Day 2 pics

so, the nurse just told us that a lot babies go into "cluster feedings" around night 2. this pretty much is feeding every 30-45 minutes instead of 2-3 hours. here we go.

He's Here!!!

wonderful husband filling in for carrie again and i have to say, what a night and day! after much labor and a little help from our friend mr. c section, James Porter Ryan entered the world at 4:13am weighing in at 8 lbs 3.5 oz and 21 inches. we had quite the late night early morning to get this baby out, but alas, he is here. I was able to send out an email with 2 pictures earlier today, but after 40 hours of being awake, i am surprised i even remember there was an internet and certainly forgot lots of people on the list, for that i apologize. i also apologize for my non responsiveness to phone calls/texts, i just reached a breaking point of manning the switch board and decided to sleep. i wont apologize for what a champ carrie is! amazing woman i am married to. after being awake and fighting contractions for hours and hours she pushed for 2.5 hours straight trying to get little P out! finally the doctors told her his head was just too big and he was faced the wrong directions to descend. it was a truly heartbreaking situation, all this work, all this labor and in the end, we could have done this at noon today. but for some reason the Lord allowed her to labor through, not quite sure what the reason is, but it is number one on my "questions to ask god in heaven" list right now. the good thing is mom and baby are very healthy, safe and resting. more pictures to come when carrie is finally able to take a shower and as she would say "spruce this thing up" with some lip gloss and some eye make up.

while momma to be sleeps...

as carrie's amazing husband and all around person of valor, i feel i have the authority to say that carrie is quite the amazing birther...so far. We checked into the hospital at 7:30pm last night and our final chapter into expectant parenthood began. our room is very much nicer than our house and surprisingly homey.



Carrie got settled and hooked up to approximately 10,000 machines. our nurse during the night was ok and since we were her only patient, she was super responsive (we secretly think she only had 1 patient because she only had 1 good eye, the other was VERY lazy and mostly a distraction). I slept for the majority of the night so from 11pm to 6am is quite a blur. They did give her some medicine to help her dilate more and it pretty much worked, she went from 0cm to 1.5cm by morning. She then just went through the contractions and dominated them. The doctor came in and told us we would be here for quite awhile, nice. Her mom, Nancy, and my mom, BR, came at about 10:30 and we all kind of hung out. The doctor came back in at noon and was checking her dilation, which was 2cm at that point, and suddenly water came gushing out. well there you go, nothing says change the sheets like a gallon of amniotic fluid (your love for your wife during the hours of birth at the hospital develops into something surreal with the amount of gross/awkward/beautiful/hilarious things that occur. i feel like an old couple now). Around 3:30 the pain was an awesome level and she had given all she could give without the help of some medicine. in goes a wire into her spine and out comes a happy momma. I sit here now at 6:45pm while carrie gets some much needed rest before the real fun begins, very at ease with the fact that my son will be breathing fresh air within hours but also very sure i am cant imagine loving something with all of my being the moment i see it...cant wait for an ice cold beer.

lady in waiting

It is now Monday, and still no changes. We have tried everything :) Just to name a few... I am currently sipping on a cup of hot raspberry tea (one of a bout a million cups I have had over the last few weeks), I finished a giant container of pineapple yesterday, there have been plenty of long walks, spicy Mexican food twice in the last 2 days, I have taken baths...I even got a massage from a woman who swears by some accupressure points that help to bring on labor. Nothing has brought on labor just yet. Today I plan on going for a nice long walk, double (and probably triple) checking our bags, and doing a little more waiting for Zach to come home from work.

As frustrating as I am sure I have made it sound to be waiting on pins and needles for this life change to take place, Zach and I have talked about how much we really have enjoyed each extra day we have had together. The longer we wait, the more conversations we have had about our expectations and what we are looking forward to or are nervous about... It really has been a great time. This time really has been a blessing and we both feel at peace about the the process. We feel as ready as I think a nervous new parent to be can feel... and we are both really excited about the challenge ahead. We just can't wait to finally see his face!

I will try to post one last pic before we head to the hospital this evening... and then we hope to keep you all posted as things change.

Thanks for all the support! We appreciate all the prayers...

today was the day...

But nothing happened. We did go to the doctor and still there is 'no progress'... I have been having plenty of contractions, but they just don't seem to be leading to anything. The ultrasound estimated that he weighs 8 lbs... which is great. Our prayer is that he will make his way into this world on his own before Tuesday. An uneventful due date thus far. I guess he still has a few hours to rock this boat, but its looking unlikely. I'm just about willing to try anything... I'm ready to meet him!

due in 4 days.

and this was the 6th picture I made Zach take... all VERY awkward, so I finally stopped trying. Please don't judge :)



39 weeks and counting... so ready to start the next phase... which includes seeing my child in the real world. (not just all over my swollen face and giant abdomen and arse)

We have an apt. on Thursday morning as well as an ultrasound to check his size and whatnot... and my doctor went ahead and booked some time in the hospital just in case he doesn't want to make an appearance on his own. If he doesn't, we will check into the hospital Monday night (the 27th) and be induced on Tuesday. Some say this seems early, but apparently the hospital was booked later in the week and I don't think she wanted to wait another full week.

We are really praying that none of this is necessary information... and he will just come on his own.

Last day of work is Wednesday! The students are getting nicer and nicer as I have been utilizing my rolling chair more and more...

P.S. Doctor said she thinks (last Thursday) he was almost 8 lbs. already! Healthy boy.

38 week Update

So I thought I should go ahead and post a little update for those of you I don't talk to on a regular basis. All is going well... and I am SO close to the end. Everyone keeps telling me that I am in the "any day now" stage, but for some reason it doesn't feel like that at all. I feel very much like P is going to make his appearance late. We will see... but as of now, no 'progression' (to spare you strange and awkward pregnancy terms) at this time. I will be 39 weeks this Thursday...and the big day is set for the 23rd. If he hasn't made is appearance by then (which I seriously don't think he is going to have) we will talk about how long post-date my Dr. is going to let me go. I'll say what everyone in this boat says and thinks-- I HOPE ITS NOT LONG. I have reached the end of this sweet pregnancy rope... I am so ready to meet him and so ready for him to be in the world and not in my belly!

One amazing bit of health news... Apparently Von Willebrands Disease can 'self-correct' during pregnancy and the body can start randomly producing the levels of Factor VIII (that I have always been missing) that regualr healthy blooded fools have. At 35 weeks I went in to get some bloodwork done and see if there was in the percentage of people that are 'healed' of Von Willebrands during pregnancy... and... I AM!!! What a blessing. My factor will decrease again about 5-7 days after I give birth, but for this time, I have healthy blood!

Pics to come of my increasing size...

His Room...

James Porter's room. ... If you didn't already know his name, it is now official. James after both of our fathers and Porter because we love it. We will call him Porter.

We are just about finished with his new living quarters...MUCH more spacious than his current conditions, in utero.



This is when you walk in he door and look to the right... and each picture after this is a little bit to the left, around the room.










This is a close-up of the print on the wall above his little changing station. Its one of my favorite finds on Etsy... called "P Shooter".

Houston Shower

Here are some pics from the Houston shower... thrown by my dearest Lucy, her momma Donna, and our friend Jo Bailey. This shower blessed us so much with so many amazing things... but most of all we really felt so loved. Pics from the Austin shower are yet to come because I forgot my camera that day!



Lucy and me... Getting ready for the shower to start. I know, I know... Can't see my eyes.



Donna welcoming everyone to the shower...



Jo showing off the darling cake.



A closer look at the cake.



So many great gifts!!!



My mom opening a gift for her... some cd's for our little man to listen to while he's at Honey's house.



Harriet, Denise, and sweet baby Abigail. I can't believe how grown up Abigail looked at the party! I feel like it was just yesterday we were doing this for D... and now its my turn.