In a Daze for the Holidays!

No ladies and gentlemen I have not wrapped a single present and Christmas is on Saturday. It's been a little bit of a whirlwind this Christmas Season and I think I'm doing well just having purchased presents for loved ones. My mom and I now see the wisdom in the gift bags my Grandma Harriet always gives us presents in. I wonder if everyone will be ok with Baby Boy Shower Gift Bags as opposed to Christmas Gift Bags. Maybe, just maybe, I will get around to wrapping.

Connor ended up playing Baby Jesus 3 times in the Pageant, and of course we took pictures and video each time. It was amazing to watch, and for the sweet family members who were able to make it to see him, it made it even more special. Of course mom, Kaitlyn and Leo were there, but Grandma and Grandpa Guise made a special trip and that was wonderful. It blessed me to see him, and I know others felt the same way. This picture is of him backstage before being put in swaddling clothes. Talk about a great mindset.

Here is such an adorable picture of him being raised up by the actor playing Joseph. It is such a touching and poignant part of Connor's time on stage. Think Simba in the Lion King.

On of the biggest events of our Christmas Season was my cousin Lindsey's wedding this past Saturday in Morganton, NC. A 12 hour drive both ways with a 2 month old that has reflux was a little difficult, but I was amazed at how well he did. Our drive up was filled with anticipation of seeing our loved ones, and for Connor to meet everyone. Here he is with Aunt Merilee and my cousins Megan and Lindsey.
The wedding was beautiful, and having the sparkling Christmas decorations up made it all the more dreamy and romantic. The church looked enchanting with it's Christmas splendor and it was the perfect backdrop for a gorgeous bride. I absolutely love this picture that I took after the wedding was over.
Here is my little stud in his outfit for the wedding. Of course he had to look nice, he is my son afterall! He was very well behaved for the ceremony, and Grandma Glenda only had to walk around in the back with him a little bit to keep him happy. I was busy singing for the ceremony, but my eyes were on them the whole time.
Here is Connor during one of our breaks on the drive up. He's such a sweet boy. Thank you miracle medicine erythromycin.
The whole East Coast has been getting a ton of cold weather and, aside from South Florida, snow. We couldn't wait to see our first batch, and we were really hoping the snowflakes would fall while we were there. To Tim's relief no such luck. There were little bits held over in shady spots from the last snow fall, and I got a picture with Connor and the snow.
Poor little South Florida boy bundled up for the chilly weather. We did pick up a little snow suit for him for when we go to Disney World next week! Not sure we will need it, but better safe than a cold baby.
Here he is on our trip back to Florida. He has found his hands and is playing with things within his grasp. This is a new development, and I think it's adorable. He's all smiles because he's going home to his daddy! I'm excited to spend our first Christmas as our new little family. I'm sure I won't remember much of it because I'm exhausted, but I will make the best of it. My goal is to have my Christmas cards in the mail tomorrow, and also start my wrapping. Cross your fingers, maybe we will even do some of our annual baking this week too. Merry Christmas!

Reflux Updates

This week Connor has had 4 different doctor's appointments. He has had x-rays, a swallow test, a meeting with the GI Doc, and his first set of shots. Today was his 2 month check-up complete with his first series of shots. It killed me! I cried seeing him get poked. He is very lethargic, has had a fever, and only wants to be held. He doesn't understand why he feels so yucky. Connor did weigh a grand 10lbs 11oz. What a big boy! He can still fit into most of his newborn clothes but I'm trying to graduate him into the next size. As for his reflux we are finally getting a handle on it. The erythromycin is a miracle worker. The x-ray confirmed his reflux, and the silly barium he had to drink made his tummy even worse. We were up all night! The next day included more barium for his swallow test. They did find a minor abnormality but they said it was nothing to worry about. The GI Doctor assured us that we are doing everything right, and we are so thankful he is responding well to his treatment. We have had more good days than bad recently and I couldn't be happier!! I feel like a mom!!!

For unto us a child is born!

Connor made his debut last night as Baby Jesus in the First Baptist of Ft. Lauderdale Christmas Pageant (www.christmastickets.com). I was extremely emotional seeing my little boy portray such an important role and it made Tim and I all the more aware of how we will raise Connor in the ways of the Lord. I pray daily that he will come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and this was just the first step in exposing Connor to Him. Connor did and excellent job, and was very content only wiggling enough for the audience to know he was real. Then, as the narrator said "a voice" Connor let out a sweet little cry. Not a scream, like the ones we've become accustomed to, but a sweet little cry that said...."oh yeah, I know my cue". I cried while I watched him on stage, and just as the Lord brought hope with Him, we have so much hope in Connor to make wise choices and make the world a better place.

Happy Days are Here Again

I have had some wonderful afternoons of playtime with my sweet little Connor. I think the erythromycin is helping my little boy. Excluding yesterday I've had 2 incredible days with him. He's been happy, he's been settled, and he's been like a "normal" little baby. I just love his personality! Granted the medicine does make him extremely gassy and he can wake up screaming from pain in the middle of the night, but he's had wonderful times of waking. His gas was extreme yesterday so it was another bad day, but having had the brief experience with him the previous 2 days gave me such hope that it made me feel like I could go through anything to get him back to that! My Christmas wish is to have more times of good than bad! I'm hoping today is a good day. Next week we have 3 doctor's appointments for him one includes x-rays and a swallow test. I'm expecting this to give us the answers we need. Please pray that we can figure out the best way to treat Connor so that he is in no more pain and can function like the sweet little baby he is.

Christmas time is in the air and I love that this year we have the most amazing gift anyone could ask for. I decided to take some pictures of him under our tree....it's symbolic! Tim put up all of our lights outside this past weekend, and we truly have a winter wonderland complete with a cold front. Connor isn't a huge fan of the cold, and hates when his little hands get chilled. If he's upset checking his hands is on my list of things to figure out how to soothe him.

Connor is now going to be the newest thespian in my family because he's been asked to play baby Jesus in the First Baptist of Ft. Lauderdale Christmas Pageant. At first I was a little hesitant thinking he may cry the entire time, but they seem to think that's authentic and are fine with it. He starts this coming weekend, I'm thinking he'll be a natural! I'll let you know if he wins a Tony for his role.

Here is our precious little gift.

A Thankful Heart

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
~George Herbert

1. My family. I have the most amazing husband a woman can ask for. He shows me everyday how much he loves me by his selfless actions. He is caring and strong and I admire the person that he is. I have also been given a new beautiful creation in little Connor. It is amazing how his look of wonder and awe can inspire any person around him. When he is peaceful all is right in the world. My world is wrapped up in him, and it is amazing how I think about him constantly. I am also thankful for the rest of my wonderful family whom I can always confide in, and trust with my heart. We are each others biggest supporters and greatest fans. We jump in when one of us needs help, and I know I can always count on them. We also know the way to make each other laugh and our time together is filled with happiness.

2. My friends. How amazing it is to have a group of people in my life who are uplifting and caring. Tim and I know that we have a solid circle of close friends who build each other up and are a great social (real life) network. There is laughter and joy associated with our friendships!

3. My home. We have worked hard to be home owners and maintain it. Of course there will always be projects, but it is a wonderful feeling to rest peacefully with a roof over your head and love bursting from the walls.

4. My job. In the economy we are living through right now it is a blessing to have a stable job. I know some days are better than others, but in the long run it is the perfect fit for me right now. How lucky I am for my workday to end at 3:30pm so I can spend time with Connor, as well as get holidays and summers off. I can handle the tweens for that luxury.

5. My dog. It sounds crazy, but she's special. She is loving and protective and just the perfect little puppy (except when she barks at the mailman while Connor is trying to nap).

Connor went to the Gastroinestinal Doctor this past week, and after examining Connor, confirmed that he is suffering from Reflux and has ordered some more tests to be run to see if it is something more serious. We have x-rays scheduled as well as a swallow test. The doctor also prescribed liquid prevacid, erythromycin, and a sleep apnea monitor. The monitor has become such a godsend. We can now sleep soundly at night knowing that if he does choke the machine will alarm us. Boy does it make a loud noise at 1:45am! We found that out after it had unknowingly become unplugged and lost it's charge. Talk about jumping out of bed, scrambling to make sure Connor's ok, and then trying to figure out why the darn thing won't shut up. We attempted several times to reset it in our sleepy stupor not understanding why it wouldn't work and hoping that this siren of an alarm won't wake up Connor. Finally we checked where it plugged into the wall and found it had fallen out, at this point somehow it hadn't woken up Connor, it wasn't until his bassinet was accidentally bumped that he became upset and then wouldn't go back to sleep until 5am. When it is not shrieking at us the moments we are able to fall asleep are very satisfying. I'm not spending my entire night checking him a million times, listening and floating my finger under his nose to check for his breath. I hope that after all of his tests we will be given more answers. His poor little belly gives him constant trouble and it plagues him as well as us. Recently his reflux has occasionally escaped his mouth and nose, and it scares us and him because he can't breathe. He does enjoy his doses of Mylicon, and it gives us relief for the brief time it eases his tummy.

Connor has participated in two photo sessions this week and has really made the photographers earn their prints! Our favorite was allowing him to drink from his bottle and then pulling it away on the count of three to get the shot before he started screaming. We love faking out a 6 week old. Just kidding. But I do love having great pictures for his first Christmas! Most of the shots have his mouth still open, still attempting to suck on his bottle. Listen, you gotta do what ya gotta do! Today was our second session, given to us as a gift from Tim's boss. Tim was such a trooper, he got peed on 3 times and spit up on twice. You have to love the unexpected that comes with babies. I do think we have priceless photos that we will have for the rest of Connor's life.

Casey has been home and we've had so much fun. Of course Thanksgiving was special, but my favorite thing to do every year is to pick our Christmas trees. One for mom's house, and one for ours. It's always a process to go in and undo as many trees as we can, and then we all stand around and hold them out and compare them to see which one is perfect! Of course we came home with the trees that we love and it is truly beginning to feel like Christmas. I just can't believe it. Christmas is almost here!! Considering I've been somewhat of a hermit since Connor was born, I'm really going to have to get creative with shopping...I never wait this long! I'm not worried about it, Tim and I both feel that we already have the most amazing present, and couldn't ask for more!

Smiles make it worth it!

"Where's mommy?"



"Where's mommy?"



"Peek-a-boo, here I am!"



This may be the most fun game ever invented! In the moments of quiet and happy Connor we've decided that this is what we like to do. I get a smile and a coo every time! I live for that sweet precious smile. The interaction with him so focused on nothing else but you is so flattering. Now that is what you call undivided attention. I know I'll crave it when he's a teenager.

We went to the Pediatrician's office last Friday for his one month appt. and he weighed 8lbs 4oz! What a big boy! We went over his Silent Reflux and decided to up his dosage of Prevacid to half a tablet twice a day, and I would call her to discuss the results. After trying it for 4 days I called and we now have an appointment with a Gastrointestinal Specialist this coming week. I truly hope he can give us some answers. The poor little guy woke up to eat this morning at 4am and then dealt with his reflux the following 2 hours with no sleep. Of course I sit up with him because he'll choke and stop breathing, which is beyond scary.

Tim and I got in our first date night post Connor last Friday as well. I'm not sure I was ready to be away from Connor, but mom insisted to babysit, and I knew he was in good hands. That being said I texted her so often Tim threatened to take my phone away. I know I'll get better, but this was the first time and I know it's not easy when he starts to scream. We were in luck and he was such a sweetie for mom and Kaitlyn. Connor calms when he's with both of them, I love the bond they have. Kaitlyn can't hold him enough and mom spends time with him everyday. What a lucky boy with so many women to love him!

Tim gave me a very special present this week. It's my first mommy present, otherwise known as a Push Present. He said it's for all I've done, and for giving him Connor. It's a beautiful London Blue Topaz ring made to look like Princess Di's engagement ring. It floors me! He is an amazing husband and an exceptional father. I was joking with him last night and said after a week like this past one I've earned it. It's like a boy scout badge! "Topaz: for attempting to calm and soothe a screaming baby for up to 6 hours at a time." I've got to figure out how to earn more badges!!! On second thought, if it's anything like colic and reflux, no thanks!!

This coming week is Thanksgiving and this year it takes on a whole new meaning! Sadly I have to go back to work this week. I'm going to ease back into it and only work 7 days between now and Winter Break. It doesn't make it any easier to go in though. I can now fully understand the draw to being a stay at home mom, maybe one day.

Casey is home an I fully anticipate a week full of laughter and new great memories. I love my family. We take our Christmas pictures on Wed and I know we'll walk away with a story...bring it on!!

WOW! 1 Month Old!!

15 Across:

A condition marked by recurrent episodes of prolonged and uncontrollable crying and irritability in an otherwise healthy infant that is of unknown cause and usually subsides after three to four months of age. (Starts with "C"; 5 letters)

I don't want to even type the word let alone say it out loud. One thing Tim and I know for sure is this little boy certainly has a very strong set of pipes. I guess he feels he needs to be loud like mommy. His Jaundice is officially something we no longer have to worry about, but as that problem went away we faced a new challenge. Tim and I start to dread the evenings where crying episodes can last up to 5 hours before he finally tuckers out. It is such a helpless feeling not being able to soothe him. He'll calm enough to feed, but then he is back at it once he is done. I'm lucky that Tim and I can tag team and take turns trying to help him through it. We do laps around the living room, we take walks around the block, we get in the car and drive around the neighborhood on top of the Prevacid, gripe water, and Little Tummies. I'm learning that it is no reflection of my parenting when he gets this way, but wow, was that a hard thing to try to understand. There have been times of crying myself because I can't help him, but I feel better equipped each evening when I see the signs of a bad night. His poor little belly, I want to take away his hurt so badly. Tim has compared his bowel movements to "a car crashing through a wall". When he is finally able to relieve the pressure he can relax, but it's been a hard task for him to learn. He very literally sleeps in his car seat, that we prop in his bassinet, every night. It is the only angle that he can settle in. He also never wants to be put down, so my hands tend to be full all day long, but I don't mind holding my little man; it just means that my house will get a little messier, and facebook will have to wait. That's fine by me!

Each day Connor changes. It is amazing to look at pictures of the day he was born and look at him today. Little by little he is gaining weight and developing his own little features. My favorite new development is when he smiles at us!!! We have our play time when he is awake (and happy) and he will smile right at anyone who is loving on him. What a charmer!! We get a few coo's out of him as well, and my heart just melts. I think I'm a sucker already. He's also allowing us to get a little more sleep at night...when he sleeps, which leads to much more happy parents. Granted that means a four hour block instead of two for the first half of the night, and then another 2 hours after that. I am beyond blessed that my mom comes and sits with Connor every morning and I can grab another hour and half of sleep. That is honestly my soundest sleep...it gives me joy just thinking about it right now.

I love that Tim is home today on this gorgeous Veteran's Day and we can enjoy our little boy on his one month birthday. We're going to pop in all of the home videos we've taken this past month and relive it all. We cannot believe it's been a month already. He's growing up much too quickly, he needs to slow down just a tad. It's hard for me to even remember what day it is, let alone knowing a whole week has passed. I live by diaper changes and feedings, these are the things of mommyhood, this is how I feel like I've accomplished something. I am the world for one precious little boy. It's been a whirlwind, and true to the title of this blog, a fun ride!

3 Week Strong

It's official, Connor's Jaundice levels are stable and as of Tuesday we no longer had the Billiblanket. As for his weight we went to the Pediatrician's office 3 times this past week and he was up to 7lbs on Friday. The doctor finally told us that we do not need to come back until his one month check-up! Wahoo!!! I say that's cause for celebration. We can now breathe a little easier, and as long as I maintain his feeding schedule he should continue to gain weight! Granted, most new born size clothing still does not fit him. He's so tiny!

He may be tiny but he is VERY strong. He already rolls everywhere (he comes with warning: Do not leave unattended) and while holding him he lifts his head back to look at you. I cannot believe his ability to move his head around. I keep telling him to stop because he's growing too quickly! He loves to grab onto something while you're holding him, and you might end up with a stretched collar, or a broken necklace. We are still dealing with his silent reflux, and it's scary when he chokes and stops breathing. That kept me up most of the night last night. He started to choke and I had to aspirate him. Talk about feeling very shaken up afterwards. I'll lay in bed and just listen to his breathing all night long to make sure he's ok. Hopefully that is one thing he WILL grow out of quickly. Don't worry we've loaded up on Little Tummy's, Gripe Water, and we have a prescription for Prevacid. Something has to work!

Our little boy got to celebrate his first official holiday yesterday and he enjoyed every minute of it.....asleep! Our little bat still went trick or treating and scored great candy for his daddy. The neighbors really enjoyed seeing him, and it was so special to have him out and walking around. We've only taken small walks around our neighborhood, so this was a lot of fun to really get out and about. Tim and I took turns pushing the stroller and it was such a glimpse into our future. I loved every minute of it, Connor didn't know the difference. Tim and I went as sleep deprived parents...we would have won any costume contest, we were so convincing!

2 Weeks Old

Have I really been a mom for 2 weeks? People said it would go by quickly but I'm not sure I'm ready for it to pass this fast! In the amount of time we've been home from the hospital (13 days), we've been to the Pediatrician's 6 times, 7 tomorrow, and I've changed 1 diaper. Poor Connor's Jaundice numbers have continuously gone up and down and now we are dealing with weight gain. As of yesterday he is still below 7lbs and has actually lost half an oz from the last visit. The poor thing has so many pricks on his heels it's like he was used as a pin cushion. As for the 1 diaper I must admit I've been extremely spoiled. Anytime he has a dirty diaper Tim jumps at the opportunity to be helpful and changes it. Grandma Glenda has done a couple as well. It's been 2 weeks filled with loved ones stopping by and an extreme amount of help and support from Tim and mom. Tim and I have always been a team, but it has been amazing to see the way he is selfless and doesn't hesitate to jump in and help, and this includes 2am diaper changes. As for mom, there have been days we wouldn't have survived if she hadn't stopped by in the morning to let us take a nap. It has been such a blessing as well to have yummy meals provided for us. We can't thank everyone enough for being so thoughtful and caring in preparing such delicious feasts for our little family.

I am in awe of this little creation. I can sit and stare at him for hours. I get so excited when his eyes are open and we sit and have Mommy/Connor time. It is amazing how he looks for me when he hears my voice. That alone is one of the most endearing aspects of being a mom. I was discussing with Tim the other day how nursing is another one of those endearing moments. To see how innocent he is, how much he relies on Mommy for his development, and then just relaxes in my arms is amazing. To know that the Lord created all of this makes it even more awe inspiring.

Connor's little belly is still learning how to do it's job and he tends to get very uncomfortable after feeding. He has so much gas that builds up that he gets very miserable. Tim and I can end up rocking and burping him for up to an hour. It seems that we get so used to bouncing him, that even when we aren't holding him, we are bouncing. We've only had one night of absolutely no sleep that we consider ourselves lucky. Connor allows us to sleep from about 10:30pm until 2:30am, and then we do another feeding around 5:30/6. Not bad I think. But, like I said before, it's the burping after that can get tiring. Hopefully his gassiness will pass soon, the little bubbles hurt his tummy and hurt my heart.

It's been fun accepting so many visitors and for Connor to meet such special people. All of his Great Grandparents have met him and have been charmed, as well as near and dear friends. It is amazing to see how a little baby can bring such joy to the people they encounter. Tim and I think he is pretty incredible, but to see other people fall in love with him is so special.

I was lucky to have Tim home the past two weeks, and I'm sad he had to go back to work yesterday. The absence was definitely noticed. My partner was missing. I tried to send him pictures on his phone to help him feel like he was here...it only made him want to come home. It also makes the reality of me going to work only seem that much sooner. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm dreading it. I can't believe how much Connor has grown and changed in 2 short weeks, I don't want to miss a moment. He is such a little miracle, how lucky we are!

And So It Begins

Well, we made it through the first week and what week it has been. Preparing for Connor’s arrival brought with it a lot of reading books, articles and talking to friends and family that have gone down this path before. However, while I got some great advice, nothing I was told compared to what it was really like.

Standing next to Kristin during the birth, listening to the heart rate drop, and watching the nurses storm our room with a sense of urgency, was something that I was not prepared for. My knees went weak and I felt my stomach begin to turn. It wasn’t until the doctor came in and took full control of the situation, looked me in the eye, and reassured me, that I felt confident in what was happening.

The first time I held my baby boy was a moment that is indescribable. It was by far one of the greatest moments of my life. I knew right then and there that from then on out my life is going to be filled with more joy than I can handle. He wasn’t even an hour old and I was already planning our first trip to Fenway.

So, we have been home an entire week now and it has been interesting. Our poor little guy has been dealing with jaundice so it has been a week full of Pediatrician visits and biliblankets. Inconvenient, yes, but Connor’s wellbeing is first and foremost. Unfortunately for us, there are many side effects of jaundice that have made for some extra challenges. Connor’s appetite has been sporadic, and by sporadic I mean he has the desire to cluster feed from 2am-7am. It seems every hour he is up trying to get mommy’s attention to tell her he is ready to feast. Lots of eating leads to lots of diaper changes (that’s my job; I figured it’s the least I can do). Needless to say, that makes for little sleep. Strangely, I find myself not minding having the extra duties, Connor is more than worth it.

All in all, it has been a challenging week but above all it has been the most amazing week of my life. If this week is any indication of how things are going to be from here on out I consider myself to be one of the luckiest individuals alive.

Happy Birthday 10/11/10

My life changed on Monday, October 11, 2010. I fell in love with another man, but don't worry, Tim is ok with it. In this post I'm only going to focus on the delivery and we will get to these amazing post-birthday days in my next entry.

Sunday: 2:00pm... Casey flies in from Lynchburg for a quick 29 hour trip.

6:00pm Take a deep breath, look around our home, and gather up the courage to leave and head to the hospital emergency room. This is thoroughly documented by my dad's video camera. He may have been videoing and driving.....do not try this at home, people. We valeted our car, loaded ourselves with our belongings, and headed through the hospital doors. We waited for transport in the Emergency Room.

(still) Sunday: 7:oo-ish... Comfortably arranged in my Labor and Delivery room at Memorial Regional Hospital with Mom, Dad, Casey and Kaitlyn in attendance for our regular Sunday Evening Family night activities...that includes watching America's Funniest Home Videos. It was made things a little more normal even though we could hardly focus on it. This is the same hospital that my siblings and I were born in, and I was excited that Connor could be born there too. Originally I was told that if I came in at 3 cm, that they would start my induction Sunday night and the ball would get rolling; if I wasn't, then we would start the process the following morning at 6am. Well, I came in at 3 Cm and 80% effaced. I was super excited, they on the other hand, made the decision to go ahead and wait until morning but they moved it to 5am instead of 6. At that point we knew it was going to be a practically uneventful night and the real excitement would be the next day, so we all kept each other company for a little while and then the family left to all sleep at home. Tim of course stayed with me, and we spent a very restless, butterflies-in-the-belly-night in Labor and Delivery Room 5.
Monday: 4:30am... WAKE UP! I have already done an early morning post on waking up early, so let me get on with the story.

5:00am... Start the Petocin, start the contractions. To be honest I had already been contracting on my own so these contractions weren't much different from some of the ones I had already been having for days. Yet, even with contracting regularly all night I still hadn't progressed.

7:00am-ish... My family gets to the hospital for some sitting around and waiting. We had a new group of nurses and they didn't like having everyone in the room at the same time, so they limited it to 3 guests at a time. Of course Tim stayed by my side the entire time, the other 4 had to take turns....about 30 min visits, switching back and forth all day long. It would go like this... "Hi Mom and Kaitlyn!" we'd talk, pass time, watch TV and then it would switch..."Hi Dad and Casey!" we'd talk, pass time, watch TV and then it would switch..."Hi Mom and Kaitlyn"....ok you get the point. This took place the entire Labor and Delivery process and it was a very unique dance.

9:00am... At this point, even with increasing the Petocin regularly, I wasn't progressing as quickly as we all would have liked, I was still about 3 cm and they decided it was time to break my water. Woah! That certainly changes things. Hello, new and more intense contractions. Those contractions made me very quiet and I would tend to hold my breath and hold Tim's hand.

10:00am... I had dilated to about 4-5 cm and it was time for the GLORIOUS EPIDURAL! Oh welcome to cloud 9! It was weird not being able to feel my legs but in a strange way I could still focus and wiggle my toes. I couldn't feel any sensations in my legs themselves though, almost like an out of body experience when I would touch my hip. It made me a little itchy at first, but oh my goodness I think epidurals are fabulous!!!

11:oo Still not progressing, the nurses decide to try moving me into different positions. Funny thing, when you can't move your legs it's extremely difficult to move your body....they literally had to roll me themselves. So the dance of my family continued; we'd talk, pass time, watch TV then switch.

12:00 At this point my Petocin is up as high as they are allowed to put it without the Doctor's consent and I am still at 4-5 cm. Golly, a lot of build up for a lot of waiting. So they inform us that my Doctor will stop by on her lunch break and they also got her permission to increase my Petocin some more. And the dance continues....we'd talk, pass time, watch TV then switch.

1:15pm Dr. Davila stops by finally and after having been positioned all wopper-jobbered to help me dilate she announced I was at 8-9 Cm and it would be soon. She was heading to another room to deliver a baby and would be back in a little while to see how I was. To say we were excited was and understatement. Things were finally moving along! There would only be need for one more dance exchange.

1:45-ish....."Woah...hey Tim, go look at the monitor, I feel a lot of pressure with these contractions." Tim heads over to check the printout and gets to see the unique pattern of this new series of Labor Pains. They even looked different from my other contractions, a high spike and almost no tail....3 in a row. Within minutes a different nurse walks in (my nurse was assisting with the delivery my doctor had gone to) and asks me if I had felt those contractions. I said I had and she encourages me to do a practice push to see how good I am. At this point Dad and Casey are out of their seats to go and switch with Mom. A lot happens during this dance exchange:

While I am practicing my first push, immediately Connor's heart rate dropped very very low. The nurse yells at me to stop and in an instant my room fills with nurses. I look over at Tim while they are putting an oxygen mask over my mouth and he is reaching for a chair to sit in. I looked at him and told him to pray. The nurses are throwing things, yelling orders at each other, attempting to find Connor's heart beat and unlocking the wheels on my bed to wheel me into the C-Section room. Tim and I are praying as hard as we possibly can. At that moment my doctor comes rushing in putting on her scrubs and immediately takes control of the situation. She looks at Tim and tells him it will be ok while she is ordering a vacuum and attaching an internal fetal monitor to Connor's head. Side-Note: Dad and Casey didn't realize what exactly they were leaving, so in the switch they just said it was Mom and Kaitlyn's turn. So in walks Mom and Kaitlyn during this emergency situation. I look at mom and quickly say that Kaitlyn shouldn't be in here. I didn't know what was going to happen and didn't want her to be a part of a traumatic situation. She heads back out to the waiting room and switches with Dad. Everything was happening so fast the "dancers" didn't really understand what was going on. Dr. Davila looks at me and says "ok let me see how you push". The only thing going through my head was I need to get the baby out so they can help him. If he was out, he would be safe. Even sitting here now writing about it brings tears to my eyes. I was so scared. I had nurses on each side of me, they wouldn't let my mom or Tim hold me, they didn't even want them to take pictures. It took Dr. Davila telling them they could to allow some pictures of the moment Connor came into the world. I pushed for 3 sets. In other words I only took 3 deep breaths with pushing to get him out. Connor was born at 1:59pm. From contractions to delivery was about 15 minutes. They unwrapped the chord from his neck and placed a beautiful crying baby on my tummy. In that moment my heart grew 7lbs and 3oz more. He cried first, the rest of the room was quickly in tow. He was ok. He was more than ok, he was perfect.

Daddy went over to look at him and Connor reached out and immediately grabbed his hand. Tim was hooked.

Our first family portrait.



Finally in my post-delivery room. Content as could be!
This is only day one. We accepted many visitors that night and the outpouring of love and well wishes we received via text messages, phone calls, facebook, and visits touched us more than you could know. I am so blessed to have such amazing family and friends and Connor can't wait to meet you all. Thank you for your kindness, everyone, we really appreciate it. I will soon put together a thorough album on facebook with all of our amazing pictures. This was just a taste.

We have him home now and I will write about it soon. He tested positive for jaundice so we've been dealing with a billyblanket for the past 2 days and it makes little Connor our own little glow worm. At our pediatrician visit today his count was down which means he is off the blanket! wahoo! Now on to a new normal for our sweet little family.

The Final Hours

Hello 4:30am! Here Tim and I are sitting in my Labor and Delivery room anxiously awaiting the arrival of little Connor. I had shown some progress when I came in last night, as in 3 Cm Dilated and 80% effaced but that was not enough for them to start the event. So after our loved ones left Tim and I bunkered down for a very restless night's sleep. I don't think I slept more than 30 consecutive minutes. Part of it was from the anticipation, part of it was the nurse coming in to check my vitals, and the final part was my consistent contractions plaguing me throughout the night. I must say....an IV really doesn't feel very good. I feel like I can barely use my left hand. I can't eat anything except for ice chips and I'm really craving breakfast right now. This tummy is not only contracting but it's also growling! They started my pitocin at 5:00am and I should be on a role now. Hopefully things progress at a continual pace. Casey flew in yesterday afternoon and will be leaving this evening and we are really hoping Connor makes his arrival in time for Casey to meet him. Dad is also here, and he did a very good job documenting our arrival to the hospital with his video camera. Every Sunday night my family does "Family Night" and we were true to form even here. We all sat around my delivery room and talked and watched our regular Sunday evening TV shows. There was something so normal about it in such an un-normal setting for us. 10/10/10 came and went and it looks like our little boy will be coming on 10/11/10 which is already such a beautiful fall day. The news is telling us it's 71 degrees outside, though our room right now is possibly cooler. Everyone seems to think it's chilly in here, but I feel great. No sweating for me right now!!

Tim and I were able to walk out of the house yesterday evening hand in hand. We took one more look around our home and knew that life would never be the same. The next time we walk through our front door we will have a wonderful new addition to our household. There is always a slight fear of the unknown, but I know Connor will be such a blessing in our lives. We have been praying for him for so long now, I'm just ready to meet him!

AWK8 Baby Shower

Today I was thrown a beautiful baby shower at my school, Aventura Waterways K-8 Center. It was a sweet assortment of faculty who was able to make it, sans complicated parent conferences and other meetings that were scheduled at the same time. I was so thrilled that Tim, Mom, and Kaitlyn were able to be there as well! The social committee set up the cake and drinks in the library and I felt so lucky because mom and Laura Parente-Comsa made it even more special by adding little personal touches, like baseball cupcakes!! The gifts were wonderful and now I'm sitting here looking around my livingroom hoping I can get all of the gifts in order and in place within the next few days. The excitement expressed by my wonderful colleagues really touches my heart, and creates such a family feeling. For those who I work with that read this, thank you so much for the outpouring of kindness shown to us today!

Tim and I with our cake!

Opening the SURPRISE gift from mom. A new Rebel TI SLR Camera! I was floored!

With the fabulous L!

In other news Tim and I had a little art project this evening. I figured that I probably won't ever again be 9 months pregnant in October and thought it would be fun to create a Connor o'Lantern. Here is how it turned out. We had so much fun trying to put it together, Tim was a fabulous painter!

Yes, we have fun in this house!!