Life as a Wife

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Robert was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and we flew home with him on Friday.  He did so well on the planes.  He pretty much slept the entire time and ate during the layover.  He’s such a beautiful baby and a delight.  We are very much enjoying having him home with us, although we are trying to rearrange his sleep schedule.  He tends to love the hours between 11PM and 3AM, and Mommy and Daddy are not happy about that.  Christopher and I have been trying to tag-team baby time so that we don’t go too crazy.  It’s very difficult work figuring out what Robert needs and when, but I think we are learning.  Robert is doing very well health-wise, and his first cardiologist check-up will be on November 17th.

I just can’t get over how cute Robert is or that I have a little baby.  God has really blessed us with him.

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First I want to thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and the help we’ve been getting in various areas.  I cannot tell you how much it means to us to know that we have such wonderful family and friends who are praying for Robert and for us.  The huge positive response we have been getting has left me in tears a few times.  You all really mean a lot to us.

This has been a very difficult and stressful week for us, as I’m sure you can imagine.  It’s impossible to get enough sleep and to help my body recover properly but I’m trying.  My main concern is for Robert, and Christopher and I spend every moment we can beside his bed rubbing his head and his hands and just watching him.  I cannot get over how beautiful he is and what a delight he has been to us already.

We are very impressed with the care Robert is getting at this hospital (CHOP).  His nurses are always very attentative and they answer all of our questions with care.  They are only assigned one other baby besides Robert so they are able to spend a lot of time with him when we can’t which is a huge comfort to me.  I hate to think of my baby crying and not having anyone around to comfort him.

We were told that we should be able to bring him home by Friday if all continues to go well, so we are hoping that the week flys by and we can come home this weekend with our son.  I can’t wait for you all to meet him. My family has gotten to see Robert but they have not been able to hold or spend time with him and I can’t wait for them to be able to do so.  It will also be nice to be back home in our own surroundings and have a real chance to get to know Robert and he us.

Please continue to pray for us all.  We hope to see you soon!

Rashell

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Or so the doctor says.  But he’s been doing this for 20-something years, so I think he can be trusted.  I am dilated to a one, and the baby is extremely low and in position.  The doctor ordered me to stay close to home/ to the hospital because I could go into labor at any time and he believes that I’ll have a fairly quick labor.  All of that is very encouraging, but at the same time I’m trying to be realistic and open to not having Robert for another couple of weeks.  November 1st is two and a half weeks away, and I’ve always heard that first babies will come late so that is what I keep telling myself, while at the same time preparing for labor at any time.  I finally started to pack my bags last night, and I made a list of everything I’ll need for the hospital so that I can make sure I have everything at the last minute.

I still feel good except for being incredibly tired all the time.  By Thursday of last week I was in cry-for-no-reason mode because I was so exhausted and I felt the same way yesterday.  Give me another couple of hours and I’m sure I’ll be that way today as well.  I can feel it coming.  I’m still going to work Monday-Thursday so I don’t get much sleep during the week.  I get one and a half to two hours of sleep at a time during the night and there’s no time for naps during the day, so I just have to push myself along for seven hours at work.  I only have ten more days (including today) of work left before I go on maternity leave, unless Robert comes sooner, and I’m hoping that I’ll survive.

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Last night Christopher and I went to Target to exchange a folding chair.  It was raining so we had the umbrella and as we were walking in the door to Target Christopher said, “Target really has a very distinctive smell.”  I said, “What?  The umbrella?”  And he said, “No, Target.” 

We found a nice chair and we bought it.  We were just about to walk out of Target when Christopher asked me where the umbrella was.  I thought a minute and said, “It’s with my purse.”  “Well, where’s your purse?”  “In the aisle where we found the chair.”  So Christopher waited at the front with the chair while I dashed all the way to the back of the store hoping and praying that my purse and umbrella were where I left them.  They were.

This morning I woke up and looked at the clock.  It said 7:03.  I’m supposed to get up at 6:40.  I turned around to wake Christopher up but I saw him, fully dressed, walking towards me.  I told him that my alarm didn’t go off and he said that it did.  I didn’t remember.  I jumped out of bed and washed my face and put in my contacts.  When I came back in the room at 7:15 my alarm was going off.  Apparently, it had been going off every seven minutes since 6:40 and I had been pushing the snooze button and I honestly don’t remember any of it.

There are at least two or three more silly stories, but of course I can’t remember them right now.  I was clumsy and forgetful before pregnancy, but it has definitely gotten worse these past six months. 

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We have been in our new apartment for three or four weeks now and we love it.  It’s so nice to have that extra space.  I still have a lot of unpacking to do as boxes fill up the floor of the baby’s room, but I’ll get to that.  My shower isn’t until September sometime so I have time until then to get it all cleaned up and put away.

I had my gestational diabetes test done on Friday and I passed!  My doctor told me (and I had figured this out on my own, too) that because of my PCOS I was high risk for GD, so I was a bit nervous going into the test.  God has been good, as always, though, and He has kept both me and Robert safe and healthy thus far in this pregnancy.  I am nearly 26 weeks along now, and Christopher and I just cannot wait to meet our little boy.  He still moves around all the time and last night Christopher swore he felt the baby’s hand.  Robert loves to wriggle around and he does not like it when Mommy squishes him. 

Dad set a firm wedding date for September 13th, so it looks like our family will be changing drastically a lot sooner than we thought.  I am basically okay with this, though, because I know how lonely Dad is.  It’s just going to be so difficult having Dad live somewhere else and having another woman around all the time and adjusting to an entire new family.  I never thought that *our* family would end up with step siblings and nieces, etc. but here we are!

Christopher starts school again this year on August 20th which will be our third anniversary.  I’ve already told him that we are going out to a very nice dinner and we are having fun this year.  Our second anniversary was surrounded by Mom’s death and funeral and burial so it was very difficult to do any celebrating although we did enjoy a nice dinner at Outback.  This year, however, we will not dwell on all that!  (Who am I kidding?)

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That’s right.  We’re having a boy!  He is as healthy as can be and is measuring a week ahead of schedule.  I always knew that any child of Christopher’s would be a big baby.  I just hope he doesn’t end up being a 9 or 10 pounder like my nephew!  The nurse who did my ultrasound estimated that the baby weights about 1.2 lbs already.  I am 21.3 weeks now and feeling the baby move every day.  It’s such a neat feeling, and I love it when Christopher can feel it, too.  On Father’s Day I prayed that the baby would be very active because Christopher hadn’t felt him in a while and I thought it’d be a great Father’s Day present.  I’m not sure that the baby ever stopped moving that day!  It was so fun feeling him flip around and kick and do whatever else he was doing in there.  Yesterday before the ultrasound I felt some pretty strong movement on my left side just beside my belly button and in the ultrasound I found out that that is exactly where the little guy’s feet were.  It was another amazing experience getting to see our baby and hearing his heart beat.  I can’t wait to meet him.

Our families are so excited about this little boy, especially my grandfather, dad and dad’s fiancee, Lou Ann.  Everyone is talking about how they are going to spoil him and what they are going to buy.  As soon as my sister found out the news last night she went to Wal-Mart and bought some baby things.  I have yet to buy anything, but I bet I’ll cave in soon.  I’m so happy to finally know for sure that we are having a boy (I’ve always suspected it!).  We thank God for this blessing every day, and I hope He’ll let my mom know that she’s going to have another grandson.

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All weekend long I have had sensations in my belly that I have been wondering about- is it baby?  Gas?  Some other weird pregnancy thing?  But today I decided that it is DEFINITELY baby.  He/she was kicking nice and strong, and I felt five kicks.  It was so amazing.  I can’t wait to feel that more regularly, although I am careful what I wish upon myself because I still want to sleep at night without interruptions from a little person just yet.

Thursday I had another check-up and everything still looks great.  The baby’s heart rate was 154 which I was told was absolutely perfect.  At the end of the appointment I was able to schedule the gender ultrasound.  Wooo-hooo!  God willing, on June 23rd we will find out if we are having a girl or a boy, and I cannot wait.  Less than four weeks away!

Morning sickness seems to be gone, finally, praise God, but now I suffer from frequent headaches that nothing will take care of except time.  But I think I’d rather have that then the constant nausea.   People tell me all the time that I’m not showing at all, but I can definitely see and feel a big difference.  My belly feels so heavy all the time and sometimes I’m afraid that I’m already starting to waddle.

My dad announced to us kids on Sunday that he is engaged.  I am very happy for him, but it’s still really hard, especially just nine months after Mom died.  But I want Dad to be happy and not lonely, so I’m glad the Lord has blessed him with someone so quickly.

Christopher is loving his job as a lawyer, and he’s doing very well.  His company seems to like him because they keep giving him these really huge paychecks every Friday.  ;)  He has two more years of law school left, and he’s already looking forward to being a full-time lawyer when he graduates (me too!).

So that’s what’s going on in our neck of the woods!  I’ll keep updating as necessary.

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Prego Brain is:

Having to ask your husband to remind you what your address is.

Forgetting important dates that people have told you about 20 times and that you have written down.

Almost mailing a birthday card an entire month early because you got your months mixed up.

Forgetting how to use a very basic and easy can opener.

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Christopher and I are amazed each and every day by this little child growing inside of me.  We just can’t believe how God has blessed us with this special gift.  We marvel at how my belly is growing and we look forward to the day when we’ll get to feel the baby moving around.  I thought I felt a movement this morning, but then I realized it was just the water hitting my belly in an odd way.  Besides, at 14 weeks, it’s way too early for me to be feeling the baby move.  Even so, every day I try to really concentrate to see if I can feel anything. 

I am so excited to finally be in the second trimester.  It hasn’t seemed to do anything for the morning sickness thus far, but my appetite is improving a bit.  I need get an exercise routine together now and move move move so I can stay healthy and not gain too much weight.  I would love to go for a walk every day but I don’t feel safe doing that by myself in downtown Jackson, even in the middle of the day.

Christopher took a picture of my 14 week belly yesterday, and hopefully we’ll get that posted in my album soon.  You can see a slight progression from 8 weeks to now.  I’m loving it. 

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