Henry's Story

As I sit and look at Henry sleeping in his swing, it feels like we've known each other forever. Something that no one ever told me (maybe I'm different), is that your baby really is a stranger. A sweet little stranger, but you really don't know them. You meet them for the first time and it truly is as though someone hands you a baby out of nowhere and says "here, this is yours". There really is nothing like it. And now, I almost can't remember life before him.

Here is Henry's story to the best of my memory.

On Sunday, June 24th (Henry's due date), I thought my water had broken. I never realized before becoming pregnant that there could be any confusion about such a thing. I was on the phone with my mom, and told her I felt a small gush of water. We both "obviously" thought this was my water breaking. Will and I packed up the car and headed to the hospital. There I was checked by a midwife who, after performing a quick test, told me that no, my water had not broken. We headed home. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. Days passed, and what I had thought had been my water, continued to drip (NOT normal).

On Wednesday, June 27th, my good friend Esther and her mom stopped by. Esther knew I was less than pleased with my current pregnant state. They lifted my spirits through gifts for Henry and prayer. Against Esther's mom's better judgment, I did not go straight to the hospital (she suspected that my water had in fact broken). I instead waited for my OB appt. the next morning.

On Thursday, June 28th, I went to Mercy Hospital to the Advanced Fetal Care Center. Because I was overdue, they needed to check my fluid levels and count Henry's movements over the course of an hour (everything checked out fine). I received two ultrasound photos, one of which I noted Henry looked a bit alien-like. The nurse said, "well, we don't actually know what aliens look like".....alrighty then.

I then headed over to my OB office next to the hospital. I told her the story from that weekend about my suspected water breaking. She was concerned and decided to do the test again. She looked up at me and said "it did break!..you need to go to the hospital today-we are going to induce you!" I was thrilled and horrified all at once.

I rushed home to shower, eat and pack the car. Will and I arrived at the hospital at around 3:00pm. After being checked into our room, the doctor came in to talk to me. Because my water hadn't fully broken (why it was leaking, not a "gush"), she could either break it all the way, or start me right away on Pitocin. Looking back I wish we had just cut to the chase and started Pitocin. My water being broken did nothing. All it did was start useless contractions that caused pain but no progress. My doctor gave me until 12am. If at that point I hadn't made any progress I would start Pitocin.

Me before things got REAL



walking the halls, trying to get things moving...look at that unsuspecting smile...



At midnight, I hadn't made any progress. This is where it got really fun. The Pitocin did its work of causing a pain I've never felt. What it didn't do, was actually cause progress. After 2am I still was no further dilated. At this point the pit was making me nauseous and I was throwing up. The doctor gave me phenergan for the nausea. I was so out of it that I didn't realize that she had given me demerol. This made me extremely loopy. At around 2:30am I cried uncle and asked for the epidural. Honestly, getting the epidural was not that bad. I have heard horror stories, but nothing compares to being in labor...this was child's play.

After receiving the epidural, I unfortunately wasn't able to relax. I could still feel the contractions, just at nowhere near the same intensity. The epidural caused my blood pressure to drop frighteningly low, and I was given oxygen (Will has recapped most of this to me as I was so out of it). Because of my low blood pressure, it also caused me to continue to throw up. At around 4:30am I was checked again and had only made it to 4cm (insert me miming wrist slitting).

At 6:30am I called the nurse in as I felt like I needed to go number 2. This was actually the urge to push! Wahoo! I was 8 1/2 cm. At around 7am I called the nurse in and said "I need to push NOW". I was fully dilated, praise the Lord! I started pushing at 7:10am and Henry was born at 7:28am on Friday, June 29th.

He entered the world screaming and flailing those precious little arms and legs. I will never forget looking into those deep blue, alert eyes. I was just so surprised at how alert he was; looking right at Will and me. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

When mothers say that you forget the pain when you see your child; they are so right. The moment you have your baby in your arms you realize that it doesn't matter how they got there. The only thing that truly matters is that they are alive and well.

I had some very wonderful images in my mind as to what I wanted my labor to look like. Just about everything I didn't want to happen, (short of a c-section) ended up happening. And yet, it doesn't even matter.

Henry is here, and we are so loving life.

The. End.












Will followed him everywhere. Even to his circumcision.







First diaper change...



And not happy about it.



















"Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be"
Psalm 139:16

Coming soon...

First few weeks with baby and How I got my body back

Su Casa Updates

For every guest that enters my home, I get a "wow, I love your dining set!". I can honestly say I have never had a piece of furniture so widely noticed and loved by all!

When I'm not eating at my beautiful Su Casa table, I am playing with it. How do you play with a dining table? Well, you try out your new baby gear on it! Not only will I need a grown baby for this chair, but I'll need a baby in general...and I know this (so no making fun). What else can you do when you are 9+ months preggo? Pretty soon you will find me placing baby dolls in my stroller, bouncy seat, etc...UNLESS I go get Diggy....:).

What a beautiful picture that is! AND, the wood is so nice and sturdy that I know it will not be easily scratched by the seat. I'll feel pretty good about putting my little cherub here :).



I will admit that I am meticulous about keeping this table clean. I know that once my little man is eating at it, it will take on a new "loved" form. OH, and did you know that Su Casa also sells baby gear?? They have a beautiful baby section that is DROOL worthy. Gliders, clothes and other treats that will spoil any babe!

Here is my friend, Emily, trying out one of their oh so cozy gliders!



In other dining table news, my bench will be delivered tomorrow! I have been eagerly awaiting this beautiful piece since they picked it up to be fixed (due to a small scratch). I will update on this development tomorrow!

Good Eatin'

Eating is one of my husband's and my favorite past times. We enjoy cooking together and creating yummy little masterpieces. My husband is also a master of the grill; one of the many reasons I love the summer. He basically gives me every summer off from cooking and takes over. What a man :) And what better way to enjoy our meal than on a new dining table. It just makes it that much more enjoyable!









And Let's not forget breakfast :)



Besides beautifully crafted furniture, Su Casa also sells some other cool loot. For all of you Baltimore Ravens fans, you can get a pretty sweet grill set for the man in your house!

Nursery Tour

Baby Guthrie's Nursery
























Source:

Crib: Eden Baby Madison crib

Bedding: Not a peep by Land of Nod, Orange blanket by Ambajam (softest little blanky in the world!)

Stuffed Animals: Orange Ugly doll (gift), blue bear (gift), robot and elephant (homemade gifts!) Paddington bear (husband's as child)

All wall art: Etsy

Wall bookshelves: IKEA

Chest of drawers: IKEA

Changing pad: Land of Nod

Cloth Diapers: Lotus Bumz and JungleRoo (stash to be expanded once I know what I like!)

Glider: Harmony Kids glider by Newco International

Waiting for Baby

Being 39 weeks pregnant, there isn't a whole lot that I feel like doing. Between the contractions and the rather large state of my belly, I find it pretty hard to get comfortable. One thing I really do appreciate, though, are my walks with Will and Diggy. While I hope it will induce labor, I am loving the quiet time with hubby before the craziness ensues. There are some beautiful walking trails by our house that Diggy loves to frolic in. Will has also had fun with our new camera!












As I wait for our little boy to get here, I am savoring the peace and quiet. As amazing as this next chapter will be, I sometimes forget that I really love the one that I am in right now. These are our last days as husband, wife and dog. It is a sweet and simple time that I am thankful to appreciate before it is too late.



"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

It's Here!

Su Casa came promptly on delivery day with my new dining table. It felt like Christmas! Besides the fact that I received the nicest piece of furniture that I have ever owned, I noticed other perks unique to their company and their quality of service. For anyone who has ever purchased a piece of IKEA furniture, I bet you know how frustrating assembling their furniture can be. No matter who clear their instructions seem to be, there is always one mistake made along the way which requires one to take apart the progress made and start over. The very respectful servicemen came in (who were clean I might add, a feat not often accomplished), and immediately began to assemble the furniture. They were quick, and even cleaned up after themselves! I have never had anyone assemble my furniture! God bless their hearts! They were even nice to my dog, Diggy ( a sure way to win me over). Besides the fact that they were efficient and prompt, another event really blew my mind. On the bench there was a small scratch. One of the men told me he noticed it (before I did), and had Su Casa call me after he left to arrange a pick up for it to be fixed! When does a company point out a defect on their own! I was really amazed with this quality of service. Su casa called me within the hour, and came to pick up the bench. I have never been treated with such service through a furniture company. I may be a new believer in not just nice furniture, but in the service that comes with a company like Su Casa...if there even is one! Pictures of the final product coming soon when the set is complete! For those who have purchased high quality furniture, have you noticed this similar service?

Su Casa Blogging Competition

As many of you may remember, I was chosen to compete in Su Casa's blogging competition. I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my chosen dining set (coming today!!!). The dining area in a home is so important. It is where loved ones congregate and enjoy a functional yet pleasing activity. Some of us (myself included), enjoy this activity a bit too much. I will, however, unashamedly say that I am proud to be a foodie. I am proud to find indulgent pleasure in the most beautifully and artistically created meals (all while craving a bowl of Velveeta mac and cheese on the side). I enjoy cafeteria food, will never turn up my nose to a 7-11 taquito (yes, while being completely sober), and don't even know where to start on my love of Sheetz (if you don't know what that is then you are sorely missing out). I always wondered why friends say they love to watch me eat. I suppose this stems from the vigor and passion I display during mealtime. I truly enjoy eating. It comes with little surprise then that I would be chosen to review dining furniture. Before we begin, let us look at the current offender: Although this humble Craigslist table has served us well, it is clearly not meant to enthrone mealtime (only Diggy the dog). What will take its place? Stay tuned. In the meantime our dining area now looks a bit sad. Where does mealtime take place in your home? At the dining table? Or in front of the TV?

Pregnancy Survey

*WEEK 30

How big is the baby? About 15 inches long

Weight Gain: 16 LBS

Maternity Clothes? Oh, yes. I have become discouraged with the maternity options recently, and started buying flowy non maternity tops that accommodate a bump :)

Sleep? Good and bad. Some nights are better than others. Depending on how tired I am, I can sometimes sleep through a few rounds of needing to pee.

Best Moment of the Week? I hadn't felt hiccups yet, and yesterday morning I did! It was a strange sensation. My doctor says they are a good sign of well being. Yay!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Just trying to not eat everything in sight at this point :). I've got a pretty healthy appetite!

Movement: Wild. That's all I can say. Will loves feeling him move at night. We both love to watch my stomach do some pretty strange movements. I think he looks like he's trying to break out!

What I miss: My pre-preggo bod. It's hiding under all of this fetusness somewhere :)

What I'm Looking forward to? Meeting him! All I want to do his hold and kiss him! I cannot wait to snuggle this little booger

Test It. Blog It. Win it.

I am excited to announce that I will be participating in THIS exciting competition...

This is especially thrilling for a budget savvy gal such as myself. I have never owned a super nice piece of furniture before. This is my chance to see what the hub bub is all about. What is it like to own a nicer-than-IKEA piece of furniture? Up until now, I wouldn't have known how to answer this. Stay tuned and I'll tell you what I think!

I have been surfing their site (which is, by the way, AWESOME). Right now I've got my eyes on this pretty picture...



Found HERE.

So, what do you think? Would you rather go furniture-less for months in order to buy an expensive piece, or do you find the cheap stuff serves its purpose?? Where has everyone gotten their dining furniture???

Belly Shots