Passed Out!

I took a few pictures of the boys this past Saturday. Daddy and Harper passed out for a few hours. They were so cute sleeping on the glider together! Harper even had his sweet "I heart my dad" shirt on that Auntie Bri gave him! How appropriate. I had to take a few photos:

Erik got off work early today so we are off to run a bunch of errands. I am not allowed to drive until Saturday. Apparently women are not supposed to drive for two weeks after they give birth. So it is really nice to have him here so we can start knocking things off my to-do list!

Check-up and Photos!

Yesterday was Harper's first doctor appointment. Everything looks great. He is down to 7 pounds. But it is perfectly normal for babies to loose up to 10 percent of their body weight within the first week of their life. Now we have to make sure he gets back to 7 pounds 3 ounces by the time he is 2 weeks old. So we have another doctor appointment in 5 days to check his current weight. As much as this little man eats, I have no doubt that he will gain the weight back. 

At the doctor's office.

The doctor told us that we should sing, talk, and read to Harper every day because it helps stimulate his brain development. I already sing and talk to him every day but I hadn't started reading to him yet. So tomorrow I am pulling out the Dr. Suess books and I am pretty excited about it! 

Lately my days have consisted of feeding and sleeping. I stay up most of the night... Harper loves to eat frequently at night. But he is the best little sleeper during the day. So when he sleeps during the day, I take naps with him. It is actually working out well and I feel pretty good for the most part. I guess your body gets used to the limited amount of sleep after awhile. 

We had a wonderful weekend together! On Saturday we were able to take Harper to lunch to watch the Arkansas vs. Alabama game and he slept through the entire meal. The game was disappointing, I was really hoping that Arkasas would pull out the win... but it was a great game. And it was so nice to finally get out of the house! After lunch we took him to Kent and Marisa's for the Carolina game. He was so good. He just chills out and sleeps. This game was also a HUGE diappointment but I won't even get into that. But I would like to throw out the fact that I think Spurrier made a horrible decision by taking out Garcia for Carolina's last 2 possessions. That is way too much pressure to put on a freshman quarterback and I think he needs to build his confidence in Garcia and leave him in for the entire game... but that is a whole new post my friends. 

To all of my friends and family, I am calling everyone back this week. Sorry it has taken me so long, I have been trying to get adjusted to everything. But I am finally feeling better and I am on more of a routine. So you all will hear from me soon. ;) 

Here are a few photos taken at the hospital when Harper was 1 day old!! He is so small and sweet. Thanks again for all your kind comments and messages!! It means a lot for you to take time out of your day to share kind words. Love you guys. 

The Huffmans

Daddy loves his little man!

Harper Huffman- one day old

My little angel! 

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!

Welcome Mister Harper Michael Huffman!

Our sweet baby, Harper Michael Huffman, was born this Saturday September 18, 2010 at 3:27PM. I was blessed with a wonderful and easy delivery and beautiful and healthy baby boy! I look forward to sharing our wonderful experience with you all but for now I have to feed the baby. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes!!

John 16:21- A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

All smiles after the epidural! haha

My first look at my little man!

Harper Michael Huffman

What A Week!!

It has been a long week of anticipation and waiting. Still no baby! But I have enjoyed taking it easy! I just woke up at 12:30 this afternoon and it feels good to feel well-rested. I probably won't feel this rested for a LONG time. So I am going to enjoy it while I can.

Erik has to work late today. He is going to work, then going to a photo shoot mid-day, then back to work. So I hope Harper will hang in there a little longer. I mean if I go into labor, of course Erik will leave work immediately and come get me. But panicking while trying to figure out how to do ahold of him during a photo shoot doesn't sound very appealing. So I am going to stay seated and try not to walk around too much (walking is supposed to help induce labor. If you go for a walk or march up some stairs it is thought to bring on labor because of the pressure of the baby's head pressing down on your cervix. At the very least, walking can help get your baby into a better position for labor.) Once Erik gets home I want to take several walks around the block! O, the day in the life of a pregnant women.

If Harper comes on Saturday... he will arrive on the day of the South Carolina vs. Furman game. I went to Carolina and Erik went to Furman, so that would be kind of fun. I convinced Erik to cheer for the Cocks. I think everyone wants to see Marcus Lattimore rush over 200 yards tomorrow. That kid is a BEAST! Seriously, he is so much fun to watch. You think he is going to be tackled then somehow he manages to break the tackle and gain 7 more yards, He is the real deal!

Ha!!! I think we were dancing at tailgate

This is a really RANDOM post. Sorry folks but I am bored. Very, very, bored. Let's see what else...

Last week I went to Spartanburg Regional for a few pregnancy classes. They were wonderful and I highly recommend checking them out if you live in the Upstate. Best part, they are FREE!!

I am pretty sure it is impossible to fully prepare yourself for motherhood. But I think taking as many classes and reading as much material helps ease some of the normal fears.

Erik started playing in a new band here in South Carolina. He seems very excited. I think he was having music withdrawals! His friend from Nashville, Jameson, happened to move down to Greenville recently and missed playing music. So they decided to get together and start playing. They have a show scheduled at USC Upstate in October and they hope to book more shows across South Carolina. I think it is going to be great for Erik and I love listening to him practice. The new band, "Palmetto", is playing more country music and Southern Rock music. So I have had fun trying to convince Erik to learn a few Dierks Bently and Kenny Chesney songs! I think they found a drummer and another guitar player. So they should be playing soon!

I decided to make a few fun song lists because the CDs in my car were old and getting on my nerves This could quite possibly be the most random group of songs ever. But sometimes you just need a crazy mix in the car! I thought I should share:

1) "Ocean Avenue"- Yellowcard
2) "Say It Ain't So"- Weezer
3) "Sunday Bloody Sunday"- U2
4) "Last Dance With Mary Jane"- Tom Petty
5) "Jumper"- Third Eye Blind
6) "Wrong Way"- Sublime
7) "Interstate Love Song"- Stone Temple Pilots
8) "Jet Airliner"- Steve Miller Band
9) "Do It Again"- Steely Dan
10) "She Don't Know She's Beautiful"- Alan Jackson
11) "Brass Monkey"- The Beastie Boys
12) "Juicy"- Biggie Smalls
13) "Good Directions"- Billy Currington
14) "Sideways"- Citizen Cope
15) "Mr. Jones"- Counting Crows
16) "Ants Marching"- Dave Matthews Band
17) "Lots of Leavin' Left To Do- Dierks Bentley
18) "Long Train Runnin'" -The Doobie Brothers
19) "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"- Jay-Z

Ok, I guess that is enough random thoughts for the day. I am off to double check the nursery and hospital bags. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Still No Baby!

Harper decided to stay in my belly a little bit longer! The checkup went great and it looks like he will be here any day now. So I am patiently waiting for something, anything, to happen! I feel like a paranoid mama, I don't want to leave my house just in case my water breaks. For some reason I am comforted by the idea of my water breaking while I am in my own home. It just seems way less stressful. So I figure I will stick close to home for the next few days and I will wait for him to make his appearance.

In the meantime, more nesting. Because really... at this point, I have nothing else to do. Erik, Denise, and Gary finished the stripes in the nursery last night and I love them!!

I ordered the cutest prints from an Etsy shop awhile back. I think they will look great over the dresser. I am going to put them in white frames with Navy and white matting. I can't wait! 

I came across this print today and I think it would be a really cool addition in his nursery too! I found it on Etsy HERE! What do yall think? It is the international code flag for "H." 

Well I am off to paint another canvas. Have a wonderful Thursday!