems so weird and it's crazy that he is SO low!!  My babies just drop early I guess because C was the same way.  I guess his little baby cone head is forming away just like Christian's... hehe!  I'm sure it will take 4-5 months to go back to normal just like his did, too!  My next appointment is next Thursday! :)

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All of his little things are all put together now.... His rock n play sleeper, swing, ect... We now have bottles in our cabinets again and this cute little "grass" drying center for the bottles and accessories in our kitchen.  It's so much fun doing this all over again - I can not wait!  I know this sounds crazy, but I'm even looking forward to the middle of the night feedings... Ask me about this in a month and it might have changed. ;)  My mom and I went shopping last weekend and I got some cute pj's with a matching robe and a really cute gown with a matching robe to wear in the hospital.  My sweet friend, Carrie, also gave me a hospital gown to wear while I'm in labor because she never got to use it.  It is adorable and I'm quite excited about having a stylish gown instead of the ugly ones they have for you! ;)  We are finishing Harrison's room (hopefully) this weekend so I will do a post later about that with pics! 

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This is the drying rack... Is it not super cute?! Love it!

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and this is the adorable hospital gown I will be sporting thanks to Mrs. Jernigan! ;)

21 months

Christian Michael, you are 21 months old now.... We had your 18 month check up last Friday because your mom is really weird about shots and spreads them out a lot!  You finally had the last of your shots that you need though, including your flu shot.  You barely even cried and were over it by the time she got the band-aids on.  You weigh 28 lbs and you are 34" tall. Everything looked great and you are a growing little boy!  You no longer go to day care... You stay with your Nana full time. :)  You and her both absolutely LOVE that!  

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You are going to be a big brother in just a few weeks or less.... This is bitter sweet for me.  I'm sad that you will no longer be an only child ONLY because every bit of my attention right now can be devoted to you, but I know you will be soooo happy to have a brother!  You will ALWAYS be my baby boy even though you won't technically be the "baby."  You were our little miracle from God that only He knew we needed and will forever be so special to me.  Harrison is beyond blessed to have you as a big brother... He has no idea yet just how special you truly are.  You have the biggest heart and you are so caring and loving.  Not to mention, you have truly been the best baby ever!!!  I know he will learn a lot from you.  I can not wait until the moment you walk into the hospital room and meet him for the first time... That first moment of us being a family of 4 will be a moment I'll hold close to my heart forever!  

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Your stats: ;)

*You wear 24 month and 2T clothes.

*You just started wearing size 5 diapers last week, finally... You wore size 4 forever!

*You talk non stop... I have lost count of how many words you say because you say a ton... You can pretty much repeat anything and that you do!!

*We are working on your colors and you are really good at them... You normally always get yellow, red, blue, and green when I ask you about the color of your blocks.  Sometimes you are just stubborn though and continue to say the same color over and over to be silly! ;) 

*Your favorite show is Daniel Tiger.... You call it "Danny."  You also love Sesame Street (street), Sid the Science Kid (sid), Cat in the Hat (hat), and Word World (I can't type the way you say it but it is sooo cute!!)

*You go to sleep around 7:15 and wake up during the week around 7:30 and on the weekends you sleep in about an hour longer.  You are the BEST sleeper... the time change didn't mess you up at all.  You still love your crib so I have no intentions on changing you over into a toddler bed anytime soon.  You also pretty much refuse to stay the night anywhere but home, which is probably my fault because I have separation anxiety!  I'm totally okay with this... You are only a baby once and I like for you to be home at night and when you wake up in the morning.

*You are still on a sickness-free streak and I'm loving it!  I hate to see you sick and it makes a mommy very happy when you are so healthy!

*Your very favorite things are going outside, bath time, and night night time.  You pretty much beg to go outside ALL THE TIME!!  You have to have your bath every single night right after dinner and shortly after you are asking to go "night night."  You are still very routine but so am I so you come by it naturally.

*A lot of people say you look like both of us... I can definitely see it but I think you look a whole lot like your daddy still.. You have your momma's facial expressions and personality.  You are just a perfect little mixture of us both!

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I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.... You are my precious little angel and have changed our lives forever!!! <3

Halloween 2012

I love Halloween!  I like to dress cute and dress up Christian!  One of the greatest things about having kiddos is holidays and Halloween is a fun one!  Last year was his first Halloween and he was a pumpkin and a tiger (the tiger was the official costume though).  They were just both too cute to only pick one.  Well, I kind of did the same thing this year.  I bought him the cutest skeleton jammies ever to match the shirt that I made for myself that has a little skeleton baby on it... we couldn't leave little Harrison out!  Even though they are pj's, it is such a cute little outfit.  His official costume this year is Cookie Monster and he has the noise down perfect!  He says "yumm yumm yumm yumm" just like Cookie Monster and it is the CUTEST thing ever!!   However, he refuses to keep the hat on, which is what really shows what the costume is... hahaha!  So rather than looking like Cookie Monster, he kind of just looks like a blue fluffy person! LOL!  I'm trying to decide whether to take him around in his blue fluffy suit - no hat - or let him wear the skeleton outfit!  We will see how it goes!  

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Today was a lot of fun at school.  The kids read science magazines that were Halloween themed and I played fun Halloween music in class.  I wore my skeleton shirt to school and the kids absolutely loved it... they thought it was awesome!  My mom brought Christian by to see me and that made my day!!  He ran into my class and froze!!  He was terrified at first by all the kids.  We went and visited Mrs. Megan and Mrs. Amanda and then headed back to my room.  Once we got back he had warmed up a bit to it and held my hand so he could meet some of my students - they thought he was just precious!  I wish he could be up here all the time with me... that would make for some wonderful days spent at work! ;) 

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He wasn't happy that he had to leave mommy at work!
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When I got off work I ran to Wal-Mart to buy our Halloween snack table goodies... last year I was much more festive and made Halloween themed food... this year the fam had to settle for little sandwiches, deviled eggs, and chips and salsa! lol  My mom and I got Christian into his Cookie Monster outfit with a lot of bribing and even got him to wear the head piece long enough to get a few pictures!  She was singing some ridiculous song and bribing him with a sucker... what Nana's will do for the grandchildren (and let's be honest, for me, because she knew I was going to be super upset if I didn't get a single picture in his real Halloween costume!) haha!  I finally let him out of it and put his skeleton back on and he was a happy camper... we practiced going to the door and saying trick or treat and he was a pro!  He LOVED carrying around his Halloween bucket!  We went over to Mrs. Trish's house and helped pass out candy while Christian and Townsend played.  It was such a fun night!!!  Here are a ton of pictures....

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