Sawyer's Birth Story

I cannot believe it has been almost six weeks since we had our baby boy! I will be doing lots of updating and backtracking since it has been so long since my last post. So let's start with the evening of October 24, 2011....this is Sawyer's birth story.

The hubs and I wanted to go somewhere all nice and fancy to eat on the night before the big day so we decided on none other than (are you ready for this?) Cracker Barrel! Ha! It really was such an enjoyable evening. We talked, laughed, and shared our excitements and anxieties with one another. Then there were those extremely quiet moments, just thinking about what was to come on the next day. That feeling of knowing your life is going to change the very next day is indescribable. We had no idea what to expect. That night, we did some last minute packing and sat with the dogs, still just wondering what life was going to be like after baby. Surprisingly, I slept pretty good that night. Blake did not. He was more nervous than I was. I woke up at 5:00 to a text from my mom saying she was almost at my house. She was beyond excited. I jumped up out of bed, showered, and kind of just walked around like a little lost puppy. My mom arrived and she helped me get things together. At that point, I was just scatter-brained. I walked around in circles just making sure I was not forgetting anything. It was the weirdest feeling, just getting ready to leave the house, looking around, knowing it was the last time we would be just a "couple."

Leaving as a duo, coming home as a trio!! 

My mom and I before heading to the hospital. So thankful for her.

So, we packed the car and headed off. I was to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. Blake drove. I don't even remember the drive over to the hospital. Neither does Blake. I remember him looking so scared and nervous. All we remember is that it was very foggy on the way over. We stopped at a gas station near the hospital for 2 reasons. Reason #1: Blake needed his energy drink. Reason #2: Well, let's just say my stomach was absolutely rolling and I wanted to be sure I was "empty" before I started pushing! haha! Never in my life had I used the bathroom (like, really used the bathroom)  at a gas station until that moment. Funny moment.

So we arrived at the hospital  a little before 7:00 a.m and they escorted us to our room. I got into my hospital gown, sat on the hospital bed, and just waited for what was next. I was kind of freaked out at that point. We took a few pictures and then the sweetest nurse came in the room. She was wonderful right from the start! I KNOW God sent her to me. I'll tell you how nervous I was. She went to take my temperature and I stuck out my arm. Since when did they start taking temperatures with your arm? It was another funny moment. My mom and Blake were laughing uncontrollably and I was just red-faced. Nurse Kathy laughed with us. In my defense, this was my first time EVER being in a hospital bed, that I can remember anyways. At 18 months, I had surgery due to a cleft palate.

I love him. 

This lady treated me like a princess!

They broke my water around 9:00 a.m. and the contractions began. I never felt a contraction until around 1 or so that day. Let me tell ya, as soon as that first hard contraction hit, I asked for my epidural. Blake was still so nervous at this point. When the guy came to give me the epidural, Blake literally ran out of the room. Ha! He was getting pale at this point. Just the anxieties and nerves were getting to him. My mom stayed with me for the epidural. She was such an awesome supporter. She stayed right there with me and just having her hold my hand was such a big help. What in the world do people do without those things!? I thought about my granny who had 8 kids and my mom who had 4 without epidurals. Man, I admire all y'all out there who go natural. It's definitely not for me. I never really was in a lot of pain that day. This may sound crazy, but the most pain I felt was probably when they administered the IV.

My sister, Misty, had to work that day and I had planned on her being in the room with me when I delivered. I needed someone to help with mom when Blake passed out (or so I thought.) Ha! Misty was so afraid I would have Sawyer before she could make it to the hospital. Sometime after 3 p.m. she walked into the room. I was so thrilled to see her!  I wanted her there.

My dad was supposed to have one of his teacher evaluations that day and the principals made him come on the hospital. I was so excited to see him!

Around 5:30 p.m. I started pushing. This was it. Baby Sawyer was about to make his debut. Blake and I both got very emotional when the doctor finally came in. We just looked at each other with tear-filled eyes and held hands. We knew it was close. All I can remember is people coming in with tools/equipment and such and that's when Blake lost it. The nurse told him to go stand in the corner for a minute. We really thought he was going to faint. I also remember hearing my sister tell Blake, "Get over here!" So the next thing I know, Blake was standing next to me again. He seriously went from being a white ghost who was about to hit the floor to someone with a loud voice yelling at me to "push, push!" Haha! I remember looking up at him and saying, "Wait a minute, weren't you just over in the corner about to pass out?!" Blake said when he saw Sawyer's head, it all changed. He went from being nervous and scared to being full of amazement and excitement. When they saw his head, they just kept going on and on about his head full of black hair. I remember the nurse saying, "I want to braid his hair!" I was so excited! I really was hoping he would have a head full!

At 6:31 p.m., our bundle of love was born. When out of the womb, the nurses took him to clean him up and I could not wait to hold him. While they were working with him, I heard his cry. It was so stinking cute, such a quiet little cry. The moment they placed him in my arms is something I never ever want to forget. The day before I went into labor, one of my best friends, Michelle, told me that when he was born, my whole reason for being here on this earth would be clear. And clear, it was. When they put him in my arms, I felt something that I had never felt before. It was something more than I could have ever imagined. I didn't know I could love one thing so much. I just remember talking to him telling him how much fun we were going to have in this life. We couldn't get over how alert he was after just coming out from the womb!

Seeing this melted my heart. Blake is such a good daddy.

He surely is an angel sent from God. I believe that.

6 lbs. 13 oz. 201/2 inches

That is the birth story of William Sawyer Wallace. I hope to get caught up in the next few posts! Stay tuned:)

Our punkin' will be here soooon!!!

So, I went to the doc yesterday for my weekly checkup and my cervix has already dilated to a 3! It's a possibility that I could stay at that number for days or even weeks, but it also means I've gotten a pretty good head start on this whole labor thing! Yeah!!  Since I've not been having any major contractions, the doctor didn't seem overly concerned. She just gave us instructions to go ahead and preregister at the hospital. In other words, I need to get my rear in gear and get that hospital bag packed and ready! I'm counting on that full moon in the near future;)

I have 4 more days left until my maternity leave begins...whoaa!! That just sounds crazy. Seems like yesterday I was just bursting with excitement to tell my coworkers of the news. My friends at work have helped me out tremendously throughout this whole pregnancy and I couldn't be more thankful. Talk about lightening someone's load....they sure have lightened mine! They are such a sweet and caring group of people and I feel so blessed to be part of their team. They are continuously putting others before themselves and don't know how I'd make it without them. I hope I can be there for them in the future just as much as they have been there for me and Sawyer.

Pregnancy Stats

How Far Along: 37 weeks

Size of baby: according to my pregnancy tracker, Sawyer is weighs around 6.5 lbs and is between 19-22 inches. It's hard for me to comprehend that something of that size is in my tummy!

Maternity Clothes: yep, pretty much wear the same pair of maternity jeans every other day. If you don't see me in those, I'll be in a loose-flowing dress!

Movement: cramped, very cramped. At this point, he likes to give me a knee or two...maybe an elbow occasionally. I think I can feel his little hands sometimes. It's so neat!

Sleep: I fall asleep fast, but wake up early, early in the morning and can't go back to sleep. Just. Can't. Get. Comfortable.

Cravings: Finally have a true craving....regular coke. Especially from McDonald's. The fries taste pretty good with it too. So not healthy, but Sawyer seems to be satisfied. I've promised him mommy is going to get back on the bandwagon of working out after he's here:)

Symptoms: pressure....oh, and are there lots of it!!?? 

Hormones:  um, they're a little out of control. Last Saturday, I just felt the need to cry sob. Blake was confused. He just kept asking what was wrong. I told him that I didn't have a clue and to just please quit asking me. I was perfectly fine after about an hour. He's been super understanding.

A prayer of thanks: (words that express how I feel at the moment)

Dear God, 

I thank you for this blessing you are sending along our way. 

I thank you for a husband who helps me every day. 

Thank you for the blessing of having friends so dear. 

They are there to make me smile and even dry some tears. 

Thank you for Belle and Babee, two puppies I adore. 

Thank you for their puppy kisses and their greetings at the door.

Thank you for my kiddos, all 20 girls and boys. 

Thank you for their smiling faces, they always bring me joy. 
Thank you for my family, they are surely always there.
My mom who is cancer-free and every answered prayer.

Soon, our lives will change, for the better we do know.

Thank you for this time in life and always loving us so. 

Thank you for your amazing grace and making my heart whole. 

I pray our boy grows up one day and gives to you his soul. 

  

Thanks for reading my blog. Love to you all! Sawyer will be here soooooon!!! 

Counting the Days....

At our ultrasound today, we learned that Sawyer weighs 5 lbs and 6 oz! Doc said he is growing just right:) Our precious boy is being very good for mommy as he is now positioned head down and face down....in preparation for making his debut to the world! Looks like I will be induced on Oct. 25th unless he decides to come out sooner! Blake was all kinds of disappointed when I took up the offer of being induced. He REALLY wants Sawyer to be born on Halloween. Yes, he wants me to go PAST the due date! But y'all, this girl's ready! So, we shall see what the next few weeks have in store! We are very excited for this upcoming change in our lives and are both ready to face the joys and challenges of having a little bundle of joy!

Week 33: Just Waiting

So, at 32 weeks, my wonderful brother-in-law and sister invited Blake and I to tag along with them to the Isle of Palms. After much hesitation, we decided that a "baby moon" (well, not entirely) was just what we needed. We actually took our other babies with us. Surprisingly, they travel well. Blake drove and I stayed pretty comfortable for the most part. Ask me what I did when I got down there and I will tell you absolutely nothing. Besides the 2 or 3 walks on the beach with Blake and the dogs, I pretty much was worthless. Got a little vitamin D, but this was the first time I've gone to the beach and wanted to stay UNDER the umbrella. Way too hot for this pregnant lady. All in all, it was such a wonderful vacation and I am extremely thankful for the time I got to spend away with my family, hubby, and babies.


At my 32 week checkup last week, the doc started asking me some serious questions about circumcision, hospital registration, pediatricians, breastfeeding, and the hospital bag! Whoa, reality set in at that moment. She said I was measuring right on track and Sawyer's heartbeat was great. At our next appointment, we will pre-register for the hospital, talk to some folks about circumcision, and see our little guy in the last ultrasound! We are so anxious to see him again. Feels like it has been forever! I can't wait to see how much he weighs and if he has turned yet. We want him to get out of that breech position!


Blake has been my hero in these last couple of months. He has actually been home instead of at work for the past 3 weeks. He hurt his back in early summer and the doc diagnosed him with 2 disk extrusions in his back. He was on restricted duty at work for a while, but they had to send him home after 90 days of restricted duty. The doc still hasn't released him yet, so he's still at home. At first, I was in panic mode and pretty much freaked. I finally came to terms with it and realized this is one of those blessings in disguise. Blake has helped out so much at home at a time that is so needed. Y'all I don't have to do anything when I come home. Laundry is done, dishes are done, floors are clean, and the dogs are CALM! He also has supper cooked most evenings. I get to come home and relax! Last Thursday morning, I got treated to pancakes, bacon, and eggs for breakfast before work. Y'all I'm loving this. Instead of getting up at 2 a.m. to leave for his job, he is still here when I get up to get ready for work and it has been YEARS since that's happened. It's such a good and secure feeling to have him here with me all through the night. I don't wake up scared at 3 in the morning and lay there wide awake anymore. I do occasionally have some real anxiety come over me on some days...just not knowing what's going to happen with his job, but we are trusting in God and knowing that at this moment in time, God IS blessing us and He WILL take care of our needs:) He tells us to trust in Him in all things and He will give us what we need. He is the one who knows best. We know that.

Pregnancy Stats

How Far Along: 33 Weeks. 

Size of baby: will know for certain next Wednesday:) Our last ultrasound before he arrives!

Movement: Sawyer sure is getting cramped in mommy's tummy....he still likes to kick, jab, and give me an elbow occasionally. It's fun to try to determine what body part I'm feeling at the time. Blake likes to put objects on my overinflated tummy to see if he will kick them off. He did almost succeed with the remote control.

Sleep: still sleeping pretty good overall except for when I'm interrupted by the urge to pee and those painful calf cramps (those cramps can make me cry!) 

Cravings: food that's really not the best for me.Ya know, all that junk food:/

Symptoms: Sawyer is having a frequent case of the hiccups. Mommy is just having some super crazy dreams and some general anxieties about work. Also, my stomach feels like it may explode at any moment. It is as hard as a rock! 

I will update next week after we find out how much our blessing is weighing! Love to you all! 

30 Weeks

So, here I am at 30 weeks! I'm so excited to have hit the "30" mark! My clothes no longer fit and I have raided Blake's side of the closet for his t-shirts. Mine are nowhere near comfortable. I'm definitely "coming out the front" as my boss would call it:)  There have been lots of babies born over the past few weeks and seeing the sweet pictures and hearing about the experiences makes me a very excited momma!

The nursery has come together good, but we still have so much to organize. 

This has become one cluttered corner. These items still haven't found their home.

We have decided to leave the twin bed in the nursery since our bedroom is downstairs. My mom and sister will have somewhere to sleep when they stay with me! :)

Already had this chest so this will eventually be turned into a changing table.

Pregnancy Stats

How Far Along: 30 Weeks. Yay!

Size of baby: not sure exactly. According to my pregnancy tracker, he is measuring around 18 inches and weighing in at more than 3 pounds. I have a 30-week check up this week, so hopefully they will be able to give me a more accurate weight. 

Maternity Clothes: I finally had to take the plunge and go on a mini shopping spree for maternity clothes this weekend. Up until now, I have been able to get by with most of my "regular" clothes. After Thursday morning when I left the contents of my closet pretty much laying in the bathroom floor, I knew it was time. Shopping for maternity clothes is really not that fun...too expensive and just not a lot of choices.

Movement: Sawyer is still moving around like crazy. He still likes to kick me to let me know he's there:) I still get amazed when I see him move. I love him.

Sleep: Thankfully, I'm pretty much sleeping like a baby until Babee (the dog) wakes me up. 

What I miss: drinking coffee and energy drinks, being able to wear my regular clothes, being able to see below my waistline. And believe it or not, I miss working out at the gym with my girls.

Cravings: Lemonade and Sweet Tea. 

Symptoms: back aches, swelling of feet, shortness of breath (if you heard me after I walk up the stairs, you would think I had just run a marathon!) 

I survived my first week back to work with the kiddos. It's so funny to see my kids from last year when they pass me in the hallway. They do a double take just to look at my belly and see how it' s growing. It makes me smile. What's even sweeter is when I'm standing in the hall at dismissal, they ask how he's doing as they pass by to get on the bus. I love that they are concerned about baby. By Thursday evening, my feet looked big huge. I have some chubby feet anyway, so with the added swelling, they were not pretty. I was in bed by 9 Friday night. The first week back was fun, successful, and exhausting.

 That's my 30 week update in a nutshell! 

Week 29: Overdue update!

29 weeks and 11 more to go! I've gained 23 pounds so far and I'm starting to feel the effects:) We are now seeing the doctor every 2 weeks. We're on the home stretch!!

Here's me at 28 weeks. I apologize for slacking on the updates.

Not a great baby bump picture, but the camera died before we could do a re-take.

Technology is awesome. Last Monday we had our 4D bonding ultrasound. Blake and I both left the doctor's office with feelings of joy and excitement. I know there's a baby in my belly, but seeing him in the ultrasound just makes it much more real! It's pretty obvious Sawyer has most of Blake's physical features, especially his nose. Blake's a proud daddy. He keeps the ultrasound picture on his phone screen saver and every time he looks at it, he says, "That's my boy." It makes me smile....a lot. Sawyer sure is an active little fella. We saw my stomach do the "wave" thing the other night. Whoaaa. He also likes to kick and move around when it's time for mommy to relax. But that's ok. It's all worth it:)

My cuddle bug:) 

Last week was my first week officially back to work and by Friday evening, I was absolutely exhausted. My feet hurt, back ached, and I was in the bed by 9 p.m. I met my new group of 2nd graders Friday evening. I have 12 boys and 8 girls. I guess God is giving me some experience by having all those boys! Ha! I am just all kinds of excited about this new year. I'm not sure how well I'll sleep tonight. I'm feeling the "first day jitters."










 

Sugar High...Week 25.

And So I did it. 

I finally experienced the dreaded orange stuff the doc makes you drink before the 1 hour glucose test. I had heard so many horror stories about the awful-tasting orange drink and seriously had been dreading it all week! The lady at the front desk finally called my name and handed it to me...."You have 5 minutes to drink this." Took the first drink. Not bad at all. Downed the rest of it with no problem. Really, I was shocked. To me, it just tasted like orange koolaid. So, I thought alright...the worst is over. Until I hear the dreaded words come out of the woman's mouth on the phone this morning, "Unfortunately you failed the glucose test and we need you to come in and take the 3 hour glucose test."And so here I sit (hungry) in the Dr.'s office waiting to get stuck 4 more times.

YUCK. No fun. 

Sawyer has become one active little boy over the past 2 weeks. I absolutely adore the feeling I get when he kicks or when I feel him move. He is most active when I wake up in the mornings, after I eat, and around 8:30 in the p.m. The 4D ultrasound is August 8th and I. Can't. Wait. Maybe we will get a little glimpse of who he resembles. :) Of course, at 16 weeks, Blake was convinced he already looked like him and had his ears! Ha!

The crib has arrived! Yes! After days weeks of searching, we finally found the one! Blake and I had a great time working together getting it all set up. Usually when we work together on assembling things, we have little spats because I like to make sure I read every step in the direction booklets..Blake...not so much. Belle was kind of excited too...over all the plastic wrap.

Ta-daaa!! Finally Isn't it just precious!?!

Finally registered! The first stop...Babies R Us. I walked in and thought oh, how much fun! Y'all I stayed in the first 2 front aisles of the store for 1 solid hour! And I am not kidding. It honestly took me like 30 minutes to scan the first item. I was like a kid in a candy store. They have everything for babies these days including a baby's own jetted SPA tub. I didn't register for it, but it was pretty awesome. Next stop, Target. This time, I took along my lovely sis. Completely different experience. Ha! At one point, she took the scanner from me and just started scanning because I wouldn't make decisions! Thanks sister!

My other babies are wearing me out. I never knew dogs could have so many appointments! Belle has finally conquered her fear of walking UP the stairs, but will not come DOWN the stairs. Thus, she has helped me get the exercise I ever-so need.

here she goes...

made it....but cries until mommy comes and gets her

Other happenings...I am beginning to realize that school will be starting back in no time. Seeing all the school supplies in Target and Walmart makes me feel all anxious inside. I guess that means I should go tackle my classroom sometime next week.

A wonderful group of ladies and I went out to lunch this week for a small baby shower luncheon. I was showered with some of the cutest gifts ever!

Love these girls!

Cutest. Gift. Ever.

Sawyer!!

And the necessities!!

They should be calling me back soon to get stuck (AGAIN) so I shall run. I will be glad when this appointment is done:) Thank goodness for laptops and kindles. 

Week 22: I've Popped!

A quick and fast update on the previous 22 weeks....This whole experience has been nothing but 12 kinds of wonderful. After trying for a year, Blake and I are finally having a baby! Just so I can have this recorded...Blake's reaction when he was told the good news..."Wow, how'd that happen?" Not even kidding. What do you mean, how'd that happen?!

Anyway.

I only threw up 2x in the first trimester. Other than the usual tiredness that comes along with those first few weeks, this whole pregnancy thing has been such a smooth and enjoyable experience.

At some point this past week, I have really started to look pregnant. It's almost like I woke up one morning and there it was, that basketball-looking baby bump I've been waiting to see. Since then, the reactions have ranged from "Wow, you are getting big!" (words from the oh-so encouraging hubs)  to "Yep, you're starting to show that belly now." (words from Dad) At my last doctor's appointment, I had gained 15 pounds already, yes, 15 whopping pounds! I'm not too overly concerned about the extra weight, but occasionally, when I think about having 31/2 more months to go, I do get a little freaked out...just sayin'.

At our last appointment, we got to see our little guy in detail....brain, heart, spine, etc. We even got to see him eat and suck his thumb! Tear jerkers for sure. We both were in awe because we hadn't expected to see that much so soon. We're in love. Everything looked perfectly normal with the baby and with his mama and we couldn't be more thankful. We got the sweetest picture of him with his hand on his head like he had just had such a hard day. Precious.

Other happenings at 22 weeks...
1. The UPS guy made me happy today and delivered our nursery bedding! I kinda love it.

2. I am planning to run the Cove Lake 5K in the morning with the Absolute Fitness crew and kinda nervous. Last week, I ran with the crew and my time had declined a little ok, a lot. The doctor says as long as my heart rate stays around 140, I should be fine. Just trying to stay active at this point and it makes me feel better. PLUS, we will be going to eat a big breakfast after the race, so that's enough motivation in itself.
3. At this point, I'm not sleeping well at all. Crazy dreams, a hateful dog (who, just because I roll over or barely move my big toe, decides to bark at me), and too many late night storms may contribute to the lack of sleep.
4. We've still yet to register. Just looking at cribs overwhelms me. Anybody that really knows me also knows that I don't do well with too many choices. Convertible cribs, sleigh cribs, single drop sides, double drop sides, wheels, natural wood finishes like cherry, honey oak, sandy pine, and chestnut. Seriously??  I will gladly take any advice from any of y'all who know something about cribs. 
5. Some of you know we were thinking about putting our house on the market after only being here for a little over a year. After much prayer, we have decided to stay. I just couldn't do it. This house was built with love by my dad and when I would think about selling, my stomach would turn. God gave me the revelation a day after I spent a night in my bedroom praying. The next day, it was like God said, "Child, what are you thinking? This is your home!" No joke. It was so clear. I'll never forget it. I was in the garage when He spoke to me. I just had to be still and listen.

6. My first craving began last week. I wanted needed a plain roast beef sandwich from Arby's for 3 consecutive days.
7. The good ole' toilet has seen my booty more this week than it has all year.  Lil' man must be laying right on my bladder at the moment.
8. My hormones are much more in control this week. Last week y'all, they were raging. Just ask the hubs. 
Long post, but had some catching up to do! Will update next week! Much love!