My First Week As a Mom!

Time flies! I can't believe Harper is already a week old! It went by so fast. It was such an incredible first week. Last Saturday, September 18th, I went into Spartanburg Regional Hospital. Somehow Erik and I stayed pretty calm. You hear horror stories about giving birth, everyone seems to have one when you are pregnant, but I knew I would be fine and I was just so excited to meet my baby that I think I was able to relax.

We were fully prepared. We packed our bags weeks ago and had them ready to go in the back of his jeep. When we arrived at the hospital we were greeted by a wonderful group of nurses. They were all amazing and very helpful. They made me feel comfortable and at ease. I think it takes a very special person to be a nurse and I really admire all of the folks the nursing field! I don't know how they do it.

The first few hours of contractions were painful but not as horrible as I expected. I found I liked squeezing the sheets on the hospital bed. Erik sprayed my face with Maclaren Balancing Facial Mist and that helped me relax some. I kept the Clemson vs. Auburn game on in the room too and it helped to have the distraction from the pain. (I think Erik enjoyed having the baby on a Saturday! He was able to watch college football all day long.)

I decided to go ahead and get an epidural. Ladies, if you are even questioning whether or not you should get one, I would definitely recommend it! After I received the epidural I was able to enjoy the experience and soak it all in. I don't think I could have really enjoyed it and stayed so happy and excited if I tried to go without it.

I started feeling some pain again when I was 8cm dialated. I progressed much faster than we originally expected. So I was a little worried that I felt pain but the doctor came in and checked and said it was because I was about to have my baby! I think that is when reality sunk in. Erik's look on his face was priceless. He was like, wait already!? So the pushing began. I was told that I am one heck of a "pusher." Haha. The nurses and doctors seemed very impressed. After about 30 minutes of pushing, Harper arrived! Erik was brave and cut the umbilical cord. He was nervous about cutting it beforehand but I think after he watched his baby being born his fears went away. Harper came out crying, opened his eyes and took a look around. He was perfect! Happy, healthy, and beautiful! He weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. The first time I held him I was completely in awe. I thought I would be bawling like a baby but I actually smiled from ear to ear the entire time. It was such an amazing experience and was better than I could have ever imagined. The first time your little baby looks up at you, it is the most amazing feeling- your heart just melts and right then and there you know your life is never going to be the same- it is going to be a million times better.

Harper just woke up from his nap so I better go tend to this hungry little man. I will try to post about the rest of my experience tomorrow!

Of all the blessings God sends from above, the one most precious is a new baby to love.

So In Love!

Wow, I am so blessed. I really can't find the words to describe the way I feel about this little guy right now.  I am so in love! Every little wiggle, burp, coo, smile... amazes me. I never thought I would get so excited to change a dirty diaper but I do. I check his diaper and when they are soiled I find myself letting out a little cheer before I check it off his feeding chart.

The nights are long. Harper likes to get up and alert around 4AM. But I love when his eyes are open and he is sitting there staring up at me. The sleep deprivation is well worth it! He is taking a nap right now but I have to go wake him for his feeding. I will try to blog about my wonderful birthing experience soon!

The last few days have been quite a whirlwind. My days have turned to nights and my nights have turned into days. So I apologize to all my friends and family for not returning their phone calls, e-mails, and texts. Hopefully I can catch up with everyone by next week!

In the meantime, here are a few photos from the hospital. He is such a handsome little guy.

My sweet boy napping in the hospital bed with me.

He loves to sleep with his little hand underneath his chin! 

Harper with his sweet Auntie Risa!

I love when he opens those big eyes!

You can't tell by the photo but he has beautiful dark blue eyes.

Erik driving home from the hospital with Harper's gigantic stuffed bear up front!

More photos and updates soon! Thank you all for your sweet comments, blessings, and prayers! They really mean the world to us. It is such a wonderful feeling knowing that our little boy is so loved!

33 Weeks Pregnant!

I am really excited about the upcoming week!! I have tons of things going on. Tonight is my first Junior League of Spartanburg meeting. I am trying to decide whether or not to join. I really want to give back to my community and I think Junior League is a great way to get involved and meet other girls my age. So it could be a great idea and opportunity. I am a little worried about joining with the new baby on the way but I think because we are going to have so much help with Harper from our family and friends that I could still handle the responsibilities of Junior League. Marisa and I are going to the meeting tonight to learn a little more about it!

Then on Wednesday we have our 3-D ultrasound. I CAN'T wait!! Erik is back in town.. yippie! And he is supposed to finish up his photo shoot on Wednesday in the late afternoon which leaves us time to go to Powdersville to get the 3-D ultrasounds.

We might get pregnancy photos taken this week. A photographer in town mentioned that he would like to take photos of me, Erik, and the bump in exchange for letting him use them in his portfolio. So hopefully it will work out and we can get some cool shots.

And I am supposed to sign up for a tour of the hospital this week. I am trying to figure out a time that works with Erik so he can join in the fun.

It is getting close only about 6 weeks to go!

How big is the baby- He is a little over 4 pounds!!! So exciting.

Weight gain? My belly is legit! Seriously growing every day. I actually bought a dress two weeks ago to wear to my shower this past weekend and I couldn't zip it up! I was disappointed the dress didn't fit but was actually really excited that the little man is growing so much.

Stretch Marks? Not yet. I have been using Maclaren Supporting belly balm and I seriously LOVE IT!! If you are an expecting mother, you should give it a try. It is made with moisturizing Shea Butter that helps prevent stretch marks and contains Rosehip oil which promotes cell regeneration and skin elasticity. It also contains Orange, Mandarin and Neroli to assist in hydrating, repairing and regenerating the skin. I tried two other belly balms during my pregnancy and this one is by far my favorite!! It isn't sticky and it goes on so soft. Plus my husband likes the scent much better than the other belly balms. I think the orange gives it the sweet scent.

Maternity Clothes? I went to Target to buy a maternity dress for the shower but they were really slacking in the maternity department. So I ended up buying the dress in the photo above instead. It was in the ladies section but it was nice and pouffy so it fit over my belly!

Sleep? I sleep a lot! And Harper loves to karate chop me as soon as I lay down in bed. He starts moving with 2 minutes of me lying on my back. It is hysterical. And these are not small kicks... they actually move the sheets on the bed. But I have trained myself to sleep through most of it. The hardest part for me is actually getting out of bed. I feel like I am completely off-balanced. So I kinda have to roll off or get Erik to help pull me up.

Best Moment of the Week? On Saturday we had another amazing baby shower. Erik's Aunt Anna and his momma hosted it. It had a rock star theme and everything was perfect! We had such a wonderful time and we feel so blessed to have the love and support of so many loved ones. We received our Chicco travel system and our big Chicco play yard along with tons of other wonderful gifts!! I am going to post photos and more details from the shower tomorrow.

Food Cravings? Ice cream. I think the crazy heat plays a big part in this craving!

Name? So I only know a single person named"Harper." I actually babysat him growing up and always loved the name. Erik and I really wanted to find a unique name and decided to go with Harper since it was so original. Well guess what name made the new trendy baby name list?! Harper of course!! I opened up Yahoo.com and right on the front page the article said, "Welcome Tenley, Harper, Castiel and Bentley: The Hottest Baby Names of 2010." Now what are the odds of that!? I really hope it doesn't become "trendy." But I still love it!

Movement? The boy wants out of the belly. He kicks me all day long. I started chuckling in church yesterday because he was kicking so hard Erik could actually see the fabric of my dress moving back and forth!

What I Miss? Having a ton of energy. I feel like I am sleepy all of the time!

Fun Fact? This week he's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

As the baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course. (I have bumped into my fair share of doors and chairs at this point! I feel so off-balanced!)

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks

How big is your baby?  He has gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. He is almost a foot long! The size of an ear of corn! hehe

Weight gain? I need to buy a scale. I think I have gained a good 10 pounds plus at this point. My belly is growing by the day. It is kind of crazy. You wake up one day and have a belly. Then from that point on I really feel like it gets bigger every single day. This little guy seems to grow outwards. Kind of like a torpedo. Which is nice because it is still possible to wear quite a bit of my normal clothing if they items are baggy over the the belly region. 

Strech marks? Not yet. To all of you mamas, when do these normally start to appear? I am paranoid... 

Maternity Clothes? I enjoy wearing my one red maternity dress from Target!! But for the most part I have made it this far with my sundresses. So far, being preggo in the summer time has been perfect! I mean I miss drinking daiquiris but the clothing situation has been much easier than expected!! Now I want to have my next baby over the summer too...but not for about 2-3 years ;) 

Sleep? As soon as I lay down to sleep, baby has a rave in my belly. It is crazy to watch my tummy move. But I love it. I start thinking about what he is up to in there... and try to figure out what position his little body is in. He has quite a strong kick. Luckily I can sleep through anything, and it doesn't bother me. Erik and I usually stay up for thirty minutes and feel him kick then I eventually pass out.

Best moment of the week? Coming to Charleston with Erik and seeing Sarah, Hunter, Brooke and Brice at dinner. It was great to see my friends again. I have missed them!! 

Food Cravings? I crave slushies. If we pass a snow cone place, I have to stop. But overall I seem to eat more meals but smaller portions. It is like my belly can't seem to fit as much food in it now. So I eat constantly but I never finish my meals. Luckily Erik is great at eating my leftovers! 

Gender? Still a Baby BOY!!! hehe 

Movement? Constantly. Sometimes I can feel him for several minutes straight. I think he wants out. 

What I miss? We went out on the boat this week... I miss tubing and wake boarding. It is hard to lounge around all the time when I am used to being so active. 

Belly Button? Innie for now. But it looks funny! 

What I am looking forward to? Enjoying another day in beautiful Charleston with my hubby!    Finishing up the renovations at the house!!   

Milestone? Made it to LA and back with baby on board. Long flights.... and I only had to pee once on the flight to LA! ha! 

Interesting facts at this point of my pregnancy:
In the past few weeks, the top of my uterus has risen above my belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

23 Weeks

Somehow I managed to miss week 22. OOPS!! But I wanted to go ahead and get caught up so here is week 23. It has been a great week so far. I am a few days away from being 6 months pregnant. Now that is crazy. God has blessed me with such an amazing and easy pregnancy. I am so very thankful!! 


How far along? 23 weeks

How big is your baby?  He is about 11 inches long and weighs over one pound! His sense of movement  is well developed by now, and baby can feel me dance! 

Weight gain? I am not sure of the exact weight gain but I am definitely growing. Luckily I am growing outwards and not sideways. It looks like I have an upside down bowl on my belly. 

Strech marks? Still buttering up the belly. No stretch marks. YIPPY! 

Maternity Clothes? Still wearing my sundresses but I decided to go to Target this week and but my first "maternity" dress. It is red and quite cute. I also had to buy a new bra. HA! I hope those stop growing soon... my back is starting to hurt and I think my alignment is going out of whack... I guess that means another maternity massage! Target has some cute maternity clothes. And they are very inexpensive. Expecting mothers should check it out. 

Sleep? Baby starts moving and bouncing around at night. He is a night owl, just like his mama! Sometimes he will let out a good kick. Maybe we have a soccer player on our hands? Or a punter? I love feeling him move. And I have noticed I rub my belly all of the time now. Even when I am walking around, I rub my belly without even realizing I am doing it. Do all expecting moms do this? 

Best moment of the week? Watching my dad and Erik put up a new wall in the master bedroom and build a massive closet. I was spoiled in college and had huge walk-in closets. So, dad and Erik decided to add on several more feet to my closet to ensure I have plenty of storage space! I am one lucky girl! And going out to dinner to Bonefish Grill with the Huffman's for Gary's birthday. We had an amazing and massive meal. I know Baby H enjoyed it! 

Food Cravings? Chili hotdogs. I was never a hotdog fan growing up. As a matter of fact, I actually disliked hotdogs. But lately I have been craving loaded chili dogs. I had one for lunch and man it was tasty! 

Gender? Baby BOY!!! I think I am pretty set on a name too! But that will be another post. 

Movement? He is a wiggler. I love it!!! 

What I miss? We went for mexican food this week. I wanted a margarita. And I had a hard time not ordering tuna at Bonefish! But my meal was still fantastic. 

Belly Button? Innie but it is starting to look like it wants to change. 

What I am looking forward to? Spending the weekend with the family before I head to LA on Monday for work. I will be  gone for an entire week so I am going to miss everyone. I should get the baby a frequent flyer card... this is technically his third flight. Second to LA and we went to NYC once. He is a jet-setter. 

Milestone? Serious belly growth. 


PS, tomorrow I will take baby bump photos for Sunday's blog post. I meant to take some today but my camera died while I was taking photos of Fender attacking the sprinkler water. 

20 Weeks

How far along? 20.5 Weeks

How big are babies? He weighs about 10.5 ounces  and is about 6.5 inches long (the length of a banana!) hehehe

Weight gain? I POPPED!! I finally have a baby belly! woo hoo!  I have probably gained 2-3 pounds now. 

Strech marks? Not yet. I am getting a pre natal massage tomorrow. So I think they are going to apply lots of shea butter. Hopefully I can prevent them.

Maternity Clothes? Nope, still fit most of my clothing but my jeans are snug and a little uncomfortable. I wear lots of sun dresses. They are so easy and so comfortable!!  

Sleep? Sleeping good this week. I needed a few more hours of sleep the past few days. But we were moving and I was packing. So hopefully I can get a good nights sleep tonight. 

Best moment of the week? Realizing that the worst part of the move is over and we can finally start unpacking, organizing, and enjoy  living near our families. 

Food Cravings? I craved ice cream this week! And bacon! Strange combo! ha. But I didn't crave them at the same time...  

Gender? Baby BOY!!!

Movement? I felt him move for the first time on Mother's Day. It was so amazing. He was really moving and shaking. Erik put his hand on my belly and could feel him too. It was unbelievable.  

What I miss? I missed margaritas on Cinco de Mayo. I really miss sushi! I want some tuna tataki!! 

Belly Button? Innie

What I am looking forward to? Feeling him kick more. It really is the coolest thing. Erik was so tickled too. 

Milestone? Feeling him move and moving to the lake! I was pretty proud of myself... I helped pack about 20 boxes. Don't worry, I didn't lift them. But I worked my preggo butt off.