My mobile boy...

December 28th was the first day he decided to really let go of any one's hand and just go for it. He had taken steps before and we knew he could do it, but that was the evening when he actually lost his sense of fear. Since then he has been non-stop. Now, nothing is safe.

My child has always been a curious boy, he has always wanted to know what that thing does, how does this work and "hey I wonder what this tastes like", but now it's amplified. He's a climber, and he uses toys, brushes, anything within reach to augment his reach. His nerve and curiosity keeps me on my toes and I love it.

It's wonderful.

One year...

It's been a year since we've had our boy, and it's amazing to see how much life has changed. We get a wake up call from him that is joined by a smile and some babbling. It's the greatest way to wake up. I love him so, and I hope he knows it.

We had a wonderful party for him this past weekend, it was fun. I'm glad Michelle took tons of pictures, since I was busy during the party. Anything for our boy.

7 months...

For 7 months we've had our boy with us now. He's amazing in the way he just jumps right in and does things. No fear, no apprehension, no timid bone in his body. I always wanted an adventurous child. A child who would be willing to try it all, and so far it looks like that's what we have. Our boy is an amazing source of joy and I am so blessed and privileged to be his mother.

The Kid is almost crawling, he pulls himself in whichever direction he'd like to go. He hasn't figured out that if he were to use his legs too it would be so much faster. He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. He's so close to being mobile that it just astonishes me how quickly we got from having to sit in front of the living room window to help do away with the jaundice, to now having to baby proof the house. Time has just flown past us.

My boy has two teeth and is definitely working on two more. He's a huge fan of food. He showed interest shortly before the first tooth made an appearance and he hasn't looked back since.

He's entertaining and loves to put on a show. He makes funny faces, smiles and places his hand on your face if you even pay him the slightest bit of attention. He's an incredibly social little guy, and that's forced us to be more social. It's a wonder how children bring you out of your comfort zone.

Tonight will be the first night we go out without him. I'm happy, because this is a little bit of freedom that I didn't have just weeks before. I'm scared, because I've been with him since he was born, and aside from a trip to the gym or the grocery store, I haven't been away from him. I know it'll only be a couple hours, and he loves his uncle, but I'll worry. I'm just wired that way. I'm excited to reconnect with my husband. Just to be able to talk to him over the table or hold his hand, I really am looking forward to tonight.

In the past 7 months my life has changed. I look forward to just taking a stroll with my boy. I look forward to having to run after my child. I look forward to hearing him call me "momma". I look forward to the new adventures we will have. And when I look back I see that this child of mine has given my life a new meaning. And I can't thank him enough for that.

The calm...

For a few weeks we've been really busy, especially during the weekend. What little of it we have we use up getting things done. We try really hard to enjoy the time we have together as a family. We've gone to visit family and had family come visit us. And it's been wonderful. I'm so happy to have The Kid have his family around him. He loves to put on a show for people when they come around. But, this weekend has been quiet. My brothers are off working and the other one is camping, so it's just our small little family, and it's been so wonderful. We've had a quiet morning of catching up on house work, enjoying some hanging out and then putting The Kid down for a nice long nap. It's been great to just sit and enjoy each other.

I can hear my boy sleeping in the other room, because he now laughs in his sleep. Creepy the first time it happened. Now it's just part of what makes him mine. I'm in the middle of folding laundry and JT is playing a game. We're just enjoying our day.

In the next few weeks we'll be busy with visitors and going to Nevada for the holiday, this is the calm, and we're really enjoying every minute of it.

Life is wonderful...

My life is different from what it was 1 year ago. It's amazing, yet so odd. I am at home with my boy now and I would not change it for the world. He makes my life wonderful. I have such a good time with this little guy, he's got a wonderful personality. I can't wait until we see how his personality develops, he's showing glimpses of having a great personality and sense of humor. Whenever I fake die he just about has a fit laughing. I could not have designed him better myself.

My little chunk of a man is making every single day wonderful and I can't thank him enough for it.

The birth story...

After my mother-in-law came in to town we headed to IKEA and walked my pregnant butt all up and down that store. IKEA is huge. We bought a crib. We came home and just sort of crashed. Saturday, the 16th we stayed home and just hung out. I convinced my brother that "if you build it, he will come" so that he could help us put the crib together. As we began putting it together I started feeling small contractions.

Sunday morning, the 17th I woke up at 3am with a contraction unlike any I had felt before and thought "ow! Oh my goodness, this may be it. I think today is the day". As the day wore on, I tried napping, I tried eating, I tried to get my mind off of things, and just relax as the contractions kept coming and getting more intense. In the afternoon my mom and mother-in-law went to the store, and JT, my brother and I stayed at home playing some video games. Pausing when I'd get a contraction. When I had to pause twice before passing a level, we realized we should start timing contractions. We timed them and they got longer and closer together. My mom-in-law came home and checked me. 3 centimeters.

Around 6pm I was about 5 centimeters. By the time it was around 8pm I was 7 centimeters. That was the moment we decided to go to the hospital. As we were getting everything together and got in the car and to the hospital, my contractions slowed. I had to brace myself a few times because of contractions on my way up to the labor and delivery room.

It took me a few hours to get back into the groove of contractions. Finally around 12am I was at about 8 centimeters, and there I stayed for too long. At this point the nurse from heaven came in and checked me while I was having a contraction. Nothing like having something up in there when your uterus is contracting. There was a lip that wasn't going up over his head. So I was supposed to bare down while she pulled my uterus up over his head when I was having a contraction. Pain. Oh God, the pain. I just followed directions. Get up and rock, I got up and rocked my hips. Sway, I swayed. Back on the bed, I was back on the bed. Legs up, I put my legs up. Lift your bottom and push, I did. Chin to your chest, legs up, and push. I did. I kept hearing, "You're pushing in your face, you need to push in your bottom" uhhh, OK? How does one go about pushing in the face? How does one direct the pushing to your bottom? Finally I realized they wanted me to do whatever it was that was increasing the pain. Oh, you want me to make it hurt more? Gotcha.

I kept pushing until I hear my mother-in-law telling me how much of his head she can see. "I can see this much!" as she holds up a dime sized circle shape with her hands. Then quarter sized, then half-dollar sized, then bigger, and bigger...and bigger. For some strange reason I didn't realize that we were pushing him out yet. I just thought the uterus was going up over his head. I was wrong. I kept thinking that I just needed a quick break to just catch my breathe, because after you hold your breathe to push, trying to catch your breathe when it's over without hyperventilating is actually kind of hard. But the contractions were coming one on top of each other, there was no stopping. I even heard the nurses commenting that "poor thing, she's getting no breaks". Next thing I know, my Dr. is standing at the "head of the table" and I have a baby on my chest. I'm in awe and I just can't believe it. They ask me to talk to him, and all I can say is 'Hello....Oh my God...Hi baby boy' as he stares right into my eyes.

My mom is a ball of tears, my mother-in-law is a ball of tears, they're hugging and kissing JT and me and I'm still in awe. They see The Kid, they rush out and let my brothers and aunt and cousin, who have been waiting in the waiting room the whole time, come in and see him. It's a blur, but I distinctly recall telling the nurse from heaven that I will name my daughter after her. She totally helped me beyond the call of duty. At this point my family leaves and we get to just hold The Kid after the nurse bathed him. At that point I held him and it hit me. I teared up as I told JT "He's ours. He's finally here." I cried and I just couldn't contain myself anymore.

Our little family is doing well. We're starting to get into a schedule. We couldn't be happier and we're all so in love with each other. It's amazing. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Surreal

I've been meaning to get online and simply type a little something to remind me of the beauty that was my child's birth. Something to put into writing the miracle that took place on the 18th of January. At this point I will simply say that if it hadn't been for my "birth team" and the amazing thing that is hormones and adrenaline and the grace of God, I would still be in that labor room refusing to push or refusing to do what my body was crying out for. It was not by my will alone that this little boy of mine is here. A lot of wonderful people worked really hard at getting him here, and I love them for it.

My husband, who was an amazing strength for me. Not only was he what kept me calm, but he literally pushed my head down into my chest to keep me pushing. I love him eternally for being so wonderful and strong that day.

My mother-in-law, Cindy, for bringing in her knowledge and love and really making me focus and making sure I knew that in the end, even though she really did a lot of work, that I am the one that pushed that baby out.

My mother, for praying her heart out and being a complete ball of tears the moment my child came out. I couldn't have experienced it all the way I did had it not been for her.

The group of nurses that literally got on the floor, got all up in it, and cheered me on. I know they were placed there by a higher power, because I'm just not that lucky.

Being that I never really got together and specified that this would be my "birth team", it all fell into place and I truly could not have had the birth experience that I did without them. I will type out my birth story and specify the wonderful aspects that I remember, but for now, there is a little man that is crying out to be fed. And I will run to him, feed him and make him happy.