Daddy Love

Have I mentioned what an awesome daddy Ben has? You know your husband is a trooper when he fixes your Mother's Milk tea, brings it to you and uses a nursing pad (nothing gross, just catches the drips when you're not nursing) nearby as a coaster - LOL! Hey, this newborn business is HARD...we gotta find humor somewhere :)

Basically, we've just been taking it one day at a time. Nursing is 100x harder than I thought it would be, and I am tempted to throw in the towel every day. But we've made it a whole two weeks, and I really want to keep trying (sometimes;). Ben has already started in on the "fussy baby in the evening" bit....UGH. So, right when Mark comes home from work, Mr. Cranky gets going and that's our night! We're doing the best we can, though, and hoping (and PRAYING) this is a phase that will pass soon :) Again, Mark has held me up through all this with such positivity, willingness to help, and concern for my wellbeing ~ here are a few of my favorite Daddy Shots (Ben's a lucky little booger)...I love you, Babe!

* Sweet kisses *

Ben loves Daddy's big cozy arms...

This is one of the catcher's mitts Ben "gave" Mason and Chandler for his birth day. They asked if he could take a nap in it!

Big Yawn!!

Coming Home...

It's hard to believe it was a whole week ago today that we came home from the hospital with our sweet baby boy :) He's 9 days old today and it has flown by! Here's his first week in review:

His official hospital photo at 2 days old ~ what a cutie!!

Here we are..."ready" to leave the hospital (not really!!)

First ride in the carseat...I cried and cried when it was time to leave the hospital, but we made it home in one piece! (With Mama holding Ben's head the whole time so it wouldn't touch that mean old plastic piece on the straps - ha!)

Mark has been the BEST daddy over this past week! Our first two nights at home were pretty rough. Ben's demand for milk was WAY outpacing my ability to supply, being so early, so we had a fussy boy with a growling tummy who did not want to sleep for 2 days!! We got through it, though, and Daddy's been wonderful about helping with nursing sessions, changing diapers, and most of all (BEST of all!) loving on our little baby :) Look at the smile on Ben's face!

Monday after we came home, it was time to pay the pediatrician a visit and see how his weight was doing. Verdict: not great. He had lost 15% of his body weight, BUT, was not dehydrated and everything else looked wonderful - especially his color and lack of jaundice, said the doctor. Here we are ~ first dr. visit!

Grandaddy Raoul is his pediatrician...who better to love and care for our baby?! So, we decided to supplement his nursing with formula and see how he was doing in three days. Well, Thursday, it was declared a record weight gain - 12 oz in three days!! (We were hoping for 0.5 - 1.0 oz per day) Yay Ben! At 7 lbs 2 oz, he is well on his way to getting back to birth weight.

Finally, to celebrate Ben's 1 week birthday, we got out of the house and took a stroller ride.

More to come on Baby Ben ~ we had quite an adventurous photography session with him on Wednesday (it involved lots of poop, if that gives you a hint!)

Ben's Birth Story

Mark and I consider ourselves VERY lucky to have had such a wonderful experience for the big event!! Since I had to be induced, it didn't exactly start out as we "planned", but ended up being better than we imagined. Here's how it happened:

Thursday, 7/16/09: We arrive at the hospital at 6:15 in the pouring rain. We checked in and settled into room 137 where the nurse was preparing to go off shift. The 7:00 a.m. shift nurse Laura explained she'd be with us all day (assuming this didn't last past 7:00 p.m.!) She seemed super nice and was explaining everything so thoroughly ~ all was going well until she tried to place my IV. First time, "blew" a vein - yuck and ouch. Ok, move to the hand on the same arm, and encountered a valve, meaning she couldn't thread it far enough up into my vein. Yuck and OUCH again. So, she called another more experienced nurse who successfully stuck me on the other hand the third time. GREAT, we though - this Laura girl doesn't know what she's doing!! BUT, she proved to be the absolute best nurse we could have ever had....so considerate, knowledgable, encouraging and sweet. Just couldn't stick you very well ~ I guess you can't have it all!!

Anyway, at 7:30 Dr. Carter declared I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced - very favorable for induction (thank goodness!!) They started the Pitocin to induce labor at about 7:30 and that started the contractions. Here I am before they got offensive ;)

So, we just hung out waiting to dilate more. After about two hours of upping the Pitocin every 20 minutes, this business was starting to hurt. About that time, Laura said she was turning up the Pitocin dose again, so I asked for an epidural because it can take up to 30 minutes to take effect. That was at 9:50. Well, three people (ahead of me in "line") and a c-section patient later, I finally got one at 11:30!! You cannot IMAGINE how relieved I was....

By that time I was at least at 5 cm - halfway there! A little after noon, Mark left to go check out the cafeteria and while he was gone, Dr. Carter checked me again and casually said, "Oh, 9 cm. Hope Daddy didn't go far!" OH NO! Four centimeters in an hour?! We weren't expecting that! So, I called him, texted him, and called his mom (waiting outside) to hunt him down :) Thankfully, his mom found him (no cell phone coverage in the cafeteria) and we had a few minutes before it was time to push. From 1:00 to 2:00, Mark, Laura, and me worked on pushing, Dr. Carter came in at 2:00 and he was born at 2:18! Praise God for how smoothly everything went and we were free of any complications at all!

Here he is ~ just minutes old!

Happy Mama!!

Proud Daddy :)Later that day....

The whole family!!

He's Here!!

Well, he's finally here! I'm thrilled to announce that Benjamin Mark Williams (Ben) joined us on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 2:18 pm. He was a whopping 7 lbs 7 oz (!) and 21 inches long. Of course, he's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen :)

Thanks so much to all of you for your well wishes and prayers ~ more to come later on what a wonderful experience it was!!

40 Weeks and Stilllllllll Going!

Ok, today's the "big" day, and I'm afraid it's going to come and go uneventfully! Except for some false labor last Friday night, I feel EXACTLY the same as I did a week ago (plus some back pain). None of the typical signs are appearing - I'm not even feeling very "nesty" due to the need to run back to bed and put the heating pad back on every time I try to do anything ~ Ha!!

I do have my next appointment tomorrow (Wednesday), so we'll see how we're coming. Then if he's not here yet, Thursday's the real Big Day!!! I'm scheduled for induction at 6:00 a.m., Thursday the 16th. I'd LOVE for him to come on his own before then, but either way, please keep us in your prayers!! More updates to come... :)

39 Week (dis)Appointment ;)

Well.....I thought for sure we'd have made a little progress in a week, but this Baby Boy is cozy and hanging tight in there! 1-2 cm is all we've got so far - can you believe that?! But, the doctor said it still could be any time (hmph). I'm starting not to believe them! And, starting to get more and more impatient, mostly due to the terrible back pain I've had the past two nights. So, if it's not a trip to the bathroom waking me up, it's back spasms on the left side no matter how I lay. I even tried sleeping sitting up last night - No Good. So, I'm pooped! Baby's not, though...I don't think I've ever felt him bouncing around so much! I guess it's getting tight in there :)

I'm glad last weekend was the 4th of July instead of this weekend ~ I was all energetic thinking he'd be here any minute (hahahaha). Here we are, watching the fireworks!

Two preggers, April and me...her baby Sophia is due September 2, and Sophia and Baby Williams are going to be best friends and get married one day (LOL!!)

Dear Baby,

It has been 39 whole weeks, and it is a full moon tonight. Don't you think it's about time to get moving?! Mama's had a haircut and a pedicure, which means I'm READY!! My bags are packed, plus one for you, one for Daddy, and some other random stuff I'm sure we'll just lug in and out of the car without using :)

I've got your room ready, casseroles frozen, and even bought a video camera! Please, please don't get too comfy in there ~ Mama's so anxious to meet you! You're not even born yet, but have already got me on the verge of a meltdown with all this waiting, Little One. My ankles are swollen, face is splotchy, and I'm so tired I don't even care ;)

Daddy would like for you to come soon, too. Every time I call him, he thinks it's THE CALL, and is probably getting tired of it. Ha! But what else do I have to do while twiddling my thumbs but to call him all day asking him to swing by Walmart on the way home and get another one of those clear plastic bins so I can organize our washcloths?!

Well, I suppose you'll come when you're ready (or the doctor is ready, one!). I've waited this long to meet you ~ what's a few more days? You're worth it, Baby Boy!!

Love,
Mama

11 days and counting...

Well, I hope only 11 more days. Not much news at the doctor yesterday for my 38 week checkup ~ maybe 1 cm dilated, but that's it. Boo!! I told myself I would not be disappointed if that was the case because it doesn't necessarily correlate to when the baby will come, but I was a little bummed after that. On Tuesday, I had this awful pelvic pain for hours and TONS of Braxton Hicks, and when I called about it the doctor on call said it was my pelvic bones separating due to the baby moving down, and to just sit and rest. SO, given that event I guess I was expecting more progress. Oh well!!


The up-side is that Mark and I still have time to get ready for this little sweetie. I've done several loads of laundry with the baby detergent, washing everything from clothes to Boppy covers to sheets and towels. We got the carseat and bases installed in both cars and passed a check at the fire department with flying colors ~ the fireman said Mark was only the 4th person of HUNDREDS he's inspected since getting certified that got it right the first time. Wow. Go Mark!!! (And everyone else - go have your carseats checked!!) So, we practiced with the seat a little, adjusting the straps and all that....it's not as simple as you'd think. Here's the temporary occupant/guinea pig for the carseat (yes, I have been riding around like this - ha!!)



We also got a bed set up for Mom in our family room so she'll have a "real" place to sleep when she comes. Tonight we're going to work on finalizing the nursery ~ I think I've been putting it off because I just don't know what to do with the furniture arrangement. More specifically, whether or not to use the hutch that came with the dresser or shelves. So, I keep moving it to the end of my list since the baby won't be sleeping in there at first anyway. But as soon as I get all that figured out, I'll post some pics. :) Here's another belly one in the meantime....

When Will He Be Here?!?!

So, do you think he'll come early or late? Three things to consider:

1. We're due July 14.

2. There's a full moon on July 7.

3. They say first babies usually come late.

I posted a new poll on the right of the blog ~ go ahead and vote!! :)

Officially FULL TERM!

Well, we're closing in on the end of 37 weeks, which means in a day or two, the baby will officially be FULL TERM! Wow! I'm so thankful for this milestone. At the doctor last Thursday, everything looked great, and I am not dilated any yet - which he said was normal. What is normal is the slight swelling and tiredness I've been having lately, but again, most days I can still see my ankle bones and make it through the day without a nap, so I consider myself lucky :)

I'm not going to divulge the total number of pounds gained so far (LOL) but I'm certainly still growing, despite all I've read that says in the last few weeks, "you may even lose a pound or two!" HA! Not happening here ~ check out the latest belly pic:

The doctor also said last week that it was time for me start resting up for the big day, so Monday June 29 (TOMORROW!!) is my last day at work ~ YiPpEe!!!!!! So, unless tomorrow's the day, what a relief to know I won't go into labor at "the Eastman"...ha ha!! Really, though, I am very glad to have this opportunity to rest up considering how super busy we've been lately with baby stuff, baseball, baby showers, and such. I think the first thing I'm going to do after a big fat midday nap is finish packing my bags for the hospital!!

35 Week Appointment

32 days and counting!! I'm so excited this baby boy's almost here! I had my next doctor's appointment on Monday, and everything went great. He's measuring right on, heartbeat was 136 bpm, and blood sugar had improved since last time (probably since I didn't eat a big ol' bowl of Apple Jacks right before this appointment like my previous one - ha!).

I saw Dr. May this time and he was able to tell that the baby is facing head down - Whew! Let's just hope he doesn't get too frisky and turn around in the next few weeks :) He showed me how he teaches medical students to tell what part is where on a pregnant belly ~ it was so cool! It's all in the how you move your hands to palpitate the abdomen. Turns out the pokey thing I've been feeling around my belly button is his bottom!! Dr. May reminded me that babies don't have much fat back there yet, so I've been feeling his tailbone - hee hee!! Sorry Baby - you've been getting lots of pokes in the booty lately...I thought it was a foot or elbow!!

We've also been going to Lamaze classes for the past two Tuesdays. Not many people teach or take these anymore, but I found a nurse at ETSU that's a certified Lamaze instructor. For us, the whole point of this is not to try to make it through labor unmedicated, etc.. (HA!), but really just to get some idea of what to expect and how to cope a little better (i.e. avoid crying and panicking - which doctor's offices tend to do to me sometimes!!)

It's turned out to be just that - which is GREAT. We've learned tons more than was offered at the hospital-offered classes, and best of all, it's not only focused on (obviously) mom's role, but Dad's, too. We've really learned good ways to communicate, what to expect from each other, and how to get through this as a team. I think Mark really appreciates having some idea of what's going on...we've learned what all the terms the doctors will use mean, exactly what's happening during each stage of labor, and what's normal and what's not. Hopefully this will take a lot (OK, maybe some) of the "fear of the unknown" away :)

OH! P.S. Thanks to everyone that left a comment on our photographer's blog ~ we get a free 8x10 now!!

Where Does the Time Go?

Well, the last week of May was a fun whirlwind of activity, and I really can't believe May's gone already! To start off the last weekend of the month, Thursday night was Bunco! time ~ I'd been waiting all month for this fun girl time :) So, we're at Brenda's house this month, and I saw this cute cake and thought, "Wow! That's fancy...I bet it's delicious. Can't wait until halftime to try some!"....well, little did I know I was in for a surprise. The Bunco Babes had planned a surprise shower for me!! I really didn't expect that, and again, am so blown away by everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity...what a sweet bunch of ladies ~ I'm so glad I'm a Bunco Babe!! I wish I had some pictures, but Janet (who did bring her camera and take some) just became a Nana over the weekend!! I'm so happy for her! And will just have to get those pics another time :)

I did get a picture with my camera of the cake topper.......how cute!!

Then on Friday, Mom came up to spend the night and go to a baby shower my girlfriends were having on Saturday. So, we made the most of our short time and did several errands around town. The most exciting was picking up the bedding that was finally ready!! The crib skirt, bumper and valence were BEAUTIFUL and it was such a relief to get them early enough....remember we only have about 6 weeks to go! So, we got that home, and did a few more things around town.

Saturday's shower was amazing, to say the least. My girlfriends really worked hard to make it special and I so appreciate it! I loved seeing all my Jr. League friends; Jennifer, whom I hadn't seen in at least a year (!); and lots of Mark's family that were so sweet to drive all the way from several hours away.

The Hostesses with the Mostesses!

Mark's mom Susanah, Aunts Ginger and Jodie, and cousin Anna

Mom and Me

Sweet Friends O' Mine :)

Belly Shots by the Pros

Two posts in two days?! I told you there would be a flurry of activity here as I caught up on all that's been going on, didn't I?! Well, I am SO excited to show you our maternity photos! This photographer, Rachel Anglen, took some family pictures of us last fall that we used for our Christmas card, and I think she's got such a cool style. Check out these maternity pictures she took at Allendale mansion (yes! That's where we got married...I thought that was so special :)

If you have a chance, please leave a comment on her blog. If we get 10 comments, we get a free 8x10 ~ yippee!! Click on the link below....

Anglen Photography Blog

So....which one is YOUR favorite?! I'd love to hear!!

Takin' Care of Business!!

Memorial Day weekend was a much needed time to really knock some things off our To-Do list, and it felt so great to get them accomplished!

A few weekends ago, we bought the crib and dresser, so I worked on clearing out and organizing the nursery so we could get the furniture set up. Here's Daddy putting together the crib!!!

It turned out gorgeous...now I can't wait to get the bedding on it! I filled up the dresser drawers with a bunch of clothes my sister Anne lent me (THANK YOU!), and had fun laying out goodies from the shower in Gastonia on top of the dresser. It's so fun to look at it all and think of our baby boy getting here soon :)

Thank goodness we had an extra day this weekend, because we still had a ton to do! We went to Lowe's and got a dimmer switch for the baby's room, bags of mulch for the flower beds, and some herbs to pot. Mark spent a lot of time on the yard getting the flower beds looking good, pruning bushes, clearing out dead stuff from the winter, and it looked GREAT! I wish I had a Before-and-After picture!!

We also finally decided on a glider rocker, bought it and took it to the upholstery place. Mom had given me some beautiful fabric that matched the nursery perfectly, so we're going to have it recovered. Here's what it looks like in style, before new fabric...I really like that it looks more like a chair than a baby-specific piece of furniture.

We also cleaned the house completely (I say "we"....meaning my sweet husband did the lion's share of the work since I tire out in 8 seconds flat these days...), and went to the grocery store, too. Good thing I started the weekend off with an insane amount of sleep ~ 8:30 pm on Friday 'til 9:00 am on Saturday!!! I knew I was going to need it!

Finally, here's the latest belly shot collage with a few new ones - the latest being 33 weeks...I don't know how much more I can stretch!!

May Showers

Ok, this really bugs me to be so behind on my posts, so you may see a flurry of activity here in the next few days/weeks as I catch up on all the fun things happening as we wait for Baby Boy Williams :)

Lately, I have been overwhelmed with the thoughtfulness and generosity of my co-workers, friends, and family. Check out this cute "cake" and keepsake basket at a Going Away/You're Having a Baby! luncheon at work when I moved departments. I REALLY miss everyone and can't wait to get back over there when my rotation's over!!!

A few weeks later, it was time for my first baby shower! How exciting!!! We made the trip to Gastonia for a wonderful shower hosted by my sweet sisters :) Here we are ~ I love them so much!!

We had tons of yummy food - Anne's delicious cupcakes and Laura's ham biscuits were my favorite. I so enjoyed seeing all my aunts, cousins, and friends from my hometown.

Great aunts, cousins and more!

What a cute outfit from Aunt Liz!

Mom and Me :)

Laura and me, having so much fun!!!

I love the month of May!

My usual two reasons for loving May: 1) it finally starts to warm up and 2) my birthday. This year, add one to it ~ Mother's Day! This was my first semi-official Mother's Day as a real mommy :) How exciting!! I got two sweet cards (one from my awesome hubby!) and flowers, too. And, at church, I got a gift they had for all the moms. It sure felt good to be a part of it all!

I had a great birthday, too. Dinner out with the girls, with Mark as my handsome date (he's such a good sport!!) Here's our picture - this one actually involves me wearing "normal" clothes instead of "the belly picture" outfit :)

We ate a delicious dinner at Carraba's and then went to Jack's Grill for an ENORMOUS piece of chocolate cake ~ does it get any better?!!

Here we are ~ celebrating Jessica and my birthdays! Tracy and April, where were you guys when we were taking pics?!! ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

This Mother's Day, I'm very thankful to be so blessed! First, what a wonderful mother I have...she's an unbelievable, never-ending supply of love, support, advice and friendship :) Thanks, Mom!! And second, I'm on my way to being a Mommy, too! I know how lucky I am to have this opportunity and am treasuring every moment.

Last week, we got another little peek at our son on 3D/4D ultrasound. "Little" peek it was, literally...he was not very cooperative!! For 45 minutes, he either faced my back or put his arm over his face, so we only got a few shots and they were a bit blurry. BUT, it was amazing watching him wiggle around in there. We got to see him playing with his ear, opening his mouth, grabbing the umbilical cord (and pulling it where? In front of his face, of course!), and kicking his little feet around ~ so sweet!!

Here's my favorite photo...look at those chubby cheeks!!

Here he is sucking on his arm....he just wouldn't put it down!

And here are those cute feet...Wow! What long toes :) (It's not really a foot cut off hanging in mid-air. It just looks like that when they pick an area to zoom in on.)

He's actually starting to look like a "real" baby in there!! It's hard for me to believe sometimes ~ until my belly starts jumping all around like it literally has a life of its own. Lately, I've been able to see and feel his feet or hands through my skin! Only 9 more weeks and I'll be holding those little feet in my own hands ~ I can't wait!!

~ Nursery Time ~

I really cannot believe how busy Mark and I have been getting ready for this little one lately. Mostly it’s been none of the “fun” stuff….just making room in the house. Last week, we cleaned out SO MUCH stuff, you’d have thought we were moving! I’m talking about a garage full of extra bedding, blankets, lamps, a bedroom set of furniture, clothes (who knows why we didn’t ditch those ugly things at the last 3 yardsales we’ve had!), yards and yards of fabric from several abandoned sewing projects, toys…you name it – we’re getting rid of it!

So, we’re eyeing this enormous pile of yardsale items and reveling in how much extra room and storage we’re going to have ~ Yes, Closet Space Galore!!! ~ until we go back inside and see that it looks NO DIFFERENT. Except the closets are neater (vs. empty) and the baby’s room is now just full of random baby stuff, not our junk anymore. *SIGH*

One fun thing I’ve done, though, is pick out the fabrics and “theme” for baby’s room! Here are some pics of the fabrics ~ we’re doing green and brown for this little guy. After seeing all the tons of infant clothes in the past few months and how basically for boys, they’re all baby blue, I was already getting tired of blue, blue, blue :) So, here are the two main fabrics with the animal print for an accent:

The curtains and bumper will be the character fabric, called “Storytime”. I think it may be named after some Beatrix Potter stories? The crib skirt will be made from the stripe, and piping and ties, etc. will be the cheetah fabric. Had to spice it up some, you know?! The walls are already a nice shade of very neutral taupe that matches the browns perfectly, so no paint needed! (You're welcome, Daddy ;)

Well, tonight is the first night of our Prenatal Classes at the hospital. On the agenda for tonight….”the video” of a birth. Oh BOY. I’m not looking forward to this….more in the mindset of what I don’t know won’t hurt me ~ ha! Then tomorrow is our 3D ultrasound – I can’t wait to see my little guy’s face :) I just hope he’s not going to act shy or flip over towards my back. I might have a 20 minute video of his booty to show off, then!!! Stay tuned…